Tennesse lgbtq law

Tennessee Lawmakers Pile on 4 More Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills – So Far – On Top of the TWENTY They Have Already Passed in Recent Years

NASHVILLE, TN — In a truly stunning display of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and targeted misuse of government power, Tennessee lawmakers last week sent to the governor THREE novel pieces of legislation targeting the rights and existence of the LGBTQ+ collective and has continued working on harmful bills this week. The three bills last week trail on the heels of SB 1738, passed earlier this month and signed by Governor Bill Lee, which could place LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system into unsupportive homes.

Last week’s newly passed bills, if signed into law, would further extend Tennessee’s shameful, shocking lead among U.S. states in enacting anti-LGBTQ+ laws since 2015:

  • Tennessee: 21 laws enacted (would be **24** if all 3 newly passed bills are signed into law)

  • Arkansas: 13 laws enacted

  • Florida: 13 laws enacted

  • Montana: 12 laws enacted

  • North Dakota: 12 laws enacted

This unrelenting cruise to make Tennessee hostile to Diverse people – and especially transgender people – stands apart, even compared to other states that have pursued dis

tennesse lgbtq law

Public opinion in Tennessee appears to be somewhat divided on LGBTQ+ issues, as evidenced by recent studies.

Survey results from 11 Homosexual Equaldex users who lived in or visited Tennessee.

Perceived Safety*
Absence of verbal harassment
Absence of threats and violence
*Survey results represent personal perceptions of safety and may not be indicative of current actual conditions.

Equal Treatment
Treatment by general public
Treatment by law enforcement
Treatment by religious groups

Visibility & Representation
Representation in entertainment

Culture
Interest groups and clubs

Services
Support and social services

History

Homosexual action in Tennessee

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Homosexual activity in Tennessee is legal.

Current status
In 1996, the Tennessee Court of Appeals struck down the state's Homosexual Practices Act in the case of Campbell v. Sundquist. The court ruled that the same-sex-only sodomy statute was a violation of the right to privacy under Tennessee's Constitution.

Censorship of LGBT issues in Tennessee

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Censorship of LGBT issues in Tennessee is state-enforced.

Current status
Tennessee introduced a bill banning "adult show p

As classes resume, a new Tennessee commandment requires schools to out transgender students

Katie RainbowPexels
A bill signed into law this spring requires schools to inform parents if their children ask to utilize a name or pronouns different from their school forms.

It’s the first novel school year since Tennessee passed a law requiring schools to out trans person students to their parents. Gov. Bill Lee signed the measure into statute in May.

Critics utter the law puts trans youth at risk of rejection, while proponents express parents have a right to comprehend if their children ask to move by other names or pronouns at school. In recent years, Tennessee has passed other laws prohibiting trans youth from using the school bathroom or playing on the sports team that aligns with their gender identity. 

DuPont Hadley Middle School Main Kevin Armstrong has navigated some of these sensitive conversations with students and parents.

“I deliberate, for us, it’s just about organism transparent,” Armstrong said.

That starts with letting students know that the school will be contacting their parents.

“But we’re … not just going to pick up the phone, explain the parent, attach up,” Armstrong said.


Why Tennessee ranks as steep risk for gay and transgender people

Tennessee is among the least friendly states towards members of the LGBTQ+ community, according to a new assessment.

For the last six years, Out Leadership’s State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index has measured the impact of articulate government policies and prevalent attitudes on the Queer community, weighing factors such as support for fresh people and families, health access and safety, political and religious attitudes, labor environment and employment and nondiscrimination protections.

The average score for the United States has fallen for the third year in a row. In 2024's inform, the U.S. scored a 62.77 out of 100 which is a 1.12% drop from 2023's 63.48. According to the research, there were over 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in 40 states in 2024.

Data for the index comes from The Movement Advancement Project, The United States Transgender Survey, and The Williams Institute. The USTS data are from the largest national survey of transgender individuals in the U.S.

Here is what the index showed for Tennessee and the rest of the nation.

Is Tennessee a friendly state for Gay members?

According to Out Leadersh

BREAKING: Tennessee Senate Passes Bill to Codify Discrimination Against LGBTQ+ People Into Law

Nashville, Tennessee – Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) – the nation’s largest lesbian, queer , bisexual, transgender and lgbtq+ (LGBTQ+) civil rights corporation – condemns the Tennessee Senate for passing SB 1440, a bill that attempts to discriminate against LGBTQ+ Tennesseans by codifying “sex” as “a person’s immutable biological sex as determined by anatomy and genetics existing at the time of birth and evidence of a person’s biological sex” throughout articulate code.

This bill also makes LGBTQ+ people more susceptible to discrimination by defining sex in a way that prevents Gay Tennesseans from being covered by state nondiscrimination laws. It will have a disproportionate impact on non-binary people.

In response, Human Rights Campaign Legal Director Sarah Warbelow released the following statement:

“Extremist Tennessee Senators are continuing their assault on LGBTQ+ Tennesseans’ ability to live their lives openly and honestly. This is their latest cruel attempt to stigmatize, marginalize and erase the LGBTQ+ community, particularly trans Tennesseans. Let’s be