NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A group of advocates held a press conference on Monday to speak out against a list of 18 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that could change how families get legal forms, how transgender minors gender-affirming healthcare and bills that could change language on education discrimination protections.
The press conference included Rep. Justin Pearson (D - 2Memphis) along with members of OUTMemphis, a West Tennessee-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group. It was specifically regarding a list of 18 proposals set to be discussed in various committees this week, listed below.
- HB 1660, Rep. John Ragan (R - Oak Ridge): Deferred in the House Higher Education Subcommittee until March 11, and would prevent higher education institutions from describing discrimination in any way outside the state's definition.
- HB 1948, Rep. John Ragan (R - Oak Ridge): Failed in Higher Education Subcommittee, and would have effectively prohibited higher education institutions from creating officers of diversity, equity and inclusion.
- HB 1891, Rep. William Lamberth (R - Portland): To be discussed in the House Commerce Committee on March 5. Otherwise known as the "Protecting Children from Social Media Act," requires social media companies to verify minors have parental consent to make social media accounts and give parents the ability to supervise minors' accounts.
- HB 1913 and SB 1873, Rep. Gino Bulso (R - Brentwood): To be discussed in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on March 5, the bill would formally say parents have the right to "direct the upbringing and the moral or religious training of the child," the right to access all school and medical records of a child as well as several other rights.
- HB 2169, Rep. Mary Littleton (R - Dickson): To be discussed in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on March 5, the bill would prohibit the Department of Children's Service from requiring adoptive parents from "affirm, accept, or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with the parent's sincerely held religious or moral beliefs."
- HB 1995, Rep. John Ragan (R - Oak Ridge): To be discussed in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on March 5, the bill would create a separate marriage license application form and marriage license form for heterosexual couples. County clerks would not be able to certify this marriage if the groom is male and the bride is female, according to the bill.
- HB 2936, Rep. Jeremy Faison (R - Cosby): To be discussed in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on March 5, would create a list of rights similar to HB 1913, strengthening parents' abilities to make decisions for and about their children. It would be named the "Families' Rights and Responsibilities Act."
- HB 1386, Rep. John Ragan (R - Oak Ridge): To be discussed in the House Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee on March 5, this would state that the General Assembly believes marriage is only ever between a man and a woman and would effectively only allow common law marriage between men and women.
- HB 2086, Rep. Ether Helton-Haynes (R - East Ridge): To be discussed in the House Health Subcommittee on March 5, the bill would require some non-government entities that receive in-kind funding from the state to enter "into a legally binding agreement with the department of health" on terms set by the department.
- HB 2310, Rep. Bryan Richey (R - Maryville): To be discussed in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee on March 5, this bill would open people up to lawsuits if they take transgender minors out of state without parental consent to help them get gender-affirming healthcare.
- HB 2160, Rep. Jody Barrett (R - Dickson): To be discussed in the House Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee on March 5, the bill would require internet companies to ask users if they want "material harmful to minors" to be blocked as part of their internet or cell service subscription. The definition of "material harmful to minors" was previously used in a bill that would have effectively banned public drag performances, and came under scrutiny following controversy from that bill.
- HB 1634, Rep. Gino Bulso (R - Brentwood): To be discussed in the House K-12 Subcommittee on March 5, changes the state's education anti-discrimination language to delete a mention of sexual orientation and social or cultural background, and substitute it with language focusing on family background and protected classes under federal law.
- SB 2503, Sen. John Stevens (R - Huntingdon): Would delete language in the state code creating the Tennessee Human Rights Commission, and instead create a division focused on human rights under the Office of the Attorney General and Reporter.
- HB 1661 and SB 2173, Rep. John Ragan (R - Oak Ridge): To be discussed in the House State Government Committee on March 5, the bill would create a petition process allowing people who get 2% of the total legal voters' signatures to call for specific library materials to be removed from where they can be seen by minors and make sure the material can't be given to minors.
- HB 2435, Rep. Gino Bulso (R - Brentwood): To be discussed in the House Education Instruction Subcommittee on March 6, would require the education commissioner to file reports about "action or inaction" over complaints from parents or legal guardians to lawmakers in the Education Committee of the Senate, and lawmakers in education committees in the House.
- SB 2107, Sen. Mark Pody (R - Lebanon): To be discussed in the Senate Education Committee on March 6, the bill would require "sexually explicit content" to be removed from libraries in schools, "regardless of the amount of sexually explicit content contained within the material." It would also withhold some funds from schools if they don't act quickly enough after receiving a complaint about "sexually explicit content."
"The reality is in this legislature, division and separation and othering of communities is what is consistently causing pain, hurt and heartache to our most marginalized communities. And the only way that it stops, is if we resist it," said Pearson. "The reality is, I serve with a lot of people who pretend to be people of faith, and one of the core tenants of those who actually believe, is love."
Advocates joined him in the press conference, including Molly Quinn, the executive director of OUTMemphis. She said that anti-LGBTQ+ bills from last year, and the current slate of bills, are having a deep impact on LGBTQ+ youth across the state with more young people reaching out for help than ever before. She said the group saw a three-times increase in emergency services over the last year.
"There is no other single subject receiving this much attention in the halls of our legislative branch this week," she said. "There are so many essential issues affecting communities in Tennessee right now."
She also said a large-scale survey from the Campaign for Southern Equality revealed around half of all LGBTQ+ students across the South missed school because they felt unsafe or uncomfortable related to their identities. In the same survey, she said more than 60% of children reported caregivers or parents trying to repress their identities.
"We have seen firsthand the ways the rhetoric that comes from our state House has stressed out and traumatized parents," she said.
Blount Pride also released a statement about the recent bills proposed in the Tennessee legislature. That statement is available below.
"As usual one our legislature's top priorities this session is attacking the rights and lives of LGBT+ Tennesseeans. Their goal of removing LGBT+ people from public life in TN is clear, and they are focusing on some of the most vulnerable in our community this year: children in foster care, students, and families working to support their trans kids. This annually recurring slate of hate in our legislature is designed to create fear and repression, and tell LGBT+ folks in TN that they aren't wanted or accepted here and that harms our community. Regardless of what legislation is passed and what rights the legislature manages to scratch away at this go around, they are bound to lose because we ain't going anywhere and we will keep on building community and support right where we are at. The TN Equality Project is a great place to keep up with efforts to oppose anti-LGBT legislation. - https://www.tnep.org/campaigns_for_week_of_march_4"
WBIR organized a survey asking people what they wanted lawmakers to focus on the most during this legislative session. Crime, education and school safety were ranked among the most pressing concerns. LGBTQ+ issues were among the least important issues.