Today, the Tennessee General Assembly voted to pass House Bill 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, which will permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider’s “strongly held religious beliefs.” The bill now returns to the Tennessee Senate for a vote. The American Counseling Association called on Speaker Harwell and the Tennessee state Senators to do the right thing and reject Hate Bill 1840.
Art Terrazas, Director of the American Counseling Association, said: “Tennessee is the only state in the country to pass a bill that invalidates the ACA’s Code of Ethics. HB 1840 mischaracterizes our profession, and it puts the people of Tennessee, particularly members of the LGBTQ community, in harm’s way. The ACA is extremely disappointed with Speaker Harwell. Her decision not to vote on Hate Bill 1840 shows a true lack of leadership. Tennesseans deserve a leader who stands up for what is right, regardless of the vote count. This bill is bad for counseling and bad for Tennessee. The state Senate must reject House Bill 1840.”
HB 1840 could have consequences for the hundreds of thousands of state residents whose reliance on accessible and professional counseling services could be harmed; for the state’s eligibility for federal healthcare funding that could be jeopardized by the discriminatory nature of this legislation; and for the bottom line of Tennessee small businesses and the state’s tourism and convention industries, which could be negatively affected as Tennessee becomes “the next” state to enter into the contentious national debate surrounding LGBTQ rights and religious freedom legislation.
