April 26, 2025
Headlines

tennessee

State legislators join American Counseling Association and Tennessee Equality Project to denounce discriminatory religious counseling bill

Steve Lee, Editor08 mins

NASHVILLE, Tenn.—As the House prepares to vote tomorrow on HB1840, state legislators joined the American Counseling Association and the Tennessee Equality Project at a press conference today to discuss the negative effects of House Bill 1840. HB 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840, would permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider’s “strongly…

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Tennessee clergy speak out against HB1840

Steve Lee, Editor12 mins

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — This week, clergy from across the state added their voice to the growing outcry over Tennessee House Bill 1840, also known as Hate Bill 1840. Hate Bill 1840 would permit counselors to deny services and refer clients based on the provider’s “strongly held religious beliefs.” Not only is the proposed legislation discriminatory in nature, but…

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Tennessee lawmakers advance symbolic anti-marriage equality resolution

Steve Lee, Editor06 mins

A symbolic anti-equality resolution is advancing in the Tennessee State Legislature. Without debate in an entirely symbolic voice vote yesterday, the House Civil Justice Committee advanced House Joint Resolution (HJR) 529, a resolution that allows lawmakers to express their animosity for the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of nationwide marriage equality last June. “Though only…

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Anti-LGBT legislation voted down in Tennessee House Subcommittee

Steve Lee, Editor04 mins

The Tennessee House Civil Justice Subcommittee has voted down an extreme measure being pushed by anti-LGBT activists which sought to eliminate marriage equality in the state and require the state to defend marriage as “between one man and one woman.” The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) strongly condemned the legislation Tuesday ahead of…

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Anti-LGBT Tennessee lawmaker pushes to defy the U.S. Supreme Court on marriage equality

Steve Lee, Editor06 mins

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), and the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), strongly condemned legislation gaining traction in Tennessee that attempts to defy the Supreme Court of the United States on marriage equality. Being pushed by Rep. Mark Pody (R-46), the so-called Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act attempts to eliminate marriage equality in the state…

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Lawyers encounter political, strategic adversaries over same-sex marriage battle from major legal, human rights groups

Steve Lee, Editor27 mins

To her surprise and disappointment, lawyer Dana Nessel, who will represent April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse from Michigan in this year’s Supreme Court debate over same-sex marriage, has found out that her biggest adversaries aren’t anti-gay groups like the National Organization for Marriage and the Southern Baptist Convention. Rather, they are the poster children of…

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Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds marriage bans in MI, KY, TN, and OH

Steve Lee, Editor05 mins

Today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit overturned lower court rulings that struck down Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee bans on marriage equality.  Until today, no state marriage ban had survived a federal circuit court ruling. What’s more, the Supreme Court of the United States issued an order last month allowing the…

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Federal judge orders Tennessee to recognize same-sex couples’ marriages

Steve Lee, Editor01 mins

Today U.S. District Court Judge Aleta Trauger ordered Tennessee state officials to recognize the out-of-state marriages of three same-sex couples during consideration of their lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s constitutional amendment banning their recognition.  Human Rights Campaign (HRC) President Chad Griffin issued the following statement: “Yet another federal judge has recognized that bans on marriage equality don’t…

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