Tennesse lgbtq law

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

Survey results from 11 Gay 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 task 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 rule 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

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 exhibit of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and targeted misuse of government power, Tennessee lawmakers last week sent to the governor THREE new pieces of legislation targeting the rights and existence of the LGBTQ+ community and has continued working on harmful bills this week. The three bills last week follow 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 drive to craft Tennessee hostile to Gay people – and especially transgender people – stands apart, even compared to other states that acquire pursued dis

Why Tennessee ranks as high risk for gay and trans person people

Tennessee is among the least amiable states towards members of the Gay community, according to a new assessment.

For the last six years, Out Leadership’s State LGBTQ+ Business Climate Index has measured the impact of state government policies and prevalent attitudes on the LGBTQ+ community, weighing factors such as support for juvenile people and families, health access and safety, political and religious attitudes, serve 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 state, the U.S. scored a 62.77 out of 100 which is a 1.12% drop from 2023's 63.48. According to the study, 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 Trans 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 lie down of the nation.

Is Tennessee a amiable state for Homosexual members?

According to Out Leadersh

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 apply 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 transsexual students to their parents. Gov. Bill Lee signed the measure into commandment in May.

Critics declare the law puts trans youth at risk of rejection, while proponents speak parents have a right to recognize if their children ask to leave 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 Leading Kevin Armstrong has navigated some of these sensitive conversations with students and parents.

“I reflect, for us, it’s just about existence 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, reveal the parent, dangle up,” Armstrong said.

tennesse lgbtq law

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, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and lgbtq+ (LGBTQ+) civil rights nonprofit – 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 express 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 transsexual 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 transsexual Tennesseans. Let’s be