The response to discriminatory laws in Indiana, North Carolina, and Mississippi makes it clear that everyone is affected.  So we all have a role to play in making sure that Tennessee is able to attract good jobs and keep our economy open for business.  That includes conservatives, independents, and business people, too.  Please, endorse Keep Tennessee Open For Business.  Use your voice and your influence to speak out for a prosperous Tennessee.

Economic opportunity allows individuals to live up to their potential and keeps families strong.  Discriminatory laws in other states have resulted in billions of dollars of losses because of boycotts and companies reconsidering their investments .  Tennessee cannot afford to go down that road.  Legislation like HB1840, which allows counselors to discriminate, and HB2414, which micromanages which bathrooms students are allowed to use, risks Tennessee's prosperity.

I endorse Keep Tennessee Open For Business to say that I stand for economic opportunity for our state and against discriminatory legislation that poses a threat to our future.

Please, add your voice and urge Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to veto this discriminatory bill.

Please, join us in encouraging Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to fight against this attack on transgender students.

Sign on as a co-sponsor of the People's Resolution Opposing Tennessee House Joint Resolution 529 on Marriage Equality.

WHEREAS, Rep.  Susan Lynn has introduced a resolution urging the members of the General Assembly of the State of Tennessee to express their disagreement with the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges; and

WHEREAS, the Tennessee Constitution affirms "That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together, for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances or other proper purposes, by address or remonstrance;" and

WHEREAS, the State of Tennessee ought to be focused on the legal equality of all its people rather than attacking the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community; and

WHEREAS, "the equal protection of the laws" is a cherished principle in American jurisprudence; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, that we oppose House Joint Resolution 529 and urge the members of the 109th General Assembly of the State of Tennessee to uphold the entire Constitution of the United States, including the Fourteenth Amendment, and cease their legislative attacks on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.

UPDATE:  Minister Ben Bailey of the Central Church of Christ called us this morning and talked about his views.  He is not pro-equality, but he wants to make absolutely clear that he does NOT support the stoning of LGBT people.  You can read his response at the link. 

The New Civil Rights Movement has reported on the teachings of Minister Ben Bailey of the Central Church of Christ in McMinnville in which the pastor tries to justify the stoning of LGBT people as biblical. 

People of faith and people of no particular faith alike reject the dangerous extremism of Pastor Bailey.  At a time when hate crimes are up against LGBT people in Tennessee and at a time when the nationwide murders of transgender people in particular have reached crisis levels, such hate has no rightful place in religion or in civil society. 

Despite the pastor's notoriety, hate will NOT define McMinnville or the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee.  We were in McMinnville recently for the Summer of Love tour with a strong showing of equality advocates.  Read the report if you doubt there are many great people in the area living their hopes for full equality.  Upper Cumberland Pride, which serves the region, is an organization that is growing again and now reunited to TEP.  We know they will continue to raise awareness for the safety and equality of LGBT people in the area.

We urge people of good will across the state and nation to stand with those in McMinnville and the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee and against the hateful rhetoric of Pastor Bailey.  Add your name as a show of solidarity!

The first reading of the Chattanooga non-discrimination ordinance is July 14.  It would add sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to the city's non-discrimination policy for government employees.  Do you support basic fairness for Chattanooga employees?  Your Chattanooga-area congregation, organization, or business can endorse this important change.

Endorsing the ordinance are the following:

Amulet Entertainment Group

Mercy Junction Justice and Peace Center

Tennessee Equality Project Hamilton-Bradley Counties Committee

We need you for the Tuesday Twitter Team.  Once you sign up, we'll send you a sample message to tweet on Tuesday that you can adapt or edit.

And every Tuesday or almost every Tuesday, we'll send you information about what needs to be tweeted that day.  You can help move the equality message forward in Tennessee every Tuesday.  Welcome to the TEP Tuesday Twitter Team!

MARRIAGE PLUS PLEDGE

I pledge to continue to work for full

legal and lived equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender

people in Tennessee after we achieve marriage equality.  

I recognize that we have more work to do on job discrimination, public

accommodations discrimination, housing discrimination, safe

schools/anti-bullying, bisexual erasure and visibility, health disparities,

domestic violence, senior care, HIV/AIDS, hate crimes, documents for

transgender people, and other issues.

Tennessee Open For Business is a free program for Tennessee small businesses that pledge not to discriminate against their employees or customers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. That means that member businesses do not discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individuals or couples or do harm to the LGBTQ community.  Members will get a listing on our website, a post on Facebook, and a window cling suitable for display in their storefront. The program is made possible through generous support of the Brooks Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

The Tennessee Equality Project reserves the right to refuse membership in this program to any applicant and to revoke the membership of any business.

You can see a list of some of the current members of Tennessee Open For Business at this link. 

For questions, contact us at [email protected].

Many Tennessee cities will have elections in 2015.  Tennessee's three largest--Knoxville, Memphis, and Nashville--are among them.  Will you pledge to remind your friends to vote in these important elections in 2015?  We're starting early because we want to get OUT the equality vote.  Your organization--even if it is a 501c3 or congregation--can also help.  501c3 organizations and congregations are allowed to tell their members when an election is and what is on the ballot.  Those activities in NO WAY endanger their tax exempt status with the IRS.  So we are asking you or your organization to pledge to get word out about these elections as they approach.  Those individuals and organizations signing up will get information about getting OUT the vote as the elections approach. 

Note:  The word "endorse" on this page means you are endorsing the plan to get word out about elections.  The plan does not involve endorsing candidates. 

We will add more city election information as it becomes available, but so far we know these dates:

City of Jackson

Early Voting--April 15-30

Election Day--May 5

City of Knoxville

Early Voting Begins--September 9

Primary Election Day--September 29

Regular Election Early Voting Begins--October 14

Regular Election Day--November 3

City of Memphis

Early Voting Begins--September 18

Election Day--October 8

Runoff Early Voting Begins--October 14

Runoff Election Day--November 3

Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County

Election Day--August 6

Learn more about why the diversity vote is so important in these upcoming elections by taking a look at this video from "12th & Broad" featuring comments from TEP.

Learn more about the issue and consider signing the petition to add your voice to this call to action.