If you are attending TriPride on October 11, we would love to have your help in restarting the TEP Tri-Cities Committee.

What would the TEP Tri-Cities Committee do?  It would help monitor local governments like school boards, city councils, and county commissions for anti-LGBTQ proposals, help engage the media on equal rights issues, and make sure people in Northeast TN have constructive ways of fighting back against bad legislation when the Tennessee General Assembly is in session.

Join our TEP Tri-Cities Facebook group at the link.

Follow us on Instagram at TNEQUALITY.

Email us at [email protected] . 

We need you!

We are a public policy/legislative advocacy organization that focuses mainly on state and local government. We don't provide social services or legal aid services, but we may be able to make a referral if someone you know needs assistance.

Most of our focused volunteer opportunities arise from January through April when the Legislature is in session, but we need volunteers throughout the year.  Volunteers can help run outreach tables, monitor their local governments for anti-LGBTQ policies, and help create local events.

One constant need is for volunteers to get involved with existing regional committees or help start a committee in counties around the state. If that interests you, contact us at [email protected] .

To learn about some of our policy work, go to our most recent state legislative report at this link and to our special reports at this link.

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so at this link.

TEP is the only statewide LGBTQ+ organization that has worked on Tennessee legislation affecting our community for over 20 years. You can help us grow for the next 20 years by getting involved in your community.

As organizations that serve the people of Hamilton County, we call on the Hamilton County Board of Education to reconsider its action and renew its partnership with Centerstone to provide mental health services. The mental health of students must take priority over politics. 

The Seed Theatre

Chattanooga Pride

Fieldwork Psychotherapy

Barking Legs

Without Fear Strategic Life Coaching

Cherished Moments in Time Photography

Music, Fashion, and Arts Foundation

Grace Episcopal Church

Let’s Talk Consulting

Eduity, LLC

ArtsBuild

Welcome to Today

Public School Strong of Hamilton County

Moms for Social Justice

C.A.L.E.B. (Chattanoogans in Action for Love, Equality and Benevolence)

Mental Health Association of East Tennessee

Tennessee Equality Project

TO ADD YOUR ORGANIZATION, fill out the information at the link https://forms.gle/mNQPh5fBNshtAMyK8  . We ask that only organizations that serve Hamilton County sign on. Your organization can serve other areas as well, but should include Hamilton County. The name of organizations endorsing the statement will be made public. Names of individual persons and their contact information will not be made public. For questions, contact [email protected] .

• Centerstone has served over 2600 students at no cost to Hamilton County Schools. 

• Hamilton County contains the second and third most vulnerable Zip codes in the state with respect to mental well-being.

• According to the State of Tennessee’s “Suicide Prevention in Tennessee 2025 Annual Report,” Hamilton County experienced a 56% increase in the suicide rate, which was the highest in the state.

• A 2023 Sycamore Institute report found that nearly one in four Tennessee high school students considered suicide in 2021.

We are a public policy/legislative advocacy organization that focuses mainly on state and local government. We don't provide social services or legal aid services, but we may be able to make a referral if someone you know needs assistance.

Most of our focused volunteer opportunities arise from January through April when the Legislature is in session, but we need volunteers throughout the year.  Volunteers can help run outreach tables, monitor their local governments for anti-LGBTQ policies, and help create local events.

One constant need is for volunteers to get involved with existing regional committees or help start a committee in counties around the state. If that interests you, contact us at [email protected] .

To learn about some of our policy work, go to our most recent state legislative report at this link and to our special reports at this link.

If you would like to make a donation, you can do so at this link.

TEP is the only statewide LGBTQ+ organization that has worked on Tennessee legislation affecting our community for over 20 years. You can help us grow for the next 20 years by getting involved in your community.

All bills that were introduced in the 2025 legislative session affect the LGBTQ community in some way, whether they be tax bills, gun bills, or energy bills. We have put together this list of bills that either directly target the LGBTQ community or could be used for that purpose. No list is comprehensive and definitive. We could engage in further interpretation of many other bills and find a place for them in the discussion. Nevertheless, this list will give anyone interested a starting point for discovering the scope of the attacks and how we fared this year. Note: Because 2025 is the first year of a two-year legislative session, any bill that did not pass or complete its legislative journey could move in 2026.  The language summarizing each bill comes from the Legislature’s website.

Bills directly attacking the LGBTQ community through policy that passed (2)

SB472/HB64 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Bulso. "As introduced, requires all residential educational programs in this state, regardless of type or duration, that allow minors to participate or to access residential facilities to segregate all restrooms, changing areas, and showers by immutable biological sex." See the brief on the bill at this link.

SB937/HB1270 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Cochran. As introduced, specifies that certain individuals are not required to use another's preferred name or pronoun, if the preferred name or pronoun is not consistent with the individual's legal name or sex; insulates certain individuals from civil liability for using, or refusing to use, certain names or pronouns in reference to another; allows a civil action to be filed against certain employers and public schools that implement certain preferred pronoun policies or that allow certain names or pronouns to be used in reference to an unemancipated minor without first obtaining parental consent.

Bills indirectly attacking the LGBTQ community or bills that could be used for that purpose that passed (4)

SB955/HB1044 by Sen. Haile and Rep. Terry. As introduced, enacts the "Medical Ethics Defense Act." See the brief on the bill at this link. Commentary:  While the sponsors made clear that the bill does not directly attack groups, it can be used to empower health care entities to refuse procedures, treatments, etc. that are the concern of particular groups like the LGBTQ community. 

SB1083/HB622 by Sen. Johnson and Rep. Maberry. As introduced, enacts the "Dismantle DEI Act," which prohibits local governments and public institutions of higher education from basing hiring decisions on any metrics that consider an applicant's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, or disability, or hiring a particular candidate in order to achieve any goals to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion in the workplace. Commentary:  The DEI programming for most state government and local government entities either does not include or barely includes sexual orientation/gender identity concerns. Nevertheless, it is a discriminatory bill so we were one of the organizations that attempted to stop it.

SB861/HB910 by Sen. Stevens and Rep. Garrett.  As introduced, transfers, from the commission to the attorney general and reporter, the responsibility of identifying state laws, rules, programs, services, and budgetary priorities that conflict with the components, guidelines, and objectives of a comprehensive state policy established by the commission to ensure compliance with Title VI requirements. Commentary:  The Tennessee Human Rights Act does not include sexual orientation and gender identity and there was little to no mention of LGBTQ people or concerns in the Human Rights Commission’s annual reports. So our community has not relied heavily on the Commission for addressing discrimination claims. With that said, progressive groups are rightly alarmed by the Legislature moving the Commission's duties from an entity with some independence to a more politicized office like the Attorney General's office.

SB1084/HB923 by Sen. Johnson and Rep. Maberry. As introduced, enacts the "Dismantling DEI Departments Act." Commentary:  See the note above about SB1084/HB622. 

Bills attacking the LGBTQ community through insult with no real policy implication that passed (1)

SB503/HB327 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Bulso. As introduced, designates the month of June as "Celebration of Life" month, the month of July as "Celebration of Liberty" month, and the month of August as "Celebration of the Pursuit of Happiness" month in Tennessee. Commentary:  It is widely known that June is Pride month celebrating the LGBTQ community. The bill does NOT prevent the celebration of June as Pride month.

Discriminatory bills that directly or indirectly attack the LGBTQ that did not become law (13)

SB226/HB470 by Sen.Taylor and Rep. Rudd. As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Professionals' Freedom of Religion Act."

SB266/HB304 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Bulso. As introduced, prohibits state and local government entities from displaying or allowing display of flags other than Tennessee and U.S. flags on courthouses and public roads and sidewalks; prohibits LEAs and public charter schools from displaying in public schools flags other than the official United States flag and the official Tennessee state flag. See the brief on the bill by TEP and the Human Rights Campaign.

SB737/HB315 by Rep. Bulso. As introduced, enacts the "Tennessee Covenant Marriage Act" to create covenant marriage, which is entered into by one male and one female, who understand and agree that marriage is a lifelong relationship; permits a spouse in a covenant marriage to obtain a judgment of divorce under certain circumstances.

SB1043/HB320 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Bulso.  As introduced, designates the new swimming pool at Henry Horton State Park as the "Riley Gaines Aquatic Center".

SB372/HB551 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Cochran. As introduced, urges the human rights commission to study problems of discrimination against healthcare providers in this state because of their decision to decline to participate in a healthcare service on the basis of religious, moral, or ethical beliefs.

SB468/HB571 by Sen. Bowling and Rep. Barrett. As introduced, enacts the "Women's Safety and Protection Act."

SB674/HB900 by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Todd. As introduced, clarifies that the general assembly preempts and occupies the entire field of regulating the terms and conditions of employment; prohibits local governments from adopting or enforcing any law, rule, or policy that requires a term or condition of employment that exceeds or conflicts with state or federal law.

SB676/HB754 by Sen. Taylor and Rep. Faison. As introduced, requires gender clinics accepting funds from this state to perform gender transition procedures to also perform detransition procedures; requires insurance entities providing coverage of gender transition procedures to also cover detransition procedures; requires certain gender clinics and insurance entities to report information regarding detransition procedures to the department of health.

SB692/HB1119 by Sen. Johnson and Rep. Carringer. As introduced, requires the attorney general to report to the speaker of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives certain information regarding violations of the prohibition against using medical procedures to enable a minor to identify with, or live as, a purported identity inconsistent with the minor's sex or to treat purported discomfort or distress from discordance between the minor's sex and asserted identity.

SB1424/HB884 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Todd.  As introduced, specifies that a community or municipal center that is being used to offer adult cabaret entertainment is an "adult-oriented establishment" for purposes of regulating its hours of operation, location, and physical characteristics.

SB936/HB1271 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Cochran.  As introduced, declares that the policy of this state is that there are only two sexes, a biological male and a biological female.

SB1126 by Sen. Rose. As introduced, makes various changes to the categories of individuals who are not required to use a preferred pronoun, and for whom a preferred pronoun be disregarded, if the pronoun is inconsistent with the person's biological sex; makes various changes to the civil liability and adverse action protections as it relates to the use of, or the refusal to use, a pronoun or preferred pronoun.

SB1252/HB1262 by Sen. Rose and Rep. Reneau. As introduced, makes various changes to the categories of individuals who are not required to use a preferred pronoun, and for whom a preferred pronoun be disregarded, if the pronoun is inconsistent with the person's biological sex; makes various changes to the civil liability and adverse action protections as it relates to the use of, or the refusal to use, a pronoun or preferred pronoun.

Only a few days remain of this year's state legislative session. Please, look over the calendar below. More items may be added in the coming days.

EMAIL

Emails on SB1084/HB923:  Use the easy form at the link to urge YOUR senator and YOUR representative to defer this bill because of all the unanswered questions about the scope of this anti-DEI bill.

Emails on SB468/HB571:  Use the easy form at the link to urge YOUR senator not to concur with the bill as amended to include public higher education.

SHOW UP

Monday, April 21

10 AM:  HB923 (anti-DEI) is possibly on the House Floor in the House Chamber in the Capitol. Note:  On April 17, it was deferred to the end of the calendar established for April 17. It is not showing up on the calendar for April 21 yet.

12:30 PM:  SB676 (data grab) is in Senate Finance Committee in Senate Hearing Room 1 of the Cordell Hull Building.

4 PM:  SB1083 (anti-DEI) and SB1084 (anti-DEI) are on the Senate Regular Calendar.  SB468 (endangering trans people in gender-designated spaces) and SB937 (pronouns) on Senate Message Calendar on the Floor in the Senate Chamber in the Capitol.

The number of bills still moving is smaller this week, but it is important that we stay engaged. More campaigns may be added in the coming days.

EMAIL

Emails on HB754, HB923, and HB1270:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the House Finance Subcommittee and House Finance Committee to reject bills on a data grab for gender-affirming care, DEI, and pronouns.

Emails on HB571:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell YOUR member of the Tennessee House to vote NO on a bill that endangers trans people in gender-designated spaces.

Emails on SB1084:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell YOUR state senator to vote NO on an anti-DEI bill affecting state and local government departments.

Emails on HB1270:  NEW!  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell YOUR state representative to vote NO on the anti-trans school pronoun bill.

SHOW UP

All times are Central Time. All locations are the Cordell Hull Building unless otherwise indicated.

HHR = House Hearing Room; SHR = Senate Hearing Room.

1Monday, April 14

9:00 AM:  HB754 (gender clinic data grab) in House Finance Subcommittee.  HB923 (anti-DEI) is also in House Finance Subcommittee. HB1270 (pronouns) up in House Finance Committee, which immediately follows the subcommittee meeting that starts at 9:00 a.m. House Hearing Room 1. HB910 on the Human Rights Commission is also up in House Finance.

2:00 PM:  HB571 (endangering trans people in gender-designated spaces) and HB327 (June as NOT Pride month) on the House floor. Takes place in the House chamber in the Capitol, not the Cordell Hull Building.

2:30 PM:  SB1084 (anti-DEI) on the Senate regular calendar on the floor. SB955 (medical license to discriminate bill) is on the Senate message calendar on the floor. Takes place in the Senate chamber in the Capitol, not the Cordell Hull Building.

Tuesday, April 15

1:00 PM:  SB861 on the Human Rights Commission is in the Senate Finance Committee. SHR1. The committee actually starts after the completion of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee, which begins at 1:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 16

10:30 AM:  HB1270 (pronoun bill), HB622 (anti-DEI), and HB923 (anti-DEI) and HB327 (June as NOT Pride month) on the House floor in the House Chamber in the Capitol, not the Cordell Hull Building.

1:00 PM:  SB1083 (anti-DEI) and SB1084 (anti-DEI) are on the Senate floor in the Senate Chamber in the Capitol, not in the Cordell Hull Building.

The end of the legislative is fast approaching with bills hitting their final committee meetings, the floor, or a road block. Take action with these campaigns on bills moving the week of April 7. More may be added in the coming days.

EMAIL

Emails on HB571:  Use the easy form at the link to tell the House Judiciary Committee to reject a bill that endangers trans people in dorms, domestic violence shelters, detention facilities, and prisons.

Emails on HB622 and HB923:  Use the easy form at the link to tell the House State & Local Government Committee to reject two anti-DEI bills

Emails on HB1044:  Use the easy form at the link to tell your own state representative to vote NO on a medical license to discriminate bill.

Emails on HB1270:  Use the easy form at the link to tell the House Finance Subcommittee to reject the anti-trans school pronoun bill.

CALL

CALLS on HB571:  Use the scripts and numbers at the link to leave messages for members of the House Judiciary Committee on a bill that endangers trans people in gender-designated spaces. Call on the evening or on the weekend if you wish to leave a message at these office  numbers.

SHOW UP

All times are Central Time and all locations are the Cordell Hull Building unless otherwise noted.

SHR = Senate Hearing Room; HHR = House Hearing Room.

Items for Senate and House floor calendars will be updated as available.

Monday, April 7

2:00 PM:  HB1044 (medical ethics and discrimination) on the House Floor in the House Chamber in the Capitol, not the Cordell Hull Building.

Wednesday, April 9

11:00 AM: HB1270 (pronoun bill) in House Finance Subcommittee located in HHR3. HB910 on the Human Rights Commission is also in this subcommittee. 

11:00 AM: HB571 (bill endangering trans people in gender-designated spaces) and HB327 (June as NOT Pride month) in House Judiciary Committee located in HHR1. Join PFLAG Nashville, Nashville Pride, Tennessee Pride Chamber, and TEP's Balcony Brigade at the hearing. RSVP and learn more at the Facebook event link. Note:  The Judiciary Committee is also meeting at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

11:30 AM:  SB861 on the Human Rights Commission is in the Senate Government Operations Committee in SHR1.

1:30 PM:  HB622 and HB923 (anti-DEI bills) in House State & Local Government Committee located in HHR1. Note: The State & Local Government Committee is also meeting on Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

The number of bills on notice this week is a bit smaller as legislation either fails or moves to the floor. Take action with these campaigns. More may be added in the coming days.

EMAIL

Emails on SB1424:  Use the easy email campaign at the link to tell the Senate Judiciary Committee to reject a vague drag/adult-oriented establishments bill.

Emails on HB1270:  Use the easy email campaign at the link to tell the House Education Committee to vote NO on an anti-trans pronoun bill.

Emails on HB1271 and HB571: Use the easy email campaign at the link to tell the House Judiciary Committee to reject the binary definition of sex bill and the bill that endangers trans people in a variety of gender-designated spaces.

Emails on HB884:  Use the easy email campaign at the link to tell YOUR member of the Tennessee House of Representative to vote no on the vague drag/adult-oriented establishments.

Emails on SB1083/HB622 and SB1084/HB923:  Use the easy email campaign at the link to tell Senate and House State & Local Government Committees to reject two anti-DEI bills.

Emails on SB937:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell YOUR state senator to vote NO on the anti-trans pronoun bill.

CALL

Calls on HB1271 and HB571:  Use the scripts and numbers at the link to leave messages for the House Judiciary Committee on the binary definition of sex bill and the bill that endangers trans people in a variety of gender-designated spaces. Call in the evening or on weekends to leave a message. If you call on a week day during business hours, you may reach a live person. This campaign expires on April 2 at 10:00 a.m.

SHOW UP

All times are central and all locations are the Cordell Hull Building unless otherwise noted.

SHR = Senate Hearing Room; HHR = House Hearing Room.

Items for Senate and House floor calendars will be updated as they are available.

Monday, March 31

11:00 AM:  HB910 (ending Human Rights Commission) in Government Operations located in HHR1.

NOON:  SB1424 (drag/adult-oriented establishments) in Senate Judiciary Committee located in SHR1. NOTE:  The bill is technically on notice for today, but it is more likely to be heard on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. There is also a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.

4:00 PM:  Rally for Trans Visibility in Memphis hosted by My Sistah's House, OUTMemphis, and WeCareTN. Learn more at the Facebook event post.

7:00 PM: Nashville observance of Transgender Day on Visibility at First Unitarian Universalist Church.

Tuesday, April 1

10:30 AM:  SB1083 and SB1084 (anti-DEI bills) in Senate State and Local Committee located in SHR1.

NOON:  HB1270 and HB1262 (pronoun bills) in House Education Committee located in HHR1.

2:30 PM:  SB1424 (drag/adult-oriented establishments) in Senate Judiciary Committee located in SHR1 if the bill is not heard in Monday's Senate Judiciary Committee meeting at Noon on Monday. If the bill is not heard during the Monday or Tuesday meetings, it could be heard on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m.

Wednesday, April 2

8:30 AM: HB622 and HB923 (anti-DEI bills) in House State and Local Committee located in HHR1.

11:00 AM:  HB1271 (binary definition of sex), HB327 (June as NOT Pride month), and HB571 (endangering trans people in gender-designated spaces) in House Judiciary located in HHR1.

2:00 PM:  SB1424 (vague drag/adult-oriented establishments) possibly in Senate Judiciary located in SHR1.

Thursday, April 3

8:30 AM:  SB937 (pronoun bill). Senate floor in the Senate Chamber in the Capitol.

9:00 AM:  HB884 (vague drag/adult-oriented establishments). House floor vote in the House Chamber in the Capitol.

Bills are hitting their final stops in committee as the legislative session grinds to an end in Tennessee. More campaigns will be added in the coming days.

EMAIL

Emails on SB1424/HB884:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the Senate and House Judiciary Committees to vote NO on a vague drag/adult-oriented establishments bill.

Emails on HB1044:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the House Health Committee to vote NO on a sneaky medical license to discriminate bill.

Emails on SB1130/HB1051:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the House K-12 Subcommittee and the Senate Education Committee to support a good Freedom to Read bill.

Emails on SB676/HB754:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee and the House Finance Subcommittee to vote NO on a massive gender-affirming care data grab.

Emails on SB226/HB470:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell Senate and House Commerce Committees to reject a business license to discriminate bill.

Emails on SB937/HB1270 and SB1252/HB1262:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell Senate and House Education Committees to reject these anti-trans pronoun bills.

Emails on HB1271:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the House Judiciary Committee to reject the binary definition of sex bill.

Emails on HB571:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell the House Judiciary Committee to reject the bill that endangers trans people in a variety of gender designated spaces.

Emails on SB468:  Use the easy campaign at the link to tell YOUR senator to reject a bill that endangers trans people in a variety of gender designated spaces.

CALL

HB64:  Call Governor Lee at 615-741-2001 and urge him to veto the anti-trans bathroom for residential educational settings.

HB884, HB571, and HB1271:  Use the scripts and numbers at the link to leave messages for the House Judiciary Committee on a drag/adult-oriented establishment bill, a bill that endangers trans people in gender-designated spaces, and the binary definition of sex bill.

SHOW UP

All locations are the Cordell Hull Building unless otherwise noted. SHR = Senate Hearing Room, HHR = House Hearing Room. All times are Central Time.

MONDAY, MARCH 24

NOON. Senate Judiciary Committee in SHR1. SB1424 (drag/adult-oriented establishments) and SB861 (Human Rights Commission).

6:30PM:  Community Legislative Update and Zoom Phone Bank with Tennessee Pride Chamber. RSVP and learn more at the link.

TUESDAY, MARCH 25

9:00AM:  House K-12 Subcommittee in HHR1. HB1051 (Freedom to Read).

10:30AM:  House Departments & Agencies Subcommittee in HHR2. HB923 (anti-DEI).

NOON: House Education Committee in HHR1. HB1270 and HB1262 (anti-trans pronoun).

1:30PM:  House Health Committee in HHR1. HB1044 (medical license to discriminate).

3:00PM:  Senate Commerce & Labor in SHR1. SB226 (business professional license to discriminate), SB674 (preemption), and SB676 (gender clinic data grab).

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26

9:00AM:  House Commerce Committee in HHR1. HB470 (business professional license to discriminate).

10:30AM:  House Finance Subcommittee in HHR3. HB754 (gender clinic data grab).

NOON:  House Judiciary Committee in HHR1. HB327 (June as NOT Pride month), HB884 (drag/adult-oriented establishments), HB1271 (binary definition of sex), and HB571 (endangering trans people in gender designated spaces).

1:30PM: House State & Local Committee in HHR1. HB622 (anti-DEI) and HB910 (Human Rights Commission).

3:00PM:  Senate Education Committee in SHR1. SB936 and SB1252 (anti-trans pronouns) and SB1130 (Freedom to Read).

THURSDAY, MARCH 27

8:30AM:  Senate Chamber inside the Capitol.  SB468 (endangering trans people in gender-designated spaces).