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.