Members of the clergy residing in Tennessee endorse the following statement about anti-LGBTQ bills in the Tennessee General Assembly:
"As leaders of faith communities we oppose these bills in the Tennessee General Assembly. They promote discrimination rather than justice and demean the worth of LGBTQ people in our state. We call on people of good will to join us in speaking out for basic fairness."
The bills are:
SB848/HB1152 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Ragan and SB1304/HB836 by Sen. Pody and Rep. Rudd. These bills promote state-sanctioned discrimination by private adoption agencies against prospective parents on the basis of religious and moral objection.
SB364/HB563 by Sen. Gardenhire and Rep. Zachary. The Business License to Discriminate bill. The bill casts businesses rather than the LGBTQ community as possible victims of discrimination and opens the door to taxpayer funded discrimination.
SB1297/HB1151 by Sen. Pody and Rep. Ragan. While the bill seems to be about indecent exposure, it is a devious attempt to criminalize transgender and gender nonconforming people in restrooms and locker rooms.
SB1499/HB1274 by Sen. Hensley and Rep. Holt. This bill requires the Attorney General to defend school districts that engage in anti-transgender bathroom discrimination.
SB1282/HB1369 by Sen. Pody and Rep. J. Sexton. The Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act is an attack on marriage equality.
Clergy wishing to sign should send an email with their name AND city of residence to info@tnep.org .
Rev. John Feldhacker, Nashville
Rev. Viki Matson, Nashville
Rev. Robert L. Early (ret.), Nashville
Rabbi Philip "Flip" Rice, Brentwood
Rev. Janet Wolf, Nashville
Pastor Greg Bullard, Madison
Rev. David E. McIntyre (ret.), Normandy
Rev. Wolf Cole, Savannah
Rev. Dr. Mary Louise McCullough, Nashville
Rev. Dr. Gordon D. Gibson, Knoxville
Rev. Jeff Briere, Johnson City
Rev. Susan Gardner (ret.), Hermitage
Rev. Cynthia Andrews-Looper, Gallatin
Rev. Brandon Gilvin, Chattanooga
Rev. William H. Berger, Franklin
Rev. Elaine Blanchard, Memphis
Rev. Tim Bath, Murfreesboro
Rev. April Baker, Nashville
Rev. Deborah Lynn, Nashville
Rev. Laura Bogle, Knoxville
Rev. Robert B. Coleman, Nashville
Rev. John Gill, Knoxville
Rev. Laura Becker, Chattanooga
Rev. Randy Shoun, Knoxville
Rev. Steve Wolf, Clarksville
Rev. Judi Hoffman, Nashville
Bishop Melvin G. Talbert (ret.), Hermitage
Rev. Theodore McKnight (ret.), Pleasant Hill
Rev. Dr. Brice Thomas, Nashville
Rev. Anne-Marie Zanzal, Nashville
Rev. Dr. Clay Thomas, Chattanooga
Rev. Paul Slentz, Nashville
Rev. RJ Powell, Knoxville
Rev. Carolyn Smith Goings, Ph.D., Dyersburg
Rev. Pamela Hawkins, Nashville
Rev. Diana L. Hynson, Nashville
Rev. Adam Kelchner, Franklin
Elder Blake Smith, Nashville
Min. Dahron Johnson, Nashville
Rabbi Joshua Kullock, Nashville
Rev. Mark C. Pafford, Smithville
Rev. James Bowman Harris, Cookeville
Rev. Ann McClure, Nashville
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