On January 27, Slate reported that the EEOC may withdraw from a case involving job discrimination against Amiee Stephens, a transgender woman.  New Commission chair Victoria Lipnic said "Administration-related changes" were the reason. 

TAKE ACTION!

1. Send your own email to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at [email protected] and urge the Commission to continue pursuing cases of LGBT job discrimination.

2. Sign the petition.  If we reach or exceed 1000 signatures, we will deliver them to the Nashville EEOC office.

The signs are clear.  We will face challenges to the legal and social equality we have achieved in the coming years.  The forces of reaction at the national and state level are strong.  But YOU can help us fight back all year with a sustaining, monthly investment in our work.  Monthly giving is the best option for most budgets and it provides TEP with a reliable source of revenue for the battles we face throughout the year.

Although your gift is not deductible for purposes of federal income tax, it has the advantage of supporting direct lobbying and legislative organizing to protect Tennessee's LGBT community.  Please, consider starting your monthly investment today.  We are grateful for your support.

If you prefer to make a ONE-TIME donation to TEP, you can do so here.

On April 18, 2016 about 30 pastors shamefully stood in Legislative Plaza and spoke in favor of the anti-transgender student bathroom bill.  And religion was used to advance the counseling discrimination bill.  Many more clergy across Tennessee publicly opposed both bills.

Whether you're religious or not, aren't you tired of religion being used to support discrimination in our laws?  If so, endorse this statement:

We oppose the use of religion to justify discrimination in Tennessee law.  To use religion to divide us in our public life violates the spirit of the U.S. and Tennessee Constitutions, does harm to the people of Tennessee, and brings scandal to religion.

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.

As a supporter of Tennessee Equality Project, your contribution funds the advancement of policies through direct and grass roots lobbying which protect the rights of LGBT people and their families here at home in Tennessee. Contributions to TEP (a 501(c)(4) organization) are not tax deductible.

If you would prefer to make a tax-deductible contribution to Tennessee Equality Project Foundation, click here.

Click here to see who is supporting the work of equality in Tennessee. 

Other Giving Options

Some supporters prefer to write a check or make monthly donations to Tennessee Equality Project through automatic bank drafts. Consider creating “Tennessee Equality Project” as a regular payee with your bank’s online service.

Checks and automated bank drafts may be mailed to the following address:

Tennessee Equality Project | P.O. Box 330875 | Nashville, TN 37203 

Thank you for supporting Tennessee Equality Project.

Generous anonymous donors have come forward and offered to match all donations to the TEP Foundation between NOW and 11:59 p.m. Central Time on December 31!  That means that your gift is doubled and your impact for advancing equality in Tennessee is doubled. 

C A N  W E  M A T C H  O U R  M O M E N T ?

Matching Our Moment...Marriage equality is on its way to Tennessee, but what happens when a lesbian working at a company with no non-discrimination policy puts a picture of her wife on her desk?  We've made progress in our cities, but too often hate violence erupts in the very cities where we've passed non-discrimination ordinances and partner benefits.  And while the adults start to get legal protections, LGBT students in Tennessee are left behind--bullied at schools and in some cases driven out of their homes by parents who refuse to accept them because their minds have taken in hateful messages.

Our Moment is one of opposition, one of need, and most of all, one of opportunity.  Can we match our moment? 

Your tax deductible contribution to the TEP Foundation by December 31 helps us do just that.  You can give online or send your dated check in a post-marked envelope to P.O. Box 330895  Nashville, TN 37203.

Matching Our Opposition:  We face two kinds of opposition in Tennessee.  There is the very well-funded public arm of opposition in the form of far Right lobbying groups that seek to promote a culture of fear and intolerance in congregations, in the media, and in our Legislature.  And then there is more diffused kind of opposition--a sermon that seems to come from out of nowhere, an outrageous remark by a county commissioner, or a store that refuses to serve a transgender person.  The TEP Foundation's programs through diversity training, media engagement, and Equality Means Business help shape Tennessee's culture with the values of equality and inclusion.  When you invest in equality in Tennessee, you give us a fighting chance against the opposition.

Matching Our Need:  The data on bullying in our schools tells the story.  The Tennessee Department of Education revealed there were over 5400 confirmed cases of bullying in Tennessee schools in 2012.  National data consistently shows Southern states are underfunded by significant percentages.  LGBT people and our allies need victories, however small, and we need hope so that victories can grow.  TEP Foundation programs like SAFE (Schools Are For Everyone) Tennessee assist GSAs, help communities deal with bullying, and help citizens engage their school boards with solutions. 

Matching Our Opportunity:  Potential allies are all around us.  Meaningful victories are within reach.  How we handle the first days of marriage equality in Tennessee can set the stage for a safer, more inclusive Tennessee for all of us.  When you support TEP Foundation programs like Tennessee Ready for Marriage on DAY ONE and Equality Means Business you give allies concrete ways to show their support and grow the movement.  We are grateful for your support.