On the evening of May 17, The Tennessean and The Commercial Appeal reported that legislators are considering a special legislative session to take up a new effort to pass a statewide anti-transgender bathroom discrimination law.  Sign YOUR name to the statement below and we'll deliver your signatures to legislative leaders:

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!

SUPPORT OUR START UP!*  With the Supreme Court taking up the marriage issue, it looks as if marriage equality is FINALLY coming to Tennessee.  But that's not all that's coming.  Family Action Council of Tennessee is going to try to bring an Indiana-style RFRA to Tennessee again next year.  You'll remember that we beat the bill last year, the one we called "Turn the Gays Away." 

So we wondered what to do and how to prepare.

Then the answer came to us!

A startup, of course!  If bakers and pizza places can turn away LGBT people, why not start our own RFRA Wedding Cake Emporium to meet all your needs when the haters can't be bothered.  This is social entrepreneurship at its best.

So invest in our RFRA Wedding Cake Emporium where we welcome everyone!

Help us build a better wedding cake toward the $1000 level! Each completed cake layer means $500 toward our $3000 goal!

*(OK, so we're not actually starting a wedding cake emporium.  But when you make a donation, we can fight negative bills like RFRA and Mini Indy/Counseling Discrimination style bills in the Legislature and WIN!  Because your donation supports excellent professional lobbying and grassroots policy organizing, it is not tax deductible.  But it tastes great.  Wedding cake minus the discrimination.)

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.

Let's make 2015 the year that Tennessee invests in great advocacy at the state level.  If we can find 30 more people who make $15 or more per month in recurring donations to the Tennessee Equality Project, we can cover the lobbying contract that protects us all when the Legislature is in session.  Having a professional, experienced lobbyist on the Hill defends us from negative legislation like the Don't Say Gay and License to Bully bills.  It also helps us move the Dignity for All Students Act forward. 

While your contribution to Tennessee Equality Project's lobbying efforts is not deductible for purposes of federal income tax, it is an inexpensive way to hold the line on discrimination and advance equality in our own state.

Past investments in professional lobbying have paid off significantly in Tennessee.  We have gone 4 and 0 against the Don't Say Gay bill.  We beat the Turn the Gays Away bill last year.  Results matter and with your $15/month in 2015, we can continue to work together to achieve them.

SPECIAL OFFER: Through Thursday, February 5, 2015, TEP is offering one free General Admission Tasting Ticket to the TEP Gumbo Contest in Memphis on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2015 to new sustaining donors of $15 or more per month. Don't miss out on this offer. After completing your transaction, call 901-301-3306 to obtain the discount code number for your free ticket.