The racist and homophobic comments of Sevier County Commissioner Warren Hurst have shocked people across the country.  Please, add your name to protest his divisive words and call for policy change in Sevier County, Tennessee.  We will deliver your signatures to the Sevier County Government in November at the next county commission meeting.

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A foster care and adoption license to discriminate measure was recently put into a health and human services funding bill in the House Appropriations Committee.

The “Aderholt Amendment” allows foster care and adoption service providers across the country to discriminate against children and prospective parents based on sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, and marital status.

We need your help to tell Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker:  NO ADOPTION DISCRIMINATION in the 2019 Appropriations bill!  We will deliver hard copies to their offices.

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TEP needs volunteers throughout the year.  Please, fill out this form or contact us at [email protected] for more information.  Thank you!

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Pay for your shirt if you buy in person at a festival. Each shirt is $10.  You can make a donation over and above that amount if you like.

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Sign this NEW petition urging Governor Bill Haslam to keep listening to the voices opposed to the anti-transgender student bathroom bill!

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Take a minute to contact Governor Bill Haslam by phone message or on Twitter and then let us know you did it using this form.  Let's get to 500 or more!

I called or Tweeted Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and urged him to veto HB1840, the counseling discrimination bill.  I'm asking you to do the same this week.

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Please, add your voice and urge Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to veto this discriminatory bill.

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Please, join us in encouraging Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to fight against this attack on transgender students.

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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.

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A generous board member has agreed to match contributions up to $5000 to support our work.  We only have $1000 more to go to meet the match.  Please, make your contribution today to help us reach the goal and keep fighting for you!

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With the recent passage of the Johnson County, McMinn County, Morgan County, and Greene County resolutions calling for the General Assembly to fight marriage equality, we need volunteers across the state to monitor discriminatory measures and actions in their local government.  Sign up to monitor one or more county governments.  It doesn't have to be the county in which you live.  After you sign up, we will contact you asking which county or counties you wish to cover.  We will hold a conference call with volunteers in the coming weeks to prepare you for this task and show you what to do. 

When we monitor local government, we can more effectively organize against discrimination. 

Note:  There is no need to sign up for Shelby, Davidson (Metro Nashville), Knox, or Blount Counties since these counties are already heavily monitored.

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Tennessee Open For Business is a free program for Tennessee small businesses that pledge not to discriminate against their employees or customers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. That means that member businesses do not discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individuals or couples or do harm to the LGBTQ community.  Members will get a listing on our website, a post on Facebook, and a window cling suitable for display in their storefront. The program is made possible through generous support of the Brooks Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

The Tennessee Equality Project reserves the right to refuse membership in this program to any applicant and to revoke the membership of any business.

You can see a list of some of the current members of Tennessee Open For Business at this link. 

For questions, contact us at [email protected].

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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!

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The Summer of Love tour is coming to Tennessee starting in June and running through mid-September.  We want to connect LGBT people and allies to one another, to the statewide movement, and to resources that help them advance equality in their hometowns across the state.

We're looking for volunteers to serve as tour stop organizers.  What do these key volunteers do?  They help us schedule a tour stop in your town and find a location for the meeting.  If you have questions, contact us at [email protected] .

***Note:  We are NOT looking for tour stop organizers for Memphis, Jackson, Nashville, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Cookeville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, or Johnson City YET.  You can still sign up, but we're focusing on smaller cities where we don't currently have regional committees.  We especially encourage you sign up if you're in a smaller town.  Thanks!

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