Mike Cooper

  • Governor Haslam, Keep listening and oppose HB2414

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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!

    1,533 signatures

    Governor Haslam, please continue to oppose HB2414 and listen to the voices of transgender students and the business community speaking out against the bill.  Thank you for considering our views.

    Add signature

  • posted about Matching our Moment on Facebook 2016-04-14 06:10:21 -0500
    Just made a donation to Tennessee Equality Project

    Matching our Moment

    $5,255.00 raised
    GOAL: $4,000.00

    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.

    Donate

  • GlobalDoc, Inc. endorsed 2016-04-14 06:07:19 -0500

    Tennessee Open For Business

    openforbiz.pngTennessee 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].

    Endorse

  • posted about VETO Hate Bill 1840, the Counseling Discrimination bill on Facebook 2016-04-14 05:58:22 -0500
    Sign the petition: VETO Hate Bill 1840, the Counseling Discrimination bill

    VETO Hate Bill 1840, the Counseling Discrimination bill

     

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

    4,242 signatures

    Dear Governor Haslam,

    We urge you to veto HB1840, which allows counselors to turn away clients based on the counselor's biases and values.  This bill puts the focus on the desires of counselors rather than on the needs of clients, damaging the counseling profession and putting clients at risk. 

    An anti-bullying amendment was stripped from the bill in the House Health Committee leaving youth vulnerable in areas where mental health services are not widely available.

    Thank you for considering our views.

    Add signature

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