Let us know your name, email address, and your Knox County Board of Education/Knox County School Board district.  Every resident of Knox County is part of a Board of Education district with your own School Board member.

*If you don't know your Board of Education member, you might find your district number on your voter registration card.  You can also use the map at this link to determine your district. 

Remember:  We need your name, email address, and Board of Education District in the form.  We may contact you about advocacy for LGBTQ students.  Thank you.

In April the owners of the Wild Cow and Graze restaurants added gender-neutral signs to their single occupancy restrooms, but they were later told that this move meant they were no longer in compliance with the Metro code.  They made the move to serve their customers and employees and to protest the Legislature's bathroom bill that was pending at the time.  You can read about the background here.

Metro Nashville Councilman Brett Withers has filed a bill allowing businesses the option of gender-neutral bathrooms.  You can read the bill at this link.  The bill is up for second of three readings on June 7 at the 6:30 Metro Council meeting in the Metro Courthouse.

Sign the petition to show your support.

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, take action about Senate Bill 1912 that defunds the University of Tennessee-Knoxville's Office for Diversity and Inclusion.

Call Governor Haslam at 615-741-2001 and ask him to Veto Senate Bill 1912 and defend diversity.  It's fine to leave a message.

OR

Tweet him @BillHaslam with #VetoSB1912 .

When you have called or tweeted, let us know you did it with this form.  NOTE:  You don't have to live in Tennessee to participate.

In late April the U.S. House Armed Services Committee voted to undo President Obama's non-discrimination executive orders for federal contracts via the Russell amendment.  This amendment is part of the National Defense Authorization Act. 

Removal of the President's executive orders on non-discrimination would be a disaster for LGBT people in states like Tennessee that lack employment protections covering sexual orientation and gender identity. 

Please, sign this petition to Tennessee's two U.S. Senators and nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives and we will make sure copies are sent to their offices.

The map shown above represents mental health providers in Tennessee who provide affirmative services, especially in regards to sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. Please click on the top right of the map to make it larger so you can search your address/location to find counselors close to you and more information about them (e.g., website, e-mail address, insurance options, etc.).

The "Counseling Discrimination Law" (formerly HB1840) passed in 2016 highlights the need for counselors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and other mental health providers to speak out for inclusive and affirmative practices.  We urge any mental health provider to endorse the statement at the bottom of the page. 

As counselors, therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers serving clients in Tennessee, we affirm that we do not discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity and we will not use our own sincerely held principles as a reason to turn clients away. 

Note:  The Tennessee Equality Project and the Tennessee Equality Project Foundation reserve the right to refuse membership to any provider or revoke a provider's listing.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please reach out to [email protected].

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.

The Legislature passed SB1912/HB2248 that removes funding from the Office for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.  Sign this petition that we will deliver to Governor Haslam asking him to veto the bill.

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.

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.

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