Adoption Ban Filed
The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition (TTPC) is continuing the monitor the filing of new bills in the 106th Tennessee General Assembly. As expected, a bill to ban adoption rights for unmarried, co-habiting couples has been reintroduced, SB0078. The Senate sponsor is Paul Stanley (R-Germantown), the same sponsor who pushed this discriminatory, moralizing legislation in 2008, which would limit the rights of responsible adults from adopting children. TTPC was one of several groups which mobilized thousands of responsible Tennesseans against this legislation last year and, working with our allies, we will oppose it again this year.
Another area of concern in which we have already seen the first bills of the new General Assembly being filed would require new Voter IDs:
- SB0003 by Beavers/HB0009 by Weaver
- SB0005 by Ketron/HB0010 by Maggart, Lynn, and Evans
- HB0267 by Watson
TTPC has previously opposed any such legislation because of its potential disfranchising impact on transgender voters and will do so again this year.
We also anticipate continuing to oppose any legislation which discriminates against LGBT Tennesseans in Civil Unions, Education, and in any other area where there is an attempt to deny full equality.
We will continue working to repeal Tennessee’s one-of-a-kind ban on gender changes on Birth Certificates.
We also urge lawmakers to add “gender identity or expression” to Tennessee Code Annotated 40-35-114 (23), making it easier for state and local authorities to track and prosecute hate crimes against all LGBT Tennesseans.
If you do not know the name of your State Senator or Representative, you can Find Your Legislator by clicking here.
As part of this effort, we strongly urge everyone to join TTPC as we support the Tennessee Equality Project’s 5th Annual Advancing Equality Day on the Hill, on Tuesday, February 17. Join LGBT people and supporters from across the state in Nashville as we meet with state legislators and discuss issues of importance to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community. More details about the event are below.
If you live in Memphis, Knoxville, Nashville, Murfreesboro, Chattanooga or Tri-Cities areas, contact TEP before scheduling your meetings to avoid setting up multiple meetings with the same representatives.
On Friday, TTPC members from across the state met in Nashville and elected Officers for 2009:
President, Marisa Richmond (Nashville)
Secretary, Carla Lewis (Maryville)
Treasurer, VIckie Davis (Columbia)
