Currently two members of the Tennessee delegation are co-sponsors of ENDA.  Please contact Jim Cooper (202-225-4311) and Stephen Cohen (202-225-3265), and thank them for their support, but also urge them to oppose any effort to strip or weaken transgender protections in the bill.

The rest of the Tennessee delegation consists of Senators:

• Lamar Alexander, 202-224-4944, Member of the Senate HELP Committee
• Bob Corker, 202-224-3344

and Representatives:

• Phil Roe, M.D., 202-225-6356, Member of the House Education and Labor Committee
• John Duncan, Jr., 202-225-5435
• Zach Wamp, 202-225-3271, candidate for Governor of Tennessee
• Lincoln Davis, 202-225-6831
• Bart Gordon, 202-225-4231
• Marsha Blackburn, 202-225-2811
• John Tanner, 202-225-4714

Use this message:

My name is _____ and I am a proud resident of (your city, county). I am calling in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (S.1584; H.R. 3017), to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from job discrimination. Please take action to pass ENDA now. I can be reached at _______ (give your phone number). Thank you.

It only takes a moment.  Your action can help shape the future.

Currently, 12 states and more than 100 localities have LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination protections, covering nearly 40 percent of Americans.  The State of Tennessee is not one of those states, but the Tennessee Board of Regents, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and in 2009, both Shelby County and Metro Nashville, have all adopted such policies for their employees.  Additionally, more than 150 Fortune 500 companies, including most recently, Federal Express, have enacted nondiscrimination policies protecting LGBT workers.  Other agencies and private employers based in Tennessee do have such policies in place, but many remain unprotected.

And, according to numerous surveys, large majorities of likely voters in the U.S. support federal employment non-discrimination laws to protect LGBT people. Polling data from 2006 shows that voters are more likely to support a candidate who votes for LGBT discrimination laws than they are to vote against.

The vote this morning was 64 to 35. We are, however, extremely disappointed that both of Tennessee’s Senators, Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker, chose to vote No, despite the plethora of Hate Crimes against LGBT people, and especially against African American Transwomen, in Tennessee.

Hate Crimes legislation will be the first positive bill covering transgender, as well as lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, ever to reach the desk of the President of the United States. We look forward to seeing President Barack Obama sign this important piece of legislation into law.

The Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition also recognizes the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) which announced plans yesterday to establish the nation’s first National Resource Center to assist communities across the country in their efforts to provide services and supports for older lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals.

According to HHS statistics, estimates are that as many as 1.5 to 4 million LGBT individuals are age 60 and older. Agencies that provide services to older individuals may be unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the needs of this group of individuals. The new Resource Center for LGBT Elders will provide information, assistance and resources for both LGBT organizations and mainstream aging services providers at the state and community level to assist them in the development and provision of culturally sensitive supports and services. The LGBT Center will also be available to educate the LGBT community about the importance of planning ahead for future long term care needs.

The LBGT Resource Center will help community-based organizations understand the unique needs and concerns of older LGBT individuals and assist them in implementing programs for local service providers, including providing help to LGBT caregivers who are providing care for an older partner with health or other challenges.

Finally, TTPC also applauds the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which also annouced yesterday a series of proposals to ensure that HUD programs are open to all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity as well as the first-ever nationwide survey of housing discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. This historic announcement explicitly addresses discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time by a federal agency.

According to the HUD announcement, the proposed rule by HUD will make three important changes to federal regulations. First, it includes language that ensures LGBT families are recognized and covered by HUD programs, including affordable housing assistance. Second it requires organizations that administer HUD grants to abide by state and local laws that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Third it prohibits consideration of factors other than creditworthiness, including sexual orientation and gender identity, in the awarding of mortgage loans insured by the Federal Housing Administration.

All three of these actions from the Nation’s Capitol are major steps forward in ensuring that LGBT individuals and families are treated fairly and with respect across the nation.
We thank all who made this possible.