Tennessee legislature introduced two bills this week that, if passed, would restrict the rights of the LGBTQ community.
“One bill, labeled the ‘Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act,’ says that the state of Tennessee will only recognize marriage between one man and one woman, and requires state agencies to ignore the Obergefell v. Hodges decision that outlawed discrimination against same-sex couples in marriage law,” according to LGBTQ Nation.
The “Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act” calls on support from the Ninth and Tenth Constitutional Amendments to back up the stance that the Supreme Court should not be the final voice on state matters.
The second bill, titled “SB0771,” focuses on students at public schools, stating that they are required to use the bathrooms and locker rooms corresponding with the sex identified on their original birth certificate.
Tennessee senator Mae Beavers introduced both bills, and Mark Pody, Tennessee representative, introduced a version of SB0771 to the house.
“The current versions of the bill passed on first consideration in the Senate and will be introduced in the house Thursday,” according to WATE.
If you would like to contact Tennessee senators to express your feelings regarding these bills, Senator Mae Beavers can be contacted here and Representative Mark Pody can be contacted here.
