NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A recent report from Out Leadership, which is an organization that advocates for LGBTQ inclusion in business, ranked Tennessee 46th in the nation for LGBTQ equality, partly due to anti-LGBTQ legislation.
The report scored states based on certain categories, including political and religious attitudes, health access and safety, work environment and employment, youth and family support, and legal and nondiscrimination protections. Out Leadership cited anti-LGBTQ legislation as the main reason why 22 states' equality scores declined this year compared to last year.
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Tennessee Equality Project's executive director, Chris Sanders has spent years fighting against anti-LGBTQ legislation at the Capitol. He told News 2 there has been an uptick in the number of anti-LGBTQ bills passing through General Assembly over the years, and it's one reason some are leaving the state.
"I definitely know parents who have moved their families out of the state because of the risks to trans kids in particular, but there are LGBTQ adults who have said, 'This is too much for me right now at this time in my life. I'm going to have to go somewhere else,' and I understand that," Sanders said.
However, Sanders added many members of the LGBTQ community have used the legislation as a reason to stay and fight even harder.
While the group beat a few anti-LGBTQ bills this past session, there were many that passed, including a law that removed specific anti-discrimination language from the state's code of ethics for educators. The bill's sponsor defended his legislation, and his other bills to News 2 in January and said it wasn't about targeting specific groups.
"We look at everyone as an individual, and we value everyone's life," Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) said. "We believe everybody is entitled to equal dignity, everybody's entitled to love and to be loved, and we tend not to put people in the categories that progressives do."
In response to News 2's article about the report, House Republican Caucus chairman, Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) wrote on X, "In Tennessee, we dare to believe boys do not belong in the bathroom with girls, girls should not have to compete against boys; gender mutilation is wrong for a minor. If this is bad for equality, then so be it."
Faison also responded, "Agreed" to an X post from another user who wrote, "The TQ demons are just hiding behind LGB people, like usual. Equality is fine. Their extortion racket isn't."
News 2 reached out to the House Republican Caucus press secretary requesting an interview with Rep. Faison, but we had not heard back by the time this article was published. If we hear back, this article will be updated.
Sanders told News 2 he will continue to advocate for the LGBTQ community and said anti-LGBTQ legislation could have a widespread impact on the entire state.
"I think it's important to talk about the real harms to our community, but often, anti-LGBTQ bills hurt other people as well," Sanders said. "In the end, a lot of those bills will end up hurting a variety of people. They'll hurt industry recruitment in the state. They have broader ramifications. Although, it is bad enough if they just hurt our community."