LGBTQ Rights in Tennessee 1

LGBTQ Rights in Tennessee

Haley P. Monta

Stewart County High School

3 February 2017
LGBTQ Rights in Tennessee 2

LGBT Rights in Tennessee

Introduction

The letters LGBTQ represent part of a community; Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender

and Questioning. A community that suffers through immense discrimination on a daily basis.

LGBTQ represents the equality of sexuality and gender identificiations. The controversy that is

often brought up in Todays society is should the LGBTQ have rights? Should Lesbians and

Gays have the rights for same sex marriage? Should Transgender be allowed to have a legal sex

change? The argument is split between pro-choice and anti-choice and each state has their own

set of laws regarding these questions.

LGBTQ Rights

Tennessee Same-Sex Marriage

On June 26th, 2015, The United States Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage

nationwide all in part to the decision ruled in the court case Obergefell v. Hodges. States

nationwide were required to legalize same-sex, this included Tennessee. That same day,

governor Bill Haslam announced that the state would follow the judicial order and same-sex

couples began to marry off. Before the law was passed, the Tennessee Act of 1966 defined

marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As of now, homosexual couples may

obtain marriage license but have more difficulty than a straight couple would have.

Same-Sex Adoption

The State of Tennessee allows single LGBTQ individuals and same-sex couples the

rights to file for adoption. . In 2007, the Tennessee Attorney General released an opinion that
LGBTQ Rights in Tennessee 3

adoption by same-sex couples was not prohibited by state statute, and could be done if in the

child's best interest. Since the passing of the law, Almost 40% of all agencies and 83% of public

agencies reported making at least one adoption placement with a lesbian or gay man.

(Adoptions). Certain agencies reject LGBTQ applicants because of religious beliefs, state law

prohibiting placement with LGBT parents, or policies that place children with married couples.

Transgender Rights. The definition of transgender is relating to a person whose sense of

personal identity and gender does not correspond with their birth sex. Over the past decades,

hundreds and thousands of men and women having been given sex changes to correspond with

their appropriate gender. A well known transgender female is Caitlyn Jenner who was

formerly Bruce Jenner. In 1977, the Tennessee state legislature passed a birth certificate statute

that prohibits the state from altering the sex on birth certificates for transgender people. But as of

(year) Tennessee State Legislature requires proof of sex reassignment surgery, court order, and

or amended birth certificate in order to change gender marker. (MAP, 2006) Transgender

Tennesseans have the right to change their private identification information as long as they have not

committed severe crimes.

Work related Laws. A law may have been passed granting some freedoms to the LGBTQ

community, Tennessee Law does not prohibit discrimination. Business may have the the right to

refuse to service or accommodate LGBTQ Individuals that show up at their businesses. Several

controversy have been brought to public eye over whether or not store owners have the right to

turn away a citizen based on their sexual orientation or gender identification. Tennessee law has
LGBTQ Rights in Tennessee 4

punished hate crimes on the basis of sexual orientation since 2001, but the law does not include

gender identity, though it is covered by federal hate crime laws. Currently there are no protection

laws in place.

Overall. Over the past few centuries, the LGBTQ community has taken great strides

when it comes to furthering their rights. Same-sex couples are now allowed to marry and adopt

children, and Transgender citizens are allowed to be recognized and legally have sex changes

surgery. There is much discrimination over this community but with a little work, anything is

achievable at the end of the day.

My opinion. In my opinion I believe you should love who you want to love and be who

you want to be. Race, Sex, Gender and Sexual Orientation should not define who you are an

individual. No human being should judge or discriminate another. I believe that Tennessee

should go ahead and pass LGBTQ protection rights because they are citizens as well. It is unjust

for the government to discriminate against their own people. If you strip away the material,

underneath it all we are all the same. At the end of the day we are all human beings. This is

merely my opinion though, and I know a lot of people do not agree with me and that is okay.
LGBTQ Rights in Tennessee 5

References

Adoptions, Lifelong. LGBT Adoption. Newport Beach, 2017. Website.

Ebert, Joel. Tennessee House passes resolution criticizing same-sex marriage decision.

Nashville, 3 March 2016. Website.

Equaldex. LGBT Rights in Tennessee. Nashville, 27 June 2015. Website.

Equality, N. C. (2017, January). ID Documents Center. Washington D.C, District of Columbia,

United States.

MAP. (2006). Identity Document Laws and Policies. Denver, Colorado, United States.

Tennessee, American Civil Liberties Union of. Frequently Asked Questions about Marriage

Equality in Tennessee. Nashville, 7 July 2015. Website.