MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nearly 50 people from Memphis nonprofits traveled to Nashville to meet with lawmakers who advocate for LGBTQIA+ rights and combat discrimination against people living with HIV.
For organizations like The Haven, OutMemphis, and the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), certain bills could have problematic consequences if implemented.
Some of these concerning bills include banning certain schools from displaying Pride and Black Lives Matter flags. The other would require schools to notify school administrators and the student's parents if the student in question wishes to be a different gender than the one assigned at birth.
The third bill would extend the amount of time people can spend in prison if they commit sexual assault while knowing they have HIV. The bill has raised concerns from groups like The Haven, who say it will lead to people being reluctant to get tested and won't stop people from being sexually assaulted.
“What we're hearing is rumors that such things are happening, and it further stigmatizes people living with HIV,” said Krista Wright, director of outreach and prevention at The Haven. Thayer said. “That doesn't happen very often. In fact, we got a tip that it might be happening in a particular camp, and when we went and investigated and tested it, we found out that it was just a rumor trying to hurt someone. It turned out that it was.”
The issues facing Tennessee's LGBTQIA+ community are not new. Over the past nine years, Tennessee has led the nation in passing the most anti-LGBTQ+ bills, according to the Human Rights Campaign.
“Even though the law says we don't belong here, we do and we're ready to represent this state,” said Jace Wilder, education manager for the Tennessee Equality Project. It means there are people who are.”
TEP called on Gov. Bill Lee to veto a bill on the same day it passes the House that would allow public officials to refuse to marry gay couples who have a legal marriage license.
