Anti-LGBT Adoption Bill
The Tennessee State Senate passed Senate bill SB1304 today, the first bill they took up and on the first day of the 2020 Legislative Session. This bill allows religiously affiliated adoption agencies to discriminate against same-sex couples when they are trying to adopt a child. 

We thank our many members and community partners that spoke out and worked hard against this bill's passage. We also want to thank the Senators that opposed this legislation and spoke out in the debate about what this bill was truly intended to do, discriminate. 

We are truly disappointed that we are here today. This bill was not needed, agencies could already do this thanks to a 2009 religious freedoms law that was passed. This bill was nothing but a poke in the eye to the LGBT community, a discriminatory piece of legislation in search of a problem that does not exist. The sponsor said it was to protect the religious agency from lawsuits. What lawsuits? It was said to help the children that need families. How does this help? It removes families from the pool of applicants to give these children loving homes. We need more families wanting to adopt and have access to adopt these children. There are over 4,000 children in the foster care system, 300 of those are ready to adopt. What this bill has done is embolden agencies to more easily discriminate against same-sex couples and narrowed the access to children that need a home. 

What this bill has not done is to stop adoption to same-sex parents. There are many state and private adoption agencies, many members of the LGBT Chamber, that are happy to help same-sex couples adopt and start a loving family. 

Passage of this bill should serve as a wake-up call for everyone. We are very encouraged by the response of the business community against this bill in the last week. Many members spoke directly with the Governor and Senators, voicing their opposition and emphasizing that the bill will harm their ability to attract and retain talent here in the state. 

We will continue to advocate against any discriminatory legislation. There are more bills from last year that we must defeat and new ones being filed. We will continue to highlight the economic consequences that these bills could and will have. We need your help to do it, stay engaged and reach out to us on how to take even more action.

See below for a press release from us and further coverage from the passage of the bill. 


Joe Woolley
CEO, Nashville LGBT Chamber
615-585-0743

Coverage of Adoption Bill Passing