More than 100 religious leaders in Tennessee take a stand against slate of anti-LGBT legislation

Religious leaders in Tennessee are taking a stand against a slate of legislation they view as being discriminatory toward LGBT people. 

More than 100 clergy members from across the state signed onto a statement opposing six bills before the Tennessee General Assembly this session.

"As leaders of faith communities we oppose these bills in the Tennessee General Assembly. They promote discrimination rather than justice and demean the worth of LGBTQ people in our state. We call on people of good will to join us in speaking out for basic fairness," the statement reads. 

The Rev. Paul Purdue, who leads Belmont United Methodist Church in Nashville, added his name to the list because Jesus calls Christians to defend those on the margins, he said. 

"I think that equal protection under the law is kind of the beginning of justice, and we should always be thinking about that," Purdue said. "It's important to stand up and to call people to pay attention and to say that God loves everyone."

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The Tennessee Equality Project, which advocates for the rights of LGBT people in the state, helped organize the faith leaders who signed on to the statement. 

Chris Sanders, the executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, said in a news release that all six of the bills "strike at the dignity of LGBT people" in the state. Each bill is sponsored by Republican lawmakers.  

"These six bills attack our marriages, ability to form families, exist in public spaces, and they even undermine our ability to advocate with our own city governments for protection against discrimination," Sanders said. 

Here are the six bills that equality advocates consider to be anti-LGBT: 

• SB848/HB1152 would allow adoption agencies to deny services to couples for religious reasons. The sponsors are Sen. Joey Hensley and Rep. John Ragan. 
• SB1304/HB836 is similar legislation. It is sponsored by Sen. Mark Pody and Rep. Tim Rudd.   
• SB364/HB563 is related to government contracts and would protect businesses from being penalized by the government for their internal policies such as health insurance and anti-discrimination policies. It is sponsored by Sen. Todd Gardenhire and Rep. Jason Zachary.
• SB1297/HB1151 seeks to enhance punishment for any person who commits indecent exposure in bathrooms, dressing rooms, etc. It would include offenses committed by offenders who are members of the opposite sex than the sex designated by the bathroom's use. It is sponsored by Pody and Ragan. 
• SB1499/HB1274 would direct the state attorney general to defend any schools sued for having a policy that requires students to use the restroom corresponding with their sex at birth. It is sponsored by Hensley and Rep. Andy Holt.
• SB1282/HB1369 would make it the state's policy to defend marriage as being between one man and one woman despite any court decision that says otherwise. It is sponsored by Pody and Rep. Jerry Sexton.

Reach Holly Meyer at hmeyer@tennessean.com or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.