Wooden hammer with gold details and books in the background.
By Chris Sanders
The Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes on January 11 after a year of attacks on LGBTQ people (particularly trans youth), reproductive freedom, COVID-19 mandates, and fear-mongering about critical race theory. Many people are wondering, “What else could they possibly do?” Quite a bit, as it turns out.
First, it’s important to remember that the bills that did not pass this year can still advance in the new year. There is a bill that would alter the health care standards for transgender youth and criminalize deviations from the proposed law. We could also see the return of a bill that seeks to ban all LGBTQ content from the curriculum of our public schools. Another bill leftover from this year was a sneak attack on diversity training for state and local government employees. It could allow them to opt-out of such training sessions if they consider the training to conflict with their religious beliefs.
Second, legislators can file even more bills in the new year. So we will be dealing with the leftover legislation plus additional forms of discrimination. What might they be cooking up? There are rumblings of attacks on marriage equality or efforts to chip away at it. We have seen the beginnings of such efforts in Texas.
When confronted with these disturbing proposals, people sometimes ask in frustration, “Isn’t all this settled? Can they do this?” In a representative democracy, as long as there is a group of people with a cause, we cannot take it for granted that anything is settled forever. The far-Right will continue to use state legislatures and the courts to attempt to limit our rights.
So what can we do? The greatest need, though it sounds like the hardest task, is actually not complicated. We need volunteers that we call “district captains” who will meet with their own state legislators to talk about these bills during the legislative session. We will help you learn how to set up your meeting and provide you with guidance on what to talk about. We particularly need volunteers who live outside Nashville. Legislators in conservative districts need to understand that their own neighbors do not favor these bills.
Volunteers who can respond to media calls (television, newspapers, radio, etc) are also vital. We primarily need trans and non-binary people of all ages who can speak to the media about the personal impact of discriminatory legislation. But there is also a role for parents, teachers, health care professionals, clergy, and business leaders who can discuss their opposition to bad bills when a reporter needs someone to comment.
General volunteer opportunities will also be available for everyone from beginners to the more experienced advocates. For those in Middle Tennessee, you may have time to come to the Cordell Hull Building to show support during committee hearings on key bills. No speaking is required. We will also host phone banks again this year and provide you with scripts to contact legislators. Your presence and your voice will help us fight back together.
Advocacy is for everyone. Given the extreme challenges we face in Tennessee, we need you. If you are ready to take action when the Legislature convenes, be in touch at [email protected].
