February 25, 2005: Prohibition on Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships - Urge Your Legislator to Vote NO - Immediate Action Necessary

Dear Friends,

Next Tuesday, March 1, the Senate Judiciary Committee will consider bills prohibiting recognition of same-sex relationships. SB914/HB0751 and SB215/HB334 would prohibit recognition of civil unions or domestic partnerships between individuals of the same sex in Tennessee and would make null and void those relationships that were recognized in other states or jurisdictions. Senator Miller is sponsoring both Senate bills; Representatives Clem and Newton are the sponsors of HB751 and HB334 respectively. SB914 and SB215 will both be heard on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

These bills deprive loving lesbian and gay couples in Tennessee of any legal protection of their lifelong relationships. See talking points below.

Please contact your state House representative (before the scheduled committee vote) if he/she serves on the House Domestic Relations subcommittee and urge him or her to vote NO on HB0751. If your representative does not serve on this committee, contact him/her and ask him/her to urge his/her colleagues on the committee to vote NO! Contact information can be found at http://www.congress.org or http://www.legislature.state.tn.us. You may also contact your legislator toll-free by calling 1-800-449-8366 and entering the extensions listed below.

Talking Points -

This bill is unfair and constitutionally deficient. This bill is unfair because it seeks to deprive committed, loving lesbian and gay couples in this state of any mechanism for ensuring that the law recognizes their emotional and financial commitment to one another.

This bill would negatively affect those companies that offer domestic partnership benefits. (More than 200 of the Fortune 500 Companies have domestic partnership benefits.) Currently in Tennessee, state law defines marriage between a man and a woman. This bill goes a step further and takes away any legal protection that gay and lesbian couples might be afforded were they to have a civil union from Vermont or domestic partnership granted in other jurisdictions. Passage of this bill would send a negative message to those employers and the employees they recruit that Tennessee is not a hospitable place to work for their valued employees.

Please urge legislators to vote NO on SB0914/HB751 and SB215/HB334. Many thanks.

Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director