March 15, 2004: Legislative Alert-Prohibition on Civil Unions/Domestic Partnerships-Urge legislator to vote NO-Immediate Action Necessary

Dear Friends,

HB2627/SB2661 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. HB2627 is being heard on Wednesday, March 17 at 9:30 a.m. in the Domestic Relations Subcommittee. SB2661 will be heard on Tuesday, March 16 at 3:30 pm in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HB2627/SB2661 deprives loving lesbian and gay couples in Tennessee of any legal protection of their lifelong relationships. See talking points below.

Please contact your state legislator (before the scheduled committee votes) if he/she serves on either of these committees and urge them to vote NO on HB2627/SB2661. If your legislator does not serve on either of these committees, contact them and ask them to urge their colleagues on those committee to vote NO! Contact information can be found at http://www.legislature.state.tn.us. You may also contact your legislators toll-free by calling 1-800-449-8366 and entering the extensions listed below. (omitted for web)

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.

Reflecting what seems to be a trend toward strengthening of public support for civil unions, both the Washington Post/ABC News and CNN/USA Today/Gallup polls indicate a significant shift in public opinion on civil unions in recent months. The CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll found 54% of respondents favor civil unions for gay and lesbian couples. The Washington Post/ABC News poll found 51% of respondents in favor of gay couples being able to enter into civil unions with the same legal rights as married couples. This number is up 6 percentage points in just one month's time.

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 HB2627/SB2661!

Many thanks,
Hedy Weinberg, Executive Director