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TN: Legislature Likely to Consider Gay Marriage/Civil Union Ban This Year

Friday, January 1st, 2010

As the Tennessee General Assembly reconvenes this month, the state’s LGBT political leaders say that from adoption rights to discrimination issues, there will be many bills worth watching.

Despite wins in Memphis and Nashville for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in nondiscrimination policies, the political landscape remains fairly inhospitable for many LGBT concerns. With an election looming in the fall and enormous budgetary issues that will likely dominate the session, it’s unclear what traction bills favorable to the community might gain.



Hot-button debates are likely to occur over a proposed adoption ban for unmarried couples, which has been seen as a back-door way to disallow gay men and lesbians to adopt, as well as civil-union legislation that would preemptively ban not only gay marriage but also any other type of union with legal ramifications. In an election year, and with a body whose conservative majority is seeking to expand its presence, those bills are a given, said Christopher Sanders, TEP’s chair.

Full Story from Out & About: http://www.outandaboutnewspaper.com/article/3805

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.


To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

Tennessee Appeals Court Rejects "Paramour" Clause for Lesbian Couple's Custody Agreement

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

A judge who refused to allow a gay woman and her partner to take custody of the woman’s daughter has to reconsider, the Tennessee Court of Appeals has ruled.

Angel Chandler and Joseph Barker had agreed that Chandler and her partner would take custody of their daughter, 14, while Barker and his new wife took custody of their 16-year-old son. But a Gibson County judge rejected the plan they agreed upon, saying that state law required every parenting plan to have a “paramour provision”: that the parent won’t have someone stay the night if they aren’t married.

Since Tennessee law doesn’t allow for gay marriage, Chandler and her partner of 10 years were in violation of that provision, the judge ruled. Chancellor George Ellis of the 28th Judicial District in West Tennessee imposed the restriction in May even though Chandler’s ex-husband had not asked for it.

Full Story from The Tennessean.com: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20090922/NEWS01/909220331/Custody+ruling+on+gay+parenting+reversed

Planning to marry your partner? Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.


To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com with “subscribe blog” as the subject. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.