Turnaround year for Transgender People in Tennessee

2008 was a horrible year for transgender people in Tennessee. The attacks and murders put Tennessee on the map in the national media. Some began calling Memphis the most dangerous place to be transgender in the country.

A series of events this year indicates that 2009 could be an important turning point in the rights and protections of transgender people in Tennessee. Just today Memphis-based FedEx announced that its non-discrimination policy will now include gender identity, and 10 Metro Council members in Nashville filed a non-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Last month, the Shelby County Commission passed a non-discrimination resolution that protects County employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Earlier in the year, Rep. Jeanne Richardson (D-Memphis) and Sen. Beverly Marrero (D-Memphis) introduced a hate crimes bill that adds gender identity or expression to the current statute. The bill actually got out of a House subcommittee this year when much of the Legislature was focused on budget, guns, and abortion.

An incredible effort went into those advances. A lot of credit goes to people in Shelby County who are making an incredible effort to address the discrimination and violence experienced by the transgender community. Their work is helping the entire state have a new conversation about transgender rights. And a lot of credit goes to our allies the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition for their tireless advocacy.

I am hopeful that we are now on a tragectory that will continue to gain momentum. The violence and discrimination suffered by transgender people is a blemish on our state. The policy efforts we've seen this year to address the problem honor us all.

Tennessee Equality Project Shelby County Committee Hosts Inaugural Picnic

The sun was out and the mercury was rising, but the scene at Peabody Park on June 28 could not have been more picturesque. It was a scene of a community coming together to talk, laugh, and play. The Tennessee Equality Project's (“TEP”) Shelby County Committee fired up the grills for over sixty adults and children who gathered at Peabody Park for what organizer Michelle Bliss called “an old fashioned picnic.” Bliss stated that the picnic really had a two-fold purpose, the first being the obvious fundraiser portion of the picnic. More important though, was the opportunity to give LGBT families and friends a family-friendly event for pride. “Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in activism and causes that we forget what's important is the human connection. Ultimately, we are all looking for people who love us for who we are, and accept our quirks,” Bliss said. The picnic was just that, community members young, old, straight and queer, connecting with each other and forgetting the worries of society. Jonathan Cole, Shelby County Committee Chair for TEP, said that the picnic was a total success and he is already looking forward to next year’s picnic. Proceeds from the picnic go directly to the lobbying efforts of TEP to bring equality to the LGBT community in Tennessee.