Politicians in Tennessee are set on legalising anti-LGBT discrimination despite big business opposition
Parent company of whiskey distiller Jack Daniels axed their DEI initiatives because the “world has changed since 2019.” (Getty Images)
Legislators in the US state of Tennessee are set on passing a bill to legalise anti-LGBT discrimination in business.
The Senate in the state this week passed SB127, a bill which bans the government from “discriminatory action” against businesses, even if they refuse to hire LGBT+ people.
This is despite warnings from over 200 companies based in Nashville that they won’t tolerate anti-LGBT discrimination.
As long as a company is in compliance with state law, which does not include anti-discrimination legislation, the government can’t take action based on internal policies, personnel and employee benefit policies.
Anti-LGBT discrimination is legal in Tennessee after a 2011 law banned local authorities from introducing anti-discrimination legislation.
So even cities lie Nashville are unable to pass non-discrimination laws.
Tennessee also has no means for transgender people to legally change their gender on official documents.
Demonstrators in Tennessee earlier this year vowed to keep coming out into the streets until anti-LGBT legislation, including the state’s own proposed ‘bathroom bill’, is voted down.
Two bills to ban same-sex marriage and to restrict trans bathroom use were introduced in Tennessee earlier this year.
Jack Daniels was one of 200 business to join a coalition against LGBT discrimination in Tennessee back in December.
Republican lawmakers in the state last month introduced a bill which will sought to strictly define the terms ‘mother’ ‘father’ ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ in the state.
