"Republicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives yesterday passed a bill that says that people and private organizations don't have to recognize same-sex marriages. It also shields people from facing professional discipline if they refuse to officiate or "celebrate" a same-sex wedding. Opponents of the bill say that, if it passes, hospitals, banks, and other businesses could refuse to accept same-sex couples as clients or patients."
"H.B. 1473 states that the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution only requires state and local governments to provide equal protection under the law, not private entities. The bill's text is very specific in that it says that people and organizations don't have to recognize "a purported marriage between individuals of the same sex" and not any other kind of marriage."
H.B. 1473 declares that individuals and private organizations do not have to recognize same-sex marriages and cannot face professional discipline for refusing to officiate or celebrate such unions. The bill says the 14th Amendment requires equal protection only from state and local governments, not private entities. Opponents contend the law could permit hospitals, banks, and businesses to refuse services to same-sex couples. Tennessee law currently excludes LGBTQ+ people from state anti-discrimination protections and prevents local governments from creating such protections. The bill passed the Tennessee House 68-24 along party lines.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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