NASHVILLE – Zeke Stokes, Vice President of Programs for GLAAD, released the following statement after Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed HB 1111/SB 1085, a law that will now require all words in the Tennessee state code to be defined as their so-called “natural meaning” – ushering in an era that could delegitimize LGBTQ couples and trans people in the state of Tennessee.

“By the stroke of a pen, Governor Haslam has now placed the future of the state’s economy and the well-being of the LGBTQ community in jeopardy. HB 1111 has the potential to undermine marriages between LGBTQ couples, nullify a transgender person’s true identity under law, and put LGBTQ families at risk. This sets a dangerous precedent for how the LGBTQ community is treated in Tennessee moving forward.” 

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