As the TWK UMC Board of Church and Society, we want to speak to what’s unfolding in Tennessee right now with truth, grace, and clarity so that our LGBTQ+ siblings know they are seen, held, and not alone in this.

Legislatively, Tennessee’s House Bill 1473, sponsored by Representative Gino Bulso, passed the Tennessee House of Representatives. The bill states that private citizens and organizations are not legally bound to recognize same-sex marriages and wouldn’t be penalized for refusing to do so. 

There is a companion measure in the Senate, Senate Bill 1746, sponsored by Senator Janice Bowling, that carries the same language and intent. That bill has not yet been heard or passed in Senate Committee. 

Here’s the good and grounding news in all of this: a bill cannot become law in Tennessee unless both the House and the Senate pass matching versions, and then it must be signed by the Governor. This means our voice and our witness still matter deeply in this moment, and there is still time to act.

Paragraph 3120 of the 2020/2024 Book of Resolutions of The United Methodist Church states, “We lament the ways LGBTQ persons have been ostracized from and wounded by the church, and how often Christians have been silent in the face of injustice and discrimination against them.” You are encouraged to contact your elected representatives and share your views on this legislation.

To our LGBTQ+ siblings who have ever felt invisible, othered, pushed to the margins, or whose existence has been questioned by the lens of law or public debate, hear this clearly:

Your love is real.
Your marriage is real.
Your dignity and your place in the tapestry of this state and this nation are real.

You are not political abstractions; you are beloved human beings with names, families, friendships, stories, griefs, celebrations, fears, laughter, courage, and hope. Nothing about you can be reduced to a bullet point in a bill.

Even amid policy debates that feel cold and distant, your lived experience is sacred. Your existence is cherished. Your love is not negotiable.

Whenever you feel afraid or angry in times such as this, whether because of what is being said in committees, or what might be written into law, know this: there are allies and advocates working for your dignity, there is room at every table for your voice to be heard, and there is a fierce network of love that will not let you go.

We are holding you all in prayerful solidarity, in heart, in spirit, and in relentless commitment to your full humanity and flourishing.

– The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Board of Church & Society