LGBTQ rights in Tennessee
LGBTQ rights in Tennessee | |
|---|---|
| Legal status | Legal since 1996 |
| Gender identity | blocked by the Vital Records Act of 1977 |
| Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation and gender identity in employment only federally since 2020, enforcement blocked by the Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act, and also its enforcement is additionally blocked by a state court ruling. |
| Family rights | |
| Recognition of relationships | Same-sex marriage since 2015 |
| Adoption | Legal since 2007 |
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people in the U.S. state of Tennessee may experience some legal challenges that non-LGBTQ residents do not. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in the state since 1996. Marriage licenses have been issued to same-sex couples in Tennessee since the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015.
Human Rights Campaign's annual state report in 2024 classified Tennessee as one of the lowest-ranking states in the country for LGBTQ rights. Tennessee restricts the passage of anti‑discrimination municipal protections and possesses numerous laws which deny the rights of transgender individuals.