California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Condemns Tennessee’s Attack on Marriage Equality, Warns of Escalation in Threats to LGBTQ+ Community as a Whole

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus Condemns Tennessee’s Attack on Marriage Equality, Warns of Escalation in Threats to LGBTQ+ Community as a Whole

SACRAMENTO, CA — The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus released the following statement in response to the Tennessee House’s passage of legislation that would allow private individuals and organizations to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages:

“We haven’t been spewing hyperbole when we’ve warned that attacks on transgender people are the opening salvo in a broader effort to roll back LGBTQ+ rights. Time and again, we have seen how efforts to marginalize and dehumanize transgender people are used to test the waters – laying the groundwork for wider attacks on the entire LGBTQ+ community. What is happening in Tennessee is exactly that escalation: starting with transgender people, and now advancing policies that threaten the fundamental rights of all LGBTQ+ people, including the freedom to marry.

Let’s be clear: marriage equality is settled law in this country. Efforts like this not only challenge that foundation, but also embolden discrimination in critical areas like health care, banking, and other essential services – putting real families at risk.

California will not be complicit in this regression. We will stand up for all protections gained for Californians and not give an inch. Our state remains committed to serving as a beacon of equality, inclusion, and safety for LGBTQ+ people.

The California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus strongly condemns the Tennessee House’s passage of this dangerous legislation, which is a direct attempt to undermine marriage equality and erode the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people. Californians have made their values unmistakably clear: with Proposition 3 enshrining marriage equality as a fundamental right in our state Constitution, and the Unruh Civil Rights Act prohibiting discrimination based on protected characteristics, California has led and will continue to lead the fight for equality and justice for all.” 

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About the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus

California’s Legislative LGBTQ Caucus was formed in 2002 to create a forum for California Legislators to discuss issues that affect LGBTQ Californians and to further the goal of equality and justice for all Californians. California became the first state in the United States to officially form a caucus of openly-LBGTQ state legislators and continues to be a leader of progress for all Americans. In 2025, our membership hit a new milestone of 14 members, maintaining its position as one of the largest LGBTQ Caucus in the Nation, and continues to remain strong. Despite tremendous progress and an unprecedented swell of support for the LGBTQ community worldwide, there is still much work to do to protect and uplift the most vulnerable in our community. The LGBTQ Caucus strives to advocate for diversity and inclusion of all people, including differently abled bodies. Our Caucus is working diligently to support LGBTQ leaders that represent our community at the local, state, and federal levels.

For more information on the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, please visit https://lgbtqcaucus.legislature.ca.gov/