Same-Sex Marriage Supporters Plan To Take Campaign Outside Tennessee Capitol

Supporters of same-sex marriage are gearing up for another battle with state lawmakers, but they’re planning on taking this fight far from the state Capitol. 

The focal point is a proposal, House Bill 1412, called the Tennessee Natural Marriage Protection Act. It says the state will recognize marriages only between a man and a woman, and will cover the court costs of any public official who refuses to uphold this summer’s Supreme Court ruling.

Supporters of same-sex marriage aren’t just planning on lobbying key lawmakers to oppose it. They’re also going to go door-to-door in lawmakers’ districts — in search of voters who will say they want the ruling to stand.

“We need to understand the reality of the political views in Tennessee,” says Chris Sanders, the executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project. “And there’s nothing like canvassing to expose that.”

Sanders believes that, even in solidly conservative districts, voters can be convinced to take a hands-off view toward marriage.

Part of the argument same-sex marriage supporters will be making is rooted in pragmatism. Few expect a bill that directly challenges the authority of the Supreme Court to hold up. But, Sanders says, the legal battle to defeat it would be expensive and troublesome — not just for the state, but for couples whose entire lives would be upended while judges sort things out. Marriage, divorces, birth certificates and estate cases could all be put on hold.

“I worry about that if this bill passes,” says Sanders.

The Tennessee Equality Project expects to launch the canvassing campaign in October. It’ll include a push on social media and might also involve rallies in districts outside Nashville.