Over the last few years, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County, the Mayor’s Office, and the Davidson Country District Attorney have made numerous statements and passed resolutions in opposite of Tennessee state legislation, especially in relation to protecting individual rights and communities.
The Nashville Mayor’s Office “is committed to the equal rights and treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) residents, workers, and visitors,” which is further supported through an official Mayor’s Office LGBTQ liaison.
Since a 2019 Mayoral Executive Order, LGBT-owned businesses are a recognized business category in Nashville, making them eligible for certain government programs. The city also has an active LGBT Chamber of Commerce.
While the State of Tennessee passed legislation in 2021 requiring businesses with public bathrooms to post signage if transgender individuals were allowed to use multi-person, gender-specific bathrooms, Nashville city officials and government bodies advocated against this legislation before it was passed and have spoken against it since. Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk has explicitly stated that his office will not enforce this legislation: “I believe every person is welcome and valued in Nashville. Enforcement of transphobic or homophobic laws is contrary to those values. My office will not promote hate.”
In March 2022, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County approved a resolution urging the Tennessee General Assembly to reject proposed legislation that would prohibit schools from utilizing textbooks and instructional materials associated with LGBT+ identities.