Tennessee bill lets businesses and people refuse to recognize same-sex marriageshttps://www.advocate.com/politics/states/tennessee-undermine-marriage-equality 🔗Christopher Wiggins (19 Feb 2026)
On Thursday, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed House Bill 1473, a measure that asserts private citizens and organizations in the state are not bound by the Fourteenth Amendment or by the Supreme Court's 2015 decision in Obergefell v. Hodges when it comes to recognizing the marriages of same-sex couples. The bill also shields people from professional discipline if they refuse to officiate or celebrate weddings or commitment ceremonies that fall outside Tennessee's statutory definition of marriage.
The bill, sponsored by Republican state Rep. Gino Bulso, cleared the House on a 68–24 vote after advancing through committee largely along party lines. Its supporters describe it as a defense of religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Its critics see a state legislature asserting, in effect, that constitutional law is optional in private life and that the legal status of same-sex marriages can be quietly downgraded without formally overturning Obergefell.
For LGBTQ+ advocates, the symbolism of the vote was as alarming as the substance of the bill. In a statement after its passage, the Tennessee Equality Project condemned the measure in stark terms.
"Attacking the recognition of people's marriages is one of the worst ways for the Tennessee House to spend its time," the group said. "This bill sows fear about the very protections that give families security, and it fails to address real problems in our state like emergency preparedness and the affordability crisis. Hate won today, but those of us fighting for love and our families will prevail here or in the courts."
