Thread by @ErinInTheMorn

1. In a horrific move, Tennessee has just passed a bill allowing parents who are religiously or morally opposed to LGBTQ+ people to adopt LGBTQ+ kids.

This could result in anti-LGBTQ+ foster parents putting LGBTQ+ kids through conversion therapy.

2. I cover the bill here, which protects "religious or moral beliefs" from being considered "not in the best interest" of LGBTQ+ kids.

You can read my article here and subscribe to support my work:

erininthemorning.com/p/tennessee-pa…

3. The bill is Senate Bill 1738, which passed on a party line vote of 73-20. The bill states that "moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity... do not create a presumption that any particular placement is contrary to the best interest of the child"

4. The potential for abuse here is dire - if a parent believes that conversion therapy through their church can "cure" gay or trans kids, this belief cannot be considered contrary to the best interest of a LGBTQ+ child.

5. Furthermore, this could be particularly harmful for LGBTQ+ youth in the foster care system - studies show 30% of foster youth are LGBTQ+, and 5% are transgender - many are there because of family rejection or abuse over their identity.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30745432/

6. LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to have a history with conversion therapy. Placement with new families that subject them to the same practices could have disastrous outcomes - LGBTQ+ youth subjected to conversion therapy are 2.5x the suicide risk.

thetrevorproject.org/blog/the-trevo…

7. Rep Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) critiqued the bill, stating, "I find it interesting that the word moral is in this bill, because the bill is immoral... can you explain the logic of placing a child where they are told their identity is wrong?"

8. The bill now goes to Governor Lee's desk. @HRC and the @tnequality are calling for a veto.

9. Lastly, I am a queer journalist covering legislation, news, and cultural moments on this topic every day.

Please subscribe to support my journalism at and receive my articles before anyone else.erininthemorning.com/subscribe