Before reviewing Tennessee’s midterm election results, I need to take a moment to call out bigotry baked into bills recently passed by Tennessee Republicans…

Anti-LGBTQ Legislation

Two bills were recently passed in Tennessee: one outlawing drag performances in public, the other banning minors from receiving gender affirming care. These bills are a part of a national movement against the LGBTQ community and are accompanied by explicit calls to eradicate ‘transgenderism’ from public life.

Here’s a list of organizations that are accepting donations to fight back against anti-LGBTQ bills like the ones just passed in Tennessee. While donating dollars is incredibly helpful, one often forgotten responsibility of allyship involves listening to trans people talk about these issues for themselves.

If you’re worried about children transitioning, listen to two trans people talk about their experiences living as trans children. If you’re not sure why people are so upset about JK Rowling, listen to the way her advocacy directly hurts trans fans of the Harry Potter franchise. While trans men are often erased from our dialogues about toxic masculinity, they hold valuable insights on male privilege and patriarchy. Since the community is so small, most Americans hear about trans issues through the lenses and mouths of other cisgendered folks. So whenever possible, seek out trans voices and give them a signal boost when they speak up.

Partisan Gerrymandering Pays Off for Republicans

Democrats were drawn out of Nashville in the most recent round of redistricting as Tennessee Republicans passed a map that split the state’s largest city across three different congressional districts. This led to the retirement of Democrat Rep. Jim Cooper who lost most of his voting base as the state’s fifth district went from holding all of Nashville to only holding a small portion of the city along with several rural counties to its south. In Cooper’s place now sits Rep. Andy Ogles; a Republican who opposes abortion, same-sex marriage and has recently been accused of lying on his resume like fellow Republican freshman George Santos. As a result, Republicans now hold 8 of the state’s 9 US House seats (87%) despite only winning 64% of the state;s total US House vote.

Not only has redistricting eroded the power of Tennessee Democrats, it’s also made it harder for Nashville voters to accurately cast their ballots. Following Election Day 2022, election administrator Jeff Roberts reported that more than 200 voters voted in the wrong congressional district races due to ballot errors stemming from split precincts. While no races were close enough for these errors to sway outcomes, Democrats are admonishing Republicans for introducing more vulnerabilities to the state’s election system while professing a commitment to election security.

More From Battleground on Tennessee

• Learn about Tennessee's Three Grand Divisions

• Remember that time East Tennessee tried to merge with North Alabama and become its own state?