AllianceBernstein, a global money management firm moving its headquarters to Nashville, joined with several LGBTQ advocacy groups Tuesday in opposition to proposed legislation they say discriminates against LGBTQ individuals.

The legislation they oppose includes a bill that allows private adoption agencies to turn away prospective parentsbased on the agency's religious views; a bill that would prevent local and state governments from considering a business's anti-discrimination policies when granting contracts; and a third bill that adds language referring to transgender individuals in laws regarding indecent exposure.

Bills send 'a clear message' of unwelcome to LGBTQ people

"AB chose to move to Tennessee because we believe it is a welcoming state that is focused on growing jobs, incomes and the tax base, which will improve lives for all Tennesseans," AllianceBernstein COO Jim Gingrich said in a statement read at the media event. "We believe strongly in the need for continued investments in education, safety, infrastructure for all. The bills being debated in the current session of the legislature send a clear message to certain constituencies that they are not welcome. Other states have tried to pass similar bills and this has proven to be anti-growth, anti-job and against the interests of the citizens of those states."

AllianceBernstein, which has been based in New York, expects to bring 1,050 jobs to Nashville and make a $70 million investment in its new headquarters. The relocation has been celebrated by business leaders for its potential impact on Nashville's financial sector. The company is among corporations moving to Tennessee or considering Tennessee offices that have reached out to the Nashville LGBT Chamber, said Joe Woolley, who leads the chamber.

"When a state discriminates against potential employees, entrepreneurs and their families, it puts companies at a disadvantage when competing for the top talent that is out there," Woolley said. "This will affect corporate investment and relocation to our state."

AllianceBernstein reached out the Nashville LGBT Chamber about a year ago as it explored Nashville for a headquarters and has been in contact with the chamber each week this year regarding legislation, Woolley said.

'Diversity and inclusion' are key to LGBTQ community

"We have talked to them from the start about the LGBT community," Woolley said. "They have led on diversity and inclusion since they have come here. Specifically, legislation like this on a state level was a factor in where they chose to land."

Woolley pointed to the economic hit that North Carolina took in recent years after the state passed legislation limiting LGBT protections and restricting bathroom usage for transgender individuals in 2016. North Carolina lost several revenue generating events as a result and the Associated Press tallied a cost of $3.76 billion over a 12-year period.

Tennessee business leaders spoke out against similar legislation in Tennessee in 2016 through a Tennessee Thrives coalition to avoid the same economic pitfalls of North Carolina and other states.

Where the bills stand

Chris Sanders of the Tennessee Equality Project described the bills impacting LGBTQ individuals in the current session as relying on "especially cruel tactics," referring to the indecent exposure bill, HB1151. The bill includes current descriptions of indecent exposure but adds that the offense if also committed if a person is in a restroom, locker room, dressing room or shower designated for single-sex, multi-person use and if the person is a member of the opposite sex than the sex designated for use.

Jake Martino, who advocated against the bill, described the bill as harmful and unnecessary since current law bans indecent exposure activity by all adults and in all of those places.

"We already have a law that exists to protects against that," Martino said. "The only thing that is new about this bill is targeting transgender people specifically... You are allowing people to be empowered to antagonize transgender people."

The bill, is by sponsored by Rep. John Ragan, a Republican from Oak Ridge, and Sen. Mark Pody, a Republican from Lebanon. Ragan seeks to take it off notice while adding an amendment.

Ragan said the bill is meant to clarify what a public place is, as locker rooms and restrooms are not listed as examples under current law.

Lawyers have told him those places are included by implication, but the "law is supposed to be written so that anybody can read it and understand it and have clarity on what that means," Ragan said.

Ragan also proposed the adoption bill, HB1152, citing religious freedom. The bill was taken off notice as of Tuesday, but Ragan said he plans to either co-sponsor or support a similar bill. He said he was not concerned about businesses' objections to the two bills or if they could impact corporate locations. He pointed to U.S. and Tennessee constitutions and their protection of religious freedom.

"Unless and until those documents are legally amended, what somebody thinks about coming here is irrelevant," Ragan said. "These are constitutional protections."

The bill related to government contracts, HB563, was recommended for passage in the Commerce Committee Tuesday and was referred to the Calendar & Rules Committee. The bill is sponsored by Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, and Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville.

Zachary said the purpose of the bill was to prevent a local government from discriminating against companies based on their policies. Those policies described in the legislation include family leave, minimum wage, anti-discrimination and health insurance.

"If there is something in those policies a county does not like, they still can't discriminate against the business," Zachary said. "All things being equal, when I'm evaluating, I can't say I am going to discriminate against them because they don't have family leave or (a certain) minimum wage. I can't take them off the table."

Elizabeth Gedmark, a director of A Better Balance, spoke out against the bill. A company would not be able point to paid family leave or a higher minimum wage as positive factors to consider when they seek a government contract or tax break, she said.

"A local government that wanted to condition a contract or tax break on something like high-paying jobs could no longer under this bill," she said.

Sanders described the bill as "tax-payer funded discrimination" that limits city and state governments in reducing discrimination or increasing good benefits as it prevents them from giving more points in a bidding process to companies with policies they support. The legislation also opens up the government to litigation if a company without such policies are not chosen.

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Reach Jamie McGee at 615-259-8071 and on Twitter @JamieMcGee_.