Will “Pride Month” be Banned in Tennessee? Updates from the 114th General Assembly
Feb 26, 2026 by FACT
Tennessee’s second year of the 114th General Assembly has been underway for just over a month, and nearly 1,200 bills have already been introduced. We want to highlight just three of those bills that uphold FACT’s core values of faith, family, and freedom.
In 2024, November was designated as “Christian Heritage Month” by Tennessee lawmakers, prompting communities to "learn more about Christian heritage in this state." This year, lawmakers have proposed a resolution to adopt the “Christian Heritage Flag” as the official flag for Christian Heritage Month in Tennessee.
The proposed resolution explains the meaning behind the imagery on the flag:
During the first celebration of Christian Heritage Month in 2025, the flag was recognized on local radio and television stations, distributed at events, and flown all around the state during the month of November. The people of Tennessee have already adopted the Christian Heritage Flag as a symbol of the month; this resolution simply makes it official.
“When flying this flag, individuals should remember to submit their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ for His work and service, the work and sacrifice that God wrought to bring joy and life everlasting to all of mankind, and the eternal reward that God has placed on all those whom He calls His children,” the resolution reads.
The resolution will now be considered by the State and Local Government Committee after the House Naming and Designating Committee voted 7–3 to approve the measure.
On February 11, the Tennessee House approved HB 1473, a bill that would define limits to Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 US Supreme Court case that legalized “same-sex” marriage. The bill would clarify that the ruling applies only to public entities, and private citizens, groups, and businesses are not required to recognize “same-sex” marriage.
“Private citizens and organizations are not bound by the 14th Amendment, and that’s true not only in the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, but of any other Supreme Court decision interpreting either the due process clause or the equal protection clause,” Rep. Gino Bulso, the sponsor of the bill, explained. “It’s clear it applies to the state and to political subdivisions. It has never applied to private citizens."
In 2006, Tennessee voters amended the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Obergefell did not change that, and we applaud Rep. Bulso for attempting to align our state’s laws with the established will of the people, within the bounds of the US Supreme Court’s ruling on this issue – however wrong that ruling may be.
Through House Bill 1474, Rep. Bulso is attempting to ban the display of pride flags in “any public building, whether school buildings, city and county government buildings, colleges and universities, or state government agencies — including the Capitol and legislative office building complex.” The bill would also ban official recognition of June as “Pride Month.”
“Schools are places where kids go to be educated, not indoctrinated,” Bulso explained. “It’s simply not appropriate for a pride flag or any other partisan political flag to be displayed in a schoolhouse or on a school building. … We’ve got the American flag, we’ve got the Tennessee flag, we have flags that unite us. Those are the flags that we should display in our public buildings.”
Rep. Bulso is known for his ambitious bills to push the conservative cause forward in Tennessee, and this legislative session is no exception. While not all of his initiatives may make it to the finish line in 2026, we are confident Tennessee will become a state more focused on the values that matter to its residents – faith, family, and freedom – as a result of this session.
Christian Heritage Month
In 2024, November was designated as “Christian Heritage Month” by Tennessee lawmakers, prompting communities to "learn more about Christian heritage in this state." This year, lawmakers have proposed a resolution to adopt the “Christian Heritage Flag” as the official flag for Christian Heritage Month in Tennessee.
- The left vertical white stripe represents the Old Testament of the Bible, and the twelve gold stars vertically aligned within are for the twelve tribes of Israel through whom God kept His promise to Abraham that through him He would establish many nations and an everlasting covenant.
- The seven blue and white alternating horizontal stripes represent the six days of creation and the seventh day when God rested from His work.
- The circular center medallion represents the New Testament of the Bible and eternal life in Christ, and the twelve white stars aligned in the inside perimeter are for the twelve disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ through whom Christ initiated the spreading of the gospel across the world.
- The color gold represents God's glory, holiness, and the testing of our faith; blue symbolizes God's power, authority, and presence; and white represents righteousness, purity, and dedication to God.
- The cross in the center of the medallion represents the ultimate sacrifice that the Lord Jesus Christ made, wherein all mankind can be saved.
During the first celebration of Christian Heritage Month in 2025, the flag was recognized on local radio and television stations, distributed at events, and flown all around the state during the month of November. The people of Tennessee have already adopted the Christian Heritage Flag as a symbol of the month; this resolution simply makes it official.
“When flying this flag, individuals should remember to submit their lives to the Lord Jesus Christ for His work and service, the work and sacrifice that God wrought to bring joy and life everlasting to all of mankind, and the eternal reward that God has placed on all those whom He calls His children,” the resolution reads.
The resolution will now be considered by the State and Local Government Committee after the House Naming and Designating Committee voted 7–3 to approve the measure.
Same-Sex Marriage
On February 11, the Tennessee House approved HB 1473, a bill that would define limits to Obergefell v. Hodges, the 2015 US Supreme Court case that legalized “same-sex” marriage. The bill would clarify that the ruling applies only to public entities, and private citizens, groups, and businesses are not required to recognize “same-sex” marriage.
“Private citizens and organizations are not bound by the 14th Amendment, and that’s true not only in the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, but of any other Supreme Court decision interpreting either the due process clause or the equal protection clause,” Rep. Gino Bulso, the sponsor of the bill, explained. “It’s clear it applies to the state and to political subdivisions. It has never applied to private citizens."
In 2006, Tennessee voters amended the state constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. Obergefell did not change that, and we applaud Rep. Bulso for attempting to align our state’s laws with the established will of the people, within the bounds of the US Supreme Court’s ruling on this issue – however wrong that ruling may be.
Pride Flag Ban
Through House Bill 1474, Rep. Bulso is attempting to ban the display of pride flags in “any public building, whether school buildings, city and county government buildings, colleges and universities, or state government agencies — including the Capitol and legislative office building complex.” The bill would also ban official recognition of June as “Pride Month.”
“Schools are places where kids go to be educated, not indoctrinated,” Bulso explained. “It’s simply not appropriate for a pride flag or any other partisan political flag to be displayed in a schoolhouse or on a school building. … We’ve got the American flag, we’ve got the Tennessee flag, we have flags that unite us. Those are the flags that we should display in our public buildings.”
Rep. Bulso is known for his ambitious bills to push the conservative cause forward in Tennessee, and this legislative session is no exception. While not all of his initiatives may make it to the finish line in 2026, we are confident Tennessee will become a state more focused on the values that matter to its residents – faith, family, and freedom – as a result of this session.
