Haslam’s Signature Seals It: Counselors Can Turn Away Clients Over Religious Objections

On Wednesday afternoon, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam signed legislation allowing counselors to refuse patients for religious reasons. Tennessee is the first state to pass such a law.

His signature wasn’t entirely surprising: At a recent event, Haslam defended the proposal against claims that it would limit access to therapy for LGBT clients. Citing two specific requirements, the governor says the bill won’t give therapists carte blanche to reject patients.

First, says Haslam
, “if there’s any kind of life-threatening issue, then you accept the client. Number two, the client has to be referred to someone else if — for your own reason — you think you can’t serve them in the best way.”

Many opponents have criticized the proposal as an anti-LGBT measure, and the American Counseling Association has condemned Haslam’s decision to sign the bill, drawing parallels to other “discriminatory ‘religious freedom’ legislation targeting the LGBTQ community” in states like North Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi.

But Haslam says he listened to counselors on both sides, and in a written statement he said the proposal
was more complex than its “perceived focus.”

“The substance of this bill doesn’t address a group, issue or belief system,” said Haslam. “Rather, it allows counselors — just as we allow other professionals like doctors and lawyers — to refer a client to another counselor when the goals or behaviors would violate a sincerely held principle.”

Haslam rejects the idea that this law parallels other legislation about LGBT issues being considered nationwide. That includes a ”
bathroom bill” requiring transgender students to use the restroom associated with their birth sex, which failed in the Tennessee legislature earlier this year. Haslam says those bills deal with “entirely different issues.”