Welcome to Tennessee’s “Screw Grandparents” Month

This year, the first day of June doesn’t just mark the beginning of Pride Month in Tennessee, it marks the start of a new holiday: In April, Governor Bill Lee signed a House joint resolution designating June as “Nuclear Family Month.” The bill was first introduced in February 2025 by state Representative Bud Hulsey, of Kingsport, who claimed that the traditional family structure was “under attack.” According to the bill, “the nuclear family is God’s perfect design for humanity and is aligned with the long-held traditional values of Tennessee.” It consists of “one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children.” The bill’s a clear jab at Pride Month. Though it does not explicitly mention same-sex couples, it’s a reactionary effort against the month-long holiday that celebrates people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community. Tennessee was ranked as one of the least safe states for LGBTQ+ people to live. Of course, many in Tennessee will still celebrate Pride Month, with major events planned in Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis. But in addition to sidelining the LGBTQ+ community, fixating on the nuclear family like this erases the roles of extended family members: aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. One can scarcely imagine what a Nuclear Family Month event would look like. Luckily, there don’t seem to be any planned. The holiday is a cheap trick to score culture-war points, courtesy of a party taken over by pronatalism and phony economic populism.