Anxiety ripples through the Tennessee cannabis industry when state lawmakers get involved but a new bill this year could put the business on more solid footing here, leaders said.
Industry opposition lined up against a bill during last year’s session of the Tennessee General Assembly. That bill threatened to ban all hemp-derived THC products like Delta 8 gummies if they contained more than 0.3 percent of THC on a dry weight basis, which was (and is) already the federal legal limit for such products.
Lawmakers explained that the bill was really an effort to regulate these products in Tennessee. At the time, they described a marketplace with no limits on THC in products and no packaging requirements to alert consumers.
A bill filed this year will do just this. Cannabis professionals said they worked with lawmakers on the regulations and believe it “will sustain a safe, legal marketplace for these products well into the future,” according to a blog post by Cultivate Tennessee, a hemp advocacy group.
The new framework does not redefine hemp. It does not ban any products. It does not change how hemp professionals get licenses to grow or sell hemp here.
The bill sets the buying age to 21. It outlaws driving vehicles under the influence of cannabis. It also adds a 5 percent privilege tax on product sales on top of local and state taxes.
The bill limits the amount of THC in a product to 25 milligrams. It also mandates all products available for sale in Tennessee to be tested after being manufactured for cannabinoids and any toxic materials.
“[Consumers] are going to notice that products are most likely going to be behind the counter and having to show an ID to purchase,” said Devin Aracena, co-owner of Canvast, a Nashville-based cannabis company and co-chair of Cultivate Tennessee. “They’re going to notice a lot of packaging updates on products. They’ll see child-resistant packaging updates on products and clearly stated potency.
“They’ll notice a different dosage. So, there would no longer be edibles that are over 25 milligrams per serving.”
Meticulous testing of products has always been a foundation for Gold Spectrum CBD, an East Tennessee company that grows cannabis, makes products, and sells it online and at its franchise retail stores called the Smoky Grass Station. Company founder Zack Green said the new bill would up restrictions and require everything to be registered with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, something not done now. The move could help remove some fly-by-night operators in the space, he said.
“There’s a lot of people that have gotten into this industry because they think of it as the ‘Green Rush,’ the next Gold Rush,” Green said. “They’re trying to quickly make a dollar and get out. … They try to cut costs and do everything as cheaply as possible and are not as quality conscious as we would like for them to be.”
Cheaper oils in the marketplace might have pesticides in them, he said, and might not be backed with certificates showing they’ve been properly analyzed. Some of the facilities might not be accredited or inspected by a lab certified by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
Doing all of this is expensive, Green said, and some companies operating in Tennessee are “flying under the radar.” Without taking the necessary steps could put consumers at risk.
Aracena said the bill is a “great first step,” especially to create trust between the industry and lawmakers.
A new Black-owned bookstore focusing on books written by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors will soon be opening in Memphis.
Cafe Noir originally started as an online book store founded by Jasmine Settles. Settles recently raised enough money to open a brick and-mortar location that is slated to open in the summer of 2023.
In recent years, there has been more attention brought to Black-owned bookstores in the United States, as more began to open. According to research compiled by WordsRated, as of 2023 there are an estimated 149 book stores in America that are Black-owned. WordsRated said that this number has increased from pre-pandemic numbers, but these book stores only make up 6 percent of all independently owned bookstores in the United States.
“When I envisioned Cafe Noir, I always envisioned it as a space that you come to,” said Settles. “A space where you could kind of delve into these Black works. I also kind of wanted to create a safe space for folks in the community who might not feel accounted for in other spaces. I always saw it as a refuge.”
Physical bookstores are vital for community engagement and development, said Settles. “Only so much can happen in law offices and political spaces,” said Settles. “I think when it comes to the people, they need a place where they can feel safe, and feel seen.”
Settles touts many titles as a native Memphian and a bibliophile. However her identity as a Black woman plays an important role in her decision to provide such a specific selection on her shelves.
Settles attributes her love of reading to her grandmother. She gave Settles her first introduction to literature, focusing on the work of Shakespeare, world-building, and the importance of reading.
“As I got older, I didn’t do as much reading, but I still do reading here and there,” Settles said. “From there it kind of grew, and I went to college. I ended up kind of losing track because I went to college, played basketball, and that took up most of my time, so I didn’t really have that much time to devote to reading.”
Once Settles received her bachelor’s degree, she decided to go on and get her master’s. She said that she wanted to pursue something that she always wanted, which was studying english and literature.
After enrolling at the University of Memphis, Settles took a course in African-American women’s speculative fiction writers, which she credits as the most “life-changing class of her life.”
“I think being introduced to so many Black women’s work … but not only just their work, you get to watch them world-build, grapple with societal questions. You get to see a lot more protagonist characters that are Black women. So it kind of just felt good overall, and I was like ‘Wow I’ve never heard of these authors. I feel like that’s a shame. I feel like I’ve been shorted. I wish I would have known of these authors when I was younger.’”
With this in mind, Settles said she began to think she should open a bookstore. She wanted to highlight and amplify the voices that were marginalized and not included in the curriculum she was taught in her formative years, and that including marginalized voices was also a step towards liberation.
“None of us are free until all of us are free,” said Settles. “The only way liberation can happen is if we give space where everyone can be liberated. I think Black women in particular, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community have carried the torch of liberation, because they knew and saw that none of them or us could survive in a white-supremacist, patriarchal, capitalist infrastructure.”
Those systems were not made to benefit those groups, Settles said, nor were they made for them to survive. She cited the work of authors like bell hooks and Toni Morrison, and how they address inequities in these systems by posing questions, in hopes provoking the reader to do the work.
“A lot of those authors have done the work for us,” Settles said, “kind of laying the maps of what liberation can look like.”
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton speaks during a news conference at the State Capitol on Aug. 2, 2021. The Crossville lawmaker, who is one of the state’s most influential Republicans, recently made headlines by suggesting that Tennessee reject federal funding for K-12 education. (Courtesy of State of Tennessee)
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education in communities across America. Subscribe to our free Tennessee newsletter to keep up with the Shelby County public school system and state education policy.
When House Speaker Cameron Sexton recently floated the idea of Tennessee rejecting U.S. education dollars to free its schools from federal rules and restrictions, he made the pivot sound as simple as making up the difference with $1.8 billion in state funds.
“I don’t think the legislation would be too hard to do,” he said last week after publicly declaring his desire to “do things the Tennessee way” at a Tennessee Farm Bureau reception on Feb. 7.
But the way federal funding works is pretty complex. Some districts and schools are more dependent than others on that money, which is directed to schools that serve disadvantaged students and programs that target certain needs ranging from rural education and English language learners to technology and charter schools. A related web of state and federal laws and policies created in response to the federal grants also likely would have to be unwound.
Sexton told Chalkbeat he’s working on legislation to “start a conversation” about the possibilities. And once filed, his written proposal might answer some of the many questions that Tennesseans are asking about what such a change would mean for kids and schools.
But for now, here are a few answers, along with more questions to ponder:
“I absolutely think we should do it,” Sexton told Chalkbeat.
Sexton noted that, based on the latest budget information, Tennessee could tap into $3.2 billion in new recurring revenues, which would more than cover any lost federal funds for education.
“Now is the time to look at it,” said Sexton, who as House speaker is one of the state’s most influential Republicans. “It doesn’t mean that you do it this year or you have to do it in the next six months, but it starts with the idea.”
Spokespeople for Republican Gov. Bill Lee and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally expressed openness to Sexton’s proposal, while several education leaders in Tennessee’s GOP-controlled legislature expressed outright enthusiasm.
“I would do everything in my power to pass that bill,” said Rep. Scott Cepicky, of Culleoka, who chairs a House education subcommittee and said he “wants Tennessee to have more autonomy when it comes to educating our kids.”
“It’s intriguing,” added Rep. Debra Moody, of Covington, chair of the House Education Instruction Committee. “I think my constituents at home would love it.”
Others were more reserved in their comments.
“It’s a thought-provoking idea, but I’d like to see details,” said Senate Education Committee Chairman Jon Lundberg, of Bristol. “I have questions about what federal strings would be removed and, more importantly, do those strings need removing? Right now, I don’t know.”
Can Tennessee say ‘no’ to federal money?
Probably. No state has rejected the funding so far, mainly because states typically need the money, which on average makes up about a tenth of their budgets for K-12 education.
But Republican leaders in other states have talked about the idea before, and Oklahoma lawmakers are currently considering legislation to phase out federal funding over 10 years for pre-K through 12th grade. A smattering of small school systems across the nation already have passed on federal money because of the cost of compliance.
“States do not have to accept federal funding at first glance,” said Matthew Patrick Shaw, assistant professor of law, public policy and education at Vanderbilt University. “These are carrot-stick programs in which the federal government has policy objectives and, in order to encourage states to go along with them, offers money that they believe states need to operate these programs.”
Would the change disrupt finances for students and schools across Tennessee?
Possibly, but a lot would depend on how it’s done.
Through a program known as Title I, the federal government distributes hundreds of millions of federal dollars to Tennessee schools that serve large concentrations of students from low-income homes to help improve achievement. If Tennessee replaced Title I funding with state money, would it still use the federal formula for distributing that money? Sexton hasn’t said.
The same question applies to federal funds that go to Title III programs to support English language learners, or for Title V programs to support rural education.
Sexton says Tennessee would still cover the costs of all of those programs, as well as free meals funded through assorted grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
But in Memphis-Shelby County Schools, where all but eight of the system’s 155 district-run schools have Title I designations, some officials aren’t convinced about the stability of state funding.
“If Tennessee decided to do it our way, what does ‘our way’ look like?” asked school board member Amber Huett-Garcia, whose district expects to receive more than $892 million in federal funding next year.
“Would it achieve equity? Would Memphis continue to receive the share that it currently gets?” she continued.
More questions:
While Tennessee is currently flush with cash and able to backfill federal funding, could the state sustain that level if a recession hit down the road?
Are Tennesseans okay with paying federal taxes that support education spending, without getting any of that money back for their students and schools?
“You’re really making Tennessee taxpayers pay twice for the same underfunded public school system,” said Rep. John Ray Clemmons, a Nashville Democrat who chairs his party’s House caucus. “That is completely fiscally irresponsible and jeopardizes the entire future of this state.”
Huett-Garcia, of Memphis, asks: “What if there’s another global pandemic or a natural disaster, like when flooding and a tornado destroyed several schools in Middle Tennessee in recent years?” (Through three pandemic recovery packages approved by Congress since 2020, Tennessee has received more than $4 billion in federal funds for K-12 education.)
“At some point, we will need the federal government,” she said. “You have to consider whether halting our current federal funding mechanism could end up cutting us off from innovative funding or emergency resources in the future.”
What federal strings does Sexton want to cut?
Testing is the main problem, according to Sexton.
“I don’t think the TCAP test measures much of anything, and I think teachers would tell you that you’re teaching to a test,” said Sexton about the state’s annual test under the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program.
States that take federal money must give annual assessments in reading and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school. They also are required to administer a science test one time each in elementary, middle and high school grades. Thus, each state must give 17 tests annually, though no individual student takes more than three of those tests in a given school year.
Sexton said Tennessee could scrap TCAP — which Tennessee developed through its testing companies to align with the state’s academic standards — and create a better test with the help of its educators.
But several education advocates note that states already have more flexibility than ever to develop their testing, evaluation, and accountability systems under a 2015 federal law crafted with the leadership of former U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.
“When shepherding the Every Student Succeeds Act, Sen. Alexander was laser-focused on Tennessee and what Tennessee would need to be successful,” said Sasha Pudelski, national advocacy director for the School Superintendents Association.
States receiving Title I funds also must participate in national tests of fourth- and eighth-grade students in reading and math every two years. Known as the nation’s report card, the National Assessment of Educational Progress allows comparisons across states and is an important marker for showing how students are doing over time.
Lundberg, a key education leader in the Senate, said such testing data is important for Tennessee.
“I want to make certain that we’re able to continue comparing Tennessee to Montana or California or Michigan,” he said. “If we really want to be No. 1 in the nation in education, we need to be able to measure apples to apples across states.”
Incidentally, the TCAP exam that Sexton wants to scrap is the same standardized test that a 2021 Republican-backed reading law uses as the only criterion to determine whether third-graders can progress to the fourth grade. Lawmakers have filed numerous bills this year to address concerns about the retention policy, which kicks in with this year’s class of third graders.
What other federal mandates are considered burdensome?
Few would dispute that accepting federal funding comes with a lot of red tape. Mounds of paperwork and numerous audits of how money is spent are all part of a huge bureaucratic infrastructure that comes with administering billions of dollars of federal funding.
But Sexton, who said there are “a gazillion restrictions” he doesn’t like, did not enumerate other burdens beyond testing, despite Chalkbeat’s multiple requests to his office for a list.
Marguerite Roza, a Georgetown University professor who researches education finance policy, said she suspects the bigger objections are related to current “culture wars” about curriculum and whether transgender students should be allowed to use school bathrooms or play sports consistent with their gender identity, which may not correspond with their sex assigned at birth.
“Those strings come from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights,” Roza said.
Civil rights enforcement is the mission of that office based on the passage of federal laws such as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of education amendments passed in 1972, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, and disability.
And Tennessee has been at the forefront of culture war legislation. It passed more laws in 2021 aimed at limiting the rights of transgender people than any other state in the nation, according to an analysis by The Associated Press.
If Tennessee rejects federal funds, would the state still have to ensure students’ civil rights protections under federal laws, including for students with disabilities?
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, is a federal funding statute that says schools must identify students with disabilities and provide them with a free and appropriate public education tailored to their needs. But generally speaking, legal experts say, those requirements apply only to states that accept IDEA funds.
“If I were a parent of a child with a disability, this would be a major concern,” said Gini Pupo-Walker, state director for The Education Trust in Tennessee. “Would my child’s rights and needs be protected without the federal funding and oversight?”
Sexton says the state would still fund services that are currently part of IDEA and would come up with a similar program that he believes could be better.
But the Tennessee Disability Coalition says there’s no assurance that a Tennessee version would give families the same or better protections than under IDEA or other federal laws designed to protect students with disabilities.
“It’s hard for the disability community to trust Tennessee when our state’s track record hasn’t been so great,” said Jeff Strand, the coalition’s government affairs coordinator. “Our state institutions for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have a long history of abuses, and we continue to see a troubling pattern of actions such as our state’s choice not to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid services.”
Another concern is where families could appeal when the system isn’t working for their students. Under IDEA, they can call for a meeting at school to speak with teachers, administrators, and case managers. If they’re not satisfied, they can appeal all the way up to the Office of Civil Rights. Dozens of disability-related cases in Tennessee schools are currently being investigated by that federal office, which has the power to take away funding from states or schools that don’t follow the law.
“It’s already tough to live with a disability in Tennessee,” said Strand. “A change like this would cloud a specific longstanding avenue that ensures that the rights of students with disabilities are being protected. And it clouds it for no good reason.”
Beyond IDEA, federal civil rights laws are hard to unpack because some are also linked to receipt of federal funds, so it may depend on how state laws are structured.
The Office of Civil Rights also enforces Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a civil rights statute which prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities, as well as Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which extends this prohibition against discrimination to government services such as public schools, regardless of whether they receive any federal financial assistance.
Several legal experts believe many Tennessee families likely would turn to the courts over alleged violations of those laws based on the state constitution, which guarantees equal access to a system of free public education, or the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law and due process of law.
“If you want to know how this change would affect children,” said Vanderbilt’s Shaw about the possibility of rejecting federal funds and restrictions, “there’s just a lot of uncertainty.”
Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.
Jaren Jackson, Jr. at tip-off against the Utah Jazz on February 15, 2023. (Credit: Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
In the final game before the All-Star break, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Utah Jazz 117-111. The Jazz almost came all the way back, despite being down as many as 24 points. It wasn’t pretty but it sure was gritty.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins said he wasn’t too concerned about losing a 24-point lead, adding he was pleased with a win going into the break in the midst of the team’s more recent struggles: “We shouldn’t want anything to be easy. We should want these struggles to make us better. It’s the nature of a long season. You’re going to have your ebbs and flows. We’ve had good moments recently. We’ve embraced some struggles. We’ve been able to put some good work in and start trending in a better direction.”
He added, “Now is an opportunity, for about six days, to get that rest and recuperation and to come back and continue to put in even more work. So, our guys have gained some momentum over the last week, despite having to grind through. But as I’ve always said, these struggles are going to make you better, and we’ve still got a lot of season left to make that happen.”
Jaren Jackson, Jr. put on an All-Star and All-Defensive performance to lead Memphis with 26 points, nine rebounds, four blocks and a career-high five steals to help the Grizzlies to improve to 35-22 on the season.
Jaren Jackson Jr is the first player in the @stathead database (goes back to 1996-97) to record 4 threes, 4 steals, and 3 blocks in a half pic.twitter.com/FNHB2PQFpQ
With 40 games under his belt, the Block Panther can now be recognized as the NBA block leader at a career-high 3.3 per game.
Desmond Bane tallied 24 points, six rebounds, and four assists while Ja Morant finished with a near triple double, 20 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds despite a poor shooting night (8-of-26).
It’s All-Star break!! The team has a week off for relaxation and recuperation, except for Kenneth Lofton, Jr, Jackson, Jr. and Morant, who will be in Utah for the All-Star festivities.
Prior to the game, Morant and Jackson, Jr. were honored with their All-Star jerseys.
Already looking ahead to the fall, Goner Records announced the key bands to be featured at Gonerfest 20 this year. And while the fest will officially be entering its twenties, there’s bound to be plenty of primitive teen spirit afoot with headliners like The Mummies, Osees (aka Thee Oh Sees), and The Gories.
Indeed, the creepy-crawly, goo goo muck vibe is echoed in the Gonerfest 20 artwork, unveiled this week along with the band lineup. Once the festival kicks into action, such is the omnipresence of the annual Gonerfest artwork that its premiere is nearly as newsworthy as the bands themselves. Last year’s imagery by Sara Moseley drew many comments as the festival wore on, and this year she’s back, collaborating with Stacy Kiehl. Together, they’ve created the creature above, with more elaborations sure to come as the festival’s opening approaches.
Osees (Credit: Titouan-Masse)
The three biggest names on the bill are all Gonerfest veterans who, like many punk/art damaged/freakish bands, have retained their edge even as they reel in the years. Case in point: Osees, who last played Gonerfest some 14 years ago as Thee Oh Sees. Known for their prolific output, the shifting personnel around lead Osee John Dwyer have gone through a few stylistic shifts since then, though always with a sound that grabs listeners by the throat.
Just counting their releases since their latest name change in 2019, they’ve put out Protean Threat (2020), Metamorphosed (2020), and A Foul Form (2022). And they recently pulled off an incendiary set on celebrated Seattle station KEXP:
Having first exploded out of Detroit in 1986, The Gories both predate and embody the Goner aesthetic, but they too have not played Gonerfest in over a decade. Their 2011 performance was deemed newsworthy to the Memphis Flyer‘s J.D. Reager at the time, and subsequent footage proved him out as they played an incendiary set:
Clad in tattered “bandages,” the band powers through a dynamite performance. The keyboard player lifts his instrument over his head and onto his back. They’re so obviously in lock-step with each other, the tempo and changes so ingrained, that they play with a ghoulish intensity.
This year, the gonzo independent music festival hosted by the label and iconic Tennessean storefront takes place in Memphis’ Railgarten from Thursday, September 28 through Sunday, October 1.
In addition to the headliners, Gonerfest 20 will showcase many other bands, MCs, and DJs from around the world. Highlights include a number of acts coming from overseas, including performances by UK artists Chubby & the Gang and Vivron Vavron; Australian bands CIVIC, Dippers, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop, and C.O.F.F.I.N.; Denmark’s The Courettes; Japan’s The Smog; and Lewsberg from the Netherlands, among others.
Gonerfest 20 tickets go on sale now. Golden Passes, which allow entry to all official GF20 events, are $130. Single-day passes will be available at the door, according to venue capacity. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.
Fans should also watch for after shows at other venues around town, often as thrilling as the official lineup. This too fits the Goner aesthetic. As Goner Records’ co-founder Eric Friedl told the Memphis Flyer last year, “There’s not a whole lot of separation between fans and bands and everything else in Gonerfest. It gives it a different feel, rather than seeing someone up on stage that isn’t interacting with the people at all.”
With the publication of an annual program guide, Gonerfest also works to support local business while promoting the music, arts, and culture of Memphis to its attendees. “Gonerfest has become a rite of passage,” says Goner Records co-owner Zac Ives. “It allows us to showcase our city and celebrate our little part of the music world in front of an extremely wide audience.” More than 1,000 tourists make the pilgrimage to Memphis for Gonerfest, which culminates in a substantial economic impact for its city. Gonerfest attendees eat at locally-owned restaurants like Payne’s BBQ and Cozy Corner, drink Goner-inspired beer brewed at Memphis Made, and visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Graceland, and the National Civil Rights Museum.
Festival goers can also plan on seeing Marked Men, Chubby & the Gang, Sweeping Promises, Ibex Clone, CIVIC, The Cool Jerks, Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano, The Courettes, C.O.F.F.I.N, Alien Nosejob, Dippers, Virvon Varvon, Cheater Slicks, Lewsberg, 1-800-Mikey, TV Repairmann, Vintage Crop, The Smog, Laundry Bats, and Turnt.
LGBTQ Tennesseans are mostly young, poor, bisexual, and cisgender, and they face a “hostile” political climate and steep challenges to accessing healthcare, have considered suicide, and feel unsafe at school.
These are just a few of the responses from Tennesseans in the latest Southern LGBTQ Experiences Survey. The report is based on surveys conducted in 2021 by the Asheville-based Southern Equality Research & Policy Center and Charlotte-based Campus Pride. The survey collected experiences across many topics from 4,146 LGBTQ adults across 13 states.
Population estimates suggest more than a third of the LGBTQ community lives in the South, the report says, “where they are likely to have fewer legal protections and face more anti-LGBTQ policies than their peers in other parts of the country.” Tennessee is home to about 225,000 LGBTQ people, including about 30,800 people who identify as transgender, the report says.
Tennessee is home to about 225,000 LGBTQ people, including about 30,800 people who identify as transgender.
Southern LGBTQ Experiences Survey
More than half (52 percent) of those who took the survey said they made less than $20,000 per year. The federal poverty guideline for a single-person household is $14,580 per year. Only 25 percent of those surveyed said they were completely financially independent.
Southern LGBTQ Experiences Survey
As for age, 36 percent reported they were between 18 and 24. The next biggest group (26 percent) was between 25 and 34.
Southern LGBTQ Experiences Survey
About 75 percent said they had taken some college-level courses. Though, only 25 percent held a college degree and only 15 percent had a graduate or professional degree. The U.S. Census Bureau says nearly 30 percent of all Tennesseeans hold a four-year degree.
Most respondents (35 percent) described themselves as bisexual and 32 percent identified as queer, marking the majority of responses. The rest were gay (22 percent), pansexual (19 percent), lesbian (16 percent), demisexual (9 percent), asexual (7 percent), and straight (3 percent).
The overwhelming majority of survey takers (90 percent) identified as white. This was followed by Black (6 percent), multiracial (4 percent), and 1 percent identified as Middle Eastern or North African, Asian or Pacific Islander, or preferred to self-identify as another racial group.
No matter where you live in Tennessee, LGBTQ Tennesseans are your neighbors, your family, your coworkers, and your community members.
“No matter where you live in Tennessee, LGBTQ Tennesseans are your neighbors, your family, your coworkers, and your community members,” reads the report. “LGBTQ Tennesseans deserve to be safe, respected, and celebrated within their communities.”
But they don’t feel that way, especially when lawmakers and politicians are concerned. The majority of survey respondents (43 percent) said their perception of the state’s political climate was “somewhat hostile” while 35 percent said the climate was “extremely hostile.”
Their attitudes make me feel scared and unsafe and at times.
A survey respondent from rural West Tennessee
“Their attitudes make me feel scared and unsafe and at times,” said one respondent from rural West Tennessee. “I stay at home rather than attend public outings due to this fear.”
Federal laws block some discrimination based on gender identity and sexuality. But Tennessee does not have any of its own anti-discrimination laws. In fact, state lawmakers passed a law in 2011 that prevents local governments from passing their own anti-discrimination laws, according to the report. Lawmakers have also passed several laws allowing for faith-based discrimination against LGBTQ people.
One Tennessee law allows those who commit violent crimes against LGBTQ individuals to argue in court that fear and panic regarding a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity was a valid reason for their crime. Another law allows some adoption agencies to refuse adoption to LGBTQ people. The Tennessee General Assembly has also made it harder to change a gender marker on state-issued documents, for LGBTQ children to participate at school, and for trans people to access appropriate healthcare.
Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project, said the report shows the “relentless legislative attacks on LGBTQ people in our state with particular attention to the ways that young lives are upended.”
“This deadly obstacle course so callously laid out in a series of traps thwarts what should be a time of growth, support, and joy for far too many.”
Chris Sanders, executive director of the Tennessee Equality Project
“This deadly obstacle course so callously laid out in a series of traps thwarts what should be a time of growth, support, and joy for far too many,” Sander said in the report. “More frustrating is the realization that this catastrophe has always been avoidable because a state’s public policy is a choice. Most directly it is a choice by those in power such as our legislators.
“But it is also a choice by people who enable destructive policy, whether that be the small but vocal group cheerleading for discrimination or the many who tacitly go along with it.”
Sen. Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, photographed in Tennessee Senate Chambers on Feb. 13. Johnson sponsored a bill to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. (Photo: John Partipilo)
Despite the threat of legal action, supermajority Republicans passed legislation Monday restricting transgender therapy and surgery for anyone under 18 in Tennessee.
As amended, the bill clarifies that hormones and puberty blockers can be distributed and that the legislation won’t apply until July 1, 2023.
Brought by Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson in response to allegations by a right-wing radio show host that Vanderbilt University Medical Center did gender-affirming surgery on minors, Senate Bill 1 prohibits health-care providers from performing medical procedures to enable a minor to identify or live with a “purported identity” other than the minor’s sex.
Vanderbilt has said it followed state law but that it would put its clinical procedures on hold. The hospital also was accused of pushing the procedures because they were a strong revenue producer.
On the Senate floor Monday, Johnson, R-Franklin, cited a medical expert who said gender-affirming treatment can cause permanent damage to minors. He also quoted a person who testified in committee last week about her disenchantment with going through gender-affirming surgery for breast removal and other changes at the age of 17.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, who introduced the legislation in response to allegations by a right-wing radio show host, argued that gender-affirming science is “unsettled at best.”
“Body parts won’t regrow when they’re removed,” Johnson said.
He argued that gender-affirming science is “unsettled at best” and that treatment can have long-term negative effects. Johnson encouraged mental health treatment for minors who identify as the other sex.
The measure would impose licensing sanctions against physicians who provide gender-affirming care and enable those dissatisfied with their treatment to take legal action.
“The reality is these kids are victims,” Johnson said.
The House version of the bill sponsored by House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, is set to be considered Wednesday in the Civil Justice Committee.
Senate Democrats voted against the measure Monday, with Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville contending that the measure wouldn’t stop medical procedures dealing with hormones.
“This isn’t regulating people’s conduct. It’s regulating what they believe,” Yarbro said.
State Sen. Heidi Campbell, a Nashville Democrat, argued that the legislation will take away freedoms. She also pointed out that the people who testified in committees weren’t Tennessee constituents and that the same language is surfacing in legislation across the country.
“This isn’t regulating people’s conduct. It’s regulating what they believe,” said Democratic Sen. Jeff Yarbro of Nashville during Senate debate. (Photo: John Partipilo)
Likewise, Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari said such medical decisions should be made by parents, psychiatrists and medical doctors.
“We’re legislating our personal beliefs in a blanket ban,” Akbari said.
The American Civil Liberties Union, its Tennessee arm and Lambda legal said Monday they will file a lawsuit immediately against new state restrictions, contending the bill infringes on the rights of transgender youth and their families.
Current state law allows post-pubescent teens to have gender-affirming care. The ACLU points out similar restrictions in Alabama and Arkansas have been enjoined by federal courts.
“Trans youth in Tennessee deserve the support and care necessary to give them the same chance to thrive as their peers. Gender-affirming care is a critical part of helping transgender adolescents succeed in school, establish healthy relationships with their friends and family, live authentically as themselves and dream about their futures,” said ACLU attorney Lucas Cameron-Vaughn in a statement. “Politicians are risking the lives of young people by forcing their way into family decision-making, a fundamental right which has traditionally been protected against government intrusion.”
The ACLU contends the legislation is filled with misinformation and that committee testimony supporting it was full of “falsehoods.”
The legislation says the medical procedures that change a minor’s hormonal balance, remove sex organs or change the person’s physical appearance are harmful, can lead to sterility, increased risk of disease and illness and sometimes fatal psychological consequences. The legislature further claims that such procedures are “experimental in nature and not supported by high-quality, long-term medical studies.”
Politicians are risking the lives of young people by forcing their way into family decision-making, a fundamental right which has traditionally been protected against government intrusion.
– Lucas Cameron-Vaughn, ACLU
The legislation points out that Dr. John Money, founder of the Johns Hopkins Gender Identity Clinic, abused minors in his care, which led to the suicides of two people — claims that are at least partially false. It also claims the medical procedures are being performed with “rapidly increasing frequency” and that guidelines have changed in recent years.
Furthermore, the bill claims pharmaceutical companies that contributed to the nation’s opioid epidemic have tried to profit from the use of drugs and devices for transgender therapies and surgeries.
The legislation also goes as far as to say health-care providers in Tennessee have posted pictures of naked minors online to advertise these types of surgeries and that Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi, “an organization responsible for killing tens of thousands of unborn children, has become one of the largest administrators in this state of such medical procedures.”
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Antonio Banderas reprises his role in the Shrek franchise as the feline hero Puss in Boots.
DreamWorks has long been a force to be reckoned with in animation, with financially successful properties like Kung Fu Panda and Trolls. Shrek is DreamWorks’ most beloved franchise, and the company has been able to flawlessly continue the ogre’s legacy by creating spin-offs centered around his sidekick, Puss in Boots. Puss in Boots: The Last Wish has proven to be a sleeper hit, with $555 million in box office earnings and an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Film.
This story follows Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas), who has lived many lives as a fearless hero and, being that he is a cat, has had a few lives to spare. Inevitably, he takes a stunt too far and finds himself left with only one remaining life. With death always on his tail, he can no longer be the fearless cat he once was. Instead, he must live the life he has always feared: that of a domestic cat.
Exchanging boots for kitty mittens and unlimited toilet privileges for a shared litter box, Puss prepares for a quiet retirement. Then he hears about the Wishing Star, a magical object hidden somewhere in the Forbidden Forest that will make dreams real. It is not long before Puss straps on his cape and rapier and quests for the star. During his journey, though, he encounters other iconic fairy-tale characters, such as Goldilocks (Florence Pugh) with her Three Bears (Olivia Colman, Ray Winstone, and Samson Kayo), Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek), and Jack Horner (John Mulaney), who are all out for the same prize. Diving back into his dangerous lifestyle, Puss has to team up and trust those around him to have any chance at another life. Jack simmers as the main antagonist, who is angry at the world for his lack of fame. Driven by this anger, he wants the Wishing Star to make him the most powerful and recognized creature in the world.
Even though Jack is evil, director Joel Crawford tunes the humor to make sure he’s not too scary. Many jokes throughout the film are geared toward adults, usually coming from Perrito (Harvey Guillén), whose dialogue is sometimes bleeped out for comedic effect.
Aside from the feelings this movie elicits, the screenplay is as entertaining and interesting as the characters themselves. The animation style has a hand-painted look, similar to some scenes from Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The noticeable brush strokes and swirling color make the film feel like watching a painting in progress. The landscapes are especially pleasing to the eye.
While I have praised Puss In Boots: The Last Wish heavily, I do have one worry. The film ends with an overt suggestion that the future may yield another Shrek movie. DreamWorks, so far, has done a phenomenal job at upholding the Shrek legacy, but with so many sequels and remakes saturating the film industry, I would hate to see another classic franchise driven into the ground. If Shrek 5 is your plan, DreamWorks, maybe slow your roll just a tad.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish Now playing Multiple locations
Among those attending the GOP’s annual dinner were (l to r) keynote speaker Lee Zeldin of New York, Mindy Fischer, Congressman David Kustoff, Terry Fischer, and state Senator Brent Taylor. (Photo: Jackson Baker)
Here’s one for the riddle-me-this types: Why is it, at a time when the demographics of Memphis and Shelby County are demonstrably and overwhelmingly Democratic, that local Republicans are by far the more successful of the two parties in turning out crowds for their partisan events?
A case in point was the GOP’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner, held last Saturday night at the East Memphis Hilton. As is generally the case with this event, regardless of venue, the ballroom was filled to capacity, every table fully stocked, every seat taken and paid for. A veritable sea of people from wall to wall.
So is it ever at Lincoln Day, and the attendees normally include an impressive number of non-Republicans — especially among nonpartisan public officials, judges, Memphis city officials, and the like.
There may have been a bit of fall-off among such attendees this year. Among declared Memphis mayoral candidates, there were only Sheriff Floyd Bonner, Memphis City Councilman Frank Colvett, and former County Commissioner James Harvey; the latter two are self-described Republicans, while Bonner, a Democrat, not only ran with his party’s nomination in last year’s county election, but also had the formal support of the Republican Party, which did not field a candidate of its own.
Assorted judges were also on hand at Saturday night’s GOP event, though perhaps fewer than usual, inasmuch as the members of the Shelby judiciary were elected en masse last year to brand-new eight-year terms, and their need to see and be seen is arguably not as great this year as perhaps it would be closer to re-election time.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, who still identifies as a Democrat, is a frequent attendee at Lincoln Day, though he skipped this year.
The point remains that the Republicans’ annual local banquet customarily attracts partisan crossovers, a phenomenon that does not exist on the other side of the partisan scale. Unfortunately, there is no way to make effective comparisons. The fact is, the Shelby County Democratic Party has had very few party-sponsored dinner gatherings as such in recent years, opting instead for “roast” affairs featuring comedy acts or for after-hours parties in bistros with bands.
Changes in political fashion over the years have altered the nomenclature of what has sporadically been an equivalent of sorts to the Republicans’ Lincoln Day banquet. What now goes by the name of Kennedy-Obama Dinner has happened only occasionally in recent years. Both local parties suspended their party banquets for at least a year during the pandemic, but the Republicans have resumed, and the Democrats haven’t.
As it happens, the Shelby County Democrats will be voting next month for new officers and a new party assembly. One of the county’s best-known local Democrats is Dave Cambron, president of the Germantown Democrats, a well-organized body that holds frequent and well-attended meetings, often on general-interest subjects, and welcomes guests.
“It’s time for us to start back holding regular annual party banquets,” says Cambron. “Why not? We are the majority party, and we need to keep our doors open.”
For the record, by the way, the keynote speaker at this year’s Lincoln Day banquet was former Congressman Lee Zeldin of New York, who made a spirited race for governor in 2022 and boasted Tuesday night that he had helped elect several Republicans to Congress from his state. He didn’t mention it, but one of them was named George Santos.
If you don’t know him already, meet Reuben Skahill, the new “sauce boss”/managing partner at the upcoming Elwood’s Shack Park, which is slated to open in March, at 4040 Park Avenue.
Skahill, 30, co-founder of the Memphis Sandwich Clique and the old Clique HQ, will help cook at Elwood’s if need be, but he insists he’s not a chef.
“I just love food,” Skahill says. “I’m just so passionate. I feel like it’s a testament. If you really like something, if you just go for it 110 percent, you don’t have to be an expert.”
A native of Beverly, Massachusetts, Skahill says, “I lived in a Kosher household, so I had traditional Jewish food. Like chicken cutlets and matzo ball soup.
“I was a ‘competitive eater.’ I have two younger twin siblings. There was always food.”
And there was a strategy involved when sitting down at the table: “You get the biggest piece and you finish first, you get more.”
Skahill’s family moved to Memphis in 2004 after his dad, an air traffic controller, was reassigned. The move was “an incredible culture shock. In the best of ways.”
As a 12-year-old, Skahill had “never experienced the flavors” of the South.
He ate pig for the first time at a sleepover. “His mom made breakfast in the morning and we didn’t tell her we were keeping Kosher.”
And? “I don’t want to disrespect my religion, but it was amazing.”
He continued to experiment. “I felt like I had to make up for lost time. I did enjoy the freedom of these new options: fried chicken, spices, in general.”
Skahill, who prefers brisket over pork barbecue, still keeps a Kosher diet with some items.
He got his first food-related job at 16. “I opened up the Holy Cow at the Memphis Jewish Community Center. It was just like a poolside grill.”
He and a friend served Kosher items, including chicken shawarma and Kosher hot dogs. “I was the register for the most part and he was the griller. And sometimes we would switch.”
Skahill moved to other restaurant jobs, including Amerigo Italian Restaurant, where he worked as a bartender. He ate “everything on the menu” at least once at Amerigo.
In 2019, Skahill “started getting into the nuances of sandwiches.” He co-founded Memphis Sandwich Clique, a Facebook group. “We would just encourage anyone to post sandwiches they like. Tasty things someone could get from a local place that doesn’t advertise.”
Skahill, who no longer is with the group, says, “We found an overwhelmingly zealous audience for sandwiches of all types.”
As for how many sandwiches they posted during the two years he was with the group, Skahill says, “I’m not exaggerating. Over 500,000 posts of sandwiches.”
That led to co-founding Clique HQ, a “sandwich speakeasy” in East Memphis. “That was our online pick up-only sandwich deli restaurant.”
He was working for Memphis Capital when Elwood’s Shack owner Tim Bednarski asked him to come to work for him at the restaurant’s second location. “Tim has been a huge supporter of me and things I have done over the last four or five years. I’ve been a huge Elwood’s fan forever. It changed my life. I had never had a smoked anything.”
Skahill fell in love with Elwood’s Caribbean jerk wings. “Everything on this menu is gold.”
In his new job, Skahill says, “I’ll be in charge of operations for the front and the back of the house.”
He’ll help with cooking, but, he says, “Food wise, I’m helping create our high-end coffee bar menu.”
Skahill is excited about the new place. “Being close to the University of Memphis and being close to the new developments that are going on such as the renovation of the Audubon golf course and Leftwich Tennis Center. And just being a part of the revitalization of the whole neighborhood.
“Anybody I’ve ever met in Memphis has either lived in or partied in or had some crazy experiences in the neighborhood.”
Now, Skahill says he wants to “try and get everybody back in the neighborhood and get some good food.”
