Chef Kelly English is hosting a cocktail party at Restaurant Iris to raise money for the Tennessee Equality Project’s Political Action Committee on Sunday, May 18th from 5 to 7 p.m.
English will prepare hors d’oeuvres, and the bartenders will create special cocktails for the event. Funds raised will go to help TEP support candidates who support LGBT equality and safe school legislation to prevent bullying of LGBT students.
Tickets are $50 per person or $90 per couple and may be purchased at the door.
Kelly has been an outspoken supporter of LGBT equality. He’s also headlining at the Big Gay Mississippi Welcome Table Dinner in New York City on June 13th, along with chefs John Currence of Oxford’s City Grocery and Art Smith, who owns restaurants from Chicago to Atlanta. The chefs are joining forces to oppose Mississippi’s version of the “Turn the Gays Away” bill, which would enable businesses and individuals to refuse services to LGBT citizens on the grounds of religious freedom. Read more about that dinner on Hungry Memphis.
A similar bill was killed in committee in Tennessee earlier this year. Senator Brian Kelsey introduced the bill (and later withdrew his sponsorship), and at the time, English made headlines when he put a message on Facebook offering to host a fund-raiser dinner for anyone who would run against Kelsey in the next election.