If the polls are any indication, this Election Day is going to be a nail-biter.
Don’t nibble your nails alone (or at all). Head to the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center on Tuesday, Nov. 6th at 6:30 p.m. for an Election Results Watching Party co-hosted by the Tennessee Equality Project and MGLCC.
Guests are encouraged to bring snacks to share. MGLCC is located at 892 S. Cooper.
In response to a full-page, anti-gay ad that ran in The Commercial Appeal last week, a group of LGBT advocacy organizations have begun a food drive for the Mid-South Food Bank.
The anonymous organization behind the ad, known only as Memphis Churches of Christ, reportedly paid around $15,000 for the spot. Rather than raise money to buy a pro-equality, counter-ad, a handful of LGBT groups are asking supporters to make a donation to the food bank.
“The content of the ads is deeply offensive, but I remain a firm believer in the First Amendment right to free speech. While this group is entitled to say what they want, most people reject the divisiveness of the ad’s message because they support inclusion, fairness, decency, equality and diversity in Memphis,” said Jonathan Cole of the Tennessee Equality Project. “It’s hard to watch churches and other religious organizations spending tithes and church offerings on hateful advertising rather than benefit their church members or assist those living in poverty in our city.”
“Our organizations have criticized churches who spend money to demean us by suggesting that they focus on caring for the poor and feeding the hungry,” said Will Batts, executive director of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. “In response to recent attacks on our community, we’re putting our money where our mouths are and the mouths of those who go hungry. We shall meet hatred with love for our friends and neighbors.”
They are calling on people to make donations of food or money by November 9th. Donations may be made online. Food may be dropped off at the Mid-South Food Bank at 239 S. Dudley between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday or 8 a.m. to noon on Friday.
Needed items include canned meats (tuna, stews, chicken and dumplings, chili, Spam), soups, peanut butter, canned fruits, canned veggies, canned 100% fruit juice, and any non-perishable item. No glass containers are accepted.
State Representative Jeanne Richardson (above, in video) was in her element on Friday at the intersection of Cooper and Young, conducting a press conference in tandem with City Councilwoman Janis Fullilove and Arkansas state representative Kathy Webb, the first openly gay woman to be elected to an official position in that state.
You have to give Jeanne Richardson points for coping. Imagine, first of all, having your birth name mispronounced so universally that you end up accepting the mispronunciation as the name itself.
“Jeanne” is meant to be pronounced like “Gene.” But the double ‘n’ led so many people, from her early teachers on, to sounding her name in two syllables, like “Jean-ie,” that that’s who she finally became.
Then, having been elected to the state House of Representatives from relatively liberal Midtown District 89, she became, arguably, the most liberal member of the legislature, on both social and economic issues. One of her daughters, noting that her 2010 opponent used just that phrase about her as a pejorative, expressed concern about the attack line, whereby Richardson told her, quite proudly, “Honey, I am the most liberal member of the legislature!”
But when Tennessee Republicans, as the state’s new majority party, laid their redistricting plans late last year, they in effect abolished Richardson’s constituency, shifting District 89 to Middle Tennessee and leaving her to find a (relatively) comfortable district to run in against another Democrat.
That turned out to be District 90, the majority-black bailiwick of John DeBerry, an African-American minister and businessman whose votes on social issues are as conservative as any Republican’s. The District also encapsulates numerous progressives and a significant gay population, though, and Richardson’s candidacy was as much a draft by this constituency as a willed action on her part.
Campaigning hard with limited resources, Richardson saw DeBerry receive a Commercial Appeal endorsement she had hoped to get, and 9th District congressman Steve Cohen, who has epitomized pragmatic liberalism in these parts for decades, chose not to endorse in the District 90 primary, claiming friendships for Richardson, DeBerry, and a third candidate, Ian Randolph.
But she has numerous endoresements from prominent Democrats and active independents, both black and white, as well as from such staple organizarions as the Sierra Club, The Tennessee Education Association, and the Firefighters Association. And the Tennessee Equality Project is resolutely in her corner.
At one of her recent fundraisers, Richardson became philosophical about her efforts on behalf of gay rights. Not only were these rights worth defending in themselves, she said. So long as they were kept alive, artificially, as issues, they would be used as screens to obstruct citizens’’ views of economic inequalities. It was an almost Marcusian view of political realities.
Richardson soldiers on, against what she knows are long odds, and, though she is not loath to cite what she regards as wrong-headed DeBerry votes (against gay adoption rights, for example), she made a point on Friday of commending him for supporting the efforts of blogger/County Commission candidate Steve Ross, who dates her daughter Ellyn, in exposing the Election Commission’s widespread early-voting glitches.
See also this weeks’ Election Preview.)
David Fowler, president of the Family Action Council of Tennessee (FACT), blamed the December suicide of gay Ashland City teen Jacob Rogers on alcohol and drug abuse and an eating disorder, despite the fact that the teen’s friends have reported that he was bullied by his peers on a daily basis because of his sexual orientation.
The Nashville Scene reported that, according to FACT, Rogers’ suicide was a result of “the rotten fruit of the all-about-me individualist culture that comes when we deny the existence of God and his image in us.”
FACT is currently pushing a state bill that would redefine school bullying polices so as not to “infringe upon the First Amendment rights of students” and not to “prohibit their expression of religious, philosophical, or political views as long as such expression does not include a threat of physical harm to a student or of damage to a student’s property.” In other words, this bill would make it easier for young Christian conservatives to bully gay kids, so long as they don’t threaten them, beat them up, or break their stuff.
In response to Bellevue Baptist Church pastor Steve Gaines’ anti-equality comments, the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) is calling on LGBT supporters to cast their early vote at Bellevue on Saturday, Sept. 24th at noon.
In a newsletter to Bellevue members, Gaines asked congregants to “educate themselves regarding the most recent attempts of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) to advance their homosexual activist agenda.” He was referring to TEP’s endorsement of Memphis City Council candidates who supported the defeated non-discrimination ordinance last year or have been outspoken advocates for LGBT rights. Gaines warned church members that TEP is attempting to unseat councilmen who “stand for preserving family values.”
Bellevue Baptist is an early voting location, and now, TEP is asking their supporters to show Gaines a “real pro-family vote” by casting their votes at Bellevue for candidates who support LGBT rights. They’re asking advocates to wear purple and show up between noon and 1 p.m.
For more on the event, check out the Facebook page.
Yesterday, the Tennessee Senate approved SB632, known by equality advocates as the “Special Access to Discriminate” Bill. This means that employees who work for local government contractors in the state will have no legal protections from workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
An amendment to the bill must be passed by the House, but then the bill will go to Governor Bill Haslam’s desk. He has the option to veto, and the Tennessee Equality Project is urging people to contact Haslam with their concerns.
If signed into law, the bill would repeal LGBT-inclusive workplace protections passed by Nashville’s Metro government in April.
Last night, the state House of Representatives passed HB600, dubbed the “Special Access to Discriminate Act” by equality advocates. It marks the first time since 2005 that anti-gay legislation has passed the Tennessee House.
If signed into law by Governor Bill Haslam, this bill would prohibit local governments in Tennessee from extending LGBT-inclusive workplace protections to the employees of government contractors. According to the Tennessee Equality Project, the act would repeal the recently-passed Contract Accountability Non-Discrimination Ordinance in Nashville. Shelby County does not offer protections to employees of government contractors, but it does have a non-discrimination policy for county workers. The city of Memphis has no protections in place for LGBT employees or contractors.
Colorado enacted similar legislation prohibiting governments from passing non-discrimination ordinances in 1992, but the legislation was overturned after costly court challenges.
Click here to sign a petition protesting the passage of the “Special Access to Discriminate” Act.
Knoxville Representative Stacey Campfield wants a $1,000 retainer fee to debate his “Don’t Say Gay” bill with Sordid Lives writer/director/creator Del Shores. But the Tennessee Equality Project says no way.
Shores, who also produced Queer As Folk, had a Facebook exchange with Campfield, asking him to debate SB0049, which would prohibit the teaching and furnishing of materials on human sexuality other than heterosexuality in public school grades K-8.
Here was Campfield’s response: “I will happily debate you. I require a $1,000.00 (sic) retainer fee and all expenses covered. You can do with the rest all you want.”
The Facebook exchange posted on the vibinc blog does not mention where the debate would have taken place, but you can read the full story there (and see screenshots of Shores’ interaction with Campfield).
Shores contacted the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) to seek help in raising Campfield’s retainer fee, but TEP’s Jonathan Cole wrote this in response:
TEP cannot justify raising money for an event that would financially benefit Sen. Campfield in his pursuit of anti-LGBT legislation to its donors. The fact that Campfield refused to debate his bill or homosexuality and the Bible without a $1,000 retainer fee plus expenses demonstrates to us that his only purpose is to use LGBT issues to fund his political and personal ambitions. His request for a fee may violate ethics rules. Sen. Campfield is a public servant who is paid by the State of Tennessee for his time as a legislator which includes debating his proposed legislation.
Shores’ response showed his disappointment, though he agreed Campfield’s retainer fee was “inappropriate.” Here’s part of Shores’ letter to Cole:
So you are basically turning down an opportunity for huge nationwide exposure and coverage to benefit your organization because of his request for $1,000, which I agree is inappropriate, but this is something that could be used in every press release, every interview, every article for more exposure of his true self. And if it violates ethics rules, why wouldn’t you want that scandal and possible investigation?
The moral to the story? Well, you decide. Comment and let us know what you think.
Last week, Memphis Gaydar reported that Franklin, Tennessee Republican state representative Glen Casada withdrew his bill banning Tennessee cities from passing non-discrimination ordinances protecting LGBT employees of city contractors.
Casada’s decision to withdraw the so-called “Special Access to Discriminate” Act is a temporary move giving him time to lobby the bill’s opponents, one of whom is Cordova Republican Representative Steve McManus.
Now the Tennessee Equality Project is urging LBGT equality advocates to sign a petition thanking McManus “for opposing big government intrusion into local affairs.”
Apparently, the Memphis Tea Party and the Family Action Council of Tennessee are actively pressuring McManus into voting for another version of the act in the House Subcommittee on Commerce. According to an email from TEP, “[McManus] needs to hear from equality and labor advocates and proponents of small government alike that we support his firm stand against HB0598 and HB0600.”
Click here to sign the petition.
On Tuesday, March 1st, equality advocates from across the state will gather in Nashville to meet with lawmakers on LGBT-related legislation.
The annual “Advancing Equality on the Hill” day is sponsored by the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP). Bills of special interest include the “Special Access to Discriminate” Act, which would negatively affect Nashville’s non-discrimination ordinance. If passed, the bill has potential to affect the ability of other Tennessee cities seeking to pass future ordinances aimed at protecting LGBT workers from discrimination. This bill will be heard by the Senate State and Local Government committee on March 1st at 10:30 a.m., and equality advocates are encouraged to pack the hearing room.
Another bill would require photo identification for voters, a move that could create problems for transgender voters, as well as the elderly and indigent.
For more information on “Advancing Equality” activities, check out the schedule on TEP’s website.
