Tennessee Equality Project Shelby County Committee Hosts Inaugural Picnic

The sun was out and the mercury was rising, but the scene at Peabody Park on June 28 could not have been more picturesque. It was a scene of a community coming together to talk, laugh, and play. The Tennessee Equality Project's (“TEP”) Shelby County Committee fired up the grills for over sixty adults and children who gathered at Peabody Park for what organizer Michelle Bliss called “an old fashioned picnic.” Bliss stated that the picnic really had a two-fold purpose, the first being the obvious fundraiser portion of the picnic. More important though, was the opportunity to give LGBT families and friends a family-friendly event for pride. “Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in activism and causes that we forget what's important is the human connection. Ultimately, we are all looking for people who love us for who we are, and accept our quirks,” Bliss said. The picnic was just that, community members young, old, straight and queer, connecting with each other and forgetting the worries of society. Jonathan Cole, Shelby County Committee Chair for TEP, said that the picnic was a total success and he is already looking forward to next year’s picnic. Proceeds from the picnic go directly to the lobbying efforts of TEP to bring equality to the LGBT community in Tennessee.