House passes Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal: How TN delegation voted

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy by a vote of 250 to 175.

Voting for repeal were Congressmen Steve Cohen, Jim Cooper, and Bart Gordon.

Voting against repeal were Congressmen Marsha Blackburn, Lincoln Davis, John Duncan, Phil Roe, and John Tanner. Congressman Zach Wamp is listed as not voting.*

Note: Marsha Blackburn prefers "Congressman" so we're honoring her general request to the media that she be noted as such.

A look at the numbers on the first day of early voting in Nashville

According to the list I received from the Davidson County Election Commission, 469 people voted on Friday. It looks as if there may be one duplicate on the list, so maybe it was 468. I don't have the statistics from the first day four years ago, but the number was higher than I expected.

Republican Surge?: Judging from the campaign signs posted at the Election Commission, a crowded 5th district Republican congressional primary and the three-man horse race for the Republican nomination for governor must account for the numbers. About 45% of those voting on the first day pulled a Republican primary ballot. It should be noted that Friday's Jackson Day celebration may have kept many Democrats from voting after work.

GLBT Factor: Just over 2% of those voting on Friday are part of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. (The number could be higher. I don't know every GLBT person in Nashville, folks!) After voting (or before voting for those who were heading to the Election Commission on Saturday), the TEP Nashville Committee held our Vote + Happy Hour event at 3rd and Lindsley. You can find some of the pictures here.

Rutherford County Contrast: Despite being higher than I expected, the Nashville numbers are still low. Rutherford County provides a contrast where 1001 people voted on the first day, according to the Daily News Journal. But they had six locations and Davidson County only had one. 698 voted in the Republican primary in the Rutherford County with only 286 in the Democratic. Again, I think we can attribute those numbers to a crowded Republican field in the 6th district congressional race as well as the governor's race.

Voting on Saturday: Maybe the second day totals will be stronger in Nashville, despite the rather limited Saturday hours. One indication was the large crowd of volunteers for Jeff Yarbro's district 21 State Senate campaign who were gathered at the Election Commission Saturday morning to vote and then canvass neighborhoods. Stay tuned for more updates as the numbers come in over the next few days.

Voting for Equality in Shelby County on August 5 (Part 3)

In Part 1 of this series, I reviewed the known positions on LGBT equality and campaign outreach to equality voters of candidates for Shelby County government. Part 2 was devoted to Primaries for the Tennessee House of Representatives and Governor. We end with the primary elections for the three congressional districts that touch Shelby County.

U.S. CONGRESS

Shelby County includes the entire Ninth Congressional District and parts of the Seventh and Eighth District. There are no contested primaries in the 7th District on August 5. The Eighth district has a competitive Republican primary. The Democratic Primary in the Ninth District will determine who wins the seat in the General Election in November.

Seventh District

Incumbent Marsha Blackburn (R) of Brentwood probably enjoys the fact that she scored 0% on the HRC Score Card. Too bad she has no opponent in the primary. Republicans who vote their party in this district deserve better. choices in their primary.

Democratic challenger Greg Rabidoux of Clarkville has no legislative record on LGBT issues and his opinions are unknown. He has no challenger in the primary. However, he shouldn’t have to work too hard to get a better legislative score than his eventual Republican opponent after Nov. 2 should he win this election.

Eighth District

Republican Primary

The Republican Primary for this race is rather crowded. Each hopes to replace retiring Democrat John Tanner in this District.Three candidates have gone on record with their views on LGBTQ policy issues.

Dr. Ron Kirkland drew local, statewide, and then national attention after making the following comments about Don't Ask, Don't Tell and his military service in Vietnam at a Tea Party Forum in Paris, TN:

"I can tell you if there were any homosexuals in that group, they were taken care of in ways I can't describe to you."

Kirkland later refused to apologize for condoning violence against gay and lesbian servicemembers in a letter to the Jackson Sun. Read more about Kirkland and TEP's call for his apology and support of the repeal of DADT here.

At the same Tea Party Forum in Paris, TN, Randy Smith who served in the first Iraq War followed Dr. Kirkland's comments about DADT with:

"I definitely wouldn't want to share a shower with a homosexual. We took care of that kind of stuff, just like (Kirkland) said."

When called upon to do so by TEP and others, Smith apologized for his comments. He shared that he had a lesbian daughter whom he loves, but he does not approve of her "lifestyle." Read more here.

At the Tea Party Forum in Paris, Dr. George Flinn portrayed ending "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as the latest in an effort by Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to weaken the military. He also failed to confront the violence condoned by Kirkland and Smith at the forum. Flinn of Memphis also voted against an ordinance and a watered-down resolution that would protect LGBT county employees from discrimination while serving on the Shelby County Commission.

The other candidates in this race, Stephen Lee Fincher and Ben Watts, also failed to confront the violence condoned by Kirkland and Smith at the Tea Party Forum. Is silence complicity? Fincher won the endorsement of the anti-LGBT Family Research Council - a definite red flag - and was a TN Senate Co-Sponsor of SJR0031 that approved the Anti-Marriage Amendment for placement on the 2006 ballot for Tennessee voters.

Democratic Primary

Roy Herron (D) is on record opposing efforts to prohibit adoption of children by lesbian and gay parents. However, Herron was a TN Senate Co-Sponsor of SJR0031 that approved the Anti-Marriage Amendment for placement on the 2006 ballot for Tennessee voters. Only 3 out of 33 TN Senators voted against this amendment.

Kimberlee E. Smith's (D) views on lgbtq policy issues are not known.

Ninth District

Democratic Primary

Incumbent Steve Cohen (D) has received a the highest HRC Score (90%) of any sitting Congressman or Congresswoman from Tennessee. When he was still TN State Senator from District 30, he voted against the TN anti-marriage amendment. Cohen supported GLBT-inclusive hate crime legislation. He also support repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the Defense of Marriage Act. He also supports a GLBT-inclusive version of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in Congress. While in Congress, Cohen wrote a letter of support to the Shelby County Commission for the County Employment Non-Discrimination Ordinance.

Former Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton (D) served in that role for almost 20 years. While he was Mayor, Herenton spoke beside Judy Shepard when visited Memphis in 2000 in a special event at Calvary Episcopal Church. Herenton also participated in the ribbon cutting ceremony at the opening of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center. Mayor Herenton also supports a municipal non-discrimination ordinance for the City of Memphis. However, Herenton has distinguished himself as being against marriage equality as a candidate for this race.

Republican Primary

The positions of candidates Charlotte Bergmann, Jim Harrell, and Kevin Millen on LGBTQ policy issues are unknown. In this heavily Democratic district, asking them about LGBTQ issues may be a moot point.

As with previous posts, please share any known positions on LGBT issues for any of the above candidates. Early voting begins on July 16. After you vote early, join fellow equality voters on July 20 for happy hour at Tuesdays at Grace.

- Jonathan Cole

Don't Ask, Don't Tell "repeal" compromise advances in Senate committee, full House

On Thursday the Senate Armed Services Committee and the full House of Representatives advanced the compromise measure toward the eventual repeal of the military's 17-year-old Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy that bars gays, lesbians, and bisexuals from serving openly in the military.

Tennessee's congressional delegation doesn't appear to have played a significant role in the proceedings in either body. Neither senator from Tennessee is on the Armed Services Committee. Congressman Zach Wamp rose briefly for a parliamentary question about adding time for debate. His smirk betrayed the move as an effort at delay. The House roll call is not available yet. UPDATE: Now the votes are available. AYE = Cohen, Cooper, and Gordon. NO = Blackburn, Davis, Duncan, Roe, Tanner, and Wamp.

The amendment is not what the GLBT community had hoped for or called for. It does not stop discharges of servicemembers. It provides no comprehensive non-discrimination policy. It doesn't even guarantee a repeal at the end of the Pentagon study. But it is the path to repeal that was available in this Congress. It is also a path that GLBT servicemembers' groups got behind. So, as with much legislation, most of the community held their noses, supported it, and worked for passage.

There are still a few steps left in passage of the bill carrying the amendment, but there is reason for optimism that it will pass and the process of real repeal can begin. Tonight is not a victory, but it is another chance.

-Chris Sanders

Anti-equality candidates make the news in Tennessee

As the flood water recede and we all continue with recovery efforts, the work for equality resumes and just in time. Anti-gay candidates are making the news in Tennessee.

Shelby County: A hat tip to Jonathan Cole for the link to this piece in the Commercial Appeal describing the increasingly partisan dynamic we can expect on the Shelby County Commission in August. Republican Terry Roland will be joining the Commission and here's what we know about him:

Roland, from Millington, is well known for his ability to raise the volume on issues, demonstrating it forcefully last year as a citizen during debate over an anti-discrimination ordinance opponents said provided unneeded protection based upon sexual orientation.

"I'm not looking for a fight, but I'm not backing down from one," Thomas said. "I'm not going to lay down and let people roll over us."

His colleague Chris Thomas is ready to fight, too:

But Thomas said, "If we are in the minority and there are things we are strongly opposed to, I am going to sound the alarm and try to put public pressure on them. Sometimes when you are in the minority, it's what you have to do."

The Commission has added social conservatives ready for battle at a time when the Family Action Council of Tennessee has hired a new director of community relations for Shelby County. Given the growth of TEP's own Shelby County Committee and the fact that we'll have two officers and a total of five board members from the Memphis area, the Mid-South will continue to be an important battleground for equality issues.

8th Congressional District: The story of 8th District congressional candidate Ron Kirkland's remarks about violence against gay servicemembers and Don't Ask, Don't Tell has now entered its third week. Kirkland's comments are beginning to become part of the way he is defined as a candidate even as other controversial statements are added to the mix, as the Jackson Sun's Nicholas Beadle points out:

While his comment about gays being "taken care of" in the military has drawn far more attention, another remark 8th Congressional District candidate Ron Kirkland made about illegal immigration at an April Tea Party forum in Paris has also raised some eyebrows.

Equality advocates will keep up the pressure. There were letters to the editor of the Jackson Sun and the Tennessean last week about Kirkland's joke about violence. As of Sunday morning 190 people have clicked through this trackable link to contact the Kirkland campaign to call for him to apologize and to support the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell. We're not holding our breath, but we will continue to draw attention to the issue. The summer is looking pretty busy.

Ron Kirkland tries to make himself the victim

You can't find a direct link to it, but Dr. Ron Kirkland has finally responded to the demand that he apologize for joking about violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender servicemembers in a letter to the editor of the Jackson Sun:


Candidate Kirkland stands by his conservative values

Since recent reports have been published about the Tea Party Forum in Paris on Thursday evening and my defense of the “Don't ask, don't tell” policy in the U.S. military, I have been attacked by liberal forces from all over the country. Allow me to be perfectly clear. I will not back down. When any of us is cowered into apologizing for speaking the truth, our constitutional freedoms are diminished, not increased.

Allow me to be perfectly clear about my position on this issue. I support the 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy currently in force in our military. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen have recently asked our liberal president to not tamper with the current policy until a military commission can further study the issue.

As an Army veteran who served our country in Vietnam, I know the unique demands of military service. I believe that 'Don't ask, don't tell' best protects the safety of all of our service men and women and helps remove unneeded distractions from a sometimes uncomfortable, unpleasant and stressful military environment.

I do not condone nor support violence against any of our fellow Americans, especially in our military. But the fact remains that mistreatment sometimes does occur, and “Don't ask, don't tell” helps prevent it.

I understand that not everyone agrees with my policy positions, and there may be further attacks on my strong pro-life, pro-traditional marriage and limited government positions. My response then will be the same as it is now. I will stand strong for our conservative Tennessee values.

RON KIRKLAND 8TH DISTRICT CANDIDATE FOR U.S. CONGRESS

Dr. Kirkland is trying to assume the mantle of the victim, but this is a diversion from the violence against GLBT servicemembers that he was joking about and for which he still fails to apologize. He predictably says that liberals all over the country are attacking him. No, not really. The story really hasn't gone national yet. Just a blip outside Tennessee. We've only asked the people of Tennessee to contact him here, as we did yesterday in this video:




Over 140 people from Tennessee appeared to have contacted the campaign.

He says that he doesn't condone violence against anyone. Perhaps, but his remarks were still outrageous and not fit for a doctor who is running for Congress.

He then goes on to make the argument that Don't Ask, Don't Tell actually makes GLBT servicemembers safer. The argument is ridiculous. Allowing servicemembers to serve openly and honestly without a policy that tells them to go into hiding is the best route to making everyone safe. How can anyone be safe when compelled to lie?

Late addition on the First Amendment: As I thought more about Dr. Kirkland's letter, I realized that he completely turned the First Amendment on its head. He's complaining that people are trying to get him to cower and that threatens his "constitutional freedoms." He presumably means First Amendment free speech. He is wrong about that, first, because the First Amendment protects citizens from government abridging speech, not candidates from being challenged by citizens. But he is also off base because he ignored the last part of the First Amendment: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." It is the job of citizens to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. If he can't handle it as a candidate, how is he going to handle it as a Congressman?

The rhetoric of the Kirkland campaign is as bankrupt as the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy.

TEP calls on Dr. Ron Kirkland to apologize for his joke and to support repeal of DADT

For background on the story you can go to this story in the Jackson Sun. To contact the Kirkland campaign, go to the form on his campaign website.

Note: We had to shoot the video quickly because of the tornado watch and floods, so sorry about being a bit rushed.

ENDA, the role of the federal government, and Kerry Roberts

In light of the Obama administration's recent directives on barring discrimination against federal employees based on gender identity (sexual orientation is already covered) and recent talk that there may be movement on Don't Ask Don't Tell, I asked the question on Twitter, "...will that give them enough moral authority to move on ENDA [Employment Non-Discrimination Act]? I followed that with: "In other words, does fedgov need to be able to say, 'We've put our own house in order before moving into the private sector?'"

Much to my surprise, 6th District congressional candidate Kerry Roberts responded:

RT @tnequality Does fedgov need to be able to say, "We've put own house in order b4 moving n2 private sector?" // Fed should never b there.

I'm not wild about the content of the response, but I'll get to that in a minute. First, I should note that his position on ENDA won't differ much from current 6th District Congressman Bart Gordon's, although we may get the chance to find out otherwise if the House votes on ENDA in March. Second, I have to commend Mr. Roberts for responding, especially since I wasn't directing the question at him in particular. It's a refreshing sign of engagement.

Now for the substance of the response. I understand the anti-government perspective and I know that it's the kind of talking point that plays well with a huge chunk of his voters. But I followed up with questions that in all fairness he hasn't had time to answer. I asked whether he believes the federal government has a role to play in protecting people from racial and religious discrimination in the workplace. To the first, the conservative line used to be "No quotas." But getting beyond that and the now almost unreflective anti-government response, what's a conservative to say in such a situation? Would Roberts really say he favors dismantling existing employment protections? And even if he said he did, would he really act on those convictions?

I doubt it. But I hope I find out. And considering he was willing to reach out in the first place, who knows? I just might.

Federal bill seeks to ban adoption bans at the state level

Congressman Pete Stark (D-California) has introduced H.R., 3827, the Every Child Deserves a Family Act. The bill would prohibit entities that receive federal funding from denying adoptions solely based on the marital status, sexual orientation, or gender identity of the prospective adoptive parents.

According to Congressman Stark:

When considering a potential placement for a child, the only criteria should be what is in the child’s best interest and whether the prospective parents can provide a safe and nurturing home. Bigotry should play no part in this decision. That is why I am introducing the “Every Child Deserves a Family Act.” This legislation would simply prohibit any entity that receives Federal child welfare funds from denying or delaying adoption or foster care placements based solely on the prospective parent’s marital status or sexual orientation. States and child welfare agencies that fail to end discriminatory practices would face financial penalties. This is the same approach that put an end to race discrimination in adoption and foster care placements.

If passed, this bill would obviously scuttle legislation in Tennessee and other states like SB 0078. The backlash is likely to take the form of Tenth Amendment angst. But, as Congressman Stark notes, the studies indicate that children do well in a variety of family settings. And if that's the case, then we probably should consider the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, too. The bill, like other legislation affecting the GLBT community, is in for a long road to passage, but it's a good step.

Quote of the Day: Viral Town Meeting

One analyst's view of what's going on at health care town hall meetings around the country, from the New York Times:

“We’re living in the era of the viral town meeting,” said Ross Baker, a political scientist at Rutgers University who once worked as a Senate aide. “I remember back in the ’70s getting identically worded telegrams in the thousands. What’s happened now is the technology of protest has metastasized, and it threatens to overwhelm the relationship between members of Congress and their constituents.”

Robin Smith's mixed feelings on Tennessee's marriage ban

From her congressional campaign site:

"In 2006, more than 80% of Tennesseans declared their support at the polls for the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. I stand with that 80%. No one should ever be discriminated against or feel threatened for the life they lead, but Tennesseans have spoken on this issue."

That's right. She stands with the ban 80%. 20% of her is fighting back against it. After all, "No one should ever be discriminated against."

OK, OK, we're kidding. We know that what Smith means is that she is standing with the 80% of people who voted for the marriage ban. Now that's courage! Standing with the majority. After all, she wouldn't want to be thought of as "pro-gay."

No TN sponsors of DC anti-marriage equality bills YET

The city council of Washington, D.C. recently voted to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. That decision is in jeopardy with the introduction of legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

So I looked up H.R. 2608 fully expecting to see at least one Tennessee member of Congress listed as a cosponsor. No dice. Maybe they haven't heard about the bill. Maybe they haven't been approached. Maybe they don't care. Maybe some of them see it as a home rule issue and are avoiding it on principle. I'd like to think it's the last of those four, but I'm not holding my breath. Still, it was a pleasant Memorial Day weekend surprise.

Congressman Cooper a cosponsor of federal hate crimes bill

A hat tip to Nancy VanReece for alerting us to the fact that Congressman Jim Cooper has signed on as a cosponsor to the federal hate crimes bill, H.R. 1913. He joins Congressman Steve Cohen on the bill. There are now 120 cosponsors. The number of supportive lawmakers and a president willing to sign the bill bode well for its passage. Anything can happen in the Senate, of course, but today's news about Sen. Specter should make passage even easier.

Scoring Tennessee's Congressional Delegation

The Human Rights Campaign has released their annual congressional scorecard. The guide uses a 100-point scale to track the voting records of members of Congress on issues of interest to the GLBT community such as the Matthew Shepard Act, judicial confirmations, and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker both got a 20. They received all their points for voting for the Tom Lantos and Henry J. Hyde United States Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act, which repeals the ban on HIV+ visitors and immigrants.

Tennessee's House delegation was all over the map with a lot of 0s.

David Davis-0
John Duncan-0
Zach Wamp-0
Lincoln Davis-25
Jim Cooper-80
Bart Gordon-50
Marsha Blackburn-0
John Tanner-27
Steve Cohen-90

Biden messaging already in place

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has already updated its fundraising script. I got a call this afternoon touting Obama's choice of Senator Joe Biden as his running mate.

Nikki Tinker attempts to salvage what's left of her reputation

The Commercial Appeal printed a guest column by the former Democratic primary candidate for the 9th Congressional District. Tinker tries to defend herself against the national criticism she received for the attack ads on Steve Cohen she released in the last days of her campaign:

Try as we might to have honest discussions on such important issues as education, health care, the economy and more, too often these conversations do not happen. Sometimes other issues -- race and religion, for example -- take precedence.

I believe that was the case in my recent campaign for the Democratic nomination for Congress from Tennessee's 9th District, which ended with my television ads at the center of the debate. I wanted these ads to focus on issues, but instead the ads themselves became an issue.

Through the ads, I wanted to respond to Congressman Steve Cohen's challenge to us to examine his voting record. The ads were never intended as an attack on race or religion, or as an attempt to divide our community. But, if they did, I want to take responsibility and sincerely apologize for any pain they may have caused.

Tinker goes to claim:

I wanted to be heard on the substantive issues of the campaign -- health care, Iraq, immigration and education, and I wanted to take the challenge offered by Cohen, to look closely at his voting record. Yet reporting on the congressional race came down to race and religion.

I can't blame Tinker for wanting make amends for the offensive ad campaign she ran, but her complaint about not being heard on the issues seems insincere to me.

During her one debate with opponents and in my own personal interview with her in the spring, she offered few details about her legislative agenda and objectives. This told me that she was either a policy lightweight who had no business running for Congress or she was being backed by supporters who could easily manipulate her into voting for the more privileged classes in our society, i.e., Big Business.

Shock and Naw

The folks at Emily's List are shocked by Nikki Tinker's campaign ads in the 9th District congressional race. You never know what your money's going to do when you turn it loose.

But at least they are distancing themselves from the ads. According to Mr. Kleinheider, not everyone has spoken up yet.

The Gospel according to Rob

Rob Russell, Democratic candidate for Tennessee's first Congressional district gives a clear answer to a question about same-sex marriage citing the the Gospel according to St. Luke:

Do you support a Constitutional ban on gay marriage, and should such a ban be extended to civil unions? Explain.

I do not support a Constitutional ban on gay marriage. “Do unto others as you would have them do to”—this phrase from Luke sums up my feelings on the subject of same-sex marriage. I wouldn’t want the government telling me who I could or couldn’t marry; as an American citizen, I have the right to marry who I love. Only a few decades ago many states prohibited mixed-race couples from marrying, and discriminating against someone because of who they love is just as wrong as discrimination on the basis of race or gender.

He faces an uphill battle. But his answer to this question not only shows courage and conviction, it concisely puts the case in terms that people can understand, whether they agree or not. It goes beyond the stale values debate to the very meaning of the good news of his faith. It is not coded. It is direct. It confronts the reader with the meaning of the Christian faith and the proper role of government as well as what it means to be an American.

Steve Cohen asks for support and votes from GLBT citizens

GLBT citizens of the Midsouth held the first of two campaign fundraisers for Congressman Steve Cohen (9th District) last night at Stop 345 in Downtown Memphis. Steve supported the Employment Non-Discrimination Act and stronger Hate Crimes legislation in Congress this year. Several TEP members attended the event.

Don't miss Wendi Thomas' column in Sunday's Commercial Appeal about Cohen and his major primary opponent.

TN Congressmen defend traditonal marriage in June

Speaking of Marsha Blackburn...she and three other members of Tennessee's congressional delegation signed on as cosponsors of H.J.RES. 89, another version of the federal marriage amendment. Joining Congressman Blackburn are David Davis of the 1st District, John Duncan of the 2nd District, and Zach Wamp of the 3rd District. They had all added their names to the effort by June 10, although Congressman Wamp gets the prize for being first on June 5.

It's important, after all, to protect the month of June for man-woman weddings. Tradition! Granted, it might be a pagan tradition. But why ask historical questions?