Nashville Pride Political Roundup

Despite the heat, thousands turned out for Nashville Pride today. Channel 5 offered some coverage. The Tennessean's coverage was more political with several folks interviewed talking about the 2009 Metro non-discrimination ordinance, the Don't Say Gay bill, and the birth certificate bill.

It was a good day for politicking. State Representative Mike Stewart was making the rounds. Candidate for State House district 58 Steven Turner and candidate for State Senate district 21 Jeff Yarbro were busy engaging voters. Newly announced candidate for Metro Council district 6 Pete Westerholm (an outgoing TEP board member) was busy working the TEP table and meeting people. I was pleased to see that the Tennessee Democratic Party also had a table busy with volunteers.

Volunteers at the TEP table registered voters, surveyed festival goers about discrimination, and increased awareness of the upcoming State Primary. All in all, it was a great day to build the movement for equality.

Steven Turner campaign kicks off

Steven Turner kicked off his campaign for the TN House 58th District tonight at the Werthan Mills Lofts. It was a nice evening for it as the rain held off, at least while I was there. The crowd was a mixture of people from the district, young Democrats, and progressive activists and bloggers. It was great to meet Ilissa Gold, as I have admired her work for the last couple of years. The California Prop 8 decision was on the minds of more than a few folks and we got to chat about that as well as events in Shelby County today.

As might be expected, everyone attending was enthusiastic about Turner's campaign. I think he'll have a strong volunteer base from which to draw. He's been out knocking on doors and meeting the people of the district. Facing a long-term incumbent is always tough, but he has made a strong start.

*Note: TEP PAC has not made an endorsement in the race. The race is interesting because so far it's one of the few that we know will be contested in Davidson County.