Senators Stacey Campfield and Brian Kelsey to elope to Massachusetts

Senators Stacey Campfield
& Brian Kelsey to tie the knot.

(4.1.2014) Qweerty.com reports that Tennessee Senators Stacey Campfield (R-Knoxville) and Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown) plan to marry after the 108th Tennessee General Assembly session adjourns this spring.

Capitol insiders revealed their secret plan to elope to the State of Massachusetts late yesterday. The couple plans to marry in a closed ceremony over Memorial Day weekend at the First Congregational Church of West Tisbury in Martha’s Vineyard. A West Tisbury office clerk, who grew up with Senator Kelsey at MUS High School in Memphis accidentally leaked the clandestine arrangements when confirming the wedding date with Senator Kelsey’s legislative assistant.

When asked about the wedding, Senator Kelsey stated, “Stacey and I just couldn’t wait any longer for full marriage equality to arrive in Tennessee.”

The happy couple plans to honeymoon in Provincetown following the ceremony.

A Nashville area realtor confirmed Tuesday morning that Kelsey and Campfield recently signed a contract on a quaint little bungalow in East Nashville. The couple looks forward to filling their home with arts and crafts furniture and hosting hot tub parties on the deck of their back yard this summer.

Registry listings for Campfield and Kelsey appear on the websites of Crate & Barrel, IKEA and Restoration Hardware. When asked about possible wedding gift options for the couple, Campfield stated that their “gift registries are really for close family and friends. I encourage marriage equality supporters to donate gifts in our honor to Tennessee Equality Project at http://tnequalityproject.org/donatetotep.”

Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey, leader of the State Senate, promised to host a wedding reception for the couple at the beginning of the 109th Tennessee General Assembly in Senate Chambers.

A look back on a year in the politics of equality in Tennessee: Photos from around the state

It's not over yet, but 2013 has been an incredible year in forward movement for equality in Tennessee.  We fought hard and even got some results.  Check out a few of the highlights.

Advancing Equality Day on the Hill brought advocates from East, West, and Middle TN to the Capitol to attempt to stop negative bills like Don't Say Gay and advance positive legislation like the Dignity for All Students Act.  Here we are preparing for a press conference in Legislative Plaza.

On July 22 the Knox County Commission passed an inclusive non-discrimination ordinance for Knox County employees.  Pictured are bill sponsor Commissioner Amy Broyles and supporters in Knoxville in Commission chambers after the victory.

When Rep. John Ragan, House sponsor of the Don't Say Gay bill received an award from Students First, 11-year-old Marcel Neergaard called foul.  As a student who has endured bullying for being gay, Marcel received national attention when he called on Students First to rescind the award, which they did.  Yes, a student really can teach the public about what's going on in our Legislature!  Marcel continues to inspire us all at TEP.  

In order to show the reality of discrimination, couples in Nashville and a couple in Wilson County...

as well as couples in Shelby County applied for marriage licenses.

 

 

 

 

Knoxville, Memphis, Cookeville, West TN, Chattanooga, and Nashville held rallies at the end of August to celebrate TN Marriage Equality Day to counter the Legislature's Traditional Marriage Day.  I think we had a better turnout than they did.

 

 

In September the push began for inclusive non-discrimination and anti-bullying policies in Rutherford County Schools after a teacher was told to take down a safe schools poster.  The fight continues today with advocates developing strategy to advance their proposal in the School Board. 

 

At Olympus TEP honored 8 Champions of Equality--7 from state media outlets and 1 Memphis City Councilman--for their work in advancing equality in Tennessee.  Nothing we do is possible without our allies!

The Memphis community gathered in October to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the non-discrimination ordinance.

Also in October attorney Abby Rubenfeld, other Tennessee attorneys, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights filed suit to have the marriage of couples who moved to Tennessee legally recognized.  TEP identified 2 of the 4 plaintiff couples.

Collegedale detective Kat Cooper (center) led her city to be the first in TN to offer partner benefits.  Knoxville soon followed by executive order of Mayor Madeline Rogero.  In November Chattanooga Councilman Chris Anderson passed his partner benefits and non-discrimination ordinance making it the third city in Tennessee to offer such benefits.  Also pictured is Kat's TEP Hamilton & Bradley Counties Committee co-chair Marcus Ellsworth (viewer's left) and TEP executive director Chris Sanders.

Good News: Marriage is Not Dead in Tennessee

On Thursday night, July 25, in Germantown, TN, I was there when the Family Action Council of Tennessee, (FACT) decided marriage was not dead.  However, FACT believes the institution is on life support and within a few months or a couple of years of being declared extinct.  Nate Kellum, self proclaimed chief counsel of the self founded Center for Religious Expression, attempted to, on the one hand, educate the tens of people who attended (28 plus 3 facilitators) on the DOMA and Prop 8 decisions and, on the other hand, scare them into a course of action he could  not clearly define.

But do you know what rang most true during the whole night? He endorsed the allied groups that are bringing us equal marriage.  Nate (I'm going to call him Nate cause it's easier, and because I feel like I should know him.  We were at Ole Miss Law School at the same time) told the gathering that pro-equal marriage advocacy is a success story.  That marriage equality proponents make up a small but affluent group.  That they are passionate and committed because they just brush off defeat and start re-strategizing.  He declared that they will work until there is full acceptance of their "lifestyle."  Well, by this point, I felt like standing up and yelling at the top of my lungs, "Damn Straight!!!!!"  Oops.  I mean, darn tooting!  He then stated that Christians needed to match that effort.  That's when things got scary again.

I.  Marriage is not dead.

Nate's first point was despite the DOMA and Prop 8 decisions, the "biblical" definition or marriage remained intact.  He did a relatively good job explaining the result of the decisions, but I loved his editorial speechifying along the way.  Ask me sometimes for the details, but suffice it to say, he used terms like "serious homosexual activist" in reference to the Prop 8 trial court Judge Walker, "unprecedented," "unconscionable," and "utterly deprived Prop 8 proponents of their voice in court."

II.  However, he said "marriage" is in a fight for its life.

Nate admitted that his marriage had not been "redefined", but his definition was on life support.  He immediately blamed Lambda Legal and the ACLU for wasting no time in Pennsylvania and North Carolina in challenging marriage amendments and laws.  But the worst case scenario for FACT is the Ohio case.  They know it, and they don't know what to do about it.  Ohio residents and twenty plus year partners Jim Obergefell and John Arthur, who has been stricken with ALS, flew to Maryland and got married on July 11 on the tarmac in the airplane in which they arrived.  John's family owns a  burial plot that is restricted to Arthur family descendants and their spouses. Additionally, if John dies as the Ohio law now stands, he would be identified as unmarried on the death certificate, and Jim would not be identified as spouse or survivor.  So, the gentlemen have  filed suit in Ohio federal court to have their Maryland marriage recognized by the state of Ohio.  

Last Monday, the court, relying on the DOMA case, ordered the State of Ohio to recognize the marriages of same sex spouses who married in other states but who live in Ohio. It is a thrilling ruling for same sex partners living in Tennessee, and it has FACT frightened.  Why for Tennessee?  The federal court system is geographically and for purposes of legal precedent divided into appellate court circuits.  Tennessee and Ohio are both in the Sixth Circuit, and when a Sixth Circuit Court decides an issue, it could be binding in all of the states in that circuit.  So, if the Ohio district court case is appealed to the Sixth Circuit, and the Sixth Circuit rules as the lower court did, marriage equality could effectively be brought to Tennessee.  Nate said, and I agree, that the DOMA and Prop 8 cases do not affect Tennessee marriage directly, but this Ohio case could.

Which brings us to the second point FACT made here.  That marriage is under severe attack by cultural influences.  He noted with astonishment how supporting same sex marriage has become not only "not detrimental" but politically advantageous for politicians.  I find this a huge admission from FACT and a bigger victory in the long term battle.

But then . . . 

III.  Marriage is worth fighting for he argued.

Here is where Nate fell down the rabbit hole into apparent untruths, half truths, and undocumented and unsourced scare tactics.  He argued that opening up marriage to other "definitions"  harms individuals, social interests, and religious liberties.

According to Nate, same sex marriage will beget polygamy which will beget polyamorous marriages which will beget adult/child marriages which will beget person/pet marriages.  He then linked the concept of equal marriage to the trigger word "welfare" when he blamed marriage equality in Sweden and Norway for contributing to them being the largest two welfare states in western civilization.

Finally, he finds same sex marriage harmful to religious liberty.  He posited that because same sex marriage  proponents want full societal acceptance of gay people and nothing less, a clash between those who want to live their biblical freedom and everyone else is inevitable.  He told of three arrests in Europe based upon "preaching the gospel" or simply reading from the biblical book of Romans about homosexuality, and he intimated that this type of state action was headed for America.  However, he conveniently forgot to mention the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment guaranteeing free speech and the fact there are no hate speech laws anywhere in any jurisdiction.  See aforementioned First amendment issue.

Nate then took questions ranging from should they sue the Supreme Court justices for tyranny to the best question of the night, "How do we stop this runaway train [marriage equality] headed toward Tennessee?"  He answered simply that they had to pray, had to speak where God put them, had to talk to their friends and neighbors, and perhaps a Supreme Court challenge would go up in a couple of years where the Court would uphold traditional marriage.  FACT, though, is also sponsoring a work session entitled "Stand for Truth" at which they will be teaching what they describe as practical tools for talking to non-Christians about abortion and traditional marriage.

Well, in the long run, I have to agree that marriage is not dead.  Rather, I submit it is  getting a second wind.  A new (and not so new) generation or should a say, a protected class, of people want it, lust after it, desire it, and want to make it theirs.  They want to feel safe, secure, loved, transformed.  They want to rear children together, grow old together, and get buried together.  They want to build families and love each other to the fullest extent of the law, and  I am proud to say that I think Nate would agree with me that it is closer to reality here in Tennessee than ever before.

Now, here is your challenge.  Nate threw it out there when he recognized all of your unwillingness to take defeat.  Can you be as committed, as passionate, and as hard working when success seems to be in your grasp?  Can you show them you mean just as much business when you are winning as when you were being defeated?  The folks at FACT Forum on Marriage are reorganizing and restrategizing, and they believe they can do to equal marriage what they are doing to reproductive rights.  So, please don't let them win.  Work harder.  Work longer.  Reap your rewards, and fight on.  Marriage is close, but let's not stop until Nate's worse nightmare and our dream is realized - full acceptance of GLBT people in our society and under our law.  

- Anne Gullick, TEP and TEPF Board member

TEP statement on Rocketown termination of Wes Breedwell for support of marriage equality

Earlier today (January 21), the Tennessee Equality Project released the following statement on the termination of Wes Breedwell, who was employed at music venue Rocketown in Nashville, for his support of marriage equality, as expressed in a shirt by the band Hostage Calm:

"TEP condemns this termination and stands in solidarity with the man who was fired for showing his support for our community. It reminds us that allies are in the front lines of the fight for equality."

The band released its own statement earlier this evening and you can find it here.

Whether Wes was fired for wearing the shirt to work (the shirt of a band that had played at Rocketown, by the way) or for liking a photo of the shirt as The Tennessean explores, he was terminated for being a straight ally for marriage equality.  

Rocketown probably has the legal right to terminate him, but that doesn't make it right or prudent.  In any diverse workplace, we will always encounter people with religious and political views that differ from our own.  Shouldn't the focus be on who can do the job?

Rocketown chose to act and they are now publicly branded as opposed to the aspirations for equality of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people.  They chose to enter the fray and enter it on a day when President Barack Obama embraced those aspirations.  So while they have the legal right to their actions, the public will now exercise its rights to form judgments about the organization.  

*It is reasonable to ask whether Rocketown is a safe place for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth who desperately need safe spaces in Tennessee.  

*And it is reasonable to ask whether Rocketown is in step with a city that has made great strides in embracing diversity and creativity, factors vital to Nashville's brand as "Music City."   

We call on Rocketown to reverse its actions and make it clear that all are welcome at their music venue regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Why not? A look at marriage equality in Tennessee

Why not? A look at marriage equality in Tennessee

By Brandon Hutchison, President, TEP Foundation          

The endorsements of marriage equality by President Barack Obama and the NAACP as well as the setback in North Carolina have brought marriage equality back into focus.  A short film released this spring by MTSU professor Dr. Bob Pondillo, The Miracles On Honey Bee Hill, also has raised the question, “What are we doing to achieve marriage equality in Tennessee?”  To answer that question, we need a little background to explain the state of marriage equality in Tennessee.

Tennessee’s constitution, similar to that of North Carolina’s (recently amended) and 28 other states, specifically defines marriage as only between one man and one woman.  Narrowly defining marriage to heterosexual unions in our state’s constitution was achieved through a lengthy process that culminated in an 81% approval by the voters in November 2006.  No state, county or local government agency can recognize, perform, or codify into law a marriage between two people of the same gender--period.  Tennessee Equality Project (TEP) was founded in response to the start of the constitutional amendment process to define marriage and waged its largest campaign to date to defeat the amendment at the ballot.  Despite these efforts 81% of voters approved of defining marriage as only a heterosexual union in our state’s constitution.  

Are we giving up?  Is that the end of the story?  

The simple answer is “No”.  The broader answer includes understanding that a direct attempt to amend the constitution is unlikely in the near term.  TEP and TEP Foundation will continue to strive for full relationship recognition equality.  However, reality dictates we must respond to the many immediate challenges to the safety, security and basic dignity of LGBT persons in Tennessee.  We must focus our efforts and our resources to safeguard our youth, protect the rights we currently have, and expand our rights where we can.  In the past six years since the constitution was changed to narrowly define marriage, we have faced daunting attacks through legislation including: bills that would limit a school teacher or staff’s ability to curb anti-LGBTQ bullying, protect hateful, bullying speech in our schools under the guise of protecting religious freedom, require transgender persons to use a public restroom opposite their gender expression, outlaw civil unions or domestic partnership recognition, strip away the ability of an LGBT person to legally adopt, and many more.   Last year, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to pass a law that removes a local government’s ability to require private businesses to not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.  Tennessee is also the only state that by law does not allow a transgender person to change his/ her sex on a birth certificate.  My point is, there are many immediate challenges that must be confronted.  

Does that mean we don’t care about marriage equality?

Quite the opposite is true.  We want marriage equality in Tennessee as LGBT persons deserve the full benefits and dignity it conveys.  We also want our youth to stop choosing suicide as an alternative to being bullied at school and for workers to be able to work without fear of LGBT-biased discrimination.  In short, we want to maintain and expand upon the basic level of safety, security and dignity LGBT persons currently have in Tennessee.  In our near future, those are the tangible areas where we can make a real difference and we can do it in the short term.  Marriage equality, because of the amendment to the constitution, is a long term proposition.

What would it take to achieve full marriage equality in Tennessee?

If we concentrated all our efforts and resources on securing marriage equality in Tennessee today, the earliest opportunity to do so through Tennessee’s constitutional amendment process would be November of 2016.  The only legislative way to do so in less than 4 ½ years would be to call a constitutional convention for the purpose of redefining marriage.  Even if we could manage to get a majority of Tennessee voters to support marriage equality, the cost of holding a constitutional convention would be discouraging enough to eliminate the majority needed to vote to hold such convention.  In addition, the cost of a 4 ½ year fight would likely require $4-6 million to offer a real chance of success.  (Those opposed to the amendment in North Carolina spent $3 million and outspent the competition 2-to-1.  On election day, they were able to convince only 39% of the population to vote to oppose an amendment which broadly restricted any relationship recognition, including marriage, to a heterosexual union.)  Tennessee does not have a record of financially supporting pro-LGBT causes with that kind of investment.   I firmly believe if TEP and TEP Foundation could achieve financial support over the next 5 years of just one third of that amount, Tennessee would likely see full employment, housing and public accommodations protections and comprehensive anti-bullying legislation.  Knowing this, I personally could not vote as a board member in favor of pursuing the single victory outcome of marriage equality with an under-funded effort when we could seize the opportunity to directly improve the dignity, safety and security of every LGBT person in Tennessee.

Will Tennessee ever achieve equality in our marriage laws?  

Yes, we will.  And whether that is achieved by amending our constitution once again or by a successful court challenge to invalidate the current language in our state’s constitution, TEP and TEP Foundation will play a determined role in the effort.  Until public will shifts more determinately toward demanding marriage equality, we will act responsibly to pursue every avenue to achieve an equal level of safety, security and dignity for all Tennesseans regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.  And TEP Foundation will partner with people, like Dr. Pondillo, who has used his unique talent and skill to produce a thought provoking short film in favor of marriage equality. (Check it out www.miraclesonhoneybeehill.com.)  This will keep momentum on our side and the public will shifting toward marriage equality.  

Come see The Miracles on Honey Bee Hill

TEP invites you attend a FIRST LOOK screening of the new short film, The Miracles on Honey Bee Hill. We've partnered with the film's writer and director, Dr. Bob Pondillo, to help distribute this imagination catching film that spreads a story of love, kindness, and acceptance.  


The film addresses an important issue facing our nation--marriage equality.  As part of MTSU's "SpringOut" festivities, MT/Lambda invites everyone to the screening to be held in the Business and Aerospace Building, State Farm Room, at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 29, on the MTSU campus.  Writer/director (and MTSU Professor) Bob Pondillo will be on hand to visit and answer questions afterwards.  The screening is free and open to the public.

Australian marriage ad everyone's talking about, TN Tech students against bullying, another swipe at HB600

We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  Here's your weekend roundup.

Australian marriage campaign ad moves the world:  You would have to have avoided Facebook for the last three days or not known any gay people to have missed this compelling ad for the campaign for marriage equality in Australia.  I can't tell you the number of people, straight and gay, who posted "It's Time" over the weekend:



TEP wishes the Australians the best of luck as they get closer to marriage equality!  Spreading the ad around Tennessee can't hurt our own chances for advancing some forms of relationship recognition around here, by the way, even if they don't amount to full marriage equality.

Tennessee Tech students take on bullying:  The Herald-Citizen out of Cookeville has a great piece on a conference being organized by some Tennessee Tech students coming up in January. The conference deals with bullying that targets the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community as well as other minority communities and the topic of cyber-bullying: 

Why should Putnam County be interested in bullying?

"Because it affects everyone," [conference co-organizer Justin] Sweatman said. "Even if you're not a student or parent, you are still in a community where students are being bullied, and it's your responsibility."

And the conference isn't just for locals -- it's a statewide affair.

"Problems don't stop at county lines," Sweatman said. "Bullying is everywhere. But if we can start at home, maybe awareness will spread."

It's always a major win when a local newspaper provides this kind of coverage of an equality issue in Tennessee.  It helps change the attitudes of citizens and it sends a great signal to lawmakers representing the area.

Francois takes swipe at HB600:  In today's Tennessean, former Metro Nashville Council candidate Renard Francois knocks the Legislature over HB600, the Special Access to Discriminate law that nullified Metro's Contract Accountability Non-Discrimination Ordinance, in the course of taking on another state bill that would usurp local control in the area of property taxes: 

This is not the first time the state government has attempted to interfere and undermine the collective will of Davidson County. Last year, the state government simply overturned Nashville’s anti-discrimination ordinance despite robust countywide debate.

Yep, we hope more people will continue to notice the pattern and realize we should have all been trying to stop that train sooner.  But there is still time to fight for legitimate local control.  I hope that all the lobbying interests that are supposed to protect local government--and not the four largest cities in state that did an admirable job this year--get more involved in 2012.

The issue lives.  The press has largely done its job of helping make the citizens of Tennessee realize that they are being usurped.  It's up to all of us to start defending our right to shape our own communities throughout Tennessee.

-Chris Sanders






 

We are the 60%: Marriage inequality in TN and our options

ThinkProgress takes a look at a New York Times editorial lauding the recent Senate Judiciary Committee vote to pass the Respect for Marriage Act, which would overturn the Defense of Marriage Act.  The title of their post says it all:  "60 Percent of Americans Live in Places That Don't Offer Protections For Gay Couples."  29 states, including Tennessee, bar same-sex marriage via

Image from the Repeal Tennessee's Marriage

Amendment Facebook page

constitutional amendment.  They also include a map ominously called "The Geography of Discrimination."  Again, that's about as clear as it gets.

What can we do in Tennessee?  That's where things ain't so clear.   Here are our options for advancing marriage equality.  Nothing is easy or likely about any of them.

1.  Move our current Congressional delegation on DOMA.  We have a couple of Congressmen who might be persuaded to back repeal of DOMA--Cohen and Cooper.  I wouldn't take such a move for granted.  Our two U.S. Senators aren't fire-breathing Right wingers, but it would be an extremely heavy lift to move either one of them on DOMA.  Senator Alexander is starting to show more of his trademark moderation and independence.  And it's always good for more constituents to let him and Senator Corker, for that matter, know that they oppose DOMA, but don't hold your breath.

2.  Elect new anti-DOMA members to our Congressional delegation.  Defeating any of the decidedly pro-DOMA Senators or Congressmen with an anti-DOMA opponent also seems unlikely.  If Congressman DesJarlais goes down in defeat, it will likely be in the primary to another Right winger.  Tea Partiers talk about challenging Senator Corker, but we still don't know whether a viable Democrat will get in the race.  And even if one does, the odds are low that such a candidate would oppose DOMA--a lesson we learned in 2006.  Could the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community raise the $25,000+ in a House race or the $50,000+ needed to get the attention of a candidate in one of these races?  Yes, it could be done.  It seems unlikely to happen, though.  And even if it did, the anti-DOMA candidate has to win and stick to his or her position. 

3. Repeal Tennessee's amendment.  I'll offer the warning again:  Don't hold your breath.  To repeal a constitutional amendment is to amend the TN Constitution again.  That takes passing a resolution in two consecutive sessions and the second time you have to have two thirds of each House.  So we've got to elect, reelect, or persuade 33 Senators and 66 Representatives.  Are we willing to raise (and this is a conservative estimate) $10,000 for each of the 66 House races and $25,000 for each of the 33 Senate races?  First, I want to say that it could be done.  But I don't think it would happen because our community has shown more willingness to invest our political dollars out of state.  Additionally, all our candidates would have to win and then vote with us in two consecutive sessions.  If a miracle happened and the resolution passed, we would still have to win at the ballot.  Oh, and one last thing, we'd still have to repeal a state statute defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.  They spent over $3 Million in New York on ads designed to move Republicans in their legislative efforts.  Daunting!

4.  See you in court.  If DOMA is struck down in a court challenge, that would help ease another court challenge to Tennessee's state constitutional amendment and statute.  I'm not an attorney, but my hunch is that it is through the courts that Tennessee will achieve marriage equality.  But I'll let the legal experts weigh in on that one.

The deck is definitely stacked against us, but it's always up to us to decide what to do. There's no doubt in my mind that we could raise the money and volunteer army needed to make a move in 1 to 4 federal races.  That would increase the odds for desperately needed votes out of Tennessee's congressional delegation to pass the Respect for Marriage Act.  As I said, my doubts hinge on our ability to get that kind of agreement and focus statewide. 

I may very well have missed an option.  If so, let's get it out there on the table and discuss it.  Maybe that would help contribute to a statewide consensus so we could develop a plan of action to make our contribution to the movement for marriage equality in Tennessee. 

I'm in.  Are you?

-Chris Sanders

Census shows significant increase in TN same-sex couples

The most recent round of data from the Census reveals a significant increase in the number of same-sex couples in Tennessee. This post is just a quick look. Number crunchers will dig deeper over the next few weeks, and we'll try to make any analysis available when we receive it.

The numbers: A Williams Institute "Census Snapshot" for Tennessee notes 16,322 same-sex couples in the state based on the 2010 data. Williams Institute analysis of the 2000 census showed 10,189 same-sex couples in 2000 and 13,570 in 2005. County-by-county information is not yet included in the 2010 snapshot, but we can compare a few numbers. 1659 same-sex couples lived in Davidson County in 2000, but the number had almost doubled to 3038 by 2010. The increase was also significant for Knox County with 857 in 2000 rising to 1420 in 2010. Rutherford County's numbers more than doubled from 305 in 2000 to 710 in 2010.

Reason for increase: It's hard to know precisely why the numbers increased. Part of the reason is clearly the rise in Tennessee's population in general. Another reason is, no doubt, the fact that couples feel more comfortable revealing their relationships to government data collectors.

Discrimination: It's interesting that the numbers increased at these levels considering the setbacks that the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community has faced in Tennessee over the last ten years. In 2003 Metro Nashville failed to pass a proposed non-discrimination ordinance, a deficit that wasn't remedied until 2009. Other cities such as Memphis have faced similar struggles in passing protective ordinances. In 2006 voters passed a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as only the union of one man and one woman with an 81% majority. But GLBT people are like everyone else in the sense that jobs, family ties, and networks of friends draw them to or keep them in certain areas regardless of the legal climate.

Policy implications: I've said it before, but Tennessee's demographics and lack of inclusive laws are on a collision course. Tennessee is increasingly home to many same-sex couples who live in every county despite the fact that state government and no local government in the state recognizes their relationships. Some couples are fortunate that both partners are afforded health insurance by their jobs or that one partner works for a private employer such as Vanderbilt University or AT&T providing partner benefits. Marriage equality, the real, lasting solution for couples who would like to take advantage of it, is probably a long way off in Tennessee and dependent upon future court challenges. In the mean time, measures that may have a chance of advancing in some local governments and public universities include partner health insurance benefits for their own employees. Currently no public entity in Tennessee provides partner health insurances benefits for its employees. And that is to say nothing of the hundreds of other benefits and responsibilities that come automatically with marriage.

The years ahead will be rough as this tension plays out. Our hope is that the numbers will help generate more movement on relationship recognition in Tennessee.

-Chris Sanders

State Senate District 6 candidates grilled about equality issues

The Metro Pulse provides outstanding coverage of issues affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community that came up in a recent forum for candidates running for State Senate District 6 (Knox County) to replace Jamie Woodson.

Marilyn Roddy gave some thoughtful answers. Please, pardon me for quoting at length from the piece, but here are some of the candidates' thoughts about Don't Say Gay, marriage equality, and HB600:

When asked about Sen. Stacey Campfield’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Roddy pointed out that the amended version that passed the Senate does not actually prevent teachers from saying “gay” but that she still would not have voted in favor of it. (As we have noted repeatedly, the House never took up the bill, which means it is still not a law. We should also note, again, that Woodson was the sole Republican on the Senate Education Committee to vote against the bill.) Massey and DeFreese said that they would have voted for the bill.

They were asked if they would vote to support gay marriage; Massey and DeFreese said no. Roddy was the only one who seemed to realize such a vote can’t even happen in Tennessee—as she pointed out, the state’s voters overwhelming passed an amendment to the state constitution to ban gay marriage a few years ago, and only those same voters can repeal that ban, something highly unlikely to happen anytime soon.

The candidates were also asked about HB 600, the legislation that prevents any locality from enacting an anti-discrimination ordinance that goes beyond the state’s anti-discrimination standards. (The bill was introduced to prevent a Metro Nashville ordinance from going into effect; that ordinance would have blocked companies that discriminate against LGBT workers from doing business with the city, and a lawsuit questioning the legality of HB 600 has been filed.) However, the questioner asked them leaving aside the (gay) issues of HB 600, whether it was ever okay for the state to override local policies in other situations.

Roddy and Massey said no. But DeFreese—who later said that the state shouldn’t have passed a smoking ban that prevented businesses from allowing smoking if they so wanted, and that the state shouldn’t tell you where you can and can’t bring a firearm (“As a mother who regularly frequents parks with my children, I’d feel safer knowing that people with legal permitted guns were there,” because that would counteract the people carrying guns in parks without permits)—said that while generally the state should leave municipalities alone, sometimes it was necessary to intervene, as “certain counties have ways of manipulating votes” so that ordinances get passed that are not “what the people had voted for.”

-Chris Sanders

Marriage equality and Tennessee: A fiscal note

Occasionally when you read the news, you get a real window into what some of the everyday opponents of equality are thinking. Reading this Volunteer TV report was one of those moments:

"I don't think it's an institution I want to support," said one man who wished to remain anonymous. He said he hopes gay marriage isn't in Tennessee's future. "I don't want to sit there and pay for a lifestyle," he said.

We'll leave aside the vexing question of where it is this man thinks he's supposed to sit while he's paying for someone else's marriage--some sort of gay waiting room?--but it occurs to me that some people probably think that, since marriage equality would require government action, it must necessarily cost money.

But anyone who gets over the fog of the idea of a same-sex marriage will remember that marriage is a source of revenue for the state. A marriage license is between $60 and $100, at least in Nashville, depending on whether you complete a premarital preparation course. Yes, marriage equality would be a direct source of revenue to the State of Tennessee. And studies indicate that it provides indirect economic benefits as well.

Oh, yeah, it's also the right thing to do.

-Chris Sanders

Memphis to celebrate Women's History Month by remembering Freda Ward & Alice Mitchell

Why would we want to remember two teens at the center of a lesbian murder/love tryst during Women’s History Month? 

At 12:30 PM on Saturday, March 5,  Meristem Book Club will sponsor a commemoration of Memphians Freda Ward and Alice Michell at Elmwood Cemetery, where both are buried.  March 5 will be the 137th anniversary of Freda’s birth.  

Freda Ward and Alice Mitchell were at the center of one of the most infamous trials of the nineteenth century.  Their tragic story has relevance for us today in light of bullying of LGBT teens and the continuing controversy over gay marriage. 


Freda and Alice were high school sweethearts who  planned to run away to St. Louis and be married.  Their plans were discovered by family who separated them until, in January of 1892, Alice killed Freda at the riverfront.   The resulting insanity trial made newspaper headlines across the country, and was written up in numerous psychological journals.  Plays and a song were written about the duo - but few Memphians have heard of them today.    

Alice was found guilty of insanity, in part because she believed that she and another young woman could marry and live independent lives as man and wife.  She was committed to the Western State Hospital for the Insane at Bolivar, where she died several years later.  

Meet at the Cottage in Elmwood
Cemetery in Memphis

The public is invited to join members of the Meristem Book Club to commemorate the tragedy of Freda and Alice and reflect on how their lives inform our own choices today.  The commemorative group will meet at the Cottage at Elmwood Cemetery  at 12:30 pm and proceed to Freda Ward’s burial site for a brief program.  Elmwood  is located at 824 South Dudley.


For questions about the Meristem Book Club commemorative event, contact Audrey May at 662-202-7757.  Meristem Book Club is a women’s book club which meets regularly at the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center to discuss books by women and LGBT writers.  Recently, the group has added events of relevance to women’s history and culture..  For more information about the Meristem Book Club see http://www.mglcc.org/meristem.


For information about or directions to Elmwood Cemetery, see http://www.elmwoodcemetery.org/ .

For more information contact:

Audrey May

Meristem Book Club
662-202-7757 cell phone
maya3621@gmail.com

Knoxville News Sentinel looks at local perspectives on marriage with a glaring omission

In response to a Pew Research Center and TIME study called "The Decline in Marriage and Rise of New Families," the Knoxville News Sentinel talked to eight couples or singles to get their views of marriage.

But they didn't include a same-sex couple in their set of reactions. Since marriage equality or so-called "gay marriage" is such a big topic today, it clearly should have been included. Readers would have learned what it's like to be in a committed relationship without any legal options to protect one's partner.

Unfortunately such erasure is far too common in the pages of this paper. If you'd like to contact the Knoxville News Sentinel, you can write to them at letters@knoxnews.com .

-Chris Sanders

Take action against foes of marriage equality in Tennessee seeking to influence the Prop. 8 court case

In a recent email blast to its members, the Family Action Council of Tennessee issued a call to action (see below). FACT is hoping to persuade the Tennessee State Attorney General to sign on to an Amicus brief opposing marriage equality in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case regarding the constitutionality of Proposition 8 in California.

We cannot let equality opponents to be the only voices the Tennessee State Attorney General hears. Call Attorney General Bob Cooper TODAY and ask ignore the invitation to join the Perry v. Schwarzenegger Attorneys General Amicus Brief.

You may reach his office at: 615-741-3491 (the actual number).  You only need to tell the switch board operator the following: "Please let General Cooper know that I oppose him signing on to the Attorneys General brief that promotes unfair discrimination in civil marriage law in the Perry case."

Equality advocates in Tennessee CAN influence the course of marriage equality elsewhere in our country. Today is the only day to act!

Today's message to members of the Family Action Council:

Let your voices be heard on marriage!? ?Today is our only day to speak up.

81% of Tennesseeans voted to make marriage between one man and one woman, but the federal court ruling in California that marriage violates the U.S. Constitution will make your vote null and void – our law will be unconstitutional too if the court ruling is upheld.

Several Attorneys General from other states will be filing an amicus brief today, Friday, in the now infamous Perry v. Schwarzenegger case regarding the constitutionality of Proposition 8 in California.

Tennessee’s attorney General, Bob Cooper, has received a copy of the Amicus brief and been asked if he wanted to sign on and join the effort to protect marriage.  We have learned that as of yesterday (Thursday) he had not agreed to "sign on" in support of marriage.

He wouldn’t stand against the national health care mandate. 
Don't let him fail to stand for marriage too.

URGENT ACTION NEEDED:?

Please contact Tennessee’s Attorney General, Bob Cooper, and ask him to join the Perry v. Schwarzenegger Attorneys General Amicus Brief to defend Tennessee’s right to be a sovereign state and define marriage as one man and one woman. 

You may reach his office at: (307) 777-7841.  All you need to tell the switch board operator is "Please let General Cooper know that I am in favor of him signing on to the Attorneys General brief in favor of marriage in the Perry case."

Please forward this to all your like-minded friends and family members. He must sign on by the end of today.  There is no time to lose!

Sincerely,
David Fowler
President
The Family Action of Tennessee, Inc.

Jobs Agenda, Equality Agenda

Marriage grabs all the headlines when it comes to so-called "gay rights" in the mainstream media. It's understandable. Relationships matter. Legally sanctioned relationships confer protections, rights, responsibilities, benefits, etc. They connect us deeply and that's why the symbolic warfare around them is so intense.

What doesn't get covered nearly often enough is the jobs agenda of the equality movement. Can you remember any story in a major Tennessee newspaper about the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the last year? But there are some real opportunities to connect with moderate and even conservative Tennesseans on workplace equality.

Jobs are #1 for Tennesseans: The Tennessee Newspaper Network hired Mason-Dixon to conduct a poll on the priorities of the state's voters. The number one priority is jobs/economy. Only one percent of those responding saw family values, "gay rights," and the like as the most important issue. Because "gay rights" is so often defined as marriage, the majority of Tennesseans are going to continue either to oppose "gay rights" or to place our equality really far down the scale.

Dead letter until the courts get involved: Maybe it's just my opinion, but marriage equality is a dead letter in Tennessee until the courts get involved. We've got a state statute and a constitutional amendment defining marriage as one man and one woman. Given the proclivity of our state's GLBT community to send more money out of state to fight for equality than to invest it in Tennessee's fight, I don't see how it would be possible to raise enough PAC money and organize to repeal the constitutional amendment and the statute.

Straight voters and elected officials see a distinction: When given the opportunity, many straight voters and elected officials who may not support (or publicly support) marriage equality can support workplace protections from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. When TEP was working on the Metro Nashville non-discrimination ordinance, our opponents tried to make the issue about marriage. They even put stick figures holding hands on the stickers they wore into the Council hearings on the bill. But Council Members and the majority of the citizens in Nashville didn't buy it.

In fact, the justification for job protections rolls easily off the tongue. Consider what Memphis City Council Member Janis Fullilove said in an interview about the Memphis non-discrimination ordinance: "Every person has a right to make a living for his or her family or for themselves." We think that's a phrase that needs to roll off the tongues of more elected officials in Tennessee. We look forward to giving them that opportunity as we pursue more non-discrimination measures around the state.

Economic Development and Workplace Equality: Changing the law at the local, state, and federal levels to enshrine workplace protections is essential to any jobs agenda worth its salt, but it's not the only piece of the puzzle. Until we can get everyone in Tennessee and throughout the country covered, the GLBT community should take more of an interest in the economic development of our state. By recruiting Volkwagen to Chattanooga, Governor Bredesen may have done more for equality in Southeast Tennesssee than anyone ever has. Volkswagen scores a 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's 2010 Corporate Equality Index. Good paying jobs where you can be yourself and have benefits for your family are nothing short of a God-send in this very socially conservative part of Tennessee. Attracting these kinds of companies to Tennessee will help pave the way for lasting structural equality in our state.

A jobs agenda can be a winning equality agenda for Tennessee.

-Chris Sanders

TN House District 64 candidate recruiting children in war against marriage equality

Rep. Ty Cobb's likely opponent in the House District 64 election in November is Sheila Butt. There's another Republican in the primary, but Ms. Butt has left him in the dust in fundraising, so she is all but assured to be the nominee. She may talk about jobs on the campaign trail, but I think her motivation for running is to advance doctrinaire Right wing public policy.

An email has been floating around linking to a children's book she has written, Seth & Sara Ask...Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies? I really wanted to see it for myself and fortunately a straight ally from Maury County sent me a copy. See the photo below along with some Butt campaign literature:














We could spend all day talking about the title. First, the very idea that she would publish a book asking the question whether God loves anyone should be a red flag. By starting with the question, she casts doubt in the reminder's mind. She uses the book to work toward the answer that, indeed, God loves Michael's two daddies, but that what they're doing is wrong. Never mind that they love each other and take good care of Michael. But at least they get God's love. Butt knows that if she started with the foundation that God loves everyone, she might have to concede that Michael's two daddies are responsible, loving, and healthy. And then she might have to concede that things like equality in adoption and marriage laws might be justified.

Second, I find it particularly pernicious that she puts her question in the mouths of children. The title is Seth & Sara Ask..., not Sheila Butt Asks... However, we should make no mistake that the question is hers as is the answer. She obviously feels the book is needed because children have to be taught that happy, loving families ought to be broken up:

"So that means that Michael's two daddies should not get married, doesn't it Daddy?" Sara asked. "It means they should not live together like a husband and wife."
"That is exactly what the Bible teaches," Dad said. (p. 10)

If she is elected, any legislation affecting the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community is going to evaluated through the lens of her ideas about how we need to change. She will not care that our community faces employment discrimination or that hate crimes are committed against our community. She won't care about breaking up families. The data won't matter, the stories won't matter. If you have any doubts, the campaign literature touts her membership in two intensely anti-gay organizations--American Family Association and Concerned Women for America. Definitely a campaign to watch!

-Chris Sanders

Closer to Equality in Family Leave

The Associated Press is reporting that the Department of Labor is set to interpret existing law to allow family leave for same-sex couples:

The Family and Medical Leave Act allows workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave each year to take care of loved ones or themselves. The 1993 law, which also allows employees to take time off for adoptions, has previously only been applied to heterosexual couples. The Labor Department planned to extend those rights based on a new interpretation of the law, the officials said. There was no plan to ask Congress to change the law, which means future presidents could reverse the decision.

It's a welcome step during a month when many communities are celebrating Pride. In a state like Tennessee, it's particularly welcome because we have little hope for marriage equality in the near future. It's further evidence that President Obama has appointed people who are trying to find ways to make life better for GLBT families.

With all that said, though, until we pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), many gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees will not be out at work and are unlikely to ask to use this benefit. And until we have marriage equality, any of these admistrative changes can be taken away. Every step forward has been a mixture of relief and frustration. We can't help but feel relieved when these advances are announced. Each one means that the bar is moving a little higher (sometimes inches), but the need is so much greater. The frustration remains. It's not ingratitude; it's the desire for equality.