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 applauds passage of Knox County non-discrimination ordinance

July 23, 2013

Contact:          Chris Sanders             (615) 390-5252           chris@tnequalityproject.com           

Tennessee Equality Project applauds Knox County Commission on passage of non-discrimination ordinance

Nashville, TN—The Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), an organization that advocates equal rights for Tennessee’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community,  congratulates the Knox County Commission on passing an amendment to their non-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual

orientation and gender identity. 

Sponsored by Commissioner Amy Broyles, the ordinance passed its second and final reading yesterday without debate after the Commission named a new County Trustee.  Knox County now becomes the fourth local government in Tennessee to protect its government employees from job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Metro Nashville in 2009, the City of Knoxville in 2012, and the City of Memphis in 2012 made similar moves.

Ben Byers, chair of the TEP Knox County Committee, notes the importance of the ordinance, "With no state or federal job protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workers, the county's non-discrimination ordinance is vital in guaranteeing fairness on the job.  It means that Knox County won't allow discrimination to get in the way of attracting and retaining talented employees."

Byers, who attended yesterday's meeting, was joined by a group of citizens wearing blue and stickers that said "Same Work, Same Worth" to show their support of the ordinance.

Commissioner Amy Broyles and supporters in blue celebrate victory

For more information on the Tennessee Equality Project and the Tennessee Equality Project Foundation, go to http://www.tnequalityproject.org .

###

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT: Executive Director

At Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), we work to protect and expand the rights of the LGBT people in Tennessee at the state and local level. As a 501(c)(4) organization, we work to shape public policy in city and county governments, school boards and the Tennessee General Assembly. TEP promotes and sustains the equality of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons through the establishment of fair and equitable laws protecting these rights and through the prevention and elimination of laws that would seek to counter this effort. Tennessee Equality Project Foundation (TEP Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) organization with the following objectives and purposes: (1) To encourage the distribution of information to the general public concerning discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender so that knowledge can be gained to help prevent such discrimination; (2) To conduct, finance, and promote educational seminars, conferences, and (3) To develop and promote programs to enhance understanding of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons. (4) To engage in all other charitable, educational, and awareness activities permitted by law. TEP PAC supports the election of pro-LGBT rights candidates and supports the passage of pro-LGBT referenda, including laws, ordinances and resolutions in local, county and state governments.  TEP PAC may also work to defeat such candidates and referenda that would counter this mission.

The Board of Directors of TEP and the TEP Foundation is seeking a dynamic, results-driven Executive Director to lead both of organizations into a new era of growth and success. The Executive Director is responsible for day-to-day management of the 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(3) organizations. This includes staff supervision, program planning and implementation, budgeting, fundraising, financial management, and general organizational management. The Executive Director is the primary spokesperson for the organizations. S/he reports to active Boards of Directors who are committed to the success of the organizations.

Supervisor:

This position reports to the 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(3) Boards of Directors.

Hours:

Full-time, with some evening and weekend work for speaking engagements, events, and public meetings.

Travel:

In-state for conferences and meetings with colleagues and regional steering committees is required.

Location:

Davidson County, Tennessee

Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain sound financial practices by securing operating revenue and ensuring long-term financial stability.
• Implementing a comprehensive fundraising plan including grant writing, special events, memberships, corporate giving, special events, and as needed, capital campaigns or endowments.
• Coordinate organizational activities under guidance of the Boards of directors. Give reports of organizational activities to the Boards.
• Hire, supervise, and evaluate the job performances of staff and contractors (where applicable).
• Work with staff, committees, and the Boards (especially the Treasurers) in preparing and executing a budget.
• Develop and implement strategic plans which will grow the organizations’ abilities to achieve their missions.
• Serve as a liaison to coalitions and partnerships with groups in the private, non-profit, and public sectors.  Promote, cultivate, and sustain positive public relations within the LGBT and allied communities.  
• Maintain and cultivate relationships between TEP, stakeholders and government officials.
• Serve as the chief spokesperson and manage the organizations’ campaigns and goals; manage media relations in the development of publications, e-newsletters, web sites, and social media communications for TEP and TEPF.
• Assist in identification, training, and support of regional committee chairs (particularly in underrepresented regions of Tennessee)
• Prepare and file applicable reports to regulatory agencies in order to remain compliant with state, local and Federal regulations.
• Maintain awareness of current events which affect the lives of LGBT people and their families in Tennessee.

Qualifications:

• Requires Bachelor's degree and 3-5 years of related experience.  Master's Degree is preferred.
• Experience in fundraising from individual, major donors, grant writing, and events (3 to 5 years preferred).
• Strong political acumen and ability to navigate local, state, and federal politics in a bi-partisan manner.
• Experience in non-profit or for-profit organizational management (at least 3 years preferred). Either professional or volunteer experience is acceptable.
• Knowledge of the LGBT community and the public policy issues facing that community.
• Demonstrated excellence in communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in office software, including MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and experience with Constant Contact and PayPal applications or similar programs.
• Experience with traditional, electronic and social media as well as printed publishing desired.
• Knowledge of IRS regulations regarding 501c3, 501c4, PAC organizations and intersection of the same desired.

Compensation:

Salary commensurate with skills and experience.

Generous holiday and vacation policy.

To Apply:

Send cover letter, resume with three professional references, and salary expectations via e-mail to jonathan@tnequalityproject.com before Friday, August 16, 2013. Questions can also be e-mailed to jonathan@tnequalityproject.com or hg@tnequalityproject.com. Phone calls discouraged.

"Gay Brain Drain?" Maybe, maybe not

Hank Plante's piece on a possible "gay brain drain" is getting a lot of reposts and discussion in social media.  He's basically arguing that there could be a flight of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people from states that ban same-sex marriage to those that embrace marriage equality. 

I know people who lived in Tennessee who left because of our discriminatory laws.  We probably all have anecdotal evidence.  And Plante gives some evidence for the possible brain drain in his piece, but nothing conclusive.  There's no real population study or any real statistics to back up his question or his hypothesis about brain drain.  So we're really left in the realm of speculation.  And as long as we're doing guesswork, I'll offer some thoughts of my own.

1.  It's a free country.  If folks want to move and can move, we should wish them all the best in their new lives.  People have to live their own lives where they believe they can make the best of it.  But...

2. There's no perfect state.  Even states like New York that give same-sex couples the freedom to marry can experience outbreaks of anti-gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender violence. 

3. The overturning of DOMA may actually slow the brain drain.  What I hear about more than folks moving are the stories of Tennessee couples vacationing in other states where they can get married and then returning to Tennessee.  They now know that, no matter what Tennessee does, their marriage will be recognized by the federal government and they can access key benefits that they couldn't before.

4.  Flight doesn't take into account gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender children and people who come out later in life.  Even if all the adult GLBTs left Tennessee, there are more of us born every day to grow up here in the anti-marriage equality states and many who came out much later in life. 

5. Not everyone can move and not everyone wants to move.  If your job is here or a sick or aging relative, it may not be possible for you to move.  If you own a business, you may not want to jump ship and have to develop a whole new client list in another state.  Or if you have innumerable ties to a place, you probably won't base your decision solely on that state's laws.  We're multi-dimensional human beings and we make big decisions after weighing several factors like everyone else.

6. Some of us are going to stand and fight right here in Tennessee and other Southern states.  Plante asks, "But are smart gay and lesbian workers going to wait for their states to come around, or are they going to take their lives into their own hands?"

Smart gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people along with our allies are taking our lives into our own hands every day in Tennessee by living our lives openly, fighting negative legislation, working for better policies in our cities and counties, working against bullying, rallying for change, shaping a public message of equality in the media, being good neighbors, educating people about HIV/AIDS, loving our partners and bringing up our children, and running a business.

We're not waiting, Mr. Plante.  We're living our lives and we're making a Tennessee that is more equitable, just, and free. 

What DOMA going DOA means to Tennesseans

(No straight marriages have been harmed in the making of this blog post.)

As your TEP Public Policy Chair, I want to send a huge hug of congratulations to all of the couples here in Tennessee and around the country that have had legal marriage ceremonies performed in states that recognize marriage equality.  These couples are now recognized as “spouses” for purposes of federal law.  All 1138 rights that were denied to them under the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 are now available to them, just as they are to straight married spouses.  It is a victory for LGBT Americans and a victory for LGBT Tennesseans…at least some of them.

I’d like to tell you that this means marriage equality for all LGBT Tennesseans, but I can’t do that.  The Supreme Court did not decide that states couldn’t deny marriage to same sex couples.  The decision says that the federal government has to recognize marriages that are legally valid in the eyes of the state that issued the marriage certificate. Tennessee does not issue valid marriage licenses to same sex couples.  We have what is called a “miniDOMA”, an amendment to our state constitution, which states: 

“The historical institution and legal contract solemnizing the relationship of one man and one woman shall be the only legally recognized marital contract in this state. Any policy or law or judicial interpretation, purporting to define marriage as anything other than the historical institution and legal contract between one man and one woman is contrary to the public policy of this state and shall be void and unenforceable in Tennessee. If another state or foreign jurisdiction issues a license for persons to marry and if such marriage is prohibited in this state by the provisions of this section, then the marriage shall be void and unenforceable in this state.”

In US v. Windsor, the Court looked at DOMA and noted that a decision about marriage was a state issue all the way back to the founding of the country.  It was DOMA that turned this idea on its head.  As the Court put it on page 3 of the decision:

“The State’s decision to give this class of persons the right to marry conferred upon them a dignity and status of immense import. But the Federal Government uses the state-defined class for the opposite purpose—to impose restrictions and disabilities.” 

And

“Its unusual deviation from the tradition of recognizing and accepting state definitions of marriage operates to deprive same-sex couples of the benefits and responsibilities that come with federal recognition of their marriages. This is strong evidence of a law having the purpose and effect of disapproval of a class recognized and protected by state law”

To sum it up, if a state believes you have the right to marry and issues you a valid marriage certificate, it is not the place of the federal government to deny you the status of marriage and deny you the benefits of marriage under federal law. 

So what does this mean for those LGBT Tennesseans who are legally married in other states but live here?  Well, Tennessee does not have a state income tax, so that is not an issue for us.  For your federal income tax, you may now file “Married, Filing Jointly”.  Next April, we will see the largest number of US citizens that will be ecstatic to file income taxes in the history of tax filing.  Besides income taxes though, what else will this affect?

Social Security, Disability, Medicare, Medicaid, Family Medical Leave, and a host of other federal benefits and privileges associated with marriage will be available to all spouses.  That will not depend on whether or not you and your spouse live in a state with marriage equality.  That is federal, and follows you and your spouse regardless of domicile.  If you or your spouse is a veteran, you will be treated just like any other married military family for federal benefits.  By the way, while hopefully you will never have to use it, you are also now entitled to spousal privilege in federal court, and cannot be compelled to testify against your spouse.

So how do we bring marriage equality to Tennessee?  That is a great question.  Unfortunately, the answer is not an easy one.  The earliest we could get the Tennessee miniDOMA repealed would likely be 2018, given the long process we have in this state to get an amendment passed or repealed.  That will take a great deal of time and effort, and the chances of success, while growing every year as more people show support in this state for LGBT equality, are still about 50-50. 

This is not the only battle we are fighting in Tennessee, though.  This state is a battleground for many issues affecting LGBT Tennesseans that are unrelated to marriage equality.  It is still legal to be fired from your job on the basis of sexual orientation in this state unless your employer has a policy forbidding discrimination on that basis.  It is still legal to be denied housing unless the property falls under the jurisdiction of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), a federal agency.  Bullying is still a HUGE problem in our schools, as is harassment in our workplaces.  In some parts of Tennessee, local law enforcement and the local judicial system still have an antagonistic relationship with the LGBT citizens in their jurisdiction, making it harder to get crimes against our community investigated, solved, and reported.

These are the battles we fight every single day here in Tennessee.   But the work is worth it.  Every member of the LGBT community deserves the same rights and privileges as their straight counterparts in the state.  That is what the Tennessee Equality Project is fighting for, and we could use your help.  As wonderful as it is that the federal government now recognizes all legal marriages, the daily life of most LGBT Tennesseans is still a battle against prejudice and discrimination.

Today was a good day.  It really was a good day.  Enjoy it.  Celebrate it.  Tomorrow your Tennessee Equality Project folks will be back at work protecting your rights at the state and local level, albeit with smiles on their faces and a spring in their step that will last quite a while. 

*If I could just add a personal note, I am a bisexual woman married to a wonderful man who supports the work I do for equality without reservation.  I called my husband as I began writing this post and said, “So, are we still married?”  He snarkily replied, “Oh so THAT’S what’s wrong, I KNEW something was different!” 

DOMA never defended our marriage; DOMA attacked the marriages of our LGBT friends.  DOMA never defended anyone’s marriage, it just denied the benefits and privileges of marriage to LBGT Americans.  If DOMA defended marriage, then someone please explain to me why the divorce rate has not fallen since the act was passed in 1996? 

And again, No straight marriages have been harmed in the making of this blog post.

Tennesseans share the impact of partner benefits in their lives

We've been surveying our members about the importance of partner benefits.  Despite the fact that a Vanderbilt poll shows that 62% of Tennesseans support partner health insurance benefits, not every employer offers them and NO public employers in the state offer them.

Here are some of the responses we received.  They make it clear that if you do the same work, you deserve the same benefits:

J in Nashville:  “My partner is self employed, health insurance would be much more expensive if not available through my employer and would likely provide sub-standard benefits.”

E in Memphis:  “It has made life better. My partner has been uninsured for long periods of time, during which we have dealt with some expensive health issues and both gone without lots of routine and needed healthcare.  Pretty ironic to work in hospital and not be able to use their services.   I would look for another job if mine did not offer DP benefits, especially since many of our competitors offer them.”

A in Nashville:  “My employer does offer health insurance benefits for same sex domestic partners. However, my partner has top-notch health insurance coverage (he works for the state of TN), so his policy is significantly better than what my employer could offer. Thus, we have separate policies from each of our employers.

This situation has affected our family negatively. The state of TN does not offer domestic partner benefits so I am unfairly kept from choosing the better policy; unlike opposite sex couples, I'm forced to settle for the lesser of the two. My policy has a deductible of $4,000; my partner's has no deductible. To make matters worse, of the two, I'm the one with the most medical needs. My co-pays and deductibles and out of pocket expenses exceed over $8,000 a year. If I was covered under his policy, our household's expenses would be reduced to aproximately less than $1,000 a year (a difference of aprox. $7,000).

I would not work for an employeer that would not offer same sex partner benefits. Same-sex couples are not treated equally at the state of TN.This kind of inequality is actually encouraging us to move to a different state.”

P in Memphis:  “Both of us are HIV+ which means we have some medications that are very expensive. Even with insurance our medical costs are sometimes challenging but I don't know how people without medical insurance survive. If my employer wasn't able to include my partner under my health insurance I would have to seek a different job.”

T in Nashville:  “I am legally married in New York. I served in the military and one year in AmeriCorps. Because I cannot access her benefits at work, we are forced to pay hundreds of dollars a month for a private plan for me. This is money that is not going into our economy. I am lucky however. I am young and healthy enough to be able to purchase health insurance. I don't know what we would do if this were not the case obviously we knew this when we decided to make our partnership legal.wow it did not deter us from getting married, it is certainly a bitter pill to swallow when one thinks that a straight couple could meet and marry each other in a matter of hours or days and access these benefits which are denied to us for an educated person, this is very difficult to wrap my head around.”

D in Chattanooga:  “My company has offered DP benefits for as long as I have worked there (almost 4 years now). My partner recently lost his job and I was able to put him and our daughter on my insurance. Had my company not offered DP benefits they both would have lost their coverage.”

D in Cookeville:  “My wife is an adjunct professor at a University. Since it is considered a part-time job health insurance is not offered to her. She has a life-long illness that requires medication. Before working for _______ we had to try to manage to pay for her medication out of pocket and sometimes she went without often to the detriment of her health. I commute to Nashville from Cookeville to work and will continue to do so to make sure I can provide health coverage for my entire family. “

TEP elects new boards at annual meeting

Members of the 2013-2014 Tennessee Equality Project (501c4/lobbying) board of directors are the following:  Robin Alberts-Marigza, Drew Baker, Michelle Bliss, Jonathan Cole, Toby Compton, Bleu Copas, David Glasgow, Anne Gullick, Yeshua Holiday, Ashford Hughes, Jeff Kirwan, Harry (Skip) Ledbetter, Mary Littleton, Becky Lucas, Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, Felicia Oglesby, Chris Sanders, Tommy Schlindwein, and Herb Zeman.

Officers are Chris Sanders, chairman of the board/president; Bleu Copas, vice president; Jeff Kirwan,

treasurer; Robin Alberts-Marigza, secretary; Michelle Bliss, executive committee member at-large.

Members of the the 2013-2014 Tennessee Equality Project Foundation (501c3/education) board of directors are the following:  Wes Aull, Susan Compton, Bleu Copas, Jonathan Cole, Brian Copeland, Ryan Ellis, Anne Gullick, Ellyahnna Hall, Erin Hughes, Becky Lucas, De’Andre T. Jones, Travis Parman, Tommy Schlindwein, H.G. Stovall.

Officers are H.G. Stovall, chairman of the board/president; Anne Gullick, vice president; Wes Aull, treasurer; Ellyahnna Hall, secretary; Becky Lucas, executive committee member at-large.

Biographies of the New Tennessee Equality Project board members follow:

Toby Compton:  Toby Compton is a fourth generation Nashvillian who was recently chosen to lead the Nashville Sports Authority.  He previously served as the Director of Strategy for the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and as Mayor Karl Dean’s Senior Advisor specializing in policy and legislation.

Toby holds an undergraduate degree in political science from Lipscomb University and a master’s degree from Cumberland University in public administration.  He has previously served on several boards and is currently on the board at Dismas, Inc. Last year, he was chosen as one of “40 People Under 40” to watch by the Nashville Business Journal.

Robin Alberts-Marigza: Robin currently serves as the Campaign Manager for Jim Cooper for Congress, where she is responsible for developing and implementing a winning campaign strategy for one of the lone congressional Democrats in the South, including messaging, communications, fundraising, and political outreach. She has served as a key operative and chief adviser to Congressman Cooper’s successful congressional campaign during two challenging electoral cycles. 

As the campaign’s Finance Director, she has created a modern campaign that fundraises year-round, increases low-dollar, grassroots donations, attracts first-time donors, and implements new technologies with data-driven results, raising over $1.5 million during her tenure. 

With Congressman Cooper, Robin is currently working on a party-building project in collaboration with 50 state Democratic leaders and stakeholders to implement a year-by-year path to statewide victory by 2018.

Prior to her current position, she worked as the Campaign Manager for Jeff Yarbro for State Senate, coming within 17 votes of unseating a 40-year incumbent in a Democratic primary election. With her leadership, the campaign set a new standard of organization and fundraising for state-level races by executing a campaign focused on infrastructure and integrating fundraising, voter outreach and volunteer efforts.

In her efforts to raise money, coordinate volunteers, and contact voters, Robin has developed strong coalitions and working partnerships in the Nashville community. Throughout her campaign work, she has been committed to building an electoral infrastructure that supports progress, and electing leaders that share her vision for an equitable, inclusive Tennessee. 

Robin double majored in Sociology and Psychology at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, where her studies focused on the intersection of social media and social theory. She is a native of Nashville, Tennessee—attending East Literature Magnet middle and high schools—and currently lives in East Nashville. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and training to compete in her first triathlon.

Linda McFadyen-Ketchum:  Linda McFadyen-Ketchum is a political consultant who specializes in Davidson County races.  She worked on the campaigns of former Mayor Bill Purcell and Mayor Karl Dean, and managed campaigns for Vice-Mayor Diane Neighbors, Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman, Chancellor Richard Dinkins (now Appeals Court Judge Dinkins), Circuit Court Judge Amanda McClendon,  School Board Member Kathleen Harkey, and Metro Council candidate Nancy VanReece.  Linda has a special interest in identifying, encouraging, and electing talented women to public office.

Though her primary focus is on local races, Linda also believes that statewide and national races matter deeply to the people of Davidson County. Accordingly she was the Front Desk Manager for the Gore-Lieberman Campaign in 2000, worked on Phil Bredesen’s campaign for Governor in 2002, managed the Davidson County canvassing operation for Harold Ford, Jr.’s Senate race in 2006, and was particularly proud to work in Texas, Pennsylvania, and Montana as a Field Organizer for Hillary Clinton in her 2008 presidential campaign.  After Barack Obama won the Democratic nomination in 2008, Linda managed the phone-bank at the Nashville Obama Headquarters and operated a state-wide absentee voting initiative for the Tennessee Democratic Party.  In 2012 Linda worked for the Tennessee House Democratic Caucus, coordinating polling and mail programs for several targeted races.

A native of North Carolina, Linda holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in special education from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.  She taught Davidson County children and young people with severe behavioral disorders and autism for twenty-five years.  She also served in supervisory/administrative positions and trained new staff and student teachers.  During her teaching years Linda was awarded two HCA Teacher Awards for independent summer study and won Channel 5’s Golden Apple teaching award and cash prize in 1994. 

Linda represented District 24 on the Davidson County Democratic Executive Committee for six years, and served as Treasurer for three years.  In 2006 she was honored as county Volunteer of the Year at the 2^nd Annual Gore Family Dinner.

Currently Linda works on gun violence issues as a member of the steering committee for the Nashville/TN chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America.  

Linda and her husband, Dr. Steve McFadyen-Ketchum, have been married for 39 years.  They have two adult children and two granddaughters.  In her spare time, Linda enjoys hiking, identifying wild flowers, and choral music. 

David Glasgow:  David serves as Communications Director for the state field office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rural Development. He is responsible for internal, community and legislative outreach for an agency that delivers and manages an active portfolio of $4.3 billion in financial resources for job development, community infrastructure and affordable housing in rural Tennessee.

David's work with USDA on national initiatives has been recognized with the agency’s High Mark Award. He has twice been awarded Presidential Volunteer Service Awards in recognition of more than 500 hours of local community service in a year.

David currently serves as vice chair of the Metro Property Standards and Appeals Board and as Vice Chair for Tennessee Conservation Voters 501c3 Board. He has previously served on the Metro Nashville Tourism and Convention Commission, Convention and Visitors Bureau Strategic Planning Committee, Metro Environment and Beautification Commission, and as Chair of the Metro Tree Advisory Committee. David also serves as head coach of the Nashville Grizzlies Rugby Football Team.

An advocate of healthy public green space, David has helped raise money and coordinate more than 400 volunteers who together have planted more than 3,500 trees and saplings in parks, green spaces in Hillsboro Village, several Nashville Neighborhoods, Beaman Park at Bells Bend and communities across Tennessee.

David earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Birmingham-Southern College and a Juris Doctor from the University of Alabama, School of Law. He successfully completed the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

David and partner Van Pond, Jr support numerous community organizations including Nashville CARES, The Belcourt Theater, Tennessee Conservation Voters, Greenways for Nashville, Conexión Américas and many others. In 2010 they were honored by the Nashville GLBT Chamber with the Mark Lee Taylor award for Community Service.

Ashford Hughes:  Ashford Hughes is a native son of Knoxville, TN. He holds a B.S Degree in Political Science from Tennessee State University. While at Tennessee State University, Ashford served as the V.P of the Africana Studies Society and well as being a founding member and reestablishing the T.S.U College Democrats.

After graduating from Tennessee State, Ashford worked as African American Outreach Coordinator for the Harold Ford for U.S Senate Campaign in 2005-2006.  Since then Ashford has gone on to both manage and work as senior staff on various issue based and candidate driven political campaigns in Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia and Mississippi. His main focus has been political strategy and organization building.

Ashford recently served as the Political Director at the Tennessee Democratic Party. He is currently the Assistant Business Manager for the Southeast Laborers’ District Council. (LIUNA) Ashford is one of the founding members of the Nashville affiliate of the national New Leaders Council, where he serves as Chapter Co-Director. This is an organization that seeks to train, educate and empower the next generation of progressive political and professional industry leaders.

Ashford aspires to empower the community he grew up in through political engagement and economic empowerment.  He serves on the Board of Directors for the Martha O’Bryan Center, Fifty Forward and is a current fellow with the Truman National Security Project. 

Yeshua Holiday:  Yeshua A. Holiday aka Joshua, has volunteered and worked for non profit organizations such as Housing Works, Inc, the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, New York Harm Reduction Educators and the National Black Justice Coalition and others. He has advocated for public policy in NYC, Louisville, KY, Atlanta, Ga and recently in Memphis and Nashville, TN. Yeshua's passion, as a trans person, is the trans community and the issues that they are faced with on a daily basis.

Skip Ledbetter:  Bio for Harry (Skip) Ledbetter:
Former Eagle Scout , who as the adult Eagle Scout Coordinator helped 123 Boy Scouts achieve the Eagle Scout Award. Was awarded the Congressional Gold Award by the US Congress in 1997.I served as the Emergency Operation Coordinator during Hurricane Georges.  I served as the corporate coordinator for the American Red Cross and the March of Dimes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Between 2004 and 2011 I served 47 months of deployment with the US Army, most of that in Southwest Asia. Since returning from deployment I have volunteered  with the Shelby County Democratic Party, registering voters, raising funds, developed strategy and administered polling places. I have been Host Committee with MidSouth Aids fund. My work with TEP has been as fulfilling as any of the work mentioned up to this time and I'm honored to continue this partnership for years to come. 

*Note:  We will add bios of new Foundation board members as we get them.