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Updated with response: Stand against the hate of Minister Ben Bailey of the Central Church of Christ in McMinnville
UPDATE: Minister Ben Bailey of the Central Church of Christ called us this morning and talked about his views. He is not pro-equality, but he wants to make absolutely clear that he does NOT support the stoning of LGBT people. You can read his response at the link.
The New Civil Rights Movement has reported on the teachings of Minister Ben Bailey of the Central Church of Christ in McMinnville in which the pastor tries to justify the stoning of LGBT people as biblical.
People of faith and people of no particular faith alike reject the dangerous extremism of Pastor Bailey. At a time when hate crimes are up against LGBT people in Tennessee and at a time when the nationwide murders of transgender people in particular have reached crisis levels, such hate has no rightful place in religion or in civil society.
Despite the pastor's notoriety, hate will NOT define McMinnville or the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee. We were in McMinnville recently for the Summer of Love tour with a strong showing of equality advocates. Read the report if you doubt there are many great people in the area living their hopes for full equality. Upper Cumberland Pride, which serves the region, is an organization that is growing again and now reunited to TEP. We know they will continue to raise awareness for the safety and equality of LGBT people in the area.
We urge people of good will across the state and nation to stand with those in McMinnville and the Upper Cumberland region of Tennessee and against the hateful rhetoric of Pastor Bailey. Add your name as a show of solidarity!
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Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum endorsed 2015-06-28 09:21:54 -0500We are one of Tennessee’s oldest historic house museums (The oldest in Memphis) The Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities maintains the museum and is the state’s oldest nonprofit association for historic preservation.
We offer tours and events open to the public and are sustained by donations, events, and membership. The Woodruff-Fontaine House Museum is one of only a few Memphis historic sites that offers venue rentals, weddings are a large percentage of those rentals.
Our mission is to preserve history and heritage of Tennessee, in light of the recent SCOTUS ruling, we want EVERYONE to know that we are on the “right side of history” and welcome ALL to our gracious property. ALL weddings have been celebrated here and we want to reassure our LGBT brothers and sisters that our doors have and continue to be open for business.Tennessee Open For Business
Tennessee Open For Business is a free program for Tennessee small businesses that pledge not to discriminate against their employees or customers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. That means that member businesses do not discriminate against gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender individuals or couples or do harm to the LGBTQ community. Members will get a listing on our website, a post on Facebook, and a window cling suitable for display in their storefront. The program is made possible through generous support of the Brooks Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.The Tennessee Equality Project reserves the right to refuse membership in this program to any applicant and to revoke the membership of any business.
You can see a list of some of the current members of Tennessee Open For Business at this link.
For questions, contact us at [email protected].
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