Gathering to support Commissioner Hurst moved to Nov 9 and a note on Free Speech
Media coverage of the racist and homophobic comments of Sevier County Commissioner Warren Hurst has gone international. It remains to be seen how the Sevier County Government will respond.
Supporters of Commissioner Hurst seem to think it's an issue of free speech. In fact, they have organized a rally to support him. It was scheduled for November 2, but it has now been moved to November 9.
Why was the date moved? According to part of the event description:
"*The rally at Patriot Park has been rescheduled and venue changed*
There's been opposition to the previous rally. A need of permits,security,and hefty insurance claims have surfaced.
*note the date change(a week from initial rally)
*note the time change(4p-6p)
* venue change to undisclosed location by invite only
* invite by PM
*local Reps and speakers
*counter support strategy given at
this masterminds meeting
*description changed from rally to
meeting due to large indoor venue
*heavy carbs and caffeine"
Well, we can't wait to see what the "masterminds" have come up with!
Free Speech: One thing we know they're thinking about is free speech. But is calling for the resignation or censure of an elected official a free speech issue? It certainly is if citizens are intimidated from being able to challenge elected officials on their positions. Elected officials have a great deal of power to say what they want. Indeed, they have more of a platform to do so than the average citizen.
If Commissioner Hurst had, for example, said during a county commission meeting that he proposes closing Dollywood for 10 months of the year and there was an outcry, would anyone think the public outcry was an effort to cut off his free speech? If Commissioner Hurst decided to call a fellow commissioner a rat during a meeting and the Chair banged the gavel, calling him out of order, would anyone think his free speech rights were the issue?
What Commissioner Hurst and some of his supporters want is a SPECIAL RIGHT to say whatever they want about race, gender, and sexuality without a response by the public. But the response will continue. We'll see you at the Sevier County Commission meeting on November 18. And you can sign the petition calling for the Commission to censure Commissioner Hurst AND adopt inclusive policies here.
TEP Fall Calendar: Come out for advocacy!
Get involved this Fall! Check out this calendar of opportunities. Support our work with a contribution at this link. If you would like to volunteer, email us at volunteer@tnep.org .
October 3 in Dickson. TEP Dickson County Committee meeting.
October 5 in Nashville. TEP regional leadership retreat.
October 8 in Nashville. Stonewall Bar Mixer and Kickoff. TEP will make a brief presentation on state legislation at this meeting.
October 9 in Knoxville. TEP Knox, Anderson, and Blount Counties Committee meeting.
October 9 and 10 in Nashville. Weathering the Storm: Building Resilience Against Opposition Attacks. TEP is a cosponsor of the event.
October 10 in Nashville. Nashville Watch Party: Presidential Town Hall. This is a Human Rights Campaign event of which TEP is a co-host.
October 12. Nashville Black Pride Day Party. Visit the TEP table at this event.
October 14 in Murfreesboro. What Just Happened at the Supreme Court.
October 15 in Nashville. Presidential Debate Watch Party. This is a Nashville and Middle TN Indivisible event co-hosted by TEP.
October 15 in Johnson City. TEP Tri-Cities Coffee and Equality.
October 19 in Jackson. Jackson Pride Fest. Visit the TEP table.
October 21 in Morristown. TEP Lakeway Social.
October 24 in Memphis. TEP speaks at Memphis Area Association of Realtors.
October 24 in Memphis. TEP speaks at Memphis Stonewall Tigers meeting for LGBTQ History Month.
October 27 in Murfreesboro. Love Your Neighbor on the Square. This event is produced by Murfreesboro Muslim Youth. The TEP Foundation via Boro Pride is a sponsor.
November 1. HotMess Kickball Charity Drag Show at Play. The show benefits the family of Channing Smith. TEP is proud to be a co-host.
November 4 in Nashville. Frank Turner: No Man's Land at TPAC. TEP will have an information table at this event.
November 4 in Memphis. TEP Shelby County November Social.
November 6 in Knoxville. TEP Knox, Anderson, and Blount Counties Committee meeting.
November 7 in Dickson. TEP Dickson County meeting.
November 12 in Knoxville. Friendsgiving at the UTK Pride Center. TEP is supporting the event.
November 18 in Nashville. Julia Nunes at The East Room. TEP will have an information table at this event.
November 17 in Knoxville: Drag Brunch at Old City Wine Bar. TEP benefits from your ticket purchase.
November 18 in Sevierville. Wear Red against Racism and Homophobia.
November 20 in Martin. Transgender Day of Remembrance. This is a Spectrum event that TEP Northwest TN Chair Morgan Robertson is helping organize.
November 22 in Nashville. TEP is speaking at the Hume-Fogg Civic Hackathon.
November 22 in Memphis. Before You Leap. This is an event present by Love Doesn't Hurt. TEP will be speaking.
November 26 in Athens. TEP is speaking at Tennessee Wesleyan University.
December 15 in Cookeville. TEP will be speaking about state advocacy at a transgender support group meeting.
Memphis candidates answer questions on LGBTQ issues
Candidates for Mayor of Memphis, Memphis City Council, and Municipal Court Judge were recently asked to respond to questions on LGBTQ issues. Here are their responses. Candidates are listed in alphabetical order within the office category for which they are running. Click each name that takes you to a Google document with their responses.
Mayor:
Municipal Judge:
City Council District 3:
City Council District 5:
City Council District 6:
City Council District 7:
City Council Super District 8, Position 1:
City Council Super District 8, Position 3:
City Council Super District 9, Position 1:
*Here is a list of all candidates who have qualified for the ballot.
Election Day is October 3.
Celebrate, Reach out: Two weeks of great events
Even in turbulent political times, we can celebrate the strength of Tennessee's LGBTQ community and we can reach out. We are a vibrant part of the fabric of our state. It's our Tennessee, too!
Join us at these events in Martin, Dickson, Murfreesboro, Kingsport, Memphis, Knoxville, and Nashville over the next two weeks. And if you would like to volunteer, contact us at volunteer@tnep.org . We could use some help with our outreach at these festivals.
September 5, 6, 7 in Martin. Tennessee Soybean Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 5 in Dickson. TEP Dickson County meeting.
September 7 in Murfreesboro: Boro Pride 2019. This is a TEP Foundation program and event.
September 7 in Kingsport: TriPride. Visit the TEP table.
September 7 in Memphis: Memphis Public Libraries Pride Kickoff. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 10 in Memphis: LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Tami Sawyer. Presented with OUTMemphis.
September 12 in Knoxville: Queer the Vote: Silent Disco.
September 12 in Martin: TEP Northwest TN Committee meeting.
September 12 in Memphis: LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Lemichael Wilson. Presented with OUTMemphis.
September 14 in Nashville: Outloud Music Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 14 in Memphis: Cooper-Young Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
One of the busiest weeks of the Summer: Jump in
Our movement can't just be reactive. We have to build structure and channel our energy. That's what we're spending our time doing this summer. Please, join us at these events taking place the week of August 18, 2019.
August 19 in Morristown: TEP Lakeway Committee monthly social.
August 21 in Knoxville: Donation Day at West Hills Flats & Taps.
August 21 in Memphis: Update on Ranked Choice Voting.
August 22 in Nashville: Event with Nashville Pride--What's Next for LGBTQ+ Nashville?
August 23 in Memphis: The People's Happy Hour hosted by Planned Parenthood. TEP is part of the panel.
August 24 in Maryville: Blount Pride. Visit the TEP table at this event.
Connect, advocate around the state
Advocacy doesn't take a summer break in a state like Tennessee. Connect in person with old friends and new at these events around the state in August and September.
August 1 in Martin: TEP Northwest Tennessee Committee meeting.
August 1 in Dickson: TEP Dickson County exploratory meeting.
August 1 in Nashville: Metro Nashville/Davidson County Election.
August 7 in Knoxville: TEP Knox, Anderson, and Blount Counties Committee meeting.
August 13 in Murfreesboro: TEP Rutherford County Committee meeting.
August 19 in Morristown: TEP Lakeway Committee monthly social.
August 21 in Knoxville: Donation Day at West Hills Flats & Taps.
August 21 in Memphis: Update on Ranked Choice Voting.
August 22 in Nashville: Event with Nashville Pride--What's Next for LGBTQ+ Nashville?
August 23 in Memphis: The People's Happy Hour. This event is hosted by Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood. TEP will be part of the panel.
August 24 in Maryville: Blount Pride. Visit the TEP table at this event.
August 28 in Johnson City: Ice Cream Social.
September 5, 6, 7 in Martin. Tennessee Soybean Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 5 in Dickson. TEP Dickson County meeting.
September 7 in Murfreesboro: Boro Pride 2019. This is a TEP Foundation program and event.
September 7 in Kingsport: TriPride. Visit the TEP table.
September 7 in Memphis: Memphis Public Libraries Pride Kickoff. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 10 in Memphis: LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Tami Sawyer. Presented with OUTMemphis.
September 12 in Knoxville: Queer the Vote: Silent Disco.
September 12 in Martin: TEP Northwest TN meeting.
September 12 in Memphis: LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Lemichael Wilson. Presented with OUTMemphis.
September 14 in Nashville: Outloud Music Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 14 in Memphis: Cooper-Young Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 17 in Johnson City: Coffee + Equality.
September 23 in Memphis: LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Steven Bradley. Presented with OUTMemphis.
September 24 in Memphis: LGBTQ+ Town Hall with Jim Strickland. Presented with OUTMemphis.
September 25 in Nashville: Metro Non-discrimination Ordinance Tenth Anniversary Celebration.
September 26 in Maryville: Discriminatory Legislation in Tennessee. Hosted by Maryville Huddle.
September 28 in Morristown: Morristown Craft Beer Festival. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 28 in Memphis: Memphis Pride Fest. Visit the TEP table at this event.
September 28 in Knoxville: OUTStanding 2019.
September 30 in Manchester. Meeting with Coffee County Community. #JusticeForChanning
Upcoming TEP meetings and events around the state
Please, join us for upcoming events throughout Tennessee. Click the links to RSVP and learn more.
July 10 in Knoxville: TEP Knox, Anderson, and Blount Counties Committee meeting.
July 11 in Martin: TEP Northwest TN Committee meeting.
July 15 in Morristown: TEP Lakeway Area Committee Social and Meeting.
July 21 in Memphis: Ice Cream Social.
September 7 in Murfreesboro: Boro Pride.
Nashville Fire PRIDE shirts: You can still get Nashville Fire PRIDE shirts at the link. Please, make sure you enter the correct size AND shipping address (especially if it is different from the billing address) before you finalize your order. https://tep-nashville-fire-pride-shirts.myshopify.com/ .
Kroger Community Rewards: If you shop at Kroger, you can link your Kroger PLUS card to the TEP Foundation through the community rewards program. Go to this link and log in. If you're in West TN, search for "TN Equality." If you're in East or Middle TN, search for "Tennessee Equality" and link us to your card. We do not receive your personal information, but every purchase benefits our work.
AmazonSmile: If you shop Amazon, you can use our AmazonSmile link and every purchase benefits the TEP Foundation.
Thank you for your support.
Ways to fight back on April 29 + 30
Discriminatory bills are rapidly moving forward in Tennessee. We have listed email campaigns and events where you can show up to help.
April 29: The anti-transgender student bathroom bill is up in House Calendar and Rules and could be on the House floor soon.
April 30: The amended indecent exposure bill, the adoption/foster care discrimination bill, and the anti-transgender student bathroom bill are on the Senate floor.
-Use this NEW campaign to contact your state senator to oppose all three bills.
-Join us in the Senate gallery at 8:00 a.m. The floor session starts at 8:30. Note: The bills are late on the calendar.
*Do you own a small business and want to speak out? If so, go to this link and add your company's name.
If you would like to support our work, you can make a contribution at this link. Thank you for fighting so hard this legislative session.
Still in the Fight: What to do by Tuesday at 1pm
Tennessee's LGBTQ community faces another critical week. Tuesday may be decisive for two bills--the anti-transgender student bathroom bill (SB1499) and the adoption discrimination bill (SB1304). They are both up for consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, April 23 at 1:00 p.m. Central Time in Senate Hearing Room 1 of the Cordell Hull Building.
1. Use this form to email the Senate Judiciary Committee and urge them to vote NO on both bills. If you have already used the form, share it with friends.
2. Consider attending the committee hearing. Whether your focus is SB1499 or SB1304, RSVP at one of the links. They are both up for consideration in the same hearing in the same room so you have double the reasons to attend.
Note: If the anti-transgender student bathroom bill passes in the Senate Judiciary Committee, we will be well into the danger zone on the bill because it is back up in House Finance Subcommittee on Thursday. So take defensive action and use this form to contact your member of the Tennessee House of Representatives.
If you would like support our work, consider making your contribution at this link.
Thank you for fighting so hard against discrimination this year!
Tell the Legislature, "We've had enough."
The very existence of anti-LGBTQ bills is disgusting. It's well past time for the Tennessee General Assembly to stop acting as if it is business as usual to attack people whose rights they swear an oath to uphold.
Here are some ways you can tell them, "Enough!"
Tuesday, April 16:
-At 10:00 a.m., the Business License to Discriminate bill is up in the Senate State & Local Government Committee.
*Tell them to vote NO with this easy form.
*Wear RED to the committee meeting.
-At 1:00 p.m., the bill directing the TN Attorney General to defend school districts with anti-transgender student policies is up in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
*Tell them to vote NO with this easy form.
*Wear RED to the committee meeting.
You can support our work with a contribution at this link.