Grand Divisions: News and Comment on TN Politics

Attention, old media: This is the kind of political coverage I want

2009-07-17T10:22:00.005-05:00

OK, so I've been ranting on Twitter at the four large dailies in Tennessee--the Tennessean, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, the Knoxville News Sentinel, and the Memphis Commercial Appeal because I didn't find anything in their online editions about the absence of Tennessee Senators Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker during the hate crimes cloture vote last night.

So what kind of coverage do I want to see on policy issues affecting the GLBT community?

1. Stories on the major bills--federal, state, and local. Where's the coverage of ENDA or Matthew Shepard? Where was the coverage this spring on the state hate crimes bill?
2. The positions of our elected officials on these bills. There has been no story in the Tennessee press about the fact that Congressman Jim Cooper is a cosponsor of ENDA. And shouldn't it give a reporter pause if both our state's U.S. Senators are absent from a key vote on a bill? There were about 20 cosponsors of the state hate crimes bill, but no story.
3. Give a sense of the case for both/all sides. What are the key arguments being brought forward to advance and defeat legislation?
4. Give us a legislative path/calendar. Let us know when the votes are going to take place.
5. Stop saying GLBT issues are controversial when the controversy hasn't yet developed. The Tennessean did this with respect to the Metro ordinance when no real opposition had materialized.

Is that too much to ask? Help the public debate this stuff. Damn!

Senate passes hate crimes amendment to defense bill

2009-07-16T23:23:00.003-05:00

Tonight the U.S. Senate passed Sen. Patrick Leahy's (D-Vermont) amendment to the defense bill. The amendment is popularly known as the Matthew Shepard Act which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to federal hate crimes protections as well as provide resources to local law enforcement agencies to deal with hate crimes.

The debate focused on two lines of opposition. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) attempted to argue that there was no need for the bill since states are handling hate crimes adequately. He proposed an amendment that would make provision to study what the states are doing. Laws differ from state to state. Only about half include sexual orientation and very few include gender identity. Another problem with the Hatch proposal is that many states in the form of county sheriffs and local district attorneys are not availing themselves of state hate crimes laws. Can anyone name a recent example of a DA in Tennessee going for the penalty enhancement in a case in which sexual orientation was motivation for the crime? Finally, the federal bill provides resources to local law enforcement agencies to deal with this class of crime.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) was more successful in his line of objection. He expressed concern that Matthew Shepard would have a chilling effect on speech and the expression of religion. His amendment to the amendment clarifying the scope of these freedoms and their limitations with respect to hate crimes passed by a large margin. But by passing his amendment he gives conservatives fewer reasons to oppose Shepard.

There's still much work to do before the bill gets to the president's desk for signature, but it's on the right track.

Turnaround year for Transgender People in Tennessee

2009-07-14T20:50:00.003-05:00

2008 was a horrible year for transgender people in Tennessee. The attacks and murders put Tennessee on the map in the national media. Some began calling Memphis the most dangerous place to be transgender in the country.

A series of events this year indicates that 2009 could be an important turning point in the rights and protections of transgender people in Tennessee. Just today Memphis-based FedEx announced that its non-discrimination policy will now include gender identity, and 10 Metro Council members in Nashville filed a non-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Last month, the Shelby County Commission passed a non-discrimination resolution that protects County employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

Earlier in the year, Rep. Jeanne Richardson (D-Memphis) and Sen. Beverly Marrero (D-Memphis) introduced a hate crimes bill that adds gender identity or expression to the current statute. The bill actually got out of a House subcommittee this year when much of the Legislature was focused on budget, guns, and abortion.

An incredible effort went into those advances. A lot of credit goes to people in Shelby County who are making an incredible effort to address the discrimination and violence experienced by the transgender community. Their work is helping the entire state have a new conversation about transgender rights. And a lot of credit goes to our allies the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition for their tireless advocacy.

I am hopeful that we are now on a tragectory that will continue to gain momentum. The violence and discrimination suffered by transgender people is a blemish on our state. The policy efforts we've seen this year to address the problem honor us all.

Tennessee Equality Project Shelby County Committee Hosts Inaugural Picnic

2009-07-13T21:40:00.003-05:00

The sun was out and the mercury was rising, but the scene at Peabody Park on June 28 could not have been more picturesque. It was a scene of a community coming together to talk, laugh, and play. The Tennessee Equality Project's (“TEP”) Shelby County Committee fired up the grills for over sixty adults and children who gathered at Peabody Park for what organizer Michelle Bliss called “an old fashioned picnic.” Bliss stated that the picnic really had a two-fold purpose, the first being the obvious fundraiser portion of the picnic. More important though, was the opportunity to give LGBT families and friends a family-friendly event for pride. “Sometimes we can get so wrapped up in activism and causes that we forget what's important is the human connection. Ultimately, we are all looking for people who love us for who we are, and accept our quirks,” Bliss said. The picnic was just that, community members young, old, straight and queer, connecting with each other and forgetting the worries of society. Jonathan Cole, Shelby County Committee Chair for TEP, said that the picnic was a total success and he is already looking forward to next year’s picnic. Proceeds from the picnic go directly to the lobbying efforts of TEP to bring equality to the LGBT community in Tennessee.

Commissioner Mulroy receives Movers and Shakers Award from MGLCC

2009-07-12T15:56:00.003-05:00

Len Piechowski (right), President of the Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center, presented Shelby County Commissioner Steve Mulroy (District 5) with a 2009 Movers & Shakers Award at today's community center board meeting. Mulroy sponsored legislation last spring that established workplace protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees of Shelby County government.

Steve's pioneering efforts challenge the Nashville Metro Council and the Memphis City Council to pass similar legislation. TEP expects workplace protections for LGBT employees to grow in all areas of Tennessee.

Steve Mulroy is the only elected official to receive this award after successfully passing legislation designed to protect the rights of LGBT citizens in Shelby County.

Congratulations Steve! You earned it!

Closeting the gay factor in the GOP gubernatorial race

2009-07-11T23:30:00.005-05:00

According to Hayes Hickman in the Knoxville News Sentinel, all the Republican candidates running for governor are vying for the conservative label.

But most of the quotes and analysis focus on the issues of guns and abortion. If that sounds familiar, it mirrors the focus of conservatives in the Legislature this year. There is also an interesting section on the controversial nature of accepting stimulus funds.

One might think that in such a long piece on what it means to be a conservative running for governor in Tennessee, some anti-equality rhetoric might make an appearance. The closest the article comes is this blurb about Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey:

Ramsey, whose platform includes "traditional values" that recognize that "the family is the core unit of society," said he gives no less importance to Tennessee's economic challenges.

Family Action's David Fowler, who is quoted extensively, hints at but does not name GLBT issues, thus compounding their absence:

"So far, in the literature I've read from all the candidates, the issues of greatest concern to their conservative base have not been addressed."

If guns, abortion, and the stimulus are openly discussed, what else could Fowler mean but GLBT issues? But then again, what's a conservative in Tennessee to do--run against gay marriage? It's already banned by statute and constitutional amendment. Would running against adoption by gays and lesbians get a GOP candidate very far in a statewide race? How about running against the hate crimes bill? Not likely.

These candidates certainly aren't at the point of turning pro-gay, but they may have realized that running against the GLBT community is a non-starter...if it even crossed their minds to begin with. Let's hope that's the case.

Family Action Council of TN raises funds to promote LGBT equality

2009-07-10T13:28:00.003-05:00

By TEP’s count, 37 followers of David Fowler’s Family Action Council of Tennessee met earlier today at a local Memphis restaurant to plot against equal opportunity and fairness in Memphis and the State of Tennessee. Specifically, they gathered behind locked doors to review their legislative “accomplishments” in the Tennessee General Assembly and spread lies about the grass roots movement in Memphis for a Non-Discrimination Ordinance. The Memphis NDO will establish workplace protections for LGBT employees of the city and city contractors.

Little did they know that they were also doing their part to promote equal rights for the LGBT citizens of Tennessee. When Tennessee Equality Project learned that David Fowler and FACT were coming to Memphis, TEP’s Shelby County Committee issued a call for pledges of support. Supporters pledged to give a $1 or other amount to TEP for every person who attended the meeting. The Shelby County Committee of TEP wishes to thank everyone who made a pledge of support to TEP for this event. But we’d like to give special thanks to David Fowler for doing his part to promote LGBT equality in Tennessee.

If you missed your chance to pledge to TEP, it’s not too late. You can donate online at http://tnep.org/.

Metro non-discrimination ordinance puts some minds in the toilet

2009-07-08T06:30:00.003-05:00

The Tennessean's Brad Schrade explores the prospective Metro Nashville non-discrimination ordinance in today's Tennessean, talk of which brings out the crazy fantasies on the far Right.

First, David Fowler of Family Action of Tennessee says that there is no objective way to know sexual orientation and gender identity. The issue, however, is whether there are grounds for establishing that discrimination took place because of those factors.

Fowler really had to reach in order to find a fantasy scenario with which to scare his Williamson County neighbors (yes, that's right, he lives in Williamson County, not Davidson):

Asked about the unintended consequences, he said passage of a bill would lead to lawsuits and confusion and awkward situations, citing a recent publicized case in Maine in which a transgender student who was biologically a boy was allowed to use the girls restroom.

Come on, Mr. Fowler. An alleged case in Maine about bathrooms is supposed to be enough to deny Metro employees basic job protections. This is a typical tactic on the Right and one that experience shows people don't buy. In fact, lots of employers already have inclusive non-discrimination policies in Nashville. Many employers already include sexual orientation and gender identity/expression in their non-discrimination policies. Here is a partial list.

Let's get our heads out of the toilet and do what's right for Metro government employees. IT'S TIME!

Remembering PFC Barry Winchell

2009-07-06T00:10:00.002-05:00

Ten years ago today, PFC Barry Winchell died as the result of an attack by a fellow solider after enduring harassment for his relationship with Calperinia Addams, then a transgender performer at a Nashville club and now a spokesperson for PFLAG. Horrible in itself as a human loss, Winchell's murder also reminds us of the need to end the unworkable Don't Ask/Don't Tell policy and to pass the Matthew Shepard Act to fight hate crimes against the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community.

Politicos on Parade at the Music City Hot Chicken Festival

2009-07-04T13:49:00.004-05:00

I went for a couple of hours to the Music City Hot Chicken Festival and it was quite a sight. Despite the fact that there were several vendors, hundreds of people stood in line just to get a bite. People came from all over. I talked to people from Canada and, of course, all the counties surrounding Davidson. Folks from Virginia and North Carolina, too.

Elected officials and candidates were well represented. Former Mayor Bill Purcell and Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors, who are two of the honorary chairs of the event, were making the rounds. Mayor Karl Dean and Council Members Carter Todd and Emily Evans seemed to be having a good time.

School Board member and Juvenile Court Clerk candidate Karen Johnson and TN House District 58 candidate Steven Turner were working the crowd, too.

And what's a great Nashville event without lots of progressive bloggers? I ran into Mike Byrd, Ilissa Gold, and Liberadio's Mary Mancini (who, of course, is also a broadcaster and podcaster extraordinaire!). Milder temperatures seemed to make the hot chicken a little more bearable for the festival goers, but it didn't take long to work up a sweat out there today.

Metro Human Relations Commission: User's Guide

2009-07-03T08:48:00.003-05:00

If you live in Nashville and are discriminated against in employment, housing, financial services and transactions, and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation, you can file a complaint with the Metro Human Relations Commission. Sexual orientation, though not gender identity, is explicitly mentioned on their page. The Human Relations Commission can investigate the complaint, but cannot compel a settlement in the case of sexual orientation discrimination.

You should file your complaint within 180 days of the discriminatory action. The website provides all the information you need:

How to File a Complaint

To file a complaint of discrimination with the Metro Human Relations Commission please call our office at 615-880-3370 OR visit the Metro Human Relations Commission office.

The Human Relations Commission staff will assist you in writing a brief outline of facts, and word a charge of violation of local civil rights law or policy, on a form, which requires your notarized signature. You know your complaint better than anyone else. Give the Commission staff person all the details and answer all questions as fully as you can. Names, dates, places, addresses and details of what happened should be as accurate as possible. Documents such as payroll slips or rent receipts can help to support charges. If you have witnesses, it’s important to give full names, and how the Commission staff can contact them.

The executive director is very clear on the Human Relations Commission's authority to take and investigate complaints based on sexual orientation. He has said so in public and in conversation with me.

If you call and try to file a complaint based on sexual orientation and a Commission employee for some reason seems unsure, you may have to refer the employee to the website linked above and to the legal opinion given by then Law Director and now Mayor Karl Dean that establishes that the Human Relations Commission can accept such complaints. But since the information is correctly listed on the website, you shouldn't have any difficulty.

I would remind anyone filing such a complaint that you will not get a settlement. There are no federal, state, or local protections for you if you face discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, unless you are covered by the School Board's contract with Metro teachers. What filing a complaint accomplishes is making those who engage in discrimination publicly accountable. In other words, they have to explain themselves to a government body and no employer likes to do that. Complaints--if they go to a hearing--can additionally invite media and public scrutiny.

But until we pass federal, state, or local protections, that's all the recourse our community in Nashville has.

Robin Smith's mixed feelings on Tennessee's marriage ban

2009-07-02T12:36:00.002-05:00

From her congressional campaign site:

"In 2006, more than 80% of Tennesseans declared their support at the polls for the belief that marriage is between one man and one woman. I stand with that 80%. No one should ever be discriminated against or feel threatened for the life they lead, but Tennesseans have spoken on this issue."

That's right. She stands with the ban 80%. 20% of her is fighting back against it. After all, "No one should ever be discriminated against."

OK, OK, we're kidding. We know that what Smith means is that she is standing with the 80% of people who voted for the marriage ban. Now that's courage! Standing with the majority. After all, she wouldn't want to be thought of as "pro-gay."

Quotation of the Day: Frank Rich

2009-06-28T17:46:00.002-05:00

Frank Rich of the New York Times on the anniversary of Stonewall and President Obama's lack of action on GLBT rights:

It’s a press cliché that “gay supporters” are disappointed with Obama, but we should all be. Gay Americans aren’t just another political special interest group. They are Americans who are actively discriminated against by federal laws. If the president is to properly honor the memory of Stonewall, he should get up to speed on what happened there 40 years ago, when courageous kids who had nothing, not even a public acknowledgment of their existence, stood up to make history happen in the least likely of places.

People of the same sex living holy lives together

2009-06-28T09:10:00.004-05:00

The Most Rev. Dr. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of the Episcopal Church, has been visiting Nashville since Thursday. Today's Tennessean includes a good piece on the visit that has not been without controversy in the Diocese of Tennessee.

The bishop didn't fudge when asked about the debates on sexuality going on in the Church and the wider culture today:

When it comes to controversial issues, like homosexuality, Jefferts Schori says she begins with studying the Scriptures.

That includes looking at the messy human families found in the Bible.

"In the Old Testament, there are lots of examples of what holy and blessed marriage looks like, and what unholy marriage looks like," she said, "including polygamy and concubines being normal."

In the New Testament, she said, Jesus never married and was celibate. Paul wasn't married either.

"He said don't get married — unless you have to — because Jesus was coming back soon," she said.

Even among Anglicans, the idea of marriage has changed. In the 1600s, she said, one of the main reasons for marriage was to "avoid fornication."

"That's not in our prayer book now," she said. "We say that the primary goal and good of marriage is companionship. That's different from even what the first Anglicans said. If our goal is to help people live holy lives, which I think is the church's function, maybe we could think about people of the same sex living holy lives together."

Political homophobia

2009-06-27T20:38:00.002-05:00

Americablog on a recurring problem and not just in DC:

Political homophobes aren't gay-hating in the traditional sense. In fact, publicly, most are strong supporters of LGBT equality. But, behind closed doors, many Democratic leaders, consultants, Hill staffers and the rest will vociferously argue that there is no political benefit to actually supporting LGBT rights. Political homophobia is rampant among some Democrats. In some ways, it's worse than blatant homophobia, since we think most Democrats are on our side. And outwardly, they are.

Political homophobia dictates policy in DC more than we'd like to think. I believe it's happening in the West Wing right now. I've been told by several people that while the president's chief of staff, Rahm Emmanuel, isn't a homophobe in the traditional way (he always voted the right way when he was in the House), he is always the first person to suggest that his colleagues (and now boss) avoid gay issues. He'd rather not deal with them because he thinks they're bad politics.

The New York Times discusses another angle on the problem:

The conflicting signals from the White House about its commitment to gay issues reflect a broader paradox: even as cultural acceptance of homosexuality increases across the country, the politics of gay rights remains full of crosscurrents.

Cooper signs on as ENDA cosponsor

2009-06-26T22:50:00.005-05:00

Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper has signed on as a cosponsor of H.R. 3017 the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). The law would protect workers from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. In an email to constituents, Congressman Cooper noted:

While the majority of Fortune 500 companies and a number of states already protect the LGBT community from workplace abuse, the federal government does not, and workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity is, tragically, still a common occurrence in workplaces across the nation. ENDA will simply ensure equal rights for all of our nation’s hardworking employees, and will make vital steps towards eliminating workplace discrimination altogether.

Thank you Congressman Cooper for working for passage of ENDA.

Family Action of TN turns its gaze toward Memphis

2009-06-26T09:43:00.003-05:00

After Shelby County Government established workplace protections for LGBT county employees, the Family Action Council of Tennessee has turned it gaze to Memphis.

In an e-mail message this week, FAC President David Fowler issued an invitation to a July 10 lunch meeting at a Memphis restaurant to debrief followers about FAC’s activities in the Tennessee General Assembly. Fowler plans to share the “legislative victories, and challenges, that relate to our core values: the institution of marriage, family values, the sanctity of life, and religious liberty.” Fowler continued:

Also, everyone in Shelby County needs to know about looming local attempts to further the national gay rights agenda that could affect employees of Memphis City government as well as businesses, churches and other private employers.

Fowler must have missed that the movement to establish fairness and equality in Memphis and Shelby County is a local grass roots movement led by local leaders like you. FAC will also be in town to promote “The Truth Project”, a program designed by the national anti-gay industry’s Focus on the Family to misrepresent American history and culture and establish special rights and privileges for the far-right.

If hearing about these outside groups meddling in local affairs bothers you, you can take a stand against them.

Representatives of TEP plan to observe how many people attend Fowler's luncheon on July 10 without interfering (their meeting room can hold up to 75 people). FAC is free to meet and organize however they want, but we don’t have to sit back and do nothing.

Would you be willing to contribute $1, $5, or $10 to the Tennessee Equality Project for each adult who attends Fowler’s meeting? You decide the amount. Your contribution will further the grass roots movement to promote fairness and equality in Memphis, Shelby County and Tennessee.

Make a pledge today by emailing TEP’s Shelby County Committee at ShelbyCounty@tnequalityproject.com.

Support the Memphis Non-Discrimination Ordinance by making a contribution to TEP here. The Tennessee Equality Project is a 501c4 organization. Gifts to TEP are not deductible for purposes of federal income tax.

Duanna Johnson beating: One year later and nothing from Bill Gibbons

2009-06-21T10:51:00.004-05:00

One year ago, the Tennessee GLBT community was processing the revelations of the brutual beating of Duanna Johnson, a Memphis transgender woman in police custody. Johnson was subsequently murdered in November.

The U.S. Department of Justice filed charges against officer Bridges McCrae, but we haven't seen any action from another significant player. According to a recent email from the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition:

The Office of the Shelby County District Attorney has refused to file charges against Memphis Police Officer Bridges McRae for the February 2008 beating of Duanna Johnson. To its credit, the U.S. Department of Justice did so in November 2008, but local authorities will not. The District Attorney of Shelby County, Bill Gibbons, is running for Governor of Tennessee on an "anti-crime" platform.

Gibbons did, however, show a great deal of interest in investigating the leak of the beating tape. I suppose many will say "So what?" and "The feds filed charges so he didn't need to." My question is whether Gibbons can explain what it says about his leadership that his reaction was to focus on the leak of the tape rather than the horrible human event that took place. He has a great personal story about his roots. But what can he tell us about his judgment in tough situations that would overcome the image of a man more interested in processes and procedures rather than victims of civil rights violations?

St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Nashville--a welcoming parish celebrates 150 years

2009-06-20T15:43:00.003-05:00

The Associated Press takes a look at St. Ann's Episcopal Church in Nashville today as the parish prepares to celebrate 150 years in the city.

St. Ann's Rector, the Rev. Rick Britton notes:

“We’re an inclusive congregation,” he said. “We support the presiding bishop where she is on this whole issue. We are a congregation that supports the ordination of the bishop of New Hampshire. And we support the blessing of same-sex unions. “However, those things have not been authorized yet. We don’t know how that’s going to play out. There’s a lot of us on both sides of the issue, who are very unsettled because we haven’t worked it out. In the meantime, we’re going to do what we can to spread the Gospel.”
Here is a link to the Facebook group for the 150th anniversary celebration.

Congratulations to St. Ann's!

TEP at Nashville Pride

2009-06-20T14:13:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Nancy VanReece for the photo. By the time I left, we had already signed up over 75 people for the email list. There is lots of enthusiasm for a non-discrimination ordinance for Nashville. Maybe most straight people, even those who would allies, don't realize it, but we don't have any employment protections in Tennessee unless an employer chooses to put sexual orientation and gender identity or expression in its policy. We hope Metro government will add these categories to its non-discrimination policy.

A big thanks to all our volunteers who are working the booth.

Nashville Pride Coverage: More acceptance but few protections

2009-06-20T07:44:00.003-05:00

Claudio Pinto writes up Nashville Pride for the Tennessean this morning. The piece focuses on GLBT people--young and old--and their perceptions of how Nashville has changed.

But times have changed enough that Joshua Hargrove, 29, thinks being gay in Nashville today is no big deal."A couple of times, I've had people I work with tell me a story about a gay couple they know. And that's their way of saying, 'Hey, we know you're gay and we're OK with that,' " said Hargrove, who works in the Nashville public schools' IT department.

And I think that's largely true. I was glad, however, that the piece pointed out the state legislative framework in which even progressive Nashville exists:

Tennessee is still no bastion for gays and lesbians. They don't have the right to marry here, and there's no legal recourse for those who are fired because of their sexuality.

Exactly right. There are no employment protections in Tennessee based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Unless you work for the UT system, Metro Nashville Public Schools, a Tennessee Board of Regents school, a private employer who offers protections, or Shelby County government now, there are no protections. This is exactly why the federal Employment Non-Discrimination Act is important and it's exactly why TEP is advocating an inclusive non-discrimination policy for Metro Nashville government employees. Getting employers to protect GLBT employees is basic to our economic security.

Gone but not Forgotten: The General Assembly Adjourns

2009-06-18T22:59:00.003-05:00

An amazing five-month run has come to an end. The Tennessee General Assembly stands adjourned until January 12, 2010. It appears that none of the negative attacks the GLBT community endured this session advanced in the last days. They're all still alive in some form, of course. We'll be dealing with the adoption ban, the Don't Say Gay bill, and some version of the embryo bill next year. We may also face a ban on civil unions. We'll work with our allies on the hate crimes and birth certificate bills in 2010 again as well. But we finish another session with our rights no more diminished than they were when we began in January.

I'll never forget how it began. Our lobbyist Jenny Ford and I watched in amazement as Rep. Kent Williams was elected Speaker of the House. I'll also never forget all the people from around the state who drove to Nashville on a cold February 17 for Advancing Equality Day on the Hill. They were forceful advocates for their rights as you can hear from the Liberadio interviews conducted by Mary Mancini. Lots of East Tennessee lawmakers had a first-time visit from GLBT constituents this year. Another highlight of the session for me was getting to meet and debate my rival, David Fowler, on the proposed adoption ban.

There were some bright spots in terms of legislation. Sen. Diane Black and Rep. Bill Dunn did great work in passing a good bullying bill. Rep. Jeanne Richardson and Sen. Beverly Marrero deserve our thanks for their work on the hate crimes bill, which advanced with bipartisan support in a House subcommittee. Truly amazing in a year like this! A big congratulations to the Tennessee Transgender Political Coalition for their work on the bill.

While I'm in retrospective mode, I can't help but note that TEP celebrates birthday number 5 this month. Starting out as TEP's public relations chair, I've watched the Legislature closely since we began. 2009 is a lot like 2005 in terms of the legislation we've faced. But in five years, we've built a solid presence on the Hill with the help of GLBT and allied people all over the state.

We'll be ready to fight again in January with a new leadership team. On July 1, H.G. Stovall will become TEP's new president and he will be in charge of all our operations around the state. He will do a great job of building our ground game into an even bigger force to fight for our rights. As chairman of the board, I'll continue to work with Jenny Ford and public policy chair Pete Westerholm on state policy development as well as our effort to advance a non-discrimination ordinance in Nashville. I want to thank everyone around the state who has been a part of our movement. As I look back on the last five years, I am moved by everything our volunteers have accomplished. I know you will continue to work hard.

A final thanks to Jenny for her exceptional work of developing strategy and keeping our members informed this year, and to Shelby County chair and incoming Secretary Jonathan Cole who put in countless hours on state issues while rallying the community for the Shelby County non-discrimination ordinance. I leaned very heavily on both of them over the last five months and they gave everything they had.

Obama throws us a bone; hate crimes bill delayed; complaint about bill tracking

2009-06-16T19:50:00.004-05:00

Thankfully John Aravosis is carefully watching federal policy. In one blog post, he reveals a lot. President Obama is going to announce partner benefits for gay federal employees on Wednesday evening. I agree with him that this is a step forward, but he's also right that it has nothing to do with the president's promises. As Aravosis notes, it looks to be related to the heat that the DNC is taking over the administration's brief defending DOMA right before a big fundraiser with the GLBT community.

He also lets us in on this tidbit:

(And guess what? After the DOMA brief controversy exploded, they suddenly announced plans to do hate crimes in the Senate this week. And now, poof, the bill is dead again until at least August. And remember folks, this is the easy one - it already passed the House and Senate, and survived a Senate filibuster, in the last Congress.)

Gone until August? Why isn't anyone else telling me this? Anyone who tracks legislation and lobbies lawmakers knows that just about anything can happen to a bill. But where is the information? State legislation that TEP is monitoring, though not necessarily lobbying, is updated every week here during session. If there is a major development on a bill, we're sending out an email blast, blogging it, Tweeting, Facebooking, and MySpacing it as quickly as possible. It would be great if someone were doing the same for every major piece of federal equality legislation. Maybe someone is, but I haven't found the spot.

And it's not as if the media--national or regional--covers anything but marriage. It's no wonder none of these bills are crossing the finish line. The community kind of knows WHAT they are, but almost no one knows WHERE they are in the process. When the community doesn't know where the bills are, then we can't be counted on to contact lawmakers in a timely manner to drive votes.

Quotation of the Day: "God is not going to turn you away because you' are gay."

2009-06-14T20:36:00.003-05:00

Moriah May recounts the story of her suicide attempt and the mysterious woman who helped turn her life around.

“This woman, she’s an older lady and I didn’t get a real good look at her face, but she just hugged me. I kept trying to push her away ... and she just held onto me, like she knew that I was just breaking,” said May.

“She was moving my hair out of the way, kind of stroking it, and saying, ‘You’re beautiful. You’re a beautiful person. Why do you think you have to do this?’ And I said ‘because I’m gay’ and she said ‘God is not going to turn you away because you are gay.’

“It was just an inspiration to me that day to see a stranger just take me in like that. I didn’t feel like I deserved to be alive. This woman made me feel like I deserved to be here, and that was amazing. From that day, I felt like I should be alive.”

Columbia study suggests way forward on equality at state level

2009-06-13T22:01:00.003-05:00

Andrew Gelman at FiveThirtyEight discusses a major study of equality issues at the state level by Columbia University Professors Jeffrey R. Lax and Justin H. Phillips. The news that Gelman focuses on, namely, marriage, is not good for Tennessee. We've made some gains in public opinion since the 90s, but we've got a long way to go.

Really significant for Tennessee is Lax and Phillips' look at other issues such as employment non-discrimination and the role of media attention and public opinion as they translate into policy change. According to their state-by-state statistics, 53% of the people of Tennessee would support job protections for the GLBT community. (p. 40)

In itself, the number is good news, but even more important are their findings that suggest a way forward at the state level. At the middle range of public opinion support for a policy option, you can increase the probability of its adoption by 6% with just a 1% movement in public opinion. (p. 21) Salience, meaning their measure of media coverage and public awareness of a particular policy option, is also an important part of the puzzle: "To get a 50% chance of policy adoption, you need roughly 57% support if salience is high, roughly 62% if salience is average, and a whopping 73% if salience is low." (p. 24)

These findings suggest a counter-intuitive conclusion for strategy. Keeping it quiet is not going to work:

While it has been argued that keeping the scope of conflict small and lobbying discretely is the most likely path to success (e.g., Haider-Markel and Maier 1996), this may not be true for gays and lesbians. There are also “cheap” gains to be had in that shifts in employment and housing protection would actually have majoritarian support in almost all states. Employment and housing protection have received far less attention, perhaps because there is such widespread agreement. (pp. 31-32)

Lax and Phillips help explain aspects of the non-discrimination battle we recently went through in Shelby County. While there wasn't any polling on the ordinance, public comment in terms of volume of contact with lawmakers and numbers of supporters at the June 1 County Commission meeting showed strong public support for the ordinance. Media coverage was also extensive yielding a high salience factor. Still, we fell short of the full ordinance and got a resolution. Perhaps we needed more of a lead-up to the effort. But all the attention received by the Shelby ordinance battle lays the groundwork nicely for the Memphis City Council effort.

I think this analysis also helps us explain why the hate crimes bill didn't advance further in the Legislature. There was NO media coverage of the bill. Lax and Phillips estimate public support for hate crimes laws in Tennessee at 65%. Given the lack of media coverage, it's amazing the bill got out of subcommittee with bipartisan support. We all should have done more to draw media attention to the bill in March and April.

Another conclusion that Lax and Phillips reach is that "the federal government has been worse at translating majority opinion into policy than the state governments." (pp. 27-28) It makes sense. Federal equality legislation keeps getting close to passage, but not close enough so far. And that's not surpising given the analysis about salience. With all the media focus on marriage, there has been very little memorable coverage in the national and Tennessee media of either the Employment Non-Discrimination Act or the Matthew Shepard Act. National GLBT organizations are doing a great job of lobbying, but they need to be pushing more media stories on hate crimes and job discrimination.

Or we could just draw the conclusion that we shouldn't hold our breath on federal legislation, but rather we should continue working hard at the state and local level in Tennesee to protect our community.