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TN: Dollywood Blocks Lesbian Couple Because of Gay Marriage T-Shirt

Saturday, July 23rd, 2011

Dolly PartonDolly Parton’s famous Dollywood theme park was plunged into a gay rights row this week, as a married lesbian couple alleged that they were discriminated against by park staff. Dolly Parton, who has being running the Knoxville, Tennessee theme park as Dollywood since 1986, has previously come out in support of gay marriage and may be shocked to learn that her security staff asked one of the couple to turn her ‘Marriage is so Gay’ t-shirt inside-out before she was allowed to enter the park.

The married couple, Olivier Odom and Jennifer Tipton, told an Nbc affiliate that they had hoped to attend the theme park just like any newly-wed couple: “”I was in disbelief. I didn’t think it was the policy of Dollywood to discriminate against the LGBT community.I was curious what he found offensive about the shirt. If it was the fact that it had the word gay on it or that it was in conjunction with the word marriage.”

Full Story from Contact Music

Click here for gay wedding resources in Tennessee.

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TN: Attorney Says New Anti Gay Law Blocks Bullying Protections in Schools

Monday, June 20th, 2011

A lawsuit filed in Nashville challenging a new state law says the legislation voids school board policies that protect gay and lesbian students from bullying and harassment, but the law’s sponsor disagrees.

The law prohibits local governments from creating anti-discrimination regulations that are stricter than the state’s and repealed a Nashville city ordinance barring companies that discriminate against gays and lesbians from doing business with the city. Nashville’s ordinance was broader than the state’s anti-discrimination laws, which only cover race, creed, color, religion, sex, age or national origin.

Attorney Abby Rubenfeld, who represents three Nashville councilmember and other residents of the city in the lawsuit, filed the lawsuit last Monday after the bill was signed into law in May. She said the text of the statute is written broadly enough that it could render invalid anti-bullying and harassment policies enacted by school boards that include sexual orientation or gender identity.

Full Story from The Republic

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: Gay Community Fired Up Over Anti Gay Law

Sunday, June 19th, 2011

A state law that blocked a Nashville law protecting employees from being fired for sexual orientation has galvanized the gay and lesbian community, according to groups at the 23rd annual Nashville Pride Festival today.

Hundreds gathered today along downtown’s Riverfront Park to browse vendor booths, listen to bands and mingle in a celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people and culture throughout Middle Tennessee.

Chris Sanders, president of Tennessee Equality Project, said the state law blocking cities from prohibiting employee discrimination puts the battle for gay rights in the same place that the fights for civil rights for blacks and women once reached.

Full Story from The Tennessean

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: Lawsuit Filed Against New Anti Gay Law

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

A lawsuit has been filed against the bill recently signed into law by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam prohibiting local municipalities from enacting their own non-discrimination statues and forcing them to rely on state law, the National Center for Lesbian Rights reports, in a press release:

A group of local elected officials, individuals, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights organizations filed a lawsuit today in Davidson County Chancery Court, challenging the state’s recent passage of House Bill 600, which prohibits local municipalities and counties, including local school districts, from enacting local laws or school policies that protect gay and transgender people against discrimination. The bill was passed earlier this year, just weeks after Nashville added sexual orientation and gender identity to an existing local anti-discrimination law. The new law also prohibits localities from protecting any other group that is not already protected under state law, which would include veterans and people with disabilities, among others.

According to the complaint filed today: “HB600 embodies an animus toward gay and transgender people so strong that the Tennessee legislature was willing to repeal policies protecting students against bullying and harassment and to make other groups suffer as well, merely to prevent gay and transgender citizens from obtaining needed protections.”

Full Story from

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

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TN: Governor Who Signed Anti Gay Bill Not Anti Gay???

Thursday, May 26th, 2011

Governor Bill HaslamOn Tuesday, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed HB600, an anti-gay bill prohibiting local municipalities from enacting their own non-discrimination statutes and forcing them to rely on state law.

The new law voids a Nashville ordinance barring companies that discriminate against gays and lesbians from doing business with the city.

…

Claims Haslam to the reporter: “We’re not in favor of discrimination in any form at all. We encourage businesses to put that into their policies themselves. We just think that businesses should get to decide for themselves what they have in their policies.”

Full Story from Towleroad.com

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: Gay Groups to File Lawsuit Over Anti Gay Law

Wednesday, May 25th, 2011

Gay legal activists are already working on a legal challenge to a new state law in Tennessee, signed into law Monday by Republican Governor Bill Haslam, which prevents local governments from requiring their contractors to abide by local human rights ordinances.

The legislation, entitled the “Equal Access to Intrastate Commerce Act,” was aimed at undermining a new Nashville metro area ordinance, signed into law in April. The ordinance prohibited city contractors from discriminating based on sexual orientation and gender identity. It was passed by the Nashville/Davidson County Metro Council.

Abby Rubenfeld, a Nashville attorney and a former legal director of Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, said Tuesday that the new state law will “definitely be challenged–we are working on it right now.”

Full Story from Keen News Service

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: Governor Signs Anti Gay Bill Repealing Nashville’s Gay Rights Ordinance

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

The TN Chamber of Commerce, once of the forces behind anti-gay and anti-trans legislation that repeals a gay/trans civil rights ordinance in Nashville, and bans Tennessee cities from passing any civil rights legislation ever again, has just switched gears and is now opposing the bill.

Unfortunately, the Republican governor just signed the law.

Here is the Chamber’s statement:

“The Tennessee Chamber supports a standard regulatory environment at the state level as opposed to potentially conflicting local regulations covering employment practices. That principle was the only interest the Chamber had in this bill. Because HB600/SB632 has turned into a debate on diversity and inclusiveness–principles which we support–we are now officially opposing this legislation in its present form.”

Full Story from AmericaBlog

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: OK to Say Gay Rally Promotes Tolerence in Schools

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

A controversial measure nicknamed the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” may have passed in the state house, but one local group is launching a worldwide effort to see that it doesn’t become law. The campaign, “It’s OK to Say Gay” held a rally at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church in Knoxville Sunday.

They want to defeat the so called “Don’t Say Gay bill, but organizers of the “It’s OK to Say Gay” rally are also working on their grassroots campaign to promote safety in schools. And not just for homosexuals, but for any student who feels bullied or harassed. “Bullying isn’t acceptable and tolerance is something that should be practiced from kindergarten all the way up,” said campaign chairman Devon Hicks.

A message that these activists say is threatened by the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Which would forbid teachers from discussing homosexuality in the classroom.

Full Story from Volunteer TV

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: United Health Comes Out Against Gay Marriage Ban

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

I’m beginning to wonder just who did support this legislation, since the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce very much supported the legislation and very much lobbied for it. And UnitedHealth is on the chamber’s board. I’ve never seen so many board members so allegedly clueless about their own organization is doing. Here’s UnitedHealth’s statement:

UnitedHealth Group Statement on Workplace Equality

UnitedHealth Group believes in recruiting and retaining a workforce that mirrors the multicultural communities we serve. A mix of different backgrounds and perspectives helps us develop strong products and programs our customers need. As part of that commitment, UnitedHealth Group supports and offers domestic partner benefits. We did not lobby for nor support Tennessee SB632/HB600.

Full Story From AmericaBlog

Click here for gay marriage resources.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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TN: Nissan Clarifies Stance on Anti Gay Bill, Sort Of

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Nissan in TennesseeThe dam has burst. Companies are now lining up to explain their involvement in the hateful repeal of Nashville’s civil rights ordinance. We’ve received confusing statements from both FedEx and AT&T, and now we’ve received a contradictory statement from Nissan, which chairs the board of the organization that repealed the gay/trans civil rights bill.

The following statement is being issued in response to your recent blog posts concerning HB600/SB632 here in Tennessee. You may attribute this directly to me:

“Nissan has a long-standing commitment to providing a diverse, inclusive work environment for all stakeholders, including those who are gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgender.

Full Story from AmericaBlog

Click here for gay marriage resources in Tennessee.

To subscribe to this blog, use the rss feed on the right, or use the form at right to join our email list. You can also email us at info@purpleunions.com. Or find us on Facebook – just search for Gay Marriage Watch (you’ll see our b/w wedding pic overlooking the Ferry Building and Bay Bridge in SF). We’re also tweeting daily at http://www.twitter.com/gaymarriagewatc.

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