My sister lives in Tennessee where the big to-do is this week over banning gays. She has been involved with local and state issues for years, and here’s what she had to say about the whole thing.
This one commissioner proposed a measure to enact an ordinance banning gays from living in Rhea County, passed 8 – 0 with 2 people out. Now some of the other commissioners are saying they thought he just meant marriages but the state already had that law and yesterday the senate judiciary committee voted 7-1 for a bill that would prohibit legal recognition of same-sex civil unions and domestic partnerships.
Not only that but the county attorney (very bright man) said he would find out or look up the proper wording which makes us look even dumber.
According to the USA Today Rhea County is considered one of the most conservative counties in Tennessee, we go from the Monkey trial fiasco to the Bible Education mess last year, we spend more money defending these people, the Bible study was on personal time at your own preference they just said it couldn’t be done at the schools.
Oh well, does that make it clear…just a bunch of us rednecks looking for more excitement.
I think the biggest issue in the whole thing is the amount of money local governments and school boards end up paying to deal with these situations in the courts. Which is what many activists (both sides) understand and play on. Sooner or later one side folds rather than spending all that time and money.