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The Republican governor of Tennessee wishes the "don't say gay" bill would just go away, even though it's proposed by members of his own party. Gov. Bill Haslam told WPLN that the bill "is not something I think is particularly helpful or needed right now." And he says that belief has been shared directly with Rep. Joey Hensley, the sponsor of the bill.
The Republican governor of Tennessee wishes the "don't say gay" bill would just go away, even though it's proposed by members of his own party.
Gov. Bill Haslam told WPLN that the bill "is not something I think is particularly helpful or needed right now." And he says that belief has been shared directly with Rep. Joey Hensley, the sponsor of the bill.
Haslam predicted last year that the bill would never pass. It had won approval in the Senate, but the House ran out of time. And ever since it resurfaced this year, Haslam has frequently called on the House Education Subcommittee to "lay aside" the measure to focus on other priorities.
"It's no secret we've been part of talks there, and I've said from the very beginning I think there's better things for the legislature to occupy themselves with right now," Haslam toldNewsChannel 5 in February. "We would love to see the legislature focus on some other issues right now."
So far, there are no signs that House Republicans are listening to Haslam.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
Tracy E. Gilchrist is the VP, Executive Producer of Entertainment for the Advocate Channel. A media veteran, she writes about the intersections of LGBTQ+ equality and pop culture. Previously, she was the editor-in-chief of The Advocate and the first feminism editor for the 55-year-old brand. In 2017, she launched the company's first podcast, The Advocates. She is an experienced broadcast interviewer, panel moderator, and public speaker who has delivered her talk, "Pandora's Box to Pose: Game-changing Visibility in Film and TV," at universities throughout the country.
