State of Tennessee Archives: on Civil Rights
Marquita Bradshaw:
Against overturning rights, especially of LGBTQ+
I won't vote for any judicial nominees who want to turn back the clock on anyone's rights, especially the LGBTQ+ community. Being deprived of housing, jobs, and healthcare because of your gender identity or sexual orientation - that is a death sentence.
I am committed to serving all hardworking families with common-sense policies of transparency and accountability-dignity and fairness for all.
Source: 2020 Tennessee Senate campaign website MarquitaBradshaw.com
Aug 26, 2020
Marquita Bradshaw:
Calling for unity without addressing racism is a band-aid
Calling for unity without addressing racism will be a band-aid on a wound that needs 400 years of stitches in the American fabric. No more band-aid fixes. Hold this space of dissonance of publicly demonstrating so we can get justice for all.
Understanding that making policies to address racism is an investment in moving to have justice in police accountability, the criminal justice system, the health care system, the environment, the green new infrastructure, and the economic system.
Source: Sierra Club 2020 Tennessee Senate endorsement
Jun 19, 2020
ACLU:
Fight to defend Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling
Nearly four years after the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal throughout the US, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee introduced a bill aimed at banning gay marriage in the state. The "Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act," which was first
proposed in 2016, seeks to "defend natural marriage between one man and one woman regardless of any court decision to the contrary."One obstacle is the state's LGBTQ community and its allies, who banded together in 2017 to prevent the bill's
passage. "Tennesseans who are in committed same-sex relationships simply want to be treated with the same dignity and respect as everyone else," the executive director of the ACLU in Tennessee, said. "A handful of state legislators cannot nullify the
law of the land and drive our state backward simply because they wish to discriminate. The ACLU of Tennessee, along with many partners, will be working hard to defeat this narrow-minded, blatantly unconstitutional legislation."
Source: NBC News on Tennessee voting record SD-022
Feb 12, 2019
Mark E. Green:
Overturn Supreme Court's same-sex marriage ruling
Nearly four years after the Supreme Court made same-sex marriage legal throughout the U.S., Republican lawmakers in Tennessee introduced a bill aimed at banning gay marriage in the state. The "Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act," which was first
proposed in 2016, seeks to "defend natural marriage between one man and one woman regardless of any court decision to the contrary." The bill, which was reintroduced this week, would deem the Supreme Court's decision in
Obergefell v. Hodges "unauthoritative, void, and of no effect."Mark E. Green co-sponsored the 2017 equivalent bill, SD-022, on 3/15/2017, also entitled the "Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act" which states the policy of
Tennessee to defend natural marriage between one man and one woman regardless of any court decision to the contrary.
Legislative outcome: No vote in 2017; reintroduced in 2019.
Source: NBC News on Tennessee voting record SD-022
Feb 12, 2019
Marsha Blackburn:
Let people of faith withhold services to gay couples
Q: Can businesses withhold services to same-sex couples?Marsha Blackburn (R): Yes. "People of faith should be free to practice their beliefs."
Phil Bredesen (D): No. Gay people should not be subjected to indignities when seeking goods and services in an open market.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Tennessee Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
Phil Bredesen:
Disallow withholding services to same-sex couples
Q: Can businesses withhold services to same-sex couples?Marsha Blackburn (R): Yes. "People of faith should be free to practice their beliefs."
Phil Bredesen (D): No. Gay people should not be subjected to indignities when seeking goods and services in an open market.
Source: 2018 CampusElect.org Issue Guide on Tennessee Senate race
Oct 9, 2018
James Mackler:
Fight for LGBT rights
Politics and religion have long been the rivals of the LGBT community. The two have even been known to team up against the community, but thanks to people like James and Shana Mackler, some political and religious realms are working alongside
those fighting for LGBT rights. The Macklers have both been fighting for equality for quite some time now. Both grew up being taught important principles such as service, justice, and compassion, which bled over into their professional lives.
Source: Out & About Nashville on 2018 Tennessee Senate race
Jun 7, 2018
Bill Haslam:
Remove Confederate statues from state capitol
Nathan Bedford Forrest's bust in the state capitol has become particularly controversial. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says the monument to the Confederate general turned Ku Klux Klan leader should be removed, that Forrest doesn't
deserve "honor at the Capitol." Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., disagrees."I don't think that we should begin removing all the history that our children will learn by, I think we have to leave history to be history and let it be a lesson."
Source: Washington Examiner on 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial race
Aug 22, 2017
Diane Black:
Confederate statues are part of history
Nathan Bedford Forrest's bust in the state capitol has become particularly controversial. Republican Gov. Bill Haslam says the monument to the Confederate general turned Ku Klux Klan leader should be removed, that Forrest doesn't
deserve "honor at the Capitol." Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., disagrees."I don't think that we should begin removing all the history that our children will learn by, I think we have to leave history to be history and let it be a lesson."
Source: Washington Examiner on 2018 Tennessee gubernatorial race
Aug 22, 2017
David Kustoff:
Marriage is between a man and a woman
Standing for West Tennessee Values: I will always fight for the West Tennessee values we so strongly believe in.
I believe life begins at conception, I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, and I believe we have an unequivocal constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
Source: 2016 Tennessee House campaign website KustoffForCongress.com
Nov 8, 2016
Karl Dean:
First in Tennessee to join Mayors for the Freedom to Marry
Tennessee may have the distinction of having the first judge to rule in favor of a same-sex marriage ban, but it also now has the mayor from its capital city announcing support for same-sex marriage.Nashville Mayor Karl Dean became the state's first
mayor to join the Mayors for the Freedom to Marry campaign, a coalition of around 500 mayors "who are making the case for marriage for same-sex couples in their communities," according to a release from the campaign earlier today.
The campaign now boasts at least one mayor from every Southern state.
"I believe that all people should be treated fairly and equally and that their individual dignity should be respected," said Nashville Mayor
Karl Dean in a statement. "Embracing and celebrating our growing diversity makes our city stronger. Nashville needs to continue in that direction, and it's my hope that joining this effort will help us do that."
Source: Memphis Flyer on 2018 Tennessee governor race
Aug 21, 2014
Gordon Ball:
Pro-gay rights
Both Adams and Ball are in sync with contemporary Democrats on issues like women's rights and support for gays.
Both are for raising the minimum wage and for expansion of Medicaid and protection of Medicare and Social Security from privatization schemes.
Source: Memphis Flyer on 2014 Tennessee Senate race
Aug 6, 2014
Terry Adams:
Pro-gay rights
Both Adams and Ball are in sync with contemporary Democrats on issues like women's rights and support for gays.
Both are for raising the minimum wage and for expansion of Medicaid and protection of Medicare and Social Security from privatization schemes.
Source: Memphis Flyer on 2014 Tennessee Senate race
Aug 6, 2014
Lamar Alexander:
Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act: heal ugly scars of the past
Alexander introduced the Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, which would establish a special section within the Department of Justice and a new FBI office to investigate these cases to bring the guilty to justice."This bill should help to heal some of
the ugly scars of the past," said Alexander. "It reminds us that equal opportunity is at the front of our goals in the United States of America, and we'll work long and hard to try to achieve those goals.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2010 Tennessee Senate incumbents
Oct 4, 2008
Page last updated: Oct 14, 2021