Bills targeting LGBTQ Tennesseans have encountered obstacles in the statehouse this week, after similar measures sped through the General Assembly earlier in the session.
Marianna Bacallao, All Things Considered Host
Marianna Bacallao (mary-AH-nuh bahk-uh-YOW) is a Cuban American journalist and the new afternoon host for Nashville Public Radio. Before coming to Nashville, she was the morning host and general assignment reporter for WVIK Quad Cities NPR, where she hosted through a record-breaking wind storm that caused statewide power outages. A Georgia native, she was a contributor to Georgia Public Broadcasting during her undergrad years and served as editor-in-chief for Mercer University’s student newspaper.
‘Love Rising’ concert rallies Maren Morris, Jason Isbell and other big names opposed to Tennessee’s drag restrictions
Thousands turned out to Bridgestone Arena on Monday for the “Love Rising” benefit concert in Nashville, which brought together prominent singer-songwriters and drag queens and kings in an all-ages setting. Events like this will be prohibited starting April 1 following the Republican-led state legislature’s passage of new restrictions.
Neo-Nazis threatened a drag show at a Cookeville bar. Now the bar is facing eviction.
A drag show at a local brewery in Cookeville drew neo-Nazis and right-wing protesters with semi-automatic rifles. Now, the bar that hosted the event is getting evicted, and LGBTQ members say local law enforcement is using them as scapegoats.
Tennessee Senate Speaker Randy McNally says his voting record is not anti-LGBTQ, following national backlash
McNally says he’ll be taking a pause from social media, after drawing national attention for his comments on a young gay man’s provocative photos.
‘Hot chicken, not hate’: Advocates rally against the rise of anti-LGBTQ legislation in Tennessee
Tennessee has enacted more anti-LGBTQ laws than any other state, according to the Human Rights Campaign. The advocacy organization hosted a rally Thursday night in protest at one of downtown Nashville’s few remaining queer bars.
In the wake of Tennessee’s drag ban, Knoxville will have a march instead of a parade this Pride
As the measure banning drag shows in public made its way through the Tennessee Legislature, Knoxville Pride threatened to cancel its festival if it passed. But Knox Pride’s director now says they will have a celebration — even if it’s a march instead of a parade.
Gov. Bill Lee signs into law a ban on drag shows. Performers say it’s too subjective.
Lee signed the measure Thursday afternoon, just hours after it passed in the Senate. Lee also signed a measure banning gender-affirming medical care for trans youth.
Tennessee has passed a ban on gender-affirming health care for trans kids. The bill’s exceptions may only exist on paper.
Transgender youth may soon no longer be able to access gender-affirming health care. A ban on medical transitioning for minors has passed the Tennessee General Assembly and is on its way to the governor’s desk.
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