TN Senate Republican Caucus Rushes to Defend "Turn the Gays Away" Bill with Stale Facts and Bad Logic
The internet is abuzz (at least in Tennessee) with news of a bill filed by Sen. Brian Kelsey R-Germantown and Rep. Bill Dunn R-Knoxville. Dubbed the "Turn the Gays Away" bill by the Tennessee Equality Project, the proposed legislation: permits persons and religious or denominational organizations, based on sincere religious belief, to refuse to provide services or goods in furtherance of a civil union, domestic partnership, or marriage not recognized by the Tennessee Constitution. Put simply, SB 2566/HB 2467 gives businesses free reign to deny services (any service!) to couples or individuals who are in a committed relationship, based solely on the nature of that relationship. Ignoring for the moment that, under current state law, they already have that right (I'll get to that shortly), this bill is essentially a knee-jerk reaction to the slow but steady advances we're making on the Equality front in TN. It's political posturing and butthurt backlash. Kno