First Same-Sex Marriage Performed In Tennessee In 2007

By Kleinheider Posted on May 11, 2009 at 7:56 pm

The Clarksville Leaf Chronicle reports that Jo T. Rittenberry and Jeffery Scott Phillips, both male, were married in November 2007 in Davidson County.

Rittenberry, born male, presented a Tennessee driver’s license identifying her as female to get the marriage license. The Tennessee license was based on a Kentucky-issued birth certificate she had had changed after an alleged surgical procedure.

That procedure was called into question in March when Rittenberry was arrested on unrelated fraud and assault charges and booked in a Montgomery County Jail. When officials patted down Rittenberry they determined her to be biologically male.

Regardless of whether Rittenberry is biologically male or female, the marriage is invalid. For the purpose of a marriage license, gender cannot be changed in the state of Tennessee.

UPDATE: Much more in today’s Clarksville paper.

When asked if Rittenberry had male or female genitalia, Phillips paused and repeated, “To me, she’s a woman.”

permalink | 3 Comments

Tags: gay, gay marriage, Jeffery Scott Phillips, Jo T. Rittenberry, same-sex marriage, transgender  

Palin Baits The Hook

By Kleinheider Posted on October 20, 2008 at 11:25 pm

Chris Sanders is none too pleased that Sarah Palin has decided to unburden her soul on the subject of gay marriage:

Her position shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given her remarks during the vice presidential debate. But it’s still disappointing. I have to give some credit to John McCain. He’s a federalist who thinks the issue ought to be decided at the state level, and I don’t think he wants this campaign to be about bullying the GLBT community or immigrants or any other outsider group. But someone in the campaign has decided that it would be a good idea to allow Palin to talk about the issue. The next two weeks are going to be rough.

permalink | 2 Comments

Tags: gay marriage, Sarah Palin  

Welcome To The World Of She Doesn’t Have A Choice

By Kleinheider Posted on August 17, 2008 at 1:59 pm

Chris Sanders is upset with 12 District state Senate candidate Becky Ruppe for coming out against gay marriage:

Ruppe’s ad is pernicious for at least one of two reasons. Either she is misleading the voters into thinking that marriage is an issue in Tennessee or she is whipping up prejudice against GLBT people to bolster her conservative credentials.

Or, recognizing that she is a woman running in a conservative, rural district, Ruppe is doing everything she can to try and keep this potentially swing district in Democratic hands.

permalink | 1 Comment

Tags: Becky Ruppe, gay marriage, Ken Yager, Tommy Kilby