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.”

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

The God-Fearing

By Kleinheider Posted on December 28, 2008 at 11:19 pm

Chris Sanders tries to wake up Rick Warren to the fact that not all those who advocate for gay rights are “Christophobic”:

Religious diversity is as much a part of the GLBT community as any other segment of the community. If there seems to be more of a gap, perhaps that’s because the loudest voices in American Christianity have been at the front of the line in opposing our rights. But Warren doesn’t speak for Christianity and he doesn’t have a broad enough constituency (millions of copies of poorly written books notwithstanding) to say that anyone who disagrees with him is Christophobic.

We’re not afraid of Christ, Mr. Warren. We’re afraid of the effects of your divisive rhetoric. You would do well to take a page from the president-elect by reaching out more and stop making up fear-based disorders.

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Tags: Christophobic, gay, Rick Warren  

Tennesseans Calling In Gay Need To Watch Their Back

By Kleinheider Posted on December 10, 2008 at 7:59 am

Chris Sanders explains why folks participating in “Day Without A Gay” need be careful:

The Tennessee Equality Project gave our local committees around the State the option of organizing something for the day, but they decided not to because they didn’t think that it supported the political goals of their communities. Advising people to call in gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender is a recipe for getting fired in many parts of the State since we lack federal, state, or local protections for sexual orientation and gender identity.

I think to be effective boycotts like this have to be focused. Having led a successful business-related action when Kroger and Harris-Teeter pulled Out & About Newspaper from their racks, TEP prefers to advise action that is locally adapted and focused on positive action. By urging volunteering, Day Without a Gay actually has a lot of potential. There ought to be a day of service when GLBT people are visible serving causes in their communities. But connecting it to calling out of work simply isnt effective in some of the redder regions of the country.

SEE ALSO:
Newscoma
Say Uncle
Moderate Voice
Sean Braisted

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Tags: Day Without a Gay, gay, GLBT, Homosexual, Out & About, Tennessee Equality Project  

Gay Libertarians Start A Nashville Chapter

By Kleinheider Posted on August 5, 2008 at 7:36 am

Via Chris Sanders:

Unlike our friends in the Stonewall Democrats and Log Cabin Republicans, Outright Libertarians have broad based support in the our party and need not fight for basic recognition of our equal status in society. In the Libertarian Party, GLBTQ individuals start with the assumption of equal status and equality under the law.

In contrast to other parties, the Libertarian Party has included sexual rights, including equal marriage and adoption, equal military service, and the end of sodomy laws, ever since its first national platform in 1972. We’re very happy with our party and its platform, our main job is to reach out to the LGBT community to explain why Libertarians offer better solutions to our community than any of the other political parties.

SEE ALSO: LPTN

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Tags: Afraid to Google to find out what the Q stands for, gay, Libertarian, Outright