Protestors Gather at Ray Condray Mayoral Announcement
[Jackson, Tennessee, Feb 04] Because of recent legislation being introduced in the Tennessee General Assembly, protestors gathered in support of the LGBTQ+ community at Ray Condray’s announcement of his campaign for mayor at Jackson City Hall. His campaign directly stated his conservative Christian values align with Rep. Chris Todd (R-TN) and his involvement in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, such as SB1/HB1 and SB3/HB8, both bills relating to banning gender-affirming care for minors and drag performances.
More than a dozen protestors organized the night before the event to make signs, share posts, and spread the word. Many of them believe that the wording is extreme and can potentially lead to the persecution of transgender individuals and beyond in their home state.
Debbie Swacker, a 66-year-old retired business owner and current President of the Madison Area Democratic Women, attempted to question Rep. Todd, but was met with significant resistance and silence. “It’s very unfortunate to be represented in Nashville by a man who refuses to engage in a conversation with his constituents about legislation he has sponsored. Representative Todd is clearly more concerned about being a foot soldier for Governor Lee’s agenda targeting marginalized communities rather than addressing the needs of the people he was elected to represent. Our community has real quality of life problems which Todd chooses to ignore, focusing instead on advancing legislation that will in fact be harmful,” Swacker said.
Another attendee, Genevieve Stoop, 28, cofounder of West Tennessee LGBTQ+ Support, wants to advocate for equity and equality as much as possible. “Acceptance for everyone is what we fight for, even for those whose beliefs don’t match ours, if someone is not being harmed, whether it be emotional or physical. West Tennessee LGBTQ+ Support is here to fight for everyone and basic human decency, which is just the bare minimum to start,” Stoop said.
West Tennessee LGBTQ+ Support is an organization dedicated to educating, empowering and enlightening the LGBTQ+ community across West Tennessee with resources, aid and options.
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