CELEBRATING A COMMUNITY OF LOVE, CREATIVITY & JOY
CELEBRATING A COMMUNITY OF LOVE, CREATIVITY & JOY
Connecting people to opportunities, services, & resources to enrich & enhance the multi-faceted LGBTQ+ community.
inclusiontn.org
June is a celebration of Pride. This month is dedicated to uplifting and celebrating those in our communities and our families who have somehow been forced to hide who they are. The month of June is hugely significant for the LGBTQ+ community because they symbolize a massive change that has shifted in our culture towards inclusion and acceptance in just a couple of decades. Although we still see a lack of justice, significant prejudice, and many freedoms being chipped away against our community –we have made great strides since the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and those historic demands for change prior.
Over these past few months, there have been many conversations about justice in our communities and what it really means, from the hallowed halls of the State Legislature to the streets of communities from Bordeaux to Berry Hill and beyond. The movement for justice is not just isolated to one people group but to all of those who have been discriminated against, disenfranchised, and oppressed. As Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in the Letter from the Birmingham Jail,
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.”
Our work at inclusion tennessee is intrinsically tied to the idea that equity, diversity, and inclusion are critical aspects that bend toward the moral arc of justice.
This Pride Month rings slightly different for me, especially when I think about this past legislative session in Tennessee and the persistent and consistent attacks on my beloved community. Our transgender community
throughout Tennessee and in many states across the United States has been at the brunt of consistent attacks for just wanting to live – the lack of understanding and love shown to such a small percentage of the population has been astounding to me. Our LGBTQ+ youth throughout the country feel less welcome and comfortable just simply existing; we as a community must do better.
We can do better, when we take our dreams of a new future, a collective future – that does not dwell on the sins of our past or those that continue to harm us but as one community where our aspirations are inclusive and reflect the brilliant diversity of people that make up Tennessee, the South, and these United States. We are a beautiful mosaic of people that must be celebrated and honored.
inclusion tennessee is committed to an intersectional movement of justice, freedom, and equity for all. Together, we can create a Tennessee where everyone is welcome and valued for who they are and what they offer to our community.
Happy Pride, Phil Cobucci Executive Director + Founder Inclusion Tennessee
President
I write to you today to express my deep appreciation for the beauty and diversity that you bring to our state. Your presence, your stories, and your strength in the face of adversity have made our community stronger and more compassionate. You have shown us what it truly means to be forged in the crucible of difference and emerge stronger, more resilient, and more determined than ever before.
It takes courage to be who you are in a world that is often unforgiving and unaccepting, in a world that often prefers to see you as figments of their imaginations. But in Tennessee, you have done just that. You have stood up for yourselves and for each other, fighting for your right to love who you choose, be who you truly are, and advocating for a world where all people can live and thrive. And for that, I am sincerely grateful.
As a member of this community, I know firsthand how important it is to be seen and understood. It is a fundamental human need. And while there is still much work to
be done in terms of equality, I want you to know that you are seen, you are valued, you are loved, and you matter.
We must move forward together as one, united in our commitment to creating a more just and equitable society for all. We must stand up for each other and support each other. We must celebrate our differences, including the unique intersections of our identities, and recognize that they are what make us strong.
In the face of adversity, we have the power to create change. We have the power to make a difference in the lives of those around us. We have the power to create a world where every person is seen, understood, and valued for who they truly are.
So let us continue to work together. Let us celebrate the beauty and diversity of our community and use it as a source of strength and inspiration. Let us move forward together as one, creating a brighter, more inclusive future for ourselves and for generations to come.
Thank you for being a part of this community. Thank you for being brave and unapologetically yourself. You matter and you are not alone.
Sincerely,
Dawn Cornelius Board President Inclusion Tennessee
With a 100% rating from the Healthcare Equality Index, Vanderbilt Health’s VIVID Health program provides a safe, welcoming place to find high-quality, multi-disciplinary care for adults of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
To make an appointment, call 615-875-4287 (615-87-LGBTQ) or visit VanderbiltHealth.com/VIVID
inclusion tennessee was conceived following a one-year community needs assessment of the LGBTQ+ community throughout Middle Tennessee in 2019. This community assessment engaged over two-thousand people throughout the mid-state to understand what LGBTQ+ people in this region needed to thrive.
The Community Needs Assessment commissioned by Nashville Pride, referred to as the Community Visioning Project, clearly identified many unmet needs within our community. these ranged from having access to affirming and fully inclusive healthcare to having safe social environments outside of nightlife. the Community Visioning Project recommendations were released at the end of 2019, sharing five specific solutions that could be created by our then-current LGBTQ+ organizations. The charge was placed on the community, and the research continued into the new year. Following
the shutdown and a year and a half of struggles throughout Nashville, fifteen individuals came together in August 2021 to form inclusion tennessee. The organization is on a mission to connect people, opportunities, and resources to enrich and enhance the lives of the multi-faceted LGBTQ+ community.
With partnerships both nationally and throughout the state, we are working tirelessly to develop more awareness around the lived experience of LGBTQ+ people. Still, there is so much that needs to be done to ensure that every member of our community can thrive. This is a fundamental shift in how our community works; it requires small steps towards an audacious, attainable vision with set specific goals.
We believe that by developing impact-oriented initiatives, we can live in a place where we all belong and thrive.
We believe health care should be inclusive, compassionate, and equitable.
“All LGBTQ+ people deserve equal access to care. We flourish when we are well.”
ble populations of young adults 18-26 and older adults 50+.
“Everyone has a seat at the table in our work to create an equitable and justice oriented world.”
will be able to create greater collective impact in and for our people.
We are building health and wellness programs that are rooted in traditional and western medical practices, while also understanding that wellness moves beyond these means and can cover our spiritual and mental health, our social wellbeing and our safety.
In addition to this, we are also actively developing programming that is focused on the vulnera-
The programs we are developing will be informed by research completed this summer during our 2023 Summer Study with Vanderbilt University’s LGBTQ Policy Lab, Vanderbilty University Medical Center’s VIVID Health and inclusion tennessee.
Take the survey with us at one of the local Pride events this June! Learn more at www.inclusiontn.org/flourish
Through strategic partnerships, we are bringing together community organizations, both young and long standing, to engage in conversations on how we can work together to create greater impact for the LGBTQ+ community. By working together, we
Every organization that has a desire and willingness to serve the LGBTQ+ population is offered a seat at the table, join us at www.inclusiontn.org/embrace
“Everyone deserves access to safe space. It is paramount to our ability to thrive”
Nashville falls within the Top 20 largest cities in the United States, yet, it is the ONLY city in that list that does not have a dedicated LGBTQ+ community center operating from morning to night for the full depth and breadth of the community needs. It is time that changed.
As Nashville continues to grow, the needs our community members evolve and we see that
programs, services and resources for our diverse populations are necessary. From spaces for learning to safe gathering opportunities to engaging in art, or learning a new skill, a community center specifically dedicated to LGBTQ+ people can provide respite and safety, and an overarching sense of welcome and care that could not be found elsewhere.
See our latest research at www.inclusiontn.org/gather
Aimee Sadler
Olivia Blake
Jordan Constantine
Chris Ott
Joseph Woodson
Dawn Cornelius
JP Yarbrough
Del Ray Zimmerman
Marcia Masulla
Hal Cato
Pam Kelner
Quinton Walker
I’ll be honest. Just existing as a queer Tennessean has felt like a living hell lately. I’m grateful I have healthy ways to cope with this experience, and there’s no greater tool I’ve found to deal with this pain and frustration than sharing music with my LGBTQ+ family.
Ever since I started hosting Proud Radio on Apple Music Country in 2020, I’ve had the chance to platform LGBTQ+ artists from around the world. In that time, the queer space in country and Americana/folk music has exploded, and there is now more music than ever for me to choose from when I’m putting together my show and the 50-song playlist that accompanies it every month.
Working on this show is a balm for me. It’s an oasis and a healer when I feel the despair of living under a government that is actively working to strip me of my rights to live where I want to live, enjoy the legal protections of marriage with my husband, and ultimately force me back into the closet. Being unable to live my life publicly as a gay man af-
ter I’ve known the freedom of being my authentic self is a fate worse than death, and the lawmakers in Tennessee know it. What’s worse, they welcome that hopeless outcome for our community.
The stakes could not be higher for queer people in our state right now, and I would not make it without the solidarity and encouragement I draw from queer artists living and making music right here in Nashville at this critical time. That’s why I want to platform five of those musicians who are showing up as their authentic selves at a time when the queer community needs to see themselves represented in the public sphere more than ever before. Follow them on social media. Go see their live shows. Stream their music. Tell your friends about them. Buy a t-shirt from them. And if you like what they’re doing, shoot them a DM or comment on their posts, sharing the inspiration you get from their music. Your kind words and feedback will also encourage them to keep sharing their experience in song.
Denitia is an incredibly adventurous musician who melded multiple genres into her own free-wheeling style during her decade or so, making music in New York before recently moving to Music City. Originally hailing from a small town in Texas, Denitia grew up listening to country music and attending rodeos in her free time, but it wasn’t a big part of her own musical output until now. With her latest album, Highways, Denitia incorporates those early country/folk influences into her sound. The result is a thoughtful, thought-provoking, and altogether organic approach to the country/folk style that has earned Denitia high-profile features from CMT. Check out my interview with Denitia on episode 37 of Proud Radio for more insight into her experience as a black, queer, southern woman.
Essential Tracks: “Highways” & “I Want to Live” Instagram: @denitiadenitia
Izzy Heltai recently made the move from his native Massachusetts to Nashville after a well-received showcase at Americana Fest in 2021. Before performing “All of This Beauty” at the Love Rising concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena in March, Izzy shared how vital receiving gender-affirming care as a teenager had been to his journey and very survival as a trans man. Bringing a unique worldview to his music, Izzy’s lyrics address the mix of anxiety and joy queer folks feel as we navigate a hostile world while trying to find love and celebrating the beauty of our LGBTQ+ community. Catch Izzy on the road this summer, playing some of the nation’s biggest music festivals.
Essential Tracks: “My Old Friends” and “Day Plan” Instagram: @izzyhelati
Nashville native MORGXN has developed his own style of alternative pop as an emerging artist collaborating with the likes of Sara Bareilles and Walk the Moon after spending his early years on the Broadway stage as a cast member of the Tony Award-winning musical, Spring Awakening. Now living in his hometown once again, MORGXN’s queerness is front and center in his social media presence, music, and performances at Nashville LGBTQ+ events like the Have a Heart rally at the Tennessee State Capitol this past Valentine’s Day. He’s truly living out the lyrics of his latest single, “Beacon,” which you must check out if you need encouragement to keep fighting the good fight for queer rights.
Essential Tracks: “Beacon” and “Wonder” with Sara Bareilles Instagram: @morgxnofficial
Crys Matthews’ musical blend of country, folk, and activism is made for this moment in Tennessee. Hailing from North Carolina, Crys moved to Nashville with her partner Heather Mae in early 2022. Since then, she immediately jumped in and raised her voice in protest of the anti-LGBTQ+ legislation with thrilling live performances and in her efforts offstage, helping organize and carry out the queer community’s response. Crys has also been raising hell for women’s reproductive rights with her new track, “Sister’s Keeper.”
New music is on the way, but Crys’s essential 2021 album, Changemakers, is a defiant call to keep fighting for the as-yet-unrealized promise of American freedom and equality. The title track was Folk Alliance’s 2021 Song of the Year at the International Folk Music Awards, and the project’s closing rack, “Hope Revolution,” has inspired me as we keep working towards justice for all in Tennessee.
Essential Tracks: “Changemakers” and “Sister’s Keeper”
Instagram: @crysmatthews
If mainstream country music was still in the business of capturing the American experience with a clever turn of phrase and an original point of view, then Chris Housman would be a superstar. A whip-smart wordsmith with a keen, queer perspective on the world, Chris’s songs regularly go viral on TikTok, including his latest slice of queer life, “Drag Queen.”
Chris’s 2020 track, “Blueneck,” offers a look at the confusion of being a modern country queer in the south and hit number one on the Apple Music Country Songs download chart upon its release. Chris reckons with the seeming incompatibility of his religious upbringing and his homosexuality on the incisive “Bible Belt.” This is country music that doesn’t ask you to check your brain at the door, and you’ll need a few listens to pick up all the wordplay Chris bakes into his lyrics.
Essential Tracks: “Bible Belt” and “Blueneck”
Instagram: @chrishousmanmusic
Next door to Mickey’s Tavern in East Nashville, there is a multipurpose music venue thriving on the second floor. This marvelous, modest room is tucked away, right off Gallatin, located above The Fox in the back of the black brick building. Climb the flight of exterior stairs with wrought-iron railings you will find yourself in a community-centered, queer-owned listening lounge and vintage store called The Bowery Vault.
The name is a nod to legendary venues like CBGB and Rockwood Music Hall. The Bowery Vault is meant to evoke a scene—a lowkey spot where music lovers can catch a local show and a drink and discover underground artists. The atmosphere of this place is sweet and welcoming: somehow, there’s no attitude, no snobbery, just an easy sense of Hey, come in.
It all began in 2014 when singer-songwriter Vero Sanchez left New York to pursue her music career here in Nashville. She was tending bar at Mickey’s Tavern during the day shift one afternoon when Emily Zimmer walked in. “Instantly,” Vero recalls, “I felt like I could trust her.” Emily, a Nashville native and fellow musician, noticed Vero too. She turned to her friend on the other side of the bar and said, “I’m going to be with that person.”
Soon after meeting Emily, an entrepreneurial possibility opened up in Vero’s life when the owners of Mickey’s Tavern decided to buy the building next door. They invited Vero to check out the empty units and start spitballing: what would be a really cool way to use this space? As a queer Latina still getting used to Nashville, this
was a game-changing opportunity for Vero. The prospect of creating a little piece of New York in East Nashville was thrilling, especially since Emily jumped on board without hesitation.
Amidst a whirlwind of day jobs and pets and increasing social unrest, Vero and Emily began to design and build their dream venue. In fact, that’s how they fell in love— tearing up old linoleum floors after work to slowly expose the original hardwood from 1940. The women made a brilliant team. Renovations marked a turning point in their relationship and The Bowery Vault’s origin story. The year was 2015.
Now seven years into operation, the multipurpose venue offers artist residencies, feature performances, open mics, and album release parties. Some nights the venue feels like a listening lounge; some nights it feels like a comedy club. In the past, The Bowery Vault has hosted the cast of RENT, cabaret performances by Veronica Electronica, and Drag Brunch. “When queer people find us,” Vero says, “they automatically gravitate.”
During the pandemic, The Bowery Vault pivoted to selling clothing online through their website. Little by little, they began renting the space out for live streaming. Vero describes the venue’s development as slow and steady: everything in its own time. No rush. When Americanafest came around in 2022, the space was open to the public again.
Now, for the first time in its seven-year history, The Bowery Vault is fully staffed. Artists' residencies are filling up fast. Guests respect the two-drink minimum, and the SHHHHH reminder sign. Solo artists carrying guitar cases show up over an hour early to sign up for their open mic slot. According to Vero, The Bowery Vault now book six to nine artists a night. “It’s just amazing.”
One of the unique features of The Bowery Vault is how artists must embody their own authenticity. “The people who play here are big,” Vero says. “They are freaking huge…so talented, eager, and polished.” And on this stage, singer-songwriters only play their original songs—no covers, please, unless it’s karaoke night. The concept of originals-only developed into the Nashville Original Music Alliance, which celebrates the voice of the individual, up-and-coming artist. Maybe downtown, everyone just wants to hear Wagon Wheel, but that’s not the vibe at The Bowery Vault.
Vero and Emily want every original song to shine with every possible advantage. As the original sound engineer, Emily trains all tech staff herself. “That’s really important,” she says. “This is all we ask: coming in here, we just want to keep the sound consistent. Because everyone is so happy with that sound, there should be no competition between vocals and instruments. It’s a songwriter’s room, and the song has to be heard.”
“Some people challenged us, you know, in the male world,” Vero says. “Being like, why are you telling me how to sing from a mic? And then at the end of it, after some mansplaining, they’re like, Oh my god, this was amazing, and they’re hugging us.”
Here’s Emily’s policy in her own words: “We don’t start the show until the sound is perfect.”
As queer women running a business in East Nashville, Vero and Emily have established this inclusive space by freely sharing their gifts. Vero with styling, Emily with architectural design. Vero wanted to pay homage to her favorite Bowery venues, while Emily brought a crucial local awareness of old Nashville’s beauty, kindness, and warmth. “Back in the day when I was playing music here,” Emily says, “bands were like families. At that time, playing was about the music, the scene, and the atmosphere.”
To spark and nurture such a culture on the second floor of 2905 Gallatin Pike, Vero and Emily embraced the challenge of running a different kind of venue. Countless couples, bands, and friendships have formed within the walls of The Bowery Vault because of the great care these women take to center relationships.
“There’s going to be fun things always happening here,” Vero explains. “We want to have a date night, a jazz night, a Latin night. Hip hop, slam poetry, bingo…The room calls for so much. But we are also a little community lounge, a little network lounge. Sometimes people just want to come here and talk.”
Elray Jackson, a performer who volunteers to host the open mic on the fourth Thursday of the month, describes The Bowery Vault as “heaven on earth for singer-songwriters.” Plus, there’s a late-night espresso menu—who can beat that?
“There’s gonna be so much talent,” Vero says, smiling. “These are going to be their beginning stages.”
“IT’S A SONGWRITER’S ROOM, AND THE SONG HAS TO BE HEARD.”
Modern drag performance can trace its roots back centuries. Ancient civilizations from across the globe practiced exaggerated gender expression in religious rituals. Greek mythology is filled with stories of androgyny and gender impersonation. When laws barred women from the public stage, men played all the roles in Elizabethan theater and their luxurious dresses literally dragged across the floor. In minstrel shows throughout the United States, white men found it amusing to adorn dark face paint and long gowns in both a racist and sexist attempt to imitate Black women. Female impersonation became a popular vaudeville act in the early 20th century, and lauded performers like Julian Eltinge made a pretty penny pretending to be women for audiences from New York to Nashville.
The specifically queer drag culture we know today blossomed in major coastal cities like New York and San Francisco, but in southern places like Nashville, drag mostly stayed underground at house parties and private venues until the 1970s. Jerry Peek’s The Watch
Your Hat and Coat Saloon opened as a drag bar in 1971 at 139 2nd Avenue near downtown Nashville and advertised weekend shows with “America’s foremost female impersonators.” The Saloon originally began as a Country and Western music bar, booking Grand Ole Opry performers for Friday and Saturday nights. But that meant only two nights of good business, so Peek made an entertainment change after seeing female impersonators in Indianapolis. His talented lineup in those early days included Criss Cross, Billie Boots, Toni Doran, Charlie Brown and Tina Louise, who still performs at venues like Skull’s Rainbow Room in Printers Alley.
In June 1972, The Saloon hosted the inaugural pageant for Peek’s Miss Gay America female impersonator competition. Drag queens from across the country brought their sequins and feather boas to Nashville with the hopes of winning the grand prize of $2,000. Participants competed in different categories, like evening gown, interview, and talent. The judges crowned Norma Kristie of Arkansas as
the first ever Miss Gay America winner; she went on to buy the pageant from Peek in 1975 and ran it until 2005. Nashville hosted the pageant in its first two years before traveling around the South and Great Plains. The Saloon mysteriously burned down in May 1973, when flames erupted on the second floor of the three-story building. To this day, it is not known what or who caused the fire, but Peek and Tina Louise believe it might have been a foolish mix of flammable costumes and electrical equipment.
Following the fire, Peek’s drag shows took center stage on Printers Alley–the hottest nightlife strip
in Music City. Gay and straight folks alike slipped through a brick arched doorway to The Embers Cabaret Room where a lineup of gorgeous performers mesmerized audiences. One such drag queen was Hawaiian native Shawn Luis, who the Tennessean featured in a six-page spread in 1975. The story talked about her life as a female impersonator in Nashville, but it also covered her post-operation for gender-affirming surgery at Vanderbilt Hospital. Like some of her contemporaries, Luis was transgender and found drag performance helped bring forth her true womanhood. Two days before surgery, the bar held a send-off party for her where customers brought gifts. Luis wrote in her diary,
“I looked into their eyes as they stood there applauding, gay and straight people alike…They have accepted me into their lives as a person. And now there’s the future to look forward to, being a woman.”
By the mid-1970s, drag shows appeared at other gay bars in Nashville, like the short-lived Cumberland Delta Queen on Broadway, but Peek remained the lead showrunner through the 1980s with his standalone building called The Cabaret located at 1711 Hayes Street in Midtown. Among the people I interviewed thus far for Nashville Queer History’s archives, The Cabaret was one of Nashville’s most beloved gay bars of the past. Men, women, and transgender people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds all felt welcome at Peek’s establishments. The 1984 edition of Gaia’s Guide, an international lesbian travel guide book, recommended The Cabaret and described it as a “friendly, easy-going atmosphere” that catered to an evenly split crowd of men and women.
The other gay club listed in the Gaia’s Guide that year was Warehouse 28, and its drag shows played a significant role in Nashville during the AIDS epidemic. Michael “Dolly” Wilson and Steve Smith opened Warehouse 28 in 1978 at 2529 Franklin Road, and it quickly became a disco haven for gay men. From its penis mural in the bathroom to Smith’s colorful balloon displays, Warehouse 28 was a lively spot to dance and flirt. Wilson and Smith used the club’s popularity to raise awareness about AIDS/HIV prevention, especially when Smith was diagnosed with AIDS in the mid-1980s. Nashville CARES (which originally stood for Council on AIDS Research, Education and Support) was founded by Smith and a few others in 1985, and drag shows became its life support. When federal and state funding failed to provide for Tennessee’s AIDS patients, the drag queens stepped up. They regularly hosted fundraiser drag shows–and sacrificed their tips–at places like the Warehouse. In an interview with Philip Staffelli-Suel, a PhD student in history at Middle Tennessee State University, Wilson said, “Nashville CARES would not have survived if not for the female impersonators.”
Bianca Paige the Pantomime Rage, one of Nashville’s foremost female impersonators, dedicated her drag career to raising funds for AIDS organizations after she was diagnosed in the mid-1990s. Mark Middleton, the man underneath Bianca’s teased blonde wig, shocked Nashville gay bars by speaking openly about his diagnosis on stage. Some people think Bianca Paige got too political, but saving even one person’s life was worth minor backlash. Besides, she easily won over audiences with her wit and comedic timing. Her best friend, Ron Sanford, recalled how thousands of people came to a halt the first time he saw Bianca perform. Middleton died in 2010, but left a long-lasting legacy as Bianca, raising over one million dollars for AIDS organizations. In 2021, she became one of the few drag queens in the country honored with her own dedicated street, Bianca Paige Way, outside the gay bar Trax in south Nashville.
Drag performance has progressed in Nashville from private house shows to wild brunch parties with bachelorettes. The commercialization of drag has rapidly increased and, lately, so has the anti-drag movement. Historically, female impersonation has always had its haters–people afraid of the power and freedom that comes with gender transgression. Drag performers create art, bring joy, and dare to critique reality by imagining a better world where we can be our true selves, free of social constructs. Drag queens save lives, so please tip your queens! Being a bedazzled superhero ain’t cheap.
I open my eyes and am surrounded by ghosts, not the faceless specters of horror stories whispered to me as a child but the ones with bodies and faces I have seen on the news. And the ones I have seen in photographs begging the government to affirm their humanity. And the ones who called for justice long before I walked in their shoes. They all made journeys down dirt roads and overgrown footpaths and caravan trails, and in the public square, down pavement that had worn down many of the soles before mine. These last three weeks have been fought on sidewalks and boulevards, the capitol rotunda, and the galleries inside the chamber. I have met hundreds of people as they walked the long road of justice and shouted for change alongside a chorus of voices whose collective energy has rocked buildings and shook the halls of power. We look and sound different, having
arrived at this moment from very separate walks of life and holding diverse identities, but were willing to unite in a common struggle over our shared vision of intersectional liberation. For queer people who have lived in the South, saying this place feels like home is an act of political rebellion, but thanks to what we have started here and the promise of where it can go, I have found a home.
Maybe I felt it for the first time while marching on Monday, April 3rd. Each step brought back memories of my friends and I marching beneath the towers of the growing Atlanta skyline, eyes staring at the gold dome in the heart of the city. I was even wearing the same shoes as I had been then, knowing that these would be my protest shoes because there were many more protests in my future. I could hear each voice, I could feel their pleas with whatever power might return them back the promise of their future, which had been cashed in so many times that it felt like we were begging for pennies on the dollar. I cried in the light rain as we made our way from campus to the capitol building. Tears were strong enough
that I could feel them run down my cheek faster than the raindrops. I looked up at the statehouse in the distance and made a promise. I would commit myself to everything that came next on behalf of my little brother so that I would never get a text again about his school undergoing a lockdown, so I never had to comfort my mother as she went through the stages of grief for an event that felt all too real but never came to fruition. So that I did not have to hear the heavy sigh of my father as his world went up in flames.
I made a promise that I would be part of the generation of voices who stopped gun violence and that the terror would end with us. I would make this place and every place safe, and then we could call it home.
When Brynn Jones, one of the March for Our Lives organizers for the Nashville-wide walkouts, approached me Friday, March 31st, to help, I had little idea what would happen. I was drinking coffee in our on-campus coffee shop, nurturing the hot cappuccino as I stressed over polling data, content creation, and the midterm paper due in
twelve hours. After the first march, I jumped in the back of a pick-up truck with Brynn and Ezri, national March for Our Lives staff members, and Vanderbilt students. We had learned of the expulsion and were ready to document the moment for the world to see so that fascism would not happen quietly or without opposition. Like most of Tennessee, that moment was a spark that ignited my passion for pursuing justice. I, like everyone else who has been marginalized and bullied and told they don't belong, deserve to feel safe in our communities. So this is a story that begins with the simple idea of fighting for my chosen community. Three weeks of continuous organizing brought me into a community with people who had been in this fight longer than I had. Folks from groups like TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood, The Equity Alliance, and inclusion tennessee became role models and, more importantly, mentors willing to pour decades worth of knowledge into a young activist still trying to find his way. As they helped galvanize the youth wing of our growing coalition, I felt myself standing on surer footing, again feeling the sense of home that
I had longed for in Nashville. My chosen family was filled with badass people, willing to give it all for the higher calling justice asks us all to live up to. This movement is made of intersectional voices fighting for justice and winning. They make me feel safe, restoring my hope as walkouts turned into rotunda occupations and late-night strategy calls about marching Justin Jones from city hall to the TN legislature and later night planning about Justin Pearson’s return to the People’s House. In their eyes, I saw the same hope that let me know I had found my way back. Brynn and Ezri and Phil and Jules had helped build something special. They were helping build a movement that felt like home.
It is hard to describe what has happened over these last few months because we have so much left to do. The news has been there, documenting each protest, vigil, rally, and celebration. In this moment of collective action and budding solidarity, we are preparing for the future in a state without adequate gun laws, respect for the LGBTQIA+ community, or willingness to affirm the dignity of trans and genderqueer and Black and
immigrant people. Our state still has a staggering infant mortality rate and cost of living crisis, making the promise of “the good life” harder and harder for everyday Tennesseeans. Yet, everything feels different. Crowds at small vigils like the one on April 22nd for the fifth anniversary of the Waffle House shooting have more people than ever before. Diverse crowds, with elders and young people talking and listening to each other. Allies are being made where silence has long been the norm. A coalition is emerging, and it looks like the multiracial, multigenerational, and multireligious communities which call Tennessee home. From Memphis to Nashville to Knoxville to Chattanooga, our state has emerged more united than ever. And we are not going back.
I am the product of decades of activists before me. Queer people are still struggling in the memory of those whose justice was too long delayed for them to see it. As the pavements wear down our soles, the fight and progress we build shall restore our collective spirit. A better world is possible, and it's rising from the heart of the South, and we will live to see it.
From the margins to the frontlines, the people are rising up. This is our home, a home worth defending with love and guarding with hope. A home our elders and ancestors dreamed of, and that united, we will make a reality.
Tennessee Justice for our Neighbors is a nonprofit law firm that provides free or low cost, compassionate legal representation for immigrants eligible for humanitarian relief, educates immigrants and allies on immigration, and advocates for immigration justice. We represent individuals who are survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and other serious crimes; children who have been abused, abandoned or neglected by a parent; individuals who were brought to the United States as a child and currently qualify for DACA; and asylum seekers fleeing violence and persecution.
https://www.tnjfon.org/
Instagram: @tnjfon
Nashville Gender & Sexuality Alliance is a local community group for LGBTQ+ identified adults (18+) in the Nashville area. Events are substance free and free of charge. Check our Instagram for upcoming queer fun!
Instagram: @nashvillegsa
Just Us programming is designed to create a safe and affirming space where all LGBTQ+ youth feel empowered to explore and celebrate their identities, build community, and express themselves authentically while building connections with their LGBTQ+ peers.
www.justusoasis.org
IG: @JustUsOasis
Wild Heart Meditation Center is a Buddhist community located in East Nashville dedicated to making the Buddha's teachings and practices available to all interested. We are committed to providing a friendly, supportive, and affirming space for our LGBTQIA+ members.
WildHeartMeditationCenter.org
Instagram: @WildHeartNashville
Nashville Black Pride exists to bring together African American and other Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,
(LGBT)/Same Gender Loving (SGL) People of Color in a social, non-threatening empowering setting to uplift, educate and present positive images that help to maintain a healthy, productive and visionary community.
www.nashvilleblackpride.org
Instagram: @nashvilleblackpride
TIRRC is an immigrant-led collaboration whose mission is to build power, amplify our voices, and organize communities to advocate for our rights. We offer a variety of services for our community, including English classes, citizenship classes, a robust assistance line offering resource referrals, and direct legal services.
Now in our 20th year, we advance our mission through multiethnic, multigenerational coalition building, effective legislative advocacy, and narrative-changing communications initiatives. We see public policy campaigns as a vehicle to build community power and improve the lives of our members. We know immigrants and refugees do not lead single-issue lives, and we work collaboratively with partners to stand against policies that would harm our members, such as anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and attacks on reproductive justice and advance policies that benefit our communities, including workforce opportunities and policies combating climate change.
Website: www.tnimmigrant.org
Instagram: @tnimmigrant
Across the United States, gender-affirming healthcare is being banned, with the majority of bans targeting transgender youth under the age of 18. According to an April 2023 report from the Movement Advancement Project, a policy think-tank that tracks anti-LGBTQ state legislation across the country, 24 states have considered a bill to ban or restrict medically necessary care for at least some transgender people, and 15 states have passed one. It should be noted that the majority of these bills were introduced within the last three years, with the number of bills increasing each year.
Unfortunately, Southern states have been at the forefront of this wave of anti-trans bills. Across the South, an estimated 66,100 transgender youth will be impacted by gender affirming healthcare bans. In 2021, Arkansas was the first state to pass a ban on gender-affirming
care for youth, followed by Alabama in 2022. 2022 also saw several extremely concerning directives and guidelines regarding gender-affirming care for youth in Florida and Texas. Many will recall Texas’ directive effectively banning gender-affirming healthcare for transgender youth and defining such care as “child abuse”, which is still in effect.
Here in Tennessee, the first law targeting gender-affirming healthcare for youth was passed in 2021. This law banned hormone treatment for “prepubertal minors”, demonstrating both the Tennessee state legislature’s contempt for the transgender community and ignorance of gender-affirming care, as the type of hormone treatments banned by the law typically do not begin until the onset of puberty. In 2023, however, Tennessee passed a full gender-affirming care
ban for youth under the age of 18, with extremely real and direct impacts on transgender youth and their families. As a result of this ban, most major providers of gender-affirming care in Tennessee will stop providing this care to youth on July 1 of this year, with a handful of providers continuing to see patients under the age of 18 until March of 2024. The ban directly impacts hundreds of trans youth in Tennessee who are currently accessing puberty blockers and hormone replacement therapy through in-state providers or telehealth. They will be forced to access HRT and puberty blockers out-of-state, and some even plan to move out of Tennessee. The ban does not impact Tennessee transgender youth’s ability to access mental healthcare instate, and those who support transgender youth in accessing gender-affirming care in other states where such care re-
mains legal are not criminalized by the ban. Thankfully, the U.S. The Department of Justice recently announced that it is challenging Tennessee’s ban, stating that it violates the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection clause by “denying necessary medical care to youth based solely on who they are.” The Department also asked the court to issue an immediate order preventing the ban from going into effect.
Whether or not gender-affirming healthcare becomes accessible for youth in Tennessee in the future, the impact this legislation has on vulnerable youth in Tennessee and the place it holds in a nationwide wave of anti-transgender hate remain extremely significant. Even before the passage of Tennessee’s gender-affirming care ban for youth, transgender people in Tennessee faced signif-
icant health disparities. According to a 2021 survey conducted by the Campaign for Southern Equality and Campus Pride, 84% of transgender Tennesseans felt that access to gender-affirming care was important to their overall wellbeing when they were under the age of 18. Unfortunately, many transgender respondents described barriers to receiving such care, often citing a lack of gender-affirming providers in their communities. One respondent wrote:
“I’m extremely anxious about going to the doctor, and the only place around here that offers any kind of trans healthcare is in Nashville, meaning I have to travel hours to be seen and get minimal respect. Anti-trans laws make that anxiety worse because I always wonder what will happen if I or my partner need emergency care locally.” (LGBTQ Tennesseans: A Report of the 2021 Southern LGBTQ Experiences Survey)
This lack of access to healthcare was reflected in transgender Tennesseans self-rated health. 49% of trans or questioning Tennesseans rated their physical health as “fair” or “poor”, and 69% rated their mental health as such. Clearly, the health of transgender Tennessean’s was concerning prior to the gender-affirming care ban. The ban will likely exacerbate this. According to a brief from the UCLA William’s Institute of Law, the nationwide wave of gender-affirm-
ing care bans could have a wide array of impacts, including the penalization of medical professionals and those who assist transgender youth in accessing healthcare, restrictions on funding for gender affirming-care, insurance-based limitations to accessing gender-affirming care, further non-consensual medical interventions for intersex youth, and increasing stress for transgender youth and their families.
Thankfully, the LGBTQIA community in Tennessee is banding together to support transgender youth and their families during this incredibly stressful time. Community organizations, trans community organizers, parents of trans youth, and so many others are coming together to show support for trans youth through mutual aid networks and by creating spaces to process what is happening; ultimately cultivating healing, resilience, and resistance. inclusion tennessee is part of a group of organizations across the South leading one such effort, the Southern Trans Youth Emergency Project (STYEP). Through this program, transgender youth who have lost access to gender-affirming care in their state can be connected with gender-affirming care providers in states where gender-affirming care remains legal. They can also access $250 grants to support things like travel costs, mental healthcare, or whatever they might need during this difficult time. To learn more about STYEP and get help in Tennessee, go to: https://southernequality.org/tnresources/
