News
White House: Tennessee anti-trans bathroom bill ‘mean-spirited’
Earnest defers comment on whether bill will result in loss of fed’l funds
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest (Washington Blade photo by Michael Key).
Anti-transgender bathroom legislation moving forward in the Tennessee state legislature is just as “mean-spirited” as newly enacted anti-LGBT laws in North Carolina and Mississippi, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said Tuesday.
Earnest denounced the Tennessee bill in response to a question from the Washington Blade on whether passing the measure, House Bill 2414, would result in a loss of federal funding for the state as predicted by Tennessee Attorney General Herbert Slattery in an opinion Monday.
“What I can tell you is that the administration is firmly committed to promoting and defending equal rights for all Americans, including LGBT Americans,” Earnest said. “Specific laws like this that seek to target and marginalize one small segment of the population is nothing less than mean-spirited. That was true when they passed similar provisions in places like North Carolina and Mississippi, and it’s true as it’s being considered in a place like Tennessee.”
Similar to North Carolina’s controversial anti-LGBT law House Bill 2, Tennessee’s HB 2414 would prohibit transgender students from using public restrooms and locker rooms consistent with their gender identity.
Alluding to companies that have publicly criticized the North Carolina anti-LGBT law and, in some cases, withheld business from the state, Earnest warned Tennessee it could be subject to economic penalties if HB 2414 becomes law.
“What’s also true in Tennessee is that that state has thrived in part because of their ability to make their case across the country that they’ve got a great climate to do business,” Earnest said. “Passing mean-spirited bills through the state legislature is not a good endorsement of your business climate and ultimately individuals businesses will have to make their own decisions about this.”
Recalling the history of racial discrimination and Jim Crow laws in South, Earnest also said Tennessee should take heed of its past before deciding to enact legislation targeting a minority community.
“I think what is also true is states like Tennessee, and to a certain extent, North Carolina and Mississippi, have a long history over the last couple generations of working through questions of civil rights,” Earnest said. “President Obama has talked on a number of occasions about the important progress that our country has made with regard to civil rights. This is a good illustration that the fight for civil rights is not over, and demanding equality for every American and ensuring that Americans are not singled out because of their sex, or their race, or what their last name is, or their religion, or who they love or who they are is a struggle that continues. And the president every time is going to be on the side of equality and justice for every American.”
Earnest deferred to federal agencies on whether HB 2414 would result in a loss of federal funding for Tennessee, which is estimated to receive $1.2 billion a year under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972.
“This is a question individual agencies have been considering after previous states have passed these bills into law,” Earnest said. “I don’t know what mechanism is in place for agencies to consider those kinds of questions in advance of the law being passed.”
The Blade has placed a request in with the Department of Education seeking comment on whether the measure would affect Title IX funding for Tennessee.
The reviews by the federal agencies of the anti-LGBT laws in North Carolina and Mississippi remain going and Earnest said he doesn’t know when those investigations would be complete.
“I don’t have an expectation for that,” Earnest said. “You’ll have to talk to the individuals agencies about that. They’re obviously coordinating their agencies along themselves, and they’re obviously doing this work in conjunction with the Department of Justice because there was important legal questions that had to be resolved, but I don’t have an update for you in terms of what that will be.”
North Carolina
Authorities investigate officer-involved shooting outside Asheville gay bar
Incident took place near Shakey’s on Wednesday
An officer-involved shooting outside of a gay dive bar, Shakey’s, in downtown Asheville, N.C., left one man dead Wednesday.
The bar released a statement the following morning regarding the incident, stating that bar staff had asked a patron to leave earlier in the night citing concerning behavior. The bar said that later the man was spotted with a gun in the parking lot.
The bar proceeded to call 911, locked the doors to the establishment, and followed dispatcher instructions on how to keep patrons of the bar safe while officers arrived. These protocols included getting patrons away from the windows and staying low to the ground.
According to Shakey’s, shots were fired outside of the business. When the Asheville Police Department officers arrived, they fired back. The individual died from their injuries, according to the police.
“Because of everyone’s quick actions, cooperation, and concern for one another, every customer and every employee inside Shakey’s made it home safely. We are incredibly thankful,” Shakey’s said on their Instagram page. They thanked Asheville police, emergency dispatchers, EMS, and all first responders who were on scene.
On Thursday, a spokesperson for the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, Chad Flowers, stated that the suspect involved in the shooting was Arturo Castillo Palomar.
The Washington Blade reached out to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for a comment regarding the possibility of the event being considered a hate crime. They said the issue is currently under investigation and that the findings would be turned over to the district attorney for review.
Baltimore
Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death
Ron Singer passed away on July 7
By WESLEY CASE | Leon’s Backroom, Baltimore’s oldest gay bar, temporarily shut down after service on Wednesday night, according to a post on the business’s Instagram page.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after the death of the Mount Vernon bar’s owner, Ron Singer, who died at 66 on July 7.
The rest of this article can be found on the Baltimore Banner’s website.
The Comings & Goings column is about sharing the professional successes of our community. We want to recognize those landing new jobs, new clients for their business, joining boards of organizations and other achievements. Please share your successes with us at [email protected].
Congratulations to Stuart Ortel and Scott Marker, and Dave Lyons and Rick Hardy, on the recent opening of their garden center on Route 1 in Rehoboth Beach, in the former Farmer Girl site. It is called Bay Laurel Home and Garden and debuted earlier this year. The four owners are all well known to the denizens of Rehoboth Beach.
Stuart and Scott have been active members of the Rehoboth Beach community since 1999. Stuart is a landscape architect, and has established relationships with many local folks in the building and landscape industry. When this opportunity for Bay Laurel Home & Garden presented itself, and they had the perfect team of people in place, he and Scott were committed to making it a reality. So, when Scott and Stuart introduced this opportunity to create a new garden center to Dave and Rick, they embraced the chance to cultivate a business where beautiful plants, inspiring home and garden products, and outstanding customer service come together. Dave and Rick knew about owning a business in Rehoboth as they previously owned Coho’s Market, where they discovered firsthand the value of serving their community, and the rewards of running a locally owned business.
The garden center launched with a refreshed brand identity, updated merchandising, and expanded product lines, all designed to create an inspiring and welcoming environment for your home. Bay Laurel Home & Garden offers a beautifully appointed garden center and curated home and gift shop.
The new center features a full nursery with annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees, and seasonal selections; a garden center offering pottery, fountains, and garden ornamentation, and essential tools and garden supplies. It has a garden shop featuring unique indoor/outdoor furnishings and accessories, and a gift shop featuring botanical and coastal style items for home and entertaining.
Authorities investigate officer-involved shooting outside Asheville gay bar
Popular Mount Vernon gay bar Leon’s to temporarily close after owner’s death
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Comings & Goings
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