Legislators introduce license plate bill for Tennessee Equality Project Foundation

[Ian David]

Press Release Feb. 15, 2007:
Legislators introduce license plate bill for Tennessee Equality Project Foundation

Nashville, TN—Legislators have proposed a bill that would establish a license plate benefiting the Tennessee Equality Project Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization that promotes education and dialogue on issues related to equality for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons in Tennessee.

House sponsor Rep. Beverly Marrero (D-Memphis) and Senate sponsor Sen. Shea Flinn (D-Memphis) consider the bill an important move to increase awareness and education around issues of equality and discrimination in Tennessee. Rep. Marrero supports the bill as an expression of basic fairness: "As a Memphian, a Tennessean and an American, I'm always proud to speak up against all discrimination." Sen. Flinn agrees, adding, “What’s controversial about this? Once we open the process up to non-profits, all non-profits should have the same opportunity.”

Rep. Sherry Jones (D-Nashville) has also signed on as a House co-sponsor.

The bill, upon becoming law, would begin the process of bringing a license plate bearing the TEP Foundation logo to motorists if 1000 or more pre-orders are placed within a year.

TEP Foundation President Randy Cox praised the measure as an important step in increasing inclusiveness in Tennessee: “The TEP Foundation is exited about sending the message of equality throughout the state of Tennessee through this license plate program. Our goal is to educate Tennesseans that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons are your neighbors, church members, and coworkers and deserve the same treatment as anyone else.”

The TEP Foundation was established in 2005 and provides educational workshops and events throughout Tennessee.

Media contact: Chris Sanders, 615-390-5252
http://tnep.org/html/021507Bill.html
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If you've ever thought you'd like to make a difference in the world, this is your chance. Can you imagine how the Tennessee history books will look a few years after Nov. 2006 if we defeat this initiative? Or even if we don't this time, we will have laid groundwork for when we DO make the history books. We will have laid groundwork for other things besides marriage equality. We have workplace equality to tackle, as well as adoption rights and hate crimes. This ballot initiative is giving us our first huge reason to come together as Tennesseans and fight the good fight together so we can see equality in our lifetime.

TEP is proud to have contributed to the failure of the discriminatory adoption legislation that surfaced early in 2005 that would have banned gay and lesbian Tennesseans from adopting. But, we know this issue will resurface in the legislature again this year. And we know we will have to work hard to defeat it a second time.

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http://tnep.org/html/donate_now.html


Cross-posted in GLBT Forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=221&topic_id=48686&mesg_id=48689