I lived in Nashville for 16 years. For the most part, I found it to be a pretty gay friendly city. Admittedly, I only revealed info regarding my sexual orientation on a "need to know" basis. Therefore, many of my neighbors were more concerned about two of my other qualities... (a) that I was an outspoken liberal Democrat, and (b) that I wasn't willing to commit my immortal soul to Jesus Christ.

Year after year, the TN state legislature demonstrated a startling consistency in its ability to waste the taxpayers money debating trivialities and/or issues of interest only to a small, extremely "conservative" minority. (I use quotation marks here, because I have no clue what conservative means anymore.)

I recall that one entire legislative session was taken up discussing whether it should be legal for Tennesseans to cook and eat roadkill.

This horrific event demonstrates that, as in much of this country, things have regressed even further in Tennessee. I've been watching the HBO mini doc series The Way Down, about the Franklin, TN-based Remnant church. Nationwide, a younger generation is rapidly becoming more accepting and tolerant of their LGBTQ peers. Still, conservative churches, pastors, and politicians are doing everything they can to make sure that dogma, hatred, and condemnation pervade.

I used to think this kind of intolerance was just another natural reaction to progress. And, perhaps it is. But, seeing beautiful children being shamed and tortured into believing that God condemns them for who they are is beyond heartbreaking. I, for one, can't accept any God, pastor, or politician who would play a part in this inhumane, un-Jesus-like garbage.