Tennesotasconizonatah...or the WeHateGays States

Ten-ne-so-ta-scon-iz-o-na-tah: 
[ten-nuh-sew-tah-scon-iz-oh-nah-tah]
–noun
1. a mash-up of several state names--Tennessee, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Arizona, and Utah, for starters; states that have been in the news recently for being anti-gay and anti-immigrant, or anti-anything that isn't straight and white
2. The WeHateGays states. 

Painted on the house of a gay Tennessee couple.

Today, we'll focus on the Tennessee in Tennesotasconizonatah, because they have really gone full barrel in the Anti-Gay Legislative Sweepstakes of late.

See, it seems that the Tennessee state Senate has approved, by a vote of 20-10, a law that would forbid Tennessee public school teachers and students in grades kindergarten through eight from discussing the fact that some people are gay. Now, there is good news: the bill isn't likely to be taken up by the House before lawmakers adjourn this spring, but the sponsor, Stacey 'Homophobic Asshat" Campfield, says he wants to push it forward in 2012 when the General Assembly comes back for the second year of the session.

Don't Say Gay. It's bad. Why, apparently, the Tennessee Senate thinks just saying the word 'gay' will make people gay. Or make them tolerant, which is awful, you know.

Opponents of the Don't Say Gay, Goddammit Bill believe it unfairly targets the children of gay parents, or even children who identify as gay themselves, by keeping them separate and unmentioned in class.

Supporters say it is intended to give teachers clear guidance for dealing with younger children on a potentially explosive topic. See, it Tennessee, being gay is a potentially explosive topic.

Don't Say Gay, lest you turn one of the children into a raging fag.
Don't Say Gay, lest the heads of the homophobes explode.

Oh, Tennesotasconizonatah, look what you're doing. But wait, there's more.

Tennesotasconizonatah Governor, Bill Haslam, signed a new bill yesterday that overturns the city of Nashville's nondiscrimination ordinance.

It seems that Nashville isn't like the rest of Tennesotasconizonatah. They understand blatant homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and wanted to protect their citizens from being, oh, say, fired, or evicted or even beaten simply for being themselves.

But then the lawmakers of Tennesotasconizonatah got in on the act and decided they would simply overturn the ordinance, and the governor goosestepped along. An ordinance to ban discrimination.

Apparently that's a bad things in places like Tennesotasconizonatah.

Tennessee Senate OKs bill to ban teaching of homosexuality


Governor Overturns Nondiscrimination Ordinance