Tennessee lawmaker blocks vote to honor gay country star T.J. Osborne – Tennessean
Country act Brothers Osborne have made contact with Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy Faison after the lawmaker blocked a vote to honor the duo’s T.J. Osborne, who recently came out as gay.
The resolution was brought to Tennessee’s House of Representatives on Monday after passing 30-0 in the Senate. It recognizes Osborne as the “first and currently only openly gay artist signed to a major country music label.”
The resolution reads, “Though it may have merely been a consequence of being true to himself, he has nonetheless become a trailblazer and a symbol of hope for those country music artists and fans alike who may have felt ostracized from a genre they hold dear.”
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Faison, the House Republican Caucus chair, raised an objection, citing “some concerns.”
“It wasn’t heard in committee, and I feel like it needs to be,” he said after being asked to elaborate.
The resolution was ultimately sent to the House Naming & Designating Committee after a 63-23 vote.
Faison’s move was immediately criticized by friends and fans of Brothers Osborne, as well as the duo itself.
“We’ve lived in this state for over half of our lives,” they tweeted. “(Faison) honored Ben Shapiro who doesn’t even live here. Jeremy, let’s have lunch one day. On us. Would really like to know more about you as a person.”
Faison responded on Twitter, “I would be honored to break bread with you.”
Prominent critics of the objection included genre-defying country star Kacey Musgraves, who said she was “massively disappointed in TN House Republicans for blocking my friend @TJOsborne for being honored because HE’S GAY!?”
The resolution honoring Osborne was introduced by Sen. Raumesh Akbari. Earlier this year, Akbari introduced a bill to make “Amazing Grace” Tennessee’s 11th state song. It passed unanimously in the Senate, 91-1 in the House and was signed by Gov. Bill Lee on April 30.