An outbreak of protesters first disrupted, and then caused the cancellation of Mark Pody’s (R-Lebanon) and Sen. Mae Beavers’ (R-Mount Julie) joint press conference address Tennessee’s “Bathroom Bill” and Defense of Natural Marriage Act.
Local NewChannel5 reporter Brandon Marshall recorded a portion of the disruption:
Seconds after Rep. Pody started speaking about the proposed marriage bill, people in the audience repeated "pull the bill" @NC5 pic.twitter.com/58IdJ8OlGU
— Brandon Marshall (@BroMarshall1) February 15, 2017
A press conference State Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, and Sen. Mae Beavers, R-Mount Juliet, was first disrupted by protesters, then cancelled on Wednesday afternoon. Some of the protesters then followed the legislators into a Legislative Plaza hallway, confronting them with slogans and critical commentary, until Beavers and Pody were escorted from the Plaza by state troopers.
The Wilson County lawmakers had announced in an email to media they would “discuss HB888/SB771 (Bathroom Bill) and HB892/SB752 (Defense of Natural Marriage Act)” at the news conference.
The “bathroom bill” would requires transgender persons to use the rest room designated for their birth gender. The “Defense of Natural Marriage Act, according to the summary on the legislative website, “states the policy of Tennessee to defend natural marriage between one man and one woman regardless of any court decision to the contrary.” Both are sponsored by Beavers and Pody.
About 100 protesters filled the seats in a House committee hearing before Pody and Beavers arrived and sat quietly, bearing signs such as ‘Flush the bathroom bill” and “No hate in out state.” When the legislators walked in, Pody began reading a statement – starting by quoting a 2006 state constitutional amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
The Tennessee Star previously reported on a forming coalition of some 70+ Leftist groups – some funded by George Soros – organizing in the Nashville area for the purposes of disrupting just these types of events.
Stay tuned for more as this story develops.
[…] Pody (R-Lebanon) regarding their proposed “Bathroom Bill” and “Defense of Marriage Act” came to an abrupt end when they were unable to speak over the shouting of protestors. Protestors then intimidatingly […]
[…] Far left protesters interrupted the press conference they organized in February to describe the details of that bill. […]
[…] for immigrants here on visas are clearly marked so they can’t vote. Last month, protesters shut down a press conference she was giving with Pody on the bathroom bill and the Natural Marriage […]
I protested today. Where do I go to get my money from George Soros? Do I have to submit a form or something on a website? Maybe a blood sample? I need money to supplement my career as a welfare queen.
[…] State Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) was interviewed by Ralph Bristol on 99.7 FM WWTN’s Nashville’s Morning News on Friday about the shouting down of State Sen. Mae Beavers and State Rep. Mark Pody by protesters at the Capitol earlier this week. […]
[…] 15, two lawmakers, Sen. Mae Beavers and Rep. Pody, attempted to conduct a press conference about two bills they are sponsoring, the Traditional Marriage Bill and the Bathroom Bill. […]