FRANKLIN, Tennessee – Gabrielle Hanson, who is a Franklin alderman-at-large, told The Tennessee Star that her office and the offices of her peers are being flooded with outraged complaints about the June 4 “Franklin Pride” event and Mayor Ken Moore’s woke proclamation that was read at the event that included drag queens and children.
“Our phones and emails have been blowing up,” Hanson said.
“We have received close to 100 complaints from citizens and I am hoping they will show up at the BOMA meeting on June 28 to speak during citizen comments,” she continued. “We’ve been flooded with outrage from the community but I really hope that people will show up to the meeting.”
“Showing up will affect change,” she added.
Hanson additionally said Moore asked them not to respond to the flood of community complaints, which included many taking issues with the fact that scantily clad drag queens were around children until he had the time to speak with the “Franklin Pride” organizer, Robert McNamara.
“The mayor asked us not to respond until he spoke to the event organizer, but this weekend we received their glowing letter showing their idea of family-friendly and ours are completely different. Zero apology. Some have said their performance violated a state law, of which I am not certain,” Hanson said.
The letter from McNamara, which was supposed to respond to concerns about the event, said in part, “FPTN hosts a festival that is a family-friendly event where we see entire families in attendance. We are fully aware that not all in our community are comfortable with a Pride Festival. We hope to expand the acceptance by giving all members of our community the chance to experience a gathering filled with happy, smiling people.”
Hanson said she believes that the event violated Franklin’s city charter.
“But, I do believe it broke our city charter – Section 1 #21 says, ‘define, prohibit, abate, suppress, prevent and regulate all acts, practices, conduct, business, occupations, callings, trades, uses of property and all other things, whatsoever detrimental, or liable to be detrimental to the health, morals, comfort, safety, convenience, or welfare of the inhabitants of the city and to exercise general police powers,'” she said.
Hanson proceeded to blast Mayor Ken Moore and City Administrator Eric Stuckey.
“There are so many disturbing things going on in this community that it’s hard to wrap your head around it. The city manager and the mayor have a moral compass that is spinning out of control,” she said.
The Star previously reported that Franklin Vice Mayor Brandy Blanton read a woke “Pride Month” proclamation on behalf of Moore alongside City Administrator Eric Stuckey and McNamara at “Franklin Pride.”
The event, which was a celebration of the “LGBTQ lifestyle,” took place on June 4 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Harlinsdale Park. The event had drag queens in attendance as well as other expressions of the “woke” lifestyle.
The Franklin Board of Mayor and Alderman (BOMA) meeting on June 28 will take place at 7 p.m. at Franklin City Hall, 109 3rd Ave. S., Franklin, TN 37064.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, Truth Social, and Parler.
Photo “Ken Moore” by City of Franklin, Tennessee. Background Photo “Franklin, Tennessee” by Ichabod. CC BY-SA 3.0.
Franklin needs new leadership
when california woke-ism infects WilCo
Recruit good candidates to defeat the mayor! Don’t renew city administrator’s contract! The alderman have the legislative empower to make new laws to control civil unrest!!