Back in February, T.J. Osborne of the popular country group Brothers Osborne came out as gay, making him the only openly gay country artist currently signed to a major label. State lawmakers in Tennessee recently proposed a measure to honor him, and though it passed unanimously in the Senate, the resolution was blocked by Republicans in the state’s House of Representatives — leading some to believe it was blocked due to the fact that Osborne is gay.
Rep. Jeremy Faison, chair of the House Republican Caucus, blocked the measure by citing a procedural objection and vaguely saying, “We have some concerns.” But as Yahoo points out, “Many believe that his history of supporting anti-LGBTQ legislation is the likelier reason for him putting the kabosh on the honor.” By blocking the resolution, Faison has ensured it won’t pass because the committee overseeing it is now closed for the year.
In response, the band shared a tweet from a progressive account called The Tennessee Holler that included video of Faison blocking the measure and describing him as doing it “for no other reason than blatant bigotry and spite.”
“We’ve lived in this state for over half our lives,” the band wrote. “@JeremyFaison4TN 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.”
Other country stars chimed in to support Osborne, including Kacey Musgraves, who tweeted, “Massively disappointed in TN House Republicans for blocking my friend @TJOsborne for being honored because HE’S GAY!?”
However, it appears some sort of amicable resolution may be on the horizon. In response to the Brothers Osborne’s tweet, Faison wrote, “I would be honored to break bread with you.” The group replied that they’d message him directly, presumably to set something up. Of course, whether they actually meet up and anything actually comes of it remains to be seen, but this seems like a good first step.
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