Tennessee politician hits back at a homophobic smear campaign
"I'm sick and tired of this hatred attacking me and the folks in the LGBTQ+ community."
Eric Patton, a politician running for Metro Council in Tennessee’s District 11, politician has responded to a horrific homophobic smear campaign.
A hateful mailer has reportedly been posting defamatory flyers across mailboxes in Patton’s district.
Patton, a member of the LGBTQ+ community, is going head-to-head against conservative candidate Jeff Eslick on 14 September.
On the hateful mail, Elsick is pictured smiling in front of the American flag in a suit. Meanwhile, Patton is standing in front of the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag and wearing a vest that reads “Gay and Tired.”
The flyer states that Eslick understands “traditional community values” and also “strongly opposes taxpayers paying for Transgender Surgery.”
While the mailer states Patton “does not understand our community values” and instead supports “a progressive liberal LGBTQ+ driven agenda.”
Patton’s campaign is focused on improving his community’s schools, services, and small businesses.
When he became aware of this mailer’s distribution, Patton made a statement against the “anti-gay hate mailer distributed by a dark money PAC supporting his opponent.”
“Our community values, like loving our family, friends, and neighbors, are why I fell in love with Old Hickory in the first place. Not hate and divisive culture war nonsense,” he wrote.
“I’ve tried to live the values my neighbors deserve in a leader, like honesty, fairness, compassion, and tolerance”
“As someone of an LGBTQ+ experience born and raised in Tennessee, it’s safe to say I am gay and tired, just as the t-shirt says. I’m sick and tired of this hatred attacking me and the folks in the LGBTQ+ community.”
He continued: “The Patton Campaign is calling on Jeff slick, the Nashville Fire Fighters Association and Nashville Fraternal Order of Police to publicly denounce the mailer immediately.”
“Every day of this campaign, I’ve tried to live the values my neighbors deserve in a leader, like honesty, fairness, compassion, and tolerance.”
Patton explains that he has kept the political race solely on “the issues and focused on what Old Hickory and Hermitage need.”
He concluded: “Now, more than ever, we need leaders who are willing to work together to find solutions, rather than trying to fight culture wars at every turn.”
Following Patton’s statement, Eslick did comment on the smear campaign against his opponent.
“It is not from my campaign, nor was it approved by me,” Eslick posted. “I have been running a clean campaign and have not resorted to negative advertising.
“It is unfortunate that others haven’t done the same,” he finalised.
Stating he had no involvement in the Tennessee mailer’s hateful smear campaign, Eslick doesn’t explicitly denounce the messaging of the mailer.