Thursday’s meeting of the Clarksville City Council drew a standing-room only crowd that included spectators wearing T-shirts, holding signs and flags in support of the LGBTQIA+ community and calling for the resignation of City Councilman Travis Holleman following comments he made in June criticizing diversity, equity and inclusion and LGBTQ initiatives.
Some of the signs read “Love over hate,” “We won’t turn back” and “Stand up against hate.”
At the June 27 regular City Council meeting, Holleman gave a presentation to City Council members on “Public and Workforce Policy.” During the presentation, Holleman criticized the diversity, equity and inclusion training and programs, commonly referred to as DEI, that many large companies implement.
He called DEI efforts “training programs that help brainwash and indoctrinate employees” that promote a “woke agenda” and likened DEI officials to Communist Party officials.
Holleman went on to criticize the actions of the LGBTQ community, drag shows and transgender issues, saying that “the prince of Pride is the devil” and calling on the city to “wake up and repent.”
During the public comments, Montgomery County Democratic Party Chairman Charles Uffelman confronted the city council members, asking them to “stand up now” for “saying nothing” after Holleman’s June speech.
“Maybe it doesn’t line up with your politics, so let’s see if it lines up economically,” Uffelman said. “Does having members calling the LGBT community communists help attract businesses to the city? Does it help attract talent to Austin Peay college sports? Does it help hire teachers? Does it help promote peace in the city? Ask yourself: What is your role? Is it to get him to do it? Is it to silence anyone who stands up to him? Or is it to actually stand up against homophobia and hatred?”
Uffelman then called on Holleman to resign immediately, citing “failures of leadership, the harm caused to the LGBT community, and the accountability to all those supported by our diversity, equity and inclusion programs.”
Uffelman further defended the DEI initiative.
“DEI isn’t just about LGBT people. It’s about Juneteenth, Emancipation Day, AAPI festivals, Latino traditions,” he said. “Clarksville is a beautiful city because of its diversity, not a beautiful city in spite of its diversity. This is an American idea. It has nothing to do with Russia or communism.”
Following Uffelman, Anita Hart, president of C-Pride (Clarksville Pride), addressed the City Council.
“He (Holleman) targeted the LGBTQ community and our C-Pride organization,” Hart said. “His words weren’t just opinions. He presented them as irrefutable truth. He told the entire community not to support us, claimed we pose a threat to the people of Clarksville, and ultimately said we are not welcome here, while the rest of the City Council, all of you, were silent except for one brave member.”
“This has left the LGBTQ community fearful that they no longer have anyone to represent them in a place where everyone should feel equal and know their rights are protected.”
Hart called Holleman’s comments “dangerous and discriminatory.”
“Let’s rewrite the story together,” she said.
The final speaker was CMCSS student Nicholas Wojak, who described himself as “not a manly guy” and said he loved musical theatre, and that his friends described him as “quirky, flamboyant, very passionate about politics, a people-loving, caring person.”
He called on Holleman to understand and get to know the LGBTQIA+ community as people with different stories.
“This is who I am, this is what makes me human,” Wojak said. “Holleman has zeroed in on one aspect of my identity and, without ever meeting me or knowing who I am, is using these labels as a simple threat based solely on my discomfort with my unchanging sexual orientation and gender identity…”
He also said the comments promote hateful speech.
Councilwoman Wanda Allen addressed the crowd.
“We shouldn’t have so much hate in the world we live in right now,” Allen said, his voice trembling with emotion. “And sometimes I feel like this isn’t hate, it’s just how I feel, it’s my freedom of speech. We all have freedom of speech, but this is not the place for it.”
She also mentioned DEI initiatives that have recently come under fire in the corporate world after Tractor Supply of Brentwood announced it would no longer provide training to employees.
“DEI (environmental and social inclusion) in our country is ridiculous. It stands for diversity, equity and inclusion,” Allen said.
“At our Independence Day event at the Wilma Rudolph Events Center, we had people who could sign sign for the community. We were so excited to have deaf people from our community come too because they understood everything that happened that day because we had interpreters. That’s part of DEI, too. So if we abandon DEI, then people with disabilities, seniors, minorities, people from the LGBTQIA community, different people can’t exist. You can’t represent your community with that sentiment.”
Read more: Why the controversy over Tractor Supply? The Tennessee-based company is dropping DEI, inclusion and climate change initiatives
Read more: Why John Deere is backing away from diversity, inclusion initiatives and ‘social or cultural awareness’ events
Holleman’s response
During his remarks at the City Council meeting, Holleman addressed the crowd.
“My previous comments stated that DEI would not exist, gay people would not exist, disabled people would not exist. So they existed before diversity, equity and inclusion was a new thing.”
“In terms of my presentation, I never really cared about the LGBT[community]until they started targeting kids,” Holleman said, citing a bill recently signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom that prohibits schools from revealing a student’s sexual orientation or gender identity to others without the student’s consent. There has been a national debate about whether the law would also include parents.
The crowd suddenly erupted in groans and cries of protest.
“My goal is to protect kids,” Holleman said. “I’m sorry that people feel attacked, but protecting kids is more important. That’s what I’m all about.”
Before addressing the crowd, City Council Member Karen Reynolds circulated a resolution calling for Holleman’s resignation and asked that it be added to the council’s minutes.
“Last month, we talked about freedom of speech,” Reynolds said, “and yes, you have freedom of speech, but if you express hate, you have to pay a price. It doesn’t absolve you from responsibility.” [for] This is the result of what you said.”
She praised the crowd and urged everyone to vote on August 1.
“Filling this room, paying attention, maintaining elected officials at every level is what democracy looks like. What we need in our community right now is for people to go out and vote,” Reynolds said.
Shortly after Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts formally concluded the meeting, Reynolds could be heard leading the crowd in a chant, “This is what democracy looks like,” which was then repeated by louder voices.
Holleman did not respond to a request for comment from the Leaf-Chronicle.
Kenya Anderson is a Leaf Chronicle reporter. She can be reached at kanderson@gannett.com or X. Kenya Anderson 32To support local journalism, subscribe to the Leaf-Chronicle at www.theleafchronicle.com.
