Tennessee elects two LGBTQ+ people to state House, encourages Chattanooga gay man
![{p}The LGBTQ Victory Fund says Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis are Tennessee’s first openly LGBTQ+ people to be elected to the state legislature.{ } [Image: TN House GOP)/ Right: Torrey Harris (LGBTQ Victory Fund)]{/p}{p}{/p}](/resources/media2/16x9/full/1015/center/80/990d3f01-6882-4a96-a85e-9f7ae6a438a1-large16x9_lgbtreps.png)
![Representative Eddie Mannis, his partner Blake Gibson, and their two dogs Bexley and Theo. [Image: Eddie Mannis]](/resources/media/b9bc9fc4-4d3f-4bbb-8ea7-9dd69abb1c92-medium16x9_mannis.jpg?1604939806671)
![{p}Torrey Harris now represents the state's 90th district in Memphis. His campaign website says he’s a progressive and his platform explicitly supports LGBTQ+ rights. [Image: Torrey Harris Campaign]{ }{/p}](/resources/media/b73ca572-3298-46a2-95be-8e4b8af588e6-medium16x9_torrey.jpg?1604939858937)
The LGBTQ Victory Fund says Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis are Tennessee’s first openly LGBTQ+ people to be elected to the state legislature. [Image: TN House GOP)/ Right: Torrey Harris (LGBTQ Victory Fund)]
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Tennessee elected two LGBTQ+ people to the State Legislature for the first time ever in last week's election.
The LGBTQ Victory Fund says Torrey Harris and Eddie Mannis are Tennessee’s first openly LGBTQ+ people to be elected to the state legislature.
"It’s nice to have that step taken,” Lee Reece, a gay man in Chattanooga, said. “The upcoming generation, we’re ready to do the work and we’re ready to put those marginalizations behind us,” he said.
Reece works for Unum in Chattanooga and leads the company’s LGBTQ+ resource groups.
Torrey Harris now represents the state's 90th district in Memphis. His campaign website says he’s a progressive and his platform explicitly supports LGBTQ+ rights.
Harris is 29 years old and unseated 69-year-old John DeBerry--receiving more than 75 percent of the vote.
Eddie Mannis represents Knoxville's District 18 as a proud conservative. A party affiliation that surprised Reece.
“I’m curious as to how his identity in the LGBTQ+ community will shape his career in politics and how he will use that platform to help further LGBTQ+ equality in Tennessee," he said.
NewsChannel 9 asked Representative Mannis that question.
"I've never hidden from the fact that I'm a gay man,” Mannis said. "Gay is not exclusive to being a Democrat. I think we need representation in both parties to make progress. I do feel a little more pressure, but I am pleased that Tennessee now has 2 members of the LGBT+ community in the state legislature.”
Although his duty is to Knoxville, Mannis says he wants to hear from any Tennessean—even Chattanoogans--when it comes to helping his community.
“I’m a person who makes decisions off of lots of input, I’m not closeminded. Anybody is welcome to reach out to my any time because I want to hear from them,” Mannis said.
Representative Mannis said the issues he looks to address first include health care, education, and COVID-19 economic relief.
He said he is against any legislation that spreads hate and will consider proposing legislation that targets bullying in schools.
Mannis said that he and Representative Harris spoke over the phone briefly last Wednesday following their wins.
He said they are both looking forward to working together in Nashville.
