On Wednesday, the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill advanced out of the Tennessee Senate Education Committee. The measure, which has been introduced multiple times since 2005, would prohibit teachers from discussing homosexuality in grades K through 8, even with students who may be gay or have gay family. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Stacey Campfield (R), has previously rationalized the measure by arguing that it would allow teachers more time to focus on core subjects like arithmetic, but during a 2009 interview with SiriusXM’s Michelangelo Signorile, Campfield went a step further. He said that homosexuality is a “learned” behavior and compared the Gay Rights Movement to bestiality:

CAMPFIELD: What you’re getting into is the thing, is it a genetic issue or is it none genetic issue? Is it a learned behavior or is it something that cannot be controlled? [...]

SIGNORILE: Most of the science now shows that homosexuality is something biological…

CAMPFIELD: No. You don’t believe that. Who are you kidding? Come’n now. [...]

SIGNORILE: You teach about the Civil Rights Movement. Why not teach about the Gay Rights Movement?

CAMPFIELD: Because they’re different types of movements. If I want to talk about the bestiality movement, do you think we should be teaching that?

Listen:

The bill (SB49) now advances for consideration by the full Senate. A similar bill (HB229) has not advanced out of the House Education General Subcommittee.

Ex-anti-gay strategist Louis Marinelli, who recently defected from the National Organization for Marriage (NOM), continues to spill details about the inner-workings of the organization. (NOM has apparently threatened legal action.) Today, Marinelli confirmed suspicions that on the “Summer for Marriage Tour,” a series of anti-marriage equality rallies he helped coordinate, NOM was eagerly looking to portray LGBT supporters as “crazy.” NOM would use the pictures Marinelli took on it blog to describe the counter-protesters as “militant” and “intolerant, inconsiderate bullies.”

It turns out the strategy backfired, because it scared away would-be NOM supporters. Here are excerpts from an email sent by Matthew Haas, who orchestrates NOM’s video projects:

I just want to follow-up on the email David [LeJeune] sent. We want to focus on the positive for photos and video. We want happy people, people clapping, families, speakers shaking hands with people coming out. We want to still capture the protestors (especially if they do something exceptionally crazy), but that will not be the main focus.

…

ALSO, for both photos and video, we want the crowds to look as big as possible. We got feedback that people are afraid to come out to the stops actually, which is really a shame because they’re afraid of what the protestors may do.

Whether or not this fear was the primary factor responsible for the low turnout of supporters at most of NOM’s rallies is unclear.

Despite backing away from this strategy, NOM has not held back its self-victimization rhetoric. At last week’s House Judiciary Committee “defending marriage” hearing, NOM’s Maggie Gallagher repeatedly complained that same-sex marriage would lead to opponents like her being labeled as bigots and “hateful.” Watch it:

Progress toward marriage equality continues to ebb and flow, with a court defeat in Montana, a question for judicial retribution in Iowa, changing hearts in Colorado, and a growing coalition in New York:

- COLORADO: After voting against civil unions earlier this month, Sen. Shawn Mitchell (R) has written that his position continues to evolve on the issue. Meanwhile, an anti-bullying bill advanced yesterday out of the Senate Education Committee.

- IOWA: Five House Republicans have called for the impeachment of the four remaining Iowa Supreme Court justices who joined the 2009 ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, but today Iowa House Speaker Kraig Paulsen (R) quashed their effort.

- MONTANA: A Helena District Court Judge dismissed a lawsuit from six same-sex couples seeking to be recognized as domestic partners because of a 2004 amendment to the Montana Constitution that banned same-sex marriage.

- NEW YORK: A new coalition of groups working toward marriage equality in NY grew to include the gay Republican group, the Log Cabin Republicans. Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) is “deeply offended” that Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) is working with this coalition and is organizing an anti-gay marriage rally “to paralyze all traffic in the Bronx.”

- TENNESSEE: The Tennessee Senate Education Committee advanced a “Don’t Say Gay” bill that would prohibit any discussion of LGBT people or families in grades K-8.

- TEXAS: The Texas Senate adjourned without taking up SB 723, which would have limited transgender Texans’ ability to marry, but they also removed enumerated LGBT support from an anti-bullying bill.

- VIRGINIA: Guided by the advice from Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli (R), the Virginia State Board of Social Services voted 7-2 against new rules that would have allowed same-sex couples to access adoption and foster care services.

Keep track of how LGBT issues are advancing in the states at our State LGBT Watch.