Students Finally Honored for Protesting "Don't Say Gay" Bill

A Nashville City Council member had to yell and scream and then rely on a legislative maneuver just so local lawmakers could vote on whether to commend some students who had protested the state's "don't say gay" bill.

Councilman Jamie Hollin first tried to honor the high school students back in July, but two colleagues objected. Hollin's resulting confrontation with one of them — Councilman Jim Gotto — in the parking lot afterward was caught on video.

"I can't bring it back, Jim!" he yelled, noting that the objections had scuttled his resolution. "There is no next meeting. That is it, so I can't recognize some high-schoolers that you happen to disagree with."

But on Tuesday, Hollin again presented the resolution, only this time it was a "nonbinding memorializing resolution." And that apparently made the difference, with council members voting to pass it, reports NewsChannel 5.

The students had gathered outside the state capitol to protest the bill, which would ban discussion of homosexuality in kindergarten through eighth grade. The bill was approved by the Senate but didn't come up for a vote in the House.

Although the bill could come up again in the next session, Gov. Bill Haslam has said it "probably is never going to pass."

 Watch video of the July confrontation below: