Knox County commissioners voted 6-4 to remove a proposal declaring June “Nuclear Family Month” from the meeting agenda. This rejected an effort that mirrored a recent Tennessee state resolution signed by Governor Bill Lee. Commissioner Andy Fox submitted the proclamation, which defined a nuclear family as one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children. The proposal also claimed the nuclear family is God’s perfect design for humanity. Commissioner Terry Hill opposed the measure before the vote, saying, “Some families don’t quite look like this definition… we were still very much a family.” LGBTQ+ advocates criticized the measure too. The Tennessee Equality Project called it insulting, demeaning, and divisive, while GLAAD said efforts like this actively harm all families by excluding diverse family structures.
