Rogero becomes Mayor of Knoxville

A few words of hope

As Knoxville’s new Mayor, Madeline Rogero, gave her speech at the Jacob’s Building at Chilhowee Park yesterday, a few words of hope were included in her speech acknowledging “gay” citizens as well as straight. This reminds me that I need to send a National Lesbian and Gay Journalists’ Stylebook on Terminology. I am not gay. I am a lesbian. Guess I’ll have to give her the benefit of the doubt and make sure her press officer gets a copy of the stylebook.

In her speech, she offered hope for true diversity in all functions fulfilled by city government as well as laying out some concrete examples of what that might look like. She has many daunting tasks ahead of her, and I congratulate her not only on being the first woman to be Mayor of our fair city, but also for her courage and tireless energies. I will be watching to see what happens in the days ahead.