Tennessee GOP lawmaker defends 'Don’t Say Gay' bill

A Tennessee Republican lawmaker remained steadfast in supporting a bill that would ban teaching kids in elementary and middle school issues affecting the LGBT community, according to The Tenessean.

State Rep. Joey Hensley said Tuesday evening that he would continue to move forward with his legislation, titled "Don't Say Gay," after a three-week delay to work on its language.

“We don’t want students to be exposed to alternate lifestyles,” Hensley said. “If their parents want them to know about that, they can teach them at home.”

Tennessee's Board of Education have already banned any curriculum about gay issues, but supporters of Hensley's bill say they want to make sure the ban is permanent if state education officials change their mind.

Anti-LGBT hate crimes declined dramatically from 2009 to 2010 in Tennessee, according to a state FBI report.