Janis Fullilove, Memphis Councilwoman, Receives Death Threats For Her Support Of Gay Workers' Rights

Janis Fullilove, a councilwoman in Memphis, Tenn., received death threats Tuesday over her support of protection for gays working in city government.

Fullilove said that she received four threatening calls that referred to her support over the non-discrimination ordinance and also found a dead cat on her lawn.

Police have said the calls, which Fullilove said had threatened to kill her, were serious enough in nature for them to place officers on patrol by her house for protection.

Following the incident, Fullilove contacted Jonathan Cole of the Tennessee Equality Project, who spoke to reporters.

"If a city councilwoman -- a prominent person in city government -- can experience this kind of threat and intimidation, what about the individual employees who work for the city who may be work for sanitation, or police or fire?" Said Cole.

But the threats have not been enough to sway her stance on the issue.

"Her position is unchanged," said Cole.

WATCH:

 

Comments

[Rooster Coburn]

12:59 PM on 08/03/2010

Tennessee has Basil Marceaux, and now Janice Fullilove, are those their real names or what?

[DevonTexas]

09:11 AM on 08/02/2010

Closet Queens are so vindictive!

[truegreen]

08:10 AM on 08/02/2010

I'm so tired of the xenophobic, homophobic, racist attitudes of people in this country.

[shryock]

08:07 AM on 08/02/2010

unfortunately, violence always seems to be the last resort of fools and bullies, and we seem to be up to our necks lately in fools and bullies.
if the fools and bullies had not co-opted the cry 'i want my country back' it would become my cry. truly, i want fools and bullies shown up for what they are. i want them jailed. i want them rendered harmless. i want to see this latest crop of eejits smote by the god they keep claiming to quote.
keep up the good work, mz. fullilove. we need ore like you.

[Jason Abdon]

10:45 PM on 09/22/2010

Hey, you big bully. What's the idea, hitting that little bully?
- Otis B. Driftwood


"Never argue with fool. People might not be able to tell the difference."
Hey! Don't mess with Mrs. Murphy.

[grf67]

05:34 AM on 08/02/2010

When can we expect to see these folks on trial and in prison. The conservatives are showing their true colors. If they want to play with weapons, the cowards should be in the Army is they are good enough.

[nbb]

02:09 AM on 08/02/2010

I hope Memphis authorities will find, arrest, prosecute and convict the slime who's doing this.

[Janis Alanis Zingaro]

11:08 PM on 08/01/2010

Full-of-Love? That headline wrote itself. What an awesome brave lady. My hat is off to you Ms. Fullilove. You are a badhas.

[NameUnknown]

09:41 PM on 08/01/2010

If that's the way things are in Egypt. Thank GOD that things are different here.

[tjconkster]

08:45 PM on 08/01/2010

O.K. its about time for one of you posting here to explain something to me...How does gay marriage tear at the foundations of hetero marriage....I have several gay and lesbian friends..some are in long term committed relationships and others have managed to get married...when I was married to my wife...I didn't feel threatened and we didn't consider our marriage to be threatened by anyone's relationship..marriages fail for any number of reasons...but gay marriage isn't one of them...so please explain to me why this is such a terrible thing...and don't bother quoting the bible...I grew up in the baptist church...I know all the passages..I believe that Jesus would've accepted gays, lesbians, transgenders and their relationships...contrary to what you claim...Jesus was a Liberal...

[MarkAntney]

06:21 PM on 08/01/2010

Well, when you have no Alternative Vision, taking guns to meetings,...seems you have to resort to the tactics used yesteryear to intimidate those with which you disagree.

Await (EDITED) footage of the Brave Councilwoman on how racist she's supposed to be next?

She'll be Breitbarted in no time.

[Birdman72]

06:01 PM on 08/01/2010

I support the protection of protectors of gay workers rights. BRING IT!

[Kiffanik]

03:09 PM on 08/01/2010

So glad to see this woman is continuing to fight! The battle for Civil Rights and equal protection for ALL Americans is not over, it has not ended. There are a bunch of local heros and heroines in the trenches still doing the work, they don't get national recognition, and they are still subjected to the terror and intimmidations many think ended in the 1960's. It's all connected people. The same people who dont' support gay rights didn't support rights for blacks or women, not a new crowd. When you can make a group of people "the other" by dehumanizing them and stripping them of their rights, it's a slipperly slope. We're all supposed to be in this together!

[kennyinvirginia]

02:58 PM on 08/01/2010

Correction to my post: Janis *Fullilove*

[opinioned1]

01:48 PM on 08/01/2010

Traditional Christian Values. Bigotry, intolerance, racism, persecution, flaunting the mis-use of the Constitution and the Laws of this country.

[mdbeard41]

02:08 PM on 08/01/2010

or my favorite pick the verses that you want to obey and fit you and ignore the rest.

[Ghost Dance 2010]

01:31 PM on 08/01/2010

HERO!