GOP Gov. Bill Lee’s hypocrisy called out in full-page newspaper ad of him dressed in drag

An photo of Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) is being featured as a full-page ad in one of the state's largest publications.

On Tuesday, March 7, the ad — funded by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) — appeared in The Tennessean in response to Lee's recent support of a piece of legislation seeking to implement consequences for drag performances.

The ad features a 1977 photo of Lee from his high school yearbook wearing women's clothing.

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“This kid enjoyed drag,” the ad reads with an arrow focused on Lee. “Guess what happened to him? He’s our governor.”

Per The Toronto Star: "The goal of the ad is to highlight the 'hypocrisy of Tennessee’s drag ban,' according to the HRC, the nation’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization."

The ad also referenced the 14 pieces of legislation that serve as a direct threat to the LGBTQ+ community and read, “Tennessee has passed more anti-LGBTQ+ legislation than any other state, which is no laughing matter."

Kelley Robinson, HRC president, also released a statement to Daily News about the photo and the laws being backed by Republican lawmakers. She offered a critical take on Lee and his presumed obsession with anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

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“Gov. Bill Lee isn’t just focused on anti-LGBTQ+ legislation — he’s obsessed with it. He’s infatuated with it,” Robinson wrote. “It’s why Tennessee has enacted more anti-LGBTQ+ laws than any other state since 2015, and why Gov. Lee last week became the very first governor in the country to sign a drag ban into law.”

Robinson also noted that the organization is collaborating with local leaders to push back against the proposed laws with a demonstration.

The news outlet offered details about the upcoming demonstration writing: “'Slay Hate: Rally Against Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills' will bring together advocates and activists from across the state 'to oppose the rash of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, as well as additional bills currently snaking through the legislative process.'”

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