A pro-Trump candidate for mayor in Franklin, Tennessee who opposes LGBTQ+ events in her hometown is facing questions after a photo emerged of her husband dressed in only a Speedo at a Pride parade in Chicago.
Gabrielle Hanson, a first-term alderman in Franklin, launched her bid for mayor after raising her profile among Republicans earlier this year by leading an unsuccessful attempt to block a Pride festival from being held at a city-run park.
Hanson argued that the festival would include drag queens and scantily-clad attendees so it was necessary to block the festival to protect “innocent children”.
But, News Channel 5 obtained a photo of Hanson’s husband, Tom, wearing nothing but an American flag Speedo at a Pride Parade in Chicago in 2008.
Tom told the Windy City Times at the time that his wife supported his decision and even convinced sponsors to include him in the day’s events.
“I thought how was I going to make an impact in the parade? I’m a Republican, nobody’s going to want to listen to me,” he said. “So it just came to me. I said maybe I’ll wear an American-flag Speedo and my wife said, ‘If you do that, I’ll hold you to it.'”
Asked to comment on whether it was harmful to children when he was scantily clad in the Pride Parade, Tom told the News Channel 5 reporter: “We’re talking about Franklin, we’re not talking about Chicago right now.”
When the reporter asked if children in Chicago do not deserve protection, Tom walked away.
