🏳️‍🌈 Nashville’s role in marriage equality

💋 Celebrating Pride With The Lipstick Lounge

The Lipstick Lounge is one of the last remaining lesbian bars in the country. On today’s City Cast Nashville podcast, co-owner Christa Suppan is taking us inside her legendary karaoke spot and giving us a preview of Chapstick, the new women’s sports bar they’re building in the back. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

💒 Nashville’s Role in Marriage Equality

Today marks the tenth anniversary of when the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage across the nation. The case centered on several Tennessee couples whose marriages weren’t recognized when they moved here from other states, and the Nashville-based civil rights attorney who helped them. [The Tennessean]

🥵 NES Asking Customers To Conserve Power

Nashville Electric Service and Tennessee Valley Authority are asking customers to conserve power during this heat wave by raising the thermostat, using ceiling fans, turning off lights when leaving rooms, and using high-power items outside of peak electricity hours — 10 a.m.-8 p.m. [WSMV]

• Here’s a list of public resources for staying cool. [Nashville Banner]

🛬 Travel Ban Causes Confusion for Nashville Afghans

Afghan immigrants in Nashville who received special visas for working for the U.S. government are facing uncertainty after President Trump’s latest travel ban, which completely or partially suspends entry for people from 19 countries, including Afghanistan. Some of the thousands of Afghans living in Nashville had hoped to get visas for family members, and others are worried about being detained by immigration enforcement agencies. [Nashville Banner]

Wondering what to read this summer? Here are the newest book releases by Nashville authors, from toxic lesbian vampires to sweet romances and children’s books for the littles in your life.

June 2025

‘Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil’ by V.E. Schwab

This is like the toxic lesbian vampire version of “Interview With a Vampire” by Anne Rice. It switches perspectives between María, whose recent marriage in 16th century Spain fails to live up to her hopes, and new college student Alice in 2019, whose one-night stand transforms her into something new — and she wants to find out why.

‘Dan in Green Gables’ by Rey Terciero & Claudia Aguirre

This young adult graphic novel reimagines “Anne of Green Gables” in rural Tennessee. When 15-year-old Dan Stewart-Álvarez’s mother takes them to Tennessee, he hopes they’re going to Dollywood, but instead she drops him off at his mawmaw’s. There, he struggles to find his place as a queer Mexican American teenager.

‘Songs of Nashville: The Real Stories Behind Country Music's Greatest Hits’ by Jake Brown

Country music enthusiasts will enjoy this nonfiction, featuring interviews and anecdotes from industry professionals, about the biggest country music hits from the last 50 years. It includes analysis of classics sung by Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson and contemporary favorites by Luke Coombs and Jelly Roll.

‘Grow, Seed, Grow!’ by Caroline Derlatka & Carole Aufranc

This is the perfect little board book for toddlers, with interactive flaps, spinners, and slides. The story follows a seed as it’s planted, grows, and turns into a tree.

‘You Can Sit with Me’ by Rachel Tawil Kenyon & Tatiana Kamshilina

A great back-to-school read for early elementary and preschool kids, this rhyming picture book about making kids feel welcome is so heartwarming, with a simple message that feels like a hug. The illustrations are warm and lovely.

‘Today at School: With Yesterday and Tomorrow’ by Jessica Young & Renée Kurilla

This sweet picture book would also be a great back-to-school read! It stars three animal characters as they prepare for the first day of school: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow. Yesterday wants to stay in bed, while Tomorrow is ready for the future. Both need a little help from Today, who shows them what it means to live in the moment.