Nashville’s GLBT community will get a first-hand opportunity to hear how candidates running for mayor feel on GLBT issues at a first-ever GLBT Chamber Mayoral Candidate Forum hosted by the Nashville GLBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLBTCC). 

The event will be held on Wednesday, July 18, at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel, Symphony Ballroom, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The forum begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. Christopher Sanders, past president of the NGLBTCC and current president of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), will moderate the event.

Candidates confirmed as of press time include David Briley, Karl Dean, Buck Dozier, Kenneth Eaton and Howard Gentry. All candidates have been invited to the forum.

The public is invited to attend, but the chamber is asking for RSVPs. Light appetizers will be provided and a cash bar will be available. To RSVP, email GLBTChamber@comcast.net.

“Since the time the organization was known as NAPP, our community has relied on the chamber to connect us with local candidates,” Sanders said. “The upcoming election could mark a turning point in GLBT rights for Nashville. This forum will allow us to get to know the man who will lead our city and the direction he intends to chart.”

John Wade, president of the NGLBTCC, said a straw poll will be conducted after the forum to allow audience members to select their favorite candidate.

"We’re very excited to continue the tradition of bringing important issues and local candidates before our members,” Wade said. “The future of Nashville depends on its leadership and our members are an important part of the business community. They rely on forums like this to help them make informed decisions before going to the polls.”

The forum is also sponsored in part by Jeff Rymer and Abby Norman, both of Village Real Estate Services Midtown.

Early voting begins July 13.