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Josh Kiszka said he spoke publicly because proposed Tennessee bills threatened what he called “the freedom of love,” and he hoped his statement could help change hearts, minds and laws. In the same June 2023 Instagram post, he disclosed that he had been in a loving same-sex relationship with his partner for eight years.
What Josh Kiszka said
Kiszka shared the statement on Instagram on June 20, 2023. He described Tennessee as his home, raised concern about proposed bills, disclosed his relationship and voiced support for LGBTQ+ rights. He said those close to him already knew, but that speaking publicly mattered to him.
“It’s imperative that I speak my truth for not only myself, but in hopes to change hearts, minds, and laws in Tennessee and beyond,” he wrote, as quoted by LGBTQ Nation and Out in June 2023.
Why he chose to speak publicly
Kiszka connected his decision to the political climate in Tennessee, saying proposed bills threatened “the freedom of love.” He framed his statement as a personal act and an appeal for broader change—not as a response to one named bill. He said LGBTQ+ rights were close to his heart because of his relationship and that work remained to be done in Tennessee, across the country and around the world.
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“These issues are especially close to my heart as I’ve been in a loving, same-sex relationship with my partner for the past 8 years,” he said, according to Out. The eight years refers to the relationship duration he disclosed in 2023.
The Tennessee context in 2023
Contemporaneous coverage situated Kiszka’s post amid Tennessee laws concerning gender-affirming care for minors and drag performances in the presence of minors. LGBTQ Nation also reported that a federal judge ruled against the drag law in early June 2023. That is historical context from coverage at the time, not a statement about the laws’ or litigation’s current status.
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Kiszka referred broadly to proposed bills and the need to change laws. The quoted statement does not identify a single bill as the cause of his decision to come out.
What he disclosed—and what he did not
Kiszka publicly described being in a same-sex relationship and expressed support for LGBTQ+ rights. The quoted statement did not assign him a specific identity label. Some headlines characterized him as “queer” or “gay,” but those are the outlets’ descriptions, not labels he used for himself in the statement. Out noted that distinction.
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Advocacy organizations he named
Alongside his statement, Kiszka listed organizations doing LGBTQ+ advocacy work, including HRC Nashville, Inclusion Tennessee, Oasis Center, ACLU of Tennessee, Nashville Pride, the Human Rights Campaign, the Trevor Project and the ACLU nationwide. JamBase reported the names. They were resources he chose to mention; listing them here does not imply an endorsement beyond his statement.
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