Connie Britton Calls Out Tennessee's Hatewave

When you lose Rayna Jaymes, you've done wrong.

Nashville star Connie Britton tells The Hollywood Reporter that anti-LGBT legislation currently percolating in the state legislature is "un-American," and that she might not "feel comfortable" filming here if state lawmakers keep it up. 

In particular, Britton is speaking about HB 1840, which allows mental health therapists the right to reject patients based on "sincerely held principles." The legislature has already passed that bill and is currently awaiting a decision from Gov. Bill Haslam. There's also HB 2414, which would require Tennessee students to use bathrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate as opposed to their gender identity, a bill aimed a transgender students. That bill has been delayed in the legislature due particularly to concerns about its potential impact on federal education funding.

Britton calls the bills "disturbing and it's unjust."

"Obviously we are seeing a lot of this legislation crop up now," Connie Britton tells The Hollywood Reporter. "It's disturbing and it's unjust." The actress said she finds the two bills "completely un-American."

"I shoot a TV show in Tennessee, and honestly, if they proceed with this, I'm not necessarily going to feel comfortable working there," says Britton. "That is a tricky situation because of course we employ a lot of people in the state, and you certainly don't want to have to interrupt that, but at the same time, this is the only way that we can have our voices be heard."

She stresses that opponents of the bills need to make their voices heard, adding, "Unfortunately a lot of the way that we do that is through the choices we make financially."

As THR notes, the show has consistently received state and local financial incentives, including $8 million in incentives from the state in 2015. Britton has gotten involved in local politics before, including

for Megan Barry's mayoral campaign last year and volunteering with Nashville's street newspaper The Contributor.  

One of Britton's co-stars, Chris Carmack — who plays a gay country artist on the show — has also spoken out against the bills.