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TVA manager Robert Morris has lost gay friends, relatives and partners to sexual discrimination, the AIDS disease and even suicide over the past half century since the modern day gay rights movement was birthed from the Stonewall riots.

But on the 50th anniversary of the protests at the Stonewall Inn in New York City by gay patrons who the police attempted to arrest, Morris told a gathering of Chattanooga leaders gathered to celebrate gay pride month that he has been welcomed in Chattanooga since moving here three years ago. Morris, a director of communications and marketing operations at TVA who helps lead a TVA employee resource group for LGBTQ workers, said his own family and experience shows the progress that has been achieved and the need to embrace diversity in sexual orientation.

"The thousands of people who have come before us — and sometimes died — for our rights compels me to speak out," Morris said. "By speaking out and speaking up, I hope to normalize the conversation, personalize the face of the LGBTQ community for my co workers, friends and family with a constant reminder that "Love is Love.'"

Morris said the faith community at St. Mark's United Methodist Church and his employer, TVA, have embraced him and his partner and spouse, Jeff, in Chattanooga.

Chattanooga business, faith and political leaders sought to welcome Morris and other LGBTQ individuals Friday during a rally and networking party in Miller Plaza to celebrate Pride Month and mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce organized Friday's event as part of its ongoing efforts — defined through the planning effort of Velocity 2040 over the past year — to promote more diversity and inclusion in the local economy.

"We know that if we are going to be a resilient and thriving economy we need to be inclusive to the LGBTQIA community and be a place where such folks can grow, advance, connect, be promoted and be put in places of power," said Molly Blankenship, vice president of talent initiatives at the Chattanooga Chamber.

Austin Corcoran, manager of talent attraction and retention for the Chamber who helped organize Friday's event, said the LBGTQ community is growing and becoming more vocal in Chattanooga and that should help lure a more diverse workforce to the city to fill jobs in the current low-unemployment market or to take advantage of Chattanooga entrepreneurial eco-system to start their own business.

"We want to be inclusive of all people," he said.

Other sponsors of Friday's gay pride rally included the Tennessee Valley Authority, Unum, the city's Office of Multicultural Affairs, The Palace Theater, Cempa Community care, Tennessee Valley Pride and the Nooga Diversity Center.

The Rev. Anna Golladay, a local pastor who had her license withdrawn by the United Methodist Church last year for performing a same-sex wedding, led a prayer for those gathered at the downtown rally.

"Today as we raise our voices, our hearts and our rainbow may it serve as a sign of hope and a sign of our commitment to justice, inclusion and welcome," she said.

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke thanked the sponsors and highlighted the city's efforts to be more welcoming and inclusive of all persons, regardless of their sexual orientation.

"In 2019, it's still true that many people in our community and across our country don't feel like they have power," Berke said. "It's definitely hard to feel like you have power when you are systematically discriminated against or when people exclude you or tell you that they don't believe in your lifestyle. All of those are ways that they try to devalue you and make you feel like you don't have power. Chattanooga should not be that way. That is not who we are and not what we believe."

Berke said he created the Council Against Hate to help ensure that no one is victimized by hate in the city and has expanded its supplier diversity initiative to include businesses which are owned by gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people.

"You can get certified today from the city to help recognize LGBTQ businesses in our supplier and vendor pipeline," Berke said.

The mayor appealed to all Chattanoogans to speak out against hate and discrimination against LGBTQ persons.

"All of us have a responsibility to speak out against those people who are promoting hate and discrimination in our society, no matter where they are or what their positions are ," Berke said. "We see that at the top levels of the United States and that is just wrong."

Contact Dave Flessner at dflessner@timesfreepress.com or at 757-6340.