Wes Breedwell, Employee Fired from Rocketown, Issues a Statement

Wes Breedwell, the employee fired from Nashville venue Rocketown on Monday for his social media activity along with wearing a shirt for the band Hostage Calm bearing the message “I Support Same-Sex Marriage” has finally spoken out for the first time since the incident. Prior to this evening, Wes’s only acknowledgment of the event came in the form a brief tweet and Instagram picture explaining simply that he had been fired, “social media is what did it,” and sporting the shirt in question to support free speech and equality. Since the incident, Hostage Calm released a statement with additional information they claimed came from Breedwell, and Rocketown’s publicist released a brief statement without specifically addressing the issue in question. Tonight marks the first and, from the sound of it, only official statement that Mr. Breedwell will be releasing. In it, he addresses his disappointment over the intolerance displayed by his former employer, but asks the public to remain civil towards the venue and respect his privacy over the matter. The statement, released in the form of an Instagram picture of text, is as follows:

My name is Wes Breedwell. I am not gay but do support those who are. It’s unfortunate that Rocketown chose to terminate me for what they consider lack of judgement. I have worked tirelessly for seven years to foster acceptance of all types of music and people. It was my hope that progress was being made, however, Monday brought a level of intolerance I did not expect. This is a tough time for me, I’m devastated about losing my job and I request you respect my privacy. On the advice of counsel, I cannot and will not grant requests for interviews. Lastly, please refrain from internet bashing and respect everyones right to their opinions and beliefs.

You can see the original image of Wes’s statement, from Instagram, below:

We have not spoken to Breedwell personally and, in light of this statement, do not expect to. We also reached out to Rocketown for comment and got no response.

In addition to the parties involved, many major news sources, blogs, and activist groups have reported on and reacted to the story. Additionally, artists, fans, and industry personnel took to social media to express their disdain over the venue’s intolerance. As of today, we know of at least two major tours scheduled to play at Rocketown in the coming months who have reshecudled their shows for different venues.

–Rocketown Fires Employee for Promoting Equality
–Multiple National Artists CANCEL Their Upcoming Tour Dates at Rocketown