Republican state Rep. Stacey Campfield's proposal said, "No public elementary or middle school shall provide any instruction or materials discussing sexual orientation other than heterosexuality."

During the meeting on the proposal, Democratic state Rep. Ulysses Jones suggested the bill was part of Campfield's re-election effort, the Nashville Tennessean reported.

Campfield argued that lawmakers opposed to the proposal were "playing to the crowd," which included members of the gay community.

The House panel moved the bill to the State Board of Education, actively ending the proposal, the newspaper said.