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‘Archaic’: the Tennessee town that made homosexuality illegal

Republican lawmakers in the US are leaning into outdated definitions of obscenity to outlaw drag and ban books too

For five months this year, homosexuality was prohibited in a Tennessee college town.

In June, the city council of Murfreesboro enacted an ordinance outlawing “indecent exposure, public indecency, lewd behavior, nudity or sexual conduct”. The rule did not explicitly mention homosexuality, but LGBTQ+ people in the town quickly realized that the ordinance references 21-72 of the city code, which categorizes homosexuality as an act of indecent sexual conduct.

The ordinance was essentially a covert ban on LGBTQ+ existence.

Erin Reed, one of the first and only national journalists to cover the ordinance earlier this year, noted that Murfreesboro isn’t “the only community that has these old archaic bits of code that target homosexuality”.

Earlier this month, following a legal challenge from the ACLU of Tennessee, the government of Murfreesboro removed “homosexuality” from the list of acts defined as “public indecency” by the city code. The small victory came after officials repeatedly refused to issue permits for the BoroPride Festival, citing the new ordinance.

oldbaldgrumpy ,

I assumed push back as you don’t agree with the actual facts I posted, but didn’t expect you to put blinders on. How do you factually measure how people feel? The answer is clearly you don’t. I said gay marriage was voted down many many MANY times in different states all across the United States. It was, that actually happened. The people that voted against still actually exist, and it’s likely their opinion has not changed just because you don’t like it. How fucking obtuse can one person be?

sukhmel ,

Why is it likely that their opinion has not changed? I, for one, change my opinion if I find it doesn’t suit me anymore

oldbaldgrumpy ,

If someone voted against a topic like this so many feel so strongly about I think it would be hard to change their minds. What could I say to convince you otherwise on this topic?

Saltblue ,

It’s hard to change opinions when religion and lead have rotted your brain

oldbaldgrumpy ,

Or a liberal. Liberals are the same.

Saltblue ,

I know, but the funny thing is that this place is very traditional and religious… In paper.

sukhmel ,

So you’re implying that an opinion may be subject to change unless one had already voted on some matter based off of that opinion thus committing to following that opinion for the rest of one’s life?

oldbaldgrumpy ,

Not at all, I said that people are on one side of this topic, and it showed in the actual votes they placed. Then with a 5/4 vote in the supreme Court the government told them their opinion didn’t matter. That alone will make someone loath the decision and keep their opinions. I’ve made myself very clear, and I think everyone here understands my point perfectly, some don’t agree with it, to them I say, whatever.

sukhmel ,

Well, you can count me out, I did not understand your point perfectly, not sure about the rest.

dragonflyteaparty ,

I’m so confused. What is this actually in response to? It feels like you’re responding to a different comment rather than OP.

oldbaldgrumpy ,

…wikipedia.org/…/U.S._state_constitutional_amendm…

Not sure you’re right about that.

wick , (edited )

Wasn’t this whole thing debunked as an obscure definition that was never enforced, and was changed weeks before a story about it ever made headlines?

Earlier this month, following a legal challenge from the ACLU of Tennessee, the government of Murfreesboro removed “homosexuality” from the list

Yep.

I’m cancelling my monthly donation to the guardian lmao. Ragebaiting like some fox news opinion piece.

sunbytes ,

Part of the authoritarian playbook is selective enforcement.

So it’s still scary, even if it never got used.

dragonflyteaparty ,

It’s the fact that it had to be removed… And that there are plenty of people in government, including the speaker of the house, who actually want it to be illegal to be gay.

Heresy_generator , (edited )
@Heresy_generator@kbin.social avatar

In June, the city council of Murfreesboro enacted an ordinance outlawing “indecent exposure, public indecency, lewd behavior, nudity or sexual conduct”. The rule did not explicitly mention homosexuality, but LGBTQ+ people in the town quickly realized that the ordinance references 21-72 of the city code, which categorizes homosexuality as an act of indecent sexual conduct.
...
Earlier this month, following a legal challenge from the ACLU of Tennessee, the government of Murfreesboro removed “homosexuality” from the list of acts defined as “public indecency” by the city code. The small victory came after officials repeatedly refused to issue permits for the BoroPride Festival, citing the new ordinance.

So the city was using the ordinance to shut down a pride festival based on the new ordinance's reference to 21-72 of the city code until the ACLU got involved and they backed down rather than pay for lawyers to fight a battle they knew they couldn't win in the courts.

Murfreesboro made public homosexuality illegal and was enforcing it until the ACLU slapped them around. How is that "debunked"? You don't think it's newsworthy that a city government outlawed public homosexuality just because they rescinded it when challenged?

wick ,

www.facebook.com/boropridetn this is the pride organisers page. On the 2019 event listing they state it is the 4th annual event. They’ve been running pride events in the town every year for nearly a decade. The event occurred again this year, making it the 9th consecutive year.

I don’t see gays being oppressed, I see dumb small town officials thinking they can make weird laws that would never hold up in court and getting immediately corrected.

It’s more shocking to me that there was apparently no law that referenced that definition of “sexual conduct” until now that would have highlighted this bigoted part of the city code thats been there for years.

Was fucking in the street legal? Why is it only on the 9th year of the event that they are getting push back? How many officials were involved in this law passing? Questions the guardian isn’t looking at because they don’t give a fuck, or the answers aren’t ragebait enough.

interceder270 ,

Was anyone persecuted for this?

Metype ,
@Metype@lemmy.world avatar

I lived scarily close to Murfreesboro to be reading this. Luckily I moved out of Tennessee back in August, and I hope my friends can get outta there soon.

Bathtubwalrus ,

I lived in Cookeville for a few years, glad I got the fuck outta TN, especially Cookeville. So many racists and homophobes there.

Metype ,
@Metype@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah I went to TN Tech for a year so I know Cookeville :/

BlackSkinnedJew ,

I believe no one it’s forcing any minority to keep being in a place where they are not welcomed, move and leave alone the old-fart flat-earthers.

Scientician ,

Sure, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. Your suggestion is to leave family, friends, work, etc etc. Lots of people are tied to a location based on circumstances they can’t control.

BlackSkinnedJew ,

Nothing it’s free in this world, if it worth it you have to pay the price.

Scientician ,

Sure, I’ve uprooted plenty. Some people have circumstances… Like a dependent parent or dependence on a job for insurance. Being human is hard for plenty of people without all the added shit.

dragonflyteaparty ,

Absolutely, so you can take your own advice and go live with the rest of the bigots.

shalafi ,

I feel you, I really do, but I’m getting old and out of options.

I own a home in NW Florida, and there’s no way I move without seriously fucking myself up. FFS, my mortgage is $600/mo. and interest/tax free. I might even have it paid off in the next 5 years. (Thanks Habitat for Humanity! AMA. Seriously folks. I’ll help if I can.)

I might retire to the Philippines with my new Filipina wife (married last Friday!), and that has its pros and cons. Of course I could rent my house out, which lemmy says makes me an evil son-of-a bitch landlord.

And one could say, “You should have left long ago!” Well… Just got here 18-years ago and Florida was purple then, we voted for Obama twice, and it’s only leaning red ATM. And again, lemmy tells me I’m a son-of-a-bitch for living here because my governor and congressman are asses.

So… what? I just run away and destroy my family’s life because the last couple elections went sour?

andros_rex ,

God I would fucking love to move out of my hell-hole conservative state. You going to contribute to my go fund me? Got a room for negligible rent?

badbytes ,

You reap what you sow Tennessee

raynethackery ,

WE WILL NOT GO BACK IN TO THE CLOSEST!

SendMePhotos ,

THEN HOW WILL YOU GET CLOTHES

Indie59 ,

THE BOUDOIR OR MAYBE A DRESSER

stolid_agnostic ,

THEY WILL SIT IN A PILE ON THE FLOOR AND I WILL SMELL THEM BEFORE PUTTING THEM ON, BUT ONLY IF THEY AREN’T TOO WRINKLED IN WHICH CASE I WILL USE THEM AS PAJAMAS OR WASH THEM AGAIN.

humorlessrepost ,

OR THE FARTHEST

Supermariofan67 ,

Obscenity law needs to be eliminated entirely at this point. It’s archaic entirely. Luckily, convicting under the Miller test is rare since pretty much everything has “serious artistic or political value”, but these laws shouldn’t be on the books at all. Needless violation of the first amendment to punish victimless crimes.

captainlezbian ,

Isn’t this a blatant violation of the Laurence ruling?

Kolanaki , (edited )
@Kolanaki@yiffit.net avatar

Big, tough, strong, straight men too afraid to see other men kiss or hold hands. These men are weak. Gay men are much more manlier.

havokdj ,

I mean, if you think about it, gay men are so manly that they are literally into men as men. It’s like double man.

It doesn’t get manlier than that. Literally twice the men.

Skanky ,

It’s raining men!

havokdj ,

Hallelujah

rayyy ,

Tennessee needs this law because without it all the men there go gay.

Pratai ,

Cowards.

18107 ,

There’s no hate like christian love.

afraid_of_zombies ,

Christianity going to Christian

IHadTwoCows ,

The christofascist Lemmy user PepeLivesMatter is gonna be sad

kescusay ,
@kescusay@lemmy.world avatar

They’re still doing the Pepe thing? They do know Pepe’s creator hates them and killed Pepe in his comic, right?

How embarrassing and stupid of them.

havokdj ,

Forechin doesn’t care though

girlfreddy ,
@girlfreddy@lemmy.world avatar

Honest to gawd I read that as “foreskin” and did a double-take.

Obviously I haven’t had enough caffeine today.

havokdj ,

What’s the difference honestly lmao

IHadTwoCows ,

Yep. Seems to have been banned though. Yay!

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