Republican lawmakers in the US are leaning into outdated definitions of obscenity to outlaw drag and ban books too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.
Also in Murfreesboro-
It is a very fucked up place.
Yeah it’s famously fucked up
Cripes. Wtf Murfreesboroites?
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WE WILL NOT GO BACK IN TO THE CLOSEST!
THEN HOW WILL YOU GET CLOTHES
THE BOUDOIR OR MAYBE A DRESSER
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.
OR THE FARTHEST
A bit redundant to say “archaic” and “Tennessee” isn’t it?
Depends on the city. Chattanooga has amazing municipal internet, for instance.
The christofascist Lemmy user PepeLivesMatter is gonna be sad
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.
Forechin doesn’t care though
Honest to gawd I read that as “foreskin” and did a double-take.
Obviously I haven’t had enough caffeine today.
What’s the difference honestly lmao
Yep. Seems to have been banned though. Yay!
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.
I lived in Cookeville for a few years, glad I got the fuck outta TN, especially Cookeville. So many racists and homophobes there.
Yeah I went to TN Tech for a year so I know Cookeville :/
Christianity going to Christian
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Just once I wished I could snap my fingers for a role reversal for all these fucking asshole bigots. They probably still wouldn’t learn anything but I at least would feel a little better for a while.
No they actively believe they are reversing roles. They think that their religion is oppressed for people like me being allowed to show our faces in public and for them to be legally mandated to treat us like people.
I don’t want revenge, I just want them to stop hurting people.
I don’t want revenge either. More like forced empathy and perspective since they are usually incapable of experiencing either.
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Yeah, if you get arrested for bullshit, it’s not like you un-miss work or get compensated for the lawyer you nerd to provide you got arrested for bukkshit.
The ordinance states that the community “has the right to establish and preserve contemporary community standards.”
I have to wonder if the “community” (and I use that term loosely) enacted pro-abortion rules/laws in '73 when Roe was passed so, you know, they kept up with contemporary standards.
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.
Part of the authoritarian playbook is selective enforcement.
So it’s still scary, even if it never got used.
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.
I feel like would be a great town to fuck in the park at midnight. Just more exciting because you could get a small ticket for it.
Uncertain if it’ll be a small ticket from a police officer. I’m more confident it’ll be a burning cross and a noose from a group of white hooded individuals. There’s a history.
Maybe a small bullet (or ten) from the cop. :/
True, but as long as they aren’t wearing their hoods they are probably the ones most likely to be engaging in the behaviors they so publicly despise.
Isn’t this a blatant violation of the Laurence ruling?
You reap what you sow Tennessee
Was anyone persecuted for this?
I’m sure this won’t be a popular opinion, but how is this surprising? Gay marriage was voted down at the state level many times all across the country. Those voters are still out there and 5 supreme court justices didn’t change their opinions on homosexuality.
You don’t have to be surprised to be offended.
True. I’m curious if the ones that enabled this legislation were first surprised or offended when the supreme court made gay marriage legal?
True, but also some of those voters have changed their minds. I wouldn’t be surprised if my red state would overturn our constitutional ban on gay marriage if Obergefell were struck down, and Obergefell was against our state.
This is the most worthless comment I’ve read on lemmy yet, not only is it wrong or also acts smug about it lmfao get outta here
Based on documented state voting the majority of the population would agree with my statement. You are in the small minority. Bitch all you like, that will not change.
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I said in a earlier reply that gay marriage was voted against many times, in multiple states all across the USA. That’s what I was referring to, feel free to Google it.
Please, just do a simple Google search and educate yourself:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_opinion_of_same-sex_marriage_in_the_United_States
Gay Marriage has had one of the most radical changes in public opinion of any concept in general. The overwhelming majority of people are in favor of it, to the point that it would be law even in places you would not expect.
I said what I said about your comment because it was smug and objectively untrue. Nothing irritates me more than that combination. Please, understand the way you learned things years ago does not determine the immutability of them.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state_constitutional_amendments_banning_same-sex_unions
That’s a quick Google search. It barely made it through the supreme court, passing 5/4. I’m not sure where you are gathering your information, but it’s skewed.
Another search https://www.dailysignal.com/2014/10/06/states-voted-gay-marriage-now-forced-upon/
Dude did you even read my original comment? I said that the public opinion towards same-sex marriage has changed drastically. I appreciate you linking an article from 2014 from a highly biased conservative site, but, aside from the bias, it has no relevancy as the source I linked to you was as of 2022.
Show me a source that actually supports your claim.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._state_constitutional_amendments_banning_same-sex_unions
Not sure you’re right about that.
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?
I’m so confused. What is this actually in response to? It feels like you’re responding to a different comment rather than OP.
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
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?
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?
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.
It’s hard to change opinions when religion and lead have rotted your brain
