this post was submitted on 26 Nov 2023
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Republican lawmakers in the US are leaning into outdated definitions of obscenity to outlaw drag and ban books too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.

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[–] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 88 points 11 months ago (3 children)
[–] DemBoSain@midwest.social 50 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

“After prayerful thought and talking with my family, I have decided not to run for re-election..."

WTF, why do these people always blame God when they get caught? God wasn't responsible for your own shady shit, and he's not responsible for you cuttin'-and-runnin'.

[–] IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee 19 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Morgan Freeman: "But there was no prayer in her thought..."

[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

Yeah it’s famously fucked up

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Cripes. Wtf Murfreesboroites?

[–] Kolanaki@yiffit.net 66 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

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@lemmy.world 36 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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@lemmy.world 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] havokdj@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago
[–] rayyy@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago

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

[–] 18107@aussie.zone 51 points 11 months ago

There's no hate like christian love.

[–] raynethackery@lemmy.world 41 points 11 months ago (2 children)

WE WILL NOT GO BACK IN TO THE CLOSEST!

[–] SendMePhotos@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago (2 children)

THEN HOW WILL YOU GET CLOTHES

[–] Indie59@lemmy.world 35 points 11 months ago

THE BOUDOIR OR MAYBE A DRESSER

[–] stolid_agnostic@lemmy.ml 5 points 11 months ago

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.

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[–] YeetPics@mander.xyz 35 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A bit redundant to say "archaic" and "Tennessee" isn't it?

[–] humorlessrepost@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago

Depends on the city. Chattanooga has amazing municipal internet, for instance.

[–] Supermariofan67@programming.dev 29 points 11 months ago

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.

[–] IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee 29 points 11 months ago (1 children)

The christofascist Lemmy user PepeLivesMatter is gonna be sad

[–] kescusay@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago (2 children)

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@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Forechin doesn't care though

[–] IHadTwoCows@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago

Yep. Seems to have been banned though. Yay!

[–] Metype@lemmy.world 17 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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

[–] Metype@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

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

[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Christianity going to Christian

[–] Pratai@lemmy.ca 16 points 11 months ago
[–] wick@lemm.ee 11 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (4 children)

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@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

Part of the authoritarian playbook is selective enforcement.

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

[–] Heresy_generator@kbin.social 10 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

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?

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[–] captainlezbian@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

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

[–] badbytes@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

You reap what you sow Tennessee

[–] burntbutterbiscuits@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

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.

[–] Potatos_are_not_friends@lemmy.world 32 points 11 months ago (2 children)

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.

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Maybe a small bullet (or ten) from the cop. :/

[–] 18107@aussie.zone 7 points 11 months ago

Ten small warning shots to the back of the head.

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