MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — A half-a-million dollars settlement later, the City of Murfreesboro’s “decency ordinance” has been repealed , but some residents are still considering what the future holds for the LGBTQ community in the city.
Last year, the Tennessee Equality Project sued Murfreesboro claiming the city engaged in a “yearlong, concerted anti-LGBTQ+ campaign.”
Passed in June of 2023 , the ordinance banned “indecent behavior” considered to be “harmful to minors”. It also included ‘sexual conduct’ as a form of indecent behavior. At the time, the city code defined sexual acts in part as “homosexuality.”
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The ordinance was drafted after the Tennessee Equality Project was denied a permit to put on their annual event, Boro Pride. The city manager claimed the previous year there had been drag performances that were indecent for minors. The Tennessee Equality Project denied that allegation.
A federal judge blocked the enforcement of the ordinance while the lawsuit continued, allowing Boro Pride to go on last year as planned. The city also removed “homosexuality” from the city code.