Gay couples in rural US town banned from public displays of affection

16 November 2023 , 17:18

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The ordinance has the local librarian worried that books assigned for school won't be available (Image: Boro Pride/Facebook)

Locals of a Tennessee city are using a recently passed ordinance basically prohibiting homosexuality in public as a loophole to ban library books they consider gay.

Rural town Murfreesboro in June passed an ordinance banning "indecent behaviour," which includes "indecent exposure, public indecency, lewd behaviour, nudity or sexual conduct." The rule seems overtly targeted at the gay community as journalist Erin Reed first reported the mention of Section 21-72 in the ordinance, which states that sexual conduct includes homosexuality, essentially banning all forms of public affection for gay couples besides talking

Citizens found violating the new rule will be barred from hosting public events or selling goods and services at them for two years. Those who are caught breaking the ordinance "in the presence of minors" will be barred for five years. Naturally, an ACLU-supported challenge to the restriction has been set into motion, but city officials have gone ahead and ratified the measure.

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The new rules punishment is doubled if a gay couple engages in "sexual conduct" in front of kids (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Last week, the Rutherford County steering committee met to discuss banning all books that may violate the new ordinance, which resulted in public backlash. “When have the people who ban books ever been the good guys?” local activist Keri Lambert exclaimed at the meeting last week.

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Four books that possess LGBTQ themes have been removed under the new rule. These include, "Flamer, Let's Talk About It", Queerfully and Wonderfully Made", and "This book is Gay."

Community boards have taken aim at books with LGBTQ themes (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The board also made changes to the library card system, which now categorizes books into certain age groups. The new mechanic that will go into effect next year will ensure children and teens are only able to check out books that correlate with their age group, unless they are given parental permission.

The new regulations regarding books has worried library director Rita Shacklett who in August voiced concerns about children having access to books they need for class. According to her, many books considered classics in high school English, like "To Kill a Mockingbird," is now considered an adult book, according to The New Republic.

The county steering committee hasn't taken aim at books like "A Song of Ice and Fire series," which depicts multiple instances of heterosexual sexual conduct. Murfreesboro's new ordinance is a small piece of a larger effort to target LGBTQ rights in Tennessee, which was the first state to attempt a ban on drag shows. The law was overturned in court.

In March, Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill, allowing people the right to refuse to perform a marriage if they disagree with the couple's sexual orientation. The bill was introduced to the Senate but deferred until next year.

Mataeo Smith