Timeline: Murfreesboro decency standards conflict started with letter from city manager

Scott Broden, Murfreesboro Daily News Journal
Updated ·2 min read

The Murfreesboro government opposition to BoroPride has led to about 14 months of conflict starting with a letter to organizers of the annual LGBTQ+ festival.

'Rescind it': ACLU lawsuit sparks repeal of Murfreesboro decency standards ordinance

Here's a timeline of what's happened so far:

Community decency standards issue starts with letter

Mr BoroPride for 2021 and 2022 Diesel Khaos, performs during BoroPride 2023 Pageant at Austin Audio Visual Design, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.
Mr BoroPride for 2021 and 2022 Diesel Khaos, performs during BoroPride 2023 Pageant at Austin Audio Visual Design, in Murfreesboro, Tenn. on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023.

  • October 2022: Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall sent an October 2022 letter to BoroPride organizers with a ban threat that accuses the September 2022 LGBTQ+ festival and drag show of exposing “children to a harmful prurient interest.”

  • November 2022: BoroPride supporters ask the Murfreesboro City Council to allow the LGBTQ+ festival to continue.

  • June 2023: Murfreesboro City Council votes 6-1 to adopt a community decency standards ordinance that can punish violators, including for public library books determined to be exposing children to indecent materials.

  • July 2023: BoroPride organizers reach agreement with Middle Tennessee State University to schedule festival for Oct. 28, 2023, at MTSU's Tennessee Miller Coliseum in north Murfreesboro.

  • Aug. 28, 2023: The Rutherford County Library Board responds to the city's community decency standards ordinance, state law and complaints by ordering the following four books determined to be inappropriate for children to be pulled: "Flamer," by Mike Curato; "Let's Talk About It," by Erika Moen; "Queerfully & Wonderfully Made," edited by Leigh Finke; and "This book is Gay," by Juno Dawson.

  • Oct. 6, 2023: BoroPride organizers and the American Civil Liberties Union file a federal First Amendment lawsuit against the Murfreesboro government for the community decency standards ordinance.

  • Oct. 23, 2023: U.S. District Court Chief Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw accepts an agreed court order between the federal lawsuit parties that prohibits Murfreesboro government from enforcing city code that includes “homosexuality” within the definition of “sexual conduct" violation during the BoroPride festival.

  • Oct. 28: BoroPride held for all ages at MTSU's Tennessee Miller Coliseum in north Murfreesboro; BoroPride Drag Show and Drag Pageant held for ages 18 and up at Austin Audio.

  • Oct. 19, 2023: Murfreesboro City Council agrees to remove word, "homosexuality," from city code dating back to 1949 to define prohibited sexual conduct.

  • Dec. 21, 2023: Murfreesboro City Council agrees to repeal community decency standards ordinance.

Sources: BoroPride organizers, Murfreesboro government, Middle Tennessee State University and federal First Amendment lawsuit records in case against city by BoroPride organizers and the American Civil Liberties Union

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Timeline: How Murfreesboro ended up repealing decency standards