ACLU Wins $500K Settlement In Tennessee Anti-Drag Ordinance Lawsuit

The Tennessee city of Murfreesboro has been ordered to pay $500,000 as part of a settlement with the ACLU of Tennessee, ending an anti-LGBTQ ordinance that banned drag performances in public. https://twitter.com/aclutn/status/1755358158631915709 From the Washington Post:

Last year, the Tennessee Equality Project — a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ+ rights — filed a federal lawsuit after Murfreesboro leaders announced they would no longer be approving any event permit requests submitted by the organization.

At the time, the city alleged that the drag performances that took place during TEP’s 2022 Pride event resulted in the “illegal sexualization of kids.”

TEP denied the shows were inappropriate, countering that the performers were fully clothed. However, the city not only vowed to deny TEP permits but also decided later to update its “community decency standards” intended to “assist in the determination of conduct, materials, and events that may be judged as obscene or harmful to minors.”

In addition to the $500,000 (to compensate for harm caused and reimburse attorneys’ fees), the city must repeal the anti-LGBTQ ordinance and accept and process any future event permit applications from TEP. Plus, City Manager Craig Tindall, who issued the ban on TEP permits last year, is prohibited from reviewing any future TEP permit requests. Related: Tennessee Lawmakers Approve Bill Banning Drag From Public https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1755360533979537415