TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 9, 2023

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Tennessee has filed a federal lawsuit against a Murfreesboro ordinance designed to ban drag performances from public property, the Associated Press reports. The suit was brought on behalf of the Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ rights and has hosted a Pride event in the city since 2016. The organization has faced opposition from city leaders since its 2022 event, which was criticized as being inappropriate. The city first warned TEP it would deny future event permits but later updated its community decency standards to “assist in the determination of conduct, materials, and events that may be judged as obscene or harmful to minors.” The suit alleges the ordinance violates the U.S. Constitution’s first and 14th amendments.