Nashville LGBT Chamber Pushes For Murfreesboro City Manager To Reverse Ban On Organizers Of “Family-Friendly” Pride Festival
Image Credit: Image Credit: Robby Starbuck / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Following the “family-friendly” Boro Pride festival event hosted by Tennessee Equality Project Foundation (TEPF) in September, Murfreesboro City Manager Craig Tindall banned the organizers from further use of city property when he found they had misrepresented the event in their application and violated city ordinances.
Now, the Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce has contacted the Murfreesboro City Mayor, Shane McFarland, voicing their support for TEPF and Boro Pride, and have asked Tindall to reverse his ban on the group. They will also be speaking at the December 1st Murfreesboro City Council meeting.
Following a clip of a video from the Boro Pride event being shared on social media by Robby and Landon Starbuck, Tindall wrote a letter to TEPF, that said in part:
“The event was promoted by your organization as “family friendly,” among other descriptions. Your permit application also stated your event was an “all ages community festival.” Having reviewed video of conduct during a portion of the event, I believe these promotional descriptions were misleading and your application submitted to the City contained material misrepresentation.”
“The portion of the event was far from “family friendly” and clearly unsuitable for “all ages.” The event contained conduct and speech of an explicitly sexual nature, which is a clear violation of the terms of the permit issued to your organization as it violates Murfreesboro City Code…”
“More offensively, your event intentionally exposed young children to this conduct, in clear violation of Tennessee Statute…”
Read the full letter HERE.
Due to the violations by the organizers, Tindall decided to deny any future special events permits submitted by TEPF. In addition, due to TEPF’s misrepresentation of the event, Tindall stated that TEPF would be precluded from entering into further rental agreements with Parks and Recreation Department.
The Nashville LGBT Chamber in response has contacted Tindall, the Murfreesboro mayor and LGBTQ allies to rally support.
In the letter to allies, they encourage individuals to contact the Mayor to show support for Boro Pride and the Tennessee Equality Project and alert them that they will be speaking at the next Murfreesboro City Council meeting, along with allied businesses, on December 1st and encourage them to attend.
If conservatives and concerned Tennesseans would like to offer their support for Tindall’s decision to hold the group accountable to the law, support emails can be sent to Tindall at ctindall@murfreesborotn.gov and Mayor Shane McFarland at smcfarland@murfreesborotn.gov.
Information for the upcoming Murfreesboro City Council meeting:
Murfreesboro City Council Special Session with Public Comment
Thursday, December 1, 2022
5:30 PM Central Time
City Hall – Council Chambers
111 W Vine St.
Murfreesboro, TN 37130
Contact information for members of the Murfreesboro City Council can be found HERE.
The Nashville LGBT Chamber states they are confident that Tindall’s decision will be overturned and that the Boro Pride Festival will take place again next year.
Read the letter sent by Nashville LGBT Chamber to City Manager Craig Tindall below:
Dear Mr. Tindall,
On behalf of our members and Board of Directors, we are asking you to: (1) reverse your decision to deny special events permits to the Tennessee Equality Project and (2) work with Boro Pride, TEP and other organizations to continue hosting Pride Festivals in Murfreesboro. The Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce represents over 400 corporations, small businesses, and individual LGBTQ+ and allied professionals throughout Middle Tennessee, including many who live and work in Murfreesboro and Rutherford County.
Murfreesboro is a rapidly growing city and is home to many people who identify as LGBTQ+, including children. LGBTQ+ professionals, their families and working parents of children who identify as LGBTQ+, want to live and work in communities that are supportive and embrace them. Boro Pride is important to show that all people are welcome in Murfreesboro. Pride Festivals help businesses and corporations attract and retain talent, show their customers they are welcoming to them and help to generate business for the entire community.
It is estimated that over 7,000 guests attended Boro Pride this year. When Pride Festivals are embraced by local governments, they do more than provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ citizens, they provide a boost to local economies. Just this month, Palm Springs, a small city of under 45,000 residents, hosted a Pride Festival that had an estimated 125,000 attendees and saw an economic impact of $25,000,000 in their community. Many municipalities around the country underwrite and invest in Pride Festivals because of the economic impact. Hotels fill up, restaurants sales go up, stores see an increase in traffic and local entrepreneurs participate in a festival that helps build their business. All those activities also generate tax revenue.
In addition to generating revenue for the local community, Pride Festivals are an opportunity to engage and educate everyone on the LGBTQ+ community not only with parties, but parades and workshops that honor the LGBTQ+ pioneers who fought for equality through art, culture, civic action, and community service. We ask that you refrain from denying this opportunity for the Murfreesboro community.
Sincerely,
The Nashville LGBT Chamber of Commerce
CC: Mayor Shane McFarland, Vice Mayor Bill Shacklett, Councilmembers Jami Averwater, Madelyn Scales Harris, Austin Maxwell, Kirt Wade, Shawn Wright
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
My answer is No!
Murfreesboro did the right thing!
This type of event needs to stay away from our community and we need to protect the kids from this indoctrination and influence. Murfreesboro resident.
Frankly I’m disappointed M’boro did NOT file charges against the individuals that lied on the event application
The Nashville Groomers Chamber can stay in Nashville, their exhibition of grown men enticing children to participate in behavior they do not fully understand is appalling
Proud [not pride] of the officials of Murfreesboro for what they did. Let Nashville host these perverted shows and not push it on other municipalities. Not everyone has reprobate minds. These clown shows, where grown confused so called men dress up as women [more like clowns with gaudy make up on] should be in strip clubs were no one under the age of 18 are allowed in. Because thats what they exactly are. Strip shows! Half naked confused so called men prancing around like they are women. And these groups think that this normal behavior? If you want to live this immoral lifestyle, then go and do it but stop thinking that we should except it.
Gods words;
LEVITICUS 18:22 NIV
“Do not have sexual relations with a man as one does with a woman; that is detestable.
DEUTERONOMY 22:5 NIV
A woman must not wear men’s clothing, nor a man wear women’s clothing, for the Lord your God detests anyone who does this.
DEUTERONOMY 18:12 KJV
For all that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of these abominations the lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee.
1 TIMOTHY 1:8-10 NIV
8 We know that the law is good if one uses properly. 9 We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious 10 for the sexual immoral, those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine.
Murfreesboro stand strong and do not give in!
In God we trust not government or man.
Have a blessed day.
Thank you so much Mayor and City Manager!!
This LGBT stuff is reprehensible. I fear that the bottom line and end result of all this is that is that they are grooming children so that eventually these “grown” men can have sex with children!!!
Sodom and Gomorrah all over again!!
Disgusting…