MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WTVF) — BoroPride returned to the Tennessee Miller Coliseum on Saturday after a legal battle against the City of Murfreesboro.
Earlier this year, the city agreed to pay out $500,000 to settle a lawsuit over its ordinance banning public homosexuality and local policy denying all special event permit requests from the Tennessee Equality Project. According to the original complaint, former city manager, Craig Tindall, falsely claimed that in 2022, BoroPride intentionally exposed children to sexual content.
"It is the pride event you can bring your grandma to," said Leslie Russel Yost, chair of the BoroPride planning committee. "We are a family-friendly, inclusive, loving event."
The free, all-ages event featured local vendors, a pet costume contest, musical performances, and even a silent disco. It also provided community members with the opportunity to learn more about the resources available to them in the area— like LGBTQ+ friendly churches and healthcare providers.
After the daytime event, BoroPride, as it has for many years, held an 18+ concert, drag show, and pageant.
While the lawsuit with the city government might be over, divisions within the community are ongoing. Organizers say some local candidates made untrue and hateful statements about Pride, but hope candidates will recognize that they represent the whole community— including LGBTQ+ residents.
Yost says those candidates and their supporters are "Invited and welcome to come join us, get to know the community, and see the people living in their town."
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For people of my generation, in our younger days we spent part of our weekends watching music shows like American Bandstand and Soul Train. That was before the age of music videos. Several years before Soul Train was syndicated out of Chicago, another syndicated R&B show was taped in Nashville at NewsChannel 5. Night Train aired in the 60s and included what may have been the first TV appearance for legendary guitarist Jimi Hendrix. Forrest Sanders has another great look back at station history.
-Lelan Statom
