Look what those knuckle-dragging, Bible toting, corn liquor swilling, Dolly Parton-lovin’ Luddites in the backwoods hollers of Tennessee have done.

Why, even if you thought Ron DeSantis was de Debbil incarnate – which he still is – Gavin Newsom, defender of all that is Leftist virtue signaling wrong with the world, has news for you.

(If you are of a sensitive nature or easily triggered, avert your eyes – this is strong stuff.)

In fact, Newsom has a Homophobe Red Alert:

That sounds pretty backwards, even in this day and age, doesn’t it?

The New Republic piece, published 3 days ago, opens with a pretty appalling assertion – that the town of Murfreesboro, TN has outlawed public homosexuality.

A city in Tennessee is using a recently passed ordinance essentially prohibiting homosexuality in public to try to ban library books that might violate the new rules.

Murfreesboro passed an ordinance in June banning “indecent behavior,” including “indecent exposure, public indecency, lewd behavior, nudity or sexual conduct.” As journalist Erin Reed first reported, this ordinance specifically mentions Section 21-72 of the city code. The city code states that sexual conduct includes homosexuality.

That is incendiary…if it’s true. Two people of the opposite sex can’t even express affection for each other – hold hands, a peck on the cheek – like any other couple in the draconian town of Murfreesboro? For God’s sake – what if they’re marri –WAIT.

The town council didn’t do away with gay marriage, too, did they?

This sounds bad.

And they’re banning books, too? Dead give-away there.

…An ACLU-backed challenge to the ordinance has already been launched, but that hasn’t stopped city officials from implementing the measure. Last Monday, the Rutherford County steering committee met to discuss removing all books that might potentially violate the ordinance from the public library. The resolution was met with widespread outcry from city residents.

…Murfreesboro city officials have already used the ordinance to ban four books that discuss LGBTQ themes. In August, the county library board pulled the books Flamer, Let’s Talk About It, Queerfully and Wonderfully Made, and This Book Is Gay.

The board also implemented a new library card system that categorizes books into certain age groups. When it takes effect next year, children and teenagers will only be able to check out books that correspond to their age group; they will need permission from a parent or guardian to check out “adult” books.

The uproar almost makes one not want to have to see what the well meaning but obviously horribly bigoted people of the town have decided. In this case, due diligence requires that we do some digging. What have they outlawed?

So far I’m not seeing anything awful and nothing that rises to the level of outlawing a segment of society. Or prohibiting being affectionate in public. This is pretty much your basic public lewdness ordinance, isn’t it?

But then there was another section someone brought to everyone’s attention that did seem problematic. It did say “homosexuality” right there, plain as day, as if it were a separate category on its own. Why would they add that? For one thing, it’s downright hostile. For another, how on earth would language like that be enforceable in this day and age?

Here’s where it all starts to fall apart for the author of this New Republic hit piece. And make no mistake, because that’s exactly what she’s written and TNR has chosen to publish.

Remember I said this mendacious tripe was published “three days ago”?

Well, on October 19th – almost a full MONTH ago – the town council of Murfreesboro had their first reading of a revision to that section of the ordinance to…what?

Strike the word “homosexuality” from it.

And did so with the second reading on 2 November.

So. The offending language had been stricken for almost two full weeks before publication of this pile of poo.

But wait, as the old Billy Mays commercials used to say. There’s more.

The inference from the article is that the ordinance was written to exclude homosexuals by the current town council. It’s very clear from the author’s words and tone that you are meant to believe that Murfreesboro is a hotbed of homophobic Bible banging book banners, who have also just outlawed their fellow Americans.

When nothing could be further from the truth.

That language has been the exact same in that ordinance since 1949. As the town council was at long last updating it to reflect 2023, the ACLU and a local Pride org filed a lawsuit to make sure the seventy-four-year-old discriminatory language was removed considering the parties were already brangling over drag queens, children, and Pride parades.

The term “homosexuality” stopped being part of a city code prohibiting inappropriate “sexual conduct,” the Murfreesboro City Council decided recently.

City Manager Craig Tindall advised the council Oct. 19 to update a city ordinance, dating back to 1949, following a federal First Amendment lawsuit from BoroPride LGBTQ+ supporters and a court order from Judge Waverly D. Crenshaw Jr., the chief judge for the U.S. District Court in Nashville.

…The code dates back to 1949 in defining prohibited “sexual conduct” that includes “homosexuality,” and the language remained in place with a 1977 code update, according to an Oct. 19 council agenda report from the city manager.

…The City Council Oct. 19 agenda report from Tindall suggested updating the ordinance was about clarifying code sections that are enforceable for purpose of public safety.

Tindall’s report also said the city has no recollection of ever having enforced the code that prohibited “homosexuality.”

What remains is the council wrestling with issues many cities are as far as what are appropriate limitations on behaviors (and exposures) for “public” Pride festivals where children are present. That’s what this boils down to now.

As far as the tripe TNR published, without the update, its prurient gay-outrage-baiting. They can whip their lefty audience into a lather, maybe get a little boycott of Murfreesboro going, get a couple of tickees on the old virtue signaling scorecard.

WITHOUT the updates – which they had over a month on the word alone, less mind any research on the aspersions as far as this council’s responsibility for its inclusion to begin with – they’ve got bupkiss.

They got bupkiss and ran with it. And Newsom bit, big time.

You’d think a chief executive would be a little more savvy about jumping on dog whistles.

Especially when he’s scheduled to debate a chief executive who is just that sharp.

This is gonna be so fun.