Community that Tried to Imprison Gays to Get a Taste of Rainbow Pride
365Gay.com,
March 24, 2004
By 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Nashville, Tennessee—Less than a
week after Rhea County was forced to back down on calling for the power to
jail gays under Tennessee’s Crimes Against Nature law the LGBT community is
preparing for its first Pride Day.
Gays from across the country are being urged to converge
on Rhea County on May 24 to celebrate Rhea County Gay Day.
Gary A. Eddings, who is organizing the event said it will
be held at the Rhea County Courthouse, where the commission held its vote and
then following a blitz of media attention rescinded it and where the 1925
Scopes Monkey Trial dealing with the teaching of evolution in the schools was
held.
Eddings said the threat of being jailed has galvanized
the small local gay community into action.
“I don’t believe there are any of those people living
here,” said June Griffin, a Christian activist who favored the recent
ordinance. She also said she disagreed with “homosexual agitators” coming
to the community to celebrate Pride.
Eddings said the schedule of activities has not yet been
worked out and hopes to get help from other gay groups in the state. He has
set up a website with
directions to the courthouse.
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