[Article] Rhea County, Tennesse - Making Homosexuality a crime against nature

yellum

http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=1718183&nav=1ugFLb9D

Rhea County officials seek change in law to ban gays

DAYTON, Tenn. (AP) - Rhea County commissioners unanimously voted to ask state lawmakers to introduce legislation amending Tennessee's criminal code so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature.

"We need to keep them out of here," said Commissioner J.C. Fugate, who introduced the motion.

County Attorney Gary Fritts also was asked by Fugate to find the best way to enact a local law banning homosexuals from living in Rhea County. Commissioners asked Fritts to bring a resolution requesting the ban to next month's commission meeting for another vote.

Fugate said he offered the crimes against nature measure, which wasn't on the agenda, because of recent national and state events concerning gay marriages.

There was little discussion before the 8-0 vote, and commissioners didn't mention that the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Texas sodomy laws last year and ruled there is a constitutionally protected right to adults' private sexual conduct.

qwertyphobia

from cnn
DAYTON, Tennessee (AP) -- The county that was the site of the Scopes "Monkey Trial" over the teaching of evolution Thursday reversed its call to ban homosexuals.

Rhea County commissioners took about three minutes to retreat from a request to amend state law so the county can charge homosexuals with crimes against nature. The Tuesday measure passed 8-0.

County attorney Gary Fritts said the initial vote triggered a "wildfire" of reaction. "I've never seen nothing like this," he said Thursday.

But Fritts said it was all a misunderstanding.

"They wanted to send a message to our (state) representative and senator that Rhea County supports the ban on same-sex marriage," he said. "Same-sex marriage is what it was all about. It was to stop people from coming here and getting married and living in Rhea County."

Not that the issue of banning homosexuals didn't arise.

"I'm not saying it wasn't discussed," Fritts said. "Sometimes you had five or six people talking."

Fritts said he advised the commissioners they cannot ban homosexuals or make them subject to criminal charges. The U.S. Supreme Court in 2003 struck down Texas' sodomy laws as a violation of adults' privacy.

Fritts said he doesn't believe the issue will come up again.

"I think they got all the publicity they need about it," he said.

All of the commissioners declined to comment Thursday.

Social worker Esther Jackson, 24 -- one of 300 people who attended Thursday's meeting -- held a sign reading: "Breed Love, Not Hate."

"It's just ignorance is all," she said of Tuesday's vote.

But 12-year-old Caitlin Kinney, attending the meeting with her mother, said she supported the commissioners' initial vote.

"I think they should go further, try to see if they can ban them," she said. "It's not a Christian thing."

The politically conservative county holds an annual festival commemorating the 1925 trial at which high school teacher John T. Scopes was convicted of teaching evolution. The verdict was reversed on a technicality, and the trial became the subject of the play and movie "Inherit the Wind."

dictatorcat

"I've never seen nothing like this,"

"It's just ignorance is all,"

nuf said:)

LegacyUser

I've a thing against logging in on these net-cafe's. I'm in Dublin for an interview, so while I'm trying to bide time, I came on line

Originally posted by qwertyphobia
"I think they should go further, try to see if they can ban them," she said. "It's not a Christian thing."

By Christain, I think she means the bible. In the bible its okay to have slaves, and its also okay to have capital punishment.
Its now not seen as to either have slaves, or to kill people.

the_syco

Originally posted by the_syco-elsewr
I've a thing against logging in on these net-cafe's. I'm in Dublin for an interview, so while I'm trying to bide time, I came on line

Just writing to say this was me. Due to the fact that I don't know if there's a keylogger or trojan on the net-cafe PC, I don't like to enter password type info on them.

Big Ears

We should bring them commisioners to Ireland