FRANKLIN, Tenn. — As dozens of cars snaked their way onto the grounds of a refurbished horse farm on a sweltering June afternoon in Franklin, a few volunteers stood at the entrance, cheerfully welcoming visitors to the local Pride festival. The greeting, volunteers said, also gave them a chance to spot any person who didn’t wave back or smile, someone who might harbor more malicious intentions. There were bag searches and scans with a metal detector. Across the street, a man in a white nationali
After right-wing activists portrayed a Pride event in Franklin, Tenn., as a threat to children, the small city unexpectedly found itself at the center of a backlash.