Their disinformation campaign paid off. One council member said he voted against the ordinance because it would allow transgender people to “be one gender until there is a line at the men’s restroom, then another whenever it is convenient.” Another said she had never witnessed any kind of discrimination here.

Small American towns like Berea are not teeming with the mean, ignorant people that many urban dwellers have come to expect. Instead, these are places where, I’ve learned, the loudest and most powerful are in constant fear of change, of difference, of losing votes, while the many rural Americans with more inclusive values tend to be quieted as the perceived minority.

I am very proud of where I live, but I can’t deny the unsettling fact that fundamentalism, so often driven by economic despair and religious fervor, has helped to foster a suspicion of “the other” among many rural Americans.

Homophobia and racism are not unique to rural America; I have seen them in New York and Chicago, in sudden, violent spurts. Of course, cities also offer the opportunity to surround ourselves with like-minded people in a way that small towns do not. And intolerance pervades rural thinking in a different way, mostly brought about by constant preaching in the small white churches lining country roads, a dogma that is often welcomed into the public schools and takes up residence beneath the skin of the people. Rural homophobia can be quiet, but steady. It is a slow assault on the spirit sanctioned by states that refuse to enact legislation offering everyone equal protection.

The more the issue of gay rights makes progress nationally, the more fear is stirred up in the bellies of small towns. Too many preachers and politicians, refusing to trust their constituents or congregants to come to their own conclusions, feed on that fear, creating an endless cycle.

Unfortunately, this alarm and misunderstanding pervade even a town like Berea. It was named after a town in the Bible. Acts 17 tells us the people of Berea were more open-minded than others, always studying the Scripture to try to better understand its complexities and discovering the right path.

I believe that many people in this little town — including the three council members who proudly cast a Yes vote — are intent on following that path to justice. But for now, Berea has become representative of countless small communities that like to talk about freedom for all but are falling behind the rest of the country in ensuring it.