The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) announced today that the Mississippi Agriculture & Forestry Museum and the Mississippi Attorney General have recognized the right of same-sex couples to hold commitment ceremonies at the museum and that that there is no bar to gay couples who wish to rent the facilities to hold such an event.
The museum’s response comes after the SPLC sent a letter to the museum and state Attorney General Jim Hood last month demanding the museum rescind the unlawful policy or face a federal lawsuit.
The letter was sent on behalf of Ceara Sturgis and her same-sex partner, Emily Key. The couple wants to hold their commitment ceremony at the museum this fall but was aware the museum has previously refused to rent its facilities for commitment ceremonies.
“In late July, my office received a letter from Attorney General Hood advising that under Mississippi law, the application could not be refused,” said state Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Cindy Hyde-Smith in a prepared statement.
“Based on my personal and religious beliefs, I strongly object to this, but I have no alternative, due to this advice, but to allow the processing of this permit to move forward,” read Hyde-Smith’s statement.
“However, if finalized, I will immediately begin working with other elected officials and the entire legislature to request clear and straightforward definitions about what activities can take place on the property owned by the State of Mississippi,” she continued in her statement. “I am hopeful that this matter can be put forth immediately when the Legislature convenes in January.”
This is an important step for the state in light of things to come.
Dear Ms. Hyde-Smith, your ‘personal and religious beliefs’ in this matter and in all other matters other than how you wish to live your own bigoted life, are, of course irrelevant. Signed, a straight Republican male who thinks chick fil a’s food sucks and believe in equal rights for everyone.
I’ll never understand why Rethuglican, conservative, right-wing, religious fanatics think they can force other normal people to accept their deviant views and lifestyle. They love to tell other people how to live their lives, while their own lives are in shambles. The Christian (esp. Catholic, Mormon, Evangelical, and Southern Baptist) Taliban in this country are going to face a violent wake up call soon if they keep trying to spread their hatred, intolerant views, and intolerant actions on normal Americans. And it is patently unfair that gays and their loved ones should be devastated by discriminatory actions, while the bigots and their families go about enjoying their lives as if nothing is wrong. It’s time to start making bigots pay for the discriminatory actions they take. When they have to pay a price, they might start to rethink their actions. Anyone reading this should take WHATEVER ACTIONS POSSIBLE to harm Cindy Hyde-Smith, Tate Reeves, Phil Bryant, the bigoted Mississippi legislators, or their loved ones, to make them pay for the harm they are doing to the people they discriminate against.
Harsh words there Rob. Are you sure starting a gay rights war in Mississippi is really a good idea? You would seem to be pretty heavily outnumbered.
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