Mississippi: Starkville City Council Denies Permit For Pride Parade

With no explanation offered, the aldermen of Starkville, Mississippi, voted to deny organizers of a proposed Pride Parade a permit for the event.

The city council voted 4-3 against granting the permit to Starkville Pride even though 16 citizens showed up to speak in favor of the event.

"It's unfortunate that you go through the process, you do everything you're supposed to do and you get denied, really without any explanation as to why," alderman Jason Walker, who voted to approve the permit.

Only two spoke against allowing the event.

Resident Dorothy Isaac said she was against the parade because "God created Adam and Eve."

"Do not turn our city into a sin city," Isaac said. "It should not be this."

Starkville is a college town home to Mississippi State University. You can imagine there might be several LGBT students who would have liked to take part in a Pride event.

Starkville's mayor, Lynn Spruill, denounced the decision saying "I think it sends a message that we are not the inclusive community that I believe us to be."

With Starkville being home to Mississippi State University, Mayor Spruill noted that Oxford, Mississippi, where the University of Mississippi is based, has held gay pride parades for several years.

(source)