Starkville Board of Aldermen sign off on Pride Parade

Mississippi Clarion Ledger

The second time proved to be the charm for the LGBT Mississippi community organization Starkville Pride.

After being denied permission to hold the first-ever Pride Parade in Starkville, the organization got the go-ahead during Tuesday's Board of Alderman's meeting to put on the parade in the city.

Attention to Mississippi's House Bill 1523 has grown since Georgia's recently failed attempt to pass a similar law allowing businesses to refuse service to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender customers.

The alderman voted 3-3 to approve the Pride Parade, with Ward 3 Alderman David Little electing to abstain from the vote. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill' broke the tie vote in favor of the event.

"Proud to be in Starkville," Starkville Pride Director and Founder Bailey McDaniel told the Clarion Ledger. "I'm just glad to be a 22-year-old again. I think this is a really good learning experience, and this sets a precedent for activists in younger generations. I've been fighting for four years, and the culmination of that was in that vote."

The parade will be held March 24.

Alderwoman Sandra Sistrunk had moved Friday to put the issue back before the city board. Tuesday, she told the Associated Press that it was important to not treat the application for the city's first gay pride parade differently from any other application.

"I think we're in a position where we can make a more measured and reasoned vote tonight," Sistrunk said. "This has been a bit of a growing pain for the city of Starkville."

Little told AP that he maintained his "principled position" but would abstain.

"I believe the city of Starkville's interests are better served in moving forward beyond this and pressing forward on other positive matters facing our community," Little said.

Spruill, who doesn't normally vote on the board, had supported the parade, saying the rejection didn't reflect Starkville's diversity and welcoming attitude.

In response to the aldermen's vote to approve the parade permit application, Starkville Pride's attorney, Roberta A. Kaplan, renowned civil rights attorney, issued the following statement:

“Bailey McDaniel, Emily Turner and Starkville Pride stood up to vindicate the right to freedom of speech held by every American, no matter whether they are straight or gay. What happened at tonight’s meeting was a victory not only for our clients and for their equal dignity under the law, but also for the core principle that in this country, we do not restrict a person’s ability to speak based on whether or not we agree with what they have to say. We look forward to celebrating Pride with the LGBT community of Starkville and the rest of Mississippi on March 24."

ALSO READ:Gay pride parade sparks major debate in Mississippi

Starkville Pride filed a federal lawsuit in late February against the city of Starkville after it initially voted to deny its parade permit despite widespread town support. The lawsuit stated the board's decision was "a textbook violation of the First Amendment and its discriminatory treatment, based solely on LGBT-related animus, violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause".

The case, Starkville Pride et. al. v. City of Starkville, was filed Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court for the Northern District.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.