Gay Mississippians tried to rally in Jackson Thursday to draw attention to the need for LGBT equality, but were turned away by the police despite having applied for a permit.
Police informed Bob Gilchrist, event organizer, that the city permit was denied on grounds of failure to secure required liability insurance and “safety concerns” according to event organizers, although the group says they had finalizing details in place. After police asked the protesters to evacuate, the group disassembled on threat of arrest.
“As a Mississippian forced to flee my home state to seek equality elsewhere, this decision by the Jackson police is reprehensible,” said Robin McGehee, executive director at GetEQUAL. “Despite Mississippi’s long history of racial, gender, and economic discrimination, the state continues to use deceptive tactics like insurance requirements to prevent people from simply walking down the street as openly gay. You would think that Mississippi would have learned its lesson and would try to shake off the chains of its discriminatory past, but this action by Jackson police will simply cement the state’s reputation as the leader of bigotry and discrimination.”
