MS NOW along with members of Unity Mississippi organized a protest at the American Family Association January 10th, 2009 the day of the second Join the Impact national protest against Proposition 8 and the Defense of Marriage Act. The AFA donated $500,000 to “Yes on 8″ the Proposition which ultimately passed denying marriage equality to LGBTQ people in California.
The AFA’s headquarters are in Tupelo, MS and MS NOW decided that the opportunity to address their donation to inequality could not be ignored. “All people deserve the same rights,” said Mississippi NOW President Jenni Smith. “Our purpose in Tupelo is to remind the American Family Association that all families are important.” Long-time LGBTQ activist Chris Elam stated, “No one has ever protested at the AFA to my knowledge. This is an important event in LGBTQ history.”
About twenty two people from around the state of Mississippi attended the action which included not only members of NOW and Unity MS but also Gay/Straight Alliances from Northwest Community College, University of Southern MS, Jones County Community College, Mississippi School for Math and Science, and Mississippi State University Spectrum. The protest lasted from noon to 3:30pm through pouring rain and afterwards many participants went to the Barnes Crossing mall and other area businesses to hand out flyers about what the AFA could’ve done with $500,000 rather than donating to “Yes on 8″.
Tupelo WTVA reports on the action.
What could $500,000 buy? flyer, PDF
View the photos on facebook
Proposition 8 Protest - Equal Marriage Rights 11/15/08, MS State Capitol, Jackson MS.
L-R: MS NOW VP Policy & Legislation, Jackson Area NOW Secretary/Treasurer Tom Head, MS NOW member Bear Atwood, MS NOW President Jenni Smith, Starkville Area NOW President Izzy Pellegrine, MS NOW/Jackson Area NOW VP Outreach & Communication Stacey Aldridge
Along with concerned citizens, the MS ACLU, PFLAG Jackson, and Unity MS, members of MS NOW participated in the world-wide protest organized by jointheimpact.com. It is estimated that nearly 150 people attended the protest at the MS State Capitol in Jackson; and anywhere from 50-60 of those people continued to a secondary protest location at the intersections of Old Canton Rd and Lakeland Dr in the Fondren Arts District. LGBTQ Mississippians along with straight allies held signs and chanted “What do we want? Equal rights. When do we want them? Now!” to express their views about marriage equality and Proposition 8 which passed in California on November 4th.
Mississippi LGBTQ are no strangers to discrimination, in 2004 an amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman passed by 86% and in 2000 our legislature unanimously passed a bill banning adoption by gay and lesbian couples.
