Mississippi’s history is a colorful one, but a new law signed
on April 05, 2016 in the Magnolia State, threatens the rainbow, allowing
businesses to discriminate against same sex couples on moral grounds and
plunging the state right back into the era of Jim Crow and its devastating human
rights violations.
The Way It Was
In many respects, Mississippi was the poster child for
black slavery and the accompanying human rights abuses so prevalent in a
fledgling America. Formerly part of a vast expanse of Indian lands, Mississippi
became the twentieth US state in 1817, and by the 1830’s, it was a powerhouse
in the cotton trade. Cotton was king, making the Old South the ninth largest
economy in the world, with Mississippi the king of kings, commanding
considerable influence among her less affluent peers.
The cotton trade (White Gold) made the Old South. During its heyday, there were more millionaires
in Mississippi than anywhere else in the world. Mammoth plantations fed a
worldwide frenzy for cotton. And none of this would have been possible without
the backbreaking servitude of black slaves under barbaric conditions. In 1861, Mississippi
became part of the Secession Movement, breaking away from the Union over
disagreements about state’s rights in the republic.
Fast forward several generations, and Mississippi would
become known as a hotbed of civil rights conflict and home to the notorious 1955
lynching and mutilation of Emmet Till and the 1964 murder of three civil rights
activists that would form the nucleus plot of the Academy Award winning movie
Mississippi Burning, starring Gene Hackman and Willem Dafoe, released in 1988.
The Way It Is
Gambling aboard paddle boats amid a sweltering sun. Home
to blues pioneering greats such as BB King, Bo Diddley, and Willie Dixon. Residents
speaking with a drawl reminiscent of time slowly passing. The Bible Belt, and
an equally religious passion for college football. These all describe
Mississippi today.
As firmly planted as one foot is in the past, so too is
the other foot marching forward. There is an air of sophistication among
Mississippi’s simpler way of life that is uniquely placed. Most would be
startled to learn that the world’s first heart and lung transplants were
performed at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Or that Jackson,
Mississippi is the only North American city to host the International Ballet
Competition. Or, that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Waterways Experiment
Station in Vicksburg, Mississippi is the world's largest hydraulic research
laboratory.
Despite their advancements in culture, science, and
medicine, Mississippi and Mississippians cannot seem to shake its Rebel
heritage. Thumbing its nose at international covenants and federal law, Mississippi
Governor Phil Bryant signed into law House Bill 1523, or more formally, Protecting
Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act, that paves the way
for widespread discrimination and human rights violations against a broad swath
of people.
Protecting Freedom
of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act
Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn claims House Bill 1523
does not enable discrimination, but rather promises that the state government
will not punish people who refuse to provide services to people because of a
religious opposition to same-sex marriage, extramarital sex or transgender
people.
To some, HB1523 protects religious freedoms. For others,
it’s just another Jim Crow law painted in the colors of a rainbow.
Governor Bryant took to Twitter in response to the
explosive backlash against signing HB1523 tweeting that he did so, "to
protect sincerely held religious beliefs and moral convictions ... from
discriminatory action by state government."
Mississippi is a state that is already known for its extremely
narrow protection of human rights. Mississippi legislation protects only three
beliefs or convictions: that marriage is between a man and a woman, that sex is
"properly reserved to such a marriage," and that words like
"male" and "female" are "objectively determined by
anatomy and genetics at birth." This bill appears to constrict any
remaining legislated human rights in the state.
Governor Bryant’s full statement regarding the signing of
HB1523 is as follows:
A link to the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from
Government Discrimination Act in pdf format is listed below.
What It Shall Be
Tyson Foods and Nissan North America, both with major
holdings in the state, called on Governor Bryant to veto the bill. He didn’t
listen. He also did not heed the pleas from international conglomerates such as
Time Warner and The Walt Disney Company.
Mississippi’s ally is North Carolina, who also adopted a
new law violating LGBTQ rights recently. The consequence to North Carolina was
immediate, when PayPal nixed its planned expansion into North Carolina that
would have provided 400 jobs.
It would not be out of line to suggest court challenges to HB1523 and its similar legislation in North Carolina. In commenting on the Mississippi bill, the ACLU said, "It's a sad day for Mississippi".
In brighter human rights news, Georgia's Governor shot down a similar bill in the Peach State.
The Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government
Discrimination Act becomes law in the Magnolia State on July 01, 2016.
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