JACKSON —
Faced with the threat of a federal lawsuit, Mississippi officials have relented on a ban on same-sex commitment ceremonies at a state-owned museum and are processing a permit for two women.
The Southern Poverty Law Center sent a letter to the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum in Jackson on July 12, threatening to sue if officials didn’t allow Ceara Sturgis, 20, and her partner, Emily Key, 19, to hold a ceremony there this fall.
Republican Mississippi Agriculture Commissioner Cindy Hyde-Smith said in a statement Thursday that same-sex ceremonies are against her religious and personal beliefs, but there’s nothing in state law to block prohibit them. She said the museum is processing the permit application, but there are several steps and it hasn’t been finalized.
The museum had refused to allow the ceremonies in the past based on a 2009 opinion by Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood. The museum had said it interpreted commitment ceremonies to represent a union and that the 2009 opinion said it could ban the ceremonies because same-sex marriage is not legally recognized in Mississippi.
Sturgis is not new to the fight for same-sex rights. In 2010, the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Copiah County School District on her behalf, claiming the district discriminated against Sturgis on the basis of sex and gender stereotypes.
Sturgis’ senior portrait was left out of the Wesson Attendance Center yearbook because she wore a tuxedo in the picture. The ACLU sued and the school district reached a settlement to that lawsuit. Now all students are required to wear caps and gowns in senior portraits. The ACLU has also said the agreement called for a picture of Sturgis in the tuxedo to be added to her class composite picture hanging in the school library.
In the museum case, Hyde-Smith said a letter from Hood’s office in late July indicated the application for the same-sex ceremony could not be refused. The earlier opinion had been issued before Hyde-Smith was elected as agriculture commissioner.
The reasoning for the change from the 2009 opinion was not clear. Hood’s office didn’t immediately respond to a message Thursday.
“Based on my personal and religious beliefs, I strongly object to this, but I have no alternative, due to this advice, but to allow the processing of this permit to move forward,” Hyde-Smith said.
However, Hyde-Smith said if the permit is finalized, she will begin working with state lawmakers to come up with “clear and straightforward definitions” about what activities are allowed on state land.
Other officials also were critical of the decision to allow the ceremony.
“I am disappointed in the decision to allow a permit for same-sex marriage at a taxpayer-subsidized facility to be considered. Attorney General Hood’s legal advice goes against the wishes of an overwhelming majority of Mississippians,” said Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves.
The SPLC had said it would settle for nothing less than the state completely lifting the ban on gay ceremonies.
“Our clients are happy that they will have the opportunity to express their love for one another in front of their family and friends,” SPLC lawyer Elissa Johnson said in a statement. “We are pleased that the museum has reversed its unfair and illegal policy, and affirmed that gay couples will be treated the same as heterosexual couples.”
Sturgis told The Associated Press last month that she had gone to a friend’s wedding at the museum and liked it, so she thought it would be the right place for her and Key to publically profess their love. She said they’re not asking the state to recognize them as a married couple, but they just want to be able to rent the venue for a celebration like a heterosexual couple could.
Online:
Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum: http://www.mdac.state.ms.us/departments/museum/index.html
State News
Miss. museum could allow same-sex ceremonies
- State News
-
-
Fire chief says search almost complete in Oklahoma
The search for survivors and the dead is nearly complete in the Oklahoma City suburb that was smashed by a mammoth tornado, the fire chief said Tuesday.
-
Indian guest workers sue company in Miss., Texas
Dozens of Indian guest workers are suing an Alabama-based marine and fabrication company, claiming it financially exploited them and forced them to live in squalid conditions after bringing them to work at Gulf Coast shipyards after Hurricane Katrina.
-
Man wants pay for snakes seized in Miss. porn case
A man serving 30 years after pleading guilty to enticing a teenager to pose for pornographic pictures with venomous snakes has filed a federal lawsuit seeking compensation for the loss of his reptiles.
-
Tornado churns through Oklahoma City suburbs
A mile-wide tornado churned through the Oklahoma City suburbs, destroying homes for the second day in a row Monday, as part of a severe weather outbreak that was expected to spread in other parts of the Plains and Midwest.
-
Tchnology can speed emergency response
Recent national tragedies have reminded us once again how important it is to stay in touch with loved ones and emergency response officials for breaking news. Being technology-ready before disaster strikes is critical to saving lives, connecting friends and family, and assisting first responders.
I -
Miss. seniors get another shot to pass grad tests
Mississippi officials are trying to retest hundreds of high school seniors who flunked exams that are required for graduation.
-
Only abortion clinic in Miss. fights to stay open
It can’t meet the mandates of a 2012 state law and the governor wants to shut it down, but Mississippi’s only abortion clinic is not about to quietly retreat.
-
Ex-BP engineer claims feds withheld evidence
A former BP engineer charged with deleting text messages about the company’s response to its 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico urged a federal judge Tuesday to sanction Justice Department prosecutors for allegedly withholding evidence in the case, a claim the prosecutors deny.
-
Amtrak unveils locomotives to replace aging fleet
When Amtrak unveiled the first of 70 new locomotives Monday at a plant in California, it marked what the national passenger railroad service hopes will be a new era of better reliability, streamlined maintenance and better energy efficiency.
-
Miss. health agency to resume pregnancy work
Mississippi Medicaid officials will resume paying state Health Department workers to help women with high-risk pregnancies.
- More State News Headlines
-
Fire chief says search almost complete in Oklahoma
Raw: New Video of Deadly Oklahoma Tornado
IRS Official Pleads 5th Amendment
Lawyer: Feds Investigating Susan Powell Case
Former Rep. Weiner Running for New York Mayor
Jodi Arias: Death Penalty Would Cause More Pain
Police Ram House to End Hostage Standoff
Families Begin Returning to Their Homes in Moore
Raw: Aerial View of Moore Tornado Damage
Looking for Love? Take the Prague Metro
First Person: Baby Falcons on a New York Bridge
Crews Race to Find Survivors of Okla. Twister
Oklahoma: Images of Devastation, Reunion
Raw: Students Clash With Police in Chile
Protests Outside Cincinnati IRS Office
New Xbox One Entertainment Console Unveiled
