Starkville’s mayor and Board of Aldermen have put on a grand display in the art of politics. Unfortunately, this performance is not a very good one, and it has made the city a part of national news discussions regarding LGBT equality.
When the Human Rights Campaign, a national non-profit for advancing the cause of marriage equality, celebrated the city for passing an LGBT inclusive “plus one” insurance policy, the aldermen called a special session to address the apparently unintended social message of the policy. The report came from Carl Smith of The Dispatch.
“Once the Human Rights Campaign applauded the city’s extension for what it would mean to the LGBT community, aldermen called a special-call session Tuesday to again discuss the matter,” he said. The Human Rights Campaign has since removed its article commending Starkville for the plus-one policy.
The apparent lack of communication between the Board of Aldermen and Mayor Wiseman sends a mixed message on the city’s take for LGBT equality. Wiseman’s actions were called into question when, after the unanimous approval of the plus-one amendment, Alderman David Little reportedly accused Wiseman of an active deception of the board.
“Ward 3 Alderman David Little brought the new motion to the table Tuesday and accused Wiseman and Chief Administrative Officer Taylor Adams of intentionally deceiving aldermen of the policy’s ramifications by leaving out details from previous meetings’ board packets,” reports said.
While the accusation appears to have no base, it does indicate the Board of Aldermen either did not read the policy or did not understand the scope of the policy. What other decisions have members of the board voted on without properly researching or understanding what the consequences would be?
The political climate in Starkville seems less than optimal to attempt to pass something that implicitly supports gay marriage, so why is Mayor Wiseman so insistent on pressing through this socially divisive topic? By vetoing the newly proposed amendment, Wiseman forced the board to continue to support something for which the aldermen are clearly not ready for.
Because Mississippi law currently prohibits same-sex marriage and does not recognize same-sex marriages from other states, the aldermen certainly have some reason to disagree with the mayor and his tactics. But the dodgy accusations and the inattention to detail of the aldermen would lead some to believe the board cannot be trusted to make sound decisions.
Lynn Spruill, a well-known citizen who has served as former mayor and chief administrative officer, said, “What is embarrassing about this for Starkville is that yet again we have aldermen that are guilty of not reading the packet or understanding its contents. Neither is acceptable for someone who attends this position.”
While this situation has quickly descended into a gossipy drama, it is clear from the voices represented that the LGBT community in Starkville and in Mississippi long to be included.
In a letter to the editor at The Reflector, Justin Dornbusch discussed the lack of coverage for news that involves the LGBT community.
“We need LGBTQ news stories. LGBTQ people, like me, need to be open about who we are if we are ever going to renovate the culture that erases and excludes LGBTQ people,” he said.
During the special-called session of the board of aldermen, five Starkville citizens spoke in favor of the plus-one benefits being extended to include gay couples.
Earlier this year though, the board of aldermen did pass a resolution for non-discrimination against LGBT employees. Starkville is the first city in Mississippi to have such an amendment.
