In a world which can be so full of hate, it is the acts celebrating love and individuality that are shining a light of hope in all of this disarray. However, thanks to the Starkville Board of Alderman’s decision to forbid Starkville’s first gay pride parade, this light may be forcibly extinguished.           
According to the Human Rights Campaign, the first gay pride parade took place in the 1970s in New York, and what started as an exclusively political event has transformed into “a celebration of queer life and sexuality in addition to a political and social demonstration.”
I personally see nothing wrong with such an event and have trouble understanding the aldermen’s qualms. However, considering the relatively recent installment of the blatantly discriminatory House Bill 1523, allowing the refusal to serve anyone who does not fit the owner’s religious views, it is sadly no surprise Starkville would react in such a manner.
In fact, according to Jeff Amy of The Associated Press, this is the third time LGBTQ citizens have been refused what should be obvious rights, one of which being denial of health insurance to “unmarried partners of city employees.”
The most frustrating part of the entire ordeal is these aldermen will not comment on why they made the decision. Their silence is speaking louder than words, and shows they know what they did was wrong. Their decisions can only be justified with the “for the Bible tells me so” mentality and little other substance.
This parade would cause no harm, and if anything, it would help Starkville grow and realize all people are created equal. People should be treated equally, regardless of their beliefs. Both residents and students, potential and current, should not feel as if they are outsiders in the town they chose to call home.
Andrew W. Stevens, assistant professor of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University, emailed Alderman David Little and expressed his extreme disappointment with the decision and how it will negatively affect students.
“As a faculty member at Mississippi State University, my students can rely on me not to discriminate against them based upon their sexual orientation or gender identity. Not only is nondiscrimination the right thing to do, but it’s part of official university policy. I’m ashamed that my students cannot depend on their own elected officials to uphold the same values. I’m not going to speculate about the legal ramifications of your vote. Instead, I’m writing to tell you that this constituent disagrees with you. I want an alderman who is proud of our students. I want an alderman who recognizes the history of discrimination and disenfranchisement that out LGBTQ siblings have faced. I want an alderman who actively works to bend the arc of history toward – not from – justice. You made the wrong decision. Ward  3 deserves better. Starkville deserves better. And we will remember,” Stevens stated.
Another thing to remember from this atrocity is legal action could be taken in response to the aldermen’s verdict. The American Civil Liberties Union has gotten involved and is urging the Starkville Board of Alderman to change their minds.
“The government cannot prevent a parade or event simply because it promotes LGBTQ pride or because its organizers and marchers are LGBTQ. In addition, the government cannot treat people unequally because they are LGBTQ. This is exactly what the Board of Alderman did, and that is discrimination, plain and simple. It also violates the Constitution,” The ACLU stated.
Regardless of the formal decision, this is not over, and the fight for equality will not halt for bigots who do not believe in love.