A Mississippi town has agreed to settle
a lawsuit with an LGBT group over the town's initial denial of
permission for a Pride parade.
Under the terms of the settlement, the
city of Starkville will pay $12,750 in fees for attorneys
representing Starkville Pride in the lawsuit and issue a proclamation
in October in support of LGBT History Month, the Commercial
Dispatch reported.
The city agreed to the terms on Friday.
Starkville's first-ever LGBT Pride
parade took place on March 24 and attracted nearly 3,000 people. But
city officials at first attempted to block the event, voting 4-3 in
February to deny a permit to the newly-formed Starkville Pride for
the event. The group responded by filing a federal lawsuit against
the city claiming discrimination. During a March meeting, the city
reversed course. The vote was a tie, with one abstention. Mayor
Lynn Spruill – a vocal supporter of Starkville Pride – cast the
deciding vote.
Spruill also said she would regularly
meet with a liaison from the city's LGBT community.