Holly Springs is the latest Mississippi
city to enact an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing,
employment, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and
gender identity.
According to the Human Rights Campaign
(HRC), the nation's largest LGBT rights advocate, Holly Springs is
the fourth city in Mississippi to pass such a law, joining Jackson,
Magnolia, and Clarksdale.
“Holly Springs has sent a clear
message that all people are welcome, and all people should be
protected from discrimination and bias-driven crimes in this city,”
said Rob Hill, HRC Mississippi state director. “With four cities in
Mississippi now having passed LGBTQ-inclusive non-discrimination
ordinances, it is clear that Mississippians value inclusion, fairness
and equality. We’re grateful to Mayor Kelvin Buck for his
leadership on this issue and to the Board of Aldermen for voting in
favor of this ordinance.”
Passed last week, the law takes effect
this week.
The law also requires that the city
report hate crime statistics to the FBI.
HRC lobbied for the law through its
Project
One America initiative.