The Magnolia town board on Tuesday passed a resolution that promotes equality and calls for respecting the inherent worth of all citizens — including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
The resolution passed with a 3-2 vote. Aldermen Lonnie Cox, Mercedes Ricks and Joe Cornacchione voted in favor, while Sharon Burton and Becky Magee opposed it.
Tuesday night’s meeting agenda only described the item as “the matter of accepting the resolution of discrimination of any kind and to respect the inherent worth of every person.”
When asked why she voted against the matter, Sharon Burton said she did not have a chance to read the resolution and wanted to err on the side of caution before affirming something that wasn’t entirely clear to her.
“What difference does it make if you’re gay or not?” Cornacchione said this morning. “So, I don’t know why we had to do that. I was always under the impression that they can’t discriminate on your sexual orientation.”
Prior to the vote, someone among the crowd asked why the city needed such a resolution since the country long ago passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Larry West, a resident of Hattiesburg and Louisiana attorney, took the floor and explained that the Civil Rights Act does not prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
“This is not an ordinance. It’s simply a statement of policy,” he said. “National studies show that businesses support non-discrimination. It’s a way of sending a message saying Magnolia is a welcoming place.”
Similar resolutions are being considered in other municipalities across the state. Magnolia is the fourth city in the state to pass it so far, joining Starkville, Hattiesburg and Oxford.
