Mississippi student denied pride parade permit to file lawsuit

A Mississippi State University student who was denied a permit for a gay pride parade in Starkville, Mississippi, said she intends to sue the city — and a powerhouse gay-rights lawyer has agreed to represent her.

Starkville's elected leaders, known as the Board of Aldermen, voted 4-3 on Tuesday to deny the pride event a permit. The permit was requested by Starkville Pride, a local LGBTQ group that hoped to hold the event on March 24. None of the city leaders who voted against the permit have explained their reasoning.

Bailey McDaniel, a Mississippi State student and a member of Starkville Pride, said she contacted the Campaign for Southern Equality following the permit denial in order to seek a lawyer. The campaign connected her with Roberta Kaplan, a national leader in LGBTQ-rights litigation and the attorney who represented Edith Windsor in the 2013 landmark Supreme Court case that brought down the Defense of Marriage Act.

Source : nbcnews