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MFP Voices

Sports Remain Hostile Territory for LGBTQ Americans

For all of the gains LGBTQ people have made over the past few decades, sports remain a highly visible reminder that homophobia and transphobia persist. In recent years, more professional athletes, from U.S. women’s soccer team player Tierna Davidson to Olympic gymnast Danell Leyva, have come out of the closet. However, locker rooms remain less inclusive of LGBTQ people than places like schools or workplaces.

Rachel Allison and Chris Knoester April 7, 2021

Two men in bed under a bright red blanket

MFP Voices

Why Some LGBTQ Americans Prefer Rural Life to Urban ‘Gayborhoods’

Not all gay people live in cities. Demographers estimate that 15% to 20% of the United States’ total LGBTQ population—between 2.9 million and 3.8 million people—live in rural areas. These millions of understudied LGBTQ residents of rural America are the subject of my latest academic research project.
My study results, now under peer review for publication in an academic journal, found that many LGBTQ people in rural areas view their sexual identity substantially differently from their urban counterparts—and question the merits of urban gay life.

Christopher T. Conner March 17, 2021

a photo of Tate Reeves signing a bill with lawmakers standing behind him

In-Depth

‘Lives of Trans Kids in Danger’ As Reeves Signs Sports Bill, Org Says

LGBTQ rights advocates say that Gov. Tate Reeves put transgender teen and young adult lives “in danger” today by signing Senate Bill 2536, “The Mississippi Fairness Act,” banning transgender students at public schools and colleges from participating in sports teams that match their gender.

Ashton Pittman March 11, 2021

Senator Angela Hill speaks on the Senate floor in 2020

In-Depth

Gov. Reeves to Sign Anti-Trans Athletes Bill Despite Risks to Economy, College Sports

Transgender teen and adult athletes in Mississippi could be forced out of sports teams that align with their gender or give up sports altogether after the Mississippi House approved Senate Bill 2536, sending it to Gov. Tate Reeves’ desk.

Ashton Pittman March 4, 2021

Culture

‘A Peek into the Psyche’: The Surprising Art of Tennessee Williams—on Canvas

If eyes offer a window to the soul, paintings may be a peek into the psyche. That’s the lasting impression from a collection of artworks by famed playwright and native Mississippian Tennessee Williams, now on display at The MAX, the Mississippi Arts + Entertainment Experience.

“Tennessee Williams: The Painter and the Playwright,” on view through April 11 at the Meridian facility, shows a surprising side of the literary master known for “The Glass Menagerie,” “A Streetcar Named Desire,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and more—showcases of raw emotion and classics of American theater and often, American film, too.

Sherry Lucas February 17, 2021

News

Legislative Roundup: Anti-Trans Athletes Bill Moves Forward, Fight to Change Marijuana Initiative

Mississippi’s trans youth may find themselves barred from school sports if the Mississippi House of Representatives confirms a Senate bill, passed in the waning hours of last week’s legislative deadline, that targets trans children, especially trans girls. Both chambers saw similar bills to limit trans rights this session.

The anti-trans bill passed the Senate in the long hours of a Thursday session extended into early Friday morning. A contentious battle over a parallel marijuana program—an alternative to 2020’s successful ballot initiative 65—derailed regular floor debate until late at night.

Nick Judin February 16, 2021

A student crosses in front of the Lyceum at the University of Mississippi in late October

In-Depth

UM Closely Guards Climate Survey Providing Window Into Social Issues, Sexual Violence

University of Mississippi administration has spent much of 2020 performing damage control in one way or another. The Mississippi Free Press obtained a copy of a recent UM climate study that it was closely guarding. Here’s what it says.

Christian Middleton November 14, 2020

In-Depth

Becoming Jes Simmons: From Gender Dysphoria to Authenticity

Jes Simmons’ relationship with her transness growing up in Natchez was not only indescribable to her personally, but also to the rest of her world. Christine Jorgensen, the United States’ first widely known openly trans person, had only recently come into the public eye in 1952, and the words transgender and gender dysphoria were hardly the mots du jour they are now.

Clay B. Morris September 9, 2020

News

‘Appalling’: UM Provost Decries ‘Hurtful’ Emails About Black Women, Gay Alum

Days after the Mississippi Free Press first reported on emails involving a University of Mississippi dean that included remarks disparaging to Black women students and a famous gay alum, UM Provost Noel Wilkin denounced the remarks in a YouTube video.

Ashton Pittman August 7, 2020

Sports Remain Hostile Territory for LGBTQ Americans

Why Some LGBTQ Americans Prefer Rural Life to Urban ‘Gayborhoods’

‘Lives of Trans Kids in Danger’ As Reeves Signs Sports Bill, Org Says

Gov. Reeves to Sign Anti-Trans Athletes Bill Despite Risks to Economy, College Sports

‘A Peek into the Psyche’: The Surprising Art of Tennessee Williams—on Canvas

Legislative Roundup: Anti-Trans Athletes Bill Moves Forward, Fight to Change Marijuana Initiative

UM Closely Guards Climate Survey Providing Window Into Social Issues, Sexual Violence

Becoming Jes Simmons: From Gender Dysphoria to Authenticity

‘Appalling’: UM Provost Decries ‘Hurtful’ Emails About Black Women, Gay Alum

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