Female farm workers often victims of sexual violence; researchers want legal working age raised, other steps

Graph from The Conversation from Department of Agriculture data

Americans don't usually connect female farm workers with sexual assault, but maybe that should change.

ABC's "American Crime" opened its third season on a tomato farm in North Carolina, "where it showed a young woman being brutally raped in a field by her supervisor. . . . 'People die all the time on that farm. Nobody cares. Women get raped, regular,' another character tells a police interrogator. The show's writers did their research, report Kathleen Sexsmith, Francisco Alfredo Reyes, and Megan A. M. Griffin for The Conversation, a platform for journalism by academics. Studies show that 80% of Mexican and Mexican American women farm workers in the U.S. have experienced some form of sexual harassment at work. "While violence against women in agriculture may seem like an issue mainly experienced in developing countries, the truth is that it also happens all too often to women and girls on farms in the U.S."

Researchers found that most women are abused "by men in positions of power, such as foremen, farm labor contractors, farm owners and co-workers . . . . Immigrant women farm workers are vulnerable because of power imbalances in their male-dominated workplaces. Women represent 28% of the nation's farm workers, making them a minority on many farms. Most are immigrants from Latin America, and many are undocumented. Girls under the age of 18 are particularly vulnerable to sexual harassment and abuse on farms."

Agriculture's unique labor laws may also contribute to abuses. The researchers report: "Children as young as 12 can be hired on farms without a cap on the number of hours they work, as long as they don't miss school. . . . Experts say young girls may be especially vulnerable to sexual harassment and violence on farms because they are less likely to recognize and report abuse. Democrats in Congress have repeatedly introduced versions of the Children's Act for Responsible Employment and Farm Safety Act since 2005. The bill would help address the vulnerability of young girls in farm work by aligning the legal farm working age with other industries."

"As we see it, sexual exploitation perpetrated by men in positions of power instills fear that keeps farm laborers obedient, despite precarious working conditions – and keeps fruits and vegetables cheap," Sexton, Reyes and Griffin write. "We agree with the United Nations that sweeping change is needed to empower women, raise farm productivity and promote human rights in the global food system. As U.S. lawmakers craft the next Farm Bill, they could do enormous good for women around the world by setting an example in American fields and farms."

Based on their research conclusions, Sexton, Reyes and Griffin outline steps to change below:
As a first step, we believe lawmakers should pass the CARE Act, which would raise the legal working age on farms to 14, reducing the number of young girls who are vulnerable to abuse.
Second, legalizing the nation's approximately 283,000 unauthorized farm workers would make those workers less vulnerable to sexual abuse by expanding employment opportunities outside of the agricultural sector.

Third, in our view, efforts to legalize farm workers – most recently through the Farm Workforce Modernization Act – should strengthen labor law enforcement and provide well-funded channels for reporting abuses and changing jobs when abuse occurs.

Southern Baptist Convention upholds expulsions of two churches with female pastors; many more seem likely follow

Delegates voted at the convention in New Orleans.
(Photo by Christiana Botic, The New York Times)

Southern Baptist Convention delegates voted to uphold the denomination's previous expulsion of churches with women pastors who had appealed their "disfellowshiped" status, report Liam Adams and Katherine Burgess of The Tennessean. "The nation's largest Protestant denomination took a major stand this week on the role of women in the church, emphatically making clear that the office of pastor is reserved for men only. . . . Voting delegates upheld the ouster of Saddleback Church in Southern California and Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville, Ky., for having women in lead or senior pastor roles and took steps to enshrine in its constitution a prohibition on female pastors. . . . The decisions made clear that the conservative denomination will kick churches out with women pastors."

"Until now, the fight was limited to pastoral leadership and was included in theological statements, not the group's official legal documents. The amendment must be passed again next year for it to go into effect," report Ruth Graham and Elizabeth Dias of The New York Times. "The constitutional amendment threatens to unleash a crisis for the denomination ahead of next year's final vote. Bart Barber, who was re-elected president of the SBC on Tuesday, acknowledged that the faction pushing for the change was poised to file complaints against every church that they believed violated the tightening standards — potentially an estimated 1,900 churches who have women pastors."

Mike Law, a young pastor who proposed the amendment, said, "speaking from a microphone in the convention hall, 'Now is not the time for half measures or delay.' He framed voting against the amendment as being afraid of the Bible," the Times reports. "The dramatic clash over the place of women in leadership is the result of moves by an ultraconservative wing of the SBC to reverse what it sees as a liberal drift. More than 90 percent of the delegates voted in favor of Fern Creek's expulsion, and almost as many voted to confirm the removal of Saddleback, which was founded by the prominent preacher and author Rick Warren."

Two years ago, the ultrconservatives were considered a fringe minority. Some compared themselves to pirates who wanted to 'take the ship' and steer the church in a new course on issues of race, gender and politics," The Times reports. "Evidence of the denomination's rightward turn could be seen in their rejection of Warren, Saddleback's founder. . . . Warren noted that the denomination's theological statement was 4,032 words long. 'Saddleback disagrees with one word,' he said on Tuesday. 'That's 99.99999999 percent in agreement! Isn't that close enough?'. . . The crowd shouted back at him, 'No!'"

The Tennessean explains, "At the national level, the decisions about Saddleback and Fern Creek sets a precedent for the SBC Credentials Committee, an oversight group that evaluates churches’ affiliation with the Nashville-based SBC, to recommend disfellowshipping more churches with women pastors in the future. The SBC Executive Committee decides whether to approve those recommendations. . . . Meredith Stone, executive director of Baptist Women in Ministry, said in a statement, 'These votes devalue the worth and callings of women to participate in God’s work through the local church. . . . The emotional, spiritual, and physical safety of women is further threatened when they are not only devalued, but used in a political denominational battle.'"

 

Southern Baptist Convention faces issues of declining numbers, women pastors, use of 'abuse reform' database

Saddleback Church has a broad reach. (Photo via saddleback.com)

The Southern Baptist Convention faces pivotal decisions on female pastors and sexual abuse oversight at this week's yearly gathering in New Orleans. "Messengers, as representatives from thousands of Southern Baptist churches are called, will vote on whether to sustain the convention's executive-committee decision to expel some churches from the denomination because they had women serving as pastors," reports Adolfo Flores of The Wall Street Journal. "This year's election for president is being seen as a referendum on the denomination's efforts over the past year to hold abusers accountable and protect members of the church."

In February, the convention's Executive Committee voted to exclude Fern Creek Baptist Church in Louisville "for having a woman pastor — the same issue it cited for expelling four other churches," including the huge Saddleback Church in Southern California, reports Peter Smith of The Associated Press. "All Baptist churches are independent, so the convention can't tell them what to do; however, it can decide which churches are 'not in friendly cooperation,' the official verbiage for an expulsion."

The issue of women as lead pastors is emotionally and theologically debated. "The SBC's official statement of faith says the office of pastor is reserved for men, but this is believed to be the first time the convention has expelled any churches over it. Both of the congregations say Baptists should be able to agree to disagree — while making a common cause for evangelism," Smith reports. Rev. Linda Barnes Popham, pastor of Fern Creek for the past 30 years, told him: "I want to worship under that same umbrella and do missions together like Southern Baptists have done all of these years. . . .We want women to rise up and be able to answer God's call, just like men do."

Convention members will also decide whether to approve continuation of the convention’s Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force, Flores writes: "The task force is expected to present a database it has been developing over the past year of pastors, denominational workers, ministry employees and volunteers who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse." Jason DeRose of NPR notes, "Parts of this church are under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department because of the way it handled earlier sexual misconduct. And all of this is happening at the same time as an election to decide the [convention's] next president. . . . The incumbent is facing a challenger."

The deployment and use of the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force's database is a sticking point in the election, alongside declining membership. "Bart Barber, the sitting president, is being challenged for a second term by an opponent who has questioned aspects of the database," Flores reports. Mike Stone, pastor of Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, Ga. . . . said he sought the nomination, in part, because an audit of the SBC Executive Committee found that it was on an unsustainable financial trajectory. The troubling finances, Stone said, are part of an overall decline in the number of members and churches that he said he would rectify through an evangelistic outreach initiative."

Gay rodeos in Texas include gay and straight competitors and are a somewhat confidential comfort in polarized times

The calf-roping competitors pose for a portrait.
(Photo by Dawn Bottoms, The New Yorker)

Gay rodeos in Texas offer marginalized groups a place for competition and open-minded hospitality. "The urban-rural divide is as politically polarized as it's ever been; fans of gay rodeo have come to appreciate it as a place where rural signifiers—big hats, big trucks, George Strait songs—have a different valence," reports Rachel Monroe for The New Yorker from the Texas Tradition Rodeo in Denton: "The parking lot slowly filled with trucks bearing bumper stickers that said things like 'Been doing cowboy &$#! all day.' A tractor circled the arena, raking the dirt. . . . After everyone stood for the national anthem, an announcer came over the crackly PA system and offered a prayer, asking God to bless that day's competitors, 'the cowboys, cowgirls, and those in between.'"

Mac McMillan, who has been involved with the Texas Gay Rodeo Association for decades, told Monroe, "It started as a social club, and then AIDS came along. . . We did this to raise money, to take care of people. The medications were astronomically expensive, plus food, housing. We had to do what we had to do." Monroe reports, "Mac grew up in rural Texas. He realized at a young age that he was attracted to men, but he didn't see a way to reconcile his sexuality with the country lifestyle he preferred. . . . For Mac, the gay-rodeo world was a revelation. The scene was vibrant and defiant, a place he could feel fully himself. Daytimes were devoted to competition, and in the evening, everyone would gather for some sort of entertainment. . . . At the 1982, Joan Rivers served as grand marshal, ten thousand people packed the stands."

In Texas, political sentiment toward differences in sexual identity can be tense. "Conservative politicians in the state have increasingly turned their attention to controlling the public expression of gender and sexuality," Shaw writes. "This year, the state legislature is considering bills that would prohibit gender-affirming care for trans youth, impose fines on establishments that host 'sexually oriented' drag performances when children are present, and ban classroom teaching about sexual orientation or gender identity. . . . Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, the Denton rodeo had a clandestine air. . . . . Nearly everyone I spoke with in Denton had no idea that the rodeo was happening, or even that there was such a thing as a gay rodeo. . . . Partly a response to the unsettling political atmosphere in Texas, where drag events regularly meet with belligerent protesters."

The rodeo is open to all walks of life. "Wade Earp, a longtime TGRA participant (and a direct descendant of Wyatt Earp's brother Virgil), said that he's been happy to see the growing number of allies who come to gay rodeos as participants and spectators," Shaw adds. "In part, that's due to Wade's recruitment efforts. . . . A few years ago, he met some straight female bull riders at the Fort Worth stockyards, who told him, 'The men won't let us ride,' and Wade responded by saying, 'Come to the gay rodeo!'. . . . A half-dozen showed up at the next event, and soon they started bringing friends."

Weekly fact check: 'Russia hoax' claims revived; how racist, sexist attacks about Kamala Harris proliferate online

Citing unverified "Russian intelligence," President Trump and many supporters are reviving claims that Hillary Clinton was responsible for the investigation into Russia's involvement with the 2016 election. "But that so-called intelligence is largely a reflection of publicly available information at the time. Federal investigations since then have documented multiple links between Trump associates and individuals tied to the Russian government," FactCheck.org reports.

"On the subject of President Donald Trump’s covid-19 diagnosis, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden misquoted Trump as saying, 'I probably got it from Blue Star parents.' That’s not what Trump said," FactCheck reports. In an Oct. 8 interview on Fox News, Trump said he always assumed he might get infected because, as president, he must often meet with people and can't always remain social distant. He cited as an example a Sept. 27 White House reception for the families of soldiers who died in action. "I met with Gold Star families. I didn’t want to cancel that," Trump said. "But they all came in and they all talked about their son and daughter and father. And they all came up to me and they tell me a story . . . And they tell me these stories and I can’t say, 'Back up, stand 10 feet.' I just can’t do it."

Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden's running mate, has been increasingly the target of racist, sexist attacks on social media, Karen Tumulty, Kate Woodsome, and Sergio Peçanha report for The Washington Post. Their report digs into how and why such rumors are spreading online.

Quick hits: Amtrak gets backlash for proposed cuts in rural routes; 'Stranger Things' gets 1980s newspaper wrong

WSJ graphic shows Amtrak lines and the one a reporter took.

Here's a roundup of stories with rural resonance; if you do or see similar work that should be shared on The Rural Blog, email us at heather.chapman@uky.edu.

Amtrak is facing rural backlash over a proposal to cut long-distance routes, Jason Bellini reports in a seven-minute video for The Wall Street Journal, after taking the Crescent from New York to New Orleans. Ted Mann of the Journal wrote a story about the proposal a few months ago; it has a map of all lines and how much each loses.

The third season of "Stranger Things" features a subplot in which a teenage girl, interning at the local paper in 1985, is ridiculed and humiliated by her male colleagues. The show nailed many aspects of '80s life, but it got that one wrong, Kelly McBride writes for Poynter.

A biotech company CEO lays out a roadmap for how the biotech industry could help revitalize rural America. Read more here.

Seven-decade old vision for America by 'philosopher of the New Deal' remains relevant today, ag columnists write

As negotiators wrangle over reconciling the Farm Bill, which Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kansas, says won't be finished until after Election Day, a pair of longtime ag policy columnists consider some of the issues it tackles through the words of Henry A. Wallace, whom they call their intellectual mentor.

In his book 60 Million Jobs, Wallace "offers some principles to his 1945 audience that resonate today," Harwood D. Schaffer and Daryll E. Ray write for their Agricultural Policy Analysis Center column. Wallace was President Truman's secretary of commerce when the book was published, but had been Franklin D. Roosevelt's secretary of agriculture, then his, vice president, and was called "the philosopher of the New Deal."

Wallace argued that the U.S. needed to provide 60 million jobs by 1950 to transition the country from a wartime to a peacetime economy. Those jobs "produce 200 billion dollars’ worth of goods and services…with a distribution of wages that will leave no family and no individual beyond the benefits of this abundant national production," he wrote.

Wallace also argued that the U.S. must "squarely face the problem of racial and religious discrimination and propaganda-bred hatred" and acknowledge women's equality in the workplace in order to "attain full employment and lasting peace at home."

Though some things have changed in the U.S. since Wallace published his book, "his vision for an America in which all people share fully in its abundance is as relevant today as it was 73 years ago," Schaffer and Ray write.

Time gives rural America its due in 'Person of the Year' story about 'The Silence Breakers'

Isabel Pascual (Time photo)

When Time magazine announced that its Persons of the Year were "The Silence Breakers," the victims of sexual harassment and assault who came forward with their stories, some were quick to dismiss it as a celebrity-oriented movement. Yes, two women on the cover are entertainers Ashley Judd and Taylor Swift. But sexual misconduct affects men and women all over the country, and the story included rural residents and concerns.

On the left side of the cover photo is a woman, originally from Mexico, who picks strawberries in California. Her name is given as Isabel Pascual, but it's a pseudonym to protect her family from reprisal after she spoke out about the dangers faced by migrant farmworkers.

An anonymous victim from rural
Texas, on the cover. (Time photo)

And at the far right, not even a face: an elbow. Time explained in an editorial that the arm belongs to an anonymous young hospital worker from Texas who fears that coming forward about being harassed would subject her family to reprisal. "She is faceless on the cover and remains nameless inside Time’s red borders, but her appearance is an act of solidarity, representing all those who are not yet able to come forward and reveal their identities," Melissa Chan writes for the magazine.

MSNBC's Joe Scarborough addressed the point directly yesterday during a "Morning Joe" interview with some of the editors at Time: "So the question is, we certainly have heard from a lot of people who've been harassed by famous people in the media and politics and in Hollywood. How does this movement spread to Middle America, where people who aren't working for the rich and famous get just as much justice from somebody that's harassing them in Demopolis, Alabama?"

The magazine's representation of the anonymous Native American

Kira Pollack, director of photography and visual enterprise at Time, replied, "It was really important to us to report not only the famous and the notable but also the unknown, the women who represent a much larger swath of the culture." For example, a young Native American office assistant who spoke to the magazine said she quit her job after a co-worker began harassing her. She says she felt trapped because she didn't think her colleagues or family on her small, conservative reservation would believe her.

Sexual harassment or assault survivors in rural areas may face additional obstacles because of "limited access to support services for victims, familial connections with those in positions of authority, a lack of cultural acceptance for alternative lifestyles, distance, transportation barriers, the stigma of abuse, lack of available shelters, and poverty as a barrier to care, among other challenges," the Rural Health Information Hub reports. "In small communities there is often an overlap among health-care providers, law enforcement officers, and abuse victims. Therefore, some people may be reluctant to report abuse, fearing that their concerns will not be taken seriously or that their reputations may be damaged."

State laws that block local laws are on the rise, exposing rural-urban divide in some states

The phenomenon of state lawmakers, largely from rural areas, blocking laws by cities is on the rise, widening the rural/urban divide between cities and states, Sophie Quinton reports for Stateline. "While legislators say they’re trying to ensure consistency in state policy, so-called state pre-emption laws often expose political differences between state leaders—many of whom hail from rural districts—and city leaders." Some cities have fought back, challenging preemptive laws in court. More lawsuits are expected, as are more battles between state lawmakers and cities.

"States vary in the amount of power they give their cities and counties. Ultimately, however, states have the power to decide what localities can or can’t do," Quinton writes. "Pre-emption has become more common partly because cities have grown bigger and more powerful over time, and more likely to experiment with policy." (Stateline graphic)

"Political and philosophical differences also play a role in pre-emption fights," Quinton writes. "Republicans now control both chambers of the legislature and the governor’s office in 24 states. Mayors who ran as Democrats or who are affiliated with the Democratic Party control 78 percent of the nation’s 40 largest cities."

"About 32 states now prohibit localities from regulating ride-hailing companies such as Uber, 23 ban raising the local minimum wage, 15 ban cities from requiring companies to offer sick days, and three ban anti-discrimination ordinances that protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents, according to the tally kept by the Partnership for Working Families, a network of left-leaning advocacy groups," Quinton writes. "Many states also have stopped cities and counties from creating municipal broadband networks, imposing bans on fracking, and charging customers a fee for using plastic carryout bags. In Arizona and Florida, laws penalize cities that defy pre-emption laws."

National Park Service, accused of sexual harassment, now under fire for sexy photo shoot

The National Park Service, already under fire for what Interior Secretary Sally Jewell has called a “culture” of sexual harassment, is being criticized for a Sports Illustrated swimsuit-model photo shoot at Yellowstone National Park, Lisa Rein reports for The Washington Post. One photo, which appeared in National Geographic in May, shows model Jessica Gomes twerking in front of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. (National Geographic photo by Michael Nichols)

The photos "have angered park watchdogs, employees and advocates, who say the images undermine the effort to fight sexual misconduct," Rein writes. "The critics draw a line between sexual harassment and what they see as images that exploit women" Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsiblity, told Rein, The Park Service “is dealing with sexual harassment and discrimination issues which are more difficult to address when seen through the prism of this shoot."

While the photos were not criticized when they first appeared last year, critics have made their voices heard since the "Interior Department inspector general’s office issued an explosive investigation in January documenting how multiple female employees at the Grand Canyon were repeatedly propositioned for sex and were targets of unwanted attention by male employees, some of whom were their supervisors," Rein writes. "Another investigation released in June found similar sexual misconduct at Canaveral National Seashore, in Florida."

Tom Crosson, the Park Service’s chief of public affairs, told Rein that the agency doesn't apply "a morals test when granting access to our parks for legal activities," and considers only factors such as the potential effects on the park and visitors.

Democratic Miss. AG drops appeal of blocked religious objections bill; GOP governor still fights it

Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood said he won't appeal a federal judge's ruling blocking the state's religious-objections law, Jimmie Gates reports for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson. Hood said in a statement: "I am convinced that continuing this divisive and expensive litigation is not in the best interests of the state of Mississippi or its taxpayers."

Hood is a Democrat. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant plans to use his own attorney to appeal the judge's ruling, Gates writes. Bryant said in a statement: "I'm obviously disappointed the attorney general has abandoned his duty to defend the constitutionality of a duly enacted statute. I have engaged nationally recognized appellate attorneys, at no cost to the taxpayers of Mississippi, to appeal the district court’s ruling. This appeal is about the state’s legitimate interest in protecting religious liberty—not political posturing about tax reform or the state budget. Mississippi Democrats’ failed policies have rendered them unable to win elections, so they have joined secular progressives in their attempts to legislate through the courts." (Read more)

Federal judge: Miss. clerks can't cite their religious beliefs to deny same-sex marriage licenses

A federal judge ruled Monday that Mississippi clerks cannot cite religious beliefs for denying same-sex marriage licenses, Jimmie Gates reports for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, In April, Republican Gov. Phil Bryant signed a Republican-led religious-objections House bill that proponents said protects religious freedom and critics said discriminates against gay people and others. Monday's ruling means that "no circuit clerk or staff member clerk can deny a gay couple a marriage license," even under the recently signed law, which goes into effect Friday.

Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said Monday, "If this opinion by the federal court denies even one Mississippian of their fundamental right to practice their religion, then all Mississippians are denied their First Amendment rights. I hope the state’s attorneys will quickly appeal this decision to the Fifth Circuit to protect the deeply held religious beliefs of all Mississippians.”

Last year the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that state bans on same-sex marriage are unconstitutional. Paul Barnes, attorney for the state, "said no same-sex couple has been denied a marriage license in Mississippi since the U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year," Gates reports. "HB 1523 provides circuit clerks and deputy clerks with the right to recuse themselves from providing a marriage license to same-sex couples if it is against their religious belief. However, the law outlined the steps that must be taken and said the clerks had to provide a way or information on how same-sex couples could get a marriage license." (Read more)

Obama threatens to deny federal aid to schools refusing transgender students bathroom choice

The Obama administration sent a letter to public schools today telling them to allow transgender students to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity, or risk losing federal funds. The letter, sent jointly by the Department of Justice and the Department of Education, says "under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, schools receiving federal money may not discriminate based on a student’s sex, including a student’s transgender status." (Getty Images by Mark Ralston: Signs outside a restroom at Santee High School in Los Angeles)

The letter "does not have the force of law, but it contains an implicit threat: Schools that do not abide by the Obama administration’s interpretation of the law could face lawsuits or a loss of federal aid," , Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Matt Apuzzo report for The New York Times. "The move is certain to draw fresh criticism, particularly from Republicans, that the federal government is wading into local matters and imposing its own values on communities across the country that may not agree. It represents the latest example of the Obama administration using a combination of policies, lawsuits and public statements to change the civil rights landscape for gays, lesbians, bisexual and transgender people."

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said the Lone Star state doesn't plan to comply, telling Noelle Walker of KXAS-TV or NBCDFW, "This will be the beginning of the end of the public school system as we know it... President Obama, in the dark of the night—without consulting Congress, without consulting educators, without consulting parents—decides to issue an executive order, like this superintendent, forcing transgender policies on schools and on parents who clearly don't want it." Patrick told other reporters that Texas, which gets $10 billion from the federal government for education, mostly for school meals, will find as much as money as possible to make up the loss of federal money. (Officially sanctioned prayer was taken out of schools, but not voluntary prayer.)

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch said in the letter: “There is no room in our schools for discrimination of any kind, including discrimination against transgender students on the basis of their sex. This guidance gives administrators, teachers and parents the tools they need to protect transgender students from peer harassment and to identify and address unjust school policies. I look forward to continuing our work with the Department of Education—and with schools across the country—to create classroom environments that are safe, nurturing, and inclusive for all of our young people.”

In response to Mississippi religious-objections law, tourism group launches 'Everyone's Welcome Here'

In response to a new Mississippi law that many say will discriminate against gay people and others, the Mississippi Hospitality & Restaurant Association announced that later this month it will launch a campaign called "Everyone's Welcome Here," a voluntary, no cost program for members of the hospitality and tourism industries, states a MHRA press release. The organization will design, print and distribute decals to restaurants and hospitality related business with the new slogan. They also plan to create a web presence with a master list of participating businesses. (Facebook photo: More than a year ago, a similar campaign of inclusion started across the state)

Mike Cashion, executive director of MHRA, said in a statement: "Regardless of its intent, this legislation has created a level of controversy and public perception that affects the image of our state and the hospitality community. And while we may not be able to manage the image and brand of the entire state, we can affect the image of our restaurants, hotels and other hospitality businesses. When our industry is challenged, we as an organization will take prudent steps to protect and promote the restaurant and hospitality industry. Our industry serves a diverse customer baseand we want to make sure all customers are appreciated and welcomed. We have a very clear and strong message to convey. Mississippi's restaurant industry is open for everyone's business.”

A similar campaign was launched more than a year ago, reports WLOX-TV. "Blue stickers announcing, 'We don't discriminate. If you're buying, we're selling' can still be seen on the doors of businesses across Mississippi."

Mississippi religious-objections bill draws protests, including one from a rural weekly editor

The Republican-led Mississippi House sent GOP Gov. Phil Bryant a bill "that proponents say protects religious freedom but opponents say sanctions discrimination against gay people and others," Geoff Pender reports for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson. (Ledger photo by Justin Sellers: Protesters Monday at the Governor's Mansion)

"House Bill 1523 would allow business and government workers to deny services based on religious beliefs," Pender writes. "Ten states have passed or are considering bills in response to last year's U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing gay marriage nationwide. North Carolina's governor and Legislature recently approved a similar law. In Georgia, Republican Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday vetoed one passed by the Legislature after protests from businesses."

Today Bryant signed the bill, which allows clerks "to deny marriage licenses to gay couples because of their religious beliefs and not face any repercussions," Pender writes. It also allows "private businesses and faith-based organizations to refuse services based on those same beliefs without retribution." Republican lawmakers pointed to a poll that said two-thirds of Mississippians agree with the bill, but Democratic leaders say it legalizes discrimination.

Groups opposed to the bill urged businesses to pressure Bryant to kill it, Jimmie Gates and Pender report for the Jackson paper. "The Human Rights Campaign, ACLU of Mississippi and LGBT equality advocates blasted the bill as hateful legislation Monday during a news conference outside the state Capitol. On Monday evening, hundreds of people surrounded the Governor's Mansion to protest the bill."

Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin "said several corporations, including GE, Levi, Tyson Foods, MGM Resorts, Hyatt Hotels, Nissan, Toyota have spoken against the bill," Gates and Pender write. "Mississippi Human Rights Campaign director Rob Hill said Monday he also hopes Continental Tire Co., which is scheduled to build a mega-plant in Hinds County, will pressure the governor to veto the bill. ... The Mississippi Manufacturers Association representatives said Monday it is opposed to the bill."

Ray Mosby

Ray Mosby, editor and publisher of The Deer Creek Pilot, wrote in a column, "The first thing to say about the Protecting Freedom of Conscience from Government Discrimination Act . . . is that it honestly has nothing to do with freedom of conscience—especially as that relates to religion—but rather has everything to do with discrimination."

"Those who would maintain otherwise, those who would have their fellow men and women in this state to believe that this egregious piece of legislation is about allowing Mississippians to exercise their religious beliefs without fear of government persecution, have either not read it, or are simply misguided," Mosby writes. "What this bill does is let haters hate without fear of consequence. What this bill does is wink at the very worst devils of our nature and say, 'go to it boys, we’ve got you covered.'... This is not about a county clerk’s or a baker’s refusals to do so with 'freedom of conscience.' This bill, this soon to be most unholy law is the state of Mississippi’s codifying discrimination beneath a shroud of religious belief and in the very name of holiness, itself. And if that is not sin a la government, then I don’t know what is."

Fargo paper runs on A1 photos of legislators who voted against ban on anti-gay discrimination

The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead, which serves a large rural audience, garnered national attention over the weekend for its Friday front page, which featured photographs of the 94 North Dakota House members who voted Thursday against bills that, if passed, would have outlawed discrimination based on sexual orientation. The paper also featured members of the North Dakota Senate and how they voted on a similar bill that passed.

Some have accused The Forum of trying to shame politicians, but editor Matt Von Pinnion said that's not what he was trying to do. He said state legislation is big news in North Dakota and that this issue is a hot topic on the national level. Here's part of Friday's front page:

"Indiana and Arkansas are embroiled in similar debates, with constituents and large corporations such as Walmart loudly weighing in on the division, perhaps simplistically framed as a fight for gay rights versus a fight for religious freedom," Von Pinnion writes. "Closer to home, several business leaders have said approving equal protection for gays is important from an employee retention and attraction standpoint while acknowledging that younger workers tend to hold this value in higher regard than their older counterparts."

"Everyone seems to have an opinion on this ongoing social issue, whether they openly share it or not," Von Pinnion writes. "For all these reasons, we thought this roll call vote was appropriate for Page One. There was not one subjective piece of information on that front page. But as with any divisive social matter, people see this objective information through their own lens. Some people accused us of or congratulated us for 'shaming' lawmakers who voted against the bills. That was not our intent. In fact, a good chunk of Friday’s front page also features the faces, names, cities and political parties of lawmakers who voted in favor of the bills."

Von Pinnion said many readers—on both sides of the issue—contacted the paper to offers thanks for running the story because it gave them an idea of where politicians stand on issues. He also said many readers complained that it is difficult to find state voting records and they would like to be more informed on how state politicians vote. (Read more)

Being gay in Appalachia: one of many stories to be part of national oral-history project

Later this month Shannon Ratliff (top) and Tyler Watts (bottom), will participate in an oral history project focusing on sexual orientation in rural Kentucky. Beginning April 21 the Kentucky Equality Federation will hold sessions with StoryCorps, a national, nonprofit oral-history project that has gathered stories on a wide array of topics, Dori Hjalmarson of the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. "I think it not only gives us a chance to tell our story, it gives us that documentation. It has to do with our struggles and hopes," said Will Taylor, a 26-year-old gay resident of Harlan. (Herald-Leader photo by David Perry)

Ratliff, a Hindman native, told Hjalmarson she did not know she was a lesbian while growing up in Knott County, but her close group of friends from high school have almost all come out as gay or lesbian since. "It was very tight-lipped," she said. "They all came out one at a time. We never discussed being gay. We never talked about anything queer at all. We met as straight people." Ratliff said she began to understand her identity after attending Eastern Kentucky University, which she calls a haven of opportunity for people from the mountains who are at all "different." She added, "The mountains are ... beautiful, and there's still just so much culture; they're comforting, protective. And they're also very isolating."

Taylor had a different experience coming out in Harlan, and told Hjalmarson it was easier than he thought. He said he felt more secure being himself there than in a larger city where he didn't know anyone else. "I thought at first that it was going to be really bad. When I came out, I just came out and told everybody. The first person I told was my dad," Taylor said. "He lit a cigarette, sat there about a minute or two, and then he gave me the speech: 'We still love you, that doesn't change.'" (Read more)

StoryCorps will hold interviews at Veterans Memorial Park in Whitesburg  from April 21 through May 14 and at the Farmers Market Pavilion in Lexington from May 19 through June 25.

High court ruling is a boon for workers in towns where one employer dominates, activists say

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling yesterday is good news for "small towns with one dominant employer where many relatives and spouses work," supporters of the decision told Andrew Wolfson of The Courier-Journal of Louisville.

North American Stainless, which employs 1,150 people in the small Ohio River town of Ghent in Carroll County, Kentucky, fired Eric Thompson in 2003, less than four weeks after his fiance filed a sex-discrimination claim against the company. The high court, reversing lower courts, ruled 8-0 that "companies can't fire people simply because they are in a relationship with other employees who complain of discrimination," Jesse Holland writes for The Associated Press.

Thompson's lawsuit against the steel company can now go to trial. The sex-discrimination claim of his finace, now his wife, was dismissed. For Wolfson's story, click here.