News & Commentary

The Mississippi Supreme Court refused Sept. 8 to prevent proposed Initiative Measure Number 26 from being placed on the November 2011 ballot. The initiative attempts to redefine the term “person” in the Mississippi Bill of Rights to apply at the moment of fertilization. The court did not rule on the constitutionality of the initiative, but instead said that it would not rule on any proposed measure before the election.

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In December at the ACLU of Mississippi we usually receive a few cards or letters complaining that the ACLU is "anti-Christmas".  Those cards are, unfortunately, usually sent anonymously. Were a return address included, the ACLU-MS could respond with a gentle explanation that, in truth, the ACLU isn't anti-Christmas (or anti anything for that matter), it's pro Constitutional freedom. That includes religious freedom, which is enshrined in the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights.

Today, December 10, is Human Rights Day. It's a day we celebrate the U.S. signing onto the United Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) treaty in 1948--but, more fundamentally, it's a day to celebrate the very principles of human rights.  The UDHR, like the U.S. Constitution, doesn't actually give us our rights, it spells out that we have these inalienable rights as human beings, and declares that governments shall not violate them. Are you celebrating Human Rights Day? Perhaps the best way to do so is to stand up for your rights. Today you can

Today, December 1, is the 22nd annual observation of World AIDS Day—a day to recognize the 33.3 million people currently living with HIV/AIDS in the world, including 2.5 million children. The theme for World AIDS Day 2010 is 'Universal Access and Human Rights'

[caption id="attachment_159" align="alignright" width="200" caption="Celebrating 2010!"][/caption]

You don't have to be from Mississippi to know that Mississippi public schools can sometimes be unwelcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) teens.  Last Saturday, however, the ACLU of Mississippi participated in our third Mississippi Safe Schools Coalition (MSSC) summit, whose mission is to make schools safer for LGBT youth in Mississippi.

With so many stories in the news about the bullying and suicides of gay youth lately, the ACLU of Mississippi is grateful to have helped so many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in 2010. Our work with Ceara Sturgis and Constance McMillen are only two of our most public cases. But members and staff of the ACLU-MS have worked tirelessly this year to make Mississippi a better, safer place for LGBT people.