Crossing the Line: Restroom wars, a worthy grant and some things to watch for
Either way, the conflict between Bryant and Hood stands in contrast to surrounding states that have gone all in on the issue that falls along party lines. In neighboring Tennessee, for example, Attorney General Herbert Slatery is clearly on the same page as fellow Republican Gov. Phil Haslam.
“Sitting on the sidelines on this issue was not an option,” Slatery said.
As Hood noted in his statement, transgender people have probably been using the restrooms of their gender identity for decades and have gone unnoticed until the recent directive that, in Hood’s words, “created a public fervor.”
We’ll see what ultimately happens on this hot-button topic, but Hood is clearly a minority voice among Mississippi’s, and the region’s, political leadership — though he probably has more public support than some may think.
Commercial Appeal
5/30/16
Magnolia Tribune
