(Photo from Oxford Pride website)
- The University of Mississippi has been linked the annual event since 2016.
The University of Mississippi has decided not to provide funding for the 2025 Oxford Pride Parade, citing efforts to comply with the new law that prevents public schools and public postsecondary educational institutions across the state of Mississippi from engaging in discriminatory practices under banner of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
“The 2025 Oxford Pride Parade will continue with support from many community partners. This year, the university has paused its institutional support as leadership evaluates the impact of new state legislation on university involvement in events and activities,” Jacob Batte, director of news and media relations at the university, said, as reported by the Oxford Eagle. “The university remains committed to fostering a welcoming environment for all while ensuring compliance with state law.”
The legislation – HB 1193 – signed into law by Governor Tate Reeves (R) is titled the “Requiring Efficiency For Our Colleges and Universities System and Education System (REFOCUSES) Act,” otherwise referred to as the anti-DEI bill. It prevents universities, community colleges, public schools, and charter schools from using Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion practices when selecting faculty, providing academic opportunities, and offering student engagement.
“This act seeks to ensure that employment, academic opportunities and student engagement are based solely on individual merit, qualifications and academic performance, without consideration of an individual’s views on diversity, equity and inclusion,” the legislation states.
As previously reported, the legislation outlines that IHL, the Community College Board, MDE, and the Charter School Authorizer Board are to ensure that each institution, college and public school does not expend any funds derived from government appropriations, deposits, donations, endowments, fees, grants, gifts, income, receipts, tuition or any other source, except as required by federal law, to:
- Establish or maintain a diversity, equity and inclusion office
- Hire or assign an employee of the institution, college or public school or contract with a third party to perform the duties of a diversity, equity and inclusion office
- Compel, require, induce or solicit any person to provide a diversity, equity and inclusion statement or give preferential consideration in hiring or admission to any person based on the provision of a diversity, equity and inclusion statement
- Give preference based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation to an applicant for employment, or when awarding a contract at the institution, college or public school
- Require, as a condition of enrolling at, accepting employment with, or being awarded a contract at an institution, college or public school any person to participate in diversity, equity and inclusion training
- Penalize or discriminate against a student, employee or contractor on the basis of their refusal to support, believe, endorse, embrace, confess, act upon or otherwise assent to a diversity, equity or inclusion concept
According to Oxford Pride, Matt Kessler, a graduate student at Ole Miss, came to the Sarah Isom Center “with a dream of a Pride parade and a permit from the city” in 2016.
“Six weeks later, the Sarah Isom Center launched Oxford’s first Pride Parade. Allies rushed forward to march in the parade, and many LGBTQ students were overwhelmed with the love and acceptance they felt on that day,” Oxford Pride states on its website. “The second year, our Pride Weekend expanded its partnerships and brought Big Freedia and drag performers from Pulse Nightclub in Orlando to Oxford.”
Oxford Pride says it was created “to give LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, staff, and their allies a highly visible and inclusive community event during the academic school year to make them feel welcome and a part of the larger LOU community.”
This year’s Oxford Pride Parade is slated for Saturday, May 3. It will begin at 2 p.m. at the Oxford-University Depot. The parade will travel up University Avenue, then left onto Lamar Blvd, around the Courthouse Square, down Jackson Avenue, and back to the Depot.
A “Donate” button on Oxford Pride’s website takes visitors to the University of Mississippi Foundation’s support page where donors are encouraged to give to the Isom Center Fund for LGBTQ Arts, Culture and Community Development.
In addition, the group, under Kevin Cozart, launched a GoFundMe to raise money to support the annual event after university leadership informed them “that no university accounts may be used to support Oxford Pride Week.”
“While all Pride events will take place as scheduled, university leadership has directed the Sarah Isom Center and other university entities to step back from their institutional involvement with the 2025 Oxford Pride Parade, while they study the new HB 1193 law and await guidance from IHL on how we can continue to support everyone in our campus,” the GoFundMe plea states. “The student group Outgrads and UM PRIDE Network are now the organizers of the Pride parade.”
As of 1 p.m. on Friday, the group had surpassed its $5,000 goal and reportedly raised $11,621 through 157 donations.
Frank Corder
