TALK | business
Paid for by friends of Daniel E. Myers
Casinos, LGBTs Still Allied in Face of SB 2681 by R.L. Nave
COURTESY MGM ENTERTAINMENT
MGM Resorts, which owns the Beau Rivage in Biloxi, will remain committed to workplace equality despite a Mississippi law that many say is discriminatory.
is conservative, and the companies have to be careful not to anger conservative lawmakers in Jackson and customers. Alan Feldman, executive vice president of global government and industry affairs for MGM Resorts, which owns the Beau Rivage in Biloxi and Gold Strike in Tunica, said in a statement that “although it is our understanding it parallels federal law, we are reviewing the Mississippi legislation to ascertain its consistency with our bedrock commitment to equality.� “MGM Resorts is committed to equality, whether for race, religion, gender, sexual identity or orientation, age, disability, or any other characteristic of our guests, employees, or vendors,� he added. Calls and emails to public-relations department of Caesar’s Entertainment, which owns two Mississippi casinos—Grand Biloxi and Tunica Roadhouse Casino & Hotel—were not returned for this story. In an op-ed for Las Vegas Weekly, freelance journalist Steve Friess said a Caesar’s spokesman had trouble locating anyone in the company who knew anything about the Mississippi law; in the most recent legislative session, Caesar’s did not have a lobbying presence in Mississippi. The Mississippi Economic Council worked with industries across the state, including the gaming lobby, to help amend the bill originally introduced in the Mississippi Senate. That version of the bill said no one could “burden a person’s right to the exercise of religion,� meaning that a business could claim a sort of religious immunity for refusing service to a same-sex or interracial couple citing their Christian beliefs. PRUH &$6,126 VHH SDJH
Daniel E. Myers for Ward 6 ´ Served in the US Army (Active Duty 1993-2000) as Nuclear, Biological, & Chemical Specialist and was active in Bosnia (1996) and the Middle East (1998). Received the Army Accommodation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, and Full Honorable Medical Retirement. ´ Received Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology (Cum Laude) and Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling (Magna Cum Laude) from Jackson State University. ´ Inducted into the Psi Chi National Honor Society. ´ Served as Vice President of Beta Omicron Chapter of the Counseling Academic & Professional Honor Society International. ´ Current Division Director at Mississippi State Hospital. ´ Owner Operator of Myers Vocational Consulting, LLC.
Community Beautification and Infrastructure Plan for Ward 6 ´ Secure funds for roadway repair within Ward 6 ´ Secure funds to build a Community Center or remodel an existing building for the same purpose where an array of services may be provided to the citizens of Ward 6 including community meeting space and GED classes for teens and adults without a completed high school education. ´ Create connections between Ward 6 citizens and local businesses to foster job creation and a strong local economy. ´ Secure funds and establish a partnership with city leaders to beautify and upkeep abandoned and neglected buildings within Ward 6. ´ Encourage and facilitate the creation of neighborhood associations within Ward 6 to foster civic pride and a unified community voice.
Follow Daniel E. Myers’ campaign on Facebook
jacksonfreepress.com
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n the early 2000s, when Nevada twice considered a same-sex marriage ban, the big casinos put big bucks and political clout on the line to prevent such a ban. Today, the Silver State recognizes samesex civil unions and, even though the ban remains in place, most major casinos will perform same-sex marriages in their famed wedding chapels. In fact, the biggest players on the Vegas casino scene fully comprehend the buying power of the LGBT dollar: $830 billion, according to a widely cited survey. To say that Mississippi, where citizens passed a constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage in 2004, has been slow to cash in on the economic potential of embracing LGBT people and their money would be an understatement. Despite being watered down from its original legislative incarnation, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act has only cemented the Hospitality State’s reputation as inhospitable to same-sex-loving people and other minorities; many people believed the motivation behind similar measures in other states was to provide legal protection to discriminate against gays. In early April, a group of small businesses affirmed their nondiscrimination stances with a sticker campaign that tells customers “If you’re buying, we’re selling.� So where does that leave Mississippi’s casinos, particularly the Las Vegas-based operators who, in their promotional material, wear their pro-LGBT bona fides as proudly as many Mississippi businesses have been to display the non-discrimination window decals? It leaves them walking a fine line. On one hand, Vegas is one of America’s most gay-friendly cities. On the other, Mississippi
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