Mississippi's guests deserve hospitality, not bigotry

The "Nowhere to turn for LGBT people who face discrimination" (May 1) article about a transgender veteran who was denied a job simply for being transgender broke my heart.

You see, I have a relative who is transgender, and the article made me realize that once HB 1523 goes into effect, I will no longer be able to invite a member of my extended family to come visit.

If my relative chooses to come visit, we will welcome them with open arms, but I could not, in good conscience, invite my relative to come.

Why not?

Well, imagine this: My relative flies into Mississippi and tries to rent a car and is met with "Sorry, my religious beliefs will not allow me to serve a transgender person, and there is no one else here, so you cannot rent a car."

Trying to rent a hotel room will also cause problems.

The desk clerk's religious beliefs may not allow them to serve a transgender person, and neither does the manager's, so they won't be able to rent a room.

The next obstacle may be going to a diner for something to eat -- the employees' religious beliefs could prevent my relative from ordering a meal.

Sure, this may all be a bit of a stretch, but after HB 1523 takes full effect, it will all be perfectly legal in Mississippi.

I have lived in Mississippi for nearly 32 years.

It is home, and I am proud of our Southern hospitality, but an ill-considered law means a member of my own family may be subjected to bigotry instead of greeted with hospitality.

And that breaks my heart, too.

DOUGLAS MacCULLAGH

Long Beach

This story was originally published May 10, 2016 at 7:20 PM with the headline "Mississippi's guests deserve hospitality, not bigotry ."