Lesbian Sues Miss. Town for Denying Gay Bar Permit
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A woman is suing the leaders of a north Mississippi town, accusing them of conspiring to prevent her from opening a gay bar by denying an application for a business license.
Pat “PJ” Newton filed the federal lawsuit Tuesday against the mayor and six aldermen of Shannon, a town of about 1,700 in Lee County where Newton has been trying to open a cafe and bar called O’Hara’s to cater to the gay community.
The 55-year-old Newton, who is a lesbian, is seeking monetary damages and an order to allow her to open the business as well as attorneys’ fees and court costs.
The Southern Poverty Law Center is representing the Memphis, Tenn., woman in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Aberdeen, Miss.
It says Shannon Mayor Ronnie Hallmark “led a conspiracy to deny Newton a business license” and solicited community opposition to the bar.