Huffington Magazine Issue 74 | Page 4

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR HUFFINGTON 11.10.13 Gays Not Welcome N THIS WEEK’S issue, Lila Shapiro takes us to Shannon, Mississippi — population 1,753. That’s where businesswoman PJ Newton tried, unsuccessfully, to open what would have been the only gay bar in a 100-mile radius on the town’s main street. ART STREIBER I In the course of Lila’s conversations with Shannon residents, a telling detail emerged: most who opposed the bar declined to give their names. But one 80-year-old woman spoke frankly about her reasons for signing a petition to stop the bar from opening. “I’m anti-gay,” she said. “I know that’s not politically correct these days, but that’s the way I feel.” Others had more nuanced views, and an ability to dis- Join the conversation on Twitter and Facebook