Haskel Burns

American Staff Writer

About 20 people gathered Tuesday at Hattiesburg City Hall to celebrate the launch tour of Project One America, the Human Rights Campaign's effort to expand lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality across the South.

The Hattiesburg event was part of a three-day tour of press conferences and community gatherings that also included stops in Jackson; Little Rock, Arkansas; Montgomery, Alabama; and Birmingham, Alabama. Along the way, HRC President Chad Griffin was joined by local officials, business leaders, clergy members and members of the LGBT community to rally support for the initiative.

"Today, we are proud to join with the advocates that have been working with Mississippi for decades to begin the next chapter in the movement for LGBT equality," Griffin said. "We will work to help heal the wound of inequality that divides this nation today."

For more information, see tomorrow's edition of The Hattiesburg American.