Mississippi Governor's son alleged victim in anti-gay assault

By Greg White
Staff Writer

Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant’s son Patrick was the victim of an anti-gay attack, precipitating his move to Austin, Texas, according to a report by The Washington Blade.

An anonymous source who claimed to know Patrick Bryant from college told The Blade that the incident took place in 2012 when he was a student at the University of Southern Mississippi. The source said it is an “open secret” that the governor’s son is gay. The night of the incident, he and a group of other gay men had gone to a bar.

“He was intoxicated and someone asked him if he was ‘Phil Bryant’s faggot gay son,’” said the source. “Obviously people took offense to it.” The source said the man “kept antagonizing him to try to provoke Patrick into a fight.” The source told The Blade that the man pushed Patrick Bryant.

It was after this event, the source claimed, that Patrick Bryant moved to Austin.

“He (Phil Bryant) knew that if Patrick stayed, he knew eventually everyone would realize Patrick’s gay and it would come out during an election and someone would try to use it against him politically,” said the source.

Earlier this month, The Gayly reported that Bryant signed House Bill 1523, a sweeping anti-LGBT law intended to protect those who believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman, that sexual relations should only take place inside such marriages, and that male and female genders are unchangeable.

The law allows churches, religious charities and privately held businesses to decline services to people violating those beliefs. Individual government employees may also opt out, although the measure says governments must still provide services.

Towleroad this week reported that The National LGBTQ Task Force has introduced a petition demanding that Bryant resign. Wrote the organization:

"The state’s new law discriminates against LGBTQ people in a number of different contexts by giving individuals, religious associations and private entities the right to use their religious beliefs as an excuse to “shut the door” on anyone they choose–who might also include unmarried people raising children, unmarried people having sex, and others. This could lead to discrimination at the workplace, at schools, in health care settings, and in public spaces such as stores, hotels or eateries.

"Mississippi has the highest proportion of same-sex couples raising children in our nation at 26%. It has one of the highest percentages of Black same sex couples. And Mississippi has the highest number of poor people in the country — many of whom are LGBTQ. These folks already face discrimination and racism. With this law they are going to face more. This is what makes Bryant’s action so despicable. Make no mistake it was knowingly designed to have the biggest negative impact on the most vulnerable.

"We the undersigned support the National LGBTQ Task Force’s call for you, Governor Phil Bryant of Mississippi, to resign immediately. By signing a law to legalize discrimination against LGBTQ people in Mississippi; by manipulating faith and cherished constitutional rights; by knowingly attacking some of the most vulnerable in the LGBTQ community; by also knowingly attacking unmarried people raising children and many others; you have lost the moral authority to govern.  Do the decent thing and resign immediately."

The Blade and Towleroad contributed to this report. 
The Gayly- 4/13/2016 @ 11:28 AM CDT