Stand with Tippi McCullough and her wife Barb Mariani in Little Rock--At South On Main

You may or may not be aware that recently Tippi McCullough, a long serving teacher at Little Rock's Mount St Mary Academy a Catholic girls school, lost her job over a violation of the school's morals clause.  What did she do?  She legally married her partner of 14 years, Barb Mariani, in a civil ceremony in New Mexico.  Yes, you read that correctly.  She LEGALLY married her partner of 14 YEARS.  A partner that the staff and administration of the school knew about.  To top it off she was fired in a phone call less than an hour after the ceremony that legally joined she and her partner.  What does this morals clause cover?  Marriage?  No.  It states that teachers must live a life that is in keeping with the teachings of the Catholic church.  Have their been any firings of teachers that used birth control or got a divorce?  None that I could find in a google search. 

Ok so yeah I am pretty disgusted by this whole thing.  I tend to keep posts on this blog to my love for ice cream, vintage items, locally grown food, and things related to events in SoMa.  So why this, why blog about this?  Well today there was a press conference at South On Main about the firing and Chad Griffin the president of the Human Rights Campaign was there to speak as well.  I was just going to go as a concerned citizen and support them as they go through this.  But I wanted to share the event in this way so that anyone that might read about it and was unaware could know that in October 2013 people can get fired for legally marrying the person they have been emotionally committed to for 14 years.  The place was jam packed with press, family, friends, and supporters.  It gave me warm fuzzies on top of warm fuzzies to see the community come together to support Tippi
and Barb. 

Packed house at South On Main for the press conference



left to right--Barb Mariani, Tippi McCullough, Gillian, and HRC President Chad Griffin

 

 Tippi McCullough

 

 Barb Mariani

 

 Gillian speaks of her support for her former teacher

 

Former students at the school address the news conference 

 

 Former students at the school address the news conference 

 

 

I don't like the hypocrisy of the whole thing.  She loses her job but no teachers are getting fired for using birth control.  They already knew about her partner.  They fired her on what should have been a happy and beautiful day for her, perhaps the most joyous day of her life.  People have used religion to enforce racial inequality and segregation and to support not allowing women the right to vote.  I wonder how popular Mount St Mary's would be if it fired teachers that voted or denied employment or enrollment to African Americans.  But society has seen the error of its ways on those issues. 

There are some things about today that give me faith in the human race though and encourage me that things are heading in the right direction for our society.  On the stage today a 15 year old sophomore at the school named Gillian spoke about how when she learned about the Civil Rights movement in school that she thought to herself that had she been alive then that she would have been on the right side of history and today she can be by supporting her former teacher.  This girl started a campaign at the school to support Tippi.  How completely honored I was to meet the girl and her mother who was "very proud of her."  Indeed that is a young lady to be very proud of.  See, you don't have to be an adult or gay or lesbian to see this issue as a civil rights issue.  She wasn't alone either.  Several former students spoke in their support of Tippi McCullough. 

Supporter speaks to Tippi after the press conference

 





You can show your support by making a contribution to the HRC or contacting your Congressman to voice your support of ENDA, the Employment Non Discrimination Act which would prevent people from getting fired for their sexual orientation.  Or if you have the chance to meet either of the ladies just tell them you support them.  I shared my support with Tippi and it felt like I was able to lighten the load on their shoulders just a little bit.

All photo rights shared by Brian Kelley/Imagine Photography