Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Supporters of gay rights say they hope to use recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings to build momentum for full legal protections for gay and lesbian people everywhere, including in Mississippi.

Speaking at a Friday news conference at the Capitol, Human Rights Campaign President Chad Griffin says he is confident that full legal equality, including gay marriage, will eventually come to Mississippi.

He and other supporters say that other incremental progress is within closer reach though, including laws that would prohibit someone from being fired or not hired because of their sexual orientation. They say that more and more people know someone who is gay or lesbian, helping to increase support.

In 2004, 86 percent of Mississippians voted for a state constitutional amendment that prohibited same-sex marriage from being recognized.