vote your pride
Vote Your Pride MS was formed after HB1523 passed the MS state legislature (2016) and was signed into law. VYP is a nonpartisan group, and our sole political focus is LGBTQIA+ issues and policy in Mississippi that directly impact our community. One in 10 people in the U.S. identify as LGBTQIA+ but our voter turnout is the lowest among any minority group. We formed to increase Mississippi LGBTQIA+ voter participation in elections and to educate LGBTQIA+ voters on state and local policies that directly discriminate against or harm our community in Mississippi.
We will gladly host a Big Queer Voter Registration Drive at any LGBTQIA+ event in the state. We also provide queer-centered guides on state laws that target our community. We provide a Know Your Rights guide for Trans Voters in Mississippi. We actively advocate for changes to policy that discriminate against the LGBTQIA+ Community in Mississippi.Our organization is queer centered and run. VYP started as a lesbian couple on the MS Coast seeking to increase voter registration and turnout among our local community. We saw an overwhelming lack of voter participation in our community and wanted to make positive change.
In 2022 we partnered with Mississippi Rising Coalition and received a small grant from the LGBTQ Fund of Mississippi. That partnership and grant has allowed us to expand our reach state wide. In 2023 we registered new voters and educated exisitng voters at Oxford Pride, Starkville Pride, Trans Day of Visibility, Gulf Coast Equality Fest, Capital City Pride, Pine Belt Pride, and Hattiesburg Black Pride.
