ColorLines is reporting that hate crime victim James Craig Anderson's partner of 17 years will not be allowed to participate in the civil lawsuit that Anderson's family has brought against the seven white teens who participated in his murder. The state of Mississippi will not allow James Bradfield, Anderson's male partner of 17 years, to be part of the family's civil suit because same-sex partners in Mississippi have no claim in civil actions like the one the family is putting forward.
Anderson, who was raising a 4-year-old daughter with Bradfield, was violently attacked and then run over by a group of white teens on June 26, 2011. Deryl Dedmon 19, of Brandon, Miss., is accused of intentionally running over Anderson with his green Ford 250 and is now facing capital-murder charges because of evidence that he assaulted and robbed Anderson, according to the Hinds County district attorney. The civil suit accuses the seven white teenagers of deliberately setting out in the early morning hours of June 26 to go to Jackson to "go f—- with some niggers."
Talk about being kicked while down. Bradfield loses his partner to senseless violence and now is shut out of sharing in whatever damages are recovered from the civil lawsuit. He's raising Anderson's child and can't be a part of the suit because of same-sex discrimination? Bradfield has been with Anderson longer than most legal marriages last in this country, and he can't participate? How is that fair or just?
Hopefully Anderson's family will make sure that Anderson's partner and child are taken care of with the money received from the lawsuit. If the state of Mississippi won't do the right thing, then hopefully Anderson's family will.
Read more at ColorLines.
In other news: MLK Memorial Dedication Rescheduled for October.