In the three years I have worked for The Daily Mississippian, creating the cover of the Pride issue is one of my most meaningful projects. Being gay in Mississippi can be frustrating, challenging, and sometimes even scary, but overall being in the LGBTQ community here is bold. I created the cover with this queer Southern boldness in mind. I chose to screenprint the rainbow background so that the colors would overlap, symbolizing the intersection of different identities in the LGBTQ community. The Oxford water tower is featured on the cover because it is an underused symbol for our wonderful town. The abstracted pride flag combined with the powder blue water tower create a unique visual for this important issue. As my time in Oxford comes to a close, I could not be happier with the progress Oxford, the university, and The DM have made and I cannot wait to see the strides we make in years to come. This issue of The Daily Mississippian makes me feel validated and represented as a gay Southerner, and I hope this issue makes you feel seen, too.
