NATCHEZ — Local gay and lesbian residents rejoiced Friday morning at the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing same sex marriage nationwide.

“It’s about time,” said Layne Taylor, artistic and executive director of the Natchez Little Theatre. “Hopefully, people will now realize this won’t make any difference in their lives.”

Taylor, 62, said if the decision to allow gays to marry had come earlier in his life, perhaps he would have considered it.

“I think it’s wonderful that everyone has the opportunity to live their lives the way they choose,” he said. “I hope now the divisive rhetoric will end and politicians will do something, instead, that benefits us all, like enhancing education and health care. It’s nice to see this barrier finally crumble.”

Taylor said gay people have added much to make this country great.

“All those who are opposed to it, just think about what your lives would have been without them. Turn on the TV, go see a movie, go shopping. Some of the best doctors are gay — we’re everywhere,” he said.

Natchez has always been a gay-friendly community, Taylor said.

“I think this is fabulous for our community. Gays have more per capita income than other couples because they are generally not burdened with children. This is a beautiful place to come and get married.

“I’ve been in and out of Natchez all my life and gays here have always been held in very high esteem,” Taylor said. “Fortunately, we don’t represent the rest of Mississippi. Natchez is unique,.”

Taylor said he would be happiest when gay couples can be married in church.

“I’m Episcopalian, and I would only want to be married in my church, the Episcopal Church. That’s just me personally,” he said. “There are always going to be unhappy people who distort the teachings of Christ and twist them into something hateful. Christians should be living in the New Testament, and it seems if it was a big deal, Jesus would have said something about it, but he never did. The Ten Commandments are pretty powerful, and they didn’t address gay marriage. I really don’t think it even registers on God’s radar.”

TJ Baggett and her partner, Laurie Belshan, didn’t wait for same sex marriage to be approved in the United States. The two had a committal ceremony in 1999 in St. Croix.

Once marriage was legal in Washington, D.C., the couple was married in a park near the White House. They moved to Natchez about six months ago from Savannah, Ga.

“Given the fact that we lived in Georgia and same sex marriage was not legal in Georgia, we have been able to file federal taxes together, but not state taxes,” Baggett said. “Legally-recognized marriage is important because if something happens to me, Laurie can receive my Social Security benefits. You know, not all health companies will acknowledge same sex couples as a family plan. Inheritance, if something happens to me, the tax rules were so different. There are lots of financial advantages and acknowledgements of a partner when married, even medical rights. You can have health care power of attorney, but unless you’re married, there still could be questions about your rights.

“Now, we will get to file federal and state taxes in Mississippi and have the same benefits and meet the same fiduciary responsibilities as any married couple,” Baggett said.

She said the issue is simply one of equality.

“I have never been a big fan of having a gay pride parade. Why have one? To me, it’s a level of segregation. It’s saying, ‘We’re different from you folks.’ We’re not. We are well respected and received in the business world and the heterosexual world. We’ve earned the respect of our peers. We’ve always been treated fairly. This win for us today is just fairness,” Baggett said.

Margaret Perkins agrees.

Perkins, who is president and CEO of First Natchez Radio Group, said the Supreme Court’s decision today is a matter of equality.

“I find when I talk to my friends locally — friends who are super staunch conservatives — about Social Security and health benefits and inheritance and I tell them about how same sex partners are treated in regard to those, they respond, ‘Well, that’s just wrong.’ Of course, it is. This decision is about simple equality.”

Perkins, who lived away from Natchez for a number of years, when she heard about the court’s decision this morning, recalled marching in gay pride parades in Boston in the 1980s.

“It was surreal, looking at my AP feed and seeing the report. I get very emotional when I think about it. To think back to so many years ago and peacefully, joyfully marching in Boston, to think back to my friends from that time, and those who have died since then, this is huge. And it’s frightening that it’s taken this long. I guess I feel tremendous pride,” she said.

The issue of equality is one that presents an economic development opportunity for the state, Perkins said.

“It’s a huge opportunity for Mississippi to show the world that it’s open to all who want to be here, live here, make a life here, run a business here. We’re open to everyone,” she said.