Local police chief hopes to make history as first female and lesbian sheriff in her county
A police chief in a small town in South Carolina could make history by becoming the first female and first out gay sheriff in the state.
Crystal Moore is the police chief in Latta, but has been through a bumpy ride to get and keep her position there.
She became embroiled in a controversy two years ago when many of the 1,400 residents of Latta rallied around her after she was sacked by the mayor there.
The mayor was caught on tape saying he would rather let a drunk person mind a baby than a lesbian.
She was eventually rehired, and the mayor sacked, but is now standing to become sheriff of Dillon County in the November election
“That firing really turned out to be a blessing in a way. I saw so much support and then the story went national, and even more people got to see how special this place is,” Moore told the Associated Press.
After her re-hiring, same-sex marriage was legalised by the Supreme Court, and Moore is how happily married with a 7-month-old daughter.
She admits the odds are stacked against her for the November Election as nearly 87 percent of residents in the county voted for a state amendment banning same-sex marriage.
“This is just my way of serving a place that has given me so much,” says Moore, who thinks it’s time for a change.
