Author: Wes Sanders

by Wes Sanders

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2020

Hate Crime Bill Becomes Law in Georgia 

The first law to ever specifically protect LGBTQ Georgians.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA –

Georgia Equality joins our partners at ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today in celebrating Governor Brian Kemp signing into law House Bill 426 – the “Georgia Enhanced Penalties for Hate Crimes Act.”  The new law’s protections go into effect immediately.  ADL leads the Hate Free Georgia Coalition, which played an important role in securing the passage of HB 426.

“Today, we are elated to participate in this historic moment for Georgia, which was decades in the making,”  said Dr. Allison Padilla-Goodman, ADL Vice President, Southern Division.  “Governor Kemp’s signing of HB 426 sends the resounding message that all Georgians’ identities are a valuable part of our State.  It recognizes that Georgia will not tolerate crimes that terrorize and alienate entire communities. We are thrilled that Georgia is joining the 45 other states with hate crimes laws,” said Padilla-Goodman.

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by Wes Sanders

SCOTUS rules: LGBTQ Protections in Employment!

Today the US Supreme Court issued its decision in Bostock v. Clayton County. In a vote of 6 to 3, the Court has decided that “an employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.” In the midst of the COVID-19 health crisis and vitally important nationwide demonstrations in support of Black lives and against systemic racism, this decision is heartening and encouraging.

The Supreme Court has ruled that companies don’t have a right to discriminate against LGBTQ people in the workplace. This historic decision says that LGBTQ people are, and should be, protected from discrimination under federal law.

 

Georgia Equality will host a townhall meeting tonight (6/15/20) at 6:00 PM on Facebook Live to discuss the impact of the ruling in Georgia. Visit facebook.com/gaequality

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by Wes Sanders

The election results are in!!

ELECTION UPDATE

Great news! 77% of Georgia Equality’s endorsed candidates won their races or advanced to a runoff. From the state legislature to county commission and judicial seats, we elected pro-LGBTQ candidates because of you!

Another highlight from Tuesday– State House district 99 elected GE Endorsee Marvin Lim, who will become the 6th openly LGBTQ member of the state legislature! Marvin won’t face opposition in the general election in November.

And there’s more: GE Endorsee Kim Jackson held on to a 54% lead in State Senate District 41, and is well on her way to being elected as our first-ever openly LGBTQ State Senator and 7th LGBTQ legislator!

Georgia Equality sends congratulations to Marvin, Kim, and all of our endorsed candidates who won on Tuesday, or are advancing to a runoff. The runoff election will be held on August 11, 2020 and early voting will begin on July 20. Continue reading →

by Wes Sanders

Urge the State Senate Judiciary Committee to pass a hate crimes bill in GA (HB426)

What has happened over the past few months in Brunswick with the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, and the subsequent effort to cover it up is disgusting. It’s clearer now more than ever before that Georgia must finally begin address violence against the African American community and all marginalized communities — and it needs to happen now.

Georgia in one of only 4 states without a hate crime law. At present, a bill that would change that is stuck in the State Senate Judiciary Committee. Click here to send a message to republican members of the committee urging them to support a hate crime law in Georgia. 

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by Wes Sanders

A Call for Racial Justice in the LGBTQ Rights Movement

The criminal legal system has failed time and time again to uphold the most basic tenet of democracy, that of equality. The American criminal legal system is indeed broken, and has proven itself deeply dysfunctional, consistently dangerous, and quite literally deadly. Black people, many of whom are LGBTQ, bear the brunt of racial disparities in every facet of the institution, from arrests to sentencing. Nowhere is this more evident than in the killing of black people by police. As early as elementary school, black children are overly policed, resulting in the spectrum of criminalization referred to as the school-to-prison pipeline. We as LGBTQ organizations cannot back away from this outrageous injustice.

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