Equality News

by abryant

Last Chance to Double Your Donation on Give OUT Day!

“If you’ve been following our Facebook and Instagram pages today, you’ve seen some of our board members talk about the work of Georgia Equality and share why it matters in their lives. 

Click HERE to Partner with Georgia Equality Now

As said during our recent Evening for Equality, between the board and staff, there is not a team of people more passionate working every day to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for LGBTQ communities and our allies throughout the state.

And this work is needed now more than ever before.  We’ve known for some time that we can’t rely solely upon the courts to protect our rights.  We must do the hard work of changing laws and policies at all levels of government.

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by abryant

Georgia Equality Executive Director Offers Opinion on Latest SCOTUS Decision

“Overturning Roe and Casey and allowing states to ban abortion access – including with no exception as some states are ready to do – will have devastating consequences for women and for anyone who can become pregnant as well as for the children they already have, for their health, and for their abilities to support themselves & their loved ones. Those consequences will fall hardest on people and families of color and those with the fewest financial resources.

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by abryant

Time is Running Out to Ensure Equality and Fairness for All

Members of the LGBTQ community and our allies around the country will take the next few weeks to commemorate those brave souls who resisted police oppression during the Stonewall Riots of 1969.  There will be celebrations and parades. Companies will paste rainbows on everything from t-shirts to laundry detergent and city halls around the country will raise Pride flags.

June is also when we commemorate critical US Supreme Court victories including the right to have consensual sex lives, the freedom to marry and the right to be free from employment discrimination.  All these rulings have been milestones that add value to the celebrations and mark important milestones in our movement.

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by Wes Sanders

The election results are in (mostly)!!

ELECTION UPDATE

The last few votes are still to be counted from yestarday’s elections, but what we know is great news! 78% of Georgia Equality’s endorsed candidates won their races or advanced to a runoff — from the State Supreme Court all the way down to county commission seats, because of your support, we helped elect pro-LGBTQ candidates by reaching out to over 850,000 pro-equality voters!

One exciting highlight from Tuesday is that we may be welcoming a new openly LGBTQ state legislator next year because GE endorsed candidate Imani Barnes will be advancing to the runoff for the Democratic nomination in House District 86! Help her start the next phase of her campaign strong with a donation today.

And there’s more: multiple openly LGBTQ incumbents won their races last night: Rep. Karla Drenner in HD 85, Rep. Park Cannon in HD 58, and Ben Ku on the Gwinnett County Commission.

Georgia Equality sends congratulations to all of our endorsed candidates who won on Tuesday, or are advancing to a runoff. The runoff election will be held on June 21, 2022.

 

Here’s the full list of Georgia Equality endorsees who were succcessful on Tuesday

 

 

Judicial Races

Georgia Supreme Court: Justice Verda Colvin- Win

Cobb County Superior Court Judge: Judge Sonja N. Brown- Runoff

Fulton County Superior Court: Judge Paige Whitaker- Win

Gwinnett County Superior Court: Angela Duncan*- Win

Gwinnett State Court Judge: Erica Dove- Runoff

Gwinnett County Superior Court: Judge Tracie Cason- Win

Democratic Primary:

Governor: Stacey Abrams – Win

Secretary of State: Bee Nguyen – Runoff

Attorney General: Jen Jordan – Win

Labor Commissioner: William Boddie – Runoff

State School Superintendent: Alisha Thomas Searcy – Win

 

Senate District 2: Derek Mallow – Win

Senate District 6: Jason Esteves – Win

Senate District 33: Michael Rhett – Win

Senate District 36: Nan Orrock – Win

Senate District 38: Horacena Tate – Win

Senate District 55: Gloria Butler – Win

 

House District 40: Doug Stoner – Win

House District 43: Solomon Adesanya – Win

House District 50: Michelle Au – Win

House District 51: Ester Panitch – Win

House District 58: Park Cannon* – Win

House District 74: William Harris – Win

House District 85: Karla Drenner* – Win

House District 86: Imani Barnes* – Runoff

House District 97: Ruwa Romman – Win

House District 163: Anne Westbrook – Win  

 

Local Races

Athens County Commissioner District 5: Matt Pulver- Runoff

Dekalb County Commissioner District 3: Larry Johnson- Win

Fulton County Board of Commissioners, Chairman: Robb Pitts- Win

Fulton County Commissioner District 1: Maggie Goldman- Win

Fulton County Commissioner District 5: Marvin Arrington, Jr. – Win

Gwinnett County Commissioner District 2: Ben Ku*- Win

 

Dekalb County Board of Education District 2: Candice McKinley- Runoff

Fulton County Board of Education District 7: Dr. Michelle Morancie- Win

by abryant

Ending the HIV Epidemic Fellowship Program Proves to be a Success

 

The end of April concludes Georgia Equality’s Ending the HIV Epidemic Fellowship program, which all culminated in the Fellows’ final event: “Ending Metro Atlanta’s HIV Epidemic” at the Loudermilk Conference Center last Friday. In a crowd of some the most influential elected officials and public health leaders in Metro-Atlanta, the Fellows shared their journeys toward working in ending the HIV epidemic, why it is important to them, what policies our leaders can enact to expedite the epidemic’s end, as well as what lies ahead for the Fellows as individuals.

Guest speakers included Fulton County Commissioner Chair Robb Pitts, and Georgia Representative Jasmine Clark, who concluded the program with a motivational keynote speech. A recording of the event can be found on Georgia Equality’s Facebook, here.

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