In the mid-1980s Duncan Teague and other Atlanta black LGBT folks called a meeting in his living room to respond to the HIV epidemic and to increase the Atlanta organizing in the black LGBT communities. At the time the effect of HIV on the black community did not receive the needed public attention. In our communities, in our night clubs, and in our organizations, we knew and cared for the people being impacted. Teague understood intimately how this was changing black LGBT life, and he stepped up as a leader. That meeting contributed to the birthing of the African American Gay and Lesbian Alliance (AALGA). This meeting also helped set the stage for a lifetime of service and advocacy for our communities.
To honor our friend, comrade, and brother, the Counter Narrative Project, an advocacy organization that works to improve the lives of black gay men, and Georgia Equality, an organization that seeks to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities and allies throughout the state of Georgia, partnered together to secure a proclamation from the Georgia House of Representatives to honor Teague. Rep. Park Cannon agreed to sponsor the resolution and he was honored on February 16, 2017 at the Georgia General Assembly.
An iconic Atlanta activist, Rev. Teague has had a tremendous impact on the Atlanta community. An ordained Unitarian Universalist (UU) Minister, Teague’s work seamlessly intersects the arts, faith, racial justice, LGBT rights, and HIV advocacy. He is and has been a model of grace, compassion, and social justice activism.
Some of Rev. Duncan Teague’s accomplishments include: serving as the first black gay outreach worker for AID Atlanta in 1986, being a founding member of the Community Advisory Board of the Hope Clinic, a senior member of the ADODI Muse: A Gay Negro Ensemble, serving as Faith Outreach Consultant for Georgia Equality, and being selected as the Atlanta Pride Grand Marshall in 1993 and 2001.
The other signatories on this bipartisan resolution include: Rep. Keisha Waites, Rep. Karla Drenner, Rep. Sam Park, Rep. Renitta Shannon, Rep. Howard Mosby, Rep. “Able” Mable Thomas, Rep. Pam Stephenson, Rep. Deborah Silcox, and Rep. Henry Howard.
We are grateful for Rev. Teague’s work on behalf of our community and inspired by his commitment to the work. This is truly a historic moment.