When the General Assembly convenes in January, our state will have a record seven openly LGBTQ legislators, more than any other southern state, and the most in our state’s history. It’s been a long road, and we cannot stop now. Georgia Equality has been laying the groundwork for 25 years, and the work must continue.
19 years and 11 months ago today, Georgia swore in its first lesbian legislator– Representative Karla Drenner on January 8th, 2001. In a time when our very sexuality was considered a felony, and the promise of broad nondiscrimination protections and marriage equality were considered unattainable, Rep. Drenner walked into the House chamber representing all of us.
Since then, ALL of the openly LGBTQ elected officials in Georgia, with the support of Georgia Equality, have worked to pave the way for me. Now I’m asking you to make sure that the work continues, and that I’m not the last by supporting Georgia Equality with a financial contribution right now.
I gave my campaign everything I had, but campaigns are never won by the candidate alone. I am incredibly grateful for the work Georgia Equality did to help get me over the line– mailers, calls, and texts all poured into my district on my behalf from Georgia Equality, and we got it done.
In a month, it will be my honor to become our state’s first openly lesbian member of the State Senate– 20 years after Rep. Drenner was first elected. This. Is. Progress.
Sincerely,
Rev. Kim Jackson
State Senator-elect