Georgia’s 14th city to pass such an ordinance.
Augusta, GA, November 16, 2021 — Today, by a unanimous vote, the Board of Commissioners in Augusta, Georgia passed a nondiscrimination ordiance that provides needed protections to LGBTQ folks and other marginalized groups. This makes Augusta Georgia’s 14th city, and second county (after Athens-Clarke earlier this year) to provide such protections.
“By its passage of a broad, inclusive nondiscrimination ordinance, Augusta has proclaimed its commitment to growing a community free for everyone to be who they are, raise their family, and earn a living. I am incredibly proud of Augusta and am grateful to its leadership for today’s historic accomplishment. From the goodwill created by Augusta Pride, to the efforts of Equality Augusta, Georgia Equality, and the members of the Nondiscrimination Working Group, to the leadership of Mayor Hardie Davis and the members of the Augusta Commission, particularly Commissioner Francine Scott and Commissioner Jordan Johnson, a tremendous amount of good work by many good people has today made Augusta a more equal, fair, and better place,” said Matthew Duncan, former Board Member of Georgia Equality and the President of Equality Augusta.
“Thanks to the hard work of local advocates in Augusta, the passage of this ordinance, ensures 202,000 more Georgians are provided the necessary protections from discrimination that we all deserve,” said Jeff Graham, Georgia Equality’s executive director. “All of us at Georgia Equality are proud to have been involved in this work with Augusta’s thriving LGBTQ community, as we continue pushing for the passage of these protections in cities and counties across Georgia.”
Atlanta was Georgia’s first city to pass a nondiscrimination ordinance over 20 years ago, but the second did not happen until Doraville in 2018. After Doraville, Decature, Clarkston, Chamblee, and Dunwoody passed ordinances in 2019; Brookhaven, East Point, Savannah, Smyrna, Statesboro, and Hapeville passed them in 2020, and most recently, Athens-Clarke passed its ordinance in August of this year.
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Founded in 1995, Georgia Equality is the state’s largest organization working to advance fairness, safety, and opportunity for Georgia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and allied communitites.