Representation of LGBTQ Georgians continues to expand and strengthen as a record number of out elected officials take office this month.
In Atlanta, the number of open elected officials reached an all-time high with four open LGBTQ council members being sworn into office yesterday. Joining recently elected members Liliana Bakhtiari, Alex Wan and Keisha Waites, is Matt Westmoreland. Over the weekend, returning councilman Westmoreland came out as gay on social media. Georgia Equality applauds his courage to live his authentic self and congratulates all four of these individuals for taking office. We are hopeful that with this level of representation on City Council, along with the leadership of Council President Doug Shipman and Mayor Andre Dickens, that Atlanta leaders will prioritize engaging with People with HIV/AIDS and the agencies that serve the to make the necessary changes to the Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) program that will ensure the millions owed to nonprofit agencies is reimbursed and the currently waiting list of nearly 1,500 individuals throughout a 29 county area is eliminated.
In addition to the City of Atlanta, Georgia Equality congratulates Mayors Kahlid Kamau of South Fulton and Brian Mock of Chamblee on their recent elections to office. They now join other out mayors including Joseph Geierman of Doravile, Melanie Hammet of Pine Lake, Liz Ordinales of Hiawasee and Bill Grant of Canton.
Brett Reichert will be sworn in as Hapeville’s first out city council member and Stephe Koontz of Doraville was re-elected as Georgia’s only transgender elected official. Mariah Parker was re-elected to a second term on the Athens-Clarke County Commission as well.
With more than 30 out elected officials around the State, the racial, gender and geographic diversity of LGBTQ Georgians has never been more visible. We congratulate all of these individuals and thank them for their service to their communities and the role models they are for others.
We’ve got a lot of work to do this year, and we’re so glad we get to do it with each of these elected leaders! 2022 is looking up already!
Wes Sanders Han-Burgess
Development and Communications Director
Georgia Equality | Equality Foundation of Georgia