In celebration of our 25^th year, and in lieu of our usual Evening for Equality gala, Georgia Equality hosted “Invest in Equality”. This free virtual event series allowed us to share the story of how our organization came to be, and where we are headed in the future.

We kicked off Invest in Equality by recognizing the lifetime achievements of past Georgia Equality executive director, and long-time fighter for justice, Reverend Harry Knox. Reverend Knox spoke a bit about his management and advocacy experience, as well as his time pastoring churches, working with the Human Rights Campaign, and his appointment by President Obama to the White House Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Our second installment of this series was a two-part conversation, hosted by Georgia Equality Board Chair Kenyatta Mitchell. The panel discussion featured the voices of women who have been instrumental in the past 25 years of fighting for LGBTQ equality in Georgia, as well as conversation about the next 25 years of working towards equality in our home state.

We rounded out our virtual celebration with an evening of musical performances, the event being hosted by Kia “Comedy” Barnes. Featured artist included, Jamie Barton, Daisia Iman, Thea Jones, Cathleen Quigley, and Exquisite Gender.

This year has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and so were our original plans for sharing our 25th year with you. But you joined us and tuned in, making our 25^th year of fighting for a fairer Georgia even more special than we could have imagined. As always, Thank you for your continued support. It is for the LGBTQ community that we will keep pushing and striving for a safer Georgia for all.

On October 23, 2020, Equal Footing LLC and Transformation Journeys Worldwide along with Georgia Equality and Lambda Legal, hosted the third of a 3-part series focusing on laws and policies currently impacting companies, your LGBTQ+ employees (and their families) and our communities.

This session, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz USA, focused on employer’s roles in creating supportive communities for LGBTQ+ youth with emphasis on schools/sports, homelessness, foster care, and healthcare. 

Our Deputy Director, Eric Paulk, discussed the effect of homelessness on youth and youth living with HIV, and how fostering a stronger LGBTQ+ friendly work culture could allow LGBTQ+ parents and parents of LGBTQ+ youth access to more resources, including healthcare.  

Attendants were provided with: 

– Greater insight into issues that impact LGBTQ+ employees

– Broader knowledge that will enable quality discussions within organizations

– Information that will support more informed business decisions

– Awareness of action steps that can be taken by your organization and individual employees

– A better understanding of Georgia Equality and Lambda Legal and their critical role in the LGBTQ+ community

– Availability of additional educational resources

 

For more information on this session, or if you are interested in joining us for a special Post-Election session, please email email hidden; JavaScript is required. 

In 2015, two friends, Joshua Burford and Maigen Sullivan, who had professional and educational experience in LGBTQ history began wondering why the Queer South was so underrepresented in mainstream and national narratives around LGBTQ history. Was this due to a lack of historical people, events and places? Is the South, as we are so often told, truly 20 years behind? Or was something more complicated at hand? Was there in fact, a rich and diverse history of the Queer and Trans South that was simply hidden and desperately in need of research and preservation? It was quickly decided that this history was alive, numerous in measure, and suffered from a lack of resources and investment not a lack of supply. 

This conversation led to the Invisible Histories Project (IHP) which began officially collecting LGBTQ archival materials in February 2018 throughout Alabama. IHP is a 501(c)3 nonprofit based in Birmingham, AL. IHP is an intermediary organization that connects resourced institutions like libraries, museums, and universities to LGBTQ people and organizations. IHP is a conduit of information and access. We work with individuals to locate and collect archival materials; transfer those materials to permanent housing in local libraries and archives; and work with students, faculty, and community scholars to ensure that materials are researched and made accessible to the communities with whom they matter most. 

In April 2019, IHP received a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. This grant allowed IHP to expand from Alabama into Mississippi and Georgia. IHP kicked off our Georgia expansion on March 5th of this year, right before the COVID-19 outbreak shut things down.  Not a great time to start a new venture but with the help of our site at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, we have been able to continue to collect new materials related to LGBTQ Georgia and our research for new collections is well under way. 

We are working with Dr. Stephanie Chalifoux in the Department of History at UWG to give students a chance to work with donors and collections.  This past Spring and Fall the students in her class worked with our first donors, the Gourd Girls.  The Gourd Girls are an amazing pair of lesbian artists from North Georgia whose collections go back to the 1970s.  

We are hoping to reach out to communities across the state of Georgia in smaller cities, towns, and rural areas whose history is often overlooked.  If you are part of the LGBTQ community in Georgia then we want to talk with you about how we can preserve and make your collections accessible.  Not sure if you have collections?  Well the truth is that everyone has materials that are an important part of the story of LGBTQ Georiga.  If you visit our website at www.invisiblehistory.org and click on “Archiving from Home” you will be able to read about how the process works and see a description of the types of materials that we are looking for.  Once you have located materials simply reach out to email hidden; JavaScript is required and get the process started. If you do not have materials, but would like to support the preservation of LGBTQ Southern history, you can donate here: https://invisiblehistory.org/donations/donate-to-ihp/. To stay up-to-date with IHP, follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Invisible Histories Project.

As we all woke up to a brand new blue world in Georgia this morning, I couldn’t help but think of the words from the musical Hamilton:

“And just like that, it’s over… 

Black and white soldiers wonder alike 

if this really means freedom – Not yet.” 

 

While the vote count continues to trickle in across the country, it is vital that we stay focused during this historic moment. The President is currently doing everything he can to undermine our Democracy. While it is easy to dismiss him as a sore loser, we must remember that time and time again we have dismissed him; time and time again he has manipulated his way into more power and more oppression. In the coming days, it is imperative that we stand up for the count and support the people across the country that are doing the hard work of democracy. 

There are two concrete things you can do RIGHT NOW to help ensure a smooth transition of power in this country.

1. Sign the Pledge: Every last vote will count in this election. Georgia and other states will most certainly have a recount and we cannot take anything for granted.
   Please sign our petition to COUNT EVERY VOTE in Georgia, and share through your networks!

https://actionnetwork.org/forms/georgia-every-vote-must-count?emci=35b14b1c-c81f-eb11-96f5-00155d03bda0&emdi=7930a6d9-ca1f-eb11-96f5-00155d03bda0&ceid=4002530 

1. Attend A Rally: There will be a National Day of Action on Saturday, November 7 at 12PM at Freedom Park in Atlanta, GA. We will join partners across the country to celebrate democracy and demand that every vote is counted in every state, No Matter What.
     You can RSVP to the event in Atlanta HERE (https://fb.me/e/3eMj5uvlW)  or Look up a local action HERE (https://protecttheresults.com/?utm_source=Choose-Democracy) .

Lastly, as you have conversations with friends and family, or post on social media, I encourage you to spread messages of calm, unity, and faith in our democratic process. The lies being spread right now can be infuriating, but we must become the safe harbor in the storm. Invite others in to celebrate the hard work of election volunteers, small-town elections officials, and every day citizens coming together to participate in the most American institution: The Vote. In the coming days, our rallying cry will be Count Every Vote, and let the will of the people be heard. Together, we can and will bring a better day in Georgia and our United States of America.