This year’s Pride festivities looked a lot different from the colorful crowds of parades past, due to covid-19 Public health concerns. Across Georgia, Pride committees in large & rural communities celebrated their LGBTQ+ community in commemoration of the Stonewall Uprising through virtual events. Across all virtual Pride events, this month voting was a recurring theme. Many Pride commissions had discussions on the importance of voting, and were encouraging LGBTQ individuals, and their allies, to create a voting plan. Georgia Equality did their part in bringing in The Pride Celebration by co hosting an Advocacy training series for HIV focused organizations across the south. Staff members Chanel Haley and Alexa Bryant held an intimate discussion on the intersections of the LGBTQ+ Community & Black Lives, which Featured Georgia quality board members Patricia Lassiter and Justine Ingram.

LGBTQ community and allies did not get the opportunity to parade down Peachtree Street with colorful rainbow memorabilia for Atlanta Pride. The Atlanta Pride committee approved a few virtual events. There were some unofficial Pride events that made headlines due to the large crowds defying covid-19 standards. But approved events ranged from a Cooking Class with Big Feedia, Voguing With Jeterbydameter, a Gender, Diversity, and Disability Discussion co hosted by Compassionate Atlanta and SOJOURN , and SWEET TEA: A Queer Variety Show.

Out of Macon, Macon Pride teamed with Theater Macon for a drive-in movie event featuring the 1985 Mystery/Comedy film “Clue.” For October, Macon Pride also partnered with the Historic Macon Foundation to introduce a weekly LGBT history docu-series that featured young, up-and-coming, and legendary local LGBT activists.

In Savannah, there were no crowds dancing in Ellis Square or dazzling drag shows at Club One for Savannah Pride. However, Barrelhouse South, Rogue Water Tap House, Congress Street Social Club, Boomys, The Rail Pub, The Grove Savannah, Moon River Brewing Company, and Stafford’s Public House co hosted an outdoor, happy hour bar crawl to help raise money for the programs and services of the Savannah LGBT Center.

In the Southwest part of the state, people were able to attend the virtual South Georgia Pride, being able to participate in COMING OUT FOR RACIAL JUSTICE PANEL; a panel discussion on addressing racism in LGBTQIA experiences. The esteemed panelists included Lorin Kelly, Tegra Myanna, and Ravion Starr. The guest speaker was  Chanel Haley, Gender Policy Manager for Gender Equality, who spoke on advocacy and trans inclusion. Virtual attendees also were able to experience drag performances from Sabryna Chanyl, Khona LaBeija Velour Phoenix, and many more.

Boro Pride in Statesboro, GA, was jam-packed with Virtual Pride events. Those who tuned in saw spectacular performances from drag performers Brigitte Bidet, CoCo Iman Starr, and Miss Terra Cotta Sugarbaker. There were a slew of performances from musicians and comedic talents like Thea Jones, Kristen Ford, and Kia Barnes. One Boro (the city commission on diversity) also welcomed participants to be a part of a virtual town hall meeting to discuss issues that the LGBTQ community in Statesboro face. 

On Tuesday, October 20th, after the Pride weekend festivities ended, the Statesboro City Council passed a nondiscrimination ordinance,  the measure being 4 to 1. Statesboro’s non-discrimination ordinance would protect residents from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing, and public spaces like restaurant, businesses, and more. This decision makes Statesboro the eleventh city in Georgia to pass these protections, and it’s further evidence of the undeniable momentum of the LGBTQ-inclusive nondiscrimination protections statewide.

Chanel Haley, Gender Policy Manager for Georgia Equality, was featured on Project Q, Q Atlanta, the podcast, her discussing topics ranging from her experience as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention to helping to change the culture of local law enforcement agencies.

Interviewed by Matt Hennie, this intimate discussion of Haley’s career and how it intersects with her life experience showcases her willingness to fight, not only for the protection and safety of the transgender community, but also her work to affect change in policy and in self-advocacy. Haley speaks candidly about voter education and suppression, Trans visibility in Black Lives Matter Atlanta, as well as a grant Georgia Equality received, Haley using and managing the funds to create a Trans leadership academy. The training academy is currently on its third cohort of students. The pandemic has forced many organizations and social activists to pivot quickly, a lot of justice work becoming a digital effort, but that has not stopped or discouraged Haley from speaking publicly, letting us all know that advocating for oneself is a skill and a necessity. 

“Everything that I had to do, I had to learn on my own to be able to navigate through the systems to be able to survive and make it to where I am today,” says Haley. “It’s an important skill that people need to understand and learn.” 

 

 To listen to the entire Project Q Podcast episode, click HERE. 

On September 24, 2020, Georgia Equality, Equal Footing LLC, Transformation Journeys Worldwide, and Lambda Legal hosted their second session in the Law & Policy Series, focused on What organizations can do to promote equitable healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Sponsored by Kaiser Permanente, over 37 companies joined us to learn about the obstacles faced by LGBTQ+ people, whom are more vulnerable to health risks and face discrimination in healthcare.

LGBTQ+ people and those living with HIV face discrimination in the provision of health care services, and are especially vulnerable to breaches of confidentiality in medical settings, and to violations of their personal autonomy regarding reproductive decisions, sexual health, gender expression, transition-related care, HIV care and other matters.

Many are unable to find services in their area, encounter discrimination or refusals of service, or delay or forego care because of concerns of mistreatment.

Many states are working to pass laws to protect LGBTQ+ people, but we are also seeing proposed rules and bills that target LGBTQ+ (specifically Transgender) people. These bills could override local protections and may allow use of religion to discriminate.

Attendees gained:

• 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

 

Please join us for Session 3, on October 23, from 12:00 – 1:00PM, where representatives from Georgia Equality and Lambda Legal will discuss employers’ role in creating supportive communities for LGBTQ+ youth with emphasis on schools/sports, homeless & foster care and healthcare. Email email hidden; JavaScript is required if you are interested in learning more.

According to atlantapride.org, Pride is an event to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising of 1969. The Georgia Gay Liberation Front held its first gay pride parade march in June of 1971. For almost 50 years, the Atlanta LGBT and allied communities have marched from Peachtree Street to Piedmont Park in celebration of our beauty, and in protest. In the month of June, many cities across the globe sill celebrate pride, but now the city of Atlanta has chosen to celebrate in October. It was in the October of 1994 that a coalition of education-based organizations designated the 11th month of the year as a time to raise awareness of our long history and to shine a light on our success.

Due to COVID-19, most of this year’s Pride gatherings have been canceled. However, many events have transitioned to online in their place. Atlanta Pride will be hosting a virtual celebration from October 9^th-11^th; click here for more information. This change, though, does give us an opportunity to reflect and to dive deeper into understanding our history and the progress we have made.

In 2020, it can now be said that we have gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender government officials. No longer will a person who chooses to serve in our nation’s military need to hide their identity or sexual orientation. We are dominating Hollywood with historic magazine covers, and with accurate TV depictions of same-sex relationships and transgender awareness. We have marriage equality and significant gains regarding protections in the workplace. Pride is a time to celebrate all of this and more.

Last year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of Stonewall. From the ashes of this inflamed revolt came the gay liberation movement. The gay liberation movement can be attributed to our advancement towards equal rights and protections under the law. In 1970, on the first anniversary of Stonewall, the inaugural pride parades were held in New York City, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These Pride events offered a sense of community, and a sense of safety for self-expression. But just like the Civil Rights Movement’s March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and the Women’s Rights Movement’s Seneca Falls Conference, several preamble events led to the Stonewall uprising.

Before Stonewall, there was the founding of the Daughters of Bilitis , the Mattachine Society, the sit-in protest at Julius in the West Village of New York, the Annual Reminders in Philadelphia, and the sit-ins at the Compton’s Cafeteria and The Black Cat Tavern.

One of the first recorded gay organizations was established in 1897 in Berlin by Magnus Hirschfeld. Many of these pivotal moments in the movement were started by sex workers, drag performers, transgender identifying people, and many others who were wrongfully marginalized in the corners of society. The organization of these marginalized individuals challenged the gender norms and traditional societal principles of the times.  It is on the backs of these individuals that our freedoms and new protections lie. We honor their legacy by annually creating space in celebration of their courage and their determination.

Though there may not be a physical Pride event this year, we are still able to recognize our achievements and acknowledge those who came before us. The LGBT community has a vast history that both transcends and maintains roots in race, religion, class, and regional cultural traditions. Pride is about understanding who we are, expressing ourselves, and embracing our voice. We are far from true equality. The fight for trans inclusivity rages on; stronger protections in the workplace, in housing, and in public accommodations are needed. But as we look forward, we shall never forget how our movement began and why we still celebrate.

Voting is the best way to make our voices heard. Voting is an opportunity for you to speak up about issues that affect your communities, and to support those who may not have the privilege to vote. This Election is about more than the Presidency. It is about State Legislators and County Officials that decide what our kids learn in school, which neighborhoods get infrastructure updates, and how police are disciplined. Your voice is important, your needs matter. We need you to exercise your power in the upcoming elections by doing these four things for us today:

1. Register to vote HERE.
2. Check your voter registration status HERE.
3. Make sure you have the most recent information on your voter registration page.
4. Plan for when and how you will vote.

This election is critical to the future of our state and the future of this nation.

Quickly — take two minutes and check your registration status now.

 

Key Election Dates:

Absentee Ballots will begin sending on: September 15, 2020

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST AN ABSENTEE BALLOT

Deadline to Register to vote: October 5, 2020

Advance In-Person (Early) Voting begins: October 12, 2020

State-wide Saturday voting: October 24, 2020

Election Day: November 3, 2020