Georgia Equality marked the 30^th World AIDS Day with a week of events to engage the community. United by the “Know Your Status” theme, we joined our community partners in commemorating World AIDS Day 2018 with events that included a screening of the film Boy Meets Girl followed by a panel conversation led by Georgia Equality’s Gender Inclusion Organizer, Chanel Haley focused on HIV and dating in the trans community. Our partners at Sisterlove led us in a conversation around Black women and HIV. We also partnered with Thrive SS for an evening of spoken word, led by artists living with HIV.

To round out the week, we united with Actor’s Express for a staged reading of the play, Before it Hits Home by Cheryl L. West, directed by True Colors Theatre Company’s incoming Artistic Director, Jamil Jude. The play explored the dynamics of an African-American family dealing with the HIV during the late 1980s. The reading was followed by a panel discussion.

We closed the week with our annual World AIDS Day Policy & Action Luncheon hosted by our Youth HIV Policy Advisors (YHPA). The YHPA cohort is a group of future leaders trained to guide policy around HIV and AIDS, and serve as unofficial policy advisors to elected officials. The event included remarks from Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. Other elected officials from all levels of state and local government also attended and heard from program participants about the specific needs and challenges that come with being a young person living with HIV in the metro-Atlanta area.

Georgia Equality would like to thank our community partners, YHPA, and elected leaders who attended our week of programs this year. While much has changed over the past 30 years – HIV is no longer a death sentence but a treatable and manageable chronic disease – we recognize that we still have a long way to go.

From Shannon Clawson, Statewide Outreach Organizer

2018 has been a busy year for our Super Voter team who crisscrossed the state to register voters and get Georgians to the polls in support of pro-equality candidates. From Augusta to Albany, Georgia Equality was at every Pride festival in the state this year, and we need your help to keep the momentum going. This year, our Super Voters also:

• registered 3,175 Georgians to vote in 16 counties
• called 19,500 Georgians to get them to the polls
• collected 1,152 Pledge to Vote cards
• sent GOTV texts to 133,392 Georgians
• partnered with 15 organizations including 4 universities, 3 hospitals, and various community non-profits to setup voter registration drives and tabling

A huge thank you to our volunteers! We have never seen such enthusiasm, and we are proud to see LGBTQ Georgians and our allies stand up and demand a better future. Your support has made all of this possible.

In 2019, we will continue to fight for LGBTQ people and our vote across the state. Please support Georgia Equality by making a donation to continue our GOTV work across the state.

Dear Georgia Equality Family-

It is bittersweet that I am sharing with you that I will be leaving Georgia Equality at the end of December for a new adventure. I have so much love and appreciation for the amazing staff and board who work incredibly hard for true equality in Georgia. I am thankful having the opportunity to work, learn and grow from such an amazing crew of brilliant minds, creative movers and shakers, and tremendously inspiring thought leaders.

I am excited to accept a position as Program Innovation Director for an international women’s nonprofit – Women Who Code, but also sad to be leaving this family that continues to gain momentum year after year.

I have been honored to work with the brilliant Jeff Graham, a thought leader whose stewardship of this organization has led to numerous victories and continues to strategically expand programming throughout the state. The entire team – Wes Sanders, Eric Paulk, Percy Brown, Chanel Haley, and Shannon Clawson are rock stars in their work and wonderful friends to have in my extended family.

And to you – Georgia Equality members, volunteers and donors – thank you for lifting me up in my role at Georgia Equality – for joining the calls to action, for giving your support by volunteering in the field and of course, for funding the movement!

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this powerful organization and incredible team.

With much appreciation and gratitude –
Amanda