After midnight last night, in the waning minutes of the legislative session and while many Georgians slept, the Georgia legislature passed a bill establishing an oversight committee to determine whether or not transgender girls should be able to compete in school sports in Georgia. The legislature spent significant time and effort this session to address the mental health crisis in Georgia, yet took swift action that walks back this good by caving into political pressure from Governor Kemp to join him in his goal of bullying transgender youth.
Equality News
Update: 2,500 Georgians help BLOCK ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
Late last night, the state legislature finished its 28th legislative day, or Crossover Day — and I’ve got good news. Because SB 613, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, was not voted on by the full Senate, it is dead for the year!
Since it was filed 5 days ago, over 2,500 Georgians sent messages to their State Senator to stop this bill. I want to say a special THANK YOU to each person who sent a message and shared it with your community. We did this.
In all, SEVEN anti-LGBTQ bills were filed during the 2021-2022 legislative session, and now, we’ve stopped all of them but one — SB 435 (the trans athlete ban). We will continue to monitor the work of the General Assembly to make sure the language of SB 613 doesn’t resurrect, and to stop SB 435 once and for all.
Action Alert: Urge your State Senator to OPPOSE SB 613
Senate Bill 613, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill was introduced in the Georgia State Senate today. This dangerous bill is meant to stigmatize LGBTQ people, isolate LGBTQ kids, and make teachers fearful of providing a safe, inclusive classroom. It must be stopped –Send a message to your State Senator, RIGHT NOW, and urge them to oppose SB 613!
This bill would stifle the full inclus Continue reading
🚨🚨BREAKING: The “Don’t Say Gay” bill has come to Georgia.
I’ve got some troubling news—the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ fight has come to Georgia. This latest attack on LGBTQ kids is disturbing, but not new. A remarkably similar bill just passed Florida’s legislature, and while we’re busy reviewing the exact language of SB 613, here’s what we know: This bill attemps to stifle the full inclusion of LGBTQ students in classrooms across Georgia.
We will do everything in our power to stop this this bill, but these endless attacks require a continuous and sustained defense from all of us, and that’s why I’m writing today — to ask you to join our fight by committing to a monthly contribution to Georgia Equality. Continue reading
Georgia Equality Responds to Filing of Bill to Exclude Trans Students from Sports
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Georgia Equality Responds to Filing of Bill
to Exclude Trans Students from Sport
February 2, 2022 (Atlanta, GA) — Georgia Equality, the state’s largest organization working to advance fairness, safety and opportunity for LGBTQ communities and allies in Georgia, responded to yesterday’s filing of anti-transgender legislation Senate Bill (SB) 435 and specifically its call for the exclusion of trans students from full inclusion in school sports.
SB 435 would force an already vulnerable group of young people in Georgia onto the sidelines. For transgender youth, many of whom experience high rates of depression and suicidality, access to sport can be lifesaving. Sports teach invaluable, lifelong lessons about teamwork, discipline and hard work, and every young person deserves equal access and opportunity.