With the procedural changes in Georgia’s recent election law, Georgians may be unsure of what voting looks like this year versus last year. Especially regarding absentee ballots, as they were such a pivotal tool in last year’s election and hold strong interest due to the ongoing COVID pandemic. 

Georgia runs under a Request-Required, Mail-In Ballot absentee ballot system. This means the VOTER MUST MAKE THE REQUEST for an absentee ballot. The absentee ballot will not be sent to the voter otherwise.

 

For this upcoming election on November 2nd, you must have been registered to vote prior to October 4th. 

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Fulton County’s first openly LGBTQ commissioner, an advocate for LGBTQ rights, and a fighter in the movement to end HIV/AIDS; Joan Garner was it. As a leader in her community, Garner laid a path for younger activists, and a new level of civic engagement to come. 

On August 30, 2021, the Ponce de Leon library in Atlanta, GA was renamed the Joan P. Garner Library, honoring the legacy of someone whose dedication to equality and civil rights led her community towards growth and tangible change.  

Charles Stephens, founder and Executive Director of The Counter Narrative Project, a nonprofit working to “…shift narratives about Black gay men to change policy and improve lives.”, wanted the library and its renaming to “…serve as a space to commemorate the legacy of Joan Garner and also serve as a reminder of the example she set. An example of service. An example of leadership. An example of commitment. An example of grace. I also hope this library will serve as a love letter to the Black LGBTQ community…”.  

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Georgia has no state laws that prevent private employers from discriminating based on an employee’s race or religion. Georgia has no law preventing landowners from refusing rent or sale to our citizens based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Currently, the only path for someone to resolve an issue of discrimination is to file a costly and time-consuming nondiscrimination federal lawsuit. But passing a comprehensive state law that offers protections for all citizens has proven to be quite tricky. Still, many cities across the state are adopting nondiscrimination ordinances (NDO) to help close some gaps between federal and state laws. 

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On August 4, 2021, Assistant Secretary for Health, Dr. Rachel Levine, swore in eight new members to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS (PACHA), one of the newest members being Kayla Quimbley, a Georgia Equality Youth HIV Policy Advisor and youth HIV advocate.

According to www.hiv.gov, “The PACHA provides advice, information, and recommendations to the Secretary of Health and Human Services regarding programs, policies, and research to promote effective prevention, treatment, and cure of HIV disease and AIDS. This includes recommendations to the Secretary regarding the development and implementation of the Ending the HIV Epidemic in the U.S. initiative and the HIV National Strategic Plan.”

Quimbley, as a Youth HIV Policy Advisor, is trained on policy and advocacy while being equipped with the resources needed to educate state, city, and county-level policymakers around the creation of meaningful HIV- related laws and strategy.

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