Senator Warnock said, “But the most fundamental right is just the ability to stay alive, and you shouldn’t have to lose your life because of who you are. That is an assault on one’s humanity…” during his June 2021 Pride Conversation with Georgia Equality board and staff. 

Pride, at it is most basic definition is pleasure or satisfaction taken in something done by or belonging to oneself or believed to reflect credit upon oneself — and we here at Georgia Equality, along with Senator Warnock, wanted to acknowledge that during the month of June, regardless of everything else, we in this beautiful, diverse LGBTQIA+ community in Georgia celebrate our shared humanity and our basic human right to exist as one’s true self in the state which we call home. Every parade, booth, and conversation we hosted points us toward a shared goal: equality. 

To do this, the team here at Georgia Equality packed up and travelled to every end of the state, participating in or hosting over 40 different events, interacting with thousands of people, sharing the mission of Georgia Equality, as well as discussing and setting the tone for future advocacy efforts across the state, and hosting voter registration. 

Starting the month with the Blue Ridge Ridge Arts in the Park Spring Festival, our team got to spend a lovely weekend in Georgia’s most friendly LGBTQ+ mountain town — and the residents of Blue Ridge did not disappoint. Georgia Equality was welcomed with open arms. 

In Macon, Georgia — our team was busy hanging African Americans Responding to the AIDS Crisis at the Tubman Museum, which opened June 1, and ran all through the month of June. Accompanying this important exhibition was a panel conversation, hosted on June 26, 2021, HIV Turns 40, in which Georgia Equality staff and YHPA participants held a discussion with Dr. Raphael Ponce of Mercer University looking at the past, present and future of HIV medical science, advocacy, and the need for the continued work for HIV criminal justice reform. We are truly grateful for the staff the Tubman Museum for all their assistance.  

Our Statewide Outreach Manager, Shannon Clawson, focused on youth engagement, hosting discussions with GCAAP and PFLAGG, as well as Dekalb County Child Advocacy Center. We have seen so many anti-trans bills levelled at our youth — and it has been reflected in the outreach we have been contacted about. While these bills are an attack on basic human rights, many in our community do not support them — and Clawson has taken up the torch to provide needed guidance and training in regards to trans children’s rights. 

Heading down to the golden isles, Deputy Director Eric Paulk and Development and Communications Coordinator Alexa Bryant got their feet sandy as they attended a full day of Pride events hosted by Tybee Island Equality Fest on Sunday, June 27, 2021. Paulk and Bryant were honored to have Mayor Van Johnson of Savannah, Georgia and Mayor Shirley Sessions of Tybee join them in support. Georgia Equality would also like to thank our board member Mark Hill for joining us, and for Angie Celeste and Erika Hardnett for arranging a PRIDE filled day. 

Let it be known that not even rain can stop us – on June 20, 2021 — Frontrunner hosted a 5K despite inclement weather and Georgia Equality was able to be there — supporting the hundreds that came out regardless to support Frontrunner’s mission in raising $25,000 for organizations working with people living with HIV. 

Gender Policy Manager Chanel Haley and Southern Regional Field Organizer DeMarcus Beckham went from one end of the state to the other, setting up booths up at both Augusta Pride and Colgay Pride, in Columbus Georgia — both cities Georgia Equality strives to pass nondiscrimination ordinances in. Haley and Beckham launched the Nondiscrimination campaigns in each city — beginning the work gathering petitions for NDOs. Along with this campaign, Georgia Equality staff members were invited on a panel discussion around the benefits of an NDO. 

Chanel Haley, along with the boots on the ground work, was honored by Representative Nikema Williams as a Local Pride Hero. Haley will also be honored at Gwinnett Pride on September 4, 2021. We’re proud of Haley as she continues her work and we hope you will join us at Gwinnett County as we honor her work. 

Along with all the wonderful in person events we were honored to attend and meet many of you, Georgia Equality hosted numerous livestream events that can be found on our Facebook page. 

We highly suggest you don’t miss the stream of Senator Raphael Warnock and his conversation with Jeff Graham and several of our staff and board members. We also hosted a conversation commemorating HIV turning 40 with Lambda Legal, which you can see here. 

All in all, June 2021 saw us moving across the state like we have not been able to in over a year – and each mile brought us closer to true pride — the ability to exist as one’s true self equally and safely. Thank you all for your warm welcomes, for signing all the petitions, for donating during Evening for Equality, and for living as your true self as we continue to strive towards equality here in our home state of Georgia. 

Background

 

On March 2018, the city of Philadelphia learned that two of the agencies it hired to provide foster care services to children in the city’s care would not, based on their religious objection, accept same-sex couples as foster parents. Philadelphia informed the agencies that it would no longer refer children to them unless they agreed to comply with nondiscrimination requirements that are part of all foster care agency contracts. One of the agencies agreed to do so. The other, Catholic Social Services (CSS), sued the city, claiming the Constitution gives it the right to opt out of the nondiscrimination requirement. The Court heard oral arguments on November 4, 2020

 

The Decision 

 

On June 17th, the U. S. Supreme Court issued their decision in the case of the City of Philadelphia v. Fulton. The court ruled that while the government generally may require government service contractors to not discriminate against LGBTQ people and others, Philadelphia’s treatment of Catholic Social Services violated the agency’s constitutional rights due to the unique terms of Philadelphia’s standard foster care contract. While the contract prohibited LGBT discrimination, its flaw was that it allowed for exemptions to that very policy.   .   

While we are disappointed in the specific result in this case, what is important is that the court did not recognize a license to discriminate based on religious beliefs. Governments may continue to enforce laws protecting LGBTQ people and others from discrimination so long as they do so even-handedly. 

There is Hope

 

“This ruling shows that the first amendment works to protect people of faith and no new laws are needed in that regard. However, what it does show is that we need to pass greater protections such as the federal Equality Act to make it clear that there is no place for discrimination against members of the LGBT community.”- Jeff Graham, Executive Director, Georgia Equality 

Georgia Equality held a  Virtual Press Conference to break down the court’s decision, its potential impact and to respond to questions.  A panel of advocates, legal and religious voices, addressed the decision outcome, its implication and its impact.

 

 View Press Conference Here: https://www.facebook.com/GAEquality/videos/333599734799262

 

The day of the decision, Sean Young, Legal Director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia, made this statement…

 “The Court left the door open to Philadelphia revising its standard foster care agency contract to prohibit LGBTQ discrimination across the board. Importantly, the Court did not say whether an agency is entitled to a religious exemption when a nondiscrimination law applies across the board.  Nothing in today’s decision prevents Georgia or any Georgia municipality from protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.”