Equality News

by Danielle Quesenberry

Nondiscrimination Protections Now!

The U.S. Supreme Court heard three LGBTQ civil rights cases today that will interpret federal employment nondiscrimination laws and could affirm LGBTQ protections from harassment or discrimination at work. However, the vulnerability to discrimination and harassment due to the lack of protections at the state level is not new to LGBTQ Georgians.

Georgia is only one of three states without employment protections for anyone, including LGBTQ people. Check out this editorial from Blue Ridge resident, Connie Galloway. Connie was fired without cause and faced the same discrimination as the plaintiffs in the cases heard by the Supreme Court today.

Regardless of the outcome of the cases heard by the Supreme Court, we’re telling Georgia lawmakers, ‘Peach State, We’re Late!’ and calling on our state legislature to pass a comprehensive statewide nondiscrimination law to ensure enduring protections for all Georgians. Click here to tell your state lawmaker that you support nondiscrimination protections.

Don’t forget to join us tomorrow (Oct. 9) at 7:00 p.m. as we partner with the ACLU of Georgia for a special Facebook live town hall meeting to review the oral arguments and discuss what Georgians can do to respond.We’ll be streaming live and taking questions from people throughout the state. Click here for details.

by Danielle Quesenberry

Georgia Equality Files Amicus Brief in Employment Discrimination Case

Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia is Scheduled to be Argued Before the U.S. Supreme Court this Fall

ATLANTA (July 8, 2019) – Georgia Equality has filed an amicus brief in the case Gerald Lynn Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, along with two related cases. These combined cases will be argued before the U.S. Supreme Court this fall and will examine whether employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity are covered under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Georgia Equality filed the independent brief to highlight the importance of protecting Georgia’s LGBTQ community against discrimination under federal law. Continue reading →

by Danielle Quesenberry

Georgia Equality Applauds the Passing of the Equality Act

Georgia Equality Applauds the U.S. House of Representatives Passing the Equality Act

The Bipartisan Bill Now Heads to the Senate

ATLANTA (May 17, 2019) – Today in a vote of 236-173, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Equality Act – bipartisan legislation that will provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Americans across key areas of life: employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service. Thank you to the following Georgia representatives who voted to pass the Equality Act:
Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr.
Rep. David Scott
Rep. Hank Johnson
Rep. John Lewis
Rep. Lucy McBath

Currently, our nation’s civil rights laws protect people on the basis of race, color, national origin, and in most cases, sex, disability, and religion – but federal law does not provide consistent non-discrimination protections based on sexual orientation or gender identity. The Equality Act will provide these basic legal protections for LGBTQ Americans, including the estimated 360,600 Georgians who identify as LGBTQ and lack statewide non-discrimination protections.

Continue reading →