We created the Youth HIV Policy Advisor Program (YHPA) program because “all laws and policies related to HIV should be informed by the experiences of people living with HIV.” To that end, we felt it was critical to train young people living with HIV in Metro Atlanta on policy and advocacy, providing them tools and resources to go forward and educate state, city, and county-level policymakers on HIV-related policy issues. Continue reading →

Another legislative session is over in Georgia and because of supporters like you we were able to stop all attempts at passing discriminatory legislation for the 5th year in a row!

So, to you we say thank you! While we celebrate our success though, we’re not resting at Georgia Equality. We know that bills like this will be back next year and we’re already ramping-up our efforts to educate Georgians that we need comprehensive non-discrimination measures rather than limited legislation that creates a license to discriminate.
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Supporters of LGBTQ families and youth rallied against SB 375 this week, a bill that would allow taxpayer-funded adoption and child welfare agencies to refuse to work with same-sex couples, and would even allow agencies to deny services to LGBTQ youth. Georgians from all walks of life – including state and national advocacy groups, faith leaders, members of the business and entertainment communities, and LGBTQ families and allies turned out in large numbers to express their opposition to the discriminatory bill. Prior to the rally, 80 supporters met with lawmakers from across the state as part of Georgia Equality’s lobby day. A top priority of the lobby visits was to communicate to lawmakers the broad opposition to SB 375. Continue reading →

RALLY to #StopSB375: March 1st

Lawmakers in the Georgia Senate have advanced SB 375, an anti-LGBT “License to Discriminate” bill, by a 35 to 19 vote. The legislation would allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to turn away same-sex couples and even refuse to work with children in need who identify as LGBT. The discriminatory bill stands to impact the approximately 14,000 children in the state’s foster and child welfare system.

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SB 375, an anti-LGBT “License to Discriminate” bill that would allow taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to turn away same-sex couples, advanced out of the Senate Judiciary Committee earlier this morning. The bill could come before the full Senate as early as tomorrow.

“There are no winners with SB 375,” said Jeff Graham, Georgia Equality’s Executive Director. “This bill does not help the thousands of young people in our state’s adoption and foster care system. It does not help loving parents who are looking to open their homes to children in need, either through fostering or adoption. It does not help our state’s economic image – particularly at this crucial juncture in our bid to bring up to 50,000 new and high-paying jobs to our state through Amazon. There are only losers with this bill: children denied permanent and loving homes, and potential parents coldly turned away simply because of who they are.” Continue reading →