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.

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Athens, GA (January 27, 2022) – Georgia Equality, ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Southeast, and SOJOURN were troubled to learn of reports from parents of students at Oglethorpe Avenue Elementary School in Athens, GA this week indicating that a piece of student artwork containing the phrase “Gay is OK” was removed from a classroom display after a school administrator likened it to displaying a Nazi flag.

Let us say plainly, we condemn any connection between a Pride flag and a swastika – one symbolizes love and connection; the other symbolizes hate and genocide. They should never be treated with any kind of equal standing and it is egregious and unacceptable for any educator to make such a statement. Continue reading →

ATLANTA (January 20, 2022) — Today, Georgia Equality released the results of a commissioned budget review investigating the impact Medicaid expansion could have on the availability of HIV treatment and care dollars in Georgia. The report, prepared by Alan Essig, shows that expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act would result in serving more Georgians with HIV/AIDS diagnoses –to the tune of $53 million– without spending additional state dollars.

The Governor’s recommendation to increase funding for Georgia’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP) by $9.9 million in both the midyear budget and the budget for the next state fiscal year is desperately needed to ensure that we can avoid the establishment of a waiting list for these lifesaving medications. While we applaud the Governor’s support of ADAP, unfortunately, such increases on an annual basis may not be sustainable over time.  Therefore, Georgia Equality’s educational arm, Equality Foundation of Georgia, contracted with noted budget analyst Alan Essig to study the implications of expanding Georgia’s Medicaid program to cover people living with HIV. Continue reading →