With one week to go before Crossover Day, the legislative session has
moved into high gear.  Crossover Day will be on Friday, March 3, and is the final day for legislation to move from one chamber to the next and still be considered viable legislation for this year.  It’s important to note that because 2017 is the start of a two-year legislative session, bills that have not passed one chamber by March 3 can still be considered for passage in 2018.  For the first time, there are a number of bills that address LGBT rights.  Continue reading →

Georgia Equality’s staff stayed busy traveling our great state in February, with trips to Middle Georgia and Blue Ridge among others. Check out the pictures a brief summaries below for all the work we’re doing around the state. Georgia Equality continues to place an emphasis on reaching all corners of our state, so stay tuned for when we’re in a community near you! Continue reading →

Over 100 HIV advocates from across Georgia gathered under the Gold Dome last Thursday to educate state lawmakers about HIV at AIDSWatch in Georgia 2017.

“The goal of AIDSWatch in Georgia is to educate state elected officials about issues important to people living with and communities most affected by HIV.” says event organizer Emily Brown. “It is so powerful for legislators to hear the phrase, ‘I live in your district and I’m a person living with HIV.”  Continue reading →

ATLANTA – State Senator Lester Jackson (D-2) introduced a comprehensive non-discrimination bill today that updates Georgia’s laws to ensure lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people are protected from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations. The concept enjoys popular support in Georgia: A 2016 PRRI survey found that two-thirds of all Georgians back non-discrimination protections for LGBT people, including 59 percent of Republicans, 73 percent of Catholics, and nearly 80 percent of those under the age of 30. Continue reading →

ATLANTA – A new Williams Institute report has found that anti-LGBT discrimination and inequities is costing Georgia’s economy. The report, released today, highlighted Georgia’s weak civil rights protections and the associated stigmas and stresses that vulnerable legal standing creates for LGBT people. The report estimates that reducing those stresses by even just a quarter among Georgia’s LGBT workforce would gain the state’s economy upwards of $147 million in revenue. Another red flag raised in the study: Georgia’s weak – and sometimes hostile – laws, making the state less attractive to young, talented workers. In fact, the report estimates the state loses more than $9,000 for each employee that changes jobs or leaves the state. Continue reading →