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ATLANTA, Georgia (April 24, 2023) — Georgia Equality is deeply concerned following an increase in violent rhetoric and actions targeting the LGBTQ+ community across Georgia. This past weekend, several neighborhoods in Atlanta were littered with anti-Semitic and transphobic flyers which stoked fears of a “rise in transgenderism,” and spread harmful conspiracy theories about the trans community and Jewish individuals. Meanwhile, in Forsyth County, organizers of an all-ages drag event were forced to cancel the event after receiving violent threats. In response, Congressman Rich McCormick hosted a “family fun day” on the same day as the canceled event, calling it a “lewd drag queen performance,” and labeling it an “attempt to target and indoctrinate our children,” on his social media. Continue reading |
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Action Alert: Urge Congress to OPPOSE HR 734
This week, Congress will hear HR 734– a bill to ban transgender youth from participating in sports. This bill is a clear attempt to put politics over the well-being of transgender youth. It must be stopped– Send a message to your Congressperson, RIGHT NOW, and urge them to oppose HR 734!
SEND YOUR MESSAGE NOW
HR 734 would force an already vulnerable group of young people in Georgia Continue reading
Black LGBTQ History w/ Dr. Ashley Coleman Taylor
In honor of Black History Month, Georgia Equality was fortunate to interview historian Dr. Ashley Coleman Taylor. Dr. Coleman Taylor has worked on the oral history project, Atlanta as Black Queer Space, for several years.
The interview is conducted by Kermit Thomas, state outreach manager, denoted by “K,” and Dr. Coleman Taylor, “A,” and it explores race, space, identity, the ever-changing politics of the south, and more.
K: Could you introduce yourself and the project you’re working on?
A: I’m Ashley Coleman Taylor and I am an Atlanta native; my family has been in Atlanta since the 1970s. I am a professor of Religious Studies and Women and Gender Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. My work is primarily about Black embodiment, Black gender, sexuality, and Africana religions. My work is situated in Puerto Rico and also Atlanta.
K: Can you tell us a little about your work in Puerto Rico and Atlanta?
A: Yeah, so in the Puerto Rico work, I look at religion as a tool of white supremacy, so I look at how it’s impacted Black and Indigenous embodiment in Puerto Rico. I particularly focus on Black women and how they use their bodies as tools of resistance; to resist racism, sexism, classism, and coloniality. My Atlanta work is an oral history project with Black LGBTQ elders, so I look at how they have used their bodies as tools in the fight for social justice as activists over decades.
Georgia Equality Applauds the Passage of the Respect for Marriage Act by the US Congress and Calls for Further Action
Today, the US House of Representatives passed the Respect for Marriage Act with a strong bipartisan vote, reaffirming the freedom to marry for hundreds of thousands of same-sex and interracial Georgians, and couples nationwide! The bill now heads to President Biden’s desk, where he is expected to sign it into law.
“Recognizing the importance of marriage, acknowledging that diverse beliefs and the people who hold them are due respect, and affirming that couples, including same-sex and interracial couples, deserve the dignity, stability, and ongoing protection of marriage is an important milestone,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. “And the strong bi-partisan support of members in both chambers of Congress and support from a diverse set of conservative faith voices, is a hopeful recognition that supporting LGBTQ rights is not in conflict with conservative values.”
grateful & thankful
Friend–
As we come nearer to the end of another year in this fight together, we have yet to take our foot off the gas pedal. Our staff and volunteers have been educating and informing voters of upcoming elections for what seems like the entire year – and we won’t stop until after the December 6th runoff for US Senator from Georgia.
While you’ll be seeing plenty of messages from us on that front in the coming weeks, I want to pause today to say THANK YOU – because of you, your continued commitment to this work, and our amazing staff and volunteers, we’ve seen unprecedented successes this year!
Here are just a few of those accomplishments: Continue reading