Invest in Equality: A 25th Year Celebration

In celebration of our 25th year, and in lieu of our usual Evening for Equality gala, Georgia Equality hosted “Invest in Equality”. This free virtual event series allowed us to share the story of how our organization came to be, and where we are headed in the future.

We kicked off Invest in Equality by recognizing the lifetime achievements of past Georgia Equality executive director, and long-time fighter for justice, Reverend Harry Knox. Reverend Knox spoke a bit about his management and advocacy experience, as well as his time pastoring churches, working with the Human Rights Campaign, and his appointment by President Obama to the White House Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.

Our second installment of this series was a two-part conversation, hosted by Georgia Equality Board Chair Kenyatta Mitchell. The panel discussion featured the voices of women who have been instrumental in the past 25 years of fighting for LGBTQ equality in Georgia, as well as conversation about the next 25 years of working towards equality in our home state.

We rounded out our virtual celebration with an evening of musical performances, the event being hosted by Kia “Comedy” Barnes. Featured artist included, Jamie Barton, Daisia Iman, Thea Jones, Cathleen Quigley, and Exquisite Gender.

This year has been turned upside down by the COVID-19 pandemic, and so were our original plans for sharing our 25th year with you. But you joined us and tuned in, making our 25th year of fighting for a fairer Georgia even more special than we could have imagined. As always, Thank you for your continued support. It is for the LGBTQ community that we will keep pushing and striving for a safer Georgia for all.


$2.00

 

I’ll be frank–we are undertaking the most significant voter mobilization campaign in Georgia Equality’s history, and we won’t be able to get it done without you. We’ve already started working to turnout 650,000 pro-equality voters in the Jaunary 5th runoff, but to fully deploy our plan we need your support RIGHT NOW to help us reach our $1.2 million goal.

 

  • $2.00 is what it takes for us to contact one pro-equality voter.
  • $200 helps us contact 100 voters.

 

With so much on the line, will you make a contribution today to help us turn out the pro-equality vote in Georgia?

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Georgia’s “other” epidemic – World AIDS Day 2020

In the flurry of COVID-19 headlines, it is easy to forget that this is not Georgia’s first brush with a global pandemic. In honor of World AIDS Day, we should all take time to reflect on why after more than three decades, our state ranks number one among all states in new HIV infections.

The answer is inequality, and it will take all of us continuing to fight to end HIV in Georgia. Join me in supporting Georgia Equality for World AIDS Day 2020 and #GivingTuesday by making a contribution in support of this vitally important work.

For too long, our state’s leaders have put politics before human dignity and denied healthcare access to hundreds of thousands of Georgians, leaving them vulnerable to the effects of untreated chronic illnesses and infectious diseases like HIV and COVID-19. We know that HIV, and most pandemics, thrive in places where inequality goes unchecked- where access to healthcare is marked by stark racial and gender disparities, and where leaders fail to promote health equity. To create lasting health equity, we must provide healthcare coverage for all Georgians, and we must start by expanding Medicaid.

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This year, we’re thankful for you!

What can we say except that 2020 has been one for the history books. This year has brought unprecendented challenges for all of us, but because of your continued support, and our amazing staff and volunteers, our organization has seen unprecedented successes in our 25th year!

Since March, when we transitioned our work entirely online, we’ve seen engagement skyrocket with our 60 online programs exceeding 43,000 total views! As a result, we’ve been able to accomplish some pretty amazing things together–

  • For the seventh year in a row, we ensured that no anti-LGBTQ legislation passed in Georgia.
  • We worked closely with the Anti-Defamation League and Georgia NAACP to get an LGBTQ-inclusive Hate Crime law passed by both houses, and signed by the governor.
  • Just this month, Hapeville became the 12th municipality in Georgia to pass a non-discrimination ordinance specifically prohibiting discrimination against LGBTQ people in housing, employment, and public spaces.
  • We contacted over 400,000 voters in communities across the state to turn out the pro-equality vote.
  • You showed up at the polls in support of our endorsed, pro-equality candidates. As a result, the number of open LGBTQ legislators has grown to 7 with the election of Marvin Lim (HD 99) and Georgia’s first openly LGBTQ State Senator, Rev. Kim Jackson (SD 41). Overall 70% of endorsees won their races!
  • We’re helping turn out the pro-equality vote AGAIN in the upcoming US Senate runoffs– running phone banks 6 nights a week and have the most ambitions GOTV plan in our organization’s history, to reach between 400,000 – 650,000 pro-equality voters.
  • During the legislative session, we managed to pass a much needed reform of our HIV criminalization law through the House of Representatives with the bipartisan support of 124 House members, setting the stage for passage in the next legislative session.
  • The TransActionGA Leadership Academy is now in it’s third cohort, training current and future transgender and non-binary leaders with the tools to lead positive conversations and action in their communities.

In 2021, we will continue to fight for LGBTQ people across the state – that means ensuring no one has to be afraid of losing their job, their home, or their access to education simply because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Your support has made all of this possible, and inspires me for our future together.

Sincerely,

Jeff Graham,

Executive Director

 

PS On a very personal note, I want to express my gratitude to the staff, board and those in the community who have extended their support to me as I faced the sudden loss of my husband and partner of 32 years.


Law & Policy Series: Session 3

On October 23, 2020, Equal Footing LLC and Transformation Journeys Worldwide along with Georgia Equality and Lambda Legal, hosted the third of a 3-part series focusing on laws and policies currently impacting companies, your LGBTQ+ employees (and their families) and our communities.

This session, sponsored by Mercedes-Benz USA, focused on employer’s roles in creating supportive communities for LGBTQ+ youth with emphasis on schools/sports, homelessness, foster care, and healthcare. 

Our Deputy Director, Eric Paulk, discussed the effect of homelessness on youth and youth living with HIV, and how fostering a stronger LGBTQ+ friendly work culture could allow LGBTQ+ parents and parents of LGBTQ+ youth access to more resources, including healthcare.  

Attendants were provided with: 

– Greater insight into issues that impact LGBTQ+ employees

– Broader knowledge that will enable quality discussions within organizations

– Information that will support more informed business decisions

– Awareness of action steps that can be taken by your organization and individual employees

– A better understanding of Georgia Equality and Lambda Legal and their critical role in the LGBTQ+ community

– Availability of additional educational resources

 

For more information on this session, or if you are interested in joining us for a special Post-Election session, please email geinfo@georgiaequality.org