“On the day of his inauguration as governor of Georgia, the Queer Justice League with support from local organizations MondoHomo and Savannah’s Queer Power Movement as well as national group GetEQUAL want to fiercely remind Governor Nathan Deal and the public of the presence of the Queer community and of our seat at the table. We too are citizens of Georgia,” organizers of the protest, billed as “Queerlicious Mouths Unite,” said in a statement posted on the Queer Justice League’s website.
The statement continued:
During Nathan Deal’s primary campaign for governor, Georgia’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) community was used as leverage and political pawns. Governor Deal displayed rampant homophobia by running ads against Atlanta organization Youth Pride, which provides outreach services to LGBTQI youth in crisis.
Jess Morgan, an organizer with the Queer Justice League stated, “The attacks during the primary are the continuation of many years of efforts to discriminate and slander the LGBTQI community both locally and state-wide. We will not tolerate this homophobia or state of complacency.”
Paul Schappaugh, coordinator of the new Georgia chapter of GetEqual, announced the protest cancelation late Sunday night in a letter to participants posted on Facebook.
I would first like to thank you for your willingness to be a fierce activist in such a historic event QUEERLICIOUS MOUTHS UNITE. Unfortunately, Governor-elect Nathan Deal and his Inaugural Committee have cancelled the inauguration event tomorrow, which in turn forces us to delay the QUEERLICIOUS MOUTHS UNITE. Yes, we are very sad and disappointed to have to do this but we are really left with no other option.
Due to the weather, all non-essential inauguration events were canceled although Deal and other state officials will still be sworn in Monday afternoon at the State Capitol.
Schappaugh noted that the organizers would plan a new event aimed at Deal’s LGBT record and encouraged those interested to attend a Feb. 8 meeting of the Queer Justice League that he said would be announced at Facebook.com/qjlatlanta.