david ralston Archives - Georgia Voice - Gay & LGBT Atlanta News

Georgia House Speaker Addresses “Concerns” over “Religious Liberty” Legislation

Republican House Speaker David Ralston talked to the AJC about his thoughts on anti-LGBTQ “religious freedom” legislation, of which Gov.-elect Brian Kemp has expressed support.“I’d have to think through a...

Final efforts to pass anti-LGBTQ adoption bill fail as Georgia legislative session ends

Last-ditch efforts to pass an anti-LGBTQ adoption bill failed on the final day of the 2018 Georgia legislative session on Thursday, and for the fifth straight year, the session ended with the state avoiding pas...

Georgia Senate passes adoption bill without anti-LGBT provision

The Georgia Senate on Thursday passed a bill that would rewrite the state's adoption laws for the first time in 27 years, and they did so without adding an anti-LGBT provision back in. House Bill 159 passed by ...

Georgia State Sen. Jesse Stone (R-Waynesboro)

Georgia Senate committee strips anti-LGBT language, passes adoption bill

The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday voted 8-2 in favor of a bill to update Georgia's adoption laws without an anti-LGBT provision that caused the bill to stall in the final days of last year's l...

Jeff Graham, Josh McKoon and Park Cannon

2018 Legislative Preview: Lawmakers, activists weigh in on religious exemptions, hate crimes bills

Passing a modernized adoption bill is a top priority for the General Assembly and statewide LGBT advocacy group Georgia Equality in 2018, but a continued discussion looms over potentially discriminatory languag...

LGBT, civil rights groups finally seeing chance to play offense in Georgia

Progressive leaders in Georgia are beating the drum for the state to adopt a comprehensive civil rights bill now that the state's GOP leadership have made it clear they are not interested in getting into anothe...

Georgia GOP lawmaker: Anti-gay policies driving party ‘toward extinction’

State Rep. Allen Peake (R-Macon) says the prospect of Donald Trump in the White House “scares the bejeebies out of me” and laments that the party's treatment of the LGBT community, Hispanics and African-America...

BREAKING: Georgia House passes anti-LGBT HB 757

In response to a national backlash against the anti-LGBT so-called "religious freedom" bill House Bill 757, lawmakers introduced a substitute that is drawing a similar backlash from LGBT groups in Georgia and t...

LGBT groups to Georgia GOP leadership: ‘Make the right decision’

A number of local and national LGBT groups have signed onto a letter to Gov. Nathan Deal and leadership in the state legislature calling on them not to pass an anti-gay hybrid “religious freedom” bill that has ...

‘Pastor Protection Act’ passes in Georgia House

A bill that would keep religious officials from being required to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies passed 161-0 in the House Thursday afternoon. It was the first of eight religious exemption bills under con...

Medical marijuana could be on the way for Georgians living with HIV/AIDS

During last year's legislative session, state Rep. Allen Peake's (R-Macon) much-debated medical marijuana bill passed, allowing Georgians to use a form of cannabis oil to treat severe cases of eight different i...

A time of reckoning: Atlanta's LGBTQ community addresses racism problem

Gay Facebook Co-Founder Chris Hughes Slams Facebook for Allowing False Political Ads

Presidential Candidates Discuss LGBTQ Plans at HRC Town Hall

Activists Arrested in Sit-In Outside of Supreme Court during LGBTQ Employment Cases

Is gay Atlanta rapper Anye Elite about to break out?

Olympic Gold Medalist Kerron Clement Comes Out

Billy Porter May be Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother in New Musical

Queer Restaurant? Of Course!