UPDATE: Chief Kelvin Cochran suspended for one month without pay by Mayor Kasim Reed. Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran’s self-published...
Preliminary estimates are in and this year's Atlanta Pride was one of the biggest, say organizers.
Atlanta Pride Executive Director Buck Cooke was on ATL & Co. on WXIA along with APC Board Chair Glen Paul Freedman and one of the parade's grand marshals, Evelyn Mims, an employee of WXIA and longtime ally, to give a post-Pride recap.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals today announced plans to protest Friday's Atlanta Pride Kickoff Party at the Georgia Aquarium over concerns the event is harmful to the animals inside the aquarium.
Dan Matthews, a PETA senior vice president, sent a letter to acting Atlanta Pride Executive Director Buck Cooke, again urging Cooke and the Atlanta Pride Committee to move the annual event to a venue that does not hold animals captive.
Matthews, who is gay, holds no punches in the latest letter to the APC, including accusing Atlanta Pride of misogyny, after Cooke and members of the APC have failed to directly respond to PETA's communications written by women.
In an era of growing LGBT acceptance, perhaps the only thing controversial about Atlanta’s upcoming Pride festival is the now-annual Kickoff Bash at the Georgia Aquarium.
Animal rights activists, led by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, are protesting the event and out actress Jane Lynch even weighed in by sending a letter to the Atlanta Pride Committee’s Buck Cooke, urging Cooke to relocate the annual party over concerns for the animals’ well-being.
“Many of the marine mammals at the aquarium are extremely sensitive to sound, and large parties create an even more stressful environment than they already endure in captivity. … Since the kickoff party sets the tone for all of Pride, will you please consider moving it to one of the many alternative venues that Atlanta has to offer?” Lynch wrote.
Lynch’s letter followed a flurry of attention the party received last year over similar concerns over noise and how it affects the animals. PETA, at the time, called the event “a celebration of freedom in a building that celebrates captivity.”
The Atlanta Pride Committee has released the Stride into Pride schedule of events. The events will lead into the 2012 Atlanta Pride Weekend (Oct. 13-14) and kick off this weekend.
"We are excited that there are so many events surrounding the Pride Festival,” said Glen Paul Freedman, Atlanta Pride Committee board char. “These activities offer a wide range of options for anyone who may build their vacation around the Pride Festival, or for those local residents looking to get involved in a community activity prior the festival weekend."