Yesterday should have been a great day for Ms. Tanya Ditty. The head of the Georgia chapter of Concerned Women for America spoke before a subcommittee of the Georgia House Judiciary Committee on House Bill 630 (State Fair Employment Practices Act) on why the state's legislators should vote down employment protection for the state's LGBT employees.
It's generally an honor to sign up to speak before a legislative committee. You have the chance to appear as an expert in your field and provide meaningful insight into proposed legislation.
But today, oh man, it's game over. Ditty has gone viral.
Join ACLU, Georgia Equality for LGBT lobbying day at State Capitol
The Georgia General Assembly starts its annual 40-day session on Jan. 9. A bill to ban anti-LGBT job discrimination against state employees is pending, but a host of governmental issues are expected to take up most of the legislature’s time, leaving lawmakers little for social issues.
The state is expected to address a thorny multi-state water agreement, potential changes to Atlanta’s mass transit system, tax reform, potential legal ramifications to last year’s immigration law, and education issues, among other topics.
Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale) enters this session the senior lawmaker in the recently formed GLBT Caucus, which now includes openly gay Reps. Simone Bell and Rashad Taylor, both Atlanta Democrats. Drenner said she’s uncertain what 2012 will bring to Georgia.
LGBT employment bill tops gay wish list for Ga. General Assembly
Redistricting maps created by Republican leaders in the Georgia House could leave two of the state’s three openly gay state lawmakers facing tough battles against fellow incumbents for re-election next year.
“Republican maps are forcing two of the three gay representatives (and the only two African-American LGBT representatives in the nation) into competition with fellow incumbent Democrats, resulting in the potential reduction of gay representation in the House,” Democratic Caucus leaders argued in talking points distributed to help build opposition to the proposal.
The Georgia General Assembly began meeting Aug. 15 in a special session to approve the maps, which were released Aug. 12. Redistricting takes place every 10 years after the release of results from the U.S. Census.
Rev. D.E. Paulk is fighting to have an inclusive congregation: he’s performed same-sex weddings, invited gay clergy into his church and on June 25 will lead a Pro-Love march to the steps of the Georgia State Capitol. But Paulk might have difficulty striking a balance in his Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, according to two former gay members.
Wayne and Tony Freeman-Howard left the Cathedral earlier this year after a dispute with Paulk about their wedding and their level of public affection. The couple said Paulk declined to go through with their 500-guest wedding and told them to cut down their public displays of affection.
“(Paulk) said it had to be on the down low,” said Tony Freeman-Howard, describing a meeting with Paulk about their wedding plans. “And in that meeting D.E. explained that it would probably be for the best if we moved off the front row.”
Several of Atlanta’s loudest voices for religious inclusion will take to the streets Stonewall weekend to call different faiths to greater harmony.
The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit will team with the Spiritual Living Center to host a march and worship service June 25-26 to spotlight their brand of inclusive faith.
“I feel it’s important that there’s always a voice out there that says that who and what people are is okay,” co-organizer Rev. David Ault said. “We’re all okay with it because we’ve been through it, and it’s old school to us, but there are people out there who may still feel that way, and we feel it’s important to get that message out there.”
Ault is a relative newcomer to Atlanta. He took over the reigns of the Spiritual Living Center last fall but has been preaching inclusion for years. He said the march and rally taking place at the end of Atlanta’s Stonewall Week was a happy coincidence.
Gov. Nathan Deal has officially come out against homophobia, transphobia and Islamaphobia.
Well, at least a generic welcome letter his office sends out to groups requesting an official welcome to their event states so.
Betty Couvertier, organizer of this year’s International Day Against Homophobia, sought — and finally received — a letter from the governor’s office that is addressed to: “Atlanta International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Islamaphobia.”
The letter, complete with the seal of the state of Georgia and the governor’s signature (obviously just a signature stamp), simply states:
Fiscal matters dominated another legislative session for the Georgia General Assembly as lawmakers struggled to address a number of large issues, leaving most on the table for next year.
The legislature did pass an $18.2 billion budget but didn’t pass a number of measures, including a bill that would provide anti-discrimination protection to gay and transgender state workers.
Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) collected 70 co-signers for House Bill 630, but introduced it after “Crossover Day” where bills must pass from one chamber to the other. Drenner, the first openly gay state legislator, said they are working on a long-term plan.
We did it, Atlanta.
In August, hundreds of us braved soaring temperatures to stand across the street from the State Capitol, bearing witness against the National Organization for Marriage’s “Summer for Marriage” tour.
Of course, it was really a “Summer Against Gay Marriage” tour, complete with overwrought predictions of what would happen if (gasp) gay couples are legally allowed to say “I do.”
Alveda King — the niece of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and a disgrace to her uncle’s legacy of inclusion and civil rights — told the assembled crowd redefining marriage by allowing gay couples to legally wed amounts to “genocide” and will lead to the “extinction” of the human race.
Um, the assembled crowd of 35. And I generously counted their speakers, performers, volunteers and even the media who stood on their side of the street.