Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed now has an official “advisor on LGBT issues” after appointing gay attorney Robin Shahar to the position Monday. In 2010, Reed told GA Voice he would not have a designated LGBT liaison for his mayoral office, preferring instead a policy of full inclusion that puts gay people in prominent positions based on merit.
The appointment was made public in a press release sent to media late Wednesday evening.
Shahar is also the Chief Counsel in the city of Atlanta's Department of Law and has worked in the city's law department since 1993.
“I am pleased that Robin Shahar will assume this vital role in my administration,” said Reed in a prepared statement.
“In addition to her keen legal mind, she is well-respected in the community and will be an effective ambassador. My administration and I are dedicated to eliminating barriers to equality, fighting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and engaging the LGBT community across the city," he added.
Former Gov. Roy Barnes cruised to an easy victory in today's Democratic gubernatorial primary, easily meeting the 50 percent plus one vote margin required to win without a runoff.
At least someone on Oxendine’s campaign staff does. Oxendine included us in a recent mailer attacking fellow Republican gubernatorial candidate Karen Handel for her past connections to the Georgia Log Cabin Republicans and support of gay issues. See the full mailer here.
We appreciate the shout-out, Ox! (Even if you did make up a fake page to display)
As the July 20 primary grows closer, the race to see which Republican will compete to be Georgia’s next governor just gets uglier. And of course, more anti-gay.
Former Secretary of State Karen Handel continues to run from her previous moderate stands on LGBT issues like domestic partner benefits.
Her GOP primary opponents, including former U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal and Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, released ads this week attacking Handel, and by extension, gay Georgians.
Today Handel fires back — not at her opponents, but at us.
Not to be outdone by his competitors, Nathan Deal, a republican candidate for Georgia governor, decided to put out his own campaign commercial degrading Karen Handel for her past stated support of domestic partner benefits and adoption rights for gay couples.