Susan Cottrell of Austin, Texas, is a reformed Evangelical Christian. When one of her daughters came out as a lesbian and another came out as bisexual, she and her husband, Robert, knew that their love for them was stronger than any church teaching them to "love the sinner, hate the sin."
Susan runs a blog at www.freedhearts.com where she writes about her experiences and tries to help other parents who find conflict with their Christian beliefs and that of accepting LGBTQ people.
The federal government announced $67 million in grants to organizations assisting people in signing up for coverage in new health plans as part of the Affordable Care Act — and Atlanta-based The Health Initiative will be receiving some federal funding to help people with open enrollment beginning Oct. 1.
How much federal funding The Health Initiative will receive and the exact details of the grant is not yet known at this point. The Health Initiative is a resource for LGBTQ seeking health care resources.
Atlanta-based SPARK is a reproductive justice organization with queer leadership. In keeping with its mission, the organization also sponsors an annual program for LGBTQ youth of color and allies ages 18-24 named FYRE — Fierce Youth Reclaiming and Empowering.
The annual program, held earlier this month, exposed youth from throughout the Southeast to the art of radio, to give them a voice to tell their own stories. But FYRE still needs funding to ensure this program continues and is hoping to raise some $3,200 in one week.
YouthPride did not provide services to LGBTQ youth as promised as part of a $40,000 grant from Fulton County during 2011-2012 — and now the county government is demanding some of its money back.
Cynthia McRae, District 6 administrator of the Fulton County Housing & Human Services Department's Office of Grants & Community Partnerships, told GA Voice Friday that YouthPride failed to provide the services of the $40,000 F.R.E.S.H. grant awarded in 2011-2012.
The corner of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue in Midtown was taken over by hundreds of gay and queer people basking in victory on Wednesday, June 26, as just one of dozens of Day of Decision rallies taking place across the country. It was beautiful.
We were there to celebrate the Supreme Court's ruling against DOMA and its ruling that the supporters of Prop 8 in California had no standing, leading to legal same-sex marriages starting back up on Friday. And it was beautiful.
The clever signs, the cheers, the smiles, the hugs, the loud honking from supportive motorists passing through the busy intersection — all of it was part of a community coming together for some merry making. And it was beautiful.
I'm in love. And I hope we all say, 'I do.' And how could you not to such a dapper looking group of people asking for our help to continue to fight for equality for all people.
Southerners on New Ground, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is honoring the Supreme Court rulings on same-sex marriage by urging LGBTQ people and allies to "Marry the Movement."
Check out this great video released the day after the historic SCOTUS rulings on DOMA and Prop 8 that features Atlanta-based LGBTQ leaders including Pat Hussain, Paulina Helm-Hernandez, Ashe W. Helm-Hernandez, Step Guillod and Holiday Simmons.
More than 200 people from Georgia and around the world are expected at this year's Atlanta Poly Weekend, slated for March 15-17. Dozens of presenters will hold workshops and seminars to educate and inform those in the polyamorous lifestyle.
"This is our third year and we've been growing steadily," said Billy Holder, program director for the conference to be held at the Holiday Inn Select Atlanta-Perimeter/Dunwoody.
There are about 160 people pre-registered for this year's conference and Holder said he expects close to 250 people to actually attend. This number is about 100 more people than attended last year. This year's charity auction will benefit Lost-n-Found Youth, an organization serving homeless LGBT youth in Atlanta.
Emory professor represents NFL stars in gay marriage brief to Supreme Court
There’s an Atlanta angle to the friend-of-the-court brief filed by NFL stars Chris Kluwe of the Minnesota Vikings and Brendan Ayanbadejo of the Super Bowl Champion Baltimore Ravens urging the Supreme Court to sack California’s Proposition 8.
No, nothing to do with the Atlanta Falcons for fans still stinging from the team's lost chance at this year's Super Bowl. But one of the attorneys who filed the brief on behalf of the NFL players is an Emory University professor.
Timothy Holbrook, Emory's Associate Dean of Faculty and a professor of law, along with his friend Minneapolis attorney John Dragseth worked with the two players to file the brief.
Cortez Wright, communications and development associate for SPARK Reproductive Health NOW, will be the honorary LGBTQ grand marshal and speaker on behalf of LGBTQ African Americans at the annual Martin Luther King Jr. march and rally on Jan. 21.
The march and rally follows the annual Bayard Rustin/Audre Lorde Breakfast that takes place Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. at St. Mark United Methodist Church located at 781 Peachtree St., Atlanta, GA 30308.
Today is Martin Luther King Jr.'s actual birthday. The country celebrates his birthday on Jan. 21.
More than 150 LGBTQ young people of color from states in the Deep South are gathering in Atlanta this weekend for the first-ever “Ignite 2012 Queer and Trans Youth of Color Convening” that will include networking, workshops, resources and, perhaps most important of all, providing a place for LGBTQ young people living in rural communities to realize they are not alone.
Organized by Atlanta-based SPARK, which works for reproductive justice in Georgia and the South, the convening will bring together youth from Virginia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, New Orleans, Tennessee and Texas as well as Georgia.