The final official event of Stonewall Week looks to a more recent demonstration for LGBT rights. Forty years after patrons of the Stonewall Inn, a New York City gay bar, fought back against police harassment and sparked the modern LGBT civil rights movement, thousands gathered in Washington, D.C., for the National Equality March.
The 2009 march was organized on short notice and featured a more grassroots approach than the last LGBT March on Washington, the Millennium March in 2000. “March On!” is a documentary film telling the stories of a diverse group of 2009 march participants.
The film screens Sunday, June 26, at noon at Atlanta’s Phillip Rush Center.
Film examines the many faces of the 2009 National Equality March
Georgia State Rep. Rashad Taylor (D-Atlanta) came out today as a gay man at a press conference after the ex-boyfriend of his current partner sent out emails to legislators alleging he is gay and also accusing him of misusing his office.
"I am a gay man," Taylor said at the press conference held today at Georgia Equality's office at the Phillip Rush Center.
Taylor becomes the first openly gay male serving in the Georgia legislature and the third openly gay state lawmaker. State Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and State Rep. Simone Bell (D-Atlanta) are also openly gay and ran as openly gay when seeking office.
According to the national Victory Fund which works to elect openly gay officials, Taylor is only the sixth openly black LGBT person to serve in a state legislature. State Rep. Bell was the first black lesbian elected to a state legislature in 2009.
Taylor becomes first openly gay man to serve in the Georgia General Assembly
What resources are needed to meet the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Georgians and how can organizations provide those resources on such issues as aging, lifestyle and health?
That’s what the Phillip Rush Center hopes to find out after it recently received a $35,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Atlanta to conduct a broad needs assessment for the state to determine how to best serve LGBT residents.
“This is the first state of the community … a broader snapshot of LGBT Atlanta and throughout the state,” says Linda Ellis, executive director of the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative.
The Atlanta Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce teamed up with the Stonewall Bar Association for the chamber's popular monthly Fourth Friday Networking on Feb. 25 at the recently expanded Phillip Rush Center.
Radial Cafe, right next door to the Rush Center, provided the food while the Stonewall Bar Association provided the alcohol.
During the networking and social event, people toured the renovated Rush Center which is now home to Georgia Equality, the Atlanta Lesbian Health Initiative, Atlanta Pride, MEGA Family Project, AGLCC, In the Life Atlanta and SAGE, an organization for LGBT seniors. Nearly 30 organizations use the space for meetings or trainings as well.