Happy Pride Month from The 2030 Project!

Georgia’s LGTBQ+ community is full of trailblazers who are breaking barriers, advocating for justice, and leading movements for equality across the state. Here are some of the activists making a lasting impact:

1. Kim Jackson —  Georgia's first openly gay state senator representing State Senate District 41. 

2. Sam Park — The first openly gay man elected to the state legislature, representing House District 107. He currently serves as Whip for the Georgia House Democratic Caucus.

3. Park Cannon — A leading LGBTQ+ and women’s health advocate known for bold protest actions and progressive leadership. She represents House District 58 and serves as Secretary for the Georgia House Democrats.

4. Jeff Graham — Executive director of Georgia Equality, the largest and oldest LGBTQ advocacy group in the state.

5. Toni-Michelle Williams — Executive director of Solutions Not Punishment Collaborative (SnapCo), a Black trans- and queer-led organization advocating for people with HIV and those impacted by criminalization.

6. Liliana Bakhtiari — The first queer Muslim person elected in Georgia and the first nonbinary person elected in the city of Atlanta. They currently serve Atlanta City Council District 5.

7. Mariah Parker — Rapper and community organizer formerly serving as the Athens-Clarke County District 2 Commissioner from 2018-2022.

Current Fights for LGBTQ+ Rights in Georgia

We can't celebrate Pride Month without acknowledging the ongoing threats facing the LGTBQ+ community and their loved ones. While June is a time to honor the progress made, it's also a moment to speak out against the attacks that undermine those ideals. Right now, that fight is alive and urgent in Georgia, including: 

• Anti-trans legislation - The “Riley Gaines Act” mandates that all public K-12 schools, universities, and state-funded athletic programs divide sports teams strictly based on “biological sex,” effectively barring transgender girls and women from participating in female-designated sports or sharing facilities. Additionally, bills restricting gender-affirming care, such as puberty blockers and surgeries for minors, have prompted significant backlash from healthcare providers, LGBTQ+ advocates, and families.

• Cuts to Initiatives for LGBTQ Students -As part of rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to comply with the Republican agenda, Georgia's universities have cut at least 31 LGBTQ+ and gender-based resource centers across 23 campuses. These centers provided essential support for queer and trans students. Their closure marks a chilling step in a less inclusive Georgia, leaving many without a safe space to turn to.

Despite these recent attacks, there have been several bills that didn’t pass, such as the “Don't Say Gay" bill targeting LGBTQ+ topics in schools, HB 936, which tried to enact bathroom bans targeting transgender students, and many more. 

While the fight for such rights has been long and hard, there have been just as many wins to celebrate as we push for more advocacy and support for the LGBTQ+ community.

🏳️‍🌈 Want to take action? Learn more, get involved, or support a local LGBTQ+ advocacy through organizations like Georgia Equality or PFLAG Atlanta.

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