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Category Archives: Georgia Equality

Georgia House Committee Amends Religious Freedom Bill

March 27, 2015 GLORIA TATUM Leave a comment

(APN) ATLANTA — Yesterday, Thursday, March 26, 2015, the House Judiciary Civil Committee voted to amend SB 129, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bill, to expressly state that eradicating discrimination is a compelling government interest, thus prohibiting religious freedom being used as a justification for discrimination. LGBTQI equality advocates celebrated the amendment, introduced by State Rep. Mike Jacobs […]

Hundreds Rally Against Georgia’s Religious Freedom Bill

March 18, 2015 GLORIA TATUM 2 comments

(APN) ATLANTA — On Tuesday, March 17, 2015, hundreds came to Liberty Plaza, across from the State Capitol, to oppose, SB 129, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) bill. People from as far away as Columbus and Macon joined with folks from the Atlanta area to express their concerns to legislators that SB 129 could be a license to discriminate […]

Sen. McKoon Rushes Religious Freedom Bill without Notice, Transparency

March 5, 2015 GLORIA TATUM Leave a comment

(APN) ATLANTA — On Monday, March 02, 2015, the Senate Judiciary Civil Committee passed an amended version of SB 129, the Georgia Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The amended version states in the legislative findings but not in the operative text of the bill that courts “have consistently held that government has a fundamental, overriding interest in eradicating discrimination.” […]

Orrock, Drenner Introduce Citizens United Resolution, Call for U.S. Constitutional Amendment

January 31, 2015 AMANDA HILL-ATTKISSON Leave a comment

Photograph by Steve Eberhardt (APN) ATLANTA — On Wednesday, January 21, 2015, the fifth anniversary of the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision of the Supreme Court of the U.S., State Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta) and Rep. Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) announced the introduction of resolutions calling for a U.S. Constitutional Amendment to allow U.S. Congress to place common-sense […]

Federal Judge Declines to Dismiss Georgia Same-Sex Marriage Lawsuit

January 9, 2015 MATTHEW CHARLES Leave a comment

(APN) ATLANTA — U.S. District Judge William Duffey has denied a motion to dismiss the case brought by several same-sex couples in Georgia, challenging Georgia’s statutory and constitutional provisions prohibiting same-sex marriages. The court’s denial of the motion means that the case, Christopher Innis, et al., v. Deborah Aderhold, et al., can now go forward. In 1996, the Georgia […]

Right-Wing City, Milton, Elects Homosexual Councilman Under the Radar

June 1, 2011 MATTHEW CHARLES Leave a comment

This article first appeared on The Beacon website at: http://www.beaconcastmedia.com/politics-/Can-A-Gay-Man-Win-ReElection-To-Georgias-Most-Conservative-City-060111-2930 (APN) ATLANTA — Alan Tart is a successful professional employee with the federal government, holds elected office, has a beautiful young daughter — and lives with a male partner named David. Tart lives in the new North Fulton city of Milton, one the most affluent, highly educated and Republican leaning […]

Phillip Rush Center Emerges as Shared GLBTQI Community Space

February 15, 2011 CHERYL ROSENBLUM Leave a comment

(APN) ATLANTA — Since its grand opening in 2009, the Phillip Rush Center, located at 1530 Dekalb Avenue, has emerged as a new, shared community space for Atlanta’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and intersex community. The facility is named after Phillip Rush, a respected Atlanta activist and philanthopist, who died in April 2009 at age 55. Rush served […]