Visibility matters
Wednesday, July 29 — Saturday’s terror attack on the Berlin Pride Festival, which killed one person and injured 29 others, is just another example of why Pride celebrations are so important. The global LGBTQ+ community must continue marching and celebrating in the face of rising bigotry and laws that strip us of our civil and human rights. Stonewall veteran, activist, and journalist Mark Segal shared an editorial with us about why visibility matters.
More news headlines:
⚕️ Low-income Georgians living with HIV would not be counted as “medically frail” under a state proposal and have to satisfy work requirements to qualify for Medicaid coverage.
💸 Washington Blade has more on the Trump administration’s decision to discontinue direct federal funding of community-based organizations and clinics that provide HIV prevention services.
🙄 Trump ordered the installation of warning signs outside the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History after a report accused the museum of promoting “radical” gender ideology and other politically biased content.
🕯️ Friends of Katie Janness gathered in Piedmont Park on Sunday to mark five years since she and her dog Bowie were murdered there in July 2021. The reward for information has been increased to $25,000.
🤳 Trump compared CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins to trans actor Dylan Mulvaney in a joke at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner over the weekend. Collins had this response on The Daily Show, while Mulvaney pulled no punches in her social media post.
Faraway, so close…
Collin
Inaugural Fayette Pride celebration is Aug. 1
🏳️🌈 Fayette County will host its first Pride celebration on Saturday, Aug. 1, from noon to 5 p.m., with a market, parade, entertainment, and family-friendly activities in downtown Fayetteville, GA.
Organized by the volunteer-led Fayette Pride board, festivities begin at noon with the Pride Market surrounding the courthouse square.
The 1.4-mile Pride Parade will step off at 1 p.m. from the Fayette County Justice Center and travel through downtown Fayetteville.
➡ Get more details in our preview story.
Taste, sip, and celebrate!
SPONSORED BY GRAND TASTING ALPHARETTA
🍾 Raise your glass on Thurs., Aug. 27 at The Hotel at Avalon for the Grand Tasting Alpharetta.
Experience a one-night-only celebration of Alpharetta’s top restaurants with unlimited tastings, wine, craft beer, and cocktails. Enjoy live music, chef demos, and more during this unforgettable night of flavor and fun.
🎫 VIP entry begins at 6 p.m., general admission at 7 p.m. Get your tickets today!
New edition of Destination Gay Atlanta coming soon
🧳 The Georgia Voice team is working on the 2026/2027 edition of the Destination Gay Atlanta travel guide in partnership with the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.
With Atlanta Pride coming in October, the guide is an excellent resource for lodgings, entertainment, dining, and shopping in the city. The guidebook will be available at local hotels and other venues around the city, as well as online, in September.
➡ If you would like to advertise in DGA, contact sales@roughdraftatlanta.com.
Out on Film appoints Cindy L. Abel as new executive director
🎥 Out on Film has named former nonprofit executive Cindy L. Abel as its new executive director.
Out on Film launched the search for its new executive director back in April. Justice Obiaya, the organization’s first-ever executive director, stepped down in March.
Abel brings more than 25 years of experience to the role, her career spanning nonprofit, corporate, and entertainment sectors. She previously served as co-chair of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund, was the first executive director of Georgia Equality, and has held leadership positions with Stonewall Cincinnati, the Atlanta Film Festival, and Women in Film & Television Atlanta.
➡ Find out more about Abel here.
Best Bets
🔈 Lore Atlanta is hosting a listening party for Ariana Grande’s new album, “Petal,” on July 31 starting at 11 p.m.
🧺 Gender Liberation Movement is hosting “Thicker Than Water” on Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Cleopas Johnson Park in Atlanta. The event is for Black-affirming and chosen families, with a cookout, music, a school supply drive, and performances.
📚 Living Lesbian Archive is inviting Black lesbians to tour Georgia State University’s LGBTQ+ Archive on Aug. 1 from 12 to 2:30 p.m.
🛶 Athens Pride & Queer Collective is hosting an afternoon of river kayaking starting at 11 a.m. on Aug. 2 at the Broad River Sandbar.
💃 Statesboro Pride is hosting a fundraiser on Aug. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Atlanta Eagle featuring Baby Dee and a full evening of drag performers.
➡ Find many more events and activities in our IG stories @thegeorgiavoice.
