Rainbow Pride at the Gold Dome
March 5 — Hi, y’all. Happy Hump Day to those who celebrate.
🫏 Some good news this week: Democrats in the U.S. Senate stood united to defeat legislation aimed at banning trans women and girls from participating in school athletic competitions designated for female athletes. The bill sought to determine Title IX protections “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.”
🐘 And, surprise, surprise, more bad news from Georgia Senate Republicans. They passed the so-called “religious freedom” law on March 4. The tired bill opens the door to discrimination against LGBTQ+ people as well as against people based on race, ethnic origin, and other classification. Republican Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the bill in 2016.
🔨 Atlanta Habitat for Humanity is currently raising funds for its 2025 Inaugural Pride Build. Anyone who donates $100 or more can secure their volunteer spot for one of the following eight build days to help build two homes and support a more inclusive Atlanta: April 16 and 26; May 10, 17, and 31; and June 7, 14, and 21. To learn more, visit atlantahabitat.org.
📰 Our latest print edition of Georgia Voice is on the streets. Pick one up at any of these locations. You can also click here for the digital version.
🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ In this issue, check out our coverage of the LGBTQ+ rally and lobbying day at the Georgia State Capitol in support of trans equality, a story about DEI fallout at Georgia Tech, and our round up of the best Spring arts events.
Take care,
Dyana
(she/her)
💎 Join the Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show on March 8-9, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at The Carter Center! Shop unique, artist-designed jewelry from makers across 20 states. Admission: $10, with free parking and shuttle. A must-see event for jewelry lovers! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Pride Day at Gold Dome
🪧 On March 4, Georgia’s LGBTQ+ community gathered at the State Capitol to protest the slew of anti-trans legislation introduced this session with stories and messages highlighting the community’s persistence.
Dubbed “Pride to the Capitol,” the all-day advocacy effort brought hundreds of people to Downtown Atlanta for advocacy training and guided legislator lobbying, as well as a rally that began at Liberty Plaza before moving to the South Steps of the capitol. Queer people and allies of all ages donned rainbows and trans flags, made signs, and gathered to demand equality.
“They cannot erase transgender people,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality. “They couldn’t erase people living with HIV. They couldn’t stop same-sex couples from loving or eventually finding the freedom to marry. Change happens all the time, and change will happen for the transgender community here in Georgia, as well. I promise each and every one of you, it will happen.”
➡ Read Katie Burkholder’s story here.
Embark on a prehistoric adventure!
SPONSORED BY THE FERNBANK MUSEUM
🦖 Journey through time at Fernbank Museum to discover what made dinosaurs that once roamed the Southern Hemisphere unique from their better-known relatives in North America. With stunning skeletal displays and augmented reality, the new exhibit Ultimate Dinosaurs reveals how the breakup of Pangaea shaped the evolution of dinosaurs. See life-sized casts, fossils, and hands-on specimens like Eoraptor and Giganotosaurus.
➡ Visit the Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit daily during regular hours, plus select after-hours events until May 4. Plan your visit today and step into the prehistoric world!
Georgia Tech Pride Alliance gone amid DEI attacks
🎓 Georgia Tech announced the university’s LGBTQIA+ Resource Center and other groups for marginalized students will be dissolved amid attacks on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives nationwide.
In a statement posted on Feb. 26, the Georgia Tech Pride Alliance announced that the LRC, Women’s Resource Center, and Black Culture, Innovation, and Technology would all be preemptively dissolved and moved under the Arts, Belonging, and Community Department.
The organization cited recent executive orders; the Dear Colleagues letter, a letter issued on Feb. 14 detailing the Department of Education’s new civil rights guidance targeting DEI practices; and SB120, a bill introduced in the state Senate effectively banning DEI initiatives.
➡ Read more here.
Spring Arts Preview
🎤 It’s going to be a busy arts season this spring, with theatre world premieres, big concerts, and evocative visual arts.
From anticipated performances of “Topdog/Underdog” at Actor’s Express and “Immediate Family” at Out Front Theatre (pictured) to Kendrick Lamar’s stop in the ATL and the annual Chastain Park Arts Festival, we’ve rounded up some of the best bets to add to your arts calendar.
🖼️ Click here for the full slate of events.
💎 Join the Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show on March 8-9, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at The Carter Center! Shop unique, artist-designed jewelry from makers across 20 states. Admission: $10, with free parking and shuttle. A must-see event for jewelry lovers! SPONSOR MESSAGE
Best Bets
🫛 March 14 – Charis Books & More welcomes author Dr. Jayme Canty for a panel discussion of her book, “Snapping Beans: Voices of a Black Queer Lesbian South,” that explores the role of the South in Black queer lesbian experiences of hurting and healing. The event is co-sponsored by Atlanta-based ZAMI NOBLA, the leading advocacy organization dedicated to empowering Black lesbians over the age of 40. The event takes place in person at Charis and on Crowdcast. Click here for more info.
🎭 March 19 – Out Front Theatre’s production of “Immediate Family” runs through March 29. The play is about the Bryants’ prodigal son Jesse when he returns for a family wedding with his new Swedish boyfriend and turns the family reunion into a family showdown. Tickets and more info: outfronttheatre.com.
🪽March 29 – Phoenix Flies, the annual celebration founded by the Atlanta Preservation Center, will host a discussion on the influence of LGBTQ+ people and places in Atlanta’s history and culture. The event is from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Ria’s Bluebird, 421 Memorial Dr. Click here for more info.
Social Follow of the Week
📸 Check out @them on Instagram for the latest on topics ranging from pop culture and style to politics and news.
