World Cup nears
May. 6 — On June 12, the Mayor’s Office of One Atlanta’s Division of LGBTQ Affairs, in partnership with Woofs Sports Bar, will launch Pride House Atlanta, a hub for LGBTQ+ fans, residents and visitors throughout the World Cup matches. Pride House is part of a larger slate of human rights initiatives announced by the city ahead of the tournament. Meanwhile, more than 100 organizations have issued a travel advisory for the U.S. due to the “deteriorating human rights situation.”
Here are a few more headlines:
🤬 As Congress finalizes its funding for fiscal year 2027, Republicans are attempting to include five anti-LGBTQ riders in the National Security and Department of State Appropriations Act.
😒 The Trump administration has opened civil rights investigations into 36 Illinois school districts over lessons involving sexual orientation and gender identity.
🙄 The Department of Education announced Monday it has opened a Title IX investigation into Smith College over the school’s transgender-inclusive acceptance policy.
🤡 Republicans started calling for Georgia lawmakers to redraw the state’s political maps hours after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that dilutes a key provision of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
⚖️ A federal judge has issued a temporary order protecting the City of Atlanta’s access to federal grant funding amid an ongoing legal fight over diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs.
💰 Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank reportedly donated $1 million to The Trevor Project through his Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation.
I don’t want to cause any trouble in town…Collin
P.S. Be sure to read contributor Ed Woodham’s thoughtful piece on how inspiration gets disrupted in times of upheaval.
💛 The Men Having Babies conference returns to Atlanta May 5-7 to support gay singles and couples on their path to parenthood. Learn how surrogacy works and discover the resources, guidance, and financial assistance available to our community. More information here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Georgia gubernatorial candidates weigh in on LGBTQ+ issues
🗳️ Georgia Voice, in partnership with Atlanta Pride, asked readers to submit questions concerning LGBTQ+ issues for the 15 candidates seeking to be the state’s next governor.
Of those 15 candidates, only four of the seven Democratic candidates responded to the questionnaire we emailed to each campaign. None of the Republican candidates responded to or acknowledged receiving the questionnaire.
The respondents include Keisha Lance Bottoms, Amanda Duffy, Geoff Duncan, and Jason Esteves (all pictured above).
➡ See the candidates’ full responses here.
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Atlanta Women’s Chorus brings together community for art, film, and music on May 9
🎶 The Atlanta Women’s Chorus, a member of the LGBTQ+ choral group Voices of Note, will host Pride and Purpose, an outreach event bringing queer and allied women together through art and fellowship, on May 9.
The free event, which will be hosted at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta, will be held during Mother’s Day weekend as an opportunity to connect multiple generations of women.
The day starts at 1 p.m. with community tabling from organizations working in domestic violence, voting access, reproductive health, and community wellness. The event continues with the Atlanta premiere of “The Inquisitor” – a documentary film examining the life of Barbara Jordan, the first Southern African American woman elected to the House of Representatives – at 3 p.m. A panel discussion will follow the screening, along with a wine reception and musical performance.
➡ Find out more about the event here.
Historical comedy returns to Out of Box Theatre May 8-17
🎭 Out of Box Theatre, the Marietta-based theater company known for intimate and unexpected productions, returns May 8-17 with queer playwright Topher Payne’s comedy “A First Lady’s Guide to Killing the President.”
In 1923, on a cross-country whistle-stop tour, First Lady Florence Harding flirts with homicide over her philandering husband, multiple mistresses, incompetent administration officials, a pet squirrel, and a cursed diamond.
➡ Get more details and tickets here.
Best Bets
🍲 PFLAG Rome is hosting a Mother’s Day Potluck on May from 4 to 7 p.m. in Etowah Park.
🧃Lore is hosting a “Steel Magnolias Mother’s Day Brunch” on May 10 at noon. Drink your juice, Shelby.
⚽ Atlanta United’s LGBTQ+ support group, All Stripes Atlanta, is looking for volunteers to help staff Pride House Atlanta during the World Cup matches. An info meeting is on May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at Wild Leap Brewing.
📽️ Out on Film will host a screening of “Departures” on May 12 at 7 p.m. at The Tara Theater. After being dumped, Benji is stuck in a toxic spiral of addiction and fleeting hook-ups.
➡ Find more events and activities in our IG stories @thegeorgiavoice.
Get to know ATL
📸 With the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches set to start in June, our Destination Gay Atlanta guide is the perfect way to find lodgings, entertainment, dining and shopping in the city. Be sure to share it with friends who might be coming to town for the spectacle.
