Seismic shift
Wednesday, Nov. 4 — Yesterday’s midterm election promised a “blue wave” as voters sought to rebuke the Trump administration, but the outcome was even more historic than anyone could have expected. Democrats took back Congress; Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first Black woman elected governor in the nation’s history; and Bentley Hudgins became the first openly trans official elected to the Georgia Legislature. Hudgins’ win was one of nearly 30 LGBTQ+ victories across the country, including New Hampshire’s Chris Pappas’ win as the first openly gay man elected to the U.S. Senate. Here’s an overview of how the “blue tsunami” washed over Georgia, and be sure to visit The Advocate and Washington Blade for more national coverage.
Here are more news headlines:
⚖️ LaVonnia Moore, the former branch manager of the Pierce County Library in Blackshear, GA, filed a lawsuit against the library system after she was fired for a trans-inclusive display.
👏 Charges have been dropped after Jen Maguire, the co-owner of My Sister’s Room (MSR), was arrested following a noise complaint in August.
📚 Charis Books & More in Decatur is celebrating its 52nd anniversary this weekend with a series of special events, starting Thursday night with “A Feast of Feminine Voices.”
🏛️ The U.S. Supreme Court appeared split over a case on whether Catholic preschools should receive taxpayer funding while retaining the ability to reject children of LGBTQ+ parents.
🖖 RIP to the great actor and LGBTQ+ ally Sir Patrick Stewart, who died last week at age 86.
We are the champions …
Collin
🎉 Bike. Walk. Scoot. Stroll. Westside Stride is back and bigger than ever thanks to Atlanta Streets Alive! Join us Sun., Nov. 8, for a free, family-friendly block party on Howell Mill Road featuring local food, music, vendors, and plenty of fun. SPONSOR MESSAGE
City council approves resolution to begin landmark designation process for LGBTQ+ historic site
🏠 The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a resolution to begin the process of potentially designating a Virginia-Highland home connected to LGBTQ+ history as a city landmark.
City Councilmember Kelsea Bond introduced the resolution, which was co-sponsored by Councilmembers Alex Wan and Matt Westmoreland, during the Nov. 2 council meeting. The council also voted unanimously to send the resolution to Mayor Andre Dickens’ office posthaste.
The owners of 811 Ponce de Leon Place want to demolish the house to build a new single-family home and swimming pool.
The home was the site of the 1982 arrest of Michael Hardwick, who was charged under Georgia’s anti-sodomy law after he was arrested for having sex with another man. He took the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1986, but lost. That decision was overturned in 1998, seven years after Hardwick’s death.
Strings Without Boundaries
SPONSORED BY EMORY SCHWARTZ CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS
🎶 Three singular musical voices come together for an evening of boundary-pushing artistry at Emory’s Schwartz Center for Performing Arts.
Grammy-nominated violinist Tessa Lark and innovative cellist Joshua Roman join seven-time Grammy winner Edgar Meyer for a program that blends classical virtuosity with American roots influences through Meyer’s inventive arrangements. Rich in creativity, collaboration, and musical adventure, this Candler Concert Series performance offers a fresh perspective on classical music.
→ Hear this genre-crossing trio live on Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. Secure your seats or call 404-727-5050.
Atlanta couple makes life with disability more affordable after accident
📌 In 2022, Emily Stanislaus’ life changed. On a trip to visit her parents with her partner, Cristina Gutierrez, she fell off a ledge on the terrace of her parents’ home and landed on the stairs, sustaining a spinal cord injury that caused her to need a wheelchair.
Very suddenly, Stanislaus and Gutierrez had to navigate what Gutierrez calls the “disability tax”: the extra time, money, and energy required to live with a disability.
When faced with this disability tax, Stanislaus and Gutierrez decided to come up with a solution. They launched Lotus Disability, a membership-based business bringing disability services straight to consumers at a discounted rate, last year. The mission was to make life more manageable and affordable for those living with a disability.
➡ Read Katie Burkholder’s story here.
🎉 Bike. Walk. Scoot. Stroll. Westside Stride is back and bigger than ever thanks to Atlanta Streets Alive! Join us Sun., Nov. 8, for a free, family-friendly block party on Howell Mill Road featuring local food, music, vendors and plenty of fun. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Holiday happenings guide
🎅🏻 The holiday season will be in full swing this month with concerts, plays, opera, visits with Santa, drag shows, and illuminated landscapes.
Cirque du Soleil is bringing its stage show, “‘Twas the Night Before” (pictured), back to the Fox Theatre, and I highly recommend it. The Center for Puppetry Arts’ recreation of the 1960s animated TV special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is fun for kids and their parents. And if you need a little camp in your life, “Liza’s Christmas with a Z” at Out Front Theatre should fit the bill.
MORE EVENTS
📲 Find many more events and activities in our IG stories @thegeorgiavoice.
