Georgia Equality is a left-of-center group promoting LGBT interests and left-of-center legislation. The group opposed Target’s removal of Pride merchandise from selected stores in 2023. ¹

In 2023, the group’s top legislative agenda item was a push for a statewide nondiscrimination bill. ² In 2024, the group opposes a bill that would require private schools to secure parental permission to teach left-of-center gender ideologies. ³

Background

Georgia Equality was founded in 1995. The organization consists of two separate groups, Georgia Equality, Inc., which works to pass legislation and elect politicians it supports. The second group is the Equality Foundation of Georgia which conducts voter registration, provides education, and mobilizes voters. ⁴

Advocacy

Opposing Religious Liberty Legislation

In 2015, Georgia Equality opposed religious liberty legislation considered in the Georgia General Assembly. The group claimed the bill would gut anti-discrimination legislation passed by 59 Georgia cities and counties. The group built a coalition of over 200 clergy and an email list of people to lobby the legislature against the bill. The Georgia House of Representatives rejected the bill, leading the Atlanta Journal-Constitution to claim the group was a player at the Georgia Capitol. ⁵

To build the coalition to defeat the bill, the group decided to not work on pushing legislation to create a statewide non-discrimination law. Instead, it focused on a bill that would prohibit state agencies from discriminating based on sexual orientation. ⁶

Obergefell v. Hodges

In June 2015, Georgia Equality applauded a U.S. Supreme Court decision declaring same-sex marriage a right. ⁷

Campaign For Anti-Discrimination Laws

In September 2015, Georgia Equality created a video campaign called “All Things Being Equal” which were stories from LGBT Georgia residents who claimed they were fired or denied employment, denied housing, or denied public services allegedly due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. The campaign pushed for a statewide anti-discrimination law. ⁸

In January 2022, Georgia Equality pushed for a federal law that would ban discrimination against LGBT people. ⁹

In January 2023, Georgia Equality announced that its main legislative priority in the year’s legislative session was a statewide law banning discrimination against LGBT people. ¹⁰

Criticizing Target For Removing Pride Merchandise

In May 2023, Target removed from its stores certain Pride-themed items that critics alleged were targeted at kids after customer complaints. The store also removed merchandise from Abprallen, a London-based company that makes occult and Satanic-themed clothing and accessories. ¹¹

In June 2023, Georgia Equality signed a Human Rights Campaign letter calling on Target to reverse its decision to remove Pride merchandise from displays in some stores, protect its employees from anti-LGBT bullying, and release a public statement in support of the LGBT community. ¹²

Opposing Parental Rights Bill

In February 2024, Georgia Equality opposed legislation that would have required private schools to receive written parental permission before teaching gender ideology. The group claimed the legislation was a thinly veiled attack on LGBT kids. ¹³

Leadership

Georgia Equality’s executive director is Jeff Graham who has been a LGBT activist since the mid-1980s. He is a founding board member of ProGeorgia and America Votes Georgia, two left-of-center advocacy coalitions focused on the state. ¹⁴

Patricia Lassiter is the chair of the board of directors. She is a Democratic Party-aligned political consultant and sat on the board of the National Organization for Women. ¹⁵

Finances

According to Georgia Equality’s 2022 tax return, the group had $571,440 in revenue, $258,003 in expenses, and $458,666 in assets. ¹⁶

The group’s donors include corporations Cox Enterprises, Georgia Power, Gilead Sciences, Making Projects Work, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, SouthWire, and Wells Fargo. ¹⁷

The AIDS Healthcare Foundation, AID Atlanta, Atlanta Pride, Inc., the Boybutante AIDS Foundation, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Georgia Shares, Grady Health System, Positive Impact Health System, Saint Mark United Methodist Church, and SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity also donated to Georgia Equality. ¹⁸

The media outlets Gayborhood, The Georgia Voice, Goliath Magazine, and Project Q Atlanta also support the group. ¹⁹

1.  “Breaking: Over 200 LGBTQ+ and Allied Organizations Call on Target, Business Community to Speak out against Extremist Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks.” Human Rights Campaign, June 5, 2023. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/breaking-over-200-lgbtq-and-allied-organizations-call-on-target-business-community-to-speak-out-against-extremist-anti-lgbtq-attacks.
2. Hudson , LaShawn. “Georgia Equality Renews Push for a Statewide Nondiscrimination Civil Rights Bill.” WABE, January 25, 2023. https://www.wabe.org/georgia-equality-renews-push-for-a-statewide-nondiscrimination-civil-rights-bill/.
3. “Georgia Bill Would Restrict Teaching Gender in Private Schools.” NBCNews, February 14, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/georgia-bill-restrict-teaching-gender-private-schools-rcna138835.
4. “Welcome to Georgia Equality: LGBT Advocacy.” Georgia Equality. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://georgiaequality.org/.
5. Galloway, Jim. “With ‘religious liberty’ Fight, Georgia Equality Becomes An…” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 28, 2015. https://www.ajc.com/news/state–regional-govt–politics/with-religious-liberty-fight-georgia-equality-becomes-unexpected-capitol-player/Tv9X9uynq3ecqSCYL2kjKP/.
6. Galloway, Jim. “To Shore up Alliance, Georgia Equality Makes ‘short term’ Call to Forego Larger Civil Rights Push.” Atlanta Journal-Constitution, October 20, 2015. https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/shore-alliance-georgia-equality-makes-short-term-call-forego-larger-civil-rights-push/wACFQEgtm3H6qeuTiOZWVO/.
7.  Reinhardt, Ellen. “Georgia Equality Calls Supreme Court Ruling on Gay Marriage ‘National Victory.’” Georgia Public Broadcasting, June 26, 2015. https://www.gpb.org/news/2015/06/26/georgia-equality-calls-supreme-court-ruling-on-gay-marriage-national-victory.
8. Aaron, Darian. “Georgia Equality Launches Video Series Documenting LGBT Discrimination.” Georgia Voice – Gay & LGBT Atlanta News, September 10, 2015. https://thegavoice.com/news/georgia/georgia-equality-launches-video-series-highlighting-workplace-discrimination-of-lgbt-georgians/.
9.  “News Brief: Georgia Equality Gathers Momentum on LGBTQ+ Federal Protections.” Creative Loafing, January 13, 2022. https://creativeloafing.com/content-501477-news-brief-georgia-equality-gathers-momentum-on-lgbtq-federal.
10. Hudson , LaShawn. “Georgia Equality Renews Push for a Statewide Nondiscrimination Civil Rights Bill.” WABE, January 25, 2023. https://www.wabe.org/georgia-equality-renews-push-for-a-statewide-nondiscrimination-civil-rights-bill/.
11. Zilber, Ariel. “Target to Remove Some LGBTQ Merchandise after Facing Customer Backlash.” New York Post, May 31, 2023. https://nypost.com/2023/05/23/target-to-remove-some-lgbtq-merchandise-after-facing-customer-backlash/.
12.  “Breaking: Over 200 LGBTQ+ and Allied Organizations Call on Target, Business Community to Speak out against Extremist Anti-LGBTQ+ Attacks.” Human Rights Campaign, June 5, 2023. https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/breaking-over-200-lgbtq-and-allied-organizations-call-on-target-business-community-to-speak-out-against-extremist-anti-lgbtq-attacks.
13. “Georgia Bill Would Restrict Teaching Gender in Private Schools.” NBCNews, February 14, 2024. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/georgia-bill-restrict-teaching-gender-private-schools-rcna138835.
14. “Our Staff and Board: LGBT Advocacy.” Georgia Equality. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://georgiaequality.org/about/staff-board/.
15. “Our Staff and Board: LGBT Advocacy.” Georgia Equality. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://georgiaequality.org/about/staff-board/.
16. “Georgia Equality Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/582190883/202342279349303889/full.
17. “Our Contributors: LGBT Advocacy.” Georgia Equality. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://georgiaequality.org/about/contributors/.
18. “Our Contributors: LGBT Advocacy.” Georgia Equality. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://georgiaequality.org/about/contributors/.
19. “Our Contributors: LGBT Advocacy.” Georgia Equality. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://georgiaequality.org/about/contributors/.