GEORGIA
People gathered in Central Presbyterian Church to oppose anti-LGBT SB 375, which would legally allow institutions to turn away LGBTQ+ parents looking to adopt.
beliefs in Georgia. In the same way, Senate Bill 119 presented by Senator Lester G. Jackson, D, would offer statewide protection to LGBTQ+ people. Whatever the case, it’s a system. If the LGBTQ+ community can’t get people in office who represent them, then no legislation will ever give them protection. “The thing about discrimination is that it plants a seed,” Haley said. “If I can get away with discriminating against one group, then it leads into the next, and the next, and the next.”
THE TRANS REALITY
While Atlanta’s hub might often seem like a safe space, transgender individuals live in a state willing to offer them no protection. “My hometown was in the suburbs and I felt really unsafe in that town,” the student said. “I was really worried that that was going to be something that was just a part of being trans. I thought that was something I was going to feel for the rest of my life.” Atlanta has helped that feeling fade for the student, but the LGBTQ+ community is still facing that feeling in Georgia. “I think the base of this is that the LGBTQ+ Community in the state of Georgia does not have basic rights,” Haley said. There have been systems put in place against the community that effectively make living a difficult thing to do outside of Atlanta. “This is about the basics of being allowed to work, allowed to use the bathroom where you want, and being allowed to have housing,” Haley said. These difficulties also have major impacts on the homeless, incarceration, and murder rates in the trans community, all of which are elevated because of issues that stem from anti-LGBTQ+ policies.
WHAT CAN STUDENTS DO?
However, there is something students can do to help. For one, Georgia State is in walking distance from the Capitol. Lobbying, protesting, or sitting in on proceedings are all ways Georgia State students can stay informed and have their voices heard. At the very least, dialogue can be a first line of defense. “I have seen a lot more happen with conversation than people give credit for,” Haley said. “It’s more about people feeling like they are being validated.” Getting in contact with officials to start that conversation can be an effective tactic. Haley stressed the importance of identifying a location and whether or not you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community when you contact them. “It’s way more powerful having letters from someone who is not in the community,” she said, mostly because that shows that it’s an issue everyone is concerned about and also makes it relatable to the person reading that letter who may be thinking of their children who may feel the same way. In the same way, officials are going to be more sensitive to the people who (districtwise) have the power to vote them in or out, so that’s why location is important to include. Whatever your line of action may be, now you know the facts. Georgia State students are lucky to attend a university in an area where the LGBTQ+ community has begun to collect basic civil rights. “I consistently stand by that we are stronger together,” Haley said. “That’s what we should all be striving for.”
PHOTO BY UNIQUE RODRIGUEZ & PAGE DESIGN BY DAO NGUYEN | THE SIGNAL