ATLANTANS TO GATHER AGAIN TO SUPPORT GAY EQUALITY

Event to Bring Visibility to GLBT Citizens

ATLANTA, Dec. 11--The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) community will be joined by friends, families, and allies to support equality at a protest scheduled for this Saturday. At 1:00 pm on Saturday, December 13th, 2008, members of the community are planning to gather in a "moving protest" along the corners of Peachtree St. and Lenox Rd., near two busy shopping centers (Lenox Mall and Phipps Plaza).

The protest follows two events held last month in Atlanta in protest of the passage of Proposition 8, the amendment to the California Constitution which eliminates the rights of same-sex couples to marry. The events will show solidarity in support of LGBTQ equality in all forms of Federal, state and local government, including but not limited to such issues as employment non-discrimination acts, hate crime laws, marriage equality and the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy of the Armed Forces.

Currently in the United States, same-sex couples in committed relationships are denied over 1,100 benefits and protections granted to their married counterparts. In small example, they can be denied the right to visit a hospitalized partner, the right to Social Security survivor benefits, and the right to unpaid leave from work to take care of an ill spouse. In Georgia, it is legal to fire an employee if the person admits or the employer suspects that he or she may be lesbian or gay.

Protest organizer Jeff Schade believes that it is wrong for the government to pick and choose who is protected under the law and who is not. Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal…." To Schade and others of the GLBT community, that statement refers to all people, not a subset of people based on sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic.

Organizers want both the protest to be peaceful shows of unity and solidarity to the inequality present in the in the US, and specifically here in Georgia, at an economic and legal level. Attendees are encouraged to bring signs with slogans recognizing the positive impact of the GLBT community in Atlanta. They are also asked to bring symbols of traditional Christmas celebration (Santa hats, bells, and so forth). The protest is to follow sidewalks only and does not target the nearby shopping centers specifically.

Other protest events are in planning stages but have not been made public yet. As Schade notes: "We will not stop until we have achieved full equality for all GLBT citizens in this country."

To reach the organizers of this event, please contact Jeff Schade (jeff@glbtatl.org; 678.346.0562).

About GLBTATL: GLBT|ATL is not an official organization or entity. We are only a group of like-minded community activists who believe in equal rights for all, and education of the public on the plight of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgendered people in Atlanta and all of the United States.

Web: www.glbtatl.org
Contact: Jeff Schade
Cell Phone: 678.346.0562
Email: jeff@glbtatl.org

This release was published on openPR.