This Georgia lawmaker is leading the charge against LGBTQ equality
Plus: Pete Buttigieg tops Georgia fundraising, police fumble hate crimes, Valentine's sneak peek and your LGBTQ weekend planner.
Happy Friday, and welcome to the new Q! It’s our refashioned weekly newsletter from Project Q Atlanta and Q magazine covering all things LGBTQ in metro Atlanta. Thousands of you have already subscribed. Thank you for that. If you haven’t, please take a quick moment to do so. Valentine’s is coming, so go ahead and show us some love.
Try, try again at LGBTQ discrimination
Marty Harbin (photo) just can’t help himself. The Republican state senator from Tyrone likes to wag his finger. At cops during a traffic stop. At Gov. Nathan Deal for vetoing horrible anti-LGBTQ legislation and at LGBTQ people – twice.
Now, he’s trying to become the Gold Dome’s latest example of the proverb, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again.” Unfortunately, his work comes at the expense of LGBTQ equality.
On Wednesday, Harbin reignited the debate over “religious freedom” by introducing legislation that would allow adoption and foster care agencies in Georgia to refuse to place children with LGBTQ couples. The bill goes further, offering legal cover for agencies that discriminate against LGBTQ folks.
This from the guy who, in 2016, argued that a sweeping anti-LGBTQ bill passed by state lawmakers wasn’t anti-LGBTQ.
“We need to represent the people, not the big business entities that say this is bad,” Harbin said. “It is not discrimination. It is freedom and liberty for the religious leaders that are here today.”
Two influential business groups in the state have already slammed Harbin’s latest bill.
What LGBTQ Atlanta is talking about
Pete Buttigieg (photo) raised the most bucks – topping $750,000 – in Georgia among Democratic presidential candidates in 2019. That story sparked an intense debate among readers on our Facebook page, highlighting a deep divide among LGBTQ folks on who to support as Georgia’s presidential primary approaches on March 24.
Law enforcement agencies in Georgia stumble in tracking anti-LGBTQ hate crimes. A report by Project Q Editor Patrick Saunders showed that police agencies in Atlanta, Cobb, Gwinnett and Columbus had trouble classifying and reporting anti-LGBTQ hate crimes to the FBI. The agencies couldn’t provide incident reports for some hate crimes that were reported. Other incidents Saunders reviewed were never reported to the feds. As Georgia lawmakers again consider hate crimes legislation, accurate numbers would help inform the debate over the bill.
“Daddy” not Dad. A recent installment of Q magazine’s advice column waded into the shaming and shade some gays throw at May-December romances. We offered guidance on dealing with the questions, assumptions and intrusions.
Columbus is pursuing an LGBTQ nondiscrimination policy. A Republican in the West Georgia city is helping lay the groundwork for the broad LGBTQ-inclusive policy. If approved, the city would become the eighth in Georgia to adopt one.
Season of Love
We’re getting an early start on Valentine’s Day, spreading our love across two issues of Q magazine. The first, out this week, previews nine events that show love is in the air. The biggest of the bunch? Joining Hearts returns with Love on the Rocks on Saturday.
Don’t forget to order those flowers early! Three LGBTQ-owned businesses that supported our Valentine’s issues come to mind: Foxgloves & Ivy Floral Design, James Hurley Designs and Flower Cottage on Main. Tell them The Q sent you.
Things to do
Speaking of events, our weekly Queer Agenda gives you a day-by-day breakdown on how to turn your weekend downtime into funtime.
Today
DJ Vicki Powell (photo) can make Atlanta’s gay boys dance like no other. She joins forces with Chunk as the international bear party returns to the Heretic, 10 p.m.
Saturday
The burly jocks of the Atlanta Bucks host a beer bust and annual bachelor auction at Woofs, 7 p.m.
Sunday
Sportsball types had their big football game last weekend. This day is made for gays, gowns and the red carpet. Join Out on Film for their Oscars Watch Party at Plaza Atlanta, 6:30 p.m.
Pic of the week
It was a Super Bowl sorta weekend and we were out in force snapping nightlife pics as y’all enjoyed Shakira, J. Lo and hours of really expensive commercials. There was the National Flag Football League of Atlanta annual party at Blake’s, the 16th Annual Chili Cookoff at Friends and a packed house at Woofs. That’s where photographer Russ Bowen-Youngblood snapped the image above.
That’s all for this week
Let us know what you think about the new look of the newsletter. Something you’d like to see added? Got a news tip? Dish with us. Drop us a note by replying to this email or, if you’re reading the newsletter in a browser, leave a comment below. See you next Friday!
Some people I would like to see you interview: gay trainers at our health clubs, interesting persons like an ex green beret Don Edwards who works out at Gravity - a way above average guy who has stories that will amaze you and is thinking about writing a book, Alex Garcia a retired urologist, Steven Blair who works for a Chinese company in China a month or so every year, etc.