Georgia

"The test of law is not its popularity. Procedural safeguards such as the single subject rule rarely enjoy popular support. But, ultimately it is those safeguards that preserve our liberties, because they ensure that the actions of government are constrained by the rule of law."
— Judge Constance C. Russell, overturning Georgia's discriminatory ban against gay marriage

Georgia is home to over 25,000 same-sex couples. In 2004, the state's voters passed an anti-marriage and anti-relationship recognition constitutional amendment. Although a state court ruled that the amendment violated Georgia's single subject rule for ballot measures, the state Supreme Court, in July 2006, upheld the constitutional amendment. State advocacy groups continue to work to overturn such discrimination and move towards true fairness and equality for Georgia's families.

---

WHERE YOU CAN GO TO GET INVOLVED OR LEARN MORE:

Georgia Equality
Georgia Equality is the political advocacy voice of Georgia's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender citizens and their allies.

MEGA Family Project
The MEGA Family Project is a nonpartisan, statewide organization dedicated to providing support, education, and advocacy work on behalf of LGBT families. MEGA advocates for marriage "because anything less is not equal."

ACLU—Georgia: Gay & Lesbian Rights
The purpose of ACLU-Georgia shall be to advance the cause of civil liberties in Georgia, with emphasis on the rights of free speech, free press, free assembly, freedom of religion, due process of law and to take all legitimate action in the furtherance of such purposes without political partisanship.

[TOP]

---

LEGISLATIVE STATUS IN GEORGIA:

Your Community—Georgia
Human Rights Campaign (HRC)
HRC presents resources, news, and the current marriage and relationship recognition laws in each state.

[TOP]

---

PUBLICATIONS:

Georgia Census Snapshot
Williams Institute
December 2007
Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, this report provides demographic and economic information about same-sex couples and same-sex couples raising children in Georgia.

Geographic Trends Among Same-Sex Couples in the U.S. Census and the American Community Survey
Williams Institute
November 2007
Gary Gates at the Williams Institute released groundbreaking research on the geographic trends among same-sex couples. The report finds the biggest increases in Southern and Mountain states and states barring legal acceptance of same-sex couples had larger percentage increases in same-sex couples from 2000 to 2006.

[TOP]

---

NEWS:

A GA family's heartache
Southern Voice Online
May 21, 2007
In a January ruling Judge John Lee Parrott argued that the state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriages also prohibited same-sex couples from adopting children, and accused Hadaway of attempting to "sham" the court by applying as a single person when she was involved in a seven-year relationship with a woman. Hadaway tried to return the child to the biological mother, who again gave her parental rights to Hadaway. Hadaway, who had ended her seven-year relationship and moved to Bibb County, then attempted to pursue adoption in that county. But when Parrott learned that Emma Rose was still living with Hadaway, he had the child placed in foster care. After Bibb County Superior Court Judge Tilman Self granted Hadaway custody in March, Parrott refused to recognize Self's ruling and ordered the young girl to remain with her DFCS foster family, despite a DFCS social worker calling that "the worst possible scenario" for the young girl.

BLOG: An update on Emma
Pam's House Blend
May 21, 2007
In a happy conclusion to the story about the GA family we posted yesterday, Emma is back home. Pam's House Blend comments, "I feel like the 'system' let a judge, a supposedly levelheaded steward of the law, enforce homophobia and tear a family apart. My heart goes out to Emma and Elizabeth. I hope that the hurt inflicted heals quickly. I wish good things for their reunited family."

BLOG: Georgia gov: the people can vote on marriage equality, but not blue laws
Pandagon
January 23, 2007
What a monumental hypocritical bigot GOP Gov. Sonny Perdue is. He thought it was a great idea for the people to decide at the ballot box whether or not gays and lesbians have the right to marry (and an amendment passed easily in 2004), but when legislation that would allow a direct vote on whether beer and wine should be sold on Sundays — Perdue said that he'd pull out the veto pen.

OPINION: Tradition of discrimination does not make discrimination constitutional
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
July 9, 2006
"The marriage license is issued by the state. We trust, then, that our justices have focused their deliberations on the simple question of whether Washingtonians will receive equal treatment under the law."

COLUMN: 'Together we shall overcome'
Southern Voice
June 23, 2006
"Ten years ago, I introduced Coretta Scott King at Atlanta Pride. Her message still resonates today."

Black faith leaders to converge in Atlanta to discuss homophobia in black churches
Washington Blade
January 20, 2006
"These anti-marriage proponents are pandering to the black church for their own agenda."

OPINION: Reject my mother's bigotry
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
October 29, 2004
"I am the daughter of Sadie Fields, president of the Christian Coalition of Georgia... I am writing to encourage you not to follow my mother's lead."

[TOP]