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Georgia House Committee to Consider Non-Discrimination Bill

Below is an e-mail press release on Georgia Equality's success in getting a hearing for the Georgia Nondiscrimination Act before the Judiciary Committee of the Georgia House of Representatives. The hearing is set for Tuesday, May 27th, 2003 at 10:00 AM.

To learn more about Georgia Equality, please visit: www.georgiaequality.org.

I have fantastic news. In two short weeks, we will make history in Georgia. Georgia Equality is proud to announce that on Tuesday, May 27th, a House Judiciary subcommittee will hold a public hearing on HB 885, the Georgia Nondiscrimination Act of 2003. This bill has been our top legislative priority this year. HB 885 is a comprehensive civil rights bill that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression along with other categories such as race, gender and disability. When it is passed, it will no longer be legal
to fire someone in Georgia just for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.

Getting legislation introduced is the first step in the political process, and it is an achievement in itself. We were thrilled to get the Nondiscrimination Act of 2003 introduced this year in a slow-moving legislative session. We are ECSTATIC to announce that this bill will have a hearing this year - the next big
step in moving a bill towards law. This is the first time in Georgia history that a hearing has been held on a comprehensive statewide nondiscrimination bill!! We have much to celebrate - and much work to do! (You can view the full text of the bill at: http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/sum/hb885.htm)

Representative Nick Moraitakis (D-Atlanta) is the lead sponsor of the legislation and will preside over the hearing. If you can join us, it will take place at 10:00 a.m. in Room 132 of the State Capitol building.

All Georgians owe a debt of gratitude to Rep. Moraitakis for taking on this important piece of legislation. If you would like to say "Thank you" please send him an e-mail at nmoraitakis@mmkplaw.com. Too often, we have to urge you to contact your legislators in opposition to legislation or to ask them to do something we want. It's important that we also take the opportunity to say "Thank You!" when appropriate. This is definitely one of those times when a HUGE "thank you" is in order.

Specifics About HB 885

The Georgia Nondiscrimination Act of 2003 (HB 885) is a comprehensive civil rights bill that would ban discrimination based "upon a person's race, color, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability status, or the perception thereof, or because of the race, color, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability status, or the perception thereof, of any person with whom he or she is or may wish to be associated in employment, credit, banking, education,
insurance, public accommodations, and access to services (yes, it's a mouthful!)" Gender identity and expression are included within the definition of "sexual orientation." Currently, there are no statewide private employment protections for ANY group.

Update on Georgia Equality

In announcing the public hearing, Southern Voice ran an update story about Georgia Equality in the May 9th issue. The reporter, Southern Voice news editor Laura Douglas-Brown, did an excellent job of conveying where Georgia Equality is at this point in time. If you haven't had the chance to read it, I've copied it
below.

This is truly an exciting time for our community in our struggle for full equality. Please attend the hearing if you can, email your thanks to Rep. Nick Moraitakis, and come celebrate with us on May 27th. Looking forward to seeing you then!

Allen Thornell
Executive Director
Georgia Equality
P.O. Box 95421
Atlanta, GA 30347-0421
execdir@georgiaequality.org
404.327.9898 phone
404.327.9897 fax

[Related piece from Southern Voice, May 9, 2003]

Public hearing set for civil rights bill: Georgia Equality focuses on non-discrimination, DP benefits while cutting expenses

LAURA DOUGLAS-BROWN

The 2003 state legislative session officially ended April 25, but officials with Georgia Equality, the gay statewide nonpartisan political group, said pushing a proposed gay-inclusive civil rights bill will remain their "top priority" for the rest of the year.

"We are looking to keep within a clearly defined mission that works to advance the passage of positive legislation in terms of non-discrimination, including fair employment practices," said Allen Thornell, Georgia Equality executive director.

A House Judiciary Committee subcommittee - made up of three Democrats and two Republicans and chaired by the bill's sponsor, Rep. Nick Moraitakis (D-Atlanta) - will hold a public hearing on the non-discrimination measure on May 27, Thornell said.

House Bill 885, dubbed the Non-Discrimination Act of 2003, would ban bias based on "race, color, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, religion, or disability status, or the perception thereof" in areas including "employment, credit, banking, education, insurance, public accommodations and access to services."

Sexual orientation is the only category in the bill not protected under federal law, meaning that gays may have the most to gain from its passage. Victims of other forms of discrimination would gain the ability to pursue their claims in state court, instead of just federal court. But those discriminated against based on sexual orientation would have a court remedy for the first time.

More 'pro-active' Georgia Equality?

Georgia Equality made a calculated strategy change for the non-discrimination bill this year by no longer having it led by the Legislative Black Caucus, which sponsored the measure in the past and continues to support it. The move fits with an overall change in tone for the gay political group, Thornell said.

"Where we are moving towards is a more proactive role than sometimes I think we have played in the past . really trying to build sustained momentum behind particular issues," he said.

In addition with working with Moraitakis to "create testimony" for the public hearing on the non-discrimination bill, Georgia Equality is in the process of planning at least seven house parties around the state before the start of the next legislative session, Thornell said.

The meetings will encourage constituents to lobby their lawmakers to support the bill, as well as raise money to support re-election bids of legislators backing the measure, he said.

Also high on Georgia Equality's current agenda is the Fulton County Commission's upcoming vote on domestic partner benefits for county workers, currently set for May 21.

The group worked to build support for the benefits by creating a briefing book for commissioners, arranging constituent meetings and using e-mail alerts, phone banks and direct mailings to encourage supporters to lobby their county commissioners, Thornell said.

Georgia Equality is also pushing domestic partner benefits on several other fronts, including making the issue a priority for its endorsements in Savannah's upcoming municipal elections and working with a coalition building support for DP benefits in the state's colleges and universities, he said.

Several of the state's public post-secondary schools - including the University of Georgia - passed resolutions urging the Board of Regents, which determines benefits for all of the schools, to consider offering health insurance for domestic partners.

"Our local organizing in various communities feeds into both initiatives," Thornell said. "We need people to lobby their legislators to vote on HB 885, and we need schools to bubble up the resolutions."

Constituent involvement - in metro Atlanta and around the state - remains key to all of Georgia Equality's initiatives, he said.

"The community's belief that they can make a difference is the major thing I need from them at this time," Thornell said.

Financial outlook

Like many non-profits, Georgia Equality faced financial uncertainty in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and coinciding general economic downturn.

The group continues to take measures to cut expenses, Thornell said. Last month, Georgia Equality moved from its former office in Midtown to office space in the First Metropolitan Community Church, located in Northeast Atlanta near the intersection of I-85 and North Druid Hills Road.

With the move, rent dropped from $1,500 per month, plus utilities, to $500 per month, including utilities, and the new space has several other advantages, Thornell said.

"While our old office was larger, our usable space is about the same size, and some areas - like our conference area - are bigger," he said. "We've also found that the vast majority of our volunteers come to our office via their cars, and there was virtually no parking at the old office, whereas here we have plenty."

In September, Georgia Equality also reduced its full-time, year-round staff to two - Thornell and Business Manager Christie Ayotte - although the group currently also has a full-time summer intern, outreach coordinator Jason Sheffield.

Thornell absorbed the duties performed by field organizer Temple Hemphill as part of a "reorganization" of Georgia Equality that he acknowledged was also a "downsizing."

"Within small organizations, staffing has to be based on the strengths and weaknesses of the people there," he said, noting that while former director Harry Knox's strength was fund-raising, he feels his is organizing.

Since the field organizer was often people's first contact with Georgia Equality, "I thought that needed to be me," Thornell said.

When Knox announced his resignation in October 2001, the group's board said it would cease being a "full service" gay organization and scale back to focus on the 2001 Atlanta municipal elections and the 2002 legislative session.

"If the community wants us to be able to focus broadly in the future, the community has to support us with more donations," then-Board Chair Randy New said at the time.

Announcing Thornell's selection as Georgia Equality's new executive director in May 2002, New said the group still wasn't ready to return to "full service" status.

"With Allen arriving, we are going to re-budget and rethink what we can do with him at the helm, and hopefully push our expectations higher . but I don't think [being 'full service'] is a reality in the current financial environment," he said.

A year later, Georgia Equality has grown somewhat from its tight focus on just elections and the General Assembly, Thornell said.

"I hate the 'full service' description, because it makes it sound like anything else we do is inept," Thornell said. "We have definitely done - like every organization that continues to grow - some revisiting of our mission and what role we see ourselves playing."

While maintaining its political focus, Georgia Equality has expanded by pushing the various DP benefits initiatives and also by helping organize protests over a Cobb County jury's recent acquittal of a man accused of murdering a gay attorney, Thornell said.

Georgia Equality's annual budget remained steady in the year since Thornell took the helm, and the group is currently operating without debt, he said.

The group's budget for fiscal year 2001, which ended in September 2001, was $325,000, according to Knox and New. The scaled back budget for fiscal year 2002, which ran from October 2001 to September 2002, was $251,000, Thornell said. The budget for fiscal year 2003 is "roughly the same" at $250,000, Thornell
said.

"That was my only real hesitation in taking this job, the money piece, but every month we've moved further ahead," he said.

At the end of March, the six-month mark for the fiscal year, Georgia Equality was ahead of income projections and below expense projections, Thornell said.

Projected income for the first half of the year was $126,000, but the group has already raised $136,000. Projected expenses were also $126,000, with actual expenses reaching only $117,000, he said.

Since becoming Georgia Equality director, Thornell said he has worked to expand the non-profit's fund-raising base from focusing mainly on major donors and grants.

The largest portion of the budget, 29 percent, is now raised through fund-raisers like Georgia Equality's new annual major event, the Political Animal Awards.

Some 27 percent of the budget now comes from major donors, 26 percent from grants, 10.5 percent from corporate donations - including a $7,500-per-year sponsorship from financial services company ING - and 7.5 percent from general membership dues, he said.