*****Author’s Note: The following post was published on June 3, 2018 and has not been updated since its initial publication. As this post was written as part of a bigger, older project that has already ended, I do not intend on updating this post with new information about the organizations featured in it. This means some or all of the information in this or other posts in this series may be outdated by the time you read this post.
If you need the latest information on these organizations, it is your responsibility to conduct that research on your own. These posts can be used as a jumping off point for that research, but it is still your responsibility to look up these organizations on your own to verify whether or not their services still exist or will actually work for your needs.
***This blog post is part of a weekly series titled #SignalBoostSunday. This series will highlight organizations and social causes that are of importance and provide assistance to the Greater Atlanta area. ***
Happy Pride Month!
It’s the first week of June and to celebrate the start of Pride Month, we’ll be looking at four local resources and organizations that serve the Greater Atlanta area’s LGBTQIA+ community.
You can’t really talk about LGBTQIA+ organizations in Atlanta without first mentioning The Phillip Rush Center as it’s basically a huge meeting point for many non-profit and community groups that serve LGBTQIA+ individuals in Georgia.
In fact, 13 of these organizations are currently headquartered at the Rush Center, including The Health Initiative, Georgia Equality and Atlanta Pride.
In addition to providing a home base for the groups mentioned above, the Rush Center also welcomes other LGBTQIA+ groups to rent out its meeting spaces for their own meetings and special events. Available spaces for rent include a large event room, a training room and a conference room.
2.) Georgia Equality
Georgia Equality is a non-profit organization that seeks equality as it relates to “fairness, safety and opportunity” for the LGBT communities it serves.
This advocacy group is also notable because it is actually composed of two smaller organizations: Georgia Equality, Inc. and the Equality Foundation of Georgia.
Georgia Equality, Inc. primarily works towards getting pro-equality legislation passed. The Equality Foundation of Georgia works mostly with the voters themselves, assisting them with voter registration and organizing LGBT community members and their allies to “advance equality” in their own localities.
Overall, Georgia Equality as a whole endeavors to fight injustice and promote equality and fairness in a number of LGBT issues such as safer schools for LGBT youths, public safety (hate crimes), Trans advocacy and HIV advocacy.
3.) Human Rights Campaign Atlanta
Human Rights Campaign Atlanta, better known as HRC Atlanta, is probably one of the most well-known LGBTQIA+ non-profit advocacy groups in Atlanta. It is similar to Georgia Equality in that both organizations strive for equality for LGBT persons through their involvement in local politics and educating the public about LGBT issues.
In addition to their huge annual Gala Dinner and Auction, HRC Atlanta also hosts inclusive and fun events to help fundraise for their initiatives, such as next month’s tennis social, Serving for Equality.
4.) The Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals
The Metro Atlanta Association of Professionals (MAAP), was founded in 1992 and was known then as the Atlanta Executive Network.
MAAP is an organization that seeks to support LGBTQIA+ professionals in the Metro Atlanta area by providing professional development resources such as networking opportunities, mentoring and educational events.
Anita M. George: Journalist, Writer 