Hate Crime Bill Becomes Law in Georgia
In June of 2020 – following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick – Governor Brian Kemp signed into law House Bill 426 – the “Georgia Enhanced Penalties for Hate Crimes Act.”
Georgia Equality is proud to have worked in coalition with the Anti-Defamation League on hate crime legislation, which became the first law to ever specifically protect LGBTQ Georgians. “It is truly a historic moment for Georgia. A bill that was first passed at the state level in California in 1984 and has been a priority of Georgia’s LGBTQ community since the early 1990’s, has finally passed” said Georgia Equality’s executive director Jeff Graham.
The Georgia Enhanced Penalties for Hate Crimes Act provides stronger penalties for individuals who target victims because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender, mental disability, or physical disability. It also requires local law enforcement agencies to collect data on hate crime investigations and provide “Bias Crime Reports” to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is essential for effective enforcement of the law.
Mapping Progress Across Georgia
For over 30 years, our organization has achieved great success for LGBTQ+ rights across the state. But the work continues. See the legislative wins, bills in progress and local campaigns that have contributed to progress across Georgia.
Issue Areas
Georgia Equality represents a large and diverse group of individuals across a wide array of issues. Some of the core issues that we have focused on include safe schools for LGBT students, workplace fairness and employment protections, public safety, parental and adoption rights, marriage equality, and HIV/AIDS and other health related issues.
Transgender Advocacy
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LGBTQ Hate Crime Protections
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HIV/AIDS Health Equity
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Non-Discrimination Protections
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LGBTQ Youth & Safe Schools
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LGBTQ Parental Rights
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LGBTQ Housing Justice
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Marriage Equality & Same-Sex Relationships
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Equality in Action
Moments that define our journey toward equality in Georgia.
