Welcome to Wednesday
Feb. 5 — Hi, y’all. It’s Wednesday. Deep breath.
🗞️ Some news:
⚖️ The Trump administration is being sued over its gender affirming care ban.
🐘 Georgia House Leader Jon Burns says his caucus will have its own version of legislation banning transgender athletes from participating in girls’ and women’s sports.
🏛️ Burns’ announcement comes after Senate Bill 1. banning students from competing on teams that do not match the sex on their birth certificates, cleared a key hurdle. Read on for more about a bill from Democrat State. Sen. Kim Jackson designed to counteract some of the anit-trans legislation.
🩺 Morehouse School of Medicine will distribute test kits on Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day.
🏀 One city. One Dream. WNBA’s Atlanta Dream signs Britney Griner.
🏈 Looking for a place to watch the Super Bowl on Feb. 9. Atlanta’s Woofs Sports Bar was created for you.
Thanks for reading,
Dyana
(she/her)
Gay Ga. senator says her bill addresses true ‘fairness and safety’ in girls’ sports
State Sen. Kim Jackson has introduced a bill calling for funding equity in girls’ sports. The bill addresses real issues of fairness and safety, she said, in contrast to Republican bills seeking to ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s and girls’ sports.
Jackson, the first openly gay state senator elected to the Georgia General Assembly, introduced Senate Bill 41 on Feb. 4. Named the “Equal Opportunities in Girls’ Sports,” the bill would require that girls’ and boys’ sports teams receive comparable and equivalent funds, facility access, equipment, and supplies.
“If we want to have a real conversation about leveling the playing field, let’s talk about the severe lack of equipment provided to teams, like the six soccer balls given to girls’ soccer teams in South DeKalb, or resorting to raising operating funds through athletic booster clubs and student fees to ensure they have proper equipment,” Jackson said.
🏛️ Read the story here.
“You’re probably Gayish:” Live show in Atlanta!
SPONSORED BY GAYISH MEDIA
🎙️ Join the co-hosts of the popular “Gayish” podcast, Mike Johnson and Kyle Getz, for a live recording in Atlanta on Sat., Feb. 22 at 2 p.m. at Round Trip Brewing in Midtown.
📖 Dive into hilarious and insightful discussions on gay stereotypes, with a meet and greet, book signings, and photo ops afterward! Limited books will be available for purchase.
🎟️ Don’t miss out—get your tickets now for a fabulous, thought-provoking afternoon. Click here for tickets!
🍸 Your first drink is on us!
Mentors needed for LGBTQ+ youth facing mental health issues
Youth Villages in Douglasville is a nonprofit residential facility providing mental health services to more than 130 young people — many of whom identify as LGBTQ+.
“We do have youth that are gender fluid or gender questioning or trying to discover themselves where they belong in this world, and they’re looking for really open and nonjudgmental and trustworthy, kind adults to support them throughout this process,” said Katrina Word, supervisor of the mentor program.
The organization is currently in need of more LGBTQ+ mentors.
❤️🩹 Read the story here.
Colman, Lithgow deliver compelling performances in a mixed-bag ‘Jimpa’
FILM REVIEW | BY JIM FARMER
One of this year’s early Sundance premieres was also one of its most high-profile. Olivia Colman and John Lithgow headline the cast of “Jimpa,” directed by Sophie Hyde. It’s a film with ambition to spare and one that touches on some relevant queer issues, yet it ultimately never feels complete.
Colman stars as Hannah, a filmmaker whose new project will address her own family, including her father Jim (Lithgow). After years of marriage, Jim left his wife to begin anew as a gay man. When Hannah and her husband Harry (Daniel Henshall) decide to visit him much later in his life while he’s living in Amsterdam, they are a little surprised to hear that their 16-year-old non-binary child Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde, a trans non-binary performer) wants to stay for a year and spend time with their grandfather (Jimpa is the name Frances has given him, a combination of Jim and grandpa).
Frances has a lot of admiration for Jimpa and feels spending time with him will be a tonic for their unhappy life back home and in school, where no one really gets them.
🎞️ Read Jim’s full review here.
Best Bets
🟰 Feb. 6 – Georgia Equality sponsors AIDS Watch in Georgia: An HIV Advocacy Day at the Gold Dome from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Location: The Freight Depot, Blue Room, 65 M.L.K. Jr Drive SW. To register and for information, click here.
📖 Feb. 7 – Charis Books & More co-sponsors “Plundered: How Racist Policies Undermine Black Homeownership in America: A Conversation between Bernadette Atuahene and Chauncey Alcorn” from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History, 101 Auburn Ave. NE. More information here.
🏳️⚧️ Feb. 10 – Trans Atlanta Social Club holds its Monday Night Meetup from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Noodle, 3693 Main St., College Park.
📰 Feb. 19 – The Counter Narrative Project (pictured) hosts The Reckoning Reading from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event will feature journalist Joseph Williams in conversation with therapist Dr. Ed Garnes to discuss Black masculinity in sports and mental health. To register and for more information, click here.
🌈 Feb. 22 – Join the co-hosts of the “Gayish”podcast, Mike Johnson and Kyle Getz, for a live recording at 2 p.m. at Round Trip Brewing in Midtown. Click here for tickets.
➳ Find even more upcoming LGBTQ+ events here.
Social Follow of the Week
📸 Follow @theaidsmemorial on Instagram where people share stories of love, loss and remembrance.
