The
Atlanta
Pride
Committee
teams
up
with
Georgia
Equality
to
bring
Pride
participants
a
Human
Rights
Exhibit
to
raise
awareness
on
how
various
struggles
sometimes
intersect.
“We
will
have
different
stations
set
up
to
describe
how
discrimination
manifests
itself,”
says
Cain
Williamson,
a
member
of
the
APC
festival
committee.
“This
is
a
very
important
year
politically,
and
we
want
to
show
how
being
gay
intersects
with
being
black,
a
woman,
poor
—
and
how
these
things
may
complicate
life
more
than
just
being
gay.”
Atlanta
Pride
debuted
its
Human
Rights
Exhibit
last
year
with
photos
and
information
about
how
the
fights
for
gay,
lesbian,
bisexual
and
transgender
rights
compare
to
all
human
rights
struggles
internationally.
This
year
the
exhibit
focuses
on
domestic
issues
including
health
care,
poverty,
adoption
and
domestic
partnerships,
Williamson
said.
Georgia
Equality
takes
part
in
the
action
piece
of
the
exhibit
“to
mobilize
our
community
to
create
change
concerning
these
local
issues
that
affect
our
lives,”
says
Melinda
Morgan,
Georgia
Equality
operations
manager.
“We
will
be
asking
visitors
to
take
action
surrounding
four
specific
categories
that
are
important
to
the
LGBT
community,”
she
says.
Pride
visitors
will
be
asked
to
sign
a
petition
to
Congress
in
support
of
the
Employment
Non-Discrimination
Act,
and
fill
out
postcards
to
elected
officials
on
school
bullying,
hate
crimes
and
HIV/AIDS
funding.
The
HIV/AIDS
postcard
will
also
be
sent
to
Gov.
Sonny
Perdue,
Morgan
says.
“Georgia
Equality
is
only
as
effective
as
our
community
is
involved,
which
is
why
it
is
so
important
for
us
to
empower
the
LGBT
community
to
create
change,”
she
adds.
“We
hope
that
visitors
to
the
exhibit
will
walk
away
with
a
better
sense
of
how
the
different
dimensions
of
our
identities
intersect,
how
they
are
related
to
local
issues
and
how
they
can
get
involved
to
make
a
difference.”
—
Dyana
Bagby
New
venue
leads
to
larger,
longer
AIDS
Quilt
display
An
inside
venue
allows
the
AIDS
Memorial
Quilt
to
be
displayed
throughout
Pride
weekend
for
the
first
time.
(Photo
by
Sher
Pruitt)
Atlanta
Pride's
move
to
the
Civic
Center
has
made
one
of
the
most
emotionally
powerful
elements
of
Pride
even
stronger.
The
AIDS
Memorial
Quilt,
which
typically
makes
a
one-day
appearance
in
Piedmont
Park
during
the
festival,
will
be
on
display
throughout
the
festival,
from
11
a.m.
to
7
p.m.
“It
gave
us
more
flexibility,”
says
Janece
Shaffer,
a
spokesperson
for
the
NAMES
Project.
“We
can
go
home
and
lock
the
doors
and
know
it’s
secure.
Hopefully,
it
will
allow
us
to
reach
a
larger
constituency.”
Some
50
quilt
blocks,
containing
more
than
400
individual
tribute
panels,
about
twice
that
of
past
Pride
displays,
will
stretch
across
the
Civic
Center
exhibit
hall.
The
AIDS
Quilt
display
is
often
an
emotional
escape
from
the
festive
atmosphere
of
Pride.
Thousands
pay
tribute
to
people
who
lost
their
lives
to
AIDS
whom
they
never
knew,
but
the
display
is
also
a
chance
for
some
Atlantans
to
reconnect
with
lost
loved
ones.
The
display
will
include
dozens
of
local
panels
requested
for
the
Pride
exhibit,
Shaffer
says.
The
Names
Project,
the
Atlanta-based
non-profit
that
manages
the
AIDS
Quilt,
is
also
using
the
new
indoor
venue
to
expand
its
outreach.
The
organization
offers
free
panel-making
workshops
Saturday
and
Sunday
from
1-5
p.m.
“What’s
great
about
it
is
it’s
just
going
to
be
an
easier
venue,
especially
in
terms
of
dealing
with
the
weather,”
Shaffer
said.
“We
don’t
have
to
worry
about
bringing
stuff
out
to
protect
the
materials.”
—
Ryan
Lee
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