LGBT Employment Discrimination Advocacy in Georgia
This paper examines employment discrimination advocacy for LGBT people in Georgia, focusing on the work of Georgia Equality. It outlines the gap between federal EEOC rulings, the Civil Rights Act, and Georgia's state law, which leaves LGBT workers without explicit statutory protections. The paper describes Georgia Equality's multi-level strategy: pushing for the Fair Employment Practices Act at the state level, advancing anti-discrimination ordinances city by city, mobilizing public support, and building coalitions. It also addresses significant resistance from conservative lawmakers promoting religious liberty legislation and the deep-rooted social norms that complicate advocacy efforts throughout the state.
- Overview of Employment Discrimination Advocacy Groups: Federal vs. state advocacy landscape explained
- Georgia Equality and the State-Level Fight: Georgia Equality's mission and legal context
- Defining the Problem and Advocacy Strategies: Legal gaps and multi-level advocacy tactics
- Local Successes and Ongoing Battles: City-level wins and persistent resistance
- Religious Liberty Legislation as a Counterforce: Religious freedom bills threaten LGBT protections
- Conclusion: The Road Ahead for LGBT Protections in Georgia: Social norms and future advocacy challenges
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper clearly situates the advocacy issue within the layered framework of federal, state, and local law, helping readers understand why state-level advocacy is necessary despite federal EEOC rulings.
- It grounds abstract legal arguments in a concrete case study — Georgia Equality — which makes the policy discussion tangible and focused.
- The paper balances description of advocacy strategies with honest acknowledgment of political and cultural resistance, giving a realistic picture of the advocacy landscape.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates policy analysis through a case-study lens. It moves methodically from identifying a legal gap, to describing the advocacy organization's mission and methods, to assessing outcomes — a structure that mirrors professional policy briefs and advocacy reports.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens by explaining the federal–state legal framework for employment discrimination. It then introduces Georgia Equality as the advocacy subject and explains its state-level focus. The middle sections define the problem, outline specific strategies (state legislation, local ordinances, public mobilization), and document successes. The final section confronts opposition from religious liberty legislation and entrenched social norms before concluding with a forward-looking assessment.
Overview of Employment Discrimination Advocacy Groups
Advocacy groups exist in several different forms — some that work on federal issues, and others that are more focused on state issues. States have the right to pass laws that offer protections going beyond federal law; the Civil Rights Act sets the baseline federal standard. As an example, the federal policy on sexual orientation as a protected class relies largely on Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) rulings, as it is not explicitly written into federal law. Several states have therefore chosen to write their own employment discrimination laws to extend protections to classes not covered under federal law. State laws may also apply to more companies — under federal law, an employer must have at least 15 employees for the law to apply.
States that lack employment discrimination protections often have advocacy groups fighting at the state level to extend protections to those who have not previously enjoyed them. One such group is Georgia Equality, which has a mission to "advance fairness, safety and opportunity for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities" (GeorgiaEquality.org, 2016). Georgia is one of 28 states that do not offer protections to workers on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The group works with other like-minded advocacy organizations, including those that have achieved success elsewhere and those working in states like Georgia where no state-level protections exist.
References
City of Atlanta (2016). Non-discrimination laws. City of Atlanta. Retrieved from http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?page=1089
Georgia Code. O.C.G.A. § 34-5-1 (2015). Retrieved from LexisNexis.
GeorgiaEquality.org (2016). Nondiscrimination. Georgia Equality. Retrieved from http://georgiaequality.org/issues/nondiscrimination/
GeorgiaEquality.org (2016, 2). Workplace fairness. Georgia Equality. Retrieved from
Hammel, J. (2016). Athens locals push for anti-discrimination ordinance. The Red & Black. Retrieved from http://www.redandblack.com/athensnews/athens-locals-lead-push-for-anti-discrimination-ordinance/article_94ebf7fe-e07a-11e5-bb9c-474ae5b7230f.html
McDonald, L. (2016). Fight for freedom: Georgia religious liberty bills clash with Athens non-discrimination orders. The Red & Black. Retrieved from http://www.redandblack.com/athensnews/fight-for-freedom-georgia-religious-liberty-bills-clash-with-athens/article_ca9c6c04-cae4-11e5-975a-d3d7b0cc15c7.html
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