Georgia Equality Calls on Atlanta Mayor & Police Chief to Answer Questions about Local Bar Raid
September 17, 2009
Georgia Equality – an organization that works to advance fairness, safety, and opportunity for Georgia’s LGBT communities – released a statement on Thursday that asks Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and Atlanta Police Chief Richard Pennington to begin answering questions about a Sept. 10 raid on an the Atlanta Eagle, a local LGBT bar. Patrons present at the bar during that raid allege they were improperly searched, harassed, and assaulted.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported in a Sept. 14 article that “during the raid, 62 patrons were ordered facedown on the bar’s floor, some for more than an hour.” The Journal-Constitution went on to note that “nine undercover officers and a dozen uniformed officers participated in the raid.” Eight bar employees were arrested.
Garrett McLendon, 43, told the Journal-Constitution that patrons were illegally searched and that after McLendon found himself laying facedown in a pile of glass, he asked officers if he could move and was answered with an expletive from police. At least 10 patrons have filed complaints with the Atlanta Police Department, some of whom allege that anti-gay epithets were used.
Police Chief Richard Pennington claimed during a press conference Monday that the raid was a result of an undercover operation investigating claims about sexual activity taking place at the bar. No arrests were made on the basis of sexual activity, however.
Chief Pennington also expressed regret that the APD’s LGBT Community liaison, Danni Lynn Harris, had not been notified about the raid and was not present during the incident.
Executive Director of Georgia Equality, Jeff Graham is calling on Atlanta’s Mayor and Police Chief to justify the raid.
We call on the Mayor to come forward and explain how this raid makes the city any safer, and whether this was really a wise use of the city’s scarce resources during an economic downturn… Civil rights and common decency should not be thrown out the window over… alleged non-violent conduct…
Georgia Equality also noted in its statement that the organization is concerned that initial complaints about activities at the Atlanta bar were funneled through the Mayor’s office.
Georgia Equality also questioned what specific evidence led to the initiation of the raid and what documentation exists detailing that evidence.
Police Chief Pennington assured those concerned on Monday that complaints will be thoroughly investigated and if any officer is found to have acted improperly, “we will take appropriate action.”
We’ll continue to keep you updated on this story and monitor the media’s coverage of developments around the Atlanta Eagle bar raid. Updates can be found on GLAADblog.org
Related Posts:Intersex Issues Slowly Gaining Visibility
December 11, 2008
Recently, a high-profile article ran in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution detailing the life of Danni Lee Harris, the Atlanta Police Department’s LGBT liaison. The article details Officer Harris’ very public announcement of her newly understood intersex identity, an identity she only learned of during the summer.
Officer Danni Lee Harris. Photo by Marcus Yam.
The article in the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, and the subsequent spread of online communication about her story is only the peak of the iceberg in the new wave of visibility surrounding intersex people and their stories. From Oprah to Good Morning America the stories of intersex people have been shared with growing accuracy and fairness.
On the heels of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s article came a new book by Katrina Karkazis surrounding the stories between doctors, parents, and adult intersex people.
Written by a medical anthropologist and Senior Researcher at the Center for Biomedical Ethics at Stanford University Fixing Sex: Intersex, Medical Authority and Lived Experience has a focus on intersex visibility. From an article in the Medical Center Report of Stanford’s School of Medicine:
“Karkazis has emerged from her research with the conviction that more attention needs to be paid to intersex individuals as complete people, rather than as specimens of unusual biology.”
Officer Harris’s s decision to share her story with the people of Atlanta coincides with some of Karkazis’ statements on the need for lifting shame and stigmatization. The online magazine Political Affairs profiled Officer Harris in early December. The magazine concludes that Officer Harris has:
“increased local and national discourse about intersex and minority gender constructs in a forthright and professional manner.”
Officer Harris was initially reticent to discuss her identity with the public. From the article:
“‘This was so personal… I felt vulnerable when I was presenting…[however] people have been very supportive. It’s been overwhelming. Both the personal and professional feedback have been welcoming and warm.’”
Officer Harris’ experience is exactly what Karkazis is hoping to achieve through her work, a welcoming community that sees an entire person. Karkazis, as quoted in the Medical Center Report:
‘We need to look at what contributes to the flourishing of human beings in general, and think about how to achieve that for these kids,’ she said, noting less than 1 percent of studies examining outcomes of treatment have looked at patients’ long-term quality of life.
She also thinks brand-new parents need to get the message that a baby’s intersex diagnosis isn’t a calamity. We need doctors, Karkazis said, who will tell these worried parents, ‘I’ve seen this before. It’s OK. There’s no reason your child cannot have a marvelous life.’”
You can learn more about the book by listening to a podcast between the author and Stanford’s Center for Biomedical Ethics’ Executive Director of Communications, Paul Costello.
Federal Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Sheds Light on Transgender Job Bias
September 24, 2008
Last Friday was a landmark day for transgender people across the US. In a historic first, the US District Court ruled that a transgender woman had been discriminated against when an employer rescinded a job offer upon learning of her transition.
Judge James Robertson ruled that the Library of Congress had discriminated against Diane Schroer, a transgender woman, on the basis of her sex. In 2004 Diane Schroer was offered a job as a terrorism research analyst with the Library of Congress, but had the offer rescinded when the hiring manager learned of her impending transition. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which represented Schroer, said Judge James Robertson’s ruling is the first to apply Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act to transgender people.
“The court got it exactly right, sending a loud and clear message to employers everywhere: if you fire or refused to hire someone for transitioning, you are guilty of sex discrimination and may well find yourself liable,” said Sharon McGowan, one of the ACLU LGBT Project staff attorneys who tried the case.
“True to form, Diane Schroer has once again demonstrated her bravery and her commitment to American democracy,” noted Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality. “By fighting for her rights, she has defended the honor and rights of all transgender people who have been discriminated against on the job. NCTE congratulates her on this historic win and applauds the tremendous work of the ACLU in securing this victory for us all.”
There’s still a great deal of uncertainty about what this could mean, and Judge Robertson has yet to decide what the penalties for the discrimination will be. Despite this, reporters from CNN and ABC have claimed the win as an “important victory”, while the New York Times and Ms. Magazine have steered clear from making any statements about future implications.
While media outlets have been hesitant to make a definitive statement on what the ruling will bring, Schroer has been clear about what she hopes it will accomplish. In a statement from the ACLU, Schroer said she hoped that “employers, family members, friends and co-workers will begin to understand variations in sexual orientation and identity from a basis of knowledge and not fear.”
Earlier this June a similar national transgender story – that of the first ever Congressional Hearings on Transgender Workplace Discrimination – received no national coverage and very little local coverage. The accurate and inclusive coverage of this ruling thus far is a pleasant surprise, though few local papers have picked up the news. Hopefully as the details of the case are laid out and the impact becomes less abstract more local media outlets will cover the victory.
You can hear Schroer speak about her life and the trial in this video from the ACLU:
Artists Support Gay and Lesbian Community, Condemn Homophobia
September 12, 2008
This post is by Terrell Frazier, a Fellow at GLAAD who works in our Communities of African Decent program.
Janelle Monáe
Last weekend, up-and-coming musical artist Janelle Monae appeared at Atlanta’s Black Gay Pride festival, a celebration that draws LGBT African Americans from all over the country. According to the Southern Voice, during the opening ceremony “Monae pledged to be a strong ally for black gay men and lesbians, who she called ‘bold and fearless’ for living their lives openly and honestly.”
Monae can be included in a growing list of young black artists who not only defy musical barriers, categorization and industry expectations, but also reach out to diverse groups and demographics.
Kanye West
Recently, rapper Kanye West took time between songs at a concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden to urge his fans to “open their minds,” “be accepting of different people,” and speak out against homophobia and discrimination of gay and lesbian people.
Like Kanye, Chicago rapper Lupe Fiasco has also garnered media attention by speaking out about sexism and homophobia in society and in hip-hop. While performing at the University of Michigan in October of 2007, Fiasco fielded some questions from his fans. According to Michigan Daily:
The questions were often pointed — not surprising for an outspoken artist known for the political content of his lyrics.
Lupe Fiasco
A fan who proclaimed himself to be “an openly gay man who loves hip-hop” asked the rapper where he fell in the spectrum of hip-hop artists who have expressed contrasting views on homosexuality and the gay community.
He pledged support for gays, among other groups, because he said he supports anyone who faces discrimination.
These artists, and the media covering their efforts to speak out against anti-gay attitudes, should be commended for helping to change the hearts and minds of many in the hip-hop community and beyond.
Atlanta Hosts Journalism Convention
September 9, 2008
Last week, I traveled to Atlanta for the Society of Professional Journalists Convention (SPJ). It was a great opportunity to meet and network with journalists from around the country and to bring their attention to the work we do here at GLAAD.
According to SPJ’s website, the organization is “dedicated to the perpetuation of a free press as the cornerstone of our nation and our liberty.” One of its basic tenets is to encourage diversity in journalism and to foster excellence by setting high standards.
SPJ Diversity Committee
While there are many other journalism organizations that focus on specific media, like print or broadcasting, and others like the National Lesbian Gay Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists and the Associated Press Sports Editors that focus on specific communities, SPJ is all- encompassing. They boast a membership of about 9,000 professional journalists nationwide.
The annual SPJ convention gave me a chance to talk with many reporters about the Sports Media Program and about GLAAD in general. I was able to speak to them about fair, accurate and inclusive coverage of the LGBT community not only in sports coverage but in media coverage more generally.
In addition to distributing copies of our GLAAD Media Reference Guide, I offered our services to the media professionals I met there as a resource when they have questions on background or terminology. I was also able to speak with the Diversity Committee and discuss how SPJ could be more inclusive of both LGBT media coverage and LGBT journalists.
As the committee continues to reach out to the LGBT community, they know GLAAD will be there as a resource for them and their membership.
