An open letter to Georgia residents:
As citizens and leaders in the state of Georgia, we write in support of non-discrimination legislation that protects all people, including LGBTQ people, from discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations, while also protecting important religious rights.
No one should be denied these protections based on their sexual orientation or gender identity; and likewise religious persons and institutions should be protected in practicing their faith. We believe that we are all children of a loving God who has commanded us to love each other. We are also Americans with a long tradition of figuring out how to get along despite deep differences.
We are extremely concerned that the ongoing conflicts between religious liberty and LGBTQ rights are poisoning our civil discourse, eroding the free exercise of religion and preventing diverse people of goodwill from living together in peace and mutual respect.
LGBTQ rights and religious rights do not have to be in conflict. We believe that the state of Georgia is uniquely positioned to come together to protect all people, unify our state and help bring healing to our nation on what for too long has been a divisive issue. That may not be easy, and it will certainly require goodwill and mutual accommodation, but it can and must be done.
We hope that every level of government will apply these common values and core principles in a balanced approach where in a spirit of trust all stakeholders engage in respectful dialogue and good-faith negotiations.
We respectfully urge all Georgia residents to join in support of public policy that provides protections for LGBTQ persons as well as people and institutions of faith.
Sincerely,
Elder M. Andrew Galt IV, Area Seventy, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
Jeff Graham, executive director, Georgia Equality
Mary Anne Adams, ZAMI NOBLA: National Organization of Black Lesbians on Aging
Rabbi Peter Berg, The Temple
Rev. Richard Burdick, Unity North Atlanta Church
Kenyetta Chinwe, SisterSong
Rev. Bronte Colbert, Unity Athens Spiritual Center
Lee Carroll, The Open Door Community
Rev. Kathleen Deegan-Neal, North Georgia United Methodist Church
Cody Deese, Vinings Lake Church
Jamie Fergerson, Atlanta Pride Committee
Dorothy Foster, North Georgia Immigrant Justice
Rabbi Brian Glusman, Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta
Lynn TenHarmsel Green, PFLAG, Rome, Ga.
Jessica Godfrey, United Women in Faith
Rose Kantorczyk, SOJOURN: Southern Jewish Resource Network for Gender and Sexual Diversity
David Key, Lake Oconee Community Church
Rabbi Joshua Lesser, Attune
Rev. David Lewicki, North Decatur Presbyterian Church
Rabbi Eric Linder, Congregation Children of Israel
Rev. Dr. Simon Mainwaring, All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Atlanta
Rev. Carole Maddux, Georgia Interfaith Public Policy Center
Rev. Catherine Meeks, Absalom Jones Center for Racial Healing
Ann Miller, PFLAG
Rev Marsha Mitchiner, First Existentialist Congregation of Atlanta
Sohayl Moshtael, Baha’is of Oconee County
Rabbi Ellen Nemhauser, Interfaith Atlanta
Rev. Dr. Joshua M. Noblitt, Saint Mark United Methodist Church
Sebastian Nix, Trans Housing Atlanta Program
Allison Padilla-Goodman, ADL (Anti-Defamation League)
Ryan Roemmerman, National Center for Civil and Human Rights LGBTQ Institute
Ambreen Sohani, Interfaith Atlanta
Sima Abadi, Maktab Tariqhat Oveyssi Shahmaghsoudi, (M.T.O.) School of Islamic Sufism
Parminder Singh, Guru Nanak Mission Society of Atlanta
The Rev. Sarah C. Stewart, All Saints’ Episcopal Church
Bishop Kevin Strickland, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Southeastern Synod
Duncan Teague, Abundant Love Unitarian Universalist Congregation
Rev. Bob Thompson, Compassionate Atlanta
Matt Thompson, Vinings Lake Church
Rev. Paul M. Turner, Gentle Spirit Christian Church
Connie Tuttle, Circle of Grace Community Church
Winnie Varghese, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
Graham Younger, Faith in Public Life
Rev. Kathleen Deegan-Neal
Rev. James R. Gwin
Rabbi Neil Sandler
Rabbi Rachael Bregman
Sara Toering
Rev. Nibs Stroupe
Leo Seyij Allen
Amanda Gable
Caroline Leach
Shavonne Williams
Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer
