Post submitted by HRC Board of Governors Member / Atlanta Membership Outreach & Community Events Co-Chair Malik Brown

Cathy Woolard has been fighting on behalf of LGBTQ people since 1987. Let that sink in - 30 YEARS! As someone who hasn't even lived 30 years yet, her dedication to full LGBTQ equality inspires me.

Woolard first got into the world of LGBTQ advocacy as the Southeast Organizer for the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. As an Atlanta City Council member, she became the first openly LGBTQ elected official in the state of Georgia. As City Council President she became the first openly LGBTQ City Council President in the U.S. and the first female Atlanta City Council President.

Woolard accomplished a lot in her time on City Council. Here are some highlights:

• As City Council President in 2000, Woolard introduced and passed legislation protecting people from discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of all categories, including sexual orientation and gender identity. It remains the only such law of its scope in the state of Georgia.
• In conjunction with Southface Energy Institute, she launched Atlanta’s first environmental sustainability program, saving the city around $800,000 in its first year and reducing Atlanta's carbon footprint.
• Woolard, along with Ryan Gravel, championed the Atlanta BeltLine, which has become an economic growth engine of the city. She's fighting for better transportation and more affordable housing, and her experience managing the rollout of the BeltLine gives her unparalleled experience overseeing the kind of large infrastructure projects the city will need to undertake to achieve those goals.

After her time on city council, Woolard went back to lobbying for social justice organizations, such as Georgia Equality, HRC, Planned Parenthood and CARE. In recent years, Woolard has been the lead lobbyist for Georgia Equality against dangerous anti-LGBTQ bills.

We have an opportunity with this election to elect Atlanta's first openly LGBTQ Mayor. A victory like that would not only impact the city, but the state and region as well! Historic progress like this would send a clear message of resistance to Donald Trump.

We don't make progress by sitting around, please consider joining me in supporting Woolard for Atlanta Mayor. Click here for volunteer opportunities.

For more information or questions, please contact Southern Regional Field Organizer Hope Jackson at hope.jackson@hrc.org.