Georgia’s LGBTQIA+ Chamber Calls for Action, Opposition to “Mandate to Discriminate” Bill
Atlanta, GA -- On February 7, 2024, Georgia House Bill 1128 was introduced sparking widespread condemnation for its deceptive and biased approach towards the rights of women and the transgender and intersex communities in Georgia.
This Mandate to Discriminate Bill does not codify any rights for anyone. Instead, it intentionally and strategically embarks on a dangerous path to erase all trans and gender-expansive Georgians from legal recognition by substituting 'gender' with 'sex' across a broad spectrum of laws, from state forms to crime investigation reports.
This action not only opens the door for discrimination by businesses and government entities against people whose gender does not match their sex assigned at birth, but it also egregiously removes sexual orientation and gender from Georgia’s hate crimes criteria and investigative procedures, effectively removing equitable protections for LGBTQIA+ people involved in crimes.
The impact of HB 1128 extends far beyond the transgender community.
For Georgia’s women, this bill threatens to undo generations of progress in establishing legal and civil rights. It lays the groundwork for employment discrimination by allowing employers to exclude women from certain professions under the guise of traditional gender roles, and to exploit legal loopholes for workplace discrimination.
By defining womanhood strictly through biological markers, HB 1128 risks marginalizing post-menopausal women, people with fertility issues, birthing parents who are transgender or intersex, or women who have undergone specific medical procedures, casting a shadow of discrimination across various aspects of their lives. Furthermore, it introduces potential chaos into family law and imposes restrictive norms on women’s dress and professional choices, undermining the essence of individual freedom and rights.
For the transgender community, the bill’s implications are dire.
HB 1128 mandates that state records and IDs reflect only the binary biological sex determined at birth, barring transgender and intersex people from accessing facilities aligned with their gender identity and significantly complicating their daily lives. This not only fosters confusion among businesses and agencies reliant on accurate IDs, but heightens the risk of violence and harassment for transgender and intersex people whose IDs do not match their appearance.
The legislation represents a stark invasion of personal freedom, dictating how businesses can interact with transgender, intersex and gender expansive customers and stripping small business owners of their autonomy.
TGX360’s Advisory Council and OUT Georgia Business Alliance vociferously oppose HB 1128, viewing it as an affront to the principles enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and protected by the U.S. Constitution. This bill threatens and undermines the rights of all Georgians, risking regressive impacts on women and transgender, gender expansive, and intersex (TGXI) residents.
In the face of fear and misunderstanding, our commitment to advocating for our community’s right to live freely and participate fully in Georgia’s economic life remains unwavering.
We stand ready to combat this legislation, defending the dignity and rights of every Georgian against this unprecedented overreach.
TAKE ACTION
- Contact Your State Legislator
- Contact Your Representative with Georgia Equality’s Action Alert Message Template
- Attend the Health Equity Think Tank at the Georgia State Capitol on February 16, 2024
- Join OUT Georgia Business Alliance, Human Rights Campaign, and leading LGBTQ+ organizations for Pride to the Capitol, a joint LGBTQ+ Lobby Day on February 27, 2024.
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ABOUT TGX360
TGX360 is OUT Georgia's economic empowerment program created by and for Georgia’s Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive community.
TGX360’s Advisory Council brings together experts, advocates, influencers, and leaders from across Georgia to guide TGX360 and advise OUT Georgia on advocacy, policy, programming, and community engagement.
For more information, visit outgeorgia.org/TGX360 or email TGX360@outgeorgia.org.
ABOUT OUT GEORGIA
Founded in 1994, OUT Georgia Business Alliance is Georgia's LGBTQIA+ Chamber of Commerce and the NGLCC’s Statewide Affiliate. OUT Georgia is the voice of the LGBTQIA+ business community, proudly representing small business, nonprofit, corporate, and professional Members who are committed to economic equity, accessibility, and inclusive prosperity.
OUT Georgia Business Alliance is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and is a proud affiliate of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).
For more information, visit outgeorgia.org or email info@outgeorgia.org.