Half the staff at Atlanta Magazine have resigned after publisher Sean McGinnis complained about using correct pronouns in coverage, according to the Washington Post. “Are we, as a matter of fact, now writing stories based upon preferred pronouns?” McGinnis asked during a recorded June meeting, referring to a profile recently published about a labor organizer whose pronouns are they/them. When an editor responded saying that using the pronouns corresponding with a subject’s gender identity is standard journalistic practice, McGinnis disagreed, saying, “People will think that that is taking a st ..read more

The Cobb County School Board voted 4-3 on Thursday (August 17) to officially terminate a fifth-grade teacher suspended earlier this year for reading a book about gender identity to her students. Katie Rinderle, a teacher at Due West Elementary School in Marietta, was fired in June after reading “My Shadow is Purple” by Scott Stuart, a book she bought at the school’s book fair, to her class. The book empowers children to see beyond the gender binary, with the main character saying, “My dad has a shadow that’s blue as a berry, and my Mom’s is as pink as a blossoming cherry. There’s only those ch ..read more

The Atlanta Pride Committee’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce the organization’s new Executive Director, Chris McCain. McCain’s appointment comes at the end of an exhaustive nationwide search led by Our Fundraising Search. A native of metro Atlanta, he will oversee all facets of APC’s work and guide it into its next chapter, leading the strategic planning, organizational management, programmatic development, external affairs, and fundraising. McCain began his new role on May 22. Throughout his career, McCain has been passionate about serving causes that advance justice and equity. Pr ..read more

Mayor Andre Dickens has announced a combined $55,000 in proposed funding to support Atlanta’s transgender community. The funding was introduced to the Atlanta City Council via legislation sponsored by Councilmember Matt Westmoreland. Once approved, these funds will represent the City’s single largest investment in the transgender community. “Across the nation, we are seeing a push against the transgender community to eliminate the fundamental right to simply be who they are,” Mayor Dickens said. “Everyone has the right to live their life with dignity and freedom from fear, and our Administrati ..read more

A 17-year-old has been arrested in the murder of transgender woman Koko Da Doll. On April 26, Jermarcus Jernigan turned himself in after a warrant was obtained for murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, Atlanta police told NBC News. Police had released surveillance images of a man wearing a jersey approaching the entrance of an apartment building where Koko, also known as Rasheeda Williams, appeared to have left when she was shot. Jernigan confirmed he was the person in the photos but denied the shooting. He is in custody at Koko was found on ..read more

Trans woman Koko Da Doll was fatally shot in downtown Atlanta last week. The 35-year-old, also known as Rasheeda Williams, appeared to have been shot after leaving an apartment complex west of downtown. Her body was found on a sidewalk adjoining a strip mall, according to AP. Koko had gained notice earlier this year after being featuring in the documentary “Kokomo City.” The documentary followed four Black transgender sex workers as they discussed their gender identities, interactions with clients, and the dichotomies between the Black community and themselves. The film won a NEXT Innovator Aw ..read more

A transgender woman was found fatally shot at an apartment complex in southwest Atlanta. 37-year-old Ashley Burton was found at the Elite at City Park apartments on Fairburn Road on Tuesday morning, according to 11 Alive. Officers said they were called at 4:22am and found the victim on the breezeway outside the unit. Police believe the victim was shot inside an apartment and collapsed where she was found. Police believe it was a domestic-related shooting. “She ran out of the house, hollering and screaming, beating on doors,” Burton’s cousin, Ivory Carter, told 11 Alive. “This got to be persona ..read more

After the passage of SB 140 in the Georgia House, the amended bill moves back to the Senate for a final vote. The House passed the bill on March 16, and the Senate – where the bill originated and passed in its original form by a vote of 33 to 22 – is expected to vote on the bill Tuesday (March 21). If it is passed, it will go to Governor Brian Kemp for final approval and passage into law. SB 140, if passed, would bar some kinds of gender-affirming care for minors, including most gender-affirming surgeries and hormone replacement therapies. However, it would still allow doctors to prescribe pub ..read more

On Wednesday morning, a man was shot multiple times outside the Atlanta gay bar Friends on Ponce. According to FOX 5, Atlanta police verified the shooting occurred during a fight in the Friends parking lot sometime before 2:30am. The victim, who was shot twice in the legs, was brought to Grady Memorial Hospital. His condition is unknown, and his identity has not been revealed. Police have not disclosed the names of any potential suspects at this time. This shooting follows a hit-and-run committed in the Friends parking lot earlier this year. On January 7, a driver struck Jeffery Whitmire and s ..read more

Atlanta police have arrested a man who posted threatening remarks toward The Heretic, according to Fox 5. Chase Staubs was arrested on Thanksgiving Day after employees told officers that they saw someone making threatening posts toward the bar on social media. Detectives went to 1510 Piedmont Rd, where LGBTQ establishments like Oscar’s, Barking Leather, Brushstrokes, and Felix’s are located, and spoke to others who said someone, identified as Staubs, entered Felix’s and was asked to leave. In a video posted to his Instagram story, Staubs says, “How to get away with murder? I guess you’ll find ..read more