Southern Queer Newsroom
Disclaimer, the author is an officer of the Young Democrats of Georgia, specifically Chair of the Stonewall Caucus, and was involved in tabling and the Pride Parade. I will be as objective as I can be while discussing groups I am involved with; nothing said here reflects the opinions or stance of the Young Democrats of Georgia and is a personal account.
2025 has been an immensely difficult year for LGBTQ+ Americans, especially trans Americans like myself. Our healthcare, our privacy in schools, and our ability to fit in amongst broader society have been challenged across the board, and the Deep South has been particularly brutal. Georgia passed a law banning state prisons from funding gender-affirming care for transgender inmates, affecting over 300 individuals (this has since been blocked in court). Texas passed a law giving private citizens the ability to leverage enormous fines on public buildings if trans people used the "wrong" bathroom. Transgender people have been blamed for the death of Charlie Kirk and are regularly cast as pedophiles and demonic.
It was in this climate that Atlanta Pride was hosted, a reminder both of queer joy and queer resistance.
Running from October 11 to October 12, organizations and people from all across Georgia and the broader South came to celebrate. The theme of the year was "Rooted in Resistance," which has found a lot of resonance with queer people. It felt it galvanized activists and community members young and old to spit in the face of a transphobic state and federal government. Walking around, I saw jock straps, assless chaps, drag queens, shirtless bears, shirtless femmes with tape over their nipples, young trans punks, and families from across the state. Furs and leather pups were common. I didn't go more than a few minutes without seeing someone on a chain or leash.
It was, in short, exactly the attendance I've come to expect from us.
Corporations
There were definitely corporations there like Enterprise and Coca-Cola, but it certainly felt less corporate compared to last year. Other big names like Delta Air Lines and the Atlanta Braves were present at the big parade on Sunday, and you had travel agencies and such. But the corporate side of Pride felt lacking from what I saw.
This isn't surprising. Corporations have been rolling back on previous diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the country to avoid getting targeted by a bigoted administration or hate mob. The drop in funding hit several Atlanta-area Pride organizations like Atlanta Black Pride and the OUT Georgia Business Alliance. Those funding shortfalls certainly made a negative impact on organizational finances, but it did look to rekindle more community representation and involvement.
Political Groups
Exactly one political party had a booth at the Pride Festival: the Dekalb Democratic LGBTQ+ Caucus. The Democratic Party of Georgia did not have one. The Young Democrats of Georgia (YDG) did not have one. Not one campaign had a table. Republicans were not present. As a YDG officer, I had to table with the Dekalb Dems to get fundraising materials out to attendees, which thankfully was not a problem since I've been present at their LGBTQ+ Caucus meetings. As nice as it was to not have so many politician booths, it was a really odd sight. Could just be a symptom of an off-year.
There were other political booths around though. Human Rights Campaign Foundation and Georgia Equality both had multiple spots, and SOJOURN (Southern Jewish Resource Network) had a table.
The Pride Parade was different. As a YDG officer, I was marching in the political section of the parade, and I got to spend the nearly three hours I spent before the march started to talk to multiple candidates and politicians. While I was not able to speak to Senator Jon Ossoff or Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, I saw plenty of others: two candidates for governor, one congressional candidate, multiple State House and Senate candidates and incumbents, lots of Atlanta candidates that have been endorsed by the Working Families Party, and Democratic Party of Georgia chair Charlie Bailey.
As much as paying for a spot in the Pride Parade was about visibility and campaigning, it was also about standing up for LGBTQ+ rights broadly and trans rights specifically. As I marched with YDG, one of our officers led chants and performed in front of the crowds, gubernatorial candidate Ruwa Romman handed out literature about the Public Service Commission race, and so many people cheered and joined the chants. It reminded me that average people want to see the Democrats standing up for our rights and that the party can and should do that.
Community
There were also other organizations there that have been active in the Atlanta anti-Trump protest scene, including 50501 GA and Indivisible. Kelsea Bond's ATL City Council campaign was there, largely Atlanta Democratic Socialists members, and they carried a sign saying "BE GAYER AND ORGANIZE." PSL was not present at the Pride Parade from what I know, but a section was very vocal during the Trans March on Saturday. I also saw a number of anarchists, whether they held an "anti-transphobe action" flag or tabled for PM Press.
As mentioned earlier, queer folk of all stripes came out for the festival and parade, and it was really fun to see the diversity of the community on display. I saw lots of small vendors, anti-ICE and pro-trans shirts, a hair salon, Furry Weekend Atlanta, Charis Books (a feminist bookstore), and opossum and raccoon art. Drag queens, activists, roller derby players, PFLAG, Pansy Patrol, punks, kinksters – it felt like I fit in perfectly.
The Trans March on Saturday was an entirely different vibe to the Pride Parade. There were no vehicle, trucks, floats, or corporations. Just hundreds of proud, angry transgender people and allies. The trans and intersex pride flags flew at the front of the march, the anarchists' flag close behind. Towards the middle, the PSL section threw up a banner reading "TRANS RIGHTS NOW" as a member led chants the whole time – lots of protest classics like "If we don't get it, shut it down" and some pro-Palestine slogans.
Despite it being very heavily controlled, both by Pride volunteers and Atlanta Police, marching in the street alongside so many allies was deeply emotional and it felt that, the whole time, a spirit of resistance was running through everyone. It gave me a lot of hope for the future. Especially chatting to the anarchists after the march and bonding over our shared commitment to carry that hope with us and refuse to despair. Especially when I recognized someone in the Pansy Patrol. Especially marching with friends.
More than political parties, legislative work, and cash-happy corporations, a strong and committed community is going to get us all through this. Legislative work is important, and worth doing, but it is not everything. Organizing parties, shindigs, support groups, HRT distribution, escape routes, educational panels, lobbying days, marches, protests, campaigns, moving days – all of that feels better and is far more effective than banging away at a hot BlueSky take. While I am deep in the party work, I cannot let it blind me to the necessity of the diversity of tactics trans people and their allies must undertake to ensure victory.
Nothing that is coming for us can make me despair. I believe that what I most strongly felt from the community that showed up, more than love, defiance, and resistance, was solidarity. With solidarity at the roots, the tree of our liberation cannot be moved or killed. Merely battered.
I'm excited for the work ahead, both in activism and through SQN. There are a lot of bright spots in the dark we're treading through, and I'm absolutely certain this fascist regime will not succeed in its goals. It's just a matter of living long enough to knock it down, and I believe we will.