Lance Rhodes is one of two openly gay members of the East Point City Council. Mayor Joseph Bacon will proclaim July 7 as LGBT Pride Day in the city. (File photo)
The City of East Point will officially declare July 7 “LGBT Pride Day” in East Point. City Council members have approved a resolution honoring the progress made since the Stonewall riots and calling for further rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
In part, a draft of the resolution states: “We stand with the LGBT community and commit ourselves to working together to build a city that is truly inclusive. Every citizen has the right to live in dignity, with equal rights, responsibilities and protections under the law … Yet many challenges still lie before us. As we have learned from recent tragedies, prejudice against gays and lesbians can still erupt into acts of hatred and violence. I continue to call upon the city of East Point to provide leadership in eliminating all areas of prejudice and discrimination.”
“It is something that has been done periodically over the years,” City Councilman Kevin Hudson said of the Gay Pride proclamation. “East Point has had continual representation on the council by gay men, coincidentally it has been all men, for about a decade.”
Hudson and Councilmember Lance Rhodes are both openly gay members of the City Council. Mayor Joseph Bacon will sign the proclamation.
“The great thing is the fact that there has been so many gay officials over the years is that being gay isn’t an issue,” Hudson said.
East Point offers a domestic partnership registry, domestic partner benefits to city workers and includes sexual orientation in the city’s nondiscrimination policy. It also hosts a popular drag show, the East Point Possums, which often includes appearances by city officials as well as members of the police and fire departments.
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