Georgia state Representative Betty Price, home of former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, suggested during a hearing recently that quarantining people living with HIV would be an appropriate way to decrease spending on HIV treatment. She went on to say that the number of potential HIV carriers frightens her, and that “in the past they died more readily and then at that point they are not posing a risk.”
The comments are horrific, but fortunately we have four LGBTQ elected officials in the Georgia state legislature who are speaking out and working with colleagues to condemn the disturbing comments. Victory Fund-backed LGBTQ Georgia state Representative Park Cannon showed her disapproval of Price’s words in a series of tweets, and talked about her own support and love for the LGBTQ community in her state.
Legislators like Price pose a danger to the LGBTQ community and to the communities of other marginalized groups – and we need more voices in Georgia and across the country to humanize our lives and speak out against ignorance. On November 7, we have that opportunity in Georgia, where there are five LGBTQ candidates on local ballots. Candidates such as Cathy Woolard, running for Mayor of Atlanta, and Alex Wan, running for City Council President of Atlanta, could become historic firsts if elected. Kirk Rich is running to keep a city council seat in LGBTQ hands, Liliana Bakthiari is running to become the first openly LGBTQ Muslim ever elected in the U.S., and Josh McNair would become the first out gay African American man ever elected in Georgia if he wins his race for Fulton County Commission.
These are the voices we need to counter those of Price and other anti-LGBTQ state legislators. We have two weeks to make it happen.
