While it may have only been “Mistreatment Awareness Day” to Gov. Nathan Deal, a crowd turned out May 17 for Georgia’s observance of the International Day Against Homophobia & Transphobia. The Friday evening gathering on the lawn at First Christian Church of Decatur featured keynote speaker Rev. Ray Waters, entertainers, and a candlelight vigil. (Photos by Katina Lear)

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The "Testify to Love: Light the Way to Justice" rally was held on a chilly March 25, 2013 evening outside of the Georgia Capitol building to call attention to the U.S. Supreme Court's upcoming marriage arguments. Organized by Branden Mattox and Love Under Fire, the rally, which brought together more than 100 LGBT rights supporters, featured Meak Productions CEO Miko Evans as emcee. Speakers included Georgia Equality Executive Director Jeff Graham, Rev. James Brewer-Calvert of First Christian Church of Decatur, Senior Pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church Rev. Dennis Meredith, Rev. Paul Turner from Gentle Spirit Christian Church. (Photos by Ryan Watkins)

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The 25th annual Creating Change Conference was held at the Atlanta Hilton Jan 23-Jan 27, bringing more than 3,000 LGBT activists and allies together to participate in hundreds of workshops, seminars, discussions, plenaries and plenty of parties as ways to learn from one another to bring new ideas about organizing back to their communities. The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, host of the largest LGBT conference in the nation, also honored gay journalist and undocumented immigrant Jose Antonio Vargas with the Creating Change Award; Bishop Gene Robinson with the Susan J. Hyde Award for Longevity in the Movement; Daniel Hernandez, the gay intern of former U.S. Rep. Gabby Giffords and who is credited with saving her life with the Youth Leadership Award; and its Leather Leadership Award to Race Bannon. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)

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Five gay couples asked for, and were denied, marriage licenses at the DeKalb County Courthouse on Jan. 7. The couples were participating in the "We Do" campaign organized by the Campaign for Southern Equality based in Asheville, N.C., that is organizing same-sex couples to ask for and then be denied marriage licenses in states where marriage equality is prohibited. The hope is to bring awareness to the issue of marriage equality in the South. While Decatur is a gay-friendly city and DeKalb County is a gay-friendly county, organizers said protesting here, where couples were willing to go, is still eye-opening to those who may not totally understand the real discrimination LGBT people face. Read the story about the peaceful action here: http://bit.ly/XfHwsB. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)

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Jane Morrison was sworn in as Fulton County State Court Judge on Jan. 4, 2013, making her one of the few openly gay judges in Georgia and the Southeast. Morrison's partner is Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner, who is the first openly gay person to serve on the commission. Morrison was sworn in by Fulton County Probate Court Judge Pinkie Toomer in a packed courtroom filled with other judges, elected officials and LGBT friends and activists. Read the story of the ceremony at http://bit.ly/VJjc0c. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)

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The Atlanta Police Department debuted its "It Gets Better" video on Wednesday, Dec. 12, at the Phillip Rush Center. Most of the gay and lesbian officers included in the video attended the screening as well as members of the Atlanta Police LGBT Advisory Board. Conal Charles of PFLAG Atlanta and Em Elliott of Georgia Equality and the Georgia Safe Schools Coalition praised the department's dedication to trying to reach LGBT youth. Deputy Chief Renee Propes, the highest ranking out officer in the department, said she was in awe of the officers' eager participation. She also presented a plaque to Beth Espy, the woman who produced and directed the video that is part of an international project to help LGBT youth. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)

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About 30 activists gathered at the CNN Center in downtown Atlanta on Friday, Aug. 3, to protest Chick-fil-A's contributions to anti-gay organizations as part of a national day of protest as well as kiss-ins at the restaurants across the country. The protest, called "A Kiss to the Heart," was organized by Colin MacDougall of Alabama. The protesters stood outside the CNN Center for hours waving signs before entering the center and standing at the Chick-fil-A restaurant inside at approximately 8:15 p.m. for a group photo and for several couples to share kisses.

A small crowd, around a dozen protesters, gathered outside of the Colony Square Chick-fil-A Aug. 3 to stage a “kiss-in” to protest the company's donations to anti-gay causes. There were no incidents, save a security guard asking that any protesting be done from the city-owned sidewalk because of a homemade protest sign and a heckler shouting, “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve” to those demonstrating. (Photos by Ryan Watkins)

It was a packed house for Ken Britt's official campaign kickoff and fundraiser on Wednesday, May 16, at the Ansley Park home of Harry Harkins. Britt faces at least one opponent on the July 31primary ballot, former state representative "Able" Mable Thomas, for the open Democratic 56 seat. Britt has been endorsed by Georgia Equality. (Photos by Dyana Bagby)