Atlanta’s homeless LGBTQ voters say they’ve been disproportionately impacted by criminalization and voting laws

As part of its education and outreach programs across the country, the GLAAD Media Institute, the training, research and consulting arm of GLAAD, hosted a gathering of local leaders and community advocates from Atlanta, hosted by the City of Atlanta at Atlanta City Hall. Participants who complete a program or session with the GLAAD Media Institute are immediately considered GLAAD Media Institute alumni, equipped to maximize community impact by leveraging their own stories for culture change.

One of the biggest issues this election cycle for Rep. Park Cannon (D-58), a fellow at the GLAAD Media Institute, is Georgia voters who don’t have a permanent address. As a result, people without a permanent address can be arrested if they camp on public property, including at polling places.

The law projectHB 976, which passed the Georgia House and Senate and was recently signed by Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, outlines a revision that affects the voting rights of homeless people. Specifically, the bill states that if a voter is homeless and without a permanent address, they will be prohibited from receiving mail-in ballots and election information at shelters or other temporary addresses. The bill also states that homeless people will have to use the Fulton County Registrar’s Office as their address.

“How can that make sense? You’re now only allowed to vote in one type of election? If you’re in a place where you’re allowed to vote, the district you can vote in is the Fulton County Government Center, but you could reside somewhere else,” Cannon pointed out to his interviewer. Victor Jackson during an informal discussion in April. Jackson is originally from Atlanta and is also a recognized creative director and musical performance artist.

The artist is the creator of Mr. Glam Rock Soul Entertainment Group where he guided “countless creatives on their journey from idea to innovation.” Jackson participated in the interview with the desire to “just have a conversation” between individuals, and that’s what he did. The artist and activist who has often organizes and supports GLAAD brought its knowledge and pride in Atlanta to the interview. The day before, Jackson had presented a media training session to Atlanta-based LGBTQ activists, with a focus on HIV.

Cannon, Jackson’s special guest, sat alongside her close friend, City Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari has been a sitting city councilwoman since 2021 and became the first gay Muslim elected official in the state of Georgia.

Sitting inside the council chamber, more than 40 people listened as Jackson interviewed Park and Bakhtiari as she encouraged homeless voters and people in the audience to contact her office to help people sort out their voter registration.

More than 3,000 young people in Atlanta have experienced or are currently experiencing homelessness. Of those, 40 percent identify as LGBTQ, according to the Atlanta nonprofit Covenant House. reportsMany of these young people are of voting age.

That being said, a recent decision by the United States Supreme Court ruled in the city of Grants Pass v. Johnson Local authorities can police homeless people who camp on public property. The decision therefore states that enforcement of generally applicable laws governing camping on public property does not constitute “cruel and unusual punishment” prohibited by the Eighth Amendment.

More recently, a source close to GLAAD, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, said the Grants Pass decision helped secure Atlanta’s passage of SB 62, which prohibits “hospitals, local governments and local authorities from dropping off homeless people in counties other than the person’s home county…”

Homeless people who must register their legal address at the Fulton County Government Center can be arrested for staying overnight to vote when they have no shelter to return to or transportation to return to the address listed on any old permits.

Cannon asked those affected to also contact Aubri Escalera, a legislative assistant and LGBTQ liaison for Rep. Cannon’s office, as a precautionary safety measure. Escalera helped organize the two-day event and was interviewed by Gabe Gonzalez, a comedian, television writer and consultant for the GLAAD Media Institute Spanish and Latin language media team. Gonzalez is also the host of GLAAD’s original series, “Dimelo”, focusing on the experiences of Latino LGBTQ comics and personalities in entertainment and media.

“We can provide direct assistance because voters may have to register, re-register, be told they’re not eligible (to vote) or be removed or have to come prove their eligibility,” Cannon said. Cannon’s plan is to challenge HB 976 before the general election.

In her conversation with Gonzalez, Escalera discussed how a person’s ability to prove their asylum claims, documentation, and, consequently, employment status impacts being homeless. Barriers increase based on race, ethnicity, ability, gender identity, gender expression, and sexual orientation. Additionally, LGBTQ youth are 120 percent more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth, as reported in GLAAD Media Reference Guide for the press.

“How can we provide a toolkit to marginalized people, but also to newcomers, to asylum seekers?” Escalera asks. “It’s hard. It’s hard to be in a country where you don’t know the language. It can be hard, but it’s even harder when you’re in a country where you know the language but you don’t have the resources.”

Escalera and Cannon are co-founders of Trans Power in Diversitywhose mission is to enable LGBTQ communities to “stay at the center rather than depending on the margins to develop their full potential to succeed in life and pursue happiness.”

The organization helps people find clothes for job interviews, safe sex resources, support groups, health and wellness support, and more.

“When you’re thinking about building a city, you prioritize the most neglected people,” Jackson City Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari said in April. Bakhtiari has worked in war zones, helping people flee civil violence. She said there are districts in the country that are worse than those war zones. Bakhtiari cited San Francisco’s Tenderloin District as an example. She said that district needs the attention of every public official.

But “Atlanta is in a unique position,” Bakhtiari said. The councilman said the city has the capital, bipartisan support and a neighborhood case management pilot where a case manager works with the same community day in and day out. Right now, Bakhtiari is working to create a state ID program for people without licenses or who are in housing insecurity. In fact, that ID can help people find housing, food and jobs.

Cannon, Escalera and Bakhtiari are all asking Georgians, especially those in Metro Atlanta, to contact them if you are someone who needs help with housing, employment, food, identification and voting information.

To learn more about housing programs in Atlanta, visit Atlanta Housing here.

Visit GLAAD.org/VOTE to learn more about the GLAAD Media Institute’s role in community convening and what’s at stake for the LGBTQ community as a whole this election year.