A resolution that would declare Athens-Clarke County a “safe haven” for LGBTQIA+ people will come before the Commission on Tuesday. The resolution has stirred activism among Athens’ artist community.
On Tuesday, the Athens-Clarke County Commission will vote on a resolution that, if passed, would declare Athens-Clarke County a “safe haven” for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Resolutions passed by the Commission do not carry legal weight but are statements of values. Several commissioners came out against the resolution, saying it is symbolic rather than action-oriented.
Whitney Robinson is an Athens artists and member of the LGBTQIA+ community. She is in support of the resolution.
“Athens is kind of one of the few safe-ish spaces for queer people in the state of Georgia. I think supporting a resolution like this, while some may call it performative, I think it would be really powerful. I think symbolism is actually really important; it’s something people can really connect with.”
Robinson, a fiber artist, put out a call on Sunday on Instagram for Athenians to bring yarn and other supplies to the Commission meeting Tuesday for a so-called “craft-in.”
“Craftivism is a slower, more mindful approach to activism that is represented by the effort that goes into making things.”
Robinson believes that the Safe Haven resolution is just the first step the county needs to take to support LGBTQIA+ people. She says that more attention to be paid to the death of Santonio Coleman, an Athens resident and transgender woman whose death in October was treated as suspicious by the police.
“Her death was tragic, and trans women, trans people face some of the highest rates of violence in our country.”
At a recent agenda-setting session, several commissioners demanded answers about Coleman’s death. County officials said that the case was still under investigation.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News
