AJC:

[Tom Dempsey]

To Jamie Fergerson and the Pride Board - Actions speak louder than words...

[Republican nominee Brian Kemp did not request to participate the parade or any pride events, festival organizers said, but he would have been welcome. While LGBTQ rights are often characterized as progressive issues, the event is non-partisan.

“We understand the importance of connecting to our LGBT community and we are happy that so many elected officials and candidates seeking office now recognize that as well,” Atlanta Pride Executive Director Jamie Fergerson said in a statement. “We welcome any candidate or elected official who would like to participate in the parade or attend the festival.”]

Pride parades through Atlanta with a dose of politics

To Legrand Maness Jr., the Atlanta Pride Festival is much more than a celebration. It’s a call to action.

As he waited for the parade to begin on Sunday, Maness posted a video to Facebook showing the crowd along the route. He told his followers that the energy around the festival should motivate them to vote in November.

“Gays have been suppressed for years, so it’s a way of getting out our pride, but it’s also getting out the message that we have a voice,” he said later.

For him, that means supporting Democratic candidates like gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. When her Jeep paused near him, Maness waved his rainbow flag wildly and led the crowd in a chant: “Governor! Governor! Governor!”

more...

https://www.ajc.com/news/local/atlanta-pride-parade-comes-with-dose-politics/LwGInmPRrpjERvbizHHH9N/