ATLANTA – State Representative Park Cannon (D-Atlanta) today announced that she has joined the founding cohort of the National Black Justice Coalition’s (NBJC) Good Trouble Network, which is the first national network of Black LGBTQ+ elected officials. The Good Trouble Network seeks to coordinate and synthesize political priorities that benefit Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer+ and same-gender loving (SGL) people, including people living with HIV/AIDS.
“I am honored to join a dynamic group of Black LGBTQ+ elected officials as we work to create a nation where Black LGBTQ+/SGL people are embraced and able to thrive,” said Rep. Cannon. “While most people in the LGBTQ+/SGL community face a higher risk of poverty, food insecurity and violence, people of color in this community experience these issues at a significantly higher rate, compounding the challenges they face. I look forward to learning how members of the network are solving these issues in their home states and help bring solutions to these crucial issues back to Georgia.”
The Good Trouble Network is organized by the National Black Justice Coalition, which is a civil rights organization dedicated to the empowerment of LGBTQ+/SGL people. The network aims to celebrate the record number of Black LGBTQ+/SGL people serving in elected office and build a robust public policy agenda to advance policies and practices benefitting Black LGBTQ+/SGL people, families and communities. Andrew Gillum, former Democratic Party nominee for Governor of Florida, is serving as the senior adviser to the Good Trouble Network. The Good Trouble Network recently held its inaugural meeting on Sept. 17 – 18.
During the network’s first meeting, Rep. Cannon joined leaders from across the U.S. to outline three key policy priorities for the network in the year ahead. The network’s first priority is advocating for legislation that better protects trans people from harm, as well as policies and procedures to ensure accountability when there is violence committed against members of the community. The network will also prioritize lowering poverty rates among the Black LGBTQ+/SGL community by addressing the root causes and symptoms of poverty among the community. Finally, the network will prioritize securing the passage of the federal Equality Act. It will also support state and local non-discrimination laws that provide similar protections to LGBTQ+/SGL people.
For more information on the Good Trouble Network, please click here.
Representative Park Cannon represents the citizens of District 58, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves as the House Minority Caucus Secretary. She also serves on the Code Revision, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance, Creative Arts & Entertainment, Ethics and Small Business Development committees.
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