Atlanta Pride 2019
Bishops of Atlanta celebrated Atlanta’s annual Pride Festival (Oct 11th – 13th) by partnering with rideshare company Lyft to help pride attendees express their pride with glitter roots, rainbow body art, and quick styling. The Atlanta Pride Festival is one of the oldest and largest pride festivals in the country, established in 1971 with over 300,00 attendees as of 2017. Bishops was honored to work with Lyft for their #TwoIsTooFew campaign, a message that aligns with our goal of creating a safe space that is not only free of judgment but also a space where we can use our talents to allow people to fully express their most authentic selves.
Members from the three Atlanta area shops; North Decatur, Chamblee and Toco Hills; spent the day in Piedmont Park on Saturday (10/12) of Atlanta Pride at the Lyft tent adorning people with pride glitter hair and body art. It was a pleasure to not only help those who visited us to feel the positivity and energy that comes with celebrating pride, but to also talk with and share experiences with those from all walks of life.
Bishops wants to thank Lyft for including us in their campaign, #TwoIsTooFew, which highlights Lyft’s dedication to their rider’s safety and the validity of the spectrum of expression for trans and non-binary patrons. Even further, Lyft has partnered with the National Center for Transgender Equality to assist their trans drivers in changing the name and gender designations on their driver’s license.
The roots of Atlanta Pride were laid by the infamous Stonewall Riots, a police raid of the Stonewall Inn on 1969 during a time when homosexual acts were illegal. Members of the LGBTQ community fought back against the forcible detention of three drag queens and a lesbian, effectively sparking the first equal rights protest for the LGBTQ communities.
The first Atlanta Pride was organized a year after the Stonewall Riots and received little to no attention from the public or media. However, in 1972, the press and local television stations began covering the march which promoted attendees to wear paper bags to protect their identities, and in turn themselves, from the physical dangers and professional repercussions that they might face simply for their sexual orientation or expression. In turn, the covering of their faces was also a stark reminder of how these people lived invisibly within society, hiding for their protection.
There is still much progress to be had, but without a doubt, the progress and activism sparked by the Stonewall Riots created a generation that is more expressive, proud, and inclusive than ever. During a time when the Supreme Court of the United States is weighing if discrimination against LGBTQ individuals in the workplace is constitutional, we must stand together more than ever.
“We believe that different is good, different should be celebrated, and we can be different together. We are here to empower you to be whoever you want to be, judgment-free. We take pride in our craft and go out of our way to be decent human beings.” – Bishops ethos.
Bishops Toco Hills is located at 2929 North Druid Hills Road, Atlanta, GA
Bishops North Decatur is located at 1565 Church St, Decatur, GA 30033
Bishops Chamblee is located at 5070 Peachtree Blvd, Chamblee GA 30341