A Safe Space for LGBTQ+ Info: Ask Ida
“It’s such a scary time, and you know, I’m from South Georgia. I didn’t know any gay people… I definitely didn’t know any trans people growing up. Just the curiosity of not having someone to ask that would be appropriate, you know, not having a safe space to ask was something that… immediately felt wrong” – Ida Barrett.
Why It’s Newsworthy: Facing 241 anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting student and educator rights in the U.S., safe spaces for acceptance and verifiable information regarding the queer community are important. Barrett is directly involved in creating and fostering those safe spaces in Athens, via APQC’s LGBTQ+ Youth Group and her own personal advice website.
Who is Ida?
Ida Barrett is the Director of Community Outreach for the Athens Pride and Queer Collective. Barrett, a pansexual woman, is quite outspoken about her and APQC’s goals. Through both APQC’s LGBTQ+ Youth Group and her anonymous advice website, she goes above and beyond to support the queer community of Athens.
Barrett aims to provide safe spaces, information and guidance to fellow members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Growing up, she felt as if she couldn’t discuss sexual orientation or identity. “I felt like if I asked these types of questions, I was going to get into trouble or something was wrong with me,” said Barrett.
LGBTQ+ Youth in America
The figure depicts survey responses from the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Youth Report of 2023 and The Trevor Project, both of which are based in the United States. The Human Rights Campaign surveyed 13,000 LGBTQ+ youths between the ages of 13 and 18, while the Trevor Project surveyed 18,000 LGBTQ+ youths between the ages of 13 and 24.
Unfortunately, Barrett’s experiences are not uncommon. The 2024 Trevor Project reported that only around 40% of LGBTQ+ youth deemed home an affirming space, and only around 52% deemed school an affirming space.
Additionally, the American Civil Liberties Union has tracked 241 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in various stages that target student and educator rights (as of March 14th, 2025), 45 of which aim to restrict or censor school curricula.
Barrett strives to combat the lack of security felt by queer youth, as well as current attempts to restrict LGBTQ+ education via the LGBTQ+ Youth Group.
According to the Trevor Project, 12% of LGBTQ+ youths attempted suicide last year. However, LGBTQ+ youths who reported living in accepting communities attempted suicide at half the rate of those living in unaccepting communities.
“Any child being able to avoid those feelings is incredible. And being able to get real information that’s unbiased, that’s factual, that’s backed by science is huge,” says Barrett. She is thankful that those who attend “have parents and support systems who are happy to allow… them to explore their identity and to understand the identity of others.”
What Opposition / Why Opposition?
Many of the 241 anti-LGBTQ+ bills directed towards educator and student rights state a general intention to “protect” the youth. For example, S.B. 120 and S.B. 248, 2 of the 5 anti-LGBTQ+ student-educator bills currently advancing in Georgia, aim to prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and heavily restrict access to LGBTQ+ information or topics. S.B. 248 aims to redefine and restrict LGBTQ+ information and materials, citing that they are considered “sexually explicit” or “harmful to minors.”
Barrett believes that “one of the big criticisms about youth, and not even trans youth or queer youth, but just youth in general being exposed to any kind of pride event… is that they’re too young and it’s explicit.”
“There’s such this false narrative that anything that has to do with the LGBTQ+ community is inherently sexual.” – Ida Barrett
Confidence in Identity
The figure above uses the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ+ Youth Report of 2023. The Human Rights Campaign surveyed 13,000 LGBTQ+ youth in the United States between the ages of 13 and 18. (Graphic / Vaughan Stout)
According to the Human Rights Campaign’s 2023 Youth Report, more than 4 out of 5 LGBTQ+ youths knew they were something other than straight before 13-years-old. The reported average age of this discovery was 11.1-years-old.
“Kids are smarter than we give them credit for. And… some right now do know very well what’s going on,” said Barrett. “It has been exciting to see the kids who have been responding already and wanting to take action, and wanting to advocate for themselves, or advocate for… whoever it may be in their life.”
Why Ida?
Barrett believes that “it’s a really angering feeling to see kids so young know that they’re in danger and be so genuinely afraid.”
Through her direct efforts to inform and support the queer youth of Athens, Barrett helps to nurture the accepting community she has grown to love.
“Our hope is that anyone who attends our youth group… that they feel welcomed, included, and see such a large support from not only other queer people, but from allies, and from parents, and from friends.” – Barrett
Ask Ida
For those with questions about their navigating sexuality, you can always ask her at her anonymous advice website. Barrett started the advice website in 2019, with humble beginnings answering everyday questions. The questions quickly grew more personal, delving into topics like job uncertainty, life advice and eventually sexuality.
Although there is a backlog of requests since 2022 due to her busy schedule, Barrett always aims to “be thoughtful and come at it from all angles…but still give it the thought it deserves.”
Barrett says people have always gravitated towards her for advice, which is what led to her starting the website.
There was one particular event that has stuck with her. A few years ago, she ran into some strangers and they started to hit it off. “As the night went on, one of the girls disclosed to me that she was in love with her roommate and didn’t know what to do.”
“She didn’t know how she felt, hadn’t felt anything like that for another girl before… and she was crying to me at the bar,” said Barrett. After around an hour of talking, she left and never saw her again.
“3 years later, I realized that I had been buying coffee from her almost every other day for the past year,” said Barrett. “She is now in a relationship with that former roommate, and they are as happy as can be.”
“That has been one of the coolest things…to see. This random stranger at a bar disclose this to me and now her life is lovely,” said Barrett.
Though this particular run in has imprinted on Barrett, she claims these occurrences are both quite common and bring her so much joy. Her expertise, her passion and her direct involvement in the Athens community are just a few of the many reasons to do one thing:
Ask Ida.
The Athens Safe Haven Resolution and What it Means for the LGBTQ+ Community
By: Vaughan Stout
Athens will remain a safe haven for LGBTQ members facing continuous pressures under political and social uncertainty. The Athens Safe Haven Resolution passed on Dec. 3, 2024, which battles anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and promotes ant-discrimination policies. While two out of ten Athens-Clarke commissioners opposed, the resolution declares Athens a Safe Haven for the LGBTQ community and promises that the city will defend its queer populace legally and socially.
The Athens-Clarke County City Hall, as photographed next to a local directory. (Photo / Vaughan Stout)
The Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission proposed the bill, citing a nationwide “rise in legislation and social attitudes that threaten the rights, safety, and dignity LGBTQIA+individuals.” Dozens of community members voiced their support of the resolution, and echoes of that support still ring today.
Community members like Ida Barrett, board member of the Athens Pride and Queer Collective, believe in the resolution’s mission to protect the queer community. “This wonderful place is on their side,” said Barrett.
She believes that community is important and that being quiet won’t make things better. To her, it takes a strong voice, combined effort and queer joy to protect LGBTQ+ rights.
“Joy is resistance.” – Barrett
Why It’s Newsworthy:
The Athens Safe Haven Resolution aims to protect sexual orientation and gender identity With state and federal legislators actively targeting LGBTQ+ rights, community perceptions of LGBTQ+ advocacy are important.
Community Reception / APQC
The Athens Pride and Queer Collective logo as seen on their website, created by Athenian illustrator Beaux Xavier (they/them), 2022. (Illustration / Beaux Xavier)
Barrett, the director of community outreach at the Athens Pride and Queer Collective, feels the Athens Safe Haven Resolution is a major step forward for the community. The APQC is a local-involvement-centered non-profit that focuses on engaging with and supporting the queer community in Athens. Barrett is delighted by the outpouring of support for the resolution.
“It was really, really incredible to see the support from the community at those meetings where individuals showed up in support of it and spoke in support of it, and we didn’t have to ask them to do that. So that was really, really incredible to just see that outpouring of love from the Athens Community,” said Barrett.
Barrett is a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, and she feels as if the resolution will allow those that are either attending Athens for college (the University of Georgia) or that are unfamiliar with Athens as a whole will have more reason to stay. She believes LGBTQ+ individuals can “find community” or “find solace with that knowledge that this is somewhere that they can build a life” and a “bigger community”.
What is the Athens Safe Haven Resolution?
The resolution is a formal promise from the city to actively oppose anti-LGBTQ+ legislation introduced in the Georgia Assembly and Senate, as well as urge Georgia legislators to promote anti-discrimination policies. The resolution restates and reaffirms the city’s efforts to ensure Athens is a welcoming, officially labeled “safe haven” for LGBTQ+ by combating ongoing harmful legislation on the local, state and federal levels as well as strengthening and introducing pro-LGBTQ+ programs.
It also aims to renew the goals of the renamed People and Belonging Department, reaffirm efforts to prioritize diversity and inclusion, uphold Athens’ Non-Discrimination Ordinance, support LGBTQ+ events and programs, and encourage public safety officials and law enforcement to undergo proper sensitivity training. The final call to action in the resolution required a copy of the resolution be sent to Georgia Senators, State Representatives, and Gov. Brian Kemp himself.
Community Reception / Siren Antoinette
Siren Antoinette takes the stage in Athens most weekends to perform with a local drag troupe called the Athens Showgirl Cabaret. Antoinette, who lives in Duluth, recently came out as transgender two years ago, and has had a long journey with queerness.
Being transgender, Antoinette is upset and disappointed with the presidential administration’s efforts to deprioritize the LGBTQ+ community.
But when Antionette comes to Athens, she is taken aback. Not only by the welcoming queer environment when she performs, but also by the Athens Safe Haven Resolution.
“It’s awesome…that they’re looking out for us,” said Antionette.
Current Opposition
Two days after the presidential inauguration, President Donald Trump has already rolled back DEI initiatives that protect workplace diversity. Additionally, The President issued many executive orders, some of which aim to ban transgender identification in the U.S. as well as ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
Recently, transgenderism (and the LGBTQ+ community as a whole) has become quite prevalent in the news cycle. Although it is a topic that generates discourse, the transgender community is a legally vulnerable minority of individuals.
While making up around 0.6% of the U.S. population (and around 1% of U.S. population being nonbinary), non-gender-conforming individuals have been socially and violently targeted for their perceived otherness.
For the 2024 election cycle, politicians spent around $200 million of anti-transgender and pro-Project 2025 ads. These sentiments and their adjacent legislative actions aim to restrict or ban gender-affirming healthcare and gender nonconformity.
Athens / Georgia LGBTQ+ History
A UGA Pride Alliance pin provided at the UGA Spring Engagement Fair on Jan. 28, 2025. The UGA Pride Alliance is the University of Georgia’s first LGBTQ+ student organization, which has aimed to educate and support queer students since 1971.
Athens, as well as the University of Georgia, has a history of protecting and advocating for the rights of the queer community. The University of Georgia’s Special Collections Library contains an extensive history of LGBTQ+ allegiance in Athens. LGBTQ+ organizations emerged as early as 1971 with the Committee of Gay Education, which led to the formation of the UGA Pride Alliance.
Years after the formation of the Committee of Gay Education, the Georgia Supreme Court Ruling in 1998 overturned Georgia’s anti-sodomy law. The law was often targeted towards the homosexual community to outlaw same-sex intercourse.
Then in 2015, same-sex marriage was made legal in the entirety of the United States.
Anti-LGBTQ+ in 2025 / Why the Resolution is Important Now
The figure depicts the number of anti-LGBTQ+ bills in various stages of progress being tracked through the United States, with data provided by the American Civil Liberties Union. (Graphic / Vaughan Stout))
The American Civil Liberties Union, the nation’s leader in civil liberty protection and advocacy, has tracked 456 anti-LGBTQ+ bills in various stages of progress as of Feb. 26, 2025 (and nearly 600 as of Apr. 23, 2025). That is nearly as many as the record high 533 anti-LGBTQ+ bills tracked last year, a staggering 450% increase since 2020.
49 of the bills tracked in 2024 were passed into law. Georgia only contributed a mere 2.5% of the total bills being tracked last year, all of which were defeated before being written into law.
Though most of the bills didn’t pass into law in 2024, as of Apr. 29, 2025 11 anti-LGBTQ+ bills are advancing to the next stage, and 2 have been passed into law. With this surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation in the U.S., it is important to reflect on not only the legal attacks on the queer community, but the physical attacks as well.
The figure depicts the monthly number of recorded sexual orientation motivated hate crimes committed from 2015 to 2023 in the United States, using data reported from the FBI. (Graphic / Vaughan Stout)
FBI crime data reveals that anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes have increased steadily since 2015, with an exponential increase since June of 2020. Nationwide, there were 213 LGBT-directed hate crimes reported in June 2023 alone, which is nearly as much as every month in 2016 combined.
The Path Forward in the Athens Safe Haven
One of the many rainbow crosswalks installed in Downtown Athens following the APQC’s Rainbow Crosswalk Initiative of 2019 and the Athens-Clarke County’s East Clayton Street Improvements Project of 2022.
Athens has fostered a diverse LGBTQ+ community. The city, many of its programs, many of its businesses and much of its community provide, protect, and support the queer community. With a variety of queer programs, legislation, organizations and accessibility to gender-affirming care, Athens maintains a diverse environment.
Through the Athens Safe Haven Resolution, the city can serve as an example of the importance of queer support and acceptance.
LGBTQ+ stickers on the storefront of 3 Ravens Tattoo & Piercings, a popular local tattoo and body modification shop in downtown Athens. The shop supports LGBTQ+ individuals, and they demonstrated their support with their float in the 2024 Athens Pride Parade. (Photo / Vaughan Stout)
“Our most powerful tool for any individual is your voice. It’s advocating for yourself. It’s advocating for your family. It’s advocating for your friends. It’s advocating for your larger community. And I think that’s the only way you can find the other voices that are screaming,” said Barrett.
News Conference
Mayor Kelly Girtz addresses Georgia Square Mall Redevelopment
By Vaughan Stout
Multimedia (video, story)
Mayor Kelly Girtz held a news conference at the University of Georgia’s Instructional Plaza Feb. 24 to discuss his plans for a mixed-use restructuring of the 75–acre plot of land that currently houses the Georgia Square Mall. The 43-year-old mall was once a largely beloved shopping center, but it has lost a significant portion of its business to more modern competitors since 2010.
According to a presentation from Girtz and the Georgia Square Mall Redevelopment TAD Funding Application, the project seeks to create more than a mile of trails, a transit station in Western Athens, improved tree canopy and greenery, residential and business buildings, a center green, and around 1,200 affordable housing units. This development seeks to better utilize the space and create a pleasant, efficient and interactive urban environment.
Though the plan intends to create an improved natural and urban environment, the construction required raisees questions about the environmental impact of the process.
Girtz said that there are many climate factors to consider when managing an urban landscape. He then said that more than 1,000 trees will be added, stormwater will be better managed, water and air quality will be more closely monitored, and public transit will be improved and that these will lead to less daily impact on the environment.
The environmental improvements proposed by the mayor would make better use of the 75-acre space. The mayor feels if the Georgia Square Mall is not t repurposed then the site will go to waste, and he does not want his reputation to be “attached to a gravel pit.”
“By creating a more dense urban fabric…what we’ve been able to do is preserve lots of green space and create lots of tree canopy, and of course we know in this time of climate change the better our tree canopy the more that we’re supporting air, water, and the ground beneath our feet,” said Girtz.
Why I Wrote the Story:
This story demonstrates the necessity of press conferences and their ability to relay important information regarding local community processes from officials to the public. The redevelopment of the Georgia Square Mall is quite in important topic in the Athens community in that it requires significant funding and seeks to address several community issues, and Athenians deserve to be informed on how their mayor intends to handle the matter. Luckily, Mayor Girtz plans to manage environmental consequences, benefit the landscape, and benefit the homeless with this plan, lacing it in the direct line of fire of my beat: sustainability.
Profile Story
Suzanne DeGrasse: ‘Primarily ‘possums’ rehabilitation vital in springtime
By Vaughan Stout
Multimedia (video, story)
Animal rehabilitator Suzanne “Suzie” DeGrasse speaks slowly and thoughtfully, the smile tangible in her inflections as she recounts stories of her childhood love for nature. When asked when her passion for wildlife was ignited, she paused thoughtfully before she answered. It was almost as if she were reminiscing on the life events that drew her towards animals at such an early age. DeGrasse was and remains “wild about wildlife,” making her work imperative to managing the influx of helpless animals that emerge in the warm seasons.
DeGrasse is an animal rehabilitator in Ila, Georgia, who specializes in the care of opossums, cottontail rabbits, armadillos and bats. Although she is licensed in the care of other small mammals and songbirds as well, she found that her skills and heart guided her toward the former, hence her slogan “primarily ‘possums, but bats and bunnies and oddballs too.”
With spring hitting its peak, summer quickly approaching and 330 species currently listed as protected in Georgia, animal rehabilitation is more important than ever. According to DeGrasse, the warm months signal the animal rehabilitation busy period, as animals begin having offspring and emerging from hibernation to get themselves in all sorts of trouble. This trouble is largely quelled and managed by caring individuals like DeGrasse, who derive pure joy and purpose from the safekeeping of defenseless creatures.
DeGrasse’s passion for defenseless creatures was present at a young age. She said she always found animals more interesting than people, even going as far to say that one of her favorite items when she was young was an animal encyclopedia. This love for animals grew throughout her life, until one event cemented animal rehabilitation in her mind.
DeGrasse had been working at a library for some time. One day it had the misfortune of being in the path of a tornado. After it passed, she arrived to find a young sparrow displaced from its nest. DeGrasse, struck by her animal compassion, made the decision: she would mother the young bird.
Although DeGrasse cared deeply for the bird and researched the correct caretaking methods, the bird was handicapped. DeGrasse was very pained by this, but it taught her that if she were going to nurse animals back to health, she needed to do it the right way.
The right way to aid helpless animals is often more complicated than one may think. According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, “most native species of wildlife cannot be held without permits or licenses,” meaning that most species can only be rehabilitated legally and safely by specialists like DeGrasse.
Using her extensive organization skills and memory, coupled with her master’s degree in library and information science, DeGrasse is able to competently handle the springtime patient influx. Although there are a slew of different care-taking requirements that vary greatly depending on the age and species of the animal, she does so with a smile on her face.
DeGrasse was thankful for the opportunity to be interviewed. Even when she is not saving the lives of animals, her compassion is palpable and a clear aspect of her character. She asked if this interview would be published, not because she was nervous of the press, but because she wants the world to know about the importance of animal rehabilitation.
Describing the most redeeming aspects of the job, she paused with each sentence, as if relishing the joy these acts brought her.
“On a daily basis, being their mom for a little while, meeting their emotional needs, keeping their immune systems strong, keeping them feeling safe. Possums rolled over with their bellies sticking up, feeling safe. I feel proud to be a part of it,” Degrasse said.
Animal care is going to be increasingly important in the coming months as wildlife and their young begin finding themselves in distress. Compassionate rehabilitators will rise to the occasion. People who are kind to others, but have a unique connection with wildlife. People whose voice wavers when they mention the rewarding feeling of brief animal motherhood. People like Suzanne DeGrasse.
“Animals make more sense than people,” DeGrasse said.
Why I Wrote the Story:
This story has been my favorite story by far. I met Suzie DeGrasse briefly when writing my event coverage story, and I immediately knew I wanted to write my profile story on her. I wanted to showcase her passion and the importance of her career, both of which are dedicated to creating a safe environment for vial members of our ecosystem.
Event Coverage
Bear Hollow Zoo celebrates annual Zoo Day
By Vaughan Stout
Multimedia (video, story)
(Photo Courtesy/Vaughan Stout)
Zoo Day, an annual educational and interactive event held in Memorial Park’s Bear Hollow Zoo, drew Athens residents to learn about the non-releasable animals that reside there. The event brought artists, vendors, passionate staff and curious citizens together to spread awareness, inform and inspire each other regarding the Georgia wildlife vital to the Athens environment.
Bear Hollow Zoo, located in Memorial Park, is one of the many attractions Athens has to offer. According to the Bear Hollow Zoo Program Guide, the zoo houses around 30 animals deemed non-releasable by a veterinarian or the Department of Natural Resources. The guide states these animals are to serve as “ambassadors for their species,” meaning the zoo not only takes care of their fundamental needs and enrichment, but also uses them as learning opportunities for the public.
(Photo courtesy/Vaughan Stout)
Zoo Day, held March 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is a key example of how these ambassador species benefit the public in a way that also benefits themselves. The zoo staff go out of their way to enrich and enhance the livelihoods of the animals while simultaneously providing visitors with knowledge about the importance of wildlife, its preservation and its rehabilitation.
“It is pretty much shining a light on our animals, on habitat. We pick the themes and we have enrichment made for all the animals that go with the theme,” said the Memorial Park program leader, Alyssa Vinson.
Vinson said the theme for this Zoo Day was artists, which allowed staff and visitors to admire local art in a way that also celebrates the zoo and its animals. The staff, invited guests and artists all displayed a depth of knowledge and passion for native Georgian species and were happy to pass it on to zoo-goers in easily digestible ways.
Suzie DeGrasse, a licensed wildlife rehabilitator, was one of the many featured guests present at the event. She works closely with Bear Hollow Zoo and provided them with their ambassador opossums, Tater and Tot. Degrasse is very passionate about helping injured wildlife, making her a great representative for the mindset this event hopes to instill in zoo visitors .
DeGrasse said, “That there is help available. That there are people out there who are dedicated to helping injured and orphaned wildlife.”
“You don’t have to just sit back and let nature take its course,” said DeGrasse.
Why I Wrote the Story:
Writing this story allowed me to experience the reality of event coverage and on-the-spot interviewing, two very difficult yet vital aspects of my future vocation. The story also gave me the opportunity to cover not only the lovely wildlife our state has to offer, but also the exemplary caretakers that have the privilege of overlooking their wellbeing.