Acknowledgements

The LGBTQ Institute at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and Georgia State University would like to acknowledge the LGBTQ individuals who took the survey.

Your willingness to be part of one of the largest studies of LGBTQ people in the South will help the public and many local, state, and national organizations better understand what it is like to be LGBTQ in the Southeastern United States. We hope that these data can be used to help direct efforts that will make the South a welcoming and safe place for LGBTQ people.

We are grateful to you. Thank you.

The survey team would also like to thank the following individuals for their tremendous contributions to the research, writing, and layout of this survey report: A special thank you to all the LGBTQ Institute Research Fellows who worked extensively to compile and analyze the survey data: Ana LaBoy (Georgia State University), Renee Shelby (Georgia Tech), Michael Jo Saint (Georgia State University), Courtni Andrews (Emory University), and Joshua Simpkins (Georgia State University). Thank you to our research fellows who coordinated outreach during the field period and supported our work with all of our survey partners: Rachael McCrosky (Georgia State University), Calvin Tendai Pegus (Georgia State University), Hannah Fuller (Emory University), and Madison Higbee (Georgia State University).

We are also grateful to the LGBTQ Institute’s esteemed Advisory Board Members for providing direction and thought leadership throughout the project: Dee Dee Ngozi Chamblee, R. Ashley Jackson, Eric R. Wright, Ph.D., Tracee McDaniel, Tim’m T. West, Morna Gerrard, Hillery Rink, Kaden Borseth, Letitia M. Campbell, Ph.D., Michael Shutt, Ph.D., Holiday Simmons, E.R. Anderson, and Michael J. Adee, PhD. Thank you to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Board of Directors and staff who believe that LGBTQ rights must be an integral part of the Center’s mission, and for supporting the LGBTQ Institute’s work.

Thank you to our donors who helped support our efforts to create and conduct the LGBTQ Institute Southern Survey. Without their support, this survey would not have happened: Brian Tolleson and Aaron Smith, Edie Cofrin, Thomas S. Woodward, Sue Martin and Linda Bolan, Enid and Jerry Draluck, Gerry Lowrey, Kevin Palmer and Tom Ellicott, Glen Paul Freedman, Beth Herndon and Robin Huskey, Scott Stern, Teresa M. Joyce, Gail Podolsky, Jason Schneider, Jeff Cleghorn and David Ruiz, Christopher Wilbanks, Eddie Dill, and Dr. Jesse Peel. We also want to thank two firms who have provided pro bono design and public relations services: BarkBark and Weber Shandwick. Specifically thank you to James Richards, and Claire Golden at Weber Shandwick. Thank you also to Rob Baskin, Margaret Warner, Heather Hughes, and Danny McGee.

Last but not least, we want to thank all of our survey partners who joined with us to conduct this survey across the south. The LGBTQ Institute alone could not have done this without the support of local, state and regional grassroots organizations. We are grateful to you all and look forward to future collaboration.