This Pride Month, We’re Celebrating GAYTL and Beyond

No matter who you are, the past couple of years have been… a lot. And if you’re in the queer community, it’s… even more a lot. It feels like legislators are dedicating all of their time to attacking our community (obsessed much?). Which means how we observe Pride season this year feels extra important.

The current climate brings to mind the words of activist Dan Savage, who said, “During the darkest days of the AIDS crisis, we buried our friends in the morning, we protested in the afternoon, and we danced at night. The dance kept us in the fight because it was the dance we were fighting for.”

Here at Nebo, we’re fighting hard and dancing even harder. We’re celebrating Pride with more joy, more rage, and more sadness than in years past. And we’re over the moon about our Pride theme for the year. But I can’t get into that before pausing to acknowledge the struggles we’re facing.    

First, the bad news.

As of May 2026, more than 529 bills targeting our community are currently pending before state legislatures, and 50 anti-trans bills have been passed. 

Gender-affirming passports and driver’s licenses were invalidated in Kansas, forcing transgender people to choose between accepting an identity that isn’t theirs or their freedom to vote and travel. Kansas also passed a law barring trans people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity. 

States like Florida, Indiana, Tennessee, Texas, Idaho, Iowa, Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Montana have joined Kentucky in putting their time and effort towards punishing trans people for existing. 

Funding for essential LGBTQ+ organizations was brutally slashed, including for the Trevor Project, one of our most beloved clients. This administration cut $800M in LGBTQ+ health research (so far). 

Suicide prevention lifelines for queer or questioning youth were shut down. There’s no nice way to say it: that’s some evil villain shit. It feels like they’re trying to eradicate us from society. (A truly impossible effort, btw. News flash: gender nonconforming people have been here since we were wearing togas and building the pyramids. They’re not some new hyper-woke concept the left invented to piss off the right. But I digress.)

What hurts even more, it’s not just evil legislators acting alone. Public approval of gay rights and marriage equality has truly dropped. Recent polls found that support for the right to same-sex marriage dropped from 70% in 2021 to 54% in 2025. As a queer person, it’s hard knowing that when you look around a room, half of the people in it might not approve of you, your life, the way you fall in love. 

But hey. Some good things happened, too. The good news: 

So far, same-sex marriage challenges have not been successful. Delaware’s Sarah McBride made history as the first openly trans member to be elected to Congress. Our hometown of Atlanta refused to paint over our iconic rainbow crosswalk in Midtown. And Artemis II marked the most diverse crew of astronauts ever to orbit the moon. Okay, they weren’t gay (that we know of—it’s never too late to switch teams). But they were a symbol of inclusion and hope, an inspiration we clung to. 

And, as always, gay culture continues to dominate the zeitgeist. The Hunting Wives had straight moms everywhere feeling things. The entire world became infatuated with two hockey players — no, not those brothers — our new friends Ilya Rozanov and Shane Hollander. Yes, we’re still in the cabin. And yes, Heated Rivalry almost had me watching real hockey.

And, uh, that might be it on the good news front.

The good (but bad?) thing is, we’re used to this. That’s why Pride exists.

We’re no strangers to being on the bad end of discriminatory legislation, violence, slurs, and in the big 2026, extremist podcaster commentary *shudder*. But we’ve endured this rough social climate together. We rallied, we organized, and we were there for each other — like we’ve always had to be. 

Let’s not forget that the first Pride parade was a protest. It took place in 1970, on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in NYC. 

Meanwhile, in our hometown of Atlanta, early activists faced extreme violence and backlash. With no good end in sight, they continued to fight. Atlanta trailblazers like Berl Boykin, Steve Abbott and Lorraine Fontana organized groundbreaking organizations like the Georgia Gay Liberation Front and Atlanta Lesbian Feminist Alliance. Icon Paul Dolan was one of Atlanta’s first gender nonconforming figures, performing “cosmic drag” under the stage name Severin. Figures like Mary Louise Covington and Lendon Sadler continued to shape and push forward the Pride movement in Atlanta. 

These local revolutionaries fought for acceptance in our city, advocating for both queer and civil rights. Because of them, we can all proudly live in ATL. And their influence reaches far beyond our city. They set the stage for queer Georgians like Alice Walker, Lil Nas X, the Indigo Girls and many other LGBTQ+ artists and activists who have influenced culture and the world at large. They’re part of the reason that Rupaul Charles was drawn to spend his formative years in ATL, and credits many of his life lessons to his time in the city. 

The influence of queer Atlantans can be felt and seen not just here, but everywhere. 

Including in our Pride theme for 2026: GAYTL and Beyond. 

We observe Pride every year at Nebo, and we don’t just pop a rainbow treatment on our logo and call it a day (some of our peers should take notes). We take this moment to learn, educate, and support our community. 

The Nebo community is wider than just our hometown of Atlanta. As a hybrid office, we have teammates all over the country and world. So this year, we wanted to celebrate both our Atlanta roots and our larger community of not just fellow Neebs, but queer people everywhere. 

Enter GAYTL & Beyond. 

Because we won’t be silenced, anywhere. Because we still have so much to celebrate, everywhere. Because it’s more important than ever to take action in our local communities, wherever they may be. Because we wanted to give a nod to the astronauts who brought us a small glimmer of positivity in this dark time. And because of our pride in being GAYTLiens, of course. 

This month (and in Atlanta’s Pride month, which is October), we’ll be showing love to local queer-owned businesses and supporting organizations like the Trans Liberation Basketball League. In the office, we’re screening Andy Warhol’s “Lonesome Cowboys,” the film that played as APD raided Ansley Mall in 1969 during an event that’s been called Atlanta’s Stonewall. We’ll be educating through our Atlanta LGBTQ+ history email series, and turning Nebo’s iconic Beer Fridays into Queer Fridays. 

These are just some of what we’re up to. And we’re not just rallying in GAYTL, but in communities beyond. 

Want to support your local queer community this Pride? 

It’s easy. Go to that drag show. Go to that queer-owned coffee shop (is it even an oat milk latte if it wasn’t made by a gay person?). Go to your favorite sports team’s Pride night, or support a local LGBTQ+ league. Put your money where your mouth is and donate to The Trevor Project.

If you don’t know where to start, the Everywhere is Queer App can help you discover queer-owned businesses local to you. If you’re a queer person trying to find your community in the first place, groups like Stand in Pride ensure that every one of us can find a family and support system. 

However you’re celebrating this Pride, we hope you pour love into your local queer community, wherever home is for you. 

As for Nebo’s gay agenda? We’ll be planting a Pride flag on the moon.