--- title: SR 879. Hayward, David; condolences; enduring contributions to the advancement and preservation of LGBTQ+ history and rights in the State of Georgia; recognize collection: bills id: 2025-2026/sr879 cite_as: SR 879, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.) canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr879 md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr879.md text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr879/text source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73725 date: 2026-03-03 status: introduced corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13 license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice. up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr878.md next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr880.md index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md omitted: votes and history omitted_chars: 95 omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr879.md?full=1 bill_number: SR 879 session: 2025-2026 Regular Session session_slug: 2025-2026 chamber: Senate bill_type: resolution status_date: 2026-02-26 last_action: Senate Read and Referred sponsors: - Nan Orrock - Kenya Wicks - Donzella James - Randal Mangham - Kim Jackson - Gail Davenport - Tonya Anderson - RaShaun Kemp text_version: Enrolled has_text: true legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR879/2025 upstream_id: 2125919 summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5 topic_tags: - LGBTQ+ history - Atlanta activism - Georgia Senate resolution - civil rights - AIDS activism --- # SR 879. Hayward, David; condolences; enduring contributions to the advancement and preservation of LGBTQ+ history and rights in the State of Georgia; recognize ## Text Senate Resolution 879 By: Senators Orrock of the 36th, Wicks of the 34th, James of the 28th, Mangham of the 55th, Jackson of the 41st and others A RESOLUTION Honoring the life and legacy of David Hayward and recognizing his enduring contributions to the advancement and preservation of LGBTQ+ history and rights in the State of Georgia; and for other purposes. WHEREAS, the members of this body join family, friends, and communities throughout Georgia in mourning the passing of David "Dave" Hayward at the age of 76, an activist, historian, and witness to much of Atlanta's early LGBTQ+ rights movement; and WHEREAS, born in New Hampshire, Mr. Hayward made Atlanta his home in 1971, arriving during the nascent stage of the city's modern gay rights movement and dedicating more than five decades to the pursuit of equality, justice, and historical preservation; and WHEREAS, he was an early member of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front and a co-founder of the Atlanta chapter of ACT UP, the political advocacy organization formed in the late 1980s to demand action to end the AIDS pandemic and to confront injustice with courage and urgency; and WHEREAS, Mr. Hayward participated in Atlanta's first sanctioned Pride march in 1972 and remained a visible and vocal presence at protests, commemorations, and community events, steadfast in his belief that equality is achieved not only through policy but through remembrance and collective action; and WHEREAS, as co-founder of Touching Up Our Roots, he helped create an innovative LGBTQ+ story project and self-guided audio tour documenting significant sites, ensuring that the people, places, and movements that shaped the city's LGBTQ+ community would not be lost to time; and WHEREAS, Mr. Hayward understood the profound responsibility of being a witness to history, especially to the devastating impact of the AIDS epidemic, once stating that while we cannot bring loved ones back, we can "call them forth in the present moment to honor and remember them as you educate the future"; and WHEREAS, through his activism, scholarship, and public witness, David Hayward strengthened the moral fabric of the State of Georgia and enriched the history of the City of Atlanta, leaving an indelible mark on generations to come. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body honor the life and legacy of David Hayward and recognize his extraordinary contributions to the advancement of civil rights, the preservation of LGBTQ+ history, and the betterment of the State of Georgia. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make an appropriate copy of this resolution available for distribution to the family of David Hayward. ## Summaries written by Georgia Commons The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary. A Georgia Senate resolution honors the life of David Hayward, an Atlanta LGBTQ+ activist and historian who died at age 76, recognizing his decades of civil rights and historical preservation work. ### Plain-language summary This resolution is a memorial statement from the Georgia Senate rather than a change to state law. It recognizes David Hayward, who moved to Atlanta in 1971 and became an early member of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front and a co-founder of the Atlanta chapter of ACT UP, an AIDS activism group. It notes his participation in Atlanta's first sanctioned Pride march in 1972 and his role co-founding Touching Up Our Roots, an LGBTQ+ history project with a self-guided audio tour of significant Atlanta sites. The resolution formally states that the Senate honors his life and legacy and recognizes his contributions to civil rights and LGBTQ+ history preservation in Georgia. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to send a copy of the resolution to Hayward's family. ### What it does - Formally states that the Georgia Senate honors the life and legacy of David Hayward, an Atlanta LGBTQ+ activist and historian. - Recognizes his roles as an early member of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front and co-founder of the Atlanta chapter of ACT UP. - Recognizes his participation in Atlanta's 1972 Pride march and his co-founding of the Touching Up Our Roots history project. - Directs the Secretary of the Senate to prepare and send a copy of the resolution to Hayward's family. ### Who it affects This resolution directly names David Hayward's family, who will receive a copy, and the Georgia Senate, which adopts the statement. It also touches Atlanta's LGBTQ+ community and history organizations mentioned in the text, such as the Georgia Gay Liberation Front, ACT UP Atlanta, and Touching Up Our Roots. ### Why it matters The resolution carries no legal or funding effect; it is a symbolic honor. Its main real-world consequence is that Hayward's family will receive an official copy from the Senate, and the state record will reflect his contributions to LGBTQ+ history and civil rights advocacy in Georgia. ### Key provisions - The resolution's whereas clauses recount Hayward's biography, including his 1971 move to Atlanta and 76 years of life. - It credits him as an early member of the Georgia Gay Liberation Front and co-founder of the Atlanta chapter of ACT UP. - It notes his participation in Atlanta's first sanctioned Pride march in 1972 and his co-founding of Touching Up Our Roots. - The resolving clause states the Senate honors his life and recognizes his contributions to civil rights, LGBTQ+ history preservation, and the state. - A further resolved clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a copy available to Hayward's family. ## Status - Status: Introduced (2026-02-26) - Last action: Senate Read and Referred (2026-03-03) - Sponsors: Nan Orrock, Kenya Wicks, Donzella James, Randal Mangham, Kim Jackson, Gail Davenport, Tonya Anderson, RaShaun Kemp - Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/73725 > The history, votes, and amendments (95 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr879.md?full=1