Keisha Lance Bottoms, former mayor of Atlanta and the Democratic nominee for Georgia governor, is sponsoring a Halloween event organized by ColGay Pride, an LGBTQ+ group based in Columbus, Georgia. The event, described as the organization's final Halloween celebration after 13 years of operation, will include both family-friendly activities during daytime hours and drag performances beginning after 9 p.m., according to promotional materials from the group.

ColGay Pride describes its mission as "promoting diversity, inclusion and equality for the LGBTQ community in Columbus and the surrounding areas." The group's video advertisement states that from 5-8 p.m., children can participate in trick-or-treating through "spooky trails" with a costume contest, while the "adults-only" portion begins after 9 p.m. and features what the group calls a "hallo queen show."

The organization said it is closing its doors next year due to financial difficulties. "It has become far too difficult to raise money when our financial aid was cut off completely under Trump, when our own citizens — the very people we have served for twenty years — do not donate," ColGay Pride stated in a Facebook post thanking Bottoms for her sponsorship.

Bottoms will face Republican nominee Rick Jackson in Georgia's November general election. The race has included debate over gender policy issues, including the Riley Gaines Act, which bans biological men from competing in women's sports.

What the Right Is Saying

Republican groups have seized on the sponsorship as evidence of what they describe as far-left positions on gender issues. The Jackson campaign issued a statement saying, "Keisha Bottoms and the other Democrats said they'd have vetoed the Riley Gaines Act. They won't protect girls' sports, but they will open the floodgates for woke ideology in our schools."

Critics argue that even with age separation at events, political candidates sponsoring drag-related programming raises questions about priorities. "While families are struggling with inflation and crime concerns, Democratic nominees are focused on sponsoring drag shows," one Republican communications official stated.

During a gubernatorial debate, Bottoms said she would have vetoed the Riley Gaines Act, stating that decisions about athletic competition "shouldn't be happening at the state Capitol" and should be left to "respective athletic associations." That comment has become a central attack point for Jackson's campaign in television advertisements and digital communications.

The Republican Governors Association has highlighted Bottoms' history with LGBTQ programming around children as part of its broader criticism of her gubernatorial candidacy. "Georgia families deserve a governor who will protect kids from radical experiments," the group stated in recent advertising.

What the Left Is Saying

Progressive groups and LGBTQ advocates point to ColGay Pride's statement that federal funding cuts have forced community organizations to depend on individual sponsorships to survive. Supporters note that Bottoms' sponsorship comes as these organizations face unprecedented financial pressure under the current administration, making private support essential for communities that have lost access to traditional funding sources.

"These organizations served their communities for twenty years, and now they're being pushed out because they can't raise money when government aid was cut off," one advocacy group stated in response to questions about LGBTQ organization closures. "Community members stepping up to sponsor events isn't radical — it's keeping essential services alive."

LGBTQ advocates emphasize that the event separates family programming from adult entertainment by design, with children present only during daytime hours before 9 p.m. when drag performances begin. They note this is a standard practice at many community events.

Bottoms has previously defended her support for LGBTQ visibility. In 2019, after Fulton County library system removed a scheduled "drag queen story time" from its events, Bottoms wrote on social media: "Ms. Terra Cotta Sugarbaker and all our LGBTQ friends are always welcome at Atlanta City Hall."

What the Numbers Show

ColGay Pride states it has served the Columbus, Georgia area for 20 years and is closing after 13 years of hosting Halloween celebrations. The organization did not specify how much Bottoms contributed to the event — her campaign had not responded to requests for comment at time of publication.

Bottoms' gubernatorial campaign has faced other complications. In 2021, a Campaign Finance Commission fined her $37,000 for accepting over $60,000 in contributions that exceeded legal limits and $110,000 that exceeded debt caps during her mayoral re-election campaign.

During Bottoms' final year as Atlanta mayor, homicides increased by 58% compared to the previous year, according to city crime statistics. She announced she would not pursue re-election amid what she described as a COVID-era crime spike.

Georgia's gubernatorial race is scheduled for November, with early voting and absentee ballot deadlines set by state law. Polling averages in competitive governor races typically show margins within single digits between major party nominees.

The Bottom Line

Bottoms' sponsorship of the LGBTQ Halloween event highlights how gender policy has become a central fault line in Georgia's gubernatorial race. With both candidates cleared to face each other after primary elections, the Jackson campaign is using her past statements on women's sports and community events as evidence of radical positions, while Bottoms' supporters frame her backing of struggling community organizations as principled leadership during a time when such groups face funding challenges.

What happens next: Georgia voters will decide between the two candidates in November. Watch for whether this issue surfaces in televised debates, campaign advertising, or get-out-the-vote efforts targeting each candidate's base. The outcome could affect state-level policies on athletic competition, LGBTQ programming in public spaces, and community organization regulations.