Community Corner

Avondale Estates Adopts Domestic Partnership Registry

Avondale Estates is one of the few local governments in Georgia to adopt a registry of domestic partnerships for same-sex and opposite sex couples.

Only a few local governments in Georgia have domestic partnership registries, including Atlanta, Fulton County and the unified government of Athens-Clarke County.

Now you can add Avondale Estates to that list. The city commission voted Monday night to approve the registry.

Avondale Estates has long been known as a gay-friendly town. A study of the 2010 census found the city had the state's highest population of gay couples at 49.30 per 1,000 households. Decatur came in second with 39.37 per 1,000 households, according to a Decatur/Avondale Estates article published in July 2011.

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Here's information provided by city hall.

On Monday, July 22, 2013 the City of Avondale Estates Board of Mayor and Commissioners unanimously adopted a resolution to provide for the official recognition and registry of same-sex, as well as, opposite sex partnerships, residing within the City. Avondale Estates is one of the first cities in DeKalb County to honor and respect these partnerships and one of a handful of cities within the state of Georgia to take such action.

 
"The City of Avondale Estates is a diverse City." stated Mayor Ed Rieker. "Adding this new service for our residents is a means of showing respect and recognition to the many couples we have living in our City that may want to receive a Domestic Partnership Certificate."

Find out what's happening in Decatur-Avondale Estateswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

 
Residents will be able to request a Domestic Partnership Certificate at City Hall during normal business hours and be entered into the new Domestic Partnership Registry.  Pursuant to the resolution the couple will then be issued a Certificate of Domestic Partnership signed by the Mayor. This Certificate may make it easier for couples to show evidence to receive healthcare benefits, gain hospital visitation rights and access to other rights afforded to married couples 

The City of Decatur doesn't have a registry but provides domestic partnership benefits to employees, said Linda Harris of Decatur City Hall.




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