Editing Valdosta, Georgia (section)

===LGBT pride===

The South Georgia [[Gay pride|Pride Festival]] is held every third Saturday in September. The first festival was held in 2008 on the front lawn of Valdosta State University. In 2009, the festival became South Georgia Pride and held its festival at the John W. Saunders Park in Valdosta in 2010. Valdosta Mayor John J. Fretti proclaimed September 17, 2011, as South Georgia Pride Day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Valdosta Mayor Proclaims Sept. 17 as "South Georgia Pride Day" |url=http://thegavoice.com/valdosta-mayor-proclaims-sept-17-as-south-georgia-pride-day/ |publisher=Georgia Voice |date=September 16, 2011}}</ref>  Since 2010, the festival has grown to over 3,000 people attending. In July 2012, Mayor John Gayle refused to give a proclamation to South Georgia Pride, the only one he has refused.<ref>{{cite news |title=Valdosta mayor refuses to sign South Georgia Pride proclamation |url=http://thegavoice.com/valdosta-mayor-proclaims-sept-17-as-south-georgia-pride-day/ |publisher=Georgia Voice |date=July 25, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Pride denied: Valdosta mayor denies LGBT event proclamation |url=http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/local_news/pride-denied-valdosta-mayor-denies-lgbt-event-proclamation/article_c7a9725e-fa40-536f-815a-d9b37e9a5690.html |publisher=Valdosta Daily Times |date=July 27, 2012}}</ref>