CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — Hundreds of thousands of people are in town this weekend for a decades-long tradition - Atlanta Pride
And while the focus is on celebrating the LGBTQ community, a metro Atlanta man is at the center of a Supreme Court case after he claimed he was fired because of his sexual orientation.
For Gerald Bostock, Saturday wasn't only a chance to be a part of Atlanta Pride Weekend, but also an opportunity to tell his story.
"This is very humbling and very surreal to me," he said. "I was just in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. I'm one of the cases that went before the United States Supreme Court."
Gerald is a former Clayton County welfare worker. He said he lost his job in 2013 after he joined a gay softball team.
"Never would've imagined it. So, it's kind of shocking," he said. "I lost my livelihood. I lost my source of income. I lost my medical insurance at a time I was recovering from prostate cancer."
The county argued that Gerald was let go because of the results of an audit of funds he managed. The U.S. Appeals Courts ruled in the county's favor. Now, his case has landed in front of the Supreme Court. The high court will decide his and two other cases of alleged job discrimination based on sexual orientation.
"I am confident that the justices will make the right decision here and moving forward what that means for me is that I get to come back to Georgia, the 11th Circuit, and have my day in court," he said.
Gerald now lives in Atlanta.
"It's a much bigger issue than just me," he said.
He said he's been working for years to restore his reputation.
"I'm enjoying my new chapter in my life," he said.