Tim Gunn

April 17, 2013 Buck Cooke Executive Director Atlanta Pride Via e-mail: buck@atlantapride.org Dear Mr. Cooke, I am a longtime supporter of Pride events, and I have the greatest respect for the positive impact Pride's annual festivities have on local communities. I am also a longtime supporter of PETA, and it is in that capacity that I write to you. I'm concerned that Atlanta Pride's kick-off party will once again be held at the Georgia Aquarium. The loud music and normal party raucousness that are part of the Pride event are deeply disturbing and unnerving to the sound-sensitive beluga whales at the aquarium. These mammals communicate by sonar. In fact, a United Nations wildlife panel and a Natural Resources Defense Council study have revealed that excessive amounts of loud noise can be torturous for whales. PETA has informed me that you and the Atlanta Pride Board of Directors are, indeed, aware of these issues but have dismissed them. I trust that this cannot be the case. As a leader of Pride, you champion the human rights of the individuals in the LGBT community. How is it possible to be simultaneously dismissive of the pain and anguish suffered by another species of mammal? I implore you to consider a new venue for Atlanta Pride's kick-off party. With close to six months of lead time, you can surely make it work. I believe that Atlanta's LGBT community would agree that the kick-off celebration would be more in keeping with Pride's spirit and these compassionate changing times if the party were cruelty-free. I thank you for your consideration. Sincerely,

Tim Gunn cc: Atlanta Pride Board of Directors