From: Secretary-General Jordan Palmer
CONTACT:
Dillan Marsh, Executive Director
Secretary General’s Office of Special Affairs
PH: (502) 219-2533
# # #
Governor Bevin signing Senate Bill 17 into law is hardly shocking and is nothing new. Discrimination under the guise of religion is also nothing new. Senate Bill 17 jeopardizes non-discrimination policies at high schools, colleges, and universities. Though the struggle for LGBTI equality continues to this day, the right wing has been pushing religious freedom to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex people in addition to pregnant and unmarried women under the inhumane calling of religious freedom.
With the push for "local ordinances," which provide no legal protection to LGBTI citizens since the passage of the Kentucky Religious Freedom Act of 2013, along with legalizing same-sex marriage in Kentucky Equality Federation v Commonwealth of Kentucky (based on Jordan Palmer's legal theory) and the U.S. Supreme Court ruling, religious groups continue to push back with great avidity, filled with rage, intolerance, judgement, and fear.
At no time in the history of our Union has religious freedom been in danger. Indeed, Section IV of the Kentucky Constitution specifically addresses this issue.
Today, Kentuckians and Americans seem more bent on tearing each other apart and separating ourselves into groups or classes of people instead of uniting as we did in the Revolutionary War. For the past 14 years, another war has been brewing, the separation of states from our Union because of the complete inability of political parties to compromise and elected officials being loyal to political parties over constituents. This problem is further fueled by "commentary" from media networks who are not reporting news, instead, they recycle it by picking apart every statement, word, eye movement, down to the manner someone stands to separate and divide us.
Dividing us into groups and classes is a direct violation of the Federation's Mission Statement, which I have sworn to uphold and fight for. As we had so many times in the past, we will continue to overcome obstacles placed in our path and engage them as they present themselves. Kentucky Equality Federation, in all of our lawsuits, cease and dissect orders, and other legal filings has never been defeated in court. We will not be silenced, and we will not accept whatever legislative agendas our elected officials attempt to force upon us should they violate anyone’s civil liberties.
LEGAL ACTION: Discrimination and hate sanctioned by the state, be it one of the several states or the federal state will not be tolerated. As the unifying figure for all member organizations, I have warned and advised the managing directors, regional directors, and other management of member organizations and our legal department of the Federation and the United Kentucky Alliance to sue the Commonwealth posthaste. Both case law and the Kentucky Constitution are on our side. First, however, we will likely need a victim who has been discriminated against.
- In 1997, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the U.S. Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 President Bill Clinton. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Congress acted above their authority and could not force the legislation on the states. Though it remains federal law, it does not apply to the several states of our Union.
OUR future. OUR commonwealth! #WeAreKY
No comments:
Post a Comment