Special Statement from the Chairman of the Board

SPECIAL STATEMENT FROM THE BOARD CHAIRMAN

"The continued pursuit of equality ordinances throughout the Commonwealth is not a logical use of the time, resources, and skills of equality advocates and their allies," stated Kentucky Equality Federation's Chairman of the Board, Brandon Combs.

"With 120 counties and 15 major cities in Kentucky, if we get one local equality ordinance a year, it will take over a century to achieve equality, but this doesn't include smaller cities and unincorporated areas of the Commonwealth.

Amending one law, the Kentucky Civil Rights Act of 1966, would impact the entire LGBTI population and its allies throughout the Commonwealth, rather than small incremental populations achieved with municipal ordinances.

This has been made clear in a previous press release, it is the Kentucky House of Representatives who continue to stall the passage of such a law. As it currently stands, many groups are getting 'special rights' and protections such as veterans, national origin, smoking status, and family status just to name a few. No protections from Frankfort are extended to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex community under the Kentucky Civil Rights Act.

The passage of local ordinances could also once again provoke the Kentucky House or Senate into passing a law rescinding the authority of cities to pass civil rights ordinances since the Commonwealth of Kentucky already has a civil rights law and occupies this area of government."

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