ACLU of Kentucky

This Op-Ed was originally published in the February 15th edition of the Courier-Journal.

In January of 1966, with Governor Edward T. Breathitt’s signing of a law Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. called “the strongest and most comprehensive civil rights bill passed by a Southern state,” the Commonwealth of Kentucky became the first state in the South to adopt a Civil Rights Act with enforceable repercussions for acts of discrimination. Two years later, Kentucky was again first in the South, this time in the passage of a statewide fair housing law, which cemented our commonwealth’s legacy as the nation’s Southern civil rights leader.

At its core, the purpose of the Civil Rights Act is to ensure equality for everyone. It ensures all Kentuckians have the same opportunities to earn a living, be safe in their communities, serve their country, and care for the ones they love. When there has been a history of a particular groups’ lack of access to these fundamentals of the American dream, the just and appropriate response has been to add that particular group to existing antidiscrimination laws.

Today our state has the opportunity to once again stand as the pioneer of fairness and equality among its Southern peers, and we challenge each and every Kentuckian to add their voice to the call for comprehensive civil rights legislation in the commonwealth.

On January 5, Louisville Representative Mary Lou Marzian and three other Kentucky legislators (Reps. Flood, Jenkins and Palumbo) filed House Bill 117—a statewide Fairness law—that seeks to amend our state’s Civil Rights Act to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as protected classifications, prohibiting discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Kentuckians in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Even today, any person suspected of being gay or transgender outside Lexington, Louisville, or Covington may be legally fired from their job, denied housing, or withheld access to any public accommodation—such as a bus ride or service in a restaurant.

This year marks more than a decade since Lexington and Louisville passed their Fairness Ordinances—the same year a Decision Research Poll documented 73% of Kentuckians supported statewide Fairness protections. This law is long overdue in our commonwealth, and if we do not act quickly, we will surely lose our place in history as the nation’s Southern leader of equality.

On June 2, 2008, Governor Steve Beshear adopted an Executive Order stating a broad and inclusive policy of nondiscrimination in state government employment. Our governor recognizes the time has come for Kentucky to join the 21 other states that have already enacted laws protecting gay and transgender people, and we must too.

Just as Kentucky led the South in 1966 by becoming the first southern state to pass a civil rights law applicable to employment and places of public accommodation, and led the southern region in 1968 by becoming the first southern state to pass protections in housing, we must now boldly, resolutely take up the challenge to lead the South into a new era of equality for everyone. We must affirm our commonwealth’s legacy as the first southern state to recognize the need to stand united for Fairness.

Join us in Frankfort Wednesday, February 24, for the Statewide Fairness Day and rally in the Capitol Rotunda. If you cherish Kentucky’s rich history as the southern civil rights leader, then look not only to our past, but also to our fair and equal future by contacting your state representative today at 1-800-372-7181 to support the statewide Fairness law, and by scheduling a meeting with them on February 24.

The Kentucky Statewide Fairness Coalition

Michael Aldridge
Executive Director, ACLU-KY

Craig Cammack
Chairman, Lexington Fairness

Chris Hartman
Director, Fairness Campaign

Travis Myles
Chairperson, Kentucky Fairness Alliance

George W. Stinson
Chair, Kentucky Commission on Human Rights