Trey Grayson, left, and Chris Hartman
The Kentucky General Assembly adjourned on Monday, April 15, without having advanced any of the 10 anti-LGBTQ laws that had been introduced during the session, according to the Fairness Campaign, Kentucky’s LGBTQ advocacy organization.
Fairness Campaign officials said that bills posing the greatest threat to the state’s LGBTQ community included House Bill 47, a measure aimed at weakening local LGBTQ fairness ordinances across the state; Senate Bill 147, which would have restricted drag performances; and Senate Bill 239, a “conscience” clause for medical workers to deny care to patients based on moral objections.
While several of the bills advanced in the legislative process, some even passing their chamber of origin, none became law. A Fairness Campaign press release noted, “This session stands in stark contrast to the last two Kentucky General Assemblies, which saw increasing attacks on LGBTQ Kentuckians, especially transgender kids.”
Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman said, “Today marks a massive victory in the fight against worsening hostility toward LGBTQ Kentuckians. Over the last few months, thousands across the commonwealth stood fiercely in defense of their LGBTQ friends, family and neighbors and made it clear to lawmakers [that] enough is enough.
“The vast majority of Kentuckians support fairness and equality for all, and for the first time in years, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle spoke to that sentiment,” Hartman said. “Democrats and Republicans alike this session called for the expansion of Fairness Ordinances that protect LGBTQ Kentuckians from discrimination.
“Kentucky now joins other states across the South — including Florida, Georgia and West Virginia — where nearly every single anti-LGBTQ measure introduced in these statehouses was defeated this year,” Hartman added. “As we celebrate this tremendous feat in the fight for equality, we look forward to building on this momentum to make Kentucky a state of fairness, where every person in our commonwealth can thrive.”
Trey Grayson, Kentucky’s former two-term Republican secretary of state who is now a lobbyist for Kentucky Competes, a coalition of LGBTQ-supportive businesses, said, “It’s clear that the anti-LGBTQ agenda is starting to fail, both in Kentucky and across the country — rightfully so. As a Christian and Republican, I’m pleased with the conservative lawmakers who voiced their support for local fairness ordinances that protect fairness for LGBTQ Kentuckians — and even more so — those who expressed the need to expand these protections statewide.
“It’s my hope that our leaders continue on this path of rejecting extremism, advancing equality, and focusing on legislation that will improve the health, well-being, and livelihood of all Kentucky families,” Grayson concluded.
— Tammye Nash
