From the Director's Desk

Christina Gilgor, KFA Executive Director

In 1999 the Kentucky Fairness Alliance commissioned a statewide survey that showed Kentuckians overwhelmingly support fairness in housing, the workplace and in public accommodations – yet 7 years later, we do not have a statewide law that supports that sentiment. 

In fact, we struggle every legislative session to increase the number of state Senators and Representatives sponsoring the legislation. Our all-time record for sponsors, just this spring, was a whopping 13 legislators (9%)! The fairness bill has never made it out of committee to the House or Senate floor for a vote by either body.

Decision Research, 1999

Decision Research, 1999

In 2006, instead of a statewide fairness law that requires equal treatment of GLBT Kentuckians, we now have a constitutional amendment that prohibits equal treatment of GLBT Kentuckians.

What happened? We allowed our opponents to define the battle ground. We CAN do better! We have a plan – and we need your help to implement it.

The plan is about building fairness step-by-step: not sexy, but proven effective! It’s presented in a graphic that rises like a pyramid - the broadest work makes up the base, and each successive step includes and builds upon all the steps before.

It starts with public education and alliance building, upon which membership is built, upon which chapter organizations are built. Passing local ordinances will provide momentum and help bring about changes in the legislature. All those things together will create a political environment that will support the passage of a statewide fairness law that will protect everyone from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression.

What makes us think we can build our pyramid now? A whole host of things. In just the last couple of years, KFA has grown and changed dramatically as an organization.

• Our list of known supporters has expanded tenfold, from just under 1,000 to over 10,000 Kentuckians.
• We’ve grown from an educational organization that did a little lobbying to a full-fledged lobbying and advocacy organization with the support of an educational charity.
• Our Board of Directors has recruited a staff that brings talent, passion, and commitment to the table, plus a range of skills KFA never had access to before.
• Our technological advances have made it easier than ever for our members to participate in the democratic process.

In short, we’re poised to move beyond our history as "the little organization that could," to become a legitimate and powerful political presence in Kentucky.

What can speed up the process? You! Your membership in Friends & Family, your commitment to your local chapter, your participation in our efforts to identify pro-Fairness voters. All of these things help construct and support the pyramid we must build to protect our rights.

If we wait until the next time our opponents need a scapegoat and throw out more anti-gay legislation, we will almost certainly lose. If we act now to ensure our equal treatment we will win. We have public sentiment on our side; we just have to act proactively.

I believe a statewide fairness law is within our reach; you’re the key to getting us there in as little time as possible. Do you believe?

In Fairness,
Christina Gilgor