Kentucky Fairness Alliance E-News, Fall 2008

2009 Legislative Session Around the Corner!

Our mission at KFA is to improve the quality of life for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Kentuckians. This session we will focus on two bills that do exactly that.

We will again work to gain co-sponsors for the statewide fairness bill, prefiled in the House by Rep. Mary Lou Marzian. Thank you Rep. Marzian! We are working on increasing the record number of 13 legislative sponsors obtained in 2006. Less than 10% of Kentucky's legislators are willing to promote fairness for Kentucky's GLBT citizens. So please help us! Talk to your legislators. Tell them Kentuckians can be fired from their job because they are gay (or even perceived to be gay!). And ask them to do something about it by becoming a co-sponsor of the statewide fairness bill.

We will also advocate the passage of a hospital visitation bill. This bill would allow all adults to put aside fears, once and for all, of not being able to be with their loved one in a medical facility.

Several dynamics however, suggest we must be prepared to effectively challenge attacks from right-wing extremists, especially on the issue of parenting:

• Change in leadership and presumably direction at the national level will likely result in a sharp focus by right-wing extremists at the state level
• Four 2008 right-wing state victories in Florida, Arizona, California and Arkansas provide momentum for additional statewide actions
• Our community has been used as a pawn before an it could be again in the House Leadership elections
• A recent Kentucky Court of Appeals decision effectively ended two-parent same-sex adoptions, highlighting the issue
• Legislation is already written and was actually introduced in 2004
• We're a southern state, perceived as a relatively easy target!

The 2009 session begins January 6 and is scheduled to end March 24.

Please stay tuned to our legislative updates and participate as you can. Ultimately, we are only as formidable as the voices, votes and dollars behind us!