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Greetings, Join us and other fair-minded Kentuckians on November 14 in Elizabethtown as we honor this year's recipient of our Community Service Award.
Will you join us in
honoring the Commission's hardwork? Sponsors/Supporters for the 2009 Out & About gala include: Executive Producers Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, the University of Kentucky, & Nick Wilkerson; Executive Directors Sounds Unlimited Productions & Carla Wallace; Super Stars Mark England & Mike Handley; Rock Stars Travis Myles & Scott Burchett; Directors Eastern Kentucky University, Murray State University, & the University of Louisville; Stars Jody Cofer, David Corbett, Don Wenzel & Ron Darnell, & Tachau Meek PLC; & Cast Members ACLU of KY & John Downing. In Fairness, |
This year’s recipient is the
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights (KCHR). As the state civil
rights enforcement agency for the Commonwealth of Kentucky,
it will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2010. In
2007, the KCHR hired John J. Johnson as its Executive Director.
Soon after Johnson joined the Commission, he stated that
principles of equality and fair dealing should protect all
people and groups that have been historically discriminated
against. Six months later, the Commission’s governing
board unanimously adopted a resolution commending Governor
Steven L. Beshear for adding sexual orientation and gender
identity to Kentucky’s equal employment opportunity policy
for state employees. It further encouraged the passage of a
Statewide Fairness Law. Three months later, Gov. Beshear
appointed four new commissioners to the KCHR and designated new
member George W. Stinson as Chair. Within four months of
Stinson’s appointment, the Commission
reaffirmed its position in support of a Statewide Fairness
Law. Later, when faced with a legislative threat
to fairness known in the state during the 2009 General Assembly
as Senate Bill 68, which would ban LGBT couples from adopting
children and/or serving as foster parents, the Commission once
again acted unanimously in opposing the bill. Senate bill 68 met
an unexpected demise at the hands of Senate Leadership, and
there is no record on the Legislative Research Commission
website of a committee vote on the bill. Earlier this year, the
Commission became the first state government agency in Kentucky
to hold a public hearing to discuss discrimination on the basis
of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. It was
held in Richmond where efforts are progressing to pass a local
fairness ordinance. 