On April 110h, Kentucky's Republican Governor Ernie Fletcher
issued an executive order repealing anti-discrimination protections
against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) state employees as
he celebrated "Diversity Day" in the state.
"The Governor's hypocrisy is outrageous and un-American," said Human
Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. "No one should be fired from
their job simply because of who they are. Governor Fletcher's backwards
step does nothing whatsoever to move diversity forward and puts
hard-working, tax-paying citizens at risk."
Ironically, Gov. Fletcher's order came on the same day he declared
"Diversity Day."
"There is no better example of adding insult to injury," said Solmonese.
"On a day when the state was supposed to celebrating diversity, Gov.
Fletcher was removing an entire group of Kentuckians out of the law."
Already in Kentucky, Jefferson County and the cities of Louisville and
Covington prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and
gender identity. Nationwide, at least 292 local jurisdictions have laws
or policies prohibiting discrimination in public employment based on
sexual orientation and 80 of these includes protections for transgender
people. At least 2,546 private employers – including giants like Ford,
Microsoft and AT&T – have policies prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation, with 218 of these including protections for
transgender employees.
"This order moves Kentucky in the opposite direction of the rest of the
country," said Solmonese. "Everyday more and more businesses, colleges
and universities, and state and local governments are protecting their
GLBT employees."
A bill that would prohibit local jurisdictions in Kentucky from enacting
civil rights ordinances that include protections for GLBT individuals
has consistently failed or died in the state legislature.
"Clearly this mean-spirited order goes against the values of the
legislature and the people of Kentucky who want simple fairness for all
their friends and neighbors," concluded Solmonese.
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