LGBTQ+ Equality

The ACLU of Kentucky has been an ally from the very beginning of the LGBTQ+ rights in Kentucky, working towards a society in which all individuals enjoy the basic rights of equality, privacy and personal autonomy, and freedom of expression and association. This means an America where people can live openly without discrimination; where there is respect for our identities, relationships and families; and where there’s fair treatment in employment, schools, housing, public places, health care and government programs.

Our primary focus is to extend protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity within the Kentucky Civil Rights statute, and to defend LGBTQ+ Kentuckians from laws that violate their constitutional rights to privacy and bodily autonomy. One of our current lawsuits, Doe v. Thornbury, seeks to restore medically necessary care for transgender youth after the legislature passed Senate Bill 150 in 2023.

In the past, we aided communities in enacting local non-discrimination ordinances, assisting universities and cities in authorizing domestic partner benefits, and developing legislative strategy around LGBTQ+ adoption, transgender rights, anti-bullying efforts and other areas as appropriate.

Resources from our LGBTQ+ Rights Allies and Partner Organizations:

• Kentucky Health Justice Network: Trans Health Now
• Campaign for Southern Equality
• ACLU National LGBT Project
• Fairness Campaign
• Kentucky Commission on Human Rights
• JustFundKY
• PFLAG
• Louisville Youth Group
• Trans Parents Lex
• Trans Resrouces in Kentucky and Southern Indiana
• Senior Living Options for LGBTQIA Adults
• Resources for LGBTQIA Seniors Experiencing Lonliness or Depression