News & Commentary

A federal appeals court announced its opinion Friday, August 23, to uphold a lower court ruling awarding $224,000 in attorney’s fees and costs in the case of couples who were refused marriage licenses by Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis. The federal panel agreed with a lower court that the Commonwealth of Kentucky is responsible for paying the award. 

Four Kentucky advocacy groups launched a video calling on the Kentucky Farm Bureau to "stop the hate" ahead of their annual Ham Breakfast at the Kentucky State Fair. The 30-second video features Congressman John Yarmuth, State Representative Attica Scott, and advocates from sponsoring organizations, the ACLU of Kentucky, JCTA (Jefferson County Teachers Association), LSURJ (Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice), and the Fairness Campaign. Activists will protest outside the Kentucky Farm Bureau's annual Ham Breakfast at the State Fair Thursday, August 22 at 7 a.m.

With a unanimous vote of 5-0 August 6, 2019, the Northern Kentucky town of Dayton, population 5,338, became the twelfth city in the Commonwealth with a Fairness Ordinance prohibiting LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations."Dayton is extremely excited to be able to join the other eleven cities, out of 419 in the Commonwealth, to continue to be the welcoming community we know and love," said Dayton Mayor Ben Baker upon the ordinance's passage. "If any other river cities need help in embracing the Fairness Ordinance, please reach out. We urge our state leaders to adopt these protections—in Kentucky, y'all means all."

With a vote of three to two on June 25, 2019, the Western Kentucky town of Henderson, population 28,657, became the eleventh city in the state to protect LGBTQ people from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The Fairness Ordinance vote came 20 years after the Henderson City Commission originally passed a Fairness Ordinance, which made it only the third Kentucky city in 1999 with LGBTQ protections alongside Louisville and Lexington. In 2001, a new Henderson City Commission repealed the ordinance and did not consider it again until former Mayor Joan Hoffman brought the issue back up to commission last fall.

With a unanimous vote August 9, 2018 Maysville (population 8,866) became the tenth Kentucky city to adopt a Fairness Ordinance, prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, protecting all LGBTQ people. Situated on the banks of the Ohio River in northeastern Kentucky, Maysville is the hometown of popular singer and actress Rosemary Clooney and George Clooney's father, Nick Clooney.

With a vote of 4-1 January 9th, Paducah (population 25,145) became the ninth Kentucky city to adopt a Fairness Ordinance, prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.

Anti-LGBT Judge Mitchell Nance has been found guilty of judicial misconduct. Earlier this year, Nance issued a general order recusing himself from any adoption cases involving gay parents. The Judicial Conduct Commission issued a public reprimand. Nance resigned his seat on the bench December 16th.

Advocacy Groups Filed Ethics Complaint in May for Refusing Adoptions to Same-Sex CouplesOn October 25, 2017 Kentucky Family Court Jud