Record Number of Co-Sponsors Introduce KY LGBTQ Statewide Fairness Law

Bowling Green Rep. Joins as Lead Co-Sponsor

(Louisville, KY - Janaury 11, 2019) A record 19 Kentucky House members today introduced Statewide Fairness House Bill 164, which would update state civil rights laws to ban LGBTQ discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Led by Rep. Mary Lou Marzian (34-Louisville), the group of lawmakers is nearly double the size of last year's sponsors, and for the first time, a state representative from outside Kentucky's 10 cities with LGBTQ Fairness Ordinances helped introduce the measure as a lead co-sponsor-Rep. Patti Minter (20-Bowling Green).

The Statewide Fairness Law's co-sponsors include two members of House leadership-Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Derrick Graham (57-Frankfort) and Minority Whip Rep. Joni Jenkins (44-Louisville)-and eight newly-elected members, five of whom are the first in their district to sign on to the legislation. Except for Rep. Minter, all of the law's co-sponsors represent areas with local LGBTQ discrimination protections, which now includes 10 cities--Covington, Danville, Frankfort, Lexington, Louisville, Maysville, Midway, Morehead, Paducah, and the Appalachian town of Vicco. This year marks the 20th anniversary of Louisville and Lexington's Fairness Ordinances.

LGBTQ supporters from across the Commonwealth will rally in the Capitol Rotunda for Statewide Fairness Tuesday, February 26 at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Statewide Fairness House Bill 164

Rep. Mary Lou Marzian (34-Louisville)
Rep. Patti Minter (20-Bowling Green)*

Rep. Tina Bojanowski (32-Louisville)*
Rep. Charles Booker (43-Louisville)
Rep. George Brown, Jr. (77-Lexington)
Rep. Tom Burch (30-Louisville)
Rep. McKenzie Cantrell (38-Louisville)
Rep. Kelly Flood (75-Lexington)
Minority Caucus Chair Rep. Derrick Graham (57-Frankfort)
Minority Whip Rep. Joni Jenkins (44-Louisville)
Rep. Nima Kulkarni (40-Louisville)
Rep. Reginald Meeks (42-Louisville)
Rep. Ruth Ann Palumbo (76-Lexington)
Rep. Josie Raymond (31-Louisville)*
Rep. Attica Scott (41-Louisville)
Rep. Maria Sorolis (48-Louisville)*
Rep. Cherlynn Stevenson (88-Lexington)*
Rep. Susan Westrom (79-Lexington)
Rep. Lisa Willner (35-Louisville)

*Indicates first state representative from that district to co-sponsor a LGBTQ Statewide Fairness Law

Founded in 1991, the Fairness Campaign is Kentucky's broad-based community effort dedicated to equal rights for lesbian gay, bisexual, and transgender people. Its primary goal is comprehensive civil rights legislation prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, and to dismantle systemic racism.