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February 24, 2007
Includes quote from the KFA Board of Directors Chairperson Jody Cofer.
State Senate bans health benefits for domestic partners
By: Amanda Crider
Murray State University News Issue date: 2/23/07
The Kentucky Senate passed a bill Feb. 15 that would outlaw extending health insurance benefits to domestic partners in all state agencies and public universities.Senate Bill 152 passed with a vote of 27-8-1 and now must go before the House of Representatives.Joyce Gordon, associate vice president of human resources, said Senate Bill 152 does not affect faculty and staff at Murray State."Our health insurance policies do not extend to same-sex couples," Gordon said. "From time to time, this has been reviewed, but no changes have been made thus far. From my knowledge, any changes would have to come from the faculty and staff insurance and benefits committees." Senator Vernie McGaha, R-Russell Springs, and the bill's lead sponsor, said it is meant to clear up confusion among public institutions about who qualifies for health coverage."The proposal was an extension of the state constitutional amendment that banned same-sex marriage," McGaha said. "The intent of the bill is to protect marriage and protect the family structure."
Jody Cofer, program specialist for the Undergraduate Research and Scholarly Activities Office, opposes the bill and said it is outrageous and unnecessary."The Kentucky Senate's passage of SB 152 last week banning public agencies from offering healthcare benefits to unmarried domestic partners was not in line with their larger goal to make Kentucky competitive," Cofer said via e-mail. "However, their action was not a total surprise to me and I, along with President Ramsey at the University of Louisville, have indicated that our hope is that the House of Representatives will not support this discriminatory measure."
"I am still somewhat taken back that the legislature is moving forward with this matter. The decision should rest in the hands of individual agencies or university boards."
Steven Taylor, junior from Parkers Lake, Ky., is a member of Alliance, a student organization that supports and promotes the specific needs and interests of homosexual, bisexual and transgender students. He said he is shocked by the Senate's decision."I find this action deplorable," Taylor said via e-mail. "Depriving honest citizens of their right to affordable healthcare on the basis of marital status or sexual orientation is a sickening discrimination on the state's part."
Posted by
jodycofer on 2/24/2007
February 20, 2007
Bible Belt Blogger Frank Lockwood reports:
Dotti Berry, a former University of Kentucky women's basketball coach, was arrested this afternoon (Monday) at the Colorado Springs, Col. headquarters of Focus on the Family -- one of the largest and most influential Christian ministries in the United States. Also arrested was Berry's spouse Robynne Sapp. (The couple was legally married in British Columbia, Canada late last year.) Read more from the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Posted by
Misty on 2/20/2007
February 19, 2007
“The passing of Barbara Gittings is a great loss to the LGBT movement. While I’ve seen her name in print many times, her role in convincing the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from their list of mental disorders is most notable in my mind. She worked for years as an activist and later as an educator of sorts working to end discrimination in America’s libraries and make their services available to everyone. For the work she did for the movement, the Kentucky Fairness Alliance remembers her and wishes Ms. Lahusen, her partner, the best.”
Jody Cofer, Board of Directors Chairperson, Kentucky Fairness Alliance
Posted by
jodycofer on 2/19/2007
Check out this opinion editorial from today's Lexington Herald-Leader, from Paul Brown, the chair of our Bluegrass Chapter.
Posted by
Misty on 2/19/2007
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The Ampersand symbolizes the solidarity we are building through Friends & Family, and suggests the inclusiveness we are working toward. It reflects the idea that no one individual, legislator, organization, or city can carry all the water for equality. Our success lies in our solidarity. 