Fletcher's True Colors: Equal Opportunity for Some

On Tuesday April 11, Gov. Ernie Fletcher stood before a roomful of students on "Diversity Day" and signed a new Executive Order on Affirmative Action.

The new order replaced the one Gov. Paul Patton signed in 2003. Fletcher's Executive Order removed all reference to sexual orientation and gender identity, effectively stripping lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender state employees of the job protections they'd enjoyed under Gov. Patton's order.

Fletcher's spokesman Brett Hall told the Louisville Courier-Journal that the governor intended no discrimination. Then he singled out transgender people as scapegoats, citing a case at the Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet involving which restroom a transgender employee should use.

Fletcher and his administration showed their true colors on Diversity Day: In their world, equal opportunity belongs only to some. LGBT Kentuckians don't deserve the same rights and protections as everyone else.

Morally Wrong

State and national gay rights leaders decried the Executive Order.

"Allowing Kentucky to legally discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation is morally wrong and is a disservice to the people of the Commonwealth," said Jo Wyrick, Interim Executive Director of the National Stonewall Democrats.

Log Cabin Republicans of Kentucky President Jimmy LaSalvia added, "I'm not sure how he kept a straight face when he declared it 'Diversity Day' and then made it easier to discriminate against gay and lesbian people."

Eleanor Acheson, public policy and government affairs director at the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, condemned the move. "Gov. Fletcher's action reflects a lack of political and moral leadership rarely reached," she said.

State Sen. Ernesto Scorsone (D-Lexington) told the Louisville Courier-Journal, "Gov. Fletcher has declared open season on gay state employees."

Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese called the order "hypocrisy" that "puts hardworking, taxpaying citizens at risk."

KFA Executive Director Christina Gilgor described it as unfortunate that the governor would seek political gain at the expense of any minority. "Fletcher's 'unbridled spirit' has taken a giant step backward," she said.

Next Steps

KFA plans to challenge the governor's order by stepping up our efforts to pass a statewide Fairness law.

Prohibiting discrimination against LGBT Kentuckians by statute will override the Executive Order, and make it impossible for a single individual to strip those rights with the stroke of a pen.

We'll begin with voter identification efforts at Gay Pride events throughout the summer. This fall, we're planning an unprecedented local lobbying effort to get the ball rolling on next year's Fairness bills. With your help, we can turn a despicable act of discrimination into a victory for a fair Kentucky.