Sheldon S. Shafer

Louisville Courier Journal

A bill aimed at offering protections against discrimination to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people has been filed in the Kentucky Senate.

Supporters say it is the first time that a bipartisan group of senators has sponsored a bill to add the protections to the Kentucky Civil Rights Act. Senate Bill 176 is called the Kentucky Competitive Workforce Act.

The legislative effort is being led by Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville. The bill's co-sponsors are Sens. Julie Raque Adams, R-Louisville; Perry Clark, D-Louisville; Denise Harper Angel, D-Louisville; Gerald Neal, D-Louisville; and Reginald Thomas, D-Lexington.

State Rep. Mary Lou Marzian, D-Louisville, is sponsoring similar legislation in the state House (H.B. 155).

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The measures are backed by nearly 200 Kentucky employers in the Kentucky Competitive Workforce Coalition, a collaborative launched at Brown-Forman Corp. in November. The coalition includes some of Kentucky's largest employers, as well as numerous small, locally owned companies. The members have pledged to practice nondiscriminatory policies.

McGarvey said that in concert with Kentucky's effort to attract and maintain a capable workforce, "we need to show that we have the inclusive and competitive atmosphere where they want to live, where they want to work, and where they want to raise their families."

Although gay-rights protections have never been enacted into statewide law, supporters cite steady progress.

For instance, eight Kentucky cities have updated their own civil rights laws to include the LGBT community. They are Covington, Danville, Frankfort, Lexington, Louisville, Midway, Morehead and Vicco.

Without statutory guarantees, LGBT people face the potential for discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations, the supporters say.

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A "fairness rally" in support of the legislation is scheduled in the Capitol Rotunda in Frankfort on Wednesday, Feb. 17, at 1:30 p.m.

The rally is sponsored by the Fairness Coalition, whose members include the ACLU-KY, the Louisville-based Fairness Campaign, the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights and Lexington Fairness.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at (502) 582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.