Mayor Fischer, Lexington mayor ask California AG to exclude their cities from Kentucky travel ban

Thomas Novelly | Courier Journal

Editor's note: This article has been updated to more specifically define what Senate Bill 17 accomplishes.

In a letter responding to the California Attorney General's recent decision to ban state-funded travel to Kentucky, Mayor Greg Fischer defended Louisville as an LGBTQ-friendly community and asked for a waiver to exclude the city from his ban.

"Please consider exempting cities like Louisville from your travel ban," the letter states. "It is my belief that cities like ours should be rewarded for an inclusive behavior, not penalized; a waiver would highlight our inclusivity and encourage other cities to follow accordingly."

Lexington Mayor Jim Gray also asked for his city to be exempt from the travel ban on Tuesday. He said in a letter posted to Twitter that Lexington's reputation as a welcoming community is "well-known nationwide."

"Eighteen years ago, Lexington became one of the first cities in the south to pass a Fairness Ordinance," Gray said in the letter. "Our city realized then that inclusive and welcoming values translate into good business and economic prosperity."

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Last Thursday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said that Kentucky, Texas, Alabama and South Dakota are on the list of places where state employee travel is restricted based on discriminatory legislation.

In Kentucky, Becerra pointed to Senate Bill 17. The law is designed to reinforce students’ constitutional right to express religious and political views in public schools and universities. However, it also says religious and political student organizations cannot be hindered or discriminated against for the way they conduct their internal affairs or how they select their leaders and members. Critics say those provisions could be used to let student groups prevent LGBTQ students from joining their ranks.

That law could have indirect repercussions on the LGBT community in one of the nation's more gay-friendly cities, said Chris Hartman, the director of Louisville's Fairness Campaign.

"This is a clear example of the unforeseen consequences that even a vaguely anti-LGBT bill can have," Hartman said. "This is a bill that we opposed, and here we have a real-world economic consequence of passing this bill."

Louisville, however, has been widely accepted as an LGBT-friendly city.

Chris Poytner, spokesman for Mayor Greg Fischer, would not comment on Thursday regarding the California decision but said the Human Rights Campaign has given Louisville a perfect score in LGBT friendliness for the past two years.

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In 2015, Louisville ranked 11th in the country for percentage of gay residents, and the University of Louisville has been named one of the most LGBTQ-friendly campuses in the South by Campus Pride Index.

Hartman previously told the Courier-Journal that gays and lesbians have flocked to Louisville since 1999 when it became one of the first cities in the South to have a comprehensive law barring discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation.

"Louisville is inclusive and open to all. We model our city on those values," the letter said. "Additionally, to be a city that grows jobs and economic competitiveness, the global economy demands communities that are welcoming and compassionate."

Reach Reporter Thomas Novelly at tnovelly@courier-journal.com, call him at 502-582-4465. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.