KY: 'Fairness' rules win bipartisan 19-6 vote

[ridgerunner]

By Joseph Gerth
[e-mail]
The Courier-Journal


The Louisville Metro Council voted 19-6 last night to renew a civil-rights ordinance that includes protection from discrimination because of gender identity and sexual orientation.

A coalition of Democrats and Republicans approved the proposal, which supporters have called the "fairness ordinance," before an overflow crowd in the Metro Council chamber.

>snip

Two council members said they probably would have voted against the ordinance had it not been for what have been described as "vulgar" mailings sent out by a group run by conservative activist Frank Simon.

"If I hadn't gotten that letter and those phone calls that were full of hatred and bigotry, I wouldn't have believed it existed in my hometown," Madonna Flood, D-24th, said before the meeting.

Cyril Allgeier, D-10th, who as a Louisville alderman voted against every "fairness amendment" that came up, also said he voted for it this time in protest of Simon's letter.

Dan Johnson, D-21st and the primary sponsor of the ordinance, noted that he had voted against "fairness" proposals in the past but that the campaign "by bigots and liars" against the ordinance proved his decision to support the measure now was the right thing to do.

The ordinance prohibits discrimination in hiring, accommodations and housing on the basis of sex, age, religion, race, ethnicity, physical disability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

more:http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/12/10ky/A1-council1210m-8769.html

[geek tragedy]

1. Thank you, rightwing bigots!

Keep on being honest about your agenda.

[StClone]

2. True Colors

They do show their colors when the filter is off.

[Skittles]

3. they push the envelope so far

they even alienate their base

[gratuitous]

4. As we say in Oregon, "Thank you, Lon"

The bigots have a wonderful facility for pointing out the worst excesses of their position. Leave them to their devices, and they will turn off the community with their rantings. The folks we need to confront and neutralize are the smiling, folksy bigots who dress up the worst impulses in the floweriest language. The often have double letters in their first and last names, a dead giveaway of their duplicity.

[SKKY]

6. See gratuitous, I think you're onto something...

...and it speaks to the bigger picture as well, not just in my homtown of Louisville. If we, as Democrats explain to the people exactly what it is the right is looking to achieve, their message will be the rope on which they hang themselves. Given the two options, I feel certain this country will side with our message.

[Occulus]

9. Hey!

I resemble that last remark!

:silly:

[sinkingfeeling]

5. Now that's great news!! Somewhere there's decent people!!

[blackspade]

7. Thankfully

some folks here in Louisville have some sense.
This is another one of those non issue issues.
I mean, who in there right mind is for discrimination?
Life is full of people you will not like and will not agree with.
Deal with it.
I mean what has the USA come to when these idiots act like kindergartners?
These folks need t grow up and mind their own damn business.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. There's our game plan...send letters under a fake bigoted org so toxic

that it makes legislators look like bigots unless they promote equality :D

[TahitiNut]

11. Happily, such agitprop isn't needed when we have "free speech."

Let's never underestimate the value of "free speech."

"Better to keep your mouth shut and allow people to suspect you're an idiot than to open it and remove all doubt." Pass the microphone to the FReepers, please. :silly:

[davidinalameda]

10. thank the gods!

whoo hoo!

[rhyfeddu]

12. Fungus won't grow in direct sunlight!

Let the bigots have their say, and expose that dark, slimey underbelly!! --How many more metaphors can I come up with! ;)

'Bout time for some freakin' GOOD news on gay rights!

My favorite quote:

<snip>
But last night, council members Cheri Bryant Hamilton, D-5th, and Rick Blackwell, D-12th, said that it didn't matter if homosexuality is innate or chosen. And Hamilton, who is black, said that just as it had been during civil-rights struggles of the past, the opposition was based on fear.

"Like my skin color, their homosexuality won't rub off on you," she said.
<snip>

YEEAAH, Kentucky!!! Show 'em there are decent people everywhere!

:yourock: