For our Kentucky USA members

[kneehighs]

Thought you guys might like to read what the Governor of Kentucky has done for the legal rights of streetheelers, (not that the need for legal recourse should ever arise, but if it does).

click here for the article

KENTUCKY GOVERNOR GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO DISCRIMINATION ON SELF-PROCLAIMED ‘DIVERSITY DAY’

‘The governor’s hypocrisy is outrageous and un-American,’ said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

WASHINGTON — Yesterday, Kentucky’s Republican Gov. Ernie Fletcher issued an executive order repealing anti-discrimination protections against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender state employees as he celebrated “Diversity Day” in the state.

“The governor’s hypocrisy is outrageous and un-American,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “No one should be fired from their job simply because of who they are. Governor Fletcher’s backwards step does nothing whatsoever to move diversity forward and puts hardworking, taxpaying citizens at risk.”

Ironically, Fletcher’s order came on the same day he declared “Diversity Day.”

“There is no better example of adding insult to injury,” said Solmonese. “On a day when the state was supposed to celebrating diversity, Governor Fletcher was removing an entire group of Kentuckians out of the law.”

Already in Kentucky, Jefferson County and the cities of Louisville and Covington prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Nationwide, at least 292 local jurisdictions have laws or policies prohibiting discrimination in public employment based on sexual orientation and 80 of these include protections for transgender people. At least 2,546 private employers — including giants like Ford, Microsoft and AT&T — have policies prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, with 218 of these including protections for transgender employees.

“This order moves Kentucky in the opposite direction of the rest of the country,” said Solmonese. “Every day more and more businesses, colleges and universities and state and local governments are protecting their GLBT employees.”

A bill that would prohibit local jurisdictions in Kentucky from enacting civil rights ordinances that include protections for GLBT individuals has consistently failed or died in the state Legislature.

“Clearly this mean-spirited order goes against the values of the Legislature and the people of Kentucky who want simple fairness for all their friends and neighbors,” concluded Solmonese.

The Human Rights Campaign is the largest national lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender political organization with members throughout the country. It effectively lobbies Congress, provides campaign support and educates the public to ensure that LGBT Americans can be open, honest and safe at home, at work and in the community.

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[Thighbootguy]

Yeah, we try to hide Ernie whenever company comes.

[Dr. Shoe]

Yeah, we try to hide Ernie whenever company comes.

I bet you do.

Perhaps he's trying to say that LGBTs don't need special protection because they would fall under "normal" legislation anyway. You cannot fire anyone for reasons other than their performance at work in any case whether you're black, white, gay or whatever. However, repealing this law is plain wrong at the moment.

[dr1819]

That does it - I'm not stopping for gas in KY when I travel anymore. I'll still visit Chatanooga, as my son wanted to see what the place looked like because of the interesting name, but NO GAS! Gas prices contain too many taxes supporting ridiculous politics such as those espoused by KY's govenor.

[kneehighs]

dr 1819 is back!!!! Welcome back!

[Thighbootguy]

Dr1819 Welcome back. FYI - Chatanooga is in Tennessee which is one state south of Kentucky. Most of the gas tax in Ky. is for road building so I wouldn’t worry too much about supporting activities you don’t agree with. Driving across Ky. on one tank of gas can be a challenge. There are lots of hills that eat gas. If you are in the state, Northern Ky (Covington) and central Ky (Louisville, Lexington) are large metropolitan areas that have fairly understanding people that wouldn’t be too upset seeing someone heeling.

[jmc]

On my first road trip to Florida I made a gas stop in northern Kentucky -- in fact it was outside Covington. It seemed like a little back-water gas station even though it was just off I-75, and there were no card-readers on the pumps. So I had to head inside to pay and the clerk said "Thaink yeeeeuw" in what seemed like a caricature of a Southern drawl (her utterance does not readily lend itself to textual representation). I was taken aback for a moment, then I realized "they really do talk that way down here". So I gave her a smile and went on my way. I always seem to wind up crossing Kentucky in the middle of the night but it really does seem like it is a beautiful state. Too bad their governor is so backward. (Don't tell Ernie but I have crossed the state in heels. Not during the incident mentioned above but on later trips. 4 inchers, block heeled boots! :-)

[dr1819]

Dr1819

Welcome back.

Thanks!

FYI - Chatanooga is in Tennessee which is one state south of Kentucky.

Ooops... Perhaps I will buy gas in Chatanooga. (best egg on face look...)

Most of the gas tax in Ky. is for road building so I wouldn’t worry too much about supporting activities you don’t agree with. Driving across Ky. on one tank of gas can be a challenge. There are lots of hills that eat gas.

I'll keep that in mind. In the meantime, no matter where I'm heeling (and paying for gas), it'll be in a state that's a bit more open-minded about those of us men who wish to dress as we have since the 16th Century, and as have many of our brethren throughout the world since then.

[Guy N. Heels]

Hey guys, try to be patient with Ernie. Maybe he had to drink some bad water when he was a kid or something. And when company comes around you can always take him out back and tie a pork chop around his neck so the dogs will play with him.