UNION, Ky. — A Northern Kentucky city became the first in the region to vote against an LBGTQ fairness ordinance.
After the Union City Commission vote didn’t go the way Darnell Johnson had hoped for Monday night, it was a tough day for him on Tuesday.
“I’m feeling a little disheartened and heartbroken. I was really looking forward to a positive vote on this,” he said.
Johnson, a gay man, recently moved to Union, where his parents live. He learned the city was considering a fairness ordinance, something he’s campaigned for in the past.
“Growing up as a youth that was gay, and out, I experienced discrimination in the subtle ways that it shows up in not being picked for a team, not being given access to certain clubs or certain benchmarks in school. Having a protection that is very public and affirming can minimize some of those issues that even our youth can grow up through,” he said.
These ordinances, adopted in several Northern Kentucky cities in recent years, update local civil rights laws to include LGBTQ people as a protected class in the areas of employment discrimination, housing discrimination, and public accommodations discrimination.
While the LGBTQ community is already protected from discrimination in terms of employment and housing, thanks to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling two years ago, there are no protections at the federal or state level for public accommodations, as Fairness Campaign Executive Director Chris Hartman explained.
“Without a fairness ordinance, discrimination against LGBTQ people is still legal in the city of Union today,” he said. “If I’m holding hands with my fiancé, and an owner of a restaurant tells me, ‘We don’t serve your kind here. You gotta get out.’ There’s no legal recourse in the city of Union for something like that happening to an LGBTQ person.”
For over 30 years, the Fairness Campaign has been working across Kentucky to advance LGBTQ civil rights, by helping pass local anti-discrimination fairness laws.
Hartman said almost half of the state’s fairness ordinances are in Northern Kentucky. Of the 23 communities that have ordinances, nine are in Kentucky.
In 2019, Covington issued a challenge to neighboring communities, after having its own ordinance for over 15 years at that point. It was one of first cities in the state to pass a fairness ordinance in 2003.
Union would’ve become the first city in Boone County to adopt such an ordinance, but the city commission voted against it 3-1, with one commissioner abstaining. Hartman said the vote gives Union the distinction of being the first Northern Kentucky community to vote against LGBTQ civil rights.
Commissioner John Mefford abstained. Commissioner Brian Garner, who helped bring the ordinance to the commission, voted yes. Commissioner Eric Dulaney voted no.
Commissioner Jeremy Ramage, who voted no, in a statement said:
“I have been elected by the residents of Union to represent them and I don’t take that responsibility lightly.
I spent a considerable amount of time over the past few weeks reading various correspondence and talking with residents. In doing so, I gained an understanding of what they felt was best for our city moving forward. The overwhelming response was that our residents feel the current laws provide for equal rights.”
Mayor Larry Solomon, who also voted no, cited the fairness resolution the city passed in 2020. Solomon also released a statement:
“On the surface, this is a statement that all Union residents believe no matter their political beliefs. Everyone wants to be treated fairly, and they want to treat others fairly. In 2020, the City of Union enacted a Fairness Resolution (2020-10) that states all those in Union should be treated equally and fairly with respect… this is expected of all Union city officials/staff/city contractors, businesses, schools, and residents. In 2021, the city commission approved, at my request, a public relations campaign to inform residents that the city believes in fairness and all should be treated equally and fairly. The city has given its word that it believes in treating all people fairly and equally through the 2020 Fairness Resolution, and one’s word is their bond. I believe that this is currently good enough.”
Johnson said he doesn’t think it is enough.
“It’s not. And it’s in a way telling folks that discrimination in certain areas and certain aspects of our community are okay. And that’s not,” he said.
Hartman agreed the resolution is not enough.
“The difference between a resolution and an ordinance is telling someone they’ve won the lottery, versus actually paying them the lottery money. A resolution is merely symbolic,” he said.
Weeks before the vote, the Boone County Republican Party put out an official statement attacking the fairness ordinance.
“The Boone County Republican Party passed a resolution last night, with a near unanimous vote, condemning the proposed ‘Fairness’ ordinance currently being considered by the City of Union.
This ordinance is out of line with the desires of the majority of residents of Boone County, and the City of Union, where Republicans outnumber Democrats and Independents over 2 to 1. It’s telling when few citizens show up to support this proposal, but many special interest groups from outside of Boone County show up in force to get this passed. The ordinance does not fix right any wrong, or protect anyone that isn’t already protected. Rather, it appears to be an unnecessary solution, in search of a problem.
Republicans stand for Equal Rights, not Special Rights. This ordinance proposes a special rights class, which will open the door to future abuses by social activists and extremist progressives. who are focused on social engineering rather than true equality. One might argue that the language of the ordinance “protects” faith leaders, medical providers, etc, but what about business owners and ordinary citizens? As we have seen in many other areas of the country where this so-called “Fairness” ordinance has been proposed, once it is adopted, it is only a matter of time before more extreme positions are rammed through. It is a slippery slope.
The Boone County Republican party strongly urges the City of Union Commissioners and Mayor to vehemently oppose this ordinance, and vote against its adoption at the next City Meeting, or any future meeting. “
Hartman said he believes the party’s stance influenced commissioners. He said arguments against LGBTQ fairness used to be more honest, that people disagreed with the lifestyle, but have become more subtle.
“Folks still want to stop these laws for the same reasons, but that’s not what they’re saying out loud,” he said. “I think the people of Union heard loud and clear the part that was said quietly.”
This vote doesn’t mean a new fairness ordinance can’t be brought to the city commission again in the future. Johnson said he’s determined to continue to fight for fairness.
“So it told me there’s a lot of work left to be done in Union. But I’m hopeful the community will continue to move forward in being affirming in spite of the commissioners voting no on this,” he said.