Kentucky Equality Federation: Difference between revisions

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Kentucky Equality Federation is an umbrella gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization in the Commonwealth of Kentucky consisting of Federation for Kentucky Equality, Inc., Kentucky Equality Coalition, Inc., and Kentucky Equality PAC.

Originally called Kentucky Equal Rights, the organization changed its name to Kentucky Equality, with either "Association" or "Federation" always appearing afterward. Kentucky Equality has "The Equality Party", "Commonwealth Equality", "Kentucky Equality Federation", and "Kentucky Equality Association" listed as assumed names with the Kentucky Secretary of State.

• Jordan Palmer, President
• Joshua Koch, Vice President of Policy & Public Relations
• Attorney Jillian Hall, Vice President of Legal
• Jeff Johnson, Central Kentucky Regional Director
• Darren Morgen, Assistant Central Kentucky Regional Director
• Matt Berry, Eastern Kentucky Regional Director
• Shannon L. McKinney, Southern Kentucky Regional Director
• Will Taylor, Southeastern Kentucky Regional Director
• Benjamin Brannock, Education and School Specialist
• Julia Spiegel-Oiler, Children of LGBTI Parents Outreach Director
• Minister Edith Baker, Ph.D., Religious Communities Outreach Director
• Jillian Hall, Allies (Straight) Community Outreach Director
• Kelly Gill, A.D., Mental Health Outreach Director

• Brandon Combs, Chairman of the Board
• Gary Fowler, Vice Chairman of the Board
• Fran Everage, Secretary of the Corporation
• B. Dean Byrd, Jr., Assistant Secretary of the Corporation
• Trevor Ashley, Treasurer
• Jody Gregory
• N. Carlene Couch
• Jordan Palmer (ex officio member)

• Public Relations Committee
• Kentucky Discrimination and School Bullying Committee
• Planning Committee
• Transgender Special Advisory Committee
• Fundraising Committee.

On May 25, 2012,^[1] a controversial billboard condemning homosexuality and abortion was posting on New Circle Road near Leestown Road in Lexington, KY. That same billboard was later stolen, defaced, and displayed in a local Lexington eatery.^[2] The billboard owner replaced the billboard shortly thereafter. The Kentucky Equality Federation, after receiving a complaint, took action. On July 31, 2012, the billboard was confirmed as removed citing complaints launched by Jordan Palmer, President, and Brandon Combs, Chairman of the Board.^[3]

Kentucky Equality led a protest at the Governor's Annual Derby Breakfast on May 6, 2006. The protest was in response to Governor Ernie Fletcher's refusal to veto funding to the University of the Cumberlands after expelling a student for revealing he was gay on the social networking site MySpace.

On July 7, 2009 Kentucky Equality Federation condemned the University of the Cumberlands for uninviting the Broadway Baptist Church of Texas' church choir from participating in its community based Mountain Outreach Program because of their "tolerant stance toward homosexuality."^[4] The following day Kentucky Equality Federation also condemned $1.2 million in federal funding to expand programs at the university.^{[5][dead link][6]}

On January 9, 2008 Kentucky Equality Federation’s General Advisory Council condemned Kentucky Fairness Alliance.^{[7][dead link][8]} According to published reports, one reason for the dispute between the two organizations was related to Bluegrass Fairness of Central Kentucky, once a chapter of Kentucky Fairness Alliance. Kentucky Equality Federation’s General Advisory Council also sited problems in working with the Executive Director of Kentucky Fairness Alliance.

The condemnation was short lived; on April 18, 2008 Kentucky Equality Federation's Board of Directors rescinded the General Advisory Council's condemnation of Kentucky Fairness Alliance and terminated 9 of the 14 members on the General Advisory Council.^{[citation needed]}

In March 2007 the Kentucky Equality Federation won a MySpace Impact Award in the area of Social Justice, beating Do Something and Loose Change to Loosen Change. The Federation was awarded a $10,000.00 cash prize and promotional support from MySpace.

Prior to the November 2006 General Election Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer verbally attacked Kentucky Representative Joseph Fisher (R) after he stated "homosexuals have not experienced the same type of insidious discrimination in housing and employment as blacks and women." In addition, Fischer stated he believed homosexuals could easily change their sexual orientation.^[9]

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On September 5, 2006 the Kentucky Equality Federation announced they would act as a "buffer" for victims of discrimination, hate crimes, and school bullying establishing a toll-free number and an online complaint system to report incidents. The federation stated they believe a lot of incidents go unreported each year throughout Kentucky because of bad experiences in working with law enforcement, while others feared being “outed” or reprisals would ensue from their perpetrators.

Kentucky Equality was involved getting the first Gay-Straight Alliance approved at Boone County High School in Northern Kentucky.^[10] On July 19, 2006 Boone County High School ended more than a year of stonewalling and avoided a federal and state lawsuit by finally approving the formation of a Gay-Straight Alliance. Jordan Palmer, founder and president of the Kentucky Equality Federation warned school officials that he would file a lawsuit in federal court for violating the federal Equal Access Act which requires schools to treat Gay-Straight Alliance’s as they would any other school group, and a separate lawsuit with the Kentucky Court of Justice for violating the Kentucky Education Reform Act.^{[citation needed]}

• LGBT rights in the United States
• List of LGBT rights organizations

• Official Site
• United We Stand Blog
• Equality Center
• Kentucky Equality PAC^{[dead link]}
• Kentucky Equality Protest Video