New try on ban of partner benefits

By Ryan Alessi

Lexington, KY -- Two Democratic state lawmakers are dredging up a controversial proposal to block public universities in Kentucky from extending health benefits to unmarried, live-in partners of the institutions' employees.

The move by state Reps. Richard Henderson of Jeffersonville and Ancel Smith of Leburn already has raised eyebrows among members of their own party -- especially considering that new Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear has repeatedly promised to veto any such bills.

"I had expected it but not from those two," said Representative Tom Burch, D-Louisville. "I expected it from Republicans."

Sixteen other Democratic lawmakers have signed on to the bill, which Henderson and Smith pre-filed yesterday in preparation for the upcoming General Assembly session that begins Jan. 8.

Both Henderson and Smith said they've received pressure from constituents to block universities that receive public funding from offering such domestic partnership benefits.

"I live in an ultraconservative district with 150 churches," Henderson said. "Between 1,200 and 1,500 of my constituents have called, not requesting but directing me to do this."

Henderson, a freshman legislator, represents Montgomery, Powell and Wolfe counties. Smith's district covers Knott, Magoffin and part of Letcher County.

The GOP led the charge against domestic-partner benefits earlier this year when Republican state Sen. Vernie McGaha of Russell Springs proposed a bill that banned state universities from offering them. After McGaha's measure failed to clear a state House committee, former GOP Gov. Ernie Fletcher tried to put it on his agenda for a special legislative session last summer.

Trustees at several Kentucky institutions, led by the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville, have approved offering health care to domestic partners of unmarried employees, including those who are gay.

McGaha, Fletcher and other proponents of the measure argued that those universities that are partially funded by the state are out of step with the state's constitution, which was changed in 2004 to ban gay couples from being married.

But the policies of U of L and UK don't use public funds to pay for health insurance or subsidize coverage for unmarried partners of employees. Instead, the universities allow those individuals to buy into the health insurance pool.

"Whether or not we're subsidizing directly their health care plans, we are, in fact, subsidizing their construction and overall operations of the universities," said Henderson. "I am not out for political gain, I just feel like a public institution that draws money from the state coffers is at the will of the people.

"I do not feel this is micromanaging our colleges or universities," he added.

That's exactly what this proposal does, argued Burch.

"If that's what they want, what we should do is fire every regent in all the colleges around the state and let the legislature run the institutions if Mr. Henderson feels so strongly about it," he said.

Promise of veto

UK President Lee T. Todd said yesterday that state universities' trustees should be free to determine their employees' health care coverage, especially when trying to attract top faculty and staff members.

"I had five committees that recommended to me that we do this (offer domestic partner benefits). It would be my preference that they allow universities to make that decision based on our needs," he said.

That's also been the position of Beshear, who officially started his new job as governor yesterday.

"The governor would stand by what he said earlier this summer that he would veto any such legislation," said spokeswoman Vicki Glass. "Our universities are competing with the top universities nationwide ... and ought to be free to design their own benefit packages."

Henderson said he's not deterred by Beshear's position.

"I stand firmly behind my governor," he said. "But I have an obligation to my constituents."

Rep. Stan Lee, the Republican House whip from Lexington who supports a ban on universities offering domestic-partner benefits, said with Democrats taking the lead on such a bill, it increases the chances that it could attract more than the 60 votes required to override a veto.

But the debate, Lee conceded, is likely to be a lively one.

And the Kentucky Equality Federation, which advocates for gay rights, called the pre-filed bill "distasteful and not at all in line with Governor Beshear's inaugural speech" that called for inclusion, said Jordan Palmer, the group's president. A coalition of gay-rights groups is planning a Capitol rally in February.

A number of Kentucky's largest private employers, such as Toyota, extend health care benefits to live-in partners of workers.

What happened last time

Burch, who chairs the House Health and Welfare Committee, questioned why his Democratic colleagues were pursuing this issue.

"If the governor says he's going to veto it, why should we even fool with it?" he said.

It was in Burch's committee that McGaha's domestic partnership bill died when the panel deadlocked 8-8. Smith, the co-sponsor of this latest incarnation of the proposal, would have been the deciding vote but wasn't present.

Smith said yesterday he probably would have opposed that version of the bill because of unclear language that might have blocked university employees from having health coverage extend to foster children or grandchildren. This proposed legislation clarifies that, he said.

Smith said he expects opposition from other members of his own party, but he predicts that "we've got enough support to get it out of committee and out of the House floor and send it to the Senate."

Two Democratic House leaders -- House Speaker Jody Richards and Democratic Caucus Chairman Charlie Hoffman -- said yesterday they were aware that some Democrats were talking about filing a bill but weren't sure how other Democrats would react.

Democrats outnumber Republicans in the lower chamber, 61 to 36, with three open seats. And with a budget and other major policy proposals looming in the upcoming session, division within the majority party would be counterproductive, Hoffman said.

"We don't want this type of issue to be one of the biggest things that we'll be dealing with in Frankfort," Hoffman said. "We don't need any distractions. We will handle it in a way that it won't be."

A lesson in free speech - Preaching, protest featured at Morehead State University

For the last two days, students at Morehead State University have been engaged in one of the epic battles of American democracy.

It began on Tuesday, when followers of a Christian organization named Soul Winners Ministries International arrived on campus.

The group, which has about six members, found MSU’s free speech area and began to speak.

What happened next depends on who you ask.

Soul Winners member Michael Venyah, who would not give a hometown, said his organization has been preaching the gospel in Kentucky and decided to visit Morehead. He said the group didn’t have one particular message.

“Our only desire is to love and preach God,” he said.

Another member, who gave his name only as J.K., said the message he was spreading was “Repent and believe the gospel and live by the teachings of the Bible.”

That message, however, wasn’t well received by many students at MSU who turned out by the dozen at the free speech area on Tuesday and Wednesday to exercise their own First Amendment rights.

Many said they witnessed the group heckling students, pointing out individuals as they passed, yelling at them to repent or face eternal damnation.

“Their message was ‘Everyone is going to go to hell.’ It doesn’t matter who it was,” said senior Gena Combs, 22, of Hazard.

“I don’t feel bad about them being here,” Combs said, adding she was singled out from the crowd and heckled. “I’m upset about the atmosphere,” which she described as “violent” and “negative.”

“I’m all for civil liberties and freedom of speech, but I think this qualifies as hate speech and harassment,” said junior Brian Stephens, 20, of Sandy Hook.

Stephens is openly gay and a member of the Kentucky Equality Federation, a statewide political action group that advocates for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Kentuckians.

“I go to school here peacefully. I don’t want people telling me I’m going to hell because I’m gay. I’m here to get an education,” he said, referencing a shirt worn by Venyah’s wife, Tamika, that read “No homos go to heaven.”

Stephens said he helped to organize the student counterprotest by posting an event to Facebook.

“Our plan was to encircle them and either play music or sing so they couldn’t be heard,” he said. They intended, he said, to send a message of love and peace.

“I don’t think our campus needs a violent atmosphere, and it’s not violent until people come along and start preaching hate,” he said.

Freshman Steven Osborne, 18, of Morehead, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said he too was offended by the group and showed up to protest, but for a very different reason.

“It’s insulting what they are doing,” he said. “(They are) chasing people away instead of bringing them in.”

The message should have been one of unity, he said, suggesting “Love one another” instead.

Junior Rocky Johnston, 23, of Somerset, who was sporting a “Mormon Boy” T-shirt and holding a well-worn Bible, said he joined the students counterprotest for similar reasons.

“I serve the mission and I know the message well,” he said. “Their message goes completely against what Jesus taught — love and forgiveness. We showed up to tell them God is love.”

J.K. denied the group was heckling individuals and said the crowd of students turned on him and his companions instead. As he headed to his car to leave campus, a police officer trailing him, he said: “We felt God told us to come here. Obviously we came to the right place.”

Venyah agreed the majority of students on campus was not receiving the group’s message. But he shrugged off the students’ actions.

“Sometimes people protest — as they did the prophets,” he said. Opposition is irrelevant.”

MSU professor of history John Ernst had a similiar opinion.

“I think it’s good and healthy,” he said, of the events. “It gets the students engaged and riled up. Free speech is one of the foundations of our country. Democracy is wonderful. It’s messy, though.”

Soul Winners was expected to return to the campus’ free speech center at 11 a.m. today. Stephens said students planned to fill the area ahead of time.

“I’m definitely coming back,” Osborne said.

“To let them know there is a better way to do it,” added Johnston.

3 are arrested at gay-rights group's event

Police arrested three people yesterday when a gay-rights group tried to talk to students at the University of the Cumberlands, which found itself embroiled in controversy last year after expelling a gay student.
About 25 people taking part in the Soulforce Equality Ride had stopped at the school. Soulforce is visiting 32 colleges and universities to draw attention to policies the group says discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and to promote hope and reconciliation, members said.

Members have been arrested at other stops, including earlier this week in Louisville.

"Throughout our stops in the South we have encountered a lot of hostility," said Matt Comer of Greensboro, N.C., an organizer of Soulforce.

Comer said that when the bus got to the school about 10 a.m., Michael Colegrove, the school's vice president for student services, told the riders they would be trespassing if they came on campus.

Dozens of police officers were on hand. Comer said police told the activists that they could not stand on a public sidewalk beside the campus, but rather would have to keep walking or face arrest.

Williamsburg Police Chief Denny Shelley said police charged Soulforce member Jacob Reitan with trespassing and failure to disperse. Two Cumberlands students were charged with failure to disperse.

Comer said it seemed the university and police tried to keep the Soulforce riders from talking to students.

"It sounds ridiculous to even say" someone could be charged for standing on a public sidewalk, Comer said. "The police know what they're doing is wrong."

Colegrove said the university also tried to cooperate with the group and offered members a spot on campus for their visit. However, the group wanted free run of the campus, which wasn't possible because of the potential disruption, and rejected the university's offer, he said.

Comer, however, said Soulforce did not reject the university's offer. A university official quickly withdrew the offer because of a miscommunication and later refused to agree to terms in writing, he said.

The group talked to students for about three hours.

Later yesterday, Soulforce members held a rally on the steps of the Whitley County courthouse. About 40 people listened and about 10 protesters stood on the courthouse lawn holding signs with Bible verses on them.

Many conservative Christians believe the Bible condemns homosexuality. Soulforce members, however, say that belief is hurtful and wrong; several said they consider themselves Christians.

Emily Harlow, a freshman at the University of the Cumberlands, said she came to the rally to hear what group members had to say.

"It's time Cumberland realized it's OK to be gay and be a Christian."

There had been concern on campus that students could face trouble for talking to Soulforce members or attending the rally.

Colegrove, however, said that wasn't the case. Students have First Amendment rights too, he said.

Still, Jordan Palmer, president of the Kentucky Equality Federation, which helped pay for the Soulforce visit to Williamsburg, gave students cards and said to call him if they encountered a problem as a result of coming to the rally.

Kyle DeVries, a Soulforce spokesman, identified the two Cumberlands students who were arrested as Warry Woodward and Annie Decrescente.

Last year, the university expelled Jason Johnson of Lexington, who had disclosed on a Web site that he is gay.

The university's policy said any student who engages in or promotes sexual behavior not consistent with Christian principles, including homosexuality or sex outside marriage, could be suspended or asked to leave school.

University President Jim Taylor said at the time the policy was in line with traditional denominational beliefs.

Johnson returned to Williamsburg yesterday to be with the protesters and thanked students at his former school.

"Bless you," he told the students. "You have more courage than you know."

Johnson is now a student at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.

Hundreds turn out to fight for gay rights

Yesterday was a historic day in the Commonwealth of Kentucky as gay rights organizations and their allies brought the fight directly to their seat of government at the Kentucky Capitol in Frankfort.

Hosted by Kentucky Fairness Alliance and Louisville's Fairness Campaign, with support from Kentucky Equality Federation and Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, more than 250 people showed up at the Capitol Rally.

Kentucky Equality Federation would like to give special thanks to Model High School's Gay-Straight Alliance as well as the Eastern Kentucky University Pride Alliance, and Boone County High School Gay-Straight Alliance for their support. Federation President Jordan Palmer, Federation Alliance Manager Clarence Wallace, and Northern Chapter President Nick Herweck coordinated their participation in the historic event.

Special thanks also to Jordan Boyer with Model High School, and Ms. Staci Wilson.

"We must fight the bigotry anti-gay groups and some homophobic elected officials practice; they want nothing more than to dehumanize a large group of people, deny their humanity, happiness, health, civil, and God given rights. If this isn't challenged by everyone, we are giving our government the green light to victimize other minority groups." - Jordan Palmer, Kentucky Equality Federation President

Click here to view photos.

United We Stand - Kentucky's LGBTI News

Kentucky Senate Committee votes to ban domestic-partner benefits across the commonwealth.

Universities and other public agencies should not be allowed to offer health benefits to unmarried domestic partners of employees, a Senate committee said yesterday in approving a bill its sponsor said was not gay bashing.

Senator Vernie McGaha, R-Russell Springs, said his Senate Bill 152 is needed to "clear up confusion" in state public agencies' health insurance plans.

The bill would require public agencies to allow their employees to select health insurance coverage only for themselves and family members. It defines public agencies as any participating in a state retirement system or health insurance plan or subject to state laws on higher education.

The University of Louisville approved the benefits last year. The University of Kentucky is considering the move.

In a statement yesterday, UK President Lee Todd said UK "is opposed to any legislation that limits the university's ability to make determinations regarding the relationship with its employees."

University of Louisville President Jim Ramsey spoke against the bill in testifying before the Senate committee.

The policy at the university does not cost the state any tax dollars since the employee has to pay the premiums for others, Ramsey said. "We at the university embrace diversity and tolerance."

Ramsey said the place to stop the bill probably will be in the House, where Democrats are in the majority. The Senate is controlled by Republicans.

David Edmunds, policy analyst for The Family Foundation in Lexington, testified before the committee in support of McGaha's bill.

"The question of domestic partners is actually a debate about marriage," said Edmunds, noting that 75 percent of Kentucky voters in 2004 approved a constitutional amendment that prohibits same-sex marriage.

"That amendment said, 'A legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals shall not be valid or recognized.'" Edmunds said.

McGaha said the bill was "in no way" an attempt to harm gays.

Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer quickly condemned the vote.

"Corporations across the nation continue to surpass our commonwealth in extending domestic partner benefits to same-sex couples. This is homophobia in its simplest form; bigotry that seeks to dehumanize a large group of people, deny their humanity, happiness, health, civil, and God given rights. If this isn't challenged by all Kentuckians we are giving our government the green light to victimize other minority groups." Palmer said.

Governor Ernie Fletcher said earlier in the day that he thinks it is the responsibility of the board of trustees at each one of the universities to make those decisions.

"We'll have to wait and see what the legislature does, and I will be taking a look at it at that point."

Eight members of the Senate State and Local Government Committee voted for the bill. Two Democrats -- Walter Blevins of West Liberty and Julian Carroll of Frankfort -- did not vote.

The bill now goes to the Senate for its consideration.

House Speaker Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, said, "Generally, we do not micromanage universities."

House Judiciary Chairwoman Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, called McGaha's bill "short-sighted and wrong."

"We have no business trying to micromanage the affairs of our state universities," she said. "Once again, we are trying to gain political popularity by beating up on a group of folks who are fine contributing citizens of the commonwealth."

Anti-gay Christians miss message

Column by Kevin Eigelbach

Cincinati Post -- When I glanced at the headline, "Second state Baptist group ponders Wal-Mart boycott," I was happy.

At last, I thought, Christians are getting organized against the evil retail empire.

I wondered if they wanted to boycott over Wal-Mart's repressive labor policies, for its union-busting at its American stores, or its exploitation of workers at factories in China.

Did they object to Wal-Mart's encouraging its workers to apply for Medicaid and other state benefits so the company doesn't have to pay for their health care?

Were they fired up about Wal-Mart's siphoning dollars from downtown stores all over the nation?

Alas, no. The Baptists weren't mad about any of those things. They were mad because Wal-Mart expanded its diversity program in a deal with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Nothing makes Baptists madder than the thought of men having sex with men. They think it's just plain icky.

The story, which I found at www.EthicsDaily.com, said that a Southern Baptists of Texas Convention resolution called on Baptists to "reflect Biblical values with their purchasing power, letters and influence."

An earlier Missouri Baptist Convention resolution encouraged Baptists there to "exercise moral stewardship" in their shopping.

Not to be outdone, the American Family Association called for a one-day boycott of Wal-Mart on the Friday after Thanksgiving.

On that day, some protestors showed up at the Wal-Mart in Richmond, Ky. The local chapter of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance held a counter-demonstration.

Alliance members asked for help from the Florence-based Kentucky Equality Federation, but the group decided not to get involved. The Federation decided that a counter-demonstration would just magnify an event that wasn't that big of a deal, President Jordan Palmer said.

The Florence hotel owner said it wouldn't surprise him if the Southern Baptist Convention organized a boycott, as it did over Disney's pro-gay policies. "I think they're religious fanatics," he said.

Palmer, who is gay, grew up the son of a Church of God minister. A Christian all his life, he attends a Methodist church in Lexington, where he lives part-time. 

"My dad has thinking similar to that of the Southern Baptist Convention, and he has not spoken to me since I was in grammar school, especially now that I am in politics and in newspapers and television," he said. "I incorporated this organization to shield me from personal legal liability because I have a lot to say as someone who never had a foundation in life other than the one I made for myself because of my sexual orientation."

"I think that people really miss the true message of Christianity and most world religions," he said. "I think they try to twist them to suit their beliefs."

The real message is about loving your neighbor. "It's not about boycotting people or condemning people, or telling people they're going to hell for the way they live their life," he said.

I agree.

In a few days, we'll celebrate the birth of Jesus, whom the Gospel writer John tells us was born not to condemn the world but to save it. Why do some people feel the need to condemn others, when Christ himself said he condemned no one?

In the case of gays and lesbians, I'm convinced it's because they are easy targets. They're different in a very tangible way. The idea of boycotting businesses because they don't discriminate against homosexuals might strike some Christians as a principled stand against an evil practice.

To the world at large, though, this kind of thing increasingly looks like a simple inability to accept something you don't understand. As a former Baptist, I wish the Southern Baptist Convention would stand up for something I could also get behind. Like the high cost of low prices.

Kentucky Equality Federation protests Representative Fischer's comments, though he still stands by them

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - Statehouse Republican Joe Fischer is taking criticism for comments he made about gay rights and sexual orientation.

Fischer, a lawyer from Fort Thomas, said in an interview last week with The Community Recorder newspaper that it is "OK to fire someone if they're gay."

"I favor the current laws as they stand now," Fischer told the paper. "Sexual orientation shouldn't be a protected class. "Obviously, people can change their sexual orientation," he said. "Some psychologists have said so."

Fischer defended his comments during a Wednesday night campaign forum at Northern Kentucky University he participated in with his opponent, Democrat Linda Klembara of Fort Thomas.

"Under current federal and states civil rights laws it is OK," Fischer said during the half-hour forum. Sexual orientation is not a protected class. "It should not be in my opinion," he said. "The current law, I think it's fair because sexual orientation has not been a traditionally protected class like women, black, national origin and religion."

Klembara said her "faith runs deep" when asked to comment on Fischer's statements. "And my faith would never allow me to condone hatred or bigotry or discrimination toward any group of people," she said.

About 20 members of Kentucky Equality Federation, a gay rights group, protested Fischer's appearance at the forum. "As far as people being able to change their sexual orientation, it's something you are born with," said federation president Jordan Palmer. "He seems to think you can change it with the proper amount of psychology. So, my question to him is, could he change his to homosexual.

"It is unfortunate that we have people as our elected officials and representatives that aren't willing to represent all of us," Palmer said. "It is not fair, and it will never be fair, to terminate someone because of their sexual orientation."

Klembara said she didn't believe homosexuals could change their sexual orientation. "I don't ever remember consciously saying, 'I'm going to be a heterosexual,'" she said. "I think we're all born who we are."

Representative Fischer's (R) statement upsets gays

By Kevin Eigelbach, Post staff reporter

Cincinnati Post -- Gay rights groups are objecting to comments that state Rep. Joseph Fischer made to a Northern Kentucky newspaper.

According to a Community Recorder article published Thursday, the Fort Thomas Republican said that it's obvious that homosexuals can change their orientation.

In an interview with The Post Tuesday, he didn't back away from that statement.

"I've done a little research into that," he said, and referenced two Web sites, http://www.narth.org/ and http://www.couragerc.net/.

The former is the Web site of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, whose primary goal is to give therapy to homosexuals who want to change.

The latter is the site for Courage, a Roman Catholic group that helps homosexuals live a celibate lifestyle.

Kentucky Equality Federation, a gay-rights group, disputed that homosexuals can change, citing American Psychological Association policy.

The federation challenged Fischer to change his own orientation to homosexual for 48 hours, an invitation Fischer said he didn't intend to respond to.

Fischer's Democratic challenger, Fort Thomas resident Linda Klembara, said she didn't believe homosexuals could change their sexual orientation.

"I don't ever remember consciously saying, 'I'm going to be a heterosexual,'" she said. "I think we're all born who we are."

Fischer told The Post that the Community Recorder quoted him accurately, but somewhat out of context.

He was asked if it was OK under Kentucky law to fire someone for being gay, and he said it was.

"I favor the present law as it exists," he said. "I don't favor extending special civil rights beyond the traditional protected classes."

Homosexuals have not experienced the same type of "insidious discrimination in housing and employment" as blacks and women, he said.

Usually, society defines protected classes by their inherent characteristics and not the relationships they form, he said.

"As a class, gays have equal or higher median income as heterosexuals," he said. "That may not be the case for women and minorities."

The federation's president, Jordan Palmer, said Fischer's statement that it's all right to fire employees for being gay reminded him of other things that used to be OK in the United States, such as forced segregation.

"The comments made by Representative Fischer are a slap in the face to the people who lay their lives on the line every day to protect the ideals the founders of our nation had," he said.

He also disputed Fischer's statement that gays had not suffered as much as blacks and other minorities.

During World War II, at least 15,000 gay men died in concentration camps in Germany, he said. German soldiers were also known to use gay men for target practice, aiming their weapons at the pink triangles gays had to wear on their shirts.

"I'd like Representative Fischer to provide us with a number of exactly how many people need to suffer before he will acknowledge it," Palmer said.

Fischer's statements weren't that much of a surprise to Covington resident Dean Forster, secretary for the Kentucky Fairness Alliance.

Fischer has sponsored several "anti-gay" bills, Forster said, including one to rescind city ordinances in Covington, Lexington and Louisville to protect gays from discrimination.

"I will certainly be looking to support candidates who advocate legislation that protects all people from discrimination," Forster said of the November election.

Klembara, also of Fort Thomas, said her faith would not allow her to condone prejudice against anyone. She doesn't believe employers should be able to fire people just for being gay.

"It's my belief that when the Lord told us to love one another, it was not a suggestion, it was a commandment," she said.

Kentucky's homophobic nightmare, Representative Stan Lee from Fayette County

Lexington, KY -- Representative Stan Lee (R-Fayette) couldn't wait for the legislature to reconvene in January before filing his first anti-gay bill. Representative Lee's first attack against the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community for the upcoming 2007 Legislative Session is to "prohibit public higher education institutions from providing health benefits for a domestic partner of a university or college employee."

Representative Lee has wasted no time filing paperwork to prevent the University of Louisville, University of Kentucky, and Northern Kentucky University from pursuing domestic partnership benefits (House BR 102).

Kentucky Equality Federation believes the commonwealth's educational facilities have a better understanding of what is in the best interests of their institutions, and oppose all attempts by the commonwealth to consolidate government and remove "home rule" from our local governments and educational institutions.

Gay wrestler tells of internal struggle; WWE's Kanyon became star but was closeted.

Cincinnati Post -- Professional wrestler Chris Kanyon talked about coming out as part of National Coming Out Day to students at Northern Kentucky University in Highland Heights, Ky.

The event was sponsored by Kentucky Equality Federation after an anti-gay attack at the University.