LGBTQ advocates packed the Kentucky Capitol rotunda Tuesday to again push for a statewide anti-discrimination law and a ban on "conversion therapy." They also witnessed an impromptu wedding.
One message of this year's rally: LGBTQ gains may face headwinds in Washington and Frankfort, but the cause is steadily gaining ground. Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman said a record number of sponsors have signed onto a statewide law that would bar discrimination in housing, employment, and public accommodations based on sexual orientation or gender identity, often referred to as a "fairness law."
"I think if the House were to vote on fairness, we would have the majority votes," Hartman told WUKY. "I don't know about the Senate, but we are getting so much closer than we ever were before."
Rally-goers heard from lawmakers, spoken word performers, and Heather Green, a Louisville mother whose gender reveal "photo shoot" for her transgender child went viral this year. But that wasn't the only surprise.
The event's finale? A pop-up wedding where a same-sex couple exchanged vows in the heart of the Capitol.
Kentucky is one of 28 states without a statewide LGBTQ anti-discrimination law. So far ten cities, including Lexington, have passed their own fairness laws, covering just over a fourth of the state.
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