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VOLUME 20, ISSUE 4 • APRIL 2009
The Human Rights Campaign, thenation’s largest GLBT civil rightsorganization, issued the followingstatement in response to reportsthat Senate Bill 68, a bill that wouldprohibit adoption or foster parentingby any person “cohabiting with a sexualpartner outside of a marriage that isvalid in Kentucky,” has died in theKentucky legislature. The KentuckyHouse of Representatives adjournedwithout voting on the legislation,which had been approved by a Senatecommittee and was pending in theSenate. Kentucky’s legislative sessionended March 30.“We’re glad to see that this dangerousbill did not advance. Very simply thislegislation would have hurt childrenin Kentucky who are waiting forpermanent homes with loving families,”said Human Rights Campaign PresidentJoe Solmonese. “We congratulate theFairness Campaign, Kentucky FairnessAlliance, Kentucky Equality Federation,Join the Impact, the ACLU of Kentuckyand HRC members who made theirvoices heard in support of children.”"The fact that this attack on childrenwas stopped at the Senate Committeelevel speaks volumes to the broad-basedcoalition support the Fairness Campaignwas able to rally around this issue," saidChris Hartman, Director of the Louisville-based Fairness Campaign. "We hopethis victory is a sign that discriminatoryanti-adoption legislation will not beconsidered in the Commonwealth'sfuture, and that if it is, the FairnessCampaign will gather and build uponour allies and mobilize them against thisbill with even greater fervor."Tennessee’s legislature is currentlyconsidering a similar bill that wouldban adoption by any person “involvedin a cohabitating sexual relationshipoutside of a marriage”. Four states(Florida, Mississippi, Utah, andArkansas) currently have laws thatprohibit adoption by gay or lesbiancouples (Florida’s law additionallyprohibits adoption by gay or lesbianindividuals).
Five years of bipartisan advocacyresulted in the Indiana Senate Republicancaucus voting not to consider Senate JointResolution 15 (SJR-15) – the MarriageDiscrimination Amendment – during the2009 session of the recently concludedIndiana General Assembly.“Indiana Equality Action and its coalitionpartners applaud the courage of the Senatorsthat voted to reject the punitive nature ofSJR 15“, remarked Walter Botich, Presidentof Indiana Equality Action (IEA).Credit for this success is due to thediligent and continuing efforts of GLBTHoosiers, friends and allies. IEA and itscoalition partners –- the Human RightsCampaign, Indiana Transgender RightsAdvocacy Alliance, Indianapolis RainbowChamber of Commerce, the InterfaithCoalition on Nondiscrimination, Stop theAmendment, Citizens for Civil Rightsand regional coordinating committees –- thank people throughout the state forcontacting their legislators to tell them hateand intolerance have no place in Indiana’sconstitution.Observed IEA Vice-President RandyStudt, “Thanks goes out to the hundreds
of individuals that let their elected ofcials
know they had more important things
on their mind such as our oundering
economy, taxes, and education. Our hope isthis is the start of a dialog that will continueto move Indiana forward.”Proposals identical to SJR-15 – HouseJoint Resolutions 7 and 8 were alsointroduced in the Indiana House ofRepresentatives. House Speaker B. PatrickBauer previously announced that theproposals would not be considered duringthe 2009 legislative session.Although the threat of the MarriageDiscrimination Amendment hasapparently passed for the 2009 legislativesession, much work is yet needed to securebasic rights for Indiana’s GLBT citizens.IEA is still working with legislators onboth sides of the aisle to secure inclusivebias crimes protections for Hoosiers,amend Indiana’s Civil Rights law toprotect against discrimination based oneither sexual orientation or gender identity,and to insure hospital visitation rights forunmarried couples.Organized in 2003, IEA has two primaryobjectives: amending Indiana’s Civil Rightslaw to protect against discrimination basedon either sexual orientation or genderidentity and ensuring that relationshipprotections for GLBT couples and familiesare not outlawed by an amendment to theState Constitution.For more information regardingIEA, visit their website at www.indianaequalityaction.org or call (888) 567-0750.
LETTER
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Kentucky Legislators Got The Message: SB 68 Didn't ReachSenate For VoteIndiana: Marriage Discrimination Amendment Given 5thConsecutive "NO"
2 The LeTTer www.TheLeTTeronLine.com APriL 2009
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May 22 - 25Memorial Day Weekend
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A bill that would prohibit the discussion of gay or bisexual matters in any publicor elementary school has been sent by the Tennessee House of Representatives K-12Subcommittee to the State Board of Education for study, with a report due back fromthem by March 15, 2010.The move postpones for another year the attempt by Tennessee State Sen. Dewayne
Bunch (R-Cleveland) and Rep. Stacey Campeld (R-Knoxville) to have the legislationpassed this session, unless the state nishes its report before the session is over. It
failed last year in committee.
"It was a good outcome," said Tennessee Equality Project President ChristopherSanders. However he also cautioned that the bill "remained alive and that Campled
could bring it back for an up or down vote."Sanders said the subcommittee had "less than 10 minutes" of discussion about the
bill before sending it to the State Board of Education for study. "It helped that people
took the time to call and e-mail their representatives about this bill," he said. "Thatmade all the difference in the world."
Jerry Jones is the publisher of Out & About Newspaper, based in Nashville.Copyright 2009, Out & About Newspaper. All rights reserved. Reprintedwith permission.
"Don't Say Gay" Bill Sent To State For Study
by Jerry Jones (Out & About Newspaper)
For The Love Of Pancakes
Kentuckiana Pride Festival (KPF) salutes Applebee's Restaurant on TaylorsvilleRoad for hosting a Pancake Breakfast on March 21. Over $600.00 was raised to supportthe work of KPF.
Pride @ Thunder Over Louisville
KPF will be selling beverages at Thunder Over Louisville for the rst time. Stop by our trailer on West Bingham Street, in front of Joe's Crab Shack. Stop buy for soft
drinks, water, sports and energy drinks and coffee. Bottled beverages only will be onsale, so the line should move fast!
Derby Parade Float
For the second year, KPF is sponsoring a oat in the Derby Festival PegasusParade (Thursday April 30). In keeping with the parades theme of "Destinationsand Discovery" the KPF entry is titled "There Is No Place Like Home". Parade ChairAlex Wahl said "The design is Wizard of Oz meets Louisville". The oat will also be on display at the Parade Preview on April 28 in the South Wing at the Kentucky
Expo Center. Those interested in walking in the parade should write Alex at parade@kentuckianapridefestival.com. All walkers will receive a free t-shirt to be worn duringthe parade. These shirts are collector’s items as they are a special design and limited tothe parade participants.
New Briefs From Kentuckiana Pride Festival
by Mike Shouse, KPF Director
The popular folk rock duo the INDIGOGIRLS are among theentertainers scheduledto appear at the 2009Kentuckiana PrideFestival.
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