Letter: Applauds magistrates questioning ‘fairness’ of proposed HRC changes

To the Editor,

This letter is in response to the Feb. 9, 2014 Kentucky Standard editorial which presented a scathing attack on our magistrates regarding their questioning of proposed revisions to the Nelson County Human Rights ordinance.

The editorial board collectively deserves the title of “arch-bigot.” What hypocrisy — attacking the magistrates because they are “older, white, heterosexual men.” So—this category of humanity doesn’t deserve to be tolerated and respected, because of their age, race, and sex? I am a thirty-something, white, heterosexual female, who is against the proposed changes to the ordinance. Am I also to be thus maligned?

These so-called “fairness” ordinances are being used nationwide to persecute and discriminate against businesses. We need look no further than Lexington, where Hands On Originals, a local graphics printing company, politely declined to print-up T-shirts for the 2012 Lexington Pride Festival.

The company felt that printing the shirts would violate their religious convictions. They were slapped with an investigation by Lexington’s Human Rights Commission and accused of violating the local “Fairness Act.” The investigation is yet ongoing, and the business has suffered negatively.

I could provide examples from other states of similar investigations and lawsuits that are trampling the First Amendment and religious freedom rights of business owners and individuals. In Nelson County, a 10-member commission appointed (not elected) by the Nelson County judge executive and mayor could decide if you or your business were guilty of a “hate” crime — and that the Human Rights Commission has the power to investigate you or your business.

Third, the comparison of race to sexual choices is dishonest. A dear African-American friend recently related to me how insulted he is by the comparison of race to the choice of sexual behavior. Regardless of sexual preferences, our behavior is a choice; a person does not choose their skin color.

I applaud our magistrate’s questions and ask them to retain the wording of the current ordinance, which protects all citizens. We do not need to create special protected classes.

Amelia Clements
Cox’s Creek

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