Council to consider adding LGBTQ+ protection to city’s human rights ordinance

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2020 — The Bardstown City Council agreed Tuesday night to consider adding Fairness Ordinance language to the city’s existing human rights ordinance.

The proposed additional language would extend discriminations protection to individuals on the basis of sexual orientation as well as gender identity.

Mary Spalding, a member of the joint city-county hjman rights commission, spoke to the council about the changes that group is requesting.

The additional language would add “a layer of protection for people who are sexually oriented toward gay, or who may vary from (the sex) they were assigned at birth,” she said.

Spalding said it was time to take a stand on the issue and add a layer of public support. Not taking a stance may lead to perceptions by people that living in the community isn’t desireable, she warned.

The additional protection for gay and transgender individuals gives everyone a sense of basic dignity, she said.

“It’s a quality of life issue,” she explained.

She cited a list of approximately 20 Kentucky cities that have approved Fairness Ordinances or added fairness language to their existing ordinances.

Because the local human rights commission includes both the city and county govenrment, any changes to the human rights ordinance will need to be approved by Nelson Fiscal Court.

Additional proposed changes to the ordinance would update sections on housing and disability protection so they match state and federal law.

Mayor Dick Heaton told the council that City Attorney Audrey Haydon will take the language proposed by the human rights commission and draft an ordinance that the council will consider at one of the upcoming January council meetings.

The last time the Bardstown City Council considered adding Fairness Ordinance language to the city human rights ordinance was in 2015. At that time, the majority of the council was not in favor of adding new protected classes to the existing ordinance.

Read the 2015 story: Fairness ordinance language fails to find support among city council

In other business, the council:

— approved recommendations from the Historic Review Board.

— approved a request to provide sewer service to new lots in Woodlawn Springs subdivision.

— heard an update from Mayor Heaton during which he thanked the council for their past two years of service. Heaton also reviewed a lengthy list of accomplishments and projects that the city’s employees completed in the past two years.

— heard from City Engineer Jessica Filiatreau that the water and sewer rehabilitation project in downtown is expected to meet the goal of being completed by Christmas.

NEXT UP. The Bardstown City Council will next meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2020.

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