As the 2008 election nears, Kentucky’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) community remains as divided as ever.
Nationally, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has been battling protests around the country for leaving the transgender community out of critical federal legislation.
In Kentucky, the Kentucky Equality Federation and the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, the largest statewide LGBT advocates remain at arms length. Their relationship, from the beginning has always been strained; Kentucky Equality Federation was, after all, founded by former members of Kentucky Fairness Alliance. In recent months however, I noticed Kentucky Equality Federation has been promoting or sponsoring selective Kentucky Fairness Alliance events.
In the midst of problems between Kentucky Equality Federation and Kentucky Fairness Alliance, the Fairness Campaign, which predates both organizations, continues separate work in Louisville.
This year, two new organizations sprouted, after once being chapters of Kentucky Fairness Alliance: Lexington Fairness, and Northern Kentucky Equality.
Perhaps individual cities having their own organizations will work best, since they can focus exclusively on the mayor, city councils, school districts, etc. and push an equality-for-all agenda while the statewide organizations can focus on the Kentucky House of Representatives, the Senate, and play a role in federal politics.
This year, individuals deliberately tried (and succeeded) in tearing apart alliances between Kentucky’s GLBT organizations based on supposition, innuendo, and self-serving (and indeed, self-defeating) interests.
Unless you are friends with someone who is GLBT, you probably haven’t heard the saying, “gay drama.” Well, I’ll break it to you like this, nothing I have ever witnessed compares to the intense emotions felt in gay drama.
My advice, sign-up for alerts and emails from both statewide organizations and give money to the one (or both) you think is headed in the right direction. If you live in a city that has its own local GLBT organization, sign-up for alerts from them also.
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at ...
2 years ago
The idea that a new lgbt organization sprouted this year in Lexington is not entirely correct. The group that has been (more or less) active in Lexington was around before there was ever a KFA. KFA was formed when people in Lexington and Louisville started working together with an ambitious vision. That vision has not united the state and the movement is splintered and less effective today.
ReplyDeleteCheck out Lexington Fairness history on their website: www.lexingtonfairness.org
I for one will not have anything to do with KFA or KEF because they are not effective organizations. The work happens on the ground, and these "statewide" LGBT organizations are not where its at. It's at the Fairness Summit.
ReplyDeleteThe Fairness Summit was an EVENT, not an organization, and it was created by these organizations you just said you didn't want anything to do with. And who do you think will carry on the goals created at the Summit? These same organizations. A summit is a one-day thing. Equality takes staff, money, and time.
ReplyDelete