Faith in Fairness

The Kentucky Senate votes 30-5 to pass healthcare discrimination at the end of January…just like they did last year…just like they did in last summer's special session. Christina Gilgor, KFA Executive Director, calls. I suggest a petition campaign for the House Health & Welfare Committee. She replies, "Yeah, and you know what else? Ask people to donate $10 and to forward the petition to 10 of their friends."

I like it. Let's call it the 1-10-10 Project.

One week later, 1-10-10 has blown away all of KFA's past advocacy and donations campaigns in every category. It confirms what I've hoped all along and believed on good days: when people get the chance to join together, to make a difference, they take it. That belief in the power of coming together brought me to KFA in the first place, and it keeps me in the fight today.

Jody Cofer, KFA board chair, convinced a group of leaders in Murray to come together and sponsor a screening of "For the Bible Tells Me So," the documentary that refutes religious arguments for anti-gay discrimination. More than 130 people gathered on the Murray State University campus to see and discuss the film. That discussion continues as Jody meets with community leaders to spread the message of fairness.

We're planning our second annual Kentuckians Value Fairness Day with the Fairness Campaign. Rev. Al Pennybacker of Lexington is spearheading efforts to organize people of faith for the event, and the Fairness Campaign, with its team of outstanding volunteers, will make calls, create posters, and organize carpools from Louisville.

Our 2008 lobbying efforts will primarily focus on fighting the healthcare discrimination bills. Kentucky doesn't need a law prohibiting public agencies from providing fair benefits to employees' families. The bill died twice last year, in both the regular and special sessions. This year will prove a bigger challenge. A group of mostly rural House Democrats makes a driving force for healthcare discrimination. Twenty of them have sponsored the House version of the bill.

The change we seek lies in certain communities, places where it's not okay to be out, because being open about your relationship can put your job, your home, or even your safety at risk. That's why KFA was founded; it's why we stick to our principles.

When Jody sits down with a Baptist minister in Western Kentucky and they talk about fairness in a new light, we are accomplishing our mission. When hundreds of people from all over the state commit their signatures and contributions to a lobbying effort, we are accomplishing our mission. When we speak with a collective voice and claim fairness as a Kentucky value, we are accomplishing our mission.

KFA's founders knew it in 1993. Then as now, Kentucky needed an independent statewide organization in order to create the fair Commonwealth they envisioned. Our successes through the years speak to their wisdom: over 98% of anti-gay bills and amendments, defeated.

Our future promises to expand on that success. Gradually, we are building support for the statewide fairness bill, which would put an end to discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. We're moving toward passage of a hospital visitation bill, designed to keep families together during times of medical crisis. We will get there by doing what KFA has always done: creating voice and visibility for Kentucky's fair-minded community. Our lobbying efforts bring new voices into the democratic process every year. The work of the KFA Foundation, our educational arm, sets vital conversations into motion across the state.

KFA creates a space where anyone with a belief in and a commitment to a fair Kentucky can help make a difference. I love it when someone asks me how to get involved. Let me count the ways:

First thing, sign up for our emails. In one or two messages per week, we do our best to keep our supporters informed and involved with news, events, and action alerts. It's the single easiest way to start creating a fair Kentucky.

Second thing, join Friends & Family, our annual membership club. Members not only provide a lifeline in an organization's funding, but a strong membership club also makes a statement about the organization's strength and credibility. Memberships start at $10 a year, less than 30 cents a day, and the returns on that investment are incalculable.

Third thing, organize a local event. Jody created quite a buzz with "For the Bible Tells Me So." We can help with programming and publicity, and are always open to original ideas. I could go on…

For all my high talk, I'm also proud that KFA is a small organization. Our staff has ranged from 2-6 since my first day as an intern back in summer 2005. That puts us right around the average for statewide GLBT justice organizations with similar budgets. Our tiny staff allows us to sink significant resources into programming.

We rely on a small army of volunteers, led by our board of directors. They serve as citizen lobbyists, organize statewide and local events, and engage in less glamorous work, like envelope stuffing. David Kuxhaus, a board member from Ashland, was the first KFA leader to advocate bringing "For the Bible Tells Me So" to Kentucky. His passion inspired Jody, who will inspire someone else….

When people ask me what I do for a living, their responses are put into two camps: the "Ouch" and the "Cool." They're both right. Kentucky's political climate seems to range from un-hospitable to hostile on issues of GLBT justice. At the same time, regular Kentuckians understand that all human beings deserve respect, and a fair shot.

Christina calls. She wants to organize faith leaders around the state to bring "For the Bible Tells Me So" to their congregations. We brainstorm together; maybe we can get funding for an intern to do the organizing. That Murray story sure is a winner.

I like it. Let's call it the Faith in Fairness project.

By Misty York
KFA Communication Director