Woodford becomes first Kentucky county in 20 years to adopt fairness ordinance
Woodford County on Tuesday became the first Kentucky county in more than 20 years to approve a fairness ordinance.
The Woodford Fiscal Court voted 5 to 3 to approve an ordinance prohibiting discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, the Fairness Campaign announced Tuesday night.
“This is a significant stride in ensuring that all members of our communities are protected from discrimination,” Woodford County Magistrate Liles Taylor said in the news release. “Because of community leaders like those in Midway and Versailles, we’re seeing growing momentum for fairness in cities across the Commonwealth. But as rural state, many community members are left unprotected from discrimination simply because they live and/or work outside the city limits. This victory for equality will hopefully spark other counties to do the same.”
It’s the 18th municipality in Kentucky to pass the law.
The last time a Kentucky county government approved a fairness ordinance was October 1999, when Jefferson County approved the measure. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government approved a fairness ordinance in July 1999.
Woodford County’s two incorporated cities, Midway and Versailles, approved fairness ordinances in 2015 and 2019, respectively.
The Fairness Campaign said a rally in support of LGBTQ rights will be held in the Rotunda of the Kentucky Capitol at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 19.
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 6:59 PM.
