NKU to offer same-sex benefits

Northern Kentucky University’s plan to allow same-sex domestic partner benefits (story) has reignited controversy about same-sex civil rights across the Commonwealth. The Board of Regents at NKU was wise to wait until the 2008 General Assembly adjourned before approving the new benefits.

This comes more than two years after NKU’s Faculty Senate President recommended the benefits package.

Some of the worst comments around the Commonwealth:

1. I am against anything which promotes or encourages same-sex partnership because the bible says that it is a sin. We need to encourage better moral standards for our children, even in college levels.
2. This is exactly what we needed, paying medical bills for nasty queers.
3. I have no problem with the decision IF the university would also apply this policy to heterosexual unmarried couples who "live in the employee's household for at least 12 months and be "financially interdependent" with the employee." That way the policy would be fair to everyone regardless of sexual preference. If the policy is only available to same sex partners than it is outright discrimination by a government entity. Just make it fair to everyone and everyone will be happy.

Comment # 3 makes a good point! Under this line of thinking, homosexuals are being discriminated against every day…..we cannot file joint tax returns, no marriage, no civil union, no criminal injuries compensation, no exemption from conveyance tax, no hospital visitation rights, no international immigration or Visa rights, etc., etc. Thanks for reminding us just how bad the Commonwealth of Kentucky treats us!

Congratulations to everyone at NKU and its Board of Regents......you did the right thing!

Federation pledges to triple funding/support to GSAs.

Kentucky Equality Federation pledged yesterday to step-up its funding and support to Gay-Straight Alliances located in high schools, colleges, and universities throughout the commonwealth.

"Education and exposure to diversity in non-threatening environments promotes tolerance; it is critical this occur during high-school and college when individual minds are significantly more open to social diversity," stated Jordan Palmer, Kentucky Equality Federation President.

The decision was also based on a recent UCLA study. Researchers found that today's freshmen are more vocal about their political ideologies than in previous years, with 33.8% saying they've recently discussed politics, up from 25.5% in 2004, when the question was last asked.

The percentage of students identifying themselves as "liberal," 28.4%, is at its highest level since 1975, and those identifying as "conservative," 23.9%, at its highest level in the survey's 40-year history.

Based on a paper questionnaire given to 271,441 first-time, full-time college students at 393 schools nationwide in 2006, the annual survey was conducted as part of the Cooperative Institutional Research Program under UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. The researchers statistically adjusted the data to reflect the demographics of the 1.3 million incoming freshmen entering four-year schools throughout the U.S. in 2006.

Kentucky Equality Federation already provides materials, support, and financial contributions to some of Kentucky's largest Gay-Straight Alliances. Federation management however has pledged to triple its financial and material support to the alliances it is already supporting, as well as the ones it is currently not.

"These students represent Kentucky's future, and we intend to have a Gay-Straight Alliance in every high school, college, and university in Kentucky by the end of 2008," stated Palmer. "Gay-Straight Alliances provide a safe and supportive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth and their straight allies, in addition to educating and exposing students, faculty, and staff to diversity in non-threatening environments; often however these alliances are restrained by lack of funding, and we intend to change that."

Kentucky Equality Federation was instrumental in getting the Boone County High School Gay-Straight Alliance approved in 2006 after threatening to sue the school. Kentucky Equality Federation currently works closely with, and provides support to Eastern Kentucky University’s Pride Alliance and Northern Kentucky University’s Common Ground.

Kentucky Equality Federation protests Representative Fischer's comments, though he still stands by them.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS - Statehouse Republican Joe Fischer is taking criticism for comments he made about gay rights and sexual orientation.

Fischer, a lawyer from Fort Thomas, said in an interview last week with The Community Recorder newspaper that it is "OK to fire someone if they're gay."

"I favor the current laws as they stand now," Fischer told the paper. "Sexual orientation shouldn't be a protected class. "Obviously, people can change their sexual orientation," he said. "Some psychologists have said so."

Fischer defended his comments during a Wednesday night campaign forum at Northern Kentucky University he participated in with his opponent, Democrat Linda Klembara of Fort Thomas.

"Under current federal and states civil rights laws it is OK," Fischer said during the half-hour forum. Sexual orientation is not a protected class. "It should not be in my opinion," he said. "The current law, I think it's fair because sexual orientation has not been a traditionally protected class like women, black, national origin and religion."

Klembara said her "faith runs deep" when asked to comment on Fischer's statements. "And my faith would never allow me to condone hatred or bigotry or discrimination toward any group of people," she said.

About 20 members of Kentucky Equality Federation, a gay rights group, protested Fischer's appearance at the forum. "As far as people being able to change their sexual orientation, it's something you are born with," said federation president Jordan Palmer. "He seems to think you can change it with the proper amount of psychology. So, my question to him is, could he change his to homosexual.

"It is unfortunate that we have people as our elected officials and representatives that aren't willing to represent all of us," Palmer said. "It is not fair, and it will never be fair, to terminate someone because of their sexual orientation."

- Kentucky Enquirer (10/26/2006)
- Kentucky Post (10/25/2006)
- Pam's House Blend (LGBT Political Blog)

Klembara said she didn't believe homosexuals could change their sexual orientation. "I don't ever remember consciously saying, 'I'm going to be a heterosexual,'" she said. "I think we're all born who we are."

Join the Northern Kentucky Chapter of the Kentucky Equality Federation at an event held by NKU's Common Ground on "National Coming Out Day."

Join the Northern Kentucky Chapter of the Kentucky Equality Federation at an event held by Northern Kentucky University's Common Ground Gay-Straight Alliance on October 11, 2006 ("National Coming Out Day").

Chris Klucsarits (Kanyon), who ascended to elite superstar status in professional wrestling before retiring from World Wrestling Entertainment in 2004, and who earlier this year revealed to a live independent show audience in Greater Sadbury, Ontario, that he was homosexual, will give a public lecture at Northern Kentucky University on Wednesday, Oct. 11, from 3-4 p.m. in BEP Center Room 200 as part of NKU’s National Coming Out Day activities.

Kanyon’s visit, which is sponsored by NKU Common Ground, will include a speech, question/answer session and an autograph session.

Kentucky Equality Federation will be paying for Kanyon's accommodations during his visit to Northern Kentucky and will be providing Common Ground with $2,431.36 in products and materials to increase awareness of their efforts to promote tolerance and diversity. For additional information about this event, visit Common Ground's official website by clicking here.

Kentucky Equality Federation would continue to support its members and Gay-Straight Alliances across Kentucky. "Education and exposure to diversity in non-threatening environments promotes tolerance; it is critical this occur during high-school and college, when individual minds are significantly more open to social diversity." - Federation President Jordan Palmer on September 9, 2006.

Common Ground is the Gay/Straight Alliance at NKU. It exists primarily for the purpose of supporting and promoting the welfare of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students and their allies (GLBTA) at NKU. The group is currently working to establish the Safe Zone program, which is a resource referral service that trains faculty and staff about how to support GLBTA students who come to them for help.

NKU's Common Ground is on the list of organizations supported and advocated by the Kentucky Equality Federation.

Kentucky Equality Federation is the senior organization representing the International Lesbian and Gay Association in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The International Lesbian and Gay Association consists of more than 400 member organizations on every continent in more than 90 countries.