Subject: Gay Rights Bill Defeated in Louisville
From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1997 07:11:15 -0400 (EDT)

For further information, contact
Carol Kraemer, Nance Goodman, or Carla Wallace
The Fairness Campaign
502/893-0788
Offices open at 9 am

GAY RIGHTS BILL DEFEATED FOR 3RD TIME IN LOUISVILLE; 52 ARRESTED

by David Williams - Editor, The Letter - Kentucky's GLBT newspaper

(September 9, Louisville).  For the third time in five years, the Fairness
Amendment, a proposal designed to protect the citizens of Louisville against
discrimination based on sexual orientation, has been defeated by the board of
aldermen (city council).  The vote was three in favor and seven against with
two abstentions.
  Immediately following the vote and a large outdoor rally across the street,
nearly 125 supporters of the ordinance stepped into Sixth Street, a four-lane
thoroughfare in front of venerable City Hall, to stage a brief sit-down
protest.  When asked by city police to leave, all but 52 did so.  As the
crowd took up a noisy rendition of an old civil rights song, "We Shall Not Be
Moved," police arrested the rest on charges of obstructing a highway.  A
hearing is set for October 1.
  Among those arrested were most leaders of the Louisville Fairness Campaign
and the Kentucky Fairness Alliance; several religious leaders, including the
pastor of First Unitarian Church; and several members of the Louisville Youth
Group (see partial list at end).
  The vote followed weeks of frenzied activity within the city as the
Fairness Campaign blanketed the city with bright blue and gold signs saying
"Fairness Does A City Good."  Fairness leaders were heartened by the fact
that many of the signs sprouted in neighborhoods traditionally considered
conservative, such as Germantown and the South End.
  In response, religious right opponents--mainly evangelical
Protestants--filled churches with pamphlets replete with misinformation about
gays and lesbians, much of it based on the discredited research of Paul
Cameron.  They also developed a counter-slogan seen in the last days of the
debate:  "Morality Does A City Better."  Local newspapers were bombarded with
op- eds, editorials, and letters to the editor.
  A battle of surveys also ensued.  A Fairness poll released in August showed
that 71% of registered votes oppose discrimination against gays and lesbians
in the workplace.  But a religious right poll, which asked the question, "Do
you favor granting special rights to homosexuals?", elicited a 53% negative
response.  A research expert at the University of Kentucky in Lexington
considered the latter poll slanted while cautiously praising the Fairness
poll.
  In the 24 hours before the vote, Fairness supporters staged a candlelight
vigil on the steps of City Hall.  Braving torrential rains that came down
last evening and the muggy air that followed, they flashed Fairness signs to
motorists throughout the day.
  As the vote neared, supporters and opponents swamped the narrow entrance to
City Hall to get seats for the meeting.  By 4:30, one and a half hours before
the aldermen convened, all seats in the small chamber were taken.  Those left
outside proceeded to engage in a noisy battle of chants and songs.
  To the right of the entrance, the religious right sang traditional
Protestant hymns and held up such signs as "Final Rites for Special Rights."
 Many were bussed in from Evangel Christian Tabernacle in Okolona, a
conservative Southern-oriented suburb to the south of the city limits.
 Ironically, most would not be eligible to vote in city elections.
  To the left, Fairness supporters sang civil rights songs, often interrupted
by a favorite local responsive chant, "What Do We Want?  Fairness!  When Do
We Want It?  NOW!"  Unlike their opponents, most supporters at tonight's vote
are city residents.
  The near carnival scene eventually spilled into the street, causing traffic
delays during rush hour.
  Following are two lists.  The first is the roster of aldermen and their
votes.  The second is a listing of those known to have been arrested, with
their affiliations where known.

ALDERMANIC VOTE:

YES:
Dr. Tom Owen
Denise Bentley
Paul Bather

NO:
Bob Butler
Barbara Gregg
Cyril Allgeier
Pres. Steve Magre
Dan Johnson
(Ms.) Bebe Melton
Greg Handy

ABSTENTIONS:
Keith Allison
Reginald Meeks
(both have previously voted in favor of similar proposals but decided to
abstain, mainly as a protest to the political maneuvering leading up to the
vote)

ARRESTS:
John Poynter - Louisville Youth Group
Maria Price - lobbyist, Kentucky Fairness Alliance
Carla Wallace - a cofounder of the Louisville Fairness Campaign
Pam McMichael - a cofounder of the Louisville Fairness Campaign
Jane Hope - a cofounder of Louisville Metro P-FLAG
Nance Goodman - volunteer coordinator, Fairness Campaign
Jean Callery - Fairness Campaign
Chris Saporito - volunteer, Fairness Campaign
Dr. George Edwards - retired theologian, Southern Presbyterian Seminary
John Scussel
Dan Farrell - co-coordinator, Louisville Fairness Campaign
Henry Wallace - longtime leading local liberal light (5 L's), septuagenarian
father of Carla
Barry Norris - former leader of local ACT UP
Lisa Gunterman - Fairness Campaign
Rev. Richard Beal - pastor, First Unitarian Church
Melody Wolder - Justice Minister, Louisville MCC
Becky Roehrig
Kathy Kremer
Stacey Riger
Grace Ballard
Chris Phillip - First Unitarian Church

END