Gay rights advocates in Kentucky say expansion to religious freedom law would hurt LGBTQ+ safeguards

Source: Associated Press

Gay rights advocates in Kentucky say expansion to religious freedom law would hurt LGBTQ+ safeguards

BY BRUCE SCHREINER
Updated 3:49 PM EST, February 21, 2024

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Gay rights advocates pushed back Wednesday against a Republican-sponsored measure to broaden Kentucky’s religious freedom law, claiming it threatens to undermine community-level “fairness ordinances” meant to protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination.

-snip-

State Rep. Steve Rawlings, the bill’s lead sponsor, said the intent is to give Kentuckians a “fair day in court” if their rights to exercise their religious beliefs are infringed by any government action. The state’s existing religious freedom law, enacted more than a decade ago, consists of a few lines, he said.

“The brevity of our current statute and the lack of definitions can give courts ... the excuse to undermine the religious freedom of Kentuckians,” Rawlings said.

Opponents warned that the bill would risk triggering a wave of lawsuits against Kentucky cities and counties that enacted fairness ordinances over the past 25 years. Those ordinances prohibit discrimination in employment, housing and public accommodations based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/kentucky-legislature-religious-freedom-fairness-ordinances-lgbtq-e0d39993f2b33884d8d64a8dca3de12d