Group proposes solution to ‘rights’ controversy
Equal Rights Not Special Rights to hold rally in Frankfort
From Kentucky Citizen Digest, March/April, 2000

A broad-based educational organization created to challenge the notion that some groups of citizens are more worthy of special protections than others announced a rally to be held Feb. 24 at noon in the state Capitol Rotunda.

The group, Equal Rights Not Special Rights, is made up of businessmen, attorneys and concerned citizens, and announced its formation at a news conference at the Capitol Jan. 11.

Melissa Stewart, mother and attorney, is spokesperson of Equal Rights Not Special Rights, and encourages all citizens who are concerned about gay activists’ attempts to give homosexuals special rights to attend the rally.

“We want to alert the public to an alarming national agenda driven by a small segment of the population — the politically active gay population,” she stated. “This agenda is working its way into our state, our workplaces, our schools and our homes.”

Equal Rights Not Special Rights proposes a common-sense solution to the debate — respect and dignity for all citizens, but not special rights or special classifications based on sexual orientation, sexual preferences or sexual gratification.

The group seeks to inform and educate citizens of the Commonwealth as Kentucky stands on the brink of major legislative decisions during this General Assembly. Two key pieces of legislation are being considered — legislation whose success or failure will play an influential role in both the Commonwealth and the entire nation.

Rep. Kathy Stein, D-Lexington, filed a bill, HB 7, that would mandate that homosexuals — gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals — have special protections as a new class of citizens. Those protections include employment, housing and financial matters. Stein has also voiced her support for public accommodations as another area of special protection, an action that could lead to what was recently seen in the New Jersey Supreme Court. It ruled in August that “public accommodations” includes even the Boy Scouts, forcing the group to accept gay men as troop leaders.

Stein’s bill would extend the local ordinances recently passed in Louisville and Jefferson County, Lexington, and Henderson statewide. KRS Chapter 344 would be amended to include “sexual orientation” as equal with the constitutionally recognized classes deserving special protection: race, color, religion, national origin, sex and age.

On the other hand, Rep. Joe Fischer is sponsoring HB 485, which would prevent those local gay-rights ordinances from being enforced statewide. It would demand that such a decision — one that would drastically expand an area so constitutionally important as civil rights — should not be made on a city or county level. Rather, an act of such tremendous consequence should be determined by the state as a whole. “Civil rights can only be responsibly determined at the state level,” states Rep. Tom Kerr, D-Taylor Mill.

Fischer’s bill is especially important because of the obvious opposition by Kentucky citizens to such local ordinances. Former City Commissioner Joe Corradino, who cast the deciding votein Jefferson County on Oct. 12 to pass a gay-rights ordinance, lost his attempt at re-election to little-known candidate Barbara Davis. Democrats and Republicans alike disagreed with his vote.

Contact Equal Rights Not Special Rights for more information: (877)988-9881 or at www.ERNSR.org.
 

Key Family Foundation Contacts: Kent Ostrander, Executive Director Martin Cothran, Senior Associate Policy Analyst