The world is starting to notice what happened last week in Vicco, Kentucky, which became likely the smallest town in America to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance that includes sexual orientation. WFPL, the public radio affiliate in Louisville, has a great read about what the bill’s supporters learned in the 300-person town. From WFPL’s report:
“In a community with only half a dozen businesses in it, it seemed a little much to pass a 26- or 27-page law,” said Chris Hartman, director of the Fairness Campaign located in Louisville. “So the city attorney really distilled the ordinance there and made a law that would work for a community the size that Vicco is.”
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“I think that we’ll be able to use his [city attorney Eric Ashley’s] work and maybe his assistance moving forward in some of the other small communities that maybe a little uncertain about what a fairness ordinance does and does not do,” Hartman said.
Vicco’s new and openly gay mayor sat out the vote; the rest of the council voted it for three-to-one. FWIW, I would say that in addition to shrinking the bill to a readable size, the folks working to pass it in Vicco and other places are calling it a “fairness” ordinance. We treasure “equality” in this country, but we live day-to-day with the hope of neighborly “fairness.”
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