Launch of Marriage Equality Kentucky!
To reduce overhead and expenses, Kentucky Equality Federation has agreed to share its Equality Center (http://www.kylgbt.org/), including more than 9,800 email addresses and the names of its members.
Marriage Equality Kentucky’s relationship with the national Marriage Equality USA™ organization is still being negotiated and should be finalized by the end of next week.
Marriage Equality USA is currently fighting constitutional amendments in Arizona, California, and Florida.
“It is possible, and perhaps likely that Kentucky Equality Federation will become a self-governing chapter of Marriage Equality USA before the end of the year,” stated Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer, who also serves as Vice President of Organizational Relationships with Marriage Equality USA and is a member of its Board of Directors. “Beginning grassroots work to overturn Kentucky’s 2004 Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage is necessary, and long overdue.”
Should negotiations breakdown, Kentucky Equality Federation will operate Marriage Equality Kentucky as an integrated grassroots affiliate. The website for Marriage Equality Kentucky is http://www.marriageequalityky.org/.
A personal message from Jordan Palmer; share your story with us!
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM KENTUCKY EQUALITY FEDERATION PRESIDENT JORDAN PALMER - SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US!
Today, Kentucky Equality Federation joined a coalition with Marriage Equality USA*, Bond Magazine, and Freedom to Marry to encourage Kentucky’s gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (“LGBT”) citizens share their personal stories related Kentucky’s anti-gay marriage law and how it affects their lives.
“Six gay couples here in Kentucky have made us aware of their plans to travel to California to get married,” stated Kentucky Equality Federation President Jordan Palmer. “We have a place on our website they can visit to share their marriage plans with us; these couples realize once they get back to Kentucky, the Commonwealth will not recognize their marriage.”
Palmer also stated this was the beginning of a long-term strategy to repeal Kentucky’s 2004 constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, and that marriage should be gender neutral.
Since the California Supreme Court ruling, Kentucky Equality Federation has received 147 emails either from its primary website, or on social networking sites asking one question: “When will it be legal for me to marry my partner in Kentucky?”
“Kentucky’s LGBT population is tired of constantly being on the defense; though we recognize formidable defense measures are critical, we also realize an equally impressive offense must be coordinated,” stated Palmer.
Gay couples can share their stories at http://www.marriagestories.org/.