Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway was recognized by LGBT advocacy group Lexington Fairness on Friday.
The honor is dubbed the “Ernesto Scorsone Political Leadership Award.”
Conway received the recognition for declining to appeal a US District Court decision by Judge John Heyburn striking down part of the state’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in March.
The Attorney General and Democratic gubernatorial candidate told WUKY he’s not sure if he deserved the award for making the decision.
"There have been people who have disagreed with what I did in not appealing the decision, but when I read the judge's decision I agreed with him. And I didn't want to waste taxpayer dollars defending a lawsuit I was convinced we were going to lose," he said.
Critics of Conway charged that he failed to perform his duty as Attorney General by not defending the amendment, which passed with 75 percent of the vote in 2004. The ruling has been put on hold while the state appeals the decision.
Others recognized at Fairness Awards Dinner Friday include AIDS activist Leslie Beatty and EKU professor Doug Burnham.
