Lexington’s ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexuality or gender identity in work, housing, and public accommodation turns 15 this week.
Organizers with Lexington Fairness are convening a panel tonight to discuss how the ordinance could be affected by recent arguments over religious freedom.
The panel – entitled “Sincerely held…” – will touch on recent victories for religious freedom advocates, most notably the Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby decision, and how they might interact with local fairness ordinances.
"This issue has not received the amount of level-headed discussion that it requires," says Lexington Fairness Chair Roy Harrison. "It's important to look at what people believe in and their religious beliefs and see how we as a society balance the rights of all people to live and contribute to society."
The panel will feature Dennis Stutsman, the author of the city’s fairness ordinance, along with Rep. Kelly Flood, Rev. Anthony Everett, Derek Selznick with the ACLU.
The panel gets underway Wednesday night at 6 at the Carnegie Center.