KY Human Rights Commission to hold fair housing forum regarding gender orientation and gender identity on September 23

WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 16, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights will present the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) Fair Housing Forum on Monday, Sept. 23, from 1 to 4 pm. (Eastern Daylight Time). The public is invited. The event will be held in Frankfort, Kentucky (40601), at the historic Berry Hill Mansion located at 700 Louisville Road.

Seating is limited. Registration will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Register online at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JjJclA0mw27k-LfvwGBZwXX450X_qWRsJBlYJtrxtFs/viewform or by calling 502.595.4024 or 1.800.292.5566. Ask for Mary Ann Taylor. Registration ends on September 18.

Discussion Topics at the forum will be the LGBT Landmark survey, Housing Safety, LGBT Campus Housing, Regional Updates, and Commitments and Strategies to ensure fair housing for all.

Currently, neither the Kentucky Civil Rights Act nor the United States Civil Rights Act include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in these laws that protect people from discrimination. However, certain cities in Kentucky have local ordinances that do protect people from discrimination based on these classes. The cities are Louisville, Lexington (and Fayette County), Covington, Vicco, and Frankfort (the state capital city).

The Kentucky Commission on Human Rights is the state government authority that enforces the Kentucky Civil Rights Act and, through its affiliation with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development, enforces federal civil rights laws.

The Kentucky Civil Rights Act makes it illegal to discriminate against people in the areas of employment, financial transactions, housing and public accommodations. Discrimination is prohibited based on race, color, religion, national origin, gender, and disability. In employment, discrimination is further prohibited on the basis of age (40-years and over) and tobacco-smoking status. In housing, discrimination is further prohibited based on familial status, which protects people with children in the household under the age of 18-years old and protects women who are pregnant.

For more information, contact the commission at 1.800.292.5566. For details about civil rights and commission activities, visit the website at kchr.ky.gov. For news about civil rights and information pertaining to protected classes, visit the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights Facebook and Twitter sites.