Crescent Springs adopts fairness ordinance, a ‘great victory’ for LGBTQ+ advocates

KENTON COUNTY, Ky. (FOX19) - Northern Kentucky continues to make strides when it comes to protecting the LGBTQ community.

Crescent Springs just became the 21st municipality in the state to adopt a fairness ordinance, which extends legal protections to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

“It’s so exciting that good things are happening in Northern Kentucky for LGBTQA+ folks,” said Co-Chair of the Northern Kentucky Pride Center, Bonnie Meyer.

Executive Director of the Fairness Committee, Chris Harten says Covington passed a fairness ordinance in 2003 and issued a challenge of sorts to their Northern Kentucky peers.

“It’s a great victory,” Harten said of Crescent Springs’s recent fairness ordinance.

The ordinance adds sexual orientation and gender identity to discrimination protections in employment, housing and public accommodations.

From now on, if someone experiences discrimination in Crescent Springs based on their sexual orientation or their gender identity, they’ll be able to file a complaint with the city, and a newly formed human rights commission will look into that complaint to determine whether it’s valid. If so, they would levee some penalties and hold the business or individual accountable.

“I appreciate that Crescent Springs is being proactive and not waiting until there’s an issue and hopefully preventing issues that could hold back LGBTQ residents or businesses,” said Jeff Leube, a three-year resident of Crescent Springs.

“I have an immediate family member who’s LGBTQ, so it means a lot to me personally, but the city is adding new housing and businesses, so I think this is only going to help.”

“As an LGBTQ person myself, I have to always make sure the place [where] I live, I’m gonna be protected,” Meyer said. “So policy isn’t everything, but certainly when we have these fairness ordinances in place, then we know this is a place that is thinking about how we can support our LGBTQ constituents or citizens, so it’s good to see that happen in Crescent Springs as well.”

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click here to report it. Please include title of story.

Copyright 2021 WXIX. All rights reserved.