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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Committee will start considering fairness ordinance in meeting at 3 p.m. Thursday at City Hall

The Finance, Ordinance and Policy Committee of the Midway City Council will meet Thursday, Feb. 19, at 3 p.m. at City Hall to begin discussing a fairness ordinance proposed by Mayor Grayson Vandegrift. The meeting notice from City Hall says no action will be taken. The ordinance was on the agenda for Monday night's council meeting, which was canceled due to heavy snow.

Vandegrift said he proposed the ordinance at the behest of the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Human Rights Commission. The commission also recommended to Versailles and the county "that they extend human rights protection to people in our community who are also lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, with regard to employment, housing and public accommodations," Helen Roach Rentch, Midway's representative on the commission, wrote in a letter to The Woodford Sun this week.

"We recognize there has been prejudice against folks based on their sexual orientation or gender identification and that some have been subjected to discrimination historically as well as recently, and that they are at risk every day because of this prejudice," Rentch wrote. "I believe it is past time for this acknowledgment. I know we in Woodford County love having this as our home. To me it is important that we be an open and welcoming community that celebrates the uniqueness of each human being; that we be vigilant to provide our citizens with the security which enables them to enjoy the benefits of our society; and be vigilant to protect from oppression or denial of the right to full citizenship."

Rentch concluded, "I am pleased the mayor of Midway has stepped forward in asking the city council for a fairness ordinance. I urge the council to explore the issue, Midway residents to speak up, and then for us to join our mayor in stepping forward together."

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