KY Governor uses 'Diversity Day' to legalize discrimination

Kentucky's Ernie Fletcher is pretty much your classic Bush Republican. The governor's administration was hit by a wave of indictments last year for illegal hiring policies, and the governor's response was to pardon a handful of indicted underlings as well as "any and all persons who have committed, or may be accused of committing, any offense up to and including the date hereof, relating in any way to the current merit system investigation."

With a disapproval rating of 61%, Fletcher is one of the least popular governor's in the nation. You know what that means-- time to pander to extremists.

Gay state workers and job candidates have lost anti-discrimination protection as a result of an order that Gov. Ernie Fletcher issued yesterday as part of the state's "Diversity Day."

Fletcher replaced the 2003 employment policy of former Gov. Paul Patton with one that bans employment discrimination because of "race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, veteran status and disability."

It makes no mention of sexual orientation.

Patton's policy included protections based on sexual orientation and gender identity. (. . .)

But Fletcher spokesman Brett Hall said the governor has no intent to discriminate against gay workers. Rather, the new order mirrors federal affirmative action policy and is meant to prohibit all discrimination, he said.

"This is in no way to discriminate against anyone," Hall said.

Hall said the administration was concerned that the Patton policy on sexual orientation was too broad and extended to others, such as transgender people.

That caused a dispute at the state Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet over which restroom an employee undergoing a sex change should use, he said.

"These types of special privileges are not only difficult to comply with, but it's very expensive," Hall said, saying it could lead to lawsuits or require the state to build additional restrooms.

The meeting where the governor's staff came up with that justification must have been an incredibly surreal event. "All right, folks. We need to get rid of this equal rights stuff-- now how're we going to sell it?"