The Hazard Herald
Vicco's new (and openly gay) mayor, Johnny Cummings, abstained from the vote.
@RefudiateHate sent over news this morning that Vicco, Kentucky, a teeninesy town in the Appalachians, passed an anti-discrimination ordinance yesterday that includes teh gays. Surprised? From local WKYT:
Despite a population of about 300 people, gay rights advocates say Vicco has emerged as a state leader on fairness issues.
Apparently they've got some blue dots in red Kentucky, even in very small towns. Personally, I'm hoping for the day when simply being a small place does not automatically signal that you'd never do a thing like support equal treatment for everyone. Vicco is the fourth municipality in Kentucky to approve an anti-bias ordinance, and others are considering it.
Vicco's new sheriff tells the local Hazard Herald that the new ordinance will make it easier for him to do his job. The paper reports that Vicco's openly gay mayor, the town's first, abstained from voting. As you can see from the Hazard Herald's homepage, below, the council passed the measure along with approving a change in the city's curfew and a new sewer project.
The paper also runs this editorial:
Currently, there are a total of six businesses within city limits, but we certainly recognize that there could be more with a progressive strategy in place. We don’t expect Vicco to become the next Lexington or Louisville, but the small town has some things going for it, and there’s no reason why growth can’t be on the horizon.
And finally, we were also encouraged with Monday's approval of an anti-discrimination ordinance approved by the city commission. Though we agree with Commissioner Tim Engle in that discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity doesn’t seem to be a problem in Vicco, our government agencies should none the less work to ensure equality.
What Vicco has done is ensure that businesses cannot discriminate against a particular group of people. And that's a good thing. If discrimination against certain groups of people had been allowed to continue in America over the years, we'd likely still see restaurants with "colored only" sections in some areas of the nation.
Oh, bonus: Wyoming's new bipartisan marriage equality bill. H/t producer Cory.
(Image up top: Old-time Vicco, Kentucky. @spank628/Flickr Vicco Mayor Johnny Cummings takes the oath earlier this month. The Hazard Herald.)
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My in-laws are from Kentucky (since the 18th c!) and are very liberal.
Trickle down Fairness?
More like 'trickle UP'... Now, if only the rest of the state got the hint...
Is the mayor The Only Gay in the Village?
I had no idea there were any gay hillbillies.
/louisville rulez the big east
//go cards
Shortage of sheep.
as goes
Vicco, Kentucky so goes the nation
I love these sweet little Appalachian towns!
trainerbarry gets bonus points for using a Little Britain reference!
Pinellas County Florida just passed a domestic partnership registry! This in a state that passed a constitutional amendment re: marriage inequality. Small steps forward... http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/pinellas-county-approves-domestic-partner-registry/1270582
Thanks for this, @Tampabaydemocracy. I hadn't seen it.
I'm a flaming liberal lesbian and I've lived in Kentucky for 15 years (Lexington). I've been through Vicco many times. I'm so very proud of what they have done! We may be "blue dots in a red state" but we're here and we're working for the betterment of our state!
The blue dot city of Boise,Idaho is getting in the act.
"Boise City Council voted unanimously to stand up for their constituents, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. This ban on discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodation goes into effect on Jan. 1"
Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2012/12/07/2372521/city-council-goes-where-legislators.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
The picture in your post is not, in fact, of Vicco. It's of downtown Hazard (about ten miles away) before the 1963 flood. This is according to the director of the Bobby Davis Museum in Hazard, who spotted the photo on my Facebook wall; the museum houses the original of this photo. Thanks for showing EKY some love!
@The_J_Train -- bummer that. It was labeled as Vicco, Kentucky, where I found it. I'll look for another one.
I'm not sure why the mayor thought it was necessary to abstain from voting. I'm sure there are many bills affecting heterosexuals that don't prompt the abstention of hetero people.
What I'm saying is that being gay should not exclude a person from voting their principles.
It was a very nice touch nonetheless.
I believe, it is called 'recusing oneself, due to obvious bias'... You know, that thing Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia refuse to do
The mayor only votes to break a tie and the vote was 3-1 for, so his tie-breaking vote was not needed.
If I'm ever down that way I'll make a little extra effort to stop by and support a business or two. I'll make sure to tell them thanks for standing up for all Americans.
hooray for the blue dots!
Good news in small doses. I'll take it.
If I ever get over my aversion to travel in the south (formed by seeing Easy Rider at a young and impressionable age), I will definitely pay a visit to Vicco. Hurrah for Vicco!
Please don't be guilty of the same kind of bigotry you profess to abhor. Not everyone from the small towns that form much of the South, or the city folk either, are racist, sexist, etc. Plenty of us here live and work on farms owned by our families for generations, yet have advanced degrees and hold principles of freedom and equality for all very dear. Please get out, travel and learn, Ellyn, lest your own prejudices hold you back.
My dad grew up in Sassafras, KY - .6mi from Vicco - and has a doctorate. My grandmother, born in Hazard in 1914, had a master's degree. I think you're being slightly harsh on Ellyn, but your overall point is very valid!
Am I the only one who thinks that Cummings, the mayor's name, is funny.