[News] [KY, USA] Bereans split about fairness ordinance
Stephanie Stevens
June 16, 2011
Bereans split about fairness ordinance
By Ronica Shannon
Register News Writer
BEREA — City Council member Truman Fields prepped the audience Tuesday
before a public forum discussing Berea’s proposed fairness ordinance.
Fields was concerned about the audience’s behavior because of the
controversial nature of the ordinance, which would provide protection
from discrimination against those in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual
and transgender) community.
“We do not want and will not put up with anyone cheering or yelling,”
he said. “If it gets out of line, I’ll terminate the meeting
immediately.”
The gymnasium at Berea Community School was filled will Berea
residents both for and against the passage of a fairness ordinance.
Most of those in favor wore blue T-shirts and sat in chairs set up on
the gym floor, while the majority of those against the ordinance took
a seat in the bleachers.
More than 50 people spoke during the forum and each were given three
minutes at the podium.
The first to speak was Bill Woods, who is pastor of Middletown Baptist
Church. Because of his stance against the ordinance’s passage, he, his
wife and his grandchildren have been threatened, he said.
He received a call one day from an number he was unable to trace. The
caller told him his grandchildren were at the city park.
“Whoever was the cowardly person who called, you didn’t deter me,” he
said. “You just made me more determined.”
He believes the fairness ordinance is not needed.
“Being a lifelong resident of Berea, I know several people,” Woods
said. “I’ve talked to some different employers and those employers
have stated to me that as long as an individual doesn’t flaunt their
lifestyle and produces income, it doesn’t matter if they’re gay,
lesbian, transgender or whatever.”
Nancy Pickle, a Berea native and student at the University of
Kentucky, said she was enthused when hearing about a fairness
ordinance upon coming home for the summer.
“Passing this ordinance is continuing the level of welcoming and
acceptance that Berea has been built on,” she said. “I believe all
people are equal and we all need to be accepted.”
The fairness ordinance is something the city does not need because
“God’s already judged us,” said resident Kenneth Carroll.
“We don’t need any changes here,” he said. “I don’t see no
discrimination. I’ve lived here over 40 years and I’ve never seen
anyone discriminated against. We don’t want to change our little town.
We want it to stay just as it is.”
Justin Martin spoke on behalf of the Berea College Student Government
Association.
“From our college’s founding, we have protected equality and human
rights,” Martin said. “No matter if your are heterosexual, homosexual,
black or white, man or woman, Christian or non-Christian, this
ordinance will protect us all. We feel we cannot rest until all have
equality.”
Greg Lakes, pastor of Pilot Knob Baptist Church, said he does not
support the passage of the ordinance, but does not want to send the
wrong message to those who are in favor.
“There’s no hate in either side of it,” he said. “Some people feel
like it’s a choice (to be homosexual, bisexual or transgender), and
others feel like they were born that way. That’s a hard thing. Either
way, people are going to be hurt. We have all been discriminated
against in one way or another. In life, everyone doesn’t agree with
us. We try to find the best (in people), show the love of Christ and
take a stand for what we believe.”
James Smith said there never was a day where he woke up and decided he
wanted to be gay.
“Why would I decide that I want to be hated?” He asked. “Who wants to
risk walking down the street and hear someone scream ‘Fag’? Who
chooses that kind of treatment? Why do we need to hate each other
because we’re different? Berea has always been a city that I perceived
to be accepting. Berea already has a good thing going, so why not
enact the ordinance?”
It was our creator who made us who we are, according to Dr. John Payne.
“Making judgment is up to God,” he said.
He has family members who are gay, but he does not judge them based on
their sexual orientation.
“I have a lesbian couple in my extended family, but that doesn’t stop
me from visiting them,” he said. “As a matter of fact, one of them
cooks the best Mexican (food) north of the border.”
He said the ordinance is needed in Berea.
Deborah Cain attended the first forum to address the issue, which was
conducted in early May.
“At the last meeting, I kept hearing the same question: ‘What are you
afraid of?’ I do not fear the men and women who have embraced this
style of life,” she said. “I do not fear them because I too have been
broken by the bondage of sin. We fear the Lord. Our nation is seeing
more and more the consequences of doing whatever we please. I urge you
members of the council to think soberly about this.”
Shane Morris had one simple question, but council members Diane Kerby
and Truman Fields said they were not there to answer questions, only
to take public comments.
“Why is this not being put on a ballot in November?” He asked.
Kerby, Fields and fellow council member Billy Wagers comprise the
committee in charge of collecting public input pertaining to the
proposed ordinance.
“We’re going to meet early next week to talk about what
recommendations we would make to the council,” Kerby said. “We’re
hopeful that we can do that fairly soon, maybe at the next council
meeting. We’ll have the conversation and (the council) will decide
whether or not to bring it forward. If they decided to do that, there
would be time taken to draft the ordinance and any time there’s a
passing of an ordinance, you have to have a first, then a second
reading.”
The next meeting of the Berea City Council is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, June 21 at the Berea Police and Municipal Building on
Chestnut Street.
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Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@ richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
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