[This article was originally posted on Lambdanet.]

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>CITY OF HENDERSON QUIETLY ADDS SEXUAL ORIENTATION
>TO EMPLOYMENT NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
>
>By J. Bennett Guess
>
>The City of Henderson has apparantly become the first municipality in the
>state of Kentucky to publicly state that it does not discriminate in
>employment matters based on sexual orientation.
>
>Without public fanfare, celebration or dissent, the Personnel Department of
>the City of Henderson quietly added "sexual orientation" to its
>non-discrimination list in 1993. The move, which only recently came to the
>attention of local gay activists, was made in order to demonstrate the
>city's commitment "to make it clear that the city of Henderson does not
>discriminate against anyone," according to Ken Christopher, Henderson's city
>personnel director.
>
>The words "sexual orientation" have been added to all city government
>employment applications, including the city's general application for all
>positions, as well as forms used by the city's police and fire departments
>and the planning and zoning commissions.
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>"We consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color,
>religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or
>veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected class,"
>the city's employment applications reads.
>
>The city's statement is only concerned with employment within municipal
>entities associated with city government, and does not extend protection to
>other non-governmental employers within the city. The statement is also a
>matter of city departmental policy, not a city ordinance.
>
>However, the city joins a growing number of Henderson's largest employers
>which have added sexual orientation to their non-discrimination statements,
>including Henderson Community College, Community Methodist Hospital, Sights
>Denim Systems, among others.
>
>According to Maria Price of the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, the statement
>made by the City of Henderson is unique to Kentucky and represents the
>city's attempt to recognize the diversity of its residents and employees.
>
>Henderson, an urban-related suburb of Evansville, Indiana, is located in
>northwestern Kentucky and has about 30,000 residents, including a growing
>lesbian and gay community. Progressive activists are also hoping that
>Henderson will become Kentucky's second city, behind Louisville, to have a
>hate crimes ordinance. The proposed ordinance, which will strengthen efforts
>to deal with bias-related acts of violence, became an issue in last
>November's general city elections. The proposed language would include
>sexual orientation in the city's list of historically victimized groups.