Fairness Campaign Director Says Advocacy Should Continue in Cities and States, Despite Federal Advances

Louisville Fairness Campaign director Chris Hartman says it's important for organizations like his to work on multiple levels against legislation restricting same-sex marriage and civil unions.A proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions has cleared a major hurdle in the Indiana General Assembly. The measure must be passed again by the legislature in two years and then by the public before it becomes official. Hartman says such legislation goes against shifts in public opinion, and it may go against trends in federal government."I think that as the United States Constitution gets looked at, as the Defense of Marriage Act gets challenged, that it may well come to pass that all bans on gay marriage become unconstitutional and are stripped away," he says.Despite any progress on the federal level, Hartman says advocates should continue to support fairness laws on the city and state levels. The Fairness Campaign supports a repeal of Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriage. The campaign is also working with city lawmakers in Berea and Richmond to pass fairness ordinances akin to Louisville's.