Jordan Palmer (social activist)

Last updated

Jordan Palmer is an American social activist, Kentucky politician, civil rights activist, entrepreneur, [1] and the founder of the Kentucky Equality Federation. Palmer is from Hazard, Kentucky and is credited for having Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1 (banning same-sex marriage), being struck down by a Kentucky judge, pushing the first hate crime convictions under the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, and holding the first equality protests against a sitting governor and members of the Kentucky House of Representatives. [2] [3] Palmer was the first openly gay person to run for the Kentucky Senate.

Contents

In 2024, Palmer appears to have left social activism behind, appears on WKYT-TV Morning Kentucky promoting his new medical spa. [4]

Personal life

Palmer is the son of a Church of Christ minister. [5]

Gay rights

In early 2006 Jordan founded Kentucky Equal Rights (later renamed Kentucky Equality Federation by a majority vote of its members) to advance the interests of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Palmer also served as on the Board of Directors and the Executive Vice President of Development of Marriage Equality USA based in San Francisco, California from 2007-2009.

Kentucky Equality Federation

Denied Marriage Licenses

In February 2009 Palmer organized gay and lesbian couples going to county court clerks offices in Kentucky to apply for a same-sex marriage license only to be denied. Palmer told the media his intention was to raise awareness of Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriages. [6] [7] The action was condemned by the Family Foundation of Kentucky, which Palmer dismissed as "another example of how so-called family organizations are some of the most useless, money-hungry scams in the world with their bizarre and all-encompassing 'gay fetish.'" [8] Palmer later organized churches refusing to sign marriage licenses until gay marriage was recognized in Kentucky. [9]

Marriage Equality Lawsuit

On September 10, 2013 the Kentucky Equality Federation sued the Commonwealth of Kentucky in Franklin Circuit Court claiming Kentucky's 2004 Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriage violated sections of the commonwealth's constitution. [10] Case # 13-CI-1074 was assigned by the Franklin County Court Clerk [11] (the location of the Kentucky State Capitol). The lawsuit was conceived by President Jordan Palmer, [12] written and signed by Vice President of Legal Jillian Hall, Esq.

Palmer stated to the media that:

Kentucky added a facially unconstitutional amendment to its constitution via a ballot initiative process. Thus, the attempt to abrogate constitutional sensibilities in favor of a ballot initiative, as was done for Section 233A of the Kentucky Constitution in 2004, is against the very notion of equal protection as guaranteed to each and all of Kentucky's population. This should be held as true as a matter of law by the Courts, regardless of the ballot's outcome. [13]

Governor Steve Beshear's legal representatives initially responded by citing foreign laws, and that gay and lesbian people could not reproduce as a reason to quash the lawsuit. [14]

Ruling

On April 16, 2015, Kentucky Equality Federation v. Beshear also known as Kentucky Equality Federation v. Commonwealth of Kentucky was ruled on by Franklin County Circuit Court Judge Thomas D. Wingate. Judge Wingate sided with Kentucky Equality Federation against the Commonwealth and struck down Kentucky Constitutional Amendment banning same-sex marriages. Judge Wingate also struck down all laws passed by the Kentucky General Assembly. At the request of Governor Steve Beshear's legal representation, the Judge also placed a stay on the order pending a ruling from a Kentucky appellate court (such as the Kentucky Court of Appeals or Kentucky's court of last resort, the Kentucky Supreme Court) or the U.S. Supreme Court. [15] The lawsuit was a significant victory for the Kentucky Equality Federation and the same-sex marriage civil rights movement.

Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriage void and unenforceable for violating Plaintiff and Plaintiff's Members Constitutional Rights", ruled Judge Wingate. [16]

Marriage Equality USA

Palmer served on the board of directors of Marriage Equality USA from 2006-2009. Palmer worked across the state of California to fight 2008 California Proposition 8. During and after the No Prop 8 Campaign, Palmer told change.org and Time Magazine that he was concerned that the organization didn’t utilize the grassroots community to its potential and recognizing the harm associated with a campaign run by political consultants without sufficient accountability or transparency to the larger community. [17] [18]

First Hate Crime Convictions

When Kevin Pennington was attacked in the Appalachian mountains, Palmer demanded the U.S. Department of Justice prosecute his assailants under the U.S. Matthew Shepherd and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. [19] Palmer succeeded and was active in the preparation of the trail. [20] David Jason Jenkins, of Cumberland, and Anthony Ray Jenkins, of Partridge, was indicted and convicted in U.S. District Court in London, KY. [21] [22]

After the trial, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky promised to step-up hate crime conviction, a move hailed as progress by Palmer. [23]

Politics

Palmer stepped down in 2012 from the Kentucky Equality Federation. [24] In 2014, he ran running for Kentucky State Senate, being the first openly gay person in Kentucky to do so. [25] Palmer lost to the incumbent and returned to lead the Kentucky Equality Federation and its member organizations.

Other

On July 14, 2011, Matthew Vanderpool, the first openly gay person to run for the Kentucky House of Representatives, and Palmer's roommate, committed suicide. Palmer was also the campain manager for Vanderpool. [26]

Palmer continues to be an advocate for equality across Kentucky and the United States. [27]

On July 09, 2021, Palmer threatened to sue the Leslie County Board of Education in Southeastern Kentucky for not allowing a lesbian couple to attend prom together and painting over a pride flag. [28]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernie Fletcher</span> American physician and politician (born 1952)

Ernest Lee Fletcher is an American physician and politician who was the 60th governor of Kentucky from 2003 to 2007. He previously served three consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives before resigning after being elected governor. A member of the Republican Party, Fletcher was a family practice physician and a Baptist lay minister and is the second physician to be elected Governor of Kentucky; the first was Luke P. Blackburn in 1879. He was also the first Republican governor of Kentucky since Louie Nunn left office in 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack Conway (politician)</span> American politician from Kentucky

John William Conway is an American lawyer and politician from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A member of the Democratic Party, Conway served as the 49th attorney general of Kentucky from January 7, 2008, to January 4, 2016. Prior to his election as attorney general, he was the nominee for Kentucky's 3rd congressional district in the 2002 elections, narrowly losing to Republican incumbent Anne Northup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernesto Scorsone</span> American lawyer, politician and judge

Ernesto Scorsone is a notable LGBT advocate, American lawyer, politician and retired judge from Kentucky.

Kentucky Equality Federation is an umbrella organization for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender civil rights in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, consisting of Federation for Kentucky Equality, Inc., Kentucky Equality Coalition, Inc., and Kentucky Equality PAC. Kentucky Equality Federation is a member of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 Kentucky Amendment 1</span> Kentucky constitutional amendment

Kentucky Constitutional Amendment 1 of 2004, is an amendment to the Kentucky Constitution that made it unconstitutional for the state to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions. The referendum was approved by 75% of the voters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Beshear</span> Governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015

Steven Lynn Beshear is an American attorney and politician who served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1980, was the state's 44th attorney general from 1980 to 1983 and was the 49th lieutenant governor from 1983 to 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Virginia</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Commonwealth of Virginia enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. LGBT rights in the state are a recent occurrence with most improvements in LGBT rights occurring in the 2000s and 2010s. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Virginia since October 6, 2014, when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider an appeal in the case of Bostic v. Rainey. Effective July 1, 2020, there is a state-wide law protecting LGBT persons from discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and credit. The state's hate crime laws also now explicitly include both sexual orientation and gender identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Nebraska</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Nebraska may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Nebraska, and same-sex marriage has been recognized since June 2015 as a result of Obergefell v. Hodges. The state prohibits discrimination on account of sexual orientation and gender identity in employment and housing following the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County and a subsequent decision of the Nebraska Equal Opportunity Commission. In addition, the state's largest city, Omaha, has enacted protections in public accommodations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Kentucky</span>

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. commonwealth of Kentucky still face some legal challenges not experienced by other people. Same-sex sexual activity is legal in Kentucky, although the state legislature has not repealed its sodomy statute for same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage is legal in Kentucky under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. The decision, which struck down Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages and all other same-sex marriage bans elsewhere in the country, was handed down on June 26, 2015.

This is a timeline of notable events in the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in South Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fairness Campaign</span>

The Fairness Campaign is a Louisville, Kentucky-based lobbying and advocacy organization, focusing primarily on preventing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Fairness Campaign is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(4) organization. The organization is a member of the Equality Federation.

This is a list of notable events in the history of LGBT rights that took place in the year 2014.

The lead cases on same-sex marriage in Kentucky are Bourke v. Beshear, and its companion case Love v. Beshear. In Bourke, a U.S. district court found that the Equal Protection Clause requires Kentucky to recognize valid same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions. In Love, the same court found that this same clause renders Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Both decisions were stayed and consolidated upon appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments in both cases on August 6, 2014. On November 6, the Sixth Circuit upheld Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage has been legal in Kentucky since the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015. The decision, which struck down Kentucky's statutory and constitutional bans on same-sex marriages, was handed down on June 26, 2015, and Governor Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway announced almost immediately that the court's order would be implemented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andy Beshear</span> Governor of Kentucky since 2019

Andrew Graham Beshear is an American attorney and politician who has served as the 63rd governor of Kentucky since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, he is the son of former Governor Steve Beshear.

Obergefell v. Hodges, 576 U.S. 644 (2015), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States which ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The 5–4 ruling requires all fifty states, the District of Columbia, and the Insular Areas to perform and recognize the marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions as the marriages of opposite-sex couples, with all the accompanying rights and responsibilities. Prior to Obergefell, same-sex marriage had already been established by statute, court ruling, or voter initiative in thirty-six states, the District of Columbia, and Guam.

In the United States, the history of same-sex marriage dates from the early 1940s, when the first lawsuits seeking legal recognition of same-sex relationships brought the question of civil marriage rights and benefits for same-sex couples to public attention though they proved unsuccessful. However marriage wasn't a request for the LGBTQ movement until the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in Washington (1987). The subject became increasingly prominent in U.S. politics following the 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court decision in Baehr v. Miike that suggested the possibility that the state's prohibition might be unconstitutional. That decision was met by actions at both the federal and state level to restrict marriage to male-female couples, notably the enactment at the federal level of the Defense of Marriage Act.

Kimberly Jean Davis is an American former county clerk for Rowan County, Kentucky, who gained international attention in August 2015 when she defied a U.S. federal court order to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

<i>Miller v. Davis</i>

Miller v. Davis is a federal lawsuit in the United States regarding the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples. After the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide on June 26, 2015, the county clerk of Rowan County, Kentucky, Kim Davis, refused to issue marriage licenses to any couple to avoid issuing them to same-sex couples, citing her religious beliefs. She also refused to allow her deputies to issue the licenses, as they would still bear her title and name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">COVID-19 pandemic in Kentucky</span> Ongoing COVID-19 viral pandemic in Kentucky, United States

The COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have reached the U.S. Commonwealth of Kentucky on March 6, 2020, when Governor Andy Beshear's office announced the first confirmed case in Cynthiana, Kentucky, and declared a state of emergency to ensure all entities had the necessary response resources. As of January 1, 2023, 1,667,275 cumulative cases of COVID-19 were confirmed, with 17,694 deaths.

References

  1. ↑ Hannaford, Alex (2011-04-30). "Growing Up Gay and Transgendered in Appalachia". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  2. ↑ "About Col. Jordan Palmer" . Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  3. ↑ "Kentucky Equality Federation protests Representative Fischer's comments, though he still stands by them" . Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  4. ↑ Jordan Palmer - Rewind Medical Spa & Wellness Center. 2024-04-24. Retrieved 2024-04-28– via www.wkyt.com.
  5. ↑ "Anti-gay Christians miss message" . Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  6. ↑ Ortiz, Brandon (2009-02-13). "Gay couples ask clerks for marriage licenses". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  7. ↑ "Same-sex couples march for marriage" . Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  8. ↑ "Kentucky Equality's Response to the Family Foundation of Kentucky's attack on the National Freedom to Marry Day" . Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  9. ↑ Staff Reporter, Herald-Leader (2011-06-10). "Congregations of 18 Kentucky churches consider refusing to sign marriage licenses". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  10. ↑ "Group files lawsuit challenging Kentucky's ban on same-sex marriage". Lexington Herald-Leader. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  11. ↑ "Kentucky Equality Federation v Commonwealth of Kentucky digital copy" (Press release). Lez Get Real. 2013-09-13. Archived from the original on 2013-12-25. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  12. ↑ "Kentucky Equality Federation sues the Commonwealth of Kentucky for marriage equality" . Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  13. ↑ "Kentucky Equality Federation sues the Commonwealth of Kentucky for marriage equality (digital copy listed on press release)" (Press release). Kentucky Equality Federation. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2014-01-01.
  14. ↑ "Governor Beshear's Case". www.slideshare.net. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  15. ↑ "Kentucky Judge rules in favor of Kentucky Equality Federation and gay marriage". Kentucky Equality Federation Official Facebook Page. 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  16. ↑ "Kentucky Circuit Judge rules in favor of Kentucky Equality Federation" (Press release). Kentucky Equality Federation. 2013-09-12. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
  17. ↑ "Five Questions with Jordan Palmer" . Retrieved 2021-01-07.
  18. ↑ "#MarriageEquality: Special Statement on U.S. Supreme Court and marriage equality in Kentucky" . Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  19. ↑ "Two plead guilty in Kevin Pennington case. Kentucky being the first in the United States to use to federal hate crimes law" . Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  20. ↑ Estep, Bill (2015-11-12). "Four face federal charges after allegedly assaulting gay man". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  21. ↑ "Kevin Pennington Hate Crime Trial Official Statement" . Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  22. ↑ "First federal hate crime indictment handed down based on sexual orientation due to Kentucky Equality Federation president Jordan Palmer" . Retrieved 2019-05-24.
  23. ↑ Estep, Bill (2012-02-14). "Feds step up enforcement of hate crimes in Central, Eastern Kentucky". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  24. ↑ Estep, Bill (2012-05-05). "Kentucky Equality Federation leader steps down because of health reasons". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  25. ↑ "Jordan Palmer's Biography". Project Vote Smart . Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  26. ↑ Hewlett, Jennifer (2011-07-11). "Former political candidate found dead at mother's Lexington home". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  27. ↑ Palmer, Jordan (2023-10-03). "Activist Jordan Palmer". Jordan Palmer | Activist | Public Figure. Retrieved 2023-10-03.
  28. ↑ "Lawsuit threatened for alleged discrimination of LGBTQ student". ABC 36 News. 2021-07-10. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.