LGBT Rights in Kentucky, United States

Homosexuality: ⚢
✔ Legal
Gay Marriage: ⚭
✔ Legal
Censorship: ✔ No censorship
Changing Gender: ✔ Legal, but requires surgery
Non-binary gender recognition: ✖ Not legally recognized
Discrimination: Illegal in some contexts
Employment Discrimination: ✔ Sexual orientation and gender identity
Housing Discrimination: ✖ No protections
Adoption: ✔ Legal
Military: ✔ Legal
Donating Blood: ✖ Banned (3-month deferral)
Conversion Therapy: ✖ Not banned
Age of Consent: ✔ Equal

Public Opinion

Support for LGBT protections by US state

Ranked #1 out of 50 regions surveyed. (Source: PRRI, 2018)

Question: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose laws that would protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people against discrimination in jobs, public accommodations, and housing?"

Favor (59%)

Opposition of religiously based refusals to serve gay and lesbian people

Ranked #1 out of 50 regions surveyed. (Source: PRRI, 2018)

Question: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose allowing a small business owner in your state to refuse to provide products or services to gay or lesbian people, if doing so violates their religious beliefs"

Oppose (58%)

Support of same-sex marriage by US state

Ranked #46 out of 51 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research, 2014)

Question: "Do you strongly favor, favor, oppose or strongly oppose allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally?"

(52%) Oppose

Favor (38%)

Support of homosexuality by US state

Ranked #46 out of 51 regions surveyed. (Source: Pew Research, 2014)

Question: "Which statement comes closer to your own views: homosexuality should be accepted by society OR homosexuality should be discouraged by society?"

(44%) Oppose

Support (44%)

History

Homosexual activity in Kentucky

Homosexual activity in Kentucky is legal.

Current status
Since Sep 24, 1992

Legal

Sodomy law remains in the Kentucky statutes but is not enforceable due to the United States Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence v. Texas (2003)

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1974–Sep 24, 1992

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

Kentucky Revised Statutes were revised in 1974 to criminalize non-procreative sexual acts only between people of the same sex. A conviction could have led to up to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to $500.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1798–1974

Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)

Punishment for violating the sodomy statute ranged from two (2) to five (5) years in prison

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1792–1798

Illegal (death penalty as punishment)

Upon admission to the Union, Kentucky received it's sodomy statutes from the Commonwealth of Virginia whose sodomy laws attacked any non-procreative sexual act (even between men and women). Those found guilty potentially faced execution.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex marriage in Kentucky

Same-sex marriage in Kentucky is legal.

Current status
Since Jun 26, 2015

Legal

The US Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Nov 2, 2004–Jun 26, 2015

Unrecognized, same-sex marriage and civil unions banned

The Commonwealth of Kentucky only recognizes marriages between a man and woman regardless of where the ceremony was performed.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Kentucky

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Kentucky is no censorship.

Current status

No censorship

There are no laws censoring LGBT topics in Kentucky.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Right to change legal gender in Kentucky

Right to change legal gender in Kentucky is legal, but requires surgery.

Current status
Since 2005

Legal, but requires surgery

Sex-reassignment surgery is required to change legal documents in Kentucky.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 2005–Sep 10, 2018

Legal, but requires surgery

Requires surgery to change documents. Changes pending. Missing non binary options on documents.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Kentucky

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Kentucky is not legally recognized.

Current status

Not legally recognized

Not currently recognized.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT discrimination in Kentucky

LGBT discrimination in Kentucky is illegal in some contexts.

Current status
Since 1792

Illegal in some contexts

The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not have statewide LGBT fairness protections. Currently only six cities have LGBT protections: Louisville, Lexington, Covington, Vicco, Frankfort, and Morehead. Governor Steve Beshear, by Executive Order, prohibited discrimination

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 1792–Sep 1, 2018

Illegal in some contexts

Only in State Employment Only. Full employment state discrimination protections pending. Full state housing discrimination protections pending. Full state Public accommodation discrimination protections pending. Full discrimination protection under Federal law VII ruled under state law which includes gender identity. Full discrimination protection in 2 counties and 8 cities.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT employment discrimination in Kentucky

LGBT employment discrimination in Kentucky is sexual orientation and gender identity.

Current status
Since Jun 15, 2020

Sexual orientation and gender identity

Protected federally by a Supreme Court ruling.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until Jun 15, 2020

No protections

In the absence of a Statewide Fairness law, employment, housing, and public accommodations discrimination is still legal against LGBT people. However, public employees of the state are protected based on both sexual orientation as well as gender identities.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Jan 1, 2018–Sep 7, 2018

Ambiguous

Full state employment discrimination protections. Full discrimination protection in 2 counties and 9 cities. Full discrimination protection for gender identity for all discrimination protection.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT housing discrimination in Kentucky

LGBT housing discrimination in Kentucky is no protections.

Current status

No protections

In the absence of a Statewide Fairness law, employment, housing, and public accommodations discrimination is still legal against LGBT people. In a progressive move, the Kentucky Housing Corporation announced a statewide policy change in 2013 to mirror HUD's adoption of LGBT discrimination protections in federally-supported housing.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Mar 1, 2012–Sep 29, 2018

Ambiguous

There is no current state housing or federal housing discrimination protections in place. However there is city and county discrimination protection.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Same-sex adoption in Kentucky

Same-sex adoption in Kentucky is legal.

Current status
Since Sep 12, 2008

Legal

Under federal law since 2015.

Single adoption, joint adoption for married couples and second parent adoption for married couples are all allowed for LGBT people.

In Kentucky, businesses can discriminate against LGBT people on the basis of religion. While it is unclear if this also applies to adoption agencies, such a case has been brought up in court and ended up with the judge resigning.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Until Sep 12, 2008

Single only

Kentucky law permits married (heterosexual) couples and single people to adopt. KY Revised Statutes §199.470.

Second-parent adoption had been permitted, but is not now considered unlawful following the appellate court ruling in S.J.L.S. v. T.L.S., 265 S.W.3.d 804 (Ky. App. 2008).

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Serving openly in military in Kentucky

Serving openly in military in Kentucky is legal.

Current status
Since Sep 20, 2011

Legal

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Blood donations by MSMs in Kentucky

Blood donations by MSMs in Kentucky is banned (3-month deferral).

Current status
Since Apr 2, 2020

Banned (3-month deferral)

Blood donation centers follow the new FDA 3-month deferral guidance.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Dec 21, 2015–Apr 2, 2020

Banned (1-year deferral)

Blood donation centers followed the non-binding FDA one year deferral guidance.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

1977–Dec 21, 2015

Banned (indefinite deferral)

United States federal law bans the donation of blood by men who have sex with men.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Conversion therapy in Kentucky

Conversion therapy in Kentucky is not banned.

Current status

Not banned

Conversion Therapy is currently legal. No law currently bans it, despite organizations such as the American Psychological Association denouncing it.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Sep 7, 2016–Sep 1, 2018

Not banned

Not criminalize in the state.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

Equal age of consent in Kentucky

Equal age of consent in Kentucky is equal.

Current status
Since Jan 1, 1975

Equal

The Age of consent in Kentucky is 16 years old.

Details · Accurate? Yes No

LGBT Rights in Kentucky State

Public Opinion

Support for LGBT protections by US state

Opposition of religiously based refusals to serve gay and lesbian people

Support of same-sex marriage by US state

Support of homosexuality by US state

History

Homosexual activity in Kentucky

Same-sex marriage in Kentucky

Censorship of LGBT Issues in Kentucky

Right to change legal gender in Kentucky

Legal recognition of non-binary gender in Kentucky

LGBT discrimination in Kentucky

LGBT employment discrimination in Kentucky

LGBT housing discrimination in Kentucky

Same-sex adoption in Kentucky

Serving openly in military in Kentucky

Blood donations by MSMs in Kentucky

Conversion therapy in Kentucky

Equal age of consent in Kentucky

Top Contributors

Kentucky LGBT Organizations

Share Topic

Compare Kentucky

Compare with Arkansas, United States

Compare with South Carolina, United States

Compare with Oklahoma, United States

Compare with North Carolina, United States

Compare with Texas, United States

Compare with Tennessee, United States

Compare with West Virginia, United States

Compare with Mississippi, United States

LGBT Rights in South United States

LGBT Rights in Arkansas

LGBT Rights in South Carolina

LGBT Rights in Oklahoma

LGBT Rights in North Carolina

LGBT Rights in Texas

LGBT Rights in Tennessee

LGBT Rights in West Virginia

LGBT Rights in Mississippi

LGBT Rights in Virginia

LGBT Rights in Georgia

LGBT Rights in Maryland

LGBT Rights in Delaware

LGBT Rights in Washington, D.C.

LGBT Rights in Florida

LGBT Rights in Alabama

LGBT Rights in Louisiana

Compare with

Arkansas, United States

Compare with

South Carolina, United States

Compare with

Oklahoma, United States

Compare with

North Carolina, United States

Compare with

Texas, United States

Compare with

Tennessee, United States

Compare with

West Virginia, United States

Compare with

Mississippi, United States

LGBT Rights in

Arkansas

LGBT Rights in

South Carolina

LGBT Rights in

Oklahoma

LGBT Rights in

North Carolina

LGBT Rights in

Texas

LGBT Rights in

Tennessee

LGBT Rights in

West Virginia

LGBT Rights in

Mississippi

LGBT Rights in

Virginia

LGBT Rights in

Georgia

LGBT Rights in

Maryland

LGBT Rights in

Delaware

LGBT Rights in

Washington, D.C.

LGBT Rights in

Florida

LGBT Rights in

Alabama

LGBT Rights in

Louisiana