- Homosexuality⚢✔ Legal
- Marriage⚭✔ Legal
- Changing Gender✔ Legal, but requires surgery
- Adoption✖ Single only
- DiscriminationIllegal in some contexts
- Employment Discrimination✖ No protections
- Housing Discrimination✖ No protections
- Military✔ Legal
- Donating Blood✖ Banned (indefinite deferral)
- Age of Consent✔ Equal
- Conversion TherapyAmbiguous
History
Current status
(since Sep 24, 1992)
(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)
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.
1798–1974
Illegal (imprisonment as punishment)
Punishment for violating the sodomy statute ranged from two (2) to five (5) years in prison
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.
Current status
(since Jun 26, 2015)
(since Jun 26, 2015)
Legal
The US Supreme Court rules that same-sex marriage is legal nationwide.
Current status
(since Sep 12, 2008)
(since 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).
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).
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.
Current status
(since 1792)
(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
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.
Current status
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.
Ambiguous
There is no current state housing or federal housing discrimination protections in place. However there is city and county discrimination protection.
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.
Current status
(since Sep 20, 2011)
(since Sep 20, 2011)
Legal
Current status
(since 1977)
(since 1977)
Banned (indefinite deferral)
United States federal law bans the donation of blood by men who have sex with men.
Current status
(since Jan 1, 1975)
(since Jan 1, 1975)
Equal
The Age of consent in Kentucky is 16 years old.
Current status
Ambiguous
Conversion Therapy is currently legal. No law currently bans it, despite organizations such as the American Psychological Association denouncing it. Though it's not actually ambiguous (It is in fact legal), this is the best indicator of the available options.
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