"People have been able to beat back 37 anti-gay pieces of legislation in this state. The bad news is there's 37, the good news is they didn't pass."
-Rebecca Isaacs of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues are hotly contested within the state of Kentucky. Fairness bills in Kentucky have proposed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from discrimination in housing and employment. The Kentucky Fairness Alliance has led the way in fighting back bills in the state legislature which would discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation.

In the Summer of 1999, CMI was encouraged by the work of young video makers in the Appalachian Media Institute who produced the video documentary Through Their Eyes: Stories of Gays and Lesbians in the Mountains to search for ways to create dialogues which call for equal rights for all people.

Appalshop's Community Media Initiative's goals in exploring GLBT issues are:

• To produce radio pieces which share GLBT voices with our listening public.
• Through the use of radio and video productions, support the work of grassroots groups and individuals who fight for social and economic rights of people.
• Create dialogue and educational moments where ideas and beliefs are exchanged in a positive manner within our service area of Central Appalachia.

The above links lead to interviews with GLBT activists and young people in the mountains as well as a series of educational radio PSAs produced with the Kentucky Fairness Alliance.