For more than a year, supporters of a fairness ordinance have been making their case to the Bowling Green City Commission without success – or even direct reaction from commissioners. On Tuesday, another plea for an ordinance – which would ban discrimination on the basis of sexual identity or preference and which has become a leading topic in the upcoming city commission election – produced a discussion, albeit a brief one.

Dr. Grayson Hunt, an assistant professor of philosophy at Western Kentucky University, spoke during the public comment section of Tuesday’s commission meeting. 

“I’m tired of being told” I don’t have equal rights, Hunt said.

Commissioner Joe Denning then asked whether Hunt had ever been discriminated against.

Hunt said WKU just recently passed language offering full protections to the LGBTQ community, but added that a person can be fired from a job or evicted from a home in Bowling Green based on sexual identity or preference. Denning asked if a person could be evicted even if they are a good tenant who pays their rent on time.

“It’s bizarre, but yes,” Hunt said. “There’s no legal recourse.”

Dr. Patricia Minter, one of the founding members of Bowling Green Fairness and who spoke at the last commission meeting in favor of an ordinance, also addressed Denning’s questions. 

“That’s exactly what we are saying,” Minter said. “There’s no legal remedy.”

Denning asked if there was no legal recourse for, if example, he struck Hunt simply because of Hunt’s sexual identity.

While there are laws that cover assault, Hunt and Minter said, they pointed out that there are also discrimination laws that specifically protect pregnant women from being fired because of their pregnancy or people of color from being fired based on race.

“We had to do a whole lot to get to the point where we were included,” Denning said in response.

The discussion then ended, and the commission did not address the issue again.

Three commission incumbents – Denning, Rick Williams and Sue Parrigin – are seeking re-election Tuesday against nine challengers. Three of the challengers – Nate Morguelan, Ryan Gene Fulkerson and Andrew Manley – have been endorsed by the Political Action Committee of the state’s Fairness Campaign on the basis of their support for a local fairness ordinance. 

Current Commissioner Melinda Hill is not seeking re-election as she seeks the House seat of incumbent Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green.

Also Tuesday, commissioners approved:

•Accepting a $69,064 bid from TEM Group of Louisville for traffic signal construction at Cave Mill Road and Crossings Boulevard.

For many years, the city has received requests from residents to add traffic signals on Cave Mill Road at Crossings Boulevard, North Mill Avenue and Grider Pond Road. Because of limited funding, only the Crossings Boulevard and Cave Mill Road intersection was selected for a signal at this time, although the signal between North Mill and Grider Pond should create a new gap in the traffic flow to provide some relief to the other intersections as well, according to city public works director Greg Meredith.

•Promoting Robby Gilliam to Bowling Green Fire Department assistant fire chief. The assistant chief position became vacant when Jason Colson was promoted to fire chief this year. Gilliam, who has been with the department since 2003, has been acting assistant chief since March.

•Accepted a $28,800 bid from DDS Engineering of Bowling Green for storm water mitigation projects at 229 W. 14th Ave., 607 Woodford St., 2110 Robin Road and the intersection of 13th Avenue and Nutwood Street.

— Follow city government reporter Wes Swietek on Twitter at twitter.com/BGDNgovtbeat or visit bgdailynews.com.