By Cindy Schroeder
The Cincinnati Enquirer

COVINGTON - In the year since Covington took a stand against discrimination of gays and lesbians, the effort has had ripple effects in Cincinnati and elsewhere.

Leaders of the campaign to repeal a decade-old Cincinnati charter amendment banning any law that would offer specific protections to people based on sexual preference say Covington's expanded human rights ordinance has energized their efforts.

"Covington's action shows that Cincinnati is behind the times in needing to repeal Article XII," said Gary Wright, chairman of the Cincinnati-based Citizens to Restore Fairness. "Covington's adoption of an inclusive ordinance that says gays and lesbians should have the same protections as everybody else is a model for how a community can resolve its differences and do things in the right way."

Covington Mayor Butch Callery said Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken and Cincinnati Councilman David Crowley requested copies of Covington's ordinance weeks after its adoption, as did officials from other cities outside Kentucky. One man even e-mailed Covington officials that he was moving from Cincinnati's Columbia Tusculum neighborhood to Covington largely because he perceived his Northern Kentucky neighbor as "an open-minded, tolerant city," Callery said.

Although no complaints have been filed since last year's unanimous approval of an expanded rights ordinance, supporters say that's not the sole measure of its effectiveness.

"It sets the whole tone for what you want your city to be," said John C.K. Fisher, Northern Kentucky field supervisor of the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights. "This ordinance says Covington wants to be a city that's inclusive and welcomes all people here."

Fisher compared Covington's human rights ordinance to laws that cities have on the books for crimes like theft or robbery.

"Hopefully, you never have to use them, but they should be there in case you need them,'' he said.

Besides increasing the number of classes protected from discrimination, Covington expanded the human rights commission's membership from five to nine, giving more community groups a voice when it comes to fighting discrimination, supporters said.

"Since Gil Esparza has been on the expanded commission, he's urged us to be more active in the area of ferreting out various acts of discrimination in our community,'' said the Rev. Don Smith, chairman of the Covington Human Rights Commission. "Looking for violations could take a variety of forms, especially in the Hispanic community where many people don't have their papers in order, and may be a bit cautious about approaching authorities.''

At its annual retreat this summer, Smith said the human rights commission will discuss how it can do more to stamp out discrimination.

The process that led to adoption of the expanded rights ordinance also has been praised. Nearly 700 people attended two public hearings, and when landlords and owners of Covington businesses expressed concerns about proposed changes to the rights ordinance, officials asked them to help draw up a law that worked for everyone.

Dennis Williams, immediate past chair of the Covington Business Council, said that group has not "had any members complain of any adverse effects" from Covington's rights ordinance. "As a practical matter though, it's probably too soon to tell."

Although the Northern Kentucky Convention and Visitors Bureau hasn't noticed any impact on tourism, spokesman Pat Frew said Covington's expanded rights ordinance fits in with the bureau's goals.

"By nature, the business that we're in is hospitable and welcoming,'' Frew said. "Groups want to feel that they're welcome here.''

Banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity "helped put a real face to the issue,'' said Dean Forster, co-chair of the Northern Kentucky Fairness Alliance, a group dedicated to educating the public on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual issues.

Forster said the fairness alliance will repeat the door-to-door visits that helped spur passage of Covington's rights ordinance when they campaign this fall to defeat a proposed Kentucky constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriages and civil unions.

Since Covington acted, a dozen people told him they have moved to the city because of the protections offered, Forster said.

On May 11, members of the Covington Human Rights Commission will recognize Covington's vote for an expanded rights ordinance through a proclamation. The actual vote was on April 29, 2003.

Last year's unanimous vote for an expanded rights ordinance has prompted many to take a renewed sense of pride in Covington, Smith said. "We want to commend members of the city commission for their courage and openness,'' Smith said.

E-mail cschroeder@enquirer.com