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Lexington’s Municipal Equality Index score

The mayor and city officials cutting the ribbon for rainbow crosswalks at the intersection of North Limestone and Short Streets in 2021. | Photo by Amy Wallot, LFUCG

Each year, the Human Rights Campaign releases a Municipal Equality Index which takes a deep dive into municipal laws, policies, and services and how inclusive they are of LGBTQ+ people.

This year’s edition examined 506 cities on 49 different criteria across four categories — non-discrimination laws, municipality as employer, services and programs, law enforcement, and leadership on LGBTQ+ equality.

Based on these criteria, Lexington earned a score of 100 out of 100. A perfect score. Here’s a breakdown of how we got here… and how we can go even further.

a sign — Lexington has a long history of working to improve the quality of life for all of its citizens. | Photo courtesy of VisitLex

Non-discrimination laws

This category looks at whether LGBTQ+ discrimination is prohibited by law in areas of employment, housing, and public accommodation. Lexington achieved a 30 out of 30 for our laws across the state, county, and municipality, and/but received bonus points for single-occupancy all-gender facilities and protections against youth conversion therapy.

Municipality as employer

Cities can achieve points for inclusive employment policies like trans-inclusive healthcare policies and non-discrimination in city employment. Lexington got a 22 out of 28, but earned bonus points for city employee domestic partner benefits.

Services and programs

This section considers the city’s efforts to include LGBTQ+ folks in city services and programs. Lexington scored 12 out of 12, and got bonus points for services to LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness, older adults, and more.

Law enforcement

Looking at the relationship between law enforcement and the LGBTQ+ community, Lexington earned 22 out of 22.

Leadership in LGBTQ+ equality

This section looks at city leadership’s commitment to advocacy and inclusion. Lexington got an 8 out of 8, and earned bonus points for having openly LGBTQ+ elected or appointed leaders.

If you want to get involved, here are some local organizations that support the LGBTQ+ community.

Read about how we can become an even more inclusive city by clicking the button.

HOW WE CAN IMPROVE

Click here to have your event featured.

Friday, Dec. 2

Makers Market | Friday, Dec. 2 | 12-6 p.m. | Transylvania University, 300 N. Broadway, Lexington | Free | Transylvania’s inaugural Makers Market will host local entrepreneurs, artists, bloggers, foodies, visionaries, and creatives.
Women’s Welding Night | Friday, Dec. 2 | 6-8 p.m. | Kre8now Makerspace, 305 Codell Dr., Lexington | $50-$60 | Kick off your evening laying beads and throwing sparks in this women’s only welding class.
18th Century Christmas at the Fort | Friday, Dec. 2-Saturday, Dec. 3 | 6-9 p.m. | Fort Boonesborough, 4375 Boonesboro Rd., Richmond | $8 | Holiday lights, decorations, food, music, and history await at this nearby state park — featuring living history interpretations of the traditions of different cultures during the season.
Bluegrass, Burgers, and Brews | Friday, Dec. 2 | 7-9:30 p.m. | Whole Foods Market, 4059 Finn Way, Lexington | Free | The first Friday of every month features free live music with the Blue Dawg Bluegrass Band and special pricing on draft beer and burgers.

Saturday, Dec. 3

Haute Holiday | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Golf Resort & Spa, 1800 Newtown Pike, Lexington | $50 | Local interior designers will transform The Mansion at Griffin Gate into a Christmas wonderland.
Christmas Market at Michler’s | Saturday, Dec. 3-Sunday, Dec. 4 | 11 a.m.-5 p.m. | Michler’s, 417 E. Maxwell St., Lexington | Free | Nibble on holiday pastries by the fire + shop from local artists and artisans while listening to the romantic sounds of the cello echo among the grounds of the Native Cafe.
All Black Everything: Wine & Champagne Tasting | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 8-11 p.m. | Lyric Theatre & Cultural Arts Center, 300 E. Third St., Lexington | $75 | Enjoy an elegant evening of wine tasting and live music — featuring wines from Silvers Springs Farm, the first African-American winemaker in Kentucky.
The Gospel of Mental Health | Saturday, Dec. 3 | 9 a.m.-2 p.m. | Greater New Hope Christian Center, 1719 Jennifer Rd, Lexington, Lexington | $25 | This conference will provide Kentuckians with wellness resources and coping strategies in a positive group setting — featuring lunch and raffles.

Sunday, Dec. 4

Pentatonix | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 7 p.m. | Central Bank Center, 430 W. Vine St, Lexington | $25 | Get into the holiday spirit with this a cappella pop group, famous for their vocal renditions of seasonal classics.
UK vs. Michigan | Sunday, Dec. 4 | 1 p.m. | Televised, ABC | Free | The Cats are on the road and far from home, taking on the Wolverines in The Basketball Hall of Fame London Showcase at O2 Arena.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

3 reasons to join the YMCA of Central Kentucky (for free this month)

A group dressed in workout gear holding pickleball racquets

Choosing a fitness community doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. | Photo provided by the YMCA of Central Kentucky

Your New Year’s resolutions may be a few weeks away, but your fitness goals shouldn’t have to wait. Here are three reasons to join the Y this month:

1️⃣ You’ll pay nothing until January 2023. Yes, that means the whole month is free.
2️⃣ Access to state-of-the-art equipment and organized programs for you (hello, self care) and your family — think: fitness classes, after-school care, youth sports + more.
3️⃣ Everyone is welcome. The Y’s financial assistance makes it affordable for all. 🏃*

JOIN THE Y (FOR FREE)

Weather

55º | Mostly cloudy | 12% chance of rain

Closed

The Inebriated Baker has closed up shop at Greyline Station, announcing that it will begin focusing its efforts solely on its new location inside Fayette Mall, 2401 Nicholasville Rd. 🧁

Seasonal

Downtown’s historic Kentucky Theatre has teased its holiday movie lineup — “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Frozen,” “The Muppet Christmas Carol,” and more. We say they teased the lineup because no official dates or showtimes have been revealed yet. Here’s hoping “Die Hard” gets added to the list. 📽

Civic

Next week, a Planning Commission meeting will be held on Thurs., Dec. 8 at 1:30 p.m. at City Hall to discuss the Goal 4 Workgroup’s recommendation for future growth and the Urban Service Boundary. Learn more about the Goal 4 Workgroup before attending the public meeting.
City officials met this week to discuss long-standing property tax discrepancies across Fayette County. Officials found that some residents are not receiving the services they are paying for. Studies found that ~1,200 pieces of property are being affected. (WEKU)

Number

$37,000. That’s how much money was raised at DanceBlue’s annual No Shave November fundraiser. And because the students reached their fundraising goal, doctors + nurses from the Kentucky Children’s hospital shaved their heads in solidarity with patients in their clinic. (WKYT)

Drink

Booker’s Bourbon recently released “The Second Chance Batch,” a commemorative bourbon created to show appreciation for the UK HealthCare Transplant Center. Master Distiller Fred Noe recently received a kidney transplant at UK HealthCare, giving him a second chance at life. 🥃

Trending

Earlier this week, we shared with you the news about “Cocaine Bear” getting made into a feature-length film. And now, Universal Pictures has released the official trailer for the movie. The trailer already has over one million views. 🎞

List

Lexington ranked No. 124 in My Dating Advisor’s list of coziest small towns in America. The list compared 170 towns across metrics of coziness, like average snowfall in December and cafes per capita. Lexington received a coziness score of 41 out of 100.

Celebrate

We want to wish a happy birthday (on Sunday) to our teammate Aaron, LEXtoday City Editor. Happy birthday, Aaron!

Shop

Your holiday music just got better. 1byoneaudio sells high-quality and easy-to-use turntables equipped with incredible sound quality and hi-fi speakers, plus some that connect to Bluetooth headphones. Think: a great gift for the record lover in your life (or even an early present for yourself). 🎶*

Correction

On Tuesday, we told you to plan ahead for the 12 Divas of Christmas Extravaganza, but it appears we misspoke about the line-up of events. There will not be a comedy show, but a campy and fun, festive experience. Get your tickets.

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Bourbon mushrooms are a thing now 🍄

An Explanation of Bourbon Mushrooms

Spent grains are being used to grow fungi. | Photo courtesy of UK’s College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment

It’s no secret that the bourbon industry is booming, becoming a $9 billion industry as of this year.

Unfortunately, with the production of more bourbon comes a bit more waste, specifically spent grains.

Spent grains are essentially what’s left after the distillation process — corn, barley, wheat, and rye that no longer contain fermentable sugars.

Distilleries usually look to cattle farmers to utilize excess spent grain materials, but there just aren’t enough cattle to utilize all of the leftover material.

Students at the University of Kentucky have been working to mitigate this issue + they think they’ve come up with a solution — Bourbon Mushrooms.

It turns out, the spent grains are actually beneficial for fungi production. The students are currently researching oyster mushrooms, with the hopes of expanding to lion’s mane and shitake mushrooms in the future.

These types of mushrooms sell for $15-$25 a pound, giving researchers hope that these studies could lead to significant environmental + economic impacts across the Commonwealth.

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by Aaron.

Editor’s pick: I once wrote that I thought Mr. Kabab, located at 2901 Richmond Rd., had the best Mediterranean food in Lexington.

I am retracting that statement to proclaim that I now believe there is a tie for first place.

Yesterday, I ate at Alibaba Food and Market Place, located at 412 Southland Dr. It’s a small little spot in a strip mall that serves as both a grocery store and restaurant. I can’t recommend it enough.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Read about a historic downtown building’s artistic repurpose, here.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Aaron Mikel, Molly Thompson, Jessalin Heins-Nagamoto, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Marin Fiske | Advertise with us.

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