KY Farm Bureau Protest Continues with Billboard & Ham Breakfast Action Thursday, Aug. 25 at 7 a.m.

Kentucky advocacy groups and unions have once again launched protest actions targeting the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation’s discriminatory policies. Today the groups unveiled a billboard along I-65 near the Kentucky State Fair and plan to protest the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s annual Ham Breakfast Thursday, August 25 at 7:00 a.m. ET.

The billboard, which states, “Kentucky Farm Bureau: Big On Discrimination,” can be seen along I-65 North just past the Kentucky Exposition Center near Exit 134.

This marks the twelfth straight year of protests against the Kentucky Farm Bureau by groups including the Fairness Campaign, ACLU of Kentucky, Jefferson County Teachers Association (JCTA), Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice (LSURJ), Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates East, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 227, and Kentucky Health Justice Network.

Unbeknownst to most Kentucky Farm Bureau Insurance customers, they automatically pay an annual fee that enrolls them as members of the Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation, the company’s 501(c)4 lobbying arm, which prints a policy book that details its discriminatory stances. The policy book is regularly mailed to elected officials, but not to paying customers.

It includes more than a dozen policies that are explicitly anti-LGBTQ, anti-Teacher, anti-Union, anti-Choice, anti-POC, pro-Death Penalty, and more. Many of the discriminatory policies are listed below.

Protesters have been arrested twice at the annual Kentucky Farm Bureau Ham Breakfast in 2019 and 2015. All charges were dropped in both cases.

BILLBOARD

WHAT: “KY Farm Bureau: Big On Discrimination” Billboard
WHEN: Now–September 15, 2022
WHERE: I-65 North Near Exit 134
ATTACHED: Billboard Photos

HAM BREAKFAST PROTEST

WHAT: Protest of Kentucky Farm Bureau Ham Breakfast
WHEN: Thursday, August 25 at 7:00 a.m. ET
WHERE: Kentucky Exposition Center South Wing, 937 Phillips Lane, Louisville, 40209

WHO: ACLU of Kentucky
Fairness Campaign
Jefferson County Teachers Association
Kentucky Health Justice Network
Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice
Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates East
United Food and Commercial Workers Local 227

Kentucky Farm Bureau Federation Policies & Page Numbers:
(Download at Fairness.org/KFB)

• The institution of marriage should only be recognized as the legal union of a man and a woman. (p.9)
• We are opposed to any state-supported agency providing benefits to “domestic” partners. (p.10)
• We strongly believe in the value of all individuals both born and unborn. (p.10)
• We support the current law that prevents teacher strikes. We oppose legislation that mandates collective bargaining for public school employees. (p.60)
• We oppose schools declaring themselves gender neutral. (p.61)
• Alternative lifestyles should not be taught in public schools. (p.61)
• We oppose an increase in the minimum hourly wage. (p.75)
• We recommend the federal prevailing wage law be repealed when dealing with government contracts. (p.75)
• We strongly oppose any mandate that would require any government entities to recognize and collectively bargain with employee unions. (p.75)
• Furthermore, we oppose public employees being permitted to strike, organize work stoppages or slow-downs. (p.75)
• We support the idea that those who receive Supplemental Security Income, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or other government welfare payments should have to submit to random drug testing. (p.76)
• Persons on strike should not be eligible for SNAP benefits, surplus commodities or unemployment compensation. (p. 76)
• We support capital punishment. (p.88)
• We oppose any government mandate that forces school districts to provide transgender bathrooms. (p.90)