Alexander Griggs, Community Outreach Coordinator (Alexander@Fairness.org)
Alexander Griggs is the Community Outreach Coordinator for the Fairness Campaign. He is a transmasculine man and a Louisville native that is well connected to the local queer and gender expansive community. They are currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Psychology with a concentration in Gender and Sexual Fluidity. Alexander co-chairs an organization called Trans Wellness Coalition that connects organizations that serve gender expansive people together in community. He provides Gender Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Workshops for education purposes for schools, businesses, churches, and other organizations to shift the narrative of the negative stigma around LGBTQ+ experiences. They are committed to being a part of the solution to cultivating a society safe for queer and gender expansive people to live, work, and play. Alexander uses the pronouns he/they.
Chris Hartman, Executive Director (Chris@Fairness.org)
Chris Hartman is the first director of Kentucky’s Fairness Campaign and a steering committee member of the Fairness Coalition. Chris has helped pass anti-discrimination LGBTQ Fairness Ordinances in 21 Kentucky communities, including the state capital Frankfort and small Appalachian town of Vicco. Chris previously served as Congressman John Yarmuth’s campaign press secretary, an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer In Service To America) in St. Louis, and Philadelphia director of the Democratic National Committee’s open-air Grassroots Campaigns in the 2004 presidential election. He holds an M.A. in Drama from Washington University in St. Louis. Chris previously served on the board of the national Equality Federation and as Chair of the Louisville Metro Landmarks Commission. He was named the Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau’s “Partner of the Year” and is a former Community Foundation of Louisville Alden Fellow and LGBTQ Fellow of the Rockwood Leadership Institute. Chris uses the pronouns he/him.
Jenna Murnan, Development Associate (Jenna@Fairness.org)
Jenna Murnan is the Development Associate for the Fairness Campaign. Jenna grew up outside Atlanta, Georgia and moved to Louisville in 2017. She is a 2021 graduate of Bellarmine University with a BA in Political Science and Economics. Jenna previously worked as the Finance Assistant for Congressman Morgan McGarvey’s 2022 campaign and has worked in field organizing on several other Democratic campaigns, including Governor Beshear’s 2019 campaign. Jenna is passionate about the arts and dance and loves connecting with others through these passions. She is committed to creating a more positive and equitable world where everyone can live as their authentic selves. Jenna uses the pronouns she/her.
Jackie McGranahan, Fairness Campaign Chair
Jackie McGranahan joined the ACLU of Kentucky staff as the organization’s first Reproductive Rights Field Organizer in June 2019. Jackie works with people across the Commonwealth to build power at a statewide level to help change public policy, galvanize supporters, and normalize and de-stigmatize conversations about abortion. In June 2020, she moved into the Policy Strategist position with the Kentucky affiliate of the ACLU. She works with legislators across Kentucky to push policy and advocate for civil rights and liberties for all Kentuckians, especially our BIPOC and LGBTQ communities in the state. Before joining the ACLU of Kentucky staff, Jackie was an active volunteer with our Smart Justice Advocates group. She traveled to Frankfort to speak with legislators about criminal justice reform and participated in efforts to restore voting rights to Kentuckians with felony convictions. She also did organizing training with the national ACLU’s Rights for All Campaign. Professionally, Jackie served on the staff of The Healing Place. Jackie believes our personal stories are important and sharing them gives us power. She continues working with many Kentuckians to raise their voices! Jackie uses she/her pronouns.
Heather Ayer, Fairness Campaign Vice Chair
Heather Ayer is the Campaign Coordinator at the ACLU of Kentucky, where she helped manage the Get Out The Vote campaign in 2020 to encourage the 175,000 Kentuckians who had their voting rights restored to register and vote. She is building on that work to expand the organization’s volunteer base by training volunteers to phonebank, text-bank, and use their collective power to make the change they want to see in their communities.
Before joining the ACLU of Kentucky, Heather worked as a field organizer and deputy finance director for various campaigns in Kentucky, as well as a presidential campaign in Iowa. Before that, she taught preschool in Houston, Texas. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in French and Political Science from Furman University in South Carolina.
Heather was born and raised in Frankfort. She is very excited to be in her home state and working to make the commonwealth a more equitable and just place for every Kentuckian. When Heather is not training volunteers or scheduling phonebanks, she is chasing her dog, Tony, at a local farmer’s market, or reading a few different books at any given time. Heather uses she/her pronouns.
Dr. Bobbie Glass, Fairness Education Fund Chair
Dr. Bobbie Glass serves many roles in the community. She is a college professor and a teacher supervisor for public and private schools in Louisville, KY and the surrounding region. Now in the 46th year of her distinguished career in education, she has trained over 7,500 teachers who are working on their graduate degrees, and seeking new certifications and licensing to work with students in Exceptional Child Education.
The University of Louisville School of Medicine was the nation’s first program to have a four-year curriculum on LGBTQ+ healthcare and, from its beginning, she was a member of the advisory group developing that curriculum. In that position, she was also instrumental in transitioning Hormone Replacement Therapy from the sole purview of the city’s endocrinologists, to the Primary Care Physicians and Nurse Practitioners now providing those services throughout the region. She’s also a leading mental health advocate within the LGBTQ+ community and has spent over 10 years assisting therapists in the region with training in LGBTQ+ Treatment issues. In addition, she is also Co-Director of the Transgender Wellness Coalition, that serves to network providers, promote their services and host an annual Transgender Wellness Summit.
In 2015, Dr. Glass was selected to the LGBTQ+ Advisory Panel of the Jefferson County Public Schools where every month she is working together with the Board; Department of Diversity, Equity and Poverty; top administrators and the Superintendent developing policies and procedures for LGBTQ+ students and staff, as well as providing training for school personnel in best practices. Dr. Glass is also on the board of directors of the Louisville Youth Group which is the primary LGBTQIA+ nonprofit community serving QTBIPoC/LGBTQIA+ youth in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. They provide a brave space for gender and sexuality diverse young adults to grow their identities, learn leadership skills and develop the tools needed to both thrive personally and to act as agents of change in their communities.
She earned her undergraduate degree from Duke University, then went on to earn three Masters degrees and her Doctorate. In a partnership with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education, she completed her dissertation at Apple Computer working to develop and promote assistive technologies throughout the world for children and adults with disabilities.
She has a huge family—four grown children, all married, and 10 grandchildren. Not only are all four of her adult children teachers, too, but all four are married to teachers, as well.
Dr. Bobbie Glass is an openly transgender woman and uses she/her prounouns.
Benjamin Bass, Fairness Education Fund Vice Chair
Ben Bass practices real estate in Kentucky.
Ruth Myers, Secretary
Ruth Myers is an educator, advocate, and volunteer residing in Frankfort. She got her start in state government with the Education and Workforce Development Cabinet, working on an environmental education initiative with the Office of the First Lady. As a staffer for the Kentucky General Assembly, Ruth contributed to the success of several important pieces of legislation but is most proud of her ongoing work to ban conversion therapy for minors. She is now pursuing a career in teaching and is certified in middle and secondary social studies; as an educator, Ruth is committed to anti-racist, anti-sexist, and queer-inclusive curriculum and teaching practices. Ruth uses the pronouns she/her.
Dana Bach
Dana was instrumental in getting the Fairness Ordinance passed in the City of Augusta. Dana lives in Augusta with her wife Alison and their twins, Max and Margo.
Dr. Rebecka Bloomer
Dr. Rebecka Bloomer is an Assistant Professor of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Bloomer works on projects focusing on the role of social justice youth development approaches in improving outcomes for youth with historically excluded identities. She has over a decade of social work practice and research experience working with youth and families in community-based education and third spaces. The overarching goal of Dr. Bloomer’s work is to contribute to the well-being of youth facing discrimination and oppression by using methods and analytic techniques that amplify their voices and build critical consciousness. Her research and programmatic strategies seek to challenge the paternalistic nature of youth serving systems and promote liberation through community-based participatory methods that leverage collective action and social change strategies. Rebecka uses she/her pronouns.
Dr. Ryan Combs
Dr. Ryan Combs is an Associate Professor in the University of Louisville School of Public Health & Information Sciences, where he teaches and researches LGBTQ+ health. He has a BA from the University of Louisville and an MA and Ph.D. from the University of Manchester (United Kingdom). Dr. Combs has over 20 years of experience working in LGBTQ+ communities, holding leadership roles in organizations and groups in the US and UK. He is especially passionate about issues relating to LGBTQ+ health care access, mental health, and queer youth. This is his second time serving on the Fairness Campaign Coordinating Committee, having previously served from 2014-20. Ryan uses he/him pronouns.
Ahmed Farah
Ahmed Farah, a Somali refugee in the U.S. since age 17, brings a unique/diverse global perspective, having lived in 5 countries across 3 continents. Ahmed is fluent in Arabic, English, and Somali. As a dedicated programs manager and community researcher in Louisville, Kentucky, Ahmed specializes in immigrant and refugee services, youth advocacy, and leadership. Ahmed spends his time making his city more welcoming for all people. Actively contributing to his community, he serves on nonprofit boards like South Louisville Community Ministries, and LUCE. A magna cum laude graduate of the University of Louisville, Ahmed holds a Bachelor’s in Social Work (2019) and a Master’s of Science in Social Work (2021). Recognized for his impactful contributions, he received the Critical Thinker Award (2019) and the JFCS Mosaic Award (2023-24). Beyond his advocacy, Ahmed enjoys quality time with his wife and two children, exploring parks and museums. Ahmed uses he/him pronouns.
Mason Kalinsky
Mason Kalinsky is formerly the Organizing Director for Hood to the Holler. He works in building progressive power for communities across the commonwealth. He is passionate about reproductive justice and trans liberation. His last position was the central Kentucky organizer for Protect Kentucky Access, a group dedicated to preventing a constitutional abortion ban in Kentucky. He continues to work in legislative advocacy and in electoral work. He strives for the day that all trans people can live authentically without fear. Mason uses he/him pronouns.
Dr. Bonnie Meyer
Dr. Bonnie Meyer is an educator by trade who pairs that with her passion for inclusion and equity. She is the President and Co-Founder of the Northern Kentucky Pride Center, which organizes the NKY Pride festival and parade and advocates for equity and fairness across Northern Kentucky. Bonnie is passionate about doing her part to ensure Northern Kentucky is a place where LGBTQA+ people can thrive. She worked with the City of Covington to pass the first conversion therapy ban for minors in Kentucky and continues to advise cities on the Municipal Equality Index. Dr. Meyer currently serves as a visiting assistant professor at Miami University in the Department of Educational Leadership, where she teaches courses in curriculum innovation and design, multicultural education, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in education. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Leadership, Culture, and Curriculum from Miami University where she wrote her dissertation on queering inclusive excellence and creating institutional change and commitment around LGBTQA+ equity. She previously served as the founding director of the Office of LGBTQ Programs and Services at Northern Kentucky University. Bonnie uses she/her pronouns.
Stuart Perelmuter
Stuart Perelmuter is founder and CEO of Good Influence, America’s premier network for values-driven influencers and the most effective avenue for reaching people in an era when everyone from teens to boomers spends their days on social media. He is also the founder of Daily Dose of Democracy, one of the largest progressive, political e-newsletters in America. But in Louisville, none of that matters. He was John Yarmuth’s first Communications Director and an advisor for the Congressman’s entire 16-year tenure — a role he continues with Morgan McGarvey. In addition to working with Fairness, Stuart is an organizer with Jewish Louisvillians for Peace and serves on the boards of Actors Theatre of Louisville and Netroots Nation. He loves being a super silly girl dad at the side of longtime Fairness leader, Elizabeth Sawyer. Stuart uses he/him pronouns.
Gil Reyes
Gil Reyes is a theatre artist and activist, and the Associate Artistic Director at Pandora Productions. Pandora’s theatrical productions promote profound relatedness and belonging by and for our diverse human community through a LGBTQIA+ lens. While theatre is longtime passion and pastime for Gil, he’s worked extensively in development and communications in non-profit and private sectors. Gil also served for 10 years in Congressman Yarmuth’s local and Capitol Hill offices doing outreach and legislative work on issues that include health care, arts and humanities, LGBTQ rights, grants and other federal funding. Gil is glad to return to the Fairness Campaign’s Coordinating Committee, having previously served from 2010-2016, including 2 years as Co-Chair. Gil uses he/him pronouns.
Antoine Smith-Rouse
Antoine Smith-Rouse is a Workforce Solutions Employer Liaison/Career Navigator at OCTC. Working predominantly with underserved students. Antoine has had the privilege to work in a variety of industries, including retail management, nonprofits, and aviation.
Although not natives Antoine, his husband Jeremiah, six kids, their dog, and cat call Owensboro home.
Incase 6, kids were not enough to keep him busy. Antoine also facilitates foster/adoptive parent training/support groups, is a CASA volunteer, on the board with Imagination library, and sits on multiple committees committed to tackling social injustices within marginalized communities such as communities of color and the LQBTQ+ community. Antoine uses he/him pronouns.
Morgan Whiting
Morgan Whiting is the Statewide SART Coordinator for the Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking, Inc. She has also served as the co-chair of the Southern Indiana Human Trafficking Coalition for the past 4 years. In addition, Morgan is co-founder of Student Advocates for Exploited and Trafficked Youth (S.A.F.E.T.Y).©. Morgan’s passion for serving vulnerable populations who face sexual and domestic violence comes from many sources, including her experiences in South Africa and Turkey while at Hanover College. She was able to focus on issues facing women politically and economically and studied how sexual violence is perpetuated throughout out societies and cultures. She also found a passion in this work from being a survivor of sexual violence herself and feels that we must address multiple layers of oppression and exploitation in order to serve survivors of color in the best and appropriate way. Morgan has begun consulting with agencies across the country to train and ensure that we are building culturally fluent sexual violence programs and agencies. Morgan uses the pronouns she/her.
Dr. Sara M. Williams
Dr. Sara M. Williams is the Director of Data Analytics at Maryhurst and Part Time Faculty at Kent School of Social Work and Family Science. They are an award-winning researcher in the areas of suicide prevention and gender and sexual diversity. Her areas of interest have ranged from individual experiences of suicide to social factors contributing to elevated suicide prevalence among gender- and sexually- diverse persons. Their dissertation research focused on the intersectional stigma of gender and sexual diversity and lived experience of suicide. Sara’s work is based on the conviction that to alleviate the intense suffering that frequently leads individuals to consider and attempt suicide, we must address social factors that are contributing to suffering and preventing gender and sexually diverse folx from living the life they want to live. Sara uses she/they pronouns.
Members Not Pictured
Hanh Kimball-Pham
Rev. Donzella Lee
