Wednesday October 15, 2025
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For the third year in a row, Louisville has earned a perfect 100 on the Human Rights Campaign scorecard, which says the city remains a “beacon of hope” in terms of ensuring that all residents are treated equally regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The Municipal Equality Index (MEI) scorecard measures laws, services and leadership that promote the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Louisville is the only city in Kentucky to receive a perfect score. Lexington scored 96, Covington at 74, Morehead at 59 and Frankfort at 52.
In a news release announcing the rankings, HRC lauded Louisville as being one of 41 “All-Star” cities that are fueling equality despite being in a state that lacks non-discrimination protections.
“This honor exemplifies our commitment to ensuring all residents have the right to fairness and equality, giving them the ability to reach their full human potential,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “We are a compassionate city, and because of our inclusive nature, a diverse portfolio of companies of choosing to locate in Louisville.”
The Human Rights Campaign began in 1980 and is now the largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans
“Today, the MEI serves as a vital tool for business leaders and municipal officials alike when it comes to economic development,” Chad Griffin, HRC president, said in a news release. “CEOs know that in order to attract and retain the best employees, they must grow their companies in places that protect LGBTQ citizens from discrimination and actively open their doors to all communities. The MEI is the best tool to help these businesses make crucial evaluations about the welcoming – or unwelcoming – nature of towns and cities across the nation.”
Mayor Fischer said the impact of Louisville’s commitment to equality goes beyond being recognized as a model city of compassion. The HRC ranking also is a boost to the city’s economic development efforts, given that cities that are inclusive are increasingly winning in the competition for residents, businesses and employees.
“Louisville once again ranks among the best cities in the U.S. for LGBTQ people to live, work, and play, and it is leading the way for other cities in our commonwealth. It’s no surprise Louisville is one of the only cities in the South to score a perfect 100 for LGBTQ inclusion, as we continue the tradition begun in 1999 when Louisville became one of the first cities in the nation to enact a fully-inclusive anti-discrimination Fairness Ordinance,” said Chris Hartman, Director, Fairness Campaign. “We are proud of Louisville and Mayor Fischer for the incredible work to reach this milestone, and we look forward to many more firsts for our city.”
Louisville’s score was higher than some peer cities, including Nashville at 60, Charlotte, N.C., at 73, and Indianapolis at 88.
The Mayor added that Louisville Metro Government has worked to improve even further by implementing plans for implicit bias training for all employees. In addition, LMPD has partnered with Starbucks on the “Safe Harbor” initiative to reduce crimes and bullying against the LGBTQ community.
Earlier this year, the University of Louisville was named a top 25 LGBTQ-friendly university by Campus Pride. This recognition was given to school’s scoring the highest percentages in LGBTQ-friendly benchmarks for policies, programs and practices.
With shovels in hand, Mayor Greg Fischer, Library Director Jim Blanton, Councilwoman Marilyn Parker, the Library Foundation, and members of the community officially broke ground today on the new 40,000-square-foot Northeast Regional Library located on Bellevoir Circle off Ormsby Station Road near the Northeast YMCA.
The Northeast Regional Library is similar in size and scope to the recently built Southwest and South Central Regional libraries and is the final of three regional libraries included in the Louisville Free Public Library’s Master Facilities Plan. Replacing the much-smaller Westport branch (located in Westport Middle School), the Northeast Regional Library will enhance service for more than 170,000 people in eastern Jefferson County.
“The Northeast Regional Library will bring resources for education and lifelong learning to a part of Jefferson County in which the demand for the Library’s services has outstripped its resources,” said Mayor Fischer. “And I’m really pleased that when this Library opens, my administration will have fulfilled our commitment under the Library Master Plan to provide a full-service library within five miles of 90 percent of Louisville residents.”
(Learn more about the Northeast Regional Library)
Library patrons in the Northeast service area checked out more than 1 million books and other materials in the last fiscal year —representing nearly 25 percent of the library system’s total annual circulation. And of the 170,000 residents within this service area, 40 percent are active library cardholders. Despite this tremendous use, the northeast region of Jefferson County falls well below state library standards. The new Northeast Regional Library will more than double the area’s square footage per person.
“I am very excited to see the Northeast Regional Library break ground, fulfilling the ambitious library master plan developed by the partnership of Metro Government and the Library Foundation and propelled forward by the state’s $4 million contribution to the project,” said District 18 Councilwoman Marilyn Parker. “This new library will replace one of the most utilized libraries in the system, adding much needed capacity for this area and a host of new amenities with more community meeting space, expanded materials collections, and the latest technology. This project will be complemented by the major improvements being made to the adjacent A.B. Sawyer Park, so families can easily walk between the new library, the YMCA, and the park.”
The state-of-the-art building will feature an expanded collection, including more bestsellers, DVDs, large type, and books for children and teens, and will provide the latest technologies. The design will include comfortable, quiet spaces for reading and studying, several meeting rooms, an auditorium, a large children’s area, and a separate teen space. New to LFPL, the Northeast Regional also will feature an innovative, hands-on “makerspace” with audio/visual lab and demonstration kitchen, plus outdoor teaching and programming space.
“The Northeast Regional Library will be a hub for educational and community engagement and a cultural centerpiece,” said Library Director Blanton. “Its location near the Northeast YMCA, U of L Shelby Campus, 70 independent cities and municipalities, and more than 50 schools will provide convenient access to a vibrant community, eager for improved library services, collaborative events, and robust programming.”
The design team includes JRA Architects of Louisville, Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle Ltd. of Minneapolis, MKSK of Ohio, and staff from the library.
All aspects of the building’s design have been planned to incorporate advanced, eco-friendly technologies and architectural design to save energy, reduce waste, and improve quality of life. In addition, LFPL is committed to preserving the scenic beauty of the site and to minimize environmental impact. The landscape plan will include adding more trees, walking paths, and usable outdoor spaces to take advantage of the site’s park-like setting.
The total price tag for construction, books, computers, and furnishings is estimated at $17.8 million, with $14 million coming from Metro government and the state, and the additional $3.8 million to be raised from private donors through the Library Foundation. To date, the Foundation has raised 60 percent of its goal, including gifts of $500,000 from the City of Lyndon and $200,000 from LG&E/KU. Library Foundation vice-chair Bill Dunbar also announced today a $400,000 challenge grant made by The James Graham Brown Foundation.
“It is because of the support of organizations like the James Graham Brown Foundation, LG&E/KU, and the City of Lyndon, and passionate community members just like you, that we can make more possible at LFPL,” said Dunbar. “I thank you and our community thanks you for helping make the Northeast Regional Library a reality.”
“Bringing a larger, more updated library to East Louisville has been a priority since joining the Metro Council,” said District 17 Councilman Glen Stuckel. “Early on I worked with the LFPL director to find viable sites for a regional library. Although those didn’t turn out to be the final location, my desire to make this idea a reality has never waned. I am excited the time has finally arrived. The educational and recreational resources available through this project will provide outstanding opportunities for residents of all ages.”
Construction of the Northeast Regional Library is to be completed in early 2019.
What other Metro Councilmembers had to say about the new Northeast Regional Library:
“Libraries are an important cornerstone of a healthy community. I am excited for this new edition to the Louisville Free Public Library system in Northeast Louisville. This amazing library will give people the opportunity to find jobs, experience new ideas, get lost in wonderful stories all while providing a sense of place for gathering as a community. I am especially thankful that funding for several different features to be included as part of the Northeast library have come through partnerships with some of the suburban cities in this area.” – Angela Leet, District 7
“Lifelong learning is so important to our community and I am happy to see the third of the three regional libraries break ground. The Northeast Regional Library will serve a huge part of Louisville Metro. I am grateful to everyone for their efforts in making it happen and especially thankful for the work of the Library Foundation, which has done so much to make each of the regional libraries come to pass.” – Bill Hollander, District 9
“As a teacher, I understand how the need for — and use of — free public libraries have evolved. These gems have been supported all across America dating back to a time before the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin and friends opened the first lending library in Philadelphia in 1731. Modern libraries serve a much more diverse population with services unforeseen just a generation ago. I am very proud of the work done by the Friends of the Library, and am really grateful to see that the Northeast regional library will be built in accordance with the library master plan.” – Kevin Kramer, District 11
“I’m very pleased that this much needed library will soon be available for public use. It will be a valuable resource to those seeking knowledge in this Information Age and I am proud to have supported its funding.” – Scott Reed, District 16
“This library will be a wonderful addition for our community. It will increase multiple opportunities for children and adults alike.” – Julie Denton, District 19
“As a Metro Councilman, it is exciting to see the hard work and dedication to expanding our library system come to fruition. This new library is furtherance of our commitment to expanding learning resources throughout our Metro.” –Brent Ackerson, District 26
Mayor Greg Fischer announced today that a public-private partnership to help people who are visually impaired find points of interest in Louisville will expand, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the James Graham Brown Foundation.
The Indoor Explorer program, which is operated by the American Printing House for the Blind and created in partnership with the city’s Office for Civic Innovation, places low-power Bluetooth beacons in public buildings that feed information about amenities and points of interest to an app called Nearby Explorer.
People who are visually impaired will use this information to independently find their way through and around the public buildings to find features, such as an airline ticket counter at the airport.
“The American Printing House for the Blind is a nationally recognized leader in innovation, and so is Louisville Metro Government — so this is a natural partnership,” Mayor Fischer said. “This program will expand opportunities for citizens and visitors with vision loss, and is another example of big ideas becoming a reality in Louisville through collaboration, good thinking and hard work.”
The grant will fund the installation of low-power Bluetooth beacons inside additional public buildings, expanding the uses of the Nearby Explorer app for independent travel, employment, civic engagement, tourism, education, dining, recreation, shopping and more. The beacons will also improve indoor navigation — which is limited under current technology — for app users who are blind and visually impaired.
“We are energized by Mayor Fischer’s commitment to making APH’s vision of a world where people who are blind or visually impaired can work, learn and live without barriers a reality here in Louisville,” said APH President Craig Meador. “Working together we have the opportunity to show the world what a truly welcoming community looks like by making Louisville the most accessible city for people who are blind and visually impaired.”
The project aligns with Louisville Metro’s Smart City initiatives, which also include the Waze app for traffic notifications, collaboration with the app IFTTT, and the LouieLab civic innovation space in downtown Louisville.
Photo: Louisville Free Public Library
Have you ever worried about your child and drugs? Have you wondered what you can do to stop this problem before it starts? Are you worried that someone you love may be using drugs?
The Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness and the Louisville Free Public Library will offer a course Heroin Hurts Louisville: What We Can Do to help parents, grandparents and caregivers with valuable insights as to why adolescents use drugs, how to start the dialogue about the dangers of substance abuse, and how to act quickly if someone they love is at risk of using. The 90-minute class is free. Registration is required. Phone 574-1623 to register.
Initially, two dates have been scheduled for this class. The first is Tuesday, July 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Main Library at 301 York St. If people aren’t able to attend the July class they can sign up for the class to be held on Saturday, August 5 at 2:00 p.m. at the Southwest Regional Library at 9725 Dixie Highway. The course is taught by a certified drug and alcohol counselor. It includes educational information, video testimonies from young people and facilitated discussion. Participants will receive a toolkit with information and available resources
“In Louisville, 285 of our neighbors, friends and family members died of a drug overdose in 2016,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “Drug overdoses are now the leading cause of accidental deaths in Louisville and all of Kentucky. These classes represent one step in helping us understand and prevent opioid abuse in our community.”
“Many of our initiatives to battle the opioid epidemic in Louisville have, by necessity, been reacting to the needs of people suffering from the disease of addiction, and protecting our community from infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C,” said Public Health and Wellness Medical Director Dr. Sarah Moyer. “But it’s also important that we take proactive steps to prevent substance abuse in the first place. These classes are a first step. If we get a good response, we expect to add more classes at more locations.”
“We are very happy to be able to provide a place for these important classes,” said James Blanton, Director of the Louisville Free Public Library. “We hope that these classes are well-received and that we are able to hold similar classes in other library locations.”
The three basketball courts at Wyandotte Park in south Louisville have been completely rebuilt thanks to a partnership between the city of Louisville, Nike and RCA recording artist Bryson Tiller.
The new courts debuted on Wednesday, June 7 with an appearance from Tiller at Wyandotte along with Mayor Greg Fischer.
Tiller and Nike teamed up on the construction of the courts at Wyandotte Park, located just east of the Watterson Expressway off Taylor Boulevard, less than a mile from Churchill Downs.
Tiller will perform at the Mercury Ballroom tonight at 7 p.m. and then return for an engagement at the KFC Yum! Center on Saturday, September 16.
“We couldn’t be more pleased that Nike and Louisville’s own Bryson Tiller have given us this spectacular new complex of courts at Wyandotte Park kids and families can enjoy,” Fischer said. “These are some of the best outdoor courts in the country. It’s going to be great to see them in use this summer.”
“It is exciting to know that Louisville is never far from Bryson Tiller’s mind,” said Councilwoman Marianne Butler, who represents Metro Council District 15, where Wyandotte Park is located. “We are so grateful to Nike and Mr. Tiller for the offer and the beautiful courts that we produce future Cardinals – and maybe some Cats – to go on and make a difference in the world. We hope they all learn from Mr. Tiller’s action – never forget where you came from and give back. Thank you!”
“I am so proud that we have a young man like Bryson from our community,” said Councilwoman Jessica Green, District 1, and a friend of Tiller’s. “He has taken the music industry by storm, and most importantly, he has not forgotten his Louisville roots. As the icing on the cake, he is just a wonderful and humble young man. I am so honored to know him. We are so appreciative to him and to Nike for these timely park improvements.”
The project at Wyandotte includes new expanded asphalt to increase the size of the original three-court configuration. After the asphalt was cured for three weeks, a modern rubberized surface was added, along with freshly-painted lines to re-establish court boundaries. New goal posts and fiberglass backboards were then added.
In the future, work at Wyandotte will include new lighting, tennis and pickleball courts.
Louisville Metro Public Art together with the Commission on Public Art has announced two new projects developed by Louisville artists. The public art projects are focused on pedestrian and cycling experiences in Louisville, and will invite community involvement and participation. Artists Lance Newman and Todd Smith were selected for their innovative approach to public art in the form of poetry and technology, and how we encounter art in our city sidewalks, streets, and bridges.
“Public art can take many forms. As our city grows and changes, so do the artists and their unique approach to contemporary topics,” Public Art Administrator Sarah Lindgren said. “We are thrilled to partner with Lance and Todd whose projects will captivate Louisvillians and visitors. These artworks will enhance our daily experience as we walk to work, catch the ZeroBus, go to a concert, or cross the Ohio River.”
Descriptions of both projects are below:
Love in the Street: This project supports Louisville’s growing poetry scene and enhances the pedestrian experience on 4th Street for tourists, employees, concertgoers and more. Louisville poet Lance G. Newman II is the artist and curator who conceived the project to invite place-based poems and stamp them into the 4th Street sidewalk between Broadway and Chestnut in conjunction with the forthcoming streetscape project in 2018. A call for poems will be announced this summer.
Bike Sense Louisville: This project connects cyclists, technology and sound to capture and reflect data in real-time. Artist Todd C. Smith will use sensor units attached to the handlebars of 100 volunteer cyclists to create a web-based data visualization and a sound composition that will be streamed online and on the speakers of the Big Four Bridge. The sound composition will be determined by the activity of the cyclists. Along with general location, the sensor units on the bikes of volunteer cyclists will also gather ambient temperature and carbon monoxide gas data. The project will take place over one year starting in summer 2017.
The citizen cyclists will represent a cross-section of bike users in Louisville, from hobbyists to regular commuters. To volunteer as a cyclist, please visit https://www.bikesense.net/
Five members of the Louisville Metro Council are seeking public comment on the proposed 2017 -2018 Capital and Operating Budgets at a special community meeting on Monday, May 22nd at the Louisville Urban League.
Councilmembers Jessica Green (D-1), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), Barbara Sexton Smith (D-4), Cheri Bryant Hamilton (D-5), and David James (D-6) are inviting their constituents to come out and share their thoughts on what should be in the upcoming budget.
“It is important to me that the citizens of District 1 have a voice in this budget process because for far too long, they have felt ignored and left out,” says Green. “I want everyone to have an understanding not only of what the process is, but what is actually in the budget in order to be able to advocate for what citizens in my community want and need.
“Everyone knows there are not unlimited resources so we invite the community to help us set priorities for funding that improves the quality of life of our residents,” says Hamilton.
“We want to reach out to everyone. It is important that we hear from folks in the neighborhoods, homeowners, and business owners.” says Sexton Smith. “We have to rely on the public to give a perspective we may not be aware of when it comes to priorities and we want to make it easier for them to participate and ask questions.”
The Metro Council Budget Committee has already begun its hearings on the budget and will spend the months of May and June reviewing Metro Government needs before a vote on June 22nd.
The Budget public meeting will be held at the Louisville Urban League, 1535 W. Broadway from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.
“We need public input into the 2017-2018 Louisville Metro Recommended Budget from the community and I am happy to make the effort to hear from taxpayers. I know it is not always easy to come downtown to City Hall due to parking constraints,” says Woolridge. “I hope everyone will attend this community meeting regarding Mayor Greg Fischer‘s Budget. Tell us what you would like to see in this Budget.”
“Bringing the budget public input process from City Hall to the community to hear what the citizens have to say about the budget is a vital step in this process,” says James. “It’s your money and we need to know how you feel about how we are spending it.”
