On May 6th, GAMA announced that it will host GAMA Expo 2027 in Louisville, Kentucky, extending an existing 3 year contract between GAMA, the KICC, and the Galt House.

This decision puts women and LGBTQ+ GAMA members in danger and will reduce their attendance at the show.

We ask that GAMA moves GAMA Expo 2027 out of the state of Kentucky.

GAMA members attending shows in Kentucky can legally be denied medical care in the case of emergencies and illnesses.

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In 2023, GAMA already publicly recognized Kentucky’s deficient “legislative stances regarding human and civil rights.” Despite this, they have decided to host GAMA Expo 2027 in Kentucky again.

LGBTQ+ individuals visiting Kentucky can expect the following direct legal discrimination:

• Permission from the state to deny medical care for LGBTQ+ individuals
• Permission from the state for health insurance agencies to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals
• Excluding LGBTQ+ individuals from protections against “hate crimes”
• Allowing the use of the “gay and trans panic defense” as a legal defense for people who harm LGBTQ+ individuals

For women, this legal discrimination includes:

• A “total ban” on abortion
• Limited access to medical care due to Kentucky shutting down all abortion clinics in the state

GAMA has stated that GAMA Expo’s locus in Louisville resolves these conflicts, however the state of Kentucky has banned cities from enacting their own non-discrimination laws under the “Commerce Protection Acts”. This prevents local protections in Louisville from superseding state endorsed discrimination. Meaning that Kentucky requires that Louisville allow medical discrimination against LGBTQ+ and pregnant individuals.