LGBTQ+ civil rights

Vessels talks about his personal experiences with discrimination. He joins the ACLU in about 1983, later establishing activities in his hometown of Owensboro, KY, and then serving on the state board of directors. He was the executive director for the ACLU-KY, from 1999 to 2003. During his tenure, the organization expanded its fundraising program becoming a model for other affiliates. Additionally, the group tackled several key cases regarding the posting of the Ten Commandments on government property, guided the legal efforts to establish laws protecting the rights of LGBT persons, and took an active role in raising concerns about governmental infringement on individual rights following the attacks of September 11, 2001. During the interview, Vessels offers several poignant stories about the people who have stood up for civil liberties, including his own journey towards understating the power of the individual to make a difference in people’s lives. His remembrances of September 11, 2001 are especially moving. Fundraising is also a featured topic.