Farmer receives aid from Internet after allegedly getting fired for being gay

Melissa Knowles

Kevin McCaffery is the owner of an independent farm and animal sanctuary outside of Ashland, Kentucky. A few years ago, he was employed as the director of a daycare center in town, and he used the money he earned to help support the more than 300 animals that he cares for, including 51 llamas. Nearly a year ago, McCaffery says, he was forced to resign from his job at the daycare center because he is gay.

McCaffery alleges that his coworkers continually mocked him and called him names like "Twinkletoes." However, his antidiscrimination lawsuit did not turn out as he had hoped. The judge agreed that he had been treated unfairly, but in Kentucky, there is no law barring antigay discrimination.

Due to being unemployed, McCaffery got behind on his bills, and soon his unemployment compensation expired. In spite of his difficult financial circumstances, McCaffery never sold any of his animals, including his prize-winning llamas, to make ends meet. Instead, he switched the animals' feed to a cheaper version so he could continue to provide for them.

One of McCaffery's friends reached out to the website Buzzfeed, and it sent someone to visit him at his farm in Kentucky and to take photographs. Soon after, one of the site's community contributors started a Go Fund Me page to help McCaffery with his expenses. Donations have been pouring in, and in just a matter of days the total has exceeded $22,000.

McCaffery expressed his gratitude in a personal message on the Go Fund Me Page. "I would like to take a moment and thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for the love that everyone has shown for me and my animals."

If you would like to contribute, visit GoFundMe.com/LLANannyFarmsKY.

[Related: Obama administration urges justices to overturn antigay marriage law]

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