Category Archives: Ordinance

The proposed Anchorage equal rights ordinance AO 2009-64 of 2009 would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of personal characteristics in Title 5, Anchorage’s equal rights code, which prohibits discrimination based on those characteristics in employment, housing, financial practices, education, and practices of the Municipality of Anchorage. The summer of 2009 in Anchorage featured a protracted period of public testimony at the Anchorage Assembly, with accompanying sign-waving and letter-writing both by ordinance supporters and those who opposed equal rights — led in particular by antigay pastor Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple, who has used “perverted” and other hate-terms to describe LGBT people, hence the name given the summer by one commentator: the Summer of Hate. The ordinance passed the Anchorage Assembly on August 11, 2009, but was vetoed the following week by Mayor Dan Sullivan — the third time in Anchorage history that equal protection for at least some LGBTQ people in Anchorage was first granted, & then stripped away again. See the True Diversity Dinner for one way we responded to the defeat.

This one for you, James Crump

James Crump came to Alaska to find himself, and stayed in Alaska to share himself with us. His death on June 25 at Anchorage’s Pride parade was a blow not only to his family & friends, but also to our whole community. But just what is our community — and where do we go from here? Continue reading

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Help John Aronno of Alaska Commons go to Netroots Nation

I was delighted to learn that John had applied for the scholarship for Netroots Nation 2011; & I’m even more delighted to support his candidacy — both as a progressive blogger per se, and as a tremendous ally to LGBT Alaskans. Please vote for him!

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Anchorage’s LGBT Discrimination Survey

A brief history of Alaska LGBT research studies and the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey. Published originally as an op-ed in the Anchorage Press.

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My story of 2009

Not quite ALL about my 2009, because that would take a year to write. This only took several hours.

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True Diversity Dinner 1 & 2: Video by Janson Jones

Parts 1 & 2 of video coverage of the September 25, 2009 True Diversity Dinner in Anchorage by Janson Jones of Floridana Alaskiana v2.5. Part 1 includes background on the summer 2009 fight for the Anchorage equal rights ordinance AO 2009-64; part 2 is a montage of Janson’s photos of the dinner.

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Diversity, unity, family

Mayor Dan Sullivan claims, with his Mayor’s Unity Dinner, to be honoring values we all share, including the importance of family. But his veto last month of the Anchorage equal rights ordinance makes it clear that he only deems some families important — and mine’s not one of them.

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Should white heterosexuals be permitted at a diversity event?

Does being a lesbian make me “diverse”? Does being white and heterosexual make my white heterosexual friends and relatives “not diverse”? Duh. But apparently some people believe you should have diversity credentials to attend a diversity dinner. With a tribute to our allies in the summer 2009 fight for the Anchorage equal rights ordinance.

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No, Debbie, Title VII does NOT prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in employment. Hello?

Wishing doesn’t make it so: despite Anchorage Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander’s contention that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 covers sexual orientation discrimination, federal case law consistently shows that it does not. Here’s more proof, with a recent 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals case which found that an effeminate gay man in Pennsylvania (but not actually Emmett Honeycutt) laid off from his job had recourse under Title VII for discrimination based on gender role stereotyping, but not for sexual orientation.

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Gay-ins at McGinley’s

Brendan Joel Kelley at the Anchorage Press reports on last Friday’s goings-on at McGinley’s — about which I wrote at the time.  Brendan mentions Michael Mason’s conversation with managing partner Jack Lewis: According to Mason, he plans on returning to … Continue reading

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At McGinley's Pub

The planned protest at McGinley’s Pub over the veto of the Anchorage equal rights ordinance by Mayor Dan Sullivan — who has a 10% interest in the pub — turned out to be not so much of a protest after … Continue reading

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