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.

My story of 2009

By Mel | Published: Friday, 1 January 2010

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

Also posted in About writing, Alaska justice system, Alaska politics, Cold, Depression, Journal, Long Dark, NaNoWriMo, True Diversity Dinner | Tagged Alaska Commons, Alaska Judicial Council, Alaska Legislature, Anchorage Daily News, Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Anchorage Press, Arliss Sturgulewski, Bent Alaska, cave, Celtic Diva, Columbia Sussex, couch, Crossed Genres, Dad, Dan Sullivan, Dave, death, Eddie Burke, Floridana Alaskiana v2.5, Grandpa Claude, Green family, Green-Lieght family, grey, Grrlzlist, Heather Aronno, Hilton Anchorage, hotel workers, Identity Inc., Identity Reports, James Bopp Jr., Jane Angvik, Janson Jones, Jesse, John Aronno, Julius, lgbtq, LGBTQ allies, lima beans, Linda Kellen Biegel, Mark, Mark Begich, Melz published work, Mer, Miller v. Carpeneti, Mom, my apartment, NaNoWriMo 2009, Nicholas Hughes, One in 10, Palin ethics complaints, PrideFest, Progressive Alaska (blog), Ptery, Sarah Palin, Sean Cockerham, SOSAnchorage.net, Stef Gingrich, Summer of Hate, sunflowers, True Diversity Dinner 2009, Väi the cat, veto, Vic Fischer, violence against women, Wayne Anthony Ross (WAR), writing | 2 Comments

True Diversity Dinner 1 & 2: Video by Janson Jones

By Mel | Published: Tuesday, 29 September 2009

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.

Also posted in Social justice, True Diversity Dinner | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, crossposted, Dan Sullivan, diversity, Hilton Anchorage, hotel workers, Janson Jones, Mayor's Unity Dinner, True Diversity Dinner 2009, unions, UNITE HERE Local 878, video | 1 Comment

Diversity, unity, family

By Mel | Published: Thursday, 17 September 2009

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.

Also posted in True Diversity Dinner | Tagged Anchorage Assembly, Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, crossposted, Dan Sullivan, family, Green-Lieght family, lgbtq, True Diversity Dinner 2009 | 1 Comment

Should white heterosexuals be permitted at a diversity event?

By Mel | Published: Tuesday, 15 September 2009

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.

Also posted in True Diversity Dinner | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, diversity, True Diversity Dinner 2009 | 10 Comments

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

By Mel | Published: Thursday, 3 September 2009

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.

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Anchorage Assembly, Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Assembly public hearing, crossposted, Debbie Ossiander, ENDA, July 21 public hearing, lgbtq, Pamela Kelley, Prowel v. Wise Business Forms, Title VII, U.S. Supreme Court | 5 Comments

Gay-ins at McGinley’s

By Mel | Published: Thursday, 27 August 2009

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 talk to Lewis and bringing him a statement much like the one Cook Inlet Region, Inc. [...]

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Anchorage Press, Brendan Joel Kelley, Dan Sullivan, Kaladi Brothers, lgbtq, McGinley's Pub, Side Street Espresso, unisex bathrooms | 3 Comments

At McGinley’s Pub

By Mel | Published: Friday, 21 August 2009

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 all. I arrived shortly after 6:30 PM to find a small group of people across the [...]

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Dan Sullivan, lgbtq, McGinley's Pub, protest, slideshow | 3 Comments

McGinley’s protests protests

By Mel | Published: Friday, 21 August 2009

A friend sent along a copy of this press release from McGinley’s: McGinley’s says Sullivan is only 10% owner, upset at Prop 64 protests HIGHWATER, LLC, d/b/a/ McGinley’s Pub Contact: Jack Lewis, Managing Partner Phone: 907-444-3791 Web site: www.mcginleyspub.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MCGINLEY’S PUB SETS RECORD STRAIGHT ABOUT OWNERSHIP AFTER RECENT DISRUPTION Mayor Sullivan Only One Owner and Minority Shareholder of Pub ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, [...]

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Dan Sullivan, lgbtq, McGinley's Pub, protest | 6 Comments

Protest inequality: Tonight at McGinley’s

By Mel | Published: Friday, 21 August 2009

It’s a Friday night: time for a pub crawl! So crawl your way over to McGinley’s Pub at 645 G Street: not to drink, but to protest Mayor Dan Sullivan’s veto this past Monday of the Anchorage equal rights ordinance. Sullivan is part-owner of McGinley’s: his patrons should know that Sullivan supports discrimination on the [...]

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Dan Sullivan, lgbtq, McGinley's Pub | 2 Comments

The Daily Tweets, 2009-08-18: Dan Sullivan vetoes equal rights

By Mel | Published: Monday, 17 August 2009

See more photos of the protest of Sullivan’s veto in the post Protesting the veto: Photos. Entirely sickened by the hatred attempting to disguise itself as Christianity pervading the political world. Esp. in Anchorage. Prevo #fail # RT: @okiave: Anchorage: leverage our social networks & email sullivan to not veto 64,MailGuard('mayor','muni.org') takes less than 2min! please RT [...]

Also posted in The Daily Tweets | Tagged Anchorage ordinance 2009-64, Dan Sullivan, veto | 1 Comment