Tag Archives: Assembly public hearing

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 | Also tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Delay by “task force”: My testimony to the Anchorage Assembly

By Mel | Published: Friday, 7 August 2009
Over the past couple of weeks, Bent Alaska has been publishing some of the testimony of people who testified to the Anchorage Assembly in favor of the Anchorage equal rights ordinance AO 2009-64, which if passed will grant equal protection from discrimination to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans people who live, work, and/or visit the [...]
Posted in Ordinance | Also tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Kelley testimony 2: Oncale Supreme Court decision on workplace sexual harassment does not protect LGBTs from discrimination

By Mel | Published: Thursday, 23 July 2009
The U.S. Supreme Court decision in Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., 523 U.S. 75 (1998) was offered by one speaker in July 21 Assembly testimony as proof that existing law already exists to protect LGBT people from unfair discrimination. But, as attorney and UAA professor Pamela Kelley writes, Oncale's application is very narrow: to sexual harassment between members of the same sex (regardless of sexual orientation) in the workplace.
Posted in Ordinance | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Kelley testimony 1: Contrary to prior Assembly testimony, existing law does not protect LGBT people from discrimination

By Mel | Published: Thursday, 23 July 2009
Among the few arguments against proposed Anchorage ordinance AO 2009-64 that does not involve Christianist claims about the Bible is the claim that such an ordinance is unnecessary — that existing law already protects lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transfolk from unfair discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and financial practices. But this claim is not true, as attorney and UAA professor Pamela Kelley testified on July 21.
Posted in Ordinance | Also tagged , , , | 3 Comments

The Daily Tweets, 2009-07-21: Assembly public hearing #6

By Mel | Published: Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Note 7/22/09: Most of the tweets in this collection are from the Anchorage Assembly meeting, the sixth (& last) meeting at which public testimony was taken on the Anchorage equal rights ordinance which will, if passed, add sexual orientation/gender identity to the list of personal characteristics contained in Anchorage’s human rights code, on the basis [...]
Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Also tagged , , | Leave a comment

The Daily Tweets, 2009-07-07 (Assembly public hearing #5)

By Mel | Published: Tuesday, 7 July 2009
@alaskacommons Whoa thanks for the good words John! I do okay when my hands aren’t killing me, huh? in reply to alaskacommons # @jansonjones Thanks Janson, nicel words to get the three hours of shuteye left to me on! (Hope my hands are functional tomorow!) in reply to jansonjones # @jansonjones Ah [...]
Posted in Journal, Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Also tagged , , | Leave a comment

Debbie Ossiander & the Christianist filibuster

By Mel | Published: Friday, 19 June 2009
Is Debbie Ossiander cooperating intentionally or unintentionally with Prevo & co.'s filibustering techniques? And let's not forget those Mat-Su witnesses she's allowing to testify.
Posted in Ordinance | Also tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

The Daily Tweets, 2009-06-17 (Assembly public hearing #3)

By Mel | Published: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
@trishthiel There were more blues earlier. Lots os these reds dated from late bus arrival last Tuesday in signing to testify. in reply to trishthiel # @trishthiel and glad to meet you! I’m completely exhausted now cat Calling me to bed. in reply to trishthiel # Photos from last night’s Assembly meeting now posted on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/henkimaa/sets/72157619790058095/ # I’m [...]
Posted in Journal, Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Also tagged , | Leave a comment

The Daily Tweets, 2009-06-16 (Assembly public hearing #2)

By Mel | Published: Wednesday, 17 June 2009
This automatically-generated compilation of tweets from my Twitter feed all are in regards to the June 16 Anchorage Assembly meeting — public testimony on the Anchorage equal rights ordinance. Later, when I have time, I’ll intergrate them with my liveblog from the prior post (& this will probably disappear as a separate post). Update: Actually, given [...]
Posted in Journal, Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Also tagged , | Leave a comment

Liveblogging Assembly meeting, June 16 (Assembly public hearing #2)

By Mel | Published: Tuesday, 16 June 2009
I will be testifying about these studies at tonight’s Anchorage Assembly meeting. They are online by following this link:http://www.henkimaa.com/identity/. Liveblogging commences below. I will also be occasionally twittering at http://twitter.com/yksin which also updates my Facebook status.  This is partly to save power on my laptop — no plug in here so I need to [...]
Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets, Transfolk | Also tagged , , , | 6 Comments