Tag Archives: Assembly public hearing

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. Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Delay by "task force": My testimony to the Anchorage Assembly

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 … Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

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

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.

Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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

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.

Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

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

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 … Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Daily Tweets, 2009-07-21: Assembly public hearing #6

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

@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! 😉 … Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Daily Tweets, 2009-07-07 (Assembly public hearing #5)

Debbie Ossiander & the Christianist filibuster

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.

Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

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

@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 … Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Daily Tweets, 2009-06-17 (Assembly public hearing #3)

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

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 … Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets | Tagged , , | Comments Off on The Daily Tweets, 2009-06-16 (Assembly public hearing #2)

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

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 … Continue reading

Posted in Ordinance, The Daily Tweets, Transfolk | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments