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Announcing the Alaska LGBT Community Survey

Tuesday, 14 September 2010 – 6:19 AM | Comments Off

Identity Reports (1989) and One in 10 (1986)

In the 1980s, the nonprofit organization Identity, Inc. conducted two major research efforts to profile Alaska’s lesbian/gay/bisexual community and to document sexual orientation bias in Alaska.

One in Ten: A Profile of Alaska’s Lesbian & Gay Community (1986) provided the first statewide portrait of Alaska’s lesbian and gay (and to some extent bisexual) population, describing our experiences of coming out, of discrimination, our physical and emotional health, religious and political affiliations, demographic characteristics, and a general needs assessment. Identity Reports: Sexual Orientation Bias in Alaska(1989) focused on discrimination and bias, documenting 84 actual instances of antigay bias, discrimination, harassment, or violence (including three murders) around the state, as well as the positive willingness of 20% of landlords and 31% of employers in the Anchorage area to discriminate against persons who were — or were perceived to be — gay or lesbian.

A lot has changed in the two-and-a-half decades since. There’s a lot more live-and-let-live, a lot more acceptance of lesbians and gays. Yet the continuing legacy of antigay prejudice and discrimination persists. Arguably, prejudice against transfolk is even more virulent — often even within our own community.

One of the chief arguments used by opponents of last year’s Anchorage Ordinance 64 — which would have added sexual orientation and gender identityto the Municipality of Anchorage’s equal rights code — was that there was no evidence of discrimination against LGBT people. This claim was made in spite of the weight of evidence provided in One in Ten and Identity Reports. But of course, that evidence was two decades old, so ordinance opponents found it easy to ignore; and they found it just as easy to close their ears to the public testimony of Anchorage LGBT residents who stepped forward to testify to very recent experiences of discrimination and bias — even as one opponent openly told the Assembly that he’d once beaten a gay man so badly that he put him in the hospital.

And so — we’ve decided to bring One in Ten up-to-date by conducting a new statewide survey — the Alaska LGBT Community Survey. Like its predecessor, the Alaska LGBT Community Survey aims to create a profile of our community in all its diversity and with all its diverse concerns; and as we did in 1985-86, we’ll use the survey as vehicle to solicit case histories to document our community’s continuing experiences with discrimination, harassment, and violence. Unlike One in Ten, the Alaska LGBT Community Survey will include transfolk as well as gay, lesbian, and bisexual folk, in the design of the survey questionnaire as well as in filling it out.

We’re in a very early stage right now. We just made the firm commitment to do this last week! But we wanted to tell you about it right away.

We aim to have at least initial results of our survey by April 2011. For more and continuing information as we go along:

subscribe to our blog at alaskacommunity.org;
“like” our Facebook page;
follow @alaskacommunity on Twitter; or
do all three!

We’ll also doing our best to keep you updated through our regular LGBT news channels such as Bent Alaska, TransAlaska Pipeline, Grrlzlist, the Alaska GLBT News maillist, and — well, yeah, my own blog, Henkimaa.

Stay tuned!

— Melissa S. (Mel) Green

Learn more about Identity Reports and One in Ten.

RAW 2010 Short Story Winners

Wednesday, 7 April 2010 – 4:57 AM | Comments Off

Radical Arts for Women is pleased to announce the winners of the 4th annual RAW short story contest.

“We received entries from Anchorage, Fairbanks, Soldotna and Ketchikan. We had science fiction and down-to-earth tales, stories about jail and about rural Alaska.”

“Next year we will change the name of the contest to the Nicole Blizzard Short Story Contest. Nicole Blizzard was a local lesbian writer and editor who passed away in December. She created, published and edited the local LGBT literary journal Naked Ptarmigan (which also publishes the winner of the RAW short story contest), and last year Nicole published her first collection of short stories. We are pleased to rename the contest in honor of her.”

The Winners for 2010
Grand prize and winner of $500 – “Mail Plane” by Emily Sousa
2nd place and winner of $300 – “Itch” by Mel Green
3rd place and winner of $100 – “The Remaking of Audrey Lang” by CN McLaughlin
Honorable mention – “219s” by Amy Whinston
Honorable mention – “Gone, Fishing” by Audrey Fearnside

The winners were announced during the annual women’s performance Celebration of Change. A scene from the grand prize story “Mail Plane” was read during Celebration, and the full story is now posted on RAW’s web site. Mel posted her 2nd place winning lesbian love story “Itch” on her blog Henkimaa.

No Unity Without Equality: A Diversity Dinner to Remember

Monday, 28 September 2009 – 4:36 AM | One Comment

At the True Diversity Dinner, the progressive community of Anchorage celebrated diversity and equality with a dynamic mix of Native Alaskan culture, democratic politics and gay civil rights.

When Mayor Sullivan vetoed the equal rights ordinance two weeks before the start of his Diversity Month and changed the name of the main event from the Diversity Dinner to the “Unity” Dinner, John and Heather Aronno (of Alaska Commons and the good version of SOS.Anchorage) and a few people they met during the ordinance hearings discussed an event to protest the mayor’s lack of appreciation for diversity. After a few hectic weeks of planning, the result was the True Diversity Dinner, a celebration instead of a protest.

Here’s a run-down of the evening’s planned, unplanned and many inspiring moments:

The Native dance troupe Masingka set the tone of the evening with their stories and songs of life in Alaska, while the guests ate delicious food from the Snow Goose buffet tables.

Assembly member Elvi Gray-Jackson, looking regal and towering above the crowd in her heels, was the first to say the line that echoed throughout the evening: equality is for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e (she spelled it out.)

Diane Benson gave an impassioned speech about stopping the abuse of women, children and Native Alaskans.

Steven Alvarez performed his rousing song “See What Love Can Do” with backup by the doo-wop girls, his daughter Sarah and friend Shelly.

Reverend Marquita Pierre, of the Alaska Center for Spiritual Living, kicked butt. (Can I say that about a preacher?) She spoke about being treated differently based on the color of her skin, and how we treat people as “other” based on many kinds of differences, including sexual orientation. She said, “There can be no unity without fairness; there can be no unity without equality” which is the quote I used for the title of this post. Then she called for us to move to a better place regarding diversity – not tolerance (we can tolerate bad things) or acceptance (things that are only OK) which value people despite our diversity, but we can learn appreciation, for the gifts we each offer our family and community, because of our diversity.

Keynote speaker Shannyn Moore was next, but Daphne Do’all LaChores, a local icon in full drag, got on stage with Shannyn and ranted about the mayor’s veto. She dissed Shannyn’s shoes, plugged the Diva Show at Mad Myrna’s, and announced that she was heading down the street to crash the “unity” dinner. She ruffled a few feathers but added a good dose of humor and reality – many in the queer community are still angry about the veto and think it’s odd to throw a party when we don’t have any rights or protections to celebrate.

Then Shannyn spoke and disagreed with Daphne about the veto being a slap to the GLBT community, saying that it hurt everyone, including the straight allies who withstood the “summer of hate.” Shannyn was the keynote for this Diversity Dinner, where most of the organizers, speakers, performers, and politicians were straight allies. Gay rights and gay people were visible and acknowledged (a rare thing at an Alaska political event), but the focus of the event was to recognize and thank the allies who continue to work for an equality that includes us, and to strengthen those alliances.

After the speakers and performers, the diversity awards were presented.

Excellence in Business – Cook Inlet Region, Inc (CIRI)

Eric Cordero, a Mat-Su school board member, noted the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month and read a statement from CIRI accepting the Excellence in Business Award. CIRI is a Native Alaskan corporation that ‘walked the talk’ about equality this summer: they were the only large company (of the many that have protections against anti-gay discrimination) that wrote a public letter to the mayor in support of the equal rights ordinance (posted HERE.)

Excellence in Non-Profit – Identity, Inc.

Scott Turner and Steph Gingrich, two Identity board members, accepted the non-profit award from Heather. Identity runs the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, organizes PrideFest in June and the Pride Conference in Oct. (see HERE for the upcoming conference), supports the gay-straight alliances, sends the Advocacy Team to educate groups throughout the city, shares funds with other gay groups and publishes the NorthView.

Excellence in Print Media – Julia O’Malley

Bob Poe, candidate for governor, spoke about his essay (posted HERE) on how gay rights is not just the right thing to do but is also good for the economy, then announced the print media award. Julia was not able to attend, so her mother, Assembly member Sheila Selkregg, accepted it for her. She was proud of Julia and spoke about the women in her family and their commitment to civil rights. She reminded us that standing up for civil rights can have consequences, that some politicians (like her mother) lost their jobs standing up for civil rights, and that members of the Anchorage Assembly who voted for the ordinance may face tough re-election battles because of their support.

Excellence in Online Media – Mel Green of Henkimaa

Mel’s blog Henkimaa mixes the personal and the political with in depth analysis and keen observation. She accepted the award in an orange sweatshirt, worried that she wouldn’t be recognized without her blue-colored ordinance hearing clothes. She also spoke of the union picket line at the mayor’s “unity” dinner down the street as an issue of diversity, equality and quality of life.

Excellent in Outreach – Tiffany McClain

Tiffany is the coordinator of Equality Works, the group that organized in support of the equal rights ordinance. She thanked everyone for our support this summer and pledged to continue working for equality in Anchorage. She encouraged each of us to write to our senators in support of ENDA, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which has been introduced in both branches of Congress. ENDA only protects us from workplace discrimination (not in housing, education, finance or public accommodations, like the ordinance would have) but it is a step in the right direction and an important federal protection.

Lifetime Achievement Award – Vic Fischer and Jane Angvik

M.E. Rider, editor of the Grrlzlist and all-around community leader (grand marshal at PrideFest this year, and she has won just about every award the LGBT community gives to women) announced the winners of the lifetime achievement award. Neither Vic nor Jane could be present, but M.E. described their decades of work for Alaska and the diverse communities of Anchorage, starting before most of us were born.

The last official speaker was organizer John Aronno. The final award, the Epic Fail Joke Award, was won by Mayor Dan Sullivan for vetoing the ordinance. But in deference to the recent death of Dan’s father, former mayor George Sullivan, the award was not given. Instead, John told a story comparing political involvement in Anchorage to politics in Lower 48 cities. Here you can meet your elected leaders at local events like the Diversity Dinner, and that makes all the difference.

There was an impressive showing of politicians at the Diversity Dinner. In addition to those already mentioned – Elvi, Diane, Eric (Cordero), Bob, and Shelia – I saw Les Gara, Patrick Flynn, Harriet Drummond, Eric Croft, Ethan Berkowitz… and then Senator Mark Begich came from his Health Care Town Hall and said a few words of support.

One of the goals of this event was to build the momentum from the ordinance battle to address future gay concerns. So what is next? For the GLBT community, October is Gay History Month, National Coming Out Day (Oct 11), the Anchorage Pride Conference (Oct 9-11), and supporting the National Equality March in DC on Oct 10-11.

I invite our friends and allies to join us in celebrating diversity and equality at GLBT events in October and throughout the year, and to continue learning about our community and working together to achieve, as Elvi said, “equality for e-v-e-r-y-o-n-e.”

Thanks to John and Heather for organizing a True Diversity Dinner, and thanks to the speakers, performers, award presenters, helpers and guests for making the evening such a grand success!

– photo from Floridana Alaskiana, where Janson Jones has four posts of photos from the dinner.

Coffey Ignores Evidence, Calls for Yet Another Study

Saturday, 8 August 2009 – 5:29 AM | One Comment

After six public hearings this summer — and 30 years of studies and delays — Assembly member Dan Coffey wants the Assembly to appoint a task force to study discrimination against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people in Anchorage and postpone the Ordinance 64 vote for at least a year and three months: 30 days to choose the task force, 60 days to develop a plan, and a minimum of 12 months for the study. The report would not be due until just after the Nov. 2010 elections, at the earliest.

Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation has already been studied and proven in Alaska. Equality Works points out:

“The State of Alaska Human Rights Commission—an unbiased agency—declared nearly twenty years ago that the State Legislature should pursue a statute banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation [Resolution 90-01]. The case has already been made. It is time for our representatives to act.”

During the 1980’s, Mel Green worked on two other reports documenting sexual orientation bias in Alaska and included the findings in her testimony to the Assembly. She posted her testimony yesterday on Henkimaa, along with her response to Coffey’s proposed task force and her recommendation on the four versions of the ordinance. Her piece is reposted below, with permission:

* * *

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 Municipality of Anchorage. And I realized, well, although I’ve written a fair amount on my blog about the ordinance battle, and even posted the full text of the letter I wrote to the Assembly in early June, I somehow hadn’t gotten around to posting the testimony I gave at the Assembly on June 16. So that became one of my tasks this evening: to find my prepared testimony, & put it online.

I couldn’t have timed it better: earlier today I learned that Assembly Member Dan Coffey — in whose district I live — has placed a resolution on the agenda for the August 11 Assembly meeting which would establish a task force to study the issue. For a year. After we’ve just been through six long nights of public testimony stretched out over the summer.

Another year?

This isn’t the first time a task force has been suggested. It came up in some of the questions Assembly members asked during the first night of public testimony way back on June 9. The idea seemed to inform the proposal by Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander, in her S-1 version of the ordinance, to authorize the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission to track complaints of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression (even while permitting most such discrimination to continue unabated).

My testimony, given on June 16, the same meeting at which Ossiander’s version was presented, directly addressed whether a task force was needed. Here it is as I wrote it.

Thank you for hearing my testimony.

My name is Melissa Green. I am an Anchorage resident.

I was part of two major research efforts in the 1980s to document sexual orientation bias in Alaska. One in 10: A Profile of Alaska’s Lesbian & Gay Community published in 1986 reported on the results of a statewide survey of 734 lesbian, gay, and bisexual Alaskans. Identity Reports: Sexual Orientation Bias in Alaska was published in 1989 and included three papers, including “Closed Doors,” a survey of Anchorage employers and landlords; and “Prima Facie,” which documented 84 actual cases of violence, harassment, and discrimination due to sexual orientation bias. Copies of both reports are now on the Internet at Henkimaa.com — that’s H-E-N-K-I-M-A-A dot com. I’ve also prepared copies on CD for all members of the Assembly, as well as hard copies of “Prima Facie,” which I will give to the clerk when I complete my testimony. Some of the relevant findings from both reports:

Of the 734 respondents to One in 10:

61 percent reported being victimized by violence and harassment while in Alaska because of their sexual orientation;
39 percent reported discrimination in employment, housing, and loans/credit; and
33 percent reported discrimination from services and institutions.

From the “Closed Doors” component of Identity Reports:

31 percent of the 191 employers in the survey said they would not hire or promote, or would fire, someone they had reason to believe was homosexual.
20 percent of the 178 landlords in the survey said they would not rent to, or would evict, someone they had reason to believe was homosexual.

From the “Prima Facie” component of Identity Reports:

84 actual instances of antigay bias, discrimination, harassment, or violence (including three murders) were recorded involving 30 men and 21 women. 64 of the cases we documented were in Anchorage.
Victims were predominately gay men or lesbians, but also included heterosexuals who were erroneously assumed to be gay or lesbian.

It was suggested last week that we need a “study” or a “task force” to decide if we need this ordinance. The studies have been done. The testimony you’ve already heard about discrimination updates those studies and shows that sexual orientation discrimination is still going on today. And that’s not even including the people who have not testified because there’s nothing to protect them from more discrimination for just showing up and telling you their stories. Do we really need another study, or a task force, to discover again what we already know? There are at least 108 examples of other cities with similar ordinances, which not only continue to function, but do it better because their citizens do not suffer from unfair discrimination. I ask you: how much discrimination is tolerable? What is the threshold for justice? How many stories do we have to bring to you before you stop passing it on to the future, and establish protections for the people who are being discriminated against today?

Please: pass a full version of this ordinance.

No, a task force wasn’t needed then; and nearly two months later, it still isn’t. The task force proposal is just another means to delay acting in accordance with the public policy the Municipality of Anchorage purports to adhere to, as written in Anchorage Municipal Code 5.10.010:

The public policy of the municipality is declared to be equal opportunity for all persons.

Is this really the Muni’s public policy? Or is it not? Decide, and vote.

* * *

More about Dan Coffey’s task force resolution, starting with the text of the resolution itself:

AR NO. 2009–186. “A resolution of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly authorizing a citizen task force to review the nature and extent of discrimination based on sexual orientation and the potential for conflict with constitutional rights.” Submitted by Assembly Member Dan Coffey for reading August 11, 2009.
8/6/09. “Coffey says city needs gay rights task force — NO DELAY: But backers and critics want to see assembly vote on proposed ordinance” by Don Hunter (Anchorage Daily News)

Incidentally, Don Hunter’s ADN story is incorrect in stating that there are “three versions of the original sexual orientation ordinance” for consideration by the Anchorage Assembly. In fact, there are four versions: on July 23, Assembly Member Patrick Flynn announced on his blog that he had written a new draft, version S-2.

Here are all four versions of Ordinance 64:

AO No. 2009-64. Original draft submitted on behalf of then-Acting Mayor Matt Claman, for reading May 12, 2009.
AO No. 2009-64 (S). First substitution version submitted on behalf of then-Acting Mayor Matt Claman, for reading June 9, 2009.
AO No. 2009-64 (S-1). Second substitution version submitted by Assembly Chair Debbie Ossiander, for reading June 16, 2009.
AO No. 2009-64 (S-2). Third substitution version submitted by Assembly Member Patrick Flynn, for reading August 11, 2009.

I’ll be writing a post comparing the four versions over the next couple of days. I’ll just say for now that I consider Ossiander’s S-1 version the worst of the four (it permits discrimination in private employment, and permits discrimination on the basis of gender identity across the board). Flynn’s S-2 is the best, and is the one I support: it’s the most clear both in its anti-discrimination provisions and in its language about religious exemptions, and addresses specific issues some had about employees of religious organizations such as Sunday School teachers and bus drivers.

I urge you to throw your support behind S-2, too. Let your Assembly representative(s) and Mayor Sullivan mayor(at)muni(dot)com know which one you support.

Words for Equality

Tuesday, 2 June 2009 – 2:53 PM | Comments Off

[Editor’s note: Mel compiled this great list of links to written fact and opinion pieces in support of the Anchorage equal rights ordinance. I’d like to add that there is television and radio coverage as well, involving speakers from Equality Works and Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage, plus supportive letters to the editor by LGBT Anchorage-ites and our allies every day in the ADN. The public hearing for the ordinance is June 9 at Loussac Library.]

—————

by Mel Green

On Tuesday, May 12, 2009, an ordinance was introduced in the Anchorage Municipal Assembly which would prohibit discrimination in employment, housing, financial practices, public accommodations, and education on the basis of sexual orientation and veteran status — adding these two classes to those already included in Title 5, Anchorage’s equal rights code: race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, and physical or mental disability.

One week away from ordinance testimony & possibly an Assembly vote. Time to write those letters to the Anchorage Assembly, if you haven’t already done so.

Meanwhile, here’s a list — as comprehensive as I’ve been able to make it so far — of blog posts & opinon pieces favoring equality. I’ve compiled a list of pieces that are anti-equality too, but see them on my Equality page — I don’t want to give them another link here. And please do tell me if I’m missing anything.

Anchorage equal rights ordinance

Proposed ordinance

AO 2009-64, “An ordinance of the Anchorage Municipal Assembly amending Anchorage Code Chapters 5.10 Equal Rights Commission and 5.20 Unlawful Discriminatory Practices.” Draft prepared for reading May 12, 2009. Anchorage Municipal Assembly, Anchorage, AK.

Facts about the ordinance (as opposed to lies)

Equal Rights Ordinance: Focus on the Facts (Equality Works)
5/29/09. Equal Rights Q&A (Patrick Flynn’s Blog — Patrick Flynn, Anchorage Assemblyman)
SOSAnchorage.net. Fact checks the Prevo/Anchorage Baptist Temple fundraising-through-a-pack-o’-lies website of a similar name.

Blogs & opinion pieces

Henkimaa.com

Follow the tag Anchorage equal rights ordinance for all my ordinance-related posts.
See also the category Equality, which includes posts about equal rights (inluding marriage equality) in general.

Bent Alaska. Your best single blog source for news & events in the Alaska LGBT community.

Follow the tag Ordinance for all ordinance-related posts.

Other blogs. Various other Alaska blogs have also posted news/commentary related to the ordinance, including Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis, Progressive Alaska, Shannyn Moore: Just a Girl from Homer, Elise Sereni Patkotak, The Immoral Minority, What Do I Know?, Christ Our Savior Lutheran Grace Notes, The Alaska Commons, The Mudflats, and Mamadance.

5/10/09. …and justice for all (Patrick Flynn’s Blog — Patrick Flynn, Anchorage Assemblyman)
5/13/09. The noise begins — repost of my blog post posted at Henkimaa here. (Progressive Alaska)
5/14/09. Anchorage Assembly Gay Rights Ordinance — my 1990’s flashback (Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis)
5/16/09. Equality Works has a Fun-Raising party…more on Mike Method’s show — KBYR at 7:00 PM! (Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis)
5/17/09. Sermon (a poem) — repost of my poem posted at Henkimaa here. (Progressive Alaska)
5/21/09. Gays deserve all the protections of the law, Jerry Prevo notwithstanding (Elise Sereni Patkotak; published as column entitles “If anyone has a gay agenda, it’s Prevo” in Anchorage Daily News, 5/19/09)
5/23/09. HOW AFRAID ARE THE “Not So Jesus Christians?” (Shannyn Moore: Just a Girl from Homer)
5/24/09. Jerry Prevo shows the whole world his ignorance and intolerance. Thanks for saving us the trouble buddy! (The Immoral Minority)
5/24/09. “What they are not telling you about the homsexual ordinance!” by GottaLaff (Political Carnival)
5/25/09. Dr. Prevo’s Friday Anchorage Daily News Letter to the Editor (Progressive Alaska)
5/26/09. Perfect love casts out fear (Christ Our Savior Lutheran Grace Notes)
5/28/09. If it’s good enough for J.Edgar Hoover…. (Elise Sereni Patkotak; published as column entitled “Unlike gays, church has its ‘special’ rights” in Anchorage Daily News, 5/26/09)
5/28/09. Men Jerry Prevo Would Ban from Anchorage Schools (What Do I Know?)
5/28/09. Equal Rights; Our Problem Just Got Holier Than Thou (The Alaska Commons)
5/29/09. Fundamentalists raise bar of intolerance by Alan Boraas (Anchorage Daily News)
5/29/09. Civil rights activist now focuses on gays by Steve Haycox (Anchorage Daily News)
5/29/09. Equal Rights Q&A (Patrick Flynn’s Blog — Patrick Flynn, Anchorage Assemblyman)
5/29/09. Out, out, demon hatred (Christ Our Savior Lutheran Grace Notes)
5/29/09. Please Help Bring Equal Rights to Anchorage! (The Alaska Commons)
5/30/09. What renews my belief in humanity (Elise Sereni Patkotak)
5/30/09. HATE; The Real Antichrist (Shannyn Moore: Just a Girl from Homer; reposted at the Alaska Report)
5/30/09. Isn’t There an Ice Floe Somewhere That Needs a Homophobic Preacher? (The Mudflats)
5/30/09. Saturday Alaska Progressive Blog Roundup – May 31, 2009 – Part One — The Quality of Writing at Our Blogs (Progressive Alaska)
5/30/09. Fear and Loathing in Alaska (The Immoral Minority)
5/31/09. All You Need is Love (Mamadance)
6/1/09. Check this out (Elise Sereni Patkotak)
6/1/09. Homophobes and their motives (Celtic Diva’s Blue Oasis)
6/1/09. Beware of beards in women’s bathrooms by Andrew Halcro (Alaska Dispatch)
6/1/09. It’s time for city to stand for equality by Cynthia Toohey and Arliss Sturgulewski (Anchorage Daily News)
6/2/09. Paint This Town EQUAL! (Alaska Commons)

Prop 8 again

Wednesday, 27 May 2009 – 10:26 AM | Comments Off

by Mel Green

A few months ago, a slim majority of California passed Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California after five or six months of it being legal. Since then, we’ve been waiting for the California Supreme Court to decide upon the measure’s legality under the California constitution.

Today, by a vote of 6 to 1, the justices upheld it.

I can’t say I’m surprised. Nor, however, am I particularly demoralized: I think we’ve already begun seeing a sea change. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont, Maine… New Hampshire is close, New York not far behind. Things are starting to go the other way. And younger voters overall favor equal rights, while older voters who don’t are gradually dying away. As one person commented in one of my online communities,

This will be a pyrrhic victory [for opponents of marriage equality]. The 20-somethings are for gay marriage by a 3-1 or more margin. You’ll see a reversal on Prop 8 within 5 years with a 55-45 vote at least. It is a lot better when it happens through the political process than from the courts (e.g. abortion). I realize this is no solace for those who have to wait.

I couldn’t have said it better myself. And note that the later states in which same-sex marriage is being established are all establishing it through the political process.

Meantime, it was of some comfort that the 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place in California during the brief period of marriage equality were ruled, in the same decision by the California Supreme Court, to be valid. It delighted me to know that Artemis & Lori, whom I met last November during an Anchorage protest of Prop 8, just a few days after their wedding in Palm Springs, California, are still recognized as having a valid marriage — at least, in California.

After work today, I bussed downtown to join the small protest of the California Supreme Court’s decision. Like the one last November, this one was held at the Atwood Building in downtown Anchorage. It was organized more or less at the last minute, so there were only a few people present — a total of seven during the time I was there, before I had to get home to take care of the dog. But it was good to be there anyway, & to get at least a few honks from supportive passers-by.

Related:

See Mel’s complete set of photos from the 15 November 2008 and 26 May 2009 protests of Prop 8 in Anchorage at her Flickr photostream.
For a history, both public & private, of the fight for marriage equality in Alaska, see Mel’s post Same-sex marriage: A personal history (posted 9 May 2009).
For the story of another Alaska couple whose 2008 marriage in California is still valid, see Bent Alaska’s post 18,000 Marriages are Upheld, but Not One More.

KTVA and KTUU cover Anchorage Equal Protection Measure

Wednesday, 13 May 2009 – 11:06 PM | 2 Comments

An ordinance to add sexual orientation to the Anchorage non-discrimination code was introduced at Tuesday’s Assembly meeting, and the public hearing is set for June 9.

KTVA and KTUU covered the story for television. KTVA included a clip with Mel Green, occasional guest writer on Bent Alaska:

KTUU ran an online poll with their story, asking “Should the Anchorage Assembly pass an ordinance banning discrimination against homosexuals?” When the poll closed at 10 p.m., support for the ordinance was ahead, with 52% of participants voting Yes and 48% voting No.