by Mel Green

By a vote of 8 to 2, the University of Alaska Regents this morning added sexual orientation to the UA Regents’ Policies on nondiscrimination. Students, faculty, and staff of the statewide public university system have been asking for years for such a policy change, led in particular by students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.

The Northern Light, University of Alaska Anchorage’s student newspaper, reported it first on its Facebook page:

After two days of testimony, the Board of Regents have approved the motion to add sexual orientation to the University of Alaska’s anti-discrimination clause. The motion passed with only two dissenting votes, those of regents Cowell and Fisher.

The vote came this morning shortly after the close of the second period of public testimony before the University of Alaska Regents, who are currently holding a two-day meeting at Lee Gorsuch Commons on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus. The first period of public testimony took place yesterday morning.  Each period of testimony lasted for about an hour to an hour and a half, with some witnesses testifying about other items of business currently before the Board of Regents.

But most testimony was about the proposal by University of Alaska President Pat Gamble to add sexual orientation to the list of personal characteristics already included in the Regents’ nondiscrimination policy.

Students, faculty, and staff of the statewide public university system have been asking for years for such a policy change, with the most recent effort initiated in June 2009 by the group UA Students/Staff/Faculty for amending the Non-Discrimination Policy, led in particular by students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.   But the appearance of the issue on the agenda of this week’s Regents’ meeting was fairly rapid and appears to have been initiated by President Gamble, a retired general whose reasoning for recommending the policy change was partly grounded in the recent repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, and it appears that equal rights advocates for the LGBT students/faculty/staff did not actually participate in drafting the wording of the proposed policy change.

The policies the Regents approved today now will read:

Policy 01.02.020. Nondiscrimination.
It is the policy of the board that in accordance with federal and state law, illegal discrimination against any individual because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, physical or mental disability, marital status, pregnancy or parenthood is prohibited. Decisions affecting individuals shall be based on the individual’s qualifications, abilities and performance, as appropriate.

Policy 04.01.020. Nondiscrimination Statement.
In accordance with federal and state law, illegal discrimination in employment against any individual because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, physical or mental disability, marital status or changes in marital status, pregnancy or parenthood is prohibited. Decisions affecting an individual’s employment will be based on the individual’s qualifications, abilities and performance, as appropriate.

The wording has led to some confusion as to whether gender identity will also be understood as being part of the policy without explicit wording to that effect.  Reports from people who were present during public testimony indicates that witnesses — all except one of whom testified in favor of the proposed policy — advocated vigorously for a policy protective of transgender, as well as gay, lesbian, and bisexual, students and employees.  I hope that President Gamble and the Board of Regents will make such an understanding explicit.

(The one witness who testified against the proposed policy reportedly appeared before the Regents this morning in pajamas and reportedly claimed in his testimony that “all chimpanzees and bonobos are homosexual.”)

Bent Alaska will have more stories about the new UA policy in the coming days.  In the meantime, we at Bent Alaska extend our thanks to UA President Gamble and the Board of Regents, and our heartfelt thanks and congratulations to the University of Alaska students, faculty, staff, and members of the public who testified before the UA Regents or wrote letters and email in support of the proposed change of the UA nondiscrimination policy. We’re proud of you!

Speaking for myself personally, I want to say that after 20 years as a staff member of the University of Alaska staff, it’s good to know I & other LGBT staff, faculty, and students may now proceed with our studies and our jobs without fear of unfair discrimination based solely on who we are.

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Note: The photo accompanying this story was actually taken last spring. If I’d taken the photo today, it would look even snowier!