A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Alaska Hate Crimes Bill: Jim Minnery v. reality…again

Jim Minnery is freaking out again.

I know, it doesn’t take much. In the past year, the head of the Alaska Family Council (which works against both Alaskans and families) has taken on topics ranging from Planned Parenthood to public education to the Girl Scouts of America. But nothing seems to get his soul patch flaring like “the gay.”

His latest manufactured controversy, sent out today through his “Alaska Family Action Alert” email blast, surrounds Alaska Senate Bill 11; a piece of legislation aimed at adding sexual orientation and gender identity to our state’s existing hate crimes policy, sponsored by Democratic Senators Bettye Davis, Hollis French, and Johnny Ellis. Tomorrow afternoon, the Senate Judiciary Committee will take on the topic, so naturally Minnery is encouraging his network to flood the committee members’ inboxes and answering machines, and, as per usual, is supplying them with talking points that must have been grown in a special, air tight lab, where there was no possible exposure to that pesky pollutant we call reality.

Let’s take a look at what our state Senators have no doubt been hearing, ad nauseum, these past few days:

Claim 1: SB11 Is Unnecessary. All violent crimes are hate crimes and it’s already against the law to commit a violent attack against another person or his/her property. However, “hate crimes” take the law one step further, adding a separate penalty for the thoughts that allegedly motivated the action.

All violent crimes are hateful. But that is entirely different from each individual offense qualifying as a “hate crime,” defined – at the federal level – in the Hate Crimes Statistics Act as “crimes that manifest evidence of prejudice based on race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, including where appropriate the crimes of murder, non-negligent manslaughter; forcible rape; aggravated assault, simple assault, intimidation; arson; and destruction, damage or vandalism of property.”

The plain truth is that most violent crimes are ambivalent, in respect to the victims. The “step further” that Minnery is so offended by only applied, in 2009, to just under .005% of all violent crimes in the United States, being that they were carried out in reaction to specific characteristics of the individual they were inflicted upon. Within that sliver of a percentage point, 18.5% resulted from sexual orientation bias. Meaning that people targeted people for being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or even straight.

Does Jim Minnery and the Alaska Family Council believe that this is an acceptable number? That we shouldn’t single out individuals that enact violent crimes against people specifically because of their gender identity or sexual  orientation? This is not a free speech issue, as he is attempting to frame it. This is an “acting violently” issue.

Or maybe he’s just feeling all soap-boxy because he already has his protection. The 19.7 percent of hate crimes in 2009 which resulted from religious bias – 1.5% higher than sexual orientation and gender identity offenses – are already protected.

(Someone wants to have their sky cake and eat it too.)

Claim 2: SB11 Would make people unequal under the law. A person who assaults a homosexual will be given a harsher penalty than if that same assault was perpetrated on, for example, an elderly person. This creates a two-tiered justice system with second-class victims. All human life should be valued the same regardless of a person’s race, religion, national origin, etc.

This goes back to the paper thin “special rights” argument that permeated the Assembly Chambers in the Loussac Library during the Summer of Hate surrounding AO-64. Minnery is essentially lobbying for a “fair tax” judicial approach; one uniform prescription for all violent crimes. But, just as stealing a can of soda from a grocery store is different from stealing a delivery truck carrying palettes of soda cans, so is the case with a random violent act versus one motivated by personal prejudice.

As explained by former Supreme Court Justice William Renquist, in the unanimous 1993 decision regarding Wisconsin v. Mitchell, penalty-enhancement hate crime laws exist because hate crimes  are ”thought to inflict greater individual and societal harm…. bias-motivated crimes are more likely to provoke retaliatory crimes, inflict distinct emotional harms on their victims, and incite community unrest.”

What the Alaska Family Council works tirelessly to fail to understand is that random acts of violence are just that: random. And, because of that, they are largely isolated. How does one exact revenge randomly? Mostly, they don’t. There is no explicit direction for the anger to go. Whereas, with hate crimes, we tend to see a really, really bad snowball effect; “the Other.” The manufactured message that wires us with a need to protect ourselves from that other person with those other beliefs with that other skin tone or that other accent, and all these attributes that differ in nature from what we recognize as familiar are inherently nefarious in nature. We should not find common ground, but instead lock the door.

Unfortunately, “the Other” is how the Alaska Family Council frames virtually every debate it puts forth, and it works against a civil society rather than towards one.

Claim 3: SB11 Paves the way for religious persecution. Virtually everywhere “hate crimes” laws have passed, arrests for speech have followed. In Sweden, Canada and Great Britain “hate crimes” laws have been used to prosecute Christians speaking their disapproval of homosexual behavior, posing a serious threat to religious liberty and free speech.

So, what’s behind the bumper sticker allegation that “hate crimes” legislation universally leads to an assault on free speech? Minnery warns that the current legislation on the table will “muzzle” Christians, and cites Sweden, Canada, and Great Britain as evidence of that; invoking the ubiquitous far-right “We’re America, not Europe!” mantra.

Key differences, however, separate the condition of free speech in those countries from the US, actually agreeing with their point, but not in a way that they would necessarily endorse.

Britain is in flux; it’s constitution is based on the precedent of law; there is no backbone document akin to our founding documents. Thus, there are neither initial restrictions or protections regarding free speech and expression. The UK is fairly obviously used, by Minnery, not in substance, but in rhetoric; following the same exhaustive dialog we heard in the health care debate which framed European countries (which Canada found itself interwoven into, because of their relationship to the crown, I guess?) very much as “the Other”.

On one hand, there is America. On the other, there is everyone else. And they have the Muslims.

Canada, in contrast, has “Hate Propaganda” laws, which prohibit the expression of hatred for certain protected groups. That is a far cry from what Minnery is arguing against; the action of anger against certain protected groups, including religious groups.

In fairness, Minnery, and his ilk, have chronic problems with linking words with their consequences.

Sweden, in 2002, approved a constitutional amendment that sought to protect groups from “unfavorable speech,” winning them my personal award-of-the-century for “Ambiguous to a Fault.” In the United States, we’ve kept up a passionate argument for 235 years over what “general welfare of the public” means. And Sweden somehow thought that “unfavorable speech” would suffice, criminalizing not only actual threats of violence, but also “expressed disdain.”

Honestly, “unfavorable speech with expressed disdain” sounds like how NPR would describe the crap that comes out of Dr. Laura’s face. Not exactly a rock solid foundation for the basis of law.

The truth is that Sweden doesn’t have freedom of speech like we are afforded (at least as it pertains to this issue). Their idea of free expression is not even in the same ballpark.

Specifically, in the case of Sweden, Minnery warns readers about Pastor Ake Green, who was arrested for delivering a clearly anti-gay sermon in 2003. And if you live in Alaska and occasionally go outdoors or turn on a television, you’ve heard it before: Genesis, Deuteronomy, cancer on society, abnormal, perverse, will lead to disaster and the spread of aids, blah blah blah. It’s been carbon copied and put on display across America one hundred times over, including in Jim Minnery’s emails, Jerry Prevo’s weekly tangents, and Dan Fagan’s radio show (now only available in scarred memories). Last I checked, we haven’t made any arrests. Nor should we. The Westboro Baptist Church (I linked their Wiki page, because I’m not throwing any traffic their way if I can help it) gets to bounce around the map like deranged gummy bears with inarticulate chips on their shoulders. By the same token, our own reality deficient, eccentric characters should be afforded the same rights.

That doesn’t mean we should accept the message as credible; it’s laughable. But they should get to scream down the same vacant hallway that houses Sarah Palin’s presidential aspirations.

Back in the real world where Jim Minnery’s emails can’t hurt you, Green was acquitted by the Swedish Supreme Court, which cited Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, stressing the international right to freedom of expression (anyone want to guess what nation Europe got that idea from?).

More smoke and mirrors to justify an irrational adversity to equal protection under the law from the Alaska Family Council, which again I will point out has nothing to do with working towards the betterment of Alaska or her families.

The good news is that Jim Minnery and the openly closed-minded organization that pays him a lot of money to concoct controversies “in His name!” is not ultimately responsible for making sure SB11 passes. He is only in charge of orchestrating an online and telephonic misrepresentation of Alaska.

About an hour ago, I was talking to a friend of mine – himself a full catalog of standing up against adversity – who reminded me that, at the end of the day, we are all confronted with a simple, albeit blunt, choice: Be a friend or be a dick. Either we make tough choices to stand up and fight for community, or we allow ourselves and those we care about to get screwed, bullied, and ignored; left to fend for themselves. Or we can stand up and say a lot more than “It gets better.”

We can demand that it does.

Friday, at 1:30pm, the Senate Judiciary Committee will address SB11. They’re going to hear from the Alaska Family Council. I implore you to do your part in ensuring that they also hear from the Rational Alaska Community, and I ask you to speak up in defense of our community; our Alaska.

The committee includes Senators Hollis French, Bill Wielechowski, Joe Paskvan, Lesil McGuire, and John Coghill.

Clicky clicky. And kindly pass the word.

Homosexuality isn’t so immoral after all!

by Heather Aronno | Originally posted on The Alaska Commons

For those who were not able to attend the “Is Homosexuality Immoral?” lecture by Dr. John Corvino, you missed a good time. Hosted by UAA Student Life & Leadership’s Student Activities department, the lecture consisted of a break down of the standard arguments against homosexuality: the Bible says it’s wrong, it’s unnatural, it’s gross, etc… It was also incredibly entertaining. Corvino has a talent for keeping the pace quick and light, addressing the main arguments up front so that he can get to his favorite part, the audience questions.

Let’s backtrack a little to before the lecture. After my post on Monday (which Bent Alaska and Progressive Alaska were kind enough to re-post), I had a fun time bringing up the topic in my classes. The general reaction from students was that they 1) thought that the speaker was a conservative bigot until I straightened them out, 2) had no problem with LGBT people and didn’t see what the big deal was about, or 3) got a miffed look on their face when I brought the topic up at all. It was especially interesting, as this also marked the week that the UA Board of Regents was finally going to consider adding “sexual orientation” to UA’s non-discrimination policy. Many students didn’t know that LGBT students and faculty weren’t already protected by the policy. I felt informative, but in a depressing kind of way.

Fast forward back to Thursday night. John and I were approached by a few students outside of the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. They were handing out those little chick tracts comics. You know the ones. The hero of the story dabbles in the occult and ends up in Hell. Or the hero tries marijuana and ends up in Hell. Or the hero considers evolution and…well, you get the picture. I politely declined, and put the one that John took into the recycling bin.

[Fun Fact: Putting those little comics into Wiccan-themed books at the bookstore is not viewed as helpful. It makes the customers who buy the Wiccan books very angry, and they take it out on the store employees. Then the employees think hateful thoughts about the people who put the comics into the Wiccan books in the first place.]

But after that little moment, there was nothing but positivity leading up to, during, and after the lecture. Even the Bible Study group that attended was polite and, for the most part, asked good questions.

Afterward, I was able to speak to a few students about their impressions of the lecture:

“I thought it was really good. I’ve got to say going into it, I knew nothing more than the question on the billboard, so I had no idea about the speaker himself. I didn’t know he was a philosophy professor. And I thought… I love logic so the way that he phrased his arguments was done really well and made a lot of sense. I don’t know, it’s one of those things, I don’t think I personally learned anything new, because it just reaffirmed my beliefs already. It just felt good to have that logic behind it all.” Joe – English Major

“I really enjoyed the lecture, just because Dr. Corvino was able to break down every argument against homosexuality. It put it in perspective.” Rosalyn – Russian Language and International Studies Majors

“I thought Dr. John Corvino was very thorough in his explanation of why homosexuality is not immoral. My feelings on the issue are that it is a completely normal sexual behavior. As an evangelical Christian, I do not find anything within the Bible that tells me that it is immoral. In fact, I find that in the scripture of Jesus, and especially as Christians, we need to support equality for all human beings. So what he said fit into my religious faith.” Ceezar – Political Science Major

“It was very good. I’m not a religious man. I’m a very devout atheist. [chuckle] My personal thought is that he made very compelling arguments and I’ve been on board with him through this whole thing, so it’s not like I had any lingering discomforts or anything. He was very articulate. He wasn’t very pathos-based, which was good. He kept things very simple and understandable, and made it so he could reach out to every [person in the] audience without sounding judgmental, which is good in our modern culture. I personally enjoyed this and was glad I attended.” Lucien – UAA Student

As we walked out of the auditorium, I thought about the students who were huddled outside, handing comics to people. I wish that they would have allowed themselves to attend the lecture, because I think they would have gained something from it. Even if it was just taking a moment to see things from another person’s perspective. I’m sure that they believed strongly that they were doing the right thing, but they just plain missed the point.

Lucien, one of the students quoted above, is actually a blogger as well. And so I’ll end my post with a quote from his review, but I recommend you following this link over to his blog and reading the rest of his post.

Corvino did make a point early on that the fact that people believe that this debate is over is kind of unsettling. He said that we are at a very odd place in the war for equality for the LGBT community. There is a consensus growing among the general public that the war is over. But the sad truth is that the war is still very much alive and is not getting the attention that is used to. Corvino said that there is a difference in the public’s perception of the war because the bulk of it hasn’t been really taught to kids all that much. This came up during the discussion. While we are taught all about the leaders of the African-American movement for equality, leader of the LGBT community’s battle for equality have gone mostly unnoticed in history classes. People like Harvey Milk aren’t taught about in classes.

Thanks to those that helped get Dr. Corvino up here. Thanks to Dr. Corvino for coming to UAA and helping us find better ways to articulate our viewpoint. And thanks to the UA Board of Regents who voted to change the non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation! (Read more over at Bent Alaska.)

Other reactions to Dr. John Corvino’s “Is Homosexuality Moral?” lecture

• 17 Feb 2011. “The Morality of Homosexuality: A Lecture with John Corvino” by Lucien Maverick (Lucien Maverick’s Blog).
• 18 Feb 2011. “‘Is Homosexuality Moral?’ Recap”by Matt Caprioli (The Northern Light).

About John Corvino

Dr. John Corvino, a.k.a. “The Gay Moralist,” lectured on the topic “Is Homosexuality Immoral?” at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium, University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), on Thursday, 17 Feb 2011. His visit coincided with the decision by the University of Alaska Board of Regents to add “sexual orientation” to the nondiscrimination policy for the statewide University of Alaska system.

Dr. Corvino is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor. For over 15 years he has been traveling the country speaking on gay rights. Combining philosophy, sensitivity, and humor he has challenged all sides of the debate about homosexuality and morality.  Dr. Corvino’s writings, videos from his presentations, and a full DVD of his lecture “What’s Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?” are available on his website.

Photos by Melissa S. (Mel) Green

Sara’s News Roundup 2/20/11

Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) University of Alaska regents vote to ban gay discrimination
Anchorage, Alaska, Anchorage Daily News, February 19th, 2011

2) Corvino: Should we care if we were ‘Born This Way?’
365Gay.com, February 18, 2011

3) Transsexual differences caught on brain scan
New Scientist, January 2011

4) Hawaii eyes gay ceremonies after civil unions pass
Honolulu, Associated Press, February 17, 2011

5) Mexico Markets First Gay Beer?
Mexico, Advocate, February 17, 2011

6) Montenegro gets first gay rights NGO
Podgorica, Montenegro, AFP, February 18, 2011

7) Transgender symposium
Waterford, Ireland, Irish Examiner, February 19, 2011

8) Lea T., Transsexual Model, Sits Down With Oprah (VIDEO)
Huffington Post, February 17, 2011

9) UK to let gays have church civil ceremonies
London, 365Gay.com, February 17, 2011

10) Gay marriage has the votes to pass state [Maryland] Senate
Baltimore, Maryland, Baltimore Sun, February 17, 2011

11) Facebook adds ‘civil union, ‘domestic partnership’
San Francisco Chronicle, February 19, 2011

12) California high court to rule on key Prop. 8 issue
San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle, February 16, 2011

13) Trans-Friendly Restrooms Sought in Chicago
Chicago, Advocate, February 18, 2011

14) Top Marine Says DADT Repeal Won’t Lead to Exodus in Force
Washington, AOL News, February 18, 2011

University of Alaska Regents vote 8–2 to add sexual orientation to UA nondiscrimination policy

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.

UA Regents to consider adding “sexual orientation” to non-discrimination policy

A proposed revision to University of Alaska’s non-discrimination policy to include “sexual orientation” is among a number of items to be considered during the Board of Regents two-day meeting at Lee Gorsuch Commons on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus this Thursday and Friday.

Chuck O’Connell 1942–2011

The Anchorage LGBT community joins other friends and family members in mourning the loss of our friend and ally Chuck O’Connell, who died unexpectedly early last Thursday morning.

Sara’s News Roundup 2/13/11

Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Antigay Testimony May Sway Md. Senator’s Marriage Vote
Baltimore, Maryland, Advocate, February 10, 2011

2) Hawaii House passes same-sex civil unions bill
Honolulu, Hawaii, February 11, 2011

3) Jobs program targets transgender people
Boston, Boston Herald, January 24, 2011

4) Court: Student Counselor Must Treat Gays
Michigan, February 11, 2011

5) Lady Gaga’s Latest Song: Born This Way
Gaga Daily, February 11, 2011

6) “Born This Way” Shatters Records
Advocate, February 11, 2011

7) ACLU: Transgender woman, ejected from Lynnwood store, spurs policy change
Lynnwood, Washington, Seattle PI, February 8, 2011

8) Corvino: Love, partnership and Valentine’s Day
365Gay.com, February 11, 2011

9) Opinion: Africa: Transgender Rights Not Simply Gay Rights
Africa, AllAfrica.com, February 10, 2011

10) Harvard Law Review elects first openly gay student as president
Cambridge, Mass., 365Gay.com, February 10, 2011

11) Culhane: Are ‘religious exemptions’ swimming against the tide?
365Gay.com, February 10, 2011

12) GLAAD nominations for Glee, Project Runway
TVNZ.com, January 21, 2011

Sara’s News Roundup 2/6/11

Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Parenting by Gays More Common in the South, Census Shows
Jacksonville, Florida, New York Times, January 18, 2011

2) UI student becomes Internet sensation after defending gay parents
Iowa, Daily Iowan, February 4, 2011

Here’s the speech referred to in the news item, in which Zach Wahls speaks about being raised by his lesbian parents during a public forum in the Iowa House of Representatives on Resolution 6, which would end civil unions in Iowa:

3) What Protests Mean for LGBT Egyptians
Egypt, Advocate, February 4, 2011

4) French court upholds ban on homosexual marriage
Paris, France, New Kerala.com, January 28, 2011

5) Transgender and Transgender-Like Veterans: A documentary of  individuals who crossed gender lines to serve their country (video), Part 1, Part 2
U.S.A., YouTube, April 2, 2010

6) At last, a role model for ‘queer crips’
Washington Blade, February 3, 2011

7) Star Trek’s Gay Problem: Producer Brannon Braga Regrets Not Having Homosexual Character
Huffington Post, January 27, 2011

8) Methodists Urged to End Gay Clergy Ban
Advocate, February 4, 2011

9) Researcher: Mona Lisa Really da Vinci’s Gay Lover
Italy, Pennsylvania Fox News, February 3, 2011

10) Transgender activists face multiple challenges
New York, Boston Globe, February 4, 2011

11) Veteran Reveals Life As Transgender In Military
San Diego, San Diego 10News.com, February 3, 2011

12) Bush twin makes pro-marriage video for HRC
New York, Washington Blade, February 2, 2011

13) Tickets On Sale for Tony Kushner’s Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide Jan. 25
New York, Playbill.com, January 25, 2011

14) Gay Enough?
London, Gay City News, February 2, 2011

15) Obama Appoints LGBT Leader to Faith Council
Washington, Advocate, February 5, 2011

Sara’s News Roundup 1/30/2011

Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Gay Tucson Hero to Sit with First Lady at State of the Union
Washington, Advocate, January 24, 2011

2) Pentagon to outline training for post-DADT life
Washington, Army Times, January 26, 2011

3) Iowa Dems Block Marriage Repeal
Iowa, Advocate, January 28, 2011

4) ‘Becoming Chaz’ tells the complicated, touching story of Chaz Bono’s sex change
Park City, Utah, LA Times, January 24, 2011

5) Task Force: Roberta Achtenberg excellent appointment to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Washington, National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce, January 26, 2011

6) Lambda Legal Reaches Settlement Agreement with Indiana School District After Transgender Student Was Barred from Prom
Gary, Indiana, Lambda Legal, January 28, 2011

7) White House announces three major gay appointments
Washington, 365Gay.com, January 28, 2011

8) Meet the Anti-Bullying Contest Grand Prize Winners!
365Gay.com, January 27, 2011

9) Marriage Equality U.S.A. and Get Equal Call For Gay Marriage ‘Counter Actions’ on Valentine’s Day
LA Weekly, January 28, 2011

10) Wyoming passes anti-gay marriage legislation
Wyoming, 365Gay.com, January 28, 2011

11) Play explores light, heavy side of transgender
Colorado, Coloradoan, January 27, 2011

12) Police seek rapport with gay community
Portland, Maine, Press Herald, January 28, 2011

13) Milan offers Italy’s 1st gay studies course
Milan, Italy, Associated Press, January 27, 2011

14) Gays Seeking Asylum in U.S. Encounter a New Hurdle
New York, New York Times, January 28, 2011

15) PC Air, New Thai Airline, Seeks To Be The First Airline To Employ The ‘Third Sex’
Thailand, Huffington Post, January 28, 2011

16) Girl with girl cheating OK, half of boyfriends say
New York, Reuters, January 28, 2011

17) Jonathan Knight: I Outed Myself
Advocate, January 29, 2011

Sara’s News Roundup 1/23/11

Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Quinn To Sign Civil Unions Bill Soon, In Public Ceremony In Downtown Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, Huffington Post, January 21, 2011

2) Gender-neutral toilets divide gay community in Brazil
Brazil, LA Times, January 21, 2011

3) New counseling center offers specialized services
Maryville, Tenn., Daily Times, January 20, 2011

4) Berkeley May Fund Employee Sex Change Surgeries
San Francisco, Advocate, January 19, 2011

5) Schwarzenegger’s Mom Took Him to the Doctor Because She Thought He Was Gay
TowerRoad, January 2011

6) Gay couple win case against Christian hotel
London, AFP, January 18, 9:07 am ET

7) Nepal introduces transgender census category
Kathmandu, Nepal, Inquirer.net, January 9, 2011

8) Pastor Terry Jones Barred from U.K.
U.K., Advocate, January 21, 2011

9) Wyoming House gives early nod to anti-gay marriage bill after impassioned debate
Cheyenne, Wyo., Billings Gazette, January 20, 2011

10) Marriage [and Gender Identity Bill] in Maryland by April?
Maryland, Advocate, January 21, 2011

11) Why Transgender Activism
Pam’s House Blend, January 12, 2011