Friday, 12 June 2009 – 5:17 AM
| Comments Off on Ordinance Hearing, Week 2
We want to thank you all for coming out to show the Municipal Assembly and the city of Anchorage how much you believe in equality for all. We appreciate and admire the courage of all who spoke, and the love and support of those who came to ensure that the people who testified had friends and allies to shore them up.
In many ways it was a difficult and emotional night, but in other ways it was quite heartening. It is easy to dwell on the hurtful things that were said, but we also saw the best of Anchorage in that room. It is our hope that you will help us carry the positive energy into the following weeks as the public hearings continue.
What You Can Do Now
Show up for the second round of testimony on Tuesday, June 16th! Once again, we want to fill Loussac Library with a sea of blue (and don’t forget your Equality Works buttons!) You may have already testified, but we still need you to be there in solidarity with those who haven’t had a chance. They need to hear you applauding and supporting their bravery just as they did for you.
Come early. Doors to the Assembly chambers are unlocked at 3 pm. Bring a book, bring friends, bring your laptop–be there!
University of Alaska students and supporters asked the Regents to add “sexual orientation” to the UA system’s nondiscrimination policy during the Regents meeting in Fairbanks last week. The News-Miner wrote in part:
Jessica Angelette, president of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Gay-Straight Alliance, told the university’s Board of Regents on Thursday that its current anti-discrimination rules lack explicit bans on discrimination based on “sexual orientation,” something she indicated leaves university life scarier for gay students and active supporters of gay rights.
Angelette told regents that some students, gay or straight, are harassed after participating in campus events. She said one girl moved out of her dorm room two weeks before classes ended because she was being bullied by her roommate.
“We … would like to work with the board to have the amending policy (be) the first step in making all campuses safe for every student,” she said.
The university system follows some “interdependent partnership” rules that extend benefits for same-sex couples to employees and faculty. But efforts to explicitly mention sexual orientation in the regents’ nondiscrimination policy — which bans discrimination based on sex, race and other factors — have fallen short at least twice, according to university records.
The comment section below the article is filled with thoughtful support and a few opponents who just don’t get it.
This comment posted under the screen name “reason” clearly explains why the policy change supports the UA mission and is essential in attracting the most qualified employees:
Kudos to UA students for taking the initiative to ask for a change in policy that is long overdue!
Many colleges and universities across the United States already include “sexual orientation” in their nondiscrimination policy, and many are beginning to add “gender identity” as well. The Fairbanks North Star Borough public school district already includes both of these aspects of identity in their nondiscrimination policy. It is important for UA to add both of these to its nondiscrimination policy in order to protect students, staff, and faculty from the very real incidents of harassment that do take place on campus and that Christopher Eshleman’s article describes very well. Adding to the UA’s nondiscrimination policy is essential in forwarding the university’s mission: students, staff, and faculty all need a climate free of harassment in order to do their best work.
Moreover, like any other organization situated in a national and international marketplace, UA is competing with comparable organizations for students, staff, and faculty. Accreditation standards require universities to hire faculty with the most advanced degrees in their fields, and in many disciplines, such degrees are not offered in the state of Alaska. UA thus _must_ compete in the national and international marketplace for many of its faculty. As a faculty member who has sat on search committees for job candidates, I recently heard a job candidate express great surprise upon learning that UA does not offer a form of protection from discrimination that elsewhere is considered “standard.” The lack of language concerning “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” hurts UA.
The University of Alaska system cannot and should not wait for a federal law banning discrimination based on “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”. Many universities, colleges, school districts, and businesses already ban these kinds of discrimination because such policies better help them to achieve their mission. UA needs those protections now: to ensure that we can compete most successfully in the national and international marketplace to deliver the best education to the students in Alaska, and to ensure that all of our people can do their best work in a climate free of harassment and discrimination.
We need YOU to be at the public hearing on June 9th to show Assembly members that people in our town want lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Alaskans to be protected from discrimination!
Where? Loussac Library, Assembly Chambers 1st Floor (36th & Denali)
When? 5:00-11:00, but if you want to get a seat or you plan to testify, we recommend that you get there no later than 4:30.
What to do? Wear blue—the color of peace and unity—and your Equality Works button.
What if I can’t stay for the meeting? Get out your markers and paint to make a sign and show your solidarity outside the library for as long as you can stick around.
Note on Hearing Conduct: This is an official meeting that must be conducted as fairly and impartially as possible. It is important that we conduct ourselves with respect and restraint, no matter how offensive the remarks we might hear coming from the other side. Please refrain from booing, name-calling, or otherwise mocking those who disagree with you. Also, we want to see hundreds of supportive signs outside Loussac library, but they will not be allowed inside the hearing room.
Sunday, 7 June 2009 – 9:27 PM
| Comments Off on Revised ordinance weakens the law and endangers transgender people
Mayor Matt Claman and members of the Municipal Assembly presented a revised version on Friday of the ordinance to amend Anchorage’s nondiscrimination law to include Anchorage’s LGBT citizens. Equality Works analyzes the changes.
Saturday, 6 June 2009 – 10:30 PM
| Comments Off on Fire Victims say Thank You, Pride T-shirts on Sale, & SOSAnchorage.Net
Gay AK: Notes from LGBT Alaska
Congratulations to the people of New Hampshire, which became the 6th state in the U.S. to legalize same sex marriage.
Community pulls together for gay fire victims
The fundraiser for Garfield and Alvin, who lost their home in the Spenard fire on Memorial Day “was a HUGE success! We raised over $2,000 and received a number of gift cards,” wrote Bear, the contact person for donations. “In addition, a ‘ton’ of items was brought in for them (small appliances, clothes, dishes, blankets, etc.) I still have people contacting me to help out. The latest is that a couple is giving them a large color tv. And there are others who are waiting until the guys get settled so that they can donate more household things. This whole project has been litteraly amazing!”
“Garfield and Alvin cannot believe how this turned out. They found a place to live on June 1st. They both are doing much better in the attitude department and are very appreciative of everything that everyone has done for them. They say that every day things are getting better.” The men will sort through the donated items and decide what they can use and what they will pass on to other community members in need.
“Thank you all for your love and support of each other,” added Mary Bess Bohall. “Together we made a huge impact with this fundraiser. Together we can make a huge impact for our community. Thank you to all.”
PrideFest t-shirts on sale at the Center
The shirts for
Anchorage PrideFest 2009 are on sale downtown at the
Community Center. Check out the full calendar for the many wonderful
Pride Week events! If you want to host an event, make sure you have contacted the Anchorage PrideFest committee. Vendor? Volunteer? Marching Unit? Find the information to participate in this year’s activities on the
LINKS tab of the website. We can’t wait to join you on the Park Strip for a Celebration of Anchorage, The Last Queer Frontier!
Trans-inclusive nondiscrimination laws
SOSAnchorage.Com vs. SOSAnchorage.Net
“The purpose of Anchorage Ordinance AO NO. 2009-64 is very simply stated and long overdue for our community; it extends protection from workplace discrimination to include sexual orientation. However, Rev. Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple has vowed to strike down the ordinance, using all the powers of his congregation and bully pulpit. A website has emerged,
www.sosanchorage.com, which highlights all the ‘damage’ that workplace equality will wreak upon our city. My fiance and I have erected a counter-website at
www.sosanchorage.net to highlight the blatant falsehoods and misleading information. Please, check out sosanchorage.com to view the fearmongering, and then head over to sosanchorage.net and help us get the facts out! Tell your friends, and keep this going. June 9th is right around the corner.”
Friday, 5 June 2009 – 5:31 AM
| Comments Off on Good for Communities. Good for the Economy. Good for Business.
Many of Anchorage’s major employers have in place a non-discrimination policy that protects their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees.
These employers, like a majority of the Fortune 500 companies, understand that LGBT-inclusive non-discrimination policies help recruit and retain a more diverse, talented and productive work force. Updating Anchorage’s non-discrimination laws would offer protections to thousands of workers, and these protections are good for our families and our economy. It’s time for Anchorage to protect the diversity that makes our city great.
Some of the biggest companies in Anchorage already include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies.
A Non Discrimination Ordinance: Good for Communities. Good for the Economy. Good for Business.
“OfficeMax Celebrates Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Pride Month: Embracing Inclusion” reads the rainbow poster displayed in the break room of the OfficeMax store on Penland Parkway in Anchorage.
“My company OfficeMax made this June LGBT Pride Month!” enthused Chris Oeser on the
Anchorage PrideFest‘s Facebook wall. “I am so proud to work there! What a good company!”
Chris, who is running for Mr. Gay Anchorage, asked his employer for this show of support.
“I called the corporate office and put in a suggestion on how to be more diverse and more work friendly for the month of June. Our work is all about cultural diversity and working inclusive with each other, and they pride themselves on doing that. I am so proud to work for a company who promotes LGBT Pride and has a clear view on how different we really are but at the same time appreciates us.”
OfficeMax is one of many corporations that supports diversity at the national level and has branches in Alaska. Employers in Alaska like BP, Wells Fargo, UPS, Alaska Airlines, AT&T and J.C. Penney scored 100% on
HRC’s Corporate Equality Index. But do these companies openly support diversity in the local stores?
You tell me – Do you work for a local branch of a company that supports diversity at the national level? Do they also support diversity at the local level? Do they celebrate June as LGBT Pride Month?
If not, take a cue from Chris and suggest that your employer celebrate Pride Month here in Alaska.
If they agree, or already recognize Pride, please send the company name to
Bent Alaska. I’ll post a list of local stores and branches that celebrate LGBT Pride. The first national company on the new “Pride at Work in Alaska” list is OfficeMax. Congratulations!
Who is next? Show pride in those diversity policies, and show the people of this city and state what many corporations already know – that support for diversity is good business!
Wednesday, 3 June 2009 – 10:05 PM
| Comments Off on UA Students ask Regents to Amend Non-Discrimination Policy
For the second time this year, University of Alaska students and supporters will ask the UA Board of Regents to add “sexual orientation” to the non-discrimination policy of the UA system. They will make their request during the Regents meeting on June 4-5 at UAF.
“It’s time that we take a stand and be proactive in making sure all students are protected,” reads the message on their Facebook event page. “The Board should not wait until a terrible incident happens to see how important amending the policy is.”
On April 8-9, a group of students from Fairbanks, and one from Juneau,
traveled to Valdez to testify to board members about tuition and the univeristy’s non-discrimination policy. Jessica Angelette spoke on behalf of the UAF Gay Straight Alliance. The issue wasn’t on the April agenda, but board chair Cynthia Henry urged the students to keep the dialogue open.
UA President Mark Hamilton spoke with the students outside the meeting room on the Prince William Sound Community College campus. (Pictured from left to right: Hamilton, Patrick Sanders, Todd Vorisek, Jessica Angelette and Kirsten Halpin. Photo by Kate Ripley.)
The University of Alaska does not include “sexual orientation” in their non discrimination policies, although UAA includes it in their Diversity Statement. The Board of Regents must approve amendments to the policies.
“It would be good to have anyone in Fairbanks who supports us to come out and speak,” writes Jessica. “If you would like to share your story with the Board, please feel free to do so.”
The public testimony will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday June 4, and 9 a.m. on Friday June 5, in room 109 of the Butrovich Building at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. A sign-up sheet will be available prior to the meeting.
Equality Works Seeks Truthful Discussion on Proposed Ordinance
Sets Record Straight on Mayor’s Proposal to End Discrimination in Anchorage
Equality Works, a coalition of Alaska Organizations working to end discrimination in Anchorage, today announced a coordinated effort to ensure that debate about the proposed equal rights Ordinance focuses on the facts.
Jackie Buckley, spokesperson for Equality Works stated: “Equality Works believes that workers in Anchorage should be judged solely on their qualifications and the merits of their work, and that no one should have to deny who they are in order to keep an apartment or a job. We know that the vast majority of Anchorage residents want to protect their friends, neighbors, family and coworkers from discrimination or harassment.”
“Unfortunately, there has been an effort to misrepresent what the proposed updates to the Municipality’s Equal Rights law would do,” continued Buckley. “It is important that in considering Anchorage’s future and the kind of city we strive to be, that we base our decisions on facts — not unfounded and unproven fears.”
- Anchorage already has a nondiscrimination law. However, because “sexual orientation” is not currently a protected class, the Anchorage Equal Rights Commission has no jurisdiction to track or investigate these cases of suspected discrimination. The Anchorage Equal Rights Commission has unanimously endorsed 2009-64, the proposed Ordinance updates. Supporters of equality are only asking that sexual orientation be included in the list of protected classes for a law that is already on the books.
- Anchorage’s nondiscrimination law has never prohibited businesses from establishing standards of conduct and behavior suitable for the marketplace and other professional settings. The majority of Fortune 500 companies, including some with a local presence — such as BP, Alaska Airlines, and Wells Fargo — have voluntarily adopted internal policies to protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation/gender identity. These corporations understand that LGBT-inclusive nondiscrimination policies help to recruit and retain a more diverse, talented, and productive workforce. No clause in the proposed Ordinance requires an employer, business owner, or realtor to tolerate anyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, who behaves in an inappropriate, disruptive or unprofessional manner, including in a restroom or other facilities.
- The US Constitution’s Bill of Rights promises every American the freedom to practice their religion and express their opinion without persecution. The Municipality of Anchorage recognizes those rights by including “religion” as a protected class in its current nondiscrimination laws, and the Ordinance includes language that allows churches and other religious organizations to limit access or admission to those who share their beliefs.
- People need protection from discrimination on the basis of their gender identity/expression. No one — straight or gay — should be treated unfairly in work or the public sphere. Equality Works believes the small minority of transgender people in our community — people who have served in our military, who drive our taxis, and who have children and families to provide for — are no less deserving of employment and housing than anyone else. While some in our community try to paint transgender people as a dangerous threat, transgender men and women are far more likely to be the targets of violent harassment and discrimination than those who would refuse them equal opportunity under the law.
Equality Works is a coalition of organizations and individuals working to protect Anchorage citizens from discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in matters of employment, housing, and public accommodations, and includes the Alaska Women’s Lobby, Alaska Women’s Political Caucus, Alaskans Together for Equality, Alliance for Reproductive Justice-Alaska, American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, Anchorage Education Association, Anchorage Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Anchorage Urban League, Association of Fundraising Professionals-Alaska Chapter, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network-Anchorage (GLSEN), Identity, Inc., Immanuel Presbyterian Church, League of Women Voters of Anchorage, National Association of Social Workers-Alaska Chapter, Parents, Friends and Families of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), and Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest.
More information regarding the true facts about the proposed Ordinance may be found at
Equality Works.
