A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Ask AK senators to co-sponsor S. 4023, the stand-alone DADT repeal

Senate rejects DADT, Murkowski votes NO, stand-alone bill likely *Update: Maddow on DADT*

I am extremely disappointed that yet another filibuster has prevented the Senate from moving forward with the National Defense Authorization Act. Despite having the bipartisan support of a clear majority of Senators, a minority of Senators are standing in the way of the funding upon which our troops, veterans and military families depend. This annual bill has been enacted each of the past 48 years, and our armed forces deserve nothing less this year.

A minority of Senators were willing to block this important legislation largely because they oppose the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ As Commander in Chief, I have pledged to repeal this discriminatory law, a step supported by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and informed by a comprehensive study that shows overwhelming majorities of our armed forces are prepared to serve with Americans who are openly gay or lesbian. A great majority of the American people agree. This law weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and violates fundamental American principles of fairness, integrity and equality.

I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Armed Services Committee Chairman Levin, and Senators Lieberman and Collins for all the work they have done on this bill. While today’s vote was disappointing, it must not be the end of our efforts. I urge the Senate to revisit these important issues during the lame duck session.

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Sen. Murkowski: "It is time to repeal the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell law." CALL HER TODAY

Ninth Circuit hears first Prop 8 appeal

A 3-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held a Prop 8 hearing on Monday, focusing on who has the right to appeal and how the case may be ruled. Here is a quick video report on the hearing:

Sara’s News Roundup 12/5/10

Equality Works "Friendraiser" on Dec 11

Gay & Trans films in the Anchorage International Film Festival

Anchorage Discrimination Survey to be distributed in early 2011

by Shelby Carpenter / Crossposted at Alaska LGBT Community Survey

During the 2009 battle over Anchorage Ordinance 64 — which would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the Municipality of Anchorage’s equal rights code — one thing we heard from the opposition again and again was that there was no “proof” that discrimination was a problem that needed to be addressed. So this fall, a group of concerned community members and organizations came together to brainstorm how to compile this kind of information about the LGBT community in Alaska—both so that we can provide policymakers with accurate information, and so that we ourselves more fully understand the needs of our community. Thus, the Alaska LGBT Community Survey Task Force was born.

The Task Force will complete two important surveys over the coming years. Our broader, more long-term project is the Alaska LGBT Community Statewide Survey, which will provide an extensive profile of the LGBT community all across the state. Over the next six months, however, our focus is the Anchorage Discrimination Survey, which will focus exclusively on experiences of bias and discrimination by LGBT people in Anchorage. Please look for the survey in early 2011! We need as many respondents as possible, and all answers will be completely confidential. You can find more information about the survey at alaskacommunity.org.

I will be serving as Project Manager for the survey, so please also feel free to reach out to me by phone at (907) 263-2006 or by email at scarpenter@akclu.org about any questions you may have.

Shelby Carpenter is the LGBT Public Policy Director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, and is Project Manager of the Alaska LGBT Community Survey Task Force.

Juneau extends senior citizen sales tax exemption to same-sex domestic partners

Sara Boesser writes from Juneau.

A wonderful thing happened in Juneau, Alaska, last night.

It brought to my mind the famous 1969 poster, “What if they gave a war and nobody came?”

What happened is, for the first time in Juneau history, a GLBT-positive ordinance came up for hearing,…and with no discussion by Assembly members, it passed unanimously. It will become law in 30 days.

Willie Anderson of PFLAG was the only one to speak — for the ordinance. Willie, myself, my parents, and two plaintiffs for the 2005 Alaska state G/L benefits lawsuit (Maureen Longworth and Lin Davis) were in the audience. But we didn’t speak.

Can you believe it?! It was exactly 20 years ago I and many of you spoke for the first time before our assembly seeking an equal rights ordinance. And that was a roaring controversy, with multiple meetings hours long for people on both sides to pound away. And we didn’t win then. We compromised, for a tiny step forward instead.

But now…20 years later…we didn’t even have to speak. But I could feel all of us, all of you, all of our energy of years past, in the room.

Thank you all, so much, for everything you’ve done — we’ve done — together.

We have moved mountains to get to this point. And oh — how sweet it is!

Sara referred to a story in today’s Juneau Empire, “City extends senior citizen sales tax exemption to same sex couples” by Sarah Day. The story begins:

The senior citizen sales tax exemption will now apply to same-sex domestic partners, allowing the city code to comply with the Alaska Constitution.

The city code previously allowed those 65 and older an exemption on city sales tax. Their spouse, regardless of age, could also receive the exemption. The wording in this code excluded same-sex domestic partners, which is unconstitutional. While same-sex marriage isn’t legal in Alaska, a 2005 state Supreme Court ruling stated Alaska’s Constitution prohibits excluding a specific group of people from benefits like this.

So the city had two options – include same-sex domestic partners or cancel the sales tax exemption for all seniors.

Congratulations, Juneau!

Pentagon’s DADT report to be released today

The Pentagon Working Group’s comprehensive report on gays/lesbians in the military and the possible repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell will be released today.