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Articles tagged with: Anchorage equal rights ordinance AO-64 (2009)

Fire Victims say Thank You, Pride T-shirts on Sale, & SOSAnchorage.Net

Saturday, 6 June 2009 – 10:30 PM | Comments Off on Fire Victims say Thank You, Pride T-shirts on Sale, & SOSAnchorage.Net
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
As of July 2008, 13 states and the District of Columbia, and 108 cities & counties, have trans-inclusive nondiscrimination laws. A total of 39% of the U.S. population is covered by laws which ban discrimination on the basis of transgender/transsexual status, which the proposed Anchorage ordinance includes as “gender identity.” Since May 2007, 51.8% of the U.S. population has been covered by state, county, and/or city laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
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.”

Good for Communities. Good for the Economy. Good for Business.

Friday, 5 June 2009 – 5:31 AM | Comments Off on Good for Communities. Good for the Economy. Good for Business.
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.

In Support of a Transgender-Inclusive Ordinance

Thursday, 4 June 2009 – 5:26 AM | 2 Comments
In Support of a Transgender-Inclusive Ordinance
It was only a matter of time before someone who considers himself a supporter of the equal rights Ordinance took Prevo’s “men in dresses” bait and suggested that we dump the protections for transgender people. That someone was Ivan Moore.
Moore’s piece in today’s Anchorage Press supports the Ordinance but recommends that we only protect gays from discrimination. (He doesn’t mention lesbians or bisexuals.) 

“On June 9, the Assembly should cut the words “or gender expression or identity” and the related language, and simplify the ordinance down to its real intent, to protect gays from being discriminated against. Gender expression and identity are simply not nice tidy subsets of sexual orientation, and so their placement as such is wrong.  Personally, I think they should consider the inclusion of gender identity, but separately from orientation.  Gender expression should be gotten rid of entirely, the mostly heterosexual crossdressers can just freaking do it in private, and the drag queens… well they don’t care, they like the controversy anyway.”

As far as I know, Moore is heterosexual. Equality Works shows the response from the GLBT community in their recent post:

“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.”

Don’t play Prevo’s divide-and-conquer game. Stand with us in support of a transgender-inclusive nondiscrimination policy.

Equality Works Sets the Record Straight

Wednesday, 3 June 2009 – 9:58 PM | One Comment
Equality Works Sets the Record Straight

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.

Obama proclaims June as LGBT Pride Month, asks Americans to "promote equal rights"

Tuesday, 2 June 2009 – 3:23 PM | One Comment
Obama proclaims June as LGBT Pride Month, asks Americans to "promote equal rights"
On June 1, President Obama proclaimed June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month and declared his support for “the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans,” including “outlawing discrimination in the workplace,” the subject of the proposed Anchorage equal rights ordinance.
“During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.”
The Anchorage Assembly can answer President Obama’s call to action by passing the Equal Rights Ordinance this month!
———-
The full statement from the White House:
LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENDER PRIDE MONTH, 2009
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Forty years ago, patrons and supporters of the Stonewall Inn in New York City resisted police harassment that had become all too common for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. Out of this resistance, the LGBT rights movement in America was born. During LGBT Pride Month, we commemorate the events of June 1969 and commit to achieving equal justice under law for LGBT Americans.
LGBT Americans have made, and continue to make, great and lasting contributions that continue to strengthen the fabric of American society. There are many well-respected LGBT leaders in all professional fields, including the arts and business communities. LGBT Americans also mobilized the Nation to respond to the domestic HIV/AIDS epidemic and have played a vital role in broadening this country’s response to the HIV pandemic.
Due in no small part to the determination and dedication of the LGBT rights movement, more LGBT Americans are living their lives openly today than ever before. I am proud to be the first President to appoint openly LGBT candidates to Senate-confirmed positions in the first 100 days of an Administration. These individuals embody the best qualities we seek in public servants, and across my Administration — in both the White House and the Federal agencies — openly LGBT employees are doing their jobs with distinction and professionalism.
The LGBT rights movement has achieved great progress, but there is more work to be done. LGBT youth should feel safe to learn without the fear of harassment, and LGBT families and seniors should be allowed to live their lives with dignity and respect.
My Administration has partnered with the LGBT community to advance a wide range of initiatives. At the international level, I have joined efforts at the United Nations to decriminalize homosexuality around the world. Here at home, I continue to support measures to bring the full spectrum of equal rights to LGBT Americans. These measures include enhancing hate crimes laws, supporting civil unions and Federal rights for LGBT couples, outlawing discrimination in the workplace, ensuring adoption rights, and ending the existing “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy in a way that strengthens our Armed Forces and our national security. We must also commit ourselves to fighting the HIV/AIDS epidemic by both reducing the number of HIV infections and providing care and support services to people living with HIV/AIDS across the United States.
These issues affect not only the LGBT community, but also our entire Nation. As long as the promise of equality for all remains unfulfilled, all Americans are affected. If we can work together to advance the principles upon which our Nation was founded, every American will benefit. During LGBT Pride Month, I call upon the LGBT community, the Congress, and the American people to work together to promote equal rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2009 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.
BARACK OBAMA

Words for Equality

Tuesday, 2 June 2009 – 2:53 PM | Comments Off on Words for Equality
Words for Equality
[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.]
—————
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

Facts about the ordinance (as opposed to lies)

Blogs & opinion pieces

Henkimaa.com

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.

The Truth about Trans Employees

Monday, 1 June 2009 – 9:16 AM | Comments Off on The Truth about Trans Employees
The Truth about Trans Employees
Alishia is a firefighter. Enoch is a university professor. Dana is a software engineer. Jesse is an HIV prevention educator. Each makes invaluable contributions in the work place and in the community. And each faces the threat of losing a job, being denied housing or health care, and suffering violence and harassment simply for being transgender.
In Everyone Matters: Dignity and Safety for Transgender People, Alishia, Enoch, Dana, and Jesse talk about their jobs, their family, their hopes, and their worries. Framed by hope and optimism, their stories nevertheless show how vulnerable transgender people still are, and highlight the need for comprehensive laws to ensure that people can obtain and retain employment, remain safe on the streets, and have access to health care and housing.
Everyone Matters allows the viewer to hear from transgender people first-hand about their lives, and makes a powerful case for the passage of transgender-inclusive anti-discrimination and hate crimes laws.
Please watch this important video:

Would Jesus Discriminate?

Monday, 1 June 2009 – 6:06 AM | Comments Off on Would Jesus Discriminate?
Would Jesus Discriminate?
Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage and St. Mary’s Episcopal Church are hosting a “Would Jesus Discriminate?” Town Hall meeting and service at 6 p.m on June 5 at St. Mary’s, on the corner of Tudor and Lake Otis. MCC’s Rev. Norman Van Manen will give the keynote address and will be joined by panelist Sara Gavitt of St. Mary’s, and possibly others.

“This is an opportunity to explore Christian Scripture and tradition as we look at the social justice issue of discrimination,” writes Sara Gavit. “The community is being bombarded by a lot of ugly rhetoric right now and our hope is that this service and discussion will be a time of healing, education and understanding.”
Rev. Van Manen was a guest on a local conservative talk show and interviewed by television reporters in support of the proposed Anchorage non-discrimination ordinance.
The Town Hall will tackle one of the biggest challenges facing modern society — including, rather than excluding, people. Members of the local community are invited to participate in an experience based on the model of justice taught by Jesus Christ and other leaders of world religious movements.
The Town Hall grew out of an international campaign developed by MCC in partnership with Faith in America. The “Would Jesus Discriminate?” Campaign that MCC churches have facilitated in Indianapolis, Minneapolis and 57 more cities in the U.S., Australia, Africa and the United Kingdom is an important exercise for Christians and non-Christians. 
All are welcome. The Town Hall meeting is free, will begin with a prayer service at 6 p.m. and will include a potluck meal. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church is located at 2222 East Tudor Road in Anchorage.

Focus on the Facts: Myths and Facts about the Ordinance

Saturday, 30 May 2009 – 11:27 AM | 3 Comments
Focus on the Facts: Myths and Facts about the Ordinance

 

Fear has long played a significant role in efforts to oppose movements for equal rights in our country. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, those who objected to the suffragist movement stoked fears that if women were granted the right to vote they would lose their “natural” feminine qualities. In the 1950s, Jerry Falwell argued that integration would destroy the white race. And today in Anchorage, there are allegations that by ensuring that our city protects lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Alaskans from discrimination in employment and housing, we will somehow unleash a virtual tsunami of disruptive and illegal behavior that will threaten the safety of women and children. 

Fear is an understandable human reaction to the prospect of change. However, it important that in considering Anchorage’s future and the kind of city we should strive to be, that we base our decisions on facts—not unfounded & unproven fears. To this end, Equality Works would like to focus on the FACTS of the proposed ordinance to update Anchorage’s equal rights law to include LGBT people. 
On the Nature of the Ordinance
A common misinterpretation of the proposed amendment is that it will grant Anchorage’s LGBT citizens rights that no one else has. The reality is that Anchorage already has a nondiscrimination law. It protects people from discrimination on the basis of age, disability, marital status, nationality, sex, race, color, and religion in the realms of employment, housing, public accommodations, financial services, and municipal business. Anyone who suspects that they have been discriminated against on any of these bases can file a complaint with our Equal Rights Commission, which by law is empowered to investigate, mediate between parties, or pursue legal action depending on the situation. However, because sexual orientation is not included in that list of protected classes, the Equal Rights Commission is not allowed to investigate such cases of suspected discrimination. 
Supporters of this ordinance are only asking that sexual orientation be included in the list of protected classes for a law that is already on the books. So when opponents argue that it will grant LGBT people “special rights,” they are misrepresenting the ordinance itself—which is simply amending a law that already exists—and intentionally or unintentionally misleading the public. 
Nothing “special” is being created or added that will apply to LGBT people alone. Equality Works believes that ALL persons should be treated equal in the public sphere. 
On the Effects on Business, Workplace, & Our Community
While much has been made out of how the proposed ordinance would alter workplace behavior, Anchorage’s nondiscrimination law has never prohibited businesses from establishing standards of conduct and behavior suitable for the marketplace and other professional settings as long as those rules of conduct are equally enforced. We doubt that the majority of Fortune 500 companies, including some with a local presence—such as BP, Alaska Airlines, and Wells Fargo—would have voluntarily adopted internal policies to protect people from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation/gender identity if those policies were proven to be bad for business or to result in increased rates of workplace misconduct. On the contrary, 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. 
On Individual Religious Rights & Religious Institutions
The Bill of Rights promises every American the freedom to practice their religion and express their opinion without persecution. These promises are two of the building blocks of our democracy. The Municipality of Anchorage recognizes those rights by including “religion” as a protected class in its nondiscrimination laws. This means it is illegal to discriminate against an individual because of their religious beliefs. The current law also includes language that allows churches and other religious organizations to limit access or admission to those who share their beliefs. 
The Equality Works coalition is made up of people from a variety of spiritual backgrounds and we would never propose a law that infringes on our freedom of religion. At the same time, we believe that no one should be denied employment, refused public service, or denied a lease simply because the proprietor doesn’t agree with the partner they’ve chosen to spend their life with. It’s a matter of mutual respect. 
 On Gender Identity/Expression
In the proposed ordinance, sexual orientation is defined as “perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or gender expression and identity.” As used in this definition, ‘gender expression and identity’ means having or being perceived as having a self-image, appearance, or behavior different from that traditionally associated with sex assigned to that person at birth.
While sexual orientation is the phrase used to describe people’s primary attraction, gender identity refers to a person’s internal sense of being male or female, regardless of their sex assigned at birth. And gender expression refers to how people express that identity. In many cases, when people are perceived to be gay or lesbian, it is not because they have “come out” or have been seen with a partner of the same-sex. They are perceived to be lesbian or gay because they express their gender identity different from what is traditionally expected. A gay man can be harassed for being gay without ever telling his coworkers that he is—and so can a straight man who isn’t deemed sufficiently “masculine.” This is one of the reasons why it is important to protect people from discrimination on the basis of their gender identity/expression–because no one—straight or gay—should be treated unfairly in work or the public sphere because they don’t conform to rigid stereotypes. 
Equality Works believes the small minority of transgender people in our community whose gender identity does not match that of the sex they were assigned at birth deserve protection. They are people who have served in our military, who drive our taxis, who have children and families to provide for and they 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. 
Every civil rights law creates some discomfort in a workplace.  Title VII discomfited those who did not wish to work with women, racial minorities or people of other faiths.  The Americans with Disabilities Act required employees who felt uncomfortable around people with disabilities to nonetheless come to work and do their jobs. By revising the city’s non-discrimination laws to include sexual orientation and gender identity, the Anchorage Municipal Assembly is making the policy determination that the ability of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people to have equal access to employment and public accommodations will make Anchorage a better place to live and work.
Conclusion
Decisions regarding the fate of our city should be made based on accurate information, not on misinterpretations and exaggerations rooted in fear. The Equality Works coalition is committed to participating in an honest and respectful dialogue in hopes of building a broad base of support for our efforts to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Alaskans from discrimination. We believe that if all interested parties make the same commitment our community can emerge from this vital discussion with a greater respect for our diversity, a better sense of the values we share, and pride in being leaders in Alaska when it comes to protecting all our residents and workers from unfair treatment.

Prevo stirs up "trouble" right here in Anchor-city

Saturday, 30 May 2009 – 10:06 AM | One Comment
Prevo stirs up "trouble" right here in Anchor-city
by Matthew Moak
Each time I read something written by Rev. Prevo, I can’t help but equate him with the character Harold Hill from the Music Man.
Melodically, Rev. Prevo takes to the media singing his own version of “Trouble.” Rev. Prevo’s ability to use this musical message filled with fear to control his followers as he attempts to push his “moral agenda” is unfortunate. The tune he sings however is catchy and the beat easy to dance to.
Christians used the Holy Scriptures to condone slavery and to champion against interracial marriages based on their own interpretation of the Scriptures. Rev. Prevo attempts to push his own interpretation of the Scriptures as they relate to homosexuality.
Rev. Prevo is quick to toss out the Clobber Scriptures which he interprets to be damning to homosexuality such as Leviticus 20:13 and yet he refuses to admonish his followers for eating shellfish, which is an abomination (Leviticus 11:10), or to chastise his own male followers who get their hair trimmed, which is expressly forbidden in Leviticus 19.
There were four commandments given to us by Jesus. Love God, love yourself, love your neighbor and love your enemies. Not one of them involves hate.
Oh yes, Rev. Prevo, we’ve got trouble, lots and lots of trouble here in Anchorage. Thankfully the vast majority of us are familiar with not just your song, but also your dance.