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WAR’s anti-gay letter: pedophile jokes, criminals, "immoral in the eyes of anyone with intelligence"

Wednesday, 15 April 2009 – 9:59 PM | 5 Comments

UPDATE from Mel: “23 yeas, 35 nays: WAR goes down! Wayne Anthony Ross will NOT be Alaska Attorney General. We fought the good fight, people, and we WON!”

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Wayne Anthony Ross’ letter to Lawyers Against Discrimination began with a reference to gays as pedophiles: “Dear LAD: (LAD??? Intentional, on your part? Or merely a Freudian slip?)”

Three weeks ago, Bent Alaska reported that Attorney General-nominee Wayne Anthony Ross called gays “degenerates”, “immoral” and a “perversion” in a letter to the Alaska State Bar Association’s newsletter, according to the ADN. Since then, Ross has refused to answer the legislators when asked if he feels this way about gays and lesbians now, and, when pressed, compared his homophobia to hating lima beans.

We’ve learned much about Ross, on many topics, but the question remained: what did the rest of his letter say? The Legislature is scheduled to vote on Ross’ appointment Thursday at 11 a.m., and Bent obtained the letter just in time.

Ross wrote the letter to the Alaska Bar Rag in March 1993 in response to an appeal from “Lawyers Against Discrimination,” a group that fought the repeal of a non-discrimination ordinance, approved by the Anchorage Assembly, which prohibited the Municipality from employment discrimination on the basis of “sexual preference.”

“It was a big messy battle in Anchorage in late 1992/early 1993,” writes Mel Green. “The ordinance was ultimately rescinded.” Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or preference remains legal today in Anchorage and the rest of Alaska.

Ross’ full response to Lawyers Against Discrimination:

“Dear LAD: (LAD??? Intentional, on your part? Or merely a Freudian slip?)

I received your letter of 23 February 1993 regarding the Anchorage homosexual rights ordinance. While I am not surprised to see some of the names on your letterhead, I am most disappointed in other names thereon. I had more respect for some of you than I do now.

I am in favor of repeal of the measure. I see nothing involving civil rights in this matter. We all, heterosexual or homosexual, have certain rights. This bill seems to give extra rights to a group whose lifestyle was a crime only a few years ago, and whose beliefs are certainly immoral in the eyes of anyone with some semblance of intelligence and moral character.

It is a shame that you folks don’t have some causes you could become involved in that are of benefit to society in general. Instead, you support degenerates. No wonder the legal profession is treated with less respect than we wish.

If, as you apparently believe, morality is not based on long-standing God-given and God-instilled principles, but is something that changes from time to time based on public perception of right and wrong, then that is even more reason for you to allow this referendum to go to a vote of the people. After all, isn’t it your position that public morality is based upon whatever the public decides?

None of you has done anything publicly (to my knowledge) to attempt to protect the millions of lives of innocent children killed each year through abortion, yet you collectively contribute $5,000 to the cause of sexual perversion. It is quite disheartening to me to see my fellow members of our honorable profession display such a lack of proper priorities.

Wayne Anthony Ross

(from page 7 of the May-June 1993 Alaska Bar Rag)

— hat tip to Steve for obtaining Ross’ letter

WAR compares gays to lima beans, "hates" us

Monday, 13 April 2009 – 3:28 PM | Comments Off

Wayne Anthony Ross, Gov. Palin’s choice for Attorney General, was asked during Friday’s confirmation hearing how he would view cases involving homosexuality, since he called gays “immoral”, “perverse” and “degenerates” in the Alaska Bar newsletter.

“Let me give you an analogy,” Ross said. “I hate lima beans. I’ve never liked lima beans. But if I was hired to represent the United Vegetable Growers, would you ask me if I liked lima beans. No. If I disliked lima beans. No. Because my job is to represent the United Vegetable Growers.”

Gays=Lima Beans. He compares publicly insulting a minority group to hating the taste of a food. He “hates” us.

Later in the hearing, a representative talked about Ross’ well-known “flamboyance” and Ross said that flamboyance is something he associates with a fancy hanky in his breast pocket, “that kind of guy,” he chuckled.

What ‘kind of guy’ is Ross? He insults gays, Native Alaskans, women, blacks, unions members, peace activists, environmentalists … he called the federal government our ‘enemy’ during last week’s hearing … he made a sexist joke in response to an ethics complaint against Palin … and he wants to be the top attorney for the State of Alaska.

Ross thinks the hypothetical Vegetable Growers would hire a lawyer who publicly declares “I hate lima beans.” The question is, will the real State of Alaska hire an Attorney General who “hates” Alaskans?

Say NO to Wayne Anthony Ross as AG

Friday, 10 April 2009 – 1:25 PM | 7 Comments

This guest post by Marsha Buck gives the contact information for testifying against Wayne Anthony Ross’ appointment as Attorney General, and includes her own testimony as an example. For more on Wayne Anthony Ross, see Public input needed on WAR and Palin’s AG pick called gays “degenerates.”

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If you were not able to testify during the Senate hearing, you have another opportunity to testify on the confirmation of Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General of Alaska today, Friday, April 10 at 5 p.m. when the House Judiciary Committee will take public testimony, in Room 120 of the Capitol, by teleconference (1-888-295-4546), or by going to your local Legislative Information Office. I hope many of you will be able to testify.

During the Senate hearing on Wednesday, 31 people provided testimony, 14 in support of Mr. Ross and 17 in opposition. Six people testifying in opposition spoke about his record of discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Alaskans and many more voices need to be heard on this topic. Our greatest allies in opposition to Mr. Ross’ confirmation appear to be members of the Native community, many of whom spoke forcefully against the appointment because of his record on subsistence and his divisiveness.

If you cannot testify on Friday, please call or email members of the House Judiciary, or send a Public Opinion Message, and express your concerns about Mr. Ross and his statement in the state Bar Association newsletter in which he referred to GLBT Alaskans as “degenerates” and spoke of being gay as a “perversion.”

Contact information for House Judiciary members:

Rep. Jay Ramras Phone: 465-3004 Email: Representative_Jay_Ramras@legis.state.ak.us

Rep. Nancy Dahlstrom Phone: 465-3783 Email: Representative_Nancy_Dahlstrom@legis.state.ak.us

Rep. Carl Gatto Phone: 465-3743 Email: Representative_Carl_Gatto@legis.state.ak.us

Rep. Bob Lynn Phone: 465-4931 Email: Representative_Bob_Lynn@legis.state.ak.us

Rep. Max Gruenberg Phone: 465-4940 Email: Representative_Max_Gruenberg@legis.state.ak.us

Rep. Lindsey Holmes Phone: 465-4919 Email: Representative_Lindsey_Holmes@legis.state.ak.us

The entire Legislature will be voting on the confirmation of Wayne Anthony Ross on Thursday, April 16th. Please contact all legislators, including your own senator and representative, and state your opinion about the confirmation of Mr. Ross as Attorney General. The Public Opinion Message (POM) system is an excellent way to communicate with legislators briefly and easily.

Thank you for your activism in support of civil equality for ALL Alaskans!

* * *

Senate Judiciary Hearing Testimony

Wayne Anthony Ross Nomination for Attorney General

April 8, 2009

My name is Marsha Buck and I live in Juneau. I am here representing Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. which is a new statewide organization to advance the civil equality of all Alaskans with a focus on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality.

I would like to testify in opposition to the appointment of Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General for Alaska. Mr. Ross’ record of negative comments about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Alaskans would appear to make him biased against the citizens Alaskans Together for Equality represents and therefore make it difficult for us to imagine how he could uphold our constitutional rights fairly and without discrimination.

We need an Attorney General who respects ALL Alaskans equally, including gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex Alaskans. I would, therefore, ask that you oppose Mr. Ross’ nomination.

Thank you,

Marsha Buck
Board President, Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

Public Input Needed Today on WAR as Attorney General

Wednesday, 8 April 2009 – 1:41 PM | 11 Comments

UPDATE: The House Judiciary Committee hearing is on Friday April 10, and they will take public testimony at 5 p.m. 1-800-295-4546. Listen live on Gavel to Gavel. The full Legislature is scheduled to hold a confirmation vote on April 16.

UPDATE 2: Read Leah Burton’s testimony on WAR’s family values: “There wouldn’t be an issue with domestic violence if women would learn to keep their mouths shut.”

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The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking public testimony for the Attorney General Confirmation Hearings for Wayne Anthony Ross on Wednesday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m.

The call in number is: 1-888-295-4546. You can also walk in to your local Legislative Information Office to testify. The Anchorage office is on 4th Ave.

“Does he have the qualifications, ethical standards and temperament to be the state’s top law enforcement official and run such an important, politically sensitive department?” asked an ADN editorial.

Qualifications

Ross has been up for two separate Judicial advancements in the past two years, for the Alaska Supreme Court in 2007 and the Alaska Court of Appeals in 2008. He was not nominated by the Alaska Judicial Council either time. His mediocre Alaska Bar Association scores were cited as the reason he did not receive a nomination.
In response, he wrote a letter to the Bar Association newsletter complaining about the judicial selection process and the negative comments made about him in the anonymous Bar Survey used to rate the applicants.

Ethics and Temperament

There is an extensive written record on Ross from his two unsuccessful runs for governor and his long history of political activism. His zealous support for a host of controversial causes and his insulting public statements about those who believe differently show intolerance, bad judgement and the inability to seek common ground. He has a long list of enemies, and even his attorney peers and NRA buddies don’t want him in positions of power.

He called on the governor to fire an Assistant Attorney General for her participation in a peaceful animal rights demonstration. (“Animal Activists Real Enemy”)
He threatened to sue the Permanent Fund Dividend division because they denied a check to his son Brian, who had not lived in Alaska for 14 years.
During a talk on domestic violence, he said that the women’s movement emasculated men and was the cause of domestic abuse.
He promised to fight the federal law requiring rural subsistence, and opposes tribal sovereignty saying, “If the state wants to deal with tribes, it should treat them as it treats fraternal organizations rather than as governments.”
He did not support Mayor Wuerch for re-election because Wuerch refused to help Ross’ friend get into the Anchorage Fire Department after the friend failed a required psychological test.
He publicly stated that pro-choice people are “baby killers,” and called gays and lesbians “degenerates” in an open letter to the state Bar Association.
He endorsed Rick Mystrom for mayor in 2003 “because he fights the unions.”
He represented without fee, and personally supported, a man who twice poured buckets of water from a passing pickup onto anti-war demonstrators.
He was a founder of Alaska Right to Life and has provided free legal services to anti-abortion activists since 1972.
He blamed moderate Republicans for the state’s fiscal problems saying, “Moderates are mush.”
He is a former vice president of the National Rifle Association and was in line to become president, but was voted out of office by his peers.
He is frequently described as “arrogant,” uncompromising and attention-seeking.

Do we trust an arrogant political activist with mediocre professional ratings, zealous positions on sensitive state issues, and openly expressed prejudice against groups of Alaskan citizens to be “the state’s top law enforcement official and run such an important, politically sensitive department?”

Give your public testimony on Wednesday, April 8 at 5:30 p.m. The call in number is: 1-888-295-4546.

Palin’s AG pick called gays "degenerates"

Sunday, 29 March 2009 – 4:53 AM | 14 Comments

Update: I posted this on Pam’s House Blend and the intro was picked up by the Huffington Post! They want to know what Alaskans think of Ross, so please join the conversations at HuffPo and the Blend – and be sure to tell your legislators what you think of WAR as our AG.

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Gov. Sarah Palin named Anchorage lawyer Wayne Anthony Ross as her new attorney general on Thursday. We did not expect her to pick a gay-friendly AG, however his blatant prejudice expressed in a public letter to the state Bar shows that he is a poor choice for our top attorney:

“During a fight several years ago over gay rights, [Allison] Mendel helped organize Anchorage lawyers in support of an anti-discrimination ordinance. Ross wrote a nasty letter to the Bar Association newsletter, using words like “immoral”, “perversion” and “degenerates.” The language went way beyond reasonable disagreement, Mendel and others said.” [Wayne Anthony Ross never a quiet force, Anchorage Daily News]

Other interesting facts about Wayne Anthony Ross:

He was a founder of Alaska Right to Life and represented, without fee, anti-abortion protesters charged with trespassing. “I feel I have a good relationship with the good Lord (but) if I could overturn Roe vs. Wade, I figure I got my ticket,” he told a reporter.
He was the defense lawyer for former Rep. Vic Kohring, who is now serving time in prison.
He opposes Native subsistence rights and was the lead lawyer in the case that got Alaska’s subsistence law declared unconstitutional. When running for governor in 2002, he said he would hire a band of “junkyard dog” assistant AG’s to challenge the federal law that requires a subsistence preference, or seek changes through Congress.
He wrote for the old Anchorage Times, then for the Voice of the Times in the ADN, with titles like “KKK ‘ Art’ Project Gets’ A’ For Courage” listed on the publications page of the Ross & Miner law offices.
He represented Palin in her ethics case against state GOP chair Randy Ruedrich when both were on the Oil and Gas Commission, and became the co-chair of Palin’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign. He was hoping for an appointment to the Department of Health and Social Services so he could “stop the department from interfering with families when they should not be interfering and get them interfering with families when they should be interfering” but he was passed over.
He defended a Soldotna man who twice poured buckets of water from a passing pickup onto peaceful demonstrators in the rain and snow. His client was convicted of harassment and violating constitutional rights.
He was the co-chair of Alaskans for Phil Gramm. (Gramm is one of the people responsible for the current economic crisis, and as co-chair of John McCain’s presidential campaign he called us “a nation of whiners.”)
He is a former vice president of the National Rifle Association and was in line to become president, but was voted out of office.
He ran for governor in 1998 and 2002. (Think he’ll use the AG position as a stepping stone to the governor’s mansion?)

The state House and Senate Judiciary committees will hold confirmation hearings on his appointment.

A Gay Community Center in the Mat-Su? You Bet’cha!

Tuesday, 3 February 2009 – 7:49 PM | One Comment

“I’m still trying to find new members, so beware!” writes Brianne “Your Highness is optional” on the new Mat-Su LGBT Community Center blog. “If you see a Big Transwoman with a Lasso headed your way, run! and run fast lest you find yourself sipping steamy beverages and talking about the LBGTA community in the Valley.”

On Wednesdays at 5 p.m., Her Highness Brianne waits at a table in Palmer’s Vagabond Blues with a sign taped to a coffee can. Brianne and Jaime Rodriguez are resurrecting the Mat-Su LGBT Community Center, and the coffee group for socializing, support and discussion is the first activity.

Their vision for the Center goes far beyond coffee. “A functioning Valley Community Center can help create a real community where none exists, and provide a central clearinghouse for information, contacts and services, not to mention a fun and safe place for meetings and activities of all sorts,” Jaime wrote in the blog’s first post.

Safety is a big issue in the bible belt of Alaska. When journalists searched for LGBT Wasillans to interview during Gov. Sarah Palin’s vice presidential run, few were willing to talk on camera or give their real name in print. Jaime and Brianne were the only queer locals named in this HRC video with ally Rev. Bess and a supportive therapist, although an anonymous lesbian spoke with her back to the camera.

About six or seven times a year, word comes from the Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage that people are asking about LGBT groups in the Valley, wanting to get involved or attend events. The Mat-Su population has swelled to 83,000, which means at least several thousand LGBT residents. There seems to be an unusually large transgender population in the Valley, and more bisexuals and closeted people than in urban areas of the same size.

“If we could organize, we could help break the conservative hold on the Valley,” said Jaime. “Six thousand queers is a powerful economic and political force, if we can harness it.”

The new Center rents office space in The Church of the Covenant in Palmer, where Rev. Howard Bess was pastor until he retired last year. They have a reception area, coffee nook, conference room, bathroom, and library space for the many boxes of books collected when the Center was active.

In 2001, a small group of LGBT men and women in the Valley met in a cafe in Wasilla to organize a community center. They moved to Palmer when Pastor Howard Bess offered the Church Meeting House. A weekly social support group drew about 20 people, and they added a potluck and movie night one Friday a month.

“By 2002, the LGBT Center had about 60 members on the email list,” said Jaime, the only remaining board member. “The support group grew, but was overwhelmed by people who needed a therapy group. A conflict arose between two members and attendance dropped. Only those who needed the group for therapy stayed, plus three or four of us committed to building the Center.”

Jaime and Brianne are ready to try again. They have the office, non-profit status, and start-up funds from the Imperial Court. What they need most is new members.

“I am not discouraged,” Brianne wrote last week when only two straight allies joined her for coffee. “There are lonely Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Allied people out there who could really use an avenue to meet and enjoy the company of other friendly people.”

“I invite you to participate in something that benefits you directly, your friends and loved ones, your acquaintances, and potentially even the straight segment of the Valley we all live in. Please help us, in whatever way you can: a donation, a chair, couch, bookshelf, your time, your service. What can you spare that will make our world that little bit better?”

Trying to Blame Us for the Church Fire

Friday, 19 December 2008 – 6:03 PM | Comments Off

Did you see this Alaska-related bit of hate made up by right-wing reporters? I hope it is quickly dispelled and no one is hurt by it.

A suspicious fire on Dec. 12 at the Wasilla, Alaska church attended by Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin was instantly blamed on gay arsonists, though no evidence exists at this time that the fire, if deliberate, was set by gays.

Nor is there any evidence that the church was targeted, as right-wing religious publications have speculated, because of its having promoted an “ex-gay” event in Anchorage.

I quoted this from gay news site Edge Boston, but the right-wing sites used words like “terrorist homosexuals.”

This is such an obvious attempt to stir up hate and encourage violence against us.

Be careful out there!

Gay AK Odds & Ends

Sunday, 7 December 2008 – 3:09 PM | Comments Off

Recent LGBT Alaska-related items on the web:

Beauty Queen Sissy

“Among closed-minded straights, [sissy] is a devastating insult,” says the Advocate Magazine. So they give The Sissy Awards to the “biggest irritants” of the year. The winners of the 2008 award: Sarah Palin and John McCain. The announcement lists the anti-gay positions of the former running mates, including Gov. Palin’s refusal to sign the National Coming Out Day proclamation submitted by Alaskans Together. The Advocate points out that “Anita Bryant was also a former beauty queen and … a TV-ready smile can hide lots of homophobia.”

Gay & Lesbian Alaskans Do Our Part

Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Family is a new awareness campaign to encourage LGBT families to consider adopting children. HRC unveiled the effort as part of its “All Children – All Families” initiative.

Gay and lesbian parents are currently raising 4% of the nation’s adopted children, about 65,500 kids. The highest number of these families are in New England, the mid-Atlantic and the West Coast – and the highest percentages of gay and lesbian adoptive parents are found in Alaska, California, Massachusetts and New Mexico, according to PageOneQ.

More Gay Tourists in Juneau

RSVP Vacations announced a new all-gay Seattle to Alaska cruise on Holland America’s ms Westerdam, on August 23 – 30, 2009. The cruise departs from Seattle and sails to scenic Glacier Bay, with stops in Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan. The Seattle departure means they won’t be partying at Myrna’s with us in Anchorage, but SEAGLA will have more gay tourists to meet and greet.

From the Fringe

The Anchorage Daily News posted a Compass editorial by the president of a fringe Alaska Family group, complaining that far right issues, like anti-choice and anti-gay legislation, are not “fringe” issues. He is “willing to fall on the sword” for these causes, but does not consider this “radical.” To prove his (il)logic, he compares putting anti-gay discrimination into the U.S. Constitution to ending slavery in the British Empire!

Gay Alaskans on Sarah Palin: The Final Analysis

Sunday, 2 November 2008 – 11:35 PM | Comments Off

Gay and lesbian Alaskans overwhelmingly support Obama and Biden over McCain and Palin, according to last week’s poll on Bent Alaska. Why aren’t we voting for local girl Sarah Palin? What have we learned about her record on LGBT issues?

She supported the 1998 state constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
She opposed the 2005 Alaska Supreme Court decision granting employee benefits to same-sex partners.
In her 2006 run for governor, she stated that she does not support expanding hate crimes laws, that only married (heterosexual) couples deserve spousal benefits, and that one of her top three priorities is to preserve traditional marriage.
During her first month as governor, she signed a bill asking the court to delay the implementation of same-sex partner benefits.
She vetoed a bill that banned partner benefits in defiance of the Court ruling, because she knew the bill was unconstitutional. Her signing statement said that she opposed the court decision, although she was obligated to veto the bill.
She signed a bill approving a statewide advisory vote on same-sex partner benefits, saying it would lay the groundwork for a state constitutional ban on the benefits.
She attends a church that promotes ex-gay events, preaching that same-sex attractions must be suppressed or eliminated.
Her church also worked to remove certain books from the public library and local bookstores, including a gay-positive book. As mayor, Palin questioned the librarian repeatedly about the book removal policy, then fired her.
She supports a federal ban against gay marriage.

A few gay Alaskans support Palin as Vice President. I’ve heard two reasons for this:

1. “I’ve met her and she seems like a nice person,” and 2. “She’s Alaskan.”

But the vast majority of LGBT Alaskans are not voting for Palin, and most did not support her run for governor.

The following quotes are a sample of the comments by LGBT Alaskans that have crossed my screen since Gov. Palin’s nomination for Vice President:

“I cannot believe McCain played such a wild card. And I do not believe for a moment Palin is ready for this job. What a weird moment for our national history – not to mention Alaska history.”

“She simply vetoed the bill banning health benefits to gays because it would violate her oath of office . . . So she supports banning same-sex benefits, but won’t violate the state constitution to do it. Wow. We don’t need ‘friends’ like that!”

“I don’t think she’s ever said a friendly word about gay people, that they ought to have health benefits like other people do, or anything along those lines.”

“I advocate strongly against any ticket which names Sarah Palin as a candidate. Of utmost importance to me . . . is Palin”s opposition to abortion and family planning rights. Palin opposes the use of birth control, as well sexual health education classes for teens.”

“Palin does not choose to address long standing issues of discrimination, neglect, and alienation for the Native Alaskan population. How can we expect her to understand race, ethnicity, and minority issues on a national level? Her lack of cultural competency frightens me.”

“The fact that she claims to have gay friends is great… She can be polite while removing our civil rights.”

“Oh, hurray, she’s Alaskan, she’s cute, she’s energetic, she stood up to the big boys on oil, she gave us each $1200, she didn’t kick our asses as much as she could have in the advisory vote [against partner benefits.] She’ll still vote against us every time she has the chance, and being in national office gives her a lot more power to make us miserable.”

“She is toooooo inexperienced and McCain is just tooooo old.”

Who Are Gay Alaskans Voting For?

Thursday, 30 October 2008 – 10:59 PM | 2 Comments

Eighty-seven percent of LGBT Alaskans are voting for Barack Obama and Joe Biden, according to a poll conducted Oct. 23-30 on Bent Alaska.

The most recent Harris Interactive poll reports that LGBT voters in America prefer Obama by 81%. Bent Alaska’s LGBT voters – who live in Sarah Palin’s home state – support Obama and Biden by an additional 6%.

For President and Vice President, 87% chose Obama and Biden, 9% chose McCain and Palin, and 4% chose other candidates. Gay Alaskans also favor Democrats Mark Begich and Ethan Berkowitz for Congress: 90% chose Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich for the US Senate, with 5% for Ted Stevens. 89% of LGBT Alaskans chose Ethan Berkowitz for US Representative, with 6% for Don Young. The rest of the voters chose other candidates.

Results for Begich were holding near 86% until Tuesday, when Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted on all seven felony counts in his corruption trial. Stevens has a mostly anti-gay record, voting twice for banning same-sex marriage, and voting against adding sexual orientation to job discrimination and hate crimes legislation. He received a 0% rating from the Human Rights Campaign in 2006 and 2004.

In contrast, Mayor Mark Begich talked with his supporters at the Anchorage Pride Parade and read the city proclamation marking the third Saturday in June as Gay Pride Day. He attended PrideFest every year since becoming mayor.

Rep. Don Young, Alaska’s only member in the US House, earned 0% from HRC for each year of the rating. Young voted for banning same-sex marriage and banning gay adoptions in DC, and voted against prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation. He is currently under investigation for corruption.

Young’s challenger, Democrat Ethan Berkowitz, voted for same-sex partner benefits during his years as a state legislator, and includes sexual orientation and partner benefits in his civil rights statement. He was endorsed by HRC.

The gay Alaska poll received 243 votes and was announced in Alaska’s LGBT newsletters, email lists and on Bent Alaska, the GLBT news and events site for the state.