Alaska Hate Crimes Bill Advancing But Still Needs Help

We have good news! Not only did SB 202 (Alaska Hate Crimes Bill) pass out of the Senate Judiciary Committee last Wednesday, March 17th, it did so with the amendment we requested; the addition of gender identity as one of the protected classes!

Initially the Hate Crimes Bill did not include gender identity as a protected class. After we asked the committee for the bill to be amended to include gender identity, the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee - Senator Hollis French was able to successfully amend the proposed bill. It wasn't easy, but Senator French was able to convince enough of his fellow Senators on his committee to support the amendment and move the bill out of committee.

Thank you for all your messages and activism. Also, please thank everyone you know who sent messages and Public Opinion Messages (POMs) to Senate Judiciary members.

The bill has now been referred to the Senate Finance Committee. There are not many days left in this legislative session, so it is important that this bill be scheduled and heard soon.

Further action is needed on your part between now and Thursday, March 25th.

Please call or send a message to ask Finance Co-Chairs' - Senator Stedman and Senator Hoffman to schedule the bill for a hearing and to encourage them for a speedy vote as it has a zero fiscal note. It is very likely that this bill will NOT be scheduled for a hearing without the Finance Committee Co-Chairs hearing from us. So don't delay.

Co-Chairs:

Senator Hoffman
866.465.4453
Senator_Lyman_Hoffman@legis.state.ak.us

Senator Stedman
877.463.3873
Senator_Bert_Stedman@legis.state.ak.us

You might also consider copying the bill's sponsor Senator Davis at Senator_Bettye_Davis@legis.state.ak.us today, and it is always a good idea to copy your own state senator as well.

You can also send a Public Opinion Message or POM, which is a short and easy-to-send 50 word message that should be addressed specifically to the Senators listed above. To send a POM go to: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/poms/

Your POM could say something like this:

"I strongly support SB 202 because it emphasizes that Alaska has no tolerance for crimes motivated by bias and hatred based on inherent characteristics!"

Additionally, the following talking points are provided for your use in sending a message to legislators regarding SB 202.

1. We support SB 202 introduced by Senator Davis in the second session of the 26th Alaska Legislature because:

a) it covers crimes motivated by prejudice, bias, or hatred based on the victim's sexual orientation as well as on other inherent characteristics.

b) we recognize that hate crimes are not limited to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community but occur throughout minority communities and are designed to create fear. This bill emphasizes that Alaska has no tolerance for such acts.

c) the Alaska court system has primary jurisdiction over crimes of assault and battery which may result in prosecution as hate crimes when occurring in Alaska.

d) Alaska prosecutors and law enforcement officials need the support and force of an Alaska statute in order to most effectively investigate, prosecute, and track all potential hate crimes within the state.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at alaskanstogether@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Board of Directors
Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

P.S. – After you call and write your message, please forward this message or tell your friends and family what is at stake and ask them to contact Senator Hoffman and Senator Stedman.

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Are you a member of Alaskans Together for Equality yet? You can help by joining our organization and supporting our important advocacy work for LGBT equality across Alaska by becoming a member today. Visit: http://www.alaskanstogether.org/donate.html

Senator Begich: Don't Ask Don't Tell has "done its time, it's time to move on and change the policy"

Support Hate Crime Legislation In Alaska This Week

Senate Bill 202, the Alaska Hate Crimes Bill, has been scheduled for its second hearing before the Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 17th at 1:30 p.m. in Room 105 of the new Thomas Stewart Building adjacent to the Capitol. Because this is the second hearing on the bill, the focus will mostly likely be a discussion among committee members regarding possible amendments to the bill. Discussion may be followed by a vote to determine passage out of committee.

Action is needed on your part between now and Wednesday. Please send a message to ask Senators on the Judiciary Committee to amend the bill by adding gender identity and expression in paragraph (a) of Section 11.76.150. (Once the bill has been amended, a CS or Committee Substitute will declared.) Also ask committee members to pass the CS for SB 202 out of committee.

Please send an email message to members of the Senate Judiciary Committee plus the bill's sponsor, Senator Davis today. It is always a good idea to copy your own state senator as well. The legislators are:

Senator Hollis French
Senator_Hollis_French@legis.state.ak.us

Senator Bill Wielechowski
Senator_Bill_Wielechowski@legis.state.ak.us

Senator Dennis Egan
Senator_Dennis_Egan@legis.state.ak.us

Senator Lesil McGuire
Senator_Lesil_McGuire@legis.state.ak.us

Senator John Coghill
Senator_John_Coghill@legis.state.ak.us

Senator Bettye Davis
Senator_Bettye_Davis@legis.state.ak.us

If you are not able to send an email, then another option is a Public Opinion Message or POM, a short and easy-to-send 50 word message that should be addressed specifically to the Senators listed in the previous paragraph. To send a POM go to: http://www.legis.state.ak.us/poms/

Your POM could say something like:

"I strongly support SB 202 with an amendment that adds gender identity and expression to Section 11.76.150(a). Please pass this bill, with a gender identity amendment, out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, March 17th."

The following talking points are provided for your use in sending a message to legislators regarding SB 202.

SB 202 Talking Points for Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

1. We/I support the amendment of SB 202 to add the phrase "gender identity and expression" to Sec. 11.76.150 (a) because:

a) it covers crimes motivated by prejudice, bias, or hatred based on the victim's sexual orientation as well as on other inherent characteristics, but does not yet cover gender identity.

b) people who are perceived as gender variant, whether heterosexual or gay, seem "different" to some people and may evoke a violent emotional response leading to harm.

c) a substantial number of crimes have been documented that are based on the societal perception of someone as "too feminine" or "too masculine," or transgender. These crimes can include bullying in schools as well as assault and battery throughout Alaskan communities.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us at alaskanstogether@gmail.com.

The full text of the bill can be found at:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_bill_text.asp?hsid=SB0202A&session=26.

Sincerely,


Board of Directors
Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. applauds President Obama for signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law

Anchorage -The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, makes it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc., celebrates the final passage of this legislation signed into law by the President Obama today. We congratulate the joint efforts of everyone who worked to make this bill become law.

“This is a great day for all fair-minded Americans that our government has finally taken a strong stand in opposition to violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans simply for their identity or perceived identity” said Tim Stallard, Spokesperson for Alaskans Together For Equality Inc.

The bill is named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped, severely beaten, and left to die tied to a fence in October 1998, and James Byrd, Jr., an African-American who in June of 1998 was beaten, chained to the back of a pick-up truck, and dragged for miles over rural roads in Jasper, Texas. While all violent crime is reprehensible, ‘hate crimes’ are meant to terrorize and invoke fear in an entire community of people.

“We are very proud that both Alaska’s Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski have supported this strong statement against hatred and violent discrimination”, said Elias Rojas, newly elected Board President of Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

This important legislation will make it easier for federal prosecutors to step in when state or local authorities are unable or unwilling to pursue hate crimes. This is welcome news for LGBT Alaskans in the wake of Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan’s recent veto of a municipal non-discrimination ordinance that would have extended protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from workplace and housing discrimination despite evidence and extensive public testimony that such discrimination exists.

Alaskans Together for Equality is a membership based group that advances the civil equality for all Alaskans through grass roots organizing and advocacy. Alaskans Together for Equality is the only statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization in Alaska.

Anchorage Assembly to consider gay rights ordinance

Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. is supportive of this effort and has recently signed on as a coalition partner of Equality Works in Anchorage.

Here is the Anchorage Daily News story regarding the recently introduced non-discrimination ordinance in Anchorage.

Assembly to consider gay rights ordinance
DISCRIMINATION BAN: Assembly proposla would also cover vets; Rev. Prevo plans fight.

A proposed ordinance to ban discrimination against homosexuals in hiring, housing and education will be considered by the Anchorage Assembly next month.

It would also ban discrimination against military veterans.

The ordinance brings to the forefront a gay rights issue that has bitterly divided Anchorage in the past, and at least one local religious leader said Tuesday he plans to battle it again.

Assemblyman Patrick Flynn, a supporter of the ordinance, said it's time Anchorage stands up for all its residents. "People are simply people," he said. "It is wrong to discriminate against them just because the person they happen to love and make a family with is the same gender."

A public hearing on the measure is set for June 9.

Acting Mayor Matt Claman, who could veto the decision if it passes the Assembly, said he supports the measure.

"In an ideal world, the code would just say, 'Thou shall not discriminate for any reason,' " Claman said.

The issue of banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation first surfaced in the mid-1970s. It was initially passed by the Assembly, but was vetoed by former Mayor George Sullivan and set off years of sometimes harsh political argument.

A similar code provision was enacted again in the early 1990s, but was struck from the code by another Assembly vote in 1993.

State law does not explicitly prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual preference. But the Alaska Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that state employment benefits must be extended to the partners of gay state employees.

The Anchorage ordinance introduced Tuesday adds to the city's existing anti-discrimination code which already protects people based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability.

"I'd like to think that we've matured enough as a community that this won't be a big deal," Flynn said Tuesday before the assembly meeting. "But I could be wrong."

But the Rev. Jerry Prevo, pastor of the Anchorage Baptist Temple, said the proposal is an example of one part of the community trying to force its values on everyone.

"It's an issue that the homosexual community is using to force homosexuality on the people," said Prevo, who also fought the first sexual orientation protections in the 1970s. He said the sponsors of the current ordinance are trying to pry open the door to broader gay rights, which he said most Alaskans don't want.

Prevo said he plans a public campaign to fight the proposed change, including taking it to the pulpit this Sunday to tell his congregation about it.

Prevo said he thinks veterans were included in the ordinance just to distract from the "sexual orientation" issue. He warned that making the proposed law could open employers and landlords to a cascade of lawsuits.

"If I were a veteran, I'd be upset that they are linking the two together," Prevo said.

Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the ACLU of Alaska, helped write the proposal. He said it contains a provision that allows organizations such as the Baptist Temple to legally refuse to hire people because their sexual preference conflicts with religious beliefs.

"It's unfortunate when organizations want to muddy the water and misrepresent what an actual ordinance does or says," Mittman said. "People should go to the ordinance themselves and read it."

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Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. applauds the legislature’s vote to reject Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Anchorage, Alaska -- Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. applauds the legislature’s vote to reject Wayne Anthony Ross as Attorney General.

Statement by Tim Stallard
Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

“Wayne Anthony Ross’s derogatory statements about gay Alaskans, his stance on native rights, and his views on women and domestic violence made him an incredibly polarizing and divisive figure. Many Alaskans joined us in our doubt that Ross could uphold the constitutional rights of ALL Alaskans without discrimination. We hope that Governor Palin will nominate someone who will earn the public’s trust and respect the constitutional rights of all Alaskans.”

Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. is a political nonprofit incorporated in the State of Alaska. Our mission is to advance civil equality for all Alaskans through grass roots organizing and advocacy. Alaskans Together for Equality is the only statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization in Alaska.

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The Milk Challenge

The Milk Challenge
from Bent Alaska

The movie MILK opens tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 12) in Anchorage, showing at 1:40, 4:35, 7:35 and 10:30 p.m. at the Century 16, across from Loussac Library. The message of Milk is timely, and the reviews sound great. (Watch the Milk trailer.)

Here's the dilemna: We want to support a good-quality gay movie (and encourage the production of more gay movies) but don't want to support the Century/Cinemark whose CEO donated $9,999 to Prop 8, the California initiative that eliminated gay and lesbian marriage.
The solution: Boycott Century's concessions! Eat before you go and only buy the ticket, no food or drinks.

Theaters don't make much on admissions; most of their profit is from concessions. We can support the film and still deprive the theater of revenue.

An even better solution: Off-set the ticket fees to Century with a donation to Alaskans Together for Equality, the state LGBT rights group that takes on political issues like the ones Harvey Milk fought for. It's a great way to support equal rights and, at the same time, withhold money from those who work against us! (thanks to Elias for the suggestion)

Take the Milk Challenge: See Milk, and balance your political karma with a donation to Alaskans Together.

And Milk is the perfect time to start wearing a White Knot for marriage equality, "because everyone should be able to tie the knot."

Palin declines to acknowledge National Coming Out Day

MEDIA RELEASE
October 9, 2008

PALIN DECLINES TO ACKNOWLEDGE “NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY”
GAY ALASKANS DISMAYED BY GOVERNOR’S REBUFF

(Juneau, AK) --- Gov. Palin has declined to issue a formal proclamation recognizing “National Coming Out Day,” in Alaska. Heartened by the Gov. Palin’s positive comments about gays and lesbians in the Vice Presidential Debate, Alaskans Together submitted a formal request to acknowledge the day, which is observed on Oct. 11th internationally by members of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) communities and supporters.

“But I also want to clarify, if there’s any kind of suggestion at all from my answer that I would be anything but tolerant of adults in America choosing their partners, choosing relationships that they deem best for themselves, you know…,” said Gov. Palin during the debate.

“Governor Palin called for ‘tolerance’, and we hoped she’d show that type of leadership as Governor with this proclamation,” said Alaskans Together President Marsha Buck. “Coming out is a difficult and deserves recognition.”

So far in October 2008 Governor Palin has issued proclamations for: “Careers in Construction Week,” “10th Annual Christian Heritage Week,” “Biomedical Technician Week,” “Alaska Taiwan Friendship Week,” “World Farm Animals Day,” “Breastfeeding Awareness Month,” and “Grand Opening of Rilke Schule Day.”

“We were asking for the Governor to acknowledge and recognize the dignity of openly-gay Alaskans. We weren’t asking for a policy position, beyond simple acknowledgement.” Buck said.

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Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. is a 501 (c)(4) organization. Its mission is to advance civil equality for all Alaskans through grass roots organizing and advocacy.

Governor Palin asked to sign proclamation supporting National Coming Out Day

This week Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. submitted a request asking Gov. Sarah Palin to sign a proclamation supporting "National Coming Out Day" held internationally on October 11.

Unfortunately, our request has not been granted at this time.

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PROCLAMATION FOR NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY

WHEREAS, National Coming Out Day is an internationally-observed awareness day for coming out and discussion about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender ("LGBT") issues, observed on October 11 by members of the LGBT communities, their families friends and allies,

WHEREAS, National Coming Out Day was founded in 1988 to celebrate the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987, in which 500,000 people marched on our nation's Capital for the purpose of raising awareness of the LGBT community in America,

WHEREAS, National Coming Out Day is an effort to put real human faces on the LGBT rights movement, so that the American people become more aware that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered individuals can be found among their own families, friends, business associates, fellow church-goers, and every other part of American society,

WHEREAS, in every state of the union, the diversity of the American people is mirrored in the LGBT community, members of whom can be found in every faith, ethnic group, profession, in the military and clergy, and every age group from young people to elders,

WHEREAS, coming out has been recognized by many Americans as a vital and often life-saving step for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered persons, making it possible for them to be fully honest with their families, friends and associates about who they really are,

WHEREAS, coming out is an opportunity for the closeted individual to find dignity, empowerment and self-respect, as well as tolerance and loving support by other human beings, which cannot be found in the loneliness and self-denial of the closet,

WHEREAS, Alaska has its own vibrant LGBT community, which contributes richly to the vigor and diversity of this great state and is active in every area of Alaskan life, from civil rights work and HIV prevention programs, through youth support organizations like PFLAG and churches like the Metropolitan Community Church, as well as publications, businesses, and contributions in the arts,

WHEREAS, Alaska has a tradition of rugged and pioneering individualism, as well as tolerance for those who are different, going back to its earliest days as a territory, and the LGBT community of Alaska are a part of that tradition,

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin, Governor of the state of Alaska, do hereby proclaim October 11, 2008 as:

National Coming-Out Day

In Alaska, in recognition of the importance of respect for the humanity and dignity of all LGBT Alaskans living among us.

Dated: ------------------, 2008

Commentary: On the "Ex-Gay" Movement

One of my earliest memories is being told by the principal of my Christian school that along with Prince fans and devotees of the rock band, Kiss, homosexuals were going to hell. I was only six years old and had never heard of a homosexual, but my principal was happy to spell it out for his elementary school audience: “Homosexual are men who have sex with men.” By the end of the school day, I was in tears, convinced that my mother’s love for Prince had doomed us both for eternity. At the time, homosexuality had no relevance to my life, and because after this incident my mother promptly enrolled me in public school, I was spared any additional attempts to prevent me from growing up to be gay.

But what about the children whose parents weren’t aware of what their kids were being taught? Or whose parents’ beliefs might have been more in line with that of the principal’s? What about the slightly older child, already aware of his or her attraction to people of the same sex, forced to come of age weighed down by this message of condemnation? For years, these children remained vulnerable to the harmful teachings of adults who used their authority and their religious standing to promote an anti-gay agenda under the guise of Christian righteousness. It is disheartening to know that some groups continue to promote a philosophy that endangers peoples’ mental health and validates social intolerance.

Over time, the homophobic discourse of Christian fundamentalism has grown more benevolent in tone. Instead of threatening the gates of hell, for example, Focus on the Family’s Love Won Out ministry claims to help people “overcome” their same sex attractions with “compassion and grace.” They claim to be able to “transform” people’s lives with holistic therapies and counseling. But just because the tone has changed doesn’t mean that the consequences have disappeared. In a 1998 position statement the American Psychiatric Association cited the numerous potential risks of the “therapies” promoted by these ministries of so-called “transformation,” including depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior. The American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have also expressed their concern about the harmful consequences of these ministries on the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people and their families.

For all their talk of love, the Love Won Out ministry blindly ignores the love and affection that exists between gay and lesbian couples, portraying us as emotionally stunted individuals with no interest in each other beyond the physical, thereby diminishing public respect for and recognition of our relationships and families. If you look beneath the “self-help”-styled rhetoric, at the core of their philosophy is the belief that if you’re gay or lesbian, there is something fundamentally wrong with you that needs to be changed. Not only is this belief medically incorrect—psychiatrists dismissed it almost forty years ago—it also implicitly validates social prejudices that lead to acts of discrimination, harassment, and violence. These acts cause far more mental harm to gays and lesbians—and do more harm to our democracy—than allowing law-abiding citizens to live their lives equally, honestly, and without fear—regardless of their sexual orientation.

I work for the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, an organization that protects the right of every citizen to believe in and promote the religion of their choice. Focus on the Family has every right to bring its Love Won Out conference all the way to Anchorage and share their mission with whoever is willing to listen. But our Constitution also grants me the right to urge you—for the sake of your loved ones’ mental well-being and happiness, for the sake of promoting a more democratic and compassionate community, and in the name of love—not to believe a word they say.

Tiffany McClain
ACLU of Alaska
tmcclain@akclu.org