Five former Anchorage mayors on Friday endorsed an April ballot measure to extend legal protections against discrimination to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender residents of the city.
National group joins fight over gay rights
A national conservative Christian legal group says the gay rights initiative on Anchorage's April 3 city election ballot, coupled with existing Anchorage discrimination law, undercuts religious liberty.
Gay rights initiative likely headed to ballot
Sponsors of an initiative to extend legal protections against discrimination to gay and transgender people in Anchorage on Thursday turned in a several-inch-high stack of petitions to the city clerk's office to put the measure on the April city election ballot.
Anti-discrimination law is in spotlight once again
A new campaign has begun in the decades-long battle over adding Anchorage's gay and transgender residents to the city's anti-discrimination law.
ACLU sues city, state over taxation of same-sex couples
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit Tuesday challenging the way property taxes are assessed for Anchorage households headed by same-sex couples.
Assembly makes no move to override gay rights veto
The first opportunity for the Anchorage Assembly to override Mayor Dan Sullivan’s veto of an ordinance banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation went by Tuesday night without action.
Sullivan vetoes gay rights ordinance (8/17/09)
A long, grinding, contentious political and social struggle hit a major bump Monday when Mayor Dan Sullivan vetoed the Assembly's latest attempt to ban discrimination against gay people in Anchorage.
Sullivan faces deadline on gay rights veto
Hundreds of people who spent hours in Anchorage Assembly meetings to argue about a proposal to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation are taking their cases to Mayor Dan Sullivan, who must decide today whether to veto the ordinance.
Mayor still deciding on gay rights veto
Mayor Dan Sullivan said Wednesday he is studying the anti-discrimination ordinance passed by the Anchorage Assembly and will announce later whether he will veto it.
ALASKA POLITICS BLOG
Sullivan: No immediate decision on gay rights measure
Mayor Dan Sullivan says he is studying the anti-discrimination ordinance passed Tuesday night by the Anchorage Assembly and will announce later whether he will veto it.
Assembly OKs gay rights ordinance 7-4
By a 7-4 vote, the Anchorage Assembly Tuesday approved a compromise ordinance that bans discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity -- one vote short of the supermajority needed to override a mayoral veto.
Assemblyman says city needs gay rights task force
An Anchorage Assembly member wants his colleagues to create a task force that would spend at least a year investigating questions surrounding a controversial proposal to ban discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Claman wants voters to settle gay rights debate
The raging public debate about whether Anchorage should add anti-discrimination protections for sexual orientation will continue into next month, and Acting Mayor Matt Claman said Tuesday he may ask the Assembly to put the question on the ballot.
Prospects dimming for gay-rights ordinance
The prospect of a gay rights ordinance passing under the watch of a supportive city administration is narrowing as Anchorage Assembly Chairwoman Debbie Ossiander said Friday she will continue to allow public testimony on the controversy but she will not call any extra meetings to get through the days of testimony.
Residents demand to air views on gay-rights amendment
Beset by controversy that shows no sign of cooling, Anchorage Assembly chairwoman Debbie Ossiander must decide how to proceed with one of the most time-consuming sessions of public testimony before the Assembly in recent memory.
Gay rights measure's changes criticized by both sides
Hundreds of people gathered outside Loussac Library for a second consecutive demonstration Wednesday, and scores lined up to testify at a special session of the Anchorage Assembly on an amendment to the anti-discrimination law that would extend protection to gays and lesbians.
Gay rights ordinance gets 2nd Assembly hearing tonight
An ordinance banning discrimination based on sexual orientation is again on the Anchorage Assembly agenda tonight, bearing last-minute changes by the chairwoman in an attempt to make it more palatable to both sides.
Anti-discrimination debate raises passions
The second round of impassioned public testimony Tuesday night drew hundreds of people once more to the Anchorage Assembly meeting as the panel grappled with a proposed ordinance that would ban discrimination in the municipality based on sexual orientation.
Gay rights go before Assembly once again
The longest, bitterest argument in Anchorage's social and political experience returns to center stage Tuesday before the municipal Assembly.
Ordinance is simply about the basics of living your life
City revises gay-rights proposal
The city administration has rewritten a proposed law banning discrimination against gays, lesbians and bisexuals to make clear that it wouldn't apply to small, home-operated businesses or to owner-occupied four-plexes or duplexes.
Assembly to revisit gay rights ordinance; Prevo vows fight
A proposed ordinance to ban discrimination against gays in hiring, housing and education will be considered by the Assembly next month, reviving an issue that has bitterly divided Anchorage before.
Testimony about the equal rights ordinance grew emotional at the Anchorage Assembly hearing Tuesday, June 15, 2009.
PHOTOS
Demonstrations and hearings
Images from the June 9 and 16 demonstrations and hearings over the proposed anti-discrimination ordinance.
COLUMN: 6-5-2009
Mayor Sullivan's decision to veto the city’s equal rights ordinance protecting gay people from discrimination isn't evidence Anchorage has any particular point of view. Instead, it says one thing: a lot of old people run this city.
Looking for common ground at the Baptist Temple
When a tolerant city can't support a simple statement of tolerance
Key points of each amended proposal.
FIRST DRAFT: No. 2009-64
Adds veteran's status and sexual orientation to the list of protected categories.
Defines "sexual orientation" as homosexuals, bisexuals and transgender people.
SECOND DRAFT: No. 2009-64 S
Removes “veteran’s status.”
Excludes small, home-operated businesses with no more than four people from the whole law, meaning those businesses can discriminate based on sexual orientation, race, color, sex, religion, ethnicity, age, etc.
All employers have the right to impose dress codes or other work rules.
Biologically male people must use male bathrooms, and biologically female people must use female restrooms.
Exempts religious organizations - so they can discriminate based on sexual orientation.
THIRD DRAFT: No. 2009-64 S1
Definition of "sexual orientation" is narrowed to exclude transgender people.
Allows all employers to discriminate based on sexual orientation.
The city's Equal Rights Commission is instructed to track complaints alleging discrimination (to inform further discussion).
Businesses that deal with the public can impose dress codes, work rules, codes of conduct, etc.
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