It was no surprise when Ethan Berkowitz was elected mayor that his first priority was to reintroduce a LGBT rights ordinance. What was a surprise, however, is the unlikely ally the LGBT community found on the Assembly when it came time to push the measure forward.
Assemblyman Bill Evans came out of nowhere with a sensible LGBT ordinance that was, in many people's opinion, a compromise that could protect LGBT folks from discrimination in housing and the workplace as well as provide the exemptions that the religious institutions desired.
This, of course, did not come without opposition. Nothing ever does. Many in the LGBT community weren't buying it. A national liberal blog, "Think Progress," ran a column calling Assemblyman Evans "sneaky" and claiming that he was trying to sneak religious exemptions into the ordinance.
Most of us in Anchorage, however, know Assemblyman Evans better than that; we know that is not his style at all. Evans is well known for his reasonable and mild-mannered demeanor. If Anchorage had a Clark Kent, he would be Bill Evans.
The ordinance, like any ordinance, went through battles, amendments, public comment and the rigmarole of conservative talk radio and columnists. However, it came out the other end a quality compromise ordinance protecting religious beliefs and the rights of those in the LGBT community. It passed the Assembly with a 9-2 vote and was signed into law by Mayor Berkowitz.
The religious right, of course, was not going to take this lying down. A group of women, led by former conservative talk show host Bernadette Wilson, filed an initiative to repeal the ordinance.
So now the fight is on.
Well, at least it should be, but everybody seems to be in a holding pattern, likely because the initiative has yet to find a home on any ballot. Held up by a dispute over ballot language, there's no chance it will be on the April ballot, but it could end up on the November ballot, like the city's disputed labor ordinance in 2014. Or it could go to a special election.
The supporters of the repeal have already tipped their hand a bit with some information coming out about the fears of shared bathrooms with transgender people and those who are gender fluid. The opposition has started to organize but has not yet published any materials challenging the initiative.
An Alaska Dispatch News-commissioned poll released on Sunday found that a vast majority of those in Anchorage are supportive of the new ordinance. According to the ADN: "Of 311 registered voters, 70 percent said they either strongly or mildly supported adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of protected classes for employment and housing in city law. Twenty-five percent said they strongly or mildly opposed the change. Four percent were not sure."
This, however, comes in the calm before the storm -- before the barrage of commercials, mailers and debates. Proposition 5, the LGBT ordinance that went to a vote of the people in 2012, was polling well in late March before it failed in the April election. A Dittman poll released March 28 that year showed 50 percent in favor with only 41 percent opposed. However, the measure failed by a 58-42 margin.
Now is the time to reach out to those who aren't on either side of this issue. There are many individuals, churches and organizations around town that are either conservative or in the middle.
This is the time for bridge building.
Reaching out to these undecided people in our city can make a huge difference. It will help educate people about the problem, the ordinance and the strength of the religious exceptions within. Preparing them for the oncoming onslaught of nonsense about who will be entering what restrooms will lessen the sting and confusion of the garbage that will soon be filling their mailbox.
Too often community building within our own organizations, churches and neighborhoods gets pushed to the wayside. However, when it comes down to it, we are the ones who should decide what type of society we want. Unless those in our communities reach out and discuss these very important issues, the public relations and media strategy companies will be left with the power to shape our future.
Not only will bridge building ensure that this repeal fails, but these bridges will help connect our society – our entire society – so that the true strength of the ordinance is not found in statute but in community.
Mike Dingman is a fifth-generation Alaskan born and raised in Anchorage. He is a former University of Alaska Anchorage student body president and has worked, studied and volunteered in Alaska politics since the late '90s. Email, michaeldingman@gmail.com.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary@alaskadispatch.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@alaskadispatch.com or click here to submit via any Web browser.