What may have been leading edge in 1975 is now mainstream in 2009. The time has come for Anchorage to make our equal rights laws more complete and more just by protecting people regardless of their sexual orientation.
This issue first came to the forefront in 1975 when the citizens of Anchorage voted to unify the City of Anchorage and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough. One of the first tasks of the newly elected Municipal Assembly was to integrate and update the two prior governments into one. I was privileged to serve on the body that was literally creating a new body of law for a new municipality, blending the best of existing law with new ideas for the future.
As part of this process the Anchorage Human Rights Commission reviewed the equal rights laws on the books, taking public testimony on their adequacy. This review generated the recommendation to expand the law to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation in addition to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, and physical disability. Public testimony before the Assembly included numerous examples of discrimination based on sexual orientation and highlighted the fear of discovery these members of the Anchorage community suffered.
It clearly had an effect on all 11 Assembly members. Tough questions were directed to the people testifying and the chair of the Human Rights Commission, followed by thoughtful debate among Assembly members carefully balancing the values of all sides of the question.
When the final vote was taken on the ordinance, which included sexual orientation, it was unanimous, 11 to 0. A crowded Assembly chamber erupted with applause. I shared the sense of pride every member of the Assembly felt at that moment.
Led by the late Dave Rose as Assembly chair, with a majority of what most observers would call conservative members, a decision was made with a genuineness of spirit combined with a well-reasoned thought process. In the political world it might be described as a rare moment of innocence, when the members of the Assembly voted purely on what they felt was the right direction for their community. It wasn't about scoring points, or finding a wedge issue, or planning the next campaign. It was representative democracy at its best.
As we know, that special moment was not to last long. The issue quickly became politicized and divided the community.
A long and bitter fight to override a veto always gathered a seven-vote majority but never the necessary eight votes. The issue continued to fester through a mayor's race and was used in other campaigns attacking those who continued to support the ordinance.
And so here we are again.
In 1975 Anchorage almost became one of the first communities in America to take this step. Today we can be a part of the mainstream of equal rights, joining the federal government, 20 states, 182 cities and 424 of the Fortune 500 companies who have protected their citizens and employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation.
There continues to be a groundswell of change as more public and private organizations adopt this standard. And newer generations have overwhelmingly dismissed the old battles of divisive discrimination as they enthusiastically embrace a vision of a more just and fair society.
I hope Anchorage joins those ranks by approving the amendments to the equal rights law that comes before the Assembly on June 9th. Wouldn't it be good to recapture that same special moment of 34 years ago and this time make it stick?
Tony Knowles served two terms as governor of Alaska and two terms as mayor of Anchorage.
By TONY KNOWLES