August 11th Assembly Meeting: YOU in BLUE

- from Equality Works

The next Assembly meeting is August 11. While the agenda hasn't been set yet, this very well may be the day that Assembly members get to a debate and vote on AO 64.

I know that many of you couldn't bear to sit through the public hearings and the offensive testimony that demonized the LGBTQ community. But the public hearings are over now. This is our last time to show the Assembly members that their constituents support legislation to protect people from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. You don't have to testify, you don't have to engage in debates with people in red shirts, all you have to do is be there to show your support for equality.

If you have never come to an Assembly meeting, please consider showing up on this crucial day. The meeting starts at 5:00 pm, but as usual, you should try to be there earlier if you want to get a seat. You know the drill: Blue shirts, Equality Works buttons.

AO 64 (S-2)

For those of you who don't know already, an S-2 version of the ordinance has been submitted for consideration by Patrick Flynn. We believe that this is a strong revision that acknowledges the concerns of some in the religious community by broadening the religious exemption, but does not weaken the original intention of the ordinance to protect LGBT people from discrimination. It includes employment protections for our entire community--including transgender individuals. Please call or e-mail your Assembly members and tell them to put their support behind the S-2 version.

Mayor Sullivan needs to know that people in Anchorage support equality, he needs to know why you support equality, and he needs to hear that vetoing an ordinance to protect LGBT people from discrimination sends the message that he, as the Mayor of Anchorage, believes that LGBT people should be discriminated against. If he doesn't want to send that message, then he should not veto this ordinance. Please e-mail Mayor Sullivan or call him at (907) 343-7170 or (907) 343-7100.

Thanks, and Remember: Equality Works. See you on Tuesday!