In a poll conducted by Channel 2 News Wednesday, May 13, 2009, respondents were asked if the Anchorage Assembly should pass an ordinance banning discrimination against homosexuals.
Here is the official question and results:
Should the Anchorage Assembly pass an ordinance banning discrimination against homosexuals?
Yes 52%
No 48%
This poll doesn't ask if we approve of homosexuality, or if we are comfortable with homosexuality.
It simply asks if we think there should be laws in place that protect a segment of our community from discrimination. How can ANYBODY not want to make sure that the people in their community are treated fairly and without prejudice?
If this same poll were to identify African-Americans, women, Koreans, Native Alaskans, or the elderly as the group being discriminated against, would there be even a handful of votes supporting continued discrimination in this day and age? It seems fairly unlikely.
But for some reason when it comes to the gay community many people feel that treating them as if they are not deserving of protection simply because of who they love is completely acceptable. It is not.
Trust me when I say that gay people have no choice in their orientation. They are who nature, or if you prefer God, created them to be. I have had many gay friends, and family members, and I can tell you unequivocally that nobody would chose to be so ostracized, ridiculed, and despised by the other members of their church, school, and family. It can be a very painful life and until this precious group of citizens is treated with respect and acceptance by ALL people they will continue to feel marginalized and rejected by the rest of us.
Here is video of the story from local affiliate KTVA:
And to learn even more please visit Bent Alaska, a local gay website that you can find on my blogroll to the left.
Thank you for posting this.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you saw the latest Sarah Salvo in which she attacks those malicious liberals for trying to take away Miss California's "constitutionally protected" free speech rights. This seems to be a rather hilarious misconception that Sara, Miss C and others like them share--that the first amendment somehow means that it's against the constitution to criticize or respond negatively to whatever pearls of God-inspired wisdom should fall from their glossy lips.
ReplyDeleteSomeone needs to tell Sarah that the first amendment means the GOVERNMENT can't take away her right to free speech. It doesn't mean that WE can't call Sarah or Carrie bigots or idiots or whatever when they say something stupid or offensive. The same constitution that guarantees Sarah's right to say something stupid also protects our right to say, "That was really stupid, Sarah."
Ironically, she does not seem to make this mistake when it comes to responding to what SHE finds offensive.
Typo alert:
ReplyDeleteGryphen, I believe you meant to say: This poll doesn't ask if we approve...
Thanks ProChoiceGrandma, I fixed it.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am not surprised. Alaska appears from the outside to be one of the most backward states I have seen. 40% graduate from high school? The highest rape cases, teenage pregnancy and then you have Sarah Palin who has in a short time created a web of corruption so deep that people won't speak out against her. It is ridiculous that she is still in office. Your legislature should be ashamed of themselves and I don't blame you for being embarrassed with regard to the small mindedness of people there.........
ReplyDeleteAnd midnightcajun is so right with her post. Sarah is a complete moron! Why do 54% people in your state support her? I can only attribute it to stupidity, sorry!
I would not rely on those polls to give a fair and accurate representation of what anyone in Alaska thinks.
ReplyDeletePalin fan sites have been known to call for "action alerts" and request that they all head to a place and respond to a poll to increase a message they believe Sarah believes in. Unless or until the poll is strictly limited to Alaskans (which is impossible) then I would not believe them to be representative of the Alaskan belief.
Who would CHOOSE to be gay when their family and community may reject them, society can discriminate, rights are not equal, violence always a threat.....I mean REALLY!!!!! who chooses that?
ReplyDeleteIt is absolutely horrific to me that in this day and age there is open discrimination against gay people. And we want to think of ourselves as a "civilized" society (NOT).
ReplyDeleteAnd let me add this as a progressive: For years, I have not understood why the Democratic Party doesn't just come out and full on support gay marriage EVERYWHERE in the US.
I've said it before; Alaskans have to be more tolerant of racists and bigots, than people of color or sexual orientation.
ReplyDeleteFace it, we are a racist, intolerant state. How sad and sick is that? Well I can say it is a deep seeded attitude with a vile trail, stretching back to the gold rush days. Then you have the current folk, those whom homesteaded, those whom traveled up the Alaska highway with a dime and a wife, those that are considered our esteemed pioneers, are and have been, actively racist and bigotted.
Once in a while a different ray of hope arises from the usual "tolerance for racists and bigotted" attitude I must carry around. You and those whom have commented, have become a ray of hope, a departure of sorts, so to speak.
Quyaana.
Gryphen...as I posted on Phils site...this is absolutely disgusting to me. Truly, I never thought there was anyplace in North America that permitted gays to be treated less than..in regards to housing, employment etc. Oh I understand there is homophobia. We have it in Canada too, although gay people here are not discriminated in any of the areas listed above. There would be all out war should that be the case,and heterosexuals would be on the front lines with the gays.
ReplyDeleteMy sis is gay, and if I ever caught someone treating her badly there is no telling what I may say or do.
For gods sake...its 2009. Being gay is NOT A DAMN CHOICE!. Last week I got into an argument with a coworker. I held my temper...and asked him how someone being gay affected his life in a negative way. The fool stuttered and stammered and then spat out..."I dont like them rubbing it in my face". Huh??? We had been discussing my sister....someone he has never met. This just shows the level of intelligence possessed by this type of individual.
Hopefully...the ordinance will pass.
Laurie
Oh, shut up! Way to make racial minorities, women, the elderly, and other people feel guilty. It’s not anyone group’s fault that gays are discriminated against. I'm so sick of gay people comparing themselves to women, minorities, the elderly, and people with physical disabilities, etc.! Unlike gay people, most ethnic minorities, most women, most elderly people, and most people with physical disabilities, cannot just hide their blackness, cerebral palsy, or whatever in the closet! Gays are not the only people out here being discriminated against! There are other people out here trying to push for anti-discrimination laws! Why don't you ask a little person about the shit they have to deal with? To them, being called a "midget" is like being called the "N Word," but you hear people use the word all the time, without apologizing. The only reason you hear about gays all the time, because they got the biggest, and loudest mouths!
ReplyDeleteBeing gay is also not exclusive to one group of people! Ethnic minorities, women, the elderly, etc., can all be gay, too! They have to deal with not only discrimination for being gay, but also for other reasons! I'm sick of gay people always talking about 'Loving
vs. Virginia.' The black civil rights movement had NOTHING to do with 'Loving vs. Virginia!' That case was a civil rights case, that happened DURING the civil rights movement. The Freedom Riders, Rosa Parks, the church bombings, the riots, the fires, and the police brutality had NOTHING to do with 'Loving vs. Virginia!' I don't believe there was an "Interracial Marriage Rights Movement" in the U.S. With Women's Rights and the equal rights movement for minorities, they had bigger problems. Gays have been sounding very petty, lately.
Women wanted to be treated as equals to men. Women fought for the right to vote, to have a say in their government, etc. During black civil rights movement, minorities were fighting for jobs, education, desegregation, and voting rights, etc. Of course, people years ago knew that gay people were around. But during segregation, they were not singled out, and forced to sit in the back of the bus, to use the "Gay Restroom", or the "Gay Drinking Fountain." As long as they were white, and stayed in the closet, they could do, or be anything they wanted!
George Wallace did not block the doors to that school because those students were gay. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those angry whites out there shouting at them were gay! The world was Oscar Wilde's oyster, before he was arrested and sentenced for "buggery." Rock Hudson could do as he pleased. He could walk in the front door of a movie studio, instead of being told he had to come in through the back door!
White gays, and, or any other bigot who keeps turning gay rights into a race issue, probably have NO idea what "separate but equal" really means. Even little people know what it means. The world is not even built for them! It seems the biggest beef the gay community has is marriage, and "Don't Ask, Don't Tell.”
Single people do not get the same legal rights as people who are married. People who are single get discriminated against, too. The point is, people who are single do not get the same rights as straight couples who are married. People who are married get all the "perks." Someday, gay marriage will be legal in all states. But single people will still probably not have the same rights as gay or straight married couples. The law doesn't recognize fornicators, either! "Separate but equal."
Gays were imprisoned in concentration camps, during the holocaust, but they were not singled out. They were not the main target. I wonder how many gays escaped the concentration camps, because they stayed in the closet. In reference to "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," during segregation, blacks were allowed in the army, but there were treated badly, and kicked out of everywhere else, not just the army! They were welcome to die for a country that hated them!
I once supported gay rights, and gay marriage, but after that racially charged Proposition 8 nonsense, I turned on them. I don't care, anymore. They blamed it on blacks. Some blamed it on blacks and latinos. Whites cast the most votes, PERIOD. A few thousand more whites, could have easily decided to vote "NO." Whites cast the most "YES" votes, because there were more of them. Whites make up over 80% of the population in the U.S. Blacks only make up about 12% of the population. That 70%, or whatever, is not as big a number as some think it was. Barack Obama got over 90% of the black vote, and over 40% of the white voters. Does that mean the blacks outnumbered the whites? NO! Do you people not understand mathematics? I think you and the others do understand. The racist wing of the gay community just wanted to blame someone, so they chose blacks, and latinos. Which is stupid, because Proposition 8 affected gay blacks and gay latinos, too. Just imagine being a gay racial minority, and being discriminated against because of the passage of Proposition 8, and then turn around and have a bunch of racists blame you for it!
And the recent hit-job against that brainless beauty queen. Even though some people disagreed with her, she is entitled to her own opinions, and beliefs. It was stupid. She's just some bitchy little beauty queen. What was she going to do? Pass legislation? Gays are being vindictive, and going after everyone. For name calling, and simply disagreeing with them. Adam Clayton Powell didn't worry about racist beauty queens, or whatever, unless, they were in some kind of position that could affect the outcome of civil rights issues.
Gays are OVERREACTING. There. I said it. They are starting to sound like a bunch of whiners. Sticks and stones. "So and so called gays Degenerates!" Ellen Degeneres was called "Ellen Degenerate" after she came out of the closet, years ago.
The gay rights movement took it's cues form the women's rights movement, and the black civil rights movement. Where do you think they got "separate but equal" from? How fucking dare gay rights activists besmirch the name of other civil rights movements. And I bet some people who had to deal with segregation, and stuff, are tired of being compared to gays, whom can simply just hide their sexuality in the closet! No disrespect to Matthew Shepard, but he is the gay community’s Emmitt Till. Matthew Shepard’s killers were punished for what they did. Those evil bastards who killed Emmitt Till got away with what they did . It only took the jury 67 minutes to decide. One juror said it would have taken them less time, had they not stopped to drink soda-pop!
The women's rights movement was supposed to be a peaceful movement, and so was the black civil rights movement. Both were subjected to unprovoked violent attacks. They did not attack FIRST! Martin Luther King was a PEACEFUL activist. He NEVER advocated violence, or incited hatred toward anyone. Not even the oppressors. And when racist whites were blamed, they were blamed because it was actually their fault. They were the ones who made the rules. They were the ones who had the power! They were the source of the violence! Martin Luther King led peaceful sin-ins, and marches. Civil rights activists used to put up with A LOT of CRAP! For the longest time, they wouldn't fight back. But when they finally did, it was because they didn't have a choice. During those riots, they were not reacting to words, or a disagreement, they were reacting to violence. The bombings, the fires, the police dogs, etc. They had no choice but to take it to the streets. The cops were against them, the courts were against them, etc.
After the passage of Proposition 8, gays and gay rights activists resorted to violence, and bigotry, when they had not been threatened. They erupted, and fought in the streets, and ran around vandalizing churches, and stuff. Advocating more hatred, only makes things worse. Judging by your post, you are obviously one of the bigoted gay rights activists. Fuck you.
Doesn't surprise me about Alaskans one bit. They elected a no-mind whackjob for governor didn't they?
ReplyDeleteWas this based on a web poll on KTUU's website? Those are easy to flood, as all you need to do is delete your cookies to vote more than once.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with Prevo that there is no discrimination against the LGBT community in Anchorage, but even if he's right, what's the harm in legalizing protections for them? His opposition to it alone shows that there is bias against those in the LGBT community.
Now, I agree that sexual orientation is not a matter of choice, but even if it were, no one should be discriminated against for something that is a part of their personal life. The sooner the "moral majority" gets out of our bedrooms and private lives, the better.
Fortunately, there is something called the US Constitution which protects the rights of any minority group.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, that's the very point - you cannot have "mob rule" taking away the rights of others.
All you have to do is substitute the word "Jew" in place of "homosexual" to realize that this was something done before - in Nazi Germany.
ReplyDeleteWhen will we humans accept the differences in each other without the blanket condemnation, hate, fear that too often accompany that hypocritical, rigid, and superior mindset?
ReplyDeleteThere have been a lot of changes in discrimination, equality and personal growth since the 60's, but there still remains a hardcore belief by some neanderthals that marriage is the exclusive right of a female and a male. That's it. Case closed.
Anything else, according to them, is a perversion and a choice that they made--and which can be 'corrected' if they would only repent and ask forgiveness, blah, blah, blah.
Usually these amazingly ignorant individuals and groups claim they have God on their side as they spew their hatred. That is such a narrow, bigoted, uneducated, and self-serving belief. Their god is a false god, one that they made up to conform to their fears and hatred.
What a sad--and scary--commentary on the "religious" right.
EyeOnYou said...
ReplyDelete"I would not rely on those polls to give a fair and accurate representation of what anyone in Alaska thinks.
Palin fan sites have been known to call for "action alerts" and request that they all head to a place and respond to a poll to increase a message they believe Sarah believes in.I have to agree, the poll was probably taken over by palinbots!!!!
I have quite a few gay friends and they are the most wonderful people. A few of them were married at one point when they were younger because they tried to deny who they are. It just doesn't work. I am convinced you are born gay and have no control over. I want to tell everyone to please please accept these people for who they are!!! They are just like you and me except for that one thing! It saddens me that people are still so discriminatory, but look at all the people who hate blacks and Jews and other groups. These groups are having record membership and activity because of Obama. It is very sad.
ReplyDeleteDan Fagan on his radio show said that he thinks a landlord should be able to discriminate when picking a renter. The sad part of all this was how many people that called and agreed with him. One man called and reminded Dan that it was against the law. When is this man and his hate talk going to be taken off the airwaves?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post on the ordinance and the link to Bent! The sad thing is that LGBT Alaskans see those results as a victory.
ReplyDeleteThe answer to the same vs opposite marriage question (lol Carrie, you really said that) is so very simple.
ReplyDeleteCivil marriage should be available to all, gays and straights. Along with this civil contract comes all the ordinary legal, tax, and civil benefits.
Religious marriage is a separate ceremony and can be performed by those ordained on behalf of whoever they choose. If you are a religious leader and you don't want to sanction same sex marriage, then don't perform the ceremony.
It's simple really.
Although with as close as the vote was in Anchorage, no wonder the solution is having such a hard time making it into the mainstream.
@anon 9:00
ReplyDeleteHoney...when you tell people...most people anyway to SHUT THE HELL UP... we normally tune out the rest of what you said. Especially if the rest of that something was a vitriolic spew of garbage. Go have a nap sweetie...you will feel better later. Oh...and isnt it nice to be able to talk like that and not give your name...coward.
Laurie
@Anon @9:00 a.m., your post seems to exclude gay people of color completely.
ReplyDelete