Dear Governor Parnell,


It has now been six months since I contacted you about the state of human rights in Alaska, specifically those pertaining to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens. Your lack of reply for those past months is disappointing to say the least, as it shows disrespect for all human equality. As I have stated before, I would like your support in revising the Alaskan constitution so that equal rights for all individuals may be grafted into our law, so that the state of Alaska may be a champion of equality, treating all of its citizens with the same respect, shunning none, and providing a state where all people may live with the law at their backs.


As the “Inherent Rights” section of our constitution states, “This constitution is dedicated to the principles...that all persons are equal and entitled to equal rights...”. A constitution should be helmed by these principles, granting all of its citizens equal rights instead of a select number. Ours has, in fact, become a document of oppression. Its failure to grant all citizens equal rights represents a poor reading of the said section, and this alone is a catalyst for injustice. Is this how you want Alaska to be represented? As one of the states destroying the principles under which both the United States constitution and its own constitution were written?


Across the state of Alaska, people have faced discrimination and hatred because of their gender variance and/or sexual orientation. At this moment in Alaska, laws concerning same-sex adoption of a child are ambiguous, leaving it open for same-sex couples to be considered “ineligible” to adopt children because they are supposedly inept parents. Out of all of the parenting couples in the world, the only inept ones are those who neglect or abuse their children. A family depends upon its functionality, which has nothing to do with the parents' sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Several common misconceptions about households with gay parents often arise, led by the claim that a child needs a mother and a father to grow up well. However, several studies shown that children in households with same-sex parents fare just as well. The American Psychological Association found that “same-sex couples are remarkably similar to heterosexual couples, and that parenting effectiveness and the adjustment, development and psychological well-being of children is unrelated to parental sexual orientation.” Likewise, the Child Welfare League of America took the position that “lesbian, gay, and bisexual parents are as well-suited to raise children as their heterosexual counterparts.”


It's saddening to think that laws could be a part of discrimination, as it undermines the values upon which they – and the constitution – were set. It's even more saddening to think that the majority of Alaskan citizens would approve these laws – or deny ones that attempt to create full equality. And yet, a wide margin of voters in Anchorage voted against Proposition Five just earlier last year. The full impact of the proposition would have added sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of non-discrimination acts for the city. It attempted to bar individuals from: refusing to sell out or rent property to a person, not hire a person, deny a person education, or refuse them public accommodations because of their sexuality or gender identity. Additionally, companies would have been prohibited to deny insurance or financial assistance to individuals based on their sexuality or gender identity. This law failed, and the only protection that hardworking gay, lesbian, and bisexual Alaskans have under the law is Administrative Order No. 195, passed by Tony Knowles when he was governor in 2002. The order means “to prohibit and prevent discriminatory behavior in the state workplace based on race, sex, color, religion, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or economic status...”. However, this order only applies to a person's sexual orientation, and gender identity goes unmentioned, giving transgender persons a disadvantage in this situation. Statewide laws calling for no discrimination of any sort – be it in the handling of finances, housing, employment, education, or public accommodations – beg to be written, so that all citizens will have equal rights that they may live with.


This grave mishandling of Alaskan laws extends to the twenty-fifth Amendment of the first article of the Alaskan constitution, which states that, “In order to be valid or recognized by the state, a marriage may exist between only one man and one woman.” This blatantly violates the principles under which both United States and Alaskan constitutions were created, and is an act of discrimination within itself, degrading a group of citizens to “second-class” and denying them the rights they should naturally deserve. In no legal avenue should this law be valid; it is simply an oppression of a minority of individuals by a majority, and one that demands correcting. The constitution states that all persons “have a natural right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness...” amongst other rights. I have said it before and I will say it again – with a destructive piece of legislature such as “the Marriage Amendment”, the Alaskan constitution is failing to uphold these principles. Alaskan laws towards equality are years behind where they should be today.


Up until last December, I was bullied to the point of attempting suicide. I was called names – "queer", "fag", "faggot", and "homo" – harassed, teased, beaten up, and tormented because I was “different”. When I went through middle school a few years ago, I was bullied severely, and every day was a constant struggle to work through. I know that on a daily basis, hundreds, if not thousands, of other teens are bullied. Several of them attempt to take their own lives. It would be a lie to say that students in Alaska aren't bullied because of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity, and this is only one form of hatred that they have to deal with. In terms of Alaskan legislature, House Bill 482 is a passable bill that attempts to address bullying, but it falls short in defining any and all of the reasons for which a student might be bullied, which range from age, weight, race, and ethnicity to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. No Alaskan student should have to endure the isolation and embarrassment of bullying for any reason whatsoever. I know what discrimination feels like. I know what it sounds like. Being bullied, teased, and shunned hurts. It makes you feel worthless, save for an easy target for others. Not being able to walk down a hall to class without hearing the word “faggot” hurled at me every day was nearly my end. I know that other students go through similar problems, and I want it to end here and now. I suggest revising the law to explicitly define the parameters of bullying and to outline severe consequences for bullies and those who assist or ignore their brutal behavior.


As the governor of this state, it is your duty to work towards making a better state. The constitution states that all citizens are created equal, not a select number. I understand that our political and ideological views may differ, but there are flaws in our state's constitution, ones that demand correcting. A strong governor, with a fair reading of this section, would note the violations committed by “The Marriage Amendment”, and would work to fix these problems, and add equality for all citizens to their list of things to speak out for in this state. As of right now, you have a choice: you can either be yet another Alaskan governor who continued to ignore and oppress citizens, or you can be the governor who corrected the laws, the one who granted equal rights to all of the citizens, and the one who championed Alaska as a state that treats all of its people as equals.

Sincerely,

Corcoran