Anchorage Mayor Vetoes LGBT Rights

Anchorage, Alaska Mayor Dan Sullivan has vetoed the LGBT rights bill that his city's Assembly approved last week.

"My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance," Sullivan said. "My review also shows that the vast majority of those who communicated their position ... are in opposition. "As elected officials, we are charged with reflecting the will of the community in our decisions, particularly in the absence of compelling data that would supersede that will." [Equality Works spokesperson] Jackie Buckley, however, called the veto "a giant step backwards. Equality Works is very disappointed that the mayor has failed to allow the good work of the Assembly to proceed," she said in a telephone interview minutes after the veto was announced. "This was an opportunity. It was good for business, so Anchorage could attract and retain the best employees and customers. This is a giant step backwards by the mayor, not seeing that. "Civil rights are not a popularity contest," she said. "This is not the sort of thing (where) you can say, 'I've had 500 phone calls, so this is a bad idea.' "

Anti-gay bigots told the mayor that discrimination against gays in Anchorage does not exist and he says he believes them. What a fucking crock. The city's Assembly meets again in three weeks and may discuss a vote to overide the mayor's veto. Eight votes are needed, the bill passed last week 7-4. Over 30 years ago, Sullivan's father vetoed similar legislation as mayor. Like bigot, like son.