Have you been impacted by LGBTQ+ discrimination? Do you support nondiscrimination protections? Share your story with Identity and contact us if you are interested in storyteller training, media interviews, and other opportunities.
Do you support Alaska’s LGBTQ+ community? Record an online video of support using this simple tool and show vulnerable LGBTQ+ Alaskans that they are not alone. You can share your video on social media, with legislators, or on websites like Identity to get the word out and fight for progress.
Show your support for federal LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections today!
Organizations across Alaska are coming together as part of a broad coalition that strongly supports comprehensive nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans nationwide. Can you sign your organization as a part of the coalition? We also have sign-ons for faith and business leaders.
Action steps & tools
Last updated 10/15/21
Alaska is represented in our federal government by two US Senators and one House Representative in Congress.
It only takes a minute to call, tweet or email Alaska’s Senators.
Or, stop by Senator Lisa Murkowski or Senator Dan Sullivan‘s offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Mat-Su Valley, Soldotna, or Ketchikan.
Find your representative in state government and how to contact them on the Alaska state legislature website.
The Alaska Center also has this website for following the state legislative session and current bills.
No one should be denied healthcare, social services, public accommodations, or employment because of who they are and who they love.
But currently there are no federal or state laws that provide full and comprehensive nondiscrimination protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation. And fewer than half of Alaskans live in an area with some form of codified local protections, because local protections vary based on local, state, and federal law.
We elect representatives to represent us, and that includes LGBTQIA+ Alaskans. Our voices matter, and in a small state like Alaska, we can make a big impact. Contact your representatives today and tell them to support equality!
Legislators keep track of contacts and each day is a new tally, so you can call and email every day if you want. The more contacts we get for LGBTQ+ issues the more impact and impression we make!
The Equality Act is a landmark federal nondiscrimination and civil rights bill.
The U.S. House of Representatives already passed this important legislation and now it is up to the Senate to vote on this bill and enact it into law.
The Equality Act updates current civil rights law to ensure that all LGBTQ+ Americans and other protected classes can live, work, and access public spaces free from discrimination, no matter what state they call home.
A supermajority of Americans and Alaskans support federal nondiscrimination protections.
This includes majorities across all major political parties, and religious groups
Click the images below to learn more about why people from all backgrounds support equality, and how you can get involved.
There is currently no state law that fully protects LGBTQ+ Alaskans from discrimination in places like healthcare, housing, lending, and public accommodations. And the majority of Alaskans live in an area with no local protections.
State bill HB 17 would ensure LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections for Alaskans across the entire state. Join Alaskans Together for Equality and share your support for state protections today.
Additional bills in the Alaska state legislature that impact the community include a ban on conversion therapy, an abusive practice that aims to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity that increases suicide risk. Learn more about this topic on Identity’s website and at the Trevor Project.
Four communities in Anchorage have enacted nondiscrimination protections on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression:
Read here for more history on LGBTQ+ non-discrimination in Alaska, and see how Alaska compares to other states.
In 2020, Anchorage became the first municipality to ban conversion therapy in minors. In March 2021, Identity Alaska partnered the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Alaska Chapter (AFSP Alaska), the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Alaska, the Statewide and Juneau Suicide Prevention Councils, and the Trevor Project to advocate for a statewide conversion therapy ban. Contact us to get involved and help us get this important legislation passed.
School policies may attempt to limit a student’s rights, but the rights of LGBTQIA+ and transgender students are determined and protected by a combination of federal, state, and local law.
Title IX is a federal law banning sex discrimination in schools. Courts have made it clear that that includes discrimination against someone because they are transgender or don’t meet gender stereotypes or expectations. Title IX applies to all schools (including both K–12 schools and colleges) that get federal money, including nearly all public schools.
State laws and school district policies in many places also protect transgender students from discrimination. You can find information about some of these laws or policies on NCTE’s School Action Center. Hundreds of school districts around the country also have policies that ban discrimination based on gender identity or expression or sexual orientation.
The Equal Access Act requires all student organizations, such as a Gay-Straight Alliance or Pride Alliance, to be treated equally. This means that schools cannot ban certain types of groups or single them out for worse treatment.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) protects personal information about students in school records, and in most cases it makes it illegal for schools to share that information with others without permission from a student or (if the student is a minor) their parents. This includes information about their transgender status or medical history.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects students’ freedom speech and freedom of expression. That includes the right to dress according to your gender identity, talk about being transgender openly, and express your gender in other ways.
In 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court decided the landmark case of Bostock v. Clayton County. The case involved gay and transgender employees who had been fired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Court held that this negative treatment of employees because of their sexual orientation or gender identity is discrimination based on sex and is unlawful under Title VII, the federal law that prohibits sex discrimination by employers.
The Supreme Court has not ruled on how Title IX applies to LGBTQI+ students, but many federal appellate courts have addressed the rights of LGBTQI+ students:
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