The Alaska House Judiciary Committee will hold another hearing today, Monday, March 14 at 1 p.m. to consider House Bill 17, which adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as special protected categories under Alaska’s anti-discrimination law.

Please contact members of the House Judiciary Committee and urge them to OPPOSE HB 17 By clicking HERE, you can send a message to all House Judiciary Committee members in one email.

Laws like HB 17 have been passed in many other states and cities, with disastrous results. We’re told it’s about “stopping discrimination,” but so-called SOGI (sexual orientation / gender identity) laws result in MORE discrimination. Who are the victims? Women who want privacy and fairness. Christians who adhere to traditional beliefs about marriage and sexuality. Non-profit charities that prioritize people’s real needs over “politically correct” ideology. Click HERE to learn how SOGI laws have been used to undermine religious liberty, privacy, freedom of association, and freedom of speech.

Consider the case of Barronelle Stutzman, the florist from Washington state. Barronelle respectfully declined to decorate for a same-sex wedding, because doing so would violate her religious beliefs about marriage being a union of one man and one woman.

Instead of respecting the diverse views that citizens hold about marriage, the state attorney general decided that Barronelle needed to be taught a lesson. Using the SOGI law on the books in Washington state, he filed a lawsuit against her.

For eight long years, Barronelle fought in court for the right to operate her business according to her conscience. But the courts rejected her case, she was forced to pay a settlement, and the 77-year-old great grandmother decided to sell her business.

Barronelle’s story will become OUR story if HB 17 becomes law. Civil rights law in Alaska will be weaponized to persecute anyone who refuses to “bend the knee” to LGBT ideology.

TAKE ACTION NOW: Please contact the House Judiciary Committee, and individual members, and urge them to OPPOSE HB 17.

One Click Email to all House Judiciary Committee members: House.Judiciary@akleg.gov

— Representative.Matt.Claman@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-4919

— Representative.Liz.Snyder@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-3438

— Representative.Harriet.Drummond@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-3875

— Representative.Jonathan.Kreiss-Tomkins@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-3732

— Representative.David.Eastman@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-2186

— Representative.Christopher.Kurka@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-4833

— Representative.Sarah.Vance@akleg.gov: Phone: 907-465-2689

Key talking points:

— HB 17 is a discriminatory bill that threatens to punish individuals and businesses simply because they decline to engage in speech, or participate in events, which violate their religious beliefs or personal convictions.

— A similar law in Anchorage led to the harassment of the Downtown Hope Center for the “crime” of not allowing a biological man to sleep in an abused women’s shelter. This disastrous policy should not be imposed on the entire state.

— HB 17 threatens religious liberty, privacy rights, freedom of expression, and freedom of association. Similar laws have had disastrous consequences in other states and cities.

— Instead of ending discrimination, HB 17 will authorize and encourage discrimination to occur against religious institutions and other private citizens, based only on their decision to operate their businesses, schools, organizations and professional careers in a manner that is consistent with their consciences.

The views expressed here are those of the author.

Click here to support the Alaska Watchman.