The following information is provided concerning the Work Shop held by the Anchorage School Board concerning the Gay/Straight Alliance at Dimond High School.

Overall, responses by the District's legal staff and the School Superintendent and area Principals to questions posed by the School Board members were in favor of the Gay/Straight Alliance.

Some important quotes from this meeting follow:

From legal staff:

"Anchorage School District has a legal obligation to prevent harrassment based on sexual orientation under Title IX"

"The club meeting does not materially and substantially interfere with the orderly conduct of educational activities within the school."

"Apprehension or fear of reactions of other students is not sufficient to deny club."

"Violence by club members would be reason to disband club under District policy."

"When a limited open forum has been created, you can not discriminate or deny a fair opportunity for students to form a club on the basis of religion, political, philosophical or other content of the speech at such meetings...that is pretty clear that the District can not discriminate."

"Even if Equal Access under federal rules did not apply, under State of Alaska Constitution, the club would be protected."

At the end of the meeting Superintendent Bob Christal said...

"The School District Administration is in full compliance with the direction of the policy. Pat McDowell and her Dimond staff have done an outstanding job following the policy, supporting their staff and students in a way the Board had directed them to do a few years ago. I have heard personal attacks against her (Ms. McDowell) and her staff and they are totally unfounded. She has done an excellent job."

The issue is still not on any future agenda for a vote. Those opposed to the club want to continue to receive additional information from Salt Lake City and see if there is legal precedent to deny the club.

Also this week, the Anchorage Times in an editorial appealed to our "conspiratorial" nature by trying to tie information passed through the Internet (such as this) to a broader gay/lesbian AGENDA. One of the School Board Members (Ms. Gillespie) had also compiled a rather thick binder of material she had obtained from the Internet in regard to Gay/Straight clubs and youth activities. Some people would prefer to operate in a "vacuum"...sorry, those days are over for good!

More later....

Dan