Wuerch refuses to allow gay exhibit back in library
REACTION:The Alaska Civil Liberties Union considers action.

By Lisa Demer, Anchorage Daily News

Mayor George Wuerch said Thursday he will not allow a gay pride exhibit to be reinstalled at the city library, and he suspended all other displays using outside materials while the city reviews its policy on exhibits.

He said the exhibit couldn't be allowed at Loussac Library because it takes an advocacy position. Sponsors said it was meant to promote acceptance of gays and lesbians.

"There's nothing wrong with advocacy, as long as it doesn't take place in a public facility," Wuerch told reporters in a press conference on the library steps.

The decision could face legal trouble. The Alaska Civil Liberties Union board of directors was meeting Thursday evening to discuss a lawsuit or other action.

"Not only does it seem to be a ban on free speech, it also seems to be a violation of the library's own policy on how these displays are selected and put up," said AkCLU executive director Jennifer Rudinger.

The mayor's office has been flooded with reaction. Over two days, aides answered about 400 telephone calls on the issue and received numerous e-mails and a few faxes. The mayor said callers were divided almost evenly.

It was not immediately clear what other exhibits might be affected. Dennis Fradley, the mayor's spokesman, said the policy review extends to other city buildings.

While the city policy is under study, only materials owned by the library will be displayed, Wuerch said. "If it's in the collection, it's passed muster," he said.

Thursday afternoon, displays were still up on asthma and immunizations that included handouts from government and private groups not connected with the library.

The library's policy on displays says permission can be denied for "any exhibit whose purpose is personal, commercial, promotional and/or has the potential to cause, or causes, substantial disruptions or material interference with primary library business."

The mayor said the gay pride exhibit could have been disruptive and was promotional.

The exhibit was abruptly removed Tuesday morning, just hours after it went up, after the mayor saw an artist's rendering.

The next day, after meeting the exhibit's sponsors, the mayor agreed to rethink his decision and inspected the materials personally. The exhibit of posters and a rainbow-colored "Celebrate Diversity" banner was put up by Lamb of God Metropolitan Community Church and Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays.

The church's minister, the Rev. Jan Richardson, said she was "crushed" and "deeply disappointed." She said she had hoped the mayor was broadening his thinking.

But, she said, "he's oppressed in his own closet of fear."

Wuerch said the fact that the exhibit had a church sponsor raised the question of separation of church and state.

"We have a dilemma here," Wuerch said. "Is it a free-speech issue, or is it a church and state issue?"

Richardson said she was stunned that he brought up the church. If that was the problem, another sponsor could easily be found, she said.

Outside the library, patrons were divided on the exhibit.

"I am totally against this position that he has taken. I am very embarrassed to have him as my mayor. I think it reflects very poorly on my city," said Jane Gray, an Anchorage teacher. The exhibit ban sends a message of intolerance that goes against what she teaches, she said.

But William Tyrell, an engineer, said he didn't think the library should be a forum for a display on accepting gays and lesbians.

"I don't think it's a normal lifestyle, and I don't think it should be portrayed as a normal lifestyle," he said.

The city should have its policy review completed within a week, Fradley said.

In the meantime, gays and lesbians plan to meet privately tonight, said Doug Frank, who created the exhibit. He said the meeting will be to show the exhibit materials and discuss what has happened so far and legal issues. The AkCLU plans to attend to see how the group wants to proceed.

Reporter Lisa Demer can be reached at ldemer@adn.com and 907-257-4390.

Anchorage Daily News, June 8, 2001

Letter:Gay exhibit is among tools that stem fear, replace it with knowledge

In response to "Wuerch orders gay pride parade exhibit out of Loussac" (June 6):

I do not understand. A long time ago, B.C., before Christians, Cupiit valued life as a gift. Gays and lesbians often gravitated toward shaman roles or acquired roles of providers. Each person was respected and valued for his or her humanity and possibility. Each person was encouraged to develop expertise in an area of interest to benefit the community.

What is the fear here? The United States, including Alaska, flaunts one nation under God with freedom for all. Yet an educational display is taken down because of its content. Education alleviates fear and replaces it with a comfortable bank of knowledge.

The message we are sending to our children is "Yes, we are free; however, freedom is only for people who agree with me (whoever is in charge)."

When students shoot students and teachers, we loudly cry, "I do not understand!" Are they not just acting what we are teaching, "agree with me"?

-- Joan Hamilton, Bethel (Alaska)

Letter:Gays suffer injustice like blacks, Alaska Natives 40 or 50 years ago

After reading about the gay pride display being taken down at the library ("Wuerch orders gay pride exhibit out of Loussac," June 6), one can only assume that if Mayor George Wuerch had been elected 40 or 50 years ago, blacks or Alaska Natives would not have been allowed to put up a display because of the "substantial disruptions or material interference with primary library business" they would have caused. One would have to have his head in the sand to think that 40 or 50 years ago the discrimination surrounding blacks and Alaska Natives was any less (different possibly but not less) than that surrounding gays today. That is not to say that blacks and Alaska Natives do not continue to suffer from discrimination.

Why doesn't the mayor just come out and say why he really doesn't want the display in the library?

-- Mike McKinnon, Anchorage

Letter:May we one day find all this hatred and blatant ignorance unbelievable

I have some questions for the mayor and all people who think he should be commended for his decision to quash the gay pride exhibit at the library.

First, do you really think that by simply sweeping the gay issues and gay people under the rug (or back into the closet) by tearing down their exhibit, they will go away?

Second, are gay people not just another facet of our society who deserve as much recognition as anyone else?

With trepidation, I must ask my third question. If you are so afraid or offended by their sexual orientation, what do you think should be done with them?

And finally, do you think they should suffer the loss of their basic rights to which all heterosexuals are entitled under our Constitution? Your actions say that you do, and, as we all know, actions speak so much louder than words.

Someday I hope we, or at least our children, will find it unbelievable that all of this blatant ignorance and hatred were ever a part of this country's history. We have a long way to go, and you all should be very ashamed of yourselves for being so hateful. It is a sad day for us all.

-- Mary Morris, Anchorage

Letter:Mayor chose the path of intolerance when he pulled the gay pride exhibit

Shame on you, Mayor George Wuerch, for banning a gay pride exhibit from Loussac Library. Tolerance begins in very small ways, such as allowing a simple, informative exhibit in a library. Intolerance, however, as our community has seen, can have large consequences and sad, tragic effects: racially motivated assaults, rapes and murders. Sadly, our mayor chose the path of intolerance.

-- Deborah Silver, Anchorage

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