Last night, six members of the supposed non-partisan Mat-Su School Board carried the anti-LGBTQ torch of Alaska MAGA Republican Sen. Shelly Hughes over the finish line by passing a grotesque, discriminatory and hateful transgender athlete ban.

The ban mirrors wording used in SB 140 which was introduced in the Alaska Legislature by Senate Majority Leader Shelley Hughes earlier this year and serves only to inflame divisional politics that don’t well-serve Alaskans. The ban is a direct result of Republicans’ unrelenting, decades-long, radical war against marriage equality and anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination legislation.

That the school board made the resolute choice to pass this egregious ban during Pride Month or even at all, can be interpreted only as a signal that a larger assault against Alaska’s proud LGBTQ+ community and its allies is forthcoming.

The Alaska Democratic Party stands with the LGBTQ+ community’s fight for equality. We are committed to electing candidates who will work to ensure that all Alaskans are treated with dignity and respect in their communities, their workplaces, and their schools.