Anchorage Lawsuit Settled,
But Exhibits Are in Limbo
The city of Anchorage, Alaska, agreed July 17 to pay $10,000 in legal fees to settle a lawsuit brought by the Alaska Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the sponsors of a gay-pride exhibit at the Z. J. Loussac Public Library that Mayor George Wuerch had ordered taken down June 5.
Although the display has been reinstalled, Wuerch called a halt to all exhibits not prepared by the Loussac staff, pending a review of the library’s policy. This means that a display of photographs on Appalachian life and culture scheduled in Anchorage for two months beginning July 23 will have to find another venue. The July 18 Anchorage Daily News reported that the city is looking for alternative exhibit sites, including the Phillips Alaska company offices and two different shopping malls.
AkCLU Executive Director Jennifer Rudinger said she was pleased with the court settlement, but hoped that Wuerch wouldn’t continue to keep the library off-limits as a public forum for future exhibits. “It’s very important that the public be given opportunities to communicate and have a dialogue about issues of the day,” she said, “whether it’s asthma awareness or celebrating diversity.”
As to what type of library exhibits policy the city will have, Wuerch told the News, “There’s not yet an answer as to what happens next.”
Posted July 23, 2001.
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