Call it old news if you like. I'm calling it a case study. Because as rapidly as this issue arose and died, Krystal Kompkoff's rejection from the Equal Rights Commission made me wonder if 'gay rights' might be one issue we'll be battling for a while. Though the Assembly had the full power to reject her confirmation without ever speaking with her or the public directly, their decision to exercise it is telling.Despite the restrictions of the open meetings law, assembly candidates are clearly able to share information with one another through such intermediaries as lobbyists, other government officials, industry representatives and journalists. In this case, the most powerful voice against Kompkoff's nomination came from the very Commission she was appointed to - Equal Rights Commission representative Michael Johnston. "I was involved more than anyone else in this decision," says Johnston, who relayed impressions of the candidate through the Assembly, Jerry Prevo and others.
Johnston, who runs Caruso Ministries which is associated with Dr. Prevo's Anchorage Baptist Temple, is the Equal Rights Commission's most right-wing member, and himself went through a controversial confirmation process. A 'reformed' homosexual, Johnston believes that we're all born straight. "Just look at the plumbing," he says, and that the homosexual way of life is both destructive and gaining a dangerous acceptance in our society.
Kompkoff, who by all accounts is not gay, has served on the Board of Directors of the YWCA, both Anchorage and USA chapters, since 1994 after a distinguished academic career at Washington State University. Her volunteer work includes a long history of positions on equal rights boards and commissions.
- "Her application raised obvious red flags," says Johnston, "there were two references to homosexual advocacy."
"Her application raised obvious red flags," says Johnston, "there were two references to homosexual advocacy." Johnston was referring to two volunteer positions buried deep within Kompkoff's two-page resume: positions on the Lesbian Caucus and President's Homophobia Task Force and Student Study Committee of the YWCA.
Kompkoff's wide-ranging participation in equal rights for minorities, women and other groups is significant. In the YWCA, they make room for investigating the thorny issues of gay relations. After a sterling career in civil service at WSU, in combination with her positions with the YWCA, Kompkoff was a shoe-in on these boards.
The city has no authority which deals with gay issues officially. But because the YWCA had one, and because Krystal Kompkoff served on it, some assembly members decided she must then be in favor of 'gay rights', whatever that means. That seems to be the very basis of the decision on which her appointment was made.
"They never approached me with questions," says Kompkoff who never got a chance to speak on her own behalf in front of the Assembly, "they just assumed I had a particular agenda."
Johnston was decided on the issue as soon as he saw her resume. "It's no secret about what happened to Krystal," he says, "she tried to push special protection of homosexuals. "
While it may be no secret, the public record shows consistent hemming and hawing about the real issues on the part of Anchorage Assemblymembers. Almost unanimously, they ducked and weaved around reporters' inquiries into the reason the appointment was not approved. "One reason you didn't see a big deal made about this is the city has already been torn apart by this issue," says Johnston, who believes election-year politics served to cover up a debate that wasn't worth having in the first place.
"They should have said they opposed the homosexual agenda," Johnston charges, "and were not going to advocate it with this appointment. But they're afraid of the homosexual lobby - the [homosexuals are] very powerful." Even though assemblymembers dodged the issue in public, Johnston points out that many opposing members "were elected on this issue," of gay rights, and felt pressure to support their constituents.
Though no formal hearing was held on her confirmation, Johnston believes such a discussion would have been destructive in the face of a nominee with such clearly divisive credentials. "One reason you didn't see a big deal made about this is the city has already been torn apart by this issue," says Johnston.
As far as the process of placing Commission nominees on the consent agenda, granting the potential for rejections without confirmation hearings, Johnston is sticking to the current process. "We made known that we felt this was an inappropriate appointment, and others called in, too," he says, "I'll continue to do it and so will they. "
Though no one bothered to determine Kompkoff's actual political views, they did succeed in sidestepping a potentially difficult discussion - Kompkoff would have denied a specific gay rights agenda. "It was basically a political game," she says.