The economic and social impact of Dunleavy’s attack on LGBTQ+ youth

Mitchel Jurasek

COMMENTARY

As a queer Alaskan, I’m appalled by Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s newest bill targeting LGBTQ students. As a writer and researcher on queer youth experiences, I could write about the psychological, physical and human rights issues that could spur from such a bill. However, I recognize that many conservative Alaskans’ opinions about this issue are unlikely to change, including Dunleavy’s. So, instead, I would like to talk about something I hope everyone can agree on: the potential economic impacts of such bills on the future of Alaska.

Two years ago, I wrote in the Anchorage Daily News about a second pandemic hitting Alaska: the brain drain. I witnessed many of my most intelligent and hard-working friends leave the state we love to seek opportunities elsewhere. I myself left Alaska with the eventual goal of moving back home after I acquired the career experience needed to make an impact in my community. Since that original article, the problem has only become larger.

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