Bronson appointee to Anchorage Equal Rights Commission pulls name from consideration after anti-gay, sexist social media posts surface

One of Anchorage Mayor Dave Bronson’s appointees to the city’s Equal Rights Commission pulled his name from consideration Monday after screenshots surfaced of anti-gay, transphobic and sexist Facebook posts from an account bearing the appointee’s name.

The mayor’s office said Cheston McCrea, a local pastor, removed his name from consideration. A spokesman did not answer questions about the social media posts or whether the mayor had been aware of the posts before making the appointment.

The Assembly had been scheduled to vote on McCrea’s appointment during its Tuesday meeting. Assembly members began receiving calls to reject McCrea after the screenshots began circulating online.

McCrea is an associate pastor at Praise Temple Ministries, according to his resume. On a state business database, he is listed as a director of Praise Temple Way of the Cross Church of Christ in Anchorage’s Government Hill.

A phone call to McCrea’s church was not returned. The Facebook account appears to have been deleted or temporarily removed.

One screenshot of a post said that “Woman and Man weren’t created to be equal. They were created for balance.”

In another screenshot, the original poster says they are reposting from McCrea’s account, and disparages gay people participating in church.

“If you are a feminine, sissy, lips shining self tasting, make up wearing, wrist bending, candy smelling He-Shes, you WILL NOT lay your pretty nails hand on me,” it said. “...There’s too many Homosexuals in the pulpits, choir and leading praise and worship.”

Assembly members on Monday received a deluge of emails from residents with concerns over McCrea’s appointment to the commission. In one email a resident wrote, “To confirm Rev. McCrea would directly violate the values stated boldly on AERC’s website: Justice - Peace – Equality.”

The Anchorage Equal Rights Commission is the city’s law enforcement agency charged with preventing and eliminating unlawful discrimination under Title 5, the city’s equal rights laws, according to the city’s website. The commission investigates discrimination when residents file complaints, among other duties, according to city code.

Before the mayor’s office confirmed that McCrea had removed himself from consideration, some Assembly members expressed concerns over his fitness to serve on the commission.

Assembly member Austin Quinn-Davidson, who last year became the city’s first woman and first openly gay individual to serve as mayor, said she would not vote in favor of McCrea’s confirmation.

“The commission provides free and confidential services to the public, in cases involving discrimination and harassment,” Quinn-Davidson said. “And so I think my question to the mayor would be, how can you expect Mr. McCrea to work hard to minimize discrimination and harassment when he has publicly shared both in the past on his Facebook account?”

Assembly member Felix Rivera also said he had concerns over McCrea’s ability to serve on the commission.

“Based on what I’m seeing on their social media, it directly counters the law of the land, which is equality for all parts of our community when it comes to employment, housing, public accommodations,” Rivera said. “And so it puts me in a tough position. Because I very much doubt that this individual can be open and fair in any cases where they may be involved.