Hundreds of people gathered outside Loussac Library for a second night of demonstration Wednesday, and scores lined up to testify at a special session of the Anchorage Assembly considering an amendment to the city's anti-discrimination law that would extend the law's protections to gays and lesbians.

Meanwhile off camera, efforts to redraft the proposed law to appease opponents had some original supporters backing away. Successive drafts not only water down the law but set into stone the discrimination it is meant to fight, they say.

Those who oppose any extension of the city's existing anti-discrimination law do not seem appeased by the re-drafts.

The original proposed ordinance, designated No. 64, simply added the words "sexual orientation" and "veteran's status" to the list of protected classes that is already city law -- race, color, sex, religion, national original, marital status.

we are taking a step forward, but we are also taking a giant leap backward," he said at the time.