The Peter Dispirito Public Service Award is presented annually to the person elected by the Alaska Gay and Lesbian Community who has contributed most to the advancement of the community.

An outspoken member of our community, Peter was very active in all GLBTA Community affairs. He was instrumental in opeing the first gay bar in Alaska, was one of the founders of the Empire of ALL Alaska, one of the foremost leaders of the Alaska gay social scene and he was loved by all who knew him.

His murderer was convicted of manslaughter and sented to a mere two and a half years in prison. After serving only several months of the sentence, he was released on parole.

The murder of Peter Dispirito and the subsequent light sentence of the man who killed him only served to unite the Alaska Gay Community and sparked the first real political awareness of the community as a whole.