Happy New Year! As we begin another year, we start a new round of annual events for LGBT Alaska:

Lesbian Short Story Contest (Feb. deadline) – Radical Arts for Women rewards women authors in Alaska for fiction with lesbian content.

Arctic Heat (February) – The Last Frontier Men’s Club chooses the next Bear and Leather titleholders.

Celebration of Change (March this year) – RAW’s break-up performance and art show celebrates women, music and the coming of spring.

Femme Fatale (April) – The Imperial Court closes the legislative session in Juneau with a benefit show for Four A’s.

Day of Silence (April 25) & Pride Prom – Alaska’s Gay/Straight Student Alliances wrap up the school year with National Day of Silence and Pride Prom.

Juneau Pride Chorus spring concert (May) – The Juneau Women’s Chorus welcomes spring with an evening of music and food.

Memorial Day Picnic (end of May) – The community Picnic and BBQ celebrate unity and the beginning of summer.

PrideFest & Pride Week (June) – The summer solstice diversity parade and festival displays our Pride in Anchorage, and Juneau holds a Pride Picnic.

Golden Days Parade & Tanana Valley Fair (July) – PFLAG Fairbanks brightens the local parade with a 45 foot rainbow flag and hosts a picnic afterwards, then creates a booth for the Fair.

Coronation (Labor Day weekend) – ICOAA’s late summer extravaganza invests the new Imperial Court of All Alaska and presents scholarships and awards.

Pride Conference (October) – Identity’s back-to-school conference is inspired by National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.

Alaskans Together annual conference (October) – ATE hosts a statewide annual strategy conference.

World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) – Four 4’s and IAA recognize the battle against AIDS with memorials, celebrations of life, and red ribbons.