Alaska Pride Week in Anchorage begins on May 31 this year, and is just a little bit longer than a week to accommodate all the great events. Here’s the full schedule of Anchorage’s Pride events, with links to individual stories with further information on events. (Check back on this page, because we’ll be updating it with links as the stories are written and posted!) And don’t miss the official Pride 2012 commercial!

Parade and Festival on Saturday, June 9

The biggest events of Anchorage’s Pride Week:

• 11:00 AM. Celebrating Diversity Parade. Anchorage’s annual Pride parade. New starting place this year! — W. 8th Avenue & K Street.
• 12:00 PM. Alaska Pride Fest 2012 on the Parkstrip. Anchorage’s annual Pride festival, with food, music, and lots of fun. Delaney Parkstrip, Rose Block (L Street thru P Street between 9th & 10th Ave.).

See complete info in Parade & Pride Fest article!

Grand Marshal. Trevor Storrs will be the Grand Marshal for this year’s parade. Read more about him.

Floats and marching contingents in the past have included Identity, The Imperial Court of All Alaska (ICOAA), Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), The Last Frontier Men’s Club (TLFMC), The Family (UAA’s GLBTQA Club), Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (4 A’s), AMP, People of Faith, Anchorage High Schools Gay-Straight Alliance (GSAs), Radical Arts for Women (RAW), Dykes on Bikes, and more.  Individuals are always encouraged to march with homemade signs in memory of those lost to AIDS or hate crimes or to express their own personal pride.  Judges for this year’s parade will be Diane Mead, Sara Gavit, and Mike Dingman.

Parades can bring risks that might not ordinarily be present. Read Alaska Pride’s Top 10 Parade Safety Tips for the Celebrating Diversity Parade.  Anyone wishing to participate in the parade must sign a parade release form (waiver). Alaska Pride representatives will be in the parade staging area at 9th & K by 9:00 AM on the day of the parade with forms for participants to sign. If you are watching from the sidelines and feel inspired to participate, please find a parade marshal to sign a waiver. Parade marshals will be wearing safety vests so you can spot them easily.

Watch the official Pride Fest commercial

Complete Pride Week schedule

The official Alaska Pride schedule designates events as Featured Events, Official Events, or Concurrent Events. For simplicity’s sake, Bent Alaska presents the schedule in simple chronological order. This schedule also includes some Pride or LGBTQ-related events (at least three at last count) that are not on the official schedule.  Follow the links for Bent Alaska posts with more detail about the events; we’ll be updating the links as more stories are written.

Thursday, May 31

• 5:00—8:00 PM. Celebrate Your Identity. Be Seen. — Official Kickoff Party for Alaska Pride Fest 2012. Also a fundraiser for Alaska Pride. Millennium Alaskan Hotel. Admission $30.00.

Friday, June 1

• 6:30 PM. Identity Thieves: Surviving the Ex-Gay Movement. Jason Ingram presents his show about his experiences in the “ex-gay” movement and antigay culture of Alaska. Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 DeBarr Road. Bring a potluck dish! Free.

• 7:30 PM. Shabbat Services for the GLBT Community. Congregation Beth Sholom, 7525 E. Northern Lights Blvd. Free.

Saturday, June 2

• 10:00 AM—5:00 PM. Identity booth at the Downtown Market and Festival. PrideFest t-shirts, rainbow merchandise, and PrideFest information Downtown Market and Festival, West Third Ave between C and E Streets.

• 11:00 AM–1:00 PM. Annual LGBT Pride Memorial Service. Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery, 535 East 9th Avenue. Enter off Fairbanks Street or Ninth Avenue, northeast corner. Free.

• 12:00 noon to whenever. ICOAA Pride Float Building Party. Join the Anchorage Ducal Court in creating and building this year’s Pride float. ICOAA always has a great float — be a part of it! 659 E 75th Ave, Anchorage.

• 12:00—7:00 PM. The Lemonade 4 LOVE Stand. Buy some homemade lemonade and help raise money for Alaska Pride! Around the state in Anchorage, Wasilla, and Fairbanks.

• 2:00–5:15 PM. Gay Day at the Alaska Zoo. Come enjoy a fun and family-friendly day at the zoo, including special tours. Alaska Zoo, 4731 O’Malley Road.  Normal price of admission: : $12 for adults; 18 and older; $9 for senior citizens 65 or older; $9 for military with ID; $6 for youth aged 3-17; free for children 2 and under.

• 2:00 PM to sometime in the evening. Alaska Zoo, T-Shirt Workshop & BBQ in Palmer with UAA’s The Family. The Family will meet at the Alaska Zoo, then travel to Palmer for a BBQ,  further work on their “Tie-Dye for Pride” t-shirts, board games, N64, and karaoke. Meet at Alaska Zoo, 4731 O’Malley Road.

• 7:00–10:30 PM. ICOAA 2012-13 MGA Pageant. Annual step-down and crowning of Mr. Gay, Mister Gay, Ms. Gay and Miss Gay Alaska, hosted by the Imperial Court of All-Alaska (ICOAA). Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue, Anchorage. Cost: $10. Age 21+.

Sunday, June 3

• 10:00 AM—5:00 PM. Identity booth at the Downtown Market and Festival. West Third Ave between C and E Streets. PrideFest t-shirts, rainbow merchandise, and PrideFest information.

• 8:30 PM. Pride Kick-off BBQ at The Raven. The Raven, 708 East 4th Avenue. Age 21+.

Tuesday, June 5

• 6:00 PM. Anchorage Front Runners Pride walk/run. Join others in this fun Pride event that promotes healthy living and fellowship.  Westchester Lagoon, far west parking lot, corner of W. 15th and U St. Free, all ages.

• 7:00 PM. Anchorage Front Runners BBQ. Join Front Runners after their run for a BBQ and social. Westchester Lagoon, far west parking lot, corner of W. 15th and U St. Free, all ages.

• 7:-00 PM. Arctic Foxes Women’s Rugby Club Hike — Glen Alps to Flattop. Join the rugby club where they will hike with a rainbow flag to the top to claim the mountain for Pride! Glen Alps Trailhead, 13101 Glen Alps Road. Free, all ages.

• 7:00 PM. On These Shoulders We Stand screening. An illuminating historical account of gay life and activism before Stonewall. Followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Glenne McElhinney, and local activists. Rasmussen Hall Room 110, UAA, 3416 Seawolf Drive. Free (contributions gladly accepted), all ages. This presentation will be ASL-interpreted. Additional: UAA’s The Family, sponsor of the UAA presentation of On These Shoulders We Stand, will meet after the film event to finish their “Tie-Dye for Pride” shirts.

• 9:00 PM. Get Wet with Pride at H2Oasis. Presented by Emperor 39 Kevin Fawcett-Majors and sponsored by the ICOAA and Chilkoot Charlies. Have some wet fun with Pride! Full bar. Proceeds go to the ICOAA scholarship fund.  H2Oasis, 1520 O’Malley Road. Admission: $25 at the door. Age 21+. UPDATE 6/5/12: This event has been postponed due to a scheduling conflict.

Wednesday, June 6

• 1:30 PM. On These Shoulders We Stand screening. An illuminating historical account of gay life and activism before Stonewall. Followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Glenne McElhinney, and local activists. Anchorage Senior Activity Center,  1300 E 19th Ave. Free (contributions gladly accepted), all ages.

• 6:00 PM. Pride Parley at Out North. Come listen to poetry by local and national gay artists. Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 DeBarr Road. Free, all ages.

• 7:00 PM. On These Shoulders We Stand screening. An illuminating historical account of gay life and activism before Stonewall. Followed by a conversation with the filmmaker, Glenne McElhinney, and local activists. Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 DeBarr Road. Free (contributions gladly accepted), all ages.

• 8:00 PM. Lube Wrestling at The Raven. Lube up contestants in a live auction to raise money for the Gay & Lesbian Community Center, hosted by the Last Frontier Men’s Club. The Raven, 708 E 4th Avenue. Age 21+.

• 8:00 PM. Northern Exposure Float Building Party and Hot Dog Roast. Join Northern Exposure and have fun building Alaska’s ONLY Leather Pride float!! Free event. The Raven, 708 E 4th Avenue. Age 21+. Update: Rained out — Moved to Friday, June 8.

Thursday, June 7

• 7:00 PM. Drag Queen Bingo 2012: Revenge of the Drag Queens! Bingo, door prizes, auctions, raffles and of course, the annual Drag Off – Hosted by Four A’s and Anchorage Mpowerment Project. Snow City Cafe, 1034 West 4th Ave. Admission: $15. All ages.

• 9:00 PM. Cupcakes and Monsters Karaoke Contest. Come sing your hearts out to Kesha and Gaga and everything in between! $1 per song. Proceeds go to Alaska Pride. Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue. Age 21+.

Friday, June 8

• 6:00 PM. Karaoke/Open Mic Night at POWER Clinic. Teens and young adults are invited to enjoy a fun-filled evening. POWER Clinic, 2nd floor Downtown Transit Center, 700 W. 6th Ave. Free, ages 14-24 only.

7:00 PM. Northern Exposure Float Building Party and Hot Dog Roast. Join Northern Exposure and have fun building Alaska’s ONLY Leather Pride float!! Free event. The Raven, 708 E 4th Avenue. Age 21+.  Note: Moved from Wednesday, June 6 after it was rained out.

• 7:50 PM. Bully screening at the Bear Tooth. Examines the dire consequences of bullying through the stories of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.  Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, 1230 West 27th Avenue. Admission: $3.50.

• 9:00 PM. Mad Myrna’s Friday Night Divas Variety Show: Special PRIDE Edition! Come watch the Divas perform a special show for Pride!  Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue. Free event. Age 21+.

Saturday, June 9

• 11:00 AM. Celebrating Diversity Parade. Anchorage’s annual Pride parade. New starting place this year! — W. 8th Avenue & K Street.

• 12:00 PM. Alaska Pride Fest 2012 on the Parkstrip. Anchorage’s annual Pride festival, with food, music, and lots of fun. Delaney Parkstrip, Rose Block (L Street thru P Street between 9th & 10th Ave.).

• 7:50 PM. Bully screening at the Bear Tooth. Examines the dire consequences of bullying through the stories of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.  Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, 1230 West 27th Avenue. Admission: $3.50.

• 9:00 PM. Kristara Live and In the Raw. Proceeds go to the GLCCA and Alaska Pride, includes auction. Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue.  Cost: $10. Age 21+.

Sunday, June 10

• 1:00 PM. Pride Ecumenical Service at St. Mary’s. Come celebrate at a GLBT-friendly church where all means all. St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 2222 East Tudor Road. Free, all ages.

• 4:00 PM. Pride Windup BBQ at Mad Myrna’s. Myrna is providing the “fixins,” including salads. Bring your meat or veggie burger for the grill. Mad Myrna’s, 530 East 5th Avenue. Free, ages 21+.

• 7:50 PM. Bully screening at the Bear Tooth. Examines the dire consequences of bullying through the stories of five students who face bullying on a daily basis.  Bear Tooth Theatre Pub, 1230 West 27th Avenue. Admission: $3.50.

See you at Pride!