Sunday, 6 October 2013 – 5:19 PM
| Comments Off on A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013
Bent Alaska’s blog will continue in hiatus indefinitely; but the Bent Alaska Facebook Group on Facebook is thriving — join us! A long-overdue update from Bent Alaska’s editor.
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 – 7:53 PM
| Comments Off on House passes DADT repeal, Rep. Young votes no
The House today passed a stand-alone bill to repeal “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” by a vote of 250-175, with 15 Republicans joining 235 Democrats to end the discriminatory policy. Rep. Young voted against repeal. Now the measure goes to the Senate, where advocates will try to bring it up for a vote by the end of next week.
Sen. Begich supports repeal, although he isn’t listed as a co-sponsor. News reports mention Sen. Murkowski as one of 4 senate Republicans who support repeal – but will she actually vote for repeal this time?
Call Senator Murkowski and ask her to vote for the DADT repeal: 202-224-6665 (DC) or 877-829-6030 (AK office).
After the House vote, Senator Snowe (R-Maine) said that she now supports the repeal of DADT. If she will vote for the stand-alone measure, that puts repeal within one or two votes of passing.
Sen. McCain and others opposed to gay and lesbian troops are trying to run the clock down on the session to avoid a vote, but allies are determined to see this pass before the new, more conservative Congress begins work in January.
Monday, 13 December 2010 – 5:30 PM
| Comments Off on Ask AK senators to co-sponsor S. 4023, the stand-alone DADT repeal
On Friday, Senators Lieberman and Collins introduced a stand-alone bill to repeal DADT, named S 4023. As of Monday morning, there are 27 co-sponsors of the bill. Neither of Alaska’s Senators are co-sponsors, even though both are on record as supporting repeal.
Please contact both Sens. Begich and Murkowski and urge them to co-sponsor S 4023, the stand-alone legislation to repeal Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski
202-224-6665 (DC) or 877-829-6030 (toll free)
Sen. Mark Begich
202-224-3004 (DC) or 877-501-6275 (toll free)
The full name of the bill is “S. 4023: A bill to provide for the repeal of the Department of Defense policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces known as Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It was read into the calendar today, but will only be brought up for a vote if they have the 60 votes to avoid a filibuster.
We need Sen. Murkowski to tell Lieberman and Collins that she will vote for this!
Should all go well, we will be able to provide a nice holiday gift to the estimated 66,000 LGBT servicemembers currently serving our country.
Thursday, 9 December 2010 – 5:46 PM
| Comments Off on Senate rejects DADT, Murkowski votes NO, stand-alone bill likely *Update: Maddow on DADT*
The senate held an unexpected cloture vote today on the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell repeal and the defense budget, and the vote fell mostly along party lines, with 57 yes votes and 40 no votes. Although a majority voted in favor, they needed 60 votes to stop McCain’s filibuster.
Alaska’s senators were split – Sen. Begich voted yes as promised, but Sen. Murkowski voted no despite yesterday’s statement that she supports the repeal of DADT. (The official Senate vote is HERE.)
After the vote, Senators Leiberman and Collins announced that they will introduce a separate DADT bill before the lame duck session ends, and Senator Reid agreed to bring it forward. Speaker Pelosi confirmed that the House has the votes to pass a stand-alone DADT repeal if the Senate acts before the recess.
Call Sen. Murkowski and tell her (politely) what you think of her No vote on DADT today, and encourage her to vote Yes on the stand-alone DADT repeal: (202) 224-3121 or (202) 224-666.
Rumors abound on other options for DADT, including attaching it to the ‘tax cut for billionaires’ bill to ensure GOP support.
LGBT bills usually wait until the ‘news dump’ days right before a holiday, but anything could happen in this partisan Congress. Stay tuned for updates.
President Obama’s statement on today’s defense budget/DADT vote:
I am extremely disappointed that yet another filibuster has prevented the Senate from moving forward with the National Defense Authorization Act. Despite having the bipartisan support of a clear majority of Senators, a minority of Senators are standing in the way of the funding upon which our troops, veterans and military families depend. This annual bill has been enacted each of the past 48 years, and our armed forces deserve nothing less this year.
A minority of Senators were willing to block this important legislation largely because they oppose the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.’ As Commander in Chief, I have pledged to repeal this discriminatory law, a step supported by the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and informed by a comprehensive study that shows overwhelming majorities of our armed forces are prepared to serve with Americans who are openly gay or lesbian. A great majority of the American people agree. This law weakens our national security, diminishes our military readiness, and violates fundamental American principles of fairness, integrity and equality.
I want to thank Majority Leader Reid, Armed Services Committee Chairman Levin, and Senators Lieberman and Collins for all the work they have done on this bill. While today’s vote was disappointing, it must not be the end of our efforts. I urge the Senate to revisit these important issues during the lame duck session.
More reactions:
OutServe
Today’s vote is heartbreaking and demoralizing to all members of OutServe – and the tens of thousands of gay, lesbian, and bisexual service members who must continue to serve in silence and live a lie. No words can describe how it felt to watch our U.S. senators uphold discrimination and perpetuate the deceit and compromised integrity that consistently result under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” We had more faith in our elected officials to heed the advice of military leadership and vote against prejudice. Instead, a minority of senators have successfully blockaded the entire defense spending bill on the basis of prejudice and politics.
Servicemembers United
This was a major failure on the part of the Senate to simply do its job and pass an annual defense authorization bill. Politics prevailed over responsibility today, and now more than one million American servicemembers, including tens of thousands of gay and lesbian troops, are worse off as a result. Since the votes are there in isolation, the Senate should still consider a stand-alone bill to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law before adjourning for the winter holidays.
SLDN
We support Sen. Lieberman’s plan to move a standalone bill. We also believe another viable option is the Continuing Resolution (CR) coming over from the U.S. House of Representatives. The Senate and the President must remain in session and in Washington to find another path for repeal to get done in the lame-duck. We implore all who support repeal to join us outside the Senate tomorrow at noon.
Update: Rachel Maddow covers the DADT vote and the next possible option for repeal – the new standalone bill S 4022.
Big news on DADT: The cloture vote on the defense budget with the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is likely to happen TONIGHT, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski released a statement today saying she will support the repeal if the amendment process is open.
But opponents are swamping Senate offices with protest calls. Please call Senator Murkowski again today and encourage her to follow through on her statement of support and vote to repeal this discriminatory law!
Senator Lisa Murkowski: (202) 224-6665 or (202) 224-3121.
“After reviewing the DOD report and the testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee by Defense Secretary Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen, I have concluded that it is time to repeal the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law. We expect all who serve to serve with integrity, but under current law gay and lesbian service members may speak about their sexual orientation only at the risk of being discharged from performing the duties they have trained hard to carry out. America is the loser when it denies those who are willing to make the great sacrifices demanded of our men and women in uniform the opportunity do so on grounds of sexual orientation. I agree with Defense Secretary Gates’ view that the military can successfully implement a repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law provided that proper preparations are implemented.
“I fully understand that the repeal of this law comes with some reservations and hesitancy among the military’s Service Chiefs. During their testimony last week before the Senate Arms Services Committee, each of the Chiefs expressed concerns over the timing of the repeal and a desire to ensure that the military was afforded ample time to implement service-wide training and policy reviews before a repeal went into effect. I understand their concerns about the implementation of a repeal while the country is engaged in two wars, but through their leadership and devotion to ensuring that our military remains the world’s premier fighting force, I believe this policy can be successfully repealed with minimal risk to unit effectiveness. I trust that the Service Chiefs will develop and execute a plan to implement the DOD report recommendations as well as ensure that post repeal policies and regulations are addressed in such a way that the standards of military readiness and effectiveness, unit cohesion, and recruiting and retention are not negatively impacted.
“However, my support for moving the Defense Authorization bill forward, which includes a repeal of the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, will depend on whether the majority allows for an open and fair amendment process. This is a weighty, policy-laden bill that normally takes several weeks to debate and amend. If the majority attempts to push it through allowing little or no debate or votes on amendments, I will be inclined to oppose those efforts.”
Tuesday, 7 December 2010 – 1:35 AM
| Comments Off on Ninth Circuit hears first Prop 8 appeal
A 3-judge panel from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals held a Prop 8 hearing on Monday, focusing on who has the right to appeal and how the case may be ruled. Here is a quick video report on the hearing:
Good written reviews of the appeals court hearing are posted atLGBT POV and Prop 8 Trial Tracker. The 2 1/2 hour telecast is available on C-SPAN (HERE). If you want to skip the issue of standing and start with the larger issues of Prop 8, watch part 2 HERE.
The panel’s decision is expected in a few months, and will most likely be appealed to the full court.
Saturday, 4 December 2010 – 11:56 AM
| Comments Off on Equality Works "Friendraiser" on Dec 11
Join Equality Works for an evening of fun, libations, and a little raising of funds! Heather and John Aronno are hosting a “friendraiser” from 7 pm to 9 pm on Saturday, December 11th at 7020 Potomac Drive. Food and drinks will be provided, but feel free to bring something if you like. Any funds raised will go directly toward Equality Works’ efforts to ensure the fair treatment of all Anchorage residents. So join us on Saturday, December 11th for a good time and a good cause.
This year’s Gay-La program includes three films about gay men: Now and Forever, a supershort about an artist, a painting and two hearts that become one; a short narrative called Bedfellows, a modern-day spin on a fairy tale genre with two gay characters in the classic boy-meets-girl story set in New York City; and an award-winning one hour documentary Holding Hands, about Craig and Shane, a couple in Australia, who face a difficult journey to recovery after suffering a hate crime. Join AIFF for the screening and then head to Myrna’s for drinks and food.
Holding Hands won two awards at the Spokane GLBT Film Festival last month, including the audience choice award. More about Holding Hands, and the trailer:
“Craig and Shane were holding hands when they fell victim to a brutal hate crime off Sydney’s Oxford Street in 2007. The image of Craig’s shattered face on the cover of the local newspaper called Sydney’s queer community to action, and the couple were nominated leaders of the 2008 Sydney Mardi Gras Parade. The hardest year of this young couple’s lives is documented through endless surgeries, physical and psychological recovery and their struggle to plan for their future. But at its heart, Holding Hands reveals that even in the worst circumstances, we can all create positive change.”
Also screening in AIFF 2010 is Ticked-Off Trannies With Knives [link includes trailer] on Dec. 4 at Bear Tooth and on Dec. 10 at Out North. (Viewers must be 18 and older.)
“A group of transgender women are violently beaten and left for dead. After regaining their consciousness the violated vixens turn deadly divas and with their new-found confidence and courage, slice their way to vengeance. A homage to the exploitation/revenge films of the 70’s and 80’s, this film sets out to create a new and unique genre called — transploitation. Loaded with titillating dialog, bodacious bods and extreme violence, this revenge-fantasy proves that it takes more than balls to get even.”
The 2010 film festival runs December 3-16 at the Bear Tooth, Out North, Organic Oasis, Anchorage Museum, Wilda Marston Theatre and the Alaska Dispatch Hangar.
“North America’s northernmost independent film festival celebrates its 10th event by getting movie-goers out from the cold and into the illuminating glow of hot films from around the globe.”
Sunday, 31 October 2010 – 1:02 PM
| Comments Off on Miller, Moffitt and Phelps – Oh, my!
Tea Party candidate Joe Miller was born and raised in Kansas, stayed there after high school and met his wife there. She was also raised in Kansas. Later, he attended Yale and moved to Alaska, but his world view comes from Kansas.
When I heard about Miller’s background, my first thought was, “Let’s click our heels 3 times and send him home!”
My second thought: “I wonder if he knows the Westboro clowns?”
Just because he grew up in Kansas doesn’t mean he was influenced by the Kansas “GodHatesFags” Phelps family clan, does it? No, you can’t taint a whole state because of the antics of one crazy, media-obsessed family. Alaskans know that from painful experience.
I didn’t think much of Miller and the Kansas connection until I read the Mother Jones report saying that he hired a political consultant who runs a pray-away-the-gay project… AND a hate group that thinks God will punish America for allowing gay people to be gay.
Well, heck, that sounds familiar!
Could Miller be connected to Westboro?
“We’ve got deep, deep roots in Kansas – multi-generations,” Miller said.
Miller’s parents, Rex and Sharry Miller, live in Manhattan [Kansas], where Rex used to own Christian Books & Gifts.
Manhattan, Kansas is just a few miles down the road from west Topeka, the home base of Fred Phelps’ Westboro clan. It’s a good bet that a radical Christian activist would check out the local Christian bookstores and get to know their owners.
Miller was raised in Salina and stationed at Fort Riley. His wife grew up in Junction City. These towns are just down Highway 70 from the Westboro compound.
Joe “deep roots in Kansas” Miller is now running for US Senate in Alaska. He won the GOP primary with the paid help of consultant Terry Moffitt, an extreme anti-gay activist with a goal very much like the Westboro hate group.
Moffitt is the chairman of the Family Policy Network, a group that passionately opposes homosexuality.
Moffitt’s Family Policy Network runs a project called “Hope for Homosexuals” that encourages “practicing homosexuals to ‘come out’ of that destructive lifestyle, and to ‘come home’ to the love and forgiveness of Jesus Christ… While the homosexuals celebrate their perversions, they are confronted with the truth that there is hope for deliverance in Jesus Christ.” In June, the group hired an airplane to fly a banner near Disney World during a gay outreach day that read “Jesus Christ: WWW.HOPEFORHOMOSEXUALS.COM.” It has flown this banner in other spots where there might be a collection of gays and lesbians…
The group’s guiding principles, according to its website, include opposition to all fornication and homosexuality. It denounces “any efforts to convince society that homosexual behavior or ‘being gay’ is somehow normal or natural.” The organization explains its antipathy to homosexuality “is the result of a healthy fear of God’s judgment that will otherwise be wrought on individuals who reject God’s laws and our our nation for turning a blind eye.” That puts the Family Policy Network in the extreme camp of anti-gay activists—those who believe that God could punish the United States collectively, if Americans tolerate homosexuality. (This is reminiscent of when Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson partly blamed gay rights activists for the 9/11 attack.)
Rachel Maddow covered the Miller/Moffitt story on her show before she came to Alaska. It’s the reason she was determined to interview Joe, even if she had to come all the way to Alaska and follow him around for two days until he spoke to her. Here’s her original story on Miller & Moffitt:
When she was in Alaska, Maddow asked Miller about gays being cured. He said it’s a state issue. (His absurd response is posted HERE.) So each state can decide whether or not the gay people living there can – or must – be “cured” by the dangerous and ineffective methods pushed by Moffitt.
As for Joe Miller: He isn’t in Kansas any more, and it’s up to the voters of Alaska to click our heels down to the voting booths and send him home!
Friday, 29 October 2010 – 10:35 AM
| Comments Off on McAdams to LGBT Alaska: Full Equality
Last night, the Grrlzlist, a weekly e-newsletter for the Alaska women’s community, published a special letter from Scott McAdams to the LGBT community, and this morning Bent Alaska received the link to a longer PDF version of the letter uploaded on the McAdams site:
Dear friends,
I wanted to take a moment to share with you my position on issues of importance to the LGBT community.
All Americans should have the same rights regardless of sexual orientation, and as Alaska’s next U.S. Senator, I am committed to standing up for members of the LGBT community.
I strongly believe liberty begins with the individual, from a woman’s right to choose to a persons’ right to marry their significant other regardless of sexual orientation. I believe the government has no place telling people whom they can and cannot love.
I’m also the only candidate in this race that supports the full repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Sexual orientation should not deprive anyone of the opportunity to proudly serve our country. Like many Alaskans, I am disappointed by Lisa’s weak record when it comes to standing up for equality for all Alaskans.
While Lisa says we need her seniority in the Senate, in 2010, she used her seat on the Appropriations Committee to vote with her party against every appropriations bill. Lisa voted against over $400 million in funding for critical Alaska projects and programs, including domestic violence and sexual assault prevention funding. Seniority doesn’t mean much if you put your party ahead of the interests of Alaska.
I’m also happy to report we’ve got great “McMentum.” The most recent polling is showing this race as a dead heat between Lisa and me, with Joe dropping back into third. The polling has also shown movement towards our campaign and away from Joe and Lisa among women in Anchorage. I promise if Alaskans vote their values and not their fears on Election Day, you’ll send someone who represents your interests to the U.S. Senate.
I would be proud to have your support on November 2, 2010.
Thursday, 28 October 2010 – 6:36 PM
| Comments Off on Scott or Lisa? Values, not fears
With Scott McAdams gaining in the polls and Tea Party Joe slipping, LGBT democrats and undeclareds don’t have to vote for Lisa M out of fear of Joe. We can vote for the candidate who supports equality and can win, the only candidate who will vote to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell: Scott McAdams.
Two months ago, when Joe won the primary and Lisa announced her write-in campaign, LGBT Alaskans were divided between Lisa and Scott. We agreed that we had to stop Joe, but disagreed on which other candidate had the best chance of beating him.
When DADT came up for a vote in the Senate, we flooded Lisa’s office with calls asking her to be the moderate Republican she claimed to be and vote for the repeal. When Lisa confirmed that she would have voted with the GOP filibuster to block the repeal if she’d been in D.C for the vote, we learned that LGBT Alaskans are not important to her. We gave her a chance, and she brushed us off.
But the real tipping point for many voters was Lisa’s speech in honor of Rev. Jerry Prevo, a baptist minister who built his reputation by spreading lies and hate against gays. The man bragged that his main legacy is blocking gay rights in Anchorage. And Lisa honored him!
HERE is a sample of anti-gay hate spewing from Prevo, a sermon he gave last summer against the equal rights ordinance, including the long list of insulting names he repeatedly calls us. (If you’re not familiar with Prevo, follow the link and watch the video so you know first hand why Lisa’s tribute to him is so disgusting.)
Lisa fawned all over this hater at the 39 year anniversary of his career at the temple of doom, Anchorage Baptist Temple. (Did I mention that they do exorcisms on gay kids? Really!)
Watch Lisa’s tribute to the leader of anti-gay hate in Anchorage:
“It is such an honor and a real delight to be with so many here today… So much of what we’ve seen that has been good and strong has been built right here at the Anchorage Baptist Temple by Reverend Prevo… We thank you for what you have given our community – the guidance you have shown, and the love for so many. Continue it for another 39.”
The good news is that we don’t have to settle for Lisa out of fear of Joe. We can vote for someone who will vote for us, someone who has a real chance of winning if we pull together. Vote your values, not your fears: Vote for Scott McAdams.
The very real consequences of DADT repeal; seeking survivor benefits for same-sex partner of Alaska shooting victim; waiting on SCOTUS decision about whether it will hear Prop 8 case; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
In this month’s “Ask Lambda Legal” column, Lambda Legal answers a question about the federal government’s longstanding ban against donations of blood from men who have sex with men (MSM).
Alaska Pride Conference 2012 kicks off on October 5 with a First Friday showing at Tref.Punkt Studio of Love is Love, a photographic exhibit of LGBT couples from across the state.
United for marriage: Light the way to justice. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this Tuesday and Wednesday, March 26–27, in two cases about freedom to marry. Please join us on Tuesday, March 26, at the federal courthouse in Anchorage (7th & C) in a circle united for equality.
Pariah, a critically acclaimed film about a 17-year-old African-American woman embracing her lesbian identity, will screen at UAA on Friday, November 2, and will be followed by a discussion on acceptance in honor of Mya Dale. The event is free and open to the public.
Two months ago, when Joe won the primary and Lisa announced her write-in campaign, LGBT Alaskans were divided between Lisa and Scott. We agreed that we had to stop Joe, but disagreed on which other candidate had the best chance of beating him.
