Articles by E. Ross
E. Ross is the founder of Bent Alaska.
Sitka lesbians, gays & allies for Scott McAdams
Scott McAdams is a serious contender for the U.S Senate and Lisa is trying to steal votes from him with an ad featuring her supporters from his home base of Sitka. It’s a low blow to turn someone’s neighbors against him, especially in a small town. But it doesn’t seem to be working with LGBTA Sitkans. The few gays, lesbians and out-spoken allies that I could find in Sitka are all voting for Scott.
When Scott won the democratic nomination and Joe won the GOP primary, I contacted a straight friend of my lesbian friend who used to live in Sitka. What did she think of Scott, I asked, and did she know any gay or lesbian Sitkans who might educate me on his attitude towards us?
She knew someone, and they knew someone, and we started a conversation. Three of them gave me permission to publish some of their comments – one lesbian, one gay man, and one ally – but only Mo, the ally, is comfortable including her real name with her comments. The others are ‘out’ about voting for Scott, but they (or their partners) do not want to be known as gay or lesbian to their employers.
The gay man summed up the thoughts of many LGBT Alaskans:
Scott would be a big improvement on what we have had and would get otherwise.
Our ally Mo McBride worked with Scott and had more to say:
I know Scott very well having worked in the school district he was on the board for. I will give you my impression which has its own biases… He is mayor of our city and was on the school board here for about 10 years. He has served on the statewide school board and even did some work with the national school board… I did not agree with his decisions many times when he was one the school board but I did not find him to be biased in his approach to his decisions. He has political speak which for me is like coctail speech, can talk briefly on many things and has good sound bytes but not good depth… He is a quick learner and can search out info when he wants to. He is supportive of gay issues, he has openly gay people who are working under him and they say he has not ever made that a concern for them… He is the first to say he is still learning, but he also now has experience in goveernment… I plan to vote for him even with my disagreements on his school board stuff. I think he can be an advocate for Alaska… I just hope we can keep Miller out. So my vote is for him and I think he is the most GLBT friendly vote of the three.
The lesbian and her partner both like Scott:
[My partner] liked working with Scott… I have dealt with Scott in a different capacity. He was on the local school district school board when I was a teacher within that school district. I dealt with him occasionally and it was always professional. He is our current mayor and seems to be doing okay. There have been concerns that the meetings are not as thorough and inquisitive when the assembly should be delving further into issues. Also, there are concerns that he has conflicts of interest between being mayor and working for Community Schools, which is a part of the school district. [He is currently on Leave of Absence from Community Schools, and Cheryl Westover is the new mayor.] I don’t know Scott on a friend level so I really can’t speak to more than this.
I’m pleased to hear that he attended [the LGBT Pride Conference]. I will be voting for Scott on Tuesday. There is no question about that for me.
There you have it – the word from LGBTA Sitkans: Vote for Scott McAdams!
Thanks to my Sitka friends for adding their voices to the conversation.
Scott also has a Sitka ad. Watch:
Anti-gay group targets Alaska Supreme Court Justice
Voters received a flyer today from the anti-gay Alaska Family Action with a last minute attack against state Supreme Court Justice Dana Fabe, because she agreed with the majority on several abortion and gay rights decisions that went against the agenda of the far right. Claire Rosston, an Anchorage attorney, wrote to Bent Alaska about the attack on Justice Fabe:
I am writing to bring to your attention an issue of concern to your readers. Outside special interests have launched an unfair last-minute attack on Justice Dana Fabe in an effort to try to control Alaska’s judiciary. Today, voters across Alaska received a mailer campaigning against the retention of Justice Fabe. One of the many misleading statements made in the mailer is that Justice Fabe ordered “taxpayer subsidies for same-sex partners.” In fact, Justice Fabe joined the unanimous decision of ACLU v. State, which ruled that government employees are entitled to equal compensation and benefits regardless of their sexual preference. As a result of this decision, workers who are employed by the state or a municipality and who are in committed relationships with a same sex domestic partner are eligible to receive the same employment benefits for their domestic partners that a married employee receives for a spouse.
Justice Fabe currently chairs the Alaska Supreme Court’s Fairness, Diversity and Equality Committee, which seeks to ensure that the promise of “justice for all” is a reality for all Alaskans.
The attack on Justice Fabe is led by Alaska Family Action, Inc., whose top contributor is Citizen Link, a Colorado-based “family advocacy” organization. Another organization that has been identified as a top contributor is the American Family Association, a Mississippi-based “pro-family” organization. Alaska Family Action launched its attack just two weeks before the election–no doubt designed to ensure that Justice Fabe has little time to respond or correct the record.
Citizen Link is the activist arm of Focus on the Family. Likewise, Alaska Family Action is the activist arm of the Alaska Family Council, both run by Jim Minnery whose cousin Tom Minnery is senior vice president of Focus on the Family, a top outside contributor to the Alaska anti-gay lobby.
An editorial spat has broken out in the pages of the Anchorage and Fairbanks newspapers about Justice Fabe and the importance of a non-partisan judiciary. Alex Bryner, a former state supreme court justice, summed up the issue:
They do not attack her for doing her job poorly; they attack her for disobeying their particular agenda… Alaska’s voters must resist this threat by casting informed votes based on the merits of Justice Fabe’s history of judicial performance, not on her willingness to obey pressures exerted by vested interests funded outside Alaska.
To learn more about Justice Fabe, visit www.yesonfabe.com.
Miller to Maddow on gay rights: "I wanna be straight with you"
No. Not here because we have… 3-4 gay bars here in this small town of Anchorage, and probably over half of the people that’s in these campaigns are secretly gay but they won’t come out. So we don’t really have a anti-gay movement here like they have in other places because… diversity runs big here, very very big here, so we don’t have that problem.
Cheryl Wheeler performs in Alaska this week
Alaskans have two chances to see singer/songwriter Cheryl Wheeler: a solo show in Palmer on Wednesday, and a combined show with Dan Tyminski in Anchorage on Saturday.
Cheryl Wheeler writes folk music and love songs that have been performed by many other singers, for example Dan Seals and Chris LeDoux. But she’s also known for her comedy songs, including humorous ditties about potatoes, politics and religion. From “Dubya, Dubya” to “Lady Gaga’s Singing Program” and “Your God”, she entertains audiences with funny stories and songs in between the love and folk songs.
Cheryl and her wife Cathleen were married in 2004:
Since Cheryl lives in Massachusetts, she and Cathleen were able to get married. Cheryl’s sister flew up for the ceremony. When talking about the experience during her shows, Cheryl has mentioned that they are both surprised how different they feel now that they are married. They had assumed it wouldn’t make that much difference (other than legal issues), but have come to find out that being married really does make a difference.
Watch a music video of Aces, a classic Cheryl Wheeler song:
AFL-CIO: It Gets Better
AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka speaks out against discrimination in the workplace and in support of the It Gets Better Project. He connects anti-gay school bullying to job discrimination, and encourages us to Make It Better by standing together for fairness and equality. (For a local example of this message, the Alaska AFL-CIO is working to unseat anti-worker & anti-gay Rep. Kelly.)
Watch:
E Pluribus Unum
Measure 1: Redistricting is an LGBT Alaskan issue
– a guest post by Maxine Doogan on Ballot Measure 1: a Constitutional Amendment to Increase the Number of Alaska State Legislators and Districts
Redistricting is the process of redrawing congressional and legislative district boundaries to reflect population changes based on the 2010 census information gathered every 10 years. This state constitutional amendment would expand the current State House Representatives from 40 to 44 and the State Senate from 20 to 22. When redistricting is done correctly, it should maximize the impact of one person, one vote. Redistricting is done to make sure no district is larger by population than another. It also groups people with common interest such as belonging to a rural or economic area and is critical in determining the makeup of the governing bodies. Representatives have to make sure that all parts of their district’s needs are being served. And the degree of support and opposition to LGBT related legislation could be determined by the redrawing of district line.
One of the concerns for passing this ballot measure is recognizing the difference in population from the bush communities to the larger cities and assuring rural community members continue to get enough representation. If this ballot measure doesn’t pass, resources to serve the current population could be spread too thin. If this ballot measure does pass there will be costs incurred for the additional staff, offices and travel. However, we generally don’t put a price tag on democratizing representation.
Making sure the redistricting process is democratic is important. This constitutional amendment was put before the voters by bipartisan support and opposed primarily by Republicans. It is our responsibility as part of the LGBT community to ensure the passing of redistricting legislation, as it effects our population and will ensure the voices of all LGBT people get heard. We must ALL turn out our vote and cast our ballots for governor and legislators who support the LGBT community. In doing so, we will decide whether Democrats or Republicans will dominate the State governing bodies and therefore have a say in the redrawing of state and federal political borders for the new decade.
With fair-minded voters voting for fair minded candidates, extremists cannot lock-up or lock-out certain interests for the next decade. Measure 1 needs our immediate response and support to ensure our voice gets heard now and for years to come. If this legislation is blocked by extremists, it will not be good for the LGBT community and the effects will be felt for the next decade. If this constitutional amendment passes, there will be more representation that reflects our best interests and Democrats have traditionally shown the LGBT community that they take our concerns seriously when we care enough to show up at the polls and tell them so.
Early voting and In-Person Absentee Voting is available now. Don’t wait till the last minute.
Vote on November 2nd and Vote Blue
Rachel Maddow in Alaska Tomorrow!
Grab a Redbull and buckle up, Buttercup. The Rachel Maddow Show is coming to Anchorage! Apparently, our tight, 3-way US Senate Race is generating a lot of national interest. Rachel did a great 10 minute segment on our crazy race last week… [posted Friday on Bent HERE]So, here are the details. Rachel will be broadcasting live from the new home of Moore Up North, Taproot, TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 5:00 pm.
Not In Our Town: Juneau
The members of the Juneau Human Rights Commission have been working this past year on developing a Juneau Human Rights coalition of organizations and individuals here in Juneau. Juneau has many people of different ethnic origins and nationalities whom, in the past, have been victims of discrimination. Nationally, there has been an increase in groups promoting hate crimes towards racial minorities, gays and lesbians, and those of different religions and ethnic backgrounds. Bullying in schools has continued to plague communities around the country. To counter these concerns and to develop opportunity for dialogue among our citizens, the Juneau Human Rights Commission proposes to develop a local Human Rights Coalition.
The impetus for this has come from the efforts of the people in Billings, Montana, to confront hate crimes in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. When violence against racial, ethnic and religious minorities exploded in Billings, the people of that city, through various groups and as individuals, drew together to demonstrate their belief in the pluralistic values that have been the bedrock of our nation. They dubbed their efforts, “Not In Our Town”. Since then, “Not In Our Town” has become a national movement emulated in communities and cities across the country.The Commission members here in Juneau want to foster that movement here in Juneau for many reasons. We want to foster a high level of understanding, support and acceptance of all members of our community. We want there to be a forum where issues can be discussed. We want to support the school district in its efforts at reducing bullying in the schools.To better understand the nature of such a coalition and how it functions, we have invited Eran Thompson to speak at the Egan Library on the evening of November 3. Eran is from Billings, and while he wasn’t there during the initial period of the early 1990’s, Eran is current president of their “Not in Our Town” coalition. He will speak on the formation of the coalition, what it does, who belongs, how it relates to the community, and how it provides a forum for issues that Billings confronts.
Obama: It Gets Better. Dan Savage: Thanks, now Make It Better
Over 10 million people viewed the It Gets Better project started by columnist Dan Savage, millions participated in Spirit Day events wearing purple to raise awareness of anti-gay bullying, and thousands attended vigils for the gay teens who killed themselves recently. Yet the suicides continue, with another gay teen taking his life this week.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton uploaded an It Gets Better message on Tuesday, and President Obama followed with his message on Thursday. They are strong messages against prejudice and in support of LGBT youth.
Clinton’s video was appreciated as the highest level government official to join the project at the time, while Obama’s message sparked anger in the LGBT community because the good words are contradicted by his lack of action on behalf of gay rights.
Watch President Obama’s It Gets Better video:
The It Gets Better project is about kids, anti-gay bullying and suicide prevention. This is the first time a sitting president has told gay youth that there is nothing wrong with them. He is a good speaker and his message can reach many people, including those who might not have heard this kind of message before and those who have been told otherwise. A speech like this from the president has the ability to save lives, and that’s what the It Gets Better project is all about.
Now it’s time to follow those words with deeds that actually make it better for LGBT youth and adults.
On Friday, Dan Savage responded to President Obama’s video, voicing the mixed feelings expressed by the LGBT community:
Thanks to Dan Savage and his husband for creating a project that brings national attention to the problem of anti-LGBT discrimination and the harm it causes our youth and our society.
