Articles by Melissa S. Green
Melissa S. (Mel) Green is the editor (as of October 2011) & contributor to Bent Alaska. She also has her own blog at Henkimaa.com.
Harm at the center
Self-hatred — including, for many of us, internalized homophobia and transphobia — is the harm at the very center of us. Love others as you love yourself, but first: love yourself. Let no one convince you to do otherwise.
More Americans support than oppose same-sex marriage
For the first time, more Americans support than oppose same-sex marriage, according to the 2010 General Social Survey.
Alaska Hate Crimes Act: My letter in support of SB11
Hate crimes: They can happey anytime, anywhere.Today the Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee is hearing testimony on Senate Bill 11, the the Alaska Hate Crimes Act. In spite of the fact that the bill addresses hate crimes based on a number of personal characteristics, the factually incorrect “action alert” sent by Jim Minnery of Alaska Family Council to his supporters yesterday focused exclusively on sexual orientation and gender identity.
University of Alaska Regents vote 8–2 to add sexual orientation to UA nondiscrimination policy
By a vote of 8 to 2, the University of Alaska Regents this morning added sexual orientation to the UA Regents’ Policies on nondiscrimination. Students, faculty, and staff of the statewide public university system have been asking for years for such a policy change, led in particular by students at the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.
UA Regents to consider adding “sexual orientation” to non-discrimination policy
A proposed revision to University of Alaska’s non-discrimination policy to include “sexual orientation” is among a number of items to be considered during the Board of Regents two-day meeting at Lee Gorsuch Commons on the University of Alaska Anchorage campus this Thursday and Friday.
Chuck O’Connell 1942–2011
The Anchorage LGBT community joins other friends and family members in mourning the loss of our friend and ally Chuck O’Connell, who died unexpectedly early last Thursday morning.
Fairbanks fundraiser for gay cabbie injured in assault
Early on the morning of Thursday, January 13, Johnmichael, a driver for Eagle Cabs in Fairbanks, was beaten in the face with the claw side of a hammer. His assailant, Robert Charles Evans, is in jail charged with first degree assault and first degree robbery. Both charges are class A felonies in Alaska, and could garner Evans a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
Anchorage’s LGBT Discrimination Survey
The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey, now in progress, is the first effort since the late 1980s to compile rigorous data about the incidence of sexual orientation bias and discrimination in Anchorage — and the first effort ever to document Anchorage or Alaska-specific data about discrimination and bias on the basis of gender identity. Originally published as an op-ed in the Anchorage Press on Thursday, January 27, 2011.
Pentagon’s DADT report to be released today
The Pentagon Working Group’s comprehensive report on gays/lesbians in the military and the possible repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell will be released today.
Murkowski: “I will not oppose the Defense Authorization bill if DADT repeal is part of it”
A friend who has spoken with Sen. Lisa Murkowski told me that she’d directly said to him, “We’re going to fight for your issues.” But as shown in comments broadcast last night on Anchorage’s CBS affiliate, KTVA Channel 11, the closest she’s able to come in public to saying what she said privately to my friend is more along the lines of, “I’m not going to fight you on your issues.”
