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.
Alaska Pride Conference 2011: A photo essay
Mel Green spent most of yesterday at Alaska Pride Conference 2011, held on the Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage. The Alaska Pride Conference is an annual day-long event held in Anchorage filled with workshops, speakers, vendors, and great food.
LGBT books well-represented during Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week is an annual celebration of the freedom to read, while simultaneously pointing out the dangers of censorship by spotlighting books challenged and often actually banned from libraries in the U.S. As usual, books challenged for LGBT content or themes are well-represented.
Alaskans celebrate the end of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
Alaskan soldiers & Senator Begich reflect on the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, which ended on Tuesday, and the LGBT community celebrates at two local events.
Judge rules for three gay couples in Alaska property tax case
“Alaska’s gay and lesbian couples who are senior citizens or disabled veterans pay higher property taxes than similar heterosexual couples,” E. Ross wrote last August, “because we are treated like roommates or business partners instead of couples and families.” Now the lawsuit described in that story — Bent Alaska’s first on the lawsuit by three same-sex couples against Alaska’s biased property tax — has resulted in a victory in Anchorage Superior Court, the ACLU of Alaska announced today.
Homes for Our Troops: “Money from the fundraiser was lost” (Andrew Caleb “Drew” Pritt aka Diedra)
Questions emerged over the weekend about missing funds from a fundraiser held last month to raise money for the charity Homes for Our Troops (HFOT). The fundraiser, dubbed “Home for an Alaskan Hero,” was intended to help complete building of a fully accessible home for Army Sergeant Latseen Benson of Chugiak, who lost his legs to an improvised explosive device (IED) in Iraq in November 2005. Latseen is the son of Alaska politician Diane Benson, an ally of the LGBT community.
One Anchorage campaign to begin gathering signatures
About 50 people gathered last night in Waldron Hall at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage to learn about One Anchorage, the campaign by Equality Works to add sexual orientation and transgender identity to the Anchorage equal rights code through a ballot initiative. The initiative, if successful, will provide the same legal protections against discrimination already provided in Anchorage on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and mental disability. The One Anchorage campaign was announced on September 1.
University students take the lead
University students around the state are kicking into gear — with classes, but also with activities, organizing, and leadership development.
Prevo divorce documents raise “loosey-goosey” questions about Anchorage Baptist Temple house
Court documents in the divorce of Allen Prevo, son of Anchorage Baptist Temple pastor Jerry Prevo, and Holly Jo Prevo raise questions about ABT religious exemption housing. Or, in the judge’s words, “if there was a tax appraiser or a reporter from the Anchorage Daily News, things would not look good… it’s pretty loosey-goosey to me.”
LGBTQA students ready for a new academic year at University of Alaska campuses
New and returning University students around the state are getting ready for a new academic year, and LGBTQA students are no exception. Students at University of Alaska campuses will be enjoying something they didn’t have this time last year: protection from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. University of Alaska Regents passed an amendment to UA’s nondiscrimination policy last February 18 after two periods of testimony at University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA).
Vote Saturday for Coronation!
Coronation is coming up! — and Bent will soon have the full Coronation schedule of events up on its calendar. But before you can have coronation, you’ve got to have new heads of state to crown! Here are the details on where and when to vote.
