Articles in Anchorage
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.
Equality in Anchorage: What’s it mean? Who gets to decide?
What does “equality” for LGBTQ people in Anchorage mean? Who are the “stakeholders” and “allies” in the process of trying to gain it? These are some of the questions guest blogger Maxine Doogan is asking about the Anchorage LGBTQA Town Hall meeting to be held Wednesday evening in Anchorage.
Anchorage LGBTQA Town Hall meeting to be held Wednesday evening
What are the best means and methods for advancing LGBTQ equality in Anchorage? A ballot initiative or ordinance effort? Boots on the ground organizing? Working with the faith community, businesses, etc.? A combination of strategies? These are some of the topics to be discussed at an LGBTQA town hall meeting Wednesday evening in Anchorage.
The meeting has been publicized widely within the LGBTQA community on Facebook and in email, including in Bent Alaska’s Facebook profile. One of the meeting’s organizers is Bent Alaska coadministrator Mel Green — which account for her relative silence on our blog recently.
This meeting is ONLY for people — LGBTQ and allies — who have a commitment to advancing equality for lesbian/gay/bisexual/trans/queer/questioning people in the Municipality of Anchorage.
If you are a stakeholder in this process, whether you are an LGBTQ individual, a representative of an organization, an elected official, a non-LGBTQ ally with friends, family, coworkers you care about — we invite you to attend and participate in collaborative decisionmaking about how to advance our common cause.
This is a private event. We ask that people who are members of the media — bloggers as well as as regular press — attend only if you can attend as an individual stakeholder, not in your job capacity.
The meeting will be facilitated by Deacon Sara Gavit of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.
- Time/date: Wednesday, August 17. Doors open 6:00 PM; meeting begins 6:30 PM.
- Location: A Street Event Hall, 637 A Street (see map)
- Further info: Anchorage LGBTQA Town Hall group on Facebook, or contact Mel or Carolyn at lgbtqapartnership @ gmail.com. (Remove spaces in email address.)
Drag and variety show nets $3,170 toward an Alaska vet’s home
Editor’s note, 9/20/11: This fundraiser was organized by Andrew Caleb Pritt (aka A. Caleb Pritt, Andrew Pritt, Caleb Pritt, Drew Pritt, Diedra, Diedra Windsor Walker, Diedra Richards, Diedra Richards Ho Jenkins), a former contributor to Bent Alaska, who is also author of this press release. Neither Homes for Our Troops nor the Latseen Benson family received the monies raised at this fundraiser. For further info, see the story Homes for Our Troops: “Money from the fundraiser was lost” (Caleb Pritt) by Mel Green (Bent Alaska, 9/19/11).
Home for an Alaska hero: A fundraiser for Sgt. Latseen Benson
Editor’s note, 9/20/11: This fundraiser was organized by Andrew Caleb Pritt (aka A. Caleb Pritt, Andrew Pritt, Caleb Pritt, Drew Pritt, Diedra, Diedra Windsor Walker, Diedra Richards, Diedra Richards Ho Jenkins), a former contributor to Bent Alaska, who is also author of this press release. Neither Homes for Our Troops nor the Latseen Benson family received the monies raised at this fundraiser. For further info, see the story Homes for Our Troops: “Money from the fundraiser was lost” (Caleb Pritt) by Mel Green (Bent Alaska, 9/19/11).
Identity’s Phyllis Rhodes featured by I’m From Driftwood
Identity’s Phyllis Rhodes was interviewed last November by the I’m From Driftwood Story Tour about Identity, LGBT youth from the villages, and creating a “family of choice” in Alaska.
Bent Alaska readers might remember the I’m From Driftwood Story Tour that was in Alaska last November 9-12. Launched in the Spring of 2009 and inspired by the film “Milk”, I’m From Driftwood collects and shares true lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender stories from all over the world to help LGBT youth realize they’re not alone.
One of the Alaskans the folks from I’m From Driftwood spoke with when they were in Anchorage was Phyllis Rhodes, Executive Director of Identity, Inc. And they posted the video of their interview with her today! I’m From Driftwood writes,
Phyllis Rhodes is simply awesome. She’s the Executive Director of Identity, Anchorage’s LGBT Center, and has a heart of gold. I wish every LGBTQ Alaskan would go pay her a visit because I know they would feel better afterwards. Alaska is lucky to have her.
We completely agree!
Check out some of the other Alaska stories featured by I’m From Driftwood.
Choosing Alaska: Great community, but harassment at work is common
Why do you live in Alaska?
We recently posted a letter from a graduate student who grew up in Alaska, went outside for college, and is considering whether or not to return and start a professional career here. The student asked for advice from openly-LGBT Alaskans who returned after college. What is it like to be an out professional in Alaska?
Our readers responded, sharing their reasons for living in Alaska and their experiences as LGBT people here. Some grew up in Alaska, others moved here as adults. Some live in the cities, others in small towns or the Bush. Some are Native, some are not. We’re posting their stories together in a new series called Choosing Alaska.
The first response was from Alaskan Amber who began college outside but returned to study at UAA and work in Anchorage.
# # #
I did not graduate from a university out of state but rather I went out and came back during college. I went to Salem, Oregon to Willamette University my first year. I found a very liberal community with professors who were more concerned with their own research and success than their students no matter what issues or topics their students raised. I found a community of people who were very accepting as long as you agreed with them. I was not ready to confront my family about being gay and I did not want to make myself “look lesbian” as the Gay student club there wanted their members to look. I was essentially shunned for this. I returned to Alaska to go to UAA and I found the opposite here.
Alaska as a whole is more conservative but the community at UAA and the Anchorage LGBTQA community embraced me to the point that I consider many of its members family. They supported me for who I am and did not push me beyond my comfort zone. They did encourage me to expand my comfort zone which allowed me to talk to my biological family after time. I have been working here in Alaska since the day I returned from Oregon.
Every environment I have been in has contained coworkers that were blatantly against the LGBT community. In some of the environments in larger corporations this was revealed in passing statements regarding something on the news or an upcoming event that was discussed in the break room. In the smaller environments, such as the family run law office I worked in for over two years, the coworkers have been much more harsh and rarely addressed if addressed at all for their hatred and inappropriate comments while on the clock. The comments turned into hateful actions toward me in two offices. One office it was immediately addressed and never occurred again. The other office, the aforementioned law office, the coworker’s behavior was only addressed once even though I complained to management multiple times and I finally ended up quitting. She is still employed at the office.
Some environments are totally accepting and there are no issues even if coworkers are hateful. It depends on the management and whether they are both accepting and willing to step in if necessary.
# # #
Thanks, Amber!
What is your experience of being LGBT in Alaska? Leave a comment below, or email us directly at Bent Alaska @ gmail .com (without the spaces), and we will include your response in a follow up post. And if you have another topic you’d like to see on Bent Alaska, please tell us about it!
Alaska hearts Pink Dot
Anchorage joined cities around the world on June 18 when we gathered a circle of people wearing pink – a human Pink Dot – in an Anchorage park to support the Freedom to Love. In addition to the dot, we made a big heart in honor of Love. Pink Dot Anchorage was an official Alaska PrideFest event. Here’s the wrap up report and photo from Pink Dot Anchorage Alaska.
This weekend in LGBTQ Alaska (7/29/11): Fairbanks Ducal Ball & Hedwig’s last weekend
This weekend’s big events in Fairbanks are a late morning bar-hopping float down the Chena River and the Fairbanks Ducal Ball at the Blue Loon. In Anchorage, it’s the very last weekend to see Out North’s production of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” Those events and more, plus a preview of what’s coming up next week.
Wanda Sykes + k.d. lang = Best. Weekend. Ever.
OMG! Wanda’s coming to Anchorage! Tickets are on sale now for the Dena’ina Center on Sept 17… oh, wait… that’s the same date as k.d. lang’s second night at the PAC. Whose idea was that? Where is the Lesbian Coordinating Committee when you need it?
Well, if you’re lucky enough to have tickets for k.d. lang’s Friday concert, then get your Wanda tickets for Saturday and you’ll be ready for a weekend of amazing entertainment with a lesbian twist, right here in Anchorage.
Wanda Sykes has been called “one of the funniest stand up comics” by her peers and ranks among Entertainment Weekly’s 25 Funniest People in America.
Her HBO Special “I’ma Be Me” has been nominated for Two Primetime Emmys. She’s already won 4 Emmys for other projects. Watch the awards on August 29 to see if she wins again.
In addition to her three television specials – “Wanda Sykes: Im’a Be Me”, “Wanda Sykes: Sick and Tired”, and “Tongue Untied,” all available on DVD – she can also be seen on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and heard on Comedy Central’s “Crank Yankers” as the voice of Gladys Murphy.
In June, she was honored with the first Hope of L.A. award presented by Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa to celebrate the city’s LGBT Heritage Month.
Watch this hilarious clip from “I’ma Be Me” on coming out Black to her parents:
And this clip on how anyone could believe Sarah Palin’s “death panels” meme:
Don’t miss this show!
Wanda Sykes in Anchorage
Another Northern Stage Production
When: Sept 17 at 8pm
Where: Dena’ina Civic & Convention Center
600 W 7th Avenue, Anchorage, Alaska
Cost: $48.50 and $68.50
(Actual price: $59.55 and $80.35 with the fees.)
Tickets available at Ticketmaster.com, the Sports Arena (named after the mayor who vetoed our rights), and Fred Meyer ticket outlets.
More Info: Wanda Sykes home page and the Anchorage event.
