Articles in Anchorage
Director Rolla Selbak and “Three Veils” starring Sheetal Sheth, in Anchorage 6/11
Out North is hosting a special one-night screening of the film “Three Veils” on June 11 at 7pm, and filmmaker Rolla Selbak will be there.
Passover LGBT potluck, a kosher chef challenge
Congregation Beth Sholom in Anchorage is hosting a Passover Potluck on Friday, April 22, for LGBT Jews and their friends and families. This is a Passover Dinner — it is NOT a Seder. Everybody is welcome. You don’t have to be Jewish; you don’t have to be invited by anyone.
Fetish Ball 2011
What’s better than having a fetish? Having a night devoted entirely to FETISH!
Saturday is Fetish Ball 2011: The Fall of Rome – Caligula’s Revenge. Come in theme, or as your own fetish. Either way, it’s a night you won’t forget. The people are the show!
The Fall of Rome – Caligula’s Revenge is Saturday, April 9 at Mad Myrna’s, beginning at 8pm. Admission is $15.
The Fetish Ball is an annual benefit for the Four A’s during their $1 Million Challenge food bank fundraiser.
Four A’s and the $1 Million Challenge
Four A’s is participating in The Feinstein Foundation’s spring food bank challenge again this year. Your donations to Four A’s this month will help them qualify for a larger amount of the challenge funds.
At least 3 allies re-elected to the assembly
Three of the four pro-equality assembly members were re-elected by Anchorage voters on Tuesday, with solid leads over Mayor Sullivan’s conservative challengers.
The preliminary election results show assembly allies Elvi Gray-Jackon, Harriet Drummond and Patrick Flynn being re-elected, while the East Anchorage race between incumbent Mike Gutierrez and challenger Adam Trombley is too close to call. As of this writing, Trombley leads Gutierrez by about 250 votes.
Dave Bronson of the Alaska Family Council was soundly defeated by Assemblywoman Elvi Gray-Jackson, who won with a margin of over 15% of the vote.
Two assembly members who oppose equality – Bill Starr and Chris Birch – were also re-elected.
In the school board races, Gretchen Guess has a good lead over Treg Taylor, while Pat Higgins leads Bob Griffin by 186 votes.
Absentee ballots will be counted on April 15.
Vasquez may respect your ‘lifestyle’ but not your rights
West Anchorage assembly candidate Liz Vasquez was asked at the UAA forum if she supports an LGBT non-discrimination law, and she gave an awkward reply about the Supreme Court, lifestyles, and hate crimes against religious minorities. Here is her complete answer: (transcript is below the video)
Q. Would you support an equal right ordinance extending equal protections to gay, lesbian and transgender persons in Alaska’s workforce, similar to the proposition Mayor Sullivan vetoed in 2009?
A. “Well, first of all, a question like this should be decided by the state supreme court or the United States Supreme Court. There’s an extensive analysis that is done in extended [sic] protected class to any given group and indeed part of the analysis, what socio-economic factors have been of hinderance to this particular group, and the recent Department of Justice, United States Department of Justice studies indicate that 80% of the hate crime is committed against individuals of the Jewish faith, 10% is committed against those individuals of the Muslim faith. So the assembly really is not the forum to consider this very serious issue. I do believe sincerely that people need to respect each others’ lifestyle, as long as people are not hurting other people.”
Wow. Let’s take it apart:
“Well, first of all, a question like this should be decided by the state supreme court or the United States Supreme Court.”
This is a shocking statement coming from a conservative. Alaskans don’t want the federal government telling us what to do about polar bears, health care or education, but somehow we need big government to interfere in the daily lives of our workers and local businesses. Never thought I’d hear a conservative say that.
Look, it’s simple: The Anchorage Assembly doesn’t need permission from the U.S. Supreme Court to make city laws protecting city residents. It doesn’t work that way.
“There’s an extensive analysis that is done in extended [sic] protected class to any given group and indeed part of the analysis, what socio-economic factors have been of hinderance to this particular group, and the recent Department of Justice, United States Department of Justice studies indicate that 80% of the hate crime is committed against individuals of the Jewish faith, 10% is committed against those individuals of the Muslim faith.”
First of all – WTF?? 80% of American hate crimes are not against Jewish people. I’d guess that around half of the hate crimes in America are based on racial prejudice, and that the other half are about equally divided between hate crimes based on anti-LGBT bias and those based on bias against religious minorities. Turns out that I’m (mostly) right. (Thanks to Alaska Commons for the DOJ link, and the audio clip.)
In truth, slightly less than 14% of hate crimes are targeted against Americans because they’re Jewish – a serious problem, but not Nazi Germany.
We’ve cleared up that lie, but the main point here is that she (mis)quoted hate crime statistics against religious groups when asked about protecting workers from being fired for being gay. Either she doesn’t know the difference between job discrimination and being beaten up, or that was her convoluted way of saying that prejudice against religious minorities is important but prejudice against gays isn’t.
“So the assembly really is not the forum to consider this very serious issue.”
The Assembly is exactly the right place to have an Anchorage discussion about protecting Anchorage workers. It’s hard to believe that a candidate running for the assembly would say that the assembly should not consider serious issues.
“I do believe sincerely that people need to respect each others’ lifestyle, as long as people are not hurting other people.”
Ow. This sentence hurts my brain. It’s a people word salad. All she needs is a “you betcha” at the end.
The West Anchorage candidates for assembly are worlds apart on LGBT issues: ally and incumbent Harriet Drummond voted for the non-discrimination ordinance in 2009 and will continue to support equality. Liz won’t.
Please vote for Assemblywoman Harriet Drummond for the West Anchorage assembly seat.
Yes, Anchorage, there WILL be an Election Central this year!
You know I have been lucky to live and work in many states in the political process. But Alaska is unique in the fact that when elections occur, Alaskans of all political persuasions gather with the candidates themselves, supporters, the media, and everyone watches the votes come in. It’s a chance to witness democracy at its finest. This is the gathering known as Election Central.
So I was disturbed when I heard that Mayor Dan “The one we should Ban” Sullivan had not approved funding for the traditional Election Central.
Maybe he wants everyone to adjourn to a certain pub he is part-owner of downtown, so he can make a profit during the evening?
Maybe because he has personally attempted to defeat three members of the Anchorage Assembly with his own candidates, he may have jitters and doesn’t want to face the press as well as three emboldened and perturbed re-elected members of the Assembly, if the votes pile up against his choices.
Maybe he really is a fiscal conservative and feels any displays of democracy are too frivolous?
Who knows… but that’s why I sprang into action. I contacted a local member of our community, Douglas Locke — the owner of Kodiak Bar & Grill, who graciously donated the use of the A Street Event Hall and refreshments. The facility was a Centergy Office, Congregationalist Church, and most recently the Steinway Piano Studio.
It is located between 6th and 7th streets at 637 A Street. See map.
There’s plenty of parking, the facility is ADA-certified, and you can’t miss it with the orange awnings. There will be press, candidates, and a wonderful example of how democracy still works in this nation.
I have no idea at the writing of this post who will win on Tuesday. I don’t care if you are liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, Coffee or Tea… just go vote. And after the polls close, come join your fellow Alaskans at the party.
To make a pun on Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, let me close by saying, Yes Anchorage, there will be an Election Central this year!!!
See the Facebook event page for more information.
Anchorage election: Assembly and school board candidates to vote for
Anchorage voters going to the polls Tuesday will see pro-equality assembly members up for re-election in 4 districts, a supportive challenger, and 2 good school board candidates on the ballot, running against a slate of anti-gay candidates endorsed by Mayor Sullivan. Here are Bent Alaska’s recommendations.
k.d. lang & Lily Tomlin in Anchorage & Fairbanks 2011-12 concert season
OMG! k.d. lang is coming to Anchorage! Swoon.
Two lesbian icons are on the calendar for the Anchorage Concert Association’s ’11-12 season: k.d.lang opens the season with two concerts in September, and Lily Tomlin performs her one woman comedy show on the last night of March 2012.
The season also includes Broadway shows and an impressive array of music. Subscription tickets are on sale now, and individual tickets for k.d. lang will be on sale in June.
Update: Both k.d. lang and Lily Tomlin are also performing one show each in Fairbanks for the Fairbanks Concert Association’s 2011-2012 season! k.d. croons on Thursday September 15, and Lily will make you laugh on Friday, March 30.
k.d. langFriday – Saturday, September 16-17, 2011
7:30pm
Atwood Concert Hall
Four time Grammy Award winner k.d. lang is bringing her perfect pitch to Anchorage. lang launched her career with a blend of country-rock styling and a playful punk-like attitude, but it’s her voice that makes her stand out. 20 years after she burst onto the music scene that flawless, smooth-as-silk voice, continues to impress audiences and critics alike throughout the entertainment world. Don’t miss what promises to be enthralling performance that will touch your soul.
Lily TomlinSaturday, March 31, 2012
7:30pm
Atwood Concert Hall
The incomparable Lily Tomlin brings many of her classic characters to life in a one-woman show. One of America’s foremost comediennes, Tomlin continues to venture across an ever-widening range of media starring in television, theater, motion pictures, and even animation. Throughout her extraordinary entertainment career, Tomlin has received numerous awards, including six Emmys, a Tony, a Grammy and winner of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for Humor in 2003. She continues to be at forefront of American comedy even after more than 30 years in the business.
**
I don’t know if Lily Tomlin has been to Alaska before, but k.d. lang has: parts of her movie Salmonberries were filmed here (it takes place in Kotzebue), and I posted the love song Barefoot on Valentine’s Day last year. Watch it again.
Choose Respect: LGBTs march against domestic violence and sexual assault on March 31
The Choose Respect Rainbow Group in Fairbanks is joining in to march against domestic violence and sexual assault in Fairbanks on March 31, one of forty communities statewide that are holding Choose Respect marches as part of the Governor’s Choose Respect campaign.
What’s special about the Rainbow Group? They want to their presence to bring awareness that domestic violence can affect ANYONE, including members of the GLBT community. To that end, Fairbanks marchers will have rainbow sashes that say “We Choose Respect.” If you want a sash, message kara7@hotmail.com so organizers can make sure there are enough. (If anyone wants to coordinate a groups in Anchorage or Juneau, let her know!)
- Date/time: Thursday, March 31, 2011, at noon
- Locations:
Fairbanks: Golden Heart Plaza (map)
Anchorage: from the Delaney Park Strip (9th and F) to Town Square Park
Juneau: from the Capitol Steps to Marine Park - Further info: See Facebook events page for the Rainbow Group, or the Governor’s Choose Respect page through which you can also find locations for Choose Respect events in other communities throughout Alaska.
Last month Tiffany McClain wrote an article at the Pride Foundation website about domestic and sexual violence between members of the same sex:
Did you know that domestic violence happens in same-sex relationships at about the same rate as in straight relationships?
Have you ever considered how homophobia and the lack of legal protection from discrimination might discourage an LGBTQ victim of domestic violence from getting help for fear of being “outed” or did you know that the most common type of male-to-male rape is the rape of a man who is perceived to be gay by a heterosexual man?
She went on to describe how the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA) in 2008, with a grant from the Pride Foundation, developed a curriculum to help Alaskan direct service workers provide effective care to LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence.
ANDVSA’s pamphlet Outing LGBTQ Intimate Partner Violence details some of the ways that domestic violence plays itself out in our relationships. Read the pamphlet: become aware. And if you recognize any of the problems listed in the pamphlet in your life, please get help.
And join marchers tomorrow as they call for all Alaskans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, to CHOOSE RESPECT.
