Articles in Anchorage
Gay AK: Music, Dance, Free Food & Guest Bloggers
Meet actress Sheetal Sheth at her Alaska film premiere
Yes, it’s true! Join this hot actress for a Q&A session following her girl-gets-girl action in the Alaska premiere of two award-winning lesbian movies, I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen, playing as a double-feature at Out North on October 8 & 10. And it’s a benefit! Tickets go on sale at Metro in September.
The timing is great. It’s right before National Coming Out Day (Oct 11) and the same weekend as the annual Alaska Pride Conference (Oct 9 at APU in Anchorage) and the biannual Womyn’s Dance (Oct 9 at the Snow Goose). With the conference all day on Saturday, the dance Saturday night, and the films and Sheetal on Friday and Sunday, you’ll definitely want to Come Out and join us!
Maureen Suttman is the organizer of the premiere. She chose I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen (see the trailers below) partly because of their rich multi-cultural perspectives and the long term lesbian couple who created the films. She wrote to Bent Alaska:
They have earned over 30 international awards AND haven’t been screened here. I happened to cross emails with Sheetal and stepped out there and invited her, and she has been saying “yes” for the last 2 months about coming here. Alaska sure does help in sparking interest.
Last spring, I saw 2 films that have been gaining the attention of both lesbians and the greater GLBT community. One set in London and a romantic comedy, the other set in South Africa and a drama, they both take on multiple layers of culture without losing underlying relationship themes — and while bringing tremendous heart and thought provoking images to the screen. Looking more, I found that between the two films they have won over 30 awards from around the globe. Further research into the production house behind them showed that at its helm are 2 women who are long-term domestic partners (and moms to their boys). Shamim Sarif is an award winning novel writer turned screen writer turned director. Hanan Kattan is her partner and the films’ producer. Together they head London-based Enlightenment Productions and are gearing up additional novels to movies, music and television projects.
Thinking others here would be interested in the films and the women behind them, I found myself compelled to show them in Anchorage. I sought out permission from EP’s main office and am happy to report that on October 8th and 10th there will be a benefit screening of the films I Can’t Think Straight and The World Unseen at Out North. In addition, and by an incredible stroke of good luck, Sheetal Sheth — co-star of both films (and NOH8 campaign supporter!) is coming to join us and will be available for audience Q&A and after-film conversation. Tickets will go on sale at Metro Music and Books in September.
Since the films’ releases, Sheetal’s co-star Lisa Ray was diagnosed with multiple myeloma and underwent stem cell replacement treatment. Though now in remission, she was unable to work throughout treatment. Out of concern for her, there was an outpouring of fan support and a project to generate income for her was set up. The benefit film screenings will support both the Lisa Ray audio book project fund, as well as our own Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage.
“Check out Enlightenment Productions for more info on the films and the very creative gals behind them. More information on the Lisa Ray audio book project can be seen on Shamim Sarif’s blog.”
“Check out Sheetal at www.sheetalsheth.com. Her email address is there so why not leave her a message in anticipation of her visit? Personal experience suggests she will likely answer especially if you reference Alaska in the subject line.”
“Thanks and hope to see everyone there!”
Thanks to Maureen for inviting this internationally-known actress to visit Alaska with the premiere of these two great films! Let’s give Sheetal a warm Alaska welcome and fill that theater.
- Where: Out North, 3800 DeBarr Road
- When: Friday October 8 at 6:30 p.m., and Sunday October 10 at 1 p.m.
- How much: $15 for the double feature
Watch the trailer for I Can’t Think Straight:
Watch the trailer for The World Unseen:
Coronation 2010 – Kickin’ it Old School!
Please join The Imperial Court of All Alaska, Emperor 37 Kevin Holtz, and Empress 37 Miss MeMe Jenkins for“Coronation XXXVIII: Kickin’ it OLD SCHOOL: Back to Our Roots – A Trip Down Memory Lane”on September 2-6, 2010 in Anchorage, Alaska.EVENTS:Thursday, September 2 at 5 PM:SUNSHINE OVER SIBERIAAnnual meet-n-greet hosted by Empress 31, Sister Mary SunshineWHERE: Sub Zero Lounge, 6th Avenue & F Street in downtown Anchorage(no cover)Thursday, September 2 when we’re done with Sunshine Over SiberiaTHE ROAST OF THEIR MOSTSAn irreverant look back at Kevin & MeMe’s year, brought to you by Duke & Duchess 9 of Anchorage, Mikel Wiles and Colleen Crinklaw. Please be prepared to skewer Their Most Imperial Majesties one last time!WHERE: Either Sub Zero or Mad Myrna’s – we haven’t decided yet.(no cover)Friday, September 3 at 9 PM; Doors at 8 PMTHE IN-STATE SHOWThe best of the Alaskan Court Members will entertain you for hours! The worst of them will just get you drunk! Hosted by Their Most Imperial Majesties, Kevin & MeMe!WHERE: Mad Myrna’s($10)Saturday, September 4 at NOONTHE BROWN BEAR BUS RUNWhatever you do – don’t wear jeans with holes in them. Jus’ sayin… Meet at The Raven Bar to board the busses no later than 11:30. Don’t be late, or we’ll leave you in the parking lot. Hosted by the Candidates for Emperor and Empress!WHERE: The Raven Bar (didn’t you just read that?)($20)Saturday, September 4 at 9 PM; Doors at 8 PMTHE OUT-OF-STATE SHOWVisiting Monarchs dazzle us with their talents! Hosted by SoFonda Peters and Sister Mary SunshineWHERE: Mad Myrna’s($10)Sunday, September 5 at 6 PM SHARP! Doors at 5 PMCORONATION CEREMONIES XXXVIIIWe highlight the 2010 College of Emperors and Empresses Scholarship Recipients, honor our stepping-down monarchs, and crown the newest leaders of the ICOAA.WHERE: The Sheraton Anchorage Hotel($40)Monday, September 6 at NOONVICTORY BRUNCHEat, cry, eat some more, applaud, drink, and cry! The BEST brunch on the circuit!WHERE: Mad Myrna’s($30)
Catholics reject ceremony for Alaska’s married gay-friendly Episcopal Bishop
The consecration of Bishop-Elect Mark Andrew Lattime to the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska was set for Sept. 4 at a Catholic church in Anchorage, but the venue for ordaining the married religious leader was abruptly changed to a Methodist church.
Catholic news sites announced the event last week, focusing on Lattime’s LGBT ministry:
“Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, will ordain an Episcopal cleric from New York State as the Episcopal bishop of Alaska on September 4. The ceremony will take place at a Catholic parish in Anchorage.
“Until recently, Lattime was a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester’s Committee for Gay and Lesbian Ministry, which “seeks to further the cause of recognition and legitimization of lesbian and gay relationships within the church and in civil society.” Lattime is married and has three children.”
Oh, no — he has a wife!
Lattime’s resume for the Alaska position said he is a three-time deputy to General Convention from Rochester, NY, where he served on the diocesan council and as a dean of the southwest district and a stewardship consultant, among his many posts. He is also a certified private pilot and was a volunteer ambulance driver for the Fire Department
The Catholic news sites didn’t mention any of his qualifications, only that he was a member of a committee on Gay and Lesbian Ministry. He wasn’t the chair or founder, just a member. They didn’t say what work he did on the committee, or how long he was on it. He was involved with a gay and lesbian ministry, and that’s enough.
The consecration was to take place in the Lady of Guadalupe Church in Anchorage, but is now scheduled for First United Methodist Church. After the ceremony, a reception will be held at the church, and a no-host banquet will be held at 7 p.m. in the Sheraton Hotel — where, in a sweet coincidence, The Imperial Court’s Coronation is also being held that weekend.
Kudos to the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska on the election and consecration of Bishop Lattime, and to First United Methodist for hosting the ceremony after the Catholic church backed out.
Protesting 101: How to make fun of anti-gay bigots
Alaska conservative supports LGBT rights: "Their time is coming"
“why gays and lesbians are forced to fight so hard for rights the rest of us take for granted. How did we come to believe — and blindly accept — that gays and lesbians have fewer rights? How did we start being comfortable thinking of them as lesser people, second-class citizens at best?As a conservative, I wonder at those who think the Constitution takes sides, picks winners and losers. Count me among those who believe it protects us all equally; that it means what it says and exists to provide equal opportunity and freedom from an oppressive government. No one group has more rights than any other. I’ve read the Alaska Constitution, and nowhere does it say, “except for gay people or anybody different,” and I’m here to report the U.S. Constitution does not either, at least the copy I read. In no place did I find, “but not gays or people we are not particularly fond of.”Too many of us believe our prejudices somehow trump those documents; that our hatreds are somehow codified in them and therefore acceptable; that some of us, incredibly, do not deserve the same protections as others.Some believe that enshrining religious beliefs and taboos in a constitution is not only acceptable but necessary. Face it, in this country you are allowed to hate anyone — as long as you do not act on your hatred. You are allowed to think what you want, feel what you want, resent, loathe or despise anybody who strikes your fancy. You can be prejudiced. You can be a jerk. But you have no more rights than anybody else — straight or gay.Too often, too many of us forget that. We use our differences and our fear of gays and lesbians to demean them, at least constitutionally. We have no right.No matter the outcome of the ACLU lawsuit against the city and state, or the California federal court decision, gays and lesbians are here — and have been since the dawn of time. They are part of our community. Now they are demanding the rights we have denied them, and it is increasingly difficult, even for bigots, to justify denying gays and lesbians the very rights we take for granted.Their time is coming soon. Get used to the idea. We’ll all be better for it.”
One year after the Assembly passed Ordinance 64
Shelby Carpenter, the ACLU of Alaska’s LGBT director, wrote a guest editorial “Discrimination puts all Alaskans at risk” in this week’s Anchorage Press. She looks at the effects of Mayor Sullivan’s veto of the equal rights ordinance passed by the Assembly on August 11 one year ago, and looks ahead to the ACLU’s tax discrimination case. She concludes:
“In an age when gay couples are constantly in the media, when we watch “Will and Grace” on TV and see “Brokeback Mountain” in the movie theatre, it can be easy to forget that lesbian, gay, and transgender equality is about livelihoods rather than lifestyles. Because of discrimination, gay and transgender Alaskans suffer economically. Supporting equal rights is as simple as supporting the right of all Alaskans to earn a living and provide for their families.
“In this economy, no one should lose a job for reasons that have nothing to do with their job performance. We know that Anchorage is better than this.
“Alaska’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender community and allies encourage the Anchorage Assembly to act once more to make the fair treatment of all Alaskans the law. As a community we can and must move forward.”
Read the full editorial HERE.
Gay AK: Get ready for late summer and fall events
29 Years Together: Anchorage gay couple interviewed for Vancouver Pride
“When Fred Traber and Larry Snider began dating in 1981, the social and cultural landscape in their small hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, did not allow them to be open with their relationship.”
So begins an interview of a gay Anchorage couple in a Vancouver, Canada newspaper.
Fred and Larry attended Vancouver Pride on August 1 and got an unexpected souvenir – they were interviewed by The Vancouver Sun about their 29 year relationship, and a video clip was posted online with the article and photos.
The newspaper was looking for gay couples who met in various decades, as part of a Gay Pride series, and a local friend recommended them for the couple who met in the ’80s.
“We had fun doing the interview and were flattered that they asked us,” Fred told Bent Alaska. “It was a fun adventure. They brought a film crew to the hotel and got nearly 2 hours of tape.”
“We covered a lot of topics, and sadly, some of the things most important to us didn’t make the cutting. We talked about the onset of AIDS and the impact it had on the gay community in Alaska – the huge number of friends we lost, the stigma, and lifestyle changes. We talked about having to carefully plan vacations to destinations where we would be safe and accepted. Lots of issues that were prevalent 30 years ago that are not so much today.”
We’ve come a long way, but we still travel to big city Pride events in LGBT-accepting locations. Like Vancouver Pride.
“Vancouver Pride is always a very important event for us. The city is so beautiful, the people are so enlightened and there is such a terrific sense of community. The Pride Parade was over 3 hours long – without any gaps. Major corporations, labor unions, government officials, social service agencies, bars, and lots of LGBT groups of people of every stripe. A new attendance record this year with over 600,000 families, friends and visitors watching, applauding and laughing. Very exhilarating and a total validation of our lifestyle.”
And the local newspapers run Gay Pride articles before, during and after Pride weekend, sometimes featuring out of town visitors!
The interview clip focuses on Fred and Larry’s early years together as closeted gay men in Alaska, as well as their California wedding in October 2008 and the Anchorage reception. Here is the video (it starts with a short ad):
[Update: Unfortunately the video is no longer available.]
Team Alaska wins 13 medals at Gay Games
The results are in from the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, and Team Alaska kicked butt! Five gay and lesbian athletes and four supporters traveled from Alaska to Germany as Team Alaska, competing in squash, martial arts, road racing and sport shooting. Their medal count is impressive.
