Articles in Anchorage
Denny’s update and Hater Quote of the Day
Denny’s received a pile of email about the local anti-trans incident reported by Anja on Tuesday, and leaders of the Anchorage LGBTA community are in contact with the manager/owner. Meanwhile, an anonymous hater left this comment on the Bent post:
you people need to face the facts, by people I mean gays, trans whatevers etc. You are not “normal” and though you are allowed to co-exist in our society it does not mean everyone has to accept your lifestyle. you all need to grow a thicker skin, remember the saying sticks and stones can break my bones but names will never harm me ? get off your politically correct high horse and shut up already
Note to Mayor Sullivan: Do you really think this hater will treat his neighbors, co-workers, clients, employees and renters fairly and equally – without discrimination – when he learns that they are gay or trans? FAIL
This Week in LGBT Alaska 1/29/10
This week’s LGBT events from the statewide newsletter Alaska GLBT News.
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar.
Fairbanks
UAF Gay-Straight Alliance Get-Together 1/29, 4:30-6 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge.
“Bears, Bears, Bears” Taco Feed 1/30, 7 p.m. for Bears and Bellies and their admirers. $5 RSVP.
LGBTQ Discussion with Heather Neville 1/31, 12-1 p.m. at the UUFF.
Wednesday Social & Movie “A Serious Man” 2/3, 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Loon. Joshua.
Mat-Su Valley
Lulu Small and the Small Band at Del Roi’s 1/30, Old Glenn Hwy just north of the Knik River bridge.
Mat-Su LGBT Community Center in Palmer is open M-F 5-8 p.m. (except 6-8 on Wed.) The social group meets Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. at Vagabond Blues.
Anchorage
“The Laramie Project” Movie and panel discussion 1/30, 7p.m. in the Student Union Den, for Alaska Civil Rights Month, sponsored by UAA Women Studies.
Colleen Crinklaw’s “Soul Searching Tour” begins 1/30, 7-9 p.m. $10 at Mad Myrna’s.
Kodiak Bar and Grill GIRL PARTY 1/30, 9 p.m.
UAA’s “Out” 1/31, new time: 2 p.m. on Sundays, 2nd floor of the Student Union.
Memorial Birthday Party for Nicole Blizzard 1/31, 3:30 p.m. at Mad Myrna’s. Sign her memorial book.
Midnight Over Siberia: Re-investitures 1/31, 6 p.m. at Sub Zero.
LGBTQA Game Night at the GLCCA 2/3, 6-9 p.m. Anchorage Meetup group.
Church Life AK Special Prayer Vigil for Uganda 2/4, 6:30 p.m. at the GLCCA as part of the nationwide “American Prayer Hour.”
Gay Games director still comes home to Alaska
Although Darl Schaaff is forming Team Alaska for the 2010 Gay Games, Cleveland.com said that Schaaff — a martial arts competitor, Alaska Statehood event planner, and Federation of Gay Games board member — is moving to the midwest next year. It’s partly true.
Action: Anti-trans Denny’s manager needs diversity training
A transgender support group in Anchorage was harassed during a recent meeting at Denny’s restaurant and now the Denny’s corporate office is backing out of a proposed diversity training for the local staff. Anja co-founded the trans support group and their TransAlaska Pipeline website. She sent this message to Bent Alaska:
After the ugly incident that ocurred here in Anchorage, Alaska on December 27, 2009 in which a Denny’s manager openly pointed out and made fun of a group of trangendered people TO OTHER CUSTOMERS in the crowded restaurant, we were led to believe that Denny’s would be subjecting their employees to sensitivity training concerning transpeople as an acceptable resolution.
We have been more than diplomatic in dealing with them, requesting that the manager who incited the incident not be fired, but instead be required to attend an Identity, Inc. sensitivity training.
Denny’s obviously took this as a sign of weakness, and is trying to ignore the whole incident now.
It appears that Denny’s corporate is now pushing this off as a local matter to be swept under the carpet with NO action taken anywhere.
We must take a stand on this. To all of my sisters and brothers out there who are tired of being discriminated against, PLEASE write a letter/e-mail of concern to Denny’s Corporate. Let them know that doing nothing about this is unacceptable, and that it must never be allowed to happen again.
Go to the national Denny’s contact page, click the “Email Us” link and voice your concerns.
Denny’s was involved in a series of lawsuits in the 1990’s involving servers denying or providing inferior service to racial minorities, especially African-American customers. After a $54.4 million settlement, Denny’s created a racial sensitivity training program for all its employees.
Last year, Denny’s lost a transgender bias case in Maine. “This company needs diversity training to understand what it means to be gender-nonconforming,” said Betsy Smith, executive director of Equality Maine.
Gay Church gives offerings to Haiti, plans Open House & Valentine’s party
No Name-Calling Week, Prof. Smoke on Matthew Shepard, & the Women’s Summit
This Week in LGBT Alaska 1/15/10
Juneau
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar.
Juneau Pride Chorus rehearses every Friday, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Marsha
Fairbanks
Continuing LGBT Discussion 1/17, 11:30 p.m. at the UUFF.
Wednesday Social at 9 p.m. Email Joshua for the current location.
Mat-Su Valley
Mat-Su LGBT Community Center in Palmer is open M-F 5-8 p.m. (except 6-8 on Wed.) The social group meets Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. at Vagabond Blues.
Anchorage
Scott T. Schofield’s “Debutante Balls” 1/14-1/16 at 7:30 p.m. and 1/17 at 4 p.m. at Out North.
Prayer Vigil for Haiti 1/17, 11 a.m. at the GLCCA
Fur Rondy float planning meeting 1/17, 4 p.m. at Mad Myrna’s
Professor Gale Smoke reviews Judy Shepard’s book “The Meaning of Matthew” 1/21, 7 p.m. at Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Anchorage PFLAG.
Renown poet and author Nikki Giovanni 1/21, 7:30 p.m. A free event for Civil Rights Month at UAA.
Alaska Remembers Dan Cook (Cherresse)
Dan Cook, aka Cherreese, was an active member of the Imperial Court of All Alaska for many years before retiring to Oregon. He passed away from cancer at approximately 10 p.m. Alaska time on January 7, 2010. The funeral is tomorrow in Eugene, Oregon, and on February 20 the Anchorage gay community will host a local Celebration of Life.
Mikey LaChoy, Emperor 25, wrote:
“We are going to have a memorial of sorts for Wawa… the “All About Cherreesse – Wawa Party.” We’ll meet for WaWas [Cherreesse’s favorite drink] at the Raven for an hour from 6-7pm, then parade over to Myrna’s (Crowns and Gowns) and put on a fundraiser show as she would have wanted. Dress code: everyone wear white wigs!”
Princess Felicia in Eugene is creating a memory album (leave your remembrances as comments, and I will send them to her.) LaChoy began by sharing his photos and memories:
Alaska Greives for Mama WaWa
To our brothers and sisters in Eugene,
I would like to take a few minutes to share with you some of Dan Cook’s (Empress Cherresse) accomplishments in Alaska and some of our fond memories of him. Please bear in mind that we in Alaska may not be thinking clearly as we are grieving along with all those in so many places who have been touched by Dan during his great life.
As Cherresse said in a bio written for the Imperial Court of All Alaska’s 25th Anniversary, he felt a part of Alaska and its Court from the very beginning. Cherresse was at Alaska’s first Coronation representing Eugene as their first Empress. It was in that first visit that he fell in love with the state.
We are unsure of exactly what year Dan arrived in Alaska but we are sure he began making an impact right away. As manager of the Jade Room Bar, Cherresse started Alaska’s first weekly drag show and soon knew everyone.
Years later, Cherresse was elected Empress 18 of All Alaska and served with distinction through some very rough times in Alaska. He was always a trooper who showed up for any fundraiser to tread the boards in those distinctive boas… everyone knew Cherresse was in the house from all the feathers left wherever he went!
Dan was part of and helped many other organizations in Alaska raising charity funds for many causes. Of these, Dan’s pet organization was the Mount McKinley Non-Ascent Club which was a gay organization dedicated to enjoying Alaska’s great outdoors camping, fishing, hiking, etc. Eventually, when Dan’s roommates Bob and Gene DeLoach began building the “Triangle Ranch” on a lake north of Anchorage, Dan became the defacto Den Mother for the McKinley Club, Men’s Club, and many others.
Over the years Dan welcomed, fed, looked after, cleaned up after, and nurtured hundreds of young Alaskan gay (and straight) young men and women. Many of us have Dan to thank for being that mentor who showed us all how to get along with each other and love each other even when we want to kill each other.
This, I think, is Dan’s greatest legacy: of all the people I’ve talked to and all the time I knew Dan, the worst he was ever heard him speak of others (even when he was treated very badly) was “that little shit”, shake his head, and change the subject… and he would still smile that sweet smile when he said it. I hope we can all remember that about Dan Cherresse Cook and perhaps his legacy will be a happier community of loving, caring friends.
Ever in Peace, Love, and Unity
Emperor 25 of All Alaska
Mikey Wa LaChoy
Prayer Vigil for Haiti at the Gay/Lesbian Community Center
Relief agencies are working around the clock to help the people of Haiti and are collecting donations to cover the costs of the massive rescue. Rainbow World Fund, an international relief agency based in the GLBTA community, has supported projects in Haiti since 2004 and accepts donations online or by mail.
In Anchorage, Church Life Alaska organized a prayer vigil, and responded to the un-Christian comments of Pat Robertson:
As the people of Haiti and the world struggle to comprehend the magnitude of the earthquake in Haiti, it is important for us to gather together and pray. Church Life Alaska is hosting a prayer vigil on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the Gay and Lesbian Community Center.
You may have heard the rubbish coming from Pat Robertson’s mouth about how he believes this is God’s punishment. We know that this is false, and we will pray for the people with love and understanding in our hearts, not ugly judgment. So please come and join us as we pray for a successful rescue and rebuilding effort.
The vigil will be followed by a community potluck, and donations will be collected for the relief efforts.
Contact Church Life AK for more information.
Anchorage paper hosts legacy book for Mary Daly, Boston lesbian author
Mary Daly, radical lesbian feminist author of Gyn/Ecology and Beyond God the Father, passed away on Jan. 3, and the Anchorage Daily News opened a legacy book for the Boston professor who didn’t live in Alaska and probably never visited.
The ADN reprinted her obituary from the Associated Press, and the guest book currently has 105 entries, mostly from New England. Only 2 entries are from Alaska, although a few entries do not give locations.
Daly was a major voice in the women’s movement and a central figure in eco-feminism. Several of her books are among the classics of women’s studies courses. Her first book, The Church and the Second Sex published in 1968, argued that the Church systematically oppressed women for centuries. In later years, she considered herself “post-Christian.”
“Ever since childhood, I have been honing my skills for living the life of a Radical Feminist Pirate and cultivating the Courage to Sin,” she wrote in the opening of “Sin Big,” a 1996 autobiographical article for the New Yorker magazine. “The word ‘sin’ is derived from the Indo-European root ‘es-,’ meaning ‘to be.’ When I discovered this etymology, I intuitively understood that for a woman trapped in patriarchy, which is the religion of the entire planet, ‘to be’ in the fullest sense is ‘to sin.’ ”
Daly made headlines when she retired from Boston College (a Jesuit university where she taught for 30 years) rather than admit men to some of her advanced women’s studies classes, saying that the presence of men made the women less likely to speak. She did let men enroll in her introductory feminism courses and tutored them in the advanced subjects. Her anti-trans opinions were as controversial in the LGBT community as her anti-patriarchy stance was at Boston College.
