Monday, 29 December 2008 – 5:30 PM
| Comments Off on Please Don’t Divorce Alaska’s Married-in-California Couples
The “Yes on 8” campaign has filed legal papers to nullify all 18,000 gay and lesbian marriages performed in California between May and November of 2008.
In response, dozens of families added wedding and holiday photos to a slideshow of same-sex couples who will be divorced if the anti-gay effort succeeds.
The California Supreme Court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of Prop 8 in the spring.
The “Please Don’t Divorce” Project
In response to the threat to gay and lesbian families, The Courage Campaign created an online slideshow of
same-sex married couples, along with friends and relatives who support them.
“It’s time to put a face to the 18,000 couples facing forcible divorce by the state of California. To put a face to marriage equality,” says the web site of the community photo project.
Dozens of families contributed wedding photos with the message “Please Don’t Divorce Us” and holiday pictures of their children, pets and Christmas trees.
Other supporters sent pictures saying, “Please Don’t Divorce Our Friends” or “Please Don’t Divorce Love.”
Gay Alaskans Married in California
There is no residency requirement for marrying in California, and same-sex couples from Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau were married there, along with couples from other states and countries.
Mo and Lin of Juneau were legally married in San Francisco on Sept. 15, eighteen years after their original, non-legal wedding. Juneau residents formed a “
human arch of love and acceptance” for the couple to walk through during the October reception, and the party raised money for Equality California.
At the
Anchorage rally protesting the passage of Prop 8, a gay couple put their wedding photo on their signs, and a lesbian couple brought copies of their Palm Springs marriage certificate. Both couples were interviewed by local television reporters at the Nov. 15 rally.
The same day at the Fairbanks City Hall protest, two young men
posed for a photo with their sign: “Just Married, San Francisco, Sept 8, 2008.”
The state of Alaska does not recognize these marriages, but they are recognized in at least four states, Canada, and several other countries.
Please don’t divorce them!
View the pictures “
Please Don’t Divorce Us” and add your wedding photo, or a photo in support of your married friends.
– Photo: Lori & Artemis with their California marriage certificate, at the Anchorage protest against Prop 8. (photo by Koala)
Friday, 26 December 2008 – 6:07 PM
| Comments Off on Best of 2008?
2008 was a busy year for Alaska’s GLBT community. In addition to all the big
annual events, and the fundraising and social activities, we were also involved in local and national political issues.
What were the best GLBT happenings in
Juneau,
Fairbanks,
Anchorage, and statewide during 2008? What was your favorite GLBT group’s most successful event?
Send in your “Bests” and I’ll list them in a new post next week.
(Not sure what we did? Look back through the Bent Alaska archive of stories and photos for ideas.)
Tuesday, 23 December 2008 – 3:23 PM
| Comments Off on Celebrate the Holidays with Anchorage’s GLBT Community
The Metropolitan Community Church hosts their annual Christmas Eve Service and Recital on Wednesday, from 7-8:30 p.m. All from the community and church are welcome to attend the special evening of Christmas music and fellowship.
MCC Anchorage is also celebrating the appointment of Reverend Norman Van Manen as their Development Pastor. Rev. Norman will officially take the helm on February 15th, 2009.
After the service, join the staff at
Mad Myrna’s for their annual Christmas Eve pajama party.
On Christmas Day, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage (
GLCCA) will be open from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. serving cookies, muffins and sodas to the gay community and our friends. The Center will be closed on Christmas Eve.
Visit the
GLCCA page on Identity’s site for the address, a photo tour of the Center and pictures from the Thanksgiving Day open house.
Wrap up the season with the New Year’s Eve Party at
Mad Myrna’s, or rock with
Ever Ready on New Year’s Eve in Palmer. Then begin 2009 with the GLBT community at the New Year’s Day Cookie Exchange at the
GLCCA.
Friday, 19 December 2008 – 6:03 PM
| Comments Off on Trying to Blame Us for the Church Fire
Did you see this Alaska-related bit of hate made up by right-wing reporters? I hope it is quickly dispelled and no one is hurt by it.
A suspicious fire on Dec. 12 at the Wasilla, Alaska church attended by Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin was instantly blamed on gay arsonists, though no evidence exists at this time that the fire, if deliberate, was set by gays.
Nor is there any evidence that the church was targeted, as right-wing religious publications have speculated, because of its having promoted an “ex-gay” event in Anchorage.
I quoted this from gay news site Edge Boston, but the right-wing sites used words like “terrorist homosexuals.”
This is such an obvious attempt to stir up hate and encourage violence against us.
Be careful out there!
President-Elect Barack Obama chose Rick Warren, an ultra-conservative pastor who is anti-gay and anti-choice, to give the invocation at his inauguration in January.
Why? Because he wants to include all voices, all Americans.
So which LGBT leader was invited to participate the inauguration to represent our inclusion? No one.
No openly-gay leader was given a role in the ceremony. We are represented by . . . a GLBT marching band during the entertainment.
Which leads to the next item:
Protest for Equality
Barack Obama made promises to the LGBT community. He promised to help:
repeal the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA),
repeal the anti-gay military policy Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,
strengthen Hate Crimes Legislation, and
pass a fully inclusive Federal ENDA (Employment Non-Discrimination Act.)
Another national
Join the Impact protest is scheduled for
Saturday, Jan 10, 2009, to make our voices heard and remind him of his commitments.
I heard from a few Alaskans who said “Let’s Do It.” Are you with us?
Tuesday, 16 December 2008 – 11:44 PM
| Comments Off on Toys for "Nots" Gives to Gay Families First
Ms. Alaska Leather 2008 is hosting a fundraiser for Toys for “Nots” on Dec. 19, with a Christmas food sale and gift auction at Mad Myrna’s. Her goal is to raise at least $500 dollars worth of donations to buy items for families in need, as the Toys for Nots committee did last year.
Tami won the title of Ms. Alaska Leather last January at
Arctic Heat, the titleholder event for The Last Frontier Men’s Club.
Toys for Tots collects donated Christmas toys for needy families and is sponsored by the United States Marine Corps. But what is Toys for Nots?
Keith, President of the Men’s Club, explained the story behind the name:
A few years ago, the Duke and Duchess of the
Imperial Court held a Toys for Tots fundraiser and recieved hundreds of toys for donation. When the Marines were called to pick up the toys, the ducals were told to put the toys
outside on the icy sidewalk, because the Marines wouldn’t enter Mad Myrna’s. They will accept toys from the gay community, but they are afraid to walk into a gay bar to pick up our donations.
So the ducals renamed the event Toys for Nots and give first choice to the children of gay families in need. Remaining gifts are offered to the Toys for Tots program.
“We did receive an apology phone call from a Ft. Richardson general promising that it would never happen again,” wrote Keith. “However, they have not picked up our donations for the past 3 years.”
The Toys for Nots Fundraiser is Dec. 19, 2008, from 6:30-9 p.m. at
Mad Myrna’s.
Monday, 15 December 2008 – 2:23 PM
| Comments Off on Anchorage & Juneau Wear Red on World AIDS Day
The Four A’s “Painted the Town Red” for
World AIDS Day again this year in Anchorage and Juneau.
Over 60,000 red ribbons were distributed the week before World AIDS Day. Volunteers in Anchorage waved to morning traffic and handed out more red ribbons on December 1.
Fifty-five people came to the Anchorage Candlelight Vigil for World AIDS Day and read a non-denominational prayer in memory of those lost to AIDS.
After the vigil, about 70 people attended a free showing of Rent and a panel discussion on local resources, held at the Alaska Wild Berry Theater.
For the third year,
Four A’s staff and volunteers waved signs at major intersections during the morning commute. They stood on the corners of Northern Lights/Minnesota and Northern Lights/New Seward from 7:30 a.m. until around 9.
“A lot of people waved and honked,” wrote Chrissy, the Director of Development at Four A’s. “We usually get a positive response.”
After the sign waving, they gave away red ribbons at City Hall, Providence Hospital, the 5th Avenue Mall, Northway Mall and UAA.
In Juneau, free HIV testing was offered during the day at the University, and over 40 people attended the Candlelight Vigil.
The Four A’s thanks everyone who helped to Paint the Town Red this year.
“Remember to wear your red ribbons not only on World AIDS Day,” wrote Chrissy, “but throughout the entire year.”
Sunday, 14 December 2008 – 4:29 PM
| Comments Off on Got “Milk”?
Did you see Milk this weekend?
“My partner and I just returned from seeing it and it is a MUST SEE,” wrote Dee. “We did not buy from the consession stand, due to the ownership of the theater (Mormon) but would not have missed the first day of this film… I urge the community and our allies to see this movie. We’re thinking Academy Award for Penn.”
“The Prop 6 part was disturbing because it reminds me so much of Prop 8,” wrote Elias, “along with the other dozen ballot measure campaigns I’ve been in.”
I agree that Penn gave an excellent performance, and that the comparison between winning Prop 6 and barely losing Prop 8 is heart-wrenching.
Gay and lesbian history is so hidden that many young adults don’t know about the struggle for our rights. Milk opens with the police raiding a gay bar, beating the customers and dragging them off to jail, simply for being gay. The scene uses real video from the late 60’s and early 70’s. We’ve come a long way.
Then in 1978, the newly-elected Supervisors, representing minorities who had never been represented before, voted to add ‘sexual orientation’ to the non-discrimination policy of San Francisco. They knew the gay community was an ally, and they understood that job and housing protection is an important civil rights issue.
I watched this scene in a movie theater in Anchorage, Alaska, where 30 years later we do not have ‘sexual orientation’ in the city’s non-discrimination policy. It isn’t in the state policy either. Or the national policy.
We still have a long way to go.
If you haven’t seen Milk, definitely see it. Remember to take the Milk Challenge — boycott the concession stand and give a donation to Alaskans Together for Equality, to off-set the ticket profit to the Mormon-owned and Prop 8 supporting Century/Cinemark.
If you saw Milk, what did you think about it?
Friday, 12 December 2008 – 4:25 PM
| Comments Off on This Week in LGBT Alaska 12/12/08
Check out this week’s events from Alaska GLBT News. For full listings, news and up-coming events, subscribe to AGN, the weekly email newsletter.
The movie
MILK opens today (Friday, Dec. 12) in Anchorage
at the Century 16. Don’t support the Century/Cinemark CEO who donated $9,999 to Prop 8!
Boycott Century’s concessions! Eat before you go and only buy the ticket, no food or drinks. Then
take the Milk Challenge!EVENTS
Fairbanks
Jeff’s Black and White Solstice Party 12/13, 9 p.m.
PFLAG’s December Meeting 12/14, 4 p.m.
Anchorage
MILK opens at the Century 16 on 12/12. Take the Milk Challenge!
A Powerful Noise at the Anchorage Museum, 12/13 at 6 p.m. (AIFF)
Half-Life 12/13 at 5:30 p.m. at The Bear Tooth and 12/14 at 4:45 p.m. at Fireweed Theater. (AIFF)
ICOAA’s SnowBall Winter Wonderland at Mad Myrna’s 12/13, door opens at 8:30, show at 9 p.m.
Meet MCC pastoral candidate Rev. Norman Van Manen, 12/14 at the 2 p.m. service.
The Men’s Club Christmas Party 12/14, 5-10 p.m. RSVP.
The movie Milk opens tomorrow (Friday, Dec. 12) in Anchorage, showing at 1:40, 4:35, 7:35 and 10:30 p.m. at the Century 16, across from Loussac Library. The message of Milk is timely, and the reviews sound great. (Watch the Milk trailer.)
Here’s the problem: We want to support a good-quality gay movie (and encourage the production of more gay movies) but don’t want to support the Mormon-owned Century/Cinemark whose CEO donated $9,999 to Prop 8, the California initiative that eliminated gay and lesbian marriage.
The solution: Boycott Century’s concessions! Eat before you go and only buy the ticket, no food or drinks.
Theaters don’t make much on admissions; most of their profit is from concessions. We can support the film and still deprive the theater of revenue.
Several people wrote in about the concessions boycott (thank you!) Jason suggested that we “sneak in our own candy” as an extra dig at Century.
Elias suggested that we offset the ticket fees to Century with a donation to Alaskans Together for Equality, the state LGBT rights group that takes on political issues like the ones Harvey Milk fought for. It’s a great way to support equal rights and, at the same time, withhold money from those who work against us!
Take the Milk Challenge: See Milk, and balance your political karma with a donation to Alaskans Together.
And Milk is the perfect time to start wearing a White Knot for marriage equality, “because everyone should be able to tie the knot.”
