Articles in Fairbanks
This Week in LGBT Alaska
From Alaska GLBT News (subscribe):
Fairbanks
Homer
- Bac’untry Bruthers at the Saltry in Halibut Cove on Friday 7/18 at 6 p.m. and at the Down East Saloon next Thursday 7/24 at 10 p.m.
Anchorage
- “Spank Your Bottom” 7/19, 9 p.m. Mr. Alaska Leather Fundraiser for The Last Frontier Men’s Club. Held at Mad Myrna’s. $5
- Transgender Support Group 7/20, 4 – 6p.m. at the GLCCA.
- Emperor and Empress Interview Meeting 7/21, 6:30 p.m. in Mad Myrna’s Ballroom.
See also the list of GLBT Recurring Events.
CowGal Val and Ravenhurst: Lesbian and Gay Bloggers Who Lived in Alaska (But Don’t Now)
CowGal Val and Ravenhurst are two blogs by LGBT people who used to live in Alaska.
CowGal Val is written by Valerie and Deborah, a lesbian couple from Anchorage who are now living in Portland, Oregon.
In early June, Valerie was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. Val and Deborah created the blog to keep “friends and family all the heck over the place in the loop about Val, Deborah, lung cancer, and our community’s capacity for amazing generosity of spirit.”
In addition to treatment updates, they post about their dog, their friends, learning from cancer, and enjoying daily life. When Val began chemotherapy, they posted video of shaving her head and wrote about the experience of being bald.
If you know Valerie and Deborah, or even if you don’t know them personally, drop by CowGal Val and leave a note of encouragement. A message from someone who cares can brighten a dark chemo day.
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Ravenhurst is written by Richard, a 56 year old gay widower who lived in Fairbanks for 19 years and now lives on a five acre ranch near Paradise, California. He writes about gay news, politics, and his life in rural California, including his participation as a friend and witness in the first gay and lesbian marriages in the county.
Like CowGal Val, Ravenhurst was created in response to a life-changing event. Five months ago, Richard’s life partner and soulmate Steve passed away. Richard began blogging through the grief and just kept going.
Richard was almost evacuated last week because of a fire burning out of control near Paradise. Luckily, Ravenhurst – his homestead and his blog – was spared, and Richard continues to post on life, love, and interesting gay news. Go say Hello from Alaska.
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Do you know other LGBT (ex-)Alaskan bloggers? Send in their links and they will be featured in another post. While you’re here, check out the category Where Are They Now? for news about LGBT people who once lived in Alaska but now live somewhere else.
UAF Guest Speaker on Masculinity Says All Men Harmed by Homophobia
by E. Ross
What does it mean to be a man?
Dr. Michael Kimmel, sociologist, author and lecturer, will bring that question and his thoughts on masculinity to Fairbanks as part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Summer Session program.
Kimmel is a speaker for the National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS), a network that focuses on three different aspects of feminist work for men. One is the anti-violence movement, offering public education about violence against women, and interacting with men convicted of violent crimes against women. Another promotes fatherhood issues and education.
The third topic is particularly important in terms of the social pressures men face: Homophobia.
“One of the things that hold men back from living this emotionally rewarding and impacting life available to them is homophobia. The fear of being marked as gay or connected to homosexuality is one of the most constraining elements in men’s lives,” Kimmel said.
He gave an example, asking how many seats two men would use if they went together to the movies. The answer: usually three or four. If two female friends go to the movies together, they use only two seats, unafraid to sit next to each other.
“That is what homophobia does. It distorts life,” he said.
During his discussion of masculinity in Fairbanks, Kimmel will focus mostly on relationships between men and women. He will encourage his audience to think about the costs of maintaining certain beliefs about masculinity “that we’ve been brought up with” — that it is not acceptable for a man to show emotion, that men should be domineering, that men and women are not equal — and the benefits of restructuring those beliefs.
“You can live a happier, more robust life by not fighting women’s equality but embracing it,” he said.
“Mars and Venus or Planet Earth: Men and Women in a New Millennium,” will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday June 24 at the Davis Concert Hall. The event is free to the public.
Where to Find GLBT Alaska – Organizations, Groups & Publications
UPDATE: Check out the updated list of LGBTA Businesses in Alaska!
Visitors, new residents and even long-time Alaskans want to know where they can find GLBT Alaska. Previously, I posted our Annual Events and Recurring Events. Here is the resource list for Alaska’s GLBT organizations, groups and publications with their current web links or email contacts.
Organizations (in alphabetical order):
- 4 A’s – Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association provides supportive services to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, and works to eliminate the transmission of HIV infection and its stigma. Includes Power-On Alaska, Get It On, a quarterly newsletter and the Adam & Steve young men’s group.
- Alaskans Together – formed in 2007 to fight the anti-gay advisory vote, Alaskans Together is now a permanent statewide organization that advocates for LGBT equality in Alaska.
- Equality Works – a coalition working to protect Anchorage residents from discrimination and harassment.
- GLSEN & GSA – the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network has an Anchorage chapter, and the Gay Straight Alliance has student clubs in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks.
- IAA – Interior AIDS Association is a nonprofit organization in Fairbanks that provides HIV-related prevention, case management, and other support services.
- ICOAA – The Imperial Court of All Alaska raises money for scholarships and community non-profits through participation in fundraising events, benefits, titleholder balls and other functions.
- Identity – Identity’s programs include a statewide Helpline, the NorthVIEW quarterly newsletter, Anchorage PrideFest, the Pride Conference, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage (GLCCA), the Identity Advocacy Program, and support for local youth programs.
- Mat-Su LGBT Community Center – A new Center opened in Palmer, with social groups, a blog and a library.
- MCC – Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage, an Inclusive Church: Proud, Courageous and Loving.
- PFLAG – Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays has chapters in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Homer.
- RAW – Radical Arts for Women presents Celebration of Change, a short story contest and scholarships for women in the arts.
- SEAGLA – The Southeast Alaska Gay and Lesbian Alliance provides a supportive social network for GLBT people in Southeast Alaska.
- TLFMC – a non-profit social club that provides bears, leathermen, cowboys, their respective admirers, and other masculine Alaskan gay and bisexual men with the opportunity to meet socially.
Groups:
- AK Community – an informal youth and family group with a discussion forum.
- Alaska Women Write – women’s writing workshop, Thursdays 6-8 p.m. Immanual Presbyterian Church
- Anchorage FrontRunners – Anchorage GLBT walking/running club affiliated with International Front Runners, meets May-Oct, Monday nights at 6 p.m. for a run/walk on the Coastal Trail.
- Anchorage LGBT Meetup Group – meet with other members and supporters of your local LGBT community.
- Juneau Pride Chorus – The Women’s Chorus is affiliated with Juneau PFLAG, and rehearses weekly from late summer through their spring concert in May.
- Men of Alaska – a social Meetup group for gay men in and around Anchorage.
- Trans Alaska Pipeline – the official site for the Transgendered Alaskans’ Social Group and source for information and support for TransPeople everywhere.
- Transgender Support Group – Sundays 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the GLCCA.
Publications:
- Alaska GLBT News – statewide email newsletter with news, announcements and upcoming events.
- Bent Alaska – blog for GLBT News and Events with a Local Alaskan Bent.
- Grrlzlist – Anchorage women’s email newsletter with news, announcements, ads and upcoming events.
- Naked Ptarmigan – creative writing journal.
- NEWS – Sara’s emails of current local, national and international LGBT news briefs.
- Quarterly newsletters – 4 A’s and Identity (linked above) print quarterly newsletters.
- Yahoo! Groups – AnchoragePride, fairbankspride and matsulgbtcc, and some organizations have members-only groups.
- Facebook – several of the organizations have Facebook pages.
Have I missed something?
OutMusic award winner Irina Rivkin tours Alaska with personal and political songs
by E. Ross
Irina Rivkin is bringing her “poetic vocal worldfolk live-looped harmonies and beats” back to Alaska, with performances in Anchorage on June 4 at Tap Root Cafe and June 14 at the Juneteenth Festival, and in Fairbanks on June 12 at College Coffeehouse. Her twin sister Inna will open for her and harmonize.
Irina is returning to Alaska to visit her family and to tour. Last year, she performed at the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival and an Out North Showcase in Anchorage.
Singer-songwriter Irina Rivkin has performed for 25 years, from her childhood singing Russian folk and American Jazz in a family band, to performing her own songs for the last 12 years. She expresses insightful, gutsy, vocal world-folk originals, journeying into the personal and political, with occasional travels into Russian and Spanish language lyrics. Irina layers her poetic lyrics with rich textured harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot using her loop station instrument.
Her full-length CD “upwelling” was released on Rose Street Records in 2004. The song “See Through Bush,” about George W., was chosen for the Acoustic Rainbow v.20 radio sampler.
“Ya Eyo Lublu”, Irina’s “Russian-émigré-lesbian-coming-out-love-song” about bringing the woman she loves home to meet her mother, received an OutMusic Award for Outsong of the Year and was included on the “Safe Haven” compilation, raising funds for Portland LGBTQ youth services.
Irina’s father was fired and blacklisted by the KGB for “the crime of listening to poetry” and the family came to America seeking freedom. But in 2000, Bush “steals an election” and turns the country into “his own police state.” The song “Taking Our Freedom” compares her family’s experiences with the Russian KGB to the current tactics of the FBI.
Watch a live-looped version of “Taking Our Freedom” on Irina’s MySpace page, or listen to “upwelling” on SonicBids.
Irina also founded the Rose Street House of Music, a house concert & touring musical community featuring women singer-songwriters, with a focus on poetic music of substance & depth.
“She is political, jazzy, and rhythmic…hot, harmony-rich vocals… rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock.” Angela Page, Sing Out! Summer 2004
Irina’s 2008 Alaska Tour:
- Anchorage 6/4 (Wed) at Tap Root Café, 8 p.m. (1330 E Huffman), $5-10 sliding scale donation suggested, no one turned away for lack of funds.
- Fairbanks 6/12 (Thurs) College Coffeehouse, 8 p.m. (3677 College Road Unit 4), $5-10 sliding scale donation suggested, no one turned away for lack of funds.
- Anchorage 6/14 (Sat) at the Juneteenth Festival, 7 p.m. on the Delaney Park Strip, free.
She is also available for a house concert or live-looping workshop in Anchorage or Palmer on June 15, and in the Fairbanks area June 6-8.
Where to Find GLBT Alaska – Annual Events, Revised Again
The main Annual Events for GLBT Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks, in seasonal order:
- Arctic Heat (Jan.) – TLFMC comes out of hibernation to choose the next Bear and Leather titleholders.
- Celebration of Change (April) – RAW’s ‘break-up’ performance celebrates women, art, music and springtime. UPDATE: changed to JUNE for 2009.
- Femme Fatale (end of April) – ICOAA’s Juneau benefit for 4 A’s closes the legislative session.
- Day of Silence (April 25) & Pride Prom (April in Anchorage, Feb. in Fairbanks) – Gay/Straight Student Alliances (GSA’s) participate in National Day of Silence, and Pride Prom graduates teens in style.
- Pride Picnic (May, Memorial Day) – The Picnic and BBQ celebrate unity and the beginning of summer.
- Juneau Pride Chorus spring concert (May) – An evening of music, food and dance. UPDATE: The Pride Chorus concert was in February this year.
- PrideFest (June) – The summer solstice parade and festival displays Gay Pride in downtown Anchorage & Fairbanks.
- Coronation (August) – ICOAA’s late summer extravaganza invests the new Imperial Court.
- Pride Conference (October) – Identity’s back-to-school conference is inspired by National Coming Out Day.
- World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) – Four A’s and IAA recognize World AIDS Day with red ribbons and candlelight vigils.
Are there other annual events? Please help me complete the list.
‘Fairbanks Lifestyle Site’ Misses the Point of Anti-Gay Campaign Tactics
by E. Ross
Someone is making dirty Internet-based attacks on an Alaskan democratic candidate for senate, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported on Monday:
The addresses direct viewers to either a fake blog, a San Francisco-based gay lifestyle site or a merchant selling items imprinted with the phrase “Trust Fund Baby.” The implication is that [he] is a rich California liberal — otherwise known as an Outsider.
Actually, the implication is that he’s a rich ‘queer’ Outsider.
One of the fake addresses redirects to CastroOnline.com: “Your Online Guide to Gay San Francisco” with business listings, a calendar of events, and articles from SF Spectrum, an LGBT publication that reports news, entertainment and information for the gay community in the SF Bay Area.
The political attacks include a second fake address that redirects to a gay site, which the News-Miner didn’t describe. The address goes to Only in San Francisco: The Official Visitor’s Site for San Francisco. But it doesn’t redirect to the home page of the city guide – it goes to Itinerary 6: Queer Culture Tour.
The attacks are specifically anti-gay, not just anti-Outsider.
This attempt to harm a politician’s reputation by falsely linking his campaign to gay web sites was exposed during the same week that Alaskans were debating the participation of local students in Day of Silence, a national event that brings attention to anti-LGBT name calling and harassment by highlighting the voices that are silenced by prejudice.
The News-Miner article did not discuss the anti-LGBT aspect of the attacks. Instead, the author brought attention to his own lack of awareness by describing the destination page as a “gay lifestyle site.”
If a gay news site posts news, and a gay events site lists events, what does a gay lifestyle site post? Fashion tips?
Castro Online is a community guide and the online home for a news magazine – similar to the News-Miner’s web site for posting articles, ads and events relevant to Fairbanks. Does that make newsminer.com a Fairbanks lifestyle site?
The Anchorage Press didn’t have the News-Miner’s problem describing a gay web site. They published the story first and wrote that the fake site redirects to “CastroOnline.com, a San Francisco calendar and information guide for the LGBT community.”
The News-Miner changed it to a “gay lifestyle site” in their article posted five days later. The next day, the Juneau Empire described the sites as “pages associated with gay culture in San Francisco.” Awkward, but accurate.
So what happened at the News-Miner? They report a story about an anti-gay smear campaign, but they barely acknowledge the anti-gay aspect and instead refer to the gay community as a lifestyle.
Perhaps our journalists should take a Day of Silence to highlight the lack of good quality news reports on LGBT issues in Alaska.
Elton John Plays Alaska
It’s true: Elton John is performing in Alaska!
Elton is to play two SOLO concerts in Alaska, USA. The dates are: Wednesday May 28, 2008 at the Sullivan Arena, Anchorage, Alaska, and Thursday May 29 at the Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska.This will be the first time Elton has played in the state of Alaska, and comes as a result of huge popular demand for him to play there. These concerts also take him within sight of achieving his aim to have performed in every state of the USA. Alaska will be the 49th state in which he has performed. (www.eltonjohn.com)
In Anchorage, tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 5. There is a six-ticket purchase limit, and prices range from $56.50 to $116.50. Tickets will be available online at Ticketmaster.com, Charge-by-Phone at 562-4800, Fred Meyer Ticketmaster outlets and Sullivan Arena box office.
In Fairbanks, tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 3 and will be available at Fred Meyer Ticketmaster outlets, the Carlson Center box office, 456-4800, and Ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices are set at $75 and $115, not including fees.
Big Prizes in IAA Raffle
by E. Ross
What would you do with $11,000?
That’s the grand prize for the Interior AIDS Association‘s annual raffle, the biggest fundraiser of the year for IAA. They only sell 250 tickets, so the odds are good. A $100 ticket gives you the chance to win one of five $500 prizes and the one big prize of $11,000.
“The raffle is open to anyone who wishes to buy a ticket,” writes Barbara Hogue, Office Manager of IAA. “People as far away as Ohio have purchased tickets in the past.”
In addition to those prizes, $250 will be awarded to the person who sells the most tickets, and another $250 awarded to the person who sold the winning ticket, if the seller signed the back of the ticket stub before turning it in to IAA.
All tickets will be drawn on Friday, June 27, 2008 at the International “Big I” Bar, beginning at 8 p.m.
The five $500 prizes will be given to the buyers of the 1st, 50th, 100th, 150th and 200th tickets drawn out of the barrel. The buyer of the last ticket left in the barrel will win the grand prize – unless both of the last two ticket buyers agreed to split the grand prize evenly. This unusual twist means that ticket buyers must mark on each ticket either “Yes” they will split the grand prize in half if they are one of the last two tickets, or “No” they won’t split it, they want ‘all or nothing’. Both of the last two tickets must have “Yes” marked on them to split the pot. If one or both have “No” on them, the drawing will continue until only one ticket wins the full prize.
To qualify for a prize, the name, address and contact phone number of the buyer must be recorded at the time of the ticket sale, and “Yes” or “No” to the split must be marked on the stub.
So, what would you do with $11,000?
Founded in 1988 by a group of concerned Fairbanksans, the Interior AIDS Association is a community-based, nonprofit education and social service organization. IAA’s mission is to reduce the spread of HIV and to improve the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS.
To buy a ticket, contact Barbara.
This Weekend In Fairbanks
From Alaska GLBT News (subscribe)
Fairbanks Spring Bonfire 3/22, 9 p.m.
LesBiGay 21+ celebration to welcome the Vernal Equinox and the full-moon with music, food and a bonfire. Bring a snack or drink to share. In the woods just outside of Fairbanks. Contact Frank for directions.
GLBT Social & Potluck 3/25, 6:30 p.m.
Come to the community social event and potluck. Bring your favorite potluck dish and we’ll experience the variety of flavors prepared by our neighbors. Please bring your own plate, bowl, cup and utensils to keep the cost down and maintain a green event. Alcohol is allowed (but will not be provided for purchase.) Ken Kunkel Community Center, out on Goldstream Road near Ivory Jack’s. Directions and information, contact Brad.
