A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Gay teen from Wasilla was assaulted, tires slashed, rejected by parents but looking ahead

Cody had a horrible coming out. His college buddies at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks and his brother and parents in Wasilla all reacted badly, only his sister is supportive. But he won’t let them ruin his life.

The “I’m From Driftwood” team interviewed LGBT Alaskans for their national story project, and the first video from Alaska was uploaded on Monday. The story is from Cody James, raised in Wasilla. Watch:

How sad that their son was assaulted and, instead of helping him, they caused him more harm. Hopefully, they will learn to love and support him as the wonderful young gay man that he is.

And what kind of university would allow a student to be harassed for 4 months?

The main perpetrator got a slap on the wrist, 24 hours in jail and some community service hours, Cody told Bent Alaska. The others got off. The city and campus police wouldn’t do anything to stop the bullying, so he fled Fairbanks and moved to Anchorage. When he explained to his family why he left college, they rejected him for being gay.

The University of Alaska, Fairbanks and the Fairbanks police owe Cody an apology, at the very least, and assurance that they will protect other students from being bullied out of an education. [Hint: Get an LGBT-inclusive anti-bullying policy, and enforce it.]

Cody wants to put this bad time behind him and move forward. But he could have called the FBI to investigate the assault under the federal Hate Crimes law passed in 2009. They have the authority to step in when local officers won’t take an anti-gay attack seriously.

Why the FBI? Because we aren’t protected by Alaska’s hate crimes law, and a bill adding LGBT Alaskans is currently stuck in the Finance committee.

Please contact the legislators today and tell them to approve SB 11, the Alaska Hate Crimes bill. We obviously need it.

Thanks to I’m From Driftwood for including Alaska in their story tour and collecting this important story. And thanks to Cody for being brave, finding support and sharing his story. May his life get much better and stay good.

2 Concerts benefit homeless youth in Fairbanks (this weekend)

Did you know there are between 500-800 homeless youth at any given time in Fairbanks, Alaska? About 300 of them are in the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. Help us to help them!

FCA SOAP is holding two concert fundraisers this weekend to benefit homeless, runaway and at-risk youth in Fairbanks. The Concert & Silent Auction for adults 21+ is Friday night at The Pub, and an all-ages We Are Visible concert is Saturday afternoon at the 310 First Avenue Banquet Hall.

For both events, please bring new or gently used clothing for a clothes drive for the youth, and keep in mind that most of the clients are ages 15 to 21 years old.

Also, they’re selling a 14-track benefit album for $10:

WE ARE VISIBLE! is a compilation benefit album with 14 tracks donated by mostly local Fairbanks bands with an ultimate mission of supporting the clients we serve. It will be available at our SOAP Benefit Weekend events, April 8 & 9, 2011. After that, if you’d like a physical copy, please e-mail vista@fcaalaska.org or call 907-374-9913. All proceeds from this album go toward helping each one of our clients recognize his or her value as a human being in a world that seems to change faster with each passing day.

Friday, April 8
SOAP Benefit Concert & Silent Auction @ The Pub

Come to The Pub and help us create a better city for our youth!
$5 Students / $8 General Admission — Ages 21+
Silent Auction Starts at 7pm and Music Starts at 9pm

9:00 Danny & The Jampires
9:45 Phineas Gauge
10:30 The Avery Wolves
11:15 Alaska Redd

Silent auction items will be highlighted by some awesome photographs by Krista Heeringa. We’ll have door prize giveaways, as well. For more information, please e-mail vista@fcaalaska.org or call 374-9913.

Many thanks to our other donors: Pro Music, Grassroots Guitar, Music Mart, College Coffeehouse, Gulliver’s Bookstore, Sipping Streams, Forget-Me-Not Bookstore, McCafferty’s, College Town Pizzeria, Mona Vie, UAF Pub, KSUA, and others.

All proceeds benefit Fairbanks Counseling & Adoption’s Street Outreach & Advocacy Program. SOAP is brought to our community through FCA and United Way of the Tanana Valley.

Saturday, April 9
WE ARE VISIBLE: A Benefit Concert for Homeless Youth

Join us for the ALL-AGES version of our concert fundraiser
Saturday, April 9 · 12:00pm – 11:00pm
310 First Ave. Banquet Hall
310 1st Ave, Suite 100
Fairbanks, AK

$5.00 — Fun, Music, Arts, Crafts, Guitar Lessons, $10 Haircuts from noon-2 & 4-6, Soda/Water, Door Prizes, Raffle!! Oh yeah, FUN TOO!

Bands (subject to change):
12pm InVein
1pm Bernie Bousa (of Danny & The Jampires)
2pm Bryan Whitten
3pm Alex Beasley
4pm From The Ashes
5pm Not Enough Flannel
6pm New Teen Paranormal Romance
7pm Eating For Two
8pm Until Death
9pm Alaska Redd
10pm Phineas Gauge
(DJ sets if there’s time)

Fairbanks Counseling & Adoption: We Take Familes to Heart

As a program operated by Fairbanks Counseling & Adoption, the Street Outreach & Advocacy Program (SOAP) reaches out to 10- to 21-year-olds who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless. “Our goal is to protect these youth from abuse, sexual exploitation, assault, and criminal activity due to their lack of money and beneficial resources.”

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9am-6pm
Drop-in Center, 2pm-6pm

-Drop-in Services in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska
-Transportation to resources and shelter
-Survival supplies: food, hygiene, clothes
-Assistance using the Fairbanks justice, business, and social service system
-Mediation and Conflict Resolution
-Counseling Services
-Referrals to community resources
-Independent Living Skills classes
-Daily, Weekly, Monthly and Seasonal Activities

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. lang

Friday – 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 Tomlin

Saturday, 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.

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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.

Valentine’s Day weekend in Fairbanks: Two fundraisers featuring KRISTARA

It’s a KRISTARA double-header in Fairbanks this weekend for Valentine’s Day, with both events benefiting Interior Alaska causes: the Interior AIDS Association (Friday’s event) and the Interior Alaska Center for Non-Violent Living (Saturday’s event, sponsored by the Imperial Court of All Alaska).

Fairbanks fundraiser for gay cabbie injured in assault

Early on the morning of Thursday, January 13, Johnmichael, a driver for Eagle Cabs in Fairbanks, was beaten in the face with the claw side of a hammer. His assailant, Robert Charles Evans, is in jail charged with first degree assault and first degree robbery. Both charges are class A felonies in Alaska, and could garner Evans a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Where to Find GLBT Alaska – Annual Events, Revised for 2011

The main annual events held by the LGBT organizations and local communities in Alaska are listed here in calendar order, along with city-wide events that we participate in every year.

Fur Rondy Grand Parade (Feb 26) – The Imperial Court creates a float for the Rondy Parade in downtown Anchorage.

Femme Fatale (mid-April) – The Imperial Court’s Juneau show closes the state legislative session and is a benefit for Four A’s.

Day of Silence (April 15) and Pride Prom (April 23 in Anchorage) – Alaska’s students, teachers and Gay/Straight Alliances (GSA’s) join the National Day of Silence, and break their silence celebrating at Pride Prom.

Celebration of Change (April 23) – Radical Arts for Women’s ‘break-up’ performance celebrates women, music and art in Anchorage.

Juneau Pride Chorus spring concert (April 30) – The concert is a spirited evening of women, song and dance at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center, and the chorus performs at various events during the spring and summer.

LGBT Pride Picnic (May 30, Memorial Day) – The Anchorage Picnic and BBQ celebrate unity in the community and the beginning of summer.

Alaska Pride Week and Festival (3rd week in June) – The summer solstice parade and festival celebrates LGBT Pride in downtown Anchorage, following a week of Pride events.

Northern Exposure (during Pride Week this year) – Alaska’s new gay & straight BDSM/Leather conference returns for a second year.

Juneau Pride Picnic and Glacier Hike (summer) – Juneau celebrates Pride with a GLBT community picnic and glacier hike organized by SEAGLA.

Marching in July 4th Parades – LGBT contingents design floats and march in July 4th parades in Anchorage and Homer.

PFLAG in Golden Days Parade (late July) and Tanana Valley State Fair (August) – PFLAG and the Fairbanks LGBTQA community march in the annual Gold Rush parade, host a Pride Picnic after the parade, and create a booth for the Interior state fair.

Coronation (Labor Day Weekend, Sept.) – An extravaganza of performances in Anchorage invests the new Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Court of All Alaska, and announces community awards and scholarships.

Pride Conference (Saturday near October 11) – Identity’s back-to-school youth conference is inspired by National Coming Out Day, celebrated nationally on October 11.

Alaskans Together annual meeting (Sunday after Pride Conference) – The state-wide LGBT advocacy group holds a strategy meeting each year in Anchorage.

Thanksgiving Community Meal (Thanksgiving Day) – Several gay-owned businesses in Anchorage host a Thanksgiving Day meal for the LGBT community.

World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) – Alaska commemorates World AIDS Day with red ribbons and candlelight vigils sponsored by Four A’s and IAA in Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.

Arctic Heat (Jan. 2012) – The Men’s Club chooses the new Bear and Leather titleholders every other year.

Alaska’s LGBT groups hold many other events and performances, as well as weekly and monthly meetings and events, that the community is invited to attend. Visit the links in the side column of the blog for more lists of Where to find LGBT Alaska.

Mid-Winter Hot Springs Exodus *new date*

UPDATE: The Chena Hot Springs Exodus has been postponed until February 19 due to bad weather and unsafe road conditions. Join the event’s FB page for details.

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Want to meet other LGBT’s from Fairbanks at a fun social event that isn’t a drag show? Haus of Fusion invites the whole community to relax, rejuvenate and make new friends at the Chena Hot Springs Exodus 2011:

Come join us for the first annual Haus of Fusion-sponsored Chena Hot Springs Exodus, a massive outpouring of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Intersexed, Queer and Straight Allies. We’ll take over the hot springs for the day!

The goal of this event is to give the GLBT community something non-drag-show to do, a social event we can all enjoy. This is a time to put aside grudges and make friendships.

THE PLAN: We will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 22, in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Fairbanks and depart soon after for Chena Hot Springs. Transportation will be caravan-style carpooling. Drivers should have a full tank of gas and a fully charged cell phone. We will be departing the hot springs by about 6 p.m. (Staying overnight is optional.)

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: The day off, swimwear, a towel, $10 for admission to the spring and pool, and money for food and beverages.

Community members are welcome to rent a cabin for the night, but will need their own transportation back to Fairbanks. Overnight rates vary, and include swim passes. See the Chena Hot Springs special rates for Alaska residents.

Aw, sounds devine. Banish the winter blues and meet new people at a community soak. And I’m sure they’ll welcome LGBT’s from Anchorage, if you plan to be near Fairbanks that weekend or want to drop by. Check out the Chena Hot Springs Exodus 2011 FB page for more info and to RSVP.

Alaska’s Barnes & Noble stores join national No Name-Calling project

“Bringing awareness to the seriousness and severity of name-calling, teasing, bullying and cyber bullying is very important to Barnes & Noble. We’re pleased to be partnering with Simon & Schuster and GLSEN for such an important effort,” said Mary Amicucci, vice president of Children’s Books for Barnes & Noble.

“GLSEN is excited to work with Barnes & Noble to bring No Name-Calling Week’s message of respect to youth across the country throughout the month of January,” said Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) Executive Director Eliza Byard. “As the world’s largest bookseller, we applaud Barnes & Noble for embracing this opportunity to raise awareness about the problems of name-calling and bullying.”

Barnes & Noble stores across the country have events planned throughout January to recognize No Name-Calling Month including: All stores will host a national Storytime event on Saturday, January 15 at 11 a.m. The event will include a Storytime reading of the books Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes and One by Kathryn Otoshi, arts and crafts and other activities.

From January 15 through January 23, stores will host Barnes & Noble Educator Appreciation Week. Stores will have No Name-Calling materials available for teachers and educators including book recommendations, tip sheets for organizing No Name-Calling events, lesson plans for elementary and middle school students, classroom posters and buttons, [and] in-store panel discussions with GLSEN local chapters. Exclusive No Name-Calling articles by James Howe and Jodi Picoult will be featured in the January line-up of the More In Store program available on NOOK, the Barnes & Noble eBook Reader.

Barnes & Noble.com will feature a No Name-Calling page. Exclusive video content from bestselling children’s, teen and adult authors will be placed on the site during the month of January… The authors will discuss their thoughts on and experiences with bullying.

World AIDS Day events in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau

World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1 to remember those we have lost to HIV/AIDS, to honor those still living with the disease, and to commemorate the theme of universal access and human rights.

Events including candlelight vigils are scheduled in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau. Click through on the city names to RSVP organizers about your intentions to attend.

Anchorage

• Day/time: Wednesday, December 1 · 6:00–9:00 PM
• Location: Out North, 3800 DeBarr Road
• Sponsor: Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s)
• Info: Join us for our annual World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil to remember and honor all who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Vigil begins at 6 p.m. then afterward at 7 p.m. there will be a free showing of the movie “Life Support” starring Queen Latifah.

Fairbanks

• Day/time: Wednesday, December 1, 4:00–7:00 PM
• Location: Interior AIDS Association (710 3rd. Ave.) with candlelight walk to 101 Dunkel St. (Morris Thompson Center)
• Sponsor: Interior AIDS Association (IAA)
• Info: December 1, 2010 Potluck, art, and open house from 4-5:30pm at the Interior AIDS Association. Candlelight walk at 5:30 from IAA 710 3rd Avenue to the Morris Thompson Cultural Center Theatre 101 Dunkel Street. We will have Anna Nelson, executive director of IAA opening and guest speaker Dr. Saltonstall from Anchorage and Father Scott from St. Matthews Episcopal Church. Other speakers TBA. Everyone is welcome to bring a dish to share for the potluck and don’t forget to dress warmly for the walk. Remember, this is Fairbanks and it will probably be cold!

Juneau

• Day/time: Wednesday, December 1 · 6:30–9:30 PM
• Location: Baranof Hotel/Rendezvous
• Sponsor: Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s)
• Info: Join us for our annual World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil in Juneau at the Baranof Hotel, beginning at 6:30 p.m. then come over to the Rendezvous for a free showing of “Rent” at 8 p.m.