Articles in Homer
Homer: Rockabilly Ball with the queens of Anchorage
What’s buzzin’, cuzzin? The Rockabilly Ball, that’s what!
All cats and daddy-o’s are invited to the Rockabilly Ball, a benefit for Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic, on April 16, 2011 at Alice’s Champagne Palace! So slap on your boss threads, coif your pompadour and join KBFPC for this rockin’ bash!
Don’t be a square, come and dance to the sounds of Iron Mermaid, eat scrumptious morsels from Maura’s Cafe, gawk at the babes from Mad Myrna’s and fork over your bread at the live auction.
Tickets are $25 in advance, available at KBFPC and Two Sisters Bakery, or $30 at the door. For updates, check out the Rockabilly Ball event page on Facebook.
Rockabilly Ball
A benefit for Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic
Saturday, April 16 · 7:00pm – 11:30pm
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
Adults Only
Entertainers from Mad Myrna’s
Live Music by Iron Mermaid
Auction of paintings by Steve Collins
Junkyard Auction ~ auctioneer Dave Aplin!
Hors d’œuvres by Maura’s Cafe
Divine drink concoctions by Homer’s best mixologists
Alice’s Champagne Palace
195 E Pioneer Avenue
Homer, Alaska
Carrie Newcomer: An ally Before and After
Folksinger and straight ally Carrie Newcomer performs three concerts in Alaska this week, March 24–27, 2011, for her Before and After tour: Seldovia on Thursday, Anchorage on Saturday, and Palmer on Sunday. She was in Sitka last week.
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.
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.
Homer AK Chamber apologizes for gay float snub (photos & video)
After a series of letters, denials and meetings, the Homer Chamber of Commerce apologized to PFLAG in a public letter yesterday, because the emcee for the city’s 4th of July parade refused to introduce the LGBT float. Paul Dauphinais, Executive director of the Homer Chamber of Commerce, apologized for the “omission.” (Emcee Tim White has not apologized.)
“It has been brought to the attention of the Homer Chamber of Commerce that part of the narrative provided by Homer PFLAG for its participation in the Fourth of July Parade was not read during the parade. The Chamber regrets this oversight and apologizes for the omission.”
The fallout from the gay float snub in Homer just kept getting worse: First, emcee Tim White wouldn’t say the names PFLAG and GSA or the words gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender in the introduction of the float. Then the Homer News censored White’s name out of PFLAG’s first letter to the editor about the parade incident. The Homer Tribune, which printed the full letter and posted it online, pulled down the online version. (PFLAG contacted the Trib and the letter is back up.)
Then PFLAG members met with the Chamber of Commerce director, because the Chamber organizes the annual parade and chooses the emcee. PFLAG asked for an apology for this year’s insult and the assurance that next year’s emcee will read the group’s statement as written.
But director Dauphinais initially blew off PFLAG’s concerns, saying that the emcee “has the option to reword material for time, readability, etc.” and that this is a normal practice of “adlibbing” which occurs every year.
Adlibbing?!
This is how the incident was described by Band of Thebes, who marched with the gay group:
“Along the route, when the crowd realized who we were, they often loudly increased their cheering. However, the emcee in the judging booth who read every other group’s information or prepared statement refused to announce our name, mission, wouldn’t say PFLAG, GSA, lesbian, gay, or anything about us other than “Float #10… uh… building community… and diversity.”
That’s not an ad lib, that’s an insult! Joseph Lapp, vice president of Homer PFLAG, responded with this excellent open letter to the Chamber, which he also sent to Bent Alaska:
“I appreciate both your taking the time to meet me in person and the emailed response you sent last week. PFLAG were and remain very concerned about the fact that the emcee chosen by the Homer Chamber of Commerce omitted the words “lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered” during our participation in the Homer 4th of July Parade. I would like to take this opportunity to provide you with some background about who we are and what we stand for, respond to a couple of points in your email, and hopefully identify some positive ways to move forward. I have decided to reply publicly in hopes of answering some questions among our constituency that have been raised since the incident, and since the incident occurred in a public venue I think that the discussions that come out of it ought to be public as well, so I will be forwarding this message to our Homer PFLAG list and to other groups and individuals who picked up the story. I hope that you will share it with the board of the chamber as well.First, I’d like to say that marching in the Fourth of July parade is enormously meaningful for our organization. Last year when we entered the parade it was the first time that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (lgbt) people and their friends and allies publicly marched down a Homer street in the town’s history. For many of our participants it was the first time that they publicly identified themselves either as an lgbt person or a straight ally to our community. I think it’s safe to say that we were all terrified, and with no small of amount of reason, many of us having been victims of harassment, violence, and discrimination at various points in our lives. So to say that we were thrilled by the overwhelming support we had in terms of numbers (our float fielded more participants than any other in the parade) and from the amazingly supportive on-lookers would be a great understatement. For me, and I’m sure for many of our marchers, it was one of the proudest moments of my life.
Hopefully that gives you some idea why our reaction to what happened at the parade this year is so strong. When your emcee failed to read the words “lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered” it felt like a slap in our collective faces. The amount of personal courage it takes to stand up as an lgbt person in Alaska, where it is perfectly legal to fire us from our jobs or kick us out of our apartments solely because of our sexuality, is enormous and to be met with such a bold dismissal from the professional announcer chosen by the Chamber of Commerce was awful.Second, I’d like to respond to a couple of points from your email. You write that the emcee “has the option to reword material for time, readability, etc.” and that this is a normal practice of “adlibbing” which occurs every year. I’m curious because there were a number of much longer and wordier statements announcing other floats in the parade. Our written statement was a bit less than 25 words long. It takes less than 30 seconds to read. So I don’t see how time could have been a factor in the emcee’s “editing” process. As for readability, I can see that a word like transgendered might be a mouthful, although one would think that an emcee who works as a talk radio host could probably tackle it, [but] a word like gay, consisting of three letters and only one syllable, is extremely pronounceable. Next I would ask why it is the policy of the chamber to allow their emcees to personally and without any accountability edit the contributions of parade participants. I’m curious if you would find it acceptable for one of your emcees to edit out references to military service from the VFW folks, or references to boats from the Homer Wooden Boat Society. Either one would render the statement meaningless, just as what your emcee announced was completely devoid of meaning. You also state explicitly in your email that you did not speak with the emcee regarding what happened. Is it the policy of the Homer Chamber of Commerce to ask no accountability from its employees and volunteers when evidence exists of possible willful discrimination against a whole segment of the population? It’s my understanding that people like this represent the organizations they work for; is discrimination a proper representation of the Homer Chamber? If so I think that there are many of your members who would like to be made aware of that fact.Third, I would like to offer two suggestions for moving forward in a positive way. While I’m outraged by the emcee’s actions during the parade I do not believe that the chamber as an organization is one that favors discriminating against people based on their sexuality or gender identity, but the events of the 4th cast some doubt on that. I think it’s fair to ask that the chamber both make a public apology for what happened and to publicly clarify the organization’s position on this form of discrimination. In addition, I think that it’s fair to ask that the chamber make a commitment to more carefully screen emcees in the future to prevent against selecting one that has such an ideological bias as to prevent them from reading references to the race, gender, religion, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or gender identity from the written statements provided by the parade participants.In closing, the emails I’ve received from you end with a quote that I rather like, it says “it is curious that physical courage should be so abundant in the world and moral courage so rare.” I agree with Mark Twain here, and I can only assume that you do as well, so while it takes a degree of moral courage to take a stand against hate, fear, and discrimination, I hope that you and the Homer Chamber of Commerce have that courage. I would hate for the young people who courageously marched in the parade with us to have their first experience with public support for lgbt people to be insulted.
The letter was shared on Homer PFLAG’s Facebook page, and they asked us to call and write to the Homer Chamber of Commerce, which many people did. The Tribune posted Joseph’s letter yesterday, the same day as the Chamber’s apology.
The Homer News also published the Chamber’s apology, along with a response from PFLAG thanking the Chamber for “it’s commitment to not engage in any sort of discrimination against people based on their sexuality or gender identity.” PFLAG also thanked the people of Homer:
“We would like to thank the Homer community for the support you’ve shown us, and look forward to continue working with all of our partners and allies to make Homer a community free of hate and discrimination.”
Congratulations to Homer PFLAG and the people of Homer for resolving the Chamber’s role in this incident with letters and meetings!
The only question now is whether emcee Tim White will take responsibility for his actions and apologize to PFLAG. Mr. White, will you step up to the plate, or will you hide behind the Chamber?
Miriam Elizondo made this very cool video of Homer PFLAG marching in the July 4th Parade. Please watch it:
Answers to "Why do you need a gay parade?"
A straight couple asked this question at the Alaska PrideFest parade and I posted my reply on the blog after reading the answer Homer PFLAG gave to a similar question about their float in the July 4th parade. The post got an interesting comment, and when I shared the link on Bent’s FB page readers gave even more great answers – as I knew you would. (It’s true, the readers are my best source of ideas. How did I do this blog before setting up the Facebook page?)
Our answers form a wonderful set of responses to anyone who faces this question, and show the diversity of Alaska’s LGBTA community. Are the PrideFest committee chairs taking notes?
Jennifer from Homer PFLAG began the discussion with her letter on the emcee who dissed the LGBT Youth float in their July 4th parade:
“Some people have said, “Why do those gay people need to have a special float in the parade at all?” I would answer, that the reality of discrimination and ignorance towards LGBT people is very real in Homer, Alaska—particularly for young people.”
I faced a similar question at Alaska PrideFest in Anchorage, struggled with the negative implications of the words “you need” and replied,
“Well, why do we need a July 4th parade?” I asked. “We don’t – we have it because we want to celebrate our country.”“Even if we didn’t need a gay pride parade, we’d want to have it to celebrate the LGBT community. We celebrate our LGBT groups, mostly run by volunteers, we celebrate the LGBT people in Alaska, we celebrate our friends and allies, and we celebrate that we can have a gay parade in Anchorage, that we have the right to peacefully assemble and celebrate our community. Like the 4th of July parade.”
First, a reader made good points in a blog post comment:
I would have also mentioned that the Pride Parade comes at the end of Pride Week, which is celebrated in cities all over the country… during a month proclaimed by the President of the United States!The LGBT celebration is no different than that of February and African-American History Month, or March and American Red Cross. Cheers for sticking to your guns, and educating… without getting up on a soap-box… LOL!
Then the FB readers jumped in with these interesting comments:
Why have a parade at all? To express our pride in something, to show how far we’ve come, to make known that we all are great. Parades are great shows of triumph. We have a gay pride because, hello, we’re in the 21st Century, not the 18th. We have a gay pride because we’re proud, too.Because it’s much friendlier than an equal rights march.Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly, and impressive ceremony. Symbolic processions were an important tool in the non-violent protest of Gandhi. Marches on Washington include formal processions. I think for us, as a community, to have the parade we are demonstrating our heritage as well as our unity as a community.Why? Simple….as a community WE ALL are largely invisible….how else are we to show that we are here?In one respect, it’s less about being proud of ourselves and more about showing ourselves to the world at large. We’re showing the richness of our diversity and the support we enjoy from our friends and family. But just as much as highlighting our differences, we’re celebrating the things that make us like everyone else, we love, laugh, party and share our lives with friends and family just the same way everyone else does.Is “Why do we need a gay parade? the real question or is it more “Why must you publicly flaunt your gay selves? You know some folks are just not comfortable with anyone who does not fit inside their closet.Unless every GLBT turns purple tomorrow they’ll never know we are even here….THATs why we need a parade. Without it how will they even know we exist? If they don’t know we exist then laws or omissions will be made to make out lives even MORE unequal.To liven things up!The answer to the question should it have been asked by someone who is not comfortable with gays is this: We do not need a gay parade, but you do.To raise awareness that gays are everywhere/can be anybody and to celebrate that we are not alone!I have met so many people who are still struggling to come out of the closet. When I was in the closet I felt ashamed of who I was as a person. Its important to see people who can assert their own identity for everyone who is still struggling, because no one should have to feel ashamed of who they are.I love the ideas expressed here (it WAS one of our bigger parades)! With what happened to the Imperial Court’s float showed the entire community who and what we’re about. We are a loving, inclusive, and as expressed here, diverse community. Our friends, family, and allies especially showed true colors and really came together. I couldnt be more proud of the face we showed. And THAT’S why I feel a Parade is a celebration of who we are and a very healthy way to express our Diversity!
Such great answers. I learn more about this community with every post and discussion, from the generous people who send information to the responses of readers after the post is up. (Sometimes, they write the post for me!) I’m a lucky blogger.
This discussion began with straight people who are not supportive asking us to justify our parade. However, LGBT people also ask why we still have these parades. Next time you hear an LGBT friend – in Alaska or elsewhere – say they aren’t going to their Pride Festival and we don’t need gay parades any more, remember the answers above and the gay and straight people who do need and want an annual gay parade, for all kinds of reasons. Remember, and come to the parade!
"Why do you need a gay parade?"
In a letter from Homer PFLAG about the emcee who wouldn’t say the words gay and lesbian at the July 4th parade, Jennifer also responded to a loaded question asked by some locals, “Why do those gay people need to have a special float in the parade at all?” She wrote that “the reality of discrimination and ignorance towards LGBT people is very real in Homer, Alaska—particularly for young people.”
A straight couple visiting from Texas asked me a similar question at the Anchorage Pride parade, the week before July 4th: “Why do you need to have a gay parade?”
The tourists were stuck at the intersection of 6th Ave. and I St. because the APD blocked the cross streets along the route for the hour long parade without bothering to divert traffic or even warn the cars to turn at 7th. (Who’s bright idea was that?)
Like Jennifer, I started to answer the question as asked, explaining about the ordinance veto and the red-sirts demanding that we be fired for being gay… but the parade wasn’t a protest, and the answer felt incomplete because the question was biased.
The question asks us to prove why we need a gay parade, or an LGBT float, as though we were taking something we might not deserve. It makes us defensive, and lets them argue that we don’t need the parade and shouldn’t be allowed to have it.
But the parade is a celebration, not an argument.
“Well, why do we need a July 4th parade?” I asked. “We don’t – we have it because we want to celebrate our country.”
“Even if we didn’t need a gay pride parade, we’d want to have it to celebrate the LGBT community. We celebrate our LGBT groups, mostly run by volunteers, we celebrate the LGBT people in Alaska, we celebrate our friends and allies, and we celebrate that we can have a gay parade in Anchorage, that we have the right to peacefully assemble and celebrate our community. Like the 4th of July parade.”
The woman just stared at me, but the man nodded. “OK, I can see that,” he said.
Homer July 4th emcee "would not say the words lesbian or gay" *Updated with contact info
Tim White, DJ at K-WAVE, was the emcee who dissed the LGBT float in Homer’s July 4th parade, and Jennifer Baker of Homer PFLAG wrote this letter to the local newspapers about the incident:
I am writing on behalf of the Homer Chapter of PFLAG, to express my heartfelt appreciation to the community of Homer for the cheers and support we received for our float during this year’s 4th of July Parade. This year, PFLAG (Parents, Friends of Lesbians and Gays) marched with the newly-formed Homer Youth Gay-Straight Alliance, in order to strengthen efforts at providing support and solidarity for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered) youth in Homer.I am also writing to express my concern about the significant omissions by the emcee of this year’s parade, Tim White, while he was reading the description of our organizations and float. Rather than reading the prepared statement as written, he omitted the names of our organizations and would not say the words lesbian or gay, which were part of our statement. This omission was quite obvious and did not appear to be accidental.It is tragic to think that this incident might be related to anything other than a logistical mishap, especially on a day when we are celebrating a day that is all about freedom. It is my sincere hope, and that of Homer PFLAG, that the Homer Chamber of Commerce is committed to having the voice of the 4th of July Parade be one that would never in any way be associated with discrimination, censorship, or homophobia.Some people have said, “Why do those gay people need to have a special float in the parade at all?” I would answer, that the reality of discrimination and ignorance towards LGBT people is very real in Homer, Alaska—particularly for young people. The intention of PFLAG and the GSA in our community is to promote equal treatment of all people—regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In the words of the ACLU, “freedom does not protect itself.” Silence is deadly—and the silence of this year’s parade emcee has given us an opportunity to speak a bit louder.
White owes an apology to PFLAG, the GSA and the people of Homer! And the Homer Chamber of Commerce needs to choose emcees who will read the LGBT group’s prepared statement as it’s written, the same way they introduce all the other floats and marchers.
Make sure the LGBT youth of Homer are not dissed again – Call the Homer Chamber of Commerce at 907-235-7740, or write a letter to the Homer Tribune and the Homer News.
And if White doesn’t apology, don’t listen to K-WAVE.
Pride Float destroyed & rebuilt for July 4th parade wins Grand Prize (video and links)
Two days into a camping trip, I received a text message that a Pride Parade float entered in the Anchorage 4th of July parade had been destroyed by a suspicious fire.
The Imperial Court had 48 hours to rebuild. They called for volunteers and for the LGBTA community to march along with the new float. In the nearest town, I shared that information on Bent’s Facebook wall before the connection quit.
Coming home last night, I saw photos of the new LGBT float and the queer youth float that also participated in Sunday’s parade.
The Pride float was built by the efforts of many. Thanks to the LGBT people and allies who created the float so quickly and with so much style. Thanks to the businesses and individuals who donated the materials, funds and labor to rebuild the float. Thanks to all who rode and walked with the float. And thanks to the Facebook users, local media, and bloggers for reporting the fire and the story of Phoenix Rising, the LGBT float that won the Grand Prize in the 4th of July parade. It was a community effort, in every way.
A fund is set up to help rebuild Paula & Ken Butner’s garage (Wells Fargo account #9297382088). The fire investigation is still in progress. In a possibly related incident, the police are investigating eggs thrown on the home of Daphne, the emcee for the LGBT float.
KTUU has a good report on the float, but their video can’t be embedded. KTVA also reported the suspicious fire, and that the rebuilt float won the Grand Prize. Watch the parade story:
Linda of Celtic Diva posted a photo essay about the float on Mudflats. Gryphen on Immoral Minority asked if Mayor Sullivan considers the fire “quantifiable evidence” of hate toward the gay community in Anchorage. The incident was also reported by the Associated Press, and by the national gay blog Towleroad.
Meanwhile in the town of Homer, Alaska, the LGBTA float for the July 4th parade was created without incident by PFLAG and the Gay/Straight Alliance, but the announcer refused to introduce the PFLAG/GSA float when they passed the judging booth. One of the marchers had to step forward and tell the crowd who they were.
More people rode in the PFLAG rainbow skiff this year, and several of the walkers wore Alaska rainbow socks. The LGBT contingent included the skiff, two bicycles, two gay olympic athletes with their medals, a skateboarder, a group of walkers, and a blond queen wearing a pink sweater-set with black leather boots and riding a motorcycle.
Thanks to the national LGBT book blogger Band of Thebes (who lives part time in Homer) for the story and photos.
Memorial Day Picnic, Homer GSA, Juneau benefit, Palmer gallery, Marcia’s Lodge
Gay AK: Notes from Homer, Juneau, Palmer, Kenai and Anchorage
May 22 is Harvey Milk Day. He would have been 80 today.
Community Memorial Day Picnic
Please join the Imperial Court as they host the annual Memorial Day Picnic in Anchorage, at the Kincaid Park chalet again this year, on Monday, May 31, noon-5 p.m. For more than 30 years, this showcase event has launched the summer meet and greet season. Strike a pose! See you there!
Homer’s New Youth-Community GSA
A group of young adults in Homer started a Youth-Community GSA. Their first meeting is on Saturday, May 22, from 3:30-5:30pm in the Homer Public Library Conference Room.
Marcia’s Redfish Lodge on the Kenai
Thinking about a summer tip to the Kenai? Check out Marcia’s Alaska Redfish Lodge. Beautiful cabins, friendly environment, and a great place to get away.
Half Moon Creek opens new art gallery in Palmer
The new Palmer store is open! Come support some fabulous lesbians and some of Alaska’s finest artists. Half Moon Creek.
Juneau Drag Queen and King benefit show, help needed
The recently appointed Duchess Marguerite of Juneau is planning a Drag Queen and King show as a fundraiser for Four A’s, at the Rendezvous Bar on Friday June 18th, and she’s looking for help.
“I need some awesome talent to get up there and shake it. You can lip synch, sing live or karaoke, juggle, I don’t care really, just as long as you’re willing to cross dress while doing so. Or not, I’m pretty open to any help! Not a performer? How about help with sound, lighting, costumes? Sign making, donations, general street team getting the word out action is definitely needed. Donations of time, supplies, ideas, money, I want it all.” Please contact Marguerite, to offer assistance.
