A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

This weekend in LGBTQ Alaska (5/27/11): 3 Pride fundraisers & annual Memorial Day picnic

It’s Memorial Day Weekend, which means it’s time for the Imperial Court’s annual Memorial Day picnic! But with Pride Month almost upon us, it’s also a weekend dominated by several fundraisers for Identity and Alaska Pride Fest 2011. Those events and more, plus a preview of what’s coming up next week.

Wasilla High School & LGBT youth: A more complex picture

Last week we wrote about the “Bohemian Rhapsody” controversy at Wasilla High School and the wider picture for LGBT youth in Mat-Su schools. Since then, we’ve learned that things might be better for LGBT students at Wasilla High School than our story portrayed.

Bohemian Rhapsody “too gay” for Wasilla? — Beyond the snark, bad situation for gay kids in Mat-Su schools

Beyond the headline-catching absurdity of the short-lived Wasilla High School ban on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” there’s a more serious reality for LGBT students in the Mat-Su — one which hasn’t gained so much media attention.

Lewis: I’m gay and from Wasilla, Alaska

The second video from Wasilla was uploaded today on I’m From Driftwood!

After coming out, Lewis is met with religious fanatics at school but love and support at home.

Watch Lewis: I’m From Wasilla, AK

Thanks to Lewis for sharing his home and school coming out stories, and a big high five to his parents for being so loving and supportive of their son!

IFD traveled all the way to Alaska to include us in their story tour, collecting “true stories by gay people from all over in an attempt to help LGBTQ teens feel not so alone.”

Read about their great Alaska adventures here, and watch the other I’m From Wasilla video story here.

IFD has posted five written stories from LGBTQ Alaskans, in addition to the 2 videos. They’re all listed on the IFD Alaska page.

If you haven’t submitted a story yet, write one and send it to them. The story guidelines and submission page is here.

Driftwood to Wasilla: Moose Sausage from a Lesbian Hunter in Alaska

“Whenever people ask me about the Tour, I always tell them the surprise hit for me was our journey to Alaska.”

The I’m From Driftwood team visited Alaska in November for their national LGBT story project, and the first video interview from Alaska was recently uploaded. They also have five written stories posted by LGBT Alaskans from Eagle River, Anchorage, Juneau and Kotzebue.

For Nathan Manske, project organizer of I’m From Driftwood, Alaska was a high point of the 50 state tour. When Lambda Literary asked “What was one of the most exciting or moving moments while on the road?” he replied:

Visiting Alaska was very memorable. It felt like a foreign trip on a domestic tour. I really had no idea what to expect from the people or places or community but what I found was that the LGBT community there was very tight-knit and diverse. We collected stories from teens in Wasilla and one from a villager, which is what native Alaskans call themselves. I know it’s feeding the stereotype a little to say it felt like a foreign land, but it did in the best way possible.

A quick little story…we were leaving Wasilla on our last day in Alaska, going back to Anchorage, and I told a new friend we had met who was driving us around that I was bummed I never got to have a moose burger. He explained restaurants can’t serve moose; you actually have to hunt them to eat them. He then told me he has a lesbian hunter friend who usually has some fresh moose in her freezer. He called her up and sure enough…we stopped by her place and she gave us some moose sausage. Moose sausage from a lesbian hunter in Alaska. Memorable indeed.

Nathan also told Windy City about Alaska:

Alaska and Hawaii fell at the midpoint of the trip and were very special points during the tour. “They weren’t easy to get to,” Nate remembered. “But that’s why we thought it was so important for us to go.” Nate reminisced that Hawaii seemed like a bit of a vacation, having been on the road for nearly two months. They hung out at Hula’s (Honolulu’s only gay bar) every day.

While in Alaska, they were recognized by a guy at Mad Myrna’s in Anchorage. He turned out to be an excellent tour guide taking them up to Wasilla, a town notorious for one of its residents: Sarah Palin.

“I felt it was important to get a story from Wasilla to show the LGBT youth there that someone is thinking about them in a positive light,” Nate said, “and to let them represent Wasilla the way they want it to be represented.”

They collected two video stories by young gay men from Wasilla: Cody and Lewis. Bent Alaska posted Cody’s video last week and we look forward to seeing Lewis’ video.

The team also wrote about the trip to Alaska on their IFD tour blog. They blogged about staying at The Copper Whale Inn, a gay-owned B&B in downtown Anchorage, meeting LGBT people at the Gay & Lesbian Community Center and at the bar Mad Myrna’s, spending a few hours in Wasilla, and collecting at least 5 video stories during their visit.

“Alaska was the surprise hit for me on the Tour. They’re a special people, those Alaskans. The LGBT community was very tight-knit. At Mad Myrna’s, there seemed to be an even mix of gays and lesbians. They all seemed to band together and appeared to be the perfect example of a unified queer community. The Alaskan scenery was breathtaking but it was all the people sticking together and creating a warm community that I’ll think of when I think of Alaska.”

Thanks for including Alaska in the I’m From Driftwood project!

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.

April’s Trash Drag Spectacle in the Valley

Aprils Follies, the Mat-Su Valley spring drag extravaganza, is back by popular demand, this time with two shows: 6 and 9 pm on Saturday, April 2.

“A jammed-packed night of singing, dancing, and live entertainment from performers around Alaska and beyond, including mini fashion shows sponsored by Mila’s Gowns and Alterations and The Younique Boutique. The line up for the night is EPIC, with MC’s April Rains, Daphne DoAll LaChores, and Kristara!”

This is a fundraiser for the West Lakes Fire Fighters, and other charities that will be chosen by the audience.

“A MUST SEE VALLEY TRASH ALASKAN EVENT!!”

Aprils Follies: “A Valley Trash Drag Spectacle”
Time: Saturday, April 2 · 6-8pm and 9-11pm (doors open at 5:30pm and 8:30pm)
Location: The Rock Cafe (the old Mile 49 Cafe)
Parks and Pittman, mile 49 at the BJ Center
Meadow Lakes, AK
Tickets: $15 at the door

The first Aprils Follies in the Valley was in 2009. Read April’s adventures On The Way to the Follies.

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.

Gay AK: Get ready for late summer and fall events

This Week (and next) in LGBT Alaska 7/9/10