Articles in Alaska communities
“Out in the Silence”, award-winning docco on bullying & discrimination in smalltown America: Sunday at Out North
The United Gay-Straight Alliances of Anchorage are sponsoring a free showing on Sunday evening, November 6 of Out in the Silence, a 50-minute documentary which addresses bullying and discrimination against LGBT youth in rural and smalltown America. This is a free, all-ages event at Out North, though a donation of $3 at the door is suggested to help Anchorage GSAs develop anti-bullying initiatives in their schools.
Special thanks to The Family at UAA, Spectrum at APU, as well as Out North Contemporary Art House for their support as well as the many youth working to make this showing a success!
The aim of Out in the Silence is to expand public awareness about the difficulties that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people face in rural and small town America and to promote dialogue and action that will help people on all sides of the issues find common ground.
This is a community event and all ages, orientations, etc. are welcome to attend! There is a suggested $3 donation at the door, with all proceeds going to support Gay-Straight Alliances across Anchorage to develop anti-bullying initiatives within their schools.
- Date/time: Sunday, Nov 6, 7:00 to 9:00 PM
- Location: Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 DeBarr Road Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Cost of admission: Free; suggested $3 donation at the door to benefit Anchorage-area Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs).
- Further info: see Facebook events page, the Out in the Silence website, or the Out in the Silence Facebook page
Call for participants: Influences on LGBT Self-Identity research project
Heather Aronno of Alaska Commons is also a student at UAA, and is conducting a study on influences on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender self-identity. Please consider participating!
One Anchorage Boot Camp to be held Nov. 4–6
The One Anchorage Campaign to add LGBT equality to Anchorage’s equal rights code through an April 2012 ballot measure will hold a three-day Boot Camp on November 4–6 for committed One Anchorage volunteers.
The focus of the training will be on how to run a successful campaign, and will be led by the nationally respected L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center’s Leadership LAB. The training will be held from November 4–6 (Friday evening and during the day Saturday and Sunday), and is intended for anyone totally committed to One Anchorage and the success of this important equal rights campaign. One Anchorage needs you to attend all sessions, and become a super volunteer for the Campaign. The registration form is available on the Equality Works website.
There is no cost. One Anchorage will provide food and beverages. Please join in and help make One Anchorage a successful campaign!
- Date/time: Friday, November 4, 5:30 to 9:30 PM; Saturday, November 5, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; Sunday, November 6, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Location: 1057 W. Fireweed Lane, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Register: fill out the registration form and email or fax to Johnathan Jones at jjones@oneanchorage.com or 907.258.0288
- Further info: Equality Works website, One Anchorage website, or One Anchorage’s page on Facebook
The circle turns
by Lauren Tibbits. Alaska Pride Conference was about drawing the younger and older generations together to better serve the LGBT community in Alaska — a wonderful experience, but coupled with grief for the passing of a beloved mentor, Alison McKenna of Juneau, who died unexpectedly on Saturday. The important thing, I’ve discovered, is to be part of the living legacy Alison has left behind.
Off the Page: Momentum Dance Collective at Out North this weekend & next
Momentum Dance Collective is a nonprofit contemporary dance company in Anchorage. Working with local Alaskan poets, Momentum choreographers will bring their ideas to the stage to take on a life in a three dimensional reality. This production will showcase the work of six choreographers, 13 poets and 18 dancers.
Through 13 short pieces, these poems will be expressed in a variety of ways; a theme for the movement, a mood for the soundtrack, or a visual image that defines the direction of the piece itself. A variety of poetry and dance forms will take the stage that touch on themes of recovery, circumstance, relationships, humanity, and love.
- Date/time: October 13-15 and October 20-22 at 8 PM
- Location: Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 DeBarr Road, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Cost of admission: $20 general $15 students/60+/military in advance via www.centertix.net. Or $25/$20 at the door.
- Further info: see Facebook events page or Momentum Dance’s website or Facebook page
Momentum Dance Collective created this reel of some of their moves — watch:
Occupy Wall Street movement spreads to Anchorage and Fairbanks
Bent Alaska’s news tweets over the past few days included a few about the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has now spread to cities nationwide — including Anchorage and Fairbanks. “Occupy” demonstrations were held in Anchorage last Wednesday, and in both Anchorage and Fairbanks on Saturday.
Juneau Pride Chorus presents gay & lesbian film festival for National Coming Out Day
Juneau Pride Chorus — “a chorus of mothers, daughters, sisters, lovers and grandmothers bonded by love of singing and desire to celebrate diversity” — will celebrate National Coming Out Day this coming Tuesday, October 11, with a festival of gay and lesbian short films from some of the country’s top film festivals. The Pride Chorus will sing at intermission.
Admission is free, but donations are not only welcomed but encouraged: Pride Chorus is raising funds in hopes of going, for its first time ever, to the Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses (GALA) International Chorus Festival, which will be held in Denver in July 2012. GALA’s festival happens only once every four years.
National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is an internationally observed civil awareness day observed by members of the LGBTQA communities on October 11 every year (or October 12 in the United Kingdom). Its date was chosen in commemoration of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, held on October 11, 1987. National Coming Out Day is also an important for another reason, the Juneau Empire reports: the Juneau Pride Chorus held its very first rehearsal on National Coming Out Day in 1997.
The Juneau Empire continues,
Pride Chorus lays claim to the title of Juneau’s only year-round chorus, not counting church choirs. It rehearses every Tuesday from 5:30–7 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church, open to the (female) public—to listen or to sing.
In fact, Pride Chorus prides itself, no pun intended, on its unrestrictive admission policy, which does not limit membership by audition, voice part or even sexual orientation.
“You don’t have to be LGBT to be a member of Pride Chorus, just supportive of our causes,” [Pride Chorus director Leslie] Wood said, who estimates that a third of the women in the chorus are lesbian, a third bisexual and a third, allies.
“You don’t have to be able to sing, either, but it helps.”
Juneau Pride Chorus holds an annual concert in April and also performs annually at Alaska Folk Festival and sometimes for World AIDS Day.
If you’re in Juneau, make time next Tuesday evening for some terrific films and terrific music. As one of Bent Alaska’s friends — a Pride Chorus member — wrote on our Facebook wall yesterday, “Come hear us sing — it will be a blast!” And don’t forget to chip in to help the Pride Chorus on its way to GALA 2012!
- Date/time: Tuesday, October 11, 6:30 to 9:30 PM
- Location: Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater, 171 Shattuck Way, Juneau, AK (see map)
- Cost of admission: Admission is free; donations accepted and encouraged: this is a fundraiser for Juneau Pride Chorus.
- Further info: see Facebook events page
White Trash Party in Fairbanks this Saturday
Your Grande Duke and Duchess XIX of Fairbanks invite you to:
The White Trash Party
Daphne DoAll LaChores will be back again hosting the event, and DJ 50/50 will be spinning the tunes.
What’s a good White Trash costume look like? Overalls, Daisy Dukes, wife beater, cut-off blue jeans, John Deer hat, beer guts hanging out, mullets, big hair (for ladies) — be creative! Discount given to total outfit, $100 prize for best costume. There will also be a silent auction, cake walk, etc.
- Date/time: Saturday, October 8. Doors open at 7 PM; show starts promptly at 8:00 PM
- Location: Blue Loon, 2999 Parks Highway, Fairbanks, AK (see map)
- Cost of admission: General admission $15; $10 if you come in costume. All proceeds benefit the Imperial Court of All Alaska.
- Further info: see Facebook events page
Alaska Pride Conference & Youth Summit 2011: October 14-16 in Anchorage
Alaska Pride Conference 2011 and the first-ever Alaska statewide GLBT Youth Summit (Alaska youth 14-18) focusing on youth issues in Alaska will be held October 14-16 in Anchorage.
Anchorage Town Hall 2 to be held Monday
The first Anchorage LGBTQA Town Hall in August was a resounding success. Now it’s time for a second one! Anchorage LGBTQA Town Hall 2 will be held Monday, October 3 at the A Street Event Hall.
Our purpose is community building & information sharing in the LGBTQA* community of Anchorage. Unlike our first meeting, we have no restrictions re: blogs/newsies writing about this meeting before, during, after.
The convenors for Town Hall 2 are Mel Green, Mary Elizabeth Rider, Maureen McGlone, Michael Mason, Doug Frank, Sara Gavit, Heather Aronno, John Aronno, and Marcia Barnes. Sara Gavit will facilitate the meeting.
On the agenda:
- An open forum.
- Introducing more of the groups and activities in our community, including: West High GSA, The Family at UAA, Grrlzlist, Bent Alaska, and a preview of Alaska Pride Conference 2011 to be held in mid-October.
- An update on the One Anchorage campaign from Trevor Storrs.
- Should we have more Town Halls? How often? What about? What would you want to discuss?
- Plus, an opportunity to connect & talk with each other.
We look forward to seeing you there!
(*LGBTQA = lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, and non-LGBTQ allies).
- Date/time: Monday, October 3, 2011
- Location: A Street Event Hall, 637 A Street, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- RSVPs: We appreciate RSVPs but they’re not required. Spur of the moment decisions to attend are welcome!
- Further info: see Facebook event page or EventBrite event page. We can be reached by email at lgbtqapartnership@gmail.com, or see our Facebook group.
Thank you to Doug of the Kodiak Bar & Grill for allowing us to use this hall! Do you have an event you’d like to rent the A Street Event Hall for? Contact Doug at 727-1094.
