Articles in Alaska communities
Homophobia won’t dim the spirit of “The Sound of Fairview” Block Party 2011
Anchorage’s Fairview Community Council is sponsoring a neighborhood block party this Saturday, and even the sudden pullout of one of scheduled bands — because its drummer can’t abide “flaming faggots” — will not dim Fairview’s spirits.
Irina Rivkin in Fairbanks for three performances this weekend
World-folk live-looping harmony singer-songwriter Irina Rivkin is back in Alaska, with three shows scheduled this weekend in Fairbanks. Local folksinger Inna — Irina’s twin sister — opens and collaborates. Inna performs visually creative acoustic folk with echoes of the Alaskan wilderness.
About Irina Rivkin
Outmusic Awards Recipient, top-10 winner in the Indiegrrl Songwriting Contest, & founder of Rose Street House of Music, Irina Rivkin’s compelling, powerful, poetic songs blend elements of folk & world music, with an all-original sound influenced by her Russian heritage. 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 CD “upwelling” has received airplay on over 100 radio programs.
“Bobby McFerrin reminds me of you” — Bodhi Goforth, house concert co-producer
Rivkin “performs her own breathtaking act as a “live one-woman choir” (using digital looping technology to astonishing effect)” — Michael Dougan, SF Chronicle
“rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock.” — Angela Page, Sing Out! Summer 2004
About Irina’s music:
Irina Rivkin’s website
Live concert video on Youtube
Irina Rivkin on Sonic Bids
Irina’s performances in Fairbanks this weekend
Featured performer at the College Coffeehouse, Songwriter’s night
- Date/time: Friday, June 10, 8 PM
- Location: College Coffeehouse, 3677 College Road, Fairbanks (see map)
Performing at the 25th Annual Fairbanks Summer Folk Festival
- Date/time: Saturday, June 11, 1:15-1:30 PM
- Location: 25th Annual Fairbanks Summer Folk Festival, Pioneer Park Pavilion, Moose Creek Main Stage, 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks (see map)
House concert
All are welcome! Local folksinger-songwriter Inna opens the show. Concert is followed by a short participative live-looping activity for audience members who wish to hear their own voices/instruments live-looped!
- Date/time: Sunday, June 12, 7 PM (potluck at 6 PM)
- Location: Goldstream Valley area of Fairbanks. For address/directions/RSVP, please email idrivkin@alaska.edu, or call 455-6947 (between 10 AM and 10 PM).
- Cost of admission: $8-15 sliding scale donation helps cover tour costs
Listen to Irina perform her song “Hold the Moment,” and see live-looping in action!
This Friday: Loud and PROUD all-ages dance at Out North
Out North and ADK kick of Pride Month with an all-ages dance featuring performances by Powertrain Control Module, DJ DaMmBro, and special guests. A night of exceptional music, with a crowd of extraordinary people!
A “Three Veils” weekend at Out North with filmmaker Rolla Selbak and actress Sheetal Sheth
Out North is hosting a special one-night screening of the film Three Veils this coming Saturday, along with two other events with filmmaker Rolla Selbak and actress Sheetal Sheth.
Bent News, 6/2/11: a new White House LGBT site as we learn of a new DADT discharge
KTVA talks with ICOAA, Anchorage’s “rural” Pride events, a White House website on LGBT issues, a DADT discharge, antigay pastor Lou Engle visits Wasilla, and more in this edition of Bent News.
Thanking those who in the past Stepped Up and Stepped Out with Pride
A message from Alaska Pride | originally posted at the Alaska Pride blog
Flashback to July 1978
In this day and age, it isn’t too rare to see Gay Pride marches across the United States and all around the world. In fact, its pretty much expected. Presidents of our nation even declare a month out of the year as Gay Pride Month (when we really should celebrate Pride all year round!).
GLBT folk and our allies get to march in these parades, unhindered and proudly.
That wasn’t always the case…
Lets flashback to Anchorage in July of 1978. This was the reality of that day and age:
Just imagine being someone in this march. These brave marchers had to wear paper bags over their heads for fear of harassment, abuse, and most of all — losing their jobs. Life was already hard enough being GLBT in Alaska in the 1970′s. But to march and show your Pride was even harder.
This Pride, we honor those who took the first steps to ensure that we as a community can march proudly in the streets, open, no brown paper bags over our heads, no disguise. Because of these individuals who Stepped Up and Stepped Out decades ago, we have the luxury to be able to continue Stepping Up and Stepping Out.
So what have you done to make sure that pictures like these become a thing of the past, something that years from now, we will look back and wonder at the incredulity and ignorance of those people?
This year, this Pride, we ask that you Step Up, Step Out, take that paper bag of your head and march proudly with us on June 25. For even today, it is punishable by death to be GLBT in several nations across the world. Today, Pride marches are banned in several nations, like the Pride march banned in Moscow in which marchers were brutalized and arrested (Read more here.)
That will only end when individuals like you end it.
But please, remember that you are walking in the footsteps of giants like Doug Frank, our Grand Marshall for this years Pride. (Read his bio here.) So tread softly, but tread on nonetheless!
This weekend in LGBTQ Alaska (6/2/11): An ordination, a USO show, male strippers, and IAA First Friday
The ordination of an Anchorage religious leader, a USO-themed fundraiser for Alaska Pride, the visit of a male-stripper review from NYC, and IAA’s First Friday show in Fairbanks dominate this weekend in LGBTQ Alaska. Those events and more, plus a preview of what’s coming up next week.
Celebrating the ordination of Sara Gavit, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church
The Right Reverend Mark Lattime, Episcopal Bishop of Alaska, will ordain Sara Gavit to the Sacred Order of Deacons at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage this Saturday.
A night at the USO, a military affair: A Pride fundraiser this Saturday night
Grab your Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy or your best dame, and join us for a night of fun and laughs in a 1940s USO — a fundraiser for Alaska Pride Fest!
Cohosted by Colleen Crinklaw and Jerad Martens, with performers including Isis Von Croft, Alexis Kellie, Diedra Windsor Walker, Sahandra Crosse, Mariquita, and a few more that are going to work hard to show the guests a good time.
Pay $10 for a grab bag, & you might win prizes ranging in value from $80–$320!!!. We’ll also have a soldier’s toast and light food available while it lasts.
- Date/time: Saturday, June 4, 7:00 to 9:45 PM
- Location: Mad Myrna’s, 530 E. 5th Ave. in downtown Anchorage (see map)
- Cost of admission: $7.00
- Further info: See the Facebook event page
First Friday in Fairbanks: E.mo.tions at IAA
Unique original artwork by Lee Ward will be on display for his solo exhibition “E.mo.tions,” presented as a First Friday opening at the Interior AIDS Association in Fairbanks.
People ask, “what do you paint?” Well its hard to describe. I suppose I just paint what I see and what I experience. Except usually in a funny, and a lot of times, an odd way. I love to paint, I paint to cool my nerves, relax, progress, and to forget about everything. For the brief time I get to sit down, throw on some music, and pick up a cup of paint, and finally paint; its that escape that I love. It’s what keeps me interested. It’s what makes me want to see what my next painting will look like, or what they will look like a year from now, or ten. So I paint what I see and feel, good or bad, everything around me is inspiration.
More of Lee Ward’s work can be seen at his website.
Come check it out. IAA is straight across 2nd from Gambardella’s in downtown Fairbanks.
- Date/time: Friday, June 3, 5-8 PM
- Place: Interior Aids Association, 709 W. 2nd (across from Gambardella’s), Fairbanks (see map)
- Further info: See the Facebook event page
