Articles in Alaska communities
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. langFriday – 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 TomlinSaturday, 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.
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.
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.
“Inlaws & Outlaws”: Love is neither straight or gay — it’s human
There was lots of laughter in Room 101 of UAA’s Rasmuson Hall: the laughter of recognition as we shared in the joy of people whose stories of love we heard at the March 18 screening of “Inlaws & Outlaws.”
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.
“Inlaws & Outlaws” with filmmaker Drew Emery at UAA this Friday
“Inlaws & Outlaws” by Seattle filmmaker Drew Emery is showing at UAA this Friday at 7:00 PM. “Inlaws & Outlaws” weaves together the true stories of couples and singles — both gay and straight — into a collective narrative that is as hilarious as it is heartbreaking, ” getting past all the rhetoric to embrace what we have in common: We love.
Harm at the center
Self-hatred — including, for many of us, internalized homophobia and transphobia — is the harm at the very center of us. Love others as you love yourself, but first: love yourself. Let no one convince you to do otherwise.
Are you LGBT? Have you lived, worked, spent time in Anchorage? We need your help.
“My review shows that there is clearly a lack of quantifiable evidence necessitating this ordinance.” That’s what Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan stated on August 17, 2009 when he vetoed Anchorage Ordinance 2009-64, the Anchorage equal rights ordinance, which had been passed the previous week by a vote of 7 to 4 by the Anchorage Assembly. If you are an LGBT person who lives, works, or spends time in Anchorage — or if you’ve lived/worked/spent time in Anchorage in the past — please complete the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey.
Terry Dean 1950–2011
The Juneau LGBTA community joins other friends and family members in mourning the loss of our friend and ally, Terry Dean, who died on February 27 surrounded by her loved ones and friends. Terry was a founding member of Juneau PFLAG.
Terry and Ken Dean attended the very first PFLAG meeting in 1995 that was called to see if there was interest in forming a Juneau PFLAG chapter. A resounding YES was stated by meeting participants. Terry and Ken, along with Mildred and Mark Boesser, Dixie Hood, Marsha Buck, Willie Anderson, and Pat Dobbins became the core of PFLAG Juneau in the late 1990s and the years that followed, assuming leadership roles and providing support for many parents and family members in the Juneau community. Terry’s design work on the PFLAG Juneau banner and her logo suggestion for our chapter — Love has no boundaries will remain with us as a beautiful legacy.
Mildred notes, “I will always remember Terry as an example of kindness and compassion and steadfastness of spirit. It always rejoiced my heart to see Terry and Ken come to PFLAG meetings. We could not have continued to exist without their steady hand.”
Terry’s life will be celebrated Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 7:00 PM at the Tlingit & Haida Community Center in Juneau.
Please keep Terry and Ken in your thoughts and prayers — whatever they may be.
Her family has prepared this obituary:
Teresa ‘Terry’ Kathleen Hamilton Dean
Teresa (Terry) Kathleen Hamilton Dean passed away peacefully at her home surrounded by her loving family on February 27, 2011. She was born June 22, 1950 in Ketchikan, Alaska to Willis and Violet (Skulka) Hamilton Sr.
Terry grew up in Ketchikan where she attended elementary school at the old Main School. She graduated in 1969 from Ketchikan High School.
Terry married her soul mate, Kenneth M. Dean on June 14, 1969 at the Presbyterian Church in Ketchikan. They made their home in Juneau and were happily married for 41 years.
Terry was a Haida Eagle, Frog (Hlk’ya’an K’ust’a’n) and Sculpin. She was so very proud of her Haida lineage and was active in promotion of the Haida language and culture. She was a charter member of the Xaadas Gitalang dancers of Juneau; helping to form the dance group in 1984. She was a talented weaver of Haida basketry and ravenstail. She was also a member of the Ravenstail Weaver’s Guild. Terry was a very talented artist, making regalia for herself and other family members.
Both Terry and Ken were active in the community and touched many lives. They organized and attended the very first PFLAG meeting in 1995, which was called to see if there was interest in forming a Juneau chapter of Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays. Terry and Ken were founders and became the core of PFLAG Juneau in the late 1990s and the years that followed. Terry assumed leadership roles and provided support for many parents and family members in the Juneau community. Terry’s legacy will be her design work on the PFLAG Juneau banner and her logo suggestion for their chapter – “Love has no boundary”. Terry and Ken also founded the local MS Society Support Group, organizing the 1st MS walk with Senator Egan as Master of Ceremonies. Terry and Ken both served the Douglas Lion’s Club for over 20 years and Terry was a member of the Juneau Lioness Club. She managed the Loan Closet which loaned medical equipment and gave encouragement to the disabled community in Juneau and was sponsored by the Douglas Lion’s Club. Terry and Ken were instrumental in creating the 1st handicapped accessible trail in Juneau, which runs along the Mendenhall River.
Terry worked for the State of Alaska Department of Fish and Game until 1983, when she joined the University of Alaska Chancellor’s Office. She continued to serve on the administrative staff of the Provost Office until February of this year. Terry has the distinction of being the longest serving staff member of the office.
She is preceded in death by her parents Willis and Violet Hamilton; father-in law Gilbert Lynn Dean; her brothers Gideon Duncan Jr., Leonard Alex Hamilton, and Owen Earl Hamilton; sisters Joy Ann Hamilton Cutshall, and Margaret Hamilton (who died at birth); and sister-in law Carla M. Timpone.
She is survived by her husband Kenneth M. Dean, her son Aaron Lynn Dean and wife Audrey of Fairbanks, grandchildren; Jacqueline Michelle Dean and Victoria Lynn Dean; her sisters Lavina M. Hamilton of Anchorage, and Bert G. Hamilton and Raymond Guthrie Sr. of Ketchikan; her brothers Willis H. Hamilton Jr., Gary Hamilton and Dana Craig Hamilton of Ketchikan; mother-in law LaRaine Dean; sisters-in law Linda L. Lappin and Shirley R. Dean, many nieces and nephews; and numerous great-nieces and great-nephews.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Xaadas Gitalang c/o Vicki Soboleff, 2924 Simpson Avenue, Juneau, Alaska 99801, or the PFLAG Juneau Chapter, c/o Jonathan Anderson, 9162 Jerry Drive, Juneau, Alaska 99801.
A Celebration of Terry’s Life will take place Thursday, March 3, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. at Tlingit & Haida Community Center, 3235 Hospital Drive, Juneau, AK. A second Celebration of Terry’s Life will take place on March 8, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. at 429 Deermount St., Ketchikan, AK, followed by interment at the Bayview Cemetery next to her Mom and Dad. Fellowship will follow immediately after at 429 Deermount.
We at Bent Alaska express our sincere condolences for all of Terry’s family and friends.
Homosexuality isn’t so immoral after all!
by Heather Aronno | Originally posted on The Alaska Commons
For those who were not able to attend the “Is Homosexuality Immoral?” lecture by Dr. John Corvino, you missed a good time. Hosted by UAA Student Life & Leadership’s Student Activities department, the lecture consisted of a break down of the standard arguments against homosexuality: the Bible says it’s wrong, it’s unnatural, it’s gross, etc… It was also incredibly entertaining. Corvino has a talent for keeping the pace quick and light, addressing the main arguments up front so that he can get to his favorite part, the audience questions.
Let’s backtrack a little to before the lecture. After my post on Monday (which Bent Alaska and Progressive Alaska were kind enough to re-post), I had a fun time bringing up the topic in my classes. The general reaction from students was that they 1) thought that the speaker was a conservative bigot until I straightened them out, 2) had no problem with LGBT people and didn’t see what the big deal was about, or 3) got a miffed look on their face when I brought the topic up at all. It was especially interesting, as this also marked the week that the UA Board of Regents was finally going to consider adding “sexual orientation” to UA’s non-discrimination policy. Many students didn’t know that LGBT students and faculty weren’t already protected by the policy. I felt informative, but in a depressing kind of way.
Fast forward back to Thursday night. John and I were approached by a few students outside of the Wendy Williamson Auditorium. They were handing out those little chick tracts comics. You know the ones. The hero of the story dabbles in the occult and ends up in Hell. Or the hero tries marijuana and ends up in Hell. Or the hero considers evolution and…well, you get the picture. I politely declined, and put the one that John took into the recycling bin.
[Fun Fact: Putting those little comics into Wiccan-themed books at the bookstore is not viewed as helpful. It makes the customers who buy the Wiccan books very angry, and they take it out on the store employees. Then the employees think hateful thoughts about the people who put the comics into the Wiccan books in the first place.]
But after that little moment, there was nothing but positivity leading up to, during, and after the lecture. Even the Bible Study group that attended was polite and, for the most part, asked good questions.
Afterward, I was able to speak to a few students about their impressions of the lecture:
“I thought it was really good. I’ve got to say going into it, I knew nothing more than the question on the billboard, so I had no idea about the speaker himself. I didn’t know he was a philosophy professor. And I thought… I love logic so the way that he phrased his arguments was done really well and made a lot of sense. I don’t know, it’s one of those things, I don’t think I personally learned anything new, because it just reaffirmed my beliefs already. It just felt good to have that logic behind it all.” Joe – English Major
“I really enjoyed the lecture, just because Dr. Corvino was able to break down every argument against homosexuality. It put it in perspective.” Rosalyn – Russian Language and International Studies Majors
“I thought Dr. John Corvino was very thorough in his explanation of why homosexuality is not immoral. My feelings on the issue are that it is a completely normal sexual behavior. As an evangelical Christian, I do not find anything within the Bible that tells me that it is immoral. In fact, I find that in the scripture of Jesus, and especially as Christians, we need to support equality for all human beings. So what he said fit into my religious faith.” Ceezar – Political Science Major
“It was very good. I’m not a religious man. I’m a very devout atheist. [chuckle] My personal thought is that he made very compelling arguments and I’ve been on board with him through this whole thing, so it’s not like I had any lingering discomforts or anything. He was very articulate. He wasn’t very pathos-based, which was good. He kept things very simple and understandable, and made it so he could reach out to every [person in the] audience without sounding judgmental, which is good in our modern culture. I personally enjoyed this and was glad I attended.” Lucien – UAA Student
As we walked out of the auditorium, I thought about the students who were huddled outside, handing comics to people. I wish that they would have allowed themselves to attend the lecture, because I think they would have gained something from it. Even if it was just taking a moment to see things from another person’s perspective. I’m sure that they believed strongly that they were doing the right thing, but they just plain missed the point.
Lucien, one of the students quoted above, is actually a blogger as well. And so I’ll end my post with a quote from his review, but I recommend you following this link over to his blog and reading the rest of his post.
Corvino did make a point early on that the fact that people believe that this debate is over is kind of unsettling. He said that we are at a very odd place in the war for equality for the LGBT community. There is a consensus growing among the general public that the war is over. But the sad truth is that the war is still very much alive and is not getting the attention that is used to. Corvino said that there is a difference in the public’s perception of the war because the bulk of it hasn’t been really taught to kids all that much. This came up during the discussion. While we are taught all about the leaders of the African-American movement for equality, leader of the LGBT community’s battle for equality have gone mostly unnoticed in history classes. People like Harvey Milk aren’t taught about in classes.
Thanks to those that helped get Dr. Corvino up here. Thanks to Dr. Corvino for coming to UAA and helping us find better ways to articulate our viewpoint. And thanks to the UA Board of Regents who voted to change the non-discrimination policy to include sexual orientation! (Read more over at Bent Alaska.)
Other reactions to Dr. John Corvino’s “Is Homosexuality Moral?” lecture
- 17 Feb 2011. “The Morality of Homosexuality: A Lecture with John Corvino” by Lucien Maverick (Lucien Maverick’s Blog).
- 18 Feb 2011. “‘Is Homosexuality Moral?’ Recap”by Matt Caprioli (The Northern Light).
About John Corvino
Dr. John Corvino, a.k.a. “The Gay Moralist,” lectured on the topic “Is Homosexuality Immoral?” at the Wendy Williamson Auditorium, University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), on Thursday, 17 Feb 2011. His visit coincided with the decision by the University of Alaska Board of Regents to add “sexual orientation” to the nondiscrimination policy for the statewide University of Alaska system.
Dr. Corvino is a writer, speaker, and philosophy professor. For over 15 years he has been traveling the country speaking on gay rights. Combining philosophy, sensitivity, and humor he has challenged all sides of the debate about homosexuality and morality. Dr. Corvino’s writings, videos from his presentations, and a full DVD of his lecture “What’s Morally Wrong With Homosexuality?” are available on his website.
