Articles in Alaska communities
“Debutante Balls” benefits Out North
Out North needs our help. A national funder representing one-third of Out North’s budged has “changed direction,” and Out North need to raise money in order to keep giving us all the top-notch stuff they’ve been giving us for the past 25 years. One way you can help is to attend this Friday’s performance of “Debutante Balls,” all proceeds of which will benefit Out North.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Rita Hester’s murder — like most anti-transgender murder cases — has yet to be solved.
Tonight the University of Alaska Anchorage Women’s Studies Program will be holding a round table discussion honoring Transgender Day of Remembrance and those lives lost to violence. All are welcome.
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
UAA Consortium Library, Room 307
Candlelight vigil will follow immediately after the discussion.
Coming Out: A Work in Progress in Fairbanks this weekend
Revive the Red Tent Productions would like to invite you to an evening in three parts:
- “A Midnight Clear” by L.B. Hamilton
- “Quintessential Image” by Jane Chambers
- “Tree House” by Heather Warren
Sponsored by PFLAG Fairbanks and the North Star Community Foundation, this exciting night is Revive the Red Tent’s first installment of theatre dedicated to representing the LGBTQ community. Consisting of two one-act plays and a performative reading, the theme of the evening is centered upon the struggle of “coming out.” “A Midnight Clear” and “The Quintessential Image” are traditional one-act plays, in both the audience encounters characters struggling to make sense of their choices. “Tree House”, a piece written by local author, Heather Warren, is a semi-abstracted performance of a short story.
This theatrical production is primarily produced, designed, and performed by members of the local LGBTQ community. Performances will be at Dance Theatre Fairbanks on Nov. 19th and 20th at 8 p.m. Admission is $10.00 (more if you can, less if you can’t) and seating is limited. The show is not recommended for children under the age of 14.
Libby Roderick benefit for PFLAG Fairbanks
Libby Roderick performs a benefit concert for PFLAG Fairbanks on Friday, November 19 at 8:00 PM. A limited number of tickets is available. Proceeds benefit PFLAG activities and the UU welcoming congregation. The concert will be held at the Unitarian Universalist church sanctuary (across the street from the Princess Hotel). The hall holds 150, so seating is limited. The UU is a welcoming congregation. *$32 each* cash or check only. Call 45-PFLAG pflagfairbanks@gmail.com.
LGBT veterans and DADT: True stories from I’m from Driftwood
In honor of Veteran’s Day, true stories of military life and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell from I’m from Driftwood.
And don’t forget that the The I’m From Driftwood Story Tour is in Alaska right now, and will be holding a fundraiser tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Mad Myrna’s in Anchorage. Even if you can’t make it, you can submit your own true story and/or donate to I’m from Driftwood to assist in IFD’s efforts to help LGBT youth realize they’re not alone.
These are story excerpts; follow the links to read each story in full.
I yelled at my Soldiers to return fire and stepped out of my cover to shoot back. We drove them away with a hail of bullets and somehow, we all managed to make it out without a scratch…. I received an Army Commendation Medal with Valor and a Bronze Star Medal for what I did in Iraq. Externally, I was brave. A hero. Internally, I was a coward. Hidden in the closet.
Matt R. from Colorado Springs, Colorado:
Nick and I sat as close together as we could without raising any eyebrows, chain smoking Marlboro Reds in silence. Occassionally he and I made eye contact and mouthed the words, “I love you,” to each other, after checking for witnesses. Then we went back to our cigarettes and silence. On the outside I showed no emotion, I was just a friend here to see him off because no one from his family made it. I wore sunglasses so no one could look at my swollen, red eyes…. I wanted to tell him just one more time in person, “Come back to me. In one piece. I’ll be here, while you’re there, waiting… For you.” Instead, I smoked and silently mouthed I love you while I held back the tears that I’m not allowed to show the world.
Anonymous from Dearborn, Michigan:
My lieutenant, a five-foot-two Latina, was scaring the crap out of all of us. Between her rank and how she was screaming now, we were all being overpowered.“If you have anything – anything – you want to say to somebody about being of a certain sexual orientation, about being a certain race, religion, gender – I don’t care. If you want to say it – say it to me. Apparently we have someone who likes writing hate mail to shipmates. Whoever you are, know that I will find you and you will be punished. So let this be a lesson to all of you here: if you want to tell a shipmate to Die, Fag, say it to my face first. Because guess what – you’re going to be admitting it to me at Captain’s Mast soon enough.”…
Sometimes, the Navy really does stand for excellence and the fair treatment of all. When it does, it’s because sailors are standing with it.
Ryan B. from Kewanee, Illinois:
I don’t think it’s okay for the gay community to be limited in how open they are in the military, but I do think that, as an unimportant factor in this case, it makes sense not to worry about it. What’s really important is personal development, the reason why I’ve chosen to follow this path in my life, serving as a member of the U.S. Marine Core as a gay teenager.
Hubert Dorsett from Bolger, Texas:
While in Destroyer School at Newport, I met the first man I would love and have a relationship with. He was a playwright from New York City, living near Provincetown, MA, and because of my feelings for him and because I had been the subject of several investigations by Naval Investigative Service, I decided to end my Navy career and resign my commission. In doing so I lost the first man I loved and I gave up a career that I loved, because I really did (and still do) love the Navy and all that it stood for, except of course for the policy on homosexuals.
Peter Yacobellis from New Hyde Park, New York:
This loose acceptance of a possibility that I could be “cured” was probably one of many reasons I pursued a career in the military. I suppose I hoped that the strictly heterosexual environment would “help”. I soon realized, being in an all-male unit, that my same-sex attraction was very real and not going to go away. I knew that I could easily comply with rules against engaging in intimacy that exist for everyone in basic training. But what was becoming clearer was what life would be like after basic training. I realized that after training, other airmen would be allowed to have intimate relationships and that I wouldn’t be able to have one with another male.
Zackariah Gonzales from Boise, Idaho:
It took three years of legal and administrative action, thousands of pages of documents, research and emails and a trip to Washington D.C. before the United States Coast Guard Discharge Review Board came to a final ruling. In 5-0 decision they ruled that the Command had violated provisions of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and did not follow Coast Guard policy on discharge proceedings, my rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice were violated, I was not afforded adequate legal representation and my discharge was illegal. They ordered that my discharge reason be changed from “homosexual conduct” to “general reasons” they also ordered that I be allowed to reenlist if I choose. The Commandant of the Coast Guard overruled my reinstatement, but let the rest of the decision stand.My name is Zackariah Gonzales, I am from Boise, Idaho, I was fired for being gay from the U.S. Armed Forces and I will not stop telling my story until the ban is lifted.
I’m From Driftwood Story Tour in Alaska November 9-12
The I’m From Driftwood Story Tour will be in Alaska from November 9-12. (That’s Tuesday through Friday this week).
Launched in the Spring of 2009 and inspired by the film “Milk”, I’m From Driftwood collects and shares true lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender stories from all over the world to help LGBT youth realize they’re not alone. This fall, the IFD crew has embarked upon an ambitious 4-month, 50-state Story Tour to collect and share more LGBT stories from the smallest towns and biggest cities across America. IFD believes LGBT people are everywhere and we’re out to prove it.
Nathan and Marquise are hoping to connect with as broad a cross-section of LGBT folks as they can during their short visit. We plan to visit Anchorage and Wasilla.
Stories
Anyone who would like to tell a story to the I’m From Driftwood team may contact Nathan Manske nathan@imfromdriftwood.com / 347-423-4444. Folks should give their name, preferred method of contact (email/phone) and when they’d like to meet up with the crew.
Nathan and Marquise are staying at The Copper Whale Inn which has generously donated rooms for the crew’s stay in Anchorage so folks can also call there (907) 258-7999 from November 9th – 12th.
Event
I’m From Driftwood is a 501(c)(3)-pending organization and is accepting donations to help fund the Tour as well as future projects that will continue their mission of collecting and sharing LGBT stories. Mad Myrna’s will be holding a fundraiser for IFM this Thursday:
Mad Myrna’s Fundraiser
I’m From Driftwood’s 50-State Story Tour
Hosted by Paige, Myrna and Bear
Thursday, Nov. 11, 2010
7-9pm
530 E. 5th Avenue
Anchorage, Alaska 99501
About The Story Tour Crew
* Nathan Manske (creator)
* Marquise Lee (producer, videographer and editor)
* Nick Manske (driver and logistics coordinator)
Previous Hosts and Sponsors
We’ve had a lot of luck working with wonderful people from LGBT community centers, various PFLAG chapters (Omaha, Spokane, Seattle, Grand Forks ND, Alamogordo NM and others) as well as university LGBT Queer Resource Centers such as Spectrum.
We’ve been hosted/sponsored so far by The Salt Lick in Austin, The Olive It Cafe and Demsey’s lounge in Spokane, UnicornBooty.com and Lobby Bar in Seattle, The Center and tHERe lounge in Denver, Rainbow Vista Retirement community and Lents Commons cafe in Portland, Magnet and Lookout Bar in San Francisco and The Abbey and Lifeworks in LA, Equality Hawaii and Hulas in Honolulu and many others.
Sitka lesbians, gays & allies for Scott McAdams
Scott McAdams is a serious contender for the U.S Senate and Lisa is trying to steal votes from him with an ad featuring her supporters from his home base of Sitka. It’s a low blow to turn someone’s neighbors against him, especially in a small town. But it doesn’t seem to be working with LGBTA Sitkans. The few gays, lesbians and out-spoken allies that I could find in Sitka are all voting for Scott.
When Scott won the democratic nomination and Joe won the GOP primary, I contacted a straight friend of my lesbian friend who used to live in Sitka. What did she think of Scott, I asked, and did she know any gay or lesbian Sitkans who might educate me on his attitude towards us?
She knew someone, and they knew someone, and we started a conversation. Three of them gave me permission to publish some of their comments – one lesbian, one gay man, and one ally – but only Mo, the ally, is comfortable including her real name with her comments. The others are ‘out’ about voting for Scott, but they (or their partners) do not want to be known as gay or lesbian to their employers.
The gay man summed up the thoughts of many LGBT Alaskans:
Scott would be a big improvement on what we have had and would get otherwise.
Our ally Mo McBride worked with Scott and had more to say:
I know Scott very well having worked in the school district he was on the board for. I will give you my impression which has its own biases… He is mayor of our city and was on the school board here for about 10 years. He has served on the statewide school board and even did some work with the national school board… I did not agree with his decisions many times when he was one the school board but I did not find him to be biased in his approach to his decisions. He has political speak which for me is like coctail speech, can talk briefly on many things and has good sound bytes but not good depth… He is a quick learner and can search out info when he wants to. He is supportive of gay issues, he has openly gay people who are working under him and they say he has not ever made that a concern for them… He is the first to say he is still learning, but he also now has experience in goveernment… I plan to vote for him even with my disagreements on his school board stuff. I think he can be an advocate for Alaska… I just hope we can keep Miller out. So my vote is for him and I think he is the most GLBT friendly vote of the three.
The lesbian and her partner both like Scott:
[My partner] liked working with Scott… I have dealt with Scott in a different capacity. He was on the local school district school board when I was a teacher within that school district. I dealt with him occasionally and it was always professional. He is our current mayor and seems to be doing okay. There have been concerns that the meetings are not as thorough and inquisitive when the assembly should be delving further into issues. Also, there are concerns that he has conflicts of interest between being mayor and working for Community Schools, which is a part of the school district. [He is currently on Leave of Absence from Community Schools, and Cheryl Westover is the new mayor.] I don’t know Scott on a friend level so I really can’t speak to more than this.
I’m pleased to hear that he attended [the LGBT Pride Conference]. I will be voting for Scott on Tuesday. There is no question about that for me.
There you have it – the word from LGBTA Sitkans: Vote for Scott McAdams!
Thanks to my Sitka friends for adding their voices to the conversation.
Scott also has a Sitka ad. Watch:
Miller to Maddow on gay rights: "I wanna be straight with you"
No. Not here because we have… 3-4 gay bars here in this small town of Anchorage, and probably over half of the people that’s in these campaigns are secretly gay but they won’t come out. So we don’t really have a anti-gay movement here like they have in other places because… diversity runs big here, very very big here, so we don’t have that problem.
Cheryl Wheeler performs in Alaska this week
Alaskans have two chances to see singer/songwriter Cheryl Wheeler: a solo show in Palmer on Wednesday, and a combined show with Dan Tyminski in Anchorage on Saturday.
Cheryl Wheeler writes folk music and love songs that have been performed by many other singers, for example Dan Seals and Chris LeDoux. But she’s also known for her comedy songs, including humorous ditties about potatoes, politics and religion. From “Dubya, Dubya” to “Lady Gaga’s Singing Program” and “Your God”, she entertains audiences with funny stories and songs in between the love and folk songs.
Cheryl and her wife Cathleen were married in 2004:
Since Cheryl lives in Massachusetts, she and Cathleen were able to get married. Cheryl’s sister flew up for the ceremony. When talking about the experience during her shows, Cheryl has mentioned that they are both surprised how different they feel now that they are married. They had assumed it wouldn’t make that much difference (other than legal issues), but have come to find out that being married really does make a difference.
Watch a music video of Aces, a classic Cheryl Wheeler song:
Rachel Maddow in Alaska Tomorrow!
Grab a Redbull and buckle up, Buttercup. The Rachel Maddow Show is coming to Anchorage! Apparently, our tight, 3-way US Senate Race is generating a lot of national interest. Rachel did a great 10 minute segment on our crazy race last week… [posted Friday on Bent HERE]So, here are the details. Rachel will be broadcasting live from the new home of Moore Up North, Taproot, TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 26, 2010 at 5:00 pm.
