Articles in Alaska communities
Juneteenth Celebrates Emancipation on the Park Strip
The annual Juneteenth Festival, celebrating freedom and diversity, will be held on the Delaney Park Strip, June 13-15 from 1p.m. to 10 p.m.
OutMusic Award Recipient Irina Rivkin plays at 7 p.m. on June 14. Irina’s Alaska Tour, and a review of her cd “upwelling,” are posted here.
(This is not a GLBT event, but Irina is ‘family’ and the event is open to all. Perhaps I need a new category, for other diversity events that the GLBT community can support.)
The 19th of June, known as “Juneteenth,” is the date when slavery ended in America.
Although rumors of freedom were widespread, the announcement of emancipation did not come to the last group of slaves until Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to read General Order No. 3, on the 19th of June, 1865.
This was more than two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, officially ending slavery.
The Anchorage Juneteenth Celebration started in 1993 as a 1-day celebration at the Fairview Rec Center. The celebration moved to the Park Strip in 1995 and became a 3-day event. The African American Historical Society of Alaska (AAHSA) organizes Juneteenth.
Juneteenth supporters are hopeful that the “19th of June” will finally be established as a national holiday observance in America. Senator Barack Obama has been a key sponsor of Juneteenth legislation, and a keynote speaker at the annual Juneteenth Congressional Reception.
President George W. Bush has not participated in the annual Washington Juneteenth National Holiday Observance since taking office in 2000.
Pride Chorus Spring Concert Touches the Soul
The women of the Juneau Pride Chorus performed a great Spring Concert!
“Songs for the Soul,” the 10th annual Juneau Pride Chorus spring concert, presented an evening of music at the new Juneau Arts and Culture Center. The Juneau Pride Chorus is part of Juneau PFLAG, and the Chorus recently donated several hundred dollars to a local PFLAG scholarship for graduating seniors. An earlier article about the concert is here.
The Juneau Pride Chorus is meeting on June 26 to vote on music for next season, and they invite interested women singers to attend. Then the Chorus takes a break for the summer and begins rehearsing again in August. Contact Marsha for the time and location of the June meeting, or check Alaska GLBT News for updates.
Jill, Linda and Paula wrote about the Spring Concert. (Thank you for letting me post your comments!)
Once again, the Juneau Pride Chorus and our fabulous audience created magic in a space that doesn’t seem at all magical! Betsy, our sound engineer, was a genius in using a light touch with amplification. I was astounded by the return of that magnificent powerful final note after we stopped singing….as if the space confirmed the power and beauty we offered. I am always amazed at the relationship we have with our audience….they always spur us on to be better, brighter, more full of life. We are fortunate to have an audience who engages with us. Thanks to all for the wonderful season full of laughter, tears, beauty. It has a been a real privilege to be a part of this phenomenon for 10 years. – Soprano 2, Jill SandlebenI, too, loved watching the performance. I was so impressed with you all, and especially of the many of you who put yourself out there to do solos, play an instrument, or sing in an ensemble! Everyone had great expressions on their faces and in their body movement. While it was fun to be in the audience and get to be entertained, I will hurry back to join you all when we get going again this fall! – Alto 1, LindaThose who weren’t there missed a wonderful, wonderful performance. I loved every minute of it and wasn’t at all ashamed of some of my tears since they were in the eyes of many around me. “Power Tools” was the biggest kick and the audience loved the “choreography.” Have a wonderful summer and I’ll see you in the fall. – Soprano 2, Paula Terrel, a Pride Chorus member on spring hiatus.
Where to Find GLBT Alaska – Organizations, Groups & Publications
UPDATE: Check out the updated list of LGBTA Businesses in Alaska!
Visitors, new residents and even long-time Alaskans want to know where they can find GLBT Alaska. Previously, I posted our Annual Events and Recurring Events. Here is the resource list for Alaska’s GLBT organizations, groups and publications with their current web links or email contacts.
Organizations (in alphabetical order):
- 4 A’s – Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association provides supportive services to persons living with HIV/AIDS and their families, and works to eliminate the transmission of HIV infection and its stigma. Includes Power-On Alaska, Get It On, a quarterly newsletter and the Adam & Steve young men’s group.
- Alaskans Together – formed in 2007 to fight the anti-gay advisory vote, Alaskans Together is now a permanent statewide organization that advocates for LGBT equality in Alaska.
- Equality Works – a coalition working to protect Anchorage residents from discrimination and harassment.
- GLSEN & GSA – the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network has an Anchorage chapter, and the Gay Straight Alliance has student clubs in Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks.
- IAA – Interior AIDS Association is a nonprofit organization in Fairbanks that provides HIV-related prevention, case management, and other support services.
- ICOAA – The Imperial Court of All Alaska raises money for scholarships and community non-profits through participation in fundraising events, benefits, titleholder balls and other functions.
- Identity – Identity’s programs include a statewide Helpline, the NorthVIEW quarterly newsletter, Anchorage PrideFest, the Pride Conference, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage (GLCCA), the Identity Advocacy Program, and support for local youth programs.
- Mat-Su LGBT Community Center – A new Center opened in Palmer, with social groups, a blog and a library.
- MCC – Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage, an Inclusive Church: Proud, Courageous and Loving.
- PFLAG – Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays has chapters in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, and Homer.
- RAW – Radical Arts for Women presents Celebration of Change, a short story contest and scholarships for women in the arts.
- SEAGLA – The Southeast Alaska Gay and Lesbian Alliance provides a supportive social network for GLBT people in Southeast Alaska.
- TLFMC – a non-profit social club that provides bears, leathermen, cowboys, their respective admirers, and other masculine Alaskan gay and bisexual men with the opportunity to meet socially.
Groups:
- AK Community – an informal youth and family group with a discussion forum.
- Alaska Women Write – women’s writing workshop, Thursdays 6-8 p.m. Immanual Presbyterian Church
- Anchorage FrontRunners – Anchorage GLBT walking/running club affiliated with International Front Runners, meets May-Oct, Monday nights at 6 p.m. for a run/walk on the Coastal Trail.
- Anchorage LGBT Meetup Group – meet with other members and supporters of your local LGBT community.
- Juneau Pride Chorus – The Women’s Chorus is affiliated with Juneau PFLAG, and rehearses weekly from late summer through their spring concert in May.
- Men of Alaska – a social Meetup group for gay men in and around Anchorage.
- Trans Alaska Pipeline – the official site for the Transgendered Alaskans’ Social Group and source for information and support for TransPeople everywhere.
- Transgender Support Group – Sundays 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the GLCCA.
Publications:
- Alaska GLBT News – statewide email newsletter with news, announcements and upcoming events.
- Bent Alaska – blog for GLBT News and Events with a Local Alaskan Bent.
- Grrlzlist – Anchorage women’s email newsletter with news, announcements, ads and upcoming events.
- Naked Ptarmigan – creative writing journal.
- NEWS – Sara’s emails of current local, national and international LGBT news briefs.
- Quarterly newsletters – 4 A’s and Identity (linked above) print quarterly newsletters.
- Yahoo! Groups – AnchoragePride, fairbankspride and matsulgbtcc, and some organizations have members-only groups.
- Facebook – several of the organizations have Facebook pages.
Have I missed something?
Blogging for LGBT Families Day: Two Moms and Two Boys DO Make a Family
by E. Ross
A Juneau lesbian couple and their two sons were included in AK Mom, the Mother’s Day program that aired on the Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN) this year.
My Two Moms: When Woodrow Wilson declared Mother’s Day in 1914, there probably weren’t many two-mom families like the one led by Martha Murray and Jenifer Shapland of Juneau. They’ve been together for almost 23 years and are raising two boys.
The six minute segment can be heard on the APRN archive (starting at 29:50 of the 48 minute podcast.)
I asked Jenifer and Martha to reflect on the show and it’s effects on their family for Blogging for LGBT Families Day.
Why did you choose to do the interview?
We chose to do the interview because we are proud of our family. We feel that having positive media coverage helps change attitudes, and offers support to other gay-parent families.
Did you like the segment?
We were happy with the show, although we would have preferred to be profiled because of some accomplishment and had a side note that we were also a two-mom family. But in the conservative state we live in, being a two-mom family is an accomplishment in and of itself.
What responses have you gotten from others?
We have received many positive comments about the show. Our friends, family, and acquaintances are all thrilled. I suppose some folks didn’t like it, but had the courtesy not to tell us.
How did this experience effect you as a family?
The effect on our family was positive. It is good for our sons to hear themselves on the radio, and to be reminded how much support there is for new family structures. We have many friends who are two-mom families, and several who are lesbian couples co-parenting with the dads of their kids.
It’s also good to hear support for families in general. In our individualistic society, it is important for kids (and adults) to remember that the family is the formative unit. It’s where we learn our values, morals, and ideals, where we learn to love.
We have the support of our friends and families, our community, our churches, our kids’ schools, their friends’ parents, their sports clubs. We really haven’t run into problems anywhere we’ve chosen to go. We avoided Boy Scouts due to their anti-gay stance, but also for their para-military structure. We avoid anti-gay religious groups, but there are many who are welcoming. We don’t work in careers that require us to be closeted, but we have our careers of choice.
Despite the spate of anti-marriage bills being legislated across the country, the state of Alaska and the state of Washington have both recognized us as a family – our kids are legally ours. We can’t get married, but we’re legally a family!
It’s great to be parents, and we’re proud of our kids.
Check out the many posts on Mombian’s Blogging for LGBT Families Day site – they make great reading!
Juneau Pride Chorus Sings "Songs for the Soul"
by E. Ross
“Songs for the Soul,” the 10th Anniversary Juneau Pride Chorus Spring Concert, presents an evening of music and food at the new Juneau Arts and Culture Center on May 31, at 7:30 p.m.
The concert features Chorus and audience favorites from the past 10 years, plus new songs and Cris Williamson’s classic “Song of the Soul.” Chorus member Maureen Johnson is the featured soloist, singing “I Am Who I Am” and “Gold.” Guest artist Kevin Wood, brother of Music Director Leslie Wood, will perform a new song.
“For the first time, we have a hilarious choreographed song,” said Chorus member Juanita Reese about their version of Ann Reed’s “Power Tools – Are a Girl’s Best Friend.”
During intermission, Chorus members are providing snacks and accepting donations to Equality for All to uphold same-sex marriage in California.
The Juneau Pride Chorus is a project of PFLAG Juneau.
“We just donated several hundred dollars to the second PFLAG scholarship to graduating seniors this year,” said Reese, who takes calls for PFLAG one week a month. “Juneau PFLAG sponsors one scholarship per year, but this year there were two deserving kids, so we helped out.”
Tickets are available at the door or from Chorus members: $12 for students K-12 and those 65+, $15 for adults, and $30 for a family of any size.
OutMusic award winner Irina Rivkin tours Alaska with personal and political songs
by E. Ross
Irina Rivkin is bringing her “poetic vocal worldfolk live-looped harmonies and beats” back to Alaska, with performances in Anchorage on June 4 at Tap Root Cafe and June 14 at the Juneteenth Festival, and in Fairbanks on June 12 at College Coffeehouse. Her twin sister Inna will open for her and harmonize.
Irina is returning to Alaska to visit her family and to tour. Last year, she performed at the Seldovia Summer Solstice Music Festival and an Out North Showcase in Anchorage.
Singer-songwriter Irina Rivkin has performed for 25 years, from her childhood singing Russian folk and American Jazz in a family band, to performing her own songs for the last 12 years. She expresses insightful, gutsy, vocal world-folk originals, journeying into the personal and political, with occasional travels into Russian and Spanish language lyrics. 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 full-length CD “upwelling” was released on Rose Street Records in 2004. The song “See Through Bush,” about George W., was chosen for the Acoustic Rainbow v.20 radio sampler.
“Ya Eyo Lublu”, Irina’s “Russian-émigré-lesbian-coming-out-love-song” about bringing the woman she loves home to meet her mother, received an OutMusic Award for Outsong of the Year and was included on the “Safe Haven” compilation, raising funds for Portland LGBTQ youth services.
Irina’s father was fired and blacklisted by the KGB for “the crime of listening to poetry” and the family came to America seeking freedom. But in 2000, Bush “steals an election” and turns the country into “his own police state.” The song “Taking Our Freedom” compares her family’s experiences with the Russian KGB to the current tactics of the FBI.
Watch a live-looped version of “Taking Our Freedom” on Irina’s MySpace page, or listen to “upwelling” on SonicBids.
Irina also founded the Rose Street House of Music, a house concert & touring musical community featuring women singer-songwriters, with a focus on poetic music of substance & depth.
“She is political, jazzy, and rhythmic…hot, harmony-rich vocals… rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock.” Angela Page, Sing Out! Summer 2004
Irina’s 2008 Alaska Tour:
- Anchorage 6/4 (Wed) at Tap Root Café, 8 p.m. (1330 E Huffman), $5-10 sliding scale donation suggested, no one turned away for lack of funds.
- Fairbanks 6/12 (Thurs) College Coffeehouse, 8 p.m. (3677 College Road Unit 4), $5-10 sliding scale donation suggested, no one turned away for lack of funds.
- Anchorage 6/14 (Sat) at the Juneteenth Festival, 7 p.m. on the Delaney Park Strip, free.
She is also available for a house concert or live-looping workshop in Anchorage or Palmer on June 15, and in the Fairbanks area June 6-8.
Juneau "Femme Fatale" Raises $3000 For Four A’s
by E. Ross
The annual Femme Fatale Drag Show was a success, raising nearly $3000 for the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s), despite the lack of electricity in Juneau and an early end to the legislative session.
“The surprise of the show this year,” said Mikey LaChoy, Emperor 25 of the Imperial Court of All Alaska (ICOAA) and coordinator of Femme Fatale, “was when we pulled four un-witting contestants from the audience and let everyone vote on which would get a drag make-over and perform in the show. This was so popular that we decided to make it part of the show from now on.”
Femme Fatale has been a tradition in Juneau for almost twenty years.
“Emperors, Empresses and other drag performers from Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau put on a two night show, grown from the original one night only,” said LaChoy, who has been involved off and on for fifteen years. “The performers and staff pay their own airfare, hotel, and expenses, so all the money raised goes to AIDS prevention, education, and client services.”
This year’s Femme Fatale performers were Miss MeMe, a past Empress of Seattle now living in Anchorage, Past Empresses Joani and Vicki, the current empress Mary Bess, and the always fun Empress Rosie Rotten. Local performers also supported the show, including Juneau personality Mikea.
Originally, the show raised money for Shante of Juneau. Then Four A’s expanded to serve most of Alaska, including Juneau, and now the money raised by Femme Fatale is donated to them.
The Four A’s was established in 1985 and provides one-on-one case management, housing assistance and other supportive services to people living with HIV/AIDS, and also provides HIV prevention and education. The main Four A’s office in Anchorage coordinates services around the state.
Four A’s in Juneau is a small two person office. The case manager, Robbi Woltring, handles the client issues such as doctor’s visits, medications, housing, food and counseling. Lee Wagner is in charge of education and outreach.
“I hand out condoms on the streets downtown and in the bars, as well as doing outreach at the Glory Hole (Homeless Shelter/ Soup Kitchen) and the Polaris House (Mental Health Facility),” said Lee, an AmeriCorps volunteer known as the “condom lady” of Juneau. “I teach HIV 101 classes for Lemon Creek Correctional Center, Gastineau Human Services, Rainforest Recovery and others.”
Juneau Four A’s also provides free HIV testing in the office and the community. They use the Oraquick rapid test, which is an oral test that requires no blood, and the results are given in twenty minutes.
As for Femme Fatale, LaChoy is already making plans for next year. “We want to have the show earlier, during the legislative session, so we can get more attendance,” he said. “Yes, some of those legislators DO attend!”
“Hopefully, they will have fixed the energy crisis down there – although the girls looked even prettier with the dim lighting.”
OUT is IN – Alaska: Anchorage PrideFest 2008
by E. Ross
The roar of the motorcycles, the dance music and cheering crowd, a river of rainbows flowing through downtown Anchorage – yes, it’s almost time for Pride!
“OUT is IN – Alaska” is the theme of Anchorage PrideFest 2008. The Celebrating Diversity Parade will be held on Saturday, June 28 at 11 a.m., followed by the Festival on the Delaney Park Strip at noon.
PrideFest t-shirts are available at the Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage (GLCCA) for $20. They will also be sold at the Identity Pride Booth at the Anchorage Market (formerly the Saturday Market) the weekend before the parade.
Performers, sponsors, vendors and parade groups can download applications from the PrideFest site.
Where to Find GLBT Alaska – Annual Events, Revised Again
The main Annual Events for GLBT Anchorage, Juneau and Fairbanks, in seasonal order:
- Arctic Heat (Jan.) – TLFMC comes out of hibernation to choose the next Bear and Leather titleholders.
- Celebration of Change (April) – RAW’s ‘break-up’ performance celebrates women, art, music and springtime. UPDATE: changed to JUNE for 2009.
- Femme Fatale (end of April) – ICOAA’s Juneau benefit for 4 A’s closes the legislative session.
- Day of Silence (April 25) & Pride Prom (April in Anchorage, Feb. in Fairbanks) – Gay/Straight Student Alliances (GSA’s) participate in National Day of Silence, and Pride Prom graduates teens in style.
- Pride Picnic (May, Memorial Day) – The Picnic and BBQ celebrate unity and the beginning of summer.
- Juneau Pride Chorus spring concert (May) – An evening of music, food and dance. UPDATE: The Pride Chorus concert was in February this year.
- PrideFest (June) – The summer solstice parade and festival displays Gay Pride in downtown Anchorage & Fairbanks.
- Coronation (August) – ICOAA’s late summer extravaganza invests the new Imperial Court.
- Pride Conference (October) – Identity’s back-to-school conference is inspired by National Coming Out Day.
- World AIDS Day (Dec. 1) – Four A’s and IAA recognize World AIDS Day with red ribbons and candlelight vigils.
Are there other annual events? Please help me complete the list.
Big Wild Gay?
by E. Ross
Anchorage, Alaska has been named by the Advocate Magazine as one of the “top five emerging cities for gays and lesbians.”
Yes, Anchorage.
Gary Gates, a researcher from UCLA, compared Census data from the years 2000 and 2006. He wanted to see which of the country’s 100 largest cities had the biggest growth in the proportion of same-sex couples to all couples. Anchorage jumped from number 74 to 54, with 7.54 same-sex couples per one thousand households, earning a place among the top five emerging cities.
All five of the cities are located in conservative parts of the country. The other four are Plano, Texas; Fort Wayne, Indiana; Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Jacksonville, Florida.
The study suggests that more gay and lesbian couples are moving out of the progressive but expensive mega-cities and into less popular cities that have better job and housing markets. The more affordable cities tend to be in conservative areas.
According to the Advocate, gays and lesbians move to Anchorage for the good balance between cultural diversity and outdoor activities. It’s big enough to have gay bars and a community center, small enough to have access to nature. It also has jobs, and a growing economy, which the Advocate didn’t mention.
The other surprise is this description of Anchorage: “Culturally the city has a hip Pacific Northwest feel similar to Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Canada.”
Anchorage is “hip?”
