Articles in Events
Service of Remembrance for James Crump to be held Wednesday evening
There will be a Service of Remembrance for James Crump at 7 PM at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church at Lake Otis and Tudor tomorrow night (Wednesday, June 29), while his family is still in town. People are encouraged to bring something for a light potluck after the service.
Members of James’ family were present earlier tonight at the Anchorage Assembly chambers as the Assembly passed a unanimous resolution remembering, recognizing, and honoring James’ life. Resolution AR No 2011-183 honors James’ work as nurse for Municipality of Anchorage Department of Health & Human Services and as loved member of Anchorage LGBT community. His family members were joined by numerous friends, present and former coworkers, and members of the LGBTQA community. Bent Alaska will post video and full text of the resolution in a later post.
Remembering James Crump; and counseling & spiritual support
This post has information about psychological counseling and spiritual support for those affected by the events of last Saturday, when our brother and friend James L. Crump tragically lost his life. There will also be a resolution introduced tonight in the Anchorage Assembly to remember and honor James, and anyone who can attend is asked to.
Pride Foundation… AND chocolate!!! What could be better?
A benefit for Pride Foundation is being hosted at Modern Dwellers Chocolate Lounge this evening in Anchorage. Come support Pride Foundation’s support of Alaska LGBTQ organizations, & have some really good chocolate too!
Kristara Live and In the Raw, a benefit for the Community Center
Kristara is back in Alaska for Pride with “Kristara Live and in the Raw,” a show to benefit the GLBTA Community Center, on Saturday, June 25 following the Pride Parade & Festival.
Don’t be a drag, come to Drag Queen Bingo
Alaska Pride Week continues with a Drag Queen Bingo block party! This year we are taking it to the streets – 4th Avenue between K and L Streets will be blocked off for all the fabulous festivities. Join Daphne, Ashley and the men of AMP for this Four A’s annual fundraiser.
PINK DOT in Anchorage, Alaska: Support the Freedom to Love
The open-minded people of Anchorage are invited to join us downtown to create a human Pink Dot this Saturday, in a fun and visual demonstration of support for LGBT people that began in Singapore and has spread worldwide.
“Come out and show your support for everyone’s Freedom to Love through the formation of a Huge Human Pink Dot!
Find your nicest pink (or pink tie-dye) and let’s stand together and express our support of the Freedom to Love.
Everyone should have the freedom to love, regardless of sexual orientation. But fear, ignorance and prejudice often stand in the way. We believe the first step to overcoming these barriers is for open-minded segments of society to come together. If you believe that Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people deserve to express their love just like any other Alaskan, come join us to form a giant PINK dot on June 18, and help us make this statement!”
Watch the inspirational video from Pink Dot Singapore:
“The Online Citizen: A Community of Singaporeans” posted their event and noticed that we’re doing Pink Dot in Alaska:
“Pink Dot 2011 will be held on the 18 June, Saturday at Hong Lim Park. The event which celebrates the freedom of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) people to love is now in its third year and seeks to continue its mission in making Singapore a more inclusive and cohesive society. Last year, the event saw a record turnout of over 4000 people.
With less than two weeks to go, the hype for the event has been steadily rising with its official video going viral worldwide and reaching 180,000 views within just three weeks.
The campaign has also inspired the sprouting of Pink Dots across the world in places like New York, London, Montreal, Alaska, Taiwan, Malaysia and the Philippines.”
So come to the Anchorage Town Square on Saturday at 3pm to create a human Pink Dot and show that Alaskans support the freedom to love.
Pink Dot [Anchorage, Alaska]: Supporting the Freedom to Love
When: Saturday, June 18 from 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Where: Anchorage Town Square (downtown)
Wear Pink!
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF ME AT THE EVENT??
Just show up, mingle, have fun and smile for our cameras – an aerial photograph has been planned to commemorate this symbolic event. Bring yourself, family, and friends… Along with Your Fabulous Pink!!!
DO I REALLY HAVE TO COME DRESSED IN PINK??
You don’t have to, but if you’re going to come down to show your support, you might as well go all the way!
IS THIS EVENT A PROTEST??
It is NOT a protest. It is a congregation of people who believe that everyone deserves a right to love, regardless of their sexual orientation. Fear and bigotry can get in the way of love – between friends, family and other loved ones – so this is an event for everyone who believes that LGBT individuals are equally deserving of strong relationships with our family and friends.
BUT I AM STRAIGHT. WHY SHOULD I GO??
Many LGBT Alaskans around you are not easy to identify. They may be amongst your sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, colleagues and bosses, teachers and schoolmates. Though more LGBT individuals are slowly emerging into the mainstream, prejudice and bigotry in present societal attitudes keep many LGBT individuals from coming out of the closet. Many of them fear that in coming out, they might lose their family, friends and even their jobs. Yet, by not coming out, their lives are shrouded in secrecy.
Relationships should be built on love, not fear and secrecy. Unfortunately, most LGBT individuals in Anchorage are denied this basic freedom to be who they are in front of their loved ones. Your presence at the Pink Dot [Anchorage Alaska] event can change that. The gathering on June 18th may be a small gesture, but it goes a long way.
For more information, visit the Pink Dot [Anchorage, Alaska] event page.
This weekend in LGBTQ Alaska (6/17/11): Pride Week begins!
Pride Week kicks off in Anchorage with a Pride art exhibit, a big Pink Dot for love in Town Square, the film Role/Play, the annual Mr/Ms/Miss Gay Alaska pageant (with a new title this year), the LGBT Memorial Service, a free BBQ, and Drag Camp! to teach us how it’s done: those events and more, plus a preview of what’s coming up next week.
Alaska Pride Week 2011 events
Pride Week 2011 begins on Friday June 17, and there’s something for everyone! Here is the full schedule of June Pride events in Anchorage. (Check Alaska Pride for updates and new events added after this post.)
Two Spirits airs tonight on PBS, with Yupik tribe member Richard LaFortune
A Native American LGBTQ film “Two Spirits” premieres on PBS’ Independent Lens tonight, Tuesday, June 14, showing on KAKM at 9 pm Alaska time. Two Spirits tells the story of Fred Martinez, his life and violent death, and the history of multi-gendered people in many Native American cultures.
“Two Spirits interweaves the tragic story of a mother’s loss of her son with a revealing look at the largely unknown history of a time when the world wasn’t simply divided into male and female and many Native American cultures held places of honor for people of integrated genders.
Fred Martinez was nádleehí, a male-bodied person with a feminine nature, a special gift according to his ancient Navajo culture. He was one of the youngest hate-crime victims in modern history when he was brutally murdered at 16. Two Spirits explores the life and death of this boy who was also a girl, and the essentially spiritual nature of gender.
Two Spirits mourns the young Fred Martinez and the threatened disappearance of the two-spirit tradition, but it also brims with hope and the belief that we all are enriched by multi-gendered people, and that all of us — regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, or cultural heritage — benefit from being free to be our truest selves.”
The concept of Two-Spirit is explained in the film by LGBTQ Native Americans, including Richard (Anguksuar) LaFortune of the Yupik tribe, director of the media project 2SPR-Two Spirit Press Room and an early organizer of the International Two Spirit Gatherings. LaFortune was born in Bethel, and is currently living in Minnesota working on reducing the suicide rate of Native youth and revitalizing Native American languages.
The American Library Association (ALA) recognized Two Spirits in its 2011 list of Notable Videos for Adults, a list of 15 outstanding films released on video within the past two years that make a significant contribution.
Watch the Two Spirits trailer:
Watch the full episode. See more Independent Lens.
The Two Spirit film blog recently highlighted the contributions and unique history of the Two-Spirit community:
“Many indigenous peoples recognized centuries ago the natural complexity of sexuality and gender, and have identified multiple genders and held an honored role for people now described as “LGBT” as ambassadors, healers, counselors, matchmakers, parents to orphaned children, artists, and medicine people who are seen as having special gifts to contribute to the society because of their Two-Spirit status.
Native American scholars are reclaiming ancient beliefs about gender and sexuality that are found in Native cosmology, traditions and ceremonies, and cultural stories. Unfortunately, the research conducted in scholarly circles rarely, if ever, reaches the general public or the media and therefore has not been a focal part of the public advocacy done on behalf of LGBT and Two-Spirit people.”
Other challenges include the lack of funding for Two-Spirit projects, geographic isolation and homophobia:
“Native Two-Spirit people are more vulnerable to homophobic violence and also to self-inflicted violence and suicide than the general LGBT population. Native LGBT teen suicide is a particularly urgent issue, and clearly a major contributing factor is that many two-spirit youth lack a sense of connection to the inherent dignity and respect that should rightly be afforded Two-Spirit traditions and values. Many Two-Spirit people live in geographic isolation from LGBT resources and/or in cultural separation from their two-spirit traditions. Native LGBT people want to be more connected to each other, and they also want to be more involved in making a difference to LGBT equality work locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally.”
The Two-Spirit community hopes to build on the awareness raised by the film to address these issues:
“The leaders and activists of the Two-Spirit movement are working to shape more progressive national attitudes toward gender and sexuality with the general public and within tribal communities. Two-Spirit people are making the most of the increased awareness generated by the film Two Spirits and other resources to build the framework for long-term development and by working with public sector partners, foundations, philanthropists, and tribal leaders.”
ITVS, the co-presenter of Independent Lens, is supporting the film Two Spirits with community cinema screening events and materials in support of the national broadcast. There are dozens of public screenings around the U.S. and Canada this month, free at libraries and community centers, and supported by the local PBS stations. No screenings are scheduled in Alaska. (Who wants KAKM to host one? Contact them HERE.)
Two Spirits
KAKM – Tuesday, June 14 from 9-10 PM
If you miss it tonight, you can set your DVR for one of the later showings of Two Spirits on KAKM:
Thursday, June 16 — 2:00am
Sunday, June 19 — 2:00am
Monday, June 20 — 1:30am
This weekend in LGBTQ Alaska (6/9/11): Three Veils, Loud & PROUD, Irina Rivkin, Fairview, & more
“Three Veils” and Loud and PROUD at Out North, the annual Alaska Women’s Run for breast cancer, a block party in Fairview, hypnotic hilarity at Mad Myrna’s, and live-looping harmony in Fairbanks with singer/songwriter Irina Rivkin. Those events and more, plus a preview of what’s coming up next week.
