Articles in Events
Wear Purple today for Gay Youth
It’s been decided. On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to homophobic abuse in their homes and at their schools.Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: spirit. Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality.Please wear purple on October 20th. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and schools.RIP Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase and Billy Lucas. You are loved.This is not only for these 6 young men, but for all teenagers who have lost their lives due to bullying and abuse.
Transgender health care workshop in Anchorage, Wed. Oct 20
Transgender People and Access to Care: Demystifying Gender Identity in the classroom, in the clinic and in the communityAs the visibility and activism of transgender and gender-variant people has grown, providers are seeking ways to increase their understanding of the diversity of transgender experiences. This workshop will provide basic information and present strategies, standards of care, best practices, and resources for incorporating appropriate and effective support to your transgender clients. Our presenter is a member of the transgender community as well as a seasoned trainer who has presented on transgender awareness and health topics nationally for the past 12 years.Learning ObjectivesAt the end of our workshop, participants will:
- Understand basic terminology, language and concepts of gender variant experiences including gender transition process and the role of mental health and social service providers.
- Distinguish between biological sex, gender identity and sexual orientation and ways in which care for transgender populations specifically differs from care for gay, lesbian, and bisexual communities.
- Identify current standards of care and approaches to supporting transgender clients and members of the client’s support system.
- Be able to incorporate a basic knowledge of gender identity into their current professional work, including resources for supervision and educational materials.
The TrainerSamuel Lurie is the director of Transgender Training and Advocacy (www.tgtrain.org) and is recognized nationally as an expert on transgender issues and access to health care and prevention services. He has been active in community health for over 20 years, focusing on HIV/AIDS activism, harm reduction and empowerment in marginalized communities. Samuel has an interactive, engaging and thought-provoking training style, and has presented on transgender issues to over 26,000 providers in 28 states. He lives in Vermont, where he recently opened a private practice in mind-body health.
- Nearly 1 in 5 (19 percent) reported being refused care outright because they were transgender or gender non-conforming.
- Survey participants reported very high levels of postponing medical care when sick or injured due to discrimination and disrespect (28 percent).
- Harassment: 28 percent of respondents were subjected to harassment in medical settings.
- Significant lack of provider knowledge: 50 percent of the sample reported having to teach their medical providers about transgender care.
- Despite barriers, the majority has accessed some form of transition-related medical care, but only a minority has had any surgery, despite the fact that a strong majority stated wanting to have it someday.
- Respondents reported more than four times the national average of HIV infection, 2.64 percent in our sample compared to 0.6 percent in the general population, with rates for transgender women at 3.76 percent, and with those who are unemployed (4.67 percent) or who have engaged in sex work (15.32 percent) even higher.
- Over a quarter of the respondents reported misusing drugs or alcohol specifically to cope with the discrimination they faced due to their gender identity or expression.
- A staggering 41 percent of respondents reported attempting suicide compared to 1.6 percent of the general population.
Statistics related to suicide, and the relationship to bullying and harassment in school, were released last week, and are available HERE.
Alaska Native youth for Scott McAdams
Verner Wilson III, who spoke at Pride Conference last year, is at the Alaska Federation of Natives Elders & Youth Conference this week and is one of four Alaska Native youth in a new video for U.S Senate candidate Scott McAdams. McAdams grew up in rural Alaska, worked as a fisherman in western Alaska and supports the teaching of Native languages. He also supports LGBT equality.
Here is the video:
Verner shared more reasons for supporting McAdams:
5 things you might not know about Scott McAdams
1) He was born to a single mother in rural Alaska, and admitted they didn’t always have food in the cupboard of their small house growing up.
2) He fought at School Board conferences to allow schools to teach Alaska Native languages.
3) He’s just 40 years old, and wants to gain seniority in the US Senate and use this power to make Alaska energy-independent and help us in the long run while voting for Democratic values (unlike Lisa who is entrenched by big oil and Republicans).
4) As a fisherman in Sitka alongside his indigenous wife, they understand and will fight for subsistence…HE’S ONE OF US!
5) He’s within striking distance of beating both the Republicans in the latest polls and if you vote for him you can put him over the top, really pissing off Joe Miller!
Alaskans speak out on National Coming Out Day
The events of recent weeks beg the question: What is it in our culture that says that gay lives are worthless? Gay teens commit suicide because others tell them their lives are not worth living. And homophobes go so far as to verbally and physically attack gay people, believing their actions are perfectly justified.As chairs of Identity Inc., the organization that runs the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Anchorage, we take the view that political inequality is a key piece of the problem. The lack of legal protections for the gay community both in Alaska and across the country legitimizes anti-gay bias and harassment.The kind of virulent homophobia that leads to hate crimes and teen suicides is not limited to the Outside — just recall the sea of red shirts at the Loussac Library when the Anchorage Assembly considered Ordinance 64. That Mayor Sullivan vetoed the ordinance means that right now in Anchorage, we can be fired from our jobs, kicked out of our apartments, or refused service in a restaurant based on our sexuality and have no legal protections.By letting discrimination slide, the city of Anchorage is saying that gay and transgender Alaskans are less valuable members of the community.This National Coming Out Day, we say that it is time for things to change — time for Anchorage to stand for fairness and equality.
I have heard that Alaskans get things done. I have heard that Alaskans pull together, crossing social boundaries to get through tough times. We must take action against this tragic possibility facing our young people, a possibility that no doubt many of us have faced down in our own families, whether gay, perceived to be gay, or were bullied for other reasons. At the very least, we must stop being silent about it. Coming out is for everyone: Come out as an ally, come out as conflicted but accepting of all people, come out as pro-life and therefore anti-bullying, come out and make a majority that does not tolerate hate, nor the tactics of shame, nor the senseless death of good people. You never know how what you say can affect a person: say your support for a hate-free community out loud.
I do not write this to capitalize on a disturbing national trend. I write this to break my own silence on an issue rooted deep in my own heart. When my own identity issues brought me to seriously consider suicide as a teen, a place very much like Out North kept me alive: They told me I was okay, and gave me an outlet for my otherwise destructive energy. I owe it to the child I was then to speak to children and adults now. I am grateful that I am alive to do so, and grateful that I have something to offer. I offer it sincerely.Out North’s motto is Art for Everyone, No Exceptions. Whatever your identity, but especially if you are an LGBTQ teen who doesn’t know why to stick around for tomorrow, you are welcome here. We encourage you to explore your own mind, to work and laugh with people who are different from you, to learn how there is strength in diversity. We are holding a place for you in our community, and we are excited for you to fill it, whoever you are. We invite you to drop in from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., every day after school. We have a drug-free space to do your homework, create your own art, volunteer your time, and share your experiences with new friends. We want to know you.But seriously, if you feel isolated, we beg you to let your first act—before your final act—be to come see us, tell us your story, and let us tell you that you are valued.
Today is National Coming Out Day
- It’s 2010 and you can still be fired from your job in 29 states (including Alaska) for being lesbian, gay or bisexual and in 38 states (including Alaska) for being transgender. Pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) now!
- It’s 2010 and almost 90% of LGBT youth experience harassment in school, and too many lives have been lost. Include gender identity and sexual orientation in anti-bullying programs!
- It’s 2010 and only five states plus DC recognize that love, not gender, is what matters in a marriage. Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act now!
- It’s 2010 and more than 14,000 servicemembers have been discharged from the military under the failed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. Repeal DADT now!
- It’s 2010 and the government’s failure to recognize LGBT families for immigration purposes tears bi-national couples and families apart. Pass the Uniting American Families Act now!
Alaskans Together annual gathering on Oct. 10
McAdams is keynote speaker at Alaska Pride Conference, Oct 9
Free Coming Out Day films for Juneau
Free Films Sunday and Monday, October 10 & 11, at 6 pm, kick-off the new Conscientious Projector Film Series at the Nickelodeon Theater, sponsored by the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
In honor of National Coming Out Day, the October Films are co-sponsored by SEAGLA (SouthEast Alaska Gay and Lesbian Alliance) and PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
** Bullied is the new Southern Poverty Law Center release by an academy award nominee filmmaker documenting a true story of one student’s ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies. His story offers inspiration to those fighting harassment. 40 min
** Straight from the Heart interviews a wide cross-section of American parents including a police chief, a Mormon couple, an African American mother, and Bobby Griffith’s mother (the mother of Bobby from Prayers for Bobby) all speaking from the heart about their grown gay and lesbian children. 27 min
Optional discussion following both films. Snacks and admission are free. Donations are appreciated.The Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meets Sundays at 10 at the corner of Cordova & Foster in West Juneau and is a Welcoming Congregation, welcoming people from every class, nationality, race, gender and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit JUUF online.
Education Dept. recognizes October as LGBT History Month
“For a community deprived of its history, GLBT History Month teaches heritage, provides role models, builds community, and recognizes extraordinary national and international contributions,” said Ora Alger, LGBTA Employees at ED President, U.S. Department of Education.“GLBT History Month is an educational project,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “We are delighted to have the U.S. Department of Education recognize and celebrate our community’s history month. We salute GLSEN, GSA Network and Campus Pride for promoting, with Equality Forum, GLBT History Month to over 6,000 high schools and colleges.”
Will Lisa vote for the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal?
Our DC staffer is on the Hill right now, and according to Senator Murkowski’s staff, the Senator is more than willing to listen to the calls. Her official phone number is (202) 224-6665, though the Senate can be reached via (202) 224-3121. LGBT Alaskans should call her and ask for her to vote for the repeal and to start and end debate over this.