Articles in Travel
Huckabee and the lesbians sail to Alaska. Or Africa. Whatever.
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and a boatload of holy rollers are cruising southeast Alaska this summer, hot on the trail of two lesbian cruises. Well, maybe. Huckabee says he’s coming to Alaska, but the closing image of the tour’s video ad shows what happens when flat-earthers try to navigate a round world.
Gay Alaskan joins AmeriCorps, makes it better for himself and other youth
Kevin Viado was raised in Kodiak, had never been to a gay event, and described himself as “really shy” before joining AmeriCorps. After several months of helping other people, with a team of mostly straight young adults who like and accept him as he is, he is now confident enough to make his own It Gets Better video and help other LGBT youth.
Mid-Winter Hot Springs Exodus *new date*
UPDATE: The Chena Hot Springs Exodus has been postponed until February 19 due to bad weather and unsafe road conditions. Join the event’s FB page for details.
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Want to meet other LGBT’s from Fairbanks at a fun social event that isn’t a drag show? Haus of Fusion invites the whole community to relax, rejuvenate and make new friends at the Chena Hot Springs Exodus 2011:
Come join us for the first annual Haus of Fusion-sponsored Chena Hot Springs Exodus, a massive outpouring of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, Intersexed, Queer and Straight Allies. We’ll take over the hot springs for the day!
The goal of this event is to give the GLBT community something non-drag-show to do, a social event we can all enjoy. This is a time to put aside grudges and make friendships.
THE PLAN: We will meet at 10 a.m. on Saturday, January 22, in the Wal-Mart parking lot in Fairbanks and depart soon after for Chena Hot Springs. Transportation will be caravan-style carpooling. Drivers should have a full tank of gas and a fully charged cell phone. We will be departing the hot springs by about 6 p.m. (Staying overnight is optional.)
WHAT YOU WILL NEED: The day off, swimwear, a towel, $10 for admission to the spring and pool, and money for food and beverages.
Community members are welcome to rent a cabin for the night, but will need their own transportation back to Fairbanks. Overnight rates vary, and include swim passes. See the Chena Hot Springs special rates for Alaska residents.
Aw, sounds devine. Banish the winter blues and meet new people at a community soak. And I’m sure they’ll welcome LGBT’s from Anchorage, if you plan to be near Fairbanks that weekend or want to drop by. Check out the Chena Hot Springs Exodus 2011 FB page for more info and to RSVP.
Alaskans Together annual gathering on Oct. 10
29 Years Together: Anchorage gay couple interviewed for Vancouver Pride
“When Fred Traber and Larry Snider began dating in 1981, the social and cultural landscape in their small hometown of Anchorage, Alaska, did not allow them to be open with their relationship.”
So begins an interview of a gay Anchorage couple in a Vancouver, Canada newspaper.
Fred and Larry attended Vancouver Pride on August 1 and got an unexpected souvenir – they were interviewed by The Vancouver Sun about their 29 year relationship, and a video clip was posted online with the article and photos.
The newspaper was looking for gay couples who met in various decades, as part of a Gay Pride series, and a local friend recommended them for the couple who met in the ’80s.
“We had fun doing the interview and were flattered that they asked us,” Fred told Bent Alaska. “It was a fun adventure. They brought a film crew to the hotel and got nearly 2 hours of tape.”
“We covered a lot of topics, and sadly, some of the things most important to us didn’t make the cutting. We talked about the onset of AIDS and the impact it had on the gay community in Alaska – the huge number of friends we lost, the stigma, and lifestyle changes. We talked about having to carefully plan vacations to destinations where we would be safe and accepted. Lots of issues that were prevalent 30 years ago that are not so much today.”
We’ve come a long way, but we still travel to big city Pride events in LGBT-accepting locations. Like Vancouver Pride.
“Vancouver Pride is always a very important event for us. The city is so beautiful, the people are so enlightened and there is such a terrific sense of community. The Pride Parade was over 3 hours long – without any gaps. Major corporations, labor unions, government officials, social service agencies, bars, and lots of LGBT groups of people of every stripe. A new attendance record this year with over 600,000 families, friends and visitors watching, applauding and laughing. Very exhilarating and a total validation of our lifestyle.”
And the local newspapers run Gay Pride articles before, during and after Pride weekend, sometimes featuring out of town visitors!
The interview clip focuses on Fred and Larry’s early years together as closeted gay men in Alaska, as well as their California wedding in October 2008 and the Anchorage reception. Here is the video (it starts with a short ad):
[Update: Unfortunately the video is no longer available.]
Maddow: Amtrak’s gay ads upset Family Council
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Gay cruise groups visit glaciers & towns of southeast Alaska
Go GaGa for Monster Ball tickets with KFAT & Myrna’s
Grand prize winner receives:Round trip tickets for two to Tacoma, WashingtonHotel stay and tickets to Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball TourCome to all the dates! We’ll also be playing games for other prizes at each event. You don’t want to miss it!**Must be at least 21 years old to enter****Must be present to win**EVENT DATES:SATURDAY, JULY 17TH FROM 8 – 10 PMSATURDAY, JULY 24TH FROM 8 – 10 PMSATURDAY, JULY 31ST FROM 8 – 10 PMSATURDAY, AUGUST 7TH FROM 8 – 10 PMOfficial rules are HERE. (pdf)
Denali Moose Scat Race benefits Interior AIDS
ARAMARK parks and resorts is kicking off their season with the annual Moose Scat Scoot Race. Thanks to the community’s previous donations and assistance, our staff can continue to bring various recreational and social events to Denali. The goal of this event is to raise funds for the Interior Alaska AIDS Association.This year’s Moose Scat Scoot will take place on Saturday, June 26, 2010 inside Denali Park. The race consists of a half marathon bike/run, 5k run/walk, and a 1/2 mile fun run/walk. There will be an entry fee of $25 for each runner, with sponsorships to raise money for the Alaskan Interior AIDS Association.We hope that you will consider donating items to provide us assistance with prizes and merchandise that will go toward participants and winners, as well as helping provide friendly benefits for the community. Your contributions will be one huge asset to the race and any donation will go directly to the Interior Alaska AIDS Association.For further consideration, any business which is able to provide prizes and items in the amount of $200.00 or more will have the benefit of displaying their business’ name screen-printed on the back of the event T-shirt.
Santaland responds to anti-gay incident
Dear Sir,I appreciate your invitation to respond to the allegation that we evicted a guest of Santaland RV Park based on sexual orientation.With regard to this particular incident, there were a number of things that were considered when we made our decision to ask this guest to leave our park. For privacy reasons I will not go into these factors, but I can assure you that sexual orientation was never even considered in the course of our decision to evict the guest, and certainly never came up in our discussions with this particular guest.We have had tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of happy guests through our park over the years. We have always, and will continue to welcome everyone to our park, regardless of sexual orientation or any other factor.Sincerely,Santaland RV ParkWhere Santa Spends His Summers!125 St. Nicholas Drive, North Pole, AK 997051.907.488.9123 / Toll Free 1.888.488.9123www.SantalandRV.com / info@SantalandRV.com
Praise his name! Its time we take HIS campgrounds back.
