A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Gay AK: Notes from LGBT Alaska

Congratulations to the people of New Hampshire, which became the 6th state in the U.S. to legalize same sex marriage.

The fundraiser for Garfield and Alvin, who lost their home in the Spenard fire on Memorial Day “was a HUGE success! We raised over $2,000 and received a number of gift cards,” wrote Bear, the contact person for donations. “In addition, a ‘ton’ of items was brought in for them (small appliances, clothes, dishes, blankets, etc.) I still have people contacting me to help out. The latest is that a couple is giving them a large color tv. And there are others who are waiting until the guys get settled so that they can donate more household things. This whole project has been litteraly amazing!”

“Garfield and Alvin cannot believe how this turned out. They found a place to live on June 1st. They both are doing much better in the attitude department and are very appreciative of everything that everyone has done for them. They say that every day things are getting better.” The men will sort through the donated items and decide what they can use and what they will pass on to other community members in need.

“Thank you all for your love and support of each other,” added Mary Bess Bohall. “Together we made a huge impact with this fundraiser. Together we can make a huge impact for our community. Thank you to all.”

The shirts for Anchorage PrideFest 2009 are on sale downtown at the Community Center. Check out the full calendar for the many wonderful Pride Week events! If you want to host an event, make sure you have contacted the Anchorage PrideFest committee. Vendor? Volunteer? Marching Unit? Find the information to participate in this year’s activities on the LINKS tab of the website. We can’t wait to join you on the Park Strip for a Celebration of Anchorage, The Last Queer Frontier!

As of July 2008, 13 states and the District of Columbia, and 108 cities & counties, have trans-inclusive nondiscrimination laws. A total of 39% of the U.S. population is covered by laws which ban discrimination on the basis of transgender/transsexual status, which the proposed Anchorage ordinance includes as “gender identity.” Since May 2007, 51.8% of the U.S. population has been covered by state, county, and/or city laws banning discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

“The purpose of Anchorage Ordinance AO NO. 2009-64 is very simply stated and long overdue for our community; it extends protection from workplace discrimination to include sexual orientation. However, Rev. Jerry Prevo of the Anchorage Baptist Temple has vowed to strike down the ordinance, using all the powers of his congregation and bully pulpit. A website has emerged, www.sosanchorage.com, which highlights all the ‘damage’ that workplace equality will wreak upon our city. My fiance and I have erected a counter-website at www.sosanchorage.net to highlight the blatant falsehoods and misleading information. Please, check out sosanchorage.com to view the fearmongering, and then head over to sosanchorage.net and help us get the facts out! Tell your friends, and keep this going. June 9th is right around the corner.”

Gay AK: Notes from LGBT ALaska

Homer PFLAG decided to make a float for the local July 4th parade this year, so Alaska will celebrate LGBT Pride in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau AND Homer this summer.

Have you written to your Assembly members yet? If not, please write or call today. If you don’t live in Anchorage, please contact friends who do and ask them to call or write for you. Will you be at the hearing on June 9th? Please RSVP with Equality Works. Have Questions or Concerns? Email Tiffany McClain or visit Equality Works.

Crystal Tompkins and her partner Lindsey Evans, who grew up in Anchorage, are self-publishing a new LGBT children’s book, “Oh The Things Mommies Do! What Could Be Better Than Having Two?” a celebration of Lesbian Mothers and their children. “Oh The Things Mommies Do!” is a “bouncy and playful look at the joys of a two Mom family. With its catchy rhymes and vibrant illustrations, it is a pleasure for children and parents alike.” Lindsey was raised in Anchorage, attended Bartlett High School and was a student at UAA. “Oh the Things Mommies Do!” will be available in June.

The Radical Woman Award honors women who have made significant contributions to the GLBT community in Alaska. Please nominate a wonderful woman and send a short paragraph highlighting her contributions to Radical Arts for Women by 5/30. The winner will be announced at Celebration of Change. Female visual artists are invited to submit their work for the Celebration of Change First Friday Art Show, 6/5-29 at the Kodiak Bar and Grill. Drop off entries on 6/3 after 3 p.m. The 25th Anniversary show of Celebration of Change is at the Wilda Marston Theatre at 7 p.m. on June 13. Tickets for CoC are available now at Metro, or the GLCCA on Tuesdays & Thursdays.

More volunteers are needed to be Parade Route Marshals for the parade, and for setup and tear down for the Festival on Saturday, June 20. If you can volunteer your time and energy please email the GLCCA. Congratulations to M.E. Rider and Jill Ramsey, editors of the Grrlzlist, who are the Anchorage PrideFest Parade Grand Marshals for 2009. Check out the many Pride Week events, download the vendor, performer and contingent applications, and read about M.E. and Jill at Anchorage PrideFest 2009.

Four A’s is hosting several events for Pride Week 2009. Adam and Steve’s Annual Drag Queen Bingo Fundraiser is on Thursday, June 18, 7 p.m. at Snow City Café. All proceeds go to the Adam and Steve HIV Prevention program for young gay and bisexual men. The Bingo includes a silent auction and a drawing for everyone who dresses in drag. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door. Join Four A’s annual marching unit at the PrideFest Parade on Saturday, June 20th. This year’s theme will be Mission Possible: Know Your Status and we will be dressing in camo and promoting HIV testing. National HIV Testing Week is June 20-27th. Free HIV testing will be offered all week, including during PrideFest. For more info, visit Four A’s.

Gay AK: Notes from LGBT Alaska

“The Emma’s Revolution concert was a success,” writes Juneau Pride Chorus member Juanita Reese. “It was a privilege to open for the group and sing a song with them. Big turn out. They are wonderful people … funny, inspiring and good music.”

Thank you for calling Senators Begich and Murkowski in support of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act. Sen. Begich received many supportive calls and became a co-sponsor of the Act. “He did get the message,” wrote Diane DiSanto from Senator Begich’s office. “More Alaskans called to support it, and most of the negatives were from out of state.”

The movie Outrage opened last week in the Lower 48, and the Alaska Premiere will be at The Bear Tooth on Monday June 15 during Anchorage Pride Week. Outrage is “an indictment of closeted politicians who lobby for anti-gay legislation.” Watch the trailer.

Governor Palin released a statement in support of Miss California Carrie Prejean, who does not support same-sex marriage and has become a spokesperson for the anti-gay lobby. Palin’s statement begins: “The liberal onslaught of malicious attacks against Carrie Prejean for expressing her opinion is despicable.” Read the full statement.

Each week, Jake Nodar, the one gay “volunteer” on Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment shares his first hand take with AfterElton about the latest episode, and what it’s like being openly gay in a group full of straight people on a survival nature expedition. Read Jake’s Take.

Are you an LGBT person who believes that you have been discriminated against by an employer, landlord, or business? Have you ever been told to stay closeted on the job? Are you a straight ally or family member who has felt the sting of public harassment or discrimination because of your friends or relatives, or because you were perceived as being “too masculine” or “too feminine”? There is no better time than at the public hearing on June 9 to share these stories with the people in a position to make a difference. If you can participate, please e-mail Tiffany McClain. 

Gay AK: Notes from LGBT Alaska

Celebration of Change tickets are on sale now at Metro Music, and at the GLCCA on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-9 p.m. Want to be part of the show but don’t have an individual act? No worries! Join a crazy crew of fabulous females for the Celebration of Change Opening Number. This is your year to be involved in Celebration. Don’t miss it! Advertise in the Celebration 25th Anniversary program, $25 for a business size ad. Sponsored by Radical Arts for Women (RAW).

Four A’s says thank you to everyone who came out to support Femme Fatale! The event raised over $2,800 for HIV positive individuals and prevention efforts in Southeast Alaska. Thank you for helping make the event a rocking success! Photos from Femme Fatale 2009 are posted on the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s) Facebook page.

Designer and Athletes for Gay Games 2010 

Looking for athletes, volunteers & t-shirt designers. Gay Games VIII will be held in 2010 in Cologne, Germany, and Alaskans are getting ready! Gay Games is the largest LGBT sports and culture event in the world. In 2006, Team Alaska took 20 athletes to the competition. Limited scholarships are available for 2010. We want a design for Team Alaska, and another for the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Martial Artists, which has an Alaskan coordinator. The designs will be used on t-shirts and possibly other items at Gay Games. Limited funds available for design and production. Prefer to use LGBT designer or interested persons. Anyone interested in Gay Games or in creating a design, please email Team Alaska.

Fairbanks gays are invited to join a new Yahoo list focused on hooking up and finding someone special. To join, send a message to Fairbanks Gay Personals.

June Pride events are being planned in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau this year. The Fairbanks PrideFest is Saturday June 13. Anchorage Pride week begins on June 13, the night of Celebration of Change. The Parade and Festival on the Park Strip are on Saturday June 20. Juneau’s Pride Picnic Celebration is also on Saturday June 20, at Skater’s Cabin. Awesome!

July 3 is the submission deadline for the Imperial Court of All Alaska’s Scholarship Program applications, available online at the ICOAA web site under “About Us.”

Photo (right) of Divas at Femme Fatale 2009, May 1-2 in Juneau, Alaska.

Congratulations to Chris Olson and Michelle Coen on their upcoming wedding in Iowa. They met in 1981 while living in Anchorage, Alaska but moved to Wisconsin in 1998 to be closer to their families. They plan to marry in Olsen’s Iowa hometown, so her 96-year-old mother can attend the wedding. Story and photo.

Join Anchorage Frontrunners, a GLBT group that walks/runs/rollerblades (dogs welcome) along the Coastal Trail on Tuesdays from May-September. Meet at Westchester Lagoon at 6 p.m. in the far west parking lot near the coffee shack.

The annual Memorial Day Community Picnic will be held at Kincaid Park again this year. The Community Picnic is a tradition going back more than 40 years, held in Eklutna until that property was sold last spring. The College of Emperors and Empresses sells burgers, hot dogs, chips, and drinks as a fundraiser for ICOAA.