Sunday, 6 October 2013 – 5:19 PM
| Comments Off on A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013
Bent Alaska’s blog will continue in hiatus indefinitely; but the Bent Alaska Facebook Group on Facebook is thriving — join us! A long-overdue update from Bent Alaska’s editor.
When I became the editor of Alaska GLBT News a year ago, I saw in the Readers’ Survey that you wanted photos, videos, and reports of the events listed in the newsletter. So I created Bent Alaska, a blog that could contain all of that and much more.
It’s been quite a year. I’ve had the great pleasure to meet dozens of interesting LGBT people and our allies from all over the state, and to tell you about them and their events week after week. I’ve learned about Alaska and blogging and news writing and the LGBT community. I even won an award for Bent from the Imperial Court. (Thank you, ICOAA!)
And it’s all because of you: You’ve sent news of our community’s weddings and funerals, dances and drag shows, protests and parades. Your reports and photos keep us connected across the vast distances of Alaska, and beyond to our friends Outside. Your knowledge and opinions inform the LGBT communities and allies in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and rural Alaska. Your words give comfort to gays new to Alaska and long time Alaskans just coming out, isolated Alaskans looking for ‘family’ and family members needing support. Your comments engage others who search for signs of queer life in Alaska.
Bent Alaska and Alaska GLBT News would not be possible without the many, many people who take the time to write messages, send photos, forward links and add comments. I’m just the messenger – without you, there wouldn’t be anything to say.
Lucy Frey, a founder of Alaska’s lesbian community, was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame on March 6 as a member of the inaugural class. Frey is honored as a “social studies educator [and] feminist leader.”
The Hall of Fame inducted 50 women who have made or are making significant contributions to the shaping of Alaska. Seven of the 13 living inductees were present and most are supporters of the lesbian and gay community, according to the Grrlzlist, including Carol Comeau, Dana Fabe, Katie Hurley, Sarah James, Arliss Sturgulewski, Fran Ulmer and Esther Wunnicke.
“I remember Lucy Frey for two things,” wrote Rosemary Shinohara in an ADN editorial Some Teacher.
“She was my most memorable teacher at Clark Junior High. I loved social studies in seventh grade. Getting to stay after to work on the bulletin boards was a big treat. She put up with troublemakers. She furthered a passion for school that carried me through many years. And she often played Scrabble with my mother, a school secretary and die-hard Catholic. I went along for the games.
“I had no idea at the time that Lucy Frey had a life outside Scrabble and classrooms. But last week, she was among 50 women named to the first Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame induction, alongside such notables as Tlingit civil rights leader Elizabeth Peratrovich and Mary Louise Rasmuson of the Rasmuson Foundation.
“Now I find that she was a peace activist, noted Alaska feminist and rabble rouser.
“She handed out pledge cards downtown, asking people to resist violence. She co-owned the Alaska Women’s Bookstore. She helped launch the Alaska Women’s Political Caucus.
“Organizers of the Hall of Fame — a handful of women’s organizations — say many feminist causes originated over potluck dinners in her living room.
“I don’t know how Lucy and my mother became friends — I’ve always thought of my mother as having been a more traditional mom, certainly not someone to hang out with feminists. But I’m glad it happened.
“I always knew Lucy Frey was a special teacher. Now I know she was a special human being too.”
Many LGBT people and our allies knew Lucy and enjoyed the lesbian groups and events she helped to create. Although I moved to Alaska just after she retired to Missouri, I heard much about her, especially the potlucks and the Sing-Along.
What are your thoughts on Lucy Frey’s contributions to Alaska? Share your stories of Lucy in the comments.
Monday, 9 March 2009 – 10:08 PM
| Comments Off on Gay AK News & Notes
DJ Trina spins for 2,000 Lesbians
Babes Around Denver celebrated 6 years of “First Friday” – the biggest monthly event for lesbians in the US – with a massive event on March 6 that was expected to draw thousands of lesbians from around the country. The resident DJ for First Friday, Trina Johnson “DJ Trina J” flew down from Anchorage to spin Top 40 Dance and Hip/Hop for the record-setting crowd, and will continue her tradition of donating all of her fees and tips to various humane societies in Colorado. Babes Around Denver.
Concert and Movie Night entertain Juneau
“Our Pride Chorus concert and dance went very well,” writes Marsha. “We had 166 people in attendance for the concert and many stayed for the dance. The women thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to socialize after the concert. The big spread of food and the dance time allowed that to happen. People loved the choice of music and the quality of the singing during the concert. We did indeed sing many FUN songs in this concert.”
“The men’s movie night was a success,” writes the Webmaster of SEAGLA. “We had about 20 guys, about half couples and half singles. It was a wonderful potluck dinner and the film was a romantic comedy.”
Alaska AFL-CIO Asks for Our Support
“Congress will soon debate the Employee Free Choice Act,” writes John Lepley, of the Alaska AFL-CIO. “Also known as EFCA, this act will help restore the rights of working people and punish employers who violate current labor law. Alaska is a union-dense state and, on a national level, the LGBT community is gaining a larger presence in the labor movement. Pride at Work is a national LGBT organization and member of the AFL-CIO.” Check out the Pride at Work Fact Sheet on The Employee Free Choice Act.
International Two Spirit Gathering
The 2009 International Two Spirit Gathering will be held on October 7-11, 2009 in Estes Park, Colorado. The annual Gathering is for all two-spirit people and their family members. For application, financial assistance and updates, please visit the Two Spirit Gathering.
LGBT Power Summit, April 24-26
The annual LGBT Power Summit is “a three-day intensive training designed to provide activists with the skills, tactics and strategies for moving lawmakers and voters to support the LGBT community.” The Summit is co-sponsored by the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and EqualityMaine, and they hope to bring a team from each of the 50 states. “If you’re thinking about getting involved in a campaign for an LGBT cause or pro-LGBT candidate,” writes Elias, the contact person for Alaska, “please consider attending this training.” For more info on the 2009 LGBT Power Summit, visit NGLTF.
Alaska’s Suicide Prevention Grant Includes GLT Youth
Alaska received a $1.5 million, three-year grant from the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration that will enable the state, Indian tribes, colleges and universities to develop suicide prevention and intervention programs. Alaska will target youth ages 14-24 with the grant, including young Native men in rural Alaska; gay, lesbian and transgender youth; young veterans; and youth in foster care.
Saturday, 7 March 2009 – 7:24 PM
| Comments Off on Celebrate Women in March
March is Women’s History Month. The 2009 theme is Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet, and the National Women’s History Project is honoring 100 women who have taken the lead in the environmental or “green” movement.
March 8 is International Women’s Day, celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some countries, IWD is a national holiday.
Locally, The Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame inducts its inaugural class on March 6. The ceremony honors 50 women who have made or are making significant contributions to the shaping of Alaska. Lucy Frey, a founder of Alaska’s lesbian community, is one of the women being honored.
Another of the inductees is Lena Morrow, subject of the play Make Good the Fires by Arlitia Jones. Lena came to Alaska in 1912 when women were just getting the vote. She was a socialist, activist, journalist, feminist and even ran for office in 1916. The play runs March 13-29 at Cyrano’s.
The LunaFest Film Festival on March 20-21 presents ten short films by and about women. Proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Fund and local nonprofit women’s organizations. LunaFest is showing at Out North and is sponsored in part by UAA Women’s Studies.
If you know about other Alaskan events celebrating women during March, please share your information in the comments.
Ten percent of America is gay. That’s 1 in 10. Chances are that’s someone you know or someone you come in contact with every day. Why should they be given different rights just because of their sexual orientation? They shouldn’t. Gay marriage should be legal in all 50 states.
The government shouldn’t tell people how to live their lives. Right now, only two states allow gay marriage: Connecticut and Massachusetts. For a short time California allowed gay marriage, but then the people overturned the decision and it is no longer allowed. The problem is, only a small percentage of our country’s population live in those states. What about the millions of others who are gay and love each other? Many people say they should just get a domestic partnership (which is similar in some ways to marriage, except for the 1,138 other rights that married couples have), but still 19 states don’t allow that either. As George Sand, a famous French novelist once said, “There is one happiness in life, to love and to be loved.” Should the laws choose who can and can’t have that happiness based on their sexual preference? People should choose whom to love; we don’t need the government to intervene.
Gay marriage is similar to interracial marriage. People used to say interracial marriage was wrong because it wasn’t “normal” and it was a tradition for couples to get married that were of the same race. But eventually they realized that it was unconstitutional for making individuality illegal. There isn’t much difference with gay marriage. Banning it is unconstitutional. As Charles Evans Hughes, the former Secretary of State, once wrote, “When we lose the right to be different, we lose the right to be free.”
All in all, there is no plausible reason to ban gay marriage. Just because you think it’s gross, or that your friends don’t like it, doesn’t give us the right to tell people who to love or how to live their lives. This country has freedom of religion, so we shouldn’t make law because our religion says it’s wrong.
As a nation, we should come together and make it legal for gay couples to get married. In the Pledge of Allegiance, it doesn’t say with liberty for the straight people, liberty for the white people, or liberty for men. It just says with liberty and justice for all.
Thursday, 26 February 2009 – 3:30 PM
| Comments Off on LGB and T Resources for Schools and Staff in Alaska
As reported last week, the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District passed a motion to include “gender identity” as a protected group in all six non-discrimination and anti-harassment policies at their Feb 17 meeting.
“Quite a few people testified,” writes Tim Stallard. “Those testifying against the change … mainly expressed concerns about bathroom usage and why we need to define new groups for protection from discrimination.” He asks us to email the school board and thank them for their courageous vote.
Now that the policy is in place, Barbara McCarthy wants to encourage the school board to provide good resources and training for teachers, administrators and staff on gender identity. She asked Bent’s readers, “Do you know of a good teacher/administrator in-service training program on gender identity discrimination and harassment in the schools?” Do we have people in Alaska trained to facilitate these programs?
Since then, we’ve received great program ideas, and offers of help from Alaskans who are trained to lead workshops on LGBT issues in schools or are willing to share their personal experiences with gender identity:
Fairbanks school counselors Jeff Walters and Lynn Harrison offered to plan the trainings. Jeff co-sponsors the Gay-Straight Alliance at West Valley High School.
The founders of Transgendered Alaskans Social Group (TASG) offered to share their personal stories at the workshops.
Sara Boesser in Juneau sent the link for the revised GLSEN Lunchbox, a training program for ending anti-LGBT bias in schools, created by the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network.
Jackie Buckley participated in the GLSEN training several years ago in Anchorage and mentioned that the original program does not include the gender identity materials added to the revised version, but we can update our materials.
Jeff also attended the GLSEN training and used the materials for teacher inservices. He will pull together ideas from these suggestions, other established programs, and feedback from students to develop an inservice plan. “The students are interested in issues of gender identity,” he wrote “and have given us GREAT ideas and input from their perspective for other trainings in the past.”
This is what I’ve learned:
We have access to good resources on LGB *and* T issues in schools.
We have teachers and counselors who are trained to lead the programs.
We have Alaskans who will share their personal stories of being LGB *and* T with students and staff.
We have students, parents and staff who are interested in the issues.
And we have a school board in Fairbanks that is willing to protect LGB *and* T students from discrimination and harassment.
It’s a good start. So when Anchorage, Juneau and other school districts in Alaska add “gender identity” to their policies, we will know who to contact.
Thanks to everyone who responded. That was – and continues to be – a great team effort.
Wednesday, 25 February 2009 – 6:50 PM
| Comments Off on Greetings from Pastor Norman Van Manen
Reverend Norman Van Manen was installed as Development Pastor of MCC Anchorage on Feb. 15 in the presence of over forty members of the LGBT-inclusive church. Van Manen visited in mid-December as a pastoral candidate and was appointed soon after, due to the positive response by church and community members.
Pastor Van Manen wrote a special greeting for readers of Bent Alaska and Alaska GLBT News:
“I am new to Alaska by only a few days. As I settle in and become acquainted with the GLBTQ community, I am looking forward to meeting you. I have already discovered that Alaska is not an easy place to find comfort in being the person you were born to be. It is my goal that all who worship at MCC Anchorage will find self esteem, love from others, and always feel loved by God. I am looking forward to working with you and listening to your stories.”
Reverend Van Manen brings 41 years of ministry experience to MCC Anchorage and to the community. Van Manen’s Pastoral Ponderings for this week are posted on the MCCA site:
“It is a revising and adjusting time for me. I still have to remind myself when I awaken in the morning that I am in Anchorage, Alaska. I was expecting to see water to the south and mountains to the north but instead the Cook Inlet is to the west (water) and the Mountains are to the east. What an awesome sight it was for me to see Mount McKinley from a high place for the first time a few days ago. It is 300 miles from here.
“MCC Anchorage has a great spirit of embodiment and I am impressed with your warmth and kindness. Our worship is exciting and I am looking forward to the second message in a Sermon Series entitled The Week That Changed The World. This week’s message is entitled The Day of Authority.
“This series of messages will take us up to and including Easter Sunday. On Thursday nights, we have a program that is called Step by Step. This is a Bible Study time with much discussion. We are looking at the foundation of our faith at the moment and you are all most welcome to attend. We have soup at 6:30 p.m. and begin Bible Study at 7 p.m. Please bring your Bible and a pen or pencil.
“I am looking forward to meeting with the Board of Directors this Sunday at 4:30 p.m. for our first official meeting. There is much to talk about and much to plan. We have great and exciting days ahead. I have each of you in my prayers.”
The MCC Sunday service begins at 2 p.m. Photos of the Consecration and Laying of Hands ceremony at the installation of Rev. Van Manen are posted on the Metropolitan Community Church web site, which was recently up-graded by webmaster Matthew Moak.
Tuesday, 24 February 2009 – 5:23 PM
| Comments Off on MILK at the Oscars
“Milk” won two Oscars on Sunday: Best Actor for Sean Penn, and Best Screenplay for Dustin Lance Black!
Check out Black’s acceptance speech. He thanked the people who made the film, told how Harvey gave him hope as a gay teenager, and passed that hope to gay teens today. He mentioned marriage and equal rights in that context.
Was that too political, or was it appropriate for a film about a gay rights leader?
Sunday, 22 February 2009 – 12:49 PM
| Comments Off on Pride Chorus concert and AWARE dinner
Join the Juneau Pride Chorus for their 2009 concert and dance on the theme of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Strength, February 28, 7:30 p.m. at the Juneau Arts & Culture Center.
Songs include Alix Dobkin’s “If It Wasn’t for the Women,” “This One’s for the Girls,” “Hair,” “Respect,” Enya’s “Ebudae” and “Hattie and Mattie” from Holly Near. Plus, a delightful group of Pride Chorus members’ children will be singing “My Body’s Nobody’s Body But Mine.”
After the singing, there will be dancing to music performed by female musicians. Refreshments will be served during the intermission. Tickets are available from Chorus members or at the door – $15 for adults, $30 for a family, $12 for seniors and students. Everyone is welcome!
The Juneau Pride Chorus will also be the opening act at the annual Women of Distinction Dinner sponsored by AWARE of Juneau, on March 7 at Centennial Hall. One of the Women of Distinction this year is Marsha Buck, member of the Pride Chorus, PFLAG Juneau and Alaskans Together for Equality.
“These women were chosen for their dedication and relentless service to peace, justice and the empowerment of women,” reads the Women of Distinction 2009 page. “Each honoree has enriched the lives of women and children and have made a legacy of compassion out of their own lives.”
The Pride Chorus songs will be followed by a catered dinner, silent auction and speeches by each of the women about what inspires them. Proceeds benefit AWARE’s domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and intervention services.
Thursday, 19 February 2009 – 6:12 PM
| Comments Off on Gay AK News & Notes
Dan Savage was great – smart, witty, and totally gay – and the diverse crowd at the sold-out show laughed and learned, and clapped when he said, “gay marriage is coming.” How refreshing!
Brother Outsider, the movie about gay black civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, is showing this weekend at the Anchorage Museum, sponsored by several local LGBTA groups and the Urban League, an African-American organization. A discussion will follow the film on Saturday night.
Pastor Van Manen wishes to thank the 40 individuals who attended his installation service last Sunday. He was deeply touched at the level of support and encouragement extended to him. Photos of the Consecration and Laying of Hands ceremony are posted on the new-and-improved MCC Anchorage web site. (Nice work, Matthew.)
Transgendered Alaskans Social Group (TASG) is a new group meeting at the GLCCA, Sundays from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The group is open to MTF and FTM, TG/TS, and their partners, spouses and adult children. The intent of the group is to provide support and education through social networking, in a safe and comfortable environment. Their web site has a great name: TransAlaska Pipeline
VA Mental Health started a Transgender Support group, only for Veterans, on Thursdays at 4 p.m. on the 2nd floor of the VA Clinic on DeBarr Road in Anchorage. Check in at the reception desk.
Have you tied the knot? Identity wants to print your same-sex wedding picture in The NorthView, their quarterly bulletin. Please send pictures and a short commitment announcement to the NorthView editor.
The theme for the 2009 Women’s Summit in Juneau on March 18-20 is Health Care Access: Do Women in Alaska Have Choices? A work session with Senator Hollis French on Universal Health Care will include “comprehensive reproductive health care coverage for all women, gay or straight,” writes Geran Tarr of the Alliance for Reproductive Justice. “I think this includes the issue of domestic partner benefits too. It will be important for Senator French to hear from the group about the comprehensive needs of all women.” What other lesbian health care issues do you think are important?
The very real consequences of DADT repeal; seeking survivor benefits for same-sex partner of Alaska shooting victim; waiting on SCOTUS decision about whether it will hear Prop 8 case; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
In this month’s “Ask Lambda Legal” column, Lambda Legal answers a question about the federal government’s longstanding ban against donations of blood from men who have sex with men (MSM).
Alaska Pride Conference 2012 kicks off on October 5 with a First Friday showing at Tref.Punkt Studio of Love is Love, a photographic exhibit of LGBT couples from across the state.
United for marriage: Light the way to justice. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this Tuesday and Wednesday, March 26–27, in two cases about freedom to marry. Please join us on Tuesday, March 26, at the federal courthouse in Anchorage (7th & C) in a circle united for equality.
Pariah, a critically acclaimed film about a 17-year-old African-American woman embracing her lesbian identity, will screen at UAA on Friday, November 2, and will be followed by a discussion on acceptance in honor of Mya Dale. The event is free and open to the public.
