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Court crowns Emperor and Empress, gives awards and scholarships at Coronation
Mike Bartels of Fairbanks and Paula Butner of Anchorage were crowned at Coronation 2008 as the new Emperor and Empress of the Imperial Court of All Alaska (ICOAA). The Court also announced the winners of five annual awards, and the recipients of the scholarship program.
A total of $60,000 was granted to the 25 scholarship recipients for 2008.
The Scholarship Awards are based on economic need, scholastic achievement, leadership ability and contributions to the Lesbian/Gay community, with preference given to members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and allied (GLBTA) community.
The Imperial Court’s five annual community service awards are given to individuals and businesses in Alaska’s GLBTA community.
Chosen by the College of Emperors and Empresses:
The Raymond Jorgenson Community Service Award to a group/business went to Bent Alaska
Raymond Jorgenson worked tirelessly for many years on behalf of the GLBTA community of Alaska and the Imperial Court. He was a founding member of every GLBT organization that existed during his day and espoused that it was only through our combined efforts that Alaska’s community could grow stronger. In his honor, the College chooses an organization, group, or business award each year to recognize their outstanding works on behalf of our community.
The C Wayne Hussey Community Service Award to an Individual went to Mr. Gay Alaska Kevin Holtz
C Wayne Hussey was the first Elected Empress of All Alaska and a founder of the Imperial Court of All Alaska. This award is presented annually by the College in recognition of an individual’s outstanding contributions to the community.
Elected by the Fairbanks Community:
The Rochelle DeLite Fairbanks Community Service Award went to College Floral owned by Michael Bartels
Rochelle DeLite served the Fairbanks Community and Imperial Court throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s as a driving force to keep both the Duchy of Fairbanks and the community together. In her memory, the GLBTA community of Fairbanks elects a recipient each year for their outstanding contributions to the Fairbanks Community.
Elected by Alaska’s LGBT Community during voting for Emperor and Empress:
The Peter Dispirito Award for Community Service went to Allie Hernandez.
An outspoken member of the community, Peter was very active in all GLBTA Community affairs. He was instrumental in opening the first gay bar in Alaska, was one of the founding members of the Imperial Court of All Alaska, one of the foremost members of the gay social scene and was loved by all who knew him. He was murdered in 1973. His murderer was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to a mere 2 ½ years in prison. After serving only several months, he was released on parole. The murder and subsequent light treatment of the murderer only served to unite the Gay community and sparked the first real Gay Community activism in Alaska. To honor his memory past recipients, the board of directors of the ICOAA, and the College all place nominations on the ballot at the time of voting for Emperor and Empress… the community then elects the recipient of the award for their contributions to the advancement of the GLBTA Community in Alaska.
Chosen by the reigning Emperor and Empress and given to persons under the age of 21:
The Shante’ Youth Volunteer Service Award went to Paul O’Leary & Ashley Earll.
This award is given in memory of Shante’, for her outstanding contributions to the community. Our Hawaiian Princess worked closely and tirelessly with the GLBT youth of Anchorage to further acceptance among their peers and a more cohesive bond between them and the broader GLBT community. Also as a teacher of her Native dance to other young people, she brought them into our community as allies, helping foster new lasting friendships and understanding in the Anchorage community at large.
Where is the love in trying to make gays go straight?
COMPASS: Other points of view
Opinion | adn.com
By TIFFANY McCLAIN
Published: September 22nd, 2008 10:41 PM
Last Modified: September 22nd, 2008 10:41 PM
One of my earliest memories is being told by the principal of my Christian school that, along with Prince fans and devotees of the rock band Kiss, homosexuals were going to hell.
I was only 6 years old and had never heard of a homosexual, but my principal was happy to spell it out for his elementary school audience: “Homosexuals are men who have sex with men.” By the end of the school day, I was in tears, convinced that my mother’s love for Prince had doomed us both for eternity.
At the time, homosexuality had no relevance to my life, and because after this incident my mother promptly enrolled me in public school, I was spared any additional attempts to prevent me from growing up to be gay. But what about the children whose parents weren’t aware of what their kids were being taught? Or whose parents’ beliefs might have been more in line with that of the principal’s? What about the slightly older child, already aware of his or her attraction to people of the same sex, forced to come of age weighed down by this message of condemnation?
For years, these children remained vulnerable to the harmful teachings of adults who used their authority and their religious standing to promote an anti-gay agenda under the guise of Christian righteousness. It is disheartening to know that some groups continue to promote a philosophy that endangers peoples’ mental health and validates social intolerance.
Over time, the homophobic discourse of Christian fundamentalism has grown more benevolent in tone. Instead of threatening the gates of hell, for example, Focus on the Family’s Love Won Out ministry claims to help people “overcome” their same- sex attractions with “compassion and grace.” They claim to be able to “transform” people’s lives with holistic therapies and counseling.
But just because the tone has changed doesn’t mean that the consequences have disappeared. In a 1998 position statement the American Psychiatric Association cited the numerous potential risks of the “therapies” promoted by these ministries of so-called “transformation,” including depression, anxiety and self-destructive behavior. The American Psychological Association, National Association of Social Workers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics have also expressed their concern about the harmful consequences of these ministries on the well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people and their families.
For all their talk of love, the Love Won Out ministry blindly ignores the love and affection that exists between gay and lesbian couples. We are portrayed as emotionally stunted in/piduals with no interest in each other beyond the physical, thereby diminishing public respect for and recognition of our relationships and families.
If you look beneath the “self-help”-styled rhetoric, at the core of their philosophy is the belief that if you’re gay or lesbian, there is something fundamentally wrong with you that needs to be changed. Not only is this belief medically incorrect — psychiatrists dismissed it almost 40 years ago — it also implicitly validates social prejudices that lead to acts of discrimination, harassment and violence. These acts cause far more mental harm to gays and lesbians — and do more harm to our democracy — than allowing law-abiding citizens to live their lives equally, honestly, and without fear — regardless of their sexual orientation.
I work for the American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska, an organization that protects the right of every citizen to believe in and promote the religion of their choice. Focus on the Family has every right to bring its Love Won Out conference all the way to Anchorage and share its mission with whoever is willing to listen. But our Constitution also grants me the right to urge you — for the sake of your loved ones’ mental well-being and happiness, for the sake of promoting a more democratic and compassionate community, and in the name of love — not to believe a word they say.
Tiffany McClain is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Public Policy Coordinator for ACLU of Alaska in Anchorage.
Second-class citizens: Gay Alaskans report legal and social discrimination
The ACLU of Alaska released the preliminary results of their 2008 LGBT Community Interest Survey today:
Discrimination a Persistent Problem for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Alaskans, says American Civil Liberties Union
ANCHORAGE, AK, September 24, 2008 – The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska released a report today revealing that many of the state’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents still live in fear of discrimination. The report shares the initial findings of an on-going survey of LGBT Alaskans.
A majority of respondents agree that discrimination is the largest problem they have personally faced as LGBT people living in Alaska. Some report having been harassed on the job, even fired, because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. But unlike other minorities who have been historically discriminated against, there are no significant state or local laws to shield them from such prejudice.
“The survey shows that LGBT people want the same thing as most other Americans. They want to be able to provide for themselves and their families without worrying about being refused or fired from a job because of who they share their lives with,” said Tiffany McClain, the ACLU of Alaska’s LGBT Public Policy Coordinator. “But in the state of Alaska they have no legal recourse if they suspect unfair treatment from an employer, landlord, or creditor.”
Responses to the survey have been collected via e-mail, online, and in person and include participants from Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. So far, 26% of respondents report having experienced discrimination or harassment in the workplace and an additional 18% have faced these obstacles outside of work. When the lack of legal recognition of their partnerships and families is counted as a form of discrimination, the proportion of LGBT people who have suffered the consequences of discrimination is even higher.
“We know that Americans are fair and favor equal treatment and ending discrimination,” said Jeffrey Mittman, Executive Director of the ACLU of Alaska. “As Alaskans hear about the families of their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender friends, neighbors, colleagues and relatives, they will want to see an end to workplace discrimination, and will support the right to visit a sick loved one in the hospital, or to protect the needs of children in LGBT families.” The initial survey findings can be found at http://www.akclu.org/AKCLU_LGBTresults.pdf
We would like to invite anyone who doesn’t feel as if their voices are being adequately represented to complete a survey and encourage their friends to complete one as well.
This work is supported by generous grants from the Pride Foundation and the Tide Foundation’s State Equality Fund, a philanthropic partnership that includes the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr Fund, the Gill Foundation, and other anonymous donors.
— Tiffany McClain, LGBT Public Policy Coordinator
— Jeffrey Mittman, Executive Director
Palin’s Hometown Paper Grapples with Gay Books and Library Censorship
Being Gay in Wasilla
“It’s mostly lack of awareness, which could be chalked up to not being exposed to gayness,” says the Manhattan-based writer [Ryan Quinn], who came out to family and friends in Wasilla after his freshman year away at college, and even brought a boyfriend to visit. “The reaction was overwhelmingly positive from the people I heard from, and certainly from the people who know me on a personal basis,” he says. “I’ve never encountered homophobia in Alaska.”
Stielstra, 29, was born in Anchorage and soon afterward his family moved to Wasilla, about 40 miles north, where he lived until he was 19. Despite the influential presence of Evangelical Christian churches, and the absence of any detectable gay community, he says he felt welcome when he came out at 18.
“It’s not the kind of place where I’d feel comfortable walking hand-in-hand with my partner,” she [Christensen] says. “But you do see a decent number of rainbow stickers on cars.”
Donated “Heather” and “Daddy’s Roommate” Will Be Accepted or Sold by Wasilla Library
UPDATE: Wasilla Library Rejects “Heather” and “Daddy’s Roommate”
Two popular gay-themed children’s books, “Heather Has Two Mommies” and “Daddy’s Roommate,” were donated to the Wasilla Public Library in Alaska, where Sarah Palin was mayor, by gay and lesbian Americans concerned with attempted censorship.
The full press release was posted earlier: Gay Americans Donate Children’s Books to Wasilla Library, On Eve of Banned Books Week.
I called the Wasilla Public Library when they opened today.
“We received the books,” said KJ Martin-Albright, Library Administrator at the Wasilla Public Library, “and we sent a copy of our library donation policy and a receipt to Mr. Petrelis.”
“Karen Davis, the youth services librarian, will decide if the books will be accepted and placed on the shelves, or be given to the Friends of the Library and sold at a book faire.”
“Rest assured that we are not dodging him,” said Ms. Martin-Albright. “He should be hearing from us soon.”
Bent Alaska thanks Mr. Petrelis for this generous donation, and encourages Ms. Davis to accept these wonderful children’s books. We look forward to seeing “Heather Has Two Mommies” and “Daddy’s Roommate” on the shelves of the Wasilla Public Library.
Wasilla Library Gets Gay Children’s Books
UPDATE: Wasilla Library Rejects “Heather Has Two Mommies” and “Daddy’s Roommate”
* * *
Gay Americans Donate Children’s Books to Wasilla Library, On Eve of Banned Books Week
Gay and lesbian Americans concerned with attempted censorship at public libraries recently donated copies of “Heather Has Two Mommies” and “Daddy’s Roommate” to the Wasilla, Alaska, public library. This show of support for diversity and First Amendment rights is a pro-active direct response to reports that former mayor and now GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin may have tried to remove the children’s books from the shelves in the 1990s.
The two gay-themed books were given to the library to guarantee they were available for the Wasilla community to read and enjoy. The donation was made in anticipation of Banned Books Week, which begins on September 27.Ultimately, the gay and lesbian citizens would like to place copies of “Daddy’s Roommate” and another gay-themed children’s book, “And Tango Makes Three,” on the shelves of Alaska’s one-hundred-and-one public libraries. (“Heather” is out of print, which is why “Tango” was chosen.)
San Francisco activist Michael Petrelis and his longtime partner Mike Merrigan gave the books not only to insure local kids would have access to them, but also to strengthen diversity in Alaska.
“When we first became aware of this story concerning Palin’s possible call for literary censorship, it dismayed us,” said Petrelis, who blogs at PetrelisFiles.com. “If Palin’s attitude towards literary freedom, not to mention her respect for diversity, have not changed since the 1990s, then her qualifications for vice president are certainly to be called into question.” Local gay support for the donation came from E. Ross of BentAlaska.com, a gay news and activities service web site based in Anchorage.
“Giving gay books to the Wasilla public library is a wonderful, pro-active way to foster communication and encourage reading. Many libraries and schools have been pressured to ban ‘Heather Has Two Mommies’ and ‘Daddy’s Roommate’ over the years, proving that citizens against diversity and tolerance pose a danger to education and unity everywhere. These two titles are prime examples of books that should have a secure place on many public and school library shelves,” said Ross.
Ross will be contacting the Wasilla librarian after the donation, to confirm that the library will place the books on the shelves, and will write a follow-up report on BentAlaska.com.The director of the Wasilla library, KJ Martin-Albright, last week posted a note to the Publisher’s Weekly blog regarding these issues:
At one point, ‘Heather Has Two Mommies’ was challenged at the Wasilla Public Library and it was decided to keep it on the shelf. So, why is it no longer there? Well, Wasilla out grew the size of its library about twenty years ago . . . Along with the fact that library collections are dynamic and not static, anything on the bookshelves has to earn its real estate. If it isn’t circulating, it doesn’t stay. I know this is not the ideal, but it is our reality. The library no longer has ‘Heather’, but we do our best to offer materials encompassing all different points of view and presenting every side to an argument.
For approximately $2,300, the gay activists, in collaboration with the Lambda Rising gay book store in Washington, DC, will purchase and ship two gay children’s books to every one of the state’s public libraries.
When Sarah Palin returns to being the full-time governor of Alaska on November 5, we’d like for her to find her public library system has welcomed these gay-themed children’s book as a gesture of respect for equality and diversity, which is a true American value.
