Articles in Pride
PrideFest parade route, performers and activities
Tomorrow, Saturday June 26, is the big day: the Alaska PrideFest 2010 Diversity Parade and Festival on the Park Strip! Here is the scoop on the parade route and the festival entertainment, food, and activities for kids and adults, from the NorthView’s June Pride issue by Identity.
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“Paint your toenails, get out your boas, don your Levis and leathers, and get those dykes on their bikes because Pride is here again!”
Pride Parade – June 26th 11:00 AM
Come to the Pride parade! March, ride in a float, or loudly cheer on those fabulous folks who do! The parade begins at 11:00 at 6th and D Street. We will proceed west on 6th Avenue and turn left on K Street, right on 8th Street, left on L Street, left on 10th Avenue and end at Delaney Park near the flagpole in time for the start of our festival on the park strip. Let’s turn up and show some fabulous, finger snapping, glittery pride!
Main Stage Entertainment
Co-hosting the main stage activities are two Empresses: Alaska’s current reigning Empress 37, Miss Meme Jenkins, and former Empress 11 of Southern Nevada, Ginger Grant, along with Mad Myrna’s Friday Nite Diva Show host, Miss Paige. We’ll kickoff PrideFest with the National Anthem and State song followed by proclamations and Invocation by an Alaska Native elder. After that, it’ll be one great performance after another! You won’t want to miss a minute! There’ll be something for everyone. The fun starts at noon on the Park Strip at the big main stage!
This year’s performers include a wide array of talent, including some of past year’s favorites and some new faces too! Divas Ashley, Jovy and Delicious will strut their stuff for your pleasure. Underground Dance Company will wow you with dance performances. The Lu Lu Small Band will get you dancing on the grass and more live music from local solo artists and bands will keep you dancing.
It’s in the large middle section of the Park Strip and we will have lots of entertainment and booths open till 6pm this year. That’s one hour longer than in the past.
Food
We’ve got lots of food!!!! We’ve got fried food, barbequed dogs and burgers, we’ve got reindeer sausages and we’ve got trendy quesadillas, gyros and still more…yep…we scored on the food this year!
Activities
Bungee Run – $5 for three runs. Hours and hours of fun, you and your friends can try and make it to the end of the bungee run — but you won’t! Padded harnesses hold you back and will knock you off your feet!
Bucking Salmon – $5 for three tries. Alaskans can sometimes have a difficult time satisfying their appetite for excitement. You can now “Ride the Red” where you can ride our fully functional mechanical bull transformed into a custom made Chinook salmon. Now there’s a fish story that you have to see to believe.
Sumo Wrestling – $5 for 2 people to play 3 bouts. Belly up to this one! The Sumo Wrestling Suits let everyone experience authentic Sumo Wrestling first hand. Adults try to pin their opponent.
Obstacle Course – $1 per run. This is an inflatable course of obstacles for you to navigate. Test your level of butch or show off for your honey.
What’s Happenin’ for Youth at PrideFest
We have new booths and activities this year that are geared to the children in all of us. No need to look for them–they will be right in the middle of things. Get silly and have fun!
For the little ones we have a very inexpensive Kiddie Carnival. We’ve got a hang-out booth for teens. No older adults and no babysitting of the small fry allowed. Strictly a space for teens to kick back on the bean bags and chill!
Wear Your Pride
This year’s way cool PrideFest t-shirts are short sleeved and black with the 2010 A Pride Odyssey logo on the front. They cost $20 (unless you are a volunteer and get a $5 discount) and come in sizes XS to 4XL. You can purchase your shirt at the Gay & Lesbian Community Center (336 East 5th Avenue), Pride on the ParkStrip, and other Pride events.
Of course, the best logo on the blackest t-shirts will be at the Identity Booth. There will be stickers and t-shirts, and hopefully, some rainbow boas, too, for you to purchase!
Visit the Alaska PrideFest website at www.AlaskaPride.org for more information about the Diversity Parade, the Pride Festival on the Park Strip, and other Pride Week events.
Drag Queen Bingo at Snow City tonight
The 3rd annual Drag Queen Bingo is on Thursday June 24 from 6-9 p.m. at Snow City Café in downtown Anchorage, and it’s a fundraiser for the Four A’s Anchorage Mpowerment Project (AMP). This PrideFest event is bigger and better than ever, according to Identity’s The NorthView.
Assembly passes PrideFest resolution, shelves Bronson
The Anchorage Assembly unanimously passed a resolution supporting Alaska PrideFest at Tuesday night’s meeting! Then the Assembly scored a second Pride Week victory by voting to indefinitely postpone the appointment of Alaska Family Council chair and professional hater Dave Bronson to a school commission.
Time to thank our Assembly members – the longtime advocates, the new members who supported us, as well as the conservatives who stood up to Prevo in support of Alaska Pride.
The PrideFest resolution introduced by vice-chair Patrick Flynn welcomes Alaska PrideFest 2010, recognizes the contributions of the LGBT community to Alaska, and “encourages all residents to enjoy this celebration.” The Diversity Parade and Pride Festival is on Saturday, June 26 starting at 11 a.m.
ANCHORAGE, ALASKA
AR NO. 2010–200A RESOLUTION OF THE ANCHORAGE MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY WELCOMING ALASKA PRIDEFEST AND ENCOURAGING THE RESIDENTS OF ANCHORAGE TO CELEBRATE OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
WHEREAS, Anchorage is richly endowed with a great diversity of people, cultures, religions, sexual orientations, and languages; and
WHEREAS, the strength of a civil society is measured by the level of outreach, participation and engagement of all its members in the social, economic, and political activities of the community; and
WHEREAS, Anchorage is a more welcoming and stronger place as a result of the inclusion and celebration of so many diverse communities within our greater municipal community; and
WHEREAS, along with others, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities have made significant contributions through active involvement in the Alaska economy, and the cultural, social and civic life unique to Alaska; and
WHEREAS, Alaska PrideFest 2010 is a 10-day celebration involving various non-profit, social, and business organizations hosting special events at venues throughout Anchorage from June 18—27, 2010; and
WHEREAS, on Saturday, June 26, 2010, Alaska PrideFest 2010 activities include the Celebrating Diversity Parade through downtown Anchorage and the PrideFest Festival featuring live entertainment, vendors, food, friends, fun and carnival activities on the Delaney Park Strip; and
WHEREAS, although residents of our community may disagree on issues, Anchorage benefits from the ongoing dialogue, awareness, and celebration that builds bridges and strengthens our interdependence as an Alaskan community;
NOW, THEREFORE, the Anchorage Municipal Assembly
WELCOMES Alaska PrideFest 2010
and encourages all residents to enjoy this celebration themed “2010 A Pride Odyssey.”
PASSED AND APPROVED by the Anchorage Assembly this (22nd) day of (June), 2010.
Good work, Anchorage Assembly. THANK YOU!
KTVA on PrideFest 2010 (video)
KTVA Channel 11 in Anchorage reported on the week of events for Alaska PrideFest, with video and interviews from Saturday’s Annual Gay Memorial Service and clips of last year’s Pride Festival. The intro reads: “A bevy of businesses will host special events around town celebrating PrideFest – a ten-day lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender community celebration.”
NOH8: I am Human (video)
A group of familiar faces speaking nine different languages from all over the world came together for the NOH8 Campaign’s new PSA to share one simple message: I am human.
No matter what language you speak or what country you live in, everybody everywhere speaks the universal language of love. We are all human, and we deserve to be treated equally.
Our diverse cast of Familiar Faces include Amber Rose (English), George Takei (Japanese), Kimberley Locke (English), Louis van Amstel (Dutch), Marlee Matlin (American Sign Language), Mayim Bialik (Hebrew), Selene Luna (Spanish), Vassy (Greek & French), and Vida Ghaffari (Farsi).
Watch NOH8’s powerful, international message of love:
Miss MeMe’s Glee-themed promo for HIV Testing Week (video)
This week is National HIV Testing Week, June 21-27, and the Four A’s made a great promo video, “MeMe’s Corner” starring the Imperial Court of All Alaska’s fabulous Miss MeMe in a Glee parody. MeMe knows best and she is lending her name to a very important cause – HIV Testing.
Watch “Miss MeMe’s Corner” and subscribe to the Four A’s YouTube Channel:
One of many free HIV testing opportunities that week will be at PrideFest on Saturday June 26. The Four A’s and the Municipality of Anchorage will be offering free HIV testing and free gonorrhea and chlamydia testing from 1-5 p.m. Just come visit the Four A’s booth.
There will be a week long series of events offering free HIV testing in both Anchorage and Juneau. It’s important to know your status for the health of yourself and your loved ones. Getting tested is quick and easy. All events will use an oral swab that gives results in 20 minutes.
The Anchorage testing dates and locations are listed below. The Juneau events were posted with the Juneau Pride schedule. Check out Four A’s at www.alaskanaids.org for more information about National HIV Testing Week.
Anchorage
Saturday, June 19
Mad Myrna’s
10 p.m. -12 a.m.
(530 E. 5th Avenue)
Monday, June 21
Teen Clinic at Transit Center Downtown
12:30 p.m. -2:30 p.m.
Four A’s Evening Hours
1057 W. Fireweed Lane, Suite 102
4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 23
Four A’s Evening Hours
4 p.m.-7 p.m.
Friday, June 25
Mad Myrna’s
10 p.m.-12 a.m.
Saturday, June 26
PrideFest
1-5 p.m.
Get tested and know your status. MeMe says so.
Alaska PrideFest 2010 Schedule
“Alaska PrideFest 2010: A Pride Odyssey” runs from Saturday June 19 through Sunday June 27, with the Diversity Parade and Pride on the Park Strip Festival on Saturday June 26 starting at 11 am.
“The goal of PrideFest is to provide the community with a means to celebrate the diversity within Alaska, and to give expression to the pride we feel as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered people. We hope this public celebration and affirmation of our heritage and history will serve as inspiration for those who are questioning their own sexual or gender identity.”
Here is the schedule posted on AlaskaPride.org, with something for everyone:
Saturday June 19
10am-6pm – Identity will have a booth at the Anchorage Market, at 3rd & E Street, selling the 2010 AK PrideFest T-shirts and rainbow merchandise.
11am – 11th Annual Gay Memorial Service, Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery (6th and Fairbanks St, enter off Fairbanks St or 9th Avenue, NE corner)
9pm – Mr. Miss and Ms. Gay Alaska ICOAA Pageant at Mad Myrna’s. Hosted by Ms. Gay Alaska Sarah Alvarez and Emperor Kevin Holtz. Come see who will be Mr/Ms/Miss Gay Alaska 2010-2011! Includes swimsuit competition, talent, evening wear and on-stage question.
Sunday June 20
10am-6pm – Identity booth at the Anchorage Market.
11am – Non-denominational Blessing of Pride service. Gay and Lesbian Community Center, 336 E. 5th Ave.
4:30pm – Pride Week Kick-Off BBQ at the Raven. Free.
Monday June 21
5:30pm – GLBT “mini film fest” at Bear Tooth. Feature Documentary: City of Borders $3
7:30pm – GLBT “mini film fest” at Bear Tooth. Feature Film: The Big Gay Musical $3
Wednesday June 23
8pm – 10pm – Lube Wrestling at The Raven. FREE Admission. Wrestlers will be auctioned off to be lubed up and rubbed down by the highest bidder before they compete! Proceeds to go to the Alaska PrideFest & The Last Frontier Men’s Club.
Thursday June 24
6pm – 9pm – Drag Queen Bingo at Snow City Cafe. Admission is $15 for 3 games, or come in drag and it’s $10 for 3 games. This is an all ages event. Hosted by Anchorage Mpowerment Project (AMP)
10pm – Anchorage’s Hottest Strippers at The Kodiak. Join Jade and her beautiful men for an evening of fun. $5 cover at the door.
11pm – GLBT “mini film fest” Bear Tooth. Feature Film: Priscilla: Queen of the Desert $3
Friday June 25
9pm – Friday Night Diva Variety Show at Mad Myrna’s. Cover is $4
10pm – Shawn M and the Lipgloss Revue at The Kodiak. Returning from Las Vegas for a 2 night engagement, welcome back your favorites to the stage (Madonna, Kylie Minogue and More). $5 cover at the door.
Saturday June 2611am – Celebrating Diversity Parade, with Anchorage Assembly member Elvi Gray-Jackson as the Grand Marshal, will begin at 6th and D and proceed to the Memorial Block of Delaney Park Strip. The 2010 parade route is posted HERE.Noon – 6pm – Pride on the Park Strip! A festival for all ages with free admission. Bring cash for food, vendors and fun new activities. The Kiddie Carnival is back for the youngest among us. Teens can meet up at the Chill Out Tent. Let out your inner child at the Bungee Run, Bucking Salmon, Sumo Wrestling and more. Plus, you can bike to the park strip where BCA will provide free and secure bike parking beginning at 11am. The festival will be on the Park Strip (between 9th and 10th) near K street.
9pm – GMK and Company at Mad Myrna’s. $10 at the door. All proceeds to benefit Alaska PrideFest (Identity, Inc).
10pm – Shawn M and the Lipgloss Revue at The Kodiak. From Las Vegas, the last of a 2 night engagement, with Madonna, Kylie Minogue and more. $5 cover at the door.
Sunday June 27
2pm – 3:30pm – Inaugural Pride Ecumenical Service “The Journey” held at 2222 East Tudor Road.
4pm – Pride Week BBQ at Mad Myrna’s. Bring your own meat! Myrna’s will supply salads, antipasta tray, condiments, cheese, buns, chips and Baked Beans ala La Choy plus plates, napkins, cutlery and the grill.
7pm – An After Pride Meet n’ Greet BBQ at The Kodiak. Free food for everyone. Join Doug and Calvin in a feast made for our Rainbow Family. No cover charge.
Juneau adds Film Night to Pride Picnic and Hike
Juneau’s Pride events for June and July include a new LGBT Film Night benefit for Alaskans Together featuring the award-wining film Out in the Silence, along with a Pride Picnic at Skater’s Cabin, a hike at West Glacier, a drag show benefit for Four A’s, and local events for HIV Testing Week.
The First Annual Alaskans Together for Equality LGBT Film Fun-Raiser is on Thursday, June 17 at the Gold Town Nickelodeon Theater, 171 Shattuck Way. Doors open at 5:45 p.m. and the film schedule is below. Come for one segment or stay for the whole evening. Finger foods and refreshments will be available. Bring your checkbook and cash for the donation baskets. Membership in Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. is available at all levels, from $10 up.
LGBT Film Fun-Raiser Schedule – June 17
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Dramatic Narrative Shorts
Coming to Terms – College student deals with coming out by phone
The Manual – Sent to psychiatric institution as a boy, Sonny tries to help niece avoid similar treatment
The Call – Lesbian women interact with their sperm donor
Two Encounters – Hidden cameras reveal difference in treatment of blacks and whites in gay bars
7:15 – 8:15 p.m. Main Feature
Out in the Silence – Challenges of coming out and living in small towns and rural America
The film will be followed by an optional discussion in a breakout room led by Juneau Assembly member Jonathan Anderson
8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Humor & Love Shorts
Hi Maya – Mature women strike up relationship in hair salon
Float – Male love in the Bahamas
Hummer – Dinner party brings surprises for women participants
Watch the trailer for Out in the Silence:
Juneau’s other LGBT events for June and July include the Mendenhall hike, the Pride Picnic, the Friday social, a drag show fundraiser for Four A’s, and free testing during National HIV Testing Week.
Mendenhall Journey: June 19, 2010. Meet at 9:30 AM at the trail head of West Glacier Trail. Round trip is 5-6 hours, distance is 3.4 miles one-way, bring a lunch and water to drink, trail mix would also be wise, good footwear is mandatory. The hike departs promptly at 10 AM. Do not be late! Access directions: take Montana Creek Road from the Mendenhall Loop road, and follow the signs to the campground. Go past the campground entrance, and Skater’s cabin to the parking area at the end of the road. This trail is rated “more difficult” by the Juneau hiking trail guide. There is some rock scrambling/climbing involved to reach the ice caves.
Annual Pride Picnic with SEAGLA and PFLAG: July 17, 2010 at Skater’s Cabin from 4-8PM. Please plan to be there. Bring a salad and whatever you would like to drink, glass is not allowed. Firewood might be good depending on weather. Volunteers are requested to help with set up, breakdown, music, and a BBQ grill. SEAGLA will provide paper plates, cups and plastic ware that we already have. Also we will provide some burgers both meat and non-meat as well as hot dogs, and soft drinks. But if you can bring a salad or bake some cookies or a cake that would be great.
Friday Social: June 18, June 25, 2010. Each Friday after work from 6-8 PM, community members and their friends, both men and women are invited to get together. Drop by the Jaded Lounge in the Goldbelt Hotel, downtown Juneau to unwind from the work week. If you are over 21, you are invited to join us. Please try it out this Friday, or another Friday in the future. Come on out, and make a new friend today! Visit SEAGLA for future locations.
Drag Queen and King show: July 9, 2010 at the Rendezvous Bar. Marguerite the recently appointed Duchess of Juneau is planning a local Drag Queen and King show and recycled flogger making party as a fundraiser for Four A’s, at the Rendezvous Bar on Friday July 9th, and she’s looking for help. Donations of time, supplies, ideas and funds are welcome. Please email Marguerite.
National HIV Testing Week is an annual campaign coordinated by the National Association of People with AIDS to encourage people of all ages to “Take the Test, Take Control.” National HIV Testing Week is June 21-27, 2010. The Four A’s will be providing free testing (Oral Swab, results in 20 minutes) at closed and public locations for the whole week in Juneau. The public locations:
Tuesday, June 22: 7-10 p.m. at Rendezvous
Wednesday, June: 23 11-4 p.m. at Blaze and 4-8 p.m. at Four A’s
Thursday, June 24: 8:30 a.m.– 3:30 p.m. Free blood draws at Juneau Public Health (no appointment necessary) and 8-11 p.m. at Alaskan Bar
Friday, June 25: 4-8 p.m. at Four A’s
Free HIV Testing also available at Four A’s (174 S Franklin Street, #207/Above Heritage Coffee) during business hours, call 586-6089 for an appointment.
"City of Borders" at Mini Film Fest for Anchorage Pride
The Bear Tooth is hosting a GLBT Mini-Fest for Anchorage Pride Week with three movies: City of Borders (an Israeli documentary), The Big Gay Musical (a romantic date movie) – both showing on Monday June 21 – and the 1994 classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert showing Thursday June 24.
City of Borders: Monday, June 21 at 5:30 PM, tickets $3
In the heart of Jerusalem stands an unusual symbol of unity that defies generations of segregation, violence and prejudice: a gay bar called Shushan. City of Borders goes inside this vibrant underground sanctuary on the East/West border of the Holy City, where people of opposing nationalities, religions and sexual orientations create a community among people typically viewed as each other’s “enemy.” The documentary follows the daily lives of the five Israeli and Palestinian patrons as they navigate the minefield of politics, religion and discrimination to live and love openly. In observing the lives of the bar regulars, City of Borders explores the bond forged when people from warring worlds embrace what everyone shares in common – the right to be accepted and belong – rather than be defined, or limited by the differences that tear them apart. (Israel, US 2009, not rated)
The other two trailers will be posted separately. For more information, visit the Anchorage Pride Mini GLBT Film Festival, and see the full Pride Week schedule at Alaska Pride 2010.
"Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" at Mini Film Fest for Anchorage Pride
The Bear Tooth is hosting a GLBT Mini-Fest for Anchorage Pride Week with three movies: City of Borders (an Israeli documentary), The Big Gay Musical (a romantic date movie) – both showing on Monday June 21 – and the 1994 classic The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert showing Thursday June 24.
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: Thursday, June 24 at 10 PM, tickets $3
This is the tale of two drag queens and a transsexual who embark on a road trip to a remote resort town in the Australian desert on a bus christened Priscilla. When Anthony “Tick”/Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) is invited to perform in Alice Springs, he recruits flamboyant young stud Adam/Felicia (Guy Pearce) and the legendary, refined Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to join him. Mitzi, however, fails to disclose one important fact to his friends: his wife is the one who invited them to Alice Springs.
With one big secret about to be revealed and another one up his sleeve, Mitzi is a little stressed. With long hours on the road ahead of them, the trio lip-synchs campy songs on the bus, creates fabulous costumes, and meets a multitude of colorful characters along the way. They party with friendly aborigines, are confronted by judgmental townspeople who are averse to drag queens, and meet Bob (Bill Hunter), a warmhearted mechanic and drag fan who joins them for the last leg of their trip when their bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere.
Fantastic costumes and fabulous makeup abound, and fine performances are delivered all around. But perhaps most important are the implicit messages that families come in all forms, that friends can make a family, and that love really knows no boundaries.
It’s the Australian film that blitzed overseas box offices. It caused a near riot at the Cannes Film Festival. It won an Academy Award®. It’s fun, daring, over-the-top and unforgettable. It’s a road movie with attitude and the occasional frock. (Australia 1994, Rated R)
The other two trailers will be posted separately. For more information, visit the Anchorage Pride Mini GLBT Film Festival, and see the full Pride Week schedule at Alaska Pride 2010.
