Articles in Pride Outside
Marriage victory in New York!
The New York Senate passed a marriage equality bill 33-29 on Friday night and Gov. Cuomo signed it, making New York the 6th state in the U.S. to legalize same sex marriage. A similar bill passed the New York Assembly last week, and passed the Senate amendments tonight. The new law will take effect in 30 days.
Bent News, 6/2/11: a new White House LGBT site as we learn of a new DADT discharge
KTVA talks with ICOAA, Anchorage’s “rural” Pride events, a White House website on LGBT issues, a DADT discharge, antigay pastor Lou Engle visits Wasilla, and more in this edition of Bent News.
Bent News, 5/26/11: Roger Ailes finds us skeeeeeery!
A Gallup poll update on American attitudes about gays and lesbians, how to help Joplin LGBT tornado victms, Moscow Pride, Fox News president Roger Ailes is skeeeeered, and more from the past couple of days in today’s Bent News.
Stand Up! against anti-gay bullying (video)
This anti-bullying message is from BeLonG To Youth Services for their annual Stand Up! LGBT Awareness Week in Ireland. The campaign promotes friendship among young people as a way to combat homophobic bullying.
Watch the video:
More about Stand Up! LGBT Awareness Week:
“Many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people develop their sexual and gender identities within supportive families and communities and are leading happy lives. However, many other LGBT young people experience serious levels of homophobia, transphobia and exclusion in their schools, youth clubs and local areas.
Stand Up! Week will provide an annual focus for promoting positive awareness of LGBT young people, tackling homophobia and homophobic bullying, and building allies among young people and youth workers.”
This year’s Stand Up! Weeks are April 4 – 15, 2011.
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.
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.]
Gay Games 2010 begins July 31
The Gay Games VIII will take place in Cologne, Germany from July 31 to August 7. Around 12,000 participants from more than 70 countries are expected to attend the Gay Games and celebrate the principles of participation, inclusion and personal best.
2 Alaskans win Pride college scholarships
Tonei Glavinic is a Queer 20 year old from Anchorage, AK. Tonei is a student at American University in Washington, DC and is pursuing a degree in Political Science and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. Tonei wants to thank Anchorage Youth Court, GLSEN, the ACLU, and everyone who has supported Tonei’s work over the years. Tonei is a Public Policy and Advocacy Intern at the Task Force; volunteer at a pro-choice clinic; Executive Director of American University Queers and Allies; and will be a Resident Assistant next year.Tonei won the following scholarships: Pride Foundation Community, Political Leadership, and Scott Rodriguez LeadershipKady Titus is 21, bisexual, and an Alaskan Native. She is currently a freshmen at Haskell Indian Nations University studying Social Work. Kady owes a huge “thank you” to Kathy Halverson, who was Kady’s first social worker from Foster Care. Kady says, “She stayed with me throughout everything.”“My plans and aspirations are the same now as they were almost 10 years ago: to open the interior of Alaska’s first Transitional Living Program with special services geared toward GLBT youth and foster children.”Kady won the following scholarship: Pride Foundation/Alaska
Congratulations to Tonei, Kady and all 108 scholarship recipients! More information on the annual scholarship program can be found at PrideFoundation.org.
Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles: Simple Gifts (video)
San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus: We’re Not Lost We’re Here (video)
