Articles in Politics
Harvey Milk Day
May 22 is Harvey Milk Day, and cities across the lower 48 held events to honor his legacy and promote equality.
Many of the panels, protests, and other events link Milk’s words to our current fight to pass gay job protections (ENDA) and repeal the military’s gay ban (DADT.) Alaska’s members of Congress are divided on these: Sen. Begich supports the bills, Rep. Young opposes them, and Sen. Murkowski has not stated her opinion on either issue.
This HOPE video, set to words from a Harvey Milk speech, was made during the Prop 8 battle but is still powerful today:
This Week in LGBT Alaska 5/21/10
Homer
New Group: Youth-Community GSA, meets 5/22, 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Homer Public Library Conference Room.
Juneau
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar.
Fairbanks
Wednesday Social Group, contact Joshua for the location.
Mat-Su Valley
Mat-Su LGBT Community Center in Palmer is open M-F 5-8 p.m. (except 6-8 on Wed.) The social group meets Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. at Vagabond Blues.
Anchorage
GLBT Art Show “Celebrate” opens 5/21 at Out North, runs through Pride Month.
Summer Kick Off Comedy Hypnosis Show: Night of Mayhem 5/22, 9:00p.m. at Mad Myrna’s. Tickets & info: Jay Her.
Ann Reed in Concert 5/22, 7:30p.m. in the Wilda Marston Theater at Loussac Library. Tickets & info: Ann Reed.
LGBT Alaska Democratic Party Caucus meeting 5/24, 6-8 p.m. at ADP Headquarters, 2602 Fairbanks Street, in Anchorage.
Ever Ready “Light” 5/25, 7-9 p.m. jammin at Uncle Joe’s Pizza in Anchorage.
Put the "March" back in Pride March
While last year we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of our liberation at Stonewall on the last Sunday of June in 1969, we are celebrating another anniversary in 2010. And we need to do it right.On the last Sunday in June 1970, Gay Liberation Front and Gay Activists Alliance, in commemoration of the Stonewall riots, staged the first Gay Liberation Day March. Organizers in Los Angeles and San Francisco also held marches that day.We have much to celebrate. As a community we have struggled and fought for our very lives. Together, we have accomplished what at one time was a fantasy at best. Our sexual liberation has been celebrated every year now for 40 years with what was once a march and is now a parade, in the streets of New York and dozens of other cities across the country and the world.This year, in light of the major battles we have ahead of us, we are asking for all of you to join us in taking back pride. While we have so much to be proud of in what we have accomplished as a community, this fight is far from over. We want our community to not only remember those who have fought and died before us, but to forge ahead in the struggle — so that our children may one day live truly free and equal lives in this country.The organizers of Pride Marches around the country work tirelessly over the course of the year to bring us the most inclusive marches and celebrations in the world. We want to help those organizers by working with them to implement plans for education and protest within our marches.We know that our community is made up of every race, creed, religious affiliation and political background imaginable. We come from everywhere, from Africa to New Zealand. We represent Conservatives and Socialists. We are made up of Catholics and Buddhists alike. The time has come to embrace our ideals and differences and remember that what we have in common as a community – is our strength.For Pride 2010, we ask that organizers and participants of marches around this great country take this opportunity to be heard. Yell. Scream. Chant. Wear your chaps and thongs, but carry a sign while you do it. Put on your most sequined ball gown, but shout for your rights as you flaunt your fabulousness. The sheer number of people who turn out in the streets this June will send a clear message around the world that we are not content with what we have. We are somebody. We deserve full equality.If you’re marching with a group, ask your group what they are angry about. It could be Marriage Inequality, or Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. It could be that in 31 states, you can still be fired for being gay. (see the Get Angry section for more issues.)We owe it to our community and to those young gay people who are still afraid to say who they are to TAKE BACK PRIDE. Make your signs. Create your chants. It’s time for us all to remember this is a march, not a parade. This is OUR celebration of who we are and it has the potential to once again be something we are ALL truly proud of.Please join us by making a comittment to Take Back Pride in your own way.
Service member under DADT investigation was redeployed to Iraq
Dear Mr. President,
It was spring 2004. I had just arrived in Baghdad. We’d been there all but four days. Then it happened. It was an ambush. It ended with my good friend shot dead. I was overwhelmed by emotions of anger and sadness, but also confusion.
At that moment, my perspective on life changed; I wondered, what if I had been killed in action and had never come to terms with who I truly was and, even worse, never had the chance to share it with my loved ones? There comes a point when acceptance is your only salvation—my return from Iraq was my moment.
I served two tours of duty in the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Soldier in the United States Army. I was promoted to sergeant, was a team leader of a medical squad, and conducted over 100 12-hour patrols in the streets of Baghdad, treating wounds and evacuating casualties of sniper fire and roadside bombs. I applied for Officer Candidate School under the recommendation of two generals in my chain of command. But, today, instead of protecting my fellow Americans, I sit working in a university development office because I was discharged under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT).
When I came out, the first people I told were comrades, with whom I had just spent 12 months in Baghdad. To be honest, I was scared of their rejection more than the mortar and rocket attacks, ambushes, or roadside explosives. But, they showed immense understanding of what I had been going through and offered unconditional support. The response from my brothers and sisters in arms proved that the military is a family—no matter if you are man, woman, black, white, transgender, gay, or straight. What truly matters is whether you can trust the person next to you. And how can trust be built around a lie?
One day, I received an email from a Soldier I had never met; it said I was being investigated under DADT and that I would be stripped of my rank and pay and eventually discharged. I tried to ignore it, but the emails continued and became more derogatory. Soon, I began receiving similar phone calls at work.
Unsure of who to trust, on edge every second, and losing more and more sleep each night, I approached my supervisor. I was a Soldier who lived by all seven of the Army values, including honesty. I refused to have someone else end my career. He offered a sympathetic ear before reporting me to the legal department.
After an investigation into my statements and the harassment, I was told I was an exceptional Soldier and to “drive on” with my work. It was a great a relief to break the silence. My colleagues suddenly understood why I had always been so detached and began asking me to join them in activities outside of work.
Later that year my division deployed again and I served the entirety of the deployment as an openly gay Soldier. I no longer had to lie if someone asked if I were married or had a girlfriend, I didn’t have to write my emails in “code.” I no longer feared being “outed.” I finally was able to be honest.
After arriving in Iraq for the second deployment I was promoted once again and served my division as the medical liaison officer in Kuwait. It was there that I participated in an interview with Leslie Stahl for 60 Minutes with the focus being on a out gay Soldier working in a combat zone.
I gave voice to the tens of thousands of men and women who serve everyday under the fear of DADT. The interview also ended my career. I was honorably discharged on June 10, 2008.
While I sit in a safe and comfortable civilian office, former comrades and friends continue to serve, leaving their families for a third, fourth, or even fifth deployment. Why am I not able to stand in the place of my battle buddy who has left his wife three times to deploy and missed the birth of his new born child? Why are exceptions being made to enlist individuals with subpar mental and physical standards? And why are serious convicted felons granted waivers to serve while I was pushed out the door?
Mr. President, last year you restored my hope that this discriminatory law will be repealed, but I must admit that my spirit has been shaken because DADT still exists. Every day, we lose dedicated and capable service members while other Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Coastguardsmen sacrifice more than their share. My experience demonstrates what matters most is competence, trust and ability. Why then should we wait another year or another decade to do what is right?
Sincerely,Former Sergeant Darren ManzellaUnited States Army
Rep. Young should not be tolerated, however…
Thank you for contacting me regarding H.R. 3017, the Employment non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). I appreciate hearing from you on this important issue.
If enacted, H.R. 3017 would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by public and private employers in hiring and discharging of employees and in employment conditions and terms. The bill also prohibits retaliatory conduct and would be enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Additionally, preferential treatment or quotas on the basis of sexual orientation would be prohibited under this legislation. The legislation also provides exemptions for religious organizations, religious schools, and does not apply to the armed services.
Discrimination, on any basis, should not be tolerated. However, I have concerns regarding the underlying premise of this legislation and recognize the difficulties inherent in its application…
…Suits claiming violation of the Civil Rights Act based on sexual orientation would be difficult to establish. Plaintiffs would have to not only prove that there was prior knowledge of sexual preference by the defendant but also that the change in employment was motivated by sexual orientation discrimination.
H.R. 3017 has been referred to four different committees in the House of Representatives – Education and Labor; House Administration; Oversight and Government Reform; and Judiciary. I voted against this bill when it was voted on during the 110th Congress, and I will be sure to keep your comments in mind should this legislation come before the House of Representatives again for a vote.
Once again, thank you for expressing your views on this issue… If I can be of any assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Well yes, Rep Young, you can be of assistance – by voting YES on ENDA and protecting thousands of Alaskans from blatant job discrimination, thank you very much.
“I am calling in support of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H. R. 3017), which will protect lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from job discrimination. No one deserves to be fired from their job because of who they are. Vote Yes for ENDA.”
“Equal protection under the law is NOT happening when being fired because you are Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual or Transgender is legal in over half the states in the US. We MUST demand the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) be moved in Congress, immediately!”
Sara’s News Round-up 5/16/10
LGBT Caucus Joins Alaska Democratic Party
“The LGBT community will now have an official voice in the Alaska Democratic Party,” said Bert Mead, long time Democratic activist.
“We hope to engage the LGBT community to participate in local, state, and federal campaigns, and provide the training and knowledge to get involved politically across the state.”
“The Alaska Democratic Party welcomes the LGBT Caucus to our ranks,” said Patti Higgins, Chair of the Alaska Democratic Party.“As the Democratic Party continues to lead the fight for freedom for all, we invite other groups to join and add their strength and voice to ours. It is our expectation that ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ will be gone before the end of this year. We also expect that the Employment Non‐Discrimination Act will be passed.”
Hater Alert: Sound Aviation
God has created man to have fellowship with Him and gave man and women the desire to be fruitful and multiply—have children so that they too could enter into fellowship with God… He made sure that man knew why He had made him and gave him a book to instruct him. The Bible. This same Bible tells us that it is wrong and unnatural for men to burn with lust for other men and women to burn for other women. It is a crime against nature and the whole purpose and reason He made us. It is not loving but rather sinful. God has made a way for sinful man to be forgiven instead of being judged in the end. Since everything He asks man to submit to is right, just and loving —to do other than that is unloving and causes hurt, pain and misery to a society. The way to be forgiven is to stop sinning and submit to God’s rule of love which will bless all people you come in contact with. We are cleansed as we believe in the Lord Jesus and what He did on the cross—He came to allow a way for the law of God to be upheld and yet allow Him to forgive sinful man based on their faith in His substitutionary death on the cross–By faith in Him our pending doom can be canceled and we may begin a relationship with Him—It is really amazing to see how God deals with man–such patience with the wicked—waiting for them to turn to Him and His design for the universe. You to may enter into this amazing relationship TODAY—if you wish more information I would be happy to provide you with more. Homosexuality is NOT a civil rights issue —It is a SIN issue.
The Alaska Spirit lives in Seattle
“We work hard to provide all our customers with genuine and caring service, and invite travelers to experience what we call ‘Alaska Spirit’,” said Glenn Johnson, Alaska Airlines’ chief financial officer and executive vice president. “We are proud to partner with the GSBA [Seattle’s gay business group] and others to showcase the hospitality and diversity you’ll find in our hometown.”
TODAY: Veterans Lobby Day on DADT
1. Call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121, tell them where you live, and ask them to connect you to your Representative’s office. Tell the staffer who picks up: your name, where you’re calling from, and that you’re “calling to support the Veteran’s Lobby Day and urging Congress to repeal ‘Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell’ this year.”2. Call the Congressional switchboard 2 more times asking for your Senators, and leave the same message.3. Then call the White House switchboard at (202) 456-1111 and urge the President to lead the way this year by adding the “Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell” repeal to his current defense budget, which is being written this month.
