Articles in Politics
Christians for Equality: Human sexuality is not sinful — prejudice and bigotry are
On December 8, 2011, Christians for Equality held a press conference at Anchorage’s First Congregational Church in support of the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative. Among the prepared statements read at the press conference was that of Rev. Sara Gavit of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, which Bent Alaska presents here.
Christians for Equality speak out for Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative
Christians for Equality, a new group representing a number of religious and faith-based organizations in the Anchorage area, has formed in support of the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative.
13,515 signatures: Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative will be on the April 2012 municipal ballot
The One Anchorage campaign will turn in 13,515 signatures — over twice the 5,871 needed — to put the Anchorage Equal Rights Initiative on the Municipality of Anchorage’s April 3, 2012 ballot. If passed, the measure will provide the same legal protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people already provided to other Anchorage residents.
One Anchorage Open House this Saturday at new campaign office
The One Anchorage Campaign is the campaign for an April election ballot measure to offer the same legal protections to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people already offered to all other Anchorage residents. Now One Anchorage has opened its new campaign office, and invites you to celebrate at an Open House on Saturday, December 3.
News from the campaign is that its got just a few more days to gather signatures. KTUU Channel 2 News reported on November 17 that the campaign already has more than the 5,800 signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot — but the more signatures the campaign has, the more support will be visible, and the more momentum the campaign will have as it moves forward.
There’s several things happening this weekend to assist with this final signature push:
Sign the petition. If you haven’t already signed the petition, here’s two ways on Saturday to find one to sign —
- Curb service in Anchorage: On Saturday, December 3, drive thru at 1057 W. Fireweed (Four As/ACLU Bldg), between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM. A One Anchorage volunteer will bring a petition and pen to your car window and present you with an official One Anchorage sticker for your car!
- Coffee and petitions in Eagle River: One Anchorage will have petitions for you to sign at the Sleepy Dog Coffee Company in Eagle River from 9:00 AM to noon. Look for the table with the purple table cloth and support the cause for equality.
Volunteer opportunities. Want to help out?
- Gather signatures. Pick up petitions from the ACLU office (1057 W Fireweed, Suite 207) Monday through Friday 10 AM to 5:00 PM, or from the new campaign office (207 E. Northern Lights, Suite 225) on Saturday 12/3 or Sun 12/4 from noon to 4:00 PM. The campaign will give you petitions, training, and a location to go to.
- On Saturday, December 3, stop in at the new campaign office to volunteer!
Noon-4:00 PM: Signature gathering
2:00-4:00 PM: Fundraising phone bank
2:00-4:00 PM: Volunteer recruitment phone bank
4:00-6:00 PM: OPEN HOUSE!!! Refreshments and fun will be served
Open House. The new campaign office is located in the Northern Lights Professional Building at 207 E. Northern Lights, Suite 225. The office is across the street from Blockbuster Video, on Northern Lights between Cordova and A. St.
- Date/time: Saturday, December 3, 4:00 to 6:00 PM
- Location: One Anchorage Campaign Office, Northern Lights Professional Building, 207 E. Northern Lights, Suite 225, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Further info: Contact Johnathan Jones at jjones@oneanchorage.com
Colorado researchers seek LGBTQ participants for survey on health care providers
Researchers at Colorado State University investigating LGBTQ persons’ perceptions of their primary care providers. They’re reaching out to the broadest, most diverse group of LGBTQ study participants possible, which includes reaching out to community groups in understudied parts of the United States — like Alaska!
Please consider helping them out — full info below.
Participant Recruitment Notice:
Perceptions of GLBT Health Care
We are conducting an on-line study at Colorado State University to assess gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons’ perceptions of their primary care medical providers. The only requirements for participation in this study are that you are at least 18 years of age or older, self-identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender, and currently have a primary care physician.
Participation in this research requires only that you complete a brief survey that asks questions about you and your perceptions of your primary care physician. We do not ask questions that require you to provide any personally identifying information, or to provide any information about the identity of your primary care physician. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential, and all data will be encrypted using the same standards that businesses use for handling credit card information.
If you are interested in participating in this research, please click on the link below for more information.
https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=143991
Principal Researcher: Dr. Jennifer J. Harman
Co-Investigators: Dr. Justin J. Lehmiller and Michael Ioerger
This project has been approved by the Colorado State University Institutional Review Board (Protocol #11-2944H).
Dine Out for Equality with One Anchorage at Schlotzsky’s Deli
Join One Anchorage at Schlotzsky’s Deli (on Dimond Blvd next to the Red Robin) on Tuesday, November 8. 20% of all sales (walk-in or drive thru) will benefit One Anchorage!
The One Anchorage Campaign will place an initiative on the April 2012 municipal ballot in Anchorage to add sexual orientation and transgender identity to Anchorage’s equal rights code. This follows on an equal rights ordinance which passed the Anchorage Assembly in 2009 by a vote of 7–4, only to be vetoed by Mayor Dan Sullivan.
Help us show the buying power of One Anchorage. Spread the word — lets fill this place up!
- Date/time: Tuesday, November 8, 3:00-8:00 PM
- Location: Schlotzsky’s Deli, 321 E. Dimond Blvd, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Further info: see Facebook events page
One Anchorage Boot Camp to be held Nov. 4–6
The One Anchorage Campaign to add LGBT equality to Anchorage’s equal rights code through an April 2012 ballot measure will hold a three-day Boot Camp on November 4–6 for committed One Anchorage volunteers.
The focus of the training will be on how to run a successful campaign, and will be led by the nationally respected L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center’s Leadership LAB. The training will be held from November 4–6 (Friday evening and during the day Saturday and Sunday), and is intended for anyone totally committed to One Anchorage and the success of this important equal rights campaign. One Anchorage needs you to attend all sessions, and become a super volunteer for the Campaign. The registration form is available on the Equality Works website.
There is no cost. One Anchorage will provide food and beverages. Please join in and help make One Anchorage a successful campaign!
- Date/time: Friday, November 4, 5:30 to 9:30 PM; Saturday, November 5, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM; Sunday, November 6, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Location: 1057 W. Fireweed Lane, Anchorage, AK (see map)
- Register: fill out the registration form and email or fax to Johnathan Jones at jjones@oneanchorage.com or 907.258.0288
- Further info: Equality Works website, One Anchorage website, or One Anchorage’s page on Facebook
Occupy Wall Street movement spreads to Anchorage and Fairbanks
Bent Alaska’s news tweets over the past few days included a few about the Occupy Wall Street movement, which has now spread to cities nationwide — including Anchorage and Fairbanks. “Occupy” demonstrations were held in Anchorage last Wednesday, and in both Anchorage and Fairbanks on Saturday.
Bent News, 10/1/11: Catholics and LGBT equality
Catholics and LGBT equality and and more in this edition of Bent News.
(Based on @bentalaska 9/30 tweets and Facebook shares, with supplementation.)
Catholics and LGBT equality
- MN Diocese: Catholics for Marriage Equality “not in good standing w/ church.” (via @TPEquality) http://t.co/fMlPXdZb # [ThinkProgress LGBT]
- (In fact, a majority of Catholics favor equality: it’s the church hierarchy that it out of step with the laiety.) #
When that second tweet landed on Bent Alaska’s Facebook wall yesterday, it raised questions with one reader, who asked, “Where does that information come from? In my personal life, I haven’t seen that.”
There have been a number of polls over the past year or two which show that of all faith traditions, Catholics are the most supportive of LGBT equality including legal recognition of same sex relationships through marriage or domestic partnership. Some of the figures from those surveys are included in the Think Progress article linked in the previous tweet, which describes how the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are attempting to weaken Catholics for Marriage Equality MN. Both sides are engaged in a hard-fought campaign over a proposed amendment to the Minnesota Constitution similar to the one which entered the Alaska Constitution in 1998: defining marriage as being only between one man and one woman.
“But the Catholic Church is not speaking on behalf of its membership,” Zack Ford of Think Progress writes,
In fact, if supporters of marriage equality were truly not “in good standing” with the Church, the Church would lose over half its membership:
- March, 2011: 53 percent of white Catholics support marriage equality.
- March, 2011: 74 percent of Catholics favor legally recognizing same-sex relationships.
- July, 2011: 59 percent of Catholics support New York’s marriage equality law.
- August, 2010: 63 percent of Rhode Island Catholics support marriage equality.
Follow this links to stories about the studies cited in the Think Progress article. Detailed information can be found in a March 2011 study from the Public Religion Research Institue, Catholic Attitudes on Gay and Lesbian Issues: A Comprehensive Portrait from Recent Research Analysis.
Another great resource for Catholics who favor LGBT equality is the national organization Catholics for Equality. They also have a Facebook page.
Other tweets
- Pentagon to allow military chaplains to perform same-sex ceremonies in marriage equality states (via @TPEquality) http://t.co/pFBjn6PF #
- Openly gay Congressman Jared Polis (D–CO) & partner Marlon Reis announce birth of their first child, a baby boy. http://t.co/BjN8AVnD #
One Anchorage campaign to begin gathering signatures
About 50 people gathered last night in Waldron Hall at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in Anchorage to learn about One Anchorage, the campaign by Equality Works to add sexual orientation and transgender identity to the Anchorage equal rights code through a ballot initiative. The initiative, if successful, will provide the same legal protections against discrimination already provided in Anchorage on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, physical disability, and mental disability. The One Anchorage campaign was announced on September 1.
