Sunday, 6 October 2013 – 5:19 PM
| Comments Off on A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013
Bent Alaska’s blog will continue in hiatus indefinitely; but the Bent Alaska Facebook Group on Facebook is thriving — join us! A long-overdue update from Bent Alaska’s editor.
Sunday, 10 January 2010 – 6:53 AM
| Comments Off on Two Great LGBT Scholarships
Alaska’s LGBT students have two more scholarship opportunities to help with the high costs of continuing their education: the Pride Foundation assists queer and ally students in the Northwest attending a wide variety of programs. The Point Foundation is a national LGBT fund for university students. Both applications are completed online, and the deadlines are approaching.
Pride education scholarships: deadline 1/31
Each year, Pride Foundation provides educational scholarships to current and future lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and straight-ally leaders and role models from Alaska, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, and Washington. Pride Foundation offers 50 different scholarship funds, with only one application to complete. Scholarships cover accredited post-secondary school, including community colleges, 4-year public or private colleges and universities, trade or vocational training, creative studies programs, certificate programs, medical or law schools, or other accredited degree programs. The application is completed online and the deadline is January 31, 2010.
Point university scholarships: deadline 2/12
Point scholarships are provided to LGBT students to help them meet the costs of higher education at an accredited four-year university. In addition to financial support, students gain a network of fellow students and leaders to assist them in their career path. Point Foundation: The National LGBT Scholarship Fund provides financial support, mentoring, leadership training and hope to meritorious students who are marginalized due to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. The deadline for online applications is February 12, 2010.
Saturday, 9 January 2010 – 6:27 AM
| Comments Off on “Debutante Balls”: A transgender one-man-show at Out North
Scott T. Schofield, an award-winning trans performer, returns to Anchorage this week with Debutante Balls, about his years as a debutante in the deep south.
Out North describes Debutante Balls as a “theatrical stand-up comedy dance through the fascinating culture of the Southern Debutante Ball. Schofield’s wicked sense of self-aware humor and poetic sensibility guide us gently (or is that genteel-ly?) through the many ways he “came out” into Southern Society: as a lesbian, radical feminist, and finally, as a transgender man.”
Schofield is an award-winning writer, performer, and educator creating theater about gender and sexuality. He tours internationally with his solo shows, and acts and writes for theater and film.
Friday, 8 January 2010 – 2:53 PM
| Comments Off on This Week in LGBT Alaska 1/8/10
This week’s LGBT events from the statewide newsletter Alaska GLBT News.
Juneau
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar.
Juneau Pride Chorus rehearses every Friday, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Resurrection Lutheran Church. Marsha
Fairbanks
Greek Gods and Goddess: Toga Party 1/9, 7 p.m. An Imperial Court all-ages event with food, fun, fashion show, dancing and live entertainment. $12 in costume, $15 in street clothes, at the Carlson Center.
LGBT Call for Action with guest speaker Harriet Drummond on 1/10, service at 10:30 a.m., conversation at 12:30 p.m. at the UUFF.
Friday, 8 January 2010 – 6:51 AM
| Comments Off on Anchorage Assembly’s Drummond brings LGBT Call for Action to Fairbanks
Harriet Drummond, a member of the Anchorage Assembly and a supporter of the recent attempt to pass an LGBT non-discrimination ordinance, will be a guest speaker at the Fairbanks Unitarian Church on Sunday, Jan. 10 for the program “The Anchorage Gay Rights Ordinance: Lessons Learned and a Call for Action.”
After the service, there will be a Community Conversation on Fairbanks GLBT Issues and Developing an Action Agenda, at 12:30 p.m. A light lunch will be provided, and potluck items are appreciated.
The Imperial Court’s Greek Gods and Goddess Toga Party, 7 p.m. at the Carlson Center. Food, fun, fashion show, dancing and live entertainment at an all-ages event. $12 in costume, $15 in street clothes.
Fairbanks PFLAG is holding their first meeting of 2010 on Sunday, Jan. 10 at 4 p.m. Please RSVP.
Nicole Blizzard of Anchorage passed away on Dec. 30, and a memorial service is being held tonight, Thursday Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. in Providence Hospital’s West Auditorium. Blizzard was an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Providence.
The queer community is planning a second memorial later this month at Mad Myrna’s. Blizzard asked for a party instead of a funeral, so her friends are throwing a Birthday Party Celebration of Nicole’s Life at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 31, which would have been her 52nd birthday.
In December, she was dealing with health problems and developed complications. Her close friends were with her when she passed away. They will spread her ashes in Cook Inlet this spring, as she requested.
Blizzard founded The Naked Ptarmigan, an LGBT literary journal for Alaska. She was a former editor of The NorthView, a former board member of Identity, and a co-host of RAW’s Celebration of Change.
She loved music, photography and writing, wrote online book and music reviews, and contributed to the web site TechnoDyke. A new book of her writings, Love and Other Mishaps: An Accidental Anthology, was published in early December, and autographed copies are available in the Local Interest section of Border’s Bookstore in Anchorage.
RAW is considering a last issue of The Naked Ptarmigan in honor of Nicole, and may set up a scholarship named for her. Details will be announced on March 27 at Celebration of Change.
Condolences to her friends and family. She was well-known and will be missed.
Wednesday, 6 January 2010 – 3:23 AM
| Comments Off on Dan Savage, Sherman Alexie, and Nikki Giovanni at UAA
Dan Savage, author of the wildly popular column Savage Love, is returning to UAA on Feb. 11 with his honest and funny question and answer session on everything sexual. Tickets go on sale today at UAA Tix.
“Boldly covering everything and anything related to sex and relationships, Dan Savage answers questions about virginity, orgasms, monogamy, and more. Not just an LGBT speaker, Dan Savage creates a space for all students to honestly discuss taboo topics. With the audience driving the discussion, the program can touch on any subject – from sexual problems to gay marriage to child-raising to sex education to the current political scene.”
On March 4, Sherman Alexie will be on campus to discuss “The Business of Fancydancing.” Alexie is an acclaimed Native American poet, and his movie Fancydancing won several gay & lesbian film festival awards. Tickets at UAA Tix.
Both events are free for UAA students, but they must have an event ticket and a valid UAA ID. Tickets can be picked up at the UAA Student Union Information Desk starting today.
Also, renowned author and poet Nikki Giovanni will present her work on Jan. 21 as part of UAA’s Civil Rights Month Celebration and Alaska Civil Rights Day. No word on tickets. Check the event page for updates.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010 – 2:15 AM
| Comments Off on Alaska’s lesbian short story contest, women’s art and music shows, call for contributors and performers *New Deadline*
UPDATE: The short story contest deadline has been changed to February 15.
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Women in Alaska are invited to send their fiction stories with lesbian content to the RAW 2010 short story contest. But write fast – entries are due Feb 1.
“Radical Arts for Women is sponsoring a short story contest open to women living in Alaska. The fiction pieces must be between 250 and 5,000 words and contain some lesbian content. The grand prize is $500, second place is $300, and third place is $100. Deadline is Feb. 1, 2010. There is no entry fee. Winners will be announced at Celebration of Change on March 27, 2010.”
RAW is also accepting applications for an Art Show and Reception at the Kodiak Bar and Grill in downtown Anchorage. (Online application PDF HERE, due 3/15.) The art show runs March 19-April 1 and the reception is on March 19.
Celebration of Change is RAW’s all-women produced and performed annual show. Singers, dancers, poets, actors, comedians, as well as vendors and volunteer helpers, are encouraged to apply. Celebration is March 27 in the Wilda Marston Theatre, and the $15 tickets will be available at Metro Books and the Gay & Lesbian Community Center.
Along with the story contest winners, this year’s winner of the Radical Woman Award will be announced during Celebration. The Radical Woman Award honors women who have made significant contributions to the GLBT community in Alaska. To nominate a wonderful woman in your life, send a short paragraph highlighting her contributions to info(at)radicalartsforwomen.org by March 1.
RAW’s 2010 Short Story Contest Guidelines:
Each entry must contain a cover sheet with author’s name, address, phone number, email, story title, and word count.
The short story must be between 250 and 5,000 words and contain some lesbian content. Stories should be on 8.5-x-11 size paper, double spaced, 1-inch margins, no less than size 10 font. Do not put author’s name on the story. The fiction and lesbian stipulations may be interpreted by the author, but we are not seeking poetry or non-fiction. Erotica is acceptable. Electronic submissions are not accepted. Unpublished submissions only.
Author must be a woman living in Alaska as of January 2010.
February 1, 2010 is the postmark deadline for entries.
There is no entry fee.
Winner receives $500 and the winning short story will appear on www.radicalartsforwomen.org and may also be published in the Alaska LGBT literary journal, Naked Ptarmigan.
Honorable mentions will be given at the judges’ discretion.
Winners will be announced at Celebration of Change on March 27, 2010. For list of complete list of winners, include a SASE with entry.
Mail entries by February 1 to: Radical Arts for Women Short Story Contest, PO Box 244436, Anchorage AK 99524-4436.
The first place stories for 2009, 2008 and 2007 are posted at Radical Arts for Women, along with a list of other winning stories and honorable mentions.
Monday, 4 January 2010 – 2:38 PM
| Comments Off on Mia Kirshner: From L Word to Alaska
Mia Kirshner, who played the sexy author Jenny Schecter on The L Word, just filmed a vampire movie where her character devastated the town of Barrow, Alaska. In the sequel 30 Days of Night: Dark Days, she plays the lead villain Lilith, the vampire queen responsible for the assault on Barrow that was the focus of the first 30 Days of Night.
The plot of Dark Days: After nearly a year of struggling to expose the truth about the destruction of Barrow by vampires, Stella joins a group of rogue vampire hunters in Los Angeles to seek revenge on Lilith, the powerful vampire responsible for the attack on Stella’s Alaskan hometown.
Was it filmed in AK? Was Mia here on the Last Frontier? Probably not.
OK, so it’s not news about LGBT Alaska, but it involves a co-star on a famous lesbian television series in a new role as a vampire in Alaska, and it turned up in a web search for lesbian Alaska, so here it is.
Continuing with the vampire theme, Kirshner is joining the cast of The Vampire Diaries starting on January 21.
Sunday, 3 January 2010 – 1:18 PM
| Comments Off on Sara’s News Roundup 1/3/10
You get a double-dose of Sara’s News this week, because her post didn’t come through last week. Sara’s roundups are very popular and I don’t want you to miss these great articles, so I’m posting this tonight and back-dating it to the correct day. The articles are still accurate and the links are still good. (Update for #12: The N.J. senate voted down same sex marriage and LGBT groups are taking them to court. Update for #13: Dozens of N.H. couples have gotten married since the law took effect on Jan 1. And #11: you already know my response to Levi’s interview.) Thanks for your patience. – eross
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This week’s LGBT news roundup from Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
Saturday, 2 January 2010 – 3:14 PM
| Comments Off on Church Life Brunch, AKA QrSA, and Pick.Click.Give. with the PFD
Gay AK – notes from LGBT Alaska
Youth Initiative launched
Identity Inc. officially launched their new Youth Initiative Program, AKA QrSA. The program is designed to create a safe place for LGBTQ teenagers and their allies to hang out. The first Holiday Hang-out was at the Center on Dec. 19. The youth are enthusiastic about the program, creating a Facebook page and planning events for the future. A special thank you to the volunteer staff and friends of the GLCCA, and the members of St. John’s United Methodist Church who provided gifts.
Church Life AK’s first Christmas Day Brunch
Over 15 people attended Church Life Alaska’s first annual Christmas Day Brunch. “Thanks to Identity for letting us use the GLCCA, and thanks to Steve and Edie who donated finances to make the event a success,” writes Rev. Johnathan. “Finally, thank you to all of those folk who came and spent Christmas with us for a short while!” Check their Facebook page for other events and Sunday Worship Services, or email church.life.ak(at)gmail.com .
Apply for your 2010 PFD and support Alaska’s non-profits
Starting Friday, January 1, you can apply for the 2010 PFD on line at the Permanent Fund Division and support the causes you care about through Pick.Click.Give. Identity, Four A’s and Out North are examples of LGBT-supportive non-profits that can receive these donations, and you can make donations to more than one charitable organization with Pick.Click.Give. The 2010 PFD application period ends March 31.
The very real consequences of DADT repeal; seeking survivor benefits for same-sex partner of Alaska shooting victim; waiting on SCOTUS decision about whether it will hear Prop 8 case; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
In this month’s “Ask Lambda Legal” column, Lambda Legal answers a question about the federal government’s longstanding ban against donations of blood from men who have sex with men (MSM).
Alaska Pride Conference 2012 kicks off on October 5 with a First Friday showing at Tref.Punkt Studio of Love is Love, a photographic exhibit of LGBT couples from across the state.
United for marriage: Light the way to justice. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this Tuesday and Wednesday, March 26–27, in two cases about freedom to marry. Please join us on Tuesday, March 26, at the federal courthouse in Anchorage (7th & C) in a circle united for equality.
Pariah, a critically acclaimed film about a 17-year-old African-American woman embracing her lesbian identity, will screen at UAA on Friday, November 2, and will be followed by a discussion on acceptance in honor of Mya Dale. The event is free and open to the public.
Nicole Blizzard of Anchorage passed away on Dec. 30, and a memorial service is being held tonight, Thursday Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. in Providence Hospital’s West Auditorium. Blizzard was an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Providence.
