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Our kids don’t need changing: Anchorage gays and allies send message of LGBT acceptance outside ex-gay conference

Sunday, 14 September 2008 – 3:56 PM | 9 Comments

Anchorage, Alaska – A dozen people gather at dawn in front of Abbott Loop Church on Saturday, the headlights of passing cars illuminating the rainbow flags and signs: “God Loves My Gay Son And So Do I!”, “First, Do No Harm”, “Be Yourself – We Love You!”

Behind the church, people struggling with homosexual feelings, or the homosexuality of a friend or family member, park in the back lot and enter the side door of the grey building. The front doors are locked.

The church is hosting the Love Won Out conference, with speakers preaching that homosexuality is a sin and a choice, and that gays must change or suppress their same-sex attractions.

The conference is sponsored by the Colorado-based right wing organization Focus on the Family, a group that also sponsors anti-gay legislation.

Along the street, PFLAG Anchorage and their supporters spread a message of love and acceptance to all who drive by the church.

“Our gay kids are not sick, they’re not evil, and they don’t need changing,” said Jane Schlittler, chair of PFLAG Anchorage. “We’re here so that truth wins out.”

Kirt and Roger stand together near the church parking lot. They were married in Canada, the first gay couple from Alaska to be legally wed.

“I’m here for people like Stuart Matis,” said Roger, “a young gay man in California who thought it better to put a bullet in his head rather than live with the shame that these people in the church create.”

“I grew up in a very religious background,” said Kirt. “I know about these types of programs that profess that you can change and that it’s some kind of choice to be gay. It absolutely isn’t. I’m proud to be a gay man, and proud to be married to my husband, and I’ll be proud to die that way.”

The Second Wave

As the PFLAGers move on to other commitments, a new group gathers at the intersection of Lake Otis and Abbott Road. Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered young adults and their friends brought poster board, colored markers, musical instruments, food and water for an afternoon outside the ex-gay conference.

“I called all my friends to come here and protest,” said Mike, who contributed several large pizzas and a conga drum. “We’re going to tell them you can’t pray the gay away.”

Slade makes a sign saying “Honk If You (Heart) Gay People” and waves to the many honking drivers. “I’m here to protest the anti-gay ‘pray away the gay’ thing because you can’t change who you are,” he said. “You have to accept that and move on.”

Sean and Ted arrive with Ted’s mother. “We found out about Focus on the Family through watching the documentary For The Bible Tells Me So,” said Sean, a social work student at UAA. “‘Reparative therapies’ and ‘conversion therapies’ are not only ineffective but harmful. These programs are misleading the public, misleading people who are struggling with their sexual orientation, causing emotional harm and in some cases it’s devastating. I can’t sit idly by and allow the general public to accept this ignorance.”

“What they are teaching in that church is not about acceptance, it’s not about love,” said Mary, “it’s about self-loathing and fear.” Her signs say, “True Love is Unconditional” and “God Loves You Just As You Are.”

“Their hatred of homosexuals and pushing an anti-gay agenda is just not accepted here,” said Mike. “They can go back where they came from.”

We’re Just Like You, Except We’re Not: Blogging LGBT Alaska

Friday, 12 September 2008 – 4:44 AM | Comments Off

In many ways, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Alaskans are just like other Alaskans. We eat dinner and take out the trash, celebrate holidays and debate politics, laugh with our friends and sing along to our favorite songs. We work where you work, shop where you shop, fish where you fish, and live down the block. We go to the same schools, the same doctors, and the same movie theaters.

We’re also like you in our variations. There are LGBT Alaskans in every racial, ethnic and religious group, every career field and political party, every generation and every neighborhood. You may not know we are there, but we are.

Mostly we’re just like you. Except, we are attracted to others of our sex. We desire, fall in love with and may share our life with someone of the same sex. That makes us different.

So what? Why should anyone worry about who we love?

But they do worry. We live in a world where everyone is expected to desire and fall in love with someone of the opposite sex, and we don’t. Our love is natural to us, but many other people think it’s a problem. And that makes us seem very different.

Every post on Bent Alaska says something about Alaska and LGBT people: religion, family, politics, travel, entertainment, parades, organizations, schools, the media and lots more. Read through the stories and learn about our lives.

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Thanks for making Sept. 12 “LGBT Day” for Alaska’s bloggers!

Palmer Pastor’s Gay-Positive Book was on Mayor Palin’s Censor List

Wednesday, 10 September 2008 – 10:33 PM | 3 Comments

Howard Bess, author of “Pastor, I am Gay” and former pastor of Church of the Covenant in Palmer, Alaska recalls that his book challenging Christians to re-examine their ideas about and prejudices against gays and lesbians was not well received in nearby Wasilla when it was published in 1995 — the year before Sarah Palin was elected mayor.

Virtually every book store in Wasilla refused to sell it. Bess said he gave two copies to the Wasilla Library, but they quickly disappeared. So he donated more copies.

Sarah Palin was elected mayor of Wasilla with the support of her Assembly of God church, which was pushing for the removal of “Pastor, I am Gay” from local bookstores. On two occasions, Mayor Palin asked the Wasilla library director what she would do if told to remove certain books from the shelves. Three books were mentioned.

The library director, Mary Ellen Emmons, said the books were purchased according to the guidelines and would not be removed. Mayor Palin fired her soon after. A group of local residents protested the firing and Mary Ellen was reinstated, but she left Wasilla two years later and will not speak about the incident now.

In Dec. 1996, reporter Paul Stuart wrote an article about the censorship controversy in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

“Mary Ellen told me that Palin asked her directly to remove these books from the shelves,” Stuart said. “She refused.” Asked later if one of the books could have been “Pastor, I am Gay,” Stuart said that it was.

“Knowing Sarah’s religious connections and the people involved,” said Howard Bess, “I would be surprised if my book was not one of those at issue.”

Brian Ross of ABC News reported the full story:

“Conversion therapy” is harmful and ineffective, say local clergy and mental health professionals

Wednesday, 10 September 2008 – 12:41 PM | Comments Off

Religious Leaders and Mental Health Professionals Affirm Support for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender People

WHEN: Thursday, September 11, 2008 – 7:15 p.m.
WHERE: Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage, 7208 Duben Avenue, Anchorage
WHO: Sara Gavit, St. Mary’s Episcopal Church; Rev. John Carey, Pastor of Immanuel Presbyterian Church; Rev. Beatrice Hitchcock, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship; Rev. Susan Halvor, Lutheran; Rev. Matthew Moak; Edie Bailey, Worship Coordinator for Metropolitan Community Church; Summer LeFebvre, Social Action Chair, National Association of Social Workers Alaska Chapter; Kaya Kade, President of the Alaska Counseling Association; Larry Michael, Psychologist; and Wayne Besen, Truth Wins Out.

ANCHORAGE – On Thursday, September 11, an interfaith group of leaders from Anchorage’s religious community will participate in “God Loves You Just as You Are” a forum sponsored by the Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage to inform the parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth and LGBT adults about the many welcoming and affirming religious denominations that celebrate the diversity of God’s creation.

The religious leaders along with mental health professionals will also discuss the harmful effects of so-called “therapies” that claim to “treat” same-sex attraction. All serious mental health organizations such as the American Psychological Association have long discredited the notion that homosexuality is a mental disorder or a problem that needs to corrected.

Some ultra-conservative, radical religious groups like Focus on the Family and Exodus International continue to promote the idea that same-sex attraction is something from which people need to be “freed,” or that can or should be “overcome.”

“Medical and psychological research shows that their whole agenda rests on false assumptions: that gay and lesbian persons choose their sexual orientation; that only heterosexuality is God’s plan for humankind; and that a person can be ‘converted’ to being heterosexual,” says Pastor John Carey of Immanuel Presbyterian Church. “This mindset leads to a damaging political perspective which results in destructive and sometimes deadly scapegoating.”

While “conversion therapy” groups purport to take a compassionate approach to dealing with same-sex attraction, most mental health professionals agree that their programs are largely ineffective and potentially harmful.

According to Randy Magen, a professor of Social Work at the University of Alaska Anchorage, there are at least seven studies which suggest reparative therapy is harmful. “One central tenet of all helping professions is, ‘do no harm.’ Advocates of reparative therapy are in danger of violating that ethical mandate,” Magen says.

On September 18, the Anchorage chapter of Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) will hold a support meeting for parents and family members of gays and lesbians at Immanuel Presbyterian Church.

“We do not believe that ‘reparative or conversion’ therapy should be used to ‘cure’ gay and lesbian children of homosexuality,” says Jane Schlittler, current president of PFLAG-Anchorage. “There is nothing wrong with our children. They are not sick or evil. They are just fine the way God made them.”

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To arrange interviews in advance of the event, contact ACLU of Alaska.

PFLAG to visit “Love Won Out” in Anchorage

Tuesday, 9 September 2008 – 1:18 PM | 2 Comments

Update: See our vigil outside the conference, Our Kids Don’t Need Changing!

Update from PFLAG Anchorage:

We will meet on Saturday Sept 13 at 7 a.m. (the conference starts at 8) at the Abbott Loop Church (2626 Abbott Road, at the corner of Lake Otis and Abbott) to hand out flyers to the conference participants. Bring rain gear and a LGBT-positive sign (for example, “I love my gay son” or whatever is true for you.)

On Saturday morning, PFLAG families, supporters and allies will come together in Anchorage, Alaska as Love Won Out brings its so-called “ex-gay” conference to our 49th state. PFLAGers will gather outside the conference to offer support for youth attending and information for parents and families.

“Families never win at Love Won Out,” said Jane Schlittler, president of PFLAG’s Anchorage, Alaska chapter>. “The conference’s organizers maliciously target often well-meaning parents who are dealing with a difficult issue in their lives, and in the process put their kids’ well-being at risk. Make no mistake: There is far more ‘preying’ than ‘praying’ taking place at these meetings, and far more harming than healing in the doctrine of Love Won Out.”

Programs such as Love Won Out, which is a project of the far-right American Family Association, use out-moded medical theories and radical religious beliefs to justify trying to alter gay and lesbian people’s natural sexual orientation.

“Programs like Love Won Out are dangerous for kids and divisive for families,” said PFLAG National executive director Jody M. Huckaby. “Every bit of evidence available suggests that children who grow up in homes that accept them – and not try to change them – are far happier and healthier than those subjected to these anti-family tactics. It is nothing short of extremist to imply that families should do anything other than love their children as they are, and nothing short of outrageous to infer that LGBT kids aren’t fine just the way they are.”

Saturday’s event in Anchorage has sparked widespread attention and protest following reports that Wasilla Bible Church, where Republican Vice Presidential nominee Governor Sarah Palin is a member, has endorsed the Love Won Out conference. In a statement, PFLAG noted that, “It is unfair, at this point, to assume that Governor Palin endorses so-called ‘ex-gay’ therapy like that espoused by Love Won Out,” but that “Saturday’s event in Anchorage provides an important opportunity for the first GOP mom on the party’s presidential ticket to make clear that she, as a mother and a public servant, will not condone, either explicitly or implicitly, such attempts at dividing our families and hurting our kids.”

“Palin, and lawmakers of both parties, should seize that opportunity,” PFLAG said, “and stand up as boldly and outspokenly for all of our kids as much as they do for their own.”

To be part of Saturday morning’s gathering, email Jane Schlittler.

Reposted from the National PFLAG Blog

What Governor Palin needs to know about “love”

Tuesday, 9 September 2008 – 1:13 PM | Comments Off

by Steve Ralls | The Huffington Post

Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has made history as the first mother to be on the Republican presidential ticket, and she has the potential to bring a new perspective on issues that impact America’s children to Washington and the White House. Indeed, since her introduction to the nation last week, Governor Palin has talked passionately about her family and her commitment to her five children. Unfortunately, however, little is known about her specific policy positions on issues impacting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender kids, their parents, schools and families. An event taking place on September 13 in Anchorage, however, could provide an important opportunity for the Governor — and other moms and dads who also serve as elected leaders — to weigh in on one of those issues . . . and take a strong stand for all families.

On Saturday, Anchorage will play host to the latest meeting of the “ex-gay” organization known as Love Won Out. The group, which proclaims that lesbian and gay youth can be “cured” of their sexual orientation, will be meeting at Abbott Loop Community Church. Ahead of the conference, however, Palin’s own church, Wasilla Bible, has promoted the meeting, saying in a letter to congregants that, “You’ll be encouraged by the power of God’s love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality.”

The truth, however, is that Love Won Out is about anything but the unconditional love for, and acceptance of, LGBT kids. In reality, it is a dangerous, harmful “reparative therapy” program that has been condemned by the American Psychological Association and that has a tormenting impact on many of the young people who attend.

Governor Palin needs to know the truth about Love, and America’s parents and families need to know what Governor Palin thinks about harmful, anti-gay conferences that preach an anti-gospel doctrine of changing our kids, rather than embracing them.

Earlier this year, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) brought mothers, fathers and families from around the country to Orlando, Florida, for the most recent Love Won Out Conference. Their experiences, captured in a moving video documentary, showcase just how dangerous these conferences can be.

One after another, young people arrived at the conference with tears in their eyes and parents stoically marching them into the event against their will. The sight of supportive parents, carrying signs with slogans such as “We love our gay son just the way he is,” were answered with smiles, outreached hands and silent but obvious “thank yous” from the kids being told they were somehow “less than” because of who they love. Inside the conference, organizers told these young people – who had the courage to simply be who they are — that who they were just wasn’t good enough. Outside, loving parents stood tall to remind them that yes they were.

On Saturday in Anchorage, the same story, with different kids, will play out again.

It is unfair, at this point, to assume that Governor Palin endorses so-called “ex-gay” therapy like that espoused by Love Won Out. Most Americans, after all, can probably empathize with being part of a group, movement or congregation that they don’t agree with 100% of the time. But Saturday’s event in Anchorage provides an important opportunity for the first GOP mom on the party’s presidential ticket to make clear that she, as a mother and a public servant, will not condone, either explicitly or implicitly, such attempts at dividing our families and hurting our kids. She should seize that opportunity — as should lawmakers of both parties — and stand up as boldly and outspokenly for all of our kids as much as she has for her own.

Truth Wins Out Exposes "Ex-Gay" Myths and Asks "Where Does Palin Stand?"

Tuesday, 9 September 2008 – 2:03 AM | Comments Off

Wayne Besen, Executive Director of Truth Wins Out, is in Anchorage this week to expose the myths behind the “ex-gay” Love Won Out conference held at Abbott Loop and supported by Sarah Palin’s church.

Wasilla Bible Church, where the Palin’s worship, advertised the upcoming Focus on the Family conference on curing homosexuality. (See the AP article Palin church promotes converting gays.)

“We are deeply concerned that Sarah Palin may share the extreme and medically unsound view that gay and lesbian people can and should be cured,” said Wayne Besen. “We call on Palin to express her views on this issue so we have a clear idea of where she stands. We hope this is an area where she disagrees with her church.”

On Thursday, Sept 11, Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage is hosting an Ecumenical seminar called “God Loves You Just as You Are.” The seminar’s main focus will be to assure parents of gay and lesbian adolescents and adults, and the gay persons themselves, that God loves them just as they are.

MCC is an inclusive church with a special outreach for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgendered community and our straight allies.

Four local clergy will share their denominations’ stand on homosexuality. Speakers also include representatives from the National Association of Social Workers Alaska Chapter, the Alaska Counseling Association, and a school psychologist. The main presentation is by Besen, author of “Anything But Straight: Unmasking the Scandals and Lies Behind the ‘Ex-Gay’ Myth.”

Besen’s Truth Wins Out is a non-profit organization that aims to end the dangerous practice of ex-gay therapy in all of its forms.

The workshops and keynotes at Love Won Out involve so-called “experts on homosexuality” lecturing on family dynamics that might ’cause’ homosexuality, the need to suppress same-sex attractions, and the importance of opposing gay rights.

“Love Won Out distorts gay life and conflates stereotypes with science, while selling false hope to vulnerable people,” said Besen. “We are looking forward to working with Alaskan groups to counter Focus on the Family’s false and destructive messages.”

Out in Alaska’s Adventure Tours for Gay and Lesbian Travelers

Monday, 8 September 2008 – 10:40 PM | Comments Off

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner published this great story about Out in Alaska, Tim Stallard’s successful business taking gay and lesbian visitors on wilderness adventures in Alaska.

Read the story, then visit Out in Alaska and check out Tim’s exciting tours.

Fairbanks tour guide finds niche in gay, lesbian market

Matt Hage

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Our basecamp among the fireweed of Bulldog Cove was right out of an Alaska postcard.

Behind us sat a freshwater lagoon hemmed in by jagged peaks covered in a lush carpet of green. The view from our beach overlooked the coastal Bear Glacier. Waves crashed against the twisted sea stacks that cut the cove off from the rest of Resurrection Bay, about 20 miles from Seward. It was picture perfect; exactly what you want if you are a traveler paying a pretty penny for a guided Alaska experience.

I was one of a dozen guests on a week-long tour with Out in Alaska, a Fairbanks-based guide service that specializes in adventurous trips for gay and lesbian travelers. Our 10-day itinerary began with three-days of sea kayak touring in Kenai Fjords National Park and the charter boat had just dropped our gang on the beach. Guide and company owner Tim Stallard was earning his paycheck, zipping around the beach to help clients setup tents, making sure the kayaks were secure and erecting a tarp for the camp kitchen. This definitely wasn’t his first rodeo; Stallard moved around camp, taking care of

challenge after challenge while keeping his cool. To watch him calmly explain how to set-up a tent for the fifth time or answer 101 questions about bear attacks was to witness superhuman patience.

“Guiding takes a tremendous amount of patience, which luckily I seem to have,” Stallard said, noting he expects many questions on his trips; most of his clients are gay men from big cities whose outdoor experience measures little to none.

Roughing it doesn’t seem to score very high with that demographic and Stallard is usually taking clients on their first big outdoor adventure. For Ronnie Ventura and Bob deLuna of New York, this would be their first camping trip. Ever. Thomas Gardiner, an Englishman who is now living in New York, said this was something he hadn’t done for a very long time and never in big wilderness. Californians Jeremy Marble and Joe Dintino were a bit more experienced with the outdoors. Dintino enjoyed telling his “bears in camp” story from Yosemite National Park just after Stallard had given assurance to a sleep-deprived guest.

Mylissa Denny from Austin, Texas was fresh out of the Army where she had done plenty of sleeping on the ground, mostly in Afghanistan overlooking Tora Bora.

“Looks like I’m the token lesbian,” she said, introducing herself at camp.

She was the only woman on the trip roster, which might prove awkward for a week-long tour where you don’t know anyone else. But not here on the beach of Bulldog Cove.

“It’s always good to have a lesbian around to do the heavy lifting,” Gardiner joked, much to the delight of Denny.

It became apparent that the ice has already been broken and the crew is already fast friends.

“And you’re the token straight guy,” Denny said, referring to me just when I was wondering where I stood with this eclectic group.

It was also apparent that nobody was going to be out of the loop throughout our journey, which began on the waters of Resurrection Bay and culminated with a backpacking trip into Denali State Park.

About Out in Alaska

Stallard’s Out in Alaska is the culmination of over a decade of experience managing outdoor recreation projects. In the mid-1990’s, he took over the student-run Outdoor Adventures at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Stallard had some big ideas for a major overhaul of what was a small closet space with a checkout desk for ratty sleeping bags and miss-matched skis. Within a few years he turned the office into a proud outdoor program that allowed students from all over the world to rent high quality equipment and sign up for guided trips that would get them out in Alaska. Many of the trips offered were his own creations, including our adventure to Bulldog Cove.

“I used to bring UAF students out here,” he replied when I asked how he knew about the place.

Stallard’s UAF program took hundreds of students backpacking along Kesugi Ridge in Denali State Park, which is also the second part of this week-long Out in Alaska adventure.

Even though Stallard came from a family steeped in business sense, he didn’t take a turn down that road until graduate school.

“My dad is a successful entrepreneur, so I always knew it is possible to create your own opportunity, work for yourself, and even create jobs for others,” he said.

Having spent several years in the world of outdoor recreation and instruction, Stallard made the decision to study business and make a go of his own guiding company when an opportunity for graduate school surfaced.

“There were already a number of guiding businesses around Alaska so I would need to offer something unique,” he said. “About that time I read that the gay and lesbian segment of the USA travel market was estimated to be around $55 billion. Niche travel of all sorts was growing in popularity and nobody was offering trips specifically for gay travelers in Alaska, so I had my idea.”

Stallard completed his Master of Business Administration with three years of night classes and launched his niche business in the fall 2004. He credits his initial success with a strong web presence, some carefully placed advertising and networking at a few travel trade shows. Out in Alaska took off with four scheduled trips the following year. After the 2006 travel season, Stallard’s venture was almost breaking even. “But I was getting busier and busier and could no longer continue to work a day job and develop my business,” he said. “This was a moment of blind faith; I could cut my losses of money invested and stick with the safety and benefits of my regular job or quit and develop my business further.”

He jumped. And he jumped far. His 2008 listing holds a dozen adventures, from the Brooks Range to Katmai National Park to Fjords of the Kenai Peninsula. Most of them filled way in advance. The trips are not limited to gay and lesbian individuals, nor do they have limits on experience level. Stallard’s business is geared to urbanites who have little to no experience in the wilderness. Anyone who can handle a computer and the Internet can make a reservation on his Web site, www.outinalaska.com, and sign up for an adventure.

The trip

Sea kayaking from a basecamp could be the perfect trip option for novice wilderness travelers in Alaska. Paddling a tandem kayak for a 10-mile tour was just about perfect for our crew. And when the seas began to pick up on the third day, we cut our tour short and headed back to the protection of the cove. Our water taxi even stopped by to check on us while out making another pick-up.

We made it back, and life in Bulldog Cove was easy, but plans for the upcoming hike reminded us we weren’t done working. Backpacking in the Alaska Range in August, as we were preparing to do in our next leg of the excursion, is a whole different story. As a whole, this group was out to push themselves. It’s a good thing. Our tour was a 17-mile section of the popular Kesugi Ridge Trail system. An initial three-mile climb up the Little Coal Creek Trail took us to a high alpine wonderland, complete with hooting Arctic ground squirrels, boulder-strewn cascades and crystal tarns as clear as the mountain air. Stallard’s guests were in awe as the setting sun cast its rays on our camp during dinner. Little did we know this light show was the precursor to a violent night of big wind, rain and hail. Everyone’s tent-pitching skills where put to the test as the storm came out of nowhere. Once again, Stallard was working hard, checking in on each tent after taking care of the cook tarps in a torrential rain. Sitting tight to wait out this storm with a couple boxes of wine was not an option up here. Tomorrow we would have to hike in this car wash. For a minute I wondered if there would be any casualties, but laughter from a distant tent gave confidence that this crew was going to be all right.

Our final morning in Denali State Park dawned cold and wet. The entire crew crowded the cooking area, huddled over steaming cups of coffee in their rain jackets. Stallard worked the small camp stove to keep the coffee thermos filled and bring water to boil for morning hot cereal. Our camp high on Kesugi Ridge was now in the clouds and a hanging mist entrapped us in a shroud perfect for hypothermia. But even in the steady drizzle, Stallard’s guests remained in the highest spirits. Cheerful sing-song calls of “g’morning” went around camp. Searching the bear-proof food kegs for hot cocoa, my wet hands struggled with the lid.

“Ask Mylissa, she’ll get that open for you,” Ventura chided with a grin.

Denny put down her own steaming mug and motioned for me to hand it over. She effortlessly clicked the lid and handed me the cocoa bag.

Conversation swirled around the hissing stove, but a lot had changed in the past week. For the first time in their lives, these travelers got to partake in one of the great traditions of wilderness travel. Spend enough time with any group in any wilderness and the morning conversation invariably turns to toilet talk. It was inspiring to see this collage of folks from urban America hilariously sharing their bathroom adventures while scarfing instant oatmeal from a plastic bowl in the rain. It was a sure sign of complete immersion: They were backpackers. Stallard’s work here was done.

Well, almost done. Stallard actually had a lot more work in front of him. My time with Out in Alaska was done, but he and his seven guests were on the hunt for a few large pizzas and pitchers of beer in the Denali National Park area. Stallard planned to see the last of his clients off a couple days later in Fairbanks and almost immediately start preparing for the arrival of the next crew for a weeklong adventure on the world-famous Yukon River. But Stallard has no regrets about the pace; he recognizes that he has a job that many would dream of having.

“My office is the great outdoors,” he said. “I get paid to visit spectacular areas of Alaska.”

But the job can also be exhausting and Stallard admitted by August he is looking forward to things slowing down in the winter. To do this work means that he forfeits his own summer. But, he said, it’s worth it.

“My guests continually remind me of how special Alaska is and how lucky I am to live here.”

Token straight guy Matt Hage works as a magazine photographer based in Anchorage.

Palin church promotes converting gays

Sunday, 7 September 2008 – 3:25 AM | Comments Off

Update: The LGBT community is hosting three events on the truth about the ‘pray away the gay’ conference. See “God loves you just as you are” for more on these events.

Palin church promotes converting gays
By RACHEL D’ORO Associated Press Writer

Sep 5th, 2008 | ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin’s church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.

“You’ll be encouraged by the power of God’s love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality,” according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.

Palin’s conservative Christian views have energized that part of the GOP electorate, which was lukewarm to John McCain’s candidacy before he named her as his vice presidential choice. She is staunchly anti-abortion, opposing exceptions for rape and incest, and opposes gay marriage and spousal rights for gay couples.

Focus on the Family, a national Christian fundamentalist organization, is conducting the “Love Won Out” Conference in Anchorage, about 30 miles from Wasilla.

Palin, campaigning with McCain in the Midwest on Friday, has not publicly expressed a view on the so-called “pray away the gay” movement. Larry Kroon, senior pastor at Palin’s church, was not available to discuss the matter Friday, said a church worker who declined to give her name.

Gay activists in Alaska said Palin has not worked actively against their interests, but early in her administration she supported a bill to overrule a court decision [and] to block state benefits for gay partners of public employees. At the time, less than one-half of 1 percent of state employees had applied for the benefits, which were ordered by a 2005 ruling by the Alaska Supreme Court.

Palin reversed her position and vetoed the bill after the state attorney general said it was unconstitutional. But her reluctant support didn’t win fans among Alaska’s gay population, said Scott Turner, a gay activist in Anchorage.

“Less than 1 percent of state employees would even apply for benefits, so why make a big deal out of such a small number?” he said.

“I think gay Republicans are going to run away” if Palin supports efforts like the prayers to convert gays, said Wayne Besen, founder of the New York-based Truth Wins Out, a gay rights advocacy group. Besen called on Palin to publicly express her views now that she’s a vice presidential nominee.

“People are looking at Sarah Palin as someone who might feasibly be in the White House,” he said.

God loves you just as you are: Three events

Saturday, 6 September 2008 – 10:13 PM | Comments Off

The LGBT community is hosting three special events for families struggling with homosexuality, for Christians trying to reconcile same-sex attractions with their faith, and for everyone who wants to learn the truth about the “pray away the gay” conference.

1) “God Loves You Just as You Are” and Truth Wins Out

Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage, an inclusive church with a special outreach for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered, and straight allies (GLBT), is sponsoring an Ecumenical seminar called “God Loves You Just as You Are.” The seminar’s main focus will be to assure parents of GLBT adolescents/adults and the GLBT persons themselves that God loves them just as they are.

Four local clergy will share their denominations’ stand on homosexuality. Other speakers include representatives from the National Association of Social Workers Alaska Chapter, the Alaska Counseling Association, and a school psychologist. The main presentation is by Wayne Besen, founder of Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization that travels the country presenting research on the so-called “reparative therapy” and “ex-gay” movements.

The seminar will be at the Metropolitan Community Church, 7208 Dubin Avenue (corner of Oklahoma St) at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 11. A dinner ($6 donation if able) will be served at 6:30 and the presentations will begin at 7:15. Following the presentations, members of the clergy as well as PFLAG (Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) will be available to have one-on-one discussions with participants.

Please RSVP to Edie Bailey, Worship Coordinator, if you’re coming for the dinner.

“God Loves You Just as You Are” and Truth Wins Out
Thursday, September 11, 2008
dinner at 6:30 p.m. ($6 suggested donation) and program at 7:15 p.m.
Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage
7208 Dubin Avenue, Anchorage, AK

2) “God Loves You Just as You Are” with Wayne Besen and Dr. Ellen Cole

Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage welcomes everyone to a special Sunday program on September 14, 2008 with two guest speakers: Wayne Besen and Dr. Ellen Cole. Wayne Besen is the author of Anything But Straight, written to give the truth about the so-called “ex-gay” movement. He founded Truth Wins Out, a non-profit organization dedicated to spreading the truth about Exodus and the other “ex-gay” organizations.

Dr. Ellen Cole is a Professor of Psychology at APU, a certified sex therapist, and the immediate past-president of the Alaska Psychological Association. She co-edited the books Loving Boldly: Issues Facing Lesbians and Lesbian Therapists and their Therapy and has conducted research on lesbian sex at menopause. She is married to Doug North, president of APU. The presentations are followed by a potluck in the fellowship hall.

Wayne Besen and Dr. Ellen Cole
Sunday, September 14, 2008
2 p.m.
Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage
7208 Dubin Avenue, Anchorage, AK

3) A Loving Alternative to “Reparative Therapy”

PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays) welcomes families who have questions about so-called “reparative therapy” and the “ex-gay” movement to join their support group at Immanuel Presbyterian Church. For more information, contact PFLAG Anchorage.

“Reparative Therapy” Discussion with PFLAG
Thursday, September 18, 2008
7 p.m.