Articles in z
Former Alaskan speaks to Pentagon on DADT and gay partners
Fairbanks ex-Air Force sergeant sues Rapid City, SD
“Given the city of Rapid City’s unwillingness to acknowledge the wrongful and unlawful acts done by Officer (Jeremy) Stauffacher, (Det. Tom) Garinger and other members of the police department, we have no choice but to file a lawsuit against the city of Rapid City in federal court,” [Newsome’s attorney Jeffrey] Fransen said.Newsome’s case first came to light in March, when the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota sent a letter to Mayor Alan Hanks alleging the police department had violated Newsome’s privacy and constitutional rights by sharing information about her sexual orientation with Air Force officials.In the March 19 letter, ACLU executive director Robert Doody asked the police department to pay damages and issue an apology to Newsome, along with reprimanding the officers involved in the incident and changing department policy to ban the release of information about military members’ sexuality.The incident in question occurred Nov. 20, 2009, when officers, in the course of serving an out-of-state felony arrest warrant on charges of grand theft for Cheryl Hutson, noticed an Iowa marriage certificate with Hutson and Newsome’s names on it at their home.That detail was included in the police report, a document that Garinger later shared with the Office of Special Investigation at Ellsworth. Stauffacher was also involved in the arrest.Newsome was discharged from the military in January. Under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, service members cannot be asked about their sexual orientation, but evidence of homosexual behavior is grounds for discharge.The ACLU of South Dakota got involved in February, when it filed a formal complaint against the police department for its role in Newsome’s discharge.Police Chief Steve Allender responded with an internal investigation March 19 that concluded no department policy had been violated by providing the police report to base officials. Allender said it was long-standing policy to share information with the Air Force when a service member’s conduct is potentially criminal.
Free Coming Out Day films for Juneau
Free Films Sunday and Monday, October 10 & 11, at 6 pm, kick-off the new Conscientious Projector Film Series at the Nickelodeon Theater, sponsored by the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
In honor of National Coming Out Day, the October Films are co-sponsored by SEAGLA (SouthEast Alaska Gay and Lesbian Alliance) and PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays).
** Bullied is the new Southern Poverty Law Center release by an academy award nominee filmmaker documenting a true story of one student’s ordeal at the hands of anti-gay bullies. His story offers inspiration to those fighting harassment. 40 min
** Straight from the Heart interviews a wide cross-section of American parents including a police chief, a Mormon couple, an African American mother, and Bobby Griffith’s mother (the mother of Bobby from Prayers for Bobby) all speaking from the heart about their grown gay and lesbian children. 27 min
Optional discussion following both films. Snacks and admission are free. Donations are appreciated.The Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship meets Sundays at 10 at the corner of Cordova & Foster in West Juneau and is a Welcoming Congregation, welcoming people from every class, nationality, race, gender and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit JUUF online.
Sara’s News Roundup 10/3/10
Ellen on bullying and gay teen suicides
Justin Aaberg, 15. Billy Lucas, 15. Asher Brown, 13. Seth Walsh, 13. Tyler Clementi, 18. Raymond Chase, 19.
Education Dept. recognizes October as LGBT History Month
“For a community deprived of its history, GLBT History Month teaches heritage, provides role models, builds community, and recognizes extraordinary national and international contributions,” said Ora Alger, LGBTA Employees at ED President, U.S. Department of Education.“GLBT History Month is an educational project,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “We are delighted to have the U.S. Department of Education recognize and celebrate our community’s history month. We salute GLSEN, GSA Network and Campus Pride for promoting, with Equality Forum, GLBT History Month to over 6,000 high schools and colleges.”
A choice, not an echo
Thanks to Caleb Pritt for reviewing the candidates for Alaska Governor & Lt. Governor in light of LGBT and other issues! -Editor
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by guest blogger Caleb Pritt
Alaska’s voters, especially the GLBT Community, have a clear and distinct choice when it comes to the Governor/Lt. Governor’s race this year: Ethan Berkowitz & Diane Benson.
In one corner is Sean Parnell & Mead Treadwell and in the other, Ethan Berkowitz & Diane Benson. There are more than just issues that directly affect the GLBT Community. There are Quality of Life issues, and issues that affect Alaska’s future.
On all these issues, there is one team that is the choice for Alaska: Ethan Berkowitz & Diane Benson. With one, you have in the Governor’s office not just a former nominee for Lt. Governor & U.S. Congress, but a former member of the Alaska State House of Representatives from 1996-2006, where he was Minority Leader. With the other, you have a woman whose mere election makes Alaska historic as Alaska becomes the first state to elect a Native American woman to the highest elective office ever held in this nation. You also have a fierce advocate for the GLBT Community who was not afraid to stand with other advocates against anti-civil rights legislation whether it’s before the Anchorage Assembly or the State of Alaska.
There’s also the OWN A PIECE OF THE PIPE Plan that Berkowitz-Benson are offering to help build the illusive Natural Gas Pipeline. Bill Walker may have unfortunately lost the GOP Primary for Governor, but if you support an All-Alaska Pipeline, or any type of pipeline for Alaska, then Berkowitz-Benson is your choice.
There also has to be a fundamental question asked about who is in this race for Alaska’s interests, not their own personal self-interest? The choice is still Ethan Berkowitz & Diane Benson.
When it comes to GLBT issues, Sean Parnell has been a demagogue if not an outright ignorant individual on recognizing the right of ALL Alaskans to be afforded their basic civil rights. Let’s not forget that this is the Governor that had Alaska taxpayers pay for him to meet with Focus on the Family, a group known for being homophobic. Also, Parnell as well as Treadwell embraced Proposition Two which doesn’t do much to notify parents as it imposes the state’s ability to tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body. Parnell also has condemned homosexuality more than once. Parnell even committed Alaska’s money, that could be spent on a natural gas pipeline, to a frivolous lawsuit challenging the Health Care Reform bill. This is not a precedent, btw Libertarian-minded readers, as I hardly would hold my breath waiting for Parnell to challenge not lifting the DADT Ban, for instance.
Mead Treadwell supporters have offered a weak response that “Mead is really supportive of the GLBT Community but he can’t be open about it.” Really, because being a supporter for the GLBT Community never stopped Arliss Sturgulewski when she was in the Alaska State Senate and twice the Republican nominee for Governor. It never stopped Jay Hammond either when he was Governor and opposed the anti-gay rhetoric of demagogues like Tom Fink.
When it comes to the gas pipeline, Sean Parnell gave away millions of Alaska’s dollars to a company without any guarantee they had to do anything. No guarantee of an All-Alaska Pipeline, Trans-Canada Pipeline, anywhere Pipeline. Parnell gave them the money and they have rewarded his campaign with donations. In fact, his campaign spokesperson is married to one of Shell’s Executives. But hey, there’s no link of impropriety, is there? I mean the Governor of Alaska, Sean Parnell, would never suggest Quid Pro Quo with the wealthy oil executives and corporations. No….he just takes care of them, not Alaska.
Also, the paint on the office door of the Lt. Governor’s office was not dry before Sean Parnell tried to run for U.S. Congress. Mead Treadwell meanwhile sought a coveted and key position in the Barack Obama Administration, then when it was politically expidient, he threw President Obama under the bus to gain support of Republican conservatives and hide the fact that his paycheck came from Barack Obama. Then again, Mead Treadwell threw Lisa Murkowski under the bus to gain support of the “conservative” groups in his bid for Lt. Governor.
In 1964, Barry Goldwater’s slogan was “A Choice, Not An Echo” to show he stood for something. One has to wonder where that true conservative’s desire to stand for something is lacking in the modern-day representation in Alaska otherwise known as Acting Governor Sean Parnell. Luckily, the two progressive candidates for Governor & Lt. Governor are providing Alaskans with a choice.
In the end, to quote Diane Benson, it’s time for the People of Alaska to come first. This race is not about Democrat v. Republican or Tea vs. Coffee. It’s not about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender v. Heterosexual. No, the race for Governor & Lt. Governor is about Alaska and Alaska’s future. One team has a plan while the other has just talk. One team has a record of earning their way to where they are at, while the other team is just some politicians. One team is about Alaska, and the other is about preserving their own political power.
The choice is clear Alaska: the All Alaska choice in November is Ethan Berkowitz for Governor & Diane Benson for Lt. Governor.
Check them out yourself at Ethan Berkowitz for Governor & Diane Benson for Lt. Governor.
On November 2nd, vote for Alaska….vote for Berkowitz-Benson.
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Disclaimer: The author served as the campaign manager for Diane Benson in her successful primary bid for Lt. Governor. A primary that Benson won with 71%, incidentally.
Dan Savage: "It Gets Better"
Savage Love columnist Dan Savage, who spoke to sold out crowds at UAA two years in a row, has a new video project to give hope to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer youth who are harassed for being different and remind them that there is life after high school – and it can be great!
It started when Savage wrote a column about a gay teenager in Indiana who killed himself:
Billy Lucas was just 15 when he hanged himself in a barn on his grandmother’s property. He reportedly endured intense bullying at the hands of his classmates—classmates who called him a fag and told him to kill himself. His mother found his body.
Nine out of 10 gay teenagers experience bullying and harassment at school, and gay teens are four times likelier to attempt suicide. Many LGBT kids who do kill themselves live in rural areas, exurbs, and suburban areas, places with no gay organizations or services for queer kids.
“My heart breaks for the pain and torment you went through, Billy Lucas,” a reader wrote after I posted about Billy Lucas to my blog. “I wish I could have told you that things get better.”
I had the same reaction: I wish I could have talked to this kid for five minutes. I wish I could have told Billy that it gets better. I wish I could have told him that, however bad things were, however isolated and alone he was, it gets better.
But gay adults aren’t allowed to talk to these kids. Schools and churches don’t bring us in to talk to teenagers who are being bullied. Many of these kids have homophobic parents who believe that they can prevent their gay children from growing up to be gay—or from ever coming out—by depriving them of information, resources, and positive role models.
Why are we waiting for permission to talk to these kids? We have the ability to talk directly to them right now. We don’t have to wait for permission to let them know that it gets better. We can reach these kids.
So here’s what you can do: Make a video. Tell them it gets better.
I’ve launched a channel on YouTube—www .youtube.com/itgetsbetterproject—to host these videos. My normally camera-shy husband and I already posted one. We both went to Christian schools and we were both bullied—he had it a lot worse than I did—and we are living proof that it gets better. We don’t dwell too much on the past. Instead, we talk mostly about all the meaningful things in our lives now—our families, our friends (gay and straight), the places we’ve gone and things we’ve experienced—that we would’ve missed out on if we’d killed ourselves then.
[snip]
We can’t help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don’t think they have a future—and we can help them.
They need to know that it gets better. Submit a video. Give them hope.
Dan Savage and his husband Terry talk about being bullied in high school for being gay and how their lives got so much better as adults:
Do you have a good story to tell about how life got better for you as an adult? They want to hear your story of How It Got Better!
It would be great to get some more videos that include more than one person. Gay couples, groups of friends, straight people and their gay friends. And we have lots of videos from folks who are focusing on what they suffered—which absolutely should be touched on. But it would be great to see some more videos that give young gay kids a picture of the lives they could make for themselves if they just hang in there… So if you decide to make a video, don’t just share your pain. Share your joy too.
There are dozens of videos listed as favorites on the It Gets Better YouTube site, and now cities are joining the project.
San Francisco was the first city to respond with an “It Gets Better” video. Check it out:
If you’re in Alaska and you make an “It Gets Better” video, please send the link to Bent Alaska so I can post it here as well.
There’s a big beautiful world out there waiting for you. It gets better. Trust me.
Anti-Gay Michele Bachmann endorses Joe Miller *more video*
What will you lose if the anti-gays win?
Anti-gay extremists are growing louder. But they don’t just want to stop progress, they want to roll it back.If they win, they’ll kick brave troops out of the military, stop partner visitation rights in hospitals and prevent gays and lesbians from adopting kids who need loving homes.They’ll make sure its legal to fire us for being gay or transgender.Some have even said it’s time to criminalize homosexuality itself.If they win, what will you lose?
Had enough? Take action!Tell us in a 15-second video what YOU would lose if the extremists win. Upload your video to this site and tell your friends and family to watch it and watch other videos from LGBT Americans and their allies.ORSign the pledge and tell your friends and family what you’d lose if anti-gay extremists win this November. Pledge to support candidates this November who speak openly and honestly about the LGBT community. To counter the lies and hate spread by anti-gay extremists and the campaigns they’re dumping millions of dollars into across the country.Make sure the people who love you know what will happen if we don’t keep fighting.Make sure they know what you’ll lose.
