Bent Alaska | Alaska's LGBTQA blog

Election 09: LGBT issues and candidates

Tuesday, 3 November 2009 – 6:31 AM | Comments Off

Putting the civil rights of minority groups up for a public vote is always risky, especially when it involves gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.

Today’s elections involve a number of important LGBT issues and candidates around the country, including same-sex marriage in Maine and an anti-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo, Michigan that is similar to the Anchorage ordinance vetoed by Mayor Sullivan. In Alaska, voters in Fairbanks will choose between a democrat and an anti-gay Christian for mayor.

Voters in Maine are deciding whether to repeal or affirm a state law that would allow gay couples to get married. The law was passed by the legislature last May, but anti-gay groups pushed for a repeal.

Voters in Washington state are deciding whether to uphold or overturn a recently expanded domestic partnership law that entitles same-sex couples to most of the state-granted rights heterosexual married couples receive, except the ability to get married.

The Kalamazoo anti-discrimination ordinance was passed unanimously twice by the city council, but anti-gay groups pressured them into putting it on the ballot for a public vote. If Ordinance 1856 passes today, it will be illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations in Kalamazoo.

Watch this quick ad for Kalamazoo’s anti-discrimination ordinance:

In other parts of the country, openly gay or lesbian candidates, and straight allies, have a good chance of being elected. Houston, Texas could become the largest U.S. city to elect an openly lesbian mayor if they elect Annise Parker.

The Governor’s race in New Jersey is also important for gay rights. The Democratic candidate Jon Corzine said he will fight to pass marriage equality in the state, while the GOP candidate Chris Christie will fight against equality. Both New Jersey and New York have same-sex marriage bills working through the legislatures.

In Alaska, voters today will choose a new mayor for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The front-runner is Assemblymember Luke Hopkins, who has lived in Alaska since 1966. Tammie Wilson, who moved to Alaska only six years ago and still manages rental properties in Illinois, ran as a socially conservative Christian backed by the baptist churches. She won enough votes in October to force a run-off election today.

Sara’s News Round-Up 11/1/09

Sunday, 1 November 2009 – 3:28 PM | Comments Off

National LGBT news links from Sara Boesser of Juneau, Alaska.

1) Sweden’s Lutheran church to celebrate gay weddings

Stockholm, Sweden, AFP, October 23, 2009

2) Focus of Gay-Marriage Fight Is Maine

Maine, New York Times, October 27, 2009

3) Katherine Ragsdale installed as Episcopal Divinity School’s president and dean

Cambridge, Mass., Episcopal Life, October 28, 2009

4) Prominent United Methodist Minister Elected to National Board of Directors of PFLAG

Washington, DC, PFLAG, October 26, 2009

5) Stoning law to be reviewed

Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Straits Times, October 27, 2009

6) Newsom’s Out: Quits Calif. Governor Race

San Francisco, Advocate, October 30, 2009

7) Army dream of transgender man

Middlesbrough, Ireland, Belfast Telegraph, October 30, 2009

8) AP NewsBreak: IOC to hold meeting on gender cases

London, Associated Press, October 27, 2009

9) Call for equal rights for all forms of family

Malta, Times of Malta, October 30, 2009

10) Paterson calls lawmakers back for marriage bill ~ New York Governor wants ‘extraordinary session’

Albany, New York, Southern Voice, October 30, 2009

Vote for Mayor of Fairbanks, COLAGE survey, and Out in Alaska recruits East Coast travelers

Sunday, 1 November 2009 – 8:26 AM | Comments Off

Gay AK – news briefs for and about LGBT Alaska

Vote in Fairbanks’ Nov. 3rd Mayoral Runoff

The runoff election for borough mayor is on Nov. 3rd. The two candidates are very different in ideology and experience, and our borough will look very different depending on who wins this race. Luke Hopkins, a democrat, won the first round and now faces Tammie Wilson, a conservative Christian, in the run-off election. Please vote.

Imperial Court elects new board members

Congratulations to the new members on the ICOAA Board of Directors: Mikel Wiles, Mary Bess Bohall, Scott Turner, and Christopher Oeser.

Another Fairbanks LGBT Retreat?

Thanks to everyone who showed up at the retreat this weekend. It was a great success and the feedback suggests that people would like a similar event to happen in the near future. Contact Joshua to suggest ideas for other events.

AMP Launch

More than 20 people showed up to the AMP Launch at Snow City. “We got the ball rolling on our MPowerment Project, now it’s time to spread the word about AMP throughout the community,” writes Ted Jones, Prevention Coordinator/Facilitator at Four A’s. The MPowerment Project is a community-level HIV prevention program for young gay and bisexual men.

Take the COLAGE Donor Insemination Survey

COLAGE, a national network of people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parents, announces the ART Project to highlight the experiences of COLAGErs born through Assisted Reproductive Technologies. COLAGE is calling all youth born through donor insemination, and their parents, to take a 15-20 minute online survey, available through November 30. There is a survey for LGBTQ identified parents with a donor conceived child and a different survey for people born through donor insemination with a LGBTQ identified parent. For more info, contact Jeff DeGroot.

Out in Alaska Roadshow

Meet Out in Alaska’s lead guide Tim Stallard at the Gay and Lesbian World Travel Expo in Boston on 11/3, at the LGBT CENTER in New York City on 11/6, and at the All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC on 11/10. Visit Out in Alaska for more info on the roadshow and the Alaskan adventures.

Alaskan Psycho-Zombie-Homophobe Halloween video

Saturday, 31 October 2009 – 1:11 PM | One Comment

On Halloween, we watch scary movies. But Bent is a GLBT Alaska blog, and there aren’t many scary movies set in queer Alaska. However, there are scary videos of our homegrown homophobes.

The scariest gay-related Alaska show I’ve ever seen was real: the public hearings on the non-discrimination ordinance. It was downright creepy listening to religious fanatics read a steady stream of random Biblical quotes and unscientific homophobic nonsense to the Anchorage Assembly as their public comments against a secular non-discrimination ordinance, while dozens of devil-red-shirted church members clapped at the lunacy. They were all kinds of crazy, and scarier than fictional characters because you might find yourself standing in the grocery store next to them after the hearing.

But I won’t subject you to the testimonies. Instead, John at Alaska Commons recently posted a creepy video from Prevo’s 38th Pastoral Anniversary at ABT mixed with photos from the protests outside the hearings.

Gryphen from Immoral Minority actually attended Prevo’s celebration of homophobia and wrote an interesting story about that day. On John’s video montage, he said,

“Crushing the enemy under our feet.” No you did not hear that wrong.

I was sitting in the audience when they were singing that song and watched the congregation, with heads lifted toward the heavens, belt out that song with both conviction and passion.

They DO believe with all of their hearts that they are fighting a battle against the devil, and that the LGBT community are his agents here on earth.

Definietly creepy. So here is a video of local Alaskan homophobes for a bit of Halloween entertainment. Thanks to John and Gryphen for the video and on-the-scene commentary.

Rep. Young and Rev. Prevo support a gay rights law?

Friday, 30 October 2009 – 3:18 PM | Comments Off

The Hate Crimes Act passed by Congress and signed by President Obama is supported by an unlikely alliance.

Advocate of the week: “After more than a decade of opposition and delay, we’ve passed inclusive hate crimes legislation to help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love, how they pray, or who they are.”

– President Obama at Wednesday’s signing of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.

Amen to that.

Confused person of the week: “Prevo says he agrees with this hate crime bill but he continues to stand against the anti-discrimination ordinance. ‘Hopefully this will satisfy the homosexual community and they will not defy our city again…'”

– from New law protects LGBT community in Alaska, KTVA Channel 11.

Defy our city??

Prevo preached 35 years of hate and bigotry against us, and built his church on a foundation of homophobia, but he agrees that we should be protected from the violence that his hate speech promotes.

Wait… he agrees with the hate crimes bill, a gay rights law? So if we propose a similar ordinance to protect LGBT Alaskans against violent hate crimes, Prevo will publicly support us. That I’d like to see.

Surprise of the week: All three of Alaska’s Congress members voted for the Hate Crimes Act. Senator Begich, Senator Murkowski and Representative Young all voted for the Defense spending bill which the Hate Crimes Act is attached to. Most republicans voted against it. Young added special projects for Alaska and voted for a gay rights bill to get them. Pork for Equality.

This Week in LGBT Alaska 10/30/09

Friday, 30 October 2009 – 12:10 AM | Comments Off

Happy Halloween!

This week’s 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, downtown.

Fairbanks

UAF Gay-Straight Alliance, Mondays at 5 p.m. Jessi.

Wednesday LGBTA Social at 9 p.m. Email Joshua for the current 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

The Rocky Horror Show, opens 10/30 at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays through Nov 21. $20, at Mad Myrna’s.

Out: University of Alaska Anchorage, GLBTQA Support Group, Sundays at noon.

Sunday worship and Wednesday Bible study with MCC Anchorage.

PFLAG Board of Directors meeting 11/3, 7 p.m. at the GLCCA.

President Obama’s remarks on the Hate Crimes law (VIDEO)

Thursday, 29 October 2009 – 2:48 AM | Comments Off

Alaskans Together on today’s signing of the Hate Crimes Act

Wednesday, 28 October 2009 – 4:58 PM | One Comment

Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. applauds President Obama for signing the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law

Anchorage – The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act makes it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. celebrates the final passage of this legislation, signed into law by President Obama today. We congratulate the joint efforts of everyone who worked to make this bill become law.

“This is a great day for all fair-minded Americans that our government has finally taken a strong stand in opposition to violence targeting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Americans simply for their identity or perceived identity,” said Tim Stallard, Spokesperson for Alaskans Together For Equality, Inc.

The bill is named for Matthew Shepard, a gay Wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped, severely beaten, and left to die tied to a fence in October 1998, and James Byrd, Jr., an African-American who in June of 1998 was beaten, chained to the back of a pick-up truck, and dragged for miles over rural roads in Jasper, Texas. While all violent crime is reprehensible, ‘hate crimes’ are meant to terrorize and invoke fear in an entire community of people.

“We are very proud that both Alaska’s Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski have supported this strong statement against hatred and violent discrimination,” said Elias Rojas, newly elected Board President of Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

This important legislation will make it easier for federal prosecutors to step in when state or local authorities are unable or unwilling to pursue hate crimes. This is welcome news for LGBT Alaskans in the wake of Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan’s recent veto of a municipal non-discrimination ordinance that would have extended protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people from workplace and housing discrimination, despite evidence and extensive public testimony that such discrimination exists.

Alaskans Together for Equality is a membership based group that advances civil equality for all Alaskans through grass roots organizing and advocacy. Alaskans Together for Equality is the only statewide lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender civil rights organization in Alaska.

Churches are at war over homosexuality

Tuesday, 27 October 2009 – 11:56 AM | Comments Off

This article on the harm caused by anti-gay churches was written by Matthew Moak and posted yesterday on MCC Anchorage.

If the past summer in Anchorage is any indication, Christian churches are at war over homosexuality and this war is exacting a heavy toll among homosexuals themselves. Homosexuals are the number one persecuted group of people in the Christian community, persecuted by their own friends, families, and church families.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers, according to the Massachusetts 2006 Youth Risk Survey. A 2007 San Francisco State University Chavez Center Institute study shows that LGBT and questioning youth who come from a rejecting family are up to nine times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. And for every completed suicide by a young person, it is estimated that 100 to 200 attempts are made (2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey).

If that is not disturbing enough, GLBT youth left homes last year more often (12.38 times) than their heterosexual counterparts (6.69 times). GLBT youth were more likely to leave as a result of physical abuse, alcohol use in the family and conflicts with family over their sexual orientation.

Nothing says Jesus like making a child’s living conditions at home so unbearable that they feel they must either take to the streets where drug addiction, sexual abuse, homelessness, alcohol addiction and more horrific realities await them on the streets, or commit suicide. Nothing says Jesus more than displaying such an utter lack of understanding or compassion that homosexuals are driven from their homes and take their lives.

This summer on the Eddie Burke show, one caller referred to the homosexual community as non-human. Other callers read Scriptures that they interpreted to mean that God did not love homosexuals. I suspect that callers believe this because it is what they have been told as opposed to seeking and searching the Scriptures.

Baptist Pastor Jerry Prevo claims that the idea of homosexuals being protected from discrimination under the law would give them special rights which are unnecessary because homosexuals already have the same rights as heterosexual individuals. Further, in a KTVA interview, Prevo also claims that he doesn’t believe discrimination is actually happening in the city of Anchorage.

In an interview conducted by the Anchorage Daily News, Pastor Prevo asserts:

“I’ve tried to reason with these people. I don’t want the issue to come up. I’ve just dealt with a couple. … Their daughter, 19 years old now, is taking shots to make herself a man. These parents, their daughter never had any signs of being unsatisfied with her assigned sex, which is another terminology in here that’s a legal term, assigned sex at birth, and what they feel like has happened, she just got with this crowd and has been brought over.

“My problem is when I take this stand and I can’t minister to these people. I can’t tell them that Jesus Christ died for them and will forgive them just like he will an adulterer or a murderer and they can be changed. It makes it hard for them to listen to me, because they frame me as being hateful. … But I see it as that I’m telling them the truth. …

“I’ve had those who’ve come out of homosexuality in my church, and I’m sure I have some there now that are homosexuals. Based on scripture, I just can’t allow them to promote it as an acceptable alternative lifestyle.”

Red flags should immediately be raised when the pastor of any church is unable to minister to any individual or a group of people. What Pastor Prevo has asserted here is his inability to love all people.

Often, when we are so close to a subject we are passionate about, we fail to see that it is ourselves promoting hate, intolerance and that individuals who display such an utter lack of compassion, understanding and love (the greatest commandment) are the very people who are enabling children and young adults to take to the streets, and to take their lives.

It is time Anchorage to begin shouting from our churches that the spreading of hate, intolerance and discrimination must end. The lives of so many are being destroyed and countless lives are being lost, largely because churches and spiritual leaders such as Jerry Prevo are far too busy trying to be correct, rather than making an attempt to minister and to love.

Gay & Lesbian Alaskans at the National Equality March

Monday, 26 October 2009 – 7:58 AM | 3 Comments

When Cleve Jones announced the National Equality March for LGBT Rights, he invited people to come “from Utah and California, from Maine to Hawaii, from Alaska to Florida.” Four months later, several Alaskans marched in the Washington DC rally – and people noticed.

“From as far away as Alaska, thousands of LGBT people demanding marriage, adoption and immigration rights rallied Sunday at the National Equality March,” began a Washington Blade article on the DC rally.

“The National Equality March brought participants from states across the country — some from as far away as California and Alaska — and included a strong contingent from Atlanta,” wrote Southern Voice Atlanta.

A description of the Camp Courage workshop on Saturday said, “About 200 participants from across the country including Alaska showed up learning the basic skills of telling your story in order to change hearts and minds.” [Asian Pacific Americans for Progress]

And a 365.GAY blogger was impressed by “the huge number of young activists – or would-be emerging activists – present and eager to be accounted for. Students had come from Maine, Alaska, Texas, Tennessee and California…”

The Washington Blade reporter spoke with Maureen:

“Some marchers came from as far away as Alaska. Maureen Longworth, a lesbian physician from Juneau, and member of Alaskans Together for Equality, said she wanted to join the march because she’s always been a civil rights believer.”

“A plaintiff in an Alaska lawsuit that brought partner benefits to state employees, Longworth said she hoped the march would push Alaska’s delegation in Congress to act more favorably on LGBT issues.”

“Two of three of our legislators are very conservative, and not always voting in our favor, she said.”

Three Alaskans, Marty, Lin and Maureen, were interviewed by This Way Out, an international gay and lesbian radio program that airs in southcentral Alaska on Wednesday evenings. The complete Equality March segment is online HERE (in audio) and the Alaskans are interviewed near the end, between NAACP chairman Julian Bond and America the Beautiful.

Reporter: “You’re coming from Alaska?”

Marty: “Juneau, Alaska. That’s right.

“That’s a long way. I think you win the prize for longest distance travelled to be here.”

“Yes, sore wings.”

“What was the impetus for your coming here?

“We had the privilege of getting married in California about a year ago, and then when the vote turned it around, it just brought [to our] attention that this is something that was really great, it was a really important thing for the two of us after we’ve been together for 27 years to actually be able to celebrate this. And it’s just wrong that other people don’t get that privilege and that right.”

“Is this the first march you’ve been to?”

“Yep.”

Lin: “We’ve been several times…”

Reporter: “How would you compare this one to previous marches?”

Lin: “This isn’t as big as the ’93 but the spirit is huge, and it’s wonderful to see a lot of young people too. I had already given up hope that in our lifetime we would have equal rights. During the Bush administration, it got very discouraging and now I feel like I have optimism again. It’s really wonderful to feel like my heart is more open to our government and the government’s heart is opening and softening towards us.”

Maureen: “I’m here because I believe in equality for all people and I always have. I was raised that way in Los Angeles in the 60’s and we started demonstrating for civil rights for African-Americans when I was a kid. So whoever needs the rights, I will be there for that person. That’s why I’m here today, and they happen to be for me.”