A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

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.

“An Ordinary Family” and “Weekend” — two gay films showing in Anchorage this week

Two films featuring gay male characters are playing this week in Anchorage: An Ordinary Family with two screenings on Wednesday and Thursday, December 7—8 (part of the Anchorage International Film Festival), and Weekend on Monday, December 12.

Last Frontier Drag Kings debut show in Anchorage this Saturday

Join the Last Frontier Drag Kings for their debut show, a Christmas celebration!

What makes this show especially special is that it’s Alaskas’ very first all drag king show. That’s right: kings only — though we’re betting some of Alaska’s favorite drag queens will also make a showing as audience members in support of their brothers-in-drag.

Come check it out!

Hosted by Allie Hernandez of AMC Entertainment, LLC.

• Date/time: Saturday, December 10, 10:00 PM to midnight
• Location: S Lounge, 720 Gambell Street (Corner of 7th and Gambell), Anchorage, AK (see map)
• Cost of admission: $10 cover
• Further info: see Facebook events page

Sara’s News Roundup 12/6/11: Occupy Wall Street poor on gender analysis

OWS not so good on gender, Marine Corps good on DADT repeal, major league baseball adopts nondiscrimination in sexual orientation, and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Occupy Wall Street’s Tragic Lack of Gender Analysis
Gay City News, October 26, 2011

2) Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign Under Fire For LGBT Community Stance
Huffington Post, November 25, 2011

3) Top Marine says service embracing gay ban repeal
Manama, Gahrin, Associated Press, November 28, 2011

4) Conservatives Grapple With Gay Wedding Rite ~ Rabbis Create Traditional Service, But Some Couples Balk
Jewish Daily Forward, November 28, 2011

5) Major League Baseball adopts pro-gay non-discrimination policy
Washington Blade, November 23, 2011

6) LGBT Films Score Big Year End Honors
New York, Advocate, November 29, 2011

7) Barney Frank to Retire
Newton, Mass., Advocate, November 28, 2011

8) TV’s New Transgender Sensation is 11-Years-Old
Advocate, November 26, 2011

9) FBI agents upset over movie alleging J. Edgar Hoover was gay
Washington, Washington Post, November 29, 2011

10) Judge Rules Texas Transgender Man’s Marriage Valid
Dallas, Texas, Advocate, December 2, 2011

11) Asexual Is Good
Gay City News, November 9, 2011

12) Religious experts agree anti-gay texts of major faiths taken out of context
California, University Daily Sundial, December 1, 2011

13) Sex, History And Lesbian Outlaws
Advocate, December 3, 2011

14) ‘Trans-parency’ in the workplace
PhysOrg.com, November 17, 2011

15) Wendi C. Thomas: Ex-head of ‘Love’ rejects claims
Memphis, Commercial Appeal, November 20, 2011

16) Why I go gaga for Lady Gaga
Charleston Gazette, December 1, 2011

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

Happy Holi-Divas! — and 11th annual holiday toy drive at Lower LA in Fairbanks

Happy HOLI-DIVAS to you!

This month’s First Friday at the Lower L.A. in Fairbanks features entertainment by “Haus oF Fusion” Femme Illusion, live singing with Karnelle Brown, plus Cabaret Noir — Burlesque!

It’s also the 11th Annual Holiday Toy Drive Event, a Toy Drive to benefit the Interior AIDS Association (IAA). Toys & donations to toy fund will go to benefit children whose families utilize the services of IAA. Your door charge will be waived for any new toys brought in of $10 value or more! (If you are not able to attend this event, please consider dropping off an unwrapped toy to the offices of IAA at 710 3rd Ave, anytime between now and December 16th! )

• Date/time: Friday, December 2. Doors open at 9 PM, show 10 PM to 1 AM
• Location: Lower LA ( lounge downstairs from Los Amigos Tex-Mex), 636 28th Ave, Fairbanks, AK (see map)
• Cost of admission: $10 general seating, $15 VIP table seat. Limited VIP table seating & general seating tix available at (907) 322-5242. Tonight: your door charge waived for any new toys brought in of $10 value or more!
• Age restrictions: 21+ in bar area, limited 18+ in restaurant area.
• Further info: see Facebook events page

Stories of Pride: Pride Foundation presents an evening of storytelling and celebration at Out North

Pride Foundation would like to express our gratitude to the many donors and volunteers who have made this year a success with an intimate evening of storytelling and celebration. Light food and beverages will be served, coming out stories will be powerful, and “thank you’s” will be abundant. This is a free event. All are welcome.

World AIDS Day 2011: Aiming for zero

World AIDS Day is Thursday, December 1. The Four A’s and the Interior AIDS Association have organized events including candlelight vigils in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

World AIDS Day is celebrated on December 1 each year around the world. It has become one of the most recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services. Events including candlelight vigils are scheduled in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

More than one million people are living with HIV in the U.S., and more than one in five (21%) of them are unaware of their infection, according to estimates of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s) reports that there have been 1,394 reported cases of HIV infection in Alaska since 1982. In 2010, 38 Alaskans were newly diagnosed with HIV.

Internationally, the theme of World AIDS Day for 2011 to 2015, as decided by the World AIDS Campaign’s Global Steering Committee, is Getting to Zero: zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths. The Four A’s has joined in with this theme, declaring its own theme this year as Aim for Zero:

We are aiming for zero stigma, zero discrimination, zero risk, zero new cases and most importantly, zero deaths.

The Four A’s and the Interior AIDS Association have organized events including candlelight vigils in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau.

Anchorage

Join us at Four A’s for a night of awareness and a candlelight vigil. Following the vigil from 9 to midnight, there will a Condom Pub Crawl in downtown Anchorage bars, during which AMP and VOX will be distributing free red ribbons and condoms.

• Date/time: Thursday, December 1, 6:00–7:30 PM
• Location: Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s), 1057 W Fireweed, Ste 102, Anchorage, AK (see map)
• Further info: see Facebook events page

Fairbanks

Join the Interior AIDS Association, West Valley High School GSA, and the Pride Foundation for an evening in commemoration of World AIDS Day. Refreshments at 5:30; program including presentations from the West Valley High School GSA and the Pride Foundation begin at 6pm. The evening will end with a candlelight vigil at 7.

• Date/time: Thursday, Dec 1. Refreshments at 5:30 PM; program begins 6:00 PM; candlelight vigil begins 7:00 PM.
• Location: Morris Thompson Cultural and Visitors Center, 101 Dunkel St, Fairbanks, AK (see map)
• Further info: see Interior AIDS Association Calendar of Events or the Facebook events page

Juneau

• Date/time: Thursday, December 1, 6:00 PM
• Location: Baranof Hotel, 127 N Franklin St, Juneau, AK (see map)

Sara’s News Roundup 11/28/11: Phyllis Lyon celebrates 87

Longtime LGBT activist Phyllis Lyon turns 87, the impact of same-sex marriage in the presidential race, and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Rachel Maddow Wishes LGBT Activist Phyllis Lyon Happy Birthday – Video
SheWired, November 22, 2011

On November 16, Rachel Maddow wished pioneering LGBT rights activist Phyllis Lyon Happy Birthday at Phyllis’ “Big Birthday Bash” sponsored by Lyon-Martin Health Services on November 16, 2011 at the San Francisco LGBT Center (her 87th birthday was actually on November 10).  Watch:

Lyon-Martin Health Services provides personalized healthcare and support services to women and transgender people who lack access to quality care because of their sexual or gender identity, regardless of their ability to pay.

2) Gay Marriage Could Bring Shifts in Republican Race
Concord, New Hampshire, Associated Press, November 24, 2011

3) Gay marriage message takes gentler tone in Maine
California, San Francisco Chronicle, November 21, 201

4) Opinion: Keeping Marital Secrets Closeted
New York Times, November 24, 2011

5) Author Jonathan Dudley Examines What the Bible Really Says About Gay Marriage (and Other Surprising Revelations)
Baltimore, Maryland, Marketwire, October 28, 2011

6) Seniors Know The Key to Happiness
Advocate, November 21, 2011

7) Young, Gay And Homeless: Fighting For Resources
NPR, November 20, 2011

8) The Flesh and the Spirit
Advocate, November 23, 2011

9) Two Spirit Documentary Breaks PBS Records
Advocate, November 19, 2011

10) The Gay Men’s Chorus strives to stay relevant
Sacramento, Calif., Sacramento Bee, November 27, 2011

11) Transgender Player Helps American Samoa to First International Soccer Win
Apia, Samoa, New York Times, November 25, 2011

12) I’m Retiring the Word ‘Tranny’… Will You Join Me?
Huffington Post, October 19, 2011

13) Lady Gaga To Receive Trevor Hero Award For LGBT Community Work
Huffington Post, November 20, 2011

14) Do You Want To See The “It’s Time” Marriage Ad On TV?
Australia, Advocate, November 27, 2011

Remembering Harvey Milk

Today marks the anniversary of the death of Harvey Milk, assassinated in 1978 by Dan White. Bent Alaska presents his story with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Harvey Milk

“The important thing is not that we can live on hope alone, but that life is not worth living without it.”

Harvey Milk (born May 22, 1930, died November 27, 1978) became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in the U.S. when he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. He served eleven months before he was assassinated. Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Harvey Milk, a New Yorker, migrated to San Francisco in the 1970s, when an influx of gay immigrants from across the country was changing the Castro neighborhood into the city’s gay village. Milk opened a camera store and founded the Castro Valley Association of local merchants. His willingness to represent the interests of local merchants with city government earned him the unofficial title of “the Mayor of Castro Street.” Milk discovered that he had a natural flair for politics.

Milk was a political outsider and a populist who made his own rules. From his shop in the Castro, he ran grassroots campaigns based on relentless meetings, door-to-door canvassing, and media interviews. His supporters formed “human billboards” by standing along major thoroughfares holding placards. Milk’s first three tries for office were unsuccessful, but  gave him increasing credibility with the electorate.

When Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, a 68-year-old lesbian wrote, “I thank God I have lived long enough to see my kind emerge from the shadows and join the human race.”

Milk was shot to death in his City Hall office on Nov. 27, 1978, by Dan White, a conservative anti-gay former supervisor who also murdered Mayor George Moscone. White was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years imprisonment. City-wide violence erupted in San Francisco when White’s sentence was announced.

Harvey Milk had forebodings of his assassination. He left a tape-recorded “political will” naming his preferred successor on the Board of Supervisors. On that tape he said: “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”

Milk became well-known in his lifetime for variations of what was called his “Hope Speech.”  Here is as it was heard in the award-winning documentary “The Times of Harvey Milk” (1984):

For more about Harvey Milk, visit his LGBT History Month page or Wikipedia article.