A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Identity: Stepping up & stepping out

Everybody knows what Identity is and does — but do they? Shannon Sanderson wrote this profile of the organization for a class at UAA this past June — and we thought everyone should get a chance to know Identity better.

Sara’s News Roundup 11/14/11: Antigay propaganda for Halloween

A Juneau father speaks out against antigay propaganda dropped in with his children’s Halloween candy, recent polls show public support for transgender equality, and “gay” penguins at the Toronto Zoo.  That and other recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) Bipartisan group reframes case for legalizing gay marriage
Washington, USA Today, November 8, 2011

2) Second Edition: Transition and Beyond now available
Portland, Oregon, www.transtherapist.com, November 2011

3) Same-sex penguin pair fascinates zookeepers
Toronto, Canada, Toronto News, November 4, 2011

4) Letter: The scariest thing this Halloween
Juneau, Alaska, Juneau Empire, November 8, 2011

5) Intersex councillor likely to be mayor
Sydney, Australia, Star Observer, November 7, 2011

6) Houston Mayor Annise Parker Wins Reelection
Houston, Texas, Advocate, November 8, 2011

7) Strong Majorities Favor Rights & Legal Protections for Transgender People
Washington, D.C., Public Religion Research Institute, November 2011

8) NY radio station launches new voice of black gay life
New York, inGrio, November 5, 2011

9) ‘Yes’ wins big in TC non-discrimination vote
Traverse City, Mich., Record Eagle, November 8, 2011

10) Commentary: More Faith Leaders Supporting Same-Sex Marriage
Black Entertainment Television, November 7, 2011

11) More than 90 Percent of American Catholics Back Transgender Rights
Washington, DC, Equally Blessed, November 8, 2011

12) Gay Penguins Buddy and Pedro Will Reunite Once They’ve Helped Propagate Their Species!
Toronto, Canada, SheWired, November 11, 2011

Preliminary report of the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey released

The preliminary report of a survey conducted earlier this year finds that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) residents of the Municipality of Anchorage experience significant levels of harassment, violence, and discrimination in employment, housing, education, public services, and child custody as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity or presentation. Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey: Preliminary Report by Melissa S. Green was released today by the Anchorage-based nonprofit Identity on behalf of the Alaska LGBT Community Survey Task Force.

The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey was conducted in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska, from January through March 2011, with 268 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) respondents included in the final dataset. The preliminary report  presents key findings from the survey on the incidence of violence, intimidation, and discrimination in employment, housing, education, child custody proceedings, and public services experienced by respondents in the Municipality of Anchorage because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender presentation. Summary data is presented for the total study population of 268 respondents, as well as for the 50 respondents who had been resident in the Municipality of Anchorage for less than five years.

Results show that discrimination, harassment, and bias are experienced by lesbian, gay, and bisexual residents of the Municipality of Anchorage at levels comparable to those experienced by respondents to One in Ten, a statewide survey of lesbian, gay, and bisexual Alaskans conducted in 1985 (published in 1986), and that that discrimination, harassment, and bias are also commonly experienced by transgender residents of the Municipality of Anchorage.  The 50 respondents who had lived in Anchorage less than five years reported experiencing discrimination/bias in Anchorage at only slightly lower rates than the survey population as a whole, despite of a much shorter span of time in Anchorage within which to accumulate experiences of discrimination.

More comprehensive information from the study, including methodology, complete demographic data on survey respondents, detailed analysis of the findings, and comments from survey respondents will be included in the final report (forthcoming in December 2011).

[Download the preliminary report from the
Alaska LGBT Community Survey Task Force website]

The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey came about as a result of a perceived need for quantifiable data on the incidence of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals in the Municipality of Anchorage. It represents the first effort since the late 1980s to compile rigorous data about the incidence of sexual orientation bias and discrimination in Anchorage — and the first effort ever to document Anchorage or Alaska-specific data about discrimination and bias on the basis of gender identity and expression.

The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey is a collaborative project of the Alaska LGBT community and a coalition of Alaska organizations which serve the LGBT community, including Identity, Inc., the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s), Alaskans Together for Equality (ATE), Equality Works, and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Alaska. The survey questionnaire and overall research project were designed by members of the Alaska LGBT Community Survey Task Force in consultation with Dr. Brad A. Myrstol and Khristy Parker of the Justice Center at University of Alaska Anchorage. Shelby Carpenter, LGBT Public Policy Coordinator with the ACLU of Alaska during the first half of work on the survey, was project manager for survey distribution and data collection, assisted by Drew Phoenix. Dr. Myrstol conducted statistical analysis on the final dataset. The principal investigator for the study is Melissa S. Green, who prepared this report and is also writing the final report. Questions about the survey can be directed to her at alaskacommunity@gmail.com.

Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey: Preliminary Report by Melissa S. Green is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://www.identityinc.org/.

Press release

Here is the text of the media advisory released this morning by Identity.

For Immediate Release

Identity
Phyllis Rhodes, Executive Director
907-929-4528

Report shows discrimination against lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender Alaskans.

Anchorage, AK, Nov. 10, 2011 — The nonprofit group Identity released today preliminary results of a study conducted this year about discrimination in Anchorage’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey’s initial results indicate members of the LGBT community in Anchorage continue to experience significant levels of discrimination in areas of employment, housing, education, public services and child custody as a result of their sexual orientation or gender identity or presentation. They also experience high levels of verbal harassment and physical violence.

“Unfortunately, we know discrimination within the LGBT community continues to be a problem in Anchorage as it does in other communities across the country,” stated Phyllis Rhodes, Executive Director of Identity. “The survey will help us quantify the problems we face so we can work to eliminate discrimination in our community as a whole.”

In the area of employment, 44 percent of respondents reported being harassed by employers or other employees; nearly 21 percent believed they were turned down for a job when otherwise qualified; almost 18 percent were denied a promotion and close to 15 percent said they were fired by their employer based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

In housing, over 18 percent of respondents reported being harassed by a landlord or other tenants, and more than 10 percent said they were denied a housing lease, even though they were otherwise qualified, because they were LGBT.

The Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey also shows that roughly three out of four survey respondents experienced verbal abuse, and nearly 43 percent were subjected to threats of physical violence. Further, almost 13 percent experienced property damage because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Melissa S. Green was the principal investigator for the project and authored the preliminary report released today. Green was also part of two similar research efforts in the 1980s conducted by Identity to document sexual orientation bias and discrimination in Alaska. The new study added transgender Alaskans to the survey and was conducted between January and March of this year, and involved paper and online surveys collected from 268 respondents in Anchorage who identified themselves as being LGBT. The project was designed by members of the Alaska LGBT Community Survey Task Force in consultation with Dr. Brad A. Myrstol and Khristy Parker of the Justice Center at University of Alaska Anchorage. Dr. Myrstol also assisted with statistical analysis.

Identity is an Anchorage-based, nonprofit organization founded in 1977, and provides programs supporting equality for the LGBT community and its allies. The complete report from the Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey will be released in December 2011.

Identity
Phyllis Rhodes, Executive Director
907-929-4528

A copy of the complete preliminary report is available online at www.identityinc.org or alaskacommunity.org.

# # #

Meet Penny Arcade & drink great wine — this Saturday at Out North

Good wine, good company, good organizations!

Enjoy some really great wine, provided by our friends at La Bodega!  Meet Penny Arcade, Performance Artist, before Saturday night’s show of B!D!F!W! Penny Arcade’s Sex and Censorship Show at Out North! And benefit some really great organizations — Identity, Northern Exposure, and Out North!

(La Bodega was already Bent Alaska editor Mel Green’s favorite liquor store — cool to know that it’s also supporting some of my favorite organizations!)

• Date/time: Saturday, November 12, 6:-00-8:00 PM
• Location: Out North Contemporary Art House, 3800 DeBarr Road Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: $15 per person
• Further info: see Facebook events page

Candlelight vigils for homeless youth in Fairbanks & Anchorage today & tomorrow — & why this matters to LGBTQ Alaskans

According to a 2007 study by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (NGLTF), between 20 and 40 percent of the estimated 1.6 million homeless youth in the United States identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) — highly disproportionate to their representation in the general population. And so: youth homelessness is an LGBT issue. Which we suggest is a good reason for members of the LGBT communities of Fairbanks and Anchorage to join in two candlelight vigils for homeless youth taking place today and tomorrow.

“Out in the Silence” showing a successful event for Anchorage-area GSAs

Out in the Silence was shown two nights ago (Sunday, Nov. 6th) at Out North. It was an excellent turnout of students, families, allies, and friends to address the issue of bullying of our teens that is brought up in the video.

Sara’s News Roundup 11/8/11

Recent LGBT news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.

1) N.J. judge allows gay marriage suit
New Jersey, Philadelphia Inquirer, November 5, 2011

2) ‘Ex-Gay’ Movement: Weaker By the Minute
Advocate, November 4, 2011

3) Race, Religion and Same-Sex Marriage
New York Times, October 31, 2011

4) Church of England vetoes services of blessing for same-sex couples
U.K., Guardian, November 2, 2011

5) Gay Teen Suspended for Wearing Makeup
Lexington, Tenn., Advocate, November 4, 2011

6) IRS Formally Agrees with Historic Court Ruling for Transgender Taxpayers
Washington, Human Rights Campaign, November 3, 2011

7) RIVERSIDE: Cal Baptist expels transgendered student
Riverside, Calif., Press-Enterprise, October 28 2011

8) Conference to discuss issues for gay Mormons
Utah, Salt Lake Tribune, November 3, 2011

9) Locker room is ready for a gay player: NHL scout
British Columbia, CTVBC, November 4, 2011

10) UN Report Spotlights LGBT Rights Abuses in Iran
Iran, Advocate, November 4, 2011

11) Glee Spoiler: Gay Sex Guarantees Controversy
Advocate, November 4, 2011

12) Mormon bishop says church responsible for gays’ emotional wounds
Utah, Salt Lake Tribune, November 6, 2011

Dine Out for Equality with One Anchorage at Schlotzsky’s Deli

Join One Anchorage at Schlotzsky’s Deli (on Dimond Blvd next to the Red Robin) on Tuesday, November 8. 20% of all sales (walk-in or drive thru) will benefit One Anchorage!

The One Anchorage Campaign will place an initiative on the April 2012 municipal ballot in Anchorage to add sexual orientation and transgender identity to Anchorage’s equal rights code. This follows on an equal rights ordinance which passed the Anchorage Assembly in 2009 by a vote of 7–4, only to be vetoed by Mayor Dan Sullivan.

Help us show the buying power of One Anchorage. Spread the word — lets fill this place up!

• Date/time: Tuesday, November 8, 3:00-8:00 PM
• Location: Schlotzsky’s Deli, 321 E. Dimond Blvd, Anchorage, AK (see map)
• Further info: see Facebook events page

Community Building for Alaska: The possibilities of every person

Several members of the Alaska LGBT community recently attended Community Building for Alaska sponsored by the Alaska Community Foundation & Alaska Pacific University, joining other Alaskans from throughout the state in a two-day program in experiential education on how to build community. We welcome one attendee, Shannon Sanderson, as a new contributor to Bent Alaska.

Healing Racism in Anchorage brings Brent Scarpo for anti-bullying film & workshop

Join Healing Racism in Anchorage (HRA) in welcoming renowned anti-bullying/anti-violence speaker and youth violent expert Brent Scarpo for his award-winning film Journey to a Hate-Free Millenium, a one-day workshop, and other events aimed at addressing bullying, violence,and racism. HRA is also offering a five-week course on building alliances to end racism in Anchorage.

Healing Racism in Anchorage steering committee member Steve Aufrecht wrote about Brent Scarpo recently on his blog What Do I Know? —

Brent was the casting director of The Shawshank Redemption (and other movies like That Thing You Do, Air Force One, and Matilda).  Then he decided he wanted to make his own films and work on eradicating hate….

Brent has taken this so seriously, he dropped out of his successful Hollywood career so that he could concentrate on doing his part to help free people from hate and fear.

See Steve’s second post about Scarpo too: it includes a video of a Skype conversation the two held, in which Scarpo described a chance phone call from a college student that changed the direction of his life.

Scarpo’s focus now is on transforming people so they can deal with and de-fuse hate — particularly in the form of bullying, whether motivated by racism, sexism, homophobia, or other reasons.

Journey to a Hate Free Millenium is an award-winning documentary film which looks at the subject of hate and bullying as seen through the stories of the Columbine High School student shootings, the dragging death of African-American, James Byrd Jr from Jasper, Texas, and the murder of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard.

Scarpo’s presentation of the film kicks off a series of events sponsored by Healing Racism in Anchorage during Scarpo’s visit and continuing through December.  On Tuesday, November 8, Scarpo will conduct a “Train the Trainers” workshop on addressing racism and hate, and he’ll also be speaking at a number of local community organizations, schools and businesses, discussing the origins of interpersonal hatred and how individuals can affect change in our community.

Healing Racism in Anchorage is also offering a five-week course, Building Alliances to End Racism, which is available for credit.  The course begins Thursday, November 10 at and runs every Thursday through December 15 (except for Thanksgiving).

Journey to a Hate Free Millennium (film)

This  documentary looks at the subject of hate and bullying as seen through the stories of the Columbine High School student shootings, the dragging death of African-American James Byrd Jr of Jasper, Texas and gay college student, Matthew Shepard of Laramie, Wyoming.  The film has won over 25 film festival awards.

• Date/time: Monday, November 7, 7:00-9:00 PM
• Location: East Anchorage High School Auditorium, 4025 East Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage, AK (see map)
• Cost of admission: Free
• Further info: see Facebook events page

“Train the Trainers” workshop

In this single-evening workshop, participants will:

1. Gain at least one important insight into how racism works in the US;
2. Understand the overlap between racism and bullying;
3. Gain at least one practical tool that will help them deal with racist/bullying
   incidents at work or in private life;
4. Leave with a plan for increasing their knowledge about racism/ bullying and for having an impact on decreasing racism/bullying in the next year; and
5. Understand workplace violence and how to spot the signs of a possible incident.

Brent will engage participants interactively to help them meet their most pressing concerns. There is a limit of 30 participants.

Please contact Healing Racism in Anchorage at healingracism@gmail.com or (907) 561-3238 for information on the workshop and registration.

• Date/time: Tuesday, November 8, 5:30 to 9:00 PM
• Location: Credit Union One in Mountain View, 115 N. Bragaw St., Anchorage, AK (see map)
• Cost of admission:$50 in advance. Contact us at
  healingracism@gmail.com for information and registration.
• Further info: see Facebook events page

Building Alliances to End Racism (5-week course)

As part of Healing Racism in Anchorage‘s Fall 2011 event, join us for our credit course, Building Alliances to End Racism. This 5-week workshop will deepen your awareness of how racism affects you and what you can do to improve our society. You’ll learn how to be more sensitive to the experiences of others, how to unlearn racist patterns and how to move from awareness into action. This course will look closely at the topics of bullying and hate crimes and how they can be eliminated. This is a chance to build supportive relationships with other people who also care about racial justice.

Classes meet at the Anchorage School District building every Thursday between November 10 to December 15 (except for Thanksgiving!) Academic credit available.

• Date/time: Every Thursday between November 10 to December 15 (except for Thanksgiving!), 5:30 to 8:00 PM
• Location: Anchorage School District, 5530 E Northern Lights Blvd, Anchorage (see map)
• Further info: see Facebook events page