A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Drew Pritt, known in Alaska as Caleb Pritt, announces run for Congress in Arkansas

Andrew Caleb “Drew” Pritt — a former member of Anchorage’s LGBT community who fled back to his home state of Arkansas in September after money from a fundraiser he had organized went missing — announced today that he will run for Congress in Arkansas.

Dan Savage, journalist & author (LGBT History Month)

Dan Savage is an award-winning author, journalist, newspaper editor and political commentator. He launched the “It Gets Better” video project to combat bullying and prevent LGBT teen suicides. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Dan Savage

“I thought, when I was a kid, that my mother and father would be devastated if I ever told them I was gay.”

Dan Savage (born October 7, 1964) is an award-winning author, journalist, newspaper editor and political commentator. He launched the It Gets Better video project to combat bullying and prevent LGBT teen suicides.

Born in Chicago, Savage was the third of four children in an Irish Catholic family. He attended Quigley Prep, which Savage describes as “a Catholic high school for boys thinking of becoming priests.”

At 18, Savage came out to his family. After initially having a difficult time, they became supportive. Savage enrolled at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in theater.

In 1991, Savage’s sex-advice column, “Savage Love,” first appeared in The Stranger, an alternative weekly newspaper in Seattle. The internationally syndicated column has been called funny, sarcastic, informative and outrageous.

Savage’s columns were compiled into a book, Savage Love: Straight Answers from America’s Most Popular Sex Columnist (1998). He has also written The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant (1999) and The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family (2006) and won a Lambda Literary Award for Skipping Towards Gomorrah: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Pursuit of Happiness in America (2003).

In 2010, reacting to the suicides of bullied LGBT youth, Savage started the It Gets Better Project, which encourages adults to submit videos assuring gay teens that life gets better. As of 2011, the project generated more than 5,000 video submissions, including testimonials from President Obama, Ellen DeGeneres, Tim Gunn, Anne Hathaway, Ke$ha and other celebrities. For creating It Gets Better, Savage received a Webby Special Achievement Award, the leading international award honoring online excellence.  With his husband Terry Miller, Savage compiled a book based on It Gets Better videos, It Gets Better: Coming Out, Overcoming Bullying, and Creating a Life Worth Living, about which Bent Alaska wrote in March. Introducing the book, Savage expressed the frustration LGBT adults have had as they were forced to stand idly by while homophobic parents, ministers, teachers, and kids battered  the bodies and spirits of LGBT youth:

The culture used to offer this deal to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people: You’re ours to torture until you’re eighteen.  You will be bullied and tormented at school, at home, at church — until you’re eighteen. Then, you can do what you want. You can come out, you can move away, and maybe, if the damage we’ve done isn’t too severe, you can recover and build a life for yourself. There’s just one thing you can’t do after you turn eighteen: You can’t talk to the kids we’re still torturing, the LGBT teenagers being assaulted emotionally, physically, and spiritually in the same cities, schools, and churches you escaped from. And if you do attempt to talk to the kids we’re still torturing, we’ll impugn your motives, we’ll accuse you of being a pedophile or pederast, we’ll claim you’re trying to recruit children into “the gay lifestyle.”

That was the old order and it fell apart when the It Gets Better Project went viral.  Suddenly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender adults all over the world — all over the world — were speaking to LGBT youth.  We weren’t waiting for permission anymore. We found our voices.

Savage has been a contributor to Out magazine and HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher.” As a political commentator on LGBT issues, Savage has appeared frequently on CNN and MSNBC.

Savage and  his husband Terry Miller, who married in 2005, live in Seattle with their adopted son.

The It Gets Better project got its start when Dan Savage and Terry Miller uploaded a video on September 21, 2010, in response to the suicides of teenagers bullied because they were, or were believed by their peers to be, gay. Watch:

For more about Dan Savage, visit his column, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Dan Savage, 12 June 2005. Photo via Wikimedia provided by Dan Savage; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Sara’s News Roundup 10/25/11

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

1) More schools take action to stem anti-gay bullying
Los Angeles, Associated Press, October 22, 2011

2) Ending Bi Erasure — on TV and in Our LGBT Worlds
Advocate, September 23, 2011

3) Rachel Maddow Says Gay Culture at Risk From Marriage
Advocate, October 5, 2011

4) SDSU second college in nation to offer LGBT major
San Diego, Sign On News, October 4, 2011

5) Trans American Military Stories
Advocate, September 21, 2011

6) Frank Kameny, Father of American Gay Movement, Dies at 86
Gay City News, October 21, 2011

7) Interesting site: Wikipedia regarding LGBT rights in a state by state, issue by issue format.

8) Johnny Weir as the face of M.A.C.’s 2011 Holiday collection “Glitter and Ice”
Ohnotheydidnt.com, October 19, 2011

9) ‘It’s Important To Live Your Life Openly,’ Says Gov.’s Daughter
Boston, Boston Channel, October 22, 2011

10) Herman Cain Says He Will Support Federal Marriage Ban
Advocate, October 23, 2011

11) Marriage Debate, Meet the Science of Bodies Like Ours
Huffington Post, October 12, 2011

12) Nhojj Releases “Adam & Steve” for LGBT History Month
PRWeb, October 19, 2011

13) Australian passports to now come with 3 gender options: male, female and indeterminate
Canberra, Australia, Canadian Press, September 15, 2011

14) Bachmann’s N.H. Staff Didn’t Resign — They Just Left
New Hampshire, Advocate, October 23, 2011

15) Gay Teen Suicides Launch Nationwide LGBT Risk Study
International Business Times, October 20, 2011

16) Does the process of aging free women sexually?
Shine, October 21, 2011

Ryan Murphy, writer, director, & producer (LGBT History Month)

Ryan Murphy is an award-winning film and television director, writer and producer. He is best known for creating the television series “Nip/Tuck” and “Glee.” Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Ryan Murphy

“I dealt with my sexuality at a very early age. I didn’t have a struggle, and I know so many people who were terrified of dealing with it.”

Ryan Murphy (born November 30, 1965 ) is an award-winning film and television director, writer and producer. He is best known for creating the television series “Nip/Tuck” and “Glee.”

Murphy grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, in an Irish Catholic family. His mother was a writer. His father was a newspaper circulation director. At 15, after coming out to his parents, Murphy saw a therapist, who said he was just “too precocious for his own good.”

At Indiana University in Bloomington, Murphy worked on the school newspaper and performed with the “Singing Hoosiers,” the university’s show choir.

Starting out as a journalist, Murphy worked for the Miami Herald, the Los Angeles Times and Entertainment Weekly. He began scriptwriting in the late 1990’s. In 1999, he made his first foray into television, creating the teen comedy series “Popular”. He wrote most of the show’s episodes.

In 2003, Murphy created “Nip/Tuck”, winner of the 2005 Golden Globe for best TV drama series. Murphy wrote and directed many episodes and served as executive producer for the show, which ran for seven seasons. “Nip/Tuck” earned him his first Emmy Award nomination for directing.

“Glee”, a groundbreaking musical comedy series created by Murphy, premiered in 2009. In its second season, the show became a pop culture phenomenon and one of the top-rated programs on television among young adults. That season, “Glee” received four Emmy Awards, including one for Murphy for outstanding directing for a comedy series.

For its honest depictions of LGBT characters and story lines, “Glee” also received the 2010 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. The same year, Murphy directed Julia Roberts in a screenplay he co-wrote based on the book Eat, Pray, Love. The film grossed over $200 million worldwide. His most recent project, the TV series “American Horror Story”, premiered on F/X earlier this month.

Murphy serves on the National Advisory Board of the Young Storytellers Foundation, a Los Angeles area educational program that brings entertainment professionals into the classroom.

Murphy lives in Los Angeles.

In October 2010, Mediaweek talked with Ryan Murphy about Glee‘s impact on its gay viewers, and his own commitment to gay kids. Watch:

For more about Ryan Murphy, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Ryan Murphy at at the 2010 Comic Con in San Diego, 25 July 2010. Photo by Gage Skidmore; used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Does Anyone Beat Your Heart for You

I spoke this poem today at the Community Building for Alaska workshop sponsored by the Alaska Community Foundation & Alaska Pacific University, after a morning’s discussion. It’s not possible to walk together in community as anyone other than who we are, carrying our own minds, hearts, souls.

Constance McMillen, youth activist (LGBT History Month)

Constance McMillen became a poster child for LGBT rights after asking permission to bring her girlfriend to the prom. When her school responded by cancelling the prom, McMillen took legal action. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Constance McMillen

“Stand up like I did. It was hard but it was worth it.”

Constance McMillen (born 1992) became a poster child for LGBT rights after asking permission to bring her girlfriend to the prom. When her school responded by cancelling the prom, McMillen took legal action.

As a senior at Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi, McMillen challenged the prom rules forbidding same-sex couples from attending and girls from wearing tuxedos. When the school cancelled the prom, students responded by harassing McMillen.

The ACLU filed a lawsuit requesting that the court order the school to hold an inclusive prom. The case was settled when a U.S. District Court ruled that McMillen’s First Amendment rights had been violated. The Itawamba County School District consented to a judgment in which it paid McMillen $35,000 and $81,000 in attorneys’ fees.

After the settlement, the school held a prom. Only McMillen and seven learning disabled students attended. Parents organized a separate prom that all other students attended, but to which McMillen was not invited.

The school district agreed to implement policies that would prevent future discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity for extracurricular and educational activities. This was groundbreaking for a Mississippi school district.

McMillen’s story received national attention. Glamour magazine named her Woman of the Year in 2010, and she appeared on national television shows including “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” where she received a $30,000 scholarship. She was invited to the White House and served as Grand Marshal of the New York Gay Pride Parade.

McMillen transferred to a school in Jackson, Mississippi, and graduated in 2011. She enrolled at Northeast Mississippi Community College to study psychology.

Here’s the March 2010 Ellen Degeneres Show on which Constance McMillen appeared — and received, to her obvious astonishment, a $30,000 check from Tonic.com towards her education. Watch:

For more about Constance McMillen, visit the Tonic.com page about her, her LGBT History Month page, or the Wikipedia article about the prom controversy.

Photo credit: Constance McMillen at the 2010 GLAAD Media Awards, 17 April 2010. Photo by Greg Hernandez (greginhollywood on Flickr); used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

Schools are making headway in addressing anti-LGBT bullying, the AP reports (Bent News 10/24/11)

Progress in addressing anti-LGBT bullying in the nation’s schools; a brutal murder in Scotland might have been an antigay attack; and 100 black icons for LGBT History Month in this edition of Bent News.

Based on @bentalaska tweets and Facebook shares from October 23, with supplementation.

Schools are making progress in addressing anti-LGBT bullying

• @tlrd: AP survey of last year’s anti-bullying sentiment in WaPo is well written, balanced, will aggravate many http://t.co/6TWH0oLS  #
• AP story in WaPo: A year after teen suicide spate, more gay students are speaking out, schools taking action http://t.co/B5f6cmRS #

Associated Press reporter Christina Hoag’s story on how schools have bee addressing anti-LGBT bullying  since last year’s spate of suicides appeared in the Washington Postand other newspapers. The gay blog Towleroad summarizes it as “a well written, balanced, succinct piece of work, and it’s probably doomed to aggravate a lot of people.”  Both the original piece (second tweet & link) and Towleroad’s commentary (& its readers comments) are worth a full read. Most important is that schools and students around the nation have been working to address anti-LGBT bullying, and the attention paid to it is also leading to broader acceptance of LGBT people.

But the work is far, far from over.  And so another tweet from yesterday:

• Miami Herald: on the death by suicide of bullied youth Jamey Rodemeyer, which led actor Zachary Quinto to come out. http://t.co/AkD0THir  #

The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) had anti-bullying resources.

Murder in Scotland

• Hotel manager Stuart Walker beaten & burned alive in Scotland may have been murdered for being gay | Mail Online http://t.co/PW0YZOSg #

Stuart Walker, 28, was beaten, burned alive, and left at the side of the road to die in Ayrshire, Scotland in what some now believe may have been an antigay attack, though at this point police are saying there’s no proof.  Stuart Walker was clearly murdered, in any case, whether out of antigay bias or for some other reason. There’s more coverage at The Telegraph, and gay blogs in the U.S. are also commenting, including Towleroad.

More icons for LGBT History Month

• 50 black gay men & 50 black lesbians (besides Wanda Sykes) that you should know: video montages by Alvin McEwen http://t.co/Nu5i6LNh #

“Wanda Sykes Is Cool, But What About All The Other Great Black Lesbians?” asks Queerty. YouTube user comingoutblaq has a video of 50 black gay men you should know, and two videos which between them also introduce you to 50 black lesbians you should know — besides Wanda Sykes. Here’s one of them:

Amélie Mauresmo, athlete (LGBT History Month)

Amélie Mauresmo was the World No. 1 tennis player. She won 25 career titles including two Grand Slams. In 2004, she received an Olympic Silver medal in tennis singles. Bent Alaska presents her story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Australian hockey goalie Gus Johnston comes out, sparks more discussion on LGBT athletes & homophobia in sports (Bent News, 10/23/11)

Australian hockey player Gus Johnston came out, sparking a discussion of LGBT athletes and homophobia in the sports world; some resources for LGBT athletes and sports fans; and more in this edition of Bent News.

Ricky Martin, singer (LGBT History Month)

Ricky Martin is a 5-time Grammy Award-winning pop singer. A professional entertainer since childhood, Martin has sold more than 60 million albums. Bent Alaska presents his story as part of our celebration of LGBT History Month 2011, with thanks to the Equality Forum.

Ricky Martin

“I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am.”

Ricky Martin (born December 24, 1971) is a 5-time Grammy Award-winning pop singer. A professional entertainer since childhood, Martin has sold more than 60 million albums.

He was born Enrique Martin Morales in San Juan, Puerto Rico, into a Roman Catholic family. His mother is an accountant and his father is a psychologist.

Martin’s singing career began at age 12 with the Latin American boy band Menudo. After completing high school, he moved to Mexico City, where he signed a solo record deal with Sony.

After two successful Spanish-language albums and a sold-out concert tour, Martin moved to Los Angeles, where he was cast as a singer/bartender on the popular soap opera “General Hospital.”

In 1999, he released his first English-language recording. The self-titled album sold 22 million copies and launched the No. 1 hit single “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”

That year, Martin performed at the Grammy Awards and received the award for Best Latin Pop Album. With his good looks, sexy dance moves and dynamic performance style, he became an international superstar.

Martin is the founder and president of the Ricky Martin Foundation. The foundation works to prevent the trafficking of children. In 2005, he received the International Humanitarian Award from the International Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

In 2006, Martin was honored with the Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Award. The following year, he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

In 2008, Martin had twin sons via a surrogate mother. Two years later, he came out with a post on his Web site, “I am a fortunate homosexual man.”

In 2010, Martin’s memoir, Me, was published. In an interview he said, “I want my children to be able to read the book one day and understand the spiritual journey I had to experience.”

Martin lives in Miami with his partner and his two sons.

On December 3, 2003, Martin was appointed as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for his work as a defender of children’s rights, and in October 2011 he was honored with a  Leader of Change Award during the Global Conference for Social Change in New York. He prepared a video in thanks for the award, and explaining the work of the Ricky Martin Foundation against exploitation of children and child trafficking. Watch:

For more about Ricky Martin, visit his website, LGBT History Month page, or Wikipedia article.

Photo credit: Ricky Martin, 9 August 2007. Photo by lander2006 (Flickr); used in accordance with Creative Commons license.