A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Homophobia won’t dim the spirit of “The Sound of Fairview” Block Party 2011

Anchorage’s Fairview Community Council is sponsoring a neighborhood block party this Saturday, and even the sudden pullout of one of scheduled bands — because its drummer can’t abide “flaming faggots” — will not dim Fairview’s spirits.

Irina Rivkin in Fairbanks for three performances this weekend

World-folk live-looping harmony singer-songwriter Irina Rivkin is back in Alaska, with three shows scheduled this weekend in Fairbanks. Local folksinger Inna — Irina’s twin sister — opens and collaborates. Inna performs visually creative acoustic folk with echoes of the Alaskan wilderness.

About Irina Rivkin

Outmusic Awards Recipient, top-10 winner in the Indiegrrl Songwriting Contest, & founder of Rose Street House of Music, Irina Rivkin’s compelling, powerful, poetic songs blend elements of folk & world music, with an all-original sound influenced by her Russian heritage. Irina layers her poetic lyrics with rich textured harmonies, swirling with vocal percussive beats, all created live on-the-spot using her loop station instrument. Her CD “upwelling” has received airplay on over 100 radio programs.

“Bobby McFerrin reminds me of you” — Bodhi Goforth, house concert co-producer

Rivkin “performs her own breathtaking act as a “live one-woman choir” (using digital looping technology to astonishing effect)” — Michael Dougan, SF Chronicle

“rhythm & sound would pass as a Russian Sweet Honey in the Rock.” — Angela Page, Sing Out! Summer 2004

About Irina’s music:

Irina Rivkin’s website
Live concert video on Youtube
Irina Rivkin on Sonic Bids

Featured performer at the College Coffeehouse, Songwriter’s night

• Date/time: Friday, June 10, 8 PM
• Location: College Coffeehouse, 3677 College Road, Fairbanks (see map)

Performing at the 25th Annual Fairbanks Summer Folk Festival

• Date/time: Saturday, June 11, 1:15-1:30 PM
• Location: 25th Annual Fairbanks Summer Folk Festival, Pioneer Park Pavilion, Moose Creek Main Stage, 2300 Airport Way, Fairbanks (see map)

House concert

All are welcome! Local folksinger-songwriter Inna opens the show. Concert is followed by a short participative live-looping activity for audience members who wish to hear their own voices/instruments live-looped!

• Date/time: Sunday, June 12, 7 PM (potluck at 6 PM)
• Location: Goldstream Valley area of Fairbanks. For address/directions/RSVP, please email idrivkin@alaska.edu, or call 455-6947 (between 10 AM and 10 PM).
• Cost of admission: $8-15 sliding scale donation helps cover tour costs

Listen to Irina perform her song “Hold the Moment,” and see live-looping in action!

Right now you may be crazy for wearing a dress or pants. You can help change that.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the last word defining “mental illness” to mental health, medical, and legal professionals — despite its many flaws and biases. It has a long record of being used to label gays and lesbians as “deviant.” It’s still being used that way against trans people

George Rekers, “Kraig,” and the lie of “ex-gay” therapy

An in-depth investigation exposes the true story of the “landmark case” that made disgraced ex-gay therapist George Rekers’ antigay career. Box Turtle Bulletin spoke with family and friends who knew the real “Kraig” to reveal the tragedy of a terrible experiment on a young boy which haunted him for the rest of his life.

This Friday: Loud and PROUD all-ages dance at Out North

Out North and ADK kick of Pride Month with an all-ages dance featuring performances by Powertrain Control Module, DJ DaMmBro, and special guests. A night of exceptional music, with a crowd of extraordinary people!

A “Three Veils” weekend at Out North with filmmaker Rolla Selbak and actress Sheetal Sheth

Out North is hosting a special one-night screening of the film Three Veils this coming Saturday, along with two other events with filmmaker Rolla Selbak and actress Sheetal Sheth.

Sara’s News Roundup 6/5/11

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

1) Mayor Bloomberg makes case for gay marriage law
New York, New York Post, May 26, 2011

2) Gay seniors offered help Program to assist gay senior citizens
Northampton, Mass., The Republican, May 29, 2011

3) ‘Coming Out’: Gay Teenagers, in Their Own Words
New York Times, May 20, 2011

4) Expert: Use gay slurs controversy to tackle homophobia in sports
CNN, May 27, 2011

5) Chaz Bono and transgenderism’s rich history
New Statesman, May 26, 2011

6) The trouble with ‘Don’t Say Gay’
Tennessee, 365Gay.com, May 27, 2011

7) Gay Group Smart to Endorse Obama Early
Washington, Huffington Post, May 27, 2011

8) Pooja Bhatt stands for the LGBT community
India, Yahoo News, May 26, 2011

9) Survey: Gays Gaining Global Acceptance
Advocate, May 30, 2011

10) Krieger: Why can’t LGBTs get along with each other?
San Francisco, 365Gay.com, May 31, 2011

11) Federal judge in Seattle OK’s gay softball organization’s limit on number of straight players
Seattle, Washington Post, June 2, 2011

12) Obama again declares June ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month’
Washington, Daily Caller, May 31, 2011

13) Comedian Hoffman will get into Le Mood Jewish culture conference
Montreal, Canada, Gazette, June 3, 2011

14) The San Francisco Giants release their ‘It Gets Better’ ad
San Francisco, Yahoo News, June 1, 2011

15) Transgender man to compete in Escape From Alcatraz
San Francisco, San Francisco Chronicle, June 4, 2011

16) Polls Show Huge Public Support for Gay and Transgender Workplace Protections
Center for American Progress, June 2, 2011

17) Administration Officials Mark AIDS Anniversary
Advocate, Washington, June 5, 2011

Bent News, 6/2/11: a new White House LGBT site as we learn of a new DADT discharge

KTVA talks with ICOAA, Anchorage’s “rural” Pride events, a White House website on LGBT issues, a DADT discharge, antigay pastor Lou Engle visits Wasilla, and more in this edition of Bent News.

Thanking those who in the past Stepped Up and Stepped Out with Pride

A message from Alaska Pride | originally posted at the Alaska Pride blog

Flashback to July 1978

In this day and age, it isn’t too rare to see Gay Pride marches across the United States and all around the world. In fact, its pretty much expected. Presidents of our nation even declare a month out of the year as Gay Pride Month (when we really should celebrate Pride all year round!).

GLBT folk and our allies get to march in these parades, unhindered and proudly.

That wasn’t always the case…

Lets flashback to Anchorage in July of 1978. This was the reality of that day and age:

Just imagine being someone in this march. These brave marchers had to wear paper bags over their heads for fear of harassment, abuse, and most of all — losing their jobs. Life was already hard enough being GLBT in Alaska in the 1970′s. But to march and show your Pride was even harder.

This Pride, we honor those who took the first steps to ensure that we as a community can march proudly in the streets, open, no brown paper bags over our heads, no disguise. Because of these individuals who Stepped Up and Stepped Out decades ago, we have the luxury to be able to continue Stepping Up and Stepping Out.

So what have you done to make sure that pictures like these become a thing of the past, something that years from now, we will look back and wonder at the incredulity and ignorance of those people?

This year, this Pride, we ask that you Step Up, Step Out, take that paper bag of your head and march proudly with us on June 25. For even today, it is punishable by death to be GLBT in several nations across the world. Today, Pride marches are banned in several nations, like the Pride march banned in Moscow in which marchers were brutalized and arrested (Read more here.)

That will only end when individuals like you end it.

But please, remember that you are walking in the footsteps of giants like Doug Frank, our Grand Marshall for this years Pride. (Read his bio here.) So tread softly, but tread on nonetheless!

This weekend in LGBTQ Alaska (6/2/11): An ordination, a USO show, male strippers, and IAA First Friday

The ordination of an Anchorage religious leader, a USO-themed fundraiser for Alaska Pride, the visit of a male-stripper review from NYC, and IAA’s First Friday show in Fairbanks dominate this weekend in LGBTQ Alaska. Those events and more, plus a preview of what’s coming up next week.