Articles tagged with: Kimberly Pace
LGBTQ panel at UAA tonight
A panel of lesbian, transgendered and Samoan “fa’afafine” students and community members will discuss LGBTQ personal experiences and issues on campus and in the community, on March 31, 7 p.m. in the UAA/APU Consortium Library, room 307.
“Ultimately the goal is to get people talking,” writes Kimberly Pace, Director of Women’s Studies at UAA. “We don’t necessarily have to agree, but let’s keep the conversation alive.”
The LGBTQ discussion is presented by the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA) Women’s Studies Program as part of Women’s History Month.
The event is open to all members of the UAA community – students, faculty & staff – as well as to community members from Anchorage and surrounding areas, whether LGBTQ or straight. It is free of charge and refreshments will be served.
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LGBTQ Personal Experiences at UAA, in Anchorage & Beyond: a panel discussion
Tuesday, March 31, 7-9 p.m.
UAA/APU Consortium Library, room 307.
Sponsored by the UAA Women’s Studies Program
Kimberly Pace: Obama’s Acceptance Speech and My View on the Issues
Guest blogger Kimberly Pace is Alaska’s openly-LGBT delegate to the Democratic Convention in Denver. (Read her previous posts live from the Convention and an interview of her by DemConWatch.)
We arrived back in Anchorage safe and sound and in time to watch nearly 6 hours on CSPAN on the last day of the convention. I was thrilled to see some of our Alaskan delegation and was envious of their experience on this historic day. Obama’s acceptance speech was positive, informative, inspiring, and electrifying. It has been a long time since I have been so moved by a presidential candidate.
He spoke about issues that are near and dear to my heart and to those around me. These issues include, but are by no means limited to:
1) Health – I believe that in this country, everyone regardless of income or position should be entitled to affordable health care of the highest quality.2) Education – Better schools means better preparation for our people in this globalized economy. Also I love the idea of the exchange of college education for public service – let’s make college available for everyone!3) Civil rights for all citizens regardless of sexual orientation – people are people and deserve to be treated fairly and with dignity and respect.4) Increased funding to support our troops with adequate health care, equipment, and improved services – while we may disagree with the war, it is deplorable that many of our troops are falling between the cracks when it comes to providing their basic needs. That is tragic, and I feel that Obama will make an excellent Commander-in-Chief and will make sure that our troops are getting not only what they need but also what they deserve.5) Energy – I think Obama is right on the mark when he talks about the need for a shift in our energy reliance on foreign countries for our energy needs. We need to develop alternative energy sources such as geothermal, wind, solar, biofuels etc., not spend Gazillions (technical term there) drilling for oil (especially off-shore) when we could spend a fraction of that amount and build new industries that will create millions of Green Collar jobs.
There were many other issues but those were the ones that leapt out to me.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Convention. It was the chance of a lifetime and I am so honored that I was chosen. It was AWESOME!
Kimberly Pace at the DNC: Obama, Biden and Clinton at the Nomination
Guest blogger Kimberly Pace is Alaska’s openly-LGBT delegate to the Democratic Convention in Denver. (Read her previous posts and an interview of her by DemConWatch, and watch for her updates on Bent Alaska.)
What can I say about Wednesday night that you haven’t already seen on the news? The energy in the room was electrifying. With each speaker the crowd grew more and more enthusiastic. From the roll call vote though the surprise visit by Barack, there wasn’t a dull moment.
Who wasn’t touched by the former Republican Rear Admiral who spoke about his change of party as he grew dissatisfied with the direction of the Bush administration? And what about the appearance of all those female Democratic Senators? Senator Clinton was inspirational in her decision to call for the end of the roll call vote and proceed with the direct nomination of Barack Obama. The crowd went wild! She did just what she needed to do… unify the party. From my vantage point on the floor of the DNC, she did just that.
And Joe Biden and his son Beau? I can tell you there was not a dry eye in the house. I’m looking forward to learning more about him and his family in the next 4 years. His acceptance speech was just what the delegates wanted to hear. He was strong, caring and engaged all at the same time. I am very pleased with this historic presidential ticket.
Today is our last day at the Convention. We’ve decided not to go to Invesco Field tonight. Estimates are that there will be over 70,000 people there to witness Obama’s acceptance speech. Much as I would love to be there personally, the thought of being outside in 90 degree+ weather for close to 8 hours does not sound like the best place for me. Accordingly, we will be heading back to cloudy and rainy Anchorage. Home sweet home.
It is now 2:38 am and clearly past my bed time. We’ve had the best time and can’t wait to get the word out about what we have experienced.
I hope this finds you well. More descriptions and photos to come in the next few days…
Kimberly Pace at the DNC: Checking in After a Very Long Day
Today was such a monumental day that I don’t even know where to begin. The day started at 6 am and we are not done yet and it is 3 am. Yikes! More to come tomorrow, with photos! In brief we saw (very close up as in 5-30 feet away) the following: Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama, Cyndi Lauper, and Melissa Ethridge. It was a fabulous day to say the least!
What a speech from Hillary, way to unite the party!
Side note… Congrats to Ethan :-)
More to come ….. stay tuned…
Kimberly Pace at the DNC: LGBT Caucus, Kuspuks, and Michelle Obama
Guest blogger Kimberly Pace is Alaska’s openly-LGBT delegate to the Democratic Convention in Denver. Here is her description of Monday at the DNC. (Read her Sunday post and an interview of her by DemConWatch, and catch her daily updates here on Bent Alaska.)
Today the Democratic Convention officially kicked off. Wow! It was amazing! The day started bright and early with our state delegation meeting at 7 am. There we had an introduction to what our day was going to be like, had some great guest speakers to get us into the mood, and received our credentials.
From there it was off to the Convention Center to attend the LGBT caucus. There were some amazing speakers there, including the man who successfully won the case in front of the California Supreme Court that gave gay and lesbian couples the right to marry. He was very inspirational. We also learned that there are 277 “out” LGBT delegates in attendance at this year’s DNC. That is an increase of 41% from 2004. How incredible! I was very impressed, to say the least.
Next we boarded a bus to the Pepsi Center where the actual convention takes place. We arrived around 4:30 and everything got underway pretty much on schedule by 5 pm. Our Alaskan delegation looked great in our kuspuks (see the photo.) Other delegations kept stopping by to admire them, they were jealous in their goofy hats.
It was interesting how many people stopped us to ask about Mark Begich, Ted Stevens, Don Young, Ethan Berkowitz, and Diane Benson. Alaska is definitely on the political map! This is a good time for me to remind you all to vote in the primary elections today (Tuesday the 26th.) This is a critical time in Alaska’s political future. Please get out and express your political voice.
The convention speakers were great. The highlights were when Nancy Pelosi spoke, the Young Democrats got up to speak (Ryan Buckholdt, a former student of mine, was on the stage in his kuspuk!) Jessie Jackson Jr., Tom Harkin, Jimmy Carter, and of course Craig and Michelle Obama. For me, Michelle Obama is a breath of fresh air. Listening to the stories of growing up on the south side of Chicago really touched me. Her father sounded like a truly great man and her mother looked so proud. I am honored to be witnessing this piece of history.
I genuinely appreciated the speakers who spoke about the significance of Senator Hillary Clinton’s run for the nomination. When Michelle mentioned the 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, the entire Pepsi Center erupted with applause. Well done!
Tomorrow’s tentative schedule includes a meeting with the Women’s Caucus, the Disability Caucus, an event with Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton and Michelle Obama. Then more convention activities followed by a Melissa Etheridge/Cyndi Lauper concert. What a day! I say tentative because you never know what might happen, or come up, so stayed tuned . . .
Kimberly Pace at the DNC: Women’s Brunch, AFL-CIO Rally, and Rep. John Conyers
Guest blogger Kimberly J. Pace is Alaska’s openly-LGBT delegate to the Democratic Convention in Denver. Here is her post about Sunday. (Read an interview of her by DemConWatch, and catch her daily updates here on Bent Alaska.)
I thought yesterday was amazing and then along came today! Our day started bright and early rising at 6:45 am and we were out and about by 9 am this morning. Our first stop was a brunch sponsored by the National Federation of Democratic Women. This was a great event with women from all over the country. There was a possibility that Michelle Obama might make an appearance but she was not able to attend. With the announcement of Joe Biden as the VP, the campaign has been scrambling. We hope to see her along with Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday.
After brunch we were off to lunch (turns out there is a lot of free food here, good food – you know, Kimberly friendly) which was sponsored by the AFT (American Federation of Teachers.) Yummy! We sat with a couple from New York. The woman is a 5th grade teacher and her husband is a Political Science Professor at Elmira College. Small world. Got even smaller when we learned that their son lives in Clifton Park, NY where my dad grew up. They are friends with the Clintons and Howard Dean. We were networking.
After brunch and lunch within 2 hours, we had an hour or so to fill, so we enjoyed exploring downtown Denver. We saw protesters, street musicians, and vendors selling everything they possibly can with Obama’s face on it. We’ve discovered that Denver is a great city in terms of disability access. I heard an interview with the mayor of Denver earlier today, and he was talking about all of the effort that was put into improving accessibility for the city. It worked! There is no place that I have wanted/needed to get to that I have not been able to.
We thought security was tight yesterday, today it was even more so. You couldn’t go a block without seeing at least two SWAT teams, Denver Police, Colorado troopers, and/or rent-a-cops. I expect that tomorrow will be even more intense security-wise.
Next stop: an AFL-CIO rally meeting. It was filled with impressive people with incredible stories. The man from one of the Democratic debates who spoke at Soldiers Field about how he and his wife lost close to everything, including nearly 1/2 of his pension and 1/2 of his health care benefits spoke. They had to make a decision about which one of them would keep the health insurance. In the end they chose him and he felt/feels awful. He is a proud man who has worked all of his life to support his family and it all comes down to working hard his entire life with very little to show for it. He is here to support Obama’s presidential bid as he believes that Obama will be able to do something not only for himself but also for families across this nation, some 40 million of whom are uninsured or underinsured. His story brought tears to my eyes.
At the same event, Ted Kennedy’s son Teddy spoke about the importance of America’s working class and its significance to the Kennedy family. I was surprised but he was actually quite eloquent. There is a rumor that Ted Kennedy might be well enough to attend some of the events in the next few days, I’m crossing my fingers.
Following the AFL-CIO meeting, we whisked ourselves into the next door ballroom for the tribute to Congressman John Conyers from Detroit, MI. I have been lecturing about Conyers and his impact on Civil Rights for years. Needless to say, it was a thrill to be able to listen to him and his passionate support for Barack Obama. Conyers is a man who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of not just civil rights but to human rights. It was a treat, to say the least.
It was a jam-packed day. Upon our return to our hotel, we saw our first celebrity: Al Franken, who is staying here with the Minnesota delegation. His wife told us that they would be leaving on Tuesday to get back to his senate campaign. With Tuesday being the primary, they can’t be away too long.
Tomorrow is shaping up to be a very busy day. Our state delegation meets at 7 am (most of you know I am not a morning person, so you can imagine how that will work out) and then we have several events planned, including something called “Unconventional Women,” the GLBT caucus, and then the convention itself kicks off officially with Jimmy Carter giving the first keynote speech. If time permits, we may be able to make it to the Molly Brown House (of Titanic fame) and possibly the Downtown Aquarium which is supposed to be amazing.
Till next time, I hope you are all well, and stay tuned for tomorrow night’s post . . .
Kimberly Pace: Alaska’s LGBT Delegate to DNC 08
Kimberly J. Pace is Alaska’s one openly-LGBT delegate to the Democratic Convention in Denver – and she agreed to blog about the convention for Bent Alaska! (Watch for her daily updates.)
She is also blogging for Fox News (yes, really) and for DemConWatch.
DemConWatch interviewed Kimberly before the convention:
DocJess: Kimberly, I know this is supposed to be an interview about you as a delegate, but since you’re from Alaska, I can’t wait – how is the Ted situation?
It was always a case of which came first, the indictment or the election. So, I really don’t know anything about you, are you an Obama delegate or a Clinton delegate?
Kimberly: I am just loving it. There’s an entire movement up here called “Retire Ted”. And it’s going very well, although it doesn’t seem to be getting the national press it’s grabbing locally.
It was always a case of which came first, the indictment or the election. So, I really don’t know anything about you, are you an Obama delegate or a Clinton delegate?
Obama, from way back.
Is this your first time being a delegate?
Absolutely, and I’m very excited and can’t wait to get there.
Is this your first foray into politics?
You should ask what I do for a living.
OK, what do you do for a living?
I’m a professor of Political Science.
What do you specialize in, and where do you teach?
I teach at the University of Alaska – Anchorage, and teach all forms of poli-sci with a concentration on Comparative Politics, American Government, and Constitutional Law. I’m also director of the Women’s Studies department.
What was your thesis on?
Disability movements. I worked on a comparative analysis between the ADA system in the United States versus that which exists in Europe.
Wow. But is this the first direct political action you’ve undertaken?
I’m a proud, life-long Democrat, and I’ve given money to candidates and causes, and packed my share of envelopes, and made phone calls, but this is the first time I’m really putting myself out there.
To what are you most looking forward?
That is so hard. I guess EVERYTHING. For me, this is not only a chance to represent the people who are sending me there, but also to take a look at the process and see if what I’ve been lecturing on for the last 20 years is really correct in the light of day.
Ed Espinoza, our resident Super Delegate here, says his advice for first time delegates is to wear comfortable shoes. Are you all set with that?
Actually, I could wear spiked heels and I’d be comfortable since I’m in a wheelchair. But yes, the rest of my delegation knows about it and will be properly attired. And we’ll all be in Alaskan Native attire.
Is that a kind of funky hat?
No, lots of people wear hats, and often state delegations wear the same hat – we decided to do something a little different and wear traditional garb – kuspuks.
Are you paying for your trip yourself?
No. I’m actually a union delegate for the AFT, American Federation of Teachers, and so they are paying for my trip.
In fact, while you probably know that the DNC requires all delegations to be half male and half female, here in Alaska, we also require our delegation be demographically representative, so we have Native Alaskans, African Americans, disabled people, and LGBT members of our delegations.
Since I’m openly gay, I’m looking forward to going to the Disability Caucus, the LGBT Caucus, the Women’s Caucus, and a number of Union activities.
I don’t know how to ask this politely, but are you concerned about being effectually shorter than most people, and still being able to see everything on the convention floor?
The DNC has said that there will be more disabled delegates than ever before at this convention, and they say that they’ve made special provisions, but we’ll see. I’ve heard that before.
Yes, as a country, and often as individual people, we’re not great to people in wheelchairs. I hate when I see people leaning over someone in a wheelchair, yelling, as if because one has musculoskeletal problems, they are also deaf. I really hope that you have great access. So when are you going to start blogging for us?
Probably on Saturday when I get there. FOX wants to give me some sort of movie-recording-phone-device, but I’m going to have to tell them that at my level, they’ll be getting a lot of butts.
A lot of humour potential there…while I personally will be looking forward to your on-site blogs, I’m also hoping that once you get home and you have time to think and process everything, you’ll write us a piece on how the convention does jibe with your lectures; how de jure and de facto fit together, as it were.
Absolutely!
