A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

This week’s events from the statewide newsletter. Subscribe to Alaska GLBT News.

from Equality Works:

Thanks to all of you who called and e-mailed Debbie Ossiander encouraging her to help override the Mayor’s veto of AO 64. Many of you have forwarded your letters to us and we have been impressed by your passion and commitment to this cause. We believe that Assemblywoman Ossiander’s concerns with AO 64 are matters that could easily be addressed by overriding the veto and offering up amendments to Title V. Unfortunately, she has not responded to attempts to work with her productively to craft the best and most inclusive nondiscrimination law possible.

The deadline for overriding a veto runs out this coming Monday, September 7th, and while we are still willing to work with Assembly members to achieve an override, we have also begun to look ahead at other ways in which we can work with members of the LGBT community and our allies to ensure that Anchorage becomes a city that protects all of its citizens from discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

In the short run, one way that you can help us achieve our goal is to contact Senators Begich and Murkowski and encourage them to become co-sponsors of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). If passed, ENDA would make employment discrimination a violation of federal law. While it is not as expansive as our local laws—it would not protect people from discrimination in housing and public accommodations, for example—it would nonetheless be a huge step forward in our goal of achieving equality for all in Anchorage. While we would have preferred for such a law to be passed on a local level, we are willing to use every tool available to us. As we said months ago, our opponents may have prepared for a sprint, but we are prepared to go the distance and hope that you are too.

Contact Senator Mark Begich and Senator Lisa Murkowski through the online contact forms linked to their names.

Gay AK – Notes from LGBT Alaska

A new version of the equal rights ordinance was released today. Check it out, ask Mayor Sullivan to support it, and write a supportive letter to the ADN. Then come to Loussac Library on August 11 for the Assembly debate and possible vote.

Alaska GLBT News, the statewide weekly email newsletter, is looking for one or two people to help collect events and news from the local LGBT web sites for posting in the newsletter. Email Alaska GLBT News to volunteer.

“Alaskans Together for Equality is grateful to our Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich for voting in support of the Matthew Sheppard Hate Crimes Prevention Act,” writes ATE spokesperson Tim Stallard. “Many Alaskans called in to both Senators’ offices to request this support, which resulted in Senator Begich becoming a co-sponsor of the bill. This act will help enable gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered Americans to live happy, productive lives without fear of violence.”

Northern Exposure, the gay and lesbian bowling league in Anchorage, is getting ready to start the 2009/2010 bowling season. We will have our first league meeting on Saturday, August 29, 4 p.m. at Park Lanes, and we’ll cover signup, registration and league setup. Our first day of bowling is the first Sunday after Coronation, Sept 13, and we will bowl every Sunday after that, barring holidays and League tournaments. For more info, email Stephen.

Frank Tano, formerly of Anchorage, makes a podcast called 5 minute Frank. “He frequently mentions Alaska and Alaskans,” writes Lisa. “It’s stream of consciousness, out gay humor. Very Frank. Listen to the later ones.” Listen to 5 Minute Frank here or use the iTunes link on Frank’s myspace page.

OutMusic Awardee live-looping folk-world-harmony artist (and out lesbian) Irina Rivkin is on tour in Alaska. She is available for back-yard concerts, house concerts, festivals, summer camps, & live-looping workshops. (Contact Rose Street booking.) Listen to her music here and here (includes live concert video).

Irina’s Alaska tour dates so far:

7/25/2009, 8pm, McCarthy, playing a birthday party at BMAC’s.

7/27/2009, 6:30pm, McCarthy, Wrangell Mountain Center & Hardware store, concert plus audience-participation live-looping jam $5-15 sliding scale donation.

8/01/2009, 8pm, Fairbanks, House Concert, 1202 Heath Ave.

8/06/2009, 10pm, Denali, Panorama Pizza, Mile 224 Parks Highway on Carlo Creek.

8/8 or 8/7 – seeking concert in or near Denali or Talkeetna.

8/10/2009, 8pm, Anchorage, Tap Root Café, 1330 E Huffman (btwn Old and New Seward, across from Wells Fargo, look for the prayer flags.)

8/9 or 8/11, Anchorage area (Palmer to Girdwood) concert TBA.

“I just called Senator Begich’s office to ask him to “Please SUPPORT THE MATTHEW SHEPARD ACT (S. 909)” which is coming up for a vote in the Senate soon,” writes Marsha Buck of Alaskans Together for Equality.

“The aide or intern who took my call said she was surprised to hear that I was asking him to *support* the bill, because they are getting lots of calls today from our opponents asking him to vote against the Matthew Shepherd Act.” 

“This is a time when we need to raise many, many Alaskan voices to give our senators the support they need to vote with us!”

The House of Representatives passed hate crimes legislation on April 29, with a vote of 249-175. The legislation adds protection for actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, and disability to existing protected categories such as religion, race, and ethnicity. Most law enforcement and civil rights groups support it. Don Young voted against it.

The Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act (S 909) was introduced in the Senate on April 28 “to provide Federal assistance to States, local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes to prosecute hate crimes, and for other purposes.” The haters are calling it protection for pedophiles.

Judy Shepard, the mother of murdered gay college student Matthew Shepard, made a video appeal for the bill.

Please call both Senator Begich and Senator Murkowski today and ask them to SUPPORT THE MATTHEW SHEPARD ACT (S. 909): 

Senator Murkowski 202-224-6665 

Senator Begich can be contacted by email on his website, and Senator Murkowski can be reached by email on her website. Or send the same message to both senators at the same time, watch the PSA, and find out more about the Matthew Shepard Act, at the HRC Action Center’s Hate Crimes Act page.

Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. advances civil equality for all Alaskans through grass roots organizing and advocacy.