Saturday, 3 April 2010 – 5:00 PM
| Comments Off on Ugly Betty, Equality Mixer, ATE update
Gay AK – notes for and from LGBTQ Alaska
Justin’s Episode on “Ugly Betty”
GLESN and the creative team of “Ugly Betty” have announced that the character Justin will come to terms with his sexual identity in an April 7 episode. “Your support for GLSEN is making real storylines, just like Justin’s, possible in schools all over our country. We applaud the work you do, and hope you’ll be watching with all of us at Ugly Betty as we help our much-loved Justin take the next step in his personal coming out journey.”
Equality Works Mixer
Join Equality Works for a night of entertainment, education, and community-building, on April 10 at 7 p.m. Meet other people interested in making Anchorage safe for gay and transgender Alaskans. Test your knowledge of LGBT issues and politics in the U.S. Find out how you can help Equality Works move Alaska forward. Be there for the start of something beautiful.
E-mail Tiffany McClain for address and directions or call (907) 258-0044 ext. 2006.
DADT, ENDA and AK Hate Crimes updates
Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc. (ATE) continues to monitor legislation at the federal and state level. The Military Readiness Enhancement Act (H.R. 1283/S. 3065) is moving forward to repeal the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law. In addition, the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 3017/S. 1584) is making its way through Congress. In order for these two pieces of legislation to continue to move forward we need your help. If you haven’t already, please contact our Congressional delegation and voice your support for these two important pieces of legislation.
In Alaska, we have been monitoring Senate Bill 202 (Alaska Hate Crimes Legislation) that is making its way through the State Senate. If passed as amended it will cover crimes motivated by prejudice, bias, or hatred based on the victim’s sexual orientation as well as on other inherent characteristics. For more news, to become an ATE member or to volunteer for ATE visit
Alaskans Together for Equality.
Celebration wrap-up from RAW
“Thanks for another awesome Celebration! Thank you to all the wonderful volunteers, performers, crew and committees that helped make this year’s Celebration of Change a success. Special thanks to Metro and GLCCA for selling tickets and Kodiak for hosting the after party. And thanks to all that came out and watched the show. See you next year!”
Radical Arts for Women.
Friday, 26 March 2010 – 2:41 PM
| Comments Off on This Week in LGBT Alaska 3/26/10
Juneau
Femme Fatale 3/26 at The Rendezvous & 3/27 at The Baranof Hotel, doors open at 9, show begins at 10 p.m. Two unique shows to benefit Four A’s in southeast. Tickets $15 each, or $25 for both shows.
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar.
Fairbanks
Lez Zeppelin all-female tribute band in Fairbanks/Ester on 4/1, 10 p.m. at the Blue Moon.
Wednesday social group. Contact Joshua for location.
Mat-Su Valley
Lulu Small and the Small Band play at Del Roi’s 3/27
Mat-Su LGBT Community Center in Palmer is open M-F 5-8 p.m. (except 6-8 on Wed.) The social group meets Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. at Vagabond Blues.
Anchorage
Lesbian Film Night and Potluck at the GLCCA 3/26, 6 p.m. potluck, 6:15 movie.
Ever Ready plays in Eagle River 3/26, 7:30 p.m. at the VFW.
RAW’s Celebration of Change ‘Masqueerade’ 3/27, 7 p.m. at Wilda Marston Theatre 7pm, $15. After-party at Kodiak Bar & Grill.
MCCA Sunday service 3/28, 2 p.m.
Social Networking: “Use 1/2 the time, get 2x’s the attention” 3/30, 7:00p.m. Free workshop with Jay Her at the GLCCA. Please RSVP.
Lez Zeppelin Tribute Band in Girdwood 4/2 and 4/3, 10:00 p.m. at the Sitzmark. Tickets are $17 in advance (call 754-2274) or $20 at the door. Please be over 21 and bring your ID.
Saturday, 20 March 2010 – 2:16 PM
| Comments Off on SB 202, Pride events, CoC vendors, MCC cents & Student Advocates
Gay AK: Notes from and for LGBT Alaska
SB 202 Adds Gender Identity
Good news: The
Alaska Hate Crimes Bill (SB 202) passed out of the Senate Judiciary committee, with the gender amendment added. Senators French, Egan & Wielechowski voted with us, Senators McGuire & Coghill voted against. A new version of the bill will be posted with the amendments, and it may be referred to the Finance committee. Thank you for sending messages, POM’s and testimony to Judiciary, and stay tuned for the contact addresses for Finance members.
Seeking PrideFest events
Alaska PrideFest 2010 is encouraging all groups, in all Alaskan cities, to submit activities scheduled during Pride Week (June 19-27) for publication and promotion on the new
Alaska PrideFest web site. Please send time, date, location and a brief description to
Gail, PrideFest Planning Co-Chair. We are also seeking parade participants, park-strip vendors, stage entertainers and happy volunteers to help make “2010: A Pride Odyssey” an event to remember.
‘Masqueerade’ vendors, ads, tickets
RAW is calling for Celebration of Change vendors and program ads. Sell your wares: $25 for a table and $25 for a business card ad in the program. They are also looking for more fabulous volunteer crew members to help make this show a success. Celebration of Change is on March 27 at the Wilda Marston Theatre. Tickets are $15, available at Metro and the GLCCA. Volunteer application and vender/ad information at
Celebration.
Search for MCC Anchorage
Your Internet searches can raise funds for MCC Anchorage. Go to
Good Search and paste “Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage” for the charity name (the 2nd box.) Then
MCCA will get revenue for every search. The second option is to install a non-intrusive toolbar which appears on your web browser so you don’t need to change your homepage. It’s a great way for non-profits to make a bit of change.
Student Advocate of the Year
Do you know a high school student who should be recognized for advancing LGBT equality in his or her school or community? If so, nominate them to win GLSEN’s 2010 Student Advocate of the Year Award, presented by AT&T. The winner travels all-expenses-paid to New York City to attend GLSEN’s 2010 New York Respect Awards on 5/24, where his or her unique accomplishments as an exemplary student leader will be honored. Login and complete the nomination form by April 2 at the
Student Advocate of the Year contest.
Alaska Women Speak summer issue
Alaska Women Speak Quarterly is a periodical by and for Alaska Women. We are looking for contributions of prose, poetry and art on the Summer 2010 theme of “My-topia.” You know what Utopia is, what’s your -topia? As always, we are in need of donations to keep the presses rolling. Send writings by 5/15 to
Alaska Women Speak, and donations to AWS, PO Box 210045, Anchorage 99521. Thanks for your continued support.
Friday, 19 March 2010 – 1:24 PM
| Comments Off on This Week in LGBT Alaska 3/19/10
Juneau
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar.
Fairbanks
UAF Gay-Straight Alliance meets 4 p.m Friday in the Alumni Lounge.
Wednesday Social Group Retreat Weekend 3/19-3/21. Contact Joshua for the location.
Mat-Su Valley
Mat-Su LGBT Community Center in Palmer is open M-F 5-8 p.m. (except 6-8 on Wed.) The social group meets Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. at Vagabond Blues.
Anchorage
RAW’s Celebration of Change Art Show Reception 3/19, 7 p.m. at Kodiak Bar and Grill.
Integrity, the Episcopal GLBT Advocacy Group, meets at St. Mary’s 3/19, 6:30 p.m. All are welcome for the monthly (3rd Friday) potluck, fellowship and worship.
QrSA Youth Initiative Drop-In 3/20, 12-3 p.m. at the GLCCA.
Imperial Crown Princess/Prince XVIII Candidate Walk-about 3/20, 8:30 p.m. at The Raven, 10 p.m. at Myrna’s.
MCCA Sunday service 2/21, 2 p.m.
Miss MeMe’s Birthday Gospel Show 3/21, 5-7 p.m. fundraiser at Mad Myrna’s.
Anchorage LGBT Book Lovers Club 3/24, 6:30 p.m. at the GLCCA.
Nicole Blizzard of Anchorage passed away on Dec. 30, and a memorial service is being held tonight, Thursday Jan. 7, at 5:30 p.m. in Providence Hospital’s West Auditorium. Blizzard was an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Providence.
The queer community is planning a second memorial later this month at Mad Myrna’s. Blizzard asked for a party instead of a funeral, so her friends are throwing a Birthday Party Celebration of Nicole’s Life at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday Jan. 31, which would have been her 52nd birthday.
In December, she was dealing with health problems and developed complications. Her close friends were with her when she passed away. They will spread her ashes in Cook Inlet this spring, as she requested.
Blizzard founded The Naked Ptarmigan, an LGBT literary journal for Alaska. She was a former editor of The NorthView, a former board member of Identity, and a co-host of RAW’s Celebration of Change.
She loved music, photography and writing, wrote online book and music reviews, and contributed to the web site TechnoDyke. A new book of her writings, Love and Other Mishaps: An Accidental Anthology, was published in early December, and autographed copies are available in the Local Interest section of Border’s Bookstore in Anchorage.
RAW is considering a last issue of The Naked Ptarmigan in honor of Nicole, and may set up a scholarship named for her. Details will be announced on March 27 at Celebration of Change.
Condolences to her friends and family. She was well-known and will be missed.
Tuesday, 5 January 2010 – 2:15 AM
| Comments Off on Alaska’s lesbian short story contest, women’s art and music shows, call for contributors and performers *New Deadline*
UPDATE: The short story contest deadline has been changed to February 15.
——-
Women in Alaska are invited to send their fiction stories with lesbian content to the RAW 2010 short story contest. But write fast – entries are due Feb 1.
“
Radical Arts for Women is sponsoring a short story contest open to women living in Alaska. The fiction pieces must be between 250 and 5,000 words and contain some lesbian content. The grand prize is $500, second place is $300, and third place is $100. Deadline is Feb. 1, 2010. There is no entry fee. Winners will be announced at Celebration of Change on March 27, 2010.”
RAW is also accepting applications for an Art Show and Reception at the Kodiak Bar and Grill in downtown Anchorage. (Online application PDF
HERE, due 3/15.) The art show runs March 19-April 1 and the reception is on March 19.
Celebration of Change is RAW’s all-women produced and performed annual show. Singers, dancers, poets, actors, comedians, as well as vendors and volunteer helpers, are encouraged to apply. Celebration is March 27 in the Wilda Marston Theatre, and the $15 tickets will be available at Metro Books and the Gay & Lesbian Community Center.
Along with the story contest winners, this year’s winner of the Radical Woman Award will be announced during Celebration. The Radical Woman Award honors women who have made significant contributions to the GLBT community in Alaska. To nominate a wonderful woman in your life, send a short paragraph highlighting her contributions to info(at)radicalartsforwomen.org by March 1.
RAW’s 2010 Short Story Contest Guidelines:
- Each entry must contain a cover sheet with author’s name, address, phone number, email, story title, and word count.
- The short story must be between 250 and 5,000 words and contain some lesbian content. Stories should be on 8.5-x-11 size paper, double spaced, 1-inch margins, no less than size 10 font. Do not put author’s name on the story. The fiction and lesbian stipulations may be interpreted by the author, but we are not seeking poetry or non-fiction. Erotica is acceptable. Electronic submissions are not accepted. Unpublished submissions only.
- Author must be a woman living in Alaska as of January 2010.
- February 1, 2010 is the postmark deadline for entries.
- There is no entry fee.
- Winner receives $500 and the winning short story will appear on www.radicalartsforwomen.org and may also be published in the Alaska LGBT literary journal, Naked Ptarmigan.
- Honorable mentions will be given at the judges’ discretion.
- Winners will be announced at Celebration of Change on March 27, 2010. For list of complete list of winners, include a SASE with entry.
- Mail entries by February 1 to: Radical Arts for Women Short Story Contest, PO Box 244436, Anchorage AK 99524-4436.
The first place stories for 2009, 2008 and 2007 are posted at Radical Arts for Women, along with a list of other winning stories and honorable mentions.
Monday, 21 September 2009 – 1:07 PM
| Comments Off on KK editor, former ADN writer seeks Queer Alaska stories
Remember the local lesbian newsletter, Klondyke Kontact? Kim Wyatt, an editor of the KK and board member of RAW, has co-founded Bona Fide Books and wants to publish your stories of being gay or lesbian in the Great Land.
Queer in the Last Frontier is an anthology of literary essays that
explore the experiences of LGBT Alaskans, the challenges and pleasures of being queer – for both newcomers and old-timers – in a place that is “isolated, conservative, and impossibly beautiful.” Bona Fide is also seeking essays for an anthology called
Permanent Vacation: Living and Working in Our National Parks. The two calls for submission were posted earlier this month
HERE.
Kim gave Bent Alaska the scoop on Queer in the Last Frontier:
Q. Why did you choose an anthology of literary essays on Queer Alaska?
A. I’ve always loved nonfiction anthologies, and received an MFA in nonfiction from UAA. Also, I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and living in Alaska was an eye-opener. I felt like I had a better understanding of queer life and the importance of community after my time here. (Plus, I really love the title!)
Q. What queer and writing activities were you involved in when you lived in Alaska?
A. I edited the
Klondyke Kontact for a while, and one of my goals was to make it a newsmagazine. I did shepherd it from rainbow-hued Xeroxed paper to newsprint with art, and tried to bring some consistency to the columns and layout. I applied for grants from the Gill Foundation and other organizations to upgrade materials. I had a lot of fun working on the KK, and had the help of some great Alaskan women. I was also on the board of
Radical Arts for Women. And as I mentioned above, I got an MFA at UAA, and wrote for the Anchorage Daily News.
Q. What qualities are you looking for in the essays?
A. Honesty and transcendence are ideal, but I’m probably partial to stories that make me laugh or cry. We’re really just looking for well-written explorations of queer life in Alaska. Or life in Alaska as it is experienced by someone who happens to be queer. You can write about relationships, the Northern Lights, or working on a fishing boat. Just tell your story.
Q. Will you be visiting Alaska to promote the book?
A. Absolutely. I try to get up there whenever I can.
Kim has a special greeting for all the Alaskans who remember her, especially the KK readers:
“Hello, Alaskans! I just got back from a backpacking trip with another former Alaskan, Val Garrison – the friendships I made there are lasting, because that’s just the kind of people Alaskans are. (And I would like to give a shout-out to the Wesleyan Wimmin’s Writing Wetreat!)”
photo: Bona Fide Books Publisher Kim Wyatt & Val Garrison goofing around in Yosemite 9/09.
The deadline for submitting an essay to
Queer in the Last Frontier is February 5, 2010 and the word count is limited to 5,000. Writers will receive $100 for their story and one copy of the collection. Send to
Bona Fide Books submissions with “Alaska” and the title of the work in the subject line.
Thursday, 18 June 2009 – 8:35 PM
| Comments Off on The Music and Poetry of Celebration 09
The Celebration of Change Silver Anniversary show was performed on Saturday, June 13 in the Wilda Marston Theater, presenting a variety of female musicians, poets and comedians to the mostly female audience.
The Wilda Marston Theater is also being used this month as the overflow room for the Assembly hearing on the equal rights ordinance, which seeks to add “sexual orientation” to the Anchorage nondiscrimination policies.
But on June 13, the Wilda Marston rocked with the sounds of women’s voices, from original jazz to pop and opera, Balkan folk songs on the accordion to the Mary Tyler Moore show theme song, and covers of rock and country. Several of the performers are new to Alaska or new to Celebration. Other performers, and many audience members, have been coming to Celebration of Change for years, or decades.
The Radical Woman Award 2009 was presented to Victoria Shaver for her work with Celebration and the LGBT community. Congratulations, Victoria!
Friday, 5 June 2009 – 2:17 PM
| Comments Off on Celebration of Change Art Show and Silver Anniversary Performance
The big 25th Anniversary
Celebration of Change will be at the Wilda Marston Theater in Loussac Library, on June 13 at 7 p.m., and you can get a taste of Celebration this weekend at CoC’s first
Art Show!
Everyone is invited to the free First Friday reception, 7-9 p.m. on June 5 at the Kodiak Bar and Grill, 225 E 5th Ave. The show features a variety of art work by female Alaskans and continues through June 29.
Don’t miss the Celebration of Change Silver Anniversary performance. Celebrate over 20 years of community and women loving women. This show features familiar and fresh faces and includes music, dance, comedy and spoken word. The Radical Woman Award winner will be announced during the show. It will be a great night.
Tickets are $15 and available at the
GLCCA and Metro. Last year they had standing room only, so get your tickets early.
Celebration of Change is the annual fundraiser for
Radical Arts for Women (RAW), a Lesbian and Feminist philanthropic organization that funds Alaskan women art projects. RAW also holds an annual
Short Story contest.
Friday, 5 June 2009 – 8:01 AM
| Comments Off on This Week in LGBT Alaska 6/5/09
This week’s LGBT events from the statewide newsletter (subscribe to
Alaska GLBT News)
Fairbanks
Ask the UA Board of Regents to Amend the Non-Discrimination Policy, 6/4-6/5
Dance Your Heart Out: Country Western 2 step lessons & dancing 5/29, 7:30 p.m. $12/drop in. Bovee Studio, 1845 Caribou Way, off College Rd. RSVP to Judith
Juneau
SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar, downtown
Mat-Su Valley
Mat-Su LGBT Community Center in Palmer is open M-F 5-8 p.m. (except 6-8 on Wed.) The social group meets Wednesdays, 5-6 p.m. at Vagabond Blues. Harmony Choir meets at the Center on Thursdays, 6:30 p.m.
Anchorage
Would Jesus Discriminate? Town Hall meeting, prayer, potluck and panel 6/5, 6 p.m. at St. Mary’s, on the corner of Tudor and Lake Otis
Celebration of Change Art Show 6/5, 7-9 p.m. First Friday reception at the Kodiak Bar and Grill.
Liz Collins’ First Friday opening 6/6, 5-7 p.m. at Out North
Alaska Rainbows monthly dinner 6/6, 5 p.m. RSVP to Colleen
Assembly Hearing on the Equal Rights Ordinance 6/9, Loussac Library, arrive at 4 p.m. RSVP to Equality Works
