A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013

Lisa snubs Pride Conference, honors Prevo instead

While U.S. Senate candidate Scott McAdams was impressing us and our allies at the Alaska Pride Conference last weekend, write-in incumbent Sen. Lisa Murkowski ignored the invitation to speak to LGBT Alaskans and instead was at Anchorage Baptist Temple kissing up to Rev. Jerry Prevo, a man who brags that his personal legacy has been to prevent gay Alaskans from getting equal rights.

Watch Lisa thank Jerry for the love and guidance he has shown “our community,” by which she means the homo-haters of Anchorage, apparently:

The video of Lisa and Jerry is courtesy of Alaska Commons, and the transcript was posted on Mudflats (the highlighting is mine):

Pastor Prevo, Mrs. Prevo, it is such an honor and a real delight to be with so many here today to celebrate this pastoral anniversary. Think about where you were in 1971. What was going on in your life. Well, here in Alaska… Everyone’s now starting to talk… think about what was going on in 1971… We just passed the Alaska Land Claims Settlement Act that led to the development of our Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Think about how our state has transformed with the advent of that line and what oil has brought to our country, our state.

That was the same time that Pastor Prevo and Mrs. Prevo came to Anchorage and began to build this community – 135,000 people in Anchorage at that time, and think about the changes that we have seen within our community, within our state. And so much of what we’ve seen that has been good and strong has been built right here at the Anchorage Baptist Temple by Reverend Prevo. Think about the ministries. We saw the children’s ministry here today and the delight in the children’s faces. The ministries for the men, the women’s connection, the recovery ministries – so many of the good things – the Anchorage Christian Schools, so much that has been developed under the leadership of this man, with the love and support of Carol Prevo. This leadership is demonstrated on a daily basis and we benefit from it.

And Pastor, I want to thank you from a very personal note for what you did to celebrate the life of a great Alaskan. It was here in this church that Alaskans and people around the country paid tribute to a great Alaskan, Ted Stevens. And what you did, and your guidance and how we showed our final respects was a tribute to all of Alaska. That leadership doesn’t come without the greatness of a man. We thank you for what you have given our community – the guidance you have shown, and the love for so many. Continue it for another 39. Thank you.

WTF? Here is one example of Prevo’s love for us. It’s part 2 of his sermon against last summer’s equal rights ordinance (in case you missed it) and includes a long list of insults for LGBT Alaskans:

Can’t you feel the love? Prevo’s only legacy is peddling fear and hate of LGBT people and preventing Anchorage from becoming a city of equality and fairness.

What is Lisa thinking?

Mel on Scott McAdams: The clear choice for LGBTA Alaskans

Two U.S. Senate candidates spoke at the Pride Conference this weekend, and Mel Green reviewed them on her blog Henkimaa:

Yesterday I attended the Alaska Pride Conference, an annual event sponsored by Identity, Inc. My main reason for attending this year came out of my involvement with the Alaska LGBT Community Survey; but I also got the opportunity to hear firsthand from two of the candidates for U.S. Senate, Frederick David Haase of the Alaska Libertarian Party and Scott McAdams of the Alaska Democratic Party. Conference organizers invited all U.S. Senate candidates, but neither Republican Party of Alaska candidates — official candidate Joe Miller and incumbent and write-in candidate Sen. Lisa Murkowski — accepted the invitation.

Which fit in pretty well with what has become obvious: Republican officials and candidates care little about the the issues of concern to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender citizens. Whereas Democrats, despite sometimes spotty records, do. Thus, this year’s Pride march in Anchorage saw the enthusiastic participation of two Democratic gubernatorial candidates (Hollis French and eventual primary winner Ethan Berkowitz) and Democratic lieutenant governor candidate Diane Benson… but nary a Republican candidate was to be seen. (No Libertarians that I can recall, either.)

Mel gave credit to Frederick Haase, the Libertarian candidate, for accepting the invitation to Pride Conference. However, she was not impressed with his argument against hate crimes laws that protect our community and his reference to our “lifestyles.” Her opinion of Haase was shared by others who heard the speech and posted unfavorable comments on their Facebook pages.

When Scott McAdams stepped up to the podium, he began with the message “Vote your values, not your fears,” and gave a brief math and history lesson explaining why Lisa has very little chance of winning (similar to the Tom Begich presentation on Moore Up North.) Then McAdams turned to LGBT issues, Mel reports:

But if in fact he does win, what does Scott McAdams have to offer LGBTA voters? He told us that if he is elected, he will sign on as cosponsor of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) and as a cosponsor of a bill to repeal Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT). He also registered his unequivocal support for other federal legislation which advance equality under the law for LGBT citizens, such as repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA; extended to cover same-sex couples by Pres. Obama).

During the Q&A period, Mel was also impressed by his stands on other issues, like early childhood education and drug treatment for drug/alcohol-involved crimes. She concludes:

What sealed it for me was when McAdams said “Sovereignty begins with the individual. Freedom begins with the individual.” Most LGBT people spend a good part of their lives fending off the violative behavior of those who insist that we are supposed to be something other than who and what we are: attacking our sovereignty and freedom at our very cores. When McAdams said that, I knew that he & I see eye-to-eye: & that he respects, in a way I’ve seldom seen expressed by any non-LGBT political candidate, the integrity of who we are as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Aside from that, he was also very personable, and has a great sense of humor. I really really really like this guy.

Learn more about him at his website, and also see the other three segments of the October 9 “Moore Up North” featuring an in-depth interview with him: Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4. (Part 1 was the portion with Tom Begich already [linked] above.)

I urge all LGBT people, and all our allies who care about LGBT equality, to vote Scott McAdams for the U.S. Senate. For us, and for Alaska.

Thanks to Mel for reviewing the U.S. Senate candidates at the Pride Conference. I encourage everyone to read her full post HERE.

Photo by Mel Green: Scott McAdams, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, at the Alaska Pride Conference 2010.

McAdams is keynote speaker at Alaska Pride Conference, Oct 9

Anti-Gay Michele Bachmann endorses Joe Miller *more video*

McAdams on DADT *update*

Will Lisa vote for the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal?