Sunday, 6 October 2013 – 5:19 PM
| Comments Off on A long-overdue Bent Alaska update — October 2013
Bent Alaska’s blog will continue in hiatus indefinitely; but the Bent Alaska Facebook Group on Facebook is thriving — join us! A long-overdue update from Bent Alaska’s editor.
Tuesday, 30 September 2008 – 12:11 PM
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Modeled after Black and Women’s History Month, GLBT History Month highlights annually the achievements of 31 gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender Icons—one each day—with a free video, bio, bibliography, images and other resources. Take the weekly Trivia Challenge each Friday, starting October 10, and the Rainbow Challenge at the end of the month.
Sunday, 28 September 2008 – 1:06 PM
| Comments Off on Gay Men and Salmon Sex: Bob Smith Reads from Selfish and Perverse
Comedian Bob Smith wrote the novel Selfish and Perverse, about three gay men and a lesbian in Alaska and Los Angeles.
In the clip below, Smith reads a few Alaskan scenes from the book, and talks about the GLBT people he met here. The last scene is a great piece about salmon sex.
This isn’t a new video, but the novel is about GLBT characters in Alaska and is funny. I’m posting it now in honor of the summer’s low salmon runs.
The reading was taped at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists’ Association Annual Convention.
Wednesday, 10 September 2008 – 10:33 PM
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Howard Bess, author of “Pastor, I am Gay” and former pastor of Church of the Covenant in Palmer, Alaska recalls that his book challenging Christians to re-examine their ideas about and prejudices against gays and lesbians was not well received in nearby Wasilla when it was published in 1995 — the year before Sarah Palin was elected mayor.
Virtually every book store in Wasilla refused to sell it. Bess said he gave two copies to the Wasilla Library, but they quickly disappeared. So he donated more copies.
Sarah Palin was elected mayor of Wasilla with the support of her Assembly of God church, which was pushing for the removal of “Pastor, I am Gay” from local bookstores. On two occasions, Mayor Palin asked the Wasilla library director what she would do if told to remove certain books from the shelves. Three books were mentioned.
The library director, Mary Ellen Emmons, said the books were purchased according to the guidelines and would not be removed. Mayor Palin fired her soon after. A group of local residents protested the firing and Mary Ellen was reinstated, but she left Wasilla two years later and will not speak about the incident now.
In Dec. 1996, reporter Paul Stuart wrote an article about the censorship controversy in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.
“Mary Ellen told me that Palin asked her directly to remove these books from the shelves,” Stuart said. “She refused.” Asked later if one of the books could have been “Pastor, I am Gay,” Stuart said that it was.
“Knowing Sarah’s religious connections and the people involved,” said Howard Bess, “I would be surprised if my book was not one of those at issue.”
Sen. Joe Biden, Obama’s choice for Vice President, has not said anything about gay Alaskans.
But last year, one of the other presidential hopefuls showed his knowledge of Alaska’s vibrant LGBT community at an HRC event in Los Angeles.
Melissa Etheridge asked former senator Mike Gravel about his support for same-sex marriage, then asked, “Are there many gay people up in Alaska?” Listen to his response:
We’ve been through a long, strange nomination process that ends at this week’s Democratic Convention. The clip shows a GLBT Alaska moment in that process. It also shows how far we still have to go: the current presidential and vice presidential candidates do not support same-sex marriage.
Are there more than two (and a half) gay people in Alaska? YES! See Bent Alaska’s resource list: Where to Find GLBT Alaska.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008 – 4:47 AM
| Comments Off on Margaret Cho’s Beautiful Tour in Anchorage – Tickets On Sale 4/4
by E. Ross
Finally, the tickets are available! The Performing Arts Center has Margaret’s Beautiful Tour on the calendar for 5/5, 8 p.m. in the Atwood Concert Hall, and tickets go on sale through CenterTix on 4/4 at 12:01 a.m.
“I want to explore the nature of beauty. What is funny and scary about it, why we often don’t feel beautiful because our society’s standards are so rigid and unattainable,” said Margaret.
Here is her hilarious routine about working on an Olivia Cruise in Alaska:
Wednesday, 26 March 2008 – 11:50 AM
| Comments Off on Alaskan Bear Wins Mr. International Bear 2008
by E. Ross
The Bears of Alaska began the year with a great big Woof! For the first time, a local Bear won the title of Mr. International Bear at the IBR competition in San Francisco. Scott Turner of Anchorage competed in IBR Patrol – Bears in Uniform and is now Mr. International Bear 2008.
“We were all standing back there holding hands, trying to figure out which one of them was going to get it,” Turner said at a post-competition party, “and then they called my name and I was in complete shock.”
The other new title holders are Mr. International Daddy Ringo Nannings of Amsterdam, International Cub Bud Grundy of Southern California, And Mr. International Grizzly Dean Bruno of Boston.
“Great bunch of guys this year. I had a lot of fun drinking with all of them,” said Turner, “and the most fun was watching the other guys get their awards.”
Each year, The Last Frontier Men’s Club (TLFMC) sponsors Mr. Bear Alaska at the International Bear Rendezvous in San Francisco and Mr. Alaska Leather at the International Mr. Leather contest in Chicago. They also award titles for Alaska Bear Cub, Mr. Alaska Levi, Alaska Leather Boy & Ms. Alaska Leather. Title holders are chosen during Arctic Heat Weekend.
The International Bear Rendezvous is an annual gathering of bears and bear-lovers held in San Francisco. IBR is hosted by the Bears of San Francisco, who conceived of Rendezvous as a weekend of fun and fundraising.
Established in 1993, The Last Frontier Men’s Club is a non-profit social club. TLFMC provides bears, leathermen, cowboys, their respective admirers and other masculine Alaskan gay and bisexual men with the opportunity to meet and socialize. Although The Last Frontier Men’s Club is a members-only club, people from all aspects of the community are encouraged and welcome to attend any function that the club presents.
TLFMC posts photos and videos of local Bears. Here is the video announcing the new Mr. International Bear:
Friday, 14 March 2008 – 6:31 PM
| Comments Off on Discharged Alaskan Fights DADT
by E. Ross
David Hall, UAA student and decorated Elmendorf NCO, was accepted into the Air Force ROTC and discharged a year later because of his relationship with a man he met at UAA. Channel KTVA11 recently posted his story:
The very real consequences of DADT repeal; seeking survivor benefits for same-sex partner of Alaska shooting victim; waiting on SCOTUS decision about whether it will hear Prop 8 case; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska.
In this month’s “Ask Lambda Legal” column, Lambda Legal answers a question about the federal government’s longstanding ban against donations of blood from men who have sex with men (MSM).
Alaska Pride Conference 2012 kicks off on October 5 with a First Friday showing at Tref.Punkt Studio of Love is Love, a photographic exhibit of LGBT couples from across the state.
United for marriage: Light the way to justice. The U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments this Tuesday and Wednesday, March 26–27, in two cases about freedom to marry. Please join us on Tuesday, March 26, at the federal courthouse in Anchorage (7th & C) in a circle united for equality.
Pariah, a critically acclaimed film about a 17-year-old African-American woman embracing her lesbian identity, will screen at UAA on Friday, November 2, and will be followed by a discussion on acceptance in honor of Mya Dale. The event is free and open to the public.
