Top Forty, UAA & VA support, MCC helps Covenant House, and the Uniting Families petition

Gay AK - notes for and about LGBT Alaska

Lesbian Journalist and Identity recognized

Congratulations to Julia O'Malley for being named one of "Alaska's Top Forty Under 40" this year! And congratulations to Identity, Inc. for being #10 on the list of Alaska's Largest Nonprofit Organizations, ranked by number of volunteers, according to The Alaska Journal of Commerce.

UAA's GLBTQA Support Group

OUT: a support group for the GLBTQA in all of us (formerly known as The Family) is meeting every Sunday at noon in the Student Union. Come Out and be a part of equality on campus!

Transgendered Veterans Support Group

The VA Mental Health Clinic in Anchorage holds a support group for Transgendered Veterans on Thursdays from 4-5 p.m. on the second floor, facilitated by Sue Ellen May LCSW and Dr. Camilla Madden PHD. If you are interested in attending, please call them at 257-4846 or 257-4857.

MCC holiday fundraiser for Covenant House

Each year, MCCA serves the community in Anchorage by raising money and needed items for those organizations which directly impact our community at large. Covenant House Alaska (CHA) provides shelter and other services to homeless, runaway and at-risk youth. Donations are tax deductible and can be made online at MCCA or sent to: Metropolitan Community Church of Anchorage, 2222 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99507. Please note your gift as "Covenant House 2009" and send by December 16, 2009.

The Uniting American Families Act

The Uniting American Families Act (UAFA) will provide gay and lesbian U.S. citizens and permanent residents the right to sponsor their partners for immigration. It includes the same process and penalties as applied in heterosexual sponsorship applications. Read the letter and sign the petition for passing UAFA.

This Week in LGBT Alaska 11/6/09

This week's events from the statewide newsletter Alaska GLBT News.

Juneau

SEAGLA Social Fridays (6-8 p.m.) for GLBT people and our friends over 21, at The Imperial Bar, downtown.

Fairbanks

UAF Gay-Straight Alliance sponsoring The Laramie Project movie 11/7, 3-5 p.m, in Schaible Auditorium, free. Jessi.

Wednesday LGBTA Social at 9 p.m. Email Joshua for the current 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

The Rocky Horror Show, 11/6-11/21, Fri & Sat 7 p.m., and Sat at 10 p.m. $20 at Mad Myrna's.

MCCA Board of Directors Meeting 11/7, noon-2 p.m.

Anchorage Ducal Ball IX - A Tartan Affair, Sunday 11/8, 6-10 p.m. $10 at Mad Myrna's.

Transgendered Veterans Support Group, Thursdays 4-5 p.m. at the VA Mental Health Clinic.

Election 09 LGBT wrap-up: K'zoo wins, Maine loses, WA looks good

Tuesday's election was a mixed bag for LGBT Americans. Voters repealed Maine's same-sex marriage law, approved Kalamazoo's nondiscrimination ordinance, and may have extended the Washington state domestic partnership law. They elected openly gay and lesbian mayors and city council members, along with anti-gay governors.

On the local scene, Luke Hopkins, a democrat, appears to be the new mayor of Fairbanks, beating the socially conservative Tammie Wilson, who is rumored to be anti-gay. (Both are heterosexual.)

As for LGBT issues around the country, here is the good and bad news.

Bad News:

It looks like Maine's same-sex marriage law, passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, will be repealed by the will of the homophobes.

Anti-gay Republican Chris Christie unseated Democrat Jon Corzine in New Jersey's gubernatorial race.

Good News:

Kalamazoo, Michigan voters approved an LGBT nondiscrimination ordinance, similar to the Anchorage ordinance vetoed by Mayor Sullivan. Congratulations to K'zoo!

The vote for the Washington state domestic partnership extension hasn't been called yet, but is currently winning.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina elected Mark Kleinschmidt, a gay man, as mayor.

Charles Pugh, a gay African American, was elected president of the Detroit City Council.

Annise Parker, a lesbian, was the front-runner in today's mayoral election in Houston, Texas and will face the second candidate in a December runoff.

In Georgia, lesbian City Council members Kathi de Nobriga and Melanie Hammet were re-elected in Pine Lake, and Brian Bates, an openly gay Republican, was re-elected to the Doraville City Council.

Stan Penfold became the first openly-gay member of the Salt Lake City Council. In recent years, SLC has elected three gay state legislators.

North Carolina, Texas, Georgia, Michigan, Utah. Conservative states electing openly-gay and lesbian political candidates. Conservative states with progressive populations concentrated in one or two big cities and the capitol. States like Alaska...

Overall, we're not there yet on marriage equality, but things are getting better for gay candidates.

So, who is going to run as the first openly gay and lesbian candidates in Alaska?

FBI ready to protect queer Alaskans

GLBT Alaskans have a new ally in the fight against anti-gay and anti-trans violence. If the authorities in Alaska will not protect us against hate crimes, the federal government will.

On October 28, President Obama signed the Hate Crimes Protection Act, an expansion of the civil rights law protecting communities that are targeted for hate violence. Now, if an Alaskan is killed or caused serious bodily injury for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, or being perceived as queer, the federal government will investigate it as a hate crime.

The local FBI agent already called the Gay & Lesbian Community Center in Anchorage to offer assistance.

"By the time the ink had dried on President Obama's signature, the Agent-in-Charge of the Alaska FBI was on the phone to me," wrote Phyllis Rhodes of Identity, Inc. and the Community Center. "Until advised otherwise by the Justice Department, the local office will fully investigate any violence against GLBT individuals."

The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act gives the federal government jurisdiction over violent hate crimes that target the victim because of sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability, when the local authorities are unwilling or unable to investigate, like in Alaska. The new law also allows funding for local, state and tribal authorities to combat hate crimes committed by juveniles, train law enforcement officers on the characteristics of hate crimes, and keep better records on the hate crimes committed.

"We have very weak anti-hate crime legislation in Alaska," Rep. Max Gruenberg, D-Anchorage told KTVA. "Probably one of the reasons that the federal government felt it was so necessary to do this [is] because a number of states, including Alaska, just do not protect their citizens."

According to the FBI, over 12,000 reported hate crimes were committed in the US based on sexual orientation during the last decade.

"We are very proud that both Alaska's Senators Mark Begich and Lisa Murkowski have supported this strong statement against hatred and violent discrimination," said Elias Rojas, newly elected Board President of Alaskans Together for Equality, Inc.

All three of Alaska's members of Congress voted for the final version of the Hate Crimes Act. Senator Begich became a co-sponsor of the original bill, and Senator Murkowski voted for it after many Alaskans called in support. Representative Young voted for the final House version as part of the Defense Authorization bill.

Election 09: LGBT issues and candidates

Putting the civil rights of minority groups up for a public vote is always risky, especially when it involves gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgendered people.

Today's elections involve a number of important LGBT issues and candidates around the country, including same-sex marriage in Maine and an anti-discrimination ordinance in Kalamazoo, Michigan that is similar to the Anchorage ordinance vetoed by Mayor Sullivan. In Alaska, voters in Fairbanks will choose between a democrat and an anti-gay Christian for mayor.

Voters in Maine are deciding whether to repeal or affirm a state law that would allow gay couples to get married. The law was passed by the legislature last May, but anti-gay groups pushed for a repeal.

Voters in Washington state are deciding whether to uphold or overturn a recently expanded domestic partnership law that entitles same-sex couples to most of the state-granted rights heterosexual married couples receive, except the ability to get married.

The Kalamazoo anti-discrimination ordinance was passed unanimously twice by the city council, but anti-gay groups pressured them into putting it on the ballot for a public vote. If Ordinance 1856 passes today, it will be illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations in Kalamazoo.

Watch this quick ad for Kalamazoo's anti-discrimination ordinance:

In other parts of the country, openly gay or lesbian candidates, and straight allies, have a good chance of being elected. Houston, Texas could become the largest U.S. city to elect an openly lesbian mayor if they elect Annise Parker.

The Governor's race in New Jersey is also important for gay rights. The Democratic candidate Jon Corzine said he will fight to pass marriage equality in the state, while the GOP candidate Chris Christie will fight against equality. Both New Jersey and New York have same-sex marriage bills working through the legislatures.

In Alaska, voters today will choose a new mayor for the Fairbanks North Star Borough. The front-runner is Assemblymember Luke Hopkins, who has lived in Alaska since 1966. Tammie Wilson, who moved to Alaska only six years ago and still manages rental properties in Illinois, ran as a socially conservative Christian backed by the baptist churches. She won enough votes in October to force a run-off election today.

Sara's News Round-Up 11/1/09

National LGBT news links from Sara Boesser of Juneau, Alaska.

1) Sweden's Lutheran church to celebrate gay weddings

Stockholm, Sweden, AFP, October 23, 2009

2) Focus of Gay-Marriage Fight Is Maine

Maine, New York Times, October 27, 2009

3) Katherine Ragsdale installed as Episcopal Divinity School's president and dean

Cambridge, Mass., Episcopal Life, October 28, 2009

4) Prominent United Methodist Minister Elected to National Board of Directors of PFLAG

Washington, DC, PFLAG, October 26, 2009

5) Stoning law to be reviewed

Banda Aceh, Indonesia, Straits Times, October 27, 2009

6) Newsom's Out: Quits Calif. Governor Race

San Francisco, Advocate, October 30, 2009

7) Army dream of transgender man

Middlesbrough, Ireland, Belfast Telegraph, October 30, 2009

8) AP NewsBreak: IOC to hold meeting on gender cases

London, Associated Press, October 27, 2009

9) Call for equal rights for all forms of family

Malta, Times of Malta, October 30, 2009

10) Paterson calls lawmakers back for marriage bill ~ New York Governor wants 'extraordinary session'

Albany, New York, Southern Voice, October 30, 2009

Vote for Mayor of Fairbanks, COLAGE survey, and Out in Alaska recruits East Coast travelers

Gay AK - news briefs for and about LGBT Alaska

Vote in Fairbanks' Nov. 3rd Mayoral Runoff

The runoff election for borough mayor is on Nov. 3rd. The two candidates are very different in ideology and experience, and our borough will look very different depending on who wins this race. Luke Hopkins, a democrat, won the first round and now faces Tammie Wilson, a conservative Christian, in the run-off election. Please vote.

Imperial Court elects new board members

Congratulations to the new members on the ICOAA Board of Directors: Mikel Wiles, Mary Bess Bohall, Scott Turner, and Christopher Oeser.

Another Fairbanks LGBT Retreat?

Thanks to everyone who showed up at the retreat this weekend. It was a great success and the feedback suggests that people would like a similar event to happen in the near future. Contact Joshua to suggest ideas for other events.

AMP Launch

More than 20 people showed up to the AMP Launch at Snow City. "We got the ball rolling on our MPowerment Project, now it's time to spread the word about AMP throughout the community," writes Ted Jones, Prevention Coordinator/Facilitator at Four A's. The MPowerment Project is a community-level HIV prevention program for young gay and bisexual men.

Take the COLAGE Donor Insemination Survey

COLAGE, a national network of people with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer parents, announces the ART Project to highlight the experiences of COLAGErs born through Assisted Reproductive Technologies. COLAGE is calling all youth born through donor insemination, and their parents, to take a 15-20 minute online survey, available through November 30. There is a survey for LGBTQ identified parents with a donor conceived child and a different survey for people born through donor insemination with a LGBTQ identified parent. For more info, contact Jeff DeGroot.

Out in Alaska Roadshow

Meet Out in Alaska's lead guide Tim Stallard at the Gay and Lesbian World Travel Expo in Boston on 11/3, at the LGBT CENTER in New York City on 11/6, and at the All Souls Unitarian Church in Washington, DC on 11/10. Visit Out in Alaska for more info on the roadshow and the Alaskan adventures.