MILK opens today in the Lower 48

Update 2: Take the Milk Challenge!

UPDATE: MILK is opening in Anchorage on Friday, Dec 12 at the Century (a Mormon-owned theater.) For more about this controversy, see Gay Movies Come to Anchorage.

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The movie Milk, about Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected politician in the U.S., opens to select audiences (not us) today, one day before the 30th anniversary of Milk's assassination. It opens in many more cities on Dec 5, and opens everywhere else on Dec 12. It looks amazing!

If you know when and where Milk is showing in Alaska, please leave the info in the comments.

Two Gay Thanksgiving Meals in Anchorage

We have much to be thankful for this year. To help us celebrate, there are two free LGBT Thanksgiving meals in Anchorage this week: Thanksgiving Eve at Mad Myrna's, and Thanksgiving Day at the Community Center.

On the Eve of Thanksgiving, join EVE'S Family and Friends for a GLBT Community Thanksgiving Dinner, Wednesday Nov. 26 at Mad Myrna's. The dinner begins at 5 p.m. and is free. The Thanksgiving menu includes turkey, spiral ham, prime rib and all the trimmings. Just bring a friend and be hungry.

The Gay and Lesbian Community Center of Anchorage (GLCCA) is hosting an open house on Thanksgiving Day, and a complete Thanksgiving meal will be served from 2 to 4 p.m., with desserts out until 6 p.m. Join the LGBT community in giving thanks for having such a great facility, and sit down to a good meal and friendly conversation.

Besides two free Thanksgiving meals in the company of LGBT Alaskans and our friends, what else are you thankful for this year?

World AIDS Day, December 1, 2008

Monday, December 1, marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day, when individuals and organizations around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. While we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done to fight the disease and its stigma.

AIDS organizations in Anchorage and Fairbanks are holding candlelight vigils on Dec 1, along with celebrations of life.                                                 

Anchorage Paints the Town Red

On World AIDS Day, the Alaskan AIDS Assistance Association (Four A's) holds events and activities to create awareness and educational opportunities for the community. This year's theme is Paint the Town Red: Wear the Original Ribbon. They're distributing free red ribbons for everyone to wear on December 1.

Over 200 organizations and businesses will have cans full of free red ribbons beginning November 25. Check the list of Anchorage locations and pick up your ribbons today. To have a paint can of ribbons at your business or organization, contact Chrissy at Four A's.

On Monday, Dec 1, join Four A's at the Alaska Wild Berry Theater (5225 Juneau Street) for the Annual World AIDS Day Candlelight Vigil at 6 p.m., and a free showing of Rent at 7 p.m., with live entertainment by TBA Theatre.

IAA Celebrates 20 Years in Fairbanks

On Dec 1, the Interior AIDS Association (IAA) is celebrating their 20th anniversary and World AIDS Day at the UAF Salisbury Theatre. The evening includes dance and theater performances and a speaker starting at 6:30 p.m., followed by a candlelight vigil at 8:30 p.m.

Protest Photo Wrap-up

Alaska contributed to the nationwide Join the Impact protest on Nov. 15, and we have the pictures to prove it!

The Anchorage rally was held at the Atwood Building, outside Gov. Palin's local office. Watch Stef's video clips of the Anchorage protest.

Some of the links below are reposted from the Anchorage protest article and Fairbanks protest article, because several people wrote to ask where they could see more photos.

Photo sets of the Anchorage protest

from Elias: Anchorage Equal Rights Rally/No on Prop 8 Protest, 

from Blue-in-AK: Anchorage Proposition 8 protest, 

from Yksin: Protesting Prop 8, Anchorage, AK, 15 Nov 2008,

from Perpetual Emptiness (aka lilyfluffbottom): Anchorage, AK 11/15/08

and from Join the Impact: the Alaska page.

Photos of the Fairbanks City Hall protest are posted on the Facebook page Protest Prop 8 in Fairbanks.

Thanks for the photo and video links, and a big "Thank you" to everyone who participated!

This issue isn't going away, so stay tuned for more national marriage equality news and events.

Human Arch Reflects Love and Acceptance for All Families

"Jump the Broom" celebrated love and acceptance with over 130 supporters on Oct 5th in Juneau, and $1300 was raised to help keep marriage legal and equal in California. Our $1300 doubled into $2600 when it was matched by another donor on arrival in California. Beyond that, some of you donated on line, and the total generated was well over $3000.

Thanks to so many of you who came hours early in your party clothes and helped set up. To those of you who created yummy potluck items, brought fabrics, table cloths, silver party favors, and rainbows galore, thank you.

It was truly a lifetime highlight walking through the human arch of love and acceptance. To all the broom jumpers, all the celebratory dancers and arch makers, your love and support are tenderly held.    

Some have stopped us on the street since, asking if we can make this an annual activity. It's not a bad idea to celebrate and be reminded of love, acceptance and equality on a regular basis!  

Sadly, our nation lost the right for all couples to marry in California on Nov. 4 with the passage of Proposition 8. (Stay tuned at equalityforall.com, hrc.org, and pfaw.org for ways you can help fight this discrimination.) 

So we may need to do that arch of love and acceptance again and again, letting it grow until all are included and equal in our nation. If any of you want to plan the next one in Juneau, or one for your community, we'd be happy to share our expertise. Perhaps we can have arches of love and support all over our state in 2009, or all over our nation.

Eighteen years ago, when we first married in California with no legal significance or recognition, our Dads were still alive and one of them said, "What we wish for you, is that barriers will fall away for you and people like you, and that you may have all the love you have for one another reflected back to you, all the days of your lives." 

His words were a cherished wedding gift. Now, dear Juneau friends, and supporters and family, you have given us a reflection of that love, a very powerful gift, keeping the words of Frank Longworth alive and believable, even at this very tender time. Thank you. 

We are grateful to all of you. 

Mo and Lin, 

Juneau, Alaska

 - Photo of Mo and Lin just legally married at San Francisco City Hall, Sept. 15, 2008, exactly eighteen years after their original (non-legal) wedding. Congratulations!

This Week in GLBT Alaska 11/21/08

Check out this week's events from Alaska GLBT News.

For full listings, news and up-coming events, subscribe to AGN, the weekly email newsletter.

Juneau

SEAGLA Social Fridays 6-8 p.m.

Fairbanks

"The Laramie Project" Play and Discussion at Theatre UAF, 11/21-11/23

"Live and Let Live: The Local Context of The Laramie Project," a community discussion after the 2 pm matinee on Saturday 11/22 Theatre UAF

Fairbanks Meet n' Greet with the ICOAA 11/22, 5-6:30 p.m. at Bobby's Downtown

Anchorage

Ever Ready in Eagle River & Indian, 11/21 & 11/22

Black Ball - A Fetish Party 11/22, 9 p.m. at Mad Myrna's. A fundraiser for Mr. International Bear 2008.

Trans Support Group, Sundays 4-6 p.m. at the GLCCA

EVE's Community Thanksgiving Dinner 11/26, 5 p.m. Mad Myrna's. FREE

Hump Day Happy Hour, Wednesdays 5-7 p.m. with TLFMC

GLCCA Thanksgiving Day Open House 11/27, 2-6 p.m.

Transgender Day of Remembrance

Today is the 10th annual International Transgender Day of Remembrance, commemorating transgender people who have lost their lives due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice.

The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder on November 28th, 1998 inspired the Remembering Our Dead web project and a candlelight vigil.

Unfortunately, another trans person was murdered just this week for being trans and gay, Teish Cannon of Syracuse, New York.

Others being remembered this year as part of Transgender Day of Remembrance include Lawrence King of Oxnard, Calif., a 15-year-old boy who liked to wear women's clothes and was shot in the head by a fellow classmate; Simmie Williams Jr., 17, shot in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. wearing women's clothes; and Angie Zapata, 18, of Greeley, Colo., brutally murdered by a 31-year-old man who became enraged when he learned that she was a biological male.

Locally, MCC Anchorage held a Transgendered Day candle lighting service last Sunday.

Richard LaFortune, a Native Alaskan member of the Yup'ik tribe, spoke yesterday at Washington State University about 'two-spirit people,' American Indians with both a male and female spirit. LaFortune helped organize the International Two Spirit Gathering, an annual gathering of LGBT Native people that occurs in late August.