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.

The two cases the Supreme Court will hear concern  the discriminatory Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) and California’s Proposition 8. The cases will be heard even as a bipartisan majority of Americans recognize that the ability to marry the person you love is a Constitutional right. Please join us as we join celebrations in Washington, DC and every state in the nation in support of marriage equality.

This one hour gathering is intended to circle the federal courthouse in Anchorage.  There is no program. Only unity. This is a simple way to show your support for marriage equality in Anchorage.

• Date/time: Tuesday, March 26, 5:00–6:00 PM
• Location: U.S. District Courthouse, Anchorage, 7th Avenue & C Street
• Sponsored by: Christians for Equality
• Further info: See the Facebook event page

Marriage equality is on the ballot tomorrow in four states; Catholics for Marriage Equality in Washington State; presidential election; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska, with additional info from Bent Alaska.

Marriage equality

Marriage equality is on the ballot tomorrow in four states: Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington State.  Things are looking tight in Maryland and Minnesota right now, but are looking very good in Maine in Washington. Marriage equality-related election results will be online starting tomorrow night at Marriage Equality USA.

The Final Stretch: A Round-Up Of Ads For And Against Marriage Equality
ThinkProgress LGBT, November 5, 2012

Tomorrow, four states will have the opportunity to weigh in on the question of marriage equality, three of which will have the opportunity to embrace the freedom for the very first time. All four campaigns have had fierce efforts both for and against, with millions of dollars spent on ads. As election day approaches, here is a final look at what the campaigns have been saying to the public in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington.

Catholics defy bishops to pray for gay marriage
Seattle, Seattle PI, October 28, 2012

The folk mass hymns and gospels were familiar, the response “And with your spirit” recited Sundays in church by millions of Catholics, but the 120 faithful gathered outside Seattle’s St. James Cathedral on Sunday afternoon were praying for a cause their bishops are campaigning against.

Mobilized by Catholics for Marriage Equality, they celebrated a “Liturgy of Love,” praying for the recognition of same-sex unions and the passage of Referendum 74, which would legalize marriage between persons of the same gender.

WATCH: Lady Gaga Gets Out the Vote for Marriage Equality
Advocate, November 2, 2012

Gaga reminds voters in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington that they can weigh in on marriage equality-related measures Tuesday.

WATCH: Maryland Marriage Ad Features Presidents Obama and Clinton
Advocate, November 2, 2012

Marylanders for Marriage Equality, the coalition working to pass the measure known as Question 6, released its final TV ad Friday featuring Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton with the message that “it’s time” for same-sex couples to be able to legally marry in the state.

Final Poll Shows Marriage Equality Ahead 52%-45% in Maine
Maine, Gayapolis, November 3, 2012

Maine’s referendum to legalize gay marriage is leading for passage by a 52/45 margin, numbers virtually unchanged from 52/44 in our last survey. What we’ve found historically with these gay marriage ballot measures though is that undecided voters tend to end up voting anti-gay so if I had to guess this is something more like a 52/48 advantage and at that point it can go either way- this is likely to be a pretty close vote.

THR Poll: ‘Glee’ and ‘Modern Family’ Drive Voters to Favor Gay Marriage — Even Many Romney Voters
Hollywood Reporter, November 3, 2012

Shows with gay characters, like Glee, Modern Family, and The New Normal, are helping drive voters to historically unprecedented support of gay marriage….

LGBTQ voters

New Logo TV Presidential Election Poll: LGBT Voters May Make the Difference In Close Election
NewNowNext, November 2, 2012

A second Logo poll, again conducted by Harris Interactive, reveals that the relatively small but increasingly energized LGBT voting population could be pivotal in this extremely close presidential election next week.

Religion

Group Petitions Christian Magazine to Accept Pro-Equality Ad
Advocate, November 2, 2012

Faith in America, a pro-LGBT religious organization, is petitioning Christianity Today magazine to accept its ad encouraging parents to accept their LGBT children.

Post-DADT military

Transgender Army vet to lead gay rights group
Navy Times, October 25, 2012

A transgender veteran has been named to head a newly combined organization advocating for the interests of gay, bisexual and transgender service members.

Army veteran Allyson Robinson said one of her priorities will be to garner support for getting full military benefits for same-sex military couples.

Transgender

Joe Biden: Transgender Discrimination Is ‘The Civil Rights Issue Of Our Time’
Washington, Huffington Post, October 10, 2012

Vice President Joe Biden said transgender discrimination is “the civil rights issue of our time” during a visit to a Florida field office on Tuesday, according to pool reports.

Coming out

I’m Gay Or Bisexual And Proud Of It! 48 Stars Who Have Come Out Of The Closet
Radar.com, October 29, 2012

From big screen bombshells and television’s most beloved actors to sexy singers and talk show hosts, a bevy of celebrities have come out of the closet and admitted to being gay or bisexual.

Bent Alaska editor Mel Green will be taking a “semi-hiatus” during November 2012 to focus on her writing. This doesn’t mean complete silence — but she will be scaling back.

A word (& then a few more words) from our editor…

First, Happy Halloween!

Second, I am taking an (announced, this time) semi-hiatus from Bent Alaska for all of November to focus on my writing. You’ve probably noticed that I’ve already been in an (unannounced) semi-hiatus, partly due to being sick for most of October, but also due to a strong need — after a lengthy period of public involvement (Anchorage LGBT Discrimination Survey, Anchorage Baptist Temple tax issue, One Anchorage campaign, Anchorage election recount…) — to return to my own writing, which I’ve had very little time to do over the past two years. And I really really need it.

By “semi-hiatus” I mean that I won’t be completely absent: I’ll still be doing Sara’s News posts & occasional news items on Bent’s Facebook wall. I’ll also try to return to reliability in reposting event stuff on the Facebook wall that people pass on to me. But I’ll be scaled back otherwise as, really, I’ve already been, & will not be attempting to keep up with our Google events calendar this coming month, or keeping up with events on the blog.

In the next few days, I’m gonna put a few questions out on Bent’s Facebook wall for Bent readers/FB friends about what you most need from a venue like Bent Alaska, & how to make it sustainable for the long term — an issue I will be returning to in December.

In the meantime, thank all of you for your patience, understanding, & support.

Melissa S. (Mel) Green
Bent Alaska editor

P.S. If you’re curious what I’m writing over November, please visit my (heretofore long-neglected) personal blog Henkimaa or my Facebook wall.

Photo: Facebook profile for Halloween 2012 by Melissa S. Green. Inset: Mel in a National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) hoodie. Cover: The bloodshot eye is courtesy a burst blood vessel from heavy coughing when I was ill in early October.

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, with a discussion to follow in honor of Mya Dale. The event is free and open to the public.

The Family at UAA and the UAA Multicultural Center will present a screening of writer/director Dee Rees’ critically acclaimed feature film Pariah at University of Alaska Anchorage. The film will be followed by a discussion. Poet Shelby “Mahogany” Wilson will share a poem about acceptance. The event is free and open to the public, and food and refreshments will be provided.

The screening and discussion are being held in remembrance of Mya Dale, a UAA student and member of The Family who tragically died this past summer.  In life, Mya struggled with acceptance for herself, and persistently sought to create conversations to bridge differences and bring understanding and acceptance between people, including a workshop on disability during the 2011 Anchorage Pride Conference, and two discussion panels at UAA inviting students of various backgrounds to intellectually consider specific African American experience, contributions, and thought. The screening and discussion of Pariah is one of several events since her death organized by friends who wish to honor her memory by carrying on the work of creating acceptance.

This is Pariah‘s second appearance in Anchorage; it screened this past March at the Bear Tooth. Bent Alaska wrote about it at the time:

In Pariah, Adepero Oduye portrays Alike (pronounced ah-lee-kay), a 17-year-old African-American woman who lives with her parents Audrey and Arthur (Kim Wayans and Charles Parnell) and younger sister Sharonda (Sahra Mellesse) in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood. She has a flair for poetry, and is a good student at her local high school.

Alike is quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian. With the sometimes boisterous support of her best friend, out lesbian Laura (Pernell Walker), Alike is especially eager to find a girlfriend. At home, her parents’ marriage is strained and there is further tension in the household whenever Alike’s development becomes a topic of discussion. Pressed by her mother into making the acquaintance of a colleague’s daughter, Bina (Aasha Davis), Alike finds Bina to be unexpectedly refreshing to socialize with.

Wondering how much she can confide in her family, Alike strives to get through adolescence with grace, humor, and tenacity – sometimes succeeding, sometimes not, but always moving forward.

A world premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, the contemporary drama Pariah is the feature-length expansion of writer/director Dee Rees’ award-winning 2007 short film of the same title. Spike Lee is among the feature’s executive producers. At Sundance, cinematographer Bradford Young was honored with the [U.S. Dramatic Competition] Excellence in Cinematography Award.

“The year’s best coming-of-age film…. Writer/director Dee Rees’ voice is already powerful and gracefully confident… Actress Adepero Oduye is wonderful, the movie inspiring.” — Mary Pols, Time

Rated for sexual content and language.

• Date/time: Friday, November 2, 5:30 PM
• Location: Room 110, Rasmuson Hall, University of Alaska Anchorage, 3416 Seawolf Drive, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost: This will be a FREE event, open to the public, food and drinks provided.
• Parking: There is no fee for parking on campus on Fridays, so parking is also FREE.
• Further info: Official Pariah website, Pariah Facebook page; Bent Alaska’s posts about Mya Dale.

Watch the trailer:

When it comes to marriage equality, it’s no contest between Obama and Romney; a landmark decision on DOMA by the Third Circuit; and other recent LGBTQ news selected by Sara Boesser in Juneau, Alaska, with additional info from Bent Alaska.

Obama v. Romney

Obama endorses same-sex marriage initiatives in three states
Seattle, Reuters, October 26, 2012

President Barack Obama on Thursday endorsed state ballot initiatives to legalize same-sex marriage in Washington state, Maryland and Maine as he sought to galvanize gay and lesbian enthusiasm for his re-election bid.

Statements issued by the Obama campaign in those three states urging voters to approve the gay-marriage measures on their respective November 6 ballots came five months after Obama became the first U.S. president to express support for the right of same-sex couples to wed.

President Obama: How to End Marriage Discrimination (Spoiler Alert: It’s Freedom to Marry’s Strategy)
Huffington Post, October 27, 2012

In an MTV interview on Friday, President Obama reiterated his support for the freedom to marry, recounted the many steps his Administration has taken to stand up for gay families and equality under the law, and shared some thoughts on how the law and history suggest America will end marriage discrimination.

Romney Still Supports Federal Marriage Amendment
Advocate, October 21, 2012

A surrogate for Governor Mitt Romney’s campaign has clarified that the presidential candidate supports an amendment in the U.S. Constitution that would define marriage for only heterosexual couples

Romney – Hospital Visitation Is ‘Benefit,’ Not A Right For Homosexual Couples
Sodahead, October 22, 2012

In his latest move in what is seemingly a war on the LGBT community, Mitt Romney has stated that hospital visitation is a benefit, as opposed to a right, for homosexual couples. In stark contrast, Obama’s move two years ago was to mandate that hospitals must treat homosexual couples the same as heterosexual couples. This includes (but is not limited to) visitation rights. Visitation rights are also described under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare).

Ellen DeGeneres: Mitt Romney is scary
Politico, October 23, 2012

And what if Mitt Romney wins instead? “If you’re a woman, you should be very, very scared of that, for many reasons,” she said. “And obviously as a gay person he doesn’t believe in me having the same rights, so of course I’m not happy about that.”

DOMA: Windsor v. United States decision

Federal Appeals Court Rules DOMA Unconstitutional in Windsor Case
New York, Advocate, October 18, 2012

The Second Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled against the Defense of Marriage Act today in the case Windsor v. United States, involving the lesbian widow Edith “Edie” Windsor, marking the second time a federal appeals court has found the 1996 law unconstitutional.

Appeals court rules against Defense of Marriage Act
New York, Reuters, October 18, 2012

The ruling by the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals was in favor of Edith Windsor, an 83-year-old woman who argued that the Defense of Marriage Act discriminates against gay and lesbian couples, violating equal protection provisions of the U.S. Constitution.

Victory for lesbian, years after her longtime partner’s death
New York, CNN, October 19, 2012

It was a wonderful life. That’s how Edith Windsor describes her partnership with Thea Clara Spyer. Theirs was not a fleeting romance — the women were together 42 years sharing ups and downs, laughs and tears.

From the editor: This decision is highly significant. The judge who wrote the opinion, Chief Judge Dennis Jacobs of the 2nd Circuit, is extremely conservative. The opinion itself is based on legal reasoning with a strong effect. As Greg Sargent of the Washington Post blog The Plum Line wrote,

This bodes well long term for ending DOMA for good. Prominent gay rights advocate Richard Socarides explains to me what it will mean if that happens: “The government will give full federal recognition to same sex marriages in the states where that is now allowed. That means couples that are married, for instance, in New York will be entitled to all the federal benefits that any other married couples are entitled to.”

Ian Millhiser of ThinkProgress expands:

This is a really big deal. Jacobs is not simply saying that DOMA imposes unique and unconstitutional burdens on gay couples, he is saying that any attempt by government to discriminate against gay people must have an “exceedingly persuasive” justification. This is the same very skeptical standard afforded to laws that discriminate against women. If Jacobs’ reasoning is adopted by the Supreme Court, it will be a sweeping victory for gay rights, likely causing state discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation to be virtually eliminated. And the fact that this decision came from such a conservative judge makes it all the more likely that DOMA will ultimately be struck down by the Supreme Court.

More on this case from the ACLU, which is representing Windsor in this case; from Freedom to Marry; or at Wikipedia.

Other marriage equality news

Catholic Church, NOM Responsible for 60% of Funding to Fight Marriage Equality
Advocate, October 18, 2012

The Roman Catholic Church, its affiliate the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic-based National Organization for Marriage are responsible for more than 60% of the funding behind anti-equality campaigns in the four states with marriage-related questions on the ballot this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Op-ed: Thank Your Grandparents for Equality Surging in Polls
Advocate, October 28, 2012

This year might bring the first-ever statewide vote in favor of marriage for same-sex couples — and for that you have your grandmother to thank. Why? Because contrary to conventional wisdom, Americans born in the 1940s have been changing their minds on the marriage issue faster than nearly any other age group.

Deaf university roiled by gay marriage controversy
Washington, Associated Press, October 19, 2012

Gallaudet University is under fire from both proponents and opponents of gay marriage after placing an administrator on leave for signing a petition to put Maryland’s gay-marriage law on the ballot.

Two Women Kiss In Front Of Anti-Gay Protests In Marseille, France
Huffington Post, October 23, 2012

This is the image from anti-gay marriage protests in France that many will remember above all others: two young woman kissing in the middle of angry demonstrators.

The picture, taken by AFP photographer Gérard Julien, went viral on social media and has all the ingredients to become a symbolic image of the movement in favor of marriage equality.

Outing v. reporting

Forced Outing’: Dragging Gay Politicians Out of the Closet, for a Cause
Takepart.com, October 11, 2012

Publicly outing closeted politicians who block gay-rights legislation is an effective tool in the push for LGBT equality, according to Michael Rogers, a former blogger who ran stories purporting to out several prominent Republicans in recent years, including representatives David Dreier and Ed Schrock and South Carolina Lieutenant Governor Andre Bauer….

Rogers, a Washington, D.C.-based gay-rights activist, doesn’t like to call what he did “forced outing.”

“I did what I like to call reporting,” says Rogers, now the managing director of news site Raw Story.

Research

Foster Kids Do Equally Well When Adopted by Gay, Lesbian or Heterosexual Parents, Study Suggests
Science Daily, October 18, 2012

High-risk children adopted from foster care do equally well when placed with gay, lesbian or heterosexual parents, UCLA psychologists report in the first multi-year study of children adopted by these three groups of parents.

3% of U.S. population is homosexual, bisexual or transgender: Gallup poll
New York, Associated Press, October 18, 2012

A new Gallup survey, touted as the largest of its kind, estimates that 3.4 percent of American adults identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender.

The findings, released today, were based on interviews with more than 121,000 people. Gallup said it is the largest study ever aimed at calculating the nation’s LGBT population.

Boy Scouts of America

“Perversion files” show locals helped cover up
Portland, Oregon, Associated Press, October 2012

An array of local authorities — police chiefs, prosecutors, pastors and town Boy Scout leaders among them — quietly shielded scoutmasters and others who allegedly molested children, according to a newly opened trove of confidential files compiled from 1959 to1985.

Transgender

Transgender Voters Left in the Cold
Good Morning America, October 9, 2012

A study from the Williams Institute, an LGBT think tank at the University of Los Angeles, estimates that about 25,000 transgender Americans could be disenfranchised in the upcoming election because of a patchwork of voter ID laws.

And it’s not just voter ID requirements that are the problem.

Deployed soldier begins sex change
Advocate, Army Times, October 15, 2012

Call her Keith. That’s the name this 26-year-old specialist, now deployed to Afghanistan, plans to take when she completes a transition begun several months ago when she started giving herself testosterone injections every other week, under the direction of a civilian doctor who specializes in gender changes.

The World’s First Transgender Bellbird Discovered in New Zealand
New Zealand, Advocate, October 17 2012

Workers at Zealandia, an eco-sanctuary in New Zealand, have announced that they’ve discovered the country’s first transgender bellbird (which is also known by its Māori name korimako). They have dubbed it ”butch bellbird,” according to the Dominion Post News, because its DNA tested as female but the bird acts like a male and has a mix of each sex’s plumage. The korimako are native to New Zealand, so this may be the only transgender bellbird in the world.

Man Files Petition to WHO – ‘We Are Trans, Not Sick’
London, Good Morning America, October 19, 2012

Maxwell Zachs is on a global crusade to normalize what until now has been considered a mental illness — being transgender…. [H]e has filed a petition with change.org demanding that the World Health Organization (WHO) eliminate the diagnosis “transsexualism” from the mental disorders section of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD). He says the designation only contributes to discrimination.

Books

Blind, Lesbian Opera Singer Inspires With Her Story
Out.com, October 22, 2012

Blind since birth, mezzo-soprano Laurie Rubin tells her empowering story in memoir ‘Do You Dream in Color?: Insights from a Girl Without Sight‘.

Sports

Cruz wins first fight since announcing he’s gay
Kissimmee, Florida, San Francisco Chronicle, October 19, 2012

These last two weeks have weighed heavily on Orlando Cruz.

But as soon as he walked out to a cheering crowd displaying flags of his native Puerto Rico, boxing’s first openly gay fighter could finally breathe and do what he came to do, slugging his way to a victory by unanimous decision over Jorge Pazos.

Olympic Figure Skater Matt Savoie Marries His Partner
Massachusetts, Advocate, October 24, 2012

Former Olympian Matt Savoie married his partner on October 7 in Massachussetts. Savoie, who competed alongside Johnny Weir and represented the U.S. in the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, met his husband while both were students at Cornell Law School.

Photo credits: (1) Pres. Barack Obama & former Governor Mitt Romney in the second presidential debate, 17 Oct 2012. Photo from broadcast. (2) Thea Spyer (left) and her widow, Edie Windsor, the plaintiff in Windsor v. United States. Courtesy ACLU.

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.

The post-DADT military

26 Very Real Consequences Of DADT Repeal
Advocate, Buzzfeed, September 11, 2012

The liberal media wants you to think that everything is fine in the military after DADT was repealed. But why have they been so silent about these VERY REAL consequences? Tell everyone you know about these issues. We will not be silenced!

The above is tongue-in-cheek. The story is actually a celebratory collection of 26 photos — some of them by now quite famous after going viral in social media — of LGB serviceemembers who can now serve openly. Sadly, transgender servicemembers must still hide.

Alaska

Lambda Legal Seeks Survivor Benefits for Lesbian Partner of Alaska Shooting Victim
Alaska, Bent Alaska and Lambda Legal Press Release, September 24, 2012

On October 29, 2011, Kerry Fadely was murdered at her workplace, the Millennium Alaskan Hotel in Anchorage. Today, Lambda Legal filed a legal challenge seeking survivor benefits for Kerry’s partner of 10 years, Debbie Harris.

Marriage equality

Supreme Court Still Mum on Prop. 8 Case
Washington, Advocate, September 25, 2012

If the Supreme Court does not hear Perry v. Brown, a February 2012 decision finding Proposition 8 unconstitutional will be upheld, permanently invalidating Proposition 8, allowing same-sex couples to marry in California.

Transgender

Transsexual twin sisters to register as men
Shanghai, China, Shanghai Daily, September 6, 2012

The country’s [China's] first transsexual twin sisters are expected to complete their surgeries and have their registered gender changed at the police, said the younger of the two, who will be discharged from a local hospital this week.

Bisexual pride

Berkeley lawmakers recognize Bisexual Pride Day
Berkeley, CA, Associated Press, September 18, 2012

Berkeley on Tuesday became what is thought to be the nation’s first city to officially proclaim a day recognizing bisexuals, a sexual minority that often complains of being derided as sexually confused fence-sitters.

The City Council unanimously and without discussion declared Sept. 23 as Bisexual Pride and Bi Visibility Day. Since 1999, bisexual activists have claimed the date to celebrate their community, and bisexual pride events routinely are held in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago and other cities across the nation.

Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts Grouped Gay Leaders With Child Molesters, Perverts
Think Progress, October 15, 2012

In June, the Oregon Supreme Court ordered the release of 20,000 pages of files kept by Boy Scouts of America on “ineligible volunteers.” Portions of those documents were released online last week. But included, among those leaders accused or convicted of molesting Scouts, were files on several suspected gay Scout leaders who were never accused of any inappropriate behavior.

Bullying

Christian groups finds gay agenda in an anti-bullying day
Hawaii, Star Advertiser, October 15, 2012

On Mix It Up at Lunch Day, schoolchildren around the country are encouraged to hang out with someone they normally might not speak to.

The program, started 11 years ago by the Southern Poverty Law Center and now in more than 2,500 schools, was intended as a way to break up cliques and prevent bullying.

But this year, the American Family Association, a conservative evangelical group, has called the project “a nationwide push to promote the homosexual lifestyle in public schools” and is urging parents to keep their children home from school Oct. 30, the day most of the schools plan to participate this year.

Entertainment

Check Out Brandi Carlile’s Wedding Picture!
Boston, SheWired, October 10, 2012

Over the weekend, out singer/songwriter and newly married lady Brandi Carlile shared a gorgeous photo from her September 15 wedding to Catherine Shepherd.

“It was truly one of our best days, completely awkward and human and beautiful,” Carlile wrote in a Facebook post accompanying the photo. “I’m married to my best friend and nothing has ever brought me more joy than that.”

Gay characters at record high on U.S. television
Los Angeles, Reuters, October 15, 2012

New shows “The New Normal,” “Girls” and comedy “Go On” have helped U.S. television rack up a record number of gay, bisexual and transgender characters, gay rights group GLAAD said on Friday.

Sports

Former MLB Owner Comes Out, Hopes Players Do The Same
Pittsburgh, Advocate, September 23, 2012

The former owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Kevin McClatchy, is still amazed that not a single pro athlete has come out while playing. For his part, McClatchy came out for the first time in an interview with the New York Times this weekend.

Photo credit: Fire Controlman 2nd Class Marissa Gaeta, left, assigned to the amphibious dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) kisses her fiancé, Fire Controlman 3rd Class Citlalic Snell, following the ship’s return to homeport after a three-month deployment in the Caribbean. Navy News Service, 21 Dec 2011. Via Wikimedia Commons.

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).

“Ask Lambda Legal” is a monthly column on legal questions affecting members of the LGBTQI community. Lambda Legal is a national organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work.

Editor’s note: A question about the blood donation ban also came up today on Bent’s Facebook wall with reference to an upcoming benefit for Blood Bank of Alaska. Stay tuned for Bent Alaska’s followup article in the next few days.

Ask Lambda Legal
Blood Donations

By Scott Schoettes, HIV Project Director for Lambda Legal

Q: I’m a gay man and have wanted to donate blood for some time. I heard the policy banning blood donations from men who have sex with men may be changing, is that true?

A: Since 1983, gay men have been banned from donating blood — the actual policy says that if you are a man and have had sex with another man since 1977, you are not allowed to give. While intended to minimize transmission of HIV through a blood transfusion, this discriminatory policy is not supported by medical science.

Earlier this year, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) asked for comments on a pilot study to assess alternative policies that would allow some gay and bisexual men to donate blood. In the pilot program, men who have sex with men (MSM) would be able to donate blood after a five-year or one-year waiting period after their last sexual encounter with a man. Lambda Legal and a number of other HIV and LGBT advocacy organizations recently submitted comments to HHS about how to improve the pilot program because it does not adequately differentiate between lower and higher risk sexual behaviors and its proposal of a five-year or one-year deferral period isn’t in line with current medical science.

Regardless of sexual orientation, the risk of acquiring a sexually transmitted infection like HIV varies based upon the frequency and type of sexual behavior, as well as an individual’s safe-sex practices. Therefore, screening questions should identify those who are at low risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections — including MSM who are in monogamous relationships or those who consistently practice safer sex — and allow them to donate blood.

In addition, Lambda Legal strongly suggests that the waiting period for all donors whose behavior is considered higher risk be consistent with — and not significantly longer than—the “window” period of a blood bank’s testing method. For some HIV tests, the window period for HIV detection can be as short as three weeks, while other HIV tests have a window period of about three months. For all available HIV testing, however, the waiting period would be considerably shorter than the one-year or five-year delays currently proposed. Deferral periods that are four to fifteen times the length of the relevant window period will continue to unnecessarily restrict the available blood supply by turning away donors based on stereotypes instead of science.

While no changes have yet been made to the blood donation policy, we are hopeful that HHS will adopt new policies based on current medical knowledge and testing technology, instead of unjustified discriminatory stereotypes about gay and bisexual men. If you have any questions, or feel you have been discriminated against because of your gender, sexual orientation, or HIV status, contact Lambda Legal’s Help Desk at 1-866-542-8336, or see http://lambdalegal.org/help.

“Acceptance: An Alternative Approach to Suicide Intervention” comprises two workshops at Alaska Pride Conference 2012 on Saturday, October 6, part of the “Acceptance” series of discussions in honor of Mya Dale.

Conference participants will hear panelists discuss the topic of suicide intervention from two different approaches. In the first workshop, members of our own community will talk about their personal struggle with self-harm urges and share a powerful tool they’ve use to reduce risk  In the second, behavioral health professionals come to us pro bono for frank talk about mental illness, how we can support, and how we can be supported.

Please join us at Alaska Pride Conference 2012 at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel on Saturday, October 6.

Track 1 (1:50 to 3:00 PM)
Everyday Peoples’ Tools to Resist Suicide and Keep on Living
Bianca and Mel, with Tami, Shannon, and Danny

A panel of individuals who have experienced suicidal thoughts or attempts, depressed or anxious moods and self-harm, share personal tools they have used to overcome and survive these challenging times. The workshop enables attendees to recognize and mitigate conditions that can intensify the urge to self-harm or commit suicide. Panelists help attendees by sharing their own methods, encouraging them to help themselves. Mental Health challenges are normalized. Participants exercise  using the HALT assessment (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) ; discussing what things they would do to take care of themselves.

Track 2 (3:20 to 4:30 PM)
Battleground of the Mind: The Connection between Mental Health and Suicidal Thought — Ways to Understand, Support and Heal
Bianca and panelists

Mental health professionals discuss conditions or emotional states that include a high risk for suicide. Panelists discuss options and the importance of education and support for people wrestling with mental health conditions and challenges, along with their family and friends.  Attendees are informed about some approaches and symptoms of mental illness/ conditions known to carry a risk for suicide.  Audience feels free to discuss and ask questions about conditions or symptoms experienced or observed. Discussion has the effect of increasing understanding, reducing stigma and introducing options. Attendees are informed about how they can be further educated, supportive and get support for themselves.

Panelists for this session include:

• Dr. Ebony McClain-Owens
• Tami Lubitsh, MA, RDT, LPC
• Kaya T. Kade, LPC, CDHS, TEP
• Prentiss Pemberton, LCSW
• Charles Hart

See also complete information about all the workshops and events at Alaska Pride Conference 2012.

• Date/time: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• Location: Millennium Alaskan Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: $20 adult; $10 student. Scholarships available for 2 hours of volunteering at conference. Registration includes Saturday breakfast and lunch. $5 additional at the door. Youth scholarships available: see application forms at Identity website.
• Further info: see Facebook events page or Identity website.

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.

Love is Love is a project that believes just that, and Mitch Kitter and Shalem Mathew of Treft.Punkt Studio aim to capture the vibrancy that is Alaska’s LGBT community. They’ve been working on a portrait project at their studio the last six months photographing LGBT couples of all shapes, sizes, and colors to help show how “Love is Love”.

Treft.Punkt’s First Friday event — which also serves as the kickoff event of Alaska Pride Conference 2012 –  features vignettes of all of the incredible couples they’ve had the pleasure to work with over the past few months. The project began, Kitter and Mathew told KTVA Channel 11 News, after a lesbian couple told them they couldn’t find a portrait photographer willing to photograph them:

“We thought it was awful,” said Mathew. “To go through something like that would be terrible. So we posted Love is Love on Facebook and it was kind of a roller coaster from there.”

Originally intending to work with five to ten Anchorage couples for the shoot, Kitter and Mathew ended up instead with 28 couples from all over the state — and now they plan to expand the project further.

Gayle Schuh and Julie Schmidt are one couple featured in Love is Love. Gayle and Julie met 35 years ago, in the mid-1970s –

“We met in the Midwest, playing softball, and I always say how stereotypically lesbian is that,” Schuh laughed.

– and were married in Canada five years ago — a marriage not legally recognized in Alaska, which passed a constitutional amendment in 1998 establishing marriage as being only between “one man and one woman,” the first of 28 states to pass such a popular referendum.  Marriage equality is on the ballot in four states this November — Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Washington — and hopes are high that in at least some of these states, marriage equality will finally win.

Meanwhile, life goes on for Gayle and Julie:

“We all get up, brush our teeth, and walk the dog, and shop for groceries and wash the dishes,” said Schuh. “Our lives are as mundane as everybody else’s.”

But judging from the photos, their love is anything but mundane. Watch the full story on KTVA — and come out to Treft.Punkt Studio to see Gayle and Julie and all the other loving couples being celebrated there tonight and throughout the month.

• Date/time: Friday, October 5, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
• Location: Treft.Punkt Studio, 245 West 5th Avenue, Anchorage (see map)
• Further info: see Facebook events page, or the Love is Love Facebook page

Alaska Pride Conference 2012 will be held October 5-7 in Anchorage at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel. The second annual Alaska statewide GLBT Youth Summit (Alaska youth 13-18) focusing on youth issues in Alaska is being held in conjunction with the Pride Conference at St. John United Methodist Church & at the Millennium Alaska Hotel.

The Alaska Pride Conference is an annual day-long event held in Anchorage filled with workshops, speakers, vendors, and great food. The Alaska Pride Conference was founded in 1994 by Rebecca Rogers, former executive director of the Alaska AIDS Assistance Association (Four A’s), and community leaders Doug Frank and F. Ken Freedman, with the first conference designed to help heal the community after a bruising political debate in 1992/93 over whether to provide equal rights based on sexual orientation for Anchorage municipal employees.

Pride Conference 2012 kicks off Friday, October 5 with the First Friday presentation of the “Love is Love” photo project at Treft.Punkt Studio in downtown Anchorage — a GLBT photo project featuring 25 Alaska couples professionally photographed.

The Pride Conference proper will will be held Saturday, October 6 at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel, with registration and breakfast beginning at 8:00 AM. Opening remarks will be by Reverend George Edward Blair III of the First Congregational Church in Anchorage. In a talk titled “Slings and Eros,” Rev. Blair will discuss the costs and joys of standing up for erotic love from the pulpit, especially for lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual people.

Workshops will be running throughout the day on topics ranging from life after DOMA, creating healthy LGBTA families, Transgender 101, practical tools for coping with suicidal feelings or other feelings of low mood, reclaiming your identity, the ABCs of polyamory, and self defense — to name just a few.

After lunch, conference attendees will hear keynote speaker Kris Hermanns, Executive Director of the Pride Foundation.  Founded in 1985, Pride Foundation is a philanthropic organization serving the LGBTQ communities of the Northwest through scholarships, grants, advocacy, and community leadership in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington State. Pride Foundation is the only LGBTQ community foundation in Alaska. Kris previously visited Anchorage this past June, shortly after taking up her position at the Pride Foundation. Here she is (at left) with Tiffany Mclain, Pride Foundation’s full-time Regional Development Organizer in Alaska, at a reception at Modern Dwellers in Anchorage.

Saturday evening, the Anchorage Mpowerment Project (AMP) will host bowling at Center Bowl on the corner of Spenard and Minnesota.

On Sunday, October 7, there will be a hot brunch at 9 AM followed at 10 AM by a special panel of non-LGBT parents of LGBT children titled “Straight but not Narrow” and at 11 AM a photo shoot with the conference’s special guests from California: the NOH8 Campaign, which will hold keep its mobile photo studio open until 2 PM.

Schedule of events

Friday, October 5

Love is Love: First Friday

Love is Love is a project that believes just that, and we aim to capture the vibrancy that is Anchorage’s LGBT community. We have been working on a portrait project at our studio the last six months, photographing LGBT couples of all shapes, sizes and colors to help us show how “Love is Love”. Love is Love kicks off Alaska Pride Conference 2012 with its First Friday event on October 5 featuring vignettes of all of the incredible couples we’ve had the pleasure to work with over the past few months.

• Date/time: Friday, October 5, 6:00 to 9:00 PM
• Location: Treft.Punkt Studio, 245 West 5th Avenue, Anchorage (see map)
• Further info: see Facebook events page, or the Love is Love Facebook page

Saturday, October 6

Pride Conference

Keynote speech by Kris Hermanns of the Pride Foundation, and a wide selection of workshops. Continental breakfast and lunch included. Full agenda and schedule below, or at the Identity website.

Here’s the schedule for the day’s events:

8:00-9:00 AM: Breakfast and registration
9:00 -9:10 AM: Welcome, announcements, etc.
9:10-9:30 AM: Pride: The Beginning
9:30-10:40 AM: Session 1 workshops
10:50 AM-12:00 noon: Session 2 workshops
12:00-12:40 PM: Lunch
12:40-1:40 PM: Keynote speaker: Kris Hermanns of the Pride Foundation
1:40-1:50 PM: Zumba
1:50-3:00 PM: Session 3 workshops
3:10-4:20 PM: Session 4 workshops
4:20-4:30 PM: Evaluations and close

See complete workshop descriptions at the bottom of the post.

• Date/time: 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
• Location: Millennium Alaskan Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: $20 adult; $10 student. Scholarships available for 2 hours of volunteering at conference. Registration includes Saturday breakfast and lunch. $5 additional at the door. Youth scholarships available: see application forms at Identity website.
• Further info: see Facebook events page or Identity website.

Bowling at Center Bowl

Mpowerment Project (AMP) will host bowling at Center Bowl on the corner of Spenard and Minnesota.

• Date/time: Saturday, October 6, TBA
• Location: Center Bowl, 3717 Minnesota Dr., Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: see Center Bowl website

Sunday, October 7

Hot Brunch

• Date/time: Sunday, October 7, 9:00 AM
• Location: Millennium Alaskan Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: $10 regular; $7.50 student/senior. Registration form at Identity website.

“Straight but Not Narrow” Panel

A special panel of non-LGBT parents of LGBT children.

• Date/time: Sunday, October 7, 10:00 AM
• Location: Millennium Alaskan Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost of admission: $10 regular; $7.50 student/senior. Registration form at Identity website.

NOH8 Campaign Open Photo Shoot

On Sunday, October 7 the NOH8 Campaign will set up its mobile studio at the Alaska Pride Conference 2012, bringing the NOH8 Campaign to Anchorage for the first time!

The photo shoot, hosted at the Millennium Alaskan Hotel, is scheduled to begin at 11:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM. Thank you to Identity Inc. for helping to facilitate this event!

Once you arrive, you will receive a numbered model release to fill out, followed by receiving your NOH8 tattoo. We will call numbers throughout the day as people mingle, and the announcement of your corresponding release number will signal your time to line up to have your photo taken.

You do not need to make reservations; it’s first come, first served – and we move quickly!

We always do our best to make sure that everyone in line by 2:00PM has a chance to pose for their photo – and up to this point, we haven’t ever had to turn anyone away! Anyone that would like to join the NOH8 Campaign is asked to wear a plain white shirt to match the look of the signature NOH8 photos.

Celebrity Photographer & NOH8 Co-Founder Adam Bouska will be working around the clock to photograph 5-10 frames for each person that comes through. The final selection he chooses will be retouched and made available to you in about 8 weeks through the NOH8 Campaign website.

Have other questions about the event? Check out the Frequently Asked Questions section of our website!

What do you need to do?

• Arrive at the Millennium Alaskan hotel between 11 AM and 2:00 PM
• Come camera ready
• Wear white
• Pose and make a statement

Once you arrive, the NOH8 Campaign will apply the NOH8 temporary tattoo to your face, and we will also supply you with the silver duct tape for the photo.

The NOH8 Campaign is an approved 501(c)(3), donations will be tax-deductible up to the amount allowable by law.

• Date/time: Sunday, October 7, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Location: Millennium Alaskan Hotel, 4800 Spenard Road, Anchorage (see map)
• Cost: The costs of posing for an official NOH8 portrait are: Solo portraits $40.00; couple & group portrait $25.00 per person. Funds raised by the NOH8 Campaign will be used to continue promoting and raising awareness for marriage equality and anti-discrimination through NOH8’s interactive media campaign. The NOH8 Campaign accepts cash, most major credit cards, and checks made out to ‘NOH8Campaign’. Fees cover services & processing for one retouched digital print only (made available through www.NOH8Campaign.com) and do not include physical prints.
• Further info: see Facebook event page or Identity website or the NOH8 Campaign website.

Pride Conference workshops & presenters

[updated 10/4/12]

Here is a listing of workshops to be presented at the Pride Conference on Saturday, October 6.

Session 1 workshops
(9:30 to 10:40 AM)

Creating Peace — Origami Creations
Christina

Together we will create Peace Cranes. An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane or granted eternal good luck, long life or recovery from illness or injury. The origami crane has become an international symbol of peace.

Is there life after DOMA?
Allison Mendel, J.D. and Marjorie Kaiser, CPA

A discussion of the tax and legal issues that will arise when the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is either struck down as unconstitutional, or repealed, which seems poised to happen in the next 9 months or less. Suddenly, couples married anywhere may be recognized as married for a whole range of federal benefits, and obligations. We will take a look at what a post-DOMA life might look like. This workshop should be required for anyone in a same-sex marriage, as well as anyone who might consider marrying, or plans to marry.

Transcending Gender: Portraits from the Community
Gale Smoke

This workshop features real-world portrait of transgender individuals describing what they’ve gone through. Transcending Gender: Portraits from the Community DVD will be shown. The workshop will discuss workplace and healthcare concerns. Transgender individuals are welcome to help critique what is depicted.

Session 2 Workshops
(10:50 AM to 12:00 PM)

Healthy GLBT Families, A Work In Progress
Jackie Buckley and Dawn Ridge

GLBT families have special challenges and typical challenges. Finding balance and meeting the challenges requires tenacity, creativity, resilience, and a sense of humor. To prevent or interrupt self-destructive behavior patterns brought on by a judgmental world, foster/adoptive parents, social workers, and leaders have to step up to the challenge.
Presenter bio: Jackie Buckley and Dawn Ridge didn’t create their big family on their own. They had lots of help and lots of learning along the way.

“That’s So Gay”: Subtle Discrimination and How to Cope
Annie Derthick and Danielle Giroux

Researchers in Psychology have recently begun addressing a phenomenon called microaggressions. This is subtle discrimination and oppression that is difficult to detect but nonetheless has damaging effects on the victims. This presentation will explain microaggressions and offer positive ways to cope with these painful experiences.

Polyamory, what is it and why should we care?
Shannon Sanderson

Workshop description: There will be a presentation explaining what polyamory is, how it works and how it pertains to the LGBTA community. Questions throughout will be welcomed for discussion by all.

Yoga Flow
Spirit Path Yoga and Wellness

Join us for a joyful Vinyasa Flow Yoga practice. Learn a basic flow sequence to promote inner peace and radiance.

Session 3 Workshops
(1:50 to 3:00 PM)

Transgender 101
Grayson Mitchell

A basic, but interactive session, for LGBTQ people and straight allies to understand and grasp those who identify themselves as transgender.  Topics will include: defining what it is to be transgender, politically correct language interaction, how to engage and empower transgender youth and adults, and an exploration of options for those who are struggling with their gender identity.  There will be a Q & A section at the end.

Reclaiming Your Identity
Shelby ”Mahogany ” Wilson

Reclaiming Your Identity is designed to build up your pride confidence. The workshop uses interactive actives and group discussion to shift the perception of how an individual views themselves. Being honest about who you are as individual gives others the opportunity to discover and appreciate the authentic you.

Acceptance: An Alternative Approach to Suicide Intervention, Track 1 –
Everyday Peoples’ Tools to Resist Suicide and Keep on Living
Bianca and Mel, with Tami, Shannon, and Danny

A panel of individuals who have experienced suicidal thoughts or attempts, depressed or anxious moods and self-harm, share personal tools they have used to overcome and survive these challenging times. The workshop enables attendees to recognize and mitigate conditions that can intensify the urge to self-harm or commit suicide. Panelists help attendees by sharing their own methods, encouraging them to help themselves. Mental Health challenges are normalized. Participants exercise  using the HALT assessment (Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired) ; discussing what things they would do to take care of themselves.

Session 4 Workshops
(3:20 to 4:30 PM)

Basic Self Defense
Darl Schaaff

Would you be able to defend yourself and your loved ones if someone were to physically attack you? It’s a question most of us don’t want to consider, but violence is, unfortunately, a fact of life. Thankfully, regardless of strength, size, or previous training, anyone can learn several effective self-defense techniques.

Pride Foundation Scholarship Speed-Dating
Tiffany McClain

Workshop description: Come learn about applying for Pride Foundation scholarships from the perspective of staff, scholars, and volunteers. Pride Foundation scholarships are available to LGBTQ folks and allies, for any type of education or training, and any age (from high school seniors on up). Come one, come all!

Acceptance: An Alternative Approach to Suicide Intervention, Track 2 –
Battleground of the Mind: The Connection between Mental Health and Suicidal Thought — Ways to Understand, Support and Heal
Bianca and panelists

Mental health professionals discuss conditions or emotional states that include a high risk for suicide. Panelists discuss options and the importance of education and support for people wrestling with mental health conditions and challenges, along with their family and friends.  Attendees are informed about some approaches and symptoms of mental illness/ conditions known to carry a risk for suicide.  Audience feels free to discuss and ask questions about conditions or symptoms experienced or observed. Discussion has the effect of increasing understanding, reducing stigma and introducing options. Attendees are informed about how they can be further educated, supportive and get support for themselves.

High School Gay-Straight Alliance Discussion Group
Jeff Walters and Amy Gallaway

Gay-Straight Alliance members (and other interested people) will share issues faced in running a successful high school GSA. Students will discuss concerns, as well as ideas and strategies for being a positive force for change in Alaska’s high schools.