Alaska: Reindeer hot dogs & inspiring people
Pride Foundation's Jody Waits joins VSA Alaska at Out North's Director of Operations, Eyvette Flynn for a toast.
Pride Foundation’s Director of Community Giving, Jody Waits, flew up to Anchorage to meet community leaders and to join in the Anchorage celebration of Pride Foundation’s 25th Anniversary.
Having been born and raised in Michigan, most of my prior awareness (or lack there of) about Alaska came from Sunday afternoon reruns of Northern Exposure. When Amy, our Director of Community Strategies and Engagement, and I headed to Anchorage to meet community leaders and Pride Foundation supporters, some part of me expected there to be moose wandering in the streets and tractors competing for parking spaces. I was wrong on both accounts, but people in Anchorage did share some other unique traits and treats with us.
Time and again, staff at grantee organizations, donors and volunteers expressed their affection for Alaska: the natural beauty, the connectivity of the community mixed with personal privacy, the ingenuity of those who call it home. At every turn we were also greeted with genuine, soothing and enthusiastic hospitality – hand-shakes that eased in to a hug because it seems like you’ve been friends forever. People were willing to share of their stories, their needs, their struggles and celebrations; a trust that felt very special particularly given the fierce independence streak that resides in Anchorage.
We also learned more about the movement for LGBT equality in Alaska. Attempting to understand how geographically vast the state is, was the first step. We already knew that experiences, support and a sense of safety for LGBT people in the Northwest, can vary significantly depending on your location. With a state capital accessible exclusively by boat or plane; many folks in Alaska reminded us we couldn’t just consider urban or rural circumstances, we had to ponder “remote” residents as well. What if you are a young LGBT person and you reside in village has 650 residents, no internet service and a few phones for the community to share, none of which could be used in private?
Seemingly driven by an ethic of resourcefulness, Alaskans are solvers and unruffled by a big or challenging task. There is a thriving LGBT Community Center in downtown Anchorage (big rainbow flag out front), a new LGBT Caucus being formed for the state, legislative action in motion, deep partnerships forged within the non-profit allied community and a strong sense that we’re all in this together – to win, and to win together.
Amy and I came back to Seattle hyped on caffeine (lots of coffee meetings!), having tasted reindeer hot dogs and inspired by every person we met. Thank you Alaska! Hope to see you again soon…
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