There will be something for EVERYONE Saturday in Anchorage!

**Cue calliope music**



"The Ex-Gays are Coming! The Ex-Gays are Coming!"

Focus on the Family's "Love (Hate) Won Out" Conference will be at the Abbott Loop "Community" Church this Saturday, September 13th. Yes, THIS is the conference that Sarah Palin's Church has been promoting which has been broadcast all over the news.

The explanation is per Bent, Alaska:

On Saturday morning, PFLAG families, supporters and allies will come together in Anchorage, Alaska as Love Won Out brings its so-called "ex-gay" conference to our 49th state. PFLAGers will gather outside the conference to offer support for youth attending and information for parents and families.

"Families never win at Love Won Out," said Jane Schlittler, president of PFLAG's Anchorage, Alaska chapter. "The conference's organizers maliciously target often well-meaning parents who are dealing with a difficult issue in their lives, and in the process put their kids' well-being at risk. Make no mistake: There is far more 'preying' than 'praying' taking place at these meetings, and far more harming than healing in the doctrine of Love Won Out."

Programs such as Love Won Out, which is a project of the far-right American Family Association, use out-moded medical theories and radical religious beliefs to justify trying to alter gay and lesbian people's natural sexual orientation.

"Programs like Love Won Out are dangerous for kids and divisive for families," said PFLAG National executive director Jody M. Huckaby. "Every bit of evidence available suggests that children who grow up in homes that accept them – and not try to change them – are far happier and healthier than those subjected to these anti-family tactics. It is nothing short of extremist to imply that families should do anything other than love their children as they are, and nothing short of outrageous to infer that LGBT kids aren't fine just the way they are."

In response, the LGBT Community and PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) will be hosting some excellent events starting on Thursday September 11th. Go to the blog for more information and to RSVP.

To be part of the Saturday event outside of the Abbott Loops Community Church, email Anchorage PFLAG President Jane Schlittler. (I'll be there with my friendliest smile!)



Big Eddie is coming to Anchorage this Saturday because "It's our turn!"

Per KUDO/Tati Broadcasting Press Release:

NEWSTALK 1080am KUDO, Alaska's Progressive Voice is pleased to announce:

America's premiere progressive talk show host, Ed Schultz, is coming to Alaska to host a town hall meeting!

Now that she has been chosen by Republican Presidential Candidate John McCain to be his running mate, Big Eddie wants to learn everything he can about Governor Sarah Palin. He also wants to learn about Alaska... from its history, to its people, to its issues.

The town hall meeting will take place on Saturday, September 13, 2008, from 7 to 10pm at The Wendy Williamson Auditorium at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

The event will be recorded and played back Monday, September 15th on all of Schultz’s national affiliates coast to coast.

If you would like tickets, the only way to get them as of right now is to go to the Ed Schultz website and order them.

I highly recommend going...we'll be there (husband and I) and it's going to be a blast!


I mentioned these ladies yesterday on the blog...while I agree with CC from KUDO 1080 that I'd rather see them named "Alaska Women for Biden," I support the idea to show that Sarah Palin is NOT a "woman-friendly" candidate. All I know about this event is on the flyer pictured above.

So, we have NO EXCUSES this weekend as there are so many "blue friendly" events taking place. Pick one or go to all of them!

The Press Conference and the huge stack-o-papers

*******UPDATE******

Thank God, KTVA did the scanning for us!

- Memorandum of Findings
- Memo of Complaint
- Transcription of Mike Wooten Interview
- Transcription of Sarah Palin Interview (1)
- Transcription of Sarah Palin Interview (2) 8/18/2005
- Memo Re: Suspension
- Sarah Palin email to Col. Julia Grimes

Photo: PSEA Executive Director John Cyr

"My purpose here is not to substantiate who did what or what happened. Officer Wooten has asked that we release the records around that investigation so that the press can take an open and honest look at what happened and you may draw your own conclusions."--John Cyr

The conference started out with an abundance of information...they gave us a huge stack-o-papers (about two inches) of all the complaints and investigations having to do with Mike Wooten...released by request of Mike Wooten. I've been reading them in parking lots, parked in the street, all over.

John Cyr also made it clear that this was about Mike Wooten. He was not going to discuss anything to do with Walt Monegan.

I'm not going to delve into all of the mostly "unfounded" (investigated and found to be not true) or "not substantiated" (investigated and can't be proven) charges. The best summary I can give is of the ones that were substantiated. However, a personal note: 1) the Heath Clan has a lot of involvement in this when (in my opinion) they have no business being there. 2) Mike Wooten is not perfect and in some instances is not the sharpest crayon in the box. He also has bad taste in mistresses (yes, there was infidelity involved...surprise! Can't have a woman/family scorned without infidelity!) 3) It seems that the family members may be using that lack-of-sharpness against him.

The charges that were substantiated:

- Molly Heath McCann's son from her previous marriage, Payton, was the "witness" who accused his step-father of drinking while driving. (The other "witnesses" were long time friends of the Heaths, Adrian and Marilyn Lane. Their testimony was rejected by the investigator because of that conflict of interest, but his decision was overthrown by retired Colonel Julia Grimes, who found them credible. It's good to note that Grimes was also the recipient of the email from Palin which had a "between-us-girls-I'm-gonna-make-your-life-difficult" feel.)

Amazingly, no one said anything at the time and this all came up when there was a custody fight.

- Payton was also the 10-year-old boy "dry tasered" by Wooten. To be clear, Wooten was an idiot to do this no matter what. However, his version of the event is that 10-year-old Payton wanted him to do it because he wanted to see what it was like...and that, as someone who trains people in the use of tasers, Wooten knew what he was doing. (He also should have known better.) The boy denied asking him to do it and Molly's version of events is worthy of a movie on the Lifetime Network.

- Sarah Palin's email stated that in Sept. 2003 Wooten illegally shot a cow moose. Wooten admits it and his story was that Molly begged him to come with her so they could "shut her father up" who wouldn't stop giving her a hard time because she hadn't used her tag. When they went out, the only hunting gun they had was his and when he asked her to shoot it, she didn't want to and wanted him to do it. He did, he brought it back where he and Chuck Heath (father-in-law) butchered it. Wooten took it to get it processed and the meat was shared with the Heath family. Two years later, they suddenly remembered it was illegal.

Again, it was stupid...very, very stupid. However, in his defense, many Alaskan married couples who do any kind of fishing or hunting have broken the law. We have because my arthritis makes it impossible to haul in a halibut by myself and my husband helps me...OK, a lot. I know it doesn't make ANY of it right and he has to maintain a higher standard because of his position...but COME ON!

The packet contains 270 pages of documents involved in this investigation. John Cyr explained that it was only partial...he showed us that he couldn't give the whole file to us as he held up two huge white binders. I'm going to try and scan some of it tomorrow...especially the email from pre-Governor Sarah Palin in 2005 to retired Colonel Julia Grimes.

(Note: In all of the craziness today, I never did thank the lovely Myster from "Own the Sidwalk" for alerting me to the post on Andrew Halcro's blog. I never would have made it to the press conference in time if she hadn't. Thank you, oh brilliant and fashionable one!)