Alaska Flag. Alaska Song. And Now, Alaska, the Drag Queen.

North to the Future, East to a Eurogay Icon

Eight stars of gold on a field of blue,
Alaska's flag, may it mean to you,
The blue of the sea, the evening sky,
The mountain lakes and the flowers nearby,
The gold of the early sourdough's dreams,
The precious gold of the hills and streams,
The brilliant stars in the northern sky,
The "Bear," the "Dipper," and shining high,
The great North Star with its steady light,
O'er land and sea a beacon bright,
Alaska's flag to Alaskans dear,
The simple flag of a last frontier.

While perusing Salon.com this morning, where I was reading the latest Camille Paglia column, I came across a reference and link to "the latest No. 1 smash in Spain by glam-pop duo Fangoria, featuring Eurogay icon Alaska."

Two things:

1. Could anyone not have followed that link?
2. What, exactly, is a Eurogay icon?
   

Contrary to the image of Alaska¹ held by many Outside and quite a number of right wing Republicans in our own backyard, drag exists in Alaska. As do many gay people.²

As does an apparently quite popular drag queen named for our very own state.

Maybe we ought to invite Alaska to perform at an official event celebrating statehood? Perhaps sing a glam-pop version of the state song?

I'd finally make my first ever trip to Juneau to see that.

¹The 49th state, not the Eurogay icon. That image being some blend of the film "North to Alaska", "Nanook of the North" and all those conservative fantasties of a 1950s-ish "Leave it to Beaver" America that never really existed except on television.
²According to the 2000 Census, Alaska was one of the states where gay and lesbian couples were most likely to be raising children. "Same-sex couples with children tend to live in states and large metropolitan areas with relatively low concentrations of gay and lesbian couples. Mississippi, South Dakota, Alaska, South Carolina, and Louisiana are where same-sex couples are most likely raising children." Source: http://www.urban.org/books/gayatlas/chapter1.cfm