BeTested.co: Let's Change the Future of HIV/AIDS

We will change the future of HIV/AIDS in Denver and throughout Colorado. It's no longer a dream. We will change the future of HIV/AIDS. There is not a cure or vaccine yet, but remarkable advances have transformed HIV from being a deadly infection to a manageable, chronic disease. The future of HIV/AIDS is in our hands.

What you can do - Test, Talk, PrEP, PEP, Treatment, End Stigma.

Surrender The Spirit - YNHID (You Never Held It Down)

If you like Le Loup and Tilly And The Wall, let the eccentric synth-pop and surprise harmonies by husband and wife duo Kristen Sonntag and Jonathan Rauberts wash over as they immerse you in their own exquisitely unconventional world. Kristen began as a classically trained violinist before moving on to guitar, keyboard, and later drums. Jonathan has been playing guitar and drums since childhood, and went on to play with NYC group, Freshkills. When the band parted ways, he started programming. Together, Sonntag and Rauberts were meant to create music.

LGBT-inclusive programs up for Writers Guild awards

Several LGBT-inclusive programs have been nominated for awards in the Writers Guild of America's annual competition for TV, radio and new media. Among the selections were the Amazon series "Transparent," Netflix's "Orange is the New Black" and HBO's "The Normal Heart." The awards will be given out Feb. 14.

Gay man sworn in as U.S. ambassador to Vietnam

Ted Osius was sworn in last week as the next U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, making him the seventh out ambassador appointed during the Obama administration. Secretary of State John Kerry presided over the ceremony held at the State Department, which was attended by Osius' husband and their 11-month-old son.

Pentagon will likely review trans policy, Air Force secretary says

Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said last Wednesday that the military's long-standing prohibition on transgender service members is likely to be reviewed next year. James did not endorse repealing the ban outright but said anyone who is capable of serving should be able to do so.

Tranifesto: Coming Out About My Trans Partner at Christmas

By Matt Kailey

A reader writes: “I’m a non-transgender pansexual woman who has been dating my friend, a male-to-female transgender person, for a few months.

“I’ve known my partner for five years and knew that she was trans for about the same amount of time but never attempted to act on my romantic feelings until recently, due to personal stuff and both of us being with other people. She is still thinking about transitioning and has yet to start hormones but definitely wants to, it’s just a matter of cost. We’re very happy together.

“I just have one problem. I come from a very strict, repressive Christian family. I’ll be heading back home for Christmas this year and want to tell my parents and siblings that I am dating my partner but am terrified. My father is the most problematic, being very opinionated and very closed to anything that doesn’t fit into his view of a proper world. He is rabidly anti-gay, opposes marriage equality and abortion rights and has barely been able to understand that I am not straight.

“How should I explain to my family that I am dating a transsexual? How do I get them to accept my partner? They’ve met him back when we were ‘just friends’ and didn’t like him that much. I am terrified that not only will there be a massive fight over Christmas dinner but that they will threaten to cut me off financially and emotionally and disown me. I’m close to my mother and grandparents. At the same time, I love my partner and don’t want to put her through the hell of that. She wont be coming with me, as she has to work.”

Shout Out: Play Mile High LGBT Skeeball League Kicks Off in January at Barker Lounge

Yup, you read that right, Skeeball! It’s the silly and frivolous carnival game you enjoyed as a kid. Now you can enjoy it even more with a drink in your hand and tomfoolery in your heart at the Barker Lounge.

The Play Mile High LGBT Denver Skeeball League was created to give people a chance to try something new, while meeting new people and having a great time doing it! Different formats keep the game fresh and fun each week and the top teams of the season will qualify for the Denver City Championships.

Player perks include super rad Denver Skeeball League T-shirts in your team color, food and drink specials during your league night each week, an End-of-Season FREE Beer Party for all league players and inclusion in Play Mile High special activities and events.

Register now through January 13. League play begins January 21, 2015.

Ring in the New Year in Denver!

No matter what you're in the mood for, spend New Year's Eve in Denver enjoying rockin' parties, spectacular fireworks, live music, fabulous events and more. Take advantage of hotel deals & packages and make a night of it!

Slim Twig - Hover on a Sliver

Slim Twig's excellent debut for DFA Records, A Hound At The Hem, continues to win over fans and critics alike. It's a fantastically weird and engaging album. Today, Wondering Sound premieres the "Hover On A Sliver" video, next in a series of creepy and stunning visual accompaniments. The video was created by 3 Blondes and a Camera, the production team of Jennifer Hazel, LuLu Turnbull and Meg Remy (of US Girls), and is a reflection of a tight knit, art-oriented family dynamic between the three. Lulu can be found as a performer in many of Meg's videos and short pieces, while Jennifer has contributed to some of these works as well. Slim Twig will tour with US Girls next year in support of A Hound At The Hem.

Nice to See StevieB: The Annual Christmas Rant

By StevieB

Ahh, December. It’s time to gather around and listen to Uncle Steve’s annual Christmas rant…..

WHAT THE F*#K DO PENGUINS HAVE TO DO WITH CHRISTMAS!?!?

Have you seen the inflatable, glowing Christmas crap that everyone displays on their front lawns? Big billowing snowmen, elves, and insidiously happy penguins. Seriously, What the heck to penguins have to do with Christmas?

At night it’s quite a cute little scene. A winter wonderland all blown up and bopping around to the forced air whooshing up their butts. During the day it’s another story, driving through any upscale neighborhood it's a reenactment of Jim Jones goes to Christmas town. Dead, flat elves and snow people scatter the lawns like a mass suicide cult hit the North Pole. A massacre of merriment. One half-inflated penguin dragging its self off the lawn coughing out, I only live in Antarctica and parts of South America why am I even here?

Aaaaaaaaaghh!

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

GBQ Men’s Writing Retreat + Vallarta Pride 2015

Whether you’re a beginning writer or a seasoned pro, the upcoming GBQ (Gay, Bisexual, Questioning) Men’sWriting Retreat in the Zona Romantica area of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico will give you the time, space, and inspiration to do your very best work. 

The retreat is scheduled for May 18-25, 2015 and will coincide with Vallarta Pride 2015 (May 17-25). 

Facilitator Scott Gibson will hold workshopping sessions in the morning and then you will be released to write for the remainder of the day. Optional writing lessons and meditation instruction will also be offered. 

Reserve your spot by December 31, and save 15%!

Wyo. lawmaker pushes LGBT antidiscrimination bill

Out Wyoming state Rep. Cathy Connolly, a Democrat, is calling on colleagues to support an LGBT nondiscrimination bill following a court ruling that brought marriage equality to the state. 

"The marriage case says you can now marry the person that you love. We don't want you to get fired because you do so," Connolly said.

IOC adds sexual orientation protections to charter

The International Olympic Committee on Monday added sexual orientation language to its Olympic Charter, adopting the change after a unanimous vote by its members. 

"This is a very important step," IOC President Thomas Bach of Germany said of the change, which will be included in the contract signed by future host cities.

Analysis: 45% of governors, U.S. lawmakers support marriage equality

Forty-five percent of governors and members of Congress support marriage equality, according to an analysis of public statements and other information. In six states, the governor and all members of Congress support marriage equality, while in 10 states, none of these officials support marriage equality. Forty-nine percent of Americans support marriage equality, according to a recent Pew poll.

House Republicans ask Labor Department to reverse new LGBT protections

Republican Reps. John Kline of Minnesota (pictured) and Tim Walberg of Michigan have sent a letter to the Department of Labor asking it to withdraw a rule aimed at protecting LGBT employees of federal contractors from discrimination. 

The letter requests a 60-day period to allow for public comment on the rule.