Friday, May 19, 2017

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!




Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

Life Is A Cabaret at Miners Alley Playhouse

In a Berlin nightclub, as the 1920’s draw to a close, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. With the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark, heady, and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken by English singer Sally Bowles. Meanwhile, Fräulein Schneider, proprietor of Cliff and Sally’s boardinghouse, tentatively begins a romance with Herr Schultz, a mild-mannered fruit seller who happens to be Jewish. Musical numbers include some of the most memorable songs in theatre history; “Cabaret,“ “Willkommen,“ “Money” and “What Would You Do.“ This 1998 revival includes the additional songs “Mein Herr” and “Maybe This Time.”

Miners Alley Playhouse presents "Cabaret" May 19 through June 25 in Golden. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30p.m; Sundays at 2:00p.m.; Sunday, May 28, June 4, 11 & 18 at 6pm.  Tickets are $18 - $30 and available by calling 303-935-3044 or online at www.minersalley.com.  Miners Alley Playhouse is located at 1224 Washington Avenue. Golden, CO 80401. 

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Do you want to advertise to Denver’s gay community? Of course you do, it’s the 7th largest in the United States! And the best way to reach them is with MileHighGayGuy – Colorado’s Best Gay Blog.
 

Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.

Koelbel Urban Homes: The New Modern in Denver

Koelbel Urban Homes (KUH) has quickly emerged as a leader in creating urban neighborhoods that promote community and synergy by integrating life, work and play.

As the newest division of legendary developer Koelbel and Company, KUH is focused on in-fill properties, designing and building innovative homes tailored to each unique site.

Offered homes run the gamut of detached single-family homes to svelte modern attached designs featuring today's popular spaces, such as rooftop decks and open-plan concepts. All KUH homes, of course, are designed for optimum living and with respect for the surroundings.

OUT on DVD/VOD: Handsome Devil

 

Ned, the bullied outsider, and Conor, a new boy and star athlete, are forced to room together at their cloistered boarding school. Conor is drafted into the senior rugby team, whose actions dominate school life and whose privilege and entitlement have made Ned’s life to date at the school a misery. The boys take an instant and visceral dislike to each other, and Ned and Conor seem destined to remain enemies until an English teacher, Mr. Sherry (Andrew Scott), begins to drill into them the value of finding one’s own voice. This lesson isn’t appreciated by everyone though, not least the rugby coach, Pascal (Moe Dunford), who has his own agenda, and who harbours some deep suspicions about Sherry.

The Gay Vegans: Don't Give Up

By Dan Hanley

NOTE: This post is also about self-care. I know many don’t like to think about that so I am warning you up front!

Believe me, I get it. There is a lot going on. Family, work, a sick dog, resisting, and that awesome organic kale you bought has gone bad in the fridge.

Meanwhile, you want to do more to fight against animal cruelty or put a spotlight on domestic violence and human rights abuses. The news brings no relief and after an exhaustive day you realize you’re out of your favorite tea.

We have a couple of friends who are having intense life experiences right now. I think of them often as they struggle to make it through the day while caring for kids who are quite ill at the time. Other friends have just lost a family member and I recently heard from an activist friend who is just exhausted.

Don’t give up. Self-care is important, and loving and supporting those in our lives is equally important. I was swamped this week yet took time for a swim and just in those few minutes I felt better. Mike and I took the time for date night last night and that means the world to us. And the other day I called a couple of friends who are having a tough time.

Let’s keep rocking it for our causes. Let’s keep speaking out, protesting, marching and making calls to our electeds. Let’s keep loving on our friends and fellow activists. And let’s take care of ourselves. Whether it’s a walk around the block or a swim or a yoga session. Volunteer, go to a museum or make a donation. Be of service to another. Do something for you, or something that makes you feel good.

Then you can jump right back in. There is no lack of actions to take and things to do just as part of your daily life. Those things will always be there. If we are not going to give up we have to take care of ourselves.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

OUT on DVD/VOD: Political Animals

 

Award-winning LGBT documentary POLITICAL ANIMALS will release on DVD and digitally on June 6th in the U.S. and Canada via Gravitas Ventures.

POLITICAL ANIMALS celebrates the legendary civil rights victories of the first four openly gay elected California state politicians - all women - who took the fight for equality from the streets and into the halls of government to create social justice and equality. Fierce and determined, these women had the courage to create lasting social change.

Governor Brian Sandoval signs law ending conversion therapy in Nevada for LGBTQ youth

Today, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval signed SB201 into law, putting an end to the fraudulent, harmful and unscientific practice of so-called “conversion therapy” in the state of Nevada for LGBTQ youth. Today’s bill signing was the result of targeted grassroots advocacy efforts by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), Gender Justice Nevada, Kaempfer Crowell, and the Human Rights Campaign. NCLR has been standing up on behalf of survivors of conversion therapy for the past 20 years, and in 2014, launched its Born Perfect campaign—marking a commitment to a state-by-state advocacy campaign to end this practice in each state across the country.

National Center for Lesbian Rights Youth Policy Counsel and Born Perfect Campaign Director Carolyn Reyes issued the following statement in response:

“Today, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and elected officials have prioritized the safety, health, and well-being of LGBTQ Nevadans by putting an end to the discredited practice of so-called ‘conversion therapy.’ The American Psychological Association has linked conversion therapy to depression, substance abuse and even suicide—risks that are particularly acute for youth. Nevada knows that all of our children are born perfect.”

Nice To See StevieB: Flashback Fairy


By StevieB

In an attempt to find a photo for Flashback Thursday, I started to look for a picture of me at the 1993 March on Washington to mark the twentieth anniversary. I did not find any photographic proof to my participation in the March on Washington as of yet. I did; however, stumble upon this...

Okay.... ask me no questions... I do remember being very comfortable in those boots.

OutRight Honors LGBTIQ Human Rights Defenders at United Nations

On May 15, 2017, OutRight Action International honored Caleb Orozco, the man who successfully challenged Belize’s sodomy law and won, with the Felipa De Sousa Award at the organization’s annual gala, a Celebration of Courage.

OutRight’s award ceremony held in the United Nations exclusive Delegates Dining room, was attended by more than 300 activists, human rights defenders, diplomats and dignitaries. The evening’s host, performer and artist Mx. Justin Vivian Bond, shared the stage with presenter Congressman Mark Takano and honorees Caleb Orozco, Unibam Belize, OutSpoken award recipient Logo TV, accepted by Pam Post, Vice President of original programming and series development, and OutStanding Awardee Blanche Wiesen Cook, prize-winning biographer of Eleanor Roosevelt. Special guests included Tracey Norman, pioneering transgender model.

Caleb Orozco, Executive Director of LGBTIQ organization, Unibam, stole the show with his reflection on the struggles and successes of overturning Belize’s anti-sodomy law and changing the landscape of LGBTIQ rights in Belize and beyond. Kenita Placide, OutRight’s Caribbean Advisor, presented Orozco with the prestigious award and commented on the changing situation for LGBTIQ individuals in the Caribbean:


“Is change happening? There’s a conversation that is happening that was not happening previously. We can speak to our governments, we can speak to our missions, we can speak to our ambassadors. But most importantly, we can speak to the media without hiding our faces any more.”

Poised and proud, Caleb Orozco accepted the award amidst a standing ovation, saying:

“I connect with Felipe de Souza because she was whipped into submission, but my defiance allowed me not to. She was exiled from home, but my family support allowed me to fight. Changing the landscape of Belize was tough. I know all too well that I could not have won my legal battle to bring down the sodomy law in Belize if it wasn’t for international pressure complemented with national mobilisation.

Freedom doesn’t come without a fight, and it does not continue without vigilance. We all know too well how rights can be ripped away, how bigoted leaders can turn the clock on our gains. It is in this need to be vigilant and the responsibility I owe myself and my fellow LGBTIQ community that I will continue to push against the oppression that silences LGBTIQ voices.”

Speaking about the linkages between OutRight’s mission and Eleanor Roosevelt, Blanche Wiesen Cook, winner of OutRight’s OutStanding Award, said:
“Eleanor Roosevelt’s spirit is central to OutRight’s spirit. Her love for all people, her commitment to dignity, work, education, housing, health, for all people across the globe.”

HRC Recognizes International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia With Video Series

 

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the United States’ largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, recognizes the 13th annual International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT) with the launch of a video series highlighting global innovators in the fight for LGBTQ equality. In addition, the organization is shining a spotlight on the need for continued U.S. engagement on protecting the human rights of LGBTQ individuals around the world, especially in the ongoing crisis occurring in Chechnya.

“While the global LGBTQ community is filled with innovative advocates advancing equality around the world, we are still combatting horrendous violence in the U.S. and beyond -- as we have seen most recently with the detention, torture and murder of gay men in Chechnya,” said HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. “It is disturbing that the White House is trying to build a wall around our country as LGBTQ people and others are trying to find refuge from extreme violence and persecution in places like Syria and Chechnya. Equally disturbing is the violence transgender women of color are experiencing in the United States. We call on world leaders to do more -- not less -- to protect the human rights of all people around the world. If we turn a blind eye when human rights are violated, we all the suffer consequences of living in a world of violence and instability.”

The HRC Foundation video series highlights the work of outstanding advocates who were honored as Global Innovators at HRC’s recent Global Innovative Advocacy Summit. Featured are Laura Frida Weinstein Nisenbon of Columbia, who is advocating to allow transgender people to change their names on identification documents; and Abhina Aher of India, who is using dance to build community and raise awareness of her country’s transgender community.

Despite the work of innovative LGBTQ advocates from around the world, discrimination and social stigma continue to have negative, often tragic, consequences for LGBTQ people. Last month, reports surfaced that Chechen police have detained, beaten and tortured at least 100 gay men. The Russian LGBT Network claimed that as many as 20 men may have been killed in the attacks in Chechnya, a republic within Russia. From working with the U.S. administration and Congress to activating membership, HRC has sent a clear message that we have our #EyesOnChechnya and that the human rights violations in Chechnya must stop.

The situation for LGBTQ people around the world varies widely. As some countries embrace equality, in others, LGBTQ people continue to suffer from discrimination, persecution and violence.

●Anti-LGBTQ discrimination continues to put lives at real risk. 72 countries currently criminalize same-sex relationships. More than 2,300 murders of transgender people were recorded between 2008 and 2016, according to data from the Trans Murder Monitoring project;

●In up to 10 countries, same-sex conduct may be punishable by death;

●Governments in Lithuania, Nigeria and Russia are silencing equality advocates and organizations with so-called “anti-propaganda” laws -- a disturbing trend that leads to human rights violations;

●Same-sex marriage licenses are being issued nationwide in 20 countries, and in some jurisdictions of Mexico and the United Kingdom.

IDAHOT celebrates the anniversary of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) resolution to declassify same-sex attraction as a mental disorder. The move followed a similar decision by the American Psychiatric Association in 1973. The WHO’s monumental change created a shift in how many LGBTQ people were treated. In 2004, LGBTQ activists gathered for the first time to mark this date with rallies in support of equality. The anniversary is now marked by celebrations, governmental proclamations, and renewed efforts to end the discrimination and violence that LGBTQ people throughout the world still face.

LGBTIQ Youth Continue to be Disenfranchised

May 17th has become a day to raise awareness of violations against the rights of LGBTIQ people. It was on this day in 1990 that the the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses as part of the International Classification of Diseases. While much has progressed since that day, LGBTIQ people, and often LGBTIQ youth in particular, continue to face a disproportionate burden of discrimination and violence. Because of society’s heteronormative and cisgender expectations, LGBTIQ youth experience abuse at home, discrimination in educational settings, including verbal and physical bullying, and due to regressive laws, like the anti-propaganda law in Russia preventing anyone from speaking about LGBTIQ issues, often lack access to lifesaving information.

Family rejection and violence continues to be a fundamental issue for young LGBTIQ people across the world. OutRight reports have noted the high number of experiences of violence against LGBTIQ people at the hands of their own family members. All too often, an LGBTIQ person’s first experience of abuse happens at home. In community cultures the need to protect family reputation and “save face” causes many individuals never to report violence at the hands of family members. Sadly, even when they do they are met with a legal system that does not recognize family fueled domestic violence or with authorities who side with parents and claim it is an understandable parental response to their children being LGBTIQ. OutRight is currently working to change domestic violence laws across the world as well as to sensitize first responders on the issue of family and domestic violence against LGBTIQ youth and adults.

In the Philippines, our work on training local gender and development officers is making a difference. One officer told OutRight’s Asia Project Coordinator that she was helping a young trans girl who had been beaten by her father as he did not accept that she is transgender. The officer met the trans girl in the street with bruises and welts all over her body. The officer said that thanks to the training, she felt equipped to deal with the situation in a way that she wouldn’t have before. She said the stereotyping and bias that she had been socialized into had been replaced by understanding of sexual orientation and gender identity. The officer has since issued a district protection order against the father and the girl is now living with her grandparents who are accepting of her gender identity.

For so many LGBTIQ youth simply going to school is a challenge. Bullying, harassment, and verbal and physical assault, are all too common among LGBTIQ youth who because of such experiences face higher than average levels of anxiety, depression, and even suicide. This can lead to missing classes and school drop out, having long-term impact on the individual’s ability to access employment and even on national economic growth. Experiences in school are especially difficult for trans and gender non-conforming youth who face distinct hardships like the need to wear uniforms congruent to their birth sex and not being able to access bathrooms and facilities that match their gender identity. All of this has fundamental impacts on the health, safety, and wellbeing of LGBTIQ youth.

It is not just families and schools that harm LGBTIQ youth, but also punitive policies like anti-LGBT propaganda laws which target and restrict the sharing of vital information about LGBTIQ issues. These discriminatory laws not only create a climate of fear for LGBTIQ youth to express themselves and their identities, but prevent them from having access to health and sexuality information often necessary for their wellbeing.

Youth all around the world suffer violations of their human rights because of homophobia, transphobia, and biphobia. On this International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOT), it is important to recognize that it is impossible to move towards a world of equality and dignity if we do not place specific attention to the needs of LGBTIQ youth. We must combat the systemic and social discrimination that marginalizes and disenfranchises LGBTIQ youth and bars them from living the lives they not only deserve, but have a right to.

In honor of this year’s IDAHOT, OutRight, as part of the United Nations LGBT Core Group in New York will be hosting an event titled, “Standing up for LGBT Youth.” The aim of the event is to raise awareness of bullying and exclusion of LGBT youth, amplify the voices of those affected, and celebrate the resilience, promise and diversity of young LGBT people around the world. On IDAHOT, and every day, OutRight is committed to take positive initiatives in all regions of the world to create safer, more supportive, environments for LGBTIQ young people.

Lambda Literary Publishing Professional Award Winner Announced

Lambda Literary, the global leader advancing LGBTQ literature, has announced the recipient of the 2017 Publishing Professional Award. This year Lambda recognizes Michele Karlsberg.

Lambda's Publishing Professional Award honors a distinguished individual in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community whose innovative work in the publishing industry promotes and promulgates LGBTQ literature

The Publishing Professional Award is selected by Lambda's Board of Trustees.

"I have been impressed by Michele's contributions to the LGBTQ publishing world for many years. It's not only her commitment to her authors and our community which puts her in mind for Lambda LIterary's Publishing Professional Award, but the way she inspires us with her passion and dedication to social justice for all," said Board of Trustees Vice President Amy Scholder.

Michele will be recognized as the winner of the Lambda Literary Publishing Professional Award at the 29th Annual Lambda Literary Awards ceremony on June 12th in New York City.

ACLU of Colorado: Urge the governor to sign HB 1313

A message from the ACLU of Colorado:

Have you heard of civil asset forfeiture? It's the controversial practice where police take cash, cars, and even homes from people without charging them with a crime — much less securing a conviction.

The Colorado Legislature came together this year to pass a bill reigning in civil asset forfeiture (HB 1313), but Governor Hickenlooper is being pressured by police and sheriffs to veto it.

Contact the governor today. Urge him to sign HB 1313 - Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform.

HB 1313 brings civil asset forfeiture into the light of day by increasing transparency into police forfeiture activities. Under HB 1313, officers will have to detail to the public when they use civil asset forfeiture and list what was taken and what ultimately happened to the property. Law enforcement will also have to report if the person from whom the property was taken was ever charged with or convicted of a crime.

The bill also closes a loophole in state law that police have exploited to bypass state-level due process protections by teaming up with federal agencies and seizing property under federal law.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Don't Miss the Pink Party!

One Colorado will be holding their annual Pink Party on Saturday, June 17th from 6-10 pm outside at Tracks/EXDO.

Don't miss $40 early bird tickets — get yours by Friday.