Friday, July 14, 2017

HuffPost Exclusive: Parents of Gender Nonconforming Child Attacked By James Woods Speak Out

On Monday, Oscar-nominated actor James Woods attacked the family of a gender nonconforming child, C.J. Duron, and C.J.'s parents, Lori and Matt, celebrating their city's 2017 Pride celebration. The Durons faced intense and relentless harassment on social media following Woods' tweet, but rather than retreat against the barrage of hate, they have chosen to speak to HuffPost about their experience over the past several days.

In an interview with HuffPost Queer Voices Executive Editor Noah Michelson, Lori said, "Initially, I was inclined to ignore the hate, as I always do. That would have been the easiest thing to do. But the easiest thing to do isn’t always the right thing to do. I have a voice and I’m not just an advocate for my son, I’m an advocate for all the other children like him and their families. LGBTQ youth face this type of bullying every day without someone standing up for them. I couldn’t stay silent, I had to stand up.”

When asked about the affect the events have had on them, Matt said, "I can’t answer that honestly here. It’s hard being the bigger man when someone attacks your family and does it in the way Woods did it. I’ll leave it at that."

Read the full interview with the Durons here.

Superfruit - Worth It

 

Superfruit has debuted the music video for "Worth It." Superfruit is comprised of Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying, both founding and current members of the 3x Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum a cappella group Pentatonix. The first part of their two-part debut studio album Future Friends - Part One is out now via RCA Records; Future Friends - Part Two will follow on September 15th.

The Gay Vegans: Living In Gratitude

By Dan Hanley

Although I try to live in gratitude every day, being on vacation and on the beach with my husband, a place I love to be, gives me yet another opportunity to embrace gratitude. By the way, the photo is of one of our favorite beaches, Torrey Pines State Beach, in San Diego.

In the past several months there has been a lot on my plate, a lot on my emotional plate. We moved into our new home which is definitely something to be grateful for, and it came with its own challenges. And although this isn’t a surprise to us, with four senior companion animals, each of them has had their own health issues which have effected us both emotionally and financially.

With so much going on in the world Mike and I try to remember how good we have it. We don’t even worry about the basics, as far as food, water, and a roof over our heads. Regarding the food part, being vegan and being in the vegan capital of the world is something that not only adds to the wonderfulness of our lives but additionally is something we are grateful for.

Living in gratitude for me means to always, or as often as I can, remember all I have in my life. In my recovery program I learned to create gratitude lists, first when life felt tough but later as part of my daily actions. Items that typically make the list are my relationship with my Higher Power, my sobriety, my husband, my activist community/family, etc. I’m not writing about the gratitude list as a suggestion to you, just to say how I incorporate gratitude into my life.

As you read this post, I also want you to know that I am grateful for all of the support and kindness we get from people who read this blog. It means the world to me when a reader says they voted for the first time, tried being vegan for a day, or called one of their elected officials. I have always wanted this blog to be about building bridges and promoting animal rights and human rights, and the feedback I get from you the reader tells me that this is happening.

Thursday, July 13, 2017

'Bob the Drag Queen: Suspiciously Large Woman' on Logo This Sunday


Drag Superstar Bob the Drag Queen arrives purse first and ready to take prisoners in her debut comedy special, Suspiciously Large Woman. Fresh off the world premiere at Outfest in Los Angeles, Suspiciously Large Woman is making its televised premiere on Logo on Sunday, July 16. No one is safe when the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race season 8 returns to her hometown of Atlanta after touring the world to hilariously tackle topics such as sex, white people, New York, and the one and only Beyoncé.

BREAKING: U.S. House of Representatives Votes Down Amendment Ripping Away Critical Health Care for Transgender Service Members & Military Families

Today, OutServe-SLDN and the American Military Partner Association (AMPA) praised a vote by the U.S. House of Representatives voting down a vicious amendment that would have ripped away medically necessary health care for transgender service members and military dependents. Proposed by Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), the amendment would have barred access to transition-related health care — including critically important care such as hormone therapy — for service members and military family members. The amendment was defeated by a vote of 214 to 209.

“Congresswoman Hartzler’s attempt to strip healthcare from service members and their families in a time of war was unpatriotic, unconstitutional, and just plain vile, we are pleased to see that the House of Representatives voted down this amendment” said OutServe-SLDN Executive Director Matt Thorn. “It would have been harmful to trans servicemembers, spouses, and families with trans children; it would have undermined our mission readiness by degrading our capabilities as a fighting force. OutServe-SLDN will continue to support and defend our trans brothers and sisters in any and all legal and advocacy matters.”

“This was a horrifying, vicious attack on service members and military family members, and our families were beside themselves in fear,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. “It would have been beyond unconscionable to rip away the critically important health care of transgender military family members and service members — care that their doctors believe is medically necessary — and would have severely harmed thousands of military families and undermine military readiness. We are incredibly grateful to the members of Congress who stood up and stopped this assault on our military families.”

Since October 2016, it has been the policy of the Department of Defense to allow transgender members of the armed forces to serve openly and authentically. Estimates show there are more than 15,500 transgender individuals currently serving in the armed services. In addition to these service members, thousands of service members also have members of their families who are transgender.

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.

Chicago Hosts Benefit Concert to Help Russian-Born LGBTQ Violinist, Artem Kolesov, Flee Persecution From Russia

Notable Chicago LGBTQ community leaders are hosting a benefit concert for Artem Kolesov, a 23-year old gay man who caught the world’s attention when he came out earlier this year on YouTube as part of a Russian "Children-404" project, which invites teenagers to share their stories and discuss LGBT issues in Russia. In most of their photos and videos, participants shield their identities by holding up a sign in front of their faces, but Kolesov did not. While his courageous move caught international attention, it also means that he can never return home. His dream, therefore, is to insure his safety by obtaining U.S. citizenship.

Kolesov now lives in Chicago, where he is first violinist in the Yas Quartet, which is in residence at Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts. Earlier this summer, Kolesov was honored recently at the Logo TV Trailblazers Awards; last year his ensemble took third prize in the Chamber Division at the Schoenfeld International String Competition held in Harbin, China.

The concert “From Russia with Love: A benefit concert for Artem Kolesov and other LGBTQ refugees fleeing persecution” will enjoy a performance by Kolesov and the YAS Quartet and others. All proceeds will benefit legal costs associated with Kolesov’s pursuit of U.S citizenship; American Friends of Rainbow Railroad; and Chicago LGBT Asylum Support Program (CLASP).

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.

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House of Representatives To Vote on Anti-Transgender NDAA Amendment Today

Tonight, OutServe-SLDN and the American Military Partner Association (AMPA) issued the following statements in response to Rep. Vicky Hartzler’s (R-MO) attempts to add an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would rip away medically necessary health care for transgender service members and military dependents. After failing to amend the bill to ban transgender service members during markup before the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Hartzler has proposed a new amendment to the NDAA which would bar access to transition-related health care for military service members and their families. The House Rules Committee is allowing a vote on the amendment tonight.

"We unequivocally condemn Harztler’s attempt at this amendment," said Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN, Matt Thorn. "This amendment is a mean-spirited, unconstitutional attempt to impede the recruitment of openly transgender individuals who want to serve their country. Transgender service members have been serving, openly and authentically, since October 2016 with no impact on readiness. Yet Rep. Hartzler imagines it proper to deny those individuals the opportunity to serve. Hartzler is not the Secretary of Defense and her comments about trans service members being akin to ISIS is unpatriotic in the extreme."

Thorn continued, “The Hartzler Amendment does nothing to support the lethality and readiness of our troops. Instead, it will hamper the military’s efforts to recruit the most qualified individuals who have expressed a desire to honorably and capably serve the country. There’s no reason for this Amendment; we already tried Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and rightfully decided it was bad policy.”

“To be clear, this vile amendment is a vicious attack on service members who are sacrificing so much and putting their lives on the line for our country,” said AMPA President Ashley Broadway-Mack. “As if that’s not outrageous enough, it would also rip away the medically necessary health care of transgender family members. This is vitally important care that military families are already receiving, and these medical decisions should be left to medical professionals and their patients. This legislative assault on military families absolutely must be stopped. We urge members of Congress to reject this cruel proposal.”

Since October 2016, it has been the policy of the Department of Defense to allow transgender members of the armed forces to serve openly and authentically. Each service branch has been charged with defining its own policies related to the accession of new recruits who are openly transgender, and these policies are expected to be announced on January 1, 2018. Estimates show there are more than 15,500 transgender individuals currently serving in the armed services.

Alvvays - In Undertow

 

Alvvays are back with a brand-new record due September 8th, and today they've released the video for the first single "In Undertow." Analog visual feedback and moon-man cameos fill the video singer Molly Rankin describes as "aquacosmic psych meets public access TV." Rankin says, "I'm aware of my own drowning fixation and fascinated by that bizarre lunar-tidal relationship. We've already filled our water video quota. Space is a trippier ocean."

National LGBTQ Task Force Annual Donation to The Miami Foundation’s GLBT Community Project Fund

 

The National LGBTQ Task Force has announced it will present The Miami Foundation with its annual donation on Thursday, July 20, 2017 at El Tucán in Miami Beach, FL.

The annual donation benefits local, grassroots, non-profit organizations serving South Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community through a grant-making process administered by the GLBT Community Projects Funds at The Miami Foundation.

Funding for the award is made possible by the proceeds from the annual Winter Party Festival and the National LGBTQ Task Force Gala - Miami. The two events also support the National LGBTQ Task Force’s work to advance full freedom, justice and equality for LGBTQ people throughout the country. Since 2005, the National LGBTQ Task Force has donated more than $2.4 million to LGBTQ organizations in South Florida.

Nice To See StevieB: Sliding Through Summer


By StevieB

My roommate, Mike mentioned it yesterday. That summer was mostly over. “It is not!” I quickly replied. Then, I started to think about summer and realized that he’s kind of correct, we are past the half-way point. Sliding through the sun going down at 9pm straight into wearing Dad sweaters.


After Pride, there seems to be, to me anyway, a short list of acts that need to be crammed into summer until the chill begins. There is the Renaissance Fair (against my will), launching Chinese lanterns into dead of night, (trying to not get arrested), maybe a second camping trip, and… the ever attempted; but very rarely accomplished, Alpine slide.

Now the Alpine slide, if you have not done, is a cement track down a perfectly good mountain, in which you place a low-cart like mechanism. It is like bobsledding, but in the heat, and upon a rash causing concrete track. Mike and I attempted to take a ride on the area’s local slide; also nick-named the Tooth Chipper, but they had closed the week earlier. The whole creepy Christian themed amusement park was being bulldozed for condos. Now the closest slide is WinterPark, or Steam Boat Colorado…. About a three hour drive. Which is fine. Perfect weekend drive / adventure.

So, Summer maybe more than halfway over. But, there are plenty of fun adventures to be had.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

The Top 10 Locker Room Selfies (as Chosen by Andrew Christian)

Sometimes you just want to look at some curated locker room selfies. Click the link for the full list (NSFW-ish), courtesy of Andrew Christian.

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.