Calling All Foodies: The Tasty Return of Pairsine

Pairsine, (pronounced “Pair Zeen”) is where premium beverages and spectacular cuisine collide.

Pairsine Denver 2017 Chef
Duy Pham, Parker Kitchen

Wine Country Network’s signature culinary event was born in Denver twelve years ago and has snowballed into a National tour, tantalizing gourmands and wine aficionados in Colorado, New York, Florida, Montana and Oklahoma. Chef Hosea Rosenberg (Blackbelly Market, Boulder) was our reigning chef for the first three seasons, before going on to win Bravo’s Top Chef Season 5!

Pairsine is an annual event and Denver’s premier culinary competition for wine-savvy chefs. It will feature ten master chefs creating twenty culinary pairings with twenty gold-medal-winning wines from the 2017 Denver International Wine Competition. There’s no secret ingredient to cook. Given just one week’s notice, the chefs’ challenge is to create the perfect gourmet dish to pair with each of their two assigned wines.
 
All attendees will have the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award. This year’s chefs’ prizes include a large Big Green Egg Smoker Grill and round trip airline tickets to Mexico on AeroMexico.

The Little Dog Laughed: Can His Hollywood Career Survive a Run-In with a New York Call-Boy?

Mitchell Green is a Hollywood star on his way to the A-list -- if he can only keep that pesky “recurring case of homosexuality” under wraps. When Mitchell falls for a young call-boy while in New York for a premiere, his acerbic, fast-talking Hollywood agent, Diane, takes matters into her own hands. Meanwhile, the call-boy, Alex, is trying to figure out what he wants: Mitchell, or best friend/lover Ellen. He is torn between his desires for glitter and money and his longing for love, with all its requisite complications. Throughout all this, the tabloid-mad public keeps at everyone’s heels, waiting anxiously for someone to fall.

Vintage Theatre presents the “The Little Dog Laughed” through October 22 at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010. Tickets are $15 - $30 and available online at www.vintagetheatre.com or by calling 303-856-7830.

Superfruit - Goodbye From Lonely

 

Pop duo Superfruit - comprised of Mitch Grassi and Scott Hoying, both founding members of 3x Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum group Pentatonix - have released the music video for "Goodbye From Lonely."

Books: The Last Word

MB Books, LLC, (MB Books) today announces that the third and final installment of Quentin Crisp’s autobiography, The Last Word, will be published worldwide on November 21, 2017. The publication date will coincide with the eighteen-year anniversary of Crisp’s passing, which occurred on November 21, 1999. The Last Word will be available in hardcopy and as an e-book, exclusively on Amazon.

The Last Word was written by Crisp with the help of his best friend, Phillip Ward, who tape-recorded and later transcribed Quentin’s words between 1997-1999. Upon his death, Quentin left the rights and responsibility to publish The Last Word to Phillip, who later enlisted former Pink News features writer Laurence Watts to help edit the resulting manuscript.

Whereas The Naked Civil Servant made Crisp famous and How To Become A Virgin detailed that fame and his move to and life in New York, The Last Word was written by a man who knew the end was near. The Last Word is Crisp’s goodbye to the world, an opportunity for him to have the last word.

Log Cabin Republicans Praises Attorney General Sessions for Prosecution of Anti-Transgender Hate Crime

Via the Log Cabin Republicans:

Attorney General Jeff Sessions has sent a federal lawyer to the state of Iowa to assist in the prosecution of the murder of a transgender high school student as a hate crime. This action, marking the first time a Republican presidential administration has assisted in pursuing anti-LGBT hate crime charges, was hailed by The New York Times as a sign that Mr. Sessions has “made a priority of fighting violence against transgender people.”

“Despite the protestations of liberal groups dubious of Mr. Sessions’ commitment to federal hate crimes statutes, the Attorney General has proven himself to be a man of his word, dedicated to enforcing the laws of the land — including anti-LGBT hate crimes legislation,” Log Cabin Republicans President Gregory T. Angelo stated. “As an organization that long campaigned for and welcomed passage of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009, Log Cabin Republicans commends the Justice Department for understanding the crisis of violence against transgender Americans and their responsibility to hold perpetrators of anti-LGBT animus accountable. It is our hope that this historic effort — the first by a Republican presidential administration — not only affects justice for Kedarie Johnson, but puts would-be attackers on notice: assaults on individuals because of sexual orientation or gender identity have no place in American society.”

OUT on DVD/VOD: All Male, All Nude

Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to award-winning filmmaker Gerald McCullouch’s (“CSI”, Daddy, the BearCity films) first documentary All Male, All Nude. Breaking Glass acquired rights to the film in September in a deal negotiated between Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff and filmmaker McCullouch’s production company Hard G Productions. All Male, All Nude will have its DVD and digital release on December 5. The DVD will contain additional filmmaking by McCullouch utilizing the skin heavy outtakes as well as a dedication to one of the dancers who went missing shortly after filming wrapped.

Described by Michael Musto as a “fabulous”, “sexy”, and “illuminating” (OUT) film that will “change your mind about male strippers forever” (BearWorld Magazine), Gerald dives into the lives of men who work at America’s only all male, all nude, gay strip club located in the heart of the Bible Belt.

“Gerald has pulled back the curtain on Atlanta’s notorious and legendary gay strip club, Swinging Richards” said Richard Ross, Co-President of Breaking Glass. “He examines the mind and soul of the men who bare their bodies nightly for our enjoyment. If you ever wondered, who are these men, and why would they do this, you’ll walk away with an appreciation, and greater insight, of the whole club culture and camaraderie.”

Straight men, gay men, bi-sexual men, and those who are gay only when the money is right support themselves, and sometimes their families, by dancing nude for a diverse clientele of all shapes, sizes, and sexualities. Each relishes, defends, enjoys, and abhors their career choice and looks back on life's lessons that led them to where they are now. All Male, All Nude is a cutting-edge journey into the taboo world of male stripping. The men living this life can't be boxed in, nor can those who pay to watch them strip.

Listen Without Prejudice/MTV Unplugged The Reissue of The Late George Michael's Iconic album, 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1' To Release October 20

In celebration of the album’s reissue, Sony Music together with Channel 4 and BBC Worldwide have commissioned George Michael: Freedom a stunning new film, narrated by George. Directed by George Michael and David Austin, Executive Produced by David Austin and Produced by Lisa Johnson, it co-stars Stevie Wonder, Nile Rodgers, Elton John, Mark Ronson, Mary J Blige, Tony Bennett, Liam Gallagher, James Corden, Ricky Gervais, Kate Moss, the Freedom! ’90 video supermodels (Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Tatjana Patitz and Linda Evangelista) and more. ‘George Michael: Freedom’ aired on Channel 4 on 16 October at 9.15pm and 19 October at 10.50pm.

A remastered version of George’s stunning 1996 MTV Unplugged performance will also be available as an album for the very first time as part of the Deluxe box set, 2CD and digital editions. The concert took place at the Three Mills Island Studios in East London on Friday 11 October, 1996 and featured George playing ten of his finest songs from the Wham!, Faith, Listen Without Prejudice Vol.1 (Freedom ’90) and Older eras in an intimate setting. Listen Without Prejudice Vol 1 will also be reissued on vinyl.

Denver International Wine Festival Features Premium Wine and Culinary Experiences

The Denver International Wine Festival has been recognized by Food and Wine magazine as one of the “Best Wine Festivals Across America.” Now in its 13th year, the Denver International Wine Festival, hosted by Wine Country Network, Inc., attracts vintners from around the world, and showcases the largest selection of international and domestic wines at any Grand Tasting in the Rocky Mountain region.

The festival kicks off with the Grand Vintners Dinner on Wednesday, November 1st at Solera Restaurant & Wine Bar in Denver. Chef Goose Sorensen will create a delectable 5-course wine dinner paired with award-wining wines from Kovacs Nimrod Winery of Hungary.  

On Thursday, November 2nd, foodies will enjoy the Pairsine Chefs Fine Food and Wine Pairing Competition, in which up to ten wine-savvy Colorado chefs will create twenty gourmet dishes to pair with top winning wines from the 2017 Denver International Wine Competition. This year’s lineup will feature some of Colorado’s up-and-coming chefs like Ryan Taylor of Hickory Ash in Broomfield.

Finally, on Friday, November 3rd, the Grand Tasting of International Wines will take place — it’s one of the region’s largest wine-tasting events for consumers, media and trade, with more than fifty wineries and distilleries pouring. Attendees enjoy delectable food and wine tastings, food products, travel destination exhibits and a silent auction benefiting There With CareTM.

Grand Tasting VIP ticket holders gain access to educational seminars and rare guided tastings. VIP ticket holders also enjoy two-hour early access and a VIP lounge with chef stations and premium beverages. This year’s venue is the newly-built Denver Marriott Westminster. Attendees may take advantage of special $119 festival room rates. For tickets and info visit: DENVERWINEFEST.COM

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A Conversation With Bruce Vilanch

Bruce Vilanch and Drew Wilson on the 16th Street Mall in 2010

Famous funnyman Bruce Vilanch has worked with everybody, won every award, and he'll be back in Colorado on Saturday, October 14 as part of Boulder Jewish Family Services' fifth annual Reel Hope Boulder. This fundraising event will include a wine and beer reception and all proceeds support the life-transforming work of Boulder JFS, which provides older adults, adults with disabilities, their families, and individuals in crisis with services to enhance their quality of life.

We had a chance to talk to him about being gay and Jewish, legalized marijuana ... and taint.

Drew: Hey, Bruce, it's Drew with MileHighGayGuy.
Bruce: MileHighGayGuy? A gay thing? Good, so we can talk about taint and all of that.

Drew: I’m hoping that the majority of the conversation will be taint-related but first, tell me about your upcoming appearance at Reel Hope Boulder with Jewish Family Services.
Bruce: Well, the Jews have got me. I’m visiting my people. I was wandering in the desert and now I’m visiting my people.

Drew: Your people are both the Jews and the gays. How would you say your Jewishness and your gayness have shaped your life, personality and career.
Bruce: Interesting question. When you’re Jewish you’re kind of automatically in show business and I think that’s because that was what we were allowed to do early on. So we became showpeople. There’s a lot of emphasis on that. Same thing when you’re gay. When you’re gay you’re always kind of in performance mode. At least we used to be, because that’s what made us distinctive. Now that we’ve become so mainstream, not so much.

But what really binds them together is the idea of being outside of the mainstream, a fairly exotic minority. When you grow up Jewish you learn that a lot of people hate you and they’re not going to help you so you have to do it yourself. You have to take care of your own because you can’t rely on anybody else to do that. And that is also a great mantra for the gay community. There’s a joke Jewish people have that every Jewish holiday can be summed up in three lines - They tried to kill us. They lost. Let’s eat. And it’s the same thing with the gay community.

There are valuable lessons to be learned from the Jewish experience by gay people of all creeds. I love that word, creeds. So I guess that’s part of it. Other than all of that, nothing.

RuPaul Reveals Season Three ‘All Stars’ Queens in Pre-Season Special

Following his second consecutive Emmy Award win for Outstanding Host for a Reality-Competition Program, RuPaul is jump-starting the third season of “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars” with an hour-long televised eleganza extravaganza on Friday, October 20th on VH1. The drag-tastic special will reveal the queens who are set to make the ultimate clapback, and comeback, in this fierce season of “All Stars.” Additionally, the iconic Chaka Kahn will join RuPaul for an exclusive interview as he reveals the new cast.

“Millions of fans have their favorite queens that they THINK should be on All Stars 3” said executive producer and host RuPaul. “But the final decision is mine to make. Prepare to be gagged."

The elite group of queens given a shot at redemption this season will battle it out to see if they have what it takes to win their spot in the “Drag Race Hall of Fame” and the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar.” The bar has been raised for the third season of “All Stars,” and with so many unexpected twists and turns around every corner, the only option for the competing queens is to rise to the occasion or to sashay away.

Transgender Teen Who Died By Suicide Protected By Federal Sex Discrimination Protections, Federal Court Rules

Yesterday, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and Transgender Law Center (TLC) filed an amended complaint on behalf of the mother of a transgender boy in her lawsuit against a hospital for discrimination against her son. Katharine Prescott filed the amended complaint after the Court’s ruling on September 27 that the Affordable Care Act’s sex discrimination protections apply to transgender kids. The Court also ruled that Ms. Prescott is entitled to seek emotional distress damages on behalf of her son, who died by suicide a few weeks after his experience at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego (RCHSD) for inpatient care.

Katharine Prescott took her 14-year-old son, Kyler Prescott, to RCHSD in early April 2015 for suicidal ideation and for treatment of his serious self-inflicted injuries following an incident of transphobic harassment by his peers. The hospital was aware that Kyler was a transgender boy and Katharine made clear to hospital staff that her son must be treated as male for all purposes. But during his stay, hospital staff repeatedly addressed Kyler—who came out to his family as transgender at 13 and whose gender markers were legally changed to male—as a girl.

Twenty-four hours into his 72-hour stay, and after several failed attempts by his mother to correct the discrimination by the hospital, the hospital’s psychiatrist determined that despite serious mental health concerns, Kyler should be discharged early from RCHSD rather than remaining for the standard 72 hours. About five weeks later, on May 18, 2015, Kyler died by suicide.

“When my son was in despair, I entrusted Rady Children’s Hospital with his safety and well-being,” said Katharine Prescott. “Hospitals are supposed to be safe places that help people when they’re in need. Instead of recovering at the hospital, Kyler got worse because staff continued to traumatize him by repeatedly treating him as a girl and ignoring his serious health issues. It’s painful to speak out, but I want to make sure no other parent or child ever has to go through this again.”

The suit also alleges that RCHSD violated California laws by discriminating against Kyler based on his sex (including his gender identity) and based on disability, and that the hospital engaged in unfair and deceptive business practices by claiming that it was experienced in treating transgender patients, when in fact it discriminated against Kyler and made his condition worse.

“The Court’s decision affirms the growing body of cases across the country recognizing that discrimination against transgender people is sex discrimination,” said Amy Whelan, Senior Staff Attorney at the National Center for Lesbian Rights. “We will continue to fight for transgender kids and adults regardless of the U.S. Department of Justice’s reckless and legally indefensible abandonment of LGBT people.”

“Hospitals should be safe places for transgender children and anyone in crisis to seek help and care. Medical providers must understand the great harms they can inflict if they discriminate against trans youth,” said Transgender Law Center Executive Director Kris Hayashi. “There is no reason any young person should go through what Kyler did."

In addition to NCLR and TLC, Katharine is represented by lawyers from Foley & Lardner LLP.

Denver Limo, Inc.: The Hottest Limos In Colorado Now at the Lowest Prices of the Year!

Denver Limo, Inc. is the leader in ground transportation in Denver, Colorado. Providing limousine service in Colorado for over 17 years, Denver Limo, Inc. has the hottest limousines, SUV limos, and Party Buses in the state - and they're currently available at the lowest prices of the year! 

OUT on DVD/VOD: Uncle Gloria

Uncle Gloria: One Helluva Ride! tells the astonishing true story of how a 67-year-old macho owner of a South Florida auto-wrecking company named Butch, who undergoes a nasty second divorce and needs a place to hide. But the last place anyone would think to find him is in a dress, wig and heels, living as a woman. What starts out as a trick to beat the system ends up changing Butch forever. Featuring risky surgeries, sex work, family dysfunction, activism and falling in love, Gloria's life is one that must be seen to be believed. Fasten your seatbelt. This is most definitely one helluva ride!

Distributed by XLrator Media, Uncle Gloria is in theaters November 3rd and available on VOD November 7th.

Military Partners & Families Coalition (MPFC) to join OutServe-SLDN

OutServe-SLDN, the nation’s leading legal and advocacy organization for LGBT servicemembers, veterans, and their families, and the Military Partners and Families Coalition (MPFC), an advocacy and outreach organization for LGBT military families, are pleased to announce that they are joining forces. The existing operations of MPFC will be incorporated into OutServe-SLDN, creating the nation’s largest organization focused on the support of the LGBT military community including service members, veterans and military families.

Matt Thorn, Executive Director of OutServe-SLDN, has said of the merger, “We are thrilled to welcome the Military Partners and Families Coalition into OutServe-SLDN. Over the years they’ve been an invaluable partner to our work, and we’re thrilled that they’re now part of our family.”

Ariana Bostian-Kentes, President and co-founder of MPFC, added, “Working alongside OutServe-SLDN as a coalition partner has been vital to the successes we’ve celebrated as a military family community. We aim to build on that success through this merger by adding to the breadth of resources available to those who serve and support our military and by prioritizing the interests of all families who serve our country.”

Current programs of the MPFC will continue uninterrupted as part of OutServe-SLDN. These programs include Faces of Our Families, a monthly profile of LGBT military families; Ally Spotlight, a regular profile of non-LGBT spouses who have shown leadership in advancing equality for all military families; Health Advocacy Program, a focus on the delivery of health care to LGBT service members and their families; Battle Buddy Program, a support network for partners and families of deployed service members; the Online Education Program, a series of virtual training sessions on issues of pertinence to LGBT military families; and the Cultural Competency Program, direct training to inform existing military culture about LGBT families.

MPFC was formed in 2011 by military partners and family members who facilitated implementation of the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell as participants in the Pentagon’s Comprehensive Review Working Group. Since that time, MPFC has grown to encompass more than 1,300 members and held numerous events around the country.

Service Members Legal Defense Network (SLDN) was founded in 1993 in direct response to the policy of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) and has offered direct legal services to LGBT members of the armed forces, reservists, and veterans. OutServe was formed in 2006 as support group and advocacy organization for active duty service members serving under DADT, joining SLDN in 2012. The merger with MPFC furthers the mission of OutServe SLDN to provide a comprehensive range of support services, advocacy, and legal assistance for more than half million LGBT service members, veterans and their families.

Matt Thorn will continue in his role and become President & CEO of the combined organizations. Ariana Bostian-Kentes and MPFC Vice President, Tracey Hepner, will join the board of directors and the current 13 member OutServe-SLDN board will continue in their respective roles.

“We’ve learned from experience that the whole is always greater than the sum of its parts. Adding the work of MPFC and its team of leaders to OutServe-SLDN is a huge win for the families of LGBT service members and veterans,” Thorn indicated.

Adding to Thorn’s comments, Bostian-Kentes said, “In the face of so many new challenges, our work is more important than ever. We are ready to roll up our sleeves and leverage our collective power to make the country we love more inclusive and equitable for everyone.”

Merging the operations of the two organizations will occur over the coming months, and is expected to be completed by December 15, 2017. The combined organization will continue use of the name OutServe-SLDN as the board of director’s undertake a review of the organization’s name, brand and website to ensure we are best representative of the LGBT military community.