Lighthouse - A Network for LGBTQ+ Health and Wellness

Lighthouse recently launched for the LGBTQ+ community to support their healthcare needs. Through their vision, mission, and innovative delivery platform, Lighthouse is able to provide support and services that have gone unmet in today’s healthcare system.

Sadly, research shows that more than 50% of LGBTQ people experience some form of discrimination in healthcare settings at some point in their lives. Lighthouse was created to provide a solution that would eliminate that from the healthcare services equation. ­­­­

Nick Fager, co-founder, explained that “we recognized the healthcare system today is beyond complex to navigate, and when the added challenges of discrimination enter into that equation – it creates a boundary to care that needed to be addressed. Lighthouse is that solution, and we’re proud to bring our organization to the market.”

On the Lighthouse website, you can search for a provider by zip code to find a doctor or specialist that has been carefully vetted ahead of time for their experience and care in treating members of the community. This is part of what makes their service offering truly unique.

“While we are launching this project in NY, our vision is to quickly expand our services and support to communities across the United States”, said Sahir Iqbal, co-founder. The Lighthouse website also features many articles around health, fitness, family and general well-being.

Who should Trump ask about HIV/AIDS?

By Lucas Acosta, Director of LGBTQ Media, Democratic National Committee

I'm sure you saw the news yesterday that in ​ multiple​ meetings President Trump asked Bill Gates the difference between HIV/AIDS and HPV. Seriously.

Maybe Trump should ask some of his friends for some advice before he starts asking Bill Gates?

He could have easily started by asking members of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS, if he hadn't fired them last Christmas via a FedEx'd letter after several members quit because Trump "doesn't care" about the issue. Since dismantling the ​council, the White House has refused to answer when or if it would appoint new members -- effectively disbanding it without actively eliminating it.

Or maybe, Trump could have asked HHS Secretary Alex Azar whose department and its newly created "Conscience and Religious Freedom Division" ​are actively working to give health care providers the ability to refuse treatment to people with HIV/AIDS if they have a "moral objection." In addition, the program is estimated to cost taxpayers $300 million

​Or maybe, he could have asked Vice President Mike Pence whose dangerous record on HIV/AIDS has been documented over and over and over again.

This administration has left behind communities that need access to quality and affordable health care, treatment and most importantly a president who understands the difference between HIV and HPV.

Lost and Found Productions Season Three kicks off with the Gender Politics of 'Elizabeth Rex'

What makes a man a man and a woman a woman? In Elizabeth Rex, Queen Elizabeth I visits Shakespeare and his company on the eve of her former lover's execution. When she meets Ned, Shakespeare's brilliant performer of women's roles, the actor, the playwright and the queen come to startling revelations about sex, identity, humanity, and love.

Offers Director Patrick Brownson, “Elizabeth Rex is one of the most fascinating plays I’ve ever read. I’m a sucker for anything Elizabeth I-related, and this play does such a marvelous job presenting her in all her many facets. It also combines sexuality, gender roles and politics in a way that’s perhaps even more relevant today than it was when it was first written.”

Lost and Found Productions presents the first show of their third season – Timothy Findley’s Elizabeth Rex. Performances will be June 22 through July 14 with shows Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $15 in advance/$20 at the door. All performances will be at The Bug Theatre at 3654 Navajo Street in Denver. Tickets and more information available online at www.lostandfoundproductions.net.

Hadi Damien: More to Activism Than Just Pride in Lebanon

This year’s organizer of Beirut Pride, Hadi Damien, was arrested earlier this week by Lebanese authorities. Damien had to sign a document pledging that all remaining Pride events would be canceled or face criminal or misdemeanor charges for encouraging debauchery and offending public morality. Activities for Beirut Pride started on May 12th and were planned until May 20th.

While the cancellation of Pride activities is unfortunate, it is a clear breach of article 13 of the Lebanese Constitution, which safeguards freedom of expression and assembly, other LGBTIQ related activities commemorating the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (IDAHOTB) continue.

In reaction to news coverage of the recent Beirut Pride event cancellations, Georges Azzi, prominent Lebanese and Middle East and North Africa regional activist and Executive Director of the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE) commented,

“Beirut Pride is a Pride, it is not a movement, there is a bigger movement happening in the country. There are several organizations working and are still having LGBT related events this week and throughout the year.”

Over the last number of years, Lebanese activists have advanced the human rights of LGBTIQ people and there has been continued positive social attitudinal shifts on homosexuality and transgender identity. In an interview today with OutRight Action International, Azzi noted the many advances, including:

• Events associated with IDAHOTB have been taking place since 2005;
• LGBT organizations have won many court cases regarding Article 534, which contends unnatural intercourse, with judges having said that the article cannot be used against the LGBT community;
• A recent survey conducted in the country revealed that 65% of the population favored decriminalization of same-sex sexual acts;
• 90% of the population is against physical violence against the LGBT community;
• And just last week, Azzi’s regional organization, the Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality (AFE), conducted a series of interviews with candidates running for elections and found that more than one hundred of them wanted to decriminalize homosexuality.

Speaking on the subject of LGBTIQ organizing and aspirations, Azzi told OutRight,

“The public discourse is very welcoming now and this is why what happened with the Pride events this year came as a surprise for us, and we want to understand where it came from, but at the same time we don’t want people to think there is a crisis in Lebanon. There is no crisis. This incident happened, but the country is not in a crisis. There are organizations that are working and are moving forward and I am really hoping we can work on decriminalizing homosexuality really soon.”

Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, called on Lebanese authorities to respect the rights of LGBTIQ activists and recognized the accomplishments of the movement, saying,

“Lebanon is a leader when it comes to LGBTIQ organizing and visibility in the Middle East and North Africa region. Authorities should respect the right of the LGBTIQ community’s freedom of speech and assembly and ensure that the activities for IDAHOTB go on without interference. Through their perseverance, activists in Lebanon have achieved incredible and inspiring progress.”

Georges Azzi is in New York accepting OutRight Action International’s Felipa de Souza award on behalf of AFE. The Felipa de Souza award recognizes the courage and activism of grassroots groups and individuals working for the fundamental human rights of all people. Since 1994, OutRight has presented the award to courageous advocates working to advance the human rights of LGBTIQ people.

Denver Zoo Helping Rescue 11,000 Critically Endangered Tortoises in Madagascar

On April 10, nearly 11,000 critically endangered radiated tortoises were discovered by local police in a home in Toliara, Madagascar. With no access to food or water, the animals were in poor condition, and likely were collected for sale on the illegal pet market in Southeast Asia. The Madagascan government was in dire need of assistance to triage and care for the tortoises, and called upon Turtle Survival Alliance (TSA) for help. Although TSA manages several rescue centers in Madagascar, they needed additional aid to save and rehabilitate such an enormous number of animals, and reached out to fellow Association of Zoos & Aquarium (AZA) members to join the rescue mission.

“As an organization dedicated to protecting wildlife, Denver Zoo has the resources and technical expertise to help care for these critically endangered animals,” said Senior Vice President of Animal Sciences Brian Aucone. “We manage our own field conservation programs and have the ability to apply the same skills and experience we use to care for our animals at the Zoo to support wildlife all around the world.”

In addition to providing funding to TSA, Denver Zoo is joining other AZA institutions, including San Diego Zoo and Utah’s Hogle Zoo, in mobilizing staff to assist with the effort in the hopes the tortoises will be released back into the wild. Sean Ploysa, one of the Zoo’s carpenters in the maintenance department, and Max Maloney, a keeper and reptile expert in Tropical Discovery, will utilize their respective skills and experience to provide medical care and construction of housing for the tortoises. They depart for Madagascar on Thursday, May 17 and will return on Saturday, June 2.

Come run the Big Gay 5K and support One Colorado this summer!

With a new weekend, new route and a new charity partner, One Colorado kicks off pride this year with the 5th annual Big Gay 5K! The race will take place in Cheesman Park and run along 14th Avenue to the Capitol building. This race is for everyone and registration starts at $35.

World's Largest Goat Yoga? And You Helped?

What better way to start the day than a yoga practice with the “kids?” Join everyone's favorite farm animal at Denver County Fair's 2nd annual Goat Yoga. This year, they're making a historic attempt to set the Guinness World Record for the largest goat yoga session ever!

OUT on DVD: Masterpiece: Man In An Orange Shirt

PBS Distribution announced today it is releasing Masterpiece: Man In An Orange Shirt on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital HD. Scripted by bestselling novelist Patrick Gale (A Place Called Winter), Man In An Orange Shirt portrays a pair of love stories, sixty years apart, linked by family ties, sexual identity, and a mysterious painting.

The plot opens on the Italian front near the end of World War II. British Captain Michael Berryman saves the life of a wounded fellow officer and recognizes him as Thomas March, an old schoolmate, now serving as an official war artist. Though engaged to his childhood sweetheart, Flora, Michael feels a powerful attraction to Thomas, who feels the same way. After the artist’s recuperation, the two share a brief, passionate encounter before parting.

With the war over, Michael looks up Thomas in London, and they spend a liberating, amorous weekend at Michael’s rundown country cottage. There, Thomas sketches Michael for a painting that will become “Man in an Orange Shirt.” In an era when homosexuality in England was punished by prison, there is no hope of living together. Furthermore, Michael feels honor-bound to marry Flora, and he asks Thomas to be his best man. This sets the stage for a turbulent marriage, not least because Flora suspects nothing about her fiance’s sexuality.

The second half of the drama skips two generations to the present day. Michael and Thomas have died, and Flora keeps house with her grandson, Adam, a young veterinarian active in London’s gay hookup scene—a subject Flora carefully avoids.

Into Adam’s restless life comes Steve, an architect eager for a stable relationship and intrigued by the challenge of fixing up the cottage that Adam has been given by Flora—the same place where Michael and Thomas spent their idyllic weekend six decades earlier. The times change, the laws change, the technology changes (as illustrated by Adam’s addiction to dating apps), but the problem of love, commitment, and acceptance is as persistent and formidable as ever.

Masterpiece: Man In An Orange Shirt will be available on DVD and Blu-ray June 19, 2018. The DVD SRP is $29.99 and the Blu-ray SRP is $34.99. The program will also be available for digital download.

Calum Scott, Only Human

 

Calum Scott released the new video for “What I Miss Most” today from his debut album Only Human. The video was directed by Ozzie Pullin and filmed in London.
 
Recorded with such producers as Fraser T Smith (Adele, Ellie Goulding), Jayson DeZuzio (Skylar Grey, Imagine Dragons) and Oscar Görres (Taylor Swift, Britney Spears), Only Human showcases Calum’s soulful vocals and heartfelt lyrics.

“To me, Only Human means being okay with how you feel,” says Scott. “My hope is that these songs encourage people to embrace who they are, so that there’s a little less fear in the world and a lot more love.”

Trans Inmates Stripped of Protections

Last week, BuzzFeed News reported that the administration has stripped away rights from yet another vulnerable group of transgender people - this time, transgender inmates, who already face appallingly high rates of violence. The policy gives federal officials more leeway to place transgender women in cells alongside men — a circumstance that advocates argue leaves transgender inmates vulnerable to violence and rape. 

Learn what you can do to protect trans inmates by visiting the National Center for Transgender Equality's Action Center page.

Meet the Men of Bearracuda Denver Pride: DJ Wayne G

DJ Wayne G and his big arms are flying over from the UK to headline the Bearracuda Denver Pride party. Get ready for an amazing time!

Celebrate Pride with the Colorado Rockies!

Join One Colorado and Outsports to watch our Colorado Rockies take on the LA Dodgers for LGBTQ Pride Night! Come out and enjoy an evening with friends, family, and exciting Rockies baseball at Coors Field!

Click here to purchase your tickets and use promo code: PRIDE

Denver Wrangler Announces Closure

The Denver Wrangler, known for its Sunday Beer Bust and history of discrimination, has announced that they will be closing down on June 25.

Colorado Summit of the Chambers Celebrates Minority and Women's Chamber Coalition

The annual Summit of the Chambers is happening again at Mile High Stadium on Thursday, May 31st from 5:00-8:00pm. This is a fantastic business after hours with networking among the various chambers that make up the Minority and Women's Chamber Coalition. Chambers include the Women's Chamber, Asian Chamber, Black Chamber, CO LGBTQ Chamber, Hispanic Chamber, and Indian Chamber.

This will NOT be a business expo event as it has been the past couple of years. That event will be held on August 2nd. This instead is just a business-after-hours style event with food and drink and hundreds of guests to network with.

Cost is $10 and is open to the public. Come enjoy tours of the stadium, door prizes, and great food and company!

IGLTA Hosts Most Successful Convention in its 35-Year History

The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association’s 35th Anniversary Global Convention, 9-12 May at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, brought together approximately 500 tourism professionals representing 40 countries to share innovative ideas and best practices, making it the best attended and most globally diverse conference in IGLTA’s history.

“The numbers clearly show that after 35 years, our convention is not only more relevant than ever, but also that the desire to engage and support LGBTQ travelers is expanding across the globe,” said IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella. “Our participants include the thought leaders of our market and will help IGLTA to advance LGBTQ travel globally throughout 2018 and beyond. I’m so proud of the content we shared and the connections that were made this year in Toronto, our incredibly warm and inclusive host city.”

Among the highlights: Michael Kajubi, a gay tour operator in Uganda sharing his personal experiences on the ground in a country known for homophobia; Drew Cumpson, a ventilated quadriplegic gay man educating the industry on accessibility in travel; and in-depth looks at global travel data and trends, the intersection of human rights and tourism and responsible travel. 

Voyage, the IGLTA Foundation benefit held at the Fairmont Royal York during the convention and presented by Disney Destinations, raised more than US$40,000 for education, research, and developing the next generation of LGBTQ travel professionals, making it the most successful IGLTAF fundraiser to date. The event included an interview with Sharon Gless, Gale Harold, Peter Paige and Scott Lowell from the American-Canadian production of Queer As Folk and the presentation of IGLTA’s highest honor, the Pinnacle Award, to The Right Honourable Justin Trudeau. Randy Boissonnault, Member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre and LGBTQ2 Liaison to Trudeau, accepted the award on the Canadian Prime Minister’s behalf.

“With 40 countries represented, Toronto welcomed the world for IGLTA’s Annual Global Convention—a true passion project for all of us both times the convention has come to Toronto,” said Johanne Bélanger, President & CEO of Tourism Toronto. “Toronto is one of the most welcoming and inclusive cities in the world and that sense of welcome was on full display during IGLTA. On behalf of Tourism Toronto and all of our partners, congratulations on a spectacular 35th convention.”