By Jim Smith, Chairperson, Colorado LGBTQ Chamber of Commerce
We just celebrated our 2018 Power Gala! This was the Chamber's 20th annual gala recognizing individuals, organizations, and nonprofits that have stood up and stood out for the LGBTQ community. Whether you were an award recipient, an advocate or partner in the community, or were there celebrating with your fellow queer folk, thank you for joining us!
While we all came together to celebrate there Saturday night, it is important to realize that the LGBTQ community is not just here one night. We are not "gay for a day." We are queer all year, every year. Our fights and our celebrations are not just during Pride. We must be vigilant every day. More and more the pendulum seems to be swinging away from us. As the Supreme Court becomes significantly more conservative and the construct of our political system seems to be bogged down by extreme divisiveness, our equalities are being increasingly threatened. When you feel like equality has been achieved and you look back and see others left behind; you must understand; you have not yet achieved equality. You have achieved entitlement. Until everyone is standing side by side and no one is behind us, we must continue the hard fight. We cannot accept milestones as 'good enough.' More must be done. When a man feels comfortable to put a picture of his husband on his desk and not feel the awkwardness of social unacceptance, we have made great strides towards equality. When a trans person doesn't fear choosing the 'correct' restroom, we have made significant strides towards equality. When a lesbian couple can openly adopt a child without fear of being rejected on religious beliefs, we have made significant strides towards equality. When any able-bodied person who wants to serve in the military can without reference to their gender, real or perceived, then we have made significant strides towards equality. We are far from equality. We have come a long way. We have miles yet to go. After tonight, please don't forget, we are still here. We have to get there.
Cyndi Lauper – the Grammy, Emmy and Tony-winning icon and advocate – has announced the lineup for her 8th annual Cyndi Lauper & Friends: Home for the Holidays benefit concert, presented by Marriott International. The star-studded event will take place December 8th at New York City's Beacon Theatre. This year’s concert will also celebrate the tenth anniversary of the True Colors Fund, which was co-founded by Cyndi Lauper.
Taking the stage with Cyndi and her band this year will be a host of guests including Amanda Palmer, Angie Stone, A$AP Rocky, Bebe Rexha, Bishop Briggs, Charlie Musselwhite, Dr. Elmo, Gina Yashere, Natalie Merchant, Regina Spektor, Robert Glasper, Sara Ramirez, Shea Diamond, and The Knocks. The evening will be hosted by Carson Kressley.
“LGBTQ youth are strong, brave, and resilient,” said Lauper, the organization’s co-founder. “At Home for the Holidays, we’ll raise our voices in solidarity with LGBTQ young people – and raise money to support the True Colors Fund’s work to end homelessness among LGBTQ youth. I’m so grateful to the artists for donating their time and talent to bring attention to this important cause.”
100% of the net proceeds from the concert will support the True Colors Fund’s programs to prevent and end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. In America, up to 40% of youth experiencing homelessness are LGBTQ and, according to a recent study from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago, LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth.
Home For The Holidays sells out each year and has become a NYC holiday tradition that gathers together a host of diverse talents for an important cause. The show has previously featured P!NK, 50 Cent, Adam Lambert, Lou Reed, Josh Groban, Jackson Browne, Laverne Cox, Sarah McLachlan, Jason Mraz, Boy George, St. Vincent, Alan Cumming, Wanda Sykes, Laura Jane Grace and many more.
Tickets will be available to the general public at Ticketmaster.com starting on Friday, October 19 at 12:00pm ET. All sales are through Live Nation. Tickets are available for purchase here.
Non-binary American singer-songwriter Grayson has released their brand new song “Brother,” a building anthem about needing to break free from both internal and external pressures.
Of the track, Grayson says, “‘Brother' is about the sometimes chaotic relationship with yourself, and everyone else. I have inhabited so many projects and versions of myself through the years that this feels like a long time coming but such a short time in comparison. I can’t wait for it to be heard and in the world. This song really was the start of me."
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today offered its enthusiastic endorsement for a new federal rule proposed early Monday by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that would require drug manufacturers to disclose list prices of their medicines in nearly all drug industry advertising.
According to the Washington Post, “Under a major change laid out by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and drafted as a new federal rule, drug manufacturers would need to disclose in ads the list price of a 30-day supply of any drug that is covered through Medicare and Medicaid and costs more than $35 a month.”
“AHF fully endorses HHS Secretary Azar’s proposed new rule requiring drug price disclosures by the industry in most, if not nearly all drug advertising,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “For too long, this industry has run roughshod over the American public with its secretive, and increasingly exorbitant pricing and policies, aided and abetted by Washington politicians it lobbies and lards with campaign contributions. The administration’s effort here to try and promote some measure of greater transparency on drug pricing by requiring drug manufacturers that serve and supply Medicare and Medicaid patients deserves widespread public, and full congressional support.”
The Post also reported, “The draft rule will now be debated through the fall, and its likelihood of becoming an actual requirement will hinge, in large part, on the intensity of the industry’s resistance.”
Wood
fired, true Southern Italian Naples style pizza. Eat-in, take out or
have Kaos deliver to you! Local sourced farm-to-table.Our 100 year-old
brick cottage is adjacent to a garden patio which regularly makes the
“Denver’s Best” list, and has become an oasis for folks to gather and
enjoy life with a truly unique experience.
Our pizzas are made
in the most antiquated, inefficient and outdated way, using no
mechanical processes. Everything is handmade, and the chefs at Kaos hand mix
over 50lbs of fresh dough twice a day.
When thinking about saying goodbye to my Wrangler, I had trouble walking away. It was like being in a relationship where you only see the thrills even though you know they're treating you wrong. Yes, the fuel pump had to be replaced multiple times; but it was sexy sitting in a trailhead's parking lot. Sure, the oil seemed to disappear every three weeks, but I could drive over any shopping center's curbing. Which is truly the best measure of the American males' ego. There comes a time; however, when even in the most dysfunctional of relationships you eventually wake up to the fact that you are putting more effort into it than you could possibly get back.
My main motivation in replacing my Jeep is how sexy-cool a new car would compare in its level of coolness in trailhead parking lots. This is why I chose the VW Alltrack. It just oozes off roady snobbiness. Yet snowflake uniqueness
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.
Anna and Claire are two bantering, scheming "women of fashion" who have long lived together on the fringes of upper-class society. Anna has just become the mistress of a wealthy man, from whom she has received an enormous emerald and an income to match. Claire, meanwhile, is infatuated with a respectable young lady and wants to enlist the jealous Anna's help for an assignation. As the two women exchange barbs and take turns taunting Anna's hapless Scottish parlor maid, Claire's young inamorata suddenly appears, setting off a crisis that puts both the valuable emerald and the women's futures at risk.
“Boston Marriage” was a term used in the 19th century and early 20th century to refer to two single women living together, independent of men. The term was originally coined in Henry James’ novel The Bostonians, which told the tale of an intimate companionship between two wealthy, Boston women. Rumored to have been based on his sister’s relationship with a woman, James referred to the novel as “a very American tale.”
Vintage Theatre presents “Boston Marriage” October 5 through November 11 at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays, Monday, October 15 and Thursday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays and Saturday November 10 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $16 - $32 and available online at www.vintagetheatre.org or by calling 303-856-7830.
Friendly Fires return with their second brand new song of 2018. Built around a euphoric, clipped, 'French touch' style loop, "Heaven Let Me In" is co-produced with Disclosure and was written in one late night session at the lauded electronic duo's north London studio. The single launched in the UK as Annie Mac's "hottest record in the world."
Talking about the track, Friendly Fires' Ed Macfarlane says, "'Heaven Let Me In' is a song about being comfortable in your own skin. When you stop trying so hard and embrace your imperfections then opportunities arise and doors open."
Vegan food in Tijuana.
Tijuana (TJ), Mexico is a quick 2 1/2 hour drive from LA. I have come to
love Tijuana, for many reasons. I recently spent a couple of days there
to drop off donations to some nuns there serving migrant women and
children, to speak Spanish and to check out some of the amazing vegan
food options there.
A couple of things to know before going from California to Tijuana.
First, you need your passport. I also recommend purchasing insurance for
the amount of days you’re there, if you’re driving. Bring pesos. Your
bank can help or you can get them at the last exit before entering
Mexico. Traffic can be crazy, and if it makes you uncomfortable to drive
there it’s easy to Uber around or use the local buses. If you want to
stay in Tijuana there are a lot of great Airbnb options all over and in
the central part of town some nice hotels, like the Lucerna.
Also, activism of all kinds is alive and well in Tijuana. This trip for
me was to bring donations to the Centro Madre Assunta, and there are
literally dozens of nonprofits doing amazing work for humans, animals
and the environment.
Playas de Tijuana is the area of the city along the ocean and the US
border. Super relaxed with beaches, a boardwalk and work out spaces
along the boardwalk. I love it. While here there are three spots I
suggest. Luwak Cafe is on the main boulevard and is a small cafe/coffee
shop. And they serve vegan waffles! I love them mainly because of their
staff, and vegan waffles help. Head south and you will find The Green
House. Mostly sandwiches, tacos and veggie burgers, add smoothies. I
tried the tacos and the agua fresca of the day which was lime. Number
three is La Veggicheria, right on the boardwalk maybe two blocks south
of the border. The view is gorgeous, all ocean. Sitting outside with
that view and delish food is pretty perfect. Their burger is pretty
popular and I loved their mole.
Alma Verde is a spot I didn’t get a chance to go to but heard good
things about. Two locations in Tijuana. I will report back once I go
here next trip.
My favorite spot in Tijuana to eat is Mazon Vegano. It’s near the
southern part of the Avenue of the Insurgents (Avenida de los
Insurgentes) in an inside area of placed food trucks. Their quesadillas
were so good! I started with two and had to try a third. Fresh and
flavorful, with a great salsa to go along with them. The mind-blowing
part of the meal was the blueberry cheesecake, the best cheesecake I
have ever had!
You’re probably hungry now. And if you are like many people I tell that I
love Tijuana, you might be thinking about safety. I have never felt
unsafe in Tijuana. I have heard the stories, and like any city with
crowds you want to be careful, and use common sense. Tijuana is a
wonderful place, and add in all of the delish food options and you’ll
have a great time.
Rhein Haus
is a gay-owned, two-story, 14,000 square-foot Bavarian-inspired
restaurant in Downtown Denver with house made sausages, pretzels, and
other authentic eats, 24 German and local drafts, Bavarian-inspired
cocktail list, and four indoor bocce courts.
There is so much at stake in this year’s election for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Coloradans and their families. That is why it is so important for every single LGBTQ Coloradan and ally to be able to cast their ballot and make their voice heard.
The official motion picture soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures, Live Nation Productions and Metro Goldwyn Pictures’ A Star Is Born has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with over 231,000 in equivalent album consumption units. Released via Interscope Records, the album makes this Lady Gaga’s fifth consecutive #1 album and puts her in the lead for the most #1 albums by a female artist this decade. The Soundtrack has also earned the highest album-sales week for a music film soundtrack since Frozen in April 2014 and the biggest week for a soundtrack since the Fifty Shades of Grey album in 2015.
Hailed as “impenetrably perfect” by Rolling Stone, the soundtrack to A Star Is Born was released on October 5 (the same day the film opened). The double album features new music from its principal stars: six-time Grammy Award-winner Lady Gaga and the film’s director, four-time Oscar-nominated actor Bradley Cooper.
Performed by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, the soundtrack’s lead single “Shallow” is currently #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and has held the #1 spot on iTunes since the day after its September 27th premiere. The original song was written by Lady Gaga, Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt.
