CU Boulder Makes List of the Most LGBTQ Friendly Colleges

College Consensus, a college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published their ranking of 25 LGBTQ Friendly Colleges for 2019.

Colleges and universities have long been the place where young people find themselves and their people, developing into the people they will be through the rest of their life. That has, historically, been particularly true of LGBTQ youth, who could go from unsupportive homes and communities to find a place where they are accepted for who they are. Today, while society in general is more tolerant than in the past, college can still be a crucial place of safety and growth for LGBTQ young people, which is why College Consensus has published its ranking of 25 LGBTQ Friendly Colleges. By highlighting institutions that make inclusiveness an intentional aspect of their education and community, College Consensus encourages students to find the place they will feel welcome, and urges schools to consider their own policies and culture.

Institutions in the Best LGBTQ Schools ranking are chosen based on the strength of their student organizations, institutional inclusiveness policies, and recognition by the Campus Pride Index. Schools have been ranked by their College Consensus score (which combines published academic rankings and real student reviews). The full top 25 (in alphabetical order) are:
 
Augsburg University

Elon University

Harvey Mudd College

Indiana University Bloomington

Ithaca College

Kansas State University

Lehigh University

Macalester College

Montclair State University

Pennsylvania State University

Portland State University (tied)

Princeton University

Rutgers University

San Diego State University

Southern Oregon University (tied)

The Ohio State University

Tufts University

University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Louisville

University of Maryland, College Park

University of Massachusetts

University of Oregon

University of Pennsylvania

University of Washington

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Washington State University

As College Consensus editors note, "For decades, colleges and universities have been at the vanguard of culture, whether that meant protecting artistic expression or giving young people a forum to voice their political views." However, for LGBTQ students, inclusive policies "can truly be a matter of life or death," particularly as discrimination and hate crimes are still prevalent in many communities. "LGBTQ friendly colleges are critical for the safety and well-being of gay, lesbian, trans, and nonconforming young people all over the nation," the editors explain, providing "a safe space for queer young people, while helping prepare them for a workforce that is still frequently hostile."

While ranking the most LGBTQ Friendly Colleges is somewhat subjective, College Consensus chose their criteria carefully: "a vocal and well-promoted campus pride organization is a clear sign" of acceptance, at least in the campus community, since many are student-led groups. The other level of impact is in official institutional policy: "inclusive language in their student handbook; gender inclusive housing (or gender neutral housing); explicit non-discrimination policies (for instance, women's colleges that are openly welcoming to trans women)." By looking for schools that foreground their inclusiveness with explicit policies, College Consensus could determine what colleges and universities are truly LGBTQ-friendly, rather than just schools that give lip service to inclusiveness.

The Killers: Land of the Free

 

The Killers have unveiled a new stand alone song “Land Of The Free” with a video by Academy Award-winning director Spike Lee. Recorded at their own Battle Born Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada and produced by Jacknife Lee, with additional gospel vocals by (vocal co-arranger) Lynn Mabry, Dorian Holley, Will Wheaton, Sherree Patrice Brown, Akasha Mabry and Killers’ touring vocalists Amanda Brown, Danielle René Withers and Erica Canales.The Killers invited Spike Lee to make the video for the song, a heartfelt lament inspired by current events and recent national tragedies.

OUT in Theaters: Giant Little Ones

Coming to theaters in March, Giant Little Ones is a heartfelt and intimate coming-of-age story about friendship, self-discovery and the power of love without labels.

Franky Winter (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas Kohl (Darren Mann) have been best friends since childhood. They are high school royalty: handsome, stars of the swim team and popular with girls. They live a perfect teenage life – until the night of Franky's epic 17th birthday party, when Franky and Ballas are involved in an unexpected incident that changes their lives forever.

One Colorado: Legislative Session Kickoff & LGBTQ Lobby Day

By Sarah Clark, Denver Metro Organizer, One Colorado

Then, join us at the State Capital as we connect with legislators to ensure that they are passing legislation that ensures a more fair and just Colorado for all.





The only way we can shape the future of equality in Colorado is by making sure our elected representatives hear from us, so make sure you mark your calendar and sign up to join us!

And, don't worry if it's your first time at lobby day, we'll train you AND feed you.

We worked hard last year to ensure a pro-equality majority in both chambers of the Colorado General Assembly. Join us at our Legislative Kickoff Happy Hour to learn about our priorities for the 2019 session, meet some of our pro-equality legislators, and network with other One Colorado supporters.



Grab a drink, meet pro-equality legislators, AND learn about what we're expecting at the state capitol in 2019.

PS: If you're traveling from the Western Slope to Lobby Day, contact Heidi with questions, since she will be coordinating travel. Her email is heidih@one-colorado.org.

PPS: If you are traveling from somewhere else outside the Denver Metro area, limited scholarships are available for anyone who needs assistance making it to LGBTQ Lobby Day. Email me for more details at sarahc@one-colorado.org.

One Colorado: Only 5 more days to get your health insurance for this year!

By Cara Cheevers, Policy Director, One Colorado Education Fund

Open enrollment ends in five days on January 15, 2019. This is your only time to purchase health insurance for the year, barring specific unforeseen life events. Do you still need to get enrolled? You can talk to a navigator and purchase health insurance online from Connect for Health Colorado.

Are you seeking insurance coverage for transition-related care or a person living with HIV that needs specific prescription drug coverage? We've got some resources that will help find the insurance carrier that's right for you:

2019 Transgender Health Insurance Buyer's Guide

2019 Hormone Therapy Prescription Coverage Guide

2019 PrEP and HIV Prescription Coverage Guide

These guides not only look at whether the seven plans on the marketplace cover behavioral health services, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgery, but also review the availability of an LGBTQ health navigator, coverage of puberty blockers for minors, quality of hormone therapy coverage, and HIV prescription coverage.

Don't wait to get covered! You have Tuesday, January 15, 2019 to get health care. Shop online now or call 855-PLANS-4-YOU.

LGBTQ & Allied Organizations Urge Investigation, Critical Reforms Following Second Suspicious Death of a Black Man in West Hollywood Home of Ed Buck

Today, 41 LGBTQ and allied organizations (listed below) released the following statement to demand a thorough investigation by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office of the second death of a Black man at the West Hollywood home of Ed Buck, a prominent political donor, within two years.

According to the LA Times, authorities found 24 syringes, five glass pipes, plastic bags with white powdery residue and a crystal-like substance at the scene when Moore’s body was found. The identity of the latest man found dead at Buck’s apartment has not been released publicly, but the facts are clear — Buck and access to drugs at his apartment are the common denominators in the deaths of Black men, and these continued injustices have yet to be addressed by local law enforcement: 

“We, the undersigned organizations working to advance and empower the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) community, act in solidarity with the victims and those impacted by both tragic deaths of Black men at Ed Buck’s home in less than two years.

“We will work in earnest to understand what happened to these men who lost their lives — Mr. Timothy Dean who died on Monday, and Mr. Gemmel Moore, who died under seemingly similar circumstances in July 2017 — and why Buck continues to maintain unsafe spaces for Black gay men.

“Nearly a dozen young men have confirmed Moore’s account and shard personal stories about Buck’s alleged, nefarious practice of injecting Black men with various lethal substances. In light of Monday’s tragedy and the apparent pattern of abuse and death of Black gay men in Buck’s home, we insist that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into both deaths.  

“Given serious and legitimate concerns about how the Sheriff’s Department and District Attorney’s Office have handled both investigations — including a failure to share critical and timely information about both cases with the greater Los Angeles LGBTQ community and the media — we also believe that an independent, thorough review of their actions is warranted and urge both to make all appropriate, procedural reforms to address the systemic inequities that lead predators to target Black LGBTQ people. We demand this with a historical understanding that if Buck were a Black man living in Watts, Inglewood, Compton, or South Los Angeles or his victims were white men, the investigation and outcome would be different.

“We, the undersigned organizations, join together to acknowledge the systemic and structural forces that make Black gay, bisexual, trans, and queer men vulnerable to predators, including white supremacy, anti-Blackness, heterosexism, wealth gaps, criminalization, and income inequality. We also acknowledge the growing epidemic of crystal meth use and abuse among Black queer men and the lack of attention and resources given to this phenomenon by local, state, and federal governments and organizations who serve Black and/or LGBTQ communities. We affirm the fact that all Black lives matter and call upon elected officials and community leaders to work on solutions that address the root causes of these vulnerabilities.

“The tragic deaths of these two Black men are of great concern during a time when white supremacy, anti-Blackness, and racial violence are pervasive. Although some may blame the victims for their own deaths or shame sex workers, we affirm that the intersection of racism, poverty, homophobia, and biphobia restrict opportunities for Black LGBTQ people in America, sometimes forcing them to turn to commercial sex work for survival, in ways that make them vulnerable to exploitation and manipulation. This is the agonizing reality for too many LGBTQ people, especially LGBTQ people of color, and it must be addressed with urgency.

“We also respectfully urge elected officials who have previously accepted contributions from Buck to donate that money to charitable organizations that work to protect and empower Black LGBTQ  people and their communities.

“As we make this demand for justice, we do so understanding that we do not live in silos. The injustices toward people of color, LGBTQ people, religious minorities, and other marginalized groups, which continue to increase, impact us all.  Audre Lorde reminds us, ‘difference is a dynamic human condition,’ and that we are all deeply connected. It is in the spirit of protecting those persecuted because of race, gender, ability, sexuality, religion and background that we call for unity against hate and solidarity in love.”

SIGNATORIES

National Black Justice Coalition

National LGBTQ Task Force

American Civil Liberties Union

ACLU of Southern California

Advocates for Youth

ADAPT

AIDS Action Baltimore

Arkansas Black Gay Men's Forum

BiNet USA

Black AIDS Institute

Bailey House, Inc.

Center for Black Equity

Center for Culture, Sexuality, and Spirituality

Center for Disability Rights

CenterLink: The Community of LGBT Centers

Concerned Citizen

David Cunningham Foundation

Equality California

Equality Florida

Equality North Carolina

Global Justice Institute

Human Rights Campaign

Iconic House of Unforgettable Revlon

Justice4GemmelMooreAndEdBucksOtherVictims Campaign

Million Hoodies Movement for Justice

National Black Women's HIV/AIDS Network

National Organization of Black County Officials

National Center for Lesbian Rights

Nerve Mag

NMAC

NYC Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center

PFLAG National

Prevention Access Campaign

Reframe Health and Justice

Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS)

St.Louis Black Pride

Treatment Action Group (TAG)

Urban Coalition for HIV/AIDS Prevention Services

URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity

V-Day

Woodhull Freedom Foundation

Books: Dungeons and Drag Queens

Greg Scarnici's latest book, Dungeons and Drag Queens, is now available for pre-sale on Amazon. 

In it, he recounts some of his shocking and scandalous experiences over twenty-five seasons on New York’s Fire Island. From tea dances in Fire Island Pines to drag competitions in Cherry Grove, Greg paints a picture of what a typical summer on the island of misfit boys is like.

One Colorado: Last chance to get your tickets for The Purple Ball

By Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado

I just finished a walkthrough of the event space for The Purple Ball: from the Hate State to the Great State, and I've got to say - I'm so excited for Wednesday night.

In addition to celebrating our LGBTQ history, we have several musical and special guest appearances that you won't want to miss.

Musical Guest Performances:
♦ Melissa Etheridge, an Academy Award and Oscar Award winning singer-songwriter and gay rights activist
♦ Jake Shears, frontman for the band Scissor Sisters
♦ Norbeto "Beto" Mojardin
♦ Denver Gay Men's Chorus

Special Appearances:
♦ Governor Jared Polis and the First Gentleman Marlon Reis
♦ The Honorable Barney Frank, the first gay member of Congress to come out voluntarily
♦ David Mullins and Charlie Craig, the plaintiffs from the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission Supreme Court case

Tickets start at $50 for general admission, which will get you access to all the musical guest performances. Looking for something more? Join the Honorable Barney Frank for the Champagne Celebration or Melissa Etheridge for the Rainbow Reception.

The Big Gay Ice Show Comes to Aspen

The Big Gay Ice Show is Saturday, January 19, 2019 at the Aspen Recreation Center preceding the pool party. Starring Canadian figure skater Eric Radfordand American figure skaters Jeremy Abbott, Ashley Wagnerand Jonathon Hunt, the Big Gay Ice Show will feature skating solos, pairs and even gliding drag queens. 

Tickets are priced at $125 for on-ice seats and $65 for bleacher seats.

The Choir of Man will have you dancing in the aisles!

The runaway hit of numerous international music festivals is hitting the road for its first U.S. tour! Known across the globe as “the ultimate-feel good show,” The Choir of Man offers up 90 minutes of indisputable joy! It’s a party. It’s a concert. It’s a pint-filled good time set in a working pub (free beer anyone?!?) that combines hair-raising harmonies, high-energy dance, and live percussion with foot-stomping choreography. The multi-talented cast of nine handsome blokes sings everything—pub tunes, folk, Broadway, classic rock—all to roof-raising heights. 

The Choir of Man comes to the Lone Tree Arts Center Thursday, February 21 - Friday, February 22. Tickets available now. 

Levitt Pavilion Denver Announces Passing of Mimi Levitt

Levitt Pavilion Denver is sad to announce the passing of the Levitt Foundation’s namesake and founder, Mimi Levitt, who passed away Sunday at age 97. Mimi, along with her husband Mortimer, were iconic patrons of the arts and their generosity and vision lead to the creation of seven Levitt Pavilions across the country, including the first Pavillion in Westport (CT) which the couple opened in 1974. This hands-on approach to philanthropy and activism were sources for positive social change across America, including here in Denver with our Levitt Pavilion which opened its doors in 2017. These efforts, along with Levitt Foundation’s “AMP”, Series have given the Levitt Foundation the distinction of the largest provider of free music in the country.

Levitt Denver Executive Director, Chris Zacher, who started the nonprofit Friends of Levitt Pavilion Denver in 2012, had this to say about Mimi. “Mimi’s visionary leadership helped bring underutilized Parks across the country back to life through the gift of free music. Mimi will be greatly missed, though her legacy lives on in the work of Levitt Foundation.”

With Levitt Pavilions opening up in Sioux Falls (SD), Dayton (OH) and others, Mimi’s legacy will continue to grow and her mission of increasing access to the arts will flourish.
More about Mimi’s life and legacy can be found here.

Nice to See StevieB: Hit the Slopes

By StevieB

The Christmas and New Year celebrations were amazing. A lot of home time, spent watching Christmas movies with Mike and Naveen. Yes, I got the presents I wanted, and it seams they too were happy with the gifts I gave. We now have our living room view back, as the tree was deconsecrated on news day. By this, I mean as I placed the last string of lights in their box, Mike picked up the tree marched to the balcony and tossed it over. The gleam in his eye told me he’d been wanting to do that act for awhile.

The Christmas holiday also brought changes to my relationship. Naveen started a new relationship outside of ours. As I don’t believe in monogamy, (a viewpoint just for me-not others) I was more than happy to encourage this behavior. Right after Thanksgiving He became a snowboarder. A six-foot-two, Indian, snowboarder. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love the outdoors, but sliding down mountains doesn’t not speak to me.

The only interference with our blissful household is that he wants to borrow my car to do this endeavor. Taking my all-wheel drive up the mountain. And hopefully, backdown again. When this happens I receive my German sport wagon back covered in grime. I clutch pearls and clench my jaw every time I lay eyes on my Deutschwagon, ice packed and mud covered.

I fear asking him to get my car cleaned. This is because I am so obsessive about my car being perfect that I don’t trust just how he may clean my wolfsbaby. When I attempted to explain the difference between a brush verses brushless car wash I just recieved an eye roll. So... clearly I’m the only one who sees the difference in quality car maintenance. Yes, I didn’t get a chance to put a solid wax on before winter. But, you just can’t send you car through a car wash with those rolling brushes. What are we? Monsters?

There needs to be a concierge service for rich dude-bro boarder...dudes. One at the base of the mountains where they can stop by after shredding it all day and have their borrowed luxury cars cleaned and pressed. Great idea for a ski town business. There ya go.

Until then, I’ll be content getting flaming hot Cheetos out of my vegan leather interior.

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.

Uno Mas Taqueria: Farm-to-table, absolutely fresh

Uno Mas Taqueria y Cantina is one of those cool little hole-in-the-wall gems that once discovered, you don’t want to tell your friends about in case it gets too busy.

They opened in 2013, bringing elevated street tacos to South Pearl, along with specialty tequillas and drinks, traditional tortas, appetizers, and classic Mexican desserts.

Find out What's in Store for RiNo Art District in 2019

Next Thursday, January 10, 5-7 PM at the Summit Church, look back at the accomplishments of the RiNo Art District over the past year and celebrate the big things to come in 2019. RiNo will be unveiling their Annual Report as well as their Annual Video with food provided by Hop Alley and drinks by Ironton Distillery. There will also be live painting by RiNo artist Alex Pangburn and performances by performer LeahTard Wedgie and team.

The past year brought immense change and progress to RiNo. From the opening of the Beloved Community Village, the inaugural Side Stories event, the unveiling of the 38th Street Underpass, improved pedestrian and bike infrastructure, the launch of RiNo Insider Tours, the opening of the RiNo Made store, a brand new community-built park, another successful CRUSH WALLS, the opening of Brighton Boulevard's first phase, and numerous advocacy and policy initiatives, the past year truly reimagined RiNo as an organization and as an art district.