Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Gus Dapperton - My Favorite Fish

 
Gus Dapperton recently announced his debut album, Where Polly People Go to Read along with his new single, the slow tempo love song "My Favorite Fish." Today, Dapperton shares a self-directed video for the track, following Gus on an aquatic and terrestrial serenade in his signature offbeat style.

Check out V Magazine's conversation with Gus about the video here, who said "He breathes life back into the the gender ambiguity of 60's rock stars and the colorful punk of the 80's new wave. His music is a slow and synth breath of fresh, nostalgic air."

Madonna to Receive Advocate for Change Award at 30th Annual GLAAD Media Awards

Madonna
GLAAD will be honoring Madonna with the Advocate for Change Award at the 30th Annual GLAADMedia Awards in New York on May 4.

GLAAD’s Advocate for Change Award is presented to a person who, through their work, changed the game for LGBTQ people around the world. Madonna is the second person, and the first woman, to receive this award. President Bill Clinton was the first recipient of this award in 2013.

Madonna’s support for the LGBTQ community started at the beginning of her career during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 1980s. She performed at AIDS benefit concerts, created a benefit dance marathon, and spoke out and demanded action at a time when AIDS was too often invisible in the media. Madonna also included a leaflet in her album Like a Prayer entitled “The Facts about AIDS” in which she gave fans crucial information about AIDS.

More recently, Madonna has continued to use her platform to support the LGBTQ community, speaking out against anti-LGBTQ laws, policies, and practices. Madonna has spoken out for LGBTQ equality in Romania, Malawi, Russia and more and she continues to advocate for equality in the United States. She has also spoken against bullying of LGBTQ youth and related LGBTQ youth suicide. In 2013, when presenting Anderson Cooper with the Vito Russo Award at the 24th Annual GLAAD Media Awards, she dressed as a Boy Scout in protest of the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay members. Madonna has also participated in intersectional advocacy, speaking at the first Women’s March on Washington for women’s equality, and speaking out against Trump’s child detention policy.

When responding to the imprisonment of two men who had been jailed in Malawi for marrying, Madonna released a statement that completely summarizes her commitment and support of the LGBTQ community, writing: "As a matter of principle, I believe in equal rights for all people, no matter what their gender, race, color, religion, or sexual orientation. This week, Malawi took a giant step backward. The world is filled with pain and suffering; therefore, we must support our basic human right to love and be loved.”

MAP: Advancing Acceptance for Transgender Youth

Many people don’t understand what it means to be transgender or gender diverse, so some parents and friends may have questions or struggle at first. It’s critical for families to know that their words and actions can have a profound impact on their children.
Today the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), the Biden Foundation, and Gender Spectrum launched a new campaign called “Advancing Acceptance” to raise awareness of the importance of family and community acceptance in the lives of transgender and gender diverse youth. The campaign provides crucial resources for friends and family who may have questions, be struggling with acceptance, or who are looking for ways to support transgender or gender diverse youth.
Click here to read the exclusive story from NBC News.
For transgender youth, sometimes a supportive family can make the difference between a happy, healthy, thriving child—or one at greatly elevated risk of depression, suicidal behavior and other harmful outcomes. Research shows that trans youth with families that support and affirm their gender are at significantly lower risk of experiencing suicidal thoughts or risk, depression, anxiety, or self-harming behaviors. Transgender youth with supportive families are also much more likely to have higher self-esteem and overall health, compared to transgender youth with unsupportive families. Community support matters too; for example, transgender and gender diverse youth with supportive schools, such as those with gender and sexuality alliances (GSAs) or supportive staff and administration, have better health and higher school attendance.
The “Advancing Acceptance” campaign includes the debut of a new ad called “Journeys: The Berman-Ruth & Wylie Families,” which showcases the Berman-Ruth family and their close family friends, the Wylie family, discussing how they have supported their son, Xander, a transgender boy, through his transition.
Watch "Journeys: The Berman-Ruth & Wylie Families" and share it on social media using #advancingacceptance
In addition the campaign includes a new infographic, a clearinghouse of helpful links, tips for advancing the conversation, and policy recommendations geared toward promoting acceptance within families and communities of transgender and gender diverse youth. Learn more at www.advancingacceptance.org.
The Advancing Acceptance campaign encourages supporters of trans and gender diverse youth—including LGBTQ youth, parents, siblings, educators, social service providers, coaches, and others—to share their stories, which will be included as part of the Biden Foundation’s “As You Are” campaign. These stories will help highlight the critical importance of affirming, accepting, and supporting transgender and gender diverse young people.

Thursday, January 31, 2019

Tanukichan - Natural

 

Tanukichan, the shoegaze project of Bay Area's Hannah Van Loon released her acclaimed debut album Sundays last summer and spent the rest of 2018 playing shows with Toro y Moi, Kero Kero Bonito, and Frankie Cosmos. Next week, Tanukichan will embark on a run of European dates, which will be followed by a North American spring tour opening for The Drums. Ahead of those dates, she's shared a new music video for "Natural," premiering today on Gorilla Vs. Bear, who call the song "effervescently buzzing."

Ad Guru Aaron Walton and Film/TV Director Cheryl Dunye join Revry’s Rock Star Board

LGBTQ streaming network, Revry announces the expansion of what CEO, Damian Pelliccione, calls his 'Rock Star Advisory Board' - world class leaders in the fields of technology and entertainment. “An Advisory Board is crucial for any startup,” says Pelliccione. “Our rock stars not only bring years of expertise and experience to help with navigating obstacles, but they’ve given us access to their networks and colleagues, helping us better strategize and realize Revry’s incredible opportunity for growth and contributions to our LGBTQ+ community.”

Revry is the first queer global streaming network, available in 35 million homes in over 100 countries, with a uniquely curated selection of LGBTQ+ film, series, and originals along with the world’s largest queer libraries of groundbreaking podcasts, albums and music videos. Revry is available worldwide on seven OTT, mobile, and online platforms, and hosts the exclusive LGBTQ+ channels on Pluto TV and XUMO.

Newest advisor Aaron Walton, the black gay award-winning founding partner of full service ad agency Walton Isaacson, understands the next generation of queer media and how diversity leads to dynamic innovation. "As the LGBTQ community continues to redefine what it means to be ‘out and prideful’ in the modern era, this audience has longed for media outlets reflective of the digital age to connect culturally,” says Walton. “The simple brilliance of creating Revry fills that gap. Revry's orientation within the digital distribution environment means that global reach is without boundaries, with possibilities that have yet to be defined.”

Pelliccione is honored to include Walton onto the board as well as groundbreaking and award-winning filmmaker Cheryl Dunye, whose focus on queer storytelling will help Revry craft diverse content and develop creators who speak for current and future generations.

Dunya currently directs for a slate of incredible shows such as Ava DuVernay's QUEEN SUGAR for OWNTV, Lena Waithe’s THE CHI and DEAR WHITE PEOPLE. Dunye explains “Revry is doing exactly what my 30-year career as a filmmaker has been founded on — putting stories from the margins at the center where they belong. Full stop. Revry is also committed to fostering the development of young and emerging LGBTQ talents from all backgrounds, all while giving us a powerful sense of agency as a community and as storytellers. We have great things to do together on this front in the coming few years, and I look forward to working with the team at Revry to advance their dynamic content and business goals on every level.” 


Headquartered in Los Angeles, Revry's Pelliccione and his three founding partners (Alia J. Daniels, Christopher Rodriguez and LaShawn McGhee) also count among their advisors entertainment powerhouse Rod Perth, the former president of USA Networks, Reelz Channel, Jim Henson Productions and President & CEO of the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE). Revry’s first advisor Timothy Mohn is a five time entrepreneur, venture investor, scientist, and engineer who was recently CTO at Fullscreen (acquired by AT&T) and creator of the HBO GO App. Other advisors include Jessica Casano-Antonellis, VP of Communications of Disney Streaming Services as well as Grindr's sales guru Steve Levine, Conde Naste's Them founder Jenna Trabulus and social media strategist and community builder Matt Skallerud.

Currently, Revry is making investing in the queer community a family affair by launching an equity crowdfunding campaign on SeedInvest. Revry's streaming network brings the queer experience to the world through its diverse mix of films, series, music, podcasts and originals. Revry is committed to inclusion and creating a space for all voices in the LGBTQ+ community to be seen and heard.

Colorado’s LGBTQ Laws Rated in Human Rights Campaign’s Annual State Equality Index

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation and the Equality Federation Institute released their 5th annual State Equality Index (SEI), a comprehensive report detailing statewide laws and policies that affect LGBTQ people and their families, and assessing how well states are protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination. Colorado falls into the category, “Working Toward Innovative Equality.” Because there are currently no comprehensive civil rights protections for LGBTQ people at the federal level, the rights of millions of LGBTQ people and their families depend on which state they live in. In 30 states, LGBTQ people remain at risk of being fired, evicted or denied services because of who they are. For this reason, the incoming pro-equality majority in the U.S. House of Representatives has made the Equality Act -- a bill to establish comprehensive federal protections for LGBTQ people -- a top priority.

As civil rights organizations work toward passage of these critical federal protections, accelerating progress at the state level is critical. This year, the number of states that obtained the SEI’s highest rating, “Working Toward Innovative Equality,” increased from 13 to 17. These states -- including Colorado -- currently have robust LGBTQ non-discrimination laws covering employment, housing and public accommodations, as well as protections in the areas of credit and insurance.

This SEI report comes as more than 46 state legislatures have opened their sessions -- and with New York kicking off the year on a tremendous note by passing both the Gender Expression Non-Discrimination Act (GENDA) and legislation protecting LGBTQ youth in the state from the dangerous and debunked practice of so-called “conversion therapy.” The Virginia State Senate has also passed legislation that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. And governors in Kansas, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin signed executive orders protecting LGBTQ state employees.

The U.S. House is soon poised to begin considering the Equality Act, a historic bill that would provide consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment, housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs and jury service. More than 130 major employers, with operations in all 50 states, have joined HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act, urging Congress to pass these crucial protections.

“The work of the HRC Foundation and programs like the State Equality Index, along with HRC's efforts day in and day out to advance protections for LGBTQ people at the state and federal level are vital to the struggle for LGBTQ civil rights,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.”HRC and our partners on the ground defeated dozens of anti-LGBTQ bills last year, and worked to pass crucial pro-equality measures that ensure LGBTQ Americans are protected wherever they live. Already, we see the promise of even more protections passing in 2019 -- with action taken in New York, Virginia, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin.”

Griffin continued, “However, LGBTQ people still face the sobering reality that their rights are determined by which side of a state or city line they call home. As this year’s State Equality Index makes clear, the time has come for us to do away with this patchwork of state laws and to protect all LGBTQ people by passing the federal Equality Act.”

Said Daniel Ramos, executive director of One Colorado: “The State Equality Index highlights protections for LGBTQ Coloradans and identifies the areas where we can improve the quality of life for our community. As a state working toward innovative equality, we are proud to be one of three states to have a third gender option on both drivers licenses and birth certificates. Last year, One Colorado collected over 11,000 petition signatures to ban conversion therapy in Colorado. With our successful efforts to elect pro-equality majorities in both the house and senate, we are confident our bills to ban conversion therapy and to make it easier for transgender people to update their birth certificates will make it to the desk of our first openly gay Governor, Jared Polis.”

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Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Stop the Transgender Military Ban! Your Signature Is Needed Now!

Help fight the discriminatory transgender military ban!

The Supreme Court has agreed to let Trump’s ban on transgender military service members go into effect, even as the challenges work through the lower courts — forcing transgender people to choose between living openly or continuing their dedicated military service.

But together, we can fight this inhumane and discriminatory ban. It’s quick and easy to make your voice heard.

ALL service members sacrifice and serve with honor and love for country. Congress must ensure that trans people can serve openly!

Are you ready for LGBTQ Lobby Day on February 13th?

By the One Colorado Team
 Our annual LGBTQ Lobby day is just two short weeks away and we wanted to make sure you had everything you need to register and participate this year.
The best 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!

When: Wednesday, February 13, 2019 from 8:00am - 2:00pm
Where: First Baptist Church of Denver, 1373 Grant St, Denver, CO 80203 (please note the new location this year)
The event is FREE.
Please bring a refillable water bottle to help us reduce waste with plastic water bottles.

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
If you have any questions about lobby day, or would like more details feel free to email Sarah Clark at sarahc@one-colorado.org
P.S-- don't worry if it's your first time at lobby day, we'll train you AND feed you.

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

What the South Made of Three Queer Authors and What They Make of the South

Gale Massey, Kelly J. Ford, and P.J. Vernon, all debut crime novelists, talked to Lambda Literary about how growing up in the South informs their writing.

Met Opera Auditions are Back!

The Metropolitan Opera auditions are the biggest and most intensely competitive singing contests in the world, and the Rocky Mountain Regional auditions are coming to Denver February 24. 

Soaring sopranos like former Met Auditions winner Renee Fleming, magnificent mezzos, passionate tenors and thunderous bass/ baritones go larynx-to-larynx vying to win a chance to sing on the Met stage and get a major career boost. 

They’ll be competing at the June Swaner Gates Concert Hall in the Robert and Judi Newman Center for the Performing Arts on the University of Denver Campus, Sunday, February 24 at 1:30 pm. 

These auditions feature the very best singers from across North America and around the world, including our finest Colorado-Utah-New Mexico-Wyoming-singers, converging in front of a nationally respected panel of judges for their chance at stardom on the Met stage. 

This year, winners from all four District Finals will be in Denver together. The top winner from our vast region flies to New York to sing at the Met with the Met Opera Orchestra March 31. Past winners have gone on to major international careers.

New Partnerships To Share ‘Care for Colorado Principles’ with Millions of Colorado Travelers

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics today announced they have joined in an unprecedented partnership with three major state-based tourism organizations to educate travelers about reducing their impacts on Colorado’s natural resources and special places.

Collectively, these three organizations -- the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Association (CHLA), Colorado River Outfitters Association (CROA) and Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association – encounter more than 20 million guests every year. Colorado hotels alone reported 24 million overnight stays in 2017, while Colorado river outfitters guide about 600,000 rafters annually and dude ranches welcome about 16,000 guests a year on average.

“This new alliance not only holds enormous potential for influencing the way travelers interact with our state, it’s also sending a powerful message that our state’s tourism industry is recognizing the importance of protecting what makes our state such a special place to live and to visit,” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter. “By partnering with Leave No Trace and us, these organizations are stepping up to reinforce a shared message about how travelers can show their love for Colorado in ways that matter.”

Under these new strategic partnerships, all Colorado hotels, rafting outfitters and dude ranches can win recognition and certification as CTO/Leave No Trace “Sustainability Partners” by sharing the Care the Colorado Principles with the visitors they encounter and designating employees to take part in trainings created by Leave No Trace. The recognition includes a wood-burned plaque that can be displayed at service counters to heighten visitor awareness of the business’ commitment to sustainable tourism.

Already, the Colorado Dude and Guest Ranch Association has developed a “Dude Ranch Edition” of the CTO’s “Are You Colo-Ready?” brochure, and organizations throughout the state are sharing the CTO’s award-winning “Leave No Trace - Care for Colorado” animated video, featuring a singing blue moose and a misbehaving traveler. The dude ranch association is collaborating with CTO and Leave No Trace on developing model sustainability practices for members of their organizations. CROA members have a history of implementing these practices and will work with CTO and Leave No Trace to further promote model practices.

“These unique partnerships enable us to reach visitors with pertinent Leave No Trace information so they come well equipped to care for Colorado. This outreach is critical to the long term health of Colorado’s unparalleled trails, parks, open space and water resources,” said Dana Watts, Executive Director of the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics. “We hope to duplicate this model around the country to reach all people who enjoy and cherish our nation’s natural heritage.”

The CTO and Leave No Trace announced their ground-breaking alliance in October 2017 and introduced the jointly created Care for Colorado Principles last May at the start of the summer travel season. In addition to the “Are You Colo-Ready?” brochure and the video, the Principles are being shared in the CTO’s annual vacation guide and seasonal magazines, on Colorado.com and in posters on restroom doors in the 10 Colorado Welcome Centers. Several destinations across Colorado – including Colorado Springs, Breckenridge, Grand Junction, Longmont, Frisco and – are incorporating the Principles into their own guides and brochures.

CTO research shows that a destination’s sustainability practices are gaining importance for travelers, especially for younger travelers. Last summer, about 50 percent of travelers under age 54 said a destination’s sustainability practices were at least somewhat important to them, while about 22 percent of travelers age 55+ counted it as at least somewhat important.

The initial partnership between the CTO and Leave No Trace stemmed from a stewardship initiative outlined in the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, a three- to five-year strategic plan to build the Colorado tourism industry’s competitive advantage.

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RPDR All Stars: It's A Family Affair

The All Stars pay tribute to the legend, Judy Garland, as they transform their best friends into members of their own drag family this Friday. With extra special guest judges Frances Bean Cobain and Ellen Pompeo.

Monday, January 28, 2019

Outfest Announces Appointment of Mike Dougherty as 2019 Director of Festival Programming

Outfest, the Los Angeles-based nonprofit organization promoting equality by creating, sharing, and protecting LGBTQ stories on the screen, announced today at the 23rd annual Outfest Queer Brunch that Mike Dougherty has been named the Director of Festival Programming. He will be in charge of programming Outfest Los Angeles and ensuring the highest experience of filmmakers and audiences at all Outfest festivals.

Dougherty has over a decade of experience in the finance, production and distribution aspects of the industry. He joins Outfest after five years as Acquisitions and Distribution Executive at Radiant Films International, and five years prior to that as a Creative Executive at Hyde Park Entertainment. Since 2014, he has been the Director of Programming for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and is an Associate Programmer for AFI FEST.

In making the announcement, Executive Director Christopher Racster said, “We are excited that Mike brings a keen awareness of the international and US film marketplace. As a programmer, he has an expansive and thoughtful approach. I am confident, given the strength and breadth of Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, that Mike will continue to expand Outfest’s efforts to shine a spotlight on all aspects of the LGBTQ experience and in particular raise up stories and voices of those underrepresented.”

"For more than 30 years, Outfest has been the gold standard in sharing creative, unique and diverse stories from the LGBTQ community. To be welcomed into the Outfest family is a dream come true, and to be entrusted with the responsibility of carrying its mission statement forward is an absolute honor. I can't wait to get started," commented Dougherty.