Pride Journey: Spokane, Washington

By Joey Amato

The Pacific Northwest is and has always been one of my favorite places in the country to visit. Natural beauty is around every corner and Spokane is no different. The city, historically overshadowed by Seattle, is going through a bit of a renaissance as of late and creating a vibe and culture that sets itself apart from its larger neighbor to the west. 

Begin your tour of Spokane by walking around downtown. Visit Riverfront Park, take a ride on the SkyRide (over the Spokane River) and jump on the Looff Carousel. Yes, I was probably the oldest person riding the carousel, but when in Rome... 

An interesting note: Walt Disney tried to purchase the carousel for his Anaheim property but was outbid. 

Downtown Spokane is an Instagrammers paradise. A giant red wagon, garbage eating goat, running statues and of course the waterfalls, make downtown the perfect spot for vacation photos. 

The first stop in my downtown tour of the city was Maryhill Winery, a beautiful winery overlooking the river and the perfect place for a tasting of some local wines. Washington state is known for having some of the best wines in the country and Maryhill didn’t disappoint. Out of eight wines offered during the tasting, I think I enjoyed all but one. I was also informed that visitors who travel on Alaska Airlines get to check wine for free in the airline’s Wine Flies Free program. 

Spend your evenings at the Davenport Grand, a 4-star property located in the heart of the city, which provides easy access to all of Spokane’s main attractions and dining. Their penthouse suites feature king size beds with luxury linens, a cozy seating area with electric fireplace and magnificent views of the city. The Grand Terrace Bar is the perfect place to enjoy some happy hour cocktails before heading out on the town.

DNC on Third Anniversary of Pulse Nightclub Shooting

Tom Perez released this statement on the third anniversary of the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida:

“Three years ago today, in the middle of Pride Month, America witnessed a horrific attack on the LGBTQ community, the Latinx community, and LGBTQ people of color everywhere. 49 Americans were brutally murdered, dozens more were injured, and our nation was forever shaken.

“It’s long past time to honor the victims of this tragedy with action. We must combat the hatred that turned a night of celebration into a nightmare of bloodshed. And we must change the dangerous and irresponsible gun laws that enable evil people to take so many innocent lives in our country every single day.

“The Democratic Party is leading the way by passing commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence and give LGBTQ Americans the full equality they deserve. Democrats believe diversity is our nation’s greatest strength, and we will never stop fighting to ensure that everyone is safe from violence and discrimination – no matter what they look like, where they come from, who they love, or how they pray.”

Her Name is Layleen Polanco

By The National Black Justice Coalition

Last week, we lost another member of the Black Trans Community. Layleen Polanco, a 27-year old Black trans woman, was found dead in her cell at Rikers Island, where she had been serving time for an alleged assault and possession of a controlled substance. Polanco was held in an unit specifically intended to reduce possible violence against trans and gender non-conforming people. She was found unresponsive in her cell and pronounced dead after an hour of revival attempts. The nature of Polanco’s death is still being investigated.

Polanco is the tenth trans Black woman to die in 2019. 26 trans people were killed in 2018 . Polanco is the most recent victim of gender violence, transphobia, and transmisogynoir. Sister Polanco’s death comes on the heels of Chynal Davis’s. In a time when black trans women are disproportionately affected by violent crime, it’s imperative that we help spread awareness of these tragedies and do the work to end gender violence impacting all Black women and girls.

David Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), encourages us all to increase our efforts in supporting trans and cisgendered women alike in our current socio-political climate. “It is time to have meaningful and more nuanced conversations about sexual identity, gender identity, and gender expression. These conversations are only challenging when we actively avoid them or employ stereotypes. Conversations about gender justice and Black trans women having an average life expectancy of around 30 years of age can be life saving.”

Bookmark this page and be on the lookout for our upcoming Words Matter-Gender Justice Toolkit, which will include resources to facilitate critical conversations regarding gender justice for Black women and girls and the holistic health and wellness of the Black community.

OUT on DVD/VOD: Southern Pride

 

In 2006, Malcolm Ingram’s award-winning documentary Small Town Gay Bar explored gay bars in rural Mississippi. Gay bars are often the only safe communities for small-town LGBTQ people in the Deep South’s Bible Belt, and bigoted forces—Fred Phelps, Tim Wildmon, and more—have long tried to shut them down. 

Now, after the election of Donald Trump has emboldened anti-LGBTQ hatred in the region, Ingram returns to document the travails of running a gay bar in Mississippi, with a profile of lesbian bar owners in Biloxi and Hattiesburg.

Lynn Koval, the white owner of Just Us Lounge, the oldest gay bar in the state, and Shawn Perryon, Sr., the black owner of the nine-year-old Club Xclusive, decide separately to hold their cities’ first Pride celebrations in 2017, as a rebuke to the “open-season” mentality encouraged by Trump, as well as to Mississippi’s Religious Liberty Accommodations Act, the Pulse nightclub terrorist attack, and the murders of three Gulf Coast transgender women shortly after the 2017 inauguration. 

Just Us Lounge restored their community after Hurricane Katrina leveled Biloxi and nearly destroyed the bar. Can they and Club Xclusive organize a Pride event in the face of homophobia and racism? Months of preparation yield fundraising fiascos, unexpected road repairs, and the comical hustling of indifferent spring breakers. But the power of community should never be underestimated, and the brave efforts of the two gay bars are an inspiring example of real Southern pride.

Democratic Party Presidential Candidates Speak at the DNC LGBTQ Gala in New York City

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez will host the 20th Annual LGBTQ Gala in New York, NY on Monday, June 17, 2019. Attendees will celebrate the advancements the LGBTQ community made in the 2018 midterm elections and discuss how to build on that progress ahead of 2020. Democratic presidential candidates will be speaking at the event, including South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar.

Tove Lo Releases Vertical Video for 'Glad He's Gone'

 

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist Tove Lo releases the vertical video for her new single, “Glad He’s Gone” - taken from her forthcoming album. The single, “Glad He’s Gone” is an intelligent and infectious pop track served with her usual sauciness and tongue-in-cheek lyricism and wit. Tove Lo reveals: “We've all been on both sides of the break up pep talk with our friends and we all know how good it feels to get your partner in crime back when they finally leave that idiot behind.”

The Stockholm-born artist also confirmed today that her fourth full-length album is on its way. Recorded between Los Angeles and Sweden, “Sunshine Kitty” represents a new chapter for Tove, marked by a reclamation of confidence, hard-earned wisdom, more time, and a budding romance. The title is “a play on pussy power, but it’s a happy, positive way of seeing it,” Tove Lo states. “It ties in with the lynx. This cartoon cat (featured on the artwork) is an extension of me and part of the new music. She’s super cute, but she does stupid shit like getting in fights and getting fucked up. It’s how I feel the album sounds.”

“When I did Lady Wood, I was in a place of being scared,” she admits. “I had vocal surgery only a year before. I’d been singing since I was 14-years-old. I went through this operation in the middle of everything, and I felt like I had to start over. I was constantly worrying if my voice was okay. It took a long time to feel at home with it again. I was getting through a heartbreak and acclimating to a new life in the spotlight with people changing around me. I‘ve finally landed in a place where there are some of the usual challenges, but I feel more at home in the weirdness of what it means to be a person who puts her heart on paper for everyone to listen to. I understand why I need to express what I need to a little more. I’m vulnerable, but I’m not angry. It’s the same emotional honesty—yet happy.”

“Glad He’s Gone” is the first taste of her newfound self-acceptance and happiness. Co-produced by Shellback and Struts, the track opens with a delicately plucked acoustic guitar entwined with her usual devilishly angelic delivery before she locks into an eyebrow-raising call-and-response with herself. Everything culminates on the high-pitched hook, “You’re better off, I’m glad that he’s gone.” “It’s about friendship and love,” she goes on. “It’s the obligatory pep-talk you give your girlfriend when she’s going through a breakup. You’re reminding her she’s your partner-in-crime and showing unconditional support. It makes fun of the demands of being a good girlfriend and the dirty stuff you do just to make him confident. There’s a message to it. I’m telling a real story that I think girls need to hear. You want to know your friends are there for you during a breakup. It’s about all the fun you can have after heartbreak.”

GayTravel's Ultimate LGBTQ Resort Guide to Mexico

Mexico is one of the most beautiful and culturally diverse places in the world - so why not see for yourself? GayTravel.com has kicked off their "ultimate guide" to safe and welcoming resorts in Mexico with lovely Los Cabos followed by Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Beto Unveils Plan for LGBTQ+ Equality

Beto O’Rourke unveiled his plan today to protect LGBTQ+ rights and finally secure comprehensive legal protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community.  The proposal would leverage executive power and call for congressional action that ensures that LGBTQ+ people have full equality and opportunity. O’Rourke’s plan not only includes actions to immediately reverse the Trump Administration’s discriminatory policies, but also calls for action to ensure equal treatment for LGBTQ+ individuals.  Additionally, the plan prioritizes America’s role in protecting LGBTQ+ people around the globe.
The plan was launched as O’Rourke participated in a Pride Run with members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community in New York City. The full plan—available here as a PDF—is built around a three-part framework:
 

1. Protect the LGBTQ+ community by using executive authority to reverse the Trump Administration’s discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, protect transgender individuals—in particular transgender women of color—from violence, include LGBTQ+ immigrants fleeing persecution as a “vulnerable population” for purposes of immigration enforcement, protect LGBTQ+ youth from conversion therapy, and appoint judges and executive-branch officials, including openly LGBTQ+ appointees, who believe in the full civil rights of every single person.
    
2. Ensure full equality by working with Congress to enact legislation such as the Equality Act to make sure LGBTQ+ Americans have full equality and opportunity in all 50 states, ensure that LGBTQ+ people have equal access to health insurance and health care, including critical treatments like PrEP, and reform our criminal justice system.
    
3. Strengthen global safeguards for the LGBTQ+ community by working with allies to improve the process for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, secure a global treaty explicitly protecting LGBTQ individuals from persecution, invest in the Global Equality Fund, and establish a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQ+ people.

"LGBTQ+ Americans have made incredible progress over the past decade, thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of activists and advocates—but too many LGBTQ+ people still lack protection under many states’ laws and the current Administration is encouraging rather than stamping out discrimination,” said O’Rourke. “We must ensure all Americans are treated equally no matter who they are or who they love.”
Throughout his career, O’Rourke has been a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. As a member of Congress, O’Rourke received 100% ratings from the Human Rights Campaign and supported marriage equality, non-discrimination legislation, and important protections for LGBTQ+ individuals serving in the military. He co-sponsored the Equality Act that provided consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across key areas of life. He also co-sponsored the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which sought to officially classify the provision and advertising of conversion therapy in exchange for monetary compensation as a fraudulent practice.
Expanding protections for the LGBTQ+ community has been a priority for O’Rourke since his time on the El Paso City Council where he worked to ensure proper legal protections for LGBTQ+ El Pasoans who faced risks to their safety and security. As a City Councilman, O’Rourke championed the city’s first nondiscrimination ordinance extending protections to the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, he advocated for more sensitivity training for El Paso police regarding LGBTQ+ individuals.
Alongside the policy, O’Rourke’s campaign released an LGBTQ+ organizing toolkit to empower organizers and volunteers to advocate for LGBTQ+ in their own communities through Beto campaign meetups or by connecting with local organizations.
Additional details about this plan can be found at: www.betoorourke.com/LGBTQ.

One Colorado: Just Three Days Left to Grab Your Pink Party Tickets!

By Garrett Royer, Development Manager, One Colorado

Haven't you heard? One Colorado's 14th anniversary Pink Party is this Saturday, June 15th — don't miss out on your chance to celebrate at pride weekend's premier dance fundraiser! Tickets prices increase at the door, so make sure to save your spot today!

We can't wait to see all of our incredible supporters this weekend with an open bar, music, a photo booth, plenty of entertainment, and lots of special guests! This year's Pink Party is the place to celebrate pride in Denver this summer.

Every ticket purchase goes towards our work to elect pro-equality candidates — get your tickets now and come party with a purpose! Tickets increase to $60 at the door, and $80 with entry to Tracks, so put your name down today!

And don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook to get all the updates!

LGBTQ Student Resource Center : Stonewall 50th Anniversary Barbecue

By Steve Willich, Director, LGBTQ Student Resource Center

June 28, 2019 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which is widely credited as the start of the modern gay rights movement in the United States. From Wikipedia:

The Stonewall riots (also referred to as the Stonewall uprising or the Stonewall rebellion) were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBT) community against a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. They are widely considered to constitute the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.

To commemorate this important anniversary, the LGBTQ Student Resource Center would like to bring members of the Auraria campus together to build community and celebrate the progress that has been made.

On June 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., we will be hosting a barbecue in the Tivoli Quad. In addition to food, we will have lawn games, music, and a few speakers. Please RSVP via this Eventbrite link so that we know how much food to order: www.eventbrite.com/e/stonewall-50-year-anniversary-barbecue-tickets-62664980644

We will also have an art station available. One of the projects that will be available for folks is to decorate a “brick”, representing the bricks that were thrown by the patrons in the riots. Our plan is to use these “bricks” in our Center to build a “wall” of support and allyship for the LGBTQ community on campus.

Additionally, we are using this event to kick off a Tri-Institutional LGBTQ Faculty & Staff Social Group, to help build community for these groups.

We hope to see many of you there!

Celine Dion ends Las Vegas residency, Debuts new track "Flying On My Own"

On June 8, international superstar Celine Dion took the final bow of her iconic 16-year Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The sold-out crowd was treated to special moments throughout the show including a performance of Celine’s new song "Flying on My Own (Live from Las Vegas)" from her upcoming album, Courage, due for release in November of this year. View performance clip here. Touching moments included a photo collage backdrop set to ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ featuring images from Celine’s Colosseum shows from the very beginning, and photos of Rene Angelil, her late husband and former manager, and their three boys, who also joined Celine and her longtime orchestra and band on stage during the emotional final curtain call.

“I’m both proud and humbled by what we’ve accomplished at the Colosseum since we began sixteen years ago, when René and I first shared this dream,” said Celine. “This entire experience has been a huge part of my show business career…one that I will cherish forever. I have so many people to thank, but the most important ‘thank you’ goes to my fans, who gave us the opportunity to do what we love.”

In March 2003, Celine Dion forever changed the landscape of Las Vegas entertainment with the premiere of her first residency A New Day… which played 717 shows from March 25, 2003 through December 15, 2007. On March 15, 2011, she made a triumphant return to Caesars Palace with her second residency, Celine which played 424 shows. Across the 16 years, Celine performed 1,141 shows to more than 4.5 million fans at The Colosseum. The residency was presented by Concerts West/AEG Presents and Caesars Entertainment and directed by legendary Grammy Awards producer Ken Ehrlich.

“The incredible vision that Celine and Rene had almost two decades ago has completely re-written the history and future of entertainment in Las Vegas, “ said John Meglen President & Co-CEO of Concerts West, a division of AEG Presents. “For this vision to materialize into a world-renowned success is remarkable and we congratulate Celine and her entire team, cast and crew. Caesars Palace has been an amazing home for Celine and her shows for all these years. We are honored to have been part of this extraordinary journey and excited for our future together.”

“For an improbable 16 years, Celine Dion has reigned as the Queen of Las Vegas entertainment from The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, the home we built for her pioneering residency. On behalf of all of my colleagues at Caesars Entertainment, and of course the employees of Caesars Palace, we want to thank her and her late-husband René Angélil, and our partners at AEG/Concerts West, for their faith that Caesars Palace was the right place for Celine Dion to draw her millions of fans from around the world to see her perform,” said Gary Selesner, president of Caesars Palace. “We also want to thank the musicians, singers, dancers, technicians, ushers and security officers for their selfless contributions to what will surely go down in history as one of the longest-running and most successful shows ever. While it’s sad to see it end, it’s also a moment of triumph for everyone involved, and clearly our hearts will go on, filled with memories of Celine’s stirring performances night after night after night at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace.”

Following the monumental end of her 16-year Las Vegas residency, Celine will embark on her Courage World Tour kicking off September 18 in Quebec City and stopping in over 50 cities across the U.S. and Canada. The tour will be her first in the U.S in over ten years.

Denver Metro Hike for Hope This Sunday

Denver Metro Hike for Hope is less than a week away! Hosted by the AFSP Colorado Chapter, the hike will take place on Father's Day - Sunday, June 16th at Red Rocks Trading Post in Morrison.

Hike for Hope is a fundraising event to join together our community of survivors of loss and individuals with lived experience to help support AFSP's mission to save lives and bring hope to those affected by suicide. Money raised goes toward raising awareness, funding scientific research and providing resources and support to those affected by suicide.

Denver Pride Kicks Off Now!

Happy Pride, Denver! Here's your guide to all of the Official Denver Pride events happening this week.

Kindness - Hard To Believe

Kindness returns with their third full length album titled Something Like A War set for release on September 6, 2019 on Female Energy and you can hear the first track 'Hard To Believe' with Jazmine Sullivan now.

The album is a culmination of years spent collaborating with the likes of Robyn, Jazmine Sullivan, Seinabo Sey and Cosima among many others. Produced entirely by Kindness themselves (Adam Bainbridge) the record is a collection of works representing a period of reflection and transformation over the course of four years following their second record Otherness.

Now based in London, the album was recorded in several locations, while Kindness was primarily based in New York during the writing and recording of the album. Following a series of select shows in June, Kindness will embark on a world tour in late 2019 with a new live band.

Kindness, who uses they/them pronouns, has remained busy since Otherness, working across several projects: they co-produced five tracks on Solange’s album A Seat at the Table, and contributed production, writing, and vocals to Blood Orange’s Freetown Sound and Negro Swan albums in addition to production on Robyn's latest album Honey.

High Court in Botswana Rules to Decriminalize Same-Sex Relations

Today a full bench of the High Court of Botswana ruled to shake remaining relics of its colonial past and to strike down section 164(a) and (c), and section 167 of the penal code which criminalize same-sex relations, or “carnal knowledge against the order of nature”, and prescribe a prison sentence of up to 7 years for those found guilty. The court unanimously ruled that the provisions are discriminatory, against public interest and unconstitutional.

In particular judges stated that "a democratic society is one that embraces tolerance, diversity and open-mindedness" as well as highlighting that discrimination serves to hold back not only LGBTIQ people, but society as a whole by stating that "societal inclusion is central to ending poverty and fostering shared prosperity."

With this decision, the court has continued its record of trailblazing recognition of the human rights of LGBTIQ people in the country. In 2014 the High Court ruled that the government had to allow the registration of LEGABIBO, the country’s leading LGBTIQ organization. In 2017, in two separate cases – one concerning a trans man, and the other a trans woman - the High Court ruled that the refusal of the National Registration to change the gender marker of trans people violates their rights to dignity, privacy, freedom of expression, equal protection under the law.

Katlego K Kolanyane-Kesupile trans ARTivist from Botswana, and OutRight Action International’s Religion Fellow commented:
“I'm happy to see that the courts of law in Botswana have opted to support the dignity of Batswana by removing these clauses which render people criminals merely for whom they love. I am proud that this has happened in my lifetime, and look forward to educating Botswana to fully understand what this means to current and future generations of LGBTIQ people and their families. Justice will always shine brighter in the light than hate.”

With this ruling Botswana joins Angola, Mozambique, India, Trinidad and Tobago and other countries around the world which have also recently struck down similar colonial-era laws. Unfortunately, there are numerous countries which still maintain this discriminatory colonial-era relic, including places such as Singapore, Sri Lanka, Uganda and, disappointingly also Kenya, where the High Court ruled last month to maintain its barbaric law.

Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International commented:
“Same-sex relations are a crime in around 70 countries. Today that number has decreased by one. This achievement is not only testament to the resilience and perseverance of the LGBTIQ movement in Botswana, but also a source of inspiration for LGBTIIQ movements across the continent and the world where such laws are still in effect. We commend the High Court of Botswana for upholding international human rights standards and taking this historic decision, and urge authorities in Botswana to swiftly take the necessary steps to ensure full implementation of the ruling, so that it translates into real change for LGBTQ people.”