LGBTQ Health Resources for Patients and Providers

By Cara Cheevers, MSW, Policy Director, One Colorado

More people than ever have health insurance coverage because of the Affordable Care Act, but we know that having insurance doesn't necessarily mean lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans have a friendly or competent provider to meet their needs. Only half of LGBTQ Coloradans say that they have a provider competent to serve them, according to our recently released Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health, fewer than when we first studied LGBTQ health in 2011.

Are you a provider looking for education on how to better serve your LGBTQ patients? Are you an LGBTQ patient looking for resources and information on your specific health needs?

We've got you covered. In One Colorado's new health resource hub, located on our website, you can find:

• Information on how to prescribe PrEP and hormone therapy, as well as where to find guidance to care for transgender patients, according to the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)

• How to create an inclusive environment within your practice, including best practices on intake forms, screening questions, and data collection practices

• Documentation on the importance of coming out to your provider, how to respond to bias, and health issues to be aware of based on your sexual orientation or gender identity

• An explanation of your state and federal rights and protections and state resources for transgender Coloradans

Check out the resources tab on the One Colorado website, and please don't hesitate to reach out if you're looking for something that isn't there. We're excited to work with you to make sure every person in Colorado has access to safe, affordable, and affirming comprehensive health care.

The Out Astronaut Project and NOGLSTP Team to Better Represent the LGBTQ Community in Science and Space

Of the 561 individuals that have been selected as astronauts or cosmonauts, none have ever identified openly as a member of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community. Last week, the Out Astronaut Project teamed with the National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) to provide opportunities for LGBTQ persons to become actively involved in space-related research. NOGLSTP is well-aligned with the mission of the Out Astronaut Project; since 1983 it has served to empower LGBTQ individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by providing education, advocacy, professional development, networking, and peer support.

The LGBTQ community lacks visible representation in the STEM professions; according to a recent poll conducted by 'Pride in STEM', more than 40 percent of LGBTQ people in STEM are not out and LGBTQ students are less likely to follow an academic career. As a result, there are fewer out LGBTQ STEM professionals serving as role models to LGBTQ youth. The 'Out Astronaut Project' will highlight the contributions of LGBTQ members currently working in science and space, provide grants to promising LGBTQ students currently pursuing professions in space-related fields, and to eventually train and fly an 'Out' member of the LGBTQ community to conduct a scientific mission in space as a scientist-astronaut.

"Astronauts inspire our youth, represent limitless possibilities, and serve as ambassadors to STEM," said Out Astronaut Project Executive Director Dr. Jason Reimuller. "We believe that communities are empowered when they are represented."

To achieve its objectives, the Out Astronaut Project had partnered with Project PoSSUM in January 2019. PoSSUM, an acronym for Polar Suborbital Science in the Upper Mesosphere, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit research and education organization that conducts upper-atmospheric and bioastronautics research that will be enabled by next-generation commercial spacecraft.

The Out Astronaut Project addresses under-representation of LGBTQ people in science by highlighting the contributions of LGBTQ members currently working in science and space while providing grants to promising LGBTQ students. It seeks to train and fly a member of the LGBTQ community as a scientist-astronaut. To learn more about the Out Astronaut Project or to apply to the Out Astronaut Contest, visit outastronaut.org.

Nice To See StevieB: Snowy June

By StevieB

It’s summer, and The Pride celebrations here in Denver are over. For some reason this marks the official start of summer. And, the start of summer means to me the beginning of hiking season. However; in a stunning turn of events, it snowed this weekend up in the mountains. The twenty-two year old in me says "Hell yeah! A cold hike on the snowy trails!" While the forty-five year old in me says "what the hell?" Why is it snowing in June?

My entire life I have been concerned with and watch constantly for news of the snow pack in the Rocky Mountains. Not sure how this started? Probably when I was a child with only three TV channels where the local news would report the mountain snowpack constantly during Spring. I would score the snow levels like straight kids scored football. This year Colorado snowpack is five times bigger than it was a year ago. Score! This weekend’s June snow dumped several more inches of snow on the mountains were I should be hiking. This last storm came during a time of the year when spring melt is usually underway.

So yassss Queen, this boosts reservoirs and reduces wildfires later this year. Also it helps boosting the watershed going eventually to Lake Mead. You’re welcome California. But for my gay ass, on a major push to shed another ten pounds; it means That instead of hiking season it’s more Like mud season dragging significantly into the summer months.

50 Years After Stonewall: The Work Ahead

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall uprising, MAP, in partnership with the Center for American Progress, GLAAD, and the Human Rights Campaign, is releasing an updated edition of Understanding Issues Facing LGBT People in the U.S. Led by transgender women, drag queens, homeless LGBT teens, lesbians, gay men, and allies, many of whom were people of color, the Stonewall Riots, which came in response to an early morning police raid of the Stonewall Inn in New York City targeting LGBT people, were a key turning point in the fight for LGBT equality in the United States.

Fifty years later, much has been accomplished, yet much still remains to be done. The landmark marriage equality ruling by the United States Supreme Court in 2015 allowed same-sex couples to marry nationwide, yet the federal government is arguing that employers should be allowed to legally fire LGBT people, and that adoption agencies should be able to keep kids in foster care rather than allow them to be adopted by qualified, loving, same-sex parents.

This primer highlights the major areas in which equality as advanced for LGBT people, as well as the continued legal barriers to fully participating in American life. It is no longer a crime to be gay, yet many LGBT people still experience discrimination when simply going about their daily lives—whether eating at a diner with their families or friends, trying to obtain safe and inclusive healthcare, or interacting with the criminal justice system. Just last month, MAP released a new map showing which states ban the use of so-called “gay panic” and “trans panic” defenses in court. These defenses are legal strategies in which a person who has committed a violent crime against an LGBT person will claim that the victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity caused the attacker to commit the crime.

One Colorado: Remembering Stonewall

Today marks 50 years since a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City ignited a violent, multi-day rebellion after patrons of the bar resisted the discriminatory conditions they long endured from the New York City Police Department. Black and brown transgender women, queer women, and drag queens led this resistance and gave birth to the modern LGBTQ rights movement.

With the Supreme Court’s historic legalization of same sex marriage in 2015, Congress’s recent approval of the Equality Act, and the increased acceptance and representation of LGBTQ people in popular culture, we have undeniably come a long way from the time when cops routinely raided gay bars and being outed nearly guaranteed a person would be blacklisted or ostracized by friends and family and legally barred from employment in most occupations.

We are eternally grateful to those brave women - including Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Stormé DeLarverie. These women’s legacies did not begin or end with Stonewall. But today we take a moment to remember them and their contributions to the movement. Can you honor the legacies of these women with a gift of $50, $25, or 5?

They paved the way for Colorado to have elected the country's first openly gay governor, Jared Polis, and our state's first transgender lawmaker, Brianna Titone. This tuning point in our collective history was the keystone for all the rights and protections the LGBTQ community has today, including our state's nondiscrimination protections, our conversion therapy ban, and making it easier for transgender and nonbinary Coloradans having identity documents that reflect their authentic selves.

And, we still have work to do. Transgender Americans are denied the honor of serving their country in the armed forces. HIV prevention medication is neither affordable nor accessible to high-risk populations. Transgender women of color are being murdered in alarming numbers across the country.

Can you give $50, $25, or $5 today to continue to support our work for transgender equality in Colorado? Our work and success at One Colorado is a result of the generosity from supporters like you.

In solidarity,

Team One Colorado
Daniel, Sheena, Cara, Garrett, Sarah, Jordan, Heidi

NBJC on the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Resistance

Today, June 28, is the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Resistance. On June 28th, 1969, as the Stonewall Inn was being raided by New York police, it is said by many that Marsha P. Johnson, a Black transgender freedom fighter threw a shot glass against a mirror which instigated moments of resistance that lasted for days, igniting the Gay Liberation Movement. This is still known as ‘the shot glass heard around the world.’

In recognition of the anniversary, David Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), released the following statement:

“As we celebrate both the victories that have been gained in the fight for intersectional social justice as well as the battles that remain, it is important to celebrate Marsha P. Johnson’s legacy and to honor the contributions that she made by ensuring that spaces created by and established for Black people reflect the fullness of our diversity. Annually, journalists, pundits, and trolls alike question the value and necessity of historically Black institutions like HBCUs, Jack and Jill of America, and Black Greek letter organizations. Now, more than ever, in the face of increasing hate crimes and hate speech, it is important for all Black leaders and the institutions they lead to acknowledge and support all Black people, which, so we’re clear, includes Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving people.

“In the spirit of celebrating Black Pride during Pride Month, let us remember the sacrifices made to ensure that all Black people get free—that is, to ensure that all Black people are safe, healthy, and able to exist without explanation or apology.

“Let’s ensure that pride parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia, and concerts include an appropriate recognition of the contributions that Black leaders like Marsha P. Johnson and NBJC Black Transgender Advisory Council leaders like Nala Toussaint, Senior Minister Carmarian D. Anderson, and Londyn Richelou made and are making to the movement.”

DNC on the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, DNC Chair Tom Perez, DNC LGBTQ Caucus Chair Earl Fowlkes, DNC Treasurer William Derrough, and DNC Secretary Jason Rae released the following statement:

“Today, we celebrate the birth of the modern LGBTQ rights movement. We honor the courage and diversity of the activists at Stonewall. We remember heroes like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson – two trans women of color – whose bravery changed our country for the better. And we recognize all who have followed in their footsteps to fight for the dignity and equality every human being deserves.

“50 years after Stonewall, that fight continues. There is no doubt that we’ve made progress. From Lawrence, Windsor, and Obergefell, to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Act, to the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, our nation has taken great strides forward in our march toward a more perfect union.

“But we still have so much work left to do. The legal protections that so many LGBTQ Americans and their allies have fought for are under threat. For two and a half years, Donald Trump and Mike Pence have tried to drag our nation backwards, emboldening bigots and breaking Trump’s empty promise to support the LGBTQ community. From banning transgender troops from serving in our nation’s armed forces, to undermining workplace discrimination protections, to opening the door for the denial of health care services to trans Americans, his administration has rolled back our progress time and time again.

“No one should face violence, bullying, or discrimination because of who they are or who they love. But in the face of Trump’s bigotry, the Democratic Party has a message for LGBTQ people everywhere: We see you. We hear you. We have your back, and we will never stop fighting for your rights.

“In the last election cycle, LGBTQ Democrats ran for office and won in record numbers, tearing down old barriers and transforming our democracy. As we head toward Election Day in 2019 and 2020, we’re going to continue to stand with the LGBTQ community. We’re going to carry the standard of every American who said enough is enough and love is love. And we’re going to keep fighting with the courage and pride of the countless activists and organizers who came before us.”

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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.
 
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The seventh and final season of Orange is the New Black premieres on Netflix on July 26

Orange Is The New Black ushered in a monumental era of television, and for six unforgettable seasons has fearlessly tackled some of the most difficult, relevant, and human stories of our time. In its final season, the ladies of Litchfield come to terms with the fact that prison has changed them forever. Piper struggles with life on the outside, while life in Max, as corrupt and unjust as ever, goes on without her. Taystee’s friendship with Cindy still hangs in the balance as her life sentence looms, Gloria and her kitchen staff are confronted by the harsh realities of Polycon’s newest profit stream, while others chase drugs or dreams and grapple with the reality of their place in this world.

This season, the cast and creators of Orange Is The New Black are honoring the passionate fans that have evangelized this beloved show over the years, by having the Orange Army themselves create the key art for the series finale. 

Ten dedicated, talented, and diverse artists from across the globe—the UK, Armenia, Brazil, Italy, and the US – were hand selected via social media to have their showpiece displayed across busses, buildings, and billboards all over the world, in celebration of the seventh and final season premiere.

San Francisco to create Castro LGBTQ Cultural District

As the City prepares to celebrate San Francisco Pride this weekend, the Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance Tuesday authored by Supervisor Rafael Mandelman to create the Castro LGBTQ Cultural District, bringing additional funding and resources to one of the country's most important LGBTQ neighborhoods.

“The Castro has been recognized worldwide for half a century as a symbol of LGBTQ liberation and as an enclave for LGBTQ people to find safety, acceptance, and chosen family,” said Mandelman, who represents the Castro on the Board of Supervisors. “The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will be an important tool to ensure that the Castro remains a vibrant LGBTQ neighborhood well into the future.”

The Castro LGBTQ Cultural District will join the list of other recognized Cultural Districts including the Compton’s Transgender Cultural District in the Tenderloin and Leather LGBTQ Cultural District in SoMa. In November of 2018, San Francisco voters approved Proposition E, reallocating a portion of hotel tax revenues for arts and cultural purposes including Cultural Districts.

“The Castro has renowned anchor businesses that are synonymous with San Francisco like the Castro Theater, Cliff’s Variety and Twin Peaks Tavern. It is host to many community organizations including the Castro Country Club, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation’s Strut and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. History has been made in the neighborhood at sites like Harvey Milk’s Camera Shop and the storefront where the AIDS Memorial Quilt was conceived,” Mandelman said. “I am proud that this ordinance will allow the Castro to access critical resources to support the small businesses, non-profits, cultural institutions and people that make the neighborhood the heart of our city’s LGBTQ community.”

The boundaries of the cultural district include the Castro and nearby LGBTQ community-serving institutions including the San Francisco LGBT Center, Openhouse’s recently opened LGBTQ-welcoming senior housing and the new home of the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus’ National LGBTQ Center for the Arts.

The law requires the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to work with community members and nonprofits to create written reports and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor describing the cultural attributes of the District and proposing strategies to acknowledge and preserve the cultural legacy of the neighborhood. It also allows the Castro to access a portion of the $3 million in dedicated funding for Cultural Districts created by Proposition E.

National LGBTQ Task Force: Join Madonna

By Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force

Gun violence is a deadly epidemic in our communities and our country. LGBTQ people no longer feel safe entering our schools, attending Pride parades, or even hitting the dance floor on a summer night. Gun violence is robbing us of the health and safety we all deserve.

Today, the National LGBTQ Task Force announced a new partnership with Madonna’s Ray of Light Foundation to grow our violence prevention work, especially as it affects transgender women of color.

Join Madonna and donate to support our gun violence prevention work today!

We see Madonna’s dedication to a Revolution of Love as synchronistic with our #BeYou campaign. The Task Force works to create the spaces and conditions for LGBTQ people to live free, to be you! In order for us to move towards a day when we can be all of ourselves, all of the time, we must eradicate violence, including gun violence.

LGBTQ people, particularly Black transgender women, have a higher risk of violent death, which is related to anti-LGBTQ stigma and discrimination. The Pulse shooting in 2016 focused attention on violent bigotry against LGBTQ people. At the same time, there is so much more to the epidemic than mass murders. There are murders by the police, there are murders related to domestic violence, and the murders of sex workers. Violence against trans women of color is devastating our community.

Join Madonna and donate to support our gun violence prevention work today! All donations will be matched dollar for dollar through the end of the month.

We will continue to organize on the ground, convene our greater community, and push for policies that end gun violence.

Thank you for your support!

Gonorrhea is up. Get Down with Testing!

Gonorrhea infection rates have increased 97% in Colorado from 2012 - 2016, especially in people under 30. Testing is easy and treatment works! Find a location here DenverPublicHealth.org/GetDown Get down with testing today!

GoNaked Mag Offers Free Cannabis-Related Downloads

Nick from GoNaked Magazine is offering six free cannabis related books for you to download on their site (NSFW) until Sunday night. From grow guides to cookbooks - there's a little something to pique your curiosity.

Why cannabis? Nick offers three reasons:

1) I've been studying the effects of weed to help chronnic pain and anxxiety. While I make and partake in edibles occasionally, I'm enjoying learning about the endocannaboid system and the medical benefits of weed.

2) In the next month's issue, I review The Magical Butter Machine - a device to help novice/expert cannabis users make tasty infused treats. (You can also use the machine for non-weed related food, crafts, and body care products)

3) I am hoping to bring you an article in August by Alec White, photographer of "Naked Boys Smoking Weed" (photo credit above!)

Savor the Flavors of Fall in Colorado

Come autumn, Colorado’s farm stands and orchards are every bit as colorful as the fall leaves, from crisp Cedaredge Apples, Rocky Ford Melons and Palisade Peaches to shiny green Pueblo Chiles and Olathe Sweet Corn. Travelers to the state can enjoy Colorado’s bounty all season long through countless food-themed festivals, U-pick ‘em stands, farmer’s markets, farm tours and more. Plus, as one of the craft beverage capitals of the U.S., Colorado offers seemingly endless opportunities to sample local wine, cider, beer and spirits. After the jump are a few ways to savor the flavors of Colorado in the fall. For more information, visit www.Colorado.com
 

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.