Blast from the Past: Protest against gay bars in Denver circa 1981

(Click photo to embiggen and read)

La Gente Unida has provided MileHighGayGuy.com with the historical photo and text of the 1981 protests against racist and sexist policies of three gay bars in Denver. The frigid temperatures did not stop the lively night-time protests outside the bars. Jim Denison (shown in the photo) was involved at the time with the Denver-based group called Men Against Sexism, which provided child-care and other support activities to feminists and educated men about feminist issues. Deb Taylor, of the Denver-based radical feminist newspaper Big Mama Rag in those years, and Jim were the parents of a son born back then.

Around the time of the 1981 protests, longtime activist D. Martinez (shown in the photo) and his friend Miguel Jaramillo (not in the photo, but involved in the protests) were co-founders of the Chicano gay men’s support group called Ambiente Latino. Back then, the Chicana lesbian support group was called Las Mujeres Alegres. Both of those early 1980s support groups were forerunners of the nonprofit La Gente Unida, and co-founders from both support groups were instrumental in founding La Gente Unida.

News stories about the protests were in the Westword newspaper and Denver’s lesbian publication, but Denver’s gay publication did not publicize the protests because the three bars were the publication’s biggest advertisers.

Diversity Scholarship Program now accepting applications

THE DIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM (DSP) is now accepting applications for those who want to be a doctor, nurse, physician assistant or dentist. Sponsored by the nonprofit Kaiser Permanente, the goal of DSP is to provide to under-represented populations the opportunity to earn a degree. 

All qualified students are encouraged to apply including those who identify as African American, Asian Pacific, Latino, Native American, individuals with a disability, U.S. veterans, lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgendered people. DSP is for those who are ready to begin college or graduate school as a full-time student. Applicants must be Colorado residents and have a minimum high school or post-secondary GPA of 2.7 or a GED score of 520. The deadline to apply is January 21, 2011. For details, go to:

https://scholarselect.com/scholarships/538-kaiser-permanente-colorado-diversity-scholarship-program 

- via La Gente Unida

Aloha Boricua

'Aloha Boricua' is the name of the Latino musical play to be staged at 7:30 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, June 10-12, at El Centro Su Teatro located at 721 Santa Fe Drive in Denver. Based on a short story by the late Puerto Rican openly-gay writer Manuel Ramos Otero, the musical weaves the voices of multiple generations such as today’s street-wise poets and the 5,000 Puerto Ricans who migrated to Hawaii in 1900 to work in the sugarcane fields. Presented in English and Spanish, the play features 18 songs in a variety of rhythms. The actors and actresses are part of Teatro Pregones, a group of Puerto Rican actors from the Bronx in New York. When they first got started a little more than 30 years ago, they lacked a place to rehearse and relied on a custodian to let them practice in an Off-Broadway theater when there weren’t any rehearsals or shows going on. Tickets to the above-stated productions are $18 per person, with $15 discount tickets available to seniors and students. Call 303-296-0219. - via La Gente Unida

Meet La Gente Unida

La  Gente Unida is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) group whose purpose is to educate ourselves and the public about issues of concern to Latino/a gay, lesbian, bi and trans people. La Gente an all-volunteer group with no paid staff. They provide: speakers for classes and other public forums; periodic lobbying on legislation and ballot initiatives; newsletter updates no more than once a month; and, a referral network about resources in the community. Submissions to newsletters and updates must be received via email by the 20th of the month. For more information email Lagenteunida@hotmail.com.

Latino and Asian men who have sex with men wanted for survey

Latino and Asian men who have sex with men are wanted for a survey that is being done as part of a research study. The survey is anonymous and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. All participants will have the chance to enter a raffle drawing to receive one of ten $10 Target gift cards. For those interested in participating in this study, click on the following link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/msmhealth - via La Gente Unida

Working Effectively with the LGBTQ Community

The La Gente Unida newletter reports on a new training session on Friday, February 12 called 'Working Effectively with the LGBTQ Community'. The training will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Gill Foundation office,2215 Market Street in Denver and is sponsored by the nonprofit Colorado Anti Violence Program (CAVP).

Featuring facilitators Crystal Middlestadt and Lynn Sprague, the training is open to service providers working primarily with survivors of intimate partner violence. The training will be an opportunity for service providers to increase knowledge and skills to ensure that their services are accessible to LGBTQ survivors. The registration fee ranges $10.00 to $30.00 per person on a sliding scale based on one’s income, but nobody will be turned away due to lack of funds. Space is limited, so make your reservation via email to crystal@coavp.org.

Colorado Organizations Responding to AIDS January fundraiser

The La Gente Unida Newsletter reports that Colorado Organizations Responding to AIDS(CORA) will be having a fundraiser on Wednesday, January 6, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., at the home of a CORA member whose Denver address will be provided to those who RSVP. The social event will feature food and wine. A donation of $50 per person is suggested. CORA envisions national, state and local public policies that advance HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention. As the HIV/AIDS voice at the State Legislature, CORA protects the civil rights of people living with HIV/AIDS and promotes the work of nonprofit agencies that focus on issues related to HIV/AIDS. To attend the January 6 fundraiser, please RSVP to ian@MendezConsultingInc.com.

GALLA pageant to benefit White Rose Scholarship Fund

Gay and Lesbian Latin Alliance (GALLA) will have their pageant on Saturday, December 12, 6:00 to 10:30 p.m., at Hamburger Mary’s Club located at 700 East 17th Avenue in Denver. Open to the public, admission is $5.00 per person and $8.00 per couple. The event is a benefit for the Colorado Victims Fund and the White Rose Scholarship Foundation, which is a program of the nonprofit Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire. The pageant will feature the presentation of the Angie Zapata Scholarship, which was recently initiated by GALLA title holder Marlena di Marco. Named in memory of the transgendered Angie Zapata who was brutally murdered in Colorado last year, the scholarship will be presented to a student in the GLBT community. GALLA is a new group formed in 2008 and is not affiliated with the other longtime nonprofit organization, which had a similar name and which dissolved last year. - via La Gente Unida

Diversity Scholarship Program

The Diversity Scholarship Program (DSP) is now accepting applications for those who want to be a doctor, nurse, physician assistant or dentist. Sponsored by the nonprofit Kaiser Permanente, the goal of DSP is to provide to underrepresented populations the opportunity to earn a degree. All qualified students are encouraged to apply including those who identify as African American, Asian Pacific, Latino, Native American, individuals with a disability, U.S. veterans, lesbians, gay men, bisexual and transgendered people.

DSP is for those who are ready to begin college or graduate school as a full-time student. Applicants must be Colorado residents and have a minimum high school or post-secondary GPA of 2.7 or a GED score of 520. The deadline to apply is January 4, 2010. For more details, click here. - via LaGente Unida

Denver march against war

A march against U.S. wars will take place on Wednesday, October 7, p.m., starting at the Federal Building at 19th and Stout Streets in Denver. Organized by the newly formed Denver Anti-War Network, the protest coincides with the 8-year anniversary of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Immediately following the march at 7 p.m. there will be a Peace and Justice Jamboree at Quixote's located at 2637 Welton Street in Denver. The jamboree is a free event at which there will be free food, music, poetry and speakers from projects working for peace and justice. - via lagenteunida@hotmail.com

Denver's Lorenzo Ramirez elected to NLAAN

From the LaGente Unida newsletter:

Chicano gay activist Lorenzo Ramirez was recently elected to a two-year term on the Leadership Committee of the National Latino AIDS Action Network (NLAAN). A longtime Denver resident, Lorenzo has been an unrelenting advocate for Chicano gay men and people living with HIV/AIDS for the past 20 years. Despite his own health challenges, Lorenzo keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny. He was a recipient of the “Year 2000 Donaciano Martinez Human Rights Award.” In his new leadership role at NLAAN, Lorenzo is one of two representatives from Region 8 (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado).

GLBT Latinos/as needed as volunteers

GLBT Latinos/as are needed as volunteers at a citizenship workshop on Saturday, August 1, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the nonprofit Mi Casa Resource Center for Women located at 360 Acoma in Denver. Sponsored by the Ya Es Hora Coalition, the workshop is for people who need assistance filling out citizenship applications that will be reviewed at no charge by a qualified lawyer. The Human Rights Campaign will have a few volunteers at the event, but event organizers are looking for Latino/a GLBT volunteers as well. Non-GLBT volunteers are needed, too. To volunteer, call Jessie Ulibarri, Colorado State Director of Mi Familia Vota, at 303-727-8034. - via La Gente Unida