Check Out Pet Portraits By Maurice Becnel

Immortalize your furry friends with a pet portrait by Maurice Becnel. Clients admire Becnel's ability to capture the essence of a pet's personality in his work.

Says Becnel, "Painting animal portraits, for me, is more fun than it is work. I began painting them several years ago. The first one I did was for a friend on her birthday. Because it was a gift it never dawned on me that other people would commission me to do more. Word got out and before I knew it more and more of the emails I was receiving from my website were going to the dogs! And cats!"

The Interrupters - A Friend Like Me

LA-based four piece bound by their rebel spirit and love of 2 Tone, The Interrupters proudly release their single for "A Friend Like Me", available on iTunes now. The ska-punk band's self-titled debut The Interrupters is out August 5 on Hellcat Records and was produced by Rancid’s Tim Armstrong.

Check out Special Deals and Discounts on Andrew Christian Underwear and Swimwear With MileHighGayGuy!

Andrew Christian is one of the largest retailer and manufacturers of men’s underwear on the web. They carry hundreds of styles from cutting edge basics to performance fabrics, to body enhancing designs and everything is made in sunny Los Angeles, California.

Click the pic and start shopping!

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.

Meet Colombia's Transgender Football League

As Colombia basked in the glow of its first World Cup appearance in 16 years, the country's marginalized transgender community uses football as a tool for acceptance and inclusion. Global news site Vocativ goes behind the scenes of Colombia’s first transgender football league.

“We hope there will be acceptance from the community with our game. People can see trans girls play. There is a tendency to fear what you don’t understand. This is a way for people to get to know us.” 

Click here for video (NSFW).

Gay Summer Getaways On A Budget: Key West

Gay Key West might be small but it is a massive hot-spot for the gay and lesbian traveler. 

Surrounded by clear waters and tropical foliage it's easy to understand why so many flock to this paradise to relax and enjoy the beauty of life and love.

Why Marriage Matters Colorado: "Don't Let AG Suthers Get Away With This!"

From Wendy Howell, Director, Why Marriage Matters Colorado:

Attorney General John Suthers filed an appeal asking the Colorado Supreme Court to reverse last week’s decision striking down Colorado’s marriage ban and to stop county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples.

There’s no denying it: Attorney General Suthers is firmly on the wrong side of history—and his appeal flies in the face of the supermajority of Coloradans who believe now is the time for the freedom to marry.

So, on Thursday at noon, we’re delivering thousands of petition signatures—including yours—to let Attorney General Suthers know that Coloradans won’t stand by silently as he attacks loving couples and their families.

Join us at the Attorney General’s office on Thursday at noon as we deliver petition signatures from Coloradans across the state. Click here to let us know that you’ll be there.

When we asked you to take action, Coloradans like you spoke out in the thousands, signing our petition to Attorney General Suthers to do the right thing and allow the ruling to stand.

And when we deliver your petition signatures on Thursday, we’ll show the Attorney General and the state just how strong our movement is to win marriage equality in Colorado.

Take a stand for marriage equality on Thursday at noon as we deliver thousands of petitions from Coloradans urging Attorney General Suthers to drop his appeal of Colorado’s marriage ruling. Click here to RSVP.

Gay Rights Icon Clela Rorex Announced as CinemaQ Closing Night Guest

Nearly 40 years after the first same sex marriage license was signed in the country, Boulder County continues to make waves in the marriage equality debate. The closing night film of the CinemaQ Film Festival, Limited Partnership, follows the story of Richard Adams and Tony Sullivan, who, in 1975 in Boulder CO, became one of the first same-sex couples to be legally married. The former Boulder County Clerk, who issued the original license, Clela Rorex, and Filmmaker Thomas Miller will be at the Sie FilmCenter Sunday, July 27 at 7:15pm to present the film, Limited Partnership, and discuss the topic, which remains relevant today.

Featuring archival footage from History Colorado, Limited Partnership, is the 40-year love story between Filipino-American Richard Adams and Australian Tony Sullivan. After applying for a green card for Tony based on their marriage, the couple received a denial letter from the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Outraged at the tone, tenor and politics of the letter and to prevent Tony's impending deportation, the couple sued the U.S. government, filing the first federal lawsuit seeking equal treatment for a same-sex marriage in U.S. history.

"Limited Partnership is the perfect culmination to our festival," says Denver Film Society Development Associate, Patrick O'Brien. "CinemaQ celebrates the diversity and breadth of the community, while tackling topical issues."

Denver Polo Club to host “Mallets for Melanoma” Fundraiser Tournament for Recently Formed Colorado Melanoma Foundation

The Denver Polo Club will host the second annual “Mallets for Melanoma” fundraising event on Saturday, July 26 from 2:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. at the Denver Polo Club’s outdoor polo fields, located at 6359 Airport Road in Sedalia. The event brings a full day of fast-paced polo to benefit the recently formed Colorado Melanoma Foundation.

Known as the “sport of kings,” polo is a fantastic spectator sport for longtime fans and newcomers alike. As the horses and riders thunder down the grass field with grace and agility, onlookers experience the thrill of the competition from the 300-yard-long sidelines. The “Mallets for Melanoma” tournament will feature two preliminary matches and a championship match showcasing some of the top polo players in the region, with 100% of event proceeds to benefit Colorado melanoma research, support, advocacy, and education.

“We are working to bring together the melanoma community in Colorado, including survivors, researchers, and caregivers,” says Dr. Neil Box, Ph.D., founder and member of the board of directors at the Colorado Melanoma Foundation. “Here in Colorado we have an active population that enjoys our great outdoors, and great weather, yet the sunshine and altitude provides a high-UV environment. In fact, melanoma rates here are 30 percent higher than the national average. It’s important to raise awareness of the issue of sun-related cancers.”

Attendees are invited to dress up in garden party attire or casual wear, and can choose to tailgate with their own chairs, blankets and sun canopies or enjoy the view from the VIP tent with food, beverages and a silent auction.

One Colorado: Now the Attorney General has gone too far

From Dave Montez, Executive Director, One Colorado:

 

Unbelievable.

Colorado Attorney General John Suthers has proven he'd stoop pretty low to prevent gay and lesbian couples from having the same freedom as everyone else. But now he has gone WAY too far.

Yesterday, AG Suthers took the incredibly disappointing -- and backwards -- step of appealing the recent state court ruling that struck down Colorado's discriminatory marriage ban. He could have simply let this ruling stand and stopped standing in the way of marriage for same-sex couples. But instead, he chose to waste taxpayer dollars on an appeal which he acknowledges is likely to fail.

This is now a one-man crusade against full equality for our families, and it has got to stop. Will you help us elect a pro-equality Attorney General this November by chipping in $15, $35 or $50 right now?

Apparently it wasn't enough for AG Suthers to insult our families by saying that "marriage is an institution for opposite-sex couples to promote child rearing." Now, with marriage licenses being issued to same-sex couples in counties across our state, he's still refusing to move on.

It's time to send a clear message to the Attorney General: you messed with our families, and we will not forget. Can you take a moment to donate whatever you can afford by clicking here?

Today, I am angered and hurt by AG Suthers' refusal to lead on behalf of ALL Colorado families. We deserve far better. But I'm focused on channeling this energy into securing the freedom to marry once and for all -- and I hope you'll join me.

Former NFL athlete Brad Thorson comes out

Brad Thorson, who was signed by an NFL team three years ago, publicly came out as gay in a blog post last Friday. 

Thorson, who played college football at both the University of Wisconsin and the University of Kansas, was signed by the Arizona Cardinals in 2011 but would never play in a regular season game due to injury. 

Thorson said he found the inspiration to come out from other openly LGBT athletes, as well as out elected officials. "If not for the strength of athletes like Jason Collins, Michael Sam, and Brian Sims, I would likely still be struggling with my own cognitive dissonance."

Calif. governor signs marriage bill removing gender-specific terms

Sen. Mark Leno

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill into law to replace the words "husband" or "wife" with "spouse" in the state's constitution. 

The elimination of the phrasing is said to represent the removal of a final barrier to marriage equality since the 2013 Supreme Court ruling that declared Proposition 8's marriage equality ban unconstitutional. The bill "makes it explicitly clear in state law that every loving couple has the right to marry in California," said state Sen. Mark Leno, who introduced the bill.

Major LGBT organizations drop support for ENDA over religious exemptions

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act has lost the support of several major LGBT rights groups, including Lambda Legal, the Transgender Law Center, the American Civil Liberties Union, Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights. ENDA, which has grown into one of the LGBT community's top priorities, has faced criticism due to sweeping religious exemptions that could make the bill more likely to receive a vote in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives.

Utah officials to appeal marriage equality ruling to Supreme Court

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert

Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes (pictured) on Wednesday announced that he would appeal a 10th Circuit Court ruling determining Utah's ban on marriage equality to be unconstitutional to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

The move would allow the appeal process to skip the intermediary step of the full appeals court rehearing the case. If the Supreme Court does decide to take on the case, it will be the first time the issue of marriage equality has reached the bench since justices struck down part of the Defense of Marriage Act and California's Proposition 8 last year.

Judge strikes down Colo.'s marriage equality ban

Adams County District Court Judge C. Scott Crabtree on Wednesday struck down Colorado's marriage equality ban, determining that the ban violates the constitutional right of equal protection. Crabtree immediately stayed his ruling, meaning LGBT couples will not yet be able to marry in the Centennial State. 

"The final chapter of this debate will undoubtedly have to be written either in Denver, Colorado or Washington, D.C.," Crabtree wrote in his ruling. "While the striking down of laws banning same-sex marriages has been progressing at a rapid rate, it will take time for this issue to be finally resolved."