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.

Good Chemistry – Denver’s Gay-Friendly Dispensary

Good Chemistry, Denver’s gay-friendly dispensary, is guided by four core principles:

SCIENCE – Good Chemistry believes that Cannabis has significant therapeutic benefits and work to support and expand its study.

ACCESS - Good Chemistry believes that many barriers exist which fundamentally restrict access to safe reliable medical grade cannabis and search for meaningful ways to remove them.

DIGNITY - Good Chemistry believes in the fundamental and inalienable right of a person to choose their medical treatment. Recognizing that often patients who take cannabis are subjected to unfair treatment under the law, Good Chemistry is committed to defending and protecting the rights of their patients.

COMPASSION - Good Chemistry recognizes that medical cannabis is a potent and effective medicine for many patients who cannot afford it and is dedicated to providing for those in need.

The Feline Fix, Colorado's Leading Spay/Neuter Source for Community Cats

Divine Feline is Colorado’s leading spay/neuter source for free roaming (“community”) cats and a significant provider of spay/neuter services for pet cats, all through their in-house clinic, The Feline Fix. 

To date The Feline Fix has performed more than 27,000 spay/neuter surgeries, preventing the births of hundreds of thousands of unwanted cats in Denver and surrounding communities. 

For more information about the clinic, or to request a reservation for your tame, stray or feral cats, please click here. 

Divine Feline is a Colorado nonprofit corporation and a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All contributions are tax deductible. To make a donation please click here.

Senate Fails to Pass Critical Protections for LGBT Youth

Earlier this week, in the first major vote on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) equality since the Supreme Court’s Obergefell decision, the Senate failed to pass the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SNDA) - a bill that would prohibit public schools from discriminating against any student on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, decried the Republican-led defeat of the critical legislation for LGBT youth.

Senator Al Franken (D-MN) offered SNDA as an amendment to the Every Child Achieves Act, which would update federal education law. The amendment failed on a vote of 52 to 45.

“Although a solid majority of Senators voted for this vital legislation, we are deeply disappointed that Republican leaders insisted on a super majority 60 vote threshold for passage,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “Every child deserves to learn in an environment free from discrimination and harassment, including those who are LGBT. Seven fair-minded Republican Senators joined every Democratic Senator in favor of protecting our nation’s kids from discrimination based on who they are. It’s time for Senators who voted against equality to put politics aside for the sake of our nation’s youth and instead reflect the strong support among the American people for these vital protections.”

Federal statutory protections address discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, and disability. Unfortunately, federal civil rights laws do not expressly protect students from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Decades of civil rights history shows that civil rights laws are effective in decreasing discrimination because they provide strong federal remedies targeted to specific vulnerable groups.

Modeled after Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, SNDA would explicitly prohibit public schools from discriminating against any student on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. In addition, SNDA prohibits discrimination against any student because of the actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity of a person with whom a student associates or has associated.

During the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee consideration of the Every Child Achieves Act, Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) also offered the Safe Schools Improvement Act (SSIA) as an amendment. SSIA would require school districts receiving federal funds to have enumerated anti-bullying and harassment policies that protect students on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as race, color, national origin, sex, disability, and religion. Unfortunately, Republicans on the Committee undercut his efforts, and the amendment was ultimately withdrawn.

Beatles "1964" Tribute at Red Rocks

It was in August of 1964 when the British invasion first came to Colorado with the group that started it all...the Beatles. If you love the Beatles, you won’t want to miss the most unique, fun and affordable concert event of this summer at Red Rocks with The #1 Beatles Show in the World, “1964” The Tribute.

This group is hailed by critics and fans alike as the most authentic and enduring Beatles tribute in the world. Choosing songs from the pre-Sgt. Pepper era, “1964” recreates an early 60s live Beatles concert with period instruments, vintage costumes, hairstyles, onstage mannerisms, speaking voices, and unmistakable harmonies of the lads from Liverpool. Over thirty-one years of researching and performing at major concert venues on four different continents has made the “1964” group masters of their craft in capturing the essence of the Beatles live on stage.

This Anniversary celebrates Red Rocks Amphitheatre as one of four original concert sites still remaining from the Beatles first American tour in 1964.

Rep. Scott Garrett Shocks Committee With Anti-LGBT Bigotry

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, responded to Representative Scott Garrett’s (R-NJ) hateful anti-LGBT objections to supporting his party’s congressional campaign committee because, according to Politico, it “actively recruited gay candidates and supported homosexuals in primaries.”

“The level of anti-LGBT animus clearly demonstrated by Rep. Scott Garrett’s comments is astonishing,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “His mean-spirited views are certainly reflected in his poor record on LGBT issues. The ultimate question now is whether or not his constituents will tolerate such harmful views in the person they send to Washington to represent them and their values.”

According to the report, the startling revelation developed in a closed committee meeting of Republicans on the House Financial Services Committee when Chairman Jeb Hensarling (R-TX) told Rep. Garrett he was expected to pay dues to the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC). As reported by Politico, Rep. Garrett “stunned the room with this explanation: He had not supported the NRCC in the past, he said, because it actively recruited gay candidates and supported homosexuals in primaries.”

Rep. Garrett’s push for the exclusion of openly LGBT candidates goes hand in hand with his record opposing basic fairness and equality for LGBT people. Garrett voted against hate crimes protections for LGBT people, against the repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, refused to support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and he twice voted in favor of writing discrimination into the U.S. Constitution by banning marriage equality.

Gone Fishin': Comic-Con Edition

Hey everybody, hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I'm still recovering from all the amazing sights, sounds, and smells of Comic-Con so posting will resume tomorrow.

Obama Administration Confirms Married Same-Sex Couples Will Have Access To Full Federal Benefits

United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced full federal benefits for married same-sex couples. (Photo by ibtimes.com; courtesy Wikimedia Commons)

Today, U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch confirmed that married same-sex couples will finally have access to full federal benefits thanks to the Supreme Court's decision affirming a Constitutional right to nationwide marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges. Now that marriage equality is the law of the land in every state, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration – which before the decision had continued to deny full benefits due to statutory language forcing them to look to the state of residence for the purpose of some benefits – will finally extend full benefits to married same-sex couples. The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization praised the long awaited announcement.

“From Texas to Michigan and Montana to Florida, married same-sex couples across this country will finally have full access to federal benefits that had previously been denied them,” said HRC Government Affairs Director David Stacy. “We applaud Attorney General Lynch for her leadership in working to ensure these critical programs – from social security to veterans benefits – are finally extended to all legally married couples.”

In an exclusive statement to the Washington Blade, Attorney General Lynch said, “Following the Supreme Court’s historic decision in Obergefell that every couple has the same right to participate in the institution of marriage, whether the partners are of the same sex or opposite sexes, I directed Justice Department staff to work with the agencies to ensure that the ruling be given full effect across the federal government. Thanks to their leadership and the quick work of the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs, today I am proud to announce that the critical programs for veterans and elderly and disabled Americans, which previously could not give effect to the marriages of couples living in states that did not recognize those marriages, will now provide federal recognition for all marriages nationwide.”

In June of 2013, the Supreme Court struck down Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in United States v. Windsor, meaning the federal government could finally recognize lawfully married same-sex couples. The Obama Administration broadly and vigorously implemented the Windsor decision, and most federal agencies began to recognize all legally married same-sex couples regardless of where they lived. However, because of certain provisions in statute, some agencies – including the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans Affairs – had been unable to recognize same-sex couples living in states without marriage equality. With the Supreme Court’s decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, marriage equality is the law of the land in all fifty states and these restrictions are no longer barriers.

Gardens & Villa - Fixations

Gardens & Villa are releasing their new record, Music For Dogs, on August 21st via Secretly Canadian, and they are excited to release the video for their first single “Fixations.” The bizarre, psychedelic video features the band stumbling upon an e-cig and drug-fueled party, featuring a Segway-cruising Einstein/Warholian menace, portrayed by Foxygen’s Sam France.

RuPaul's Drag Race Alum Courtney Act Debuts EP

Courtney Act's debut EP Kaleidoscope' came out yesterday knotching a top five on the iTunes Dance Albums chart for nearly the entire day. It has earned praise from MTV who called it "an incredibly well-crafted pop album" and Complex who said it "features Courtney acting upon her desires, unleashing a smoky kaleidoscope of inhibitions in a fit of dancing delirium."

You're Invited to a Party, a Psycho Beach Party!

By Mona Lott

“Come stoned to this show,” Krystal Jackson yells out as the cast enthusiastically discusses what makes Psycho Beach Party worth coming to and responds to my question about how to sell it. The answers leading up to that comic outburst were more practical, telling me that the show is a “great laugh” and full of wonderful characters and “gender bender fun.” Admittedly that’s enough to get this drag queen to buy a ticket, but as I got to chat more with the director Stephen Tangedal and his lively, charming cast I was impressed at just how many other reasons there are to go see this show when it opens at The Crossroads Theater on Thursday, July 9.

Psycho Beach Party is a play by Charles Busch that spoofs those Gidget-led movies of the 1960’s and then tosses in some Hitchcock type thrills on top. Chicklet as played by Anthony Adu in this production is the leader of this romp on the beach and sports a very blonde wig as if to say "Barbie has arrived!" Of course this Barbie has multiple personalities and issues that Gidget never had to face. Tangedal, with a wink, remarks that every one of the cast members was typecast in this show even though that remark was followed by several, “not me” utterances from the cast. Truth be told though, when I walked into the room and was asked by Adu, “What character do you think I’m playing?” I immediately answered, “I’m guessing Chicklet.” 

I can spot a drag performer from a mile away! 

I’m assuming anyone could spot Hektor Munoz who plays Chicklet’s mother, Mrs. Forrest. Munoz stands (and I’m guessing) at six feet five inches and is desperately trying to get his hands on a pair of women’s size 18 pumps! When asked about how the drag roles have influenced this show, the cast was quick to reply that it’s just like playing any other character. Adu made a point of explaining that he has tried to find the truth in the character and is playing her as a real woman and working at not just being a boy in drag.

I knew after that answer that this cast is not just having fun, but are truly putting a lot of heart into the show. It was easy to see that they have a love for the characters and for each other with an assortment of answers to the question of who they would like to play if they weren’t playing the character that they are cast as. In true “Show Girls” fashion Daniel Wheeler who plays Yo Yo pointed a rigid finger at Adu and blurted out how he wanted to play Chicklet and had previously auditioned for the role several times. I warned Wheeler not to take the stairs when Adu is around. Ironically, the only male member of the cast who has never tried drag, Todd Moore, who is cast as Star Cat, was at ease with the honesty of admitting that he would like to play Mrs. Forrest. With a list of characters as diverse as the actual cast of this show, I could imagine them all spinning a wheel to determine just who they would play each night and an audience that would come back every time to see the mix.

Tangedal previously directed this show over twenty years ago and in his cast then was Shelly Bordas. Bordas, as Tangedal fondly remembers, was a much-loved member of the Denver theater community who lost her battle with breast cancer last January. Bordas’ young son will benefit from two added performances on July 24th and 25th with proceeds going towards his college fund. When asked why he decided to direct this show again, Tangedal mentioned Bordas and stated that he thought it was time to laugh again and to just have fun. It was obvious that this show holds a special memory of Bordas for Tangedal and her presence is sure to be felt during these added performances.

The remaining performances benefit the The Denver Element a part of Mile High Behaviorial Healthcare. The Denver Element states on their webpage that, “Our work, while building community, is to reduce the transmission of HIV through education of the gay and bi men in Denver on HIV stigma, Status Disclosure and Intimacy.” 

Cast member Anthony Fay spoke very eloquently detailing all the added services that The Denver Element includes, like social events and assistance for gay men with drug habits. Fay is doing double duty in the show as the assistant director and the character, Provoloney and was quick to add to the discussion of why people should come to this show, “It’s only ten bucks!”
 
Considering all the people who will benefit from this campy delight and the sheer evening of summertime joy and laughter that Tangedal and his cast are sure to deliver, the reasonable price point is only a small part of why people should come to this show. A bigger part of why to see this show is the camp and fun of reliving those beach blanket romps and the over the top, bigger than life characters being played out in gender bender style and the opportunity to try and figure out the mystery of “whodunnit.” And it that doesn’t influence you, there is an Opening Night luau on Friday July 10th with food and the possibility of getting lei’d! 

Psycho Beach Party runs Thursday, Friday, Saturday at Crossroads Theatre, 2590 Washington Street July 9th through the 25th with a special Cast Benefit Night on Tuesday July 21st. Tickets can be purchased in advance at here or at the box office.

Caitlyn Jenner Partners with WhoSay to Release a Weekly Series of Editorials Called "The Real Me"

Credit: Courtesy Caitlyn Jenner/WhoSay

Caitlyn Jenner says that before she came out as a transgender woman, she had "totally isolated" herself from the trans community. Meeting others like her, she says, has been "an eye-opening experience." Touched by their stories of survival, Jenner, 65, has partnered with WhoSay to release a series of editorials called "The Real Me" that shine a light on the issues and people in the LGBT community. This is the first in that series:

Hi everyone. Caitlyn here. First of all, I want to thank you all for your support. The response to my new journey has been overwhelmingly positive, and I'm eternally grateful for all of your sweet messages, letters and gifts.

Up until now, I have totally isolated myself from the transgender community so I have a lot of catching up to do. I feel such a responsibility to this courageous group to try to get it right and tell all sides of the story. To me, that's always the biggest question: Am I doing it right?

A few weeks ago, I had dinner with some of my new friends – a group of six trans women – and I went around the table and asked each of them how long it had been since their transitions. One said 20 years, the other one said 15 years ago ... seven years ago ... three years ago …. They came around to me and I said, "Two weeks."

Flash forward a few weeks, and I've already learned so much about this community, the issues and the people involved. It's been an eye-opening experience for me – mainly realizing how fortunate I am.

I've heard every horror story there is in the book. You wouldn't believe the types of ordeals these people have had, how they have had to literally fight for their own survival. Many trans teens are bullied and abused in high school. It's just horrendous. Then there's the other dark side of this issue – did you know that nearly 25 percent of the women in high-end sex business are reportedly trans women?

Seeing how my new friends have overcome their adversities is such an inspiration. They are so well-adjusted and smart. I'll be sharing their stories here in the coming weeks, and I can't wait for you to get to know them. They are just like you and me.

This is the first in a series of editorials where I will discuss the serious issues and lessons that I am learning through this process. I have so much to discover and hope that you'll join me on this adventure.

Let's live our true selves and make a positive difference while doing it.

–Caitlyn

7th Annual DGP Cinema Q Film Festival Kickoff Event

DGP sets the train in motion for queer cinema with the seventh annual CinemaQ Film Festival Kickoff event on Wednesday, July 22.

The Denver Film Society and CinemaQ presents the best of the best in film that covers every aspect of the LGBTQ community and introduces new visionaries, pays tribute to iconic staples, tells stories from around the world and connects us all with a common message of identity and understanding.

Nice to See StevieB: Haters Gonna Hate, Hate, Hate

By StevieB

Grindr can be a fickle little app. If you don't utilize the hook-app known as Grindr, I'll explain it to you in the briefest terms I know. It is like Christian Mingle on your phone. But, for Homosexuals with anything but Christian acts in mind. It is best utilized as a homing device; as the phone app has a proximity alert built into the app. This takes your location and broadcasts it to other homosexuals on the app.  The easiest way to locate your closest gay.

It; however, has been over-wrought lately with spammers. These are fake profiles attempting to get you to give your phone number for their diabolical use. Canned sentences are given in hopes that you respond, all to say "hey, let's text? What is your number?" I, with apparently too much free time started to give the Focus on the Family main telephone number. This got boring fast. Then I did this...

Every spammer got lyrics to John Cash's Folsom Prison Blues.  I got through the entire song before this one asked for my phone number. I'm sure the reception desk of the anti-gay, faux-Christian Lobbing group,  Focus on The Family, is swarmed with telemarketer calls right now.

I  also changed my profile to state that I would not respond to any Chat Requests unless a code word was given.  Any line from any Taylor Swift song. What happened actually was quite funny..

Some guys really got into it...

It was kind of amazing how many guys just wanted to give me a Taylor Swift line.

 Others.... not so much.

Then there was the perfect response...

So if you are ever on Grindr, hit me up. But, only if you like Taylor Swift. 

This post originally appeared on Steven Bennet's website Nice to See StevieB. Republished with permission.

Gay Help Wanted: Sales Reps for MileHighGayGuy

Award-winning MileHighGayGuy.com is seeking advertising sales reps. The position requires someone who is self-motivated, detail-oriented and who, preferably, is familiar with the GLBT community. This is a contract position and pay will be commission-based.

To apply, email resume to Drew Wilson at Drew@milehighgayguy.com.