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 atdrew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.
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.
Let's talk. No, let's really talk. About HIV. While we have come far, gay and bisexual men continue to bear the greatest burden of this disease in Colorado. Nearly four of out of every five individuals newly diagnosed with HIV identifies as a gay or bisexual man. We still have more work to do to get that number to zero. Let's work together to change the future of HIV/AIDS by talking about testing, PrEP and staying in care.
Since talking about HIV in the heat of the moment can be a buzz kill, why not bring it up before you get it up? By bringing it up, everyone wins.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization that currently serves over 486,000 patients around the world each year, today denounced the lack of regulation and pharmaceutical industry greed that has led to record drug prices for specialty medications and billions of dollars in profits for drug manufacturers. Most recently, Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli made international headlines this week for defending the company’s decision to raise the price of Daraprim—a medication used to treat toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients—over 5,000% after recently acquiring the rights to the drug. While drug companies have increasingly introduced new specialty medications at astronomical prices—including Gilead’s $1,000-per-pill Sovaldi or $94,500 cost of Harvoni—Turing purchased the 62-year-old Daraprim in August from Impax Laboratories for $55 million. Overnight, the company priced the drug at $750 per pill until widespread public outrage prompted Shkreli to announce a yet-to-be-determined price reduction.
Prior to being purchased by Turing, Daraprim was available through the federal government’s 340B Drug Discount Program at $1 per 100 tablets—one penny per pill—a price AHF Pharmacy confirmed when it purchased quantities of the drug at that price this past Monday morning through 340 B. The vast gap between the price government agencies were allowed to pay for Daraprim compared to cost charged to private insurers underscores the need for increased government oversight and regulation of drug company pricing.
“Martin Shkreli’s stated rationale for hiking the price of a lifesaving drug used by many AIDS patients within hours of acquiring the rights to the drug seems like a page taken right out of the pharmaceutical industry’s ‘profits before patients’ playbook,” said AHF Chief Pharmacy Officer Scott Caruthers. “For Turing to charge public payers one dollar—just one cent per pill—for Daraprim through the 340B program but burden private insurance companies and self-pay individuals with a cost 750 times greater for the same drug is unconscionable and deeply unfair to both patients and the healthcare system.”
“The one upside of Martin Shkreli’s price hike is that it unleashed a firestorm of criticism in the media, among the general public and in political circles over the pharmaceutical industry’s greed on drug pricing that has been festering for years,” said AHF President Michael Weinstein. “Turing’s 32-year-old’s CEO’s greed is likely to go down in history as the straw that broke the camel’s back on drug pricing.”
On Tuesday, following a tsunami of negative press and criticism after the New York Times’ Andrew Pollack wrote about the price hike, Shkreli said that he will reduce the price of Daraprim, but, according to NBCNews.com, said he, “…did not say what the new price would be but expected a determination to be made over the next few weeks.”
Turing’s price hike on Daraprim also prompted promises of action on drug pricing from politicians, including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Clinton vowed to release a plan to reform the specialty drug market, declaring Tuesday on Twitter that she wants to “both protect consumers and promote innovation—while putting an end to profiteering."
“We fully support Hillary Clinton’s timely decision to make addressing drug company pricing a key part of her platform,” added AHF’s Weinstein. “We call upon the other candidates vying to be the next president of the United States to detail how they would show leadership in addressing the issue of drug costs that the majority of Americans consider to be a top concern.”
In order to curb astronomical increases in drug prices that three-quarters of the American public (76%) have ranked as a top priority (according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll released in April), AHF is sponsoring two state ballot initiatives in California and Ohio to give the states increased bargaining power to obtain lower drug prices.
Yesterday, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization, released an issue brief to help employees and employers build more inclusive workplace environments for bisexual people.
“Bisexual Visibility in the Workplace”addresses the largely unacknowledged challenge of bisexual employee visibility and inclusion, and provides practical suggestions for improving the climate through actions by individual employees, employee resource groups, and company management and human resources.
"Many of America's leading companies continue to adopt meaningful policies, practices and benefits for LGBT people, including non-discrimination policies for sexual orientation and gender identity, and transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage,” said Beck Bailey, HRC Foundation’s Deputy Director of Employee Engagement. “But as employers look beyond policy to efforts to improve the day-to-day experiences of LGBT people, the invisibility of bisexual workers deserves their attention. Despite the significant number of bi-identified employees, they largely remain closeted on the job, and experience less-than-welcoming workplace culture.”
The brief notes that the recent HRC survey Degrees of Equality shows that bisexual workers are less likely than their gay or lesbian peers to be out at work--just 59 percent, versus 79 percent of gay men and 77 percent of lesbians. Additionally, 43 percent of bisexual employees reported hearing bisexual jokes at work, contributing to the problem of bi-invisibility at work.
“A concerted focus on bisexual education and visibility is necessary to reduce bias and create workplaces that allow bisexual workers to be fully themselves at work," Bailey said.
To help employees and employers get started on improving the climate for bisexual workers, HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program advises the following:
• Individual employees are encouraged to use inclusive language, speak up when they hear biphobic comments, and challenge themselves about their own potential biases;
• Employee resource groups are encouraged to intentionally create bi-inclusive spaces, mark events that are geared toward creating bi-awareness like Bisexuality Awareness Week , and to work to include specific references to the bisexual community in group meetings;
• Management and human resource professionals are urged to be fully aware of LGBT-inclusive company policies, to support domestic partner benefits programs that are particularly essential for different-sex bisexual couples, and to include bi-inclusive examples in non-discrimination, anti-bias and anti-harassment training.
On October 15, 2015, millions of people across the country will wear purple to take a stand against bullying -- and in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender young people. One Colorado is encouraging all Coloradans to wear purple and participate in Spirit Day with One Colorado and GLAAD.
Masterworks Broadway releases A Chorus Line– 40th Anniversary Celebration,
a definitive, newly remastered edition of the best-selling 1975
Original Broadway Cast Recording. The reissue features eight bonus
tracks that – for the first time – allow the listener to eavesdrop on
the creative process of composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Edward
Kleban, including songs that did not make it into the final version of
their acclaimed score.
Fasten
your seatbelts, Denver; it's going to be a bumpy night! Actress Rutanya
Alda, who played Carol Ann — Joan Crawford's long suffering handmaiden
in the cult film Mommie Dearest — has published her memoir about the
experience.
Because the making of the film was so tumultuous, Rutanya
Alda kept a journal. Now,
almost thirty-five years later, that journal has become the foundation
of Rutanya's fascinating account of making a destined-to-be cult film.
And it turned out that, because of Faye Dunaway's over-the-top behavior
and acting, she is a strong, if not altogether flattering, presence in
Ms. Alda's memoir.
The National Tour of A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL, premiering in Denver at The Buell Theatre December 16-27 is searching for one local child to perform an ensemble cast role when this beloved holiday classic is live on stage. The auditions will take place at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts Education rehearsal studios (1101 13th Street) on Sunday, October 4 at 2pm.
A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL chronicles young and bespectacled Ralphie Parker as he schemes his way toward the holiday gift of his dreams, an official Red Ryder® Carbine-Action 200-Shot Range Model Air Rifle (“You’ll shoot your eye out kid!”). An infamous leg lamp, outrageous pink bunny pajamas, a maniacal department store Santa, and a double-dog-dare to lick a freezing flagpole are just a few of the distractions that stand between Ralphie and his Christmas wish. Chock-full of delightful songs and splashy production numbers, A CHRISTMAS STORY, THE MUSICAL, following its smash hit Broadway run, has proudly taken its place as a perennial holiday classic for the whole family.
CASTING CALL INFORMATION: DATE: Sunday, October 4 REGISTRATION BEGINS: 2pm CHOREOGRAPHY BEGINS: 3pm LOCATION: Denver Center for the Performing Arts Education 1101 13th Street Denver, CO 80204 Audition Registration Form
Denver Limousineoffers the hottest stretch limousines in Denver Colorado! Whatever the occasion, Denver Limousine’s team of professional drivers and top-of-the-line fleet of vehicles is waiting to serve you.
My name is David Smith; I am a swimmer, gay man and one-day Olympic hopeful. I had been in the water for as long as I remember; from my mom dropping me off at the rec center to swim during her aerobics classes to joining a youth swim team. I took a few years off in high school. 7 years ago I decided I needed a change, I wasn’t happy with my life or myself, I was over weight, depressed and just not comfortable with who I was or where my life was going. I realized that there was so much more out in the world and that I had the potential to be apart of something bigger than I could ever imagine.
I was out as a gay man at the time and all I had desired and dreamed of up until that moment was finding a boyfriend and be as happy and loving as all the relationships you tend to see other people in, but that wasn’t quite working for me. When the 2008 Olympics happened I realized just what it was that I had been missing and from there I wanted to do something for myself, something more. At that moment I decided I wanted to be an Olympic Athlete, I was ready to experience the emotion of joy and accomplishment that comes from realizing your dreams.
In the 7 years since that moment my life has changed dramatically. I got back into swimming as my sport and started looking at what exactly did I need to do in order to accomplish my goals and dreams. My first real step forward I decided to join a swim team, an LGBT swim team to be precise. To be honest, it was quite a scary endeavor. I wasn’t sure if I was good enough or ready, I had never really been that involved with the gay community and I knew absolutely nobody. Despite exchanging a few emails with the coach I was essentially going in blind.
It was my first real test, to be able to go further, you have to face your fears and step outside your comfort zone. From my first day with the Squids I have gone on to be experience some great things, in the gay community and the overall swimming and athletic community. Having been involved and medaled (several times) at both the 2010 and 2014 Gay Games, becoming more involved in a non-profit to help support LGBT athletes such as myself and actively promoting to create awareness and end homophobia and transphobia that continues to exist in sport.
Having recently competed at the 2015 Eurogames in Stockholm I am at a moment of change, not just a small change but a big change that will be my next big step, almost as big as the first step I took as I continue to progress toward my Olympic goals. I had competed in Sweden not having trained nearly as hard as I had the season before and yet I found myself still winning medals and setting PRs. I knew I was capable of so much more and ready to compete at a higher level. In essence I feel like I am at the top of where I am now and am ready to start back on the bottom.
While at the Eurogames I saw that for a sporting event, sports didn’t seem to be much of a priority. In the midst of all the parties and political conferences, the initial purpose of the event itself seemed to be lost and as a gay athlete that was a wake up call. If the organizers can’t take the sporting event seriously, how could I expect to compete seriously as an athlete at the Olympic Games?
I do love being apart of LGBT sporting events, my participation at the Gay Games both times have been truly amazing, the memories and accomplishments, the people I’ve met and the things I’ve gotten to be apart of will always live with me. I still intend to participate but not quite on the serious level I always had, I am ready for something even bigger. Paris 2018 offers a lot of opportunity but I am always looking forward to the next challenge.
My ambitions and pursuits as an Olympic hopeful have never been about making a statement with my sexuality or even to let my sexuality define who I am as an athlete. The Olympics themselves aren’t political, although there are certainly a lot of politics that surround it and while many I am sure disagree with that last statement. I have never let my sexuality become a political statement against sport. It’s always been about being the best I can be and always finding the next step to my goal of competing at the Olympic Games. I am not shy to show my pride, from wearing rainbow colored goggles or a rainbow wristband. I have a rainbow flag on my parka and on occasion I still represent the LGBT swim team that gave me my start. I show my pride not to make a statement, but to help other LGBT individuals discover that you can be open and comfortable with yourself and not let your sexuality become a barrier in pursuit of your goals and dreams.
Becoming involved with swimming again has helped to truly define who I am as a person. I am comfortable and happy with myself not only as a gay man but as an athlete, as a professional and as a human being. By taking that one big step to my first practice I became involved in much more that I can imagine and realize that my purpose in this world is to have a positive impact, even for just a moment to inspire another to make a positive change in pursuit of their goals and dreams. For that I am ready for the next step on my journey.
#FitwithPRIDE
David Smith is
the owner of Stonewall Fitness, holds a degree in exercise
science from Metropolitan State University of Denver and holds several
fitness certifications including ACSM Personal Trainer and Group
Fitness.
Today, the Human Rights Campaign, (HRC), the nation's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) civil rights organization sent a letter to New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman asking him to investigate recent actions by New York-based Turing Pharmaceuticals to increase the price of the drug Daraprim (pyrimethamine) by 5000 percent.
“The burden of this unjustified and unprecedented cost will undoubtedly be shouldered by the most vulnerable members of our community -- including people living with HIV and pregnant women,” said HRC President Chad Griffin. “A thorough investigation is needed to determine whether the irresponsible and shameless price increases by Turing Pharmaceuticals is consistent with New York state law.”
NBC News reported yesterday that Martin Shkreli, CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, said he will lower the price of Daraprim, but has not specified what the new price will be.
Griffin added, "The world is watching. Those whose lives hang in the balance deserve to know: what will the price of Daraprim be tomorrow?"
The Huffington Post reported late yesterday that Shkreli is already involved in a federal criminal investigation dating back to his work with a prior biotechnology company that he founded.
Riding on the tailwinds of its success and buzz over the past two years, HIV Equal, the U.S.-based anti-stigma social media campaign, has today revealed a new look and feel that recognizes a natural evolution towards more inclusiveness in order to continue changing the conversation about HIV testing and HIV stigma.
The campaign’s new brand identity reflects a transformation from its original glowing neon magenta background to a more gender-neutral sky blue gradient. The new images also feature the empowering, personalized message, “I Am _______.” I Am HIV Equal.” emblazoned in the campaign’s signature pink color.
“We’re committed to ending HIV stigma and stigma that prevents people from getting HIV tested. In doing so, we will stem and reverse the rise in HIV infection rates among men who have sex with men, and other vulnerable populations, here in the States,” said Dr. Gary Blick, Chief Medical Officer of World Health Clinicians. “I began my work in the field at the beginning of the epidemic, and like my colleagues I find a rise in infection rates unacceptable. We’re bringing awareness to youth who need it most, and we’re doing it in a very creative, proactive, and affirming way.”
Participants of HIV Equal will also continue to have the option of receiving a free, confidential HIV rapid test, which is a hallmark aspect to the campaign. By promoting HIV testing, the campaign continues to break down the barriers related to knowing one’s status and the barriers of stigma against people living with the disease.
The campaign’s new visual identity and rebranding was unveiled as part of an inaugural celebratory launch event at the 2015 United States Conference on AIDS (USCA 2015), held recently in Washington, D.C.
Although HIV Equal strives to attract and test any and all “regular” Americans, celebratory participants are critical to attracting some risk groups to get tested. Some of the HIV Equal campaign’s past celebrity faces have included American stand-up comedian and actor Mario Cantone; transgender icon Amanda Lepore; Broadway performer Billy Porter (“Kinky Boots”); and YouTube star and vocalist Todrick Hall. The campaign has even gained critical support of other celebrities such as Sandra Bernhard and the late Joan Rivers.
“HIV Equal has built huge support across the U.S., as well as from high-profile celebrities,” said photographer and campaign co-creator, Thomas Evans. “We’re excited at the continuing participation by the hundreds of people who come out and support our events. Choosing a personalized status word provides people with empowerment, regardless of their HIV status. And photos represent the support that participants have for HIV Equal and people living with HIV.”
“Rub," the first album of new material in 6 years album from Peaches, is now streaming in its entirety on www.PeachesRocks.com, ahead of its Sept 25th release. The album is her most adventurous, audacious musical statement yet. It continues on the bold, sexually progressive path she forged 15 years ago that's opened the door for countless others to follow. ‘Rub’ was recorded over the course of 2014 in Peaches Los Angeles garage studio collaborating with her longtime friend Vice Cooler and mixed by Dave Pensado.
"After six years, I was excited about my lyrics again, about what Peaches was," she explains. "I felt more comfortable living out any idea I wanted to try. We spent ten hours a day making beats, and whatever stuck, I would write on and develop. The only agenda was to make the best album we could.”
Delegates
and officials from Denver's Sister Cities of Brest, France; Cuernavaca,
Mexico; Karmiel, Israel; Kunming, China; and Nairobi, Kenya will attend
Denver's Worldwide Festival on October 4th at the Denver Performing
Arts Complex Galleria. These honored guests received an invitation from
Mayor Michael B. Hancock. The Worldwide Festival will celebrate the
art, music, food, dance, fashion, stories, and cultures of Denver's
twelve global Sister and Friendship Cities during this day-long
extravaganza.
The family-friendly Festival will kick off at 10:30am with Japanese taiko drums and will feature interactive games, crafts, language, stories, and cooking stations. Attendees can learn how to make Japanese origami, get Indian henna tattoos, learn to cook French crepes, listen to Italian opera, hear Ethiopian fables, learn to count in Swahili, and more! KBNO will be broadcasting live from the Main Stage. Admission to the Worldwide Festival is free -- all are welcome. Preceding
the Festival on October 3rd, a ticketed Kick-off Reception is planned
for visiting dignitaries and DSCI members and supporters. Please see
the DSCI website for tickets and information.
