OUT on DVD/VOD: Carl(a)

While seeking the means to complete her transition, Carla (Joslyn DeFreece), a trans woman, struggles with being dejected from her family with only her best friend Cinnamon (Laverne Cox) and Grandfather (Mark Margolis) by her side.

Working as a cam-girl, Carla meets Sam (Greg Bello), a man who loves her for who she is, but when Carla gets the funds to complete her transition Sam has second thoughts about their relationship. Now Carla is faced with a tough dilemma, if she transitions she loses Sam...if she doesn't she loses herself.

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.

Silence Gives Bigotry a Free Pass

Making Change at Walmart, the national campaign to change Walmart into a more responsible employer, and UFCW OUTreach, a constituency group dedicated to building mutual support between the UFCW’s International, regions, and locals and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, issued a joint statement regarding reports that a Connecticut woman says she was harassed in a Walmart bathroom by someone who mistook her as transgender.

“Across the country, stores are proudly showing their support for the transgender community by either providing unisex bathrooms or by publicly announcing that transgender people are free to use the bathroom that matches their gender identity. Yet, Walmart has not followed suit. Their silence is not only callous, it is dangerous.

It allows bigotry, like the incident in Connecticut, to get a free pass. As the world’s largest retailer, Walmart has a responsibility to make sure all customers and employees, no matter their race, sex, religion, sexuality or gender identity, feel welcome and safe in their stores.”

North Carolina governor's ignorance of trans identity

By Sir Elton John

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has doubled down on his support for H.B. 2, the discriminatory bill requiring public school students to use restrooms for the gender they were assigned at birth. Recently, he filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice alleging gross overreach after Attorney General Loretta Lynch imposed a deadline for him to stop the implementation of the discriminatory bill. In response, the DOJ filed its own lawsuit against the state, alleging a “pattern or practice of employment discrimination on the basis of sex.”

But what’s worse than the discriminatory bill itself, and the millions in taxpayer dollars McCrory is wasting to defend it, is that the governor signed it after admitting he had never met a transgender person. Although McCrory later walked his statement back, the message he sent was clear: the actual experiences of transgender people have no place in a debate over their basic rights.

It’s a message we hear far too often. This brand of ignorance deliberately shuts out the perspective of an already marginalized community. It’s dangerous, and it goes beyond bathrooms. As the father of two children, I would hope their world is free of discriminatory, hateful legislation like North Carolina’s.

Forcing transgender people to use the bathroom of a gender with which they don’t identify isn’t just inconvenient or impractical. For many, especially young students still grappling with their transition, it can be traumatic, and at worst, unsafe.

The failure of McCrory and other lawmakers to see this is a failure of compassion, a failure to recognize the difficult and frequently unwelcoming world transgender people must navigate every day, stigmatized by the fear and ignorance of others.

Fighting that stigma with love and empathy is at core of what we do at the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Our funding supports programs to fight AIDS by investing in resources for the most vulnerable populations because we recognize, no matter how many miracle drugs eventually appear, nothing will change until they can reach the people who need them most.

Transgender women are 49 times more likely to be living with HIV than the general population. That statistic on its face is startling, but when you consider the societal barriers these women face, it’s hardly surprising. Rampant employment discrimination pushing many into sex work as their only option for economic survival, lack of access to quality healthcare, constant discrimination — it all adds up to create these overwhelming odds. These are the issues McCrory and our other elected officials should focus on addressing.

Similar failures of compassion work against the rest of the LGBT community, against racial minorities, and against anyone our society deems less than worthy because of their differences. All of them are people who need our compassion most.

The communities we support are vibrant and resilient. They persist in spite of the difficulties the world throws at them. They produce powerful networks and remarkable advocates, and EJAF’s goal is to support them. Casa Ruby, for example, is a drop-in community center offering a safe space, housing and housing referrals, legal services, counseling and more to empower trans people in Washington, D.C.

Our grantees, like Casa Ruby, are often led by people who come from the communities they serve, which means they are intimately familiar with the problems they’re trying to solve.

Shouldn’t our elected officials be able to say the same about the problems they’re trying to solve? Stigma and shame drive some of the biggest problems facing society’s most marginalized populations. An unacceptably high percentage of LGBT teens are severely bullied. Only 30 percent of Americans with HIV reach viral suppression, many too ashamed to seek appropriate care. The transgender homicide rate is at an all-time high, driven by fear and prejudice.

To address these problems, our leaders must first acknowledge their existence, as well as the existence of the people affected. And yes, that starts with bathrooms.

Just a few weeks before McCrory signed his discriminatory bill, similar legislation in South Dakota took a very different turn. Gov. Dennis Daugaard, who also admitted he’d never met a trans person, had a change of heart about a discriminatory bill he’d originally supported. Why? He agreed to meet with transgender activists. He credited those meetings with giving him a new perspective. “I heard their personal stories,” he said, “and I saw things through their eyes in that sense.” McCrory and others who support these discriminatory bathroom bills need to reverse course, but moreover, they need a lesson in compassion. They need to recognize the existence of trans people, and they need to acknowledge that all people have a fundamental desire — and a fundamental right — to be treated fairly.

This article originally appeared at The Hill.

RuPaul Crowns America's Next Drag Superstar for Season 8

After a season filled with gag-worthy challenges, ferocious runway looks, and cutthroat competitors, Bob The Drag Queen has been crowned the winner of Logo’s “RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 8. Sashaying away with the title of America's Next Drag Superstar and a $100,000 prize, Bob The Drag Queen beat 11 of the nation's fiercest queens including Miss Congeniality Winner, Cynthia Lee Fontaine. Last season's winner, Violet Chachki, was on hand to crown her successor in front of a capacity crowd at LA’s Orpheum Theatre.

"This season was the most competitive ever,” said RuPaul. “And still, all things considered, America's Next Drag Superstar could only be Bob the Drag Queen. Her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent is gigantic, and the world of entertainment has been blessed with a bright new star! Kim Chi and Naomi Smalls are so much more than runner-ups. They are gorgeous, talented queens who have captured the hearts and imaginations of the world and are destined for greatness."

“Winning is a dream come true, and a great opportunity,” said Bob The Drag Queen. “With great drag comes great responsibility and I'm excited to get responsible.” 

 
After tonight’s coronation, Bob The Drag Queen appeared in a first of its kind ad for AXE, which spotlights how individuality and personal style are what really make a guy attractive.

Nice To See StevieB: Steve In The Box

By StevieB

I have been attempting to eat in a healthier manner. This is a far cry from the back-lash of my stuff-everything-into-my-face-hole policy I employed after the Speedo clad cruise in February. There has been an increase of dinning on the Caesar salad at restaurants, and finding myself heading to vegetarian / Vegan place to dine. On my own. And enjoying it.

This is of course not calculating my dark, deep secret. My addiction.

I have been hiding this addiction from my friends and family. My complete chemical addiction to Jack in The Box. An addiction that I am powerless to conquer. As an example, I'll will give you last Friday: For lunch I ate my healthy prepared salad to get me through evening. I then left work after ten p.m. and made a straight path for Jack in The Box for a teriyaki bowl and three egg rolls. Which, I ate sitting in my Jeep in the parking lot of my gym. After happy egg roll time, I did go have a massively great work out, so there is that. After the gym I headed to the bar which I then closed. As I'm friends with the entire staff, I hung out after closing to watch a series of strange events, including a round of "foreskin shots. " Better if you don't ask. I was neither the shot glass, nor the drinker. But, I finally, in my life, feel cheated in that I don't have a built in shot glass.


 
Around four a.m. I headed towards the ranch. On my way I stopped off at... you guested it, Jack in The Box. Consuming a front seat full of horrible, tasty items like a bear eating a small goat. If the bear drove a well-apointed, yet dented Jeep.

So my secret is out. I require my friends to help me kick this self-destructive habit. A habit I'm powerless to stop. Jack. I'm braking up with you. I know you bring me instant happiness. I know how much you love me, yet it's a calorie filled empty love. You're just no good for me. 

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

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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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'Evil Dead: The Musical' is back at The Bug Theatre!

In 2013, Equinox presented “Evil Dead: The Musical” to sold-out crowds and packed the full four-week run, winning multiple awards, including the Broadway World award for Best Comedic Musical. Now, it’s back by popular demand with an extended six-week run of even bloodier song and dance. Based on Sam Raimi’s 80s cult classic films, “Evil Dead: The Musical” unearths the old familiar story: boy and friends take a weekend getaway at abandoned cabin, boy expects to get lucky, boy unleashes ancient evil spirit, friends turn into Candarian Demons, boy fights until dawn to survive. As musical mayhem descends upon this sleepover in the woods, “camp” takes on a whole new meaning with uproarious numbers like “All the Men in my Life Keep Getting Killed by Candarian Demons,” “Look Who’s Evil Now” and “Do the Necronomicon.”

“We were so thrilled with the response to the show last time we offered it, so we couldn’t wait to bring it back,” offers co-director Deb Flomberg. “We’ve got lots of new surprises in store and a lot more blood! Plus, the splatter zone is back, with four rows for all the Evil Dead fans out there. Be sure to stick around after the show for picture with Ash and the deadites!”

Equinox Theatre Company is thrilled to present the highly anticipated return of “Evil Dead: The musical.” “Evil Dead” will be June 10 through July 16 with shows Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 PM. There will also be a pay-what-you-can industry night on Thursday, July 14, 2016. Tickets are $20 in advance/$25 at the door/$17 for groups of 6 or more in advance only. There are also Splatter Zone seats available in advance only for $25. All performances will be at The Bug Theatre at 3654 Navajo Street in Denver. Tickets and more information available online at www.EquinoxTheatreDenver.com

May is National Chip Your Pet Month! Microchip Your Cat For Just $10 at Divine Feline.

To celebrate National Chip Your Pet Month, Divine Feline is running a cat chip special!
Come to the Cat Chip Clinic on Friday, May 27th between 8am-1pm and get your cat chipped for just $10! No appointment necessary.

Microchipping your cat helps him find his way home to you if he ever becomes lost or separated from his family. An easy and quick process, a chip the size of a grain of rice is placed just under the skin and can be read by a special scanner. The chip will contain all of your contact information so that you can easily be reunited with your pet.

White House Appoints National LGBTQ Task Force's Barbara Satin to Serve on President's Advisory Council on Faith-based Neighborhood Partnerships

The White House today announced that the National LGBTQ Task Force's Barbara Satin has been appointed to serve on President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-based Neighborhood Partnerships. Satin is the first transgender woman to serve on this presidential body.

“I am both honored and humbled to be selected to serve on the President’s advisory council. Given the current political climate, I believe it’s important that a voice of faith representing the transgender and gender non-conforming community — as well as a person of my years, nearly 82 — be present and heard in these vital conversations,” said Satin, Assistant Faith Work Director, National LGBTQ Task Force.

In addition to working at the National LGBTQ Task Force, Satin has been heavily involved in the development of Spirit on Lake, a LGBTQ senior housing project in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The housing project — a 46-unit affordable rental facility — opened in September 2013. She also sits on the boards of a number of non-profits that serve LGBTQ people in the areas of philanthropy, training of senior care providers and HIV/AIDS services. As an active member of the United Church of Christ, she has served on the denomination’s Executive Council and was involved in the church’s 2003 decision to affirm the inclusion of transgender people in the full life and ministry of the United Church of Christ. Satin is a United States Air Force veteran.

Scott Statement on Education, Justice Guidance on Transgendered Students

House Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert C. “Bobby” Scott (VA-03) issued the following statement after the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice released joint guidance today to help provide educators the information they need to ensure that all students can attend school in an environment free from discrimination based on sex:

 

“The Departments of Education and Justice should be commended for releasing this important guidance regarding the rights of transgendered students in educational facilities. The timing of this guidance can help to quell the unfounded fears that have been spurred by damaging bills in some states. This guidance can also help schools to familiarize themselves with the expectations of the law, so that they may intelligently protect the rights and dignity of transgendered students and, indeed, all students.”

All About #COArts Benefiting In Focus Season 9 and Denver Actors Fund With A Special Screenplay Reading of All About Eve

All About #COArts, benefiting In Focus S9 and Denver Actors Fund, takes place on Monday, June 13 at the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities. The evening begins with a reception at 7 p.m. Hors d'oeuvres and desserts are provided by La Patisserie Francaise and Bear Creek Distillery has created a signature cocktail for this event. The special screenplay reading of All About Eve begins at 8 p.m.

In All About Eve, Eve Harrington is waiting backstage to meet her "idol" aging Broadway Star, Margo Channing. Their friendship begins innocently enough but one person sees through Eve's evil plan, which is to take her parts and fiancé.

The reading is directed by Billie McBride and features a cast of Denver's most well known actors including Heather Lacy, Paul Page, Sylvia Gregory, Sam Gregory, Billie McBride, Michael J. Duran, Adrian Egolf, Joey Wishnia, Candy Brown, Emily Van Fleet, Robert Kramer, David Nehls with arts reporter Eden Lane joining the cast in the fun.

Eden Lane is the creator, host and producer of “In Focus with Eden Lane,” a Colorado Pubic Television weekly program celebrating the arts and culture. She says, "As we kick-off our season 9 funding campaign with a live theatrical event, it was the perfect opportunity to step up and support the Denver Actors Fund in way we aren't able to do as a television show. We can't put out a "DAF Tap Shoe" in our viewers living rooms, so we will use this night to share the proceeds with the Denver Actors Fund 50/50."
 

Nick Jonas - Chainsaw

Nick Jonas has released the video for one of his most personal tracks yet, "Chainsaw."

"This is a big day for the transgender community."

Today, the Obama administration issued guidance directing public schools to allow transgender students to use bathrooms matching their gender identity. The National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund issued the following statement:

“This is a big day for the transgender community. It means that the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights will accept allegations of discrimination, investigate them, and may bring claims in federal court. The other implication — especially with regard to North Carolina’s HB2 — is that the federal government will leave no stone unturned when enforcing already existing civil rights laws against illegal sex discrimination. This sends a clear message for the repeal of HB2 and to other states that are currently considering discriminatory legislation. This is very good news for the advancement of LGBTQ freedom, justice, equity and equality,” said Victoria Rodríguez-Roldán, J.D., Director, Trans/Gender Non-Conforming Justice Project, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund.

Thank the Obama Administration for Standing With Transgender Students

It’s a historic day for transgender students and a monumental moment for our movement for equality. Today the Obama Administration’s Department of Education (DOE) and Department of Justice (DOJ) signed a groundbreaking letter that was sent to public schools directing them to embrace transgender students by allowing them to participate fully and use the facilities that match the gender they live every day. Accompanying the letter is a 25-page guide of best practices to ensure all students, including transgender students, have a fair opportunity to succeed in school.

Please click here to join Equality Federation in thanking the Obama Administration for standing with our transgender youth and for its longstanding commitment to eradicating discrimination for all Americans.

It is no secret that transgender students face high rates of exclusion and bullying. Fifty-nine percent of trans students have been denied access to restrooms consistent with their gender identities. I believe that this guidance will set the foundation for the kind of systemic change we need in order to create welcoming schools for all our students.


Many of you reading this have, in the face of adversity, shared stories about your lived experience of being transgender or supporting a transgender friend or family member. You have signed petitions, lobbied your legislators, or written letters to the editor. Every small action builds the movement and today we’ve seen what our collective actions can do.

Moments like these would not be possible without the leadership of our state-based equality organizations, national partners, funders, and advocates like you.