The Gay Vegans: Create Your Community

By Dan Hanley

Mike and I have been in the LA area for almost two years now. Recently we bought our new home, and we are beyond stoked.

We landed in the amazing town of Monrovia, about thirty minutes northeast of downtown LA. We knew nothing of Monrovia before moving here, and we fell in love.

It’s not always easy making a big move and settling in. We have been super lucky.

Regardless of where you are and what community looks like to you, creating a community of people to experience life with can be pretty amazing. For me, I reach out to other bloggers, other activists, neighbors and people wanting to change the world. Not everyone I try to build relationship with is 100% in agreement with every one of my thoughts, opinions and values, which is important to me so I can learn other points of view. For example, not everyone in my circles is vegan. Most are not gay.

I decided to write this post because I hear from blog readers all of the time who are “the only one”. The only vegan. The only person of color. The only non-heterosexual. Many tell me they feel alone. I always write them back about creating community. Reaching out to others and finding a common bond.

Ideas? Here you go: join a running group or other type of exercise group; go to a vegan potluck; create a vegan potluck; create a meetup; bring a speaker to your local library; if you go to a place of worship, reach out there; check out local bloggers; find Facebook groups for local activists (we have a Facebook group called Resist Monrovia!); Google your favorite cause and find a local connection or non-profit that supports the cause and get involved. I could go on and on.

It really does make a difference to create community.

Books: Handbook of LGBT Tourism and Hospitality

Harrington Park Press released the Handbook of LGBT Tourism and Hospitality: A Guide for Business Practice on March 7, 2017. Authored by LGBT travel experts Jeff Guaracino and Ed Salvato, the book includes interviews with nearly a hundred industry experts, and analyzing multiple emerging trends among LGBT travelers. 

The Handbook of LGBT Tourism and Hospitality is an easy-to-read, practical, and relevant guidebook with a simple goal: to help marketing professionals, business owners, and allied professionals compete in the increasingly competitive global LGBT travel and hospitality industry. Dozens of contributors helped make this book the most inclusive and comprehensive guide of its kind. It is intended for industry specialists in the tourism and hospitality fields, as well as academics and students in tourism and hospitality studies.

To prepare this handbook, co-authors Guaracino and Salvato traveled to six continents and worked with hundreds of individuals and companies. Input from almost a hundred expert industry consultants and authorities helped make this book the most inclusive and comprehensive guide of its kind. 

Given the vast opportunity for diverse marketing to LGBT travelers, it is published at an opportune time as the LGBT tourism and hospitality industry expands in a challenging political climate. 

According to Thomas Roth, President of Community Marketing & Insights: “[This volume is] Educational. Balanced. Entertaining. Practical. Required! These are just a few words that come to mind when reviewing this tremendous achievement. Jeff and Ed share invaluable insights that can only come with decades of personal experience and professional success in LGBT travel. They’ve formulated all that and more into a well-organized manual for any reader, from the doe-eyed newbie to the long-time veteran, to help set and achieve realistic goals. It can be read in one sitting or referenced throughout a career. Or both.” 

According to Bob Witeck, President of Witeck Communications: “Our human impulse to travel is grounded in curiosity, adventure, and romance—whether we’re gay or straight. What often sets LGBT travel apart are our lifelong needs for community, acceptance, and safety. Few writers are better than Jeff Guaracino and Ed Salvato to distill their expert knowledge across 6 continents into the best practices found in this one essential book.”

Time to Work Up An Appetite, Dining Out For Life is This Thursday

250 Denver/Boulder Restaurants & Breweries take part in Dining Out For Life Denver on Thursday, April 27 to benefit Project Angel Heart so plant to eat out and eat often!

Koelbel Urban Homes: The New Modern in Denver

Koelbel Urban Homes (KUH) has quickly emerged as a leader in creating urban neighborhoods that promote community and synergy by integrating life, work and play.

As the newest division of legendary developer Koelbel and Company, KUH is focused on in-fill properties, designing and building innovative homes tailored to each unique site.

Offered homes run the gamut of detached single-family homes to svelte modern attached designs featuring today's popular spaces, such as rooftop decks and open-plan concepts. All KUH homes, of course, are designed for optimum living and with respect for the surroundings.

Mark Your Calendars for Aspen Gay Ski Week 2018!

Yes, it's already time to start thinking about Aspen Gay Ski Week 2018 so save that date!

The Claws Are Out on TNT This June 11th

 

TNT's Claws is a midnight-dark, wickedly funny meditation on female badness set in a Central Florida nail salon, where there is a lot more going on than silk wraps and pedicures. Niecy Nash (Getting On, The Soul Man), Carrie Preston (True Blood), Harold Perrineau (Lost, Oz), Jenn Lyon (Justified), Judy Reyes (Scrubs), Karrueche Tran (The Nice Guys), Jason Antoon (Famous in Love), Kevin Rankin (Dallas Buyers Club, Friday Night Lights), Jack Kesy (The Strain) and Dean Norris (Breaking Bad) star in this hour-long dramedy.

'The Get Down Part II: Original Soundtrack From The Netflix Original Series' available today

The Get Down Part II: Original Soundtrack From The Netflix Original Series is available today at all digital music providers via Baz Luhrmann's label House of Iona, and RCA Records.  

 

Executive produced by Luhrmann and Nas, The Get Down Part II: Original Soundtrack From The Netflix Original Series features performances by Alessia Cara, 6LACK, DJ Cassidy, GRACE, Lil Yachty, Sam Dew, Nasir Jones as "Mr. Books," Herizen Guardiola as "Mylene Cruz," Justice Smith, Skylan Brooks, Tremaine Brown, Jr., Shameik Moore and Jaden Smith as "The Get Down Brothers," and Dillon Cooper as "Grandmaster Caz" performing the song "Mr. Bill" with lyrics written by Grandmaster Caz. The album includes tracks produced by Luhrmann, Elliott Wheeler, Salaam Remi, Grandmaster Flash, Anderson .Paak, Dallas Austin, and more.

Shiver With Antici...pation for The Rocky Horror Show

In the ultimate cult classic The Rocky Horror Show, sweethearts Brad and Janet, stuck with a flat tire during a storm, discover the eerie mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a transvestite scientist. As their innocence is lost, Brad and Janet meet a houseful of wild characters, including a rocking biker and a creepy butler. Through elaborate dances and rock songs, Frank-N-Furter unveils his latest creation. In this special 25th anniversary revival this deliberately kitschy rock 'n' roll sci-fi gothic musical is more fun than ever.
 
Performances will be May 26 through July with performances on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM with a pay-what-you-can Industry Night on Thursday, June 29. There will also be two Midnight Audience Participation performances on Saturday, June 10 and Saturday, June 24. All other shows will be non-participatory. Tickets are $20 in advance/$25 at the door/$17 for groups of 6 or more in advance only. All performances will be at The Bug Theatre at 3654 Navajo Street in Denver. Tickets and more information available online at www.EquinoxTheatreDenver.com.

Lea Michele - Getaway Car

 
Actress and singer Lea Michele is set to release her upcoming sophomore album Places on April 28 via Columbia Records.  The 11 track album features the previously released “Love Is Alive”, “Anything’s Possible,”  “Run To You” and “Getaway Car.”

Following three intimate sold out shows at New York’s Appel Room and Los Angeles’ The Broad Stage and Hotel Cafe in January, Lea recently announced that she will reprise her successful Intimate Evening With shows in North America with music from her upcoming album Places. The shows will start with a limited run on May 1, 2017 where Lea will travel through North America in cities including Boston, Philadelphia, Connecticut, Seattle, San Francisco and Canada. Tickets are available now, and every pair purchased online for includes a copy of Places.

“When it came time to name my album, I settled on ‘Places’ because this album for me represents a return to form, a return to the stage, and a return to the place I belong,” Lea says. “When you perform on Broadway the word “Places” is the last thing you hear over the loudspeaker before a show is about to begin. “Places” I thought was the perfect title for this music and how it reflects who I am as an artist today and where I come from.”

Stonewall Fitness: Do Fitness Trackers Really Improve Fitness?

By David Smith

Fitness trackers such as the FitBit and Apple Watch have become very popular no doubt, they can do everything from tracking steps, calories and heart rate to giving you an almost complete profile of your bodily processes throughout the day and night. While the technology has certainly become more advanced, it’s hardly anything new. Endurance athletes have been using heart rate monitors for years and I am sure a lot of people will remember the step counters from the mid 2000s. Yet how will your average gym goer or person looking to improve fitness benefit from all this data?

​One of the basic functions of wearable fitness trackers is to track steps. After wearing it for a day or so, a lot of people are surprised at the number of steps they take, usually between 7000-10,000 steps a day. Thus the first goal someone will make is to reach a certain number of steps per day, even if that means walking laps around your living room at the end of the day to see that final number appear. The same process might happen when you track your calories burned or even your average HR (heart rate) through physical activity. Many gyms even have posters and charts for “HR Zones” that provide a point of reference for the number you might be seeing.

​While all this data might be great to see, it’s important to understand what it means and how to utilize it toward improving your fitness. A wearable fitness tracker is simply a tool, nothing more. While you can accomplish the same results with or without the device; if you plan on using one, be sure you get your money’s worth!

Wear your fitness tracker for a week or so and go about your daily routine, establish a baseline of your daily physical activity. This is also a good opportunity to learn how it works, play around with the settings and get used to wearing it.

Tall Juan - I Wish I Knew

 

Tall Juan shared the video for his single "I Wish I Knew" today; the clip was directed by Juan's friend and frequent collaborator Juan Wauters. The manic single appears on Tall Juan's debut album Olden Goldies, which is out May 5 on BUFU Records and available for pre-order now.

OUT in Theaters: Do You Take This Man

Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired North American rights to Joshua Tunick’s heartfelt, socially-relevant drama Do You Take This Man starring Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery, RENT, BWOY) and is planning a July limited theatrical followed by a VOD/DVD release.

Along with Rapp, Do You Take This Man also stars Jonathan Bennett (MEAN GIRLS), Alyson Hannigan (How I Met Your Mother, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, AMERICAN WEDDING), Thomas Dekker (MY SISTER’S KEEPER, KABOOM!), and Mackenzie Astin (The Magicians). 

The movie focuses on an intimate group of friends and family as they gather at the home of two gay men (Anthony Rapp and Jonathan Bennett) to celebrate their nuptials. When the wedding hits a snag, this group helps the grooms to see that all marriages have their challenges, and love is just the beginning. 

“The Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality came down on the last day of filming “Do You Take This Man”, said Producer Eric Kops. “With the recent shift in the political climate, the story is as timely as ever.”

“Writer/ Director Joshua Tunick has crafted a beautiful, heartfelt romantic drama about the challenges surrounding the concept and commitment of marriage”, said Richard Ross, Co-President of Breaking Glass. “Anthony Rapp leads a talented cast in a film that will resonate with everyone who’s ever been in love.”

Jake Shears: The First Tour

Jake Shears, lead vocalist and primary songwriter for the New York band Scissor Sisters is stepping out on his own, for the first time. This five date southern tour will mark the beginning of what will undoubtedly be a wild musical adventure.

What's up his sparkly sleeves? The only way to find out is to personally attend one of the shows in Louisville, Atlanta, Nashville, Birmingham or New Orleans, and be one of the first to witness what he's been up to.

Bearracuda Denver Gay Pride 2017 - A Beary, Beary Good Time!

The best party of the season is coming in hot! 1500 men and YOU, kicking off Denver Pride at Bearracuda Denver Gay Pride 2017 upgraded w/GROWLr! inside Summit Music Hall! 

Sponsored by GROWLr, MileHighGayGuy and Midtowne Spa.

Do You Want To Reach Denver's Gay Community? Advertise With Denver's Best Gay Blog!

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.
 
Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.