U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Urges Trump to Reconsider Transgender Military Ban

Today, the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a statement publicly urging President Trump to reconsider his July 26 transgender military ban announcement, which stated his intransgender individuals from serving “in any capacity in the U.S. Military.”

Kate Kendell, executive director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), which together with GLBTQ Legal Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) filed a federal lawsuit last week challenging Trump’s attempt to reinstate a transgender military ban, issued the following statement in response:

“Under this administration, it’s more important than ever that other governmental agencies, officials, and leaders serve as a check on the executive branch’s attempts to govern through the use of unbridled power and authority and its flagrant civil rights violations.

President Trump’s attempt to ban transgender servicemembers disrespects the judgment of military leaders, undermines military readiness, and as years of study by military experts has shown, has no rational basis.

NCLR thanks the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for joining the chorus of lawmakers, government officials, and military leadership in standing up for the integrity of our nation’s military by opposing Trump’s transgender military ban.”

The complaint in Doe v. Trump, NCLR and GLAD’s federal challenge to President Trump’s transgender military ban, can be viewed here. The lawsuit rests on claims of equal protection, due process and estoppel, based on the inequity of the reversal of military policy after thousands of service members followed protocol and informed their chain of command that they are transgender. In addition to NCLR and GLAD, the plaintiffs in Doe v. Trump are represented by lawyers from Foley, Hoag LLP and WilmerHale.

Civil and Human Rights Coalition Lauds Removal of Bannon

Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, released the following statement on reports that Stephen Bannon has been removed from the White House:

“Stephen Bannon’s departure is the right result, but not for the right reason. The president, who continues to sow hate and division, clearly did not fire Bannon because of his white supremacist views and ties to the so-called ‘alt-right.’ Someone like Bannon should have never worked in the White House to begin with.

President Trump must address the deep wounds he has created by ridding his administration of Sebastian Gorka, Stephen Miller, and any other staffers who stoke bigotry, hate, and division. Unless and until the president calls out evil; disavows neo-Nazis, white nationalists, and white supremacists; fires these staffers; and abandons his administration’s anti-civil rights agenda, he will continue to have no moral credibility.”

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is a coalition charged by its diverse membership of more than 200 national organizations to promote and protect the rights of all persons in the United States. The Leadership Conference works toward an America as good as its ideals. For more information on The Leadership Conference and its 200-plus member organizations, visit www.civilrights.org.

AIDS Walk is Finally Here!

The 30th annual AIDS Walk Colorado takes place tomorrow at Cheesman Park! This year’s event is set to be a touching tribute to those we care about who have passed as a result of the disease, and a fitting Celebration of Life Festival for those still with us.

Books: Three Month Fever

"First published in 1999, Gary Indiana's Three Month Fever is the second volume of his famed crime trilogy, now being republished by Semiotext(e)."

Denver Limo, Inc.: The Hottest Limos In Colorado Now at the Lowest Prices of the Year!

Denver Limo, Inc. is the leader in ground transportation in Denver, Colorado. Providing limousine service in Colorado for over 17 years, Denver Limo, Inc. has the hottest limousines, SUV limos, and Party Buses in the state - and they're currently available at the lowest prices of the year! 

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.

Camp No Counselors Celebrates First LGBTQ & Friends Weekend

Camp No Counselors is adding yet another fun filled weekend at their Los Angeles location this Fall. In honor of LGBTQ History Month, Camp No Counselors is celebrating their first ever LGBTQ & Friends adult sleep away camp. The all-inclusive, weekend-long experience will commence Columbus Day weekend (October 6-9) with tickets starting at $525/ person.

“With many of our campers being part of the LGBTQ community, we are excited to provide our first ever LGBTQ & Friends camp experience! While this weekend will have many similarities to our typical camps, it is by no means a regular camp as it was created with and for the LGBTQ community.” – Adam Tichauer, Founder of Camp No Counselors

In addition to the standard camp experience, Camp No Counselors has announced that a portion of the proceeds generated from this camp will go to supporting Camp Brave Trails, a Southern California leadership summer camp for LGBTQ youth.

As seen on ABC’s “Shark Tank”, Camp No Counselors offers adults, age 21 and over, an all-inclusive (lodging, food, and spirits) weekend featuring epic nightly theme parties, an open bar, and delicious meals prepared by chefs. During the day, you can stop #adulting and enjoy an abundance of classic camp activities including archery, rock climbing, an extensive ropes course, dodgeball, beach volleyball, tie-dye, talent shows, Color Wars and much more.

Camp No Counselors’ 2017 season is currently underway with more than 20 weekend dates to choose from across the US and Canada including: Boston, Chicago, Denver, Florida, Los Angeles, Madison, Michigan, Nashville, New York, San Antonio, San Francisco and Seattle, Calgary, and Toronto.

RuPaul's Drag Race Stars Celebrate Emmy Noms

The stars of VH1’s hit reality-competition series RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE celebrated the show’s historic eight Emmy nominations with an exclusive Q&A at Micky’s West Hollywood last night. Judge Michelle Visage and former contestants Raven, Eureka and Delta talked about the art and craft of drag in a packed room overlooking Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood.

The casual conversation focused on each star’s love and respect for RuPaul, whose message of acceptance resonates with the LGBTQ community. RuPaul earned his first Emmy nomination and statuette last year for hosting the show, and he’s nominated for a second time this year. RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE also earned Emmy nominations for Reality-Competition Program; Casting, Reality or Reality-Competition Program; Costumes, Variety, Nonfiction or Reality Program; Picture Editing, Structured or Competition Reality Program; Hairstyling, Multi-Camera Series or Special; Makeup, Multi-Camera Series or Special; and RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE: UNTUCKED for Unstructured Reality Program.

In its ninth season, RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE had one of the most-watched seasons in series history. The show's ability to connect with an ever-growing audience while at the same time receiving rave reviews from major media outlets is a testament to DRAG RACE’s ability to push boundaries creatively and intellectually.

Debt Free Guys: Small Changes

 

This highlight clip from Queer Money Episode 3 shows how small changes are the best way to make big changes financially.

Ardyn - Throwing Stones

Throwing Stones (Official Video) by Ardyn on VEVO.

Ardyn, the British brother/sister duo of Katy and Rob Pearson, released their new single "Throwing Stones" today along with an animated video. Created by Alden Volley (Temples, Nick Mulvey), the video is a striking accompaniment to the Gloucestershire duo's latest track. Stereogum premiered the clip today, saying the song "couches [mystic qualities] amongst a beat that almost lurches over and synths that stab (even if they stab gently). Those pieces carefully lock together and give the song a forward momentum, pushing you along into the simmering whirlwind of the chorus."

ACLU + Logo Partner for Documentary Following Undocumented Immigrant & Gay Man

Forbidden: trailer from Pony Pictures on Vimeo.

The Emmy Award-Winning Logo Documentary Films and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) today announced a partnership to promote the broadcast premiere of Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America.  The documentary, which follows Moises Serrano, an undocumented immigrant and gay man born in Mexico and raised in North Carolina, fighting for the American dream, will premiere Friday, September 1 at 8PM ET/PT.

The goal of the partnership is to inform the public of the struggles and stigmas placed upon individuals facing similar challenges as Serrano, while highlighting the civil rights and liberties that constitutionally apply to every individual living in the United States, regardless of their status.  

“When we learned about Moises’ bravery and desire to fight for the 11 million other undocumented immigrants in America, we knew we had to give him and his story more visibility,” said Taj Paxton, Vice President of Logo’s Documentary Films.  “Working with the ACLU, we hope to inspire young people to take action so success stories like Moises’ become commonplace.”

“For Moises and nearly 800,000 other young people across the country, DACA is a lifeline. It has empowered Dreamers to live, work, and pursue their futures in the United States, their home. Young immigrants like Moises made DACA possible through their advocacy and bravery. We must follow in their footsteps and urge Congress to pass long overdue legislation that gives Dreamers the legal status that they deserve,” said Lorella Praeli, the director of immigration policy and campaigns at the American Civil Liberties Union. 

In addition to tuning in for the premiere of Forbidden: Undocumented & Queer in Rural America, viewers can participate in the campaign by:

• Sign the petition urging Congress to pass the Dream Act now at https://www.aclu.org/DreamAct_logo

• Tuning in to a Facebook Live conversation on immigration and the LGBTQ community with Moises Serrano, an ACLU representative and more on Thursday, August 31st at 5:30PM ETat facebook.com/logo.

• Finding ways to take action and learn more at forbidden.logotv.com

• Contribute to the hashtag #NobodyIsForbidden by sharing a video answering “Why do you stand up for Immigrant rights?” on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.

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.

Rhein Haus: Serving Up Weiners Und Balls in Downtown Denver

Rhein Haus is a gay-owned, two-story, 14,000 square-foot Bavarian-inspired restaurant in Downtown Denver with house made sausages, pretzels, and other authentic eats, 24 German and local drafts, Bavarian-inspired cocktail list, and four indoor bocce courts.

Olympic Diver Greg Louganis Reveals How He Found His Birth Father After Decades of Feeling Abandoned

Greg Louganis is a five-time Olympic medalist and world-renowned diver, but even through his unparalleled success in his sport he suffered through a personal pain.

“I needed to know I wasn’t a throw-away child,” Louganis — who is the subject of a new documentary streaming on the PEOPLE/Entertainment Weekly Network and is featured in the current issue of PEOPLE — says of being adopted and being filled with questions about his birth parents.

Louganis’s birth parents met in Hawaii, but his biological mother moved to San Diego while pregnant and Louganis entered the foster care system at birth. At 9 months, he was adopted by Southern California-based Frances and Peter Louganis, who were unable to have their own biological children.

Frances, a homemaker, and Peter, the controller of a fishing company, had also adopted a daughter two years before and were always open with their kids about their family history. But the adoption organization had lost Louganis’s files in a fire, and unanswered questions led to troubled times for the young athlete, who started diving at age 9.

“I’d always felt like if my natural parents couldn’t love me then nobody could. I internalized that and went through a horrible rebellion,” he says. “I was out of control, and I wouldn’t let anyone in.”

With his parents’ support, Louganis reached out to the organization and was told his biological parents had been young when he was born and had no choice in giving him up for adoption.

“That kind of helped ease the question of whether I was loved,” he says.

Feeling more “at peace” about his family, Louganis turned his focus to diving. At 16, he won silver at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and by the time he was 28, he’d become a four-time Olympic gold medalist.

Among his biggest fans was Fouvale Lutu, who for years had quietly followed his son’s life from afar. When an endorsement event for Speedo brought Louganis to Honolulu in 1984, Lutu decided it was time to meet his first-born son.

“One of the hosts came up to me and said, ‘You’re father’s here.’ And I said, ‘My father’s in San Diego,’ ” recalls Louganis. Then he said, ‘No. Your biological father.’” Face-to-face with his son for the first time, Lutu was emotional.

“I was very excited but nervous,” Lutu says.

“Like me, he’s a man of few words. But he told me he’d wanted to raise me,” adds Louganis. The diver learned that Lutu’s brother lived in San Diego and had actually been keeping tabs on Louganis and relaying updates to Lutu, but had stayed silent to protect Louganis’s privacy.

“It was pretty amazing, but I was stunned,” he says. “It wasn’t until I was on the plane to L.A. that I started to have questions.” Despite his skepticism, Louganis continued to meet with Lutu, who appeared whenever Louganis visited Hawaii.

“He never asked for anything,” says Louganis. “He’s a very gentle and shy man. He just wanted to know if I was okay and that I was happy.” After Louganis lost both Peter and Frances following their battles with lung cancer, in 1991 and 2004, respectively, his relationship with Lutu grew closer.

“It was interesting because as the years progressed,” he says, “I saw a lot of similar traits in him that I saw in myself.” By 2015, Louganis had started communicating with his half siblings and his half brother Malcolm, 55, invited him to a Lutu family reunion that they were planning for this summer.

“I said, ‘Hey, if you want to meet your family, this is what’s happening,’ ” says Malcolm. “Greg was the second guy to send in his RSVP.”

But before the reunion, Louganis says he wanted to put any last bit of doubt to rest and in December 2016 he got a DNA test to confirm his biological connection to Lutu.

“Through the years I had gotten to know Fouvale and my [half] brother and sisters, Malcolm and Sherry and Jeralynn. I’d always been skeptical but when I did the DNA testing and found out how we were connected, it validated everything that I knew in my heart,” says Louganis, who, through the DNA test, also discovered the identity of his birth mother. (He spoke to his Northern California-based birth mom for the first time on Mother’s Day and hopes to meet her soon.)

On July 17, Louganis and his husband Johnny Chaillot arrived at Ala Moana Beach Park in Honolu for Louganis and Lutu’s first official father-and-son hug. In addition to meeting his extended family for the first time at the reunion, Louganis spent the day with Lutu sharing stories of their past and putting unanswered questions to rest.

“We’re not living in the past anymore,” says Louganis. “I’m excited that now we can focus on being in the present and talk about what’s going on in our lives now.” He’ll also be spending a lot more time in Hawaii.

“I have family there,” he says, almost in disbelief. “It’s an incredible gift that I’ve been given.”

P!nk - What About Us

What About Us (Official Video) by P!nk on VEVO.

New music from P!nk, yay!