Miami Beach Pride to pay tribute to PULSE victims

Miami Beach Gay Pride, presented by Celebrity Cruises, will pay tribute to the victims, families and friends of the PULSE Nightclub shooting by orchestrating “Pride Lights the Night” where buildings throughout the greater Miami area will light up awash in the colors of the Pride rainbow flag. Properties can also participate by flying the rainbow flag on the exterior of their structures. To initiate “Pride Lights the Night,” Miamian and PULSE survivor Laura Vargas will “Flip the Switch” to illuminate the Herzog & de Meuron parking garage at 1111 Lincoln Road. The “Flip the Switch” event will be held at 8 pm on Monday, April 2, on the Lincoln Road stage in front of 1111 Lincoln Road.

“We wanted to create something meaningful for the brothers and sisters we lost at PULSE,” said Mark Fernandes, Pride’s board chairman. “For Pride Week in April, buildings throughout the county will be ablaze in rainbow colors to pay tribute to those we lost. There won’t be a neighbor or a stranger who won’t be aware of this tribute and be touched by this showing of unity.”

Committed to participate in “Pride Lights the Night” are a diverse collection of landmark buildings and commercial properties including: Miami Tower, American Airlines Arena, Miami Beach City Hall, Faena District, Hard Rock Stadium, New World Center, Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, and InterContinental Miami, among many others.

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.

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.

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.

Stonewall Fitness: Denver LGBTQ+ Weightlifting Club

The Denver LGBTQ+ Weightlifting Club strives to help empower people by building confidence, self esteem and community support through developing skills and training for competitive Powerlifting and Olympic Lifting.

Every week they get together to learn and practice how to lift properly, maximizing safety through good form and loads appropriate for each persons' own fitness and experience. The lifts we practice are based on 2 disciplines, Powerlifting (Bench Press, Squat, Deadlift) and Olympic Lifting (Clean and Jerk, Snatch).

The group is open to all. No experience necessary with all instruction and coaching provided by Coach Dirk. Practices are every Sunday at 10am at Gym Uptown on 1900 Grant St. $15 Drop In. Join them on Facebook for up to date announcements, events and competitions.

Disney's Aladdin Welcomes New “Aladdin” in Denver

Disney Theatrical Productions is pleased to announce that Clinton Greenspan will star in the title role in the North American touring production of Disney’s Aladdin starting on April 7 in Denver, where the hit Broadway musical will play a limited three-week engagement at The Buell Theatre through April 28. Greenspan, who previously understudied the iconic role on tour, succeeds original Broadway and tour star Adam Jacobs, who will play his final performance as “Aladdin” on March 31 in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Pantages Theatre. Tickets are on sale now at denvercenter.org.

Greenspan has previously been seen on stage in productions of Romeo & Juliet, Dreamgirls, Fiddler on the Roof and the North American tour of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

One Colorado: Vote on anti-LGBTQ bill happening in less than 24 hours

By Laura "Pinky" Reinsch, Political Director, One Colorado

You may have seen that Republicans in the Colorado House have introduced one of the most mean-spirited, blatantly anti-LGBTQ bills we've seen in the Colorado State Legislature in years.

Take action NOW and tell the committee to VOTE NO on House Bill 1206 and make sure discrimination against LGBTQ Coloradans doesn't become legal in Colorado.

Whether it’s in the areas of adoption and foster care, health care, housing, marriage, employment, or public spaces, House Bill 1206 is designed to roll back protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Coloradans and their families in nearly every facet of our lives.

Click here to tell the House Judiciary Committee how dangerous House Bill 1206 is.

This proposal goes as far, if not farther, than the infamous Amendment 2, which resulted in Colorado getting a reputation as the “Hate State.” We don’t need to turn back the clock on all the progress we’ve made. Whether it’s obtaining a marriage license, adopting or fostering a child, working at a job, or accessing healthcare, House Bill 1206 will create a license to discriminate against LGBTQ Coloradans for practically any reason.



Make your voice heard TODAY and tell the committee to VOTE NO.

Tell Trump Administration: No #RX for Discrimination

By Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund

This is it. It’s the last day to tell the Trump administration that giving healthcare workers the right to discriminate against LGBTQ people is just plain wrong.

Send your comment to Health and Human Services right now.

We’ve made it easy for you. Click here and add your name (it can be a pseudonym) and how you’d be hurt by this awful, bigoted rule.

Your personal comment is needed now more than ever. If we don’t stand up for our rights now, doctors…nurses…therapists…any healthcare provider could deny you treatment.

That’s right. You, someone from your family, a friend could walk into an Emergency Room and be turned away.

Add your comment now. Don’t let the Trump administration sanction discrimination in the guise of morality.

OutServe-SLDN: Trump-Pence Administration's Implementation Plan is a Continuance of the Same

On Friday, the Trump-Pence administration announced an implementation plan for a ban on transgender military service. In response, OutServe-SLDN immediately joined two other leading lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) military advocates in condemning the administration’s heinous and continued push to implement a categorical ban on military service that is both unsound and unwarranted. Today, the organization releases a statement that focuses on this plan’s ramifications and effect on the legal changes brought against the ban.

“The President’s action was a foregone conclusion, and the result is the same ban that has already been repeatedly enjoined,” said Peter Perkowski, Legal Director of OutServe-SLDN. “The Pentagon merely delivered a recommendation that the President asked for back in August—namely, that transgender people be categorically prohibited from serving. Anything the Pentagon is using to support this announcement is just transparent window dressing developed for the express purpose of justifying the President’s demand from last summer. It is worthless.”

" The implementation is a continuation of the same – a naked attack and ban on transgender service members and those who wish to serve. It dishonors the sacrifice and diminishes the lives of transgender men and women in uniform, by perpetuating the lie that transgender people are unit to serve," said Natalie Nardecchia, Senior Attorney with Lambda Legal. "It also provides a so-called choice that the government cannot require one to make – to live authentically and openly and get kicked out of the military, or conceal one’s identity and continue to serve in silence. The ban continues to be enjoined by four courts and we will press on to end it once and for all."

“Today, we continue to advocate for our transgender members and stand tall to remind the world that justice always prevails,” said Andy Blevins, Director of Law & Policy at OutServe-SLDN. “Our servicemembers, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve a commander-in-chief that will advocate for justice and equity on their behalf – this administration is failing in that respect. We call on Secretary Mattis to remember that under his military tenure he successfully led thousands of transgender troops, and to reject this categorical ban on the service of qualified patriots.”

OutServe-SLDN and Lambda Legal are currently representing the American Military Partner Association, Human Rights Campaign, Gender Justice League, and nine individual plaintiffs in Karnoski v. Trump — one of four lawsuits challenging the transgender military ban in court.

Qreel: Life is Queer, Watch it Here

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Netflix Announces Second Season Of Queer Eye

Yesterday, Netflix announced second seasons for several unscripted original series including the rebooted Queer Eye. Are you watching?

“These series are indicative of what we're trying to accomplish for Netflix unscripted: working with world-class producers to create the best unscripted shows on television,” said Bela Bajaria, Vice President of Content for Netflix. “These series elevate the genre with innovative takes on familiar formats. They deliver immersive and nuanced stories. They elicit so many emotions from viewers, from tears of laughter to tears of joy - and that’s just Queer Eye.”

How Grindr is helping people get tested for HIV

Grindr, the world’s largest queer mobile social network, today announced a new feature update that builds on Grindr for Equality’s efforts to raise sexual health awareness among Grindr users. Starting today, Grindr users will be able to opt-in to easily and discreetly receive automatic reminders to get tested for HIV every three to six months. The new testing reminder feature was developed with guidance from Building Healthy Online Communities, a consortium of public health leaders and gay dating website and app owners who are working together to support HIV and STI prevention online. The feature also follows the CDC recommended guidelines for testing frequency among some sexually active gay and bisexual men and trans people. The update is notable because it makes an immediate and significant impact on the health of a number of individuals as Grindr has users in every country in the world and 3.6 million users who log in daily.

“Grindr’s making it as easy to get tested as to find a date,” said Dan Wohlfeiler, director of Building Healthy Online Communities. “Getting tested regularly for STDs, including HIV is one of the most important things a guy can do for his own health, and his partner’s.”

This is not the first time Grindr has leveraged its technology to raise sexual health awareness and make an impact in public health. About a year ago, Grindr gave users the ability to include their HIV status and last test date fields in Grindr profiles in an effort to foster an open dialogue among their users about sexual health.

In addition, in 2015, Grindr for Equality partnered with San Francisco AIDS Foundation on a survey of Grindr users that found racial disparities in how doctors prescribed HIV PrEP medication. The results are guiding Grindr for Equality’s PrEP awareness campaign, which includes translating health information into Spanish and connecting underserved users to PrEP-friendly providers. Grindr’s ability to geotarget its millions of users across 197 countries has turned Grindr for Equality into an invaluable tool for raising awareness of LGBT health issues.

“Grindr has always been committed to its users and the issues affecting the LGBTQ community at large. One of Grindr for Equality’s goals is to contribute to the movement to increase information, reduce HIV transmission, and support our whole community – regardless of HIV status – in living long and fulfilling lives, free of stigma,” said Jack Harrison-Quintana, Director of Grindr for Equality. “We felt this update would be a great way to make an immediate impact within the community on a broad scale and encourage more regular HIV testing.”

In addition, the company announced free advertising for HIV testing sites in the United States, and that it has partnered with CenterLink, an organization that connects more than 200 LGBTQ community centers throughout the U.S., to proactively develop free ads for its HIV testing services. Grindr’s work with CenterLink comes at a critical time, when new HIV infection rates are generally declining across America but remain stable for young people aged 20-24 and are actually increasing for people aged 25-29 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV Surveillance Report, Published November 2017). Additionally, the free ads also hope to target rural areas where persons infected with HIV are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage than their urban counterparts (BMC Public Health, 2011), and the Deep South which has the highest rates of HIV diagnosis rates of any US region and where HIV diagnoses are increasing among minority MSM (Duke University, 2017).

“In many parts of the country, LGBTQ community centers are the only places for miles where LGBTQ people can go to feel safe, and we hear of people who travel great lengths just to get tested,” Denise Spivak, Deputy Director at CenterLink. “With free ads, Grindr gives under-resourced centers a way to reach out to these individuals in a way that they never could before and educate a huge number of people who might need our services and who otherwise might never have known that the centers were able to help.”

Grindr has been testing its free ads in fifteen rural and underserved areas in America for the past year. One such community center that has been trailing this service, Allentown Pennsylvania comments:

“With free ads for our services running on Grindr, we’ve been able to target users in our community and raise awareness for our center and HIV testing services,” said Adrian Shanker Founder and Executive Director of the Allentown, Pennsylvania Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. “We have seen a dramatic increase in use of our HIV testing site over the last two years, particularly in people that have never been tested before. With this data we are able to better address the needs in our community. It’s a virtuous cycle that Grindr has helped contribute to. Without Grindr’s platform, we wouldn't be able to do this work around prevention and awareness or reach those most in need.”

Grindr is currently offering free advertising to any qualifying HIV testing sites in the United States. Interested parties are invited to inquire within by contacting Grindr for Equality at equality@grindr.com.

Travel: High-Heeled High Jinks to Entertain Revelers at Key West ‘Drag’ Race

Drag queens are to don their best sporting attire and highest heels to sprint down Key West’s renowned Duval Street during the Great Conch Republic Drag Race. Slated for Saturday, April 21, the zany racing competition drew some 1,700 onlookers in 2017, according to event organizers.

The 700 block of Duval is transformed into a challenging speedway for the dragsters by event host Bourbon St. Pub. The “course” typically includes a starting gate, pit stops, finish line and viewing areas. The first qualifying heats are scheduled for 2 p.m. with finals at 5 p.m.

The nontraditional event spoofs an auto-racing extravaganza with organizers dressed as pit crew and race officials. An island DJ fills the air with the sound of horns and revving engines.

However, the crowd's attention is generally focused on the often-hysterical drag performers who trade in the driver's cockpit for “heels on the pavement,” full makeup and wigs. Competition gets increasingly fiercer as the “queens” speed down the street past their rivals while trying to avoid spills, high-heel blowouts and wardrobe malfunctions.

Spectators cheer the drag racers as they attempt to navigate various road hazards. Participants even get a “diva-style” ride down the track in super-charged shopping carts propelled by local male dancers.

Aspiring racers can register for the event free of charge, and Bourbon St. Pub plans to provide high-heeled shoes and costumes for anyone who might need them. Donations are welcome in return.

The drag competition is part of Key West's 36th annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration. The 10-day festival commemorates the Florida Keys’ symbolic 1982 secession from the United States and formation of the independent island republic. The celebration runs through Sunday, April 29, with events including a lighthearted sea battle and a “Barks & Brews Block Party” benefiting the Florida Keys SPCA.

Dead Meadow - Here With The Hawk

Dead Meadow released their new album, The Nothing They Need, on March 2nd, via Xemu Records. Today, the band has shared a jaw-dropping video for album track "Here With The Hawk," which features stop-motion animation, and actor Michael Horse (who plays the character of Deputy Hawk in David Lynch's beloved Twin Peaks) sitting down for a cup of coffee with the band.  

Culture Collide premiered the video, saying "'Here with the Hawk' is perhaps Dead Meadow at their most focused: 3 minutes of one stoned-to-the-bone 70s rock riff, fuzzed out into space and back, and adorned with a shimmering cloak of guitar noise and Simon's subdued vocals."

DNC on Connecticut GOP Vow to Block Qualified Chief Justice Nominee Who Would Become First Openly Gay Chief Justice

Today all 18 Republicans in the Connecticut Senate will unilaterally block the appointment of Andrew McDonald as Connecticut’s Supreme Court chief justice. If confirmed, McDonald would be the first openly gay man to lead any state Supreme Court in the United States, but despite his qualifications, Republicans are blocking his confirmation. In response, DNC LGBTQ Media Director Lucas Acosta issued the following statement:

“Every single one of the 18 GOP Connecticut senators who will vote against Andrew McDonald’s confirmation today should be ashamed. McDonald is eminently and unquestionably qualified to serve as the state’s chief justice. He has decades of experience in Connecticut, including five years as an associate justice on the Connecticut Supreme Court – a position he was appointed to with overwhelming bipartisan support. By blocking McDonald’s confirmation, Republicans are sending a clear message on their misplaced priorities.

“This level of politicization of a judicial nominee has never been seen before in Connecticut, and there can be no doubt that Connecticut Republicans are bringing the right-wing political tactics of Mitch McConnell and the national Republican Party to the state legislature. Connecticut Republicans’ vow to block McDonald’s appointment today represents a clear refusal to put his experience and qualifications ahead of their own out of touch political and social agenda.”