Friday, April 13, 2018
Colorado Springs PrideFest Auditions this Sunday
mmph - Facade
Classically trained since childhood, Sae Han first came to Boston to study Cello performance at Berklee College of Music before turning his concentration towards Electronic Production & Design and starting his project as mmph. Dear God marks a turning point in the rapid evolution of this young producer, a merging of his classical training, sophisticated composition, and unique sound design. Han’s ability to conjure a seemingly contradictory series of influences into bespoken universes places him alongside sonic puzzle makers like Oneohtrix Point Never, Nicolas Jaar, Arca and Caribou.
Vallarta Pride Brings to Celebrate Puerto Vallarta Centennial
Taking place in Puerto Vallarta from May 20 to 27, Vallarta Pride has grown yearly, with its 2017 edition attracting more than 17,000 visitors. The event has become a staple in the international Pride calendar, and now drives a considerable influx of visitors during what used to be the end of Puerto Vallarta’s traditional high season for tourism. This year, Puerto Vallarta has enjoyed one of its most active seasons for the LGBT market, with multiple events taking place across town and entertainment headliners such as Hedda Lettuce, Mama Titis, Miss Conception and Kim Kuzma taking up residency across the Zona Romantica, Puerto Vallarta’s “gayborhood.”
This year, Vallarta Pride’s annual parade will take place on Thursday, May 24. It will start at the Hotel Sheraton Buganvilias, flow into the oceanfront Malecón promenade and culminate on Lázaro Cárdenas Street, where thousands will join a block party with “circuit” music, multicolor light shows, go-go dancers and fireworks hosted by Fiesta Bar, La Noche, Mr. Flamingo, Los Muertos Brewing, CC Slaughters and La Margarita.
Celebrities such as country singer Steve Grand, transgender Mexican singer Morgana Love and Mexican actress and singer Lorena Herrera will be performing this year, with Herrera performing double duty as this year’s Grand Marshal and the star of the free concert offered by Vallarta Pride on Friday, May 25 at Teatro Vallarta.
Other highlights include the annual Drag Derby, an LGBT Art Walk, an Adam & Steve Party at Casa Cupula, a beach gym, a casino night and a sunset “Wet and Wild Cruise,” plus a host of community activities and cultural events. The Big Top Party will take place May 25 at Puerto Vallarta’s newest venue, Top Sky Bar, hosted by entrepreneur and public figure Eliad Cohen and featuring performances by music artist Nikki Valentine.
Puerto Vallarta is renowned as the premier LGBT vacation destination in Mexico. The country’s first IGLTA member, since 2014, it was also honored as the first city in Mexico to be granted Gay Travel Approved status by GayTravel.com. GayCities.com users named Puerto Vallarta their “Fun in the Sun Destination” in the site’s 2016 “Best of Gay Cities” poll. Puerto Vallarta was also named an International LGBTQ Destination at tourism industry awards Travvy Awards 2017 and listed as a top beach destination by Passport magazine in April 2017.
Judge Strikes Down Sodomy Law in Trinidad and Tobago
A lawsuit to challenge the colonial-era sodomy laws was filed in February 2017 by Jason Jones against the attorney general of Trinidad and Tobago. Jones, an LGBTIQ activist in both his native country of Trinidad and Tobago and the United Kingdom, claimed that these two sections violate his right to privacy and freedom of expression.
Kenita Placide, Caribbean Advisor, OutRight Action International, commented on the ruling, “The judge came down on the right side of history in this case by striking down the buggery law and ruling it as unconstitutional. The activism and advocacy will continue in Trinidad and Tobago and across the Caribbean until equality for LGBTIQ people is guaranteed. With positive rulings in Belize and Trinidad and Tobago, the movement will carry the momentum to other parts of the region."
Sections 13 and 16 of the Sexual Offenses Act prohibit “buggery” and “acts of serious indecency” between two men, with punishments of up to 25 years in prison if found guilty. The sodomy laws are part of a tradition of homophobia in the country, with laws such as section 8 of the Immigration Act prohibiting homosexuals who are not citizens from entering the country still in place.
Opposition from conservative religious groups was strong, particularly T&T Cause, which made claims that the repeal of these sections would result in “homosexual rights trumping heterosexual rights.”
The repeal, however, is now an example for the rest of Caribbean and a hope that they will soon follow in Trinidad and Tobago’s footsteps.
Thursday, April 12, 2018
Are You Ready for the Big Gay 5K?
June will be here before you know it, and we want to kick off Pride month with you at the 5th annual Big Gay 5K on Sunday, June 3rd!
The race will start and end on the east side of Cheesman Park at the Pavilion Building. The route will run west on 14th Avenue to the Capitol and back to celebrate at Cheesman Park! This race is for everyone and registration starts at just $25. Make sure to sign up now before prices increase to save your spot!
Come to support One Colorado and kick-off Pride month at the Big Gay 5K!
Come Out. Get Fit With Stonewall Fitness.
Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!
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.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
One Colorado: Call for Volunteers
As we move from spring into summer, we have some events coming up in Denver and we want you to join us! One Colorado needs volunteers at our tables to gather signatures on our petition to ban conversion therapy in Colorado. You can sign up and get more information below.
Sign up to volunteer at the One Colorado Booth at March for Science this Saturday, April 14th | Invite friends on Facebook
Sign up to volunteer at the One Colorado Booth at Earth day on Saturday April 21st | Invite friends on Facebook
Sign up to volunteer at the One Colorado Booth at the Cinco De Mayo on Saturday May 5th and Sunday May 6th
We will also be posting information in the Facebook events, so make sure you like our page.
Hope to see you soon!
420 On The Block Brings Elevated Entertainment to Denver for World Cannabis Week
In 2018, the festival has expanded from a single-day event to a weekend-long, mile high experience, featuring a diverse and high-profile music lineup, live art, immersive stages, cannabis-related activism and education, food trucks, a vendor village, and more.
Ensuring an elevated experience for all who attend, 420 On The Block is truly a collaboration between cannabis industry leaders, who have come together in the community to inspire and encourage conversation around modern cannabis culture, budding tourism, and social responsibility. Lead sponsor The Green Solution, Colorado’s premier cannabis company with 14 locations across the state, is offering tickets in-store, along with a wide selection of products to enjoy during the 4/20 holiday.
The 420 On The Block festivities are part of World Cannabis Week, the gateway to Denver’s best 4/20 scene. At the entrance to 420 On the Block Festival-goers can enjoy WCW’s free 420 Bazaar, a vendor village where attendees can discover what’s new in the cannabis product world, located on the festival grounds. At the Bazaar, attendees can participate in the 420 Challenge, a carnival-based games challenge, which offers $5,000 worth of prizes. Additionally, local canna-tourism event partner My420Tours is celebrating WCW with a nonstop tour schedule all three days of the 4/20 weekend. My420Tours provides insider tours of grow facilities and dispensaries that permit guests to legally and safely partake in the 4/20 holiday tradition while riding in comfort and style on a 420-friendly limo bus.
Produced by presenting festival production partner Live Nite Events (known for Bonanza Campout and Reggae Rise Up) and curated in partnership with AEG Presents, the lineup for 420 On The Block offers an eclectic mix of Hip-Hop, Indie, EDM, Jam, and Reggae. The festival will be headlined by Viceland reality TV star and rapper Action Bronson, Jewish reggae/rock/hip-hop crossover Matisyahu, trip-hop/electronic duo Break Science, featuring Borham Lee and Adam Deitch, and their live band featuring Adam Smirnoff, Jesus and the Shady Horns of Lettuce, and much more.
Tickets are available for those 21+ at 420OnTheBlock.com or in-store at The Green Solution.
Books: Playful Intelligence: The Power of Living Lightly in a Serious World
As the years pass by, we sense how the good things in life are so often eclipsed by stress. We find ourselves doing everything we can just to endure adulthood, all the while wondering whether we are actually enjoying it. This is exactly why Dr. Anthony T. DeBenedet decided to write Playful Intelligence: The Power of Living Lightly in a Serious World (Santa Monica Press/May/Softcover), to show readers how playfulness helps us counterbalance the seriousness of adulthood.
“Five years ago, my life was becoming more intense and stressful,” DeBenedet says. “My relationships, clinical work as a physician, and basic interactions with the world were blurring into a frazzled mosaic. Going through the motions became my norm, and every day brought busyness and exhaustion. I thought about whether I was depressed. I didn’t think I was. Anxious? Sure, but aren’t we all anxious on some level? I also thought about the lifestyle factors that could be making me feel this way. Was I getting enough sleep? Was I exercising regularly? Was I eating healthy? Was I playing and remembering to be playful?”
Today, we live in a taxing world. The endless pressure to keep up with our responsibilities and the daily headlines swarming around us can be overwhelming. DeBenedet’s work comes at a time when stress, uncertainty, and intensity levels are high. Playful Intelligence shows adults that there is a way to live lighter—and smarter—as we navigate the seriousness of adulthood. It’s not about taking life less seriously; it’s about taking ourselves less seriously.
The book’s core chapters are devoted to exploring the effects and benefits of five playful qualities: imagination, sociability, humor, spontaneity, and wonder. By examining playfulness as a sum of its parts, readers will gain a working awareness of its power and be able to apply playful principles to their own lives, bringing the magic of childhood back into their day-to-day existence. The book also offers practical suggestions on how to make life more playful in nature.
Learn New Ways & Places to Travel with The Colorado Field Guide this Summer
Here are eight ways to use the Colorado Field Guide to get to the lesser-known, travel like a local, and experience the unexpected on a Colorado visit this summer:
Plan Your Getaway: Build A Trip by Length, Region, City, Season or Activity. Heading to Colorado but for how many days? Looking for art galleries or hiking trails? Trying to avoid the usual hot spots and discover something new? The Colorado Field Guide homepage has a handy search criteria, so travelers can check out different itinerary ideas based on journey time or direction of travel. Each itinerary comes with recommended lodging and dining suggestions and is packed with daily activities. Search the full breadth of diverse activities for inspiration or pair unheard-of activities in a destination: stargazing to golf, wine tasting to hunting, mine tours to zip lining.
New Reasons to Visit the Well Known. Visitors have a new lens to look at Denver, Boulder, Aspen, and Telluride with the Colorado Field Guide’s “Top Chef” itinerary. Rich in homegrown ingredients, nationally recognized chefs and a thriving maker culture, it's no wonder Bravo set its latest season of "Top Chef" in breathtaking (and delicious) destinations in Colorado. Visitors can experience Season 15's highlights on this flavor-packed tour of the celebrated culinary scenes in four of the towns featured as locations in the show, starting with the Mile High City. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: Follow Top Chef Season 15 In Colorado: Inspired By Food & Wine Magazine
Places You Haven’t Heard Of. The Colorado Field Guide is the best place to dig for new destinations and regional road trips. Never heard of Sterling, Colorado? It just so happens to be home to Parts and Labor, the only brewery east of the 1-25 corridor. Despite being a small mom and pop brewery, the brews are already getting wide recognition, having been featured in Food & Wine Magazine as one of the top 25 breweries in the state. Parts & Labor is known for their wheat beers, which are produced from wheat grown just 5 miles from the brewery. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: Peaceful Plains: Explore Sterling & Logan County itinerary. Or try a new region: Northwest Colorado’s Grand Mesa is one of the largest flat-top mountains in the world, and its landscape sets it apart from much of the rest of Colorado — that so many lakes can be found so close together is a bit of an anomaly in this high-altitude state. Alexander Lake Lodge in Cedaredge is the perfect home base for activities and exploration of the area. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: 3 Days, 300 Lakes & 3 Scenic Trails On The Grand Mesa
First-Timer’s Guide to... Get the ultimate bucket list on a destination as a first-timer. The Colorado Field Guide includes the best dining, where to stay, and the highlights of outdoor recreation or culture, plus events visitors won’t want to miss. Fruita is well-known for as one of Colorado’s leading mountain biking destinations, but the Field Guide offers a broader insight of activities to check out, including local parks and public lands worth hiking, or local farms such as Moon Farms that offers tours of its petting zoo, plus the important scoop on where to get the best tacos in town. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: A Fruita Experience.
Learn About Regional Voluntourism Opportunities. The Colorado Field Guide has partnered with Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado to connect visitors with ways to care for the state’s natural resources. A downloadable app features a calendar of volunteering events taking place in local towns and regions, such as river clean-ups and trail building, as well as task lists and inspiration for giving back. Visitors can collect points to earn badges via the app.
Travel Like a Local with Insider’s Tips. It’s the locals who are in the know, and the Field Guide has tapped its sources to get the low-down so visitors get to bag a unique view or exciting activity. A must-see road trip in Southwest Colorado takes visitors via the canyon-clinging stretch of spectacular roadway between Silverton, Durango and Ouray called “The Million Dollar Highway” either because it cost so much to build, the amount of gold ore that remained in the roadway’s fill or the figurative price for those amazing San Juan Mountain views. The insider tip recommends lunch in the trees at Soaring Treetop Adventures, where visitors can enjoy a four-course gourmet lunch on a suspended platform overlooking the beautiful Animas River. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: Adventure & History: Million Dollar Highway
New Ways to Road Trip. A novel way to look at Colorado’s mountain towns is through the lens of creative arts and culture. Colorado's new Creative Corridor runs through a handful of the state's Certified Creative Districts, including Carbondale, the North Fork Valley, Crested Butte, Ridgway and Salida — not to mention stunning landscapes, restaurants serving locally sourced menus and the spirit of the arts around every corner. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: Colorado Creative Corridor.
Search for the Hidden Gems. Nestled in western Colorado’s North Fork Valley, Hotchkiss, Crawford, and Paonia offer access to some of the state’s greatest natural treasures and activities. Explore landmarks like Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, partake in quintessential pastimes like fly-fishing, hiking, and wine tasting, and enjoy Rocky Mountain hospitality at its finest. Cozy up on a porch swing at The Stone House Inn for some primo stargazing, or take a drive up to the Needle Rock trailhead—where artificial light is nonexistent—another incredible stargazing locale. Want more? Check out the Field Guide itinerary: North Fork Valley Tour.
For more trip-planning itineraries and travel inspiration, visit www.colorado.com/colorado-field-guide.
Kesha, Bob Dylan and More Create Soundtrack for LGBTQ Weddings
UNIVERSAL LOVE offers six newly recorded versions of iconic love songs that give same-sex couples a soundtrack for their own love stories and feature pronouns changed to reflect the world of LGBTQ relationships.
The album includes boundary-changing songs from some of today’s most-beloved artists. Bob Dylan, one of the most influential and successful recording artists in American history, is among the visionary artists participating in this unprecedented project. Dylan re-recorded “She’s Funny That Way” as “He’s Funny That Way.” The album features five additional stellar artists whose involvement is a testament to the urgency of equality in entertainment: Kesha (“I Need a Woman to Love Me”), St. Vincent (“And Then She Kissed Me”), Benjamin Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie (“And I Love Him”), Kele Okereke of Bloc Party (“My Guy”), and Valerie June (“Mad About The Girl”).
Phyllis James, MGM Resorts’ Chief Diversity & Corporate Social Responsibility Officer, said, “We believe projects like this will help all of us reach a point where seeing the world through the lens of people who happen to be different from us becomes natural and commonplace. It is an immense honor for MGM Resorts to spearhead this inspirational project which celebrates LGBTQ dimensions of the universal emotion of love.”
One Colorado: Conversion Therapy Ban Sent to Kill Committee
I have bad news. Mere hours after the Colorado House passed our bill to ban the harmful, discredited practice of conversion therapy on LGBTQ minors with bipartisan support, Senate Republicans assigned this bill to their kill committee. This means Senate Republican leadership has already marked this bill for death, and this bill won’t get the fair hearing it deserves. Let this be the last year that happens.
One Colorado is working to win a new majority in the State Senate – one that is pro-equality and will stand up for LGBTQ Coloradans. But we need your help. Will you chip in $18 today to win a pro-equality majority in 2018?
All that stands between our bill to ban conversion therapy and the Governor’s desk is one vote. Senate Republicans have the majority by one vote, and with that one vote, they have rejected bill after bill that would advance the LGBTQ community. We must change that in November.
We had a number of brave survivors come to testify for the conversion therapy ban in the House. For some, this was the fourth year in a row they’ve come to testify. Yet, Senate Republican leadership has already decided this bill’s fate without even giving these Coloradans a chance to make their case.
The Colorado State Senate needs a new majority, and we need one vote to make it happen. Will you click the flag below to chip in $18 for a new majority in 2018?
IGLTA Foundation Partners with Pacific Asia Travel Association for Conference Scholarship
"The IGLTA Foundation is honored to partner with such a distinguished organization as PATA to provide opportunities to deserving young individuals in their pursuit to further understand and to strengthen LGBTQ global tourism," says IGLTA Foundation Board Chair, Gary Murakami, CMP, CMM, of MGM Resorts International. "We believe strongly that access to education and networking opportunities at the IGLTA Annual Global Convention is a pillar of the Foundation's efforts and working with PATA is a key to our success."
Vongvisitsin, a Thai national, is working on her PhD at the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and is active with ILGA, Youth Voices Count and the Asia Pacific Transgender Network. The conference scholarship provides an all-expenses-paid trip and conference registration to the event.
"It is my greatest honor and opportunity for me to be awarded with PATA/IGLTA Scholarship that fully supports my travel to attend the world's biggest LGBTQ tourism convention!” Vongvisitsin said. “I am so thrilled to integrate my direct experience as an LGBTQ advocate, a member of the transgender community and my research background in tourism and hospitality management to fully contribute to LGBTQ tourism research. I feel that this scholarship is the kick-off for me, and this chance will help me to learn the best practices from LGBTQ tourism experts.”
This is the sixth year the IGLTA Foundation has offered its Building Bridges Scholarship Program to tourism students and small business owners, and it is the second time the non-profit has collaborated with another organisation on the project. IGLTA and PATA formed a partnership in 2015 and the application process for this joint sponsorship was open to students attending educational institutions that are PATA International members.
“PATA holds the fundamental belief that all travel and tourism stakeholders have an equal voice that should be heard, and we continually work to establish bridges for all people of goodwill from all countries to access and empathise with each other. In addition, we have always been a strong advocate for the development of young tourism professionals within the region. This scholarship highlights our commitment to both these endeavours,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “I would like to personally congratulate Bella on being selected for this tremendous opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the travel and tourism industry, and the significant impact gay and lesbian tourism has socially and economically across the globe.”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” Alums Bring Their Fashion “Out of the Closet” for New Logo TV Digital Series
In an all-new digital series launching next Tuesday, April 17 on LogoTV.com, fans of the pop culture phenomenon “RuPaul’s Drag Race” will be given a glimpse into the fierce closets of six fan-favorite drag queens. During “Out of the Closet,” an intimate six-episode series, viewers are invited into the homes of Acid Betty, Aja, Alexis Michelle, Kimora Blac, Manila Luzon and Sasha Velour to explore their wardrobes and learn what inspires their fashion as well as the process that went into some of their most iconic and “wig-snatching” looks.
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