Wednesday, October 31, 2018

The Gay Vegans: Mike's Famous Cinnamon Rolls

By Dan Hanley

I just posted a photo of these on Instagram last night and got requests for the reipe. So here you go!

I have to say that these cinnamon rolls are so amazingly delish! I love them! They will blow your mind, and many people will not be able to believe that they are vegan. They are a great way to show people how awesome veganism is! Once you’ve baked them let me know what you think!


I would also like to add that I love to bake! I didn’t used to, but I do now. And you don’t have to be an awesome baker to make these cinnamon rolls. Try it!


Vegan Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 packages active dry yeast

• ¼ cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 1 ½ cups soy milk (hemp milk and oat milk work just as well)
• 1 ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp earth balance nondairy butter, melted
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour (you can replace 2 cups with whole wheat pastry flour for a “healthier” result
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup earth balance nondairy butter
• 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (try to find fresh ground. I use Vietnamese Saigon Cassia Cinnamon)
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar and let sit for 10 min. This is your nondairy buttermilk


2. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 min.

3. Heat the nondairy buttermilk till warm to the touch. Add the 2 tbsp of melted nondairy butter and oil to this mixture.

4. Pour the nondairy buttermilk mixture into the yeast mixture; mix well. In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking soda. Stir the flour mixture into the liquid 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 20 times (do not over knead the dough). Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.

5. In a small saucepan melt the ½ cup of nondairy butter. After melted remove from the heat and add the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle. Spread the brown sugar mixture over the dough, roll up into a log and pinch the seam to seal. Slice into 1 inch pieces and place cut side up in a lightly greased 10X15 baking pan. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate overnight (note you can also divide up the rolls into smaller pans and freeze. When you are ready to use these frozen rolls pull out the night before and let sit on the counter overnight to thaw and rise). If baking immediately, preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes before frosting.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces softened nondairy cream cheese (tofutti cream cheese works best)

• ¼ cup softened nondairy butter
• 1 ½ cups confectioners’s sugar
• ½ tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ tsp soy milk

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer till smooth and creamy.

Tuesday, October 30, 2018

GDASA: Denver's LGBTQ Sports Association




Looking for a safe and positive atmosphere for the LGBTQA community through engaging social and competitive sports within Colorado?

Greater Denver Area Sports Association welcomes and encourages everybody to join and participate. And more leagues are coming soon!

Retired Military Officers and Surgeons General, Vets, 19 States, and Others File Briefs Opposing the Trans Military Ban

A wide array of former military leaders, veterans’ and civil rights organizations, women’s groups, military scholars and historians, and states have gone on record opposing President Trump’s ongoing efforts to exclude transgender people from military service. Groups and individuals filed thirteen friend-of-the-court briefs supporting the plaintiffs in Doe v. Trump in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. The case was filed by the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) and GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD) and was the first lawsuit to challenge the Trump-Pence transgender military ban and secured the first preliminary injunction halting the ban while the case is heard in court. 
 
A friend-of-the-court brief is filed by non-parties to a case who have expertise to offer and a strong interest in the subject matter of the litigation.     
“Our nation’s most respected former military leaders are going on record to oppose this destructive and irrational ban. They are telling the court that excluding qualified individuals simply because they are transgender harms military recruitment and retention and contradicts foundational military values of loyalty, duty, respect, integrity and honor,” said NCLR Legal Director Shannon Minter.
“The briefs submitted by these experts explain why the transgender military ban weakens our present and future military. These also provide a historical lens, demonstrating that just like the ban on women in combat, and racial segregation of servicemembers, the transgender military ban must be relegated to the dustbin of history,” said GLAD Transgender Rights Project Director Jennifer Levi.
Key arguments include:

A compelling brief
from Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, Service Women’s Action Network, NYC Veterans Alliance and others, spotlights military heroes who would have been excluded from service if prior discriminatory regulations had remained in effect:
Consider where our military would be today if past categorical bans and limits on service had not been lifted. We would likely have seen no Gen. Colin Powell, the first African American chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. We would likely have seen no Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, the first female Air Force officer to venture into space as part of the crew of the space shuttle Endeavor. We would likely have seen no Brig. Gen. Tammy Smith, the first openly LGB general in U.S. Army history. And if the Transgender Ban is allowed to stand, we will likely never know what future heroes our country has passed over, including potentially the very plaintiffs in this case.
Another brief authored by the Truman Center, Minority Veterans of America, and others presents first-person accounts by servicemembers and veterans about how the diverse experiences of servicemembers strengthens the military, including this quote from a Marine veteran:
“The most effective units I saw were those that had people with different perspectives who could think about how to solve a problem in a way you never thought of. When I was in the Middle East I wanted a unit comprised of a variety of people, that way I knew that when a problem occurred, and one always occurred, we would be thinking about how to tackle it from all the angles.  All I, and my team cared about, was how do we solve the problem.”

Wally's Wiconsin Tavern - a Taste of Sheboygan in Downtown Denver!

The menu at Wally's Wisconsin Tavern is 100% inspired by owner James Weimann's Sheboygan upbringing. The white cheddar cheese curds are sourced straight from Wisconsin and the fish fry is walleye! 

Have a request for a favorite Wisconsin beer or dish? Let 'em know! The menu continues to evolve and grow. 

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.

Meet the Cast of Netflix's 'Westside'

 

Meet the cast of Westside, Netflix’s first ever unscripted music series, in this brand new featurette. The series follows the lives of nine young artists - including openly gay co-creator and star Sean Patrick Murray - struggling for success in today’s high-pressure music industry.

Nice to See StevieB: StevieB's Spooky Dream

By StevieB

I had a nightmare last night, fitting I guess for Halloween. It was the typical haunted house and scary ghost dream but, with a typical Steve perspective.
The plot of the dream was that my friend Carl had been left some property from a lost forgotten relative. It had an old Victorian mansion on the front of the property and pre-WWII warehouses along the back facing the river. The house had not been lived in for years and was famous for its paranormal activity.


Carl started out wanting to turn the warehouses into lofts and the house into the community’s office/visitors center. I stepped up and was eager to help clean up the old house but soon the effort stopped because of the many accidents, soon the work crews wouldn’t continue the project. This effort was also stopped because every day I moved forward in the rehab of the house the matriarch of the house would try to stop from the spirit world. My effort to help my friend Carl was also stopped because every day there was a parade of “ghost hunters” underfoot. A line of eager paranormal investigators ripping down the fresh plywood on the windows and breaking in to get their nerd on.

So, the dream wasn’t about ghosts, it really was about property management. Most of the dream was me cursing idiots under my breath as I once again used my Dewalt to screw the plywood back up over the first floor windows.

I woke up exhausted and sore from all the manual labor. I’m so glad it’s November.

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper - I'll Never Love Again

 

Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper released the official video for A Star Is Born’s “I’ll Never Love Again”

The official motion picture soundtrack to Warner Bros. Pictures, Live Nation Productions and Metro Goldwyn Pictures’ A Star Is Born has debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 with over 231,000 in equivalent album consumption units. Released via Interscope Records, the album makes this Lady Gaga’s fifth consecutive #1 album and puts her in the lead for the most #1 albums by a female artist this decade.

The soundtrack to A Star Is Born is available at all digital retailers HERE.

One Colorado: One week until Election Day

By Laura 'Pinky' Reinsch, Political Director, One Colorado 
 
We are one week away from Election Day 2018! It is too late to put your ballot in the mail, so make sure to drop it off or vote in person by 7pm on Tuesday, November 6th.

Click here to find your closest polling place or ballot drop box.*

As a voter this year, you'll be joined by millions of your fellow Coloradans in making your voice heard. Many contests will be so close that a small number of votes will determine the outcome.

One of those crucial votes could be yours -- but only if you're a voter.

Make sure you return your ballot by 7pm on Tuesday, November 6th. It is too late to put your ballot in the mail.

Dropping it off? Find a convenient ballot drop box at www.justvotecolorado.org.
Voting in person? Find your closest Voter Service and Polling Center at www.justvotecolorado.org.

Mark your calendar and save this email so you can refer back to it when you go vote!

If you have questions about voting, or need to update your voter registration, you can find all the information you need here.
 

PS: In case you missed it, here are our pro-equality candidate endorsements and our ballot measure recommendations.

Monday, October 29, 2018

The University of Colorado Denver presents The Denver Immersive Summit: Year One

The University of Colorado Denver presents The Denver Immersive Summit: Year One.
This one-day event promises to gather together over 200 immersive art and entertainment makers and producers, creators, educators, and inventors. From escape rooms and interactive theater to haunted houses, virtual reality, themed entertainment, and museums, the Denver Immersive Summit provides a unique networking and educational opportunity for Colorado creatives as well as educators, students, and fans interested in new media and entertainment.

“’Immersive’ is the catch-all term that is being used internationally to describe a new form of hybrid, creative and interdisciplinary forms of experience,” explains Summit co-organizer David Thomas. “Immersive is the thing that connects amazing work as diverse as the interactive art of Meow Wolf with the playful fantasy of Casa Bonita.

The event features a morning keynote by Noah J. Nelson, the founder and publisher of No Proscenium - the self-styled Guide to Everything Immersive. As a public media journalist, he’s covered the arts, technology, and politics beats for two decades. Mr. Nelson holds a Theatre Arts degree from San Francisco State University. In addition to helping organize the emerging immersive theatre and experiential arts community in Los Angeles, he co-produces the Immersive Design Summit and is helping to define the frontier where the immersive arts roam wild.

The closing keynote features Jenny Weinbloom, executive producer of Meow Wolf Denver’s new installation slated to open in 2020. Jenny has served as a producer, show writer and creative director on a number of projects including resort developments, theme park attractions, alternate reality games, permanent exhibitions, PR stunts, touring variety shows, immersive theatre including Sleep No More and the Speakeasy Society’s The Wild Party, themed nightlife for brands including the Radio City Rockettes, Barneys New York, Royal Enfield Motorcycles, 20th Century Fox, Nickelodeon, Royal Caribbean, Heineken, Red Bull, Celebrity Cruises, and more.

During the Summit, participants will enjoy topics such as a tech talk by special guest Paul Martin, Chief Technologist for VR at HP, a roundtable on what the Colorado immersive community needs to grow, and Immersive storytelling. The open range of topics is designed to encourage conversation about local opportunities. Hands-on workshops in immersive performance techniques and projection mapping put local talent in the spotlight, demonstrating their art and craft.

“We’re calling this year’s event Year Zero because we consider it the start of a conversation,” says CU professor and event co-organizer Jenny Filipetti. “Colorado is home to so much exciting immersive work. We see the Summit as an opportunity for creatives to connect the dots but also to bring the community under one roof so that we can start to ask: What’s important? What’s needed? What’s next? We’re thrilled to be working with an absolute all-star lineup of panelists, performers, and presenters on the region’s biggest day ever for immersive inspiration, resource sharing, and connecting!”

RiNo celebrates success of pop-up park

After several months of crowdfunding, fundraising, and volunteerism, RiNo celebrated the success of their pop-up park on Friday, Oct 26. The park, known as Boxyard Park, features a dog park, climbing wall, art, seating and tables, food trucks, and special event programming.
 
“We are beyond thrilled to finally have this park fill a void of public space in RiNo,” said RiNo Art District President, Jamie Giellis. “This park posed so many exciting opportunities to try something new and really engage with our community to make it a reality.”
Boxyard Park, which started with RiNo Resident Chris Riedl’s vision for an engaging community activation in the vacant flood catchment across from his condo, would not have been possible without community buy-in. The park is the product of community fundraising, local businesses donations, in-kind services and planning, and volunteer days.
“I always knew this area had such great potential and seeing it come to life has been such an amazing experience,” said Riedl. “We are so excited to deliver a place for the community and could not express our appreciation and gratitude enough to our sponsors who contributed and trusted us to bring this to fruition.”
During the initial four months of the park’s existence, visitors to the park enjoyed free outdoor yoga classes, various celebrations, art installations and exhibitions, poetry readings, classes, live music concerts, and a public space to relax amidst a sea of concrete in the once industrial district of North Denver. RiNo also partnered with the Denver Day Works to employ members of the homeless community to maintain the park.
“This park would not be possible without the blood, sweat, tears, and donations of this amazing community,” said RiNo community outreach director, Alye Sharp. “Our community joined together for this idea and came out to build this space from the ground up.”
The RiNo Art District hopes this pilot activation garners support from the City of Denver to adopt the park as an official part of the Parks and Recreation parks system. Presently, there are no public parks within the RiNo Art District boundaries, though one is slated to begin construction next year.
Party-goers enjoy free tacos from Comida
“Leveraging underutilized public areas supports Denver Parks & Recreation's mission to create dynamic spaces, programs, and amenities,” said Scott Gilmore, Deputy Executive Director of Denver Parks and Planning. “Boxyard Park is an excellent example of new and creative uses for publicly-owned spaces. As part of The Outdoor Downtown plan, we're committed to participating in partnerships that enable the community to activate areas that positively impact downtown neighborhoods.”
The park will remain popped-up until the end of November, at which time RiNo will request an extension to continue programming and activation of the space. For a full schedule of programs and list of sponsors, visit www.boxyardpark.com.

Denver's Largest Día de los Muertos Celebration to Happen with Procession in Art District on Santa Fe

During Denver Arts Week 2018, the Art District on Santa Fe (ADSF)—a nonprofit arts organization and Certified Creative District in Denver—is proud to introduce a Día de los Muertos celebration coinciding with the First Friday Art Walk on Friday, November 2, 2018.

The event is a collaboration between ADSF, Consulate General de Mexico in Denver, Museo de las Americas, Su Teatro, Colorado Ballet, CHAC Gallery, the Office of Councilman Paul D. López, Univision Colorado, and FOX31 with news partner Colorado’s Own Channel 2.

To commemorate, on Thursday, November 1, festivities kick off with a free screening of the film “Coco” hosted at Su Teatro Cultural & Performing Arts Center at 6:30 p.m.

On Friday, November 2, in addition to traditional First Friday Art Walk activities—with late-night access to hundreds of artists and exhibits among the galleries on Santa Fe Drive—there will also be Catrina face painting stations and community altars positioned throughout the district between CHAC Gallery and the Colorado Ballet. There will also be special performances at a variety of the large cultural institutions along the corridor.

The public is also invited to take part in a community procession honoring loved ones on Friday, November 2. The procession will begin at the corner of 9th and Galapago at 7 p.m. The walking route will continue north to 11th Avenue, head west to Santa Fe Drive, then south on Santa Fe Drive, ending at Museo de las Americas. The procession will end at the back patio of Museo de las Americas, where there will be a communal altar. Also at Museo, a Catrina costume contest will be held along with a closing celebration.

Throughout the evening of the First Friday Art Walk, images of loved ones will be projected outside on the exterior wall of Grace Gallery to honor those who have passed. The community is invited to upload images of loved ones and have their photos publicly displayed.

“Día de los Muertos is a tradition that is important to respect and celebrate the lives of loved ones who are not forgotten,” said Berenice Rendón-Talavera, Consul General of Mexico in Denver. “We’re honored to join the Art District on Santa Fe, Univision Colorado, Museo de las Americas, and many other partners on this significant event that ties together this neighborhood’s rich art and culture.”

Univision Colorado will be broadcasting its early news live at 5 p.m. from the Art District on Santa Fe. There will be coverage on FOX31 Morning News and Daybreak in the 8 a.m. hour on Tuesday. Anchor/Reporter Erika Gonzalez will be live at Friday's procession on Channel 2 News at 7 p.m. For commentary and event access, please reach out to the media contact below.

In addition, independent activities honoring Día de los Muertos will occur throughout the week at various locations. See denversartdistrict.org for a full list of events.

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association Joins the Miles of Love LGBTQ Travel Advocacy Forum in Hong Kong

November 2-5, LGBTQ activists and travel industry representatives will convene for a groundbreaking travel advocacy event in Hong Kong, host destination for the Gay Games in 2022. IGLTA President/CEO John Tanzella and IGLTA Board Member Shiho Ikeuchi are among the 30 diverse speakers from 15 countries that will address the Miles of Love conference attendees at the Eaton Hotel.

Set to coincide with Hong Kong’s annual Pink Season LGBTQ festival, Miles of Love will explore how the travel industry can work with LGBTQ communities and activists globally to bridge the gap between human rights and travel. Planet Ally and All Out are hosting the event.


“IGLTA is proud to support Miles of Love, “ said John Tanzella, IGLTA President/CEO, who will deliver a keynote address at the conference and host a business networking session for local tourism professionals on the last day. “We are dedicated to strengthening ties in the region and sharing our resources to help create greater understanding of the LGBTQ travel community. At Miles of Love, I’ll focus on the work of our philanthropic IGLTA Foundation and the ways in which it supports LGBTQ-owned businesses in emerging destinations and industry education.”

Plenary sessions will feature Asia-based travel industry representatives outlining their work to create more inclusive businesses and LGBTQ activists from Asia and the Middle East assessing tourism’s impact on the road to equality. Also in the speaker lineup are: Fern Ngai, CEO, Community Business; Kimahli Powell, Director, Rainbow Railroad; Marissa Howarth, Consul, Australian Consulate-General, Hong Kong; and queer/women’s rights activists Pussy Riot. Cambodia’s first gay dance company, Prumsodun Ok & NATYARASA, will perform at the opening reception.

“The conversations that will happen at Miles of Love are long overdue,” said Bess Hepworth, founder of Planet Ally and lead organizer of the conference, which also includes LGBTQ training sessions for businesses. “I believe that this dialogue will be a key driver in opening new collaborations that will drive both business success and the achievement of safety and dignity for LGBTQ people.”

Friday, October 26, 2018

Care for Colorado – Are You Colo-Ready?

 

A clueless hiker, critters posing for food and a musical moose/bear duo are the latest cast of characters enlisted by the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) to reduce the impact of travelers on Colorado resources.

In the latest expression of its partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, the CTO produced a 2 1/2-minute animated video with an edgy jingle and vibe that takes viewers through the seven Leave No Trace – Care for Colorado Principles.

“We hope travelers find this video as funny and catchy as we do, but most of all, we hope they take to heart the important messages it shares, like ‘be careful with fire’ and ‘keep wildlife wild.’” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter.

The new, animated video is posted on Colorado.com and will be popping up on the CTO’s social media outlets, along with a fun “Are You Colo-Ready?” quiz to test viewers’ knowledge of the seven Care for Colorado Principles.

“The video does excellent work to cover the basic and sometimes overlooked ways people can protect the natural world when they’re enjoying it. Practicing Leave No Trace is easy when everyone has the information they need. I look forward to seeing this video go far and wide,” according to Dana Watts, Leave No Trace’s Executive Director.

Colorado last October became the first state in the nation to partner with Leave No Trace. Based in Boulder, the nonprofit organization also has strategic partnerships with the primary federal land agencies and major outdoor retailers as well as Subaru.

The unique partnership stemmed from CTO’s work in developing the Colorado Tourism Roadmap, a statewide strategic plan to build the Colorado tourism industry’s competitive advantage. Based on concerns expressed in more than 20 face-to-face listening sessions across the state, the CTO established Steward as one of the plan’s four pillars.

As part of its responsible tourism initiative, the CTO actively encourages travelers to explore off-peak seasons and less-visited destinations, while inspiring them to travel like locals, engage in “voluntourism” and support causes dear to Coloradans.

LGBTQ Films Win Big at NBC’s Short Film Fest

Last night, the 13th Annual NBCUniversal SHORT FILM FESTIVAL, which celebrates diverse stories while finding the next generation of storytellers, honored its six finalist films and filmmakers with a finale screening and awards ceremony at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood.

Comedian-actor Zainab Johnson (“Late Night with Seth Meyers,” HBO’s “All Def Comedy”) kicked off the evening with screenings of the six finalist shorts, “B.U.T.S: Spanish Class,” “Kyenvu,” “Masks,” “Monday,” “Rani” and “We Know Where You Live,” before an audience of industry professionals including network, cable and film executives as well as managers, producers and agents.

Presenters Melissa Barrera (“Vida”), Melissa Fumero (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”), Akbar Gbajabiamila (“American Ninja Warrior”), Joseph Lee (“Searching”), Lyric Lewis (“A.P. Bio”), Trace Lysette (“Midnight, Texas,” Transparent”), writer-producer Kay Oyegun (“This Is Us”), Tess Paras (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Claudia Puig (President, Los Angeles Film Critics Association), Bernardo Saracino (“Midnight, Texas”), Mary Sohn (“A.P. Bio”), Kellee Stewart (“Midnight, Texas”), writer-director David E. Talbert ( “Almost Christmas”) and Wilmer Valderrama (“NCIS,” HARNESS co-founder) handed out awards in nine categories including Outstanding Drama, Outstanding Comedy, Outstanding Director, Outstanding Writer, Outstanding Actor, the Next Generation Filmmaker Award, the HARNESS Social Impact Award, Critics’ Choice Award and the Audience Award.

“Last night’s finale was a phenomenal showcase of the next generation of storytellers. The overwhelmingly enthusiastic response from the audience reinforces that there are many undiscovered, talented voices whose stories already have an audience eager for fresh perspectives,” said Karen Horne, SVP of Programming Talent Development & Inclusion, NBC Entertainment and Universal Television. “I’m proud that over the past 13 years, our short film festival has not only celebrated those voices, but advocated for them beyond the festival to provide them with opportunities in the industry.”