Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Denver Votes 2019: It Starts Here
Ok, Denver voters, you will receive your mail ballot for Denver's Municipal Run-off Election this week. If you care about any one of these important issues facing Denver, you'll be sure to cast your vote. Not only does it impact all of us locally, but local issues have a tendency to ramp up nationally.
April Showers Bring May….. KITTENS!
This spring, help save the lives of cats and kittens in need!
As the cold, snowy days move farther out of sight, and the warmer weather draws near, there is an abundant sense of excitement and joy that accompanies these sunny spring days. But did you know that May also marks the beginning of “kitten season?” From early spring until late fall each year, there is a significant rise in birth rates for stray and feral cats – further contributing to cat overpopulation and growing the number of homeless felines that face life on the streets.
At The Feline Fix, we perform spay and neuter surgeries on thousands of feral cats each year, preventing countless unwanted cats from being born on the streets. To date, we have spayed or neutered more than 40,000 underserved cats. In addition, we socialize and find loving, forever homes for more than 200 kittens each year through our foster and adoption programs, providing second chances and bright futures.
At The Feline Fix, we exist to champion the welfare of ALL cats, especially the most vulnerable. We envision a world where cats live a life free from suffering. Your generous and compassionate support today will help us move closer toward that goal, and will save the lives of the cats that need us most this kitten season.
Thank you for your kindness!
Exile 7 Fetish Ball: Call for Performers / Vendors / Photographers
Pre-sale tickets are still only $10 on sale now and at Sol Tribe Tattoo & Piercing (56 North Broadway, Denver). Clothes check will be available at the event. Get it on your calendar and watch out for more information soon.
If you’re interested in being a performer, vendor, sponsor, or photographer, complete an application here.
Get in the (Gypsy Jazz) Swing of Things with LAPOMPE!
The special event will feature a chance to win a full merch bundle from LAPOMPE, swing dance lessons from Swingin’ Denver, and a full ten-track playthru of LAPOMPEs new album, Passages. Fans new and old will experience the bands diverse and meticulously crafted collection of whip-fast gypsy jazz and swing tunes, evocative blues numbers, and soft ballads from the album.
Says the band, "After having a chance to debut our new material in front of local audiences across the Front Range, we couldn't be more excited to bring it all home to Union Station in the heart of Denver to celebrate the national release of our new album "Passages." Union Station's unique place as a cross section of historic and modern Denver mirrors our own journey, taking a musical genre steeped in history and infusing it with our own voice. On June 4th we will be showcasing our compositions, in addition to a free swing dance lesson by Swingin' Denver, who have been supporters of ours since the very beginning."
OUT on DVD/VOD: Everything is Free
Alvarez’s sophomore directorial venture following his successful TV series The Gay and Wondrous Life of Caleb Gallo,
Everything Is Free will open theatrically in Los Angeles just in time
for Pride Month, followed by a DVD & VOD release on June 11. Breaking
Glass acquired rights to the film in May in a deal negotiated between
Breaking Glass CEO Rich Wolff and Executive Producer Justin Berns on
behalf of the film.
Everything Is Free held its World Premiere at Frameline 42. The film stars Alvarez
alongside indie darling Peter Vack (“I Believe in Unicors”, “CBGB”),
Morgan Krantz, (CW’s The Dark), perpetual scene-stealer genderqueer actor Jason Greene (perhaps better known as Aunt Freckle), Danièle Watts (Weeds),
and Bruce Bundy (“The Hunger Games”). Producers include Brian Jordan
Alvarez, Peter Vack, Daniele Watts and Morgan Krantz, with Justin Berns
as the sole executive producer.
“Writer/Director/Star
Alvarez brings a smoldering tale of sexual tension in his new film
about a man’s lust for the brother of his best friend”, said Richard
Ross, Co-President of Breaking Glass. “Smart, sexy and thoroughly
entertaining.”
Ivan
is an American painter residing in Colombia. He is visited by his best
friend, Christian, along with his younger brother, Cole. Somewhere along
the way, Ivan and Cole hit it off although Cole is not gay (so he
says). Will older brother Christian be okay with that? As they say, true
love conquers all, even if it takes years…
“I
am so grateful to finally share this movie with the world”, said
Alvarez. “There were times when I thought it would never get made. We've
been working on it for years, and the people in it and the people who
helped me make it mean the world to me; I dedicate the film to them. “
Del. Danica Roem’s GOP Challenger Compares Same-Sex Marriage and Abortion to Slavery, Opposes LGBTQ+ Child Adoption
Kelly McGinn, the Republican challenger to Delegate Danica Roem in HD-13, has an extremely hostile public policy record toward LGBTQ+ Virginians in line with former Del. Bob Marshall, calling LGBTQ+ couples adopting children “absurd” and “irrational” and marriage equality “morally repugnant.”
In 2011, McGinn submitted written public testimony in opposition to a proposed regulation change that would prohibit private adoption agencies from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, age, or family status in child placement. She called the proposal “absurd” and “irrational,” writing, “although redefining family, marriage, and parenthood has become a national obsession, one man and one woman joined in marriage remain the most successful paradigmatic family in which to place a child.”
In the same testimony, McGinn called LGBTQ+ adoption “a social experiment on our children.”
McGinn similarly displayed her opposition to LGBTQ+ parenthood when she liked a tweet calling HB1979 “harmful to children.”HB1979, known as Jacob’s Law, clarifies and streamlines parental rights for LGBTQ+ parents whose children are born through surrogacy. The bill was named after a child named Jacob, who was born though surrogacy to a gay couple in Northern Virginia, and it passed with bipartisan support in 2019, including unanimous support from House and Senate Democrats.
McGinn also signed a letter condemning Catholic politicians who support marriage equality, embryonic stem cell research and reproductive freedom. The letter explicitly compares marriage equality, stem cell research and abortion to slavery, stating, “The slave trade coarsened the British people, the British ruling class, and British public life. In precisely the same way, abortion and other issues have coarsened our public life, and have poisoned American political discourse and our politics.” She added, “If Catholic politicians advocated segregation or — even worse — slavery, would there be a call for civility towards them?”
The letter that McGinn signed also states, “The lack of public civility comes not from pro-lifers but from these Catholic politicians who support the right to kill innocent life in the womb and those who support defining man-woman marriage out of existence,” and criticizes these “morally repugnant practices that run counter to the common good and that should be unwelcome in a just or even polite society.”
This year, McGinn used transphobia to explain her public opposition to ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, saying the ERA“does not even mention the word ‘woman’ or ‘women,’ referring only to equality of rights on account of ‘sex,’ a term which enjoyed a common understanding in 1972 – a man or a woman – but does not in 2019.”
“Republicans may say they aren’t going to personally attack Delegate Roem in this campaign but Kelly McGinn’s public hostility toward LGBTQ+ adoption and marriage equality is a personal attack on every LGBTQ+ Virginian. Do Virginia House Republicans agree with McGinn’s anti-LGBTQ+ comments?” said House Democratic Caucus Executive Director Trevor Southerland, referencing a recent Washington Post article that notes, “Republicans are steering clear of personal attacks” on Delegate Roem.
Southerland continued, “What makes McGinn’s anti-LGBTQ+ remarks even more disturbing is that she said them publicly with the express intention of influencing policy. It seems she is determined to replace former HD-13 Delegate Bob Marshall as Virginia’s ‘chief homophobe.’ Just like Marshall, while McGinn enters the race with a history of regressive and discriminatory public policy positions, Delegate Roem will continue to focus on kitchen-table issues affecting western Prince William County and Manassas Park, like fixing Route 28, expanding health care coverage, ending school meal debt shaming and increasing government accountability.”
In 2011, McGinn submitted written public testimony in opposition to a proposed regulation change that would prohibit private adoption agencies from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation, age, or family status in child placement. She called the proposal “absurd” and “irrational,” writing, “although redefining family, marriage, and parenthood has become a national obsession, one man and one woman joined in marriage remain the most successful paradigmatic family in which to place a child.”
In the same testimony, McGinn called LGBTQ+ adoption “a social experiment on our children.”
McGinn similarly displayed her opposition to LGBTQ+ parenthood when she liked a tweet calling HB1979 “harmful to children.”HB1979, known as Jacob’s Law, clarifies and streamlines parental rights for LGBTQ+ parents whose children are born through surrogacy. The bill was named after a child named Jacob, who was born though surrogacy to a gay couple in Northern Virginia, and it passed with bipartisan support in 2019, including unanimous support from House and Senate Democrats.
McGinn also signed a letter condemning Catholic politicians who support marriage equality, embryonic stem cell research and reproductive freedom. The letter explicitly compares marriage equality, stem cell research and abortion to slavery, stating, “The slave trade coarsened the British people, the British ruling class, and British public life. In precisely the same way, abortion and other issues have coarsened our public life, and have poisoned American political discourse and our politics.” She added, “If Catholic politicians advocated segregation or — even worse — slavery, would there be a call for civility towards them?”
The letter that McGinn signed also states, “The lack of public civility comes not from pro-lifers but from these Catholic politicians who support the right to kill innocent life in the womb and those who support defining man-woman marriage out of existence,” and criticizes these “morally repugnant practices that run counter to the common good and that should be unwelcome in a just or even polite society.”
This year, McGinn used transphobia to explain her public opposition to ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, saying the ERA“does not even mention the word ‘woman’ or ‘women,’ referring only to equality of rights on account of ‘sex,’ a term which enjoyed a common understanding in 1972 – a man or a woman – but does not in 2019.”
“Republicans may say they aren’t going to personally attack Delegate Roem in this campaign but Kelly McGinn’s public hostility toward LGBTQ+ adoption and marriage equality is a personal attack on every LGBTQ+ Virginian. Do Virginia House Republicans agree with McGinn’s anti-LGBTQ+ comments?” said House Democratic Caucus Executive Director Trevor Southerland, referencing a recent Washington Post article that notes, “Republicans are steering clear of personal attacks” on Delegate Roem.
Southerland continued, “What makes McGinn’s anti-LGBTQ+ remarks even more disturbing is that she said them publicly with the express intention of influencing policy. It seems she is determined to replace former HD-13 Delegate Bob Marshall as Virginia’s ‘chief homophobe.’ Just like Marshall, while McGinn enters the race with a history of regressive and discriminatory public policy positions, Delegate Roem will continue to focus on kitchen-table issues affecting western Prince William County and Manassas Park, like fixing Route 28, expanding health care coverage, ending school meal debt shaming and increasing government accountability.”
One Colorado's 14th annual Pink Party is less than a month away!
By Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado
One Colorado's 14th annual Pink Party — pride weekend's premier dance fundraiser — is less than a month away! Grab your tickets TODAY starting at $50 for entry into the party and $70 for entry into the party and Tracks.
Featuring an open bar, music, a photo booth, plenty of entertainment, and lots of special guests, this year's Pink Party is the place to celebrate pride in Denver this summer.
Every ticket purchase goes towards our work to elect pro-equality candidates — so get your tickets now and come party with a purpose!
And don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook to get all the updates!
Kat Cunning - Birds
Today, singer, songwriter and actor, KAT CUNNING released the music video for her single, “Birds” Watch HERE This video is a queer collaboration between KAT, Mi Legget from OFFICIAL REBRAND and Cinematographer Maddie Talias.
“I put a status up on Facebook looking for a cinematographer that would be passionate about capturing the queer community honestly. A handful of people recommended Maddy Talias, who I am very lucky to say, was crazy enough to help me bring this video to life. We made a handful of impulsive decisions - choreographed a last minute phrase, threw some tulle over my head for a one-shot, and ran in circles around the space like little kids.”
The costumes were a collaboration with Mi Leggett (OFFICIAL REBRAND) and inspired by the space and movement of the video.
“The song is about birds pecking at you - thoughts that keep you up at night... the arresting feeling that you can’t and won’t ever fit in. That feeling has been very amplified for me when I was in school. In college, I used to dip class and walk to the empty auditoriums to sing the blues. Singing was sort of like yelling louder than the voices in my head. Singing and dancing have always brought me that sense of belonging and solace. I wanted us to look like the freaks in school that a lot of us were. Degenerates that bite their nails all through math to leave at the bell and dance more freely, sing more loudly and speak more clearly than the structures that hold us back.”
Tuesday, May 21, 2019
DNC: Senator Gardner Parades as Pro-LGBTQ to Raise Money, But Fails To Advocate For Equality
Gardner, along with other vulnerable GOP senators, took money from a conservative LGBTQ rights group despite his record of opposing pro-LGBTQ legislation.
Colorado Times Recorder: “Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner was one of three swing-state Republican senators to receive money from a fundraiser hosted by American Unity Fund (AUF), a conservative LGBTQ rights group. First reported by North Carolina conservative blog the Daily Haymaker, AUF hosted the $250 per person event on Tuesday at the Washington D.C. office of Hogan Lovells, a white shoe law firm with a large Denver presence.”
Gardner received one of the lowest scores from the Human Rights Campaign, but got a perfect score of 100 from the anti-LGBTQ Family Research Council.
Human Rights Campaign: In the HRC’s 114th Congressional Scorecard, Gardner received a score of 16, having failed to support seven out of eight pro-LGBTQ legislation, including the Equality Act.
Family Research Council: Meanwhile, the anti-LGBTQ organization Family Research Council gave Gardner a perfect score for voting for Sam Brownback to become the Ambassador-at-Large to the Office of International Religious Freedom in the Department of State despite Brownback’s long record of opposing LGBTQ rights.
Gardner’s anti-LGBTQ stance is out of step with Colorado voters, who overwhelmingly support LGBTQ rights.
Public Religion Research Institute: According to a 2018 survey, 72% of Coloradans support nondiscrimination protection for LGBTQ people, one of the highest levels of support in the country.
After the Democratic-led House passed the Equality Act, it’s unclear if Mitch McConnell will bring the legislation up for a vote, and Gardner has been silent on the issue.
Washington Post: “As Democrats cheered and applauded, the bill passed 236-to-173, with eight Republicans breaking ranks and joining all Democrats in backing the measure. It is unlikely to get a vote in the Republican-led Senate, and the White House has signaled President Trump would veto the measure if it ever reached his desk.”
Breckenridge International Festival of Arts Celebrates Fifth Year
Inspired by themes of environment and mountain culture, the 10-day festival brings together a variety of performances, exhibitions, screenings, workshops, talks and surprise collaborations, with an eclectic mix of music, dance, film, visual arts and family entertainment. Dozens of scheduled events, indoors and outdoors, ticketed and free, are showcased at venues and sites throughout town.
The 2019 festival features a variety of eco-minded performances and exhibitions, including new commissions by Rotterdam-based Sicilian artist Giuseppe Licari, American art collective The Canary Project (Susannah Sayler and Edward Morris) and Danish artist and designer Thomas Dambo who returns to Breckenridge to create a new wooden troll sculpture. In addition to outdoor installations, trailside concerts and open-air cinematic events, BIFA will also present transcontinental rockers DeVotchKa in support of their new album, multimedia artist DJ Spooky (Paul D. Miller) in a musical exploration of geological phenomena, and renowned vertical dance company BANDALOOP in a series of site- reactive performances in and around town.
Along with an eclectic mix of national and international creatives, the festival also showcases visual and performing artists from throughout the region and state, including Gretchen Marie Schaefer, Tara Rynders, Cortney McGuire, Jess Webb, Chimney Choir, Russick Smith, Kevin Larkin, Karen Lauffer, Jess Rose, Patrick O’Halloran, Kenn Lee, Beau Thomas, Leon Joseph Littlebird, Nina Waters, DeWater & Wagner, and many more.
Additionally, the Breckenridge Arts District once again serves as the heart of BIFA, bringing together studios, galleries, performance spaces, public art and historic landmarks that animate and populate a vibrant cultural corridor in downtown Breckenridge. Throughout the festival, the Arts District’s campus becomes an interactive hub of creativity, offering free workshops, demonstrations, artist talks and hands-on activities for all ages.
Juxtaposed with so much lighthearted play, this year’s festival also promises a series of ecological artworks and experiences to inspire a range of thought-provoking responses—from reflecting on how our interaction with the environment affects humankind, to environmental activism as an expression of patriotism.
“Like many of the works we have presented at BIFA in the past, our ecological series can be appreciated on a purely aesthetic level, because it will transform the landscape with the kinds of awe-inspiring spectacles our 10-day summer festival is known for,” said Robb Woulfe, President and CEO of Breckenridge Creative Arts, the event’s producer. “However, for those who wish to dig deeper, these works will also provide a jumping off point for contemplations—and ecological action—concerning our role in nature.”
OUT on DVD/VOD: Before Homosexuals
Trailer "Before Homosexuals: From Ancient Times to Victorian Crimes" from After Stonewall Productions on Vimeo.
John Scagliotti, producer of the landmark films Before Stonewall and After Stonewall, guides us in a wondrous tour of erotic history, poetry and visual art in his new documentary on same-sex desire – from ancient times to Victorian crimes - in Before Homosexuals, available on DVD, iTunes and Amazon VOD June 11.
Traveling all over the world and talking with dozens of experts on history, art and sexuality, he revels in lesbian love spells from ancient Rome, censored chapters of the Kamasutra, Native American two-spirit rituals and much more.
A prequel to Before Stonewall (which is being released theatrically this June in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots), Before Homosexuals unearths the diverse and fascinating garden of human same-sexual desire.
Heather Strange - Ruthless
Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and artist Chris Kittrell has released the debut music video for his new project, Heather Strange. The track, "Ruthless," is available now and is produced by Dave Sitek (TVOTR, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Jay-Z & Beyoncé) and Christopher Hines.
Of the track, Chris says: "I wrote 'Ruthless' at a low point in my life. I had insecurities and doubts about where I was going, and the world around me. It was rough, but I kept holding on and pushing myself forward, creating music and art. Perseverance is so important. If you hold on and put energy into the things you love, life will balance out."
Monday, May 20, 2019
One Colorado: Historic Bill Signings Announced!
By Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado
Exciting
news! Both Jude's Law and the bill to ban conversion therapy have
passed out of the Colorado General Assembly and are heading to the
Governor's desk to be signed! We will be having a public bill signing
on the West Steps of the Colorado Capitol to celebrate this momentous
day for LGBTQ Coloradans and we would love to see you there!
Where: West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol, 200 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203
Where: West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol, 200 E Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203
When: Friday, May 31st at 9:30 am
We
are so excited to see you there. Please feel free to bring your family
and friends as this will be an exciting celebration for all! Sign up to join us here. Share with your friends on Facebook here.
The Gay Vegans: We Love Women and We Vote
I can’t say that I am surprised with the news from Georgia and Alabama. I’m not. Straight, white, male bigots in office who want power over women. The new laws have nothing to do with abortion or some supposed love of life.
I am outraged. And sad for the many women these laws affect, both directly and indirectly.
The purpose of this post is to stand up for women and to ask once again for people to vote. To vote, to speak out, to write letters and emails. We cannot idly sit by. We haven’t been able to for some time, and things keep getting worse.
Take an action today.
There is a lot online about boycotts, and those tend to hurt communities that are with us. Polling I have read shows that there is not a majority of support for these bills in either state. The problem is not with those who live in these states, it’s with those in political power in these states.
Take an action today.
Support women.
And please realize that this is just the beginning. These politicians aren’t going anywhere (unless more of us vote) and they are not changing their minds. They want Roe v Wade overturned, and many of them believe doing this at the state level gets them to the Supreme Court.
Take an action today. This is not a drill.
Rilès - Against The Clock
'Against The Clock' deals with my relationship with Time. How I had to do and make everything by myself at the expense of my own physical and mental health. For a long time, I was not surrounded by the right people, which resulted in my introverted relationship with my craft. And when you're alone and you feel like you've reached your limits, you can't help but just run against the clock that sits in your mind and tells you to quit," Rilès.
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