MTV to feature first sexually fluid cast on “Are You the One?”

MTV, is set to premiere the first sexually fluid reality dating competition show in the United States. Hosted by Terrence J., the new season of “Are You The One?” will premiere Wednesday, June 26th.

In “Are You The One?’s” signature format, 16 singles head off to Hawaii in hopes of finding their “perfect match” and splitting a $1 million cash prize. For the first time ever, all the singles identify as sexually fluid, meaning there are no gender limitations in perfect matches, and finding love is fair game.

This season introduces Dr. Frankie, a relationship expert who works with the singles to help them become better daters and navigate between drama, poor choices and reoccurring patterns in relationships. Dr. Frankie also helps the singles identify current disaster-dating trends such as ghosting, benching and stashing, and tests them on their willingness to fall into these painful trends.

Host Terrence J. digs deeper with the cast than ever before, helping coach and guide them to tap into their true feelings and follow their hearts.

From coming out moments, to discovering sexual and gender identity, “Are You The One?” tells powerful stories about navigating relationships and finding love as a sexually fluid individual for the first time ever on a reality dating show.

Key West to Join WorldPride NYC/Stonewall 50 Celebrations

The Florida Keys & Key West tourism council and the Key West Business Guild plan to showcase the inclusive spirit of the subtropical LGBTQ visitor destination in New York City’s WorldPride March and PrideFest street festival slated for Sunday, June 30.


New York City’s 2019 Pride is to take place in conjunction with the first WorldPride celebration held in the United States, and millions of revelers are expected to attend. The 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising also is to be commemorated in the event known as WorldPride NYC/Stonewall 50, with activities scheduled throughout June.

The Pride March is to feature a Keys contingent carrying a 100-foot section of the 1.25-mile “sea-to-sea” pride flag fabricated by the late rainbow flag creator Gilbert Baker. Baker and his assistants spent three months in Key West in 2003 sewing about 17,600 linear yards of fabric into the rainbow banner that was unfurled along Key West’s Duval Street from the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean on June 15, 2003. The event marked the 25th anniversary of his creation.

WorldPride march participants carrying the flag are to include current and former Keys residents, their friends and families from across the U.S.

“We look forward to showing that Key West is one of the leading destinations to visit by displaying one of the most iconic pieces of history to be created for the LGBTQ community,” said Alan Beaubien, president of the guild’s board of directors.

Welcoming some 300,000 LGBTQ visitors each year, Key West lies at the tip of the Florida Keys island chain and is renowned for its inclusive recognition that all people are created equal. The philosophy was epitomized by the famed One Human Family initiative created by local artist J.T. Thompson. After Key West city commissioners adopted the One Human Family motto for the city in 2000, Florida Keys officials embraced it for the entire 125-mile-long string of islands.

The PrideFest street festival is slated for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday along Fourth Avenue from Union Square to Astor Place. The Florida Keys & Key West booth is to feature Keys giveaways and information on vacationing in the environmentally and culturally rich destination.

“It is important to be present at this historic moment to remind everyone that our islands serve as a place free from judgment for LGBTQ visitors and residents alike,” said Guy Ross, the tourism council’s LGBTQ sales manager. “By participating in WorldPride 2019, we can showcase why we remain such a special, much-loved and much-celebrated destination.”

One Colorado: Are you ready for Pride Month?

By Sheena Kadi, Deputy Director, One Colorado 

It's my favorite time of year - Pride Season! It's a whirlwind of events, connecting with friends, celebrating our successes, protesting the injustices that our community still faces - all wrapped up in music, decorated with rainbows, and covered in glitter.
This year is extra special in Colorado as we celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall with our country's first openly gay Governor, Jared Polis, and our state's first First Gentleman, Marlon Reis. This Pride Season is jam-packed with events. Whether you are a long-time supporter, or this is your first Pride, I hope to see you at one of these events soon! 

P.S. Friday at 9:30 AM, Governor Jared Polis will be signing two landmark pieces of LGBTQ legislation into law. Come join us for this historic day at the Colorado State Capitol! 

Lauv Unveils 'Drugs & The Internet (Stripped - A One Take Vibe)'

 

Lauv has unveiled his new track and music video for “Drugs & The Internet.”  The song marks the first release from the singers highly anticipated debut album titled ~how i'm feeling~, which will see him continuously rolling out singles before its release. The video, directed by Jenna Marsh (Nicki Minaj, Kanye West) sees Lauv getting pulled from reality into a digital universe. He gets trapped and loses himself to the overwhelming stimulus of a world where the internet gets brought to life.

Speaking about the meaning behind the song and video, Lauv said, "I wrote Drugs & The Internet at a time I was struggling with feelings of extreme emptiness and depression. I wrote it as a sort of self-analysis for my obsession with the way I wanted to present myself to the world — a commentary on the world we live today. It is as much self-deprecating as it is serious and sad. It flew out of me in an hour. It felt more therapeutic than any song I’d written before. As the first song off of my album ~how i’m feeling~, it is the perfect entrance into the next phase of my life and music. I am more proud of this song and video than anything i have ever created in my life, and I’m so excited that it’s yours now."

One Colorado: Join us at the launch of new LGBTQ Health Report

By Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado

Have you signed up for our launch event of Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health on Monday, June 3rd? It's not too late!

We've made so progress in public policy since 2011, yet LGBTQ Coloradans still experience worse health mental and behavioral health outcomes, higher rates of harassment and discrimination, and greater barriers accessing competent and inclusive care. There is much more work to do.

Will you join join us on Monday, June 3rd, from 5:30 - 7 PM at Mile High United Way for the launch? You can register here.

At the launch, we’ll talk about the report’s findings and discuss actionable recommendations for health systems, policy makers, health providers, advocacy and service organizations, and community members to make this state a safer, healthier place for all LGBTQ Coloradans and their families. We can’t do it without you.

Nice to See StevieB: Al Fresco

By StevieB,

Well, this is a turning point my friends. Summer starts, and I begin to demand that I only eat out on restaurant patios. This demand is placed upon all friends that ask "where do you want to eat?" Last Friday Jimmy was able to oblige and we ate al fresco at the very tasty Uno Mas, on Denver’s famous 6th Avenue.

This was followed by my first visit to a Denver gay bar in just about three years. I know, it boggles my mind too. Daddy’s on Sixth was a great "Friday after work" kind of place. They also had a patio.

Saturday brought a long hike around Dillon reservoir, followed by a sunshine filled lunch. Sunday Brunch was Syrup on City Park, where my stunning date and I, sat in the sunshine and ate coconut French toast.

So if Memorial Day is any indication of how the Summer May create itself, then it may just be a great summer.

Kenya High Court Rules that Decriminalizing Same-Sex Relations Contradicts Constitutional Values

Last week, Kenya’s High Court ruled to maintain Sections 162 and 165 of the penal code, relics of the colonial era, which prohibit same-sex sexual activity or “carnal knowledge against the order of nature”, and prescribe a jail sentence of up to 14 years for those found guilty. The key argument, which stands in stark opposition to international human rights standards and recent verdicts from other jurisdictions, centered around the fundamental importance of family, as defined by marriage between people of the opposite sex, and argued that decriminalization of same-sex activity would lead to same-sex marriage.

The case challenging this law was initiated in Nairobi by the National Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, the Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK), and the Nyanza, Rift Valley and Western Kenya Network (NYARWEK). Together with other partners, they argued that the laws stand in breach of the assurance of protection from discrimination and the right to human dignity and privacy for all prescribed in the country’s constitution.

In a ruling that lasted almost two hours and quoted both international case law and national provisions protecting the family, culture and religion, Justice Aburili, Justice Mativo and Justice Mwita stated that the contested provisions do not target a specific group of people, but rather “any person”, and therefore cannot be considered discriminatory. Furthermore, the judges argued that Sections 162 and Sections 165 do not violate the right to dignity or privacy of LGBTIQ individuals. Ultimately the petition to declare these colonial-era laws unconstitutional was dismissed on the grounds that “decriminalizing same-sex sex would contradict the provisions of article 45 sub-article 2”, which defines marriage as between persons of the opposite sex and “would indirectly open the door to same-sex unions" which “would be against values of the constitution”.

Njeri Gateru, NGLHRC’s Executive Director, commented on the negative ruling, saying, “The continued existence of these long outdated laws gives a green light for harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ people. The ruling issued today is a horrific reminder of this. It establishes once again that LGBTQ people in Kenya are not only second-class citizens, but even criminals, merely for loving whom we love. We are extremely disappointed with the ruling today, but it will not stop us from continuing our struggle for recognition, tolerance, and respect, because #WeAreAllKenyans and #LoveIsHuman,”

Jessica Stern, Executive Director of OutRight Action International, responded to the Kenyan decision with the following statement: 

“The argument of the High Court of Kenya is flawed. Dismissing a petition to decriminalize same-sex sexual activity because it may indirectly open the door to petitions for equal marriage fails to consider the case at-hand in favor of an arbitrary future, which, frankly, is absurd. In doing so, the High Court has re-established, in the harshest terms, that human rights for LGBTIQ people are conditional. This gives the green light for discrimination, harassment, and violence. The defense of a colonial era law puts the Kenyan High Court out-of-step with the cutting edge jurisdiction globally, including the wave of decriminalization verdicts around the world from Belize to Trinidad & Tobago, to India most recently. We eagerly await the day LGBTIQ Kenyans truly get their day in court. Eventually, LGBTIQ Kenyans will prevail.”

DNC: Trump Attacks LGBTQ People on the Eve of Pride Month

For the first two years of his presidency, Donald Trump has refused to recognize the month of June as LGBTQ Pride Month. This year, he’s chosen to roll out a series of new policy proposals to dismantle nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people — while attempting to profit off newly issued “LGBTQ for Trump” Pride gear.

These policies -- which specifically threaten the lives of trans people -- prove what we’ve already known: Trump thinks LGBTQ Americans are second-class citizens unworthy of protection.

Today, the Trump administration proposed a new rule to remove gender identity from nondiscrimination protections in federally funded health care, a move that would allow providers to deny care for trans people.

Wall Street Journal: “The Trump administration on Friday moved to roll back health-care protections for transgender patients by replacing an Obama-era policy that expanded nondiscrimination guidelines. The proposal is part of a broader effort by the administration to curb protections for people whose personal identity or gender doesn’t conform to their birth sex.”

Wall Street Journal: “The current rule offers gender-identity protections for the 1.4 million transgender adults and 150,000 transgender teens aged 13 to 17 in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute, a research group at the University of California, Los Angeles Law School that studies sexual orientation and gender-identity policy.”

Earlier this week, the Trump administration also announced a separate proposal to reverse the Equal Access Rule in public housing, allowing homeless shelters to deny housing to trans people.

CBS News: “The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced a new rule proposal on Wednesday that would roll back Obama-era protections for transgender people living in homeless shelters. Housing and anti-discrimination groups are concerned the new rule would allow shelter owners or managers to bar transgender people from entry based on religious beliefs. It could also force transgender women to share bathrooms and bedrooms with men, and vice-versa.”

National Center for Transgender Equality: “One in five transgender individuals have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Family rejection and discrimination and violence have contributed to a large number of transgender and other LGBQ-identified youth who are homeless in the United States – an estimated 20-40% of the more than 1.6 million homeless youth.”

New reporting today revealed the White House is finalizing a policy to allow discrimination against same-sex couples by adoption agencies.

Axios: “Obama banned adoption and foster-care agencies from receiving federal funding if they refused to work with same-sex couples. Religious organizations have consistently bristled at that policy, arguing that they’re being forced to contradict their beliefs. Administration officials said the White House is weighing two options: either rescinding those rules altogether, or adding an explicit exemption for religious organizations. The debate is mainly about which approach would hold up better in court, the officials said.”

And last week, the White House announced Trump’s opposition to House Democrats’ Equality Act, which would enshrine in federal law nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ Americans.

NBC News: “Trump opposes federal LGBTQ nondiscrimination bill, citing 'poison pills'”

Washington Blade: “With a vote on the Equality Act in the U.S. House expected on Friday, a senior administration official indicated exclusively to the Washington Blade that President Trump opposes the bill … ‘This bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights,’ the senior administration official said via email.”

WalletHub Names 2019’s Best Cities for Hockey Fans

Source: WalletHub

With the 2019 Stanley Cup finals in full gear and the average NHL ticket now costing more than an NBA ticket, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on 2019's Best Cities for Hockey Fans as well as accompanying videos along with its Stanley Cup Facts infographic.

To determine the best places for hockey spectators, WalletHub compared 73 U.S. cities based on two divisional categories, professional and college hockey, across 21 key metrics. The data set ranges from the performance level of the city’s teams to minimum season ticket prices to stadium capacity.
 

Top 20 Cities for Hockey Fans
1	Boston, MA		11	St. Louis, MO
2	Detroit, MI		12	Denver, CO
3	Pittsburgh, PA		13	San Jose, CA
4	Chicago, IL		14	Philadelphia, PA
5	New York, NY		15	St. Paul, MN
6	Newark, NJ		16	Sunrise, FL
7	Anaheim, CA		17	Glendale, AZ
8	Buffalo, NY		18	Dallas, TX
9	Tampa, FL		19	Los Angeles, CA
10	Washington, DC		20	Raleigh, NC

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!

By Lindsay Ganassa, Executive Director 
 
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

The team at Lokusdor Productions is excited to announce that the Exile Fetish Ball series is returning to Denver on Saturday, August 17, 2019 at the Exdo Event Center. They are joining forces with Voodoo Leatherworks to bring back this great community event that benefits many local and national organizations focusing on sex-positive programming and advocacy.

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!

Gypsy Jazz Swing band, LAPOMPE are back with a fan appreciation and celebration concert at the historic Union Station in Denver, Colorado on Tuesday, June 4th, 2019. The celebration, which coincides with the bands national release of their latest album, Passages will be a night of live music, dancing, and a thank you to their fans. The free event will kick off at 7PM in Union Station’s Grand Hall with copies of the album available for purchase.

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

Breaking Glass Pictures has acquired World Wide rights to Colombian/American writer/director, and Will & Grace mainstay, Brian Jordan Alvarez’s dramedy love story 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.”