Denver Metro Hike for Hope is June 16th

Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States, yet suicide is preventable. On June 16th, volunteers will be to hiking at Red Rocks in the Denver Metro Hike for Hope being hosted by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) Chapter. The 1.5-mile hike will begin at Red Rocks Trading Post at 9:30 a.m., and the route will go throughout the scenic Red Rocks area. This fundraising hike supports the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s education, advocacy, and research programs, and the organization’s bold goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.

“Last year nearly 1,000 people across the United States participated in one of these Hike for Hope events,” said Nancy Medina, Chair of the AFSP Colorado Chapter. “By joining together in a community hike, we hope that people will realize that it’s important to take care of mental health as well as your physical health. Together, as a community, we can help prevent suicide.”

The Denver Metro Hike for Hope is one of many hikes being held by AFSP chapters nationwide this year. Funds raised at the Denver Metro Hike for Hope will support AFSP’s advocacy efforts, including helping fund the National Advocacy Forum, where AFSP volunteers visit Washington, D.C. annually to advocate for access to mental health services.

“These events are about creating greater awareness for mental health and suicide prevention,” said Dr. Christine Moutier, AFSP chief medical officer. “Participants in the Denver Metro Hike for Hope are doing their part to change the conversation about mental health conditions. Their public support of suicide prevention is the first step in making people realize that taking care of one’s mental health is the smart, strong thing to do.”

To register for this event, visit https://afsp.donordrive.com/event/COHikeforHope.

NBJC Statement on Murder of Chynal Lindsey: “We Are Still Fighting For Our Lives”

Recently, Chynal Lindsey, 26, a Black transgender woman from Dallas, Texas was killed. Gender violence continues to disproportionately impact Black women and girls, including Black trans women and girls. In response to the tragic news, National Black Justice Coalition Executive (NBJC) Director David J. Johns released the following statement:

“Chynal Lindsey is now the eighth Black transgender woman killed this year and reported by the news. This tragic event is especially difficult since last month’s murder of our sister Muhlaysia Booker. While many are celebrating Pride Month, Black women and girls are being murdered across the country and too few people are acknowledging this reality and trying to stop these deaths.

“Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and same gender loving (LGBTQ/SGL) people cannot celebrate Pride because we are still fighting for our lives — literally. In addition to attempts to advance legislation like the Equality Act or to train first responders in cultural competence, we must also endeavor to protect and support Black trans women and girls.

“The murder of Chynal Lindsey, at the beginning of Pride Month, should serve as a chilling reminder that there is more work to do to raise awareness about the lived experiences and challenges facing Black women and girls, including Black trans women and girls.

“Our call to action is simple: contribute to gender justice by creating and sustaining safe, supportive, and affirming environments for all Black women and girls—and all means all. This work begins by recognizing the diversity that exists within our community and holding space for everyone to show up just as they are.”

“The National Black Justice Coalition is committed to ensuring gender justice so that all Black community members can get free!”

Abi - Boomerang

Texas-born, Nashville based country songstress Abi has shared a beautiful rendition of her latest track “Boomerang”.

The infectious, up-tempo song was written by Grammy Award-winning songwriter Jessie Jo Dillon, Luke Foley, Steve Wilson and singer/songwriter Tina Parol.  The track, what Abi calls another in a stream of dialogue from her most recent singles, “A Day Without” and “Little Landmines,” marks another in a progression of her musical taste, lyrical content and her life experiences.

Todrick Hall Joins Paula Abdul @ LA Pride!

Today, Christopher Street West (CSW) – the non-profit that produces the annual LA Pride Festival and Parade in West Hollywood presented by Verizon – announced that singer, actor, dancer, recording artist, director and choreographer Todrick Hall has been added to the lineup for the LA Pride Opening Ceremony presented by Johnson & Johnson. Hall’s performance is the latest addition to the free programming that will take place on Friday, June 7, and also includes a special 60-minute performance by EMMY and GRAMMY^® Award-winning artist Paula Abdul powered by Caesars Entertainment. 

  

The LA Pride Friday night programming features a variety of opportunities for the community to participate in the festivities at no cost. The Opening Ceremony begins at 8pm with special remarks from a diverse mix of community and spiritual leaders and advocates for the LGBTQ+ community. LA Pride’s presenting sponsor, Verizon, will also host the US premiere of their documentary film, 5B, which follows the inspirational story of nurses and caregivers of the first HIV/AIDS ward in the country. Additional entertainment for the evening includes a full night of music and dancing from local DJs.

“I’m so excited to join the amazing lineup of this year’s LA Pride Festival. The weekend is going to be unforgettable, and I can’t wait to get the Haus Party started,” said Todrick Hall. “We are going to celebrate this year’s #JUSTUNITE theme together as a community!”  

The Opening Ceremony provides a great opportunity for the community to #JUSTUNITE and come together before the festival. #JUSTUNITE makes a simple, yet powerful statement: that the work the LGBTQ+ community does together is ultimately what will make it stronger and more resilient than ever before.

Ticket sales and proceeds from the LA Pride Festival support and fund the LA Pride Parade and CSW’s philanthropic efforts. This includes community-wide programs like Casa del Sol, a joint project with APLA Health that provides low-income housing to people living with HIV/AIDS, and PLATform, a policy, leadership, and advocacy training program to help amplify the voices of the transgender community. Additionally, proceeds benefit the USC GLASS Endowed Scholarship, a grant program awarded to students to help them conduct research affirming the important role the LGBTQ+ community plays in society today. Funds raised will also help CSW prepare for its 50^th anniversary in 2020.

To learn more about LA Pride, purchase tickets, get event updates and be added to the email list, please visit lapride.org. Follow all of LA Pride’s happenings on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Share your LA Pride experiences using #JUSTUNITE.

Drink Beer! Celebrate Cats!

Beer, cats and fun, all for a great cause—the Dumb Friends League Catwalk returns Saturday, July 13. Pet-lovers are invited to celebrate cats and kittens by sampling craft beer from 10 local breweries, while learning about programs that benefit our feline friends and viewing adorable adoptable cats.

Catwalk is a ticketed, 21-and-older event. Tickets can be purchased by visiting ddfl.org/catwalk. General admission tickets are $25 and include beer tastings from 10 local breweries from 7 to 9 p.m. For just $50, VIP ticket holders receive early access to beer tasting booths beginning at 6 p.m., a Catwalk T-shirt, a commemorative Catwalk beer glass and Catwalk bottle opener. Designated driver tickets are available for $10 and include admission to the event and a non-alcoholic beverage.

Food from local food trucks and cat merchandise, including 2019 Catwalk T-shirts, will be available for purchase. The Hill’s Science Diet booth will be offering a Tito’s vodka cocktail and free cat food samples.

Entry to the event requires age verification at check-in, so please bring valid identification. Guests will receive a “pawport,” which includes information about the locations of the various beer sampling and cat information stations. Pawports stamped at every booth will be entered to win a prize.

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Are you a new or experienced writer or blogger? Do you want to be? Or maybe you're just some gay guy with something to say? Well, what better forum for you than MileHighGayGuy?

MileHighGayGuy is looking for regular and guest bloggers to write about local news and events, do music and movie reviews, or write opinion or feature pieces from a gay perspective.

These are unpaid positions but offer the opportunity to be published in Colorado's Best Gay Blog (2010, 2011, 2012 OUTstanding Awards, Denver 2012 #WebAwards), expand your audience and gain valuable experience. There's also swag available in the form of free movie and concert tickets, music, books and other cool stuff.

If interested, shoot an email over to Drew Wilson at drew@milehighgayguy.com. And if you've got column or story ideas to pitch, this is the place to do it.

Lauv Releases 'Sad Forever' - Proceeds to Benefit Mental Health Organizations

 

Lauv has released “Sad Forever,” the latest track off his upcoming debut album ~how i'm feeling~. The song was written in the midst of the pop visionary’s own struggle with mental health of which he detailed here. 

Lauv will be donating all proceeds from the track to various mental health organizations across the world that work to de-stigmatize mental health issues. 

Lauv said about the track, "I wrote sad forever at a time when I was extremely low. I was dealing with depression and OCD but hadn’t really recognized or gotten the help I needed. While I was hesitant at first, asking for help was an important first step. Mental illness is something that is often times not apparent to the outside world. It’s an ongoing journey with ups and downs and finding stability is a process that I’m still heavily working on. This song was written in a dark place but by donating all proceeds to mental health organizations I can only hope it helps others take their first step to ask for help too.”

From Cannes to Colorado: 'Sauvage/Wild' Plays This Week Only at The Mayan

By Steve Cruz

The feature film Sauvage/Wild, by writer/director Camille Vidal-Naquet is a breakthrough drama telling the story of street-level male sex-workers in France. The story covers expected territory — clubbing, drugs, victimization (on both sides) — but avoids pushy messages and morality decrees that have plagued similar narratives. This story feels personal, not general.

Léo (Félix Maritaud) is an impishly handsome 22-y/o — small frame, wiry build, cute turned-up nose, elfin eyebrows and ears. The actor’s naturalistic delivery is a major driver of this film and doesn’t feel rehearsed or coached. There’s no hesitation, and the action falls forward in ways that don’t feel intentional or planned. Underscoring Léo’s adorable quality is the tendency of other characters to refer to him as “draga,” which translates as “dear.”

Félix Maritaud’s performance garnered him the Rising Star Award at Cannes 2018. The young actor also had prominent roles in BPM (2018) and Knife+Heart (2017).

There’s a heart-tugging stray-puppy quality to Léo that begs to be rescued and nurtured. That dynamic carries throughout the film. Despite any debasement he endures, Léo has a tender quality that persists. A great deal of what motivates him is the pursuit of affection and love, even though he doesn’t know what to do when it appears.

Among the most memorable scenes is Léo’s examination by a woman doctor, who is about the age his mother might be. He’s in bad shape, and she asks where he sleeps, when he last slept, drugs, sexual partners, and if he wants to change. Without pause, Léo asks, “Why would I?” Their interaction is tender movie magic. The amount of character definition achieved is vast, and it’s done without sap.

Sauvage/Wild isn’t shy about the abuses and degradation of Léo’s occupation. He seems to accept it as part of a job well-done, but he’s crushed when a client stiffs him. It’s as if nothing that is said or done to him is as degrading as being cheated.

The film is subtle about portraying Léo’s desire for his fellow hustler Ahd (Éric Bernard), a swarthy, brawny lad, who is the closest to a friend that Léo has. Ahd is sometimes protective of Léo and often impatient.

Ahd asks why Léo kisses clients. Léo is naïve and doesn’t quite understand the problem. Ahd points out that if Léo likes it, he’ll never want to stop. Ahd says softly, “You’re made to be loved.”

Ahd is an intriguing and unpredictable character. Gay-for-pay, he doesn’t miss an opportunity to reaffirm his heterosexuality. His connection with Léo feels brotherly in many ways: bonded and easily annoyed.

Writer/director Camille Vidal-Naquet doesn’t define geography of where this film takes place. He also doesn’t create origin stories to tell us how Léo, Ahd and others ended up doing what they do to scrape an existence.

The fates of Vidal-Naquet’s ensemble are as hazy as their backstories. This film is an observational visit, during which Vidal-Naquet achieves an amazing feat: he makes palpable the phenomenal boredom that weighs on street hustlers, but it’s never monotonous for the audience.

Sauvage/Wild plays through Thursday, June 6 at Landmark’s Mayan Theater beginning. Visit LandmarkTheaters.com/Denver to confirm dates and showtimes.

One Colorado Releases 'Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health'

By Cara Cheevers, MSW, Policy Director, One Colorado

I am so pleased to share Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health with you. This report sheds light on the progress and setbacks we've seen as a state to ensure that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer Coloradans and their families can be their healthiest.

Despite the policy advancements to improve we've made to improve LGBTQ equality since One Colorado published it's inaugural health assessment in 2011, Invisible: The State of LGBT Health, health outcomes have stayed the same or worsened. LGBTQ Coloradans are covered by health insurance at unprecedented rates, yet access to affirming care is harder to come by than in 2011. Mental and behavioral health outcomes have worsened, compared to both 2011 and the non-LGBTQ Coloradans. Transgender Coloradans have access to health insurance because of the Affordable Care Act, but have exorbitant out-of-pocket costs for medically necessary, gender-affirming care.

We have so much work to do to close the gap between lived and legal equality. Read Closing the Gap: The Turning Point for LGBTQ Health to learn how. We review the data, talk about how policy has changed, and provide a plan of action to improve LGBTQ health in Colorado. It's on all of us - policy makers, health systems, health providers, advocacy and service organizations, and community members.

We can’t do it without you, and it's time to get to get to work. Are you with us?

P.S. Want to join us tonight at the launch? Click here for details.

The June Issue of GoNaked Magazine is Ready to Download

Just in time for Pride Month, GoNaked Magazine's biggest issue of the year is available for download now - a full 150 fabulous, full-color pages! The Porky Pig challenge alone has 50 gents bare from the waist down - how can you not love that?  Grab Issue 29 Now (NSFW, of course!)

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.
 
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OUT in Theaters: The Lavender Scare

Award-winning, timely documentary The Lavender Scare will open theatrically in New York (Cinema Village) and Los Angeles (Laemmle Music Hall) on Friday, June 7, 2019, timed to the 50-year anniversary of Stonewall, with a national release to follow.

With the United States gripped in the panic of the 1950s Cold War, President Dwight D. Eisenhower deemed homosexuals to be “security risks” and vowed to rid the federal government of all employees discovered to be gay or lesbian.

Over the next four decades,the longest witch-hunt in American history, tens of thousands of government workers would lose their jobs for no reason other than their sexual orientation.

But the mass firings have an unintended effect: they stirred outrage in the gay community, helped ignite the gay rights movement, and thrust an unlikely hero into the forefront of the LGBTQ fight for equality.Partly based on the award-winning book by historian David K. Johnson, The Lavender Scare illuminates a little-known chapter of American history, and serves as a timely reminder of the value of vigilance and social action.

Go For Gold in Colorado This Autumn with Unforgettable Adventures and Can't Miss Events

Photo by@HotSpringsPool

2019 marks the 160th anniversary of the Colorado Gold Rush, and while settlers originally migrated west in hopes of striking gold, travelers today head to the state to strike it rich with adventures during Colorado’s golden season: autumn. There’s no better time to visit the Centennial State than during the fall months. The days are sunny and warm, while the nights are cool and crisp. Across all four corners of the state, the landscape shimmers with a vast array of fall colors. After the jump is a sampling of the best outdoor adventures and events to enjoy Colorado’s brilliant fall foliage.

COLORADO LEAF PEEPING ADVENTURES:

Four-Wheel Among the Aspens on the Alpine Loop Scenic & Historic Byway:  Travelers equipped with four-wheel drive can head to the Alpine Loop Scenic and Historic Byway, connecting the mountain towns of Ouray, Silverton and Lake City. This rugged route has hiking and mountain biking trails galore, a rich mining history and unfettered views of shimmering aspen leaves and 14,000-foot peaks.

Search for Gold on Breckenridge’s Singletrack: The trails of French Gulch pass through Breckenridge’s “Golden Horseshoe,” one of Colorado’s most fertile mining regions. The initial gold strikes here in 1859 gave birth to the town and, for most of the next century, Breckenridge’s fortunes were largely driven by the Golden Horseshoe’s output. Today, the French Gulch Road area offers a number of singletrack options, several that pass by old mining remains and groves of changing aspens, that make for a beautiful autumn ride or hike.

Soak in the Colors at Glenwood Hot Springs: With high country colors at their showy peak, fall is one of the best seasons to visit Glenwood Hot Springs, the world’s largest hot springs pool. The 130-year-old resort is unveiling a major renovation this year that includes an Adventure River, with fast-moving waters with cascading tiers and boulders, and a new children's play area that’s equipped with mini water slides and a fun splash pad.

Take A Colorful Road Trip Along the Grand Mesa Scenic Byway: The 63-mile Grand Mesa Scenic Byway leads travelers to the top of Grand Mesa, the largest flat-top mountain in the world, and into the fall-color-saturated Grand Mesa National Forest.  From there, drivers can explore Cedaredge, replete with apple orchards and groves of white ash.

Round Up the Herd at Latigo Ranch: The ultimate dude and guest ranch experience, Latigo Ranch near Kremmling invites visitors to participate in its annual fall cattle roundup. Held the third week in September, participants will help local cattle ranchers gather their herds, bring them home and move them from place to place on their home ranches, all while experiencing the area’s outstanding fall colors.

Hop Aboard the Fall Color Train in Leadville: Train enthusiasts can ride up into the San Isabel National Forest aboard the Leadville Colorado & Southern Railroad where the mountains are ablaze with yellow, orange and red. The train departs daily at 1 p.m. on weekdays in the fall and offers photo weekend specials. These three-hour rides allow visitors to experience untouched wilderness in its autumn beauty, the headwaters of the Arkansas River Valley and sweeping vistas of Colorado’s two highest peaks, Mt. Elbert and Mt. Massive.

Climb to Colorful Heights at the Royal Gorge Bridge & Park: The Royal Gorge Bridge in Cañon City, the highest suspension bridge in America, marks its 90th anniversary this year. To celebrate, the park opened a brand new Via Ferrata climbing experience. All climbs are led by a trained mountain guide who will show participants the breathtaking beauty of the park from new heights. 

Take A Wild Hike in State Forest State Park: Located near Walden, State Forest State Park is considered the moose-viewing capital of Colorado with some 600 of Bullwinkle’s buddies roaming free. Fall is prime moose viewing season, and wilderness access is easy for visitors who start at the Moose Visitor Center.

Soar Above the Trees in Steamboat: For travelers who have a hot-air balloon ride on their bucket list, Steamboat is the place and fall is the time of year to do it. Wild West Balloon Adventures will have guests gliding above Steamboat Springs’ color-soaked fall scenery with views of the Flat Top Mountains and Hanh’s Peak, an inactive volcano.

COLORADO’S NOT-TO-MISS FALL EVENTS:

Fall Tarantula Migration on the Comanche National Grassland, La Junta, Sept.-Oct.: Each fall, Colorado’s Arkansas Valley becomes an arachnophobe’s nightmare. During this time, thousands of tarantulas migrate through the area during their mating season. Generally, this peaks sometime in mid-October. The best place to spot this natural phenomenon is on Highway 71, just north of Ordway, as well as on Highway 109, between La Junta and the town of Kim. 

ArtoCade, Trinidad, Sept. 13-14: Trinidad’s delightfully quirky ArtoCade will roll through historic downtown in a parade of “artfully enhanced” cars, motorcycles, bikes, trikes, scooters, tractors and golf carts. There’s a lot packed into the two-day festivalincluding an ArtoKids booth for hands-on kiddie fun, a circus-like dance party called Cardango and meet-and-greets with the event’s “cartists.”

Pedal the Plains, Sept. 13-15: Pedal the Plains is more than a bicycle tour; it’s a traveling party packed with boot-stomp’n live music, beer gardens, delicious locally sourced food, interactive educational exhibits and a touch of country fun. The 2019 ride host communities include Holly, Springfield and Lamar.

Snowmass Wine Festival, Snowmass, Sept. 14: A long-standing fall tradition, the Snowmass Wine Festival features a weekend of wine tasting and pairing dinners hosted by the Rotary Club of Snowmass Village. Friday evening features a wine pairing dinner, while the Saturday highlight is a three-hour grand tasting event with wines from all over the world.

Historic OHV Tour, Buena Vista, Sept. 17-21: Riders will can experience four days of self-guided tours through the awe-inspiring backcountry of the Collegiate Peaks range with 12 14,000-foot mountains during Buena Vista’s OHV Fall Color Tour, Sept. 17-21, 2019. Participants will immerse themselves in the fall foliage during these self-guided tours and will also explore old mining camps and ghost towns via high mountain passes where gold and silver ore were carried by mule wagons to the railroads.

FORToberfest, Fort Collins, Sept. 21: Fortoberfest, Downtown Fort Collins' last music festival of the summer, features a full day of live music on the Choice Organics stage, seasonal microbrews from Odell and High Country Beverage, wine from Wilbur’s Total Beverage and regional German-themed cuisine.

Mountain Harvest Festival, Paonia, Sept. 26-29: Head to Paonia to celebrate this everything-local harvest. From agricultural producers to artists, writers and crafters, this is a true local event. Live music will be playing throughout the four-day event, and there is a Friday night pub crawl. Plus, enjoy all the fall colors along the way to the Western Slope.

Elk Fest, Estes Park, Sept. 29–30: The beautifully haunting bugle of a bull elk is unmistakable, and spectators head to Estes Park every autumn to experience the phenomenon. The elk gather there, at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park, to show off for their ladies during the start of the rutting (breeding) season. At Elk Fest, visitors can learn about these beasts’ behavior, observe them in their natural habitat, participate in a bugling contest and see performances by American Indians.

La Veta Oktoberfest, La Veta, Oct. 5: Beer, music and fall foliage all converge during La Veta’s Oktoberfest. This downtown street fair also features a car show, dancing and more than 60 arts and crafts vendors.

Old West Fest, Ridgway, Oct. 11-13: 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of True Grit, the movie that earned John Wayne his only Academy Award and was filmed in Ridgway and Ouray County in 1968. The first annual Ridgway Old West Fest will celebrate Ridgway's brief transformation into Fort Smith, Arkansas half a century ago. Festivities will highlight Ridgway’s film, ranching and railroad heritage and celebrate Western arts and culture. 

Dairy Block Fall Flannel Festival, Denver, Oct. 20: Dairy Block and Denver Milk Market will again celebrate the changing of the seasons with the second annual Fall Flannel Festival on Sunday, Oct. 20. This free community event, held in the Alley at Dairy Block, will feature a festive line-up of events for all ages, including face painting and balloon art, live music, games, an urban pumpkin patch, a live pumpkin carving artist and more.

Emma Crawford Coffin Races, Manitou Springs, Oct. 26: The Emma Crawford Coffin Races and Parade is an annual event held just days before Halloween. The rules are very simple: form a team with one “Emma” in a coffin and four “runners” dressed in the most creative costumes and have them race toward the finish line. It’s an uncanny and crazy spectacle for everybody’s amusement.

GQ: The 7 Funny People Reshaping Their Genre Right Now

For the June/July issue of GQ, Luke Leifeste sat down with Jaboukie Young-White, Joel Kim Booster, Catherine Cohen, Patti Harrison, Zack Fox, Mitra Jouhari, and Julio Torres to discuss comedy in the digital age. 

The group is diverse—several cultural backgrounds and sexualities amongst them—and have made the decision to be accepting and supportive rather than competitive: There are more audiences,” says Kim Booster who writes for Big Mouth, and co-hosts Comedy Centrals’ Unsend with Harrison. Adds Jouhari, who has an Adult Swim pilot in the works: “There’s room for more than one of us because we collectively decided that there would be room for more than one of us.”

The group, most of whom got their start by sending concise jokes out on Twitter, have a love/hate relationship with comedy in the social media age. “I have a weird relationship to it, because I’ve gotten thousands of followers from that action but I’ve gotten no money from that action. But also, the social capital from that allowed me to get where I am right now,” says Young-White, who is a correspondent on The Daily Show. They lament jokes going too viral, the hustle needed to make money in comedy, and feeling the need to make jokes about their personal struggles or communities. Still, they know they’re making major strides and up next in the comedy world. As Young-White put it: “Damn, this really is an iconic group.”

Travel: VISIT PHILADELPHIA Celebrates the 50th Anniversary of Stonewall Riots

To celebrate Pride Month and mark the 50th anniversary of the history-making Stonewall Riots that launched the LGBTQ civil rights movement, VISIT PHILADELPHIA has partnered with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund to create the Philadelphia Pioneers On The Road To Stonewall float, which will make its debut during Philadelphia’s PrideDay LGBT Parade on June 9.

The float will carry its message of equality, unity and welcome in the NYC Pride March (June 30) and the Salute to America Independence Day Parade (July 4, Philadelphia) as well. The hand-painted, 34-foot float features more than a million golden—as in golden anniversary—“eyelashes,” 1,700 feet of rainbow ribbon and almost 42,000 square inches of Styrofoam.

“We are proud to join the worldwide celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots through a unique collaboration with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld Fund,” said Jeff Guaracino, president and CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “This is the first time that the history of the LGBTQ community will be told comprehensively and authoritatively to the world through mass media. Our city has played an essential role in this civil rights movement, and we’ve worked hard to let people know they are always welcome in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection.”

LGBTQ pioneers and Annual Reminder participants will ride on the float alongside younger members of the LGBTQ community, symbolizing unity, equality and the impact that all generations continue to have on the movement. A seven-foot replica of the Liberty Bell—one of the world’s most recognizable symbols of freedom—sits at the front of the float, and its back wall is designed to replicate the façade of the Stonewall Inn. People will have a chance to see the float being built at Cherry Street Pier (June 4-7). Then, on June 8 from noon – 3 p.m., the public is invited to send words of encouragement to the community by writing on rainbow ribbons that will be affixed to the float’s base.