Get In Loser, We're Going to See 'Mean Girls' at Film on the Rocks!

Denver Film Society has announced Mean Girls live at Red Rocks on Monday, June 17th, 2019. Tickets to Film on the Rocks are available at the Denver Coliseum box office from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. every Saturday. 

And here's a hint, download the Red Rocks App before your visit. From purchasing and managing your tickets, to park and venue maps, tips, weather alerts and special offers, the official Red Rocks app has everything you need for an unforgettable concert experience.

Bearracuda is Back for Denver Pride 2019!

Bearracuda - the largest attended bear dance party in the U.S. - now in 62 cities across the world - is back at for Gay Pride in Denver at the newly renovated Summit Music Hall this Friday! Kick off Pride weekend with 1500 of Denver's hottest guys and say howdy to the new go-go bears.  Last year's Bearracuda Pride party was Bearracuda's biggest event in Denver yet - and you can expect more of the same this year!

Sponsored by MileHighGayGuy,GROWLr, Strap Up Custom Gear, LLC and Midtowne Spa!

HRC Releases Sex Discrimination Report

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, published its “Inclusive Interpretations of Sex Discrimination Law,” a report that outlines how federal courts have developed a consistent legal narrative regarding discrimination against LGBTQ people as constituting unlawful sex discrimination under our nation’s civil rights laws.

“Over the past two decades, federal courts have made it clear that discrimination against LGBTQ people falls under existing sex discrimination laws,” said Sarah Warbelow, HRC’s Legal Director. “And numerous federal agencies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), have affirmed this interpretation and incorporated this into administrative protections in the context of housing, healthcare, grant making and more.”

The 1964 Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex. This discrimination can take many forms. Although traditionally we have understood sex discrimination at work to include unfair bias that influences hiring, firing, and promotion decisions, protections from sex discrimination extend far beyond these explicit actions. Significant protections from discrimination have flowed to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community through an inclusive interpretation of the meaning of “sex” to also prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex stereotypes. This interpretation has been applied to LGBTQ people for almost two decades by both federal courts and federal agencies.

The Supreme Court has granted cert in three cases directly addressing Title VII coverage and LGBTQ people and could effectively decide whether to solidify or take away non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people under federal civil rights laws — which prohibit sex discrimination in contexts ranging from employment to housing, healthcare, and education.

However, judicially crafted protections cannot replace explicit federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. Without these laws, victims of discrimination will have to file a suit against an employer, landlord, or business owner and argue their case in a court of law.

This is why the Equality Act is so important. The Equality Act amends existing civil rights law—including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Jury Selection and Services Act, to explicitly include sexual orientation and gender identity as protected characteristics.

After the Equality Act received historic bipartisan approval in the House, the Human Rights Campaign called upon the Senate to finally ensure LGBTQ have comprehensive non-discrimination protections at the federal level.

Meet Brian and Trevor: They're Getting Married in Denver with Nine Other Couples at The Wedding Party!

 

Chosen as one of the 10 couples to be married in Denver on the new streaming show “The Wedding Party,” West Hollywood couple Brian and Trevor are proud to share their special partnership and commitment to a life together with an audience of millions in a non-traditional ceremony that celebrates love and marriage in all its forms. They are the only gay male couple to feature on the debut series of the show, which culminates in a wedding festival where 2,000 guests will watch the couples say, “I do.”

It’s especially bold for Brian and Trevor to make their union so public given they each come from traditional backgrounds in vastly different hometowns and different countries. They are definitely not your conventional couple. Brian is a 38-year-old country boy from the rural town of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, Australia and Trevor is a 24-year old Mormon from Provo, Utah.

Brian had a stable, non-denominational childhood in his hometown before launching his career in Sydney, taking on the role of Director of Entertainment at the prestigious Jupiter’s Casino on the glamorous Queensland Gold Coast, and moving to Los Angeles in January 2013. Trevor was an “army brat,” moving from city to city throughout his childhood, spending much of that time in Leavenworth, Kansas before his family settled in Utah, where he commenced his college degree.

What amazed both men once they met and began their relationship was how striking the links and similarities were underneath those superficial differences.

They met by chance in Las Vegas in early 2018. Brian was there for work and Trevor was in town for a vacation. Their connection started with conversations surrounding Brian’s career in Event Marketing and Trevor’s upcoming graduation with a marketing degree. After heading back to their respective cities they continued to talk. They soon found out that their hometowns – Wagga Wagga, NSW and Leavenworth, KS – are official “Sister Cities.” Brian went to school on Leavenworth Drive in Wagga Wagga and Trevor had lived off Wagga Wagga Drive in Leavenworth!

A few weeks after meeting, Brian flew to Salt Lake City to visit Trevor. Multiple visits later, including weekends away together in Park City, New York, and Los Angeles, they were sure they were soul mates for life. Trevor moved to Los Angeles in mid-2018 to live with Brian and his puppy Willis in West Hollywood.

Brian and Trevor say, “We are excited that we have we have decided to skip the ‘traditional’ wedding and share our special day with nine other couples, straight, gay, bi-racial, multi-cultural, and without regard to religion, as part of ‘The Wedding Party.’ We want to celebrate love in a different way, a way where everyone is equal, welcomed, embraced, loved and supported regardless of their beliefs.”

Do We Have A Bid ... for Lesbian Titanic Passenger Ella White's Electric Walking Stick?

(above, Ella in the center, Marie on the left. Source: Encyclopedia Titanica)

On July 19th and 20th at Newport, Rhode Island’s renowned, non-profit International Yacht Restoration School (IYRS), Guernsey’s will be holding a massive nautically-themed auction focusing on great ocean liners, majestic sailing ships and other maritime-related treasures.  

The first item is the walking stick of Ella White that lit up the night and achieved notoriety in Walter Lord’s 1955 best-selling book A Night to Remember. “Mrs. J Stuart White,” as she is called in the book, emerged from her private rooms on the tragic evening of the 14^th of April, 1912 in just her nightgown, high-heeled diamond-studded evening “slippers” carrying her walking stick that had a built-in electric light. For the time, it was cutting-edge technology.

 

Once she was in a life boat, instead of helping her fellow passengers row, Ella appointed herself as kind of a signal person, trying to get the attention of boats nearby. It may have been Ella’s cane that helped the RMS Carpathia spot the rowboats from the Titanic. Ella’s family secretly held onto the cane for years, until consigning it to Guernsey’s Auction House this year. It is a brilliant artifact that attests to the real-life powerful women like Ella White and the “unsinkable” Molly Brown who are purported to have taken charge during the tragic sinking. In fact, in the movie Titanic when the row boat captain says to Molly Brown “there will be one less on this boat if you don’t shut that hole in your face,” that was based on a story reported by Ella White (source: Encyclopedia Titanica). Many historians commonly accept that later in her life Ella White was in a committed same-sex relationship with her Titanic traveling companion and later, Plaza Hotel roommate, Marie Grice Young.

Though the Titanic is clearly the most fabled of all ocean liners, this auction also features iconic objects from a wide array of other noteworthy ships including the Lusitania, the Normandie, the SS United States, and the the ill-fated Empress of Ireland and Andrea Doria. 99% of the items in the auction including the bronze quarter deck bell from the Normandie will be sold without minimum reserve. 
 
For more complete information, please visit www.guernseys.com or call the auction house (212-794-2280) with any questions or to discuss the possibility of a late consignment.

Pride Journey: Spokane, Washington

By Joey Amato

The Pacific Northwest is and has always been one of my favorite places in the country to visit. Natural beauty is around every corner and Spokane is no different. The city, historically overshadowed by Seattle, is going through a bit of a renaissance as of late and creating a vibe and culture that sets itself apart from its larger neighbor to the west. 

Begin your tour of Spokane by walking around downtown. Visit Riverfront Park, take a ride on the SkyRide (over the Spokane River) and jump on the Looff Carousel. Yes, I was probably the oldest person riding the carousel, but when in Rome... 

An interesting note: Walt Disney tried to purchase the carousel for his Anaheim property but was outbid. 

Downtown Spokane is an Instagrammers paradise. A giant red wagon, garbage eating goat, running statues and of course the waterfalls, make downtown the perfect spot for vacation photos. 

The first stop in my downtown tour of the city was Maryhill Winery, a beautiful winery overlooking the river and the perfect place for a tasting of some local wines. Washington state is known for having some of the best wines in the country and Maryhill didn’t disappoint. Out of eight wines offered during the tasting, I think I enjoyed all but one. I was also informed that visitors who travel on Alaska Airlines get to check wine for free in the airline’s Wine Flies Free program. 

Spend your evenings at the Davenport Grand, a 4-star property located in the heart of the city, which provides easy access to all of Spokane’s main attractions and dining. Their penthouse suites feature king size beds with luxury linens, a cozy seating area with electric fireplace and magnificent views of the city. The Grand Terrace Bar is the perfect place to enjoy some happy hour cocktails before heading out on the town.

DNC on Third Anniversary of Pulse Nightclub Shooting

Tom Perez released this statement on the third anniversary of the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida:

“Three years ago today, in the middle of Pride Month, America witnessed a horrific attack on the LGBTQ community, the Latinx community, and LGBTQ people of color everywhere. 49 Americans were brutally murdered, dozens more were injured, and our nation was forever shaken.

“It’s long past time to honor the victims of this tragedy with action. We must combat the hatred that turned a night of celebration into a nightmare of bloodshed. And we must change the dangerous and irresponsible gun laws that enable evil people to take so many innocent lives in our country every single day.

“The Democratic Party is leading the way by passing commonsense legislation to reduce gun violence and give LGBTQ Americans the full equality they deserve. Democrats believe diversity is our nation’s greatest strength, and we will never stop fighting to ensure that everyone is safe from violence and discrimination – no matter what they look like, where they come from, who they love, or how they pray.”

Her Name is Layleen Polanco

By The National Black Justice Coalition

Last week, we lost another member of the Black Trans Community. Layleen Polanco, a 27-year old Black trans woman, was found dead in her cell at Rikers Island, where she had been serving time for an alleged assault and possession of a controlled substance. Polanco was held in an unit specifically intended to reduce possible violence against trans and gender non-conforming people. She was found unresponsive in her cell and pronounced dead after an hour of revival attempts. The nature of Polanco’s death is still being investigated.

Polanco is the tenth trans Black woman to die in 2019. 26 trans people were killed in 2018 . Polanco is the most recent victim of gender violence, transphobia, and transmisogynoir. Sister Polanco’s death comes on the heels of Chynal Davis’s. In a time when black trans women are disproportionately affected by violent crime, it’s imperative that we help spread awareness of these tragedies and do the work to end gender violence impacting all Black women and girls.

David Johns, Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC), encourages us all to increase our efforts in supporting trans and cisgendered women alike in our current socio-political climate. “It is time to have meaningful and more nuanced conversations about sexual identity, gender identity, and gender expression. These conversations are only challenging when we actively avoid them or employ stereotypes. Conversations about gender justice and Black trans women having an average life expectancy of around 30 years of age can be life saving.”

Bookmark this page and be on the lookout for our upcoming Words Matter-Gender Justice Toolkit, which will include resources to facilitate critical conversations regarding gender justice for Black women and girls and the holistic health and wellness of the Black community.

OUT on DVD/VOD: Southern Pride

 

In 2006, Malcolm Ingram’s award-winning documentary Small Town Gay Bar explored gay bars in rural Mississippi. Gay bars are often the only safe communities for small-town LGBTQ people in the Deep South’s Bible Belt, and bigoted forces—Fred Phelps, Tim Wildmon, and more—have long tried to shut them down. 

Now, after the election of Donald Trump has emboldened anti-LGBTQ hatred in the region, Ingram returns to document the travails of running a gay bar in Mississippi, with a profile of lesbian bar owners in Biloxi and Hattiesburg.

Lynn Koval, the white owner of Just Us Lounge, the oldest gay bar in the state, and Shawn Perryon, Sr., the black owner of the nine-year-old Club Xclusive, decide separately to hold their cities’ first Pride celebrations in 2017, as a rebuke to the “open-season” mentality encouraged by Trump, as well as to Mississippi’s Religious Liberty Accommodations Act, the Pulse nightclub terrorist attack, and the murders of three Gulf Coast transgender women shortly after the 2017 inauguration. 

Just Us Lounge restored their community after Hurricane Katrina leveled Biloxi and nearly destroyed the bar. Can they and Club Xclusive organize a Pride event in the face of homophobia and racism? Months of preparation yield fundraising fiascos, unexpected road repairs, and the comical hustling of indifferent spring breakers. But the power of community should never be underestimated, and the brave efforts of the two gay bars are an inspiring example of real Southern pride.

Democratic Party Presidential Candidates Speak at the DNC LGBTQ Gala in New York City

Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez will host the 20th Annual LGBTQ Gala in New York, NY on Monday, June 17, 2019. Attendees will celebrate the advancements the LGBTQ community made in the 2018 midterm elections and discuss how to build on that progress ahead of 2020. Democratic presidential candidates will be speaking at the event, including South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Amy Klobuchar.

Tove Lo Releases Vertical Video for 'Glad He's Gone'

 

Multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated artist Tove Lo releases the vertical video for her new single, “Glad He’s Gone” - taken from her forthcoming album. The single, “Glad He’s Gone” is an intelligent and infectious pop track served with her usual sauciness and tongue-in-cheek lyricism and wit. Tove Lo reveals: “We've all been on both sides of the break up pep talk with our friends and we all know how good it feels to get your partner in crime back when they finally leave that idiot behind.”

The Stockholm-born artist also confirmed today that her fourth full-length album is on its way. Recorded between Los Angeles and Sweden, “Sunshine Kitty” represents a new chapter for Tove, marked by a reclamation of confidence, hard-earned wisdom, more time, and a budding romance. The title is “a play on pussy power, but it’s a happy, positive way of seeing it,” Tove Lo states. “It ties in with the lynx. This cartoon cat (featured on the artwork) is an extension of me and part of the new music. She’s super cute, but she does stupid shit like getting in fights and getting fucked up. It’s how I feel the album sounds.”

“When I did Lady Wood, I was in a place of being scared,” she admits. “I had vocal surgery only a year before. I’d been singing since I was 14-years-old. I went through this operation in the middle of everything, and I felt like I had to start over. I was constantly worrying if my voice was okay. It took a long time to feel at home with it again. I was getting through a heartbreak and acclimating to a new life in the spotlight with people changing around me. I‘ve finally landed in a place where there are some of the usual challenges, but I feel more at home in the weirdness of what it means to be a person who puts her heart on paper for everyone to listen to. I understand why I need to express what I need to a little more. I’m vulnerable, but I’m not angry. It’s the same emotional honesty—yet happy.”

“Glad He’s Gone” is the first taste of her newfound self-acceptance and happiness. Co-produced by Shellback and Struts, the track opens with a delicately plucked acoustic guitar entwined with her usual devilishly angelic delivery before she locks into an eyebrow-raising call-and-response with herself. Everything culminates on the high-pitched hook, “You’re better off, I’m glad that he’s gone.” “It’s about friendship and love,” she goes on. “It’s the obligatory pep-talk you give your girlfriend when she’s going through a breakup. You’re reminding her she’s your partner-in-crime and showing unconditional support. It makes fun of the demands of being a good girlfriend and the dirty stuff you do just to make him confident. There’s a message to it. I’m telling a real story that I think girls need to hear. You want to know your friends are there for you during a breakup. It’s about all the fun you can have after heartbreak.”

GayTravel's Ultimate LGBTQ Resort Guide to Mexico

Mexico is one of the most beautiful and culturally diverse places in the world - so why not see for yourself? GayTravel.com has kicked off their "ultimate guide" to safe and welcoming resorts in Mexico with lovely Los Cabos followed by Cancun and the Riviera Maya.

Beto Unveils Plan for LGBTQ+ Equality

Beto O’Rourke unveiled his plan today to protect LGBTQ+ rights and finally secure comprehensive legal protection for members of the LGBTQ+ community.  The proposal would leverage executive power and call for congressional action that ensures that LGBTQ+ people have full equality and opportunity. O’Rourke’s plan not only includes actions to immediately reverse the Trump Administration’s discriminatory policies, but also calls for action to ensure equal treatment for LGBTQ+ individuals.  Additionally, the plan prioritizes America’s role in protecting LGBTQ+ people around the globe.
The plan was launched as O’Rourke participated in a Pride Run with members and allies of the LGBTQ+ community in New York City. The full plan—available here as a PDF—is built around a three-part framework:
 

1. Protect the LGBTQ+ community by using executive authority to reverse the Trump Administration’s discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, protect transgender individuals—in particular transgender women of color—from violence, include LGBTQ+ immigrants fleeing persecution as a “vulnerable population” for purposes of immigration enforcement, protect LGBTQ+ youth from conversion therapy, and appoint judges and executive-branch officials, including openly LGBTQ+ appointees, who believe in the full civil rights of every single person.
    
2. Ensure full equality by working with Congress to enact legislation such as the Equality Act to make sure LGBTQ+ Americans have full equality and opportunity in all 50 states, ensure that LGBTQ+ people have equal access to health insurance and health care, including critical treatments like PrEP, and reform our criminal justice system.
    
3. Strengthen global safeguards for the LGBTQ+ community by working with allies to improve the process for LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers, secure a global treaty explicitly protecting LGBTQ individuals from persecution, invest in the Global Equality Fund, and establish a Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQ+ people.

"LGBTQ+ Americans have made incredible progress over the past decade, thanks in large part to the tireless efforts of activists and advocates—but too many LGBTQ+ people still lack protection under many states’ laws and the current Administration is encouraging rather than stamping out discrimination,” said O’Rourke. “We must ensure all Americans are treated equally no matter who they are or who they love.”
Throughout his career, O’Rourke has been a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. As a member of Congress, O’Rourke received 100% ratings from the Human Rights Campaign and supported marriage equality, non-discrimination legislation, and important protections for LGBTQ+ individuals serving in the military. He co-sponsored the Equality Act that provided consistent and explicit non-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people across key areas of life. He also co-sponsored the Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act, which sought to officially classify the provision and advertising of conversion therapy in exchange for monetary compensation as a fraudulent practice.
Expanding protections for the LGBTQ+ community has been a priority for O’Rourke since his time on the El Paso City Council where he worked to ensure proper legal protections for LGBTQ+ El Pasoans who faced risks to their safety and security. As a City Councilman, O’Rourke championed the city’s first nondiscrimination ordinance extending protections to the LGBTQ+ community. In addition, he advocated for more sensitivity training for El Paso police regarding LGBTQ+ individuals.
Alongside the policy, O’Rourke’s campaign released an LGBTQ+ organizing toolkit to empower organizers and volunteers to advocate for LGBTQ+ in their own communities through Beto campaign meetups or by connecting with local organizations.
Additional details about this plan can be found at: www.betoorourke.com/LGBTQ.

One Colorado: Just Three Days Left to Grab Your Pink Party Tickets!

By Garrett Royer, Development Manager, One Colorado

Haven't you heard? One Colorado's 14th anniversary Pink Party is this Saturday, June 15th — don't miss out on your chance to celebrate at pride weekend's premier dance fundraiser! Tickets prices increase at the door, so make sure to save your spot today!

We can't wait to see all of our incredible supporters this weekend with 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 — get your tickets now and come party with a purpose! Tickets increase to $60 at the door, and $80 with entry to Tracks, so put your name down today!

And don’t forget to RSVP on Facebook to get all the updates!

LGBTQ Student Resource Center : Stonewall 50th Anniversary Barbecue

By Steve Willich, Director, LGBTQ Student Resource Center

June 28, 2019 will mark the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, which is widely credited as the start of the modern gay rights movement in the United States. From Wikipedia:

The Stonewall riots (also referred to as the Stonewall uprising or the Stonewall rebellion) were a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the gay (LGBT) community against a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. They are widely considered to constitute the most important event leading to the gay liberation movement and the modern fight for LGBT rights in the United States.

To commemorate this important anniversary, the LGBTQ Student Resource Center would like to bring members of the Auraria campus together to build community and celebrate the progress that has been made.

On June 28 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., we will be hosting a barbecue in the Tivoli Quad. In addition to food, we will have lawn games, music, and a few speakers. Please RSVP via this Eventbrite link so that we know how much food to order: www.eventbrite.com/e/stonewall-50-year-anniversary-barbecue-tickets-62664980644

We will also have an art station available. One of the projects that will be available for folks is to decorate a “brick”, representing the bricks that were thrown by the patrons in the riots. Our plan is to use these “bricks” in our Center to build a “wall” of support and allyship for the LGBTQ community on campus.

Additionally, we are using this event to kick off a Tri-Institutional LGBTQ Faculty & Staff Social Group, to help build community for these groups.

We hope to see many of you there!