ieuan - Virtual Reality

Quickly becoming one of music's most talked-about new artists, ieuan, is exclusively premiering his brand new single "VIRTUAL REALITY" via Ones To Watch! Give it a spin here.

ieuan wrote this song in 30 minutes with producer Phil Cook (Little Mix, Olly Murs), and shares,"The song is about how everyone has their own sort of virtual reality - a disconnect from their real lives. The song hints at being ignored in your every day life. You go into a virtual reality where no one lies to you, everyone likes you, and you're not crazy.

"I sometimes feel like I'm on autopilot. Doing the same things every day, not feeling things the way I used to. Everything around me started to feel computer-generated. I felt really alone in busy places because everyone started to feel like software. It's almost as if this song is the anthem to my disassociation."

ieaun is a California kid, now based in London, writing with a voice beyond his years, tackling topics of love, loss, religion and youthful angst, fusing pop & R&B into a compelling style. Since uploading his first mixtape on Soundcloud, the Bay Area native has built up a rapidly growing following, with tens of thousands of monthly listeners and millions of streams. Additionally, he has shared the stage with artists such as Charlotte Lawrence and Elijah Daniels, has played the main stage at San Francisco Pride in 2018, and has even previously collaborated with Jesse Saint John on his track "Love It When U Love Me" which was featured on Billboard Pride's October 2018 Playlist.

Colorado Tourism Sets All-time Visitor Spending Record in 2018

The Colorado Tourism Office (CTO) announced today that travelers set an all-time spending record of $22.3 billion on Colorado trips and vacations in 2018, a 6.7 percent increase from 2017, significantly above the national average spending increase of 4.1 percent.

Overnight stays by discretionary leisure travelers – those targeted by Colorado’s “Come to Life” campaign -- was up to a record-high 19.5 million, a 3 percent increase from 2017. Colorado had the ninth-largest share of these travelers nationally in 2018, up from 18th largest in 2009.

Even as their spending climbed sharply, the overall number of visitors rose by just 1 percent, with increases centered among day trippers, about two thirds of whom are Colorado residents. The findings signal that the CTO’s strategy of attracting higher-spend visitors, rather than ever-increasing numbers of travelers, may be yielding results.

The CTO’s 2018 research also found travelers across the country chose Colorado as the top-ranked destination for protecting and preserving its natural resources. In a survey fielded in April by Strategic Marketing & Research Insights (SMARI) to more than 2,500 U.S. travelers, Colorado was selected by 76 percent, compared with 73 percent for British Columbia, the next most highly rated state. Other ski states won relatively high rankings as well.

“Colorado’s rivers, forests, mountains, and plains are part of why so many people love our great state,” said Governor Jared Polis. “That’s why we continue to emphasize protecting our special wild places, ensuring Coloradans and visitors alike can enjoy them long into the future. With the full backing of tourism and outdoor recreation leaders across Colorado, we have been putting a collective stake in the ground to protect our natural assets, and others are paying attention.”

CTO research also shows Colorado residents are increasingly aware of and highly approve the state tourism office’s efforts to educate travelers about reducing impacts on natural resources, visiting in off-peak seasons and exploring less-visited destinations. Less than a year after the CTO introduced the new Care for Colorado Principles in a first-of-its-kind partnership with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, a resident sentiment study in April found 28 percent of residents already aware of the public awareness campaign.

“The leadership position that our state’s tourism industry has been carving out to promote responsible travel not only protects what makes our state such an extraordinary destination, it’s shaping up as an important competitive advantage,” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter.

“More and more travelers – especially Millennials and GenXer’s – are reporting that a destination’s sustainability practices are important in their choice of where to vacation,” she said. “Not only do we want to attract the kinds of travelers who care about our environment, now we have proof that Colorado is the best place for those travelers to find what they’re looking for.”

Colorado’s overall domestic visitation for 2018 edged up to 85.2 million from 84.7 million in 2017. Overnight leisure and business travel was virtually flat overall, while day trips – which account for 56 percent of all Colorado travel, increased by 1 percent. Nationally, overnight and day travel were up by 2 percent in 2018.

With new nonstop international flights launched in 2018, Colorado for the first time attracted more than a million international visitors. About 40 percent of those 1,049,000 international visitors came from the two border markets of Mexico and Canada, with the remaining 60 percent from overseas markets, including the UK, Australia, France, Germany, China and Japan.

Overseas visitors represent Colorado’s highest-value traveler, spending an average $2,438 per person per trip in 2018. That compared with an average spend of $775 per person for visitors from Mexico and Canada.

Colorado’s domestic discretionary leisure traveler spent an average of $495 per person per trip, compared with $386 for the national average. Colorado’s highest-spending domestic travelers are people on ski trips, who spent an average of $1,208 per person per trip, compared with $405 for Colorado’s outdoor travelers.

Colorado hung on to its historic position as the top state for ski vacations. With a 19.8 percent share Colorado retained the fourth-largest share of outdoor trips.

Colorado’s record-high traveler spending also generated unprecedented tax receipts of $1.37 billion, with 61 percent going to the state’s local governments. To replace those visitor revenues would have cost each Colorado household $806 in additional taxes last year.

The number of jobs directly supported by the industry also was at a record high of 174,400, a 1.9 percent increase from 2017, slightly above the national average.

Colorado residents ranked tourism as the state’s most important industry (77 percent), surpassing agriculture/farming (73 percent), technology (71 percent), retail (66 percent), financial services (61 percent), aerospace (59 percent) and mining (51 percent).

See after the jump for citations of CTO research and additional findings.

Gimme Some Shuga: Shuga Cain Serves Up Dazzling Cakes and Iconic Lewks

 

Pour some Shuga on it! The new digital series Gimme Some Shuga, featuring Drag Race Season 11 star and baking extraordinaire Shuga Cain premiered yesterday on WOW Presents Plus.

The how-to cake-decorating show will follow Shuga Cain as she teams up with baking aficionado Justin Salinas from Cake it With Justin. On each episode, the talented duo will serve up one of Drag Race’s most iconic lewks into the most dazzling sugary masterpiece you’ve ever seen!

California Dreamin': The Most Enchanting Gay-Friendly Hotels in The Golden State

As one of the most captivating destinations in the U.S., California has long held a certain allure for gay travelers. No matter what draws you to the Golden State, you’re guaranteed a wide range of experiences at these gay-friendly hotels, from relaxed beach vacations and urban adventures to wine country exploration and championship golf.

Register Now: MMAA Rainbow Shield Certification

Register now to join the MMAA Rainbow Shield training cohort set to take place online next Tuesday, August 13, 2019, starting at 11:00 AM ET.

This LGBTQ cultural competency training is a unique opportunity for military and veteran service providers or advocates to sharpen their skills and expand their knowledge base.

All participants will receive certificates that they can provide to their organization for potential CEU or CPU credit. Participants will also receive digital badges to display on their LinkedIn profile, email, social media, or elsewhere.

Do You Want To Reach Denver's Gay Community? Advertise With Denver's Best Gay Blog!

Do you want to advertise to Denver’s gay community? Of course you do, it’s the 7th largest in the United States! And the best way to reach them is with MileHighGayGuy – Colorado’s Best Gay Blog.
 
Just click the Advertising page or email sales@milehighgayguy.com to get started today.

Reconstructing Cinderella City: The Rise and Fall of a Mid-Century Shopping Fairytale

MOA has teamed up with Denver Modernism Week and The Cinderella City Project to host an engaging presentation and digital virtual tour of the rise and fall of a mid-century shopping fairytale.

Experience the colorful history behind one of Colorado's most famous and quirky shopping centers. Presenter Josh Goldstein will explore the forces, trends, and little-known facts behind the rise and fall of Cinderella City.

Josh will also take you on a virtual tour of the mall using a 3-D model driven by video game technology, where he has been accurately reconstructing every detail of this massive shopping center! Still a work in progress, The Cinderella City Project is an effort to digitally reconstruct the mall in distinct time periods for an immersive history experience.

Fun Fact! MOA currently occupies part of the last remaining buildings that was originally part of Cinderella City Mall.

Ariana Grande & Social House - boyfriend

Today Ariana Grande and buzzing LA singer, songwriter and producer duo Social House release their new song “boyfriend” via Schoolboy Records/Republic Records.

The video, also out now, made its broadcast premiere on MTV Live, mtvU and the iconic Times Square Viacom billboard, and it will also air on MTV’s Fresh Out Fridays and TRL.

Of the song, Social House says, “We’ve always had so much fun working with Ariana, so we’re really excited for this song to finally be out in the world and for our fans to hear it! We hope everyone loves it as much as we do.”

Grindr for Equality Announces Grants in the Middle East-North Africa Region

Grindr has announced that Grindr for Equality will be granting a total of $100,000 to select organizations located in the Middle East-North Africa Region.

"From the beginning, the MENA region has been at the heart of our work at Grindr for Equality," said Jack Harrison-Quintana, Executive Director of Grindr for Equality and VP of Social Impact at Grindr. "We have been honored to stand alongside activists and organizations in support of the LGBTQ+ community in the region, and we look forward to continuing this life-saving and life-affirming work."

Grindr for Equality has for years partnered with a number of organizations in the MENA region in countries such as Iraq/Kurdistan, Turkey, and Tunisia, and other countries in the region to advocate for the rights of the LGBTQ+ community. The company has collaborated and offered support to the Lebanon-based and regionally-focused Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality, IraQueer, OutCasts, and the Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Research and Solidarity Association. Grindr for Equality also partnered with the MENA Organization for Services, Advocacy, Integration & Capacity (MOSAIC) to release a survey report "The Regional Livelihood of GBTQ Using Grindr," which shed light on the discrimination members of the community are experiencing in the region.

"We are proud to have this opportunity to even further strengthen our relationship to the LGBTQ+ community in the MENA region," said Azza Sultan, Associate Director of Grindr for Equality. "By supporting organizations from the region, Grindr for Equality is able to help turn their missions into realities to create awareness, safety, and acceptance."

One Colorado: What Colorado's conversion therapy ban means to me.

By Silas Musick, he/him/his

Today, Colorado's historic ban on conversion therapy goes into effect. This makes us the 18th state to ban the harmful practice, and is an important step towards allowing LGBTQ Coloradans to live out their fullest lives.

As someone who testified in support of this bill, it has profound personal meaning to me. For the past few years, I have shared my story publicly. While it has often been difficult to open the most raw parts of myself, if my story helps just one struggling LGBTQ person, then it will be worth it.

When I came out as gay I was ridiculed, hushed, shamed, and pushed into silence. The months and years that followed my coming out were the darkest days of my life. I don’t wish that on anyone, especially youth who are seeking acceptance and belonging. Hours of conversion therapy to change who I am proved to be deeply damaging, and in 2010, following a long, dark depression, I nearly took my own life. Sadly, my story is not an isolated example and so many have actually lost their lives in this fight.

When Colorado's ban on conversion therapy was passed, I felt heartened and inspired. Colorado has risen to become a leader in LGBTQ equality, and I am so proud of us for banning this harmful, discredited practice. I believe in a society where we all live in our personal power and are celebrated rather than berated for our differences.

Despite this landmark legislation, we have a long way to go. One Colorado has been a central force in securing protections like the ban on conversion therapy, and they couldn't do it without your support. Whether it's $10, $50, or $100 each month - every dollar is invested in ensuring a more fair and just Colorado for all. Let's celebrate today, and get back to work on Monday.

POND - The Boys Are Killing Me

 

POND have today shared details of their upcoming Autumn tour of the United States. Beginning with a performance on September 21st in Brooklyn at Warsaw, the tour goes on to hit venues in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and San Francisco before culminating in a show at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles on September 29th.

The prolific force from Perth released their 8th studio album, Tasmania - featuring "Daisy," "Sixteen Days" and "Burnt Out Star" - back in March on Interscope Records. Today, the band are sharing the video for "The Boys Are Killing Me," which was filmed on a Super 8 camera by Jay Watson while they were on tour through Sweden, U.K. and France.

MAP: LGBT People with Disabilities

Last week marked the 29th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability in nearly every area of life, from work to housing and public accommodations and education. The ADA also ensures that people living with HIV aren’t discriminated against.

New research shows that LGBT people are more likely to have a disability than the general population. For example, in a survey of more than 26,000 transgender people, 39% reported having a disability. And one in three lesbians and one in three bisexual women report having a disability in a population-based survey in Washington.

As the country reflects on what work remains for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in America, the Movement Advancement Project, in partnership with the Center for American Progress’s Disability Justice Initiative and LGBT Research and Communications Project, the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR), and the National LGBTQ Task Force, released a short summary of what we know about LGBT people with disabilities.



Despite the passage of the ADA more than a generation ago, people with disabilities experience high rates of unemployment and job discrimination, still face challenges in daily life ranging from inaccessible services and facilities, and face barriers to competent and thorough health care. For LGBT people with disabilities, there are added challenges. For example, LGBTQ people with disabilities are more likely to receive unemployment than their nondisabled LGBT peers – and LGBT people in general have higher rates of unemployment than non-LGBT people. A quarter of LGBTQ students reported being bullied or harassed at school because of a disability.

GQ- The End of Straight: A Transition Story

“I had waited and deflected and denied and waited more; I had held out until my chances of continuing to survive were zero,” writes Gabriel Mac in the August issue of GQ. In a personal essay, the author and three-time National Magazine Award finalist, details the road to his transition at age 37 and its aftermath.

Mac details his career as a journalist, his two heteronormative marriages, and the destructive actions and thoughts he grappled with prior to his transition. As someone who relied heavily on their looks in the past, he contemplates society’s current relationship with the transgender community—more than half of average American adults don’t believe in trans people, according to a Pew Research Center study.

“It is hard,” Mac says of his new life. “It has also never been easier. Every time I have to say ‘trans’ and don’t have to explain what it means, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for everyone who went before me.” Despite the tumultuous road towards transitioning, he’s proud that the concept of ‘straightness’ as a default is diminishing. It saved his life. “As my chest surgery healed and my testosterone levels rose, I began to feel, finally, like a real person. For the first time in my life”

PFLAG National Honors Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-4) at Moving Equality Forward Reception

PFLAG National—the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents and families, and allies—proudly honored Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III (MA-4) at their inaugural Moving Equality Forward reception on Wednesday evening, July 24th.

Rep. Kennedy, who serves the Fourth District of Massachusetts for a fourth term, is the Vice Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus and Chair of that caucus’s Transgender Equality Task Force—and a long-time ally to the LGBTQ+ community. He has led Congressional efforts to strengthen protections for transgender students and oppose attacks on transgender servicemembers in the military, including passage of a House Resolution to support open service for them and future troops.

“Rep. Kennedy is the kind of ally PFLAG talks about—he listens, he learns, he supports—and now he leads,” said Kathy Godwin, president of the PFLAG National Board of Directors. “Allies really can make a meaningful difference, and Rep. Kennedy is proof that it’s not just allies who have kids and family members who are LGBTQ+, but also the allies who can talk to people who don’t think they know anyone who is LGBTQ+. We really cannot thank Rep. Kennedy enough for his gracious and active support, as well as his leadership with the Equality Caucus; PFLAGers everywhere will keep supporting him on this work.”

Rep. Kennedy spoke about the importance of parents—and PFLAG—in the fight for equality. “[This is] a time when we cannot, should not...accept anything less than the value of equal justice...The one singular thing I am certain of...is a parent's love for their child. It does not break down on race, creed, nationality, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, anything. It is a common value...that allows you to relate to somebody else, no matter the stretch of difference between [you]. ...It's awfully hard for any member of any political party to reject [a parent’s love]. [PFLAG] does that [work] every single day. And it is...a critical piece to the strategy which is going to make us successful to make good on that promise [of equal justice].”

The intimate reception, held in Washington, D.C. at the home of John Weinfurter, also included remarks from honored guests Senator Tammy Baldin (WI), Representative Mark Takano (CA-41), and Representative Sharice Davids (KS-3).

Rep. Davids, the first openly gay woman of color in Congress, is a Native American Cogresswoman from Kansas and Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus; she spoke warmly about Rep. Kennedy. “[He] is somebody that has been helpful for me on a number of different levels, as an ally and a mentor...I recognize the long history of amazing work that he's been doing and I have had the chance to participate in some of the panels he's put together to acknowledge and recognize and try to figure out ways that we can be supportive of kids of trans experience and of other LGBTQ folks.”

Rep. Takano is the first openly gay person of color elected to Congress and serves as Chairman of the Vererans Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus. Rep. Takano similarly spoke with admiration about Kennedy—and PFLAG. “Joe Kennedy is a classmate of mine. He's become such...an amazing ally. As a young [gay] teenager, you kind of feel like you are in a tiny minority. And...we're really kind of vulnerable if we don't have allies who embrace us and support us—and especially parents. ...PFLAG, you are such an important part [of this]. Parents are such an important part of LGBT people being able to...emerge and grow. And become stronger...with PFLAG, it’s an organization that is about empowering and affirming... That's a very special thing.”

Sen. Tammy Baldwin—who co-founded the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus as Co-Chair with Rep. Barney Frank (Ret., MA-4) in 2008—echoed Chairman Takano’s sentiments about PFLAG.

I remember … at Pride marches that this PFLAG contingency was the one that everyone cheered the most. And in some cases it was because these allies, these loved ones were standing up for their children, their siblings, their friends, and perhaps you came from a family where that didn't happen. And I would see the joy...people with tears flowing down their cheeks, and thinking you know, I wish that would be my family. ...But to now have a full-fledged advocacy organization that recognizes it is, yes, still about the support of that intimate one-on-one or small-group setting, but also about the advocacy for changes of policy, changes of law, changes of hearts, changes of minds on a more massive scale.”

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.