Is it legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender?

By Team One Colorado: Daniel, Sheena, Garrett, Sarah, Jordan, Mikayla, Heidi, Kris

Aimee Stephens never saw how her colleagues at work would react to her gender transition. The owner of the funeral home where she worked fired her first.

Gerald Bostock claims everything was fine in his job as a social worker in Georgia until he joined a gay softball league. Then came the pink slip.

For skydiving instructor Donald Zarda, the termination came after the routine way he joked with a woman when the two had been strapped together shoulder-to-shoulder and hip-to-hip for a tandem jump. Something along the lines of, “Don’t worry, I’m gay.”

The three present the Supreme Court with a blockbuster question at the start of its new term: Is it legal to fire someone for being gay or transgender?

Join us on the West Steps of the Colorado State Capitol today, Monday, October 7th at 1:00 PM to stand in solidarity with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workers.



Imagine being married on Sunday, putting a wedding photo of you and your spouse on your desk on Monday, and then being fired on Tuesday. This is a troubling reality for more the 44% of LGBTQ Americans - that’s 4.1 million people - that live and work in 29 states without employment non-discrimination laws protecting them from being unfairly fired, not hired, discriminated against or harassed in the workplace by employers on the basis of their real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.

Can't join us in person? Sign and share this petition telling the Supreme Court that it's not okay to fire someone simply because of who they love of how they identify. PETITION: https://onecolorado.salsalabs.org/titlevii

The law is on our side. Many federal courts and agencies have long held that firing someone simply for being transgender, gay, lesbian, or bisexual is unlawful sex discrimination. The Supreme Court must uphold these protections.

+Life reacts to Cardi B's anti-AIDS language

Newly launched digital content brand +Life, with the mission of ending the stigma of being HIV+, reacts to Cardi B’s disparaging use of AIDS as an insult:

They share on Facebook: Cardi B we love you & your outspokenness. PLEASE be careful throwing around “AIDS” or “HIV.” The stigma is real. HIV rates are on the rise with black, brown and trans Americans, and stigma plays a big part in that. Together we can fight to #EndHIVstigma but it starts with love and understanding‬.

Captains ready for season opener at HSBC USA Women's Sevens

The 12 captains of the HSBC World Rugby Women's Sevens Series convened at the Four Mile Historic Park in Glendale, Colorado ahead of the HSBC USA Women's Sevens, taking place at Infinity Park on 5-6 October.

The teams are preparing for their first tournament of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 and it marks the start of the Olympic season for rugby sevens as the sport prepares to make its second appearance on the Olympic Games programme in Tokyo next summer.

The HSBC USA Women’s Sevens tournament was first introduced in 2018 and is now one of eight tournaments on the women’s series – a record number for the women’s competition – with six of those combined with men’s events.

The men's and women's USA teams both finished second on the 2019 series and rugby is growing in popularity at a rapid rate in the States. Independent Nielsen research has found USA to have the highest proportion of rugby fans worldwide with more than 33 million people who are either ‘interested or very interested’ in the sport, demonstrating the huge potential for the growth of rugby in the USA.

The Rugby World Cup Sevens 2018, which was hosted in San Francisco, saw more than 100,000 fans attend the three-day event at AT&T Park, setting a new attendance record for a rugby event held in the USA.

2019 was a hugely competitive season on the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series with New Zealand taking the world series title and the top four teams also earning automatic qualification to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

New Zealand, USA, Australia and Canada will be joined in Tokyo by Japan, Brazil and Great Britain after the latter two secured spots through the regional qualification process over the summer.

With the increased schedule and with the Olympics on the horizon too, the defending champions’ captain Sarah Hirini cannot wait to get started: "This weekend is going to be massive for every country. It’s about starting the season off on a high, making sure that your pre-season went really well and I’m just hugely excited to be getting to play alongside the girls again."

"We know that our success last year was last year and that we can’t fall back on what we’ve previously done," she added.

"We know that teams are coming out here and wanting to win here in Colorado and we want to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to try and beat them."

New Zealand will face England, Russia and invitational team Japan in Pool A.

Pool B sees the hosts USA and France paired with Ireland and the new core team for 2020, Brazil.

Appointed as co-captain alongside Lauren Doyle for the 2020 season, Abby Gustaitis said: “We’re hoping for a medal performance and to build on the foundation that we set last year and just keep improving tournament by tournament."

Many of the teams have incorporated altitude training into their preparation for Glendale, with Gustaitis adding: “We spent a few days up in Breckenridge up in the mountains which is at about 9,600 feet elevation and we ran a couple of clinics for youth rugby and then got to Glendale Monday afternoon where we hit the ground running with our training – we’re excited for the tournament.”

Brazil captain Raquel Kochhann shared: "We are so excited to show to the whole world what we have been doing in training and our hard work in Brazil to show our best on the world series."

Elsewhere, the bronze medalists in Glendale last year, Canada will tackle Australia, Spain and Fiji in Pool C.

The action gets underway at Infinity Park at 09:53 local time (GMT-6) on Saturday with Australia against Spain in the opening pool game.

Mika Releases First Full Length Album in Five Years Today

My Name Is Michael Holbrook, the new album from global pop superstar MIKA, is out today via Republic Records. Listen HERE. This is the fifth studio album from the platinum-selling artist, dubbed a “Playful yet provocative alt-pop sensation” by EDGE.

MIKA also premieres new video, “Sanremo,” today. Set in the 1950’s, the video represents “an era when homosexuality if not illegal was socially unacceptable, a time of discrimination and persecution. “San Remo” represents his utopian dream, a fictional place of liberation and transcendence,” says director, WIZ. 


 
“This album has been a rich and intense journey. Inspired by life in all its glory and all its dark challenges. It’s also inspired by love. Starting with an idea that was born in a cemetery in Savannah Georgia and ending the writing in a 650 yr old farm house in Italy. My intention was to write about life as it happened. A sort of album made in ‘real time,’” MIKA says. “It’s an explosion of joy, colour and emotion even though it was born in one of the most challenging periods for my family and I. Writing and recording this album was a form of medicine for me and my family. It is so deeply personal but also universal. I have come to realize that the only thing that matters in life are the people we love and the stories we tell. This album is dedicated to those people I love and to the notion that although we all hopefully grow with age, we should do so without losing our colors, our warmth or whimsy. I hope my “Tiny Love” stories somehow touch you or transport you, even just for an instant.”

MIKA is fresh off the heels of a sold-out tour across North America, including stops at Brooklyn Steel in New York City and The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles. A European run of arenas and stadiums kicks off next month, with more North American dates to be announced.

For his first full length in five years, MIKA explores his American heritage. While his tumultuous childhood began in Lebanon before fleeing to Paris and then London, he focuses the album on the roots he traces back to his father’s Savannah, Georgia upbringing. The work also paints a loving picture of his relationship with his mother, the woman who trained him, made his wardrobe for years on the road and most importantly taught him never to follow and always to express himself fearlessly. After writing in home studios in Miami and Tuscany over the course of two years, MIKA went to Brussels to record with producers Marc Crew and Dan Priddy.

Born Michael Holbrook Penniman Jr. in 1983 as the third of five children, MIKA started vocal lessons at seven years old. Learning to play piano and write songs while showing otherworldly vocal range, MIKA quickly became a young virtuoso. MIKA’s musical success began with the release of his hit single, “Grace Kelly.” The single was featured on his debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, which went straight to #1 in the UK and 11 other countries, going on to sell over seven million copies worldwide. Since his debut he has released three other Platinum selling full length albums, The Boy Who Knew Too Much, The Origin of Love, and No Place In Heaven. In addition, MIKA has not only won a Brit Award for British Breakthrough Act, but he has also been nominated for Grammys, MTV Europe Music Awards, Capital Radio Awards and World Music Awards. Additionally, his RA12 primetime variety show “Stasera Casa Mika” won the prestigious Rose D’or Award for Best Entertainment Series in 2017. Furthermore, he has been a judge on France’s The Voice for six years and hosts his own BBC2 Radio show “The Art of Song.”

Make a Recommendation for the 2019 Gay Travel Awards

It's almost time for Gay Travel Awards season. And as the 2019 awards are fast approaching, GayTravel.com wanted to give us all a chance to recommend our favorites for consideration, as well as suggest any new categories.

Ian Aber Releases Debut Comedy Album 'Night Sugar'

Ian Aber, the award-winning Atlanta based comedian well known as a national finalist on the hit reality competition series StandUp NBC yesterday released his first-ever studio album “Night Sugar” through RadLand Records. “Night Sugar” was recorded at the renowned Rot Knee Presents Comedy at Star Bar, one of the best and longest-running shows in the Southeast and perhaps the country. The album is now available on iTunes and amazon.com and precursors Aber’s national tour scheduled for the Winter of 2020.

In “Night Sugar” Ian creates an intimate evening of comedy where he takes the listener on a wild ride through the playful and often satirical outsider lens in which he views the world. Weaving between quick-paced jokes and passionate storytelling, Ian shares his struggles with body image, being an open queer person for over 30 years and the travails of being older in a youth-obsessed culture and industry. A child of a Chilean immigrant, Ian highlights the diversity, humanity, and humor in being part of a multicultural family.

PEOPLE Exclusive: Kim Petras Opens Up About How Bullies — and Childhood Idols — Prepared Her for Pop Stardom

Kim Petras is making her pop dreams come true — on her own terms.

Born and raised in Cologne, Germany, the singer-songwriter has been pursuing pop stardom since she was a teen. An unabashed fan of the divas, from Madonna to Minogue, Petras started writing songs in her bedroom at age 13. She moved to Los Angeles to chase a career in music at 19. And in the years since, Petras has slowly built a committed, cult following thanks to pure pop bops like "I Don't Want It At All" and "Heart to Break."

Pop music has always been important to Petras, long before it became her profession.

“It means everything to me. When I was a kid, I used to not really have friends in school. I hated going to school — I got bullied pretty bad,” says Petras, who underwent gender-confirmation surgery at 16. “I used to run home from school and watch Gwen Stefani music videos, and I felt like I could escape my problems with that.”

Now, the nascent star is providing her own growing fanbase with a similar respite from reality.

This summer, she released her first LP Clarity, which evokes the ’90s and 2000s pop of her childhood idols on standouts like "Icy," "Personal Hell"and "Sweet Spot." And she’s about to hit the road for The Clarity Tour, on which she’ll perform tracks from her debut album and the sexy Turn the Light Off, a 19-song, Halloween-themed dance project she released on Tuesday.

“For me this is definitely just the start,” says Petras, 27.
PEOPLE caught up with the performer about her long rise to stardom, how pop music changed her life and why she refuses to be defined by her gender identity.

One Colorado Announces 2019-2020 GSA Leadership Council Members

Our Council members learned to trust each other as they had to cross the "Chocolate River".

By Jordan Anthony, Youth Program Coordinator, One Colorado

I am excited to introduce the 2019-2020 One Colorado GSA Leadership Council. This council is composed of young advocates from across the state of Colorado who are fired up to fight for safe schools and LGBTQ equity for all students in Colorado. Get to know these fearless leaders here.

And, this council needs your help.

The power and capacity of youth must be at the center of our work. Without the novel and powerful insights of our young leaders, any solution or remedy we try to bring will not fit into their own experiences. As adults who wish to see young LGBTQ folk thrive, we do our youth a disservice if we do not consider them fully capable of creating their own solutions to the marginalization and discrimination they can face in school.

Why am I telling you this?

I am calling on you to support One Colorado in our work with our GSA Leadership Council. That same commitment to equity that we want to inspire in our youth is what drives us to do this work. Become a member of the Centennial Club today. Your support grows our programming, like helping to sponsor our GSA leadership council retreat, where Councilmembers are given skills development and resources to aid in their growth as an effective leader.

Have you done your part to support the movement for safe schools? Donate today!

It has never been easier to change the future. All we have to do is support our young leaders as they do what they do best: make waves and make a difference.

Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference in Denver Highlights Industry Achievements, New Sustainable Partnerships

More than 520 travel and tourism industry representatives and elected officials gathered in Denver this week for the 2019 Governor’s Colorado Tourism Conference. Hosted by the Colorado Tourism Office, the conference featured three days of informative seminars, engaging workshops and keynote sessions from industry leaders across the country and beyond.

Governor Polis’ call upon Colorado to “Be Bold” deeply inspired the agenda for this year’s Colorado Governor’s Tourism Conference, set just blocks from the state Capitol. This year’s conference theme, “C Further,” highlighted the industry’s innovation and aptitude to adopt bold, big ideas to better the tourism sector as well as the state as a whole.

“Colorado’s tourism industry is a national leader and that did not happen overnight. Our tourism industry’s vibrant health and its thoughtful reputation are direct results of the hard work of industry members from across our state,” said Governor Jared Polis. “I’m delighted to see Colorado rising as the national leader in sustainable travel and as Governor and as a Coloradan, I recognize how important it is to ensure that our state’s natural beauty and recreational opportunities that attract visitors from around the world are preserved for generations to come.” The Governor kicked off Tuesday’s luncheon session.

“The goal of this year’s conference was to generate thinking about ways our Colorado tourism industry can continue building our competitive edge while ensuring that our work continues to support Colorado’s extraordinary lifestyle,” said CTO Director Cathy Ritter. “Our conference agenda provided such a diversity of topics and inspired so many engaging discussions. I’m confident our attendees went home more prepared than ever to maximize the benefits of tourism for visitors and residents alike.”

This three-day conference, co-sponsored by VISIT DENVER, featured a variety of experts in well-attended breakout sessions and learning labs that focused on topics including cannabis and hemp tourism, outdoor adventure, marketing myths and utilizing electric vehicles to boost visitor spending in rural areas. Keynote sessions featured remarks from Jeremy Jauncey, founder and CEO of Beautiful Destinations, and a panel on the topic of tourism capacity featuring Frank Cuypers, senior strategic consultant of Destination Think!; Lucy Kay, president and CEO of the Breckenridge Tourism Office; and Dr. Nathan Reigner, Fulbright Arctic Scholar, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iceland.

“With a 'tip of the hat' to Colorado's successful sustainable tourism initiatives, we are poised to go even further this year with new partnerships between the Colorado Tourism Office and Leave No Trace. These partnerships allow us to continue to reach every corner of our state with our Care For Colorado best practices,” said Courtney Frazier, chair of the Colorado Tourism Board and executive director of the Colorado Dude & Guest Ranch Association. “I want to encourage the industry to continue seeking out new ways to protect the integrity of Colorado resources through sustainable practices in the coming year.”

The annual awards dinner on Monday, Sept. 30 honored individuals and organizations that have greatly contributed to the advancement and innovation of Colorado’s tourism industry. The awards and winners are detailed below.

• The Colorado Tourism Office Board Chairman’s Award is awarded to extraordinary individuals’ commitment to tourism in Colorado. This year’s award was presented to Barb Bowman of Grand Junction. Bowman helped lead Visit Grand Junction for 27 years, is a former member of the Colorado Tourism Board and is the past president of Tour Colorado and the Rotary Club of Grand Junction.
   
• The Outstanding Community Tourism Initiative Award is presented to a community or region that has demonstrated excellence in a tourism event, promotion or project. This year’s award recipient was the Pueblo Chile & Frijoles Festival, which celebrated its 25^th anniversary this fall.
   
• The award for Outstanding Sustainability Initiative, Project or Program—a new award this year—went to two recipients, Vail Resorts’ Commitment to Zero and the Hanging Lake Management Plan.
   
• The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Individual Contribution to Colorado Tourism is presented to an individual to recognize his/her tireless contributions to advancing the Colorado tourism industry. This award was presented to Mary Ann Mahoney, CEO of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau.
   
• The Governor’s Award for Outstanding Marketing Program recognizes an event or project undertaken by a community or region to promote tourism in Colorado. This award went to the Colorado Historic Hot Springs Loop marketing campaign.
   
• The Jack Snow Volunteer Award is presented to an individual who selflessly dedicated time and energy to furthering tourism in Colorado and bettering the visitor experience in the state. This year’s award goes to William “Bill” L. Miller.
  
  As the conference closed, the Colorado Tourism Office announced Snowmass as the host city of the 2020 Governor’s Colorado Tourism Conference held Sept. 16-18, 2020.

Groundbreaking National Study on PrEP Use to Prevent HIV Acquisition Among Transgender MSM

A groundbreaking study from The Fenway Institute published in the most recent issue of Journal of the international AIDS Society is the first to investigate the use of pre‐exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the risk behaviors that indicate its use to prevent HIV among transgender MSM (men who have sex with men) nationally. Although HIV infection in the U.S. remains a serious public health concern—particularly among MSM and transgender people—HIV-related research in the transgender community has largely focused on transgender women (those assigned a male sex at birth who have a trans-feminine gender identity). The study’s findings indicate that PrEP and other bio-behavioral research on HIV prevention efforts should include transgender MSM, who are currently excluded from PrEP trials. Additionally, further guidance is required from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to inform PrEP continuum and care delivery.

Several studies have shown that transgender women are disproportionately affected by HIV infection relative to their cisgender peers. However, researchers have only recently started to evaluate HIV risk among trans-masculine people who have sex with cisgender men or share needles for hormone or recreational drug use. “Transgender MSM have been invisible in both transgender HIV prevention efforts and in cis MSM prevention delivery;” notes study co-author Dr. Sari Reisner, Director of Transgender Health Research at The Fenway Institute and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. “Our study suggests that bio-behavioral HIV prevention methods, such as PrEP, should be made available to transgender MSM. Findings support the full inclusion of transgender MSM in biomedical HIV prevention services and research.”

The study, titled “High risk and low uptake of pre‐exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV acquisition in a national online sample of transgender men who have sex with men in the United States,” was conducted online from November 2017 to December 2017. This national study included 857 transgender MSM between the ages of 18 and 60 (65.3% were under 30). Participants were surveyed to determine their HIV risk, PrEP use, and their bio-behavioral and psychosocial factors (depression, hazardous alcohol and drug use, dating/relationship status, and more). Participants must have self‐reported receptive anal sex or frontal/vaginal sex with a cis male sex partner in the past six months. The racially mixed group was 69.7% white, 25.5% mixed or other racial identity, and 4.8% black. Additionally, 22.1% of all participants reported Latinx heritage. All participants had been assigned female sex at birth and currently identify on the transmasculine spectrum (71.6% as male/transgender man, 28.4% as non-binary, and 32.6% as gay).

The study found that 84% of participants recognized that PrEP use was a way to prevent HIV acquisition. Approximately 55% reported higher risk factors which indicated a greater need for PrEP use. These included where they met their sex partners, not having sex exclusively with cis men, greater number of partners, and high alcohol and drug use. However, only one-third of those in the study had ever taken PrEP.

There could be a number of factors influencing lower PrEP use including a lack of health insurance, poor access to HIV testing, or delays in using prevention methods. Additionally, transgender MSM face the dual stigmas of both gender and sexual minority statuses (with higher levels of stigma for non-binary individuals). As such, they may have unique vulnerabilities that differ from cis MSM. Significant increases in HIV risk were found for those who identified as gay (vs. not), those with mental health and substance abuse issues, those in polyamorous relationships, and those stigmatized by their cis male sex partners.

Since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral drug for PrEP use in 2012, it has proven to be a safe and effective method of HIV prevention. While the CDC has PrEP indication guidelines for several populations in the HIV epidemic, transgender MSM is not one of them. Therefore, it is likely that this vulnerable group is being overlooked by medical providers due to the gap in CDC guidelines and research. This study included a large national sample size of transgender MSM—an at‐risk population about which little is known. Findings clearly show that transgender MSM will not only benefit from access to PrEP but also that HIV prevention research should include this population in future research. The study also demonstrates a need for greater education and public health interventions around the risk factors and vulnerabilities specific to this group.

One Colorado: We're kicking off LGBTQ Education Week!

By Daniel Ramos, Executive Director, One Colorado  We are excited to kick off LGBTQ Education Week! I started my career at One Colorado as the Youth and Schools Program Coordinator nearly nine years ago. Now as I enter my fourth year as Executive Director at One Colorado, this week is still special to me.  When the limited hours of a school day may be the only chance you have to be your authentic self, clubs like Gay-Straight Alliances or Gender and Sexualities Alliances (GSAs) are a necessity. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth live this reality every day. Students need sincere friends, sympathetic peers, and supportive adults to thrive — an active GSA can do all that and more. Step up and be the change in your school. Check out our new web resources for students, parents, and educators in supporting LGBTQ youth and download our guides on starting or sustaining a GSA in your school today.

According to the GLSEN 2017 Colorado School Climate Snapshot, schools with an active and engaged GSA showed better student engagement and better mental health outcomes for LGBTQ youth than those schools that did not. Something so simple can pay huge dividends, especially when suicide is the leading cause of death for Colorado youth ages 10 to 24.  Stay tuned throughout LGBTQ Education Week to learn more about GSAs, our Youth Leadership Council, and ways you can be an effective ally to LGBTQ youth.

P.S. If you are a LGBTQ or allied student who is looking to start a GSA, you can email our Youth and Schools Program Coordinator, Jordan Anthony, at jordana@one-colorado.org for more information.

Colorado Honors Its Native Peoples With Events and Offerings to Educate and Inspire

November marks National Native American Heritage Month, and Colorado honors its earliest inhabitants through cultural experiences throughout the year. Following is a sampling of sites, exhibits and museums as well as events and tours that pay tribute to and celebrate the rich ancestry and traditions of Native Americans in the state.

Sites, Exhibits and Museums:

Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, Dolores: Covering 176,000 acres, the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument is a rugged and breathtaking landscape containing the highest known density of archaeological sites in the United States. 6,000 ancient sites, some visible to the eye, dot the landscape, including cliff dwellings, villages and rock art. Plus, the monument is just 10 miles from the heart of Cortez. The outdoor site contains miles of trails ideal for hiking, mountain biking and by horseback.

Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Cortez: Stories of the Native American experience, including the Pueblo people, often is told in the past tense. At the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, however, visitors experience a broader understanding of Ancestral Puebloan culture and modern culture through immersive workshops, tours and travel opportunities. Crow Canyon Archaeological Center is a 170-acre research facility and living classroom offering hands-on archaeology programs.

Cultural Traditions of The Southern Ute Indian Tribe, Ignacio: The Southern Ute Indian Tribe located on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Southwest Colorado, has a rich cultural tradition and holds several events throughout the year to keep these traditions alive. The Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center, owned and operated by the Southern Ute Indian Tribe provides information about the Southern Ute Indian Tribe culture, history and traditions. The Sky Ute Casino Resort is the perfect place from which to explore the endless recreational options on the reservation and the surrounding areas.

Denver Museum of Nature & Science North American Indian Cultures Exhibit Hall, Denver: As visitors travel through the various regions in the Denver Museum of Nature & Science's eye-opening North American Indian Cultures exhibit hall, they'll explore authentic reconstructed dwellings, including an Eskimo snow house, a Northwest Coast clan house, a Navajo hogan and a Cheyenne tipi. Along the way, visitors can examine beautifully crafted weavings, basketry, beadwork and pottery.

Hovenweep National Monument, Cortez: Hovenweep, a Ute Indian word meaning “deserted valley,” was once home to over 2,500 people. Hovenweep includes six prehistoric villages built between A.D. 1200 and 1300. A variety of structures include multi-story towers perched on canyon rims and balanced on boulders. Unique square, oval, circular and D-shaped towers display incredible attention to detail and will leave visitors marveling at the skill and motivation of the builders.

Mesa Verde National Park: Mesa Verde National Park was established in 1906 to preserve and interpret the archeological heritage of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. Today, the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. These sites are some of the most notable and best preserved in the United States.

Native American Trading Company, Denver: For more than 25 years, the Native American Trading Company has offered high quality affordable and authentic handmade American Indian art. Every piece is individually selected by owners Jack Lima and Robin Lima Riddel, who frequently make trips to reservations, pueblos and the homes of the artists in search of the finest pieces, including antique weavings, pottery, baskets, jewelry, artifacts and photographs. Located just across the street from the Denver Art Museum, Native American Trading Company is a must-visit gallery.

The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Eads: Visit the Site of The Sand Creek Massacre: profound, symbolic, spiritual, controversial, a site unlike any other in America. As 675 cavalrymen came around a prairie bend, the camps of Chiefs Black Kettle, White Antelope, and Left Hand lay in the valley before them. Chaotic, horrific, tumultuous and bloody, the events of November 29, 1864 changed the course of history. Interpretive programs are offered daily. There is also a 173-mile Annual Sand Creek Massacre Spiritual Healing Run/Walk in late November.

Temple Canyon Park, Cañon City: Discover Native American wonders at Temple Canyon Park. In 1881, workmen for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad discovered a hidden side canyon along Grape Creek that led to a large natural amphitheater. Dubbed ‘The Temple’, the site (along with hundreds of surrounding acres) was acquired as a city park in 1912. This stunning location may have been used by the Ute Indian Tribe as a ceremony site. It is also said there are Ute burial grounds along Grape Creek through Temple Canyon. The Ute Trail, as it is known today, was at one time used by the American Indians in their excursion to and from the plains country.

Tesoro Cultural Center, Morrison: From art and cuisine to historical re-enactments and music, the Tesoro Cultural Center’s mission is to create enriched, community-based events and educational outreach programs designed to preserve and celebrate Colorado’s cultural heritage. Tesoro Cultural Center is proud to offer several approved curriculums for public schools, including a program titled “The American Indian Tribes of Colorado.”

Ute Council Tree, Delta: Once a 200-plus-year-old cottonwood where it's been claimed that Chief Ouray, his wife Chipeta and Ouray’s braves met with white settlers to smoke the pipe of peace and settle their differences, what remains of the Ute Council Tree is a 23-foot stump. Chipeta was said to have been the only American Indian woman ever permitted to sit in council meetings. The site, still considered a cultural landmark.

The Ute Indian Museum, Montrose: The Ute Indian Museum celebrates the history and the living culture of Colorado's longest continuous residents. The museum welcomes visitors with a stunning building and exhibition connecting the past with contemporary Ute life and culture. Exhibitions focus on the Ute peoples' history of adaptation and persistence, and unfold around a central theme of geography, highlighting significant locations in Ute history and Ute cultural survival, political self-determination, economic opportunity and the celebration of the Bear Dance.

Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park, Towaoc: The Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park offers an in-depth experience not to be missed. Tribal members interpret tribal culture, pictographs, cliff dwellings, surface ruins and artifacts. It has been selected by National Geographic Traveler as one of “80 World Destinations for Travel in the 21st Century,” one of only nine places in the United States to receive this special designation. The Park encompasses approximately 125,000 acres around a 25-mile stretch of the Mancos River, and is located in the Mesa Verde/Mancos Canyon area just outside the boundaries of the National Park.

The White River Museum, Meeker: The White River Museum is housed in two of the log buildings from the 1880′s that served as officer’s quarters of the federal troops stationed in Meeker, as a result of the Meeker Massacre in 1879 and the infamous Milk Creek Battle, the last Indian Tribe/U.S.Army battle in America. Named “one of the last curio museums in Colorado” by the State Historical Society, it is filled with collections ranging from the 1880’s to the 1950’s, including many Ute Indian exhibits.

Written on the Land: Ute Voices, Ute History at the History Colorado Center, Denver: Hear the story of Colorado’s longest continuous residents, told in their own voices in the exhibit, “Written on the Land: Ute Voices, Ute History” at the History Colorado Center. Take a journey to iconic Colorado places the Ute people call home. Visitors can see traditional arts, gorgeous photography and contemporary video showing how Ute people have adapted and persevered through the centuries. The exhibit showcases the tragic loss of Ute homelands and efforts to keep Ute culture and language alive today.

Yampah Vapor Caves, Glenwood Springs: Glenwood Springs’ Yampah Vapor Caves, the only known natural vapor caves in North America, were originally inhabited by the Ute Native Americans who visited the caves for centuries regarding them as a sacred place of healing, curative powers and rejuvenation. In fact, Yampah translates into “Big Medicine” in the Ute language. Visitors still enjoy “Big Medicine” from the Yampah Vapor Caves, which are blessed by Utes every year. Members of the Ute Tribe also hold monthly traditional sweats in the caves in an effort to keep the traditions alive.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” Premieres in U.S. on Logo

On the heels of “RuPaul Drag Race’s” second consecutive Emmy® win for Outstanding Reality Competition Program and RuPaul’s fourth consecutive Emmy® win for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program, top drag queens from across the pond will sashay into the workroom for the U.S. television premiere of “RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” on Friday, October 11th on Logo.

“RuPaul’s Drag Race UK” will showcase the charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent of the top drag queens, from sickening lip syncs to wig snatching moments, as they prove to Mama Ru why they deserve to be the “UK’s Next Drag Superstar.”

The 10 competing queens will give their all to impress the judges as they vie for the ultimate title of “UK’s Next Drag Superstar.” The queens competing include Baga Chipz (London), Blu Hydrangea (Belfast), Cheryl Hole (Essex), Crystal (London), Divina De Campo (West Yorkshire), Gothy Kendoll (Leicester), Scardey Kat (Wiltshire), Sum Ting Wong (Birmingham), The Vivienne (Liverpool), and Vinegar Strokes (London).

RuPaul will host and judge alongside Michelle Visage, as well as newcomers Alan Carr and Graham Norton. Celebrity guest judges include Cheryl, Andrew Garfield, Maisie Williams, Geri Horner, Michaela Coel, Dame Twiggy and Jade Thirlwall. Joining as celebrity coaches will be MNEK, Curtis Pritchard and AJ Pritchard. Joining as special guests for Snatch Game will be Stacey Dooley and Lorraine Kelly.

'Judy' Soundtrack Out Today

Today, Academy Award winner and three times Academy Award nominee Renée Zellweger releases her first ever solo album, as she stars on the Original Soundtrack for the highly-anticipated feature film JUDY. Listen HERE via Republic Records.

Renée is joined on the album by Sam Smith for a totally unique version of one of Garland's best-loved numbers, 'Get Happy', and teams up with Rufus Wainwright for a beautiful rendition of 'Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas' – both newly-recorded especially for the album.
This brand-new soundtrack marks 50 years since Judy Garland’s premature death in 1969, and 80 years since she shot to teenage stardom in The Wizard of Oz in 1939.

Based on the true story of Judy Garland’s final concerts in London in the late 1960s, the JUDY biopic now in theatres nationwide sees Zellweger in the role of the show business legend, bringing her own, newly-recorded and distinctive vocals to this totally unique album.

Talking of Zellweger’s phenomenal musical performance, the two times Olivier winner and Tony nominated director Rupert Goold commented:

“I made it clear to Renée that I wasn’t looking for an impersonation of Judy Garland’s inimitable voice, but what I wanted was for Renée to make the songs her own and this she did to thrilling effect.”

MAP moves the needle at the LGBTQ Presidential Forum

At last Friday’s LGBTQ Presidential Forum hosted by The Advocate, The Cedar Rapids Gazette, GLAAD, and One Iowa, Democratic candidate Julián Castro addressed an alarming trend happening in legislatures and courts across the country: the use of broad religious exemptions laws to target vulnerable communities, including LGBT people, minority faiths, and women.

Freedom of religion is a fundamental American value—so fundamental that it is protected by the First Amendment of our nation’s Constitution. And historically, religious exemptions have protected the tried-and-true American values of freedom of belief, worship and religious exercise. However, in recent years some people have begun to distort this historical understanding by claiming that religious exemptions should allow people to impose their religious beliefs on their employees, their customers, their patients, their constituents, and others.

Hear him explain further:

MAP has been at the forefront of doing impactful research on how religious exemptions laws threaten the health, wellbeing, and safety of many people across the United States, and particularly in rural communities. Just last week, MAP released a groundbreaking report—the second in a series—about LGBT people of color living in rural America, describing how many service providers in rural areas are religiously affiliated and are covered under religious exemptions laws that may allow them to discriminate. That’s not a coincidence. For more than 12 years, MAP has worked to advance the conversation and speed equality and opportunity for all. MAP’s groundbreaking research builds understanding of the lives and experiences of people all over the country and identifies the policy solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing these communities. On issues from nondiscrimination and criminal justice to LGBT older adults and health care, MAP frames problems and policy solutions for maximum impact.