Colorado LGBTQ Activist Jordan Blisk to Receive American Bar Association's Stonewall Award

The American Bar Association Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) will honor Jordan Blisk with its Stonewall Award during a virtual ceremony on Feb. 12 at 5:30 p.m. PST at the ABA Midyear Meeting in Seattle.

Named after the New York City Stonewall Inn police raid and riot of June 28, 1969, which was a turning point in the gay rights movement, the award recognizes lawyers who have considerably advanced lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in the legal profession and successfully championed LGBTQ legal causes.

Blisk is the assistant director of chapters at the American Constitutional Society, a progressive legal organization, and executive director and board chair of the Colorado Name Change Project (CNCP), where he leads programs that provide transgender Coloradans with legal and financial assistance with their name and gender marker corrections through attorney-led workshops across the state.

CNCP accomplishes its goals through attorney-led workshops, microgrants to defray or wholly eliminate the cost of legal transition, individual pro bono legal assistance, nonpartisan advocacy and innovative technology implementation. Blisk is working to lay the groundwork to replicate and expand successful CNCP initiatives in neighboring states with policies on legal transition that are less accessible than Colorado’s.

After high school, Blisk served in the U.S. Air Force for four years, then received his B.A. from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Having earned both the rank of senior airman and his undergraduate degree by the age of 20, three years later, Blisk became the first openly transgender graduate of the University of Colorado Law School, where he organized the first annual CU Law Name Change Clinic.

In law school, Blisk interned at Lambda Legal, working primarily on state and federal impact litigation cases such as Zzyym v. Pompeo and utilizing the resources of Lambda to fight against discriminatory practices in blood donation by LGBTQ person and to fight for the inclusion of transathletes in youth sports.

In 2021, the National LGBT Bar Association selected him as one of the “40 Best LGBTQ+ Lawyers Under 40.”

“We are thrilled to honor trans activist, veteran and lawyer Jordan Blisk, who through his advocacy work inspires us all to demand and create a better world for all of us,” said Judge Benes Aldana, chair of SOGI.

The ABA Commission on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity leads the ABA’s commitment to diversity, inclusion and full and equal participation by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the ABA, the legal profession and society. Created in 2007, the commission seeks to secure equal treatment in the ABA, the legal profession and the justice system without regard to sexual orientation or gender identity.

Marking the Deadliest Year on Record, Human Rights Campaign Announces Release of Annual Report on Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, released “An Epidemic of Violence: Fatal Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People in the United States in 2021” a report honoring the at least 46 transgender and gender non-conforming people killed in 2021 as of today and shining a light on data that HRC has continued to collect on the epidemic of violence.

With 46 known deaths since January 1, HRC has officially recorded more violent deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people than any year since we began tracking this violence in 2013. Previously, the highest known number of fatal deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming people was in 2020, when we reported 44 people were violently killed throughout the calendar year. This year’s report’s release comes several days ahead of Transgender Day of Remembrance, a moment to remember the transgender and gender non-conforming people who have been lost to fatal violence over the course of the year.

“For the second year in a row, the trans community has seen a grim milestone: 2021 has become the deadliest year on record, just as 2020 was. Each and every name read and recognized on the Trans Day of Remembrance represented a full, rich life that did not deserve to be cut short,” said Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison. “The rhetoric and stigma aimed by anti-equality political leaders and public figures at transgender and non-binary people have led to an unprecedented level of horrific violence against our transgender community. We must fight for change. We must dismantle this stigma. We must bring this epidemic of violence to an end.”

“Each year, transgender and non-binary people gather together to mourn those lost and hope for a more peaceful future,” said Director of Community Engagement for HRC’s Transgender Justice Initiative Tori Cooper. “On the Transgender Day of Remembrance, we must all reaffirm our commitment to fighting on every front necessary to ensure our transgender siblings’ deaths will not be forgotten. We will honor their lives and their memories with action.”

This year’s report, An Epidemic of Violence: Fatal Violence Against Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming People in the United States in 2021, found that since the start of the year, at least 46 transgender and gender non-conforming people have been killed in the U.S. Of those 46 victims, 29 were Black and eight were Latinx. Since January 2013, HRC has documented more than 250 transgender and gender non-conforming people who were victims of fatal violence. Two-thirds of these known victims have been Black women and nearly 60% of known fatalities have involved a firearm. This fatal violence affects trans and gender non-conforming people nationwide, with HRC and advocates tracking cases of fatal violence since 2013 across 113 cities and towns in 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. These disturbing numbers likely underreport deadly violence targeting transgender and gender non-confirming people, who may not be properly identified as transgender or gender non-conforming by police, media or other sources.

The 46 known transgender and gender non-conforming people killed so far in 2021 are: Tyianna Alexander, Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín, Bianca “Muffin” Bankz, Dominique Jackson, Fifty Bandz, Alexus Braxton, Chyna Carrillo, siblings Jeffrey “JJ” Bright and Jasmine Cannady, Jenna Franks, Diamond Kyree Sanders, Rayanna Pardo, Jaida Peterson, Dominique Lucious, Remy Fennell, Tiara Banks, Natalia Smut, Iris Santos, Tiffany Thomas, Keri Washington, Jahaira DeAlto, Whispering Wind Bear Spirit, Sophie Vásquez, Danika “Danny” Henson, Serenity Hollis, Oliver “Ollie” Taylor, Thomas Hardin, Poe Black, EJ Boykin, Taya Ashton, Shai Vanderpump, Tierramarie Lewis, Miss CoCo, Pooh Johnson, Disaya Monaee, Briana Hamilton, Kiér Laprí Kartier, Mel Groves, Royal Poetical Starz, Zoella “Zoey” Rose Martinez, Jo Acker, Jessi Hart, Rikkey Outumuro, Marquiisha Lawrence, and Jenny De Leon. HRC also tracks additional concerning deaths of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.

Many factors lead to this violence. Anti-transgender stigma can lead to the denial of opportunities in society, such as employment discrimination and exclusion from health care, as well as to increased risk factors such as poverty and homelessness. The combination of these factors, which are often exacerbated by racism and sexism, can lead to an increased risk of fatal violence. Learn more in HRC’s newly updated report, “Dismantling a Culture of Bias: Understanding Anti-Transgender Violence and Ending the Crisis.”

Although there are some existing legal protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people -- such as the Violence Against Women Act, the Matthew Shepard & James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, the decision in Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia as well as various state and local laws -- we still lack explicit federal protections against discrimination for LGBTQ+ people and pervasive stigma makes lived equality far out of reach even in LGBTQ+ inclusive regions. The report lays out the realities that conspire to put transgender people at risk, as well as federal and state actions that would move us closer to ending violence against trans and gender non-conforming people.

This past week, HRC has commemorated Transgender Awareness Week, an annual event that is dedicated to illuminating both the progress and unfinished work in the fight for transgender and non-binary equality. The week culminates in Transgender Day of Remembrance, held every year on Nov. 20. To mark the week this year, HRC has held a book reading of “Calvin” by Vanessa and J.R. Ford and hosted a follow-on panel discussion with Black and Brown parents of transgender youth. HRC’s Alabama chapter is co-hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony in Huntsville, AL. Alabama State Director Carmarion D. Anderson-Harvey will be returning to Orlando, FL to offer a TDOR sermon at Joy Metropolitan Community Church on 11/21. HRC’s Mississippi chapter is hosting a Transgender Day of Remembrance ceremony in Jackson, MS on 11/20.

For more information on the Human Rights Campaign’s work on transgender and non-binary equality, visit hrc.org/transgender.

K Contemporary & Biennial of the Americas Present Artist Talk with Angel Ricardo Ricardo Rios

K Contemporary, in partnership with the Biennial of the Americas, presents an artist talk with Angel Ricardo Ricardo Rios as part of the opening event for his exhibition “Zona Rosa.” Ricardo Rios will address the meaning behind his work and this show, which marks his first at K Contemporary and in Colorado. The talk will be given in Spanish and translated into English, courtesy of the Biennial.

Female/Non-Binary Artists Partner With ACLU On #FreeBritney Compilation

The #FreeBritney movement has seemingly taken social media (and the world) by storm in recent months. Fans of all ages have been glued to their favorite news network waiting and watching for the latest updates regarding Britney Spears’ battle with her father and conservator, Jamie Spears.

The #FreeBritney music project is the culmination of efforts between independent label Head Bitch Music and a collective of 19 different female and non-binary artists that stand in solidarity with Britney Spears and survivors of conservatorship/guardian abuse, as well as abuse within the music industry.

 

The compilation includes covers by some of music’s most inspiring new talents, including but limited to: JPOLND, Dresage, gay hollywood, BELLSAINT, L’FREAQ, Anna Rose, and more.

The organizers of #FreeBritney project have partnered with the ACLU of Southern California and are donating 25% of the earnings from the album directly to ACLU SoCal.

Today, Sad Daddy Introduce Us to 'Charlie Pickle'

Today, with the release of lead single “Charlie Pickle,” roots powerhouse Sad Daddy announces their forthcoming LP, Way Up In The Hills, due out on January 28th. “It's about a conceptualized character, an ol’ timer named Charlie Pickle,” says Sad Daddy’s Brian Martin. “Charlie’s a man who’s lived it all, seen it all, and done it all. He’s not interested in fitting in or impressing anyone. He just wants to cut loose on a dance floor and let the music take him wherever it’s going to take him.”

Since 2010, Sad Daddy, whose members are based in Arkansas and in Texas, has traveled down many a road--together and separately--at times focusing on their solo projects and then reuniting for a band project. The four members, Brian Martin, Joe Sundell, Rebecca Patek, and Melissa Carper, all conspired and united in the sudden spare time of 2020 to create their third album, Way Up in the Hills.

They all met up at Brian’s cabin in Greers Ferry, Arkansas, and over a couple of bottles of chocolate milk and a few jugs of whiskey they collaborated, writing and arranging songs specifically for the new album. A first for Sad Daddy, they took the brand-new bones of each other’s ideas and worked on them as a band to construct and finish the songs. The collective decided on a down-home, back-to-the-country theme—a reflection on the state of the world and the desire to go back to simpler ways and self-sufficiency, goin’ way up in the hills and letting the chaos settle.

Engineer Jordan Trotter brought his equipment into the cabin and the band recorded 14 original tunes live and in a circle. The feeling of being at a lakeside "home" studio in the serene Arkansas woods was distilled into sound and a genuine relaxed and good time vibe purveys the recordings. Sad Daddy explored using unique sounds, recording stomps on the cabin’s porch, hamboning, using the natural sounds of insects buzzing and bacon sizzling, mouth didgeridoo, handclaps, double clawhammer banjo, and more, along with the foursome’s strong vocals and harmonies.

With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging rejuvenated with Way Up in the Hills. With a more down-home and old-timey feel than their previous albums, they all stretched themselves a bit to create a common theme and new songs together. Unique to Sad Daddy, all of the members sing lead and write original tunes--the convergence of influences and interpretation of feeling into sound is a stylistic blend of the very best elements of American Roots Music. From the sounds of early blues, jazz, and jug bands to early country, folk, old-time, bluegrass, soul, and funk, they combine many influences, creating an indefinable genre of their own.

R.E.M.'s Releases 25th Anniversary Edition of "New Adventures in Hi-Fi"

R.E.M.'s 25th Anniversary Edition of their critically-acclaimed and much-beloved 1996 album New Adventures in Hi-Fi is out now via Craft Recordings. The reissue -- available in 2xCD + Blu-ray, 2xCD and 2xLP packages, as well as digitally/via streaming services -- continues to see extensive critical praise from The New Yorker, Pitchfork, USA Today, Uproxx, Stereogum and many more.

 

Watch Michael Stipe and Mike Mills discuss the reissue on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" HERE.

Human Rights Campaign Hosts Press Call to Highlight Cities’ Record-Breaking Progress for LGBTQ+ Equality

On Thursday, November 18th at 12 PM ET, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, in partnership with The Equality Federation, will host a press call to highlight the progress made during the ten years of the Municipal Equality Index (MEI).

This year, a record-breaking 110 cities earned the highest score of 100, which is up from 11 in 2012, the MEI’s inaugural year, illustrating the striking advancements municipalities have made over the past 10 years. HRC will also premiere a “Celebrating 10 Years of the MEI” video during the call and end with a Q&A.