'Stu's Show', Chronicling Relationship Between TV Historian and Lucille Ball, Premieres May 2

Award-winning filmmaker CJ Wallis’ latest documentary STU’S SHOW, chronicling the relationship between legendary actress Lucille Ball and TV historian Stu Shostak, premieres on digital May 2, 2022 from Upstream Flix.

The story of TV historian and archivist Stu Shostak, the documentary features screen-legends Tony Dow (“Leave it to Beaver”), Michael Cole ("The Mod Squad"), the late Ed Asner (“Lou Grant”), Butch Patrick (“The Munsters”), Academy Award Winner Margaret O'Brien, Geri Jewell and many, many more.

Shostak got his start handing out tickets to Norman Lear sitcom tapings to people in Hollywood and parlayed that into doing audience warm-ups prior to tapings for shows such as “All In The Family” and “One Day At A Time”.

The film also indirectly tells the story of television legend Lucille Ball who, contrast to popular belief, was an extremely kind and generous person who treated those around her like family. Ball is hired to hold Q&A’s at a Los Angeles based College which provides a window of opportunity that alters the course of Stu’s life. Shostak’s encyclopedic knowledge of Ball’s career earns his way into becoming an essential part of her small inner circle as her archivist and assistant to her husband Gary Morton.

After Ball passes away, Shostak pioneers what we know now as “podcasting”, hosting internet shows interviewing celebrity cast and crew of the golden age of television. He also co-produces the widely successful LOVING LUCY conventions which welcomed prior cast, crew and superfans from around the world to come together for a few days to celebrate their love of I Love Lucy.

At one of these Loving Lucy conventions Stu meets Jeanine Kasun, a music teacher and Lucy super-fan, who noticed Shostak hosting game shows, events and trivia contests. The two speak on the phone at length and eventually begin dating until Jeanine suffers a brain aneurysm and the two, alongside the legends of television, enter into a war with the medical industry to keep her alive.

Are You Gay With Something To Say? Bloggers Wanted For Denver's 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 of interest to Denver's gay community.

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.

OUT Now: Female Force: Dolly Parton 2 - the Sequel!

Out now, TidalWave Comics is proud to announce the all-new 24-page comic book sequel to the best-selling “Female Force: Dolly Parton."

 

The all-new story, written by Michael Frizell with art by Ramon Salas, features a special cover by famous comic book artist Joe Phillips. This 24-page graphic novel is available digitally on multiple platforms and in print.

 

The sequel to the popular Dolly comic book!  Dolly Parton's voice has brought her fame, allowing her to amass a $600 million fortune - a fortune she doesn't mind sharing. In addition, Dolly donates to a foundation in her name, has created the Imagination Library that donates books to millions of kids, and even pays students to stay in school. Her rags to riches story is inspiring, but her compassion and giving back have allowed others to break generational poverty, creating a lasting legacy. In this sequel to Female Force: Dolly Parton #1, explore her passion for giving back to a community that has given her so much.

 

"Revisiting Dolly Parton's story has been fun! I'm happy we had the opportunity - and the space - to talk about Dolly's philanthropy." Said writer Michael Frizell.

 

The “Female Force” imprint features prominent and influential authors, business executives, entertainers, journalists, politicians, and activists. The latest biography comic book joins TidalWave’s ever-growing library of more than 200 comic book biographies.  — Previous titles have profiled Tina Turner, Kamala Harris, Selena, Betty White, Barbra Streisand to Cher, and Gloria Steinem.

“Let Us Play": The Story of Transgender Youth who Just Want to Play Sports

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) announced a collaboration with WarnerMedia to launch a video called “Let Us Play.” The video, which features transgender youth playing sports with their friends, calls on leaders and legislators in states across the country to simply let transgender kids play.

“Trans kids are kids and should be able to play with their friends. For the last two years, transgender young people have been the target of discrimination for having the audacity to play a game that they love,” said Joni Madison, Human Rights Campaign Interim President. “We are proud to announce this powerful campaign in collaboration with WarnerMedia to bring the stories of transgender youth to the forefront to call for their inclusion in sports and remind us why so many Americans play sports in the first place. We hope that as people see this video, they will see themselves and the children in their lives reflected in the humanity of these kids.”

The video is released as transgender youth are under attack in statehouses across the country and trans athletes face significant barriers to participation. The video has a 30 second and 60 second versions. Full text of the video can be found below:

I play to be with my friends.

To make new friends.

To have fun.

Because I love it.

I play to try something new.

To push myself.

To be part of a team.

 I play to belong.

I play to have fun.

Transgender kids wanna play, too.

Let us play.

The campaign, which will air on all WarnerMedia-owned platforms,  highlights the social, physical and cognitive benefits of playing school sports for all children -- especially those who might be denied because of who they are and how they identify. The video features kids playing soccer and basketball while listing the reasons they play. From making new friends to having fun, the stories of these children send a powerful message about inclusion during a time of craven attacks on transgender youth across the country. Alongside this campaign, HRC is releasing a new chatbot feature to help LGBTQ+ people and allies have conversations with friends, family and acquaintances about supporting trans and non-binary youth and opposing discrimination against trans youth.

Through their various brands, WarnerMedia has been a long-time supporter of the Human Rights Campaign and an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community overall. WarnerMedia is one of 227 companies that has signed the Business Statement Opposing Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation stating its clear opposition to harmful legislation aimed at restricting the access of LGBTQ people in society. WarnerMedia also signed onto an amicus brief for the Title VII cases heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, including Bostock v. Clayton County, arguing that sexual orientation and gender identity discrimination should be prohibited under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. WarnerMedia’s parent company AT&T has had a 100 percent score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI) since 2005, earning it the distinction of being one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.”

Human Rights Campaign Celebrates the Historic Confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson, the First Black Woman to Serve on the Supreme Court of the United States

Today, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization, released the following statement after the final Senate floor vote (53-47) to confirm Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as an associate justice to the Supreme Court of the United States. She will be the first Black woman, and former public defender, to sit on the nation’s highest court. 

 

Human Rights Campaign Interim President Joni Madison issued the following statement.

 

“Today is joyful—welcome to the Court, Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. Today, a brilliant, empathetic, imminently qualified woman of integrity was confirmed to a seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. After 115 prior justices have been appointed, a Black woman finally has the opportunity to serve—and it's about time.

 

This moment is powerful, meaningful, and long overdue. There is no question that soon-to-be Justice Jackson will be a fierce defender, champion and ally to marginalized communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, who are at-risk of having their rights watered down or stripped from them by the Court’s conservative majority. We have a long road ahead of us, and a lot of work to do, but today’s victory reminds us all why the fight is worth it.”

 

Last month, HRC issued a report that details Jackson’s record as a judge and past statements on a range of civil rights and constitutional issues, and how those would likely inform her work as a Supreme Court Justice. While Judge Jackson's docket has not touched directly upon issues of LGBTQ+ rights, in other public remarks, she has highlighted the historical connections between LGBTQ+ rights and civil rights for other marginalized groups and rightly framed the Obergefell decision on marriage equality alongside Supreme Court precedents about constitutional protections involving privacy and interracial marriage. For the reasons outlined, HRC proudly supports Jackson’s nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

Jackson graduated from Harvard University and later attended Harvard Law School, where she was a supervising editor of the Harvard Law Review. She clerked for three federal judges (including Justice Breyer), worked in private practice, and served both on the United States Sentencing Commission and as a federal public defender in Washington, D.C. In 2013, the United States Senate confirmed her to serve as a judge on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia until she was again confirmed and elevated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in 2021. Now, she is the first Black woman to be nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court, adding significant racial, gender and professional diversity to our nation’s highest court.

 

The decisions made by the Supreme Court have established important legal precedents that impact the daily lives of all Americans. Over the past three decades, the LGBTQ+ community has benefited from several groundbreaking decisions from the Court, including Romer v. Evans, Lawrence v. Texas, U.S. v. Windsor, Obergefell v. Hodges and Bostock v. Clayton County. During that same period, the Court also handed down a number of rulings that are deeply problematic for civil rights and the public interest, for example, curtailing reproductive freedom and voting rights, in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby and Shelby County v. Holder, respectively. Notably, many of these rulings – both positive and negative – were decided by razor-thin margins, highlighting the importance and magnitude of the responsibility handed to each individual justice.

GLAAD STATEMENT ON KETANJI BROWN JACKSON CONFIRMATION TO SUPREME COURT

GLAAD, the world's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, is responding to the confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court. The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to limit debate after a contentious weeks-long debate battle, and later confirmed Jackson with a 53-47 vote. Three Republicans joined Democrats in the evenly divided senate, voting to confirm Jackson: Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and Mitt Romney. Jackson will be the first Black woman and first public defender to sit on the court when she is sworn in this summer.

Quote from Sarah Kate Ellis, President & CEO of GLAAD:

“LGBTQ rights are under attack all across this country, and today’s confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court is a critical step to ensure our hard-won progress is not reversed by those using the courts to fight outdated culture wars. Judge Jackson’s experience and judicial temperament will make her one of the most qualified justices ever to serve on the Court. GLAAD congratulates Judge Jackson and our entire nation on this historic and long overdue representation.”

Ellis also responded to the nomination on Twitter.

Judge Jackson’s career includes experience as a federal judge and a federal public defender, and staunch protector of essential civil and human rights important to LGBTQ Americans, including defending and upholding fair sentencing practices, disability rights, workers’ rights, immigrants’ rights, reproductive justice, and environmental protections. In a March poll, two-thirds of Americans said they supported Jackson’s confirmation. Another poll in early April showed that Jackson has more support from Americans than any of former president Donald Trump’s nominees to the court. 

During Judge Jackson’s Senate confirmation hearings, senators on the committee criticized the landmark marriage equality case Obergefell v Hodges, repeatedly raised racist questions to the nation’s first Black female Supreme Court nominee and misrepresented her sentencing record, and used the hearing to spread misinformation about transgender people. 

GLAAD has tracked the anti-LGBTQ history of several committee members via the GLAAD Accountability Project, including Marsha Blackburn, Ted Cruz, Lindsey Graham, Josh Hawley, Mike Lee, and Thom Tillis.

Sen. Graham, who led the contentious and rushed confirmation hearings of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett, said, “If we get back the Senate, and we're in charge of this body, and there's judicial openings, we will talk to our colleagues on the other side. But if we were in charge, [Jackson] would not have been before this committee." Sen. Graham voted to confirm Judge Jackson to the DC Circuit Court last year.

Supreme Court decisions expanding and upholding LGBTQ equality include:

Bostock v Clayton County (2020) - expanded Civil Rights employment protections

Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) - granted marriage equality

United States v. Windsor (2013) - overturned the discriminatory “Defense of Marriage Act”

Lawrence v. Texas (2003)- secured the Constitutional right to privacy and dignity for LGBTQ people and relationships

Romer v. Evans (1995) - struck down state laws banning LGBTQ nondiscrimination protections

Understanding the Asexual Community on International Asexuality Day

International Asexuality Day is an annual celebration of asexual people and it takes place on April 6th. Asexuality, often called “ace” for short, refers to a complete or partial lack of interest in sexual activity with others. While the exact number is unknown, numerous sources suggest that there are hundreds of thousands of asexual people in the United States.

Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction. To understand the asexual community, it is also important to be familiar with the following definitions:
Allosexual - The opposite of asexual. People who experience sexual attraction are called allosexual.

Gray asexual - Also called graysexual or gray ace, gray asexual refers to a gray area between asexuality and allosexuality. As part of the asexual spectrum, people who are gray ace may rarely experience sexual attraction or only experience sexual attraction under certain circumstances.

Demisexual - Part of the asexual spectrum, a person who is demisexual only experiences sexual attraction when they have a close emotional bond with someone.

Ace Week is held annually during the last full week of October. It is a campaign to raise awareness about asexual people and to celebrate the asexual community.

Asexuality is not the same as celibacy. While celibacy is a choice to abstain from sexual activity, asexuality is a sexual orientation, or an intrinsic part of an asexual person’s identity.

According to HRC’s analysis of the 2021 LGBTQ Community Survey:

• 71% of asexual people said they live in an LGBTQ+ friendly city or town, compared to 82% of all LGBTQ+ people.

• Asexual people more often fear losing their health insurance than the LGBTQ+ community generally. Nearly one-third (61%) of asexual people have concerns about being able to keep their health insurance, compared to 48% of all LGBTQ+ people who have concerns about keeping their health insurance.

• Three-quarters (75%) of asexual people said their employers are generally supportive of LGBTQ+ people.

London Pride Announces 50th Anniversary Parade

Pride in London announced today the 2022 parade route, with a monumental number of applications. After a two-year hiatus, the 2022 Pride Parade, which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the UK’s first Pride march in 1972, is returning to the streets of the capital, with nearly 40,000 applications from all sections of the community and over 400 community groups. 

On Saturday, 2 July, the parade will trace the route of the historic 1972 march, passing important sites from the UK’s LGBT+ movement. The parade kicks off at Hyde Park, where the first post-march picnic took place in 1972, and where mining communities showed solidarity with the LGBT+ community in 1985. From Hyde Park Corner, the parade continues down Piccadilly, through Piccadilly Circus. Turning south on Haymarket, the parade goes through Trafalgar Square (the terminus for the 1972 March), before culminating at Whitehall Place. To view the route on a map, please visit prideinlondon.org/parade/map.

“For fifty years, Pride has been a visible cultural protest that brings the LGBT+ community and its allies together in solidarity,” said Christopher Joell-Deshields, Executive Director of Pride in London. “It is important to recognise the activists who were brave enough to come out in 1972 to march for our liberation and pave the way for the rights we enjoy today. Early organisers took inspiration from the US civil rights group, the Black Panthers, a reminder that despite their differences there was a collective fight for the oppressed.”

“As we prepare for one of the most momentous LGBT+ pride events in the UK's history, we are committed to delivering a pride that represents our entire community, including those that have been underrepresented,” said Joell-Deshields. 

"Taking the same route that we marched along in 1972 is a historic statement of how far we have come,” said Andrew Lumsden, one of the original members of the Gay Liberation Front. “Pride began all those years ago as a way for us to come out to society and ourselves, and be loud and proud about our LGBT+ identity.”

“Important steps have been made by the community in tackling discrimination of all kinds, however at this monumental 50-year mark it is clear that our mission is not over. There is everything left to do” said Lumsden.

Representing the LGBT+ community in this year's parade is a diverse range of LGBT+ community groups, from human rights, transgender and gender diverse, HIV advocacy, youth, and sports clubs.  

Beyond celebrating the diversity of the LGBT+ community and promoting its visibility, the parade is an occasion of advocacy, with Pride in London calling on the UK Government to: 

• ban conversion therapy for all LGBT+ people; 
• reform the Gender Recognition Act; 
• provide equal protection for LGBT+ communities against hate crime; 
• end its hostile environment toward migrants, 
• establish a national AIDS memorial that acknowledges the impact of HIV and AIDS, honours and remembers those who we have lost 
• take a leading role in tackling violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people around the globe.

OLIVER SIM UNVEILS NEW SINGLE “FRUIT” WITH VIDEO BY YANN GONZALEZ

Oliver Sim—best known for his work as songwriter, bassist and vocalist for The xx—unveils a new Jamie xx-produced single, “Fruit,” today via Young with a video directed by French director Yann Gonzalez (Knife + Heart). Listen to the track, a joyful celebration of queer identity and self-acceptance penned to his younger self, here.

“My new song produced by Jamie xx. Music video directed by one of my absolute favourite directors: the sexy, hilarious, scary and soulful Yann Gonzalez,” says Sim. “Dig in and I hope you enjoy. In five weeks’ time I will be playing my first ever solo shows in London, Paris, Berlin, New York and L.A. Joined by some very talented new friends. I’ll be playing my extensive back catalogue of two songs and something extra ;) Come see me.”

“Oliver and I have so much in common: we love pop culture, horror films and we used to be femme kids before turning into proud queer adults,” says Gonzalez. “So, when he asked me to work on his poignant solo tracks, most of the ideas popped up quite naturally and the ‘Fruit’ video became this magic tale of liberation that the lyrics and the emotionally driven music already implied. The song and the TV show here are like a multi-faceted mirror where Oliver and the kid, the live performance with its crew and flirtatious TV host, the 35mm film and the Ikegami video all shine and merge in order to create the same exhilarating feeling of being freed.”

“Fruit” follows Sim’s solo debut single, “Romance With A Memory,” which debuted last month with a lyric video starring artists and drag performers Charity Kase, HoSo Terra Toma, Gena Marvin and more—watch here. Both tracks will feature on a forthcoming limited edition vinyl 12” available only via Oliver’s webstore and Young Store. Get it here.

YouthSeen Presents Transam Express

TONIGHT! YouthSeen presents their adult skate night Transam Express at Roller City in Lakewood from 7-10pm. Entry is $10.

YouthSeen envisions a society where people are empowered as individuals to access non-judgmental and unbiased treatment in every aspect of their lives. 

YouthSeen organization works to bring resources, education and outreach to Denver's youth and young BIPoC + LGBTQIA+ community. Youth Seen strives to highlight the intersections that many communities of color face when addressing social issues that impact families that identify under the umbrella of LGBTQI. 

This also includes community members identifying as gender non-conforming, non-binary, genderfluid, genderqueer, and two spirit, people who are often left out of the mainstream language around services.

GLAAD Announces Recipients for 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced recipients for 16 of this year’s 30 categories for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards. Kacey Musgraves received the Vanguard Award from Ben Platt, and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award from Andrew Garfield at the star-studded ceremony at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles ceremony for the 33rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards was hosted by Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’ Hara, and D.J. “Shangela” Pierce from Emmy Nominated HBO Series We’re Here, and featured a special performance from Jake Wesley Rogers. The event will stream on Hulu on April 16, 2022.

GLAAD presented awards in four categories onstage. Other categories were also announced. The full list is after the jump:

San Francisco Pride returns to in-person celebration | June 25-26, 2022

The Board of Directors of San Francisco Pride are pleased to announce the return to an in-person celebration for the 52nd annual San Francisco Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Celebration and Parade (Pride 52) taking place on Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26, 2022. With the theme of “Love Will Keep Us Together,” this year’s festivities will include a two-day Celebration and Rally scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 25, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 26 at Civic Center Plaza and the surrounding neighborhood. The legendary Parade will take place Sunday, June 26 beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Additional SF Pride events will take place throughout the month of June and the remainder of 2022. Information regarding parade registration, as well as sponsor, exhibitor, advertising, membership, and donor opportunities, may be found at sfpride.org.

“San Francisco Pride’s return to an in-person celebration this June will be a historic moment in our fight for inclusion, acceptance, and equality for all LGBTQ+ people,” says Suzanne Ford, San Francisco Pride Interim Executive Director. “Pride gives us the opportunity to come together in solidarity to celebrate the progress that has been made, but also allows us to respond with love, activism, and radical inclusion against discriminatory laws that are being enacted across the country at an alarming rate.”

Featuring over 200 parade contingents and exhibitors, and more than 20 community-run stages and venues, the San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade remains the largest gathering of the LGBTQ+ community and allies in the nation. The 2022 Community stages will include Urban Global Village Stage, produced by Christiana Remmington; API LGBT Stage, produced by Nicki Calma and SF Community Health Center; Homo Hip-Hip, produced by Ronnie and Erika Jones; Latin Stage, produced by Jamie Awad; Sober Drag Show, produced by Castro Country Club; Soul of Pride, produced by Lisa Williams; Trans Stage, produced by Maniac Films; and Women’s Stage, produced by Christie James and Jolene Linsangan.

“As we prepare to come together to celebrate San Francisco Pride this year, I’m looking forward to honoring the diversity and resiliency of our LGBTQ+ community,” said Senator Alex Padilla. “Every person deserves to live and love as their authentic self every day of the year. Pride is an important opportunity to honor the progress we’ve made and recommit ourselves to the continued fight for equality.”

San Francisco Pride remains committed to its mission of bringing connection and visibility to the LGBTQ+ communities. As a world leader in the global Pride movement and a part of the fabric of Pride events around the world, SF Pride works to educate, commemorate, and continue the struggle for true liberation, both through its events and by raising much-needed funds for nonprofits across the Bay Area. Financial support through membership and donations ensure that SF Pride will be able to thrive into the future. To donate, visit the website at sfpride.org/donate.

“Pride is a vibrant celebration of the history and victories of the LGBTQ+ community. The staff and board of San Francisco Pride have worked diligently to ensure we can return to a safe and inclusive in-person celebration this year,” said Senator Scott Wiener. “Being together once again will also provide a space for our community to rally against the challenges we continue to face as we work toward equality for all.”

"We are looking forward to celebrating with the entire city in June. We are welcoming thousands of LGBTQ+ family members from across our diverse communities to dance, sing and love each other like never before,” said Carolyn Wysinger, President of San Francisco Pride’s Board of Directors. “We have waited a long time and now it is finally here!”

A full lineup of events and activities for Pride 52, as well as 2022 Community Grand Marshals and Awardees, will be announced in the near future. A brand new SF Pride app will be available in May, The Official Guide to SF Pride, granting attendees access to stage lineups, an event map, vendor and artist information, and more. Visit sfpride.org/app to sign up and receive a notification when the app is live.

STONEWALL INN GIVES BACK INITIATIVE AND JÄGERMEISTER ANNOUNCE NATIONWIDE SEARCH TO CREATE 'SAFE SPACES' LOGO

Today, the Stonewall Inn Gives Back Initiative (SIGBI) and Jägermeister are launching a nationwide search for the first SIGBI Safe Spaces logo. The winning logo will be provided for use to all certified Safe Spaces across the country.

A survey conducted by SIGBI uncovered that 89% of the LGBTQ+ community believe that most spaces are not aware that LGBTQ+ people feel unsafe, and 97% believe the LGBTQ+ community would benefit from more safe spaces. Through a 10-step process, entertainment venues, food and beverage locations, stores, businesses and other public venues, can become certified as a Safe Space for LGBTQ+ members of the community.

"Safe Spaces uplift LGBTQ+ people by providing a place to celebrate, educate, thrive, work, shop, relax and live freely," said Stacy Lentz, CEO, SIGBI. "We are excited to open the visual representation of Safe Spaces to the community and look forward to seeing the incredible submissions we receive."

The logo contest is open from April 4-30, 2022. Entrants 21+ from across the country can visit https://www.jagermeister.com/en-US/safespaces to submit their logo design, which will be evaluated by an esteemed panel of judges from the LGBTQ+ community:

• Alex Weems: Member of the Mississippi Gulf Equality Council, and award-winning graphic designer
• Brenda Risch: Executive Director of Borderland Rainbow Center
• Dr. Marisa Richmond: Professor of History and Women's and Gender studies at Middle Tennessee University, and SIGBI Board Member
• Rachel Smallman: LGBTQ+ Nightlife Pioneer in Alabama

Judges will be looking for a logo that is creative, representative of the SIGBI Safe Spaces initiative and easily adaptable to become a sticker for a certified Safe Spaces door, email signature, event signage and more.

In addition to gaining recognition in certified Safe Spaces across the country, the winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City in June to celebrate Pride. More details on the prize included on the contest entry page.

"We are proud that Mast-Jägermeister US is committed to becoming one of the first certified SIGBI Safe Spaces," said Chris Peddy, Chief Marketing Officer, Mast-Jägermeister US. "As a strong supporter of both the LGBTQ+ and creative communities, including our recent partnership and fundraising efforts with The Lesbian Bar Project, we are thrilled to provide one lucky winner with the opportunity to showcase their meaningful work."

To learn more about becoming a SIGBI Safe Space, please visit www.stonewallinitiative.org.

Colorado Encourages Visitors To Make Earth Day An Everyday Mindset By Taking Steps To ‘Do Colorado Right’

As the US continues to emerge from the pandemic and travelers look to return to travel in a big way, environmental considerations are also top of mind for travelers now more than ever. The Colorado Tourism Office, along with destinations across the state, has already laid the groundwork for authentic and low impact travel experiences. The state continues to activate thoughtful new offerings and initiatives to stay ahead of the curve and protect its breathtaking natural landscapes and rich and diverse history and culture.

Colorado already is home to two U.S. cities powered 100 percent by renewable energy, meaning travelers to both Aspen and Glenwood Springs can enjoy a vacation with little carbon impact. Denver is consistently ranked among the most sustainable cities in the country, Breckenridge has joined Vail as two of only three certified sustainable mountain resort destinations in the world and five Roaring Fork Valley tourism organizations have come together to launch a valley-wide tourism alliance (the first of its kind in Colorado) that will focus on activities and programs that promote responsponsible travel.

As travelers explore The Centennial State this summer, the Colorado Tourism Office is making it easy for travelers to visit responsibly and to Do Colorado Right. The state’s award-winning and educational campaign offers travelers insights on how to enjoy the state by traveling at off-peak times, exploring lesser-known treasures and traveling like a local. As an added bonus, many of these insider's tips will help visitors take a responsible approach to travel by embracing the state’s Care for Colorado Leave No Trace Principles including Trash the Trash, Keep Wildlife Wild and Be Careful with Fire. This year, the CTO is especially pleased to partner with Cortez, Colo. resident Phil Henderson, a leader in outdoor adventure education. Henderson led an all African American ascent of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2018 and will serve as a spokesperson for Colorado encouraging backcountry safety in the state.

After the jump is a sampling of low emissions travel options, ways to support local food and drink systems, low-impact outdoor recreation experiences, places to sleep sustainably and voluntourism opportunities to give back from across Colorado. Find more information about all of these responsible travel offerings and more on www.Colorado.com.