January 6, 2015 :: Year in Review 2015

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O U T F R O N T O N L I N E . C O M 3

CONTENTS JANUARY 06, 2016 VOL39 NO19

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06 US SUPREME COURT LEGALIZES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE 08 DENVER COMMITTED TO ENDING THE AIDS EPIDEMIC BY 2030 12 THE REALITY OF THE REEFER REFUND 14 CAITLYN JENNER, THE GOP, AND THE JEALOUS LEFT 16 HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR INNER DOUCHEBAG

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18 INTERSEX NAVY VETERAN SUES US STATE DEPT, COLORADO PASSPORT AGENCY FOR DISCRIMINATION

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26 MEET STEVE WINTERS 38 TRANS WOMEN ARE 49 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HIV & HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD CARE 45 EL PORTERO, EL PUENTE, Y COLORADO 46 WE TRANS PEEPS ARE JUST LIKE YOU CIS PEEPS

Photo Credit: Jonathan Crosby

50 A WELL-ENDOWED … EGO

22 4 JANUARY 06, 2016

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O U T F R O N T O N L I N E . C O M 5

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US SUPREME COURT LEGALIZES SAME-SEX MARRIAGE Kyle Thornburg

“This ruling will strengthen all of our communities by offering to all loving same-sex couples the dignity of marriage across this great land.”

THIS IS HISTORY, FOLKS.

on “personal, romantic, and practical considerations.”

With a 5–4 vote, the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Members of the court in dissension with the vote included Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Antonin Scalia, Justice Clarence Thomas, and Justice Samuel Alito.

According to the statement written by Chief Justice John Roberts, he and the dissenting voters relied on the Constitution to navigate “what the law is, not what it should be.”

In a ruling covering four cases, including Obergefell v. Hodges, the landmark Supreme Court decision renders state bans on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The matter of same-sex marriage has been all but concrete in courthouses across the US. Friday’s decision paints without an abstract stroke on the issue, and comes on the two-year anniversary of United States v. Windsor, in which key elements of the so-called Defense of Marriage Act were struck down.

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the 28-page statement from the Supreme Court Friday morning: “The Constitution promises liberty to all within its reach. A liberty that includes certain and specific rights that allow a persons within a lawful realm to define and express their identity,” Also included in the official ruling, Justice Kennedy struck down arguments surrounding potential harmful effects of same-sex marriages on families saying those decisions are based solely 6 JANUARY 06, 2016

For 13 states where state law formerly banned the right for same-sex couples to marry, no immediate action can be taken, but federal courts will take action to align state laws with the Supreme Court’s ruling. It is expected that federal courts will move quickly to apply the Supreme Court’s decision, but the legal process can involve some delay. For 37 states and the District of Columbia, this ruling reinforces otherwise unchanged laws placed by state action or federal court rulings.

President Barack Obama spoke in the wake of the ruling Friday morning from the Rose Garden at the White House.

“This decision will end the patchwork system we currently have and it will end the uncertainty hundreds of thousands of same-sex couples face from not knowing whether their marriage, legitimate in the eyes of one state, will remain if they decide to move or even visit another,” says President Obama. “This ruling will strengthen all of our communities by offering to all loving same-sex couples the dignity of marriage across this great land.”

Originally appeared online on June 26, 2015.

O U T F R O N T O N L I N E . C O M 7

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DENVER COMMITTED TO ENDING THE AIDS EPIDEMIC BY 2030 Daniela Costa AUG. 15 MARKED A PROUD DAY IN DENVER’S HISTORY — it was the day the city signed the Paris Declaration and, in doing so, joined the Fast-Track Cities Initiative. What is the significance of this? Well, it means Denver has committed itself to ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030. It may sound ambitious, but of the more than 200 cities signed on to the initiative, Denver is one of the most well-positioned to succeed.

“If any city in the world can and will do it, it’s Denver,” says Benjamin Young MD, the senior vice president and chief medical officer of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC). IAPAC is one of four key partner organizations in this initiative, the other three being the city of Paris, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).

To reach the 2030 goal, the initiative has gone ahead with a 90-90-90 targets plan, which aims for 90 percent of people living with HIV knowing their HIV status; 90 percent of people who know their HIV-positive status being on HIV treatment; and keeping 90 percent of people on treatment with suppressed viral loads. All of this by 2020. The initiative also calls for an end to discrimination, including stigma.

“Without working towards decreasing stigma, it makes it a lot more difficult to think about truly ending the epidemic.”

— Sarah Rowan, MD

she backs Young’s claims. She is steering the citywide effort to measure the data for the 90-90-90 targets, as well as playing an important role in testing, treatment, and prevention.

According to Rowan, the Denver Metro area (Denver, Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson County) has already reached the 90 percent point when it comes to diagnosis.

Even conservative estimates point to no fewer than 86 percent. “Denver has come a long way in reaching previously undiagnosed persons,” she says, while advancing that DPH is still trying to identify ways of targeting the remaining 10 percent.

The second target presents the biggest obstacle. Of those in the Denver Metro area that know they are HIV-positive, about 74 to 80 percent are in care (though not necessarily on medication).

Rowan says DPH is trying to develop tools to close what, on the surface, appears to be a small gap. “It will be a challenge.”

“Denver is very close to achieving these 2020 targets,” says Young.

Fortunately, due to a change in guidelines, Denver is well on track to reach the third target. About 82 percent of people in care have suppressed viral loads in the Denver Metro area. The reported numbers should increase in the near future, as DPH expects everyone who is HIV-positive to be in treatment. “We can certainly get to that last 90 as well. I think that’s definitely attainable in the next five years.”

Sarah Rowan MD is the interim director of HIV and Viral Hepatitis Prevention with Denver Public Health (DPH), and

Young, who has been a frontline HIV clinician in Denver since 1995 and currently takes care of people with HIV at

8 JANUARY 06, 2016

Denver’s APEX Family Medicine, agrees. “It’s really not an issue of whether this is feasible — it’s an issue of whether there is sufficient imagination and courage to demand that these things happen.”

In light of signing the Paris Declaration, Denver’s answer appears to be “yes” on both counts. “That signature was symbolic of the community organizations and the individuals that support those organizations strongly committing to ending the epidemic in our community, and doing so on a real timeline.”

The hows are incredibly important here, and they’re already coming together.

Earlier this year DPH launched Denver Bring It Up, a public information campaign that addresses stigma. It focuses on testing, considering pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), getting on treatment, and more. Reducing discrimination is a big component of the Fast-Track Cities Initiative because of the unlikelihood that those who have experienced stigma will enter the healthcare system to get tested or to seek treatment.

“Without working towards decreasing stigma, it makes it a lot more difficult to think about truly ending the epidemic,” says Rowan. To that end, DPH set up a pledge page at DenverHealth.org/EndAids where people can support the 90-90-90 initiative.

DPH also plans to expand testing sites and to get into harder to reach communities. What’s more, they’re also aiming their marketing efforts at encouraging those who are HIV positive to take their medications because, “when people are on HIV meds they are much less likely to transmit.”

As for getting people into care, she says frontline workers have been successful in that regard. But keeping them there is another story. “Staying in care is our biggest challenge,” she admits. Using surveillance tools to promote retention is a possibility DPH is looking into.

With regard to work around viral suppression, Rowan says the contributions of pharmacists and HIV clinics have been invaluable, and that the positive results are evident. “We know that the medications are highly effective.”

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Of course there are those that will undoubtedly claim that the goals outlined in this initiative are too costly. Not so, says Young.

“Some of the best economic models suggest that when you put people on treatment, you actually save healthcare systems’ money,” he says. “It’s actually cost-effective to treat people in the long run.”

As far as resources go, he believes the government can find them. “The US spent two trillion dollars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And those are different kinds of dollars and such, but that’s the kind of money that eradicates or treats everybody with HIV for centuries.”

The human cost is far greater, with an average of 4000 people dying everyday around the world from HIV-related causes. Young demands our outrage. “At the height of the Nazi Holocaust, 4000 people died in ovens in Auschwitz. So metaphorically, we are witness to an Auschwitz everyday.”

On a local level, according to a city surveillance report there were 132 new cases of HIV in Denver County in 2013, this compared to 148 in 2012 and 157 in 2011. So with numbers already on the decline and those 90-90-90 targets almost entirely reached, why sign the Paris Declaration?

“To get all the stakeholders together with the same set of goals is really helpful to us,” explains Rowan. Denver signing on means support for DPH’s new programs and approaches, and a wider reach in terms of HIV programming, as DPH doesn’t provide all the care or testing in the city. As for IAPAC’s role, she believes they’ll be helpful in “getting information out to the general public.”

In 2030, HIV and AIDS will still exist. Total eradication is seemingly impossible. But if IAPAC, DPH, and their partners have it their way, the AIDS epidemic will certainly be a tragedy of the past.

“The initiative is about ending epidemics,” says Young. “I believe that’s entirely achievable.”

Originally appeared September 16, 2015.

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O U T F R O N T O N L I N E . C O M 9

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PRO-LGBT COLORADO BAKER SLAPPED WITH RELIGIOUS DISCRIMINATION COMPLAINT Berlin Sylvestre IT WAS AN HOUR INTO HER SHIFT WHEN LINDSAY JONES, A PASTRY CHEF AT DENVER’S AZUCAR BAKERY, turned her attention from the full lobby to the “older, professional-looking” gentleman who’d just walked in. There was nothing strange in his demeanor as he sidled up to the counter to place an order.

In fact, he was friendly and his request for a Bible-shaped cake seemed simple enough. Azucar’s owner, Marjorie Silva, tells Out Front that her employees are no strangers to Christianthemed requests and regularly fill them.

“We make [Christian-themed] cakes all the time,” she says.

“No problem at all.”

The gentleman took a seat at one of the tables as the team served him free samples and began building his order. He swiped through pics of Bible cakes on the iPad they presented him, and it appeared he’d found the perfect fi t. It was only when he produced a leaf of paper from his pocket — careful not to release it to any of the attending employees, but simply brandishing it for them to read before returning it to his pocket — that the order “got a little uncomfortable,” says Lindsay.

“He wanted us to write God hates …” she trails. “... just really radical stuff against gays.”

“He wouldn’t allow me to make a copy of the message, but it was really hateful,” Marjorie adds. “I remember the words detestable, disgrace, homosexuality, and sinners.”

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“In the same manner we would not ... make a discriminatory cake against Christians, we will not make one that discriminates against gays.”

However uncomfortable the request made the pair, both maintain that he was never refused service.

“I told him that I would bake the cake in the shape of a Bible,” says Marjorie. “Then I told him I’d sell him a [decorating] bag with the right tip and the right icing so he could write those things himself.” She adds that naturally the cake wouldn’t have her handwriting expertise, but she would be devastated to release a cake via the bakery with such a hateful message fashioned by her own hands.

Table-side negotiations quickly broke down. “He told me I needed to talk to my attorney about this,” Marjorie says.

Then, he left.

A few hours later, however, he was back, asking Marjorie if she’d conferred with her lawyer over the matter. She hadn’t.

“I was busy,” she says. “I have a business to run here.”

The sweet-toothed patrons in the bakery’s dining room began to take notice of the confrontational man in the lobby and again, Marjorie offered to bake him the cake and sell him the appropriate tools to complete the task himself.

Though she thankfully admits their banter never devolved into yelling, she says it’s clear the man was comfortable creating a scene. He left upon request once more, still visibly upset, and Marjorie hoped that was the end of it. She says that one of her

guests misheard the confrontation and thought Marjorie was refusing to bake a gay wedding cake. Exhausted, she reassured the patron that he was mistaken and that she would never do such a thing.

“We’ve done lots of gay weddings,” Marjorie — who describes herself as “half-Jewish, half-Catholic” — tells us. “I love all people!”

The third time the gentleman entered the store that day, Marjorie called for backup, asking her brother to excuse him.

“I think he was looking for trouble at that point,” Lindsay interjects, adding that it appeared he was trying to rile up the staff. “He was being really pushy and disruptive about his order.” Azucar’s customers watched the embarrassing ordeal, and again the man agreed to go.

“He said, ‘You will hear from me!’ and I got scared,” Marjorie says. “I was worried he was going to follow me — you can tell who I am in our big, pink van.”

And Marjorie did hear from the man again, but — much to her relief — it was through a letter fi led with Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The letter explained that a discrimination complaint had been fi led against the bakery and that she would need to respond with her account of what happened the afternoon of March 13, 2014.

Part of her reply to DORA reads: I can … tell you that the customer wanted us to draw two males holding hands … with a big ‘X’ on them. I told him that we do not like to discriminate in this bakery, we accept all humans and that the message and drawing is extremely rude.

Lindsay provided a reply to DORA that confi rms: [The guest] wanted an open book with the words “god hates homosexuality” and a ‘no’ sign over two men. He also wanted a scripture and the Ghostbusters logo.

Marjorie admits to being legitimately confused as to why he chose her bakery to make the anti-gay cake, but says it could have stemmed from a pro-equality statement she gave to a Spanish-speaking outlet in the wake of the Masterpiece Cakeshop decision. In the case, the Colorado Civil Rights Commission upheld a judge’s ruling that a Lakewood bakery was guilty of discrimination when the owner refused to bake cakes for gay weddings. Marjorie suspects the man might have been organizing the backlash and using her shop to stage his protest.

“Then again, he could have just seen the pink shop and all the ladies working and thought he could bully us,” she says.

A final portion of Marjorie’s reply states: I would like to make it clear that we never refused service. We only refused to write and draw what we felt was discriminatory against gays. In the same manner we would not … make a discrimi-natory cake against Christians, we will not make one that discriminates against gays.

“I’m not sure if I made the right decision [legally],” Marjorie says. “But it felt right to me as a person.”

Originally appeared January 21, 2015.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 11

N EWS

On Jan. 1, 2014, Colorado fired up its newlylegal recreational marijuana industry and business has been booming ever since.

Now, with the first year’s estimated $60 million in marijuana excise- and sales-tax revenue, our state’s school system and cannabis-related safeguards are poised for one hell of a boost.

Except for one teeny little unforeseen hitch — another voter-approved amendment known as TABOR. The 1992 Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights (that’s TABOR, yes) mandates that the state repay taxpayers when it amasses in new tax revenue more than what’s predicted.

It’s an interesting check and balance between the people and an often taxhappy government. It’s precisely because of TABOR that taxpayers have seen close to $3.5 billion in refunds since its inception. With an additional 25 percent tacked onto cannabis sales, it’s easy to see how the TABOR proposal could raise the brows of some Coloradans.

But, if State Senator Pat Steadman’s proposed legislation takes hold, the possibility of the refund goes up in smoke.

THE REALITY OF THE REEFER REFUND Berlin Sylvestre ARE WE REALLY GETTING “POT MONEY” BACK FROM THE STATE? I love this question.

But first, some background: Voters approved Amendment 64 — the amendment to our state constitution that, among other proposed legislation, allowed for the sale of recreational marijuana — back in 2012. The next round of “legalize it” came a year later, when the state asked (via referendum) if voters were ok instituting two new taxes on recreational cannabis once sales got going. One was an excise tax of 15 percent that would fund K–12 schools; the second was a 10-percent sales tax that would fund programs that provide marijuanarelated safeguards, such as law-enforcement training and substance abuse programs.

That was called Prop AA, and voters — once again — said, “Let’s roll.”

12 JANUARY 06, 2016

“Twice now, voters have told us to tax and regulate [marijuana] with some expectation that the revenue will be used to fund schools and to deal with the consequences of legalization,” he tells Out Front. “The excise tax specifically goes toward K–12 school funding.” I ask him how that breaks down, exactly.

Better lunches? Teachers’ raises?

“It’s all for capital — buildings, renovations, new roofs, new athletic fields, things of that nature,” he says. “None of the money collected from the excise tax goes toward operations or salaries.”

Explicitly, the money goes to a school construction program called BEST (Building Excellent Schools Today). The program was greenlighted by former Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff and helps primarily rural districts without sufficient property wealth secure grants to improve their buildings.

That’s the deal with the 15-percent excise tax. When pressed for specifics on how the additional 10-percent sales tax would be spent, he says it’ll fund, “things like impaired-driving awareness, ad campaigns about legalities and how to

“Here’s the thing,” he says with a smile that’s visible through the phone. “Because of Paragraph C3 in the TABOR legislation, there’s no mechanism or law on how to make the refund. There’s no clear definition to whom [marijuana-tax refunds are] owed. Is it the consumer? The grows?

Everyone?” he inquires.” keep [marijuana] away from kids, direct services for mental health and substance abuse, and spending the money in a way where legalization won’t lead to adverse consequences.”

Another strange option is abolishing marijuana taxes altogether for a year, something Steadman isn’t keen on. In an interview with Colorado Public Radio last week, he’s quoted: “To turn off the tax now or to pull back from our commitment to those programs now, I think, is really the wrong course. Having the taxes in place is part of making this whole experiment with legal marijuana work.”

“The thing most people don’t realize,” he says, “is that we’ve put a vote to the people twice, and each time, they voted that they’d like [marijuana] properly regulated and taxed.” He says that where the money should go was decided by the people via Prop AA. “We need to keep faith with voters and heed their signals and messages on what their intentions are.” He believes giving the people a specific vote to override TABOR in the instance of marijuana taxes is the key to doing just that.

With strong bipartisan agreement in Colorado’s legislature, it doesn’t appear that’ll be an issue. “We’re looking at putting the question on the ballot in November and seeking voter approval to not do a refund.”

But let’s humor the TABOR (“We’re getting a check!”) route for those of you who are still hopeful. How much could each adult in Colorado be looking at if the estimated $58.7M were divided between us?

(I feel obligated to tell you now that Steadman is going to laugh at this notion.)

“Before you get into all that, here’s the thing,” he says with a smile that’s visible through the phone. “Because of Paragraph C3 in the TABOR legislation, there’s no mechanism or law on how to make the refund. There’s no clear definition to whom [marijuana-tax refunds are] owed. Is it the consumer? The grows? Everyone?” he inquires.

I have no answer. I’m too busy playing with numbers. Here’s what I came up with: The 2014 census numbers us at 5,355,866. Subtracting the census count for minors brings that figure down to 4,730,676, meaning that if all the adults were to divide the estimated $58.7 in marijuana-tax revenue, we’d all stand to get checks for a whopping $12.40 (The possibilities, ladies and gents.)

“Now if the state were to handle the marijuana-tax refund the way it’s handled other TABOR refunds, that number’s a little too low,” Steadman posits. “The industry is still new; it’s still growing, so the total [tax collection] amount is difficult to predict.”

He waxes on about a huge misconception voters (and the media) have about TABOR, which is that there’s a magic number that new taxes have to hit in order for the refunds to kick in, and that the refund is only the surplus.

“The refund wouldn’t be what exceeded predictions, no — the refund is the entirety of the new-tax collection.” He says that under TABOR, 100 percent of the new taxes collected in the first full fiscal year of implementation has to be refunded.

But are you ready for the kicker? If the state goes through with TABOR — and keep in mind that it’s in our state’s constitution to do so — the money won’t come from the marijuana taxes; most of it will come from the general fund. He says: “The excise tax money is constitutionally dedicated to the BEST program. We can’t take that away from BEST, so we’d have to use other tax funds to provide the refund. Neither of the new taxes have exceeded the limits that voters were told they would generate,” he says.

The ‘magic number’ on the Prop AA ballot was $70M. “As of right now, it looks like we’re coming in at around $10M below that figure.” He reminds me that the final amount is still hard to predict but, “we’re confident we’re not going to go over $69M.” So what’s it gonna be, sir? “We need a third vote to make sure we spend the money on what we said we would: marijuana-related expenses and school construction.”

In a strange occurence of Republican/ Democrat agreement, it appears both parties are on board with the idea.

Sen. Steadman is sponsoring the bill, currently in the works, and will bring it before the Joint Budget Committee within the coming weeks. “We’ll carry it as a budget bill at that point,” he assures us. “The people have voted for this twice.

We need to honor that.”

Originally appeared March 04, 2015.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 13

OPINION

CAITLYN JENNER, THE GOP, AND THE JEALOUS LEFT [Editor’s note: I asked George, a Log Cabin Republican, to pen this piece after hearing the GOP — Log Cabin Republicans, in particular — being referred to as “pandering bastards” concerning rumors that they were attempting to get Caitlyn Jenner to rep for them before the 2016 election cycle. This is his reply.]

George K. Gramer, Jr. WHEN BERLIN ASKED ME TO WRITE THIS ARTICLE, I WENT STRAIGHT TO THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LOG CABIN REPUBLICANS. Gregory T. Angelo clearly told me that the idea we (LCR) are trying to get Jenner to rep for the GOP this election cycle is totally false. So much for the snarky Democratic whispering mill of Colorado’s capital city. Angelo has been in contact with Jenner’s agent to arrange meetings with Republicans on Capitol Hill (the one in DC). In Jenner’s interview with Diane Sawyer, she said she was willing to advocate for transgender issues with conservative politicians, so clearly there is no harm in asking.

Two of the baker’s dozen of GOP presidential contenders have been rather gracious to Caitlyn. Both Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and former Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) welcomed Jenner as an out transgender Republican. We will have to see where the other 11 fall on the spectrum of acceptance.

The general public seems content with the transformation of a former Olympic gold medalist, yet the gay left (around threequarters of the LGBT population identify as Democrats) was outraged by Jenner’s conservatism. (Gasp! She is a Republican!)

Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) questioned whether Caitlyn Jenner was still a Republican after transformation from male to female — as though it’s impossible to be a trans and Republican.

Like it or not, both parties use celebrities to raise awareness.

On the Democratic side, a recent example was the blatant exploitation of actor Michael J. Fox in support of the campaigns 14 JANUARY 06, 2016

“The fact that Caitlyn Jenner is a very highprofile Republican who is also transgender made this the perfect time to point out the diversity within our party.”

of Senators Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and Benjamin Cardin (D-MD). Moreover, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s (D-NY) speech on New York City’s Roosevelt Island has a same-sex couple obviously planted in the background directly over her right shoulder to kiss one another on cue when she advocated for marriage equality.

Log Cabin Republicans of Los Angeles used a blow-up of Jenner’s Vanity Fair cover at the L.A. Pride Festival June 13–14. Pride attendees posed for photos in front of the 7-foot-tall banner. The Los Angeles Log Cabin Republicans chapter president stated: “The fact that Caitlyn Jenner is a very high-profile Republican who is also transgender made this the perfect time to point out the diversity within our party.” Angelo concurred that it was entirely appropriate to use the picture at L.A. Pride. He told Buzzfeed: “There is a sentiment among much of the media and the left — especially the gay left — that if you are part of the LGBT community, you are required to be a Democrat because only Democrats are pro-equality. The fact that there are members of the Log Cabin Republicans that identify as LGBT shows that is not the case.”

Bottom line: Caitlyn is very welcome in the Republican Party.

We would be very pleased to have her at our booth in PrideFest 2016.

George K. Gramer, Jr., is the President of the Log Cabin Republicans of Colorado.

Originally appeared July 01, 2015.

BE SKI SMART

please take a moment and review the following important skier safety tips:

WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS in ski and snowboard safety over the last decade, there continue to be hundreds, if not thousands, of ski injuries per year. According to the National Ski Areas Association, skier and snowboarder fatalities were up from last season and the number of catastrophic injuries exceeded the ski industry’s ten-year average. Many ski injuries, and certainly many of the injuries we see come through our door, could have easily been avoided had the other skier heeded some simple safety tips.

• Safety is everyone’s responsibility, not only for yourself but others. Know your own ability.

Surprisingly, however, many skiers and snowboarders lack awareness about basic ski safety or simply choose not to follow safety recommendations. For example, despite their proven record of reducing head injuries, a recent study showed that only 73 percent of all skiers and snowboarders across the United States wore helmets last season. Being involved in a ski accident not only poses a huge risk to your physical health, but it also has the potential to embroil you in long and costly litigation if you are at fault for the accident. The bottom line is no matter what your level of expertise, everyone has an incentive to engage in safe ski and snowboard practices. So before you hit the slopes this season,

• Always wear a helmet and equip yourself with proper and appropriate gear.

• Always stay in control and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

• People downhill of you have the right of way.

It’s your responsibility to avoid them.

• You must not stop where you obstruct a trail or are not visible from above.

• Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

• Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

• Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

• Prior to using any lift, you must have knowledge and ability to load, ride, and unload safely. If you’re unsure, ask the lift operator.

• Stay hydrated.

• If you’re going into the backcountry, bring appropriate avalanche equipment including a beacon, shovel, and avalanche probe.

Enjoy and be safe out there!

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The opinions expressed in this article are general in nature. For specific legal advice about your particular situation, please contact an attorney.

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OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 15

want to get off and it doesn’t really matter who it’s with.

H E I N ZES I G H T

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR INNER DOUCHEBAG* Brent Heinze, Senior Columnist I’VE BEEN WRITING THESE COLUMNS FOR MORE THAN FOUR YEARS with the primary purpose of helping people create better, more fulfilling lives. In light of the overwhelming patterns emerging in our culture of people acting in thoughtless, judgmental, and mean-spirited ways, this tutorial will help you become better equipped to deal with these situations and people. Don’t worry about trying to change other people’s behaviors or have your own integrity — it’s better to just give in, fit in, and act like a douchebag!

Everyone else seems to be doing it, so follow along. Don’t forget that practice makes perfect!

Make six dates for the same day and time — in case people flake out. If nothing else, you can be well positioned for an orgy or a small dinner party.

It’s awesome to have initial conversations discussing the size of someone’s equipment, inquiring about their favorite sexual activities, or requesting pictures of them screwing.

16 JANUARY 06, 2016

Get these most important questions out in the open and answered upfront. People are rarely worth more than just a sexy romp anyway.

Don’t bother showing up or letting someone know you won’t be coming.

It takes way too long to shoot someone a text to be thoughtful, and your time is definitely more precious than theirs.

If someone contacts you and you’re not interested, put them in their place and tell them why you think they’re an ugly loser. It’s much better to do something like this than risk saying ‘thanks’ and having them continue to pursue you. Hopefully, being mean will get them to either leave social networking sites or quit going out in public to meet new people.

If you’re not attractive, find pictures of a someone you think will lure a stranger into meeting you. Don’t worry if you don’t really look like that picture — the other person will probably be so desperate it won’t matter. Most of us just

Practice snarky comments, aggressive body language, and bitchy facial expressions to keep people away. The only people you’ll attract will be those awesome guys who are playing the same game.

Keep looking for a better option after you make firm plans with someone.

Trust me, there are tons of hotter people just around the corner. Don’t quit the search! It’ll be worth it when some other stud shows up to fulfill your fantasies better than the first one.

Hot and heavy conversations should leave them wanting more, but don’t ruin it by giving them anything physical from you. If you tell them you’re truly interested in meeting, they’ll keep pumping you with hot masturbation material that you’ll never have to make good on in person.

Refuse to open the door when someone shows up to mess around. The thrill of the chase is so awesome. It should be satisfying enough to know you made them want you and that they’re leaving angry and sexually frustrated.

Do whatever you can to get off without reciprocation. If they don’t get off before you, that’s their problem. After shooting, either jump up to wipe off before putting on your pants or roll over to fall asleep.

They can do the rest themselves. *This is an April Fool’s parody. Don’t be a douche.

Originally appeared April 01, 2015.

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INTERSEX NAVY VETERAN SUES US STATE DEPT, COLORADO PASSPORT AGENCY FOR DISCRIMINATION

L

ast October, Fort Collins resident Dana Zzyym — a Navy veteran and outspoken advocate for intersex visibility and equality who prefers the pronouns they, them, and their — was invited to an international forum on intersexuality in Mexico City. Naturally, they accepted and set out applying for a US passport. The process seemed simple enough until Dana landed in the dreaded gender-marker territory with only two choices: male and female, both of which would be inaccurate (not to mention criminal) selections.

“If I remember right, I wrote an ‘I’ between those two boxes and a letter saying I am intersex and I want an X marker on my passport,” the stylishly mohawked Dana told their audience during a Lambda Legal press conference in Denver. “I submitted that [letter] along with my application.”

First-time applicants are also required to provide their birth certificate which comes as no help for Dana, either — the gender section of their birth certificate is marked “unknown.”

18 JANUARY 06, 2016

The United States veteran, who completed four tours of duty as a machinist mate with the US Navy and was confirmed as intersex through a urologist with the VA many years later, was denied a United States passport. In its place, the State Department sent a letter stating that Dana had three options going forward: receive a passport listing Dana as female; receive a passport listing Dana as male; or to withdraw the application altogether.

Dana then made an appearance at the Colorado Passport Agency (CPA) to present more documentation on their intersex status, and requested the intersex classification of X be allowed on their passport. Because it’s illegal to “willfully and knowingly make any false statement in an application for passport with intent to induce or secure the issuance of a passport under the authority of the United States, either for his own use or the use of another,” Dana wanted to make extra certain not to play subject to potential civil and criminal sanctions. The response from CPA? Another letter stating that because

Berlin Sylvestre

“the Department of State requires the sex field on United States passports to be listed as ‘M’ or ‘F,’” Dana’s request for the X marker is once again denied.

Dana requested a hearing, and was rebuffed once again — this time with a letter of finality. The matter, according to CPA, was over.

And so today, on Intersex Awareness Day, Lambda Legal has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against the US State Department on Dana’s behalf.

“It’s very easy for the US government to accurately identify Dana as who they are, and no person throughout the country should have to compromise their own identity to be able to travel,” Paul D. Castillo, lead attorney in the case, told Out Front earlier this morning. “Those are rights guaranteed by the US Constitution.”

In the legal hotseat are Secretary of State John Kerry and Director of the Regional Passport Agency (located in Aurora, CO) Sherman D. Portell. Both are being sued in their official capacity.

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“BECAUSE IT’S ILLEGAL TO ‘WILLFULLY AND KNOWINGLY MAKE ANY FALSE STATEMENT IN AN APPLICATION FOR PASSPORT WITH INTENT TO INDUCE OR SECURE THE ISSUANCE OF A PASSPORT UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE UNITED STATES, EITHER FOR HIS OWN USE OR THE USE OF ANOTHER,’ DANA WANTED TO MAKE EXTRA CERTAIN NOT TO PLAY SUBJECT TO POTENTIAL CIVIL AND CRIMINAL SANCTIONS.” An obvious question is how Dana was able to travel during their service in the military. “When you’re under orders of the military, [travel] is a different process — Dana didn’t need to secure a passport,” Paul affirmed. “But now, as a civilian, Dana is required to obtain a passport in order to leave the United States lawfully.”

“I didn’t know anything about intersex at that particular point in time,” Dana said of their identity during the Navy years. “[Male] is how I identified because I didn’t know any better. I knew I was different, I just didn’t know in what way.”

Currently, Australia, India, Malta, Nepal, and New Zealand allow for gender markers outside the male and female binary.

“The thing that’s particularly ironic here is that the United States government in fact is allowing foreign nationals with an X marker on their passport to enter the US,” Paul said. “Now we are seeing citizens of foreign countries across the world being able to enter and exit [the US] freely while our own citizens who can’t accurately identify on their passports are basically on nationwide house arrest.”

He added: “The X marker designation that’s been provided by international standards has existed for a long time. There’s always been an alternative with respect to travel documents letting a person identify as other than male or female. In fact, many countries have utilized that for intersex and other gender-diverse individuals. The United States has limited those options 20 JANUARY 06, 2016

and are asking people who are gender diverse or who don’t identify as male or female to compromise their own identity in order to be able to travel. Dana shouldn’t have to choose.”

“I was raised male and I tried to live a male life even though I knew it was wrong for me,” they said. “I tried my best.”

“This is clearly a right of self-expression, autonomy, and identity, and the United States government has no business making a person sacrifice their own identity merely for the freedom of movement,” said Paul. “But the bigger [issue] is that this is an identity document, and there are other ways of identifying a person’s identity — including with their photograph. That begs the question of whether a marker is even necessary on a United States passport or any government identity. The government can accurately identify the person based on the photograph and other metrics embedded within the passport, so there’s a mechanism already in place.”

Dana says reactions to the case have been mixed. “Some people aren’t ready to have this kind of marker, but the real issue is that it’s a choice to have the marker on your passport or not. This is my choice to have my marker to self identify, and anyone else can choose that if that’s how they identify.

Most of the community is very supportive.

The rest will probably will come aboard.”

“I’m not going to speculate,” Paul said when asked whether he thinks this will

be a tooth-and-nail fight from the state.

“We’re hopeful that this is just a process of raising awareness to the United States government that this is a problem for citizens who don’t identify as male or female, and that we can work with them quickly to provide a resolution. That way, Dana and others like Dana can travel and exercise the right to travel while not compromising their identity.”

So is Dana’s ideal solution an X marker?

“There are a lot of options out there: Nepal has an O for other; I think I just saw an E out there, but I’m not sure what that stands for; there’s the X,” Dana said. “I’d like to see an N for non-binary or something like that, but the X is fine at this point.”

They say it’s mostly about “getting my passport and making sure they’re available to intersex persons or non-binary people.”

As a child, Dana endured many painful, invasive, and unnecessary surgeries that left them with permanent damage and scarring in unsuccessful attempts to conform them to a traditional binary standard. They hope that the end of the long trend of misunderstanding, invisibility, and discrimination is closer with the success of this court case.

“My strength comes from all the adversarial things I’ve gone through in my life,” they said. “It’s given me the strength to be here today and fight for my rights.”

Originally appeared online October 26, 2015.

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all hail the butch superhero Sara Hernandez

Lea DeLaria, commonly known as Big Boo from Orange Is The New Black, flew to Denver during Pride to party it up at the City Hall Amphitheater. Graciously, she gave us a few minutes of mic-time that we decided to reserve for our Let’s Talk Ladies issue. The interview is as follows. (I’ll warn you now that this interview gets graphic, so the faint of heart might wanna skip to the next feature … but I’ll also warn you that you’ll miss some anecdotes about Meryl Streep, Lori Petty, and Lily Tomlin. And strap-on sex. It’s all in here.) Come along as Lea D. gets candid outside the clink.

You’ve been labeled in the past a “butch superhero.”

Do you feel like you’re a good role model for the community?

A butch superhero? I haven’t heard that one but I love it! I get a picture of me standing on a hill with my arms akimbo, the breeze blowing through my cape. It’s like that shot from the original Superman series with George Reeves, where it always showed him with America behind him. The second thing I think of when I hear that is how much the community has changed in terms of its acceptance of butch dykes and nelly fags. I hope I had something to do with that.

No. I think if I’m a role model, then the community is in a lot of f*cking trouble. *laughs That’s what I think. People keep calling me a role model and I don’t know what to do with it. I mean my entire life, my career has been based on social commentary. And in order to be a good social commentator, you have to be a bit on the outside if you know what I mean. So for people to suddenly start calling me a role model is sort of frightening. It’s like, “Oh my God, I’ve lost my edge!” I prefer dyk-on* to role model.

22 JANUARY 06, 2016

* Dyk-on is Lea’s portmanteau of ‘dyke’ and ‘icon.’

I read you were excited about being the “fat, butch dyke with the c*ck strapped on” in season 3. Why was that so exciting for you?

Are you kidding?! The reason I was excited was 1) they never show fat people having any sexuality whatsoever, so here’s a fat dyke having sex with a truly hot babe. In fact, Madison was so hot that I now know how men feel when they’re afraid they’re going to get a woody during a sex scene. Thankfully, my scene called for me to have a woody so it was all good. But you never see fat people having any sexuality, and you never see butches having any sexuality. You only see them drunk; you only see them beating their girlfriends; you only see them stupid. And in all of American television, The L Word included, this is a first — TV guide pointed that out, which is awesome.

This is the first time there’s ever been a lesbian sex scene with a c*ck strapped on the way it’s supposed to be. There have been dildos before but never dyke sex with c*cks strapped on. So to be the first to do that was very, totally cool.

You’re a pioneer in the TV strap-on field.

Absolutely hilarious. I was the first openly gay comic to perform on television in America and that was 1993. So now, 22 years later, I’m the first actress to have dildo dyke sex [on television].

When you read the script, were you like, “Holy sh*t! This is gonna happen!”

very political things when I go to Prides. In fact, for a time I was kind of over Pride because all they seemed to be was a celebration when there was so much f*cking work that needed to be done. I felt like “Gay Pride Day? Sorry I don’t have enough pride to last the f*cking day.” I was so over all of it. It was only until recently, where the queer community has gotten their sh*t back. Those things, those desires. To borrow the hashtag, I’ve been using “refuse to be invisible.” Now I’m really excited when I go to Pride. I spent a lot of time saying no. People would say, “Oh, come. It’s a great party.”

Stop right there, I’d lose my f*cking mind. I was sick of every f*cking Pride having some assh*le talking about how we’re like everyone else and we’re exactly like straight people. That f*cking goes up my ass so far. We’re not like straight people. We have our own community and our own culture. We can coexist peacefully within who we are without having to emulate anybody. The other thing is how religion seemed to take over every Pride I went to. I was like, “If I go to another Gay Pride and see another religious float, I’m going to personally go up to Heaven and bitch-slap Jesus.” With organized religion, there’s a history of the persecution of everybody — not just queer people — everybody throughout history.

And some people need to own that sh*t. Don’t get me going here, I’ve got nothing against religious people if they respect my choice to be me, to be an atheist, and the fact that I was born a dyke. As long as they respect me, I’ll respect them. But the minute they show any derision for who I am, I’m in their face.

people keep calling me a role model and I don’t know what to do with it. i think if i’m a role model, the community is in a lot of f*cking trouble.

I asked Kate Mulgrew [who plays Red] about it because I’d never done a sex scene before. I asked if she had any tips, forgetting that Kate and I had been emailing each other over my phone. And you know how your phone will say “Sent from my iPad or sent from my iPhone” and people get creative with that?

Mine says “Sent from my vagina.” She sends back, “Isn’t everything you send from your vagina?” I mean, I was a tad nervous about it because I wanted it to be real. We had a conversation on set where they wanted me to strap the dildo on over my boxers. They wanted people to see what [the strap-on] was. I said, “Look. As a butch dyke, I can’t allow that. Nobody does that. Absolutely nobody does that. Nobody straps a c*ck on over their panties! It’s stupid.” But I understood what they wanted, so I said, “Let’s go naked,” which is what we did. They just thought I’d never go naked, which is why they suggested it in the first place. I’ll tell you right now: If there’s anybody comfortable in their skin, it’s me. I don’t give a f*ck. Once we got that cleared up it was good.

You were in Denver for Pride.

Yes! I had so much fun. Ridiculously great fun — [Girl Pride] was quite a party. And you know, I’m often not celebrating. I’m often doing

But you enjoyed Denver while you were here?

I was in Denver for less than 12 hours. I came into that to party and put my face out to say, “Happy Pride! What a f*cking amazing time to be queer!” I was there to do some dancing and have a few drinks — it was great.

Fangirl question for you: Is Lori Petty as rad in real life as most fangirls think she’d be?

Lori Petty is the raddest motherf*cker on the planet! It’s interesting that you should ask because you’ve probably seen on social media about a thousand pictures of me and Lori and often Taryn Manning [who plays Pensatucky]. The three of us hang a lot; we’re sort of the punk-ass bitches on the show. Lori is the f*cking sh*t, man. She’s so cute. The first season we became friends pretty quickly. And she was like, “Yo, DeLaria! My sister’s coming to town with a girlfriend.

You would make me a hero in their eyes if you would have dinner with us. They’re huge fans of yours and have been for a long time.”

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 23

I f*cking love that about Lori, she was totally fangirling. It’s been a joy. Having Lori is one of the best gifts Orange has given me.

She’s a rad-ass motherf*cker — love her. And she’s a great actor.

She’s so good on the show, a great f*cking addition to the cast.

Who have you fangirled over in the past?

I don’t generally fangirl over celebrities. My demeanor is usually pretty cool. Having said that, I will say this: I met Lily Tomlin back in 1993 backstage at the GLAAD awards. I had just become the first openly gay comic on television that March, and this was the June GLAAD awards. So I was rubbing elbows with famous people and I’d never done that before.

I saw Lily Tomlin backstage in the corner going over her script. She had her glasses on reading her script and I thought to myself, “I may never have the opportunity again to shake hands with Lily Tomlin. So I’m going to go over to say hi, and she looked up. Before I could say, “Excuse me, Ms. Tomlin, I would love just to be able to shake your hand. You’ve been a huge influence on me and my comedy” ... before I could even say that, she looked up and smiled really big and said, “Oh, Lea DeLaria! What a pleasure to meet you! I am a huge fan.” And I just burst into tears! Like a f*cking little bitch. I was horrified!

And I was like, “Oh, Lily, I’m so sorry. I don’t usually respond like this. It just means so much to me.” Interestingly enough, since then, almost every day now, someone bursts into tears when they meet me. So I have total empathy for them because the f*cking thing happened to me.

Why was it a crowdsource venture?

Because it’s almost impossible to get a jazz record made unless you’re Michael Bublé, which is actually more pop music than jazz.

Pardon me, but even if you’re an actual jazz artist, unless you’re the biggest name in jazz it’s almost impossible to get a record made. I’m definitely not Pat Metheny, so Warner Jazz [Records] was like, “Oh, we’ll give you $5000.” I can’t sh*t a record with $5000 dollars! So what’s the good of being on a number-one show if you can’t use that to do some other things? My first love is jazz, and people who’ve been fans for a long time know I’m a singer.

So we just kind of went [the crowdsourcing] route, and we did really well. In fact, when David Bowie Official started following me on Twitter, I knew we were doing incredible.

Jazz is your first love, even before acting and comedy?

you never see butches on tv having any sexuality. You only see them drunk; you only see them beating their girlfriends; you only see them stupid.

The other was when I first met Meryl Streep.

This would’ve been somewhere around 1999 — Mrs. Streep and I both worked for the public theater in NYC. I was playing Audrey in As You Like It, which starred Gwyneth Paltrow at the time. Gwyneth had just won her Academy Award so every day was insanity. Every day, the stage manager would come back and tell you who was in the audience. And it became a joke, I mean it became ridiculous. Names like Steven Spielberg. I remember one day the stage manager came back and was like, “We’ve got Kevin Kline and Meryl Streep.” So of course we all went crazy. And she came backstage to meet me and I kind of shook her hand and was really calm. And then I got down on my knees and did the “I’m not worthy! I’m not worthy!” thing to her. She was beautiful! She went, “You know that’s why I love your acting, Lea. You always make the small choices.” And the next time I saw her, we did a 50th anniversary show for public theater and it had God and everybody in it. And she sang Sodomy from Hair and I was going on after her. She had been nervous about it in rehearsals and when she came out, I told her, “See? I knew you would f*cking kill!” And she kissed me on the cheek, then she kissed me on the hand and let me tell you: I didn’t wash my face and my hand for a f*cking year!

You just released an album of David Bowie covers done in a jazz style, House of David.

It’s available for download!

24 JANUARY 06, 2016

Yeah! Of course I like doing everything I do. I feel very blessed that people seem to want me to do a lot of things, you know what I mean?

It’s not like Bruce Willis, you know, coming out with his blues band. Nobody gives a f*ck.

Who the f*ck cares? People seem interested in watching me do standup, watching me do Broadway, and watching me act and are buying my jazz records and coming to hear me sing. So that’s a blessing for me. As a Gemini, I gotta tell you: If I had to only do one thing I’d probably f*cking lose it. But luckily I’m allowed to do a variety of different things.

What do you enjoy most on the road?

I generally tour with a trio if not a quartet and always intersperse music within my stand-up comedy. Because my comedy is so loud, so fast, and so vulgar, people get tired. You can only take it for so long. So, you know, after like five minutes they’re like, “Mom, make it stop!”

In 1982, when I started doing dyke comedy, I did music as well because it worked. I would just sing some song [the crowd] knew, lull them into a false sense of security, then start screaming “f*ck!” and “dyke!” and “c*nt!” at them. And that’s been my format since 1982 and hasn’t changed. So, what do I like the most when I’m on the road? Finding strange p*ssy.

You’re hilarious. So let’s wrap this up by playing Marry, Murder, Screw. Your choices are Piper, Alex, and Pensatucky.

Oh, Lord. Are we talking Lea DeLaria or Big Boo? We’re talking Lea DeLaria.

I would murder Pensatucky, screw Piper, and marry Alex. But Boo would murder Piper, screw Pensatucky, and marry Alex. Let me just say Boo is more understanding than Lea DeLaria. I would bitch-slap Pensatucky into next Tuesday — I’d never have the patience to deal with that bullsh*t. Boo is a much more patient and loving person than Lea DeLaria.

ALCOHOLIDAZE The Denver Cycle Sluts kicked off the holiday season with Alcoholidaze in Club M at Hamburger Mary’s on December 11th.

The event served as a fundraiser for Horizon House, a non-profit providing home care services to people struggling with the chronic disabilities associated with AIDS/ HIV. In addition, the Sluts crowned La Texa Dvynal as their new Queen Mother.

Photos by Charles Broshous

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 25

MEET STEVE WINTERS

OWNER AND ADMINISTRATOR OF ABC SENIOR SERVICES OF EAST DENVER Riya Foxter STEVE WINTERS AND HIS PARTNER CINDY KOCH OPENED an office of Always Best Care (ABC) Senior Services franchise in Denver East on March 2, 2015. ABC Denver East is one of the five ABC offices operating in the greater Denver area. It received its Class B non-medical license in February and focuses its services in the area of daily assisted living and homemaking services. ABC Denver East often pairs up with the ABC Denver North office that has its medical license and provides Denver East’s clients with services like physical, occupational, and speech therapies. OUT FRONT chatted with the owner and administrator of ABC East Denver Steve Winters.

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO GET INVOLVED IN SENIOR CARE? I got into senior care because of my mother. I gained a lot of knowledge about the challenges seniors face because I was a caregiver for my mother. At some point, she could no longer stay in a rehabilitation center because she was no longer progressing as required by the Medicare rules and I was told that I had to find another location for her in a matter of days.

I did find a nursing home for her, but then she ended up spending all her money on the nursing home and going off Medicaid. Eventually, she was able to come back and live at the house and shortly after she passed away. So, seeing what my mother had to go through definitely made me interested in helping other seniors.

26 JANUARY 06, 2016

“We tell our caregivers to bring the heart of service into everything they do and to treat our clients with the same attention they would treat their loved ones.”

SPECIFICALLY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES THAT YOUR BRANCH PROVIDES? Denver North has a director of nursing and a skilled license so all the medical services are provided there. We’re a non-medical office, and so on our end we focus on an array of personal care services. We cover all the activities of daily living: dressing, bathing, transferring ambulation systems, and feeding. We also offer daily companionship and accompaniment to the doctor’s office.

WHAT MAKES THE WAY YOU RUN YOUR BRANCH DIFFERENT FROM OTHER SENIOR ASSISTANCE SERVICES? We personalize our approach as much as possible. So, after training our caregivers we try to match them up to clients that we think would be the best fit based on the client’s personality.

WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO YOU WHILE RUNNING ABC EAST DENVER? Our values are definitely very important to us. We tell our caregivers to bring the heart of service into everything they do and to treat our clients with the same attention they would treat their loved ones. We also try to treat our caregivers with the same respect that we treat our clients with. I really focus on building community and getting to know the people I work with. I think that that helps us bring a high quality of service to our clients.

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OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 27

Berlin Sylvestre

“This has to be a mistake,” Empress Gabbriella But’zin thought aloud to other members of the Imperial Cour t of the Rocky Mountain Empire. “Something easy, something simple to fix.” The numbers on the tax retur n the nonprof it posted to the Secretar y of State’s website didn’t match the numbers they repor ted on their profit-and-loss statement and, as any good Empress knows, bad math can yank a nonprofit’s status from under neath it. “Maybe one or the other is just wrong,” she said in good faith.

So, headache or not, the gang huddled to crunch some figures before it slowly and agonizingly dawned on them — there was a thief in their midst.

The Court immediately launched an internal audit.

They pored over their QuickBooks and financial statements, and “that’s when we felt we were being embezzled,” she says. The fur flew. “As soon as we found out what was going on, this individual had all sorts of charges leveled by many of our members,” she tells Out Front. “But then we felt they weren’t being given due process, so we suspended their position until our audit confirmed everything.”

And there were tears. “Lots of tears,” she admits as we wait for our food on a quiet Hamburger Mary’s Wednesday. “This was a person in a position of trust — not an entertainer, no, just a general member, but someone we trusted.” And you can imagine that we’re talking about a tight-knit 28 JANUARY 06, 2016

group, being an all-volunteer organization whose members frequently use their own money to put on fundraisers for Freedom Service Dogs of America, Colorado AIDS Project, Parkinson’s charities, and so many others. To think someone felt more entitled to the contents of the coffers and actually broke the trust they were given sent shockwaves of anger and sadness throughout the team.

“When we finally had the proof, no one could believe it,” she says. “This was a beloved member and someone you couldn’t see doing this. As a volunteer organization, you’re kind of always putting yourself out there for this to happen, but we were still like, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding.’”

Keeping the figure ambiguous, the dollar discrepancy is said to be more than a few thousand dollars, a sum that could give two military veterans, kids with autism, and/or people with mobility

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 29

issues a service dog to regain a foothold on their independence; or, perhaps, it could’ve given two years’ worth of HIV/AIDS medication to five people in need. Instead, the Empress suspects it was spent on, among other items, personal trips that “weren’t cheap.” The theft was through electronic transactions via the organization’s credit account and “just plain taking money.”

After the results of the audit were presented, the individual accepted responsibility for the trespasses. Further: “They gave us a letter saying they acted alone.”

No matter how hard I press, the Empress won’t reveal any names. Suffice it to say, the individual will no longer work alongside the Imperial Court.

“Per our bylaws, no one can have their title removed — they’re permanent,” she says. The closest an ousted member gets to being written off for good is getting suspended. “So we suspended them.”

All the evidence, including the confession letter, was turned over to the Denver District Attorney’s office. As they’re a nonprofit, the Court is obligated to report what happened. “Because we’re a 501(c)3, we don’t have the option not to do that — it can affect our status with the state. We have to be able to show the IRS our loss and how it all transpired.”

Though Empress Gabbriella says it could be two to three weeks before the DA’s office makes any moves, the Court has “provided so much information [to them] that the case can be fast-tracked.”

30 JANUARY 06, 2016

40 years of Imerial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire history taken April 27, 2013.

The missing amount could’ve given two vets or two autistic children a service dog; or, perhaps, it could’ve given two years’ worth of HIV/AIDS medication to five people in need.”

Then the group got together to close up any loopholes that may be abused in the future.

“We’ve altered internal processes and instituted trackable things. We’ve given new responsibilities to the treasurer and the CEO, we have another member who is auditing monthly, and we’ll be doing quarterly followups,” she says. “Anyone who touches any of our money is bonded, and the individual pays for it.”

Getting bonded is a process that helps protect the organization’s assets in a way not entirely unlike insurance against theft. Those who want to deal with the financial end of the organization will now come out of pocket around $180 for the bonding.

And par for the course, these volunteers will gladly pay their dues. That’s how much it means to them to keep the integrity up and the ball rolling. “We’ll also be looking at an outside auditor, a third-party, non-vested person. If we had that in the first place, we might not have been in the situation we’re in.”

They’ve even resolved to go back a few years for audits, just to make sure any past discrepancies — should they exist — are found.

But the Imperial Court isn’t stopping there. Because the origins of the organization go beyond the Rocky Mountains, there’s an additional higher power that needs answers.

The International Imperial Court System, founded in 1965, spans Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Our beloved Rocky Mountain chapter is

only one of 68 that work year-round to provide assistance to thousands of those going without.

The Empress is visibly upset at the idea that shame has befallen the prestigious Rocky Mountain wing of the International Imperial Court System, and it shows on her face.

“We’re in jeopardy,” she says heavily. The executive director of the International Imperial Court System — known formally as Her Most Imperial Majesty, The Queen Mother I of the Americas, Empress Nicole the Great — is flying in next week from San Francisco. “We’ll be presenting everything to her and showing her the newly formed ethics process.”

When asked what it could mean if the meeting doesn’t go well: “The consequence is that we could be sanctioned, and if we are, they take away our titles. It all depends on what they feel is proper punishment. We could also get probation.”

And though she’s gravely disappointed that someone took advantage of the group’s trust, the Empress Gabbriella is willing to fall on the sword. Still: “The unknown is always scary. We hope we’re doing the right things and showing our due diligence. We have to persuade the [International Imperial Court System] that our actions are being changed, and that the change will last.”

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“This individual may suffer down the road, but ultimately our organization is on the line for all of our charities,” she says without blinking. “Our top priority is that every single dollar of what was promised [to our charities] gets paid. If we’ve got to go out and do 42 shows, 37 bake sales, and 48 car washes, we will. We have to fulfill our commitment to our charities. If we don’t have the ability to raise money for them, where will they get the money?”

Her tone feels suddenly hot. “[My Emperor, Richard Brendlinger, and I] feel an intense responsibility to make things right because this happened on our watch. When you’re a leader, it falls on our shoulders. To blame someone for this isn’t going to fix our problems and change what happened, and if we can show the community that we’re sincere, hopefully they’ll see our commitment is still there.”

Indeed there’s a fire in the eyes of the Empress, and as noble as it is to accept responsibility, history

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Drag queen Gabbriella Butz’in poses during Aspen Gay Ski Week’s Downhill Costume Contest on Jan. 22, 2010

“The first time was 20, 25 years ago, before we were a 501(c)3,” the Empress says. “All the money was paid back instead of the individual being arrested.

We don’t have that option now.”

On Sept. 23, the Empress wrote to our office:

I ask if they might’ve accepted restitution instead had they not been a 501(c)3. She shakes her head.

“No,” she admits. “Not with how much was taken.”

The hardship is felt throughout everyone at the organization — not just the figureheads. “All of our volunteers are out there raising the money and working,” she says, and the fire is back. “They definitely have a sense that this is their watch, their leadership. They want people to know we’re not just silly drag queens; that we’re an organization with standards trying to do the right thing.” She settles a touch. “Our community partners — especially the bars — have been incredible.” She cites Exdo, Charlie’s, Hamburger Mary’s, Tracks, and Broadway’s in particular. “They’ve been amazing 32 JANUARY 06, 2016

“After a review of our process, the Executive Director has cancelled her trip to Denver. She feels that our chapter is handling the situation to the best of our abilities!

She will be given an update in about a month and the Ethics Committee will give its final recommendation.

At this time, it looks like our chapter will not get any penalties.”

Updates as they happen will be made to OutFrontOnline.com.

and have all asked how they can help.”

Additionally, the DA’s office has been really communicative and up to date with the process.

“We’ve asked that if they have to arrest this person, please don’t arrest them in front of their kids. We’re trying to be as decent as we can. More than likely we’ll be dealing with restitution — to their credit, this person isn’t disavowing what they’ve done,” she says. You can see how deeply this has affected her, but she once again reiterates that they were literally left with no choice. “This person has to try and get through this as quickly as possible.”

The air is heavy, but after a few moments: “We’re going to get through this. We owe it to the community. We have so many concerned with the wellbeing of our organization, and 41 years of past emperors and empresses behind us. Everyone touched by this has been victimized, but we’ll get through it.”

Originally appeared October 01, 2015.

If the anonymous individual would like to come forward to present his/her side of the story, feel free to reach out to Berlin@OutFrontOnline.com

Photo Credit: Jonathan Crosby

has shown it can happen to the best of the best.

Well-meaning businesses and organizations the world over have fallen prey to unscrupulous people who’ve slithered their way into the treasury. It’s even happened to the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire before.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 33

34 JANUARY 06, 2016

An examination of a few of the Bible’s so-called “clobber texts” long used to condemn our community — and why you are welcome in the Kingdom of God, should you choose to enter.

Berlin Sylvestre

O

ne does not simply “read The Bible.”

To gain any kind of foothold on what’s going on, you have to understand that there were many cultures that the Jews (and the newly formed Christians) were leaning into: the ancient Egyptians (think Amon Ra, hieroglyphs, The Mummy); the Greeks (think democracy, philosophy, those beautiful painted vases); the Romans (think architecture, mesmerising sculptures, men fighting lions in an arena); and more. The rockstars of The Bible were walking into these cultures with a decidedly different one of their own, and they were on a mission to distinguish themselves as the chosen ones and bring salvation to the world.

As well, we’re talking about a time when literal life and death depended on your loyalty and proximity to your tribe. When you’re wandering the desert, there’s a small margin of error that separates the living from the dead. You rely on your family, extended and nuclear, for your very survival. To top it all off, we’re talking about a time when superstitions among the people ran high. Witches, warlocks, curses, incantations, all of that sacrilegious stuff comes into play as we pore through passages of The Holy Bible.

So as you go through the heavily translated text and find strange guidelines and prohibitions, you can leave the surface with a mere scratch and not wonder about the oddly specific (and seemingly arbitrary) laws, or — as you might with any ancient manual — press further for the real meaning.

For example, mixed fabrics. When gays are condemned using scripture from Leviticus, it’s common for detractors to shout back a passage in the exact same book that denounces the wearing of mixed fabrics. Is that an arbitrary rule or is there more at play? (Answer: There’s more.) Ok, so why did Moses tell the Jews not to mix their fabrics? For a number of reasons. Back then, clothes distinguished a tribe from a good distance away. You could tell if people were friend — or potential foe — based on what they were wearing.

Additionally, Moses and Company were obsessive about “purity,” and forbade intermingling on many levels. As well, being set apart from other tribes was a staunch goal. Other tribes wore mixed fabrics, so for the chosen, it was a no no. Clearly, the mixed fabrics rule wasn’t arbitrary. Does it still apply today? (I’ll let you be the judge of that.)

But so goes the case for nearly all of the text. If you truly want to know the will of God according to The Bible, you can risk taking the word on its face and assume you know what it means outright … or you can dig deeper for a better understanding of the religion of Christ. For a remarkable historical perspective (and/or to combat those who use the scripture as a weapon against our community), I suggest immersing yourself in the study of the ancient worlds in which its passages were written. As a starting point, Out Front presents: Redemption for the Pariah.

Onto the clobber passages!

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 35

Why the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah Isn't About Gays

L

et’s start here. (And keep in mind that, like everyone else, I’ll be paraphrasing these stories in a faithful way, but also one that makes them easier to digest.) So here we go.

Picture it: a Middle-Eastern desert, thousands of years ago. Abraham and his family, along with his nephew Lot and his family, were traveling around the desert after heading toward places God instructed them to … and then eventually leaving those places of famine and cursed pharaohs. (The story of Abraham’s wife and the pharaoh is juicy and weird; google it.) After some time, they stopped in a lovely enough spot, but as it turns out, Lot and Abraham had to part ways. (There was quibbling among the fray and they wanted to keep their relationship cool.)

So Lot set out with his wife and kids toward more well-watered regions and found himself in the glittery city of Sodom. (It was said, at the time, to be a hub of sophistication and modernity.) Thing is, God’s ears were hearing about the wicked ways of both Sodom and its sister city, Gomorrah — they were way too crunk for the people of the time — so he sent three angels to visit Abraham and let him know. Abe was caught off guard in his hot desert tent, but offered up some hospitality to the angels. (It was just his style.) When they broke the news about their plans, Abe was saddened that his family might perish for the deeds of the sinful. He asked one of the angels if they could let the cities off the hook if they went there and found ten people who weren’t wicked. They agreed. (Funny enough, Abraham bargained them down from fifty to ten. But anyway.)

Only two angels showed up to Sodom, and people like to speculate that the third who vanished without explanation was God Himself. Just God. In my tent. Chillin’. No bigs.

The description “fire and brimstone” comes from this story.

There is no mention of the word “homosexual” in The Bible’s original Hebrew & Greek writings.

The translation to “homosexuality” was added in 1946.

36 JANUARY 06, 2016

When they got to Sodom, they ran into Lot, who bowed politely to the strangers.

(It was just his style.) In spite of their unwillingness, he insisted they come back to his place to eat, get a good foot-wash, and stay the night. In those days of tribal stick-togetherness, strangers in a strange land posed great risks to a place — they could be spies, after all. The angels, it’s said, didn’t want to put Lot at risk, so they insisted on sleeping in the square. But Lot, risk or no, wouldn’t have it.

That night, The Bible says that all of Sodom’s men, young and old, descended upon Lot’s house and demanded the men come out so they could “know” them. (Back in that day, that was how you spoke before you went about raping someone. Oh, boy.) The men were angry, having found out somehow that the foreigners were there to judge them for their behavior, and they were ready to throw down in the worst way over it. (Way to make a case, guys, but ok.)

So Lot, freaking out, steps outside and shuts the door behind him. “Don’t do this, guys,” he says. “I have two daughters you can have instead. Bonus: They’re virgins.” (For real, Lot?! For real.) Anyway, the guys persist and the crowd pushes in, letting Lot know that he’s going to get something worse if he doesn’t comply.

The angels, however, snatch the door open and yank Lot back in. A neat little spell is cast so that all the men outside go blind and suddenly can’t find the door to Lot’s house. The angels tell Lot to head out and warn his two future sons-in-law to gtfo because this place is going down come morning. (Lot does so, but the two future sons-in-law think he’s making jokes.)

The next morning, the angels have to literally grab Lot and his family by the hands and lead them out of the city. (They were hesitating.) The angels instructed them to

run for the mountains, but Lot pointed and said, “Can’t we just go to that little city over there? Can’t you spare that tiiiiiny city for us? We’d die in those mountains, c’mon!”

And so it was. The heavens waited for Lot and his crew to get to Zoar (which is Hebrew for little, or insignificant) before inflicting a fiery sulfur-rain onto the plains and destroying the region, plant and person alike.

So now! The part where it doesn’t condemn gays.

For starters, I’m going to hand the mic to Ezekiel, who was divinely inspired by God’s word, and a fan of kinky analogy, it appears as you’re reading his book. (He rips into Jerusalem, comparing the city to a size-queen prostitute — I’m not even joking — and afterward, gives the Sodom Sisters a quick read.) Says he: “This was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed, and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me. Therefore, I did away with them as you have seen.” He mentions nothing of homosexuality, but instead, continuing his blistering assessment of what Jerusalem had become, says that not even the sister cities of Sodom were that bad. (You really have to get into it. Ezekiel reads to filth!) Anyway, he mentions nothing of homosexuality.

Moving along, all the men of Sodom couldn’t have been gay. As you’ll recall, the story insists that all the men, young and old, showed up to violate the angels. (The other townsfolk weren’t test-tube babies, am I right?)

Just the fact that Lot, who lived there, offered his girls up like that shows you that he knew at least some of them were straight. Heck, two of the guys were engaged to his daughters! (Also: If they were men of Sodom, they’d have been outside Lot’s place with the rest of the guys and saw their wives being offered up. Awkward!)

Lastly, this wasn’t about sex as lust; this was about violation. If the men were simply there for some freaky fornication, they’d have accepted Lot’s daughters. (Omg, Lot. I still can’t with you right now.) The point is, the angels were nearly subject to the kind of sex that was neither driven by lust nor homosexuality, but by violence, humiliation, and demoralization. Even with rape as an item on Sodom’s wicked player, Ezekiel still doesn’t mention it in his condemnation of her flaws, and neither does The Bible.

Btw: If you want to know what happened to Lot’s wife (weird stuff) and his daughters (gross stuff) after the destruction of Sodom and her sister cities, pick up a copy of The Bible. It really gets going after that.

Originally appeared August 05, 2015. For the rest, visit OutFrontOnline.com.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 37

TRANS WOMEN ARE 49 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO HAVE HIV & HERE’S WHY YOU SHOULD CARE Diane Anderson-Minshall LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT A WOMAN I MET. Let’s call her Trina.

On the surface, we have some similarities. A woman of color and a bottle blonde, Trina grew up feeling like she never fit in. Shuffled between family members, she left home early in an effort to be herself, and ended up homeless at one point.

Like my husband, Trina is transgender. Unlike my husband, who grew up in a white middle-class family and has a master’s degree, Trina doesn’t have insurance (yes, even in this age of Obamacare), worries about affording her hormones, and has had to do a lot of things to be the person she is. That includes turning the odd trick or two.

She has HIV. When she tested positive last year, it wasn’t a surprise to her or to the other women in her trans support group. It’s one of the few places Trina feels at home, accepted, able to be honest. And many of the women are also HIV positive.

Transgender women are 49 times more likely to have HIV than the general population. We first heard this number when The Foundation for AIDS Research (amfAR) released a report in 2014, Trans Populations and HIV: Time to End the Neglect, and this summer, when World Health Organization did a new meta-analysis of data from 15 different countries, which again showed that transgender women were nearly 49 times more likely to have HIV than the general population.

Both studies argue that trans women are the most at-risk population around the globe. The numbers are even worse 38 JANUARY 06, 2016

Perhaps you’re ready to turn the proverbial page because you think women who do sex work deserve it.

They don’t.

for those who are women of color; 56 percent of black trans women have HIV. That’s more than half.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, transgender women involved in sex work have HIV rates that are almost twice that of trans women not engaged in commercial sex work. They’re also six times more likely to be living with HIV than other female sex workers.

Perhaps you’re ready to turn the proverbial page because you think women who do sex work deserve it. They don’t.

My friend Trina gave blowjobs to help afford the hormones she needs every two weeks to continue living as a woman.

Going off hormones would give her serious medical issues. The waiting list to get into her local clinic was two months. She’s had bad experiences with doctors who refused to treat her because she’s transgender. She’s not alone: The Task Force’s 2011 study, Injustice at Every Turn, reports that approximately one in five trans people in the United States has been denied medical care as a result of their gender identity.

She’s also shared injection needles not for drugs, but at a pumping party, where trans women get low-cost fillers to create a more feminine look in their faces, breasts, and hips.

As a once-homeless trans teen — more than 40 percent of homeless teens are LGBT, according to a 2011 Williams Institute study — Trina has had to do plenty of things that put her at risk for HIV.

THE YEAR IN PHOTOS Happy New Year one and all! Before we dive in to 2016, take one last look at 2015.

Time really does fly when you’re having fun. Thank you all for sharing a little of yourselves with our community. See you in 2016.

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HEALTH DISPARITIES But that’s not how she got HIV. Like the majority of HIV-positive people today, Trina became HIV-positive during a relationship she believed was monogamous. The man she loved was not monogamous — and he was not aware that he had HIV. Today, Trina is on antiretrovirals and sees a doctor at a clinic who knows how to treat trans people living with HIV. Those are few and far between.

It’s time for all of us to wake up to this issue. As we revive the conversation around gay and bi men and HIV, it’s time to end this epidemic for trans people, too.

This is what it takes: • LGBT activists need to care about the alarmingly high rate of HIV among trans women, and to push our organizations, political leaders, and the pharmaceutical industry to do so as well. Silence can still equal death for trans people who can’t access medical care. It’s time to remind everyone of this.

• The research/medical community and pharmaceutical industry needs to stop misgendering trans women in research studies. Lumping trans women in studies about “men who have sex with men” does not give you true statistics on trans women’s needs and risks, making it difficult for concerned clinicians to properly treat trans women with HIV. We need them to ensure that trans people are properly categorized in future research.

• We need to push researchers to understand that gay and bi transgender men may be at equally high risk; since there have been no studies, nobody knows.

• Medical schools and medical organizations need to start training their people to treat transgender patients properly and mandating that people do so. Refusing care to people because of their gender identity is a travesty.

• We need to elevate trans people into leadership areas in HIV organizations, including their voices when we talk about HIV. • We need LGBT organizations to take up the mantle in talking about trans people and HIV, and we need trans organizations to tackle HIV. One such organization is doing just that: The Transgender Law Center has created Positively Trans, a project led by a group of poz trans people who have launched the first-of-its-kind study seeking to determine the obstacles to care faced by trans people living with HIV. In order for all of us — poz or not, trans or not, queer or not — to do right by trans women, we have to do more than tune into I Am Cait once a week. We have to tear down and rebuild the systems that are here to care for trans and gendernonconforming people in a way that really works. We have to remove the stigma of being trans, of being positive, of seeking to take an HIV-prevention treatment. That’s only one step, and there are many needed, but just that, understanding and truly caring about trans people, can take us quite a way.

40 JANUARY 06, 2016

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local Denver bars kicked several black, gay men out for “causing trouble.” Your Own Understanding (YOU) was a group made up of whites, blacks, latinos, straight and gay people, and men and women. It took many years, but their efforts — and a sting operation — ended the discrimination.

According to the MileHighGayGuy.com blog, at same time gay and lesbian Latino/a people gathered to form their own support groups like Ambiente Latino for men, and Las Mujeres Alegres for women, both of which were forerunners of La Gente Unida. La Gente Unida, co-founded by Martinez, has been a strong advocate of immigrant, LGBT, and other rights.

EL PORTERO, EL PUENTE, Y COLORADO David Duffield PORTERO IN SPANISH CAN EITHER MEAN “THE BOUNCER” OR “THE CARETAKER.” El puente means the “bridge.” Colorado itself is a Spanish name given to the red-colored clay of our plateau by Spanish explorers.

Gloria E. Anzaldúa, activist and scholar, once wrote: “Being the supreme crossers of cultures … our role is to link people with each other — the blacks with Jews with Indians with Asians with whites. Colored homosexuals have always been at the forefront (although sometimes in the closet) of all liberation struggles in the country.”

For generations, there’s been homophobia, racism, and genocide in human culture.

Among native peoples in the Americas, homosexuality was “not such a big deal” according to Yolanda Alaniz and Megan Cornish in Viva La Raza: A History of Chicano Identity and Resistance. The “rare exception” was the class-stratified and patriarchal Aztec culture, which featured “grizzly punishments” for female adultery, homosexuality, and transvestism. The conquistadors were equally bad for sexual minorities, unleashing a war against sodomy and codifying the “medieval moralism” of the church. Chicana/o homophobia thus has roots, they argue, in a community already subject to economic and racial oppression.

External oppression magnifies internal pressures on minorities within minorities.

Gays are also a small subset of the population, so our diversity can magnify broader cultural-social divides. According

to Marc Stein, author of Rethinking the Gay and Lesbian Movement, among the gay liberation movement from 1970–1980, there was tepid reaction by white, gay, male leadership to the needs of other social movements. According to Stein, class-race consciousness led the cultural marginalization of minorities. Sometimes LGBT groups faced a cultural-competency crisis when dealing with people of color.

Donaciano Martinez, a long-time activist in the LGBT, Latino, and Chicano communities, has seen intersectionalities of many identities. Born in Colorado Springs, he grew up seeing signs saying “No Mexicans or Dogs Allowed.” He saw learned that “bathrooms and bushes” were the only meeting spaces for gay men in Colorado Springs. Donaciano was among the first generation of large numbers of Chicanos in Colorado to get access and finish college. We owe much of this heritage to La Crustaje por Justicia or the Crusade For Justice (CFJ), organized by Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales.

In the late 1960s, the CFJ organized against anti-discrimination, education, and for political self-determination for the Chicano community. Yet, when Donaciano moved to Denver around 1976, he was told by other Chicano activists that the Chicano and Gay Liberation movement were separate things because their goals were different. In the early 1980s, Donaciano united with others against racism when

Recently, the LGBT Latino community organized their own cultural events at PrideFest, and for their own resource center known as Unidos en Orgullo (UNO), or “united in pride.” UNO still has a digital presence, though its physical space and organization are undergoing reconfiguration. Self-determination within the LGBT community has meant greater visibility.

Space itself is important for community.

El Portero is a gay, Latino nightclub in Glendale. It sits in a quiet lot, hushed away from busy streets. It seems a little decayed at first glance, but through the doors, one can hear bumping music and see young latinos gathered. For everything from a drag show to a concert, the club reminds this author of the Foxhole or Tracks (c.

1984). Like many of the best clubs, or community spaces, it’s a place away from places, where people can build community in their own comfort. Gender, race, and class blur slightly within these walls.

Perhaps the patrons of El Portero are both porteros and puentes of Colorado culture.

To bridge both sexuality and racial identity, one can speak truth to power in experience.

By creating community in support groups like Las Hermanas Alegres or in groups like La Gente Unida, or in spaces like El Portero, common identity is secured. If we see the humanity within ourselves and others, then the magnitude of divide is lessened. If we stop to appreciate the intersectionality of identity, we understand our own even more. If we allow space for multitudes of people, then there is prophecy in Anzaldúa’s words that people who are porteros, puentes, y de Colorado are unknowing leaders in liberation.

Originally appeared May 06, 2015.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 45

OPINION

WE TRANS PEEPS ARE JUST LIKE YOU CIS PEEPS Monica Roberts NOW THAT OUR RIGHT-WING OPPONENTS HAVE LOST THEIR WAR ON MARRIAGE EQUALITY, I expect them to shift their time, effort, and prodigious funding to attacking the transgender community’s humanity and human rights on a full time basis.

It’s the historical nature of conservatism to find an enemy to organize and rally their troops to hate.

Once their enemy du jour grows strong enough to fight back and repeatedly win against them, they move on like the bullies they are to pick on somebody else they perceive to be politically and numerically weaker than them for the sole goal of oppression.

But despite the upturned volume of the Right Wing Noise Machine — and their increasing efforts via FOX Noise and right-wing hate radio to demonize trans people — what Americans and the world are beginning to understand is that we trans peeps are part of the diverse mosaic of human life just like cisgender people are.

The right wing will also find out as they engage with us and attempt to halt our human rights progress that we have allies, family, and friends who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us to help us fight back against the oppression they wish to impose on us.

46 JANUARY 06, 2016

We trans people have the same characteristics and personality traits as many of you homosapiens. We come in all shapes, sizes, and ethnic backgrounds.

We live on every inhabited continent on Planet Earth. We are people who love and wish to be loved by others. We are gay, bisexual, pansexual, straight, and every other sexual orientation possible in our species.

We are beautiful, intelligent, funny, thoughtful, and multitalented. We are writers, doctors, lawyers, athletes, models, teachers, politicians, and parents raising kids. We are proud of the communities and nations we inhabit, and we transpeeps want the best for our kids that we raise. We want to live our lives to the best of our ability in careers that we love. We want to be able to fully participate in the political systems of our nations and create the laws that govern us. We want to contribute our talents to building our societies. We want to work, pay our fair share of taxes, join a union, and get paid a fair wage while doing so.

We transpeople want to be able to worship a higher power in the manner we choose — or not attend a church at all — without being falsely labeled by demagoguing religious leaders as ‘dangers to mankind.’

And speaking of bearing false witness against trans people, frankly we are

tired of right-wing adherents of all denominations pushing transphobia from the pulpit and it needs to stop.

We trans people want affordable trans culturally competent healthcare that not only features medical practitioners who treat us with dignity and respect, but also realizes that sometimes we come to the doctor to be treated for other medical issues besides trans-oriented ones.

And yes, just like in CisWorld, TransWorld has people in it who are selfish jerks, mean azzholes, jealous, vindictive, you get the drift. Just as you don’t want us broad-brush judging you for being transphobes based on the actions of a few nekulturny (google it) individuals, we demand the same level of respect from you.

Don’t start no drama with us, won’t be no drama in return.

The bottom line is that trans peeps are just like cis peeps in terms of just wanting to be the best people we can be while we are spending whatever time we have on this space rock.

And what we want in TransWorld is for you in CisWorld to acknowledge our common humanity, accept our right to exist, respect our human rights across the globe, and be left alone by you folks who irrationally hate on us so we can get to the daily business of being the men and women of trans experience we are.

Originally appeared July 15, 2015.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM 47

O U T BAC K CLASSIFIEDS Envisioned by Boberto

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I no longer felt all that excited about our expedition. But by now, we had walked too far for me to safely turn back on my own.

I was trapped with a man who literally considered himself “God’s Gift.”

Thankfully, his partner didn’t have such a well endowed … ego. In fact, Brad’s downto-earth demeanor had me enamored.

Still, I didn’t want to have sex with them anymore, yet I was too shy to say “no.”

A WELL-ENDOWED … EGO Scott McGlothlen IN THE WINTER OF 2007, A MASSIVE STORM HIT DENVER AND TRAPPED MOST RESIDENTS IN THEIR HOMES. Like usual, I took to online chat rooms in order to kill time. Brian and Brad, a local couple that seemed almost too hot to be real, hit me up. Brian was clearly the more rambunctious of the two. We got on camera and he loved showing off everything he had. And like he boasted, Brian certainly had a lot (if you know what I mean).

He suggested that I come over via foot.

Seeing as how I lived in Cap Hill and they were in the Highlands, a long winter walk didn’t seem like a safe idea. But Brian was bored, horny, and persistent. Thus, he suggested walking over to my place, then walk back to their house together. It would be a great way to break the ice before one wild threesome.

C*ck size never mattered much to me.

In fact, I was often a “less is more” kind of guy when it came to that. But I also liked variety and it had been quite some time since I played with a tool that large.

So I agreed to Brian’s opportunistic adventure and when he got to my place, we hit the road.

I learned Brian was quite the confident man. He had strong opinions on just about anything. I didn’t mind though since I was essentially using him for his body. Plus the weather had calmed down and made for an astonishingly beautiful walk in the empty streets. We had come across an open liquor store and decided to get a couple cans of Guinness, my favorite beer.

As we trotted along, nursing on our cold stouts, the conversation switched to religion.

“Well, of course I believe in God,” Brian said.

“He gave me a hot face and a big d*ck!”

A bit blindsided by his statement, I figured it had to have been a joke. I prodded him in the hopes of finding some bad humor, but alas there wasn’t any. Brian had more than confidence — he apparently thrived on pure arrogance. My attraction to him slipped off like eggs on teflon and

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In the middle of sex, Brian began complaining that I wasn’t “skilled” enough to take all he had to offer. I wondered if I was unconsciously clenched down to prevent this obnoxious man from getting all the way in. Either way, the sex was bad and no matter how long I stayed in my post-coital shower, I couldn’t seem to scrub myself clean of it.

Like most gay men, I’ve had my fair share of regrettable sex. But this time seemed different. I didn’t merely go against my lack of attraction. Instead, I sold out to something most of us entirely loath: A big d*ck with a big d*ck. Instead of being honest and telling him his attitude was a turn off, I caved in and gave him a halfassed version of what he wanted. Nothing seemed to be worse than being looked down upon by a narcissist.

The next morning, Brad cooked breakfast while Brian pressured me for a second attempt. Luckily I hated morning sex, making it much easier to shut him down.

The roads cleared a bit and Brad drove me home while Brian jumped online to look for more sex. I felt like a tool and decided that during the next storm, I’d stay home with my cat.

Originally appeared March 18, 2015.

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