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CONTENTS February 15, 2017 vol40 no23
13 09 The importance of 'Safe Spaces' Right Now 10 Bisexuality in history 13 Questions you want to ask a bisexual but should probably google instead
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18 Bisexuality & Domestic Violence 22 Bisexuals on film: A look at iconic Bi movies 24 Bisexual in 2017: A community 26 paves focuses on the b in LGBT & fights for inclusion
32 Denver gay men's chorus celebrate 35 years of 'building community through song'
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Serving the LGBT Community of the Rocky Mountains since 1976 Phone 303-477-4000 • Fax 303-325-2642 Web OutFrontMagazine.com Facebook /OutFrontColorado Twitter @OutFrontCO Instagram /OutFrontColorado FOUNDER Phil Price 1954-1993 ADMINISTRATION info@outfrontonline.com Jerry Cunningham Publisher J.C. McDonald Vice President MaGGIE Phillips Operations Manager Jeff Jackson Swaim Chief Strategist EDITORIAL editorial@outfrontonline.com Ryan Howe Editor Sarah Farbman Copy Editor Brent heinze Senior Columnist arianna j. balderrama Editorial Intern Jeremiah ntepp Editorial Intern Contributing Writers JD Davids, Mike Halterman, Rick Kitzman, Nathaniel Lacrue, Brett Longhi, Denny Patterson, Randy Robinson, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Gregory Wheeler, Mike Yost, ART art@outfrontonline.com Alysa Barth Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING artists Charles Broshous, Lisa Force MARKETING + SALES marketing@outfrontonline.com DUSTIN KRIER Director of Sales & Marketing TOPHER LA FLEUR Marketing Executive Trevor Hoyt Marketing Executive National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 | sales@rivendellmedia.com DISTRIBUTION
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The Trumpdate:
A look at trump's first 40 days in office Joseph Soto The Trump Administration, at 40 days old, has provided fodder for everyone from policy wonks and legislators to social commentators on late-night TV. I am, indeed, a human, and have personal beliefs about the Trump Administration, but read on for an unbiased, factually sourced review of the Trump Administration’s most significant executive actions, cabinet and agency moves, and action or inaction on various legislative proposals.
Protection for LGBT Workers?
Late in January, The New York Times published that Donald Trump had decided to not touch President Obama’s 2014 Executive Order 13672, which recognized protections for queer workers on federal contracts. This means employees working to manage $500 billion in projects across the world are going to continue being protected from discrimination in the workplace. This maintains the status quo created by President Obama’s 2014 order. What the American people don’t have any guidance on is what plans Donald Trump may have for amending the order to include exemptions for faith-based organizations from the anti-discrimination order. Teen Vogue reported in a widely proliferated December 30th piece that Donald Trump “supported the First Amendment Defense Act,” a legislative proposal out of the Senate that would allow businesses and services to refuse service to queer customers, which would essentially leave many in the precarious situation of being protected in the workplace but not in the marketplace. Queer consumers as well as queer businesses that could be obstructed from equally accessing good and services.
Bathroom Access for Trans Students
On February 21, The Hill reported that Donald Trump’s administration has approved a policy plan for the Justice and Education Departments to send guidance to public schools rescinding a previous order from President Obama’s Administration that instructed schools to allow students to use facilities that correspond to their gender identity. This will likely have little bearing in communities across the country and in states like Colorado that ban discrimination in public accommodations based on gender identity. However, in the many states without explicit statute on the issue — ranging in size and region from Texas to New York. There is significant risk that trans students in a number of states will be left without any recourse outside of the court system. What this means is that the Equal Protections Clause to the 14th Amendment would theoretically protect trans students’ access to bathrooms that fit their gender identity, but until a case is brought to the Supreme Court and accepted, trans students could be left without access to safe bathroom and locker facilities. 6 \\ M a r c h 1 , 2 0 1 7
LGBTI-Friendly Foreign Policy
Foreign Policy published on February 13th that Donald Trump had decided to maintain the position of Special Envoy for the Human Rights of queer persons at the State Department. The position, created by President Obama’s Administration in 2015, is currently held by Randy Berry, and serves as the administration’s chief queer rights advocate around the world. This is good news on its face. Yet, Rex Tillerson refused to answer whether gay rights were human rights, a fundamental assumption in the previous administration. If you support queer equality around the globe, it shouldn’t be especially heartening to think that one subordinate position, however meaningful and however qualified and effective the person holding it is, would be able to make much difference in a State Department whose secretary may have different foreign policy priorities. It is fair to assume Mr. Berry supports the Global Equality Fund at the State Department, but will it continue to support the fund? That’s a question supporters are starting to ask. Additionally, Donald Trump has yet to use the power of the office to curb the rapid growth of homophobia in Russia, a product of culture but also of political socialization at the hands of Vladimir Putin. Russia’s 2013 legislation banning gay propaganda has led to increased violence and hate crimes in Russia, and has created a warm, fertile environment for homophobia to grow in sometimes tolerant Eastern European countries like Latvia, Ukraine, and Georgia.
Gay Refugees in Donald Trump’s America
The issue of Donald Trump’s January 27th executive order that halted refugee settlement for 120 days and banned Syrian refugees indefinitely has been litigated on television and in protests in cities across the nation. But one aspect of his newly flexed immigration policy that we don’t talk enough about is how this could impact gay refugees and asylum seekers. In a harrowing Buzzfeed post from January 26th, numerous anecdotes work to paint an overall picture of desperation and fear that refugees fleeing their countries for life in the United States have. If Donald Trump’s revised executive order is crafted with more care and education than the first, the number of refugees and other immigrants into the United States will continue to slow to a drip. Statistically, it would not seem hyperbolic to suggest that LGBTQ people seeking refugee status and asylum will continue to be negatively impacted by these kinds of policies that give them fewer options to leave life-threatening situations.
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The Importance of Right Now Dani Pinkus
In a frightening political moment, it seems only normal that individuals crave the occupancy of safe spaces. Yes, try to be conscious of others. Yes, be open-minded to differing voices. Yes, pay attention to the world outside your (liberal) bubble. Yes, listen, and yes, educate. But please take time to care for yourself. The search and aim to create safe spaces has grown an extra importance lately. Not because craving this space is anything new for many, but because a variety of people suddenly feel threatened where they once believed they were surrounded by like-minded individuals. As the traffic light strikes a hard green arrow to really speak our minds, the anti-this and pro-that have reemerged. Amongst friends, at the family dinner table, in the classroom, at the office … hateful conditions have been validated by the highest power, and individuals suffer the consequences each and every day. The old “safe space” feels like a distant illusion. At the Women’s March in Denver last month, a queer couple held signs that read: “girls love girls and basic human rights” and “love is love, black lives matter, climate change is real, and immigrants make America great.” As others passed them and joined in celebrating their sentiments, the two handed out stickers that read “safe space,” and thanked them for sharing in theirs.
"At a university level, I'd hope the idea of 'safe spaces' is both unsurprising and commonplace, but maybe it's not," Gil Asakawa, Manager of Student Media at the University of Colorado's College of Media, Communication and Information, said. "I think of safety not as just a specialized 'lounge' area, but a concept of social interactions that can be anywhere on campus — the classroom, cafeteria, dorms, open spaces — where people can be their authentic selves without fear or self-consciousness. If we can achieve this personal freedom, we'll know the world is a safer place." It’s an important sentiment, but how do you protect yourself when it is impossible to predict how one might behave? Emma Presley, a Women and Gender Studies and Political Science student at the University of Colorado at Boulder, believes that brave spaces might be easier to attain than safe spaces. “Discussing issues queer communities face, like violence against trans women of color or LGBT youth homelessness, is inherently unsafe,” Emma said. “I think it's important that when we talk about ticketing social justice issues, we emphasize bravery rather than safety.” Perhaps this bravery is something that must be practiced on an individual level as we go out into the world and endure moments of love and hate that can easily sway our emotions. And when we’re home, there is no doubt that even in our private spheres we can be influenced, interested, and offended.
But what really is a “safe space,” and how can that be contained? Is it the promise to recognize all people for every part of their being, or to protect against the language that might suggest otherwise?
We are living in an undoubtedly media driven society. While engaging in productive conversation is essential in divided communities and a heavily divided nation, not all of these conversations are meant for the Internet’s abyss.
“A safe space accepts every possible student that can walk into your room,” Erin Guertin, a student teacher at Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado, said. “Whatever your race is, whatever your sexuality is, whatever your religion is, whatever your whatever is, you are safe in this classroom because you are my student.”
There is plenty to learn from healthy discourse, even if that means participating online. But, without treating it like a hunt, you are entitled to the safety of your social media pages. There are very few spaces one can actively edit.
Erin emphasized the responsibility of the teacher to instill a feeling of safety for her students, while the couple at the rally defined their own safe space through resistance and conversation.
Do not turn a blind eye, but be sure to pay attention to the space you might need away from the madness that harms your race, your gender, your sexual orientation, and your perfect, individual self.
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Bisexuality in Joseph Soto
Though many of us tend to forget the B in LGBT today, and we have prescribed a certain negative perception to those who are attracted to multiple genders, bisexual people have been living incredible lives for as long as the rest of us have.
Their stories are rooted in the same oppression all queer people face, but they’re rooted in a second oppression — the silence they have lived under within our own community. The book Ancient Greece confirms that the ancient greek religion didn't dictate sexual behavior, the non-heterosexual relations were common, and that it was acceptable for men to have extra-marital sex. In that detachment of sex from marriage, some Greek men engaged in sex and even meaningful relationships with other men. Ancient Greece confirms that it was normal for an older married man to court a young boy. It wasn’t a “courageous” act for an older man to love — emotionally or physically — a younger man, and it certainly wasn’t rare. In mythology, Achilles and Patroclus were likely intimate, which wasn’t recorded as being odd. They still had wives. The emperor Hadrian built an entire city for Antinous, his lover who died on the battlefield. He still had a wife. Zeus even had a male lover, Ganymede. Zues also had a wife. History Today even states that Alexander the Great was known to have loved at least two men among the many he potentially had sex with, including his beloved childhood friend, Hephaestion. You guessed it, he had a wife. Outside of Europe, bisexuality was seen around the world, including in Japan and the Americas, according to the New World Encyclopedia. The LGBT bigotry we now see being played out in countries around the globe wasn’t always there, and bisexuality was a normal part of life in pre-colonization. In Japan, one example of what we would now call bisexuality was shudo, which was practiced by many samurai. Many young men were trained by older males in the culture and strategy of being a samurai, and the two would generally become lovers. According to Bustle, shudo was supposed to create a bond of friendship, and the sexual relationship generally lasted until the young man was ready for marriage. Across Asia, this also took place in Buddhist monasteries. In the Americas, many Native American cultures revered “two-spirit” people, whom we now conceptualize as being either androgynous or transgender. In history, though, twospirit people were sometimes “androgynous males” who were married to masculine men or had sex with men, or “masculine females” who had feminine women as wives, according to The Guardian.
What early history tells us about bisexuality and sexual liberalism in general is that it was a normal part of life throughout much of antiquity. Obviously, moralists and the codifying of evangelical Christianity, imperialism, and industry changed this, but bisexuality continued to exist. I say exist and not thrive because we know bisexual individuals were marginalized in history much like gay and lesbian people were. England passed The Buggery Act in 1553, which eventually grew to lump bestiality with anal penetration and banned them both. Thomas Jefferson proposed a “liberal” law in 1779 threatening castration for any man guilty of sodomy. Homosexuality, and largely bisexuality with it, was considered a disorder until 1973. There was a tragically strong history of discrimination against conduct that wasn’t strictly heterosexual, but bisexuality continued to gain legitimacy and national understanding from Freud’s discussion of bisexuality as universal and innate, Dr. Kinsey’s scale of sexuality, and the “gender-bending” sexual revolution that came about after the Stonewall riots launched the modern gay rights movement in 1969.
Sadly, we don’t know about bisexuality to its fullest extent due to poor record keeping, but we do know one thing. In the long line of recorded human history, bisexuality has continued to exist, evolve, and resist unrelenting cultural and social pressures, a legacy that many can learn from.
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SAY YOU READ IT IN
But Should Probably Google Instead Riya Foxter
I wanted to begin this article with something generic like, ‘It’s 2017 and people are still asking me to choose between men and women. Get with the times!’ But, it’s 2017 and fascism is making a comeback, so dispelling myths about queer sexualities is still a necessity.
Do You Like Men Or Women More? It’s like asking the color grey whether it’s more white or black. This is a silly question with a very simple answer. Bisexuals are attracted to both sexes equally, hence the term bisexual. In my experience, being attracted to both masculinity and femininity has made me pay less attention to the sex of a person, since it’s not a deciding factor for me. It’s also difficult to say whether I like men or women more because there are huge differences between individuals of both sexes. Beyond biological differences, gender has been getting a major make-over since the rise of queer rights, and feminine men and masculine women are increasing in frequency. Like most people, bisexuals are only attracted to a handful of people throughout their life, so it’s difficult to make sweeping generalizations about one’s preference based on such a relatively tiny sample. Attraction goes well beyond physical appearance and includes everything from pheromones to political views. And since attraction is not centered around gender, asking a bisexual what gender they prefer tries to reduce something as complicated as attraction to a fraction of what it actually is. Got it?
Are You Sure You’re Not Just Gay? Bisexual men usually get asked this more than bisexual women. It’s not uncommon for gay men to first come out as bisexual because they want to test the homophobic climate of their immediate surroundings before completely surrendering to them. However, it’s not your place to cross examine someone’s sexuality. Unsurprisingly, the skepticism towards bisexual males is rooted in homophobia. For example, if a man is attracted to both women and men, and can contine sleeping exclusively with women withouth jeopardizing the safe confines of heterosexuality, then why would he decide to act on his desire towards men? If he is willing to publicly state his desire for men, it must be because he’s not attracted to women at all and is just too afraid to come out as gay. Don’t let this thinking confuse you. It’s biphobic nonsense we’ve all come to know and hate.
Are You Sure You’re Not Just Straight? Bisexual women are the usual targets of this gem. The underlying belief behind this question is that women hook up with other women for men’s pleasure. Or that a woman is simply biding her time with another woman until the right man will come along and swoop her away from the lecherous arms of homosexuality. Or that it’s only a phase. Or really anything else that will keep the terrifying fact of bisexuality at bay. But bisexuals remain real, and the only side I will ever pick is mashed potatoes at Popeyes.
Do You Think You Can Ever Be Happy Dating Just One Person? I don’t think I can ever be happy, but that’s neither here nor there. This question, however, is as relevant to heterosexuals and homosexuals as it is to bisexuals. Marriage in the United States is based on monogamy, and open relationships are still not widely practiced. Having the potential to be attracted to more people doesn’t necessarily mean that you will realize that potential. The answer to this question is dependent on a person’s capacity for monogamy rather than on their sexuality.
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female Puberty & Bi Erasure Addison Herron-Wheeler
It is not surprising that this truth is so hard to realize for women. When almost every aspect of female sexuality is shamed or repressed, it is hard to draw any objective conclusions about sexual desire. Growing up, many women experience feelings of attraction towards other women, but this is often categorized as a “phase” or the type of experimentation that all women do in college.
Sexual identity is already something that many women struggle with early in life. According to TheBody.com, a national survey found that only six percent of women realize that they are gay or bisexual in college and eleven percent know their identity in high school, compared with twenty percent of men who realize this in junior high school, and seventeen percent in grade school. 1 4 \\ M a r c h 1 , 2 0 1 7
Even among more liberal circles, the idea prevails that women are more comfortable with their sexualities and bodies, and therefore may “experiment” even though they are straight. This is also the subject of many dramatic stories, from erotica and porn to coming-of-age tales. What’s worse is that it’s tricky to gauge your sexuality without some of the “red flags” that you hear about from the gay community. Waking up and realizing you just aren’t into men and you’re a cis-gendered female who likes women is pretty cut-and-dry — even if it is hard to accept. But being attracted to both genders just feels confusing, and for some, downright wrong. Then, of course, there is the bi erasure in the media. It is extremely hard to lock down a solid bisexual role model. In Orange is the New Black, Piper’s bisexual tendencies make her a confused slut to her girlfriend just as much as to her boyfriend. Strong female characters like Alice in The L Word go 100 percent gay through their story arches, and write off bisexual behavior as gross and wishy-washy. No wonder so many bisexual teens grow up thinking there is something inherently wrong with their feelings, or deciding that they are just confused. Compound this if the teenage girl in question was born male-bodied and identifies as female, or vice versa, or is unsure about their identity. Being trans can cause people to wrongly identify you as straight or lesbian based on your preferences, and if you do not identify as a gender and are pansexual bisexual, this can mean navigating a lot of new and uncertain waters. Of course, raging hormones and the desire to experiment with or discover one’s sexuality are certainly real things. I’m not saying that there aren’t women out there who just want to test the waters and understand themselves and come to the realization that they are simply gay or straight. But the hard truth is, if you find yourself just about equally attracted to men and women then you are probably bisexual. Bisexual teenage girls get one of the worst raps out there as a herd of promiscuous and confused women, and unfortunately in our current political climate, it is probably only going to get worse. We can help by really listening to women, regardless of if they are young and seemingly naïve. Ending bi erasure, which contributes to the already established hell of female puberty, is a task the queer community should not hesitate to tackle head-on.
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Local Meetup Offers Bisexuals a Sense of Community in Denver Ryan Howe
Sitting around a jumble of tables mashed together in a perfect equal sign, more than a dozen people congregated into small groups and flipped through booklets of board games. A librarian silently pulled out her banana shaped bag of scrabble letters. A programmer stirred his cup of tea while chatting with a retired navy veteran about Cards Against Humanity. A forensic chemist slowly inhaled vapor through a hookah decorated with dragons, while a metallurgist excitedly pointed out board games from his childhood. This loud, eccentric group of people doesn’t have a lot in common except for one thing—they’re all bisexual. For many queers, a local meetup might seem trivial. Denver is a liberal city that is overall accepting to queer people and offers them numerous outlets to congregate with like-minded people in safe spaces. But Denver does not extend that offer to bisexual people and delivers no resources or bars dedicated strictly to bisexuals. The weekly local meetup is the only outlet for bisexual people, and it’s barely a year old.
many different types of people that come to these meetings, and we want to make sure they all have a place at the table. It’s been pretty successful so far.” One of the seats at the table belongs to Christy Headrick—the librarian who brought her own bag of Bananagrams to the Lair of Abraxus. As she battled a few other members, a small bisexual flag hung lifeless in front of her.
“Bisexual people face so much alienation from both the hetero and homo realms that we really make an effort to make whatever space we are in fun for everyone.”
Although the small group barely filled one side of the small hookah lounge, Lair of Abraxus, the overwhelming atmosphere of acceptance and freedom stretched far beyond the mash of tables. Standing directly between the two sets of tables was a petite, blonde woman with oversized, thickrimmed glasses. She smoothly worked the room, jumping in and out of the multiple conversations transpiring around her. Timmy Everles, the co-organizer of Denver Metro Bisexual Social Club, was making sure everyone felt welcomed and comfortable. After all, it was her event. “It’s really important to me that everyone is having a good time and feels included,” Timmy said. “Bisexual people face so much alienation from both the hetero and homo realms that we really make an effort to make whatever space we are in fun for everyone.” Timmy attended her first meetup in April of 2016, just four months after the group formed. She was looking for a community where she could freely express her bisexuality. After seeing what Lisa Brodsky created, she knew it was something she needed to a part of. So she signed on to help promote and grow the group. She started hosting events alongside Lisa and even started creating her own events to pick up the frequency of the meetups. With a change in work schedule, Timmy is now offering a meetup once a week and publishing the details on Facebook and Meetup.com. Timmy is more of a freestyle organizer, throwing up events whenever her schedule allows and hoping for the best outcome. Sometimes five people show up. Sometimes the group suprasses 20. It all depends on the atmosphere and what is planned. “We’re always moving around. Sometimes we go to bars for drinks and music, but sometimes we just all get together somewhere chill and play games,” Timmy said. “There are so
Christy identifies as pansexual, and has trouble in Denver finding a place to fit in. She felt out of place at heterosexual gatherings, but ostracized in queer spaces. The group gave her a place to not worry about the judgements people throw bisexual or pansexual indivguals. “You would think that a group focusing on being bi, that the conversation would revolve around it. That’s just not the case. It’s a space for people to come and let that weight lift of their shoulders. That’s what it did for me,” Christy said.
Christy joined the group in spring of 2016. Because Christy doesn’t drink, she usually steers clear of the meetups at bars but finds it nearly impossible to pass up a game night. The relaxing atmosphere, people, and acceptance are what keeps bringing her back to the group. “The biggest thrill for me is meeting new people,” she said. “It’s rejuvenating to see more and more people showing up to these events and really building this community.” That’s where this all started. Last January, Lisa, the founder, was tired of not having resources for bisexual people. At the time, she had just come out to her husband and was ready to start being open and honest with everyone in her life. So she went to a woman with a doctorate in human sexuality to help her come out to her parents. After she told her that she was bisexual, the doctor told her that “everyone’s bisexual.” She backed up the claim with data saying that most humans, 67 percent, are in the middle of being attracted to men or women. She also told her that bisexuals are really behind in coming out and being a part of the queer community. “We’re way behind,” Lisa elaborated. “I would go these swingers meetups where I thought bisexual people were, but it was very heteronormative and seedy. It’s so closeted and secret. I thought, ‘we need a place where we can just hang out and be ourselves without the undertone of sex.’” So she started one. At first it took time to pick up traction but now the group has more than 300 members. While only a fraction of them have attended meetings, it’s shown Lisa that her community is vast—something she didn’t realize even after hearing the eye-opening statistics. “It’s amazing to see people want to build a community,” Lisa said. “I hope it only continues to grow from here on out. I wouldn’t be opposed to hundreds of people coming over to my house and just having fun. It’s why I started this whole thing. So wherever you are in life —come out!” To get more information on the events and join the community, check out Denver Metro Bisexuals Social Club on Meetup.com. Outf r o n t online . c om
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bisexuality & domestic violence yvonne wright
Three out of five bisexual women experience some type of sexual violence. Nearly half will be raped at least once during their lifetime. The statistics coming from the Centers for Disease Control are staggering. They’re frightening.
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Right now bisexual women are the number one target of domestic violence in the world. The second largest target? Bisexual men. It’s not just strangers attacking them. They are also at the highest risk of being sexually assaulted by a domestic partner. “Research has shown that bisexual women survivors of violence felt that their abusive partners were threatened by their sexuality and used it as a reason for perpetuating violence,” Heron Greenesmith, an attorney at Senior Policy Analyst for the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), said. “Many bisexual women survivors reported going ‘back into the closet’ as a survival mechanism.” MAP is an independent think tank that focuses on queer issues. Their research shows most people within the queer community identify as bisexual – 52 percent. If bisexuals are the majority, why are they also the most vulnerable? Several studies indicate they’re targeted by both sides: straight people and people within their own community. Between a Gay and a Straight Place: Bisexual Individuals’ Experiences with Monosexism, a study conducted by professors from the Universities of Massachusetts and Madison-Wisconsin found bisexuals report experiencing an alarming amount of biphobia from gays and lesbians. It states, “bisexual individuals reported significantly more discrimination from the heterosexual community in comparison to the gay or lesbian community”. This may be because perpetrators can’t identify with being attracted to more than one gender. Lola Davidson is a queer blogger who asked her bisexual readers to share their stories. She found the results disturbing.
and physically abused,” she said. The attackers were both homosexual and heterosexual. “The interesting thing is that almost all these survivors said they felt that people in their lives would have been okay with their orientation if they were either gay or straight, but they weren’t okay with them being bisexual because they needed to ‘pick a side’.” The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey provides some of the most significant data to date regarding sexual violence. Their largest finding: bisexuals experience the highest level of abuse in virtually all types of sexual violence. Among rape victims, bisexual women experience rape earlier in life — usually between the ages of 11 and 24. Of those women raped, nearly half were raped between the ages of 11 and 17. The rate of stalking bisexual women is more than double that of heterosexual women. One in three to be exact. “We know that bisexual people face isolation and a lack of community and family support,” Greenesmith said. “These factors may combine to leave bisexual people at much higher risk for domestic violence.” In order to combat the high levels of violence she said, “communities, schools, agencies, and organizations need to provide bisexualspecific prevention and recovery services.” The CDC agrees. They recommend more resources for sexual violence victims within the queer community. Right now they are seriously lacking. There are also calls for more education among healthcare professionals. Perhaps most importantly, people need to be more educated about bisexuality and remove the stigmas attached. Going back “into the closet” to avoid abuse is not the answer for our community’s largest group.
“They’ve been beaten, punched, had bricks thrown at them, disowned, stalked, raped, harassed, and mentally
BISEXUAL PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HIGH RATES OF INTIMATE PARTER VIOLENCE* % of respondents experiencing intimate partner violence, by sexual orientation
61%
BISEXUAL
44%
LESBIAN
WOMEN
35%
37%
HETERO
BISEXUAL
26%
GAY
29%
HETERO
MEN
*SOURCE: MIKEL L. WALTERS, KIERU CJEN, AND MATTHEW J. BREIDING, “THE NATIONAL INTIMATE PARTNER AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVEY: 2010 FINDINGS ON VICTIMIZATION BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION” (ATLANTA, GA: NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, JANUARY 2013), HTTP://WWW.CDC.GOV/VIOLENCEPREVENTION/PDF/NISVS SOFINDINGS.PDF.
Outf r o n t online . c om
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A Look at Iconic Bi Movies David-Elijah Nahmod
True Blood star Anna Paquin puts the B in LGBT. The 1993 Oscar winner for her role in The Piano has been openly bisexual for years. A few years back, two other Oscar winners, Cate Blanchett and Tatum O'Neal, came out as bisexual. Other proud Bs include Broadway star Alan Cumming, film director Bryan Singer, and musical icon Lady Gaga. In their honor, OUT FRONT is taking a look back at several of the better known portrayals of bisexuality on the screen. too-bright young man from a small, dusty town in Texas. He takes a bus up to New York city convinced that he'll make a fortune by selling his body to wealthy women. In one unforgettable sequence, he attempts to hustle a hard-boiled, past-herprime call girl (Sylvia Miles). She turns the tables and hustles him.
Midnight Cowboy (1969) Director: John Schlesinger 113 minutes Midnight Cowboy made history during the 1970 Oscar telecast when it snatched the top prize: Best Picture. To date, Midnight Cowboy is the only X rated film to receive the coveted statue. Considered shocking back in the day, this intense, relentlessly grim drama has since been rerated R. Midnight Cowboy was a courageous film which dared to shine a light on many taboo subjects: male prostitution, homosexuality, homelessness, and the blighted decay that was then plaguing New York City. It's a film that pulls no punches. Over the years, some critics have derided Midnight Cowboy for its unflattering portrayal of its gay and bisexual characters. Director John Schlesinger, himself openly gay throughout his life, stated that he was, "against political correctness and the self-censorship it encourages". Schlesinger, who died in 2003 at age 77, featured gay and bisexual characters in a number of his films. Jon Voight (Angelina Jolie's dad) heads the cast of Midnight Cowboy as Joe Buck, a handsome but none-
In a particularly daring scene for 1969, a desperate-for-money Joe allows a young man (Bob Balaban) to perform oral sex on him in a movie theater. The high schooler turns out to be broke. Joe is soon locked out of his hotel room. Wondering what to do next, he enters into an unlikely friendship with Ratzo (Dustin Hoffman), a partially disabled, third-rate con man who lives in an abandoned building. The two men have no one but each other. Together they pickpocket, steal food, and try to obtain clients for Joe. As Joe and Ratso struggle to pull themselves out of poverty and despair, Midnight Cowboy becomes an unexpected love story. Some viewers might take offense to dialogue in which Joe and Ratso assure each other that they're "not fags." But it becomes obvious that these lonely, down on their luck losers have fallen deeply in love with each other. It remains platonic and unspoken, but it's as real a love as any other. Voight and Hoffman play this love entirely with their eyes — this is screen acting at its finest. In 1994, Midnight Cowboy was deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the Library of Congress and selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
Sunday, Bloody Sunday (1971) Director: John Schlesinger 110 minutes
Schlesinger followed his Oscar winner with the more genteel but equally daring Sunday Bloody Sunday. In some ways, Sunday was even more groundbreaking than Midnight Cowboy — the queerness of the second film's characters was blatantly placed at the film's core. Sunday Bloody Sunday may have been the first major film to show two men kissing on the lips, both in and out of bed. Dame Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch star as Alex and Daniel, two upper class Londoners in love with Bob (Murray Head), a handsome young artist. Bob loves them both and moves between them with ease. Though Alex and Daniel would each prefer to have an exclusive, monogamous relationship with Bob, they accept the situation as is. Sunday Bloody Sunday is a fascinating and superbly acted character study of three very passionate, sensual people who know what they want and aren't afraid to express it. Like many of the director's films, Sunday Bloody Sunday stunned audiences with its frankness. What makes the film so satisfying is its depictions of Bob and Daniel. For the first time (that we know of), a major studio release showed a gay and a bisexual character who were comfortable with who they were. Bob and Daniel were successfully upscale, happy, and had no desire to live a traditionally heterosexual life. Ironically, it was Alex, the straight female character, who comes across as frustrated and unsure of herself. For queer viewers, Bob and Daniel’s relationship was a long time coming. Outf r o n t online . c om
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Score (1972)
Director: Radley Metzger 92 minutes
Throughout the 1960s and '70s, Radley Metzger achieved fame and fortune for his x-rated, soft-focus, soft-core erotic dramas. Often shot on location in Europe, Metzger productions like The Lickerish Quartet (1970) and Therese and Isabelle (1968) titillated adult moviegoers with their tales of free spirits who shed their clothes with abandon. Though somewhat graphic, Metzger's films shied away from actual hardcore footage. Until Score. Originally released in both hard and softcore versions, Score is a delightfully silly drawing room comedy about Elvira and Jack (Claire Wilbur, Gerald Grant) a swinging bisexual couple determined to "score" with Betsy and Eddie (Lynn Lowry, Cal Culver), a pair of naive newlyweds. Eddie is an obvious closet case. Shot in a small, picturesque village in the former country of Yugoslavia, the dialogue-heavy film is not your typical x-rated fare. Originally an off-Broadway play co-starring a then unknown Sylvester Stallone (the only member of the stage cast to appear in the film), Score sports some clever dialogue about spouse-swapping and sexual identities. Though none were great actors, the cast is bubbly and sexy. Wilbur and Lowry were mainstream actors, while Grant and Culver were best known for their work in gay porn. Both men were casualties of the AIDS crisis. Metzger's films have always been marketed to straight audiences. Score therefore attracted attention when it was marketed to a mixed viewership, opening in mainstream theaters with an X-rating. It received some positive reviews in spite of a single, stand-alone hardcore sequence between Culver and Grant. By contrast, the sex scene between Wilbur and Lowry is decidedly R-rated. For many years, Score was available in a heavily edited version in which the brief hardcore footage was deleted. In 2011 it was released on DVD, complete and uncut. The current disc, which remains available on Amazon, includes a recently shot interview with the now 60ish Lowry, who followed Score with a lengthy run on daytime soap operas. She still works steadily in direct-to-DVD horror movies. Lowry recalls her crush on the openly gay Culver and says that she was "shocked" when she went to see the film and saw the two men actually having sex with each other. She probably wasn't the only one in those more 2 2 \\ M a r c h 1 , 2 0 1 7
Cabaret (1972) Director: Bob Fosse 124 minutes Fosse's Oscar winning film is a masterpiece. Based on the writings of openly gay author Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret is set in 1931 Berlin. The Weimar Era, that brief period between the World Wars when artistic and sexual freedom flourished in the German city, was ending. The dark cloud of the Nazis loomed on the horizon. Liza Minnelli won a well-deserved Best Actress award for her bravura performance as Sally Bowles, a part time prostitute and a part time chorus girl at the decadent Kit Kat Klub. She enters into a fast friendship with Brian (Michael York), her quiet gay neighbor. Sally tries to seduce Brian to no avail. As the glitz and glamor she adores begins to crumble around her, Sally makes another friend: the wealthy Max (Helmut Griem). At a delightfully decadent weekend in the country, it becomes obvious that Max intends to seduce both Sally and Brian. Cabaret is not a traditional musical — characters do not burst into song in the middle of scenes. The glitzy, highly stylized musical numbers are, with one exception, set on stage at the Kit Kat Klub. These songs are meant to metaphorically represent the turmoil going on just outside of the club's doors. The one number set outside the club is a chilling sequence in which a member of Hitler's Youth, his swastika armband in full view, stands in a park and sings a ballad entitled Tomorrow Belongs To Me. Dozens of people stand up and join him in song. It's a disturbing look at the seduction of a nation by a madman.
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Bisexual in 2017: Joseph Soto
What we do know about the bisexual community is that it exists, and that it’s complex. The bisexual community is growing and it’s not stopping, one potential benefit of a larger civil rights struggle that has aimed to protect the right to marry and be covered by hate crimes legislation. Advocate reported in 2015 that 16 percent of American adults “say that they fall somewhere in between” being heterosexual and homosexual, and even 12 percent of those Americans who publicly identify as heterosexual “have had a sexual experience with someone of the same sex.” Young people are even farther apart from this data, with 31 percent of Americans under 30 saying they are not 100 percent heterosexual.
LG TQ
Bisexual is not a word we hear very often. When we do hear the four syllable word muttered through the teeth, there is a negative connotation that floats out with it. It’s not a word that has gained the respect and admiration that the words “gay” and “lesbian” have. For those that freely speak the word surrounded by love and understanding, there is a bit of resentment latched on. Resentment for the G and L in LGBTQ who have seemingly forgotten about the remaining letters that make up our queer community. We don’t often think about bisexuals and transgender people in our discussion of equality overall, which should sadden us all.
You may have read the statistical information in the last paragraph and thought, “Well, Joseph, hold on. You can have sexual relationships with people of multiple genders and still not be bisexual.” I agree, and that’s the sticky situation social commentators like myself and researchers find ourselves in. As sexuality becomes more fluid within our society, and as some choose to hold on to their identity while engaging in sexual and romantic relationships that might not traditionally match their sexuality, trying to separate people who may have sexual partners of different genders from people who identify as bisexual is difficult. I get it. However you choose to slice and interpret that data, bisexuality is not a fad like those jerks in school used to say. Whether social conservatives like it or not, and whether we as community organizers plan a space for them at the table or not, the bisexual community is growing and becoming more and more a recognizable face in the American story. Data shows us that while bisexual people tend to have different life experiences than gays, lesbians, and trans folks, they still face many of the same life prejudices and social penalties. For instance, Pew Research reported that 20 percent of bisexuals say their sexual identity is extremely or very important to their overall identity, and that “relatively few bisexuals report that they have experienced discrimination because of their sexual orientation.” Yet, Pew also reported bisexuals still affirm their sexuality and first come out at roughly the same age as gays and lesbians do — between 17 and 20. If you’re not someone who enjoys statistics or overviews, read this next sentence and hopefully you’ll get the jist of this article. The bisexual community is growing and is continuing to make its own place under the queer banner.
“i am the line. on both sides there are songs in my name. -bi” -Nayyirah Waheed
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PAVES Focuses on the B in LGBT & Ryan Howe & Arianna Balderrama PAVES, a local nonprofit focusing on bisexual people, arose from a frustration in the status quo. The mission? Ensure that bi and polysexual individuals know they are not forgotten and are never alone. We chatted with President Codi Coday about the non-profit and why it’s necessary. Check it out.
Let’s start with the basics. What is the inspiration behind PAVES? Basically, the first Pride I went to was three years ago in Denver, and it had no bisexual representation, which was really discouraging. So the next year, I got a group together, made a float, and marched in the parade. It kinda evolved from there. We created a board of directors and got our nonprofit started. We have quite a few different things going on. If you break down our name, which stands for Polysexual Alliance for Visibility Education and Support, you’ll get an idea of what we want. For visibility, we try to make bisexuals more visible at Pride and around Denver in general. We’re hosting a number of fundraisers that will also bring awareness and visibility to the organization and to bi people. As far as education, we have Bi-101, which is teaching people that bisexuality is very real and trying rid our community of harmful misconceptions. In March, Bisexual Health Awareness Month, we’re trying to do two different programs: one for health professionals to talk about issues that are specific to bisexuals. The second is we’re trying to work with a domestic abuse organization to create a presentation and support group for bi people who face abuse. Lastly, we are forming and promoting a social network so people know they’re not alone. We’re also hoping to create a mentoring program for young bisexuals or people who are questioning. Just partner them with someone who is openly bisexual and has been through problems that arise related to that.
What are some of the problems that arise for bisexual people?
Are you seeing any type of social issues arise within the queer community? According to the Williams Institute, in 2011, bisexuals made fifty-two percent of the LGBT community. But twenty to thirty percent of us don’t go to those events because we don’t feel welcomed. That’s what PAVES is trying to change. We’re creating a bisexual community independent from the LGBT community but also trying to change the LGBT community so that bisexuals feel more welcome and that it’s also their community.
You talked about educating people on misconceptions. Can you elaborate more on those programs? Right now we’re planning a Bi-101. We’ll basically rent out a space and give a presentation on our community and the statistics I’ve talked about. We’re hoping that bisexual, straight, and LGBT community will come to that. I’ve already talked at a gay-straight alliance conference and taught the youth about those misconceptions.
You mentioned a support and buddy system. How are you going to implement that? Our plan is to have an event first for the mentors and talk to them about what to do with the mentees, like what conversations are appropriate and different resources that they can give to their mentees. We’re going to partner them up, meet at a coffee shop and show those bisexual youth that they have someone to talk to. Not necessarily that they have to talk all the time, just if they’re having a crisis they have resources who have at least been through something similar.
Overall, there’s a really big problem with people being able to come out without problems. There’s a problem with an increase in domestic violence for both women and men who are bisexual, and also an increased risk of rape. There’s actually a bisexual wage gap.
When you came out as bisexual, what resources did you find in Denver?
Bisexual women make sevent to twenty-eight percent less than straight women, and bisexual men make eleven to nineteen percent less than straight men, according to the American Sociological Association.
Absolutely nothing. It’s a problem. We’re trying to talk to The Center, but really right now they don’t have much at all on bisexuals. When you search bisexual on The Center’s website, it comes up with no results. And for the majority of the community it's kind of strange and sort of messed up.
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Why do you think that is? A big part of it is that LGBT community is kind of stand-offish to bisexuals. They feel like we don’t fit it and they don’t really make many efforts to have us fit in. I think that’s mostly to do with the misconceptions people have about the sexuality.
Life in Plastic
What inspired you to start PAVES? I had a really bad time realizing I was bisexual and coming out. I lost friends, was broken up with, and lost the majority of my close family members and we still don’t talk anymore. I actually lost housing too for a while. I’ve also been through the domestic abuse and the sexual violence that I was speaking about earlier. So it was something I was really passionate about because I don’t want other people to go through the same thing. If we could make things a little bit better for them, that would be fantastic.
How can the queer community contribute to PAVES? Come to events, learn about bisexuality, try to work towards the more inclusive community. We have a Get Involved tab on our website that is a great place to start.
For more information visit PavesNonprofit.com.
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March is here! The 2017 social calendar in the Centennial State continues with lots of fun productions, including some LGBT faves! If there’s a show you’d like for me to profile, you can email me directly at calendar@ outfrontmagazine.com.
Mar 03
First Friday - 15 year anniversary The 15th anniversary of Tracks' Ladies Night hosted by Babes Around Denver is sure to be the biggest party all month! With three rooms and three DJs, go-go dancing by The Wicked Little Girls, and Tracks’ signature concert quality sound system, there’s something for everyone. All are welcome! Doors open at 6pm. Cover is only $5 from 6-9pm and $7 from 9pm to close. Cash only at the door.
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2017 Soco Ball: A Night in the Roarin' 20s Get your flapper dress ready for a trip back to the 1920s. Special Olympics Colorado’s Soco Ball: A Night in the Roarin' 20s brings tons of 1920's themed entertainment to life. Including the Roaring Gatsby Orchestra, a mugshot photo booth, casino games, auctions, dinner, and a cash bar! Funds go to year-round sports training and competition opportunities for Special Olympics Colorado athletes in the greater Denver region. Tickets are $75 per individual, or $750 for a table of 10.
Sandra Monica Blvd: Coast to Coast
Mar 25
Actress/singer/comedienne Sandra Bernhard is now in the second year hosting her own hugely popular daily show, Sandyland, on SiriusXM Radio’s Radio Andy channel (102) headed up by Andy Cohen. She's bringing her unique brand of humor to Breckenridge with her all new show as part of Breck Pride which is March 22-26, 2017. For more information visit breckcreate.org/event/sandra-bernhard/
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Day of Dorks Wynkoop Brewing Company is going Nerd! They’ll team up with over 30 breweries to bring you the geekiest craft brews in all of Colorado. A collection of school supplies will be donated to benefit local area schools so bring your pencils and notebooks. A ticket gets a commemorative Day of Dorks glass for unlimited beer pours and snacks. Tickets are $45 for one or $80 for two and are going fast.
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Denver Gay Men’s Chorus Celebrate 35 years of
‘
’
Trevor Hoyt Nolan Oltjenbruns has been a baritone in the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus since its creation in 1982. For 35years he has stood in rank and belted out the lyrics to songs stretching across all genres at more than 100 concerts. He is what the chorus calls “A Legacy.”
Although titled a “Gay Men’s Chorus” the DGMC is a place that people are accepted and loved, no matter their orientation.
When the gay choral movement started, the community was just coming to terms with the AIDS epidemic, which mainstream society refused to acknowledge for years. The community needed hope. They needed a way to see beyond the struggle that was the reality of numerous friends, exes, and lovers sitting on the stoop of death’s door. Nolan was among the men who decided to join a new program that provided hope in a loud, fun way — creating community through music.
“The chorus is an invitation. It's an invitation to individuals to perform, volunteer, and be part of our small community as it impacts the larger community of Denver,” member Alex DeFazio said. “The chorus is an invitation to engage with us, hear us sing, and grow stronger with us.”
“Back in the early years, we had our own community support that was very strong. At the same time, we had picketers. Nobody thinks about people protesting a choir now, but even into the early '90s, that was an occasional issue,” Nolan said. “To me, it’s a mark of how far we’ve progressed.”
Join the men of the Denver Gay Men's Chorus as they perform at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House — Heartthrobs: The Evolution of the Boy Band! From bands like The Beatles and Four Seasons, to *NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, and Boyz II Men, this show has it all! March 10 & 11 at 7:30 PM. Tickets at rmarts.org/tickets
Despite the protests, the brave men continued to sing. At first, it was a private event that was only open to a restricted public. The first public show was in Aladdin’s Theater at the intersection of Colfax Avenue and Race Street — a Walgreen’s now resides at the intersection. “If you’ve ever stood at the prescription counter then you’ve stood on the stage where we first sang for the public,” Legacy Don McCaster said. “And you know, when the curtain went up, the audience gave us a standing ovation before we sang one note. It was because of what we were and who we were.” The DGMC continues to offer a way for gay men to gather the community and lift their voices in song. There is something ethereal in the room when they sing. The 100-man choir meets every Sunday for practice and continually pushes each other to hit those extra notes while forming friendships that stretch longer than the rehearsals.
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To many, the chorus provides a sense of community that is akin to a weekly church gathering. Men arrive early to get their seat and warmly greet fellow chorus members with hugs and genuine smiles. Voices trill and slide up and down pitches, warming up for the three-hour rehearsal. “The chorus encompasses the power to inspire, to invoke change, to calm those who are fearful,” member Lars Dean said. “We have the power to energize those who feel weak and to fight for those who feel they don’t have a voice. It is the power of influence that gives DGMC purpose. This chorus is a part of a movement — a movement to spread love through the stories of the individuals who raise their voices in song, and to give and share encouragement with those around them.”
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255 South Broadway St, Denver (303) 733-1156 lildevilslounge.com
1526 E. Colfax Ave, Denver (303) 484-8548 blushblubar.com
BOYZTOW N 117 Broadway St, Denver (303) 722-7373 boyztowndenver.com
CHARLIE 'S ® Ni g htc lu b 900 E. Colfax Ave, Denver (303) 839-8890 charliesdenver.com DAILY SPECIALS All Day $3 domestic mini-pitchers (32oz.) // 11a–7p $3 wells // $3 domestics // $4 u-calls Thursdays 2-4-1 drinks 7pm–CL FRIDAYS Neon Party Saturdays Shirts Off-Half Off!
LIPST ICK NIGHTCLUB 5660 W Colfax Ave, Denver (720) 669-3470
T RACKS 3500 Walnut St, Denver (303) 863-7326 tracksdenver.com SUPERSTAR THURSDAYS 18+ dance party // Cover: 18–20 $10, 21+ $5 after 10p ELEVATED SATURDAYS 2-for-1 drinks 9–10p No cover before 10p BABES AROUND DENVER FIRST FRIDAYS Largest monthly women’s party in the US! Doors open at 6p // 21+ DRAG NATION LAST FRIDAYS The nation’s best drag show with the hottest celebrity drag queens!
SUNDAYs 3-4-1 drinks 4–8p Kai Lee’s KiKi at 9p
TRAD E
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Thursday Skivvy Stripdown
3430 N. Academy Blvd, Colo. Springs (719) 570-1429 clubqonline.com
CRAVE 1891 14 St #110, Denver (303) 586-4199 cravedenver.com th
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W RANGLER 3090 Downing St, Denver (303) 837-1075 denverwrangler.com
LANNIE’S
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629 E. Colfax Ave, Denver (303) 832-2687 xbardenver.com
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11TH AVE. BARRICUDA’S OGDEN ST.
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1ST AVE. LI’L DEVILS
CLARKSON ST.
6TH AVE. TRADE
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16th St. Mall @ Arapahoe, Denver (303) 293-0075 lannies.com
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Sunday Funday $1 Bud/Bud Light // 7–11p
SANTA FE DR. KALAMATH ST.
1336 E 17th Ave, Denver (303) 993-5812 hamburgermarys.com/denver
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TRACKS
Saturday Beer Bust $8 Bottomless Beers // 3:30–7:30p
COLORADO BLVD.
145 Broadway, Denver (303) 722-7977 compounddenver.com
475 Santa Fe Dr, Denver
BROADWAY
COMPOU N D BASIX
475 Santa Fe Dr, Denver (720) 627-5905
Also don’t miss Thursday Skivvy Stripdown & Sunday Funday 7pm-11pm, $1 Bud/Bud Light
Photo // Jeremy paige
BLUSH & BLU
DOWNING ST.
bar tab
FRIDAY MARCH 03, 2017 BABES AROUND DENVER PRESENTS
THE LARGEST MONTHLY WOMEN’S PARTY IN THE U.S. 21+ | $5 COVER 6-9PM | $7 COVER 9PM-CLOSE
15YEAR ANNIVERSARY 3500 Walnut St. Denver | 303.863.7326 | tracksdenver.com | facebook.com/tracksdenver /DenverBabes
/BabesAroundDenver
@DenverBabes
O U T BAC K CLASSIFIEDS Envisioned by Boberto
Need help?
If you believe you’re a victim of a sex or hate crime, contact the Survivors Organizing for Liberation 24-hour statewide hotline at 1-888-557-4441
Advertise Here
303-477-4000
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The Subaru Outback,
like snow other. *2017 Subaru Outback, not as pictured
2017 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5i
2017 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5i
2017 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5i
2017 SUBARU IMPREZA 2.0i
COURTESY DELIVERY AVAILABLE TO ANYWHERE IN COLORADO Family Owned and Operated for Over 45 years (719) 475-1920 · 1080 Motor City Drive · Colorado Springs BestBuySubaru.com ·
/heubergermotors