All Things Aurora
• Comic Strip
• Word Search
• The Celebration Continues at Aurora Pride 2024
• Aurora Pride: Protecting the Queer Haven
• Aurora Pride Performers
• Zander Oklar Celebrates 8 Years of Aurora Pride
• The Power of Burlesque and Drag: A Chat with Bettie Belladonna and Brody Danger
• Bonez 4 Budz on Aurora, Queerness, and Loving Our Four-Legged
• Pride: We Still Have
Photo by Ivy Owens
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August 01-31 picks
First Friday Art Walk Santa Fe Dr.
Aurora Pride
Aurora Reservoir
Douglas County Pride
Douglas County Fair Grounds
Rainbow “Singles” Social
DV8 Distillery
Arlo Parks
Denver Botanic Gardens
Meow Wolf Makers: YAS
Meow Wolf
Santigold
Mission Ballroom
Pueblo Pride
Mineral Palace Park
OFM Presents Queer Bazaar: Pride Afterparty
X Bar
Bikini Kill
Mission Ballroom
AIDS Walk Colorado
Cheesman Park
Red Rocks
Hozier Drag Brunch
Hamburger Mary’s
Summer may be drawing to a close, but there’s one more Pride happening before the cold sets in: Aurora Pride! This beachfront blast is always a lot of fun, and we can’t wait to join you in the water, on the sand, and by the stage.
But just as all Pride celebrations are also protests and a time to reclaim the importance of queer representation, Aurora Pride is not all fun in the sun. This year, it’s even more important than ever to celebrate.
Aurora is the most diverse city in Colorado, reminding me each time I visit of where I grew up, the East Coast. And as such, they need a lot of support. Once again, a Black man from Aurora, Kilyn Lewis, was killed at the hands of police, and the community wants answers. And even as I write this, Aurora Pride is struggling against more conservative forces in the city to try and get funding, not to mention the struggle we are all witnessing at the national level. If fear and right-wing nationalism takes over, there will be even less support for diverse communities like Aurora.
All that is scary, but it also means we need both the protest and the party sides of Prides more than ever. So
let us once again come together this summer in community, and celebrate Aurora, diversity, queerness, and the resilience of our beautiful community.
-Addison Herron-Wheeler
FROM EDITOR THE
The Celebration Continues
If you weren't able to attend Denver PrideFest this year, you still have another chance. The celebration continues in Aurora! On August 3, join the City of Aurora for Aurora Pride on the Aurora Reservoir.
The event is sure to bring lots of excitement, resources, and unity to the community. Aurora Pride is the only beachfront Pride celebration in Colorado, so grab your best swim attire and sunscreen to prepare for some waterfront fun—perfect to cool off in the Colorado heat!
Aurora Pride initially started in 2017 with the intention of increasing inclusivity and support for the community. Thanks to collaborations with the Out Front Foun-
dation, the City of Aurora, and local businesses, Aurora Pride continues to be a staple piece of support for the LGBTQ+ community.
Focused on creating a safe space, Aurora Pride shares educational, medical, mental health, and many more resources to the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to raising money for the event, every year Aurora Pride raises funds to support scholarships for LGBTQ+ students in Aurora, CO.
by Odalis Canchola
Aurora Pride
2 024
Make sure to stick around for amazing shows by talented, head-turning entertainers, and musicians all afternoon!
The Aurora Reservoir is ADA accessible, offering beach-friendly wheelchairs upon request and accessible parking that connects to ADA ramps leading to the main event.
Executive Director Zander Oklar is a proud member of the community and passionate about showing up for others. With 15 years of experience in the hospitality and nonprofit industry, he loves to coordinate meaningful events like Aurora Pride.
“It’s a safe space where people can come and just let loose and be themselves for a day, but then on top of that, we pride ourselves in connecting the community with job opportunities, mental health support, STD testing, information about homelessness and the resources to get out of that situation … offering narcan and fentanyl testing strips, all those things are super important to us.” Oklar comments on the Podbean podcast.
Earlybird tickets are available for purchase at aurorapride.com.
Photography by Veronica L. Holyfield
by Anna Lee
dto do drag quit drag because their parents are too scared for their own safety. We've had people getting death threats. We often get threats of protest for our events.”
With anti-LGBTQ+ legislation on the rise, the discourse on LGBTQ+ issues is rampant throughout the nation. In June, the Colorado GOP released an email with the subject line "God Hates Pride" and hateful rhetoric playing off slurs.
This demonization of the LGBTQ+ community was met with backlash from many members of the Republican Party, including Aurora Council Member Curtis Gardner, who is now unaffiliated after GOP’s message.
Pride despite their presence in previous years. After the release of Generation Drag on Amazon Prime, local Colorado youth featured—including youth associated with Dragutaunte— in the documentary were met with retaliation and threats of violence.
Oklar says, “This year, Dragutante stopped performing … after that show, which no one got compensated for being a part of that or anything like that; they've received so much hate since. A number of those drag performers are no longer performing in drag because of the fear that they have of retaliation.”
AurorA Pride ProTeCTiNG
espite being the thirdlargest Pride in the state, Aurora Pride is constantly fighting to secure local support and funding to ensure the event can continue to thrive for years to come.
Zander Oklar encourages the Aurora community to support Aurora Pride—In a time when anti-LGBT+ legislation is becoming the norm, he believes the economic and social impact of Aurora Pride must be preserved.
He says, “In a lot of communities across the U.S., things are actually getting more difficult for the queer community rather than better. And so we're seeing a lot more hate. And people feel comfortable with sharing that hate out in public. We've had some of our drag performers who have (had people) protest in front of their house. We've had kids who used
In response to Gardner, Oklar says, “Well first off, we're so proud of Curtis Gardner for doing that and making a stand. And actually, we're reaching out to him and offering him a spot on the board of directors for Aurora Pride. And because he has a foot in both sides, he can really help us to garner the support of the city council. So we're hoping that he will accept our invitation.
THe Queer
HAVeN
"There's got to be so many other centrist, republicans, and conservatives who share Council Member Gardener’s feelings about this but who stay silent because they don't want to push the boundaries. They don't want to lose the support of their voters, and so the amount of courage that it takes to do that, I really commend him for that.”
With LGBTQ+ youth often in the middle of the argument, Oklar has witnessed the impact this discourse has on his local community. Dragutaunte, a local youth drag organization, will no longer be performing at Aurora
Oklar adds, “...We're just seeing it kind of grow and grow and grow. Just the number of anti-trans bills out there, and the amount of things that we're excluding our trans youth from.
“At (Denver) Pride, I was working a booth for a gender-affirming healthcare provider. And even within our own community, the LGBT community, there is misinformation about trans youth. There's so many misconceptions.
“So many people think that we're going in and doing all these crazy invasive surgeries on kids when they're so young. The reality is that's not happening at all … But these things will get their base activated; they'll get them yelling and screaming and continuing to spread.”
With election season in full swing, LGBTQ+ rights are under even more scrutiny, and public opinion and community support is more important than ever. Pride is meant to bring people together, and Aurora Pride is no different. The event brings resources to people who need it the most. But securing funding is at the forefront of Oklar’s mind.
With the economic boosts the event brings to the community, he believes that Aurora Pride brings a lot to the table for the city and the community, not just to LGBTQ+ individuals.
Oklar says, “Not only do we bring a lot of the Aurora community out, but we're bringing in people from all over the metro area. We track where people are purchasing parking passes from, and we've had people from even the East Coast— They're probably not coming out just for this. But, they added Aurora Pride as a part of their festivities while they were visiting Colorado.
“And so just our economic impact on the city is so huge. And I think a lot of people in the city don't understand what we do for the city. They're trying to cut our funding. And what they don't realize is, every ounce of funding that they give us goes directly back to them in the form of renting the reservoir.
“And on top of that, we're bringing in 10s of 1000s of dollars of economic benefit to the city, every single one of our ven-
dors … supports Aurora. And so all of those businesses that are making money at Pride—the person selling lemonade or tacos, the person who is selling their art, all of those people are paying sales tax. And people are driving down from Fort Collins and staying in hotels for Pride. And so just the impact on the community in general is so much larger than I think a lot of people understand.”
Aurora Pride offers a unique beachfront experience where people from all walks of life can get a sense of community and necessary resources. The economic booms attached to Pride only add to this incentive. Preserving Aurora Pride and ensuring the queer community is celebrated not demonized is essential amidst the rising anit-LGBTQ+ sentiments spreading across the United States.
On a parting note, Oklar says, “In a time where there's a lot of hate, it's so important to provide safe spaces. And this is one of the only safe spaces in Colorado. There might be some street businesses that are accepting and stuff. But that's not a queer space; that's a space that allows queer people … and we don't have any queer bars, clubs or any spaces like that … and so, now, this is the one event a year in the city boundaries where queer people can come out, dress and be themselves, express themselves in any way that they would like, and know that they're going to be safe. That's why this is so important."
AurorA Pride Performers
All photos courtesy of the performers
dixie KrystAl's Performers dixie KrystAls (she/her) @dixieKrystAls
shirley deltA Blow (she/her)
@shirleydeltABlow
Abig city girl with small town dreams, Shirley Delta Blow came west to seek her fortune. Her unique and quirky style has led to shows like Drag Machine, DragOn!, and Lord of the Butterflies at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Drag Decades at the Clocktower Cabaret, and The Legend of Georgia McBride at the Vintage Theater. Shirley also hosts I Love That Story and reads books to children and their adults at libraries and bookstores all over Colorado. Find more than you ever wanted to know at shirleydeltablow.com
dixie Krystals has been dazzling audiences for 26 years! Appearing in Generation Drag on MAX and Camp Wannakiki Season 5 on OUTTV, she is known for her fierce vocals and comedic hosting skills.
mArcie smith (she/her)
@mArciemusicofficiAl
marcie Smith is a singer/songwriter from Denver, CO. She moonlights as an educational counselor. Marcie is always chasing rainbows, peace, and love! You can catch her living life to the fullest one day at a time.
coco Bardot is an embodiment of and believes in #blackgirlmagic. She has been performing in drag and draglesque for over a decade all over the country. She's the modern-day Mae West meets Baby Tate. Her drag is a tribute to the sapphic goddesses that came before her!!
tAliA tucKer l ' w hor (she/her)
@tAliA__TucKer
talia Tucker L'Whor is a fashion clown with a proclivity for boundary pushing humor and social commentary. Living on a diet of rhinestones, nail glue, and hairspray, Talia always serves a sickening hourglass figure. Her creative POVs in looks and performances always beg the question: "Who Hired her?" She is the embodiment of what your homophobic family members warned you about and will never back down from a yes and opportunity. The Brewery Bitch, The Bingo Babe, and The Comedy Clown of Denver.
AnAstAsiA KrystAls (he/she)
Anastasia Krystals is a showgirl who will leave you begging for more! Anastasia brings the Krystals to your eyes and hearts with her captivating performances while dripping in sparkles. You can find her singing and dancing all throughout Denver, from The Clocktower to the new Champagne Tiger venue coming this fall. @AnAstAsiA _
eVelyn eVermore (she / her)
out of the bars, into the streets." Evelyn follows in the footsteps of our queer ancestors, bringing queerness to the light. She hosts a monthly pride book club and believes that the true art of drag is not lip syncing but leading the way forward for our communities.
miA stAxxx (she / her)
@miA.stAxx.x
mia StaxXx, mother of the Staxxx Navy, has been performing in drag for over 12 years. She performed and hosted at every major LGBTQIA+ venue in Denver and surrounding areas. Mia has an amazing drag family of 10-plus entertainers, designers, and creatives. Her performances are a mix of sexy, energetic dancing, rap and live vocals, and audience interaction.
PPorshA demArco douglAs (she/they)
@PorshAdemArco
orsha Demarco has been a performer for nearly two decades. Her style of drag is very high-energy. They will give you kicks, flips, and splits. She is serving class and a bit of sass. Porsha stays ready to slay the stage while having a good time.
JAm eden wynters (he/they/she)
@JAm.eden.wynters
Jam Eden Wynters is a drag performer taking Colorado by storm! She is a member of both Haus of Androgeda and Haus of Wynters. Jam Eden is known for stunning crowds with the looks that she serves. Her performances are captivating and beautiful to experience.
geo conJure (she/her)
@geoconJure
geo Conjure is a drag artist hailing from the deep South. She draws on her experience in the practice of Hoodoo and Conjure to bring eclectic and elating performance experiences to audiences. She combines her professional training experience of dance and music with her craft through percussive movements and invigorating emotional display. She's been in the game for almost 10 years and is quite the force in the Denver scene.
Zander
by Anna Lee
Celebrating his eighth year as executive director of Aurora Pride, Zander Oklar has seen it grow into an event that offers beachside views that draw in thousands of people.
Oklar
Celebrates 8 Years of
Oklar had a key role in the creation and organization of the first Aurora Pride in 2017. On the first Aurora Pride he says “…I started doing the GLBT Chamber of Commerce's annual gala, and this was in 2016/17. I was working that, and Jerry (Cunningham, former OFM owner) was a part of the chamber with OFM, so he reached out to me and he said, ‘We had an event planner, but he just moved away from Denver. And so we have just a few months left, but we need to make sure that happens.’ So I came in super last minute. We were able to make it happen in just a couple months, and I just never stopped doing it.”
The early years of Aurora Pride were put together under pressure, but the event has grown to be arguably the most unique Pride in the state. Oklar’s hands-on role since the first Aurora Pride certainly aided in the event’s continuing success. Aurora Pride is now the third largest Pride in Colorado, but the event was originally much smaller and without the unique location it now boasts.
couple stages and a couple small bars, food trucks. The very first year we did it, we had probably around 1000 attendees. And we just slowly kept building.”
After two years at the municipal center, Zander and others decided to “host Pride in a space that feels more unique to Aurora and also differentiates Aurora Pride from other Pride festivals. After getting a lot of different approvals from different people in the city, we decided we're going to start hosting at the reservoir, and we've done it there ever since.”
Aurora Pride
Oklar says, “We started off at the municipal center which … is basically the area that has City Hall and where City Council meets. They have a big grassy area, and we were setting up there. We would have a
He adds, “Because we're at a reservoir, we are a beachfront Pride. The only beachfront Pride in well over 1000 miles … and so our event really started to grow because it's just a really unique experience that you can't get anywhere else in Colorado.”
Attending CSU in Fort Collins, Oklar's connection to the queer communities in Colorado digs deep into his past and remains strong today. He has done non profit work within the local LGBTQ+ community for years and wants to uplift queer communities spanning from the mountains of northern Colorado to the plains of eastern Colorado.
Photo by Veronica L. Holyfield
At this year’s Denver PrideFest, Oklar was braving the blistering heat to bring resources to folks in need of gender-affirming healthcare. He will also be connecting with the community, providing resources, and celebrating this year’s Aurora Pride. Oklar enjoys the celebration but also adds that providing resources and health care to LGBTQ+ people is just as significant.
“Yeah, we love it; it's a beach party, and we do beer bust and sell tickets for local Colorado breweries and stuff like that. But the most important thing is just connecting those people—connecting that person who's dealing with a gender journey, making sure that they have access to gender-affirming health care. That someone who's in the closet and might not be used to practicing safe sex all the time can get their monkey pox vaccine; they can get signed up for PREP; they can get STD testing on-site. Someone who's dealing with homelessness can find organizations that support homeless LGBT (people). And so we tried to just get all those things in one area so that we can really support the community in any way we can.”
Aurora Pride is a great resource for LGBTQ+ people that allows people from all walks of life to be themselves and foster community. Just as important as the resources provided, the community built at Aurora Pride provides inclusivity and support for queer youth.
In previous years, the local youth gender expression organization Dragutante has performed at Aurora Pride. Oklar says, “My favorite memories of our Pride are around Dragutante … They do this one performance, which is called the Daddy Daughter Performance…(and) one of those children, their dad was a fireman. So, the dad, this big, burly man, dressed up in drag with his child, and then the whole fire engine full of firefighters came and watched the performance. We had all of these firefighters here to support this one firefighter’s child and their performance. It was so heartwarming to see the support from people that you might look at and not originally think that they're gonna be supportive of us. But just to see them out there in force supporting this child was just amazing. And then, at the end of the day, all the kids in their drag ran off the end of the pier and jumped in the water … so just to be able to provide that and to support them was real special for us.”
As this year’s Aurora Pride comes into full force, Oklar welcomes families to “bring their young children, whether they are openly queer, or they're questioning or neither” and “show them the queer community is just people trying to live our best lives. We're not something to be scared of. We’re something to be embraced and celebrated.”
Photographer: Ivy Owens, ivyjune._.jpg
Models: Bettie Belladona, @bettiebelladona
Brody Danger, @brody.danger
Location: Second Star to the Right Children's Books @secondstartotherightbooks
The Power of Burlesque and Drag: A Chat with Bettie Belladonna and Brody Danger
by Addison Herron-Wheeler
We caught up with Melissa Gassien, stage name Bettie Belladonna, about her work in Denver with Meow Wolf and as a burlesque entertainer, and we also chatted with Brody Miller, aka Brody Danger, about their connection to the local community through drag. From Bettie Page worship to the power of art in community, the two had a lot of insights to share.
How did you get into performing, and what do you love about it?
Melissa: As long as I can remember, I've been into vintage fashion. I used to watch old movies with my mom and drool over the costumes and performers. Watching Vera-Ellen dance in White Christmas lit a costuming spark in me, and I knew I wanted to honor that style all while making it my own. When I discovered that Bettie Page made the majority of her own costumes, I knew the burlesque world was something I had to be a part of. The creativity plus empowerment that the art form provides is like nothing else. It's a world filled with amazing individuals, insanely intelligent creations plus ideas, and just the right amount of weirdness, variety, and kink. I love that performing provides a platform for my voice to be heard.
I decided to dip my toe into the burly waters in Florida, where one of my favorite bars was hosting a "Pants Off Dance Off" competition. While the other participants did it as a joke with their friends, I came prepared with a set of handmade pasties and sequined undies. Lucky for me, one of the local burlesque stars was in the audience and offered me a spot in their troupe—the Bada Bing Babes—immediately upon winning the competition.
Since then, I've been lucky enough to be the 2019 Dragoncon “Pin-ups By The Pool” winner with my Pin-up Venom look, as well as being crowned the 2018 Queen “Most High” at the Mile High Burlesque Festival here in Denver. Recently, I got to perform for three of my burly bucket list shows, including the New Mexico Burlesque Festival, the opening act of the Burlesque Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, and, of course, Main Stage at Denver's PrideFest!
Brody: I met my good friend (and drag mentor) Gavin Danger in 2011. I was the assistant stage manager for a show called Drag Machine (written by my other good friend Shirley Delta Blow), and I was so captivated by Gavin. They had a confidence and a swagger I had never seen. We became
fast friends, and throughout many late nights of drinking, I would always tell them I wanted to be like them, and they had to teach me how to do it. Fast forward a few years, and they were preparing to leave Denver, and as their last performance, they asked a bunch of their friends to share the stage with them. It was a very “put your money where your mouth is” moment. I was terrified, but took the stage with them in December of 2015 and never looked back.
Once I began performing as Brody Danger, it became clear that that way of expression was something I’d been missing in my life. I thought I just loved being on stage (which I do), but once the pandemic hit, I realized that really what I loved was the freedom of gender expression and being seen in a different light: a light that only seemed possible on stage. Brody Danger helped me find Brody Miller, which has been a terrifyingly beautiful journey. Drag saved my life—It gave me the power and confidence to become myself. It led me to the love of my life, Bettie Belladonna.
Who knew you had to first pretend to be someone else to discover you’d actually been pretending to be you your whole life? Wild.
Bettie and I first met backstage at The Clocktower Cabaret in 2017. I was still fairly new to the burlesque scene. I think we’d both tell you there was an instant connection, but we were both otherwise attached at the time, so I just remember always being excited when we ended up being booked in the same show. We had a fun, innocently flirty friendship until a few years later when the stars would align for us to explore being more.
Since then, we’ve had the honor of performing together on the main stage of Denver PrideFest and even overseas at the Berlin Boylesque & Drag Festival. We've been featured on Netflix's How To Build A Sex Room and created and produced our own production called Fly Me To The Moon, a Pan Am-inspired, vintage-themed burlesque and variety show. There is no better feeling than sharing the spotlight together. It’s a dream, really.
How did you get connected to Meow Wolf, and what about them is such a good fit for you work-wise?
Melissa: To say that getting the Director of Operations position at Meow Wolf was a dream come true is an understatement. It is everything I've wanted for my career and so much
more. In my previous careers, my creativity was appreciated, but underutilized. I spent 15 years working with Marriott International, where they pride themselves on consistency — Going outside the norm back then wasn't celebrated. Being unleashed in the converged worlds at Meow Wolf Denver's Convergence Station has been a true game changer. My operations brain and my creative brain get to have a field day together, and I get to push the envelope and see what this amazing space can truly be capable of.
I have a team of intelligent dreamers I get the honor of leading, and they always turn my wacky ideas into true magic for travelers to enjoy. If you haven't been to one of our AdultiVerse parties or Danceportations, I implore you to come explore!
One of my all-time favorites so far has been Drag-A-Verse: a night where we hosted our favorite local kings and queens to perform in the worlds of Convergence Station. We had performances throughout the night from Geo Conjure, Penny Spectacular, Vicious Pryce, LaLa Queen, Camila Spanic, Nikko Nuche, Buffalo Barbie, and Bootzy Edwards Collynz. Brody Danger and Lance Ass hosted our epic Lip Sync Battle for travelers to try their hand at performing—no surprise that the wonderful DJ Markie won the battle! The incredible Shirley Delta Blow was our graceful host and even did a round of Drag Queen Storytime. Seeing over a thousand people crowd the railings of Numina to listen to Shirley read Perfectly Norman is a moment I'll never forget.
I first found out about Meow Wolf while watching the Origin Story on a flight back to Denver. I had heard rumblings about the House of Eternal Return in Santa Fe, but never got a chance to visit due to the pandemic. When I saw that Convergence Station was opening, I felt the universe tell me something. I was so inspired by Matt King, one of our Meow Wolf Founders. Getting the joy of working alongside that wizard was a highlight of my career. Being a part of a certified B-Corporation also meant that we were doing the right thing as a company for the environment, the community, and our employees.
Brody: I actually got to perform for Meow Wolf’s Grand Opening VIP party. I like to think I’m the first person to ever twirl tassels in the Perplexiplex. The other running joke is that everyone Bettie works with has only ever seen me mostly naked. I think I met their CEO while being topless in leather shorts. It’s such a welcoming and inclusive space, which can be rare these days. It’s fun to have a second home where you can come as you are—wear whatever, be whoever, just be YOU. We need those spaces so much right now.
Why is it so important to you to uplift and promote the queer community?
Melissa: My oldest sister came out as a lesbian to me when I was 11 years old. She also took me to my very first Pride
parade in Seattle, WA. It was life-changing. Seeing the love and power that poured out of the LGBTQIA+ community that day was awe-inspiring. When I started to grasp the challenges my sister faced, including carrying a notarized form that *hopefully* would allow her access to her partner in a hospital in the event of an emergency was eye-opening. As a kid, I couldn't grasp the idea that you would be denied access to someone you love because of your sexual orientation. I've always considered myself an ally, but it wasn't until meeting Brody that I fully realized there was more to myself and my own sexuality. Fast forward to 2020 and watching Brody's face as they saw themself in a mirror for the first time sans bandages from their top surgery. Brody was finally Brody both inside and out. Everyone has a story to tell. Everyone deserves to be authentically themself. It's important to listen and help elevate the voices of those around you.
Using my platform as a performer and as the Director of Operations at Meow Wolf has allowed my voice to be louder than ever before. I'm supported and encouraged as a queer female leader at Meow Wolf. We host voter registration events, promote queer artists, and showcase local queer talent at every turn. Meow Wolf won the 2023 DIVA Safe Space award. We even recently hosted OFM’s Queer Bazaar (and hope to have another one happening this fall!) The love of my life Brody Danger produces incredible shows with all queer lineups, and I even had the opportunity to open up for Orville Peck and Lucero at Mission Ballroom with Brody's Raucous Revue. I vowed to use my voice and not fade into the noise of hatred.
Brody: It’s hard to believe, but we’re still under attack in 2024. Every day we’re watching as our rights are threatened while people still worry about what bathroom we use. It’s wild because Bettie and I just finished watching the 2022 A League of Their Own TV series, and I kept being torn between “I can’t believe how far we’ve come; could you imagine a time when we couldn’t be in love?” and “How are we still fighting this hard after all this time?” But what I do know is that I don’t think we can ever underestimate the power of simply being visible. I often think how different my life may have been had I had the freedom to know who I was earlier in my youth. I think it’s so amazing that these kids now are growing up with the language to identify themselves earlier and hopefully through film and media knowing that they are not alone in these feelings.
We were so blessed to meet so many amazing folks after Netflix’s How to Build A Sex Room aired. They were thanking us for telling our story and acknowledging how amazing it was to see a love like ours showcased in such a public way. That’s what it’s all about — seeing ourselves reflected in the media and letting other people out there know that they are not alone. My favorite moments after drag shows are when a parent comes up to me because their child has recently come out to them, and they didn’t know where to turn, so
they came and saw Drag Decades at The Clocktower Cabaret. I’ve many times been told my performance gave them hope and joy, and that they now felt less alone and like they knew their child was going to be ok. It’s a very powerful and humbling idea that we truly can change minds just by existing. And that’s why I vowed years ago—when I decided to get top surgery and change my name—that I would continue to live as authentically and visibly as I could in order to encourage others to do the same.
Do you have anything cool coming up that you want to promote?
Melissa: So many cool things on the horizon! I'll be performing every Thursday in October for Alice in Wonderland Burlesque Revue at the Clocktower Cabaret. Keep an eye out for upcoming productions of Fly Me To The Moon. This is the love child of Brody and I, and our love of all things Pan Am and vintage travel!
At Meow Wolf, we're bringing back our Cosmic Howl for the month of October. This year we're doing our first double header Danceportation weekend with Sub.mission Bass Invasion Takeover October 25 and Emo Night October 26. I'm super stoked to have our first burlesque production from Bender Flames performed inside Sips (with a Z) September 5 and 6. Come play in our worlds at these fantastical events!
Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Melissa: Mae West said it best: "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough!" If I'm doing things that my 11 year old self would be proud of, then I think I'm doing it right. Be the person you needed when you were younger.
Brody: Amen to that! The world is too unpredictable, and life is too short not to do everything you can to live life to the fullest. Be honest with yourself, and live your life as authentically as you can. I promise when you do, everything starts to come together. I never could have dreamed my life would look like this—but look at us now! Pure queer trans joy.
Bonez
4 budz on
Aurora, Queerness, and Loving Our
Four-Legged Friends
by Harry Levin
Karina Tittjung has been with the Stanley Marketplace since the very beginning. From when it was a foundation under construction to the thriving small business community in Aurora, Colorado it is now, she has felt safe there as a queer woman.
“I haven’t incountered a single business in this building that does not support the LGBTQ community, and not just the community, but me as a business owner,” says Tittjung as we chat at a table inside Stanley.
She had to wear a hard hat the first time she entered the Stanley Marketplace as it was being built, and when it was complete, she was catering manager at Rolling Smoke BBQ for seven years. Now, as of March 8, 2024, she owns an animal enrichment store, Bonez 4 Budz, one of over 50 independent businesses inside Stanley.
After being in Stanley for so many years, Tittjung learned what it takes to run her own store from watching her peers navigate the uncertainty of small-business ownership (she
watched many of them survive COVID as well). As the head of her small business, she serves every role. She is the social media manager; she is the orderer; she designs the look inside the store.
And while she was pouring her heart and soul into her business, learning how to do all these things, her fellow business owners in Stanley supported her through it.
“Opening a business as an LGBTQ woman can be daunting,” Tittjung says. She grew up in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and while she extols her family for always being supportive of her, other people in her hometown weren’t so accepting. She and her wife always had to be cautious of where they were holding hands. They never sat on the same side of the booth when they were going out. And while they always felt accepted after they moved to Aurora, she naturally brought
some reticence into the idea of putting herself on display through her business. “Are people going to come because I’m gay? Are they not going to come because I’m gay?”
But when it comes to Stanley, Tittjung knows that she opened her business in a safe space for everyone regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation because she has been there from the start. “Community is everything in this building and with me. Without these fellow business owners. Without the landlords. Without my wife, none of this is coming to fruition. All of these people have played an integral part in me truly living my dream.”
Tittjung has dreamed of working with animals her whole life. When she was in Broken Arrow, she volunteered at an animal sanctuary where she worked with lions, tigers, and other exotic animals. Furthermore, throughout her life, she’s owned nine dogs in her 18 years with her wife as well as guinea pigs, cats, and fish.
She’s always been drawn to animals because, from her perspective, humans can learn a lot from them.
“Animals are always their authentic selves. They don’t care that I love a woman, nor do they care who I love or who you love. So if we could probably be a little more like animals, we could probably make the world a little bit better,” Tittjung says.
This reverence for animals is why Bonez 4 Budz is an animal enrichment outlet. The products Tittjung sells aren’t just about providing for an animal’s basic needs. They emphasize mental stimulation and engagement.
For example, she sells enrichment mats that place dog food strategically around a design so the dog doesn’t just stuff their face in a bowl of food. They have to use their mind to extract food from within the design which requires licking, an act that psychologically calms dogs (hence why they lick humans to show love).
Through Bonez 4 Budz products, owners can show how much they care
about their animals, and their animals always bring that care back to their owners.
“It’s a store for enrichment for animals, but it’s also enrichment for humans,” Tittjung says. “That’s the core of our business. Our passion for animals and our passion for humans.”
On the human side, she loves when customers come in, and she can ask them about their animals. Their faces light up as they talk about their own source of pure joy, and even if someone who doesn’t own an animal is coming in to browse, she ensures they know her store is a safe space.
“We have two stickers in the front of our store. One is a rainbow flag that
says ‘Everyone is welcome here.’ The other, that I absolutely love and is such an integral part of my business even though it’s a sticker—is a safe space sticker. It has two hands holding words that say ‘This is a safe space.’ For every person who sees that, looks at it, or takes a picture, or tells their parents about it and then they come in, that’s me when I was a kid. I’m safe here. I may not be out, but I know for a fact when I go in this place there’s somebody who may be like me, and I’m OK,” Tittjung says.
She recently opened that space for the first Pride event at Bonez 4 Budz’: the Pride Pawty. At Pride Pawty, they worked with Aurora Animal Shelter to host pet adoptions, and in that regard, they succeeded. A dog named Blanche was adopted at her store.
Working with animals. Working with humans. Getting dogs adopted. Tittjung is doing what she loves in a space she curated that is safe for everyone.
“I can’t get all the dogs in Colorado adopted. I can’t make every kid feel safe that’s coming out. But if each one of us can do a little part of it, the big picture is endless,” Tittjung says. And at Stanley Marketplace, the picture is bigger than just Bonez 4 Budz. “My experience in the building over seven years is safe. As a lesbian, I am safe when I come to Stanley.”
Pride
WE STILL HAVE WORK TO DO
lations much further than a catchy slogan or tagline.
PRIDE HAS HISTORY
Sylvia Rivera is a perfect exam ple. She and Marsha P. Johnson initiated the 1969 Stonewall Ri ots and led the Gay Liberation Movement (which is now Pride).
tities under the rainbow umbrella.
“Pride” has evolved over its 50plus years. It originated from ri ots against police brutality for the criminalization of queerness and LGBTQ+ people congregating. To day, Pride commonly resembles a music festival and a parade with sleek marketing and corporate sponsorship. As Pride has expand ed to be “inclusive to everyone,” the reality that we are not all one culture has become more appar ent and ultimately alienates more than it includes. Inevitably, a Pride for Everyone approach centers around dominant cultures, specif ically white, cisgender people with
Photography by Veronica L. Holyfield
Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) was a housing collective for transgender people founded by Sylvia and Marsha. It was a resource created as the Liberation movement centered around gay men and lesbian women, leaving behind the trans community and queer people with less assimilation privilege.
It is still common for LGBTQ+ people to face racism, transphobia, addiction, or housing and economic insecurity. Transgender people of color are still left lacking in LGBTQ+ rights, protections, community support, and cultural visibility. At the same time, homogenous cis, white community organizations pat themselves on the back by preaching LGBTQ+ inclusivity.
Many queer people with less social privilege and access don’t identify with contemporary mass LGBTQ+ culture, let alone Pride. Even with the wide range of Pride Month events within Denver and Colorado, many queer people don't feel accepted or allowed to participate in LGBTQ+ spaces or even possess their identification with queerness at all. This is why we must always acknowledge the tension between the inclusivity and difference of queer culture, LGBTQ+ rights, and liberation, including Pride.
HOLDING TENSION
It is often my job to hold that tension, help my clients see how multidimensional their identities are and how they can overlap and conflict with the larger LGBTQ+ culture. LGBTQ+ folks have the gift of being outsiders. The tension here is that our outsider status is also the source of our pain through trans-bi-homophobic hate and oppression. To be queer is to be free from the norm that doesn’t fit anyone anyway. Those of us like myself who have the privileges of being white, cis-gender can assimilate into mainstream culture (moving away from our Queerness) to access more privilege and power. Unfortunately, we still, to this day, leave behind our marginalized queer community members just like Sylvia and the transgender communities in the 70s.
PRIDE MOVING FORWARD
Now that this year's Pride season has passed and we have had time to reflect on our experience, our relationship to Pride, LGBTQ+ culture, and our own queerness, I invite us to seek out affirming spaces. Next year’s Pride month, I invite you to consider how you take up space at the mainstream Pride events. We must keep diversifying Pride, making room for visibility for those who get left behind. In doing so, we keep Pride queer and maintain the values of where it originated from: social justice for all queer people.
As Sylvia’s co-leader of the Stonewall riots, Marsha P. Johnson, said, “No Pride for some of us without liberation for all of us.” And let's not get it twisted; there is still mass injustice in LGBTQ+ communities and culture.
FREE PALESTINE.
For more from Jesse, follow him @Holistic.Homosexual
QUEER ALL YEAR
Summer might be coming to an end, but there is still some time left for fun in the sun. From swimwear to cannabis goodies, check out these recommendations!
DAVINCI IQC VAPORIZER
NATIONWIDE PRICE: $199
BLUEBELLA
This colorful swimwear collection, designed for the beach, bar, and beyond, features signature cut-out details, tactile textures, modern metalwork, and silhouette-enhancing shapes that indulge sensuality and empower individuality. These high-end pieces look great, and while they are skimpy and cute, they are very functional as well. Speaking as a 2X, these may be sexy pieces but they really work.
The Proxy is an award-winning portable hash consumption device from industry -leading Puffco. This modular vaporizer comes with a cutting edge glass piece designed to make the most out of your hash.
NATIONWIDE PRICE: $310
Whether you’re vaping concentrates to celebrate the 710 holiday or looking for a cleaner way to smoke flower, the IQC Vaporizer has you covered. Its wider pathway contributes to a fuller pull and cooler vapor, and it’s much easier to clean than your average dab rig or bong. EYCE ORAFLEX RIG
Eyce’s OraFlex rig has all the perks of a hand-blown glass dab rig with all the durability of a silicon piece. If you or your newbie friend drops it, this 710 won’t break and bring your sesh to an end! It also features a removable mouthpiece for a quicker cleaning experience.
NATIONWIDE PRICE: $85
PUFFCO PROXY W/ RIPPLE GLASS
Fairies and Friends
Queer-Owned and-Friendly Businesses
All Star Cleaning Services
Laura Christian
970-215-2224 | cleaningallstars.com
Cleaning service. Residential, move-out, weekly/monthly, and heavy-duty. Woman-owned, insured, licensed. Inclusive and community-focused.
Amy Schamberg
303-241-1416 | amyschamberg.com
Holistic mental health coaching to help you overcome burnout and discover your best self. Supporting LGBTQ+ wellness with personalized care.
Geek's Haven Massage
Nicole Bower
480-316-9521 | geeks-haven-massage.com
Massage with a geeky twist! Whether you're a fighter, a cleric, or somewhere in between, book today to start feeling relief from pain and stress!
"Hedwig and the Angry Inch"
Broadway Rock Musical with Variety Pre-Show by Jessica L'Whor
Julia Tobey
720-999-0749 | hedwigdenver.com
ICONIC, QUEER STORY
Just 11 Shows • August 1-17 at The Arch in RiNo. Learn more at hedwigdenver.com
Loving Beyond Understanding
Emmanuel Cisneros
970-216-0325 | Lovingbeyondunderstanding.org
LBU seeks to help meet the needs of the queer and gender diverse community in the Western Slope of Colorado through social support and collaboration.
State Farm Insurance
Susan Boynton, Agent
303-948-2905 | myagentsue.com
Full-service insurance agency for your personal and small business needs. We have a professional team ready to assist you with auto, motorcycle, home, renters, condo, life, and health insurance.
BAR TAB
Colorado Nightlife
BAD HABITS DENVER
3014 E Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 335-9690 badhabitsdenver.com
BLUSH & BLU
1526 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 484-8548 blushbludenver.com
BOYZTOWN
117 Broadway St. Denver (303) 722-7373 boyztowndenver.com
CLUB Q
3430 N Academy Blvd. Colo Springs (719) 570-1429 clubqonline.com
CHARLIE’S NIGHTCLUB
900 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 839-8890 charliesdenver.com
DENVER EAGLE
5110 W. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 534-0500 Facebook @denvereaglebar
EL POTRERO
4501 E. Virginia Ave. Glendale (303) 388-8889 Facebook @elpotreroclub
GOOD JUDY’S
BAR & CLUB
103 N. 1st St. Grand Junction (970) 433-7115 www.good-judys.com
HAMBURGER MARY’S
1336 E. 17th Ave. Denver (303) 993-5812 hamburgermarys.com/denver
LADY JUSTICE BREWING
3242 S Acoma St. Englewood (303) 578-8226 ladyjusticebrewing.com
LIL' DEVILS
255 S. Broadway St. Denver (303) 733-1156
Facebook @lildevilslounge
R&R LOUNGE
4958 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 320-9337
Facebook @randrdenver
TIGHT END BAR
1501 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 861-9103
tightendbar.com
TOWN HALL COLLABORATIVE
525 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (720) 389-7502 townhallcollaborative.com
TRACKS
3500 Walnut St. Denver (303) 836-7326 tracksdenver.com
TRADE
475 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (720) 627-5905 Facebook @tradedenver
WILD CORGI PUB
1223 E. 13th Ave. Denver (303) 832-7636 wildcorgipub.com
X BAR 829 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 832-2687 xbardenver.com
#VYBE 1027 N. Broadway St. Denver (720) 573-8886 303vybe.com
DENVER SWEET
776 N. Lincoln St. Denver (720) 598-5648 denversweet.com
TUE: Solve That Puzzle 7 pm w/Taco Tuesday, $2 Tacos, $3 Modelo, $5 House Margs
WED: Trivia with Alejandro 7 pm-9 pm w/$5 U Call It At The Bar, $.75 Wings
THU: Karaoke 8 pm w/BOGO Well & Drafts 2 pm to 8 pm, 1⁄2 Price Bites
FRI: Drag Race & Star Lite Show 6 pm-10:30 pm w/Happy Hour 2 pm-8 pm, 1/2 price flatbreads
SAT: Rooftop T 5 pm-9 pm w/Happy Hour, $5 Off Burgers
SUN: Charity Beer Bust 4 pm-8 pm $12/cup Bud Light & Truly Hard Seltzer
