The Power Issue by OUT FRONT Magazine

OCTOBER 2, 2013

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

OCTOBER 2, 2013

VOL. XXXVII ISSUE #13 October 2, 2013 t

CONTENTS

COVER STORY:

THE POWER ISSUE

SO LIV FO CUS CIAL ING 8 14 16 17 18 19

Letter From The Editor News Panel LGBT Nation The Lesbian Socialite Bleed Like Me

34 36 38 40 41 42

Food For Thought High Society Cafe Vivid Bar Tab Bar Map Radioactive Vision

48 50 52 56 60 61

On the cover: Daneya Esgar, Sandhya Luther, State Senator Pat Steadman // Cover photography by Evan Sem贸n // www.EvanSemon.com 6

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Fashion Metro Life Aesthetic Back In The Day Sexuality HeinzeSight

Serving the LGBT Community of the Rocky Mountains since 1976 3535 Walnut Street Denver, Colorado 80205 Phone: 303-477-4000 Fax: 303-325-2642 Email: info@outfrontonline.com Web: OutFrontOnline.com Facebook: facebook.com/OutFrontColorado Twitter: @OutFrontCO Out Front is published by Transformation Communications Group, LLC, a Colorado limited liability corporation and is a member of: Denver Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and Denver Drama Critics Circle. PHIL PRICE / Founder, 1954-1993 JERRY CUNNINGHAM / Publisher Email: Jerry@outfrontonline.com J.C. MCDONALD / Vice President / Director of Circulation Email: JC@outfrontonline.com SARA DECKER / Director of Operations Email: Sara@outfrontonline.com JEFF JACKSON SWAIM / Chief Strategist Email: Jeff@outfrontonline.com

EDITORIAL NIC GARCIA / Executive Editor Email: Nic@outfrontonline.com MATTHEW PIZZUTI / Features Editor Email: Matt@outfrontonline.com HOLLY HATCH / Copy Editor CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Brent Heinze, Robyn Vie-Carpenter, Scott McGlothlen, Jeff Steen, Josiah Hesse, Gary Kramer, Mike Yost, Ashley Trego, Nuclia Waste, David Marlowe, Jonathan McGrew, Chris Azzopardi, Shanna Katz, Noelle Leavitt Riley, Amy Lynn O’Connell, Kristin Ziegler, Steve Cruz, Rob Barger, Lauren Archuletta.

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ART SARA DECKER / Creative Director Email: Sara@outfrontonline.com ROB BARGER / Marketing Strategist Email: Rob@outfrontonline.com CHARLES BROSHOUS / Photographer DISTRIBUTION: Out Front Colorado’s print publication is available semi-monthly, free of charge in Colorado, one copy per person. Additional copies of Out Front Colorado may be purchased for $3.95 each, payable in advance at Out Front Colorado offices located at 3535 Walnut Street, Denver CO, 80205. Out Front Colorado is delivered only to authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of Out Front Colorado, take more than one copy of Out Front Colorado. Any person who takes more than one copy may be held liable for theft, including but not limited to civil damages and or criminal prosecution.

COPYRIGHT & LIMIT OF LIABILITY: Reproduction of editorial, photographic or advertising content without written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Advertisers are responsible for securing rights to any copyrighted material within their advertisements. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and reserves the right to reject any advertising. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising is not to be considered an indication of the sexual orientation or HIV status of such person or organization. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of materials submitted. OPINIONS EXPRESSED are not necessarily those of OUT FRONT COLORADO, its staff or advertisers.

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FROM THE EDITOR

Amazing times for an amazing state

CONNECT WITH NIC

Reach Executive Editor Nic Garcia by email at nic@outfront online.com, or by phone at 303-477-4000 ext. 702.

OCTOBER 2, 2013

I OUR PUBLISHER, JERRY CUNNINGHAM, is known to, from time to time, observe that we live in amazing times: decades from now, the history books will point to this time as the era when equality blossomed for the LGBT community. And Colorado will play a central role in all of it. I agree. And as exceptional as these times are, Colorado has always been a major player in the advancement of LGBT causes — even in our setbacks. Months after the 1969 Stonewall Inn riots of New York, what is commonly referred to as the birth of the modern gay rights movement, two brave men in Colorado Springs formed what was perhaps the first LGBT organization in the Rocky Mountain West: the Gay Liberation Front. One of the men, Truman Harris, died recently. He was 78. The other, Donaciano Martinez, will be celebrating 50 years of activism next year. And on Oct. 5, Out Front will honor him with a lifetime achievement award at the Second Annual Power Party. In 1973, a peacefully assembled gaggle of more than 300 gays and lesbians would demand four Denver ordnances, including the outlawing of drag on the streets of the Mile High City, to be removed. The effort, led by the Gay Coalition of Denver, was successful. Boulder County made national headlines and provided fodder for Johnny Carson in 1975 when on March 26 the county clerk there issued one of the nation’s first marriage licenses to a same-sex couple, David McCord and David Zamora. Soon enough, Denver was known as the “Gay Oasis of the West.” The old moniker “Queen City of Plains” had a whole new meaning. By the early 1990s, the Colorado municipalities of Boulder, Denver and Aspen were once again leading the nation by passing anti-discrimination policies that included protections for LGBT people. But no good deed goes unpunished. Within two years of Denver passing its ordinance, Colorado voters approved a state constitutional amendment to make it illegal for any city to protect LGBT people. Luckily, one young lawyer, Pat Steadman, was ready to file a lawsuit FOCUS

the next day to stop the new statewide initiative from ever going into effect. It was his preparedness that set up what would become the nation’s first LGBT landmark victory at the Supreme Court, Romer v. Evans, decided in 1996, which in turn laid the groundwork for the marriage victories in courts we’re seeing today. That lawyer is now one of the most important lawmakers in the state. And this year, we witnessed his legislation to establish civil unions become a reality. Steadman will also be honored at the Power Party. While Martinez and Steadman deserve all the accolades and thanks a community can offer, I’m equally excited to honor the Simon and Mathis families. If Martinez and Steadman represent our past and present, the Simons and Mathises symbolize our future. The Simons, Fran and Anna, have given up considerable time and privacy to help lobby for the Colorado Civil Union Act. And this year, their son, Jeremy, joined them at the Capitol and at a municipal building May 1, when the family was finally extended the dignity of all Colorado families. The Mathis family, led by parents Kathryn and Jeremy, stood by their daughter and sister, Coy, just 6-yearsold when her school said she wasn’t allowed to use the girls’ restroom because Coy was assigned a male gender at birth. The family filed a complaint with the state against the Fountain–Fort Carson school district and won. On a recent trip to Pueblo, I was discussing the honorees with my father and grandparents. My father raised some questions about the later landmark victory: who gets to decide if someone — especially a 6-year-old — is transgender? Couldn’t a pervert use trans status to sneak into the restroom and cause harm? Before I could even take a breath, my soon-to-be-70-years-old grandfather came to Coy’s defense. “That little girl knows more about herself then most adults I’ve met.” Now, that’s what I call amazing.

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Letter to the Editor RE: THE PANEL, SEPT. 18 EDITION (OFCNOW.CO/UFG) Mr. Gramer ignored that President Obama has spoken out about the Olympics and said, among other things, that he hopes our LGBT athletes will bring home the gold. Further, part of Mr. Gramer’s rant seems to border on Islamophobia. Lastly, Mr. Gramer made a mention of having “the balls to speak” and then having our “balls cut off.” This is really distasteful language. I should forgo the temptation to ask Mr. Gramer where are the guts to point out one’s own party’s inadequacy in advancing rights in other countries or even in Florida, North Carolina or Texas? Anyone for voter suppression? — Phil Wade d Send your letters and thoughts to editorial@ outfrontonline.com

Conversations on Facebook RE: WRANGLER POLICY, PROTEST YIELDS CONFLICT IN LAWS (OFCNOW.CO/3_N) I support the Wrangler 100 percent. I could show up dressed like a circus clown or Batman and still wouldn’t be granted admission. — Edwin Delaney Pedersen As the Wrangler is part of a community that fights discrimination, their policy is contradictory and not right. They will not receive any patronage by me. — Lee Stalcup This is stupid. We have bigger causes to fight for. If you dress like a woman when you go into a bar, make sure you have a photo ID with that photo on it. — Suzanne Lavertue Calvin

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SPEAKOUT

Why our work continues at the Shepard Foundation By Judy Shepard

When my phone rang in the early morning hours of Oct. 7, 1998, I awoke expecting to hear Matt’s voice on the other end of the line. I never in my wildest dreams imagined that it wasn’t Matt, but rather the hospital in Laramie telling me my eldest son had been brutally attacked and was laying in a hospital bed barely hanging on to life. The next few days were a blur of travel, doctors, nurses and family as Dennis and I rushed halfway around the world to be by Matt’s side. Those terrible, tragedy-filled days changed my life, my family and — during the next 15 years — the world.

In the days and weeks that followed — as we said goodbye to our first-born — Dennis, Logan and I made a promise. We made a commitment in our hearts to Matt, and to his community, that we would do everything we could to make sure no other family had to endure the heartbreak and sorrow that still lives with us today. Fifteen years later, we remain committed to erasing hate and the advocacy work that has become my mission in life. Just the other week, I visited Henderson College in Arkadelphia, Ark. where the incoming freshman class read The Laramie Project as their “freshman read.” Ten years ago, this would have been unthinkable — as we discovered at the University of Maryland. But during my visit, the message from students, parents and faculty alike was one of compassion and understanding. Our country has made incredible progress when it comes to making LGBT equality a reality. The list of victories continues to grow with the recent Supreme Court decisions; the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act; the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell; and marriage equality in 13 states, the District of Columbia and growing. In many ways, Matt wouldn’t recognize this country anymore — we’ve come that far.

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But this journey is far from over. Every day, the Matthew Shepard Foundation receives phone calls and emails pleading for help, for guidance and support from people all over the country. This year alone has seen terrible anti-gay hate crimes in New York City, Cleveland, and Denver to name but a few. We’ve heard from teachers who have been told they can’t put on The Laramie Project as their school play; students who are told they can’t bring their same-sex date to prom; and people — young and old alike — who face discrimination at work and in their communities. The truth is that the work my family does, and that done by the staff at the Matthew Shepard Foundation, isn’t about Matt anymore, but about what happened to him and what we do in his memory. It’s about the men and women in this country who are still bullied in the halls of their schools, the couples still afraid to hold hands in public for fear of violence, the families still discriminated against by their governments and all those who are the victims of hate and ignorance. Judy Shepard is the president of the Matthew Shepard Foundation governing board. r For more information about the Foundation visit matthewshepard.org. The Foundation’s 15th annual gala is Oct. 12.

OCTOBER 2, 2013

OUT IN COLORADO

Firefighter committed to supporting kids, calendar and community

Photos and story by Charles Broshous

RIC POSTON IS UNIQUE IN THE world of calendar models. But for this father, firefighter and former titleholder, unique is OK. Poston, an Elbert firefighter, was selected to appear in the 2014 Colorado Firefighter Calendar. At 59, he is the oldest model to appear in this year’s calendar — he’s also the first openly gay man to do so. Poston’s journey to the calendar began two and a half years ago, when he suffered a heart attack. The Elbert Fire Protection District answered his emergency call. “I want to give something back,” he said. “These guys saved my life.” As a result he has been volunteering for more than a year. Poston, who was Oklahoma Mister Leather 1999 and Mr. Oklahoma Gay Rodeo Association 2002, remains close to his

children and grandchildren. In fact, his love of kids prompted him to help Children’s Hospital. “I want to give something back so these kids have close to a normal life as possible,” he said. Throughout the year, the firefighters will volunteer their time to raise funds, attend events, educate children and increase awareness for the Children’s Hospital Colorado Burn Center and other centers around Colorado. Proceeds from the sale of calendars and special events benefit the burn centers. Poston has arranged for several firefighters and plenty of calendars to be at the Wrangler for Beer Bust on Oct. 13 from 3:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. In an effort to help raise additional funds, the Wrangler will be hosting a “Favorite Firefighter Contest” on Oct. 12 at 8 p.m.

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OUT IN COLORADO

Boulder CAP to honor ‘local legends’ at gala Despite the historic floods that ravaged Boulder and other parts of Colorado, Boulder County AIDS Project plans to honor individuals who have made a lasting impact on the organization. “After consideration, we have decided to move forward with plans for our the Local Legends Gala,” said executive director Ana Hopperstad. “We feel it is important to raise funds for our HIV-positive clients who have been displaced or impacted by the floods. We will work hard together in the coming weeks to take care of friends, family, clients, co-workers and more. We look forward to the opportunity to bring the community together in thanks at this event.” Honorees include: Colorado AIDS Drug Assistance Program Coordinator Todd Grove, sexual health educator and advocate Jean Gurule, and philanthropist William Snowden. Chefs Dave Query of Big Red F Restaurant Group and John Platt of Riffs Urban Fare will be overseeing a team of 12 of Boulder’s most talented chefs to create a one-of-a-kind, fivecourse meal. Each course will be co-created by two chefs working together in the Hotel Boulderado kitchen. The event will also feature hosted wine and Mountain Sun beer on tap, as well as a signature cocktail featuring specially infused vodka from 303 Vodka. Tickets for the Oct. 13 event are $145 in advance and are available online at bcap.org.

Ronald “Jason” Dean Hamilton, 1960–2013 Ronald Dean Hamilton, known by many of his friends as Jason, died Aug. 13. He was 53. Born on July 6, 1960, Hamilton is remembered for the joy and laughter he brought to everyone, says friend Ron Atkinson. A potluck memorial celebration of life will be held at 4 p.m., Oct. 20, 2013 at 1077 Race St. in Denver, in the first floor party center, room No. 59. Friends and acquaintances are encouraged to bring a favorite dish and photos to share. For more information contact Ron Atkinson at 303-322-3961. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

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#COMARRIAGE

Downfall of DOMA paves path to citizenship By Mike Yost

When the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act on June 26, nearly 40,000 LGBT binational couples were suddenly eligible to sponsor their spouses for U.S. residency and citizenship. “It was like a huge weight off my shoulders,” said Denver gay man Jesse Martinez, reflecting on the day the Supreme Court’s ruling was announced. “What I want more than anything is for my husband to be able to live his dreams and pursue his opportunities here in the U.S.” Martinez moved to Denver from Grand Junction in 2003, and it was here that he met Fernando Hernandez Oliva, who was visiting Colorado from Guatemala. “We connected and hit it off right after we met,” Martinez said. “Fernando is a very sincere and genuine person. I knew he was the person I wanted to be with.”

OCTOBER 2, 2013

In December of 2012, Martinez and Hernandez Oliva flew to New York City and married at City Hall in Manhattan. But Martinez was restless. Hernandez Oliva had overextended his tour visa, and was under constant threat of deportation. Despite their marriage being legally recognized in New York, Martinez could not sponsor his husband for a green card. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS, was bound by DOMA’s definition of marriage between a man and woman. “I was constantly scared that something was going to happen. I would have dreams where Fernando would get pulled over, and then he wouldn’t be in my life,” Martinez said. “I would wake up freaked out because I didn’t know what to expect.” In addition, Hernandez Oliva has not been able to visit his family for six years. His mother, who is currently struggling with cancer, tried to visit her son last May. “Because she had cancer, Immigration disqualified her. She was ineligible to come to the U.S.,” Martinez said. In November of 2011, the Williams Institute reported there were an estimated 28,500 binational same-sex couples in which one partner was not a U.S. citizen, with another 11,500 same-sex couples in which neither couple had U.S. citizenship. Approximately 25,000 of those couples are raising children. But the repeal of DOMA has had a profound impact on couples like Martinez and Hernandez Oliva. “It puts same-sex couples on the same playing field as oppositesex couples,” said Bryon Large, a senior attorney at Joseph Law Firm, FOCUS

who has been practicing immigration law for six years. “If there is a valid marriage and the same-sex couple is eligible for an immigration benefit, they can apply for that immigration benefit as a married couple.” As long as a couple is married in any state or foreign nation that recognizes same-sex marriage, Large said, the couple can still apply for immigration benefits regardless if they live in a state that only recognizes marriage between a man and a woman — such as Colorado. USCIS do not recognize civil unions, which were established in Colorado earlier this year, or domestic partnerships. The process of sponsoring a partner for citizenship can be daunting, as Immigration Services requires extensive paperwork to validate a couple’s marriage. “We do struggle with some of our same-sex couples to document their relationship,” said Large. “We don’t see name changes as commonly with my gay clients as we do with my straight clients. And often it can be intimidating for a gay couple to walk into a bank and try to open up a bank account together because you have no idea who’s sitting on the other side of the desk.” Large advised that couples seek legal counsel before they even begin the application process. “The worst thing is when somebody applies for a green card and they’re not eligible. They get placed into removal proceedings.” The process can also get expensive, with filing fees alone reaching more than $1,000 in some cases. There are also costs related to

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medical exams. Vaccinations are sometimes required, and only a civil surgeon can authorize them. “The costs are $300 to $600 dollars just to go see a civil surgeon,” said Martinez, who was able to curtail some of the expenditures through his health insurance. “Then you have to get the shots, which are $55 to $70 per shot.” Martinez used part of his 401K to pay for the expenses incurred both in applying to sponsor his husband and for legal counsel. He also did extensive research and filled out necessary paperwork ahead of time to avoid paying an attorney’s flat fee. “I can only imagine how other couples are getting through it, because it’s a huge process to file for your spouse.” Martinez advised that other binational couples should research the subject and keep any documentation that proves their marriage status. “And just be patient. Don’t give up,” he added. Hernandez Oliva is now well on his way to citizenship, with a work visa coming in October and an immigration hearing in January for his green card. “I am so happy,” he said. “I will have more opportunities in the US. I want to work hard and go to school, be a professional. I want to see my parents and my family. We have a lot of plans.”

For more information, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigrations Services web page regarding same-sex couples sponsoring spouses for citizenship at ofcnow.co/OeF

#COMARRIAGE

One Colorado kicks off statewide tour to discuss marriage equality By Donovan Haynie GRAND JUNCTION — LGBT rights supporters here were eager to strategize Sept. 19 at the kickoff of a statewide tour to discuss opportunities to usher marriage equality to Colorado. The overall goal of The Pathway to Marriage Road Show, organized by the state’s largest LGBT advocacy organization One Colorado, is to focus on learning what the best electorate climate will be to allow the passage of marriage equality. The consensus is that Colorado voters are still evolving on the issue of marriage equality, and that it will take building the biggest issue-driven campaign in the state to see a victory for LGBT individuals. “The biggest hope is to continue to engage communities in all parts of the state, and continue to talk about the work that we do,” said Director of Organizing and Alliance Building for One Colorado, Daniel Ramos. “The exciting part of it is getting into communities like Grand Junction, learning more about them and finding ways that we can connect with people through our work.” One Colorado leaders declined to discuss any specific strategy saying they did not want to jeopardize the movement. In previous public settings, leaders of the organization have said it will cost millions of dollars and thousands of volunteer hours to pass a new amendment establishing marriage equality in Colorado. More than 30 members of the Grand Junction community attended the event, where discussion focused on challenges ahead for the Western Slope LGBT community to organize and advocate for marriage equality. “Grand Junction is much more

conservative both politically and religiously than other parts of the state,” said Sarah Downing, a Grand Junction resident. “The community is more likely to act out negatively here.” Downing said that attitudes toward marriage equality could change by simply having a visible LGBT community. “I don’t think most people in Grand Junction are even aware that there is a community as big as it really is,” she said. “Activities like this help people realize that they need to be more involved and vocal.” While some expressed their fears and concerns toward community organizing for marriage equality, others remained optimistic looking toward past successes in the region. Western Slope Field Organizer for One Colorado Heidi Hess spoke of previous successes. “The Western Slope has a strong history of support with One Colorado, so it’s fitting that the tour starts here,” she said. “We’ve had everything from the most postcards sent to a state representative, to the most people participating in an event per capita than anywhere else in the state.” Hess explains the impact of past support in Grand Junction, “What we haven’t heard, because of the commitment on the Western Slope, is that recent initiatives only passed because of people in Denver and larger areas. I’ve always been able to refer to the numbers though, and show the impact we have made here.” The discussion was held at Colorado Mesa University. One Colorado will make 17 other stops through Colorado during the next nine weeks to host similar discussions.

One Colorado will host more than a dozen community meetings across the state to discuss the path toward marriage equality. Here are some of the upcoming events. For a complete list and more information online visit one-colorado.org. Oct. 3 — Woodruff Memorial Library, La Junta Oct. 19 — Durango Public Library, Durango Oct. 24 — Creative Center for Spiritual Living, Greeley Oct. 30 — Plymouth United Church of Christ, Fort Collins Nov. 6 — Pikes Peak Metropolitan Community Church, Colorado Springs Nov. 7 — First Unitarian Society of Denver OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

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PANEL

QUESTION: In what ways do you break from traditional gender roles?

Keo Frazier is a local entrepreneurial and business leader, and the fearless founder of KEOS Marketing Group.

Karen Scarpella, PhD, LCSW, is a licensed social worker and the Program Director at The Gender Identity Center of Colorado. * Why is there an asterisk in the word trans*? It’s not a typo! Find out what it means online at ofcnow.co/aster

When I think of “traditional” gender roles, my first thought jumps to the “traditional” (and here I also mean “privileged”) gender roles in the queer communities of women that I’ve surrounded myself with since coming out 10 years ago. When I came out at 17, I jumped headfirst into the kind of queer identity I thought I needed to embody to be a lady who slept with ladies — I bought men’s clothes, cut my hair into a dykey pixie, and pierced my eyebrow. I was trying on masculinity not because I was comfortable in it, but because that was what was expected. For me, trying to fit into that somewhat masculine dykey ideal felt like trying to fit into heterosexuality — I could make it work if I tried, but not comfortably, and not well. I bought my first dress again at 22, and have slowly broken through those traditional dyke–gender roles to find myself here, a place that I’ll categorize as “tomboy/ mountain femme.” At my friend’s (straight) wedding in Maine this fall, I’ll wear a button-down shirt and a bow tie, but at another recent (queer) wedding, I wore a very cute cleavage-enhancing dress. Breaking traditional gender roles is something that we do within our queer communities as much as in the larger (straighter) world. Masculinity holds a privileged place in queer spaces, particularly queer women’s spaces, and in these spaces, embracing femininity can be a powerful way of challenging those queer gender norms. Jen LaBarbera

I identify as a heterosexual cisgender woman, raised in a very traditional home in the ’60s. My parents insisted that I attend college, but never talked about me having a career — college was where women find a better-quality husband! But I’ve never been one to comply with assigned expectations, and my female gender role is no exception. I hate to cook, only wear makeup when I have to, and prefer to wear pants and comfortable shoes. It has been an interesting experience to feel social pressure while working with the transgender community to model “femininity” for the trans* women who have often looked to me as a representative for their target gender role. Now that the Gender Identity Center of Colorado has so many younger cisgender interns, I have relaxed my anxiety over my less-than-feminine attributes. I finally found a husband, but much later in life. He does all the cooking and I prefer to be the one to clean up and take out the garbage. Gender roles and expectations have changed and relaxed over the last several decades, so it seems that today’s trans* person has much less to worry about when it comes to social gender norms. Karen Scarpella

Keo Frazier

All of us fall in some gray area on the gender scale. It would be odd if gender was simply polarized as black and white. Perhaps Kinsey framed it best to suggest that we all fall on a bisexuality scale and we either display more straight, more gay or somewhere in between. I am very feminine on the outside in my mannerisms, speech and dress. However, those who know me will retort that I am quite masculine in thought process and emotional intelligence. I believe the best way for any human to be is both. It is important for you to find where you fit and flourish wherever that might be. The most successful people are able to move fluidly in and out of their masculinity and femininity depending on the conversation, situation and role they play in that moment. The most successful people are able to see duality in every person and relate to both masculine and feminine aspects in all people, because that is what makes us the most diverse — and at the same time, the most similar. The bottom line for me is that I display both masculine and feminine roles, and I dance between that duality across many things that I do in my business world and personal life — and it allows me to relate to many and celebrate the differences of humankind.

Jen LaBarbera is a 20-something queer woman of color in Denver, grad student, expat of the progressive nonprofit world and big fan of her two cats.

Join the Panel. Contact the editorial department by email at editorial@outfrontonline.com or call 303-477-4000 ext. 702 to be considered.

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LGBT NATION

U.S. Senate confirms nation’s first openly gay federal appellate judge WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate on Sept. 24 confirmed Todd M. Hughes to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, making him the first openly gay person to serve as a federal appellate judge. President Barack Obama nominated Hughes, who is currently a Deputy Director in the Civil Division of the United States Department of Justice, in February and the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination in July by a voice vote. He was confirmed Tuesday by a vote of 98 to 0. “Judge Hughes is a remarkably qualified jurist who has served his country tirelessly, and today that commitment to service made history,” said Human Rights Campaign president Chad Griffin in a statement. “As an openly gay man takes to the federal appellate court bench for the very first time, barriers to achievement for the next generation of LGBT young people are crumbling every day,” said Griffin. — LGBTQNation.com

Transgender human rights lawyer announces bid for Russian president MOSCOW — A transgender attorney and Chairperson for the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights announced Sept. 23 her intent to run for President of the Russian Federation. Masha Bast, 38, who has worked on some of the most high profile and politically sensitive cases in the country, came out as a bisexual, transgender woman on Sept. 4, amid a protest over Russia’s anti-gay legislation and recent crackdown on LGBT people. In her announcement, she said that she would no longer be living her life as Yevgeny Arkhipov, but as Masha Bast. She invited people to follow her progress on Facebook as she undergoes hormone treatment and surgeries, and also said she would answer any questions that they may have about her journey. —LGBTQNation.com

There are some tests you don’t need to study for. Men who have sex with men should get an HIV test every six months.

FREE and CONFIDENTIAL testing. For locations in the metro area, visit www.BeTested.CO.

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

Michael Madsen Tears, queers and THE LESBIAN SOCIALITE

Your Denver Real Estate LGBT Specialist

Fashion Week

Robyn Vie-Carpenter

MICHAEL MADSEN

303 726 1543 WWW.URBANLEGENDARY.COM MICHAEL@URBANLEGENDARY.COM

r Robyn VieCarpenter is a social columnist on the local and national LGBT community. See more of Robyn’s columns online at ofcnow.co/TLS or find her on Twitter @TheLesSocialite.

It was so freeing and fabulous being a big ole lesbian in the middle of everything fashion, and people were extremely receptive to it.

OCTOBER 2, 2013

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I’VE JUST RETURNED FROM THE SPRING 2013 fashion shows in New York City. The experience was extremely empowering; I was able to mingle, socialize and witness the mayhem of this big city event. I’ve been in the process of launching my new website TheLesbianSocialite.com, which has been my passion project building a place for the stories I uncover and the people I meet. This year I wasn’t attending Fashion Week as just Robyn Vie-Carpenter (as I had previously), I was attending as ‘The Lesbian Socialite for Out Front.’ I loved being so blatantly lesbian in such a big arena, and for the first time, I felt like I could truly embrace my environment, because I now have a title and place for who I am, and what I do. So there I was at Fashion Week, and although I am a columnist and writer for an LGBT publication, coming in and being recognized as “The Lesbian Socialite” put things in an entirely new space. In fashion, people are used to this display of gayness. A large number of male designers in the business are gay men. There have also been some well-known drag queens in the fashion community in New York City. These fabulously gay fashion folks often raise money through DIFFA, AmFAR, ACRIA; all AIDS organizations that receive their money from the fashion industry that was devastatingly affected at the beginning of the AIDS crisis. Although fashionistas are used to the idea of gay, they are still pretty detached from the L portion of the LGBT acronym. It was so freeing and fabulous being a big ole lesbian in the middle of everything fashion, and people were extremely receptive to it. One woman I met almost started crying. She said she was so glad to see me being fully myself right out there in front of everybody. The look she gave me, full of admiration, empowered me even more. Yet, being me has always been the easiest thing I’ve ever done and the only thing that reminds me of my authenticity as a human. Being a part of Fashion Week, and not being in the industry, helped me realize that this is actually the perfect place for me to be the person I have become: A commentator. A commentator with a very specific agenda: to seek out all things queer. For some, my queer or lesbian perspective was welcomed, and a few times it was not. But I am an LGBT journalist, not a fashion critic. I look for the beauty in everyone and am most interested in the gay-angle, or social differences that become apparent because of different cultures and lifestyles. Perhaps what we all look for is a bit of validation from those we respect. Valerie Steele, a big deal in the fashion industry – curator and author – welcomed me with warmth and camaraderie while I was at her exhibit at the Fashion Institute of Technology called ‘A Queer History in Fashion.’ The exhibit explained the contributions of the LGBT community in the world of fashion. I was so touched, feeling free to be myself. I hugged Steele, and she hugged me right back.

BLEED LIKE ME

HIV, in fiction, hits right at the heart with the viewers, are all thinking it. A Home at the End of the World wouldn’t let THE GOOD THING ABOUT HAVING A Naively, my heart sank. None of me keep these upsetting feelings at a distance ridiculously unnecessary cable package the online reviews mentioned this anymore. I had to face a depiction of what it is getting to watch random movies you subplot; I felt completely caught off- would have been like to have this disease 20 or wouldn’t see otherwise. Recently, my guard. After six years of living healthily 30 years ago. It was a frightening reminder that partner Luke and I cuddled up to the with HIV, I would have thought I could while I am indeed OK, I could have been dead film A Home At The End of the World. by now. handle it; I’ve watched Some had said it wasn’t very good. And As far as HIV storylines go, this dozens of documentaries even though the filmmakers cut out one was mild. The movie ends on a on the history of AIDS. Yet Colin Farrell’s full frontal nude scene, In a way, it random note before the character in a fictional context it hits we still felt compelled to watch it. helped me deals with any major illness. It’s This coming of age story follows two Scott McGlothlen me differently, and even once again though the movie’s heavy up to the viewer’s imagination to friends who awkwardly fooled around as teens in the ’70s and then lovingly quarreled as moment didn’t quite call for tears, I feel vulner- continue on the story in our heads. And in my head, the character died. adults in the ’80s. As the storyline progressed, I felt got choked up. able about I’m too young to have lived And it was awful. My heart simply relieved that the gay character could be sexually having HIV. carried on what my brain knew promiscuous during this time period while not through the initial epidemic as an adult. I don’t remember any of it letting it be about HIV. That wasn’t to be true of the time period. The thought made me cry. Ever since my own HIV diagnosis, I have been and have never even really known such a bad In a way, it helped me once again very intentional about steering clear of fictional someone who died from AIDS. This, feel vulnerable about having HIV. depictions regarding the onslaught of HIV and in combination with my successful thing. That wasn’t such a bad thing. While AIDS. I have avoided movies such as Philadel- medications, has probably allowed I may still remain hesitant about phia and It’s My Party like the plague — no pun me to keep the raw, frightening factors about the disease at a distance. running off to purchase a ticket to Rent, I also intended. I thought the documentaries would have realized stories like these can help deepen my I’d nearly slid home free with A Home at the End of the World when about two-thirds into the helped me honor the history of what presently connection to HIV in my heart. movie, the gay character got a mysterious bruise. lurked inside me. But it turns out that watching a While shaking with fear, his lifelong buddy (played real person talk about the horrors of HIV is very Scott McGlothlen is a cultural columnist on life as a by Farrell) unconvincingly tries to convince him different from watching a fictional character act HIV-positive gay man. r See more of Scott’s columns not to worry. The characters never mention HIV it out. Documentaries keep it cerebral. This por- online at ofcnow.co/scott or contact him at scott@ or AIDS, but by the fear in their eyes, they, along trayal, on the other hand, hit me right in the heart. outfrontonline.com.

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

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COVER STORY

POWER OF THE PEOPLE

HOW THESE ORDINARY PEOPLE DID EXTRAORDINARY THINGS — AND CHANGED THE WORLD

Stories by Matt Pizzuti and Nic Garcia by Evan Semon

THE CLICHÉ GOES: WITH GREAT POWER COMES GREAT RESPONSIBILITY. AND WHILE each of the individuals on our 2013 Power List live UP TO THAT MANTRA, THEY’VE ALSO CREATED one themselves: great power is responsible for GREAT CHANGE. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

COVER STORY

OCTOBER 2, 2013

POWER IS A RESPONSIBILITY, THAT YOU HAVE TOWARD YOURSELF AND TO OTHERS, TO DO THE BEST YOU CAN. – Sandhya Luther

LUTHER, THE WOUNDED HEALER SANDHYA LUTHER, DIRECTOR OF ADVOCACY AT COLORADO ANTIViolence Program, isn’t one to seek the limelight. Humbly, she said “I think there are other people at CAVP who have done much more work and much longer than I have, who should be honored with me.” It’s a recurring theme in Luther’s telling of her life, including before her three years at CAVP: shining whatever light she can on others left invisible to the world. CAVP works with and on behalf of victims of violence — providing referrals and support to survivors and raising awareness about violence against members of the LGBT community, which Luther said is far more common than openly discussed. With clients she assists with filing police reports, connecting them to shelter and resources when needed, and most importantly hearing their stories. “We’ve seen that the more intersections there are — if you’re a woman of color or a trans woman of color and experiencing poverty — the systemic exclusions you face are more, the violence you face can be more,” Luther said. “There’s a skepticism and a shaming that’s prevalent in many cases. People ask (victims of violence) if they were drinking or why they were in a certain part of town. Just having someone believe them, hear them and advocate for them is a great step in the process of healing — people in turmoil remember their own resources when you talk to them.” Luther said it can be emotionally formidable work, but she ties it to her own life’s healing and growth. “There’s a concept of the wounded healer — you experience something and there’s a desire to share healing 22

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with others,” she said. “Growing up lesbian or queer in most parts of the world, there’s wounding that happens, and if you’re lucky you can see gifts from that.” From India, Luther moved to Colorado in 1999 to study for a Masters in Divinity in Buddhism from Naropa University. “We were at a very different stage in India,” where the LGBT movement is new, she said. “It was carving out spaces within the women’s movement, or the human rights movement. I lived in Delhi, and we could meet in my house, a safe place if someone found out there were other queer people in the city. Coming here, I kind of leapt into the future — what the future for India might be.” On the other hand, they don’t have to follow the exact footsteps of the queer movement in the U.S., Luther said. Soon to retire from CAVP, Luther plans to take time for writing, traveling back in India and pursuing a PhD. “I’ve always been drawn to understanding human nature at a deeper level, understanding how to live more fully in the world, and how I can live as myself and not somebody else’s version of me.” She said she’s inspired by the ability of individuals to change themselves, change where they live and change their communities with the strength to contribute. “LGBTQ people may be alienated from their families of origin,” she said, “and it’s very fulfilling to be there for that person who feels marginalized by the mainstream.”

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POWER IS THE ABILITY TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN AND TO AFFECT CHANGE IN OUR WORLD – State Sen. Pat Steadman

FOR STEADMAN, CIVIL UNIONS JUST A HALFWAY POINT IN LIFE AND POLICY STATE SEN. PAT STEADMAN IS KNOWN BEST AS THE ORIGINAL sponsor of Colorado’s civil unions bill, signed into law this Spring after three years of battle in the state legislature and finally allowing same-sex couples to form civil unions this May. But for Steadman, the achievement was only a step in a long and tumultuous struggle for equality he’s been on throughout his adult life. “Three years to get a bill through was only the final chapter of a longer story,” Steadman said. “And in reality, that story isn’t finished being written. Civil unions aren’t full equality — they’re a way station on our way to equality, and we’ve got more work to do.” Steadman stepped into Colorado LGBT politics in 1991, when the City and County of Denver had just passed an equal rights ordinance and an opposing group petitioned a question on the local ballot to reject the new law. “I knew that was something I wanted to work on, now that I was just finished with a law degree and had ‘grown up,’” Steadman said. “We won that election, but as soon as it was over, a group from Colorado Springs started a petition drive to overturn all equal rights ordinances across the state.” That statewide initiative became Colorado’s Amendment 2, which was passed by voters and subsequently battled in courts until the U.S. Supreme Court, in 1996, struck the amendment as unconstitutional. “I was a spokesperson for the lawsuit explaining why Amendment

2 violated the Constitution, and met some women who ended up being my businesses partners in the lobbying business,” Steadman said. From there, he became a lobbyist for progressive issues for more than a decade. “They were all things I was proud to work on and convinced me there’s a lot that can be accomplished in the political arena,” Steadman said. “My career as a lobbyist led me to a seat in the state Senate in 2009. A vacancy opened up in the Senate and decided that was my calling.” Steadman first introduced the Colorado Civil Union Act as a state Senator in 2011, vowing to see it passed for Colorado same-sex couples, and be able to form a union with his own partner, Dave Misner. Tragically, Misner died of pancreatic cancer in 2012. “When I think about all those people that struggle, that just renews my commitment to make sure our relationships are respected and recognized and given the dignity and legal rights they deserve,” Steadman said, “because you never know what’s going to happen to people, and when a legally-recognized relationship is going to matter. People don’t usually prepare or plan for accidents or disasters or illnesses or death, and yet sooner or later life has most or all those things in store for us. The ability of the people you care about most — your loved ones, your legally-recognized partner — to be there through whatever it is that life throws at you, that’s worth fighting for.”

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

POWER IS NOTHING UNLESS YOU CAN GIVE IT AWAY. – Christi Layne, right, with Richard ‘Bucky’ Reed, left, and Scotti Carlyle

THE COURT, 40 YEARS OF BEING RESPONSIBLE ‘FOR OUR OWN’ SOMETHING FROM NOTHING. THAT’S THE STORY OF HOW LGBT Denver came to be. For sure, this is the same story for all communities. But few can share their nothing became something — extraordinary — due in large part to drag queens. It was 1973, fewer than five years after the Stonewall Riots in New York City. Denver’s gays and lesbians were on the verge of stepping out politically for the first time. There were four city ordnances that explicitly targeted the LGBT community — including for wearing gender non-conforming clothing anywhere other than a stage. If a female impersonator didn’t have a restroom in her dressing room, he’d have to remove his dress and wig, put on a pair of trousers and make his way to the lavatory, explained Scottie Carlyle, Empress 2 of the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire. In the context of police brutality, the threat of being banned to a mental institution if you came out and the threat of being fired or evicted if your sexual orientation was discovered, the aforementioned was small potatoes. Yet, the sum of the parts galvanized a community tired of being considered less than. “We decided as a group, that we were not going to let people tell us 24

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we were not good people,” said Christi Layne, Empress 6, “Because we knew better. And we were going to change things so they understood who we were and where we were going.” And change they did. The Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountains, in its infancy was a fundraising apparatus for organizations like the Gay Coalition of Denver, Unity and The GLBT Community Center of Colorado, and later the Colorado Anti-Violence Program and The Colorado AIDS Project. Now, in its 40th year, The Court has given thousands of dollars — countless, really — to nonprofits to build community — $1 at a time. Besides raising money for our community’s legacy organizations, The Court played a central role in organizing a phone tree for emergencies and political actions; The Court was also instrumental for obtaining the first official Pride march permit for the city, and when it was taken away, sought protection from the state’s governor. “There was no focal point for the community, we had a microphone and a stage, and we could talk to people every night, we could motivate them, move them, make them feel better about themselves,” Layne said. “We saw to make sure we were responsible for our own.”

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POWER, TO ME, MEANS ORGANIZATIONS HAVE THE FUNDS TO CREATE AND MOVE CHANGE WITHOUT HAVING TO SCRAPE BY. – Andy Szekeres

SZEKERES HELPS YOUTH START BUSINESSES ANDY SZEKERES HAS A SELF-PROCLAIMED “LONG AND STORIED” past in the LGBT community, especially for someone who is only 30. Better known for his political fundraising for progressive candidates and LGBT causes — and Change.org petitions — Szekeres has raised almost $22 million in Colorado, Maine and Florida, to name just a few states. But in 2011, Szekeres, a rabbel-rouser at heart, sold his political consulting business and left politics to become the development director for Denver nonprofit YouthBiz. The Five Points organization strives to advance the social and economic prosperity of youth through the study and practice of entrepreneurship. “We’ve had a long 20 year history. And in the last year, we’ve re-launched our programs to help young people start their own businesses and utilize some of the assets they can earn themselves instead of doing a low income job.” “The organization, when I started, like many organizations was going through a life cycle. And the board really determined we wanted to grow. So, myself and the new executive director, who came in about the same time, were able to take an organization that had lost money year after year and turn a net positive within eight

months — which is hard to do in Colorado’s economy.” Under Szekeres leadership, the organization also finished eighth in the nation in the Job Raising Challenge sponsored by the Huffington Post and Skoll Foundation. “They challenged nonprofits to find innovative solutions to solve the jobs crisis,” Szekeres said. The money Szekeres raises for YouthBiz goes to pay its youth stipends to imagine, develop and sell products. Take DJ, one of YouthBiz’ youth, for example: “She came into the company not knowing anything about being an entrepreneur. Within a couple of months, she figured out an idea for a (purse) company, and within a couple of months she had bags walking down the red carpet at the Grammys. We were able to take her from complete concept, to production and now she’s in the process of scaling up.” As for the Changeup.org petentions, Szekeres has advocated for the Denver Broncos to produce an It Gets Better video, and local transgender journalist Eden Lane to get a spot on The View. “I do like to stir the pot, much to the dismay of other people. I’m a big believer in the power of group collective action. I was on ESPN and Yahoo and USA Today,” he said about the Bronoco petition. “It caused a big commotion. But, it moved the dialouge forward.”

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

POWER IS THE RIGHT TO CONTROL YOUR OWN DESTINY. – Donaciano Martinez

CATHOLIC TEACHING SPURRED MARTINEZ’S SOCIAL JUSTICE DONACIANO MARTINEZ HAS HAD HIS SIGHTS SET ON JUSTICE since 1964. Growing up Chicano in a racially-segregated Colorado Springs, it was what might seem as an unlikely inspiration today — Roman Catholic social teaching — that turned Martinez into an activist. “Like a lot of Chicanos and Chicanas I grew up in the Catholic Church, so my inspiration to get involved in the peace movement was a lot of the nuns, and the monks, and the priests in Colorado Springs,” Martinez said. “They were right out there in the forefront of advocacy — my sheroes and heroes. That’s who I looked up to when I talked about who inspired me to get involved.” It started with the anti-war movement, and a cultural turn toward seeking revolutionary change that set up Martinez and a generation of gay activists to envision a better world for LGBT people. “The founding of the Gay Liberation Front needs to be viewed in the context of activism that was going on in the 1960s in general,” he said. “We worked heavily to elect President Johnson” — because of a shared opposition to the war in Vietnam — “and the first thing he did, when he got elected, was he escalated the war. So by 1965, we were in the streets. We began to expand our activism into the Chicano movement, and into the anti-poverty program, and we began to raise gay issues.” Martinez said other activist groups initially resisted lesbian and gay rights. “They were saying, ‘All that gay and lesbian stuff needs to be put 26

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off until we have a revolution, then we’ll get around to you people.’ But we said ‘No, we need to be included along the whole path.’ A lot of us who lived in the gay underground in the 1950s, we were tired of being secret, so by 1969 with the Stonewall riots in New York City, we were inspired to start the Gay Liberation Front in Colorado Springs.” Meanwhile, the small group of gay activists was dealing with a community “concerned we were going to bring down the wrath of straight society,” Martinez said. “Our first leaflet was ‘do you think gays are revolting?’ and down at the bottom it said ‘you bet your sweet ass we are.’” Martinez described decades of fighting to unite minority communities that sometimes resisted each others’ concerns. In the late ’70s and early ’80s Martinez moved to Denver and was protesting outside three Denver gay bars accused of racism. “I remember Phil Price was the editor of Out Front at the time and he was terrified that we were out there raising hell because these were his three biggest advertisers,” Martinez said. “So he didn’t want to get involved in reporting on the protests and I had a talk with him and he said when it comes to his pocketbook versus telling the truth, he has to go with his pocketbook. I understood. A lot of us understood the position he was in.” But for Martinez, there was no ambiguity about the right thing to do. “We were radicals — I do not mean extremists, I mean people who go to the root of the problem,” he said. “We came from a generation of radicals, and we were proud to be radicals.”

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

WHEN I THINK OF POWER: I THINK THE ABILITY TO AFFECT CHANGE – AND IN THIS CONTEXT, POSITIVE CHANGE. –Anna Simon, left, with Jeremy and Fran Simon

FOR SIMON FAMILY, ACTIVISM IS A MORAL OBLIGATION FRAN AND ANNA SIMON BECAME FAMILIAR FACES AT COLORADO’S State Capitol hearings three years in a row when Colorado’s Civil Union Act, a bill to establish relationship recognition for same-sex couples, was debated, died three times, and on its fourth incarnation in 2013 finally passed into law. The Simons’ son Jeremy, now 6, got plenty of camera time of his own when he appeared at the microphone at the bill’s hearings in 2013, and at a rally outside the building waved a sign he’d made depicting a drawing of himself and his moms with the handwritten words “please vote yes for my family.” “Putting ourselves in the public eye that way, especially as parents, is not something that you do lightly,” Anna said, “and it does bring with it some risks. But we feel that standing up for what we believe in, fighting for what’s right, is the most important thing that we can teach our son, and that he got to play even a small role in what has been a monumental change in this country is something he can be proud of for the rest of his life.” For the family, standing up for civil unions was a moral obligation. “At our (religious) wedding, eight years ago, we committed ourselves to justice and dedicated ourselves to righteousness and equality for all, and this is just a manifestation of that,” Fran said. “It was important to us as a family to do the work known as ‘tikkun olam,’ to heal the world. We believe that visibility of LGBT people is the primary agent of change in our 28

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society, so we did the work of getting ourselves to the Capitol time and time again, to be there for rallies, speak at rallies, and to do interviews for radio, television and newspaper.” It’s important, Anna said, to participate in what many other families didn’t have the resources to do. “So many people can’t do that work. They have fear of repercussions for being out, or they don’t have flexibility in their work, or they live far away from Denver. Because we were in a unique position to be able to do the work, we felt obligated to do it. We’ve also been very grateful for this opportunity for our community for our community to show their support, that Jeremy knows that he can be proud of his family, and proud of who he is.” Jeremy himself is shy — taking his time warming up to cameras or crowds, fascinated by nature and trees. “All I got to say was, ‘Hi my name is Jeremy, and I’m 6,’” Jeremy said of his testimony, seemingly unaware of the outsized role he played humanizing LGBT families to audiences throughout Colorado. It’s a perfect example of his mothers’ philosophy, that small things can make a big difference. “If there’s something you can do,” Anna said, “even if you think it’s really small — and what we’ve done is really small in the context of everything everyone has done — but all those small parts put together is what makes change happen. So be yourself, be out there, do that even seemingly small thing, because you never know what it might lead to.”

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CHANGE IS ONLY MADE WHEN A COMMUNITY DECIDES THEY ARE POWERFUL TOGETHER. – Daneya Esgar

FOR PUEBLO LEADER, PATIENCE IS NOT A VIRTUE AFTER BACK-TO-BACK DEFEATS AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE, Daneya Esgar couldn’t wait for some of the legal protections the Colorado Civil Union Act would afford her and her friends to become law — Pueblo, the community she was born and raised in, had to take matters into its own collective hands. So after the legislation’s historic death in the 2012 General Assembly, Esgar put together a plan to see same-gender domestic partnership benefits for the city employees in Pueblo. “We started with the county commissioners, but we kept hitting road block after road block,” she said. “So, we decided to try the city. And we started talking with city council members and we had a lot of them on board, but none of them really wanted to dig in and do the work.” She used resources at her day job, the Colorado Progressive Coalition, and worked with a member to write the ordinance themselves. When the document was complete, “we started organizing. We started calling all of our friends and all of our family members asking them to call city council members.” The document was introduced by a friendly council member and passed all the procedural hurdles to reach a final vote in September 2012. But on its final reading a series of missteps led the policy to be tabled “indefinitely.”

Esgar and her coalition were shocked. “No one told us what ‘tabled indefinitely’ meant. I don’t even think some of the city council members understood what that meant.” After the surprising vote, LGBT Puebloans “came together and questioned city council members, why they did what they did, and pushed for it to be on the very next agenda.” It was, and this time, the votes were there. So, before the Colorado Civil Union Act passed in 2013, Pueblo city employees had the ability to claim their domestic partnerships. A year later, Esgar is the president of the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance. The organization produces an annual Pride celebration and queer prom, which hosted more than 100 high school students; a weekly youth group that averages 20 participants a week; and a monthly adult social group for LGBT people and their families. “We have so much energy harnsed in this board,” she said. And while Esgar is out to make Pueblo a better place for LGBT people there, she’s just as eager to make the community at large better. And she’s excited to share the best of her town. “If you have not made it to Pueblo — come and check us out,” Esgar said. “There’s a lot of great things going on and a lot of great people. Come meet us, give me a call. I’ll treat you to a slopper and a red beer and have some fun.”

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

I LOOK AT POWER AS LEADERSHIP. THAT’S HOW YOU’RE GONNA MAKE THE CHANGE. IT’S ABOUT INSPIRING THOSE AROUND YOU. – Milissa Barres, right, with Lori Carter

AGING SERVICE PROVIDER EMBEDDED THEMSELVES IN COMMUNITY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THE LEADERSHIP TEAM OF SHALOM Cares, an umbrella nonprofit organization that provides services to the aging community, including hospice care, started to hear feedback from the aging LGBT community they were fearful of getting health care services for many reasons. “Many people felt it was like going back into the closet,” said Milissa Barres, executive director of Shalom Hospice and Palliative and Home Health Care. “The feedback that we were getting was that there was fear of discrimination. There was a fear of their important relationships not being honored or event acknowledged.” Since then, the team sought education from the LGBT community itself, developed an annual inclusivity training, redeveloped all of its documentation to be inclusive of same-sex relationships and gender variance, and developed partnerships with community organizations like The GLBT Community Center of Colorado and One Colorado. 30

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“You just don’t go out into the community and say ‘we’re here to serve you’ and then not be a part of that community,” Barres said. “We’ve really worked toward building a community.” Shalom Cares has stepped up just as the community needs it. This is the first time in the modern LGBT rights movement that there has been a visible aging community. Previous generations either lived in the closet dying alone without care or too early from AIDS related illnesses. The journey toward true inclusivity has been eye opening, said Lori Carter, executive director and nursing home administrator at Shalom Park. “We’re fortunate, because we’re carrying on what our founding fathers stated which was ‘caring for all.’ And we say that and we actually want to do that,” Carter said. “The whole education piece — we thought we were being open to all, but we really embraced that and expanded our knowledge.”

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POWER IS TAKING CHARGE OF YOUR OWN FUTURE. – Kathryn Mathis, right, with Jeremy and Coy, center

AN ACT OF FAMILY SETS STATEWIDE PRECEDENCE WHEN KATHRYN MATHIS FIRST LEARNED OUT FRONT HAD selected her family to be honored at the Power Party, she thanked the staff and coolly replied, the family just wanted to do whatever it took to make Coy’s life better. Coy Mathis was assigned a male gender at birth, but by time she was 5 years old, it was evident to her parents Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis that Coy was in fact female. “We had been trying to keep her transition mostly at home,” Kathryn said in an earlier interview with Out Front. But, after a few months in school, “we found that it just really wasn’t working out. It was just causing her a lot of anxiety and stress not having the people in her school know who she really was.” The loving, outgoing and joyful child was miserable. So, the family scheduled a meeting with Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain to discuss their daughter’s transition. At first, the reception was “wonderful,” but it was short lived. 32

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Last December the school told the Mathis family Coy could no longer use the girls’ restroom and she would need to use a private one reserved for faculty and staff. The family met with the school’s administration, but they were unwavering. The family immediately withdrew Coy and began home schooling her. They also filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division, the organization that enforces the state’s nondiscrimination policies. Earlier this summer, the state ruled in favor of Coy. A landmark ruling: the school created a hostile environment for the 6-year-old and actively discriminated against her. And now the rest of the state’s schools are on notice. “Colorado has shown, once again, it supports equal rights for the transgender community,” Krista Whipple, the president of the Gender Identity Center of Colorado said at a press conference announcing the ruling. “Now we can tell all of our children they don’t have to be afraid of who they are.”

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5 tips to find your civil union legal expert DO YOU HAVE A LEGAL QUESTION? CONTACT ONE OUR TRUSTED PARTNERS LISTED HERE

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[ EAST ]

AS LGBT COLORADANS COME TO understand all of the new rights and responsibilities associated with civil unions, it would be wise to consider a lawyer who can help you navigate the complicated process of establishing and dissolving a union. But how do you know which lawyer is right for you? “Historically, it was tough to find attorneys who were LGBT friendly,” said Mindy Barton, Legal Director at The GLBT Community Center of Colorado. “Part of the reason our Legal Helpline originally started was to connect LGBT community members with attorneys who understood the unique issues that impact our community.” Now, as Barton pointed out, “there are more and more attorneys who are directly advertising to the LGBT community as being knowledgeable and sensitive to these issues.” But no one seeking legal help — either for a civil union or some other opportunity — should walk blindly into a lawyers office. Here are a few tips from Barton and other sources on how to be proactive in seeking out an attorney’s help. 1. Use trusted resources for referrals Whether it’s a referral from a friend or Out Front’s legal directory, it’s important to ask around. The Center’s Legal and Advocacy Program may also be able to refer you. Gathering as many referrals as possible will help you with the second step. 2. Shop around Barton suggested anyone looking for

legal help should speak with at least three attorneys before making a choice. “It is worth the time to find the right attorney for you, your family and ensuring your future,” she said. 3. Do your homework If you’re looking for legal help regarding your relationship, do a scan of recent news items that deal explicitly with the Colorado civil union laws and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on DOMA. While you don’t need to be an expert, find enough information to have a discussion with your lawyers about how the laws interact.

[ BOULDER ]

4. Ask Question, a lot of questions Before your meet with your lawyer, right down a list of any and all questions you may have. Consider your current lifestyle: are you a parent? Are you considering starting a relationship with someone who is a parent? Are you a military veteran? How do you want to handle your personal and shared wealth and real estate? 5. Discuss budget Don’t leave without understanding exact nature of your financial relationship with your lawyer. Lawyers are an excellent resource of information and can provide a peace of mind. A trusted lawyers may work with you to help you understand a working knowledge of the legal principles and procedures you’ll need to handle your problem at least partly on your own. Be sure to discuss payment plans and all financial options.

[ NORTH ]

Over 25 years of experience

1 SPACE REMAINING

· Family Law · Civil Union Dissolutions · Pre-Union Agreements Call today to speak to an attorney 303-331-1700 • 1725 Gaylord St., Denver BlochChapleau.com

[ WEST ]

Comprehensive Legal Solutions. Exceptional Personalized Service. Pearson & Paris P.C. offers solutions that meet the specific needs of individuals and businesses

303-872-4719 • 888-725-2609 rockymountain-law.com

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

How to eat like a Power player

Little Dragon 1305 Krameria Street, G Denver • 303-322-2128 LittleDragonDenver.com

With the Power Party fast approaching and seats selling out, we must accept the fact that not everyone is going to be able to join us for our night of recognition, delicious food and hilarious entertainment. So with that in mind, we got in touch with our chef of the night, Sean O’Grady, for the low down on the menu — so even if you can’t be a Power Party attendee, you can at least eat like one.

Hamburger Mary’s 700 East 17th Avenue Denver • 303-832-1333 HamburgerMarys.com/denver

Parallel Seventeen 1600 East 17th Ave. Denver • 303-399-0988 ParallelSeventeen.com

DJ’s 9th Avenue Cafe DJ’s 9th Avenue Cafe 865 Lincoln St. Denver • 303-386-3375 DjsCafe.biz/.com

The Melting Pot 2707 W. Main St. Littleton • (303)-794-5666 MeltingPot.com

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MAIN COURSE: Prosciutto-wrapped chicken breast - 24 ounces of chicken breast, trimmed (4 pieces total) - 4 slices Prosciutto - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme - Kosher salt and ground black pepper - 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1. On a cutting board, lay one slice of prosciutto and place the chicken in the center. Sprinkle with some thyme, kosher salt and ground black pepper. Wrap the prosciutto around the chicken breast. Repeat for the other four chicken breasts. 2. Pre-heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add olive oil and two of the chicken breasts (prosciutto seam side down). Cook for six to seven minutes or until chicken breasts reach 165 degrees inside. Repeat for the remaining two chicken breasts. SIDE: White cheddar mashed potatoes - 24 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes (peeled and cubed) - 1 cup half & half - 5 tablespoons butter - White cheddar cheese, shredded (room temperature) - Kosher salt - Ground white pepper 1. Put the potatoes in a large pot with cold water. Add two tablespoons of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes fall apart with a fork. 2. Bring half & half and butter to a simmer. Reduce heat and keep warm. 3. Drain cooked potatoes and let dry for five minutes. 4. Put the potatoes and hot cream/butter in a mixer. Using a paddle attachment, mix for 30 seconds on low speed. Add cheese and OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

mix for another 30 seconds to one minute on medium speed to thoroughly mix the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix for another 30 seconds. SIDE: Sautéed asparagus - 24 ounces fresh asparagus, trimmed - 1 garlic clove, chopped - 2 tablespoons olive oil - 3 tablespoons kosher salt 1. Fill a large bowl or container halfway with ice. Bring another pot of water to a rolling boil. Add two tablespoons salt. Add the asparagus to the boiling water for 20 seconds. Remove and immediately place in the ice bath. Once cooled, remove from the ice bath and place on a paper towel-lined plate to dry. 2. Heat a Sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add half of the olive oil, asparagus and garlic. Sauté until the asparagus is heated thoroughly and seared on the outside. Repeat for the remaining half of asparagus. SIDE: Lemon beurre blanc - 2 tablespoons lemon juice - 4 tablespoons dry white wine - 2 shallots, finely chopped - 2 teaspoons olive oil - 1 cup cold butter, cut into 16 cubes 1. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, add olive oil and shallots. Sauté until the shallots barely begin to brown. Add the wine and lemon juice. Cook for about four minutes, or until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove the pan from heat. 2. Whisk the butter one cube at a time into the sauce, allowing each piece to fully dissolve before adding the next. Strain out the shallots if desired. Season the beurre blanc sauce with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

“...Best Happy Hour” - 5280 magazine “Don’t forget the divine brunch at p17” - Gabby

Dont forget Tuesday is $15.00 Liters of House Margarita Gold!

Not all green chili is created equal. Come in and get your Benny’s fix. 301 EAST 7TH AVE. • 303 894 0788 BENNYSRESTAURANT.COM

FUN AFFORDABLE DELICIOUS

Bottomless brunch, mimosas, bloody mary’s, draft beers & pho m-f 11am - 3pm | s&s 9am - 3pm happy hour seven days a week, 3pm - 6pm

1600 East 17th Avenue | 303.399.0988 | www.parallelseventeen.com OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

OCTOBER 2, 2013

HIGH SOCIETY

Sister Act

Sept. 24 - Oct. 6 Curtis & 14th • Denver r DenverCenter.org

Margaret Cho is your mother COMEDIAN, GAY ICON TO VISIT DENVER

The Full Monty

Sept. 6 - Nov. 9 5501 Arapahoe Ave. • Boulder r bouldersdinnertheatre.com

made as famous as herself in previous tours. “My mother did not prepare me for the world. First, I was named the poetic Korean name ‘Moran’ which was perfect for the kids at school to call me ‘moron’ and set me up for a good quarter century of therapy,” she said in a media release announcing her tour. “However, I can clean a fish with my bare hands. So there are pros and cons of being from an Asian immigrant family.” It’s that kind of brutal honesty and human frailty that has made Cho famous, and might be why her comedy has resonated with gay audiences so well. “You have to come to understand a truth that we’re all just human beings,” she said, “And sometimes we’re just gonna shit our pants — sometimes.”

By Nic Garcia

Handsome Little Devils Oct. 16 - Oct. 20

10075 Commons Street, Lone Tree CO. 80124 Lone Tree • r lonetreeartscenter.org

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels Sept. 13 – Oct. 13 2450 W Main St. • Littleton r townhallartscenter.com

Margaret Cho at Paramount Theatre • Oct. 18

Y Margaret Cho no longer considers herself a fag hag. The gay icon has, she says, transcended the semi-controversial, semi-revered label to a new one: mother. No, she hasn’t produced offspring, but she has been a part of the movement long enough and adopted enough gay men to consider herself one. “If you’re around long enough, that’s what happens. You become a mother to all these gay men,” Cho told Out Front while discussing her upcoming tour that stops in Denver Oct. 18 at the Paramount Theatre. “It’s a gratifying thing — but a role that’s never been explored.” Cho’s tour, appropriately titled “Mother,” will also explore her relationship with her own mom SeungHoon Cho, who Cho has

OCTOBER 2, 2013

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Margaret Cho’s “Mother” 8 p.m. • Oct. 18, 2013 Paramount Theatre Tickets at ticketmaster.com

Margaret Cho has never been afraid to share political views.

ON OBAMA “It’s a hard job,” she said, seemingly cutting the Democrat slack she might not have afforded a Republican. “There’s so much opinion and information out there about what he’s doing. I support him. I still think he’s doing an amazing job. But people are going to be disappointed.”

Oct. 12 Boettcher Concert Hall • 1000 14th St. Denver • r www.coloradosymphony.org

If you go

“Everyone should have an opinion,” she said, “and exercise it.”

ON HILLARY CLINTON IN 2016 “I want her to run. I think she will.”

Wicked Divas

While Margaret Cho considers herself a mother to gay men, and has her own biological mother, that hasn’t stopped her from adopting other mother figures. Here are a few women she respects as a mother figure: Joan Rivers Whoopi Goldberg Kathy Griffin Hillary Clinton

POLITICAL ANIMAL During President George W. Bush’s administration the comedian developed an entire tour around Bush, the wars and what she saw as an escalating police state. Cho shared some of her current thoughts with Out Front.

1621 Glenarm Place • Denver r www.paramountdenver.com

MOTHER FIGURES

ON VOTING Cho said her parents, who are naturalized citizens, never believed they had the right to vote. So, she takes the right very seriously, and worked in 2008 and 2012 to get out the vote for Barack Obama. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

ON WHAT’S NEXT WITH LGBT RIGHTS As the march for marriage equality continues to move forward, Cho said she believes many issues are being missed, especially at the state level. “There are still a lot of anti-sodomy laws, while unenforced, are still on the books.” She said states need to do a better job of extending rights to gay parents and LGBT people in the workforce.

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

CAFE VIVID

10/4 :: IT’S A PINK AFFAIR AT FIRST FRIDAY There’s something for every lady at this month’s First Friday. First, The Voice’s Vicci Martinez will perform live. In addition, there will be a “Pink Wedding Party” and for those single ladies: speed dating in the Absolut Lounge. The largest monthly women’s party in the nation starts at 6 p.m. at Tracks, 3500 Walnut Street. Cover starts at $5.

10/4 :: TAKE A STROLL DOWN ‘AVENUE Q’ WITH IGNITE THEATRE The adult laugh-out-loud puppet musical (that’s a mouthful) is back. Playing at 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays through Nov. 3, the Ignite Theatre company will stage this performance at the Aurora Fox Theatre at 9900 E. Colfax Ave., in Aurora. Tickets for adults are $28. There will also be two Thursday performances — Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, both at 7:30 p.m.

10/12 :: CELEBRATE FALL — AND TAG — IN CONGRESS PARK TAG Burger Bar, 1222 Madison St., will celebrate it’s first anniversary in Congress Park neighborhood with handcrafted burgers, beers and fun for the entire family. The festivities, which start at noon, include games, fortune tellers, a bounce house and pumpkin painting. Proceeds from the event will benefit Teller Elementary School.

10/12 :: GALA TO SUPPORT BREAST CANCER PATIENTS Many survivors of breast cancer have been forced to stop work due to illness. But instead of having to choose between the mortgage and health insurance, Sense of Security, a Colorado-based nonprofit, has helped more than 960 breast cancer patients with financial assistance for monthly bills and basic household expenses. And this month the organization will host a Champagne and Diamonds Gala to help raise more funds to continue its mission. Tickets to the Gala are $125 at blacktie-colorado.com. r For more information visit senseofsecurity.org.

TO VIEW MORE EVENTS AND TO SHARE YOUR OWN VISIT OFCNOW.CO/CAL

OCTOBER 2, 2013

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

WEEKLY SPECIALS FROM OUT FRONT’S LGBT INCLUSIVE BAR PARTNERS.

e Aqua Lounge – Facebook.com/Aqua.Denver Tuesdays: Mile Hi Bullseye Dart League. Open play and free darts at 10 p.m., league play at 7 p.m. Wednesdays: Wet Wednesday Dance party with DJ Tatiana and GoGo Dancers; 75 cent beers, $2 wells, $4 Absolut. Thursdays: Karaoke hosted by Dave Myers at 8 p.m.; half-price bar from 8-9 p.m. e Black Crown– BlackCrownLounge.com DAILY HAPPY HOUR: 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Mondays: 1/2 price select bottles of wine Sundays: Martinis and Misbehavin’ with Cora Vette and $8 Kettle One martinis e Blush & Blu – BlushBluBar.com DAILY HAPPY HOUR: $3 wells, vino, domestics, lattes; $1.50 PBR’s; $4 shots of Fireball 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays: Karaoke at 9 p.m. Sundays: Molly’s famous $4 Bloody’s e BoyzTown – BoyzTownDenver.com DAILY HAPPY HOUR: MondayThursday: 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays–Thursdays: Absolut $4.50 “U Call” Fridays & Sundays: Stoli $4.50 “U Call” Fridays–Sundays: 3Olives $4.50 “U Call” e Compound Basix – CompoundDenver.com DAILY HAPPY HOUR: 5 p.m. – 8 p.m., $2.50 wells, $3 domestic longnecks, $2 off calls FRIDAY & SATURDAY DANCE PARTIES: $2 wells, 9 p.m. to 11 p.m.; $4 JagerBombs all night long BEER BUSTS: Fridays – Sundays 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., $8. e Charlie’s – CharliesDenver.com DAILY BEER SPECIAL: $4 for a 32 oz. domestic pitcher and $8 for a premium pitcher Thursdays: 1/2 price night. Fridays: $10 Buddy Beer Bust, 5 p.m. $3 Absolut, 9 p.m. 40

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Saturdays: $5 Beer Bust, 2 p.m. Sunday: Drag show, 9 p.m. e El Potrero – Facebook.com/el.potrero.180 No cover on Wednesdays and Fridays. Wednesdays: Drag Wednesdays with 2-for-1 beers, $3 rum, and vodka specials, $2 drafts Fridays: Go-Go Fridays with $2 rum and vodka specials, $2 drafts, $5 Jose Cuervo, $15 beer buckets and $5 Jager shots e Li’l Devils – LilDevilsLounge.com Wednesdays: $4 22-ounces tanks of your choice. Sundays: Trivia Night. Compete for free drinks and bar tabs, starting at 7:30 p.m., $3 Smirnoff. e Lipstick Nightclub – lipstick.us.com HOURS OF OPERATION: 8 p.m. to 2 a.m., Wednesday through Sunday. Visit website for specials. e Tracks – TracksDenver.com Thursdays: Superstar Night, 18 + dance party; Cover: 18-20 $10, 21+ $5 after 10 p.m. Saturdays: Elevated Saturdays; 2-for-1 drinks between 9 p.m. -10 p.m.; No cover before 10 p.m. e Wrangler – DenverWrangler.com Wednesdays: Geeks who Drink Pub Trivia 8 p.m., $2 house vodka, Bud and Coors pints Saturdays: $3 Svedka 2nd Saturday SWEET, 5th Saturday RETRO SWEET! Sundays: $8 Legendary Beer Bust (4-8 p.m.) e X Bar – XBarDenver.com Monday–Saturday: BOGO happy hour 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Sunday: $5 lemonade buckets all day FOR TWITTER UPDATES AND INTERACTIVE MAP GO TO OFCNOW. CO/BTAB

4501 E Virginia Ave Denver, Colorado 80246 • (303) 388-8889 www.facebook.com/elpotreroclub

1446 S. Broadway Denver, CO 80210 720.353.4701

Sponsored by Tuaca A. Aqua Lounge B. Black Crown C. blush & blu D. BoyzTown E. Charlies F. El Potrero

G. Li’l Devils H. Lipstick I. Compound Basix J. Tracks K. Wrangler

989 SHERIDAN BLVD LIPSTICK.US.COM E

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

RADIOACTIVE VISION

Art is in the demon eye of the beholder I call myself an artist. I was always creative as a child. My mud pies were to die for. My sidewalk chalk creations were the envy of Sotheby’s. I graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute and now work by day as a creative director.

OCTOBER 2, 2013

shade of blue. It’s a dark, dirty, nasty blue. And by night I have become my own The kind of blue that babies turn when canvas, painting my face to perform at drag their heads get stuck in recalled cribs. shows and charity events. Sometimes the When you see that kind of blue, it’s paint goes on a little too thick. I put the La never a good sign. Brea Tar Pits to shame. If you excavate deep And it has red eyes. Not just red eyes. enough, you will find the bones of past boyRed eyes that glow at night like a demon. friends, bless their hearts. And those eyes, they follow you. You cannot So I know a thing or two about art. And I escape their evil gaze. like most art. Most art. It’s not just a blue horse with demon eyes But there are two pieces of art in Denver galloping through a field. No, it’s reared up, that really make my skin crawl. like it’s about to kick your ass straight into One of these prances along Speer BouNuclia Waste the depths of hell. And, well, that’s pretty levard. I call them the dancing Gumbies — those big white dorky stick figures that tower more than much what it did to its artist creator, Luiz Jimenez. For 60 feet tall. Bigger is sometimes better, but blowing up 14 years, he worked on that horse. Fourteen years of his a couple of aliens to the size of King Kong was probably life slaving away on a 32-foot tall stallion, complete with not the best idea. Their official name is “Dancers.” If you genitalia. Yes, if the red eyes don’t freak you enough, the ever see me dancing like that at the club, please shoot blue balls certainly will. Then one day the sculpture, already reared up, comes me. They say the statues have music the wafts up from beneath them. I would have no idea about that. There’s crashing right down on him, killing him dead. Now, anyone in his or her right mine would say, “Bad omen, honey. Time no way I am getting close to those things. It takes two people to produce a great work of art. to put that horse down. Let’s search for a new sculpture.” But, no. They just pick that horse up, drag the dead One person to make the art. And another person to artist away and put that horse on display for every shoot the artist when they are done. But what happens when it’s the other way around? person about to risk their life on a plane to see. Flying can be scary enough. But to see a demon What if the art kills the artist before it’s done? Sounds blue horse right before you are getting on a plane, a like some bad voodoo, if you ask me. And that is just one reason why I abhor the demonic demon horse that killed the artist that made it…that’s blue horse out at Denver International Airport. I cringe some bad juju. Bad art, bad, bad, bad art. in horror and fright every time I see it. It’s not a pretty

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ON THE SCENE

e A Farewell to Brad Clark REDLINE x

Sept. 24 photos by Charles Broshous The staff of One Colorado, friends, members of the LGBT community and allies gathered at Redline Denver on Sept. 24 to bid a fond farewell to Brad Clark. Clark, the former executive director of One Colorado has accepted an offer from the Human Rights Campaign to become their director of programmatic development in Washington, D.C. His replacement has yet to be named.

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

ON THE SCENE

e An evening at Barker Lounge BARKER LOUNGE x Sept. 20 photos by Charles Broshous A loyal group of patrons made their way to the Barker Lounge Sept. 20 to sip some suds, enjoy a tamale and socialize. The lounge, located at 475 Sante De Drive is dog friendly. It has a pool table, dart boards and a large outdoor patio. The Barker is a great place to spend some quality time with your canine companion or enjoy a cold beverage while watching the game.

OCTOBER 2, 2013

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

INTERVIEW

Hitting the dance floor with DJ Stone was really in shock when I was named the winner. Even a month later, I don’t feel like it’s quite sunk in completely.

By Kristin Ziegler

w DJ STONE

calls himself a redneck DJ with cautious pride. The term may be divisive, he admits, but the sets he spins are anything but. Mixing a little bit of everything from pop to electronica to R&B and beyond, the Denver-via-Alabama DJ’s southern charm and urban sensibilities have made him a hit on Charlie’s dance floor. Stone, who just won the title of “Denver’s Ultimate DJ 2013,” talks about Colorado’s ever-burgeoning dance and music scene, which tracks sizzled on the floor this summer and his loyalty to Denver’s LGBT bars and clubs. KRISTIN ZIEGLER: Congratulations on your recent win in the 2013 Denver’s Ultimate DJ Battle! DJ STONE: I had such a blast! It was so amazing battling such amazing new and seasoned talent. I was so nervous going into the competition, and even more so when found out I was a finalist! I

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The contest was at Charlie’s, your DJ “home base,” so to speak. What landed you at this bar? It really happened by chance. I had just moved back to Colorado in 2011 and was working at a local tanning salon in Denver. One of my friends told me that Charlie’s had a DJ position available out of the blue and threw my name in the ring. I went down and applied formally and got the job. The rest is history. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to be their resident party DJ. What inspired you to become a DJ? I’ve always had a love for music since I was old enough to speak. When I reached the age of 16, living in Alabama, I discovered the eclectic world of dance and electronica. I had heard numerous recordings of big name DJs — spent a good chunk of my money on them as well — and thought, This is what I want to do! I want to mix music, make the crowd dance, feel the bass and

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create a party! Well, that didn’t happen until I was about 19 and started mixing digitally on my own. I did that for several years, releasing demo albums to friends and family, but never lost the desire to do it live. I thought, I want to do this live. I have to do this live! I got the opportunity doing a few private parties for high schoolers in Alabama when I was about 27, which was nice, but not what I had in mind. When I moved back to Colorado and got the opportunity at Charlie’s — that was my first club gig. It was exactly what I thought it would be, and I haven’t looked back! Rolling Stone recently ranked Beta the best dance club in the nation, with a couple of other Colorado venues also placing on the list. With so many great places for music around the state, are there any other local venues you’d like to play? All of them! That would be really cool, but a few places really stick out. I would love to DJ at Tracks at least one night. I’ve always enjoyed hearing the DJs spin there. Beta is another one. Who wouldn’t want to play at the best dance club in the nation? I’d always remain faithful to my home base, but there’s something exciting about getting a gig at other venues. Have you DJed any straight bars or clubs? Is playing at an LGBT venue something that is particularly important to you? I can’t say I’ve ever done a straight bar. Granted, the high school parties I did back in my hometown were straight, so to speak. I can’t say I would never play at a straight club, but I would always come back to my GLBT brothers and sisters. I support my community wholeheartedly, but I think it’s important to promote myself and my community outside of the comfort zone! Which DJs, local or international, inspire you? Wow! There’s a lot of them! DJ Flowers, Tony Moran, Chris Cox, R3hab, Ranny, Country Club Martini Crew, Joe Gauthreaux, Trypsin, Altar, Dave Aude, Eddie Baez, Sinna-G, DJ Pornstar, Rogerio Lima, Hector Fonseca, I mean... I could go on for a long time with this list! A lot of major artists are releasing new albums this fall, including Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and the critics’ darling, Janelle Monae. Are there any upcoming tracks that you’ve heard and love or are anticipating hearing? I’ve been very intrigued by Gaga’s technically unreleased “Aura” It’s just very mysterious. I’m excited to hear what Jessie J is going to put on the table — I love her! Based on your own audience’s reactions, what would you say was the hottest track of Summer 2013? “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke. Not just the track, but the whole album. It’s dirty, it’s raunchy, it’s sexy and the crowd loves it! When you spin, what are you hoping your audience is feeling and experiencing? It really depends on what I’m spinning. However, I really feed off what they’re experiencing. I see what they’re responding to, what they’re feeling, and go from there. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

FASHION

— Y N N I A Y G A G IS NEW DRO

D L O S ’ T WHA

ANDROGYNY IS A WORD

A QUEER HISTORY OF FASHION:

being used more frequently in fashion, particularly as it relates to how women see their style. But this is not a new concept. Each generation has found its own ways of challenging gender norms. Throughout, it has been the queer community in each generation leading the way. Most recently, fashion in the ’70s and early ’80s was very gender neutral — if not flamboyant. This is the era of David Bowie, Grace Jones, Freddy Mercury, Rod Stewart and Elton John. Men, gay and straight, wore platform shoes and shiny spandex. And women wore bellbottom jeans, button downs and blazers. All the while, androgyny, gender bending and other influences by the LGBT community to fashion go back even further than the modern era. And the Queer History of Fashion exhibit at the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City explores that. The exhibit, which runs until Jan. 4, takes you through fashion history

From the Closet to the Catwalk

The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology September 13, 2013 – January 4, 2014 courtesy of The Museum at FIT.

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enter

-Carp

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and the influences the queer community has had on society. You’ll learn lesbians have been known throughout history as the ones traditionally pushing the gender edges with their day-to-day fashion. History shows women who didn’t want to subscribe to clothing that fit the gender norms created their own versions. This isn’t about high fashion — this is about everyday fashion being more reflective of sexuality, political views and practical use. These examples throughout history come from all directions of the queer spectrum. And this time in fashion is no different. Just a few miles away from the museum, a queer fashion show hosted by Drapper Q and DJ Whitney Day in Brooklyn, was a celebration of queer designers pushing gender edges with fashion. In fact, one of the designers featured a clothing line titled “Androgyny.” The fashion perspective this show focused on was predominantly women wearing clothes that mimic men’s clothes — a butch spin on men’s clothes mimicking what women of the 19th Century wore. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

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OCTOBER 2, 2013

METRO LIFE

Fall into an organized home 5 TO-DOS FOR A CLEAN HOME YOU CAN CHECK OFF IN A WEEKEND By Nicholas Ferguson It seems like just yesterday we were breaking out our swimsuits for pool season. Now fall is just around the corner, and it’s time to bust out the sweaters and hot toddies. Just because it is cold outside, doesn’t mean the party has to stop. With just a few weeks left before the autumn chill sets in, now is the time to start organizing your home for fall and winter. IT’S TIME TO CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET Do your closets look like you have been “storing up for winter?” While you were busy lounging by the pool, your closet has been feeling neglected. Make room for those new winter boots by purging items you have not worn for the last two seasons, and storing summer clothes. Most people only actively wear 20 percent of the clothes in their closet. Something fabulous happens when you remove the clutter, you start creating stylish looks with fewer clothes!

OCTOBER 2, 2013

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PREPARE FOR MOVIE NIGHTS NOW Stock up your pantry with your favorite popcorn, hot cocoa, cider, rum and peppermint schnapps. Take the extra pillows and blankets out of storage, and find a basket to leave these items out. Go buy a new pair of warm pajamas, as you may find yourself snowed in a few times this winter. Take the time to prepare now before the snow, and you will thank yourself later. CORRAL LOOSE ITEMS ON A TRAY Trays are an easy and elegant way to quickly organize your home. If you have an abundance of products on the counter in the bathroom, place all of these items on a tray to help create the illusion of organization. CREATE A DEDICATED ENTRY AND EXIT POINT The first time it snows, you will be franticly searching for your gloves, ice scraper, scarf and coat. Then when you get home, you will often have muddy boots and an array of winter garments to take off. Use baskets, hooks and storage bins at the entry of your home to create an entry and exit zone for your home. CLEAN UP YOUR HOME OFFICE Before you clean a single item off the desk or floor, remember that you need to have somewhere to put all that stuff. Create a place for an inbox, current projects, and items that need to be filed. You may find yourself working from home more this winter, and an organized place to work makes for a productive day!

BIG TOYS

Who’s Zoomin’ Who? SLIDING THE ‘SPORT’ BACK INTO SPORTS CAR By Jonathan McGrew Y IT’S HARD TO TELL WHETHER consumers are clamoring for sportier cars or if the advancement in technology and safety are driving the trend. Perhaps it is the pop culture of today’s generation that seems to be calling for the resurgence of sex appeal. It reminds me of the Aretha Franklin song, “Who’s Zoomin’ Who.” Many may think a sports car is a two-door coupe or convertible, but many car companies have been offering their audience something sporty that also has functionality — four doors. These sporty sedans, like our recent 2014 Mazda6, are redefining what it means to be able to carry passengers while still experiencing the passion of driving a sports car. On the other hand, the more traditional view is the seemingly fleeting two-door sports coupe. The 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe is placed squarely in this category, yet you might find it difficult to name a competitor other than the Nissan 370Z and Scion FR-S. So who’s being fooled here? Do we really enjoy sports sedans or are these vehicles only trying to fill the yearning for a sports coupe? To answer this we first look at the all-new Mazda6.

The original Mazda6 took a good, reliable four- tiful as sports inspired sedans. However, you do door sedan and gave it sportier personality. By have competitors to the Genesis Coupe such as the second generation, the outgoing 2013, it had the Nissan 370Z, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ. If bloated and become more reserved. For 2014, the you wanted to push it you could even include the sport sedan or the true “Zoom-Zoom” seems to Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet be back with aggressive KODO “Soul of Motion” Camaro—but truly those aren’t in the same spirit in my opinion. design and what Mazda calls “spunk.” The 2013 Hyundai Genesis Track answers Indeed, the Mazda6 styling is an improvement in my opinion over the second generation. the call of the true sports car enthusiasts. It has a track-tuned suspenAdd the performance sion, upgraded antiroll and technology of the bars and a six speed SKYACTIV body, chassis, manual transmission engine and transmiswith aluminum pedals. sion and what you have Under the hood you is a real dynamic driving will find a 3.8-liter V6 experience. With the engine that puts out an value of a price tag just impressive 348-hp and under $31,000 and you will still achieve and will find it loaded up EPA combined rating of with TomTom naviga21 mpg. A far cry differtion, satellite radio, Hyundai Genesis Coupe ent from the Mazda6’s leather, memory driver 184-hp and 30 mpg combined rating. seat, heated front seats, sunroof and more. In the end the Genesis Coupe Track will set If the 4-door is quite the coupe, then where does the 2013 Hyundai Genesis Track fit in? I you back closer to $34,000 and will be limiting wondered this too since the selection of tradi- you to carrying four people, but only if they are tionally designed two-door coupes is not as plen- under 5 feet, 2 inches.

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AESTHETIC

Job opening: ugly need not apply

Beautiful.com homepage

By Kelsey Lindsey WE’VE ALL HAD THE USUAL POSTinterview jitters. Waiting in the quiet sitting room after arriving the discretionary five minutes early, you run through a mental list of all your credentials and past experiences you’ll need to bring up to impress. This may include your five years experience with sales, leadership potential and that clever antidote where you single-handedly saved a marketing project from going under. One qualification that you’ve forgot to list? According to BeautifulPeople.com, that would be your level of attractiveness — the length of your legs and the whiteness of your smile. This June, the dating site BeautifulPeople.com — where applicants are judged on their looks before they are allowed to set up a profile — announced that they would be adding a job listing service to their website. Here, employers are allowed to freely advertise to the 750,000 “pretty people” that are members of the site to fill open positions, from a music festival video jockey to multiple sale representative listings. Jobs have been posted from all over the world, perhaps offering us a glimmer of hope in the fact that other nationalities share our narcissistic beauty-worshiping. Besides the obvious “What the hell?” the new business strategy of BeautifulPeople.com had me questioning the effectiveness, and the legality, of this hiring trend. Unfortunately, hiring people based on looks seems to be completely legal in most states. While DC, Santa Cruz, and San Francisco have laws addressing this issue, the federal government has no regulation forbidding hiring discrimination based on attractiveness. While a few cases of look discrimination have been 52

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brought up in court, it is still a hazy legal battlefield with no set precedent or federal policy. This leads to my first question, one that ponders the effectiveness of a hiring practice based solely on looks. Bypassing an immaculate resume for a pretty headshot may work for some professions, and I agree that some roles might even require it (models, exotic dancers, those girls driving the Red Bull car around, etc.). But degree-holding positions requiring analytical and qualified skill sets? While some pretty people can go through life believing that a bat of their eyelashes and a suggestive wink may be all the qualifications they need to get ahead in their personal life, I believe (and hope) that this reliance would not translate to the professional realm. Sure their looks may help them bypass the lines at clubs, but negotiating a merger or performing neurosurgery? Something tells me that the men and women behind these jobs are looking more at their notes and research than a mirror before they enter a high-stakes situation. With this in mind, I am not too worried about the addition of BeautifulPeople.com to the job market. Employers will attract who they want to attract, even without this database of “lookers,” as they have done for years before. It all comes down their definition of hiring qualifications and experience. When law schools require your waist size on their applications, that‘s when I’ll start to worry. Kelsey Lindsey is Out Front’s beauty columnist writing from an affirming perspective on being your best you. r See more beauty columns at ofcnow.co/beauty or contact Kelsea at kelsey@outfrontonline.com.

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From the April 3 and March 20, 1981, issues of Out Front

BAC K I N T H E DAY U

Original printed articles

WHEN A COMPANY REVOKES BENEFITS for LGBT employees or a politician endorses marriage equality, Out Frontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s readers, writers and guest columnists generally come down on the same side of the issue. Yet, while most LGBT people drift toward shared ideals on those topics that affect us all similarly, our community contains people of every background and interest, with divided opinions on everything else. Before the Internet allowed real-time debates in comment fields and Facebook threads, debates played out in LGBT print publications. Each issue of Out Front hosted substantial section for letters from readers with challenging and sometimes passionate opinions, taking aim at previous letters, community organizations, and often Out Front itself. In the early 1980s, a flurry of letters that continued for months accused local gay bars and the community in general of racial discrimination. Coverage soon spread into local news briefs about the new black and Latino protest groups formed to desegregate gay hangouts. When social places are fragmented, as they were, spaces to discuss disagreements are what creates and maintains the existence of a broader community. While Out Frontâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff certainly had their own private opinions, not all readers agreed with the publication staying officially neutral; others wrote positive reviews of the establishments in question, and still others were upset with the way that Out Front was covering the stories, sending letters of complaint. Out Front printed those, too. 56

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BACK IN MY DAY

Got a story, memory or reflection to share from way back when? Let us know about it. Email backinmyday@ outfront online.com with a story to have it considered for print!

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ON THE SCENE

e Exile Fetish Ball EXDO x Sept. 21 photos by Charles Broshous The second annual Exile fetish ball was held at the EXDO Event Center Sept. 21. The event, sponsored by Lokusdor Productions was a showcase for local talent to come together and celebrate the kink and fetish lifestyle. It featured fetish demonstrations, dancing, live musicians, visual artists, designers and other venders. Proceeds from the ball benefited Leather Magick, the National Coalition for Sexual Freedom, the Leather Archives & Museum, the Denver boys of Leather and the Mr. Leather Colorado Foundation.

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ON THE SCENE

e Rooftop Happy Hour GLBT COMMUNITY CENTER x

Sept. 20

photos by Charles Broshous The GLBT Community Center of Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 1301 Rooftop Happy Hour Series concluded at the Center Sept. 20. More than 200 people packed the spectacular rooftop patio to enjoy a few drinks, some snacks, the musical stylings of DJ Gary Givant and a little shmoozing. The event generally features Coors Light, Smirnoff, Bulleit Bourbon, Chipotle, Pop Chips and VUKA energy drinks. The rooftop patio series is held the third Friday of May, July, August and September. (In June they host a different party called PrideFest.)

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SEXUALITY

ASK THE SEXPERT

Shaping your sexual vocabularies

Seven Sapphic stereotypes DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT WHAT LESBIANS LOVE By Berlin Sylvestre Y STEREOTYPES EXIST BECAUSE OF observations that somebody, somewhere, made. Yes, some gay men have appeared to dress nicer than their hetero counterparts. Yes, straight women are makeup retailers’ bread and butter. But the thing about stereotypes is that there are always exceptions, yet they’re used as shortcuts around finding out what’s really true about someone. I’ve heard my fair share of notions about lesbians and there are many that some of us — if not most — find laughable. Here are a few. WE FALL IN LOVE TOO FAST. You know the joke — What does a lesbian bring on the second date? A U-Haul! I wish that wisecrack would die already. All categories of human beings are capable (and guilty) of jumping into relationships before assessing compatibility. That mess happens to every group. In truth, some of the Sapphic can be a picky bunch who also write off other women for the simplest things, just like anyone else. WE HAVE ‘PENIS ENVY.’ Would I love being able to pee standing up? Hell yeah. Do I think weenies are neat? I do! But as a penis-less human, am I bitter about what I have? Pssh — I don’t think trading the 8,000 nerve endings we enjoy down there for the roughly 4,000 nerve endings that guys have would be a good call. Do gay guys get jealous that they don’t have boobs? Maybe some, but they’re probably the exception, too. FISTING IS THE NORM. It wasn’t until a road trip with a group of straight guys that I was privy to this gem: “Lesbians LOVE fisting! Why don’t you know that, Berlin?” Perhaps I didn’t get the memo. I bet this sentiment comes from “lesbian” porn, which I can assure you is (most of the time) not made for lesbian viewers. There is a vast assortment of toys for two chicks to get their kink on (should they decide to go that route), and few women want to plunder the uncharted territories of their lover’s birth canal. WE JUST HAVEN’T GIVEN DICK A FAIR SHAKE. 60

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Be honest: You knew your sexual orientation before you even knew how to have sex. You know, like I know, that it doesn’t matter how good sex might be with a member of the opposite sex, it just wouldn’t feel right. My favorite response to the myth: “I don’t have to eat dog poop to know I don’t like it.” (Not that I mean to imply that sleeping with men is like that, but you know what I mean.) WE ALL LOVE SPORTS. The most fervent female sports fans I’ve met are straight girlfriends or wives of male sports fans. That’s not to say that their love of sports was cultivated to fit in with their mates, but I’ve never asked. The only lesbians I’ve met who are ardent fans are current or former athletes, or those who root for their alma mater. It could be that I just don’t hang out with sporty lesbos, but there’s something to be said that there are so many who don’t give a rat’s ass about sports. WE ALL KNOW OUR WAY AROUND A TOOLBOX. I can’t tell you how many times someone has asked me to assemble her bookcase or look at her broken dishwasher. When I offer that I’m pretty bad at engineering and assembly (even with instructions), I’m met with that puzzled look. “You’re a lesbian, though!” Uh huh, but not an engineer. Some lesbians are good at it, some straight women are awesome at it, some hetero guys suck at it and some lesbians do too. If a gay chick just so happens to be amazingly handy, it’s because she’s got the knack — not because she likes other women. WE ALL HATE BISEXUAL GIRLS. There are tons of lesbians who’ve been spurned by women who also like men — but lesbians who shun, or even despise, bisexual girls really ought to take a step back and think about the hypocrisy of their discrimination since lesbians can be cheaters, too. There’s a common belief that a woman who also likes men is going to cheat on her girlfriend with a man, but not only are bisexual girls capable of monogamy, there are many who were cheated on by lesbian lovers. A woman’s sexual preference doesn’t determine how faithful she will be to you, nor who she likes or dislikes. OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

Shanna Katz

DEAR SHANNA — I’M DATING A NEW GUY AND WE HAVE AWESOME CHEMISTRY, THE SEX IS GREAT, AND HE’S REALLY HOT. BUT HE HAS SOME WEIRD NAMES FOR MY PENIS, LIKE MEAT, MUSHROOM HEAD AND LOVE ROD. I WANT TO RESPECT HIM BUT IT TAKES EVERYTHING I HAVE NOT TO BURST OUT LAUGHING. IT JUST ISN’T SEXY TO ME AT ALL. WHAT SHOULD I DO? — NO HOT BEEF INJECTION NEEDED IN NORTH DENVER

Dear No Hot Beef Injection Needed, Language is incredibly important to almost every facet of our lives and sex is no exception. From how we define our relationships (boyfriend/girlfriend, partner, spouse, husband/wife, friends with benefits, boo, honey) to what we call what we’re doing (the mattress mambo, going downtown, tossing a salad, breakfast of champions, strapping it on), the words we use have incredible influence in our interactions. Talking about what terms each of you prefers for sexual activities and body parts are an important part of communication, especially if it’s a more long-term relationship. Each of us has words for activities and anatomy that turn us on, words that we’re neutral on or maybe just amused by and words that absolutely make us grit our teeth and turn us off. Before you sit down with your new guy and talk about what isn’t working for you, think about some of the words you do find hot. Is it medically-accurate language, like “penis?” Casual slang like “dick?” Words from a romance novel, like “sword sheathed in velvet?” When you have this little chat, you can share a few options of terms you like and ask your partner for his. Together you can come up with a common list of terms you both either enjoy or feel neutral about. The next time you get it on, you can bust out your new preferred terms and have some satisfaction that won’t leave you gagging on giggles. Best wishes on getting your needs met! Shanna Shanna Katz, M.Ed, ACS is a board-certified sexologist, sexuality educator and author who believes in open source, accessible sexuality education. See more columns at ofcnow.co/ sexpert or for more info on teaching adults to optimize their sex lives visit ShannaKatz.com. Send Shanna a question for her column at shanna@outfrontonline.com.

HEINZESIGHT

We all have to pay for our prince charming DEAR BRENT, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE I FEEL PAYING AN ESCORT FOR SEX IS A TOTALLY A GOOD OPTION FOR ME — I GET SO TIRED OF SPENDING TIME AND MONEY ON TRYING TO CONNECT WITH PEOPLE FOR A RELATIONSHIP WHEN MOST OF THE TIME NOTHING GOOD COMES OUT OF IT. I THINK THAT IT MAY JUST BE A BETTER USE OF MY TIME AND MONEY TO PAY SOMEONE OR SATISFY MYSELF.

Be careful that you don’t give up just FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE ALL PAY because there are challenges. Rome for sex in some form or another. The wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your phrase “there is no such thing as a free social life. You may need to take some lunch,” describes that there will always time and evaluate how and why you are be a price to pay in almost everything doing certain things in the never-endwe do. Going to the gym costs money, ing search to find whatever you want. time and, when we are doing it right, it Certain techniques can be more effecreally makes us sore. Getting a better tive than others and doing the same job takes dedication, possibly more things over and over can cause frusschool, and maybe a little kissing up. Brent Heinze tration, but also can leave you feeling There is always a cost associated defeated, lonely and miserable. You with trying to make connections with people, regardless if it’s for friendship, sex or a may need to switch up some methods and work on search for the love of our lives. The costs could developing new skills or perspectives. I’m not sure if you’re actually considering hiring entail much more than just the financial aspects of going to movies or grabbing a bite, but also time, someone for sex or companionship, but there are energy and effort to work on connecting with lots of guys for hire and sites to help you find them. people. Many devote time to profile sites or dating My primary concern would be for what your true services. Hours can be spent cruising, many times desire is. If you’re looking for a connection with leaving us feeling empty after a bad encounter, someone based around true interest and deeper getting ditched, feeling rejected, or just knowing bonding, paying someone to fulfill that role will not that the search will pick back up soon after our last connect you to that honest Prince Charming gazing into your eyes for longer than you can afford to pay encounter is over. It definitely sounds like your attempts to connect him. with people in social, romantic, or sexual ways has caused a huge drain on you financially and emo- Brent Heinze, LPC, is a licensed professional tionally. Take some time and think about your end counselor. r Get more HeinzeSight online at goals for why you want to connect with people. ofcnow.co/brent or send him a question for his column at brent@outfrontonline.com This can drive your actions and attitudes.

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Envisioned by Boberto

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