March 06, 2019 :: News + Culture

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CO LO R A D O'S LG B TQ M AGA ZINE | F R E E

JUSSIE

SMOLLETT

TRANSFORMATIVE

FREEDOM

FUND

S AG E

SINGERS




CONTENTS MARCH 6, 2019 VOL42 NO23

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SO, WHAT DO WE DO AFTER THE SMOLLETT SAGA? 10 THE TRANSFORMATIVE FREEDOM FUND IS CHANGING THE FACE OF COLORADO HEALTHCARE 14 SAGE SINGERS SHARE EXPERIENCE THROUGH SONG 19 FOREVER FROZEN 28 LGBTQ WEB SERIES HISTORY RETURNS FOR THIRD SEASON 32 WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SEEN 42 MARCH 2019 ASTROLOGY AND HOROSCOPES

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So,

What Do We Do After the Smollett Saga? By Zach Blue

W

OOF. We are all reeling from the emotional rollercoaster that has been the Jussie Smollett news cycle.

Outrage brewed over the days, coming from the likes of Sen. Kamala Harris, Ellen DeGeneres, and all across social media.

Late January, Jussie Smollett, a black and openly gay actor known for his role on FX’s Empire, reported a series of hate crimes directed at him to the Chicago Police Department. On January 22, Smollett was sent a homophobic and racist letter threatening his life. One week later, Smollett reported being assaulted by two men in Chicago. They reportedly shouted a variety of slurs, wrapped a noose around Smollett’s neck, and said, “This is MAGA country!” The same day, Chicago PD began investigating these incidents as hate crimes.

But as the investigation turned up little, skepticism mounted. The first twist in the story came February 16, when Chicago PD detectives told the Chicago Tribune that they were investigating whether Smollett paid two brothers $3,500 to stage the whole incident. Smollett and his attorneys denied this vehemently. Four days later, Chicago PD and the Cook County state attorney charged Smollett with filing a false police report, a felony offense. OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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Finally, on February 21, Smollett turned himself in to Chicago PD, was arrested, had his mugshot taken, and was later released on a $100,000 bond. The superintendent of the Chicago PD held a press conference on the case and stated that Smollett staged the attack and threatening letter because he was “dissatisfied with his salary on Empire.” Future court proceedings will eventually determine the fate of Jussie Smollett. The narrative came to a temporary halt February 22, exactly a month after the letter was allegedly sent, when Empire executives officially dropped Smollett from the show, leaving him stained, likely forever. Jussie Smollett is a visible figure, a (former) actor on a popular TV show. He is black, openly gay, and vocal about his support for LGBTQ issues. The story of this targeted, explicit, chilling hate crime occupied queer media, social media, and mainstream news for nearly a month. It felt “perfect:” an incident that captured an intersection of race, orientation, political affiliation, in a major American city. It was a visible, volatile, tense flashpoint for a tense, volatile country at a tense, volatile time. And it was a hoax. A goof. A sweeping piece of performance art that an actor engaged in to gain some publicity and boost his salary. Undoubtedly, Jussie Smollett did an inflaming, selfish, very serious thing that undermined not only the victims of actual hate crimes, but the LGBTQ communities and communities of color whom he associated with and spoke for. Jussie Smollett’s stunt may have set these communities back years, and he deserves every ounce of blame and shame set on him. Now that we’ve gotten the question of blame out of our system, we need to ask: what do we do now? What do we do now that every report of a hate crime against a person of color or a queer person will likely be met with more skepticism and doubt? Victims of

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real hate crimes, abuses, and assaults may face the familiar stonewall propped up again by this farce: “I don’t believe you.” In the long run, that disbelief and doubt will excuse future hate crimes. “That Jussie Smollett guy faked it; you could be faking it, too.” Two days after Chicago PD detectives reported that Smollett may have staged the crime, Scott Nevins from NewNowNext said about believing Smollett’s story and not apologizing for believing it, “I come from the school of always believing the victim, whether it be from sexual assault, violent hate crimes, hazing, or bullying, until proven that I shouldn’t. It’s the safest way to ensure we protect real victims.” That was when allegations of a hoax were fresh. Now, with Smollett arrested, surrendered, charged, and dropped from Empire, should be the time to jettison him from the conversation. The longer we, as a community, continue talking about this story, the worse we will look. But this whole debacle reveals a vulnerability that’s latent in any community like the queer community, with a history of being marginalized, victimized, and oppressed. We, as a community, are constantly vigilant for injustice, ready to passionately defend ourselves and our own when we feel it. The fact that Smollett’s stunt garnered the response it did from queer media outlets, this one included, speaks to this. Nevins isn’t wrong in suggesting we continue to support and believe victims of injustice, big and small, until proven that we shouldn’t. Of course we should listen to victims and support them and seek justice. But we also need to be careful, a little more on guard, and prepared to accept the possibility that we’ve been played. The story of Jussie Smollett could embolden more opportunists looking to stoke a fire and actual committers of hate crimes finding a new excuse.


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By Erica Jamieson

The Transformative Freedom Fund is Changing the Face of Colorado Healthcare

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F

inances are not the only barrier facing Coloradans seeking transition-related healthcare, but they can be significant. Many insurance plans still do not fully cover transitionrelated surgeries or medication. Even when they do, the process can be bureaucratic, often traumatic, and the copays sizeable. The Transformative Freedom Fund seeks to change this by removing financial barriers to transition-related healthcare for transgender and gendernonconforming Coloradans. Having completed their first successful year of operations in 2018 and funding over $26,000 of healthcare costs for nine individuals, they are ready for applications to reopen in 2019. The idea for the Transformative Freedom Fund came to life in January 2017 at Blush & Blu. Marvyn Allen and Anaya Robinson, both co-founding board members, were celebrating Allen getting the gender marker changed on his ID. With the recent election in mind, they wanted to start something to support Colorado’s trans community specifically. “It really came from this idea that in the grand scheme of the world, transitioning was not easy, but a lot easier for Marv and I than it is for a lot of our community,” Robinson remembered. “We had a lot of support; we had good jobs with good insurance that gave us access.” In turn, they wanted to create an organization that could provide others with this support. Transition-related medical costs vary widely, and depend on the procedure(s)

or therapies desired by the individual, but can rise to over $120,000 once anesthesia and hospital stays are included for multiple procedures, according to the Transgender Center. This stands at odds with transgender individuals being three times more likely to experience unemployment and two times more likely to live in poverty than the general public, according to the U.S. Trans Survey. “It’s absolutely ridiculous that this is life-saving care that we need to be ourselves and to feel authentic in our lives, and that it is so cost-prohibitive for so many folks,” Robinson said. “We wanted to figure out a way to stop that from happening.” Both social workers with backgrounds in nonprofit organizations, Allen and Robinson brought good friend Rachel Kesley to the table as a third co-founder and board member. With a background in business, she was poised to help with logistics and operations. From day one, the trio was blown away by the support the Transformative Freedom Fund received. “From the moment we launched, it was people throwing mini-fundraisers. We’d get checks in the mail, and we didn’t even know about it,” Kesley said.

They hit their fundraising goal when initially applying for Colorado nonprofit status in under 12 hours and have received grants from the Mission Hook Fund and Trans Justice Funding Project to cover operational expenses. As a result, over 90 percent of donations to the Transformative Freedom Fund pass directly into the community.

Xander’s Story One such community recipient is Xander, who received funding from the TFF to cover the copay charged during their top surgery. Xander moved to Colorado from Georgia in the summer of 2017 to pursue an MA in Political Science from CSU and applied to the fund not long after. Even with insurance, Xander expected to wait years to be able to afford the copays associated with having top surgery, or until they had better insurance. Instead, they were able to complete the surgery last June and love the results. “For me, the biggest thing about surgery has been my safety,” they explained. “My own comfort and my body, just being able to look at myself and feel like I recognize the person I see in the mirror, does wonders for my mental health. It’s freeing, liberating.” OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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Xander, who has also taken testosterone for the past three years, described being restricted from various, gendered spaces before undergoing top surgery. A fan of physical activity, one such place was the gym, where they would have to contend with the limitations of not being able to wear a binder, which can be dangerous while working out. “I didn’t want to wear a sports bra, because I didn’t know which bathroom and which locker room I would be allowed to use, and I just didn’t want to deal with all that bullsh*t.” Nowadays, they are excited to be at the gym worrying about nothing other than their squat stance. Xander stressed the ease of working with Allen, Robinson, and Kesley, who consider applications, determine funding, and follow up with insurance and medical providers to complete payment themselves. From calling Allen at 6 a.m. on the day of surgery for a billing question, to quick and easy communication via text and email, “It just seems like one of the most accessible things,” Xander said of the entire process. Reflecting on the past year, Xander explained, “Top surgery just really confirmed for me I know myself; I am growing into myself more every day. In 2019, I’m really looking more into doing that and helping my friends as well. Being able to be confident in myself has helped me be able to instill that confidence in other people.” Their advice to others: “Do what makes you the best version of you.”

Roadblocks to Care Despite the Transformative Freedom Fund’s successes, the financial barrier to accessing transition-related care remains great. Allen recalled denying applicants as one of the most challenging facets of running the organization. “We kind of knew, but we kind of didn’t know how much having to say no to people would impact us, and how big the need is compared to how small the pile of money is.” From day one, serving community in an intersectional manner has been a 1 2 \\ M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 9

cornerstone of the TFF’s operations. Allen explained, “The trans community has lower access compared to the general population, but what about those who have the most limited access among us?” Priority areas for funding reflect this commitment: adults over 60, youth up to 24, trans women of color, those with substantial financial need, and those who struggle with safety, such as residents of rural communities and those without family or community support. Within these populations, individuals often face some of the most dangerous journeys in coming out and living as their authentic selves. In 2018, 80 percent of transgender people murdered were women of color, according to the Human Rights Campaign, and 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness identified as LGBTQ. Those living in rural parts of the country often face higher rates of transphobia. Ageism is alive and well in the trans community, and aside from being overlooked, older trans people may have increased levels of historical trauma, which increases risk of mental health challenges. Creating priority areas does not mean deliberately excluding some applicants, but rather, it makes a point of supporting those with the greatest need. “We are never going to have enough money to fund everyone,” Robinson said. “We want to make sure we are funding the folks who—if they don’t get this money—might not get to the next funding cycle.” That being said, the Transformative Freedom Fund is emphatic in their support of all trans and gendernonconforming folks, whatever their

journey, and refuse to act as gatekeepers to the trans experience. The choice to pursue medical intervention, of whichever type(s) and at whatever stage in life, remains with the applicant.

Maeve’s Story Maeve, who identifies as nonbinary and masculine of center, applied to the Transformative Freedom Fund for breast reduction surgery. Maeve experienced dysphoria about their chest since puberty. “I’d have to plan my days around when I could bind and how long I could bind for. I would choose to stay in, often because I wasn’t able to bind.” However, top surgery didn’t feel right for Maeve. “I feel very, very in the middle, and for me, that step [top surgery] pushes me more towards the masculine side. I like being in the middle.” All the same, the desire for breast reduction surgery specifically put Maeve at odds with their insurance coverage and the narrative of trans people commonly discussed in the media. Their insurance plan denied any surgery for ‘cosmetic’ or ‘mental health’ reasons and would only permit the removal of a specific quantity of tissue following six months of documented physician visits and attempts at non-surgical solutions to relieve back pain. After binding for a number of years already, Maeve’s family and friends were not necessarily aware of the physical change that would take place, nor could they compare Maeve’s experiences to what is commonly understood as ‘transitioning.’


“It was weird to be asked whether I was transitioning and not really know whether that was the right word for it, because I’m not going from one to the other. I’m just sort of making my body my body.” For these reasons, Maeve was nervous to apply for the TFF, because they thought they wouldn’t be taken seriously. But the Fund didn’t bat an eyelid. “It was never a thing. They just supported me without me having to validate or prove my identity to them.” Since surgery, Maeve describes feeling liberated from both the chest pain and shortness of breath and the way binding dictated their clothes and social life. As someone who spent years trying to accept their body for what it was, they say they don’t even remember what their chest looked like before surgery.

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“I can’t even picture it ... I was so dissociated from it that I literally didn’t look at it. This feels so right that it doesn’t feel like I did anything different. It doesn’t feel like I chopped anything off. It feels like I am me.” Maeve hopes that others who feel themselves in the middle may also be empowered to keep their bodies outside of the binary. “I think it’s still binary to say men don’t have breasts. I don’t want us to live in a world where we make our bodies more binary than they were before, but I think that it should be an option to shape your body in the way that you need to live life in a healthy way, and in a way that is yours. I don’t want it to be a requirement.”

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Future Goals Applications for the Transformative Freedom Fund are open now, and TFF will make their decisions in June 2019. This year, the TFF hopes to fund at least $35,000 in transition-related healthcare costs. To do that, they will need to bring on more donors and invite people to become “Transformers” by signing up with a monthly gift. The organization is also looking to expand its leadership while maintaining that at least 51 percent of the board identify as transgender or gender-nonconforming. In particular, Allen, Robinson, and Kesley
 are looking for new members who will expand the diversity of perspectives that they bring to the table, furthering their mission to support Coloradans through an intersectional lens. Long term, its founders see the Transformative Freedom Fund potentially progressing toward avenues of advocacy beyond removing financial barriers. Like any good nonprofit, their ideal situation is a healthcare system in the United States that supports transgender and gender-nonconforming people’s health needs to the point that the TFF is irrelevant. In Allen’s words, “Whatever it looks like, having trans people included and then having trans healthcare included in that is the goal.” Until that time, the Transformative Freedom Fund will continue to support helping transgender and gendernonconforming Coloradans to access lifesaving care and to be their most authentic selves. OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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Sage Singers Share Experience Through Song By Hannah Gartner

O

n a sunny corner in the heart of Denver sits the First Baptist Church. This church, which is directly across the street from the state capitol’s south steps, has long been a place that prides itself on welcoming individuals of all walks of life into its congregation.

In 1962, Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King preached here, and inclusivity is written into the values of this church, which describes its community as intentional, bridge-building, welcoming, graceful, healing, and healthy. Multiple members of the current staff are part of the LGBTQ community. Those who stop by First Baptist on a Sunday afternoon will be able to see the welcoming attitude of this church firsthand, as around 35 seniors from the LGBTQ community fill the building with music during their weekly practice. They are the Sage Singers, the first-ever chorus in the country specifically for LGBTQ seniors. I had the opportunity to stop by a Sage Singers rehearsal in late October of last year. It was a warm, sunny day, and the church was lit up with natural light seeping through the windows.

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The weather reflected the mood of the group, as everyone was in great spirits, clearly incredibly happy to be there. That day, there were only 20 singers practicing two different songs for their upcoming performance, a small-scale event that took place in December. Among the singers that day was Judith Nelson. Although making Sage Singers a reality required the efforts of many individuals, creating this group was Nelson’s idea. She and her partner, Carol White, have been involved in the LGBTQ choir scene for decades, and White has founded four local choruses. For Nelson, music just became part of life, something that is as natural as waking up in the morning and going to bed at night. She first got the idea for starting Sage Singers after watching the documentary Young at Heart, which details the story of a Boston-based singing group completely comprised of older people. After watching that movie, she realized that a similar group was needed, but specifically for LGBTQ seniors. Through this chorus, she hopes to give voice to this group of people who have endured a lot of silence. “Our generation of older LGBT people have seen a lot in our lives,” Nelson explained. “Many of us had to be closeted for so many years, because you might lose your job or you might get kicked out of where you live. I thinks it’s a pretty special generation, and their life experiences are incredible. They need to be celebrated and need a place to stand up and say, ‘This is who I am, and this is my story.’” Nelson firmly believes that a chorus is an excellent place to find this voice to tell and rejoice in one’s story. “There’s no better way to celebrate something than by singing.” Kevin Crowe, the young conductor of Sage Singers, agrees. “It’s so important for the rest of us, the younger generations, to hear their stories, because we live in a time when people are recording everything. The individuals in this choir grew up in a time when none of this was recorded, none of it was even talked about, so their memories are what we have of our community over the last 50 years,” he said.

Through Sage Singers, both Nelson and Crowe hope that the members of this community will find more ways to share their past experiences while they also celebrate who and where they are today. For decades, choruses have served this role within the LGBTQ community. The appeal lies in the creation of safe space and camaraderie through a template that, by nature, means one cannot hide who one is—if one joins a chorus for gay men, it’s hard to deny that they themselves are gay. “It’s all the best parts of activism together—the solidarity, the security, but also the public face,” Crowe explained. Choruses have also served the LGBTQ community through some of their toughest times. During the AIDS epidemic, members of the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus remember singing at a different funeral every week, while gay individuals from Beijing were able to be open and proud for a short period of time while performing at the most recent Gay and Lesbian Association of Choruses Festival, more commonly referred to as GALA. In this same way, Sage Singers now serves its members, who carry a legacy of hardship that is rooted in all they have lived through. “There’s definitely a sense among older singers in GALA choruses of survival, that they have survived together, and that this has been a rock for people for a really long time—a place of safety and security,” Crowe said. The sense of survival that he sees in GALA singers applies to his group as well, who are all in their 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s, which means they all lived through the AIDS crisis. Having gone through such a traumatic event has bonded older LGBTQ individuals, something that Crowe finds apparent in his older singers. For Nelson, giving voice to the present was just as important as giving voice to the past when she founded Sage Singers. She has thought about aging a lot, as she is well-endowed in years herself, and found it to be a frustratingly taboo subject. “It’s kind of closeted. People don’t talk about it much and don’t want to talk about it much, and I think it’s important to talk about it,” she said. Sage Singers is very much a chorus that not only celebrates differences, but celebrates differences at any age. Since I visited the Sage Singers, they have continued to grow. They now have almost 40 members and multiple performances in the works. As a new group, they are easing their way into having full-blown shows. For this reason, the Sage Singers’ next two performances will take place during Sine Nomine concerts, another LGBTQ choir housed at First Baptist Church. These concerts will take place May 4 and 5. They are also planning a performance at Pride in June, and, more long-term, hope to perform at the next GALA festival, which will take place in Minneapolis in July 2020. Those who want to learn more or join Sage Singers should go to their website, sagesingers.org. They are still accepting members and, although this is a senior LGBTQ chorus, are happy to include enthusiastic allies and individuals under 50. Practices occur every Sunday between 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. and are accessible to those with disabilities.

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Forever Frozen

PHOTOGRAPHY: AWDCphotos / Alex Clary MODEL: StarChild MAKEUP: Matchstick Makeup Artistry / Aaryn McPhetres LOCATION: Dillon Ice Castles

The Dillon Ice Castles are one of the wonders of Colorado, a site that many travel for miles to see. Before all the ice melts, a local photographer-andmodel team decided to take advantage with a very fabulous photshoot.

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StarChild StarChild is a nonbinary drag queen who brings a unique and creative take to the Denver drag scene. She pushes and challenges the aesthetic and narrative of what it means to be a drag performer by telling meaningful stories that encourage audiences to listen and to learn. She began her drag journey in March 2017 after performing in the regional debut of Priscilla Queen of the Desert at the Aurora Fox. She was quickly thrust into the scene and never looked back.

StarChild co-produced a benefit show at the Clocktower Cabaret called FABAGANZA last year for her birthday. Her show raised over $3,000 for the local LGBTQ youth organization Rainbow Alley. She also produces her own variety show, “A Night of stars," at the Clocktower Cabaret. StarChild has also been seen on stage in the Denver theatre scene in shows like Beauty and The Beast, The Little Mermaid, Hairspray, and recently, What You See Is What You Get, which

played in the Planet Connections Theatre Festival in New York City last summer. The Denver theatre scene immediately took her in and gave her a space to be herself without fault. She’s also been seen on the runway in Denver Fashion Week and is working to expand her portfolio. She hopes to continue collaborating with innovative and passionate photographers, designers, and makeup artists who have the same desire to expand and grow along with her.

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Alex Clary My father gave me one of his older cameras for my birthday. A little underwhelmed, I sort of cast it aside with a, "Cool! Thanks, Dad," as I shared little interest with my father in photography. Little did I know that by now I would have my own photography business. Photography is about passion. About creativity. Taking a drab scene, a shy person, something unimaginative ... and creating something beautiful. It's about showing people, what's really on the inside. It's about being able to not just snap a picture, but to make a world and a reality that I designed myself. After all, anybody can press a shutter button. I want to make the world a happier place.

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LGBTQ Web Series

History Returns for Third Season

by Denny Patterson

L

ike many touchy subjects, love has a sorted history. The third season of Jack Tracy’s popular web series, History,

premiered this Valentine’s Day. Aiming to answer the age-old question “What is Love?” this season will feature six half-hour episodes that follow protagonist Jamie (played by Tracy) as he discovers how the examples set by his parents framed his expressions of love and what he values most in relationships. The story picks up a year after the close of season two. So, if you are the kind of person who loves to Netflix and chill, History is the perfect show for you to check out. I had the pleasure of chatting with Tracy about the new season.

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CONGRATS ON THE THIRD SEASON OF HISTORY! WHAT WAS YOUR INSPIRATION FOR THE SHOW, AND WHY DID YOU WANT TO START IT? I wrote the script for season one of History while I was going through the events that formed the basis of the story. At the time, I was working for a big law firm here in New York. I was in a relationship of five years, lived in the Upper West Side, went on vacations. I made money, and from the outside, it probably seemed like perfection, but I was deeply unhappy. I was unhappy with the relationship; I was unhappy with what I did for a living; I just was not finding any satisfaction or joy in my life. It all spectacularly blew up at one point in time when my relationship ended, and then I had to leave the apartment, and my other apartment


fell through. I was homeless for a period of time; I left my job for another job; my friends stopped talking to me—everything changed in a heartbeat. As I was going through all these emotions, I started tinkering with the idea of doing screenwriting, and there was this voice in my head that said this was the right thing, write down everything now while it is happening. So, I made season one while it was all happening and then put it away for a year after I got a new job. Things were getting better, and I thought this was something I could possibly produce. I bought a consumer DSLR, fluorescent lights, got some friends to volunteer, and we did it.

THAT’S AWESOME. AND THIS SEASON AIMS TO ANSWER THE AGE-OLD QUESTION, “WHAT IS LOVE?” DO YOU HAVE ANSWER FOR THAT? I do, but you will have to watch the show. Love for these characters, and it’s really the center of season three, is how all of us individually experience, express, and receive love based on our history. We see how love was experienced, expressed, and received by our parents or whatever loving relationship you saw growing up. It forms the basis of your ideas of love. So, for these characters, we see their different concepts of love based on their individual histories and how it creates problems and obstacles. This season, for Jamie, he discovers what is really the most important thing to him, what love is for him.

IS THAT HOW THAT QUESTION TIES TO ISSUES FACED BY THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY TODAY? What I strive to do with everything I do, History in particular, is tell a universal story through an LGBTQ lens. These characters are gay, and they have their point of views that may be shared by a certain kind of gay person. They are professional, mostly white, gays in New York,

so they have experiences that are different from other gay men and other LGBTQ people. The idea is to explore the concept of how we as people individually learn what it is for us to learn, to love and be loved. It has nothing to do with LGBTQ. We’re just telling a human story through the lens of our community.

AHH, I SEE. FANTASTIC. AND YOU PLAY JAMIE, CORRECT? I do.

HOW DO YOU PERSONALLY RELATE TO YOUR CHARACTER? IS HE BASED OFF YOUR OWN LIFE? Most of it is. It really dilutes through the seasons, as I sort of start branching out. Jamie has started to become more of a distinct person. There is still a lot of overlap, but I always found in storytelling that, the more specific you are, the more it is universally received. More people will relate to it. The more I tell what is actually happening and craft the stories, it connects with more people because it feels more authentic.

YOU TACKLE TOUGH ISSUES LIKE GENDER ROLES, TOXIC MASCULINITY, AND REJECTION. DO YOU THINK THESE ISSUES ARE STILL PREVALENT WITHIN THE QUEER COMMUNITY? I think they are, but I think it’s getting better. We still have a long way to go, but it is getting better, because those ideas that cause us problems now as adults that were implanted within us in our youth, they are changing. I was, of course, picked on in school, but my parents didn’t throw me out of the house. I didn’t feel the need to turn to drugs and develop a substance abuse problem. I didn’t have survival sex. OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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A lot of those things happen to people who are taught to hate themselves as children. I fortunately did not go through that, but when all of that is implanted, and then it lives with us and becomes problems with us as we grow, it’s difficult. It’s getting better. There are more and more communities throughout this country, and the majority of the world is behind us. More kids are realizing that they identify as part of the queer community, and it doesn’t come with this massive, eternal judgment or shame or feelings that what they are is wrong, because there are more communities that don’t implant those ideas.

OVERALL, HOW HAS HISTORY BEEN RECEIVED BY AUDIENCES? The fact that we are in season three is really a testament. I started this with no plan. It was just, ‘Here’s some stories; I miss acting; I think I can pull this off; let’s see what we can do.’ And we did it. Almost immediately after it premiered, I started getting emails. Not even just YouTube comments, but lengthy emails about how moved someone was or how they feel this was their story. I submitted it to a couple film festivals, and it started winning all these awards. I was like, OK, we may have something here. Let’s put a little more money into it. Then, season two launched, and we gained 1,000 subscribers in a month. More letters and more words. I’m like, ‘OK, there’s a real audience for this. There are people who like this.' For season three, I can no longer pay for this entirely on my own, or I will go into bankruptcy, so we did a crowdfunding campaign. If we raised X amount of dollars, I would do another season, and we did it. So, there’s season three. I can watch on YouTube and see in my statistics how people watch the show. I am very proud of the fact that, with my show, no one feels mediocre about it. It’s either not their thing, or they will sit and watch the six hours of History in a weekend. If people like it, they binge it. We have really been buoyed by the fans, and it’s surprising the amount of people who connected with us.

IF THERE IS A SEASON FOUR, WHAT DIRECTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE SERIES HEADED? I am trying to think how I can tell you without ruining it [laughs]. Every season comes with a big reveal or surprise, so the next season would spring off the natural consequences of what happened at the end of the previous season. Season three is our biggest surprise, I think, to date, and hopefully the fans will like it.

HOW DO YOU THINK HISTORY STANDS OUT FROM OTHER LGBTQ WEB SERIES? I will be honest, and this is going to make me sound terrible in print, but I don’t watch many of the other LGBTQ web series. I did not create History to make a business compete in the market. I just wanted to tell my story, my personal, individual story. If anybody ever came to me and said History is just like another web series, I can credibly say that I actually have never seen that. I am just telling my story. I am not going to change what I want to do, even if there is literally another 3 0 \\ M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 9

show that does exactly what I do. I still want to do what I do. I didn’t want that to dissuade me. So, I have not watched a lot, but I can tell you that I have had multiple, other directors and creators of their own web series reach out to me saying they have seen my work and asking to collaborate or for advice. I think what I am gathering is, even though we are a really low-budget production, when people see it, they see the work that went into it. There are sets that are literally crafted from nothing. We have walked into an empty warehouse and made a Chinese restaurant out of things we ordered on Amazon and returned the next day, things we found on the street, different camera angles and positioning people to block things. I think people see the details—the fact that every computer screen is designed so that it relates to the character, mock Facebook pages, text messages, hookup apps—they see how much love and time and attention goes into it. We try our best to make it look like you just caught something off Netflix.

YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING ON YOUR DEBUT FILM, SNOWFLAKE. That is in the film festival circuit right now, and I am hoping that any moment now, I can tell you when our world premiere is. We have gotten a world premiere; they just want to announce it before I can. So, we are going to have a world premiere at an LGBTQ film festival, and I feel really excited about it. It has already won a bunch of screenplay and acting awards. Fingers crossed that we will hopefully get some level of distribution. If not, you will see us on Amazon Prime soon.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROJECTS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE OR TALK ABOUT? Sure! In addition to History, which is our flagship show, it’s the most watched out of all my things, Necessary Outlet Productions is about becoming a trusted distributor of quality LGBTQ content. We have two comedic web series that are up. Big Law is about a gay man and a trans woman who are paralegals at a law firm, and Millennial Memoir is about a 26-year-old gay reality dating show contestant who decides it is time to write his memoir. We have my first album, Older, which came out last summer, and my second album is coming out this summer. I am working on that now. Then, we've got a serial dramatic podcast coming out this spring. It’s untitled at the moment, but it takes place during the course of a shooting at a gay nightclub. Lots and lots and lots of stuff. If you like History, if you like Snowflake, if you like Big Law, you are going to like everything else, and hopefully you will support us as we continue to make more and more and more universal stories that are told by LGBTQ characters. History is produced and distributed by Necessary Outlet, a film production company founded and owned by Tracy, and is available worldwide on YouTube and Vimeo. For more information about History or Necessary Outlet Productions, visit necessaryoutlet.com.


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WHAT it MEANS to be SEEN by Jordan Hanson

P

icture where you were on election night 2016, the night we heard the words: “Donald Trump has been elected President of the United States of America.” What were you wearing? What were you doing? It feels, despite everything going on in our country today, like it just happened yesterday. It feels like I’m still trapped in a fever dream, that I might wake up at any moment. But we aren’t dreaming; we’re in the middle of a very real fight for our lives. While I was in Kansas City that fateful election night, my heart wasn’t. For some reason—maybe because some part of me will always be a rural Kansas girl at heart—my mind recalled my home town, Hutchinson, Kansas, and The Wizard of Oz. Though Dorothy found friends to guide her along the yellow brick road, I always felt like she must have been terrified at the same time; Dorothy knew nothing about this strange, new world and had nobody to show her the way, nobody to trust. But she ventured forward, bravely, uncertain of what might happen, only sure where she wanted to go: home. I remember the same feeling, growing up as a closeted, trans woman in Hutchinson, like the walls were closing in around me and the world was getting to be a scarier place, like I was always hoping to find home. Unlike Dorothy, I didn’t have a simple, yellow brick road to follow. As a kid, I never knew who 3 2 \\ M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 9

was trustworthy enough to tell about my gender identity, that I’d always been a girl. If I am Dorothy in this story, then my dear friend Katie would be Glinda the Good Witch. There is a Bad Witch, too, but we’ll come to her in a moment. Katie was uncommonly, unfailingly kind to me. She was the first person to suggest to me, independently, that I should consider starting estrogen. She was the first person to help me try with makeup, to help me go shopping for clothes that flattered my changing body. Katie taught me what it means to be ‘seen,’ really, for myself, for whom I always was. She taught me to trust my instincts, to trust my sense of self, and to always do my best to take care of myself. Katie taught me that it’s OK to ask for help, and it’s OK to run away, if it means keeping yourself safe. I met Bad Witch, on the other hand, in the self-checkout lanes at my local Walmart. I never learned her actual name, so she’s always been Bad Witch to me. She was just a woman, in a black coat and denim jeans, with thick, black glasses, herding her children through the self-checkout lanes. Where Katie taught me to love and to care for myself, Bad Witch was the first person to publicly teach me shame. As we stood in line, Bad Witch turned toward me and gave me elevator eyes, up and down. Tracing my silhouette, as if to


find any evidence that I wasn’t a woman, the very reaction I’d been worried about since stepping out my front door.

to live safe lives free of discrimination or harassment, even if those people might be different in some way.

Her lips tightened in disgust or loathing. Does it really matter which? They feel interchangeable when they’re directed at you, personally, for who you are. And, without some kind of apology or explanation from Bad Witch to the contrary, how else could I understand her actions?

A little over a year from the date of this article’s publication, I was the victim of a hate crime on public transportation here in Denver. A man, channeling Bad Witch, gave me the very same elevator eyes, becoming angry, even menacing, when he heard my deeper voice and clocked me as a transgender woman.

The woman stepped backward toward where I stood, careful to keep her back to me. She held out her arms and beckoned for her children to come stand near her, and pleaded with them to stay put. She herded them away from me. I realized I was the monster. There was nobody else standing in line with us, so it had to be me, really. Just me.

The man threatened to choke slam me, told me to “back the f*ck up,” which I did, immediately. My bus driver, alarmed at the sudden yelling from the back of the bus, tried to get this man to calm down. But he didn’t calm down; he didn’t—maybe he couldn’t—listen to reason.

A few years ago, when this moment happened between Bad Witch and I, it seemed to happen in the midst of a political moment when I kept reading about the ‘transgender tipping point.’ The argument, as it goes, suggests that transgender people like me are on the cusp of some real gains in social acceptance across the country. But there are spots, like where I lived in Kansas, where that’s definitely not the case, not even today. So, two years after the Trump election, I find myself asking: did I do the right thing? Did my husband and I make the right decision to pick up everything and move to Denver, where it’s supposed to be better for people like me? It feels surreal to be where we are now, as a country. Transgender troops are banned from serving in the military. Protections for LGBTQ youth in schools have been set back a decade or more in many places of the country. Our opposition is bolder, stronger, and more entrenched in their beliefs than ever before, with our country rapidly approaching a tipping point. I wanted to believe that, soon, I would be free to visit or safe to live and work in any of the 50 beautiful states that make up our country. It wasn’t that way in Kansas, even in Lawrence—home of the University of Kansas, and the state’s then-burgeoning capital of progressive thought. The further west and south from Kansas City you got, it seemed like you were going backward in time to the 1950s or earlier. People stop caring about being politically correct, because they don’t see it that way—they don’t want to, either. But now? Now, I feel torn about that sentiment. Did we—my husband and I—make the right call? I think so, despite the manic feeling of political whiplash that comes with being transgender in our current environment. In Kansas City, there are nondiscrimination protections that are intended to keep folks like me from being harassed across the metro area—but that’s just it. The city line is often where those protections end. Someone in the suburbs demands to see your genitals in a public bathroom? Sorry, out of luck. A landlord who refuses to rent to you? No chance. Get fired for being transgender? That’s a shame, but Kansas is a right-to-work state. Denver, by contrast, has statewide protections that provide robust remedies if my rights are violated. I can’t express how important it is to have the option to retaliate in the courts, to hold people accountable to equal rights for the LGBTQ community, and, what’s more, to have a robust legal system that demands our decision makers respect the rights of people

I kept backing away and turned toward the front of the bus. Headed in the direction of my bus driver, my eyes screamed a sense of panic. Sensing my unease, the bus driver asked me if I wanted him to stop the bus and call someone, and I nodded. He stopped the bus and apologized to the other passengers, recommending they get off and walk to the next stop if they were in a hurry, because this would take a while to resolve itself. While my driver was taking care of his passengers, my potential assailant quickly made his way off the bus. I was worried, because I don’t own a vehicle, that he would get away, only to return another day and threaten me again, or to exact revenge for my retreat into the bus driver’s protection. I stood in front of the white line the whole time, where you’re not supposed to stand, and the bus driver told me I was fine right where I was and not to be sorry. Looking down, I mumbled clumsy, shocked apologies to the passengers who were departing. I felt bad, even though one kind man told me not to; he told me to keep my chin up and to keep fighting for respect. I wonder if the kind man knew I am transgender. I wonder if it would have mattered either way. My bus driver told me, when the bus was finally empty, that I was absolutely free to sit or stand if I wanted, whichever made me more comfortable in the moment. He went above and beyond to try to put me at ease. He told me he’d called RTD security, who were already on their way. When not just one, but two cars, from RTD security arrived, I began to relax and breathe easier. The security officers took my statement and then got off the bus to speak with their supervisor. Then, their supervisor got on the bus and told me that Aurora PD was on the way, too. I gave them the same statement I gave to RTD security, and the officers from Aurora PD explained that they were already in the process of getting both the audio and the video surveillance from RTD’s teams who were responsible for data compliance. They asked me if I wanted to press charges, and I asked what that meant. I got two explanations: that they would try to apprehend my would-be assailant and charge him with biasmotivated intimidation, legal jargon in Denver for a hate crime, because I felt (and the officers agreed) that, based on what happened, any reasonably-minded person would have concluded the same thing. They would have seen this man’s actions and heard his tone, watched him advance on me, and concluded that some kind of violent response was imminent. OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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They even arranged to have an officer meet the bus along its route the next day and follow behind it in a squad car, just in case trouble was brewing, so they could respond quickly. I’d never been offered a police escort on public transit before, but it made me feel much safer, that my safety, too, was a priority for these men. I mattered, not only as a passenger of the RTD transportation network, but also to the City of Denver, which was willing to defend my rights in court. The truth is, our country is a patchwork of protections—in more than half of states, people like me don’t get to enjoy the same vital rights as our neighbors. Do I think I made the right choice in relocating my husband and I to Denver? As I said before, it’s a hard question to answer, but I still believe the answer is, “Yes, without question.” Because the law was written specifically to protect people like me, it worked. It still might not have, though, if the decisionmakers who might have otherwise stood in the way had felt differently. My bus driver, the RTD security team that showed up on site, the RTD security supervisor, the Aurora PD officers involved in finding my would-be assailant after he’d already fled the scene, or even the prosecuting attorneys who were responsible for seeing justice done in court; any of these people might have decided I was wrong, that this was not discriminatory. That, in place of observing and reporting what had happened to the proper authorities—according to what the law requires— they would instead take the interpretation and enforcement of the law into their own hands: judge, jury, and executioner. These people—Bad Witch and my would-be assailant—didn’t see me the way my friend Katie saw me. Not for who I am, what I value, or what I believe, not really. They saw, as is often the case, what they wanted to see or, worse, what they’d heard about people like me from others. But American freedoms shouldn’t just exist at the surface level; they should be so much more than a skin-deep reflection of whoever rules from the Oval Office. Growing up in Kansas, one of the things I loved most about my rural upbringing was the sense that salt-of-the-earth people believed in live-and-let-live. They believed, as I still do today, that, even if my life’s choices weren’t right for them personally, we could still be friendly and respectful to one another, to treat each other with basic, common decency. That, truly, America was built on a foundation of multicultural celebration, and we would be forever poorer for losing that sense that we all depend on one another to keep that sense of civility alive. I find, today, that these people who believe the same things I do are still out there; we’ve just flocked to places with laws that match our personal values. I did it, too. We left our homes behind in cities and states where it’s wrong or bad to be lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer, because we too want to have families someday. And, even if we don’t, we want to be a part of a place where it feels like our values are shared, even with neighbors with whom we might otherwise disagree. When I went back to my high school reunion in 2016, the same year as Donald Trump’s 3 4 \\ M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 9

election, it didn’t feel that way in my home town anymore. It felt, strangely, like the magic was gone. More than anything, I wish there were an easy answer, like when Dorothy clicked her ruby red heels together three times to return back home, but the return to common decency won’t be as easy. We have to work harder to see, to feel for our neighbors, to sympathize with them and to stand up for what’s right, no matter what. We need more people who want to do something, anything, to help restore a sense that everybody who contributes to the United States of America’s future prosperity should share in its promises of equality. A few months later, one of the officers from my incident ran into me at work, off-duty and in plainclothes. He asked me how things were going, if I’d had any more trouble since that day. I smiled, happy to hear from him again, and told him that, no, I hadn’t been accosted yet. He told me, also smiling, that he was glad to hear it, despite the awful way I’d already been treated. He apologized, again, that people are like that sometimes and gave me another copy of his business card, since I’d managed to lose the first one he gave me. He told me, suddenly serious, to call if I ever had trouble like that again. I asked him for a hug, quite genuinely, and told him I’d be happy to call if I ever needed help. That’s the America I remember, from the queer farmers I know and love from my childhood, to the classmates who were still happy to be my friends after my coming out, even a decade later. It’s still great—it always was—and I believe it can be that beautiful, for everyone, from sea to shining sea, but it takes legal protections that stretch that far, too. As long as there are places where our laws lapse in those protections, the best parts of our country will refuse to be there, too. All it takes is good people who are willing to stand up and do something about it. It takes lawmakers who are willing to put pro-equality laws on the books. It takes business owners putting anti-discrimination policies in place and also actually holding people accountable when those policies are violated. It takes serious effort, but it’s not impossible. Our past is proof of that, in some ways. Our future can be, too, if we want it badly enough. There’s a scene in The Wizard of Oz where the great and powerful wizard is unmasked for a fraud, running an impressive, commanding illusion from a small tent. He doesn’t have a booming voice; he doesn’t shoot flames when he speaks. He keeps yelling into his microphone, even as Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, peels back the curtain on the wizard’s illusion. He’s not actually a magician, either, as it turns out. He’s just a human, the same as the rest of us, at the end of the day. Like Toto, peeling back the curtain on the wizard’s grand illusion, we will see you for who you are, and not for who you pretend to be. We skeptically believed you before, but we know better now. The stakes are high, and we’re in the fight of our lives. Let’s put them on notice: when you come for us, we will come for you on Election Day, and we will win.



DRAG BRUNCH @ STEUBEN’S Photos by Veronica L. Holyfield

THE DECADENT BRUNCH SPOT HAS BEEN MISSING THEIR QUEER FAM, BUT THEY GOT PLENTY OF LGBTQ LOVE ON FEBRUARY 24.

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OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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NATIONAL PLANNED PARENTHOOD PRESIDENT DR. WEN VISITS THE DROP IN DENVER Photos by Veronica L. Holyfield

DENVER’S HIV CENTER, THE DROP, IS LEADING THE WAY FOR POSITIVE AND AFFIRMING CARE NATIONWIDE, AND THE PRESIDENT HERSELF PAID DENVER A VISIT TO CELEBRATE THEIR ACHIEVEMENTS.

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In the early years of queer culture, bars were the only

there are other ways to meet people. It starts with you!

place to meet other LGBTQ people. Queer culture has

Drag your friends on a hike in the mountains, play a

become almost synonymous with bar culture. While meeting people in bars in itself is not the problem, substance abuse runs rampant within our community.

sport, volunteer your time. If you are a GBTQ male between ages 18-29 Denver Element has a program

It’s hard to turn down a drink when all your friends are

called Denver Pique that puts on fun, safe and sober

drinking around you, then one turns in to six. Going

activities weekly. The events are constantly changing

out to bars is embedded in our culture. The infamous

and there is always something to pique your interest.

words at the Stonewall Riots were even “Out of the bars and into the streets!” So how do we change this? How do we make sober activities cool? Now that it is 2018,

Geoffrey Gutierrez, MBA Program Coordinator – Denver Pique

OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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March 2019 Astrology and Horoscopes By Joshua Lionlight

March 5 – Mercury moves retrograde March 6 – New moon in Pisces March 20 – Full moon in Libra. Sun enters Aries. Spring equinox. March 28 – Mercury moves direct.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PISCES AND ARIES!

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ARIES: Direction will come when

LIBRA: The universe is nudging you

you stop to listen to that inner calling. A mature, female figure may be giving you some valuable insight that will provide a solution. A breakdown may occur that makes you feel low, but once this transformation is embraced, you’ll be wiser than ever!

out of your safe space. Walk away from any source that makes you feel uneasy. It’s important to take steps this month, even if things seem foggy. Your friends or partners want to honor you. Celebrate what you’ve overcome, and have fun!

TAURUS:

SCORPIO:

GEMINI: A trip or vacation looks to

SAGITTARIUS:

March will have you feeling like a spitfire! Opportunities, solutions, and relationships can happen quickly for you. Take advantage of the energy that’s at your disposal to create and take action. An encouraging message or offer may be coming from out of the blue!

Responsibilities may feel overwhelming, but you have the energy to accomplish much this month! Be aware of your limitations, and think thoroughly before seizing certain opportunities. A comeback is at hand; just choose your battles wisely!

fuel you with a wealth of inspiration! When you get that strong urge to move or travel, know that the universe fully supports you. Any exchanges look positive! You may find things come to you full-circle by the end of the month.

A judgment is being passed. Where there has been debate and uncertainty, now there will be clarity and finality. There may be feelings of loss and needing to seek closure. Surrendering to the past so that you may rise afresh in the present looks powerful. Give yourself a break!

CANCER: Ignorance is bliss, they

CAPRICORN: The universe wants

say. Is there a conflict or challenge that you’re in denial about? The universe is advising you to go back to the beginning and to approach this with a completely different perspective. Going out of your comfort zone or seeking counsel looks affirmative!

to push you out of the beginner stage. You may want to hold on to old efforts or ways, but you are being shifted. An unexpected transition is happening that is cleansing. Make your desire your priority this month. It will raise your spirits!

LEO: Some extra money or career

AQUARIUS: In order to regain your

guidance is coming to you! Sit in the quiet to fully digest what’s on your mind. Signing any new contract looks positive in the first and last week of the month. Sharing your skills and knowledge with others is creating a steady ripple effect!

creative focus and productivity, you are being asked to deal with troubling thoughts. Expect some spiritual messages that bring emotional nurturing. Someone is offering their love. Call out what no longer serves you and experience a miracle!

VIRGO: Your hopes and wishes can

PISCES:

easily manifest now. The spotlight is shining on you, so make it count! If you’ve been waiting to move on plans, now is a good time, especially in the first and last week. An infinite amount of resources are available to you with whatever decision you make.

Allow yourself to stay fluid with your visions for the future. Expect vivid dreams and plenty of options this month. It will serve you to not take things too seriously. Be experimental! A powerful person or leader is watching you. Taking a risk could pay off in the long run!

OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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5660 W. Colfax Ave. Denver (720) 669-3470

1

X BAR

HAMBURGER MARY’S

255 S. Broadway St. Denver (303) 733-1156 lildevilslounge.com

www.StoneysUptown.com

TRADE

475 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (720) 627-5905 THU: Skivvy Stripdown SAT: Beer Bust 3 - 7 p.m. SUN: Beer Bust 3 - 7 p.m.

500 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (303) 893-6112

LIL’ DEVILS

N• T JOI N

2036 N. Broadway St. , Denver (303) 658-0913 triangledenver.com

629 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 832-2687 xbardenver.com

1336 E. 17th Ave. Denver (303) 993-5812 hamburgermarys.com/denver

W

COLORADO BLVD.

GLADYS: THE NOSY NEIGHBOR

THE TRIANGLE BAR

YORK ST.

4501 E. Virginia Ave. Glendale (303) 388-8889 Facebook - Elpotrero.180

O

BROADWAY

EL POTRERO

T

P

CLUB Q

TRACKS

3500 Walnut St. Denver (303) 863-7326 tracksdenver.com

U

CHARLIE'S® NIGHTCLUB

900 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 839-8890 charliesdenver.com MON - SAT: Happy Hour 11 a.m.-7 p.m. FRI: Neon Fridays SUN: $7 Beer Bust 4-8 p.m.

R&R LOUNGE

DOWNING ST.

BLUSH & BLU

1526 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 484-8548 blushbludenver.com



OUTBACK CLASSIFIEDS ENVISIONED BY BOBERTO

Playmates and soul mates

REAL CHAT WITH REAL MEN 1-303-563-4828

Denver:

1-303-433-6789 18+ MegaMates.com

4 6 \\ M A R C H 6 , 2 0 1 9

ONE HOUR FREE

MORE NUMBERS:1-800-777-8000 GUYSPYVOICE.COM



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CO LO

DC AN

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S ’ O D RA

AWARD T S O M E

HIGH LEVEL H HE EA AL LT TH H

52 AWARDS & COUNTING HIGHLEVELHEALTH.COM

Denver Locations 970 Lincoln St. 10th St. & Lincoln St. (303)-839-9333

2028 E. Colfax Ave. Race St. & Colfax Ave. (303)-355-9333

Mountain Location 1221 County Rd 308 In The I-70 Corridor Dumont, CO (720)-242-8692

1620 Market St. 16th St. & Market St. (303)-953-0884


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