December 20, 2017 :: Year in Review 2017 by OUT FRONT Magazine

D ECEMB ER 20, 2017 | O U T FR O NT M AGA ZINE .CO M | F R E E

YEAR IN REVIEW

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CONTENTS

DECEMBER 20, 2017 VOL41 NO25

6 WHY WE USE QUEER ALONGSIDE LGBTQ IN OUT FRONT 8 BISEXUALITY & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE 10 SUZY & WILMA PETERSON SWEEP THEIR WAY INTO YOUR HEARTS & LIVING ROOMS 12 TAKE A BITE INTO PEPPERMINT 16

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PRIDE UNDER FIRE 20 HISTORY OF THE GAY RODEO 24 KOKO BAYER PUSHES A SOCIAL AGENDA THROUGH “LIGHT VANDALISM” 30 FIGHTING FOR A SEAT 40 THE SHOULDERS WE STAND ON

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SERVING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS SINCE 1976 PHONE 303-477-4000 FAX 303-325-2642 WEB OutFrontMagazine.com FACEBOOK /OutFrontColorado TWITTER @OutFrontCO INSTAGRAM /OutFrontColorado FOUNDER PHIL PRICE 1954-1993 ADMINISTRATION info@outfrontmagazine.com JERRY CUNNINGHAM Publisher J.C. MCDONALD Vice President MAGGIE PHILLIPS Operations Manager JEFF JACKSON SWAIM Chief Strategist EDITORIAL editorial@outfrontmagazine.com RYAN HOWE Editor ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER Digital Content Manager BRENT HEINZE Senior Columnist SARAH FARBMAN Copy Editor ARIANNA BALDERAMMA Intern WRITERS Yvonne Wright, Jeremiah Ntepp, Brett Longhi THANKS TO MIKE BOMBERGER FOR THE WEIRDO PHOTOS IN OUR SEX ISSUE! ART art@outfrontmagazine.com DESIGN2PRO Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Charles Broshous MARKETING + SALES marketing@outfrontmagazine.com HARRISON SCHAFFER Director of Sales & Marketing DANNY GREGORY-O’SHEA Marketing Executive BRENNAN GALLAGHER Marketing Executive NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 | sales@rivendellmedia.com

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR BY RYAN HOWE

WHY WE USE QUEER ALONGSIDE LGBTQ IN OUT FRONT It’s hard to define the word ‘queer.’ For different people, it means different things. QUEER /kwir/ adjective • strange; odd. • an alternative that some people use to blur the idea of the labels and categories such as lesbian, gay, bisexual, etc. • an in-group term or a word that can be considered offensive to some people, depending on their generation, geographic location • a reclaimed umbrella term used to describe the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual and generally non-heterosexual or non-binary communities. Queer is the opposite of Straight. There isn’t a clear definition of the word. There isn’t a clear consensus on how the LGBTQ community feels about the word. Some have reclaimed it and use it as an easy umbrella term. Others hear or read the word and are immediately turned off. It’s still a word covered in filth and hurt. Some use it as a way to express exclusivity into a radical faerie’s way of life and thinking. OUT FRONT’s staff spent many meetings and arguments on whether to use the word in our magazine. We discussed when it should be used. We talked about the backlash we might receive. We talked about what the word meant to us. Ultimately, we settled on using queer when both the writer and the subject of the story agree with it. In all other instances we’ll use LGBTQ to represent our community.

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For us, queer is used as an umbrella term for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ or something other than the worldview that promotes heterosexuality as the norm. Sexuality and gender are fluid. Nothing is black and white, and all of us live somewhere in the grey area that falls between the opposing sides. Someone may not identify as gay, lesbian, or transgender, but they still live within our community. We must make an effort to include these people. Being queer is first and foremost a state of mind. It is a worldview characterized by acceptance, through which one embraces and validates all the unique, unconventional ways in which individuals express themselves, particularly with respect to gender and sexual orientation. It is about acknowledging the infinite number of complex, fluid identities that exist outside the few limited, dualistic categories considered legitimate by society. Being queer means that people are accepted for being themselves. They are celebrated for living authentically to how they want to live and not letting social norms dictate how they navigate our world. Being queer means challenging everything that’s considered normal. Being queer means recognizing that people don’t have to live with specific labels that potentially ignore their intersectionality. Being queer means spreading love and happiness and standing up for what is right.

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BISEXUALITY & DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BY YVONNE WRIGHT

THREE OUT OF FIVE BISEXUAL WOMEN EXPERIENCE SOME TYPE OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE. NEARLY HALF WILL BE RAPED AT LEAST ONCE DURING THEIR LIFETIMES. THE STATISTICS COMING FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL ARE STAGGERING. THEY’RE FRIGHTENING.

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Right now bisexual women are the number one target of domestic violence in the world. The second largest target? Bisexual men.

them, disowned, stalked, raped, harassed, and mentally and physically abused,” she said. The attackers were both homosexual and heterosexual.

It’s not just strangers attacking them. They are also at the highest risk of being sexually assaulted by a domestic partner.

“The interesting thing is that almost all these survivors said they felt that people in their lives would have been okay with their orientation if they were either gay or straight, but they weren’t okay with them being bisexual because they needed to ‘pick a side.’”

“Research has shown that bisexual women who are survivors of violence felt that their abusive partners were threatened by their sexuality and used it as a reason for perpetuating violence,” Heron Greenesmith, an attorney at Senior Policy Analyst for the Movement Advancement Project (MAP), said. “Many bisexual women survivors reported going ‘back into the closet’ as a survival mechanism.” MAP is an independent think tank that focuses on queer issues. Their research shows most people within the queer community identify as bisexual–52 percent. If bisexuals are the majority, why are they also the most vulnerable? Several studies indicate they’re targeted by both sides: straight people and people within their own community. Between a Gay and a Straight Place: Bisexual Individuals’ Experiences with Monosexism, a study conducted by professors from the Universities of Massachusetts and MadisonWisconsin, found bisexuals report experiencing an alarming amount of biphobia from gays and lesbians. It states, “bisexual individuals reported significantly more discrimination from the heterosexual community in comparison to the gay or lesbian community.” This may be because perpetrators can’t identify with being attracted to more than one gender. Lola Davidson is a queer blogger who asked her bisexual readers to share their stories. She found the results disturbing. “They’ve been beaten, punched, had bricks thrown at

The CDC’s National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey provides some of the most significant data to date regarding sexual violence. Their largest finding: bisexuals experience the highest level of abuse in virtually all types of sexual violence. Among rape victims, bisexual women experience rape earlier in life–usually between the ages of 11 and 24. Of those women raped, nearly half were raped between the ages of 11 and 17. The rate of stalking bisexual women is more than double that of heterosexual women. One in three to be exact. “We know that bisexual people face isolation and a lack of community and family support,” Greenesmith said. “These factors may combine to leave bisexual people at much higher risk for domestic violence.” In order to combat the high levels of violence she said, “communities, schools, agencies, and organizations need to provide bisexual-specific prevention and recovery services.” The CDC agrees. They recommend more resources for sexual violence victims within the queer community. Right now they are seriously lacking. There are also calls for more education among healthcare professionals. Perhaps most importantly, people need to be more educated about bisexuality and remove the stigmas attached. Going back “into the closet” to avoid abuse is not the answer for our community’s largest group.

BISEXUAL PEOPLE EXPERIENCE HIGH RATES OF INTIMATE PARTER VIOLENCE* % of respondents experiencing intimate partner violence, by sexual orientation

61%

BISEXUAL

44%

LESBIAN

WOMEN

35%

HETERO

37%

26%

BISEXUAL

GAY

29%

HETERO

MEN

*SOURCE: MIKEL L. WALTERS, KIERU CJEN, AND MATTHEW J. BREIDING, “THE NATIONAL INTIMATE PARTNER AND SEXUAL VIOLENCE SURVEY: 2010 FINDINGS ON VICTIMIZATION BY SEXUAL ORIENTATION” (ATLANTA, GA: NATIONAL CENTER FOR INJURY PREVENTION AND CONTROL, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, JANUARY 2013), HTTP://WWW.CDC.GOV/VIOLENCEPREVENTION/PDF/NISVS SOFINDINGS.PDF.

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BY JEREMIAH NTEPP

suzy & wilma peterson

Sweep Their Way

into your hearts & living rooms

When Suzy and Wilma Peterson walk through the door, the two ladies will most likely have smiles plastered to their faces. These rarely fade as they navigate their way through the floor plan of your home or business with a vacuum, assorted colored rags, spray bottles filled with soapy liquid, a feather duster, or–Suzy’s personal favorite—a buffer. Suzy and Wilma are two transgender entrepreneurs who have swept their cleaning company, S&W Peterson LLC, into a number of residential homes and a few businesses in Denver. It’s something neither thought they would be doing but both found a love for. “We take great pride in the work we do,” Suzy said. “I want to walk out of a building knowing that we took care of the client. We want the homes we visit to be livable and the businesses to be workable when we walk out. Unfortunately, we are in the minority in that regard.” In order to accomplish this goal, the ladies must have a keen eye for detail. At first there was a learning curve, but they’ve trained their eyes to walk into a building and immediately start assessing what needs to be done—honing in on the obvious obstacles and those that lurk beneath the surface. Before S&W Peterson LLC, Suzy would travel for weeks out of state, while Wilma stayed in Denver to work. Although they were both satisfied, the erratic scheduling and distance put a strain on their relationship. The couple was pushed to the breaking point when Suzy left the state on a 12-week project in California. Suzy didn’t last the 12 weeks and came back early to be with Wilma. After a few discussions and some soul searching, S&W Peterson LLC was born. “When Suzy came back, she just told me, ‘I don’t want to be away from you anymore,’” Wilma said. “It made me feel so good and wanted for just being me. It’s a feeling I’d waited a long time for.” The two worked in various fields both before and after their transitions. While neither of them faced blatant discrimination once they came out, transitioning in the workplace can be very challenging. The trans community is often discriminated against or targeted both during and after transitioning, but these two have shown that the broom is mightier than the sword. 1 0 \\ D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

According to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, the trans community experiences unemployment at double the rate of the general population, while 26 percent have lost a job because they are transgender. Explicit nondiscrimination laws and workplace protections are important because they protect the transgender community from these injustices when they happen and even before they occur. In May 2007, Governor Bill Ritter signed Senate Bill 25—the Employment Nondiscrimination Act—that added protection for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Coloradans into Colorado’s employment anti-discrimination laws. This expanded law defines sexual orientation as heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, or transgender status. Under Colorado law, it is now unlawful to consider sexual orientation or gender identity when making employment-related decisions, including hiring, firing, or inquiries about an employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity. This law applies to all employers, employment agencies, labor organizations, on-the-job training, and vocational training programs and schools, regardless of size. “I worked at a Fortune 500 company for 25 years and came out as trans during that time. It was a boys’ world type of company and didn’t feel comfortable afterwards,” Wilma said. “The trouble and discomfort trans people face when it comes to the workforce was in play when we decided to go down this path.” The couple has opened their business to other transgender employees who may have been facing employment discrimination or are looking for a safe and welcoming workplace. As the business continues to grow, the need for more employees will follow. As this happens, Suzy and Wilma will employ those who need a helping hand and show them the ups and downs of functioning in a professional setting, from proper attire to punctuality. In a little more than a year, S&W Peterson LLC, has been rapidly growing. With it, a newfound love for janitorial service has sprouted in both Suzy and Wilma. You can connect with the team at SWPeterson.com. “We’ll come take care of you—no matter who you are,” Wilma said.

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TAKE A BITE INTO

Peppermint P

eppermint, one of the stars of the hit television show RuPaul’s Drag Race,” made her Denver debut earlier this year during Denver Pride. This Queen, who was in the running to take home the crown during Season Nine. Ladies and gentlemen, get prepared to sink your teeth into the incomparable Peppermint. Agnes Moore, better known by her stage name Peppermint, was born and raised in Heshey, PA. In 1998 she packed her belongings and fled the countryside, making her way to the glitz and glam of New York City, arguably the drag capital of the world. She found her first “big break” after meeting infamous New York party promoter and owner of Tunnel night club Peter Gatian. Gatian hired her to strut her stuff and perform at Tunnel’s legendary Kurfew parties, and soon after that Peppermint became one of New York City’s “it girls,” as well as one of the most sought-after Queens in New York City nightlife. Peppermint has spent years working at her craft, all the while guest-starring in multiple projects, from roles on CSI: NY, gay.com’s web series Queens of Drag: NYC, and America’s Next Top Model (appearing as a drag version of Tyra Banks), just to name a few. Drawing from her surroundings, Peppermint attributes her inspiration to begin a career in drag, as well as her basic inspiration for life, to two very special women.

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“My Mom has always been my inspiration, and I’m inspired by her today. My mom and Janet Jackson,” Peppermint said. While she’s always been a queen in our peripherals, Peppermint has finally made it to Drag Queen Mecca, and took center stage in this year’s competition of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

think of a gay man as the prime candidate for the art. But Peppermint is keeping cool while challenging drag stereotypes. She doesn’t blink when it comes to some who might not exactly understand her. “Hopefully, if I live my truth they will figure it out. I ain’t got time for explanations,” she added.

“Honey, RuPaul is a legend and pioneer in our field, and she’s been inspiring me way before Drag Race started,” boasts Peppermint, expressing nothing but love for the drag icon when asked what RuPaul meant to her as a drag performer.

Peppermint takes no prisoners as she works her way to the top, crushing the competition. Her message is as clear as ever: to be true to who you are and to express yourself in the most authentic of ways.

Not only did Peppermint participate in the competition of a lifetime, she also made drag race history. She was only the second queen to compete as a transgender woman (after Monica Beverly Hillz from season 5). Entering the race as an openly transgender woman from the beginning of the competition, Peppermint fiercely competed while wearing her heart on her sleeve and keeping a pep in her step. Sure there have been other contestants who have courageously come out as transgender once finishing with the competition, but Peppermint made history by openly competing as a trans queen. For some, the idea of a transgender woman performing in drag can be a challenging concept to grasp, being that when people generally think of drag, they traditionally

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“Pride means celebrating true equality with everyone, including those who aren’t in the LGBTQIA+ community,” said Peppermint when asked what pride mean to her personally. Although the drag world is full of cutthroat competition, Peppermint reminds us that we still need to come together as a community when it comes to deeper issues. Some would argue that in this current political climate, having pride in one’s identity is a direct resistance to the current administration, making pride a political statement. Peppermint agreed wholeheartedly. “To live your truth in this environment is a political statement.” Where there’s Peppermint, there is sure to be a sweet surprise.

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Pride began as a protest. Not a party. While hundreds of LGBTQ celebrations are held around the world every June, a growing number of people within the community are being forced into hiding. Some are kidnapped, beaten, even killed. There have also been spikes in government crackdowns on Pride activities from Asia to Africa.

“A brutal campaign against gay men is sweeping Chechnya, with reports of abduction-style detention, enforced disappearances, torture, and deaths,” said Kyle Knight, a researcher with the U.S.-based Human Rights Watch (HRW). The HRW recently confirmed reports of the anti-gay brutalities in the Russian republic of Chechnya Knight said that while Russia’s president turns his head to the atrocities, President Trump’s crackdown on refugees, particularly Muslim refugees, is making it even more difficult for these men to escape persecution. “We need to take seriously our obligations and our burden sharing to make these people safe,” Knight said. According to the HRW, suspected gay men in this largely Muslim federation in southern Russia are “outed” by authorities and handed over to their families, who feel dutybound to perform “honor killings.” This type of “looking the other way” in Chechnya fits into what Knight refers to as 1 6 \\ D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

“a disturbing global pattern of governments explicitly driving anti-gay violence or tacitly allowing vigilantes to attack LGBT people with impunity.” We are seeing examples of the restricting of LGBTQ rights in Asia, the Mideast, Africa, Europe, and even here in the U.S. While homosexuality is punishable by death in many Middle Eastern countries, it is legal in Turkey. For the last 13 years, Istanbul has hosted the largest (and as far as we know the only) Arab gay Pride parade. Last year, it was blown apart when police in riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets at participants. Tensions are still so high that organizers say they doubt a parade will be held this year at all. Clare Byarugaba is a gay rights activist in Uganda. She was at one of the attempted Pride events where police showed up and hauled people to jail.

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“[The police] were dragging people, they were beating people, they were undressing people to find out whether they were men or women,” she told Reuters. A U.S.-based Quaker association reports that violence against LGBTQ people there has steadily increased since 2014, when lawmakers tried to make homosexuality an executable offense. The measure failed, but the anti-gay sentiment continues to grow. Since the law was introduced three years ago, Quakers report having helped 1,800 LGBTQ individuals escape Uganda. In Russia, a 100-year ban on Moscow Pride is being fought in court. Elsewhere in the country, officials are using the same propaganda law used in the nation’s capital to ban Pride activities across the country. The law prohibits the dissemination of homosexual information to minors. Gay Star News reports that at least nine permits to hold Pride demonstrations were denied this year. Rising tensions are also being felt in Asian countries like Singapore, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. In Singapore, an estimated 30,000 people gather every year for the Pink Dot, a growing Pride celebration that defies the country’s anti-gay laws. This year, a new law bans foreigners from participating. With the loss of foreign participants comes the loss of international corporate revenue. Local groups worked hard to raise money so that they could hold events. “Singapore is doing all it can to truncate international support for the rapidly growing movement of Singaporeans who support lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender rights and

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non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,” Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of HRW, told Reuters. Despite the new restrictions, local organizers are going on as planned. In Indonesia, Knight said that “throughout 2016, officials and politicians stoked anti-LGBT sentiment that boiled over into police violence against peaceful demonstrations and raids on suspected gay gatherings and vigilante attacks on activists.” Anti-gay sentiment in Indonesia is nothing new, but after years of what some call a “don’t ask, don’t tell” cultural sentiment, an anti-gay tsunami has hit the island nation full-force. The backlash began with a proposal to ban LGBTQ student organizations from the University of Indonesia. This snowballed when government, educational, and religious leaders began publically denouncing homosexual activity. Bangladesh is more than 2,000 miles north of Indonesia, but right in the same political spot. Last year, the editor of the country’s only LGBTQ publication and his friend were hacked to death by a group of machete-wielding extremists. Most of the people involved in the burgeoning movement are now in hiding, living under the threat of execution. “My bosses... say the two ‘deserved’ their fate because they were homosexual. My bosses don’t even know that I am gay, and neither does

my family,” a friend of the victims in hiding confided to activist Raad Rahman. “Imagine having to hide grief like this. Now I have nothing. No life. No future.” Pride was born from the Stonewall Inn riots that followed a police raid of the New York gay bar in 1969. The riots were commemorated a year later with the very first Pride parades in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Chicago. While it has evolved into more of a party, Prides across this country may be drawn back to their political roots as activists anticipate more anti-gay legislation, this year. 2016 and 2017 definitely raised many red flags, as LGBTQ rights were under fire even in the U.S. If worldwide trends continue, these measures could increase anti-gay sentiment, even if they don’t pass. “This,” Knight said, “is a critical time. Now more than ever in history, we have power to keep stories alive and issues on the desks of policymakers. We can make sure coverage is fact-driven and leaders are held accountable for their actions or inactions.” OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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History of

THE GAY RODEO

By Addison Herron-Wheeler The Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo is a staple event in the Denver area, not just because of its iconic status as a fun LGBTQ outing, but also because it creates an inclusive experience for Westerners and ranchers who identify outside of the straight community. Part of the International Gay Rodeo Association, Colorado’s branch has been running strong for 35 years. The drive to hold gay rodeos was essentially born out of two necessities: the AIDS crisis and the need for inclusion in the rodeo world. The first Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo was in 1983, at the height of the AIDS hysteria. At the time, LGBTQ people weren’t getting the help they needed in terms of charitable assistance for medical expenses and care, even if they weren’t HIV positive. The first rodeos donated proceeds to charities— this is still the case today.

Terry Bartlett, Denver, June 2-3, 1984. Photo by Bill Morris

Another reason that the gay rodeo was necessary was because there were LGBTQ individuals who worked on ranches and wanted to be taken seriously in the rodeo scene. However, at that time in Middle America, it was not safe to be out and proud in that sector. People still feared physical injury or death, not just persecution and prejudice, for being openly queer. Gay rodeos created a space where people could be themselves and also compete seriously on the rodeo circuit. While the Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo and other events in the IGRA are not quite as competitive or extreme as some professional rodeo events, they still involve real ranch-hand skill. Since they are considered amateur rodeos, anyone of any gender can compete together in the same events. This helps to erase gender lines and make things inclusive for those who are non-binary or trans. It also means that women can compete in some of the events typically reserved for men at professional rodeos, like bull riding. The rodeos also feature some entertainment-only events that anyone can participate in, such as goat dressing, which is just putting a pair of tightywhities on a goat. These non-competitor events help to make everyone in the community feel involved.

Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, Denver, July 3-5, 1992. Photo by Bill Morris

The idea of gay rodeos was initially borrowed from another state, but Colorado did it better, leading to a long tradition of rodeo events. Inspired by the first gay rodeo in Reno, Nevada, which was fun but not very successful in terms of organization, money, or fair play during contests, John King, founder of Charlie’s, Denver’s Western-themed gay bar, and a few others decided to start their own gay rodeo in Colorado. King had been hearing whispers at his bar about an “oxymoron” called the gay rodeo. He decided the Nevada rodeo was worth checking out in person, and the rest is history. 2 0 \\ D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, Denver, July 20, 1997. Photo by Bill Morris

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enjoy

“We use a sport that is derived from small towns and basically rural America to collect people that have a similar value system and want to get together and to enjoy each other’s’ company, and in the long run, we develop an enthusiastic party,” King said. Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, Denver, July 20, 1997. Photo by Bill Morris

“There is an unspoken comradeship that develops when people come in from a small town and attempt to navigate an established gay community in a big town, in a larger market area, and that is because many things that we take for granted growing up in a small town are not necessarily true, but when we get together in one place we don’t have to worry about that. There are some value systems that we know, so it gives us a head start as far as getting to know each other, becoming comfortable, and having a great weekend.” Gay rodeos that are an official part of the International Gay Rodeo Association take place all across the U.S., in places like California, Florida, New Mexico, and Illinois. Canada has hosted rodeos in the past, making the association truly international, and Mexico and Canada are both showing some interest in starting up new rodeos. They bring in LGBTQ folks from across the world with a passion for ranch work and entertainment.

Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, Denver, 2003. Photo by Bill Morris

The Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo has something that sets it apart. “We are the only Gay Rodeo Association to hold 35 consecutive rodeos,” explained Carolyn Herbert, Vice President of the Colorado Gay Rodeo Association Board of Directors. “That makes us pretty amazing, and we have a great group of people that have been supporting us for all of those years. People from all walks of life that were there in the beginning or have just joined us over the last year, they are the ones that keep us going.”

Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, Denver, 2011. Photo by Bill Morris

Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, July 2007. Photo by Bill Morris

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Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo, Denver, 2011. Photo by Bill Morris

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Pushes a Social Agenda Through â&#x20AC;&#x153;Light Vandalismâ&#x20AC;? By Addison Herron-Wheeler

Graffiti is a powerful medium for spreading messages. For Koko Bayer, it is a cathartic release and a way to educate her community on important social issues. 2 4 \\ D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

Bayer is one of the staple artists of the once-flourishing River North arts community. Soon, that neighborhood will be home to a World Trade Center and many new apartment complexes. Her neighborhood is rapidly changing, but Bayer found a way to continue working in RiNo when she ditched her gallery space and transformed her apartment into a work studio. But her art is still visible on the streets of RiNo, and the remains of her work can be found in the rubble of the buildings that once housed many galleries but were torn down to make room for Denver’s growing population. Grinding to a stop, Bayer wasted no time jumping out of her Jeep Wrangler to show off one of her favorite walls in the RiNo neighborhood. Located on the side of an abandoned building, Bayer lamented that the spot will soon be torn down, and her work with it.

Technically, what Bayer is doing is illegal, but she fondly refers to it as “vandalism light.” Unlike graffiti done with spray paint, all of her pasted illustrations can be washed off with water and are not intended to be permanent or damage the buildings they are on. She also seeks out spots with pieces already on them, properties she knows to be abandoned, or owners who are friendly to local artists.

I always just think of myself as an artist, not with anything added on to that.

“There’s a certain street code that goes along with this kind of work,” Bayer explained. “If I were to wheatpaste over another artist’s work, that would be an act of aggression. I seek out spaces with other pieces and try to put my work where I know it’s OK.”

“Plenty of my pieces have gone down in this neighborhood when they brought down the buildings,” she said. “I still have a lot of pieces up, but there are definitely some that have gotten demolished.” Bayer creates graffiti as a catharsis, a release from the technology she immerses herself in during her day-to-day work. She also does it as a way to break through and reach the community through interactive art.

One of those places is located in the heart of Capitol Hill. As she approached the spot, a smile crept up from behind the steering wheel. Bayer’s appearance forms a sharp contrast with the rugged jeep she rides around in. Donning a blue and white blouse, with her hair and makeup done, she takes a lot of pride in her appearance, even in the middle of summer as she lugs her equipment through town. Her Jeep, on the other hand, is dusty and open-air, filled with a bucket of wheatpaste, a large brush for attaching her work to walls, and all of her prints.

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“This next spot is a little hidden, but still great for pasting,” Bayer said of a secluded wall tucked behind City o’ City. “My work won’t be as visible here, but I try to contribute to this spot because a lot of artists visit here.” The wall behind City o’ City already features some of Bayer’s existing work. A pair of lips plastered to the wall, once bright red, have turned black, but still remain proudly displayed. Standing in front of the wall and her faded lips, Bayer pulled out a giant image of a rainbow hand with an eyeball in the center and began pasting it alongside other artists’ work. “This piece I made specifically for Pride, even though I’m not always super political with my work,” Bayer explained. As a lesbian trans woman, Bayer does not want her LGBTQ identity to define or inform all of her art, but she wants to embrace the power that she has to create change and influence opinion by pasting her art across the city. While she doesn’t see herself as an artist that works being queer into every piece of art or aspect of what she does, Bayer has recently been working on LGBTQoriented projects. She did a series for Pride Month featuring rainbow hearts, eyes, and hands that she put up all over town.

It kind of shows you that there’s this additional layer that your art can have if you choose for it to. At the end of the day it still needs to be good art — not just good queer art or good woman’s art. If I can do good art that also helps educate people I think that would be a beautiful bonus, and it would be so gratifying. “I always just think of myself as an artist, not with anything added on to that,” she said. “But I think this election has really made us think and clarify what exactly we think. Working with the Amplifier Foundation [a local LGBTQ street art crew] and doing all the ‘We the People’ postering around town was really empowering and showed me that my art can also be this tool to share my opinions and really make people think about certain things, and that really got my attention. It kind of shows you that there’s this additional layer that your art can have if you choose for it to. At the end of the day it still needs to be good art — not just good queer art or good woman’s art. If I can do good art that also helps educate people I think that would be a beautiful bonus, and it would be so gratifying.” The “We the People” series refers to the posters that have been popping up around town, reminiscent of World War II-era propaganda posters. One features a woman wearing an American flag Hijab, and the other shows a brownskinned woman with a flower in her hair. The posters made a bigger impact than a lot of the more esoteric pieces she posts.

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Many were defaced, causing Bayer to drive around fixing and pasting over the ruined posters. Bayer doesn’t seem bitter about the art being destroyed, but rather encouraged that people are noticing her work and starting a dialogue based on it, and happy that she has received positive feedback for the project as well. On the same wall as her faded lips and newly pasted rainbow hand, Bayer pointed out one of her “We the People” pieces—the one without the hijab. “I loved putting this here because of the visibility for people,” she explained. “These have definitely been pieces that received a really strong reaction. Taking out her phone, she pulled up a photo of her hijab piece after it was defaced, the words “stop female genital mutilation” scrawled across the image. Despite the defacing of some of her pieces, Bayer seems positive about the fact that her audience is reacting to and interacting with her pieces. “It really has been so gratifying doing the ‘We the People’ thing, and every time I have replaced that piece across from City o’ City, someone has come up and said how much they appreciate having that piece there,” she said. “A lot of times as artists we don’t have that much contact with other people, really. Making art, for the most part, is a solitary enterprise. I think that’s part of why I like making art in the streets. It’s a semi-solitary enterprise but sometimes you interact with people.”

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If you give people an honest chance to accept you for who you are, the overwhelming majority of people will. Bayer works as a photographer to pay the bills but does wheatpasting as a way to blow off steam and meditate on a solitary activity. She considers all of her art a collaboration with her late grandfather, Herbert Bayer, who was one of the pioneers of the Bauhaus Movement. The process of pasting is easy enough that Bayer can accomplish it with a few basic items from her jeep. She keeps a bottle of wheatpaste, which she mixes herself from a water and flour solution. Bayer squirts the paste up on the wall and then flattens the illustration onto the wall with the roller she carries. “You know, for me, there is something beautifully low tech about it,” she said. “There is something very simple, almost preschool-like. Glue and paper and water—that’s it. And I love the actual act; I love putting them up. I’m just thinking of the wall, the paper, the glue; it’s very liberating; the zone or flow is super addictive. It’s such a good feeling and something I’ve gotten from art since I was a kid.” Once Bayer was nestled comfortably back in her Wrangler and making her way through RiNo, she passed the location of the future World Trade Center and the new condos that will surround it. Bayer turned nostalgic, yet optimistic, about the neighborhood. “All of that over there used to be studios; it was where I had my studio,” she said, gesturing to some apartments. “Now I live in Taxi, in one of the newer apartments. But I still have a workspace over there, and now there’s an organic grocery store I can walk to from my house. You can’t argue with that.” Bayer will continue to use her positive influence through art to educate and reach people, and she still believes in the power of local D.I.Y. culture. In the meantime, Bayer would like for all of us to do her one favor. 2 8 \\ D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

“Come out of the closet,” she insisted. “Trans people especially need to come out of the closet. Those people in the closet are doing themselves and all of us a huge disservice. They are projecting onto the world what they think the world is going to think about them and that is informed by sexism, fear, and shame. If you give people an honest chance to accept you for who you are, the overwhelming majority of people will.”

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By Ryan Howe

Fighting for

a Seat Queers Push for a Spot in the State’s Capitol

ack in June, Representative Jared Polis entered Colorado’s very crowded race for governor. He announced his candidacy via Reddit, the popular social news and discussion website, on Monday, June 12, the first day of Denver’s Pride week. He spent the evening replying to Reddit user’s questions about the increase of traffic in the state, how the real estate market is pushing the middle class out of Denver and Boulder, Colorado’s relationship with oil and gas companies, renewable energy, and his thoughts on other states suing Colorado for legalized marijuana—he replied, “stoopid states.” At 12:51 he signed off for the night with a classic goodbye, “hitting the hay! Night all! xoxo.” It’s fitting. Polis became a tech millionaire by building and selling online businesses in the late 90s and early 2000s, acquiring him a net worth somewhere around $400 million. That makes him one of the wealthiest members of the United States Congress. If anything, Jared Polis knows how to cater to people online. His comment about the states suing Colorado was his highest voted comment. Polis is entering a race with top-tier candidates, big egos, a hostile national environment, weak parties, and wide-open seat—due to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s term limits. In the coming months, we’ll see if he can translate that connection and his vision for the state to Colorado’s range of voters. “What I think this state needs is a bold vision for the future. That’s really why I wanted to run for governor. To really be able to talk about the big issues, and big 3 0 \\ D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 7

plans,” Polis said. “And not just the ideas, but the ability to transform them into reality.” Unsurprisingly, Polis seemed confident in OUT FRONT’s office on June 17, the Saturday of Pride weekend. Oh yeah, Jared Polis is one of the nation’s only openly gay men in congress, and was the first gay parent to have a seat in our nation’s capitol. If he snags Hickenlloper’s seat, he’ll be the first openly gay governor. A Colorado native, Polis navigates Denver’s streets and elaborate Pride parties every Father’s Day Weekend. This year, he was celebrating the LGBTQ community alongside the personal victory of announcing his run for governor.

Photo provided by Jared Polis

Polis is entering with big ideas. At the top of his list is getting Colorado to use 100 percent renewable energy by 2040, ensuring parents can access free, full-day preschool or kindergarten for children age three and older, and encouraging companies in the state to provide stock options to employees. “There is not going to be good news coming out of Washington on any of these items,” Polis stressed. “If we are going to make any progress on these issues, it’s going to be at the state level. These are the issues I hear about from my friends and neighbors. People want a vision for the state where we live. We are very proud as Coloradans. We want to preserve what makes Colorado special. And I’m excited to offer my mission to do that.” In order for him to achieve this, he’ll first have to fight his way through a few battles. First the primaries. Alongside Polis on the democratic side are former state Sen. Mike Johnston; Cary Kennedy, a former state treasurer; businessman Noel Ginsburg; and former republican Erik Underwood. After the primaries, he’ll be up against one of the republicans gunning for the seat. The Republican side features Doug Robinson, the nephew of Mitt Romney; George Brauchler, the prosecutor of the Aurora theater shooter; former state legislator Victor Mitchell; Greg Lopez, the former mayor of Parker; Lew Gaiter; Stever Barlock, who co-chaired Denver’s 2016 Donald Trump presidential campaign; Doug Robinson; Joanne Silva; and former candidate Jim Rundberg. Take a breath. Let that settle. Think about PrideFest 2017. All those colors. All those beautiful people. Now come back. Polis knows his voters, and with the title of the nation’s first openly gay governor on the line, he made a point to hit One Colorado’s annual Pink Party on Saturday during Pridefest and mingle with some of our state’s best queer advocates. It’s not something that Polis takes lightly. Although he hasn’t spoken about the queer bills that continuously get killed at the capitol, he did address making sure queer students across the state feel safe within the halls of their schools. “We need to do more at the state level to make sure that school districts across our state are able to make sure that there is a welcoming and safe learning environment for every kid, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity,” he said. “There are districts that do that well, and there are districts that have a little way to go right here in our state.” This is battle that One Colorado, the state’s leading LGBTQ advocacy group, knows all too well, as the Colorado GayStraight Alliance Network works out of the same office. One Colorado also headde up a statewide leadership tour that hit Fort Collins, Denver, Colorado Springs, and Grand Junction ensured that students had the tools they needed that students have the tools they need to build really strong Gay Straight

Alliances and clubs. “What we are hearing from students around the state is that bullying and harassment is getting worse,” Daniel Ramos, One Colorado’s director, said. “We want to make sure that our students and educators have the tools that they need to best advocate for safer school communities.” It’s not only the students who are experiencing hostile environments. Earlier in the year, One Colorado went on tour talking to queers across the state, and found that same increase in discrimination and hate speech outside of the schoolyard, and into our local communities. That’s only one of the battles that One Colorado continues to fight. This year, once again, two LGBTQ related bills have died at the capitol—one that would protect queer people from the use of conversion therapy here in the state, and one that would change the restrictions in place in order for transgender people to change the gender on their birth certificate. While many of the pro-equality champions One Colorado endorsed during last year’s election won their races and have vowed to stand up for Colorado queers at the Capitol, voters did not elect a pro-equality majority in the state’s Senate. Unfortunately, it was the Senate who failed to pass the ban on conversion therapy and blocked the bill that would allow transgender people to, with a doctor’s note, have their birth certificate changed to reflect their gender identity. As it sits now, Colorado does not have a pro-equality majority at the Capitol, which makes it difficult to pass bills that would help protect queer people. Although we have six queer representatives at the capitol, they are still struggling to garner enough support for these bills. This is not something Ramos or One Colorado is overlooking. “What’s important for us is that the more LGBTQ representation we have at all levels, whether it be the school board, city council, or governor of our state, that we have a voice at the table and conversations start to change,” Ramos said. “The more and more people we elect that are part of our community, can speak on our community, and really represent the key policy and program priorities, the better off LGBTQ folks will be.” That includes Jared Polis. As Polis navigates his way through the muddy waters of the Governor’s race, his left-leaning ideas will be put through the ringer. But his dedication to the queer community of Colorado is not something he will back down on. He recognizes the plights of the queer community continues to face, and knows that change must first start locally. “We’ve come a really long way on equality issues, but I want people to know that we are not there yet in this state or nationally,” Polis said. “We aim for a future where it shouldn’t matter at all who you are or who you love, and we are going to continue to fight until we reach that.”

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YEAR IN REVIEW This year has seen everything from topless cuties at multiple Pride parties to welldressed queens at black-tie benefits and awards ceremonies. Although there has been a lot of political strife, the queer community in Colorado came out in droves to show visibility, look fabulous, and wave flags of many colors. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking forward to just as many silly photo ops, great causes, and moments of queer togetherness in 2018. Photos by Charles Broshous

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The Shoulders A Look at Deb-Ann Thomson’s Relentless Advocacy By Ryan Howe

ot long ago, Deb-Ann Thomson was sitting in her office, shredding file after file after file, and stuffing the paper confetti into trash bags. As she purged the cabinets that held files on every patient who had ever came to see her, she flipped through a few and remembered some of the queers who inspired her to become one of our community’s most resilient advocates.

Thomson is a nationally-acclaimed therapist in the queer community who took the struggles that her clients faced and tirelessly fought to change the systemic social issues that restricted them from living healthy, full lives. Throughout her career, she has taken on the criminal justice system, sat beside AIDS patients during their final moments, travelled the world pushing for trans visibility, and guided queers through many exciting adventures. For lack of a better term, Deb-Ann Thomson is a badass. The bags full of thin slivers of paper are filled with stories. She had never thrown away a single file in her decades of working as a therapist. She kept them neatly tucked into her filing cabinets just in case an old patient called and wanted to catch up. But now, as she’s been telling her friends for nearly two years, Thomson is retiring. Although she decided to keep some files dating back 15 years, and that of her very first patient, still

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stored away, shredding decades of her life was emotional but necessary—there’s simply nowhere to move them. “I really grew close to so many of my patients,” Thomson said. “That made it so easy for me to fight for them.” Thomson started fighting before she was out of college, which was risky in 1981. Had she come out as a lesbian during her classes, she would have been kicked out of the university. But that didn’t stop her from pushing for queer visibility in her final dissertation. For months, Thomson dug through what data she could find and then delivered an in-depth paper on abuse in lesbian relationships. When she tried to publish her work, she was laughed out of the biggest gay publishing house of the time. “No one wanted to print something so negative about our community because we were longing for normality and social acceptance,” she said. “No one was having these conversations. So I did.”

Taking on the Justice System In many of the bags filling her office on that emotional day were stories of relationship violence. Stories where many were afraid to go to the cops out of embarrassment and shame. When her clients were brave enough to contact authorities, the cases were often ignored or dismissed. Today, however, when LGBTQ victims of

psychologist since 1971, was immediately struck by Thomson’s determination and dedication. The closer the two grew, the more Randolph realized just how brave her new friend was and admired how she challenged social norms in order to help the community she called her own.

On: domestic violence call the police in Colorado, they are met with gender-neutral language and well-trained officers—thanks in large part to Thomson. In the late 80s, she took on the criminal justice system so queer people wouldn’t have to face what her clients went through. She won and pushed the system to educate and modify court-ordered programs that would involve different needs for the LGBTQ community. These programs are still in effect. “I wasn’t going to back down, but I did it in a very professional way,” Thomson said. “I would stand up, refuse to play games, and demand change. I wasn’t pushy, but I was strong. A lot of people didn’t like that.” From the start of her career, she has pushed for LGBTQ acceptance along with the visibility of the issues queer people face. But she still made time to help her community outside of the courts. “She has donated thousands of hours of pro bono work to people in the LGBT community,” Christine Randolph, a clinical psychologist in Denver, said. “I have never met someone so dedicated that community. She was an extremely compassionate provider, and I couldn’t speak higher of any other provider that I’ve ever worked with.” Randolph met Thomson as she was taking on the criminal justice system. Randolph, who had been a

“It’s really difficult for her to retire,” Randolph said. “She’s been trying for so many years, but she cares so deeply that she hasn’t been able to. It’s a small example, but a strong testament to the woman that she is.”

AIDS, Beepers, and Holding Hands As she made her way further into her files, she stumbled upon more and more of her clients who died of AIDS. Clients who often had no one other than Thomson during their final days. Clients who inspired her to purchase a beeper, which she often slept with, in case of emergencies. Clients who changed her life. In June 1981, as Thomson was slaving over her dissertation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report describing cases of a rare lung infection, Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia (PCP), in five young, previously healthy gay men in Los Angeles. It was the first official reporting of what became known as the AIDS epidemic. Eleven years later, AIDS was the number-one cause of death in gay males ages 25 to 44. By that time, Thomson had already purchased her beeper and had sat with a few clients when no one else would. “One time, I went to hospice to visit someone, and when I walked into the room, I was immediately greeted by a small staff of people huddled near the door wearing gloves and masks,” she recalled. “I stormed past them, walked across the room to my friend, grabbed his hand, and rubbed his back. I could see on their faces that they thought I was going to get sick.” Thomson didn’t back away or unclench her hand from his. She sat there for hours comforting him and telling him that it was okay to “let go” as he fought to stay alive. “That’s all he needed to hear,” she said. “I was the only one to get close enough to tell him.”

A Soldier for Trans Rights As the bags slowly started to surround the couch that filled her office, she began to encounter the stories of more and more transgender clients who had walked through her door asking for help. Clients who forced OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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her to push her knowledge of the LGBTQ community. Clients who had very little information about being trans. Clients who catapulted her into the the world of education and into the limelight. Back in the late 80s, a trans woman came out on Thomson’s couch. It was the first time, to her knowledge, that she had met a trans person. After her new client’s session ended, she immediately called the Gender Identity Center of Colorado, the only organization in Colorado that focused on the needs of the state’s trans community during that time. Her phone call was not received well. The woman on the other end of the line refused to help her because she thought Thomson, not being trans herself, was not qualified to help the trans community. “But this person came to me for help, and that’s exactly what I intended to do,” Thomson said. “So, I immersed myself in that community. I talked to advocates. I talked to trans people from all different parts of the nation. I did my research when there were barely any books or information on this community.” Before the 90s, trans visibility was low; very few transspecific organizations had formed, and the only books released were a handful of memoirs, which started with the 1974 releases of Jan Morris’s Conundrum and Canary Conn’s Canary. The only full-length narrative by a trans man published in the United States prior to the 90s was Mario Martino’s 1977 book Emergence: A Transsexual Autobiography. During the same time that Paris is Burning, Jennie Livingston’s documentary focusing on New York City’s queer ball scene, and Brandon Teena’s violent murder in Nebraska were bringing trans stories into the national spotlight, Thomson was immersing herself in that same community, becoming one of the only people to specialize in trans therapy. Nearly 10 years after she was denied help from the Gender Identity Center, she was actively helping its staff—as well as educating numerous conferences, universities, employment agencies, and talk and radio shows, not to mention fighting for our trans community in court. When Karen Scarpella, current executive and clinical director of the Gender Identity Center, came to town in 1998, Thomson was still only one of three trans therapists in Colorado. “She’s a mentor, and a wonderful, passionate, beautiful woman,” Scarpella said. “She has been out there fighting for trans people and helping them even as she faced backlash. She’s a hero to so many people.”

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The initial skepticism she received for not being trans followed her throughout her career. As she made her way across the country, meeting with activists and sharing her knowledge with the masses, she faced backlash from within the community, forcing her to travel with security—and even they couldn’t protect her from getting choked out at one convention. “But she never stopped,” Scarpella said. “People forget about the mandates that she was forced to follow in her early years. She was doing what she could to help people, and she was good at it.” But it never stopped her from advocating into the 2000s, as the trans community was becoming more and more visible. In 2002, both the Transgender Law Center and the Sylvia Rivera Law Project were founded. The following year, The National Center for Transgender Equality were founded. Thomson kept up with the times. “By that time, I was already nationally recognized as a trans therapist and advocate, so I was getting all sorts of different calls to sit in on conferences or talk to some major employers,” she said. “I also had my hand in so many different organizations across the nation. I was a busy woman.” During her career, Thomson has worked with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, Gender Identity Center of Colorado, AntiViolence Programs, PFLAG, Cross-Dressers and Friends, Mid-America Gender Group Information Exchange, International Foundation for Gender Education, Trans-Youth Education and Support, River City Gender Alliance, St. Louis Gender Foundation, Society for the Second Self, and Rainbow Alley. “That’s in no particular order. I get my decades messed up,” she confessed. “But I’ve yet to forget a patient. Sometimes, people whom I haven’t seen in over a decade will call, and I will still remember the name of their dog.” Thomson has stopped taking clients. She’s thrown away the bags of shredded paper, moved out of her old office, and works one day a week for the handful of clients who still come and see her. By the end of the year, she will no longer be renting out the shared office space. She is officially retiring as a therapist. “For the longest time, I was one of the most popular people in the room,” Thomson said. “Now, no one knows who I am. It’s my turn to sit back, look at where we are at, know that I helped us get here, and smile. “But I’ll never stop helping. We’ve still got a long way to go.”

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THE BEST WAY TO GET WHERE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO. Subaru’s 2018 models are here.

SUBARU WILL DONATE $250 TO CHARITY *Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or leased from November 16th, 2017, through January 2nd, 2018, to four national charities designated by the purchaser or lessee. Preapproved Hometown Charities may be selected for donation depending on retailer participation. Certain participating retailers will make an additional donation to the Hometown Charities selected. Purchasers/lessees must make their charity designations by January 31, 2018. The four national charities will receive a guaranteed minimum donation of 250,000 each. See your local Subaru retailer for details, or visit Subaru.com/share. All donations made by Subaru of America, Inc.

2018 SUBARU FORESTER 2.5

$1400 due • $199/mo. 36 month lease. $199 per month plus tax. $1400 due at signing plus tax. 10,000 miles per year with approved credit. No security deposit required.

*2018 Subaru Forester not as pictured

MSRP MS RP $$23,872 23,8 ,872 M Model odel od el ccode odee JJFA od FA P Package acka ac kage ka g 0011 St ge Stoc Stock ockk #1 oc #180 #180776 8077 80 7766 77

2018 SUBARU LEGACY 2.5

2018 SUBARU IMPREZA 2.0

$1200 due $169/mo.

$1200 due $189/mo.

36 month lease. $169 per month plus tax. $1200 due at signing plus tax. 10,000 miles per year with approved credit. No security deposit required. MSRP $19,517 Model code JJA Package 01 Stock #181512

$1600 due $189/mo.

2018 SUBARU OUTBACK 2.5

36 month lease. $189 per month plus tax. $1600 due at signing plus tax. 10,000 miles per year with approved credit. No security deposit required.

36 month lease. $189 per month plus tax. $1200 due at signing plus tax. 10,000 miles per year with approved credit. No security deposit required. MSRP $23,966 Model code JAB Package 02 Stock #180430

2018 SUBARU CROSSTREK 2.0

$1600 due $179/mo.

36 month lease. $179 per month plus tax. $1600 due at signing plus tax. 10,000 miles per year with approved credit. No security deposit required. MSRP $22,872 Model code JRB Package 01 Stock #182113

MSRP $27,182 Model code JDB Package 01 Stock #180864

COURTESY DELIVERY AVAILABLE TO ANYWHERE IN COLORADO (719) 475-1920 · 1080 Motor City Drive · Colorado Springs BestBuySubaru.com ·

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Expires: 12/31/17

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