TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 47 NUMBER 06 SEPTEMBER 2023 OFM ART • Comic Strip • Word Search From The Editor OFM News • Threads: The New Twitter or a New Nightmare? OFM Culture • Digital GenderQueer: An Interview with Max Mather • Chilling Time Travel and Indigineous Futurism • Justin Tranter Our Favorite Songwriter and Social Advocate Photo Gallery • Digital Queerness Photo Shoot OFM Culture • Chanda Center For Health Partners with Native Roots and Wana OFM Thoughts • Ugly Hate Machines: The Harsh Reality of Being Trans on Social Media OFM Lust • The Queer Hookup App OFM Reviews • Tech-Savvy Queer Gear
by Roxanna Carrasco 06 07 08 10 16 20 22 26 28 4 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
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6 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
FROM THE EDITOR
Talk Nerdy to Me
As we shed our rainbow Pride gear and settle in for Pride hibernation, we turn to technology. COVID got us more comfy with social media interactions instead of face-to-face chats, and the introverted in us will relish this time to discover new video games, smoking devices, or the latest innovations in absolutely serving a look.
Of course, not all technological advances are celebrated. There has been much debate recently about AI technology and its impact on artists and systemically affected individuals. And in our current capitalist world, tech is often used to increase a bottom line more than it is for the greater good.
But on the other hand, so many innovations in healthcare and trans empowerment are thanks to medical tech, and your favorite futuristic stoner device is there for you thanks to cannabis tech. Although some advances are used for good, some for evil, and some fall into a gray area, innovating and improving on the human experience has been a practice literally since our ancestors first learned to use tools.
So settle in with this issue and learn about how technology is transforming lives and how the queer community interacts with the digital world and new and expanding tech every single day.
-Addison Herron-Wheeler
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Threads The New Twitter or a New Nightmare?
by Ray Manzari
In the ever-expanding universe of social media platforms, Threads has recently emerged, promising a fresh and unique approach to connecting people. Launched amidst much fanfare, Threads claims to prioritize privacy, authenticity, and meaningful interactions. As users flock to explore this new digital realm, it's essential to examine Threads with a healthy dose of skepticism to determine whether it's truly revolutionary or merely a fleeting trend.
One of Threads' most touted features is its commitment to privacy, which is certainly an appealing concept in an age of data breaches and constant surveillance. Threads emphasizes that user data is protected and not used for targeted advertising. While this might seem reassuring, we must remember that the concept of absolute privacy is increasingly elusive in the digital landscape.
As Threads gains popularity, it will inevitably become a target for hackers and bad actors seeking to exploit any vulnerabilities in its security measures. Remember, other tech giants who made similar claims about data protection have had their fair share of data scandals. Threads may promise privacy, but only time will tell if it can withstand the ever-evolving threats to user data.
Threads takes pride in promoting authenticity and real connections among users, claiming to provide a space free from carefully curated content. However, the entire foundation of social media is built on the idea of sharing our best moments and achievements. Can
Threads truly break away from this culture and foster authentic interactions?
Some critics argue that the platform's competitive nature may inadvertently lead to users showcasing their best sides, thereby perpetuating the "highlight reel" culture present on other platforms. While Threads' intentions are commendable, its ability to foster genuine connections depends largely on the behavior of its user base.
The rise of echo chambers in social media platforms is a pressing concern for the modern world. Threads aims to combat this by fostering discussions across diverse interests, but it's easier said than done. Users tend to seek out like-minded individuals, resulting in the reinforcement of existing beliefs rather than challenging them.
While Threads might present users with different perspectives, there's no guarantee that users will be open to engaging with conflicting viewpoints. The platform could inadvertently create smaller, more polarized echo chambers, hindering meaningful discussions and leading to further division within its community.
Social media platforms often experience a meteoric rise in popularity, only to fade into obscurity just as quickly. The landscape is littered with the remains of once-vibrant platforms that lost relevance over time. Threads must prove their worth and sustainability to retain their user base amidst the constant evolution of the social media landscape.
Threads' arrival on the social media scene is both exciting and cautionary. While the platform presents refreshing ideas, it also faces the daunting challenge of distinguishing itself in a crowded market and addressing the inherent pitfalls of social media culture. The true test lies in its ability to uphold its promises of privacy, authenticity, and meaningful connections.
As users continue to explore Threads, it's crucial to remain skeptical and mindful of its potential shortcomings. Only time will reveal whether Threads will genuinely revolutionize social media or eventually become another passing trend in the digital realm. Until then, we should approach this new platform with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, always aware of the broader implications it may have on our online interactions and privacy.
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by Teague McDaniel
Digital Genderqueer
An Interview with Max Mather
We recently spoke to emerging artist Max Mather (he/ they) about their art practice. Max grew up in Littleton and is now back in Colorado finishing up an MFA in the Emergent Digital Practices department at University of Denver. His animations were recently featured at "Untitled" at the Denver Art Museum through Denver Digerati.
Can you describe your creative practice?
I am a multimedia and new media artist and student at DU. My work typically engages with the human body and genderqueerness as subjects. In the Emergent Digital Practices department at DU, we use digital software, emergent digital tools, and even technology that is not used in an art context to create artwork.
There are two prongs of my practice. One prong is where I scan my and other genderqueer people’s bodies then digitally manipulate them. The final poses of the figures I alter are retained, but core elements of the surface of the body are changed. I alter the figures so that they are pillowy, clothlike beings. In finished figure work, a lot of the features are smoothed out and blurred. I was attracted to the idea of inflating portions of the figure in the editing process as a way of conceptualizing how genderqueer bodies move around the world. As genderqueer people move through different spaces, the perception of our bodies change, inflating and compressing in some ways and our bodies become these very fluid and evolving things.
The other part of my practice includes performance and installation art. I use props like digital mirrors to reflect people’s bodies in distorted ways. I use these pieces to ask people to reflect on the ways that their bodies are perceived, especially cisgender people who typically do not have to consider how their bodies are being perceived in a space. The distortion of people’s bodies from these artworks may cause a temporary dysphoria and could help people examine the existence of their bodies in space in ways they typically may not.
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Can you talk about how the relationship between gender and spirituality informs your practice?
Lately, I have been thinking about the relationship between queerness and spirituality. Specifically, how someone’s spirituality can form how they experience and conceptualize their gender identity and conversely how their gender identity can inform their spirituality.
Spirituality is a topic that I have been conceptualizing my transness through. I was raised Catholic and find Catholic metaphors and motifs work really well to describe my transness. I think this relates to other people’s experiences of transness as well. For example, I had a conversation with a friend of mine who is also trans. One of her biggest affirmations of how she conceptualizes her transess is through the history of Hindu temples for trans women who were believed to be direct lines or descendants of deities in Hindu culture.
There is something that is really engaging to me about the idea of queerness and transness being proclaimed as a
type of divinity. On a community level, I would like to keep hearing people’s stories about how their transness and spirituality relate and would like to see literal temples for queer and trans people to celebrate their identities in.
Can you describe a recent art project?
I just finished my longest animation to date. I have always been interested in storytelling as an artform. In my mind, animating was a long-term goal because I thought that animation would need to have very detail oriented environments, motions, and characters. Then, I encountered some animation with low fidelity strategies like low detail sets and characters that float rather than having every motion defined. After seeing these it occurred to me that not everything had to be perfect. With low fidelity in mind, I created an eight minute long animation that was screened as part of "Untitled" at the Denver Art Museum. There were so many moments in the process of making this animation where I realized that I could spend a month on one small aspect of it. I had to find ways around that level of detailed finish so that I could
make a finished work. I would get to a certain level of detail and then move onto the next thing because I had a month in total to make the artwork, not a month for each detail.
What’s next for your practice?
I am gearing up to dive into my thesis work for my MFA. Part of that entails putting on a solo show. For this show, I would like to interview and do body scans of more trans and genderqueer people. I also want to hear from people who are willing to share their story about transness as it relates to their spirituality. I would like to bring elements of these scans and interviews into an animation or several animations that relate to the relationship between gender and spirituality. I hope this work will continue to spark conversations where cis people can understand the humanity of trans people on a greater level.
If you are interested in being a part of Max’s new media portraiture, please reach out to him on Instagram @m.mather.creations.
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by Teague McDaniel
Chilling Time TraveL And Indigenous Futurism
History comes to life and even traverses through the future in Virgil Ortiz’s (he/him) exhibition at History Colorado. On view now, "Virgil Ortiz Revolt 1680/2180: Runners + Gliders" is an engaging exhibition that tells the story of the 1680 Pueblo Revolt, an uprising against colonialist power, through the transformed lens of Indigenous futurism. Artifacts, specifically pottery, including centuries-old Cochiti sculptures and Ancestral Puebloan pottery that dates back a millennium, are displayed alongside traditionally crafted ceramics that Ortiz made in 2023.
Virgil Ortiz is an innovative and traditionally trained potter hailing from Cochiti Pueblo. He expands beyond clay into fashion, photography, and cultural storytelling to create thought-provoking artwork and exhibitions. Ortiz’s artwork has been shown around the world including the Stedelijk Museum- Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands; Paris’s Foun-
dation Cartier pour I’art Contemporain; the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian; the Virginia Museum of Fine Art; and the Denver Art Museum and now at the History Colorado Center.
For his exhibition at History Colorado, Ortiz combines media including artifacts, ceramics he’s made, projection mapping, photographic prints, and augmented reality to convey a narrative of indigenous resilience. Nuanced and poignant, Ortiz’s ceramics are in conversation with his creative ancestors. Many juxtapositions between past, present, future–both real and unreal–are inherent in the world building throughout the exhibition and tell a story of possibility, strength, and resilience of indigenous peoples. Ortiz reminds us that “It’s important to recognize that Pueblo communities are very much alive and have a level of vitality that speaks to generations of strength, persistence, brilliance, and thriving energy.”
There are factual aspects of this exhibition that are informed by historical accounts and interlaced with elements of fantasy. One story told through the exhibition based on historical accounts is the story of Omtua and Catua. “Serving as messengers during the 1680 rebellion, Omtua and Catua delivered knotted cords made of deer hide which served as coded messages to the Pueblos of what is now New Mexico. The leaders of each Pueblo were instructed to untie one knot on the cord every morning, and when the final knot was undone, the Pueblos were to revolt simultaneously.”
Each portion of the exhibition is carefully considered to excite all of our senses while still leaving room for spacious contemplation. A combination of different mediums pull and push the audience’s sense of reality. Handmade items made of materials from the earth, like the clay of a coiled pot, ground viewers, while other elements are as vaguely tangible as
Photos courtesy of History Colorado
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the projected light that displays them. The combined result is something of a fantasy world told through the lens of magical realism.
These stories and fantasies have something very real to tell us, to remind us, something in our bones and our hearts, something ancestral and intergenerational. The stories in the exhibition may say similar things to me and you or we may have very different takeaways. Instead of conveying my heartfelt response to the exhibit, I instead invite you to go to History Colorado and enter into this fantasy world with curiosity and wonder asking, “What could this teach me about myself and about the world around me?” The answer may come as a feeling, words, or a loud roar. No matter the takeaway, I feel the experience of the audience is one that is pungent and enchanting like the deep, rich, blood reds that pierce surfaces of the exhibition space.
Finally, while this exhibition can be discussed in conversations and articles such as this, I invite you to keep in mind that words peril in comparison to somatic responses available to the viewer within the exhibition space. When you go, consider slowing down the speed of your steps as you listen to your heartbeat, and notice not only what you see, but what you can intuit, feel, hear, and how your body responds to the stories in the space. I would posit that the true work of this exhibition is to provide us with space to uproot what is and reimagine what could be.
SEPT. 15 – OCT. 29
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Justin Tranter our Favorite Songwriter and Social Advocate
You may not know Justin Tranter by name, but you most certainly know their music.
As one of the music industry’s most prolific songwriters, Tranter has penned hits for countless artists including Imagine Dragons (“Believer”), Lady Gaga (“911”), DNCE (“Cake by the Ocean”), Halsey (“Bad at Love”), Justin Beiber (“Sorry”), and many more. As the former lead singer of the glam-rock band Semi Precious Weapons, Tranter is well-versed and experienced in bringing unconventional flair and unflinching honesty to whatever piece they are creating.
In addition to their passion for music, Tranter is also a prominent and outspoken advocate for several causes such as arts education, animal rights, and most importantly, the LGBTQ community. They have been honored for their work by the ACLU, and they currently sit on the board of GLAAD, helping raise thousands of dollars for the organization every year.
OFM had the opportunity to catch up with Tranter and talk more about their passion for music and advocacy, as well as how they fell into the world of songwriting, current and upcoming projects, and how music is a universal language.
Justin, you are known as one of the most prolific songwriters in the music industry, but before that,
by Denny Patterson
you were the lead singer of the rock band Semi Precious Weapons. How exactly did that switch happen? The switch happened based on survival. I worked retail for many years, which I loved, but the band had been dropped from our fourth record deal. I was like, “I guess it's time to work in retail again. I guess the dreams of music are coming to an end,” but then I remembered that the band had a publishing deal. I was like, let me ask my publisher and see if they would put me in sessions to write songs for other people.
I was a fan of Linda Perry in 4 Non Blondes, and then Linda Perry as a songwriter with songs like “Get the Party Started” and “Beautiful.” Even though her band had a huge hit with “What’s Up,” I loved that she could go from a rock band to songwriting. I thought I could do that, and I’m a big fan of songwriters. I seriously geek out over them. So, when I asked if they could put me in some sessions, luckily, it started to work. They saw that songs were getting cut and placed, and they gave me a little stipend of a couple thousand a month, so I wouldn't have to get a day job and I could keep writing.
Within a year of writing for other people, I had my first hit with Fall Out Boy. It happened very quick. I realize now that lots of people can be in the songwriting circuit for six or seven years before they have their first hit.
So, the transition happened in my last-ditch effort to try to make money as a musician. I went to high school for musical theater and college for songwriting, and even though I didn’t mind retail, I hoped to make money in music. I’m very fortunate that it happened for me.
You have worked with several high-profile artists including Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Imagine Dragons, Justin Beiber, and Selena Gomez. What do you always take away from these collaborations? That it has nothing to do with me, and that’s amazing. Art that is about you is amazing and very valid, and I did it for many years. I'm sure I'll make art based on my own thoughts and heart again at some point, but currently, I make art based on other people's stories and points of view. I am helping other people be the best versions of themselves, and that is what I take away from all those collaborations every single time.
An artist you are currently collaborating with is TALK, and you will be executive producing his entire forthcoming album. What can you tell us about this project?
TALK, I would say, is one of the top three singers I’ve ever had the pleasure of being in the studio with. His voice is fucking insane. He's straight, but he’s so vulnerable, kind, and open-hearted—a version of masculinity the world really needs to wit-
14 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
Photo by Jenna Peffley
ness. TALK is like a healer without ever intending to be. He just wants to make great music, but he’s out here healing motherfuckers by just existing, and it's great. His music is in the alternative rock meets alternative pop space, which I feel very at home in with my background and my own band. I am very excited and proud to collaborate with TALK because he is bringing something to the world that I believe is very much needed.
Outside of music, you are a passionate advocate for many causes. Have you always advocated for what you believe in? Absolutely. My parents are very outspoken, and they never told me I shouldn't be outspoken myself. I went to this amazing high school in Chicago called the Chicago Academy for the Arts, which saved my life in so many ways. Creatively, artistically, but most importantly, in terms of safety in being an openly queer teen in the 90s. That school was the most diverse place you could ever dream of. There was racial diversity, financial diversity, gender diversity, identity diversity, and we had kids who grew up in different parts of the city, kids from the suburbs, and kids from farms in Wisconsin.
The first thing I ever did that was truly intentional in terms of fundraising and raising awareness, I started an AIDS benefit at my high school. I directed it, and with the help of my friends, we did all sorts of things to raise money to send one of our teachers on the AIDS Ride from Minneapolis to Chicago. That was the first moment where I was like, oh, you can raise awareness through art. The word “platform” didn’t apply when you're a teenager in the 90s
with no social media, but the platform I had was the school telling me yes, and my friends were just as passionate. I used whatever I had to make art, raise money, and raise awareness, and that benefit is still happening 25 years later.
Then in college, I tried to raise money for LGBTQ kids to go to arts colleges, but I was in way over my head. I did a couple fundraisers and gave the money to an organization that was already doing the same thing. Trying to start a whole nonprofit at 19 was a shit show. There are 19-year-olds who do it successfully, but I was not one of them (laughs). After that, I was in survival mode for a very long time, trying to take care of myself and launch a band. Even though I was always outspoken, my true activism was just being this very queer person on stage. Going around the world opening for Lady Gaga as a femme queer person, and obviously, her message aligned with embracing our community.
To this day, I still hear from young queer people saying that seeing me on stage sort of changed their life. So, my way of activism and awareness through that whole era was just by existing as a very proud femme queer person, who was three dimensional, sexual, emotional, all these things. Then once I started having hits as a songwriter and had financial security and an actual platform, it was hard to not help or get involved. When people ask me to help, it's very hard to say no. I feel like you’ve got to find the time, and I love it. It makes me very proud. Stay up-to-date and connect with Tranter by following them on Instagram and TikTok @tranterjustin.
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I am the first generation to be out as queer on both sides of my devout Mormon family. I feel privileged and proud to be able to be authentically myself in such a large spotlight. It has taken a gen-z revolution for queer people like me to be celebrated online instead of bullied. I still have young family members who live in conservative, strict, orthodox communities, and I want them to see that being queer is something to celebrate—It’s worthy of a magazine spread.
Rock on, Bellamy it/they/them
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Model: Bellamy @bellamybabyyy
Photographer: Roxanna Carrasco @roxieeeee_
Assistant / Lighting: Luke Schott @schottphoto
Clothing Designer: Hott Pink Matter @hottpinkmatter
Location: Denver Selfie Museum
@denverselfiemuseum
Creative Direction: Rachel Galstad @dirtyfilthygrimey
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Digital QUeerness
18 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
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Chanda Center
for Health Partners with Native Roots and Wana
by Ivy Owens
Chanda Center for Health is a local nonprofit organization created by Chanda Hinton, who was injured at the age of 9. She strives to fight for accessible healthcare for all disabled individuals and credits complementary and integrative care for restoring her health. Chanda Health Center promotes integrative therapy, primary care, and other complementary services to enhance health outcomes and lessen healthcare costs for people with long-term, physical disabilities.
Hinton is passionate about implementing access to beneficial treatments such as cannabis to reduce pain, achieve comfortable sleep, lower anxiety, and grant individuals with long-term physical disabilities an overall improved quality of life. She states, “After utilizing the ‘traditional’ medical model, which included no movement and a lot of medication, resulting in poor outcomes and chronic conditions, complementary & integrative treatments like acupuncture, massage, and chiropractic saved my life. Cannabis, like these other alternative treatments, reduces my pain, allows for greater mobility due to reduced spasticity, and better sleep for an improved quality of life.”
Chanda Center for Health has partnered with Native Roots, a dispensary retailer with 20 locations across the Front Range serving thousands of adult consumers daily, and Wana, the biggest edibles brand in North America developing cutting-edge use-case formulations and recipes, to launch the Cannabis Cares Program. The program was constructed to arrange access to cannabis products for participants of the Chanda Center for Health at zero cost. Applicants can apply online and receive up to $50 worth of Wana products at designated Native Roots locations per month whilst cutting back and diminishing the use of pills as pain relief including opioids.
“Our mission as a company is to enhance the lives of our customers and improve the communities that share a part of our story,” explains Karla Rodriquez, corporate social responsibility director of Wana Brands. “We are so inspired by all that Chanda has accomplished and the many people she has helped. We are honored to further the Chanda Center for Health's mission by creating access to cannabis as a treatment option, which will not only improve health outcomes but also continue to normalize and destigmatize cannabis as a wellness tool.”
“The health and wellness of the communities we serve is a priority for us, and we are honored at the opportunity to help Chanda Center for Health participants access the cannabis medicine they need to live healthier lives,” states Liz Zukowski, Policy & Public Affairs Manager at Native Roots Cannabis Co. “We believe in the power of cannabis to improve health outcomes and overall wellness and take great care to ensure our budtenders are informed and thoughtful in how they guide each customer to a product best-suited for their needs.”
The Cannabis Cares Program is an innovative and progressive step in modern wellness and will provide relief and comfort to individuals with long-term disabilities. Hinton states, “Creating access to proactive healthcare options was one of the primary motivations for founding the Chanda Center for Health. We are grateful to Native Roots and Wana for making the Cannabis Cares program possible, and we are eager for our participants to have access to high-quality products and a personalized customer experience.”
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Ugly Hate Machines: The Harsh Reality of Being Trans on Social Media
by Julie River
22 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
There are definitely advantages to being trans in 2023, the age of social media. Social media allows us to define our identity, what name we use (assuming Facebook doesn’t flag us for not using a legal name), what images we use to define us, our pronouns, and so forth. But social media is also one of the scariest landscapes for trans people. Personally, I find that I experience relatively little transphobia in my real-life interactions with people and, shockingly, a ton more on social media. Besides the fact that bigots are emboldened by the anonymity of social media, there’s the fact that social media destroys geographical borders, so living in an area like Denver that’s pretty accepting of transgender people means very little online. On social media, everywhere is a red state.
Admittedly, it’s been suggested that I spend too much time finding and picking fights with transphobes, and that’s not entirely untrue. I did suffer the most harassment after discovering and intentionally starting a fight with a Facebook group known as “We All Know JK Rowling is Right.” As JK Rowling is, in fact, right about very little, I personally made it my mission to take down this group, forgetting how difficult it is to get even an obvious hate group removed from any social media site. But the simple fact that these groups not only exist, but are easy to find—even for those trying to avoid them—is part of the problem.
GLAAD does an annual Social Media Safety Index which assesses protections on the five major social media sites— Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter—for LGBTQ individuals, especially trans and gender non-conforming people. While the scores for four out of the five sites improved in 2023—Twitter was the only one to lose points in 2023, for obvious reasons—the report also indicated that, on all five sites, the “safety and the quality of safeguarding of LGBTQ users remain unsatisfactory.”
Funnily enough, before Elon Musk bought Twitter—which I will continue to call Twitter in spite of the recent, stupid name change—it was probably the best social media site for trans people. Transphobes caught bans for hate speech and intentionally deadnaming or misgendering people. Naturally, that all changed once Musk came into the picture. Musk wasn’t exactly a champion of trans rights even before his girlfriend, Grimes, famously left him for trans rights activist and military whistleblower Chelsea Manning, but by the time he came to own Twitter, he had become almost single-minded in his hatred of transgender people.
But then, marginalized groups on Meta know all too well that Mark Zuckerberg’s platforms aren’t much better. For years, Facebook has doled out punishment for making mildly rude comments about white people or men while obvious hate symbols—like swastikas or literal images of lynchings, both of which I have reported on Facebook in the past—supposedly don’t violate community standards. As recently as 2020, Medium writer Gregory Matthews proved that “men are trash” is still flagged automatically as hate speech on Facebook (although he found several variations that don’t get flagged). I considered posting the phrase on Facebook for the purposes of this article to see if it still gets
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flagged, but not wanting to lose Facebook access for the sake of the article when I’m fairly certain it’s still the case, let’s just assume that it still carries a similar punishment. Meanwhile, I’ve reported “We All Know JK Rowling Is Right” for many violations—including when I infiltrated the group and found the admin reminding members not to make death threats against trans people—and the group remains standing to this day. I even tried to report the group for its derogatory language regarding men, as the group routinely refers to trans women as “men” in insulting ways, but apparently Facebook was just fine with that as well.
As the GLAAD Social Media Safety Index points out, the stated rules for these websites and what they actually enforce are two very different things. Pretty much all social media sites have rules against harassing people for their LGBTQ identity, but none of them seem to actually be willing to enforce said rules. Some will try to argue that this amounts to “freedom of speech,” but there’s no guarantee of freedom of speech on a privately owned website and, as we’ve seen, the freedoms guaranteed by social media sites only go one way, with hate speech against privileged groups being the only type that’s punishable. And, while new social media apps have popped up recently, particularly with the intention to challenge Musk and his platform, the only one that’s caught on recently is the Zuckerberg-owned Threads, which doesn’t exactly do much to fix the current situation of ownership consolidation.
The unfortunate truth is that this whole situation is unlikely to improve until either the existing owners of these sites decide to change how their own rules are enforced or until a new player comes along to offer up a popular social media product with actual protections against hate speech. Both scenarios seem, unfortunately, very unlikely at this point. I wish I had a solution to offer trans people about this situation, but the solutions, unfortunately, are in the hands of those who control social media. So, instead of offering advice or a fix, I’m left calling on social media sites to improve the way they enforce their rules. Transgender people deserve better than this.
24 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
by Alex Burnel
The Queer Hookup App
YazQueen84: Hey.
DudBro070176: What’s up?
YazQueen84: Wanted to experience this app. I just downloaded it.
DudBro070176: Oh yeah? What do you think of it so far?
YazQueen84: Well, you’re the first person to message me.
DudBro070176: Wait, so I’m first? Oh my, I’m the one who popped your hookup app cherry. That’s hot and also a lot of responsibility.
YazQueen84: Oh? How do you figure?
DudBro070176: It totally is. The experience you have with me will pave the way you look at using this app moving forward.
YazQueen84: Awe, I hope you don’t feel you have to be my tour guide of sorts.
DudBro070176: Are you kidding me? I think it’s hot! If anything, I get to set the bar.
YazQueen84: Damn. Tell me more.
DudBro070176: Okay. I want you to take off your clothes and tell me when you do.
YazQueen84: Really? I don’t know if I’m ready for us to…
DudBro070176: Oh don’t worry. It’s your first time, and for your first time, I wanted to show you how this app can be fun. Next time, however, one of us will totally be coming over.
YazQueen84: Thank you!
DudBro070176: Now, just so you know, I find consent sexy. If you’re ever wanting to stop, please just say so... Is that cool?
YazQueen84: Completely!
DudBro070176: Good! Now, please take off all your clothes and let me know when you do…
YazQueen84: Done.
DudBro070176: If you have a dildo or vibrator, grab it. Also, grab some lube.
YazQueen84: I have a vibrator.
DudBro070176: Perfect.
YazQueen84: Okay, I have my vibrator and lube next to me.
DudBro070176: Good. Put some on your fingers, and slowly slide it into your ass.
YazQueen84: Just one finger?
DudBro070176: For now. Now, grab some more lube, start stroking, and start slow. Are you hard?
26 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
YazQueen84: Oh my god, yes. I’m rock hard. I’ve been thinking about you.
DudBro070176: Oh? What about me?
YazQueen84: I just…
DudBro070176: No. Don’t be shy. Tell me. Tell me what you’re thinking. What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about my cock?
YazQueen84: Fuck yeah I am.
DudBro070176: So… What about it?
YazQueen84: I’ve been thinking about what I’d like you to do to me.
DudBro070176: Switch back to your fingers, and add a little lube and add another finger. Tell me what you want me to do to you.
YazQueen84: I want you to slide into my hole.
DudBro070176: Keep going…
YazQueen84: With one hand, I want you to hold my hands above my head and with the other hand, I want you to stroke my shaft. While you’re doing both, I want you to be sliding in and out of my hole with your cock.
DudBro070176: That’s it! That’s what I want to hear. Now, grab that vibrator; lube it up, and slide it in slowly.
YazQueen84: OK. Oh my god that... Is so.. It.. It feels so.. Amazing.
DudBro070176: Good! That’s so hot. Turn on the vibrator, and and leave it in. Start stroking.
YazQueen84: Just… Leave the vibrator sitting… sitting in my hole while I stroke?
DudBro070176: That’s right. I’m stroking just picturing your hole.
YazQueen84: I can moan rather… loud by the… way. I hope that’s OK.
DudBro070176: FUCK! That’s more than okay! That’s so damn hot!
YazQueen84: Oh my... I’m about to cum.
DudBro070176: FUCK! Yeah baby! Cum for me.
YazQueen84: Ohhhhh! I’m…. Cuming!!
DudBro070176: Yesssss!
YazQueen84: That was so hot!
DudBro070176: I’m.. I.. I’m cumming too! Fuuuuuuck! Yeah it was! Really hot! Well I definitely need to clean myself up after that. I hit the wall above my head with that one.
YazQueen84: Damn! I need to clean up too.
DudBro070176: I hope you had a great time! Chat more tomorrow?
outfront magazine.com 27
Tech-Savvy Queer Gear
As the weather finally cools down, we are locked firmly onto our couch with our new cannabis devices and video games and joints, gladly welcoming the fall. And when we do have to venture out, we are doing it in style thanks to the innovation of bags that offer comfort and versatility as well as fashion. Here are some of our favorite picks for the upcoming season!
Lazercats' UltraPro Battery
Lazercats' UltraPro Battery needs to be in every smoker's arsenal! Being compatable with carts 7-14mm, and voltage customability 2.0V - 4.2V will leave you not having to make any hard decisions while shopping.
Tyson 2.0 x G Pen Hyer®️
Mike Tyson and Grenco Science have teamed up to make a special e-nail product that packs a serious punch—pun totally intended. Like all of G Pen’s products, the quality is definitely there. The nail is easy to use and portable. The only thing that really sets it apart from other products in the line is the orange color, but the cool boxing glove design of the zipper case more than makes up for that.
Lazercats' Yocan Ari Battery
The Yocan Ari Battery by Lazercat is a must! Having adjsutable voltage just like its big brother the UltraPro. It gives you the op
Hitoki Saber - Grey
Do you want to elevate your smoking experience? Hitoki's new sleek, gray Saber paired with their glass bubble will leave you in the couch. Their laser combustion system gives the most flavorful and potent hits. Load up your preferred flower or concentrate, and enjoy the night!
28 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
“Our Gold Label Pre-Roll makes it easy for more people to enjoy our premium hand-picked Gold Label flower on-the-go in a convenient and stylish format, ” says Jason MacDonald, director of cultivation operations at Native Roots Cannabis Co. “Like all strains grown at Native Roots cultivation facilities, the flower in our Gold Label Pre-Rolls is grown with the same high standards and is tested extensively before becoming eligible for the Gold label.”
Native Roots Gold Label Pre-Rolls come with exclusive glass tips, and the flower in each Gold Label pre-roll is hand-picked and cultivated using strain-specific growing methods to maximize potency, flavor, and quality. Gold label strains are hung dry and hand-trimmed to preserve trichomes where high concentrations of psychoactive compounds reside, maintaining the natural beauty and potency of the flower and eliminating rapid terpene evaporation and discoloration, maximizing cannabinoid content.
The flavor of these packs a serious punch, and unless you’re sharing with a friend, you’ll need to pace yourself, as this preroll can last you a few hours of glorious puff, puff, and passing!
Bagallini Pride Bags
These fun cross-body bags are practical and FULL of pockets, complete with a fun little pop of rainbow for everyone to enjoy. Whichever style you choose, there’s plenty of room to put all your goodies inside. Grab the fun colorful strap and go, and know that the company donates proceeds from these special bags to GLAAD, so your money is in good hands.
outfront magazine.com 29
OFM
BAR TAB | Colorado Nightlife
BAD HABITS DENVER
3014 E Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 335-9690
badhabitsdenver.com
BLUSH & BLU
1526 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 484-8548
blushbludenver.com
BOYZTOWN
117 Broadway St. Denver (303) 722-7373
boyztowndenver.com
CLUB Q
3430 N Academy Blvd. Colo Springs (719) 570-1429
clubqonline.com
CHARLIE’S NIGHTCLUB
900 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 839-8890
charliesdenver.com
DENVER EAGLE
5110 W. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 534-0500
Facebook @denvereaglebar
DENVER SWEET
776 N. Lincoln St. Denver (720) 598-5648
denversweet.com
• TUE: Solve That Puzzle 7p-9p
w/$5 House Margs
• WED: Music Bingo 7p-9p
w/$4 U Call It At The Bar
• THU: Karaoke 9p-1a
w/BOGO well & drafts to 7p
• SUN: Beer Bust 4p-8p & Showbears 7p-10p
EL POTRERO
4501 E. Virginia Ave. Glendale (303) 388-8889
Facebook @elpotreroclub
GOOD JUDY’S BAR & CLUB
103 N. 1st St. Grand Junction (970) 433-7115
www.good-judys.com
HAMBURGER MARY’S
1336 E. 17th Ave. Denver (303) 993-5812
hamburgermarys.com/denver
ICONS
3 E. Bijou St. Colo. Springs (719) 300-7863
Instagram @icons_colorado
LIL' DEVILS
255 S. Broadway St. Denver (303) 733-1156
Facebook @lildevilslounge
LIPSTICK DISCOTEQUE
5660 W. Colfax Ave. Denver (720) 669-3470
Facebook @lipstickdiscoteque
R&R LOUNGE
4958 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 320-9337
Facebook @randrdenver
TIGHT END BAR
1501 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 861-9103
tightendbar.com
TRACKS
3500 Walnut St. Denver (303) 836-7326
tracksdenver.com
TRADE
475 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (720) 627-5905
Facebook @tradedenver
THE TRIANGLE BAR
2036 N. Broadway St. Denver (303) 658-0913
triangledenver.com
WILD CORGI PUB
1223 E. 13th Ave. Denver (303) 832-7636
wildcorgipub.com
X BAR
829 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 832-2687
xbardenver.com
#VYBE
1027 N. Broadway St. Denver (720) 573-8886
303vybe.com
30 OFM SEPTEMBER 2023
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