Boulder Weekly 06.26.2025 by Boulder Weekly

STANDUP, GAY SKATE AND QUEER HISTORY P.20

MICHA K. BEN DAVID

JOSHUA SHANES

Credit: Justin Kauffman

JUNE 26, 2025

Volume 32, Number 45

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WHEN VICTIMHOOD MASKS POWER

Protesting Israeli policies is not antisemitism

BY MICHA K. BEN DAVID

At the Boulder Jewish Community Center (JCC) vigil for the attack on the Israeli march, when the crowd sang Hatikvah the national anthem of Israel, a state razing Gaza — I didn’t hear healing. I heard nationalism. Some may see “Hatikvah,” written in the 1800s and considered an unofficial Jewish anthem before Israel adopted it in 2004, as a simple expression of Jewish

pride. But it’s not. It’s the national anthem of a foreign country carrying out occupation, ethnic cleansing and genocide. I was ashamed — not of grief, but of the pageantry, the self-congratulation, the refusal to acknowledge the blood being spilled in our name. This wasn’t an apolitical act of mourning. It was a pro-Israel rally in all but name, complete with the Israeli Consul General and Rabbis wear-

ing Israeli military dog-tags on stage. You can’t publicly celebrate a military campaign and then cry antisemitism when there’s backlash. That’s not how accountability (or words) work.

As an Israeli veteran, I’ve stood at checkpoints, broken into homes and detained people who vanished into Israel’s military prison system without trial. The occupation is not theoretical. It is daily, dehumanizing domination. And it is ugly.

The JCC was packed — to the point that Boulder County Commissioner Marta Loachamin and Senators Julie Gonzales and Iman Jodeh, who showed exceptional courage in attending as a Palestinian woman offering her sympathies, were

OPINION

herded into the gym like political footnotes. Clergy, Gov. Jared Polis, the state director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and every public official with a speechwriter took turns naming this violence “antisemitism.”

Antisemitism is real and terrifying. But calling every act of anti-Israel resistance, including violent ones, “antisemitism” flattens reality, distorts public discourse and blocks urgently needed accountability. We can’t afford to conflate identity with ideology, or use fear to silence debate. It erases the distinction between Jewish identity and Israeli state violence, and it’s designed to end the conversation before it starts.

Boulder City Council Member Taishya Adams, Boulder’s only current Black elected official — a consistent, courageous voice for peace and justice — was notably absent. Knowing her presence would distract from the vigil, Taishya walked Pearl Street checking in on business owners and their staff.

To me, her absence wasn’t incidental. It was an exclusion. Even here, those who refuse to toe the political line are pushed to the margins, their integrity treated as disruption. It’s yet another reminder that for all the talk of community, only some voices are ever truly welcome.

And then there was Linda Amin Badwan, a compassionate Palestinian woman from Jerusalem who lives here in Colorado. She sat beside me in solemn solidarity, holding in her heart the weight of upward of 70,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 2023, including over 15,000 children. More than 245,000 homes have been destroyed or damaged, leaving nearly 1.8 million people displaced. Essential infrastructure — over 136 schools and universities, 823 mosques, three churches and more than 200 government facilities — flattened. The United Nations estimates that clearing the rubble alone could take over two decades.

Badwan and Senator Jodeh’s steady presence said more than any podium could. In the face of unimaginable grief, they showed up for ours.

Was the June 1 attack violent? Yes. Do I condone it? Of course not. And I say that not as an armchair activist, but as someone who’s had several Molotov cocktails thrown at my head. I know

what that fear feels like. I know the heat, the confusion, the adrenaline. I also know that the people who threw them at me weren’t monsters. They were people reacting — desperately, sometimes violently — to a system that brutalized them daily.

Expressing sorrow for this attack while ignoring the far greater violence done in our name isn’t empathy — it’s complicity. That’s a hard truth, especially for those of us raised to see our identity as inherently righteous. But so long as we remain silent, the blood is on all our hands.

My heart aches for the Israeli hostages. Every one of them. Every family waiting in silence, rage, fear. They deserve to be free. Just as every Palestinian family deserves to live without occupation, without bombing, without checkpoints or midnight arrests. One pain does not negate the other. One truth does not cancel another. What makes us human is being able to hold them together.

As we grieve for hostages, we must also reckon with the over 9,000 Palestinians who remain detained in Israeli prisons — many without charges or trial. Their families often don’t know where they are or if they’ll return. Somehow, only one side’s grief gets amplified.

It’s wild to me that after all the violence I’ve committed in uniform, I still get a pass. I still get invited to speak, to mourn, to be seen as a person. But others who’ve lived under that violence for generations get reduced to “monsters” the moment they lash out.

I don’t say any of this to excuse harm. I say it because I think how we talk about harm matters. Accountability isn’t the same as erasure.

When Gov. Polis declared, “there is no room for hate in Colorado,” I wanted to believe him. But it didn’t sound like a promise. It sounded like a boundary. Like some hate (against Jews) is condemned, while other hate (against Palestinians, Muslims or those who challenge Israeli policy) remains unchallenged. That kind of hate thrives, earning handshakes and standing ovations.

This selective outrage doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s fueled by a broader political climate shaped by Christian

Zionism, rising authoritarianism and farright alignment. There are more Christian Zionists than Jews in the U.S., and their influence on U.S. policy toward Israel is massive yet rarely named.

After the attack, Boulder City Council suspended public comment.

Subsequent meetings in June and July were moved online. There isn’t an opportunity for general public comment until August, and even that may look radically different. On Thursday, council members will discuss further changes to one of the few venues members of the public have for speaking face-toface with their elected officials.

These may seem like small shifts, but this is how democracy erodes quietly, unless we stand up and defend it. At the vigil, the ADL representative spoke of Jewish joy. But joy without humility isn’t healing — it’s indulgence. If we want to be proud of our identity, we must also be honest about what’s being done in its name. Trauma doesn’t absolve power. Our history should sharpen our moral vision, not blur it. Truth must come before comfort,

especially if we claim to believe in justice.

If we’re truly students of Torah, let it show. Not through pageantry, slogans or empty statements, but through courage. Courage to face the brokenness within our own community. Courage to stop using Jewish pain as cover for Jewish power. That’s what Torah demands. My parents raised me to follow it with humility and conviction.

As the prophet says: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Because anything less isn’t justice. It’s moral theater.

Micha K. Ben David is an Israeli veteran and resident of Boulder.

This opinion does not necessarily represent the views of Boulder Weekly.

Got another take? Send it to letters@boulderweekly.com. Make sure to read our guidelines first: bit.ly/OpinionRulesBW

An attendee at the June Boulder Jewish Festival and March for Their Lives demonstration wraps himsel in an merican Israel ag Credit: Sagan Randall

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ANALYSIS

WHEN DOES CRITICISM OF ISRAEL CROSS A LINE?

primer on antisemitism and anti-Zionism

BY JOSHUA SHANES THE CONVERSATION

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by The Conversation in January 2024 and later updated to reflect the shift ing dialogue around anti-Zionism and anti semitism. Boulder Weekly is republishing this explainer amid a similar debate in Boulder over the actions and beliefs of the June attacker.

Boulder City Council member Taishya Adams was harshly criticized for not signing a declaration condemning the attack as antisemitic, requesting instead that it be described as antisemitic and anti-Zionist. Other community members have also pushed back against the broad labeling of criticizing Israeli military action in Gazaas antisemitic.

As part of Harvard University’s agreement in response to two federal lawsuits filed by Jewish students alleging antisemitic discrimination, it will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (or IHRA) “working definition” of antisemitism.

This is a definition favored by many Jewish community leaders and politicians because its broad language can be applied to most anti-Israel rhetoric. This includes Kenneth Marcus, who served as assistant secretary of education during the first Trump administration and represented the students as chairman of the Louis D. Brandeis Center for Human Rights Under Law.

In contrast, many scholars prefer either the competing Jerusalem Declaration on

Antisemitism or the definition offered by the Nexus Task Force, a committee of experts led by the Bard Center for the Study of Hate. I am a member of the Nexus group and also helped compose its 2024 “Campus Guide to Identifying Antisemitism.”

The controversy over this move indicates that many well-intentioned people still struggle to understand what exactly constitutes antisemitism and when antiIsrael rhetoric crosses the line.

As a scholar of modern Jewish history, I offer this primer that helps answer this question.

HISTORY OF ANTISEMITISM

There has been a sharp increase in antisemitism around the world since the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre by Hamas and

that Jews ritually murdered Christian children for their blood. Other myths accused them of poisoning wells or desecrating the consecrated host of the Eucharist to reenact the murder of Christ; some even claimed that Jews had inhuman biology such as horns or that they suckled at the teats of pigs. Such lies led to violent persecution of Jews over many centuries.

MODERN ANTISEMITISM

In the 19th century, these myths were supplanted by the additional element of race — the claim that Jewishness was immutable and could not be changed via conversion. Though this idea first appeared in 15th-century Spain, it was deeply connected to the rise of modern nationalism.

here are several accepted definitions o antisemitism eing used y organi ations today, ut they disagree over whether and to what e tent criticisms o Israel should e considered antisemitic, an issue complicated y the country s ongoing military action in a a Credit: Sagan Randall

Israel’s subsequent military attacks in the Gaza Strip.

Anti-Jewish animosity dates to antiquity. The early Christian church attacked Jews, whom it blamed for crucifying Christ, and claimed to replace them as God’s chosen people. The Gospel of John in the New Testament accused Jews of being Satan’s children, while others called them demons intent on sacrificing the souls of men.

Medieval Christians added other myths, such as the blood libel — the lie

Nineteenth-century ethno-nationalists rejected the idea of a political nation united in a social contract with each other. They began imagining the nation as a biological community linked by common descent in which Jews might be tolerated but could never truly belong.

Finally, in 1879, the German journalist Wilhelm Marr pushed the term “antisemitism” to reflect that his anti-Jewish ideology was based on race, not religion. Marr imagined the Jews as a foreign, “semitic”

race, referring to the language group that includes Hebrew. The term has since persisted to mean specifically anti-Jewish hostility or prejudice.

THE MYTH OF A JEWISH CONSPIRACY

Modern antisemitism built on those premodern foundations, which never completely disappeared, but was fundamentally different. It emerged as part of the new politics of the democratic modern era.

Antisemitism became the core platform of new political parties, which used it to unite otherwise opposing groups, such as shopkeepers and farmers, anxious about the modernizing world. In other words, it was not merely prejudice; it was a worldview that explained the entire world to its believers by blaming all of its faults on this scapegoat.

Unlike earlier anti-Jewish hatred, this was less about religion and more about political and social issues. Antisemites believed the conspiracy theory that Jews all over the world controlled the levers of government, media and banking, and that defeating them would solve society’s problems.

Thus, one of the most important features of modern antisemitic mythology was the belief that Jews constituted a single, malevolent group, with one mind, organized for the purpose of conquering and destroying the world.

NEGATIVE TRAITS ATTRIBUTED TO JEWS

Antisemitic books and cartoons often used claws or tentacles to symbolize the “international Jew,” a shadowy figure they blamed for leading a global conspiracy, strangling and destroying society. Others depicted him as a puppet master running the world.

In the late 19th century, Edmond Rothschild, head of the most famous Jewish banking family, was villainized as the symbol of international Jewish wealth and nefarious power. Today, the billionaire liberal philanthropist George Soros is often portrayed in similar ways.

This myth that Jews constitute an international creature plotting to harm the nation has inspired massacres of Jews since the 19th century, beginning with the Russian pogroms of 1881 and leading up to the Holocaust.

More recently, in 2018, Robert Bowers murdered 11 Jews at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh because he was convinced that Jews, collectively under the guidance of Soros, were working to destroy America by facilitating the mass migration of nonwhite people into the country.

Modern antisemites ascribe many immutable negative traits to Jews, but two are particularly widespread. First, Jews are said to be ruthless misers who care more about their allegedly ill-gotten wealth than the interests of their countries. Second, Jews’ loyalty to their countries is considered suspect because they are said to constitute a foreign element.

Since Israel’s establishment in 1948, this hatred has focused on the accusation that Jews’ primary loyalty is to Israel, not the countries they live in.

ANTISEMITISM AND ANTI-ZIONISM

In recent years, the relationship between antisemitism and anti-Zionism has taken on renewed importance. Zionism has many factions but roughly refers to the modern political movement that argues Jews constitute a nation and have a right to self-determination in that land.

nation. Anti-Zionism opposes this, and critics argue that it should not be labeled antisemitic unless it taps into those antisemitic myths or otherwise calls for violence or inequality for Jews.

This debate is evident in these competing definitions of antisemitism. Remarkably, the three main definitions tend to agree on the nature of antisemitism except regarding the relationship of anti-Israel rhetoric to antisemitism. The

In other words, the key to identifying whether anti-Israel discourse has masked antisemitism is to see evidence of antisemitic mythology. For example, if Israel is described as leading an international conspiracy, or if it holds the key to solving global problems, all three definitions agree this is antisemitic.

Equally, if Jews or Jewish institutions are held responsible for Israeli actions or are expected to take a stand one way or

semitic. On the other hand, Jews sometimes take protests against Israel in defense of Palestinian rights to be attacks on their Zionist identity and thus antisemitic, when they are not. There are certainly gray areas, but in general, calls for Palestinian equality, I believe, are legitimate even when they upset people with Zionist identities.

Harvard’s statement captures this distinction. It posted a statement that, “For many Jewish people, Zionism is a part of their Jewish identity,” and added that Jews who subscribe to this identity must not be excluded from campus events on that basis.

Some activists claim that anti-Zionism — ideological opposition to Zionism — is inherently antisemitic because they equate it with denying Jews the right to self-determination and therefore equality.

Others feel that there needs to be a clearer separation between anti-Zionism and antisemitism. They argue that equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism leads to silencing criticism of Israel’s structural mistreatment of Palestinians.

Zionism in practice has meant the achievement of a flourishing safe haven for Jews, but it has also led to dislocation or inequality for millions of Palestinians, including refugees, West Bank Palestinians who still live under military rule, and even Palestinian citizens of Israel who face legal and social discrimi-

IHRA definition, which is by design vague and open to interpretation, allows for a wider swath of anti-Israel activism to be labeled antisemitic than the others.

The Jerusalem Declaration, in contrast, understands rhetoric to have “crossed the line” only when it engages in antisemitic mythology, blames diaspora Jews for the actions of the Israeli state, or calls for the oppression of Jews in Israel. IHRA defenders use that definition to label a call for binational democracy — meaning citizenship for West Bank Palestinians — to be antisemitic. Likewise, they label boycotts, even of West Bank settlements that most of the world considers illegal, to be antisemitic. The Jerusalem Declaration does not.

another regarding them, again all three definitions agree that this crosses the line because it is based on the myth of a global Jewish conspiracy.

IDENTITY AND PRIDE

Critically, for many Jews living in other countries, Zionism is not primarily a political argument about the state of Israel. It instead constitutes a sense of Jewish identity and pride, even a religious identity. In contrast, many protests against Israel and Zionism are focused not on ideology but on the Israeli government and its real or alleged actions.

This disconnect can lead to confusion if protests conflate Jews with Israel just because they are Zionist, which is anti-

This does not mean that Jews are protected from hearing contrary views, any more than they are protected from hearing Christian preachers on campus or professors who teach secular views of the Bible. It means that they cannot be excluded based only on those beliefs.

This does not, however, require an adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, which goes much further. Many advocates of the IHRA definition use it to label political calls for Palestinian equality as antisemitic, as well as accusations against Israel that they consider wrong or unfair.

Harvard’s adoption of the IHRA definition, accordingly, would mean that any speech that calls for full equality for Palestinians risks academic and legal sanction, even without any material discrimination against Jewish students. It is thus opposed by students who advocate for Palestinian rights as well as supporters of free speech more generally.

Joshua Shanes is a professor of Jewish Studies at College of Charleston. This arti cle is republished from The Conversation, an independent nonprofit media outlet fea turing the work of academic experts, under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article: bit.ly/AntisemitismExplainer.

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators hold signs at the June Boulder Jewish Festival, held in downtown Boulder just one week after the June attack on demonstrators advocating for the release of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Credit: Sagan Randall

GOV’T WATCH

What your local officials are up to this week

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

BOULDER CITY COUNCIL

On June 26, council will:

• Discuss further changes to open comment, the period preceding regular business meetings in which members of the public can speak for two minutes on a topic of their choosing.

Council has faced disruption over the past several months as participants use open comment to speak on Israel’s ongoing military action in Gaza that has resulted in more than 54,000 Palestinian deaths. Meetings have been forced to pause several times, and council suspended open comment at its June meeting, the first to follow the June 1 attack on a Boulder group

advocating for the release of Israeli hostages.

Council last year passed limits on the size and display of signs in response to the upheaval. Since then, at least three speakers have been temporarily suspended from speaking at council meetings for violations. Council also instituted time limits on their own members’ response to open comment, offered at the end of meetings.

In May of this year, councilman Matt Benjamin suggested moving open comment to the end of meetings. Other suggestions, emailed by various council members this week, include shortening the length of open comment; prioritizing speakers who have not participated in recent meetings; limiting what topics

can be addressed; restricting open comment to only City of Boulder residents; further reducing the amount of time council members have to respond; and longer bans for speakers who violate rules (currently, council is issuing 30-day bans).

The discussion will be held after public hearings on the historic landmark of 3375 16th St. and updates to neighborhood parking permit programs and discussion of polling results for potential tax-related ballot measures, according to a meeting agenda.

LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL

At its June 24 work session, council:

• Discussed a November ballot issue to raise property taxes for a 20-year bond to fund a renovation and expansion of the Bob Burger Recreation Center and the Parks and Public Works Service Center, and to build a new Civic Center on city-owned land on S. Public Road. Council agreed to ask the voters for funding for the BBRC and Service Center, but were split on including the

Civic Center, with some expressing concern over the uncertain economy and others not wanting to “kick the can down the road” for future councils. Council will vote on the ballot language at a June 30 council meeting.

• Received a financial update in preparation for the beginning of the 2026 budget discussion in August. Due to uncertain economic conditions and slower revenue growth, staff plan to take a conservative approach to 2026 revenue projections.

Sales and use tax, the city’s largest source of discretionary revenue at $21.7 million, was flat in 2024. Staff indicated that King Soopers’ move to Erie, despite a revenue-sharing agreement, had an impact on tax collection. Property tax was $15.2 million in 2024, up 25% from 2023 due to reassessed property values. Assessment of additional city fees is also underway.

All agenda items subject to change. Karen Norback contributed reporting.

Courtesy: City of Boulder

BOCO, BRIEFLY

Local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER

NAACP SUES FORMER LOCAL BRANCH MEMBERS

The national NAACP has sued former directors and executive members of the organization’s Boulder County branch in the latest development in the conflict between the national and local organizations.

Executive members of the Boulder branch voted to dissolve the branch in March — something the national org says the local branch lacks the authority to do. The suit asks for a declaratory judgement that the branch has not been legally dissolved and for all the branch’s assets to remain with the national NAACP.

Those assets include a checking account with $77,000 and $25,000 in Google stock, according to the suit. Defendant and former Boulder County

NAACP Treasurer Veronica Sommers “ignored multiple requests from the Administrator and/or NAACP to turn over the accounts,” according to the suit.

According to the Colorado Secretary of State’s website, the branch has been legally dissolved since April 25.

“As far as we know, it’s done,” former Vice President Judith Landsman, who is a defendant in the suit, told Boulder Weekly in April. “And if NAACP national wants to push it, then they’ll have to challenge it legally.”

The 13 defendants named in the suit filed June 16 in U.S District Court also include former NAACP of Boulder County President Annett James and former Criminal Justice Chair Darren O’Connor, who said in an email to Boulder Weekly they are not making any statements at this time.

The conflict began in 2021, according to the suit, when members of the Boulder branch “engaged in conduct which was inimical to the best interests of the NAACP” and leadership showed a “continued pattern of refusal to abide

by the NAACP Constitution and Bylaws.”

The Boulder branch has previously said the decision to disband stemmed from its ongoing dispute with the City of Boulder. The group opposed Stephen Redfearn’s 2024 appointment as police chief and had repeatedly called for his resignation. The messy conflict included the branch releasing a partial transcript of a meeting with the police chief and city officials, and the city previously filing a complaint about executive members of the Boulder branch with the national NAACP for secretly recording the meeting and “threatening” to release it if Redfearn was appointed. The group accused the city of a “relentless campaign…to discredit and undermine and ultimately destroy our branch.”

According to the suit, all defendants have been suspended by the national org and “have been divested of all authority to act on behalf of the Branch or NAACP.”

The national branch also claims that the Boulder branch’s actions effectively halted donations through the website and stopped new members from joining.

The complaint accuses the defendants of breaching fiduciary duty, conversion, civil theft and civil conspiracy.

IN OTHER NEWS…

• The Boulder Safeway at 3325 28th St. has joined at least 20 other Colorado stores in an ongoing unfair labor practices strike. The strike began June 15.

• A federal judge ruled last week that the hate crime charge in the June 1 Pearl Street attack can move forward. The attacker now faces nine hate crime charges, with prosecutors arguing he targeted his victims based on “actual or perceived national origin.”

• The Longmont Herald, an independent community newsletter and Substack covering Longmont, is taking a pause, its founder Adam Steininger announced June 21.

“[I]t’s been a bumpy road. Financially and emotionally,” he wrote in the announcement. “I’ve sacrificed a lot, probably too much, to try to make this work. And despite my best efforts, the Herald hasn’t yet reached the point where it can support me in return.”

ADVICE

AM I QUEER ENOUGH?

‘Queerness is not a test; it’s a truth’

BY MICHELE GOLDBERG FIND YOUR CENTER,

A THERAPY COLLECTIVE

Q: Can I call myself queer? I’m not into PDA. I don’t wear pride gear. Sometimes I’m in relationships that don’t look queer from the outside. A: I’m so sorry the world has made you question yourself. Even within our community, peers can other us, leading us to question if we fit in or know ourselves at all. Let’s tease this apart.

WHAT DOES QUEER EVEN MEAN?

Queer is a broad, inclusive term for people whose gender identity, romantic orientation or sexuality falls outside heterosexual and cisgender norms. For many, it feels more open-ended or flexible than specific labels. It allows space for fluidity, questioning, evolving identity and solidarity across LGBTQIA+ communities.

Queerness is not just about who you’re attracted to. It’s also about resisting conformity and disrupting binaries. And it’s the capacity for attraction, connection or self-identification, not a mandate to feel or pursue something continuously.

The term was widely used as a slur, but reclaiming it has become a way of challenging systems that marginalize us.

NAVIGATING VISIBILITY IN A HOSTILE CLIMATE

Our existence is political, whether we want it to be or not.

The rise in anti-trans legislation, renewed policing of identity and erosion of bodily autonomy aren’t abstract politics — they’re lived realities. When humans perceive threat, our nervous systems adapt: We fight, we flee, we freeze, we fawn.

Queer people don’t express or hide arbitrarily, but as survival strategies based on our perception of danger. Sometimes we reduce visibility for immediate protection. Or we get loud to show we will not shrink or be silenced by systemic intimidation. We “fight” to maintain our ground and our long-term right to exist.

ARE YOU STILL QUEER IF…?

You’re not into PDA. You’re bi or pan but currently in a hetero-looking relationship. I’ve been there, and pan erasure is real. Bicultural exclusion can lead us to question our validity if who we happen to like right now doesn’t represent every single thing we’re open to liking. What if you don’t wear pronoun pins? You’re shy at

Pride. You don’t announce your identity. Does that mean you’re not queer enough? Of course not. You belong. As you are. Even when you’re uncertain — especially when you’re uncertain.

Your queerness isn’t just who you’re attracted to or your gender. It’s the way you challenge norms and resist systems of oppression, conformity and binaries. It’s the lens you move through life with, even if no one else can see it.

You may not have experienced the greatest visibility or hardship relative to others in the queer community. That does not invalidate your identity or your right to claim it. But some who endured greater risk, pain or rejection, or lack the option to blend in, may feel hurt and protective of queer spaces. We can hold both: Acknowledge your privilege with humility and support those with greater challenges as a mark of solidarity.

While adapting our presentation in a hostile climate is natural and all expressions of queerness are welcome, it’s complicated when we feel pressure to present a certain way as a form of social advocacy. If our outward choices don’t align with our genuine preferences, styles, partner interests or senses of self, we can lose touch with our own authenticity. A queer woman might hesitate to date a cis man because it feels threaten-

ing to her identity or fails to promote our idea of queer community.

Navigating the tension between personal truths and public expressions of queerness is part of the work. How do we stay true to ourselves?

THE PHASES OF BEING SEEN

Some of us go through a militant phase when we come out wearing every flag. We need the world to know. Later, that urgency can soften. We integrate. Our queerness feels like just one part, not the center of our identities. We no longer feel the need to explain, perform or justify. We exist, and that’s enough.

For others, it’s the reverse: starting quietly, becoming louder over time as we feel safe, as we advocate and as we embrace our individual temperaments.

Quiet expression is not “graduated” queerness, and loudness isn’t immaturity. The evolution of visibility is personal, not hierarchical. We can go from exploratory to militant, disillusioned, integrated and quiet in repeat, non-sequential patterns. We shift depending on our safety, our surroundings or what the moment demands of us. We’re still queer through all of it. If you’re a trans man who simply says, ‘I’m a man,’ that’s not hiding: That’s truth. You don’t owe anyone your history. But maybe your past matters to you — not as

a confession or seeking validation, but as a lens and a way to connect. Maybe being AFAB (assigned female at birth) shaped how you experience power, empathy or connection. Perhaps saying ‘I’m trans’ isn’t about being visible, but whole.

There’s no right way to disclose. Just the way that feels right to you.

THE POWER AND LIMITS OF LANGUAGE AND LABELS

Language creates a paradox: Identity labels can free us or confine us, depending on how they’re used. When we choose them for ourselves, they can offer self-knowledge, connection and community. But when demanded or misused by others, they reduce us to something smaller than our full selves.

There’s a strange tension in naming who we are. Who wants to be boxed in?

As if choosing a word is signing a contract with the world about who we’re allowed to be forever. Often, it’s less about understanding ourselves and more about making others comfortable. Labels can become shortcuts for other people to file us away, to feel like they “get” us.

Language also opens doors. For many of us, stumbling across a word like “queer,” “nonbinary” or “genderfluid” changes everything. Suddenly we see ourselves. Language can give shape to experiences we didn’t know anyone else had. It offers a shared code, a way to say, “You, too!”

Maybe the trick is to hold language lightly, to keep it only if it serves. Freedom is the space to choose what aligns with our authentic in-the-moment selves.

Our identities evolve. It’s completely valid for desires to change over time and for something that once felt right to no longer fit. In other words, there is no pressure to stay queer forever, nor is there a value judgment that you are superior or a more open, progressive person based on the nature of your desire.

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WHAT COMMUNITY SHOULD FEEL LIKE

Not every space that calls itself inclusive actually is. Here’s how you know a social context is good for you: You’re not masking. You have access to your real tone, humor and opinions. People are curious about you. You feel seen. You don’t have to dim yourself. You don’t have to explain your identity. You’re not on the defensive. Your presence matters.

These aren’t luxuries. When we feel safe, we blossom. We should foster this in every space.

BELONGING WITHOUT PROVING

You don’t have to perform queerness to claim it. But we also have a responsibility to one another. Our queerness is personal, but our liberation is collective. We should support our shared mission of equality and acceptance.

Whether that means attending a rally, calling out homophobia at work or checking in on a friend who’s struggling, we each get to decide what solidarity looks like in real time. And sometimes we face messy tensions, like realizing a certain political value aligns with a party that doesn’t affirm your right to exist. How do you hold that contradiction? How do you show up, even when you’re unsure?

There are no easy answers. Just honest questions and the willingness to keep asking.

SO ARE YOU QUEER ENOUGH?

Yes. Even if you’re quiet. Even if you don’t fit the mold. Even if other queer people have made you feel like you don’t belong. You do.

Because queerness is not a test; it’s a truth. You are already enough — exactly as you are.

Write in with your questions: bit.ly/ AskaTherapistBW. And check Find Your Center Therapy’s blog for a deeper dive: findyourcentertherapy.com/blog.

This column provides general mental health insights. This advice is for informational/ entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional, personalized medical, psychological or therapeutic treatment. While we strive for accuracy and inclusion, our feedback may not account for all competing theories and research in the field.

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MUSIC

‘A BIG STATEMENT’

Colorado Music Festival approaches half a century with robust program of contrasts

BY KELLY DEAN HANSEN

Next year is set to be a big one for milestones. During the Colorado Music Festival’s 50th anniversary at Chautauqua Auditorium in the summer of 2026, the U.S. will celebrate its 250th birthday and Colorado its 150th. Music director Peter Oundjian says the landmark season of the annual five-week classical music concert series at Chautauqua Auditorium is mostly planned out — and the path leading there begins this summer.

He sees the upcoming festival beginning July 3 as a launching point. That’s particularly true when it comes to the conclusion the first weekend of August with two immortal ninth symphonies, both the last completed by their composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Gustav Mahler.

“Knowing the 50th anniversary was coming up, I wanted to make the 49th seem significant,” Oundjian says. “Doing these two symphonies on the closing weekend felt like a massive celebration and a big statement, and the contrast is fantastic.”

Beethoven’s Ninth ends with a grand choral finale, the first in the symphonic literature, and Mahler’s fades into eternity, an illustration of death in music. “The symphonies are both farewells to many things,” Oundjian says.

NOT ‘A NORMAL CONCERT’

Oundjian likes to open the festival with a major guest artist playing a major concerto, a role filled this year by French pianist Hélène Grimaud. Considered “an extraordinary pianist and person” by Oundjian, she has been on the world’s biggest stages for more than 30 years. She plays the tremendous and dramatic First Piano Concerto by Johannes Brahms, whose first movement alone is of titanic scope.

The concert also celebrates the 150th birthday of French composer Maurice Ravel, with Oundjian directing the second

written much later than the concerto.

“Hearing them in consecutive weeks will be fascinating,” Oundjian says.

The program includes another world premiere, a saxophone concerto by renowned composer Joan Tower. “Joan is becoming a face of the festival at this point, and seems almost like my older sister,” Oundjian says. An entire program of her music including a world premiere — an unusual feat for a living composer — was presented by the festival in 2021.

Saxophonist Steven Banks also amazed the audience in 2021, so

“Knowing the 50th anniversary was coming up, I wanted to make the 49th seem significant,” says Colorado Music Festival Director Peter Oundjian. Credit: Geremy Kornreich

ballet suite from Daphnis et Chloé and the extremely familiar Boléro

The Beethoven piece will be heard July 31 and Aug. 1, with Mahler following Aug. 3. Mahler’s work stands on its own, but the Beethoven concerts will have a brief opening half. With Denver’s St. Martin’s Festival Singers on hand, Oundjian is having them present Beethoven’s short Elegiac Song, and the orchestra will play a commissioned world premiere, Amplify by composer Michael Abels.

“You don’t really program Boléro in a normal concert,” Oundjian says, noting its place in popular culture ranging from The Three Stooges to Futurama. “With the anniversary, it is appropriate, and the Brahms gives the concert its substance.”

Stravinsky’s orchestral fantasy Feu d’artifice Fireworks opens the program and the festival. Another Brahms First anchors the following orchestral program July 10 and 11. The First Symphony was

Oundjian brought them together. “They hit it off so well, and I asked her to compose a concerto for his instrument,” Oundjian says.

The new work is titled Love Returns The concert opens with An Outdoor Overture by Aaron Copland, another composer with a significant birth anniversary, his 125th.

‘PART OF THE COMMUNITY’

Ravel appears again on the program for July 17 and 18, with guest violinist Anne

Akiko Meyers playing his virtuoso work Tzigane

“She plays one of the greatest violins ever made,” Oundjian says of Meyers, who also plays the second performance of Eric Whitacre’s Murmur, which he wrote for her. “The piece became a memorial to the January fires in Los Angeles, where Whitacre has spent much of his life.”

This concert opens with Copland’s ubiquitous Appalachian Spring. For the second half, Oundjian conducts two overtures with a Shakespeare theme, Tchaikovsky’s very well known Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture and Berlioz’s lesser known overture to his opera Béatrice et Bénédict

Besides the closing Mahler concert, Oundjian directs one other Sunday event July 27 featuring guitarist Xuefei Yang playing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez

“We don’t do guitar concertos very often, and that’s kind of a shame,” Oundjian says. The Rodrigo piece works well with Zoltán Kodály’s Dances of Galánta, which opens the program, he says. “They both have a rustic quality and come from different parts of Europe, Hungary and Spain.”

The program closes with Franz Schubert’s delightful Fifth Symphony, which Oundjian calls “one of the most perfect pieces ever written.”

With this program on the near horizon and a major milestone around the corner, Oundjian is now a solid fixture in Colorado. This year he was officially named music director of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in Denver after serving as principal conductor.

“I really feel part of the community now,” he says. “I’m extremely excited for this summer, and I have all the scores spread out on my floor. I really want every festival to seem like my favorite.”

ON THE BILL: The Colorado Music Festival 2025 season opener feat. pianist Hélène Grimaud. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, July 3 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, July 6, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $23-$100.50

SVROOM VROOM

Clichés and thin storylines crash

‘F1’

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

ure, he’s handsome, but can he drive? You bet. His name is Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), and he can drop behind the wheel of a Formula One racecar, take it for a spin and tell you exactly what’s wrong with it. After he crashes it, that is. It only cost, what, $150,000? What’s 150 among friends?

Sonny’s old racing pal, Ruben (Javier Bardem), is hemorrhaging money to the tune of $350 million, and his team hasn’t won a race or even scored a point all season. If Ruben can’t turn it around, it’s the ax. That’s why he needs Sonny, a washed-up driver 30 years past his prime, to turn his team of misfit toys around.

If this were a mid-century French novel, Sonny would be an existential hero. We would know nothing of his backstory and his demons, nada of his hopes and dreams. His actions would explain his character, and we would ask for nothing more. But this isn’t a French existential novel; this is F1: The Movie — a Hollywood blockbuster from Warner

Bros. engineered to make a boatload of money on the backs of stale formulas and the lowest common denominator.

Instead of a mysterious figure wandering out of the past to perfect the present, we know more than we want, including a dreadfully written scene where Sonny explains how it feels to go fast. I’m speculating here, but Pitt delivers this monologue with so little conviction he probably thought they would cut it out. No such luck, Brad.

Written by Ehren Kruger and directed by Joseph Kosinski, F1 isn’t a movie; it’s a product placement bonanza. If you’ve seen a race you know these drivers are covered head to toe with sponsors — as is Sonny and teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), so points for realism. But must they constantly stand in front of banners for Heineken 0.0, Crypto.com and all the other companies that ponied up for this globetrotting advert?

What did all that money buy? Clichés and little else. Kruger and Kosinski contrive Ruben’s outfit to be the li’l team

that could with the pit crew haphazardly dropping their tools, the car’s designer, Kate (Kerry Condon), flummoxed by the “dirty air” in the turns and Pearce’s inability to become the driver everyone thinks he is. Enter Sonny and his bag of old-school tricks. Watch as he jogs around the track! Marvel as he juggles tennis balls and flicks playing cards into a hat!

Give me a break. Ruben’s facility is state-of-the-art, Kate is a former Lockheed Martin rocket scientist and Pearce is clearly a Top 10 driver. Their only shortcoming is a formulaic screenplay. At one point, my seat neighbor left to replenish snacks for himself and his dad. He was gone for a solid 10 minutes and missed a significant plot point. But when he returned, he sat in rapt attention and gave no indication that he was confused where the story had gone in his absence.

Sure, he missed one of the movie’s spectacular car crashes and Hans Zimmer’s oppressive score that

demands you surrender or else. Then again, maybe he didn’t. Even if he had gone to get his popcorn during Sonny’s monologue, he wouldn’t have missed the words because the filmmakers make another character repeat them in the movie’s climax just in case. Be a shame if you couldn’t connect those dots on your own.

But what am I getting all huffy about? Did I really come to F1 expecting something other than this? No. (But wouldn’t it be nice?) Yes, the cinematography from Claudio Miranda is thrilling — especially the cameras mounted on the cars that whip around to show you Pitt and Idris are doing at least some of their own driving. Yes, Pitt is still charming even when he’s in full-blown paycheck mode. And yes, it looks great in IMAX. But why does it all have to feel so flat

ON SCREEN: F1: The Movie opens in theaters June 27.

Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) suits up for one more lap in F1: The Movie

Courtesy: Warner Bros

26 PRIDE RAINBOW ROLL

7-9 p.m. Thursday, June 26, Skate City Westminster, 200 W. 121st Ave. $7 entry / $5 skate rental

Strap on your rainbow wheels and roll down to Skate City in Westminster for a night of Pride. Bring your own skates if you’re a pro, or rent on location if you’re just rink-curious for this community event brought to you by Rocky Mountain Equality.

50+ LGBTQ+ MIXER

4-7 p.m. Friday, June 26, Equality Center of the Rocky Mountains, 3340 Mitchell Lane, Boulder. Free

Dance, mingle and enjoy some light refreshments during this 50-and-up LGBTQ+ mixer co-hosted by Rainbow Elders and the Boulder County Area Agency on Aging. Whether you’re looking for a love connection or new friends, this social event is a great way to put yourself out there and meet others in the community.

BOULDER HISTORY IS LGBTQ+ HISTORY

5-6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 26, Carnegie Library for Local History, 1125 Pine St., Boulder. Free

Send Pride month off in style during this Carnegie Library event exploring local LGBTQ+ history. A short presentation covers the ins-and-outs of historical documentation, followed by a diverse panel of experts who will discuss the importance of preservation and research in an illuminating discussion “recognizing that LGBTQ+ history is and has always been part of the history of Boulder and Boulder County.”

BOULDER COMEDY FESTIVAL

Various times and locations throughout Boulder County. Prices vary

BoCo’s flagship standup fest returns for another year of laughs. Now in its fifth year of celebrating women and diversity in comedy, this year’s bill includes Janae Burris, Ricky Ramos, Neeraj Srinivasan and more at Dairy Arts Center, The End Lafayette, Junkyard Social and Louisville Underground. Schedule and pricing at bouldercomedyfestival.com.

26 YOGA PEARL X BOULDER SYMPHONY

6-7 p.m. Thursday, June 26, Sunrise Amphitheater, 1198 Flagstaff Drive, Boulder. $20-$30

Picture yourself on your yoga mat, high atop a Boulder mountain, the gentle breeze on your skin as you flow slowly through gentle movements, the buzz of bees, chirps of bird and the soft strings of a Boulder Symphony quartet as your soundtrack. Stay after class for some socializing with snacks and mocktails the perfect way to wind down your week.

27 SUPERIOR PRIDE STAND-UP SHOW

7-8:30 p.m. Friday, June 27, Flipside Theatre at Superior Improv Co., 502 Center Drive, Unit M, Superior. $18

There’s nothing funny about queer equality, but there will be plenty of laughs at this Pride-themed comedy show at Superior Improv Co. Hosted by Jake L, this night of LGBTQ stand-up features Britt Boyd, Ryan Bonnell, Erin Lewis and headliner Kate McLachlan.

28 HYGIENE MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, June 28, 7510 Hygiene Road, Longmont. Free

Hygiene is turning up the heat with this inaugural summer fest to benefit the town’s volunteer fire department. The event kicks off with a classic pancake breakfast followed by a full day of live music, food, a walking market and fire station tours. Stop by the dunk tank and hit the bullseye to drop a volunteer firefighter in the splash zone.

28 LAUGH SUMMER ART CRAWL

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 28, Old Town Lafayette. Free

Looking for your next art purchase? Let this flock of flamboyant flamingos be your guide to the best local works in town, displayed outside homes, studios, alleys, garages, vehicles, yards and driveways. The retro pink yard birds will be posted outside 11 participating locations; visiting them all (with the passport stamps to prove it) could help you nab a $100 gift card to The Post.

28 WILDFLOWER HIKE

1 p.m. Saturday, June 28, Colorado ChautauquaAcademic Hall, 298 Morning Glory Rd. Boulder. Free

Mother Earth is putting on her annual show at Chautauqua, and you don’t want to miss it. Take in the beauty of the blooms and the grandeur of the Flatirons on this 2-mile, all-levels hike. Prepare for 500 feet of elevation gain and bring layers, sturdy shoes and water.

28 UNICORN FESTIVAL

5–7 p.m. Saturday, June 28, Medicine Horse, 7663 E. County Line Road, Longmont. $30 (children 16 and under free)

Unicorns are on parade at this whimsical evening celebrating the special connection between humans and horses. There will be plenty of photo ops with the magical creatures, plus a scavenger hunt, oracle readers, face painting, snacks and drinks. Proceeds help care for the horses and keep therapy programs free to participants.

28 – 29

DENVER PRIDE

Pridefest: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 28 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 29, Civic Center Park. Free; Pride 5K: 9:30 a.m. Saturday, June 28, Lincoln Street between Colfax and 14th. $54 Pride Parade: 9:30 a.m. Sunday, June 29, 17th Avenue and Franklin Street to 17th Avenue and Lincoln Street. Free.

The month may be coming to an end, but Pride festivities are far from over in the capital city. This weekend boasts the city’s largest Pride event, drawing over half a million for the two-day celebration of all things gay. Saturday’s festivities kick off with a 5K before the free fest at Civic Center complete with fierce performances, lots of queer joy and a “gayborhood market,” where you can support local LGBTQ+ small businesses and artisans. Sunday starts with a big, colorful parade of floats, marchers and music along 17th Avenue.

29 QUEER ART ORGANICS OPEN MIC

4:30-8:30 p.m. Sunday, June 29, Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Unit A, Boulder, Free

Bare your soul or bust a gut with fellow LGBTQ+ writers, performers and creatives of all strokes at this open mic night co-hosted by Rocky Mountain Equality on the last Sunday of every month. The open mic begins at 6, but come early for a writing workshop with Queer Creatives.

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, JUNE 26

TONY CRANK p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

IZCALLI p.m. Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road, Longmont. Free

VAL CHILLMER 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. Free

2MX2 WITH ELDER GROWN p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $17

SALOMÉ SONGBIRD p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $22

THE FAMILY CREST WITH BABES IN CANYON p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $19

FRIDAY, JUNE 27

THE ATOM COLLECTIVE p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

LAUREN MICHAELS WITH TUMBLEWEED ROAD p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

TIM OSTDIEK WITH JENNY BALAGNA p.m. Butterscotch Studios, 620 Kimbark St., Longmont. $15

NINE WIDE SKY WITH MR. KNOBS 7:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $21

WOOD BELLY p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main St., Boulder. $20

OPIUM WITH THE CATTLEDOGS, SEMPAR AN ATOM SON OF MAN p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

THE WILDER BLUE WITH BISON BONE p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $27

RUBEDO WITH RAREBYRD$ AND REDAMANCY p.m. Hi-Dive, S. Broadway, Denver. $15

OSO OSO WITH JORDAN KRIMSTON. p.m. Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $14 BW PICK OF THE WEEK

DANIEL ALLAN WITH ARLO, HAASY AND LEVI DOUBLE U 9 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $37

SATURDAY, JUNE 28

JEN BLACK 4 p.m. Broomfield Library and Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road. Free

JOE C. WAILS GANG p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

KIRK MARGOLES WITH JACK & EMILY CAMPBELL AND BECCA HASSELBROOK p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

THE INTEGRATION ENSEMBLE 7:30 p.m. Salina Schoolhouse, 604 Gold Run Road, Boulder. $30

FOGGY MOUNTAIN SPACESHIP DUO p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

ANTHONY RUPTAK WITH PORLOLO AND THE TRUJILLO COMPANY p.m. Hi-Dive, S. Broadway, Denver. $15

BODEANS p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $25

JACK SYMS WITH JACKSONPORT p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $25

JAMES MCMURTRY 9 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $42

SUNDAY, JUNE 29

LOCO UKULELE JAM 2 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

SCOTT VON 4 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

Long Beach emo powerhouse Oso Oso celebrate 10 years with their budget-conscious $10 Bill Tour, stopping by Denver’s Marquis Theater on June 27 with support from Jordan Krimston (Heads up: It’s actually $14 with fees — thanks, Live Nation!)

The beloved powerpop outfit performs on the heels of their critically lauded fifth LP, life till bones, out now via Yunahon Entertainment See listing for details.

LIVE MUSIC

MORPHEUS DREAMING 4 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

LAURIE & LORRIE p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main St., Gold Hill. Free

FUZZ FACE WITH COLDRIDGE, PSEUDOCRUSH AND INTERPRETIVE

TYRANNY p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $19

MONDAY, JUNE 30

JEFF & PAIGE 5:30 p.m. Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Free

CASPER ALLEN & THE NATURALS WITH JUNE SWOON AND SHAWN

HESS p.m. Hi-Dive, S. Broadway, Denver. $12

TAKUYA KURODA p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

TUESDAY, JULY 1

ELISA GARCIA 10:15 a.m. Boulder Public Library, 1001 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder. Free

DR. DOG WITH CRUMB 7:30 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison. $61

ON THE BILL

MIKAELA DAVIS WITH LILY SEABIRD p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $25

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2

OPEN BLUEGRASS PICK p.m. The Garden at Left Hand, 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

MANY MOUNTAINS p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free

VIC DILLAHAY WITH DOUG CARMICHAEL p.m. Dry Land Distillers, 519 Main St., Longmont. Free

KNUMEARS WITH OTHIEL, STRAINER AND ATHOUSANDANGELANDSEVEN

p.m. Hi-Dive, S. Broadway, Denver. $15

PINK TALKING FISH p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25

TAPER’S CHOICE WITH TAD CAUTIOUS AND BREADBOX

p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

Want more Boulder County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code.

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): The Hawaiian word pō refers to a primal darkness from which all life flows. It’s not a fearsome void, but a fertile mystery, rich with future possibilities and the ancestors’ hopes. In the coming weeks, I invite you to treat your inner life as pō. Be as calm and patient and watchful as an Aries can be as you monitor the inklings that rise up out of the deep shadows. Have faith that the cloudy uncertainty will ultimately evolve into clarity, revealing the precise directions you need.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): In the 17th century, the Taurus polymath Athanasius Kircher constructed a fantastical machine called the Aeolian harp. It wasn’t designed to be played by human fingers, but by the wind. It conjured music with currents invisible to the eye. I nominate this sublime contraption as your power object for the coming weeks, Taurus. The most beautiful and healing melodies may come from positioning yourself so that inspiration can blow through. How might you attune yourself to the arrival of unexpected help and gifts? Set aside any tendency you might have to try too hard. Instead, allow life to sing through you.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): The painter Vincent van Gogh wrote, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” That’s good advice for you right now. Your ambitions may feel daunting if you imagine them as monumental and monolithic. But if you simply focus on what needs to be done next — the daily efforts, the incremental improvements — you will be as relaxed as you need to be to accomplish wonders. Remember that masterpieces are rarely completed in a jiffy. The cumulative power of steady work is potentially your superpower. Here’s another crucial tip: Use your imagination to have fun as you attend to the details.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Here’s one of my unruly rules about human competence: In every professional field, from physicians to lawyers to psychics to teachers, about 15% of all the practitioners are downright mediocre, even deficient. Seventy-five percent are at least satisfactory and sometimes good. And 10% of the total are surpassingly excellent, providing an extraordinary service. With this in mind, I’m happy to say that you now have a knack for gravitating toward that exceptional 10% in every domain you are drawn to. I predict that your intuition will consistently guide you toward premium sources.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): The Japanese concept of shinrin-yoku means “forest bathing.” It invites people to immerse themselves in the natural world, drawing on its restorative power. In accordance with astrological portents, I urge you Scorpios to maximize your forest bathing. To amplify the enrichment further, gravitate toward other environments that nourish your soul’s need for solace and uplift. The naked fact is that you need places and influences that offer you comfort, safety and tender inspiration. Don’t apologize for making your life a bit less heroic as you tend to your inner world with gentle reverence.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): The camera obscura was a precursor to modern cameras. It projected the outside world upside down onto interior walls. Artists loved it because it helped them see reality from new angles. I hereby proclaim that you, Sagittarius, will be like both the artist and the camera obscura lens in the coming weeks. Your perceptions may feel inverted, strange, even disorienting, but that’s a gift! So let unfamiliarity be your muse. Flip your assumptions. Sketch from shadow instead of light. Have faith that the truth isn’t vanishing or hiding; it’s simply appearing in unfamiliar guises. Don’t rush to turn rightside-up things. Relish and learn from the tilt.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Welcome to a special edition of “What’s My Strongest Yearning?” I’m your host, Rob Brezsny, and I’m delighted you have decided to identify the single desire that motivates you more than any other. Yes, you have many wishes and hopes and dreams, but one is more crucial than all the rest! Right? To begin the exercise, take three deep breaths and allow every knot of tension to dissolve and exit your beautiful body. Then drop down into the primal depths of your miraculous soul and wander around until you detect the shimmering presence of the beloved reason you came here to this planet. Immerse yourself in this glory for as long as you need to. Exult in its mysterious power to give meaning to everything you do. Ask it to nurture you, console you and inspire you.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): I’m sure you enjoy gazing into some mirrors more than others. It’s amazing how different you might look in your bathroom mirror and the mirror in the restroom at work. Some store windows may reflect an elegant, attractive version of you, while others distort your image. A similar principle is at work in the people with whom you associate. Some seem to accentuate your finest attributes, while others bring out less flattering aspects. I bring this to your attention, dear Capricorn, because I believe it will be extra important in the coming weeks for you to surround yourself with your favorite mirrors.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): In certain medieval maps, unexplored territories were marked with the Latin phrase hic sunt dra cones —“here be dragons.” It was a warning and a dare, a declaration that no one knew what lay beyond. In the coming weeks, Leo, you may find yourself traveling into one of those unlabeled regions. Rather than flinching or dodging, I invite you to press forward with respectful curiosity. Some of the so-called dragons will be figments. Others are protectors of treasure and might be receptive to sharing with a bright light like you. Either way, productive adventures are awaiting you in that unmapped territory. Go carefully — but go.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Leonardo da Vinci filled thousands of pages with sketches, notes and experiments. He never finished many of them. He called this compilation his “codex of wonder.” It wasn’t a record of failures. It was an appreciation of his complex process and a way to honor his creative wellspring. Taking a cue from da Vinci’s love of marvelous enigmas, I invite you to be in love with the unfinished in the coming weeks. Make inquisitiveness your default position. Reconsider abandoned ideas. Be a steward of fertile fragments. Some of your best work may arise from revisiting composted dreams or incomplete sketches. Here’s your motto: Magic brews in the margins.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): In traditional Japanese carpentry, joints are made so skillfully that they need no nails, screws or adhesives. Carpenters use intricate joinery techniques to connect pieces of wood so tightly that the structures are strong and durable. They often require a mallet for assembly and disassembly. In metaphorical terms, you are capable of that kind of craftsmanship these days, Virgo. I hope you will take advantage of this by building lasting beauty and truth that will serve you well into the future. Don’t rush the joinery. If it’s not working, don’t force it. Re-cut, re-measure, breathe deeply and try again.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): In the remote Atacama Desert of Chile, certain flowers lie dormant for years, awaiting just the right conditions to burst into blossom in a sudden, riotous explosion of color and vitality. Scientists call it a superbloom. Metaphorically speaking, Pisces, you are on the verge of such a threshold. I’m sure you can already feel the inner ripening as it gathers momentum. Any day now, your full flowering will erupt — softly but dramatically. You won’t need to push. You will simply open. To prepare yourself emotionally, start rehearsing lively shouts of “HALLELUJAH! HOORAY! WHOOPEE!”

I’m going througha divorce and connected with a long-ago boyfriend in a similar boat. We started a long-distance relationship and were fairly serious.

His particular kink is he wants his part ner to have other lovers. And as long as everyone involved is consenting, I’m fine with that. Here’s the problem. My longdistance partner longs for a throuple type of relationship. He decided, without my consent, to create a profile on a popular mainstream dating app with photos of me seeking a playmate for us.

When found out, broke up with him immediately and deleted the account from his phone. He sees no harm in what he’s done and is trying to get me back. To reassure me (or not!) and to educate him and anyone else who might ever consider creating a “couples” profile without the consent of half of the couple: Is this as bad as think it is?

Oafish Violation Ends Relationship

This is just as bad as you think it is. You can’t trust a guy who would pimp you out on a dating app without your consent. Red flags don’t come any redder.

P.S. To the long-ago/far-away boyfriend: Hotwifing and cuckolding forums are filled with guys whining about how hard it is to find a woman willing to explore these dynamics with them… and you found one, dude, and you blew it. So dumb.

I met a guy on Facebook dating, and we texted nearly every day for a year before meeting this past Christmas. It’s been great, we’re both happy and in love. see him in my life forever. He is still close with his ex and con siders him his best friend. I’m actually fine with this. The one thing that bothers me though is he’ll compare us to when he dated him or will say things like, “My dog hasn’t seen me having sex with a guy other than Alex,” or, “Alex said if didn’t fool around with him the first time, he wouldn’t have started a relationship.”

I’m not sure how to bring it up to him. know one day he’ll want me to meet Alex cause he’s his best friend, but how do tell him don’t want to hear about the things he used to do with him?

Not Enthralled With Boyfriend’s Important Ex

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

Your feelings are valid, NEWBIE, and it’s possible your boyfriend has been hitting Alex a little too hard. Here’s what you can say to your new boyfriend that should cut down on the Alex talk without scaring him off: “Hey, I really like you and I’m excited about where this is going. I know it’s common for gay men to be friends with their exes and it’s a good sign about a guy — your friendship with Alex is totally a green flag — but hearing so much about Alex is making me feel insecure. I promise I’ll feel more comfortable hearing about Alex once the two of us have built up some history of our own.”

Whatever you do, NEWBIE, don’t make the mistake of ordering your new boyfriend to choose between you and his best friend. And who knows? You might like Alex once you meet him in person.

P.S. Hot exes make great thirds, because your boyfriend is less likely to leave you for someone he’s already left.

Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan. Podcasts, col umns and more at Savage.Love

COLORADO CAMPING CUISINE

Icky beef stroganoff helped inspire local brands to make tastier, better-for-you backpacking meals

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Louise Barton remembers the exact backpacking moment when her career path changed.

“I’m a botanist by training. I started working for the Forest Service and we were in Yellowstone doing huge off-trail miles, so I brought some packaged meals,” she says. “I ate a beef stroganoff dinner. I was so hungry I would have eaten anything, but it was soupy and just gross. It had this off flavor, and I was nauseous eating it. I trashed the rest of my meals when we went back into town for resupply.”

“It got me scheming: What if I just made my own dehydrated meals for the next time?”

Barton and her then-wife launched Farm to Summit, a better-for-you backpacking meals company in Durango. Their debut meals included green chile mac and cheese, Thai red curry and Thai carrot slaw.

A similar mountain encounter with beef stroganoff also inspired Felipe Vieyra,

founder of Aurora’s Oso Adventure Meals.

“I took a friend on his first backpacking trip near Leadville. We were both very hungry and started eating a freeze-dried beef stroganoff meal. My friend said: ‘Is this all we have to eat out here? This is so bland and tasteless.’ We’re both Mexican, so we talked about the food that we grew up with,” Vieyra says. “We decid ed to bring authentic Mexican spicy food to the outdoors. Our first Oso flavors were huevos rancheros, a veggie enchilada bowl and a carnitas enchilada bowl.”

Soraya Smith readily admits she had never tasted other backpacking meals before launching Boulder’s Backpacker’s Pantry. Her inspiration was the literal weight of fresh ingredients.

“When my family was younger, we did a lot of backpacking, camping and rafting, but we always took fresh food with us. It was a lot of weight to haul. We thought that almost anything you like to eat at home and at restaurants could be turned into a backpacking meal,” Smith says.

A PRACTICAL IMPACT

Generations of Colorado backpackers have endured some truly revolting prepackaged meals on the trails, only salvaged by the liberal application of hot sauce. But these days, the options are far more appetizing, nutritious and ecofriendly.

“We don’t want any crap ingredients, food coloring or preservatives,” says Farm to Summit’s Barton. “We source the majority of our produce from farms that are near Durango and we dehydrate everything in house. In our cooler right now, we have 400 pounds of kale that a farmer couldn’t sell. We get haildamaged cabbage and crooked — but really sweet — carrots.”

“I was a climate change biologist by training, but I left it because I was like, ‘I’m not making a difference.’ Owning this business I can have a practical impact.”

BUILDING IN BIG FLAVORS

The backpacking meals available today also reflect the shifting demographics of outdoor enthusiasts.

“I saw more folks of color, more Latinos and more Mexicans backpacking,

mountain biking and tapping into the outdoors,” says Oso’s Vieyra. “We wanted to make food they would enjoy, but we really found that Mexican food is really American food that all campers want to be able to eat.”

Next on the menu at Oso Meals will be locally sourced pozole with bison. According to Smith, Backpacker’s Pantry top sellers in 2025 are pad Thai, pad Thai with chicken, and drunken noodles.

Backpacker’s Pantry offers the widest selection of breakfast, snack and beverage options among the Colorado companies, including desserts like creme brulee and mango sticky rice.

Credit: Jade Downing

Credit: Justin Kauffman Courtesy: Oso Meals

NIBBLES

MORE THAN CALORIES

Smith believes eating together is a fundamental part of getting outdoors for friends and family. The food should be a memorable part of that —and not in a bad way.

“After a day of hiking or backpacking or rafting, you settle together around a meal,” Smith says. “It should satiate your taste buds as much as it satiates your soul. I love doing spice blends to actually make the food taste yummy and not just something to put in your body for calories.”

“I want the food to look like and taste like what it says it’s going to look like and taste like.”

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: FRASCA NAMED TOP U.S. EATERY

Boulder’s Frasca Food and Wine in Boulder won the 2025 James Beard Outstanding Restaurant Award on June 17. The James Beard Awards are the Oscars for chefs and restaurateurs in the United States.

Hacienda San Raphael Cocina Latina is open at 1935 Main St. in Longmont.

CULINARY CALENDAR: SMØRREBRØD AND GLÖGG

Northern European fare including smørrebrød, lefse, glögg and mead are on the menu at the Colorado Scandinavian Midsummer Festival, June 28-29 in Highlands Ranch. Details: scandinavianmidsummer.com

The Lyons Farmette teams notable local chefs with local nonprofits for on-the-farm feasts including: Aug. 6: Daniel Asher for Slow Food Boulder Aug. 13: Corrida for MAD Agriculture September 24: Blackbelly for The Watershed Center. Tickets: lyonsfarmette.com

WORDS TO CHEW ON: WORTH CRYING OVER

“How easily happiness begins by dicing onions. lump of sweet butter slithers and swirls across the floor of the sauté pan, especially if its errant path crosses a tiny slick of olive oil. Then a tumble of onions.” — “Onions” by William Matthews

John Lehndorff is the Exhibit Historian for Boulder Eats! Celebrating 150 years of food and restaurants opening Nov. 15 at the Museum of Boulder. Comments: nibbles@boulderweekly.com

Credit: Robert Hill

ON DRUGS

LONGMONT WEED LOUNGES, SPAS IN LIMBO

Policy hits snag with council vote, leaving gray area for proprietors

BY TYLER HICKMAN

Longmont has a vacancy sign posted for cannabis hospitality businesses looking to open up shop. After a year of council discussions, there are four licenses available for these establishments, much like Denver’s new Cirrus Social Club that opened earlier this year.

There’s only one problem: Operating one of these businesses is still illegal.

At a June 3 meeting, council members voted against allowing public consumption of cannabis products at licensed businesses — an essential function for establishments like smoking lounges, weedfriendly comedy clubs and, due to an unclear definition of consumption, potentially even pot spas.

What seemed like a done deal after council approved the licensing structure earlier this year was stopped dead in its tracks, leaving a hazy future for cannabis hospitality businesses in the city.

“Public consumption is still prohibited” by city laws, said assistant city manager Sandra Seader. “It’s in a weird space.”

FAILURE TO LAUNCH

In 2019, the state opened the door to marijuana hospitality licenses, authorizing onsite sale and consumption of cannabis for licensed businesses. It also made smoking cannabis inside a licensed operation exempt from the Colorado Clean Indoor Air Act, which bans smoking indoors statewide.

Since then, few cities have taken the necessary steps to allow these businesses to move in.

Denver approved cannabis hospitality licenses in 2022, allowing on-site consumption for businesses with a permit.

The Mile High City became the model for Longmont’s own approach to implementation.

“We absolutely took information from Denver’s structure,” Seader said, “because they were the only ones that we knew had done anything like this.”

In order to make hospitality businesses a reality, Longmont has to change its city code to allow public consumption. For smoking lounges particularly, they also needed to create an exemption for cannabis smoke in the city’s own clean indoor air law.

“That’s the piece that needed to be amended, because apparently the state already allows for it,” Seader said.

Longmont drafted two separate pieces of legislation — the first creating the license and the second allowing for public consumption and exemption of cannabis for licensed businesses to the city’s indoor smoking law. Council had to pass both to allow for smoking lounges.

“There were so many other pieces of code cleanup that they decided to split that in two,” Seader said.

“The theory was, we should not go and make those changes, until we know if this is going to pass or not,” City Clerk Dawn Quintana added.

Council narrowly approved the licensing structure with a 4-3 vote at a January meeting, but the consumption piece of the legislation failed with a tied vote June 3.

SECONDHAND CONSEQUENCES

Council member Matthew Popkin has been skeptical of allowing cannabis hospitality establishments in the city since his appointment in January. In the first vote he cast on council, Popkin voted against the licensing ordinance along with Mayor Joan Peck and Council Member Diane Crist. On June 3, he pushed an amendment that would have kept indoor cannabis smoking illegal even if the larger bill to allow consumption passed.

“I’m not against consumption of marijuana,” he said in an interview with Boulder Weekly. “But I do think when we are thinking about extending where people can consume marijuana in various forms, we have to think about who else does this impact.”

During several council discussions, he’s raised concerns about the adverse health and safety impacts of secondhand cannabis smoke.

According to the Center for Disease Control, secondhand cannabis smoke contains some of the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke, as well as the drug’s high-inducing chemical THC, though the center notes that more research is still needed on the effects. While the city already allows indoor smoking for places like cigar lounges, this didn’t sway Popkin.

“Just because we currently allow something doesn’t mean we should allow more,” he said.

As the law currently stands, smoking lounges and other forms of consumption, such as edibles and THC-infused drinks, are strictly prohibited. But for entrepreneurs looking to open up cannabis spas that use THC-infused topical oils and ointments, the answer is still muddy.

“Public consumption is not particularly well defined when you’re talking about a particular treatment in a private session” using topical cannabis products, Seader said. “That one’s a little bit of a gray area.”

“There are certainly fewer concerns and unintended consequences with establishments that aren’t smoking on site,” Popkin said. “But I don’t think there are none, and I don’t think we have addressed some of the other potential risks there yet.”

“I’m not willing to come around on that yet, but I’m open to folks proving me wrong.”

A previous study showed topical application of THC infused products was undetectable in blood and urine tests, and that typical concentration levels are too low to cause any psychoactive effects.

As it stands, people can still apply for a marijuana hospitality license in Longmont, Seader said, though they have yet to approve any applications. The issue is not a working item for council at the moment, so the city could not provide a timeline for next steps.

“From our perspective, we just want to better understand where they want to go with this and make sure that we’re implementing a clear program either way,” Seader said.