February 1, 2017 :: Defense at the State Line

A Quick Look at our LGBT Caucus

How the Plague Years Changed America’s Consciousness

The Denver Element: Caring for the Community

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Defense at the State Line

F e b r u a r y 01, 2017 o u t f r o n t m a g a z i n e .c o m FREE

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CONTENTS FEBRUARY 01, 2017 VOL40 NO21

08 06 LISTEN UP, MR. PRESIDENT 10 A QUICK LOOK AT OUR LGBT CAUCUS 20 THERE IN THE FINAL MOMENTS 23 KICKING THE SH*T OUT OF THE SYSTEM: A LOVE LETTER FOR THE HIV/ AIDS MOVEMENT

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30 DEATH: AN ORAL HISTORY

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34 CALENDAR 38 HOW TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY 41 THE DENVER ELEMENT: CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY 46 ASK A SLUT

32 RECENT WINNER OF 8 AWARDS from the Society of Professional Journalists, an Excellence in News Writing award, and an Excellence in Feature Writing award from the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association.

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POLITICS

I Listen Up, Mr. President

Nathaniel Lacrue

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T’S OFFICIAL. Donald Trump is the 45th President of the United States. While many Republican voters are urging those distressed by the outcome to “move on and accept it already,” a chance to listen and understand the other side is clearly being ignored.

There have been many fears brought up since Donald started his campaign for the 2016 election. The losing side is voicing these fears in a time of political unrest while the winners’ reply is simply to yell, “sore losers!” It could be said that the pot is certainly calling the kettle black if the past two elections have anything to show for displays of “sore losers,” but that would be aiming the discussion in the wrong direction again. Instead, it is better to focus on the terrified voices from the minority groups being targeted by a rampant celebration of hate speech and crimes that the rhetoric from our new president has awakened.

Some of the worried voices comes from the Muslim community, which has already

experienced a rise in hate crimes since the election. The fear that’s been plaguing a majority of the country has been made real, but not overnight. In fact, it’s been steadily increasing since Donald Trump won the Republican nomination. Back in March, Qusair Mohamedbhai, a lawyer here in Colorado, wrote an opinion piece for the Denver Post titled Echoes of History in Donald Trump’s Stance on Muslims. In it, Mohamedbhai voiced his fear that a Trump Presidency would bring about a Muslim registry or worse should another terrorist attack happen.

While Mohamedbhai was unavailable for interview, he was kind enough to introduce me to Arash Jahanian, another attorney at Rathod | Mohamedbhai LLC. I asked Jahanian what he believes the next step is for our divided country — specifically when it comes to protecting Muslim people.

I asked what a non-Muslim person could do to help protect our Muslim neighbors in this darkening time. Jahanian was glad I “framed the question that way because one of the key things that needs to happen is that everyone has to come together, unite, and unify.” He was clear that the conversation couldn’t become “just about Muslims, or just about the LGBTQ community, or just about Latinos.” If we as minorities divide ourselves, “We lose sight of the effective way to overcome not only what we’re facing now but what we’ve faced at various stages in our history.”

Some people believed Donald Trump couldn’t become president, that our country couldn’t vote that way. Mohamedbhai was not one of those people and saw what no one else wanted, or tried, to see. Now we have to come together and deal with the consequences.

The problem is no one is listening to each other. So I asked Jahanian what advice he would give our new president if he could speak with him one on one. He said that while it may be too soon to speak calmly with Trump, Obama addressed our troops with some wisdom we all can use. He said to remember what this country is about.

“It’s not about keeping people out; it’s about creating an inclusive place, where we all live together, and we all move forward.”

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POLITICS

T How We Failed Rosie O’Donnell

Brett Longhi

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EN YEARS AGO Rosie O’Donnell occupied a recurring seat at The View’s table. She was bold and brash, and seemed to make headlines daily for her thoughts and opinions. Then one day a man known as Donald Trump was the topic of discussion. The panel light heartedly joked about his Miss USA pageant, multiple affairs, and slew of bankruptcies. All of which were, and are, public knowledge. Rosie flipped her hair to one side and mimicked Trump making the audience erupt into laughter. “Here comes a lawsuit get ready, this is gonna be good,” Rosie joked as she looked into the camera. Little did she or anyone else know what was coming next.

Donald Trump lost his composure and took to the media calling Rosie “dumb,” “a loser,” and “a fat pig.” Those are only a few examples.

It seemed like every night he was on either Inside Edition or CNN to flat out bully Rosie. This story is a story that has gone on for ten years.

A decade. Donald Trump has attacked Rosie O’Donnell’s career, appearance, personal life, health, and character for a decade. We have

all listened to these attacks, and have witnessed every insult this man hurled her way. What I find shocking and sad is that America let it happen.

Rosie O’Donnell has adopted multiple children, opened up a Broadway school for underprivileged kids, and donated millions of dollars to multiple charities. She has been an advocate for children, women’s rights, and a strong voice on LGBT issues. To me, Rosie O’Donnell is a pillar of the LGBT community and a stand up citizen. She is someone who I believe has paved the way for LGBT visibility in Hollywood and in the public eye. So when Rosie O’Donnell was berated and bullied by Donald Trump, why did no one come to her defense? Why was there no social outcry from the LGBT community, or from women’s groups?

Why did the media continue to have him on the air to publicly shame her? Where were her famous friends who could have banned together to collectively chastise Donald Trump and declare to their followers that what he was doing was wrong? America failed Rosie. Not just one specific group or person — we all did.

My biggest concern is that I’m not sure we learned the first time around that the language this man used, and continues to use, is divisive and irresponsible. We stood shocked during election season as he said horrible things about women, Mexicans, and people with disabilities. Why was this so shocking when it happened already? We watched this play out over the last ten years with his verbal assault on Rosie O’Donnell. What makes it okay for him to continue to bully her? Is it because she’s a lesbian? Is it because she isn’t a blond bomb shell like Megyn Kelly? Ten years ago Rosie O’Donnell showed us who Donald Trump was.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t changed.

This man became our president while no one thought he had and shot in hell. We all sat by and thought that after the election he would just disappear. But unfortunately for us, the LGBT community, he is not going anywhere.

He moved straight into the white house and we are forced to listen to the hatred he continues to spew. So how do we hold him accountable?

How do we as a group not allow him to do to someone else what he’s done to Rosie? It’s clear — our community needs to stick together and defend one another from those who want to see us hurt. We owe it to ourselves and the community. Rosie O’Donnell, I got your back.

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POLITICS Dominick “Dom” Moreno Hometown: Commerce City, CO Currently resides in: Commerce City, CO

College/Degree: BA in American Government, Georgetown University

Accomplishments before taking office: Councilmember/ Mayor Pro Tem of Commerce City (2009–2012); State Representative (2012–2016)

A Quick Look at our LGBT Caucus

Accomplishments while in office: While in office, I helped

pass a collective bargaining ordinance for Commerce City workers, passed a law establishing universal breakfast at Colorado’s lowest income schools, passed a law allowing LGBT couples to file joint state tax returns (before marriage equality), sponsored a law to make it easier to change the gender marker on a birth certificate — still trying to pass this.

Aspirations for the incoming years: In light of the

new federal administration, I aspire to protect and defend the most vulnerable in our communities whether they’re LGBT, women, minorities, or Muslims.

We have to be especially vigilant and hold our elected leaders accountable to make sure we remain a progressive, inclusive society.

What makes you so passionate about LGBT issues in particular? I’m

passionate about LGBT issues because our community deserves equal protection under the law guaranteed by the Constitution. Despite the huge gains in LGBT rights and marriage equality, we have more work to do.

Too many LGBT people live in areas where it’s still legally acceptable to discriminate in employment and housing. We have to put a stop to this.

Paul “Paulie” Rosenthal Hometown: San Francisco, CA Currently resides in: Denver, CO College/Degree: MA in International Management, University of Denver Daniels College of Business // BA in International Relations, San Francisco State University // AA in General Studies, University of Maryland, Munich Germany Campus

Accomplishments before taking office: I was appointed

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by Mayors Hickenlooper and Hancock to the Denver Community Corrections Board, 2005–present where I am also the vice chair; elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention (2000, 2004); secretary of the Denver Democratic Party; president of the Colorado Stonewall Democrats; accomplished cook; world traveler.

LEGAL DIRECTORY

Accomplishments while in office: I’ve served

as a member of the Colorado Board of Tourism, co-founded the LGBT Caucus, co-founded the Aerospace and Defense Caucus, sat as vice chair of the Local Government Committee, worked on the annual Colorado Sister City celebration, pioneered the annual Stellar Student program, which awards one outstanding student from each school in my district.

Bill I am most proud of: The bill that requires

the governor’s office to work on climate change, appoint a point-person on it, and report progress annually. Also, for the past two years, I’ve passed a bill to ban gay conversion out of the House, and although the Senate keeps killing it, I will continue to offer it.

Aspirations for the incoming years:

Continue to work to pass bills that promote and defend LGBT rights, advocate for Colorado global business and cultural appreciation, reform juvenile and adult criminal-justice reform, and continue to serve the people of Denver and Colorado.

CAN-I-BUS OR FLY? This is a frequently asked question by marijuana patients, caregivers, and enthusiasts who are wanting to travel outside their resident state. The question is one that immediately brings up one of the most debated political topics around the legalization of marijuana — federal versus state and local laws.

According to state law, whether or not you can fly within different areas of a single state in possession depends on the state in which you are traveling. Both Colorado and Washington states may allow adults 21 and older to have up to an ounce of marijuana, but those policies are at odds with federal law. Additionally, it is unclear how marijuana-infused edibles are interpreted under the law and the legal limits.

What makes you so passionate about LGBT issues in particular? Well, besides

According to federal law the answer is also no, you may not fly on a commercial airliner in possession of marijuana or products that contain marijuana. Airports, airspace, and airplanes all fall under federal jurisdiction and marijuana is considered illegal under federal law, therefore being in possession is punishable by up to one year in prison and a minimum fine of $1000 for a first conviction. That was, until two weeks ago.

Daneya “Representative Pueblo” Esgar

Last year, President Obama issued Executive Order 21302, effectively removing marijuana from the list of controlled substances.

Hometown: Pueblo, CO Currently resides in: Pueblo, CO College/Degree: BA in Mass Communications,

And what does that mean for traveling while in possession of marijuana? Well, it’s not really clear. It seems like playing it safe in the short term is a better strategy than risking detainment at the airport, having your wackytobaccy confiscated or, worst yet, being thrown in jail.

Colorado State University Pueblo

Accomplishments before taking office: I

If you’re still unsure, or if you’ve been charged with marijuana possession, it’s important that you get in touch with an experienced marijuana defense attorney to fully understand your rights and ensure they are protected.

being an out gay male myself, we need to ensure we make decisions that will benefit the LGBT community in the future, and it is critical that we line up LGBT leaders to take over when we’re out of office.

served as president of the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance for nearly five years. During that time, I started Pueblo’s only LGBTQ youth group, which still meets every week. As a community organizer, before civil unions became legal, I worked in Pueblo to change policy to allow same-gender domestic partner benefits for city workers. In 2012, the Colorado Springs Pride Center awarded me the Community Activist of the Year award. In 2013, I was named as one of OUT FRONT’s power award recipients for my work in southern Colorado. In 2014, I became the first openly gay person to ever run or be elected in Pueblo, Colorado.

Accomplishments while in office: Since

being elected in 2014, I have passed fifteen bills into law that have helped make the lives of Coloradans better.

Specifically for the LGBTQ community, I helped pass legislation that fixed the discrepancies in Colorado laws between civil unions and marriage equality, and helped pass legislation that was the first of its kind to decriminalize HIV. I am honored to serve as the co-chair of the LGBT Caucus this year and was recently elected House Majority Caucus Chair and chair of the Capital

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POLITICS Development Committee. I serve as the vice chair of the House Health Insurance and Environment committee, as a member of the House Transportation and Energy Committee, and the House Agriculture and Natural Resources committee.

Aspirations for the incoming years: This coming

year, we at the State Legislature have a lot of work to do to be sure that Coloradans are protected and that we, as a state, continue to flourish in every corner. I’m excited to be the prime sponsor of the so-called Birth Certificate Bill that we’ve tried to pass before. Senator Moreno and I will be introducing this legislation again this year. It’s so important, now more than ever, that we help to protect our transgender community.

What makes you so passionate about LGBT issues in particular?

There is no space in this world for intolerance and hate, especially based off who a person loves or how they identify. We all deserve to pursue happiness and no one should be allowed to stand in our way to achieve it. For far too long our LGBT community was treated unfairly and unjustly. Although we have come a long way, there is still entirely too much discrimination happening to our community, especially our brothers and sisters of color in and outside of the LGBTQ community.

Until we are all treated fairly and equally in all aspects of our life the work must continue.

Dr Joann “Doc Jo” Ginal

Hometown: Manchester, NH 12

Currently resides in: Fort Collins, CO College/Degree: University of New Hampshire, BS // Iowa State

University, MS // Colorado State University, College of Veterinary Medicine, Ph.D

Accomplishments before taking office: I was a college

professor for reproductive endocrinology, embryology, parasitology, microbiology.

I was a biologist/biologist guide for ecotourism for three years on three-week excursions on the Amazon River from Iquitos Peru through Columbia to Brazil in 1993. I studied pink dolphins on the Amazon River. I was an African photo safari guide in Kenya and Tanzania and studied elephant behavior in Amboseli National Park in Kenya for three years.

I was employed by international companies for South America and African Studies.

I spent more than 20 years in the pharmaceutical industry in new product development for cardiology, neurology, and women's health.

Accomplishments while in office: I’ve served as chairwoman of House Health, Insurance, and Environment committee. I sponsored the Civil Union Bill while having a hand in Telehealth, Veterinarian compounding drug stock, end of life options, Drug Transparency Act of 2016, senior issues, and focused on LGBTQ seniors.

Aspirations for the incoming years: I want to champion

healthcare issues for all with special attention to the LGBTQ community, and to continue to focus on our LGBTQ seniors, healthcare issues, environmental issues, education, and workforce issues.

What makes you so passionate about LGBT issues in particular? We have had to work hard and fight for so much since Stonewall, and we need to keep up the work we have done and make sure our community will never be discriminated against. I have lived through times of inequality — never again. But we must teach the younger LGBTQ community — and everyone — the history and discrimination we have experienced in the past.

Leslie Nicole Herod

Hometown: Denver, CO Currently resides in: Denver, CO College/Degree: BS with emphasis on Political Science, Media Science, and Ethics Studies, University of Colorado-Boulder.

Accomplishments before taking office: I was co-founder of

New Era, a senior policy advisor to Governor Bill Ritter Jr., a program officer with the Gill Foundation; a gubernatorial appointee to the state's Judicial Performance Commission and mayoral appointee to Denver's Cultural Affairs Commission, sat on the board of directors for Urban Peak, mentored at Manual High School, was deputy political director of Colorado for President Obama, outreach director for Coloradans for Fairness, founder of the Colorado Women of Influence Leadership Circles, and president of Colorado Black Woman for Political Action.

Accomplishments while in office: I was the first LGBTQ Black

representative, where I won 86% of vote — more than any other democratic race.

Aspirations for the upcoming years: I will fight

against discrimination and bigotry aimed at our communities every day. My goal this session is to defend Coloradans against the divisive Trump agenda and make sure that none of the protections we have fought for are rolled back. Additionally, I will pass proactive policies to decrease the disproportionate representation of people of color and LGBT individuals in the criminal justice system, ensure access to affordable housing options in Denver, and make sure our young people are safe and supported in our schools.

What makes you so passionate about LGBT issues in particular? I am

passionate about LGBT issues as a gay black woman, not only because they directly affect me, they affect those I love, those I represent in my district, and those I identify with as Americans. As the incoming administration has shown, adversity is still knocking at our door. I am passionate, not just about the

issues, but for inclusive policy that embraces young people and the LGBT community at large — whether that’s preventative and trans healthcare, non-discrimination policy, or ending LGBT homelessness.

Lucia “Lucy” Guzman Hometown: Texas Currently resides in: Denver, CO

College/Degree: BS, Sam

Houston State University // MS in Divinity from Iliff School of Theology.

Accomplishments before taking office: I have long

been a civil rights activist. In 2002, Hickenlooper appointed me to City’s Agency for Human Rights and Community Partnerships. I also served on the Denver School Board from 1999 to 2007. I am ordained minister and a former executive director of Colorado Council of Churches.

Accomplishments while in office: I am the first Latina and

the first openly lesbian Latina to serve in Senate leadership.

Aspirations for the upcoming years: It is my

hope that Colorado joins the long list of states that have repealed the death penalty. Colorado also has to address its funding and financial crisis. I hope to lead a coalition of bipartisan legislators to address some of these issues through legislation.

What makes you so passionate about LGBT issues in particular? As a

Latina and a lesbian, I am well aware of the obstacles placed in front of us. We constantly face the barriers of discrimination and oppression.

I believe it is the job of both marginalized groups to work together to overcome the adversities. We must face these obstacles together because if not we will find ourselves oppressing each other. It is crucial to work together and understand one another so that we can carry each other into a future where equality is reality.

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What is TRUVADA for PrEP (Pre-exposure Prophylaxis)?

TRUVADA is a prescription medicine that can be used for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection when used together with safer sex practices. This use is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This includes HIV-negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex, and male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions about how to prevent getting HIV-1. Always practice safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or share needles or other items that have body fluids on them.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP?

uYou may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or serious liver

problems if you are female, very overweight (obese), or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time. In some cases, these serious conditions have led to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any symptoms of these conditions. uWorsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you also have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider. If your healthcare provider tells you to stop taking TRUVADA, they will need to watch you closely for several months to monitor your health. TRUVADA is not approved for the treatment of HBV.

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1.

TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you also take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: uYou must be HIV-negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. uMany HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting uKidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider TRUVADA for PrEP or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or with TRUVADA for PrEP. If you develop kidney problems, your muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA for PrEP. sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. uBone problems, including bone pain or bones getting soft or thin, While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce your risk of getting may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to HIV-1 infection: check your bones. uYou must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking uChanges in body fat, which can happen in people taking TRUVADA or TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. medicines like TRUVADA. uYou must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomacharea (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare uTo further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

• Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking provider tells you.

TRUVADA for PrEP? • Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections uAll your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you. have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis virus infection.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior. uIf you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if • Have fewer sex partners.

TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while • Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. you should keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider Pregnancy Registry: A pregnancy registry collects information about right away. your health and the health of your baby. There is a pregnancy registry uIf you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than for women who take medicines to prevent HIV-1 during pregnancy. For TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete more information about the registry and how it works, talk to treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your your healthcare provider.

HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. uIf you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: breastfeed. The medicines in TRUVADA can pass to your baby in breast milk. If you become HIV-1 positive, HIV-1 can be passed to uToo much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious the baby in breast milk. medical emergency. Symptoms of lactic acidosis include weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of uAll the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to abnormal heartbeats. your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. uSerious liver problems. Your liver may become large and tender, and uIf you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA for PrEP, your you may develop fat in your liver. Symptoms of liver problems include healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” dose. These medicines include ledipasvir with sofosbuvir (HARVONI). urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs nausea, and/or stomach-area pain. to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

Please see Important Facts about TRUVADA for PrEP including important warnings on the following page.

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IMPORTANT FACTS This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. This does not replace talking to your healthcare provider about your medicine.

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MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP

Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1 infection. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP" section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

• Bone problems.

• Changes in body fat.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomacharea (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight.

These are not all the possible side effects of TRUVADA. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have any new symptoms while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Your healthcare provider will need to do tests to monitor your health before and during treatment with TRUVADA for PrEP.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP to help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1 infection: • You must continue using safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-1 negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • Tell your healthcare provider if you have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away.

• If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

• See the “How to Further Reduce Your Risk” section for more information.

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Buildup of lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious medical emergency that can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, nausea, vomiting, stomach-area pain, cold or blue hands and feet, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, and/or fast or abnormal heartbeats.

• Severe liver problems, which in some cases can lead to death. Call your healthcare provider right away if you have any of these symptoms: your skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, and/ or stomach-area pain.

• Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. If you have HBV and take TRUVADA, your hepatitis may become worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

You may be more likely to get lactic acidosis or severe liver problems if you are female, very overweight, or have been taking TRUVADA for a long time.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP (PRE-EXPOSURE PROPHYLAXIS) TRUVADA is a prescription medicine used with safer sex practices for PrEP to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection in adults at high risk: • HIV-1 negative men who have sex with men and who are at high risk of getting infected with HIV-1 through sex.

• Male-female sex partners when one partner has HIV-1 infection and the other does not.

To help determine your risk, talk openly with your doctor about your sexual health.

Do NOT take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: • Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status.

• Take lamivudine (Epivir-HBV) or adefovir (HEPSERA).

TRUVADA, the TRUVADA Logo, TRUVADA FOR PREP, GILEAD, the GILEAD Logo, and HEPSERA are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners. Version date: April 2016 © 2016 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0070 10/16

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BEFORE TAKING TRUVADA FOR PrEP Tell your healthcare provider if you: • Have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis infection.

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed if you become HIV-1 positive because of the risk of passing HIV-1 to your baby.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take: • Keep a list that includes all prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements, and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist.

• Ask your healthcare provider or pharmacist about medicines that should not be taken with TRUVADA for PrEP.

HOW TO TAKE TRUVADA FOR PrEP • Take 1 tablet once a day, every day, not just when you think you have been exposed to HIV-1.

• Do not miss any doses. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection.

• You must practice safer sex by using condoms and you must stay HIV-1 negative.

HOW TO FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV-1 status and the HIV-1 status of your partners.

• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months or when your healthcare provider tells you.

• Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV-1 to infect you.

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior.

• Have fewer sex partners.

• Do not share needles or personal items that can have blood or body fluids on them.

GET MORE INFORMATION • This is only a brief summary of important information about TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 infection. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV-1 infection.

• Go to start.truvada.com or call 1-800-GILEAD-5 • If you need help paying for your medicine, visit start.truvada.com for program information.

BATTLE OF THE BADGES

The 2017 Fire Rescue Dogs Calendar hosted Sips of Fire – Battle of the Badges at the Grizzly Rose on January 19th. Firefighters invited local law enforcement officers from the 2017 Behind the Badge Calendar to participate in a friendly competition, which included two stepping, push-ups, and bull riding. Proceeds from the fire calendar benefit Lifeline Puppy Rescue and can be purchased at FireRescueDogs.com. The police calendar benefits the Denver Police Foundation and can be purchased at Alpine Bank locations or on Amazon.com.

Photos by Charles Broshous

BENNY

Meet Benny. He is a sweet dog who loves to be around people, go for walks and nap in comfy beds. He would probably do best as an only dog where he can be the center of attention. Come meet this snuggle bug today!

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“Faking your death almost never works,” said another expert. That man’s job is to track down fraudsters, and he’s only been stumped once, which is to say that death-fakers are almost always caught. Some turn themselves in after being “dead” a short time, others are nabbed because they trusted someone who couldn’t keep a secret. Many “dead” people are found because they do something dumb to blow their cover.

Men attempt “pseudocide” more than women.

PLAYING DEAD Terri Schlichenmeyer

Your wallet is genuine, original fauxleather from faux-Venezuela.

It matches the pleather jacket you love so much and your favorite fake-silk shirt, which you like to wear when you drive the car you bought and can barely afford — but looks great for your arrivals. Life is sometimes all about pretending but in Playing Dead by Elizabeth Greenwood faking your demise isn’t quite that easy.

Loaded down with student loans in the six-figures, former teacher Elizabeth Greenwood was desperate; that kind of debt terrified her, and she began to toy with an idea that many consider. Rather than let the owed-money scare her half to death, maybe she could just fake her death instead.

But faking a death is so drastic, one expert told her, and it leads to more problems. Instead, just disappear, which is “a very different act.” Faking is fraud, but disappearing is easier, often legal, and you can still keep in contact with loved ones (though it won’t erase the debt). Disappearing doesn’t even have to be expensive, the expert said. In fact, the poorer you are, the better. He believes money is one of the main reasons people disappear — the other is violence. Love is an “outlier.”

The bottom line, Greenwood discovered, is that being dead before you actually take your last breath is hard work. You’d have to leave everything behind including family, pets, hobbies, and a career, change your appearance, and disconnect completely. You can never be “you” again — in any form. That takes serious planning, serious commitment, and has heartbreaking effects on those you’ve left behind.

All fun aside — and a lot of what’s inside Playing Dead is fun — how many times have you thought of chucking it all, grabbing a plane, and lying on an anonymous beach for the rest of your life? It sounds perfect, doesn’t it? And who knew an entire industry existed to help you do it?

But before you pack, heed the info that author Elizabeth Greenwood found.

Her research goes from someone who helps people vamoose, to someone who helps find them. Elvis, Michael Jackson, and Andy Kaufman make appearances here, while Greenwood goes to prison, Filipino morgues, and the surface of WITSEC. Through it all, she lends humor and eager lightheartedness to her findings, but with a niggling vein of semi-seriousness and the question: could you?

See if that thought doesn’t tickle your brain while you’re reading this book; the answer might surprise you. In the meantime, dream, and know that Playing Dead isn’t one of those books you’ll just pretend to like.

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THERE IN THE FINAL MOMENTS Evelyn Franco

For an insider look at the death process from a hospice worker’s perspective, OUT FRONT had a few words with Deb Krier, a registered nurse who specializes in home health and hospice at St. Rose Health Center.

Can you speak to the difference in people’s attitudes and outlook on life from the time they enter hospice to the time they’re very close to dying?

There are definitely differences. Some people believe there is still hope even though they chose to go with hospice instead of other healthcare avenues. As they get closer to death, sometimes they change and sometimes they fight the dying process the whole way, which makes it tougher on the patient. There are so many variables. Some people who are dying go into it with total acceptance that they are dying.

Some people have no religious background and during the dying process will choose to see a clergyman. Some of them ask to be saved so that they can go to heaven.

In many countries, death isn’t as terrifying.

Do you think America has tried to shield the process of dying from the eye of general public?

Years ago, yes. But more recent years, there has been more knowledge and education of hospice and the dying process.

I have a continuing education piece that kind of talks about death in America — how people have viewed death many years ago versus the more open communication and education about it that there is.

Can you talk of some stories about what people have seen, said, or reported moments before their death?

There was someone that was just hours from death who said her daughter was going to be coming in to get her (as she was looking out the window). There was no one outside. About 30 minutes before she died, she was talking to her daughter at the foot of her bed. I feel as if her daughter came to get her.

Another client was about 24 hours from death and spoke of seeing angels and how their wings are beautiful and none of them are the same. That person was very comfortable with the fact that they were dying and knew that she was going to go to heaven.

There was a client that fought the fact that she was dying clear up until hours before she died because she kept wanting to get more treatment. If these things worked, she could live longer but the doctors had no more options for her. She became unresponsive and she quit fighting.

I’ve heard stories of people setting up in bed and looking up like they see something or someone before they take their last breath. Sometimes, none of that happens.

Another lady was dying and her husband had passed before her. Minutes before she took her last breath, the dining room light, chandelier, started slightly … slightly swinging back and forth before she died. That was freaky because I saw that happen. The caregivers felt like the husband came through the light fixture to get her.

What are some common sentiments (and/or) regrets you hear from patients looking back on life?

I hear family members talk like that a lot. Sometimes family members don’t think that they have tried hard enough to do things and they will emotionally struggle: “If I had only taken them to the doctor sooner.”

Family members struggle with the fact that dying people will quit eating and drinking, and that is so well known to sustain life. It isn’t headed the direction that people or family members want it to go.

I haven’t really had anyone talk specifically about regrets. I have had patients that have been estranged from other family members that wished that they could talk to them again. In many instances, those family members will come and issues from the past that I see get resolved time and time again. Very, very occasionally does it go negatively.

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HOW THE PLAGUE YEARS CHANGED THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF AMERICA Rick Kitzman

Summer, New York, 1981: cool evening sunset on a Brooklyn rooftop, dazzling Manhattan skyline, a good time with good friends. A tray of homemade chocolate chip cookies accompanied a bowl of kiwi, my first tasting of the green fruit. Conversation about a gay cancer threatened the magic, my first hearing about the strange new disease. I laid awake wondering and worrying and wishing ...

I’ve traveled over half my life’s journey — 37 years — aware of this disease before it numbered 50 known cases worldwide, a thousand bucks could be raised to combat it, an unfathomable cost of lives and dollars. HIV/AIDS has been my most constant companion, and to a point, still is and always will be. Our relationship has vacillated over who’s in control. I won the power struggle, raising my consciousness and awareness to a place where I had the final say in how I lived my life, whether my years numbered many or few. It wasn’t easy and still challenges me.

Dictionaries confirm consciousness means the thoughts and feelings of an individual or collectively of an aggregate of people.

The numbers since the AIDS pandemic began in 1981: People infected: 78 million Deaths: 35 million Money spent: $100 billion The numbers going forward: To maintain AIDS’ status quo until 2020: $400 billion To significantly reduce annual new HIV infections: $700 billion Costs related to lost productivity, wages, and premature death: 80% of the total cost of AIDS, or 1.4% of the world’s gross domestic product, similar to wiping out the economy of Australia Africa’s work force reduction: 25% Cost charged by pharmaceuticals for one year of my combination therapy: $43,740

Regarding AIDS, where was the consciousness of America in the 80s and 90s? Staggering numbers of gay citizens lived horrible lives afflicted with the horrors of a mysterious disease and died agonizing, disfiguring, stigmatized deaths, often alone, mistreated, and without hope. Hospitals refused patients, funeral homes corpses. (My friend Eric sneaked out the body of his lover George in the dead of night.)

How a nation’s citizens live defines that nation; so does how a nation’s citizens die. America didn’t give a shit.

HIV/AIDS didn’t infect only gay men.

In the beginning, homos, heroin addicts, Haitians, and hemophiliacs — the 4-H Club — were thought to be the only groups targeted. Those who contracted the disease through tainted blood were seen as innocent victims, collateral damage, implying all the others were guilty: fags, druggies, and poor black people.

Powerful homophobic forces — our own government, Christians and the Catholic Church, pharmaceutical conglomerates, bureaucratic scientists, and the medical establishment — attempted to keep their boot on the necks of gay men and other “lowlifes” afflicted by the plague, to shackle us to our lowly place. Toadying institutions took their cues from the worst president in American history: Ronald Reagan. He granted them all license to practice the most shameful acts of prejudice. For years, the Office of the President, the embodiment of what our nation stands for, never even mentioned the disease — history’s monstrous impeachment.

Reagan’s tacit approval condemned hundreds of thousands of his citizens and, because of the disease’s rapid spread, millions from the pandemic to a horrific death. I throw those introductory, staggering statistics at the feet of Ronald Reagan.

In 1983, I visited California for Thanksgiving. While my born-again Christian brother drove to a restaurant, he and his wife excitedly extolled the virtues of their 40th president.

I sat in the back quietly streaming uncontrollable tears, claiming allergies ... and saying nothing. My tacit approval, my impeachment. I ducked my head and bore my depression and guilt and grief to survive the only way I knew how. Clearly, I had work to do.

So did America. I believe with all my heart — for personal reasons — gay men in this country were chosen to challenge America’s betrayal of, or commitment to, the ideals of its foundation, to its consciousness of justice in the face of unconscionable injustice, to rekindle its inseparable and deep humanity by cracking open its citizens’ hearts.

The consciousness of a nation rises or sinks one citizen at a time. Tens of thousands played their parts, unwillingly or purposefully: heroes and villains, saints and sinners, the courageous and cowardly, sweethearts and assholes. Bizarrely, those roles could be reversed, depending on how one viewed the disease and those afflicted. Fighting for what they believe, a Catholic bishop or a drag queen could be hero or villainess, both with good intentions. Even bigots and hypocrites served their purpose, contrasting their cruelty, indifference, and cold hearts with the inherent goodness of the American people.

In hindsight, during that initial tumultuous decade, the war for the consciousness of America was in full combat between the powerful and the powerless. In just 16 years, those roles reversed too. Individuals and events held up mirrors to America until its heart cracked open, one citizen at a time.

1983/87 Newsweek magazine

Appearing on the cover of the August 8, 1983 issue of Newsweek below the banner, Sex, Politics and the Impact of AIDS, two healthy looking, young gay men look the reader in the eye with sad, plaintive expressions, arms around each. Bobbi Campbell and Bobby Hilliard were lovers. Both had AIDS.

KICKING THE SH*T OUT OF THE SYSTEM: A LOVE LETTER FOR THE HIV/AIDS MOVEMENT JD Davids

In the days right after the election, I wanted connection and conversation with other longtime HIV/AIDS activists.

But I didn’t know what I wanted to say, or hear.

We talked about being stunned by the present, fearful for the future, and suddenly snapped back to a painful but powerful past in the earlier days of the epidemic — in which we were so acutely alive, from which so many of our comrades did not emerge.

Campbell was the first person to come out publicly as a person with AIDS, and co-author of The Denver Principles, the 1983 manifesto of the People With AIDS Self-Empowerment Movement. He died a year after the publication at 32.

And time and again, in these conversations, we did what we don’t often do. We said, “I love you.”

In its August 10, 1987 issue, Newsweek published The Face of AIDS: One Year In The Epidemic, a photographic journal of a single plague year. The striking cover featured portraits of 24 individuals living with AIDS. All died of HIV/AIDS-related illnesses that year.

In 1989, ACT UP New York protested at Trump Tower on Halloween.

Both of these magazines and their featured articles conveyed to an ignorant and panicked public two stark

This is a love letter to the weary-hearted, for I am among you.

This is a call for us to live into our legacy.

“One protester, dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, waved a sign demanding, “Surrender Donald,” notes Stephen Vider in Slate. “ACT UP was in a fight for the lives of people with HIV and AIDS, striking out against government indifference and corporate greed. And

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facts: the disease knows no boundaries, and these people look like me, my neighbor, friends, and loved ones.

Somewhere in a box filled with mementos I have the ‘87 Newsweek. A picture of dear friend Michael Calvert — cute, sweet, and long gone — was displayed along with others, many also probably long gone.

1984 Safe-Sex Guidelines

When research discovered sex a primary route of infection, responsible healthcare professionals attempted to stem the rapidly spreading epidemic by compiling a list of sexual activities based on no-risk, low-risk, or high-risk ratings.

First used in professional literature in 1984, no one predicted the volatile reaction to those two words: safe sex.

Gay men of the 80s rode the waves of two social phenomena: 67’s Summer of Love and 69’s Stonewall Riots. Relinquishing newfound sexual freedoms that had burst out of the closet — banned for millennia and barely a decade old — seemed to play into the hands of the religious, to betray and squash victories hard won during the sexual revolution.

The safe sex message, delivered mainly by straight men and women ignorant of the importance of sex, angered and insulted gay men.

Factions within the national community fought each other.

Owners of bookstores and bathhouses were characterized as ‘’vile’’ and ‘’merchants of death,’’ aggravating an already inflamed, hysterical, and ill-informed public disgusted by gay sex and resentful of the confrontation.

Those were my ballpark days as a deejay at the Denver bathhouse. By the time the Colorado State Department of Health got their act together, for months the owners were already posting the guidelines, supplying free condoms, and offering anonymous HIV testing.

But gay men continued to lose their lives in ever-increasing numbers. If the American consciousness needed to rise, so did gay men’s.

1985 The Death of Rock Hudson

When Rock Hudson, the beautiful, A-list movie star of the 50s and 60s

and television in the 70s, revealed he was HIV positive, the world careened in shock. Well, the straight world. Even in 70s Greeley, Colorado, I’d heard rumors the hunk belonged to my tribe, which became a knowing wink.

How could this masculine dreamboat for women and envy of men have a disease associated with drug addicts and perverts? The enormity of his announcement meant AIDS was frontpage news.

badge of homosexual shame used in Nazi concentration camps and the slogan SILENCE = DEATH as its logo.

Intelligent, informed, indomitable, and media savvy, the members staged and recorded many sit-ins. After shutting down and embarrassing institutions and businesses, representatives were finally granted a seat at the table to advise scientists on their needs. But by the time the cocktail appeared in 1997 — within 30 days the combination therapy yielded undetectable viral loads! — almost 9 million HIV cases had been reported worldwide.

Hudson’s irresponsible behavior threatened the good. Knowing he was HIV positive, Hudson continued his ACT UP’s women’s caucus challenged kissing scenes with an unaware Linda a 1988 article that appeared in Evans on TV’s #1 show Dynasty set in Cosmopolitan magazine — written glamorous Denver. He also continued by a psychiatrist — claiming HIV his affair with an unaware Marc transmission was impossible penis Christian. Before he died, Hudson to vagina with their campaign Say made the first contribution to amFAR ($250,000), the nonprofit organization I believe with all my heart — for dedicated to HIV/ personal reasons — gay men in this AIDS research and country were chosen to challenge prevention given stellar America’s betrayal of, or commitment exposure by best friend, to, the ideals of its foundation, to its Elizabeth Taylor.

consciousness of justice in the face of

Another best friend, unconscionable injustice, to rekindle Doris Day, said, “I its inseparable and deep humanity by know something good cracking open its citizens’ hearts. will come of this.” She was right. Donations for funding medical research poured No to Cosmo. They also challenged into organizations, and immediately the Center for Disease Control’s following Hudson’s death, Congress narrow definition of AIDS that denied appropriated $221 million to develop the different symptoms women a cure for AIDS. All it took was the experienced from men, for example death of a movie star. cervical cancer, and consequently, Though I can find no record, I remember women their Social Security benefits.

Doris standing by her Rock, arm in The rallying cry? Women Don’t Get AIDS / They Just Die From It. In arm, as they confronted an onslaught 1993, women were finally eligible for of flashing bulbs and impatient federal benefits, and accurate tallying reporters. Fearful of contagion by increased the number of women with touching, a nation witnessed Day’s AIDS almost 50 percent. These two fearless, unconditional friendship. fights dispelled the deadly misogynistic Destigmatizing the disease began propaganda that HIV/AIDS was not its long road toward compassionate transmitted heterosexually. understanding.

1987 ACT UP

In-your-face but peaceful civil disobedience defined the AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power (ACT UP). Formed in 1987 by six gay activists in New York City, they adopted an inverted pink triangle to reclaim the

ACT UP challenged the homophobic Catholic Church, staging the first Stop the Church demonstration in 1989 at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. The protest exposed the Catholic Church for its shameful policies on condoms, homosexuality, and lack of compassion.

To me, the guerilla tactics of ACT

they saw Trump for what he was: a monster in the making,” notes Stephen Viler in Slate.

And 27 years later, on World AIDS Day 2016, 11 HIV activists were arrested at the door of House Speaker Paul Ryan’s office, backed by a rally of hundreds bearing a banner reading “Ryan and Price’s Healthcare Dream is a Nightmare for People with HIV.” The shoes we fill are big. And fill them we do and will.

In 1988, Vito Russo addressed those assembled at a protest at the state capitol in Albany, NY. in words that remain my compass: “Someday, the AIDS crisis will be over. Remember that.

And when that day comes, when that day has come and gone, there’ll be people alive on this Earth, gay people and straight people, men and women, black and white, who will hear the story that once there was a terrible disease in this country and all over the world, and that a brave group of people stood up and fought and, in some cases, gave their lives, so that other people might live and be free. And then, after we kick the shit out of this disease, we’re all going to be alive to kick the shit out of this system, so that this never happens again.”

Nothing has ever been given to queers and people with HIV. The changes we have seen came from our power to resist, to create, to transform and survive.

We’ve done and won incredible things. Our lifesaving victories have spawned a system of research, prevention, treatment and care and shown us that we could end the entire epidemic. And in so many ways, it is all at risk right now.

But the ancestral roots of our resistance run deep and they are alive, vibrant with the brilliance and passion of those who came before us, even if they are no longer walking among us. The wisdom and essential insolence of those in my movement family tree flow in my veins, my bloodline of choice.

I’m still stunned, and I’m still sad. But I’m back, and I’m ready. We’ve got a lot to do. We’ve got a system to kick. I love you.

JD Davids is the managing editor of TheBody.com and TheBodyPRO.com, the most comprehensive web platforms on HIV/AIDS. He is also a board member for Jews For Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ) and co-producer of #ActivistBasics, a skills-sharing platform for new and experienced activists

UP raised conflicting feelings: embarrassment they were so public and envy I wasn’t among them. But ACT UP forever changed new drug protocols, benefitting the entire world — myself included.

That summer on the Brooklyn rooftop, Rodger McFarlane, one of the founders of ACT UP, could be spotted dancing at the party. In 2004, McFarlane to head the Gill Foundation. We reconnected and relived those fun days with fun guys, glad to be alive.

1987 NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt

Fourty-eight thousand 3-by-6-foot panels, each representing a life loved.

Fifty-four tons of grief, giggles, sequins, teddy bears, car keys, photographs, love, and even a bowling ball.

Inspired by the annual candlelight march in 1985 honoring slain Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, San Francisco gayrights activist Cleve Jones envisioned a movable, tangible, and personally built memorial, which is now the largest piece of community folk art in the world.

I viewed its first public display in 1987 during the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Half a million people meandered through the patchwork of panels spread over the mall, larger than a football field. I’ve also viewed a traveling version displayed at the Denver Stock Show. Both times, a gentle quiet pervaded the atmosphere, a holy air of reverence paused by fleeting laughs and sobs.

The quilt was meant to evoke emotions, not only for those personally affected, but for a public estranged from the reality of the pandemic, a legacy to a dark time, a national treasure honoring the dead so the living never forget.

The Quilt was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989, and in the same year, the film, Common Threads: Stories From The Quilt, won the Oscar for best feature-length documentary.

1990 The Picture that Changed the Face of AIDS

In a black-and-white photograph, a bearded, emaciated young man lies on a bed, staring into oblivion ... or heaven.

A father cradles his son’s head, a hand resting on the son’s arm, stick thin.

The father’s eyes are closed, his mouth whispering words of comfort, his face in a slight contortion of love and grief.

The dying man’s sister cradles her toe headed daughter, gazes upon father and brother with hints of wonder, mystery, and sadness. A picture above the dying man displays an outreached hand, maybe of an angel.

resources, the largest federally funded program seeks to improve availability of care for low-income, uninsured, and underinsured AIDS patients.

In 1984, the Kokomo, Indiana teenager contracted HIV from a tainted blood transfusion to combat his hemophilia.

Little was known about pediatric cases, but enough doctors could assure White posed no risk. Fearful parents railed against White’s re-entry to school, and news of the ensuing conflict turned him into a poster child for AIDS research and public education.

The perception that AIDS afflicted only gay men, drug addicts, minorities, or the poor shifted public opinion

D av i d L aw r e n c e Kirby, subject of the Fourty-eight thousand 3-by-6-foot deathbed photograph, panels, each representing a life loved. reunited with his Fifty-four tons of grief, giggles, sequins, estranged Ohio family teddy bears, car keys, photographs, to die among loved love, and even a bowling ball. ones. Kirby allowed a photographer to take dramatically. White strongly rejected pictures of him on the condition the his status as an “innocent victim” pictures would not profit anyone. foisted upon him by those who Life magazine presented the preferred AIDS fair compensation photo November, 1990 to a nation for undesirables, because that label uncomfortable with Kirby’s inferred others were “guilty.” resemblance to a Holocaust victim. The Funding for The Ryan White Act is Catholic Church strongly objected to always in the crosshairs of Republican the image conveying “an inappropriate assholes, who threaten White’s legacy, allusion to the historical imagery of but never the raising of our nation’s the Virgin Mary cradling Jesus Christ consciousness. after the crucifixion,” according to Wikipedia. What more fitting testament could the Church have asked for? But the Vicar of Rome and his minions missed the tenderness, delicacy, grace, and mercy of a youthful death and a family’s grief. Fortunately, millions worldwide did not.

1990 Ryan White CARE Act

In 1990, Ryan White died from AIDSrelated complications one month before his high-school graduation and four months before Congress enacted The Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. “Payer of last resort” for people living with HIV/AIDS who have no other

1991 Magic Johnson

Winning a championship and the National Basketball Association Finals Most Valuable Player Award in his rookie season, a member of the US Dream Team winning the 1992 Olympic gold medal, one of the all-time best players, Earvin “Magic” Johnson Jr. announced he was HIV positive in 1991.

Johnson shook the straight world to its core. His stellar status in the sports world insured a different segment of the public would hear his message, negating long-held stereotypes that AIDS was the gay disease and heterosexuals were immune from infection. As a

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high-profile African American, Johnson brought much needed attention to a segment of an HIV population often ill-informed and underserved.

Johnson continues to advocate for HIV issues and educate the public.

1991 — The Red Ribbon

Pinned to his tux lapel at the 1991 Tony Awards, Jeremy Irons wore the first red ribbon that soon became the ubiquitous symbol for AIDS awareness.

The Red Ribbon Project, formed

by New York-based Visual AIDS Artists Caucus in 1991, designed the emblem specifically to raise the consciousness of the world as a visual sign of compassion for AIDS patients, caregivers, and loved ones. The color red, according to Wikipedia, was chosen for its ‘connection to blood and the idea of passion — not only anger, but love, like a valentine.’

Over 100,000 ribbons were handed out at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert held in London in 1992.

Beginning in 2007, a 28-foot red ribbon hangs from the North Portico of the White House on World AIDS Day (December 1st), conveying its power to promote awareness, research, and support funding for HIV/AIDS. The consciousness of America traveled far from the Reagan years.

1998 Matthew Shepard

In 1998 this young Wyoming man — intelligent, enthusiastic, tenderhearted, and kind — was brutally beaten because he was gay. The cyclist who found Matthew tied to a fence, pistol whipped and tortured, mistook him for a scarecrow.

Matthew was HIV positive and died in Fort Collins, Colorado six days later, inspiring worldwide candlelight vigils.

He was 21 years old.

At Matthew’s funeral, Fred Phelps, disbarred lawyer and Baptist minister of the vehemently homophobic Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas, attempted to disrupt the

service, but an organized group wearing white robes and enormous wings resembling angels blocked the protesters and shielded the family from hate speech.

Weeks after Matthew died, in the election of 1998, an antidiscrimination ordinance that would outlaw discrimination based on sexual orientation was presented to voters in Fort Collins. I thought Matthew’s death and the worldwide compassion exhibited would guarantee passage as some sort of justice to make sense of his death. The measure failed 62% to 38%. I was devastated, ashamed, and angry. What will it take?!

Many American citizens, religious and Republican, balk and are pushing back, believing our moral compass grossly misdirected and immoral.

They would drag our nation back to the plague days of ugly apathy, bullying rectitude, and incalculable harm. Last November, they elected a candidate who epitomizes lying, greed, hypocrisy, arrogance, prejudice, and sexual abuse. Like Reagan in the 80s, he grants them license for future atrocious behaviors.

With the cataclysmic election behind us, Reagan’s odious ignominy will be swept away by this current loser of the popular vote for president, a man — and I use that term only to identify his gender — who has zero awareness, only a masturbatory love affair with his ego. I refuse (naively?) to believe this man exemplifies the consciousness of America in 2016.

But if I — we — ignore him and his

Earlier the same year, Texan James Byrd Jr. was dragged for miles by three white supremacists behind their pickup truck while fully conscious, and died from dismemberment.

In 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act expanded But if I — we — ignore him and his the 1969 United States powerful constituency, we jeopardize federal hate-crime law to our nation’s consciousness, beacon include crimes motivated to an oppressed world, and betray its by a victim’s actual or founding ideals. perceived gender, sexual o r i e nt at i o n , ge n d e r powerful constituency, we jeopardize identity, or disability. Despite 11 our nation’s consciousness, beacon years of repeated religious and to an oppressed world, and betray its Republican opposition — notably founding ideals.

Colorado’s James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Senator Jeff Sessions Can I be like Abraham Lincoln — a (incoming Attorney General), and man unwelcome to his Republican Bush 43 — President Obama signed party of today — who faced a divided the bill into law. nation on the brink of civil war yet The drive to survive, that’s how individuals and tiny groups with unprecedented courage and resilience dragged America kicking and screaming into a higher consciousness, and guided our nation’s moral compass in an ethical direction of reason and fairness. The tipping point arrived when America embraced its inner sense of right and wrong through public opinion and political will — impelling its citizens toward compassion, acceptance, and understanding.

had faith in his fellow citizens could be touched “by the better angels of our nature?” Can I embody Michelle Obama’s declaration, “When they go low, we go high”?

I hope we all can. However, America’s humanity cannot be taken for granted.

Redefining our national consciousness looms before us. Citizenship is not passive. It calls to each and requires work to guarantee the American heart and spirit not only survive but thrive, as they eventually did during the plague years.

OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

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kids but today, truth-telling has its strong advocates. Though it may be controversial, Jarman interviewed the “frontwoman” for the Urban Death Project, the cause of which is that human bodies make great gardening.

Burial takes up real estate, she pointed out. Compost a body, and it becomes “part of the ecosystem.”

DEATH: AN ORAL HISTORY Terri Schlichenmeyer

You haven’t printed out your tickets yet.

No worries, though; the trip you’re taking doesn’t require them. You’re going somewhere where there are no storm delays, no souvenirs, no fancy restaurants, and where accommodations will be a surprise. An unknown that could be scary, but read the new book Death: An Oral History by Casey Jarman, and you may get a preview of the itinerary.

Like many people, Casey Jarman never knew his grandparents; they’d died long before he could make memories of them, although his parents were both still alive.

At age 35, though, Jarman knew “the game is rigged” and that sooner or later, he was going to lose someone he loved, which scared him. Writing a book about death “seemed like a pretty solid way to combat [his] own fear of it.”

He set out to interview people who dealt with dying.

Perhaps they had some insight on the trip nobody looks forward to taking.

No two people grieve the same, as Jarman learned from a grief counselor, and it’s wrong to tell someone how to do it.

Also, once was the time when death wasn’t discussed with

From an identical twin who lost his brother, Jarman learned that it might be shaky, but healing happens. From the former editor of a magazine, he learned that when it comes to death and what we want to hear about it, everybody has a line drawn in the sand. He talked with his mother, who lost her mother years ago, and with a motherless friend whose grief is fresher. He spoke with a consumerrights advocate, a philosopher, and a hospice worker. And through it all — rituals, conversations, and even laughs over coffee — there was this:

“Death always wins.”

Oh my, that sounds a little dark, doesn’t it? It can be — but it’s also quite eye-opening, considering the range of interviews that author Casey Jarman collected and the insights each person offers. Yes, there’s a touch of the disturbing in Death: An Oral History, but it’s not sensational so much as it is incidental.

It’s also beautifully touching. You’ll read about grief-stricken people and those who toil helpfully in the quiet spaces between death and understanding, and Jarman gives them room to explain what they do. That’s what struck me as I finished this book: In his introduction, Jarman indicates that you’ll find community within the inevitable if you need it — all you have to do is ask.

This is not really a book for the newly bereft or the ailing, but open-minded readers may benefit from what’s inside. You’ll be taking that one last trip someday and to satisfy your curiosity, Death: An Oral History may be just the ticket.

RED RUBY POOL PARTY The Red Ruby Pool Party, one of Aspen Gay Ski Week’s most popular events, was held at the Aspen Recreation Center on January 21st. Approximately one thousand people donned their sexiest swimwear to enjoy Speedos and spirits with a splash. Attendees partied the night away while enjoying the hot tub, water slide, lazy river, and open bar.

Photos by Charles Broshous

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influential factors for the decision, some opportunistic people were stealing bodies for medical science since dissection for research was considered mutilation of a corpse.

THE SKY’S NOT THE LIMIT Burial practices of the Tibetans, Zoroastrians, and Comanche Gregory Wheeler

Excarnation. Defleshing. Exposing the body to the elements and/or carrion birds for the purpose of reducing one who has passed to an oft-mangled skeleton. To most, the practice of doing anything with a corpse but treating, then burying or cremating the remains seems less than civil. For others, millennia of tradition mandate nothing less.

The Tower of Silence

Putrefaction, or the breaking down of a corpse, was viewed as a major point of vulnerability for the freshly dead among Iranian expatriates in Asia Minor dating back to the early 9th century. It was said that Avestan, the corpse demon, found immediate refuge in dead bodies, using them as vessels to contaminate the living and certain elements — specifically fire and earth. In order to avoid spreading uncleanliness, the corpse was placed atop a tower that was mostly flat, but for a raised perimeter. Upon the top of the tower, three rings — the outermost for men, the middle for women, and the innermost for children. It could take up to a year for the sun to bleach the bones, but once the process was complete, the remains were swept into a pit in the center of the tower.

From there, rainwater would wash them out to sea.

In modern times, the Iranian Zoroastrians have abandoned the practice in favor of burial or cremation. Among the many

As far as the towers of silence built in India, the steep decline of birds of prey that once picked the bodies to nothing but bones made the decision for Parsi Zoroastrians for them. In the late 1900s to the early 20th century, the use of the pesticide Diclofenac for livestock purposes poisoned the subcontinent’s population of vultures — their numbers shrank by 99.9% as of 2008. What few birds survived cannot consume an entire body, so Parsi Zoroastrians are researching ways to use solar panels to expedite the decomposition of bodies, while also attempting to breed the vultures in captivity.

Sky Burial

Mostly in Tibet, but also found in places in Bhutan, Mongolia, Nepal, and parts of India, is a practice known poetically as a “sky burial.” Given its practical similarities to the tower of silence method, it’s a gentle name for a mostly ungentle series of physical events. Since most Tibetans believe in Vajrayana Buddhism, the body has no need for preservation after death; the soul is in a transitional state of rebirth.

Thus, the body is given back to the earth in the most altruistic way possible — by letting carrion birds eat the flesh. It’s rather convenient as well, as the ground in the craggy mountain region of Tibet is far too firm to dig graves into, and the lack of easily accessed wood makes pyres prohibitively expensive. Vultures tear into the flesh and consume every bit that can be had, then the bones are collected, pounded into dust with mallets, and given to smaller birds with propensities for human remains.

Though there’s nothing truly parallel in the United States, certain forums on the internet provide ideal places for Americans to conduct a sky burial of their own. That, you can Google for yourself.

ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK

The 40th Anniversary of Aspen Gay Ski Week was held from January 15th through the 22nd. OUT FRONT stopped by on January 20th to check out the action, which included LOGO’s Downhill Costume Competition hosted by Sister Helen Holy, the Apres Ski party at the Limelight Hotel, and the Top of the Mountain Dance Party featuring DJ Lady Bunny.

Photos by Charles Broshous

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CALENDAR February is here, OUT FRONT readers! The 2017 social calendar in the Centennial State continues with lots of fun productions, including some LGBT faves! If there’s a show you’d like for me to profile, you can email me directly at calendar@ outfrontmagazine.com.

Mike Halterman

FEB 03 THROUGH MARCH 12

TWO DEGREES Tira Palmquist presents the play Two Degrees, which was conceived at the 2016 Colorado New Play Summit. In this play, the heroine, Emma, is asked by the Senate to return to the US to testify on the subject of climate change. But her inner torment, punctuated by her husband’s departure, will be the one variable that may hold her back from making the difference she wants to make in the world. Two Degrees plays at The Jones in Denver from February 3 to March 12. Tickets are $30 per person through February 9. DenverCenter.org

FEB 03

UNTIL FEB 04

AVENUE Q Avenue Q won the Tony “Triple Crown” (Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book) when it first took Broadway by storm, and now, in its 15th-anniversary year, the venerable production continues to tour across the country. The current stop is the Town Hall Arts Center in Littleton, where the hilariously funny musical plays until February 4. Tickets are $33 per person; snag yours before it’s too late!

TownHallArtsCenter.org

HEAVYMETAL LORDI

FEB 11

Heavy metal fans in the Mile High City shouldn’t miss an upcoming performance from Finnish supergroup Lordi, former Eurovision Song Contest winners whose elaborate costuming rivals their immense talent. They are crisscrossing the country promoting their eighth studio album, Monstereophonic, and they will be in Denver at The Bluebird Theater on Saturday, February 11 at 8pm. Tickets are $25 per person online and $30 the day of the show. BluebirdTheater.net

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COLORADO SYMPHONY The Colorado Symphony is hosting an Ode to Rachmaninoff, and they have invited Olga Kern, called a “master of Rachmaninoff,” to perform his Piano Concerto No. 1. The Symphony will play Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 to round out the program. Symphony Artistic Advisor Andrew Litton will conduct for these two performances, one on Friday, February 3 at 7:30pm at the Boettcher Concert Hall in Denver and one on Saturday, February 4 at the same time and place. Tickets are priced from $44–$104.

ColoradoSymphony.org

Everyone is Talking about

FEB 04

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JAKE SHIMABUKURO Hawaiian musician Jake Shimabukuro is considered a “musical hero” and a “ukulele wizard,” and those talents have brought him all over the world, collaborating with such famous musicians and singers as Yo-Yo Ma, Ziggy Marley, Bette Midler, Jimmy Buffett, and now the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. At his upcoming tour stop at Macky Auditorium at the University of Colorado Boulder on Saturday, February 4 at 7:30pm, you can hear him perform everything from Nessun Dorma to Bohemian Rhapsody. Tickets start at $32 per person. BoulderPhil.org

FEB 13

CULT FOLLOWING

FEB 10-11

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The Clocktower Cabaret presents the show Cult Following: Secrets & Confessions, for two nights (Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11, showtime 8 pm) in the run-up to Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re in love or you’re not, you’ll have a fun time watching host Chris Parente and other local comedians re-enact some of your more ridiculous tales from the dating crypt.

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What’s going on this year with comedienne Sarah Silverman? Apart from coming here to Denver and performing at Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square on Sunday, February 12 and Monday, February 13 for four shows, you will be able to see her on the silver screen twice, in the films The Book of Henry and Battle of the Sexes. All shows are 21 and up; tickets are $45 per person. 7:30pm and 9:45pm showtimes both nights. ComedyWorks.com

Warm your body and your spirit with an electrifying performance of chamber music featuring performers from your Colorado Symphony! On Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 pm, you will have the chance to hear select members play at the Ellie Caulkins Studio Loft such selections as Pennipotenti Opus 42, No. 1, Cape May Breezes for the woodwind quartet, and Mariel for cello and marimba. General admission tickets are $15. ColoradoSymphony.org

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Hanging in front of those fans were these whirligigs he built, pinwheels made from two soda cans that would spin wildly around a wire hanger which ran through the center of the cans.

I remember these whirligigs so vividly because my grandfather took me out to his workshop one summer afternoon and showed me how to make them. For one hot and humid summer afternoon, I was the center of my grandfather’s universe.

HOW TO ACHIEVE IMMORTALITY

I now have a whirligig hanging in my living room, a small token of my grandfather’s kindness and a reminder of those wonderful days as a kid when everything in the world was fascinating and innocent.

Mike Yost

So, if you’d like to live on in the hearts of the next generation, you’ll need the following: Two soda cans, one wire hanger, tin snips, a hammer, an awl, and a pair of lineman’s pliers.

If you want to live forever, you could always write a book like James Joyce’s Ulysses, as literature students and professors will be debating what that colossal novel really means for centuries.

You could paint happy little trees like Bob Ross, forever inspiring millions with your art and heart-warming phrases like, “There are no mistakes — only happy accidents.”

Or you could purchase two soda cans and a wire hanger, using those items to live on forever in hearts and minds of the next generation.

Let me explain.

I often spent my summers as a kid in Arkansas with my grandparents. I remember camping along the Arkansas River and fishing for catfish. I remember daddy longlegs scurrying across the picnic table (and sometimes my legs under the table) as we played Skip-Bo. It was always hot. It was always humid. And I spent most nights running around the yard trying to catch lighting bugs (aka fireflies) in a glass jar with holes punched in the lid.

My grandfather had a shed he called his workshop tucked away in the corner of the yard away from the house. It was his own little man cave complete with vintage license plates nailed to the wall and large box fans hanging from the ceiling that would run at full speed the entire day.

It was only a few years later that he died. Yet I smile every time I see that whirligig he taught me to build hanging from my ceiling.

Start by poking a hole in the bottom of each soda can using the hammer and awl, making sure the holes are centered in the bottom of each can (or the whirligig won’t whirl correctly).

Next, cut the top off of the first soda can with tin snips, then cut vertical, uniform slats into the side of the first can. Push out each individual slat so that they are perpendicular to the can, then bend each slat slightly so that each slat is at about a 45-degree angle.

Now bend the wire hanger into an L shape using the pliers. Then cut the top off of the second can and push the open end into the open end of the second can (the can with the slats), running the wire hanger through the holes in the bottom of each can.

Bend the end of the wire hanger to create a lip so the whirligig doesn’t spin off of the hanger. Blow into the slats to verify the whirligig spins freely.

Finally, take an afternoon to show this to your kid, nephew, niece, and/ or loved one.

Become immortal.

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THE DENVER ELEMENT: CARING FOR THE COMMUNITY Denny Patterson FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS, THE DENVER LGBT COMMUNITY HAS had the pleasure of working with the Denver Element, a program of Mile High Behavioral Healthcare that offers services for people living with HIV/AIDS, transgender people, and men who consider themselves gay, bi, queer, questioning, or non gender-conforming.

Founded by Robert Dorshimer, the Denver Element offers both substance use and mental health treatment services in a non-judgmental environment.

“The Denver Element is a resource for those seeking support, counseling or a way to connect with the community,” says Jeffery Patterson, MSW, LSW, behavioral health program manager. “I hear stories daily of how our clients are drawn to our client-centered approach. We help others in some of their most challenging moments and enjoy the opportunity to see them grow. We see our prevention and counseling efforts improve the lives of those living with HIV while combating the virus via our PrEP pioneers. I believe we are a huge asset to the community and we are constantly seeking ways to grow and improve our service delivery.”

Currently, the Denver Element accepts Medicaid for people who qualify for it and Ryan White for people living with HIV/ AIDS who meet the income requirements. The Ryan White HIV/ AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of care that includes primary medical care and essential support services for people living with HIV who are uninsured or underinsured.

Whether you want to meet new friends, learn more about PrEP or talk to someone about how you feel — there’s a place here for you. We want to meet you, support you and provide an environment where you can grow.

This program works with cities, states, and local communitybased organizations to provide HIV care and treatment services to more than half a million people each year.

In addition to substance and mental-health treatments, the Denver element also offers a variety of social and prevention programs such as Pique, a fun, engaging way for young gay, bi, trans, and questioning men to connect and Positive Impact, a program that provides a way for individuals living with HIV to learn, meet, and support each other.

“We offer marketing, outreach, education, and retention services for PrEP, and we are the first agency outside of NYC to deliver the Young Men’s Health Project, a free, four-session counseling intervention designed to reduce substance use and sexual risk in our community,” Patterson says.

The Denver Element is constantly expanding, growing, and adapting to the ever-changing environment. Donald Trump won the presidential election recently, which has caused not only the LGBT community in Denver, but the LGBT community across the country to fear and worry. A question on the minds of many is, will organizations like the Denver Element be impacted in a negative way?

“Trump winning the presidency will most certainly have an impact on the Denver Element as we see how much of an impact it is currently having on the world,” Patterson says.

“Our plan moving forward is to continue to be sensitive to our OUTFRONTONLINE.COM

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clients’ needs in this tumultuous political environment. The services we offer are essential at this time and we’ll continue to be here to meet the needs of the community.”

Adam Stanford, a mental-health therapist with the Denver Element, agrees.

“November 9th was not a particularly happy day at the Denver Element,” he says. “Our primary reaction was to reach out to our community and let them know that we are here to help.

We all need to keep a close eye on the situation and discuss our concerns together with the agency. We try not to jump to too many conclusions and just take it one day at a time. Mile High Behavioral Healthcare is incredibly supportive of our program and we are fortunate to have people it its leadership looking out for us and the community that we serve.

“At this time, we are not aware of any immediate threats from the incoming congress and president, but our agency is watching the situation very closely,” he continues. “Our biggest concern is the possibility of the reversal of Medicaid expansion which could result in the loss of care for about 20 million people including most of the people who we serve.

There is also a possibility that Ryan White services for people living with HIV/AIDS could be cut, but we do not foresee any major changes in that area at this time. The agency is on high alert and always looking into ways to ensure that we can continue to serve the community no matter what happens. It is important to keep in mind that Trump has already reversed many of his campaign stances since the election ended so we don’t really know much at this time.”

Both Patterson and Stanford have heard a lot of concern from the Denver LGBT community regarding the increase in documented hate crimes and ugliness toward people who are not heterosexual or cis-gender. In addition, many have expressed concerns about health care for people with low income and living with conditions such as HIV/AIDS, the well being of people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds and that the media has often times made situations worse by reporting stories that incite fear and panic.

“For those who are concerned about the Trump presidency, it’s okay,” Patterson says. “You should be concerned. Trump is appointing a cabinet full of anti-LGBT representatives daily.

However, that does not mean you should give up or shut down; quite the opposite. It is important now, more than ever, that we come together as a community and stand up for the right we have worked so hard to achieve as well as the rights we have yet to receive. The Denver Element is here for this very reason. Whether you want to meet new friends, learn more about PrEP or talk to someone about how you feel — there’s a place here for you. We want to meet you, support you and provide an environment where you can grow. We look forward to meeting you.”

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BAC KWO R DS

ASK A SLUT [WARNING: GRAPHIC]

Last issue, we discussed some taboo topics.

What comes to mind when you hear the word?

In some societies, drag is taboo. Why do you think people are so sensitive to men in heels?

Latexa: The first thing that comes to mind is the

Latexa: I find it depressing to think that gender

adult classic Taboo. It’s a straight movie that I snuck a peek at when I was a kid. Now, I associate the word with a porn about incest. Weird.

roles remain as strict as ever in the world of gender-bending. Everyone in Hollywood has done drag and it helps make what I do more palatable. I like that people fear me in drag — it’s very powerful if used right.

Zoey: The topics I think about when I hear the word “taboo” are politics and religion. I was taught at a young age not to discuss those in polite company. Of course I learned that polite is not always the most fun, but I still try to be respectful of others’ opinions and comfort levels.

Cookie: The first thing that comes to mind are

Zoey: It’s a fear that men may find it interesting or stimulating, which would then bring questions about themselves they don’t want to ponder. It’s easier to vilify others than it is to accept those who don’t fit into the societal “norm.”

the pornos I would rent when I was thirteen. I was a big girl then, too. Today, I live around what everyone else deems taboo everyday. One person’s taboo is another man’s kink.

Cookie: They’re just jealous they don’t look as

Jack-lynn: I think the worst taboo in our society

Jack-lynn: I just think bitches be like, “Sheee-it,

today is that women are not supposed to feel pleasure as men do. Women who are on the constant search for the person who consistently takes them to the ultimate orgasm are deemed Sluts. Oh, wait, never mind.

that guys looks better than I do.” Jealous.

Kay: Penis, vagina, boobs, obsession with death, sex, religion, politics. And me. I am taboo. You should not speak of me in polite company.

Cherri: When I hear taboo, I just think exciting adventure. You never know what’s fun until you try it.

good. Also, they envy us deep down because they lack the balls to do what we do. It’s the greatest expression of freedom.

Kay: Society makes people have self guilt. Society is a big ass bully and likes to tell people what is “right” and what is “taboo.” People want society to accept them and feel guilt for liking something society deemed taboo. Really, what it comes down to is the bully is afraid of having feelings for a man dressed as a woman, and he ran around with his self-guilt telling the world it was awful that men would dress like women. Short answer (too late): Self-guilt and bullies.

Cherri: People are too closed minded and want to live in a cookie-cutter world. Also, humans hate things that are different and boy is the drag world filled with so many different queens.

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