August 2, 2017 :: Aurora Pride

Au g ust 2, 2017 | o u t fr o nt m aga zine .co m | F R E E

Aurora

pride

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CONTENTS AUGUST 2, 2017 vol41 no15

06 08 Imagine Clinic Continues to Help Aurora’s Queers 18 Aurora’s Dramatic Diversity Development 20 denverкBlinded by the White 22 What to Expect from Aurora Pride

06 28

38

28 Aurora’s Fun House: A Home Filled With Local Queer Performers 32 How to Make Pride More Inclusive 38 Aurora Fox; Theater’s Colorful History 46 Dueling with Depression: Don’t be the Centipede 48 HeinzeSight: Globally Gay in the USA

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Serving the LGBT Community of the Rocky Mountains since 1976 Phone 303-477-4000 Fax 303-325-2642 Web OutFrontOnline.com Facebook /OutFrontColorado Twitter @OutFrontCO Instagram /OutFrontColorado FOUNDER Phil Price 1954-1993 ADMINISTRATION info@outfrontonline.com Jerry Cunningham Publisher J.C. McDonald Vice President TOPHER LA FLUER Director of Events and Sponsorship MaGGIE Phillips Operations Manager Jeff Jackson Swaim Chief Strategist EDITORIAL editorial@outfrontonline.com Ryan Howe Editor Addison Herron-Wheeler Digital Content Manager Brent heinze Senior Columnist Sarah Farbman Copy Editor Contributing Writers Rick Kitzman, Yvonne Wright, David-Elijah Nahmod, Joseph Soto, Mike Yost ART art@outfrontonline.com DesigN2Pro Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING artists Charles Broshous, Deirdre Fritz, Eric Magnusson MARKETING + SALES marketing@outfrontonline.com HARRISON SCHAFFER Director of Sales & Marketing SARAH JACOBSON Marketing Executive BRENNAN GALLAGHER Marketing Executive National Advertising Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 | sales@rivendellmedia.com DISTRIBUTION

OUT FRONT’s print publication is available semi-monthly, free of charge, one copy per person. Additional copies of OUT FRONT may be purchased for $3.95 each, payable in advance at OUT FRONT offices located at 3535 Walnut Street, Denver CO, 80205.

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Reproduction of editorial, photographic or advertising content without written consent of the publisher is strictly prohibited. Advertisers are responsible for securing rights to any copyrighted material within their advertisements. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the claims of advertisers and reserves the right to reject any advertising. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization in articles or advertising is not to be considered an indication of the sexual orientation or HIV status of such person or organization. Publisher assumes no responsibility for the loss or damage of materials submitted. OPINIONS EXPRESSED are not necessarily those of OUT FRONT, its staff, or advertisers.

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OUT FRONT is published by Q Publishing, Ltd., a Colorado corporation and is a member of: NEPA, Denver Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, and Denver Drama Critics Circle.

Why Aurora Pride?

A U R O R A

P R I D E

A letter from the OUT FRONT Foundation 2 0 1 7

Forty-one years ago Phil Price and his friends, collectively the kickers and screamers of the Denver queer community, started a powerful movement.

At that time, OUT FRONT was born. Our modest protest pamphlet, now the second oldest LGBTQ publication in the world, began, “Welcome to OUT FRONT! We hope this first issue will mark the beginning of a new era in quality journalism for all gay people of the Rocky Mountain Region.”

Indeed, it did. For the first time, queers in Denver had access to local and regional gay news. A small listing of local gay, and affirming, organizations graced the pages next to bath house advertisements. Shortly thereafter, and over subsequent decades, the tides began turning for LGBTQ people across the country and here at home.

In the following decades, dozens more tabloids and newspapers arose in their communities. The Phil Price’s of America galvanized the voices of our little community from coast to coast. What we have discovered is that self-expression, and access to it, creates powerful change in our communities.

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Of course, these days we take such access for granted. After three years here, I sometimes forget our archives as I walk to the microwave — every issue we’ve ever printed gets lost in the glacial creep of daily tasks and duties to be done. Phone calls to be made. Emails to send. And yet, in the minutiae, I remember that we are making history with every keystroke. But more than that, we are serving our community as we have for so many decades.

Late last year we began to question how we might innovate that spirit of service to serve the next generation of LGBTQ influencers. Where is the next Phil Price lurking? Are they trapped in high school, desperately waiting for graduation day?

Have they been discriminated against because their skin was the wrong color or because they couldn’t afford tuition at the best school? Certainly that isn’t justice. If it is true that the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice, then our job must be to help it along as best we can.

To serve that mission and empower the queers of tomorrow, the OUT FRONT Foundation was born.

A U R O we’re R A launching P R I D E a new This year, fundraiser — Aurora A U R O R A P Pride.

R I D The E first event will fund our future programming and scholarship program for kids in diverse and marginalized communities.

And where better a place to start than the City of Aurora? In Aurora, more than 135 languages are spoken in classrooms.

It is one of the most diverse cities in the country.

Just as in 1976, we continue to break down the barriers to access in the hope that tomorrow’s children will create an even better world for their children, and so on.

We hope you will consider attending our first annual Aurora Pride event. If not for yourself, then for the bright young minds who may one day innovate their own equality in ways we have never considered.

Yours, Christopher La Fleur Director of Development The OUT FRONT Foundation

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Imagine Clinic

Dr. Robert Davies, the man who spearheaded the Imagine Clinic.

Photo by Christina Gressianu

Continues to

Help Aurora’s Queers

By Berlin Sylvestre Building 500 on the CU Anschutz campus looms above modern cars in lots, like an art-deco anomaly amid newer brick buildings and swift-footed millennials in scrubs. The arcane remnant has a distinctly noir feel to go with its solid reputation for being haunted by dead soldiers.

Built in the time when Ford Model Ts were all the rage, the hospital was constructed specifically for WWI patients suffering from chemical-warfare injuries during missions throughout Europe. In the last few years, however, the ghosts have been drowned out by a chorus of groans from hopeful LGBTQ mental-health patients who desired targeted, specific mental healthcare for their unique needs.

“There just wasn’t any,” said Dr. Robert Davies, MD, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

And that’s not uncommon. Healthcare tailored to the needs of the LGBTQ community is at a glaring lack in this country. As well, people who identify as LGBTQ often don’t seek healthcare that is specific to their needs.

“I read the One Colorado report on access to healthcare and mental healthcare in the LGBT community, and it struck me that so many people avoided mental healthcare because of fear,” Davies said. “One of the biggest obstacles [isn’t] that people were being necessarily treated poorly, but that they just expect to be treated poorly, so they were avoiding mental healthcare altogether.”

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Dr. Robert Davies, the man who spearheaded the Imagine Clinic.

Photo by Christina Gressianu

Last July, Imagine Clinic, UCHealth’s LGBTQ clinic, opened at University of Colorado Hospital. The clinic provides mental health care, but can help patients create a network of medical care with doctors who are accepting and experienced in health issues for transgender people and gay men and women.

“I refuse to go to the doctor, actually,” Chavez admits. “Not until I know I can get a good one. You don’t schedule appointments to have arguments.”

Dr. Davies spearheaded the addition of a mental-health clinic at CU that caters specifically to the LGBTQ community.

“For a long time, people haven’t sought mental health treatment in the LGBT community because of their fear of not being understood or being referred for reparative therapy or having beeing gay seen as pathology,” Dr. Davies adds.

The clinic is staffed by second- and third-year psych residents who deeply understand the upset of being cared for by LGBTQ-clueless providers who unwittingly ruin even the most mundane of experiences and, in the process, deter future visits to healthcare facilities — in some cases, permanently.

Pathology refers to illness and disease; reparative therapy, of course, is the contested practice of “curing” someone of their LGBTQ nature. And about those reparative therapies? Queer advocates have been pushing for their ban in Colorado for years but continually get shot down.

One of those residents is Lexi Chavez, MD, a third-year psych resident who identifies as transgender. Her large, expressive eyes imbue conviction as she recalled past visits.

“When I’ve been to various providers, they’ve refused to use whatever pronouns I’ve asked them to. They’ve called me the wrong name, and they do it with a smile. They’re like, ‘How are you doing, [wrong name]?’ and, ‘He’s coming back,’ or something like that. I mean, I appreciate that, but it’s totally off base.” She shook her head slightly.

So what does one do?

For a long time, people haven’t sought mental health treatment in the LGBT community because of their fear of not being understood or being referred for reparative therapy or having beeing gay seen as pathology.”

“You try and plow through it, and just be like, ‘Look. I’m here. I have this half an hour. I really need such and such,” she says. “At times, they’ll circle back around like, ‘No, really. Tell me this and that about your transition, but it’s like, ‘That’s not why I’m here.’ And they’re really focused on it. They’re like, ‘Ok, I’ve never dealt with this before. I don’t know anyone that’s trans, so what I want to do is stop all your medications.’”

Repeat: “What I want to do is stop all your medications.”

For a trans patient dealing with say, cancer, such a move could spell a death sentence. In the wild, wild west of LGBTQ health issues, however, not knowing how medications and hormones some trans individuals take will interact with other drugs, doctors are hard-pressed to prescribe something that may cause or exacerbate sickness.

“I have hypothyroidism,” Chavez told OUT FRONT. She needs proper medication for the illness but can’t get it approved by her insurance company because her provider noted that she is trans in her medical record. “I can’t get it approved. I think that [physicians] want to do right, but they don’t necessarily know the right way.”

But the omission of quality LGBTQ healthcare doesn’t rest entirely on the shoulders of mental-health clinics. For generations, the LGBTQ community has shied away from seeing a doctor for the very real fear of mistreatment.

“There’s no evidence that it works or that it does anything,” he says. “It is a despicable practice which offers no benefit and most often causes irreparable harm.”

As a gay man who wasn’t always comfortable with that side of himself — for 41 years, to be exact — he knows what staying in the closet can do to a person’s mental health.

“I was married to a woman for 20 years and have two wonderful children, both of whom are now adults and both of whom are now gay,” he said. “[41 years] was a long time and part of [being closeted] was just growing up in the family I grew up in, and fear of how that was going to be perceived.”

In the meantime, he said he had lots of gay friends and “was a huge advocate on their behalf because it was the closest I could get to being who I was.” Eventually he came out and, as fate would have it, his family was fine with it. But often, the years-long suppression of self takes its toll.

“Why I’m doing child [psychiatry] in general is you can really make an impact on people early on that can change the entire trajectory of their life,” said Child Psychiatry Fellow Barbara Kessel. “That, to me, is just so powerful.”

Chavez agrees.

“We talk about how people are socialized and you’re trained from a very early age how to be a ‘good’ girl, how to be a ‘good’ boy and what that means. [There are] very strict, defined gender roles, and you feel a conflict with that; not really feeling like what you’re being taught matches up with you know. It adds this layer of not feeling that people understand you to a certain degree, because there’s always something they don’t know.”

For trans people, that can result in a disconnect from a typical lived experience once he, she, or they enters adulthood.

“You have to re-experience your own growing up, your own adolescence, and your childhood from a different lens,” Chavez said. “You have to understand what it means to live in the world a certain way because you don’t have the same kind of experiences other people do to identify with.”

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Along with the clinic, Dr. Davies put together a program for psych residents that trains them on LGBTQ-related health issues.

As it stands, there’s “very little” of this sort of training, said thirdyear psych resident Cassidy Williams. “There’s some kind of formal education that we get, in a scheme of, ‘Here’s a lot of cultural sensitivity and LGBTQ sensitivity that’s all been grouped together.’

But other than that, it’s pretty brief.”

Beyond the mental health aspect, there’s also a physical wellbeing factor that many doctors don’t take into account when dealing with transgender patients, such as cervical cancer screening.

“Pap smears are important for anyone with a cervix. So even if you have a [transgender] man coming in, if he has a cervix, he needs a pap smear. If you have a [transgender] woman coming in who has a prostate, when they get older they’re going to need that checked, as well,” Chavez said.

These are but a few among the exhaustive list of needs that the clinic aims to provide the community.

“When I interviewed here, Dr. Davies said, ‘Well, what are your interests?’” Chavez stated. “I said, ‘I talked to some people about my child and research interests, but who do I talk to about expanding LGBT health?’ And he gets this grin and was like, ‘Well, that would be me.’”

Dr. Davies beamed at the memory.

“I’m amazed that this happened so fast. In my mind, I expected this to take five, six years — my entire residency — of working with this, trying to get people on board,” Chavez added. “And so [Dr. Davies] calls me into his office one day and says, ‘I’ve got good news: I got the go-ahead.’”

Her response? “Let’s do this!”

And now, with a supportive family and a passionate staff at his back, Dr. Davies can pay it all forward. Finally, the LGBTQ community here in Colorado is welcome to a mental-health clinic of their own.

That puts a mind at ease.

no ifs or ands... just nice butts.

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We’re celebrating and

You’re Invited!

August 24, 2017

Join us for a birthday surprise you won't forget!

5:30 to 8pm at e Sheraton Downtown With special performances by

and a surprise you won’t forget!

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What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) sex partners. is a prescription medicine that is used together ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for infection.

HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat talk openly with your healthcare provider about HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete your sexual health. treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take Ask your healthcare provider if you have questions only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to about how to prevent getting HIV. Always practice treat over time. safer sex and use condoms to lower the chance of sexual contact with body fluids. Never reuse or TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: share needles or other items that have body fluids ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. on them.

TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA What is the most important information I without first talking to your healthcare provider, should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? as they will need to monitor your health.

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do tested to make sure that you do not already not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the positive, you need to take other medicines with risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not to be HIV-negative. a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become in a person who has recently become harder to treat over time. infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B could have recently become infected with infection.

HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had What are the other possible side effects of a flu-like illness within the last month before TRUVADA for PrEP? starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure.

Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in check your kidneys before and during treatment the neck or groin. with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic may not keep you from getting HIV-1. acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking healthcare provider right away if you get these TRUVADA for PrEP: symptoms: weakness or being more tired than ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and your healthcare provider right away. vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or ® To further help reduce your risk of getting lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

HIV-1: ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right your partners. away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for infections. Other infections make it easier several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area for HIV to infect you. pain.

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

TVDC0136_PrEP_E_7x9-5_OutFront_Bear_p1.indd 1-2

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We’re adventurous, not reckless.

We know who we are. And we make choices that fit our lives.

TRUVADA for PrEP™ is a once-daily prescription medicine that can help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 when taken every day and used together with safer sex practices. ® TRUVADA for PrEP is only for adults who are at high risk of getting HIV through sex. ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP are stomach-area (abdomen) pain, headache, and decreased weight. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any side effects that bother you or do not go away.

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA.

® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose. These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection.

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7/26/17 5:39 PM

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IMPORTANT FACTS

(tru-VAH-dah)

This is only a brief summary of important information about taking TRUVADA for PrEPTM (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.

MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. 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. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices.

Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • 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. w

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection.

TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get 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.

ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA for PrEP is a prescription medicine used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1.

• To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider 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 certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

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.

• Use TRUVADA for PrEP together with condoms and safer sex practices.

TVDC0136_PrEP_E_7x9-5_OutFront_Bear_p1.indd 3-4

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• Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP.

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF 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.

• Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat.

• Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: 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, or stomach-area pain.

• Bone problems.

Common side effects in people taking TRUVADA for PrEP include stomach-area (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.

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

• 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-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk.

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 FURTHER REDUCE YOUR RISK • Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners.

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

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having 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. Talk to your healthcare provider or pharmacist to learn more, including how to prevent HIV 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.

TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo 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 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0136 08/17

7/26/17 5:39 PM

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Aurora’s Dramatic Diversity Development The Cultural Renaissance of Colorado’s Most Diverse City

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Perspective

Blinded by the White

By Addison Herron-Wheeler When I first moved to Denver, I was greeted by a sea of white. No, it wasn’t the majestic clouds, the sun glinting off of a lake, or the beautiful snow-capped mountains. It was the people.

Although I’m caucasian myself, it seemed that I had never seen so many white people in one place before. Hailing from Virginia, I am used to a much more racially diverse group. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 70 percent of the state’s population is white, while Colorado’s white population tops out at 87 percent.

Of course, part of that is due to the fact that a lot of African Americans live in Virginia because they are descended from slaves. 20 percent of the state’s population is black. Colorado’s black population caps off at four percent.

But it seems like on the East Coast, people of all races flock to big cities to live or go to school. I was always aware of my white privilege in Virginia because I saw so many people who didn’t share that same privilege. That changed when I moved to the Rocky Mountain range.

I was shocked by the lack of diversity in Denver and the fact that I often find myself in a room or other space with 2 0 \\ J u l y 5 , 2 0 1 7

all white people. For a while, it made me feel uncomfortable, as though I was personally trying to shelter myself from cultural diversity.

Of course, there is a large Hispanic population here in Colorado, which technically used to be Mexico. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 20 percent of Colorado’s population is Hispanic or Latinx — Virginia’s Hispanic and Latinx population is less than 10 percent. But still, even living in a predominantly hispanic neighborhood in Denver, the whitewashing is hard to escape.

All this whiteness lead me to do some introspective thinking. What can be done from an equalizing standpoint in a city where most people are white and privileged, where the standard of living is impossibly high and many struggle to stay within the city limits?

Fortunately, many people in Colorado are aware of the social justice issues that surround us, even if they are looking at them through the rose-tinted glasses of privilege. Because of this, we can work together to make sure that diversity is considered. We can think before we gentrify and listen to people of color when they say their piece. We can fight for affordable housing and homelessness

help, and we can listen to people different than ourselves.

There are added challenges as we try to work this into the LGBTQ community.

Many in the queer community are economically advantaged, either older folks with money or young people fresh out of college and eager to make change.

As well-intentioned as these people can be, they are often white people with money.

This is why it is important to listen to our queer brothers, sisters, and genderneutral siblings of color, and give them a place to speak. While it may not be an answer to all our problems, holding an Aurora Pride is certainly a step in the right direction for inclusion.

Aurora has a highly diverse population, one that is more representative of national diversity than much of Colorado.

It also has a significant low-income population.

The bottom line? Some people aren’t born white and with money, and Pride, LGBTQ rights, and equal opportunity are for them, too. So let’s practice what we preach, listen to people who are not like ourselves, and have a great time celebrating diversity in Aurora.

t c e p x E o t at Aurora Pride Whfrom Aurora Pride is here, and it’s the first year the city will be celebrating its queer residents. Like most of the other metroarea cities, Aurora wants a chance to celebrate what makes their city unique, diverse, and a welcoming spot for the LGBTQ community.

Aurora Pride will be held at the Aurora Municipal Center, located at 1515 Alameda Parkway in Aurora on August 5, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There will be food trucks, drinks, live entertainment, goodies, freebies, and Pride memorabilia.

Giving Back

Aurora Pride is going to be donating 100 percent of the proceeds to OUT FRONT Foundation, the nonprofit setting up the celebration.

The foundation plans to provide scholarships to young LGBTQ high school seniors in underserved communities who are looking to attend college and study journalism or the arts. Specifics about the scholarships, including how many and how much, will be decided once proceeds from the event are tallied up.

“This is a philanthropic effort,” said Christopher LaFleur, Director of Development for OUT FRONT Foundation and the man behind the event. “The whole point is to empower kids in diverse communities with self expression and quality education.

Aurora Pride will be a fundraiser for Power Gala, where we will give away our first scholarships.”

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Entertainment Aurora Pride will host two stages, one for adults and one that is familyfriendly. Plenty of entertainment is booked for the event, including a full day of DJs and drag queens. Some of the big local names already confirmed are Blondetourage, DJ Escal8, Jody Bouffard, DJ Sinna-G, Jessica L’Whor, Lady Sativa, and plenty more. Some of the queens will be putting on more provocative performances on the adult stage, while others will be keeping it PG. There will be music all day throughout the festival.

Food and Drinks This Pride is in a park outside of the city’s center, but that doesn’t mean there will be any shortage of food and drinks.

The event

will feature plenty of food trucks, as well as a beer garden for those 21 and up who purchase a wristband. Everyone who buys a wristband will get one free drink ticket. Busch is sponsoring the beer garden, so expect your free drink and other reasonably priced beverages from the Busch company.

Pride Gear and Memorabilia

One of the best parts of coming to Pride is getting a bunch of crazy souvenirs.

Just like other events, Aurora Pride will have flags and all kinds of colorful gear for sale. You can never have enough, so be sure to wear your gear from Denver Pride and then stock up on some more.

Come to Make Friends

Unlike big events like Denver Pride, wUnlike big events like Denver Pride, where hundreds of thousands of queers take over Denver, Aurora Pride will be a little more intimate. This makes it a great opportunity for meeting your neighbors and starting to build a community.

“A huge part of this event is mingling communities together and bringing the business leaders, nonprofits, etc. to meet all those same people in Aurora,” said LaFleur. “We want to bring these people together and see what they can accomplish after they meet each other because of this event.”

“It doesn’t make sense that every other city in Colorado has a pride but the third-largest city in Colorado does not,” LaFleur added. “It’s exciting to see how the community has rallied around this effort.”

7 1 0 2 e d i r Aurora P e e r F o c c A Toba Event Congratulations on promoting a healthy community!

Join us in making all outdoor spaces in Aurora tobacco-free

Diversity Aurora celebrates our community of many nationalities, languages, lifestyles, ages and cultures.

Together everyone is stronger.

Proud media sponsor for Aurora Pride 2017 August 5 • 10 am to 8 pm • Details at AuroraPride.com Outfrontonline.com

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Aurora Pride Site Map 2017 ce

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sporting area Pitch 1 (no stakes!)

The Kid zone!

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Colorado Health Network SPONSORED CONTENT

Want to do your part to spread awareness about HIV and AIDS prevention, and help generate more funds for those who are living with the disease? Join this year’s AIDS Walk Colorado, produced by the Colorado Health Network’s Colorado AIDS Project, and you can help to make a difference.

th Anniversary WALK FOR LIFE & 5K RUN

AIDS Walk Colorado SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2017 Powered by Colorado Health Network Benefiting Colorado HIV/AIDS Service Organizations & Program Partners

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Presents

The walk will take place Saturday, August 19 at Cheesman Park in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

AIDS Walk - A Walk for Life - is the region’s oldest one-day AIDS fundraiser. Over 8,000 people participate each year to help raise money.

Proceeds benefit HIV programs and services of Colorado Health Network, its regional offices, Howard Dental Center and Walk partner agencies.

This year’s event will feature an awareness walk, 5K run, volleyball, and celebration of life festival. There will also be food, beverages, and live entertainment, including former American Idol Blake Lewis.

30

th

Anniversary

Walk For Life & 5K Run

Featuring performance by

Blake Lewis from American Idol

Want to get involved with the AIDS Walk this year?

Visit aidswalkcolorado.org to find out how you can walk, run, play volleyball, donate, or volunteer.

See you all there!

A Little History of

Colorado AIDS Project If you’ve been around Denver for a while, chances are you’ve heard of the Colorado AIDS Project.

But what do you really know about CAP? Over the past three decades the CAP’s role in the HIV epidemic has evolved.

In 2011, CAP merged to form Colorado Health Network with offices in Denver (including Howard Dental Center), Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Fort Collins, Greeley, and Grand Junction. CHN assists nearly 4,500 clients annually with a variety of services, which increase stability and access to healthcare statewide.

Additionally, CAP’s outreach and prevention programs provide support to more than 7,400 people each year with free HIV tests, testing for other STIs and Hep C, community education, free condoms, preventative tools, and the Access Point syringe exchange program.

WEB + CREATIVE

You can get involved with CAP all year long, not just during AIDS Walk season. Visit coloradohealthnetwork.org to learn how you can help year-round.

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Aurora's Fun House: A Home Filled With Local Queer Performers

By Addison Herron-Wheeler

There’s a small, unassuming house on a quiet, suburban street in Aurora. Drivers cruising past wouldn’t stop to marvel at its basic exterior.

The street, and all the houses on it, are modest in size with respectable yards, affordable for families that can’t swing the major price tags of newly-built homes in Denver.

But there is something special about this particular house.

Instead of the typical straight Colorado couple with 2.5 kids and an Australian Shepard, it houses artists, musicians, and entertainers who have transformed it into a queer home.

Early in July, the 400 block of North Revere Street got a taste of the queer life that fills one of the average-looking houses.

Music drifted from the backyard, along with the smell of sweet barbecue and spilled tequila. A birthday was being celebrated, and spirits were high among the DJs, drag queens, friends, and lovers.

Melisa Masters, birthday-gal extraordinaire and a local Aurora real estate agent who identifies as lesbian, purchased this home when she moved to Denver after a bad breakup in Texas.

“Now all my exes are in Texas,” she said, followed by a laugh.

“So I decided to come here and make this place my home.”

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As a pillar of the Aurora queer community, a community that is without any set gathering spots such as LGBTQ bars or clubs, Masters opened the doors of her home to numerous LGBTQ entertainers. These entertainers live in Aurora but work regularly in Denver’s queer nightlife, a career path

that can be lucrative at times, but tenuous at others. Almost by accident, she now has a drove of drag queens and DJs living in her place, and she became a Drag Mom to young queens who need safe rides to and from gigs.

“Some people are Soccer Mom; I’m Drag Mom,” she explained. “I’m not sure how it happened; I didn’t even used to like drag queens. Now I’ve somehow decided it’s my duty to get them where they need to go and give them a place to stay.”

Masters didn’t get annoyed or agitated by the drunken shenanigans going on at her birthday party, or the sloppy, drunken cake eating, despite the fact that she is a diabetic, which keeps her away from alcohol and sweets. And no one was disrespectful, always stopping to chat with her for a moment and making sure to give her a hug goodbye before heading out for the night.

“I just love having all of these people around me; they are my family,” she said.

One member of that family is recent Colorado drag sensation Jessica L’Whor, born Zachary Sullivan. L’Whor identifies as a cisgendered gay man, but feels extremely comfortable in drag. A young, emerging drag queen, L’Whor only recently came out and needed an affordable place to live where she could explore drag and living as an out, gay man. Masters provided L’Whor with a place to be herself.

Sitting at the table with no trace of drag makeup or accoutrement, L’Whor appeared young and small in stature.

Transformed into full drag mode, however, her heels and hair give her height, and her stuffed curves give her girth — a beautiful, sashaying queen in full bloom. Donning small glasses and a tank top, she appears a young man with the world ahead of her. She is comfortable and completely relaxed.

“I came from a place of hating drag,” she admitted. “Before I started drag, I actually found it to be disgusting, didn’t want to be around it, wanted my friends to turn off RuPaul’s Drag Race if they were watching it. Then I started dating a guy who was really into drag and took me to my first show and I fell in love. So immediately after that show, we went to WalMart and got makeup, a bra, and a shirt and tried it out. I loved how I looked in the mirror and got kind of addicted to the look. My boyfriend at the time told me not to drag because I wouldn’t be able to pull it off or do it. It became something I started doing regularly as a job, though.

I transitioned from a hate of it to a love of it.”

L’Whor now very much has her own style when she does drag. As a self-described chameleon in drag, she is never afraid of looking ugly or transforming into a glamorous, elegant woman.

LIGHTSHADE HOLLY

“I try not to stick with one style.”

She is currently making her living from drag, which is quite an accomplishment. Even though drag has skyrocketed into the mainstream and queens are making a lot of money touring the world, it is still a job that relies on tips — not to mention that drag ain’t cheap.

LIGHTSHADE 6TH AVE

I-70 & HOLLY

6TH AVE & CLARKSON

LIGHTSHADE PEORIA

LIGHTSHADE SHERIDAN

LIGHTSHADE HAVANA

LIGHTSHADE ILIFF

I-70 & PEORIA

HAVANA & 6TH AVE

SHERIDAN & MISSISSIPPI

ILIFF & BUCKLEY

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Masters drives L’Whor all across the state to shows and to the airport when she needs to fly to places like New York or Washington, D.C. Originally from Fort Collins, L’Whor recently made the permanent transition to the Denver Metro Area to be closer to gigs. However, she is happy living out in Aurora where the cost of living is a little more manageable. As a local resident, she will be performing at Aurora Pride to help represent her community.

“I think it’s going to bring together a community of people in Aurora that I haven’t met or been exposed to,” she said regarding Aurora Pride. “This allows me to meet allies and queer people in Aurora that I can educate and interact with.”

Although L’Whor laments not knowing enough queer people and allies in Aurora, she already lives under the same roof with some of the major players.

Blondetourage, the “wifey DJ duo” who have made a name in Denver with their catchy beats and iconic appearance, are housemates to L’Whor. The two became a couple before they established themselves as a collaborative musical entity, although they met because of the local entertainment industry.

“I thought she was rad,” said Bria Miracle of her wife and DJ partner Erin Beeler. “I thought she was cool and I didn’t know how to talk to her but I thought I’d say something.” The pair at first were friends, and both dabbled in DJing — Bria in her living room, and Erin at Blush & Blu. A few years later, Erin invited Bria over with an offer too good to resist.

“She said ‘hey, I have some puppies at my house; we should hang out,’ and I said ‘I’ll be there as soon as I possibly can.’ Since then, it’s been a sleepover every single night ,” Bria said.

The two became an official couple and then decided that the idea of playing music together just made sense. At the beginning of the relationship, Erin invited Bria to collaborate with her during a DJ set at X Bar on the 4th of July. Thus, Blondetourage was born.

The two eventually moved out to Aurora, into Masters’ house, for the camaraderie and affordable rent.

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At the birthday party, the duo casually lounged in backyard chairs, completely at ease together, picking up in conversations where the other left off, just as they do with live DJ sets. Their hair was a matching bleach blond, and their nails matched, too, a glittering manicure. Even when they showed their nails to friends around the house, the two seemed perfectly in sink, best friends as well as business partners and a married couple.

Like many queer couples in Aurora, however, the two feel there is a lack of community in the city, due to the fact that there are no LGBTQ bars or meeting places in town, and would like to know more about their friends and neighbors.

“I’m looking forward to seeing everyone that comes and getting to know people within our community,” Bria said. “Not that Denver isn’t our community, but it’s cool to know that some people live in Aurora. That has been kind of a disconnect because when we moved to Denver we were both 17 and moved to Cap Hill. We kind of created our communities around us, and now we think it’s nice to have a back yard and be able to find parking, but we aren’t really making those connections out here like we were in Denver.”

The two are excited to come out to Aurora Pride and to be one of the headlining entertainment acts.

“We are pretty much one of the gayest houses in Aurora,” Erin said. “They should probably just have a Pride parade down our street. We have Melisa, who is Drag Mother: Queen of the Gays. I feel like the Aurora Pride thing just fell into our lap. We didn’t even know it was happening, but we were like, ‘We live here; we should DJ!’ We always DJ for Denver Pride, too, so it seemed to make sense.”

In a metropolitan area where each neighborhood offers its own exciting features and entertainment, it isn’t surprising that hidden pockets of queer culture like the one in Melisa Masters’ house exist. On August 5, some of those pockets of culture will come together, possibly for the first time.

oktoberfest

join the celebration!

Beaver Run Resort proudly celebrates Aurora Pride Fest Mark your calendars and come visit us this fall in Breckenridge!

Plus, keep an eye out for Breck Pride Week 2018

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Perspective

How to Make Pride

More

Inclusive

By Joseph Soto

“Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Earlier this summer, the city of Philadelphia came under criticism for adding a brown and black stripe to the pride flag, a symbol of the gay liberation movement since Gilbert Baker created it in 1978.

Since the first change was made to the flag in 1979, it has been rather common to find pride flags with different colors or designs meant to serve as a tool for advocacy and a symbol of resistance for different groups. Yet wanting to show intentionality in speaking to communities of color within the broader LGBTQ community was the

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straw that broke the camel’s back for some within the community.

For many people of color, including myself, the news out of Philadelphia wasn’t shocking at all, but the lack of diversity within the LGBTQ community and the dire need for inclusivity measures is worth talking about.

To save my lovely editor and my magazine’s social media from a barrage of, “Gay white people are oppressed too, though” messages, let me say that it is without argument that LGBTQ people of every color

are more likely to be discriminated against in critical aspects of wellbeing including health care and employment, but that haunting fact makes it all the more punishing that we would then allow repressively violent racism, and bigotry overall, to sicken and undermine our entire community.

To be fair, evidence suggests that white people who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender tend to be more sensitive to issues of race than their cis-straight counterparts.

Indeed, the Washington Post reported that LGBTQ white people were more

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angry about the existence of racism than cis-straight white people, were vastly more likely to believe that white privilege existed, and were less likely to agree with the statement that racism exists only in rare, isolated incidents.

So, that’s not nothing, and in a world where the White House uses Black History Month as a political tool to mask the damage various departments are doing to the black community and then goes on to intentionally ignore Pride Month, the relative understanding of race within the LGBTQ community is deserving of words in this article.

However, it does not then absolve LGBTQ white people of the racism and bigotry within our own community.

That LGBTQ white people are polled to be more sensitive on issues of race provides me no solace when I look at other publications and see no black people or voices, when I experience racism and feel no support from LGBTQ white people, or when I hear “I’m not into black guys,” or “I’m only looking for white guys,” in conversation.

In some final sense, we are all responsible for each other, whether we like it or not. I’d like to think we learned that lesson from Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. These two trans women of color kickstarted the modern queer liberation revolution following the Stonewall riots, yet their stories were subsequently whitewashed and ciswashed in various histories of the movement.

Fundamentally, and moreover, strategically, it makes no sense for people of color to be made to struggle to find a home within the queer community We live in a time when the Secretary of Education won’t commit to protecting civil rights in federally-funded schools, when the Census Bureau says that there’s no need to collect data on LGBTQ people, and when the Secretary of Health and Human Services seems at least complicit in plans to destabilize many of the Affordable Care Act provisions that help provide care to millions of people of color and LGBTQ individuals.

In 2017, the federal government that is meant to protect us is exploiting entrenched attitudes about 3 4 \\ a u g u s t 2 , 2 0 1 7

marginalized communities to wedge us against one another and then attack us all. But we can peacefully strike out against that divisiveness by making our own communities more diverse and inclusive. A good place to start is Pridefest, an event we’ve heard critiques of for years over its lack of diversity.

Pridefest is a great opportunity for us to, as George Takei stated, “Live our lives in a state of inclusion and wonder at the diversity of humanity.”

Wouldn’t it be incredible, in the midst of increasingly ugly and dogmatic politics coming from Congress and the White House, for us to support Pridefests all over the country that truly represented the complete diversity of our community? It makes Pride more meaningful — and more fun — for everyone when we intentionally make it as inclusive and accepting as possible.

Here are a few easy steps we can take to make Pride more inclusive.

Invite LGBTQ Artists of Color To Perform If I could read you James Baldwin or Bruce Nugent on a Pride stage, or at an associated event somewhere in town, there would be no doubt in your mind of how raw and intimate and emotional the Black experience is. That, unfortunately, doesn’t happen.

If active artists of color were invited to perform in predominantly white spaces, that impact would go even further in presenting black culture and black perspectives as the vibrant and complex voices that they are within our community. It’s a necessity, not an afterthought.

It would also show LGBTQ people of color that those within the community who are fortunate enough to have resources and power care about creating safe spaces not just for themselves, but in our communities, too. To the cis-straight community, it would be a profound message of solidarity at a time when our political leaders can’t seem to grasp the meaning of the word.

More Black People Should be Involved in Organizing Pride I don’t know the names and races of everyone involved in the massive undertaking of organizing Prides around the world, but I would bet having more black perspectives would make Pride events more inclusive, regardless of how many are involved now. It is insulting and not entirely unrelated to the “white savior” complex for black people to not be at the forefront of the table when discussing outreach to the Black community and inclusion of Black lives in Pride. The more Black perspectives that are involved, the better it is for the entire spectrum of diversity within the Black community, and the better it is for Pridefest overall.

Everyone Should Intentionally Resist the Idea that Black Culture is an Alternative to LGBTQ Culture It is outdated and nonsensical to think that by being more inclusive of Black culture, we’re somehow adding something new to the LGBTQ landscape, because we’re not.

Schedule Pride Events in Predominantly Black Neighborhoods

People of color in ancient Greece and Egypt had same-sex relationships, and the contributions of Black people to the LGBTQ community are as old and storied as the community itself. We should view the lack of diversity within the community as a shortcoming.

If more events during Pride were held in predominantly Black neighborhoods, that would educate white people on what it means in society to be Black and what Black art and culture can speak to within us all.

It is not the responsibility of Black people, or of other marginalized groups, to end discrimination within the community, and as soon as we realize that, we’ll have taken the first meaningful step toward making Pride as inclusive as possible..

What does it mean to be transgender and Asian Pacific Islander American?

S P O N SO R E D CO N T E N T Some of my earliest memories were trying to shave like my dad. I never had an interest in anything feminine and it was a battle to get into girls clothing. My mom had to pay me to wear a dress for my graduation party.

My parents were very conservative, white, and Christian and I am none of those things, so we had a lot of clashes. I went to a private Baptist high school and if you were queer, they would kick you out. When I started realizing that I was more attracted to women than men, I was

meant until I got to college. I honestly

opened my eyes about everything it meant to be trans. I realized that everything that she was saying… that was me.

hell, you’re never going to be employed,

thought it was more of a sexual fetish than

Read more in Asian Avenue’s April issue.

and you’re never going to college.” A lot

an identity. When I joined an LGBT group,

of people told me I was worthless.

I met a trans person and she really just

Read online at issuu.com/asianavemag/ docs/aam_april2017.

bullied, kicked out of church, and almost kicked out of school. In high school, my youth pastor told me, “You’re going to

I first identified as gay, but I knew that wasn’t it. I didn’t understand what trans

no ifs or ands... just nice butts.

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ABC Tracks Photos by Charles Brohous

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Providing personalized cleaning services to the Denver Metro area

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Aurora Fox

Theater’s Colorful History

By Chris Arneson Driving down East Colfax Avenue, cruisers can see a flash of teal from nearly a mile away. It’s been there for almost half a century, and gives those stuck in rush hour traffic something to look at and feel a brief second of happiness. But the beautiful cap of the Aurora Fox Theater’s marquee houses something more than a glimpse of joy at 5:30 p.m.

The Aurora Fox Theater, now home to Aurora’s premier performing arts center, has a history as eclectic as its carpeting, which is pretty fierce. Opening with a parade on October 30, 1946, The Fox was one of Aurora’s first indoor cinemas, featuring stadium seating decades before multiplexes hopped on the trend.

Proclaimed the “theater of tomorrow” by local publications, it even included a germ-killing air-filtration system.

It had been more than a decade since the closure of The Hollywood, Aurora’s original movie theater, which shuttered its doors in 1936 following only a decade of business. Residents had to travel to Denver in order to comfortably catch a flick before the Fox’s opening.

Scott Williams, director of the Aurora History Museum, says the venue was much more than a movie theater that showed Disney cartoons and Hollywood epics. It also hosted events like cooking demonstrations and the Miss Aurora contest, located in the heart of the city’s original downtown.

Right after World War II in 1946, Scott says, the City of Aurora was issuing around 100 building permits each month, causing the population to skyrocket. By 1948, the population had reached 10,000.

“At that time, when Aurora was growing, that was where the growth was,” he explained. “And with its Colfax location, we can all agree that’s a main thoroughfare.”

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Building around an auditorium uniquely constructed from an army Quonset hut obtained through the federal government, architect Charles D. Strong fashioned the Fox into an art-deco dream. The Quonset structure, rounded with corrugated metal, was a common architectural element following the end of the war, as surplus huts were sold for both commercial and residential use.

The Fox continued a successful run as a movie theatre well into the 1970s, when multiplex cinemas began to draw larger crowds. By the end of the decade, the Fox Theater had been reduced to a cheap theater playing B-movies until an outside fire ravaged its screen and many of its features in 1981, rendering the space unusable.

Fixing the Fox Alice Lee Main, who served as the city’s cultural services division manager, essentially managed all the arts programs in Aurora for 42 years until recently. In those days, arts productions in Aurora like the symphony, choral, and theatrical performances were held in school auditoriums and even a local senior center.

She says performances would take place on platforms in lunchrooms where six lights would be hooked up to a stove in the kitchen.

“Everything was very makeshift,” Alice Lee said. “We didn’t have a home, and people had a hard time finding us.”

After the fire at the Fox, the company that owned it had no interest in fixing the theater, so the Aurora Arts and Humanities Council (which was formed as a non-profit in 1977), convinced the city to purchase the venue, Alice explains. Money was then raised to help restore the structure to maintain its original art-deco style. Volunteers would spend Saturdays gutting the Fox’s burned remains.

Alice Lee was involved in the restoration, helping to design and preserve as much of the original atmosphere that remained after the fire. Small details like bathroom signs became vintage features in the building’s restructuring. The pattern on the walls was reintroduced into the Fox’s current carpeting. The

outside of the building was preserved enough so that it could be named a historic landmark, which it later was in 1987.

“Citizens were out there raising money as well as donating their time,” Alice Lee recalled. “It was a real community effort to turn it into an arts facility.”

After a few years of work, the Aurora Fox Arts Center officially opened in early March of 1985, featuring a red carpet ceremony and city council members arriving in 1940s cars.

“We made the whole weekend a big, splashy deal…and now the [arts] had a home.”

But even after opening, it took years to collect enough money to repair and light the iconic marquee. Volunteers sold stuffed foxes to raise funds, Alice says.

While the Aurora Fox Arts Center is host to primarily theatrical productions nowadays, the venue would host performances from dance companies, symphonies and choral groups until more appropriate venues became available.

Building a Community Bobbie Ruben, who served as the Fox’s patron services manager for the past 27 years, retired last year but still remains a regular.

She was first attracted to the Fox as a “stage mom,” taking her 10-year-old daughter to perform in children’s theatre productions in the 1980s. Her participation grew from ushering and backstage help to a part-time gig that flourished from there.

became edgier. Productions with more cultural significance took focus, and the venue appealed to larger audiences.

A turning point, she remembered, was when the Fox began to incorporate regional premieres into its seasons in the early 2000s. At that point, the arts center began to look for more unique shows to feature on its main stage as well as its new Studio theatre, which opened in 2003 as a black box style venue. The Studio was originally intended as a place for rehearsals and classes, but eventually was outfitted for performances. The Fox became an Equity house in 2009, meaning the company could hire theatrical professionals of a higher caliber for an agreed wage.

Throughout the years, the Aurora Fox’s venues have also played host to several other companies, notably including Ignite Theatre, which began performing at the Fox in 2009 until their 31st and final production this past winter.

Ignite focused on producing mainly contemporary musicals that were either under-produced or fresh on the scene.

More recently, the Fox’s technical skills have been showcased on a grander scale, including a field of flowers concealed under the stage in the musical Big Fish as well as a full-scale rotating bus during their latest production, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. both shows were regional premieres for the company.

But daffodils and drag queens have found their home alongside an array of culture coming up at the Fox, including

“When I first started, the Fox was just a small community-style theater,” Bobbie said. “It kept growing and getting stronger…then all of a sudden, we were one of the bigger competitive theaters in town.”

the return of Hi-Hat Hattie (which last

She credits the theater’s growth to its faithful subscribers and patrons along with acclaimed local directors like Terry Dodd and John Ashton helming highquality productions featuring popular local talent.

around Latina immigrants (Real Women

Bobbie says, throughout the years, the production values grew, and the shows

played there in 2004), the story of the first black performer to win an Oscar. Their upcoming 33rd season also includes the story of a transgender rocker (Hedwig and the Angry Inch), a play centered Have Curves), and a rock musical about a young African American’s artistic journey of self-discovery in Europe (Passing Strange).

It looks like this theater of tomorrow has set the stage for plenty more of them.

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Diversity on Film:

All the Colors of the Rainbow Streaming Now

By David-Elijah Nahmod While everyone is off cruising the LGBT section of Netflix, and watching the Babadook way too many times, Amazon Video is slaying the game with streamable queer content.

Alongside the hit Transparent, Amazon is streaming some of the best, most impactful queer films of all time.

Lianna (1983) Director: John Sayles 110 minutes

stumble in the dark, they might recognize a bit of themselves in her story.

Lianna is available on DVD at Amazon. It can also be streamed at Amazon Video.

Trans America (2005) Director: Duncan Tucker 103 minutes History will remember Trans America as the first trans-themed film to be recognized at the Academy Awards. Superstar Dolly Parton received a nomination for composing and performing “Travelin’ Thru,” the film’s theme song.

I’ll never forget the evening I saw Lianna, way back when I was a wee lad — more than thirty years ago.

At a time when LGBTQ people were largely invisible in pop culture, I was thirsty to see any and all images of queer love which might be available. And so, I went to see Lianna, a lesbian love story. I was the only male in the theater.

“You seem to have an affinity for the gay community,” Larry King observed during a CNN interview with Parton.

“Hi, I’m gay,” I said to the lesbian couple in the back row as I entered the auditorium.

“Why Larry, I don’t have an affinity for anyone in particular,” Parton replied. “I just believe in the Lord and love everybody.”

“How nice for you,” one of them said.

Why can’t our political leaders say such things?

True story.

Trans America, another low budget indie which pulled in the crowds, is a sweet story. Felicity Huffman, nominated in the Best Actress category, stars as Bree, a transwoman about to undergo gender reassignment surgery. Bree’s therapist (Elizabeth Pena) must approve the surgery, which she will do after Bree reconnects with her family and reconciles her past.

Lianna was written and directed by John Sayles, then a maverick independent filmmaker who produced quality work on the lowest possible budgets. Lianna, produced for a paltry $300,00, was no exception. Apparently, many other moviegoers of that time also wanted to see queers on screen. The film made its budget back several times over.

Lianna is a work of stunning insight and maturity. Canadian stage actress Linda Griffiths stars in the title role, a bored New Jersey housewife who goes back to school. She quickly develops a crush on Ruth (Jane Hallaren), her professor.

Much to Lianna’s surprise, Ruth returns the affections. The two embark on an affair and fail in love.

Most of the film follows Bree and her son (Kevin Zegers) as they embark on a cross-country road trip, where Bree meets with her transphobic parents. Mom and Dad aren’t evil; they genuinely love their daughter; they’re just struggling to understand. Also struggling is Toby, Bree’s son, a bisexual escort who at first doesn’t realize that the woman driving him out west is his dad.

“I’ve been through so much with her,” Ruth says tearfully.

Like Lianna, Trans America is another film of depth and maturity. The audience meets a group of deeply flawed characters who are trying to do what’s right — if only they can figure out what the right thing is. The film will tug at viewers’ heartstrings while it also teaches an important lesson: that we must all accept each other for who each of us it.

Sayles weaves a mesmerizing tale of one woman’s desire to make a better life for herself. As viewers watch Lianna

Trans America can also be purchased on DVD or streamed at Amazon.

Lianna is a portrait of good people who don’t mean to hurt each other. Lianna hurts her husband when she leaves him, but Ruth in turn hurts Lianna because she has a chance to get back with her ex.

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Tangerine (2016) Director: Sean Baker 88 minutes Tangerine flips the coin and exposes the other side of transgender life.

The film focuses on trans women of color who work the streets of Los Angeles, working as sex workers because no other profession is open to them. Their families want nothing to do with them. In addition to homophobia and transphobia, they must also deal with racism and the constant threat of violence.

In the midst of their very hard lives, Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor) form a deep bond. The women aren’t a couple; they’re best friends, sisters. Neither of them has a family they can turn to, so they become family to each other.

The Bellco Theatre and the Colorado Convention Center both have upcoming shows & events that will entertain and inform you.

An intense and gritty film, Tangerine reminds us that trans women of color remain at the bottom of the LGBTQ ladder. All they want is a better life. The film gives them a well-deserved platform in which to be heard.

Tangerine is available on DVD and Blu Ray at Amazon. It also streams at Amazon Video.

The Wedding Banquet (1993) Director: Ang Lee 106 minutes This charming romantic comedy came to audiences courtesy of the acclaimed Asian filmmaker Ang Lee, who won an Oscar a decade later for calling the shots on the now classic, gay romance Brokeback Mountain (2005).

One of the loveliest and most uplifting gay films we’ve seen, The Wedding Banquet tells the delightful tale of Wai-Tung and Simon, an Asian/white gay couple in New York who are out and proud to everyone — except to Wai-Tung’s parents.

When Wai-Tung agrees to marry Wei-Wei, a woman who’s in need of a green card, his conservative parents rush to New York from Taiwan to help arrange what they think will be a traditional Taiwanese wedding. Wai-Tung and Simon pretend to roommates as soon as mom and dad arrive.

Hilarity ensues as the pretense backfires, causing the truth to come out. The Wedding Banquet is another story of good people who are struggling to understand. Wai-Tung’s parents genuinely love him, and he loves them. Love is a great healer, and the truth will set you free, as the film beautifully points out.

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As with the other films, The Wedding Banquet in available on DVD at Amazon, and also streams at Amazon Video.

Happy viewing!

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// 4 7

Dueling with Depression:

By Mike Yost

Imagine for a moment you’re a centipede, and you’re just crawling around the ground hunting earthworms, exploring the impossibly colossal landscape of someone’s backyard.

All your legs are in working order. You don’t sit and contemplate why humans call you a centipede when you only have 71 legs. All you know is that you’ve got a gut full of earthworms and perhaps a cricket or two because your hunting skills are as sharp as your fangs.

And if a centipede friend ever came crawling up next to you and asked if you’ve ever seen a centipede therapist, your reply (speaking in centipede dialect of course) would be something like, “What do I have to be unhappy about?

All my needs are met. Plenty of water.

Plenty of land and shelter. I have all the earthworms I could ever eat!”

But then, another backyard creature slinks up and asks a question: The centipede was happy, quite, Until a toad in fun Said, “Pray, which leg goes after which?”

This worked his mind to such a pitch, He lay distracted in a ditch, Considering how to run.

The circumstances haven’t changed in your centipede world after the toad’s inquiry, yet you sit idle in a deep ditch.

What has changed is your perception of self in trying to solve an impossible problem made up by the toad.

A gut full of earthworms suddenly doesn’t seem important anymore. The mind is stuck, paralyzing your 71 legs as if they were useless wooden stumps attached to your creepily long body.

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Don’t be the I can’t tell you how many toads I’ve run into in my lifetime. Perhaps you’ve met them, too?

Toads that have told me to question myself and be ashamed that I’m a guy who likes other guys. Toads that have told me I should feel lost because I’m not a Baptist; or a Democrat; or a Republican; or that I should be an angry, sciencebook wielding atheist.

Toads that have told me to be embarrassed because I don’t “act” like a gay man, or because I have long hair, or because of how I dress. They are everywhere, eager to tell me why I shouldn’t be content. Some of these toads have been people I respected.

People I loved.

I see a human therapist (not a centipede therapist), and I take medication to help stabilize the constant cycle of depression and anxiety that is my month. I hope one day to be medication free with no pending therapy appointments.

And for me, the key in illuminating that path is guarding how I think, reexamining the parameters I cultivate in my mind for being content. Those dark ditches aren’t as cavernous only because I work to dismantle fabricated social conventions of what it is to be a happy human — all coming from people who have had zero experience in being me!

I’m learning to trust myself more, ignore the toads more, and just be content when I have a gut full of earthworms.

Centipede

t i y a Pl ! l o o C at

TM

MEDICAL AESTHETICS

1 5 4 0 WA Z E E S T R E E T, D E N V E R 3 0 3 . 3 8 8 . 7 3 8 0 • W W W. V I TA H L . C O M

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HEINZESIGHT:

Globally Gay in the USA Brent Heinze Throughout history, there have been many periods where being an American citizen has not been a source of pride.

Often, we are not seen as globally minded as people from other countries, and our current political leader has many questioning the sanity of our nation’s people. I personally struggle with finding happy-happy-joy-joy feelings of being an American lately. My partners and I had scheduled a fun trip to Germany and I was concerned about how we would be treated. It honestly brought up some feelings of shame and embarrassment.

We weren’t planning our first trip the Germany, as we visited the year before as Trump was gaining popularity in the election.

Many people asked us if this was some type of American joke that the media was playing on the world since no one could believe that a dramatic, narcissistic blowhard could possibly be a viable contender for presidency. After the election, many of us faced aspects of anger, disbelief, depression, and hopelessness while others around the world looked on us with pity, fear, and confusion.

We were entering an environment of uncertainty.

But, we flew over the Atlantic for a party weekend. While there we met people from all over Europe and other parts of the world. Politically I was expecting some negativity, but there was actually much more scrutiny around other aspects of being an American. Our sexual health practices and discussions about HIV and PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) were met with responses that I infrequently get in the United States.

As much as it surprised me, it also finally gave me something to feel elements of pride about being an American. Globally we have been able to accomplish something in the realm of sexual health and HIV that very few other countries have. We have faced the fear of HIV and are making significant progress in dealing in with the ramifications.

During our trip, we received a variety of comments about sexual practices. One of the most surprising was the lack of 5 0 \\ a u g u s t 2 , 2 0 1 7

knowledge about the risk factors in transmitting HIV if on treatment medications, or how PrEP can add another level of safety from HIV. Not only were people concerned about sexual contact without condoms with someone who was HIV-positive, but even with condoms many people were not willing to have “risky” sex with someone that had HIV. When discussing the science about transmitting the virus, fear apparently was more impactful and often met with additional resistance. There were also times where the attitude that HIV-positive people were the targets of anger because of the perception of their danger to HIV-negative individuals.

This lack of effective education and negative emotional impact seems to have a significant impact on many individuals to not list an HIV-positive diagnosis on their online profiles or discuss it when hooking up. Many people I chatted with stated that it was often safer to not disclose your status for concern of judgement or alienation. When discussing PrEP as an additional form of protection against HIV, people thought most who take this medication are substantial sources of many other sexually transmitted infections and overly slutty. There was considerable backlash with having sexual contact with HIV-negative people on PrEP due to fear of catching something.

Again, education and discussion did very little to persuade people to challenge ideas.

Honestly these experiences left me somewhat confused, angry, and frustrated. Maybe our country is not so backwards. In our current society of embarrassment and self-hatred about being Americans, take a moment out to celebrate and be proud of some of our accomplishments. Although some may consider sexual health to be a more minor set of victories, it is quite significant for those of us that enjoy our sexual freedoms and look to a world that is less negatively impacted by HIV. We are one of the world leaders in something very important. Don’t forget to be proud.

Fauxxxy Friday Photos by Charles Brohous

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