OFM February 2021: Love is Love

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CONTENTS

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08 10 16 18 28 31 36 38 44 50 52 54 59 62

VOLUME 44 NUMBER 20 FEBRUARY 2021

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR OFM BREAKING

Colorado’s Response to COVID Presidential Report Historic Second Impeachment

OFM HEALTH

Bring Out the Sexy Your Way

OFM GALLERY

Bold, Beatiful Love Celestial Glitter Goddess

OFM ART

Jason June Amanda E.K.

CONNECTION, LOVE, PASSION– GIOLÌ & ASSIA OFM DRAG

Heavenly Powers & Neurotika Killz

OFM MUSIC

Sarah Slaton & Sarah Joelle New Music

OFM STYLE

Mods Fashion & Beauty

OFM CULTURE

Cupid’s Arrow

OFM DINING

Combi Taco

OFM THOUGHTS A Queer in Recovery American Queer Life

OFM CANNABIS OFM LUST

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FROM THE EDITOR

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I

hate Valentine’s Day.

It’s not that I’m single, or that I’ve been recently hurt in love. Nor is it that I’m generally asexual or aromantic. I just hate the holiday. So this year, I am doing a lot of self-reflection (who isn’t?) about why I don’t like certain things, including Valentine’s Day. It seems like it boils down to some basic truths. It’s not love that I don’t love. It’s the marketable, mainstream version of Valentine’s Day—the idea that couples, usually straight, cis, white, slim, traditionally attractive couples—are perfect and happy and need a sappy, perfect, happy, pink holiday to celebrate their traditional love. For the same reason, I’m not a big fan of weddings.

I submit that love is not like that. It’s not perfect, not clean, not always monogamous, not easy to figure out, and certainly not always straight, cis, white, slim, and traditionally attractive. The Valentine’s Day we’re being sold is a lie, but love itself is something to celebrate. It’s a lot more than that.

I’d like to submit the same thing about the theme of this issue, Love is Love. Often, the phrase gets brushed off because it’s associated with first-wave gay rights, lobbying for two men to get married. But I think it really means a lot more than a way to sell gay rights to traditional, straight people.

Not all love is between two people, and not everyone craves romantic, monogamous, or committed love. Trans folks, people of color, plus-sized people, and everyone who doesn’t fit the mainstream mold, are deserving of love, be that romantic, platonic, or just plain admiration.

So, with all that in mind, I’d like to take a different approach to the issue this year.

While yes, this celebrates love, it’s love of all kinds, from self-love and self-expression to relationships of all kinds, in all forms. Here are some looks at love is all kinds, and a challenge, that love is love means more than you think it does.

-Addison Herron-Wheeler

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OFM breaking

UPDATE:

COLORADO’S RESPONSE TO COVID As of January 14, 2021

by Ray Manzari

C

olorado Governor Jared Polis has received some criticism in the last month over changes to the State’s COVID response, as well as changes to the vaccine rollout plan. The governor’s tweet informed Coloradans, including healthcare professionals, that all counties currently at Level Red would be moved down to Level Orange by January 4, 2021.

To many, the move felt highly politicized, as Governor Polis prepares his campaign for reelection in 2022, potentially pandering to business owners who were able to reopen at the downgrade. Level Orange allows for a reopening of indoor dining at a capacity of 25 percent max or 50 people, whichever is fewer. Gyms and athletic clubs also began reopening under similar guidelines.

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Polis’ initial tweet announcing the change to several county’s threat level reads as follows: “In reviewing the data, Colorado has been in a sustained decline for 13 days, and only 73 percent of ICU beds statewide are in use. In light of this and based on the data, I am asking CDPHE to move counties in Red on the dial to Orange, effective Monday, January 4, 2021.”

While hospitalizations within Colorado have seen a decrease, the transmission rate of coronavirus still remains high. Public health officials have even warned of a new, more contagious strain of the virus appearing in several countries including the U.S. The mutated strain of the virus was first reported in the U.K. and has since been confirmed to have appeared in Colorado as the first known case in the country.

At two weeks out from the holiday season, Colorado began seeing a slow uptick in cases, but nothing compared to the large spike seen in November, which threatened to compromise healthcare systems. CDPHE official Bob McDonald, in a livestreamed, COVID response update, attributed the initial downturn in cases to Red Level restrictions.

Polis stated that the decision to prioritize older Coloradans came from statistics showing that individuals 70 years and older accounted for more than 78 percent of the state’s coronavirus deaths. The changes also reflect new, federal guidelines for the vaccine, released late last year.

OFM breaking

Should Denver see a drop in cases and remain at 350 cases or lower for one week, businesses will be able to apply for the state’s 5-star certification program. The program encourages businesses to implement safety measures beyond what is already required by public health orders and guidelines that will help slow the spread of COVID-19. In doing so, businesses will be able to accelerate their reopening.

Though teachers and essential workers have been moved up to Phase 1b, there has been increasing confusion regarding when educators can expect to be vaccinated. Cherry Creek schools backtracked on its announcement to begin vaccinating its teachers “right away.” The new plan has teachers starting vaccinations in March.

“It just doesn’t seem to fall in line with the push to reopen schools,” Brooke Williams, president of the Jefferson County Education Association, told 9News. “It’s important for all frontline workers to get the vaccine.”

Denver Public Schools have issued a letter echoing the March timeline for teachers to begin vaccinations, while Douglas County Schools say some of their staff have already received invitations from Centura Health to be vaccinated.

OFM will continue to monitor updates from both local and state officials, to provide you with the most up-to-date information.

Health officials were both surprised and baffled by the downgrade to Level Orange, learning of the change through social media with the rest of the public. Many expressed frustrations about being left in the dark on a major change in state health policy for the second time in one day following Polis’ unexpected changes to the vaccine rollout.

As OFM previously reported, the state planned to roll out vaccinations in phases, with people of highest infection concerns gaining higher priority. However, during a morning news conference on December 30, Polis announced that changes to the initial plan had been made.

Coloradans 70 and older have been pushed up the list to Phase 1b, which previously only included healthcare workers and public safety officials. Phase 1b also added teachers, food and agricultural workers, postal workers, manufacturing workers, transportation workers, grocery or other retail workers, journalists reporting in the field, and people who provide services to those experiencing homelessness.

Previously, the state had planned to keep Phase 1b fairly small to reflect the limited supplies of vaccinations, and had initially included around 100,000 people. The new plan for Phase 1b now covers the largest portion of Coloradans, containing more than 1.3 million people.

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OFM breaking

PRESIDENTIAL REPORT:

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM BIDEN’S FIRST 100 DAYS

by Ray Manzari

B

y the time this is printed, President-Elect Joe Biden will have been sworn into office and begun his service as the 47th President of the United States. He does so with many campaign promises to keep, including new policies which will swiftly veer the country off its current, destructive path.

In addition to reversing or updating decisions made by the Trump administration, Biden spoke at length about his ambitious economic and environmental initiatives, as well as broad actions on racial justice, education, and healthcare.

The sheer volume of his initiatives alone could make them difficult to execute; Biden has introduced more than a dozen policies just on immigration, all of which he plans to complete within his first 100 days. However, the remarkable win for democrats in control of the Senate may very well help push these policies along.

Coronavirus Response High on the priority list is, of course, Biden’s response to coronavirus. Days after becoming president-elect, Biden announced a team of advisers that will spearhead his pandemic response once he takes office.

“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and freely; protecting at-risk populations,” Biden says in a statement.

As a part of this initiative, Biden has promised to work on a new coronavirus aid package. “I’ll ask the new Congress to put a bill on my desk by the end of January with all the resources to see how both our public health and economic response can be seen through the end,” he claimed at an event in late October 2020.

Climate Change One of Biden’s longest-standing campaign promises is to reenter the United States into the Paris Climate Accord of 2015. The U.S. is the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases behind China and is seen as a key power in the global effort to reduce the effects of climate change. Upon rejoining, the U.S. will likely be expected to provide a climate target that is updated from the Obama administration’s goal and a plan to reduce domestic emissions from the power and energy sector.

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Immigration Biden has said on his first day in office he would enact comprehensive legislation that would create a pathway to citizenship for more than 11 million migrants currently living in the U.S. This legislation would also create pathways to citizenship for DREAMers who are affected by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Biden has additionally pledged to solidify DACA as a permanent fixture within the government.

“For over eight years, DACA has given hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who came to this country as children the chance to contribute to the country they know as home. And with that opportunity, they have shown the incredible capacity of the immigrant spirit,” Biden says. “[I] will continue to stand with DACA recipients, their parents, and their families at every step, and in November, joined by millions across this country, we will reject the president who tried to rip so many of our family members, friends, and coworkers out of our lives.”

Biden has also vowed to put an end to the separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border. On Day One as president, Biden has said he plans to pass an executive order establishing a task force focused on reuniting children and parents separated at the border.

Racial Equality and Justice Given the civil unrest the country saw over the summer and landmark Black Lives Matter protests taking place not just in the U.S. but around the world, racial equality measures have also made it high on Biden’s priority list. Biden has pushed for the passage of laws to strengthen the Voting Rights Act.

housing, credit, education, public spaces and services, federally funded programs, and jury service. The Equality Act was passed before by the democratic-led House of Representatives back in 2019; however, the legislation was stalled in the republican-run Senate.

“I will make enactment of the Equality Act a top legislative priority during my first 100 days—a priority that Donald Trump opposes,” Biden told press prior to his election. “I’ll stand up to bullies and once more put human rights at the center of America’s engagement with the world.”

Yet this is just the tip of the iceberg. Biden also has extensive plans to revitalize the economy, build upon the Affordable Care Act, and put an end to Trump’s executive order banning travelers from some Muslim-majority countries.

Other early moves expected from Biden include changes to both higher and public education; most notably he has expressed his support for Senator Bernie Sanders’ College for All Act. However, Trump’s current impeachment could complicate the beginning of the Biden administration, as the Senate will most likely be tied up with a trial. In a statement, Biden told the press that he was still waiting to hear if the chamber could simultaneously confirm cabinet members while an impeachment trial is underway. Both Biden and Schumer have argued that the Senate will try to divide its days so that it can confirm Biden’s nominees and consider COVID-19 stimulus legislation, while also carrying out the trial.

Biden has boasted an ambitious and busy first 100 days in office. Many Americans are eager for a fresh start and administration, though there is still a prevailing sentiment that presses Biden as a more moderate candidate to stay accountable and enact the change necessary to rehabilitate the country. OFM will continue to monitor the Biden Administration in hopes that it can fulfill its many promises.

The Voting Rights Advancement Act establishes a targeted process for reviewing voting changes in jurisdictions nationwide, focused on measures that have historically been used to discriminate against voters, legislation which passed the U.S. House in 2019 but not the Senate, which will now be Democrat-run.

Biden has also said he will institute a national, police oversight commission within his first 100 days of taking office. This part of a larger plan to help overhaul policing, including investing $300 million into community policing measures across the U.S. and tasking the Justice Department with investigating possible issues of police and prosecutorial misconduct.

LGBTQ Rights The Equality Act has also made it high on Biden’s list and is another example of legislation he hopes to pass within his first 100 days. The Equality Act would provide consistent and explicit anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ people across key areas of life, including employment,

OFM breaking

The president-elect also heads into office with an extensive set of environmental goals proposed through his clean energy plan, which includes getting the country to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The proposal calls for a $2 trillion investment throughout his term to boost reliance on clean energy and climate-sustainable practices.

It’s our differences that make us great.

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outfrontmagazine.com 13

OFM breaking

THE HISTORIC SECOND IMPEACHMENT OF DONALD J. TRUMP

by Ray Manzari

O

n January 13, the House voted 232 to 197 to impeach President Trump exactly one week after rioters forced lawmakers to shelter in place as they stormed the U.S. Capital. This vote marks the fourth presidential impeachment and the first time a U.S. president has been impeached twice. Ten republicans, representing nine different states, joined all democrats to impeach Trump for “incitement of insurrection.” While an impeachment wouldn’t oust Trump from office early, it could potentially bar him from holding public office in the future. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office said that the chamber, which republicans currently hold, will not convene again until the transfer of power is complete, meaning, an impeachment trial would not begin before Biden is sworn in on January 20.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi named nine impeachment managers, including Colorado Representatives Diana DeGette and Joe Neguse. These managers will be tasked with presenting the House’s case during the Senate trial.

“I am honored that Speaker Pelosi has asked me to serve as an impeachment manager and help defend our democracy during this critical moment in our nation’s history,” Representative DeGette says in a statement.

“There is no doubt that through his actions in recent weeks, President Trump is now one of the single greatest threats to the safety and security of our nation. It’s important, for the sake of our democracy and the future health of our nation, that he be held fully responsible for his crimes. He should be removed from office immediately, and I look forward to doing my part to ensure that happens as soon as possible.”

The article of impeachment, set forth in House Resolution 24, states: •

“prior to the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to count the votes of the electoral college, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials;

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•

•

•

•

Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said it followed Trump’s ceaseless spread of lies regarding the 2020 election and attempts to sway state election officials to overturn results.

U.S. office.”

“While we respect people’s First-Amendment right to peacefully assemble, we expect people to do so lawfully.

Which, in Denver, means you cannot open-carry a weapon.

And, let me be clear, we will not tolerate violence, destruction of property, or risk of safety to our residents of any kind,” Hancock concluded.

Impeachment, Pelosi says, is “a constitutional remedy that will ensure that the republic will be safe from this man, who “members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, is so resolutely determined to tear down the things that we unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and hold dear, and that hold us together.” engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, In preparation of Inauguration Day and the three days before it, security at the Capital has been tightened, with National including the killing of a law enforcement officer; “President Trump’s conduct on January 6, 2021, followed Guard members stationed inside Congress, and the National Mall barred from public access January 20. This comes his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification after several far-right groups have made claims for further of the presidential election, which included a threatening protests and possible attacks on not just the U.S. capitol but phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia on January capitol buildings in all 50 states.

2, 2021; Mayor of Denver Michael B. Hancock addressed concerns “President Trump gravely endangered the security of the regarding possible demonstrations in a livestreamed, United States and its institutions of government, threatened COVID-19 response update on the January 14, saying; “I want the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the to assure our residents that we are monitoring the situation peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal closely.” Hancock says that Denver police were working with branch of government; and state as well as federal agencies, and announced that they “by such conduct, President Trump warrants impeachment have taken precautionary measures such as modified hours and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold for downtown, city government buildings.

The democrat-led House approved the new article of impeachment in the same chamber where one-week prior, Congress fled rioters stoked by President Trump’s continued propagation of misinformation regarding the election.

Calling January 6 “a day of fire that we all experienced,” House

OFM breaking

•

“shortly before the joint session commenced, President Trump reiterated false claims to a crowd near the White House and willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol;

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OFM health

BRING OUT THE SEXY YOUR OWN WAY

by Zachari Breeding, MS, RDN, CSO, LDN, FAND

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I

t’s no secret that our perception of beauty is shaped by society’s expectations, often made worse by weight teasing, media portrayals of attractiveness, and peer pressure. In addition to creating a scenario in which disordered eating habits may develop, how we feel about our looks can significantly impact our self esteem.

When it comes to dating, studies show that romantic relationships can exacerbate these feelings of insecurity and worthlessness.

Hydration

Dating is but one factor that may be related to body dissatisfaction and altered [unhealthy] eating habits.

When we date, we double down on the pressure to fit body ideals and societal expectations of what is “attractive.”

However, this does not need to be the case.

Move every day; examples include walking, biking, hiking, yoga, stretching, calisthenics, and other forms of overt exercise (such as lifting weights and running). Daily movement can be quick but effective and does not need to increase your heart rate. Exercise, which does increase your heart rate, at least three times per week, but listen to your body and do what you can. There are many benefits to movement including increasing focus, self-esteem, and various other health markers.

In the words of RuPaul, “If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?” With this in mind, our goals should be centered around starting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for ourselves—and letting everything else fall by the wayside. We all know developing a workable and realistic, healthy lifestyle is difficult—this also means it is definitely worth celebration and recognition.

Being healthy has nothing to do with weight (or body mass index, which was developed more than 50 years ago using a segregated group of study participants)­ —healthcare practitioners are even distancing themselves from using this as part of their assessments.

Reaching a healthy lifestyle has three components: nutrition, hydration, and movement. The idea is to focus on these aspects, which are changeable with behavior and action, to help support feelings of worthiness, beauty, success, and sexiness. Here are the basics to each component:

Drink those eight cups of water you keep hearing about every day. The more the better, especially in places with higher elevation. The eight-cup recommendation is purely a minimum, not the goal—the risks of overhydration are nowhere near as plausible as the risks of dehydration.

Fluids containing salt, sugar, and artificial sweeteners may further dehydrate you. Simply put—there is no substitute for pure water.

OFM health

Much of the research that exists is centered around cisgender females, specifically those under 18 years of age.

However, nearly 80 percent of all Americans report feeling unhappy with how they look. It should also be noted that feelings of insecurity, worthlessness, and poor body image are increased in the LGBTQ population, specifically, among transgender individuals (and even more specifically, transgender females of color). One thought behind this increased prevalence is the pressure from within the LGBTQ community and societal expectations of what constitutes “masculine” and “feminine” bodies.

Movement

Media portrayals of “healthy” bodies are not going to help us love ourselves. Society is not about to change its unrealistic expectations on how we “should” look.

Ultimately, it is up to us as individuals to believe that health and beauty comes from within and shines out through us, not the other way around.

When we focus on improving ourselves—whether it is spiritually, mentally, or physically—we find more things to love about ourselves, which positions us to be more confident and exude radiance whenever we choose to enter the dating pool.

Nutrition Eat at least five to eight servings of fruits and vegetables per day. One serving equals a half-cup cooked, one cup raw, or one whole piece of fruit or vegetable. Choose fried foods, processed snack foods, and candy or sweets less than once weekly. Purchase most of your foods around the perimeter of the grocery store—bakery, produce, dairy, meat or meat substitutes, and dairy or dairy substitutes.

Red and processed meats (such as bacon, deli meats, and cured sausage) should be limited as much as possible.

There is no need to avoid any one food or endure an overly restrictive eating plan.

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OFM gallery

Regina Staxxx and

Cash Taylor

by Veronica L. Holyfield

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Photos by Julius Garrido

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OFM gallery

F

or many LGBTQ couples, seeing their relationship represented in a glamorous, striking, elegant, and stunning way that feels rooted in authenticity is rare if not nonexistent. Capturing that bold and sometimes-radical statement that is love between queer folks is a political statement, and creating a safe space for that love to shine through is inherently profound.

For as much as we proclaim progress, many who fall within the umbrella of the community oftentimes still don’t see themselves as deserving of such recognition, and it takes those who are unapologetic and fierce to step in front of the lens and offer themselves up to scrutiny, all for the sake of essential narration.

“It’s beautiful to be able to show that you are worthy of being loved, no matter how you identify and how you look. There’s no one way of being trans, and being queer is a beautiful thing, so I feel honored to be able to show that with my partner,” Cash Taylor shares with OFM during an intimate conversation about what it means to be a featured couple in a print magazine. “We never thought as trans people that we would find somebody that understood us and respected us and was willing to be there and take care of us,” he explains.

Cash Taylor and Regina Staxxx offer a delicate-yet-intentional declaration of queer love and were chosen to be featured not only because they offer that necessary representation of support and care in a queer relationship, but because for so long, trans folks have been silenced and not given the platform to declare their love openly and without fear.

“It’s good to continue the discussion and talk of identity and relationships, and navigating the world as those people,” Regina expands on the idea. “Trans relationships have always been here; queer relationships have always been here, and to be able to spotlight that is exciting.”

Taylor and Regina started out as friends after they met online and sparked an immediate connection. Due to the nature of COVID requiring smaller social circles and limited gatherings outside of close, pod interactions, the relationship took shape into what is now a loving relationship of mutual adoration, respect, and growth.

“It blossomed into a really awesome relationship at the beginning of last year from being able to be around each other a lot more,” Regina explains. “It was just, ‘Stay with certain people, or don’t be around other people,’ and we were always together, so we were always safe and stayed with each other throughout the whole pandemic, and we’re still going strong.”

The couple labels their relationship as open, and they have a resonating confidence that they are each other’s person. What makes the partnership between Taylor and Regina work best is their ability to be honest and fully communicate, providing a safe space to be their best selves inside and outside of the relationship.

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OFM gallery

“I definitely enjoy that Cash is always willing to communicate everything with me, and he brings to the relationship a lot of maturity,” Regina says. She explains that he supports and encourages her confidence and helps elevate her to the next level that she is aspiring to. “I’ve accomplished so much in the time that I’ve been with him, and it’s all been because of his push to go out and go forth and make my dreams come true.”

Due to the nature of Regina’s more outgoing and extroverted personality, she in turn is able to help pull Taylor out of his head. “I think that it brings a beautiful balance to the relationship and pushes me to be more myself around other people. Regina really just helps me be a calm person. It makes it really fun being like the yin and yang of the relationship.

“It definitely brings almost an ability to put your vulnerabilities out there and feel safer doing so and knowing that your partner is also going to be there to uphold you through your weaknesses and not take it out on you,” says Cash.

Capturing the essence of what makes this couple so beautiful was a task that photographer Julius Garrido was eager and excited to execute. He wanted to be able to emphasize a queer, trans couple who not only offered the yin and yang that thrives within a successful couple but also showcases one of incredible power, strength, and style.

“I have to consider how my subject wants to present themselves; my goal as a photographer is to amplify the kinds of beauty that they want to express. Any person can be beautiful, regardless of what label they want to associate with,” Garrido explains.

While photographing, Garrido carries with him his own experience in navigating the world as a queer person in a space that is anything less than affirming and uses that create an experience that is both enjoyable and affirming for the couples he works with.

“Growing up in the Philippines, I learned when I was little that only a boy can like a girl and vice versa. As I grew up, I became aware of my orientation, and I was told that, ‘OK, if you’re gay, you’re still bound to this dichotomy, only a feminine and a masculine could like each other,’” he explains.

“It becomes not important anymore, so the reason why I did this is to just to show the world that orientation, gender, or sex is not really relevant as long as you love a person,” he explains.

In executing this photoshoot, Garrido describes the connection between Taylor and Regina in a way that places one right inside the dynamic of their relationship.

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“While I was photographing them, I could feel that there’s just love between them, like off-camera, they would be sweet to each other. It’s gonna read into the photos if you truly like each other, and that’s what I’m trying to do is to capture the sweetness, the chemistry between them,” he explains.

Additionally, his role as a photographer is to make folks feel comfortable in front of the lens, giving them that freedom to truly express themselves and allow him to capture that inherent beauty within.

“It was a very affirming experience as well for Cash because Cash used to do modeling and photoshoots, and so it was really nice to have him be excited about how he looked,” Regina begins while Cash elaborates.

“When I was first starting my transition, I actually got in contact through a friend with a modeling agency that had just been started for trans people, and I had done some modeling events with them. I had not had top surgery; I wasn’t growing facial hair; I was only, like, six months on hormones, and when I would do these photoshoots, I would just feel very not me. So, to have a photoshoot three, four years later, and to see myself as who I always saw myself as, and without my shirt, without the binder lines under a white shirt, it was just an immense amount of gender euphoria,”

Cash explains, “When the pictures came back, I got tears in my eyes because I was just like, ‘Wow, we look amazing.’ To see our authentic selves shining through was very empowering.”

Additionally, Regina makes it a point to shout out to those who helped the couple get their looks together in addition to reiterating how amazing it was to work with Garrido.

“I’m also very thankful for my Staxxx family, and also Brittany Blaze Shearz for getting that hair done for me. She works so hard; she did it in a day! It was just wonderful to have my community, my Staxxx family, and the girls here in Denver. I want to make sure that those people who were there to help are definitely elevated and credited,” Regina says.

“There’s just really no one way that trans and queer looks like,” Taylor says. ”I feel honored to be able to be part of a representation of that community with my partner, and I love being able to share what it looks like for us, and possibly give inspiration for the people that want to have relationships like that, or feel like they just can’t be their true self and find the love that is going to love them for them.”

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Photos byMadison Machen

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Celestial Glitter Goddess

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by Veronica L. Holyfield

Photographer Madison Machen knew she wanted to feature a unique perspective of something she has been seeing a lot of on social media. Taking the celestial goddess, Machen wanted to queer it up by featuring a male model tapping into feminine energy, pulling out the inner goddess that exists in all of us.

Marrying the dimensions of both masculine and feminine, Machen wanted to encompass a statuesque quality, an otherworldly beauty, while keeping her model, Jacob Higgins, intact.

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Machen, who has been doing photography for about three years, is exercising her creative muscles again after taking a brief hiatus and is thrilled with the outcome. Machen and Higgins live in the same apartment complex, and after forming a friendship, the two thought it would be fun to collaborate and execute this glittery, celestial goddess look. After a trip to the dollar store, Machen got out the glitter and set up a backdrop in the bedroom of her 650-square-foot apartment, and the pair got to creating.

“We just had fun with it; we were laughing, and we took photos for over an hour; it was so great,” Machen describes.

“He’s never modeled before, so he was like, ‘Oh I don’t know what to do; I don’t know where I should look.’ Within the first like five photos we took, I showed him. I’m like ‘Jacob, look at this! You are stunning.’”

For Higgins, this photoshoot couldn’t have come at a better time in life. After recently going through a divorce and relocating to Colorado from Palm Springs, he is reclaiming a part of himself that he had lost in that relationship.

“It’s really interesting when you have this ‘battered wife syndrome,’ I don’t know what else to call it, that you’ve been put down for so long. It took about a year to gain my self-worth back and remember who I was,” Higgins explains.

We often think of February, the month of love, as a way to celebrate the love we have for others, but so often, we forget that the most important person we must learn to love, respect, and appreciate is ourselves.

“I’ve never been happier being in a relationship with myself,” Higgins divulges. “For 14 years, I forgot who I was and became a doormat, so it’s really exciting to rediscover these passions.”

The traumatizing and abusive relationship that Higgins left carried with it a set of scars that took some time to heal from, and he says that it was through the love of those around him that he was able to grow into owning a love for himself.

“I felt so ashamed of what I had been a part of and how I had cocooned myself from all my friends and family.

It was amazing to see how many more people believed in me than I believed in myself. The fact that they were just waiting and ready to help and support and love me really helped me gain some self-worth again,” he says.

After some intensive therapy and taking care of his body by losing 50 pounds over the course of six months, Higgins looked in the mirror and began to truly love who he saw.

He finishes by saying, “Basically, dating myself has been incredible. Now, in my opinion, if you want to join my life in a relationship, you should be a bonus to my life.”

A Renaissance of sorts, this collaboration has been a kind of rebirth for both Higgins and Machen. A reawakening of the excitement, passion, and drive that reconnecting and realigning with oneself can truly bring.

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OFM art

GENDERQUEER AUTHOR

Jason June

by Denny Patterson

J

ason June is a genderqueer author who writes children and young adult (YA) stories that are not only fun and flamboyantly wacky, but also queer-inclusive. His powerful and inspiring, LGBTQ characters are helping to change the mindset of the world we live in today. June wants every child and teenager to know that it is OK for them to be their authentic selves despite their age or environment that surround them.

Based in Austin, Texas, June’s work includes the pun-filled picture book Whobert Whover, Owl Detective, and Porcupine Cupid, a queer-inclusive Valentine’s story. Later this year, he will release his whimsical, Scholastic, chapter book series, Mermicorn Island, and a YA rom-com called Jay’s Gay Agenda.

Photo by Ryan Bilawsky

June took some time to chat with OFM about his books, the importance of queer representation for young people, and the power of embracing who you are.

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Thank you for taking some time to chat with me about your work writing queer-inclusive youth stories. Have you always had a passion for writing?

I have always had a passion for it. The first thing I can actually remember putting pen to paper for, we were copying word-forword the script of Labyrinth, the David Bowie film. I was 7 or 8, and I wrote that out so my friends and I could perform it. From there, just that physical act of writing was such an eye-opening experience for me that I could create my own world and my own stories. When I was 10, I moved on to Pokémon fanfiction, then high school creative writing courses, and here we are now.

DISSOLVABLES

Make anything an edible. Just mix it in.

it is not in our control. It is how we talk that feeling out that creates the best magical coupling.

Why do you believe it is important for children to see the message of queer inclusivity?

It is so important for kids to see the message of inclusivity, so they realize that there is more than just one option of how their life is going to look. That there is more than you need to be with somebody who is of the opposite sex, and that’s it. I knew from a very young age that I was different. I can distinctly remember, even as young as 6, being like this does not feel right. Watching these Disney princesses, I don’t ever feel like the prince. I feel like I should be the princess, and I couldn’t find the words.

I would not have been able to say I am queer, but I knew that something was different about me. I think it is so important to have queer inclusion in kids’ books so they start to see the different options their life can take, or the people they can connect with on a soul level and understand that what I am seeing in the mainstream all the time or told that my future must look like is not necessarily true. In all these different avenues, all these different career avenues, there is still just as much love, hope, success, and community as anywhere else.

Follow June on Twitter and Instagram @heyjasonjune to stay up-to-date on the latest news and projects, or visit his official website, heyjasonjune.com. Visit heyjasonjune.substack.com to subscribe to his newsletter. To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

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What made you gravitate toward children and young adult books?

I have a firm belief that the world is full of unicorns and rainbows, and you can write more about unicorns and rainbows in the kid and YA space. As we grow up, we kind of get a bit more jaded about life and about the magic that really does exist in the world, and I feel like kids and teens are so much more ready to discuss the fact that whether you are writing fantasy or contemporary, these googly feelings of warm bubbles that I would call magic exists in the world.

Your latest book, Porcupine Cupid, is a Valentine’s story and came out in December. Can you tell us more about it?

Absolutely. Porcupine Cupid is my picture book illustrated

by Lori Richmond. It is a queer-inclusive Valentine’s story, so Porcupine is really obsessed with love. He is actually a physical embodiment of the emotion of love, and he goes around and pokes his forest neighbors with his quills, but none of them can figure out why. So, they come together and hold this big meeting to solve the pokey Porcupine problem, and at this meeting, they meet the love of their life, which was Porcupine’s plan all along.

That is what the whole romance genre is all about. You will see in rom-coms, people being like, ‘Oh, this is my best friend.’ They can’t fall in love with them, but they do. Or, this is supposed to be a rebound person, ‘I can’t fall in love with them,’ but they do. Porcupine is sort of introducing that concept for our youngest readers. That love strikes us, and

NEW!

Let the world dissolve on your tongue.

Your feel good gummies. @stillwater.life outfrontmagazine.com 29

Photos provided by Amanda E.K.

OFM art

QUEER CREATIVE

Amanda E.K.

by Denny Patterson

A

writer and filmmaker, Amanda E.K. grew up in the Evangelical Church and was introduced to the concept of purity culture early on, the idea that God would reward her with wonderful sex if she waited until marriage. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

From being social and innocently flirtatious, E.K. became anxious and withdrawn. She soon realized that there was so much more than what she was taught growing up. E.K eventually came into her own truths as an atheist and a self-described “queer, polyamorous, nonbinary, womxn� in a loving marriage with her husband. E.K is currently pitching a memoir on her experience growing up in a fundamentalist, purity culture.

E.K. took some time to chat more with OFM about her religious upbringing and creative projects.

You are a writer who is very sex-positive and often includes romance or erotica in your work. Can you tell us how that began?

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I have been writing in a diary since the age of 7, and I still have all these diaries. A couple years ago, I decided I was going to turn them into a memoir about growing up in an Evangelical Church. Going back, I saw that I was always writing about relationships. Even at a young age, I always had this very romantic spirit. Once I started going to youth retreats through church, they really start inundating you with messages about you are meant to be married, and you are meant to save your body and pleasure for marriage.

I got obsessed with the idea of saving myself and finding the one since the age of 12, if not younger. It started as early as I can remember, writing about this stuff. I was just naturally inclined within the church. It brought that out of me in an unhealthy way, and it has taken many years to morph that back into something healthy. I was always seeking, always loving the idea of someone earning me, me earning someone, and God promising I would be rewarded with great sex if I waited until marriage. So, I did.

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I met my husband when I was 19 in college, and we got married right out of college. He was cool, for the most part, with waiting. He knew he wanted to be with me long-term. He was not religious, but he was like, fine, whatever. He respected it. Then, it just was not at all what I was told it was going to be. I had a lot of difficulties with sex. I was, I guess you can say, a very lusty young person, so I wanted to get married early so I could start having sex. Then, when we did, my whole body shut down, and I hated myself.

So, it has been a journey since then of coming back around to learning how to love my body, feel comfortable in it, and learn how to talk about sex. For most of my life, it was never OK to talk about it.

What do you hope audiences take away from your work?

Feeling seen and relatability. I want to find the people who grew up in a similar way, who are yearning to feel free in their own bodies and in their own sexual expression. Just to understand that sexual shame can be overcome, and it is a journey. Be patient with yourself. You are not alone.

Can you tell us more about the TV show you are working on, Hazelwood?

Yes. I have a creative partner; his name is Jesse Livingston, and we started writing it off a mutual love for David Lynch’s work. It is a supernatural story. Not like hard supernatural, but a gothic mystery, psychological thriller set in a small town in Iowa. It opens with a suicide of a young, high school boy throwing himself off a water tower after being really influenced by a piece of art. As this comes out, it is discovered that there had been a suicide 30 years prior after the man had observed a piece of art by the same artists.

It turns into this search for the art and the artist who disappeared in the 90s, and it draws people from New York and L.A. They come and want to find the art so they can buy it because this artist suddenly blows up as being famous and desirable even though he disappeared. It then turns into a search for his art, what’s behind it, and why it is leading some people to feel drawn to death because of it.

Do you have any other film projects in the works?

Several. I am working on a series of black-and-white, photofilm stories, pandemic stories, and we are also working on another TV show as well. We just released a short film in November called Second Surface, and that was an official selection at the IndieX Film Fest. We also got nominated for “Best Mobile Short” and “Best Experimental Short.”

Follow E.K. on Twitter @AmandaEKwriter, and Instagram @amanda. ek.writer to stay up-to-date, or visit her official website, amandaekwriter. com. Also, make sure to follow E.K.’s production company, Glass Cactus, on Instagram @glasscactus_prods and Vimeo at vimeo.com/ glasscactus for the latest news and projects. To read the full interview, visit outfrontmagazine.com.

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GiolĂŹ & Assia A Stimulating Connection, A Prolific Love

by Veronica L. Holyfield

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Photos by Riccardo Iozza

W

hen Italian DJ Giorgia “Giolì” Lipari met fellow, Italy-based creative Assia Nani in 2014, she knew that their electric chemistry would build a life of their own design. The budding connection had begun to take form and was ushering way to a career beyond anything either could have expected. Willing to plunge deep into discovery, they catapulted from what some considered a risky dream into a successful partnership of prolific concepts, captivating music, and a surrender to love.

The web of social media is what originally brought Giolì and Assia together, with Facebook acting as a networking conduit, proving their alliance in both inspired passions and life-long goals. They were sure they had something special independently, Assia having established herself as a photographer and talent manager in entertainment and Giolì a young and fresh solo DJ artist and producer who was climbing her way up the charts.

Starting out as an artist/manager duo, Assia represented Giolì, and as they worked closely together they quickly realized that there was more to their kismat connection than that of just an artistic collaboration. The two had fallen in love, and to combine forces by integrating their independent talents could either result in pure rhythmic alchemy or end in creative destruction.

“When we began, we had some issues, mostly because I was very young,” Giolì explains.

“My parents tried to convince me that I needed to be alone, I needed to create my career first, but I didn’t want a relationship like my parents had, so I made the decision to live my life as I want.”

A vague project slowly took form, as the couple combined their passion for creativity, desire for travel, and need for self-expression. They founded their own record label in 2016 to explore the possibilities, and finally, in 2017, they had landed on a clear direction and formed the electronic-pop duo now known worldwide as Giolì & Assia.

“We wanted to feel free, without any limits, to try different kinds of music,” Giolì explains. Without confinement, they fearlessly navigated soundscapes of both underground instrumentals and harmonic, pop melodies. “When we are sitting in front of the laptop; we don’t have to do this or this; we just try.” outfrontmagazine.com 33

At a steadfast pace, it took the duo only a few years to hone in on a sound that is distinct yet multifarious, layered in a rich essence that is solely Giolì & Assia. Stoking a magnanimous fire of genre-blurring and bending, they leaned into their influences and aroused sonic echoes of techno, dance, house, indie, and pop music. Creating tracks that are pulsing and tantalizing, these multi-instrumentalists take well-deserved pride in what they produce and have an effervescent and elastic skill of providing striking visual accompaniments to each piece so they can fully realize an entire concept.

“We’re creating everything we want to create, expressing ourselves in music, graphics, or video. We started step-bystep, and then everything became a little bit bigger,” Assia says during a video chat with the pair in early December of 2020. “The reaction of the people was super positive, super lovely and warm, so we said, ‘OK, this is the right direction.’”

As the pair continues to embark on each new creative direction their music takes them, the magic hinges on the balance that they strike in both their collaborative and personal relationships. Giolì is a dreamer, often reaching for the vision regardless of obstacles, and Assia is a realistic executor bringing those dreams to life. Never ideal but rather idealistic, the imagination takes over during the brainstorming process and then opens doors to what is possible.

There is spontaneity in the creative energy that flows back and forth between the pair. Yes, no, maybe, yes—that seems to be the nature of the collaboration. Giolì says yes; Assia says no; they both say maybe, and then eventually land on yes.

“She is the one who always wants the craziest thing, and at first, I always say no because it’s too hard,” Assia admits. She uses the example of Giolì wanting to place a grand piano on top of an active volcano for one of their filmed live sets.

“We put it, we tried to fix all the points and put all the instruments there, and it was too hard, but it was really worth it.”

Giolì & Assia are possibly best-known for that 2019 live performance of Diesis on top of an active volcano in Milazzo, Sicily, which has amassed more than 8.6 million views on YouTube alone. Two creative minds bind together into one forceful soul, and, as Giolì continues to dream, Assia takes the lead and gets the work done.

“I’m more into these kind of things, like creative, crazy, but she’s the one who really 3 4 OFM F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 1

takes care of us,me personally, more,” Giolì states with a knowing grin. “I lose everything. I lost my phone inside a taxi in Bali, in Malaysia … So, I think she has her feet on the ground; I have my head in the clouds.”

Early in their songwriting partnership, they knew that they wanted to weave in the execution of all their passions, including the visual themes, the sonic unity of their tonal structures, and their heart-stirring love. It was only a matter of time that their vivacious adoration for one another wove into their music. In late 2017, the pair made it public to their audiences that this was not just a songwriting partnership, but a life partnership. They released the music video for their single “Starry Nights,” which alluded to that sensual connection, and they removed any and all doubts with the video for the single “Borderline.”

For the most part, the two haven’t faced many obstacles in the industry for being a queer couple who are creating music together; however, they do recall one trip to Malaysia for a gig that was cancelled because of ‘problems with their visas.’ Being fairly certain that it was more a fact of the overwhelming homophobia that still plagues that country, their suspicions were later confirmed after speaking with those who were in charge of the booking for that show.

“They said we cannot enter in the country because we can stimulate the people to be gay,” Assia explains in more detail.

“It’s weird that this kind of reality still exists, and music should be universal, but I think this will just need time.

There will be a moment where everyone will be free in those countries, but we already have the support from the [ fans] there.”

Being so out and vocal about their love wasn’t a choice they made easily, and they don’t minimize that there were a lot of factors they considered before making things blatantly clear. Giolì even describes the hand-wringing that occurred before releasing the music video featuring their first-ever, onscreen kiss.

“The video for ‘Feel Good;’ I spent like five months trying to decide if I wanted to share this video or not on YouTube because we have a lot of friends in Arabic countries, and we were supposed to play in Saudi Arabia,” she explains.

“I was scared of maybe losing the respect or the love from our fans,

and I didn’t want them to stop loving us just because of our sexuality. In the other hand, I think we should be proud of who we are, so it was very difficult, but we shared it … one year later.”

they approach the evolution of their music, personal growth, or creative process.

“Freedom is our word, in music and even sexuality,” Assia emphasizes. “We are proud of being a couple and being a duo.”

“Sometimes, I like to wear a dress or I like to wear a bra [on stage], and usually there’s comments like, ‘You don’t need to show your skin; you can show your talent.’ I started to think, ‘Yeah, maybe this is true. I should just wear all black until here,’” Giolì says as she points to the part of her throat where a turtleneck would typically rest. “But, at the same time, I think, ‘Why does this bother you so much?’ I am a musician; I can show my talent, and I can show my beauty. I should be able to wear whatever I want.”

Presenting their true selves in both the way they navigate their creativity as well as how they represent their personal relationship is important to them. The fact that they are queer is not the only thing these women have been critized for in the past, but it by no means is going to change how

Nevertheless, Giolì also admits that she is more sensitive to those kinds of remarks, and the criticism can stir up a feeling of sadness, whereas Assia is unbothered by those kinds of comments and has a strength that Gioli admires. In fact,

The two concluded, with the support of their creative and management team, that if they lost fans, or if promoters didn’t want to book or work with Giolì & Assia because of their queerness, that the band was better off without the negativity.

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there is a lot about Assia that she admires, and it’s truly beautiful to listen to the ways in which they see and care for one another.

“When I think about home, I think about her. When I’m sad, I just share with her everything because I want to be covered, protected. It’s what I’m looking for now is someone to grow with; she’s taking my back, always. She never says that she can’t do anything, she can do whatever, even when she doesn’t know,” Giolì says with adoration in her thick, Italian accent.

Additionally Giolì shares that she just recently got her driver’s license in Italy because she has been touring since such a young age, and she never had time before. She talks about the fact that Assia would take her to her driving classes every, single day and would subsequently wait for her in the car for the one-hour lessons to finish. Now, that’s love.

Assia also has her own list of things she appreciates and admires about Giolì within their professional and personal lives.

“As you can imagine, she’s the creative spark of the couple,” Assia says with a glow. “She’s so stimulating and comes up with crazy ideas everyday, and I very, very fall in love with this.”

Assia describes that through the fact that Giolì is open to learning and growing in her personal development, she has been able to learn about herself and grow through that different point of view and perspective.

“Also, I love that I’m never tired of her because you can imagine a couple after six years, it can be hard, especially with a quarantine; we’re always together. It was one of the best years; we learned so much; we love so much to spend time together. This is what I love most,” Assia affirms.

While COVID has definitely presented some challenges in how the duo are able to express themselves and play in front of live audiences, they are still finding interesting and inspiring ways to stay connected to their passion of making music and to their fans. Since their life before lockdown was dedicated to traveling and performing, the couple has experienced all the physical, mental, and emotional cycles that we all have during quarantine.

“I think there are two kinds of reactions, and we had both.

When we were very productive, we started to write, like, one whole album. But after that period, in the summer, we were very upset because we just wanted to go out and play in front of the people. I think now we are back in the production period because it’s winter, and usually we do this, but I think in summer, we hope to be back because summer is meant to be for travel,” Assia says.

Admittedly, while periods of time have been both familiar and different to what life was like before COVID, the couple has leaned more into their production and recording talents and are preparing to release a brand-new EP, Moon Faces, which comes out February 12. Possibly some of their strongest material yet, it seems that the time home, the energy and focus on growth, and the strength within the relationship has bode well for the duo.

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While they have ventured into behind-the-scenes roles of music production; record label management; and centerstage, artistic talent, 2021 is just kicking off, and the music moguls are still curating loose goals for what the future may hold.

“This year just taught me to stop having long-term plans,” Giolì confesses. “I just want my family to be healthy and maybe to work a little bit more.” In addition to their new EP, they are stirring up some new collaborations with artists from different countries and are eager to combine different languages into their songwriting. Assia speaks five languages and has integrated French, Spanish, Italian, and English into some of the upcoming releases outside of Moon Faces.

Also eager to jump into production of a full-length album if they are still unable to tour over the year, the duo know that this could be an intense year of focusing on writing and recording alone with not a lot of opportunities for live performance. Staying creative and amassing a large amount of fresh, new music to be able to play in front of audiences the second they get the chance will be a feasible focal point to stay in that state of stimulation.

“I’m very proud of what me and my almost-wife have made,” Giolì boasts with the pride of a self-actualized and talented artist mixed with the humility of a woman in love who is passionate about their life together.

As Giolì & Assia continue to forge ahead and create their own space in the world of techno-dance-pop music, their authenticity shines through like the brightest star in the night sky. Never sacrificing the unique and at times extravagant creative vision for what is easiest or most palpable, it will be that fearless drive and the power that they manifest within each other that is certain to continue their ride to the top of a successful career and a beautiful love story.

Photo by Darling Photography

OFM drag

SICKENINGLY SWEET

H

eavenly Powers and Neurotika Killz are some of Denver’s most prominent drag artists. Unique in their alternative style and aesthetic, these two queens are not only partners in drag, but partners in life. They met three years ago at one of Yvie Oddly’s parties, and they quickly became one of Denver’s most powerful drag couples.

and

by Denny Patterson

OFM had the opportunity to chat more with Heavenly and Neurotika about drag, performing together, and how this art form has helped cement their relationship.

How long have you two been together, and how did you first meet?

Heavenly Powers: We have been together for almost three years and have been friends for long. We met for the first time on Yvie Oddly’s couch, but we may have passed each other in the club before.

Neurotika Killz: I spent the next year following Heavenly around in drag not even realizing I was falling in love.

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artists, especially one who do not fit the standard, are often pitted against each other.

HP: I have been doing drag for about four-and-a-half years. I have had a passion for makeup since I was just a weird goth kid. Doing drag became such a good way to channel my visions. When I was a teenager, I admired the drag queens and club kids, but I never thought I would be accepted as one of them.

NK: The biggest perk to me is creating together. I have been an artist my whole life and it is wonderful to have someone to share that with. Also, it is great as a queer person to have a partner who has impeccable taste for all things. On the flip side, jealousy has been a big personal challenge for me. For a while, I felt like I was not good enough for Heavenly because my art was not as good, and it cramped my expression and got us into a lot of fights. It can be hard sometimes to balance the fantasy of drag with the overpowering thrill of falling in love, but we have learned a lot together.

NK: I think about three years now. I discovered drag in a moment of complete self-loss. Drag taught me how to be myself again, and it helped me heal so much through selfexpression. Drag is magic.

Can you tell us more about your aesthetic and style?

HP: I think of my drag as a non-human cartoon. As far as style, I am heavily influenced by new wave and 80s goth musicians and subculture, along with surrealism, Catholicism, aesthetics, and designers such as Thierry Mugler and Gareth Pugh. My personal style is always evolving.

NK: When I first started, I looked around and saw a lot of queens embodying a character. So, I wanted to be a parody of all the manic pixie dream girls and the mentally ill bait in a lot of male-centric culture throughout history.

I am mentally ill, and I wanted to use my drag to challenge stigmas while being filthy and free. Neurotika is a ghost of revenge and truth that people want to forget.

Since you are both nonbinary, do you try to incorporate nonbinary elements into your drag?

HP: I think our drag inherently challenges the binary because we do not fit the preconception of what a drag queen is to most people, and you can see a lot of trans-fueled despair in our performances and looks. Non-binary/transness is not one look or vibe, but I think it is still palpable.

NK: Since I am nonbinary, everything I express is in what I consider to be a nonbinary way. Neurotika is any and all genders as they choose to express.

You have become sort of a power couple within the Denver drag scene. What do you enjoy the most about working together?

HP: It is nice to not have to worry about explaining what drag is or what it means to me. We have both been artists for a long time, it is easy for us to work together to create a vision. I have really enjoyed making drag videos with Neurotika ever since in-person drag had to be phased out.

NK: I love that we can make art together and can easily communicate ideas and aesthetics. I love working on videos or photoshoots together!

What would you say are the perks and challenges of having a fellow drag artist for a significant other?

HP: Sharing clothes, having a similar passion and being around each other while working the same gig, and going out to a party when you know you are both looking so otherworldly and hot. RIP parties. Those are some of the perks. Challenges, sometimes you both want to wear the same thing in the same show on the same night, and drag

OFM drag

How long have you been doing drag, and when did you discover your passion for it?

How has drag brought you closer together as a couple?

HP: Drag is hard and trying in general; it is not a walk in the park. If we can survive that level of stress and uncertainty together, we can probably survive a lot.

NK: We teach and learn a lot from each other, and since we both express so visually, it is easy to communicate big concepts and ideas.

How have you been coping and staying in touch with fans during the COVID-19 pandemic?

HP: Producing content is going way slower than I am comfortable with, but I have been connecting as much as I can with social media, creating video performances, and taking photos at home. As for coping, I don’t know her.

NK: I have continued to put out art and drag as often as I can, albeit a bit slower. I have released several videos and hosted a Twitch version of “Madhouse� back in October. It has been hard to maintain anything steady, but I have taken the time out of the bar to work on my mental health and heal from traumas that have been on hold for years.

What more would you like to accomplish with your drag platform?

HP: I want to use my voice and my unique experiences to uplift others and connect with other artists. And to live a life of glamour and excess.

NK: To me, drag is about bringing people together that feel isolated or disenfranchised by this world. Showing them that they are not alone. I would hope to do that with any art.

And then, if they so choose, they can use their art to reclaim their power and fight.

Before we wrap up, do you have any upcoming projects you would like to mention or plug?

HP: Keep an eye out for some music I am working on later this year with a couple locals!

NK: This year, I am working on some more music with Yvie, myself, and a few others. I want to continue to bring queer and trap music together, and I recently launched a YouTube that will host a show I have been working on later this year.

To stay up-to-date with their latest projects and exclusive content, follow Heavenly on Instagram (@Heavenly_powers) and Twitter (@ripheavenly) and Neurotika on Instagram (@neurotikakillz) .

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OFM music

PARTNERS IN LIFE AND MUSIC

Sarah Slaton & Sarah Joelle

by Denny Patterson

F

ort Collins-based singer-songwriter Sarah Slaton is both poignant and relatable.

Calling Arkansas home, Slaton taught herself to play guitar in the shadow of the Ozarks before making her way out west, where she founded and fronted the Colorado trio, Edison. The band toured with Iron & Wine and opened for the likes of Nathaniel Rateliff, the Revivalists, and Shakey Graves.

Going solo in 2019, Slaton has released several singles including “Dance In the Sun,” a cover of Showtime’s The L Word theme, and has been featured in King Dub’s “Limited Time.” 105.5 The Colorado Sound has voted Slaton as one of the “Top 20 Colorado Artists of All Time.”

Although the life of a musician has drastically changed over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Slaton has remained busy. Not only did she release her latest single, “Get Up,” a sullen-yet-lighthearted tune, but she has been creating music with her romantic partner, Sarah Joelle. Additionally, they have both been reaching out to help fellow, independent artists who have been struggling during these unprecedented times.

OFM had the opportunity to chat more with Slaton and Joelle about their relationship, working together, and how music has brought them closer together as a couple.

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Sarah Joelle: I think it was at a fancy New Year’s Eve party in either 2016 or 2017 that was being thrown by a mutual friend of ours.

Sarah Slaton: Yup. We met, and we ended up singing karaoke together that night. We did “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. Then, we started playing actual music together and dating, like, a year later.

Is it odd to be with someone who has the same name as you?

SS: I don’t think about it [laughs]. I call her Joelle since that is her middle name, or I call her Jo. SJ: Yeah, a lot of people call me Jo. It is different, but it is one of those things that really doesn’t bother me. I think it bothers other people more than it bothers us.

SS: And it’s funny because a lot of my friends call me Slaton. So, you have some people who don’t call either of us Sarah.

Photos by Circle B Photo

Have you both always had a passion for music?

SS: Always. Sarah Jo went to school for music, and I went to school for music business, but I was raised on a bunch of great music from my parents like Fleetwood Mac and The Grateful Dead. I have been playing music ever since I was 17.

SJ: Absolutely. Not only do we get to spend more time together when we play in the same musical group because we practice a lot and rehearse, but I feel like we learn a lot more about each other based on how we write and create music. It has brought us a lot closer.

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You are both musical artists who like to collaborate on projects. Can you begin by telling us when and how you met?

SS: Touring together has been so much fun. Because of the pandemic, we have been trapped in Colorado for a while, but in the first year-and-a-half of being together, we went to 17 states. It was awesome because you really get to know someone when you are in that environment, and it is also cool to share that kind of experience. I have never shared that with someone in that way. I am excited to do it again.

What do you hope audiences take away from your music?

SS: Honestly, I hope that the people who connect with it and enjoy it, I hope they feel like it belongs to them.

For me, the songs that I have always fallen in love with, they were, like, written for me. Like, oh! That song is my life right now. I hope people can connect with my songs and feel ownership of them. Walk away feeling a little bit better.

SJ: Especially now during these days.

SJ: I have been singing since I was teeny-tiny. My mom is a dancer, and my dad was a blues musician. He played blues in college, and he kind of introduced me to music. He loved Dave Matthews Band and old-school bands like Devo and Talking Heads. He introduced me to Joni Mitchell, who I fell in love with, and she is still to this day my favorite artist. I have been singing in choirs since kindergarten, and I never stopped.

What do you enjoy the most about working together on music?

SS: I love playing music with her. I used to have a band called Edison, and it was myself and two guys in the band. Well, three guys at one point, and sometimes, five guys and myself on stage, and that was really fun, but it is cool to have a feminine energy to write music and perform with. I just love spending time with her.

She is my favorite person, but musically, we work well because I was never formally trained. So, a lot of what I do, in the infancy of a song, I will have all these ideas, and she is great about helping translate them. She will take my ideas and put them into theory or translate them to the other band members who we hired to play.

I love it.

Has collaborating on music brought you closer together as a couple?

SS: Definitely.

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What are some themes you like to focus on?

SS: I feel like love is a big part of it, and also heartbreak. Some of my old records, a lot of them deal with heartbreak. I talk about loss and grief. Edison’s first album talks a lot about grief and kind of facing mortality. A lot of the stuff right now has been reflective of life. A lot of, like, we need to get back out there. My new song “Get Up” is really about acknowledging a number of things, but we need to get up each day no matter how hard that might be. That is the kind of music I am finding myself writing right now.

How has “Get Up” been received?

SS: Really well! Thank you for asking.

People seem to really enjoy it, and radio stations have gotten behind it. It has been a blessing. I feel like the people that have listened to my music before, whether it’s my solo stuff, things that Sarah Jo and I are doing together, or my previous band’s music, they have told me this is their favorite song. That is always nice to hear from people that have struck through it with you for a long time.

Thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic turning the world upside down, millions of shows and tours have been canceled.

How has the pandemic impacted both of you, and what were you doing to not only stay in touch with fans, but to keep your creative energy going?

SS: Oh, that is a good question. Musically, “Get Up” came out of it, and we have been writing a bit, but a lot of our focus has been on other artists. I started and booked a bunch of bands on a livestream series on Facebook. We had almost 100 bands on it. I did that for about five months, so this year has been a lot of giving back and trying to give a platform to other people. I am helping to produce a documentary on the pandemic’s impact on the Colorado music economy and the music scene. So, that is what I am focused on right now with The Armory in Denver. Sarah Jo is in a reggae band, and they put out an album in the middle of all this!

SJ: Yes! We released an album in April, and it was right when COVID first hit. It was pretty unfortunate timing, but I think with my reggae music, it has been very uplifting. The album is called Moving Forward, and it was strange because we did not know COVID was going to happen. It was like, we wrote it right before, but it helped people through the lockdowns.

That is what I noticed about “Get Up” as well.

People are saying that it has been able to help them get through the day. It is giving some positive energy with a little bit of understanding of how hard it has been. We know how

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hard it has been for ourselves, and we know how hard it has been for everybody else. So, we wanted to give that energy.

Like, let’s get up and get moving. Let’s do this together. So, the timing was unfortunate, but it was well-received.

The documentary that you mentioned, is that how you are trying to help save independent music venues that are on the brink of closing?

SS: Yes. My last single, “Time to Go,” the music video that I put out, it was a bunch of home videos and old videos from tour. I was trying to highlight that because a lot of the independent venues that are out there are at risk of closing.

Congress recently passed the Save Our Stages Act, so there is a round of funding that is coming, which is great, but there is a long way to go. So, this documentary is helping to highlight the Save Our Stages movement, but it is also highlighting the people that are behind all the biggest concerts out there.

From lighting designers to tour managers, we have publicists, artists speaking and performing. It is us really trying to give a voice to people that are usually in the shadows and behind the scenes making the show happen. I think it is going to be very powerful, and I am very glad that Congress passed the

funding that they did, but I feel like that is just the first round. More may be needed in the future.

SS: When the Music Stops. We will finish filming in the next couple weeks, and the tentative date is March 2021. The editing turnaround, which we have a great team of folks working on, we want to make sure we get it right. So, the plan is March.

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What is the documentary titled, and when is it expected to come out?

What more do you hope to accomplish with your music?

SS: I for sure want to put out more music in the next couple years together with Sarah Jo and the great group of people that we put together with us. I am very excited for when it is safe to play more shows and go back on tour and play at festivals. The goal is to put out an EP in the next year. I am really focused on getting as much done as possible, and as soon as we can safely get back out, we will seize the day like a Newsie!

SJ: Our biggest goal is to continue putting out music. We really want to tour, and we really want to improve ourselves and continue to grow. Besides our own music, we want to help get the music industry, venues, and artists get back on their feet. All artists, not just musicians. Our industry is struggling.

SS: Also, Jen Korte and I, the torch has been passed to the two of us to co-own Hip Chicks Out, which was ran by a woman named Silky for the last 16 years. They do the second Friday happy hour, so I am excited to plan events with Jen and get the happy hour back up.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else either of you would like to mention or plug?

SS: It is worth mentioning that the new music video that we did for “Get Up” is out, and the guys that directed the video are Kind Dub, a hip-hop group here in Fort Collins that we also collaborate with on occasion. We go to their shows and play a few songs with them.

SJ: Just keep your eyes out for new music. We don’t know what it looks like yet, but just keep your eyes out!

Follow Slaton and Joelle on Instagram and Facebook to stay up-to-date on the latest news and projects, or visit sarahslaton.com. Their music is available on all digital streaming platforms.

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OFM music

OFM NEW MUSIC This month’s must-catch new releases from the artists you already love or the musicians you need to know.

Rhye

Odette

slowthai

A true soundtrack for a sensual and seductive kind of love, the new release from the illustrious and experiential musician Rhye, aka Michael Milosh, is the perfect accompaniment to any provocative proclivities. Home delivers a mood of curious exploration paired with a carnal desire, while telling the story of a pure and rich love. With vocal styling reminiscent of discoera ballads, sink and simmer in the soothing beats of Home.

Released January 22 , 2021.

British-born, Sydney-based singer-songwriter Georgia Odette Sallybanks, who goes simply by Odette, has released her most powerful and self-reflective piece of art yet. Self-analysis through documenting the demise of relationships is the driving theme throughout the upcoming Herald.

With a haunting resonance, Odette pushes every boundary with chilling melodies, driving drum beats, and intricate instrumental assortments that serve us Björk boldness meets Lana Del Rey lyricism.

Releases February 5, 2021.

In his second, full-length album, rapper Tyron Frampton, aka slowthai, is on the precipice of reinvention. While the 25-year-old Brit is still cutting his teeth in the business, he has a lot to say when it comes to loneliness, isolation, and regret. A proclivity for provocation, the artist exposes raw ambition and opens a window to young, male emotion. Exploring the complexities of life, the album shows that a duality of aggression and tenderness can simultaneously exist.

Releases February 5, 2021.

Cassandra Jenkins:

Lady Gang

Glitterer

The new album from Jenkins embodies the ever-present reality of life in flux, as the tracks explore intimate and impressionistic portraits of both friends and strangers. Taking us on a tour of her daydreams, influences of chamber-pop and ambient folk take precedent and provide a landscape of ease amid the turmoil.

Releases February 19, 2021.

The first full-length album from multi-instrumentalist, Denver Americana staple Jen Korte sees the artist take new risks and showcase her versatile and experiential prowess. Featuring her skills in both songwriting and producing, this labor of love and passion embodies the essence of Lady Gang in the way she mixes genres and styles, highlights humanitarian issues, and calls out industry injustices.

Releases February 26, 2021.

Fiercely guitar-centric, the menacing riffs that Glitterer’s Ned Russin has driven into this new record to evoke an alt-metal, hardcore, punk aesthetic that fits the vibe of 2021.

Leaning into the panic that this last year has stirred up in us all, Life is Not a Lesson will make you feel those feelings and reckon with the trap that the mind can become. Track-bytrack, the crunchy, indie-rock outfit Glitterer is hand-serving a delicious dose of worldly doom and gloom.

Releases February 26, 2021.

Home

An Overview on Phenomenal Nature

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Herald

Full Throttle

TYRON

Life is Not a Lesson

HIGH NOTE Emotion marks everything that Julien Baker touches, like a brand or seal of pure and raw expression, and the upcoming release of her third, studio album Little Oblivions is no different. The singer-songwriter has taken her time in developing a body of work in these 12 tracks that is fluid, moving with a cohesion and ease all whilst expanding upon her ever-bashful and composed nature.

OFM music

Julien Baker: Little Oblivions

The follow-up to Baker’s 2017 sophomore album Turn Out The Lights explores a different side of Baker, seeing her reach deeper into the intimate nature that is often prevalent in her songwriting. Refining her musical prowess, this is not the stripped-down, acoustic artist we know—this is a rich and robust curator of expression that is designed for a listener who craves rich resonance.

The queer musician has always been eloquent and elegant in the way she dives into themes of life, love, reflection, self-deprecation, and the heartache that exists in the human condition. However, Little Oblivions takes everything we know Baker to be and begs our ears to open and our minds to expand into embracing the discomfort of growth and healing.

“Faith Healer,” the first single to be released from Little Oblivions, is Baker’s examination of how we use behaviors and beliefs to explain away unhealthy channeling of energy and existence. “Put most simply, I think that ‘Faith Healer’ is a song about vices, both the obvious and the more insidious ways that they show up in the human experience,” Baker explains.

“I started writing this song two years ago, and it began as a very literal examination of addiction. For a while, I only had the first verse, which is just a really candid confrontation of the cognitive dissonance a person who struggles with substance abuse can feel—the overwhelming evidence that this substance is harming you, and the counterintuitive but very real craving for the relief it provides. When I revisited the song, I started thinking about the parallels between the escapism of substance abuse and the other various means of escapism that had occupied a similar, if less easily identifiable, space in my psyche.”

Never one to shy away from deep topics like mental health, addiction, and even death, Baker’s unique ability to write songs that resonate on a guttural level yet keep us floating atop her vibrant melodies continues to be her strongest attribute. Releases February 26 2021.

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OFM style

MODS QUEERING THE BODY

by Keegan Williams

I was on a Zoom call recently with my boss and found myself a little shocked when she spilled she didn’t have a single piercing or tattoo. Part of me was beaming a little, having been someone with alternative presentation and embracing body modification for 15 years and counting.

Many documented body modifications from centuries past have adjacent purposes of how we see the practice utilized today—it was a way to show where you were from, to tell your story as an individual, the stories of your life. Obviously, all kinds of people embrace body modification today, but some of those original intentions behind body modification marry themselves to queerness, as a way to visibly show the world, “Hey, I made this alteration to my body, and I’m better for being able to live in it.”

I think about the painfully heteronormative and whitewashed, arbitrary list of what has often been deemed “professional” in the working world. Something far less permanent than a tattoo, like an eccentric, well-groomed hairstyle or a small nose stud, was and still is enough for many companies to send a prospective employee hiking.

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I got my ear pierced at Claire’s when I was 11. I remember having the “left is right and right is wrong” mantra in my head at the time. Unbeknownst to me, there were queer men in the 50s and 60s doing this very thing when no man dared have any ear adornments whatsoever, solely to say and live in, “Hey, I’m not straight. I’m not you.”

I embraced body modification and alternative culture right before I started to figure out I was queer. In the clothes I wore, the hair colors and styles I tried, the piercings I soon gravitated toward—I was unsure of who exactly I was, but looking around my middle school and seeing a lot of what I knew I wasn’t. By high school, I found my crew—a ton of emo misfits (who almost entirely came out as queer and/or trans by adulthood). By looking at our jewelry-adorned ears and faces, wacky hair, and outward appearance, it was clear we were something “other” than the all-American teens you saw in the halls. And that’s the way it was supposed to be.

I wonder often what my folks from 2006 would think seeing me now. “You’ll grow out of it” echoes in my head, as I’m currently rocking 10mm stretched conch piercings in the middle cartilage of my ears (surrounded by a collection of others), heavily tattooed legs, arms, and hands, and a split tongue, with a laundry list of future plans.

seemed more interested in my tattoo-covered body than the person it belongs to.

Sometimes, it feels like people are more attracted or interested in the tattoos than the entire picture, and while I think my tattoos are sexy, maybe I’m sexy. Also, no one likes feeling fetshized. One of my friends even reached out after I split my tongue, joking, “You’re about to be a sex god!” with me gently rebuking, “Haha, maybe, but it was bodyaffirming; I didn’t do it for that reason.”

OFM style

With professional millennials, a necessary shift is taking place, and many companies are finding that they are unable to keep these restrictive boundaries in place if they actually want a variety of capable, young people on their team. The kids who were stretching their ears with $12 Hot Topic tapers fresh after buying them at the mall are now in their late 20s and 30s, and many are still heavily modified, and queer.

As yet another generation of very modified, very queer people forge the path into adulthood, I see body modification among all people as something that will continue to be more integrated into everyday society. From something like a hair color change to even a shift in wardrobe, or surgical procedures, modifying the body and the way you appear in the world is part of the modern-day, queer experience. I love that, when I’m in shorts and a T-shirt, there is so much you can inherently learn about me just by looking at my outward appearance.

And, while this longstanding tradition acts as an amazing tool for self-identity and personal storytelling, I long for the day when strangers will walk around one another, adorning zero or plentiful body modifications, all and no genders and varying presentations, with nothing more said about it. In the meantime, I’m happy to live in a time where we are more easily about to forge those paths and make these journeys in identity for ourselves.

As I started to cover my limbs in more ink, I became increasingly more comfortable with my body and confident in myself. Any person, any gender or sexuality—get a tattoo, a piercing, a new hair color, and you generally feel excited it is now a part of your body.

By my mid-20s, my queerness and love for tattooing specifically felt more “married” than they were before. As a masculine-presenting person, I specifically leaned toward more delicate concepts for of my most visible tattoos—to an artist with a very cutesy, femme style to tattoo my left hand, adorned with a heart-shaped jewel and abundant sparkles, and busting out four, dainty hearts over the knuckles of my right hand. Two, simply drawn flowers adorn my kneecaps with happy and frowning faces. It’s helped me to embrace my queerness and gender identity in a way I hadn’t before.

I’ve said recently, in slight jest, “If I leave my house, and you can’t see I’m visibly queer, then I’m doing something wrong.” Having a set of piercings on my ears I’ve had now for ranging from five to 11 years, now-plentiful tattoos pushing a decade, along with my increasingly pastel and genderneutral clothing selection, have been surprising windows into exploring my identity.

In my experience, this passion for body mods can be misunderstood within the LGBTQ community, specifically among the gay men I’ve interacted with in digital spaces (many notoriously based on appearance, I’ll give them that).

I’ve made the joke on my Grindr bio once, “I like my tattoos, too! Tell me something else,” not as a condescending inability to take compliments, but feeling like so often, people online

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OFM style

Body-Positive Fashion Tips

by Angel Rivera

D

uring the season of love, it can be hard to find the confidence for you or your loved one. Trust me when I say not every day can be as fabulous as the next, and that is totally OK. Finding the confidence you need to wear what you want and flaunt what you got isn’t easy. Here are a few tips to get you started.

First and foremost, finding a style you want to align yourself with is important, be it grunge, Y2K cyberpunk, athleisure, or even cool and collected silhouettes; having a good idea of what you yearn to wear is crucial. An easy way to understand the look you are going for is through these simple questions.

1. What elements of the outfit do you already have to work into your look?

2. What layers and textures are you working with?

3. What can you add to make it your own?

These questions may seem simple at first, but will allow you to understand an outfit’s composition and how it will look on you.

Let’s start small with the first question: what elements of the outfits you want to emulate do you currently have? This is a great segway of transforming clothes you have now into the look you are going for.

Sure, you can visit a store to buy something similar, but due to microseasons in fast fashion, what you have can go out of date quickly or is not made with as much quality as you deserve.

When you incorporate clothes you know fit you well with new pieces, the contrast makes the fit work for you. That oversized, comfy sweatshirt with a dress shirt under, chinos or a tartan skirt, and your favorite pair of Doc Martens boots, can give you the grungy, E-boy/ girl look you see trending.

The second question: what layers and textures do you see are being worked with? The best part of the outfit (other than wearing it) is the texture of the fabric. I know for bigger bodies sometimes you are more inclined to draw less attention to certain areas, but adding patterns and layers can take you from invisible to seen. For example, wearing a twill-knit

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Weathering hardships and challenges, we made it, a new year.

Make the commitment to take time for you in 2021.

When you need help, we’re here, providing a safe space and outstanding staff, who care about your mental health wellness.

Call us today

sweater with dressy slacks and a Chelsea boot give you a put-together look with a relaxed feel. Easy to move around in, and it’s effortless style. Look for things you want to copy, and think, how can I make this my own?

Finally, the third element is important for all body types: what makes an outfit yours? Is it a color switch? Is it long, flowing, draped cloth? Or that brooch you have been dying to wear with something/anything? Adding a flair of you is what brings your outfit together. If you aren’t feeling good in what you are wearing, you aren’t going to look good, plain and simple.

A pair of statement boots in a monochrome outfit can give you that color pop you are looking for. Even wearing a blanket, scarf, or a shawl over your normal, office outfit in place of a cardigan or blazer gives your silhouette that oomph it is looking for. Palette swaps for grunge outfits or wearing a solid-color jean with no tears can transform an outfit from Kurt Cobain to Tyler, the Creator. It’s all about feel; small alterations on an emulated look can make it your own.

Even when you aren’t feeling your best, putting on something you may normally not wear in public and walking around the house can help you gain the confidence you are looking for to wear it out and about.

Most importantly, being comfortable in your own skin and radiating unapologetic “youness” is what brings your outfits together. You have the power to wear your clothes the way Naomi Campbell does, and that is amazing.

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OFM style

I know, I know, if you heard it once you heard it a million times: beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but what if I told you beauty is only as good as it is beholden? Going from January to February is the perfect time to experiment with your beauty beat. What are you wearing on your skin after you cleanse and keep up?

Well, good thing I am here to help. Beauty is ours to behold.

If you are not too keen on makeup but want to experiment, an easy way to settle into the beauty world is not with foundation but with tinted moisturizer or BB (beauty balm) and CC (complexion corrector) cream. The first of the three is easy to come by in any makeup/beauty store and is a moisturize that is slightly tinted for your skin tone to help correct some color and even out complexion.

It’s a fast and effective way to get your skin radiating and cover up some pesky discoloration.

BB cream is great for normal, non-acne skin to blur the look of pores and color correct. CC cream, on the other hand, is formulated for people who have more acne-prone skin but works on all skin types.

CC cream is great not only for its color correction, oil control, and overall smoothing, but it usually contains SPF for UV protection.

If you know skin care, you know that SPF is crucial for anti-aging and reduction of dark spots.

Get the

Beauty Beat

for a

Pre-foundation creams and balms are amazing, but what about full foundation? Well depending on how you like coverage (light to full) you may have a foundation you like but want to get a longer wear out of it. For people who use powder compacts, a damp sponge or brush to apply your foundation can extend wear from medium to full coverage in one go.

Do note that if you use the wet applicator method, make sure to use a loose-setting powder to reduce any splotches.

(Maybelline’s Fit Me powder comes in six shades that increase coverage.)

Hot Date

by Angel Rivera

For the people who use liquid foundation, a flat foundation brush can take a small pump and spread it to a nice, medium coverage over the face. However, when using a flat foundation brush, make sure to alternate between a buffer brush to blend foundation into skin, as flat brushes lack blending power and can crease foundation in unflattering ways. With or without foundation, you can be flawless.

If foundation isn’t your thing, then lips can be a big confidence boost for anyone. Wearing a lipstick and liner that are similar to your own lip color can add a flawless finish to your face. Top it off with some gloss if a night out or a night in takes your day lip to an all-nighter. One good thing to note is that if you aren’t used to wearing lipstick, using a lip scrub and balm before application can make your lips fuller and glow with whatever color choice you choose.

When we think of beauty, we have to remember we are the beholders and are able to play with our own perception however we like. Be it flawless finish or a touch of color to your lips, your face is your first impression. You get to make it count.

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OFM culture

LGBTQ DATING SITES

Struck By Cupid’s Arrow

by Denny Patterson

B

elieve it or not, there are many people in the LGBTQ community who are looking for more than the occasional date and hooking up. They want someone to love, and there are some devoted people trying to help make that happen.

Photos courtesy of Tony Smith

Tony Smith is the founder and owner of the newly developed Denver’s Cupid, the only LGBTQ matchmaking service in the Mile High City. After an unsuccessful run for Denver City Council, he switched his focus to helping people in the community find “the one.”

“Just like I woke up one morning thinking I need to run for office, I woke up saying I need to be a matchmaker,” he says. “First, I thought, I am going to create the LGBTQ arm of a matchmaking company and take advantage of my 20 years of connections in Denver. I was with the Cherry Creek Arts Festival, and I have served on several city boards and commissions. The more I looked into this, I realized that most matchmakers are female, for whatever reason, and there are no matchmaking services based in Denver for the LGBTQ community. I immediately thought, ‘I want to help my brothers and sisters in Denver.’

“Through all my years of playing volleyball with younger people, I found that people are sick of apps,” Smith continues. “They are sick of swiping left and right; they are sick of how impersonal it is. I wanted to be a connector, but just for Denver’s LGBTQ community.

So, Denver’s Cupid is the only LGBTQ matchmaking service based in Denver, and I specialize in the art of matchmaking and the power of connection.”

One of Denver Cupid’s biggest features is curated, virtual dating.

“Part of the business model was in-person speed dating, but then lo and behold, COVID happened,” Smith says. “I started looking into how I could make that virtual and in a partnership with a company. So, what I mean by ‘curated’ is breaking people down in age groups, and perhaps by affinity. I met my husband of 18 years playing volleyball. I said, with all my experience in sports in Denver, there are thousands of genders and orientations playing

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OFM culture

sports. So, one affinity group could be people between 30 and 50 registered for a sports league. You instantly have something common. People who own pets like to date other people with pets. It goes on and on.

“I strongly believe that everyone deserves love,” Smith continues. “In the LGBTQ community, we start out in a more difficult space because we are not like everybody else. That is one of my founding principles, everyone deserves love. The power of connection is allowing every, single one in our community to find love, friendships, and connections. So, curated, virtual dating allows people to find their silo, and it is going to include everyone. If you are gay, you probably wany gay. Lesbian, lesbian, and there will be groups for the TQIA as well.”

The other major part of the site is personal matchmaking.

“Every community has a matchmaker, so I want to help be one of Denver’s matchmakers,” Smith says. “I become your headhunter. I dig deep. Once we have a one-on-one consultation and you decide to go for the service, I open my black book of 20 years and start digging deep to find potential people for that person to go on a date with. When I set up that date, it will be up to them if they want to do it in person or on Zoom.”

It is free for anyone to make a profile on Denver’s Cupid, and they are 100 percent private.

Now, if someone is looking to date specifically within the trans community, Stefan de Jong can help you there. He is the creator of My Transgender Cupid, which began in 2015.

“The story of My Transgender Cupid has kind of a sad touch attached to it,” de Jong says. “It was on my trip to the Philippines back in 2014 where I noticed a lot of transgender women and the difficulties they face in society. General tolerance is there for trans women, but they are not wholly accepted. Today, a majority of the people still hold intolerant views toward transgender people.

“I firmly believe that I can contribute in a positive way to make this world a better place, no matter your sexual preference or gender identity,” he continues. “The idea was born to create a decent dating site that is strictly focused on creating a long-term relationship between a transgender woman and a nice man. It started with My Ladyboy Cupid in 2014. While the term ‘ladyboy’ is very common and widely accepted in the Asian world, the Western world often associates it with sex and porn. That is why we opened the doors of My Transgender Cupid in 2015.”

The ultimate aim of My Transgender Cupid is to make the world a better place and highlight equal rights for transgender people. While the site’s main focus is on trans women, trans men are more than welcome to sign up.

“We do our best to fight off the bad image that a lot of people have about transgender [people] that is mostly created by the internet and porn industry,” de Jong says. “Our site is created where the sexual aspect is not played. A true dating site with one goal in mind, to find happiness and romance that human beings deserve.”

Visit both denverscupid.com and mytransgendercupid.com for more information and to sign up. You can also follow both sites on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest news and updates.

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OFM dining

Combi Taco

A Delivery-Only Taqueria

by Ash Trego

S

alud to the love of food and the food of love. This story begins with Alejandro Flores-Munoz.

This young man, raised in an immigrant family of merchants, learned about entrepreneurship at an early age, as he watched his mother, a single parent, working a fulltime job and several side jobs.

Today, he is himself an entrepreneur as the creator of Combi Taco, a delivery-only taqueria, and proud co-owner of Stokes Poke.

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OFM dining

The Flores-Muñoz family came to the United States from their hometown in Guadelajara, Mexico in 1997 when Alejandro was just 7 years old. At age 25, while working for a grassroots campaign in Boston, Alejandro made the brave decision to come out as a gay man to his co-workers. About a year later, while eating tacos with family at a local eatery called Taqueria De Anda, he then came out to them as well.

He recalls wanting to come out to his family in a place that felt safe and real to him, and that was tacos. Alejandro is a child of the assistance of DACA, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, which protects undocumented immigrants who entered the country as minors from deportation. Before 2012, he, unjustly, had zero protections.

Alejandro worked in the hospitality industry from age 13 in various restaurants and also continued his work on political campaigns. In 2018, he made the decision to shift career paths and decided to buy a food truck. With all of his food service and campaigning experience, he put his mind to combining those collective skills to nourish and grow his own food business into what it is today: food truck, catering, pop-up, and smart fridge business.

*Photos are stock images and not of the actual food provided by Combi Taco.

Las comida—just some of the delicious food items are the carne asada or al pastor tacos with a side of fried jalapenos, beans, and rice. The quesadilla is crafted with house-made flour tortillas, and the food truck also offers fried, pork-tripe tacos. From vegetarian snacks to hearty eats, each delicious dish is hand-made and delivered to the diner’s door.

Prior to COVID-19, Alejandro’s Stokes Poke operation was dishing up between 300 and 500 bowls of food each day, six days a week, and had even expanded their menu from just Hawaiian fare to create a virtual kitchen. During these uncertain times, and as the food industry evolves, he is positioning himself to adapt and prepare for what he hopes will be a once-again thriving business in the future.

He says that moving forward, his hope is to expand his business ventures into hospitals, low-income apartment buildings, and community centers to provide people with locally made meals while also supporting and assisting pandemicdamaged restaurants with food orders.

5115 Morrison Road, Denver Thursday – Saturday 2:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Combitaco.com

It’s a brand-new year. My wish for you all is that every one of you has good health and eats lots of great food. In the words of Flores-Muñoz, “Tacos are my love language” And they are now mine as well. So, this Valentine’s Day, order up some muy delicioso tacos from Alejandro’s Combi Taco and share in this legacy that will help to feed hungry mouths for years to come.

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OFM thoughts

The Romance of Lies

A Queer in Recovery

Hi, my name is _______, and I am an alcoholic.

I can honestly say that not all of my drinking days were bad. Not by a long shot. I still have many fond memories that involve or revolve around drinking, and those moments are the hardest to let go of as I enter into recovery.

There is an undeniable romance that is involved with the consumption of alcohol. The idea of a candlelit dinner with a sexy partner, opening a bottle of grigio and feeling the warm tingle traveling through my body still holds a space of desire inside me. Meeting up with a good friend inside a trendy bar on Walnut Street with the overhead lights set on a dim glow or sitting on a backyard patio sipping an ice-cold lager on a warm, summer evening are primarily the things I think of when I picture myself drinking. It’s not the endless nights with the curtains drawn, promising myself this won’t happen again tomorrow as I take swigs directly from the liter bottle of vodka, praying for this to, in fact, be my last drink.

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OFM thoughts

There is a phenomenon that exists inside the brain of an addict that is two-fold and often fools us into using our drug of choice again: minimization and amnesia. I can, time after time, tell myself in the bright light of day that my drinking isn’t that bad, that I can control it this time, and that I can in fact stop after just one drink. I can forget the feelings of hopelessness, desperation, and shame that are associated with the countless number of times I have been proven wrong and wind up passing out on my living room floor because going up the stairs to my bedroom was an impossible task.

I have tried multiple times in my life to get sober, with the first time being at the age of 21, when the abundant access of alcohol was both legal and expected. I was supposed to go out and explore the world in an inebriated condition because that’s what young folks of drinking age do. Experimenting with boundaries was normal; blurring the line of upstanding citizen and acceptable trash is coming into adulthood and a right of passage. However, I started drinking at age 16, and by 21, I had built up a tolerance of someone far beyond a young 20-something-year-old.

I went almost four years clean that first time I dipped my toe into sobriety, yet I wasn’t convinced that I was an alcoholic.

Remembering back to the reasons why I quit drinking was difficult, and my disease had not progressed enough to truly drive home the fact that I was better staying in recovery. I needed to hit a rock bottom that I couldn’t talk myself out of.

Through the gift of amnesia, I picked up a drink again at age 24 and was quickly off to the races. It took less than two years for me to get a DUI and start having significant consequences due to my lack of control with alcohol. I then spent the next eight years drinking on and off, with my bouts of sobriety lessening each time, from two years, to three months, to one week. My alcoholism had progressed past the turning point from problem drinker to full-blown alcoholism, and my brain continued to come up with cunning and baffling ways to convince me that I still didn’t have a problem.

It was the fear of missing out that typically led me to pick up another drink after a time away from alcohol.

It wasn’t necessarily a desire to drink, or even a search for the euphoric feeling that drinking offered; it was the romantic notion of what a life with alcohol meant.

Weekend getaways to a beach with a mai tai in hand, happy hour with coworkers after a long and shitty week, jubilant celebrations with popped champagne bottles among friends and loved ones, was what I dreamed of. I feared those would be taken away from my life entirely if I couldn’t participate in them sans alcohol.

Since sobriety, the only thing that has been truly taken away from me are the surface-level relationships that revolved around my drinking. The partner who was a bartender, the friends who only wanted to meet up for drinks, and the parties where getting shitfaced were the sole objective. My drinking never led to those beach mai tais and never ended at happy hour; it usually left me hiding and sneaking sips between meetings at work; it led me to doing reckless and dangerous things to get another drink when what I had in the house wasn’t enough at night, and it gave me horrendous hangovers and tremors in my hands each and every morning.

Having a single glass of wine with dinner, a couple beers with my friends in the evening, or sticking to one vodka and soda while I’m at a queer bar watching a drag show is my greatest desire. Even after my last relapse that led me closer to taking my own life than I ever thought possible, I still have the uncanny ability to minimize the horrible memories of what actually happened and tell myself, ‘it wasn’t that bad’ or ‘it will be different this time.’

What works for me is surrounding myself with other people who suffer with the same talent of alcoholic amnesia and minimization as I do in order to prevent the romance of drinking from leading me back to it. While programs like Alcoholics Anonymous aren’t for everyone, and trust me, I have my own issues with handing my will and my life over to the care of a higher power (we will talk about that later), it is the only medicine at this stage of my recovery that can cure my insanity of repeating this absurd cycle. The honesty, the vulnerability, and the fellowship of recovery groups remind me of how bad it truly was so I can accept the fact that consuming alcohol for me is anything but romantic.

-An anonymous queer in recovery Follow @queer.in.recovery on Instagram or email a.queer.in.recovery@gmail.com for additional support and resources.

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OFM thoughts

American Queer Life

Love: The Divine Swoon

by Rick Kitzman

It’s time to send my Valentine’s valentine to Loveland for the city’s special postmark.

February 14 can be emotionally tricky. I lived six decades without a lover, so I look upon the day as a gratitude checklist: my partner (best to list him first), our home and spiritual centers, friends, chocolate cake, theater, peaches, Colorado, Angkor Wat, Depeche Mode, doggies, bridge, gel pens, and Italian men. When I focus on love, the list is endless. And there are endless ways to interpret love. Like love of country. And we know the variety that inspires.

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OFM thoughts

Love is the perfume of the wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts;but with it, earth is heaven and we are gods.

(Robert G. Ingersoll, Orthodoxy, 1884)

Robert G. Ingersoll—essayist, friend of Walt Whitman, and his eulogist when America’s openly gay Poet of Democracy died in 1892—described love as “that divine swoon.” I picture queer artist Edward Gorey’s cartoon woman from the opening credits of PBS’s Mystery series: prone on a roof, waving a kerchief, crying out feebly. I’ve loved fiercely— once I felt sick to my stomach for a week—but have never fainted. Still, I like Ingersoll’s purple prose metaphor.

My first “true” love (or sort-of-swoon) happened in first grade. Lynn Anderson (not the country singer) wore cat eye glasses, had a slight overbite and petite build. I can still see her smiling, freckled face, and her scuffed, red Keds as we pushed the merry-go-round and jumped on, spinning with giggles and glee, dizzy with wide-eyed wonder and innocence. Her family moved away; just as well since boys had caught my eye.

They grew into teenage hotties in junior high. That didn’t stop me from attempting to like girls. Once, I hosted a kissing party. Floor-to-ceiling, crepe-paper streamers encircled a couch in a corner. Kathy Sasaki and I broke the record: two-and-a-half minutes! Quite a notch on my belt, but no swoon, through no fault of Kathy’s.

In high school, Gary Garland … sigh … was dreamy and sweet. Occasionally, at midnight, I’d sneak out, and he’d pick me up in his ’63 Triumph convertible. We’d drive to the old Stapleton airport—his dad’s six-pack in the back—and park on the frontage road where, prior to landing, the planes flew so low it seemed we could scratch their bellies. I hated beer, but I’d do anything to be with Gary. Nothing physically happened; I probably would have swooned.

In the 70s, I reaped the benefits of the sexual revolution of the 60s. Promiscuity was the reward that ironically became the curse when the “gay cancer” invaded my world in the 80s.

In the early days, the disease was 100 percent fatal. I and half of an entire minority experienced one mother of an existential crisis. All the death was impossible to ignore, then impossible to process. I would realize I hadn’t heard from so-and-so in days, weeks, months, sometimes years.

My worst suspicions were often confirmed.

Like Michael Calvert who died in 1986. He was a cutiepatootie, a ‘Bama boy with a melodious accent to charm the pants off you. (It worked.) Michael and I had an intense fling approaching a swoon on my part; he got sick; I moved home to Colorado, he to his; I never saw him again. Variations of that timeline were common.

His ghost appeared last summer when a producer of WNYC’s public radio podcast United States of Anxiety contacted me out of the blue. She had interviewed Michael, an early AIDS activist, rediscovered the cassette tapes, and within the context of the current pandemic, wanted to revisit the AIDS pandemic (available as ACT UP, Fight Covid on their website). When she found me, hoping to record someone 34 years later who knew Michael, I exploded with memory … little bursts pop as I write this … we were so young …

All we can do is try to make sense of a senseless universe, uncaring and unpredictable, yet resplendent with infinite possibility. I experienced plague, loss, grief, fear, rage, but luckily, and more importantly, also friendships, affection, love from lovers, strangers, friends, family. I’m so blessed to make new memories with my new partner of love and contentment and confidence.

Turns out, AIDS was about love after all: the search for it, the discovery of it, the meaning of it, living and witnessing it, giving and receiving it. As a longtime survivor of its slaughter and glutton for guilt, naturally(!) I read The Plague (1947) by Albert Camus. After horrific strife during a bubonic plague outburst in the Algerian seaport of Oran, the hero comes to this realization: “He knew, too, to love someone means relatively little, or rather, that love is never strong enough to find the words befitting it.”

We try to describe love, yet words fall short of what it means and does for us, how it feels and forms us. Many things in life—and not only romantic love—offer us opportunities for a “divine swoon,” but hopefully, not when we’re driving or operating heavy machinery.

To get Loveland’s special postmark, buy a valentine, address it with postage; put it in a larger envelope with postage, and mail to: Postmaster - Attention Valentines, 446 E. 29th St., Loveland, CO 80538-9998. Your loved ones will love it.

outfrontmagazine.com 59

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OFM cannabis

I

to Your Boo (or Boos)

t’s cold outside, and inside, the heat is turning up! If you’re lucky enough to be quarantined with the special someone or someones of your dreams, here are a few cannabis products that support the old adage: sharing is caring. And if you’re holed up by yourself, show yourself some love, hunny!

Pax 3 If you’re like most of us, your V-day plans probably consist of cuddling on the couch with a loved one for a sexy evening in or taking a socially distanced walk with a new boo. If so, you can’t go wrong with the Pax 3! Load up flower or concentrate, and you’ll be set with this sleek, gorgeous, subtle device, perfect for sharing or passing only to yourself. If you’re looking to consume product in a way that’s healthier for your lungs, we’ve got you covered.

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OFM cannabis

DaVinci IQ2 We’re all about the healthy lungs and the safe vaping this season, so we’re stoked to present you with some options.

If you prefer a vape that puts flower front-and-center, the brand-new DaVinici IQ2 has you covered. It is sleek, portable, and the perfect way to pack out some cannabis for a discreet hiking date.

1906 Love Drops You may be familiar with 1906 Love chocolates and coffee beans, but did you know there’s now a calorie-free way to get in the sexy zone with one of their awesome infusions? Just pop a drop. You’ll get the same effects from the Love Drops that you get from the awesome candies, but with fast onset, no calories, and discreet delivery.

Willie’s Remedy Sweet Spiced Chai What could be better than a warm cup of tea on a cold, winter day? A cup of infused, CBD tea! This black tea is THC-free, so it’s work-friendly, and the CBD paired with the dost of black tea goodness and chai spices is absolutely euphoric. Try it cuddled up by the fire with your sweetie, or by yourself on a self-care night, binging your favorite show.

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OFM cannabis

Goldleaf Intimacy Journal Journaling can be a cathartic release and a useful way to keep track of and document all of life’s little moments. Goldleaf are all about helping you document your cannabis use, and with their intimacy journal, you can now also document your sex and love life. Whether your goal is to overcome trauma, spice things up with your partner, or just keep track of things between the sheets, Goldleaf has you covered.

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OFM lust

Hungry for more than a Candelit Dinner

by Amanda E.K.

A

londra invites me over while she’s housesitting for her neighbor, where she tells me she’ll be alone all weekend. I’ve had a crush on her for the three months we’ve been hanging out as friends, so I accept. I’ve wanted to ask her out, but I haven’t asked her out because I’m only 88 percent sure she’s bi. Tonight, I hope to find out for sure.

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I look at myself in the mirror while getting dressed to meet up with her. I want to look seductive, but casual.

I pull a pair of black, velvety, high-waisted leggings up my smooth thighs, then drape my lace kimono over a snug, black tank top. I imagine Alondra sneaking stolen glances of my subtle cleavage pressed against the seam of my top while I pour us drinks. I feel confident, aroused.

OFM lust

I feel as though I can sense her intentions, that she wants me as much as I want her, and I trace my fingers lightly over my left breast, imagining that it’s her hand and not mine. I lean forward and pout my lips at my reflection in the mirror, smoothing on a layer of deep purple lipstick. To complete the look, I slip my moonstone necklace over my head, then head out the door.

I met Alondra late spring at a festival—the kind of festival attended by spiritual seekers, witches, and yogis. She was wearing all white with gold-and-white paint polka-dotted across her brow and cheekbones. She is prettier than most, with full lips and an hourglass figure that make my cheeks flush when I look at her.

Her energy that day was electric, her smile big and inviting as she animatedly recited poetry from the stage in the festival’s open mic tent. When I approached her after the reading to compliment her work, we ended up talking the rest of the night, happy to discover we lived only a few miles apart. I remember blushing at the way her soft pink lips came together when she said the word “magic”—the two of us comparing our witchy rituals.

As I stand with my finger on her neighbor’s doorbell, I vaguely wonder if she’s ever set an intention to draw me to her, because I feel as though an invisible cord has been tugging me in her direction since that day at the festival. My underarms tingle with sweat, but as soon as she answers the door I’m immediately at ease.

“I’m so happy you came!” she exclaims, filling up the living room with her tie-dye skirt as she swirls around, taking me by the hand into the kitchen. I feel a pulse between my thighs at her touch.

In the kitchen I’m surprised to find a table set for two and lit by candlelight.

“I hope you’re hungry,” she says, turning to face me and looking deep into my eyes.

In that moment I know I don’t have to guess any longer at her intentions because the way she’s looking at me, and the way she says “hungry,” make it clear that she’s craving more than a candlelit dinner.

In a bold move, I place my hands on her full hips and gently guide her pelvis into mine. Her intake of breath confirms her arousal, and I reach up, gripping her long wavy hair in my hand and tug it back, ever so slightly. I don’t say a word. I don’t have to. Our bodies speak for us, in tune with one another, as though we’ve been lovers in another life.

With her head tilted back, I trace my lips up her throat to her ear, flicking her earlobe with the tip of my tongue. She moans with pleasure, then pushes me against the fridge and slips off my kimono. Without noticing, my elbow bumps the ice dispenser and two ice cubes clink to the floor.

Alondra looks down at them with a mischievous smile, then bends over to pick them up, giving me a generous view of her braless breasts. Her nipples are hard, and darker than mine. She catches me looking and hands me one of the ice cubes, signaling that she’d like the ice to go where my eyes are surveying.

The ice cube melts against her hot flesh, my own heat turning momentarily to chills as she runs the other ice cube down my spine, both of our tops now crumpled on the floor. I’m so turned on I’ve forgotten where I am. I glide my free hand up and under her flowing skirt, finding that she’s swelled and dripping wet. Her eyes roll back at my touch and the ice cubes roll down our skin to the floor.

We kiss ravenously, my hand working her pillowy clit until she buckles, speechless in the height of her ecstasy. Then from the floor she slips down my leggings and glides her tongue into my ready and pulsing slit, expertly bringing me to a screaming orgasm within minutes. Once I catch my breath, I collapse to the floor with her, both of us giggling with satisfaction.

“I’ve wanted that since the moment I met you,” I say into her fragrant hair as I caress her rising and falling belly with my fingers.

She sighs into me, then with a big, half-drugged smile, she says, “Now I know what my next poem will be about.”

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OFM

BAR TAB | Colorado Nightlife

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THE TRIANGLE BAR 2036 N. Broadway St. Denver (303) 658-0913 triangledenver.com

BLUSH & BLU 1526 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 484-8548 bluebludenver.com

ICONS 3 E. Bijou St. Colorado Springs (719) 300-7863 icons.com

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