January 3, 2018 :: A Glimpse Into 2018

JA NUA RY 3 , 2018 | O U T FR O NT M AGA ZINE .CO M | F R E E

A

Glimpse Into

2018

The Gay Christian Network

Amazon & Denver’s Queer Community

Aspen Gay Ski Week

The Blurred Line of Consent

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OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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CONTENTS JANUARY 3, 2018 VOL41 NO26

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6 A QUICK CHAT WITH ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK’S JIM GUTTUA 10 THE BLURRED LINE OF CONSENT IN DENVER’S QUEER NIGHTLIFE 15 RADICAL DEVELOPMENT? AMAZON’S HQ2 AND THE DENVER LGBTQ COMMUNITY 18 LGBTQ CHRISTIANITY: THE NEW FRONTLINE OF THE QUEER CONFLICT 16

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18 FOR 2018: NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FROM THE BEST LITTLE DOGGIE IN THE WHOLE WORLD

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26 UPCOMING 2018 LGBTQ BOOKS 30 PLUSHCARE: APP ALLOWS PATIENTS TO ACCESS PREP THROUGH THEIR PHONES 32 WHO’S HUNGRY? THREE NEW RESTAURANTS TO QUENCH OUR HUNGER IN 2018 34 OFF THE BEATEN PATH: UNIQUE SUMMER FESTIVALS IN RURAL COLORADO

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SERVING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS SINCE 1976 PHONE 303-477-4000 FAX 303-325-2642 WEB OutFrontMagazine.com FACEBOOK /OutFrontColorado TWITTER @OutFrontCO INSTAGRAM /OutFrontColorado FOUNDER PHIL PRICE 1954-1993 ADMINISTRATION info@outfrontmagazine.com JERRY CUNNINGHAM Publisher J.C. MCDONALD Vice President MAGGIE PHILLIPS Operations Manager JEFF JACKSON SWAIM Chief Strategist EDITORIAL editorial@outfrontmagazine.com RYAN HOWE Editor ADDISON HERRON-WHEELER Digital Content Manager BRENT HEINZE Senior Columnist SARAH FARBMAN Copy Editor ARIANNA BALDERAMMA Intern WRITERS: Hannah Gartner, Nate Schaaf, Grace Montesano, Rick Kitzman, Denny Patterson, David-Elijah Nahmod, Louisa Silverman, Mike Yost ART art@outfrontmagazine.com DESIGN2PRO Graphic Designer CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS Charles Broshous MARKETING + SALES marketing@outfrontmagazine.com HARRISON SCHAFFER Director of Sales & Marketing DANNY GREGORY-O’SHEA Marketing Executive BRENNAN GALLAGHER Marketing Executive NATIONAL ADVERTISING Rivendell Media 212-242-6863 | sales@rivendellmedia.com

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A Quick Chat with A

Aspen Gay Ski Week’s

spen Gay Ski Week is an annual event that brings the queer community together in the tiny, gorgeous mountain town of Aspen, Colorado. At first glance this event may appear to just be one big party, but if one looks closely, a rich history of contribution to LGBTQ rights is revealed.

By Hannah Gartner

Jim Guttua

Aspen Gay Ski Week was started by a few Aspen locals and some of their out-of-town friends in the 1970s. These guys began getting together in Aspen each winter to spend time with other gay men. They quickly turned political and in 1979 they secured queer rights in Aspen, which set the precedent for all of Colorado.

In the 1990s, this organization was instrumental in the fight against Amendment 2, which revoked all previously enacted state and municipal queer rights legislation. Amendment 2 was brought down in 1996, which was the same year that Aspen Gay Ski Week became incorporated as the Aspen Gay and Lesbian Community Fund, a nonprofit. Today, this organization is called AspenOUT, and Aspen Gay Ski Week remains a cornerstone of their programming.

To learn more about what Aspen Gay Ski Week looks like today, I spoke with Jim Guttua. He is the public relations director and spokesperson for Aspen Gay Ski Week, and has been working with this event for 11 years, which has given him the opportunity to see it grow at an astounding rate.

HOW HAS ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK CHANGED OVER THE YEARS YOU’VE BEEN THERE? The first year I went—in 2007—it was so much smaller than it is now. It’s always been an amazing event, but now the awareness of Aspen Gay Ski Week has really grown. Every time I go to a major city around the U.S. and I mention it, people know about it. What really hit it home was at Market Days in Chicago, one of the Midwest’s largest festivals, we had an Aspen Gay Ski Week booth. More people knew about it than I thought would, people from all over the place, too. It was really cool to see that.

With my group of friends, it started with just me coming. Then I brought one friend the next year, and he had such a great time that the year after that we had five, and the one after that, eight. And now all of us have kind of spread out all over the nation, moved away from Colorado and things like that, so we come back and meet every year in Aspen.

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Photos by Charles Broshous

This mirrors other people’s experience, too. And now we’re looking at probably 5,000 attendees this year. I remember the first year I went, the après-ski parties they have at the Limelight Hotel probably had 100, maybe 300 people, and now those parties are almost 1,000 people—so that’s increased tenfold.

IS THERE A CAP ON HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN ATTEND? No, the only thing is that we’re selling out like wildfire. People usually delay [buying their tickets], especially the people that live in Denver. Now we don’t have very many passes left. There are the Black Diamond Passes; those are sold out, and those get you into all the events. If you can’t buy a pass then you have to buy the event-specific tickets, which can cost more. It’s crazy that they are selling out so quickly. I created a “Denver goes to Aspen Gay Ski Week” page on Facebook just to encourage Denverites to book earlier.

THIS EVENT HAS EXISTED IN SOME CAPACITY SINCE THE 70S. WHEN WOULD YOU SAY IT REALLY TOOK THE SHAPE IT CURRENTLY HAS? I would say that a turning point was three years ago, when

Logo TV sponsored us. That really helped step up our game and increase our presence. I had friends in New York City messaging me and saying that they saw advertisements in taxi cabs for Aspen Gay Ski Week.

And then it was cool that they brought RuPaul’s Drag Race drag queens in for the event, and they filmed New Now Next Door with Margaret Cho. But even before that, I would say that we really came into our stride in the past ten years, after hitting that 30-year mark.

I think looking beyond the U.S. helped with this. Aspen and Colorado are international; people from all over the world come here especially for skiing. Aspen itself sees a lot of people from the UK, Germany, Australia, Mexico, and Brazil. One thing we started doing about ten years ago was partnering with Aspen in getting key writers and media people involved. We started getting articles in those markets ahead of time or after the fact.

I would see the attendee list, and you could see what countries were trending, and it was definitely those that we were working on with the resort. So I would say definitely in the past ten years, we’ve gotten this great stride.

I’VE READ OVER THE HISTORY OF ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK AND WAS IMPRESSED BY HOW POLITICALLY INVOLVED THE STORY IS. ARE THERE ANY PARTS OF THAT HISTORY THAT YOU FIND PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT OR POIGNANT? Some of those historical moments, like when the founder was kicked out of an Aspen bar for dancing with his boyfriend. Oh, and there was a year Colorado passed Amendment 2 and people were not coming here—it was an OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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international response. The international response was called “Boycott Colorado,” so it caused people in Aspen and Colorado to get busy and try to fight Amendment 2. I wasn’t living in Colorado at the time, but I remember hearing about that. We have come a long way.

mentioned before. It’s really cool to see that unity and everyone having fun together, and just like, we’re all here.

I think another big milestone was in 1996, when they incorporated Aspen Gay Ski Week [as a non-profit]. That is a big marker for us because most, or probably all, gay ski weeks, are not [incorporated]. AspenOut is the non-profit; Aspen Gay Ski Week is the event, but we raise money for LGBTQ non-profits and causes and scholarships and things like that.

I really hope that Aspen Gay Ski Week can reach all our communities and not just the tier-one cities. We’re working on smaller markets now, too. Some of those cities or areas that maybe don’t hear about it, and maybe have more people struggling with coming out. I would love to see those people coming in and saying, “Oh, I’m from a small town in the Midwest and I wanted to go.”

IT’S FABULOUS THAT THIS FUN EVENT HAS THIS REALLY IMPORTANT HISTORY. WHAT KIND OF WORK DOES ASPENOUT DO? They do so much in the community. One of the big things is grants. They fund quite a few organizations. I think they funded 15 organizations in 2017 and four scholarships, and the total amount they gave was about $55,000. And now it’s great to see all these organizations sending in applications to AspenOUT. And here’s the thing, too, they’re not just doing LGBTQ things, because they realize awareness needs to be on a bigger scale than that. They’ve also got some projects they do in schools, like anti-bullying programming, especially in the Roaring Fork Valley and Western Colorado. What happens is that Denver and the Front Range get a lot of these services, whereas Western Colorado and the mountains don’t get as much attention.

They have given grants to the Western Colorado AIDS Project, Basalt High School’s peace garden, PFLAG, and a domestic violence response program in the Roaring Fork Valley. So again, they really try to keep the money as local as possible, but they are also going national, up to the Point Foundation and the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Foundation.

HOW IS ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK A CONTINUATION OF THE WORK THAT ASPENOUT DOES? I think the best example is in, it was like 2008 or 2010, a guy came up to me at an event at Aspen Gay Ski Week. He told me that he was from the Aspen area and had struggled in high school with coming out. He was from a conservative family in a small town nearby, I think Carbondale. He said Aspen Gay Ski Week helped him with coming out, especially with all these gay people coming to the valley.

He saw this when he was a teenager and it really gave him hope. Stories like that and the scholarships that they are giving to high school students in the area, these are definitely a reflection.

The unity too.

People from all over the nation are flying in for this. The biggest cities that we see are D.C., New York, Chicago, Miami, and San Francisco.

And then the countries that I

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WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK IN THE YEARS TO COME?

The other thing, just on the fun side, is I would just love to see even the non-skiers coming too. There are quite a few already, but I feel like this is a message I just keep on having to put out there. You know from living in the mountains too, there are so many other things to do.

So many people are like, “I’m not going; I don’t like to ski,” and I’m like “Oh my God!” You know, there’s just so much—dog sledding, snowshoeing, or you don’t have to do any outdoor things if you don’t want to.

YEAH, SHOPPING AND THERE ARE GREAT RESTAURANTS. ASPEN IS A GREAT TOWN. But here’s the thing: we are so lucky to have Aspen as such a liberal, progressive place. It’s shocking to some people when I tell them that this tiny town in Colorado hosts this huge event, the nation’s largest gay ski week. It’s because Aspen, if you read up on its history, set out to be kind of a place for thought leaders and think tanks, and that really set the stage for it being such a liberal place.

The best thing, especially when I lived in Aspen, was that they hung rainbow flags on every flagpole in the city. That says something. Even living in Denver for Pride they don’t do that all over the city. So it’s really cool to see. One year I was out of town, and I flew in, and the first thing I see are the rainbow flags lining the street.

And the other great thing is to know that the Aspen locals love it. It is bringing money to their businesses. [Everyone enjoys the] Downhill Costume Contest, and it’s not just Aspen Gay Ski Week attendees. Basically, the whole city shuts down; everyone who is working comes out to watch this because it’s so fun and funny.

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The Blurred Line of Consent in Denver’s

Queer Nightlife

By Nate Schaaf

L

ike many Friday nights prior, Jake Cameron and his husband went out to one of Denver’s gay bars to have a few drinks and de-stress. For the couple, LGBTQ bars were an important part of their routine. It was a chance for them to connect with like-minded individuals in a comfortable atmosphere. These bars were places where they felt safe and welcomed.

“It was a great way to kickstart the weekend,” said Cameron, whose name has been changed to preserve his identity. “You grab a couple beers, unwind from the work week, and get out of the house for a while.”

Unfortunately, what started out as an enjoyable evening filled with laughter and libations quickly went sour. Cameron noticed a man aggressively dancing against and groping his husband, who seemed visibly distressed by the interaction. Cameron confronted this unwelcome stranger.

After a shouting match that almost ended in a physical altercation, Cameron settled up his tab and escorted his husband home. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and enough was enough.

This past October, the media was rocked by a flurry of sexual harassment accusations that shook Hollywood’s foundation.

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those that were publicly decried for a wealth of sexually inappropriate behaviors. In the time since, TV hosts, musicians, and authors have been added to the list. #MeToo, a slogan developed by social activist Tarana Burke and publicized by actress Alyssa Milano, went viral.

As it did, it opened up a public dialogue about experiences with sexual trauma. Thousands of individuals have stepped forward to join the conversation, many with nothing in common but a simple hashtag. For some, it’s a therapeutic exercise.

For many members of Denver’s LGBTQ community, it has been an uncomfortable reminder of the ways in which their peers mishandle sexuality as well as the openness of queer safe spaces.

Many queer spaces are born of a desire for the expression of sexual freedom. Within these spaces, the lines between the acceptable and the inappropriate become problematically blurred—and lines that are blurred are easily crossed.

In sexually expressive spaces, and among gay males in particular, consent seemingly becomes less of a concrete rule and more of a suggestion, one that tends to be infrequently followed.

For some, this behavior has gone too far. Cameron has turned away from queer bars altogether.

“I used to enjoy going out to the bars. It was the easiest way to see lots of my friends, and I usually had a good time,” Cameron said. That was before he was in a serious relationship, one that has since turned into a marriage.

Survey” found that 40 percent of gay males and 47 percent of bisexual males have experienced some form of sexual violence other than rape; one in eight lesbian women and nearly half of all bisexual women have experienced rape, and an appalling 64 percent of transgender individuals have experienced sexual assault.

“I got really tired of seeing men fondle my husband when we went out. It wasn’t just a jealousy thing. He would always tell me it made him uncomfortable and that made me uncomfortable, too. But he didn’t know how to say no. And even if he did, I wasn’t sure that any of these guys would actually stop.”

With numbers as startlingly high as these, it’s curious that so few LGBTQ individuals have stepped forward to join the #MeToo movement. Perhaps it’s a natural reaction, given the poor handling of openly gay actor Anthony Rapp’s accusations against Kevin Spacey.

Several gay males in Denver’s queer scene don’t take offense at these behaviors, and some have even defended them. When asked about their stance on the issue of sexual harassment in inclusive queer spaces, responses ranged from “just a joke” to “it’s fair game,” which is an extension of language frequently found in rape culture—“they were asking for it” or “they had it coming.”

In the wake of Rapp’s testimony of assault, the media attention was directed wholly toward Spacey, the abuser, as well as the contents of his polarizing apology statement. Rapp, a victim of unwanted sexual advances, was left widely ignored.

By positing that any person that enters a queer space, many of which are touted as safe spaces, has invited non-consensual interaction, the conversation immediately changes from one of sexual expression and liberation to one of sexual oppression.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that LGBTQ individuals face a higher rate of sexual violence than their heterosexual counterparts.

The CDC’s “National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence

As the Human Rights Campaign stated, “as a community, we rarely talk about how sexual violence affects us or what our community’s unique needs are when it comes to preventing sexual assault.”

Until members of the Denver LGBTQ community publicly reaffirm that no truly means no and harassment and assault in all forms are unwelcome, they’ll continue to alienate their peers.

“I won’t be returning to the bar scene any time soon,” Cameron said. “It doesn’t feel like the men there respect me or my husband, so I don’t respect them either.”

OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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What is TRUVADA for PrEP?

Who should not take TRUVADA for PrEP?

TRUVADA for PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) is a prescription medicine that is used together with safer sex practices to help reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 through sex. This use is only for HIV-negative adults who are at high risk of getting HIV-1. To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

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

Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP if you: ® Already have HIV-1 infection or if you do not know your HIV-1 status. If you are HIV-1 positive, you need to take other medicines with TRUVADA to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time. ® Also take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION What is the most important information I should know about TRUVADA for PrEP? Before taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must be HIV-negative before you start taking TRUVADA for PrEP. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-negative. ® Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. If you have flu-like symptoms, you could have recently become infected with HIV-1. Tell your healthcare provider if you had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting or at any time while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin.

While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1. ® You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP: ® Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months. ® If you think you were exposed to HIV-1, tell your healthcare provider right away. ® To further help reduce your risk of getting HIV-1: ® Know your HIV status and the HIV status of your partners. ® Get tested for other sexually transmitted infections. Other infections make it easier for HIV to infect you. ® Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners. ® Do not miss any doses of TRUVADA. Missing doses may increase your risk of getting HIV-1 infection. ® If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. TRUVADA by itself is not a complete treatment for HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

TRUVADA can cause serious side effects: ® Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV and stop taking TRUVADA, your HBV may suddenly get worse. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to monitor your health.

What are the other possible side effects of TRUVADA for PrEP? Serious side effects of TRUVADA may also include: ® Kidney problems, including kidney failure. Your healthcare provider may do blood tests to check your kidneys before and during treatment with TRUVADA. If you develop kidney problems, your healthcare provider may tell you to stop taking TRUVADA. ® Too much lactic acid in your blood (lactic acidosis), which is a serious but rare medical emergency that can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: weakness or being more tired than usual, unusual muscle pain, being short of breath or fast breathing, stomach pain with nausea and vomiting, cold or blue hands and feet, feel dizzy or lightheaded, or a fast or abnormal heartbeat. ® Severe liver problems, which in rare cases can lead to death. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get these symptoms: skin or the white part of your eyes turns yellow, dark “tea-colored” urine, light-colored stools, loss of appetite for several days or longer, nausea, or stomach-area pain. ® Bone problems, including bone pain, softening, or thinning, which may lead to fractures. Your healthcare provider may do tests to check your bones.

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

What should I tell my healthcare provider before taking TRUVADA for PrEP? ® All your health problems. Be sure to tell your healthcare provider if you have or have had any kidney, bone, or liver problems, including hepatitis. ® If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if TRUVADA can harm your unborn baby. If you become pregnant while taking TRUVADA for PrEP, talk to your healthcare provider to decide if you should keep taking TRUVADA. ® If you are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can be passed to the baby in breast milk. ® All the medicines you take, including prescription and over-thecounter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. TRUVADA may interact with other medicines. Keep a list of all your medicines and show it to your healthcare provider and pharmacist when you get a new medicine. ® If you take certain other medicines with TRUVADA, your healthcare provider may need to check you more often or change your dose.

These medicines include certain medicines to treat hepatitis C (HCV) infection.

You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.FDA.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.

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

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I’m passionate, not impulsive.

I know who I am. And I make choices that fit my life.

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

Ask your doctor about your risk of getting HIV-1 infection and if TRUVADA for PrEP may be right for you.

Learn more at truvada.com OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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IMPORTANT FACTS

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

(tru-VAH-dah) MOST IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT TRUVADA FOR PrEP Before starting TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must be HIV-1 negative. You must get tested to make sure that you do not already have HIV-1. Do not take TRUVADA for PrEP to reduce the risk of getting HIV-1 unless you are confirmed to be HIV-1 negative.

• Many HIV-1 tests can miss HIV-1 infection in a person who has recently become infected. Symptoms of new HIV-1 infection include flu-like symptoms, tiredness, fever, joint or muscle aches, headache, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, night sweats, and/or enlarged lymph nodes in the neck or groin. Tell your healthcare provider if you have had a flu-like illness within the last month before starting TRUVADA for PrEP. While taking TRUVADA for PrEP: • You must continue to use safer sex practices. Just taking TRUVADA for PrEP may not keep you from getting HIV-1.

• You must stay HIV-negative to keep taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Get tested for HIV-1 at least every 3 months while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you think you were exposed to HIV-1 or have a flu-like illness while taking TRUVADA for PrEP. • If you do become HIV-1 positive, you need more medicine than TRUVADA alone to treat HIV-1. If you have HIV-1 and take only TRUVADA, your HIV-1 may become harder to treat over time.

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

TRUVADA may cause serious side effects, including: • Worsening of hepatitis B (HBV) infection. TRUVADA is not approved to treat HBV. If you have HBV, your HBV may suddenly get worse if you stop taking TRUVADA. Do not stop taking TRUVADA without first talking to your healthcare provider, as they will need to check your health regularly for several months.

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

• To help determine your risk of getting HIV-1, talk openly with your healthcare provider about your sexual health.

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

• Take certain medicines to treat hepatitis B infection.

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

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

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

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

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF TRUVADA FOR PrEP TRUVADA can cause serious side effects, including: • Those in the “Most Important Information About TRUVADA for PrEP” section.

• New or worse kidney problems, including kidney failure.

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

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

• Bone problems.

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

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

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

• Have any other medical conditions.

• Are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

• Are breastfeeding (nursing) or plan to breastfeed. Do not breastfeed. If you become HIV-positive, HIV can pass to the baby in breast milk.

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

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

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

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

• Get information and support to help reduce risky sexual behavior, such as having fewer sex partners.

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

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

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

TRUVADA FOR PREP, the TRUVADA FOR PREP Logo, the TRUVADA Blue Pill Design, TRUVADA, GILEAD, and the GILEAD Logo are trademarks of Gilead Sciences, Inc., or its related companies. All other marks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Version date: April 2017 © 2017 Gilead Sciences, Inc. All rights reserved. TVDC0120 07/17

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RadicAmazon’ al Devel o pment? s HQ2 and the Denver LGBTQ Community

By Grace Montesano

O

n September 7, 2017, Amazon sent out a press release detailing its plans for a new headquarters—HQ2. This new headquarters would be a “full equal to Amazon’s headquarters in Seattle” with an investment of over $5 billion.

Colorado, a place completely entranced with the project of urban development, naturally put in a bid. According to a Denver Post article, the bid was focused on the tech talent that already exists in Denver and the incentives that Amazon could thus gain from hiring locally.

Public reaction to the possibility of Amazon arriving in Denver is varied. Most people that have a media platform have fallen into one of two categories: Amazon is good because development is good, and Amazon is bad because development is bad.

The first argument even has national buzz. A New York Times article picked Denver as the best place for HQ2, and argued, “the city’s lifestyle and affordability, coupled with the supply of tech talent from nearby universities, has already helped build a thriving start-up scene in Denver... lots of big-city refugees have been moving there for this reason. Amazon would be smart to follow them.”

The second argument is summarized well by Seattle local Gregory Scruggs, who reported that since Amazon, housing in Seattle has become unaffordable, creating an increase in both commuters and houselessness. This effect is also noted by people who have described the working conditions at Amazon as, to put it mildly, subpar. Nichole Gracely said in The Guardian that “being homeless is better than working for Amazon.”

But what are Denver locals saying?

Asia Dorsey, who introduced herself as a futuristic, black, queer, business-cooperative- developing mermaid who grew up in the Five Points is the current owner of Five Points Fermentation Co. The Denverite, who can often be spotted with her puppy, Jasper, or chatting about biological alchemy and “the complete and utter transformation of our food system and thus our economy,” has both a personal and professional history with Denver development.

“I’ve seen my entire community desecrated and family separated by market forces controlled by upper-class African Americans in collusion with the white power structures in Denver—aka urban planning,” she said. “The gentrification of my neighborhood was 25 years in the making, and we were not included in the conversation but were treated as a byproduct, or simply an inconvenience, in the ‘development’ of Five Points.”

The irony is that the development of Denver means that her company might gain from a broader consumer base. And because the nature of her company is a workers cooperative, as they win, working class folks also win.

“Worker cooperatives become more of a viable option for transitioning into a new economy,” she said.

Obviously, Dorsey has a stake in this fight, and her proximity to the situation and tie to the success or failure of a development project make her more of an authority than traditional development experts, with a more sterile, third-person point of view.

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Dorsey’s central argument is that, if done properly, Amazon HQ2 has the potential to assist poor, queer people of color.

She argued that, “if we get ahead of the curve, we have the opportunity to use this as a benefit.”

In an economy that has created massive inequities due to structurally racist policies, Dorsey’s main priority is to get people paid. And that seems likely; the numbers support Dorsey’s claims that Amazon will bring not just jobs at Amazon, but also in food and service industries in and around Denver.

In Seattle, Amazon brought in over 53,000 new indirect jobs.

Although low-income LGBTQ folks of color might have access to more jobs because of Amazon, the housing crisis that would be created from skyrocketing rents would displace the same people.

But Dorsey has thought of this as well. She argued that this displacement process is occurring even without Amazon.

“The difference is that if LGBTQ people of color from low-income neighborhoods can get a seat at the table to be lifted by the wave of development instead of crushed by it, everyone can win.”

This would be a radical shift from the way development projects take place in the status quo. Dorsey suggests that various provisions would need to be included in contracts with Amazon that would ensure food is locally sourced to spur Colorado rural economies, affordable housing is preemptively designed and protected, and low-income folks are given opportunities through organizations like the Rocky Mountain MicroFinance Institute before Amazon arrives to create their own business.

Many activists who oppose gentrification and development take a position that requires development to stop, but it is theoretically and practically impossible to stop growth under capitalism.

Dorsey gave the example of food trucks providing food for Amazon employees.

“Thousands of new employees need something to eat, and we make sure that there are taco trucks on every corner, putting money into the hands of artisan cooks from gentrifying and marginalized communities like Elyria Swansea,” she said.

“Not only that, but what if all the trucks were connected as a taco truck cooperative? Who wins then? I actually think the radical community should get behind the move with a very clear legal framework.”

This is the crux of the argument: if development can include marginalized folks in a way that is productive instead of harmful, development can be good. If not, there will be (and have been) devastating consequences.

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Denver is already seeing the deeply negative effects of development. The Denver Post wrote that the median income in Five Points doubled between 2000 and 2015, and that Five Points had already changed so much by 2013 that the neighborhood didn’t qualify as at risk for gentrification. The Denver Post correctly posits that these would be good statistics except they are thanks to “a mass exodus of the poor” where “residents are pushed out by gentrification to new pockets of poverty developing elsewhere.”

While wealthy white folks with access to vast resources move into central neighborhoods, people of color who have lived in these places for generations are forced into suburbs with longer commutes as their communities are fractured.

But different LGBTQ people will be affected by the Amazon move differently. It is safe to assume that Denver is home to an economic range of LGBTQ individuals, so the impact Amazon could have on their lives is also quite varied. Wealthier LGBTQ individuals have an economic incentive to attempt a more traditional development plan with Amazon because maintaining a struggling working class is a foundational pillar of wealth accumulation.

On the other hand, low-income LGBTQ folks could prosper profoundly from a development strategy that seeks to support the most marginalized in our community instead of lining the pockets of the rich.

“We must recognize that queerness doesn’t follow along class lines,” Dorsey said. “There will be many queer folks who don’t care about poor people. Do queer people see themselves as a part of a social group looking to push forward its own progression, or are we too divided amongst race and class lines to have the energy to care for one another? I care.”

Is it possible to separate development from its neoliberal framework to ensure the prosperity of everyone in the community?

Until now, the answer to this question has seemed to be a resounding “no.” Developers have moved into neighborhoods, fragmenting communities and destroying culture in search of capital. However, with community leaders like Asia Dorsey and community-centered frameworks of development, a different future could be possible.

It is still unclear whether Amazon will choose Denver for their HQ2. The possibility has brought up extremely important conversations that Denver, and the Denver LGBTQ community, need to be having about the role of development in our city.

“We know that the queer people who are the most vulnerable are poor, and specifically, black,” Dorsey said. “The intersection of racism, heterosexism, and poverty creates a vortex of suffering and beauty and creativity. Let us not forget where the vast majority of ‘queer’ culture originated. Stonewall was a hop, skip, and a leap from the neighborhoods where Paris burned.”

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By Addison Herron-Wheeler Photos courtesy of the Gay Christian Network

LGBTQ ChriThe NewstiFrontlaniinetofy:the Queer Conflict I

t’s an association so common in society that it rarely warrants a second glance. The use of “gay” and “Christian” in the same sentence nearly always means there is some type of protest against the queer community. But those in the Gay Christian Network would like to see that change. They realize that most of the queer community feels that Christianity has by and large become a hate group when it comes to LGBTQ issues.

In their view, this is a misrepresentation of the works of Jesus, a man who allegedly stood up for prostitutes, the impoverished, and anyone who didn’t fit in with mainstream society.

In a world that is becoming increasingly more polarizing as the radical right gains mainstream power, it’s no surprise that these Christians feel that they are on the front lines of a societal and spiritual conflict. OUT FRONT spoke with some of these queer and queer-allied Christian folks to get the scoop on this alternate view of the Christian faith, and the way they practice love.

Love Thy Children For Susan Cottrell, mother of two queer daughters, acceptance 1 8 \\ J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 8

is now a way of life, but the rhetoric of rejected children is all too familiar.

“My first daughter who came out to me, she was using the language of being same-sex attracted because that’s the language we had from the church, and she was not wanting to give in to it because she thought God didn’t want her to,” she explained. “I was supporting her in not giving in to it, but then when she decided ‘this is who I am and I can’t change,’ I supported her in that. And then after that she started dating women, she said to me; ‘I’m at more peace now with God then I’ve ever been,’ and that sealed the deal for me, because as a Christian, that’s what you go for.”

Unfortunately, the story of the estranged family member disowned by their family for being queer, or queer people being afraid to tell their families, is nothing new. In many conservative, Christian communities, it isn’t uncommon to hear that someone is cast out for their sexual orientation, or terrified of being cast out. But for Cottrell, this was never even an option.

It was a slight shock when her other daughter also came out, but that quickly faded, and she realized what others thought was unimportant; the peace and religious conviction that the

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family felt because of being open about who their daughters were, and the fact that their daughters were able to live full and empowered lives, were what truly mattered.

Although she and her daughters experienced fear and hate from some members of the faith community, they realized that love and unity were the best way to live and make sure their daughters were accepted.

Susan Shopland, the mother of a gay son, is also familiar with the experience of offering love in a situation when many parents do not. Like Cottrell’s daughters, when her son first came to her, he said that he was seeking help for being samesex attracted and trying to heal himself. When she went to bed after hearing from her son, Shopland wept, not because she was repenting for her son being gay, but because she was lamenting raising him in a church that made him feel there was something wrong with him.

“I went to bed and wept, because I felt so much remorse for having raised him in a church that had become increasingly conservative, and his experiences with the mentors he had through church and camp had convinced him that this was something unacceptable about himself,” she said.

“I felt like I should have known better, because as a psychologist, professionally I had the awareness. I had the education to know what kind of rejection he would experience within our conservative faith community. I didn’t want any of that for him, and it was another four years before he realized God wasn’t going to change him because there was nothing about him that needed to be changed.”

Now, both Cottrell and Shopland are advocates, supporting their own children and fighting to make sure that others are 2 0 \\ J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 8

comfortable being queer, or comfortable supporting their LGBTQ children. They both reached out to the GCN when they realized that they needed a new faith community and support system for their children, and what they found was acceptance and fellowship.

While many in the faith community at large still cast their families aside, the parents who have joined with the GCN are committed to making their family members feel safe.

Love Thyself Matthias Roberts, a gay man who is still very much a part of the Christian faith, found that coming to terms with his own identity was a struggle.

“Realizing I was gay and growing up in the conservative church, I was told over and over again, ‘You can’t be gay and Christian; you can’t have same-sex attraction and be Christian,’” he explained. “But no matter what questions and doubts I was having, for some reason, there was a thread that kind of wove throughout all of that time that God loved me. I’ve held onto my faith because it’s a support system for me and it’s a way of framing the world that helps me work towards justice and good and light in the world that we desperately need. I feel like it’s an avenue to do that work.”

Even for those who find love and acceptance from family and friends in the church, the concept that queerness and Christianity don’t belong together can be so internalized that those who are LGBTQ even struggle with hate towards themselves. Luckily, Roberts found a way past this with his faith and was able to connect to those who were more accepting and affirming through the Gay Christian Network.

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Like many other openly LGBTQ Christians, Roberts now spends his time working with the GCN and other organizations to spread the word, both through retreats, events, and his own personal podcast which can be found at MatthiasRoberts.com.

Queer, Intersectional Christianity For Tonetta Landis-Aina, a queer woman of color who is in seminary currently and also works as an organizer of the women’s Christian organization WomanConnect, it’s clear that not everyone is afforded the same opportunities, even in the more accepting arenas of Christianity.

While queer acceptance in the Christian community is a beautiful thing, it is still often easier for white men, those with white privilege, and those who in all other ways fit the mold of the mainstream Christian.

For women, people of color, and other individuals that already feel they don’t have as much of a voice in Christianity, it can be doubly hard to come out.

“I’m an African American woman who is gender nonconforming,” she said. “I think there are issues for people who are minorities with finding a church. If you are not comfortable with your ethnicity, language, then you have trouble feeling comfortable with yourself, and then if you are not a part of the dominant culture that can be hard. I also think if I were not gay I would have been ordained in my early 20s.

A lot of the obstacles had to do with not being able to come out, not being able to date, not being able to live out my call.”

“I am of the opinion that Christian gay women and men have very different experiences because the patriarchy is so strongly enforced, especially in Evangelical Christian communities,” added Marg Herder, a queer Evangelical Christian who also helps organize WomanConnect. “White men are kind of once removed from their privilege by being gay; until they announce it they are in the privileged class. Women come at it from being at least once removed, disadvantaged, so women kind of need a different thing just by virtue of being women. Women who are coming out of a more religious situation have already come out as being other, so when they come out as gay or queer or trans it’s a different experience. It’s kind of like, ‘Oh, here’s one more thing that makes me different.’”

Divisions and Differences Generally speaking, those who consider themselves Christian and queer or queer-allied are very open and accepting about gender and sex expression and the fact that God loves all the faithful members of his community, no matter what. However, there are some who believe in varying degrees of acceptance.

Those associated with the GCN often identify as either Side A or Side B in order to explain how they feel about acceptance.

“A Side A Christian would say God created people and he doesn’t make mistakes, and therefore he blesses same sex marriage and this is in God’s design,” explained Kimberly Dent, the mother of an LGBTQ daughter. “Side B is God loves each and every one of us, but same-sex marriage is not in God’s original intent and design. That’s not to say they are going to 2 2 \\ J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 8

hell, not to say they are not allowed in the church; it’s simply that this was not God’s design for marriage.”

Additionally, some Christians feel that their relationships are only acceptable in the eyes of God if they are committed to celibacy. The GCN is supportive of those committed to celibacy, as well as those in sexual queer relationships and marriages.

While the GCN is never adamant that celibacy is necessary to stay in the Christian fold, and never claim that those who are married cannot be affirmed and welcomed into their circles, it is still troubling to some queer folks that these opinions and ideas exist within queer, Christian spaces.

Despite the varying beliefs and viewpoints among GCN members and queer and affirming Christians in general, there is no denying that those involved in this community have created a safe space where many would have nowhere to turn.

The GCN also offers retreats and conferences to help build unity and provide faith and education tools to its members.

On January 18-21, the 14th annual GCN conference will take place at the Colorado Convention Center. The conference is open to queer Christians, those who are allied with queer Christians, and anyone who wants to learn more, as long as they are open and affirming to both the LGBTQ and the religious sides of the conference.

For more information, go to GayChristian.net.

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New Year Resolutions from 18 for 2018: the Best Little Doggie in the Whole World

By Rick Kitzman

I

know, I know—your dog is the best dog in the whole world, or cat, or rodent, or bird. No matter the species, perhaps your loving pet kept you sane through the insanity of 2017. But a new year looms, accompanied by the annual pressure to declare resolutions. For inspiration, I observed my favorite furry, four-legged friend, who isn’t even my pet.

Jack is a dear friend with a dear miniature Schnauzer named Zshisha (pronounced similarly to Zsa Zsa).

Travelling for work, Jack needed a new dog sitter. My partner and I gladly agreed, becoming de facto dog parents.

Jack knew he had no worries because after a few visits, Zshisha recognized our street and would start bouncing excitedly. On her first overnight stay, Zshisha was so happy she stopped her rowdy romp, lifted a paw, and howled— her happy howl, Jack informed us.

Begin the day happily with a stretch Awakening with a grand yawn, tongue protruding like a curl of pink ribbon, Zshisha sticks her butt in the air, arching her back and stretching her front legs, then leans forward, pushing out each hind leg. Canine yoga complete, her tail is always waggin.’ Because it’s a new day with treats, walks, and belly rubs!

Eat only the yummy food and drink lots of water Mashing expensive, wet dog food over less yummy, dry dog food doesn’t always cover every nugget.

Zshisha tosses out the driest, almost with a “ptui.” She slurps often and mightily from her water bowl, her soaked beard dripping a trail. Asking the princess, “Want a treat?” yields hops and twirls of anticipation, the treat gobbled.

Don’t sweat the small stuff Zshisha’s a very messy girl. As I clean up her kibble and puddles and crumbs, she stares at me like, “Is there a problem?”

Be vulnerable Zshisha lies on her back, fully exposing herself for a belly rub with complete trust.

This dog is so darn funny, goofy, and silly, sweet and stubborn. She has a beautiful silver coat; long, floppy velvety ears that stick out like wings when perched; a big, black nose; and a tangled beard.

Her stubby tail wags often, like a fuzzy metronome. Her mop of bangs veil bright brown eyes.

Zshisha became my silver shadow, a constant source of affection and amusement. We’re about the same age in dog years, but she is far wiser. From observing her, I offer 18 resolutions for 2018.

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Zshisha

Get plenty of rest Zshisha sleeps, well, day and night—being adorable is exhausting!

Announcing “Let’s go to bed,” I often have to pry the limp sack of potatoes disguised as a dog off the sofa, her sleepy eyes accusing, “Seriously? Are you a nurse?”

Zshisha can’t jump on our high bed, so she stands patiently motionless until lifted onto her blanky. Then I rub her belly and whisper in her ears how she’s the best little doggie in the whole world.

Dog-whisperer, yep, I claim it proudly.

Comfort the ill I was feeling flu-ish, so I lay down on our bed. I heard a grunt and a thump, then felt a warm presence. I peeked out from under my blanky to see Zshisha lying near my feet. Somehow, she’d clawed her way up and stayed until I got up, hours later.

Exercise with enthusiasm “Want to go for a walk?” always elicits dancing in circles, a charge for the door, barks, yowls, pants, and grunts.

Adventure awaits! Commencing the walk, she strains her leash, eventually prances briskly, then slowly walks the green mile home.

Be in the now During walks, Zshisha excitedly engages with her environment.

Running here, running there, she sniffs the ground or grass like a Hoover.

Distractions—Squirrel! Bunny! Dog! Human!—redirect her intense focus for that moment. But, the goose... Frozen and silent, Zshisha contemplated, “Friend or foe?” until she decided, “Squirrel!”

Avoid yelling; forgive quickly Sometimes I have to curb Zshisha’s enthusiasm, yelling with my theatre voice: ZSHISHA! She cowers pitifully as if I clubbed her, downcast eyes declaring, “and they call me a bitch.” I comfort her with ear rubs and reassure her with apologies. Immediately, her tail wags forgivingly. “Forget it! Let’s go!”

Pee and poop often These make a healthy life, and Zshisha is very healthy. Walks always include half a dozen squirts. And OMG! The princess is a poop machine.

Get someone else to pick up your poop Politicians and corporate execs are, without peer, demonstrating this resolution.

Display appreciation for others Zshisha is not a face-licking dog. Rare, delicate laps are kisses of love. (Well, that’s what Jack says.) Or maybe they’re the discovery of Cheetos dust.

Be gentle with yourself Zshisha has a bum hip. When lying down, she gingerly lowers her rear, then gets comfortable with no whimper of complaint.

Claim your personal space During TV time or in bed, Zshisha cuddles for a bit, then moves away. If I continue petting, she moves further away, gazing sternly. “Enough already.”

Embrace your accomplishments Every time Zshisha jumps into my barcolounger, she stands on an arm, posing proudly like Lassie.

Be proud of your beauty As Ambrose Bierce wrote, “The most affectionate creature in the world is a wet dog.” After withstanding the misery of a bath, shake, shake, shake spraying water everywhere and dancing in circles!

Zshisha loves the hair blower, a substitute for hanging her head out the car window. Toweling her head becomes a game of hide and seek. After a combout and removing eye goobers, more withstood miseries, she struts her stuff with her doggie grin as if parading for the Westminster Kennel.

Keep loved ones in sight and greet them joyfully One of Zshisha’s woofs asks, “Where is everybody?” She has to be near one of us. When we leave the house, Zshisha’s doleful look—like a knife in my heart— seems to implore, “Where are you going?

Can I go? Are you coming back?” When we return, Zshisha waddles out, tail wagging, sleepy from a nap, making the sweetest grunts.

Open your heart People who enter Zshisha’s sight are cause for perked ears and wagging tail.

She knows no prejudice of race, body type, or socio-economic status. Instantly, everyone is a friend.

Quite a blueprint for a new year: that last one was a doozie. If we could be more like pets, what a different year 2018 could be.

In July, Zshisha and her daddy moved to Palm Springs, a very sad day. That bitch stole my heart (the four-legged one). Videos of walks and cute pics on my phone must suffice to fill her void.

But we’re visiting in February! Yes, Jack, we want to see you, too. Zshisha can’t pick us up at the airport.

If you’re inclined to make New Year resolutions, observe your pets for inspiration. No pets? No worries. Take one from the best little doggie in the whole world: resolve to wag your tail often.

Life is a joyful adventure. Live it.

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Upcoming 2018

LGBTQ Books

by Denny Patterson

T

he past year may have been a hot mess, due to obvious reasons, but politics and sexual misconduct aside, 2017 produced movies, TV shows, and books that made us forget and escape from the country’s troubles and woes. We saw the revival of Will & Grace, the next installment of Star Wars, and albums and EPs from numerous musical artists.

In addition, 2017 also saw many new book titles from debut authors. Covering various topics and genres, these books flew off the shelves, and maintained a spot on the best-seller list. We honestly expect 2018 to be no different. Listed below are a few highly anticipated LGBTQ-themed books to be released in the upcoming year. So, grab your blanket; a mug of your favorite coffee, tea, or liquor; and your fur baby to snuggle with. Let the words take you on an adventure.

Happy reading!

Touch

by Kris Bryant Expected Publication Date: January 1, 2018 Touch by Kris Bryant is the story of Dr. Hayley Sims. The best within the occupational therapy field, she is the go-to at Elite Therapy, where she has been assigned her most challenging patient yet, hockey player Elizabeth Stone.

Stone’s injury is complex, and she is intense to work with and needs someone to keep her in check. When Hayley’s

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personal life starts to unravel, she realizes that she might be developing feelings for her patient. She is conflicted. Should she finish up her assignment with Stone, or walk away to protect herself? This is a plot that is relatable. Can Hayley get Stone back on the ice while keeping her own heart from breaking?

The ending may just surprise you.

Boys Keep Swinging: A Memoir

by Jake Shears Expected Publication Date: February 20, 2018 Before hitting the stage as the lead singer of the iconic glam band Scissor Sisters, Jake Shears was a teenage boy from Arizona named Jason Sellards. In high school, Sellards’ classmates bullied him while teachers gave him little sympathy. It wasn’t until a trip years later to visit a childhood friend that Jake met a talented musician nicknamed Babydaddy–the stage name of Scott Hoffman. Jake had found a kindred spirit, someone thirsting for stardom and freedom. Their instant bond led them to form Scissor Sisters. First performing in the underground gay nightclubs of NYC, they would soon reach platinum status and become internationally famous. Candid and courageous, Shear’s memoir follows his development from misfit boy to dazzling rock star. This story is the perfect inspiration to anyone with determination and a dream.

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Some Hell

Speak No Evil

Lizzie

by Patrick Nathan Expected Publication Date: February 28, 2018

by Uzodinma Iweala Expected Publication Date: March 8, 2018

by Dawn Ius Expected Publication Date: April 10, 2018

Speak No Evil is a novel about the power of words and self-identification that explores what it means to be different in a fundamentally conformist society.

Niru leads a fortunate life on the surface. Raised by two loving parents in Washington D.C., he is an honor student and popular track star at a prestigious private high school. He is bound for Harvard, and the future looks bright.

However, Niru has a painful secret—he is queer. Being LGBTQ is an abominable sin to his conservative Nigerian parents.

The only person who knows is his best friend Meredith. When Niru’s father accidentally finds out, this results in a fallout that is brutal. Coping with troubles of her own, Meredith finds that she has little left emotionally to offer him. As the two friends struggle to move on from their unfortunate situations, they find themselves heading towards a future that is more violent and senseless than they can imagine. The damage is done, and neither will escaped unharmed. In this heart-wrenching novel, Iweala cuts readers straight to the core.

If you love retelling tales of historical figures set in a modern-day world, then Lizzie, by Dawn Ius, is the book for you.

Seventeen-year-old Lizzie Borden is a young woman who is forced to work at her family’s B&B, her tyrannical parents dictating her every move. Polite and painfully shy, Lizzie prefers to stay in the kitchen and dreams about escaping her reality to become a professional chef.

She longs for a life of freedom. However, her world is turned upside down when a woman named Bridget Sullivan joins the B&B staff as the new maid. Lizzie is instantly drawn to her artistic style and free spirit. The two of them forge a bond that quickly turns into something more.

Lizzie is more than ready to experience her first kiss. When Lizzie’s parents try to restrain her from pursuing the life she wants, a spark in her ignites. Lizzie is angry. Hatred is flowing through her veins. Who knows, she may just be mad enough to kill...

In Patrick Nathan’s debut novel, readers see how an unspeakable tragedy can shape a life and how imagination can save us from ourselves. Colin is a gay teenager coping with the struggles of everyday life. Middle school sucks, his teenage sister relentlessly teases him, his autistic brother lashes out at him and he has a crush on his best friend, Andy. However, after the tragic night when his father commits suicide, none of Colin’s problems matter. His mother, Diane, seeks solace in therapy, but Colin feels like there is no one he can turn to. He tries to confide in his estranged grandfather, then a predatory science teacher, but he finds out that nothing helps as much as the strange writings his father kept in a series of notebooks locked in his study. Colin searches for answers there–in fragments about disaster scenarios, the violence of snow, mustangs running wild in the West. Meanwhile, Diane has a miserable fling with a coworker and leans more heavily on Colin for support. Life seems to go from bad to worse, but perhaps a glimpse of hope is closer than they think.

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Plushcare:AccessAppPrEP ThroughAllowsTheiPatir Phones ents to

by David-Elijah Nahmod

P

lushcare, a new app which allows people to access the HIV prevention drug PrEp through their phones, promises to revolutionize HIV prevention and care.

Currently the app is available in 31 states, including Colorado. There are plans to role the app out into the remaining states in the near future James Wantuck, Plushcare’s chief medical officer, and Ryan McQuaid, the company’s CEO, spoke to OUT FRONT about the services the company provides, and why the app is needed.

“In San Francisco, most doctors know about PrEp,” Wantuck said. “Outside of the city, doctors may not know about the latest treatments; they could be biased against prescribing PrEp.” Wantuck noted that PrEp was approved by the American Medical Association in 2012.

“It usually takes 18 years for an approved treatment to become standard practice,” he pointed out.

McQuaid explained how Plushcare works. “Just download the app and put in your insurance information.

Then you book an appointment with the doctor of your choice.”

For the uninsured, the cost to use the app is $99.

The appointments are conducted via video chat as though they are a regular doctor visit. The doctor orders lab work and makes a determination if PrEP is right for the patient. Lab work is

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conducted by Quest and Labcor, nationally renowned labs, and can be done at local hospitals.

“The doctor has to be licensed in the state where the patient lives,” McQuaid said. “We follow CDC recommendations on how often people on PrEp get lab testing and follow-up visits.”

So far, Plushcare has over 50 doctors in their system—and not all the patients they see are PrEp patients. “We started doing urgent care treatment for colds, flu, and pink eye,” he continued. “It’s only in the last six months that we’ve expanded to PrEp. 80 percent of urgent care can be done via telemedicine. We emphasize having the highest quality providers. We take what we do extremely seriously. Our doctors are from the top fifty ranked medical institutions; we have a pretty rigorous interview process.”

“We are in market with most of the major insurance carriers,” Wantuck said. “We are working to get even more so everyone can have access to the service.”

McQuaid noted that while there was an overall decline in new HIV infections from 2008-2014, there was a 35 percent increase in infections among 25-34-year-olds for the same period.

“This shows the importance of informing people about PrEp,” he said.

To download and access the app, please visit PlushCare.com

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Off the Beaten Path Unique Summer Festivals in Rural Colorado

By Hannah Gartner

C

olorado is one of the most picturesque places to spend summer, but sometimes the hustle and bustle of city life can get in the way of appreciating nature’s beauty. For those who need an excuse to venture out of Denver and the Front Range next summer, we have come up with a list of some of the funkiest festivals that Colorado has to offer.

These festivals will take you to far-flung corners of the state and expose you to true Colorado culture, and they are a blast to boot.

Crested Butte Wildflower Festival This festival occurs every year during July, which is the peak of wildflower season in Colorado. Our state is home to an astounding amount of native flora, and Crested Butte is one of the best places to see it all.

During the festival, you can sign up for guided hikes where you learn about flowers and edible plants, take classes on a variety of topics, including birds and bugs, geology, and mountain stewardship, and go on 4x4 Jeep tours.

If you are more of a lone wolf, they also provide lists of the best walks for spotting flowers and have field guides available on their site.

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Hot Air Balloon Rodeo Not to be confused with more traditional rodeos, this event pits hot air balloon pilots against each other in a series of fun competitions.

Events include the balloon launch, a balloon-dipping contest into Eagle Lake, and a night balloon glow. There is also a rodeo and an arts festival that is timed to fall on the same weekend. This unique festival occurs in beautiful Steamboat Springs during mid-July and has been going on for nearly 40 years.

Mountain Fair Mountain Fair is a Carbondalebased arts festival that was founded in 1972. Right in the heart of the Roaring Fork Valley, this tiny mountain town prides itself as being the arts hub for this part of the state. The festival, which goes down at the end of July, features over 145 vendors selling crafts, art, and food. There is also live entertainment in the form of music and performance art. It is truly a wonderful time and a great excuse to explore somewhere new.

Palisade Peach Festival Au g u s t in Colorado means peaches, and nowhere is this truer than in Palisade, where most of these peaches are grown. Although the exact number of years that the Peach Festival has been going on is not known, it is generally accepted that it began sometime during the late 1800s, which makes this festival well over 100 years old. Occurring in mid-August, the festival boasts a wide variety of events, including peach orchard tours, a peach eating contest, and a peach cuisine cook-off.

DADDY’S BAR & GRILL hosted the 2018 Otter J Calendar Debut Party on December 9. A capacity crowd turned out to socialize, pick up a calendar, and meet with some of the models.

Daddy’s, located at 1120 E. 6th Avenue, opened their doors just before Thanksgiving and is one of this year’s new LGBTQ watering holes.

Photos by Charles Broshous

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THE 6TH ANNUAL SANTA SPEEDO RUN was held on December 9 at Mead Street Station.

Approximately 100 diehard dashers donned their best holiday swimwear for the one-mile run through the Denver Highlands. Proceeds from the event benefit Life is Better Rescue, a non-profit, non-breed-specific animal rescue focusing on saving dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, and any other creature in need.

Photos by Charles Broshous

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Who’s Hungry?

By Louisa Silverman

W

Three New Restaurants to Quench our Hunger in 2018

ell, who’s surprised? There are about a million new spots opening up in 2018, each representing its own shard of the mosaic that has become Denver, the city of transplants. But before you start ranting about traffic, rent prices, and the number of times you’ve had to explain the difference between Indica and Sativa, let’s pause to appreciate the variety of experiences Denver now has to offer.

If you’re anything like me, this culture of constant openings and closings leaves you with a bad case of FOMO and a little bit of vertigo, so let’s get a jump on 2018 and see three restaurants set to open in the new year.

The Grateful Gnome 4300-4344 W. 44th Ave., Denver One might say that The Grateful Gnome owner Dan Appell is a “Friend of the Devil” for dreaming up the sinfully brilliant combination of New Jersey-style Italian deli and craft brewery. Deadhead and New Jersey native, Appell grew up working in his father’s deli, and he plans to include 50 family-based sandwich recipes on the Grateful Gnome’s menu. He and head brewer Bess Daugherty are also plotting to brew up to 13 types of beer on site.

Daugherty has a formidable passion for brewing, which is especially necessary as a woman in the brewing industry. As recently as 2012, when Daugherty was getting started, only about four percent of the 161 breweries in Colorado employed a female brewer.

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then, and Daugherty has certainly helped pave the way for women in the industry, citing the help of events such as Women’s Collaboration Brew Day, whose fifth annual occurrence is coming up in March 2018.

Anecdote 955 Bannock St., Ste. 100, Denver “Above all else: community.”

Daugherty has known Appell for many years, since she worked with him at a liquor store and later at Wynkoop Brewing, and she said that he has been talking about opening his own unique deli-brewery since she met him. His dream hasn’t been without obstacles, though. Mere weeks before the planned opening of the Grateful Gnome, a massive piece of scaffolding punctured the roof, barely missing Daugherty and dramatically postponing the opening until January 2018.

Creator Emily Hurd says it best in her biography on the art-centric website for her café, where she and the rest of the Anecdote team are listed as the “Cast of Characters.” Hurd’s brain-child, Anecdote is so much more than just a café. It was thoughtfully fashioned to inspire artists of all types and to encourage collaboration, networking, and skillshare. Even the cocktails speak to the artistically-minded: drinks like the Writer’s Block and the Work in Progress may provide the extra push a project needs to transform from idea to reality.

But they’ll keep on truckn.’

Hurd is a pastry chef, wedding cake

designer, and all-around brilliant artist, and she is never short on ideas. Even though Anecdote just opened, Hurd and her team have already held several DIY and crafting workshops, including succulentplanting and antler-making, and Hurd says they are going full steam ahead on programming events for the coming year.

In addition to continuing weekly DIY workshops, or open-ended “createstations,” and Artist Happy Hours, Anecdote is planning independent film screenings, music video launches, and live performances from local musicians, poets, and story-tellers.

During performances, there will be options to sit family style and eat meals together with other audience members and performers.

Keep Anecdote in mind if you’re considering bringing your talent to the community. Even if you’ve only ever performed for your shower head or your dog, Anecdote will provide a welcoming environment to begin your burgeoning career. Or maybe you’re an old pro at performing, but you want to get some real feedback from other artists who share your passions.

Whatever way you spin it, Anecdote is gearing up to be a creative hub.

“To us, places of food and drink are places to commune, and we want the creative community to feel welcome and encouraged to gather here and build something together,” Hurd said.

In-N-Out Burger–TBD I would be remiss to write an entire article about food coming to Colorado without mentioning the much-anticipated arrival of In-NOut Burger. But before you get too excited, Denver won’t actually see any stores for another few years.

In-N-Out Burger is currently under contract to build the distribution center in Colorado Springs, which will support 50 restaurants. After the distribution center is built, the Colorado Springs store will be built, shortly followed by stores in Denver and other surrounding cities, and then the frenzy will commence!

OUTREACH “And the day came when the risk it took to remain tight in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom.” ~ Anais Nin As a psychotherapist and as someone who has sought psychotherapy, I know how hard it can be to ask for help. In the queer community, we can be particularly vulnerable when it comes to seeking therapy, given the painful histories many of us have experienced with so-called “helping professionals.” Many of us have been told that we could or should change our desires and identities, or perhaps we have even believed that ourselves.

Despite the great progress made in our country around issues like marriage equality, the fact is that we have all received painful, conflicting, confusing, and at times even violent messages about our worth, our sexuality, and our place in the world.

Finding a therapist in whom you can trust, be yourself with, and become more curious about all the factors that make up your own unique story with, may be the most important decision you ever make. Therapy works. I know from experience: my therapy has saved my life. Maybe you think you’re just going through a dark phase in your life, following a break-up or a job loss. Maybe you feel like your friends simply don’t understand, or are growing tired of “being there” for you. What I believe to be true is that a healing therapeutic relationship can provide a safe and affirming environment to help you grow in your ability to love, work, play, create, and find joy.

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Dueling with Depression:

Not So Accommodating

T

here’s a curious thought process that emerges from my brain, usually when I’m trying to solve a problem. Either my anxiety is frantically shoving my brain around the inside of the skull, screaming at me to PANIC about every little unsettled detail in my life, or my depression is trying to drag me off a sheer cliff, whispering into my ear icy words filled with shadows and hopelessness.

So, a thought pops out as a possible means of escape from these two persistent imps: if only I could solve this problem, I’d feel so much better. At the very least, I’d feel a little less shitty.

But there’s something I constantly forget, even though it’s a bit cliché: Life isn’t problem-free.

Well, it might seem problem-free if you’re really not paying attention to anything (a strategy I’ve used in the past). Or, it might seem so full of problems that you’re paralyzed and just give up by closing down the nearest bar (also a strategy I’ve used in the past).

But try as I might, for every set of problems I work my butt off to resolve, new problems quickly shoulder their way to the surface through the cracks, eagerly feeding and nourishing my anxiety and depression.

I once worked a job that was absolutely unfulfilling— the kind of job that makes you want to take a flamethrower to your alarm clock. But I’ve also worked absolutely fulfilling jobs, singing-along-withthe-radio-on-the-way-to-work kind of jobs.

But singing or not, depression and anxiety still feed on other problems in my life: financial worries,

Photo and Column By Mike Yost

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vehicle breakdowns, an aging cat who gets sick and vomits on my ankles in the middle of the night.

We can’t escape being tangled in problems, as life is rarely so accommodating. What’s worse, it can feel like there’s agency behind our problems, like some malevolent director: “Make him lose his job and only source of income! Crash her car into a parked car and make her pay for all the damages! Have the cat claw the fuck out of his bare feet while he’s sleeping!”

With all these problems whirling around my head, I mistakenly think that if I can resolve one or two of them, the mental monsters will fade into the background—as if the singular source of my depression and anxiety is a squall of life problems.

Let’s be clear. Some problems are definitely more problematic than others. Getting a speeding ticket verses watching someone you love die of cancer are two very different roads to navigate.

But I think this awareness gives us all a handy insight: stop establishing the expectation that a problem-free life will foster a problem-free mind. Work to solve problems, of course, but don’t demand resolutions to resolve the problem of depression and anxiety, too.

Anxiety is just going to latch on to the next problem that punches me in the teeth, and I’ll still obsessively speculate on every possible catastrophe that might happen if I don’t resolve that problem.

Depression doesn’t give a flying furry ferret how many problems I fix, as it will simply grab the next problem and clobber me over the back of the skull to

drag me over the edge into all that blackness and bleakness.

So, I try to give myself permission not to arm wrestle my problems all the time, thinking that solving problems is my only recourse against a mental breakdown.

Instead, I work to just stop and sit inside the eye of this massive swirling messiness that is my life and enjoy a pile of green chili cheese fries in the company of a close friend, or get high at a live concert in the company of strangers, or spend the night reading a good novel in the company of my cat, sleeping peacefully near my vomit-free ankles.

And it’s at those moments, still entangled by problems and under siege by mental monsters, that life feels a little less craptastic.

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By Brent Heinze

HEINZESIGHT: Setting Intentions for a New Year I

t’s a new year and many of us have already set goals to combat elements in our life we hope to change, improve, or discard during the upcoming year. These resolutions range from setting financial or professional goals, to aspects of personal self-improvement, or even a huge renovation of our lives.

Our lives are simply a complex series of interwoven situations, people, and emotions that can evoke feelings of pride, contentment, despair, confusion, hopefulness, or hopelessness.

It’s important to figure out how to build the best life for each of us.

As I approach this new year, I am going to streamline my efforts into three simple life goals: achievement, fulfillment, and happiness. Of course, these are extremely broad concepts that can include an infinite number of activities and experiences.

That is what makes these extremely important concepts worth attaining.

Some people look at the potential for infinite possibilities and get completely overwhelmed. For them, there may be too many choices to potentially even begin evaluating where to start or how to prioritize them.

I can appreciate how difficult it can be to select from life’s huge buffet, but realize that you don’t just have to fill one plate. Choose a few things and go munch on them for a little while. You can always go back for more. You also have the choice to decide that some of what you put on your plate doesn’t really taste as good as you expected. There is nothing wrong with discarding those to allow room for other things that are more satisfying.

I think that my three broad-based goals of achievement, fulfillment, and happiness will help me focus on developing my next year of existence. I’m not exactly sure how it will be designed or developed, but I’m really excited to put the effort into figuring it out. Here is where I’m going to start.

Commit to Connecting I love building friendships with a variety of people for multiple activities. Although online chatting happens more often, it is great for my soul to engage with people face-to-face. It doesn’t 4 2 \\ J A N U A R Y 3 , 2 0 1 8

matter if it is a flirty exchange, coffee conversation, cuddle time with a movie, or a sweaty activity. Spending time and energy on developing a potential new friendship or supporting an existing one is important to me. I will make time in my crazy schedule to spend quality time with quality people.

Quit Wasting Effort I only have so much time and energy to give in my daily life and I’m pulled in many different directions. Figuring out what makes me quiver with excitement and pride can help me decide what efforts support my desires. Of course there are things I need to do because I’m a responsible adult, but I think I need to focus on cutting out some things from my life that waste valuable resources. Conservation is extremely important so I don’t run out of fuel when it really counts.

Shake It Off I need to discard those situations, people, and feelings that keep me down. If I am going to powerfully run towards a wonderful future, I need to get rid of dead weight and baggage. These only keep me from obtaining my goals, and they slow me down.

Consider how often regret, guilt, shame, stigma, trauma, or fear stops us from feeling strong or confident. I will grab the metaphorical scissors and start cutting. It may be painful to leave some of these burdens behind because I have grown accustomed to having them around, but it is important to not have unnecessary things drag me down.

Unfortunately, like many intentions, my focus on achieving these goals may fade over time. Even the best plans can lose momentum as life gets crazy. Additionally, returning to old patterns is easy because they are familiar, even if they cause elements of negativity in our lives. Knowing these potential pitfalls, I am making a firm public commitment to myself, as well as to those who love and support me, that I will strive to continue finding achievement, fulfillment, and happiness in my life. I will also continue encourage others to work at finding those aspects in their own lives.

Whishing all of you a safe and loving new year.

OUTFRONTMAGAZINE.COM

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OUTBACK CLASSIFIEDS | ENVISIONED BY BOBERTO Always FREE to listen and reply to ads!

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