June 2022 :: Pride Not Prejudice

TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 46 NUMBER 3 JUNE 2022

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• PrideFest 2022 Schedule • U.S. is Entering an ‘Endemic’ • The Fight for Reproductive Rights Continues

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OFM Sports

• Equality on Ice

•Denver PrideFest Returns to Civic Center Park • Unsung Era: Forgotten Tales From the Golden Age of Gay •Pride: Now vs. Then •The Cost of Visibility

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OFM Culture

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•Excerpt From Post-Modern Blues

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• Beyond the Binary

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• Beauty Beat

•Fun and Fashionable: Amayas Gonzalez

•Inclusive Swimwear for the Swelter

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• Cannabis Reviews •Pride Gift Guide 2022

•Singer-Songwriter morgxn •June's New Must-Catch Music • Metal Meltdown

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• June Horoscopes

• A Night I'll Never Forget

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FROM THE EDITOR

Pride and Prejudice Another year, another Pride—But this one feels different. We’ve all been through a hell of a lot since the last time we could gather in Civic Center Park here in Denver—and parks around the world—back in summer of 2019, and we are tired. Recent human rights events, like Roe v. Wade being called into question and police being allowed back at Pride, have made us even more tired.

But, at least for me, it has also made us more willing and determined to fight the good fight.

As I build the small world around me that I wish to see here in Denver and at OFM, I’m filled with hope and love for the human race like never before, despite how things currently look.

I believe that the summer of 2020 was a wake-up call that will live on in the civil rights textbooks, but I also already see that hard work is being threatened. We have Black and trans perspectives in this issue that highlight how far Pride has come and how far it still needs to go.

But it’s not all serious in these pages—We also have some breathtaking photos from local photographer Julius Garrido, Pride entertainment dish, and, of course, some steamy erotica in the back of the mag.

So, thanks for trusting us for 46 years for all things Pride, through the good and the bad, through our pitfalls and our rough times, all the way through today. And please, keep reading, because we’d love to give you at least 46 more.

-Addison Herron-Wheeler

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PrideFest 2022

Everything You Need To Know

by Ray Manzari

After two years of virtual Pride, Denver’s PrideFest is finally ready to return in person. The two-day festival, hosted by The Center on Colfax, will kick off on June 25 with the Pride 5K, followed by two days of performances and festivities at Civic Center Park.

This year’s festival includes more than 250 exhibitors, 30 food and beverage vendors, and, new for 2022, a sober 18-plus area. The annual parade begins at 9:30 a.m. with an estimated average of 100,000 onlookers lining 14 blocks from Cheesman Park to Civic Center.

Schedule: Sunday, June 26 9:30 a.m.: Coors Light Denver Pride Parade 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.: Denver PrideFest Civic Center Park – W. 14th Ave. 12:30. – 1 p.m.: Pride Rally West steps of the State Capitol – 200 E. Colfax Ave.

Keep it Classy: Denver PrideFest Rules to Follow • All bags, containers and packages are subject to search.

• No coolers allowed.

• No outside alcohol allowed.

• Only factory-sealed, non-alcoholic beverages allowed in the park. No open beverage containers allowed. No glass containers. This includes water bottles. There are free water fountains inside the park at Colfax and Bannock and at 14th and Broadway.

• Guests will not be allowed to carry alcoholic beverages through the exit gates.

• No weapons of any type allowed in the park.

• No cannabis use allowed in the park. Public cannabis use is illegal in Denver.

• No bicycles or unicycles allowed in the park.

• Pets should be left at home for their comfort and safety.

Saturday, June 25 9:30 – 11 a.m.: Denver Pride 5K West steps of the State Capitol – 200 E. Colfax Ave. 12 – 4 p.m.: Dyke March Begins at The Center on Colfax (12 – 2 p.m., 1301 Colfax Ave), down Colfax Avenue, to the West Steps of the State Capitol (2:30 – 4 p.m.)

11 a.m. – 7 p.m.: Denver PrideFest Civic Center Park

Center Stage Performances: We reached out to The Center on Colfax, for exclusive details on the audition process, acts that made the cut, and the final line up. Scheduled performances are subject to change.

Out of the 67 applications received by The Center, the top 16 were selected from in-person/virtual auditions held at Lucid in late April. Performers were selected by a panel of five judges including the two center stage DJs, two local business owners, and Denver PrideFest Entertainment Coordinator and Emcee DeMarcio Slaughter.

Here’s an exclusive OFM look at all the scheduled performers for PrideFest 2022.

Saturday 6/25 Headliners: Silky Nutmeg Ganache and Yvie Oddly 12:30 p.m. DeMarcio PRIDE Party Show: Lovesick Boyz (dance troupe), Anna Staysha (drag queen), Sawyer Inherpants (drag king), and The House of Flora (dance troupe).

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Sunday 6/26 Headliners: Betty Who, Kylie Sonique Love and Cazwell. 1:30 p.m. PRIDE Gems: Krisa Gonna (drag queen), Chocolatina and Lavinia (drag queens), The Rhinettes (multigender dance troupe), Rose Hoedye (drag queen), Sarah Belum (drag queen), Lala & Kolorz (rap duo), Patricia Del Rosario (drag queen), Alexander Valentino Style (drag king), Calvin Arsenia (R&B and soul artist), Vivienne Vionnet (drag queen), Freda Slaves (drag queen), and King Vaughnz (drag king).

“The PRIDE Gems show is set to be an incredible presentation of the best talent in the city. All of these entertainers have put their heart and soul into their performances and are very ready to show it on Center Stage at Denver Pride,” DeMarcio told OFM. Denver Pridefest will also feature two additional stages: The Absolute Dance World Stage and the Latin Stage, brought to you by U.S. Bank.

Come out and join OFM and Denver’s vibrant LGBTQ community later this month for PrideFest 2022.

Dr. Fauci

Says U.S. is Entering an ‘Endemic’

by Ray Manzari

As summer approaches, and hospitalizations continue to fall, many Americans feel as though the coronavirus pandemic is in the rearview. Though the risk of severe symptoms has been quelled by multiple doses of vaccines, health experts say that the virus is still a threat for much of the world.

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"We are certainly right now in this country out of the pandemic phase," Anthony Fauci, the White House's chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told PBS in April.

Fauci also tells the Washington Post that the U.S. has entered the "control" stage of the pandemic, as hospitalizations and deaths continue to decline.

"We are now transitioning—not there yet, but transitioning— to more of an endemicity, where the level of infection is low enough that people are starting to learn how to live with the virus, still protecting themselves by vaccination, by the availability of antivirals, by testing," Fauci says.

Previously, Fauci described five phases of pandemics. The first phase is a full-blown pandemic, which would describe the last two years. The second is deceleration, followed by control, which is where Fauci puts the U.S. now.

The final phases are elimination and eradication, though experts say COVID-19 will most likely never be fully eradicated. Fauci, who is President Joe Biden's top COVID adviser, tells The Post that entering a new phase doesn't mean the entire pandemic is over.

"The world is still in a pandemic. There’s no doubt about that.

Don’t anybody get any misinterpretation of that. We are still experiencing a pandemic," he says.

Globally, there are nearly 700,000 average COVID cases per day, in a steady decline from where cases were this time last year.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded its lowest weekly global death total since March 2020 this April at just over 15,000.

A report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday found that 58% of the U.S. had evidence of previous coronavirus infections as of February, based on tens of thousands of blood samples. Sixty-six percent of the country has been fully vaccinated, and 46% of the population has had booster shots, according to the CDC. "If you add up the people who've been infected plus the people who’ve been vaccinated and hopefully boosted, you have a rather substantial proportion of the United States population that has some degree of immunity that's residual," Fauci tells PBS. Though things in the U.S. are looking optimistic, WHO warns that the risk of new and dangerous variants persist.

"As many countries reduce testing, WHO is receiving less and less information about transmission and sequencing," WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tells NBC News. "This makes us increasingly blind to patterns of transmission and evolution, but this virus won’t go away just because countries stopped looking for it. It’s still spreading; it’s still changing, and it’s still killing. The threat of a dangerous, new variant remains very real."

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The Fight for Reproductive Rights Continues

by Ray Manzari On May 2, 2022 a Supreme Court opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito outlining the court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was obtained and leaked by Politico. While the draft opinion is not an official ruling, it sparked demonstrations across the country in favor of reproductive rights.

Many were and continue to be concerned with the vast majority of privacy rights which could be affected if Roe v. Wade were to be overturned based on the reasoning in the leaked draft opinion.

“Take this seriously,” former U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance writes on Twitter. “If Roe falls, rights that are further up that branch of the tree are also vulnerable.”

The draft opinion cites a range of protections from the right to same-gender marriage the high court declared in 2015, to the right to contraception established in 1965, to the right to engage in interracial marriage adopted by the court in 1967.

After citing 14 such cases, Alito declares them irrelevant to abortion and confidently asserts that yanking Roe from the fabric of American jurisprudence would pose no threat whatsoever to any of those rights.

Yet, many are skeptical about the ripple effect this could have on American jurisprudence.

“It would mean that every other decision relating to the notion of privacy is thrown into question,” President Biden says of the ruling. “If the rationale of the decision as released were to be sustained, a whole range of rights are in question.”

Biden specifically suggests that same-gender marriage could be again outlawed in some states if Alito’s view holds sway at the high court.

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“Does this mean that in Florida, they can decide they’re going to pass a law saying that same-sex marriage is not permissible, that it’s against the law in Florida?” the president poses.

“It’s a fundamental shift in American jurisprudence.”

Though the draft opinion presents a terrifying reality for many in republican-run states that would jump at the chance to outlaw abortions, the Supreme Court doesn’t have the final say in abortion politics. The democrat-controlled congress could vote to codify Roe v. Wade, making it difficult for the SCOTUS to overturn.

Many have questioned why democrats have, thus far, dragged their feet on codifying Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey (a case from 1992 affirming the rights Roe secured with some restrictions). Some argue that leaving abortion rights hanging in the balance bolsters democrat votes.

It should also be noted that the purposed opinion does not ban abortions on a federal level but instead leaves individual states to decide their own abortion laws. While this has devasting effects for many, Colorado, along with 15 other states and Washington, D.C. have passed laws codifying the right to have an abortion.

"In the state of Colorado, the serious decision to start or end a pregnancy with medical assistance will remain between a person, their doctor, and their faith," Governor Jared Polis says of the law.

"This bill simply maintains the status quo regardless of what happens at the federal level and preserves all existing constitutional rights and obligations," he adds.

Because of this, Colorado could see a large uptick in people seeking reproductive healthcare, should Roe v.

Wade be overturned. In 2021, 11,580 people had abortions in Colorado, and 13.6% of them were from out of state. That’s a 3% increase from 2019, the majority of which were from states with restrictive laws.

Fears of the possible overturning were summed up accurately in an opinion piece written by the editorial team of the Washington Post. “(Alito) would inaugurate a terrifying new era in which Americans would lose faith in the court, distrust its members, and suspect that what is the law today will not be tomorrow.

They would justifiably fear that rights will be swept away because a heedless conservative fringe now controls the judiciary,” The Washington Post writes.

“The court’s conservative majority appears to be on the verge of abandoning justices’ sacred charge to stand firm for individual rights.”

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Equality on Ice Words and Photos by Chris Allan

I

n case you hadn’t heard, Timothy LeDuc, who skates in the pairs division with Ashley Cain-Gribble, made history in February by becoming the first openly nonbinary athlete to compete in the Winter Olympics.

LeDuc, 31, is over six feet tall, wears a full dark beard and has appeared on an NBC video wearing sparkly, aqua eyeshadow.

Partner Cain-Gribble, 26, is a blond Texan with a powerful, five-and-ahalf foot frame, whose height and shape have caused many to count her out for success in the sport Together, this distinctive duo finished their first Olympics Games in eighth place. They were one of two American teams to score the first top-eight finishes since 1998, achieving a personal

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best on their short skate and numerous Level 4 elements in both their short and long programs.

“It was such a complex experience filled with so many joyous, amazing moments,” reflects LeDuc, who was born and raised in Cedar Rapids. “We were also really nostalgic because we felt so connected with our childhood selves that were dreaming about having this moment for the last 26 years.”

LeDuc and Cain-Gribble entered the Olympics as two-time U.S. national champions, Four Continents silver medalists, and three-time Grand Prix Series medallists.

But perhaps what sets them out from their peers is their nuanced understandings of gender, partnership, and equality. The two perform numerous matching throw lifts, side-by-side jumps, lifts, and spirals.They exude and echo each other’s strengths

and grace, and this sense of partnership also extends from their skating elements to their choice of costuming.

For their Olympic freeskate program to the Winter Olympics, they both wore elegant, matching, lace-sequined unitards.

“For me, a unitard means power,“ Cain-Gribble says, “and I think it shows us in an equal way. We are two units, two energies working together to create these programs.” She says that with their music and their choreography, they are always trying to “show equality on the ice.”

Beyond the matching costumes, OFM also learned that LeDuc sometimes rehearses in crop tops and mesh, and that their understanding of themself as a nonbinary person goes way back.

“I think it was always something I always understood and just didn’t

U.S. Figure Skaters LeDuc, Cain-Gribble on Breaking Boundaries in Beijing have the language to describe it,” they say. Knowing “amazing queer people” helped LeDuc with the process, as they learned that “there are people that exist outside the binary, and that was OK.” They came out slowly to people they cared about, and then in 2021, the skater went public as nonbinary and began using they/them pronouns.

Cain-Gribble admits that it took a little time for her to adjust.

“Timothy had a lot of patience with me, starting to use the pronouns and going through the journey,” she says. At this point, she’s also clearly thought a lot about what it means to be on the side of a nonbinary partner.

“As an ally, the most important thing is to make sure that you’re always standing up for them when they’re not in the room or if people are misgendering them.”

Off the ice, LeDuc’s love life is also plentifully public. After the live coverage of the couple’s beautiful short skate, NBC cut away to show Gerald Morales, LeDuc’s boyfriend, cheering like crazy.

“We met online (during the pandemic) because it was nearly impossible to go out in a safe way,” LeDuc explains. “We spent a lot of time on FaceTime getting to know each other.”

They’ve just celebrated their one-year anniversary and live together in Dallas, not far from where LeDuc and Cain-Gribble train, with her parents, Peter and Darlene Cain.

Rounding out the family unit is Cain-Gribble’s husband, Dalton. Married in 2019, the pair definitely have a life away from the rink, Cain-Gribble says, “to stay healthy, sane people.”

But they’re also chums with LeDuc and Morales. “We’re so close,” she says, noting that when they’re all on the road, they love to find good food together. “And shopping—shopping together!” LeDuc chimes in.

On a more serious note, they pause to consider our final question about the future of such a highly gendered sport.

“It’s such a complex topic,” LeDuc says, “and gender and gender binary is so big and baked into every aspect of society.”

LeDuc and Cain-Gribble both serve on the U.S. Figure Skating Athletes Advisory Committee and believe in the power of personal stories.

“It is my hope is that my participation in the Olympic event starts more conversations,” LeDuc says, “and helps make it more attractive and accessible for everyone.” outfrontma ga zine.com 19

Photo by Erik Holladay of Holladay Photography

by Denny Patterson

Live and In-Person: Denver PrideFest Returns to Civic Center Park

S

ay goodbye to small and virtual gatherings because Denver PrideFest is making its long-awaited return to Civic Center Park.

Hosted by The Center on Colfax, the two-day celebration will be held June 25-26 with an array of in-person activities. Attendees can expect a 5K race, Rainbow Alley for youth, 250 exhibitors, 30 food and beverage vendors, a colorful parade, and a fierce entertainment lineup that will feature Australian pop queen Betty Who; singer/DJ Cazwell; and RuPaul’s Drag Race superstars Kylie Sonique Love, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, and Denver’s hometown girl, Yvie Oddly.

This event has drawn more than 525,000 people in the past, making it the largest Pride festival in the Rocky Mountain region.

“I think I can speak for everyone at The Center by saying we are incredibly delighted to have it fully back live and in person,” says Bella Barkow, associate director of special events and strategic partnerships. “It’s going to be a fabulous event, and we are expecting a higher crowd this year.”

According to Barkow, this year’s theme is “Together with Pride.”

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“With everything that’s been going on over the past two, three years, I think people are very excited to get out and be around their peers,” she says, "have that actual human interaction you don’t necessarily get through a computer screen.”

Although the world slowly started to reopen last year, COVID-19 still posed a great risk to large-scale events. Therefore, 2021’s PrideFest was a hybrid mix of in-person and virtual activities, and Pride hubs were scattered throughout the city for participants to celebrate with the community in smaller, safer settings.

“People were very grateful that they were able to get out and do anything,” Barkow says.

COVID numbers may have dropped significantly within the last few months, but Barkow wants to remind people to be smart. Safety procedures will be put in place, and The Center is currently finalizing COVID-19 protocols, which will follow guidelines from local government ordinances and the CDC. Denver PrideFest is The Center on Colfax’s biggest fundraiser, typically bringing in more than $1 million to the organization to help support Colorado’s LGBTQ community.

“I don’t think a lot of people realize this,” Barkow claims. “We’re really trying to make sure that people understand that Pride isn’t just a party or political statement. It’s also something that pays for year-round programming for things like Rainbow Alley, senior programming, and trans programming in our community.

It’s super important for people to know that.”

Usually held on the third weekend in June, last year’s event was moved to the last weekend of the month, and Barkow says this will most likely be a permanent change.

This year, attendees will notice a couple other noticeable differences.

“We have extended the border out to include Lincoln Park, so there’s a lot more space for people to spread out,” Barkow explains. “We are also introducing a new sober area. It’s become sort of a big trend in our community for people to live a cleaner, sober, alcohol-free lifestyle. So, we’ve created an 18-plus zone that’s specifically for adults who want to hang out at Pride and be in a safe and alcohol-free environment.”

Stay up-to-date, follow The Center on Colfax on Facebook @denverpridefest, Twitter and Instagram @centeroncolfax, or visit denverpride.org.

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You'd be forgiven for thinking the Golden Age of Gay occurred in the late 20th Century. It's a common narrative—LGBTQ rights originated after, and because of, the Stonewall Riots. It's also wrong.

The Stonewall Riots remain a largely misunderstood pinprick of time within the greater chronology of queer history—one that, scholastically documented at least, stretches back more than 5,000 years.

Reality is, as usual, far more sticky.

Stonewall, perhaps for all the hype, gaywashing, factually-incorrect Hollywood blockbusters and misguided sentiments, was only the most visible—and visual—moment of the queer story.

by Christopher La Fleur

Unsung Era:

Forgotten Tales from the Golden Age of Gay

We do ourselves a great disservice overshadowing our own incredible story by conflating Stonewall with myth, something other than what it was—common, unremarkable in an age of constant assault on marginalized communities, when lynchings were frequent and police raids often ended in blood baths.

A few years after Wilde was jailed for sodomy in the U.K., and a century before Paris is Burning hit the mainstream, the first balls were held. Well-documented but little-known today, Harlem’s Hamilton Lodge was a very, very special place in 1869.

In contrast to previous raids and other atrocities, like the little-known Upstairs Lounge Fire of 1973 or the legal police raids of the late 50s and early 60s, no one died. In fact, a number of celebrities and cultural icons were born. The Gay Liberation Front got queers to organize from coast to coast, but this was also not a first in queer history.

Originating as a safe space for BIPOC gay men to congregate, the drag balls grew in popularity across the country, as word spread about the Harlem Lodge events. The events were lavish affairs with “phenomenal male perverts” in high-end women’s clothing and wigs performing as women, as described by one moral-reform organization, The Committee of Fourteen.

Was it important? Decisively so. Was it the genesis of us? Hardly.

The public took to calling them “Faggots Balls,” events which attracted a wide crosssection of genders and sexes. Just as importantly, straight people—literaries and creatives—found themselves intoxicated by the all-night parties which were so different from typical heterosexual gatherings.

Long before bricks were thrown, marches organized and rulings handed down, we can look back to an era more commonly associated with the excesses of capitalism and the advent of globalization.

The late 19th and early 20th centuries were both decadent and … astonishingly queer. Move over, Oscar Wilde— There’s a lot of talent you opened the door for.

Many of the biggest names of the prewar West, from titans of industry to tastemakers, were out(ish), proud, and thriving. Lasting contributions to Western culture, some of which continue to shape our present day, were made by fearless queers and their allies.

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The drag balls were important, centralizing forces in an era with few protections and a shaky political landscape.

Like minds from all walks of life safely met at the events, and with them came new ideas and artforms which rippled across the country and across time— ideas like queer advocacy.

By 1910, Emma Goldman became the first American queer rights activist.

Even for a stated anarchist, her proqueer views were considered radical for

her time. She traveled the country giving talks on topics like birth control and homosexuality.

“It is a tragedy, I feel, that people of a different sexual type are caught in a world which shows so little understanding for homosexuals,” she wrote.

Many sympathized with her and the small, but growing, wave of queer support. Lesbian political activists and women’s activist organizations furthered the cause in their fight for suffrage, hard won in 1920.

That same decade, famously queer First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt fell in with that crowd, finding kindred in the unrestrained, sexually giddy atmosphere of Harlem and Greenwich Village—epicenter of the underground sexual and cultural revolution.

Concurrent to a life with her husband, the future President Franklin Roosevelt, she also maintained her own private throuple. For several years, she lived with lesbian activists Nan Cook and Marion Dickerman in a house far from the city. She later had an affair with a woman journalist on her husband’s campaign.

Back in Harlem, the daughter of America’s first Black, woman (selfmade!) millionaire had her brush with the Bohemians. A’Lelia Walker, who never publicly stated her sexuality, was widely considered queer. Rich and libertine, she exemplified the opulent 1930s.

She became fast friends with gay icons of the day like Langston Hughes, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Zora Neale Hurston—names which are taught widely in schools today with little mention of their queer identities.

Walker's parties mirrored underground queer clubs across the nation, in places like Chicago and Los Angeles. While homosexuality and sodomy laws in the United States made queer identities illegal, underground drag balls and gay clubs could now be found in most cities.

“There were men and women, women and women, and men and men … Everyone did what they wanted to. They wanted to make love … it was marvelous,” lesbian activist Mabel Hampton, a guest at one of Walker’s parties, would recall in an interview given after the Netflix debut of Self Made.

The flourishing gay culture in the 1920s and 30s did a job it still does today—influence film, fashion, the visual and performing arts. Even after stricter laws were implemented in the decades after, the queers had sufficiently infiltrated the creative industries to maintain influence throughout legal oppression.

Largely, officially, public gay life in the West was a hushed affair, taking place behind closed doors and often in the loftiest bedrooms in government.

While some countries moved to decriminalize homosexuality, many more were making it illegal, or worse: punishable by death.

European cities like London and Paris were rapidly urbanized and li b erali z ed in their own ways.

England , the nation that gave us Oscar Wilde and

then jailed him in 1895, had a thriving underground gay community which sprawled into the upper echelons of English polite society.

Similarly, Berlin, Barcelona, and Prague had thriving, sometimes visible gay communities. All of these cities became cultural and financial meccas. Most hold that sway to this day.

The tragedy of more recent events, for example the state of Florida’s attack on the education system—is that queer history informs the rise of trends, mass-media, and mainstream culture as we know it today. If we only ever tell half-truths, or worse, no truths, the contribution of these incredible queers to our present day will be forgotten.

Meantime, the narrative of the stereotypical gay man became that of a criminal sexual deviant. “All” gay men were, in the eyes of public opinion, pedophiles.

If all of this feels like a gauzy, distant dream with no resonance today, how did it all end? The spread of fascism abroad and authoritarian responses to crises domestically.

This Pride, it’s important to dust off this Golden Age of Gay and the lessons it’s handed down. Appreciate and celebrate our queer ancestors whose contributions have not faded but whose private lives and stories have.

These are just a few of many on a very, very long list of queers who have contributed to our visibilty and influence today. Many have names. Many have been forgotten.

In the United States, an increasingly unsettled minority became a vocal moral majority, purging government agencies of homosexuals and reclassifying homosexuality as a mental illness. In cities across the country, laws were enacted which criminalized queerness officially.

In most cities, including Denver, law required that all patrons in a suspected queer bar have at least three articles of clothing on from their gender. “Transvestites” were beaten and dragged out of bars into the streets by uniformed officers.

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PRIDE: Nowvs.Then

by Brianna Janae

In 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, not everyone believed it was a moment to stand down but rather a moment to stand up—to stand against the brutality, fearmongering, and to stand up for liberation. The first Pride celebration occurred a year later, on June 28, 1970, and has continued ever since. As a Black, queer woman myself, my first Pride was met with rainbows, sunshine, a parade, dancing, and the biggest feeling of queer camaraderie I had ever felt in my life. When I look back on my experience with my first Pride and the history of its origin, it’s not hard to think of the intersectionality of what happened in 1969 and what happens in the present day.

In the eyes of the law, the response from patrons and staff was considered a “violent demonstration” that led to days of rioting in Greenwich Village, New York City, also known as The Stonewall Riots. Today, I would call what happened at Stonewall Inn an explicit example of police brutality and the system that keeps it in place. There is public knowledge about what law enforcement has done to harm various communities. These acts are often directly directed at people of color, LGBTQ individuals, the unhoused, and erotic laborers. The overuse of weapons and power is not a single-cop issue but a disconnect between the system, which these communities were not built for.

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Justice is not often served for victims when the badge is on the other end of it. Hate crime legislation often defines a hate crime as a crime motivated by race, religion, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual orientation. However, when these same crimes as defined by the law are committed by law enforcement, they are not often seen by legislation as hate crimes.

Many trials lead to acquittals or no charges brought forth at all. The Black Lives Matter movement (as #BlackLivesMatter) was founded in 2013 in response to the acquittal of Trayvon Martin’s murderer.

BLM’s mission statement is as follows: “Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, Inc. is a global organization in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, whose mission is to eradicate white supremacy and build local power to intervene in violence inflicted on Black communities by the state and vigilantes. By combating and countering acts of violence, creating space for Black imagination and innovation, and centering Black joy, we are winning immediate improvements in our lives.”

And in 2022, from queer rights to reproductive justice, we are still standing up and not standing down. The recent leak of Roe v. Wade potentially being overturned has brought another set of eyes to our legislation and the rights to those who bear children to choose. Reproductive rights is not only a women’s rights issue but a right of all people who can reproduce. The right stands for cis women, trans men, and nonbinary folks to decide if they would like to continue with a pregnancy, the right for safe spaces for people of color, to same-gender marriage, to abortion rights, and the fight against brutality from law enforcement—We are still on the journey for liberation.

Within our recent history, there has been an uprising in the active participation of the social justice movements. We have more visibility now than we have before with access to social media and the social climate change of awareness. There would not have the same amount of visibility on social injustice in the public eye without the impact of being able to keep up with what happens all over from the palms of our hands.

But at the heart, it was those same emotions that carried those who participated in those 1969 riots and beyond. Marginalized communities and allies have put themselves on the front lines for as long as injustices have begun. It is necessary to actively seek out and get rid of the barriers that are impeding equal treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement of oppressed communities. Equity is about “leveling the playing field.” Creating safe spaces for LGBTQ, Black and Brown individuals, sex workers, the unhoused, and many other marginalized communtines is a must.

As the marathon continues for liberation, it will take allyship as it has in the past. During one of the world’s most difficult times, we were experiencing the ramifications of police brutality all over the nation. It took a lot of anger, fear, passion, outfrontmagazine.com 27

and organizing to pull together a large portion of the 2020 protests in the midst of what the country was going through.

When I moved to Denver in fall 2020, the election was within the following month. There were a different set of concerns from what I knew of Trump's previous term in office, along with the impact of what a second term meant for America. I also wondered what it meant for me and the internal liberation to my Blackness, queerness, and unlearning of societal norms.

Even to know members of my own zip codes believed in the spiteful hate from his presidency made me feel uneasy. The unfortunate thing about discrimnation is that it is not central to one town or state. Moving to Denver gave me a different perspective on the liberal views versus my hometown of Ohio, but it did not absolve me of racism or prejudice.

The fight for liberation continues, and it will be a fight for a plethora of communities who are taking back their power

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acknowledging the real problem of and taking a step against, white supremacy, patriarchy, or those who system racism within law enforcewish to take away the right to choose. ment while also acknowledging the struggles of individual law enforcement officers who are trying to do Law enforcement being a part of Pride celebrations is still controver- good for their community? sial. After a 2021 decision that banned police participation at Denver Pride, “Fuller says there isn’t a perfect officers and first responders are being answer, but the compromise meant invited back to the parade without working with a group of LGBTQ uniforms in 2022; there are mixed officers and first responders to crefeelings on the matter. On one hand, ate a marching unit in the parade. the police force being at large events They will not be in uniform, wearing as a part of the safety of the city or t-shirts that read 'Pride on Duty Colstate seems unavoidable. But on the orado,' though Denver Pride is not other, spaces that are meant to be inviting police agencies and police commemorated in the protesting of departments to participate in the police brutality also should feel safe parade or festival.” to do without police presence.

This year, The Center CEO Rex Fuller spoke with OFM’s, Keegan Williams about the involvement of police at Pride. The article states: “The Center faced (one main question) in making the decision: How does the organization produce a Pride event

With police welcomed back to the table at Pride to some degree, it’s unclear where Pride is going to go this year and next, but it is still clear that there is a lot to be celebrated and also a lot of work still to be done.

by Keegan Williams

The Cost of Visibility Trans Progress Within and Outside of the LGBTQ Community

It’s an interesting time to converse about LGBTQ progress, especially checking the news during any given week to witness what new anti-LGBTQ legislation is circulating the country.

But it’s undeniable that the community is growing. The percentage of adults who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or something other than heterosexual has ticked up to 7.1%, according to a 2022 Gallup poll, double the percentage of 2012, when Gallup first measured it.

With the continued blossoming of our community comes all of the triumphs and trials of increased visibility, not only within the scope of society as a whole but also within the community itself.

Conversations about the LGBTQ comunity might have centered marriage equality or same-gender adoption in the past. As more trans and gender-nonconforming folks continue embracing themselves and living openly in the world, we’re now addressing the myriad issues that affect everyone in our community, not necessarily just the issues that affect the cisgender Ls, Gs, Bs, and Qs. It’s very clear that non-heterosexual identities on their own are still under attack in the U.S. The amount of bills introduced throughout the country—aimed to erase conversations about queer people in history, about non-heterosexual and non-cisgender expression and identity in schools—has made that abundantly clear. But, as a whole, American society has met cisgender lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals with more acceptance, even though true equity still isn’t within reach.

A Closer Look at LGBTQ Political Representation Let’s use openly LGBTQ elected officials as an example.

According to the last annual report from the Victory Institute published in 2021, there were 986 openly LGBTQ elected officials currently serving. While the report notes that LGBTQ people are still severely underrepresented, needing to elect another 28,116 more to achieve equitable representation, it observed a 17% increase from June 2020 to June 2021.

That increase holds true for trans and gender-nonconforming lawmakers, too. The report found a 66% increase in non-cisgender LGBTQ elected officials; a 100% increase in gender-nonconforming, genderqueer, or nonbinary elected officials; and a 71% increase in trans women elected officials.

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The numbers blow the 16% increase in cisgender women and 14% increase in cisgender men, who are part of the queer community, out of the water. However, the big picture tells a different story as to who in the LGBTQ community is the most palatable for voters, or even which community members may feel the most secure in running for office in the first place.

Breaking down the genders of elected LGBTQ officials, cis men made up 55.68% of elected officials in the report; cis women made up 37.42%. Trans women made up the next largest segment when it came to gender identity, just 3.65%. The numbers continue to plummet when looking at trans men (0.51%), gender-nonconforming people (1.12%), nonbinary and genderqueer people (0.9%), intersex people (0.10%), and Two-Spirit people (0.20%).

LGBTQ People and Acclimating to Cisheteronormativity It brings up the “just like you” narrative that persisted throughout the past several decades. Especially when LGBTQ folks had even less rights, or were in the midst of battling the AIDS crisis with little aid from the federal government, telling cisgender, heterosexual people that we’re no different from them was simply a way to climb toward equity, to show the rest of the world that queer folks mean no harm. We’re simply trying to live life with the same resources and rights every other person has.

And it seems to be largely reflected in the trajectory of LGBTQ rights over the last couple of decades. American society as a whole began tolerating queer folks based on their perceived proximity to straightness and cisness. Not to say being “tolerated” is much of a win on its own, but given the events of the past, it was something.

Think of comments like, “Yeah, they’re queer, but they aren’t ‘in your face’ about it.” For trans folks, it might be, “Wow, I totally thought you were cis!” or “You pass so well!”

These comments assert that passing, or being subtly queer, is the goal, both measured by “acceptable” expression, measured by proximity to heterosexuality and cisness.

That sentiment carries over to public figures, which LGBTQ people are “allowed” to succeed in the public eye, but it can also be applied to queer individuals on a smaller scale. For queer folks with a closer proximity to the cisheteronormative ideas of gender and sexual expression, it’s just generally easier to acclimate to the rest of society.

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Looking at the past several years, more trans and gender-nonconforming people are coming out than ever before. A 2016 Williams Institute study found that the transgender community in the U.S. was 0.6%, double the previous estimate from a decade prior (and surely higher today). A 2021 study from Williams Institute also found approximately 1.2 million people in the U.S. self-identified as nonbinary, or 11% of LGBTQ adults.

While we surely owe that to some of the other strides our community has made as a whole, increased visibility comes at a cost. Trans folks, and anyone embracing gender expression that strays from their assigned gender at birth, suddenly crosses a societal line. Those people are “too queer.”

And the thing is, queer and trans people ARE different than heterosexual, cis people. We have different lived experiences. It’s not a bad thing to recognize, but it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be afforded the same respect and rights everyone else has.

Increased Visibility is a Double-Edged Sword With more visible trans folks and representation in society as a whole came a brutal influx of anti-LGBTQ, namely anti-trans, legislation. Twenty-twenty-one surpassed 2015 as the worst year for anti-LGBTQ legislation in recent history, according to tracking and analysis by the Human Rights Campaign, and experts predict 2022 will likely surpass it.

And yes, we see bills like the aforementioned LGBTQ topic bans in schools, but in 2020, 2021, and 2022, the majority of bills targeted transgender Americans, according to an NBC News analysis.

We already know why: It’s about erasure. Society feels so threatened by the presence of people with different experiences, combatting the restrictive, Euro-centric binary structure, regardless of the abundant evidence that trans and gender-nonconforming people have always existed. Ignorant lawmakers would rather legislate trans and gender-nonconforming folks into hiding over assuring them basic human rights and working toward a better understanding of their lived experiences.

Some cisgender queer folks view the presence of trans people as a threat to their own livelihood and rights, conveniently forgetting why the community as a whole has them in the first place.

One group in London, named LGB Alliance, made headlines in 2019 with their aim to refocus rights onto an LGB movement, dropping trans folks from the conversation altogether.

The same group argued in 2021 that lesbians are “going to become extinct,” as more folks come out as trans, conveniently ignoring

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the reality that queer people can, indeed, embody more than just one identity.

Remembering Our Roots It’s an eerie repetition of history, hearkening back to Sylvia Rivera’s speech during Pride Month 1973. The speech followed the 1969 Stonewall Riots, led by trans people of color, which ushered in a new chapter for LGBTQ rights.

Three years later, Rivera was met with jeers and boos as she took the stage.

“You go to bars because of what drag queens did for you, and these bitches tell us to quit being ourselves?” Rivera remarked, speaking to the sacrifices endured by drag performers, trans folks, and gender-nonconforming people only to be met with erasure by folks in their own community as their path began to shift for the better.

“I have lost my apartment for gay liberation, and you all treat me this way? What the fuck’s wrong with you all?”

Rivera said, with evident fatigue in her voice. “Think about that! I do not believe in a revolution, but you all do. I believe in the gay power. I believe in us getting our rights, or else I would not be out there fighting for our rights. That’s all I wanted to say to you people.”

This isn’t true of all cis folks in the community, but it does reflect their responsibility and privilege to uphold all LGBTQ people who are not afforded the same experiences. And, of course, this also goes for those people who are white, are cis men or benefit from male privilege, are able-bodied, have higher class statuses—We are one, very diverse and unique community, and those who are afforded a safer experience cannot just leave those others in the dust.

Once more, let’s remember that our community is larger and more visible than ever.

We should understand that this pushback means we are making strides, and we cannot back down.

Trans People Need Actionable Allies, Within and Outside the Queer Community As we see this influx of horrific legislation, aimed to box us back into harmful stereotypes and rip away the rights we have been able to secure, we have to stick together and make sure the fight for queer equity involves everyone in the LGBTQ community.

Colorado State Representative Brianna Titone, a trans woman, says it concisely when speaking to the Victory Institute in 2018: "It’s one thing to voice support for trans folks, but it’s wholly different to actually take action."

“Everyone that is LGBTQ always says they support the LGBTQ community, but it’s still a struggle to get trans people front and center, and when they are, it seems somewhat disingenuous as they are asked to be there because they have to include everyone,” Titone says. “... I have heard all of the organizations and leaders say they support LGBTQ candidates, but few of the LGBTQ leaders have reached out to help my race,” she adds, referencing her 2018 run for office. “Being a true ally to the trans community means bringing more trans people to the table, and while this is happening more, it’s still not happening enough.”

Admittedly, having a conversation about community progress, specifically among trans and gender-nonconforming LGBTQ folks, is challenging. There are so many asterisks. We can without question say that trans representation in the media, trans acceptance, trans visibility, have all improved as a whole, sure.

But all of those wins have also led to the increasingly harmful attitudes of folks outside of the community, or even those we would expect to trust.

Apathy and lazy allyship are surely not synonymous with blatant transphobia or assault, but trans and gender-nonconforming folks absolutely need more from our queer, cis siblings and our non-LGBTQ allies. Cis folks can’t just stop at a sentiment. We must collectively ensure that those who are truly harmful and dangerous to trans folks understand it’s not a shared opinion; in fact, it’s a gross and violent stance.

Doing so involves speaking up, even when it might be uncomfortable. It involves education, learning from those in your community, and elevating trans voices. It involves action. We cannot do this on our own—Our fight must remain a community-wide effort.

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Pride Not

Prejudice Photos by Julius Garrido Models: Becky Taha’Blu, Victoria Paige Matthews The world of Bridgerton, a book series Shonda Rhimes recently made into a hit TV show, gave us the inspiration for this shoot. In that fictional universe, people of color gained access to white spaces to step up as royalty and nobility.

In our real world, Black folks and people of color—especially in the queer community—are still fighting for basic human rights, as are our trans siblings and other marginalized groups. But, just for a day, we decided to set aside our cares and dress up to promenade in the park for the world to see.

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Fun and

by Denny Patterson

Fashionable Amayas Gonzalez

N

o matter the weather or occasion, Denver creative Amayas Gonzalez will always make a statement with whatever they are wearing.

Born and raised in the Mile High City, Gonzalez has been putting fashion closets around the world to shame ever since they were a teenager. Their looks reflect the everchanging social landscape of style.

“I really got into fashion when I was around 12,” they explain.

“My mom bought FRUiTS Magazine, which is, like, the biggest fashion magazine in Japan, and I would just look at them for hours and stare at these styles. I hated it at first. I was like, ‘What are these people doing? They are wearing garbage upon garbage!’ Then, as I kept looking and understanding it more, and watching videos on it, it suddenly clicked in my brain. Like, this is something you want to do. Ever since then, I was sketching and drawing all the fashions out in the world. Once I learned how to use a sewing machine, honey, it was over for everybody.”

Gonzalez also comes from a creative family. Their mother has a punk-rock clothing line for kids, and their older sister is a makeup artist.

In terms of how they would describe their own personal style and aesthetic, Gonzalez says it falls into three sub fashions: decora, neo-fashion, and neo-avant garde.

“Every day, I’m wearing something different. One day may be a little bit more alternative, while the next is a little more glamour. I also like the chola style. My mom was a chola; she was one of my biggest influences. I grew up watching her do her lip liner and pompadours, and that’s been a big part of my aesthetic, too.”

A little over a year ago, Gonzalez decided to start an online boutique called Syc by Amayas, which is in the process of turning into a brick and mortar. From Sketchers and 10inch heels to leather jackets and denim tie dye, Syc always brings something to the table.

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“ D o w h a tever you wan t , and d o n ’ t l i s te n to ou ts i d e i n f l u e nc e s . D o n ’t al l ow s om e o ne ’ s com m e n ts to m ake you over t h i n k w hat you ’re d o i n g”

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They say their store stands out from others because the items being sold are coming from a person that does not only love fashion but lives fashion.

“No one will ever have the same piece as you. I think so many people will curate and curate, but it’s not something they actually care about. They throw it to the sides and have other people do it. For me, I live, breathe, and am it. Every single piece that I make, everything I do, I put my heart and soul into it, and people can see that. They can physically see it, too. I am a walking billboard for myself, my brand, and everything that I do. When I’m walking down the street, it’s a statement within itself. It can be political, fashion, or whatever, but the world is my runway, and I’m going to make it that.”

By having elements of both masculine and feminine in their looks, Gonzalez hopes others will take notice and realize they can do the same if they so wish, that no one should worry about fitting into a certain box.

“Do whatever you want, and don’t listen to outside influences. Don’t allow someone’s comments to make you overthink what you’re doing. Fashion is supposed to be fun, and if you’re not having fun anymore, then you’re not doing it right. I always say, ‘style forever, fashion never.’ I’m not a part of the fashion trends. Do I love some of them?

Yes, but I don’t adhere to any trends. I take the influence, but listen to what you want.

“Sometimes, you will wear the most crunch outfit out on the city and you will feel the most fabulous you’ve ever felt.

A month later, you’ll look at the photo you took and be like, ‘Why did I wear that? That was the ugliest thing that could have ever been worn out in the city.’ That’s the point though! The point is to learn, grow, and have fun with it.

If you were loving that moment, that’s all that matters. No one should influence what you’re doing with your fashion and aesthetic.”

In addition to fashion and art, Gonzalez is also an activist, an educator on trans and queer history, works on HIV prevention, and is a drag and burlesque performer within Denver’s nightlife scene, known as La Vladimira X. “I am literally the queen of 40 occupations,” they joke.

As for the future, Gonzalez plans to continue turning their aspirations into reality.

“I will be an amazing fashion designer for the children, and the girlies will be looking at me on the billboards.

I will continue to manifest that and put it out into the universe, and I plan to use fashion to my advantage and have fun with it. That’s all I want to do: Have fun, and I want to inspire others to have fun with it and give them pieces that they can cherish in their life.”

Stay up-to-date and connect with Gonzalez by following them on Facebook and Instagram @amayasgonzalez. Visit sycboutique.shop for more information on Syc by Amayas and to make a purchase.

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Excerpt From ‘Post-Modern Blues’

by David M. Perkins

OFM interviewed David M. Perkins in April, 2020, just before his poetry collection, I May or May Not Love You, was released. COVID-19 arrived alongside that book just as bookstores were closing their doors, and locked out of any further interviews or readings, he went back to his desk and spent the ensuing months. The world filled otherwise with pandemic distractions, the Black Lives Matter movement, and other societal turmoil, and Perkins crafted his second collection, Post-Modern Blues. He agreed to share and talk about some of those new poems here.

Perkins: The poem “Ode to the Back Door III” is a tribute to the time Denver’s gay community was beginning to come out of its closet on the heels of the Sexual Revolution.

The backroom of the Back Door bar was a drag bar near the Capitol building, and you got to it by walking down one alley into another, and a single spotlight marked the sign over the door. A revelation to those of us just coming out at the time, and a safe and comfortable place just to learn to be yourself. The “statuesque one” in the poem, was “Christi Layne,” Christopher Sloan, who entertained in the evening, and fought passionately for gay rights all the time. Christi was instrumental in securing the parade rights for the first ever Gay Pride Parade in Denver, I later learned, among winning so many other gay rights issues in the day, and she taught us to love ourselves.

Perkins: The poem, “There Aren’t Any” arose out of the horror of the George Floyd murder, which sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and caused me, like many other whiter-than-white people, to think about how we connect to each other, how we must learn how to connect with each other, and the underlying theme to PostModern Blues is a quote I use as an epigraph from the novelist E.M. Forster, “Only Connect!” If we’re going to survive as a nation—and as a species, for that matter—We must realize that we are all in this short journey through life together.

There Aren’t Any

Ode to the Back Door III ( for DR)

Of course I cannot comprehend being Black, pale as paper as I am, pristine with privilege.

I wish it were not that we were strangers—I

Who are all these ladies painted up for entertainment?

Those are their words if not their voices: Streisand and Liza, Diana Ross and Peggy Lee, so lovely, so very like them, they are; gestures and tics, hair and lips, elegant

know a bitter tincture of it: Faggot! flung at me on the feared football field, full beer cans flung at me on Philly streets, gone after with

as hell in their counterfeit gowns up against aluminum walls, shining in pink spotlights, gathering dollar tips, plucked by fingertips there at the nip of evening gloves matching or different from their dress or glittering high stilettos, sweeping across that makeshift stage, grand.

What have I wandered in on? I thought (although this visit had been long planned on) as I shied as far away from them as I could in the otherwise darkened room, drink in hand. Can all these glamorous doppelgängers really be men, there is too much perfection performing here to be anything like fake—but then that evening at last-call done, when that statuesque one took the mic, and in her bass voice above the applause looked us all over, up and down, laughed and beamed, curtsied and said, Remember! It doesn’t matter who you love, or how, it only matters that you love, and we left hand in hand.

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baseball bats to bring back the anguish of it.

My fling with a Black drag queen never said anything about color—and by that, I do not imply some of my best friends are—it was an entirely othered, universe else then and skin seemed all a comparable texture in the tavern and later in the dark. An anomaly? I battle it, now I see the ills and abomination in all of it, It is not oracular that we are racists. We are.

It comes with our customs and our citizenship, it burbles in our blue blood—and we bought it.

I cannot assimilate it even as I am insufficient to comprehend it. I could say some soupy thing about sister- and brotherhood I suppose—some pale word-balm about it. There aren’t any save Love.

Perkins: And then, as in the first book, I can never get away from the subject of love, and as Yeats called it, the “rag and bone shop of the heart.” What we have, what we have lost, what we may have missed with love—and “You Know Who You Are” probably doesn’t need too much explanation because we’ve all been there, and you know who you are.

You Know Who You Are You are over there—in the life that could have been, or might have been, or should have been, if the cards were dealt differently then.

Had you not left in the dark and slept instead until daybreak when we awakened and had we gone out into morning together we might have made it work.

Had I been better and had you forgiven, we may have made a lasting set of tomorrows that led into a memorable album of long yesterdays to remember. Instead of moving on into a new city alone, with weeks that began to grow between, had you returned, had I been braver and ignored my doubts.

You came for a light, Avez-vous du feu? in the Jardin des Tuileries (we knew we were both scouting something new), had we then been more bold and moved beyond our mutual blushes and tried what we could to push our way through that language barrier by laughing together, then, Ami, what?

So many doors more we did not dare go through, so many impressions across many rooms, so many likelihoods we refused to pursue, you are over there in your half-smile, your nod, that coy wink and subtle salute.

You are over there, you know who you are, you are forever in a raffle of what could have been.

Reprinted by permission of ICE CUBE PRESS

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Beyond The Binary Building a Queer and Trans Community? In this Pandemic?

by Keegan Williams

“As someone fairly new to the secondlargest city in the United States, and as a freshly out, nonbinary person, I’m absolutely not sure where I belong, let alone how to tangibly identify and embrace my queer and trans community here.”

still in a pandemic. As much as we might have wanted to rush out into the world, fully embracing and exploring this element of ourselves among a supportive collection of trans community members, that isn’t always possible, especially navigating the restrictions of 2020 and 2021.

That’s a quote from a column I wrote for OFM’s 2021 Pride Issue, titled “Pride in Isolation: Searching for My Queer Community.” A year later, that statement still feels somewhat true, though I don’t think I was really focusing on the right parts of the conversation.

For me, I was living in a new city during a pandemic. For trans folks across the country, there may be no visible trans or queer community to embrace—Also, those folks clearly have to deal with COVID-19 and its limitations, too.

I have no intent on rehashing the same points of a year-old column.

With another pandemic year in the books, and even more time alone in my little studio apartment with my cat and Macbook Pro, I want to instead dive into the complex, rewarding, and often lonely experience of embracing my gender during such a distinct time in our history.

(I was also miraculously able to make some queer and trans friends at the end of it all! But more on that later.)

I know I’m not alone in the timing of my coming out. There were a ton of trans folks who had their gender awakening during the pandemic.

When we’re spending so much time with ourselves, tracing over our lives, our identities, and the way we show up in the world, we’re bound to come out with some revelations.

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After coming to terms with my gender and coming out publicly, I remember that immediate “What now?” feeling. I was out; I was confident, invigorated even, but I was just alone in my apartment again.

I had all a collection of Trans Feelings™ I wanted to explore but no one to actually turn to in my IRL community.

It’s surely not the same thing, but embracing my digital and Colorado communities reminded me of what I might have felt if I was surrounded by other, living breathing trans people having similar conversations. It also further motivated me to branch out in my real life, even though it was a challenge after so much isolation.

The fact that I didn’t know “where I belong” or how exactly to embrace my queer and trans community here last June didn’t stop it from happening, but I did have to go out on a few limbs.

I posted to the meet-up app Lex last summer simply telling folks that I was looking for more friends. Just that post connected me to two of my closest LA friends today, one who is also nonbinary.

I found solace in my Colorado queer community as I newly navigated living as an out nonbinary person last year.

My smartphone was a crucial tool. I connected heavily with the trans folks I knew in Denver and Fort Collins, even if it was just a quick FaceTime or a ferocious, back-and-forth DM session traversing the triumphs and tribulations of being trans and queer.

The back-and-forth I longed for watching queer and trans folks through my smartphone is now a regular occurence when I chat with Raquel. You can even hear exactly what I’m talking about: We did a whole episode for their podcast, Raquel’s Cosmic Joke, about our experiences coming out and living as nonbinary people.

I found friends in people I’d never met or spoken with before. Listening to trans creators like Jeffrey Marsh and Matisse DuPont talk about their experiences, or gender as a whole, allowed me to start thinking about myself and my gender in a way I might not have otherwise. Scrolling on my TikTok “For You” Page, filled with queer and trans voices, helped me to process my own experience.

My heavier-than-usual social media use through the pandemic (and need to keep tabs on people from high school and college I barely talked to at the time) also ended up paying off. A fellow nonbinary colleague at the Colorado State University radio station, and I would DM on Instagram from time to time, replying to one another’s stories and generally

shooting the shit through the first months of the pandemic.

Sometime after moving to LA, I discovered they lived here with their partner. Once COVID numbers began to dip last year, I was able to safely make it over to their Pasadena pad for a number of queer movie nights where, wouldn’t you know it, I met more queer people!

I similarly realized a queer YouTuber—whom I met on the site back in 2006 through our shared love of making Kingdom Hearts parodies and music videos—also lives here with his partner.

Making a digital friend over a niche interest as a teenager unexpectedly led to another friendship more than 15 years later.

Though, I’m already in my head like, “Keegan, not everyone just finds out they have people they know already living in their city. Not everyone lives in ‘LA’ My point is that, even though it took some time, I suddenly have more local queer friends than I can count on both hands. It’s surely still growing, but my community is innately blossoming, and I hardly even realized it until I interrogated it further. As uncomfortable and sometimes even unnatural as it’s felt to shed my pandemic cocoon, joining an app to make friends, meeting up with new people in-person, pushing myself to attend a queer comedy night midweek—Whatever method, it seems to be working.

That said, do I have all the answers? I now have living, breathing trans friends in my immediate community—Is my gender and identity suddenly, fully realized? Do I now know everything there is to know?

Of course not.

If I had to rewrite that blurb from last June, I’d say, “I’m not sure where I belong, but I’m enjoying figuring it out and embracing my evergrowing queer and trans community here.”

If you’re a person like me, coming into their transness or queerness during the pandemic, know that there are indeed ways to continue this conversation with yourself. The rest will come. And, even once you find yourself surrounded by fellow LGBTQs, the exploration presses on.

This month and looking forward, rather than harping on what’s missing, I’m eager to hold all of the beautiful queer people in my LA, Colorado, and digital communities close, and I look forward to uncovering all of the exciting unknowns in the future.

Happy Pride Month, fam! o ut fr o ntm a g a z in e.co m 49

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by Angel Omar Rivera

With the summer sun slinking in, it’s important to gear up and be prepared for the ultraviolet light about to pour into our lives. Your skin, like any other part of your body, is vital, and an exceeding amount of people forget to put any sort of sun protection on their bodies, let alone their faces.

That is why we’re here to rank some of the best facial sunscreens you can find online and in-store. Remember the sun is good, but it is not always your friend.

5. TULA + Glow Daily Sunscreen SPF 30

4. BEEKMAN 1802 Milk Primer SPF 35

3. BLACK GIRL SUNSCREEN SPF 30 – 45

This beautiful, gel-like formula Tula has created slides and glides over the skin, creating a luminosity so brilliant you can leave the house sans makeup.

This formula is vegan and reef safe.

Did we also mention it is oil free, so it will not clog pores? It doesn’t just stop there; pineapple and papaya are included in the formulation to help even your skin tone over time as well as a little ingredient called wild butterfly ginger root. This ingredient helps knock out the effects of pollution and has been studied to help protect against blue light.

Another hit from the Beekman team comes this beautiful two-inone primer that helps perfect the look of your foundation while also protecting you from the sun. A little additional blending is needed in order to stop any white cast, but it leaves an immaculate, velvety matte finish which reduces the look of pores, making your skin look so smooth you may just want to skip the foundation. It is fragrance free, though the inclusion of goat milk (which is loaded with probiotics) does create a natural “odor” that may take some getting used to.

Made with melanin in mind, this sunscreen is built to last. This moisturizing formula has a sheer, lotion-like texture that can be used on the face and body. Made with jojoba, avocado, and even cacao, this lotion is in the business of hydrating the skin as much as it is protecting it from the sun. Even with its sheerness, this sunscreen dries 100% clear and leaves behind no residue. If you need something that will work 10 out of 10 times, choose Black Girl.

2. SUPERGOOP! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40

1.TATCHA The Silk Sunscreen SPF 50 PA+++

A smooth and silky texture flows out of this bottle and onto the skin. This SPF is shown to be mostly foolproof for white cast and alleviates the need for a primer, as it can be used as one to help maximize your skin’s moisture levels with meadow foam seed.

This formula is also proven to be sweat- and waterresistant for up to 40 minutes before you need to re-apply. It’s no wonder this product has been a hit with skin care and makeup lovers everywhere.

Tatcha has created a sunscreen with a light, milky texture that smooths like a cocoon for the skin.

Powerhouses niacinamide and hyaluronic acid help improve the skin’s tone and texture, as well as red algae that helps protect the skin from blue light and most importantly pollution. This SPF also has a special ingredient, the silk extract, which creates a banging canvas for makeup application and beautifies the skin.

Not all sun protectors are built the same. However, these five choices are at the top of their market for their skin support and protection. Don’t let the fact that some of these are primers deter you from them; skin smoothing and pore filling can become a new staple for your skin care.

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Stock Photo

by Angel Omar Rivera

Inclusive Swimwear for the Swelter Yes, it is that time of year again, with the sun starting to stick around more and more. Here in Colorado, we have sun 300 days out of the year, and our arid summers make sure we need to find a quick way to cool off. For those days when you’re itching to find the nearest pool or body of water, we have an introduction to four brands that make swimwear that is both style- and size-inclusive for both the masculine and feminine.

In no particular order, these brands give the consumer a choice in how they look, not how they feel.

Adore Me Adore Me was started in the early 2010s, focusing mainly on lingerie and light loungewear selections. It also now offers a line of swimwear, and like the rest of the brand, it focuses on style and including all bodies in the line. Going up to size 4X, the choices for both one-pieces and two-pieces do not compromise their wearability.

Not to mention each selection is planned 12 to 24 months in advance, so selections are always on sale and on trend. To top it off, each purchase is guaranteed to fit!

ASOS Known more predominantly for its highly fashionable and highly rated garments, ASOS is a name in the fastfashion industry that is showing the world that fast fashion doesn’t have to be cheap. ASOS, like many other brands, caters to a larger demographic and sells chic, in-style swimwear for all genders. The swimwear of this brand caps out at about 4X, but the selection you find is vast and can lead you down a shopping rabbit hole. One thing to note is that, since ASOS is a fast-fashion brand, it is important to look for reviews of a style you are looking at, as “fit” seems to vary suit to suit.

Pretty Little Thing Another internet brand that is based in sunny California, Pretty Little Thing takes ready-to-(swim)wear to the next level with some sensual silhouettes for those looking for a more form-fitting day at the pool or beach. Pretty Little Thing offers most of its immaculate styles in up to 5X for those looking to make a splash in a bathing suit they normally wouldn’t wear. If you want to look and feel sexy for your eyes or public eyes, check out Pretty Little Thing for your next swimsuit choice.

boohooMAN Quick and easy to find, boohooMAN makes it similarly quick and easy to shop extended sizes for men in both streetwear and swimwear. This shop aims to make fashion easy for men and masc folks, with its tabs that suggest an occasion that their clothes might be appropriate for, and the same goes for swimwear, which reaches up to 5X. At certain times of the year, it can be slim pickings for men’s swim, but boohoo has you covered year-round with their easy and breathable, midto-short length shorts.

After scouring the hundreds of swimwear options in stores and around the internet, these four brands are the quickest, style-emphasized brands that included sizes up to at least 4X. It is never easy being confident in your own skin this time of the year, especially in the same bathing suit you got from some bin a couple years ago. That is why it is important for everyone to look and feel as good as they understand they are, in and out of your bathing suit. These are not the end-all-be-all of swimwear but are a great starting point for anyone looking for something fun to swim in without all the hassle. outfrontmagazine.com 51

Cannabis Reviews : Puff, Puff, Pride For us queers, Pride time means go, go, go, whether we work in the queer sector or just want to party and protest ‘til we drop. To make this year a success, don’t forget your edibles and topicals to keep you focused, happy, and free from soreness after the long days and nights. Here are a few of our favorite things!

Coda Signature Infused Chocolate Bars If coffee and donuts is more your speed, start your day off right with a cup of jo (or a guy named Joe) and the Coffee & Doughnuts bar from Coda! The sweet, slightly bitter flavor blends perfectly with the cannabis undertones and anything you’re doing that day.

Coda Signature, 2-Pack Fruit Notes If you’re looking for something to tuck in your bag for a long day on your feet or out and about, these tasty treats from Coda are just the thing. The gummy flavor is elevated and tangy, and you’re in for a treat at 10mg a bite. It comes in several delicious flavor options: • • • • •

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Pomegranate & Hibiscus - Fast Acting 10mg THC:10mg CBN Strawberry & Rhubarb - 10mg THC:10mg CBD Passion Fruit & Guava - Fast Acting 10mg THC Watermelon & Kiwi - 10mg THC Cherry & Sarsaparilla - 10mg THC

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Cannabis Reviews Escape Artists’ Lavender Relief Cream Escape Artists’ Lavender Relief Cream is a concentrated, highly bioavailable formula designed to deliver a blend of pure cannabinoids quickly to areas needing relief, available in both 1:1 THC:CBD and high potency formulations. If you’re looking for something to relax your muscles and leave them with a cool feeling, the 1:1 ratio is just what you need to get your body feeling refreshed for the next day.

California Corner

Big Pete’s Insane Indica Churro Cookies These tasty cookies really do taste like churros, with just a hint of weed flavor that blends in beautifully. At 10mg a cookie, you can either snack on the whole bag if you have a high tolerance, or take it one at a time and see how you feel. If you’re in Cali, try this tasty treat!

Sundazed Daydream Pre-Roll The supremely cute, pastel-pink packaging of Sundazed’s Daydream pre-roll is an aesthetic dream, but the flower itself is even better. With a smooth, almost floral flavor, the impeccably packed joint (no canoeing here!) hits quickly, with suggested effects like “inspired,” “uplifted,” and “euphoric.” Take it from me: I felt all of the above but with a general sense of ease. I even found myself putting out the joint not once but twice—Hello, potency! Joint lovers in the Golden State should absolutely give this one a go.

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Pride Gift Guide 2022 If you’re like us, Pride is like queer Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the perfect time to celebrate the season and hook friends up with the goodies you know they’ll love and use all year round. Here are some of our picks for this year!

Pair of Thieves: Superfit Pride Jockstrap Looking for that sexy jockstrap with fun flair for Pride season?

Well, look no further! Pair of Thieves has issued a new line for Pride season, and getting yourself a pair also gives back to the community—Proceeds go to benefit The Trevor Project!

The fabric feels like a breathable jersey supporting your twig and berries. Elastic bands on jockstraps can definitely be irritating, but this elastic band is also designed to not fold.

With Pride season here, take time to spoil yourself while supporting the community and looking sexy while doing it.

Pair of Thieves: Cushion Crew Socks Pair of Thieves have a bunch of wonderful sock designs to choose from. With Pride season approaching, Pair of Thieves have a ton to choose from. Two of my favorites are the multi-colored daisies on a black background and a fun take on the Pride flag. The Pride flag pair looks like you have a piece of art on your feet. The flag is broken up into multi-colored shapes over the pair of socks. The first time wearing them, I had multiple people complimenting the awesome pair of socks I was wearing. It’s always great to show your pride while having fun doing it. Proceeds also benefit the Trevor Project!

Pair of Thieves: Superfit Trunk Pride This trunk is extremely soft and so very breathable. This creative pair of trunks sort rainbow hands showing the peace sign. It’s always nice to be reminded we need more peace in the world, even if it’s over your little general and two soldiers. You need to get yourself a pair of this wonderful pair of underwear. Pair of Thieves always craft their underwear to perfectly support what’s down below, without leaving too much room. This brand is always a MUST have!

GAYHOOD: Adult Party Game For GAYS We all enjoy party games while having a refreshing cocktail with friends and partners. The next time you have a get together, make sure someone brings GAYHOOD over! This delightfully risque card game is meant for those friends who are comfortable being a little naughty or aren’t afraid to call their friend out. This game can be played with a glass of your favorite juice or preferred cocktail, but either way, you’ll have a memorable time indeed!

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Hello Cake: SO-Low Lotion One major drawback of any masturbation lube is the sticky mess you’re left with afterward. This cream is meant for masturbating and not for internal use. This masturbation cream is so soft it makes each stroke a smoother experience. The formula of this cream transforms from a thick cream to a guiding lotion.

Mixing up “me time” is always a great idea, and this masturbation cream is definitely one you need to work into your routine to help your pleasurable experience reach new levels. A healthy “me time” routine helps lead to a healthy mental state.

Hello Cake: Tush Cush Butt stuff can be quite intimidating, but the chosen lubricant should never be. Tush Cush is a water and silicone hybrid. This lube isn’t too sticky, and you don’t have to worry about dripping. Using this lube almost feels like you’re not using any at all, letting you concentrate more on the pleasure instead of having to ask for more lube. This lubricant has become a major favorite to use, and you should experience how this lube helps make your next “ride” an extremely pleasurable one!

Matador Fashion: Arrow Meggings I don’t usually get complimented on what I wear to the gym, but I get a compliment every time I wear this eye-catching active wear. I came across these beautiful leggings by Matador and was so excited to experience what they had to offer. These leggings are extremely flattering with the “modesty pouch” that keeps the shape and curve of the crotch area a mystery to all who look.

There’s an awesome loop on the back for your face towel and two side pockets. These leggings breathe very well and help you take pride in what you have to work with.

With their selection, Matador knows how to rise above the competition.

EATABLE: Poppin’ Rosé All Day I love popcorn! I also really love a really good rosé. This delicious snack is a definite MUST TRY! Their popcorn takes what we know as caramel popcorn to a new level.

This air-popped, whole-grain corn is coated in light, crisp-candied covering infused with rosé wine! They have so many like sangria and champagne to name a couple, but my favorite was definitely the rosé. If you close your eyes, it’s almost as if you’re enjoying a chill glass of rosé on a cool summer day.

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Swamp Fox: Kings Town Rye Whiskey This is by far one of the best whiskeys I’ve tried. With the very first sip, I imagined myself in the mountains around a campfire. The soft sweet flavor of butterscotch and charred maple move throughout your mouth. With this delicious whiskey, a little bit goes a long way, especially with it being 100 proof. If you’re a major fan of whiskey like myself, this is definitely a whiskey you need to try.

Swamp Fox: Rimrocker Swamp Fox did it again! They took an interesting concept of how elevation can affect bourbon and decided to take it up Rimrocker Trail and cross country. The Rimrocker Trail is how this delicious whiskey was given its name. This wonderful whiskey has a woody flavor with a sweet scent.

If you close your eyes and take a sip of this bourbon, you’re instantly transported to the mountains sitting in front of a campfire. I highly recommend getting yourself a bottle!

Molly Brown Spirits: Spiced Bourbon Spiced Bourbon by Molly Brown Spirits brings a smooth cinnamon kick to your typical whiskey bourbon. There may be other cinnamon-flavored whiskeys out there, but I now have a real go-to thanks to Molly Brown Spirits!

This bourbon is 90 proof and distilled right here in Colorado! The whiskey is full-bodied and sports a classy look bottled up. Molly Brown may have been unsinkable, but this bourbon is unbeatable.

Molly Brown Spirits: High Rye Bourbon In a land full of whiskey brands dominated by men, Molly Brown steps up to take her rightful place on the throne.

This bourbon is bold and spicy while still being refined!

This Molly Brown Spirit is 90 proof and aged no less than 28 months. The spice flavor is just enough while being smooth as it runs down your throat. This is one whiskey you can drink on the rocks, straight, or even mix with your favorite cola.

Angels Envy: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey This whiskey is finished in port wine barrels and is 86.6 proof. Since it’s finished in port wine barrels, unlike other whiskeys, this one stands out among the rest. This whiskey is completely amazing! Every sip is so smooth, and you can definitely enjoy it on the rocks! It also has a light floral taste with a hint of grape. This will be a major go-to when stocking my shelf. You’ll regret it if you don’t get yourself one today!

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Photo by Nolan Knight 5 8 OFM JUNE 2 0 2 2

Singer-Songwriter morgxn Finds Their ‘MERIDIAN’ with New, Extended Album

W

ith the release of his new album, MERIDIAN, Nashville-born-and-based artist Morgan Karr— known by the stage name morgxn—is looking ahead at 2022 with optimism.

“As a measure of a year, this one feels very hopeful,” morgxn says. “A new, full project, plus these secret collaborations on the horizon, compared to say May 2020, this is shaping up to be something exciting and unknown.”

The indie pop singersongwriter—who uses he, they, and xe pronouns— first came onto the music scene after contributing their vocals to two Tiësto tracks in 2015, “Fighting For” and “Change Your World.” He carried on to release his first album, vital, in 2018, and despite the pandemic, he still managed to deliver two EPs in 2021, MERIDIAN : vol 1 and vol 2, which he combined for the 2022 MERIDIAN album, along with a previously unreleased track, “IF I KNEW YOU IN A PAST LIFE,” and new, reimagined versions of his hit song, “WONDER.” “I always envisioned the full project, but broke it up into two EPs for both spiritual and practical reasons,” morgxn says. “I kept the songs in order of their release, so I do feel like it tells the story of my pandemic journey, through wonder to loss to piecing it back together. It felt good making the music and has felt Herculean to release it at times, but I’m currently glad I kept going.

Xe says MERIDIAN is more about the journey than the destination, embracing the

by Keegan Williams “mystery,” what lies beyond our eyesight. Though, they note there was still a feeling of uncertainty surrounding the future as they wrote vol 1, reeling from a “grueling” tour cycle, carrying forward with vol 2 traversing a space of “letting broken relationships be broken” and finding a way back into their heart, to stop second guessing themself and facing up to the ambiguous future ahead.

Referencing the name specifically, morgxn says MERIDIAN means many things, but he was most interested in the application it has in acupuncture, finding these points in the body and letting the energy flow freely between them.

“I think ‘being lost’ implies that you have once ‘been found,’ so losing myself (to quote myself) implies that there is some kind of equilibrium to find,” xe says. “Life doesn’t excite in perfect order; life requires chaos and upheaval to be LIFE. Besides it being the journey these songs took, it’s all just how I felt about this time—letting things die so that I could breathe new life again.”

While morgxn has clearly embraced their own unique style and artistry, they say they don’t aim to achieve a certain “sound,” referencing a songwriting class they took with Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes: “He used the term ‘fissure’ to describe when a song gives you this feeling,” morgxn says. “I think I’m always searching for fissure. I have collaborated globally while sitting in my tiny room during the pandemic. That definitely changed something for

me, but ultimately when I started the project morgxn, it was built around the idea that X is always an idea in motion. If I’m not changing and evolving and searching for fissure, I’m not living.”

They are also making music at a time where embracing their queerness outwardly isn’t only acceptable but prevalent, though they note there is still a long way to go in terms of representation, with LGBTQ folks in art and music facing abundant roadblocks, even withing our own community.

“I often feel left out by the mainstream queer community—and it is very mainstream—but I also believe in continuing to stand my ground and what feels vital to me. I never shy away from pronouns or submissive/dominant language—never have, never will.”

Though, at the end of the day, he stresses that though he is queer, he also just makes music, and it doesn’t have to always have anything extra attached to it.

“Making ‘queer music’ is a term I don’t understand,” they say. “Isn’t all music a little queer? To be or not to be ... “ Revisiting the road ahead, morgxn is hitting the road with Patrick Droney for a brand-new tour. When asked if, given the last two years of pandemic strife, he thinks the experience of venturing out and connecting with fans will be cathartic, morgxn repeats the question back: “Your question has the answer in it: ‘Given the pandemic state of things, it

will be cathartic to get back out and about to perform live and see fans in person.’ This is the truth of what this moment feels like. It feels essential and raw and triggering and highly emotional and important and fun and real, and I am so grateful to be touring at the time of this great reopening.”

While they couldn’t reveal more about some of their upcoming features, morgxn did reveal that they’ve written a new album and are looking forward to bringing it to life. Though, music isn’t the only thing on morgxn’s plate.

Xe recently started WHAT IS VITAL, a collaborative project with xyr longtime friend, Annie Middleton, and brother, Price Karr. The fund is fiscally sponsored and distributes money to artists who are making work that is vital to them.

“It’s still in the early phases, but we’ve been able to support five different artists in the pursuit of their art,” morgxn says. “I hope to keep building the fund and sharing more money with artists, because making your arts— however that manifests for you—is vital to me.”

For new listeners checking out morgxn’s music and MERIDIAN for the first time, he extends a final sentiment as he, and all of us collectively, move forward into a new chapter: “I hope they get a portrait of an artist in motion, and I hope they find some comfort in their own meridian.”

For more from morgxn, find them on Instagram and Facebook @morgxnofficial, and learn more about the WHAT IS VITAL project at whatisvitalproject.com. outfrontmagazine.com 59

OFM NEW MUSIC

by Eric Farwell

This month’s must-catch new releases from the artists you already love and the musicians you need to know

Poliça

Petrol Girls

MUNA

Baby

Muna

The indietronica outfit’s sixth album, Madness, sees the band creating gorgeous, dark bops such as the lead single “Alive.” As always, there is something potently sensual in the churning rhythms and gloomy vocal delivery of singer Channy Leaneagh, who explores themes of identity, perception, representation, reality, commodification, and destruction in this companion piece to 2020’s When We Stay Alive.

On the follow-up to 2019’s Cut & Stitch, the four-person punk band is as electric and politically potent as ever. Drawing from the early records of Sleater-Kinney, and specifically Carrie Brownstein’s angular delivery, the group tackles everything from abortion rights to candidates-aspolitical-shills. In an era where 90s nostalgia is in full bloom, Petrol Girls evokes the acidic anger and concise cultural gripes that wouldn’t be out of place in the songs of Kathleen Hanna and others.

On opening track and lead single “Silk Chiffon,” the band, along with guest singer Phoebe Bridgers, churns out a breezy, Cranberries-esque pop gem that sets the tone for the rest of the album. Incorporating elements from HAIM like heartbreak harmonies, to “bad” sounding keyboards that wouldn’t be out of place on a Duran Duran release, MUNA is effortlessly fun. Whether it’s another Hot Girl Summer or another season spent in lockdown, this can soundtrack the brightest days before sweater weather.

Madness

Releases June 3

Releases June 24

Releases June 24

Hercules and Love Affair

Perfume Genius

Regina Spektor

Flitting between the deep romanticism and vulnerability of Antony and the Johnsons, and the carnal prowl of Greg Dulli, the latest effort from the electronic auteurs creates a rich, sophisticated palette to immerse yourself in. These songs are carved from the stuff of life’s greatest questions, and listening is like swimming in an empty lake on a starlit evening. When it’s time to come down, but not go home, give this a spin until you’re ready for the promise of tomorrow.

Michael Alden Hadreas’s star continues to ascend on his sixth release, and third since the breakthrough track “Sip Away.” Here, the musician expands his sonic textures, incorporating Brazilian dance rhythms, Afrobeat, Euro swing, and calypso into his arsenal. The effect is not unlike time traveling through the past and present of club bangers, with Hadreas at the helm of a sound both familiar and distinctly his own.

After six years, the indie darling returns with a meditation on marriage, life, cultural identity, heritage, and what it means to be of a place/have a home. There’s nothing new in Spektor’s sound on her eighth album, but it’s also not sad or disappointing to hear these songs. Aging gracefully is hard, but Spektor has found a way to make it feel like there’s potential for a great new chapter, even as she ruminates on the failures and sliding doors of the past.

In Amber

Releases June 17

Ugly Season

Releases June 17

Home, before and after

Releases June 24

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Metal Meltdown What a Time to be Alive

by Addison Herron-Wheeler

As a self-proclaimed depressive, anxious person; fan of all things dark; and metal fan, I spend a lot of time thinking about the bleak and the ugly.

I lean into the dark thoughts within my head in order to write good metal lyrics and science fiction. The current Roe v. Wade debacle has me writing gory-ass, pro-abortion lyrics and Handmade’s Taleesque apocolyptic fiction.

So, since I normally like to really marinate in the dark and the sad, sometimes Pride is a hard time for me. I may be queer, but I’m not rainbows and kittens, sparkles and sunshine, and I’m not super social unless I have to be.

Putting on rainbow gear and going out there to party and have fun doesn’t necessarily feel genuine in the best of times—much less the worst of times.

But this year, I’ve decided things are going to be

different. Not to get all cheesy and capitalist on you, but I’ve been on a journey of selfcare and self-actualization with my business partner, Maggie Phillips. Even as the world burns around us, we are determined to make OFM successful and stay in business, grow the wealth and health of our team, and keep being a free resource to the queer community. And I’m committed to doing the same thing with my side hustles and my band, Cronos Compulsion.

We’re playing shows and making music like crazy.

So, as we ramp into June and go at it full-force, I’m committed to a summer of shows; a summer of leaning into the ugly and the dirty; and also a summer of celebration, of doing all things happy and uplifting and gay that feed my soul. And I’m also committed to working my ass off on all my projects to make them successful, as well as taking time to party and have fun—

and rest and take self-care breaks.

It’s all A LOT, especially in the face of the impending doom we are all facing, and I fully recognize that I am saying this from a place of privilege as a white person living in the U.S. and benefiting from institutionalized systems of oppression. But with that privilege, I want to use my platform to keep queer media going and uplift as many voices as possible.

So as the world burns down around us, be the best you can be—Do the things you’ve been wanting to do; Put yourself out there; come out; take the plunge; Quit the job; Write the book. We could very well be living in the end times, so we might as well make the best of it. What else is there to do, right?

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Horoscopes June 2022

by Alanna L.P. Welcome to Alanna L.P.’s Uplifting Horoscopes. These are very general readings that will resonate with many but not all of you. That’s OK! Take away what makes sense, and leave what doesn’t behind. If you want a deeper understanding of what to expect this month, read your sun sign, your rising sign, and your moon sign.

You can find what these are by going to cafeastrology.com to get a free birth chart reading.

Cancer Happy birthday, June Cancers! Don’t hide in that shell! Come out and share that big heart with everyone at Pride! Indulge in the senses, and pour some sugar on that sweetness. Your Pride season is going to be filled with unity and hugs. You may even connect with someone who wants your love.

Mantra: Love is all around me.

Aries

Leo

You’re the champion this month, Aries! The opportunity you’ve been waiting for is finally here.

But watch out: It can get lonely at the top. So if you don’t have a meditation practice already, take one up, and learn how to enjoy the view. Skip the big parties, and enjoy small, intimate gatherings with friends this Pride. With all the excitement, you may feel that something low key is just what you need.

Mantra: I love the view from up here.

Let out a roar if you need to be heard! No one has all the answers, so seek out a mentor if you want to go for that promotion. You’re in the right place to impress all the right people at exactly the right time. If you’re moonlighting, don’t be afraid to try something different and catch a coworker under the moonlight for a delight.

Mantra: “And you’re gonna hear me roar!”

– “Roar” Katy Perry

Taurus Your mind could be racing with excitement as you develop a better understanding of community issues this Pride. Your excitement will spread, so keep up what you’re doing. Stick to the facts, and you’ll have everyone’s attention.

Mantra: I’m prepared for anything.

Gemini Happy birthday, June Geminis! Everything comes full circle for you during your birth month, so let’s celebrate the wonderful, witty you. You may feel like you’re preparing for a success that is just within reach, but you can’t take everything with you. So decide what stays behind; Then leave it there. Be kind, and remember the golden rule: do unto others as they would do unto you. As long as you are open and honest, the pleasure you seek will be yours.

Mantra: What you do comes back to you.

6 2 OFM JUNE 2 0 2 2

Virgo Turn over a new leaf and get ready to receive, dear Virgo, because abundance is flowing your way! Skip town on a whim, and attend a Pride in a different city. You’ll be exposed to new people with new and exciting ideas. Pay attention to what the youth say because they are our future. You’ll be making good impressions on the people you want to meet, so dress up and stand out! Set a budget; Stick to it, and you’ll be good to go!

Mantra: YOLO!

Libra Make this Pride all about healing, and turn within!

You won’t be able to move into a better future unless you confront uncomfortable truths about your past. Seek a therapist to help if you don’t know where to start. If this feels exhausting, be good to yourself ! Get plenty of rest, and make sure you get lots of nutritious food to stay healthy. You could meet a soulmate soon. Look for an established, older person.

Mantra: My past has no power over me.

Scorpio Big changes keep rolling in, but you’re good at surfing, Scorpio.

If your foundation feels shaken, shake off those burdens! The good news is, Venus is smiling on your relationship house this month, and love feels so easy … even kissing and making up. Celebrate how far you’ve come this Pride, Scorpio. Money won’t be a problem, so get out and have a little fun, or pamper yourself at home with an in-home massage or takeout.

Whatever you do, it’s all about you.

Mantra: Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Sagittarius Visualizing where you’re going next and planning how to get there is key this month, Sagittarius. You deserve the big dreams you dream! The changes you are going through now are lasting ones, so make sure they’re the right ones. You are stepping into who you are, superstar. Make love with passion, but don’t let your passions blind you. You deserve to be supported, so if you’re not, talk or walk. However, all your relationships have a sweetness to them this month, so talking should come easy.

Mantra: My time is worth reciprocation.

Capricorn Doing the ordinary just won’t do anymore, so this Pride, commit to celebrating unexpected twists of fate. Have fun and enjoy yourself. Nothing is so important that it should slow you down right now. The future is yours to create, so explore what makes you who you are through creativity and art.

Mantra: Don’t take life so seriously.

Aquarius The more you embrace freedom, Aquarius, the more fun you’ll have this Pride season. Be easy, breezy, flirty, and fun.

You may find that you feel the best when you’re freely helping others, so choose to do something you enjoy to benefit the community this Pride. This month is all about looking at your shadow self and saying, “You have no control over me.”

Mantra: I am in control.

Pisces You’re good at going with the flow, and that’s exactly what’s called for this Pride, Pisces. You may just stumble into a calling you never thought would be yours by accident. Truth is always stranger than fiction, so if you get an irresistible offer that sounds too good to be true, take it. It’s definitely what you’re looking for.

Mantra: Every day is a beautiful day.

outfrontmagazine.com 63

OFM

BAR TAB | Colorado Nightlife

BLUSH & BLU

ICONS

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

3 E. Bijou St. Colorado Springs (719) 300-7863 Instagram- @icons_colorado

BOYZTOWN

LI’L DEVILS

WILD CORGI PUB

255 S. Broadway St. Denver (303) 733-1156 Facebook- @lildevilslounge

1223 E. 13th Ave. Denver (303) 832-7636 wildcorgipub.com

LIPSTICK DISCOTEQUE

CHARLIE DWELLINGTON’S 1103 N. 1st St. Grand Junction (970) 241-4010 charliedwellingtons.com

5660 W. Colfax Ave. Denver (720) 669-3470 Facebook- @lipstickdiscoteque

829 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 832-2687 xbardenver.com

CHARLIE’S NIGHTCLUB

MILLERS & ROSSI

900 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 839-8890 charliesdenver.com

3452 Walnut St. Denver (720) 257-5342 millersandrossi.com

#VYBE 1027 N. Broadway St. Denver (720) 573-8886 303vybe.com

776 N. Lincoln St. Denver (720) 598-5648 denversweet.com TUE: Solve That Puzzle 7p-9p w/$5 House Margs WED: Music Bingo 7p-9p w/$4 U Call It At The Bar THU: Karaoke 9p-1a w/BOGO well & drafts to 7p

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TI GH T EN D

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OGDEN ST.

CLARKSON ST.

WASHINGTON ST.

1ST AVE. L I ’ L D EV I LS

BROADWAY

BOYZTOW N

PENNSYLVANIA

8TH AVE. DE N VE R 6TH AVE. SW E ET

TRADE

WILD CORGI

11TH AVE.

B LUS H & B LU

R + R DE N VE R

C H AR L I E ’S

V YB E

YORK ST.

C LO C KTOW E R

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

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M I L L E RS & ROSS I

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1336 E. 17th Ave. Denver (303) 993-5812 hamburgermarys.com/denver

TRADE 475 Santa Fe Dr. Denver (720) 627-5905 Facebook- @tradedenver

AK

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ST

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HAMBURGER MARY’S

TRACKS 3500 Walnut St. Denver (303) 836-7326 tracksdenver.com

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SANTA FE DR. KALAMATH ST.

FUSIONS BAR & GRILL 3053 Brighton Blvd. Denver (303) 862-7376 Facebook- @fusionsbardenver

TIGHT END BAR 1501 E. Colfax Ave. (303) 861-9103 tightendbar.com

IG

VD BL

SP

4501 E. Virginia Ave. Glendale (303) 388-8889 Facebook- @elpotreroclub

BR

EN

COLORADO BLVD.

EL POTRERO

F US I O N S

4958 E. Colfax Ave. Denver (303) 320-9337 Facebook- @randrdenver

BROADWAY

SUN: Beer Bust 4p-8p & Showbears 7p-10p

R&R LOUNGE

DOWNING ST.

DENVER SWEET

X BAR

DOWNING ST.

117 Broadway St. Denver (303) 722-7373 boyztowndenver.com

outfrontmagazine.com 65

A Night I’ll Never Forget

by Alex Burnell

I can’t believe this is happening. Am I dreaming? First, I go out for just one drink, and now I’m on my way to a party. I’m not even sure what kind of party. It’s Pride weekend; maybe someone is throwing a Pride party. I hope whomever is throwing this party is OK with me showing up as Kevin’s plus one. I’ve never done something like this before: go out to the bar, meet a guy, and agree to go to some random party.

He placed his right hand on my thigh while steering with his left hand. He told me he was glad I was able to come. I told him I was happy I was able to as well, and I thought it would be fun. He leaned over and said, “Oh, it definitely will be.”

After we parked in front of the house where the party was happening, he turned to me, looked me up and down slowly, and asked me if I was ready for one hell of a night. I told him, “Yeah, I believe so.” I wasn’t too sure about what kind of party this was. I envisioned a bunch of gay men standing around with their favorite cocktails and talking about their favorite divas, but he said the party would be anything but that, for sure.

We approached the door, and he turned to me and said he wanted to give me a heads up: He told me that apparently, people may or may not become naked. There was a theme for the party, and he told me not to worry about not dressing up. He said the sexiest thing I’ll see inside will be consent, besides me of course. I asked him what he meant and said, “You’ll see.”

We were let in, and as we were walking to the back room, I started noticing, based on what everyone was wearing, I knew the theme. I felt like I was transported back into the Victorian era or into the TV show Bridgerton.

Some people were applying a risque feel to their costumes. Some of the 6 6 OFM JUNE 2 0 2 2

femme-presenting people had on the bottom half but had no tops, and some of the masucline-presenting people had coats but no pants or no shirts.

We got to the back room, and I turned to see that my date was stripping down and putting his clothes in a bag held by a person wearing a furry wolf head and nothing else. Kevin leaned in close and said, “I hope you know in regards to tonight, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, and I’ll be by your side all night, unless you tell me you don’t want me to be.” It was so wonderful that he said that, and I said thank you. I started to take off my clothes as well; he asked if he could help me, and I said sure.

He started taking off my shirt and kissed my neck and down my back. I took off my pants, and he placed his hands and started running them down my sides all the way to my ass. The hair on my arms and legs stood on end, and a shiver went down my spine. He placed his tongue at the top of my crack and ran it up my back all the way back to my neck and gently sucked on my ear.

He turned me around, and my eyes were closed. I was slightly leaning back. The amount of pleasure I felt was amazing and was something I wanted to remember. I opened my eyes and saw he was looking down between my legs. He smiled big and said, now that I was clearly ready for the party, we should go join in.

In the time we spent in the back room, I noticed more people were naked, and some people were touching themselves while checking out other people. Kevin brought me over to what I found out was a sling and asked if I’d be willing to try. I said sure, and I hoped that was the right choice.

Kevin helped me get into the sling. I glanced to my right, and there was a bear of a man thrusting his lubed-up, pulsating erection into a bent-over, even hairier bear of a man. I looked to my left, and there was a woman eating out a femme-presenting person with their hands handcuffed to a chain above their head. Another slightly hairy guy walked up to them and started to kiss their neck.

Kevin bent down and whispered into my ear and asked if I was ready for a night I’ll never forget. A sudden burst of excitement

came out of nowhere, and I replied, “Definitely!” He told me to make sure to let him know if I ever wanted to stop. He walked up between my legs and slid his hands down my thigh as he kneeled down and buried his face into my ass. Oh my god, this man is amazing! I knew he was a great kisser, but he could definitely tie a sailors knot with a cherry stem just using that tongue. I could not stop moaning, and I did not want it to stop.

He stood up, reaching and motioning to another person to give him a condom. As he slid the condom on, he shouted, “Let’s show him a night he’ll never forget!” Suddenly both couples near us walked over and picked a different part of my body to explore.

The really hairy stud of a man walked up to my upper half, placed one hand on the back of my head, and started stroking his throbbing cock. The bear motioned for me to replace his hand with my mouth.

The bear was now thrusting his dick into my mouth while my head was upside down. I pulled the bear’s body in closer as Kevin thrusted harder and harder and smacked my ass a couple of times. I couldn’t believe the amount of pleasure that was rushing through my body. Kevin and the bear paused and switched places. As the bear of a man quickly placed a condom on, Kevin motioned to the woman to go down on me and for her friend to suck on my nipples.

I completely had no idea how long this was going on for and didn’t even care. We were all covered in sweat the bear shouted “Fuck!” As he pulled out, he quickly jerked off, as he came over my chest. He waled over to my side and took over to jerk me off, and the women and her friend started making out again.

He started stroking faster and faster as my body started to shake, and I released like a geyser all over my chest and even shot onto my face. Kevin shouted, “OH MY GOD I’M ABOUT TO CU ...” I pulled him in closer, which caused his cock to go deeper down my throat. Kevin gently pulled his cock out of my mouth and dropped to his knees and laid his head against mine as he started to catch his breath. He softly ask me, “So did you have a night you’ll never forget?” I replied, “Damn, you have no idea.”