News
The GLBT Community Center of Colorado announces expansion of programming to Ft. Collins and Northern Colorado to begin January 3, 2012.
The new additional location will allow The Center to provide services for seniors, youth, the transgender community and other LGBT constituents in Northern Colorado.
Beginning January 3, 2012, the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Colorado will offer programming, legal resources, and referrals to the Northern Colorado community at 212 South Mason St., Ft. Collins. The Center will also produce PrideFest Ft. Collins on September 8, 2012.
Carlos Martinez, CEO of The Center states about the growth, “This is an historic opportunity for The Center, a chance to expand the programs we currently offer the Denver LGBT community to our constituents in Northern Colorado. We will bring the successful program delivery models we’ve built in Rainbow Alley, SAGE of the Rockies, Legal and Advocacy, transgender programs and PrideFest, and more to a part of the state that is ready to take advantage of the resources we offer.”
The Center announces the expansion on the heels of the successful completion of its 2009 – 2011 strategic plan that included the purchase, renovation and operation of its permanent home at 1301 E. Colfax in Denver, and the renewal of The Center’s brand and remodel of its entire online presence. The strategic plan and the new home resulted in a 25% growth in services delivered to the community through Center programs and an impressive 34,600 visitors utilizing the facility in 2010.
“We could not be in a stronger position to announce and carry out this next step for the organization,” remarks Board Co-Chair Barbara Harrison. “Based on the success of our capital campaign, the strength of our programs and staff, and the vision of our leadership and our board, The Center is ready to fulfill its promise of delivering resources and programs statewide, in partnership with the Northern Colorado LGBT community.”
The GLBT Community Center of Colorado is the third-oldest LGBT community center in the country. We engage, empower enrich and advance our community through statewide advocacy and nationally recognized cultural and educational programming.
Denver PrideFest draws more than 300,000 people; Rainbow Alley, our youth drop-in center sees more than 750 visits per month. SAGE and Family Programs connect the community with each other and with our events; our Legal & Advocacy program represents clients in impact litigation and assists over 350 people a year through the legal hotline. We partner with over 50 statewide organizations and annually serve nearly 25,000 individuals who visit our safe and welcoming space.
The Center will be Tweeting for Dollars on Colorado Gives Day, December 6th
Coloradans are encouraged to “give where you live,” on December 6th during Colorado Gives Day, a statewide initiative benefitting several non-profits, to increase philanthropy in Colorado. The annual event is hosted by the Community First Foundation (http://www.communityfirstfoundation.org/).
The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Community Center of Colorado (The Center) (http://www.glbtcolorado.org/) will be hosting a unique 24-hour tweetathon that day, thanking donors and encouraging supporters with the hash tag CO4TheCenter (#ThanksCOCenter) http://twitter.com/#!/COCenter). Supporters who use the hash tag will be entered into a drawing for prizes.
On last year’s Colorado Gives Day, The Center raised $107,000. In 2011, The Center hopes to raise $125,000 to support our operations and community programming. Donations that day will be accepted through the online giving website www.GivingFirst.org, starting at 12:00am.
Colorado Gives day is a powerful day to give to The Center, as the value of individual donations on December 6th will be increased through two matching programs; The Gill Foundation will be matching new and increased donations to The Center dollar for dollar, and Giving First will also be allocating a proportional match from a $30,000 incentive fund. Additionally, GivingFirst will be randomly choosing donors every hour to win $1,000 prizes for their organizations, and twelve $5,000 prizes will be awarded to organizations with the most successful campaigns. The Center hopes to be a recipient of these bonus dollars in addition to the guaranteed matches.
Similar to last year, credit card and processing fees will be covered by Community First Foundation (http://www.communityfirstfoundation.org) and sponsors so that 100 percent of Colorado Gives Day donations go directly to nonprofit organization.
In addition to fundraising, Colorado Gives Day raises awareness of the state’s nonprofit sector and educates communities on the benefits of online giving. Last year on Colorado Gives Day, Coloradans donated $8.4 million online for 529 charities.
October 11, 2012
Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management, John Berry, to tour The GLBT Community Center of Colorado Friday 10/14/2011
Highest ranking openly LGBT official in US government history will make remarks focused on American Jobs Act and job readiness and placement programs through The Center
Community Engagement Opportunity with
John Berry - Director, the United States Office of Personnel Management
The GLBT Community Center of Colorado
1301 E. Colfax Ave., Denver CO 80218
Friday, October 14, 2011, 5pm - 6pm
This Friday, John Berry, Director of the United States Office of Personnel Management, will tour The GLBT Community Center of Colorado. After the tour of the facility we will gather in The Center's commons to hear Berry talk about job opportunities in America and learn more about job preparedness and placement programs in the LGBT community.
Highlighted in the tour will be Rainbow Alley, our youth drop in program, SAGE of the Rockies, our senior's program and their job placement and preparedness collaborations, and outcomes and next steps for our Transgender Career Advancement Project.
Event schedule:
4.45pm - press call and briefing time with Amy Drayer, VP Strategic Initiatives at The Center
4.50p - Director Berry arrives to The Center and meets with CEO Carlos Martinez, conducts tour of the Center
5.25pm - Director Berry concludes tour in Center lobby (open press)
5.30pm - Director Berry remarks on the American Jobs Act (open press)
5.40pm - SAGE Coordinator Shari Wilkins and guests to brief on SAGE job readiness programs (open press)
5.50pm - Transgender Career Advancement Project representative Courtney Gray and guests to brief on TCAP (open press)
6pm - Event concludes
Learn more about Director Berry and his role in the Obama Administration as the head of an important Federal agency and as a high-ranking openly LGBT official:
http://www.opm.gov/about_opm/director/berrybio.asp
September 20, 2011
Denver LGBT Veterans Speak Out About Don't Ask Don't Tell
For The Center by Colorado News Service
The controversial law requiring gay military members to stay closeted in order to serve expires today, bringing cheers from many veterans.
Luiza Fritz, who spent 13 years in the National Guard and is an Iraq War veteran, was forced to resign when a new command discovered she was in a domestic partnership with a woman - even though her superior officers knew, and didn't care.
"I served openly because I didn't feel like it mattered. It really hurt me that - I felt like I was one of the most dedicated of soldiers. I wanted to serve for 20 years."
Fritz hopes she can re-enlist now that DADT has been repealed.
The Department of Defense is downplaying today's action, and the Pentagon has said repeatedly that for troops the repeal will mean "business as usual."
Locally, however, several organizations are recognizing the policy shift. The Colorado GLBT Color Guard will host a celebration at Charlie's Denver on Friday, and the GLBT Community Center of Colorado will recognize the repeal at its 35th anniversary gala on Saturday.
John Kelly is organizing Friday's celebration. He was an Air Force medic in the 1960s, and says that before DADT, gay service members faced not only military repercussions but also social stigma outside of the service.
"It used to be that when you came out of the military and were looking for a job, you were supposed to have that honorable discharge in your hand. If they gave you a dishonorable or undesirable, you were labeled."
Kelly, who resigned rather than risk exposure, says today's repeal is a huge milestone - and Fritz agrees.
"What it does, it takes that constant monkey off your back. It allows you to serve with some sort of freedom."
For the full audio version of this story, click here.
June 7, 2011
The Center Presents 'PRIDE Tease - A Retrospective of Pride T-Shirts'
Debuting on Friday, June 10 and running through the month of June, The GLBT Community Center of Colorado (The Center) will present ‘PRIDE Tease: A Retrospective of Pride T-Shirts’. This exhibit will help to chronicle Colorado's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender history and evolution through the display of Pride T-shirts, newspaper clippings and magazine articles, photos, posters and other memorabilia.
For decades T-shirts have been worn to demonstrate a person’s unique qualities, lifestyle or opinions. They have also been used to represent memories, demonstrate belief systems, or provide a means for people to band together and express who they are. People wore and continue to wear T-shirts to say something about the type of person they are … without ever having to say a word.
‘PRIDE Tease: A Retrospective of Pride T-Shirts’ will span 34 years of LGBT history. In 1977, members of Colorado’s LGBT community were wearing T-shirts that said “I Am ‘One’ Are You?” We wore these T-shirts to express our identities. It was a way for us to build community in public without fear of persecution or harm. Today, the message may seem too subtle, but back then it was a bold public statement. In 1986, our T-shirts read “Unified in Pride” and symbolized the strength we took from and gave back to our LGBT brothers and sisters. By 1997, Denver’s anti-gay Amendment 2 had been overturned and we celebrated our victories by wearing T-shirts that proclaimed that we were “Weaving a Community of Strength.” And by the first millennial decade, LGBT Pride had become a brand - a powerful identity - that left nothing unsaid.
Over the past four decades – 1970’s to the 2000’s – The Center, Denver PrideFest, and Colorado’s LGBT community have used our T’s to tease the straight public by communicating with each other under their noses while slowly educating them to be more accepting of the LGBT community as our messages became bolder and more “in your face.” And every one of you who has worn a PrideFest T-shirt has contributed to the LGBT rights movement. Whether you wore it at PrideFest, the grocery store, among friends, at a family gathering, at work or anywhere in public, you have stood proud in your identity and for your community.
The Center hopes that ‘PRIDE Tease: A Retrospective of Pride T-Shirts’ provides you with an educational and historical perspective of our movement in Colorado, empowers you to always be proud of whom you are, and reminds you to always celebrate the rich diversity of our community.
June 1, 2011
The Rainbow Alley Theatre Program Presents 'Queertopia'
The Rainbow Alley Theatre Program will present 'Queertopia' on June 3 and 4 at the Crossroads Theater in Denver. Originally produced by About Face Youth Theatre out of Chicago, 'Queertopia' is a fast-paced, youth-driven oral history project that investigates violence within and against the LGBTQIA (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex and allied) community.
Laurie Lynch, Director of the Rainbow Alley Theatre Program, describes 'Queertopia' as a place of empowerment, wonder, and endless possibilities. "In this show, you will see a group of LGBTQIA young people from Chicago who have created their own space, place, and utopia or "Queertopia." There is love, music, laughter, dancing, violence, pain, and love again. It's about family and friends and friends being your family," says Lynch.
Through the intertwining stories of Flea, a transgender boy who falls for a straight girl and feels the pressure to take T (testosterone), Teddy, a woman-identifying queer person dealing with harassment and Lexi, a half-Serb/half-Bosnian straight-girl-turned-bisexual, 'Queertopia' imagines and performs a future just beyond our grasp.
Everone - straight or queer- is encouraged to see the show. "'Queertopia' is relevant for all, these people are crazy talented, we need to encourage our youth in their accomplishments and all the cool people are doing it," says Lynch.
As part of The GLBT Community Center's (The Center) Rainbow Alley youth program, the Rainbow Alley Theatre Program debuted in January of 2010 to provide a unique and exciting way for Colorado's LGBTQIA youth to educate and connect with the community at large. Tickets to 'Queertopia' are $15 online in advance, $20 at the door and $5 for students.
May 23, 2011
Denver PrideFest 2011
Denver PrideFest 2011 will take place in downtown Denver's Civic Center Park on Saturday, June 18 and Sunday, June 19, 2011. Produced by The GLBT Community Center of Colorado (The Center), the mission of Denver PrideFest is to create a fun, safe and empowering space to celebrate and promote the heritage and culture of the LGBT community in Colorado.
Founded in 1975, Denver PrideFest celebrates its 36th anniversary in 2011. It is the seventh largest LGBT Pride celebration in the USand has been named The Most Family Friendly Pride event in the country. An estimated 300,000 people attended Denver PrideFest in 2010, creating $23 million in economic impact for the Denver metro area, according to a survey by Birchhill Enterprises.
The theme for Denver PrideFest 2011 is 'These Colors Don't Run: Honoring Our LGBT Servicemembers and Veterans'. The theme is a recognition and celebration of the recent decision to end the U.S. military's anti-gay Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy which prevented gays, lesbians and bisexuals from serving openly in the military.The Grand Marshal for the Denver PrideFest Parade is the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, represented by Major Mike Almy. PrideFest is also offering an opportunity for all LGBT servicemembers and veterans to march in an open contingent. The parade will also be lead by a volunteer color guard and the Denver Pipe and Drum Corps.
Entertainment for the weekend will include New York rapper and YouTube sensation Cazwell, Grammy-award winning Motown diva Thelma Houston, openly gay country star Justin Utley, "lesbian legend" Lori Michaels, and the beautiful illusions of Carmen Carrera, Chad Michaels and Carlo Riley.
A two-day event, Denver PrideFest offers something for everyone with Saturday billed as Family Fun Day and featuring a kids parade, family interactive area with a petting zoo and the world famous PETCO Dogs in Drag Pageant. On Sunday the Denver PrideFest Parade steps off from Cheesman Park at 9:30am and continues along Colfax Avenue to Civic Center Park where the main celebration takes place, hundreds of thousands of attendees strong.
The Center would like to thank the sponsors of Denver PrideFest 2011: CoorsLight, Three Olives Vodka, Occasions by Sandy, Schomp BMW/MINI, Comcast, At the Beach, 303 Magazine, El Dorado Springs, Babes Around Denver, WestWord, Gayzette, VUKA, Sam's Club, CH2M Hill, Kaiser Permanente, AARP/Walgreens, Unidos N Orgullo, The Clinic, Progressive Insurance, Public Service Credit Union, Denver Film Society, the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau, Residence Inn, Hotel Teatro, Magnolia Hotel, CafeVivid.com, DJ Tatiana, Alice 105.9, PopChips, and Chipotle.
May 23, 2011
303 Magazine Announces PrideFest Issue Release Party and Fashion Show
303 Magazine released today its first-ever PrideFest Issue timed to coincide with the upcoming Denver PrideFest 2011 (June 18 and 19). The 6th largest Pride event in the country, Denver PrideFest is held every June in conjunction with LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Pride Month and includes a variety of festivities around the city.
In support of this special edition, 303 Magazine and The GLBT Community Center of Colorado (The Center) will host the first annual PrideFest Special Edition Release Party and VIP Reception on Thursday, May 26, at Exdo Event Center. Included in the night's festivities will be the largest LGBT fashion show of the year. As the nonprofit partner for this event, The Center will receive 25 percent of the proceeds made from ticket sales to the event.
Hosted by Channel 2's beloved entertainment reporter and Everyday Show host Chris Parente, and produced by 303 Magazine's creative director, Charlie Price, the fashion show will feature 20 of Denver's top male and female models in a three-segment showcase.
"We are excited to partner with The Center for this momentous event and support the mission of PrideFest in a way reflective of 303 Magazine and our goal of staying on the pulse of Denver fashion," remarked AB Aharonian, publisher of 303 Magazine.
"The Center and Denver PrideFest are proud to partner with 303 Magazine on this inaugural PrideFest edition launch. Joining marketing forces with the 303 team has allowed us to expand our reach and our relevance to new LGBT and allied audiences, sponsors and supporters," stated Amy Drayer, The Center's Associate Director of Development and Communications. "With 36 years of history behind us, we never stop looking forward, and we know that 303 is the right way to continue our expansion. Every dollar resulting from PrideFest is directly reinvested into programs to support our LGBT community; and when a company steps up to support that mission in the way that 303 has, we know we've found a true ally."
May 5, 2011
The Center Presents Transgender Job Fair
It's illegal in Colorado to discriminate against someone in the workforce based upon sexual orientation or gender identity. But Colorado is also an "at will" work state, meaning an employer can fire an employee at any time, without giving a reason. And that policy, combined with a high statewide unemployment rate, could mean workplace difficulties for some people.
That's the reason Shannon Colvin says she's leaving her job. She is a transgender Coloradan, who says the workplace can be an unfriendly place for people who are perceived as "different."
"The job that I'm coming from, I basically was not wanted there. And so I decided that I needed to leave that situation and move on to somewhere where I would be welcomed and be wanted as who I am."
Colvin plans to attend the first-ever Colorado job fair specifically for transgender people, this Saturday in Denver, at the GLBT Community Center of Colorado. The Center says the event will feature companies that have established nondiscriminatory policies and offer well-paying jobs. Colvin's hoping to use her years of experience in business and construction to land a management position.
Courtney Gray is coordinating the job fair. She says that, even though Colorado has anti-discrimination laws on the books, the workplace often demands that people fit an unrealistic norm.
"There is no 'norm': there's people of all different ethnic backgrounds and races, and religions. I think it's time for people give up the idea of what is a norm and let people live the life that they think is important and genuine, to them."
Gray says some transgender Coloradans turn to sex-related work or drugs to survive, and the Center is hoping to give people options for meaningful employment.
Shannon Colvin says the fair is important because she can be herself with a potential employer.
"It allows us to come as we are and know that it's going to be okay; and that it's a safe place and that we don't have to worry about any discrimination."
The fair runs Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the GLBT Community Center in Denver.