From the Publisher: Welcome to Out Front’s annual Power Issue!

The magazine you hold in your hands is a collaboration of those who nominated folks from around the community for a 2014 Power Award, one in which we honor our recipients for their passion, commitment, and tenacity to make progress in the LGBT and allied community.

And what a challenging exercise it was to harvest, vet, hone, and whittle down the list of amazing and well-deserving Power Award nominees — a list that includes people from all walks of life: teachers, doctors, lawyers, legislators, stay-at-home parents, and all those in between. It’s no secret that Out Front strives to acknowledge those behind the scenes — the ones who “steady the pedestals,” the ones who “hold the doors open,” the ones who “scout the trails to be blazed,” the ones who remind us that believing does make dreams come true. Never in our 39-year-history has such a duty been more important. We will all look back at these days and appreciate the fact that we were here, present, and alive during the time that was marked as the tipping point for all LGB people across this fine nation and world. But the realiTy is: Our work is not done. Therefore we look forward to many more years of impassioned conversation to acknowledge the good work of all those who believe in us and our mission and who give our Power Party purpose! The “magic ingredient” of acknowledgment transforms the world around you, which is precisely why this issue — and our event — is so important to the team at Out Front.

Two years ago, we set out to rebrand the Power Party and through that process we stumbled on what has become the perfect mascot for the most preeminent of annual Denver events: the purple rhino. We owe that to an amazingly talented graphic artist Denee Pino, whose research showed that in the 70s, gay activists in Boston chose the purple rhino as a symbol of the movement. It’s safe to assume that from their efforts, the Gay Coalition of Denver was formed. They too adopted a purple rhino as their source of inspiration because, although misunderstood, the rhino is strong, docile, and intelligent, but when the mighty rhinoceros is angered, it fights ferociously. (Enter the LGBT community.) And why purple? Well besides (hand on hip, thumb forward) it being a timeless and fabulous color, purple is the color of sensitivity, compassion, royalty, nobility, luxury, ambition, creativity, wisdom, dignity, grandeur, devotion, peace, pride, mystery, independence, and — most importantly — power! Partner all that with the fact that Out Front’s office is smack-dab in the heart of Denver’s RiNo (River North Art District), the deal was sealed for Out Front’s Power Party mascot!

Inquiring minds no longer need to know…

The Out Front team and I look forward to seeing you at this year’s Power Party.

Before I sign off, I want to take this minute to thank you for taking the time to read this, but more importantly: thanks for your commitment to the Colorado LGBT community and your willingness to be an engaged reader, fan, follower, and/or subscriber of Out Front during a moment in time that will go down in the history books as a major shift in equality for all LGBT families. As full marriage equality marches “down the aisle” and across this amazing state and nation, it’s people just like you we owe a huge debt of gratitude for making it possible. So on behalf of all LGBT Coloradans: Thank you!