Sixth Annual Lean on Me Awards Honor Community Care, Queer Authenticity

Honoring deeds and service that support a brighter future for the community is always important, but particularly in times of strife. For the past six years, Denver-based mental health nonprofit Envision: You has done just that, celebrating individuals and organizations that seek a better world for everyone in the LGBTQ+ community. The Lean on Me award selectees are chosen for dedication to advocacy, services, awareness, and programs that promote mental health and well-being for the LGBTQ+ community, according to Envision: You founder Steven Haden. Highlighting the policy rollbacks and attacks on civil liberties coming from the White House since Trump took office, Haden says the work is more crucial than ever.

Appropriate, then, that the organizational “Lean on Me” award was given to Colorado Access, the organization that manages Colorado’s state Medicaid program. Haden cites the organization’s work connecting marginalized communities to quality health services as a major factor in the recognition, particularly for Coloradans in the LGBTQ+ community.

“(Colorado Access’) dedication to providing culturally competent, inclusive care … sets a powerful example of what it means to support and uplift every individual,” Haden says. “It embodies the values of compassion and inclusivity that are essential for a healthier, more equitable future.”

Colorado Access has helped administer Health First Colorado for 30 years, across the entire Denver metro region. From care coordination to wrap around services addressing social needs, CO Access does its best to serve the needs of its members. Recognizing the disproportionate challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community, including access to gender-affirming care and knowledgeable providers, the staff at Colorado Access strive to break down the barriers through community inclusion.

“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege, and Medicaid plays a crucial role in ensuring that millions of people have access to essential services,” says CO Access Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Bobby King. 

King says the proposed cuts to the federal budget risk healthcare access for millions of Americans, including one in five Coloradans who are enrolled in Health First Colorado or Child Health Plan Plus. If the legislative branch cuts funding to Medicaid, it would cause significant harm to struggling communities. CO Access will continue its work, along with partner organizations like Envision:You, in breaking down barriers to essential care.

“While the challenges we face today are significant, we want those in the LGBTQ+ community to know that they are not alone,” King adds. “There is strength in community, in advocacy, and in shared experiences.”

While the organizational recognition focuses on crucial care in our state, Envision: You’s individual award highlights the work of artist and aerospace engineer Christine Bland, particularly her creativity, advocacy, and scientific ingenuity in space exploration.

“It is with great pride and admiration that we honor Christine Bland,” Haden says. “Her unwavering dedication to both her professional work and her advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community exemplifies the spirit of resilience and leadership that this award represents.”

Growing up socialized as male in the ‘50s, Bland says she was “born into a privilege she did not deserve or recognize.” She knew something was different at an early age but didn’t fully understand, Bland explains. Initially working as a photographer, Bland would eventually find success in the field of aerospace engineering and space exploration. A successful career and a family weren’t everything though, she says, and at 41, she “hit the wall and entered a black pit of despair.”

Even with therapy, it would take Bland another 15 years to fully accept the need to transition fully into herself, even if it meant giving up all the privilege of her life, losing her family, or worse. Though she did lose her marriage and some friends, Bland says she gained so much more. In embracing her true self, her artistic expression expanded across mediums. Her work in engineering found more gains as well, she says, propelling her career further.

Initially, Bland says, she didn’t want to become a role model, instead aspiring to be a “single woman living the dream.” An encounter at a leadership conference opened her eyes, though, after a speaker challenged the audience to embrace the opportunity to inspire others. 

“This changed my life, and since then, I try to be visible and use my successes as a platform to help others,” Bland says. 

As transgender Americans are persecuted and slandered by both the federal government and sensationalist media, Bland says the climate brings back the trauma of her depression pre-transition and wishing nobody had to experience those feelings. After growing up on the sidelines of the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam protests, she’s ready to step up.

“I stood on the sidelines and watched brave individuals face down guns and violence to make a better life for others,” she says. “Now it’s my turn to step out from the sidelines, and I can take courage from those who have come before us.”