editor’s letter
Bullying is what many of us intuitively perceive it as when we’re young: Reinforcement of a social hierarchy.
Women have been our defenders and allies, our best friends, our most pro-gay politicians and our celebrity icons who embraced and played up their gay fans when male celebrities wouldn’t.
Art prods those questions forward, bringing the maligned and embarrassing to new light – giving things we feel some residual shame and embarrassment about a space we can (try our best to) talk about with a straight face.
Summer is in full throttle now and the dry Colorado heat beckons pool parties, summer adventures, patio barbecues and a frisky side of our human nature. It’s the most engaging time of the year, many will say, to be on the prowl – single and looking.
I can only imagine the flurry of activity among all those who are planning to participate. That extra time you’re spending at the gym. The money you plan to spend on that perfect outfit to wear. And the planning that goes into your social and activities calendar. There are so many things to see and do during PrideFest. It’s a tall order.
In our community there’s always focus on the future – winning equal rights, finding our soul mates, improving our relationships with our parents or families, and, this time of year, resolving to bulk up or slim down. But Pride is loving who we are, this moment, this life, this body. So we conceived a fusion of the Pride season – detailed in our Pride Guide insert enclosed here – by complementing it with a topic we’ve been long eager to breach: body image.
Many of the shared experiences among LGBT people as a marginalized community are our families’ shared experiences too – and so our straight parents, siblings and children are, in no small way and if they choose to own it – members of the community through us.
The body ages, but the spirit is timeless. The only true power an individual has over aging is one’s interpretation of it – whether or not we let it hold us back. And the four seniors in our cover story gave us an inspirational look at what aging means in an LGBT community often said to be obsessed with six-pack abs and body waxing.
Between Feb. 15 and March 14, more than 937 readers voted for the activists, politicos, businesses, restaurants, venues and services in this year’s OUTstanding Awards. Voters came from every age and every corner of the LGBT community. In this issue, the list is in!
The businesses we spoke to revealed their individual speed bumps and victories and explained how they managed to swing out of it on top. Some made it through the recession in great thanks to their loyal and steadfast LGBT customers.
