The Bryan Way

“I met Bryan when I first started at the Center over three years ago,” said Juli German, Community Engagement Coordinator at The GLBT Community Center of Colorado. “I think what he wanted most was to make the world a better place. And in his heart of hearts, Bryan really believed that that was through volunteering.”

McKay passed away in November, but his ebullient altruism and devotion to serve endures with those he worked with.

“When folks talk about the LGBT community, a lot of it is focused on the sad,” German said. “Bryan wanted me to understand the good, and he really helped me understand the tributes and the camaraderie that comes along with the community and the support that we give each other.”

German called McKay her right-hand man, a volunteer who invested more than 1,000 hours at the Center in the past three years, reaching out to more than 2,000 people. “In my opinion and in my eyes, Bryan has set the standard of what it means to be a volunteer at the Center,” German said.

McKay was the first to sign up for the Center’s street team, leading groups into local businesses and connecting the Center’s crucial services to people in the community.

“Our very first street team outing was in May of 2011, and we had a group of about five of us,” German said. “We all had these red street team t-shirts on, and we went to a gay bar not knowing how people were going to receive us.”

German said McKay led the way, excitedly chatting with patrons about the Center’s advocacy work. “Bryan’s passion came shinning through in that moment,” she said. “A group of men walked up and they grabbed me and Bryan and hugged us both and kissed us on the cheek and said thank you so much for what you’re doing, we appreciate this.”

In addition to the street team, McKay worked at the Center’s front desk, spoke to panels at universities, tabled events, helped with fundraising and volunteer orientation efforts, and even assisted with maintenance around the facility.

His work had a profound impact on those he reached out to. German said over the years she has received numerous phone calls regarding McKay’s outreach.

“The majority of those calls were folks who didn’t know that we existed. They didn’t know that we offered so many services, and they were so grateful for Bryan. He really helped folks understand what we have to offer.”

McKay also volunteered with a host of other local organizations, including Pets Are Wonderful Support (P.A.W.S.), The Denver ELEMENT, the Colorado AIDS Project and the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire (ICRME).

Anthony Aragon, ICRME’s current Empress Lushus La’Rell, said McKay was one of the first to volunteer when Aragon launched his campaign for Empress 40 last August.

“Bryan was a key part in getting the word out and on voting day, doing everything he could to help me get elected,” Aragon said.

McKay was continuously putting others first, and not just through his advocacy work, he said.

“He didn’t let his health issues deter him from volunteering and reaching out to people,” Aragon said. “Every single day, Bryan would reach out to somebody and just ask how they were doing or send them a text, ‘hope you’re having a good day.’”

Aragon has pledged to do the same with what he called the Bryan Way: “It’s a way for me to keep his memory alive,” said Aragon, who has committed himself to reaching out to at least one person every single day in 2014. Many who knew McKay are also making the same commitment in his honor.

“We were all blessed,” Aragon said. “Bryan was a kind-hearted human being. It was just his infectious smile and his positive outlook. It was never about him. It was always about other people. He was always wanting to make sure that other people were okay.”