Denver PrideFest 2008 will be held June 21 & 22

Held in downtown Denver's Civic Center Park, admission is free!

PrideFest 2008 will again be a two day event, featuring family field day on Saturday. In addition to the festival, there will be activities for kids, main stage entertainment, and a dance stage. The Sunday PrideFest parade (beginning at9.30am) proceeds down Colfax Avenue and is a favorite event every year with floats from sponsors, non profits, local businesses, organizations, and politicians.

DenverPrideFest.org

Veterans seeking end to gay ban will meet

by Perry Swanson
The Gazette

A veterans organization that opposes the ban on openly gay people serving in the military will hold a meeting in Colorado Springs on Friday to call attention to its campaign.

The Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, based in Washington, D.C., is also holding meetings in Denver and Boulder this week.

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Kings, Queens and in between

The Gay Straight Alliance's first Quer Formal on April may be the perfect catalyst for acceptance of all sexual orientations at CU Boulder.

Held at the Club Level of Folsom Stadium, the event held homage to classic high school proms. Carefully decorated tables and buffet trays of cakes, hors d'oeuvres and chocolate covered strawberries were surrounded by couples in sleek gowns and dapper suits.

The twist was what outfit each person chose to wear. As written on the Facebook invitation formal wear was required but did not have to be bendered. Girls donned fedora hats and neckties, while a handful of men wore skirts and dresses.

Allowing people to dress and act without the pressurs of social norms gave the atmosphere a relaxed and accepting vibe.

"We're expecially excited because we have same sex and opposite sex copules here on the same dance floor," said Jake Golding, 20, a communication major.

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Telluride Gay Ski Week

The Telluride Mountain Village Owners Association (TMVOA), sponsors and organizers of the Fifth Annual Telluride Gay Ski Week (TGSW) today announced the schedule of events for 2008 which takes place Saturday, February 23, 2008 thru March 1, 2008. Since 2004, Telluride Gay Ski Week has welcomed guests from across the U.S. and around the world to some of the finest skiing and GLBT events in North America. This year's event as in years past will benefit the Telluride AIDS Benefit (TAB), a local, grassroots 501(c)(3) organization that has been committed to HIV/AIDS awareness in Colorado for now 15 years.

For 2008, TGSW welcomes two leading gay TV personalities to serve as celebrity emcees during the week. Reichen Lehmkuhl, known for the visibility he brought to the GLBT community through his participation in NBC's Amazing Race and now as a recurring character on the new third season of here! TV's Dante's Cove, will appear at Telluride Gay Ski Week for the first time. 2007 host Charlie David (also of Dante's Cove) returns to TGSW for a second year, fresh off from production of his new movie "Mulligans" but with the production crew in tow from his travel series BUMP!, which airs as well on here! TV. David will be filming an all-new episode of BUMP! that will focus exclusively on Telluride - Mountain Village and the annual ski week.

Schedule of Events includes:
Saturday, February 23 Welcome Mixer
Sunday, February 24 Oscar® Night Party and Opening Reception
Tuesday, February 26 BUMP! Shot Party
Wednesday, February 27 Mad Hatter Ski Party
Thursday, February 28 White Night Party / Telluride AIDS Benefit Sneak Peek Show
Friday, February 29 Telluride AIDS Benefit Opening Reception and Silent Auction
Saturday, March 1 15th Annual Telluride AIDS Benefit Gala Fashion Show

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Visit www.telluridegayskiweek.com for more information.

COLORADO: Hate crime

Kyle Gress, 23, has pleaded not guilty to felony bias-motivated crime and misdemeanor third-degree assault. The charges stem from a March 10 incident outside the Loose Caboose bar in downtown Sterling in which Gress is accused of making derogatory comments about alleged victim Christopher Steinbar’s homosexuality before punching and kicking him.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Gene Tiell played a taped phone interview between Sterling Police Sgt. Robert Hendrix and Gress, in which Gress admitted to hitting Steinbar once, but he said he did not know Steinbar was gay.

“He didn’t talk like a fag, didn’t act like a fag. I didn’t know he was a fag,” Gress said on the tape.

Steinbar testified he told a woman at the bar he was gay after she started making advances towards him. According to Steinbar, the woman did not seem angry and said she had lots of gay friends.

Steinbar said he went outside to look for his friends when he saw the woman in a group that included Kyle Gress. Gress pointed at him and said “Is this the fag, is this the fag?” and the woman answered “yes.”

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Two Colo. Women Insist on Marriage Equality, Are Arrested

Kate Burns and Sheila Schroeder, of Englewood, entered the Denver Clerk and Recorder Office to request a marriage license. When they were turned away, the women refused to leave the office, prompting their arrest.

Before being arrested, Burns said, "As a life-long Unitarian Universalist, I seek to practice my religion by marrying my life partner in the church where I grew up."

The couple’s Unitarin Minister, Rev. Mike Morran, went with them to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Said Rev. Morran, "I am proud to stand on the side of love in support of Kate andSheila."

Continued the minister, "From a church point of view, marriage is a sacrament and the state should stay out of it. This civil right-the freedom to marry-should apply to all citizens."