LGBT Travel in Denver
The Mile High City has long been a hot spot of gay culture. As the largest city in a 600-mile radius, LGBT men and women from all over the West have flocked to Denver for decades, resulting in a well-established nightlife and numerous annual events that draw huge crowds. In the last few years, Denver has jumped in popularity as a travel destination for LGBT visitors; in fact, OutTraveler.com voted Denver one of its "Top Up-and-Coming Destinations" (and Denver is one of only two domestic cities on the list!)
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Produced by the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center of Colorado (The Center), Denver PrideFest is recognized as one of the top 10 Pride events in the country.
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Colorado Rides With Pride! The annual Colorado Gay Rodeo packs in cowboys from around the world.
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Check out this detailed itinerary for the perfect LGBT weekend, written by gay travel expert Andrew Collins.
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A Look At LGBT History in Denver
Denver has long been a gathering place for people of all cultures. First were the high plains Native Americans who followed the buffalo herds and lived throughout the Front Range. When prospectors discovered gold in 1858, thousands of men (and a few women) crossed the Great Plains and settled in and around Denver. More than a third of the cowboys riding the cattle drives of this era were African Americans, many of them freed slaves who migrated West after the Civil War.
By the 1980s, Denver had been dubbed the gay oasis of the west. Gay men and women in the previous decade had organized and established themselves as a smart, cultured and politically active community.
Here are some moments of notice in Gay Denver’s History:
- 1973: Gay Coalition of Denver works with Denver’s City Council to abolish anti-gay laws.
- 1974: Denver’s first Pride celebration, a picnic in Cheesman Park.
- 1975: Denver’s first official Pride Parade.
- 1982: The Colorado Gay Rodeo Association is formed. Soon after, Denver hosted its first rodeo.
- 1983: Denver’s gay and lesbian community mobilizes to elect Federico Peña, Denver’s first Latino mayor and executive ally to the community.
- 1990: Denver becomes one of the first municipalities in the nation to adopt an anti-discrimination policy including gay and lesbians.
- 1991: Denver voters supported the anti-discrimination policy despite opponents trying to overturn it at the ballot.
- 1994: Denver businessman Tim Gill creates the Gill Foundation, an organization to advance LGBT rights through charity and education.
- 2010: The GLBT Community Center of Colorado, the producer of PrideFest, adds a second day of festivities.
- 2012: Denver’s PrideFest ranks third largest in the nation.
- 2013: Colorado adopts the Colorado Civil Union Act establishing relationship recognition for same-sex couples.
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Denver in the News
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"Denver has long been one of the country's great centers of lesbian and gay culture. The LGBT community here is highly visible – socially, professionally, and politically – and gay-friendly restaurants, bars, hotels, and other businesses are easy to find in a number of prominent neighborhoods. With several new or expanded high-profile museums, easy access to skiing and hiking, a sunny climate, and relative affordability compared with other big urban centers, the Mile High City makes for a highly appealing vacation destination for many."
New York Blade News
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"Denver (also referred to as the Queen City of the Plains) is quite supportive of queer culture. Bolstered every summer by a major gay rodeo and the exuberant PrideFest, as one of the best LGBT pride events in the country, the gay scene here is only slightly more conservative than in coastal metropolises and is very focused on active lifestyles . Out on the town, you'll meet frat boys, cowboys, mountain-hardened athletes, and a strong, extremely outdoorsy lesbian population."
OutTraveler
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"Denver will surely take your breath away. Be prepared for the change in altitude here in the 'Mile High City'. The attitude's different, too: you'll meet some of the friendliest and most helpful folks you may ever encounter".
The Guide
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LGBT / Gay Friendly Business For Denver Visitors