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$ 2 SUGGESTED DONATION @DenverVOICE FAR FROM SETTLED “WIN, “ THE JUNE 15 SUPREME COURT RULING PROTECTING LGQA+ PEOPLE FROM DISCRIMINATION AT WORK MAY BE A ” BUT IS IT ENOUGH? PAGES 6-7 SHINING LIGHT ON WIDESPREAD DISCRIMINATION REPRESENTATIVE BRIANNA TITONE, FIRST TRANS PERSON ELECTED TO STATE OFFICE IN COLORADO, FOCUSES HER 2020 SESSION ON WORKERS’ RIGHTS AND FAIR HOUSING. PAGE 8 DÉJÀ VU AS THE LOOMING TSUNAMI OF EVICTIONS HOVERS ON OUR HORIZON, IT IS WORTH A GLANCE IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR. PAGE 10 BLACK STUDENT IN A WHITE SCHOOL AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT AT A PREDOMINATELY WHITE HIGH SCHOOL, YOU HAVE TO BREAK THE STEREOTYPE. PAGE 12 VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY PAGES 4, 11, 12 EVENTS / PUZZLES PAGE 13 RESOURCES PAGE 15 AUGUST 2020 | Vol.25 Issue 8 SINCE 1997, WE HAVE PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO WORK. DONATE TODAY TO ENSURE OUR VENDORS CONTINUE TO HAVE JOBS. (DENVERVOICE.ORG) FROM YOUR VENDOR: CREDIT: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST

EDITOR’S NOTE A LITTLE MORE THAN HALFWAY through the year, the insanity that appears to be a never-ending party favor that 2020 handed out upon its arrival rendered many of us exhausted. Rumor has it, Denver may undergo another shutdown due to the unrelenting spread of COVID-19. A significant percentage of the U.S. population has no jobs to return to and is facing likely eviction, job loss, and unbearable financial, emotional, and physical strain. The current political climate is intense enough to rival the sweltering heat of the desert southwest, and often, it seems one has to look hard to find any sign of human decency. I doubt I am the only one who feels so beaten down when we still have five months of 2020 remaining. This past month, as I read the drafts Denver VOICE contributors wrote for the August issue, I felt ELISABETH MONAGHAN MANAGING EDITOR grounded again. The experiences or opinions shared in this issue will not make any of us feel “all better.” If anything, these articles may reinforce a sense of powerlessness and frustration. Instead, the stories reflect the ugliness so many in our community deal with daily. No, it isn’t pleasant, but it is real, and until the rest of us finally recognize and speak out against the existence of hate and intolerance, there will never be such a thing as liberty and justice for all. ■ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Jennifer Seybold MANAGING EDITOR Elisabeth Monaghan PAULA BARD is an award-winning fine art photographer, writer, and activist. She lives on a mountain top southwest of Denver. GILES CLASEN is a freelance photographer who regularly contributes his work to the VOICE for editorial projects, fundraisers, and events. He has also served on the VOICE’s Board of Directors. ROBERT DAVIS is a freelance reporter for the Denver VOICE. His work has also appeared in Colorado Public Works Journal, Fansided, Colorado Journal, and Medium.com. DOUG HRDLICKA is a Denver native who reports on the city’s changes. GRAPHIC DESIGNER Hannah Bragg ASHIRA CAMPBELL is a proud African American woman, activist and Denver native. She enjoys photography and is looking forward to her senior year of high school. ZEPHYR WILKINS is a Denver native interested in languages, travel, culture, food, history, politics, and the human experience. After teaching abroad for more than a decade, he’s grateful to be back teaching English in the Denver metro area. VOLUNTEER COPY EDITORS Aaron Sullivan Laura Wing PHOTOGRAPHERS/ILLUSTRATORS Paula Bard Giles Clasen WRITERS Paula Bard Ashira Campbell Giles Clasen Robert Davis Dean Glorso Doug Hrdlicka Pete Simon Zephyr Wilkins WHAT WE DO The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We give our vendors a job and help them tell their stories; this creates a space for them to be part of a community again. Vendors purchase copies of the VOICE for 50 cents each at our distribution center. This money pays for a portion of our production costs. Vendors can buy as many papers as they want; they then sell those papers to the public for a suggested $2 donation. The difference in cost ($1.50) is theirs to keep. WHO WE ARE The Denver VOICE is a nonprofit that publishes a monthly street newspaper. Our vendors are men and women in the metro Denver area experiencing homelessness and poverty. Since 2007, we have put more than 4,000 vendors to work. Our mission is to facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community. We are an award-winning publication, a member of the International Network of Street Papers and the Colorado Press Association, and we abide by the Society of Professional Journalists code of ethics. BOARD OF DIRECTORS Nikki Lawson, President Michelle Stapleton, Vice President Lori Holland, Treasurer Jeff Cuneo, Secretary Donovan Cordova Raelene Johnson Josh Kauer Craig Solomon Zephyr Wilkins DENVERVOICE.ORG CE.ORG @OCE EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT editor@denvervoice.org VENDOR PROGRAM program@denvervoice.org • 303.539.7226 ADVERTISING ads@denvervoice.org MAILING ADDRESS PO Box 1931, Denver CO 80201 VENDOR OFFICE 1600 Downing St., Ste. 230, Denver, CO 80218 With the money they make selling the VOICE, vendors are able to pay for their basic needs. Our program provides vendors with an immediate income and a support group of dedicated staff members and volunteers. Vendors are independent contractors who receive no base pay. OFFICE HOURS: For the immediate future, we will be open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Orientation is held every day we are open. New vendors must arrive between 9 and 10 a.m. 2 DENVER VOICE August 2020 STAFF CONTRIBUTORS BOARD CONTACT US AUGUST CONTRIBUTORS

VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY OUR Streets: MONICA BY PAULA BARD “GOTTA HAVE SUPPORT.” “Yeah, I wanna work, having a hard time getting them to hire me anywhere. Walmart greeters, I’m overqualified, I’m like, really? Come on, I just want to work, that’s all. I’ve worked all my life! I’m on housing lists all over town, a bunch of different ones for four years. I raised five kids, mostly by myself. I single-parented a lot. I had two husbands, but they were not there a lot. One was an over-the-road truck driver, so gone a lot, and the other was in a working band, traveling, rehearsing. I had to grow up tough. I mean, moving every three and-a-half years is really tough on a kid. New people, new schools. That was really tough for me. I’m an Air Force brat. My dad had a bar here in Denver, I worked as a bartender and waitress. I’m an alcoholic, I’m trying really hard to quit drinking. It’s just slow, ya know. I’m doing really well. I’ve cut down so much it’s amazing. I still have the DTs, it hurts, it hurts your body, it hurts really bad sometimes. I had quite a few CREDIT: PAULA BARD Author’s Note: In the fall of 2015, just ahead of Colorado’s winter, Denver sent the full force of its police department and SWAT team to destroy five tiny homes that people “living without homes” had built north of downtown. Something in me snapped: Denver is behaving like a bully! Denver has more than 6,000 people without homes, and more than 3,000 trying to survive on its streets. It is an ugly business. In 2012, Denver passed an urban-camping ban making it illegal for the homeless to protect themselves with “any form of cover or protection from the elements other than clothing.” Violations can bring a $999 fine or a year in jail. I began walking those streets where the homeless are trying to survive, photographing the faces and collecting the stories of those my city has abandoned. So began OUR Streets – stories of Denver’s unhoused residents. sober years under my belt. It just, I don’t know, some reason or another, I fall back. I have friends that I can stay with now, friends that keep me safe. [My rape last year] was pretty traumatic. I don’t like to talk about it too much cuz it just makes my anxiety go way high. Gotta have support. My friends, we can talk about how we feel. We help each other out in this aspect. We’re empathetic, and we know what each of us is going through, so we help in whatever way we can. Make it easier on each other.” ■ HOW TO HELP The money we take in from vendors helps us cover a portion of our printing costs, but we depend largely on donations from individuals, businesses, and foundations to help us pay our rent and keep the lights on. DONATE Donations to the Denver VOICE are tax-deductable. Go to denvervoice.org to give a one-time or recurring donation. You can also mail a check to: Denver VOICE | P.O. Box 1931 | Denver, CO 80201 GET THE WORD OUT We rely on grassroots marketing to get the word out about what we do. Talk to people about our organization and share us with your network. Support us on @denverVOICE ADVERTISE Our readership is loyal, well-educated, and socially concerned. Readers view purchasing the paper as a way to immediately help a person who is poor or homeless while supporting long-term solutions to end poverty. If you are interested in placing an ad or sponsoring a section of the paper, please contact us about rates at ads@denvervoice.org. VOLUNTEER We need volunteers to help with everything from newspaper distribution to event planning and management. Contact program@denvervoice.org for volunteering information. SUBSCRIBE If you are unable to regularly purchase a newspaper from our vendors, please consider a subscription. We ask subscribers to support our program with a 12-month pledge to give $10 a month, or a one-time donation of $120. Subscriptions help us cover our costs AND provide an amazing opportunity to those who need it most. Go to denvervoice.org/subscriptions for more information. August 2020 DENVER VOICE 3

ASK A VENDOR The idea for this issue’s Ask a Vendor question came when Carolyn Tyler, communications director with the Denver DA’s office, approached the VOICE to discuss how the City can work with unhoused indiviuals who are victims of or witnesses to a crime. From the responses, it is clear we have an opportunity to improve communication between law enforcement and those experiencing homelessness. Q How did you pass the time during the COVID-19 Shelter-in-Place order? A JACOB MARSH I spent it risking my life to keep my family safe and housed. JERRY ROSEN I spent it selling old issues of the Denver VOICE. I did really well. I also did some volunteer work. NATHANIAL TROTTER Working on my art. LARMARQUES SMITH I spent my time in quarantine with 4 others at a hotel. We ate, talked about many things, and made different and deeper connections. I love to sing, so we sang songs, laughed, and cried. Q Where did you stay during this time? A JACOB MARSH The White Rock Motel. JERRY ROSEN I stayed at a shelter in Boulder, as well as a few other places. NATHANIAL TROTTER Home, at my apartment. LEMARQUES SMITH At the Belcaro Hotel on Colorado Blvd. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO ASK? We would like to engage more Denver VOICE vendors and readers. If you have a question or issue you would like vendors to discuss, please email community@denvervoice.org. 4 DENVER VOICE August 2020 HOUSING POLICY SUMMARY FROM 2020 LEGISLATIVE SESSION BY ROBERT DAVIS AS HAS BEEN THE CASE with so many situations, this year’s legislative session was anything but ordinary. Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled the six-week recess it granted to lawmakers would count against their 120-day schedule. When lawmakers returned to Denver on May 26, they planned to cover a $3.3 billion shortfall in the state’s budget. Meanwhile, protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis were taking place throughout the state. These issues resulted in 26 percent fewer bills passing compared to 2019. Lawmakers passed 13 out of 19 bills addressing housing issues while managing to negotiate only a one-percent cut in state spending on Human Services. EVICTION PROTECTION DURING COVID In May, Governor Jared Polis issued executive order D 2020-012 limiting evictions, foreclosures, and public utility LOCAL NEWS 2020 PIT COUNT SHOWS INCREASE IN HOMELESSNESS BY ROBERT DAVIS ACCORDING TO THE 2020 POINT IN TIME COUNT, 4171 people reported being homeless in Denver — an increase of 228 people from 2019. Volunteers with Metro Denver Homeless Initiative contacted members of the community during the last 10 days of January and distributed donations like new socks and other in-kind goods to encourage participation. The count revealed a significant decrease in the number of families experiencing homelessness. However, there were increases in chronic homelessness, those living unsheltered, and unaccompanied youth. Less than half of the community reported living in the city’s shelters. Outreach teams were only able to record 30 percent of the data even though MDHI’s said “this year’s volunteers focused more on connecting with those staying outdoors than in the past.” The remaining data was taken from the Homelessness System (HMIS), Management Information a disconnections for people who could not legally travel to work under the state’s stay-at-home order. Similarly, federal lawmakers in Washington passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) Act which provided private and public funding to mitigate the economic impact of the pandemic. The bill also protected renters in federally subsidized housing from eviction. According to the Denver County Court, the order cut filings of new eviction proceedings in the county by more than 80 percent. However, the order did not stop the proceedings filed before the order was issued, allowing thousands of cases to move forward. To help fund these measures, Gov. Polis signed two bills, federal database the Department of Housing and Urban Development uses to calculate emergency service grants funding for service providers. MDHI cautions readers against analyzing the count for trends because this is the first year it has used HMIS in its methodology. The report’s summary credited the unusually warm weather at the beginning of the year for the accuracy of its count of unsheltered and chronically homeless. Instead, the organization drew attention to the racial inequalities its volunteers reported. This year’s count revealed nearly 40 percent of Denver’s homeless population is non-white, with Black people representing 25 percent respectively. The representation of Black people increased by four percent in 2019, even though they make up about five percent of the city’s population. “The overrepresentation of people of color, specifically black and Native Americans, among those experiencing homelessness is critical to the response,” MDHI’s Executive Director Matt Meyer said in a press release. “Homelessness is an issue of race and must be approached through this lens.” ■ H.B. 1410 and H.B. 1412. These bills allocated $30 million from the CARES Act to the state’s general fund, $19.65 million to the Housing Development Grant Fund, $10 million to a cash fund which a nonprofit partner of the Colorado Energy Office uses to provide utility assistance to households, and another $350,000 to the Eviction Legal Defense Fund. HOUSING DISCRIMINATION Several bills addressing housing discrimination were passed as a growing number of Coloradans faced housing instability. H.B. 20-1332 prohibits landlords from discriminating against prospective tenants based solely on their source of income, including housing vouchers, student loan debt, or social security income. The law also prohibits landlords from advertising their properties with preferred sources of income. However, it does not apply to landlords who own three or fewer properties. Lawmakers also passed S.B. 20-244, known as the “Immigrant Tenant Protections Act,” which prohibits landlords from asking about or taking certain actions based on a tenant’s immigration or citizenship status. The bill applies to both prospective and current tenants and goes into effect in January 2021. However, lawmakers were not able to pass H.B. 20-1333, a bill that would have required homeowners’ associations in common interest communities (CIC) to do business more transparently. CICs include condominiums, apartments, and other housing types where residents are required to pay fees for common area maintenance. Rep. Brianna Titone (D-Jefferson) sponsored the bill and argued that CIC bylaws can restrict available housing options for people of color and members of the LGTBQ+ community. RENTERS PROTECTIONS Bills such as H.B. 20-1141 and S.B. 20-108 that aimed to reform Colorado’s landlord-tenant laws never made it out of committee. H.B. 1141 would have limited fees landlords can charge tenants and require rental contracts to contain a 14-days’ grace period tenants to pay their rent. S.B. 108 would have prohibited landlords from refusing housing to immigrants based on their legal status. The law went through the amendments process several times before the Business Affairs & Labor Committee postponed it indefinitely. However, lawmakers were able to pass H.B. 20-1201 which requires owners of mobile home parks to provide tenants an opportunity to purchase their home if the owner decides to sell the land or change its use. BASIC LIFE FUNCTIONS IN PUBLIC SPACES It’s been four years since Rep. Jovan Melton (D-Arapahoe) first introduced the homeless bill of rights legislation with former Rep. Joe Salazar (D-Adams). The bill would allow those experiencing homelessness to sleep in legally parked cars, eat in public, and reserve a reasonable right to privacy. Still, the legislature has yet to pass the bill. This year, Melton and Rep. Adrienne Benavidez (D-Adams) cosponsored legislation aimed at creating

LOCAL NEWS In 2019, the No on 300 campaign solicited over $2 million in donations from businesses like The National Association of Realtors, The Downtown Denver Partnership, and Denver’s tourism agency—Visit Denver—to defeat Initiative 300, also known as the Right to Survive. Initiative 300 (I300) would have given unhoused persons basic rights such as eating and sleeping in public and allow them to sleep in their cars if they are legally parked. Those who opposed I300 said the initiative didn’t go far enough to address the health and safety concerns of unhoused communities or of the communities that would share space with unhoused persons. “We love Denver and want our city to be a safe and supportive place for everyone. Allowing people to sleep outside in public places is not safe, healthy, or helpful for the people experiencing homelessness or our community,” Together Denver wrote on their website. CHRISTOPHER SAID HE PREFERS TO SLEEP IN A TENT TO A SHELTER BECAUSE HE HAS PRIVACY AND FEELS SAFER IN A TENT. HE SAID YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET SICK OR ATTACKED IN A SHELTER. HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD BE WILLING TO MOVE TO A CAMP SITE DESIGNATED BY THE CITY OF DENVER IF THEY SET IT UP CORRECTLY. HE DID NOT WANT TO MOVE TO A PLACE THAT FELT LIKE A PRISON. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN protections for those performing “life functions” on public property or occupying a legally parked car to sleep. H.B. 20-1233 defines life functions as eating, sleeping, sitting, standing, lying down, or sheltering in a nonobstructive manner. It would also require a peace officer or municipality to prove there is adequate shelter for its homeless population before either can remove a homeless person from public property. The bill never made it out of committee. ■ MAYOR HANCOCK ANNOUNCES SUPPORT FOR SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES BY ROBERT DAVIS HOMELESS PEOPLE IN DENVER breathed a sigh of relief when Mayor Michael Hancock announced his administration is working with the Colorado Village Collaborative to create a long-awaited temporary, safe outdoor space. And the Mayor seems eager to complete the project relatively soon. In July, he asked City Council to come up with a list of potential sites for the safe outdoor space. The Denver Coliseum has been shortlisted. “I’m hopeful we can provide a new pathway that leads to more stable housing options for people experiencing homelessness,” Mayor Hancock said in a press release. “At the same time, we can also address the public health and safety risks that the growing number of encampments in our city are posing to our neighborhoods.” The outdoor space will not include any permanent structures. Instead, it will be a neutral site where homeless people can rest and use the resources and services provided by the City and Colorado Village Collaborative. Some of the resources include mobile restrooms, hand washing stations, laundry services, and places to get clean water. Residents will receive daily wellness screens while mental health professionals and service workers provide hotel and housing referrals. “In moments of great crisis, great societies respond by centering the needs of their most vulnerable citizens,” said Cole Chandler, director of the Colorado Village Collaborative. “Our peer cities across the country have demonstrated that safe outdoor spaces provide a resource-rich environment for unhoused neighbors to safely survive the global pandemic while creating longer-term links to health care and housing.” Homeless service providers had initially pitched the safe outdoor space idea to Mayor Hancock’s team in April. But the administration dragged its feet until statewide COVID cases began to increase just before the 4th of July weekend. A LONG TIME COMIN’ While the safe outdoor spaces are not currently being considered as permanent solutions to the city’s homeless problem, they do represent a step that’s taken Denver over 16 years to make. “Safe outdoor sites, while vital in our immediate need, are not the final answer,” Denver Homeless Out Loud said in a press release. “Everyone deserves housing. As we create immediate options for people to survive in tents now, the City must be creating attainable housing for all.” In 2004, activists submitted the first tent city proposal to the Commission to End Homelessness. The 39-page report outlined several ways in which tent cities could benefit Denver’s unhoused population, including centralizing service delivery, providing sanitation and privacy, and allowing for self-help peer governance. “Tent cities are no alternative to expanding permanent low-cost housing or providing quality emergency support and shelter that might transition homeless people into independent housing. But the choice is not between a tent city and adequate permanent housing. The choice is between allowing a tent city and forcing people into inhumane living conditions without any kind of shelter at all,” the report reads. However, the tent city initiative was met with fierce criticism from The Denver Post, The Rocky Mountain News, and the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, who said the plan “fails to address health, safety, sanitary issues and [the] causes of homelessness such as mental illness, substance abuse, job loss, and the lack of affordable housing.” Then, during the Occupy Denver protests in 2011, former John Hickenlooper, Denver Mayor Michael SUCCESS STORIES Meanwhile, other cities in Colorado have figured out how to put together successful safe outdoor spaces for their unhoused communities. In September 2019, Durango opened the Purple Cliffs camp, a 200-acre plot of county land allocated for the city’s unhoused community. The camp is located in an area where coronavirus has not spread very far and currently houses several unhoused persons living in La Plata County. County officials are working on moving the camp closer to town so residents can be nearer to essential services. And then about six hours north of that area, Pitkin County opened a camp in Aspen at Brush Creek after a local shelter shut down. Even though the county doesn’t see the camp as a permanent solution to homelessness, it provides residents with a place to abide by the state’s Shelter in Place and Safer in Place orders, according to Nan Sundeen, director of Pitkin County Human Services. “Given our extreme weather conditions up here, we knew we needed to act to get our homeless the help they need,” Sundeen told the Denver VOICE in an interview. She says Pitkin County has learned a lot from Durango’s camp, including the importance of being flexible as the camp evolves, and setting enforceable guidelines for campers. Residents at Brush Creek must adhere to quiet hours between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m., are not allowed to bring guests to the camp, and will be immediately evicted for violent acts of any kind. Campers are allowed to leave the camp at any time. Since the camp’s founding, county workers have had to turn away some unhoused individuals who travel up the I-70 corridor and recreational campers who want to visit the camp. Doing so helps save room and resources for Pitkin County’s unhoused residents, Sundeen said. The camp is managed by a trusted camp member and is regularly visited by volunteers for food delivery, mental health workers, and caseworkers who help those some members cope with living in a communal setting. County employees campers to discuss living conditions and whether also hold regular meetings with there is anything else the county can do to support the campers. Some volunteers from Aspen even built a small solar module for Governor Hancock, and former Attorney General John Struthers teamed up to disperse a tent city of protesters from the downtown area. Mayor Hancock said during a press conference at the time that the policy was about protecting the health and safety of the protesters. Health and safety are now synonyms for justification as Denver continues its practice of sweeping unhoused communities away from resources and voting down policies that seek to aid its most vulnerable residents. campers to be able to charge their phones and electronics. “We obviously don’t want to evict anyone from the camp because they don’t have another place to go. However, we define safe behavior very clearly because we want all of our campers to feel safe,” Sundeen said. Even though Sundeen describes the camp as being in the midst of a “What happens next?” phase, she says there is plenty that Denver can glean from Pitkin County’s experience. “If there is any advice I’d offer Denver, it’s this: be flexible and communicate with your residents. That’s the only way these campsites will work,” she said. ■ August 2020 DENVER VOICE 5

NATIONAL STORY MATTHEW BRADFORD. PHOTO PROVIDED BY MATTHEW BRADFORD WHAT THE SUPREME COURT DECISION ABOUT LGBTQIA+ RIGHT TO WORK ACTUALLY REVEALS BY ZEPHYR WILKINS “SURREAL.” This was the most common response from members of our city’s beloved Denver Gay Men’s Chorus (DGMC) and Denver Women’s Chorus (DWC) in regards to the Bostock v. Clayton County Supreme Court ruling on June 15 which protects LGBTQIA+ people from discrimination at work. The ruling was handed down as the nation grapples with a rising death toll from coronavirus, an unemployment rate climbing to Great Depression levels, and a president more intent on protecting statues of Confederate traitors from vandalism than protecting Black and Brown human beings from police brutality. Any type of “progress” under these circumstances would be jarring. Perhaps it is for this reason that most chorus members were thrown when they got the push notification on their phone that the decision had been made. “I was not even aware that the Supreme Court was considering, let alone going to issue, a ruling for any outstanding LGBT cases,” stated Matthew Bradford from the DGMC. TJ Kizuka, Bradford’s chorus compatriot, agreed. “For me, the ruling on marriage equality was such a huge day…I was with many of my LGBTQ+ friends at the time, so it really mentally struck me in a bigger way than this ruling. I think also there were less hard-hitting distractions in our nation at the time, so [the marriage equality ruling] was easier to follow.” But the jolting surprise of the ruling doesn’t affect their ability to understand its historical significance. “I would love that this — along with the Stonewall Riots, the Pulse Massacre, marriage equality, Harvey Milk, Marsha P. Johnson, and other notable LGBTQ+ moments — were included in textbooks and history lessons for America’s youth,” Kizuka said. Even if this doesn’t come to fruition, it will still have a profound effect on millions of lives because, like Bradford, who works in human resources, pointed out: companies across the U.S. will now be reviewing their existing policies and, in the process, may find they need to make adjustments in their employment practices. To be clear, this ruling does not require them to rewrite their policies by adding “sexual orientation” or “gender identity” to the policies they already have. Rather, the ruling states that LGBTQIA+ rights have been protected since 1964 when Title VII of the Civil Rights Act forbade employers from discrimination “because of [an employee’s] race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” Denver-born Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, who wrote the majority opinion on this case, argued that an “employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or the AIDS crisis, transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in members of a different sex.” Gorsuch gives an example. If an employer fires a man for loving a man but doesn’t fire a woman for loving a man, then the employer is discriminating against the male employee because of his sex; that is illegal. Thus, because the ruling indicated that the term “sex” in Title VII of the Civil Rights Act includes both gender identity and sexual orientation, companies will not have to rewrite their policies to include these terms. What, then, do HR departments across the U.S. need to focus on? Drawing on personal experience, Madison Kuebler of the DWC provided insight. Like many LGBTQIA+ people across the country, Kuebler “hid in plain sight.” As a result, she had to endure the pain when “employers [would] say hateful things about LGBTQIA+ folx in front of me.” She also felt guilt and shame from being “disingenuous” with her friends and colleagues out of fear of being fired. Situations where LGBTQIA+ people “come out” to employers and colleagues that say hateful things about them are a potential powder keg; if not handled properly, the result could be disastrous. As such, Bradford believes companies should review their approaches to employee retention, risk 6 DENVER VOICE August 2020

NATIONAL STORY them see that the LGBTQIA+ [people] in their workplace have been treated unfairly,” this is not the most likely outcome. “Often, when rights or protections are provided to marginalized groups, we do see backlash or failure to uphold the law,” Cruz-Teixeria said. It’s this kind of backlash that concerns Darin Stewart of DGMC. With more people coming out of the closet, more people also are becoming isolated by those they once thought were their friends; HR departments should consider this as they update their policies. Also, with a greater number of people coming out of the closet, comes a higher number of harassment cases; HR departments should be preparing for these, as well. Worst, with more people coming out of the closet, comes a greater risk of being murdered. It is not hyperbole to say that as visibility increases, so does the body count. “Transgender activists have spoken and written about the correlation between greater trans visibility and violence against trans women, particularly Black trans women and other trans women of color,” Stewart said. It is called a culture war for a reason. Anytime your identity is the focus of a culture war, it is more prone to being collateral. “Rights might bring inclusion but they don’t bring liberation,” said Stewart. Instead, Kuebler lamented, they “give a false sense of comfort in our country to those who aren’t marginalized.” The reason for this, Steward noted, is explained by trans LGBTQ ACTIVISTS AND SUPPORTERS HOLD A RALLY OUTSIDE THE U.S. SUPREME COURT AS IT HEARS ARGUMENTS IN A MAJOR LGBT RIGHTS CASE ON WHETHER A FEDERAL ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW THAT PROHIBITS WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX COVERS GAY AND TRANSGENDER EMPLOYEES IN WASHINGTON. CREDIT: REUTERS/JONATHAN ERNST mitigation, and discrimination whistle-blower protocols to ensure they comply with the June 15 ruling. They also should consider developing seminars to help their staff understand what anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination looks and sounds like so employees can rest assured they don’t inadvertently commit a reprimandable offense. Beyond this, establishing LGBTQIA+ affinity groups and revisiting healthcare options are also likely to be on the agenda of many HR departments in light of this ruling. Finally, some companies, like the one Denver Women’s Chorus member Natalya Cruz-Teixeira works for, are hiring diversity and inclusion officers to help navigate these potentially explosive situations. Regardless of the steps individual companies take, the Black Lives Matter protests highlight that the struggle for “equality” is not over based on a single law or court ruling. “Black lives have had full rights in this country for several decades, and yet, in practice, we see voting rights taken away, bias in the workplace, housing discrimination, [and] the simple right to live [violated],” Cruz-Teixeira said. LGBTQIA+ history reveals the same sad truth. “Unfortunately, we’ve seen circumventive behavior before from those who do not wish to see LGBT+ equality, á la Kim Davis of Kentucky, who blatantly defied her legal responsibilities of issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. So, while an employer may not explicitly fire someone for their affinity, they may invent creative ways to terminate employment,” Bradford said. Terwanda McMoore, a member of the DWC, can attest to this very thing happening. Although she did not lose her employment because of her sexual orientation, McMoore has been TERWANDA MCMOORE. PHOTO CREDIT: MIKE PAPROSKI “discriminated [against] in the past for being gay and butch.” This is despite Senate Bill 25, which was passed in 2007 and is supposed to protect her right to work. So, even though one can hope, like Kuebler, that this June 15 ruling will “put things into perspective for people and let scholar Dean Spade, who says the way we focus on “rights” prevents us from focusing on structures, and it is these structures that isolate and divide us. It’s the structures that need to be addressed to bring about full inclusion based on understanding and acceptance. But addressing structures is something that the June Supreme Court ruling fails to do. In fact, as Bradford pointed out, “While it’s a ruling in our [LGBTQIA+ person’s] favor, to be sure, it was because Title VII of the Civil Rights Act technically says ‘sex,’ not because such discrimination against humans with different affinities is wrong.” And that’s the crux of this ruling…it doesn’t advance the values that all are equal, that all deserve justice or even that employment is an essential aspect of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness and thus needs to be open to everyone. No, this decision was made on the interpretation of a single word, not the bedrock of American values. Perhaps this is ultimately the reason why the ruling was so jarring and “surreal” — it pointed out the fragility of the “progress” that the LGBTQIA+ population has made, and which some, like Kizuka, “took for granted.” This time, in this particular case, a Trump-appointed judge was convinced that a single word protected the rights of millions of people. Next time there might not be such a word. It is for this reason, as Bradford observed, “We cannot become complacent. Our fight is not over until we can all enjoy the benefits and privileges of equality.” The Denver Gay Men’s Chorus and the Denver Women’s Chorus, which have entertained audiences for 38 years, not only engage with educational programming, participate in community outreach events, and partner with advocacy groups, they also build community to continuously fan the through music flames of justice. By singing inspiring anthems that represent diverse and marginalized populations, chorus members remind themselves, each other, and the greater Denver community of the American values, and lives, at stake in the current culture war. To learn more, hear them sing, and get updates on upcoming events, visit denverchoruses.org. Sarah Gumina, with the Denver Women’s Chorus, contributed to this story. ■ August 2020 DENVER VOICE 7

LOCAL STORY BRIANNA TITONE’S COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP SHINES LIGHT ON WIDESPREAD DISCRIMINATION BY GILES CLASEN REPRESENTATIVE BRIANNA TITONE is in her first term in the Colorado General Assembly. Titone grew up in the Hudson Valley in New York. She lived all over the world working as a geologist before landing in Colorado for work. Titone is the first transgender individual elected to state office in Colorado. She represents State House District 27, a district that falls predominantly in Jefferson County. Historically, the county has been conservative but has become more moderate in recent years. Titone won her 2018 election by just 439 votes, all while finishing up a master’s degree in information and communications technology from the University of Denver. Nearly 50,000 total votes were cast. Titone was instrumental in getting H.B. 20-1307 passed in the latest legislative session. Called the “gay and transgender panic defense bill,” it prevents defendants from blaming their victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity as a justification for their violent acts. Here are excerpts from my conversation with Titone, edited for length and clarity: WHEN I WAS 16, I WAS A VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTER, and I really got the sense of what it means to do service for your community. That mentality really stuck with me. When I was in college, I watched the attack on the World Trade Center. That was traumatic to me. That renewed my spirit to help stop bad things from happening to people and to help my community. I became interested in working for the FBI, but I was too young and inexperienced at that point. I decided to get my degrees, in science, and put some time into building professional experience. Eventually, I returned to the idea of working for the FBI. Unfortunately, I waited too long. I ended up getting too old to finish the process. The FBI ages you out at age 37. Once my 37th birthday rolled around, that was a turning point for me. If I was going to do something positive for the world — whatever that was — then I was going to have to find a different way to do it. After I got out of [the FBI selection process], I realized that I should look into myself. I should think about me for a little bit. I realized I was depriving myself of a lot of happiness because I wasn’t being my authentic self. Out of that, I ended up coming out as trans. BRIANNA TITONE. CREDIT: GILES CLASEN I didn’t really know a lot about trans people over my life because I grew up in a pre-internet childhood. The things I did see on TV were on talk shows like “The Phil Donahue Show” and Jerry Springer. And then, there were all of the jokes that permeated Hollywood for a long time. As much as I felt, as much as I wished I had grown up as a woman and not a man — that idea wasn’t available to me as a child. I didn’t know there was anything I could do about it. I didn’t have any role models or anyone to really look up to. Society kept saying [being trans] is not something that is going to be positive for you. There were so many negative perceptions on trans people that it wasn’t something I thought I could do. I thought that it would be a harder life and that it would make me into a joke. I continued my life mostly considering myself as a crossdresser because that was all that I was willing to consider for myself. I didn’t want to put myself in that category of being trans. I was afraid people would think of me — think that it is a terrible thing to be trans. I suppressed being myself for a long time. I hid it from everybody because of societal norms and the stigmas and stereotypes that trans people have to deal with, even still. It wasn’t until 2015 when I came out. Finally, I felt like there were enough resources around and people I could talk to. There were organizations that were supportive, that I never even knew existed before I got to Colorado. That is what really helped me figure things out for myself — to help me accept me for who I am. I was struggling with relationships before I came out. It was hard to find people that would accept me for who I was, even as a cross-dresser. I felt like nobody wanted me. I got people to tolerate me but never to go all-in on accepting who I wanted to express myself as. I could only be my true self behind closed doors. I didn’t go out and get to know a lot of people. I could only be myself at home. It was very eye-opening that there were people that wanted to be with me as myself. To find my wife, who really truly accepts me, is a blessing. I spent a lot of my life thinking no one would ever want me. When I came out, I found my true love. We got married in December of last year. That’s why turning 37 was such a turning point for me. If I was going to do something positive for the world, whatever that was, then I was going to have to find a different way to do it. The first thing I really realized was that I am now part of a community that is not accepted widely. I knew that it was something I could do something about. I knew I could stand up for people in this new community that I belong to. I started being an advocate first. I started working with One Colorado on some of the bills they were advocating for. Usually, you don’t set out to run for office, you have to be convinced. My race was such a sleeper. Everybody thought there was no way that I could win. Nobody really invested in it, paid attention to it. Even the Republicans didn’t fight me very much. They thought there was no way I was going to win. We did our own thing. We knocked on the doors. We had conversations with people. We made calls. We had events. We did everything you’re supposed to do to win an election, and my opponent didn’t do anything. It was kind of like “The Tortoise and the Hare.” We just kept trucking on, no matter what was thrown in our way. We beat the other side because they were napping. On election night I was losing. I was down a couple hundred votes. My opponent actually had a party for the win. But I wasn’t giving up because I knew there were a lot of votes that hadn’t come in. We chased after a lot of people at the last minute to hand in their ballots. We had a feeling [after election night] that we were going to end up more votes than the other side. It wasn’t until Thursday [two days after the election] before I had enough votes to not only get me up but also out of the need for a recount. It wasn’t official until Friday. I think a lot of people who voted for me before are on board again this year. And a lot of people are joining in who didn’t realize I am worthy of the job because of the hard work I put in. I set the bar really high. I worked extremely hard. I want to make sure nobody considers taking this position if they aren’t willing to do hard work, because that is what people will expect. I have been working to help lower housing costs for Jefferson County and all of Colorado. One of the bills I am proud of and think is a really meaningful piece of legislation is the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Bill, a bill that I sponsored. It creates a new tax credit that incentivizes builders to create affordable housing. It encourages builders to make apartments that are actually affordable. Builders don’t build housing that is affordable because it is not as profitable. This tax credit helps to fill in some of the 8 DENVER VOICE August 2020

LOCAL STORY costs associated with building affordable housing. This is not subsidized housing. Instead, the plan has an incentive and cost savings that they can build into the rent. Another bill I did last year covered rental application fees. It limited the amount a landlord could charge for a rental application. This is particularly useful for seniors or anyone looking for housing. Landlords were charging as much as $200 for an application fee. This bill limits the ability to turn a profit on applications. Housing is in very high demand, so if you had a unit available, you used to be able to take 10 or more applications, in some cases, turning a profit without renting the unit. Now, they have to take the application and rent the apartment more quickly or lose money, creating a fairer process to renters. I was also a cosponsor for the bill that allowed state workers to have collective bargaining rights. This bill was important to me because I grew up in a household that was a union household. Because of that, we had good health benefits, and my dad had a good retirement. He ended up having a good life and a good, stable family life because of the union. I believe there is a lot of benefit for workers to have collective bargaining and the strength of a union to support the needs of the people. The workers of Colorado are the backbone of our economy and what it has grown to be, so we want to make sure we are protecting workers and their families to ensure they’re not being taken advantage of. Representation really matters. It is especially critical now to have trans representation, with all of the attacks on the trans community. Having a diverse group of people with different experiences is always a benefit for any leadership body. The way the government legislates LGBTQ+ issues shapes everything for our community. The perspectives I bring can help shape how the Colorado government interacts with the LGBTQ+ community, and that shapes the way people see and perceive and interact with the community. The [gay panic or transgender panic defense bill] ended up dying in committee after we got back from the COVID recess. I was kind of shocked because the bill didn’t cost any money. There was really no reason we shouldn’t have passed it. I contacted a few of the members on the committee, and they said we are trying to cut costs down because of COVID. I said, “Have you been listening to what people have been saying outside our building?” This was right after the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests were getting started. For me, as a trans person, I have really begun to understand that among the trans community, Black trans women are the most vulnerable. When they were saying Black Lives Matter, it made me think about what that bill does and how it’s important that we protect Black trans women. I wrote a letter to the Senate President and the House Majority Leader to see if there was the ability to bring that bill back. I wanted to bring this bill back because I believe it is a strong statement we could make to the people outside our building, that in addition to the police reform bill, this is a bill that can protect Black lives and, in particular, Black trans lives. We started in the Senate and got it through very quickly, and we only had one “no” vote in the entire assembly. What it really symbolizes is that we value LGBTQ+ people and, with this bill, in particular, trans and Black trans people. We now join 10 other states that have banned this practice. It is symbolic of how we stand with the LGBTQ+ community, that Colorado stands with the LGBTQ+ people. We won’t accept violence against this community. We’re not giving anyone a “get out of jail free” card to inflict violence on the gay and trans community anymore. ■ LIFTED EVICTION FREEZE EXPECTED TO INCREASE HOMELESS COUNT BY DOUG HRDLICKA BRIGGS HARLAN IS A RESIDENT NEAR CHEESEMAN PARK in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. When Harlan goes to the laundry and opens the washer, there is mold inside. When he checks for mail, the need for a key is moot because, like many other doors that stand as barriers, it is damaged. His apartment building has been broken into, mail has been stolen, and other tenants have witnessed lewd behavior and skulking figures. When COVID-19 struck, it took Harlan’s job prompting him to file an unemployment claim that would similarly go the way of the job, and after two months, disappear. In the third month, Harlan tapped into his savings to cover bills, depleting the finances he had saved. Harlan’s landlord offered a differed payment plan, allowing Harlan to miss one month’s rent, but splitting the rent over the following two months. However, going back to work meant taking a pay cut that equaled less than his total bills for the month. The eviction freeze set early in the shutdown has been lifted, and those who’ve defaulted on rent because of layoffs and furloughs, are now at risk of eviction. “I have enough family in the East I could rely on,” said Harlan. “For me, moving home is worst-case. I’m lucky enough that homelessness isn’t on the table, but without them, it would be.” The eviction moratorium began in late March with the idea of freezing all eviction claims and halting nonpayment and late payment fees. The freeze had been extended multiple times, eventually finding its finish on July 13, with concern from nonprofit groups that evictions will skyrocket. “We are doing everything we can to get Coloradans back to work, but this process is gradual and must take into account the evolving public health conditions,” read the latest update on the eviction moratorium provided by Gov. Polis. “Many Coloradans continue to experience a substantial loss of income as a result of business closures and layoffs, hindering their ability to keep up with their rent or mortgage payments through no fault of their own.” The COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project was formed in March as a resource for people who have endured eviction and homelessness as a result of COVID-19. They have been anticipating the day the moratorium ends. The defense project released a study projecting that evictions will escalate to nearly 700,000 by December. According to the study, In the nine weeks since the COVID-19 state of emergency declaration, more ore than 495,000 Coloradans have filed for unemployment insurance. In the coming months, many of these Colorado renters will run out of money, and when renters run out of money, they are at risk of eviction. The study also states that by September 2020. the accumulated renters’ debt will reach 765,000,000 dollars. Also noting that marginalized members of the communities being the most likely to be affected by the end of the moratorium. “Communities of color, undocumented residents, and lowincome workers will be especially vulnerable to evictions caused by the COVID-19 emergency,” the study says. The study predicts evictions will come in three waves, with the first having begun illegally and happening to the vulnerable and financially insecure, and finishing in early to mid-winter. Although the predictions of a bleak future in housing are looming for many people, the Colorado Apartment Association tells of eviction rates at a low of 3 percent of the normal 3000 that occur each month. But that 3 percent happened during the freeze, and people like Chris Gee, also a resident of Capitol Hill, has experienced such a fate after being laid off and unable to make rent. “I have not been evicted yet; although this will most likely happen in a few weeks. My landlord is unwilling to work with me regarding a payment plan or waiting for TRUA (Temporary Rental and Utility Assistance). I was never late on rent before,” said Gee. Gee has underlining health issues that put him at high risk, and he is waiting on unemployment to come in while he looks for work. His landlord, however, has been unwilling to accommodate. “He essentially stated that I should be able to figure out how DEMONSTRATORS SHOUT AND DISPLAY SIGNS OF PROTEST WHILE DRIVING OUTSIDE THE WHITE HOUSE DEMANDING THE CANCELATION OF RENT PAYMENTS, FOLLOWING MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER’S STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARATION DUE TO THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK IN WASHINGTON. CREDIT: REUTERS/TOM BRENNER to and tried to probe into my finances. [He] told me, ‘where there’s a will there’s a way,’” said Gee. ■ August 2020 DENVER VOICE 9

LOCAL STORY CREDIT: PAULA BARD CREDIT: PAULA BARD DÉJÀ VU BY PAULA BARD AS THE LOOMING TSUNAMI OF EVICTIONS hovers on our horizon, it is worth a glance in the rearview mirror. Our country survived a crisis of this scale less than a hundred years ago. The COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project estimates that 19 to 23 million, or one in five of the 110 million Americans who live in renter households, are at risk of eviction by September 30, 2020. Looking back, our history offers us an abundance of creative, resourceful models for weathering the current crisis. In the depths of the Great Depression, due to his woefully inadequate response to the country’s economic collapse, President Herbert Hoover was voted out of office. Franklin Roosevelt was voted into office in 1933. Millions had lost their homes and savings; one in four Americans was unemployed. Almost half of the banks had failed, and industrial production had plummeted by half. Bread lines and soup kitchens had sprung up across America’s cities. Farmers couldn’t harvest their crops, and had to leave their crops to rot in the fields while people went hungry. Thirteen million people were displaced during the Great Depression. Many drifted to shantytowns called “Hoovervilles,” named for President Herbert Hoover. Thousands lived along California highways, and Dust Bowl migrants were stopped at “bum blockades.” In Oakland, Pipe City, called Miseryville, 200 men lived in sections of unused sewer pipes. Thousands of homeless resided in New York City’s Central Park. Denver’s own shantytown, called Petertown, offered a marginal, cobbled-together home to many of the newly destitute in the Platte Valley. CREDIT: PAULA BARD The Civilian Conservation Corps, authorized by Congress in 1933, became one of the most popular and successful programs of Roosevelt’s New Deal. Young men (but not women) were able to sign on for six months and receive free housing, meals, health care, clothing, vocational high school, and training in trades. They were paid $30 a month; $25 of which was sent home to their impoverished families. Over nine years, almost three million men across the country worked with the CCC. From 1933 through 1942, 57,944 Coloradans joined 170 camps, living up to their motto: “Save the Soil, Save the Forests, Save the Young Men.” (Denver Post, 1958.) They lived in barracks and tents around the state. They built structures (1,278) in state and national parks, planted trees (21,848,085!), ridded farms of grasshoppers, rescued children, fortified highways and trails, and fought fires. (Robert W. Audretsch, Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado.) Eight hundred U.S. parks display the vast legacy left by the CCC, with roads, bridges, visitor centers, water systems, CREDIT: PAULA BARD picnic areas, lodges, campgrounds, cabins, bathhouses, trails, lookouts, shelters, and comfort stations. These CCC structures still grace many of our parks here in Colorado. One of those is Red Rocks amphitheater, a local gem and one of the most ambitious and beloved in the state. Eighty years later, it would be hard to find a citizen anywhere on the front range who doesn’t fondly remember a concert or sunrise service at Red Rocks. As our current crisis grinds on, looking back can offer hope and creative solutions. We’ve been here before. ■ Update: On July 17, 2020, Governor Polis announced that the state of Colorado is budgeting $20 million in emergency rental and mortgage assistance for those whose housing has been impacted by the pandemic. Called the Property Owner Preservation Program, the funding comes from the federal CARES act targeting financial hardship. It must be spent by the end of the year. But, according to the Department of Local affairs, there is money available beyond this if it proves insufficient for local needs. Author’s Note: Thank you to the helpful people at Denver Public Library for their assistance with this article — especially Coi E. DrummondGehrig, manager, digital image sales & research, and Alejandro Alex Hernandez, research librarian. Sources: • Trials and Triumphs, A Colorado Portrait of the Great Depression by Stephen J. Leonard • America’s Parks: Cultural Landscapes of the New Deal by Susan Ives – livingnewdeal.org 10 DENVER VOICE August 2020

IN YOUR OWN WORDS WRITING THROUGH HARD TIMES Each month, the Denver VOICE publishes a selection of writing from workshops sponsored by Lighthouse Writers Workshop. The Hard Times Writing Workshop is a collaboration between Denver Public Library and Lighthouse Writers Workshop. This workshop is open to all members of the public—especially those experiencing homelessness. Contact the Lighthouse Writers Workshop for details about virtual Hard Times writing workshops: lighthousewriters.org/workshop/denver-public-library-hard-times The Lighthouse sponsored workshop at The Gathering Place is specifically for that organization’s clients. To check out more writing by the poets featured in this column, go to writedenver.org. D. GLORSO MIRACULOUS PETE SIMON ODE TO PEGGY LEE An old song “Catch a falling star And put it in your pocket Save it for a rainy day” These days song lyric May never occur to children To be absurd But why should miraculous Be discounted as we age? There is a reason Only the good die young Could it be the innocent Are keepers of miracles? While the so called realists Look to science for fact As the young Glide through the day With smiles In a make believe world Understanding the only need Marvel like a comic book Used as bibles by some Casting blame on evil Or admiring gods As the reason for all good The creator of the universe Or in fact the architect Or map maker needed To align existing stones In the voids of space According to some master plan Devised by children gone Free to think and believe Mystically No preconceived notions Is there a reason The good die young? Their minds are free From old philosophies As to how the universe is organized Wrap your minds around them Breathe in the miraculous The pure of heart The young a universal Breath of life There’s interference in the ionosphere; my receiver picking up lottsa static. No stimulus check in the U.S. Mail, poor folks singing a new verse of no breaks to be had; their numbers multiplyin like ain’t nothin else under the sun, yet stock market bells keep ding dongin along; this ain’t no time to get high, but that’s all there is Peggy Lee. PRESENTED BY: August 2020 DENVER VOICE 11

VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY When you are the only African American student in the class, other students expect you to speak up on behalf of all African American’s and their experience. It is an overwhelming weight to carry. It’s not my responsibility to educate my peers. I am there to learn, just like everyone else. The staff needs to be better prepared and ready to talk about racial issues in Colorado high schools. “I do not feel like [teacher’s adequately address race] because race is such a sensitive topic,” Johnson said. “It is definitely a hard conversation to have but they do not have any conversations about it.” If teachers better equipped white students to empathize with the African American experience then students could google on their own, watch youtube videos and learn to be a white ally to People of Color. The problem becomes bigger when the issue isn’t racial history but racist behavior. The worst is when the Hard R starts being thrown around. ASHIRA CAMPBELL. CREDIT: PORSHAI CAMPBELL BLACK STUDENT IN A WHITE SCHOOL BY ASHIRA CAMPBELL AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENT at a predominately white high school, you have to break the stereotype. The stereotype is that we African American students are loud, “ghetto,” and don’t belong with high-achieving students. These stereotypes aren’t true — but it is how I feel perceived at DSST Byers, a charter high school within the Denver Public School district, where 12 percent of the student body is black, while 48 percent is white. Many African American students participate in something called “code switching.” Some think code switching happens when an outsider acts within the norms of a dominant group to fit in and be accepted. Truly, code switching for us is trying to survive a white world. “I feel that code switching is something that you have to do honestly because you don’t want to seem too ghetto. I can’t talk a certain way, say certain words or else I live up to the Black stereotype,” Aariyah Johnson said. Johnson is a senior and African American student attending Eagle Crest High school in the Cherry Creek School District. Eaglecrest has a 51 percent white student population and a 14 percent African American student population. Johnson’s experience isn’t unique. Code switching may not seem like the biggest deal for an African American student, but it is part of an overall system that limits the success of African American students. “I feel I have to change who I am to be viewed as capable of succeeding,” said Taylor Harkley, an incoming freshman to the US Air Force Academy and 2020 graduate of Doherty High School in Colorado Springs. Doherty High School’s student population is 57 percent white, a higher percentage of white students than the Colorado average, with only 8 percent of the student population being Black. “I feel like most of the classes I take are based off of rigor, and all of my classes are predominantly white,” Harkley said. “I get certain looks, and I’m being perceived a certain way. I’m being stereotyped before you walk through the door. It’s not the most positive feeling. I do struggle with the need to prove them wrong.” The myth that an African American student isn’t capable of high achievement is still present in our Colorado schools. “I’m a student that takes AP classes, and it’s a majority of white students in those classes, Johnson said. “It is frowned upon for African American students to take AP classes. You don’t see us in those classes. I would receive comments [from teachers] like ‘Are you sure you want to do that?’ and ‘What about another class?’” The negative expectations conveyed on African American students leads to less participation in class discussions. This can limit our learning experience compared to white students. It makes us feel unwelcome in our classrooms. “In class I usually behave maturely. The way I act, compared to Caucasians, there are different kinds of consequences and outcomes. If I get an answer wrong, it looks like everyone is looking at me. I will stay quiet for the rest of class,” said Nya Johnson an incoming sophomore to Eaglecrest High School, and Aariyah’s sister. The expectation that African American students must code switch to have equal footing also creates a double standard. It means we Black students can’t be ourselves. Harkley said she frequently hears, “You’re the whitest Black person I know.” She is told other students are blacker than she is, or worse, that her behavior or the way she talks means she isn’t even African American. I have had similar experiences. The only time it feels it is acceptable to be African American in my high school is when we cover “Black History.” Unfortunately, the only time African American history is brought up is during slavery. Sadly, the history of other People of Color in the United States is completely ignored. To read a Colorado high school history book is to learn that this country was built by white men — period. 12 DENVER VOICE August 2020 The Hard R is when someone uses the N-word with the intent to hurt or cut others. It is when the N-Word is used as a weapon. Honestly, the Hard R is anytime a person of nonAfrican descent uses the N-word. The Hard R is a reminder that African Americans were once property, and to some people we still are. “This past school year there were racist things written on the bathroom stalls,” Aariyah Johnson said. “All [the administration] did was cover them with paint. They did not look for who did it. The N word with the hard R was written and curse words and a lot of negative things.” Harkley said she had experienced a student aiming the Hard R directly at her during a class. A white male student turned to her during an English class and called her the N-word. She told her teacher, and to her knowledge, there were no consequences for the white male student. Instead, she found a note on her desk with just one word, “Rat.” “My school does not address racism in an appropriate way,” Harkley said. “And in most cases, it’s not addressed at all” This is one of the problems of being a Black student in a predominately white school. Aariyah Johnson said she often doesn’t report racist comments from her classmates because in her experience, the school administration doesn’t punish the offending students. Worse is when teachers use racist language in reference to African American students. “I had a field trip with some classmates. We were going to a college and a teacher had said to us, ‘Make sure that you guys don’t dress like thugs,’” Aariyah Johnson said. The word “thug” has become, over time, a word used primarily to describe African American individuals. It is used as a replacement for the N-word. You don’t use the word thug to describe an individual with blonde hair and white skin. You don’t call white officers in blue uniforms thugs when they hurt or kill African Americans. You call them heroes and protectors. That is the problem. We live in a world where perceptions, developed early in life, influence the way we see one another for the rest of our lives. It can be very difficult to overcome these barriers once they are established in an individual’s mind. Those barriers are built by our predominantly white Colorado schools. That is why the experience of the African American student must be understood. More importantly, why it must be changed. We may be students now, but we will grow up and have an impact on the world. I want to grow up in a world where my experience as an African American student is different than the life I will have as an African American adult. Right now, that is not true. ■

EVENTS ONLINE WRITING WORKSHOPS Have you been wanting to sharpen your writing skills and/or engage with a community of fellow writers? Now is your chance! Choose from topics such as Writing 101, Introduction to Poetry, Writing and Personal Transformation, Intro to Writing The Personal Narrative and Memoir, and more. DATE: Various dates throughout August COST: Prices vary MORE INFO: Lighthouse Writers Workshop – lighthousewriters.org COURTESY OF DEAR DENVER DEARDENVER.NET PUZZLES Thanks to Deborah Lastowka, with Dear Denver.net, for coming up with some great ideas for entertainment people can enjoy while practicing social distancing. COURTESY OF STREETROOTS ANSWERS ARE ON PAGE 15 GOLDEN TRIANGLE FARMERS MARKET Don your favorite mask and shop a variety of local vendors offering baked goods, flowers, teas, tinctures, kombucha, and ice cream. DATE: Aug 2, Aug 9, and Aug 16, 23, 30 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. COST: Free entry MORE INFO: 1115 Acoma St. – goldentrianglefm.com ACROSS FIRESIDE AT FIVE Log in for a free, virtual happy hour discussion about local and global issues with different organizations each week. This week’s topic is A Coalition for What’s Next - Where to Go from Here with Legislation and Governmental Support. DATE: Aug 4, 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. COST: Free but you must register online MORE INFO: Fireside at Five – firesideatfive.com/upcoming-firesides 1. Darjeeling and oolong 5. “Ugh!” 9. What icicles do 13. Cupid’s projectile 15. Gas, e.g. (Abbr.) 16. Attorney General Janet 17. Dickens’s ___ Heep 18. Former New York City mayor Giuliani 19. Load to bear 20. Cowardice 23. Astern 25. Caribbean, e.g. 26. Little one 27. The last one left is in Bend 31. Yoga position 32. Spanish Cubist 36. Christmas season 37. Shakespearean lament 39. Arctic native 41. Overnight flights 43. Lockboxes 44. Project leaders 47. “The ___ a bucket of ashes”: Sandburg 51. Delivery vehicle 52. Sylvester, to Tweety 53. It may help with a lisp 57. A chip, maybe 58. Flatten, in a way 59. November birthstone 62. Ponce de ___ 63. Throw, as dice 64. Accused’s need 65. A bunch of 66. Vortex 67. Become unhinged DOWN 1. Letter after sigma 2. Be mistaken 3. Plato’s pupil 4. Daytime TV offering 5. Chest of drawers 6. “Being Mortal” author ___ Gawande 7. Carnival attraction 8. Insignificant bit 9. Go on and on 10. Extend, as a subscription 11. Occupied, as a bathroom stall 12. Sheriff’s group 14. Egg beaters 21. Colo. neighbor 22. Word repeated after “Que,” in song 23. With skill 24. Bread ingredient 28. Gave a signal on stage 29. Involuntary twitch MIXED TASTE: AT HOME Get your culture on at home, for free. Mixed Taste: At Home is where even the most mismatched subjects find common ground in an interactive lecture series that can go pretty much anywhere. Each evening will conclude with an original poem inspired by the topics and performed by a local poet. DATE: Aug 5, Aug 12, and Aug 19, 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. COST: Free but you must register online MORE INFO: MCA Denver – mcadenver.org 30. ___-tac-toe 33. Croat, e.g. 34. Diaper fastener 35. “The Phantom of the ___” 37. Scottish cattle breed 38. Floral necklace 40. “Hey, over here!” 42. Sweeping story 43. Beethoven’s “Moonlight ___” 45. In a balanced manner 46. Feb. follower 47. Hymn 48. Breathing problem 49. Attack 50. Itsy-bitsy 54. Walked (on) 55. Grasp 56. DC bigwigs 60. Legal org. 61. Nada OUTDOOR MOVIE SERIES Come join Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse as they host a summer of cult classics, paired with themed nibbles and drinks. Attendees must bring their own chair or blanket; please refer to their Facebook page for additional social distancing requirements. DATE: Aug 13 (This is Spinal Tap) and Aug 27 (The Big Lebowski), set-up at 8 p.m., screenings at dusk COST: $5 entry; proceeds go towards Big City Mountaineers. Advanced tickets are required. MORE INFO: Ironton Distillery & Crafthouse – facebook.com/Irontondistillery August 2020 DENVER VOICE 13 PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR PUZZLE COURTESY OF STREET ROOTS, DENVER VOICE’S SISTER PAPER IN PORTLAND, OR

DONORS DONOR LIST WE LOVE OUR DONORS! WHEN YOU SUPPORT THE DENVER VOICE, YOU ARE HELPING SUPPORT HUNDREDS OF HOMELESS AND IMPOVERISHED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE WORKING TO REALIZE SELF-SUFFICIENCY THROUGH EARNING A DIGNIFIED INCOME. YOUR GIFT MAKES A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. HERE, WE LIST THOSE WHO HAVE GIVEN $500 AND MORE IN THE LAST YEAR. DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE $25,000+ Denver Foundation The NextFifty Initiative Help Colorado Now $10,000+ John & Laurie Mcwethy Charitable Fund Kenneth King Foundation Max & Elaine Appel $5,000 - $9,999 Anschutz Family Foundation Community Foundation of Boulder County Jerry Conover Meek-Cuneo Family Fund $1,000-$4,999 Josh Kauer Bright Funds Network for Good Matthew Seashore & Nikki Lawson Arc Thrift Stores Jeremy Anderson City Side Remodeling Matthew Rezek Schuster Family Foundation Russell Peterson PEN America Craig & Teresa Solomon Jim Ashe Wynkoop Brewery George Lichter Family Foundation Walker Family Foundation The Sidney B. & Caleb F. Gates Jr. Fund Kauer Construction & Design Gaetanos Restaurant Patrick & Jan Rutty Conover/Wonder Family Fund Gaelina Tesfaye Donald Weaver Phoenix Capital $500-$999 Comedy Works Michelle Stapleton & James Thompson Michael Dino Christine Muldoon and Pete Iannuzzi Jill Haug Caring Connection Alistair Davidson Paul Manoogian Lighthouse Writer’s Workshop, Inc. Keyrenter Property Management Denver Gaspar Terrana Travis & Margaret Ramp Elizabeth A. Mitchell Stephen Saul Leigh Bingham and Chris Forgham James Stegman William Thorland Betty & Warren Kuehner Zephyr Wilkins Celestina Pacheco ACM LLP Cuneo Law Firm Paul Hoffman Jim and Nancy Thomas Peggy Mihelich Susan B. Jonesa 14 DENVER VOICE August 2020 SPONSORSHIP LEVELS THE DENVER VOICE’S ANNUAL SPONSORSHIP SUPPORT LEVELS PROVIDE BUSINESSES LIKE YOURS THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN WORK EMPOWERMENT, HOMELESS PREVENTION, THE CHALLENGING OF COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS, AND TO BE A PART OF PROVIDING OUR COMMUNITY WITH QUALITY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE THROUGH OUR WRITERS AND VENDORS – AN INVALUABLE PART OF DENVER’S COMMUNITY. YOUR INVOLVEMENT WILL HELP HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING POSITIVE ACTION TO COMBAT HOMELESSNESS AND IMPOVERISHMENT. AS A SPONSOR, YOU HAVE A WAY TO REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND GIVE SOMETHING BACK AT THE SAME TIME. ANNUAL SPONSORSHIPS BENEFITS INCLUDE YOUR LOGO LISTED ON OUR WEBSITE HOMEPAGE, MONTHLY AD SPACE IN OUR PAPER, AND SPECIAL EVENT PERKS FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES ALL YEAR LONG. IT’S A GOOD DEAL FOR A GOOD CAUSE, AND YOUR GIFT IS 100% TAX-DEDUCTIBLE! ABOVE THE FOLD: $5,000 • One complimentary full page ad in the newspaper ($1,000 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Above the Fold Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper GALLEY: $2,500 • One complimentary half page add in the newspaper ($600 value) • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Galley Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper HONOR BOX: $1,000 • Table of 10 and Sponsor recognition at annual Rise and Thrive Breakfast (200 attendees) • Sponsorship recognition at our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event (200 attendees) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Honor Box Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper FLY SHEET: $500 • Two complimentary tickets to our annual Pints Fighting Poverty event ($50 value) • Business logo highlighted on website homepage, and in the Fly Sheet Sponsorship list • Logo highlighted in our annual report, along with logo in quarterly support feature of the paper

RESOURCES RESOURCE LIST FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN DENVER DENVERVOICE.ORG/RESOURCE-LIST DIAL 211 FOR A MORE COMPLETE LIST OF RESOURCES IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH. PROVIDES INFORMATION FOR FOOD, MEDICAL CARE, SENIOR SERVICES, YOUTH PROGRAMS, COUNSELING, EDUCATION, SHELTERS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE, HOLIDAY ASSISTANCE, AND MORE. EMAIL EDITOR@DENVERVOICE.ORG WITH CORRECTIONS OR ADDITIONS. FREE MEALS AGAPE CHRISTIAN CHURCH 2501 California St., Sat., 11am CAPITOL HEIGHTS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1100 Fillmore St., Sat. lunch at 11:30am capitolheightspresbyterian.org CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY SERVICES Go to mealsforpoor.org for meal locations CATHEDRAL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION 1530 Logan St.; sandwiches & coffee Mon.-Fri. 8:30am denvercathedral.org CHRIST’S BODY MINISTRIES 850 Lincoln; Mon. closed, Tues.-Thurs. 10am-3pm, Fri. 8am-11pm; groceries & hot meal on Sat. at 2pm (at 16th & York); Sun. church service at 6pm, dinner at 7pm. christsbody.org CHRIST IN THE CITY Home-cooked meal; Civic Center Park at Colfax & Lincoln at 1pm every Wed. & 2nd Sat. christinthecity.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777, 2575 S. Broadway; Food pantry Tues. 10am-6pm citysquare.org DENVER INNER CITY PARISH 303-322-5733, 1212 Mariposa St., VOA Dining Center for Seniors, free 60 yrs and older, Wed.-Sat. 9am-12pm. Food Bank, Wed.-Fri., tickets at 9am, food bank open 10am-12pm. dicp.org DENVER RESCUE MISSION 1130 Park Avenue West, 3 meals 7 days/week: 5:30am, 12pm, 6pm 303-294-0157 denverrescuemission.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 1101 W. 7th Ave. 303-607-0855. Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Not open weekends. Breakfast is at 8am, and lunch is served at 11am frwoodyshavenofhope.org FEEDING DENVER’S HUNGRY Food service on the second and fourth Thurs. of each month; locations found at feedingdenvershungry.org/events.html FOOD NOT BOMBS Wed. 4pm/Civic Center Park facebook.com/ThePeoplesPicnic HARE KRISHNA TEMPLE 1400 Cherry St., free vegetarian feast on Sun., 6:45-7:30pm krishnadenver.com HIS LOVE FELLOWSHIP CHURCH 910 Kalamath, community dinner on Thurs., 6-6:45pm, men’s breakfast 1st Sat. of the Month, 8-10am, women’s breakfast 2nd Sat., 9-11am. hislovefellowship.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., sandwiches, Mon.-Sat., 10-10:30am holyghostchurch.org JORDAN AME CHURCH 29th and Milwaukee St., Tues. lunch 11:30am-1:00pm jordanamedenver.churchfoyer.com OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St., Sat. morning breakfast: 8am, Sun. dinner (required church attendance at 4:30pm) meal served at 6pm. 303-830-2201 odmdenver.org/home ST. ELIZABETH’S Speer Blvd. & Arapahoe St. on Auraria campus, 7 days/week, 11:00am; food, coffee. stelizabethdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 2323 Curtis St., Wed. & Fri. 3-4:30pm (except third Wed. of each month). sfcdenver.org ST. PAUL’S LUTHERAN 1600 Grant St., Street Reach meal Mon. 1-4:30pm. Grocery room open at 11:30am every Mon. saintpauldenver.com ST. PETER AND ST. MARY 126 W. Second Ave., dinner at 6 on Tues. 303-722-8781 stpeterandmary.org SAME CAFÉ 2023 E. Colfax Ave. Restaurant serving mostly organic food—not free, but pay what you can or work off your meal in the kitchen: Open Mon.-Sat., 11am to 2pm, Closed Sun. & holidays, 720-530-6853 soallmayeat.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. 3 meals, Mon.-Fri. 7am-7pm; Sun. 11am-4pm. 55+ seniorsupportservices.org/programs TRINITY UNITED METHODIST 1820 Broadway, meals served Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. 11:45-12:15 trinityumc.org URBAN OUTREACH DENVER 608 26th St., Thurs. dinners, 6pm-7pm lovedenver.org VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA 2877 Lawrence St., breakfast (8am), lunch (11:30am), dinner (5pm) Mon.-Thurs., 12pm on Fri., 1pm on Sun. Food & clothing bank 9:30am-4pm Mon.-Thurs. voacolorado.org/gethelp-denvermetro-foodnutrition-themission CAREER SERVICES COMMUNITY TECHNOLOGY CENTER Level 4, Denver Central Library, 14th Ave. & Broadway. 720-865-1706. Hours: Mon. & Tues. 10am-8pm; Wed., Thurs., Fri. 10am-6pm; Sat. 9am-5pm & Sun. 1-5pm; FREE services include computer/internet use, wifi, computer classes, job search/resume classes and one-on-one tech help appointments. denverlibrary.org/ctc THE WESTSIDE ONE-STOP CAREER CENTER Denver Department of Human Services, 1200 Federal Blvd., Mon.Fri., 7:30am-4:30pm; Services include: employment counseling, assisted job search, résumé preparation, job/applicant matching, phone bank for calling employers, access to computers, copiers, fax, etc. careercenteroffices.com/center/231/denver-westside-workforce-center MEDICAL & DENTAL SERVICES ACS COMMUNITY L.I.F.T. CareVan at Open Door Ministries, 1567 Marion St., Tues. 9am-12:30pm DENVER HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 303-436-6000, 777 Bannock St. denverhealth.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800; 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri., 9am-12pm. HIV/Hep C/ Gonorrhea/ Chlamydia testing available. Our services are restricted to active IV Drug Users. Offers clean syringes to active users, as well as safety training on how to properly dispose of dirty syringes. harmreductionactioncenter.org LIVER HEALTH CONNECTION 1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite B302. Resources and support for those affected by Hep C. Free Hep C testing offered. 800-522-4372, info@hepc-connection.org, liverhealthconnection.org INNER CITY HEALTH CENTER 303-296-1767, 3800 York St. Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Tues. 9am-5pm; Sat. 8am-2pm. Emergency walk-ins. SALUD CLINIC 6075 Parkway Drive, Ste. 160, Commerce City; Dental 303-286-6755. Medical 303-286-8900. Medical Hours: Mon.-Wed. 8am-9pm, Thurs.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Sat. (Urgent Care only) 8am-5pm; Dental Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8am-5pm; Pharmacy Hours: Mon.-Fri. 1-5pm; After Office Hours: 1-800-283-3221 saludclinic.org/commerce-city STOUT STREET CLINIC 303-293-2220, 2130 Stout St. Clinic hours for new and established patients: 7am-4pm Mon., Tues., Thurs., & Fri. The clinic is open Wed. 11am-7pm. coloradocoalition.org/healthcare VA MEDICAL CENTER 303-399-8020, 1055 Clermont St. va.gov/find-locations/facility/vha_554A5 WORKNOW 720-389-0999; job recruitment, skills training, and job placement work-now.org DROP-IN & DAYTIME CENTERS ATTENTION HOMES 303-447-1207; 3080 Broadway, Boulder; contactah@attentionhomes.org. Offers safe shelter, supportive programming, and other services to youth up to age 24 attentionhomes.org CITYSQUARE DENVER 303-783-3777; 2575 S. Broadway; Mon.-Thurs. 10am-2pm, Denver Works helps with employment, IDs, birth certs; mail services and lockers citysquare.org FATHER WOODY’S HAVEN OF HOPE 303-607-0855; 1101 W. 7th Ave.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-1pm. Six private showers & bathrooms, laundry, lunch & more thoh.org THE GATHERING PLACE 303-321-4198; 1535 High St.; Mon., Wed.-Fri. 8:30am-5pm, Tues. 8:30am-1:30pm. Daytime drop-in center for women, their children, and transgender individuals. Meals, computer lab, phones, food bank, clothing, art programs, GED tutoring, referrals to other services, and more. tgpdenver.org HARM REDUCTION ACTION CENTER 303-572-7800, 231 East Colfax; Mon.-Fri. 9am-12pm. Provides clean syringes, syringe disposal, harm-reduction counseling, safe materials, Hep C/HIV education, and health education classes. harmreductionactioncenter.org HOLY GHOST CATHOLIC CHURCH 1900 California St., help with lost IDs and birth certificates holyghostchurch.org HOPE PROGRAM 303-832-3354, 1555 Race St.; Mon.-Fri. 8am-4pm. For men and women with HIV. LAWRENCE STREET COMMUNITY CENTER 2222 Lawrence St.; 303-294-0157; day facility, laundry, showers, restrooms, access to services homelessassistance.us/li/lawrence-street-community-center OPEN DOOR MINISTRIES 1567 Marion St.; Mon.-Fri. 7am-5:30pm. Drop-in center: bathrooms, coffee/tea, snacks, resources, WIFI odmdenver.org ST. FRANCIS CENTER 303-297-1576; 2323 Curtis St. 6am-6pm daily. Storage for one bag (when space is available). Satellite Clinic hours- Mon., Tues., Thurs, Fri. 7:30am-3:30pm; Wed. 12:30-4:30pm sfcdenver.org SENIOR SUPPORT SERVICES 846 E. 18th Ave. For those 55 and older. TV room, bus tokens, mental/physical health outreach, and more. seniorsupportservices.org SOX PLACE (YOUTH SERVICES) 2017 Larimer St. Daytime drop-in shelter for youth 12-30 years old. Meals, socks, clothing bank, personal hygiene supplies, internet access, intentional mentoring and guidance, crisis intervention, referrals to other services. Tues.-Fri. 12-4pm & Sat. 11-2pm. soxplace.com THE SPOT AT URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) 2100 Stout St. 303-291-0442. Drop-in hours Mon.-Fri. 8-11am. If you are a youth aged 15-20 in need of immediate overnight shelter services, please contact 303-974-2928 urbanpeak.org/denver/programs-and-services/drop-in-center URBAN PEAK (YOUTH SERVICES) Youth 14-24 in Denver and Colorado Springs. Overnight shelter, food, clothing, showers, case workers, job skills and training, ID and birth certificate assistance, GED assistance, counseling and housing. 730 21st St. 303-974-2900 urbanpeak.org August 2020 DENVER VOICE 15 DON’T LOOK NOW! PUZZLES ARE ON PAGE 13

Since 2007, the VOICE has provided jobs for more than 4,400 people experiencing homelessness. For every dollar we take in, we put $3.00 directly back into the pockets of those who need it most. WITH YOUR HELP, WE CAN DO MORE. DENVERVOICE.ORG/DONATE

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