Marla and I joined our daughter Lisa, son-in-law Ray, and granddaughter at Denver’s Pride Parade celebration last Sunday. Thousands turned 14 blocks of East Colfax Avenue and the Civic Center into a kaleidoscopic rainbow extravaganza. We were very motivated to be part of Pride this year in light of many GOP majority conservative states blatant attacks against the LBGTQ+ community. At least 417 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the United States since the start of the year — a new record, according to American Civil Liberties Union data as of April 3. That’s already more than twice the number of such bills introduced all of last year. Marla and I are 110% in support of justice and fairness now more than ever!

We were very pleased to see all the brave and forward thinking organizations supporting the Pride March. Project Angel Heart is a charity Marla and I have supported for years.

Conservative politicians and Red-State governors like Florida’s DeSantis and Texas governor Abbott are aggressively pushing hate-filled measures to attack the LBGTQ+ community. Education and health care-related bills, in particular, are flooding in at unprecedented levels. Along with a renewed push to ban access to gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, there has been a heavy focus on regulating curriculum in public schools, including discussions around gender identity and sexuality.

I’ve never met a person with more passion, spirit and energy to support equality and justice than Marla!

Our beautiful Logan!

David Bowie’s song “Heroes” resonates to me more now than ever! “We can be heroes (and heroines).We can beat them forever and ever!”

The far-right has fixed their myopic sights on gender-affirming care. It seems the overwhelming views of the medical community and science never enter in their discussion. The American Medical Association recently strengthened its policy protecting access to gender-affirming care. The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates recently passed the Endocrine Society’s resolution to protect access to evidence-based gender-affirming care for transgender and gender-diverse individuals.

A time to spread your wings!

Very proud to see organizations and corporations take a brave stand! Coors Light was the main sponsor. Thank you to the Denver Art Museum, United Airlines, Chase Bank, AARP, Verizon, Nissan, and Walmart, to name a few!

We couldn’t agree more!

The main stage at the Civic Center as people pour in.

Photos: Dick Gentry, Lisa Decker, and Kevin Beatty for Civic center shot. Not to be used without permission.