Donaciano Martinez
Photo courtesy of El Seminario

Activist Martinez honored

Longtime Chicano gay activist Donaciano Martinez was one of two people who recently received the Cesar Chavez Award at a ceremony at the Denver Inner City Parish following a mile-long march to honor the deceased Chavez.

Presented by the Cesar Chavez Peace and Justice Committee (CCPJC), the award is given annually to elders who have been longtime volunteer activists in Colorado. The other recipient of this year's award was Chicana activist Magdalena Gallegos. A posthumous award was also presented to the family of Joseph Maldonado, who passed away recently.

Martinez was chosen by CCPJC for his volunteer activism in a variety of human rights causes in Colorado from the mid-1960s through the present. Starting out as a peace activist, his activism later expanded to include anti-poverty, anti-racism, pro-Chicano and pro-gay issues.

“For those of us whose activism began in the 1960s, it was always politically incorrect to accept awards back then,” said Martinez to the predominantly Chicano crowd.

“Upon being chosen for an award from the nonprofit Latin American Research And Service Agency (LARASA) eight years ago, Chicano activist and LARASA co-founder Corky Gonzales declined the award by stating that such awards need to recognize the community,” Martinez continued.

Noting that he agreed with Gonzales that such awards need to recognize the community, Martinez surprised the audience by using the occasion to present the “Year 2008 Donaciano Martinez Human Rights Award” to several Chicana and Chicano activists. Selected for the Martinez awards were:

Chicano poet Ramon del Castillo; long-time Chicana activist Nita Gonzales; Chicana professional journalist and photographer Cristina Fresquez; Carmela Flores, co-founder of La Gente Unida, activist since the 1970s and dance partner of Martinez; Debra Gallegos, Chicana actress, singer and a volunteer DJ for the New Mexico and Tejano music program Cancion Mexicana; Chicana activist Charlene Barrientos Ortiz; Chicano activist and union organizer Paul Lopez, now an elected Representative of the Denver City Council; and Denver's weekly Chicano/a newspaper, El Seminario. Publisher Christopher Fresquez accepted the award on behalf of the publication.

Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers (UFW) in the 1960s, and the UFW founding is widely recognized as the start of the Chicano/a movement. The March 31 birthday of Cesar Chavez has been an official holiday in Denver for several years, and CCPJC is part of a nationwide coalition that seeks to have his birthday as a national holiday.

Newly crowned

Jackie Summers and Johnny Romero took to the stage to be crowned the 35th Empress and Emperor of the Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountain Empire (ICRME) on April 19 at the annual Coronation celebration.

Empress Summers has held several titles with the Imperial Court, including Grand Duchess 23, Dauphine 22, Imperial Crown Princess 21, Sister to Empress 25 and the 26th Princess Royale. She was also named Miss Gay Rocky Mountain USofA at Large in 1997. Summers has been involved with the Imperial Court for 15 years and has helped raise thousands of dollars for various charities.

Emperor Romero has held several Citizens of the Realm titles during several reigns and has served on the Emperor’s Line of Succession for Reigns 28 and 29. He was appointed Prince Royale 30 in 2002, was the Parliament Treasurer during Reign 32 and was the editor of the Court’s monthly newsletter during Reign 33. More information is available at www.denvercourt.org.

Celeste honored

Denver Judge Mary Celeste was honored on April 24 with the Colorado Humanities Award for her work on Amendment 2. The Colorado Humanities was established in 1974 with a mission to inspire the people of Colorado to explore ideas and appreciate our diverse cultural heritage. Celeste was a co-founder of The Center’s Legal Initiatives Project (CLIP, then the Colorado Legal Initiatives Project), which prepared the legal challenge to Amendment 2 and was instrumental in the fight to overturn the discriminatory amendment that was later ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

“I was very surprised that, after 15 years, I would receive an award for my work on Amendment 2,” Celeste told Out Front Colorado. “When I did the work, it certainly wasn't about an award. It was being at the right place and time, doing the right thing. I encourage everyone to do the right thing. I am honored.”

Evergreen PFLAG first to roll out Straight for Equality

The Evergreen chapter of PFLAG is the first Colorado PFLAG chapter to officially roll out PFLAG’s new initiative, Straight for Equality, with a major town meeting planned for May 15.

Marva Kerns, Evergreen PFLAG chapter president, says, “Straight for Equality is a new project launched by national PFLAG last fall, and it aims to empower straight people to help us in the struggle for GLBT equality.”

The meeting is to let people – especially straight people – in the Evergreen community know how to help the GLBT community.

“It aims to reach out to people who don't have a close family connection to the issue of GLBT equality but who want to help,” says Kerns. “And we know that there are people out there who do support GLBT equality, but they don't really know that we need the help and they're reluctant to ask. And so that's what Straight for Equality is.

National has done surveys and so forth that have enabled them to find out that straight people are wanting to help out. PFLAG is really perceived as the straight voice because it welcomes a broad base of people. … Therefore, PFLAG is kind of the every voice, including the straight voice, so it was natural that they should come up with this idea for enabling and empowering straight people to join in our efforts.”

Attendees will enjoy a presentation by Dr. Keith Swain and entertainment by the Harmonics, a branch of Harmony: a Colorado chorale. They will also learn how to talk about GLBT issues to their family, friends, neighbors and coworkers.

“We're going to ask them to do whatever's comfortable for them,” says Kerns. “Some people are very shy about that and need to learn more and feel more comfortable about saying the words, even.”

The meeting is also a celebration of the Evergreen chapter’s 15th anniversary. The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 15 from 7-9 p.m. at the United Methodist Church of Evergreen, 3757 Ponderosa Dr. in Evergreen. Refreshments will be provided and all are welcome to attend.

United expands coverage

United Healthcare is expanding its domestic-partner health care benefit coverage to Colorado small-business employees and their dependents. For several years, United Healthcare has offered domestic-partner coverage for large employers.

“By offering domestic-partner coverage to small businesses, we can expand affordable health benefits to more people throughout Colorado,” says Beth Soberg, CEO of United Healthcare of Colorado.

An affidavit of domestic partnership is required for any employee requesting this coverage for their same-sex partner.