FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 17, 2026

CONTACT: BoulderDSA@gmail.com

Boulder County DSA releases 2026 primary voter guide, recommends candidates across 6 contested races

With fascism on the rise and corporate Democrats hedging, Boulder County DSA is telling voters which candidates are worth their time

BOULDER, Colo. — Boulder County Democratic Socialists of America recently released its voter guide for the 2026 Colorado Democratic Primary, offering recommendations on contested races ranging from U.S. Senate to county treasurer ahead of the June 30 election.

“This year’s Democratic primary voter guide includes recommendations for candidates we believe will fight for a better future and a better Colorado where everyone can live with dignity,” said Aidan Reed, chair of the chapter’s electoral committee. “We did not make endorsements this year but encourage voters to support candidates who will defend against fascism and advance policies that will strengthen the working class.”

Developed through a member-driven process that included chapterwide votes, the guide covers seven contested races and a handful of uncontested ones. In contested races, the chapter recommended the following candidates:

• Julie Gonzales for U.S. Senate
• David Seligman for attorney general
• Amanda Gonzalez for secretary of state
• Murray Smith for CU Regent District 2
• Jenn Kaaoush for Boulder County treasurer
• Anil Pesaramelli for Colorado House District 19

The chapter extended no formal endorsements this cycle. Under Boulder County DSA’s process, an endorsement requires a candidate to actively seek chapter support, complete a questionnaire, appear before membership at a general meeting and secure a formal vote — a higher bar than a recommendation alone.

The guide evaluates candidates based on alignment with Boulder County DSA’s on the following ideals: anti-capitalism, meaningful action on the environment, accountability in law enforcement, and protection of human rights regardless of racial identity, culture, gender identity, sexual preference, ability, religion, immigration status, economic status, or housing status. Candidates who received “Yes” recommendations were assessed as aligning with many of the chapter’s priorities and will support policies that empower the working class, even if they do not share all of the chapter’s goals.

Among the guide’s more pointed assessments: Incumbent U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper received a “No” recommendation in part because he voted to confirm 10 of President Donald Trump’s cabinet nominees. U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse, despite a record the chapter described as broadly progressive, also received a “No” recommendation over his vote to adopt a definition of antisemitism that the chapter argued conflates criticism of Israel with discrimination.

The chapter’s complete 2026 Colorado Democratic primary voter guide is available on their website at boulderdsa.org/voterguide. Colorado’s Democratic Primary Election Day is June 30. Ballots are mailed to active registered voters.

About Boulder County Democratic Socialists of America

Boulder County DSA is a local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the largest socialist organization in the United States. Boulder County DSA organizes in Boulder and Broomfield counties around labor rights, housing, health care, immigration justice, anti-imperialism, the environment, and democratic accountability.

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The post Boulder County DSA Releases 2026 Primary Voter Guide appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

City and County of Denver

Human Rights and Community Partnerships

Heidi Rodríguez, Public Information Officer

C: 720-948-4645

E: hrcppio@denvergov.org

Denver and Dnipro Sign Historic Friendship City Agreement

Leaders from both cities sign partnership to strengthen cultural, civic, and international ties

Denver, CO — The City and County of Denver, through Denver Human Rights & Community Partnerships (HRCP), is proud to announce the signing of a Friendship City Agreement between Denver and the city of Dnipro, Ukraine. This marks Denver’s first Friendship City partnership since 2017.

The agreement was officially signed this morning by Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and Dnipro Mayor Borys Filatov during a hybrid ceremony attended by representatives from Denver Sister Cities International (DSCI), Denver Economic Development & Opportunity (DEDO), HRCP, the Denver-Dnipro Friendship Committee, and Ukrainians of Colorado.

“Some of the strongest bonds between cities are built not through geography, but through shared values and the determination of the people who call them home,” said Denver Mayor Mike Johnston. “Denver is honored to establish this Friendship City relationship with Dnipro, and we look forward to building lasting connections between our communities, learning from one another, and strengthening the ties that bring people together across borders.”

The Friendship City Agreement creates a foundation for future collaboration between Denver and Dnipro through cultural exchange, civic engagement, and community partnerships. The agreement also represents an important first step toward the potential development of a formal Sister City relationship.

“This agreement is a reflection of the work of Ukrainians of Colorado and our partners at DSCI and in Dnipro,” said Mark Dillen, Chair, Denver-Dnipro Friendship Committee. “We thank Mayor Johnston, Mayor Filatov and their respective city governments for supporting this launch. Together with DSCI, we look forward to working with the citizens of our two great cities to broaden and deepen our growing connections.”

Denver Sister Cities International, which supports Denver’s global partnerships and citizen diplomacy efforts, connects Denver with approximately 20 million people across its 10 global partnership cities through cultural exchanges, youth leadership programs, humanitarian initiatives, and citizen diplomacy. In 2025 alone, DSCI organized and hosted 31 cultural exchanges, facilitated seven official delegations between Denver and partner cities, coordinated five student exchange programs involving 48 young ambassadors, and completed two humanitarian initiatives focused on medical partnerships and international assistance.

“The signing of this Friendship City agreement marks an important step in strengthening the ties between Denver and Dnipro,” said Riccardo Mazzeo, Chairman, Denver Sister Cities International. “Through cultural exchange, educational collaboration, economic engagement, and people-to-people connections, we reaffirm our shared commitment to international friendship, mutual understanding, and cooperation. Denver Sister Cities International is honored to help facilitate this partnership and looks forward to fostering meaningful relationships between our two communities for years to come.”

For more than 75 years, HRCP and Denver Sister Cities International have partnered to foster cross-cultural understanding and build meaningful connections that strengthen communities at home and abroad.

About HRCP: At Denver Human Rights & Community Partnerships, we are dedicated to protecting the human and civil rights of our community through advocacy, partnerships, and direct support. At the heart of our work is inclusiveness, building a Denver where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered.

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The post Denver and Dnipro, Ukraine Sign Historic Friendship City Agreement appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Thursday, April 16, 2026

Media Contacts:

Lyndsy Morse-Casillas, Media Relations, 720-610-7524

Allison Bayley, Human Services Investment Sr Project Manager, 303-441-4386

www.bouldercolorado.gov

City Opens Funding Applications for 2026 Immigrant Heritage Month and Juneteenth Events

The city supports organizations that honor, celebrate, and raise awareness for Immigrant Heritage Month and Juneteenth in the context of the Boulder community.

BOULDER, Colo. – The City of Boulder will open Human Relations Fund (HRF) rolling applications for 2026 Immigrant Heritage Month and Juneteenth events today, Thursday, April 16, 2026.

In 2026, HRF support will focus only on community-initiated events associated with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Juneteenth, Immigrant Heritage Month and Indigenous Peoples Day, that raise awareness of civil rights, human rights, or equity issues and problems in Boulder; facilitate interaction, understanding, collaboration and civic participation among diverse communities; and enable communities that experience marginalization to celebrate events significant to them while providing learning opportunities to the general population.

Immigrant Heritage Month events and celebrations should honor and celebrate Boulder’s rich, diverse immigrant populations and their integration into the civic, economic and cultural life of the Boulder community.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is an important part of American history as it commemorates the official end of slavery on June 19, 1865. Juneteenth celebration events honor and raise awareness of the independence this holiday represents for African Americans.

Applications for this fund round will close on Monday, May 18, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. Both English and Spanish applications are available.

Learn more about available Human Relations Funds and find application information on the city’s website.

–CITY–

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This piece is part of Yellow Scene Magazine’s Opinion section. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent a reported news position. At Yellow Scene, opinion pieces speak freely, challenge assumptions, and say the quiet parts out loud.

Correction: This editorial incorrectly stated that Chief Stephen Redfearn approved the ketamine injection of Elijah McClain. He arrived after the use of force and ketamine injection, while McClain was still alive, and later changed the CAD report from “suspicious person” to “assault on an officer” before any investigation was completed. Court proceedings have established that McClain did not assault or threaten officers. The article has been updated to reflect the public record.

Last night I dined at a top restaurant in Boulder with my roommate. We chose to sit at the bar. I’m the type of person who loves to talk to strangers. I like learning where people come from, their beliefs, and their views. Sometimes it leads to meeting lovely people; sometimes it’s an opportunity to see how the other half lives. Sometimes the conversations start nicely but end less so.

There’s a myth about Weld and Boulder Counties, the idea that everyone in Boulder is liberal and everyone in Weld is MAGA. Colorado, including Weld County, has seen tremendous growth over the last 30 years. It’s not like realtors are asking for voter registrations before selling a house. “I’m sorry, you’re registered D; we don’t sell houses in Weld County to D’s.” Not happening.

Erie gets scooped up in that analogy, and I’ve even seen reporters stand on County Line Road for a story outlining that notion: “Here’s the Boulder County side, which is liberal, and here’s the Weld County side, which is Republican.”

First of all, in the 2024 election, Boulder County voted approximately 76 percent blue, and Weld voted 60 percent red. Those are facts. But when it comes to Erie, those numbers change. In 2020, Erie voted 68 percent blue, and the 2024 council elections saw three progressive candidates take the lion’s share of votes, with the more conservative mayor squeaking by with a mere 500 votes.

There’s also the idea that everyone in Boulder is liberal. An old editor I worked with 27 years ago at the Boulder Weekly once told me, “Boulder is a bunch of Republicans too afraid to vote that way.” That dinner conversation reminded me that fascism doesn’t always wear a uniform. In Boulder, it can wear a Patagonia vest.

Boulder recycles, bicycles, and supports the LGBTQ community. The city has recently passed mental-health measures to address addiction and a lack of services. But it’s not the progressive bastion folks think it is.

While the rest of the country voted for progressives in this year’s elections — not just New York, but also places like Aurora, Westminster, and Colorado school boards — Boulder elected three of the four billionaire-backed candidates. Approximately 32,000 to 35,000 people voted out of about 70,000 active registered voters in Boulder. 

Most people don’t know this, but roughly 57 percent of Boulder rents, with students making up about 20 percent of that number. Only 19 percent of households have children under 18. There are a lot of young people in Boulder. Unlike New York City, they didn’t vote and often don’t vote in city elections, allowing those with power and influence to make decisions for those without. 

In Weld, right-wing extremism is worn loud and proud; in Boulder, it’s tucked into coded language.

Boulder’s billionaire-backed slate didn’t run on more affordable housing but on removal, even promoting ads urging voters to oppose the two candidates who fought to end the blanket ban, Boulder’s ordinance that criminalizes the city’s unhoused residents by making it a crime to sleep outside with a blanket.

Homelessness and the firebombing of Jewish protestors demanding the release of the hostages were used to stoke fear, turning “law and order” into a political weapon to justify police escalation and the criminalization of poverty. Meanwhile, the city keeps paying out millions for police violence and just hired Stephen Redfearn as police chief — a decision so controversial the NAACP Boulder County chapter fractured over it and ultimately collapsed. He later changed the CAD call type from “suspicious person” to “assault on an officer” before any investigation was complete, a decision his critics say helped frame a false narrative in the case and remains at the center of ongoing controversy and legal cases in Boulder.

This is “safety” as cover: no divestment from companies profiting off the Gaza genocide, no real reckoning with policing, and a blanket ban for the homeless.

But back to last night’s dinner. My roommate and I ate at the bar. I began talking to the man next to me because he was dining alone. He ordered everything with garlic, and I joked he wasn’t going home with anyone that night. He said his wife was home sick and he was indulging, so we kept chatting while Luna and I ate. For the most part, it went all right; he seemed open-minded enough to talk with.  He was a retired banker, the kind Boulder has in surplus: friendly, articulate, and convinced civility is the same as morality.

Then I noticed a bottle on the shelf called Revolution, with what looked like an old white guy’s face on it. I made a joke about that, and our friendly diner got offended. He lectured me on the stereotypes white men suffer under. “Fair enough,” I said. “I know some white dudes who are fighting the power.”

I said what we’re witnessing is fascism in our government, and he scolded me for using the word fascist.

“Fine,” I said. “How about authoritarianism?”

He told me we’re not witnessing fascism or authoritarianism, and that when it comes to basic human rights, they don’t exist. He said rights are privileges granted by the government.

While I love me some good contractarian philosophy, and lean more toward Locke than Hobbes, his comments offended me, so I ended the conversation. After three glasses of wine, I probably could have ended it better. But by then, White Banker Guy from Boulder was telling me the system is the way it is, and we have no human rights unless the system grants them. Coupled with his denial of authoritarianism, it was too much. We told him to get lost, paid our bill, and left.

Here’s why that logic is dangerous. When you redefine rights as privileges, you hand their ownership to the state — or whoever holds power next. From there, every abuse becomes justifiable: slavery becomes economics, fascism becomes order, genocide becomes policy. It’s the same argument echoing from the far right today, that losing rights isn’t oppression but “the system working.”

We are a nation of laws founded on a social contract, which means agreeing that some harms; rape, murder, theft, are intolerable. I grew up believing that as a nation, we fought for others’ rights. But a country that elevated property rights over human rights for centuries — through 400 years of chattel slavery and our own genocide — doesn’t flip overnight. What I was taught as a child doesn’t match what we do in practice.

The rise of Trump and MAGA isn’t new; it’s regression. And now we hear, “America isn’t a democracy; it’s a republic,” a talking point used to rationalize the authoritarian impulses of the Trump era. Aside from the bad civics, it’s the casualness that chills — the ease with which people defend the erosion of rights.

The fight for human rights shouldn’t be a fight, but in a world that values personal property more than human life, it is. And silence is complicity. Whether it’s Boulder’s polite cruelty or Washington’s open authoritarianism, people are stripped of dignity while power congratulates itself for keeping order. 

America is facing a moral dilemma, and we each have to choose who we will be — the people who helped on the Underground Railroad or those who turned Anne Frank in. I may not change that over dinner, but I can damn sure name it out loud.

The ones who dared to fight City Hall.

When Boulder denied public access to police body-cam footage, we took it to court. Our fight for transparency is now before the Colorado Supreme Court — because accountability doesn’t stop at the city line.

Through December 31, every gift to Yellow Scene will be matched — dollar for dollar — through the Colorado Media Project’s Matching Grant. Give & Get Democracy this Holiday Season. Your $8 recurring monthly support not only gets you YS delivered to your house, but it’s matched for the entire year, bringing that $8/month to $192. 

Because Independent journalism isn’t just about telling stories. It’s about protecting your right to know, holding power accountable, and keeping democracy in the light. This is #newsCOneeds

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In a perfect world, sports would allow people to escape the moral and ethical decision-making that plagues life today. Sports are supposed to be a place for people to relax and enjoy competition, free from the chaos of their daily lives. While that ideal is not always achieved in any sport, soccer (or football as it’s called in much of the world) has seemingly been threatened the most by outside sources.

These outside sources have been primarily Gulf-region countries such as UAE, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. Why have they taken such a financial interest in soccer? One reason is that they’re diversifying their portfolio, as the world will eventually move away from their main export of natural gas. Another, more sinister idea has been floated in regard to these countries’ new financial interests in sports, specifically soccer, purporting they are attempting to use the sport — as well as its teams, competitions, and players — as vehicles to rehabilitate their images.

The reason these countries’ images necessitate rehabilitation is the abhorrent human rights abuses that have occurred and continue to occur in these countries, especially concerning women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. An example of these human rights violations occurred during the construction of stadiums for Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup. Migrants were subject to the Kafala system, with estimates of death tolls reaching the thousands, due to being subject to inhumane working and housing conditions, as well as a host of other issues.

This even prompted a backlash in the lead-up to the tournament, with international pressure reaching a breaking point, as the Kafala system was repealed and then reinstituted following the tournament. These countries and others are attempting to use sport as a way of bringing about positive sentiments in regard to their countries, despite their abhorrent human rights record. This issue is not confined to soccer alone, but for the purposes of this article, we will be focusing solely on soccer, as the prevalence of sportswashing within soccer is unmatched in any other sport.

For greater insight into this issue, I spoke to ethics scholar Kyle Fruh, who wrote a piece on sportswashing in collaboration with Alfred Archer and Jake Wojtowicz, titled, Sportswashing: Complicity and Corruption. Three forms of sportswashing have taken hold in modern sports: ownership, sponsorship, and event hosting, with each having slightly differing methods of reaching the same end goal of a positive association with a country due to their connection or involvement in sport. Fruh stated that these countries’ objective is to “evade being held accountable through their positive association with sport.” In this way, these “regimes that are responsible for gross moral violations are not held responsible in the way they should be,” due to said involvement in sport.

Ownership

Ownership is the most pervasive of the three forms of sportswashing, as countries use the personal connections fans have with their teams in an attempt to refurbish their own reputation. Fans are in a particularly difficult situation, as Fruh stated that “the positive role that these things play in your life is vulnerable.” What he’s referencing is the role that clubs play in fans’ lives, especially in regard to ownership as the club they support may be due to the regional proximity or familial ties that go back generations, making the choice to watch or not a difficult decision.

Fans supporting their team end up buying into and perpetuating potential sportswashing that only serves the country or regime. Fans are forced to decide between supporting a team bankrolled by those who suppress the civil rights and liberties of women and members of the LGBTQ+ community, or simply letting go of their sports fandom due to conditions entirely out of their control. Fruh was careful not to denigrate any fans who have stayed loyal to their team, as “the roots of the fandom are very deep and meaningful to them and pre-exist where the problematic entity is now involved.”

The overall goal of ownership may even surpass simple reputational laundering, with some fans even turning into defenders of these regimes. The Manchester City Football Club in Manchester, UK is a prime example of that, with them being bought in 2008 by the Abu Dhabi United Group, a company owned by Sheikh Mansour, a member of the UAE royal family. Due to the substantial financial means provided by this new ownership group, Manchester City experienced sustained success, winning six of the last eight Premier League titles. But the new financial means also led to claims of financial malfeasance. Over the course of these allegation’s lifetime, fans have defended not only their club but have become staunch defenders of the owners as well.

This is the coup of the sportswashing project, as they have endeared themselves to the fanbase, insulating themselves from real accusations of sportswashing, and creating defenders of not only themselves in their club roles, but the UAE regime itself which has an abhorrent human rights record according to Amnesty International. This ingratiation shows just how pervasive the project of sportswashing through ownership can be, as it not only repairs reputations but actively creates defenders of the regime’s abuses.

Sponsorship

Sponsorship is the most prevalent method whereby the project of sportswashing attempts to smooth over human rights abuses and create positive associations. Sponsorship is very similar to ownership, in that regimes hope to curate positive associations through the positive association fans already have with well-known entities.

A particularly stark example of the sportswashing project is La Liga’s sponsorship deal with Visit Saudi, with La Liga being Spain’s top professional football league, holding positive associations across the globe. The reason for this particular sponsorship being so perverse is because of Javier Tebas’ comments in regard to Saudi Arabia’s involvement in the project of sportswashing. Merely five years ago, Tebas spoke out against this project, and specifically Saudi Arabia for using sports to “whitewash” the image of the government. Tebas even went as far as speaking out about the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who was killed by agents of the Saudi Arabian government for speaking out against the government’s policies. Clearly, money won out in regard to Tebas’ stated position in regard to sportswashing, as La Liga is hosting domestic finals in Saudi Arabia as well as taking in $20 million per year thanks to their partnership with Visit Saudi.

This abandoning of values shows how money has been prioritized, with all else fading to the background. Saudi Arabia’s hope is that, through this partnership along with continued matches hosted in their country, the positive association people across the world have with La Liga will slowly rub off onto Saudi Arabia itself. With moral and ethical concerns not high on the agenda, these regimes are becoming more emboldened. There is potential for wide-ranging consequences, with the hope being their human rights abuses of the past fade into distant memory, as a new generation grows up having these regimes associated with brands they know and love. These practices will only become more prevalent if people are not able to stand behind their values.

 Event Hosting

Event hosting is the most topical of the three forms of sportswashing. With Qatar acting as the host country for the 2022 World Cup, the project of sportswashing reached the world stage. As stated before, migrant workers — predominantly from Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Kenya, and the Philippines — were subjected to forced labor and were unable to leave one job for another, or even the country for that matter, due to the Kafala system. This led the prelude of the World Cup to be marred by international pressure on Qatar in regard to the conditions migrant workers were subject to. Fruh asserted the reason for this pressure was due to the fact that the “labor system was the very thing that was producing the infrastructure for the event.”

A key factor to consider concerning event hosting is whether potential positive associations will outweigh the potential negative associations. This means the goal of the country hosting the event may never be reached. As a result, people will enjoy the matches themselves but leave with a negative viewpoint of the host nation. This also directly corresponds to the media environment you are in. If you are only shown the perfect perspective of the event, that may be the viewpoint you will leave the event with. If you are shown other perspectives that put the event and its host’s morality into question, you may leave with a slightly more negative viewpoint.

Complicity

The final topic Fruh discussed was the issue of complicity in regard to the project of sportswashing, as fans are not the only ones forced to make difficult decisions. Players and coaches are forced to make decisions in regard to taking part in competitions viewed as part of the sportswashing project. Fruh expressed sympathy for both parties, saying “we have to acknowledge a wide degree of latitude for how we expect people to behave responsibly in these roles.” In some cases, the manager or players are at the mercy of their owners and could be subject to extreme punishment if they were to speak out. At the end of the day, both players and coaches have worked their entire lives to reach the positions they are in, and expecting them to speak on issues they have no control over is a gargantuan ask.

An extreme example is the Saudi Pro League’s signing of new star players Neymar and Cristiano Ronaldo. Both are icons in their own right and are now playing for and legitimizing not only the league but the regime itself. Thanks to Neymar and Ronaldo’s global reach, the project of sportswashing has not only been legitimized but also widened. Players and coaches are in an impossible position, but small actions could lead to more collective action being possible, rather than waiting in silence or taking an active role in the project of sportswashing overall.

Why This Matters

Through the project of sportswashing, all the importance that an event, team or competition held is simply used as a tool to sell the audience on positive associations of the country or regime. In this way, the prestige or history is only used to prop up the regime or country itself, rather than focus on the actual event, team or competition. Especially in soccer, tradition and history are a major part of the overall event or team itself, or as Fruh states, “valuable just by being traditions.”

An example is the World Cup which, as Fruh stated, holds “this whole collection of memorable moments that people treasure,” which was used in the Qatar 2022 World Cup as, “a vehicle for the duty of making authoritarianism.” If we do not protect our sports traditions and histories they will become vehicles, and as the project of sportswashing continues, Fruh’s sentiment that ”we’re losing something” will become truer and truer within the world of sports.

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The post Guilt by Association appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The far-right-packed Supreme Court will hear a case that challenges Colorado’s ban on the practice of conversion therapy. Conversion therapy is defined as the practice of attempting to change one’s sexual orientation or gender identity and has been found to cause serious psychological harm to those who are subjected to it.

Bans of the harmful practice began cropping up across the country in 2013 after a U.S. court of appeals ruled that therapy is a form of professional conduct and, therefore, not protected as free speech. Colorado joined 18 other states, four in that year alone, in banning the practice of conversion therapy.

Today, 30 U.S. states have conversation therapy bans in place, but those could be challenged, depending on the ruling from the Supreme Court, expected in 2026. The challenge is being brought by the conservative law firm Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) on behalf of Kaley Chiles. The suit argues that Chiles, who practices therapy in Colorado Springs, is limited in what she can say to clients who want to “affirm their biological gender and sexual orientation.”

ADF has been identified as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center and has supported the recriminalization of sexual acts between consenting LGBTQ adults in the U.S. and abroad, defended state-sanctioned sterilization of trans people abroad, stated that LGBTQ people are more likely to engage in pedophilia, and claimed that a “homosexual agenda” will destroy Christianity and society.

Colorado Springs Councilor, Kaley Chiles

In interviews and podcasts, Chiles claims she is fighting a “censorship” law that infringes on her free speech. This line of argument has quickly become a conservative dog whistle for any law or policy that stops them from publically spreading hate speech or discriminating against queer people. Similar suits filed by the ADF utilizing this tactic have been successful in Colorado, such as the Christian graphic artist who refused to create marriage websites for same-sex couples.

Organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry have condemned the practice of conversion therapy on the basis of negative mental health effects, such as depression and suicide, that often come from attempting to change someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The United Nations Human Rights Council classifies the practice as tantamount to torture.

The Supreme Court rejected to hear a similar case in 2023, also filed by the ADF, against Washington State’s less strict ban on conversion therapy on persons under the age of 18. The law also contains a carve-out for conversion therapy practices “under the auspices of a religious denomination, church, or religious organization.”

Legal Journalist Mark Joseph Stern suggested that while the 2023 decision was technically a win for LGBTQ+ rights in the movement, it could spell danger for the ban in the future, like what we’re seeing now.

“Why didn’t Roberts, Gorsuch, or Barrett cast the fourth vote to take up the conversion therapy case? Maybe to avoid another controversial dispute, or maybe because Washington State identified a standing problem that makes this case an imperfect vehicle.” Stern wrote on X in 2023.

Does this mean Chiles’ case is a better vehicle for the court’s anti-gay agenda? States with bans on conversion therapy have often argued that free speech is not a valid defense against malpractice. Lawyers, doctors, and even therapists cannot argue that telling clients to commit crimes or engage in abusive practices falls under their right to free speech.

Whether the SCOTUS will keep the ban in place or strike it down as an infringement of free speech will likely come down to language in the 2018 case, NIFLA v. Becerra. NIFLA contains arguments that can be utilized by both sides, such as “speech is not unprotected merely because it is uttered by ‘professionals,’” which will certainly come in handy for the ADF. However, the NIFLA ruling also says, “[s]tates may regulate professional conduct, even though that conduct incidentally involves speech,” and it added that regulations of professional malpractice “fall within the traditional purview of state regulation of professional conduct.”

How will the court rule in hearing this case, and more importantly, how will Democrats protect LGBTQ minors in their states should the ban be lifted?

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The post SCOTUS Will Hear Case Challenging Colorado’s Conversion Therapy Ban appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Editor’s Note: Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

A Personal Statement on the Importance of USAID’s Work for Global Justice and Human Rights

To: The President of the United States and his Administration,

As a U.S. citizen born and raised in Haiti, I am writing to express my deep concern and strong opposition to the proposed closure of USAID. Throughout my life, I have witnessed firsthand the transformative and invaluable impact of USAID’s work, both in Haiti and across the globe. The agency’s efforts—from providing emergency relief to fostering sustainable development—have been a cornerstone of our country’s foreign policy and have directly improved the lives of millions of people.

Recently, the President’s Press Secretary, Ms. Karoline Claire Leavitt, pointed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as proof of wasteful spending within USAID. As someone who has been closely involved with the agency’s operations, I can attest to the significant and lasting impact of USAID’s work around the world. From the schools it funds in Haiti, ensuring that children receive an education despite economic and political instability, to the critical anti-gender-based violence training provided to women, USAID’s programs save lives and change futures. For every instance where detractors label spending as “wasteful,” there are countless examples of how USAID’s contributions are life-saving and life-altering.

As a former Global Law and Development Fellow with the USAID ProJustice Côte d’Ivoire program, I worked on the front lines to protect vulnerable populations, particularly those living with disabilities, in West Africa. In many African countries, individuals with disabilities face severe discrimination, and USAID played a crucial role in challenging these injustices. The agency’s efforts to raise awareness and advocate for the rights of people with disabilities are vital, and I have seen firsthand the difference it makes in creating more inclusive societies.

Additionally, in 2019, I had the privilege of interning with USAID in Washington, D.C., where I witnessed the agency’s unwavering commitment to promoting human rights, the rule of law, and justice for all people. It is no exaggeration to say that USAID embodies the best of what it means to be an American: a nation that stands for justice, compassion, and support for those in need around the world. When I see USAID’s work in Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, and elsewhere, I am filled with immense pride for my country. Our commitment to protecting human dignity should never waver.

Closing USAID would not only undo decades of progress but also diminish our standing as a leader in global development, democracy, and human rights. USAID is essential to building stronger, more resilient communities around the world, whether through disaster relief, democratic governance programs, or empowering marginalized populations. The work of USAID is a reflection of our nation’s values, and it would be a tragic misstep to close it down.

As someone who has benefitted from and seen the profound impact of USAID’s work, I urge you, Mr. President and your Administration, to reconsider this proposal. I believe it is crucial that we continue supporting programs that protect and uplift vulnerable communities globally, whether in Haiti, Africa, or elsewhere. USAID is an agency that reflects the values we hold dear as Americans, and I stand with it, as should all of us.

I ask that you protect and strengthen USAID’s mission, ensuring it continues its critical work in advancing justice, human rights, and development across the globe.

For More Information on Representative Junie Joseph’s Legislative Priorities, visit:
http://junie4colorado.com

The post Representative Junie Joseph Appeals to the President of the United States and his Administration: Opposition to USAID Closure appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

A high court ruling on a lawsuit originating from Grants Pass, Oregon, could effectively decide a similar lawsuit in Boulder, with major implications for how cities address homeless encampments.

By John Herrick, Boulder Reporting Lab (Via AP Storyshare)

A Boulder County District Court judge has paused a lawsuit challenging the City of Boulder’s camping ban while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a similar civil rights case stemming from Grants Pass, Oregon. The ruling from the nation’s highest court could have major implications for how cities across the country respond to encampments in public spaces amid rising homelessness.

The Boulder lawsuit seeks to halt enforcement of an ordinance that allows city officers to ticket homeless people for sleeping in public spaces when shelter is not accessible.

The case, filed by the ACLU of Colorado in May 2022 on behalf of several homeless people and a local nonprofit, Feet Forward, alleges that the city violated protections against cruel and unusual punishment in the Colorado Constitution by issuing citations to homeless people when they had nowhere else to sleep but in public spaces, among other allegations.

The legal dispute is a flashpoint in a broader debate over how the City of Boulder addresses rising homelessness and its associated impacts on public spaces. In November 2023, voters passed a ballot measure that amended city code to make tents and propane tanks near schools, sidewalks or multi-use paths “subject to prioritized removal.”

The Boulder lawsuit is currently scheduled for a trial in August 2024.

However, on April 10, 2024, Boulder County District Court Judge Robert R. Gunning issued an order halting proceedings on the case until the U.S. Supreme Court reaches a decision on a related case involving a similar ordinance in Grants Pass. The order means that neither side in the City of Boulder lawsuit will be able to file motions for discovery or request depositions for several months.

The Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling on the Grants Pass case in June or early July, at which point the local lawsuit could proceed. Gunning said the Supreme Court ruling on the Grants Pass case could provide important precedent and “hold tremendous weight” in shaping a ruling on the Boulder case.

The Grants Pass lawsuit, Johnson v. City of Grants Pass, was filed in 2018 and alleges the city violated Eighth Amendment protections against cruel and unusual punishment by citing homeless people for sleeping in public spaces when they could not access shelter.

The Supreme Court held a hearing on the lawsuit on Monday, April 22. The questions posed by justices suggested that the court is relatively divided on the case. Much of the debate centered on whether homelessness is considered a state of being or form of conduct, and therefore, whether people can be punished for violating local ordinances that prohibit sleeping in public spaces.

Liberal justices appeared to side with the plaintiffs. For instance, Justice Elena Kagan said sleeping is a biological necessity, implying that people should not be punished for it. “Sleeping in public is kind of like breathing in public,” she said. By contrast, Chief Justice John Roberts offered an analogy involving someone who is hungry and in need of food. “If someone is hungry and no one is giving him food, can you prosecute him if he breaks into a store to get something to eat?” he asked a lawyer for the plaintiffs. Roberts also questioned whether the nine justices should be making “policy judgements” typically reserved for cities.

A ruling by the Supreme Court is unlikely to entirely resolve the case in Boulder. The Boulder lawsuit is based on similar civil rights protections in the Colorado Constitution, not the U.S. Constitution. That said, the wording regarding cruel and unusual punishment is similar.

The City of Boulder, which filed the motion to stay proceedings on the local lawsuit, said the Supreme Court’s decision will have a “dispositive impact on the validity of Plaintiffs’ remaining claim.” The plaintiffs argued the stay will “interfere with ongoing discovery that is critical to the timely resolution of this case.”

The City of Boulder spends about $3 million per year clearing out encampments of homeless people and cleaning up public spaces.

At least 171 people are experiencing homelessness in the City of Boulder, according to a point-in-time count by the city in July 2023. That number is likely higher, as people are often turned away from the city’s main shelter in North Boulder, which has a capacity of about 180 during certain severe weather conditions.

The post Boulder camping ban lawsuit is paused as judge awaits U.S. Supreme Court ruling appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

(Photo from previous demonstration)

A demonstration led by Denver Anti-War Action, Colorado Party for Socialism and Liberation as well as the Colorado Palestine Coalition was held at the Auraria campus on January 22nd, 2024. Hundreds gathered to demand a ceasefire after over 100 days of bombing in Gaza.

Demonstrators held signs that read “Free-Palestine” and “End All US Aid To Israel”. The protesters demanded the immediate stoppage of all US aid to Israel, as well as “hands off Yemen” in response to the most recent escalation of the fighting in the Middle East.

Solidarity and shipping

In solidarity with Palestine, a Yemeni militant group called the Houthi rebels began firing missiles on and in some cases seizing cargo ships they claimed were en route to Israel from the Red Sea. In December, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree announced that any ship destined for Israel was a “legitimate target” and claimed they would not stop until the Gaza Strip was supplied with food and medicine.

On January 12th the US and the UK conducted a series of airstrikes on Houthi-controlled portions of Yemen. Critics of the airstrikes, including those demonstrators on Monday, claim that the Houthis have killed zero people since the launch of their attacks in the Red Sea, meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza had just surpassed 25,000.

“The Israelis have been committing genocide for over 100 days in Gaza, and the people of Colorado will not stop marching until these horrors are stopped, and Palestine is free,” Denver PSL wrote on Instagram after the demonstration had ended.

The protests spilled off of campus and out into the streets, with a march being led down Speer which blocked traffic.

Several protests have been led in Denver since the bombing campaign started in Gaza in response to the October 7th attacks. In October, students at the Auraria campus walked out of class in solidarity with Palestinians who had lost access to food and water. Counter-protesters in support of Israel briefly clashed with pro-Palestine protestors before campus police got control of the situation.

Palestinian support in the polls

Support for Palestine has increased with the newest wave of violence, according to a YouGov poll from October of 2023, more people ages 18-29 sympathized with Palestinians than with Israelis in the current conflict. A reason for this could be conflicting generational history.

In the years following its establishment, Israel initially faced economic challenges and vulnerability. However, as millennials developed their awareness of global events, they witnessed the aftermath of the second Intifada in the mid-2000s, marked by the erection of fortified walls and barriers between Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza.

During this period, many in the younger generation shaped their perception of Israel based on reports highlighting restrictions on Palestinian  access to water, freedom of movement, and fair trials, all under the military control of a nation that had evolved into a relatively affluent, nuclear-armed power.

Joey Ayoub, an academic, podcaster, and writer of Palestinian-Lebanese descent, suggests that young Americans are increasingly inclined to view the Palestinian cause as a parallel issue to the pursuit of racial justice in the United States. He points to a “visual parallel” where an armed soldier or police officer exerts control over a community with limited power, whether it be a town in the occupied West Bank or a predominantly Black neighborhood in the United States.

The human rights connection

“It’s a natural ally to the Palestinian struggle because it’s very similar if you think of it in terms of the bullet points being demanded — the right to dignity, the right to life, and so on,” he told the Washington Post.

He sees 2014 as a pivotal year in a new generation’s understanding of the conflict. Violence in Gaza killed about 2,250 Palestinians and 73 Israelis at roughly the same time as protests erupted in Ferguson, Mo. over the police shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed Black man.

“Palestinian Americans were tweeting advice towards African Americans about how to deal with tear gas, for example,” he said. “That was something very symbolically powerful.”

The grievances voiced by demonstrators highlight a broader concern for human rights and justice, resonating with a younger generation that increasingly sees parallels between the struggles for racial justice in the United States and the Palestinian cause.

The activists on the ground in Denver are resolute, emphasizing that they will continue to march and speak out until their concerns are addressed. The intersection of global events, generational perspectives, and grassroots activism suggests that the issues raised by the demonstrators are unlikely to fade away without serious attention and action from local and state lawmakers.

The post Denver Takes to the Streets: Protesting for Peace in the Middle East appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

DENVER (Jan. 8, 2024) — The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has once again awarded the Colorado Department of Human Services’ Division of Child Welfare its prestigious Innovator Seal of Recognition, which recognizes the division’s leadership on LGBTQ+ inclusion. This is the third time since 2019 that the division has earned the recognition.

The recognition was announced in the HRC Foundation’s All Children-All Families 2023 Change-Makers Report, which highlights efforts to make services more inclusive for the LGBTQ+ community, including children and youth in foster care and prospective foster and adoptive parents.

“Our teams have worked diligently over the past five years to implement innovative approaches to LGBTQ+ inclusion in key policy and practice areas to help LGBTQ+ youth and families thrive,” said Mollie Bradlee, interim director of the Office of Children, Youth and Families, which oversees the Division of Child Welfare. “Working with the Human Rights Campaign is one of several ways our department is dedicated to making policy and practice changes to improve the lives of some of our most at-risk and marginalized children, youth and families.”

The agencies featured in HRC’s report provided professional development to staff and implemented ACAF’s benchmarks of LGBTQ+ inclusion, which track policy and practice changes within agencies. Agencies can receive one of three tiers of recognition, which celebrate the strides the agencies have made toward becoming fully LGBTQ+ welcoming and affirming.

Along with CDHS’s Division of Child Welfare, the Adams County Department of Human Services and Adoption Options also received the Innovator Seal of Recognition — the highest tier of recognition — placing them among the nation’s top child welfare organizations for LGBTQ+ inclusion. Another Colorado Department of Human Services program, the Colorado Sexual Health Initiative (CoSHI), was recognized in the ACAF report for taking strides in its LGBTQ+ inclusion journey.

“Adams County has been an innovator in LGBTQ+ inclusion since 2017. We are proud to be the first Colorado county to receive the ACAF seal of recognition and set our goal high at achieving the Innovator Seal in our first year,” said the Adams County ACAF Committee. “We aim to recruit and certify LGBTQ+ affirming foster homes while ensuring our policies and practices align with the affirmation we support in our families. We display our ACAF seals in all our recruitment materials to ensure inclusivity. Adams County hosted its second annual Pride event, and also kicked off its first Winter Solstice Gayla to celebrate our LGBTQ+ community. We aim to bring inclusion and affirmation into every step of our process.”

In 2019, 71 agencies across 23 states were featured in ACAF’s first edition of this report. Just five years later, a record-breaking 172 agencies across 43 states implemented LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and affirming practices. These agencies employ over 30,500 professionals and serve more than 1.4 million children, youth and families annually.

The 10 Colorado organizations that received one of the three tiers of recognition in the Change-Makers Report are listed below:

Innovative Inclusion:

• Adams County Department of Human Services’ Children & Family Services Division — Westminster
• Adoption Options — Denver
• Colorado Office of Children, Youth and Families’ Child Welfare Division — Denver
  Solid Foundation for Inclusion

Solid Foundation for Inclusion

• Raise the Future — Denver

Building Foundation for Inclusion

• CASA of Adams and Broomfield Counties — Westminster
• CASA of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties — Golden
• CASA of the Continental Divide — Dillon
• Arapahoe County Department of Human Services’ Child and Adult Protection Services — Aurora
• Jefferson County Human Services’ Division of Children, Youth, Families, and Adult Protection — Golden
• Larimer County Children, Youth and Family Services’ Foster and Kinship Programs — Fort Collins

Learn more about what CDHS is doing to promote inclusion for LGBTQ+ Coloradans:

• This episode of CO4Kids Live discusses the need for affirming families for LGBTQ youth.
• Colorado’s co4kids.org website hosts a section called Foster Pride, which contains resources for the LGBTQ+ community as it relates to foster care and adoption.
• The website also includes resources for parents and child welfare professionals to affirm young people who identify as LGBTQ+ and support parents and caregivers who are LGBTQ+.
• Meet inspiring LGBTQ+ foster families and adoptive families:
• Meet Manuel
  Meet Charles and Sean
  Meet Rita and Sharita

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ+ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

The Division of Child Welfare primarily focuses on the needs of Colorado’s at-risk, abused and neglected children and youth and their families. Colorado’s child welfare system is supervised by the state and administered by Colorado’s 64 counties. The Division of Child Welfare oversees child welfare practice, provides policy direction, and provides 80% of the funding for services.

The post Colorado Division of Child Welfare awarded prestigious recognition for LGBTQ+ inclusion by the Human Rights Campaign appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

(Community Corner is provided as a local contribution from experts in their field as well as local residents. This article is contributed by Dr. Reema Wahdan)

In Colorado, there has been an increase in Islamophobia and Anti-Arab bias as a direct result of Israel’s war in Gaza. Both the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Arab American Anti-Discrimination Committee have both reported an unprecedented increase in complaints with over 770 cases from 10/7/23 to 11/4/2023. This is a massive increase over the previous year. Both Islamophobia and Anti-Palestinian rhetoric have been used to justify violence against Palestinians in Gaza and silence supporters of Palestinian human rights here in America. The surge in bigotry has resulted in several incidents being documented against students, physicians, places of work and worship, and more.

As an advocate for human rights for Palestinians, our Palestinian community has been troubled by the loss of both Palestinian and Israelis. In Colorado, the Palestinian community lost 133 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. We have been steadfast in safeguarding the citizens of Palestine and Israel. While we mourn the over 17,000 Palestinian lives lost and the over 1,200 Israeli lives lost. We also demand a return for the Palestinian and Israeli hostages taken after October 7th. Both our communities are stricken by trauma and grief. We stand for peace and an immediate ceasefire in order to restore safety and security for all who live in this region.

Despite the numerous calls for peace and ceasefire in the region, on October 11th my family’s business of 48 years was targeted with numerous of calls and death threats saying “we will kill you Arabs and Palestinians.”

On October 13, our house was also targeted where we found a bullet shot into our living room. The rise of threats against Muslim students has increased in high schools in Aurora and Denver. Over 32 students met with Superintendent Chris Smith of the Cherry Creek School District with reports of directly targeted threats against their lives, denial of pro-Arab activities, or support for Muslim students in general. Derogatory terms such as “terrorist” or “Twin- towers” were used. A recent incident resulted in a pro-Israeli substitute teacher being escorted off the campus due to bullying and harassing language to a group of middle school students for not supporting Israel.

Lastly, many university students have also received threats from Universities to pull funding and support for any Muslim or pro-Palestinian student group on campus. Outside organizations have targeted students and falsely claimed they are “pro-terrorist organizations.”

Other threats nationally include the murder of six-year old Chicago resident Wadea Al-Fayome who was stabbed 26 times by a man who targeted the boy and mother for their Muslim identity. On October 26th three Palestinians college students were shot at in a hate crime in Vermont. There were also another two attempts of murder, numerous violent threats, the use of vehicles as a weapon to target protestors, and incidents involving guns being discharged or brandished to threaten supporters of Palestinian human rights.

The Anti-Defamation League’s increased pressure both nationally and locally has harassed Palestinians, Muslims, and any student organizations that speak up to defend Palestinian human rights. The ADL provided an open letter calling on university leaders to investigate pro-Palestinian student groups, alleging their speech constitutes support for terrorism, despite not being able to provide evidence for such claims.

In Denver, the ADL continues to defame Palestinian students and local house representatives such as Elizabeth Epps who have collectively argued to defend Palestinian human rights. We further applaud efforts by the American Civil Liberties Union who are protecting students who are exercising their constitutional right to free speech by organizing, open debate, and peaceful dissent on campus.

Here in Colorado, our Muslim community will continue to stand united for peace. We will not allow racist organizations to leverage their influence to promote hate. We will continue to work to protect all forms of human rights. Those who oppose this calling will ultimately stand on the wrong side of history. We implore our community in Colorado to end any forms of hate against members of the Muslim or Jewish faith. We appeal to the collective humanity in the world to halt the devastating bombings of innocent civilians. May compassion and urgency guide our collective actions toward a future of peace and healing for all people in this region.

The post Racism, threats, and physical violence surrounding the war in Gaza echo rhetoric following 9/11 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

David is a massage therapist by day, Lyft driver by night; but his secret life is as a compassionate, entrepreneurial, Tiny Village builder. Here we will discuss his ideals on shaping the world into a healthier and brighter place. We capture David’s perspective on the Tiny Homes movement and creative ideas around developing Tiny Home Villages particularly for low-income and homeless people. But overall, David speaks of the idea of minimalist living, and the important role it has in our developing world of technology and the climate-change-driven-struggle to transform our social norms, to save the planet, our collective Home.

YS: Are Tiny Homes an ideal solution for low-income homes, particularly for the homeless?

DW: First, let me ask; internationally, what do we call small sustainable housing? In this country, we call them Tiny Homes, but in some other countries, they call them “Social Interest Housing.” In Mexico and Africa, it is of “social interest” to give people homes to live in. The American dream here is to have a big house on a postage-stamp lot, living in luxury, but that’s just goofy when it comes to sustainability and the pursuit to maintain balanced equality.

I met an architect in Vail and he designs Tiny Home Villages (Social Interest Housing) in Africa. He has integrated goat tracks throughout the village. He thought, “How could we have the food sources right out the back door?”

In our country we get so caught up in the zoning, thinking that everything must be divided into separate sections with retail over there, farming over here, and homes over in some other area, but this sectarian farming and division is not sustainable. It is possible to create a reality where everybody has a home integrated with sustainable technology throughout the land. So is Tiny Homes a good solution for housing the homeless? It’s not just a good way to give people homes, but it also sparks the pathway to create and cultivate an interactive and sustainable community.

We could build people 500-8,000 square foot homes that don’t use a lot of energy. When people have such huge homes, they have a lot of empty space and they end up warming or keeping cool that unneeded space, which is a waste of resources. It does not make any ecological sense. Eventually, we are going to wake up—like other countries have—and create sustainable, livable, and enjoyable small-footprint homes. It’s where the market is heading anyways.

YS: Do you think it is possible to develop Tiny Homes with current urban development?

DW: An example in Guile, Belgium shows how they have been housing all people for 650+ years. It was illegal to be homeless Guile. Towns in Colorado, and all throughout the United States, it is also illegal to be homeless. But here, they tell people to move along, go somewhere else and become invisible. In the United States, we criminalize poor, homeless people, for existing and then accept it as a cultural norm.

But in Guile, Belgium they have created a city where the culture is to open their doors and share their homes with the less fortunate while creating solutions to provide those people homes in the meantime. Social workers, health professionals, and neighbors come out to the homes that have been shared and spend time with the people of that unit, cultivating solutions and building strong relationships. It is beautiful for us to see such a thing. It is the norm for them to see, a tradition passed down throughout the city. It makes collective-survival sense to support people instead of condemning them.

Integrating the actual structures of the Tiny Homes and implementing sustainable land use is not the most difficult part of transforming Urban Development. Although it is hard to directly implement a new design due to the divisionary structure-zone planning in the United States, passing amendments through legislation could aid that effort. But, the most difficult part of this today is creating a social plan to cultivate what it means to be a community; to create a culture where Tiny Homes are not just a solution to problems, but a celebration of community; to transform the social norm into a pursuit of human equality and environmental justice.

YS: How do think current urban development affects low-income communities?

DW: There are people in the United States who truly do want to help homeless people, but seem to be at loss as to how. Current Urban Development plays a role in making it more difficult to allow those people to help the homeless. Out in the suburbs, like in Boulder County and other counties, people have extra bedrooms that they are willing to share. But, along with building those relationships and a foundation of trust and expectations from both sides, there needs to be a means of affordable transportation for people to even be able to reach those homes. Due to the divided structure of our land, it is hard to interact with different people of different backgrounds because we are geographically forced to be categorized into common groups, social cliques based on income.

Gentrification is generally what urban development stands for today, though this can be changed along with the culture change. When I was working in Kansas City with an organization I started called Brothers and Sisters Home Repair, we saw low-income housing be torn down due to the increase of revenue in that area; gentrification. Developers would come in, buy a bunch of houses and sell them for more than what they bought them for.

It’s social-economical prohibition through an act of commerce. Some low-income communities would also suffer due to code violations. One could not afford to fix their broken gutters and then get condemned for it. Brothers and Sisters for Home Repair would help aid these issues by providing a half-priced home repair service to these oppressed low-income communities.

The pursuit to build Tiny Home villages also runs into code issues, we have to change the city’s definition of what a home requires. So it is a challenge to break the paradigm. We need homes with mortgages that are more like $10,000 – $20,000 or less. In places like Boulder, there are small 1-2 bedroom houses going for $200,000 all the way to $400,000. When the flood came in a few years ago, all of the lower-income housing went away. Before the flood, you could find rooms for $500-$600 a month, but now those same rooms have gone up to a norm of $800-$1,500 for a one-bedroom apartment!

Same thing happened in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina: homes are lost due to an environmental crisis, new homes are built, but then those new homes are made unaffordable to that very same community.

The heat is rising and we need to respond to it the best we can, through equality and understanding, not through greed-based capital practices.

YS: Do you think homes are a human right?

DW: Let me rephrase that question into: “Is it a human privilege to house people without adequate shelter?” In the Catholic Tradition, Jesus asks people, “When did you feed me? When did you house me? When did you care for me? When I was homeless and when I was hungry and poor.”
And the people reply to him saying, “But you did not ask us to house you and feed you or care for you when poor.”

Jesus replies, “If you do it for my brothers and sisters, you did for me. When you did not do that for them, you did not do it for me. Just as you have turned the away from the poor, you have turned me away and so you also will be turned away.”

The homeless are people I know, my friends, people that I love. Whether you are religious or not, connecting with people without a home is an opportunity to make a friend and help people. They just aren’t people holding signs. They are people that can become your friends, people you can learn from and can learn from you. It is a privilege to have any kind of friend, whether they have a home or not. It is right to treat our neighbors like we treat ourselves. If you were homeless, wouldn’t you want somebody to open their door for you and show you kindness?

Every person has their gift to give to society. Every person has skills, ideas, and practices that they can give society, and not allowing those valuable resources to come into fruition is a failure of our human family. Homes are not just a human right, but it allows people the means to be able to cultivate their gifts to society. Poverty is an invitation to the community and, if we miss the invitation, we miss out.

YS: Could you please describe your current Tiny Home projects?

DW: What I want to do is buy a property, call it the Catholic Worker Ranch, 180,000 acres of mountain land with conservation properties. Because it is a conservation property, you cannot build current development homes, but you can build tiny homes. We would have eco-tourists come through and teach them about the homeless community, by the homeless community. We would have Permaculture principles and sustainable farming and living. We will be a retreat for scientists studying the conservation, funding the village. But the homeless need the retreat the most. The homeless need a retreat, a place to heal and walk around and feel the land, the Earth. But that is a future project.

Currently, I run the Dirty Dozen, a group of 12 homeless men, building their own tiny homes on an acre in Longmont. The phrase, “give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime” is no longer the issue. We have fishermen but need to give the fishermen fishing poles. We have carpenters, but we need to give the carpenters hammers. We have masons, but we need to give them stone. Homeless people are not stupid. They have skills. It is the proper allocation of resources and social-stereotyped myths that are the issues holding us back.

More information on the Dirty Dozen can be found at my website, NICE-World.org. That is what a nice world is about; where everybody’s needs get met. Not just the needs of the people, but the needs of the mycelia, the worms, the whole embodiment of Earth. We create a permaculture that includes our whole society, growing our own food, homes, and communities that people manage themselves through the natural structure. The “NICE” stands for the Network of Interfaith, Compassionate Entrepreneurs, where people collaborate through a faith, business, and compassion network for the common good.

We are trying to heal our sick world. We are being destroyed by industrial agriculture. We need to stop. We are doing damage to the Earth. People want to give their gift to society. If we can see the gift in all people, we can gain that gift, but we must see the gift to be given in the first place. The solution is not to cram people into some huge place, some kind of jail-like shelter, the solution is to give them a home and opportunity to give their gifts to society and help shape our world into a healthier place. But to make our world healthier, we need the inhabitants healthy.

Homeless people tell me they need help with their addictive personalities or their damaged bodies or their trauma. They need to reconcile with their families or a place to sleep and a place to bathe. Sleep deprivation makes people crazy, it kills people. Lastly, they told me they want a reason to get up in the morning, a place they look forward to going to. If they have a home, they find a way to give their gift to society and they will have that meaning.

The post Interview: David Ward appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By now, you’ve doubtlessly caught up on all the hullabaloo that went down in Ferguson, Mo. in August. But just in case you’ve somehow unplugged from the entire universe for a month, in a nutshell: Local white police officer Darren Wilson shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. And then a lot of other things happened.

While there’s no doubt that a national dialogue promptly ensued — and continues — around what it means to be living in a supposedly “post-racial” America, there’s nothing I’m going to add to the debate in 500 words adorning the margins of a community magazine based in a town more than 850 miles away. I’m a narcissist, but not a fool.  But something else occurred during the protests that shook the Missouri town following Brown’s tragic demise that I think also deserves further discussion, but hasn’t been visited with the same national fervor. And that’s the destruction of the Fourth Estate.

We saw it happen several times as events unfolded in Missouri, from the cordoning of reporters’ movements to restricted areas, all the way to physical threats and even incarceration. More than a dozen reporters were arrested while they were doing their jobs. And lest anyone forget what that job is, here’s a reminder:

“The last right we shall mention regards the freedom of the press. The importance of this consists, besides the advancement of truth, science, morality, and arts in general, in its diffusion of liberal sentiments on the administration of Government, its ready communication of thoughts between subjects, and its consequential promotion of union among them, whereby oppressive officers are shamed or intimidated into more honorable and just modes of conducting affairs.”

That’s an excerpt from a letter sent to the people of Quebec from the First Continental Congress of 1774 — as the United States prepared its Constitution and readied for the Revolutionary War.   It’s ironic that in the most digitally connected era in the history of mankind — where collecting, writing, recording filming and publishing accounts of any occurrence can happen with a single device held in the palm of your hand — authorities were so successful at trampling the right of journalists in the field.

Carried out to its natural conclusion, in a society that chooses to inhibit the free and unfettered dissemination of information … well, you see what’s going on in the Middle East. And no, I’m not talking about the flare-up in Gaza earlier this summer. That conflict garnered more than 22 million mentions, according to Google News. In the first 30 days. It’s been exceptionally well-covered.

Meanwhile, the civil war in Syria has resulted in 99% more deaths, ensued for several years, and yet returns less than .01% of Google News mentions compared to the Gaza conflict.  The loss of life is staggering — nearing 200,000 people — and is punctuated, perhaps most tellingly, by the video taped beheading of journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

That image should haunt all of us for the rest of our lives and remind us just how important a job we’ve been charged with. Shining a light on the darkest corners of the human condition is the only way we’ll ever be able to lift it up.

The post Do We Still Have Free Press? appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

By Ansen Gray

It was 11:30 p.m., I was cold, wet, tired, and in handcuffs. One officer was searching my car, the other one was in the driver’s seat of the police cruiser checking my ID. I had been sitting on the curb for 20 minutes wearing my Old Spaghetti Factory uniform, fighting back anger. My house was two blocks away, but I knew any sudden movements would get me shot. What did I do wrong, I wondered? I was driving down the street and the cruiser made a sudden U-Turn and flashed their lights and I pulled over. I just complied with the Officers; I knew from living under the shadow of the LAPD Foothill Division that you never, ever question a cop. The officer completed searching my car and asked me where I was an hour earlier. There had been an armed robbery on the North end of town and I fit the description of the suspect. I calmly explained that an hour earlier I was still about to clock out at work. The response from the officer was, “Yeah right, we got you.”

Occasionally, I think back to that moment. Other moments as well, like getting followed in stores, people clutching their purses, only being able to look at one ring in a jewelry store at a time. This has been my life in California. I don’t blame white people. I blame American culture.

Living with racism in California has always been a harrowing experience; it is never explicit like I found it in Alabama, nor is it brutal like I found in Georgia. Racism in California is like a slow pressure always at the back of your mind that no pain killer will solve, and no stress relief can eliminate. Knowing that all of my childhood friends except one are either dead or still in jail, is disturbing. The lucky one that made it out, well, he’s an MD at Johns Hopkins. To this day, I get a burst of adrenaline when I see a police officer. Are they going to pull me over? Try not to make eye contact. Turn the radio down. Keep both hands on the steering wheel.

Police contact with Black people is currently the topic of the day across blogs, social media, and the news media. This is nothing new, and it will not go away anytime soon. The one thing I can’t change about my appearance is my skin color. For some reason, I always seem to fit the description.

Fitting the description does not always have to involve police contact. When I attended high school in San Jose, CA, I had a guidance counselor who calmly explained to me that college was not for me. That I was more suited to a labor intensive career like construction, or warehouse work. After showing him the letters of recommendation I received from two United States Senators, he reluctantly wrote me the required recommendation for the NROTC program. Several weeks later, I received a call from the Navy informing me that I was to return to the counselor to get a new letter of recommendation. The counselor had written a rude and spiteful letter to the Navy and a Naval Officer would be having a phone conversation with the counselor before I arrived. When I saw the counselor later that week, he was visibly upset, but had written a letter that was far more balanced.

I could only wish this was an isolated incident. My turbines instructor in College informed me that I would never ever have the ability to run a turbine in my life. I took a fair amount of glee in informing him that I was currently in charge of 1,500MW of power generation using steam and gas turbines.

I learned to adjust to how people view me, but it was not easy. Many others don’t have the family support, the determination, or the educational background to fight through the constant barriers placed in front of Black males today. Today, not the 1960s or 1950s – I’m talking about today. Racism today is so ingrained in American culture and it has become nearly invisible. It is no longer a matter of placing blame for the past, we must work together to improve the present.

The best description I have been able to come up with has been a foot race. The 500 meter dash.

The first runner has technical shoes, a high-tech running suit, and a straight path to victory. The second runner has no shoes, no running suit, but is full of determination, and also has a straight path to victory. As the race begins, both runners get off to a good start, but the clay track turns into dirt for the second runner somewhere around 100 meters. At 150 meters, hurdles appear for the second runner. At 200 meters, walls begin to appear that the second runner has to climb. At 300 meters, the second runner has to dodge people shooting at him. At 400 meters, a minefield appears. At 500 meters, victory.

Both runners are capable of finishing the race, but it is far easier to finish as the first runner. Many spectators point to the people who finished as the second runner, and seriously question why more people don’t finish the second race. Both lengths are 500 meters, right?

I ran the second race. Once completed, I have spent my time trying to clear all the obstacles the second runner has to overcome.

Which race did you run? Will you help clear the field for the second runner?

The post You Fit The Description appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Ana Temu is a fighter. In the past 18 years, her father was put in prison on a murder conviction, her mother has grown weak and medicated because of a life-threatening, long-term illness. She has suffered internal conflict and experienced personal traumas.

But for the senior at Boulder Preparatory High School, her past has made her confident and ready to fight through even the most thorny of battles. What she has overcome has become her armor. Temu says growing a grassroots movement and causing social change is not so intimidating.

“Working for social justice is very time -consuming and stressful. It takes so much energy. You need to be strong,” Temu says, calmly and thoughtfully. “My past made me see how strong I can be in situations of panic. It gives me strength. It built me up.”

Along with studying and preparing for college, Temu is a volunteer for social justice programs focusing on immigration issues: She’s a youth leader and board member for Longmont Youth For Equality; she’s worked on campaigns for Mi Familia Vota (My Family Votes); she is a key youth leader for the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition; she’s working on a guidebook for Voices of Immigrant Children for Education to educate students, teachers and counselors on helping undocumented students attend college. She spends time at the state Capitol and in Washington, D.C., lobbying for or against specific bills, including the DREAM Act and civil unions legislation.

Becoming a part of a grassroots movement for change, Temu found herself—both literally and figuratively—holding a megaphone. And she likes it.

“It’s brought a confidence to speak in public,” she says. “It’s an opportunity to use my voice. I can be in any situation and have a sense of security. A lot of people don’t have that security. I should be out there for those who can’t.”

Temu has seen a spectrum of how Latinos are treated in America. How difficult it’s been for her mother, who sought asylum in the United States during the Guatemalan civil war, to receive the right treatment and medication, and how her step-father, who works in agriculture in the summer and finds odd jobs the rest of the year, comes home worn and weathered from working in the sun all day. She also sees her friends who have gone to college and are thriving with exciting careers.

“It’s all become very inspiring,” she says.

Temu, who hopes to attend CU next year and major in ethnic studies, business or political science, says her peers are continuing the spirit and message of the civil rights movement in the 1960s: “We are just molding the movement to the issues that are urgent now,” she says. Like many of the social justice movements of the past, hers is one made up of young people.

“To me, there are so many of my friends doing this kind of stuff, it’s normal,” she says. “It’s good to see that kids are having a movement for social justice. In the beginning, I would recruit all my friends to come. Now, they are all in the movement.”

Temu realizes what she does can impact the entire community, the entire world. She believes in the power of the people, and she knows the potential of a grassroots movement to influence politicians and policy. But more than politics, she says, it’s about tolerance.

“I want people to understand that we are different and that difference is the one thing that unites us,” she says. “Like, none of us are any better than anyone else.”

The post Captain Justice appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.