PRIDE

Burke County Pride kicks off in Morganton, NC.

Alone and afraid, Seth Loven began to cry. But it was not the Seth Loven of today — the 23-year-old who aims to inspire others and who takes pride in who he is. This version of Loven was crying because his teenage mind couldn’t take one more second of people making fun of him. And as he fought back tears caused by constant jokes about his sexual orientation, he also fought back the urge to take his own life.

PRIDE

Mid-Missouri celebrates Pride.

In celebration of the LGBTQ commuity’s increasing visiblity in Mid-Missouri, LGBTQ organizations Mid-Missouri Pride and The Center Project came together to host their 14th annual PrideFest on Saturday at Rose Music Hall. The festival lasted from 1-10 p.m. and featured an array of performances and guest speakers, from live musical groups to an interfaith sermon from local LGBTQ-allied clergy and even a pole dance routine from Muse Pole Fitness dancers. The festival closed with the Downtown Hometown Drag Show, headlined by Roxxxy Andrews and showcasing 15 other local entertainers.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Gay & bisexual European immigrants face higher risk to HIV.

Gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) often are motivated to embark on new lives in supportive countries to escape oppression and experience freedoms unavailable in their home countries. However, a recent study addressing the MSM migrant community shows that structural stigma (e.g., laws and policies promoting the unequal treatment of oppressed populations) may put this intersectional population at a higher risk of HIV exposure.

5 THINGS TO KNOW

The German gay and bisexual pay gap.

Homo- and bisexual men on average earn 2 euros less per hour than their straight colleagues, according to an economic study. That’s despite being more likely to earn higher qualifications and work in white-collar jobs. In its first study on Germany’s “Sexuality Pay Gap,” the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW) on Thursday reported that gay men earn on average markedly less than their straight male colleagues, despite generally boasting higher qualifications.

DESTINATIONS

Denver is the hot, new LGBT destination.

As soon as I entered Denver’s lesbian bar, Blush and Blu, I was made to feel very welcome. Although predominantly gay women, the bar is popular with the trans community and gay men who appreciate its welcoming vibe. “I am from Houston, Texas. I love this place; they make you feel at home,” Sandra Leal said when I was there earlier this month, before the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey hit Leal’s hometown. Echoed my bar-mate on the left, Alexander Hugg, “You become a regular very super early here.”

5 THINGS TO KNOW

Why is the LGBT community less healthy than their straight counterparts?

There’s a health trend that researchers want the LGBT community to be aware of: Lesbian and gay adults over 50 are found to be in poorer health than heterosexuals, according to a University of Washington School of Social Work study. The UW study is the first to use national, population-based data, to look at adult health by sexual orientation. UW Professor Karen Fredriksen-Goldsen was a lead researcher.

HEALTH

A high rate depression among LGB young people.

Adolescence can be tough for young people, but it can be especially hard for teenagers who aren’t straight. Our latest study reveals that lesbian, gay and bisexual young people (LGB or “sexual minority youth”) have about three times the risk of being depressed compared with their heterosexual peers.