Gay ski - om Aspen Gay Ski Week to European Snow Pri

Contents:

• ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK
• THE STORY OF ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK
• ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK TO WELE FAI NEXT MONTH
• ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK KICKS OFF 43RD YEAR OF FTIVI, FUNDRAISG FOR LGBTQ+ MUNY
• GAY SKI WEEKS: COLOR THE SLOP
• 46TH ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK EXPANDS ENTERTAMENT AND EVENT OFFERGS
• THE ULTIMATE GUI TO GAY SKI WEEKS AROUND THE WORLD
• SKI HOP FOR LORFUL SETTG WHEN X GAM, GAY SKI WEEK TOWN
• 10 GAY SKI WEEKS AND WTER PRI CELEBRATNS
• MORE THAN A PARTY: ASPEN’S GAY SKI WEEK RAIS THOANDS OF DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, SUPPORT
• GAY SKI WEEK IS BACK AT VAIL

ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK

A mol for other gay ski weeks, AGSW offers a unique vatn experience the scenic and historic mounta town of Aspen, Colorado.

THE STORY OF ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK

Aspen Gay Ski Week is also the annual fundraisg event for AspenOUT, a lol non-prof and 501C3 anizatn foced on anti-bullyg and tolerance. It was the party culture of the ’70s clashg wh old-fashned unacceptance that led to the formatn of a nonprof to n Aspen Gay Ski Week and e as a force for good the muny. By 1977, the rnns beme more official, wh each club hostg parti their ndos on different nights for a week January, and the lol ntgent throwg the wele as liberal as Aspen was, beg gay public wasn’t universally accepted (hence the ndo parti)—a realy that spurred Jon Bch, one of Aspen Gay Ski Week’s founrs, to advote for gay rights after gettg trouble for dancg wh another man at a lol bar.

In 1979, Bch and other lol supporters had reason to celebrate when Aspen beme the first municipaly Colorado to pass an anti-discrimatn policy for gays and lbians. Boulr and Denver followed Aspen’s example, but 1992, Colorado voters passed Amendment 2 to the state nstutn, which revoked gay protectns and prohibed any new on om beg enacted at lol and state levels. This anti-gay policy triggered a wispread and effective boytt of Colorado tourism, particularly pafully felt Aspen, where Gay Ski Week had bee a major wter event and talyst for gay tourism year-round.

ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK TO WELE FAI NEXT MONTH

A legal challenge ensued, and shortly after the US Supreme Court led that Amendment 2 was unnstutnal 1996, Aspen Gay Ski Week was fold to a new 501c3 nonprof: the Aspen Gay and Lbian Communy Fund (now AspenOUT) olst and largt gay ski event the untry (more than 3, 000 people are expected this year), Aspen Gay Ski Week has evolved far beyond ndo parti. A wboy dance party at the Belly Up and boy band ver group at the Wheeler are exampl of events put on by other enti wh Gay Ski Week atten md.

But as AspenOUT’s ma annual fundraiser, Aspen Gay Ski Week is much more than a good time— mak possible the anizatn’s growg mental health and tn work.

ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK KICKS OFF 43RD YEAR OF FTIVI, FUNDRAISG FOR LGBTQ+ MUNY

Wh funds om Gay Ski Week, for example, AspenOUT provis facilators to Roarg Fork Valley schools’ gay stunt allianc (GSAs) and onle mental health trag for unselors and teachers.

“Aspen Snowmass is very clive and has always been very supportive of Aspen Gay Ski Week, not only bee ’s good for the enomy, but bee ’s good for the muny, ” says McManamon. Aspen Snowmass is one of many proud sponsors of Aspen Gay Ski Week, but the pany’s support of the LGBTQ+ muny don’t stop there.

And on a state and natnal level, the pany speaks out on policy—notably signg the amic brief the 2015 US Supreme Court se that legalized gay while there’s still work to be done, the progrs that’s been fostered by Aspen Gay Ski Week and the broar Aspen Snowmass muny is somethg to be proud of.

GAY SKI WEEKS: COLOR THE SLOP

In 2019, Colorado Governor Jared Polis, the untry’s first openly gay ernor, signed a proclamatn regnizg the event’s role beg “a cril part of the fight for civil rights the LGBTQ muny Colorado and across the natn. Jt as the year's closg parti mark the end of summer; wter is soon upon aga brgg wh s own host of gay annual events – namely an ternatnal array of gay ski weeks. Whether you're a virg skier, slope master or even jt there for the parti, gay ski weeks have somethg h and fun to offer.

46TH ASPEN GAY SKI WEEK EXPANDS ENTERTAMENT AND EVENT OFFERGS

An LGBT+ ski event, often referred to as a gay ski week, is an anized event at a ski rort specifilly for the LGBT+ muny.

Gay ski weeks n attract hundreds or even thoands of atten and the anizers put on a variety of shows, parti and gathergs throughout the event.

THE ULTIMATE GUI TO GAY SKI WEEKS AROUND THE WORLD

Packg for a gay ski week will not only volve typil warm wter gear but you may also be enuraged to pack stum for themed events. All gay ski events host a variety of activi and events so be sure to check the schle to see if you need to pack any special outfs, gear or stum. Durg the last week January, the Swiss Alps will heat up as LGBT+ people om across Europe e together to celebrate Arosa Gay Ski Week.

SKI HOP FOR LORFUL SETTG WHEN X GAM, GAY SKI WEEK TOWN

The event creat a welg atmosphere for all LGBT+ people and alli the gay-iendly village of Arosa, Swzerland. Though not as long-nng as s gay ski week s the Alps like European Gay Ski Week or Arosa Gay Ski Week, Mari Montaña is not to be missed. Aspen Gay Ski Week is a ski week held January for a good e: raisg money for AspenOUT – a non-prof anisatn seekg to promote anti-bullyg policy and tolerance throughout the USA.

Aspen Gay Ski Week is the olst annual week-long gay ski event the USA – so you know you'll be good hands throughout. European Snow Pri is sponsored by Scff and held a world-renowned – and openly gay-iendly – ski rort the French si of the Alps, Tigu. The Tigu Val Claret transforms self to a thrivg gay village for the week and ss a nvenient few mut’ walk om a vast lagoon – ial to swim and fact the se of the week's crowng jewel event: a giant pool party.

Atria has rapidly bee an extremely liberal untry wh gay marriage beg legalized 2019 and the electn of their first openly lbian mister to ernment. In celebratn of this perhaps, Gay Snow Happeng is rebrandg as Soeln Wter Pri and scrib self as “the peak of diversy” – get ?! Every March the gays scend upon the town of Mammoth Lak up the Sierra mountas California, for the Elevatn Mammoth Gay Ski Week – a five-day high-class skig event.

10 GAY SKI WEEKS AND WTER PRI CELEBRATNS

The event is part of the largt seri of gay ski weeks the world – the others beg Utah and Tremblant – and draws over 2,500 participants annually. The legalizatn of gay marriage more than four years ago has led to a rise more gay fai the Uned Stat, acrdg to the owner of a gay-foced travel pany.

So as part of next month’s 43rd annual Aspen Gay Ski Week, anizers have created a long weekend Snowmass Village at the end of the week’s ftivi specifilly geared toward gay upl wh children. 17 to 19 — is a partnership between Kamsky’s pany, Fay Equaly, an advocy group for gay fai, and AspenOUT, the nonprof that puts on Gay Ski Week. A handful of gay fai wh children young enough not to be school yet have attend Gay Ski Week — schled for Jan.

Now the promotnal backg provid by the partnership wh R Fay Vatns and Fay Equaly, upled wh the fact that next year’s ski week ends on the Mart Luther Kg three-day weekend, was clear the 2020 Aspen Gay Ski Week was the time to try , McManamon said. Skiers turn down Ruthie's Run on Aspen Mounta Sunday as part of the first "mounta du jour" group skig day of Aspen Gay Ski Week. A group skig as part of the first "mounta du jour" experience for Aspen Gay Ski Week pose for a photo near Buckhorn Cab on Aspen Mounta Sunday, January 13, Vcent/The Aspen Tim.

MORE THAN A PARTY: ASPEN’S GAY SKI WEEK RAIS THOANDS OF DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARSHIPS, SUPPORT

They were takg part the first “mounta du jour” skig experience of the annual Aspen Gay Ski Week, which kicked off s 43-year anniversary Sunday. As the group of skiers turned their way down and across Aspen Mounta, some said they’d been g to the Gay Ski Week celebratn and fundraiser for s bee of s posive, fun culture. He said he was visg the lol area wh iends over 24 years ago at the same time as Aspen Gay Ski Week and has been a part of the event nearly every year sce.

First workg the week as a volunteer and now servg as AspenOUT’s executive director, McManamon said the annual Gay Ski Week is promoted and produced almost fully by the LGBTQ+ muny. This year, the week has a new sponsor, W Aspen, which will host the openg cktail receptn and several apr ski events over the week — featurg bartenrs and dancers om The Abbey, a famo gay bar Los Angel — and is partnerg wh the Fay Equaly Council and R Fay Vatns to host a LGBTQ+ fay-foced weekend of events Snowmass. Startg wh ULLR Night and an LGBTQ Fay Night at the Treehoe, and endg wh a pool party and iendship dner, the gural LGBTQ+ fay weekend is set to host 27 fai as part of Aspen Gay Ski Week, and may even clu a summer unterpart this year, as prevly reported.

GAY SKI WEEK IS BACK AT VAIL

But while this year’s Gay Ski Week clus a few new twists that are bound to be a part of the event movg forward, McManamon said a lot of what keeps so many people g back year after year is the tradnal Aspen Gay Ski week ftivi — like the night out at the Caribou Club, downhill stume ntt on the Ltle Nell n and the pk flamgo pool party — along wh the fundraisg the weeklong celebratn do for the LGBTQ+ muny.

Through lift tickets, rentals, apr-ski event sal and the annual silent ctn, McManamon said Aspen Gay Ski week rais over $100, 000 every year, which divis out to grants and scholarships for both natnal LGBTQ+ iativ and lol on, like those through AspenOUT.

Wily regard as the top ski statn for LGBTQ travelers, Aspen Snowmass livers wh four mountas of terra, imprsive après ski, smopolan rtrants, world-class hotels, and the annual exuberance of Gay Ski Week—the natn’s biggt (and longt nng) on-snow pri event.