Sometimes I just get tired of following Focus On The Faggot, I mean Family’s ramblings against gay people.  Fortunately Westword does a great job in a recent blog post of summarizing all the bat-shittery coming out of Focus this last week.  Here’s what Focus is all bent-out-of-shape over:

• CO’s new designated beneficiary program which goes into effect today.
• Obama’s speech to gay activists on Monday at a White House cocktail reception celebrating pride month.
• The recent re-introduction of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act in the US House.

Read Westword’s comical summery of Focus’ reaction here.

…In other Westword blog news (totally unrelated to Focus) check out this phenomenal Cher / Virgin Mary lawn sculpture they found in the neighborhood of Westwood. It’s part of a whole series on “yard arteology.”

photo via Westword

• You know that fancy new restaurant, OLIVEA, that just opened up next to JR’s?  Well if you were curious about it Westword has blogged a write-up on it.  (it’s not a full fledged review by their food critic tho)

• According to MileHighGayGuy today is the deadline to join DATE, the Denver Area (gay) Tennis Enthusiasts, if you want to be placed by level in the single and double tennis ladders. DATE’s website is here and the contact guy for ladders is Steve Kelliher at sgkelliher@gmail.com.  (Normally I verify basic info like today being the deadline, but DATE’s website calendar makes no mention of it so we’ll just trust MHGG on this one.)

• A third grader from Montclair Elementary School (in Denver) by the name of Ethan is organizing a marriage equality rally on the west steps of the capitol on Saturday from noon to 1:30. Details on the event listing on Colorado Queer Straight Alliance’s website are still sketchy but I’ll keep y’all updated in case this story grows legs.

Update: CafeVivid also has an event listing for the 3rd grade marriage rally but it doesn’t indicate which, if any groups and politicians, are committed to attending.

With the economy in the shitter this is a hell of a time for a union contract to expire and to re-negotiate a new one that will be in place for the next five years.  But that’s the position the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Local No. 7 (aka the people who work at King Soopers and Safeway) have found themselves in.

In the interest of continuing negotiations union workers have agreed to continue working under their previous labor contract which expired last Saturday.

However should negotiations fail, unions at both King Soopers and Safeway have authorized a strike.  And shoppers at both stores have surely noticed “temporary labor wanted” signs go up. A friend who currently works at Safeway tweets that they’re offering scabs $10.25/hr.

Via The Latest Word @ Westword

Photo credit JoeBehrPalmSprings