A Quick Guide to LGBT Inclusion at Denver PrideFest PrideFest draws to Denver a wide variety of people attending – over 300,000 each year. For this one weekend each year, hundreds of thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (LGBT)— and their allies—come together to celebrate the culture and diversity of our community. As a vendor, you’ll be interacting with the LGBT and allied community all weekend. So we created some quick tips that will help you be an ally to LGBT folks. • Respect the Vegas Rule. What happens at Pride, stays at Pride. Please don’t out folks you see at Pride without their explicit consent. Not everyone is out in their personal and/or professional lives. • Language is power. Show your commitment to being an ally by using language that respects identities. Avoid slurs. Instead, use: gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (or trans). Remember that these are not necessarily nouns; say “a gay person” or “a trans person” rather than “a gay” or “a trans.” • Be mindful of what you’re assuming about someone’s gender. Never assume you know someone’s gender because of how they look, dress, or act. Instead, use inclusive vocabulary such as “they” rather than “he” or “she,” and avoid gendered terms like “ma’am” or “sir.” • Only ask questions relevant to the services you offer; there’s no need to ask questions about someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity to satisfy your own curiosity, unless a person has told you that they are comfortable with that. • Be aware that not everyone who attends PrideFest identifies as “gay.” Thousands of straight allies attend the weekend, along with folks who prefer to identify as lesbian, bisexual, or queer. Transgender people, just like non‐trans people, can identify all over the LGBTQ spectrum. To learn more about the spectrum of LGBT identities visit: www.glbtcolorado.org Thanks to our partners at One Colorado providing this helpful guide: www.one‐colorado.org .