When Rich Guggenheim, GAG director of legislation, arrived at Buddies post-rally, he and two friends — including Valdamar Archuleta, who's challenging Diana DeGette for her District 1 seat — were greeted by signs and a doorman who said there would be a $40 cover charge, with all proceeds going to the Harris/Walz campaign. Archuleta admits he was in full Trump-wear; Guggenheim was wearing a MAGA-like hat that said "Make Gay Bars Gay Again."
At first, Guggenheim says, he "thought the bouncer and owner of the bar was joking," but when he realized Buddies was serious, he stood outside and made a video for X: "This is discrimination and homophobia against gay people who have a conservative ideology," Guggenheim said, suggesting that anyone listening "share this all over social media."
Alerted to the upcoming GAG visit, Buddies had quickly planned the benefit. "On Saturday, October 5, we held a sixty-minute fundraiser in support of the Harriz/Walz campaign," says Phil Newland, managing member of Buddies. "The $40 cover charge was the fundraiser, and we raised $280 thanks to the seven people that chose to participate in our fundraising efforts. We understand not everyone wants to participate in every fundraiser, and we support that choice! We even had some patrons decide to return at 5:30, when the fundraiser was over."
Archuleta admits that Buddies used no discriminatory language that would support Guggenheim's version of events. "They didn't say anything," says Archuleta. "You could just get the sense that they weren't happy we were there. That's basically it. It is what it is. We just went somewhere else."
But that was not that. After the rally, GAG thanked Jared Polis — the first outwardly gay man elected governor in the country — for recognizing "our hard work protecting children across the state," and posted a picture of a certificate and ceremonial Colorado flag that the group had been awarded on X.
The certificate is real, but it was issued without Polis's knowledge; GAG had filed a Ceremonial Flag Request Form through the state website. The request is designed to "honor a colleague, family member, volunteer, or someone else celebrating a special milestone by having a Ceremonial Colorado State or United States flag flown at the State Capitol Building"; after filling out the form and paying the $26-$29 fee, you get a flag flown for a hot minute over the golden dome with a certificate of authenticity bearing the governor's signature and embossed state seal, and bearing the language you submit.Gays Against Groomers would like to thank Colorado Governor @jaredpolis (@GovofCO) for his public recognition for our hard work in protecting children across the state. It means so much to us. We are just getting started! @JaredPolis @GAG_Colorado pic.twitter.com/Q6ByIPlXdR
— Gays Against Groomers (@againstgrmrs) October 8, 2024
At least, that's what you used to get, until the governor's office learned of the GAG flag this week. "Hate has no place in Colorado, and Governor Polis denounces hate in all its forms," says press secretary Shelby Wieman. "Governor Polis is striving to build a Colorado for All, where everyone, no matter who you are, who you love or how you identify can thrive. The governor does not endorse the positions of groups who request honorary flags. The governor was not aware of this request, just as he is not involved in the other flag requests that come through the Department of Personnel and Administration."
The administration is "taking active internal steps to ensure more vetting is conducted on these types of requests today and in the future," Wieman adds.
"DPA did not do its sufficient due diligence on this request," says Doug Platt, communications manager for the DPA. "The Department of Personnel & Administration apologizes for this unfortunate misstep and is developing immediate changes to our process to ensure such situations do not happen again. DPA has temporarily halted the flag program and form until changes can be made to the program to keep these instances from happening in the future while ensuring members of the public are able to use the program appropriately."
Among other things, the DPA took down the form while it was revised to eliminate the space for descriptions; it's now back up. And the DPA sent a letter to the Colorado General Assembly apologizing for the snafu and outlining the steps it is taking for future requests.
For the record, GAG has been labeled a hate group by both the Anti-Defamation League and the Southern Policy Law Center; had its accounts shut down on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok; and been removed from Google, Google Pay, PayPal, Venmo, Printful and Wix.com under hate speech clauses in their terms of service.
A little more vetting would have shown that Guggenheim pleaded guilty to a felony charge of voter fraud in the 2020 election (he voted twice — once in Idaho and once in Florida). Today he lives in Colorado, where he's program manager for the Colorado Department of Agriculture, with expertise in "event planning."
