SUMMER ISSUE 2025:
July 14, 2025
Out Loud in the Heartland
In small-town Colorado, LGBTQ+ residents face both isolation and resilience. From SECO Pride in Rocky Ford to Salida’s thriving Ark Valley Pride, local organizers and allies are transforming limited resources into visibility, acceptance, and vibrant community connections beyond the big cities.
By Jake Walker
USE ARROWS TO MOVE THROUGH IMAGES
We have heard stories from LGBTQ+ people living in big cities like Denver. But what about the small towns of Colorado? There’s plenty of LGBTQ+ people in these small towns like Salida, Rocky Ford, and Canon City. While these communities may lack the extensive resources found in urban centers, they are home to individuals and groups striving to create inclusive spaces and foster acceptance. Some of them are just trying to live their life in peace. We’ll talk about the change makers in their small towns and everyday people on their perspectives of living outside the big city as a queer person.
Rocky Ford: The Quiet Struggle
We start in Rocky Ford, which is a small agricultural town and home to Dominique Robbins, also known as “DMINQ”. He says “If you live in a small town for a long time, you find out people are more scared because they know everyone. They want to be out, but they can’t. My openness coming from the big city and being out shocks them. I hope that being open myself will encourage others to come out and be open about themselves.” Not only does DMINQ live in a small town as an LGBTQ+ person, but he is also indigenous and a person of color. Still though, adversity has never been something to keep him down.
Since 2023, DMINQ helps organize SECO Pride. It’s something he says the need for is real. SECO Pride serves Lamar, Las Animas, La Junta, Swink, Rocky Ford, Manzanola, Fowler, Avondale and Pueblo. He says “People need to see they can be who they are in a public setting! After we broke the first one, the second one was way bigger… the first year had about 150 people, the second year we had about 350. We even had 40 vendors fill the park!” They’re hoping for even more attendees in the future.
I also reached out to the high school in Rocky Ford. The principal tells me there is no GSA because “there has been no need.” It’s important to note that the need may not be apparent as some of the LGBTQ+ community is “in the closet”, or not out. DMNIQ tells me that before, the closest pride center to rocky ford was in Colorado Springs, two hours away. That center has since shut down. There have recently been new support groups form in Pueblo, right in-between the Springs and Rocky Ford like the Southern Colorado Equality Alliance and Pueblo Pride.
Image: Trinidad Sign
Cañon City and Trinidad: Navigating Conservatism with Courage
Cañon City, known for its conservative leanings, has seen LGBTQ+ individuals like Xara D'Karn. She’s a transgender woman who has faced significant challenges. D'Karn talked with a local television station about feeling isolated and encountering hostility. She explains being stared at in public spaces, highlighting the lack of understanding and acceptance in the area. There are talks online of a need for an LGBTQ+ organization in Canon City. At the time of writing this article, there are no new organizations in town specifically geared for queer people. I also reached out to Canon City High school, and they say they do currently offer a GSA for their students.
There are other people in Canon City that are working to make positive changes in our state. Another person DMINQ mentions is Manuel Arizala lives in Canon City and works with Colorado Pet Pantry- they put on pet food giveaways in the Arkansas valley and even across the entire state. They’ll be at SECO pride in 2025. He says they’re trying to build a bridge with the LGBTQ+ community by giving away pet food and supplies to those who need it.
Further south to the state border, A local artist DMINQ tells me about is Dalen Savage who is putting on drag shows in Trinidad, CO at the southern border. They bring drag queens from all around the state to perform. Trinidad may not have its own pride festival, but I’m told the people of Trinidad love the drag shows They provide valuable representation that is all too scarce in these small towns.
Salida: Building Community Through Visibility
In contrast, Salida has made notable strides in fostering LGBTQ+ inclusivity. The town is more politically split but still leans conservative, according to bestneighborhood.com. Salida High School's Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) provides a supportive environment for LGBTQ+ youth, reflecting the town's commitment to inclusivity. A representative from the school tells me there are 15 students enrolled in 2025, and the program has been around for about 8-years. Salida is also home to the annual Ark Valley Pride, which began with a modest gathering and has grown into a multi-day celebration attracting nearly approximately 2500-5000 participants, according to Organizers like Jimmy Sellars. He is instrumental in creating safe spaces and events that promote visibility and acceptance.
Image: Pridefest in Salida, Colorado
Sellars tells me more about the work that’s being done in Salida for the LGBTQ+ community. “The PfCA provides a queer resource center, advocates for LGBTQ+ people of all ages (through public health, advocates for comp sex ed in schools, provides GSA-style support for youth through our YAS! (Your Authentic Self) Clubs in our public schools and Boys & Girls Clubs, we partner to bring a biannual "Itty Bitty Queer Health Fair" and work with our local Planned Parenthood and many healthcare practices for better sexual healthcare access, we organize a group of faith groups and organizations who support LGBTQ+ efforts and support smaller groups looking to build collective strength rurally. I also sit on many state level boards and initiatives to better lives for LGBTQ+ people and am the lead facilitator of a statewide coalition of LGBTQ+ organizations throughout rural Colorado.”
People I talked to that grew up in Salida tell me these resources were not available to them until the mid-nineties. Life as an LGBTQ+ person before then, according to Jeremy Mears, was isolating. He says “I started school in the very late eighties, and there was very little in the way of sexual stigma the way people see it today. Homosexuality was, of course, unknown to me and it wouldn’t be for some time, as it was invisible. It stayed invisible for a long time, only when someone made an off-color joke about it, and you inquired did you know it wasn’t to be talked about openly.”
Conclusion: Progress Amidst Challenges
As the stories of Salida, Rocky Ford and Cañon City show, the journey from silence to celebration in Colorado’s small towns has been driven not by large institutions but by the courage of individuals determined to be seen. What began as an almost invisible existence—where off‑color jokes were the only acknowledgement of queer lives—has grown, over the past three decades, into something unmistakably vibrant. From Jeremy’s first inklings of “why I wasn’t chasing girls,” to Dominique’s shock‑and‑awe openness that inspired hundreds to come out for SECO Pride, and Heather’s decades‑long commitment in La Veta, each voice has chipped away at the barriers of small‑town conservatism.
As more storytellers lift the voices of queer Coloradans outside the Front Range, the next chapter will belong to those ready to build on what’s already been achieved. Organizers are planning bigger events, local groups are forming new alliances, and everyday residents are choosing acceptance over fear. In towns where everyone knows your name, visibility isn’t just an act of courage—it’s the lifeline that transforms isolation into community. With each festival pitched, each GSA meeting held, and each candid conversation sparked around a kitchen table, small‑town Colorado moves closer to a future where every person can simply live and love, out loud.
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About the author
Jake Walker is a Colorado Springs native, a passionate storyteller, and the heart behind CS Local Media. A gay man happily married to his husband Christopher, Jake brings authenticity, creativity, and community focus to everything he creates. He shares his life with a dog, a cat, and a bearded dragon—and a deep love for capturing real stories through video, photo, and design. Whether it’s :60 Video Commercials or local news, Jake builds media with soul, purpose, and personality.
Since 2004, METROMODE has been a beacon for the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies. We’re a publication built on quality, not only in our advertising clients but in the look, feel, and editorial pieces of each magazine. METROMODE speaks to the entire community with thoughtful analysis of local, national, and global events affecting our community; developments in business, finance, the economy, and real estate; interviews with emerging and seasoned artists, musicians, and writers; appealing new opportunities to enjoy Colorado’s rich culture and social atmosphere; quality aesthetic experiences from film, to food, to music, to art, to night life; and challenging social and political thought.
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