Denver’s LGBT community came out to celebrate individuals, couples and organizations that made a difference in 2012 at Out Front’s inaugural Power Party. Former mayor of Denver and secretary of transportation and energy Federico Pena, opened the evening with remarks about his early endorsement of gay rights in the 1980s. Out Front, Colorado’s largest and oldest news organization and network, honored more than a dozen individuals with a full dinner, cocktails, entertainment and an after party. The Power Party at the EXDO Event Center featured the Colorado Gay Rodeo Association, The Imperial Court of the Rocky Mountains, The Center, and Colorado AIDS Project. Ellis McFadden, a gay man who has volunteered in five different decades was honored with a lifetime achievement award.

Photos by Nikki Kushner and Charles Broshous