Today we’d like to introduce you to Rory Moore.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rory. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Denver Element started in 2008 as a program of what was then Mile High Council and is now Mile High Behavioral Healthcare. At its inception, Element was primarily focused on social and substance use programming for gay men in Denver.
The programming picked up steam and acquired funding to expand its services to include individual and group therapy for queer folks, social group support for people living with HIV called Positive Impact, and STD testing, education and navigation for PrEP (Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis) services. In 2012, Denver Pique was introduced as a supportive social event program for Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Nonbinary, and Queer Men 18-39 years of age in the Denver metro area. Denver Pique also has an active partnership with the Transgender Center of the Rockies to aid in building more queer community support.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not always been an easy road for Denver Element, given that the programs have to be adaptable to the persistent funding challenges. Not to mention, Element has struggled to change its perception as a traditionally white gay men’s program. Yet, because of the hard work of staff who are passionate about the community, Denver Element has been resilient and worked fiercely to achieve a more inclusive and diverse staff and program altogether.
We’d love to hear more about your organization.
Currently, I serve as the Denver Pique Program Coordinator and plan weekly fun social events for Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Nonbinary, and Queer Men 18-39 years of age in the Denver metro area. These events range from movie nights, game nights, Dungeons & Dragons, summer barbecues, hikes, and anything else the group can dream up. I am most proud of Denver Element shifting to be a more queer-inclusive and racially diverse program while staying within the parameters of our grants. What sets Denver Pique apart from others is that we provide a wide net of services in conjunction with Denver Element such as individual and group therapy, social group support for folks living with HIV, STD testing, referrals for PrEP and we are easy to access given our prime location in the Denver area.
What lessons have I learned from being in this role?
To be candid, I just started my role in December 2019, so I am still fairly new and trying my best to objectively address the needs of my queer community. I am taking every day as a learning opportunity and making changes as I see fit. The only thing that I wish I could have done differently is to tell myself that not everything needs to be perfect. I constantly strive for perfection, which can be quite exhausting. As such, I am working on letting things happen the way they should and not stressing over it.
Contact Info:
- Address: 4242 Delaware St. Denver, CO 80216
- Website: https://denverelement.org
- Phone: 720-382-5900
- Email: info@thedenverelement.org
- Instagram: @denverelement
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DenverELEMENT
- Twitter: @DenverELEMENT
Image Credit:
Denver Element
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