LGBTQ+ advocacy groups host vaccine clinic at The Center on Colfax

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DENVER — LaLa Shearz and Dixie Krystals know how to work a crowd.

The two drag entertainers are no strangers to the stage, and often participate in events like drag brunch or bingo. But on May 19, Krystals and Shearz tried their hands at public health.

The pair was stationed outside of The Center on Colfax, armed with signs, encouraging people to get COVID-19 vaccinations at The Center.  A trio of organizations—The Center, Denver Public Health, and One Colorado—organized the free vaccination clinic.

“A lot of people are scared to get the vaccine right now,” Shearz explained, “so Dixie and I are out here trying to give you a friendly face, make it a little easier for you to come on in, feel a little bit more comfortable.”

Vaccine slots were available at the clinic every 15 minutes. Those who received their first dose today will get their second one on June 18.

“The LGBTQ community is no stranger to a pandemic or a virus or anything attacking us and our safety,” Shearz said. “So we have got to be extra vigilant in these times and get our vaccinations.”

The New York Times reported earlier this month that only a few states report sexual orientation and gender identity data in their COVID-19 reporting, making it difficult to ascertain any vaccine disparities in LGBTQ+ communities. Colorado is not one of the states collecting that data.

According to the CDC, “Inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity data in COVID-19 surveillance and other data collections could improve knowledge about disparities in infections and adverse outcomes among sexual and gender minority populations, overall and by race/ethnicity.”

Polis, the first gay man ever elected as a state governor in the United States, explained in a virtual town hall, "There's a lot of people in Colorado who don't want that info out there...While we love data, we don't want to ask people for data they are not comfortable sharing."

According to the CDC, when compared to heterosexual adults, LGBTQ+ adults have higher rates of underlying conditions like heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and smoking, making the group at higher risk for serious COVID-19 symptoms, if infected.

“It’s important to me because as an entertainer, it means that I can go back out to work a little bit more, we get to be around people a little more comfortably,” Krystals said of the vaccine. “It just makes me feel safe and I know that I’m keeping everyone else safe.”

Brian Willie is the Content Production Manager at Rocky Mountain PBS. You can contact him at brianwillie@rmpbs.org.

“This is not a schtick at all,” said Nadine Bridges, Executive Director of One Colorado, the state’s largest LGBTQ+ advocacy group. “What we know is a lot of our LGBTQ community members, they are part of the service industry. And so what we’re trying to do is say, ‘Hey, we want to make sure they’re protected as well.’ We want to make sure they can go back to their jobs. We want to make sure that we can go back to what we’re doing, and that we’re all safe, and can start to build on and connect with [the] community once again.”

Governor Jared Polis stopped by the vaccine clinic, which did not require an appointment, and met Shearz and Krystals.