Beatty Recognized for Advocacy Work

SIN- Strength In Numbers Colorado is ecstatic about this year's selection to receive the Carl Frazier Memoriam for community advocacy. The local recognition began in 2009 as a response to the untimely loss of one if its members in July 2008. To commemorate Carl, as well as promote a stronger sense of community among Colorado's HIV positive citizens, the CFM was created and the 2009 recipient was Arthur Powers. This will hopefully continue to grow as a mechanism for the poz community here to say Thank You to our own. Michael is a shining example of consistent community input. Below is Beatty's bio and a snapshot of his amazing scope of work (actually put together by Drew Wilson of Mile High Gay Guy). The award will be presented at the annual Gill Foundation Community Forum to be held at Hamburger Mary's on March 30th. RSVP required. The following article is reprinted from http://www.ontheten.com/ and the TEN newsletter.

Congratulations Michael... And Thank You for all your beautiful work.

Michael Beatty is a Denver-based marketing and promotions professional with extensive experience in event planning and fundraising and a long history of professional and personal association with Colorado’s HIV and gay communities.

Having worked in the HIV community since the early 1990s, Beatty is honored and humbled to be the recipient of the 2010 Carl Frazier Award. The Carl Frazier Memorial Award is named for Strength In Numbers contributor Carl Frazier, who was murdered in 2008, and is awarded annually by Strength in Numbers Colorado to recognize excellence in HIV community advocacy.


“It’s such an honor to be recognized for doing the work I love to do,” said Beatty. “This work feeds my soul and gives me reason to get up in the morning. It’s all about contributing to my community and making a difference in peoples’ lives.”


Beatty, who has lived with HIV since 1985, was approached in 1993 by Charles Robbins, founder of Colorado’s Project Angel Heart, to become a member of the rapidly growing organization’s team. Founded in 1991 to provide nutritious meals to members of the Denver community living with HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses, Project Angel Heart now serves over 800 clients every week.


Beatty credits Robbins with seeing in him a potential for community service that Beatty himself did not. As program director of Project Angel Heart’s Center for Living, Michael Beatty began the first steps of his professional and personal journey through the world of HIV advocacy.


Soon after, Beatty began a 15-year association with the Colorado chapter of AIDS, Medicine, & Miracles as Director of Constituency Relations and retreat producer. AM&M coordinates holistic retreats and one-day programs around the country for people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.


Beatty’s work in the HIV/AIDS and gay communities throughout the years has also included serving as Event Director for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Center of Colorado and employment with Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Boulder County AIDS Project, Denver PrideFest, POZ magazine, Out Front Colorado newspaper, and collaborated in the production of three Denver HIV Health Fairs, the HIV Retreats, and the Community Education Forums.


“Everything I’ve done professionally has given me an opportunity to be of service to the HIV community,” said Beatty. “As a person living with HIV and as a person on a journey of recovery from cocaine since 1990 I feel that I’m alive for a reason and that reason is that there’s work for me to do.”


It was attending a Strength In Numbers breakfast gathering that Michael Beatty met Carl Frazier. He is now proud to be the recipient of Frazier's namesake award and thrilled that the good work of the Community Educat10nal Forums and the HIV Retreats at Shadowcliff has evolved under the leadership of Michael Dorsch and Rod Rushing through TEN (Treatment Educat10n Network). If I were to recognize two people in our community who made significant differences in our lives, it would be Michael and Rod, you guys ROCK!
For nearly 20 years, Michael Beatty’s professional and personal philosophy has been one of contribution and service to the community, and to this day, Beatty dedicates his work to those who have lost their battle against HIV, as well as to those who continue to fight and thrive.


“The bottom line is that it’s all about creating a life I love living by helping others create a life they can love living,” said Beatty. “I want to empower my gay brothers with the information that they are wonderful and complete and whole and deserving of the abundance that life has to offer.”

dna identifies carl frazier's killer

i am very happy to report that the blessings of modern science and technology have brought closure to a family and his friends this week. i received a note on facebook from carl fraziers sister and have asked permission to reprint it. i am still deciding whether to include it in the next newsletter, but certainly include it here, as i have posted a few other items referencing this. you can read those earlier posts here. a friend of mine, and a then transplant to colorado was murdered in july 2008 in a parking are and left to die in the street. there were rumors about the circumstances and many more questions than there were answers.

subsequently, i befriended his sister who has been struggling with grief and loss since this all happened. she graced me enough to reach out and share some of her thoughts and feelings, and we met that year at holiday time to visit the spot where carl left us. it made my heart smile to hear the news from the police investigation. and i could tell the beginnings of a very heavy burden lifted. and i am quietly thrilled to say "please carl.... rest in peace"

here is the note from kathy about this development....

The call I’ve been praying for literally every day for the past 20 months finally came this week. The Denver Police have identified the person who murdered my brother. The story behind this tragedy is a sad reminder that there is no promise of any tomorrows. It makes me thankful that Carl seized every opportunity he had to travel and meet new people. Yet, it also reminds me that my little brother ran out of time far too soon.


The night my brother was murdered, he had the misfortune of meeting someone who he thought he could trust and didn’t realize what a mistake he had made until it was too late. He agreed to give someone a ride that ended up costing him his life. Carl had no way of knowing that this person was a convicted felon who hadn’t been out of prison very long before he and Carl crossed paths. This man had a history of increasingly more violent crimes in his life that started with burglary and aggravated assault and escalated to murder…the murder of my brother. At some point during their time together, this man revealed to Carl that his intent was to rob him. When Carl realized what was happening and tried to get away, this man panicked and shot Carl. This man knew the neighborhood and knew he could get away from where he took Carl without anyone noticing him – he knew he could run and blend in with the surroundings.
I’ve always been a firm believer in karma and never have I witnessed it played out as poetically as it did in the case of my brother. We now know that this thug met the same violent ending as he put my brother through. My brother’s murderer was killed less than two weeks later in July 2008 in a shootout that was less than a mile from where he killed Carl. This idiot was in the middle of a drug deal/robbery that quickly went bad and was killed by other thugs.


The police let us know that Carl’s murder was solved 100% because of solid lab work based on the evidence they found in Carl’s truck. Thanks to the Colorado laws, anyone who is sentenced to jail time is required to have their DNA added to the law enforcement database, which meant this thug’s DNA came up as a match when Carl’s information went into the system. While it has taken an incredibly long time to match everything, between the DNA, the gun found on the killer when he was found dead at the scene of the gun battle, and statements from his family, the police were able to conclude that he was indeed the man who murdered Carl. They’ve been diligently piecing this together for 20 months. God bless the Denver police for sticking with it. Finally, they were able to get answers to enough of the questions that were surrounding his murder and the scene of the crime that it all fit together and pointed toward one man as being responsible.


So, Carl’s murder case is finally solved and family and friends don’t have to go through the pain of a trial….karma decided what was to be considered a fair and equitable judgment for this man.


For me personally, this provides some of the answers I needed and gives me a face to the evil that took my brother from me. I don’t have to worry whether or not this man is ever going to be out on the streets again to hurt someone else. I still don’t have my brother, but at least I feel like we were able to make sure his killer wasn’t still out there living his life when Carl couldn’t.
I want to thank you for being there for Carl and for us. I seriously understand why you meant so much to Carl and I’m so grateful that you were part of his family, too. It gives me great comfort knowing that Carl had such good people in his life.


Hugs,


Kathy

today's sound choice is actually a playlist i found on the soundcloud site. it is a complilation of chill music posted by a cat named senor dick. i thought chill would best represent how i feel after all this. and i hope everyone i know will find some of this same feeling today. peace....

here is "senor dick" and his soundcloud sample:

Senordick031309 192k by Señor Dick

darkside

Ain't nothin' gonna save you from a love that's blind
When you slip to the dark side you cross that line
On the dark side, oh yeah
On the dark side, oh yeah

i am reprinting a news report about carl frazier's that is posted on the 9news website. it is followed by a link to the televised report that ran last night in denver- a full 4 1/2 months after his murder. it is in the midst of the first holiday season carl's sister kathy and her family will be going through without their loved one. my heart goes with them this season.

DENVER - Police have many questions and few answers. Who wanted to kill 41-year-old Carl Frazier? Why was he outside of his truck at 3:40 a.m.? Where had he been since leaving a bar two hours before?


“The last thing I can do as my brother’s big sister is to try to help get some resolution to this and I want him to be proud of me too,” she said.
The perplexing murder, described by police as one of the more frustrating unsolved murders this year, has led the victim's family to beg for clues and police to change their tactic in hopes of finding the killer.

"He's my little brother. He's my own brother. We grew up together," said Kathy Anderson, Frazier's sister.

She says in the early morning hours of July 12, she lost her best friend when someone murdered her brother.

Frazier had just completed his second masters degree. He told his friends having two degrees made him lay-off proof.

"I was just so proud of him because he was so driven and he never goes out and the night he goes out and he has fun (he is killed.) It's a hard one to swallow," said Anderson.

"The last thing I can do as my brother's big sister is to try to help get some resolution to this and I want him to be proud of me too," she said.

Before Frazier was murdered he spent the evening at the Wrangler, a bar at 17th and Logan in Denver. His friends say they took him out to celebrate his second masters degree.

Police know he left before the bar closed. What they don't know is where he went for the next two hours.

He was found shot to death at W. 14th Ave. and Federal Blvd. at 3:40 a.m. His black Nissan truck was found nearby, police say.

"We have several people that heard gunshots," Denver Police Homicide Detective Randy Stegman told 9NEWS, but he says no one actually saw Frazier's killer.

After searching for eye witnesses to the crime, Stegman says he's now hoping to find someone who knows the killer.

"Often times, after a person does this, they will tell someone else and maybe that person thought the person or persons was bragging or making it up," said Stegman, "So if [people] have heard anything similar (about a murder) we need to know."

"He has family who are really struggling with this. They deserve justice. They deserve to know what happened. I want to make good on that," he said.

Anderson hopes people sympathize with her family and come forward with information.

"We can't do it. We can't put this to rest without someone coming forward," she said.

If you have a tip for police, you can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 720-913-STOP.

You could be eligible for a cash reward even if you don't leave your name.

You can contact investigative reporter Jace Larson by e-mailing him at jace.larson@9NEWS.com or calling 303-871-1432.

for 9news video report please click here

today's sound choice is pink floyd with "us and them"

a broken heart

yesterday, i went with my buddy and carl frazier's sister kathy to place a wreath at the spot where he was found dead. above the wreath, they placed a plea for help from crimestoppers with a small reward offered. kathy was in town from illinois to talk to the police about the unsolved case, and to do some interviews with local tv stations. we then went to breakfast and chatted for almost an hour and a half.

i have no idea what she is really going through. she is sunny, bright, and very warmhearted. she seemes quite open, and she seems like she has learned that finding some closure to this situation is going to take more time.

i found out that she didn't know he was positive. somehow that doesn't surprise me. it is such a whole lot to orchestrate when one is disclosing to family and friends. they have a tendency to give advice and interference which can be difficult to accept, even if its in the name of love.

but i now understand a little better how sad she must be. just being at that spot, and finding out more details about the events, and trading insights and perceptions caused me to grieve a little for carl once more. i think he most definitely got dogged, and i would have rather have it happened to anyone else but carl.

today's sound choice.... michael buble singing "how can you mend a broken heart"

there is a season

so i received this letter from Carl Frazier's sister as a result of reaching out and asking her to submit something about her recently passed brother (and my friend) for the next SIN newsletter. i am posting the letter first and then the article.

sometimes less is more....

Rod:

Sorry it took me all week to get this article written. It was much harder to do than I thought it would be; but it felt really good to be able to do it. Today's the two-month anniversary of Carl's murder and I was able to put the finishing touches on this article on his behalf instead of sitting here crying all day. So, thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to do this. Feel free to edit as you need to. I'm going to include a picture that I love of Carl and I. We both look kind of grungy; but it was such an awesome day that it really makes me smile when I look at this picture. My son took it of us when we were on the London Eye in July of 2002. I'm also including a picture from Carl's recent graduation from Univ of Phoenix in June of this year (three weeks to the day from his death) when he got his MBA. He was so proud of this day!

If you have any questions or need anything else from me, please let me know. I still seriously want to do something to stay connected to you guys...not only because I need to for Carl, but because I want to for me. I've found such love and comfort from all of you that it helps me get through the day. So, whatever I can do, please let me know.

Thanks, Rod.

(Could I get a copy of the newsletter on a regular basis? I really enjoy reading it.)

Remembering Carl…

Clean laundry in the dryer ready to fold and put away. A damp towel hanging over the shower curtain. Leftovers in the refrigerator. Shirts fresh from the dry cleaners slung over the couch to be put away. Opened mail on the desk regarding his classes that started in September. By all accounts, Carl was planning on coming home to his life. Never in his wildest dreams did he think that when he left to meet friends for a Friday night out on July 11th that he’d never be returning again. And never in a million years did I ever think I’d get a phone call notifying me that my little brother had been found shot to death.

My brother would be the first one to tell you that I was a much better “preacher” than I was someone who practiced the advice I always feel the need to give. I wish I had a penny for every time I’ve reminded Carl and other friends that “everything happens for a reason” and “God never gives you more than you can handle.” I’d give anything to be able to believe this advice right now. Lately, I’ve found myself struggling to keep it together for my parents and trying to remind them that Carl would not want us to stop living but to celebrate his life and remember all of the good times we’ve shared throughout his 41 short years. It’s hard to do when there are no answers for why this terrible tragedy happened.

As time goes on and the investigation has still not been able to provide any answers but has actually led to more questions about how and why this murder happened, I have come to the realization that I need to try to find a way to accept Carl’s passing. I am reminded of a quote by Abraham Lincoln, “And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” Carl exemplified this message! There was no obstacle to great for him to tackle. I’m so very proud of everything he’s done for every community where he lived. It wasn’t until his death that I realized how important it was for him to make sure all of his friends (old friends and those he still hadn’t met) felt like they had family and acceptance wherever they were. Carl was just my brother to me….I never thought of him as gay or a geek (ok…I may have called him a geek more than once; but I’m a geek, too, and proud of it!!). Growing up in a small town, it was hard from him to be who he really was. How awesome that he never passed up on an opportunity to move to a new city and meet new people. How awesome that he never let HIV stop him from living his life to its fullest or encouraging his friends to do the same. He always said life was too short not to have fun and explore the world.

I know in my heart that my little brother would not want his death to be for nothing – it’s up to me and all those people whose lives he’s touched to carry on his mission. Carl was all about friends and family…and Carl was all about fun. It’s up to us to make sure we never leave someone sitting home alone, afraid to talk to anyone or afraid to face one of life’s next challenges. I’ve learned so much about the strength and brotherhood within your community. Please be there for each other like Carl was. And please help keep Carl’s memory alive by inviting someone new to coffee or to the next social or by giving someone who looks like they’re hurting a hug. Carl valued family and friends more than anything in life. Let’s pay that forward for him.

-- Kathy Anderson (Carl Frazier’s sister)

tears in heaven

it has been 90 degrees for more than 20 days consecutively here in denver. it is very hot. i wish it would rain. i am headed to the mountains tomorrow for a hike at lake isabelle with some guys from SIN. I am looking forward to the temperature change.

there have been some sweet letters being exchanged between bryan levinson (the founder of SIN) and carl fraziers sister. it seems that we may start to give out an award or a recognition in carls memory in SIN. I think that is a splendid idea. here is a bit of the correspondence:

Bryan:

I know your group played a special part in my brother's life. I'm
forever thankful for the awesome friendships he made through SIN. I
just wanted to express my appreciation to everyone for being Carl's
family as much as we were. I can only imagine how important you all
were to him on his journey through life.

Gratefully,
Kathy Anderson (Carl's big sister)

Dear Kathy,

My heart truly goes out to you. I have to admit that I hesitated for several days before mustering the courage to reply to your email. A part of me didn't want to admit that Carl was indeed gone. He is to me and will always remain a very sweet man with a sparkling intellect and unique ability to make almost anyone feel comfortable by his side. I can't even begin to imagine what God has planned for each of his wards in this life but he seems to reserve some of the most undeserving departures for those amazing people like Carl who I would think should live forever. If anyone could surely be an angel after life has ended it's Carl, as he was certainly one in earthly form.

Thank you for the kind note but the pleasure of Carl's presence in my life was mine and my create to your family for allowing us to be a part of his journey. Your family should have tremendous pride in the man that Carl had become and his unwavering desire to make any part of his world better than when he found it. Can I ask if we could dedicate some program within Strength In Numbers in Carl's honor? Possibly an award to individuals who improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS in the gay community? Would that be appropriate?

I've included Rod on this email as he organizes the SIN Colorado chapter and had met Carl several times I believe. Our hearts go out to you and your family. If there is anything, anything that I or anyone else in SIN can do for you or your family, please let me know immediately.

Much love,
Bryan

Rod:

I hope I get to meet you and Bryan someday...you sound like incredible
men I'd really like to know. Bryan's note below made me cry and smile
at the same time - thank you for reinforcing that my little brother
really did have the best people in the world for support. That just
means so much to me.

I absolutely love the idea of creating some type of award in my
brother's name. He would be so honored and so proud that you even
suggested it. What an incredible way to memorialize him and the good
person he was. I would even love to be involved with this....maybe come
to co-present it with you or Bryan or whoever each year. I want to meet
as many people who's lives he touched as possible so he can keep living
in me, too. Just let me know what you want me to do...I will gladly
help however I can.


Kathy