June is a busy month for Vanessa James. On a Monday afternoon, she had just finished an interview with Out Front Magazine about the recovery event she will lead at Civic Center Park in September for the non-profit Advocates for Recovery Colorado. She had a production shoot, too.
Vanessa poses for a photo with a fellow community member at Denver PrideFest
And, there’s organizing the Sober Space for PrideFest, an event she holds close to her heart as part of her mission to help others. She said events like the one in Denver are much needed across the world “as a safe place for us to celebrate who we are.”
Vanessa doesn’t get caught up in conversations about corporate sponsorships or behind-the-scenes drama. “If there's a space that I can go and be my true, authentic self and be as colorful and happy as I possibly can, surrounded by thousands of other people who want to do the same thing, I need that for my personal growth. I need that to know that I'm not alone.”
Everyone should attend Pride, she enthusiastically added, because “we get to be who we are, and in that space, we don't have to worry about judgment.”
Judgment is something Vanessa experiences a lot in her own life. She often travels around the state for speaking engagements. She lives in a Denver suburb, where she said there’s not a day that goes by “that somebody doesn't point and laugh or say something hurtful or yell things at me when I get on my Harley.”
Pride provides a space, she added, where she can walk in and “not have to worry about who's staring at me or who's judging me, or the things that might be said. I know that I'm not alone. Strength in numbers. It's a beautiful, beautiful thing.”
Advocates for Recovery Colorado has been part of Denver Pride's Sober Area for several years now
Her role as an organizer for the Sober Area at PrideFest started after hosting a booth for her recovery non-profit there in 2024. It was her first Pride, and she was adamant about getting Advocates for Recovery Colorado into the Sober Area for the two-day event.
In her role, she has advocated for a change in the rules which previously kept people under the age of 18 from entering the Sober Area. She said it’s important for kids and families to be part of the journey, “because we can't recover unless all of us recover. We're working together, so I'm excited to see what the change is going to be this year.”
She spoke about family from her own experience. Vanessa spent time in prison after a 20-year career as a bartender, away from family, a time that started her own journey.
“In August I will celebrate eight years of my sustained and active recovery,” she said. “I just want to be able to provide resources, because I am in the LGBTQ+ community. I'm a transgender female, and I didn't start my journey as a transgender female until last year. I built up numerous years of working in the community as a cis male, or at least presenting, and so over the last year I've really tried to use my voice and my face and everything to bring more resources, awareness, more everything towards the LGBTQ+ community, and try to be one of those public figures that is out there making (stuff) happen.”
She said the Sober Area, started in 2022, will take awhile to build more traction, as there are many people in recovery who might carry shame. She wants to work to break the stigma around recovery. “I feel that Pride has done a great job, and they actually offer the sober area, which is huge.”
A little extra Vanessa “sparkle,” she said with a laugh, is what the space needed. Booths will be added this year that focus on areas other than substances, like financial recovery.
Vanessa brings her "sparkle" with her wherever she goes, including to Denver Pride's Sober Area
Volunteer security will be in place to make sure the Sober Area is a safe environment that everyone can enjoy, she said. She wants people to be able to come in and find the resources they need and have fun.
“I didn't think I could shine and do fun and exciting things if I didn't have substances in me,” she said. The goal is “to show people a spot where you can have fun. We're not ashamed. We're not walking around with our heads tucked down because we were not using substances. It was such a big part of our lives that we need to show them that recovery is beautiful and it's exciting. You can have fun, and even if you're not in recovery, if you're contemplating it, you can come in and check it out.”
Vanessa, and so many others, volunteers her time and is grateful for PrideFest and the work of The Center on Colfax.
She also volunteers with the trans femme support group at The Center when her schedule allows. It was the first place she turned to when she started her transition journey, “just to hear and see, feel that I wasn't alone, to see people's success and their struggles. We talked about makeup tips to laser hair removal, and fears in society. And it truly was one of those pivotal moments that helped me find the courage to start to be Vanessa.”
Money raised at PrideFest helps support groups like the one that welcomed Vanessa. She said that when she was ready to commit to “make this journey happen,” it was the first place she knew to reach out.
Now she uses her voice to help others and would love to welcome people into the recovery world. Who knows? If you stop by the Sober Area at Pride June 28 and 29, you might be lucky enough to walk away with some Vanessa sparkle.
About the Author: Linda Kotsaftis
With over 25 years of experience in the broadcast media industry, Linda is an innovative content leader who works to create impactful, engaging, and diverse stories for various audiences and platforms. Linda is the current editor of Front Porch Newspaper and the winner of multiple awards for her work in journalism, diversity, equity, inclusion, and innovation.
Linda has joined The Center as a contract journalist to uplift the stories of Denver Pride through the eyes of our community. Click here to discover more Stories of Pride.