6555 E Speedway Blvd
Tucson, AZ 85710
(520) 721-7100
Radisson Suites Tucson Website
With plenty of first-class amenities and a swanky midtown location, the Radisson Suites Tucson is one of Tucson’s gay-friendly hotels.
Welcome to Velvet & Shadow Photography, a rainbow color explosion for the eyes. But, not in an ‘it hurts my head to look at’ kind of way. The lighting is dreamy and the sets are custom to elicit ethereal emotions, perhaps a dream half-forgot…
If you’re a regular to 4th Avenue you may have wandered into &Gallery or deliberately gone to their art openings. And if that’s the case there’s a good chance you’ve glimpsed the work of this incredible photographer who makes every shoot memorable.
Velvet & Shadow Photography is a Tucson, AZ-based experimental boudoir photography business founded by Isabella Laos that offers personalized photoshoot sessions inside visually stunning hand-crafted sets with rainbow explosions of colorful lights. You can take part in a staging shoot where different models get to use the same set or a completely custom set you and Isabella decide on. For instance, if you want to be a fairy princess she creates the illusions to make it so.
Having worked as a venue and event photographer for many years, Isabella is deeply inspired by the theatrical lights and special effects of the dimly lit stage. Isabella provides positive affirming direction and encouragement throughout each session which cultivates a truly therapeutic journey of self-discovery & empowerment. Boudoir photography makes a lot of people nervous but you don’t have to worry about that with Isabella. She makes every subject feel like the only person in the world. As a result, she guarantees genuine and touching photographs.
“I love working with Bella. I feel comfortable and at ease when I’m in front of the camera with her, even when I’m in lingerie! She makes me feel confident, and her photos have such a gorgeous, dreamy quality that she’s honed in on and made completely her own. I love her work and encourage anyone in Tucson to book a shoot with Velvet & Shadow!”
The Tucson Museum of Art has been a leader in the fine arts and education in Southern Arizona for nearly a century. It was established in 1924 and is in Tucson’s historic downtown and moved to its current location in 1975. TMA features permanent and traveling exhibitions of Modern and Contemporary, Indigen
ous, American West, Latin American, European, and Asian art. The museum resides on a four-acre campus, and its exhibits and arts education programs are central to its mission. In addition, the museum hosts events serves as a steward of five historic properties and has a 6,800-square-foot art education center and research library. It has a permanent collection of over 12,000 works spanning continents, centuries, and media.
The museum will take you on a journey through art, history, and culture and with artwork ranging from ancient to contemporary, there is something for everyone! Thousands of lives have been enriched by the museum’s programs and exhibitions including: an award-winning outreach program serving Tucson’s refugee community, robust k-12 programs, one of the state’s longest-running biennial exhibitions, public programs, and lifelong learning programs like TMALearn! Docents. The museum provides numerous opportunities to connect and engage with the arts and local community, such as free First Thursday and Second SundAZe, lecture series, annual spring and fall artisans market, youth studio programs, K-12 field trips, and more!
“This place is a quiet gem. It was so much more than what we expected. Masterful artworks on careful display. I’m no art expert but I found this museum to be an excellent way to spend a relaxing few hours. Although as an introvert I found myself exhausted after exploring the many displays. Go if you haven’t been! We also enjoyed salad for lunch at the attached café.”
Paul H on Yelp 9/27/2021
“The Tucson Museum of Art was a great stop. We took three generations of our family to visit it. The layout of the museum is expansive. We covered a lot of ground (not all of the buildings were open, so we didn’t get to see everything) over a two-hour period.
The exhibits on display were definitely thought-provoking and got us talking about topics that may not have come up otherwise. I’m glad we made the trip there for the discussions it invoked.
Wear comfortable shoes and plan enough time to really soak everything in!”
Karl A on Yelp—1/11/2019
Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block
Office Address: 140 North Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85701
Contact Name (s): Marianna Pegno
Phone (s): 520-624-2333
As of July 1, 2023 the following will go into effect for hours and pricing related to admissions:
HOURS
Wednesday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm
First Thursday of every month 10 am – 8 pm
ADMISSION
General $15
Senior/ Educator $12
College Students $10
17 and under/ Veterans and Military/ Members – Free
TOURS
PreK – 12 Student $7
Art-making $5 ($12 total)
NOTE: Discounts for College and Senior tours will no longer be offered.
777 W. Cushing Street
Tucson, Arizona 85745
520-239-2300
Ramada by Wyndham
Located less than 3 blocks from the Tucson Convention Center and within 3 miles of the U of Arizona and Pima Community College, the Ramada is one of our favorite gay-friendly hotels because of its amazing location! Located right along the light rail, stay here and get to wherever you are going without a car making this a great launching pad to go explore Tucson’s vibrant downtown.
This is the closest hotel to the Roadrunners Hockey Arena, you could even walk to the game! It’s also next to the Tucson Convention Center where Tucson’s Comic-Con is held!
When you’re ready to get some exercise or simply connect with nature there are biking and jogging paths right at the River Walk.
Enjoy resort-like ambiance on 8-acres with courts and lawns and be well-positioned to explore all the best things Tucson’s downtown has to offer.
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Desert Rat Art Collective is a local Tucson community of artists that specialize in the strange and beautiful, inspired by our lives in the desert. They see the charm of the dirt and mountains and know that no matter where life takes them, they’ll basically always be desert rats at heart. DRAC is queer-owned and operated, and was founded by artist Tierney after their group of friends got together every Friday for about 2 years to make art together. Those little gatherings still go on, and now they have a website to support art sales now that they’ve run out of wall space to show everything off.
Company Name: Desert Rat Art Collective
Office Address: Online
Contact Name (s): Tierney
Website: Desertratac.com
Socials: @DesertRatArtC
“The original piece by JackofAllArt is the highlight of our kitchen. The meticulous care given to every detail and the bold use of color make this an outstanding creation. We love it!” – Windy Lynn, owner of Sushi Flood by JackofAllArt
Tucson’s Rising Phoenix Self-Defense & Fitness is a unique, queer-friendly martial arts and self-defense gym open to all ages, skill levels, and fitness levels. Rising Phoenix has named this branch of their program The Rainbow Connection.
Founded in 2014, Rising Phoenix takes a different approach to self-defense training by using therapeutic martial arts instruction to promote healthy human connection, emotional control, and the importance of consent.
Each class focuses on street-smart self-defense skills and concepts designed to be immediately applicable to real-world situations. The self-defense we teach is based on Israeli Krav Maga, specifically intended to be practical, functional, and quick to learn.
In 2021, the Israeli Martial Arts Hall of Fame named Rising Phoenix the Best Krav Maga School in Tucson.
Rainbow Connection was established as part of Rising Phoenix in 2016. The program was created by former gym member James Cook, who saw the need for self-defense training among his fellow members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Our Rainbow Connection classes provide training specifically designed to address concerns in the queer community. We practice trauma-aware instruction, focused on helping students take ownership of their minds and bodies to challenge their comfort zones and discover what they’re capable of.
Rainbow Connection is a safe place. Its dedication is to helping participants effectively learn and use assertiveness and self-defense skills in uncomfortable, intimidating, and scary situations. Our instructors and students use their strengths to help, support, and encourage each other to succeed.
We have two donations-based classes that are open to the public: Our Rainbow Connection LGBTQIA+ self-defense classes every Saturday from noon – 1:00 p.m., and our women’s self-defense classes every Friday from 6:00 p.m. –7:30 p.m. and every Saturday from 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
One-on-one private lessons, small-group private lessons, customized group workshops, and corporate training sessions are also available.
The founder and owner of Rising Phoenix, Jesse James Tucker, has been teaching self-defense and Krav Maga for over 15 years. He holds black belts in four different Krav Maga systems. He is also a certified Krav Maga instructor with the Federation of Israeli Martial Arts (FIMA).
Jesse has been inducted into both the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame and the Israeli Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He was named Defense Master Instructor of the Year in 2021 by the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame.
“Stepping into a martial arts gym can be really scary, especially when you’re not a “Tough Guy,” but summoning my courage and walking through the doors at Rising Phoenix is the best thing I’ve done since relocating to Tucson three years ago. Jesse and his fellow instructors go out of their way to make people of every age, body type, culture, and orientation feel welcome and empowered with the best in modern martial arts training.
Rising Phoenix’s Krav Maga isn’t static: It’s constantly evolving and incorporating techniques from kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and catch wrestling, alongside the tried and true martial education in Israeli Krav Maga you’d expect. Rising Phoenix also offers more stuff than Krav Maga, too: specialized instruction in Judo, BJJ, and Muay Thai, weapons, and you can take as much as you want for one price. I look back at the years I’ve spent training here and see a totally changed me. I’m tougher physically and psychologically, and my day-to-day life is better for it. Thanks, Jesse!”
“I can honestly say training at Rising Phoenix is one of the best decisions I have EVER made. Whether you are at a beginner or advanced level in Krav Maga, BJJ, etc, this place makes you feel right at home. I have never met any instructors who are as passionate about teaching self-defense. Jesse, Chance, and Alicia are three of the most amazing people I have met in Tucson. I can ask endless questions, pose endless scenarios, and someone is ALWAYS ready to help and answer my questions.
Instructors will stay after class with you for more than an hour to discuss your personal training plan, answer any questions you might have, or just to talk about your experiences and what brought you to Rising Phoenix. They care about your personal experience and want to help you get what kind of training you’re looking for.… I have learned so much from Rising Phoenix, and I cannot wait to continue my training. I have gone to other gyms in Tucson, but there is no place better to train than Rising Phoenix. The atmosphere and the instructors are unbeatable.”
“The people here are amazing. The instructors are professional, helpful, willing to show techniques that meet your fitness level, and very supportive. The training here is awesome. From real-life situations to multiple scenarios per technique, the instructors here are on top of their game. The group fitness class is great. It will work you into fighting shape pretty effectively. If you come, just say hi to anyone, and you will find a friend at this gym. I have been coming here for a couple of years now. Every new person is immediately treated as someone you’ve known for a lifetime. It really does make this such an inviting place to learn how to defend yourself and others.”
Office Address: 4500 E Speedway Blvd, Suite 4, Tucson, AZ 85712
Contact Name (s): Jesse James Tucker
Phone (s): (520) 838-1592
Email: tucsonrisingphoenix@gmail.com
Pricing: sliding scale
Website: https://tucsonselfdefenseandfitness.com/
Office hours: (Please check our website for class times)
Phone: 520-600-8382
Email: woofwooftucson@gmail.com
Website: https://www.woofwoofwalkin.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WoofWoofWalkin
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woofwoofwalkin/
Woof Woof Walkin is a woman owned and operated dog walking and pet sitting business serving Tucson, AZ. We have over 20 years experience working in the veterinary field. Julie, the owner, is a Licensed Vet Tech in WA state and a Certified Vet Tech in AZ. We bring our knowledge and professional care to each and every pet we work with. We are passionate about seniors, rescues and….well,…pretty much any animal!
Dr. David McHenry
(520) 338-9663
www.DrDavidMcHenry.com
D.McHenryND@gmail.com
Dr. McHenry grew up in southern Indiana and attended Indiana University-Bloomington, where he received a B.A. in Human Biology and a B.S. in Neuroscience. He then went to the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine (SCNM) in Tempe, AZ and graduated in 2015. Throughout his undergrad and medical education, Dr. McHenry took on active, leadership roles in various LGBT+ organizations, including being vice president of the Hoosier Rights Campaign (IU’s chapter of the HRC), board member of Illumenate (a gay, bi, and trans men’s public health organization), and he was the founding president of the LGBTI Health Initiative at SCNM. He was also a frequent public speaker for the GLB Speakers Bureau at IU, speaking about LGBT-specific issues and experiences to various classes and advocating for the fair and equal treatment of LGBT students on campus. As a physician, Dr. McHenry continues to advocate for an end to the treatment disparities faced by minority communities in our healthcare system. He shows a strong commitment to providing a safe, inclusive, and compassionate environment for patients of all races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and religious or spiritual affiliations. And as a holistic medical provider, he understands the impact our intersectional identities and experiences have on our physical, mental, and spiritual health.
Naturopathic doctors are primary care physicians who specialize in holistic, natural modalities. Like MDs, they can write prescriptions, order labs and imaging, and diagnose and treat disease. Dr. McHenry’s practice is heavily focused on nutrition, lifestyle, psychological health, and preventative medicine. He also uses herbs, supplements, hormones, homeopathy, acupuncture, cupping, hydrotherapy, and spinal adjustments in the treatment of various acute and chronic diseases. He has particular interests in the areas of neurodegenerative disease, autoimmune disease, HIV/AIDS, and LGBTI health. Dr. McHenry strongly believes in an integrative approach to healthcare and often suggests patients also establish care with specialists (cardiologists, neurologists, rheumatologists, etc) when appropriate. Dr. McHenry provides individualized, patient-centered care to all of his patients. Because of this, he spends more time with his patients than most doctors. New patient visits may take up to 2 hours, and follow-ups are 30-45 minutes each. This allows him the time to assess all aspects of a patient’s physical and mental health to create a truly holistic, individualized treatment plan.
In his leisure time, David enjoys anything outdoors including camping, kayaking, and hiking around Arizona with his Great Dane, Jax. He is an experienced swimmer who swam competitively for 15 years in Indiana. He also enjoys reading, particularly on the topics of history, spirituality, and psychology.
3180 E. Grant Road
Tucson, AZ
Phone: (520) 327-6041
ArizonaAdoptionLaw.com
Every day, Tucson families trust their most important decisions with Heather M. Strickland, an LGBT adoption attorney. They trust her not only because of her sterling track-record and relentless work-ethic but also because she takes the time to listen and understand EVERY situation. They also trust her because she has experience with the system from both sides…
While young, Heather had a friend who desperately needed to live with a new family. She bravely convinced her parents to take up this challenge, only to watch the effort and desire required to follow-through. Heather was deeply touched not only by her families courage but also by how supportive her community became to lift and protect her young friend.
Flash forward to adulthood and motherhood. Heather has devoted herself to providing the precious gift of family to all of Tucson’s youth. It is important to her that every child has the support and love of a caring, nurturing family. Trust Heather Strickland as you work to build your family through adoption.
Adopting a child can be a gauntlet for any parenting couple. This is only exacerbated when you are an LGBT couple trying to build your family through adoption. Heather Strickland can help you navigate the turbulent waters and keep you moving towards your family goals!
MyersStrickland is a boutique law firm focusing its practice on family building through adoption and assisted reproduction. They have the privilege of working on more than three hundred adoptions a year – more than any other law firm in the state. Their expertise allows us to provide exceptional representation in all types of adoptions – whether you are pursuing an independent adoption, working with an adoption agency, are a stepparent or relative, or adopting a child from foster care. They are committed to the ethical and compassionate representation of expectant parents or prospective adoptive parents.
When it takes more than just two to make a baby, MyersStrickland is there to assist with the legal aspects of your donated sperm, eggs or embryos, and your relationship with a gestational carrier. They guide you through the legal landscape in Arizona and help you develop the best journey to parenthood for you and your family.
At MyersStrickland, they value and welcome ALL families.
Attorney Heather M. Strickland is a native Tucsonan and has been practicing adoption, assisted reproductive technology and family law in Arizona since 2005. She is a proud Fellow of the Academy of Adoption & Assisted Reproduction Attorneys and a recipient of a 2017 Angels in Adoption award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) for her dedication to positive child welfare practices.
Contact MyersStrickland at 3180 E. Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716 or call (520) 327-6041.
Have a great day!
Tony Ray 🙂
Tony Ray Baker
RE/MAX Professionals
(520) 631-TONY (8669)
Contact Tony Ray: [email protected]
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