The Group (later changed to the Colorado FrontRangers) was an organization formed to coordinate alternative social activities organized by its individual members. The Group started out with a handful of gay men who went ice skating on Tuesday nights and progressed to a dynamic social club. The Group's activities included skating, rafting, skiing, bike trips, campouts, and various parties without any formal organization. The Group was officially founded on August 7, 1981, by Howard Cole (The Group's first president), Jay Swope, Tim Charney, Tim Gill, Jack Allen, and David Yetter. On December 18, 1989, it was incorporated as a Colorado not-for-profit organization. In August 1996, the membership decided to rename the organization "The Colorado FrontRangers". The Group was very active in the social landscape of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s and further shows the ways the LGBTQ+ community has gathered and socialized. Much of the items pertaining to The Group were donated by David Ford and consist of pictures and memorabilia including frisbees, buttons, and t-shirts from The Group gatherings and events showcasing a wide-reaching social activities organization. Much of the donated objects showcase the vibrant artistic, cultural, and social communities of one of many segments within the gay community in Colorado.
T-shirt with You Get More Out on the front.
On the back, it says, Pusser's Rum
Dedicated to documenting the varied experiences of all Coloradans, History Colorado and the Gill Foundation initiated the LGBTQ Collecting Initiative to proactively build a research archive that preserves and promotes the contributions, history, and voices of Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community.