October 2010 ISSUE 84 The Only Magazine Dedicated to Alberta’s LGBT Community
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ROBYN Dancing Queen
Calgary
Ghost Tours Experience Spooky Tales This Halloween
Plus Interviews with:
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Community Directory • Map and Events • Tourism Info >> Starting on Page 17
LGBT Resource • Calgary • Edmonton • Alberta
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Table of Contents
October 2010
Photography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, Marc-Julien Objois, Graham Pond
Videography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
Printers
North Hill News/Central Web
Distribution
Calgary: Gallant Distribution GayCalgary Staff Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Other: Canada Post
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Office Hours: By appointment ONLY Phone: 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com This Month's Cover Robyn Photo by Rankin
Proud Members of:
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
Robyn on Queer Club Culture, Gay Fans and her Music Trilogy
8 Ash Koley
Canadian Songstress on Fame and Family
10 One Mean Queen
Lisa Lampanelli on Gay Marriage, Celebrity Roasts, and How we Screwed Up her Life
12 Thursdays with Jamie
MASH star on Klinger, Theatre, and Tuesdays With Morrie
14 Queer Eye - Part 1 17 Directory and Events
24 A Cuppa Tea with Great Big Sea 25 Small Town (Openly Gay) Boy 26 Hypocrisy at Work at Canterbury Double Standard for Gay Anglican Clergy
27 Q Scopes
“Click those slippers, Cancer!”
28 Deep Inside Hollywood Glee gets closer to Rocky
30 Gay Travel
Taking on the OUTback!A Visit to Gay Australia
31 Cocktail Chatter
Drag Not a Drag with Brass Monkeys
32 Fundraising Photos 36 The Flaming Dragons
Edmonton’s first GLBT Dragon Boat Team
37 Jer’s Vision National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
PAGE 7 PAGE XXX
7 Dancing Queen
PAGE 8 PAGE XXX
Mercedes Allen, Chris Azzopardi, Dallas Barnes, Dave Brousseau, Sam Casselman, Jason Clevett, Andrew Collins, Emily Collins, Rob Diaz-Marino, Janine Eva Trotta, Jack Fertig, Glen Hanson, Joan Hilty, Evan Kayne, Stephen Lock, Allan Neuwirth, Steve Polyak, Romeo San Vicente, Ed Sikov and the GLBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta.
Publisher’s Column
PAGE 10 PAGE XXX
Writers and Contributors
5 A New Chapter
Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative comes to Alberta
PAGE 12 PAGE XXX
Publisher: Steve Polyak Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino Sales: Steve Polyak Design & Layout: Rob Diaz-Marino, Ara Shimoon
Continued on Next Page GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Table of Contents Continued From Previous Page
38 Calgary Ghost Tours Experience Spooky Tales this Halloween
40 TransActive IV
PAGE XXX 14
What Can I Do?
42 Movember Canada Moustache Mania hits Alberta!
43 A Couple of Guys 44 Bitter Girl 47 That’s SO Gay!
Diversified Radio Waves air Thursday Evenings
48 Classified Ads
PAGE XXX 30
50 Chelsea Boys 51 Music Review Robyn, Maroon 5
52 Curious Kate
Chatting with Australia’s Kate Miller-Heidke
54 Product Review
Masculinity Cologne and Hey...DUDE Skin Care
PAGE XXX 36
56 Queer Eye - Part 2
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History Originally established in January 1992 as Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications. Name changed to GayCalgary.com in 1998. Independent company as of January 2004. First edition of GayCalgary.com Magazine published November 2003. Name adjusted in November 2006 to GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine.
Disclaimer and Copyright Opinions expressed in this magazine are specific to the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary staff and contributors. Those involved in the making of this publication, whether advertisers, contributors, or the subjects of articles or photographs, are not necessarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans. This magazine also includes straight allies and those who are gay friendly. No part of this publication may be reprinted or modified without the expressed written permission of the editor or publisher.
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Editorial
A New Chapter Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc So things are finally starting to look up again. Our cat Snoopy is doing exceedingly well after the crisis I wrote about in August, so he’s back to normal if not a little more clingy than before. Our roof has undergone its repairs and is back to being good as new, so I can breathe a sigh of relief when it rains or snows; our cookware was rusted beyond use after two months of catching leaks, and had to be thrown out – ultimately a small price to pay. But there’s some more good news for us, as I enter a new chapter in my own life. Enough people find it wildly impressive that Steve and I can run a popular magazine and website between the two of us. And as some may already have been aware, I’ve managed my responsibilities with GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine alongside of other full-time tasks for the entire duration of my involvement. So the magazine has never been a full-time job for me. At first it was my Bachelor’s degree, then it was my Master’s degree, and until very recently I had my day job working as a researcher at the University of Calgary. So here’s the story. Majoring in Computer Science as an undergrad, I took a fairly standard 3rd year course, an introduction to Human Computer Interaction (HCI), a field that focuses on studying and improving the way that computers conform to human needs and expectations. I was first exposed to computers at a very early age, when interaction was done by typing on a DOS command prompt – no Windows, no mouse, not even internal hard drives – so I was used to conforming to what the computer required of me. But as technology advances, there are more and more opportunities to improve this experience by making the act of using a computer more user-friendly, with smaller learning curves, and more natural means of communicating. This initial course slightly sparked an interest in me. It was one of my first departures from low-level command-line C++ programs to Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs), where the interface was the focus, not just a means to an end. Considering I went into Computer Science because of my affinity for video games, being able to explore richer visual content was thrilling after several semesters of text-only blah. This led me to enrol in the next level HCI course, which I discovered was a lot more exclusive than the general admission of the course prior. A portfolio and interview were required, since the desired class size would be a lot smaller: only about 10 people, as opposed to hundreds. My music and other artistic pursuits came in handy for the portfolio, and I was accepted on that alone (since the timing of my summer holidays made it impossible for me to do the interview portion). This became the highlight of my undergrad career. All of the effort I would normally pour into those creative activities outside of my class projects went into this course, since it was the first where the two were really compatible. It was a good feeling to finally be excelling so much at something, and to finally have the latitude to distinguish myself beyond the right and wrong answers of math, logic, and theory.
Continued on Next Page
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Editorial Contd.
Online Last Month
The professor teaching the course took notice of this, and invited me to work in the Interactions Lab as a summer intern, which I accepted. Over the summer I had the opportunity to experiment with and develop applications for new technologies that weren’t available commercially. I worked with a prototype multi-touch surface that could identify the touches of up to 8 different people (sadly this particular surface never made it to market because, as I was told, it didn’t scale to larger sizes). After developing the infrastructure to bridge the gap between the hardware and software, I created a fun game that used graphics and sound to demonstrate the surface’s capabilities, and even got to put it on exhibit at an HCI conference in Vancouver. As my internship came to a close, my professor made an offer to be my supervisor if I was interested in pursuing a Master’s degree or Doctorate. This was something I needed to think about, as my original plan was only to get my Bachelor’s degree and then move on. Furthermore, after completing a games programming course and receiving a similar offer from that professor, I had a very difficult decision to make. While games programming was directly related to my original motivations for studying Computer Science, I saw much broader potential for myself in the field of HCI. And so I graduated with my Bachelor’s degree, and started into my Master’s. There were a few fellow gay people in the lab – I knew because I bumped into them at the bars on occasion. Some of them chose to be out and had no problems in the open minded environment of the lab. I chose not to come forward with that information about myself, because I didn’t want to cause a fuss, or perhaps it felt awkward telling people that I had already been working with for a summer. As a result, this kept me a little personally distant from other lab members, which was regrettable. Furthermore, with my magazine responsibilities, I had to pass up most lab social gatherings, so I rarely entered a casual social setting with my peers. Meanwhile, I was occupied with thinking up a thesis topic. I wanted to do something with graphics and sound, while my supervisor’s specialty was groupware systems – applications that help people accomplish collaborative work, even if they are separated by distances. So as I took the required graduate courses, I pitched some ideas that appealed to me, most of which had to be thrown away; the whole point of having a supervisor is to benefit from their experience and these ideas were outside of his realm of knowledge. But one day, an interesting idea came to me out of the blue, and I spent a few hours that afternoon programming a rough prototype to try it out. It captured images from the computer’s webcam, measured the difference
Continued on Page 29
Fantastic Females
ATP’s The Penelopiad Showcases Calgary’s Finest Females One of my all time favorite presentations, in the 7 years I have been attending Alberta Theatre Projects, was The Syringa Tree; the incredible story of...
www.gaycalgary.com/a1861 Tuesdays With Morrie
Theatre at its Finest When a theatre company brings in a “star” from TV, film, or music - whether on Broadway or on a local level - it at times can be an indication that the...
www.gaycalgary.com/a1860 Calgary Pride Parade Calgary’s Pride Parade occurred this year on September 5th. Though it was a rainy day, the parade still saw a strong turnout, which migrated over...
www.gaycalgary.com/a1858 Blinded by Brilliance
Rebecca Northan Brings Blind Date Back as Fundraiser In February I took in a little show called Blind Date as part of the High Performance Rodeo. I was entertained so much that I immediately purchased tickets...
www.gaycalgary.com/a1859 Aerosmith Ageless Joe Perry must be one hell of an actor. Whether it is onstage or off, the difference between his recent comments to the media about clashing with frontman...
www.gaycalgary.com/a1856 Diana Ross, ever the Diva Before Beyonce, Christina, Madonna, or just about any other Diva, there was Diana Ross. The former Supreme once set the standard with high energy shows...
www.gaycalgary.com/a1857
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Interview
Photos by Rankin
Dancing Queen
Robyn on Queer Club Culture, Gay Fans and her Music Trilogy By Chris Azzopardi Of all the dance queens claiming the fame, Robyn’s our best queer-kept secret. But the Swedish stunner wasn’t always this exclusive – in the ’90s, the world did exactly what her teen-pop megahit “Show Me Love” told it to. Ever since, the 31-year-old dark horse has rebuilt her career on crying-in-the-corner Eurodisco club anthems – following “With Every Heartbeat,” 2007’s comeback heartbreaker, with this year’s liberating triumph “Dancing on My Own” – and evolved into a boundary-pushing purveyor of swaggering, post-modern electronica. Robyn’s music, some of the best pop in recent years, speaks to the feet – and the heart. No wonder she calls her CD series Body Talk, a trilogy rolling out this year on her label, Konichiwa Records. After touring the U.S. to support the first edition, Robyn rang us to chat about ’80s club culture inspiring her music, feeling close to the gay community and her “nerdy self.” GayCalgary: How was the first leg of your U.S. tour? I had such a good time on tour in America. I loved being there, performing. It’s really not just something I’m saying. It’s actually been a real pleasure to do this last tour. Such a warm crowd at every show. Just fantastic. GayCalgary: There seems to be a really strong emotional connection between you and your fans. When you were growing up and listening to music back in the ’80s, did you look for that connection with other artists? Robyn: I don’t know if I was aware of it, but that’s what I connected to in people like Prince or Kate Bush. I was listening to a lot of really commercial pop music as well, like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson and Madonna. But my parents had a theater group, and I was always around
people discussing performance and communication with an audience. That really shaped how I look at what I do – even though I do something very different from my parents. I was lucky that I had that. When I got into the industry, I was really young and like all 16 year olds you don’t really know what you want to do. Getting to where I am was a really natural thing. For people on the outside, it was a more drastic kind of change. But for me it was always there. It’s just that I was making my way toward it in an industry that’s not very open to change. GayCalgary: The same subjects pop up in your songs – being on the outside, not being understood and, of course, heartbreak. Why are you stuck on these sad themes? Robyn: Because that’s how life is. I mean, isn’t that how we all feel? Those are the things that everybody – or a lot of people, at least – think about. That’s what pop music is supposed to be doing – talking about those everlasting issues, like love, being on the outside ... and feeling like you want to dance. GayCalgary: Do you think that’s why your gay fans connect with you so much? Robyn: That’s what always defined gay culture, and that’s what defines a lot of cultures. But gay culture has always defined itself from that perspective, and also from the perspective of, like, making the space that is yours – creating that space where you can be what you want to be. Naturally, being gay puts all those questions in front of you in a different way than they do for other people. Anyone who’s different, anyone who feels like that – no matter who you are – it makes you question what society is and what it makes you feel, so I always connected with the gay audience. Ever since “Show Me Love” I was always aware of my gay audience and I always felt like I could connect back. GayCalgary: You got a fantastic tweet from someone recently who wrote, “I wonder if Robyn realizes how many fags around the world are in love with her?” Robyn: Of course I do! I mean, that’s obvious to me. I’ve consciously decided to show my appreciation as well
Continued on Page 46
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Interview
Photos by Norman Wong
Ash Koley
Canadian Songstress on Fame and Family By Jason Clevett Ash Koley has a lot to be thankful for. The talented Winnipeg duo, named after the female half – Ash Koley and Phil Deschambault - had their first tour ever this summer on the Canadian stops of Lilith Fair. “Our manager is Terry McBride and our agent is Marty Diamond – two of the creators of Lilith Fair. So we had a little bit of a shoe-in there,” admitted Ash. “In every way shape and form it was positive and good. Everybody from the stage crew to the caterers was happy and not disgruntled. The audience was there to cheer for you and find new music, they were very supportive. We had people singing our lyrics back to us on stage which had never happened before. It was good for us and part of management’s scheme to get some exposure before we released the album.” We sat down with the pair over coffee recently as they stopped by Calgary during a whirlwind promo tour for Inventions, their latest album which is now available. Ash was part of a Lilith Fair presser at McMahon stadium, where reporters watched as headliners Sheryl Crow and Sarah McLachlan interacted with the opening acts, including Crow expressing an interest in getting albums from the artists. As Inventions wasn’t complete yet, they didn’t get to give her one, but did get feedback from the singer, said Phil. “We didn’t have product at all on the Lilith tour. But I got a chance to chat with [Crow] for some time and she is a wonderful person. Ironically we didn’t talk about music we talked about our kids. She did come to our show in Vancouver and had really good things to say.” Going in to Lilith, their first single Don’t Let Your Feet Touch Ground was already a top ten hit, surprising everyone. “Originally we didn’t think we would do well in Canada or the States at all because our influences are mainly from the UK,” said Ash. “Even the label said, we see you having more success in the UK but let’s release the album in Canada and the US first.” “We expected no traction in Canada when we released Don’t Let Your Feet Touch Ground in Canada,” Phil recollected, “and
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
I don’t think the record company did either. We kind of threw it out to radio and it caught us off guard when it became a hit song. I remember getting the e-mails and phone calls from the record company and radio people and going, what are you talking about?! Nobody expected it, it took on a life of its own and we are so grateful for it. It makes us even more excited for the second single Brighter at Night - we are really excited about that song.” They have generated a worldwide following, one of the advantages of the internet, Ash explained. “Up until a couple of months ago no one in the UK should have known about us. We just got a commercial in the UK for Lotto 649 so people are starting to hear about us. But before we released a song there, we would get messages online saying Come to Germany, Come to Europe! It is very flattering.” It is interesting how the process of getting music out to the masses has changed. It used to be that a single was sent out to radio, followed by the making of a video. Now commercials get songs in everyone’s head (Feist’s 1234 for example) and having your song on a TV show can make your career. The song Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing will play on an October episode of Grey’s Anatomy, which has Phil excited. “That is how you break now, especially in the states. Being on Grey’s Anatomy broke Ciara. It broke 7 or 8 acts. They are playing all 4 minutes of the song so that is huge.” In a unique twist they have released “the bathroom sessions” on YouTube, featuring the two of them singing and playing in a bathroom. The videos show their raw talent which, Ash said, was under question. “We had all our videos we had made, and some people wondered if we could actually sing - that they could hear the autotune. We don’t use autotune! So we thought we should do live performances so people could see that we could play. The bathroom has good acoustics so we set up a camera and sat down to play.” “We showed that we aren’t produced,” added Phil. “It wasn’t any more calculated then that. It has been a lot of fun.” Now with Inventions, the pair’s 5 years of history comes together to create a fun, energetic and, to be honest, pretty amazing album of 9 tracks. It took awhile to find their voice, but Phil explained it was important that the album directly reflect themselves.
Continued on Page 46
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Interview
Lisa Lampanelli
One Mean Queen
Lisa Lampanelli on Gay Marriage, Celebrity Roasts, and How we Screwed Up her Life By Chris Azzopardi There’s nothing like hearing a familiar voice on the other end of the line, and Lisa Lampanelli’s is just as I remember it: loud and mean, like she’s burping up Sue Sylvester. “What’s up you big fag face?” she razzes in her bawdy blurt. And I’d be shocked, like I admittedly was during our first interview just over three years ago, had this not been our fourth chat together. So how she’s doing now? “Sick of straighties!” she says. Which is unusual for the selfdubbed “Lovable Queen of Mean,” who’s typically trashing the minorities. But the insult comic’s bad-mouthing, like the greeting she swooned me with, is just her way of scooping you up into a big bear hug and gently placing a soft kiss on your forehead, like you’d imagine from someone who looks as bingo grandma as she does. Ridicule doesn’t exactly express a tender fondness, but Lampanelli dishes it out fairly, so at least nobody feels left out. Now that’s love. She’s experiencing the real thing lately, falling for a guy she wouldn’t typically, if you know Lampanelli, go for: a white one. “I know – I’ve disappointed everyone,” she pouts. “But he’s Italian, so when I tour the South he’s still looked at like a colored, so it all works out.” The wedding is set for October at the historical Friars’ Club in New York, and unlike most stars, the Connecticut-born comedian’s hungry for any kind of publicity. Her people even suggested it as a talking point. “I’m whoring out everything, are you kidding?” Lampanelli admits. “Who wants to talk about their wedding? Me! ’Cause I’m, like, fucking romantic, okaaay?” Will she hire a gay wedding planner? “Nooo! Screw those dirty faggots. I’m not going to support you and your gay lifestyle. You guys should’ve listened to Howard (Stern) and heard my price because I’m not telling you, because you fucking faggots are all jealous of me and my $300,000 wedding … oh, did I let that slip out?!” Then we logically jump into gay marriage, and in her own lovingly backward way she wonders why it’s such a big deal to us because “you have the best out in the world.”
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
She continues: “We should say yes to gay marriage but outlaw gay divorce and see how you like it.” Does that mean divorce is imminent for the soon-to-be newlyweds? “I got my prenup all set,” she says. “Signed, sealed and delivered!” Lampanelli’s always on top of it, always getting the last laugh; she clobbers the hell out of mankind (gay kind, black kind, old kind, handicap kind) with a mouth that never lets up – onstage, during TV interviews, during this interview. She toned her dirtiness down for a recent Chelsea Lately appearance, but that wasn’t all that seemed unusual: Viewers, myself included, sensed awkwardness between the comedian and the show’s host, Chelsea Handler. Lampanelli settles that: “No, you read it wrong, because when we came off we were like, ‘Oh my god, wasn’t that so much fun?!’ like two giddy schoolgirls. You know what it is? You faggots love to stir up trouble! Like, ‘Hey, let’s make Kathy Griffin hate Lisa; hey, let’s make Lisa hate Margaret Cho.’ Well, guess what? You don’t have to make me hate Margaret Cho … because I already do!” Lampanelli backpedals, slipping out a light laugh that’s more sweet than sour, and says she doesn’t really abhor Cho, a constant among her targets. She doesn’t even know the fellow queer-loved comedian, but “I always have to make fun of her because she’s a dirty Asian.” So there’s no rivalry among female comedians? “Not from where I sit, because I’m, like, better than them all,” she explains, mentioning that Handler is actually producing her upcoming reality show that’s still in negotiations and can’t be discussed. “There’s none between me and Kathy because she’s tough, man. She doesn’t care whom she fucks with; that’s beautiful! A lot of people allude to celebrities, but she just says it, and I’m like, that’s balls! I love that.” But Lampanelli’s own saucy remarks sweep up lots of attention, too, just as they did after she opened the Roast of David Hasselhoff in August on Comedy Central, where she’s also roasted Joan Rivers, Pamela Anderson and William Shatner (next up, she hopes: “The fat lesbian roast. I’d love to do Rosie O’Donnell … and Oprah Winfrey.”) For Hasselhoff’s time in the hot seat, Lampanelli said his black and bloated liver could’ve starred in Precious and that his career
More Queen of Mean Mingling “has crumbled worse than downtown Haiti.” Even Perez Hilton thought it was too much. “Oh, she just had her period! She was just a little annoyed, and I get it,” Lampanelli says. “But where’s the line? And who’s gonna draw it, some arbitrary FCC or whatever? If you can make it funny – which I obviously did, because I’m, like, the best comedian who ever lived! – then obviously it has not gone too far.” When Lampanelli was on the receiving end, the roasters went for the obvious – her love for black men and her voluptuous size. After opening up about her self-esteem battle in her book Chocolate, Please: My Adventures in Food, Fat, and Freaks, recently out in paperback, you might wonder if she was more affected than she looked. Not this time, she says. “If they’re funny, I don’t mind them. And they were funny,” Lampanelli says, naming Gilbert Gottfried as her favorite that night. “In the past there’s been jokes that aren’t that great and you’re just like, that kind of hurts. But when the joke is really good, you almost appreciate the comedy more than what they’re saying. These were really clever and I said, ‘OK, this is not affecting me.’” Lampanelli breaks off for a bit, mulling over her thoughts a little more until she swings back in: “I mean, it hasn’t yet. Oh my god, maybe now that you mention it I’ll go and binge this afternoon. You faggot, leave it to you to fuck up my life!” Payback’s a bitch, Lisa.
On her upcoming comedy special, Glamour-Puss, out in early 2011 I’m sure it’ll be nominated for a Grammy, but I won’t win again because I like to be consistent. I like to never win anything and always be slightly less than everyone. I’m an insult comic, so I will never depart from those roots because they are so precious to me – and by precious, I don’t mean the fat, black chick. On her upcoming reality show I have to shut my mouth because I got in trouble last week. They’re like, “You’re gonna queer the deal by yapping about it and naming the network.” And I’m like, “I gotta be proud of something!” Shit, all I lost was two pounds for my wedding – and (my fiancé) Jimmy lost 60. Fucking AIDS! On Jimmy’s testicles His nuts are huge. It looks like that thing a hobo ties on a stick and puts over his shoulder; it’s freakin’ enormous. You gays like the big nuts; I’m not crazy about ’em, but what can I do? It’s more painful for him; he got one caught in the zipper … of his boot, which was really fucked up. On doing the talk show circuit They let you talk about anything edgy, you just can’t use language, which is really easy. That would be hard to go on and kind of just be sweet … because sweet don’t come naturally.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1865
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
11
Interview
Photos courtesy of Stagewest
Thursdays with Jamie MASH star on Klinger, Theatre, and Tuesdays With Morrie By Jason Clevett Jamie Farr had a lot on his plate on the dreary Thursday morning when I call him at his hotel. With a performance scheduled that evening, he’s taking advantage of the day to take his wife and Tuesdays With Morrie co-star Rejean Cournoyer to the zoo to meet some animals. It’s easy even over the phone to get in on his excitement; he’s just that likeable a fellow. Fortunately he is also a workhorse. Often times when a theatre company brings in an actor from TV or film, the show itself is pretty awful. Either the chosen script is terrible, or the actor phones it in or worse, overacts. So I wasn’t sure what to expect with Farr being in a fairly serious, famous show like Tuesdays With Morrie. The answer? I was blown away by his amazing performance. “I appreciate that, thank you. Everybody has to make a living and what you do is obvious things. My background is in theatre. My first movie was Blackboard Jungle which is a pretty good way to start off. Then I got into comedies and fortunately was on one of the best television series in history: M*A*S*H. It was beautifully written, wonderfully acted and directed, so I got great training. When TV and movies don’t call for you, you have to go on the road. Henry Fonda, Edward G. Robinson, when they weren’t doing radio or movies they went out and played the straw hat circuit in Massachusetts. When the phone isn’t ringing you go to wherever the offering is and fortunately dinner theatres offer that. Their fare is usually the farce comedy – doors slamming, titillating jokes – which people expect to see. So when a dinner theatre asks to do this show I was stunned by it. I did it at the Aquarius in Hamilton, Ontario. When I was approached to do it at dinner theatre I said, Are you sure? This isn’t what‘s usually on your menu. They said they wanted to try it, and I think it has been successful.” Farr is in Calgary until November 7th, after a successful run in the role at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre in Edmonton. He’ll have a few weeks off and then do a show in Kansas before returning as Morrie at Stage West Missisauga. The role itself is challenging as he literally withers away before our eyes. To do this multiple times over lengthy runs is a challenge, but Farr enjoys going for the dramatic. “I’ve had an agent for years that represents me. When you think about my contribution to M*A*S*H, I knew what I had to do and the comedy I was presenting. I had the opportunity to do the one-man George Burns show, Goodnight Gracie. My agent had never seen me
do anything like that. I impressed him, I became an actor in his eyes and he still compliments me on that. People don’t know what you do, and we have the capabilities if you give people the opportunity to do them. This was a great opportunity. I took some of the lessons I learned from doing the George Burns show and brought it to other parts and shows. Both myself and Rejean, we challenge the play. If you are doing it, you question a lot of things in the play as an actor. It works for some reason if you just let it go and get involved with what the man is trying to say.” What was important was to use the humor in the show to its maximum potential, Farr explained. “I discussed it when I went to Hamilton. I said, let’s play it as a comedy and not play the ending of the show. I hadn’t seen [it] but have heard other people play the tragedy of the show, the man dying, and that is totally the opposite of the message that the playwrights were trying to convey. Morrie says, I could withdraw from the world like many people do, but I decided to live for as long as I have left. That is the key to it. He is trying to impart his wisdom of things that he has learned, simple things that we all forget. You get involved in your magazine, your writing, your social events. I get involved in what I do. We forget that there are simple things in life that you should appreciate. No matter how tired we may be, or arguments we’ve had, we wake up and say, it’s a new day and I am going to enjoy it and look for the positive things in life. It is just a little reminder because we forget those things.” It is a message that the audience no doubt takes from the show. I asked what Farr himself has learned and taken away from the story, and Morrie’s message. “I am glad you asked that. I learned that at my age I am losing a lot of people; a lot of close friends, some in show business that I have known since we were all struggling actors. I am losing a great number of them. Some childhood friends I grew up with in Ohio. One of the things that Morrie says is, you have to go after life and embrace it, and sometimes when you do life embraces you back in ways you never imagined. The other thing he says is, love is the only rational act. Without love we are just birds with broken wings. He is absolutely right. That is what I have learned from this, to treasure the things that you have.” Something else interesting happens during the show (done as one act with no intermission). Instead of packing up and leaving, many in the audience are staying to have coffee and dessert and talk about it. “I don’t hang around afterward but people tell me, and this is I guess unusual in the dinner theatre circuit, they hang around after and talk about the play. It is amazing. It is really a simple story that isn’t totally revealing. It’s a memo, a reminder. Dinner Theatre is like TV, they give you whatever it is that brings people in, so it is nice when a name comes in and has a play that has more than frivolous things in it. It’s a nice evening at the theatre.”
Continued on Page 29 12
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Photography Pride Calgary 2010
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Photography Priape Fashion Show at Club Sapien - Calgary
Priape Fashion Show at Flash - Edmonton
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Directory & Events 24
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
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Calgary Outlink---------- Community Groups Aids Calgary------------- Community Groups Backlot------------------------ Bars and Clubs Calgary Eagle Inc.------------ Bars and Clubs Texas Lounge----------------- Bars and Clubs Goliath’s-------------------------- Bathhouses
9 FAB---------------------------- Bars and Clubs 13 Westways Guest House---- Accommodations 16 Priape Calgary------------------ Retail Stores 24 Courtney Aarbo----------------------- Services 33 Twisted Element-------------- Bars and Clubs 34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------- Theatre
Find Out!
One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre La Fleur-------------------------- Retail Stores Lisa Heinricks----------Theatre and Fine Arts Sandra G. Sebree-------------------- Services
Calgary
LGBT Community Directory GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine is the go-to source for information about Alberta LGBT businesses and community groups—the most extensive and accurate resource of its kind! This print supplement contains a subset of active community groups and venues, with premium business listings of paid advertisers.
✰. ..... Find our Magazine Here
35 36 37 41 43 52
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Spot something inaccurate or outdated? Want your business or organization listed? We welcome you to contact us!
403-543-6960 1-888-543-6960 magazine@gaycalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRss http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRss
Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go! http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory
Browse our complete directory of over 540 gay-frieindly listings!
Marquee Room--------------- Bars and Clubs Sacred Balance Piercing-------- Retail Stores Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre Village Bistro & Lounge----------Restaurant Club Sapien------------------- Bars and Clubs
of Sinatra” on Fri. and varied entertainment on Thurs. Please call for details.
Accommodations 13 Westways Guest House--------------------✰ 216 - 25th Avenue SW 403-229-1758 1-866-846-7038 westways@shaw.ca www.gaywestways.com
Wingate by Wyndham 400 Midpark Way SE www.wingatehotels.com
55 56 58 59 60
403-514-0099
Bars & Clubs 3 Backlot----------------------------------- ✰ 403-265-5211 Open 7 days a week, 4pm-close
60 Club Sapien------------------------------ ✰ 1140 10th Ave SW 403-457-4464 http://www.clubsapien.ca Dance club & restaurant. 55 Marquee Room-----------------------------✰ 612 - 8th Avenue SW www.marqueeroom.com
Alternative night every Wednesday. 9 FAB (formerly Money Pennies)--------- ✰ 1742 - 10th Ave SW 403-263-7411 www.fab-bar.com Closed Mondays.
209 - 10th Ave SW
Bar and restaurant.
4 Calgary Eagle Inc.----------------------- ✰ 424a - 8th Ave SE 403-263-5847
5 Texas Lounge-------------------------------✰ 308 - 17 Ave SW 403-229-0911 www.goliaths.ca Open 7 days a week, 11am-close
http://www.calgaryeagle.com Open Wed-Sun, 5pm-close Leather/Denim/Fetish bar. Club Paradiso 1413 - 9th Ave SE, upstairs 403-265-5739 www.villagecantina.ca
33 Twisted Element----------------------------✰ 1006 - 11th Ave SW 403-802-0230 www.twistedelement.ca
Dance Club and Lounge.
Carly’s Angels on Sat. Billy Schmidt’s “Sounds
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
17
Directory & Events CALGARY EVENTS Mondays
Squash-------------------------- 8:15-9:45pm See Apollo Calgary Oct18 ASK Meet and Greet---------------- 7-9:30pm See Alberta Society for Kink Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink Yoga (A)----------------------------- 6-7:30pm See Apollo Calgary Sep27Dec6 Yoga (B)------------------------- 7:45-9:15pm See Apollo Calgary Sep27Dec6
Bowling------------------------------------ 7pm See Apollo Calgary Sep1Mar30
Tennis------------------------------------ 10am By Apollo
Mosaic Youth Group------------------- Evening See website for details.
Coffee------------------------------------ 10am See Prime Timers Calgary
Thursdays
Wing Night------------------------------ All Day At 9 FAB
LGBT Ghost Tour--------------------------- 8pm By 2 Calgary Ghost Tours
Karaoke------------------------------ 8pm-1am At 5 Texas Lounge
Friday, October 15th
Boot Camp (B)---------------- 10:30am-12pm See Apollo Calgary Sep12 Lesbian Seniors---------------------------- 2pm Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 3rd 1133 7th Ave SW Swim Practice--------------------------- 6-7pm See Different Strokes Sep9Dec
Tuesdays
Fake Mustache Show--------------- 7-9:45pm See Miscellaneous Youth Network 1st
Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm See 1 Calgary Outlink 1st Tues
Boot Camp (A)---------------------- 7-8:30pm See Apollo Calgary Sep7
Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink 2nd, 4th
Alcoholics Anonymous--------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Rehearsals-------------------------- 7-9:30pm See Calgary Men’s Chorus Jun
Alcoholics Anonymous--------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW Tuned Out Music Trivia---------------- Evening At 9 FAB 1st, 3rd Fundraising Shooters------------------ Evening By ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge Sundays
Worship Time---------------------------- 10am See Deer Park United Church
Fridays
Worship------------------------------ 10:30am See Scarboro United Church
Karaoke------------------------------ 8pm-1am At 5 Texas Lounge
Leather Night-------------------------- Evening At 4 Calgary Eagle
Worship Services------------------------- 11am See Knox United Church
Alcoholics Anonymous--------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
BBQ Fundraiser------------------------- 5-9pm By ISCCA at 3 Backlot
BBQ Social Sundays----------------------- 2pm At 4 Calgary Eagle
Illusions-------------------------------- 7-10pm See 1 Calgary Outlink 1st
Church Service----------------------------- 4pm See Rainbow Community Church
Wednesdays
Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink 2nd
Communion Service------------------ 12:10pm See Knox United Church
Swim Practice--------------------------- 5-6pm See Different Strokes Sep9Dec
New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink 3rd
Women’s Healing Circle--------------- 1:30pm See AIDS Calgary
Sunday Socials---------------------- Afternoon At 4 Calgary Eagle
Beach Volleyball----------------- 7:30-9:30pm See Apollo
Wing Night------------------------------ All Day At 9 FAB
Free Pool------------------------------- All Day At 4 Calgary Eagle
Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm See 1 Calgary Outlink 4th
Tuesday, September 7th
Free Pool------------------------------- All Day At 4 Calgary Eagle With Prime Timers Calgary
Alcoholics Anonymous--------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Badminton------------------------------ 7-9pm See Apollo Calgary Sep8Dec15
Saturdays
Lawn Bowling--------------------------- 6-9pm See Apollo
Bathhouses/Saunas 6 Goliaths-------------------------------------✰ 308 - 17 Ave SW 403-229-0911 www.goliaths.ca Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Community Groups 2 AIDS Calgary---------------------------- ✰ 110, 1603 10th Avenue SW 403-508-2500 info@aidscalgary.org www.aidscalgary.org
Alberta Society for Kink 403-398-9968 albetasocietyforkink@hotmail.com http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/
group.albertasocietyforkink
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Running------------------------------------ 9am See Apollo Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports www.apollocalgary.com www.myapollo.com
A volunteer operated, non-profit organization serving primarily members of the LGBT communities but open to all members of all communities. Primary focus is to provide members with wellorganized and fun sporting events and other activities. • Western Cup 29 www.westerncup.com North America’s largest LGBT sporting competition with over 400 athletes in up to seven different sports. • Badminton (Absolutely Smashing) St. Martha School (6020 - 4 Avenue NE) badminton@apollocalgary.com Per session: $4 for Apollo member, $5 for nonmembers. Season’s pass $75
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Wednesday, October 13th
Core Training Workshop----------- 9am-4pm At 2 AIDS Calgary - Training Room Thursday, October 14th
LGBT Ghost Tour------------------------- 10pm By 2 Calgary Ghost Tours Sunday, October 17th
Great Chili Cook-off------------------- 6-10pm At 4 Calgary Eagle Tuesday, October 19th
Monthly Dance------------------------- 8pm By ARGRA Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Hall 1320 5th Avenue NW Wednesday, October 27th
Volunteer Activity Night---------------- 5-7pm At 2 AIDS Calgary - Training Room Saturday, October 30th
GhoulsGroove Thriller------------- 8pm-1am Big Rock Brewery (5555 76 Ave SE) November 4th
Prince & Princess Gala-------------------- 9pm By ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge November 5th
Prince & Princess Gala-------------------- 9pm By ISCCA at 33 Twisted Element November 6th
Turnabout---------------------------------- 9pm By ISCCA at 33 Twisted Element
Calgary Networking Club 5-7pm By Calgary Outlink At Ming (520 - 17th Ave SW) Sunday, October 10th
Thanksgiving Buffet-------------------- 5-9pm At 60 Club Sapien Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range/Future), = Sponsored Event • Boot Camp Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE bootcamp@apollocalgary.com 8 classes (one per week) for only $50.This is a 50% saving for Apollo members only. • Bowling (Rainbow Riders League) Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE) bowling@apollocalgary.com Nightly - $17.00/night ($12.50 for lineage; $4.50 in prize money) and shoe rental is $3.00. • Curling curling@apollocalgary.com Will return in September 2010. Sign up at myapollo.org to receive updates. • Golf golf@apollocalgary.com Occasional rounds will occur during the summer of 2010 depending on weather and leaders. Sign up at myapollo.org to receive updates.
• Lawn Bowling Inglewood Lawn Bowling Club 1235 8th Avenue SE lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com • Outdoor Pursuits outdoorpursuits@apollocalgary.com If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events all summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking, skiing, snow shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org to get updates on the sport you like. We’re always looking for people to lead events. • Running (Calgary Frontrunners) YMCA Eau Claire (4th St, 1st Ave SW) calgaryfrontrunners@shaw.ca East Doors (directly off the Bow river pathway). Distances vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6 minutes/mile to 9+ minute miles. • Slow Pitch slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com Will be running Friday nights during the summer
Directory & Events of 2010, location to be determined. Sign up at myapollo.org to receive immediate notice of start date and location. • Squash Mount Royal University Recreation squash@apollocalgary.com All skill levels welcome. • Tennis U of C Courts tennis@apollocalgary.com All skill levels welcome. Drop in. Look for Randall.
• Peer Support and Crisis Line 1-877-OUT-IS-OK (1-877-688-4765) Front-line help service for GLBT individuals and their family and friends, or anyone questioning their sexuality. • Library A great selection of resource books, fiction, nonfiction, videos and everything in between, all with a queer perspective.
• Volleyball (Beach) Volleydome (2825 24 Avenue NW) beachvb@apollocalgary.com
• Drop-In Center A safe and supportive environment for one-to-one peer counseling for many issues surrounding family, coming out, homosexuality, loneliness and other issues.
• Volleyball (Rec + Int/Comp) vb@apollocalgary.com Both Leagues will return in September 2010. Sign up at myapollo.org to receive updates.
• Between Men and Between Men Online Peer support, sexual health education for gay or bisexual men, as well as those who may be uncertain or questioning their sexuality.
• Yoga World Tree Studio (812 Edmonton Trail NE) Robin: 403-618-9642 yoga@apollocalgary.com $120 (10 sessions); $14 Drop-ins open to all levels. Apollo membership is required.
• Calgary Networking Club Ming, 520 - 17th Ave SW The networking meetings are open to all individuals who would like to promote their businesses or who would like to meet new people - no business affiliation is necessary.
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA) www.argra.org
• Heading Out Peer group for men who are looking for an alternative social activity to the bar. Activities vary and are fun and entertaining.
• Monthly Dances----------------------------- Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association 1320 - 5th Avenue NW Artists for the Quality of Life 403-890-1261 www.afqol.com Cabin Fever The Soda
Women’s dance and social night. Calgary Gay Fathers calgaryfathers@hotmail.com http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca Peer support group for gay, bisexual and questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month. Calgary Men’s Chorus http://www.calgarymenschorus.org • Rehearsals Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------- ✰ 304, 301 14th Street NW 403-283-5580 http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca
A pro-choice organization that believes all people have the right and ability to make their own choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health. 1 Calgary Outlink-----------------------------✰ #4, 1230A 17th Avenue SW 403-234-8973 http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
Formerly know as the Gay And Lesbian Community Services Association (GLCSA).
• Illusions Calgary Social group for Calgary and area transgender community members (cross dressers, transvestites, drag kings and queens). A safe, discrete and welcoming atmosphere, in which transgendered people can meet others of like mind. • Inside Out Peer-facilitated youth group for GLBTQ ages 15-25. Aims to let youth know they are not alone, and to connect them with their peers. Safe environment with a variety of resources and activities. • New Directions Drop in peer-support group to provide support and resources for individuals who identify as transsexual or inter-sexed. • SHEQ Soulful Healing Ego Quest Trudy or Krista, 403-585-7437 Workshop for women—a chance to grow and share their experiences related to women’s sexuality. To participate, please call or leave your name and a contact time/number with Calgary Outlink. • Womynspace Peer social/support group for women providing an evening of fun, bonding, discussion and activities. Calgary Queer Book Club Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)
Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre 77 Deerpoint Road SE 403-278-8263 http://www.dpuc.ca
Different Strokes http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org
• Swim Practice SAIT Pool, 1301 - 16th Ave NW No practices on long weekends Don’t Buy In Project http://www.dontbuyin.ca
This Calgary Police Service Initiative aims to encourage youth to working towards an inclusive environment in which diversity is embraced in their schools and community. FairyTales Presentation Society #4 - 1230A 17th Avenue SW 403-244-1956 http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. • DVD Resource Library Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual membership is $10. Gay Singles in Calgary http://www.gaysinglesincalgary.org Girl Friends girlfriends@shaw.ca members.shaw.ca/girlfriends
Girlsgroove http://www.girlsgroove.ca GLBT Housing http://www.glbthousing.ca HIV Peer Support Group 403-230-5832 hivpeergroup@yahoo.ca
ISCCA Social Association http://www.iscca.ca Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch. Charity fundraising group.. Knox United Church 506 - 4th Street SW 403-269-8382 http://www.knoxunited.ab.ca
Knox United Church is an all-inclusive church located in downtown Calgary. A variety of facility rentals are also available for meetings, events and concerts. • Worship Services 10:30am in July and August. Miscellaneous Youth Network http://www.miscyouth.com • Fake Mustache------------------------------ The Soda, 211 - 12th Ave SW Calgary’s ONLY Drag King Show. $5 cover. $2 cover under 18. Advance tickets available at Barbies Shop. Mystique mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com
Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and up but all are welcome. • Coffee Night Second Cup (2312 - 4th Street SW) NETWORKS 403-293-3356 sanpfeif@telus.net A social, cultural, and service organization for the mature minded and “Plus 40” LGBT individuals seeking to meet others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe environment.
Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) Sean: 403-695-5791 http://www.pflagcanada.ca
A registered charitable organization that provides support, education and resources to parents, families and individuals who have questions or concerns about sexual orientation or gender identity. Positive Space Committee 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW 403-440-6383 http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace
Works to raise awareness and challenge the patterns of silence that continue to marginalize LGBTTQ individuals. Pride Calgary Planning Committee www.pridecalgary.ca
403-797-6564
Pride Rainbow Project prp@planet-save.com http://www.priderainbowproject.com
Youth run project designed to show support for same-sex marriage in Canada and elsewhere. A fabric rainbow banner approximately 5 feet wide - goal is to make it 3.2km (2 miles) long, in order to break the world record. Primetimers Calgary primetimerscalgary@gmail.com http://www.primetimerscalgary.com
Designed to foster social interaction for its members through a variety of social, educational and recreational activities. Open to all gay and bisexual men of any age, respects whatever degree of anonymity that each member desires. • Free Pool 4 Calgary Eagle • Saturday Coffee Midtown Co-op, 1130 - 11th Ave SW Queers on Campus---------------------- ✰ 279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C 403-220-6394 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass
Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff. • Coffee Night 2nd Cup, Kensington Rainbow Community Church Hillhurst United, 1227 Kensington Close NW roneberly@shaw.ca http://www.rainbowcommunitychurch.ca
The Rainbow Community Church is an all-inclusive church; everyone is welcome. Rocky Mountain Bears bearcoltr@shaw.ca http://www.rockymountainbears.com
Safety Under the Rainbow http://www.safetyrainbow.ca
Mission: To raise awareness and understanding of same-sex domestic violence and homophobic youth bullying. Scarboro United Church 134 Scarboro Avenue SW 403-244-1161 www.scarborounited.ab.ca
An affirming congregation—the full inclusion of LGBT people is essential to our mission and purpose.
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON
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Sharp Foundation 403-272-2912 sharpfoundation@nucleus.com http://www.thesharpfoundation.com
5 The Junction------------------ Bars and Clubs 6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------ Bars and Clubs 7 Down Under Baths--------------- Bathhouses
8 Prism Bar & Grill------------- Bars and Clubs 11 Steamworks---------------------- Bathhouses 12 Woody’s----------------------- Bars and Clubs
13 PLAY Nightclub--------------- Bars and Clubs 14 FLASH------------------------- Bars and Clubs
60 Club Sapien------------------------------ ✰ 1140 10th Ave SW 403-457-4464 http://www.clubsapien.ca
16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰ 1322 - 17 Ave SW 403-215-1800 http://www.priape.com
http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca
Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies and magazines. Gifts.
403-777-9494 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca
9 FAB (formerly Money Pennies)--------
Unity Bowling
✰
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
Let’s Bowl (2916 - 5th Ave NE) sundayunity@live.com
Halo Steak, Seafood & Wine Bar Canyon Meadows Plaza 13226 Macleod Trail SE 403-271-4111 www.halorestaurant.com
Urban Sex Radio Show CJSW 90.9 FM http://www.cjsw.com Focus on sexuality; gay bisexual lesbian trans gendered and straight issues here in Calgary and around the web.
59 Village Bistro & Lounge------------------ 2F, 610 8th Ave SE 403-262-6342 ext 236 Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm, Sat: 11am-5pm www.villagebistrocalgary.com
Western Canada Bigmen and Admirers groups.yahoo.com/group/ WesternCanadaBigmenGroup/ bigpaul41@yahoo.com
Retail Stores
T&T Honda
• Kelvin Hur 403-990-9080 New Vehicle Sales Manager
Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600
• Lawrence Wong 403-870-5001 Sales Consultant Wares & Wear Ventures Inc. See Canada - Retail Stores.
41 La Fleur------------------------------------ 103 - 100 7th Avenue SW 403-266-1707
Bad Romance Entertainment www.badromance-entertainment.com
“Yeah...What She Said!” Radio Show CJSW 90.9 FM yeahwhatshesaid@gmail.com
Florist and Flower Shop.
403-246-4134
Restaurants ✰
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs. 20
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY. 810 Edmonton Trail NE 403-290-1973
Adult Depot----------------------------- ✰ 140, 58th Ave SW 403-258-2777 Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.
4 Calgary Eagle Inc.----------------------
Cruiseline
888 Meridian Road NE 403-291-1444 sales@tandthonda.ca www.tandthonda.ca
Vigor Calgary 403-255-7004 www.vigorcalgary.ca Violence in Gay Male Relationships (VIGOR) is a committee of professionals dedicated to increasing the awareness of gay men’s domestic violence and the services available to them.
The Naked Leaf--------------------------- 305 10th Street NW 403-283-3555 http://www.thenakedleaf.ca Organic teas and tea ware.
GLBT legal services.
Services & Products Calgary Civil Marriage Centre ca.ca@shaw.ca Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of the Peace - JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner for Oaths. 24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors) 1138 Kensington Road NW 403-571-5120
DevaDave Salon & Boutique Cuts, Colour, Hilights. Duncan’s Residential Cleaning Residential cleaning. Free estimates. Interactive Male 403-261-2112 trial code 8873 1-800-777-8000 www.interactivemale.com
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors) 403-461-9195 http://www.lornedoucette.com
Marnie Campbell (Maxwell Realtors) 403-479-8619 http://www.marniecampbell.ca
MFM Communications 403-543-6970 1-877-543-6970 http://www.mfmcommunications.com
Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware and software.
Directory & Events info@theatrejunction.com http://www.theatrejunction.com
MPs Catering 403-607-8215
Rick Grenier (Invis) 403-862-1162
rickgrenier@invis.ca
Mortgage solutions. 56 Sacred Balance Piercing 1528 - 17th Avenue SW 403-277-4449 www.sacredbalancetattoo.com
Tattos and body piercing.
34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------------ 161, 115 - 9 Ave SE 403-221-3708 http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com
Edmonton Bars & Clubs
SafeWorks Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing. • Calgary Drop-in Centre Room 117, 423 - 4th Ave SE 403-699-8216 Mon-Fri: 9am-12pm, Sat: 12:15pm-3:15pm • Centre of Hope Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE 403-410-1180 Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm
6 Buddy’s Nite Club--------------------------✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6636 14 FLASH---------------------------------------✰ 10018 105 Street 780-999-8255 5 The Junction---------------------------- ✰ 10242 106th St 780-756-5667 http://www.junctionedmonton.com
PLAY Nightclub (closed)-------------------✰
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre 1213 - 4th Str SW 403-955-6014 Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
10220 103 Street 780-497-7529 info@playnightclub.ca http://www.playnightclub.ca
• Safeworks Van 403-850-3755 Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
10524 101st St http://www.prismbar.ca
Prism Bar & Grill (closed)------------- ✰ 780-990-0038
12 Woody’s-------------------------------------✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
52 Sandra G. Sebree, Lawyer 1610 - 17th Ave SW 403-228-8108 www.sandrasebree.com
Bathhouses/Saunas
TherapyWorks 403-561-6873 ckorol@therapyworks.ca http://www.therapyworks.com
Take back your life from stress, sadness, and worry.
Theatre & Fine Arts 36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects 403-294-7402 http://www.ATPlive.com
AXIS Contemporary Art------------------- 107, 100 - 7 Ave SW 403-262-3356 rob@axisart.ca www.axisart.ca Fairytales See Calgary - Community Groups.
43 Lisa Heinricks (Artist)--------------------- Art Central, 100 7th Ave SW, lower level http://www.creamydreamy.com 35 One Yellow Rabbit------------------------- Big Secret Theatre - EPCOR CENTRE 403-299-8888 www.oyr.org 37 Pumphouse Theatre------------------ 2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW 403-263-0079 http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca
✰
Stagewest-------------------------------
✰
58 Theatre Junction---------------------- Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW 403-205-2922
✰
Edmonton Illusions Social Club 5 Boots Bar & Grill 780-387-3343 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions 4 Edmonton STD 11111 Jasper Ave
Edmonton Vocal Minority sing@evmchoir.com
780-479-2038 www.evmchoir.com
Exposure 2010 TBA 3 HIV Network Of Edmonton Society---- ✰ 11456 Jasper Ave www.hivedmonton.com
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose http://www.gayedmonton.org
OUTreach University of Alberta, basement of SUB outreach@ualberta.ca http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual, Queer, Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow student group. 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------- ✰ 95A Street, 111 Ave 780-488-3234 admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org
11 Steamworks--------------------------------✰ 11745 Jasper Ave 780-451-5554 http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
• Community Potluck Main Space – Upstairs tuff@shaw.ca A potluck open to all members of the LGBTQ community. A time to get together, share a meal and meet people from the community.
Community Groups Alberta Bears www.bearbeef.org
Altview-Strathcona County LGBTQ Group #44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB www.altview.ca
Buck Naked Boys Club 780-471-6993 http://www.bucknakedboys.ca Naturism club for men—being social while everyone is naked, and it does not include sexual activity. Participants do not need to be gay, only male. Camp fYrefly 7-104 Dept. of Educational Policy Studies
Faculty of Education, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5 http://www.fyrefly.ualberta.ca Edmonton Pride Week Society
727 - 42 Avenue SE 403-243-6642 http://www.stagewestcalgary.com
Primary focus is the provision of networking opportunities for LGBT owned or operated and LGBTfriendly businesses in the Edmonton region.
7 Down Under Baths-------------------------✰ 12224 Jasper Ave 780-482-7960 http://www.gayedmonton.com
Book Worm’s Book Club Second Cup, 11210 Jasper Ave bookworm@teamedmonton.ca
Jubilations Dinner Theatre Bow Trail and 37th St. SW 403-249-7799 www.jubilations.ca
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association 3379, 11215 Jasper Ave 780-429-5014 http://www.edmontonrba.org
http://www.prideedmonton.org
Edmonton Prime Timers edmontonpt@yahoo.ca www.primetimersww.org/edmonton Group of older gay men and their admirers who come from diverse backgrounds but have common social interests. Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.
• Free School Main Space – Upstairs monika_penner@shaw.ca Free School provides workshops on a variety of topics related to local activism. • Get Tested for STIs Free STD testing for anyone interested. For more information please contact the Pride Centre. • GLBT Seniors Drop-In Main Space – Upstairs tuff@shaw.ca A social and support group for seniors of all genders and sexualities to talk, have tea and offer each other support. • Men Talking with Pride Main Space – Upstairs robwells780@hotmail.com A social discussion group for gay, bisexual and transgendered men to discuss current issues and to offer support to each other. • Men’s HIV Support Group Green Room – Upstairs huges@shaw.ca Support group for people living with HIV/AIDS.
• PFLAG Red room - Downstairs 780-436-1998 edmontonab@pflagcanada.ca Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays: A support group for family members and friends of GLBT people. An excellent resource for people whose family members and friends have just come out. • Prime Timers See Edmonton Primetimers. • Suit Up and Show Up: AA Big Book Study Downstairs Couch Area Discussion and support group for those struggling with an alcohol addiction or seeking support in staying sober. • TTIQ Green Room – Upstairs admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org TTIQ is mixed gender open support group addressing the needs of transsexual and transgendered individuals. • Womonspace Board Meeting Main Space – Upstairs wspresident@hotmail.com Womonspace is a Social and Recreational Society in Edmonton run by volunteers. They provide opportunities for lesbians to interact and support each other in a safe environment, and to contribute to the broader community. • Youth Movie Main Space – Upstairs brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org Movie chosen by youth (aged 14 – 25), usually with LGBT themes. Popcorn is served. • YouthSpace brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org A safe and supportive space for GLBTQ youth aged 13–25. Video games, computers with internet, clothing bank, and more. Team Edmonton president@teamedmonton.ca http://www.teamedmonton.ca
Members are invited to attend and help determine the board for the next term. If you are interested in running for the board or getting involved in some of the committees, please contact us. • Badminton (Mixed) St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street coedbadminton@teamedmonton.ca New group seeking male & female players. • Badminton (Women’s) Oliver School, 10227 - 118 Street 780-465-3620 badminton@teamedmonton.ca Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00 season or $5.00 per drop in. •Ballroom Dancing Foot Notes Dance Studio, 9708-45 Avenue NW Cynthia: 780-469-3281 • Blazin’ Bootcamp Lynnwood School bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca • Bowling (Northern Titans) Gateway Lanes, 100 - 3414 Gateway Blvd bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Directory & Events EDMONTON EVENTS Mondays
Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm See Team Edmonton Men’s HIV Support Group-------------- 7-9pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton 2nd
Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm See Youth Understanding Youth
Youthspace-------------------------- 3-6:30pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
Womonspace Meeting--------- 12:30-1:30pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton 1st
Youth Understanding Youth------------ 7-9pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm See Youth Understanding Youth
Samsara Yoga---------------------- 2-3:30pm See Team Edmonton
Mixed Badminton---------------------- 8-10pm See Team Edmonton Jan13End of May
Youth Movie Night------------------ 6:30-8:30 See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Men Talking with Pride---------------- 7-9pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
Thursdays
Youth Understanding Youth------------ 7-9pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Ballroom Dancing-------------- 7:30-8:30pm See Team Edmonton
Saturdays
Monthly Meetings---------------------- 2:30pm Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) See Edmonton Primetimers 2nd
Curling--------------------------------- 7:15pm See Team Edmonton Mar
GLBT Seniors Drop-in------------------ 1-4pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
Tuesdays
Get Tested for STIs---------------------- 3-6pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton Last
Naturalist Gettogether---------------------- ??? See Buck Naked Boys Club 2nd
Youthspace------------------------------ 3-7pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
AA Big Book Study-------------------- 12-1pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm See Youth Understanding Youth
Monthly Meeting----------------------- 2:30pm By Edmonton Primetimers 2nd Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
GLBT Seniors Drop-in------------------ 1-4pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton TTIQ------------------------------------- 2-4pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton 2nd Youthspace------------------------------ 3-7pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton Community Potluck--------------------- 7-9pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton Last Swimming------------------------------ Evening See Team Edmonton
GLBT African Group----------------------- 6pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton 2nd Youth Understanding Youth------------ 7-9pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Bowling------------------------------------ 5pm See Team Edmonton
Saturday, October 23rd
PFLAG--------------------------------- 12:10pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton 1st
Swimming------------------------------ Evening See Team Edmonton
Running------------------------------ 10-11am See Team Edmonton
Youthspace------------------------------ 3-7pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
Fridays
Free School---------------------------- 11-5pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton 2nd, 4th
• Curling with Pride Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW 780-463-5942 curling@teamedmonton.ca • Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders) Various locations in Edmonton cycling@teamedmonton.ca Every Wednesday, 6:30pm • Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons) dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca • Golf golf@teamedmonton.ca • Gymnastics, Drop-in Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue gymnastics@teamedmonton.ca Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor to help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is $5.00 per session. • Hockey hockey@teamedmonton.ca
• Slo Pitch Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave slo-pitch@teamedmonton.ca Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for players from the 2008 season. • Snowballs III February 5-7th, 2010 snowballs@teamedmonton.ca Skiing and Snowboarding Weekend. • Soccer soccer@teamedmonton.ca • Spin MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness 109 St. and 104 Ave Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45pm Season has ended. spin@teamedmonton.ca 7 classes, $28.00 per registrant. • Swimming (Making Waves) NAIT Pool swimming@teamedmonton.ca
• Outdoor Pursuits outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca
• Tennis Kinsmen Sports Centre Sundays, 12pm-3pm tennis@teamedmonton.ca
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners) Kinsmen Sports Centre, front entrance running@teamedmonton.ca All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to join this free activity.
• Ultimate Frisbee Sundays Summer Season starts July 12th ultimatefrisbee@teamedmonton.ca E-mail if interested.
• Samsara Yoga Korezone Fitness, #203, 10575 -115 Street yoga@teamedmonton.ca
• Volleyball, Free To Be Intermediate Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road) volleyball@teamedmonton.ca
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Saturday, October 16th
Green Affair------------------------ 6-11:30pm At 5 The Junction
Intermediate Volleyball-------- 7:30-9:30pm See Team Edmonton
• Cross Country Skiing crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca
Business Mixer------------------------- 5:30pm By ERBA Four Points (7230 Argyll Road) Red Deer Room
Youthspace-------------------------- 3-6:30pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton
Wednesdays
Edmonton Illusions-------------------- 8:30pm At 5 The Junction 2nd
Tuesday, October 12th
Sundays
AGM & Dance------------------------------ 7pm By Womonspace Bellevue Community Hall 7308 112 Avenue NW Sunday, October 24th
All You Can Eat Perogies--------------- 5-8pm By ISCWR at 5 The Junction
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range), = Sponsored Event http://www.rodeodrive.ca His and hers fetish wear, toys, jewelry, etc.
• Volleyball, Free To Be Recreational Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave) recvolleyball@teamedmonton.ca Outdoor season, Sundays, 3-5pm
Products & Services
• Women’s Lacrosse Sharon: 780-461-0017 Pam: 780-436-7374 Open to women 21+, experienced or not, all are welcome. Call for info. Womonspace 780-482-1794 womonspace@gmail.com www.womonspace.ca Women’s social group, but all welcome at events. Youth Understanding Youth 780-248-1971
www.yuyedm.ca A support and social group for queer youth 12-25.
• Sports and Recreation Brendan: 780-488-3234 brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org
Restaurants 5 The Junction------------------------------- 10242 106th St 780-756-5667 8 Prism Bar & Grill-----------------------
✰
See Edmonton - Bars and Clubs.
12 Woody’s-------------------------------------✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
Retail Stores Rodéo Drive 11528 - 89th Street 780-474-0413 brendalee@rodeodrive.ca
Cruiseline 780-413-7122 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca
Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY. Interactive Male 780-409-3333 trial code 8871 1-800-777-8000 www.interactivemale.com
Robertson-Wesley United Church 10209 - 123 St. NW 780-482-1587 jravenscroft@rwuc.org www.rwuc.org Worship: Sunday mornings at 10:30am
People of all sexual orientations welcome. Other LGBT events include a monthly book club and a bi-monthly film night. As a caring spiritual community, we’d love to have you join us! • Soul OUTing Second Sunday every month, 7pm An LGBT-focused alternative worship. • Film Night Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates. • Book Club Monthly, contact us for exact dates. Same Gender Speed Dating Ltd. 780-221-8535 www.samegenderdating.com
An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
Directory & Events LETHBRIDGE EVENTS
BANFF EVENTS
GRANDE PRAIRIE EVENTS
Fridays
Monday, October 11th
Wednesdays
Friday Mixer----------------------------- 10pm See GALA/LA
Queer Cinema------------------------- 8-10pm By Mountain Pride Banff Rotary Community Hub 302 Buffalo Street
Coffee Night----------------------------- 7-9pm By GALAP Grand Prairie GALAP Office (10113 - 103 Avenue)
Saturday, October 16th
Bowling------------------------- 6:30-8:30pm Holiday Bowl (2825 2 Ave S) By GALA/LA • Gay Male Speed Dating Boston Pizza Private Party Room, Whyte Ave TBA Must pre-register to attend - please contact us. • Lesbian Speed Dating Boston Pizza Private Party Room, Whyte Ave TBA Must pre-register to attend - please contact us.
Theatre & Fine Arts Exposure Festival http://www.exposurefestival.ca
Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival. The Roxy Theatre 10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB 780-453-2440 www.theatrenetwork.ca
Banff/Canmore Community Groups Mountain Pride BOX 4892, BANFF, AB, T1L 1G1 Brian, 403-431-2569 1-800-958-9632 mountainpride@gaybanff.com www.gaybanff.com
Serving the GLBTQS community in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Area.
• Monthly Potluck Dinners McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your own beverage. • Support Line 403-308-2893 Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm Leave a message any other time. • Friday Mixer The Mix (green water tower) 103 Mayor Magrath Dr S Every Friday at 10pm Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA) University of Lethbridge galia@uleth.ca
GBLTTQQ club on campus. • Movie Night Room C610, University of Lethbridge Gay Youth Alliance Group Betty, 403-381-5260 bneil@chr.ab.ca Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm Lethbridge HIV Connection 1206 - 6 Ave S
PFLAG Canada 1-888-530-6777 lethbridgeab@pflagcanada.ca www.pflagcanada.ca Pride Lethbridge lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com
Grande Prairie Red Deer Community Groups
GALAP 10113 - 103 Ave, T8V 1C2 780-512-1990 Gay and Lesbian Association of the Peace. • Wednesday Coffee Nights
Lethbridge Community Groups GALA/LA 403-308-2893 http://www.galalethbridge.ca
Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area. • Monthly Dances Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S) Bring your membership card and photo ID.
Community Groups
Western Canadian Pride Campout www.eventmasterinc.net YouthSafe http://www.youthsafe.net
Alberta’s website for youth with sex-and-gender differences. Youthsafe.net lists the resources, information and services to help youth find safe and caring spaces in Alberta.
Theatre & Fine Arts Alberta Ballet http://www.albertaballet.com Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.
Canada Community Groups
Membership fees are pay-what-you-can, although pre-authorized monthly donors are encouraged (and get a free Egale Canada t-shirt). Egale has several committees that meet by teleconference on a regular basis; membership on these is national with members from every region of Canada.
Products & Services Squirt http://www.squirt.org
Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!
Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca
OUTtv http://www.outtv.ca
GLBT Television Station.
Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum. Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition P.O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9 (306) 955-5135 1-800-955-5129 http://www.rainbowhealth.ca
Egale Canada 8 Wellington St E, Third Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5 1-888-204-7777 www.egale.ca Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, trans-identified people and our families.
Affirm Sunnybrook United Church 403-347-6073 2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm
Composed of LGBTQ people, their friends, family and allies. No religious affiliation necessary. Activities include support, faith and social justice discussions, film nights, and potlucks!
Alberta Community Groups Central Alberta AIDS Network Society
4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB http://www.caans.org
The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in Central Alberta.
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
23
Interview
Photo by Dustin Rabin
A Cuppa Tea with Great Big Sea By Jason Clevett I often wonder what my teenage self would think if I told him that someday I would speak to members of some of the most iconic, long lasting Canadian bands of the last 20 years.
It certainly can be nerve-wracking at times when someone you grew up listening to is on the other end of the phone. In the case of speaking with Great Big Sea’s Alan Doyle, the solution was simple – pour myself a cuppa tea! “It is a great old song. It is a cover, very obscure Kink’s song, that sounds like it was written for a Newfoundlander,” Doyle said of the song Have A Cuppa Tea on their new album Safe Upon the Shore. Doyle called in from a tour stop in Pittsburgh, PA before heading to New York City. He, along with Bob Hallett and Sean McCann, bring their current tour entitled An Evening With Great Big Sea to Calgary October 28th to 29th and Edmonton October 30th and January 22nd. The first shows sold out quickly, but tickets are available for the second dates. “We didn’t have time to fit in two Edmontons on this leg. As luck would have it we had to go back to Western Canada for a couple of things in January, including a gig in Saskatoon. We said if there is demand for another Edmonton show we can do it again. The Edmonton show sold out right away so back we go. I love touring Canada in the winter man! I love it! Bring it on!” Listening to the new album, you hear a blend of “classic” sounding GBS, and a newer slant. “It was made in a couple of sections, the first of which was very in-house. We had asked a few people like Joel Plaskett and Jeremy Fisher to get together and in a low-fi way we recorded some songs like Yankee Sailor and Have a Cuppa Tea within our own little studio. It sounded like some old school stuff and was great fun. We wanted to marry that with something that was completely new and different for us. We went to New Orleans and recorded the “hi-fi” part of the record there. It is an interesting juxtaposition.” One thing you can count on is the upbeat fun aspect of Great Big Sea. Even their sad songs have a sense of joy, Doyle says. “We come from a place where music is primarily used as a form of celebration. Newfoundland has recorded our history 24
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
in song and we have found a way to make even the most tragic story a joyful experience. Some of the most famous Newfoundland songs are about sad events but are very happy songs. When you live on a cold, frozen rock in the middle of the North Atlantic you get really good at generating happiness. That has bled into our music and made us who we are, I suppose.” One such song is Yankee Sailor, about a Newfoundlander boy sending a message to his former girl, who is now married to an American. “It came out of the writing session with myself and Sean and Bob and Joel. It was Bob’s idea to do a song about one of the most significant immigration patterns in Newfoundland, and one that is rarely spoken of. There was a whole generation of Newfoundland ladies that got married off to American soldiers that came there during the Second World War. There are people all over New England and the Mid-West that are of Newfoundland heritage because of the Newfoundland dudes who lost their gals to the Yankee sailor. It was an interesting time in history because it was a real culture clash. One of the most sophisticated and advanced institutions in the world at the time would have been the US military. They had technology no one had, [even with] stuff like music. The first time most of the world heard big band music was American ships. So those ships came into St. Johns Harbor which is so poor it had thrown away its nationality and joined Canada. You can imagine how fantastic those ships and dudes must have looked, what a Hollywood comes to town kind of thing it must have been.” GBS is also well known for their covers with a Newfoundland twist like REM’s It’s The End Of The World As We Know It, Slade’s Run Run Away and Oysterband’s When I’m Up (I Can’t Get Down). The tradition continues with the Kink’s cover, as well as the Led Zepplin classic Gallows Pole. “Because we are a band that is instrumented differently than others. it gives us a bit of a license to do unique arrangements of other peoples songs. We’ve done songs like Run Run Away, effectively a heavy metal song, and add tin whistles and accordions and fiddles... it gives a song a whole new life to live in. Songs like the It’s The End of The World As We Know It was done as a song of celebration, which makes sense in the Celtic world. Gallows Pole was appealing to us because it is actually a traditional folk song that Zepplin made very famous in our lifetimes. It is actually a European song that made its way over to America and Huddie Leadbelly Ledbetter recorded it in the 1930s and that is the version Zepplin heard. Their version of it is similar to the Leadbelly version. We researched the song and found out about its old lyrics that are a little different, because it is an older version of the story. But we tried to emulate Mr. Page with the guitar riff. It was an homage as best as I could do.” Another name in the liner notes which may surprise people is Russel Crowe, who co-wrote Hit The Ground and Run with Doyle. The two have been friends for close to a decade. “I write songs with Russel a lot for Great Big Sea, and for his band and for TV and movies. We were writing songs for another movie in development and the notes in those songs were cerebral and heavy. To fill a lighter moment I told him I always wanted to write a song about a shotgun wedding and we wrote that song in about 10 minutes.” That friendship also led to his first movie role, amusingly close to his own name. He portrayed Alan A’Dayle alongside Crowe in Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood now available on DVD. “I got a call about two years ago from Russel, and his calls always pick up from wherever you left off whether it was 10 minutes previous or 10 months previous. So he said Hey man, can you play the lute? I replied I guess I can play the lute why do you ask? He asked if I was interested in a role for a musician of Irish descent who could sing folk songs and play the lute. So I went down to LA and did a read through and got the part,” he recalled. “It was really fun and interesting, I learned a lot from everybody there. I felt bad for my actor friends because I had never done it, I had nothing to compare it to. As far as I was concerned this was how all movie shoots were. They’ve corrected me…nooo...no they aren’t. It was like learning to drive in a Cadillac.” With 10 albums and 17 years, it’s hard to narrow down a set list. That is why the current tour features just the band, no opening act, in two sets. “One of the reasons we decided to do a two-set show was to meet demand. We get to play more music when there is no opening band. We do almost 30 songs a night and most
Community bands do hardly 16 or 17. Still we have 155 recorded Great Big Sea songs. I love doing it this way to be honest. You get to play a bit longer. I find a lot of little kids want to see Great Big Sea and if we have an opening act we don’t get on sometimes until 9 or 9:30. It is often a bit late for them. So I like to start at 8 so people can bring their younger kids.” As veterans of the music industry they have seen it change a great deal – their first album released in 1993 was a cassette. “There were wax cylinders when we started man! The downside has been obvious, and well spoken about. Music is free. You can spend a lot of time and money making a song and anybody who wants to get that song for nothing can get it. Unless you can find a different way to make money and pay for your existence, that is a deal breaker and the end of it. For lots of bands in the last five or six years it has been the end of it, they can’t function. Luckily for a band like Great Big Sea the positives outweigh the negatives. We have always been blessed with having a good live concerts and people still want to see that. The whole internet world has separated the boys from the men in terms of live performance. You can’t sleepwalk your way through being a musician anymore, it is impossible. You have to have a great concert in order to be a full time musician nowadays. I think that is a good thing. The young bands out there that have a great concert and make great music will be heard of and found out. They can get the word out there quicker. The big adjustment that everyone has had to make is the stack of how you do business. Music sales used to be a percentage of your business; that is now less, it doesn’t matter if you are Great Big Sea or U2. That number is less than it used to be. The concert ticket world has to be higher than it used to be or you’re done.” It is because of that live show that bands like Great Big Sea, legends for their performances, have stuck around for this long. Whether a veteran fan with multiple GBS concerts under your belt, or seeing them for the first time, their upcoming performances promise to be something spectacular. “It is a very interactive experience you’ll find. Not because we try to push people into joining in, it just happens that way. People want to come and participate in a wonderful kind of way. I am not totally certain why. I feel like sometimes we are a very small part of a Great Big Sea concert to be honest; we are just facilitators of a great night out. I always feel like the concert is something that the band and the people who come out share and do together. I always hated going to watch bands and the guy didn’t mention the name of the town he was in, it could have been a recital anywhere and he went back to the bus and goes to the next place. I always like to live in the town we are in. I feel very fortunate to be able to do this and I want people to see that.”
Great Big Sea Safe Upon the Shore available now. www.greatbigsea.com Calgary October 27th-28th - Jubilee Auditorium Edmonton October 30th, January 22nd - Jubilee Auditorium http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1869
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Small Town (Openly Gay) Boy By Evan Kayne Being a gay or lesbian teenager in a big city has its challenges, however, for many LGBT youth, big cities are islands of tolerance and freedom. In a big city, eventually you’ll find like minds, LGBTfriendly businesses and even community groups. In small-town Alberta, however, being different can be lonely, even dangerous. That’s why it was notable, this past June, when a young man bravely stepped out of the closet during his high school valedictorian speech in the Colin Walmsley southern Alberta town of Fort Macleod. Colin Walmsley looks like your everyday square-jawed high school jock: captain of the school rugby team, picked as MVP on the Track and Field team, and a member of the volleyball squad. Throw in his popularity among his peers, his achievements both as an honours student and president of the grad council, and you have an exemplary student. While many people in the same situation might have done everything in their power to fly below the radar until they left town, Colin knowingly drew a lot of attention to himself. In the past, he would deflect or just ignore the issue of his sexuality. But from the way he was raised, that approach felt cowardly; he felt he needed to stick to his principles. Colin knew in a small town, rumours can swirl and words can get twisted. “I didn’t want that to happen, I wanted people to hear the words directly from my mouth...” he told GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. As soon as he found out he was Valedictorian, he thought it was time people knew the whole person; his valedictorian speech would get the word out to as many people as possible at one time. Also, he wanted to make a statement to show he was not afraid of anyone else’s beliefs anymore. However, he didn’t want to jump into this without gauging some reactions first, so he had a discussion this with his parents. While they were a little surprised to find out, he guessed they would be just fine with it. “They’ve always been very supportive of gay issues,” said Colin. The day of his valedictorian speech, he told a few friends prior to the event. No one suspected, and better yet, no one of his friends or family took any issue to it. When it was time for his speech, Colin was prepared for a stunned silence from the crowd. He didn’t expect the initial reaction of laughter. Of course, if a 6’1’’ tall athlete, honour student, and general “Big Man on Campus” admits to being gay, one might think it to be a ruse. Colin insisted that he wasn’t kidding; then came the silence. He expected there would be some people who were not pleased to hear this, addressing it directly in his speech: “I know that there are close-minded individuals out there in the world, even at this very ceremony, who believe that homosexuality is a choice... Why would anyone choose to be ostracized and cast out, as society does to gays today? Who wants to be forced to deny who they are?” Colin stated, adding, “You know, I read the Letters to the Editor [in the local paper] that say gays are sinners who are going to Hell, and I want to strangle these people, to yell at them to wake up to the real world and not be so arrogant to think that their way is the only way, that they’re right and everyone else is wrong. These people are the true cancers of society.”
Continued on Page 27 GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
25
Politics
Hypocrisy at Work at Canterbury Double Standard for Gay Anglican Clergy By Stephen Lock The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, spiritual head of the Worldwide Anglican Communion, is back in the news with regards to the ongoing controversy around the ordination of homosexuals. He is now on record as supporting the idea of appointing openly homosexual individuals to being bishops. The issue has created deep divisions within the Anglican Communion, dating back to 2003 when the New Hampshire diocese elected an openly gay man as their bishop. New Hampshire’s bishop Gene Robinson is currently the only openly gay person serving as a bishop within the Communion. However, in what could be seen as a rather typical Anglican tactic, namely not taking a firm stance on either side of an issue but coming up firmly in the middle, Archbishop Williams has also stated that while he supports the ordination of homosexual bishops, he does so with the understanding that such bishops remain, or become, celibate. This is a double standard. Anglican priests, and therefore bishops and archbishops, are not required to be celibate such as they are, for instance, in the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, Williams himself is married, as are many Anglican clergy. To insist any homosexual who wishes to become a priest, let alone someday be appointed a bishop, must be celibate is hypocritical. Williams recently stated in a London Times interview that he had “no problem” with consecrating an openly gay bishop. Whether or not by ‘gay’ he also meant ‘lesbian’ is unclear. Certainly the Anglican Church accepts women as clergy but,
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
to date, I am not aware of any woman bishop. However, he went on to say he would not endorse gay clergy in “active relationships”. “To put it very simply, there’s no problem about a gay person who’s a bishop,” he said. “It’s about the fact that there are traditionally, historically, standards that the clergy are expected to observe.” What those might be was not exactly clear. Certainly, it could be argued, it would be inappropriate for an openly gay bishop not involved in a committed monogamous relationship, and who was sexually active, to be a bishop. Not that I have an issue with anyone who chooses to be sexually active with as many individuals as they wish. I see no ethical issue there and I actually don’t really see any moral one either, although, again, it could be argued to have a series of superficial sexual encounters with little or no consideration for the individual, his feelings, or emotional health is a moral issue. Yes, up to a certain point I could cede that, although in my view if two individuals are both “on the same page” when it comes to recreational, casual sex and both approach it in a healthy manner and there is some respect for each other, I do not see an issue. However, having said that, I suppose I can also cede that for a bishop to be cruising the baths, for instance, or carousing at gay night clubs every weekend probably is not terribly “on.” But that is not what Bishop Williams is talking about. What he is saying is, if Candidate X is in a same-sex relationship or even married - as he well could be in Canada where we have equal marriage - he can forget about being made a bishop. Such restrictions apply to your local parish priest, as well. Williams did take considerable pains during the interview to try and explain why he stands with conservatives within the Communion against gay clergy when it comes to doctrine. He explained he, as Archbishop, had to decide against endorsing same-sex relationships for gay clergy and bishops because, he tried to explain, “the cost to the Church overall was too great to be borne at this point.” Ahhh...so the good Archbishop is willing to sacrifice what is honourable and fair on the altar of expediency. That the whole “gay issue” has been a major thorn in the side of the Anglican Communion is obvious. Conservative, one might even say right wing, Asian and African bishops have for some years now threatened to split the Church over this issue and have interfered in the internal workings of dioceses, most notably the Diocese of New Westminster, who take a somewhat more liberal approach. Pro-gay campaigners have accused Williams of being inconsistent. Williams had previously blocked the appointment of a celibate but openly gay cleric as bishop. There may be some truth to the accusation; how can Williams now claim he has “no problem” appointing a gay man to the bishopric so long as the candidate is and, one assumes remains, celibate - yet within memory, actively blocked just such an appointment? Has Williams had a change of heart? He doesn’t say. If he has, that’s all well and good. People can and do change their positions on issues after some reflection or upon receiving new information. If that is the case, and it may well be the case, then Williams needs to acknowledge that. But this is all rather beside the point. The point here is that there is a separate but equal mentality at work that is just not an ethical position at all. It didn’t work during Apartheid, it was dismissed as being in any way viable during our own equal marriage debates, when it was often suggested by those opposed to same-sex marriage that gay men and lesbians should settle
for civil union and not seek marriage, and it is not viable here either. What if the Worldwide Anglican Communion, which is based on consensus and does not utilize a top-down style of governance, were to somehow decide all clergy were to be celibate, just as their brothers in the Roman Catholic Church are required to be. While that would create one hell of a backlash and some major - and I am talking major - controversy, at least it would be an equal playing field; a field where sexual orientation just was not an issue, really. That is not the case. Here the case is one set of rules and expectations for this clergy and another set of rules and expectations for that clergy. How anyone in their right mind, let alone an individual tasked with being fair and reasonable as a mediator, could possibly see it as any sort of solution is beyond me. Well, it is a solution of sorts....for Williams. It allows him to play both sides of the fence and not overly offend, he hoped, either side. Surprise! Peter Tatchell, the well-known British gay activist, has been quoted as saying “Yet again, Rowan is sitting on the fence regarding gay clergy...I don’t know how he sleeps at night.” I suppose if one is convinced of one’s own righteousness and that because one holds a particular office, say that of Archbishop, then it is quite easy to dismiss any opposition as that of uninformed rabble-rousers. I am sure, or would at least hope, Williams has meditated on this issue and given it considerable thought. That he is a man of intellect goes without saying. He may even be a compassionate man. But on this question, the logic is faulty, the compassion minimal, and he’s playing the politician. If a particular cleric chooses to be celibate, that is up to the individual. It is possible to be openly gay and celibate, and if a priest or bishop chose that route then I would say more power to him, and would support him in that decision. But to have it imposed when it is not required of other clergy is, as I’ve mentioned already, hypocritical and a double standard. It is shameful and shame on Rowan Williams for doing so.
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People - From Page 25 For a small town, it went a lot better than Colin expected – a lot of his friends were really supportive, being from diverse religions and races themselves. Afterwards, none of his close friends shunned him, and someone even wrote a positive letter to the Fort Macleod Gazette about the incident. The only (somewhat) negative response to this was to say it was selfish of Colin to use the occasion to “out” himself. As well, in the time since his graduation, he still hasn’t gotten any negative reaction. “There’s the look once in a while...you can tell people are staring at me, but no one’s actually come and talked to me or confronted me.” Colin does notice there’s a generational difference at work - he finds it’s the younger people who are more open. While Colin would like to think people are a bit more accepting than they let on, he does concede one thing that may have helped buffer himself from any negative reaction he may have received: his social standing. “It’s possible...you don’t like to think that, but sometimes I wonder, is it because I am that valedictorian/ top athlete, they accept it and if I was less, they wouldn’t.”
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Q Scopes
“Click those slippers, Cancer!”
Venus retrograding across Mars in Scorpio offers a chance to repeat or correct romantic and erotic errors. Stress from Jupiter and Uranus push it toward errors of comic proportions. Keep your sense of humor. A solar aspect from Libra promises that with small effort, grace and aplomb will get you through anything.
ARIES (March 20 – April 19): When it comes to sexual activity and sexual fulfillment, quality isn’t as easy to get as quantity. Focus on the relationship you have (or the one you want), and be honest about where your sexual needs aren’t being met. TAURUS (April 20 – May 20): Your plans with your friends may be far-fetched, even utterly impractical. Don’t push too hard; be open to trimming your sails to a steadier process and a more reliable goal. Share your opinions, but let others take the lead. GEMINI (May 21- June 20): You will be noticed; don’t worry about that! Trying to get noticed will only make you look like a grandstanding egomaniac. Play it cool; focus on your work. Innovative approaches modestly advanced will get you the attention you want. CANCER (June 21- July 22): Hey, Dorothy, click those slippers and take care of business at home! Wanderlust and the search for novelties are mostly counterproductive distractions, but they might inspire playful ways to pep up your domestic life. LEO (July 23 – August 22): Are you out to your family? Raise issues that need to be discussed with them. Still, be careful not to spill too much info. Meaningful relationships deserve openness; tawdry adventures and intimate details are nobody else’s business. VIRGO (August 23 – September 22): Don’t shy away from the tough issues with your partner, but be careful not to be too provocative, smug or self-righteous. It’s not about you. Keep the focus on what’s really important. LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): Retail therapy is just an enabling term for “shopaholic.” Step away from the counter and get a realistic handle on your accounts. Yes, you are entitled to a birthday treat, but shouldn’t your friends and family be covering that? SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): It’s not all about you. On the other hand acting as if it were could unlock creative potential. Still, there is a time and a place for indulging in rampant egomania. Keep it where it belongs, and dig for those deep inner truths. SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 20): Reaching for the future may be more comfortable than resolving erupting issues from the past, but the latter is your foundation so make sure you deal with that. Friends offer perspective and distraction. Be careful to distinguish between the two. CAPRICORN (December 21 – January 19): Two paths ahead of you: One is bright and brilliant and offers lots of amazing thrills at considerable risk. The other is much duller and leads through hard work toward success. You know which road to take. AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18): Your ability to collaborate and bring together diverse ideas is what will get you favorably noticed. Resist the temptation to show off your sense of economy and resourcefulness. That will just blow up in your face. PISCES (February 19 – March 19): Being your own brilliantly spiritual self will probably confuse people and maybe even scare some. Whether you actually win arguments, you may terrify your opposition. Channel that energy into quiet study. Cultivating an air of serene mystery will convey powerful sexiness. Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977, is available for personal and business consultations in person in San Francisco, or online everywhere. He can be reached at 415-864-8302, through his Web site at www.starjack.com.
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Gossip
Sacha Baron Cohen as Brüno, courtesy of Universal Pictures
Deep Inside Hollywood Glee gets closer to Rocky
Romeo San Vicente It’s full steam ahead for the televised mashup machine that is Glee. The appropriation of every single music reference of the past several decades – well, the ones they can get the rights too anyway, a task that’s getting easier and easier with each passing moment – has become the show’s real star. And now it’s The Rocky Horror Picture Show’s turn to become… family friendly? Yes, the transgendered, pansexual, orgy-in-a-swimming-pool, “Time Warp”line-dancing template for weirdo queer culture will be introduced to a new generation of Gleeks and their moms as Hairspray director, choreographer and So You Think You Can Dance judge Adam Shankman takes over directing duties for Glee’s all-Rocky episode, coming this season. Guesting so far? Barry Bostwick and Meat Loaf. Tim Curry said no. But how much do you want to bet that Susan Sarandon is game? Baron Cohen to play killer Queen Mercury Borat proved that Sacha Baron Cohen could grow a killer mustache; Brüno showed us he was comfortable with on-screen flamboyant gay excess; and Sweeney Todd revealed that he could sing. So now Baron Cohen is putting all three of those things together to play Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead singer of Queen, in what promises to be a memorable biopic. Mercury’s own story is a fascinating one – born of Parsi Iranians and raised in Zanzibar and India, he became one of the world’s leading rock vocalists; when Mercury became HIV-positive, he kept it a secret from the media, despite being visibly worn down by AIDS complications. Only 24 hours before his death in 1991 did Mercury go public about his condition. The film, which will be written by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon), will focus on Queen’s preparations for Live Aid in 1985. Shooting starts next year, which should give Cohen time to work on his high notes.
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Pushing Daisies creator brings Pinocchio back to life In recent years, no one has done darkly magical whimsy like Bryan Fuller, the gay TV creator behind the cult series Wonderfalls (inanimate objects give important advice to cynical slacker) and Pushing Daisies (piemaker can reanimate the dead, but only for a minute). While neither show got the viewership it deserved, they both captured Fuller’s bizarre sense of the otherworldly, which contrasts with a wonderfully weird candy-colored visual sense. All of which is to say that Romeo is very excited to see what Fuller does with a live-action version of Pinocchio, which he’s currently writing for gay producer Dan Jinks (American Beauty). Unlike the creepy man-child vibe that Roberto Benigni (remember him?) brought to his recent take on the Carlo Collodi tale, Fuller’s version promises to be both dark and eye-popping, and sweet without being sappy. Look for the puppet boy to come clomping into theaters in 2012. Cher, starring someone else as Cher Andy Fickman, gay director of the new comedy You Again, isn’t waiting around for his next job. He’s hard at work on a theatrical piece based on the life and career of Oscar-winning actress and pop-music icon Cher. Now, stop for a minute and think about what that’s going to mean. All those songs. All those costumes. All those wigs, headdresses and chainmail. All that career drama, Sonny drama, Gregg Allman drama. All that roller disco. And don’t forget Chastity/Chaz. It practically writes itself. But who, WHO, will they find to even come close to approximating the one-of-a-kindness that Cherilyn Sarkisian, the single most powerful Armenian woman in the world, has brought to the last four decades of entertainment? It’s going to be a tall order. But there has to be a singing, dancing actress out there with the impersonation skills necessary to pull it off. Right? This can only get more interesting as it develops. Romeo San Vicente used to watch the “If I Could Turn Back Time” video just for the sailors. He can be reached care of this publication.
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Editorial - From Page 6 between two in a row, and used that magnitude of change to control the volume of a piece of music. The end result was that a person could walk silently by the webcam, but the computer would play a swell of music representative of their motion. My supervisor found it really promising, and encouraged me to investigate further. Eventually this became the basis for my Master’s thesis. I went on to develop a sophisticated application that could monitor different regions of a webcam image, and map a number of different motion measurements from any webcam region to particular properties of playing sound (e.g. volume, pitch, pan, and fade). For me, the programming was the easy part. When it came to writing the Thesis, that’s where I really started to drag my feet. You might think writing is one of my strong suits, but writing a magazine article is worlds different from academic writing. I had a time limit of 4 years to complete my degree, but my responsibilities with running and maintaining this magazine admittedly bogged me down; I was putting in a lot of work streamlining the GayCalgary.com website at the time. My supervisor began to wonder why I was having so much trouble concentrating on writing. I explained that I had work obligations outside of the University that I couldn’t withdraw from. Ultimately, after meeting Steve at the lab Christmas party, and witnessing how unwaveringly loyal I was to Steve when he pleaded with me to scale back on this outside work, my supervisor put two and two together and asked, “Steve is your partner, isn’t he?” I didn’t lie. I told him about the magazine, and so he finally understood why I couldn’t just leave Steve high and dry. So with this weight off my shoulders, I redoubled my efforts on completing my thesis and soon finished writing. Then it was down to the mandatory task of defending, where I gave a presentation and answered a gruelling volley of questions from a panel of professors. Steve was there in the room to watch this; my mom came too, but waited outside because she was too nervous for me. I was successful, and after completing the final formalities, I graduated at the 3-and-a-half year mark. After the defence, my supervisor sent out an E-mail to the lab mailing list that announced my favourable completion, and gave a summary of my work during my time in the lab. Included in this summary was an image of one of our magazine covers and a link to our website. I was stunned for a moment that I had (innocently) been outed to the lab by my supervisor, but realized it didn’t actually bother me – or anyone else in the lab for that matter. In a way I was glad, because it forced me to get past that awkwardness and move on. My supervisor was happy to offer me a paid position, to work on some additional projects while I got my feelers out for an industry job. So I made a fresh start of this. I brought a copy of GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine to the lunch table every month; I spoke more openly with people about my life, introduced people to Steve on the occasion when we stopped by, and engaged in discussions about LGBT issues when they came up (often spurred by articles seen in the magazine). Meanwhile, our economy started its downward slump, and as I did my job hunting, I entered the twilight zone where I didn’t hear a peep from anywhere that I was submitting my résumé. So my position at the University lasted for over a year, during which time I made the most of it by completed some exciting foundational work on 3D motion tracking. It opened up a new field of research for present and future students to explore with relative ease. Seeing me struggling to drum up interest in the job market, my supervisor stepped in to help me revise my deceptively humble résumé, and used his contacts to get me an interview at a major technology company here in town where many people from the lab have tended to migrate. The interview process was pretty intensive, and I wasn’t shy to show off the GayCalgary. com website as an example of my skill set, or ask about medical coverage for my partner. After an unnerving two weeks of silence (as they checked my references), Steve had the honour of opening my welcome package and reading it to me over the phone while I was at work, nearly in tears for joy. So by the time this magazine comes out of press, I will be just about done my first week at this new job. For those who think I talk far too much about myself in these publisher’s columns, you’ll be happy to know that many details of this job are protected by a non-disclosure agreement, so it will definitely not be a topic for future columns! How does this affect my involvement with GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine? Well, not terribly much, I hope. The stricter hours of my day job may force us to juggle the assignment and timing of a few tasks, and push us to further streamline some of our processes, but nothing insurmountable. My attention will be primarily devoted to this day job, and the magazine will continue to be something I do in my time outside of work. So I for one plan to be happier and more motivated in general, not to mention a little better paid.
September 2010 Calgary Pride dominated last month’s itinerary. Opponents of last year’s move of the event from June to September might have delighted in the irony that it still rained on parade day this year. While the move was motivated by the fact that September is statistically less likely
to have rain than June, that doesn’t mean a guarantee of good weather. So this outcome wasn’t exactly surprising, considering that this year’s Stampede only had two days of sun, and one nasty hail storm. The dance occurred on the Saturday night before the parade, where a diverse group kept Spur and Italian Kitchen packed for most of the night. In the midst of the dance, we headed over to the Twisted Element to see Kristine W perform. Her show was a medley of many of her songs, while she wore some fabulous costumes and sung alongside some sexy backup dancers. This being our first Calgary Pride with a car, we came a little better prepared for the parade, with a standing lawn umbrella. It gave us shelter on the sidelines while we photographed and videotaped the procession. Speaking of the procession, we were told by organizers that parade entries were nearly double that of last year, making for a much longer and more interesting spectacle. But I digress. We had a booth at the Street Festival where we went through a stunning amount of our current edition, and issues all the way back to January of this year. I even surprised myself how much I perked up while interacting with people. That energy put me in a great mood for the rest of the day, while I made my rounds to the bars to get photos of their individual after parties. One of the girls at FAB wasn’t about to let me get away unscathed, and arranged a fun photo with her hot (straight) brother, who was so frisky as to make me blush. I returned to the Street Festival to help pack up our booth when the time came. Though I was having a great old time, and had gotten a burger for lunch from the ISCCA BBQ at the Backlot, poor Steve was running himself ragged between photographing and manning the booth. He felt much better after getting a burger (and some gropes) at the Calgary Eagle. From there we did a whirlwind tour to Club Sapien, the lesbian dance at The Soda, the Rocky Horror Picture Show at Plaza Theatre, Twisted Element for a special Pride-themed drag show, and finally to the afterhours dance at Goliaths (where for privacy reasons, we respectfully do not take pictures). All in all, despite the rainy weather, Calgary’s community came together and the Saturday and Sunday were each a resounding success for Calgary Pride.
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Jamie Farr - From Page 12 So while Farr’s name will draw in ticket buyers, they can rest assured that they are getting value for their purchase. Many of those who buy tickets will do so in order to see “Klinger” up close and personal. To play a character that cross-dresses in the 1970’s would be considered career suicide but Farr had no concerns. “Bob Hope used to say that as an actor one day you are eating the chicken and the next you are plucking the feathers. I had many ups and downs before M*A*S*H. I was really on my way with Blackboard Jungle and some pilots that people were after me for. I was drafted into the real army and had to serve throughout the US and overseas to Japan and Korea. When I came back to get started again it was very difficult for me. People would say, What’s your latest credit, which was serving in the United States Army. It was really very hard for me, I had to come up with other things to do in the business to make a living. I got married and had a child.” “I was pretty desperate at that time. I did a one day stint on FTroop and the director was Gene Reynolds. They had taken all of the Henny Youngman jokes and given them to an Indian standup comic. Gene saw me and liked me. M*A*S*H came on the air, I hadn’t seen the movie. I was pretty desperate, I didn’t have much money and I got a phone call to come in and do a one day job. I didn’t even know the job, they didn’t even tell me the job. I showed up and I walked into the trailer and there was a woman’s army core uniform hanging up with these enormous high heels. I thought I was dressing with an actress and they said, no it’s yours, put it on. So I wound up in the outfit, I had no idea where I was going with this thing. Gene started laughing at the hairy bow legs. They brought me on Stage 9 and everyone, the cast and crew was laughing and screaming and thought it was very funny. I had about 4 lines in the entire show. It was a day’s job and I was thrilled with it. I was surprised when they called me back. They kept calling me back several times that first season. They kept developing the character
Continued on Page 38 GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Gay Travel Taking on the OUTback! A Visit to Gay Australia
The breathtaking Sydney skyline.
By Kevin Taylor, gaytravel.com Welcome to the land down under! It’s difficult to decide where to begin when talking about Australia. Of course there’s that quintessential image most of us have: A cowboy pulling up to a bar in the middle of the Outback, kangaroos hopping about and koalas in the trees. He darts inside for a quick Foster’s, which is Australia for beer (or so we’re told). In our image, however, that Cowboy is actually gay. He meets you inside and offers to “give you a ride” to the next town. You then hop into his big truck and drive off into the sunset. Well, I’m here to tell you that Australia is EXACTLY like that...well kinda! GayDay Mate! While the Outback does stretch into infinity and there are places in “Oz” where it’s possible to see the curvature of the Earth because the land is so barren and so flat. The people are quite like Californians. The food is quite like what we eat at home, and - miraculously - not everyone lives “in the bush.” The cities - Sydney and Melbourne - are world-class, the beaches are otherworldly, the people are lovely and the gay scene is one of the most vibrant in the World. Indeed, Gaystralia is all too fitting of a name. While gay marriage is not legal, civil unions are and gay couples enjoy many of the rights and responsibilities of heterosexual couples. The pace of change is rapid. Gay 30
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
adoption bills and the “move toward marriage” is apparent and gay-related crimes are all but nonexistent. This from a nation that has a very rough record of dealing with minorities - particularly aboriginals. Oxford Street: The Center of the Action Sydney’s Mardi Gras, which rocks the city for weeks, draws gays and lesbians the world over and is arguably the largest gay pride celebration in the World. The city’s famed “gayborhood,” which lines Oxford Street, is abuzz seven nights a week. The drag queens are the greatest in the World. Their almost nightly shows at venues like Stonewall (175 Oxford Street, Darlinghurst NSW) and Arq (16 Flinders Street, Darlinghurst NSW) draw hundreds of revelers who bask in such wonderment as “Going Gaga,” a 30-minute review of the reigning Queen of Pop. You can’t miss it. Rainbow flags line the streets. Adoring gay couples wander lovingly down the road holding hands, gently kissing and even going for it - especially after midnight. The clothing stores are primarily of the underwear variety. The clubs are unmistakably gay. Drag queens are arriving looking almost too fabulous, all on their way to that evening’s performance. This 24/7 international gay Mecca that may be - as far as I’m concerned - the gayest of the gayest gayborhoods in the World. Yes there’s Soho in London and the Village in New York. You’ve got West Hollywood in LA and The Castro in San Francisco. The world is full of sometimes charming and sometimes much less charming neighborhoods for the LGBT set.
Lifestyle
Cocktail Chatter
Drag Not a Drag with Brass Monkeys By Ed Sikov The Labor Day drag party in Fire Island Pines is either a hilarious gender circus or a reason to blow some queen’s brains out. Drag is fabulous. It’s the sweating, stinking, drunken guys in wigs who brazenly stick their tongues in your ears that’s either a kick or a nightmare.
Sydney Mardi Gras
The difference here, however, is that the cliental, the apartment residents, the shopkeepers, the restaurant owners and even the local bank logos are gay. In any other gayborhood there is this sense that you’re in a pocket of a much larger world but on Oxford Street in Sydney, the feeling is that the entire world - in every direction - is gay. Here, being straight is odd. Here, holding hands with someone of the opposite sex indicates a “gal pal.” Here, kissing someone of the opposite sex is simply assumed to be a “drunken error.” Where else in the world does gay feel entirely normal? Rainbow flags fly year round and nearly a million homos converge on the city for Mardi Gras (one of the only gay pride parades in the world without a specifically gay name but with an entirely gay meaning). There are dozens - nearly 100 - gay bars, clubs, restaurants and hotels crammed right next to each, making gay “normal.” It’s a feeling you rarely get in the world at large when you’re gay. It’s a feeling that’s addictive, adoring, and appreciated. So what are you waiting for? Can you handle being “normal?” For more information on the hottest LGBT destinations throughout the world, please visit www.gaytravel.com.
It’s a party for Pines boys who’ve discovered the glamour girl within. I wasn’t about to reveal mine in public. I’d make an incredibly ugly Nancy Sinatra. (I’d call to mind a blonde Cynthia Ozick in white leather boots.) Dan wouldn’t do it, either. He’d just look like Dan in a dress. But our housemates all brought suitcases stuffed with secrets; nobody named their inner woman until the big reveal. Jack Fogg came downstairs first. Sammy had put him up to doing it. Jack was clearly miserable – he was wearing a burqa. (His eyes said it all.) Sammy followed in a luxurious purple sari and a bhindi on her forehead. “So what drink are you sending us off with, dude?” Sammy asked. “Miss Jackie-Anne Taliban here needs a drink.” Jackie-Anne was fussing with her crotch. “There’s a pitcher of Brass Monkeys in the fridge,” I said. “What’s a Brass Monkey?” Ms. Taliban asked through the slit in her headpiece. “Rum, vodka and orange juice. The color resembles buffed old brass.” “Make mine a double,” the Islamic fundamentalist begged her Hindu girlfriend. Frankie and Ian then made their entrance. I’d expected more, but all they did was put on long blonde wigs and matching white tennis outfits. Ian immediately sensed my disappointment. “Don’t you know who we are?” he asked in disbelief. I shook my head no. “We’re the Doublemint Twins,” they sang out in unison. “Brava, divas!” Dan said, applauding. “It’s delicious and really strong!” The non sequitur came out of the burqa’s mouth slit. Sari Sammy agreed. “Seriously, dude!” she said. “I’ll be on my ass before we get to the party.” Then Sal and Sean came down, reminiscent of grizzled, gray Old Year and adorable Baby New Year. Sal went for distinctly middleaged laughs: he was “Edie Gourmet.” With his face framed by Edie’s signature hairdo, Sal actually looked like her in a most disturbing way. Of course this Edie was carrying a copy of M. F. K. Fisher’s The Art of Eating and had a can of duck confit serving as a hat. Being brilliant himself, Sal persistently overestimates the average gay man’s wit. My unspoken prediction: nobody at the party would get the joke. I was right. It was Sean who stole the show, not only at our place but at the party, too. With his actor’s makeup skills, a copper-colored wig and naturally voluptuous body, he was an eerily perfect Beyonce. When he grabbed the burqa woman by the waist, yanked her close and began singing “We’re your dream girls” in precisely the voice of Ms. Knowles, it was way too much, and I shot some of my Brass Monkey out my nose. The Brass Monkey 1 part dark rum 1 part Absolut 2 parts orange juice Pour the ingredients into a shaker filled with ice, and after shaking it just enough to chill it, pour the contents into the pre-chilled glass of your choice. This drink shouldn’t be served on the rocks. Note: the original (some might call it real) recipe contains much more OJ. It’s boring. My version is a lot more fun.
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View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Photography ARGRA AGM - Calgary
Edmonton Pride AGM - Calgary
DEEP Roots II at Beat Niq Jazz & Social Club - Calgary
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Calgary Artists For Life
Photography Aids Calgary Aids Walk
HIV Edmonton Aids Walk
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Photography Big Gay Bar Challenge at Flash, Junction and Woody’s Edmonton (photos by Marc-Julien Objois & Graham Pond)
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Photography ISCCA Drag Show Golden Eye at Twisted Element - Calgary
ISCRW Investitures at the Junction - Edmonton
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Sports
The Flaming Dragons - Dragon Boat Team
The Flaming Dragons Edmonton’s first GLBT Dragon Boat Team By Emily Collins Cram all of us together in one big boat, and you might think that Edmonton’s first LGBT dragon boat team is having a blast – and we are – but this is one team that isn’t just splashing around. I’ve had the good fortune of paddling with the Flaming Dragons since the team formed last summer, just in time for the 2009 dragon boat season. At the time, several members had never set foot inside a dragon boat and were just looking to “get their feet wet”. Now, a short year later, after countless gruelling practices, we’ve found ourselves competing in the top ranks. Every year, Edmonton plays host to one of the biggest dragon boat festivals in Canada, and during the 2010 festival the Flaming Dragons placed in the top ten out of nearly 50 teams. Our team coach, Warren Becker, an experienced dragon boater and former member of the Edmonton Dragon Boat Festival Association (EDBFA), couldn’t be more proud. “I’m overwhelmed. I was surprised to see us place as high as we did. We had a full season of very dedicated paddlers and regular practices, and that made a big impact.” Such a dramatic improvement over last year’s performance, which was respectable for a novice team, took many of us by surprise. Gina Johnson, a second year paddler with the Flaming Dragons, was glad to see our hard work and determination pay off. “We moved up four levels and we still ended up on the podium. We still came home with hardware and that feels great.” If you’re ever out for a summer evening stroll in Edmonton’s river valley, you may have seen dragon boat teams out on the North Saskatchewan perfecting their stroke. One of the fastest growing team sports in the world, dragon boat racing requires endurance, strength, skill and impeccable timing. A dragon boat is a long human-powered boat usually made of teak wood. A full boat typically holds 20-24 paddlers, depending on the size. Dragon boaters must not only master the special strokes designed to propel the boat forward, but also synchronize the timing of their strokes with those of their teammates. This year, we found ourselves paddling neck-and-neck against our competitors in more than one race. Although 500 metres upstream seems like a relatively short distance, getting 36
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to the finish line is not as easy as it looks and requires all major muscles in the body. A good race time is typically two and half minutes depending on river conditions. The Flaming Dragons are an even mix of guys and gals who know how to have fun on and off the water. Many of us joined the team looking for a new recreational activity, and have made great new friends and gained a love of the sport. “It’s a unique sport,” says Johnson. “You have to be a little bit athletic. You have to work hard. I’m a very competitive person and I needed something to fulfill my competitive nature. I think I found it.” The Flaming Dragons have their sights set on competing at the Vancouver 2011 Outgames. If you’re interested in joining the team or becoming a sponsor, please contact us. The Flaming Dragons are part of Team Edmonton, a volunteer-run, non-profit society that provides members and supporters of the LGBT community with access to well-organized and fun sporting events and other recreational activities.
Dragon Boat Racing (Team Edmonton) dragonguy07@gmail.com
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1877
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Community
Jer’s Vision
Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative comes to Alberta By Dallas Barnes “Education is ignorance.”
a
progressive
discovery
of
our
own
-Will Durant Jer’s Vision, Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative, is making its way to Calgary, Edmonton, and Red Deer. In light of the recent GLBTQ suicides that have been publicized on a global scale, this organization could not have arrived at a better time. Jer’s Vision supports and encourages youth to end discrimination in their schools and in their community. Jeremy Dias, Founder and Director of Jer’s Vision, is excited about his visit to his native Alberta. “It is so important to educate in Alberta. The province is unique in that it is one of the only remaining conservative provinces. Alberta is suffocating its students.” This particular leg of Jer’s vision will demonstrate one of its many initiatives to address discrimination and promote diversity. At least 4000 students and 6000 teachers in Alberta will be privy to Jer’s Vision’s Motivational Address at high schools across the province. There will be a customized workshop for teachers on LGBTQ and Trans issues, as well as tools to fight discrimination and promote diversity. Jer’s Motivational Address will open up the dialogue for teachers and students alike, and will also highlight Jeremy’s own experiences with homophobia and racism in high school. Dias spent most of his young life in Edmonton, Alberta. In Grade 10 he moved to Sault Ste. Marie, where he attended Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School. While in high school, Jeremy was no stranger to advocacy and volunteerism. He started a Stop Racism club, and Ontario Students against Impaired Driving Club, and founded the first LGBTQ group in Sault Ste. Marie. At this time Dias says he tried to establish a gay and lesbian program and social group, for awareness and education, “however the administration kept opposing it.” He approached the principal, the board’s director of education and superintendent, and wrote to the Minister of Education. The only response he got was from the board’s superintendent, Carole McPhee: “The board does not permit the posting of material advocating any special lifestyle in classrooms or hallways.” By the end of his high school career, Jeremy Dias filed a human rights complaint against the school board to The Human Rights Commission. He settled out of court, and used his settlement to create Jer’s Vision. Since then, Jeremy Dias has become a household name. He has appeared on Canada AM, Much Music, CTV News, Global News, and CBC News. He was nominated for a Teen Choice Award, and was a Grand Marshall in Vancouver’s Pride Parade. Perhaps most importantly, he has travelled Canada, promoting inclusiveness and diversity. “I am very honored to be a part of this social change,” says Dias. “It is so important for students and teachers to get involved, and act as catalysts to promote diversity.” Jeremy is coming to Alberta with hopes of students and teachers passing on the word. “We are really reaching out to small communities that have never been exposed to gay issues before. We are hoping that this starts a dialogue, and they create communities of their own that promote diversity.” Throughout its tenure, Jer’s Vision has created an open dialogue amongst thousands of students and teachers. “We constantly get emails from kids telling us their stories. Not only from gay kids, but straight kids as well! In fact we just received word that a football team in a high school we spoke to organized a same sex prom!”
Bullying is still a huge problem in North America and around the world. The recent string of documented suicides in the United States, as a result of homophobic bullying, has struck a chords with celebrities, the media, and the general population. Bullying is nothing new, yet in the new form of Cyber-bullying, it has become centre stage in the fight for acceptance. Suicide is the number one cause of death for sexual minorities in North America, according the Government of Alberta. Statistics Canada estimates that LGBTQ youth and adults will experience higher rates of violence including sexual assault, robbery, and physical assault - and rates of discrimination three times higher than heterosexuals. Jer’s Vision will no doubt have a positive impact on these statistics. Dias encourages all of us to check out his website for more information. “Take a look and see how you can get involved.” There are numerous ways to volunteer, donate, and participate in the scholarships and awards that they offer. According to the Jer’s Vision mandate, “Not only are we youth led, but we also take an inclusive approach to diversity. This means we look at different forms of discrimination (homophobia, sexism, racism, [etc]) in parallel, and through their intersections (ex. How sexism and racism affects a woman of colour). We are also unique because our programming reaches out not just to marginalized/minority populations, but also to the general population (ex. Educating straight people on homophobia), thereby engaging them in talking a proactive role in preventing discrimination by promoting diversity themselves.” At the end of Jeremy’s conversation with GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine, he was excited to tell a story of how this process has affected him personally, and how Alberta played a huge part in it. “When I was 17, I came out to my Dad. It did not go well. While living with him, it got so bad that I was kicked out of his house. We stopped talking for 8 years.” “Three years ago I was doing a talk in Lethbridge, and had lunch with my Dad after. That Christmas I got a Christmas card from him for the first time. We were slowly starting to rebuild a relationship. Right after Christmas he had a stroke and nearly died. I flew to Edmonton, and stayed with him while he recovered. After he recovered my Dad came to an event I was hosting in Edmonton. The press was there, and a news camera discovered that he was there and asked him a few questions. When asked what they thought of his gay son, he said that he was so proud, really proud of his gay son.” “Last April I was in Edmonton to facilitate some workshops. My Dad asked me to stay with him. It was some trepidation that I did. We actually had an amazing time together. He drove me to all of my workshops which freed up some of my budget, allowing me to speak at even more schools. He came to my workshops, and we are now stronger than ever.” For a person that just “wants to give back,” Jeremy Dias has done this and so much more. As Harvey Milk stated, “all young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.” Jeremy Dias is doing just that, and opening Canada’s eyes to a life embracing diversity.
Jer’s Vision: Canada’s Youth Diversity Initiative www.jersvision.org http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1878
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Event
Calgary Ghost Tours Experience Spooky Tales this Halloween By Benjamin Hawkcliffe Since 2007, Calgary Ghost Tours has given Calgarians the opportunity to blend history and the supernatural with walking tours. The 90 minute tours explore the stories surrounding haunted locations like Old City Hall, The Hose and Hound pub, The Deane House and more. “It’s a really unique evening out,” said Jason Clevett, who has been a guide for the company since 2008. “When you go to a city like Boston or New Orleans you really get a sense of history just from the walking around and it is a given there are stories there. Calgary may be a younger city but we have lots of cool stories.” The brainchild of Johanna Lane, the tours started in Inglewood and Downtown. Since then it has expanded to include Kensington, 17th Avenue/Beltline, and Banff. The company also offers haunted pub walks with visits to three haunted pubs along Stephen Avenue, and special “medium tours” during which the group wanders Inglewood listening to the commentary of a medium. They also offer two non-ghost tours – historic tours of Chinatown and Downtown Calgary. For the first time, Calgary Ghost Tours is presenting a pair of tours specifically for the LGBT community and their friends and family. On Thursday October 14th they are offering a bus tour with the medium, while on October 15th, Clevett will guide an Inglewood walking tour. “We only do one bus tour a year, and I really thought it would be a neat thing to offer the community,” Clevett explained. “It is always fun to get out to an LGBT event and hang out with your friends and meet new people. With there only being one bus tour available, it makes it extra special.” The tour will visit multiple spots included in all four walking tours, with a medium on the bus giving her observations, as well as teaching participants how to tap into their own intuitive abilities. They are working on getting some additional special stops as well. Clevett will be on the tour and is excited himself to partake. “I am usually doing other tours the nights of the medium walk, so I haven’t had the chance to go on one yet. So I am really pumped to get to experience this myself. I’ve heard rave reviews of the medium walk.” Those wanting a simpler tour can partake in the Inglewood walking tour, which will include some stories specifically from his experiences. “I have one story that is special to me about what was once an abandoned lot. It’s pretty freaky how things unfold, I get chills every time I tell it,” he said. “Inglewood has so much history and so many stories. While I haven’t yet seen a ghost myself, there are quite a few stops that make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, and one in particular that scares the hell out of me whenever we are there.” Clevett says his favorite moments are hearing stories from people on his tours. “I especially love when people back up a story, when they know someone who was involved. That has happened a few times. When I first started doing tours I didn’t have many stories about the James Joyce Pub on Stephen Avenue, but within a short time I had quite a few from people who had worked there. That is another place that absolutely chills me when I am in there, especially now that I know what may lurk there.” Clevett is confident that anyone who partakes in one of the two tours will have fun. “It is always, always a good time when the community is together. What could be more fun than throwing a bunch of folks together for Halloween and telling some ghost stories? I’ve 38
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been doing this for three years and have a blast every single time I go out for a tour, because the people are so much fun to interact with, because we often hear their stories, and because we never know what will happen. Who knows, we may actually see a ghost on this tour.” Both tours start at 8:00pm. The Medium Bus tour is $36 and the Inglewood walking tour is $13 per person and must be booked in advance. If you can’t make those two dates, there are lots of public tours available this month, or private tours available anytime for 20 or more people.
Calgary Ghost Tours 403-472-1989 www.CalgaryGhostTours.com LGBT Prive Tours Bus Tour w/Medium – Thursday October 14th Inglewood Walking Tour – Friday October 15th http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1879
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Jamie Farr - From Page 29 and asking me what they do. I said, the worst thing you want to do is have the character start making fun of himself. He really believes that he can convince everybody that this is how he can get out. Usually on TV when men put on women’s clothing they start acting silly. I said, that should just be his uniform. That is the uniform he wears and let him be a natural soldier and everyone else can react to it. I don’t think there has ever been anyone who has done that, usually the men are dressed up as women as disguises. This is the first time that a guy put on a dress and played it straight.” The M*A*S*H series finale was the most watched TV show until the 2010 Superbowl beat it. Being part of M*A*S*H, much like being part of Tuesday’s With Morrie is something that Farr is incredibly satisfied with. “I am so proud of that. If anyone had that as the one thing in their career it would be monumental. I watch it now as an audience member and it was so well written, the dialogue was so good. Every one of those characters is indelible. If you say Frank Burns or Radar or Hawkeye or Hotlips you know every one of those characters, they are significant in your mind. Up until that Superbowl game we were the most watched TV show of all time. The population of the US 27 years ago when the finale aired was 200 million. Now there are a lot more channels but there are also 300 million people, and many more TV sets. 27 years is not a bad record to have, when you think of all the other TV shows like Seinfeld, Frasier, Friends that went off the air. We are still #1 as a series, and the Superbowl didn’t beat us by much.”
Jamie Farr Tuesdays With Morrie runs until November 7th www.stagewestcalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1866
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Trans Identity
TransActive IV What Can I Do?
By Mercedes Allen (Part four of a four-part series on advocacy. Part one was in the June issue and spoke about changing the narrative used to describe trans people. This series is not connected in any way to the organization TransActive Education and Advocacy, it merely shares the name.) If you haven’t read the previous chapters, please do so, as they provide grounding you need before starting. By this point, I’m assuming that readers of this series want to be advocates for trans people, and that they don’t have any immediate trans issues taking place in their own lives claiming their time that they need to speak to (until recently, most trans activists became activists because an event in their lives meant that they had to). I’m also assuming in this article, that readers are relative beginners – much of this article will be old news to experienced advocates. Much of what follows will vary depending on how developed your local community is and how many people are open and active -- if you can work with people in your area rather than start things from scratch, you will help yourself in the long run, and have less risk of burnout. If you’re looking for a direction – some way you can help – here are some options. It is always beneficial to be in tune with trans-relevant news, aware of legal, medical and political precedents in your area, and in communication with other trans advocates. Schedule a meeting with your elected representatives on the local, state / provincial and/or federal level to speak with them when any social or legal issues are facing the trans community. Make sure that you’re speaking to the right person: for example, in Canada, Bill C-389 proposes to add trans protections on the federal (national) level, so it isn’t something that a provincial MLA is even involved in or can do anything about. Avoid going in any group larger than four people, as this can intimidate someone and result in a retreating response. It should be said that in face-to-face situations where there can be disagreement, the emotion has to be taken out of the equation. A person needs to do their best to remain calm, on fact and in effective debate form, rather than allowing emotions to escalate a conflict to the point where no one is hearing rational arguments anymore. You will probably feel impassioned about what you’re speaking about and may feel that something very personal is at stake, but you still should not corner someone and get confrontational to the point of seeming threatening: when that occurs, it will be inevitable that the person you’re speaking to will become defensive, close their mind to you, and walk away or sometimes return the attack, regardless of any virtue there is in what you have to say. While it can be argued that there are times when one no longer has to try to be “the better person,” stepping outside the calm and rational will almost never help your case with a person that you very well may need on your side – if not now, then possibly someday. Keep your options open, and if your opponent won’t hear you, then if possible, leave him or her be and let time and circumstance do its thing (sometimes, that’s enough for someone to turn around). Stay focused and concise. Don’t belabor a point too long, and have something that you can hand out for further reading – but don’t let everything rest on whether they will actually read it, either. It also helps to keep your handouts short and to the point. And finally, be especially clear on what it is that you’re asking the person to do. You can also: • Start a support group if there isn’t one, or help facilitate if there is. Alternately, if there’s a support group but no alternative for socializing, you might want to start something for that. Expect that
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•
•
•
•
• • •
•
any such group will take a long time to start up and get any kind of regular, large turnout. In the beginning, expect two or three people to show up. But if you’re always there when promised, meetings always take place when scheduled, and moderation is as balanced as you can make it, that consistency will help cultivate something successful. The most need in the trans community tend to be in areas where there is the most disenfranchisement - poverty, health (i.e. HIV), homelessness, sex work. Not everyone is comfortable working in these areas, but if you’re able, the help is badly needed, whether helping at the local soup kitchen, being in contact with the local shelters, doing safe-sex instruction or helping people find programs to help them out of difficult situations. In these areas, a person needs to be as non-judgmental as possible, and help unconditionally. Get involved with any local trans advocacy groups near you. If there aren’t any trans groups, an LGBT group might also be an option (although trans people have several unique issues that LGBT groups might not consider a priority), or if there are enough similarly-minded folks to help, you may wish to start a trans organization. Don’t reinvent the wheel if you don’t have to – starting a new non-profit is a long process, and it takes awhile to achieve a stable framework – especially if all the work is done on a volunteer basis. If helping an existing group, volunteers will always be welcome for fundraising, organizing events, finding supporters and more. Respond to public expressions of ignorance and injury to the community in letters to the editor and / or call-ins to radio programs. Again, remember to keep the emotions in check, and some training on effective debate, public speaking and communications is a plus. If you’re good at public speaking, consider contacting diversity people at your local university, college or medical authority, letting them know you’d be able to speak on trans issues to med students, nurses, medical professionals or students when doing diversity training. It may take a few tries to find the right person or to find someone who is working on something that you’d be a fit for. If you can design PowerPoint presentations or something similar, that helps. Start a letter-writing campaign if there is a pressing issue that needs to be made in your area. The volume of mail can be just as effective (or more effective) than the text of any one letter itself. Create an online repository of information tailored for people living in your province or state (since most of our issues are governed at that level). If there is a current issue, start a petition. Regulations will vary per state or province, but you will need to find out the stipulations in your area and follow them to the letter, or your petition might be invalidated. There are a few regular-occurring events that take place each year -- if there is nothing happening with regard to these in your area, you might consider finding a group of people to organize one. The Transgender Day of Remembrance takes place every year on or around November 20th; some communities also stage a Transgender Day of Awareness, either around the same time or elsewhere in the year; October 11th is often considered to be National Coming Out Day; May 17 is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia; Pride Day / Week events and parade marches; for students, a Day of Silence takes place in April; workshops, conventions and film festivals are also excellent ideas in larger population centres; and of course, there are always drag shows to consider, perhaps in partnership with the local branch of the Imperial Court. While there has sometimes been friction between trans and drag segments of the community in recent years, drag shows can help draw the wider community closer, and can be a fun way to engage the mainstream public and to fundraise.
Some things to keep in mind: • Don’t get discouraged. • Pace yourself and avoid burnout (remember that from the chapter on Expectations). If you suffer from depression or something similar, you will have to be especially careful about pacing, and keep a certain amount of advocacy at arm’s length.
• Be creative, and seek ways to make your endeavors exciting, and inspiring. • Be persistent. • There will be times when you will have to walk away and/or be patient. • As awful as it is to say, you sometimes shouldn’t get too attached to and can’t always completely trust the people you’re advocating for. Many times, professional objectivity and distance are needed, no matter how much you might care about a situation that a person is facing. • It’s easy to point out problems – solutions, on the other hand are more difficult. But if you can provide balanced solutions that are equitable for all parties, that’s gold. • Acknowledging those who do something right is just as important as decrying it when someone does something wrong. • Be thorough. Research is everything. Your efforts mean nothing if you appear to not know what you’re talking about. • Direct contact (in person or on phone) is usually more effective than by E-mail. • Pick reasonable and attainable goals. If your aim is enormous, break it into smaller, accomplishable tasks. • Consider views outside your own. One thing about us as a community is that we have to be so hard-assed in advocating for ourselves and have to be so certain of ourselves and how we identify, that we often bring the same unflagging certainty that everything we conceive is exactly right, to everything we do. Nobody can always be exactly right. We have to be able to take advice and criticism. Remember from the previous chapter that we need to always be learning from other perspectives. • Not everything is newsworthy. And some things that might be are still sometimes best left under the radar if public scrutiny is likely to undo what you’ve accomplished. If you do deal with media at all, it’s worth getting some training on communication. • Develop a network of allies, advocates and organizations that you can have regular communications with, build a rapport and coassist. • Never assume that your fellow advocates are out publicly. Many people are willing to work outside the spotlight, but don’t really want being trans to intrude into their everyday life. Given the heavy cost that can come from being totally out, privacy should be respected. • If you are directing an effort, delegate the jobs needed to complete it so that everyone shares the burden, and can share the credit. You can accomplish anything, if you don’t care who gets the credit.
But again, your reach tends to be limited, unless you’ve attained celebrity (and thus, hordes of followers) on that medium. Online petitions are limited in their effectiveness. Because they’re often not verifiable, can be easily freeped (intentionally skewed by a swarm of people wishing to distort the result), can take votes from people who live outside the region concerned and more, they’re usually not given much credence. The difference between these and paper petitions is night-and-day. However, if you have a paper petition started, you can always scan it and post the page online for those who’d like to fill them out and find other signatures. Blogging can also be overestimated or underestimated. You won’t change the world with a blog, and in fact most of the time, you’re preaching to the converted. It is, however, a way of getting news out to like-minded supporters, and can also be good for testing pieces of writing, and getting opinions out into the ether for constructive discussion – if you can endure and tame the trolls. Although sometimes a distraction, blogging can be used to mobilize people to lobby their elected representatives on things like ENDA, and to in turn provide status updates and lobbying advice to the community. If you manage to get heard in some of the more traveled places, it can also confer a kind of celebrity. Its rewards are immediate, but also usually not that enduring. And celebrity can be a doubleedged sword - it can be very draining emotionally, for something that affects only a pocket-community of readers. So there are some ways you can get started. At every stage, try to stay aware of trans-relevant news and in communication with allies, stay balanced, and pace yourself to avoid burnout.
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1880
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Blogging and Social Media Social networks have provided a way to more effectively network than some of the previous ways (E-mail, message boards, static websites, Yahoo Groups) - although some of the old standbys still have their value and shouldn’t be abandoned altogether. Facebook in particular has provided a way to mobilize people like never before. But it should also not be overestimated. The novelty of Facebook petition-style “join this group if you support x…” is dated, and it tends to only be an effective expression of support or discontent to those who notice it. The more there are groups of this nature, the less the media cares. No, the greater significance lies in drawing in people and then motivating them to participate in petitions, surveys, or real-time (or sometimes online) events. It is also a powerful tool for networking, building those friendships and rapports that an activist desperately needs. Twitter has overtaken Facebook and others in the real-time update arena. If you are involved in activism where you need to be up-to-date on news as it happens, or follow some real-time event like the prop8 court hearings, Twitter is incredibly effective at keeping you tapped in to the nerve of what you’re advocating for.
GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
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Event
Movember Canada Moustache Mania hits Alberta! By Dallas Barnes Are you tired of shaving? Have you ever wondered what a moustache will do for your social life? Do you fantasize sometimes about looking like Tom Selleck? Well, you are in luck! Movember Canada and its partner, Prostate Cancer would like you to make November, “Movember” and grow that moustache out! All money raised will go towards Prostate Cancer Canada, who in turn will use that money to fund vital research, better screening tests, treatment options, and support services. Ryan Jespersen, host of Breakfast Television on CityTV in Edmonton, is heading up the Edmonton portion of Movember and holds this cause close to his heart. “My grandfather battled prostate cancer for 15 years before ultimately passing away. My uncle beat prostate cancer in his mid-40s thanks to early detection. I look around at the men I work with or play hockey or golf with and realize every effort I can make to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer research and treatment is an investment in our healthy future. If even one of my colleagues, friends or brothers gets checked and that exam saves his life - the value of the work we’re doing through Movember goes without saying.” “It blows my mind to hear one in six Canadian men will battle prostate cancer. That’s just about the same ratio as women who will fight breast cancer, yet awareness (and fundraising) relating to prostate cancer pales in comparison. Cancer doesn’t differentiate between gay or straight.
Prostate cancer is treatable often times if detected early. By encouraging our friends, brothers, fathers and partners to get an annual checkup after they turn 40, we’ll be able to keep more of those we love in our lives for longer.” According to Prostate Cancer Canada, this particular strain of cancer can often go undetected. “In the early stages, when the cancer cells are only in the prostate, the disease is very curable (a cure rate of 90% or better) with surgery or radiation. Unfortunately, during the early stages of prostate cancer there are few symptoms. In fact, many men in the early stages of prostate cancer have no symptoms at all. Without regular testing (PSA & DRE), it is very difficult to find early stage prostate cancer. If untreated, prostate cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body and produce secondary tumors (metastases). At this point, the chances of a cure are much lower. Prostate cancer can spread to any part of the body but common areas for spread are bones and lymph nodes.” Movember reminds all men that regular check-ups are necessary, and funding is needed to treat and eventually cure Prostate Cancer. Movember is a relatively new endeavour that began in Australia in 2003. Some friends decided over a few beers that moustaches were in definite need of a comeback, and men’s health needed a boost. These Mo Bros were inspired by the efforts made by women to fight Breast Cancer, and Movember was created. In 2004 they raised $55,000. This was the largest single donation a Prostate Cancer group has ever received. Word spread, and Movember is now celebrated globally. Last year alone, 47 million was donated to Prostate Cancer foundations all over the world, while 7.8 million of that came to Canada. This event is simple to join. “It’s easy: grow a Mo! Check out [our website] and register before Movember 1st. Recruit a team and celebrate the fine art of growing a beautiful moustache for an entire month! We often refer to our Mo’s as furry ribbons - the prostate cancer equivalent of the pink or red ribbon for breast cancer or AIDS. People will ask why on earth you’re growing a moustache - use the opportunity to talk about why you’re participating in Movember - and encourage the men in your life to get checked! Encourage the women in your life to encourage the men in their lives to get checked! You are a walking billboard for the movement that’s changing the face of men’s health.” Fun is also a main ingredient to the recipe of Movember! “We’re totally excited about Movember in Alberta this year. We’ve got motivated Mo Bros and Mo Sistas in Edmonton, Calgary and everywhere else ready to make this, the fourth year of Movember in Canada, the best one yet. In Edmonton specifically, we’ve got plans for a swanky Mo Sista party to kick off the month, the annual Movember Funspiel curling adventure and of course the annual Movember Gala on Friday, December 3rd. We’ve set fundraising goals that’ll shatter last year’s totals - more importantly, we want to see more fellas growing Mo’s than ever before!” So what are you waiting for? Register for this great cause, and grow your mo’ in Movember!
Movember www.movember.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1881
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Robyn - From Page 7 because I always loved the music that was connected to gay culture. GayCalgary: How does gay club culture play into the Body Talk albums? Robyn: It’s there all the time, not only with Body Talk. But on this album I’ve consciously chosen to explore that world sound-wise, and I’ve listened to a lot of old house and techno – everything from Sylvester to Donna Summer. Even the dirtier stuff – things that are more raw – talk to me. ABBA and Erasure, the bittersweet kind of songwriting that’s present in that world, have been important to me as well. GayCalgary: How will the rest of Body Talk compare to the first disc? Robyn: To me, they’re one album, and I just decided to release it in three parts because I felt like I needed to change my way of working – figure out a way where I could be more fluid and more intuitive and, I guess, spontaneous. Also, everyone knows how music is changing. People go out on the Internet and they find what they want and what they’re into, and I think as an artist, you look stupid if you don’t recognize that, you know? For me, that was obvious, and it was logical to assess that. And I don’t think it’s a new idea; people have been doing this in a lot of different ways for a long time. Look back 20 or 30 years – like with Thriller, it was nine songs. Even before that, people were releasing one album a year and they weren’t so long. You had a more direct relationship to the music. GayCalgary: Why did you turn the video for the first single off Body Talk Pt. 2, “Hang with Me,” into a touring travelogue? Robyn: Touring has been a really important part of this record. I wanted to make this album through touring, because I think it’s necessary. And in the environment that we’re in at the moment, where things are changing and there’s a lot of really tough and hard attitudes in the visuals in pop music, I wanted to show the emotional side of what I do and connect to the audience in a way that feels real to me. I also feel like it fits the song – it’s a very sweet song, and I didn’t really know how to perform the song in a way that would still give it the kind of depth and sincerity that it has. GayCalgary: Yeah, the video’s very intimate. Robyn: Good! That’s what I wanted. GayCalgary: There’s been debate about the gender you’re referring to in the chorus of “Dancing on My Own,” which would change the whole perspective of the song. Is it a guy or girl? Robyn: Yeah, I know! I guess it’s my Swedish accent, but I am saying, “I’m not the girl you’re taking home.” To me, it doesn’t matter – however you want to read into it, that’s fine. GayCalgary: Several of your songs involve robots. Why the obsession with them? Robyn: They’re funny. They’re like more simple versions of humans. It just helps me to put my finger on what it is that I want to get through. I guess it’s like a metaphor for the human condition. I’m a sci-fi nerd – I was super into Battlestar Galactica; I know it’s tacky! – so it’s just fun to me. And yeah, I’ve been doing it for a while, so for me it’s not about trying to be trendy. It’s more about my own nerdy self.
Ash Koley - From Page 8 “These are the first songs that were written and produced as who we were. No exceptions at all. We didn’t want to try and be someone else or sound like what’s happening and relevant now. It was so important to put fourth who we are. Those silly videos that you saw - that is who we are. We are pretty tired right now so it is a little low key, but we are both silly people. Musically it is very important as well, that what we did was an amalgamation of both sets of influences that we brought to the table, that both of us grew up on musically loving… The 9 tracks on the album really are 9 of 30 or 40 inventions that we wrote in the last five years. Selecting those tracks was no simple task. There are a lot of other tracks we wish were on it. We feel like these first 9 are the best introduction to what we do. Maybe on the second record we will include some, or throw out some iTunes stuff here and there, and move onto the next introduction of Ash Koley.” Their sense of humor comes through in both their music and their in-person banter. Although so tired to have mistakingly said they were in Edmonton during a radio interview in Calgary, their sense of humor was still clear. In a press release for the band, they stated, “Don’t be fooled by the eponymous nature of the name. Ash Koley is a band comprised of two people. Phil concedes his name isn’t as catchy, and Ash is narcissistic enough to agree to have the band named after herself.” Ash explained how the goofy bio came about. “I was laying in bed and went, we need to get a more interesting bio. We like to make fun of each other and ourselves so I wanted to throw a little bit of humor in it,” she said. “There is so much truth to it though. My name is ridiculous, but Ash Koley is a perfect name. And she loves talking about herself. That is where the narcissism comes in,” Phil quipped. “She isn’t narcissistic at all but she is a lot of other things.” Ash Koley is preparing to embark on a North American tour with a yet to be named artist, though both expressed excitement about the opportunity that came with it. For Phil it is somewhat bittersweet, as many dates away from home means time away from his family. One of the topics that came up repeatedly at Lilith was balancing parenthood and family obligations with music, something both Phil and Ash take to heart. “Sarah [McLachlan] said something that is true, she is a human being first and an artist second. I am just human. You still miss your family. I love music, it is an important part of my life but it’s not the main part of my life,” said Ash, before Phil summed up his own feelings. “I have a little boy, he is four years old. As soon as I get on the plane I miss him, but he is why I do this. There is a ying and a yang to that. A lot of great things in life are bittersweet. It is great, the success we are having, but the flip side is I miss my son and wife. We are so grateful for so many things but this is the part that is rough. It’s an endgame; means to an end. We absolutely love what we do.” If this album is any indication, they will be doing it for a long time to come.
Ash Koley www.AshKoley.com
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Community
That’s SO Gay!
Diversified Radio Waves air Thursday Evenings By Janine Eva Trotta A new radio show is hitting the air Thursday evenings on CJSW. “That’s So Gay Radio”, created and hosted by Hanna Kassa, aims to bring LGBT radio content to mainstream listeners who are tuning in from 6 to 7pm. Kassa, 31, pitched the idea for a queer-friendly one-hour radio program – offering half music, half interview time – to the University radio station amid a committed 12-year tenure of volunteering for various CJSW shows. “Over the winter I did a morning show with [a lot of] interviewing and found I was more interested in covering GLBT events,” she says. “I saw a gap in programming; then over the summer I thought, why can’t I do it myself?” Kassa was inspired to create a program that would serve to engage any listener, regardless of orientation, “raising awareness of the different things happening in the community …and encouraging interaction and participation,” she says. “GLBT content should not be separated or segregated from the community at large.” “That’s So Gay” had its first airing on September 23rd with a discussion on the Fairy Tales International Queer Film Festival and the Calgary International Film Festival. The September 30th time slot devoted half of its air time to the current fall and upcoming seasons of activities hosted by Apollo Calgary Friends in Sports. The program aims to showcase events that may be oriented toward gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community members, but are welcome and open to everyone. “The music maybe unites people,” she says, on the diverse range of tunes she intends to intermix with interview content. “My experience, having volunteered on so many shows in the past, exposed me to lots of different music… I just like the good stuff.” Expect tracks from soul divas like Erykah Badu and the Roots to new Arcade Fire and Thievery Corporation; Kassa provides an eclectic fore of tunes, “like most CJSW shows,” she says. As the show is still in its infancy, interview subjects and playlists will be scheduled week-to-week for some time. Kassa is happily receiving interesting and topical suggestions and recommendations via E-mail. “The show’s coming together, and evolving,” she says. “If [the suggested content] is what people want to hear, I’ll find an angle to cover it.”
That’s So Gay Radio Airing on CJSW • Thursdays, 6-7pm thatssogayradio@gmail.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1884
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Music
Music Review Robyn, Maroon 5
By Chris Azzopardi
Body Talk Pt. 2
Robyn My Rating: ½
On “Hang with Me,” Robyn’s lead single from part two in her Body Talk series, the every-girl of (smart) pop is hesitant to fall in love. We, though, hardly had a choice. Just coming off the June release of the first installment, she’s adorably irresistible, emotionally exposed like the BFF you never had but, in Robyn’s wonderfully upfront way, almost do. That single from this edition – slightly beginning-to-end better than the first – is too good for words; a slice of bursting dream-pop that’s so honest and innocent it reads like a diary entry and feels more real than anything on radio, right where this particular charmer belongs. It’s heartily inviting, just like the two addictive openers before it, “In My Eyes” and “Include Me Out” – the latter featuring the silliest and sweetest of Left Eye-like breakdowns. Both songs are the consoling friends she needed when a lover broke her heart on the first disc’s “Dancing on My Own.” Sadness mostly sits out this time around, while Robyn warns that “Love Kills” and then shakes out some sass on “Criminal Intent” and the hardcore toughie “U Should Know Better,” alternating boasts with Snoop Dogg like a tag-team fierce enough to take down Osama bin Laden. She closes with “Indestructible,” and like the acoustic version of “Hang with Me” from Body Talk Pt. 1, it’s stringpowered and sweetly melancholy. When the song is, as her cycle suggests, cut for the clubs on the third and final chapter, we’ll be right there – hanging with her.
Also Out
Nellie McKay, Home Sweet Mobile Home The singing chameleon sheds another layer of skin on her fifth album, going cross-culture and beelining for Jamaica. Both “Caribbean Time” and “Unknown Reggae” get their island-vibe on, with McKay revisiting the playfulness that defined her debut. She’s also plaintive on the gorgeous “The Portal,” political on “No Equality,” and packing swagger on the jazzy feel-good “Dispossessed.” “I’m feeling like a cool cat with a cabaret hat,” she sings. Because, well, she is one. Kristine W, Straight Up with a Twist Dance divas shifting outside the box sounds so Cyndi Lauper, but another big voice is going for beyond-her-roots glory. Kristine W’s doing it over two discs: a laid-back, Latin-seasoned mix of covers and dance-songs-turnedballads paired with a livelier, Sade-sounding second disc. Ms. W sounds divine, her silky pipes rising high above some pedestrian production, but scene queens will be looking for less chill, more kill.
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Hands All Over Maroon 5 My Rating: ½
Being as hot as frontman Adam Levine can only get you so far – it can’t hone a hook or write a pile of potential radio smashes. But as a band, Maroon 5 can, as they repeatedly have on pop hits so catchy they’re like big wads of bubblegum that your subconscious stepped in. That’s how “Misery,” the quintet’s first single from their third album, is made, too; with its beyond-infectious chorus and glossier sheen, it eases them into a dancier direction that goes full-on funky town with its follow-up, “Give a Little More.” Bursting with pep and oozing sexiness from Levine’s elastic pipes (the line “you make it so hard” could go so many ways), it’s as retro gay as the Scissor Sisters. The song’s also insanely catchy, but catchy doesn’t mean creative – and Hands All Over, even with producer Robert John “Mutt” Lange (the man behind Shania Twain’s hit trove), makes only simple strides to move Maroon 5 past their brand of procedural funky pop. Their most valiant attempt comes during a shameless crossover collaboration with country music’s Lady Antebellum on “Out of Goodbyes,” a snoozer that falls right in line with the other forgettable, cliché-riddled love songs on the easy-to-dismiss last half, like “How” and “Just a Feeling.” In fact, of all the ballads, “Never Gonna Leave This Bed” is the only one that doesn’t send you to slumber – how’s that for ironic?
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Interview
Photo by Joseph Llanes
Curious Kate
Chatting with Australia’s Kate Miller-Heidke By Jason Clevett Kate Miller-Heidke has the voice of an angel. The incredibly talented Australian received rave reviews at Lilith Fair this year and for good reason. The classically trained singer blends pop, opera and at times comedy into an eclectic mix, which forms the album Curiouser. We chatted with Kate by phone from Toronto, prior to a whirlwind cross-Canada tour at the end of September. It was her second time in cities like Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton before returning to Lilith in Australia with Sarah McLachlan and Courtyard Hounds. “I am going to be doing Lilith Fair in Australia next week. It is exciting; the Aussies are going to love it. It is a scaled back version but it will be an intimate experience. They are playing some lovely old theatres and people are going to be impressed,” she enthused. Much like other artists on the Lilith bill, she was proud to be part of the return of the all-female tour. She spoke with awe even months later on the first time she attended one of the press conferences at the show. “The first time we did that presser, surreal was the best way to describe it. Erykah Baduh came up and gave me a huge hug. It felt like I was in the middle of some strange dream. I usually don’t like meeting my musical heroes. I find it scary and the potential for disappointment is huge. When you love someone’s music, you create a version of them inside your own head and that is who you love. So meeting them is fraught with problems. Sarah McLachlan was lovely. I listened to her all the time growing up as a teenager. Everybody was lovely and very supportive. I feel pretty lucky that my first ever shows in Calgary and Edmonton were Lilith Fair.” It is a long way from charging her family 5 cents a show to perform as a child.
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“It is quite lucrative, considering inflation. 5 cents back then could get you at least three or four lollies. It could get you half a mars bar back in 1987. I think that charging your parents for a concert is kind of common, all of my friends did that. It was a great little earner for pocket money. Actually a few of them have gone on to become musicians. It is nice to have that sense of community.” Her most famous song was a viral sensation - Are You Fucking Kidding Me (The Facebook Song). “That song was dashed off in about half an hour after I had gone, and a friend requested one of my ex-boyfriends on Facebook. Two weeks later my friend request was still pending. I just started to think about it from his point of view, it is actually written from his perspective.” The connection between Canada and Australia, despite being quite distant, is strong in many ways. This includes music, where artists like Xavier Rudd and The Cat Empire have success, and Canadians like Jeff Martin and kd Lang find popularity there. Miller-Heidke hopes that this will hold true for her as well. “Both countries have incredible landscapes. The things you can do in the outdoors in Canada is beautiful. We spent a few days in Whistler last time we were here and it was stunning. Australia has similar things to offer in terms of just going outside and being amongst beautiful countryside. Also I think we have a similar approach to drinking and karaoke, judging by the Canadians I’ve met. It is still very early here, but the audiences we had at Lilith were very warm and generous and responsive. Tonight is my very first headline show in Toronto and I am a bit nervous that no one is going to show up. Hopefully they will.” Miller-Heidke performed at Local 522 in Calgary on September 29th, what will hopefully be one of many appearances in the future. She was excited to be headlining a show in Calgary. “Obviously the set we played at Lilith was quite short. So we will get to delve more deeply into things. It is just my husband (Keir Nuttal) and I, and I am really enjoying playing. It is such a stripped back set. We had to start off doing that because financially it was
really difficult to bring an entire band over here to North America. But now it has become my favorite way to do a show really, because you are allowed a lot of freedom. Hopefully people get an experience that involves being emotionally moved in some way – a bit funny, a bit sad and a bit strange.” Primarily a solo songwriter, it took a lot for her to open up to writing with Nuttal. But the result is beautiful both lyrically, and in the imagery with video. “I’ve done two albums now and we are about to hole ourselves up in Australia to write the third. Songwriting was, and still is, an intensely personal form of expression to start off with. I was always very self-conscious. I’ve known Keir for a long time and he is the best songwriter I have ever met. He was just like, Kate stop being a dick and just write a song in a room with me like normal people do. I guess I found that experience liberating. It is still hard to recreate that feeling sometimes, I am very protective of my new ideas because if you expose them to the sunlight too soon, they can wither and die. It is a constant struggle but it is interesting spending so much time with one person. We have a really intimate, productive, creative relationship. We are married and on the road together all the time, and collaborating. It is a pretty full relationship but it works. Keir describes it in man-woman hours, the amount of hours we have actually spent together in the same room or car, is the equivalent of being married for 200 years compared to people who only see each other a few hours a night. There must be something that is working.”
Kate Miller-Heidke Curiouser in stores now. www.katemillerheidke.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1888
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Product
Product Review
Masculinity Cologne and Hey...DUDE Skin Care By Rob Diaz-Marino
Masculinity: The Male Pheromone Cologne When you talk about using pheromones in perfume, I always imagine people sexually accosting the wearer in fits of animalistic lust. When wearing this perfume, it made me wonder if neglecting to sport a football helmet was a risky move. My other worry - what works to attract gay men may also attract unwanted attention from straight women. When I sprayed the stuff on, it seemed perfectly ordinary. It had a very soft and subtle scent that seemed to stick at the back of my throat. At first I didn’t react to it, but later on in the car I found myself pleasurably inhaling wafts of it. It is described as opening with French basil, West Indian clove, Asian mandarin and Sicilian bergamot, with emerging scents of amber, cedarwood, black pepper and leather. I wore it out to the bar and was almost disappointed to find nobody attacking me, sniffing me, commenting, or giving any indication that they noticed it. This could mean either it had no effect, or people didn’t realize that what they smelt was cologne. So I don’t know how much stock to put in the male pheromone barrel. If it does work, it probably depends on factors like your own body’s pheromones, and the receptiveness of others to that mix. Nevertheless, Masculinity makes for pleasant, subtle cologne, with a chance for interesting side effects. If wearing that makes you feel more like an animal, then it does the job. Masculinity by Intense is available online at 10percent. com, amazon.com, and local community retailers around the world.
The Dude Wash pore purifying cleanser definitely makes a noticeable difference. This clear greenish cleansing gel is applied to your face (avoiding the areas of the eyes) in circular motions, and then rinsed off. At first it seems like it does a whole lot of nothing, but when I dried my face, I noticed that my skin felt tighter and smoother to the touch. In the mirror, this feeling translated to a slightly clearer looking complexion. When it comes to shaving, the Clean Skin gel cleanser is recommended to prepare the skin beforehand. It wasn’t clear to me whether this meant it can be used for shaving, however it frothed when I applied it to my face, so I shaved with it anyway. The pleasant smell of rose hips has a refreshing quality to it, and after shaving and rinsing, the effect was similar to the pore cleansing gel except with a cool tingling sensation. The Aftershave marine toner is an interesting product that won’t stand in the way of using your favourite cologne. While it soothes your skin with things like seaweed extract, it has no scent of its own! Thus it also makes a great option for people with scent allergies, and those that live or work around them. They recommend using another product, Young Dude 4 Ever, to replenish your skin’s moisture after shaving. Finally, there is the Nary Hairy Inhibiting Hair Growth Cream, which can be applied to areas of the face or body after shaving. I decided to try it on my shoulders, however since I don’t normally monitor how long it takes for this hair to grow back, it’s hard for me to say whether it worked to stunt the hair growth or not. All I know is that it did grow back eventually. Perhaps regular treatments would have a more noticeable effect, but personally I’m not ashamed of a little extra body hair. Hey...DUDE skin care products are available online at www.heydudeskincare.com.
Hey...DUDE Skin Care Products Right out of Miami Beach, Florida, come Hey...DUDE skin care products for men. Made with natural, organic ingredients that are never tested on animals, this product line seeks to treat men equally well to women when it comes to taking care of their skin. We received a sampling of four products to try out for ourselves, but the line includes a total of nine.
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Photography Come On Out at Mikey’s Juke Joint - Calgary
Evolution with DJ Pierre Fitch at Club Sapien - Calgary
Dyke March - Calgary
Homo Hop - Calgary
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Photography TD LGBTA Reception at Escoba Bistro - Calgary
GLBT Community vs the Calgary Police Baseball Game - Calgary
MiscYouth Pride Show at the Soda - Calgary
Military Party at the Eagle - Calgary
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Photography Military River Boat Cruise - Edmonton
ARGRA Dance - Calgary
Pride Screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show - Calgary
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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine #84, October 2010
Photography Kristine W at Twisted Element - Calgary
Pride Drag Show at Twisted Element - Calgary
After Pride Parade Dance at Soda - Calgary
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Photography Pride Parade After Parties at the Backlot, Calgary Eagle, Club Sapien and FAB - Calgary
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