GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine - May 2011

MAY 2011 ISSUE 91 • FREE

The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community

magazine In This Edition

Roman Danylo Kim Cattrall Cavalia

Interview with

Jessie J

Interview with “Glee” star

Matthew Morrison Business Directory

Community Maps

Calgary • Edmonton • Alberta

Events Calendar

Interview with

Matt Dusk

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 17

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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Table of Contents

MAY 2010

Photography

Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J, Dave Jackson, Ruth Luoma

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

Legal Council

Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors

Sales & General Inquiries

GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine 2136 17th Avenue SW Calgary, AB, Canada T2T 0G3

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 Matthew Morrison (photo by Brian Bowen Smith), Jessie J (photo by Lee Broomfield), and Matt Dusk

Proud Members of:

Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

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Matt Dusk

Publisher’s Column

Canadian Crooner on great sex, great music, and sexual fluidity.

10 Just Jessie

English import talks debut and sets the record straight on her sexuality

12 Cavalia Gallops into Calgary

PAGE 9

Chris Azzopardi, Dave Brousseau, Jason Clevett, Andrew Collins, Amy Darling, Rob Diaz-Marino, Janine Eva Trotta, Jack Fertig, Glen Hanson, Joan Hilty, Evan Kayne, Stephen Lock, Allan Neuwirth, Steve Polyak, Carey Rutherford, Romeo San Vicente, Ed Sikov, Nick Vivian and the LGBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta.

April Overload

14 Queer Eye - Part 1 17 Directory and Events 24 Citizenship Study Guide Finally Acknowledges Gay and Lesbian Canadians 25 Letters to the Editor 26 BLUE

PAGE 10

Writers and Contributors

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The Calgary Men’s Chorus undertakes a landmark artistic collaboration

27 Q Scopes

Think ahead, Aquarius!

28 Deep Inside Hollywood

Watch Out, Betty White’s going to punk you

PAGE 12

Publisher: Steve Polyak Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino Sales: Steve Polyak Design & Layout: Rob Diaz-Marino, Steve Polyak

29 Cocktail Chatter

Stick Foot In Mouth, Shake, Serve

30 Fundraising Photos 31 Boy&GurL Wow and Amaze 34 Out of Town

California’s Hwy. 1: Los Angeles to San Francisco

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

36 The Death of “Transgender”

PAGE 31

38 CRIR Rodeo Preview National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Getting the Community Involved, Part 1 Continued on Next Page 

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

40 Pride Calgary Events for May/June

41 All Shook Up

Magazine Figures

42 Wine, Art and Fundraising

PAGE 38

CCASA Launches Innovative Online Auction

Readers Per Copy: 4.9 (PMB) Print Readership: >41,650 Avg. Online Circulation: 150,000 readers Estimated Total Readership: >191,650 readers Frequency: Monthly

44 Bitter Girl 46 Return of Roman

Canada’s Top Comic Returns to Roots with CSI: Calgary Distress Centre Launches Youth Peer Support Line

PAGE 46

49 Classified Ads 51 Matthew Morrison: As Gay As He Gets Glee actor talks queer career, Elton duet and sex in public

54 Chelsea Boys 55 Sex and the Seedy

Kim Cattrall on her very un-Samantha role, love of gay men, and Britney Spears

PAGE 51

57 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.

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43 A Couple of Guys

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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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Editorial

April Overload Publisher’s Column

By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc.

We would have been in Edmonton at the very beginning of April for the Bear Bash, however the heavy snowfall didn’t let up long enough for us to consider going. Taking a risk that close to a press deadline wasn’t something we were willing to do, so we had to miss our favourite bi-monthly event this time. Thankfully Dave Jackson provided us with photos so we too can get a taste of what we missed.

It was the Red Deer Taboo show the weekend right after the April edition of GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine hit the shelves. With it being a nice, dry, sunny day, we had no problems heading out that Friday, our little hatchback car loaded to the ceiling with luggage, magazines, and electronics.

Unfortunately we started hitting rush hour as we were leaving the city, and despite taking a less busy detour to avoid the backed-up portions of Deerfoot Trail, we arrived in Red Deer nearly an hour late. It was a slow start to the show, so we were able to get set up quickly with minimal inconvenience.

As I may have explained in past Publisher’s columns, the Taboo shows are not intended to be a money maker for us, as is the hope of most other vendors that attend. Our main purpose is to get the word out about our magazine to an audience that may be isolated from the LGBT community. We display a slide show of community photos and video clips to show the variety of things that only GC&E covers, pump out some great music, and of course, hand out copies of our current edition and a small selection of recent past editions – for free, as always. So it is a purely promotional endeavour.

Only in the past 2-3 years have we started working with non-profit groups to make our booth at the Taboo shows a fundraising opportunity - for the

ISCWR at the Edmonton shows, and the ISCCA at the Calgary shows. The groups are able to fundraise however they like (within the regulations of the venue), but we also operate a photo-booth of sorts, where people can get their photos taken in front of a backdrop that looks like the cover of our magazine.

They can do this with their friends and bring in anyone from the booth that they like, and at the end they get a printed copy that they can take home as a souvenir.

For Red Deer we invited Fake Mustache to join us – a youth group that puts on some very impressive monthly Drag King shows in Calgary. Starting Saturday they began selling Fake Mustache merchandise (T-shirts and underwear), and reeling attendees in for photos. I did my part and dressed up as a leather boy so that I could pose for photos too. I was a nice alternative to the Drag Queens at the Calgary and Edmonton shows, but this time around the Drag Kings were man enough to satisfy most of the people. So instead, I helped out in other ways.

One of the Kings brought a Furry costume that got some great response.

The mask was the face of a wolf, with a moving jaw and piercing eyes – it was amazing at how compelling it looked, and at times it seemed to have a life of its own. At one point that day, the wolf was standing in the booth beside me and the person that I thought was in the costume returned from doing some drag numbers on the main stage. I couldn’t resist having a turn with the mask and paws, which looked interesting on me shirtless and in a harness. I was able to wear it for about half an hour before it began to get a little uncomfortable, but during that time it was really fun seeing people’s reactions…through the little eye-holes.

The Red Deer crowd was predictably more conservative than Calgary’s or Edmonton’s, but nevertheless Fake Mustache was able to raise around $750 in support of the Miscellaneous Youth Group. With their help, we were once again able to provide something fun and engaging for the show; and whether Red-Deerians were brave enough to approach our booth or not, at least they

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There is no shortage of things to talk about in this month’s column. April was one heck of a busy month, where Steve and I were out covering major Calgary events almost every weekend.

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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 Editorial Contd. got an eyeful to know we exist, and we’re not the stereotypes they may think we are. It was a win all around.

No sooner was that over, we started into Calgary Coronation Week – an ISCCA event every day of the week, leading up to Coronation 35. The biggies were the In Town Show on Thursday at Club Sapien, and the Out of Town Show on Friday at Twisted Element. I have to say, being able to take photos at events at Twisted Element this year made for one less thing to stress about.

The main event was on Saturday. Steve realized that this was now the 10th year in a row that we have been covering ISCCA Coronations. Once again he was stationed by the stage taking photos while I was perched off to the side of the room behind the video camera. I remember past Coronations being a big ordeal for me: my back aching, having to scramble to get something to eat for dinner, the seemingly endless drag numbers…not so any more. Either my back has gotten used to it or I did a better job of stretching regularly, Steve and I partook in the fantastic dinner that was served to attendees, and the show ended just before midnight for the first time in the history of the ISCCA (though the Coronation ceremony put it just a little past). Fred and Malibu stepped down and the new Emperor and Empress, Chris Tron and Makayla Quinn, stepped up.

At the Victory Brunch the next morning I had already started plotting. I discretely wrapped a breakfast sausage in a napkin and put it in my pocket for later. Steve and I went home and got some rest before heading back out in the evening to the Eagle for the infamous Tough Drag show, in which I have partaken for the past two years. I had already prepared my music on a CD – a song I had touched up a little bit with my sound editor.

We arrived at 8:30pm and things were already well underway. The past two years of Tough Drag shows had been pretty quiet, so I was surprised to see how many people were out to see it this year, and also how many others were participating! Makayla, who has delighted in making me look ridiculous for the past two years, had his hands full getting Brian Forlin into makeup; though he already had a slim-fitting one-piece leather dress picked out for me. He appointed Ruby Harte to take care of the makeup and wig. With a hint about my number, she selected a blonde wig that came with a frilly blue ribbon in the hair.

Apparently my working out is having results, as Makayla’s leather dress was so tight on me that I couldn’t zip it up at the front past my bellybutton.

We improvised, putting underneath it a bra with two “coconuts” in the cups, to make it look like it was left open to be sexy. No attempt was made to hide my chest hair underneath all of this. Argintina was there for the show, but when she saw me she pulled out some of her makeup and did some lastminute touch ups. I was shocked when I finally saw myself in the mirror.

Aside from my furry cleavage, I actually looked sort of pretty! The makeup brought out my eyes so much that one almost didn’t notice my moustache and chops in plain sight.

The show started, and I sat by the stage nervously going over my number in my head. I looked up long enough to see Joey Hailey doing his favourite trick of mercilessly mocking Bianca’s mannerisms, and lifting his skirt to reveal a curly brown wig stuffed under it. An out-of-towner did a hilarious number where his breasts sagged increasingly lower until they finally rolled down his pant legs, and Steve Gutentight performed a disturbing song about cross dressing.

Then finally it was my turn. This year I was really proud of my song selection. It was something I truly identified with, one where I already knew the lyrics off by heart without having to rehearse, and one I was surprised to have never seen performed before – at least not in Alberta. The song was “Going through the Motions”, from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical, only I cleverly twisted the context of the song to be a trashy metaphor for prostitution. How could I resist with phrases like “nothing seems to penetrate my…heart”? There is one part of the number where several male characters sing, and that’s when the breakfast sausage came in handy, in tandem with the biting and spitting sound effects that I had mixed into the song. “Oh god, what is that?” I heard newly elected Emperor Chris Tron remark as he waited by the stage to offer a tip, and the part of the breakfast sausage I had spat out rolled toward him.

As always, I donated all of my tips back to the ISCCA. It all went over so smoothly that I didn’t have any regrets or feel foolish, as I did last year. When the show ended, still in drag I approached a number of people that I know and many of them didn’t recognize me until they heard my voice. “I didn’t realize that was you on the stage,” a few of them said, and even Dyna Myte admitted she was a little freaked out by how unexpectedly pretty I looked.

Pretty or not, it was nice to return to being normal old me (with the help of some dish soap in the back room of the Eagle), and a relief for Steve as well.

We had two days of reprieve before the kick off of Western Cup, marked by the much anticipated Back(lot) to Boyz(town) reunion at Vinyl. It was a rare opportunity to have the bar completely to the LGBT community again, relive the good times (and rise above the bad times) that many of us had at Boyztown and the Rekroom. Steve had cracked open our photo archives to assemble a slideshow of over 900 images from Boyztown all the way back to the year 2000, including photographs and event posters.

As the media sponsor and primary advertising outlet for the event, being there for setup and doors opening, we stared in disbelief at the unrelenting

Online Last Month (1/2) Political Cartoons

April 2011 www.gaycalgary.com/a2172

Book Marks

The Empty Family and Maye’s Request The Empty Family, by Colm Toibin. Scribner, 288 pages, $24 hardcover. Master Irish storyteller Toibin queers it up, after last year’s...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2173 Book Marks Unnatural and The Temperamentals Unnatural, by Michael Griffo. Kensington Books, 498 pages, $9.95 paper. Pallid boys, beautiful boys, jealous boys, closeted boys, boys...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2174 Creep of the Week

Rick Santorum I’m sure glad my last name isn’t Santorum. For one thing, I wouldn’t want to be related to Rick Santorum. For another thing, his name means “The frothy...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2175 Creep of the Week

Peter Sprigg We’ve all heard the argument that letting gays and lesbians marry will “hurt” heterosexual marriages. Or our country. Or children. Actual support...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2176 Creep of the Week

Victoria Jackson I used to love Saturday Night Live when I was a kid. By far one of my favorite cast members was Victoria Jackson. I thought she was hilarious.

Granted...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2177 Creep of the Week

Matt Barber Have you punched a gay middle-schooler for Christ today? Well, you’d better do it fast, because Barack Obama is trying to take this God-given duty...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2178 Deep Inside Hollywood

Wonder Woman + Elizabeth Hurley = love?

If she comes from an already man-free, lesbianleaning place called Paradise Island, are we surprised that the rebooted Wonder Woman TV project from...

www.gaycalgary.com/a2179 Deep Inside Hollywood Emily Deschanel joins The Perfect Family Striking while the iron is still warm – thanks to the loving reception The Kids Are All Right received from critics, audiences and the Oscars – is... www.gaycalgary.com/a2180

Continued on Page 47  6

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Online Last Month (2/2) Hear Me Out

R.E.M., Avril Lavigne R.E.M., Collapse Into Now R.E.M.’s first album since 2008’s Accelerate, a return to form for the misstepping rock icons, is as obvious as lead... www.gaycalgary.com/a2181

Hear Me Out

Britney Spears, Jennifer Hudson Britney Spears, Femme Fatale Razors stowed and sanity in check, pop’s queen of comebacks is ready to forget about her tabloid-making troubles... www.gaycalgary.com/a2182

Queeries

To spy or not to spy on my girlfriend Q: Last week I picked up my girlfriend’s cell and read a very intimate text from someone who was no doubt a sexual partner. I completely flipped out... www.gaycalgary.com/a2183

The OutField

Basketball in the closet “On the Internet,” the famous New Yorker cartoon goes, “no one knows you’re a dog.” And on the Internet, no one knows who “Anonymous Baller”... www.gaycalgary.com/a2184

The OutField

Three boys’ gay high school blog Wade Rouse is pregnant again – this time, with twins. He’s working on birthing two new books in the midst of releasing the fourth addition to his literary... www.gaycalgary.com/a2185

THE HOST WITH THE MOST

Leslie Jordan Hosts the 2011 Hookie Awards Leslie Jordan won an Emmy® Award for his portrayal of the gleefully bitchy Beverley Leslie on TV’s Will and Grace.

He is also recognized nationally... www.gaycalgary.com/a2186

Whistler WinterPRIDE: Boards, Boys and Beers

Adele, 21 So much has been said about the big British music boom, but Duffy’s drab sophomore album was D.O.A. and Amy Winehouse drank herself.. www.gaycalgary.com/a2187

Vermont is For Lovers

I woke up disoriented, holding a plaid-clad teddy bear. It was unusually quiet as I reached for the moose-embellished bedside lamp. Click.

My ... www.gaycalgary.com/a2188

Solving the Riverdance Mystery

The popularity of Riverdance, playing in Alberta this month, remains a bit of a mystery to me.

Despite having seen it three years ago when it last... www.gaycalgary.com/a2189

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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Matt Dusk

Canadian Crooner on great sex, great music, and sexual fluidity.

By Jason Clevett “Last time we served this at Christmas time, clothes came off. It was great. We’ll leave it at that.”

Those words were some of the first out of the mouth of Canadian crooner Matt Dusk, sipping a glass of Wild Vines fruit infused wine beverage before a recent show at the Deerfoot Inn and Casino.

Dusk is a natural flirt. Whether jumping off stage for an audience sing along, greeting fans after the show, or casually chatting for an interview beforehand, he is so naturally charming and likeable that it is clear why people of every age, sex, and sexual orientation have become smitten with him.

It is the combination of charm and talent that has lead to his success internationally in a style of music that doesn’t get much mainstream notice.

“When I look at when I started singing this genre, I was 18 and am now 32. 14 years and probably close to 1000 shows by now in my career, I am sure when I am older I will look back and say those years were really short. In my perspective now, it has taken a lot of hard work and attention to the positives. Media has a wonderful way of focusing on the things you’ve done well. Most successful people are failures nine out of ten times, what makes you successful is continuing to do what you do and capture the wave to success,” he said. “Music careers are full of heights and depths as well.

It is very interesting because it has been like that in my career - on TV in front of 12 million people a week and then for a year nobody cares about you. Then you suddenly have a number one hit, then disappear again. Music at the end of the day has a shelf life, unless you continue to make music most likely you will be forgotten. It is always a weird way of how to constantly be out there but I love getting out there because I learn more and become a better performer. That excites me - to get old excites me. I met Tony Bennet and asked him how he does these songs over and over again and he said, I am always learning. This is a guy who has been singing for sixty years! I hope he was telling me the truth.”

Dusk has connected with fans in a way that many artists only wish they could. In part this is due to his willingness to meet fans - it seems everyone has a “meeting Matt Dusk” story.

“That is the best compliment a person can hear. I don’t really see myself as a ‘celebrity’ I see myself as a person who tries to look at the positive and live in the realm of happiness. I know it sounds really cliché and cheesy but it is true. If I can get that kind of enjoyment out of music why

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Interview

 Photos by Lee Broomfield

Just Jessie

English import talks debut and sets the record straight on her sexuality

By Chris Azzopardi Who You Are is the title of Jessie J’s debut album, but it’s also what everyone’s been wondering about the English artist herself. Outside of the short black bob and that ear-wormy, gender-bending single “Do It Like a Dude,” everyone has something to say about the cute 23-yearold crooner – she’s a lesbian, she’s a man-hater, she’s a dude.

to say I’m pop or I’m rock or I’m hip-hop. I make music – and if people like it, they like it. And I think it gets people frustrated because they need to pigeonhole me, but I won’t allow them to, because I just think it’s about being who you are.

GC&E: That explains the name of the album.

JJ: Exactly. But not just that. It’s about how you live once and if you spend your whole life apologizing for things that make you happy and always feeling like you have to explain yourself or justify what you love, then life’s no fun. I got to a point where I was like, “This is my girlfriend, and I’m going to introduce her to people. It is what it is.”

We went straight to the source for the answers, recently chatting with the singer-songwriter about her buzzed-about sexuality, the songs she’s written for Miley and Britney, and her love letter to the gay community.

GC&E: Gays love you. Have you been a gay magnet your whole life?

JJ: (Laughs) I would do clubs and bars and I’d always attract those who loved the divaness of the voice. Gay fans are the most loyal. If they love you, they’ll stick by you forever. If they hate you, they let you know. I had my first turn at G-A-Y Club (in London), and it was a super fun gig. Lots of confetti and wind and explosions randomly throughout the set.

GC&E: So in other words, very gay.

JJ: Yes! GC&E: Everywhere you go you seem to have to address your sexuality.

JJ: It makes me laugh that it’s become such an exclusivity thing. It’s not exclusive to who I am and I’ve never hidden it.

I’m very proud of who I am, and I think that night I had to talk about it just because it’s G-A-Y – you know, to see if there were any hotties in the crowd. (Laughs) GC&E: It’s been said that you don’t like labels, that you’re bisexual, that you’re lesbian. Set the record straight – or as straight as you can.

JJ: It’s not like I’m 100 percent bisexual or lesbian. I fall in love with who I fall in love with. It’s society who says that people have to fall into categories. I’ve never felt like I’ve had to say, “Hi, I’m Jessie J and I’m bisexual.”

My family and friends never made me feel like I had to put a label on it. The same goes for my music. I don’t feel like I have 10

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I wanted to sing about what I wanted to sing about, and not be half naked next to a rapper, like, “Hey, I’m in the club shaking my booty.” And I have to stand for what I stand for, and it’s a hard thing to do in this industry. Who You Are definitely sums up the journey that I’ve had and the journey that I’ve wanted to explore with other people.

GC&E: This album is just being released and you’re already working on your second. Are you crazy?

JJ: You have to be prepared, and I’ve realized you spend so much time promoting your current one and then it’s kind of done and you’re like, “Shit, I haven’t done anything for the new one.” And I don’t want it to be a slice of what my life is in those six weeks that I write. I want to write it while I’m still on my journey and learning and growing as a person, and I think it’s really important to have that. It’s obviously very tiring writing on the airplane or when I get a half hour to myself, but it’s important and I think I’ll be happy I did it in the end. I’ve had six years to write this current one, and I’m not going to do the next one in six weeks.

GC&E: During the G-A-Y gig, you dedicated the song “L-O-V-E” to a girl. Are you with a woman right now?

JJ: That’s a mystery! (Laughs) I need to love myself right now. (This career) doesn’t really lend itself to being in a serious relationship, but I’m very excited for – I won’t say all of my girlfriends, but anyone that I’ve had in my life that I’ve loved. There’s no drama, and I’m happy to write songs about people that I love.

GC&E: But you’re going to leave us hanging?

JJ: I’m very honest about my love life in my music, and I don’t feel I need to talk about it any more than what it is in the songs. And at the end of the day, I’m the one who’s in the spotlight and it’s not fair to risk their safety to talk about it in more detail than I do in the songs. Songs last forever, so that’s the best kind of dedication you can give to love.

GC&E: People are quick to write off artists who use their sexuality, and maybe fake it, to gain attention.

JJ: I know; I hate it.

GC&E: Because of that, do you feel like you have something to prove regarding your sexual orientation?

JJ: I’ve never hidden it, and I’ve been in this industry for six years. I’ve had partners with me all the time. I’ve introduced them to everybody – every producer, every songwriter. I’ve never hidden it; it’s only since I’ve come into the limelight that it’s been made the media thing.

You can never prove it, and people are going to think what they want to think, but I know the truth. I know that I would never, ever do that because I wouldn’t want my sexuality to define my music and I wouldn’t want it to define me. It’s only now that I talk about it because people feel the need to hear about it. And I’m honest about it.

Why should I lie?

GC&E: It’s all Katy Perry’s fault for not actually kissing a girl.

JJ: (Laughs) Yeah – I should do the X-rated version of “I Kissed a Girl.”

GC&E: How did “Do It Like a Dude” come about?

JJ: I was writing some songs in the studio, but I was bored with the song I was writing and there were two boys – two producers called Parker and James – and one of them wears (his) trousers

ridiculously low. So I just started free styling like a dude, and it was fun. I wanted to write a song that was tongue-in-cheek and a parody of a stereotypical male. But also, I wanted the song to be empowering for girls, but not kind of an “I hate men” song – because I don’t, and I don’t say that in the song. It’s about feeling hardcore.

GC&E: Please explain what it means to get your dollar licked.

JJ: So many people ask that, but it’s purely when guys flash their money at the club. A lot of people think there’s a secret meaning to it, but it’s because I was initially writing the song for Rihanna that I put the dollar thing in it. I was going to take it out because, obviously, I’m English and I would say, “You need to lick my pound,” but it doesn’t really have the same vibe. (Laughs) GC&E: “Do It Like a Dude” has a cool gender-bending element to it. Were you a tomboy? Do you have masculine tendencies?

JJ: Not at all. I wasn’t someone who played with dolls or did the typical girly things, but I was always the girl who was a bit ballsy and quite rebellious and I always had something to say. You know how some girls were all like, “Everybody looks lovely and I love everything”? Well, I was kind of like, “No. I don’t like that.” If I wanted to play football with the boys, I would. But I wasn’t a tomboy. I love being a girl, so I think it was more a personality thing. I didn’t care if I looked stupid or my nail split. I wasn’t that kind of obsessive girly Barbie doll.

GC&E: Are there things you think you do better than a dude?

JJ: I don’t know. It’s funny, people say to me, “What can a guy do that a girl can’t?” We can’t wee standing up. But we can, it’s just quite messy.

(Laughs) There’s not really much difference. I won’t point out the obvious. A lot of the replies (to the song) are very funny to me, because a lot of the guys’ responses are very sexual and it’s funny, because I wasn’t actually talking like that at all in “Do It Like a Dude.” It wasn’t like that at all. I think it definitely bruised some egos.

GC&E: You’ve written for some big names, like Miley Cyrus and Britney Spears. Are there songs that you’ve written for people that you regret giving up?

JJ: No. I was always so emotionally attached to my songs – “oh, this is my baby” – but after a while you have to realize that you have to know what’s for you and what isn’t for you. I made sure that I kept some of the great ones for me and just gave away a few special ones to help pay my bills. Miley Cyrus took “Party in the U.S.A.” to a place that I don’t think I could’ve taken it to. It just suited her so well.

GC&E: The track you wrote for Britney, “Being Britney,” didn’t make the cut for her new album, Femme Fatale. What will you do with that song now?

JJ: It’s a very, very Britney track, but I’m thinking about “Being RiRi,” or “Being BeBe” – for Beyoncé – or…

“Being Pinky.” (Laughs) GC&E: Is the song “Rainbow” a love letter to the gay community?

JJ: Definitely. Whatever your sexuality, whatever your culture, whatever your race, everybody’s the same. It’s about – not everyone being gay, because that’s not true, but everybody being from the same rainbow. We all have to share a pot of gold; we’re all on the same yellow brick road.

www.gaycalgary.com

http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2192

View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

11

Preview

 “The Mirror” by CRILA

 “Discovery” by CRILA

Cavalia Gallops into Calgary

By Jason Clevett On May 25th, the world’s largest touring production gallops into Calgary. Seen by over 2.5 million people throughout the world, Cavalia involves 39 riders, aerialists, acrobats, dancers and musicians combined with 49 spectacular horses.

It was a little hard to imagine it during a recent press event, held at Canada Olympic Park where the world’s largest big top can be seen from the Trans Canada highway. In typical Calgary fashion, the day was cold and snowy - workers had media cringing as they stomped along the roof 33 metres above the ground, kicking cascades of snow to the ground.

While the weather may have affected plans to raise the big top for media, it didn’t cool the enthusiasm and energy of Cavalia’s President, CEO and artistic director Normand Latourelle.

“We are very happy and proud to bring Cavalia to Calgary at last. We have been touring for over eight years. The window to have it in Calgary is very short because of the weather and every time I wanted to bring it here it wasn’t possible. So here we are today, about to finish the show in Vancouver and then we will start in Calgary,” he told media at the press conference.

In addition to having a world renowned show in the city, Cavalia also results in a great financial influx to the local economy, said Tourism Calgary President and CEO Randy Williams.

“The world-class show and massive big top represent an excellent draw for tourism to Calgary enhancing our city’s reputation as a dynamic, cultured city while generating significant economic impact for the community. The equestrian nature of the show aligns perfectly with our western heritage and is an exceptional addition to the roster of major equestrian events hosted in Calgary.”

Latourelle spoke with GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine after the media event. He says, giving back to the host city is important.

“Cavalia is a big show, the biggest touring show in the world in terms of logistics. We have 100 semi trailers, which if you compare to U2 or the Rolling Stones they probably only have 50 trailers. When I first designed the show I wanted a stage big enough for the horses to have fun. So I needed a big space, but I didn’t figure out that after I designed the stage I had to find a big top. When I had to shop around to find a big top large enough for the stage, it didn’t exist. So we had to design it. We are very proud of it. We come and do business, we sell tickets and reinvest a lot in the city and bring a lot of tourism to the city. Every city we go to, people drive in from forever to see the show because it is the top show with horses in the world. So hotels and restaurants will be more full. We also

12

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

give 80 local people a job daily. We invest three million into the city, and it is a big economic impact when we bring it here.”

Calgary is a natural choice for Cavalia. The long history of cowboys and ranching, the Stampede, and Spruce Meadows are just part of Alberta’s connection with horses.

“I wanted to come to Calgary before but there was always an element that made us skip it, and I was very frustrated. So here we are at last coming to Calgary. I am from Montreal and every time I have come to Calgary I have known that there are a lot of people who are about horses.

This is the heart of Canada’s horse land and I am happy to be bringing some of the most beautiful horses in the world to Calgary now. It is my time to show Calgary what we can do with horses.”

One of the original minds behind Cirque Du Soliel, Latourelle takes great joy in watching the audience’s reaction to his creation.

“My satisfaction is at the end of the show when I see all the smiles in the crowd, and people standing up and clapping and being happy. This is a show that brings happiness to people, it is a lot about love and how we have respect and can manage with nature. From my point of view horses are a speaker of nature and this is what Cavalia brings to people.

It gives a good feeling for the spectator. This show is not about doing tricks with horses, it is about sharing the stage with an animal that has a lot to say. When the people witness that, it is my reward.”

Cavalia has something for everyone. For those who want to see behind the scenes, VIP packages include tours of the stable, while others may be more than satisfied observing the spectacle alone.

“It is a one of a kind show. A lot of people have have seen Cirque Du Soliel, I am one of the guys who started it. As much as Cirque has reinvented the circus world, Cavalia has reinvented the equestrian world. What you are going to witness is an integration of the two worlds which gives you something you can’t see anywhere else.”

Cavalia May 25th - June 12th, 2011 Under the White Big Top - Canada Olympic Park www.cavalia.net http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2193

View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

13

Photography ISCCA Coronation 35 Week, taken at Backlot, Calgary Eagle, Club Sapien, FAB, Texas Lounge, Twisted Element, and the Westin Hotel

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

www.gaycalgary.com

Photography

www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

www.gaycalgary.com

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

35 36 37 41 43 55

FIND OUT!

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

One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre La Fleur-------------------------- Retail Stores Lisa Heinricks----------Theatre and Fine Arts Marquee Room--------------- Bars and Clubs

......... Wheelchair Accessible

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

Accommodations 13 Westways Guest House--------------------✰

 216 - 25th Avenue SW  403-229-1758  1-866-846-7038  westways@shaw.ca  www.gaywestways.com

Bars & Clubs 3 Backlot----------------------------------- ✰  403-265-5211  Open 7 days a week, 4pm-close

 209 - 10th Ave SW

4 Calgary Eagle Inc.----------------------- ✰  424a - 8th Ave SE  403-263-5847

 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 Carly’s Angels on Sat. Billy Schmidt’s “Sounds of Sinatra” on Fri. and varied entertainment on Thurs. Please call for details.

58 59 60 61 62

Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre Village Bistro & Lounge----------Restaurant Club Sapien------------------- Bars and Clubs Holidays on the Hill------------- Retail Stores Concept Bar & Lounge------- Bars and Clubs

60 Club Sapien------------------------------ ✰  1140 10th Ave SW  403-457-4464  http://www.clubsapien.ca Dance club & restaurant.

60 Concept Bar & Lounge---------------------✰  908 17th Ave SW  403-228-1006  www.facebook.com/ConceptLounge Premiere crossover lounge. Entrance on 16th Ave. 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.

Bar and restaurant.

5 Texas Lounge-------------------------------✰

 308 - 17 Ave SW  403-229-0911  www.goliaths.ca  Open 7 days a week, 11am-close 33 Twisted Element----------------------------✰

 1006 - 11th Ave SW  403-802-0230

 www.twistedelement.ca

Dance Club and Lounge.

Browse our complete directory of over 570 gay-frieindly listings! www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

17

Directory & Events Calgary Events Mondays

ASK Meet and Greet----------------  7-9:30pm

 Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE) Inside Out Youth Group----------------  7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink Yoga (A)-----------------------------  6-7:30pm See Apollo Calgary Sep27Dec6 Yoga (B)-------------------------  7:45-9:15pm Sep27Dec6 See Apollo Calgary Squash--------------------------  8:15-9:45pm See Apollo Calgary Oct18 Tuesdays

Calgary Networking Club--------------  5-7pm  1st Tues See 1 Calgary Outlink

Thursdays

Lesbian Seniors---------------------------- 2pm

 Kerby Center, Sunshine Room  3rd 1133 7th Ave SW Lesbian Meetup Group-------------  7:30-9pm  1st At 1 Calgary Outlink Fake Mustache Show------------------  7:30pm

By Miscellaneous Youth Network  1st  Quincy’s (609 7th Ave SW) Fake Mustache Show---------------------- 9pm

By Miscellaneous Youth Network  3rd At 60 Club Sapien Alcoholics Anonymous---------------------  8pm

 Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW Fridays

Boot Camp (A)----------------------  7-8:30pm Sep7 See Apollo Calgary

Leather Night-------------------------- Evening At 4 Calgary Eagle

Between Men---------------------------  7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink  2nd, 4th

BBQ Fundraiser-------------------------  5-9pm

By ISCCA at 3 Backlot

Rehearsals--------------------------  7-9:30pm See Calgary Men’s Chorus Jun

Rec Volleyball------------------------------ 7pm See Apollo Calgary

Karaoke------------------------------  8pm-1am At 5 Texas Lounge

Illusions--------------------------------  7-10pm See 1 Calgary Outlink  1st

Fetish Slosh----------------------------  Evening  2nd At 3 Backlot

Womynspace----------------------------  7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink  2nd

Alcoholics Anonymous---------------------  8pm

 Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW

New Directions--------------------------  7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink  3rd

Wednesdays

Communion Service------------------  12:10pm See Knox United Church Women’s Healing Circle---------------  1:30pm See AIDS Calgary

Heading Out-----------------------  8pm-10pm  4th See 1 Calgary Outlink Alcoholics Anonymous---------------------  8pm

 Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW Saturdays

Free Pool-------------------------------  All Day At 4 Calgary Eagle with Prime Timers Calgary

Running------------------------------------  9am See Apollo Calgary

Badminton--------------------------------- 7pm See Apollo Calgary Sep8Dec15

Coffee------------------------------------  10am See Prime Timers Calgary

Bowling------------------------------------ 7pm Sep1Mar30 See Apollo Calgary

Curling-------------------------  2:20 & 4:30pm See Apollo Calgary

Mosaic Youth Group--------------------  7-9pm  Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)

Alcoholics Anonymous---------------------  8pm

 Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW

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 18

Sundays

Worship Time----------------------------  10am See Deer Park United Church

Tuesday, May 17th

Intern’l Day Against Homophobia----  7-9pm

By Pride Calgary  Old Y, 223 12th Ave SW Sunday, May 22nd

Worship------------------------------  10:30am See Scarboro United Church

Investitures----------------------------- 8pm

By ISCCA at 60 Club Sapien

Boot Camp (B)----------------  10:30am-12pm See Apollo Calgary Sep12

Wednesday, May 25th

Worship Services-------------------------  11am See Knox United Church Int/Comp Volleyball-----------  12:15-1:45pm See Apollo Calgary BBQ Social Sundays----------------------- 2pm At 4 Calgary Eagle Church Service----------------------------- 4pm See Rainbow Community Church Women’s Volleyball----------------  7-8:30pm See Apollo Calgary Sunday Socials----------------------  Afternoon At 4 Calgary Eagle Free Pool-------------------------------  All Day At 4 Calgary Eagle Saturday, May 7th

Apollo’s Amazing Race-------------------- 2pm

By Apollo GIPA Community Conversation---  12-3:30pm At 2 AIDS Calgary Tuesday, May 10th

Card Night----------------------------- Evening

By Prime Timers Calgary Wail & Bail for Beswick------------------- 8pm

By ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge Friday, May 13th

Pure Pride--------------------------------- 9pm At 60 Club Sapien Saturday, May 14th

“DOG-MA” Pup Night--------------------- 9pm At 4 Calgary Eagle

Theatre Night-------------------------- Evening

By Prime Timers Calgary Friday, May 27th

kickstART Auction-----------  5:30-7:30pm

By CCASA at Stoneworx Gallery  213, 100 - 7 Ave SW (upper level) Paparazzi---------------------------------- 9pm At 60 Club Sapien Blue (SOLD OUT)-------------------------- 8pm

By Calgary Men’s Chorus At SAIT Aquatic Centre Saturday, May 28th

ARGRA Dance-------------------  8pm-1am

By ARGRA  Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Hall 1320 5th Ave NW Rodeo Team Launch BBQ------------- Evening At 4 Calgary Eagle Blue---------------------------------------- 5pm

By Calgary Men’s Chorus At SAIT Aquatic Centre Blue (SOLD OUT)-------------------------- 8pm

By Calgary Men’s Chorus At SAIT Aquatic Centre Wednesday, June 1st

1st Anniversary Party------------------  All Day At 9 FAB Wednesday, June 8th

1st Anniversary Party------------------  All Day At 3 Backlot June 2011

Calgary Comic & Ent. Expo--------  All Day

Jun17Jun19

Legend:  = Monthly Reoccurrance,  = Date (Range/Future),  = Sponsored Event

 Calgary Contd.

Bathhouses/Saunas

Tuned Out Music Trivia----------------  Evening At 9 FAB  1st, 3rd

 http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/ group.albertasocietyforkink 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.

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)

 6020 - 4 Avenue NE  badminton@apollocalgary.com • Biking  bike@apollocalgary.com • Boot Camp

 Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE  bootcamp@apollocalgary.com • Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)

 Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE)  bowling@apollocalgary.com • Curling

 North Hill Curling Club (1201 - 2 Street NW)  curling@apollocalgary.com

Will return in September 2010. Sign up at myapollo.org to receive updates.

• Golf

 golf@apollocalgary.com • Lawn Bowling

 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.

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

• 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 • Squash  Mount Royal University Recreation  squash@apollocalgary.com All skill levels welcome.

• Tennis  tennis@apollocalgary.com

• 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.

• Calgary Lesbian Ladies Meet up Group • Between Men and Between Men Online • Heading Out • Illusions Calgary • Inside Out • New Directions • Womynspace Calgary Queer Book Club

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

• Volleyball (Beach)  beachvb@apollocalgary.com • Volleyball (Int/Comp)

 West Hillhurst Community Center 1940 6th Avenue NW  vb@apollocalgary.com • Volleyball (Recreational)

 235 - 18 Ave SW  recvb@apollocalgary.com

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

 77 Deerpoint Road SE  403-278-8263  http://www.dpuc.ca Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

Don’t Buy In Project

 http://www.dontbuyin.ca

• Volleyball (Women’s)

 YWCA Calgary (320 - 5th Avenue SE)  vbwomen@apollocalgary.com • 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.

Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

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  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 Friends in Calgary

 www.argra.org

 http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca

• Monthly Dances------------------------------

Organizes and hosts social activities catered to the LGBT people and friends.

 Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association

1320 - 5th Avenue NW Artists for the Quality of Life

 403-890-1261

 www.afqol.com

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-----------------------------✰

 B1, 1528 16th Avenue SW  403-234-8973  info@calgaryoutlink.ca  http://www.calgaryoutlink.com

Girl Friends

 girlfriends@shaw.ca

 members.shaw.ca/girlfriends Girlsgroove

 http://www.girlsgroove.ca

Hillhurst United Church

 1227 Kensington Close NW  (403) 283-1539  office@hillhurstunited.com  www.hillhurstunited.com 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.

www.gaycalgary.com

Miscellaneous Youth Network  http://www.miscyouth.com

• Fake Mustache  Quincy’s (609 7th Ave SW)  Club Sapien (609 7th Ave SW) Calgary’s ONLY Drag King Show. Early show 7:30pm, late show 9pm.

• Mosaic Youth Group  The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW) For queer and trans youth and their allies.

• 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

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  networkscalgary@gmail.com 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.

 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.

Sharp Foundation

 403-272-2912  sharpfoundation@nucleus.com  http://www.thesharpfoundation.com

Unity Bowling

 Let’s Bowl (2916 - 5th Ave NE)  sundayunity@live.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.

Western Canada Bigmen and Admirers

 groups.yahoo.com/group/

WesternCanadaBigmenGroup/  bigpaul41@yahoo.com 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.

Wild Rose United Church

 1317-1st Street NW

“Yeah...What She Said!” Radio Show

 CJSW 90.9 FM

 yeahwhatshesaid@gmail.com

Restaurants 4 Calgary Eagle Inc.--------------------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.

✰

60 Club Sapien------------------------------ ✰  1140 10th Ave SW  403-457-4464  http://www.clubsapien.ca 9 FAB (formerly Money Pennies)------- See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

✰

19

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

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1 Pride Centre------------- Community Groups 3 HIV Network------------- Community Groups 4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups

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

 Calgary Contd.

Halo Steak, Seafood & Wine Bar

 Canyon Meadows Plaza

13226 Macleod Trail SE  403-271-4111  www.halorestaurant.com 59 Village Bistro & Lounge------------------  2F, 610 8th Ave SE  403-262-6342 ext 236  M-R: 9am-4pm, F: 9am-5pm, S: 11am-5pm  www.villagebistrocalgary.com

Retail Stores Adult Depot----------------------------- ✰

 140, 58th Ave SW  403-258-2777 Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys.

Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies and magazines. Gifts.

Wares & Wear Ventures Inc. See Canada - Retail Stores.

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.  403-246-4134

24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

 1138 Kensington Road NW  403-571-5120  http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca

61 Holidays on the Hill----------------------- 403-263-3030

GLBT legal services.

Christmas, Halloween, and much more.

 403-777-9494 trial code 3500  http://www.cruiseline.ca

 210 - 7th Ave SW

41 La Fleur------------------------------------  103 - 100 7th Avenue SW  403-266-1707

Florist and Flower Shop.

The Naked Leaf---------------------------  305 10th Street NW  403-283-3555  http://www.thenakedleaf.ca Organic teas and tea ware.

16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰

 1322 - 17 Ave SW  403-215-1800  http://www.priape.com

20

Cruiseline Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY. DevaDave Salon & Boutique

 810 Edmonton Trail NE  403-290-1973 Cuts, Colour, Hilights.

Duncan’s Residential Cleaning  Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600 Residential cleaning. Free estimates.

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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.

MPs Catering

 403-607-8215

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 • Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

 1213 - 4th Str SW  403-955-6014  Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed

• Safeworks Van

 403-850-3755  Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am

Theatre & Fine Arts 36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402  http://www.ATPlive.com

AXIS Contemporary Art------------------- 403-262-3356  www.axisart.ca

 107, 100 - 7 Ave SW  rob@axisart.ca

Fairytales See Calgary - Community Groups.

Jubilations Dinner Theatre  Bow Trail and 37th St. SW  403-249-7799  www.jubilations.ca 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-------------------------------

✰

 727 - 42 Avenue SE  403-243-6642  http://www.stagewestcalgary.com 58 Theatre Junction----------------------  Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW  403-205-2922

✰

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.  info@theatrejunction.com  http://www.theatrejunction.com 34 Vertigo Mystery Theatre------------------  161, 115 - 9 Ave SE  403-221-3708  http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com

EDMONTON Bars & Clubs 6 Buddy’s Nite Club--------------------------✰

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6636 14 FLASH---------------------------------------✰

 10018 105 Street  780-938-2941  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

 Edmonton Contd.

Group of older gay men and their admirers who come from diverse backgrounds but have common social interests. Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.

Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

 3379, 11215 Jasper Ave  780-429-5014  http://www.edmontonrba.org

Primary focus is the provision of networking opportunities for LGBT owned or operated and LGBTfriendly businesses in the Edmonton region.

Edmonton Illusions Social Club

 5 Boots Bar & Grill  780-387-3343

 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions 4 Edmonton STD

 11111 Jasper Ave

5 The Junction---------------------------- ✰

 10242 106th St  780-756-5667  http://www.junctionedmonton.com

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 780-479-2038  sing@evmchoir.com www.evmchoir.com 

PLAY Nightclub (closed)-------------------✰

3 HIV Network Of Edmonton Society---- ✰  9702 111 Ave NW  www.hivedmonton.com

 10220 103 Street  780-497-7529  info@playnightclub.ca  http://www.playnightclub.ca

Prism Bar & Grill (closed)------------- ✰  780-990-0038

 10524 101st St  http://www.prismbar.ca

12 Woody’s-------------------------------------✰

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6557

Bathhouses/Saunas

Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

 http://www.iscwr.ca 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.

• 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.

7 Down Under Baths-------------------------✰

 12224 Jasper Ave  780-482-7960  http://www.gayedmonton.com

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.

• YouthSpace

 brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org A safe and supportive space for GLBTQ youth aged 13–25. Video games, computers with internet, clothing bank, and more.

• Free School

 Main Space – Upstairs  monika_penner@shaw.ca Free School provides workshops on a variety of topics related to local activism.

 president@teamedmonton.ca  http://www.teamedmonton.ca

Community Groups Alberta Bears

 www.beefbearbash.com

Altview-Strathcona County LGBTQ Group

 #44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB  www.altview.ca

Book Worm’s Book Club  Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes 10179 - 108 Street  bookworm@teamedmonton.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 Festival Society (EPFS)

 http://www.edmontonpride.ca

Edmonton Prime Timers  edmontonpt@yahoo.ca  www.primetimersww.org/edmonton www.gaycalgary.com

• Get Tested for STIs Free STD testing for anyone interested. For more information please contact the Pride Centre.

• GLBT Seniors Drop-In

 SAGE building, Classroom B 15 Sir Winstone Churchill Square  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.

Team Edmonton 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

 Garneau Elementary School 10925 - 87 Ave  bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca

• Bowling (Northern Titans)

 Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

 bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.

• Cross Country Skiing  crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca • Curling with Pride

 Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW  curling@teamedmonton.ca • Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

 Various locations in Edmonton  cycling@teamedmonton.ca • 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 • Martial Arts

 15450 - 105 Ave (daycare entrance)  780-328-6414  kungfu@teamedmonton.ca  kickboxing@teamedmonton.ca Drop-ins welcome.

• Outdoor Pursuits

 outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca • Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

 Emily Murphy Park, west end  running@teamedmonton.ca All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to join this free activity.

• 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 V

 January 27-29, 2012  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 (11762 - 106 Street)  swimming@teamedmonton.ca  www.makingwavesswimclub.ca

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

21

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 Curling---------------------------------  7:15pm See Team Edmonton Oct4Mar21 Tuesdays

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 Bowling-----------------------------  6:45-9pm Sept7Mar15 See Team Edmonton Community Potluck---------------------  7-9pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton  Last Recreational Volleyball--------  8:30-10:30pm See Team Edmonton Oct5 Swimming-----------------------  7:30-8:30pm May19 See Team Edmonton Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm See Team Edmonton Wednesdays

PFLAG---------------------------------  12:10pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton  1st Youthspace------------------------------  3-7pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm See Youth Understanding Youth

Youth Understanding Youth------------  7-9pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Youth Movie Night------------------  6:30-8:30 See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Mixed Badminton----------------------  8-10pm See Team Edmonton Jan13End of May

Youth Understanding Youth------------  7-9pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Thursdays

Saturdays

GLBT Seniors Drop-in------------------  1-4pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton

Naturalist Gettogether---------------------- ???

See Buck Naked Boys Club  2nd

Get Tested for STIs----------------------  3-6pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton  Last

AA Big Book Study--------------------  12-1pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton

Pride Concert--------------------------  7:30pm

By EVM at Catalyst Theatre

Youthspace------------------------------  3-7pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton

Monthly Meeting-----------------------  2:30pm

By Edmonton Primetimers  2nd  Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street

Thursday, May 23rd

Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm See Youth Understanding Youth GLBT African Group----------------------- 6pm  2nd At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton Swimming-------------------------------  7-8pm See Team Edmonton May19

Youthspace--------------------------  3-6:30pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton Bowling------------------------------------ 5pm See Team Edmonton Sundays

Youth Understanding Youth------------  7-9pm At 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Running------------------------------  10-11am See Team Edmonton

Book Club------------------------------  7:30pm  3rd See BookWorm’s Book Club

Free School----------------------------  11-5pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton  2nd, 4th

Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm See Team Edmonton

Womonspace Meeting---------  12:30-1:30pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton  1st

Intermediate Volleyball--------  7:30-9:30pm See Team Edmonton

Yoga---------------------------------  2-3:30pm See Team Edmonton

Fridays

Men Talking with Pride----------------  7-9pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton

Edmonton Illusions--------------------  8:30pm  2nd At 5 The Junction Youthspace--------------------------  3-6:30pm See Pride Centre of Edmonton Youth Sports/Recreation------------------ 4pm See Youth Understanding Youth

Ballroom Dancing--------------  7:30-8:30pm See Team Edmonton Monthly Meetings---------------------- 2:30pm  Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)  2nd See Edmonton Primetimers

• Ultimate Frisbee  Sundays Summer Season starts July 12th  ultimatefrisbee@teamedmonton.ca E-mail if interested.

• Volleyball, Intermediate

 Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road)  volleyball@teamedmonton.ca • Volleyball, Recreational

 Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave)  recvolleyball@teamedmonton.ca • Women’s Lacrosse

 Sharon: 780-461-0017  Pam: 780-436-7374 Open to women 21+, experienced or not, all are welcome. Call for info.

• Yoga

 Lion's Breath Yoga Studio (10350-124 Street)  yoga@teamedmonton.ca

22

Queen of Hearts Cabaret------------------ 8pm

By ISCWR at 5 The Junction Thursday, May 19th

Little Shop of Horrors-------------  9-10:30pm

By ISCWR at 5 The Junction Wednesday, May 22nd

Pride Concert--------------------------  7:30pm

By EVM at Catalyst Theatre Friday, June 10th

Pride Kick-Off------------------------  12pm

By Pride Edmonton at City Hall Pride Awards--------------------  7-8:30pm

By Pride Edmonton at City Hall (City Room) Saturday, June 11th

Pride Parade-------------------------  12pm

By Pride Edmonton  108 Street, 102 Ave Sunday, June 12th

Pancake Breakfast-------------  10am-2pm

By Pride Edmonton at Legislature Grounds Tuesday, June 14th

Pride Rainbow Gallery-------------  6-10pm

By Pride Edmonton at TransAlta Arts Barns  10330 - 84 Ave Saturday, June 18th

Pride Picnic--------------------------  1-3pm

By Pride Edmonton at Hawrelak Park (#5)

Legend:  = Monthly Reoccurrance,  = Date (Range),  = Sponsored Event

 Edmonton Contd.

• Tennis

 Kinsmen Sports Centre  Sundays, 12pm-3pm

 tennis@teamedmonton.ca

Saturday, May 14th

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 12 Woody’s-------------------------------------✰  780-488-6557

 11725 Jasper Ave

Retail Stores Rodéo Drive

 11528 - 89th Street  780-474-0413  brendalee@rodeodrive.ca  http://www.rodeodrive.ca His and hers fetish wear, toys, jewelry, etc.

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

Products & Services Cruiseline

 780-413-7122 trial code 3500  http://www.cruiseline.ca

Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY. 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.

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  members@gaybanff.com  www.gaybanff.com Serving the GLBTQS community in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise and Area.

GRANDE PRAIRIE Community Groups GALAP

 10113 - 103 Ave, T8V 1C2

 780-512-1990 Gay and Lesbian Association of the Peace. www.gaycalgary.com

Lethbridge Events June 2011

Lethbride Pride Fest-------------------  All Day

Jun18Jun26

 Edmonton Contd.

• Wednesday Coffee Nights

LETHBRIDGE Community Groups GALA/LA

 403-308-2893  http://www.galalethbridge.ca

Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.

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.

• Monthly Dances

 Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S) Bring your membership card and photo ID.

Western Canadian Pride Campout  www.eventmasterinc.net

• 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.

 http://www.youthsafe.net

• 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

RED DEER Community Groups 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! www.gaycalgary.com

YouthSafe 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 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, transidentified people and our families.

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.

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

23

Politics

Citizenship Study Guide Finally Acknowledges Gay and Lesbian Canadians

By Stephen Lock After all the years of struggle to have the GLBTQ community seen as “just” another group of citizens, to attain the rights and responsibilities enjoyed and demanded of any other group in society, I suppose there is no better indication of having finally attained that: the recent study guide used by the Federal Government to prepare immigrants for the citizenship test, Discover Canada.

In the guide, published by the Department of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism headed by Jason Kenney, Member of Parliament for Calgary Southeast, those seeking to become Canadian citizens are instructed to leave “violent, extreme, or hateful prejudices” behind and that, in Canada, same-sex marriages are legal and permitted and forced marriages are not. An earlier version of the guide, released in 2010, omitted any reference to same-sex marriage and GLBTQ rights for which Kenney and the Conservative Party came under attack in the House of Commons from NDP Immigration Critic, Olivia Chow, wife of NDP leader Jack Layton. Chow and the NDP successfully introduced a motion in the House calling for a reference to same-sex marriage and gay and lesbian rights in Canada to be included.

Given Kenney’s record when it comes to fighting against samesex marriage and equality rights, the inclusion of these in the guide could be seen as a major coup, even though it makes no mention of how those rights came about. Of course, the government has put a different spin on such inclusion.

“We expect people who want to become Canadians to have a good understanding of their rights and responsibilities, and the values and institutions that are rooted in Canadian history,” Kenney said when announcing the revisions in Vancouver in March. “This study guide has strengthened the value of Canadian citizenship.”

According to the government, the citizenship test for which the guide is designed will also be updated with questions that reflect the new information including, it is assumed, questions regarding GLBTQ rights in Canada. However, the guide’s website currently states “Discover Canada was updated on March 14, 2011. You do not need the updated version to prepare for the citizenship test. The test does not contain questions on the new material. To prepare for the citizenship test, you can study any copy of Discover Canada issued by the Government of Canada since November 12, 2009.”

However, the guide has not been without controversy. Justin Trudeau, Liberal Immigration Critic, took exception to the use of the word “barbaric” when describing cultural practices that “tolerate spousal abuse, ‘honour killings,’ female genital mutilation (or, as it is sometimes euphemistically called, ’female circumcision‘), forced marriage or other gender-based violence.”

Trudeau was of the opinion that while these acts were, in fact, barbaric and that in private conversation he may even describe them as such himself, he felt that “in an official Government of Canada publication, there needs to be a little bit of an attempt at responsible neutrality.” Within days, he had issued an apology and clarification, stating he, “[p]erhaps...got tangled in semantic weeds in my comments, particularly in view of the Conservatives’ cynicism on these issues, [however] I want to make it clear that I think the acts described are heinous, barbaric acts that are totally unacceptable in our society.”

He had earlier stated during a series of posts between himself and subscribers on Twitter that his problem “with the use of the word barbaric is that it was chosen to reassure Canadians rather than actually change unacceptable behaviours.” He also expressed surprise that his comments generated such a reaction. “I didn’t expect people to react to this: I said the same back in 2009 (when the original guide was published) about Barbaric [sic] and no one picked up. Election-time now.”

24

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

Interestingly, what has not been placed on the public discussion is Kenney’s own history and views when it comes to GLBTQ rights and same-sex marriage.

In 2005, in the midst of heated debate both within Parliament and across Canada, Kenney stated that fellow MPs Libby Davies and Svend Robinson, both of whom had opposite-sex relationships before publicly coming out as lesbian and gay respectively, stood as proof that the existing marriage law was not in fact discriminatory; gay and lesbian individuals could still marry members of the opposite sex and were not being denied the right to marry at all.

It will come as no surprise that Kenney’s political background is heavily socially-conservative.

In his early years of political involvement he served on the boards of the Catholic Civil Rights League as well as the National Foundation of Family Research. He was a member of the Reform Party of Canada (1997–2000), which became the Canadian Alliance (2000–2003), both known as strong socially-conservative parties opposed to any inclusion of GLBTQ rights in Canadian jurisprudence. Yet, despite his opposition to same-sex marriage and other GLBTQ equality rights issues, Kenney has a strong record in human rights activity and is active in promoting human rights and religious freedoms in what one might charitably refer to as “autocratic countries”. He is heavily proIsrael, and has compared the Lebanon-based right-wing terrorist organization Hezbollah, whose mission statement includes calling for the ‘final obliteration’ of Israel, to Nazis.

That the new version of Discover Canada now includes direct reference to same-sex marriage and to gay and lesbian (but not trans) rights in Canada after heavy opposition by Kenney’s department in 2010, and Kenney’s own active involvement in pulling any reference to same-sex marriage in the 2010 version, is an example of how Parliament should work. When all federal parties work together for the benefit of all Canadians, both “new” and established, good things can be accomplished. The study guide is a federal publication and, as such, should reflect a national perspective, separate from any partisan bias. Such publications should not be Conservative or Liberal party propaganda machines but, rather, beyond party politics; operating, if you will, on a higher level than partisan politics.

However, it does need to be remembered that Kenney, in his capacity of Minister, originally ordered key sections noting the decriminalization of homosexuality in 1969, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms forbidding discrimination based on sexual orientation, and the legalizing of same-sex marriage in 2005, be removed when his office sent its comments to the department in June of 2010.

When that version of the study guide was released November 12, 2010 he brushed off a reporter’s question about why it lacked any reference to same-sex marriage.

“We can’t mention every legal decision, every policy of the Government of Canada. We try to be inclusive and include a summary.

I can tell you that if you were to read the old book, you wouldn’t even know that there are gay and lesbian Canadians,” he said, and noting a picture of Mark Tewksbury with a caption mentioning he is “a prominent activist for gay and lesbian Canadians.”

Predictably, socially-conservative and right-wing groups such as LifeSite and Canada Family Action Coalition condemned even the brief inclusion afforded gay men and lesbians in the current version.

LifeSite criticisms focused on the “omission” of religious institutions not having to “marry” (their quotes) same-sex couples in the guide.

Brian Rushfeldt, President of CFAC, is apparently of the opinion even a one-sentence mention of lesbian and gay equality under the law is an “inappropriate promotion of homosexuality,” adding “The government has caved to homosexual pressure and puts in a picture of a homosexual,” he said, referring to Tewksbury’s photo.

“Will the guide include pictures of heterosexuals announcing they are activists promoting one man/one woman marriage?” asked Rushfeldt. “Will they use a picture of a priest as an activist

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Letters promoting opposition to abortion? What about a doctor opposing euthanasia?”

Rushfeldt was further quoted by LifeSite as saying, by promoting homosexuality above “normal sexuality” [sic], the government was engaging in “discrimination against heterosexuals and [giving] an unfair picture of Canada as a whole. If they discriminate against heterosexuals then the government should be challenged also.”

Current changes to the 2011 guide include more information about Canada’s democratic and government institutions and their role, increased information about the War of 1812 (the only war Canada engaged in against the US and one which we won), and a restyled “Modern Canada” section with new headings, more detail regarding trade and economic growth, and includes more information about national cultural figures.

The citizenship test requires applicants to successfully answer multiple choice questions in the areas of rights and responsibilities of being a Canadian citizen, including the right to vote, voting procedures, and the right to run for elected office, Canadian political, social, and cultural history, and geography.

The section which now includes reference to gay and lesbian rights and same-sex marriage is found under the section entitled “Who We Are”, which includes a brief oversight of Canada’s three founding peoples (Aboriginal, French, and British) and a discussion about the diversity of Canadian culture which includes the sentence stating “Canada’s diversity includes gay and lesbian Canadians, who enjoy the full protection of and equal treatment under the law, including access to civil marriage.”

Letters to the Editor Dear GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine, Emperor 34 Fred Wolf Would and Empress 34 Malibu Stacey Stevens would like to thank all of our guests that came to celebrate our Stepdown on April 16th, 2011. We would like to thank our entire upper house and everyone who was involved with the 34th Reign for all the hard work they did throughout our year, for we would not have made it without them.

We would also like to thank all the volunteers who helped throughout the year, along with all of the organizations that allowed us to do functions in their establishments.

We would like to congratulate Emperor 35 Chris Tron and Empress 35 Makayla Quinn on their succession and look forward to helping when we can.

We would also like to invite everyone to our Annual General Meeting, happening Sunday June 12th 2011, at the Calgary Eagle (424A 8th Ave SE) starting at noon.

Sincerely, Emperor and Empress 34 Fred and Malibu

Dear GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine:

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As a transgender who is a proud member of the Conservative Party of Canada, I fully endorse Elections Canada having Special Advance Polls on post-secondary campuses. But I also agree with the Conservative Party that the seven-hundred votes cast should be tossed out since Elections Canada did not inform the Tory War Room and/or the local Tory candidate that the poll at the University of Guelph would be in existence. If the Liberals keep on insisting what they are saying is legitimate about the ballots being valid, let me again remind them that they tried to have ballots thrown out at a University campus in 2008 and were successful.

People might think it’s odd that a tranny would back the Conservatives, but I am straight, not gay. Besides if say 22,634 people voted for Laurie Hawn last time, roughly 2,263 were gay or transgendered (ten percent extrapolated based on United Nations population trends). We gay and tranny folks love our Conservative MP’s especially heroes like John Baird, Jason Kenney, and Rob Anders.

Regards, Walter Dean

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

25

Event

BLUE

The Calgary Men’s Chorus undertakes a landmark artistic collaboration

By Amy Darling The Calgary Men’s Chorus has long been an integral part of the fabric of Calgary’s queer community. For many, their annual Christmas concerts have become a regular tradition -- so much so that these holiday shows now sell out weeks in advance. The Chorus has even performed at Carnegie Hall, and made an appearance onstage with Margaret Cho on the Calgary stop of her recent Cho Dependent Tour.

A popular mainstay at charity events over the years, the Chorus has generously lent their time and talents to raise funds for The Southern Alberta HIV Clinic, The SHARP Foundation, the Music Therapy program at Carewest, the Calgary Inter-Faith Food Bank, and many other worthwhile causes. In 2010, having partnered with Calgary’s all-female Savridi Singers, they were able to raise over $45,000 in a single show for the Calgary Breast Health Program.

The Chorus has clearly been gaining noticeable momentum over the last few years, in every way. So the next logical step in their evolution as a performance ensemble is, naturally... ...to create a show with professional athletes?

“Part of my creative approach is the brainstorming process,” explains Jean-Louis Bleau, charismatic artistic director of the Chorus. His focus on the element of ice in last year’s performance season resulted in an epic collaboration with Inuit throat singers, drummers, and story tellers, as well as Greenlandic mask dancers. Turning his imagination to this year’s planned theme of water, Bleau was collecting images and writing down words that popped into his head when he “just happened to write down the words swimming pool.”

Never afraid to start asking questions and make new friends, Bleau got on the horn to synchronized swimming club The Calgary Aquabelles, who led him to an accomplished, now locally based production, choreography and performance team: Kerry Atkins and Shayna Nackoney.

Atkins, a multi-medalist named to 4 Canadian National Teams, was a creative team member of the Franco Dragone show Le Reve, which headlined at the Wynn Las Vegas for two full years. Nackoney, who was named to 7 Canadian national teams and competed in the 2004 Olympics, performed for two years in Cirque du Soleil’s O in Las Vegas.

They were intrigued by the idea of working with the Calgary Men’s Chorus, pairing aqua ballet with vocal gymnastics.

And so began a precedent-setting artistic collaboration, the show now known as BLUE. When they realized that the choir was part of the queer community, choreographers Atkins and Nackoney leapt at the chance to bring in synchronized swimming crusader Bill May. May, you will remember, is the multi-medal-winning swimmer who, despite being named US Synchronized Swimming Athlete of the Year two years in a row, still ended up being deemed ineligible to compete in the 2004 Olympics. At the time, the United States Synchronized Swimming Federation simply did not wish to endorse a team that included a male synchronized swimmer.

Showcasing an equal-rights pioneer like Bill May as a featured artist in BLUE highlights another of the values at the core of the Calgary Men’s Chorus: their commitment to equality. “We do our best to represent gay culture and our community,” enthuses Jean-Louis Bleau. “We are proud to show the best of who we are, and to show what we love about ourselves and what we love about our community.” So, too, the Chorus confronts the plight of other groups, as they did during their partnership with the Inuit artists they brought to Calgary last year. “The gay community has made great strides forward, but we must continue to support those who continue to fight for equal rights. The idea of equality is at the core of who we are as a choir; we just approach it differently, and express it differently.”

It is this commitment to such social values that really makes the Chorus the most unique choir in the city. Their

Continued on Next Page  26

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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 From previous page innovative spirit sets them apart, as well, and by design.

“Gay choirs are already known for pushing boundaries,” says the enigmatic Bleau, “and we wanted to go even further, to top that.”

To that end, the choir is committed to making their performances fun, interesting, and challenging, for audience members and performers alike. The choir usually sings in two languages other than English every year, and the joint efforts they undertake require an enormous amount of commitment from everyone involved. This January, with another holiday season just behind them, the group began to rehearse, finalize and record their arrangements for BLUE, and provide this music to choreographers Kerry Atkins and Shayna Nackoney. Bleau credits the two for being every bit as enthusiastic as the choir, managing to fit intense preparation into their already hectic lives; Nackoney runs a thriving real estate business with a fellow Olympian, the speed skater Susan Auch, and Atkins is currently studying to become a doctor. Starting back in October, the women would meet every Friday morning - at 6am - to start fleshing out their routines.

Two years after his initial brainstorming session, JeanLouis Bleau is thrilled to see how the seed of an idea has turned into this groundbreaking spectacle, with the now 42-member choir and 9 elite synchronized swimmers, including the great Bill May. (May is currently appearing in Cirque du Soleil’s O in Las Vegas, and securing his participation was a real coup for the BLUE team - and for Calgary audiences.)

Bleau says he has loved the wonderful surprises that have come from putting faith in other artists, from sharing ideas and from working together. “As with other collaborations, doing the kinds of things that no one had done before, we had no idea what to expect. But this is how we learn new things, and how we grow as a performance ensemble.” And Calgary is a better place for it.

The two evening performances of BLUE on Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28 have already sold out, and at press time, a matinee performance had just been added at 5pm on May 28. If you haven’t already, pick up your tickets while you can. This show will be one people will be talking about for a very long time.

Blue Presented by Calgary Men’s Chorus Friday, May 27th, 8pm (SOLD OUT) Saturday, May 28th, 5pm Saturday, May 28th, 8pm (SOLD OUT) www.calgarymenschorus.org http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2198

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Q Scopes

Think ahead, Aquarius!

Mercury, Venus, Jupiter and Eris are aligned in Aries. Take care of yourself while remembering it’s not all about you! While the North Node is in Sagittarius trining this pile-up, philosophical discussions can help you get clear focus on needed lessons..



ARIES (March 20–April 19): You’re filled with enough

energy and charm to conquer most worlds, but you’re stuck on this one. Even if world domination isn’t feasible, you’re clever enough to plot reasonable victories. New perspectives will help.



TAURUS (April 20–May 20): Too much time alone

brooding is bad for your health. Some dark erotic adventure or metaphysical studies can channel that energy toward your betterment, or at least help you to unlock self-destructive secrets and be free of them.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20): You could host one hell of a party, but be careful not to set the house on fire. Map out the future with your partner. Your plans are likely to be extravagant and all over the place, but your sweetheart will help you get a clear focus.





CANCER (June 21–July 22): Focus more on your work than your career. Quality and effectiveness speak much better for you than aggressive self-promotion. Don’t worry about being noticed. That’s inevitable. The question is what will they see?



LEO (July 23–August 22): Exploring new ideas should always be fun and creative. The best arguments don’t depend on winning, but rather help you to understand broader perspectives. You can also learn a lot from the art, film and music of other cultures.



VIRGO (August 23–September 22): Challenges at work aren’t quite so severe as they seem. The lessons of childhood (share, be polite, wash your hands, etc…) make a good starting point. Your partner, family and tribe can be more helpful than you expect.

LIBRA (September 23–October 22): If there’s any doubt that your partner is on your side it is probably a problem in communications. In a working relationship, discuss your approaches to the tasks at hand. If it’s about love, solutions are in the bedroom.





SCORPIO (October 23–November 21): Work problems

are building to a crisis that will make everything clearer, but there’s too much going on for any answer to be easy. It boils down to priorities. Tough choices could anger some friends; keep communications open!



SAGITTARIUS (November 22–December 20): You might

win the contest or achieve the masterpiece, but too many strategies are buzzing in your head. Rule No. 1: Be true to yourself. No. 2: Remember where you come from. Start there and you will succeed.



CAPRICORN (December 21–January 19): Are you the storm tearing through your home or are you the eye of the hurricane? It’s too easy to get sucked into the maelstrom thinking you can fix the problems. Better to find your inner peace and operate from there.



AQUARIUS (January 20–February 18): It’s not unusual for your tongue to get ahead of your brain. Do try to reel it in, listen and think ahead before speaking. In all the babble that surrounds you, there are some brilliant ideas. Listen, discern and be inspired.



PISCES (February 19–March 19): Impulsive spending won’t make you feel better. Know what you’re worth and what you can do. Both are probably a lot more than you realize.

Focus and work; you will succeed! Having a plan helps, even if things never go as planned.

Jack Fertig, a professional astrologer since 1977 teaches at the Online College of Astrology : http://www.astrocollege.com. He can be reached for personal or business consultations at 415-864-8302 or through his website at http://www.starjack.com

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Gossip show, Savage U. It will follow Savage as he tours around the country visiting college campuses on a speaking tour and taking questions from students. Now remember, this is a man whose weekly column encourages readers to address him as “Faggot,” so the show probably isn’t going to be an adorable Dr. Ruth (or even Dr. Drew) experience. Savage’s trademark is blunt talk mixed with humor and occasionally some controversy (just Google his name and “fat people” for the most recent public shouting match some of his plus-size readers are waging), so brace yourself for the experience. That is, whenever MTV gets around to airing it. Meanwhile, could someone make it required viewing for young people hoping to audition for 16 and Pregnant?

Cherry Jones classes up REM No, the Emmy-winning actor Cherry Jones didn’t join Michael Stipe’s band. She has, however, signed on for a new pilot on Fox with the same name. Creator Kyle Killen, who was the showrunner on 24 (the show responsible for Cherry’s Emmy), has a new project in the works called REM. It’s an Inception-like series set to star Jason Isaacs as a detective who emerges back into consciousness after an accident, only to discover that he’s living in two parallel realities. In one of them he has killed his son and in the other he has killed his wife. Intervening in this no-win scenario is a psychiatrist, to be played by Jones. If the pilot goes to series it’ll be yet another heavy drama for the acclaimed actor, which kind of begs the question of when Jones will be tapped to do some comedy. May we suggest a story arc where she appears as Sue Sylvester’s love interest on Glee or replaces Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men? Think of the possibilities.

Restless for Restless? Be patient.

 Betty White , Photo by Touchstone Pictures

Deep Inside Hollywood Watch Out, Betty White’s going to punk you

By Romeo San Vicente

Gus Van Sant-ophiles can breathe a little easier. There’s nothing wrong with Restless. There was a little confusion when the Milk director’s latest low-budget arthouse drama was pulled from the Sundance Film Festival schedule and from its early 2011 release date. But now it’s a potential entry at Cannes and looks to be coming to theaters this fall.

As reported earlier, the film returns Van Sant’s focus to very young subject matter and very blond casting, with Jane Eyre/ Kids Are All Right/Alice in Wonderland star Mia Wasikowska playing a girl with a terminal illness who develops a somewhat Harold and Maude-like relationship with a moody young man (Henry Hopper, son of Dennis). And as for the delay, it may simply be that given Milk’s Oscar success, distributor Sony Pictures Classics is trying to position the film in a prime award season slot. Couldn’t hurt.

Romeo San Vicente is living in his own private Idaho. He can be reached care of this publication. Check the GayCalgary.com website every week for more Deep Inside Hollywood!

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NBC wants to be back in the Betty White business. And who can blame them? The 89-year-old spent seven seasons with The Peacock slowly becoming a gay icon on Golden Girls and is still riding the hottest career wave she’s ever had, thanks to an Emmy win for hosting Saturday Night Live. Now the network wants her to play practical jokes with Betty White’s Off Their Rockers, a show that will feature seniors pranking young people on hidden camera. This might all sound like a geriatric Punk’d but the actual inspiration is a European series called Benidorm Bastards, which operates on the same old-tricksyoung premise. Given the face recognition factor, it’s unlikely that Betty herself will be pulling the stunts –it would be a little distracting to have Betty White just insert herself into your day to day life, after all – but a brave team of other 89-year-old actors are about to finally get their big Hollywood break.

MTV plans to Savage U It really does get better, at least for Dan Savage. MTV has committed to 10 episodes of the author/columnist’s sex advice 28

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Lifestyle

Cocktail Chatter

Stick Foot In Mouth, Shake, Serve

by Ed Sikov “There’s something you should know about Phil Levine,” Jack Fogg declared with that manly voice that made everything he said sound like a teaser for one of his popular exposes on CNN. He was bringing his old – where else? – Harvard bud Phil in as a housemate.

“He’s a rice queen,” Jack’s delicious boyfriend, Sammy, blurted through a mouthful of Chipper’s signature fruit salad.

“That be racist,” I said off-handedly.

“No, that ‘be racist,’” Shea said a little louder than strictly necessary and with an edge so sharp I could have cut my tongue out with it, which not coincidently happened to be what I wanted to do. The room became a comedy routine as the boys all suddenly tried to look busy. Craig studied a plate of lox as if it miraculously formed the image of Stokely Carmichael. Chipper and Paolo scrutinized the rug. My playlist was set to “Doris! Doris! Doris!” The song: “There I Go.” Our preseason housemates brunch, at which we divvy up holiday weekend and say mean, funny things about people who aren’t there, had taken a wretched turn; I’d offended the only AfricanAmerican in the group. Before my thoughtless faux pas everyone was high on thoughts of the new season, helped along by my new brunch cocktail, the Spring Splash. (So simple, so refreshing….

What would it feel like getting thrown in my face?) Even the evil Robbie kept his mouth shut. Kyle was still playing the impossibly gymnastic “Sonny” to Craig’s all-grown-up-Baby-Huey “Daddy,” but he couldn’t be there. Just as well.

With the room seemingly frozen, I glanced over at Dan, who had a panicky look. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the real sight of your partner having a nervous breakdown sparks many more. The words that first leapt to mind were “splatter picture,” “Mau Mau” and (I couldn’t help myself) “spooked.” I could see Dan’s mind working: my sick sense of humor would finally send all our housemates packing, we’d have no rental income anymore, we’d have to take in laundry, and the whole dumb-to-begin-with beach house folly would bankrupt us.

Sean cut through it by launching into a guilt trip so pure that he’d had obviously perfected it through painful experience. Sentences began, “Do you have any idea of how sickening…” and ended with such personally damning touches as “…especially coming from someone I thought was my friend.” I was sorrier than a starving cat in the rain. “I’m ashamed, Sean,” I began just as the front door opened and a hyper fireplug of a man stormed in brandishing a cell phone and booming, “I’m there I’ll call you later I’m Phil Levine sorry I’m late did I miss anything?”

(stabbing, drowning) to such spectacle-oriented last scenes as hurling themselves off skyscrapers and, my personal favorite – it really makes a bold statement – setting themselves on fire. In short, it was time to open up the house in Fire Island Pines.

Why so morbid? Like much of the country, Dan and I barely survived a truly rough winter in New York City. The temperature was beyond bitter (at least for us) that the city’s indigenous Common Grumpy (grumpus vulgarus) morphed into the mutant Ticking Time Bomb (explosivus imminentus). We all waited for the Post headline: “Massapequa Music Teacher Kills 7 at ‘Addams Family’ Matinee.”

It stopped being funny in February, when two friends died. They were, like me, in their 50s. The first to make his off-cue exit was my high school pal from back home in western Pennsylvania. We’d both wanted to become writers; one did, the other stayed in Natrona Heights. The second was my first serious boyfriend, the endlessly recovering substance user. They each ended up alone on the floors of their apartments. I had to get to the beach fast or I’d go insane.

I made my suitcase-laden way alone in a freezing rain to the Pines. Dan refused to join me, using terms like “crazy” and “selfdestructive mourning” to describe my desperate journey of solitude, grief and (I hoped) renewal on such a crummy weekend. The weather was no big deal. I built a fire, made a vast amount of absurdly spicy chili, and developed a new cocktail in beautiful seclusion.

Housemate Frankie, the speed-talking restaurant manager, told me that herbal simple syrups were all the rage among Manhattan bartenders. So I adapted the traditional time-wasting (not-so-) Simple Syrup to my own move-fast, drink-faster pace: the Really Simple Syrup with Lavender. Here’s the result – a cousin of the Aviation. It’s tasteful and refined, something the Gillian Girl would order at an exclusive club in Beverly Hills. In memory of my Valley of the Dolls –loving Michael – it’s called the Anne Welles.

The Anne Welles 1/2 cup of Absolut (with two dead friends you get the Big Gulp) 1 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoon Creme de Violette 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon Really Simple Lavender Syrup – in other words, to taste.* Chill a martini glass. Put all ingredients into a cocktail shaker and chill in the freezer for five or 10 minutes. Add a few ice cubes to the shaker, and shake hard. As with the Aviation, strain into the frosty glass and hope that a few shards of ice rise to the top. Admire the color; serve.

The Spring Splash 2 parts premium orange juice 1 part low-sodium tomato juice or V-8* 1 part Absolut Mix all three ingredients in a pitcher without ice, chill in the fridge, then serve in tumblers over an ice cube or two.

Do nothing to water it down. *Note: The lower sodium juice is crucial. The incredibly high salt content of regular tomato juice gives this drink a funky, off taste that you will regret. At 1:30 a.m. a certain kind of man can get away with tasting a little funky. The drinks you serve at brunch cannot.

To Everything There Is a Cocktail Since we closed the beach house in late October, 310,692 Americans died of heart disease or coronaries. 9,992 people got murdered. 17,962 people killed themselves – 9,679 used guns, 4,272 chose hanging or other forms of suffocation, 3,810 poisoned themselves (Drano, Clorox, Taco Bell). And 851 left the planet by way of a miscellany of theatrical means ranging from the operatic www.gaycalgary.com

*Lavender Syrup: Brew 2/3 cup of strong lavender tea.

(OK, you may not find lavender blossoms at Safeway. You may have to go to a New Age store. Try not to throw up.)

Strain out the blossoms, and pour the tea into a jar; add 2/3cup sugar. Put the lid on and shake until the sugar dissolves.

Store in the refrigerator.

Ed Sikov is the author of Dark Victory: The Life of Bette Davis and other books about films and filmmakers.

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29

Photography

30

kickstART Launch at Stoneworx Gallery, Calgary

Project Blue Sky at Club Sapien, Calgary

Taste for Life Wrap Up Party at Club Sapien, Calgary

ISCWR Turnabout at Junction, Edmonton (by B&J)

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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Boy&GurL Wow and Amaze  Photo by Chris Matteo

By Evan Kayne Boy&GurL are a Calgary-based musical duo, consisting of singer/songwriters Jarred Nicklen (“Boy”) and Crystal McGrath (“GurL”). Currently they are promoting the release of their new album Love Crimes featuring the single “Around Again.”

On this new album, fans may notice a difference in sound from the previous album Loves Parallel. This time around, Boy&GurL relied on the skills of Russell Broom, producer/engineer for Jann Arden’s “Uncover Me”, who has done a lot of work with other musicians in Canada and internationally.

Jarred mentioned that “I think with Loves Parallel, we went into the studio, it was very stripped down, very acoustic. Love Crimes, it’s full band, we actually had Jann Arden’s drummer play on it, Russ (Broom) did a lot of work on it, we had some symphony people up from Toronto to work on it. It’s a totally different approach...and so far the reception has been great.”

The musical arrangement on Love Crimes is at times very reminiscent of some of Jann Arden’s work. Additionally, you can hear the impact of some of Crystal and Jarred’s musical influences from Tori Amos, Chantal Kreviasuk, and Jewel, to name a few. However, they have their own personalized style that breaks away from the majority of auto-tuned and prepackaged pop pablum already over-saturating the market.

This recent album was an evolution in Boy&GurL’s sound, and for that they do credit Broom.

“Working with him was a really great experience” Crystal said. “He’s a very talented musician and he knows the ins and outs of the industry. He’s very good at taking our sound and making it something unique and original.”

Continued 

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 From Previous Page Regarding audience feedback, it has been very positive: “... we’re always surprised by different audiences.” Citing a series of concerts they recently performed in Mexico, Jarred said one night they would see a young audience, the next night an audience of seniors; yet both had the same enthusiastic response. While it’s hard to know who is going to respond best to your music, “so far we’ve had a great reception from pretty much all ages.”

Currently, they are still touring and promoting Love Crimes.

“Later this year we’ll be planning to go across Canada and the United States,” Jarred explained. They’re getting a lot of airplay on Canadian stations, including The Mix 97.7 and Amp 90.3 in Calgary, along with NOW! 102.3 in Edmonton and Kraze 101.3 Red Deer. But it’s social media that is really driving their sales, especially with their songs being available on iTunes.

As for upcoming events, in Calgary, you’ll have the opportunity to see them May 13th at Club Sapien. However, the big event that Boy&GurL are anticipating is the Utopia Music Festival June 17th and 18th in Edmonton. While it occurs on the last day of Edmonton Pride, it is a separate event billed as “Edmonton’s first Summer Solstice Cultural Celebration.”

Boy&GurL are looking forward to performing alongside such artists as Ani DiFranco, David Usher, and Suzie McNeil. If you can make it to either event, I highly recommend it.

Boy&GurL Love Crimes available now. www.boyandgurl.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2203

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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Out of Town

California’s Hwy. 1: Los Angeles to San Francisco

 Just south of Big Sur, California’s scenic Hwy. 1 fringes sheer cliffs and lush countryside. Photo by Andrew Collins.

By Andrew Collins It’s true that most who travel between the West Coast’s largest gay meccas, Los Angeles and San Francisco, do so by way of a simple one-hour flight. But there’s a great reason for driving between these two cities, and not even by way of the most direct route (along I-5). The often narrow and windy coastal route, using Hwy. 1 and - optionally - portions of the faster U.S. 101 - takes a minimum of 10 hours to drive. But this roughly 450mile tour passes through some of the most spectacularly scenery in North America, from soaring coastal palisades to vineyard-studded wine country. If you’re an ardent road-tripper, you owe it to yourself to make this drive at least once in your life.

I’m providing a blueprint for making this tour south to north (starting in coastal L.A.), with several overnights. It’s perfectly fine to plan your trip from north to south. Whatever you decide, allow yourself at least three days to make this trip, and aim for a week if possible. You could easily spend two weeks on this adventure and never run out of cool things to see and do, especially if you tack on some days at either end, around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Be aware that most rental-car companies charge a $100 to $150 drop-off fee (or a higher daily rate in this range) for picking up a car in one city and returning it in another. Alternatively, you can make this a round-trip drive (for a quicker return, take I-5 through the San Joaquin Valley - the drive takes between six and seven hours).

Start your journey in the coastal section of L.A. - the neighboring communities of Venice Beach and Santa Monica 34

GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

have much to offer and enjoy a low-keyed but substantial gay following. The only gay bar along the coast is the endearingly quirky and fun Roosterfish, along Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, which is rife with trendy restaurants and design shops.

Also be sure to explore lower Santa Monica’s engaging Main Street, which is also a great source of offbeat shopping and fun cafes. In lively downtown Santa Monica, you’ll find chic retail at the open-air Santa Monica Place, and it’s also worth timing your visit with the Santa Monica Farmers Market, held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. Santa Monica is also a great bas for visiting one of the world’s most talked-about art museums, the Getty Center, which is as famous for its precious holdings as for architect Richard Meier’s striking and controversial - design. Also, at the northern end of Santa Monica you’ll find the area’s top gay beach, at Will Rogers State Beach - on a sunny day, there are few more enjoyable places to people-watch.

The area abounds with great restaurants, including pan-Latin Border Grill, which is run by the highly talented and engaging chefs Mary Sue Milliken and (openly lesbian) Susan Feniger, of cookbook and TV cooking-show fame. Other downtown Santa Monica standouts include Blue Plate Oysterette and Rustic Canyon, and right near the Santa Monica border in Venice, the Rose Cafe and Market is a perfect stop for grabbing coffee, sandwiches, and gourmet picnic supplies.

Accommodations in Santa Monica and Venice Loews Santa Monica Beach (www.santamonicaloewshotel. com), a swanky beachfront resort; Embassy Hotel Apartments (www.embassyhotelapts.com), quirky, historic, and moderately priced with central Santa Monica location; and Hotel Erwin www.gaycalgary.com

(www.jdvhotels.com/hotels/losangeles/erwin), hip boutique hotel overlooking Venice Beach.

From Santa Monica, if you take the longer, scenic way up the coast on Hwy. 1, it’s about a two-hour drive to one of the most beautiful small cities on the West Coast, lovely Santa Barbara.

Upon arriving in town, grab lunch somewhere overlooking the ocean - both Brophy Bros. Seafood and the less touristy Boathouse at Hendry’s Beach are excellent choices. Then head inland into the dramatic foothills above downtown to reach the Mission Santa Barbara, the 10th of 21 Franciscan missions built in California during the 18th century, and the nearby Santa Barbara Botanic Garden; allow a couple hours to appreciate these attractions. For sunset drinks and appetizers, drive east through the foothills to San Ysidro Ranch, a stunning resort in Montecito.

Even by coastal California’s high standards, Santa Barbara stands out when it comes to culinary prowess. If you’re in town for just one night, do not miss out on dinner at Seagrass Restaurant, which serves refined farm-to-table regional cuisine, with an emphasis on local seafood. Nowhere along the central coast will you find any full-time gay bars, but Santa Barbara does have some fun mixed hangouts, including Wildcat Lounge - which has a mostly gay night on Sundays - and Elsie’s Tavern.

Accommodations in Santa Barbara Four Seasons Biltmore (www.fourseasons.com/ santabarbara), magnificent beachfront resort in tony Montecito; Franciscan Inn (www.franciscaninn.com), mid-priced and nicely run hotel within short walk of beach and downtown; Canary Hotel (www.canarysantabarbara.com), stylish downtown property steps from major shopping.

As you leave Santa Barbara (grab breakfast at the outstanding D’Angelo’s Bread if you need sustenance), you’ll be heading through the most dramatic stretch of scenery along this itinerary. Start by cutting inland slightly to the famed Santa Barbara Wine Country, and the towns of Los Olivos and Santa Ynez - take Hwy. 154 for the best scenery (it’s a 45-minute drive). In Los Olivos in particular, you’ll find a number of winetasting rooms, enticing boutiques, and first-rate restaurants within a few blocks.

Then from Los Olivos, continue up U.S. 101 for an hour to San Luis Obispo County, which takes in the small and attractive county seat as well as the increasingly notable Wine Country town of Paso Robles, which lies about a half-hour north. Highquality and in many cases small-scale wineries abound in this area, as do fine restaurants. San Luis Obispo has a pretty, tree-shaded downtown and a lively personality thanks to the presence of Cal Polytechnic University. You’ll find one of the better nightclubs in the area, Native Lounge, which has a mixed gay/straight following, as well as such notable restaurants as Novo, for mod California cuisine; Ciopinot for creative seafood with an Italian accent; and Big Sky Cafe, for the best brunch and breakfast fare in the area.

Fans of wine-touring should really budget an extra night in order to take full advantage of the many vineyards and tasting rooms in the countryside around Paso Robles. For meals, head to the town’s leafy and expansive town green, and explore the nearby blocks - you’ll find several fantastic dining options, including Thomas Hill Organics Market Bistro and Artisan, both of which specialize in locally sourced provisions prepared with considerable flare.

One attraction in the area absolutely merits a two-hour stop is Hearst Castle, a grandiose antiques- and art-filled palace built by the late publishing tycoon, William Randolph Hearst (reservations for tours are recommended). It’s about an hour north of San Luis Obispo, in the tiny village of San Simeon plan to have lunch afterwards at Sebastian’s Store deli, and on your way up from SLO, drive through the bustling fishing village of Morro Bay and the quaint town of Cayucos, which is home to the Brown Butter Cookie Company, whose lightly seasalted cookies have earned this little bakery a cult following.

Accommodations in San Luis Obispo and Paso Robles: San Luis Creek Lodge (www.sanluiscreeklodge.com), reasonably www.gaycalgary.com

priced yet upscale property close to downtown San Luis Obispo shopping; Sycamore Springs Resort (www.sycamoresprings. com), century-old spa resort with an emphasis on holistic health; Cambria Pines Lodge (www.cambriapineslodge.com), romantic and gay-friendly hotel set amid magnificent gardens.

From Hearst Castle, the scenery along Highway becomes even more eye-popping - it’s about a Next comes a similarly stunning drive up Hwy. 1 through the soaring palisades around Big Sur, and onto the Monterey Peninsula. It’s about a twohour drive to Monterey, but if you’re driving through here as the sun is setting, you should budget an extra hour or so for a glass of wine and tapas at the Post Ranch Inn’s Sierra Mar restaurant, which is perched on a cliff high above the ocean.

The Monterey Peninsula a favorite destination for several activities, from shopping in the tony village of Carmel to golfing at the famed Pebble Beach resort. As with other stretches of the central coast, it’s also well-regarded for its acclaimed wineries, and downtown Monterey has one of the top attractions in the state, the famed Monterey Bay Aquarium, which anchors the touristy but fun Cannery Row district. Among the several terrific restaurants in the area, consider the stellar Passionfish, which has been a leading proponent of sustainable seafood, and Santa Lucia Cafe, a fine spot for breakfast or an afternoon espresso.

Accommodations in Big Sur and Monterey Post Ranch Inn (www.postranchinn.com), posh and intimate cliff-top hotel in Big Sur; Clement Monterey InterContinental (www.ichotelsgroup.com), opulent hotel just steps in Cannery Row; Mariposa Inn (www.mariposamonterey.com), affordable yet elegant 50-room property with central location.

Drive around Monterey Bay via Hwy. 1 to reach the groovy beach city, Santa Cruz, where you’re apt to encounter a mix of surfer dudes, skate punks, and left-wing college students - a colorful scene to say the least. The Municipal Wharf, though kitschy and lined with souvenir stands, is worth checking out.

Also stroll along the charmingly faded century-old Santa Cruz Boardwalk, whose half-mile-long wooden roller coaster, the Giant Dipper, has been getting a rise out of tourists since 1924.

At this point you can cheat and sneak up to San Francisco in less than two hours via inland U.S. 101, perhaps stopping in charming Los Gatos, an upscale community in the foothills above San Jose. Stalwarts, however, won’t be disappointed by the views enjoyed along Hwy. 1, as it winds the rest of the way up the coast to that splendid City by the Bay. Andrew Collins covers gay travel for the New York Times-owned website GayTravel.About.com and is the author of Fodor’s Gay Guide to the USA. He can be reached care of this publication.

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

35

Trans-Identity

The Death of “Transgender”

By Mercedes Allen I only speak for myself. In the end, it’s all I really can do anyway.

I say that because the international trans community is in a state of flux. As the community defines itself, we’re discovering just how diverse “trans” really is, and just how inadequate any one single definition is when it tries to cover everyone. One end result of this is that in 2011, within trans and LGBT forums, nearly every conversation on trans issues, trans rights, gender studies and identity disintegrates into a debate about “transgender,” its use as an umbrella term, and whether there should even be an umbrella at all. It’s reached the point that it’s stymied any other discussion at the international level.

And ultimately, I realize that nothing some idiot writer and blogger from Southern Alberta says is going to change that, but I can make my own declaration on the matter. And in that, I speak for myself.

Because our language for trans issues is changing.

Years ago, as I found community in the developing Internet (it took much longer to find any local community), I watched the language we used to communicate our experience change as we fumbled from flawed term to flawed term trying to figure out which word was a better fit. From Usenet newsgroups to UBB forums, contact sites to support message boards, the language metamorphosized. Back then, sometimes the banner was “transvestite” or the abbreviation TV (which I never liked, but it seemed to sometimes be the only option on trans-friendly forums or contact sites), until the medical definition’s emphasis on clothing fetish became the predominant cultural meaning and consequently the word was no longer appropriate. Other times, the word was “transsexual,” but many felt that even though it was technically correct (that is, about physical sex), it too generated a public perception that gender identity was about sex (as an act or orientation) rather than about who we are. Some female-identified people even used “shemale” for awhile, until it became obvious that the “she’s really male” undertone of that porn-created term was inappropriate. It was clumsy and it’s more than a little weird to look back on now, with people gathering at places called “Trannyweb” and the like, since those terms were often the only words we had. Even if you listen to classic trans songs like “Lola” or “Walk On The Wild Side,” you’ll find lyrics that were well-intentioned or fun at the time but button-pushing now. Consequently, many of us gravitated to “transgender.” It seemed to have far less baggage -- although we would later learn the person who coined it, Virginia Prince, originally meaning for it to be exclusionary too, applying only to non-transsexual crossdressers who were attracted to women.

In the past couple years, a “don’t call me transgender” rallying cry has risen up among transsexuals and has drowned out just about everything that anyone has tried to do positive for trans issues. Every conversation gets drowned out in allegations of misrepresentation, annexation and invalidation at the mere suggestion of having anything at all in common with anyone who willingly wears the label “transgender.” The language is changing.

I still (and probably will always) see some of this coming from bias. There are folks who believe that if transsexuals could divorce themselves from a “transgender” umbrella term and make the public at large see a black and white difference between them and other trans people, then finally we would be able to obtain human rights, respect, dignity, access to medical care and legal name changes, and more. Homophobia is sometimes in the mix too, with heterosexualidentified trans men and women resentful of being characterized as anything but straight. These are distinctions that a person certainly has a right to clarify, but when it’s motivated by a desire to disavow and disparage others, it becomes exclusionism, it’s throwing people under the bus, and it’s bigotry. But it’s not the only reason that the term “transgender” has become no longer viable, and it’s also not the motive of everyone who takes this position.

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

Some of the division has formed because of fears of being associated with some radical ideas. Those who embrace a gender binary don’t always understand those who see various shades of gender. A March 2011 move by the Australian Human Rights Commission catalogued over 23 different genders, including “transgender, trans, transsexual, intersex, androgynous, agender, cross dresser, drag king, drag queen, genderfluid, genderqueer, intergender, neutrois, pansexual, pangendered, third gender, third sex, sistergirl and brotherboy.” And, well, not everyone is comfortable with what is seen as radicalism.

There is also some change coming from a literalist perspective, in the same way that other terms used to describe trans experience have evolved and changed. “Trans” means across, or indicates a transition of some sort. Technically, if someone transitions and obtains surgery, it is their sex that changes, and not their gender. There is also a difference in emphasis that we as individuals put on the terms “sex” and “gender” -- driven by seeing our issue as a question of biology versus social construct, physical versus mental. But although sex and gender characteristically differ and can be in opposition - as happens with transsexuals - I doubt the two concepts can ever be completely decoupled. Transsexuals who now disavow “transgender” terminology do so under the reasoning that it is not their gender that changes, only their physical sex. Which is true... but that incongruent physical sex still did exist, and changing words does not change that history.

Post-Transsexual Don’t get me wrong: I do believe that a transsexual man or woman who reaches a point of personal completion (often seen as when surgery happens, but not always requiring that) and slips into the gender binary is entitled to call themselves a man or woman, and should no longer be required to identify as trans in any way. Indeed, my own experience is that trans issues and memories fade as time passes, so it wouldn’t make sense to force anyone to still identify as transsexual. Personally, I have no issue with those who do wish to leave “trans” anything behind, as long as (again), it’s not done so in a way that disavows or disparages. Transsexual, transgender, trans... there is a serious problem if we start viewing these as rigid boxes that have no escape clauses -- indeed, the whole concept of trans-anything is rooted in thinking outside the boxes.

Erasure and Crossed Purposes As said, the characterizations above aren’t the only reasons that a case is being made that a “transgender” umbrella is no longer viable. We are remiss if we fail to look at some of them, because there are some reasonable issues to consider. Ironically, because of the level of anger and volume, the “don’t call me transgender” conflict unintentionally erases some of the very issues it attempts to raise.

One of these is the subject of erasure, and the idea that by including transsexuals under a “transgender” umbrella, transsexualspecific issues such as medical care, identification issues, legal status and surgery disappear into a fog of gender theory. And depending on where one lives, this may in fact be true. In my experiences in Alberta, Canada, though, if you say “transgender,” the general public thinks first of transsexuals (and usually specifically transsexual women), so from where I stand, it would seem more like we’re in more danger of erasing everyone else.

There are also, at times, some very real conflicts between what transsexuals who are fully-identified as men or as women need and what people who identify as a third gender or third sex need. We’re seeing this, especially in gendered spaces, where transsexuals simply need to be accommodated as the men and women they are and live as, while third-gender / third sex or genderqueer people might require independent acknowledgment. In 2010, for example, Australia’s norrie mAy-Welby became the first person (possibly in the world) to be officially designated a “gender not specified” - a designation that was sought at norrie’s initiative, but probably wouldn’t sit well with other trans folk. In India, this also became clear with the 2011 Census,

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which was hailed as the first to have an option for trans-identified people:

a widely diverse range of people, then it’s still certainly an umbrella term.

But while some like Sarita succumbed to family pressures, many others deliberately chose the `female’ option on the Census sheet, claiming that it was their real identity. They said, “For the last 15-20 years, we have been living like women and that is what we want to be known as and not `hijras’”.

Sometimes, these crossed purposes extend beyond trans frontiers, too, such as in Unidos da Tujuca, a famous samba school in Brazil which went a step further:

And in the end, if we don’t broach some of those conflicts between what binary-identified people need and what third-sex or third-gender people need as a “community” of trans people of every stripe -- if we can’t figure out some kind of equitable resolution -- then how can we expect cisgender and cissexual legislators to figure it out? More likely, if we can’t devise something that makes sense within the social order, then we’ll probably have one perspective thrust upon the other.

And at that point, someone has become further disenfranchised, and we have failed them as a community or communities.

“Moves by Brazilian samba schools to provide separate toilets for gay, lesbian and transgender people have divided the GLBT community in the country. “... However the head of the Brazilian Government Program to End Homophobia has compared the move to racial segregation.”

It’s not hard to imagine what that kind of sudden “othering” feels like to people who’d already settled into everyday life without always having to be singled out.

There are also concerns at the medical level that any alliance with non-operative trans people creates the impression that transition is optional, when the reality is that for those who require surgery, it is often an absolute need. It’s no secret that the cost of surgery and the barriers that we encounter during medical transition are incredible, and obtaining insurance coverage similar to that available for any other medical condition is becoming almost impossible.

Speaking For Myself In the end, though, I can only provide part of the picture as to why it’s now largely felt that “transgender” is no longer viable. I don’t represent that position. I can speak only for myself.

The trans community is emerging, self-defining and shaping itself, and making the same mistakes that most disenfranchised groups do, including creating division. The thing to remember is that what is happening right now in trans culture is really nothing new to any emergent social movement. The need to self-define as a community causes us to self-define as people, and discover that we’re really not all the same. While we sometimes have similar needs and aspects, we are not all the same. Inevitably, some are going to feel threatened by that, or react negatively to those perceived differences as we struggle to emerge from the margins.

And we are emerging from the margins. It’s just not always easy, not always perfect, and when we look back in hindsight, there will have been errors - and probably some of them will have been hurtful.

It’s not always easy to see them when we’re standing in the middle of change. We can only try to be diligent to avoid the errors we see.

And the word “transgender” seems to have become the latest casualty in trans self-definition.

My first published article was about transmisogyny within the community (although we didn’t have an accurate name for it at that time). Since then, I’ve listened to the reasoning, even if I’m still not inclined toward division. And while there is emerging science that supports a biological cause of transsexuality, medical verification is neither some magical event that’s going to suddenly legitimize transsexuals in the eyes of transphobic people, nor is it clear whether there might also be a similar biological origin for other trans people.

Nor should the biology-or-choice question even be the basis upon which which we decide who is worthy to be equal, anyway.

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Should There Be An Umbrella?

Like the language, I guess, my thinking has changed on this somewhat. I still have no personal dislike for the term “transgender” and have said before that I don’t really care what the term is, just as long as there is some point where varying trans communities can meet on any shared issues, and shared healing during shared tragedies.

And when it comes to human rights, I still strongly believe that if we work for the inclusion of gender identity / transsexuality in legislation and leave behind gender expression / transgender (or whatever term one prefers), then we have only accomplished half of what is needed, and have perpetuated exactly the same kind of desertion that we once experienced. I don’t believe that binary-identified transsexuals have adequate human rights as men and women, since I’ve seen it happen time and time again where we are redefined according to other peoples’ standards, regardless of how complete our transition and documentation may be, and where any revelation of trans history sparks discrimination.

Is there an umbrella? Well, if transsexuals are separate from “transgender,” then who does the latter term include? Crossdressers, genderqueer people, non-gender or dual-gender expressions, maybe some drag, although there are several drag performers who wouldn’t characterize themselves as trans... if “transgender” today covers such

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

37

Event

CRIR Rodeo Preview

Getting the Community Involved, Part 1

By Evan Kayne Ever since ARGRA moved the Canadian Rockies International Rodeo (CRIR) to Strathmore, they consistently keep increasing the “wow” factor to this event. This year’s Rodeo, running June 30th to July 3rd, is no different, with several changes to the entertainment options, ticket packages, sponsorship, and other items.

First, ARGRA slightly tweaked the ticket structure for this year’s rodeo. Besides the traditional 3 day package and the “à la carte” ticket pricing, they’ve introduced two new ticket packages, according to Judy Munson, Communications Director. “One of the big differences is our ticket and package options [offer] considerably more this year.” There are two new packages – first off, the Full Bull Package includes all the stuff a 3 day package has, plus it has a Sunday dinner and Friday breakfast, basically covering the entire 4 days.

As well, ARGRA recognized there are a significant number of people who come to CRIR yet don’t attend the rodeo portion – they were there strictly to party and socialize. Consequently, the Party Pack was developed with them in mind. This package gives you admission to the evening dances – Thursday, Friday and Saturday night dances and Sunday’s Award Ceremony & Happy Trails Dance.

Another change is in regards to corporate sponsorship; this year Jack Carter Chevrolet Cadillac has signed on as a premier sponsor – they’ll be providing some of the vehicles for the Grand Entry on Saturday. But event bigger news? “Our title sponsor has changed...it’s now Big Rock (brewery),” Judy enthuses. “The exciting thing for us is that they’re local, and they’re very excited to be working with us.” Judy is grateful that they’re taking a bit of a leap – an Alberta brewery sponsoring a gay rodeo.

“I hope our people appreciate what they are doing and support them.”

There’s also a bigger push on the rodeo midway to promote GLBTQ community organizations, especially with the GayCalgary & Edmonton Country Carnival – an event where local groups are invited to set up a “carnie” style game. Considering there are over 5000 rodeo attendees, this is a great opportunity to create exposure and/or do a little fundraising while having a whole lot of fun.

Especially since ARGRA has really gone the extra mile this year. In past years, groups have been told to create their own carnival-style game to raise funds, which proved a bit of a challenge for many. Judy tells us that besides the application form, ARGRA’s website has a carnival guide listing the costs, regulations, and information on pre-packaged games.

“We actually have games packaged so a non-profit organization can come in and say, we want to do this game, and it’s already put together for them...they just set it up and collect the money.”

That being said, if your group has their own ideas for a game, they can still bring it to ARGRA. The rodeo folk just wanted to make this as easy as possible for community groups to raise funds and build awareness.

Furthermore, ARGRA is adding a “Town Hall” feature. This arose from a suggestion brought forward that a number of community service groups might be interested in having a shared area where they would be able to represent their services and offerings to the community.

This is an excellent chance for local non-profit organizations to share information about their goals.

Local community groups interested in both the Carnival and Town Hall can get details from ARGRA’s website. Information is free and you might just have a chance to raise funds, awareness and increase your contacts in the community.

“We’re just really trying to involve the entire community,” Judy said.

“That’s one of the biggest changes in the last couple of years. We’ve gone from ARGRA having a rodeo weekend and everyone participating and having a good time to let’s get as many of our community involved as we can (and have a good time) but also do some fundraising and some education, so we become aware of each other and what everybody’s doing and how we can get involved. I think that’s a real big change for us the last couple years, and I think it’s a real positive change.”

If you want to help work for positive change in other ways, ARGRA is looking for CRIR volunteers. “We’re always looking for volunteers and it is a good way to get to know people and get involved,” she says, adding that there are some people to whom the volunteering portion is just as important and as fun as the rodeo portion.

Finally, there are several items rodeo attendees should sign up for, as they are time-sensitive. For the ticket packages, prior to May 31, there is a discount not only for ARGRA members, but also for advance purchase on ticket packages. ARGRA’s website allows you to do purchases online with Paypal or your credit card.

Advance booking is recommended for campsites so set-up of areas and numbers can be planned, and to confirm and secure your site. The campsites are $50 CDN for the entire weekend beginning June 30th to July 3rd, 2011.

The Canadian Rockies International Rodeo Presented by ARGRA www.argra.org http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2206

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

39

Event

Pride Calgary Events for May/June

By Evan Kayne Sam Casselman, President of Pride Calgary is promoting two upcoming events in May and June.

First, on Tuesday, May 17, Pride Calgary will recognize the International Day Against Homophobia with a film screening of But I’m a Cheerleader, which will be followed by a discussion about homophobia and how to confront it.

Given all the various dates of awareness that the GLBTQ community observes (i.e. Pink shirt day, Purple shirt day, etc.)

I wondered how well we are served by having all these separate dates. Granted, each event focuses on different circumstances (celebration, anti-bullying etc.) but can it get a bit much?

Sam doesn’t think so. “It’s important to recognize homophobia still exists...it’s something we’re fighting against. The more days we can make it visible to everyone...the better it will be to get it eradicated.”

Additionally, Sam thinks that regardless of the particular focus for specific days, acceptance towards our community is something which should be brought to attention every day.

The post-film discussion will be about what to do if you experience homophobia, and resources and contacts available in the community (police, counselling). Furthermore, as it’s the International Day Against Homophobia, “...part of it is also going to be educating people. (While) we have it pretty good in Canada...other places in the world there’s still the death penalty for homosexuals.”

The screening and discussion takes place at the Old Y Center downtown. It’s open to all ages, there is no charge, and there will be popcorn and beverages available for free.

Meanwhile in June, it’s the second annual running of the GAYmazing Race. If you participated in the race last year, you’ll remember how much fun it was. “Last year was awesome...the response we got was incredible,” said Sam. Nevertheless, they are making some minor modifications. “A couple things we’re changing this year...one, the length of time it takes and the amount of stops. Some of the feedback we got last year was that it was a little too long and there were too many stops.” This year they cut it down, while still trying to fit in as much as possible of the community who are participating.

The main goal remains to get people thinking about Pride (and to raise funds for September’s Pride event). Additionally, it’s to show contestants the different groups, organizations and businesses working within the GBLTQ section of Calgary that are GBLTQ owned/allied or at the very least, as Sam phrases it, “are tied to our community.”

For example, Sam explains, “a lot of people will say I don’t know what [Calgary Outlink] is. So this is a great opportunity for them to go to [Calgary Outlink], find out something about it, and know that is a resource for them.”

Regarding prizes and the race, Sam was tight-lipped; she did mention some of the stops are going to be similar to last year, yet they do have a lot of new stuff this year. As well, “there will be tonnes of prizes available for people this year, the race itself will be shorter, and the after party is going to be much better than last year.”

Pride Calgary www.pridecalgary.ca International Day Against Homophobia Tuesday, May 17th, 7-9pm The Old Y Centre (223 - 12th Avenue SW, Calgary) The GayMazing Race Sat, Jun 18th, 2-5pm http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2207

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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Review

All Shook Up

By Jason Clevett There may be some confusion in purchasing tickets to see All Shook Up, a musical featuring the music of Elvis Presley. So right off the bat let’s clarify – this is not similar to prior productions like A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline or The Buddy Holly Story. While the soundtrack is entirely Elvis music, it is not the story of his life.

In fact, All Shook Up is the story of a small American town thrown into chaos when Chad (Calgary’s Nicholas Marinucci), a motorcycle riding, guitar slinging roustabout stranger arrives.

Before you can sing Heartbreak Hotel, people are falling in love, breaking the rules, and throwing caution to the wind to search for “the one.”

The show is one that has to be carefully put together. Taking

itself too seriously would destroy the show, while being too over the top would just make it campy and stupid. In the case of this production, the casting and performances land right where it should be, making for an entertaining show. Everyone tackles their roles with gusto and it shows, and adds to the enjoyment.

For an LGBT audience, additional hooks include a gender bending twist, and a character’s revelation that they love someone they believe is of the same gender. Plus a brief moment with Marinucci shirtless, and making reference to “slapping privates”.

The music of Elvis is universally recognizable, and the show adds in some lesser known songs like Let Yourself Go and Follow That Dream, in addition to universally loved songs like Can’t Help Falling In Love and Jailhouse Rock.

There are a few groaners in the show, and the climax is admittedly a little week, but as a complete package All Shook Up is worth checking out.

 Kim Cattrall - From Page 56 maternal, like you wanted to protect her from all she’d gone through?

KC: When I met Britney she was in top form, but what I really liked about her was that she had a real desire – acting in this film meant a lot to her. She had a coach on the set, and she took it very seriously.

I have a lot of empathy for her. The road that she’s chosen is a really tough one, and to be in the public eye is tough already – but to be at that level at such an early age, she has handled it the best she knew how.

My hat’s off to her that she has found her way through that really tough time, and I wish her the very best. I really do.

GC&E: On your episode of Who Do You Think You Are, you found out that your grandfather was married to two women at the same time. How did discovering that affect you personally?

KC: It’s affected my whole family. It was very wounding and hurtful to find out the truth, but ultimately it brought the family that I do have closer together. It also started to envelope other people who neither of us knew existed, and that has been a wonderful experience – to have new family and really respect and value the family you do have.

GC&E: This may come as a shock to you, but you have a massive gay following.

KC: Where would I be without gay men? I don’t know where I’d be. I love gay men.

GC&E: I love gay men, too.

KC: I know you do! (Laughs) GC&E: Do most gay men recognize you as Samantha?

KC: Some do, and some know Mannequin and some know Big Trouble in Little China. Some know me just from my theater work. I have a couple of gentlemen who traveled all the way from New York to Liverpool to see me in Antony and Cleopatra over the fall, and that is just so incredible. I’m overwhelmed that someone cares enough to follow me where my career goes.

GC&E: Did you realize how much gay men loved you before Sex and the City?

KC: I didn’t. I really didn’t. But now I do!

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

41

Event

Wine, Art and Fundraising CCASA Launches Innovative Online Auction

By Janine Eva-Trotta On Wednesday April 27, 2011, Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA) held its first launch party/fundraiser in history. The group hosted a night of complimentary wine and cheese, the latter donated by Janice Beaton Fine Cheese, at the Stoneworx Gallery in Art Central.

The evening gave visitors the opportunity to meet the people behind CCASA, find out what the organization is about, and take a look at the art that is up for bid in an online silent auction all month.

“The gallery was full for the duration of the night,” says Meaghan Green, communications specialist for CCASA. “We had a lot of supporters from the community come out, which was nice to see; people getting out there and breaking that silence.”

CCASA is the only not-for-profit organization in Calgary solely dedicated to helping those who have experienced sexual abuse or sexual assault. The group provides a 24-hour tollfree support and information line, free individual counseling, group counseling, police and court education and support, community outreach, public education, and the “Who Do You Tell?” child sexual abuse education program. These services are available with no discrimination against gender, race, age, religion or sexual orientation.

Roughly half of the contributing/donating artists were in attendance at the launch, including Lisa Heinricks, Amy Dryer, Patricia Uston, Karen Noble, Earl Klatzel, Tobias Luttmer, Kelly Joy Hill, John Parnell and Nikki Gour.

“We had people out in the foyer mingling and enjoying the wine and cheese, and getting to meet the artists that arrived, so it was really great,” Green says.

Heinricks and Luttmer also had pieces on display that were not in the auction, of which they still donated 20 per cent of their proceeds.

“Within hours of leaving people were bidding on the pieces,” Green says, though the organization knows, “the bulk of the bidding will come at the end of the event.”

CCASA is the primary sexual abuse crisis, counseling and education service for Calgary and surrounding area. The recent economic downturn, and a growing increase in the demand for these services, meant the organization found it necessary to host its inaugural fundraiser.

“We’ve just found that the need of our services has grown,” Green says, attributing public awareness as a possible factor.

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

“We’ve always taken donations, but never sought after them hugely…funding is not meeting the needs of the growing agency anymore.”

Up until May 27, 2011, anyone may bid on the art pieces that were unveiled at Stoneworx by visiting the CCASA website and following the link to the auction. On May 27th – same time and same place as the opening event, 5:30-7:30pm – the highest bidders will be announced and, if in attendance, will receive their wins. Otherwise CCASA will find a way to send the pieces to their respective top bidders.

CCASA will be serving up more donated wine and appys this closing night, in addition to holding a raffle-like contest in which tickets may be purchased and slipped into jars corresponding to various donated prizes. These will include two floral arrangements donated by La Fleur Floral Boutique.

If you or someone you know could benefit from the services CCASA provides, call the 24-hour support line listed below.

Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse 24 Hour Support Line: 403-237-5888 kickstART Friday, May 27th, 5:30-7:30pm Stoneworx Gallery, Art Central http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2209

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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 Matt Dusk - From Page 9 can’t someone else? I feel like everyone should be part of that party. When I am on stage I hope it is welcoming, I want people to come and not remember that they have to pick up their child from soccer the next day or pay their phone bill I want them to be there and enjoy it. It is just like when you have great sex, when you make great love, you never ever think about anything else but that moment. Music is an emotion. When you get in that moment of enjoying it you have completely escaped and that is why I love doing what I do.”

Dusk was on tour, presented by Wild Vines, in advance of his new Live From Las Vegas album out May 10th. The album sees Dusk return to where he launched his career and lived for four years.

“I was first introduced to singing in Vegas in 2004 when I did the Mark Burnette reality show The Casino. It was funny because I always thought I would be in Vegas, but at the same time I didn’t think I would be there that early in my life. I was only 23 or 24. I fell in love with the city. I was single at the time which is one of the reasons you want to say there, it is Sin City.. anything you want can be obtained fairly easily it isn’t on the hidden side of things it is pretty accessible. So when I was very young I was just there to be around a lot of people that wanted to have a great time. It was fantastic. Then I met a girl in Toronto and I fell in love and quickly realized Vegas was no longer the place to be, too much temptation,” he said. “Because I lived there for four years I know the city very well and Vegas has always been synonymous with The Rat Pack, the crooning genre was what Vegas was all about. When I was thinking about doing a live record, half of my professional career was in Vegas so why not go back to where it all began. It is a destination place so it is easier to bring people down to it. If you say ‘hey guys do you want to go Omaha, Nebraska’ you can’t get people go. My dream is still to be there again permanently hitting golf balls in the morning and drinking cocktails and singing later on.”

One of the highlights on the album is Lorna Luft joining Dusk for You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You. Including the daughter of Judy Garland, who referred to Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, and Dean Martin as “uncle”, they really tied the album into the history of the music.

“She is part of the real deal, the connection to the actual reality of what Las Vegas is. If I had my choice I would love to sing with every older person who has been around because they are so much wiser than I am and can teach me things. I will be at an age one day where I will sing with someone 40 years younger and be like, kid you’ve got a long way to go. The one thing you learn as you get older is that you don’t know anything. Being around Lorna and her enjoyment of what she does and her personality is great. It means you can grow old and be happy and not jaded.

A lot of musicians are because they did not receive this. Life and music isn’t about receiving something, it is about giving and sharing. When I do my shows I am not there as the entertainer or celebrity, I am a channel of the music. People ask how I can have such a great time. It is easy, I am singing the tunes, they like the tunes, we are all here having a musical moment. It is like great sex, it is great communication right?”

The album ends with one of the best known classic songs ever: My Way. It’s a song that has been covered countless times, and to include it on an album is a big deal.

“I have been singing My Way for about 14 years since I got into the genre. It was the song I always put off and said, I can’t record it until I am older. If you never tackle a song at any age, you aren’t doing any justice to the song. Every song has to have a level of acting to it. It is like saying you couldn’t sing a Cole Porter song unless you were married and confused about your sexuality.

With something like My Way, it was a french song written by Paul Anka when he was 29 years old. These are the words that we abide by, but they are written by a 29 year old so what does he know about singing a life that’s full? So you have to put your mindset not as a person who is 98 years and dying in a bed, but if tomorrow was my last day how would I judge my life? If I look back at my career and life my cup is full, I have had a wonderful life. Will the song change? Absolutely, my interpretation and understanding of the song will change. Is one right or wrong, absolutely not. When Paul Anka wrote the lyrics he brought a

naivety to the table, he had no clue what he was writing beyond an imagination. I give that same presentation on stage. When I am 70 the lyrics will mean one thing to me but when I do it now, it has been a great ride.”

There were a lot of references and comparisons to great sex over the course of conversation - remember what I wrote about being a flirt? It’s not a surprise that Dusk is on the long list of entertainers that develop a gay fanbase, who in turn hope that maybe at some point said entertainer will come out as gay. It then leads to some disappointment, such as when Dusk moved to Toronto with girlfriend Julita, ending the rumors that he might be gay.

“That doesn’t mean anything though,” he said, claiming the distinction of being the first celebrity interview to leave me momentarily speechless.

“It is true though. I had an uncle who was married for years and now isn’t married and has a partner. I saw the movie Kinsey and he explained the numbers from 1 to 6. The truth is you have to find what makes you happy. You can be gay in a gay relationship and not be happy, and gay in a straight relationship and be happy, and vice versa. The purpose of any relationship is to be happy and make sure your partner understands you and vice versa. You don’t want to come home and find out you put the cups in the cupboard upside down and they hate that.

Moral of the story... don’t worry... be happy. Sexuality is one of those things that I am very comfortable in mine. Nothing really bothers me. I think when you find you can be comfortable in your own skin you shouldn’t feel apprehensive at certain things.

If someone asked me if I would mind if some crazy gay guy was all over me, I would mind just as much as if a crazy girl was all over me. Maybe I don’t want to be around them. At the end of the day I know what I like and hope everyone can enjoy in the same happiness that I am.”

The combination of looks and talent can be a blessing and a curse at times. Balancing all aspects of life and business is something Dusk has learned to do well.

“It doesn’t make any difference to me, I am in it for the music.

I remember in my teens the first time I sang in front of a bunch of girls they were fighting over my phone number. I went to an all guys school so it was like, what’s going on?! Have you ever been sober and you have that first couple of glasses of wine and hit that nice high? That is my life on stage, it is the only part of my business that is effortless because I can be honest and have fun.

When I leave the stage it is all business... where are we going, is the gig set up, what interviews are we doing? You can have time for one thing and another.”

Expect Matt Dusk to be back in Calgary soon after he releases his next studio album in 2012.

“I am on a ten week run and when I am done I am going to want to do nothing but sit by my pool and drink wine. This summer I have a bunch of gigs and festivals here and there but my main focus is writing for a new record to be released in 2012 if we don’t blow ourselves up by then. I hope the record doesn’t delay it until December 14th. We are making a record that is really focusing on the chilled out relaxed side of life. A lot of the stuff I have done recently is really up tempo and energetic but music has really revolved around one topic - love. People don’t sing about having to go and fill my truck up with gas, it’s about I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family even as kids. We will be recording in the fall and planning to have it out Valentine’s Day.”

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Matt Dusk Live in Vegas available May 10th www.MattDusk.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2191

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45

Interview

Return of Roman

Canada’s Top Comic Returns to Roots with CSI: Calgary

By Jason Clevett Even when he was in high school at Sir Winston Churchill High, Calgary’s Roman Danylo had a natural ability to entertain. He ran a weekly sketch review show there and went on to study at Loose Moose Theatre. He has since been featured on the TV shows Comedy Inc. and The Holmes Show, and in films like Free Willy 3 and Duets. He returns home to Loose Moose Theatre this Friday and Saturday night with CSI: Calgary.

The touring show came about when his sketch The David Caruso School of Acting became popular on YouTube. He now crafts the show around the city that it runs in.

“In 2008 I went around the country doing a solo stand-up tour and each town has these wonderful theatres across the country that are the ideal place to play. It was fantastic and I wanted to do more shows in those sorts of places. I noticed that the sketch was getting a lot of hits on YouTube and seemed popular. It just hit me that we could make a CSI:Miami parody set in the town with lots of local references. The smaller the town is, the funnier the concept. CSI: Maple Ridge gets even funnier than CSI: Calgary,” Danylo told GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine over the phone from Vancouver.

“Every town has a trademark seedy hotel, the bad area of town, the local personalities that stand out. So it is a matter of filling in the blanks for those questions. I always find out good information from the cabbie on the way to the hotel from the airport. They have their ear to the ground so I pick their brains quite a bit. For other cities it is challenging and I have to seek out someone who’s out there and pick their brain and hope it’s current. When you do a specific reference to local things, you may get the information on say who the mayor is a month before when you are writing the script, you have to make sure they are still the mayor when you get there. So there are lots of checks and balances.”

Although the CSI concept is a big part of the show, it is a sketch comedy show along the lines of Saturday Night Live, MadTV, and Comedy Inc. Some of the sketches will be familiar to viewers of CI. “They have been really well attended, which has been fun. There was a full crowd in Surrey on a Thursday, all of a sudden it was packed in there. You don’t need to be a fan of CSI to enjoy the show. The sketch is a through-line that goes through the show but the bulk of it is some of our favourite sketches that we have put together. Some of them are from Comedy Inc. and some haven’t been seen by anyone. It is hard to do just a sketch show, you need to have an angle so that is why the CSI parody is enough of a hook to get people in the door to see good quality sketches.”

Danylo has returned to Calgary many times over his career and it is always special.

“It is certainly a level of comfort coming home, it is the people that get me the best. No matter where you go to do a show there is a level of, will they understand my point of view? There are no better people than Calgarians at it. Generally in Canada people will get it but there are subtle differences... For example a few years ago I had a joke and the punch line was the word ‘gonch.’ They don’t know what gonch is out east, and I didn’t realize that until I said it onstage. That is a distinctly west coast thing. Another time I referenced ‘Halloween apples’ which is a reference only in Alberta and Saskatchewan. No one else has heard of it and thinks you are crazy if you talk about it. It is just little teeny words

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GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

just in Canada, and then you go to the US and different parts of the world where it is more challenging. I did improv shows in London and got lost in a sea of references I didn’t understand. So it is nice to come back to my roots. If I mention Paskapoo or Channel 2&7 they will know what I am talking about.”

Returning to Loose Moose is also a big deal, and Danylo gets excited when he the subject comes up.

“Everyone knows about them and their history. The one consistency is they are always in strange environments that nobody really knows about. The old one was out near the airport and was a cattle auction they turned into a theatre. The new theatre is at the Crossroads Market which is central but the first time I went there was nothing around for blocks.

Once you get in there it’s fantastic there is an art gallery, this fantastic theatre. Going back and seeing the old improvisers that are still there running the place and taught me how to improvise, it is great to go and start jamming again.

The list of alumni is long, and includes Rebecca Northan (Blind Date, Kung Fu Panties) Mark Mark McKinney and Bruce McCulloch (Kids In The Hall), David Lawrence (Fubar) and Albert Howell (Improv Heaven & Hell host, Head writer for This Hour Has 22 Minutes) among many others.

“It is funny because those names have spread out. Derek Flores is in New Zealand and I went and did shows for him. Patti Stiles is running theatre sports in Australia. Tony Totino was in Olso, Norway doing improv and I went and visited him 10 years ago. All these alumni have spread across the world like a little embassy of Loose Moose people you can go and visit. It is spread out everywhere it’s amazing.”

As one of Canada’s most successful comics and improvisers, Danylo enjoys working with the next generation of actors and actresses, and uses much of what Loose Moose taught him to pass on to others.

“Loose Moose has always been great for really encouraging and giving opportunity to young up and comers that are interested in performing and doing comedy as a living. They have trained so many people that way. They taught me that and I do shows in Vancouver and set it up in a similar way - the first half is newer performers and you give them a chance to get on stage. That is the only way you can learn. That is what I feel is the right way to do it and I transmitted that to Vancouver. We do a show once a month called the ‘urban improv challenge.’ We invite anyone, no experience necessary, to try it out on stage. It is kind of like Improv Idol. If you watch improv and say ‘I can do that’ why not give it a try and see?”

If you haven’t seen Danylo perform, you are in for a treat. He promises to have a no-frills blast of funny for all in attendance.

“Along with the CSI parody you will see some of my favorite sketches that gained popularity on Comedy Inc. The tantric sex master is in the show and he is exhausting. We will be interacting with the audience a little bit so we will have people on stage. We have some different characters in the show like The Passionate Accountant. I am about being as low-tech as possible. If we can’t fit the prop in one bag we aren’t doing it. All of the props and costumes fit in one bag slung over my shoulder.

There are less than ten sound cues in the entire show. It is all about just trying to present funny stuff and not rely on technical extravaganzas.

There are no pyrotechnics, no strobe lights.”

CSI: Moose Jaw May 6th & 7th, 8pm Loose Moose Theatre 403-265-5682 www.loosemoose.com www.romandanylo.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a2212

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 Editorial - From Page 6 stream of people coming in. A few people said they waited in line for over 10 minutes before getting in, but Richard (Lady B) and David Donald at the door could only process them so fast! The sheer volume of people that turned up that night – so busy that you could hardly move at only 10:30pm - made the experience that much truer to the Boyztown/Rekroom days. It certainly knocked the socks off Vinyl, which is not normally open on a Wednesday night. The event fundraised about 5 grand for Apollo Western Cup and AIDS Calgary, not including shooter sales for the ISCCA. And no doubt there were a lot of people hurting at work the next day – I know I was, and that was just from staying out so late! Nevertheless, Club Sapien was packed the very next night for Western Cup registration.

Western Cup went over very well this year. Despite having to cancel Badminton and Running for lack of participants, organizers reported that the overall attendance had actually increased with higher saturation in the other four sports: Curling, Bowling, Dodgeball, and Volleyball.

The Western Cup dance maintained its reputation as Calgary’s largest LGBT dance event of the year (ARGRA’s dances at the rodeo are larger, but outside of the city limits), packing the expanded ballroom at Hotel Arts.

Organizers told us they pre-sold over 700 tickets – almost unheard of for a gay event in our city – and sales at the door brought their throughput to about 1000 people. Apparently the venue could have held more (up to 1100 people at a time), but I don’t think anyone was complaining. We’re told that when the lights went up at 2am, the dance floor was still full and going strong.

Funny enough, one bar owner who didn’t attend the dance personally, tried to argue that the event must have tanked since only 90-ish people on Facebook confirmed that they were attending. I think that just reinforces that Facebook is not a reliable indication of who is attending an event, especially when your most effective advertising is done elsewhere. *grin* Honestly, I don’t know how people were still standing – in particular, how we were still standing – for the after party with DJ Tony Moran that Sunday night at Club Sapien. It wrapped up another busy week, yet there was still one more week left in April.

All that remained were some smaller-scale community events, nevertheless there were lots of them. SHARP Foundation’s Taste for Life happened on Wednesday round about the same time as the launch party for kickstART, a fundraiser for Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse (CCASA) – look for the article in this edition. Then on Saturday we had Project Blue Sky, The End of Tawde, and the ARGRA Monthly Dance all one after the other.

Despite the rush I felt unusually calm and happy that day, and even took the time to let loose a bit at the dance.

Finally on Sunday we attended an informal birthday party for Barry (Momma G) at the Calgary Eagle. Barry has been sick since September of last year, and unfortunately that Sunday he wasn’t in good condition to attend. Nevertheless people gathered at the Eagle starting around 5 in the afternoon to enjoy food (which I’m told Boy Rusty worked his ass off in the kitchen to prepare) and sing Happy Birthday.

May 2011 Thank god, this month isn’t looking anywhere near as busy as April. It will be time for us to give Edmonton some attention, aside from getting caught up on a few things, including building that fence for Snoopy. It’s not long before the next barrage of major events from June through to September: Edmonton Pride, ARGRA, Calgary Stampede, the WCPF Campout, and Calgary Pride.

Two things to be aware of coming up at the beginning of June are the FAB Anniversary on June 1st, and the Backlot’s first Anniversary party since Mark and Ward took over as owners on June 8th. Though both are establishments that don’t host as many larger events that would appear in this magazine, GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine would like to congratulate them both for the great job they are doing making their clientele feel welcome and keeping things interesting.

Election 2011 This month I put a brief effort toward brainstorming how to get more people to vote. The most entertaining option was a crazy fable that parents ought to start telling to their kids to terrify them into giving a damn. “If you don’t vote (when you’re old enough), the Vote Fairy might creep into your room one night and stuff you like a ballot box!”

Nevertheless, if every single person in Canada did vote, who knows, it might have produced the same results in the end. For better or for worse, at least the fear of uncertainty is over and we know what we’re working with now. Things didn’t turn out the way I had hoped, personally, and yet I’m not angry. If anything, a few more mongooses have been dropped into the arena, and now that I’m practically beyond caring, I’m just curious to see how things are going to play out.

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47

Community

 Matthew Morrison - From Page 53

Calgary ConnecTeen

Distress Centre Launches Youth Peer Support Line

By Carey Rutherford Don’t go sending your kids to a summer camp run by Dutch Shinobi, unless you want them majorly messed up! Shinobi is a creation of the Calgary Distress Centre, thank goodness, and he distributes amusingly inappropriate advice on many topics.

When asked by Matthew how to deal with rumours being spread about him around the school, Dutch advises: “Change your last name to ‘Never’. For example: Matthew Never made out with Joanne Smith last night. Rumour deflected.”

Not surprisingly, the tag line for the radio ad is: “For advice that doesn’t suck, visit CalgaryConnecTeen.com” ConnecTeen is a venture launched in March as a continuation of the Distress Centre’s earlier peer-support phone work. The Centre felt that, though they had done a great deal of good work, they didn’t seem to be contacting the at-risk youth for whom it was intended, only the adults and teens who knew of their system already.

“ConnecTeen was built out of a former program called Teen Line, which was launched in 1983,” says Michelle Wickerson, Communications Manager for the Distress Centre. “It was the first of its kind to offer that peer-to-peer support in Canada.”

“So we’re reintroducing to all the youth services in the city, and trying to get it in front of youths’ eyes... So we relied quite heavily on our youth volunteers. We said, here’s a bunch of options we’ve got for logos, for names, for different things. You tell us what YOU think.”

Of course, the dominance of the telephone as a communication device amongst youngsters has declined. Texting has been adopted (quite heavily) by young adults for their networking needs. The ConnecTeen launch specifically addresses this change, incorporating online chat for contacting the Distress Centre’s volunteers.

Michelle continues, “Youth is an exponentially growing demographic in our population, so we know we’re going to have large groups of youth who are experiencing challenges and we need to be able to be there for them... ConnecTeen is actually answered 24 hours a day, but in the 5pm to 10pm hours it’s youth volunteers who are responding to the calls (or chats)... We need to be ahead of the ball in order to be able to offer them services in a way that they’re comfortable accessing them. By being able to offer it online, it just gives them a level of comfort; they’re already on computers so extensively.”

Enter Dutch Shinobi.

“Teens get a lot of advice, in every shape and form, from every contact point in their lives. So Dutch Shinobi has created his own show, and is spouting out his advice, but his advice is absolutely terrible! We’ve gone with the most outrageous advice that we could come up with... The themes that the advice is built upon are the things that are the top-caller concerns that we get on our ConnecTeen line, but counselor options that we would never suggest to a caller.”

Michelle mentions that their poll of the youth volunteers brought them face to face with the ‘Old Spice guy’ ads, and the phenomenal popularity that had with the younger audience, the ironic self-deprecating humour which struck a definite chord in the youth viewers, and which helped inspire the ridiculous character they hope will attract the teen eyes to the ConnecTeen phone number and website.

Dutch gets another question from “Jeanine” about what she can do if she gets bullied at school.

“Like wolves, bullies can smell fear, so just cover it up, with some nice strong cologne, or some deer musk. This is Dutch Shinobi, Life’s Sherpa, saying Step in My Steps.”

Or not.

GC&E: For the Elton John mash-up, how did you decide on “Rocket Man” and “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters”?

MM: I wanted to pay homage to him and do some of his songs.

It actually took a while to pick which ones, but I knew I wanted to mash two together. I was thinking “Tiny Dancer.” The only one Elton didn’t want to do was “Crocodile Rock.”

These two just kind of mesh. They don’t when you think about it, but it turned out to be this epic seven-minute song. He was just so game for anything and such a pleasure to work with. He’s such a student of music, and every Tuesday he buys every new artist who comes out. He knows what he’s doing, and it was just cool to be in (the studio) with him.

GC&E: Will you bring your Glee raps to the album?

MM: No, no, no. I try to get far away from Glee on this album.

Coming from Glee, I thought it was important that I write a lot of my own material. I didn’t want to do just covers, because that would’ve been very Glee-esque, and to be taken seriously as an artist I had to write my own songs.

GC&E: Tell me about the tour.

MM: I’m going on a world tour with my album, and I’m really looking forward to it. There’s no better way to see the world then to go out and perform and sing.

GC&E: Back in the day, you used to be in a boy band called LMNT. Now that you’re solo, how does it compare?

MM: Well, that was just a bad year of my life – and it was in the late ’90s, when you couldn’t throw a stick and not hit someone in a boy band. It was so manufactured and so cheesy and, as a performer, when you’re on stage and you’re embarrassed to be up there, you know you’re doing the wrong thing. But honestly, that year I was in the boy band, I learned a lot about the recording process, and it really helped me in where I am today – in Glee and in doing this solo project. It was a good experience in that sense.

GC&E: Now, Jane Lynch – MM: Who’s she? (Laughs) GC&E: What’s she like off-camera?

MM: She’s actually my best friend on the show. I’m the closest to her out of everyone. We just have an amazing relationship. I love her to death. I love her wife. And she’s the kindest woman you’ll ever meet.

GC&E: You wouldn’t know based on her Glee character, Sue Sylvester.

MM: Exactly!

GC&E: Have her hair jibes caused you personal pain?

MM: (Laughs) No, not at all. Everyone gets hammered on the show; no one gets away unscathed. I actually made fun of her hair at some point. Lea’s nose gets made fun of; Cory (Monteith) gets made fun of because he can’t dance. Everyone gets ragged on – it’s just part of being on Glee.

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Matthew Morrison: As Gay As He Gets Glee actor talks queer career, Elton duet and sex in public

By Chris Azzopardi Matthew Morrison doesn’t mind being the gayest straight man you know. The 32-yearold actor recently called being a member of a gay boy band in the 2003 film Marci X the “gayest thing” he’s done in his career.

And that’s saying a lot – he’s currently starring on Glee, playing hot choir-club head Mr. Schuester.

His part on the musical-comedy hybrid follows years of Broadway work on shows like Hairspray and The Light in the Piazza, which earned him a Tony nomination. Now, after becoming a big deal and an even bigger teacher crush, Morrison ventures out on his own with a solo debut and summer tour.

We spoke recently with the man behind Mr. Schuester, chatting about some racy photos involving a gay twin and his “chicken,” the Glee girl he’d date, and the importance of the show’s father-son relationship.

GC&E: Because of your musical-theater work and Glee role, do people often think you’re gay?

MM: I’ve been singing and dancing since I’ve been in fifth grade so I’ve gotten that quite a bit in my life.

GC&E: Being one of few straight guys in theater, how did you use that to your advantage when it came to the ladies?

MM: The odds for me were definitely in my favor, being surrounded by beautiful female dancers and being the person that they could actually, you know, be with. (Laughs) So it was a great time in my life. I really took advantage of it for a while in my younger days on Broadway, but aside from all that bullshit, I love being on the gayest show on TV. It doesn’t bother me; I wear it as a badge of honor to be accepted and loved in that community.

GC&E: There are several steamy pics of you on the Internet, including ones of you in polka-dot underwear with a plushy little poof on the private.

MM: Yeah, that’s my chicken. (Laughs) It was for a thing called Broadway Bares, a big fundraiser.

And if I knew at the time how much flack I would get for those photos I probably would’ve never done it, but it raised a lot of money that night for AIDS. GC&E: There’s another picture out there of you – or someone that looks like you – getting cozy and smoochy with Anderson Cooper’s alleged boyfriend.

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MM: That’s not me. It looks very much like me.

GC&E: It does, indeed. Your doppelganger?

MM: Yeah, I know. Thank you for making out with Anderson Cooper’s boyfriend, whomever you are. (Laughs) But his ears are different, and he doesn’t have the mole on the side of his face like I do.

GC&E: Do rumors bother you?

MM: They used to, but it happens so much now that you have to shut it off. I know my own truth, and that’s what you have to live with.

GC&E: Which Glee girl would you have dated in high school?

MM: I would’ve been the Quinn guy. I actually pretty much did date Quinn in high school. I dated the homecoming queen and she was very religious, and I went to church with her all the time.

GC&E: Was your girlfriend in the celibacy club, too?

MM: Uh, well, we weren’t having sex, so yes. (Laughs) GC&E: Speaking of sex, let’s talk about the first single from your new album, “Summer Rain.”

MM: Yes! Sex on a roof.

GC&E: Tell me how the song came about.

MM: It’s a true story – me and my ex-girlfriend, who was actually a Broadway dancer (laughs), on the roof of my apartment. It was a beautiful summer day, and then it just started raining – and the moment just kind of took us and we just, you know.

This was in New York City, where there could be 1,000 people watching you on top of the roof, but we didn’t care. A lot of people think that song is just about having sex on a roof, but for me it was being young and in New York and in love. If the 16-year-old version of myself would’ve known I would’ve had a moment like that in my life, I would’ve been very happy. (Laughs) GC&E: I bet. There’s a line that references Lover’s Lane. What’s the last thing you bought from there?

MM: Bought from Lover’s Lane? Is that a store?

GC&E: Oh yeah. Lover’s Lane is a sex shop.

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MM: (Laughs) Ohh, no! Oh my god. That’s crazy. I didn’t even know that. I wrote it as, in the ’50s you go to lovers’ lane, kind of like going to a lookout mountain in your car and making out and stuff.

GC&E: Oops. Guess it has two meanings now.

(Laughs) MM: (Laughs) I guess so! I’m glad I know that little tidbit of knowledge.

GC&E: You know, public sex might be trickier for you now.

MM: Yeah – I still do it. Who cares!

(Laughs) No, I can’t do anything in public anymore. Honestly, I’m really happy that I – I feel bad for some of the kids on my show. I mean, they’re not kids, they’re all in their 20s, but I really got to live out my 20s in New York and do whatever I wanted and not be in the public eye, and now I’m such a homebody that I don’t really have any problem with that anymore. I feel lucky that I really got to experience my life like that.

GC&E: Glee has tackled important issues like gay bullying, drinking, teen sex, and so on. Which theme are you most proud of?

MM: I absolutely love the relationship between Kurt and his father. It’s so beautiful and it’s something that really needs to be seen.

I mean, I don’t know how that works being a gay teen – do you have the birds and the bees talk like other people? I thought that was so well handled.

Straight guys who watch the show now and do

have kids who might be gay, I think they’ll be more equipped to handle that.

GC&E: Did you know any Kurts in school?

MM: Oh yeah, for sure. There were a lot of Kurts. I mean, I went to a performing arts high school. I had a college roommate, and I was the first person he came out to. I went to NYU and we lived in this dorm; there were five of us living together and one of them came out to me and just kind of felt comfortable. And I’ve always been very open and accepting of that because I know how hard that is, and I’m a good listener. To this day, there are a lot of Kurts in my life.

GC&E: Some critics have been harsh on the second season of Glee. How do you feel about that?

MM: I love this season. There are always going to be naysayers out there, but it’s hard to follow what we did the first season.

I actually thought we were going to be in trouble, but this season has been really strong.

GC&E: So, is Lea Michele as much a diva as people say?

MM: No, no. She’s very committed to her job and she’s a very talented girl, and I think sometimes that gets misconstrued.

GC&E: Have you ever been hot for teacher?

MM: For sure. I can’t think of her name, but she was a Spanish teacher. I don’t know if it had something to do with the language, but that’s kind of hot.

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Interview

 Photos by Anchor Bay Films

Sex and the Seedy

Recently, we caught up with Cattrall, who discussed how the part parallels her own career, why she shops at Kmart and whether she’d be up for another Sex and the City.

GC&E: What about this role was so different for you?

KC: I usually play characters who are very strong, forceful and successful dynamos, and this woman is someone who’s been marginalized and is very much an outcast. I thought, “What will it be like to inhabit that, and do I have that in me?”

In some ways it’s a story that’s not too far from what has happened in Hollywood for decades. And I thought, “I can relate to that. That’s a great handle for me to go on, because I’m in my 50s and suddenly you become, ‘You look good for your age,’ instead of, ‘You look good.’” It was a physical, emotional and intellectual challenge.

GC&E: You really threw yourself into this part.

KC: I had a tremendous amount of support – I really did.

To be handed a role like this at any time in your career, but especially at this time, I said to Keith Bearden, the director: “You’ve written a feminist film. It’s really incredible that you cast a woman in her 50s who’s overweight, and that you wrote that role.” This is a guy who’s rewriting a Hollywood movie and what he’s done is make a wonderful American movie. And I don’t think we have a lot of those around anymore, sadly.

GC&E: What kind of research went into this role? I heard some of it involved you going to strip clubs.

KC: That was the least of it, really. I mean, that kind of reality is very easy to access on the Internet. For Keith and I, it was

really an investigation on multiple levels. I decided to go with a deeper register in my voice. I felt that my voice as Kim was too hopeful, too lyrical, and I wanted to go deeper than that.

Gaining the weight was, again, like looking at porn. It was something that was a dedication in the sense of continuously being aware of it and doing it and not exercising, which was a blessing, and not being on diet, which was an even bigger blessing. (Laughs) GC&E: What did you eat?

KC: Oh, god. Definitely pasta, butter, desserts, lots of pork.

Anything and everything that was either salty or sweet. It was really a “Get Out of Jail Free” card, because my whole life I’ve been on a diet or on an exercise routine. But I do love to eat.

GC&E: Before the shoot, you were spotted at Kmart.

KC: Oh, yeah. I was there. I did a lot of the costumes myself, and every weekend I would go to Kmart because that’s where Monica would shop. That’s the kind of authenticity that was going on in the sense of this is real; it’s not Hollywood real, it’s real. No special lighting, no special treatment.

GC&E: You mention Monica being an outcast, and early test screenings for the movie showed a strong interest among gay men. Do you think that has something to do with it?

KC: Well, not being a gay man, I can’t really comment on that.

But I can understand how it would – yes, definitely. Especially in Middle America.

GC&E: Did you tend to buddy-up with the gay people on set?

KC: Our scenic designer, who did a brilliant job, is gay and he absolutely loved working on this movie. He came in at the last minute, and he did a phenomenal job. That trailer park doesn’t exist. A lot of those places didn’t exist. We actually shot in the trailer, and with such detail. I remember saying to him, “This really feels real.” The bedroom felt real; the living room and everything in the kitchen, he built that all out and he did a phenomenal job.

GC&E: Do you appreciate porn stars more now?

KC: It gave me an appreciation for women of a certain age – which I am one of them. Whether you’re an actress or a teacher or a porn star, after a certain age you are marginalized – and then, in the case of a porn star, you’re an outcast. So where do these people go? And where do aging actresses go? I like to think that they go to the theater and they continue to be involved with great stories. So there are a lot of women that I’ve surrounded myself with, like Janet Suzman, Judi Dench and Meryl Streep; they are really inspiring, but most people get so downtrodden, like this character – where do they go, what happens to them? So I have a real respect and appreciation for what that is and will continue to fight it with everything I have.

(Laughs)

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Kim Cattrall on her very un-Samantha role, love of gay men, and Britney Spears

By Chris Azzopardi There’s not much city in Meet Monica Velour, but there’s sex – and a trailer park and a very haggard-looking Kim Cattrall. The Sex and the City actress plays the title character, a washed-up porn star who meets a young fan of hers when the boy travels to rural Indiana to see her at a strip club. After six seasons of glam in her iconic role as super-slut Samantha Jones on the hit TV series (and two movie spin-offs), Monica Velour is nothing like the femme fatale Cattrall once played.

Continued  GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine #91, May 2011

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 From Previous Page GC&E: If you were a porn star, what would your porn star name be?

KC: Mine would be Fluffy Dawn, because my cat was Fluffy, and I lived on Dawn Road.

GC&E: What do you think Samantha would say about Monica? Would they be friends?

KC: I don’t think they would be friends. I think they live in different universes.

Samantha is a dynamo and in some ways she’s kind of stuck in her own way, meaning that she doesn’t want to change, she doesn’t want to age. A character like Monica Velour doesn’t have a choice.

GC&E: Will there be a Sex and the City 3?

KC: I have no idea. I really don’t know.

GC&E: Would you be onboard?

KC: To me, it always depends on the script, because I always felt the writing was so good on the show and I know that for the writers and producers – Sarah (Jessica Parker) being one of them – that would be a real priority. But I’ve heard nothing. I also haven’t been around too much. I’ve been busy working. You’ll probably know before I do.

GC&E: What’s your relationship been like with the Sex and the City women? Do you stay in touch?

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KC: You know, we do in the sense of, “Hi, I’m over here,” and “Congratulations on that.” Two of the four us of have kids, so that’s a whole other world, and Kristin (Davis) travels extensively, as do I. But when we see each other, it’s so nice. It’s really lovely. But we all live in different universes.

GC&E: How did you react when Cynthia Nixon came out?

KC: I was very happy for her. I saw the pictures of her, and also just from being around her, and she just seemed so fulfilled. Christine (Marinoni) is just wonderful.

They’re a terrific couple. And I’m very pleased about the baby.

GC&E: What do you think when you go back and watch yourself in Star Trek VI or Mannequin?

KC: I never do it. (Laughs) The most I see of that is from fans. But I look back at my career so fondly. I had so much fun and I worked with such terrific people. I’m still working, and I’m just very lucky. And I know I’ve worked hard for it, and continue to, but it has not been a hardship, it has been a real joy.

GC&E: You played Britney Spears’ mom in Crossroads, and her life as changed so much since then. But did you ever feel

Continued on page 41 

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Photography Apollo Western Cup Weekend, Calgary

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Photography Taboo Red Deer

Splash at Latitude 53, Edmonton (photos by Dave Jackson)

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BEEF Bear Bash at Junction, Edmonton (photos by Dave Jackson)

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Photography Day of Pink, Calgary

The End of Tawde at the Backlot, Calgary

Girlsgroove Dance, Calgary (Photos by Ruth Luoma)

Kinky Flea Market, Calgary

ARGRA Dance, Calgary

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Photography Back to Boyztown Reunion Party by the Backlot at Vinyl, Calgary

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