DECEMBER 2012 ISSUE 110 • FREE
The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community
Dan Savage
Polarizing Media Pundit
KYLIE MINOGUE
Bif Naked
Her Majesty Returns
PLUS:
Perry Twins Winter Pride Oldbury ...and more! Business Directory
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Community Map
Calgary • Alberta • Canada
Events Calendar
Glenbow Museum
Tourist Information
Fairy Tales and Monsters STARTING ON PAGE 55
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Table of Contents
DECEMBER 2012
Photography Steve Polyak, Photography Rob Diaz-Marino and B&J Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino
Videography
Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino Printers Web exPress
Printers
North Hill News/Central Web Distribution Calgary: GayCalgary Staff Distribution Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Calgary: Gallant Distribution Other: Canada Post GayCalgary Staff Legal Council Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors Other: Canada Post
Sales & General Inquiries Legal Council GayCalgary Magazine
Courtney 2136 Aarbo,17th Barristers Avenueand SW Solicitors Calgary, AB, Canada T2T 0G3 Salessales@gaycalgary.com & General Inquiries GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine 2136 17th Avenue SW Office Hours: By appointment ONLY Calgary, AB, Canada Phone: 403-543-6960 T2T 0G3
Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 Office Hours: By appointment ONLY E-Mail:Phone: magazine@gaycalgary.com 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 This Month's Cover Main: Kylie photo by EMI Music Fax:Minogue, 403-703-0685 Top Right: Dan Savage, photo by LaRae Lobdell E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com Middle Right: Bif Naked This“Long Month's Coverby Piccinini Bottom Right: Awaited” Cher and Christina Aguilera courtesy of Sony Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesy of Mike Owen; Rex Goudie.
Proud Members of: Proud Members of:
Family Holidays – Part 2
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Rocking the Roxy Theatre With Bells On
Publisher’s Column
10 A Pride Worth Keeping your Clothes On Celebrating 21 years of Winter Pride
11 Diamond Rings 13 A Royal New Year
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Guys in Disguise decks another Christmas season with hilarity
On the ISCWR’s New Years Eve Party & Calendars
14 Wondrously Frightening
Fairy Tales, Monsters and the Genetic Imagination at the Glenbow
16 Alberta Trustee Says to Act Less Gay
Draconian views have draconian consequences for GLBTQ students
17 Bif Naked: Stripped
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Writers and Contributors
Mercedes Mercedes Allen,Allen, ChrisChris Azzopardi, Azzopardi, DallasDave Barnes, Dave Brousseau, Brousseau, JasonSam Clevett, Casselman, AndrewJason Collins, Clevett, Rob Andrew Diaz-Marino, Collins,Janine Emily Eva Collins, Trotta, RobGlen Diaz-Marino, Hanson, Janine Jorjet Eva Harper, Trotta, Evan JackKayne, Fertig,Stephen Glen Hanson, Lock, Lisa Joan Hilty, Lunney, EvanAllan Kayne, Neuwirth, StephenSteve Lock,Polyak, Neil McMullen, Romeo Allan San Vicente, Neuwirth, Ed Steve Sikov,Polyak, Krista Sylvester Carey Rutherford, and the LGBT RomeoCommunity San Vicente,ofEd Calgary, Sikov, Nick Edmonton, Vivian and the GLBT CommunityAlberta. of Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta.
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Her Majesty returns with new acoustic album
19 The Perry Twins 21 When a Choir was Born
One Voice Chorus Presents a Family Friendly Night of Christmas Song
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22 Farewells and New Beginnings
Wade MacNeil on saying goodbye to Alexisonfire and his new band Gallows
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24 Kent Hehr Goes After Redford’s Revisionism 25 Gay Men Talk
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...to Tim John Peterson
26 What the Advent of Trans Activism Means for Drag Culture 28 Deep Inside Hollywood
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Publisher: Steve Polyak Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino Sales: Steve Polyak Design & Layout: Rob Diaz-Marino, Ara SteveShimoon Polyak
Countdown to Matt Bomer in Space Station 76
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
29 Cocktail Chatter The Watermelon
30 Out of Town Hawaii’s Big Island
32 Dan Savage Love (and Hate) National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association
Polarizing media pundit talks ‘crazy’ queer people, launching It Gets Better and why he’s not a bully
PAGE 32
International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Table of Contents Continued From Previous Page
35 A Link to My Past
Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses
36 Oldbury
Magazine Figures Monthly Print Quantity:
38 Screen Queen
7,000–9,000 copies Guaranteed Circulation: 7,000 copies Bonus Circulation: up to 2,000 copies
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The Gift Guide
40 Bruce Vilanch Wigs Out 42 Ready to Fall in Love
Readership
Mother, Mother back bigger than ever
43 Forever Kylie Minogue
PAGE 42
Icon looks back at 25 years of gay fans, bad fashion and girl kisses
47 52 53 54
Queer Eye Chelsea Boys A Couple of Guys Mr. GayCalgary December 2012 Mark Randall 55 Directory and Events 60 Classified Ads
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
Readers Per Copy: 4.9 (PMB) Print Readership: >41,650 Avg. Online Circulation: 150,000 readers Estimated Total Readership: >191,650 readers Frequency: Monthly
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History Originally established in January 1992 as Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications. Name changed to GayCalgary 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. February 2012 returned to GayCalgary Magazine
Disclaimer and Copyright Opinions expressed in this magazine are specific to the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary staff and contributors. Those involved in the making of this publication, whether advertisers, contributors, or the subjects of articles or photographs, are not necessarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans. This magazine also includes straight allies and those who are gay friendly. No part of this publication may be reprinted or modified without the expressed written permission of the editor or publisher. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. GayCalgary is a registered trademark.
JAN 2013 Print Deadlines Ad Booking: Thu, Dec 27th
Submission: Wed, Jan 2nd In Circulation: Sat, Jan 5th Please contact us immediately if you think you may have missed the booking or submission deadline. www.gaycalgary.com
Editorial
Family Holidays – Part 2 Publisher’s Column
By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc. Last month I wrote about my less than satisfying trip to Cuba with my dad this past January. I really wasn’t planning on taking another holiday with him for a while, but an intriguing opportunity to spend time in Mexico with two of my cousins, who would be flying out from Spain, had me thinking twice. My holiday time from work rolled over in March so I had additional time available for the planned trip in October. At first I only gave a tentative yes. But negotiating for the time span of the trip was particularly aggravating. After my time in Cuba I felt 2 weeks was about my limit for enduring my dad, yet he was pushing for 3 weeks total, and to leave right before our press deadline for the October edition. As much as I argued for 2 weeks and a later departure, he had his mind set and left it up to me to figure out a way to schedule it with my work, even if it meant taking unpaid time off. There was no way I was prepared to do any of that, so I made the decision not to go. Only after I broke the news to him was he was finally willing to settle on two weeks and pushing our departure forward enough that I could get the October edition completed. He grumbled that this would diminish our ability to explore some of the back roads he has wanted to check out for years, but I told him that was just too bad. On Friday, October 5th we left Calgary at 4am to begin our marathon drive down to Baja California, the peninsula off the west coast of Mexico, which has been a favorite holiday spot for our family for many
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past summers. As usual, hotels were out of the question along the way – we slept in the back of his Subaru Forrester at truck stops. We just about didn’t have dinner the first evening as my dad practically threw a tantrum trying to pick up food at Burger King. We couldn’t go inside on foot because the interior was undergoing renovations, and my dad admitted he had never done drive-thru before so didn’t understand the procedure. Not that it was a particularly difficult thing to learn, but his excuse was, “I’m too old for this shit.” We crossed the Mexican border at 3pm the second day. The border is always complete mayhem with the high volumes of traffic, confusing signage, and inability to backtrack if you make a mistake. We needed to stop to pick up tourist permits and, having missed the entrance to the parking area for this, my dad pulled the car in amongst a semicircle of spiked barricades designed for the border guards to stand in. Spanish is my dad’s first language, and amazingly he was able to convince them to let us leave our vehicle there while we got our permits. Then we crossed over to Mexico. We can’t seem to make it out of Tijuana without at least one wrong turn. We were just about home free on the correct route when my dad, right before the highway forked, decided to cut across two lanes of traffic without signaling, onto the wrong road. I had been taking pictures out the window, which was grounds for him to yell at me for not paying attention to where we were going. Even with my full attention, I doubt I could have predicted what he was going to do, or say anything fast enough that we could recover. But whatever, we found somewhere to
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page turn around and got back on track with little difficulty, save for me now in a bad mood and scared to bring the camera back out again. I was already irritated by my dad’s reckless driving through the US, but it got markedly worse now that we were in Mexico. According to him, they don’t enforce speed limits and traffic signs as adamantly in Mexico as they do in the US and Canada, so he took this as his queue to do whatever suited him. Apparently, in his mind, traffic rules aren’t in place for his safety and that of other drivers on the road - they are there merely as an excuse for the police to ticket him. Now that threat was lifted. He went nearly twice the speed limit in some places, straddled multiple lanes, blew through stop signs and rarely bothered to use his turn signals. I got a lot of practice steering the car from the passenger seat while he rifled through maps, fumbled with CDs, and realized while already in motion that he hadn’t fastened his seatbelt. It happened so many times that eventually I gave up complaining. He has survived this long, so I guess he can pull it off. I was thankful for the few opportunities I got to take a driving shift because I knew I was far less likely to get us into an accident. This was my first time driving a manual transmission over long distances, so my dad’s advice in this regard was useful even though his tone was sometimes aggravating to me (and included general driving advice straight from the book of his bad habits). On the morning of the 3rd day, just south of San Felipe, he got the idea to try to find a beach where we could go swimming. As we arrived at one that looked promising, he decided to test the Subaru Forester out in the sand for the first time. Despite me telling him even this car would likely get caught in the deep soft sand, he took it for a spin and proceeded to get it stuck as I had predicted. I got out to push, and we made it a few more metres, but the car started to billow blue smoke from the hood due to him gunning the engine too hard. A kind, friendly (and somewhat woofy) guy by the name of Jose-Luis, who was staying at a nearby house on the beach visiting family, came to help us out. My dad, who hates asking people for help in the first pace, fought the guy’s advice every step of the way. I tried my best to stay out of it – it was his car – though when my dad was on the verge of shooting a fire extinguisher into the engine, and Jose Luis was pleading with him and me not to, then finally I stepped in to back up Jose-Luis and talk some sense into my dad. Finally dad stepped back and let Jose-Luis help us. I could tell the man sympathized with my situation dealing with the stubborn old goat, and thankfully he didn’t give up on us. He enlisted the help of some friends with pick-up trucks to pull us free of the sand, and got us back on solid ground. We didn’t go for our swim at that beach in the end; my dad, trying to cover up his embarrassment, just wanted to get away as quickly as possible. But before I got back in the car, my parting handshake with Jose-Luis collapsed into a big hug to express my deep gratitude for his help, patience and understanding. That and…did I mention he was hot? The rest of the week wasn’t any less miserable. I was sleep-deprived from the poor quality inflatable mattress and folded blanket repurposed to be a pillow that my dad had brought for me to sleep on; hungry from the insufficient portions of rice and freshly caught fish he cooked, or the tiny tortillas we bought at road-side stands. As ravenous as I was, I had to throw out half of my last substantial sandwich from home because all the ice in our cooler had melted and the water had seeped through the plastic wrap. On top of that I was sore from sitting in the car for so long, but even when we stopped, I didn’t have the energy to get out and do anything. My dad seemed to interpret all of this as me being “moody and difficult”. I quickly came to the realization that those back roads my dad wanted to explore so badly were in such bad condition for the very fact that they didn’t lead to anything important or interesting enough to warrant paving them. The people that needed to travel on them all owned bigger trucks than us, and could plough through the rough terrain with little trouble. In our case, traveling these roads came at the expense of moving at slow speeds to avoid scraping the bottom of the vehicle, or falling into the ruts that the recent rainfall had washed out. It took us nearly 4 hours to travel 50km along the unpaved roads south of San Felipe, until we finally returned to the paved main road again. We camped a few days at Bahia de Los Angeles, where I was happy to have a cot to sleep on. The first night I pulled my cot out from under the shelter of the Palapa so that I could look up at the beautiful starry sky. I tried doing the same the next night, but the buffeting
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
Online Last Month (1/2) Gruesomely Good
GZT/H&M Theatre knocks another one out of the ballpark
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Cocktail Chatter
A Lesson for You: Grasshopper
The grasshopper is a delicious dessert cocktail, but I rarely make them because of their repulsive name. I just can’t.... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3208
Creep of the Week Scott Brown
There are a few things you should know about United States Senator Scott Brown. First, he’s a Republican. Second, he... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3211
Deep Inside Hollywood
Scarlett Johansson On A Hot Tin Roof
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Hear Me Out
Cat Power, Little Big Town
Cat Power, Sun The artist who “once wanted to be the greatest” isn’t just imagining it now; she’s living it. The... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3217
Celebrities: Coming Out So You Don’t Have To! This morning I awoke to the earthshaking news that Sam Champion of Good Morning America fame was getting... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3220
Creep of the Week Joseph Farah
A couple of weeks ago I was sitting around trying to think of something cool and hilarious to do and I came up with... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3212
Cocktail Chatter The Sidecar
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Cocktail Chatter Dill-Infused Vodka
It began innocently enough. But like so many of life’s little catastrophes, my attempt to serve something a bit... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3210
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Online Last Month (2/2) Journey Makes Fans Believe Alberta’s musical heart lies in rock n roll. Sure we’ve had our share of country and pop artists emerge, but what its citizens... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3223
Creep of the Week Rick Santorum
Look, loyal readers of my column. I know what you’re going to say: “Rick Santorum again? Haven’t you written enough...
wind forced me to move back into shelter. Though better than the inflatable mattress, my back still hurt throughout the night, and the next morning. My dad hired a local fisherman to take us out in his boat to go fishing around the islands off the coast. We also tried to make an excursion to Bahia Las Animas just south of there, however it was more unpaved surface and ultimately we found that the road was washed out and impassible only a kilometer or two away from our destination. There was nothing to do but turn around and go all the way back. On the plus side, the desert scenery was still beautiful, and probably the greenest we’ve ever seen it. I did my best to snap photos as we jostled along.
Jodie Foster to direct money monster
After a few more days of travelling and making side-trips to favorite beaches from past visits (which I was still too drained to enjoy) and underwhelming fishing camps and shanty villages (I don’t know what my dad expected to find), I was relieved to reach our final destination of La Ventana, near La Paz. My dad keeps our family tent trailer stored there, as he visits Baja every year, and I was anxious to retrieve it so that we could finally live and sleep in better comfort.
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My cousins Fernando and Carlos arrived on the Friday night at the airport in La Paz, where we picked them up. I haven’t seen anyone from this side of the family in over 10 years, and this was a rare chance for me to reconnect with them, and them with me, without distractions from our respective lives.
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Deep Inside Hollywood
Jodie Foster’s next turn behind the camera – her fourth as director – is called Money Monster and it already sounds... Hear Me Out
Pink, Barbra Streisand
Pink, The Truth About Love In a world ruled by artificial pop princesses, Pink has always approached her music with... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3218
Grassroots to Lawsuits
How Pride died and an army of lovers became a gaggle of lawyers
Last weekend I was the MC at my local Pride festivities. It had been a while since I’d done anything Pride-y, so I didn’t... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3221
Creep of the Week Dinesh D’Souza
Are you sitting down? Because this may come as quite a shock: Another anti-gay stalwart and “defender” of marriage has... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3214
The OutField
Chris Billig is gay for soccer
The “gay soccer” stories come fast and furious. * Major League Soccer sponsors Spirit Day, encouraging players and fans to wear something purple, drawing... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3219
Healthy Living:Toward an AIDS-Free Generation 2012 overall world AIDS stats: Good news As more of the 34 million with HIV gain access to antiviral therapy, fewer are...
Fernando, the oldest sibling in a family of 7 brothers and sisters, looked completely different from the way I remembered him from 10 years ago. Gone was his short hair and goatee, replaced with a longhaired, clean shaven, Antonio Banderas type of look. I was concerned about how I would get along with Fernando because I remembered him being a bit of a bully when we were kids, and I didn’t have much contact with him the last time I saw him. As I discovered, the years had tempered him into a very nice person with a similar appreciation for nature and photography to myself, so the two of us got along very well. Carlos with his blazing red hair, was an anomaly amongst the brown-haired complexions of his siblings. This is likely the result of the same elusive genetics that cause me to have red hairs sprinkled throughout my beard. He is probably the tallest of his siblings, with a now graying beard and shaved head. Because of his fairer complexion, he also burns very easily and had to take draconian precautions by diligently applying sunscreen even under his shirt, always wearing a hat, and even tying a kerchief around his head to shield his nose and cheeks. I enjoyed myself a great deal more when they were around. For one, they helped take the pressure off me so that I wasn’t the only person that my dad had to talk to. I was humored to see my dad’s antics annoyed them too, but as he was their uncle, they felt less entitled to speak up about it. On the night they arrived, they generously offered me olives, cheese, and dried meats that they had brought with them from Spain. In days to follow, they pushed for us to do more fun stuff like hiking and exploring, visiting beaches and cities, going out to restaurants, checking out parties and drinking lots of beer. I finally got my wish of having people my own age to spend time with. I felt motivated to use and improve on my Spanish speaking skills, leading to some good chats about my family in Spain, and what was safe to tell them about my life back in Canada. I have fewer reservations about coming out to them than to my dad, but I didn’t feel this was the time or place for it. However, I found it endearing that as brothers they would still roughhouse from time to time, yet at the dinner table Fernando would keep his left foot stacked on top of Carlos’ right without objection. As an only child, I’ve never experienced this kind of sibling closeness.
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When it came to fishing this year, I decided I wasn’t going to patronize my dad any more by pretending to enjoy it. It never really seemed like I was the one fishing, I was just doing the work for my dad. He had ruined it for me in previous years by taking the rod away from me when he figured a fish was too difficult for me to reel in, and by fishing in such greedy excess that we had to offload them onto other people or they would go bad. Carlos seemed to be cut from the same cloth as my dad, and was thrilled to catch as much as he could. Fernando made attempts to fish, but was less greedy about keeping what he caught. After my dad snapped at him about getting their lines crossed, he
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Screen Queen
Rock of Ages, Amazing Spider-Man, Brave
Rock of Ages It’s far from perfect. It’s not even great. But following his first musical, Hairspray, director Adam Shankman’s...
Continued on Next Page GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page joined me in refusing to fish, and so we focused more on taking pictures and enjoying the scenery. On my last night in Mexico before catching my flight back, my cousins did the impossible and convinced my dad to rent a hotel room in Los Cabos. We were having difficulties finding camping in the area, and I was running a fever due to food poisoning from a bad fish taco I had eaten at a restaurant the night before, so my dad conceded. Fernando came to the rescue with some Ibuprofen and had me feeling almost 100% again. Despite this disqualifying me from drinking alcohol, I still went out with my cousins (against my dad’s will) to check out the night scene in the famous tourist city. We hung out in a few of the bars and had a fun time taking it all in, however as the night wore on the medication began to wear off and I decided to retire. With my flight in the afternoon of the next day, we occupied our morning with a boat tour out to the southernmost tip of the Baja peninsula, and the spectacular cliffs, arches, and caves nearby something my dad would have shot down as being too expensive before even inquiring the price. At only $10 per person, he conceded on this as well. If only my whole holiday could have been fun like that last 24 hours. As horrendous as a lot of this may sound, I can at least say I took away some valuable albeit hard learned lessons. For one, it’s time I updated my definition of a holiday. As a grown man, it takes different things to make me happy on a vacation than it did when I was a kid. Certainly I need Steve with me to be happy, and I need the freedom to make my own decisions, to follow my own schedule, to struggle and make my own mistakes so that I can grow. I can’t do any of this when I leave everything up to my dad, in fact, this is probably the reason we were at each other’s throats. He hasn’t seen enough of my life to realize I’m a responsible and independent individual with my own preferences and ideas. That’s mostly my fault for being in the closet to him (which is another issue I will need to face eventually). So while he carries the exasperating burden of feeling responsible for someone in their 30s, his taking control systematically cuts me off from everything I need to be independent, and so I fall back into the role of helplessness. Most kids go through a “rebellious phase” probably as a means of breaking this self-renewing cycle. I have never done that, I’ve always been the “good kid” to my parents. So this trip finally gave me the opportunity and motivation I needed to duke it out with my dad and cement in both our minds that I’m not a kid any more. From now on, I’ll plan my own vacations with Steve.
Taboo Shows – Calgary and Edmonton Before anyone’s blood pressure goes up, I’ll lead with saying I have nothing to gripe about this year. As we’ve done in previous years, we’ve work in conjunction with the ISCCA in Calgary, and the ISCWR in Edmonton to put on a fundraiser that benefits the charities of each subsequent group by offering attendees the opportunity for a photo with drag performers. Often the courts will sell other items for additional fundraising, such as leis in Calgary, and calendars in Edmonton (see the article in this edition about the ISCWR calendar). The role of Steve and I, aside from promoting our magazine, is to provide the equipment and technical backup for the courts to do these photo booths. So we handle taking the photos, printing them out, and recording the information to send people electronic copies. Last year we introduced a handy new feature – an automated photo ticket management system on our website. Some tedious data entry was still required, as we used a log book to record people’s Email addresses that then needed to be entered into the system and associated with their photos. However, once that was done, the system would automatically Email people the instructions and link to retrieve their photos.
Amazingly this system only took me two evenings to program, however I was able to improve on it even further during calm periods at the shows. We now have a robust and well-tested piece of software that we can use in future. But enough about us. We were impressed by the large range of individuals from each organization that showed up to help out at their city’s show. In Calgary, two people stuck out as our “star salespeople”: Dale Eby, who like last year showed incredible commitment to the tasks he took on, as well as Joey (Lucy Fur) whose outgoing personality could bring people over for photos in rapid succession. In Edmonton, the stars were definitely the current reigning Emperor and Empress 37, Vanity Fair and JJ Velour, who roped people in to sell a great number of calendars and photos. We’d like to thank both courts for their efforts this year, and all the volunteers who showed up in drag, leather, or plain clothes to help raise money. While the ISCCA sold more photos, the ISCWR made more money from their calendar sales, and the two are about neck in neck: the ISCCA’s official total came to $2036, and the ISCWR’s came to $2170. Certainly nothing to be ashamed of!
End of the World Rant Forgive me while I roll my eyes, and resist the temptation to physically slap anyone who is even slightly worried about this. I’m confident that the world will still be here on December 22nd, and for many billions of years to come. If I’m wrong and the world does come to an end that day, then I give every one of our readers permission to kick me in the groin in the afterlife. From what I understand, this latest prediction in a long string of false alarms comes from the fact that the Mayan calendar ends on what is our December 21st, along with some other numerological nonsense that doesn’t deserve any real estate in my brain. So what? My wall calendar stops at December 31st, 2012, but that doesn’t mean the world is ending after that. It just means I need to buy a new calendar for 2013! The whole Y2K scare wasn’t because computer manufacturers believed the world would end before the year 2000, it just meant that they wanted to conserve computer memory and didn’t consider that their products would still be in use by that time. Much like the Mayans probably just wanted to conserve stone carving, and didn’t consider that idiots in the future would still be paying heed to their calendar. Keeping track of time is a mathematical nightmare, so you can’t expect them to have done all that work to map things out indefinitely. They had to stop somewhere, and it just happened to be December 21st, 2012. If the Mayans were still around today, they would simply have extended their calendars, so that idiots in another 5000 years could freak out over nothing.
Merry Christmas and Seasons Greeting Here we go, the final edition of GayCalgary Magazine for 2012. All of us here would like to wish all of our readers a Merry Christmas, or Seasons Greetings if you prefer, along with our hopes for a happy, healthy, and downright fabulous New Year!
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This year we took another step in automating the process to make our lives easier. I created a program that I could run on my laptop at the show where we would input the Email addresses and associated photos directly into the computer. It saved the information to a database on my laptop, and then later when I had an internet connection, I exported them to our main website database. It saved a huge amount of data entry time, and avoided mistakes due to unreadable handwriting.
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Review
Rocking the Roxy Theatre With Bells On Guys in Disguise decks another Christmas season with hilarity By Janine Eva Trotta Perhaps you meant to see it last year but didn’t have the chance, or maybe it has become as embossed in your Christmas tradition as opening the doors of a chocolate Advent calendar. Whatever the case, Guys in Disguise returns to Roxy Theatre with what the Edmonton Sun’s Colin MacLean calls “a mirthful and rollicking Christmas treat” this December. Director Darrin Hagen was inspired to write the play when friend and show stage manager Neon suggested making the inside of an elevator the scene for a comedy. The two were heading down in an especially rough lift from Hagen’s apartment. Hagen had always wanted to put the contrasting characters of a giant, glittering drag queen and a scrawny straight dude on stage together, and what better than an elevator to do it in. And so the show ascended to fruition. After its inaugural run in Calgary two years ago, With Bells On was nominated for a Betty, and after last December’s showing in Edmonton was nominated for three Sterlings: Best New Play, Best Costume Design and Best Independent Collective. Though the show didn’t win in these categories its creator Hagen says he’s still happy that a Christmas piece shovelled in such high accolades, and aims for it to become an annual mainstay. “Every Christmas people can look forward to seeing this hourlong Christmas themed drag play,” he promises. “I’ve rarely seen a show so consistently well received.” “Even my mom loves it,” he jests, adding that this proves the storyline and comedy that composes With Bells On transcend the queer genre. “She’s coming back this year because she had such a good time with her friends last year,” he says. “That‘s the ultimate compliment; isn’t it?” The show began as a 45-minute piece when it debuted in Calgary, but in Edmonton has grown to a full hour of entertainment with even better costume. “Think the silver chrome Christmas tree you see at the mall,” Hagen says of the nominated get-up worn by the character She
played by the Amazonian James Hamilton. “And in that [extra] 15 minute space we get to explode the characters.” Though Hagen titles himself ‘a bit of a grinch’ and won’t be buying presents this year, he has put a seasonable size of joyous spirit into this show. “We’re letting someone else cook Christmas dinner this year,” he says, adding that he wishes he would get to stay in his jammies and watch TV all Christmas day. “It’s really nice to have such a great team together again,” he says proudly. “I love it when drag performers actually kind of rise to the next level and become artists.” Hagen hopes to see this show travel to other cities, such as Regina or Winnipeg. “[The show] doesn’t need me,” he says. “Just an elevator and a tall drag queen.”
With Bells On Presented by Guys in Disguise December 12th – 23rd Roxy Theatre, Edmonton http://www.guysindisguise.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3229
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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A Pride Worth Keeping your Clothes On Celebrating 21 years of Winter Pride
Photo by GayWhistler.com
By Krista Sylvester Usually gay pride events are held under the rays of the beaming sun with lots of skin showing, but this is one pride festival where wearing mittens and toques is worth it. Now in its 21st year, Winter Pride 2013 in beautiful Whistler, BC is bigger and better than ever. Snow, snowboarding, skiing, luging, bungee jumping, dog sledding, yoga, dancing, culinary and of course drinking and flirting; Winter Pride 2013 has something for everyone. Festival producer Dean Nelson has been pioneering the show for the past seven years, crafting it from a more male-and-ski-centric event to being more female-friendly (dyke marches and lesbian dances) with other non-ski events, much to its success. “It’s a lot of fun and I think we’ve made something that there really is something for everyone, especially the last couple of years,” Nelson says. “We’re continuing to grow the event and it’s been really successful.” Perhaps a strong sign of that success is a 75 per cent guest return rate, which is astonishing considering over 3,000 people attend the week-long event annually. “We have a lot of people that travel here from all over the world and make it their big winter vacation. We cater to people that are able to travel and sometimes our visitors are coming from places of conflict where maybe they can’t be out and proud at home,” Nelson says. He says gay couples can say they’re going skiing in Whistler without setting off alarm bells for others, as opposed to high profile gay destinations such as San Francisco and Puerto Vallarta. And best of all, Nelson says, is the town and town council are very supportive, even flying a pride flag at municipal hall and making proclamations.
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“Here [guests] can let their hair down and have a great time in a safe and inviting environment where they meet other people.” In fact, Nelson says, many visitors have even met their life partners at the closely-knit festival, often returning many times before eventually getting married in the ski town, too. “And this year, we’ve noticed a lot of people are registering for the first time because they’ve heard such great things about the event, so it’s a really exciting time for us. We love the community environment and the friendships people make.” The eight-day event features 65 various events visitors can take part in. “There’s so much to do. People can do as much as they want or as little as they want and have a really amazing time,” Nelson adds. And there are still great deals to be had, but don’t wait too long Nelson warns, because the vacancies will fill up soon. Whistler is offering a five-night, four-day ski package for around $114 a night per person, which includes lift tickets and accommodations. By comparison, last minute ski lift passes can go for as high as $112 a day. “I think if people are on the fence and need that extra little push to get off of the fence, the ski packages are a really great deal,” he says.
Winter Pride February 3rd – 10th Whistler, BC http://www.gaywhistler.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3230
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Interview
Diamond Rings By Jason Clevett We often don’t know the back-story of musicians. It can seem like they just come out of nowhere. In the case of John O, aka Diamond Rings, his inspiration and persona came out of a stay in the hospital. Having been in punk bands and floated around, it was a 2008 bout with Crohn’s disease that started him on his current career path. “At the time that I got sick and ended up in the hospital I was sort of in an in-between point in my life. I had just moved to Toronto and was looking to change my passion for art and music into a career. Like a lot of people who have a passion for the arts I found myself questioning whether what I was doing and wanted to do was useful or valid as a way to spend my time and give something of myself back to the world. I spent a lot of time writing music because I had nothing else to do. Eventually people started to recognize me in the hospital with my IV pole and my guitar. After awhile the nurses and doctors would stop in and ask me to play them songs while they were on a break as something special for them. Having that realization that these people who had nursed me back to health and had these important careers - a doctors role is pretty clear in their role in society – and seeing these people take pride in what I was doing gave me a lot of encouragement to pursue what I was doing whole heartedly once I got better,” he said. “I was really thrilled and felt liberated to be able to walk around and be an artist in a major city in Canada, it had always been a dream of mine. I wanted to do something within my means that was as spectacularly ostentatious as possible. I was happy to be able to make music and contribute. I had always had a penchant for dressing up and performance and wanted to take that to my own extremes for what I was comfortable with and manage on a thrift store budget.” GayCalgary Magazine caught up with John on the phone before a recent visit to the Hi-Fi Club, where his high energetic performance left fans wanting more. The Diamond Rings persona is quite different from John by day. “There has always been a difference between who I am during the day and who I am on stage, that goes back to when I played in punk bands. The stage has always been a really special place for me, a space I can let loose and be free and really, truly be myself. There are opportunities you are afforded as a performer that the average person just isn’t. That is what I really enjoy about performance, to be more than oneself. There is no way I could sustain that kind of energy 24/7. Being on stage is a lot of fun, but it is exhausting. During the day and leading up to the show is all about conserving my energy for that 60 minutes under the lights.” Diamond Rings was touring in support of new album Free Dimensional. This sophmore album is getting rave reviews. I asked how creating the new album was different from 2010’s Special Affections. “The biggest change was having the time to devote myself 100% to making music and striving to become better at it. It has always been my goal to do the best work I possibly can with the skills and tools I have at that time. The new album sounds and feels a lot more polished than the first one, because essentially it is. I have never had the intention of repeating myself, it is about trying something new and pushing myself to improve.” Listening to the album you can hear many of the iconic artists that have influenced his style. “Because I write and record primarily on my own, I don’t have to make many compromises with anyone else which is a blessing and a curse. I have taken Diamond Rings as an excuse www.gaycalgary.com
Photos by Norman Wong
to go all out exploring whatever sort of sounds I want at any given time. I knew early on, making this record, that it was going to be pretty diverse sonically. I embraced that, and that is partly why the album is called Free Dimensional. It is about embracing and exploring every side of who I am as an artist but also as a music fan. There are echoes of a lot of groups; I listen to a lot of Kraftwerk, Kylie Minogue, Devo, Pet Shop Boys, Robyn, Public Enemy, NWA. Any kind of group that has a really defined visual and sonic esthetic, I gravitate to.” After performing solo, he now has a band with him. Things are exploding, with opening spots on recent tours with Robyn and Stars. “It is always a thrill to open for an artist or band that I respect or in some cases like Stars I remember listening to. It is great to be recognized by your peers as someone they want in an opening spot. I took the opportunities really seriously and pay attention and learn from what the other artists do to prepare for the show and perform. They are in the position they are in because they worked very hard and dedicated their lives to their art. More than anything that is what having those opportunities made me realize. If you want to do music at a higher level you have to take every aspect of the job seriously. It can be a lot of fun, but it can be a lot of work. It is the best kind of work. I played probably close to 200 shows solo. Towards the end I was becoming pretty proficient at it and felt like I was bumping up against a glass ceiling. After touring with artists like Robyn and seeing their energy live, it made me want to capture that for myself. So [I went for] the next logical progression.”
Continued on Next Page
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page The opportunity to play late night television is one that most artists can only dream of. Diamond Rings impressed with recent appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “It was really surreal, a lot different than playing a show. I thought it would be similar to playing a big show but it is more like running a 100 metre dash. There is a lot of prep, energy and tension at the beginning, then they say go and it is one take, you don’t really get to start again. Then it is over before you know it. It was really surreal in that respect, by the time we were done you couldn’t really remember it happening. Watching it back on TV and sharing that moment with my band and team was really special. I remember seeing a lot of bands on late night television to be there myself was a real honour.” Diamond Rings won’t be playing clubs for long. His stage show and unique sound will take him far. “We do costume changes, loud beats, it is a fun time. I have been making music for awhile and know what it is like to drive all day and show up in a city and have a handful of people come and see me perform. It is great to have anyone come, but now that I am fortunate to be in a place where I can fill up a club and draw a sizeable
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[audience]. I try to be appreciative of the fact that people are spending the money and time to be with me and spend time in my world. That means a lot given how much great music is out in the world.” The support of gay fans has been a huge part of his success thus far, and he wrapped things up with a heartfelt thank you to the community. “I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing if it wasn’t - not only for the support of the queer community but, the influence of the queer community on the work. Early on I [saw] groups like The Hidden Cameras and Peaches as real, tangible inspirations. It is great to be inspired by Grace Jones but without having had the support of people on a local level I wouldn’t be where I am at now. They are my people - and the ones that dress up.”
Diamond Rings Free Dimensional available now http://www.diamondringsmusic.com
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Community
A Royal New Year
On the ISCWR’s New Years Eve Party & Calendars By Lisa Lunney The Imperial and Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose, a fundraising organization out of Edmonton, has Albertans covered this holiday season with two unique offerings: The ISCWR 2013 Calendar Looking to branch out into new fundraising ventures, the ISCWR worked with photographer James Birbeck to create some truly stunning images for this 2013 wall calendar. These calendars were recently sold at the Taboo show and feedback was very positive. You can pick up a copy at any ISCWR community function in the month of December, including the New Years Eve Community Gala (see below). Each calendar is $15.00 and all proceeds go towards a number of charities through the ISCWR, including but not limited to: The Pride Center of Edmonton, Camp Fyrefly, and also bursaries for Gay and Lesbian youth in the local community. So if you want a fun and unique gift for friends or family that they can enjoy the whole year, you should check out the ISCWR 2013 Calendar. New Years Eve Community Gala 2012 is drawing to a close, and the question of what to do on the evening of the final night of this year is on everyone’s mind. Perhaps the perfect way to prepare for the New Year, and ensure 2012 goes out with a bang is to attend the ISCWR Community New Years Gala. The idea for the Gala came as a direct response to losing one of the Edmonton community’s LGBT hangouts, The Junction. The ISCWR has apparently heard from members of the community that are feeling disconnected and out of touch with people they used to see regularly at this bar, but happiness and camaraderie in our community is a priority to the court. So this special New Years Eve party they are organizing is a way to offer people the opportunity of coming together again, and celebrate with “family”. The Ramada Hotel on Kingsway is where the annual Coronation is held, and they have kindly donated the bar space to the ISCR free of charge to hold this event on New Years Eve! Their generosity will allow for all money earned on this night to go towards the charities that the ISCWR supports. All people from all aspects of Edmonton’s LGBT community are welcome. It is sure to be a relaxing, and fun
Photo by James Birbeck, from ISCWR 2013 Calendar
evening. There will be no formal dress code; all patrons are encouraged to wear what they please, from drag to black tie - anything goes! The ISCWR has lined up a donated VISA gift card valued at $200 as a door prize, and the evening will also feature an exciting silent auction. The auctions items will be kept secret until the event, but the court assures partygoers they are going to be amazing. A DJ will keep the party going, so patrons can dance the night away and enjoy party favors, a midnight lunch and champagne to ring in the New Year! The release of their calendar might make gift shopping a little easier for you, and New Years Eve plans can also be easily sorted. It is exciting that partygoers will be able to ring in the New Year with the beloved Emperor JJ Velour and Empress Vanity Fair! If you’re able to catch this opportunity, no doubt you’ll start off the New Year with a bang!
The Imperial & Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose http://www.iscwr.ca
New Year’s Gala Monday, Dec 31st @ 9pm Ramada Inn (11834 Kingsway) http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3232
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Wondrously Frightening
Fairy Tales, Monsters and the Genetic Imagination at the Glenbow “The Long Awaited” by Piccinini
By Janine Eva Trotta Fantastic, surreal and entertaining. Sipping a refreshing white and standing betwixt a colourful collage of cosmopolitans at the Fairy Tales, Monsters and the Genetic Imagination exhibit launch party, these are the sentiments that came to mind. A band was playing that directed listeners who wished to talk to move their conversations to a distance so as not to distract the artists. The crowd had succumbed to childlike reverie and these appeared adult words. Since September 29 and running until January 2, 2013, the Glenbow Museum offers an exhibit that promises to take you back through the rabbit hole – so to speak. Become Alice for an afternoon, as the icons of childhood are recreated through a very somber, adult looking glass. “This idea that the literature of the past can merge with an interest in the biological present and the future in order to help us understand who we are is really the foundation for this exhibition,” says the exhibit’s Chief Curator Mark Scala of The Frist Center for Visual Arts in Nashville, Tennessee. Roughly 60 paintings, photographs, sculpture and video works by contemporary artists from Canada and across the globe compose this eclectic show, including works by the Chapman Brothers, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Cindy Sherman and David Altmejd. Altmejd, born in Montreal and based in New York, is represented at galleries internationally and known for his style of collaborating seemingly random materials – Stars of David, mirrors, faux jewels, severed werewolf heads, thread,
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seahorse – into striking sculptural pieces wrought with “symbolic potential”. Indeed symbolism is a theme present throughout the entire exhibit, as fairy tales and monsters are used to suggest the world’s future path. “We all use our imaginations to conceive of things we might become, that we don’t have any other way of talking about in relationship to our body,” Scala says. “When you think about genetic science, genetic engineers can create new types of bodies by splicing DNA. What would these types of body look like?” “For some artists the bodies that we can create in the future actually seem to echo the images of animals and humans combined that we have seen in fairy tales or the composite monsters that we see in something like Frankenstein.” Scala says one of the first artists selected for this exhibit was Australian artist Patricia Piccinini for her piece “The Long Awaited”, the sculpture of a young boy cuddling a large manatee-like grandmother figure on a bench. This sotrue-to-life sculpture gives the eerie impression the young boy is actually breathing. Piccinini, while interested in the genetic future, also uses images fanciful and appeasing to our childhood recollections. “We’ve always been sort of fascinated, I think, by grotesquery throughout human history and so we want to turn away but at the same time we really want to look; we really want to understand what it is about these creatures – these repulsive scary looking creatures – that we find so www.gaycalgary.com
compelling,” Scala says. Most interesting of all, he explains, is that monsters are our own creation. They exist because we invent them to symbolize the things we most fear. How will you interpret the monsters lurking within the Glenbow? How will you relate now to the common characters of your youth as they are used to depict tomorrow’s peril? Should confronting these beautiful demons be of interest haste not. The exhibit has made its final stop here in Calgary. “The Winnipeg Art Gallery hosted the exhibit before us and it is not traveling on beyond us,” says
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Ray Jense, manager of production and design at the Glenbow Museum. “All the works are being dispersed back to the private collections and galleries that own the work.” And back to haunting the inner child that happily we need still embrace to better understand what’s coming.
Fairy Tales, Monsters and the Genetic Imagination At the Glenbow Museum Running until January 2nd, 2013 www.glenbow.org http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3233
An untitled work by Ethier
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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News
Alberta Trustee Says to Act Less Gay Draconian views have draconian consequences for GLBTQ students By Krista Sylvester In 1994, in ruling on the now infamous Delwin Vriend appeal case that added sexual orientation to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Anne Russell wrote that “discrimination against homosexuals is a historical, universal, notorious and indisputable social reality.” Sadly, while Alberta may have come a long way since that ruling 18 years ago, her statement still rings true today, as evidenced by last month’s controversial comments levied by an Alberta school board trustee. Pembina Hills Regional School Division trustee Dale Schaffrick was speaking at an Alberta School Boards Association (ASBA) fall general meeting and during a debate regarding a proposal from Edmonton Public Schools that would further protect gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered and queer (GLBTQ) students from bullying and discrimination. Schaffrick essentially said that gay students should try to be less identifiable so that they are not discriminated against, and then reiterated those comments again to the media two days later. Although Schaffrick has publically apologized while taking ownership for his comments and stated that he is not “homophobic”, Alberta human rights advocate and former police commissioner Murray Billet says damaging comments like his confirm that Alberta has a long way to go.
“His comments highlight exactly why sexual and gender minority students, staff and families require specialized supports,” he says. “It’s exactly why a policy is needed.” Which leads us to the bigger issue; the fact the ASBA rejected the anti-bullying policy after two-thirds of the province’s trustees voted against the motion, claiming there is already protection for gay and lesbian students under a broader scope. “Some GLBTQ kids and young activists have been and continue to be assaulted and robbed for being gay. Sadly, others have been and continue to be bullied and yes, murdered for being gay,” Billet says. “Other kids choose suicide, that is our reality for our families… and yes, it could be your child.” These views are exactly why the ASBA must put its trustee’s apology into action, Billet adds. It was once said by Martin Luther King Jr. that “our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter.” Then thankful we should be for activists like Billet and politicians such as Alberta Liberal education critic and MLA Kent Hehr, who was extremely disappointed at the comments – but even more disappointed the government’s new Education Act doesn’t specifically protect the GLBTQ community. “In my view, a lot of the blame is with the provincial government,” Hehr says. “They haven’t done enough to protect GLBTQ students and they need to send a clear message to the school boards that there is zero tolerance for bullying.” He says Albertans need to look no further than former premier Ralph Klein’s days – the very same Klein who was an extremely vocal critic of the Vriend decision – when Alberta was the last province to add sexual orientation protection in the charter. Hehr says Klein was followed by former premier Ed Stelmach, who’s Bill 44 essentially allowed parents to pull their kids from school lessons about gay topics. Now, under the Alison Redford government, Hehr says the conservative agenda continues to fail to adequately protect those in the gay and lesbian community. “It’s wrong, it’s ridiculous and it’s time they send a clear message,” Hehr adds. Alberta Education Minister Jeff Johnson did speak out against trustee Schaffrick’s comments through Twitter, stating he was disappointed and would never ask his child to “hide who they are.” However, he stopped short of endorsing extra protection for gay and lesbian students stating that he believes the provincial legislation already offers adequate protection. That’s simply not the case, Billet asserts. “Our kids do not choose to be gay yet they continue to face draconian consequences,” he says. “We know many are bullied forcing them to lead this difficult and complex life of denial, deceit, restraint and obligation as they move through their life. Surely we can all agree that is wrong for any child.” Billet hopes that the issue has been instructive, reminding society that words shape consciousness, and words do have consequences. That is why, he says, Alberta needs to enact similar legislation to Ontario that provides Gay/Straight alliances in their schools. “The mind is like a parachute and functions best when open. I think that’s an important reminder when contemplating matters for all of our families. As we move forward, I trust the people of Alberta will remind themselves this is about putting kids and families first.”
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3234
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Bif Naked: Stripped Her Majesty returns with new acoustic album By Jason Clevett It seems like whenever we connect with Bif Naked to talk, a lot has gone on in her life. Our recent chat, coinciding with the release of Bif Naked Forever: Acoustic Hits & Other Delights is no exception. Asked to sum up her life in the last few years, she can’t help but laugh. “No. No I can’t! I don’t even know where to start. I’ve been going through a divorce, I’ve been on tour, I made a record, am writing a book. I’ve had heart surgery, my dog almost died twice. So many things.” The new album is available now, and features acoustic reworkings of classic Bif tracks like Spaceman, I Love Myself Today, and Moment of Weakness as well as three new tracks. The idea to do an acoustic album came from doing a series of acoustic shows. Rather than release a concert recording, Bif returned to the studio to create the album. “We had been doing acoustic shows for a couple of years and kept getting so many requests from the audiences for us to put it on a disc they could buy at the shows that it inspired us to make it. Doing it in studio meant we could do it the way we wanted to - to use the instruments we wanted to and pick and choose in an intimate setting and really think about the production. I wanted to work with Doug Fury who doesn’t tour with me. We wanted to play around with the songs and use lots of different instruments. It was so much better this way.” One of the biggest challenges she said was selecting the tracks to appear on the album.
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“It was very difficult, many of the songs we recorded didn’t make it on the album. It was very hard to select, there is just so much in the repertoire. I think we will just have to put out another acoustic record with those songs on it. I really wanted Henry on it. I love that song.” The lead single from the album, So Happy I could Die, features Bif singing “My whole life I was never good enough,” a feeling everyone can identify with. “It is very self explanatory. All of us feel like we are not good enough at some point, or someone has made us feel that way and reinforced it for us. Whether it was a bank teller that was insensitive to our needs that day or a lover who was cruel or a teacher that was not polite to you, and you carry it with you. The song is about deciding to just get on with your life and not feel bad about yourself anymore, get rid of your shame.” The other new tracks The Only One and Nobody Knows are happy relationship songs. With a long history of break up songs, it’s a different direction in some ways for Naked. “I have never actually written an angry song, they have all been breakup songs. The delivery probably seems angry in a way. I always thought Tango Shoes was a joyful song, and Spaceman is a song about longing. I think the direction is very similar. I have all of the same hopes and dreams that I always did, the wish we all share to love and be loved and speak up if somebody hurts us.” The album streamed on CBC music from November 27th – December 3rd, allowing fans and possible new fans to hear the album. The business of making music has evolved drastically since she released her self-titled album in 1996.
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page “The industry has changed a lot. Music is digital, which is different, and it is free. When I first started making records and selling out cassettes out of the back of our van, music was not free, now it is free. It makes you adjust a little bit, your attitude and how you put value on your work and your self-value. How much are you worth if you’re simply free. You aren’t worth anything. I had to change my thinking. Because I have been in the business for so long, it has been very gradual how music has changed and record stores are closing down. Kids today don’t get their music from record stores. I can make a record as a body of work and painstakingly decide on the order and meticulously try and put things in a certain way and it doesn’t matter. People want a single or to make their own order. I just have to let it go and be grateful that someone would even listen to [my] songs. It doesn’t matter how they get it, it’s just for the joy of making the art. That is what has changed more than anything, artists today have to do something simply for the love of doing it. That is how we all started and that is how it will end for most artists. I feel so happy that I can still be absolutely smitten with songwriting and being able to perform. After all these years I feel lucky every time that I walk on stage. Everybody knows the songs, it doesn’t matter how they got it, I am so happy that they like it.” The other major difference in the internet age is the connection with fans. Through her tweets and Facebook interactions, fans feel they know Bif Naked in a way that wasn’t possible before. “It is very simple, the fans have access to the artist. We all have access now, it wasn’t there before. It is the only thing that has changed. That is one of the beautiful things about our era in life and technology. It allows people to have access to organizations and people they didn’t have before. It allows people to have a voice, impact and affect, make change. We didn’t have the same ability before all this technology. It is a gift really for any artist or organization to be able to directly communicate with the people that are reaching out to you. It is a miracle how different it is. I used to have a post office box that was written on the back of my CDs. I would take the bus to my post office and pick up the mail that came in. We would go through the fan letters and mail letters and (backs of) postcards. Now people don’t have to wait, they just click and you are talking.” It also brings her long history of activism to a new level. A simple tweet or post can expose people to organizations and causes that she supports. “It means everything to me. If I was told tomorrow that I couldn’t promote charities or causes that I feel passionate about I would just deactivate my account. What is the point if we can’t try somehow? It is such a small thing to do to promote something for the well being or benefit of others. It is the least we can do as people who use technology. I think it is my responsibility, and I feel so fortunate to be able to do it.” Soon she will return to the road for both acoustic and traditional rock shows. “We played festivals in the summer with the full band and then in the fall did acoustic shows. I like to be able to do acoustic shows because I can talk to everybody. With rock shows I don’t have the same opportunity. It is my preference to do acoustic shows for sure and I always hope to do more of them. There is not a lot of money in touring - that is a myth. Gas is expensive, for a band to go on tour is an expensive process. As a result sometimes ticket sales will be higher and people will not pay. I have to take that into account that the band I want to see may have driven to Vancouver from Virginia, I have to go “yeah that is just how it is.” It costs a lot to get here and that is included in the ticket price. It is a tough living but it is all I know. Like any artist that has health issues that is all they know. Once you are recovered you get up and go back on tour, it is just what you do.” Naked is also working on her autobiography. As someone who has never shied away from painful subjects in her lyrics, the book will continue to share stories from her life, some of which are painful to revisit. “It is a labour of love. It is uncomfortable to write a lot of the stories. It is a little heart wrenching some of them. People are interested in it, and I can see it to a point. As a kid who was 18
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
adopted in India whose parents are missionaries I can see why there is an interest. I am trying to honour my parents in the book and it is an interesting thing to be able to objectively try and endeavor to record your memoir. It is a pretty difficult thing to do, you second guess yourself all the time and cut things out that somebody somewhere might be interested in. It is not for me to say, so it will be dependent on the creative editor and what they think is interesting. I am really lucky as a lyricist I’ve always written about painful things. My very first single in my lifetime was a song called Tell On You about being raped. Once I put that out there everything was easy. I wrote a song called Chotee about terminating a pregnancy that I didn’t want to terminate. It was already out there in the world. So it wasn’t that difficult for me to write about painful stories in the book because I have been writing painful stories in my songs for many years.” At this point in the conversation her beloved bichon Niklas barked in the background. The senior dog is Bif’s love, he even has his own twitter account. She has gone so far as to get rid of her bed because he had fallen off. “Niklas had a big year too. Right after I was in the hospital he went into the hospital and was intubated. I had to sign a DNR order for him this year, his trachea is flat and he has cushings disease. As you can see from his twitter he is just doing so well and thriving. He is the sweetest little companion and I am so privileged to have taken care of him for 16 years. I will never forget how lucky I am to have been able to be his mom. Getting rid of the bed was easy. Anastasia (her dog who passed away a few years ago) she had 8 back surgeries, so I never had furniture ever. It was never an option, never had it never wanted it. A boy moved into my house a few years ago and he was a big boy and needed a bed so I got one. When he left my home I got rid of it, and then my dad and his wife came to stay with me and I got a bed so they could sleep in it. Now I got rid of it again. It is really nothing for me not to have a bed or furniture. All I need is a dining room table that seats 20 people and a dog bed for Niklas, I am happy.” Bif Naked’s life has always had its ups and downs. Since 2007 she fought and defeated breast cancer, had heart surgery, married and divorced Vancouver sports writer Ian Walker, said goodbye to her dog, and still managed to tour and release two albums. Where even a few of the recent events in her life could break a person spiritually the one thing that is clear in speaking to her, reading about her, and following her in social media is she is relentlessly positive. “Because I know that I don’t have to watch my parents get disemboweled in a war which is what goes on in the rest of the fucking world. The perspective is pragmatic, I don’t think it is special, it is reality. Having a global awareness about what real struggle is keeps all of us positive and feeling gratitude every day. We are so lucky and blessed every day that we are not trying to escape war or being killed. It is not possible to not be positive really, no matter what happens. It is so simple. In Canada there is a lot of shit that we have to deal with for sure, a lot of human rights issues that we can’t even conceptualize especially in remote communities in the north. We live in a fucking bubble in our cities, and we need to be mindful of the people who do not have water, or a toilet. Kids don’t want to think about it because they have a hard enough life, but it makes us grateful and more respectful of other people knowing how much they go through all the time.”
Bif Naked Bif Naked Forever: Acoustic Hits & Other Delights available now www.BifNaked.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3235
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The Perry Twins The Perry Twins, DJing at the Official Pride Kickoff Party this past September
By Jason Clevett Doug and Derek Perry are one of the hottest DJ acts on the circuit. These good looking and incredibly talented identical twins have created a brand that has taken them around the world, including many visits to Canada. GayCalgary Magazine caught up with the dynamic duo earlier this fall. The pair perform at many different Pride events, and discussed what pride means to them, especially based in the US where there are still many challenges. Derek: “It is so different in the US with gay marriage not being legal in the majority of places and so many people are against it. It is nice that you can show your pride together and celebrate being unique and one.” Doug: “Like with the Chick-Fil-A thing in Hollywood and people supporting on both sides. It is 2012 why can’t we get over it? We are really lucky with our parents being so supportive, they taught us to be proud of ourselves and to be ourselves.” That said they do see a lot of positive changes at events they perform at. Doug: “It seems like it is a lot of younger people that come out and it is more accepting which is awesome.” Derek: “I feel like we have been seeing more of a mix of gay and straight supporters.” Doug: “When we first started doing pride events it was primarily gay people but now there are more straight people coming out.” Derek: “With everything that is going on it seems like people are more passionate about it and there is a bigger energy compared to the late 90’s when gay rights weren’t as hot of a topic.” The circuit has gotten smaller as more gay clubs close their doors around the world. We asked how this has affected them. Doug: “It is cool how it is becoming more mixed. The Abbey in West Hollywood almost seemed to be being taken over by straight people. Then they banned bridal showers from the bar because they didn’t want too much of it and wanted it evened up. In West Hollywood it is the cool thing for straight people to go to gay clubs.” Derek: “We DJ all over the place and there are lots of clubs that are still thriving and there is lots of action. But lots are closing down. Clubs for awhile were getting smaller, more like bars and lounges, but now with dance music being more popular on the radio more people are going out and people are out there again. I saw it declining but it is picking up again. Like with most DJ’s with clubs closing there are less jobs to go around. There are a lot more people DJing and younger people are getting into it. I think it is great but there are DJ’s around that are losing jobs to newer people that don’t like it.” Doug: “It is forcing promoters to be more creative and unique - things like beach parties or parties at theme parks, making it more of a visual spectacle.”
Continued on Next Page www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page Aside from being twins, Doug and Derek incorporate choreography and other elements into their performance. It isn’t just a DJ hunched over with headphones on; they feed off the energy in the room. Doug: “We used to dance a lot when we were younger and in college started a dance troupe. We always loved moving to the music and did backup dancing for different artists. When we started DJing together it seemed natural.” Derek: “We want to see a DJ excited and enjoying themselves, not just looking down, it is more fun. So we tried to incorporate that, and the music speaks to us and makes us dance anyways, we can’t stand still.” The boys had an amazing opportunity when they met Kylie Minogue recently on a TV show. Derek: “It wasn’t shown in Canada but a show called Watch What Happens Live, we were on her episode. She was so sweet and fun, I loved her. We have been fans for years and it was cool to meet her. It is weird that she isn’t as big in the US as she is in other places. We play her all the time but her only big hits in the US were Locomotion and Can’t Get You Out of My Head. We are huge fans.” Doug: “We were originally supposed to do another episode but when we found out she was doing a show we got psyched for it. She was very down to earth.” Kylie isn’t the only celebrity they have worked with. Some have a special connection to the Perry twins. Doug: “One person we are working with - we wrote a song for Rhona Bennett who was on Mickey Mouse Club in En Vogue. We are doing an R&B ballad and a dance anthem with her.” Derek: “A lot of times we will DJ and they will bring in an artist. We were on Fire Island and Neon Hitch played. We have done a lot of shows with Winter Gordon.”
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Doug: “Cindy Lauper performed a set with us in New York. She was the first concert our parents took us to in 1984. It was crazy to be DJing and there she was. Our mom is really into pop culture and celebrities, so whenever we run into someone we have to take a picture and send it to our Mom, she gets so excited. She is living vicariously through us and it makes us happy to make her happy. She was very excited when we met Cindy. I dressed up as Cindy Lauper as a kid one Halloween. Our parents are so supportive and awesome and come to see us at gigs.” The boys have many things on the go, and plans for the future. Derek: “We are always writing and producing music, but we haven’t released anything lately. It takes a lot to release music but we have been working on stuff that is coming out. We are in meetings about different TV things, we have a lot of cool things planned for the future.” Doug: “Music wise, because dance music is so popular now I feel like our DJing style has changed a little, we play to the crowd and what they want to hear and they react to it more. When they give us energy that gives us more energy to be more creative and have more fun.”
The Perry Twins http://www.facebook.com/ThePerryTwins http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3236
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When a Choir was Born
One Voice Chorus Presents a Family Friendly Night of Christmas Song By Janine Eva Trotta What better way to ring in the Christmas season than with a heartfelt performance by Calgary’s steadily growing LGBTQ and allies mixed choir. On Sunday, December 9th at 7:00pm, the Scarboro United Church will open its doors for The First Nowell with special guest PFLAG. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and free for kids 12 and under. One Voice Chorus formed in September, 2011 under the leadership of Artistic Director Jane Perry and her partner Cora Castle. The two arrived in Calgary from Ottawa and, having loved their experience in a mixed choir there so much, decided to start one here. The First Nowell is the group’s first vocal toast to Christmas. The evening’s line up includes the eclectic melange of the seasonal tunes one looks for in an Old English program. “We’ve got everything from the holiday classic Baby it’s Cold Outside to really familiar carols like Silent Night,” Perry says. The group is also taking on a Latin piece reworked by a Venezuelan composer entitiled O Magnum Mysterium, which Perry slates is a passionate “commentary on the nativity scene”. The One Voice Chorus has grown to encompass 29 singers, 26 of which will be on stage Sunday night. The group practices Monday nights at the Unitarian Church of Calgary, for which Perry is also the music director. As a firm action of support toward the growth of this choir the Unitarian Church generously donated a rehearsal space free of charge for the group’s first season. “As a result we have a great relationship with the church folk,” Perry says, adding that many members of the congregation have filled seats at all of the shows One Voice has put on to date. “We’re always really happy to see them there.”
Proceeds raised at The First Nowell will go toward paying for future rehearsal space, sheet music, and a stipend for the artistic director. Perry is a classically trained pianist and holds a Master of Music degree with a specialization in chamber music from the University of Ottawa, as well as an Associate Diploma in piano performance from the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. The First Nowell additionally aims to promote a comfortable family atmosphere. A guest associate from PFLAG Calgary will be speaking to the audience during the show about the space they offer for family members to talk when a family member comes out. “Because the focus of our show is on family of origin and family of choice we thought it be a good idea to include PFLAG into the show,” Perry says. PFLAG will answer questions about their program following the performance. The One Voice Chorus plans to put on three shows per season and already has two slated for the new year. Saturday, March 23rd, One Voice, One World will take place again at the Scarboro United Church. This will be “a world music concert, and just checking in on GLBQ rights around the world,” Perry explains. Special guests from Edmonton Vocal Minority, the mixed queer choir from Edmonton now celebrating their 20th season, will be making the trek down to Calgary to perform at this show. In June, One Voice will present Rainbow Roots, a night of folk music, with the Calgarian trio the Backyard Betties joining the stage. Visit the One Voice Chorus website for more details on upcoming shows.
The First Nowell Presented by One Voice Choir Sunday, December 9th at 7:00pm Scarboro United Church (134 Scarboro Avenue SW, Calgary) http://www.onevoicechorus.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3237
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
21
Farewells and New Beginnings
Wade MacNeil on saying goodbye to Alexisonfire and his new band Gallows
Gallows
By Jason Clevett In August 2010, the band Alexisonfire broke up. In a letter posted on the band’s website singer George Petit wrote that the breakup was “not amicable” and that he, Dallas Green, Chris Steele, Jordan Hastings and Wade MacNeil were going their separate ways. Green left to focus on City and Colour, while MacNeil departed to join UK punk band Gallows. “Dallas had told us he was leaving and we set out with the idea of getting a new singer. As you play music and get older, life has a way of catching up. You can always put things on hold and go on tour, it gets harder to do the older you get. It seemed like Alexis was getting farther and farther away from all of us. It had been about a year since we had done anything, I was feeling like we weren’t moving forward. As much as it had been my entire life until that point it felt like it had come to a close,” MacNeil recalled. “Around that time I got asked to join Gallows. It was odd, they didn’t know what was going on with Alexis, I was starting to tour with Black Lungs full time. (Gallows) guitar player Steph Carter called me up and told me their singer had quit and asked if I wanted to replace him. I felt it was something I would be sorry if I didn’t do. Timing wise it was strange to get that call, but it made sense. I was on a flight
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a week later. Within a few weeks of me joining we recorded an EP and then toured across the states for six or seven weeks and did some shows in the UK. It has been really go go go since I joined, and I think that is what has worked about it so far.” MacNeil spoke with GayCalgary backstage prior to a recent Gallows show in Calgary about his experiences in the UK band as well as the upcoming Alexisonfire farewell tour. MacNeil, Laurent Barnard, Steph Carter, Stuart Gilli-Ross and Lee Barratt took the stage at the Republik with a high energy, in your face set of punk music. Fronting Gallows is a very different experience from Alexisonfire and his side project The Black Lungs. “I’ve always sang in the projects I have done but never without a guitar, so I guess that is the immediate thing. That in itself allows you to sing a little bit differently. It makes the most sense for a band like this for any punk or hardcore stuff to have a singer that just sings. It has been cool and I have grown a lot as a musician doing it, but also regressed a little bit from doing it as well because of the music we’re playing. I love it. It has been cool to tour with Gallows and really interesting. I’ve spent so much time in the UK so it has been really cool and eye opening experience for them to see where I am from.” Constantly working is nothing new to MacNeil who has always kept busy with various projects. After wrapping up the Gallows tour he is reuniting with his former band mates for a farewell tour. In the month of December the band will play 15 dates in Brazil, Australia, The UK and Canada. The insane schedule brings the band to the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton December 19th and the BMO Centre December 20th. www.gaycalgary.com
Alexisonfire
“At first we were thinking, let’s just do a final show in Toronto. Then we thought of doing a couple of final Toronto shows. What opened it up was the Sao Paulo show, we were like, well we should go because we’d never had the chance to play there. When we agreed to do that it was on – how many days could we play this month – and we filled every one of them. We are going to every one of my favourite places we have ever played. Canada has been so supportive of our music and allowed us to be a band and with the support of everyone here to go and play in the States and Australia and the UK and build it up over there because we had such a loyal fan base here. It is everywhere I would want to be going.” Unfortunately many cities won’t have the chance to say farewell to the band, but MacNeil explained the reasoning why such specific dates and locations were chosen. “The band isn’t getting back together. I am glad we can do these final shows for our sake and our fans sake. That is really exciting, but it’s not a world tour because we are not a band anymore. It will be nice to close things off properly. We aren’t getting back together so we aren’t going to play in Pittsburgh or Regina, even though I am sure those shows would be cool.” Just a few days after MacNeil returned home it was off to London for the first shows December 2nd and 3rd. Time heals wounds and MacNeil is confident that things will go smoothly. “I fly home and we have 2 days to rehearse. We played those songs for 10 years so it should come back really quick. Dallas, Jordan and Chris got together but George and I weren’t around. We haven’t rehearsed in 2 years so it will be funny when we get together in that room for the first time. Steel and George were at the Gallows show in Hamilton, City and Colour and Gallows played in Phoenix the same day and I went and saw them. We’ve seen each other and hung out. Putting a bit of distance and time between the breakup, it made sense. I always wanted to do it but I wasn’t sure where everyone’s heads were at. There are a few things that happened to each of us that put the band in perspective, these really cool moments we had with fans. Dallas met some guy in Australia who told him how much the band changed his life. I was in Thailand and walked past this kid wearing an Alexisonfire shirt and I started talking to him about the band. Everyone started emailing each other about these little things that had been happening like that. We wrote two records in my mom’s basement and another two in this terrible insulation factory
in St. Catherines. The fact that those songs mean so much to somebody in Southeast Asia and touched people’s lives all around the world, I felt like the band deserved to go out with a bang, and I am glad we can.” When the band broke up there was immediate anger from fans, many of whom hurled insults at the band as well as Green for the breakup. Some of these same fans are angry that the tour isn’t coming to their city. MacNeil is amazed at the passion both positive and negative that the band has elicited. “When you have a career like this, the passion is something that comes along with it. It is very strange. People relate to a band because they love it and relate to it and it hurts when bands break up. I just try and look at it in a positive way that it is cool this band meant so much to everybody. They don’t really need to tell us to fuck off to show that, but that is how I look at it.” A question that always comes up when any band splits is if they will get back together. For Alexisonfire this is truly the end. They plan to go out with a bang. “We were never a band with pyro or anything like that. What we are going to do is really try and play a set that spans our whole career and dust some off we never had a chance to play. It will be really interesting and cool that we can have it as a celebration of the band. If we had known we were calling it a day on our last Canadian tour I think it would have been under really negative circumstances and none of us would have enjoyed it. It is something we all look back on really fondly, and I want to end it on a positive note. It will be good for our fans to do it in the same way.”
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Gallows www.gallows.co.uk Alexisonfire Farewell Tour Edmonton – December 19th – Shaw Conference Centre Calgary – December 20th – BMO Centre www.theonlybandever.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3238
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23
Politics
Kent Hehr Goes After Redford’s Revisionism By Stephen Lock One of the issues with political dynasties, be it the emperors of ancient China or the Progressive Conservatives of modern Alberta, is how they view their own history and their role in shaping it. Dynastic perceptions tend to have selective memory, often quite consciously so, and as anyone who has ever read George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four knows, tries to establish the current situation as always having been the situation, and popular memory is manipulated to reflect that new reality. In that novel of a grim dystopian future ruled over by Big Brother in which all aspects of life are tightly controlled, Oceania is in a perpetual war with one or the other of two alternate super-powers; Eurasia and Eastasia. The Party, known as Ingsoc and headed by the mythic and iconic Big Brother, engages in historical revisionism so that as alliances change from Oceania-Eurasia against Eastasia to Oceania-Eastasia against Eurasia and back again, all facts are altered to reflect the new alliance has always been an alliance and that the new enemy has always been the enemy. Alberta’s Progressive Conservatives are certainly not Ingsoc, nor exerts anywhere near the control over Albertans that Ingsoc and Big Brother exerted over the citizens of Oceania, but they do engage in historical revisionism. Kent Hehr, the Liberal MLA for Calgary Buffalo, recently challenged the current positioning of the PCs as some sort of champion of LGBTQ rights during the lead-up to the provincial election and following Premier Redford’s appearance at both the Edmonton and Calgary Pride celebrations. Predictably, he has come under fire from some quarters for daring to do so. “Many PC candidates are busy trying to convince voters that their party has somehow been born again – that its lengthy history of ill will towards gay and lesbian people and the maligning of the LGBTQ community are all sins that have now been conveniently and painlessly expunged,” he wrote on his website. He of course engages in a bit of partisan politics himself, pointing out the provincial Liberals, unlike their nemesis the Progressive Conservatives, have a history of supporting LGBTQ rights and initiatives. He correctly points out it was the PCs who fought against the direction by the Supreme Court of Canada to include sexual orientation be ‘read into’ provincial human rights law following the 1998 Vriend Decision. Prior to that landmark case, ‘sexual orientation’ was not a protected characteristic in what was then known as the Individual Rights Protection Act and, as a result, it was perfectly legal to discriminate against lesbians and gay men in areas of housing, employment, and access to public services. “In what can only be described as a particularly sad chapter in our province’s history and an exercise in sheer pigheadedness, those same PCs stubbornly refused to amend the legislation up until just three short years ago [his emphasis] – that’s eleven years of foot dragging, complaining about judge-made law, pouting, openly condoning discrimination, and railing against equal rights for all Albertans.” Under the Klein administration, equal marriage was also vigourously resisted with Premier Klein going so far as to threaten to invoke the Charter’s notwithstanding clause in order to have Alberta ‘opt out’ of the federal law supporting same-sex marriage. It was all just his usual bluster and Alberta, like every other province and territory in Confederation, eventually accepted the reality of equal marriage, albeit with pockets of reactionary resistance. Redford’s administration has called for an assessment to amend or possibly repeal Section 3 of the Alberta Human Rights Act which prohibits the publishing or displaying of discriminatory statements, notices, signs, symbols or emblems. This section has come in for its share of controversy as it has been used, in the view of many social conservatives, to ‘silence’ those who speak out against LGBTQ rights or the advocating of those rights. Hehr links that to relatively recent legislation tabled by members of the PC party such as Ted Morton’s Bill 208, Protection of Fundamental
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Freedoms (Marriage) Statutes Amendment Act, 2006, and then-Justice Minister Redford’s own support of Bill 44, Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Amendment Act, 2009. Both failed to pass but, had they passed, ‘conscience rights’ would have been enshrined in legislation allowing those who opposed solemnizing same-sex marriage to opt out of doing so and, in the case of Bill 44, creating a formal process by which any discussion of sexual orientation or other LGBTQ issues, as well as comparative religious courses and sexuality in general, would have been quashed in Alberta’s public school system. And yet during the election, Redford and the PCs made considerable noise against the Wildrose Party’s platform on ‘conscience rights’, suggesting it was nothing short of bigotry and homophobia. Bill 44 was promoted as giving power back to parents in deciding what their child should be taught. On the surface this seems reasonable, but what it meant in reality was any view parents believed countered what was being taught at home would not be seen as exposing youth to different ideas, and thereby challenging them to think about issues, but as a direct assault on family control and ‘’family values’’. If at home the parents held to Creationism and opposed evolution being taught, then evolution lost out. Or if at home the parents believed salvation could only be attained by accepting Christ as Saviour and all other religions were false and dooming their adherents to everlasting hell, then the child could not be exposed to any alternate concepts of religious belief. So too with the belief that heterosexuality was ‘normal and healthy’ and everything else wasn’t. Hehr essentially ‘calls out’ Redford on her, and her party’s, hypocrisy over their “consternation” concerning anti-LGBTQ statements (in) famously made by a couple of Wildrose Party candidates during the days leading up to the election. Perhaps the Redford PC’s have turned over a new leaf and are moving more towards the centre. Certainly much has been made by some of Redford’s reputed ‘Red Tory-ism’ and about how the provincial conservatives are, in fact, more Liberal than Conservative (or more liberal than conservative; pick one...). But the proof is in the pudding, as they say. If the Tories under Redford have seen the light and are, in fact, moving away from the staunchly social conservativism of their past - which will likely alienate the rural vote but perhaps up their stock in the large urban centres of Calgary and Edmonton - we need to see that. Redford and her inner circle need to do more than make token appearances at Pride celebrations or pose wearing rainbow boas for photo ops with drag queens. They need to be seen supporting LGBTQ-affirmative motions in the Legislature, to be seen speaking out against anti-LGBTQ initiatives brought forward by social conservative interests, be they MLAs or independent lobby groups such as REAL Women or Concerned Parents. The (seemingly) eternal struggle between The Right and progressive politics is real. It may not be as polarized in Canada as it appears to be in the States, but it exists nevertheless and is becoming more polarized with each success of either side. So far, the progressive side of the equation appears to be winning out, but the tide could change any time. The PCs need to take a definitive stand and not waffle in the political wind. If a political party cannot stand on its principles, whatever they may be, what do they stand for? Political revisionism is weak and unprincipled. I don’t much care which side they come down on. If they decide to remain true to their conservative roots and steer more to the right, so be it. If they decide to re-examine the social conservativism at their base, make some changes and adapt, I’d support that. Doesn’t mean I’d vote for them. Just pick one and stop talking out of both sides of their mouths.
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Review
Gay Men Talk ...to Tim John Peterson
By Evan Kayne Men Talk is a series of books compiled by former therapist Tim John Peterson. The recent book in the series – Gay Men Talk – takes several of the sexually related quotes from the other books and throws in a number of new ones. The topics covered run the gamut: homosexuality, bisexuality, coming out, oral sex, anal sex, S&M, incest, prostitution, and group sex just to name a few. Some quotes are funny, some are titillating, while other quotes are touching or very sad. Readers relate to them because they’ve had similar experiences in their lives. Yet be warned – you will also find quotes you will find disturbing or gross. The idea behind the series is any man can pick up these books and discover there are others out there with similar thoughts, feelings, fears, pain and desires. Women can enjoy them as it allows a peek into the minds of men – drawing back the curtain on thoughts and feelings that men often keep to themselves and rarely share. Tim believes readers relate to the books “...because they see that others are experiencing similar thoughts, feelings sexual desires, struggles with family, partners, and children, questions about religion and the meaning of their life...” Finding out what other men experience also throws a mirror up to yourself. As you work your way through the book, you will think “this person needs to learn to communicate, this person is a freak, this person is hilarious, what the hell is this guy’s problem?” The point is not to judge – it’s more to see what others think, what they’ve experienced. Whether you agree or disagree is in a sense, irrelevant. Tim added that “...from a philosophical perspective I take an experiential and nonjudgmental view of people and their lives and because of this I see them as perfect just the way they are. I let people live their lives and never push my agenda.” As many of the quotes deal with sex, I asked Tim if he thought that if our society was more open about sex and sexuality, people would openly discuss issues with their potential partners. His thoughts are that society seems much more open about sex and sexuality. The younger generation is clearly more sexualized due in part to internet porn, the focus on sex on mainstream TV shows and the impact of celebrity role models. Yet having sex, knowing about sex doesn’t mean you know how to communicate about it. “Most people struggle with confrontation. We rarely if ever learn effective loving diplomatic ways to communicate in general – much less about our sexual needs with a partner. Most of us will avoid bringing up topic matter with a partner if we think it will hurt their feelings or stir feelings of inadequacy in them. We often feel uptight, scared and vulnerable when discussing sexual desires with a lover; especially if they are more offbeat.” Or worse, if a man has to tell his wife he’s gay or bisexual – suddenly your life as you know it can end.
“For some, it is easier to keep such desires a secret and experience them solely as fantasies or through porn. Others will stuff their desires for a while, find it too limiting and eventually find partners they can be themselves with. This generally includes maintaining hidden relationships, anxiety and guilt. Honesty seems to be the best route in terms of being true to yourself but certainly not an easy one.” Gay Men Talk was published in June this year. The 3 main books, Men Talk, More Men Talk and Men Talk Again are available in soft cover and eBook format. The paperbacks are available through the publisher, Authorhouse.com as well as Amazon and BN.com. All of the other books are available as eBooks and can be purchased through Amazon, BN.com, LULU and Smashwords. There are also links to most of the sellers on Tim’s web site.
Gay Men Talk By Tim John Peterson http://www.Mentalk.org
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Trans-Identity
What the Advent of Trans Activism Means for Drag Culture By Mercedes Allen Just days before an 8-day cruise with Carnival Cruise Line - which had been planned with an LGBT travel agent and was to feature nearly 40 “Drag Stars at Sea” from RuPaul’s Drag Race - Carnival sent out a panicked letter to people who had booked: ”Carnival attracts a number of families with children and for this reason; we strive to present a family friendly atmosphere. It is important to us that all guests are comfortable with every aspect of the cruise. Although we realize this group consists solely of adults, we nonetheless expect all guests to recognize that minors are onboard and, refrain from engaging in inappropriate conduct in public areas. ”Arrangements have been made for drag performances in the main theater featuring stars from LOGO TV. These functions will be private and only the performers are permitted to dress in drag while in the theater. Guests are not allowed to dress in drag for the performances or in public areas at any time during the cruise...” As different as transsexuality and drag performance are, sometimes it takes a moment like this to remember the attitudes that are directed toward both. Transsexual women and drag queens have increasingly come into conflict over button-pushing aspects of each group’s self-definition and self-expression, each increasingly stepping on the toes of the other (it happens, but not as frequently in transmasculine communities). At the same time the Carnival Cruise letter happened, trans people were outraged at Australian performer Trevor Ashley for his spoof of the Broadway musical Annie, titled “TrAnnie” (and since re-named “Little Orphan TrAshley”). Meanwhile, RuPaul’s joking comment that the difference between a drag queen and a transsexual is “about twenty-five thousand dollars and a good surgeon” ignited a boycott and a letter-writing campaign. The interplay of the trans and drag communities (that is to say, the motley collections of vastly different people who simply happen to share those things) has become rocky in recent years, for a few reasons.
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The tendency of media and society to view the two groups as interchangeable has tended to confuse the discussion about both. News stories about trans activism are often illustrated with photos of flamboyant queens at Pride events, and even in LGBT circles, being trans inclusive is often interpreted to mean hosting a drag show. This has often posed a problem on both sides when trying to communicate who we are and what we need. Additionally, for transsexuals, who we are has never been a costume or a performance. The conflation of trans and drag reinforces the idea that trans people are ingenuine or even fraudulent. And this is why the divide growing between us can be so tempered and volatile: the existence of each risks invalidating the other for as long as we’re seen as a same, amorphous group. And then there’s the word “tranny.” In the world of drag, “tranny” is a rallying point of pride and a defiant middle finger to the world. As a result, people dismiss the “fuss” over that word as being silly and unwarranted. For transsexual women, though, it was often contextualized by unrepresentative porn, defined by non-trans people, and at the centre of it usually was characterization of a trans woman as “really a man.” Although both groups have worn the word, the invalidation and implication of deception has made it uniquely minimizing, dismissive and denigrating to trans women in ways not often felt (or at least not as strongly) in the world of drag. And then, there’s the question of misogyny. Drag has faced accusations of parodying women for as long as drag performance has been around. Queens often answer that accusation with a belief that what they do is homage. Trans women have faced the accusation of misogyny and mimicry too, though, and for years that claim was used to exclude them from womens’ spaces - and to not only invalidate, but also to cast serious aspersions. For many years, the 1979 book The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male defined the conversation about trans women, with its signature argument that “all transsexuals rape women’s bodies by reducing the real female form to an artifact, appropriating this body for themselves...”
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With the wounds of that still in our memory, the uneasy relationship between trans women and queens is often fraught with the fear (warranted or unwarranted) that drag might validate the perception of misogyny. It wasn’t always that way. Although I speak as someone who never became deeply involved with drag culture, I have a deep respect for the drag community and those I’ve known who perform within it. Despite all of the points of possible conflict, drag personalities were often the first people to challenge boldly the preconceptions and expectations of gender. When trans people were still scattered to the wind, drag questioned the stereotypes and took the backlashes. Queens often made the first “safe spaces” (where trans women have been welcomed and came out), and passed on the first bits of information on transitioning and getting by in society. For a transient community as transsexualism often can be, drag personae have also often been an enduring presence maybe not always ready to help with questions of identity, but usually helpful with practical day-to-day resources: where to find clothes, LGBT-friendly shelter, allies. And when drag became an entertainment industry, very often that industry benefited charity the most. That, on its own, should be enough to command respect. The conflicts aren’t one-sided either, although they might be different in scale. I imagine there can be a lot of resentment over how the rich history of drag is increasingly treated like it’s an embarrassment or offense, as trans activism continually lays claim over, dismantles and sucks the life out of all the things that once made drag culture rich. And many of our worst lows were ones that we bore together, whether we felt like we were a mutual part of anything or not. When we meet each year in November to remember those who have died as a result of anti-trans hatred, drag queens are disproportionately represented among the victims. Visibility has had its price for all of us. The thing that struck me about Carnival’s last minute panic and defining dressing in drag as “inappropriate conduct” for a “family friendly atmosphere,” was that I couldn’t help but hear Diane Watts’ fevered rant. The rant where “researcher” from R.E.A.L. Women of Canada (an antifeminist, anti-gay, anti-abortion, neo-conservative womens’ organization) testified before the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights spoke about Private Member’s Bill C-279, which proposes to include gender identity and gender expression in federal human rights legislation. Without even bothering to figure out what the terms meant, Watts simply started from the assumption that trans people were pedophiles, and delivered a caustic diatribe about child predation. When she was finally cut off and the meeting was returned to the Committee for questions, Committee member and Member of Parliament Robert Goguen bade her to continue in that vein for another five minutes. As jawdropping and angering as that is, it served as a reminder of the depth of the prejudices that we face as trans people. And although the language was wrapped in careful spin about appropriateness and “family-friendly” jargon, Carnival’s panic provides the reminder that we face those prejudices together.
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Gossip already named Buck Rogers. Check film festival listings first, but it’ll eventually crash down into an arthouse near you. Or possibly one in a galaxy far, far away. Lesbian happy endings coming soon from Carol In 1952, Patricia Highsmith’s romance novel The Price of Salt did an unexpected thing: a stylistic detour for its author (the lesbian mystery author of Strangers on a Train and The Talented Mr. Ripley, Salt was published under a pseudonym), it also allowed for the possibility of an optimistic resolution for its lesbian characters in a time when those sorts of outcomes just weren’t on the literary menu. Sixty years later, of course, this doesn’t seem unreasonable at all, which means the time is perfect for a film adaptation starring Mia Wasikowska and Cate Blanchett. The movie’s called Carol – the name of Blanchett’s character, a woman who falls in love with the younger Wasikowska – and it starts shooting in New York and London early in 2013. To be directed by John Crowley (other credits: the Andrew Garfield drama Boy A and Is Anybody There? with Michael Caine), the screenplay is from lesbian writer Phyllis Nagy, which means one more lesbian line of defense against the usual movie missteps involving male fantasy versions of women in love with women. Look for this love affair to light up screens sometime in 2014. Kylie Minogue is Walking On Sunshine It’s a Glee/Smash/Mamma Mia! world. We just live in it. And thanks to this cultural trend, the jukebox musical’s prospects have never been brighter (at least until that Jersey Boys movie hits theaters – we’ll see). But while the wave is high, who better to ride it than Kylie Minogue? The actress-turned-pop-diva-turnedactress, whose performance of a melancholy love ballad in the acclaimed arthouse hit Holy Motors was that film’s most tender moment, is having a moment of her own. She’s signed on to star in Walking On Sunshine, a musical about two women who fall for the same man in Spain that’s stuffed full of ’80s pop hits. U.K. actress Gemma Arterton – Quantum of Solace’s hilariously named Strawberry Fields, also starring as Gretel in Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters with Jeremy Renner – plays Minogue’s romantic rival. And it can be assumed she knows how to carry a tune, too. She’d better, anyway. Otherwise when they get to the part where it’s time to sing “I Should Be So Lucky,” Kylie might have a bit of an advantage. Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry: Together again
Matt Bomer photo by Warner Bros
Deep Inside Hollywood Countdown to Matt Bomer in Space Station 76 By Romeo San Vicente Gay Indie Film Alert! Evie Harris from Girls Will Be Girls has directed a movie. OK, her alter ego, Jack Plotnick, is the actual director. But whatever, same thing give or take a wig or two. The sci-fi comedy, Space Station 76, is based on a Los Angeles stage production that Plotnick’s been developing for some time, and it’s quite the team effort. Actors Kali Rocha, Michael Stoyanov, Sam Pancake and Jennifer Elise Cox (Jan in The Brady Bunch Movie) all pitched in on the screenplay and stage version, while the movie stars Matt Bomer, Jerry O’Connell, Marisa Coughlin, Patrick Wilson and Liv Tyler. True to its name and set in the futuristic 1970s, its convoluted soap opera plot involves space travelers named Misty and Sunshine and involves robots, bisexual secrets, Valium addiction, Women’s Lib, asteroid assaults and a lot of feathered hair, pretty much everything you want from outer space that isn’t 28
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Before House M.D. turned him into a worldwide household name, Hugh Laurie was better known, alongside Stephen Fry, as one half of the U.K. comedy team whose TV series A Bit of Fry and Laurie launched both their careers. Laurie’s been kind of busy during the past decade starring on the planet’s number one show, so the pair haven’t worked together in some time. But that’s about to change with a new animated version of Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost. A comic satire about British/American culture clash in a haunted English manor – an American family moves in and encounters the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville (Fry) and that of his afterlife nemesis, Death (Laurie) – the story has a perennial appeal and has already been adapted countless times. Just never by Fry and Laurie as CG animated ghosts. Directed by Kim Burdon with music by 84-year-old composer Ennio Morricone, it’ll be a great literary enlistment tool when you introduce your kids to Oscar Wilde during the 2014 holiday season. At that age they’ll appreciate it more than The Importance of Being Earnest. Romeo San Vicente hopes that Stephen Fry will be his British sugar daddy. Ian McKellen keeps saying no.
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Lifestyle
Cocktail Chatter The Watermelon
By Ed Sikov We were closing down the beach house for the winter. I was in a piss-poor mood and so was Dan, and neither of us was behaving with any degree of marital civility. We’d already fought over such terribly important issues as what kind of garbage bag to buy (I favored the kind with built-in drawstrings; Dan immediately reached for Brand X to save a buck; I prevailed), whether or not it would be OK if I spiced up the day’s dull tasks by puffing some herb (it would not be OK, Dan snapped, and I withdrew the suggestion), and whose iPod would reign on the sound system while we worked. Dan loves Mozart. I detest Mozart. “I won’t play Twisted Sister if you won’t play Mozart, ” I generously offered. “It’s a deal,” Dan said. Poor Dan. I don’t have Twisted Sister on my iPod. I put on my favorite playlist, “Fountains of Wayne’s Best,” and we fell into an uneasy truce. It didn’t last long. Dan opened the liquor cabinet and began emptying it out. “This is going down the drain!” he stated, and before I had a chance to screech “no!” he’d dumped half a bottle of Midori into the sink. “Stop!” I yelled. “Why?” he calmly asked with an evil smile on his face as he kept pouring. “You’re wasting perfectly good liquor!” I roared as I sped around the kitchen island and grabbed the bottle out of his hands before he emptied it entirely. “This stuff bites,” he said. “Nobody drinks it.” “I do.” “You do not. It’s been here for three years.” I couldn’t argue with him. Truth be told, the violently green Japanese melon liqueur was one of those items that had sat untouched on the shelf for several seasons. “OK, OK. I’ll make you something good with it before dinner.” He shot me one of those cockeyed looks of radical skepticism he produces at times like this, and I instantly knew all over again why I adored him. I’d planned a simple meal: burgers and salad. There was a bottle of ketchup left in the refrigerator and not much more, except a half empty bottle of cranberry juice. I much prefer the 100-percent juice variety to the market leading cranberry, water and sweetener brand, but I didn’t have a choice; we had to use up what a housemate had left in the fridge. Naturally, we had Absolut. We always have Absolut. I mixed our cocktails and served them in the living room. Dan had finished his tasks and was reading The Economist. “Cheers!” I said brightly. Dan took his glass and examined
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The Watermelon 1 part Absolut premium vodka 1 part Midori Cranberry juice to taste. Mix the vodka and the Midori in a tall glass filled with ice. Pour in cranberry juice to taste; stir; serve. it with the same wariness and vague distaste that a nurse practitioner would inspect an especially cloudy urine sample. “What’s in this?” he interrogated. “Drink it,” I said. “If I can taste that wretched Midori I’ll spew,” he threatened. “Drink it,” I repeated. He took a sip, then a gulp. “This tastes just like watermelon! It’s…!” Then he caught himself. “It’s OK. But it’s more of a summer drink.” “Put that glass down. Put it down now,” I commanded. He did as he was told. Then I dove onto his welcoming belly, yanked his shirt up and began kissing his navel mercilessly. I didn’t stop until he had apologized in several highly pleasurable ways.
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Out of Town Hawaii’s Big Island
The view from the Lava Lava Beach Club cottages, on the Big Island’s Kohala Coast. Photo by Andrew Collins
By Andrew Collins Roughly twice the size of the rest of Hawaii’s islands combined, the Big Island cultivates a loyal following of repeat visitors while delighting first-timers with its eyepopping scenery and welcoming, laid-back personality. Home to two of the world’s most active volcanoes, the state’s highest mountain (13,800-foot Mauna Kea), a wealth of both ritzy resorts and economical inns and B&Bs (quite a few of them gay-owned), some of Hawaii’s most secluded beaches and spectacular waterfalls, and miles of scenic roads, the Big Island - officially called the Island of Hawaii - is truly a land of superlatives. You’ll hardly be alone if you spend most of a visit to the Big Island (gohawaii.com/big-island) by anchoring yourself at one of the larger resorts and - it’s fairly tempting to while away your days lazing by the pool, swimming in the sea, enjoying a round of golf or some spa treatments, and eating and drinking fabulously, especially when some properties abound with cushy amenities. But do try to visit whichever side of the island you’re not staying on, either by car, or by booking a helicopter tour of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or over the amazing 1,200-foot waterfalls of the remote Waipio Valley. If you’re visiting the Big Island for the first time, plan to spend at least four full days here - you could easily stay two weeks without running out of things to see and do. Most visitors stay on the island’s west coast, either around the town of Kona, which is also home to the largest airport, or a little farther north along the Kohala Coast, which is renowned for its swank resorts and arid, beautifully desolate terrain, characterized by massive black fields of lava rock. There’s far less tourism development on the verdant but also quite rainy eastern side of the island, but on this side you will find the small, historic city of Hilo, fascinating Hawaii Volcanoes 30
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National Park, and the funky Puna Coast - there are quite a few gay-owned B&Bs in these latter two areas. Other areas that see fewer visitors but offer incredible scenery and all sorts of hidden charms include North Kohala, at the northwest tip of the island, which includes the historic plantation villages of Hawi and Kapaau, and access to the magnificent black-sand beach at Pololu Valley, which is situated at the very end of Hwy. 270 and then reached by a somewhat steep trail (it’s about a 30-minute hike). In the upcountry not far from the Kohala Coast, Waimea is a vintage ranching town known for its Hawaiian paniolo (cowboy) culture - you pass through it if you drive to the east side of the island via the northern loop (Hwy. 19), in which case you’ll also have the chance to see the beautiful Hamakua Coast as you make your way down to Hilo. Waimea has several notable restaurants, from fancy Merriman’s to affordable and fun Big Island Brewhaus & Tako Taco Taqueria, which serves some of the finest artisan beers in the state. From near Waimea, you could also drive an alternate route to Hilo, via the narrow (but much-improved over the years) Saddle Road across the island’s midsection, perhaps visiting the Onizuka Center of International Astronomy on the upper slopes of Mauna Kea. Other communities in the cooler upcountry elevations of the western side of the island include the prime coffee-growing and agricultural communities of Holualoa and Kealakekua, charming little towns with a number of distinctive restaurants and shops. Continue south through along Highway 11 if order to take the southern loop around the Hilo - the road twists and turns along some dramatic stretches of the Kona Coast, eventually passing through Naalehu - the southernmost town in the United States. It then climbs northeast along the lower slopes of Mauna Loa and into the town of Volcano, which is the base camp for 520-square-mile Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. www.gaycalgary.com
This park to martial arts) devoted to a pair are offered, and of extremely active massage rooms volcanoes is one where you can of the best places book a wide range on earth to view of spa services. and learn about Although this geothermal energy nonprofit resort and volcanology. is popular with Trails lead from groups on retreat, the visitor center, it also draws which overlooks plenty of solo the steam travelers, couples, plumes rising and small groups out of massive of friend seeking Halemaumau rejuvenation, Crater (which wellness, and erupted in 2008 relaxation. Smaller and has been gay-owned B&Bs belching toxic gas abound in this ever since). You area anchored Steam plumes rise from 270-foot-deep Halemaumau Crater, inside can drive along by the quirky Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. part of the rim of town of Pahoa Kilauea Volcano a few favorites caldera, which has been sending rivers of molten lava down include Absolute Paradise B&B (absoluteparadise.tv), the Ohia to the ocean, off and on since it entered into a period of hyper House B&B (ohiahousebb.com), and Coconut Cottage B&B activity in 1983. You can drive the park’s scenic, 23-mile Chain (coconutcottagehawaii.com). of Craters Road, accessing many other trails along the way, Just outside Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, gay-owned including a short and memorable jaunt through a lava tube and Hale Ohia Cottages (haleohia.com) is an airy, warmly decorated others along hardened lava flows. For another opportunity to seven room complex nestled amid pine trees and ferns. The come fairly close to where lava has quite recently flowed directly elegant cottages and suites sleep from two to five persons, and into the ocean, drive along to the end of Hwy. 130 on the Puna some have kitchen facilities. In the same village, other gayCoast to Kalapana, where in the 1980s and ‘90s, huge swaths popular inns with excellent reputations include Volcano Village of lava destroyed more than 100 homes. Lodge (emmaspencerliving.com/volcano-village-lodge) and The big resorts along the Kohala Coast include everything Volcano Rainforest Retreat (volcanoretreat.com). from ultra-posh hideaways to moderately upscale chain hotels. Finally, along the Kona Coast you’ll find several other terrific Among the former, the Four Seasons Hualalai (fourseasons. lodgings. An upscale guest house that offers elegant decor com) is a supremely swank property, consisting of spacious along with intimacy and seclusion, Horizon Guest House rooms set within secluded three and four-unit bungalows facing (horizonguesthouse.com) has four units that afford unparalleled either the ocean or golf courses. Private entrances, spacious ocean views, as does the in-ground infinity pool and sweeping lanais, a magnificent health club and spa, and parklike grounds grounds on this 40 acre mountainside high above the Pacific. set this compound apart from the competition. The Fairmont And on a 30-acre coffee plantation in an artsy upcountry Orchid (fairmont.com) is another of the area’s notable luxury enclave above Kona, the Holualoa Inn (holualoainn.com) is an resorts, while the Waikoloa Beach Marriott (marriott.com) is absolute stunner, with handsomely appointed rooms, dramatic a more affordable through still exceptionally comfy - and very sea views, and lushly landscaped gardens. On the Big Island, gay-friendly - hotel with a great beachfront setting. there’s a lodging that fits just about every style and budget, a Down a side road near the Marriott, you’ll also find one of the reflection of this wonderfully diverse, enchanting getaway. sweetest little lodging gems in all of Hawaii, the gay-owned Lava Lava Beach Club (lavalavabeachclub.com), which comprises just four immaculate and smartly furnished bungalows on the http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3244 beach at Anaehoomalu Bay, each with private outdoor lavaView Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments rock showers, a large lanai, and a well-equipped kitchen. This mini-resort, which opened in spring 2012, is also home to an excellent and very LGBT-popular beachfront restaurant - it’s owned by partners Eric von Platen and Scott Dodd, who also operate the exceptional Kona restaurant, Huggo’s. Up on the North Coast, just a five-minute drive from Hawi, the charmingly secluded Hawaii Island Retreat (hawaiiislandretreat. com) is another of the Big Island’s newer and still relatively lesser known jewels. Built in 2009 by spa therapist and healer Jeanne Sunderland and her husband Robert Watkins, this tranquil “eco-boutique hotel” set dramatically atop a seaside cliff comprises nine simply but elegantly furnished rooms, all with whirlpool paths, plus several economical yurts, as well as a spa, yoga studio, fitness room, and infinity pool. The property has developed a strong following among spiritually minded visitors who appreciate the magical setting, kind staff, healing spa treatments, and peaceful vibe. Down near Hilo, the lush Puna Coast is home to a favorite of LGBT visitors, Kalani (kalani.com), a long-established retreat center with eco-cottages, a clothing-optional pool, an open-air restaurant with meals enjoyed family-style, hot tubs, a sauna, gathering spaces in which workshops and classes (from yoga www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Dan Savage Love (and Hate)
Polarizing media pundit talks ‘crazy’ queer people, launching It Gets Better and why he’s not a bully
Photos by LaRae Lobdell
By Chris Azzopardi In his two-decade career as a sex-advice columnist, and more recently as creator of the It Gets Better Project, Dan Savage has entertained readers with his frankness and inspired queer kids with his encouragement – even when some people would rather he just go away. Those same people – critics who have called him racist, transphobic, the devil and even The Gay Fred Phelps – are the ones he takes on in our recent interview. GC: How does it feel going from cheeky columnist to a leader in the LGBT movement after launching the It Gets Better Project? DS: (Laughs) I don’t know! I never describe myself as a spokesman or having any sort of role in the movement – because it pisses off people who probably should be pissed off, or probably just want to be pissed off. I’m just a writer. Usually when people start talking about a gay writer in relation to their role in the movement, what comes next is they want you to shut up.
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GC: It’s true. There are a lot of conservatives who wish you’d shut your mouth. DS: There are a lot of lefties out there who are trying to get me to shut up! There are lefty queers who think that I’m the devil. GC: The people who hate you, especially in the gay community, say that although you created the It Gets Better Project to curb bullying, you are a bully yourself – that you bully the obese, Republicans and Christians. How do you respond to people who call you hypocritical? DS: Well, usually they’re lying or they’re full of it, or they’re confused about what bullying is. Bullying is a power relationship; it’s about the powerful picking on the weak and the vulnerable and the persecuted. That I have an opinion about the obesity epidemic that you disagree with doesn’t make me a bully. That I write a column where people are allowed to use the language that they actually use when they talk about their sex lives, and that I use the word “fag” in my column, doesn’t make me a bully. Rick Santorum says I’ve bullied him – because he is somehow the moral equivalent of a vulnerable and isolated closeted gay 13-year-old growing up in Texas who has no support and nowhere to turn? That’s Rick Santorum? This is dumbing bullying down to mean absolutely everything. People who claim that they’ve been bullied by me or my column are full of shit. (Laughs) Now they’ll claim that that is bullying because I’m supposed to go, “Oh, golly gosh, you just threw the word ‘bullying’ on the table and it’s kryptonite and I must melt in the face of it.” Somebody disagreeing with you – that ain’t fucking bullying. GC: How about telling Republicans to kill themselves? What’s that?
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DS: (Laughs) I actually haven’t ever told a Republican that they should kill themselves, and the one time on Bill Maher I said under my breath, “I wish they were all dead,” I immediately apologized before anybody barked at me about it. It was the wrong thing to say, and I apologized before anybody yelled at me. I didn’t wait for there to be a scandal to apologize. You know, when you run your mouth for a living, sometimes you run yourself into a ditch. It’s important at those moments to man-up and say, “Hey, that was wrong.” People try to claim that I’m a bully – and it’s bullshit. It’s actually a form of bullying, you know, when queers show up and somebody throws a jar at your face and dumps glitter on you and says that you’re an antitrans bigot. To accuse somebody in the hothouse environment of queer activism of being an antiqueer bigot is bullying, especially when you’ve got nothing to back it up. GC: Where does this hatred come from? How did you become this “bully” within the gay community? DS: What that comes from is that some fucking queer people are crazy. That’s where that comes from! (Laughs) I’m for trans-inclusion. I keep pointing out that the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell repeal is not finished because trans people are banned from serving in the military, and I raised $5,000 for a trans woman’s funeral on my blog in 2004. Buck Angel and Kate Bornstein have been guest sexperts. Find me a sexadvice columnist who was seeking out the opinions of highprofile trans people 15 years ago and lending them their platform. If that amounts to anti-trans bigotry, if I’m the enemy in the trans community, then the trans community could use more enemies like me. The It Gets Better Project wasn’t the Suck My Dick, I’m Dan Savage Project. (My partner) Terry (Miller) and I got it rolling and then stepped out of the way. And a lot of trans people made videos. Some of the first videos that came in were from trans people and upped the visibility of trans people. I’m the executive producer of the two It Gets Better specials that we did for MTV, which reached millions and millions of people. One of the six stories we told was Aydian’s – who’s trans! What’s funny is that anything I do that is vaguely in-line with stuff that I’ve always done that’s pro-trans is now, “He’s just covering up for his transphobia by being pro-trans.” GC: What do trans people point to? Why do some of them think you hate them? DS: That I’ve used the word “tranny” and the word “shemale” in my column. I stopped using them after people raised objections, but people still cite columns I wrote 10 years
ago. I think we all know more about trans issues than we did 20 years ago. I have trans friends who actually think we should use the term “she-male” when we’re referring to a type of trans woman who does escorting or a particular porn genre, because what other term is there? What are you supposed to say when you mean she-male porn? GC: You also use “fag,” so that must make you anti-gay. DS: And I use “breeder,” so I’m anti-straight. We could pick this apart. I’m a rape apologist. I’m racist. It’s kind of hilarious. (Laughs) GC: The It Gets Better Project has become a worldwide movement. Did you anticipate it taking off like it has? DS: No, absolutely not. When I announced it, I thought it would be this cool project for my readers. We hoped that we would get about 100 videos, because I felt like if we got 100 videos, we’d get some of everybody. Terry and I were both aware when we released that first video that not all queer people look like us, have penises like the both of us happen to, want the same things out of life – and it would only be meaningful if there was a lot of everybody, a lot of different kinds of queer people. We got 100 videos in probably 12 or 24 hours, and it kind of blew us away. That just this week It Gets Better launched in Portugal and Italy, and there are It Gets Better Projects in Latin America, Australia, the United Kingdom and Sweden – it’s kind of amazing. There’s probably 80,000 videos, and millions of people have taken part in the projects. It became part of a sensation, and then celebrities and politicians started jumping in; we did not solicit videos from celebrities and politicians. The ones that are really valuable to everyday ordinary queer kids are the everyday ordinary queer people who you haven’t heard of. We don’t want to say that to be happy and loved you have to be Ellen, because not everybody gets to be Ellen. GC: Some of your critics thought that It Gets Better was too passive, that we should tell kids to fight back. Scott Thompson of The Kids in the Hall told me his advice to kids would be to “grow a pair.” DS: (Laughs) You know what, that’s what some people said in the videos. One of our favorite videos was from Gabrielle Rivera, this Latina lesbian poet in the Bronx who made this video that some people thought we would hate. In her video she’s like, “I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t get better. These white people and their money, and they can sit in their nice apartments.” But she was like, “Fuck that and these people. I’m here to tell you it does not get better;
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Continued on Next Page GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page I’m here to tell you, you get stronger.” That’s grow a pair – or you will have a pair grown for you. (Laughs) Most of the misconceptions people have of what’s in the videos can be cured if they spend five minutes watching them. If you watch them, what you see are people talking about how they made it better themselves, what they did, how they demanded better of their families and their communities. It didn’t just happen to them – the sun didn’t just come up and it was better one day. So there’s nothing passive about the project. GC: Who told you it gets better when you were a kid? DS: People have asked me, “Would you have liked there to be an It Gets Better Project for you?” and I’ve always said that there was. When I was 13 years old in 1977, growing up in Chicago, I remember very distinctly being out at the movies with my mother, siblings and dad – and there were two gay guys in line holding hands in front of us. My parents were kind of unhappy and freaked out, and I just remember looking at the couple and going, “I always knew I was different. Now I know how.” I just looked at them and thought, “They look happy; I’ll be OK.” And they were telling a story, which is what the project is about. Fifty years ago, you used to think you were the only queer person in the world. You didn’t think there was another boy like you. Queer kids don’t grow up with that kind of isolation anymore. But there are bullied queer kids out there who know there are happy queer adults in the world, but they don’t know how you get to be one. But so many of us suffered, and then we got past it. With this project, we were able to share those stories. And there have been other suicides since that have been earthshattering, particularly Jamey Rodemeyer’s suicide. We’ve heard from thousands of kids – and some parents, even. And
nobody writes about the kids who didn’t kill themselves. It’s not a news story when a gay kid doesn’t kill him- or herself. GC: Who do you go to for advice? DS: I used to go to my mom, but my mom passed away, so I go to my brother Billy. He gives great advice. He’s a smart dude. GC: Does Terry give you good advice? DS: (Laughs) Well … Terry and I are spouses; we talk about everything. Terry is a very smart person, but usually when I need advice it’s about Terry, so I can’t really go to Terry. GC: What are some trends in gay sex? Have dental dams caught on yet? DS: No – dental dams for analingus and cunnilingus didn’t catch on during the worst of the AIDS epidemic; they’re certainly not catching on now. Trends in sex: Well, kink has gone completely mainstream. I’d like to think that my column sort of opened the discussion of kink and helped make it more mainstream. Look at Fifty Shades of Grey now. Back when, people who had the audacity to hang Robert Mapplethorpe pictures in museums were put on trial; newspapers and courts talked about S&M as if it were the most depraved and disgusting thing that a human being could possibly do next to gay sex. And if you did it in addition to gay sex or at the same time, oh my god – you were Satan. Now it’s pretty mainstream. But that’s human sexuality. Gay sex always had at its heart that sex is about pleasure and intimacy and not about reproduction – and it’s not about reproduction for straight people either, but they like to pretend that it is. Straight people have a lot more sex than they have babies. GC: For someone who gives advice on sex, you must have a pretty fulfilling, or at least entertaining, sex life. How much of the advice you give is based on your own sex life? DS: Gay people tend to know more about sex and be better at it than straight people, because sex is what makes us not straight people so we think about it more. So everything I write about – not everything; I haven’t salined my balls. Not yet, anyway. The night is young. Who knows what could happen. But I take a healthy interest in variance and difference. I’m always kind of curious about what people are up to. We have, I think, a pretty awesome sex life, and it’s adventurous and we’ve been together a long time and everything is still pretty … great. (Laughs) GC: There were about four other adjectives in there. DS: There were! Some people are shocked when they come over to our house and they expect that there will be a sling over the dining room table, and there isn’t. It’s very Ozzie and Harriet around here. We kind of have a grandma house. It’s very boring. Not that we don’t have a sling; we do – it’s just not hanging over the dining room table.
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Review
A Link to My Past
Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses By Rob Diaz-Marino When I was in my early teens, my progress through the Legend of Zelda game on the original Nintendo (NES) came to an abrupt halt when I threw a screaming fit. I was struggling to defeat one of the dungeon bosses, and at that age my dexterity with the controller and ability to strategize weren’t quite up to par. Rather than calling the exorcist, my mom asked me to return the game to the rental store a day early. Since I realized the game was no longer fun for me, I agreed. Despite this awful experience, and similarly having given up on Zelda II: The Adventure of Link also on the NES, I was still excited to try the latest game in the series for the Super Nintendo (SNES) when it was released, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. With much improved gameplay and my further developed gaming skills, this one didn’t end in such disaster. In fact it became one of my favorite games on the SNES, which I played through numerous times. I played it together with friends, and it became something of a common-ground mythology for us. Some might say it was “just a game”, but in reality it had a significant influence on my childhood. I didn’t have the luxury of jumping on board with Nintendo’s subsequent game systems such as the N64, Game Cube, and Wii, so I missed out on the newer installments of the Zelda series. However, in University I did a bit of “retro gaming” and returned, with the help of various emulators, to play Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I also revisited the two old Zelda games on NES and finally put the buggers to rest. When I heard that an orchestral performance dedicated to the Legend of Zelda game series was touring to Calgary, I was excited to say the least. Part of it was nostalgia; another part was curiosity, to see what some of the music I - to this day still know off by heart - would sound like when played by a full orchestra rather than the game console synthesizers of the time. As a control, I brought my partner Steve to the show with me who has personally never played a Legend of Zelda game. Despite a slight hold-up at the box office, we made it into the packed Jubilee Auditorium just before the main performance started. To whet the audience’s appetite, we were first treated to a compilation of similar themes spanning numerous Zelda games: music that any person who had played any one of the games would recognize instantly. This included “Dungeons” and “Kakariko Village”, among others. Above the orchestra was a large projected screen that showed sample video clips of each game, in time with the music. Following this, Executive Producer of the show Jason Michael Paul spoke a bit on the mic to welcome the audience and explain how the performance would proceed. It was broken up into four movements, each dedicated to a different game, with an intermission in the middle. The first movement focused on what Jason touted as a Zelda fan favorite: Ocarina of Time. This was the very first Legend of Zelda game on the N64 console, and thus the first game of series to venture into 3D. The video took us through key elements of the story from start to finish (spoiler alert), as the orchestra provided the musical accompaniment of the most iconic themes from the game. The next focused on The Wind Waker, which I personally haven’t played. Experiencing the sights and sounds from it, however, gave me the itch to get caught up! The crowd went wild when the conductor pulled out a matching baton to one used in the game.
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Setlist Overture Dungeons Kakariko Village Songs of the Hero (Morning Song / Song of Time / Serenade of Water / Song of Healing / Song of Storms) Prelude ~ The Creation of Hyrule Movement 1: Ocarina of Time Movement 2: The Wind Waker Fairy Fountain Movement 3: Twilight Princess Movement 4: A Link to the Past Ballad of the Wind Fish Gerudo Valley Suite from Majora’s Mask
Appropriately the intermission was accompanied by the mellow “Fairy Fountain” theme that has appeared in several Zelda games. It felt like a comic expo for the number of costumes that we saw while mingling out in the lobby. We even noticed a guy dressed in drag as princess Zelda! Following that, we settled back in our seats for the 3rd movement from Twilight Princess, another game I’m not familiar with that I am now curious to try. Then, finally, the fourth movement focused on my childhood favorite, A Link to the Past. Jason had explained that this was the game that established many of the musical themes and recurring story elements that would appear in later games of the series. I’ll even admit I was moved to tears during Zelda’s theme, a warm and sentimental piece. This appeared to be the end of the show, or so the audience was teased. But after much applause, the conductor returned to the stage for “Balad of the Wind Fish”, “Gerudo Valley”, and an entire suite from “Majora’s Mask” before the show came to a close. For me it was a moving walk down memory lane, probably even more so for others. For Steve, it was still an entertaining and enjoyable performance. We both agreed that the classical-music genre of the presentation leant a certain level of sophistication that almost masked the wonderful scent of geek. Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses continues to tour through the US and Canada. Check their website for upcoming tour dates.
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses http://zelda-symphony.com
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Oldbury
By Lisa Lunney Alberta rocker group Oldbury recently took time out of their busy schedule to chat with GayCalgary Magazine. These boys are helping to put Red Deer on the map as they work their way up in the music industry; Oldbury has already opened for big names such as Our Lady Peace and Sublime. The band spoke to us in an Email interview: GC: It is great to hear such a distinctive sound coming from GayCalgary’s home province of Alberta. Can you tell us a bit about your roots? O: The band has been on the scene for eight years now. We are very fortunate to still have 3 of the founding members: Josh Baynes (Lead Vocal), Craig Olsen (Bass/Vocal) and Jeff Talbot (Drums). Ryan Marchant (Guitar/Vocal) joined the band over a year ago but it feels like he has been with us the entire time. Losing members and finding replacements is always a difficult thing but Ryan is such a great fit in musical style and personality that he has fast become a part of the Oldbury family. GC: What have been the biggest challenges being a band from small town Alberta? O: There are certainly challenges (not many talent scouts are hanging out in Red Deer) but our little city has an amazing live music community. All of the bands are friends with each other and work together to promote and further everyone’s interests. Red Deer is also great from a geographical perspective as it gives us easy access to Calgary, Edmonton and really all of Alberta.
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GC: What inspired you to pursue music? Was there a specific artist or era of music that really spoke to you and made you decide music was your destiny? O: All of us were drawn to music early on Album Cover in life. All of us played in various high-school rock bands before we even met and had a taste of the delicious rock-sauce before Oldbury was formed. Once we sampled the sauce we were addicted to Rock! All of us were greatly influenced by the 90’s music scene, as that was the decade that we were teenagers and first getting into using music as a method of separating ourselves from the influence of our parents and finding those first threads of individuality. Bands like NOFX, Pearl Jam, Big wreck, Soundgarden, Counting Crows, Bad Religion and many more provided the soundtrack to those years. Hints of those epic acts can still be heard in our songs. GC: In July you released RIDE! Can you tell us about this album? O: RIDE! Is our second album and we tried very hard to apply the lessons learned from recording the first album. The result of that effort is a solid rock album that really exudes the personality of the band. To us the album is a nine-song story of pursuing a dream that requires constant sacrifice while at the same time enjoying life and truly having fun.
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Life is a blazing dragon, so....RIDE! GC: Every song offers a different flavor of emotion, and energy. What inspires your lyrics? O: We are glad you noticed! We work hard to make sure that each song is its own individual entity while still maintaining the Oldbury vibe. The lyrics are all based on the lives that we live every day. Some of them are very story based and written literally about a specific experience (Bentagain and Loss Vegas are prime examples) and some are about the emotion that comes along with being in a band; that insanely formidable feeling of connecting with a crowd and giving them everything we have (the theme behind Absolutely Everything). GC: What category do you feel your distinctive sound would fall into? O: This is always the most difficult question to answer. We are certainly a rock band but as you noticed each song contains different elements of other genres. Punk, classic rock, pop, folk, and alternative music all make appearances in different songs. Josh calls it “Kinetic Rock” because every song no matter what the tempo or theme has the momentum of a freight train; a runaway heartbeat. GC: Can you tell us what the atmosphere at one of your live shows is like? O: We want people’s hearts to pound, to feel a sense of power, to feel what we feel when we are pouring our souls onto a stage. It is an atmosphere of energy! We are a band that works hard to entertain; we want the crowd to jump and dance and sing so we lead by example. No one is bored at an Oldbury show! GC: What have been your proudest achievements so far? The most recent is being invited to Toronto for Canadian Music Week in March 2013 for sure. Other things would be playing the Boonstock Music Festival, rocking the Edmonton Events Center, playing opening spots for Sublime, The Trews, Our Lady Peace and Trooper, Winning the Kokanee Freeride Battle of the Bands, releasing the album RIDE! and our new music video “Car Ride” that has been getting tons of views on YouTube. GC: To date, what has been your favourite track? Do you have a favourite song to perform live? O: I think that our two favorites right now are Bentagain and Loss Vegas. Both of these songs are very personal and the crowd always gets into them and sings along. There is no feeling on earth like the feeling you get when the crowd takes over the chorus. A choir of awesome! GC: What has been the most memorable performance? O: I would say Boonstock 2011. We got to open for Sublime and the crowd was massive, not to mention super responsive to our show. We could feel the roar from the sea of people in our chests. GC: What can fans expect to see from Oldbury in 2013? O: Expect tons of shows and a Canadian tour in March that will take us through Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. We also plan on releasing a new EP after the tour. Keep your eyes out for our name on the 2013 Boonstock lineup as well. It is all about building the momentum that we have gotten started in 2012. GC: The rest of the world is missing out on hearing your distinct sound. Any plans for an international tour in the works?
O: Not as of yet but we have been chatting with some booking agents about cracking into different countries. So far Japan and a few European nations have been tossed around as possibilities. GC: Any closing thoughts for the readers of GayCalgary Magazine? O: Just thank you. Thank you for caring about live music, not just our band but all of the hardworking indie acts out there. Thank you for going out to shows and supporting the bars, festivals and organizations that provide us places to play and faces to play to. Live music is a living beast that must be fed to keep it alive and strong....FEED THE BEAST!!!
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Review
Screen Queen The Gift Guide
By Chris Azzopardi
FOR FANS OF CHANNING TATUM Magic Mike
It’s the season of giving – and director Steven Soderbergh is very generous with the amount of men he unwraps in his male stripper movie. As if that wasn’t enough, he includes an actual story. It’s not as beefy as Channing Tatum’s butt, but it’s there: Based on the actor’s real-life go as a peeler, Magic Mike merges art-house indie with MTV video stripteases to tell the story of a veteran dancer – and other “cock-block kings of Tampa” – who learns there’s more to life than stuffing dollar bills in a G-string. It’s part cautionary tale/part reason for getting hot actors to take their clothes off in a legit film (hello, it’s Soderbergh). Matthew McConaughey steals scenes as the club’s resident dirtbag, and Matt Bomer does a Ken doll routine that gives new life to those Mattel toys. More of him – the perfect little butt not seen in theaters – shows up in the special features, which are truly, truly special.
FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE TO CRY Beaches
There’s nothing like sobbing – with a cup of tea, in the fetal position, in bed (don’t pretend you haven’t) – to Beaches. Two friends – Hillary Whitney, an ACLU attorney, and “C.C.” Bloom, a Broadway star – share 30 years of love, laughs, men and tacky clothes. On two very different paths, their lives converge when, decades after meeting as kids, Hillary drops the cancer bomb on C.C. We all know what happens after that, even 25 years after the film’s release: “Wind Beneath My Wings” plays over that sappy beach scene and – god help us – we turn into mush. So who cares if it’s got all the makings of a Lifetime movie and the first hour seems longer than all the years we spend with these girls. This one’s about seeing The Divine Miss M in this hug-a-friend PSA. Extras include a new interview with Mayim “Blossom” Bialik, who plays young C.C., and Bette’s “Wind Beneath My Wings” music video – for the real masochists.
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
FOR FILM BUFFS
Alfred Hitchcock: The Masterpiece Collection Scary birds and a killer shower scene gave Alfred Hitchcock his nickname – The Master of Suspense – but the great filmmaker also left us hanging when it came to some of his more questionably gay characters. Obviously there’s Norman Bates as a crossdresser in Psycho, but there’s no question that, viewed now, there’s a lot of gay going on in 1948’s Rope, about two probably-“it” men who murder a former classmate, stuff him in a chest and serve a buffet-style dinner on it. During one extra, out screenwriter Arthur Laurents and actor Farley Granger talk about the gay subtleties that were snuck into the play-turned-film. Fifteen more hours of bonus features – commentaries, screen tests and a new documentary on The Birds – accompany the 15 films in this sublime Blu-ray collection (only two have ever been released in this format). The essential ones are all here: Rear Window, North by Northwest, Vertigo, with old-Hollywood legends like Grace Kelly and Cary Grant. And of course there’s Psycho, the movie that secured Hitchcock’s master status. In hi-def, Anthony Perkins never looked so good as a woman.
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard was Gloria Swanson at her crazy best (read: those eyes), inhabiting the role of a washed-up starlet who’s lost her marbles. The actress plays Norma Desmond in the 1950 film noir about said woman, a silent movie star long forgotten, who takes in a fella (the studly William Holden as Joe Gillis) who’s hurting for money and could also be key to the comeback she so desperately needs. What starts as a moviemaking partnership turns into codependency, a screwy affair and ultimately murder. Rightfully regarded as one of the best American films of the 20th century, Sunset Boulevard is a deliciously campy black comedy about celebrity vanity that’s still relevant to the real-life stars of today – don’t you think Lindsay Lohan is ready for her close-up? Included on the stunning Blu-ray remaster are an insightful commentary and the debut of a deleted scene.
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FOR RETIREES (AND THE PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEM) The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
There’s not much eating or praying, but grief and renewal – and lots of loving – all reside in this old people’s destination movie, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The delightful adaptation of the bestselling book casts seven retired strangers – played by the elite British ensemble of Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Tom Wilkinson – who are off to India to experience new beginnings. When they arrive at what was advertised as a swanky resort (but isn’t), that turns out to be nearly impossible – or so they thought. Dench, as a newly widowed woman, adds another dynamic performance to her IMDB list, as does a fiery Smith playing a wheelchair-bound racist and Wilkinson in the role of a gay man with romantic ties to India. With so much acting greatness, no wonder there’s a Blu-ray extra dedicated to them: “Casting Legends” reinforces why The Golden Girls aren’t the only blue hairs worth our time.
FOR HIPSTERS Tarantino XX
Women are fierce in the twisted world of Quentin Tarantino. They cease knife brawls, kick Kurt Russell’s butt and rock a pantsuit with the empowering swagger of a lesbian. That’s why his iconic femme fatales are so revered: They are to film what Madonna is to music. The Kill Bill dyad’s Uma Thurman as an avenging Bride, Zöe Bell and Rosario Dawson holding their own in a high-speed car chase, and pre-L Word Pam Grier in a wildly amusing grrlpower plot that has her double-crossing a money launderer – they’re all here in this 10-disc commemorative release that celebrates the influential and controversial virtuoso. Also among them: Tarantino’s earliest films, Reservoir Dogs and True Romance, and Pulp Fiction, the quintessential 1994 release that became as well-known for its imitable style as it did for that gay rape scene. Those films launched a career of pop-culture riffs and genre subversion with high body counts and hardcore quotables. Film aficionados analyze his impressive oeuvre during the Critics Corner extra, and there’s a Q&A with Tarantino and Grier who reunite to talk Jackie Brown. Both are among five hours of new special features. Pantsuit not included.
success for the once-lambasted lesbian (turned cool talk-show host) as it was for Pixar, who made box-office history with its sweet story of a fish tyke separated from his dad after braving the underwater world – the catalyst for his father to face his own fears as he sets out on a wild adventure with Dory to find his son. Nemo, released in 2003, raised the (sand)bar for animated features of the last 10 years, but now – on Blu-ray and in 3D for the first time – there’s no forgetting that this Oscar winner is one of Pixar’s masterpieces. Even if you’re Dory.
FOR MUSIC LOVERS A MusiCares Tribute to Barbra Streisand
Imagine having to sing for Barbra Streisand – and not just any song, but one of hers. The thought itself makes you wish for over-the-counter Xanax, even if your name is Faith Hill, Diana Krall, Barry Manilow, Leona Lewis or any of the other artists who tribute the legend during this gala recorded in February 2011. Babs’ music career is swiftly captured in just one hour, with Krall’s opening performance of “Down with Love” – from 1963 – all the way through to Streisand’s 2011 release What Matters Most. Standouts include Lewis belting the heck out of “Somewhere,” Lea Michele doing “My Man” and a career-best from Faith Hill on “Send in the Clowns.” But it’s Babs herself, performing two songs at the end, who shows these girls why they’re bowing down to The Voice.
FOR TV FANS
Friends: The Complete Series
The legacy of Friends isn’t just Jennifer Aniston’s hair: The award-winning NBC show about six pals living in New York was a cultural phenomenon with ratings that are unheard of today in TV land. But it didn’t just champion the tube. Friends, which wrapped in 2004, was the first show to ever televise a lesbian wedding – and even though it was no Will & Grace, it definitely registered a 3 on the Kinsey scale for its sly gay jokes and budding bromances. Now those – and wedding proposals, triplets and a really bad tan – can be revisited outside of reruns, with all 10 seasons as they aired in glowing hi-def and reformatted for widescreen sets. Along with an episode guide, the discs come in a hardcover book housed in a handsome box that features a maturing hologram of the cast. Seventeen hours of extras are carried over from previous releases, while brand-new retrospectives and a gag reel make their debut. For anyone wanting to remember Central Perk and the musical musings of Phoebe Buffay, this is the way to go.
FOR KIDS (AT HEART) Finding Nemo
Who knew a fish that speaks whale and forgets everything could keep Ellen DeGeneres’ career swimming? Finding Nemo, though, was just as much a www.gaycalgary.com
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Bruce Vilanch Wigs Out Fezziwig - Bruce Vilanch - Photo by Hal Baim
By Jorjet Harper The world contains quite a few people who seem to always be playing to an invisible camera. Bruce Vilanch is one of those rare people who is always cracking jokes off the top of his head that are actually funny. The two-time Emmy Award winner has written material for many of America’s top comedians. He has been head writer for the Academy Awards since 2000 - and in 1999, was the subject of a feature-length documentary, Get Bruce!, about his life as Hollywood’s most sought-after humor writer. But he is probably best known to fans for his time as a regular on Hollywood Squares. It’s easy to see why Vilanch is such a valuable commodity in Hollywood. In person, he‘s endearingly clever in a down-toearth way. He loves playfully entertaining everyone around him and seems unable to stop saying things that are genuinely hilarious. In a casting stroke of genius, Vilanch plays the comic/ tragic character Fezziwig in the new film Scrooge & Marley, a contemporary retelling of the classic Dicken’s tale, “A Christmas Carol”, releasing this holiday season. We met him on set while filming. Though he already had on his Fezziwig wig, the makeup department had not yet glued on his Fezzi-beard. He stroked the strawberry blonde locks of his wig lovingly, saying, “My old hair—it’s come back to visit. It’s been living in a condo in Boca Raton, and now it’s decided to come out of retirement.” In fact, his real hair, with its strawberry blonde color and shoulderlength Prince Valiant styling, looked rather similar to his Fezziwig—just a bit less bushy. Not done hamming it up, Vilanch began to croon to his wig: “‘Hello my old friend ... ’ I feel like Sweeney Todd,” he quipped. “‘This is my burden ... .’ Soon there will be a beard to complete
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
the picture. I will look like a nightmare version of myself from the Seventies. I can’t wait!” In Dickens’ original “Christmas Carol”, Fezziwig is young Scrooge and Marley’s boss. He’s a generous, ethical businessman who treats his employees like family, cares about their welfare, and throws lively holiday parties for all. Sadly, he is forced to sell his business to avaricious corporate interests who care nothing about worker morale. Scrooge and Marley, grown more callous over time, side with the heartless new owners. “I play a different kind of Fezziwig,” says Vilanch. “He’s a guy who owns a disco in the Seventies and he’s Auntie Mame— Rosalind Russell.” Vilanch throws back his head, causing his wig to flounce. “He’s all, ‘Oh how droll, how vivid!’ He’s a pretty fabulous character, and he brings young Scrooge and Marley in [to his business] and of course they do him dirty—you know the story. And then we see his downfall. But then there’s a resurrection. It’s very biblical.“ Though Scrooge & Marley is a modern, gay-themed retelling of “A Christmas Carol”, Vilanch’s character follows the traditional Dickensian arc. “He’s a jolly old soul who gets caught up in his vices and gets caught up in their chicanery. Eventually, he’s something they [the spirits] show Scrooge, to show him what a bad guy he has been through the years. Fezziwig’s kind of a poster child for excess, but at the same time, he’s brought down by the hand of somebody who is genuinely sinister. And he’s not. I like him.” Dickens’ Fezziwig symbolized the end of an era he knew well, the Industrial Revolution. Dickens’ saw it as a time when small businessmen and local industries like Fezziwig’s were disappearing, swept away by more ruthlessly profiteering business practices and cutthroat corporations. The Fezziwig in Scrooge & Marley also symbolizes the end of an era: the preAIDS gay culture. “Fezziwig is the end of that party that was going on in the gay community in the Seventies, that was ended by the www.gaycalgary.com
AIDS epidemic,” explains Vilanch. “Suddenly everything got very serious and everything that we were told would happen because of what we were doing suddenly happened—and not because of what we were doing. It was totally coincidental. It was the end of some kind of a party that had been going on since Stonewall. There was a great deal of joy about liberation and getting a movement going and all that, and that came crashing down when people began dying. And ironically enough, that movement, because of the epidemic, became a real genuine political movement, which is as forceful today as it can be.” Vilanch was living in Chicago in 1970, working at the Chicago Tribune, when he met Bette Midler. Midler hired him to write jokes for her, marking the start of a successful collaboration that has lasted through the years. After moving to L.A., Vilanch began writing material for other famous comics as well, including Joan Rivers, Richard Pryor, and Lily Tomlin, and for television shows like ABC’s original Donny and Marie Show and The Brady Bunch. Vilanch heard about the Scrooge & Marley project from his friend, the film’s co-director and cowriter, Richard Knight. “I had done his radio show when I was in Chicago doing Hairspray, and we’ve been friendly ever since. He talked about making this strange gay take on “A Christmas Carol”. When you consider the film’s been done every other way—I mean, I’m waiting for the al-Qaeda version, that’s all that has been missed—I thought, how could I not be a part of it? It’s so original, so unusual.” Vilanch also considered a gay version of “A Christmas Carol” in its wider cultural context. “I think that the reason to do a gay version of anything is to show that we’re all basically the same under the skin. The humanity is the same. We just have wildly different cultural perspectives and ways of expressing ourselves. But it’s the humanity of it all that’s important,” he observes. “And gay community, and gay culture, for want of a better word, is just so much fun. It’s so festive and everything is in quotes and over-the-top exaggerated, because it’s a culture that had to live under the thumb of a straight culture for years, so its take on things comes from being oppressed. And that’s always funny,” says Vilanch. “I mean, I’m Jewish, too, and we have that in common: we were oppressed for five thousand years. That’s why so many funny people are Jews. When you’re at the bottom, you kind of have to look up and laugh, because you don’t see the sun a lot.” Vilanch pauses, then adds warmly, “And eventually, you do.”
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Scrooge & Marley http://www.scroogeandmarleymovie.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3249
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Ready to Fall in Love
Mother, Mother back bigger than ever
Photo by Matt Bourne
By Krista Sylvester From once performing in front of just 25 people at Broken City to playing in front of hundreds and even opening for Matt Good coast-to-coast, Mother, Mother has come a long way, baby. Playing at the Calgary Jubilee Auditorium on December 8th, Mother, Mother is back in the city performing for more fans than ever. Be there 25 fans or 2,500, guitarist/vocalist Ryan Guldemond says the band loves their fans all the same. “We really love playing Calgary, that’s for sure. I think we can attribute that to the feeling in the room and the volume of people that come out, but it hasn’t always been that way,” Guldemond says. “At the beginning there’d be 25 people at Broken City and we didn’t love Calgary any less at that time. There’s always been a good vibration and now things have progressed to involve more people in that feeling.” And although the Juno-nominated band’s past year may have been a whirlwind with non-stop globetrotting celebrating the release of their last album, the band got back at it with this year’s The Sticks. Guldemond says the art-pop quintet’s accomplishment has really been an eight year journey, not an overnight success. “I feel like it’s been baby steps. It started with playing for 25 people and then it was playing for 200 people and then playing the Gateway and then oh, a song on the radio and opening for Matt Good,” he says. “It’s been a succession of happy accidents, lucky gigs, hard work and eight years later we still get to do this and that’s really the prize.” When Mother, Mother released its O My Heart album in 2008 people really started to take notice of their addicting beats and catchy lyrics but it was 2011’s Eureka that really solidified their 42
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
spot on radio stations and music festivals across the country. Now, The Sticks is picking up where the band left off but with a little bit of reinvention, of course. Guldemond describes the latest album as a bit “moodier” than the other but with more “texture.” “It breathes and releases and recoils and it has its peaks and valleys and loud and quiet and really it’s fairly dynamic. There’s also a lot of sentimental weight to it and more poetic than any of our records,” he says, adding, “we have this insatiable desire to always be better and to not just repeat.” Their addictive single, “Let’s Fall in Love”, is already sitting at #2 nationally on the Modern Rock radio chart, which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s familiar with their music. Infectious, Mother, Mother has a way of getting into people’s heads. And while the group recognizes they are a “love it or hate it” kind of band, they appreciate their “beautiful” fans even more for it. “Our fans seem very sweet and invested and they don’t seem like they’re following a trend or there because someone told them to be or for a girl they like,” Guldemond explains. “It makes sense because our music isn’t really down the middle. I think it’s a bit extreme so if people are there it’s because they want to be there.” After the band’s current tour finishes up on the west coast later this month, the indie darlings plan to travel to the United States and see what they can “stir up.” “We know we still have a lot of work to do, but I mean, what else would we do? This is fun, inspiring and fulfilling, and we’re happy to keep going down this path until it ends.”
http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3250
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Forever Kylie Minogue
Icon looks back at 25 years of gay fans, bad fashion and girl kisses Photos by EMI Music
By Chris Azzopardi
KM: (Laughs) That could be a tiny bit of it! I actually recorded The Abbey Road Sessions late last year, knowing it would be part of what we’ve called K25. But I can’t tell you exactly why. I’ve just felt like now is as good a time as any to do these things that I’ve been harboring – these desires to do the Anti Tour and to do an orchestra album – and I managed to make them happen.
GC: It’s not even just with music, though. You’re taking risks with film, too. You returned to acting this year in Jack and Diane – and you kissed a girl. KM: (Sings) And I liked it. GC: What was it like shooting that scene? KM: Blink and you’ll miss me, but I am there! (Laughs) I play a part-time flame of Riley Keough’s character, and she’s having drama with the girl she’s just met and I’m, like, the older woman. GC: What brought you back into the acting world? KM: I was based in New York for a year – when I say that, I’m never anywhere for too long – but I had an apartment in Williamsburg and I was hanging out there. It was brilliant. My acting manager in the states said, “Oh hey, there’s this independent director, Bradley Rust Gray. Do you fancy meeting him?” I met with Bradley and I said, “OK,” because that’s kind of where my head was and where my mind was heading – and then Holy Motors came up, and that took it to the next level. GC: Did you study any lesbian flicks, like Bound or The Hours, to prepare for your lesbian role in Jack and Diane? KM: (Laughs) No, I just went with instinct. GC: You’ve kissed a girl before anyway. Remember smooching Geri Halliwell in 2001? KM: Oh, that’s right! That’s true, I hadn’t thought about that. (Laughs) It was just very straightforward. It’s a film
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Kylie Minogue was just 19 when she landed a record deal that would turn the soap star into a singing superstar. This year marks a quarter-century of Kylie, who’s celebrating the milestone with orchestral reinterpretations of her most popular songs on The Abbey Road Sessions, a greatest hits, two movies and an upcoming book chronicling her style over the last 25 years. We hooked up with the 44-year-old pop icon to talk about those projects, the outfit she calls an “abomination,” taking a sabbatical from music and why she doesn’t want to know how she became a gay icon. GC: The Abbey Road Sessions really shows a more sophisticated side to you – one that people who only know you from your dance music might not be familiar with. Why now are you venturing out into more stylistically ambitious territory and taking risks? Is it because you’re in your 25th year and you just don’t give a crap anymore?
Continued on Next Page GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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From Previous Page about a couple of girls who fall in love, and I was a momentary wake-up call for Riley’s character. We never discussed it – the kissing or anything. It just all happened. GC: What does your hot Spanish boyfriend think of your lady lovin’? KM: (Laughs) He hasn’t seen it. I don’t think he minded at the time. He’s very open-minded, which is good. GC: A lot of people who are working the same job for as long as you have might move on to something else. In these 25 years, was there ever a moment – maybe during your battle with cancer in 2005 – where you thought about ... KM: … going off and living in Taos, New Mexico? Somewhere easy, somewhere kind of mystical? Maybe for a brief moment, but no, I was just eager to finish what I’d started. I wanted to get back on stage, and I wanted to be better and stronger and not as stressed-out as I always was. I wanted to make it work for me as well as working for it. So no, I’m really so fortunate that I have a lot of different types of opportunities – thank god, because otherwise I would be off! That’s why I’m doing so many different things, and fortunately my audience understands that about me and almost expects it of me these days. It’s harmonious. It’s not like I go off and do something and they just think, “She’s just disappearing for a while and then she’ll be back.” They come with me. GC: Gay fans are super loyal. We’ll follow you anywhere. KM: Oh yeah. Nothing if not loyal. GC: For a lot of gay fans, you’ve been a source of strength and perseverance. I have a gay friend who was
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in the military who said he listened to you every day and it got him through. KM: Aww, really? I love stories like that. GC: What kind of stories have you been told over the years from your gay fans about how you’ve inspired them? KM: That’s really hard for me to think of a specific story, but in general, I do hear that kind of thing. The biggest question is: How did I end up in this position? My gay audience just decided. It was like, “You’re ours. We’re adopting you.” And I thought it was brilliant. But it wasn’t like I was marketed to the pink pound or anything like that – that didn’t even really exist back then, actually. So yeah, I do hear lots of stories about people feeling some kind of support and loving what I do. I don’t have the answer and I’m asked all the time, “Why do you have such a gay following?” “Why are you a gay icon?” I almost don’t want to know the answer, because it was so organic the way it happened. GC: When you work on a project, be it including mermen in the Aphrodite World Tour last year or recording a dance song, how much do you keep the gays in mind? KM: I try to keep everyone in mind, because I don’t want to go too far and I don’t want to go not far enough. It’s just a case of balance. Like, I wouldn’t go on a tour that’s got a routine like we had for “Slow” on the Showgirl tour. You wouldn’t want that for two hours. I don’t even think my gay audience would want that for two hours. GC: I don’t think we’d care. It’s Kylie for two hours! KM: (Laughs) I nearly spat my water across the room right then!
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GC: You don’t stop. Another album is already in the works, and I hear this one’s supposed to be more personal. How personal are we talking? KM: I don’t want to make a personal album at the expense of a great pop album, so I can put some personal material in there; I have done that previously, as well. People don’t generally know that I write quite as much as I do, but a song like “Flower” (from The Abbey Road Sessions) – that’s the extreme end of personal. But it was very liberating, so I wouldn’t mind more of that. That song wouldn’t even be on the album if fans hadn’t just loved it – and they didn’t even know what it was about before they fell in love with it! It was just an instinctive reaction to the song; if it’s about my life, they seem to know it. GC: The Best of Kylie Minogue compilation, released earlier this year, made it easy to compare all the styles you’ve gone through since the ’80s. For you, which was the most ridiculous fashion era? What are some clothes you’d like to burn – or that you have already? KM: Oh my god. Gee, I probably have burned them. Hey, the late ’80s wasn’t that kind to anyone. There’s a poster in existence where I have bicycle pants or, like, leggings under cutoff shorts with polka-dot socks and ankle riding boots and a huge leather jacket – and I even think there are stripes involved. It’s just an abomination. If that could disappear into the black hole, that would be amazing.
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But there’s been some in the kind of “good period” when I’m supposed to know what I’m doing. (Laughs) Sometimes things just don’t come together, especially if they’re out of context. I’m thinking of one example of being on stage, where you’ve got extra stage makeup on, and then going to something afterward. You look a bit like a freak. GC: You crushed my little gay heart when you debunked rumors about you doing a song with Madonna for a TV special to commemorate your anniversary. You were kidding, right? Please tell me this is happening. KM: Aww. No, for real. There’s nothing. I’ve always dueted with guys, which is also good, but the question always comes up: “Would you duet with Madonna?” “Would you duet with Britney?” And the answer is always “yes,” because I think all of those girls are great for different reasons. Hey, it might never happen, but maybe – if the moment and the song and the desire came up from both parties. It is a bit like a gay wet dream, but who knows. I’ve just always said, “Of course that’s something that’s interesting.” GC: Is there a gay friend who cuddles up with you on the couch with a bottle of wine to watch RuPaul’s Drag Race? KM: Is there one? No! Look, I might be a serial monogamist with my actual boyfriend, but with my gay boyfriends I’m a floozy. There are a few. I’ve got one in every port! (Laughs) GC: What would you like to tell your gay fans who’ve been following you for these last 25 years? KM: It’s very simple: I just want to say thank you. That’s all.
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Photography Les Girls - Burlesque at the Exchange, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa359
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Photography
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ISCWR - Crowns for Kids at Flash, Edmonton
ISCCA - World Aids Day Show at the Backlot, Calgary
photos by B&J
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Photography 16th Annual Toys4Tots at the East Village Cafe, Calgary
ISCCA - Back in History Drag Show at the Texas Lounge, Calgary
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One Cause. One Night. One Dream, at MOCA Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa361
Texas Lounge 25th Anniversary http://gaycalgary.com/pa358
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Photography Taboo Show 2012 Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa355
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Photography Taboo Show 2012 Edmonton http://gaycalgary.com/pa356
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Mark is the HEAT Program Coordinator at AIDS Calgary Awareness Association. He is a well known face in Calgary’s community for his outreach at bars and events. He has been in his current role at AIDS Calgary for nearly 3 years, but has volunteered and worked for the organization since 1996.
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Before he took this career path, he was a baker by trade. He says he is more of a dog person than a cat person, but likes animals in general. He has been with his husband Blaine for 11 years. Mark devotes most of his spare time towards AIDS causes, and usually his husband gets roped in as well. He chairs the HIV committee at the Alberta Community Council on HIV, as well as the HIV Peer Support Group. He also occasionally volunteers with the SHARP foundation. For more photos visit: http://gaycalgary.com/pa364
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Directory & Events 24
DOWNTOWN CALGARY
43 41 37
59 34
2 33
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35
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3
5 6
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Calgary Outlink---------- Community Groups Aids Calgary------------- Community Groups Backlot------------------------Bars and Clubs Texas Lounge-----------------Bars and Clubs Goliath’s--------------------------Bathhouses
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
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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---------------------------------- ✰ 209 - 10th Ave SW 403-265-5211 Open 7 days a week, 2pm-close
Calgary Eagle Inc. (CLOSED)
424a - 8th Ave SE
Club Sapien (CLOSED)
1140 10th Ave SW
FAB (CLOSED)
1742 - 10th Ave SW 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.
58 Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre 59 East Village Bistro------------Bars and Clubs
59 East Village Bistro 2nd floor, 610 - 8 Avenue SE Restaurant and lounge.
Bathhouses/Saunas 6 Goliaths------------------------------------ ✰ 308 - 17 Ave SW 403-229-0911 www.goliaths.ca Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
Community Groups 2 AIDS Calgary-------------------------- 110, 1603 10th Avenue SW 403-508-2500 info@aidscalgary.org www.aidscalgary.org
✰
Alberta Society for Kink
403-398-9968 albetasocietyforkink@hotmail.com http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/ group.albertasocietyforkink
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 well-organized and fun sporting events and other activities.
• Western Cup 31
www.westerncup.com
Browse our complete directory of over 650 gay-frieindly listings! www.gaycalgary.com
One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre La Fleur------------------------- Retail Stores Lisa Heinricks--------- Theatre and Fine Arts
CALGARY
LGBT Community Directory
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35 36 37 41 43
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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Directory & Events Pool Night----------------------------- Evening
New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm
Int/Comp Volleyball----------- 12:15-1:45pm
Student Night------------------------ 6pm-6am
Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm
Church Service---------------------------- 4pm
Mosaic Youth Group-------------------- 7-9pm
Rec Volleyball--------------------------- 7-9pm
Swim Practice (June)------------------- 5-6pm
Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)
Thursdays
Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
Lesbian Seniors--------------------------- 2pm
Calgary Events
At 59 Village Bistro with
Mondays
Buddy Night------------------------- 6pm-6am At 6 Goliaths
ASK Meet and Greet---------------- 7-9:30pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
Yoga----------------------------- 7:40-9:15pm See
Apollo Calgary
Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
Student Night------------------------ 6pm-6am At 6 Goliaths
Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink
2nd, 4th
Bootcamp--------------------------- 7-8:30pm Apollo Calgary
Karaoke------------------------------ 8pm-1am At 5 Texas Lounge
Fetish Slosh---------------------------- Evening At 3 Backlot
2nd
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW Wednesdays
Communion Service----------------- 12:10pm See
At 6 Goliaths
Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)
Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW
3rd
See 1 Calgary Outlink
3rd
See 1 Calgary Outlink See
4th
Apollo Calgary
Bootcamp------------------------------- 7-8pm
Curling------------------------- 2:20 & 4:30pm
Lesbian Meetup Group------------- 7:30-9pm
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm
At 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
Alcoholics Anonymous-------------------- 8pm Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Karaoke-------------------------------- Evening At 3 Backlot
By
Apollo
By Prime Timers Calgary Midtown Co-op (1130 - 11th Ave SW) See
Apollo Calgary
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
See See
Deer Park United Church Scarboro United Church
Illusions------------------------------- 7-10pm
Sunday Services--------------------- 10:45am
Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm
Worship Services------------------------- 11am
See 1 Calgary Outlink See 1 Calgary Outlink
1st
2nd
See See
Hillhurst United Church Knox United Church
See
Apollo Calgary
Saturday, December 8th Christmas Celebration----------- 6pm-2am By ARGRA at 59 East Village Cafe Xmas Silent Auction----------------- 6-9pm By ISCCA at 3 Backlot Saturday, December 15th
Bermuda Shorts Party----------------- All Day At 3 Backlot By
ISCCA at 3 Backlot
Wednesday, December 19th
Jingle Balls-------------------------------- 8pm Cowboys Dance Hall (421 12th Ave SE) Monday, December 31st
New Years Eve Party------------------- All Day At 3 Backlot
Saturday, January 26th Sleigh Ride--------------------- 12:30-5pm By ARGRA at Anchor D Ranch
Knox United Church
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range/Future), = Sponsored Event
Calgary Contd. • Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)
At 6 Goliaths
Drag Show---------------------------- Evening
Sundays
Worship Time---------------------------- 10am Worship------------------------------ 10:30am
Fridays
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
Women’s Volleyball---------------- 7-8:30pm
Coffee------------------------------------ 10am
Apollo Calgary
Rainbow Community Church
Saturdays
Swim Practice (June)------------ 7:30-8:30pm
See
See
Apollo Calgary
Flashlight Night--------------------- 6pm-6am
Running----------------------------------- 9am
By Different Strokes SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)
See
Hillhurst United Church (Gym Entrance) 1227 Kensington Close NW
Uniform Night----------------------- 6pm-6am At 6 Goliaths
Tuesdays
See
Prime Timers Calgary
• Squash
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.
• DVD Resource Library
Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE bootcamp@apollocalgary.com
• Tennis
• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)
• Volleyball (Beach)
http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca Organizes and hosts social activities catered to the LGBT people and friends.
beachvb@apollocalgary.com
1 Calgary Outlink---------------------------- ✰ Old Y Centre (303 – 223, 12 Ave SW) 403-234-8973 info@calgaryoutlink.ca http://www.calgaryoutlink.com
• Volleyball (Competitive)
• Peer Support and Crisis Line
6020 - 4 Avenue NE badminton@apollocalgary.com
• Boot Camp
Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE) bowling@apollocalgary.com
• Curling
North Hill Curling Club (1201 - 2 Street NW) curling@apollocalgary.com
• Golf
golf@apollocalgary.com
Mount Royal University Recreation squash@apollocalgary.com All skill levels welcome. tennis@apollocalgary.com
vb@apollocalgary.com
recvb@apollocalgary.com
• Yoga
• Lawn Bowling
Robin: 403-618-9642 yoga@apollocalgary.com
• Outdoor Pursuits
www.argra.org
lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com outdoorpursuits@apollocalgary.com If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events all summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking, skiing, snow shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org to get updates on the sport you like. We’re always looking for people to lead events.
• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)
YMCA Eau Claire (4th St, 1st Ave SW) calgaryfrontrunners@shaw.ca East Doors (directly off the Bow river pathway). Distances vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6 minutes/mile to 9+ minute miles.
• Slow Pitch
Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)
• Monthly Dances----------------------------- Hillhurst-Sunnyside Community Association 1320 - 5th Avenue NW
Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre
77 Deerpoint Road SE http://www.dpuc.ca
Calgary Men’s Chorus
http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org
FairyTales Presentation Society
Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW 304, 301 14th Street NW 403-283-5580
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
403-278-8263
Different Strokes
http://www.calgarymenschorus.org
✰
403-244-1956 http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.
Gay Friends in Calgary
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
Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)
calgaryfathers@hotmail.com http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca Peer support group for gay, bisexual and questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month.
Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------
• 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
Calgary Gay Fathers
• Rehearsals
slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com
56
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.
• Volleyball (Recreational)
Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual membership is $10.
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.
Lesbian Meetup Group
http://www.meetup.com/CalgaryLesbian Monthly events planned for Queer women over 18+ such
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events Calgary Contd. as book clubs, games nights, movie nights, dinners out, and volunteering events.
Miscellaneous Youth Network
http://www.miscyouth.com
Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE 403-410-1180 Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm
• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre
Restaurants
• Fake Mustache • Mosaic Youth Group
1213 - 4th Str SW 403-955-6014 Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed
Calgary Eagle Inc. (CLOSED)
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW) For queer and trans youth and their allies.
• Safeworks Van
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
Mystique
• Coffee Night
Good Earth Cafe (1502 - 11th 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
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.
Queers on Campus---------------------
279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C 403-220-6394 http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.
✰
• Coffee Night
2nd Cup, Kensington
Safety Under the Rainbow
www.sutr.ca A collaborative effort dedicated to building capacity and acting as a voice for the LGBTQ community, service providers, organizations and the community at large to address violence. For same-sex domestic violence information, resources and a link to our survey please see our website.
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
Wild Rose United Church
1317-1st Street NW
www.gaycalgary.com
Theatre & Fine Arts
FAB (CLOSED)
See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.
36 ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects 403-294-7402 http://www.ATPlive.com
59 East Village Bistro 2nd floor, 610 - 8 Avenue SE Restaurant and lounge.
AXIS Contemporary Art--------------------
107, 100 - 7 Ave SW rob@axisart.ca
Retail Stores Adult Depot-----------------------------
✰
140, 58th Ave SW 403-258-2777 Gay, bi, straight video rentals and sex toys. 41 La Fleur------------------------------------ 103 - 100 7th Avenue SW 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.
The Naked Leaf----------------------------
305 10th Street NW http://www.thenakedleaf.ca Organic teas and tea ware.
403-283-3555
16 Priape Calgary------------------------- ✰ 1322 - 17 Ave SW 403-215-1800 http://www.priape.com Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies and magazines. Gifts.
Services & Products Calgary Civil Marriage Centre
403-246-4134 (Rork Hilford) MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of the Peace - JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner for Oaths. 24 Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors) 1138 Kensington Road NW 403-571-5120 http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca GLBT legal services.
Fairytales
Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)
403-461-9195 http://www.lornedoucette.com
MFM Communications
403-543-6970 1-877-543-6970 http://www.mfmcommunications.com Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware and software.
SafeWorks
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 Prime Timers
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
edmontonpt@yahoo.ca www.primetimersww.org/edmonton Group of older gay men and their admirers who come from diverse backgrounds but have common social interests. Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.
Edmonton Rainbow Business Association
37 Pumphouse Theatre------------------ 2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW 403-263-0079 http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca
✰
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 LGBT-friendly businesses in the Edmonton region.
Stagewest-------------------------------
✰
5 The Junction 780-387-3343 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions
58 Theatre Junction---------------------- Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW 403-205-2922 info@theatrejunction.com http://www.theatrejunction.com
✰
Edmonton Illusions Social Club
727 - 42 Avenue SE 403-243-6642 http://www.stagewestcalgary.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
The Junction (CLOSED)
10242 106th St
12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
Bathhouses/Saunas 11 Steamworks------------------------------- ✰ 11745 Jasper Ave 780-451-5554 http://www.steamworksedmonton.com
Community Groups
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
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.
Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)
Jubilations Dinner Theatre
DevaDave Salon & Boutique
Jim Duncan: 403-978-6600 Residential cleaning. Free estimates.
Book Worm’s Book Club
Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes 10179 - 108 Street bookworm@teamedmonton.ca
http://www.edmontonpride.ca
Bow Trail and 37th St. SW 403-249-7799 www.jubilations.ca
Cruiseline
Duncan’s Residential Cleaning
403-262-3356 www.axisart.ca
See Calgary - Community Groups.
403-777-9494 trial code 3500 http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY. 810 Edmonton Trail NE 403-290-1973 Cuts, Colour, Hilights.
info@altview.ca www.altview.ca For gender variant and sexual minorities.
Buck Naked Boys Club
403-850-3755 Sat-Thu: 8pm-12am, Fri: 4pm-12am
Club Sapien (CLOSED)
mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and up but all are welcome.
403-797-6564
• Centre of Hope
“Yeah...What She Said!” Radio Show
CJSW 90.9 FM yeahwhatshesaid@gmail.com
Alberta Bears
www.beefbearbash.com
AltView Foundation
#44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB 403-398-9968
4 Edmonton STD 11111 Jasper Ave
Edmonton Vocal Minority
780-479-2038 www.evmchoir.com
sing@evmchoir.com
GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
780-474-8240
tuff@shaw.ca
HIV Network Of Edmonton Society----
✰
9702 111 Ave NW 780-488-5742 www.hivedmonton.com Provides healthy sexuality education for Edmonton’s LGBT community and support for those infected or affected by HIV.
InQueeries
inqueeries@gmail.com Student-run GLBTQ Alliance at MacEwan University.
Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose
http://www.iscwr.ca
Living Positive Society of Alberta
#50, 9912 - 106 Street 780-423-3737 http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz Living Positive through Positive Living.
Men’s Games Nights
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) 780-474-8240 tuff@shaw.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.
Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------
✰
10608 - 105 Ave 780-488-3234 admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org http://www.pridecentreofedmonton.org Tue-Fri 12pm-9pm, Sat 2pm-6:30pm We provide a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
57
Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON
11 6 12
N
4 14
4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups 6 Buddy’s Nite Club------------Bars and Clubs
Edmonton Events Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm Team Edmonton
TTIQ------------------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
1st, 3rd
HIV Support Group--------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
2nd
QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Martial Arts--------------------- 7:30-8:30pm Team Edmonton
Swim Practice------------------- 7:30-8:30pm See
Team Edmonton
Martial Arts--------------------- 7:30-8:30pm
Bowling----------------------------------- 5pm
Knotty Knitters-------------------------- 6-8pm
Intermediate Volleyball-------- 7:30-9:30pm
Sundays
QH Craft Night-------------------------- 6-8pm
Fridays
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
GLBTQ Bowling------------------ 1:30-3:30pm GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club
Team Edmonton
QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm
Men’s Games Nights-------------- 7-10:30pm
Monthly Meetings--------------------- 2:30pm
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm
QH Game Night------------------------ 6-8pm
Saturdays
Team Edmonton
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See
Youth Understanding Youth
Swim Practice--------------------------- 7-8pm See
Team Edmonton
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See
BookWorm’s Book Club
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Thursdays
2nd, 4th 3rd
See See
Men’s Games Nights
• Counselling
Come and watch ALL the anime until your heart is content.
• Men Talking with Pride
Come OUT and embrace your creative side in a safe space.
• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night • TTIQ
A support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family or supporters.
• Women’s Social Circle
andrea@pridecentreofedmonton.org Women’s Social Circle: A social support group for all female-identified persons over 18 years of age in the GLBT community - new members are always welcome.
Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton
robwells780@hotmail.com Support & social group for gay & bisexual men to discuss current issues.
780-474-8240 tuff@shaw.ca
• Movie Night
president@teamedmonton.ca http://www.teamedmonton.ca Members are invited to attend and help determine the board for the next term. If you are interested in running for the board or getting involved in some of the committees, please contact us.
Movie Night is open to everyone! Come over and sit back, relax, and watch a movie with us.
• Queer HangOUT: Game Night
Come OUT with your game face on and meet some awesome people through board game fun.
58
2nd, Last
Youth Understanding Youth
Team Edmonton
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See
Team Edmonton
Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) See Edmonton Primetimers
2nd
Friday, December 14th
Miss Mary Christmas Pageant----------------9pm By
Naturalist Gettogether See
See
Buck Naked Boys Club
2nd
ISCWR at 14 Flash
Friday, December 28th
QH Youth Drop-in------------------ 2-6:30pm
Bitches Strike Back-------------------- 9pm New City (8130 Gateway Blvd)
Monthly Meeting---------------------- 2:30pm
Monday, December 31st
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
By Edmonton Primetimers Unitarian Church, 10804 - 119th Street
2nd
New Year’s Gala----------------------- 9pm By ISCWR Ramada Inn (11834 Kingsway)
Legend: = Monthly Reoccurrance, = Date (Range), = Sponsored Event
• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night
Come knit and socialize in a safe and accepting environment - all skill levels are welcome.
Team Edmonton
Ballroom Dancing-------------- 7:30-8:30pm
Yoga--------------------------------- 7:30-8pm
drop-in space, and offer support programs and resources for members of the GLBTQ community and for their families and friends.
• Knotty Knitters
See
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Edmonton Contd.
huges@shaw.ca Support and discussion group for gay men.
Running------------------------------ 10-11am
Movie Night----------------------------- 6-9pm
Team Edmonton
Book Club----------------------------- 7:30pm
• HIV Support Group
Team Edmonton
Men Talking with Pride---------------- 7-9pm
See
Youth Sports/Recreation----------------- 4pm
780.488.3234 Free, short-term counselling provided by registered counsellors.
See
QH Anime Night------------------------ 6-8pm
Cycling--------------------------- 6:30-7:30pm
Women’s Social Circle------------------ 6-9pm
See 1 Youth Understanding Youth
See
Team Edmonton
Yoga--------------------------------- 2-3:30pm
QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
See
QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Wednesdays See
Counseling---------------------- 5:30-8:30pm
See
Tuesdays
See
14 FLASH-------------------------Bars and Clubs
See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton
Mondays See
11 Steamworks----------------------Bathhouses 12 Woody’s-----------------------Bars and Clubs
Team Edmonton
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
• 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
• Curling with Pride
Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW curling@teamedmonton.ca
• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders) Dawson Park, picnic shelter cycling@teamedmonton.ca
• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons) dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca
• Golf
golf@teamedmonton.ca
• Gymnastics, Drop-in
Garneau Elementary School 10925 - 87 Ave bootcamp@teamedmonton.ca
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.
• Bowling (Northern Titans)
• Hockey
• Blazin’ Bootcamp
Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall) bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.
• Cross Country Skiing
crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca
hockey@teamedmonton.ca
• Martial Arts
15450 - 105 Ave (daycare entrance) 780-328-6414 kungfu@teamedmonton.ca kickboxing@teamedmonton.ca Drop-ins welcome.
www.gaycalgary.com
Directory & Events Red Deer Events Wednesdays
LGBT Coffee Night------------------------ 7pm See
CAANS
1st
Edmonton Contd. • Outdoor Pursuits
outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca
• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)
Kinsmen Sports Centre 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
• Tennis
• Monthly Dances
Restaurants The Junction (Closed)----------------------
10242 106th St
780-756-5667
12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ 11725 Jasper Ave 780-488-6557
Retail Stores Passion Vault
15239 - 111 Ave 780-930-1169 pvault@telus.net “Edmonton’s Classiest Adult Store”
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! Second Sunday every month, 7pm An LGBT-focused alternative worship.
• Film Night
• Ultimate Frisbee
Monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• 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
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
www.gaycalgary.com
• Monthly Potluck Dinners
McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your own beverage.
• Support Line
Theatre & Fine Arts
M-T: 1:30pm - 4:30pm W-F: 8:30am - 4:30pm
The Mix (green water tower) 103 Mayor Magrath Dr S Every Friday at 10pm
Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)
University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.
BANFF Community Groups Bow Valley Cares Centre
302 Buffalo Street, Banff, AB PO Box 3160, Banff, AB T1L 1C8 403-762-0690 1-877-440-2437 info@aidscalgary.org
LETHBRIDGE Community Groups GALA/LA
galia@uleth.ca
• 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
Exposure Festival
10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB 780-453-2440 www.theatrenetwork.ca
356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB 403-527-5882 1-877-440-2437 info@aidscalgary.org
• Friday Mixer
Community Groups
http://www.exposurefestival.ca Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.
The Roxy Theatre
Community Groups Medicine Hat Cares Centre
• Telephone Support
Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.
• Book Club
MEDICINE HAT
403-308-2893 Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm Leave a message any other time.
• Soul OUTing
Kinsmen Sports Centre Sundays, 12pm-3pm tennis@teamedmonton.ca Sundays Summer Season starts July 12th ultimatefrisbee@teamedmonton.ca E-mail if interested.
Henotic (402 - 2 Ave S) Bring your membership card and photo ID.
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!
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.
LGBTQ Education
LGBTQeducation@hotmail.ca http://LGBTQeducation.webs.com Red Deer (and area) now has a website designed to bring various LGBTQ friendly groups/individuals together for fun, and to promote acceptance in our communities.
M-F, 8:30am - 11:30pm
• In-person Support
ALBERTA 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.
Theatre & Fine Arts Alberta Ballet
http://www.albertaballet.com Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.
CANADA Community Groups 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.
Pride on Campus
rdcprideoncampus@gmail.com A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.
403-308-2893 http://www.galalethbridge.ca Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
59
Classifieds Event
140
The Fetish Slosh at the Backlot! Come on down to the Backlot the 2nd Tuesday of every month for a no-cover Fetish party. Upcoming dates are November 13, December 11th, etc. You can dress up in Leather, Latex, cuffs, collars, or just your skivvies. Have the conversation you like without offending a vanilla in sight. The Backlot supports and promotes the alternative lifestyles of Calgary so feel free to express your KINK!
Wedding/Union
Adult Oriented
210
The Producer of The Great Canadian Male will be in Calgary to recruit models for our website. We are looking for Gay, Bi, Straight but Curious and First Timers between the ages of 19 - 50. Models will be selected to appear in future episodes on our website. Compensation is $300 per shoot. Obtain an application by email to applications@thegreatcanadianmale. com. You can call for further information Monday to Friday after 5 PM and any time on the weekends 403-536-6990. Interview slots will fill up quickly!
190
Welcoming the Gay Community to WILD BILLS DJ SERVICES
Help Wanted
240
Erotic Massage
420
UltimateMaleMassage.com
Marriage Ceremonies Rork Hilford MC, Commissioner for Oaths. MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca | 403246-4134
Do You Need a Computer Hero? On-site home and business computer service. 15yrs experience. Certified, insured, BBB member. GLBT Owned. Friendly & respectful service. Call 403-444-0700, Calgary & Area. Best Erotic Male Massage In Calgary • Studio with free parking• Deep Tissue and Relaxation • Licensed, Professional • Video on website 403-680-0533 mike@ultimatemalemassage.com
Sales Rep Wanted
Adult Depot Large selection of gay DVDs from $9.95, aromas and toys. Open Mon-Fri 12-11pm, Sat 12-6pm, closed Sundays and holidays. 403-258-2777
GayCalgary Magazine is looking for a part time sales rep. Income by commission, sales experience required. Duties include contacting new advertisers and maintaining existing customers. Contact Steve at sales@gaycalgary.com.
Models/Escorts
460
Alberta Escort Listings
Cleaning
517
GET A LIFE! STOP CLEANING!
We supply music up to a total of 7 hours. • Music From 6pm to 1am. • Corded Microphone or Cordless • No embarrassment, private and very discreet • Lights included • 23 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A DJ http://www.wildbillsdjservices.com
Employment
200
Cowboys Nightclub Cowboys is seeking part-time staff, including: bartenders, bussers, bouncers, DJs, door staff, drag queens/kings, and other entertainment. Please contact Scarlet at 403-264-7111 ext. 288 for more info.
Audition
215
Gay Talent Wanted Beauty & Mayhem Production Agency is are looking for Gay Talent to perform in Adult entertainment Productions. Call Pj @ 403 826 2670 E-mail: pj@beautymayhem.ca www.xxxbmpa.com
Volunteer
285
CJSW 90.9 FM Volunteer!!! Check out www.Squirt.org for the Hot Escorts in Calgary, Edmonton, and the rest of Alberta. CJSW 90.9 FM is Calgary’s Campus and Community radio station, spinning only the best in underground music, showcasing stories and perspectives you won’t hear anywhere else, and connecting you to the Calgary Community. The best part? All of it is done by volunteers folks just like you. At CJSW, we’re proud of our commitment to diversity in our programming, and also in our volunteer base. CJSW is a welcoming environment that celebrates all kinds of people. If you’ve ever wanted to get started in radio, learn more about music, find out how to edit audio, and get experience that looks great on a resume, drop us a line. You’ll be signed up to attend an orientation, and from there you can help us keep CJSW awesome. E-mail Geneviève, our Office and Volunteer Coordinator at office@cjsw.com, or call (403) 220-3902 to find out more!
New Improved Features. Free to Post and Browse. Videos, Pics, and Reviews. Join Now! Code: GCEE
Products/Services 500 Drink Container Recycling I presently provide bottle pickup services for many local businesses. People with active lives have little time to do this. I am willing to help, I ask 50% for the service. I am hopeing to proqure 3 to 6 more local businesses. Home pickup can also be arranged. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Glen at 4038046471 glengrobinson3@hotmail.com
Does your home or business need a professional cleaner? Steve is bonded/Insured. Flexible prices and brings all his own supplies. Steve is apart of the LGBT Community and has been cleaning for over 5 years in Calgary. getalifecleaner@gmail.com http://www. getalifecleaner.com (403)200-7384 www. facebook.com/getalifecleaner
Consulting
527
Want to attract the LGBT local or traveler to your business?
It’s not about special treatment. You can’t assume the LGBT person, or the straight person will follow the pack anymore. The LGBT market is becoming more and more aware of what organizations support them, and which ones don’t, ultimately sending them away from businesses and communities that do not
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
www.gaycalgary.com
www.gaycalgary.com
GayCalgary Magazine #110, December 2012
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