GayCalgary Magazine - March 2013

MARCH 2013

® ISSUE 113 • FREE The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community

WEIRD AL YANKOVIC

Sandra Bernhard Hears voices in the Night

Nancy Wilson

Heart makes Robert Plant Cry

PLUS:

Chris Sarandon Great Big Sea Richard Karn Apollo Western Cup ...and more!

Business Directory

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Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

Jewel

Encounters her Gay Bestie

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 55

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Table of Contents

Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino Printers Web exPress

Printers

North Hill News/Central Web Distribution Calgary: GayCalgary Staff Distribution Edmonton: Greenline 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: 403-703-0685 Weird Al Yankovic Fax: Right: Sandra Bernhard, E-Mail:Topmagazine@gaycalgary.com photo by Kevin Thomas Garcia This Month's Cover Middle Right: Heart, Cher andRight: Christina of Sony Bottom Jewel,Aguilera photo bycourtesy Rhino Records Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesy of Mike Owen; Rex Goudie.

Proud Members of: Proud Members of:

Putting People First

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OUTreach Presents the First Formal University of Alberta Pride Week

Publisher’s Column

9 20 Years of Pints and Party Great Big Sea marks 2 decades with greatest hits and tour

12 Born to Fight

Red Deer female MMA fighter bucking stereotypes one punch at a time

PAGE 9

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 Collins, Eva Trotta, Rob Evan Diaz-Marino, Kayne, Janine StephenEvaLock, Trotta, LisaJack Lunney, Fertig,Steve GlenPolyak, Hanson,Carey Joan Rutherford, Hilty, Evan Kayne, RomeoStephen San Vicente, Lock,Ed NeilSikov, McMullen, Krista Allan Sylvester Neuwirth, and theSteve LGBTPolyak, Community Carey Rutherford, of Calgary, Romeo SanEdmonton, Vicente, Edand Sikov, Alberta.

Nick Vivian and the GLBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta.

Photography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J, Photography Cheryl Telles Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino

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13 Catching Up With Sandra Bernhard

Comedian takes on Jodie Foster, ‘disgusting’ reality shows and voices in the night

16 March on Campus!

U of C host to Gender Bender and the Coming Out Monologues

17 Richard Karn

“Al Borland” comes to Calgary for Stage West’s Game Show

19 Tenors Lead with their Hearts Foursome makes Canada proud

PAGE 13

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

MARCH 2013

e n zi

20 Letters

22 Western Cup 2013

a g a 24 Crossroads In The Crosshairs m 23 This is How I Left

Third Street Theatre ensemble debuts with intriguing performance

PAGE 17

®

Taking Aim At Charity

25 Will-ful Endangerment: Part 1

Why wills are important – especially for LGBT people

27 Discussing Community Safety

Calgary Police Service begins monthly LGBT column

28 Deep Inside Hollywood Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

For Ira Sachs, Love Is Strange

29 Cocktail Chatter ¡Oh, Pisco!

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

30 Out of Town

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

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Phoenix and Scottsdale

32 Come Celebrate in Jasper The 4th Annual Jasper Pride Festivities

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

34 A Room with A View

The Landing at Rocky Ridge offers rewarding sightlines for moderate budgets

PAGE 40

36 Robert Patrick Terminates The Comic Expo

7,000–9,000 copies Guaranteed Circulation: 7,000 copies Bonus Circulation: up to 2,000 copies

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An interview with Chris Sarandon

40 Heart on her Sleeve An interview with Nancy Wilson

43 The Family Jewel

Musician talks being an outsider, queer cowboys and unusual encounter with gay bestie

46 Prepare For Alpocalypse!

PAGE 43

Weird Al Yankovic hits the Comic & Entertainment Expo

a m

PAGE 46

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38 From Vampire to Prince

49 Queer Eye 53 A Couple of Guys 54 Mr. GayCalgary March 2013 Calvin Campbell 55 Directory and Events 60 Classified Ads

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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.

February 2013, GayCalgary® becomes a registered trademark.

Disclaimer and Copyright Opinions expressed in this magazine are specific to the author, and do not necessarily reflect those of GayCalgary staff and contributors.

Those involved in the making of this publication, whether advertisers, contributors, or the subjects of articles or photographs, are not necessarily gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans. This magazine also includes straight allies and those who are gay friendly.

No part of this publication may be reprinted or modified without the expressed written permission of the editor or publisher.

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Submission: Fri, Mar 29th In Circulation: Thu, Apr 4th Please contact us immediately if you think you may have missed the booking or submission deadline.

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Editorial

Putting People First Publisher’s Column

By Rob Diaz-Marino, MSc. I’m actually at a loss for something to talk about in length for this month’s column. I have no burning topics on my mind, community-wise, philosophy-wise, or otherwise.

Steve and I haven’t gone on any great excursions to events in the community – although a number of things happened this month, it is not enough to make a main topic out of it.

For me, the most significant things that happened this month occurred in my work life at my full-time day job, which although good and exciting, are not suitable fodder for this column.

Otherwise, for the past several months I’ve been on something of a mission. Call it a new year’s resolution if you will, though I started it slightly before 2013. I’m putting people first; I’m no longer letting our mountain of magazine obligations prevent me from spending time building better friendships with the people around me in my everyday life.

It seems odd, considering we do a lot of philanthropic work through the magazine to benefit people en masse, that we’ve had so little time to spend with individuals. Many people have tried to pin us down, but we’ve had so many reasons to be unavailable.

This past month Steve has continued to really miss his friend Don who passed away in December of last year, and sadly it

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seems like every month since then, we’ve heard news about at least one other person we know in the community passing away similarly from Cancer. For instance, just recently we lost Kevin Keleher who we knew for his involvement in Calgary’s ISCCA, and Chuck Lonestar who reigned opposite Southern Comfort as Emperor 31 of Edmonton’s ISCWR. I have to admit, Steve was starting to drive me crazy when I got home from work because, after being cooped up at home the whole day, he was about bursting at the seams to talk to somebody. So after a heart to heart discussion, I got him onboard for this resolution to spend more time with people, and build new friendships.

It would probably be too much now to go back and try to take people up on their past offers for social time. So we’ve started small, taking opportunities as they come (within reason), and already we’ve spent some good quality time with people we like, getting to know them better, and at the same time allowing them to get to know us better too.

So far we are feeling really good about it. For many, this may already be something that comes so naturally that they take it for granted. For us, we’re finally realizing how good it feels to spend time with, and open up to people that we connect with on a deeper personal level - not just on a business level.

Continued on Next Page 

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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 From Previous Page But we’ll see how well we can keep this up as we head into our busier months of the year.

February 2013 In Calgary, Roxy Riccochet’s Disney themed show at the Texas Lounge brought out a solid crowd who were entertained by such numbers as Ernestine dressed up as Sebastian the Crab, and Dyna Myte as a stunning Cruella DeVille. However, we were left guessing who was the beauty and who was the beast…haha, I kid. It was a fun night!

We made it out for the Buck Angel discussion panel organized by Fairy Tales at the University of Calgary. The topics discussed were fascinating enough, but we also got the special opportunity to hang out and chat with Buck afterwards at the Backlot.

For some reason this month we were also invited to a whole slew of mainstream social events in Calgary, starting with a preview party for a new Earls restaurant in Shepard Flats. We, amongst other media, were treated to all we could eat sample entrees and all we could drink alcoholic beverages (which for me, driving, meant getting a taste only), all while enjoying the mellow rustic atmosphere of the new establishment. We had been sent food samples in advance, and on the way out received even more!

Later in the month, we were invited to a media gathering at the Calgary Home and Garden Show where we were treated to further food and drink before being turned loose to explore the massive expo, spanning the majority of the Round Up Centre and the Corral. It was a lot of walking but there were many booths that gave us neat ideas for articles, reviews, and future home improvements.

Finally we headed over to the Blackfoot Inn to celebrate their 40th anniversary, with more food, drink, and a tour of their newly renovated suites.

Our only excursion out to Edmonton this month was on the weekend of the 23rd.

We arrived on Friday and made it over to Hooliganz Pub for the new PubliQ LGBT night with DJ Phon3hom3. Unfortunately we narrowly missed the drag show put on by some queens with unique style, as we’re told, however we were still able to hang out and chat with people before the night wound down.

For the closing party at FLASH Nightclub the Saturday evening, once again our community demonstrated, as some people describe, a talent for strongly supporting an LGBT business at a time when it’s too late to help sustain it. But on the other hand for most of the community these days, bars and clubs are a place to go out and have fun, so it’s hard to impose such obligation.

FLASH was lined up down the block, and one could barely move inside. The event was themed as a Glow party, and a body painting station was set up to help get people in the spirit. Otherwise it was one final night of music, lights, and sweaty dancing.

Following this, the venue closed for renovations to rebrand themselves as E BAR, now an alternative bar. After some vocal objection from Edmonton’s LGBT community on Facebook, the new management did put out a statement to say, “E-bar is a diverse space, and the staff excitedly welcomes everyone - every gender, sexual orientation, race, etc.” The new bar already held its grand opening the weekend of March 1st.

Online Last Month (1/2) The Tenors Return To Calgary

4 Piece plays Jubilee February 18th

I first saw The Tenors, then with “Canadian” in their name, at a fundraiser at the Jack Singer Concert Hall a few years ago. Remigio Pereira, Victor Micallef, Fraser... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3349

Creep of the Week James Dobson

To say that the horrific murder at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14 stunned the nation is an understatement. And in... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3354

Hear Me Out

Girls Soundtrack, Solange

Girls Soundtrack, Volume 1 Robyn’s sad-but-liberating “Dancing on My Own” already made life infinitely better, but then HBO’s groundbreaking series... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3359

Screen Queen

Girls, Pitch Perfect, Beasts of the Southern Wild, ParaNorma, Sparkle, Dark Knight Rises

Girls: The Complete First Season Did Sex and the City make you feel bad about your own life? Who’s got the money for a Louis Vuitton bag, anyway? Not... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3361

GayTravel.com crowns the next Gay Travel Guru!

Traveling the world is the dream of a lifetime. This dream is made even better when traveling is your job- and when, as a member of the LGBT community,... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3364

Deep Inside Hollywood

The Biggest Gay Entertainment Stories of 2012

Rachel Maddow is the boss of election night 2012How great is it to have a brilliantly smart, rational, funny lesbian leading the pack of TV political pundits?... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3358

Thinking Out Loud: At the Bottom of the Barrel Do I really have nothing more to say about LGBT issues?

If you are a regular reader of mine, perhaps you noticed that I was MIA last month. A dedicated procrastinator, l can’t blame last month’s absence on a... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3363

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Online Last Month (2/2) Creep of the Week John Boehner

I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but national approval of Congress is down. Like, way down. You know what’s more popular than Congress right now? BP during... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3355

Creep of the Week

The Boy Scouts of America

Look, I’m no Boy Scout and I never have been. Like, literally. I’m not a boy, for one.

I’m also an “avowed homosexual,” which means the Boy Scouts don’t... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3356

Hear Me Out

Tegan and Sara, Holly Williams

Tegan and Sara, Heartthrob Let the loyalists who like their Tegan and Sara all emo-rocky make a big fuss about the girls’ complete shift into super pop,...

This Month The big event this month, as you may already know, is the 31st annual Apollo Western Cup over Easter long weekend (March 28th to 30th). This sporting weekend culminates to the much anticipated Western Cup Dance, which is a chance for the competitors and the general public to mingle and celebrate. This dance brings over a thousand people together in a single ballroom, and this year they are featuring a particularly big name DJ. So if this is your scene, you’d be sorry to miss it.

Helping the weekend to kick off is another big event that has become a tradition over the past several years. The 3rd annual Backlot to Boyztown party is happening at Vinyl Retrolounge (the former Metro Boyztown space) on Wednesday, March 27th – so mark your calendars!

There are a number of events happening this month on the campuses of the University of Calgary and the University of Alberta – read the articles and check out the ads in this edition for more information.

The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo is coming up in April, and as an official Media Sponsor of the event, we’re already lining up celebrity interviews. This month we’ve interviewed Weird Al, Chris Sarandon, and Robert Patrick and there are many more to come next month and the months to follow!

http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3360

Screen Queen

http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3368

For a Good Time, Call …, Keep the Lights On, Killer Joe, Game Change, Ted, To Rome with Love

View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

For a Good Time, Call ... For a Good Time, Call ... keeps the dirty-girl trend going with a sweet/sexy story of two college foes – they hate each other... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3362

Tegan & Sara Come Home In concert this week

There is something unique about seeing an artist in their hometown. Whether the familiarity, the feeling of civic pride, or just being a fan when someone... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3366

Creep of the Week Peter Sprigg

As I write this gays and lesbians are celebrating the fact that President Obama called for equal rights for everyone, not just straight people, during... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3357

Don’t Burst my Cloud

Indie-lesbian film has it all

It has been described as an indie lesbian romantic comedy but Thom Fitzgerald’s lovely film Cloudburst is much more than that. Cloudburst is written and... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3367

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Community

OUTreach Presents the First Formal University of Alberta Pride Week

By Lisa Lunney The Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services, and OUTreach, the University of Alberta’s LGBTQ social group, have partnered with the U of A to bring about a unique event this month: the University of Alberta Pride Week, from March 13th to 22nd.

It is an open event and all members of the community are welcome to join, as it is not exclusive to University of Alberta students.

Following in last year’s footsteps, OUTreach hosted a February ski trip. Nicholas Diaz was the OUTreach’s Social Convener for the 2012 trip and helped to send out a 24-person ski trip to the Canadian Rockies. This year, OUTreach brought 56 members of the community together to enjoy a relaxing trip to Jasper for two and half-days; so in one year, the trip more than doubled in size! Travelers indulged in the activities of winter. Some chose to ski, some participated in an ice walk and some chose to spend their time snowboarding. The trip also included a gala. All in all, it brought individuals together for two days of fun and bonding.

This triumphant mountain getaway was just a glimpse of what fun and excitement OUTreach has in store for the community!

This year marks the first formal occurrence of UofA Pride Week, so there is certainly a lot of hustle and bustle to ensure the event is up to par with community expectations.

OUTreach has been working hard to ensure programming is perfect and that the week is a success.

There is a colourful list of creative events that will certainly inform and entertain Pride goers. Throughout the week there will be guest speakers including: Michael Phair, Darrin Hagen, Janice Ristok, Vivek Shraya and some of our very own Albertan politicians. There will be two film screenings, a community resource fair, a campus pride parade, a session of Coming Out Monologue performances in addition to several prime time evening events including: Queer Art Night and the OUTreach Drag Show!

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OUTreach has mapped out the entire week to ensure Pride participants can make the most out of it, with something that should pique just about everyone’s interest. Day one will kick off with Coming Out Monologues: Performance & Colloquium. Day two is the Pride Week Teaser and Coming Out Monologues 2nd showing. Day three celebrates Pride week with the Pride Week Launch Party. Day four is a busy day including the parade, a keynote lecture from Dr. Janice Ristock, LGBTQ Family Panel and Rainbow Yoga. Day five includes REACH Edmonton: Community Conversations on LGBTQ Campus Safety, Traveling Tickle Trunk Presentation and a screening of “But, I’m A Cheerleader”. Day six kicks off with Safe Spaces Orientation, followed by the Community Resources Fair, God Loves Hair: Reading by Vivek Shraya, “Reproductive Autonomy: Control of Sexuality” Panel Discussion, Speaker Series--What I Love About Being Queer: Vivek Shraya, ending with a screening of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”. Day seven is the much-anticipated Queer Art Night. Day eight concludes the week with multiple events including: Breaking The Silence, Yoga as an Anti-Oppressive Practice and the OUTreach Drag Show! A detailed breakdown of events can be found on their website.

Multiple communities including: students, staff, groups, faculties, units/offices have come together to support the U of A Pride week 2013 with the primary goal of making Pride Week an important and enduring part of the fabric of the University of Alberta. Visibility and community are the number one focuses. This event would not be possible without the support of numerous and very diverse sponsors and organizers. It is truly a celebration that unites the whole community, and has community working together as one to celebrate our diversity.

OUTreach http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach

University of Alberta Pride Week March 13th to 22nd http://www.prideweek.ualberta.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3369

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20 Years of Pints and Party Great Big Sea marks 2 decades with greatest hits and tour

 Great Big Sea

By Jason Clevett “I’m sorry I’m late. I forgot, I have no excuse.”

It is pretty much impossible to be mad at Alan Doyle. Calling from outside a taco stand in Anaheim, the casual banter as he acknowledges missing our scheduled time slot is like that of a genuinely apologetic friend. This affable nature is one of the key ingredients to the success of Great Big Sea. The band celebrates 20 years together with a greatest hits package and box set XX. Doyle, Sean McCann and Bob Hallett hit the road for a string of Canadian dates including March 12th and 13th in Edmonton and March 14th and 15th in Calgary.

“It is pretty awesome. I have to say it is a little notch in the bedpost. It is one of those things that is a pretty serious marker for several things,” Doyle said of reaching 20 years. “The fact that you have managed to keep it together as a band for that long is quite an accomplishment but it is also a massive congratulations from our fans for wanting us to be around for so long. We are about to start what will probably be the biggest tour we have ever done.”

If you look back to 1993 and try and remember how many bands from that time are still playing music, it is a small list. Many bands break up due to band members growing apart, and with the rigors of the road, not killing each other can be a challenge.

“We use over the counter medication,” Doyle quipped, adding, “We have always got along and been grateful to do this for a living. Grateful enough to keep the bickerings at bay, and there have certainly been a lot of them. Getting to do this for a living outweighs the crap. We have always benefited from momentum; every tour has gotten a little bit better. It’s not like we had the biggest hit song in the world one summer and the next summer we didn’t. Every year has always been a bit better than the year before, more people are willing to come and pay slightly more money. In retrospect it has been such a wonderfully human pace to keep it at. We never had a big rise so you never feel a big drop.”

Side interests have also helped keep the band afloat. Doyle has worked as an actor who has appeared in many films, including the latest Robin Hood movie; he has recorded with other artists as well as released a solo album. Sean has released solo albums; Bob has produced other artists and written books.

“It is pretty big for us and has been since the beginning. We have all had stuff we did outside the band. It keeps you sane and fresh and new and lets you exercise a few demons or ghosts in other places instead of in the back of the tour bus. Great Big Sea has always been the mother ship for us and hopefully always will be.

Often the band is approached for advice from artists early in their career hoping to achieve the same longevity.

“I always joke that if you ever need advice for younger bands, I ask do you mean honest to god advice or do you mean shortcuts or secrets? Because I don’t know any shortcuts. It is totally possible for you to make a living making music. It is also going to be the hardest job you ever want to take. So if you aren’t willing to do that, stop now and go do something else. It is a lot of hours, time and sacrifice especially as you get older and have kids - it is a lot of time away. So you really really really really gotta want to do it. Not just think you want to do it but actually want to do it consistently for a long time. If you do, jump in feet first.”

The greatest hits package XX is available in both a double disk and a box set. The box set includes interviews and footage from early in the bands career. Looking back at their early 20’s brought back a lot of memories.

“It is a bit of a time capsule. Looking at pictures from your wedding isn’t really pleasant and we’ve been at a wedding since 1993. It is kind of funny to hear about the earlier interviews about how eager and interested and naive we were. It is also cool to look at it and see the little people and wide eyed stuff, and know the lust for it all is still there... It is embarrassing at times but 99% of it is fantastic.”

Continued on Next Page 

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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 From Previous Page

The band has toured extensively, and there were moments when they looked at each other and thought, “Is this really happening?”

“There have been so many. Early in the Great Big Sea days we got to work with The Chieftains. If you grew up in Celtic music background at all you know they are the most influential Irish instrumental band in history. We got to tour with them and record with them and go to Ireland. That was an amazing pinch me kind of moment. There have been dozens of times since then – opening on a tour for Sting or in my personal life getting on the Robin Hood movie - and I’m actually playing Alan A’Dayle, the world’s most famous troubadour of all time. There have been a bunch of those times. I think my favourite time in the last 20 years is still the day our first record showed up. Our first little indie record was released August 3, 1993. I have been in bands my whole life and my family had been in bands their whole life but no one had ever actually had a record out and we had just done it. I still feel that is one of the biggest accomplishments in my life.”

2012 also saw Doyle release his first solo album, Boy on the Bridge. The title is a nod to his appearance in the 1981 film A Whale For The Killing.

“Hollywood came to town 2 summers in a row with Orca and Whale for the Killing. I remember watching Bo Derrick walk around the streets of Petty Harbour and it was kind of a weird thing. They asked us to stand behind some actors and throw some rocks out on the water and paid us 15 bucks each. I’d forgotten about it until someone looked me up on IMDB and lo and behold there it was. Alan Doyle, boy on bridge. Wow I was a movie star before I even knew it.”

Doyle has been touring as a solo artist, including a recent stop at the Ironwood Grill. The intimacy of his solo shows is different from the large theatres Great Big Sea is playing.

“It is different guns at your side with different talents and skill sets. The coolest thing about that was putting myself out there without the cushion of the 20 years of a Great Big Sea catalogue.

It is kind of spooky and I really like the things that scare me the most, especially as a performer. I enjoy the thrill of being that scared for the first time in awhile. It is a great thing and the heart of where Great Big Sea started. Our whole apprenticeship was in the pubs in Atlantic Canada. That is where we cut our teeth, it still feels a little closer to home than standing in front of a 3000 seat venue in Anaheim. It feels far away from home to be honest with you, especially considering where we started. It is all part of it.”

The tour started in California and headed up the west coast, across Canada, and into the US East coast. Great Big Sea’s music is distinctly Canadian and the band takes great pride in sharing their style with an international audience.

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“It is one of the funnest parts of it all. Especially when we were starting off standing in front of a bunch of people with an accordion singing shanties and they are looking at you like Martians landed in front of them. Unlike most Canadians they have no context, they don’t know what Newfoundland is or that our music is an offshoot of something that came before us and is a logical extension of what our parents used to do. We are just dudes with shorts on and an accordion for some reason playing at a festival in 1995. If it is scary then you are probably doing the right thing. It has been a thrill to come back to these places 10 or 12 years later and see a crowd of people in California singing Excursion Around The Bay. I have a secret little giggle about that because it is so cool.”

Returning home is always a big deal for the band. The excitement in Doyle’s voice is noticeable as he talks about the tour.

“It is always cool to go to the places that have supported you from day one. Calgary is certainly one of them it has always been one of our biggest places to play. I have found the whole thing to be kind of satisfying to be in the game at all let alone still doing it at as high a level as we ever did. That is a pretty special thing.”

The lack of ego or arrogance is part of why people connect with Great Big Sea. There are many people who have stories of drinking with the band and how laid back and friendly they are.

They’ve kept grounded despite their success.

“I have been blessed by not being that good. You’re laughing, I wish it was more of a joke than it is but it is kind of true. I have always felt that compared to our heroes and peers our skill sets aren’t really that exceptional. I am still kind of really grateful if not surprised that people will come see me do it. I spent so many years in my teens and early 20’s playing in pubs and places where nobody came. That made total sense to me because there was lots of stuff going on. Then people started showing up for us and it was like, wow. I’ve never lost that sense of wonder that people will hire a babysitter and get in the car and drive halfway across one of the United States to see us sing a song. That is incredible to me still.”

Great Big Sea joins the list of artists that as a Canadian you should see at least once in your life. Like peers such as The Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, The Barenaked Ladies and many others it is their reputation for putting on a great show that has fans filling venues for multiple nights.

“There are 5 or 6 new tunes in the box set and we will be doing a couple of those. It is a 2 set show and the first set we are digging into the vault a bit and making a conscious effort to play some songs that have been on peoples’ minds for a lot of years that we haven’t really played a lot in the last decade or so. Some songs that we felt we grew out of, now we have to do it. All of those bands that are still around are the ones that give you a great show. That is what people want is a great night out.

You mention those bands and we try to be amongst them where nobody leaves disappointed. A concert is not my opportunity to demonstrate to people what I felt like doing, that has not been what it has been about ever. To me a concert is about people coming and it is my job to make sure they leave happy. I am working for them, they are not paying to see me. Let’s make a great night of it.”

Great Big Sea XX in stores now http://www.GreatBigSea.com On Tour Edmonton – Northern Jubilee Auditorium – March 12th & 13th Calgary – Southern Jubilee Auditorium – March 14th & 15th http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3370

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

11

Interview

Born to Fight

Red Deer female MMA fighter bucking stereotypes one punch at a time

By Krista Sylvester Adorned with piercings and tattoos, Sy Jewett doesn’t exactly look like your “typical” MMA fighter. That isn’t to say she isn’t intimidating, and she definitely packs a punch.

The 27-year-old currently resides in Red Deer but will be in Calgary on March 15th challenging 4-time Muay Thai champion Charmaine Tweet at the Telus Convention Centre for AFC 15: THE IDES. And while she may be considered the bout’s underdog, it’s a role Jewett relishes.

“I like it because people will be surprised,” she says of her hopes to win the battle.

Jewett’s parents enrolled her in martial arts when she was just eight-years-old and she has been involved in MMA for the last four.

“I was full of energy and protecting all the kids from being bullied so we decided it would help me,” Jewett says of her early beginnings. “My influence at that time was my family, who are still very supportive. My mom’s my biggest fan and I know my dad’s very proud of me as well as my sister, Alicia.”

While her friends and family are supportive, they still worry about her.

“It is one of the most dangerous sports out there to do, but I love what I do and I’m also good at it.”

Jewett, who is lesbian, says it helps that her girlfriend is supportive as well.

“She loves UFC and totally supports my passion,” she adds.

However, speaking of that, Jewett has had something of a battle outside of the ring when it comes to being lesbian.

She came out to her family when she was 17-years-old, but says a lot of people in society are “old-fashioned and closed-minded.”

“Being a lesbian in today’s society has its ups and downs, but it’s who I am and I wouldn’t change for anybody. I want nothing more than to be accepted and it pains me to see others torn apart by society because of their sexual preference.”

Jewett accepts that she is one of few women in MMA and further, that she is one of the few lesbian MMA fighters in Canada.

“It’s huge, and I just want to represent all gays and beat some ass in the cage. It’s more than just standing up for my people, its making people understand that we’re human beings just like everyone else. We laugh, we cry, we smile and if people could only see that and get to know us instead of passing judgment, the world would be a different place.”

And she admits some people are shocked to learn she is a pro MMA fighter but Jewett does get a lot of attention, especially in Red Deer where there is only one other fighter.

“I get a lot of people telling me good luck and represent for all the Canadian gals. Makes me feel good and push harder.”

While the physical aspect of fighting is vigorous and intense, the mental preparation is the most challenging part, Jewett says.

“The biggest challenge I face is injury and I put my body through a lot. But the drive, the passion and the heart is what gets me through it. Sometimes you just have to bite your tongue and keep going.”

When she isn’t fighting or preparing to fight, Jewett runs her own gym out of her home and teaches martial arts and fitness. She plans on fighting many more times and often, hoping to one day take on some of the biggest names in women’s fighting.

For now though, she will take on Tweet and head up to Edmonton for another battle later this month. Readers can check out her fan page: LadyDragon Sy Jewett on Facebook.

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Catching Up With Sandra Bernhard

Comedian takes on Jodie Foster, ‘disgusting’ reality shows and voices in the night

By Chris Azzopardi Sandra Bernhard has never been one to mince her words. The saucy comedian – who’s been performing her audacious standup since the ’70s – wasn’t about to change her ways during our interview, where she says gay people need to get over Jodie Foster’s emotional coming-out (or whatever it was) and why she’ll never do a reality TV show.

GC: In a review for your current show, The New York Times says the “meanness has largely evaporated.” Is that true?

SB: I just think it’s transformed. As an artist and performer, you constantly transform your emotions in a different way.

Certainly I’m still fueled by the same things that I have always been concerned about or fascinated by, but you just can’t stay locked in the same mentality your entire life. That just shows absolutely no evolution as a person.

GC: So the meanness isn’t completely gone.

SB: I don’t think I’ve ever been mean, per se. Some people who are intimidated are gonna think I’m mean or scary; other people are just gonna think I’m ballsy. In terms of being strong and forthright and saying what’s on my mind, I don’t think that’ll ever change.

GC: Is writing standup now easier than it was at the beginning of your career?

SB: No. My material has always just come from casual conversation. It just comes to me in a very melodic way. I don’t sit down and write material that way. A lot of my ideas are offthe-cuff, and I develop them from there.  Photos by Kevin Thomas Garcia

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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 From Previous Page GC: Of all your passions – music, comedy, politics – is there a specific one that you find most fulfilling?

SB: Everything is in tandem with the others. Being a mother and being in a relationship with somebody for almost 14 years is sort of my bedrock. And my dog George, who’s a rescue pup. These are all things that anchor me day to day, and then I kind of go out from there. If you don’t have a solid base for your life, the rest of it doesn’t even have any impact after a certain point. So I think all that stuff melds together and it’s all exciting to me. It’s exciting to me that I can go out into the world and talk about all of it and experience it and retreat from it. I think that’s what keeps people sane and healthy.

GC: When we spoke four years ago, you mentioned looking for a regular TV gig.

SB: I still am.

GC: Is it difficult to find roles or are you just picky?

SB: Well, it’s kind of a combination of both. There are certain things that I just wouldn’t be happy doing. But there are just not that many roles that are right, either. I also have completely new representation in the last year that is really on top of it in a different way, so I’m feeling much more confident.

In fact, I just did a gueststarring role on The Neighbors.

GC: How about for the rest of the year?

Any major TV gigs in the works?

SB: Yeah, I’m looking at them. It’s pilot season now, so as soon as that kicks into high gear, I’m sure I’ll be auditioning for several different roles and hopefully landing something – and hopefully that show will get picked up. It’s a big process for all that to happen.

GC: I don’t think people realize that.

SB: No, they don’t. They think it’s all magic.

GC: As one of the first gay characters on television as Nancy Bartlett on Roseanne, what do you think of the strides we’ve made on TV as far as inclusivity?

SB: It’s kind of stalled out. Some of it’s grotesque. Modern Family is fabulous and fun; The New Normal is over-the-top and awful and stupid and doesn’t really hit anything important.

GC: Which is ironic, because it’s Ryan Murphy – who’s gay!

SB: I know. That’s my point. They’re usually the worst perpetrators of that – GC: Stereotype?

SB: Yeah. I think black people haven’t progressed very much in film and television, either. I just think it’s a white person’s medium, and unfortunately, a lot of people never get to experience the success they should.

GC: If you were to play Nancy now, in a time that’s much more progressive than it was in the early ’90s, would her character be different?

SB: No, that wasn’t Roseanne’s take. They lived in a small town and it was all about what happened in a

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small town, and things have changed in small towns. I don’t think Roseanne could exist anymore on TV, so I don’t think Nancy would have a place. The way Roseanne presented small-town life doesn’t even make sense anymore.

GC: How long do you see yourself doing standup?

SB: Forever.

GC: Some comedians, like Kathy Griffin and Joan Rivers, go on to do reality shows. Does that interest you at all?

SB: No. You think they haven’t asked me to do that a million times? Absolutely not. From day one, that was destined to be crap. I don’t want to exploit my life or my family. It’s not what I got into this business for. You keep those two worlds separate.

To show it in this disgusting, exploitive way – what is that? It’s nobody’s business how I live my life. I protect my daughter and my family at all costs.

They’re not there for exploitation.

My daughter didn’t choose to become exploited on television in some sleazy show. It’s just out of the question.

GC: I know you have an opinion about everything, so how do you feel about Jodie Foster’s speech at the Golden Globes?

SB: I just think that it’s terribly sad that she’s spent her whole life holding down her emotions and repressing them, and of course I find it totally absurd that when you finally decide to tap into them, it’s in front of the entire world at the Golden Globes. Have your catharsis with your therapist and the people who are important to you, and then bring the results of that to the world.

I don’t think that (the Golden Globes) is the place to work it out. I don’t like maudlin in front of large groups of people. But I don’t think she thought about it. I just think it all came spewing out. I guess it’s all people who are in her life. I mean, her life has been the movies since she was 3 years old, so I don’t think she has much connection to reality, in a certain way.

GC: When you came out it wasn’t so much an issue for you, right?

SB: I’ve never really come out. That’s never been my thing. I never made a definite statement about my sexuality. Obviously, I’m the torchbearer for people just to be comfortable in their own skin, and that’s what my whole philosophy has always been. I never needed to come out, because I came out as a person with many different facets to her personality since the beginning of my career. And that’s what I stand for.

GC: I remember a YouTube video you shot encouraging people to just be who they are.

SB: Yeah, and fortunately or unfortunately, now you sort of have to beat people over the head with the obvious. My whole point of view has been subtlety, nuance and sophistication – that’s just not the world we’re living in anymore. Maudlin is the end of civilization.

GC: Rupert Everett is making news again for restating that gay celebrities shouldn’t out themselves if they want to maintain a successful career in the entertainment business. What’s your take? Do you www.gaycalgary.com

think coming out affected your acting career? Did you miss out on roles because you’re gay?

SB: No! I’m still an actress.

I think my attitude and my kind of approach to who I am as a performer has affected it more than my sexuality.

People perceive me as being tough and one-note, and sometimes that’s limiting – but hopefully you find that role that breaks the cliché.

I don’t think anybody cares about the sexuality aspect, to be honest with you.

GC: What helped you gain the confidence to be so forthright with who you are?

SB: I was just always that way naturally. That’s how I was as a kid and as a teenager, and I kept evolving over the years as I peeled away layers of myself – the onion that I live in. We’re all peeling away things as we go through life and revealing more of ourselves to ourselves and to those around us. If you stay grounded in the world and in your life, you’re just gonna keep evolving and also enjoying your life as you go. I mean, otherwise, what’s the point?

GC: Do you think Jodie’s speech warrants all the fuss from the gay community?

Do you think we’re being too persnickety?

SB: What was the response from the gay community?

GC: Some people say it’s too little too late.

SB: I mean, does it really matter? Do we need Jodie Foster to legitimize our cause? I mean, who fucking cares?

GC: We do. You know how we look to other people in the gay community as examples.

SB: Ah, I know. That’s what I don’t like. Don’t expect any one person to be the role model for the entire community. Everybody needs to do that for themselves. That’s always been my point of my view.

If you don’t feel confident, if you don’t feel good, then you figure it out. Don’t wait for somebody else to do it for you.

GC: We look for all these other voices to speak for us.

SB: Yeah, I know, I know. These voices that come to us in the night. I know.

GC: You mean to tell me you never have voices come to you?

SB: I tell them to shut up and I go back to sleep.

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

15

Community

March on Campus!

U of C host to Gender Bender and the Coming Out Monologues

By Carey Rutherford No, it’s not disgruntled students complaining about ballooning tuition costs, nor an environmentalist attempt to draw attention to the imminent disappearance of any of the thousands of species that have left us in one generation.

It’s the month of March, on the University of Calgary campus, and stuff is busting out all over.

A fine example is the annual Gender Bender put on by Queers On Campus (Q on C). Ryan Barlow, co-chair of this Students’ Union club, is enthusiastic about their efforts to gather and interlace different associations and groups of the campus community.

On March 22nd at 9pm in the Den, they are holding, the fifth annual Gender Bender cabaret to raise funds for Q on C’s many other activities throughout the school year. The Gender Bender is open to the public, and participants are encouraged to get “in face” for the evening, as the Drag Show is intended as an inclusionary event. James Dean, April Showers, DJ GS (Goldstar) and DJ Dopamine amongst others will grace the Den’s performance space, and hopefully some other kings and queens will mingle during the evening.

As Ryan says, “Last year we had about 300 people in attendance, which was a record for our Q on C events... It’s really exciting to be able to offer a medium or locus where all people in the community and allies etc. can participate. That’s kind of what Queers on Campus has become: a medium through which the different organizations can interact.” Students, staff, faculty and the public are all welcome.

“Our role has transformed into a social club: into a fun meeting or collaborative space, as opposed to a support group as we might have been in previous years.” He mentions that the QCentre on campus serves that function more now.

Regarding the Gender Bender, he says “I’ve never seen an event where so many of the audience members are in face, and I think that’s what makes Gender Bender unique: it gives an opportunity for people who wouldn’t otherwise do anything drag-related.”

As a club, Q on C provides food and drink at all of their nonalcoholic events (“One of the best ways to attract students is to give food away,” he laughs), which include gender-neutral speed-dating nights, invited speakers, games nights (board and otherwise), movie nights, and other social activities - all supported by this, their main funding push in the year. As he points out, Gender Bender is the only event which costs students money.

Everything else that Queers on Campus does is free to attend for U of C students.

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Meanwhile, the annual Coming Out Monologues is slated to occur this year in the Boris Roubakine Theatre in Craigie Hall (also on campus) on March 13th, 14th and 15th, with each night being a different performance.

A tradition originating from the University of California at Riverside (UCR), “The Coming Out Monologues is a communitybased theatre project celebrating the diversity of experience and identity as a culmination to the Day of Silence.”

The U of C Leadership and Student Engagement program is presenting the Monologues for their fourth year in Calgary, and Aleesha Bray, coordinator of the event, notes that this year there will be a couple of parent/child presentations which should prove evocative and empowering.

While she does ask all of the participants to script, rehearse (and rehearse again) and present their own stories, sometimes the presentation of another’s story is just as important. Additionally, Bray mentions that since none of the monologues are performed by professionals, a great deal of support is given in their creation.

There are three celebratory evenings of the LGBTQA community.

“It’s almost like a variety show. We’re selling buttons for donations, [there’s] a wishing tree, there’s some music participation for the audience as well, a photo booth, ...and on March 16th we’re having an educational supplement, including a panel session with some group activity afterwards, directed towards future educators, doctors, psychologists, and social workers.”

Students and the public are welcome here as well.

So you won’t need to take up activism for a reason to march onto the University of Calgary campus this month.

Gender Bender Presented by Queers on Campus March 22nd, 9pm @ The Den The Coming Out Monologues March 13th – 15th Boris Roubakine Theatre, Craigie Hall http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3373

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Richard Karn

“Al Borland” comes to Calgary for Stage West’s Game Show

 Photos by Stage West

By Jason Clevett Throughout the 1990’s, Richard Karn was beamed into millions of living rooms across North America. Playing the character of Al Borland on Home Improvement from 1991 to 1999 he was a part of many people’s lives. Add in a 4 year run hosting Family Feud from 2002 to 2006 and it’s hard to deny Karn has become a part of popular culture. Karn stars in Game Show currently playing at Stage West Calgary. We caught up with Karn prior to a recent performance to talk about the show and his career.

“The show is a lot of fun. As I get to know the area better when people tell me where they are from I have more of a reference now. The different towns and the rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton - I didn’t know about it when we started. It goes by so fast, I know there is funny stuff going on but I don’t remember it all because it happens so quickly.

There was one young lady that I asked what she did and she said she farmed dirt. I was like, really? Dirt? Did you even have to go to school for that? I remember working with dirt as kid. There are always little innuendos, like somebody from Balzac. You can do a lot of things with Balzac of course, like it’s a good thing you are north of Balzac. People have been really nice unless you say you are from Edmonton, then they go crazy,” he jokes.

Game Show is an interactive experience in which audience members participate in the game show for prizes, interspersed with a look behind the scenes at the goings on of the show. Of course there is drama, intrigue, and lots of twists and turns, not quite the same as an actual game show taping.

“I did 6 shows in a day, 12 shows in a weekend of Family Feud. We did weekends because we wanted families there. www.gaycalgary.com

So the show would go pretty close to time, it is a 20 minute episode and they would maybe run 30 to 35 minutes. In a lot of ways it is similar to the experience of being at a taping. The guy who whips up the crowd really works a lot harder, if the show is not going on he is out there keeping the audience energy up.”

On opening night I was pulled from the audience to participate. Having seen so many Stage West productions it was surreal to be on that stage myself, with Richard chatting me up and asking questions.

“It is a hybrid in a way because there is a game show going on and a play going on through it. There are a lot of unexpected things and participation too. It isn’t just watching a farce unfold on stage. It is funny and bright and clips along at a great pace. I am doing a lot of what I did on Family Feud - that is me. A different actor would do it differently. In Toronto, Charles Shaughnessy from The Nanny is doing the show. He will have a different interpretation. Because I did Family Feud there is a whole

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

17

 From Previous Page different energy because I understand game shows. So to have an actor that understands both sides of it is cool.”

The show does have its risks as the audience is not coached in any way. The fear of making a fool of yourself likely reigns in many people’s minds, so Karn has to be quick on his toes with responses to diffuse this.

“I think Canadians are so nice. Maybe they just have a respect for it. If that were to happen it is kind of my job to just deal with it. Nobody has been mean or anything like that. After the first time and they see how it is I don’t think it is scary. I am not there to make people miserable.

I learned in my 4 seasons on Family Feud that if you are too harsh with somebody they just clam up and it isn’t fun.

In my mind I am clicking through all the things I could or should say.”

The show itself is fantastic and funny, and well worth seeing. Those that may buy tickets to see Karn will be thoroughly entertained. The connection to Karn is strong for many people. As a kid if we asked something ridiculous we would get told, “I don’t think so Tim” even though none of us were named Tim. Sometimes something would call for “more power.” Seeing and meeting someone you watched on TV can be a surreal experience.

“I think back to the shows I watched growing up, and if I had run into those people I would have told them stories.

But I grew up in Seattle and wasn’t around TV people.

Television is a very comforting thing because we are in your living room and there is an association with family and a lot of other things going on in your life. When you are growing up you are at an impressionable age…my character was always well received, I wasn’t a mean guy or stupid so people come up to me and are really nice. People come up to Tim [Allen] and most humour is based in insults, so people come up to him and insult him trying to be funny.

It is hard for other people sometimes, depending on their character. At one point someone asked if I got upset that people constantly come up to me about Al. If I was going to be upset about that I would be upset all the time. It is part of life and it is not that they are intruding on my privacy, on the other hand I gave that up by being on TV. It wasn’t something I acknowledged at the time, it is just something that occurred to me at the time. I got into this business in theatre, doing this show a couple of thousand of people will see it. Doing one episode of Home Improvement that is a couple of million. I am thankful that I got that job. My son Cooper was born the first season and he is turning 21 now.

It was two very life changing events happening in my midthirties. If I had gotten this show in my mid-twenties I would probably be dead now. The money that I could have done stupid stuff with…your frontal lobes haven’t connected in your 20’s, you do weird things.”

Although not gay, Al Borland resonated with many members of the gay community.

“I became aware of that. I would get letters from the bears.

My first instinct was the football team the bears? There would be pictures of two guys smiling, nothing provocative.

So I was like ohhh. So I asked someone and they explained it. I would get letters calling me an honorary member of the bears. I was like Ok, well I’ve got a beard. I didn’t know it at the beginning but then I learned about it and was like ok cool.”

The relationship between Tim and Al and the teasing Al endured from Tim at times was a little harsh. As the relationship grew, we saw the bond and respect between the two characters.

“It definitely had to grow. Everything is going to grow you just don’t know which way it is going to go. I wasn’t a regular character at first I was filling in. So in Tim’s mind I was there for just a little while. Then I am brought on to stay and Tim is like, great. Al is a funny guy but not somebody I would hang out with. So for awhile there it was like Al was just there at the workplace. It became apparent that Al was 18

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

a bit more [than] that and as Tim and I got to know each other personally, we took Al in different [directions]. The first time we ever saw them outside of Tool Time was the episode we went ice fishing. It was a big breakthrough. The writers were writing one thing and I said, we are out of Tool Time, is there any way we can grow our relationship? They tweaked it a little bit here and there. Not enough for me at the time but there was new stuff. You don’t have to do a lot of changes to make big ones, little things go a long way.”

As mentioned, Karn wasn’t originally supposed to be on the show and was filling in on the pilot for another actor, but was soon cast in the role. He was ecstatic to be working and enjoying himself so he didn’t find out about some aspects of the show until much later.

“They finally got rid of (on-screen girlfriend) Eileen because they thought she was too pretty. They thought it wasn’t as funny and they needed to put Al with somebody more in his league. I didn’t find out why they did it until way later. I was oblivious to a lot of things because I was just damn happy to be there. I had a great job and loved going to work, the rest just washed off my back. I don’t hold a grudge and am a pretty easygoing guy. I found out stuff years later.

We always rehearsed Tool Time first, even if it ended the show. I was thinking it was fun to start off with I guess. It was cool by me, I lived close by, I could go and then leave.

Then I found out later that Patricia Richardson didn’t want to come in until later in the day because she had twins. So they would push her scenes so she didn’t have to come in until noon. I’m not mad about it, but it is just like, oh ok.

That is how that worked.”

At the time Jonathan Taylor Thomas was the equivalent of Justin Bieber, on the cover of every teen magazine with throngs of female teenage fans. Thomas eventually left the show to focus on school but has popped up for guest appearances. Karn spoke highly of the actor who played Randy Taylor.

“He is a good looking kid, very smart. Jonathan was short so he filled in the middle kid. Because he was a bright kid he knew how to tell a joke. So the writers would write for him because they knew his jokes would get a laugh. He always delivered. His character became a writer, the writers just felt that he would personify them as kids.”

Karn keeps busy with theatre work and has appeared on Tim Allen’s new show Last Man Standing. The cast also reunited recently for an Entertainment Weekly shoot.

“We fall into a lot of the same kind of things but we are different. On Tim’s new show there are about 12 people that were on Home Improvement, in hair and makeup and camera guys. They’ve been working with him for 20 years.

They would say, Tim is more perky this week than usual because we make each other laugh and I give him stuff. In theatre it is immediate and presentational whereas the first few days of TV rehearsal is a different energy.”

Game Show Starring Richard Karn Now playing at Stage West www.StageWestCalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3374

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Interview

Tenors Lead with their Hearts Foursome makes Canada proud

By Jason Clevett The Tenors – Remigio Pereira, Victor Micallef, Fraser Walters, and Clifton Murray – knew that their appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show in 2010 was a huge opportunity to expose their music to a large audience.

They had no idea what Oprah had in store for them.

As they were singing their gorgeous cover of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah the audience erupted and Celine Dion entered behind them. The stunned expressions on their faces showed that they had no idea she would be joining them.

“You mentioning it still gives me chills to this day, it was one of those life changing moments. Just being on Oprah is a big enough honour and thrill. We were nervous it was such a big shot. Halfway through the song the audience started cheering and the lights got brighter. In my mind I thought they were prompting the audience to applaud and thought, wow this is going to look weird, it is just a guitar a solo,” Walters told GayCalgary Magazine. “Little did I know that Celine was walking out behind us. I was one of the last to see her, and it was just an out of body experience. We all probably wanted to just stop singing and give her a big hug but it was the middle of the song! Somehow the instincts allowed us to get through the end of the song. Our manager was the only one who knew and was told if the guys find out we are going to scrap the whole segment. He had to really keep a tight lip on it. There was only that one shot, they wanted to capture the moment and they did. It was a career defining moment.”

Those moments have defined the whirlwind of the last few years of the Tenors. They have traveled around the world and performed at many events including the Emmy Awards, and met many famous people.

“It happens almost daily now. It seems like every time there is a new event that pops up we are getting paired with an artist that we have watched. Just before Christmas we did a big NBC show called the American Giving Awards honoring Glenn Close and Randy Travis and Lifehouse were there. We did the Katy Couric show and did a spoof for Charlie Sheen. Singing for Obama and the world leaders at the G-20 Summit and for her majesty the Queen for the Diamond Jubilee. We had a private tea with her and about 30 dignitaries in a small intimate space singing Oh Canada and Hallelujah. They asked us to sing God Save The Queen which we didn’t know and had to throw together a quick arrangement and rehearsed it in the car. It has been incredible. At the same time we stay grounded because we have very supportive families and each other to knock us down a peg if we get a little too excited. There was a lot of hard work before these big gigs came along. Our first tour was 12 towns in 14 days in Saskatchewan and we didn’t go to Regina or Saskatoon, it was all small markets. We earned our stripes, we went from town to town in our rental cars and started with no much money and sold records out of the trunk of the car and then we got the record contract. It took years to get to this point and we are thrilled to be getting opportunities because we feel prepared for them and not daunted by them.”

Fraser Walters spoke to GayCalgary Magazine in advance of a recent concert in Calgary. The show was phenomenal, with many moments that induced chills from the power of their voices. This, combined with their wit and charm, made for a great concert experience.

“We have all different backgrounds and styles of music growing up – rock bands, gospel music, opera, a lot of different backgrounds.

We all play instruments on stage; we like to show that musicianship as well. It is about having a lot of fun on stage. We take the music seriously but we have a lot of fun with the audience. Every show is different, we like to talk about local happenings or something www.gaycalgary.com

 The Tenors

funny that happened over breakfast. Every audience knows they are getting a unique show to that evening. It makes it exciting.”

There has been one noticeable change in the group, which dropped the name “The Canadian Tenors” in favor of just “The Tenors” with the release of their latest album Lead With Your Heart.

“It felt like a natural evolution, it wasn’t a knee-jerk decision, we considered it over time. People started referring to us as the Tenors three years ago. It continued that way until we realized getting released in Australia, the UK, the US, it became a way for the international audience to take ownership of us in the same way that Canada has. Everyone just knows us as The Tenors from Canada. You don’t want to regionalize yourself and not get released in different territories around the world, it wouldn’t be a smart business decision. So it was a no-brainer to release as The Tenors to get our music out to as many people around the world as we can. Everyone knows where we are from, it is like Michael Bublé or Celine Dion, everyone knows they are Canadian but they don’t have it in their name.”

The album features original songs as well as covers. In concert there were additional covers – Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling In Love and the Rankin’s Fare Thee Well Love were reworked in a way that both honored the originals and made them the group’s own.

“We had lists of hundreds of songs. We will keep those lists for the future because there are so many beautiful melodies and poems out there. So much goes into what would be a good fit for us, where our audience would like us to go, and us taking some chances and spreading the genre a little bit. We do feel we are re-defining this crossover genre and feel responsibility. Everything from Dust in the Wind to Journey, U2, even the Beatles. The Beatles would be an incredibly daunting task and you have to be ready with a beautiful arrangement. At some point we will take that step. We were happy to do Elton John and Bob Dylan, our audiences are loving the Tenorized version of songs they love. There are so many epic songs out there, it is a good dilemma to have to try and whittle down the list. We are thrilled we got the stamp of approval from David Foster who is the chairman of our record label. We had a tense 3 hour listening session with him and we had heard stories of him throwing out half to three quarters of albums before. He listened to our stuff and to our pleasure he said he loved the album and his favourite was Journées d’innocence which we had co-written.

To get that stamp of approval from one of the best producers and songwriters out there was another career defining moment for us.”

It is clear in speaking with Walters that they feel really lucky, and it is important to them to use their exposure for good. They support multiple charities.

“We visit Africa every other year and have raised over 2 million dollars for this town. We take care of almost 400 orphans there and trying to help solidify the next generation of leaders. We are doing

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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 From Previous Page important initiatives in North America. One is Feed With Your Heart to help some underprivileged folks in communities in Canada.

We are involved with Horatio Alger, which provides education for underprivileged youth. It is important do a lot of work at home and abroad as our way of saying thanks and giving back in the best way we know how.”

The connection with fans has built the Tenors. They are active on Twitter and Facebook and frequently meet with fans at autograph sessions and VIP events.

“We get Emails all the time how people experienced a life changing moment or what it has done in a time of tribulation and how it healed them. There was a lady in a wheelchair who got backstage in North Carolina and shared a story with us about how it was up to her if she was going to live or not. She had a terminal illness and wanted to give up, and someone gave her our CD and it made her rebound in a way she didn’t expect. She was not 100% in health but she wept as she told us this story and we were all so incredibly moved that the power of music can have that kind of effect on someone’s life. It really is incredibly powerful and we take it seriously. We have a big responsibility to keep going for reasons like that.”

The Tenors

Letters

Dear GayCalgary Magazine,

As a straight man waiting for transgender reassignment surgery into a woman, I am beyond heartbroken at Tom Flanagan’s comments. For years I have been dating a woman who accepts that I wish to be gender female like her, but will still love her as a wife just as much as I would as a husband. Once my transformation is complete, as spouses we will do our best - nay, our very best - to fight the horror that is child pedophilia. We will get all of the people that we can muster from the LGBTQ sphere to rise up and say that healthy sexual relations should be contained to couples who are of legal age, whether they be gay, straight, or bisexual.

Mr. Flanagan and his like have no place in civilized society, so my fiancé came up with a unique idea for his fate. My future Mrs. proposes that Mr. Flanagan be forced to learn crisis counseling and perform one-thousand hours of community service in a sexual assault centre, counseling child sexual assault victims. He can tell them that they will in fact get help, and most importantly, that they are now safe and are not at fault for what occurred.

Regards, Walter Dean Blake aka “Juanita Diane”

Lead With Your Heart available now http://www.tenorsmusic.com

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21

Community

 Curling

Western Cup 2013

By Krista Sylvester North America’s longest-running queer sporting event is back again.

This year, Western Cup is celebrating 31 years of queer sport with over 500 athletes competing in four different sports over Easter weekend, according to event coordinator T.J Fedyk.

“We’re really excited about this year and especially for dodge ball, we have 18 teams which is double what we had last year,” Fedyk says. “I think everyone is really excited for a great weekend.”

People from all over western Canada will gather for volleyball, dodge ball, curling and bowling – though normally there would also be squash but not enough teams entered this year, says the organizer.

This year there are more out of town teams, Fedyk says, adding that there are 18 curling teams from out of town alone. The sporting weekend is quite popular across Western Canada.

“I think what draws people to our event is especially how social it is and how much fun it is. It’s not just a competition; we really have a lot of social aspects to it. It’s about making friends and having fun.”

 Dodgeball

 Volleyball

While the Western Cup may be the largest queer sporting event, it’s not just for the LGBT community. In fact, Fedyk says more and more straight people and straight teams are participating in the event because of its reputation for being fun.

“It’s a really great event that appeals to everybody,” he adds. “Especially volleyball, a lot of the players say it’s the best tournament they’ve gone to anywhere.”

But the biggest highlight this year is international DJ and producer Hector Fonseca of Rihanna/Katy Perry/Lady Gaga/Beyoncé fame who will be playing at the dance on Saturday, March 30th. With five number one hits to his name, the dance is expected to sell out before it even starts.

Last year’s dance only had 150 tickets at the door but Fedyk fully expects there to be none at the door this year so he encourages buying early.

“We’re really, really thrilled we got Hector – we’re lucky he was in town for Rihanna’s concert so our fingers are crossed she will show up,” he says. “Everyone is really excited and they’re already talking about the dance so that’s really huge, exciting news.”

Of course, the Western Cup couldn’t run without volunteers and organizers, and they are still looking for some. Volunteers get into the event they’re volunteering at for free and only have to commit to one hour of help.

“It’s a great event that you can have fun at and meet new friends. A lot of people gather around and watch the games, and you even get to drink at some of them,” Fedyk says. “I think the whole weekend has four social events to it that people will really enjoy.”

Western Cup is Apollo, Friends in Sports, annual multisport tournament, celebration and fundraiser. Apollo was formed in 1981 after a small group of individuals came together with the idea to create an athletic social group for LGBT people in the Calgary area. The popular Western Cup Dance will take place at Hotel Arts on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 9pm. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

Western Cup 2013 March 28th – 30th http://www.westerncup.com

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Review

This is How I Left

Third Street Theatre ensemble debuts with intriguing performance

By Janine Eva Trotta In a very short amount of time the creative bodies that encompass Calgary’s Third Street Theatre‘s Queer Theatre Creation Ensemble have assembled a work that aims to tackle many hard hitting and relevant issues to the LGBTQ community.

This is How I Left, by Conrad Belau, Alyssa Bradac, Dale Lee Kwong, Lindie Last, Kyall Rakoz and Paul Welch, deals with the topics of shame, belonging, identity, and the moral and social responsibilities of living in the world today.

“It also explores the violent crimes perpetrated against our transgendered communities, and asks the question: when something is awakened in you, be it the possibility of hope, happiness, or belonging, and then is gone or taken away, who do we become? How do we heal?” describes Third Street Theatre Artistic Director Paul Welch.

Auditions for the ensemble were held last October and a five-member team of artists of varying backgrounds was selected.

“We started to discuss, through a Facebook group, various issues that were on our minds as queer individuals here, now,” Welch explains. “News articles, interviews, video clips, movie trailers, and personal thoughts and reflections on the content we were seeing primed us for the creation process.”

On January 20th, the crew began meeting three times weekly, providing opportunity for them to develop and enhance their creative skillsets.

“Which included workshops in authentic movement and participating in a special interview session and online art exhibit at the Art Gallery of Calgary,” Welch says. “…we discussed our ultimate goal: to create a piece of queer theatre that has a story journey and story narrative, rather than something more abstract and performance art based.”

The group discussed relevant themes: gender politics, stereotyping, labeling, artistic integrity.

“We then unpacked each theme by looking at dictionary definitions, talking about our own personal definitions, and then explored what each thing felt like,” says Welch. “What does it feel to be shamed, to be ashamed, to shame someone else? What does identity mean, what does it feel like when someone assumes something about your identity; why do we get passionate about defending our identities, etc.”

Further researching these topics by talking with people currently dealing with them, the ensemble readied themselves for the creative process to begin. The four performers that were meant to play the four characters this work constitutes were guided through preparative creative meditation.

“We were blown away by the power of our subconscious to lead us to wonderfully creative materials,” Welch says. For instance, “If a character saw a minotaur-like creature in their guided meditation, they investigated minotaurs, labyrinths, and chimera.”

Welch then assigned each performer specific creative tasks to further build up the foundations of their evolving characters.

“We gathered all this material and discussed potential character conflicts, and from that we were able to determine individual character storyline/journey, pin-pointing inciting incidents in their journey – the conflicts during the rising action, and the ultimate climax and resolution,” he says.

The ensemble was given five more rehearsals from this point – roughly 15 hours – in which to fill the gaps left

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between material created during the creative process from which to cement a workable script, and from there only two additional weeks of rehearsing that script before opening it to the public.

This is How I Left is stage managed by Courtney Charnock and designed by Eugenio Sáenz., and will open Thursday March 28th at the Living Spirit United Church in Elboya.

Evening performances will continue daily through to Saturday with two afternoon performances slated for Saturday and the close Sunday March 31st.

General tickets are $20 and $15 for students, seniors and Equity artists.

Each performance will be followed by a ‘talk-back’ session, during which audience members may discuss their impressions of the show, ask questions or learn more about the creative process undergone by the cast.

Additionally, running from April 24th to May 4th, Third Street Theatre will be presenting the Pulitzer-prize winning play, I Am My Own Wife by Doug Wright. The work is based on the life of transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who survived the Nazi regime and East Berlin communism by preserving queer history in a museum within her home.

Welch will be performing the one-man play under the direction of Kevin McKendrick. I Am My Own Wife will be performed at the Epcor Centre’s Motel venue.

“We are also mentoring emerging queer and queer-minded artists throughout this process in the form of a design intern and assistant director for the show,” Welch says.

For more information on this opportunity, or to get tickets to either upcoming Third Street Theatre performance, visit their website.

“As far as the ensemble goes, there is no future production planned, or even whether we’ll do a creation ensemble next year; it’s too soon to know,” he says. “But we are hoping to give the final script additional life, whether it be through further workshop development or entering it into competitions and festivals.”

Third Street Theatre http://www.thirdstreet.ca

This is How I Left March 28th – 31st Living Spirit United Church

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23

Politics

Crossroads In The Crosshairs Taking Aim At Charity

By Stephen Lock It is certainly no secret that evangelical Christians harbour a certain antipathy towards homosexuality and by extension, it could be argued, towards gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and trans folk. In fact, most religious groups, be they Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox Christian, orthodox Jew, or Muslim, have issues with what they see as the sin of same-sex behaviour and relationships. This comes as no surprise to anyone.

At the same time, however, many such groups are involved in worthwhile charitable endeavors. The very belief system they adhere to which moves them to speak out against homosexuality also moves them to reach out to the less fortunate of the world in charity.

Christians believe Christ has called them to love their neighbour and do good works. Jews see such work as a mitzvah, a religious duty, or tzedakah, an act of fairness and justice. Muslims are called by The Prophet to zakat, to assist widows and orphans and others in need and give comfort to the oppressed.

Certainly in the democracies of the West, it has been largely Christian groups who engage in charitable works, continuing the work started by the monks and nuns of medieval Europe by operating hospitals, food distribution, health care in Third World countries, sanitation, work programs, and a myriad of other projects designed to improve the quality of life in regions that do not enjoy the benefits we in the West take so much for granted.

Crossroads Christian Communications Inc. is one such group.

Since 1982, CCCI, an evangelical Christian television and media company founded by David Mainse, and which is probably best known for its television program, 100 Huntley Street, has been involved in charitable work in Third World countries through its Emergency Response & Development Fund. This fund supplies clean water and sanitation, food, shelter, and education/skills training and is involved in health and HIV/AIDS work.

Mainse has come under fire, as has 100 Huntley Street, for antigay views and opinions. He was heavily involved in the anti-equal marriage campaign and has frequently spoken out about the ”dangers of the homosexual lifestyle.”

However, the ERDF is the charitable arm of Crossroads and, I assume, operates at arm’s length from the parent organization. This is not unusual. Even our national GLBTQ rights organization, Egale Canada, has a charitable branch; the Egale Canada Human Rights Trust.

As charitable organizations, these branch groups cannot engage in lobbying or other political activities. To do so would contravene their charitable status.

Crossroads’ charitable arm does get federal tax dollars for the work it does in foreign aid, just as any other charitable organization does.

Donations to the ERDF are tax-deductible, just as any other donation to a charitable foundation would be.

NDP leader Thomas Mulcair recently criticized the use of taxpayer money to fund what he described as an ‘anti-gay group’, stating CCCI’s views on homosexuality and same-sex marriage “...[Go] against Canadian values...against Canadian law,” and should therefore not benefit from federal money.

Certainly a viable point can be made against using taxpayer money to fund groups that do not conform to the laws of Canada. Our tax dollars absolutely should not ever be used to fund Hezbollah, for instance, or any group in Canada that supports terrorism and/ or extreme religious views of whatever stripe; nor should they fund groups lobbying the federal government of Canada on whichever issue you might care to name. However, given the work the ERDF is doing which is, in fact, “charitable” according to the criteria set out

by Revenue Canada, and given that no evidence has surfaced those funds are being transferred into the political/advocacy work in which

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CCCI is involved, or being used to fund groups that harm the GLBTQ community like Exodus International or other ”change ministries”, I don’t see a problem.

If one does not agree with CCCI, which I don’t, then don’t donate to them or the ERDF. If one does not agree with Egale Canada’s work, then don’t donate to the Egale Canada Human Rights Trust. But if the federal government is in the business of financially supporting charitable organizations, then it must support any charitable organization that meets the criteria of being a charitable organization.

Period. Full stop.

It has also been pointed out that Mulcair’s own church, the Roman Catholic Church, holds similar views to the ones expressed by CCCI and other evangelical and conservative Protestant churches.

The former Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, also known as Pope Benedict XVI and now, after his abdication, as Pope Emeritus, likewise issued a document in his capacity then as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in which he described homosexuality as “intrinsically disordered”, amongst other things. He was roundly criticized for it, too. The catechism of the Roman Catholic Church states that homosexuality is not only “intrinsically disordered”, which in the view of queer activists is bad enough, it also calls homosexual acts “acts of grave depravity.”

Where this gets a bit curious...or, as Alice said in Wonderland, curiouser and curiouser...is that while Mulcair denounced funding Crossroads/ERDF he called for more funding for a group called Development and Peace. Who are they, you may well ask. Development and Peace is the official aid organization of the - wait for it - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops!

So on the one hand, we have a Member of Parliament denouncing a group which does charitable work in Africa, supplying clean water and helping to improve living conditions there because the main branch of that group, and key people involved in it, condemn homosexuality as a sin. Then on the other hand, he calls for additional funding of a group that does charitable work in the Third World despite the main branch of that group, and key people involved in it, condemning homosexuality as a sin and an act of “grave depravity”. I’m confused...

Surely what is good for the Catholic goose is good for the evangelical gander. If a secular federal government is going to be involved in funding charities that meet the criteria set out by its own department responsible for charitable status, then it can’t have a representative who sits in its Parliament condemn one and not the other. Whether or not government should even be involved in funding religious charities is a whole other issue.

Religion and secularism are polar opposites. We adhere in liberal democracies to the separation of Church and State for a reason. We don’t want religion controlling government and I don’t think we should have government controlling religious belief either. Threatening to withhold funding because a member of Parliament doesn’t agree with the stated views of a religious organization is an inappropriate form of control over belief.

The ERDF does good and important work and, on that level alone I think they should receive their due. As for the views expressed

by Crossroads and by Mainse regarding homosexuality being a sin, I obviously disagree but, really, is anyone surprised an evangelical Christian organization believes that? One really does not have anything to do with the other. So long as they don’t influence policy around our hard-won rights or attempt to influence foreign governments’ social policy in the area of human rights, they are free to believe whatever they want and not have the threat of withholding funding held over them.

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Editorial

Will-ful Endangerment: Part 1 Why wills are important – especially for LGBT people

By Evan Kayne You could die today and people who are strangers to you or are hostile to your demands could have control over your estate. Even if you don’t have much, what little you do have could be thrown away instead of gifted to friends who might want a keepsake I sat down with lawyer Gary Courtney of Courtney Aarbo to discuss why people should consider a will at any age. Usually wills are strongly suggested if the following applies: • You have a home, savings, or more complex investments; • There are debts which will have to be repaid after your death; • You own art, antiques, or jewelry; • You have children or special family needs; and/or • You know your family might fight over your will.

Yet one important addition to this list is, “Are you gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans?”

Granted, without a will, there is a government solution. “If you have no will you’re under the default mechanism, which in Alberta is the Wills and Succession Act,” Gary said. What this means is the government will appoint an executor to deal with the resolution of your estate. “This may or may not be the person you would have chosen to do that job. The default scheme for distributing one’s assets I haven’t really found it to be something that people want if they’re gay or lesbian.”

The concern, as Gary puts it, is the government scheme is set up for the traditional family. There’s no scheme for nontraditional families. “Under the traditional family, if you have no will it would go first of all to a spouse or common-law (spouse)... if you don’t have those, it would go on to your children...if you don’t have a spouse, common-law partner, or children, it would go to your parents. If you don’t have parents, it would go to your brothers and sisters; it just keeps going on those lines.”

Most LGBT folk for whom Gary has drawn up wills usually follow the first two steps of the above scheme; but for those falling outside this criteria, sometimes they will give the estate to their parents, siblings and family members. However, they will often outline their desires to have part of the estate parcelled off to friends who have become like family. So the default scheme may not work best in those cases.

Furthermore, when creating a will lawyers usually have a backup scenario in the event there is a disruption to the inheritance order. For example, if you and your spouse die, (and there are no children) who gets the estate? LGBT clients are almost always different than the traditional family – in this scenario, you may see some assets going to the family, and some to friends.

Another vital reason for a will is to have your final wishes clearly stated. “Usually when there’s fighting and arguing, that involves legal fees, which eats into your estate.” If you die without a will clearly stating your wishes, people can dispute the government scheme of asset distribution. Any legal fees required to defend the government scheme will come from the deceased person’s estate. The end result may not change as to who gets what, but there may not be much left after lawyer’s fees. “Generally, the cost of doing litigation...will be paid out of your estate most of the time...that can ruin the future estate.”

Beyond the money issue, without a will, you leave behind the potential for an additional emotional toll on the survivors. While the default scheme allows for the estate to go to your commonlaw partner, without a will someone can dispute whether this person was really your partner. For example, if you had a significant amount of money, and you’re estranged from your www.gaycalgary.com

parents, and you die without a will – your parents could dispute the government distribution method with the argument that your common-law spouse was simply a roommate. Or it could be the case where someone who’s deeply closeted dies and her parents get a surprise when this stranger (to them) is laying claim to their daughter’s estate.

This is the hidden cost to the people you leave behind; not only do they have to mourn your loss, they now have to spend time fighting over the case and may therefore be emotionally vulnerable. “I have certainly seen people who start down that road of fighting...and they may have a claim, no doubt about it,” but they are grieving and they just don’t want to fight, and they walk away. “As a lawyer you tell them that’s a poor legal choice, but on a human level...it’s understandable.”

If a person has a will it’s clear; this is not to say wills can’t be challenged, but with a clear will you’re looking at one in a thousand wills being challenged. “Even that one in a thousand... chances of it being successful are 1 in a 100.”

We’d like to think in the event of a death everyone behaves properly, but there’s a lot of emotions in play; while we might consider the family of a late friend being unfair, they might see it as a bunch of strangers trying to make off with their late child’s property. “We’re totally at the mercy of the person who’s looking after the estate; and by law that would probably be the parent (or brother or sister).”

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 From Previous Page In defence of family members who are doing this job, as mentioned above, they simply may not know you exist. “Sometimes gay and lesbian people keep their gay and lesbian friends separated from their family a little more so that straight people.” So at the funeral the family meets a whole side of the church, several of whom may be making requests on the property of the deceased person. So it may not be anything sinister or bigoted; it may be just a simple matter of people left out of the loop.

With a will, you can also make special, specific requests. “A lot of people...will have a list of things they want to give to their friends or charities.” Especially if there are no children involved, people may want to recognize friends or organizations who were present in their lives and helped them out when they were alive, or they may want to put aside trust funds for nieces and nephews to access when they’re adults. “If you don’t have a will there will be no specific items going to anybody unless the parents – who get everything under the default government scheme – decide to give you something.”

As well, with wills and special requests, you can allow for IT support for your technical footprint. We’re not just talking about deleting your porn stash, we’re talking about shutting down your email accounts, shutting down your Facebook account and cleaning up your computer or Smartphone. Include in that backing up photos, music and documents. If you don’t have a will, it may take several weeks if not months before someone is appointed. Guaranteed your computer or Smartphone will not sit there collecting dust. Your Mom and Dad or sibling will deal with it and again, likely not in a way you would have wanted.

You probably want someone who is technologically savvy to deal with your electronic persona, whether that be your executor or someone you specifically appoint to assist the executor.

At this point, if you’re thinking Well, with this information and one of those $30 will kits, why do I need a lawyer? Gary told me “...any lawyer would say it’s a very bad idea.” It’s like needing an

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appendix operation and doing it yourself. The will kit may work, but it’s more likely to work if you’re a traditional family (husband, wife, kids). Gary has not yet seen a kit which covers the concerns unique to the LGBT community. Usually most kits don’t have backup plans beyond “spouse and children”.

Additionally, will kits give a false sense of security – often there may be crucial steps which are missing which would then invalidate the will (Was it signed correctly? Did you proper have it properly witnessed?). There may be other financial concerns a kit wouldn’t cover that a lawyer does.

The argument for younger people just starting out who have next to nothing may be that a will isn’t important yet; however once you start amassing property or at the very least you start amassing items you’ve purchased (e.g. furniture, books, knickknacks, clothes) without a will you’re leaving a huge mess for your family. In that case, the argument then goes along the lines of if you can afford rent, if you can afford a car payment, you can afford to draw up a will; especially since a will is not a costly document.

A typical will is likely to cost around $500 – $600. For couples, it’s usually $800 (i.e. $400 each). Check with a lawyer to determine your specific needs – most will do a free 1/2 hour consult.

Next Month: Wills and Power of Attorney, Debts, Burial requests, Guardians for children & pets

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Community

Discussing Community Safety Calgary Police Service begins monthly LGBT column

By Constable Andy Buck There are a lot of conversations that happen within your Community here in Calgary – conversations of pride, rights, equality and togetherness. These are all great things for you, as LGBT people, to discuss but I’d like to present one more topic for your consideration – community safety.

The Calgary Police Service has been working hard with the LGBT Community of Calgary for the past 20 years to create awareness around issues affecting our safety. Through the Sexuality & Gender Diversity Chief’s Advisory Board, regular two-way communication occurs to create a safe and inclusive community through education and awareness. This education is a two-way street; to increase community awareness about police policies and initiatives, as well as how to be safe as you live your life in our city, but also to educate officers about community issues.

I am Constable Andy Buck and I am the liaison to the LGBT Community for the Calgary Police Service. I have been with the CPS for the past four years, having previously served as a police officer in Manchester, UK since 1994.

In my role, I co-chair the Chief’s Advisory Board with Calvin Campbell of Pride at Work Canada, a committee made up of community members, representatives from community agencies and allies.

 Constable Andy Buck

As an ally, I knew of many of the issues affecting the LGBT Community prior to taking on my current role, but it has been a very eye opening experience for me. Many of the battles have been won in the fight for LGBT rights. Now our work lies in building upon foundation and working to create a truly inclusive world through communication, collaboration, education and awareness.

The Chief’s Advisory Board and myself are working very hard to create initiatives that will keep you informed and safe in our great city as well as expanding the level of inclusion within the CPS. A lot of the work we do is achieved by partnering with different community agencies and organizations such as the Gay Straight Alliance Roundtables, AIDS Calgary, Safety Under the Rainbow, Apollo Friends in Sports and the Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association. You will often see us at a variety of the community events throughout the year, either walking around interacting with members of the community or at the CPS Diversity Booth.

We are here for you. We know your community is strongest and healthiest when everyone is informed about the issues that affect them as well as their family and friends. Thanks to GayCalgary Magazine, we now have an opportunity to talk to you directly, each month in these pages. We’ll be discussing issues that directly impact you, and keep you up to date on what we’re working on.

I look forward to seeing you all at the many fantastic community events that will take place this year. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Constable Andy Buck 403-428-8154 pol4792@calgarypolice.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3381

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27

Gossip

 Screenshot from Ira Sachs’ Keep the Lights On . Photo by Jean-Christophe Husson

Deep Inside Hollywood For Ira Sachs, Love Is Strange

By Romeo San Vicente If you pay attention to this sort of thing, you’ll know that filmmaker Ira Sachs was the breakout gay indie filmmaker of 2012 thanks to his harrowing drug drama Keep The Lights On, an autobiographical story of a gay couple in New York caught in the spiral of addiction.

Striking while the iron is hot, Sachs has already lined up his next feature, another indie called Love is Strange that is – surprise – about another gay couple (write what you know, they say). This one will star Michael Gambon (Dumbledore, gay after the fact in the Harry Potter franchise) and Alfred Molina (whose own career took off in the late ’80s playing Joe Orton’s lover in the British drama Prick Up Your Ears) as a longtime gay couple in New York experiencing the ups and downs of a romance that’s lasted a lifetime. After their wedding, the couple finds themselves forced to be apart (for unexplained reasons at the moment), and they experience all the difficulty that comes with separation. Shooting is scheduled for this summer, so expect a highly anticipated 2014 release.

James Franco is one of the beautiful people, but you knew that Let’s just go ahead and make the man an honorary gay, shall we? Because at this point in his career, as a movie star/student/artist/culture-creator, James Franco is more than just gay-friendly or gay-adjacent, he’s gay-absorbed. A heterosexual who’s chosen queer culture as a topic to explore and explore and explore from as many angles as possible, including the much-buzzed about Sundance Film Festival entry Interior. Leather Bar (which imagined itself as a documentary about the mythical missing 40 minutes from the film Cruising), Franco will now take on The Beautiful People, a biopic of Jay Sebring, a straight man in a stereotypically gay profession. You might not know his name but Sebring was well known in Hollywood in the 1960s as the playboy hairdresser to the stars. He had an affair with Valley of The Dolls star Sharon Tate and, along with her, was tragically murdered by the Manson Family. In other words,

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his life has needs-to-be-a-movie written all over it. Franco will direct and star in the project, but there’s no other word on casting or a schedule, so this one will most likely show up in 2014 or later.

Sean Hayes will not be told which sexual orientation to play After the Promises, Promises flap (in which a gay Newsweek reporter took issue with Sean Hayes playing a heterosexual character in a Broadway musical – yes, really) it was only a matter of time before Hayes decided it was time to prove his non-gay-acting talents on a bigger stage. And after starring in last year’s TV pilot about gay parents, one that didn’t get picked up, the Will & Grace star is back with another untitled pilot from Better Off Ted creator Victor Fresco. This time he plays a single father (of no defined sexual orientation, but let’s assume the guy is straight, why not?) raising a 14-year-old daughter and dealing with a problematic boss at work. If it works, it’ll be one more brick out of the wall of resistance to openly gay actors crossing that boundary. So let’s all hope this one gets picked up. Neil Patrick Harris can’t carry this kind of sitcom burden all by himself.

AbFab, Part Eleventy A touchstone comedy series of the 1990s, one that permeated all of gay culture, won legions of fans and, to this day, refuses to go quietly into that good night. No, it’s not Sex and the City, it’s Absolutely Fabulous. And after oneoff specials and mini-seasons, dormancy and resurrection, brilliantly funny periods and stretches where you wondered why they keep beating this dead horse only to rebound back into funny again, here comes a film. That’s right, an AbFab movie. Will it be theatrically released or will it stick to the familiarity of television? Nobody’s talking just yet, but Joanna Lumley has confirmed that it is, indeed, in the planning stages; that she’s fully on board to step back into Patsy’s sleek, drunken, vicious couture; that Jennifer Saunders is writing the script; and that she hears it’s also a musical (that last bit might just be wild conjecture and probably is). But whatever’s true, whatever it turns out to be, whenever it sees the light of day, we’re in. We’re always in. We always will be in.

Until these two characters are a hundred. Or more.

Romeo San Vicente is still absolutely fabulous himself.

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Lifestyle

Cocktail Chatter ¡Oh, Pisco!

By Ed Sikov “Oh, Pancho!” “Oh, Pisco!” I knew I was being annoying, but that only spurred me on.

“Oh, Pancho!” “Oh, Pisco!” My Mexican accent was becoming broader and more offensive with every iteration.

“Oh, Pancho!” Oh, P…” “Stop it. Now. If you say that irritating thing one more time I swear I’m going to pick you up and defenestrate you.” Despite his excellent word choice, this was a surprising threat of violence coming from Dan, who usually assumes the Longsuffering Husband perspective and simply sighs with resignation.

“It’s classic television history,” I sniffed, taking the pedantic perspective and feeling suddenly huffy and put-out. “Didn’t you ever watch The Cisco Kid?” “The Cisco Kid?!” he said with a tone of stupefaction. “When was that even on? 1940? Even you, Methuselah, are too young for The Cisco Kid.” “No need to turn personal,” I chided. “If it weren’t for me and my nerdy friends, the entire history of television would evaporate just like this.” I made a dramatic poofing sound and looked outraged.

“OK, forget it. I know when I’m licked.”

“Grrrr, tiger!” I said and made an obscene licking gesture with my tongue.

“What is wrong with you?” He turned and quickly headed to his computer. Having had my audience walk out on me, I had no choice but to return to the kitchen and resume my exploration into the liquor called Pisco.

Pisco is a type of brandy that is fermented only in Chile and Peru. These two nations have been feuding with each other for literally centuries over which one may claim to be the original birthplace of the brandy. Pisco Punch, which is made of course from Pisco, comes to us however from San Francisco, where it had the reputation of being the most fashionable of that city’s cocktails in the late 1800. You may also have heard of the cocktail called the Pisco Sour. It was invented in Lima, Peru, and there appears to be no international kerfuffle over that fact.

I began my own Pisco explorations by drinking it by itself, neat.

Pisco Portón, the brand I chose, is fine enough to drink solo; I can’t vouch for any rotgut Piscos one might find at the local liquor store in the States or some roadhouse in Peru.

It’s got a kick to it, this Pisco stuff! Reminiscent of grappa, it’s got a healthy burn when it hits the mouth, but it immediately blossoms into a faint fruit taste – in this case, the Muscat grapes, which serve as the liquor’s source. It goes down easy, if you like it a bit rough.

I mean to say, Pisco is a drinking person’s drink when consumed by itself. It’s the kind of thing of which people remark, “That’ll put hair on your chest.” I’ve been counting new ones on mine all week.

Pisco Neat Just pour a healthy amount of room-temperature Pisco into a liqueur glass or brandy snifter. I recommend Pisco Portón.

Pisco Punch (The Classic Version) (View this article online for the full recipe.)

Pisco Punch (My Quicker, Punchier Variation) Buy a can of pineapple chunks in syrup. In a cocktail shaker or pitcher, mix the following ingredients for each portion: 2 TBS pineapple syrup from the can 3 TBS lemon juice 6 TBS Pisco Portón Chill the cocktail thoroughly in the refrigerator before serving; again, do not serve over ice. And forget the chunk of pineapple stuck in the glass since it’s just going to take up space that would be better served by the cocktail itself.

Moreover, you don’t really want to see your guests digging the thing out of their glasses with their fingers and then wiping their sticky hands on your nice throw pillows.

Pisco Punch Call me the Pisco Kid. Yes, I’m still on a Pisco kick. The attentive reader will recall that my last Cocktail Chatter column concerned the Peruvian firewater called Pisco, a delicious and hard-knockin’ brandy distilled from Muscat grapes. Research into the drink’s history yielded the unexpected information that a punch made out of Pisco and pineapple syrup was San Francisco’s most fashionable cocktail in the late 1800s. Nowadays, the Pisco Sour appears more often on cocktail lists than Pisco Punch, so I decided to take the more adventurous route and make a round of the punch for Dan and me.

Well, sports fans, it was a punch in both senses of the word. The cocktail knocked us off our feet. We ended up ordering Chinese delivery for dinner, because after a couple of these babies neither one of us was capable of cooking. Besides, given the alcohol on our breath, lighting the cooktop would have put us at risk of blowing up the kitchen. Like Planters’ Punch, Pisco Punch is so delightfully drinkable that you don’t know you’re getting snockered until it’s too late to do much about it. Do not – I repeat, do not – go to the trouble of creating a multi-course meal if you’re planning to serve

Pisco Punch as le cocktail du nuit. By the time you’re ready to serve your laboriously created Beef Wellington your guests won’t care if you served them Alpo straight from the can.

Here’s both the classic recipe and my time-saving and less watered-down variation.

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29

Out of Town

Phoenix and Scottsdale

By Andrew Collins Few cities have grown faster and more dramatically in the past half century than Phoenix (pop. 1.4 million), which currently ranks as the sixth-largest city in America. It’s also larger in area than Los Angeles and the hub of a metro region that includes several other fast-growing metropolises, including the upscale and gallery-filled resort city of Scottsdale, and Mesa, Tempe, and Glendale. But the “Valley of the Sun” is much more than a popular place to live - tourism here has taken off thanks to the bounty of lavish resorts, a cultural renaissance in downtown Phoenix, and some of the best shopping, dining, and recreational opportunities in the West.

Exploring Phoenix A highly contemporary metropolis surrounded by mountains and high desert, Phoenix (visitphoenix.com) is in many ways the last stronghold of the western frontier. The region is dogged by certain challenges prevalent in the West, such as rampant sprawl and sometimes oppressive smog. But most of the year, the bone-dry climate is ideal for outdoor recreation, with winter highs in the mid-60s and spring and fall highs in the mid-80s.

These are great times for the many drawn to the area’s wealth of hiking, biking, and golfing opportunities. About the only period with blistering heat is summer, when daytime temperatures routinely climb into the low 100s (and many accommodations drop their rates precipitously).

Although many of the area’s resorts are in Scottsdale, Phoenix proper - which is home to most of the region’s GLBT bars - has enjoyed an impressive resurgence, with new restaurants, snazzy hotels, and hip bars opening downtown, joining the city’s already strong cultural and entertainment components, including sports stadiums that host baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks and basketball’s Phoenix Suns. A must for fans of the arts is the Heard Museum, a 1928 Spanish Colonial Revival hacienda containing the nation’s top collection of Native American art and artifacts. Nearby is the similarly esteemed Phoenix Art Museum.

Several peripheral up-and-coming neighborhoods have become quite popular places to live with the GLBT set, including the Willo and Garfield Place historic districts, and Roosevelt Row, a burgeoning mixed-use district that supports excellent galleries, indie boutiques, and fun restaurants, including the wonderful bakery, Tammie Coe Cakes (tammiecoecakes.com); the art-filled Songbird Coffeehouse (songbirdcoffeehouse.com); and the hip, mixed gay/straight Bliss and Rebar (blissonfourth.com), which is both a restaurant with tasty, reasonably priced contemporary American food and a stylish and intimate bar with a very mixed gay/straight following.

Several other restaurants around central Phoenix are earning plenty of kudos these days for lively cocktail scenes and reasonably priced, contemporary food. Fez (fezoncentral.com) serves hearty and flavorful Middle Eastern food with contemporary flare, plus a variety of fruity and colorful cocktails. Head for Switch Restaurant (switchofarizona.com) to sample good burgers, panini sandwiches, leafy salads, and a good selection of mixed drinks and wines by the glass. Vinophiles appreciate Cheuvront Restaurant (cheuvronts.com), the brainchild of openly gay former state senator, Ken Cheuvront, and a fine spot to sip wine, eat pizza, and nibble on cheese and charcuterie.

It’s a short walk down Central Avenue from here to reach one of the area’s top gay clubs, Amsterdam, an elegant lounge and dance club that adjoins Club Miami. Gay two-steppers and

 The hottest new hotel in downtown Phoenix, the Hotel Palomar Phoenix has quickly become a favorite of LGBT visitors.

Photo by Andrew Collins

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country-western fans gather at Charlie’s (charliesphoenix.com), which becomes more of a high-energy dance club after-hours on weekends. Bar 1 (bar1bar.com) is a comfy, handsomely decorated spot with sofas, a fireplace, and pool tables. Other gay night spots within a short drive include high-energy, Latin-flavored Karamba Nightclub (karambanightclub.com); the women’s disco the Zoan (thezoan.com); a friendly spot popular for karaoke and cabaret called Kobalt at Park Central (kobaltbarphoenix.com); the leather-and-Levi’s-favored Bunkhouse (bunkhousesaloon. com); Cash Inn Country (cashinncountry.net), another favorite of the lesbian community, but with a country-western vibe; and Roscoe’s on 7th (roscoeson7th.com), a lively GLBT sports bar.

Connoisseurs of coffee will find a couple of outstanding artisan cafes in central Phoenix, both of them with a sizable gay following and also serving great food, as well as wine, beer and cocktails in the evening. Lux Coffee (luxcoffee.com) is on Central Avenue, while Urban Beans (urbanbeans.com) is just east on North 7th Street.

Fun in Scottsdale It’s about a 20- to 30-minute drive from Phoenix to neighboring Scottsdale (experiencescottsdale.com), whose bustling commercial district captures the elegance of Beverly Hills, the artsy feel of Santa Fe, and the Old West ambience that’s typical of more rural parts of Arizona. If you consider shopping a sport, brace yourself - there’s plenty to keep you busy here. The Scottsdale Fashion Square is an enormous, fancy mall with oodles of high-end shops.

Just south, 5th Avenue is lined with more fine retail. More touristy but still brimming with great shopping is Old Town Scottsdale, which is at its best along Main Street between Brown Avenue and 70th Street. Another great retail area, Marshall Way contains dozens of fine home-furnishing and design shops, including D&G Contemporary Designs, which specializes in Mid-Century Modern furniture, ceramic bowls, and original art.

Once you’ve shopped for a few hours, you might want to take a cultural break by driving to North Scottsdale and visiting Taliesin West, architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, which he built in 1937 and lived in part-time until his death in 1959. Tours of the grounds are conducted daily. On the north side of Phoenix but not too far from Scottsdale either, do not miss the amazing Musical Instrument Museum, which opened in a stunning contemporary building in 2010 and contains an incredible trove of instruments tracing musical heritage and culture from all over the world.

Scottsdale has a number of acclaimed restaurants, with one of the hottest foodie destinations in town being Citizen Public House (citizenpublichouse.com), an elegantly casual gastropub renowned for its craft cocktails and creative renditions of comfort classics, like addictive bacon-fat popcorn, fall-off-the-bone short ribs with dried-cherry bbq sauce, and a stunner of a chopped salad. Sophisticated and hip Cowboy Ciao (cowboyciao.com) serves beautifully plated lunch, brunch, and dinner fare from a globally inspired menu (pepita-crusted rack of wild boar is a highlight) - the restaurant’s speakeasy-like Kazimierz Wine Bar (kazbar.net) is an insider’s favorite for cocktails and hobnobbing, with its clubby interior, live music, and amazingly comprehensive wine list.

Malee’s (maleesthaibistro.com), a superb Thai restaurant right in the thick of the retail district, serves some of the tastiest Asian fare in Arizona, including a knockout tempura soft-shell crab with a spicy cucumber sauce. And AZ 88 (az88.com) brims with fashion plates and pretty people, boasting a loyal queer following for its martinis and excellent updated bar fare, including a sublime tuna Nicoise. Scottsdale also has one excellent, longrunning gay-bar, BS West (bswest.com), an attractive spot that’s equally popular with visitors and locals of all ages, from college students to retirees. The cozy bar offers plenty of drink specials and theme nights.

restaurant, Blue Hound Kitchen & Cocktails, and a scene-y pool bar called Lustre. The official host hotel of Phoenix Gay Pride in April, the Kimpton has quickly become a favorite of GLBT visitors. Also popular is the boutique-y Clarendon Hotel (theclarendon.net), which caters to a lively, see-and-beseen set with its rooftop bar and roomy, smartly decorated accommodations. A less obvious downtown pick is the funky, gay-friendly Hotel San Carlos (hotelsancarlos.com), a grand if faded Italian Renaissance-style building that’s allegedly haunted (by friendly ghosts). Rooms have quirky, vintage furnishings but are generally quite large, and rates are extremely reasonable, especially given the convenient, central location.

With all the snazzy new resorts that have opened in Scottsdale and other outlying cities, it’s easy to forget that Phoenix itself is home to a pair of aces: the Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired Arizona Biltmore (arizonabiltmore.com), and the intimate, old-world Royal Palms (royalpalmshotel.com), both of which opened in the late ‘20s and have among the most sumptuous rooms in the region.

Nearby Scottsdale abounds with lovely resorts, from the supremely cushy Sanctuary Camelback Mountain (sanctuaryoncamelback.com) and swish Four Seasons Scottsdale (fourseasons.com), to the sexy and hip Saguaro (thesaguaro.com), the first Arizona property of California’s gaypopular Joie de Vivre hotel company. This high-tech urban oasis is popular with fashionistas, artists, and scenesters.

Rooms in this sleek property have angular, low-slung furniture, and the hotel’s acclaimed restaurant, Distrito, features the mod Mexican cuisine of celeb chef Jose Garces.

Scottsdale’s Hotel Valley Ho (hotelvalleyho.com) is a retrochic Rat Pack-inspired resort with a cool Mid-Century Modern aesthetic. The boldly designed rooms have floor-to-ceiling glass doors that open to big patios or balconies, and the OH Pool Bar and ZuZu Restaurant are hot spots for drinking and dining.

Kimpton’s FireSky Resort (fireskyresort.com) occupies a central location in Old Town Scottsdale and has tastefully furnished, spacious rooms, a fabulous spa, one of the best pools in town, and a knockout contemporary Italian restaurant, Taggia.

If you’re looking for a clean and simple hotel that’s centrally located and affordable, check into the gay-friendly Best Western Plus Sundial (bestwestern.com), a nicely maintained property.

Back in Phoenix, there is one all-gay property, the racy Palm Springs-style Arizona Royal Villa (royalvilla.com), a nuditypermitted men’s compound with an impressively enticing pool, hot tub, and sunning area and rooms and suites in a variety of configurations. For $15, non-overnight guests can spend the day here swimming, tanning, and mingling with fellow sunbunnies.

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Where to Stay in Phoenix and Scottsdale In downtown Phoenix, the gay-friendly Kimpton brand recently opened the super-trendy Hotel Palomar (hotelpalomarphoenix.com), a stylish, contemporary property with a fantastic www.gaycalgary.com

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31

Community

 Photos by Mike Gere

Come Celebrate in Jasper The 4th Annual Jasper Pride Festivities

By Lisa Lunney Jasper Pride is growing and this year promises to be bigger and better than ever. The Jasper Pride Weekend Committee and OUT Jasper are eagerly awaiting their 4th annual weekend of Pride festivities, taking place in tranquil and majestic Jasper, Alberta from April 12th to 14th.

Jasper Pride started as a purely local event, but now has grown beyond their expectations. Last year organizers were proud of the nearly 300 people in attendance at their main events.

Jorge, the spokesperson for Jasper Pride was more than eager to chat with GayCalgary Magazine about this year’s festivities.

Over the past few years guests from Calgary, Edmonton, Grand Prairie and British Columbia have been flocking to Jasper for the festivities, and for good reason, states Jorge: Jasper has become a very LGBTQ friendly travel destination in Alberta. As he tells us, Hotels offer special Pride packages, and there are an abundance of Gay Friendly bars with the rainbow colours on their buildings. “Most businesses in town carry our Pride poster. That’s remarkable for a small community like Jasper,” says Jorge with a clear sense of pride in his community.

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The 2013 edition of Jasper Pride has many first time partnerships. For instance, the local Gay-Straight Middle- and High-School Alliance is officially taking part this year. The Alliance will be offering a pancake breakfast for LGBTQ youth and their families and friends.

Furthermore, Jasper Pride will be partnering with prominent LGBTQ organizations from Alberta, like Fairytales Presentation Society from Calgary, as well as ARGRA. First and foremost, Pride is about celebrating; celebrating who you are, the life you lead and those you love. In the past, Pride festivities have attracted many straight members of the Jasper community to come and join the party.

“This is great, Pride reaches out to all members of society— young, old, gay, straight, local, or visiting. Jasper is unique, and this makes for a very special crowd. It shows that LGBLQ people are everywhere and we feel that we are a part of the community and that’s what we want to show. The fact that so many of our straight friends show up at the events speaks volumes.”

Now, onto this year’s calendar of events!

“2013 will be one of the most attractive and diverse Pride weekends ever,” says Mychol Ormandy, Chair of Jasper Pride Weekend Committee. “It will be three days of fun, laughter and enjoyment for visitors and locals alike by fostering awareness and outreach for the LGBTQ communities and their friends.”

The weekend will kick off with a Welcome Mixer and silent Auction at Mountain Park Lodges/Marmot Lodge at 8pm. Also on Friday night at 9pm, the “Through the Looking Glass” Party will be hosed at the Whistle Stop Pub, where there will be live music and prizes for Fairy Tale themed costumes!

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Saturday will be jam-packed with fun, starting bright and early at 8:30am with a Ski Day, however for non-skiers there are alternate activities such as ice climbing, an ice canyon walk, and snowshoeing. This will be followed by a Brew Tour & Tasting at the Jasper Brewing Company. From 2:30pm to 7pm, there are Après Ski Specials at the Whistle Stop, with live entertainment, happy hour drinks and half price appetizers.

At 5pm, Fairy Tales is hosting an Après Ski Cocktail Reception at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The dynamic duo joins forces to present an entertaining dinner soiree for guests in the grand Mary Schaeffer Ballroom. Guests will indulge in a delicious gourmet dinner, followed by sneak previews of Fairy Tales best short films at 6pm. Individual ticket prices for the dinner soiree are $44 per person plus taxes and gratuities, and a $5 donation to Fairy Tales (or complimentary with Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge’s Pride Package).

I’m told this year’s must-see is the 6pm “Flicks & Treats” Dinner Theatre at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. This is a new event that will feature a fancy Pride-themed buffet style dinner brought to you by the lodge and Calgary’s Fairy Tales Presentation Society.

The traditional highlight event begins at 9pm with “Fairy Tales and Legends” Jasper Pride Party at the Jasper Activity Center, featuring the Guys in Disguise Drag Show. This party has been presented every year since the start of Jasper Pride, and reportedly is hugely popular amongst Pride goers.

To finish a fantastic weekend, there will be two superb events on Sunday. From 9:30am to noon there will be the first ever Cowgirl-Cowboy breakfast at The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. This event will have live country music performed by Hashmagandi. And the final event of the weekend will take place from 11am to 1:30pm: the Pajama Breakfast and Fashion Show at Cassios Italian Restaurant. The fashion show begins promptly at noon.

The goal of Jasper Pride is to showcase the LGBT community for all to see, and Jorge firmly believes Jasper Pride will garner support from all walks of life. Some are still unsure about their sexual identity, and Jasper Pride is an opportunity to connect and have fun.

Tickets for all events will be available at Welcome Mixer on Friday evening at Marmot Lodge, at the respective event venues, or for advance sale in the office of OUT Jasper (612 Connaught Drive, upstairs). For activity pricing and more details check out their website.

 Photo from The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Weekend Accommodations Four host hotels are offering special Pride Packages for Jasper Pride attendees.

Visit the Partners > Accommodation section of the Jasper Pride website for more information.

The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge From $299 per person for the weekend, based on double occupancy. Includes some meals, event tickets, spa treatment discounts, and gratuities.

Mountain Park Lodges From $121 to $147 per person based on two night stay, double occupancy. Includes food credits and event tickets.

The Whistler’s Inn Package price of $230 for standard room for the weekend – 2 people. Includes some meals and event tickets.

Accommodation only: $100 for standard room per day, 4 people maximum.

Jasper Pride The Sawridge Inn Jasper From $351.16 to $440.04 single, or $386.78 to $475.66 double. Includes food credits and spa treatment discounts.

April 12th - 14th, 2013 http://www.JasperPride.com

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33

Review

A Room with A View

The Landing at Rocky Ridge offers rewarding sightlines for moderate budgets

By Janine Eva Trotta What better way to wake up in the morning than with a steaming cup of chai in hand and a stunning vista of the Rocky Mountains in all of their splendour, both to your south and west.

The condominium apartments and villas at the Landing at Rocky Ridge in North West Calgary offer future tenants just that, and with an affordable price tag.

“Once you have seen the high quality of the finishings, both inside the walls and out…plus being on a very quiet, secure culde-sac only two blocks from the new, upcoming LRT, well, call me home!” says Brian Cassidy, marketing and sales manager for the Landing & Villas at Rocky Ridge project.

Industry veterans The Swan Group Inc., a multi-family company that has been building properties in the Calgary and Canmore area for 25 years, have announced that the second and final phase of this 124-unit project has been completed.

“And done so in dramatic and deluxe style, ready for quick possessions,” says Cassidy.

Features include granite countertops in the kitchens and bathrooms; silent, self-closing doors; stainless steel appliances including a microwave and hood fan package with smooth top range, a stacked washer/dryer combo, and a fridge fitted with an icemaker.

All suite entrances and interior doors include extensive crown mouldings; cabinets offer under-lighting; and two-inch Venetian blinds compliment all windows throughout. Hot water in-floor heating means that, while the views are frosty, the living space will remain toasty warm.

Unique to the development, units are equipped with an outdoor fresh air intake system that is heated in winter, and individual condos have been roughed in for a central vacuum system.

“Possessions can be in as little as two week – the units are all finished,” Cassidy says. “And we pay the purchaser’s legal fees.

Their purchase price is it.”

The Landing offers one bedroom plus den units totaling 735 square feet, and starting at $223,500. The larger two-bedroom suites range from 945 to 963 square feet and start at $281,500.

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Owners may choose from two floor plans: side by side bedrooms or a ‘California-style’ plan in which bedrooms are separated by the living and dining areas and a pocket door between the second bedroom and main bath “creates a virtual second ensuite bath: privacy for roommates or guests,” Cassidy says.

Prospective buyers will need to act fast as the majority of available units are already spoken for. Proximity to the future Rocky Ridge/ Tuscany LRT station – slated to open in 2014 – has acted as a major allure, along with property amenities such as a well equipped fitness centre, an owners’ lounge and activity room, as well as an on-site theatre featuring a large 64-inch flat screen TV with built-in surround sound and upholstered reclining seats.

“We have a terrific community of all ages – from young, professional first-time buyers who work at the U of C, Foothills Hospital, or downtown, to middle-age never-married or newlysingled, to folks nearing retirement and wanting more free time (no more shoveling snow, no more cutting grass), through to snowbirds who have down-sized,” Cassidy says of the 102 owners who had already purchased at The Landing. ”All ages!”

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35

Interview

 Robert Patrick

Robert Patrick Terminates The Comic Expo

By Jason Clevett It is amazing how one break can change your life. Prior to being cast in 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Robert Patrick was an unknown. Since his role in as the T-1000 cyborg sent back in time to kill John Connor, he has starred or been featured in over 100 films and TV shows.

“It was a life changing experience. I was an unknown actor living in a dive apartment in Hollywood when I got the chance to audition for the role. I beat out a lot of people for that part I guess. It was pretty amazing being an unknown until I signed. As the pressure started mounting I was just praying that I wasn’t going to choke. Once we did the work and it came out and people liked the movie I went from being an unknown to being a very famous character. The interesting thing is the character was actually more famous than I was. It helped the performance of the character, being an unknown, because no one had a pre-conceived notion of who I was. …It was a lot of fun, I loved it and wouldn’t trade it for the world. What a cool character to come out in, your first movie brings you international attention.”

On the phone during shooting of the new season of HBO’s True Blood, Patrick talked to GayCalgary Magazine about his career. Another actor who got his first big shot in T2 was Edward Furlong, who played Connor in the film. Personal issues halted Furlongs promising career, something that Patrick was able to overcome.

“When you walk into a movie completely unknown and walk out a movie star, I am sure it was heavy stuff for Edward to deal with as a young man, it was heavy stuff for me to deal with as an adult. Drugs and alcohol are bad, there is no way to get around it. I don’t know anyone who has benefited from its abuse. It is something I battled with myself, it is a day by day struggle to make sure you keep your feet on the ground.”

In 2000, Patrick joined The X-Files as John Doggett.

Although not replacing David Duchovney’s character in the show, it was a unique challenge to step into a series that was so established and had such a hardcore fan base.

“Sure it is hard. People loved that show, I wasn’t there to replace anybody I was creating a new character and 36

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

add license to the show and keep it going. I thought we accomplished that, we got two more seasons out of it and I think those seasons went well. Most X-Files fans I meet seemed to enjoy what we did.”

It will be the best of both worlds for fans at the expo, as Patrick will reunite with Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi and Cary Elwes from X-Files, as well as Linda Hamilton and stuntman Peter Kent from Terminator.

“I didn’t realize (the X-files cast) were going to be up there!

Wow, damn. X-Files fans will be happy as well as Terminator fans huh? That’s cool man, I am looking forward to it. I love Gillian and enjoyed the few years I got to work with her. She is an amazing actress and a beautiful woman. I don’t really care if I run into Mitch Pileggi. Nah just kidding. Mitch is a great guy. The last time Linda and I saw each other a couple years ago, I love her. I’ve always had a crush on Linda Hamilton. It will be great to see her. Any time I can see her is great. I am looking forward to seeing everyone.”

Patrick has portrayed real people including Elvis, Elvis’ father Vernon and Johnny Cash’s father Ray. It is a different challenge to portray someone who actually existed as opposed to creating a fictional character.

“People who knew the characters will watch it and go, awh that is nothing like who he was. I just try and find the essence of who the guy is and work that out in the script dynamic that has been created that you have to fulfill. You have to put yourself into that mindset. I play Linda Lovelace’s father in a movie that is coming out this year. You try and get into what the guy was like: he was in the army and was a NYC cop. I know a lot of cops and soldiers and have played them, it gives you some foundation to base off of. Playing Elvis’ dad, I love Vernon I’ve been to Graceland I don’t know how many times. I just look for the emotional [aspect], what it must have been like to have a son that was Elvis Presley, the biggest superstar we’ve ever had, and what that must have been like, and relate to that.”

While speaking with GayCalgary Magazine, Robert was ecstatic that his current film Identity Theft was topping the box office. Patrick plays a skip chaser in the film.

“It was a wonderful film to be a part of. I am a big fan of director Seth Gordon and friends with Jason Bateman.

Melissa McCarthy is someone I was very excited about working with as well. She is an amazing talent and a great lady, it was a great experience.”

Patrick also played Master Chief Joseph Prosser in the short lived ABC show The Last Resort. Having a show canceled is just part of the business.

“I don’t get too emotionally involved. I’ve been doing this almost 30 years, any time you go and do a project you get tight and are a family but when it is over you all get a divorce and move on to what’s next. You have to approach it that way. Personally I have been more invested in some other things, I love the character I played in Gangster Squad, Max Kennard is my favourite character I’ve played and I am very proud of that performance.”

Patrick played Jackson Herveaux for a few episodes of last season’s True Blood and will return to the show for the full season starting this summer.

“It is a fun show and I really like all the cast that I work with. It is a lot of crazy characters and I am interested to see where it will go, I am not sure what will happen next with my guy. I have fun working with Joe [Manganiello] and I think the writing is good. I was really thrilled when they offered me to come on when it was apparent that Last Resort was going to be canceled. They asked me to do a full season of True Blood right away. “ It is a great time to be an actor, as Patrick can switch between TV and film with ease.

“I did The Sopranos and was looking for great writing and wanted to go into TV. The business has changed a lot

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for actors who can do both TV and film. Some of the best writing right now is in TV. Hollywood is evolving and you have to change with it. I was part of that change in the 1990’s when film actors started looking at TV. It started with The Sopranos and then I met Chris Carter who asked me to do X-Files. From there I worked with David Mamet and John Ryan and created The Unit. That was fantastic, we had 4 years on there. I’ve tried to do a little bit of TV work here and there with good writing and that lead me to HBO and I did a couple of episodes of True Blood last year and am back doing that show now. Shawn Ryan was a creator in The Unit and was doing The Last Resort. It was a chance to work with a buddy of mine and I thought it was a great show as well. TV is changing, I find that a lot of the great writing now is not just TV but cable TV. There are a lot more opportunity for actors out there to get involved with.

Movie production has slowed down a bit and independent films are getting more scarce - because of the economy it is hard to find money. As an actor you’ve got to jump around and do whatever you can to find the best projects to be involved in. Jobs come and go, people get laid off, life ain’t easy man. You gotta keep one foot in front of the other and keep plugging along.”

Robert Patrick Appearing at the Calgary Expo April 26th – 28th, 2013 http://www.CalgaryExpo.com

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Interview

 Chris Sarandon

From Vampire to Prince An interview with Chris Sarandon

By Jason Clevett For many 1987’s The Princess Bride is considered one of the greatest films of all time. Featuring a multitude of quotable lines, sword fights, a princess, an evil prince, a handsome pirate who promises to do “as you wish” and yes, some kissing - 25 years later it stands the test of time. It will be a film that our grand kids will share with their grand kids.

For Chris Sarandon, who portrayed the vile Prince Humperdink in the film, it is one of the highlights of a long and storied career.

“I feel so blessed and fortunate to have been a part of it. I had a history with the book that the screenplay was adapted from. I was crazy about the book, I read it some 15 years or so earlier and had been an enormous fan of it. It was owned by a number of people over the years including Robert Redford who tried to get it done and was unsuccessful. When I heard they were doing it I was ecstatic, to actually be in it... those chances don’t come along very often in life where something that you are a huge fan of you get to be part of. For it to have this kind of afterlife is a blessing.”

Sarandon chatted with GayCalgary Magazine recently looking back on his stellar career in advance of appearing at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, running April 26th to 28th. Sarandon is one of those actors who has probably been in something you love, from horror films to TV series, so it is exciting to have him in Calgary.

“I always have a wonderful time meeting fans. It is always a revelatory experience for me in a lot of ways. I have worked a lot in the theatre so I get a chance to interact in a less direct way but you have a sense of there being an exchange with an audience.

When you are working in movies and television you don’t have that sense of feedback or get to meet one on one. So these events are just wonderful in that respect, you get to experience the thrill that people get from watching your work. Also the idea that very often what one does as an entertainer means something to people on a level that is just a little bit beyond making them laugh. Somehow they associate you with moments in their lives, the things they were doing when they saw you, experiences they shared with their friends or family or lovers. It is an extraordinary experience in a lot of ways. I am very much looking forward to it.”

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Often it is as much a reunion for the media guests as it is a chance for fans to meet those they have followed for years. Sarandon will be joined by Cary Elwes, who played Westley in The Princess Bride.

“I have seen him a couple of times over the past year. A few months ago the New York Film Festival did a screening tribute to Princess Bride. We were all there – Carol Kane, Rob Reiner, Billy Crystal, Cary. Last spring E Magazine did a reunion issue and got all of us together for an extraordinary photograph. The only people missing were those that have passed away, Andre and Peter Falk.

It is great to see Cary, he is such an entertaining guy. He is one of the funniest human beings alive, he has a great ear for voices, is an amazing mimic and impressionist extraordinaire. It is always a great time.”

Sarandon has fond memories of working with Andre The Giant, who played Fezzik.

“Andre was one of the dearest, sweetest human beings to walk the face of the earth. That is not an exaggeration. He was just the loveliest gentlest man imaginable. He was a man of prodigious appetite to say the least. He could put away a tremendous amount of food and he wasn’t an alcoholic by any stretch of the imagination but he had an enormous size and it took a lot to put a dent into Andre’s capacity to drink. Sadly he was in a lot of pain a lot of the time from wrestling injuries and as a result of his condition…he never complained about it. He was one of the most unique characters I’ve ever been around in my life. It wasn’t really intimidating. I didn’t have any history of being a wrestling fan but I knew who he was just from the world of celebrity, everyone knew who Andre the Giant was. I knew what he did and his history. What was intimidating at the beginning was just the massive size of him, there was no way to comprehend it until you met him. Two of my hands made up one of his, when you put your hand in his you got a sense of his enormous size and power. His power was somewhat compromised by him being injured so often. In the end of the picture when Buttercup is thrown to the ground to the horses and they all ride off together, she had to be wired because Andre couldn’t bear her full weight.

The scenes where he was carrying people and picking things up, he was in enormous pain much of the time.”

When I was a child we had a sleepover at a friend’s house, and watched movies all night. One of the films was 1985’s Fright Night. I was 8, my brother was 6 and it sparked a long love of horror films.

Watching Sarandon as vampire Jerry Dandridge probably wasn’t the best choice for a 5 year old, and my brother now threatens to show the film to our friends’ kids. It is these connections with what actors do that Sarandon loves. Although different in tone, Sarandon explained there were actually many similarities between Fright Night and The Princess Bride.

“It isn’t so drastically different in that it was made in much the same way. I am comparing apples and oranges here but when I first read the script I remember vividly when I got it. I had no inkling what it was about, just that it was a vampire movie and would I be interested? I thought, I am classically trained and doing television specials and films. I was not predisposed to like the script, but I sat down to read it and I couldn’t put it down. After I finished it I said, this is a great fucking script. I got in touch with Tom Holland who was the writer-director and he wanted me to come out to California and meet with them. I sat down with Tom and thought he was a first time director who was directing his own script, does he have the skill to pull this off? Tom literally talked through the entire script and described it to me shot by shot. When he was finished I said, when do we start? He was obviously totally in command of what he wanted to do. He put together a cast that was perfectly suited to the material. It was two terrific scripts, two directors that were masters of the craft and who knew exactly what they wanted to do when they made the movie. You had the sense from the beginning that the tone of the movie was correct in both The Princess Bride and Fright Night. We sat around and discussed the characters, did biographies, discussed relationships, it was a joyful experience. The only thing uncomfortable was some of the makeup was tough and the contact lenses were primitive to say the least. But it was the same with Princess Bride, it was cold at times, but the rewards were many - we had a great time. In fact I am still close friends with almost all the people from Fright Night, we hang out and tell the same jokes and fall into the same patterns of ragging each other. www.gaycalgary.com

We laugh a lot. That is very much the case with The Princess Bride group as well. We were on location for 6 to 8 weeks and ate together and hung out together.”

Fans of the original film got a fun surprise when Sarandon had a cameo in the 2011 remake starring Colin Farrell.

“That was great fun too. Interestingly Colin Farrell was a huge fan of Fright Night when he was younger, he told me he had watched it 50 times. He couldn’t have been more generous or happy to see me on the set and was thrilled I was doing the cameo. They had gotten in touch with me and I thought it would be fun to have the new Jerry consume the old Jerry as it were and pass the torch. I had a great time doing that one as well.”

Another cult classic horror film featuring Sarandon was Child’s Play. The popular My Buddy toys suddenly seemed less appealing after watching the 1988 film about a killer brought to life in a child’s toy. “(The idea of kids seeing my horror movies) boggles my mind.

Alex Vincent who was the boy in Child’s Play and was 5 or 6 years old was a horror movie freak. He had watched Fright Night like 10 times. I kept saying to him, who let you sit down and watch this?!

He said, my parents we watched it all the time and had a great time.

Child’s Play was a Tom Holland movie as well and it is brilliant in my mind to create a movie about a doll that comes to life which is probably every child’s dream/nightmare. You are lying in your bed or crib at night and you are looking at one of your toys and it comes to life…talk about a fright night.”

A discussion of Chris Sarandon’s career would not be complete without talking about 1993’s The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The stop motion animated film featured Sarandon as the voice of Jack Skellington. Providing a voice for animation offered new and different challenges compared to acting on screen.

“They had already animated some of the songs so I had the opportunity to see the character in action - albeit singing not speaking - and seen the storyboards. I had seen the sets they were shooting on in this excruciatingly slow process of stop motion animation. So I had the sense that the work I was going to do had to be heightened in a way, because if it wasn’t then you aren’t going to come up to snuff to the characters on screen. The vividness of the visuals has to be matched by the vividness of the voice, there is no way you could play it in a low key naturalistic way. It has to have a certain kind of heightened reality. It was very different. They shot in San Francisco. I would go up once every three or four months and record a scene and they would animate it and it would take three or four months. I would go back every three or four months until the whole movie was filmed and animated. The artfulness of those animators is just one of the great miracles of the world. When you look at that movie the originality, the visual jokes, the vividness of the characters to me it is an extraordinary work of art.”

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Chris Sarandon Appearing at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo April 26th – 28th, 2013 http://www.CalgaryExpo.com

http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3388

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Heart on her Sleeve An interview with Nancy Wilson

 Nancy (left) and Ann (right) Wilson of Heart

By Jason Clevett Not many people can say they made Robert Plant cry. If you have not yet seen Heart’s cover of the Led Zeppelin classic Stairway to Heaven from the Kennedy Center Honors, look it up on YouTube. The stunning performance moved Plant to tears, while the emotion was evident on the faces of John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page. The performance ended with a standing ovation.

“It is pretty indescribable. It was a situation where it’s like, hey no pressure... it’s just the President, the First Lady and Led Zeppelin and you are playing Stairway to effin’ Heaven,” Heart’s Nancy Wilson told GayCalgary Magazine.

“It couldn’t have gone better. The fact that you could see when you watched the performance how skeptical they all were at first about anybody trying to pull that off. It went quite well, it was all of the beautiful orchestration and the choir as the song went to level after level. It was so well planned and executed that they were surprised and thrilled, and we got to be part of that. I couldn’t have been more pleased about how it all turned out. To see them truly being honored as they deserved was really the best of all. It is right up there with life moments; there are only a few moments you are going to get like that in your life. When you have a baby for instance that is an incredible life moment you never repeat. Playing at that event is in the top 5 life moments, maybe even top 3. To be there with the President and First Lady too, that was a heavy room with some amazing people in it. Rock music has become full-fledged in America to its fruition - when moments like that are shared by the world it is a cool thing. To see the Obamas just grooving was amazing! It was just so cool.”

The December 26th performance capped off a full year for sisters Nancy and Ann. They released their autobiography Kicking & Dreaming. Musically they released the Strange 40

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Euphoria box set and an album of new material called Fanatic. Additionally they received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Heart hits the road for a cross-Canada tour in support of Fanatic that brings them to Calgary March 10th and Edmonton March 11th.

“It was sort of a self-perpetuating year. We started doing the book with Charles Cross and Sony wanted the box set so it was kind of a retrospective going on with all of that simultaneously. In order to feel like everything was not retrospective we wanted to do a new album. We got really tired last year because we worked way too hard and put out a bunch of stuff. I think it was just the year for it, felt like the time to do it all. It snowballed into the Kennedy Center Honors. Sometimes you have a dark year and others you have a full on year like last year. I would never want to do a year like that again, it is so much but at the same time it was all good.”

It was also announced in December that Heart would be inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame on April 18th.

The induction was a long time coming for the sisters, who have been rocking since 1974.

“We have romanced the Hall of Fame last year, we reached out to the voting group and people that are on the committee.

We sent books and box sets to them and went Hey! Here we are! Our fans were so livid that we haven’t been included the last few years so we made a bit of extra effort to grease the palm a little bit,” Nancy said, laughing. “Maybe it worked or maybe it was just the right time. When Jann Wenner called me personally I was like oh my god! It is really exciting.”

It is surprising that it took nearly 4 decades into their career to finally write a book. Kicking & Dreaming shares the many stories of their life and has received high praise

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from critics and fans alike. It was time to take the plunge, Wilson explained.

“A lot of people have been doing books lately and rock books were becoming popular. We had started a book a couple of times over the decades and didn’t finish it. Because Charles Croft, one of our Seattle buddies came up and said what do you think, is this a good time now? we said yeah let’s do it. Things fell into place because there was more of a call for it and the perfect writer for it.”

Those that attend the concert will see why Ann, 62, and Nancy, 58 can out-perform artists decades their junior.

They bring a catalog of songs that include These Dreams, Barracuda, Crazy on You, and Dreamboat Annie, and the show will also fit a few songs from Fanatic.

“We do a couple of songs depending on the venue. In arenas we can get away with three of the rockers from Fanatic. We do Dear Old America and Ann introduces it saying it is a song dedicated to our Dad who was in World War II. He had a hard time coming home. Even though his war wounds were physical he had more than physical wounds to come and re-assimilate into society. So that song is about our Dad and that helps people have an interest. Even if it isn’t a familiar sounding song there is a story they can connect to and anyone who has respected service people can go there. … You can tell [when] people see us play new stuff and it is so much fun to play, they are happy to see us do it because they can see we are into it.”

One of the best moments in the show is the song Alone.

When Heart last played in Calgary, the final moments of the song was greeted with a lengthy standing ovation.

“It is a really great moment in the show. It is stripped down to a keyboard, guitar and a voice, just three women on stage. It is the most powerful moment in the show. The song itself is one of those tireless torch songs, it could have been in any decade, from world war two or world war one even. It is just one of those songs. I am really happy we took the production away from it and let the song speak for itself.

Ann’s voice is just a force of nature and she just slams it every time, it is ridiculous.”

It was Canada that got behind Heart when they released their first album Dreamboat Annie, which was recorded in Vancouver and released in 1976. The Wilson sisters are excited to return to Canada.

“We are excited! We love playing in Canada, we used to live in Vancouver for quite awhile. We are from Seattle, we are north westerners so it is our kind of weather and country. We love the seasons of it and the people are good, not so jaded and American. There is a sweet soul to Canada that we always enjoy when we go there. It will be a mix of new and classic stuff. It will be different from our last tour, we have new outfits!”

Heart has influenced many female artists over their career from their never give up attitude to the awe inspiring talent.

Nancy is one of the best guitarists in music, and Ann’s voice is magic that is best experienced live. The combination is truly special.

“It is interesting because we don’t really fit a genre too well. We are an androgynous band. The way we approach rock n roll is in a democracy with men. We were leaders and the most noticeable of female bands but as women we always try to be genderless and think about music in a nongender-specific way. We are trying to think like humans and be counted as equal humans like the rest of us all. When you put a point on the fact that we are women out there doing this, it’s true there aren’t as many women out there doing rock and roll. A lot of women since we started doing this have come to us and said, you give me strength and inspiration and courage to do this too, I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t for you. Since we were sort of dogged marine corps types going into this we thought of course more women would just do it too, but not so much. Now it is an interesting and cool thing that we have helped more women

move into music. Music is really rewarding but it is also a minefield.”

Now that they are Hall of Famers, Heart has truly cemented itself as rock icons.

“10 or so years ago we were saying, are we legends yet?

Did we earn it yet, can we get arrested? It is a longer harder road to go than you think it is. In our case in 1976 it was a long time ago when we started. It doesn’t ever get handed to you, you have to earn it inch by inch and decade by decade.

This last year was one of those moments were we got to look at each other and go, hey I think we are legends now. Cool!

Let’s play this out and rock this. It is happening now and is a really good time for us. We might only have a couple of years left, but we can walk and talk and rock. The shows are not geriatric that is for sure, we’ve been taking our vitamins. A lot of it is just experience; you learn how to do it better for longer, and the love of doing it takes over. It is important stuff this rocking life.”

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Heart Fanatic available now www.heart-music.com On Tour Calgary – March 10th – Jubilee Auditorium Edmonton – March 11th – Jubilee Auditorium http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3389

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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The Family Jewel

Musician talks being an outsider, queer cowboys and unusual encounter with gay bestie  Photos by Rhino Records

By Chris Azzopardi

We caught up with Jewel to chat about the queer-cowboy reality show she wants to make, how she threatened to kill the man who became her gay “manny” and the time she performed a not-so-conservative song for a group of Republicans.

GC: Pieces of You was released 18 years ago. Do you relate to that album anymore, or does it feel like a stranger to you?

J: I never go back and listen to any of my albums ever.

Once they were mixed and mastered, I’ve never gone back.

But it feels like yesterday. I remember it so vividly. It’s such a big part of my heart.

GC: And a big part of your career.

J: A huge part of my career. Having moved out at 15, and being homeless at 18, I should’ve been a statistic. The fame should’ve just fueled every insecurity I had. Thankfully I was aware of that, and I worked really hard at trying to manage my neuroses and my insecurities so that fame didn’t completely act like fuel to the flame.

That (album) really is just an honest portrayal of who I am and was at that time. I was accepted for who I was for the

first time, and it was on a mass level. What a strange thing to go from being an outsider your whole life to suddenly having the whole world say, “We value your thoughts.”

It wasn’t that people thought I was pretty, it wasn’t that people thought I was clever or cool; people actually valued what I was thinking and they valued my emotions and they valued my earnestness, and that was pretty remarkable. It was actually very healing and it changed my life. I can’t even tell you in how many ways: not just psychologically and emotionally, but financially. It changed everything for me.

GC: Your entire life really is an It Gets Better story.

J: Aww. Yeah, it’s really true. You can’t live without hope.

You can live without money, you can live without so many things, but you really can’t live without hope. It’s so hard to be able to look down the road and see that there are possibilities. As long as you feel like there’s a possibility, there is hope. It’s important for people to feel that.

I know what it’s like to get stuck in those moments, but sometimes it’s the littlest things. For me, sometimes it was somebody smiling at me kindly for no reason when people usually just looked at me like I was a leper because I was homeless. You never know what will touch somebody and give them that little something to keep going and keep fighting for what’s unique about them.

GC: What in your life made you feel less like an outsider?

Was it music?

J: It was writing. Reading authors that were really honest and didn’t use art as propaganda to make themselves seem more perfect; they showed their flaws. At age 14, to hear somebody talk about being less than perfect made me feel a lot less alone. You do find people you feel accepted around, and then you get out of high school and life goes on and the weirdos are always the ones who end up influencing pop

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Jewel’s life is the best kind of It Gets Better story.

Even though the famed music-maker recorded a video to offer hope to struggling teens, she didn’t need to; to be inspired, one only has to look at how she went from living out of her car – and almost dying – to being a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping singer-songwriter.

Jewel became so unbelievably successful, in fact, that she recently released a Greatest Hits, a collection of songs going back to her first mega 1996 single “Who Will Save Your Soul” and spanning her entire multi-genre career.

Continued on Next Page  GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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 From Previous Page culture – so god bless us!

(Laughs) GC: Who was your first gay friend?

J: Doug. I think we were in eighth grade. I was so terribly in love with him.

He was the only guy who smelled nice and dressed good and was actually kind. I kept trying to turn him straight but it never worked. (Laughs) Doug’s parents kicked him out when he came out and I had one friend – this black guy – and he hated gays.

He said, “I’m not gonna let you be friends with Doug.”

I saw Arthur, the black kid, years later walking on the beach – holding hands with a guy! Isn’t that typical?

GC: “Pieces of You” really resonated with the gay community – especially the line, “You say he’s a faggot, are you afraid you’re just the same?” – but some people missed the point of that song.

J: I can’t tell you how many people walked out of a room for, like, a political abstaining without getting the freaking lyrics.

(Laughs) GC: Well, the word “faggot” carries a lot of weight. People really thought you were homophobic then, didn’t they?

J: It’s hard to think that anybody earnestly thought it, but I was written up during New York Fashion Week. When I sang “Pieces of You,” you could hear forks dropping. Half the audience was gay and the other half was Jewish – and then there were pretty girls there. Nobody actually listened to the lyrics, and I was written about the next day as homophobic.

It’s just so funny to me. But for the most part, I think people really got it. I wrote it from a very personal standpoint.

GC: What inspired the “faggot” line?

J: All of my gay friends. Not anyone in particular. It just made me look at the nature of hate. It was a personal exploration of trying to figure out the root of my own insecurities – and, actually, that was right around the time my friend Arthur walked down the beach.

GC: Would you ever write a song as socially charged?

J: I had a song called “Jesus Loves You” that was kind of like that. I had just written it and I had a private gig where I was hired, but I forgot it was a very Republican room that I was in. I was in Austin and I sang that song not thinking it was that political and then I realized it was a Jesus song that’s completely offending everybody there and I was never asked back again. (Laughs) And so there was that!

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I don’t know. I’ll just have to see. But that song is definitely probably the most shocking of mine, and it’s probably harder to get away with that nowadays.

GC: It was hard then, though, right?

J: Yeah. I was just fascinatingly too ignorant to know better. (Laughs) GC: When you look back on your hits, some of these probably feel like old friends. Any particular memories that returned to you while putting together this Greatest Hits collection?

J: All of them have such a story. I was hitchhiking to Mexico when I was 16, when I wrote “Who Will Save Your Soul,” and I ended up on a Mexican drug bust by accident when I was 18 and wrote “You Were Meant For Me.” All of them are really like having a yearbook.

GC: Did you always have Kelly Clarkson in mind for “Foolish Games”? How did that come to be?

J: Yeah, I really wanted to recut some of these songs, and some artists have been so sweet about saying that my music’s influenced them – something you don’t think about when you’re making music. It was sweet to hear stories of Kelly saying she sang “Foolish Games” at talent shows when she was a kid. She’s a really cool chick with a killer voice.

GC: You started out at biker bars, where you performed for lots of lesbians. Are there a lot of lesbians in your life now?

J: You know, I don’t have any lesbians right now. I used to when I lived in San Diego, but in Texas, it’s been a little bit slim on the lesbian front. (Laughs) But what’s really cool is, I have to do a reality show about the gays in Texas, because there’s this whole gay culture in this really cowboy town that I live in that when guys break up, it’s like, “I’m gonna come get my cows off your place!” “Well, I’m gonna take down the fence I built!” “You better come get your mineral feeders!”

GC: You’re living Brokeback Mountain down there.

J: It really is like that. And thank god for Grindr, otherwise they could never find each other! When I was 14 and hitchhiking in Alaska, this guy picked me up and he said, “You’re really pretty; you shouldn’t be hitchhiking.”

And I was like, “Thanks; I hear that a lot.” And he said, “No, you’re really beautiful.” He kept saying I was beautiful over and over, and I was getting really freaked out. I had a knife in my boot and I pulled it out and I stuck it under his chin and said, “Are you gonna fuck with me?” And he laughed! And I realized the second he laughed that he was just the nicest gay guy on the planet earth, and we’ve been friends ever since. He lives with me in Texas now and he helps me take care of my baby. We call him the “manny.”

He’s amazing. He’s just a treasure in my life and I don’t know what I’d do without him.

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GC: Do you always carry a knife in your boot?

J: Not anymore! (Laughs) When you made the shift to country music, did you feel like the odd one out because your politics on gay issues don’t generally align with what is thought of as “conservative values”?

No. I have one friend who definitely had a problem with gays, but I like to say that I’m so open-minded that I’m open-minded enough to have friends like that. You can’t control what other people think. All you can do is live your own life and see what makes life worth living. See what you believe in and what you think is right. I try to live my life according to that.

GC: You were part of a wave of female singer-songwriters – Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos, Ani DiFranco – who really owned the mid-’90s, from record sales to tours like Lilith Fair. Do you miss that time in music when you could sell millions of records and just write really good songs?

J: Yeah, everything has changed. Music is like that.

Everything is cyclical. I was almost embarrassed when they were making such a big deal out of us because of Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell – and even before them, there were these amazing artists. It’s always cyclical and I feel so fortunate that I was able to sell the records in the time that I did, because those days are gone. We’ll never sell records like that again.

My whole goal is to have a long career. I never thought I’d get as popular as I did; I hoped to have a career like John Prine or something like that. I knew when I got as big as I did that it wouldn’t last forever. I grew up in nature; there’s nothing that’s immortal.

GC: Would you ever return to the dance genre you explored on 2003’s 0304? The gays gotta know.

J: Yes, I want to service my gays. (Laughs) I’m doing a bunch of remixes for this Greatest Hits. A lot of them are club remixes. “Standing Still,” “Two Hearts Breaking” and one of “Foolish Games.” But it’s been so hard to get the label to value my remixes. I think they don’t really look at it as sales, but to me, it’s so important. I love reinventing the songs; it’s such a creative outlet.

GC: What’s the status on the The June Carter Cash Story you shot for Lifetime?

J: It hasn’t released. It’s out this summer sometime.

GC: I know you’ve acted before but never in a lead role of this caliber. What was the most challenging part for you?

J: It was a big part. And I tried to tell them I wasn’t an actor! (Laughs) It was scary. Acting is scary. It’s hard, because it’s not my first craft. But I really got the bug this time. It felt creative for the first time instead of just terrifying. I hope to honor her memory and give John Carter (June’s son) something I didn’t completely mess up.

GC: I imagine it’s a difficult transformation. You’re not creating the character.

J: Yeah – and playing the part that Reese (Witherspoon) won an Oscar for! The odds are already stacked against me.

(Laughs)

www.gaycalgary.com

http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3390

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

45

Prepare For Alpocalypse!

Weird Al Yankovic hits the Comic & Entertainment Expo

 Weird Al Yankovic

By Jason Clevett The White and Nerdy showed a crack in their Polka Face, rejoicing when the one and only Weird Al was announced as a guest for the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo.

In addition to a concert at the Stampede Corral on Friday, April 26th, Al will be part of panels, take photos and sign autographs on Friday and Saturday.

“It was like any other offer. My manager said, hey you’ve got an offer to play the Calgary Expo and I said Great. I can’t think of an event similar to this I have played before. I’ve been to the San Diego Comic Con but I’ve never played there. It is a madhouse, it is a lot of fun but crazy. I don’t know how similar the Calgary event is but I am looking forward to it,” Yankovic told GayCalgary Magazine. “It sounds like it is going to be pretty hectic. Tours are hectic enough as is and we are wedging in a lot of other activities. Hopefully I won’t be too frazzled and be semi coherent when I am meeting everybody.”

I was one of the Canadian Idiots who dropped his Lasagna with excitement at the announcement that Al would bring a slice of Amish Paradise to the expo. The music of Weird Al has been a huge part of my life, and his 1995 Greatest Hits tour remains an early favourite in my concert going memories. The opportunity to meet fans up close and personal is part of the appeal for Yankovic to attend.

“I am always touched hearing stories, it means a lot to me. It reminds me how long I have been around, when I hear I have touched people’s lives in any way it is really gratifying to me.”

A Star Wars fan, Yankovic will be joined by Carrie Fisher and Ian McDiarmid as guests at the expo.

“It was quite a surprise, I didn’t expect that to happen and I expect great things about it. I am doing voices for Star Wars Detours which was unveiled awhile ago as a Lucas animated project. That has been affected by the whole thing as well.

The new movies are in great hands and I expect great things.

I try to do one Star Wars themed song every 20 years like clockwork.”

Although new songs are mixed with classics, if you have experienced Weird Al in concert, you know to expect an 46

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

elaborate and energetic stage show that will leave you laughing and singing along. Now 53, he brings the same frenzied energy to life that he did in the 1980’s and 1990s.

“It hasn’t really changed, it is as fast paced, frantic and high energy as it has always been, just now the likelihood of me dropping dead on stage is much higher,” he joked. “It is the Alpocalypse tour we have been touring the last couple of years. If you have seen the Alpocalypse tour DVD or Blue Ray that is pretty much the show we will be doing: a lot of stuff from Alpocalypse, all the greatest hits, some deep cuts and pretty good sampling of the oeuvre. There are the film clips and costume changes and everything you have come to expect from a Weird Al show.”

One of the classic songs included is Fat, complete with massive suit.

“I think the concert fat suit is still the same one we’ve had since the beginning, although it has been modified and repaired quite a bit. The other one was made for the video which I believe the designer has in his special effects studio.

So a total of 2 have been done,” Yankovic explained, laughing when I said that having a suit since 1998 in more than 1000 concerts sounded stinky.

“It is hard to clean, you can’t just take a fat suit into your neighborhood laundry to have it dry cleaned. I am not sure how they do that. It is lightweight because I have to jump around in it for five minutes and I don’t want to pass out on stage. It is mostly hollow inside, I don’t know what the fabric is. The moobs are filled with some kind of light Styrofoam peanut material, it is not as heavy as it appears.”

Those that watched Al parody Michael Jackson (Eat It) and Madonna (Like A Surgeon) in the 1980’s or Nirvana (Smells Like Nirvana) and Coolio (Amish Paradise) now have their own kids who sing along to his parodies of Miley Cyrus (Party In The CIA) and Lady Gaga (Perform This Way). Expect a mixed audience at the Corral for his family-friendly show. “[Being family oriented] wasn’t calculated, when I first started I just did the kind of comedy that I liked. It turned out to be family friendly so a lot of families would come to it. When I first started out my core audience was primarily adolescent www.gaycalgary.com

boys. That quickly branched out and due to the simple fact that I have been around as long as I have those kids have grown up with me and now their kids are into it and it has become a real family thing. There are grandparents and kids and college aged and everyone seems to enjoy the show on a different level which is gratifying for me. I wasn’t thinking, how can I reach the widest demographic I possibly can. I just did what I thought was funny and thankfully it appealed to a lot of people.”

From food to hamsters, Al has covered a variety of topics and at times the combination of song style and subject is hilarious just in contrast.

“That is something I like doing, is strange juxtapositions.

When I am writing my original songs I will have a list of subject matter and a list of song styles and draw lines between the two. I looked at Craigslist and The Doors and something in my brain clicked and I thought that is just so wrong I have to do it. It is hard to say where the ideas come from, and the challenge is doing something I haven’t done before. It is easy to fall into ruts and patterns and do the same kinds of jokes over and over again. So I am always looking for different ways to be funny. I am looking for different bits of pop culture that seems to have some comedic potential that hasn’t been beaten to death.”

Yankovic doesn’t accept suggestions for song ideas. Today a search on YouTube reveals hundreds of parody videos within days of a song being released. Some are horrible and some are fantastic. You can see the Weird Al influence in many of them, but it does make it challenging for the original musical parody artist.

“I try not to because I am not looking for ideas, and I know any song that comes out there will be 20 ideas for parodies of the song and I don’t want to be accused of taking someone else’s ideas so I have to kind of put on blinders. I surf the internet a lot and am bound see some of the stuff but I try and do stuff that I am not aware of; an idea that hasn’t been seen before. That is my biggest challenge these days because there are a finite number of hit songs and a finite number of feasible variations on a theme. In addition to not being able to be the only person doing a parody, it is a challenge to do something unique. Our pop culture cycles are getting quicker and quicker, it will be a real effort to put out my next album without seeming dated. The biggest songs of the last year have been parodied to death and if I were to put them on my next album people would be saying, why are you doing a Gangnam Style parody a year after the fact, that has been done a million times already? I am going to have to figure out a way to do songs that haven’t been beaten to death and try to do something that would justify releasing them after the fact. I am extremely flattered to have had any influence on people at all, which is in part due to hanging in there as long as I have. I have to assume that a lot of people doing parodies on YouTube have at least heard of me and I’ve had some kind of effect on their lives. That is very touching for me.”

For many it is considered a badge of honor to be parodied by Al. Over 100 artists have been remade in Weird Al Style, and some approach Yankovic asking when it is their turn. Except for Prince, who has always refused permission to parody his songs. Yankovic doesn’t require permission under fair use guidelines but gets permission out of respect.

“To have respect from the artists is great. It means also that it is a lot easier for me to get permission which I always do for my parodies. When I first started out a lot of people didn’t want to pick up the phone. That is the biggest perk of having been around for so long and having a reputation is people know what to expect and to get the joke and be agreeable to it.

I don’t get a lot of resistance these days which is great to me.

I don’t want to mention any names but I have had some fairly big artists at parties or events say hey when are you going to do one of my songs? I seem to always be badmouthing Prince but he is the one guy who consistently over the decades has just not gotten into it.”

His music has become so ingrained in pop culture that you may find yourself singing the lyrics to Fat or Bedrock Anthem when listening to Michael Jackson or the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Don McLean has said that he has caught himself with Yankovic’s lyrics in his head when performing American Pie. “I apologize if I have messed with anyone’s heads to the point where they can’t enjoy the original song anymore. That happens to me but it is my gig. Sometimes original songs start playing on the radio in the car and I have to turn it off because I don’t want to all of a sudden have the original song playing in my head when I am on stage. I am glad that people enjoy my music but I hope it doesn’t lessen the appreciation of the original artist’s music.”

In many ways Yankovic opens up new music to people. A 12 year old with no knowledge of Dire Straits or The Kinks may discover them from being a Weird Al fan.

“I would hope that my parodies have lead people to music they wouldn’t have heard otherwise. I know for a fact that there are people that were introduced to artists that have become a favourite because they first heard a parody on one of my albums. I’ve been called a gateway for the young music fans to search out the kind of music they might not have ordinarily had the chance to.

Not just a musical comedian, Yankovic was a staple on MuchMusic and MTV with “ALMusic/ALTV” specials which featured his videos, comic bits, as well as edited interviews with stars like Mick Jagger, Cher, Madonna and Eminem.

“I remember pretty much living at MuchMusic for a week or so while they were put together, there was a lot of editing with the fake interviews and everything. I would go through the source material and if I found one I could pull apart I transcribed it. The way my brain works I can pick stuff out that is funny out of context and then write the interview around that. That was a fun little puzzle for me I really enjoyed doing those. I haven’t done a MuchMusic special in quite a long time, the last time we pitched them they weren’t so into the idea. Most of my promotions these days are online. Even MTV and VH1 were sort of backing off a little bit so I did the face to face interviews for the Nerdists YouTube channel. I loved doing the ALMusic specials and if they ever wanted to give that a shot again I would be totally up for it.”

It is unlikely there will ever be anyone like Weird Al Yankovic.

Nearly 4 decades in the music industry is an amazing feat for any artist. Yankovic is happy he proved critics wrong and continues to entertain as only he can.

“I am thankful I still get to do this for a living, I can’t imagine anything else I would want to do. Every day I marvel at the irony of my life. I was never supposed to have a career at all.

Nobody wanted to sign me in the early 80’s they looked at what I did and said I was a novelty, one hit wonder, that my career would last six months tops. I am fond of saying that my career has lasted longer than most of the people I have parodied over the years. It is great that I have become this sort of novelty dinosaur.”

www.gaycalgary.com

Weird Al Yankovic Appearing at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo April 26th & 27th Only In concert April 26th – Stampede Corral http://www.weirdal.com http://www.calgaryexpo.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3391

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

www.gaycalgary.com

Photography Roxy’s Annual Disney Drag Show at the Texas Lounge, Calgary

Fairy Tales Presents A Day with Buck Angel, Calgary

http://gaycalgary.com/pa448

http://gaycalgary.com/pa449

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Photography

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Flash Nightclub Closing/Glo Party, Edmonton

Opening of the Edmonton Pride Centre

http://gaycalgary.com/pa450

photos by B&J

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

www.gaycalgary.com

Photography ISCWR - Dukes and Diamonds at the Mercury Room, Edmonton

ISCWR - King & Queen of Hearts at Flash Nightclub, Edmonton

photos by Cheryl Telles

photos by B&J

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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Work Canada, a national not-for-profit that helps to build LGBT inclusive workplaces. He often goes out to speak at different corporations in the city to teach about why LGBT inclusion is import in business.

Calvin has lived in Calgary for almost 9 years, and currently works at RBC. After moving here from Manitoba, one of the first organizations he got involved with was the Calgary Police Service Sexuality and Gender DIversity Chief’s Advisory Board. He has participated in the organization for 6 years, and has been co-chair for the past 3. He also represents the LGBT community on the CPS Communities advisory board. He is also director of Pride at

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

Recently Calvin was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal, for which he was nominated by then PC candidate Jamie Lall.

All of this keeps Calvin very busy, but he is trying to find a better work/life balance so that he can do other things that he enjoys such as photography and painting. He has been with his boyfriend for two and a half years now, and they are planning to get married in August. http://gaycalgary.com/pa452

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events 24

DOWNTOWN CALGARY

41 37

59 34

2 33

35

36

3 1 60

5 6

16

N

13

1 2 3 5 6

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

FIND OUT!

One Yellow Rabbit-------------------- Theatre ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects-------- Theatre Pumphouse Theatre----------------- Theatre La Fleur------------------------- Retail Stores Theatre Junction--------------------- Theatre

CALGARY

LGBT Community Directory GayCalgary Magazine is the go-to source for information about Alberta LGBT businesses and community groups—the most extensive and accurate resource of its kind! This print supplement contains a subset of active community groups and venues, with premium business listings of paid advertisers.

✰....... Find our Magazine Here

35 36 37 41 58

......... Wheelchair Accessible

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

Spot something inaccurate or outdated? Want your business or organization listed? We welcome you to contact us!

60 Cowboys Nightclub------------------------  421 12th Avenue SE

 403-543-6960  1-888-543-6960

 magazine@gaycalgary.com

 424a - 8th Ave SE

Calgary Eagle Inc. (CLOSED) Club Sapien (CLOSED)

 1140 10th Ave SW

Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go! http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory

Browse our complete directory of over 650 gay-frieindly listings! www.gaycalgary.com

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.

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

FAB (CLOSED)

 1742 - 10th Ave SW

http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRSS http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRSS

59 East Village Bistro------------Bars and Clubs 60 Cowboys Nightclub-----------Bars and Clubs

 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

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

55

Directory & Events Calgary Events

Uniform Night-----------------------  6pm-6am

Worship------------------------------  10:30am

Swim Practice (June)------------  7:30-8:30pm

Sunday Services---------------------  10:45am

At 6 Goliaths

Mondays

Buddy Night-------------------------  6pm-6am At 6 Goliaths

By Different Strokes

 SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)

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

Bootcamp------------------------------- 7-8pm

 Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)

See

Apollo Calgary

Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm

Lesbian Meetup Group-------------  7:30-9pm

See 1 Calgary Outlink

At 1 Calgary Outlink

Yoga-----------------------------  7:40-9:15pm

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

See

Apollo Calgary

Tuesdays

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 See

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

Communion Service-----------------  12:10pm Knox United Church

Pool Night-----------------------------  Evening At 59 Village Bistro with

Prime Timers Calgary

Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am At 6 Goliaths

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

At 3 Backlot

Illusions-------------------------------  7-10pm

 1st

Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink

 2nd

New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink

 3rd

Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm See 1 Calgary Outlink

 4th

Rec Volleyball--------------------------- 7-9pm See

Apollo Calgary

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

Running-----------------------------------  9am By

Apollo

Coffee------------------------------------ 10am

By Prime Timers Calgary  Midtown Co-op (1130 - 11th Ave SW)

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

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

 3rd

Hillhurst United Church

Worship Services------------------------- 11am See

Knox United Church

Int/Comp Volleyball----------- 12:15-1:45pm See

Apollo Calgary

Church Service----------------------------  4pm See

Apollo Calgary

Rainbow Community Church

By Different Strokes

 SAIT Pool (1301 - 16 Ave NW)

 6020 - 4 Avenue NE  badminton@apollocalgary.com

• Boot Camp

 Platoon FX, 1351 Aviation Park NE  bootcamp@apollocalgary.com

• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)

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

• Curling

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

• Golf

 golf@apollocalgary.com

• Lawn Bowling

 lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com

• Outdoor Pursuits

 outdoorpursuits@apollocalgary.com If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events all summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking, skiing, snow shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org to get updates on

56

Apollo Calgary at Hotel Arts (119 12 Ave SW)

Tacky Tourist------------------------  9pm-1am

By BEEF and ARGRA  Ramada Hotel DT (708 8th Ave SW) Saturday, April 13th

Bear-B-Que----------------------------- 2-5pm

By BEEF and At 3 Backlot

ARGRA

Bearacchus--------------------------  9pm-2am

By BEEF and ARGRA  Arrata Opera Centre (1315 7th St. SW)

Women’s Volleyball----------------  7-8:30pm

Bear-runch------------------------- 11am-2pm

See

Apollo Calgary

Wednesday, March 13th

Coming Out Monologues-------------  7:30pm

 Boris Roubakine Theatre, U of C

Mar15

Saturday, March 16th

By BEEF and ARGRA  Cheers Restaurant, Ramada Hotel DT (708 8th Ave SW) Thursday, April 18th

In Town Show-----------------------------  9pm By

Glo Party-------------------------------  9pm

By ARGRA  Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW) Sunday, March 17th

Customer Appreciation----------------  All Day At 6 Goliaths

Mar21

Grab your Lucky Charms----------------- All Day At 3 Backlot

ISCCA at Twisted Element

Friday, April 19th

Out of Town Show------------------------  9pm By

ISCCA at Twisted Element

Saturday, April 20

Coronation XXXVII------------------------  4pm

By ISCCA  Westin Hotel (320 4th Ave SW) Sunday, April 21st

Friday, March 22nd

Gender Bender---------------------------  9pm

By Queers on Campus  The Den, University of Calgary

Victory Brunch--------------------------- 11am

By ISCCA  Westin Hotel (320 4th Ave SW)

ISCCA Survivor Party------------------- 2-6pm

Wednesday, March 27th

By

Backlot to Boyztown 3--------------------  9pm By 3 Backlot  Vinyl Retro Dance Lounge (213 10th Ave SW)

ISCCA at 3 Backlot

Tough Drag-------------------------------  8pm By

ISCCA at 5 Texas Lounge

Friday, April 26th

Sundays

Western Cup-------------------------  All Day

By Apollo Calgary Mar30

Calgary Comic Expo-------------------  All Day

Apr28

Deer Park United Church

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

 Calgary Contd.

• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)

By

Sunday, April 14th

Thursday, March 28th

See

Western Cup Dance-----------------------  9pm

At 6 Goliaths

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

Worship Time---------------------------- 10am

Sunday, March 30th

Friday, April 12th

Flashlight Night---------------------  6pm-6am

Fridays See 1 Calgary Outlink

See

Scarboro United Church

Swim Practice (June)-------------------  5-6pm

Karaoke-----------------------------------  7pm

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

Thursdays

 Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW

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

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

Wednesdays See

 1st

See

the sport you like. We’re always looking for people to lead events.

• Volleyball (Recreational)

• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)

• Yoga

 YMCA Eau Claire (4th St, 1st Ave SW)  calgaryfrontrunners@shaw.ca East Doors (directly off the Bow river pathway). Distances vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6 minutes/mile to 9+ minute miles.

• Slow Pitch

 slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com

• Squash

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

• Tennis

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

• Volleyball (Beach)

 beachvb@apollocalgary.com

• Volleyball (Competitive)  vb@apollocalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

 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.

 recvb@apollocalgary.com

 Robin: 403-618-9642  yoga@apollocalgary.com

Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

 www.argra.org

• Monthly Dances-------------------------  Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)

✰

1 Calgary Outlink---------------------------- ✰

 Old Y Centre (303 – 223, 12 Ave SW)  403-234-8973  info@calgaryoutlink.ca  http://www.calgaryoutlink.com

• Peer Support and Crisis Line

 1-877-OUT-IS-OK (1-877-688-4765) Front-line help service for GLBT individuals and their family and friends, or anyone questioning their sexuality.

Calgary Gay Fathers

 calgaryfathers@hotmail.com  http://www.calgarygayfathers.ca Peer support group for gay, bisexual and questioning fathers. Meeting twice a month.

Calgary Men’s Chorus

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

• Rehearsals

 Temple B’Nai Tikvah, 900 - 47 Avenue SW

Calgary Sexual Health Centre---------

 304, 301 14th Street NW  403-283-5580

✰

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

• 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

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

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

 77 Deerpoint Road SE  http://www.dpuc.ca

others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe environment.

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 403-244-1956

 http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

• DVD Resource Library

Over a hundred titles to choose from. Annual membership is $10.

Gay Friends in Calgary

 http://www.gayfriendsincalgary.ca Organizes and hosts social activities catered to the LGBT people and friends.

Girl Friends

 girlfriends@shaw.ca

 members.shaw.ca/girlfriends

Girlsgroove

 http://www.girlsgroove.ca

Hillhurst United Church

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

HIV Peer Support Group

 403-230-5832  hivpeergroup@yahoo.ca

ISCCA Social Association

 http://www.iscca.ca Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch. Charity fundraising group..

Knox United Church

 506 - 4th Street SW  403-269-8382  http://www.knoxunited.ab.ca Knox United Church is an all-inclusive church located in downtown Calgary. A variety of facility rentals are also available for meetings, events and concerts.

Lesbian Meetup Group

 http://www.meetup.com/CalgaryLesbian Monthly events planned for Queer women over 18+ such as book clubs, games nights, movie nights, dinners out, and volunteering events.

Miscellaneous Youth Network

 http://www.miscyouth.com

• Fake Mustache • Mosaic Youth Group

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

Mystique

 mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and up but all are welcome.

• 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

www.gaycalgary.com

 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.

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.

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

Pride Calgary Planning Committee

 403-797-6564

 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.

✰

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.

Cruiseline

 403-777-9494 trial code 3500  http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

DevaDave Salon & Boutique

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

• 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.

Duncan’s Residential Cleaning

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

Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors) MFM Communications

 403-543-6970  1-877-543-6970  http://www.mfmcommunications.com Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware and software.

SafeWorks

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

 Room 117, 423 - 4th Ave SE  403-699-8216  Mon-Fri: 9am-12pm, Sat: 12:15pm-3:15pm

Unity Bowling

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

• Centre of Hope

Wild Rose United Church

 Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE  403-410-1180  Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm

 1317-1st Street NW

Restaurants

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

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

Calgary Eagle Inc. (CLOSED)

See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.

• Safeworks Van

Club Sapien (CLOSED)

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

See Calgary - Bars and Clubs.

FAB (CLOSED)

Theatre & Fine Arts

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 ✰

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

Fairytales

 403-262-3356  www.axisart.ca

See Calgary - Community Groups.

35 One Yellow Rabbit-------------------------  Big Secret Theatre - EPCOR CENTRE  403-299-8888  www.oyr.org 37 Pumphouse Theatre------------------  2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW  403-263-0079  http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca

✰

Stagewest-------------------------------

✰

58 Theatre Junction----------------------  Theatre Junction GRAND, 608 1st St. SW  403-205-2922  info@theatrejunction.com  http://www.theatrejunction.com

✰

 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 (CLOSED)

 10018 105 Street  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

 780-938-2941

The Junction (CLOSED)

 10242 106th St

 403-461-9195  http://www.lornedoucette.com

Sharp Foundation

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

Adult Depot-----------------------------

 403-283-3555

Jubilations Dinner Theatre

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

Hooliganz Pub

 10704 124 St NW 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 Alberta Bears

 www.beefbearbash.com

AltView Foundation

 #44, 48 Brentwood Blvd, Sherwood Park, AB

 403-398-9968  info@altview.ca  www.altview.ca For gender variant and sexual minorities.

Book Worm’s Book Club

 Howard McBride Chapel of Chimes 10179 - 108 Street  bookworm@teamedmonton.ca

Buck Naked Boys Club

 780-471-6993  http://www.bucknakedboys.ca Naturism club for men—being social while everyone is naked, and it does not include sexual activity. Participants do not need to be gay, only male.

Camp fYrefly

 7-104 Dept. of Educational Policy Studies Faculty of Education, University of Alberta Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5  http://www.fyrefly.ualberta.ca

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

 http://www.edmontonpride.ca

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

57

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

1

N 11 6 12

1 Pride Centre of Edm.---- Community Groups

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

11 Steamworks----------------------Bathhouses

Counseling----------------------  5:30-8:30pm

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

See

Team Edmonton

Ballroom Dancing--------------  7:30-8:30pm

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

Yoga---------------------------------  7:30-8pm Team Edmonton

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Youth Understanding Youth

Swim Practice--------------------------- 7-8pm See

Team Edmonton

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Thursdays

See

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

 2nd, 4th

BookWorm’s Book Club

 3rd

See See

Men’s Games Nights

 2nd, Last

Youth Understanding Youth

See

See

Team Edmonton

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See

Team Edmonton

 Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street) See Edmonton Primetimers

 2nd

Wednesday, March 13th

U of A Pride Week------------------------ All Day

Naturalist Gettogether

Buck Naked Boys Club

 2nd

QH Youth Drop-in------------------  2-6:30pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

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

 Edmonton Contd.

Mar22

Saturday, May 4th

Leather, Feathers and Fur---------------8:30pm

By ISCWR  The Mercury Room (10575 114 St.)

 2nd

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

Edmonton Prime Timers

 edmontonpt@yahoo.ca  www.primetimersww.org/edmonton Group of older gay men and their admirers who come from diverse backgrounds but have common social interests.

Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.

Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

 3379, 11215 Jasper Ave  780-429-5014  http://www.edmontonrba.org Primary focus is the provision of networking opportunities for LGBT owned or operated and LGBT-friendly businesses in the Edmonton region.

Edmonton Illusions Social Club

for members of the GLBTQ community and for their families and friends.

community and support for those infected or affected

by HIV.

InQueeries

• Counselling

 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

 5 The Junction  780-387-3343

 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions

 Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)

 780-474-8240  tuff@shaw.ca

4 Edmonton STD

 11111 Jasper Ave

 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.

OUTreach

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 sing@evmchoir.com

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

Pride Centre of Edmonton-------------

 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

58

Running------------------------------  10-11am

Movie Night----------------------------- 6-9pm

Team Edmonton

Book Club-----------------------------  7:30pm

 780-474-8240

Team Edmonton

Men Talking with Pride---------------- 7-9pm

See

Youth Sports/Recreation-----------------  4pm

 780-479-2038  www.evmchoir.com

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

6 Buddy’s / 12 Woody’s-------Bars and Clubs

See

Tuesdays

See

4 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Mondays See

4

✰

 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 drop-in space, and offer support programs and resources

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

 780.488.3234 Free, short-term counselling provided by registered counsellors.

• HIV Support Group

 huges@shaw.ca Support and discussion group for gay men.

• Knotty Knitters

Come knit and socialize in a safe and accepting environment - all skill levels are welcome.

• Men Talking with Pride

 robwells780@hotmail.com Support & social group for gay & bisexual men to discuss current issues.

• Movie Night

Movie Night is open to everyone! Come over and sit back, relax, and watch a movie with us.

• 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

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

Team Edmonton

 president@teamedmonton.ca  http://www.teamedmonton.ca Members are invited to attend and help determine the board for the next term. If you are interested in running for the board or getting involved in some of the committees, please contact us.

• Badminton (Mixed)

• Queer HangOUT: Game Night

Come OUT with your game face on and meet some awesome people through board game fun.

 St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street

 coedbadminton@teamedmonton.ca New group seeking male & female players.

• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night

• Badminton (Women’s)

Come OUT and embrace your creative side in a safe space.

• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night

 Oliver School, 10227 - 118 Street  780-465-3620

 badminton@teamedmonton.ca

Come and watch ALL the anime until your heart is content.

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events Red Deer Events

Nordegg Events

Jasper Events

Wednesdays

Friday, March 15th

Friday, April 12th

LGBT Coffee Night------------------------  7pm

Positive Voices Conference------------  All Day

Jasper Pride Weekend

See

CAANS

 1st

Goldeye Conference Centre

Mar17

Strathmore Events Friday, June 28th

Jasper, AB

Apr14

Rodeo & Music Festival

By ARGRA Strathmore, AB

Jun2830

 Edmonton Contd.

Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00 season or $5.00 per drop in.

 spin@teamedmonton.ca 7 classes, $28.00 per registrant.

•Ballroom Dancing

• Swimming (Making Waves)

 Foot Notes Dance Studio, 9708-45 Avenue NW  Cynthia: 780-469-3281

• Blazin’ Bootcamp

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

• Bowling (Northern Titans)

 Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

 bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.

• Cross Country Skiing

 crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca

• Curling with Pride

 Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW  curling@teamedmonton.ca

• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

 Dawson Park, picnic shelter  cycling@teamedmonton.ca

• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons)

 dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca

• Golf

 golf@teamedmonton.ca

• Gymnastics, Drop-in

 Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue  gymnastics@teamedmonton.ca Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor to help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is $5.00 per session.

• Hockey

 hockey@teamedmonton.ca

• Martial Arts

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

• Outdoor Pursuits

 outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca

• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

 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.

www.gaycalgary.com

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!

 Betty, 403-381-5260  bneil@chr.ab.ca  Every second Wednesday, 3:30pm-5pm

• Soul OUTing

 1206 - 6 Ave S

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

 tennis@teamedmonton.ca

• Film Night

 1-888-530-6777

 lethbridgeab@pflagcanada.ca  www.pflagcanada.ca

• Ultimate Frisbee

 Monthly, contact us for exact dates.

 NAIT Pool (11762 - 106 Street)  swimming@teamedmonton.ca  www.makingwavesswimclub.ca

 Second Sunday every month, 7pm An LGBT-focused alternative worship.

• Tennis

 Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.

• Book Club

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

• Volleyball, Intermediate

 Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road)  volleyball@teamedmonton.ca

• Volleyball, Recreational

 Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave)  recvolleyball@teamedmonton.ca

• Women’s Lacrosse

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

Call for info.

Theatre & Fine Arts Exposure Festival

 http://www.exposurefestival.ca Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.

The Roxy Theatre

 10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB  780-453-2440  www.theatrenetwork.ca

BANFF Community Groups

• 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

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

 780-248-1971  www.yuyedm.ca A support and social group for queer youth 12-25.

• Sports and Recreation

 Brendan: 780-488-3234  brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org

Restaurants

• Monthly Dances

The Junction (Closed)----------------------

 10242 106th St

GALA/LA

 403-308-2893  http://www.galalethbridge.ca Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.

 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

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

• Monthly Potluck Dinners

Gay Youth Alliance Group

Lethbridge HIV Connection PFLAG Canada

Pride Lethbridge

 lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com

RED DEER Community Groups Affirm

 Sunnybrook United Church  403-347-6073  2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm Composed of LGBTQ people, their friends, family and allies. No religious affiliation necessary. Activities include support, faith and social justice discussions, film nights, and potlucks!

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.

Pride on Campus

 rdcprideoncampus@gmail.com A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.

MEDICINE HAT Community Groups

 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.

 356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB  403-527-5882  1-877-440-2437  info@aidscalgary.org

• Support Line

• Telephone Support

 403-308-2893  Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm Leave a message any other time.

• Friday Mixer

 The Mix (green water tower) 103 Mayor Magrath Dr S  Every Friday at 10pm

Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

 University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.

• Movie Night

 galia@uleth.ca

Medicine Hat Cares Centre

 M-F, 8:30am - 11:30pm

• In-person Support

 M-T: 1:30pm - 4:30pm  W-F: 8:30am - 4:30pm

ALBERTA Community Groups Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

 Room C610, University of Lethbridge

 http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum.

Continued on Page 61 

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

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!

Audition

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

220

Crazy Pasta Crazy Pasta was born out of a passion for Italian Food, brought on through the years by working in the family run restaurant in rural Quebec. We offer both eat in or take home Italian food all made from scratch. We do not compromise on taste. Crazy Pasta is located at the Calgary Farmers Market: 510 – 77th Avenue SE, Open: Thursdays to Sundays 9 AM to 5 PM.

Help Wanted

305

Elizabeth’s Antique & Collectible Sale

Alberta Aviation Museum, 11410 Kingsway Ave., Edmonton, AB. March 15-16, 2013.

Friday 2-8PM & Saturday 10-4PM. $5.00 Admission. Over 120 tables of Pop Culture, Vintage Clothing, Advertising Collectibles, Shabby Chic, Antique Furniture, Militaria, Jewelry, Petroliana, Art Glass, Vintage Toys, China, Records, Sports Memorabilia, Coins, Stamps and so much more!

Erotic Massage

Writers Wanted

460

Alberta Escort Listings

has been cleaning for over 5 years in Calgary. getalifecleaner@gmail.com http://www. getalifecleaner.com (403)200-7384 www. facebook.com/getalifecleaner

Consulting

Check out www.Squirt.org for the Hot Escorts in Calgary, Edmonton, and the rest of Alberta.

New Improved Features. Free to Post and Browse. Videos, Pics, and Reviews. Join Now! Code: GCEE

Products/Services 500 Marriage Ceremonies

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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 recognize them or their lifestyle. Does your staff need LGBT sensitivity training? Want to attract the market but unsure how to proceed?

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GayCalgary Magazine is looking for freelance writers in Calgary and Edmonton. Writing sample is required. Must be willing to take article assignments and conduct/transcribe interviews. Contact Steve at:

Models/Escorts

Want to attract the LGBT local or traveler to your business?

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Bar / Restaurant

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magazine@gaycalgary.com

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Cleaning

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GET A LIFE! STOP CLEANING!

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Steve is apart of the LGBT Community and

Massage

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Massage in Edmonton

Registered Massage Therapist in downtown Edmonton. Relaxation and therapeutic massage. For appointment phone Dwayne at 780-483-3190 or 780-918-5856

Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 60

GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

www.gaycalgary.com

 Find Out - From Page 59

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

Products & Services Squirt

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Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada

 http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca

OUTtv

 http://www.outtv.ca GLBT Television Station.

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.

www.gaycalgary.com

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GayCalgary Magazine #113, March 2013

www.gaycalgary.com

www.gaycalgary.com

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