GayCalgary Magazine - February 2014

FEBRUARY 2014

® ISSUE 124 • FREE The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community

Interview with

JONATHAN

GROFF of HBO’s Looking

Christepher Wee Mr. Gay Canada 2014

Cherie On Top

“Body” Heads for #1

PLUS:

Patty Griffin Mary Lambert BeefDip 2014 Winter Pride, Whistler BC ...and more!

Business Directory

Aris is Burning Twilight Revival

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 55

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Table of Contents

Chris Mercedes Azzopardi, Allen, Chris DaveAzzopardi, Brousseau,Dallas Jason Barnes, Clevett, Dave RobBrousseau, Diaz-Marino, SamJanine Casselman, Eva-Trotta, JasonFarley Clevett, Andrew Foo Foo,Collins, Evan Kayne, Emily Collins, Brad Lefferson, Rob Diaz-Marino, Stephen Janine Lock, Lisa Eva Trotta, Lunney,Jack David-Elijah Fertig, Glen Nahmod, Hanson,Steve Joan Polyak, Hilty, Evan Romeo Kayne, San Stephen Vicente, Lock, Mick Sandoval, Neil McMullen, Krista Sylvester, Allan Neuwirth, Nick Winnick Steve Polyak, and theCarey LGBTRutherford, Community Romeo of San Calgary, Vicente, Edmonton, Ed Sikov,and Nick Alberta.

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

Photography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B & J, Farley Photography Foo Foo, Jackson Photografix Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino

Videography Steve Polyak,Sales Rob Diaz-Marino Craig Connell Printers sales@gaycalgary.com North Hill News/Central Web

Printers Distribution Web exPress

Calgary: Gallant Distribution GayCalgary Staff Distribution Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Calgary: GayCalgary Staff Other: Canada PostFoo Edmonton: Farley Foo Other: Canada Post

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® GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine GayCalgary Magazine 2136 17th Avenue SW Calgary, AB, Canada Calgary, AB, Canada T2T 0G3 T2T 0G3 magazine@gaycalgary.com

Office Hours: By appointment ONLY Phone: 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com This Month's Cover Cher and Christina Aguilera Groff, courtesy of Sony Main: Johnathan Pictures;photo AnniebyLennox courtesy of Mike Owen; HBO/John P. Johnson RexChristepher Goudie. Wee Top Right: Mid Right: Cherie Lily Members of:Jones BottomProud Right: Aris, photo by Greg

Proud Members of:

Christepher Wee

8

This Month Fall in Love with Glenbow

Leather Jackets, Unusual Materials and Bryan Adams’s Harder Work

10 Modest Matt Webb

Lead guitarist for Marianas Trench heads in “Right Direction” with second EP

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Writers and Contributors

5 Mr. Gay Canada 2014

11 Del Stamp

Vancouver resident DJ spins at Whistler Pride

12 Nick Bertossi

Winter Pride’s “Furrocious” DJ

13 BUTCH

Some of these girls are not like the others – and that’s okay

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

FEBRUARY 2014

14 Poz Men’s Group 15 Scott Fried’s Hard Lessons 16 Pit Stop

e n zi

New independent gay film paints a portrait of gay male desire

18 Nigeria Accused of Torturing Gay Men under New Law

a g a

19 Discussing Community Safety Crime Stoppers

m

20 Aris Is Burning

22 Let the Battle Begin!

RuPaul’s Drag Race returns to OUTtv for a sixth season

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®

24 Deep Inside Hollywood For the Bible tells me so

Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

26 Out of Town

Exploring San Francisco’s SoMa Neighborhood

28 Out of Town

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

PAGE 30

Weekend in Savannah

30 BeefDip 2014 National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

More than the Bear necessities

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

33 The Kid Is More Than All Right

Jonathan Groff on all his gay projects, idolizing Mark Ruffalo and how ‘Looking’ freaked out his family

2,000–3,000 copies Guaranteed Circulation: 2,000 copies Bonus Circulation: up to 1,000 copies

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‘Body’ Head’s For #1

38 Lost & Found

Readership

Patty Griffin reflects on feeling close to the gay community, being a ‘weirdo’ and helping a kid come out

40 Tearing It Up

Mary Lambert on ‘Same Love,’ Grammy night and what it’s like having Madonna dry your tears

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51 A Couple of Guys

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History

52 News Releases 54 Mr. GayCalgary January 2014 Mark Campbell 54 Mr. GayCalgary February 2014 Ward Sobry 55 Directory and Events 60 Classified Ads

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Editorial

Mr. Gay Canada 2014 Christepher Wee

By Marisa Hudson Mr. Gay Canada is not just a title – especially not to Christepher Wee, this year’s winner of the competition.

To him, it’s what a person does with that title that matters, and Christepher is concerning himself with making a difference. After being inspired by his friend to donate money and energy into an orphanage in Cambodia that cares for children suffering from HIV, he began to set his sights elsewhere. In what other ways could he help travel the world and make a difference?

The answer came to him in the world of pageants.

We were able to sit down and chat with Christepher about his victory, the support form the international community, and what he plans to do now that he has been voted in as Mr. Gay Canada.

GC: How does it feel being the new Mr. Gay Canada 2014?

CW: I’m on cloud one hundred and ten, it’s been amazing!

It didn’t really hit me until I got back to the hotel room and sat down – it just hit me. I was on such a high of excitement.

I didn’t expect anything and I’m just so overwhelmed. I’m still a bit overwhelmed. The support has been amazing. I won the People’s Choice Award, and that’s by voters online, and I had such overwhelming support from all over the world, especially from Asia. I think in Asia they made a connection, and I got to represent them, and their voice.

In that culture you can’t really come out that much. I had so many messages every day on Facebook and on Twitter, thanking me and saying how proud they are of me. And when they found out I won, I got even more messages, I can’t even keep up with them. I’m really grateful for everyone who voted.

GC: I did notice on your Facebook profile that parts of it are written in Chinese as well.

CW: I was working in Asia – acting, modeling, and hosting – so I do have a fanbase there. I wrote it in English at first, and then a lot of my friends in Asia said, you know, most of us can’t read English, so why don’t you do it in Chinese? so one of my friends in Hong Kong, Jonathon, helped me do up a version in Chinese based on what I wrote. Then my Korean friend said, let me help you do one when he was at my place having dinner. And then my Japanese friend said I’ll do one in Japanese. It was amazing, the support I got from my friends and all around the world.

 Christepher Wee leads the Whistler Pride parade

GC: It shows that you have such a great support network, even outside of Canada. What inspired you to enter the contest?

CW: I don’t watch TV, I don’t have a TV, but I was on YouTube and I noticed the Miss Universe Pageant, so I was watching pageants for a few days – Miss Universe, Miss World. The last one I watched, I remember really clearly, was Miss America. The winner was the first East

Continued on Next Page 

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Indian woman to win, and the first runner up was Chinese American, and I was like how amazing! I wondered if there was something like that for males, where we could actually make a difference and travel around the world and do something like that. So I googled Mr. World, and there was, so I googled Mr. Gay World – and there was, and I got really into it and got involved. And I’m here, and I’m so surprised, I’m this year’s Mr. Gay Canada!

GC: You competed against other contestants from across Canada. Were you nervous, prior to the contest, after seeing all of your competition?

CW: Well actually I applied for the competition without thinking about the competition – I went in thinking about making a difference, “Let’s see where this goes.” And one of my questions I sent to one of the organizers was, what are the responsibilities of the winner? And the next thing I knew, I saw my name on the list. What I noticed about the other candidates of the People’s Choice Award was that, whoah, these guys have substance, and they’re great guys. I wasn’t nervous about the competition, I was more interested in meeting them and what I could do with them in their city and their province, together. Because we see, in competitions – delegates do it all the time, they work together to create a project. And that was what I was interested in doing. This competition was more about making connections, and I wanted to get involved in the community.

GC: What do you think gave you an edge to win this competition?

CW: I think I was just being myself, like pretty relaxed, you know. What I say is how I behave; it’s what I do every day.

The Judges, from the first day they met me to the last day they met me, it’s all the same. I got a lot of comments from the Judges after, that they saw that I was really genuine, and that was something they liked about me.

GC: What are some other goals you’d like to work on for this upcoming year, outside of working with all these different delegates?

CW: I’m definitely going to start researching for Rome because it is the Mr. Gay World Competition - and seeing what I can do within Canada, because if I do hold the title for the world I want to be ready and be prepared and know what I want to do. That’s something I want to start thinking about, as well as making connections with the other delegates from different nations.

Like Mr. Hong Kong, this year - we hit it off, and it’s amazing.

I was talking to him about how I’m Asian Canadian and I hold the Mr. Canada title, and he’s American Caucasian and he holds the Mr. Hong Kong title. So I think that paradigm there is just amazing. That shows how diverse our world is now. Look at Miss America, how amazing is that? So I think we’ve gone into the time where it’s beyond multiculturalism in every nation, it’s about diversity and celebrating that.

You know, I don’t think you have to be gay to be in the Mr.

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Gay Canada pageant, and I’m sure there are homosexuals in Miss Universe, or in Mr. World.

I think we’re so close now, in multimedia and mass media – it’s just a button away and you’re voting for that person, it’s just a button away and you’re face-to-face with that person on Skype. So I will definitely start to research and try to make contact with all the current winners of the countries, and see what we can do.

Watch the full interview with Christepher Wee by visiting this article on GayCalgary.com

Mr. Gay World 2014 Hosted in Rome, Italy • http://www.mrgayworld.com

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This Month Fall in Love with Glenbow Leather Jackets, Unusual Materials and Bryan Adams’s Harder Work

 David Garneau, How the West Was… (Detail), 1998, Collection of Glenbow

By Janine Eva Trotta Rubber spiders, sheets of lino, a Herod’s shopping bag and rose petals are just some of the many interesting and re-used materials one will find in works gracing all four floors of the Glenbow Museum as part of the Made in Calgary: the 1990s show.

This is the fourth instalment of a series that highlights the exciting things that were being created in Calgary each of the last five decades.

The current exhibit was curated by Nancy Tousley, art critic extraordinaire who lists Senior Art Writer for the Calgary Herald and Critic in Residence at ACAD on her impressive CV. “There’s a lot of unusual material in this exhibition,” she says. “There is also a lot of colour and rich material.”

Indeed large and bold seem to be a central theme of the art that came out of the city in the decade best known for angst and grunge. But you will find little of that mood reflected here in the pieces on display February 8th to May 4th as part of the Made in the 1990s exhibit.

“The show has two kind of main streams, which doesn’t mean that everything here follows one or the other,” Tousley describes. “The ’90s was a great time for installation work in the city. It was also a time when artists were expanding…in painting and in sculpture.”

The exhibit begins in the lobby with two sculptures: the first a piece composed of two lavatory sinks by well-known Calgary sculptor Gordon Ferguson; and the second, entitled 8

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

“Arcade”, is two vending machines filled with artist postcards that one can purchase for a twoonie.

All of the artists featured in these machines were artists who participated in Graceland – a junkyard venue that arose in the ‘80s, which provided a source of materials and a place to showcase performance and other art pieces for a vast array of artists in Calgary.

“Graceland became … an important spot for making art,” Tousley says.

John Will may have been one of these frequenters. His work in this show covers two full walls – 200 small paintings that equate to one large piece. Many of the squares boast the names of other artists – colleagues – featured in this show or those of decades past; even Tousley’s name appears on a painting.

“John caricatures the people he represents,” the curator describes. She says this work is autobiographical, evoking the essence of a community that existed in that decade.

Thus the sculptural piece “Sisters” shares the room, as it symbolizes an Aboriginal community to its creator, Faye HeavyShield. Pairs of ivory-coloured heels face outward in a circular formation. Unless you look intently, you may miss the cloven hooves indented into the toes.

HeavyShield’s earthy, folk-like sculptures pop out throughout the exhibit, drawing the viewer away from some of the colour and back to the shades of the earth.

Perhaps the most hard-hitting piece will be the multimedia installation created by Joane Cardinal-Schubert that resides on the third floor of the museum. Joane passed away www.gaycalgary.com

in September of 2009, thus it is her husband, Mike Schubert, and son, also an artist who worked closely with Joane, who have taken the materials that compose the installation from out of their attic to re-create “The Lesson” here.

“I like this version of it more than any other version we have put on,” he says, noting the ample space does the theme of the piece justice.

The installation looks like a classroom: books and apples sit on rigid chairs. Two of the walls are painted black and written upon with chalk. One of these is a ‘Memory Wall’, and scribed upon it are the names of persons and events to, and through, injustice has been done to the Native people.

The room is sobering, but essential as the horrid reality of what happened in these residential schools is slowly coming to light.

Three other installations that were considered the big three to be put on at the Glenbow during the ’90s are given representation on the second floor. A large photograph and video footage of Rita McKeough’s “Take it to the Teeth” is displayed in the same room it was originally performed.

Next to it is a photo of the “Divine Comedy”, a multi-media installation that was put on by Eric Cameron and includes three of his ‘thick’ paintings, that of a pillow, a shoe, and a phone book.

And finally a photograph from “Einstein’s Brain/Furnace” – a collaborative effort produced by Alan Dunning and Paul Woodrow that began in 1996 and is still ongoing – is the third on this wall. In its original installation the head displayed was shrouded in nodes that when touched would project varying images onto a wall. Clips from this installation will be available to view.

Dunning’s “Double Dutch” project is also part of the show, though it is displayed on a different floor. Dunning tweaked a photograph of a Dutch landscape to make it look more Dutch, and pieced it with books we are unable to read. His work is layered in meaning, though what that meaning is exactly is hard to decipher, much like these volumes that sit on a shelf.

Works by Greg Payce, whom Tousley acclaims as being “one of the best ceramic workers in the whole country” happily grace a wall and display case, clearly demonstrating his impressive craft and attention to detail.

The artist has been making ceramics for nearly four decades and currently teaches at ACAD. Laura Vickerson has painstakingly recreated her visually penetrating sculptural piece “Shades of Nature”, composed of rose petals on organza.

Ron Moppet appears again with an electric mural of sorts that can’t help but arouse a smile, and around the corner is an installation that makes one feel as though they have stepped within a kaleidoscope.

Leila Sujir’s “My Two Grandmothers” is a striking blend of silk and cotton quilt, photographs and 26 brightly lit monitors.

“When she did this in the ’90s it was kind of technologically advanced,” says Tousley. “This piece is about bringing her grandmothers and their cultures together.”

Sujir does this using clever images of patchwork or cloths exemplifying the Scottish and Indian backgrounds from which she has been cut from.

A beautiful glass and wood cabinet from the Glenbow’s own reserve is displaying Elizabeth LeMoine’s intriguing tiny pieces with big effects.

“Her skill is just incredible, and her …spirit of invention,” says the curator.

LeMoyne has made beautiful little garments out of shopping bags and plastics, used envelopes and facial tissue.

Dipping into the macabre and odd, M.N. Hutchinson’s “The Book of the Damned” offers a funny retreat into the extra-terrestrial and occult. Forty black and white panels are assembled in which ‘Hutch’ appears often as “a little Martian”

and if one steps back, the dark outline of a flying saucer is visible in the centre of the piece.

In this same room we are invited to sit and listen to the intimate interview Gisele Amantea recorded and used as a memorial to her deceased parents entitled “and sorrow come near them no more”. A monitor sits on a table surrounded by flocked black fabric, the kind of fabric work the artist was known for.

“It has this very beautiful, stately, funereally quality,” says Tousley.

Inadvertently Amantea’s mother was once a guard at the Glenbow Museum.

Running alongside the Made in the 1990s show are the Worn to be Wild: The Black Leather Jacket and Bryan Adams Exposed exhibits, featuring two areas of Adams’s work in photography. The first grouping will highlight the portraits he is famed for taking of his friends and colleagues in the industry, while the second will offer the stark visages of young British soldiers who have come back from war.

Adams’s show will run February 23rd to May 4th, while both Made in the 1990s and the Black Leather Jacket will launch Saturday February 8th.

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Interview

Modest Matt Webb

Lead guitarist for Marianas Trench heads in “Right Direction” with second EP

By Janine Eva Trotta Easy on the eyes and not bad on the ears, Matt Webb of the emo pop band Marianas Trench has released a second EP with four tracks he hopes fans might blast on a night drive.

This month he will take his new tunes to fans across Canada, playing in Edmonton on March 21st at Avenue Theatre, Calgary at the Den on March 22nd, and in Red Deer’s Memorial Centre on March 23rd. Webb will be playing this tour with a full band and special guests Jessica Lee and Fake Shark – Real Zombie!

backup instrumentally. The lyrics are honest and the vocals innocent.

It just lacks the pizazz and polish of some of the other music he has been involved with.

Though his lyrics are personal and based on life experiences he doesn’t wish to get public about, his hope is that listeners will find a kinship with them.

“People don’t have my experiences – they have their own,” he says.

“People identify with music because they can tie it in with their own life.”

Since roughly 2001, the lead guitarist of Marianas Trench has been writing songs practically his whole life - though not for the band. This new solo career, heading into its fourth year, is his first dip into the ink, so to speak.

“People can interpret meaning of songs as they see fit. I do [the song writing] for me and hopefully people can relate to that somehow.”

“When people put out their first record their songs are always a collection of stuff they’ve put together from their whole life time,” Webb says. “This time around I was able to learn from the mistakes I made on the first record.”

“I think it definitely has to do with honing the sound,” he says. But mainly it’s about

One of these mistakes may have been what he has been quoted as calling recording a ‘shit mix’ of tracks that didn’t add up to one cohesive voice in the EP Coda and Jacket. Despite this, the dancy synth sound of Bad Girl is certainly a fun listen and YouTube view.

“I knew the sound I wanted to get,” he says speaking on the assembly of this current release, the four-track EP Right Direction (604 Records/ Universal Music Canada). “I think it turned out.”

He describes this sound as “really stripped down, not a lot to it, not a lot of production; organic,” in contrast to the ”pop powerhouse, really slick, well crafted” sound Marianas Trench pumps out.

“It’s just different,” he says. “I’m hoping that some of Marianas fans will enjoy what I’ve done.”

Humbly he admits that some won’t.

Webb says that he and the rest of Marianas are lucky to have the fan base they do – fans that embrace everything the musicians put out for them.

“Music fans are really smart; they just know good music,” he says.

“You don’t see people these days get obsessed over a particular genre… as long as it’s a good song.”

He says this is how Marianas fans are – simply enthusiasts of sweet music. And he “loves them to death” for it.

His songs touch often on the topic of being away from home. This helped him to decide the name of the EP and its title track.

“Being on the road and wanting to head home in the right direction.”

Webb states proudly that his band has been very supportive of his solo project.

“Everybody’s sort of doing their own thing in their own time,” he explains. “Everybody in the band just wants everybody else to be really successful.”

“We’re a family; we wish nothing but the best for everybody.”

Asked if producing music on his own is a break from band life he says it’s anything but. The busy pace never stops.

“It’s just a switch up; it’s a different vibe,” he says. But his devotion to music is a daily duty. After wrapping up this month’s tour, Webb will be right back in the studio with Marianas recording an album slated for a summer release. Then it will be back on the road touring that album.

“I’m really satisfied,” Webb says. “I just wish I could have had more songs for people.”

Webb laments there just hasn’t been enough time between the hectic Marianas schedule to write more.

Right Direction was released on February 4th, but if ordered through iTunes one also receives two additional B-sides not included on the regular EP. Webb is excited to be presenting these tracks live.

“I can’t wait to share this stuff with as many people as possible.”

“I’ve got my fingers crossed,” he says, in hope that they will dig this new release.

Opening track Heartbreakers is a great start to the EP. It’s catchy, sing-along-able and radio-play worthy. The following tracks kind of decrescendo and slow down after that. It’s Webb, his guitar and his life-inspired lyrics; as he describes, very little production and very little

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Interview

Del Stamp

Vancouver resident DJ spins at Whistler Pride

By Marisa Hudson DJ Del Stamp is originally from St John’s, Newfoundland, but he’s become a prominent figure in the Vancouver nightclub scene. He has built up a solid following over the past five years, and his style revolves around blending all of the top 40 hits we love with tribal music that a dancing crowd can’t get enough of. Also recognizable in Del Stamp’s repertoire are tracks by some of the most internationally recognized gay producers in the industry. His popularity in Vancouver shows, and he has numerous residencies at various Vancouver nightspots, like Celebrities, the Pumpjack, the Junction, and Numbers Cabaret.

So frankly, if you’re in Vancouver and plan to have a weekend of wild dancing and legendary fun, it’s a good idea to see where DJ Del Stamp happens to be playing that night – if he’s even still in the country that is. You may be out of luck in that respect, as he certainly gets around.

Not only is he one of the DJ’s to watch out for, he also took part in this year’s Winter Pride festivities in Whistler, namely as the DJ for the Men’s Apres Ski. We were able to sit down with him before he played that day to discuss his style, where he has been, and where he is planning to go in 2014. While he promises to go international, he is certainly sure to kick around locally for us, as well.

GC: So you’re here for Winter Pride – how are you enjoying everything so far?

DS: I just got here last night, and I went out last night to Furrocious (the Military Ball).

GC: You’ve DJ’d for other events across Canada and the United States. How did you get started with being a DJ and getting to where you are today, and becoming so successful?

DS: I started DJing in a gay bar in St John’s about ten years ago. And then I moved to Vancouver and it’s been all networking since then.

GC: What type of music do you like to play?

DS: I normally play a little tribal-y, but today I’ll go a little house-ier. It’s not really dark outside, so I don’t want to play dark.

GC: It’s really more of a tea dance.

DS: Yeah, so it should be a little happier, today, I think!

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GC: What’s your favourite type of audience to DJ for - more of a bear crowd, or a mixed crowd?

DS: Bears, for sure. Easy on the eyes.

GC: What other upcoming events are you DJing at?

DS: Coming up I’m DJing for the White Prairie Palm Springs Warmup in San Francisco, playing again for the Pitbull Cruise actually, next week, then leaving for Miami and the Caribbean.

I’ve got a couple more gigs coming up for Pride in Vancouver, and Edmonton, as well.

GC: You’re going to be in Edmonton for Pride, then!

DS: I will be! …I can’t really talk about that right now! [laughs] The details aren’t out yet.

GC: Do you have any other projects that you’re doing outside of DJing?

DS: As of right now… that’s just it for now!

DJ Del Stamp Twitter: @delzilla

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

11

Interview

Nick Bertossi

Winter Pride’s “Furrocious” DJ

By Marisa Hudson Nick Bertossi, a DJ hailing from Vancouver, has had an exciting ride over the past year – and it’s promising to continue into the next one. He’s had releases on labels like Kult Records, Guareber Recordings and Epride Musical Digital, and his original track, Pumpin’, was a hit on the dance floors in 2013. Known for his tribal and energetic techno but always with the crowd in mind, Nick exudes an aura of relaxed competence and groove.

Having recently DJ’d for Whistler’s Pride Festival, GayCalgary Magazine spoke with Nick about his success in the industry (his tracks were featured on 34 releases over the past year) and where he’s going next.

GC: You headlined the Furrocious Military Ball in Whistler, and we’ve

seen you headline at other events we sponsor, like Pure Pride. How did you get to where you are today?

NB: I don’t really know, to be honest. I started producing about five years ago, and I think it’s sort of correlated with getting exposure in other cities, getting my music out to other DJs and getting my name around. I think that probably contributed to it. I had a great year last year and it should be a pretty good year this year, too.

GC: Did you start producing before you started DJing?

NB: No, I started to try to produce maybe a year after I started DJing.

Five years of trial and error, failure, over and over again… took me about five years before I could actually play one of my tracks in a club. It

 Nick Bertossi (right) and husband Youssef Zihri (left) was a long process in order to do it properly. It’s more the technicalities of producing and mixing properly; learning all the plug-ins and just learning how to do it… it’s a process.

GC: What type of music do you like to play?

NB: I love DJing tech house, like after-hours tech house. But I’ll do

funky house, tribal house, I love vocal house – I love all kinds of house music, but just anything so long as the crowd’s having fun.

GC: What upcoming events are you DJing at?

NB: I’m going to Seattle, I’m going to San Francisco, doing Calgary

later this year… I think I’ve got some other stuff down in South America, probably in the spring. But not a whole lot set up right now.

GC: What other projects do you work on, outside of just producing and DJing?

NB: I’m working towards an alternate day job, sort of thing… but it’s a ways away.

GC: We see your husband with you just about everywhere you go.

How long have you two been together?

NB: Three and a half years. He’s very supportive. I wouldn’t be where I am today without him. He’s been everything to me.

GC: It’s cute to see how affectionate you two are with one another, even on stage.

NB: Oh, we’re affectionate all the time! It’s nothing to do with being on stage or anything… we hold hands anywhere, we’re just really affectionate. That’s the way it should be.

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Review

BUTCH

Some of these girls are not like the others – and that’s okay

By Krista Sylvester Big, bold, powerful, handsome – and beautiful - masculine women. Those words can be strung together regardless of what society might believe.

Vancouver-based photo artist SD Holman is putting the spotlight on butches though her BUTCH: Not Like the Other Girls project and she’s proving that masculine women are beautiful women, despite the stigma that word carries in society.

The artist, who was born in California and received a degree in photography from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, started the BUTCH photography project almost six years ago. She is also working towards a Master of photography degree from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Holman understands that if society leaves the representation of butches to mainstream media, then society is certainly not going to get a true portrayal of the beautiful women they are. So the visionary artist is taking matters into her own talented and capable hands through the collective site known as Kickstarter, where people can donate money towards a project they believe in or want to see succeed.

BUTCH: Not Like the Other Girls Kickstarter Campaign project manager Kenneth Yuen says the project is a chance to show people that masculinity is not exclusive to the realm of men and that differences should be celebrated. Holman has photographed over 100 models for the exhibition, which is garnering rave reviews across the continent.

“This project is special and coming from within the same community that it showcases. It’s a project by butches, for butches,” Yuen says.

“This is already a community that is marginalized and rarely seen in mainstream media. Whatever queer representation we do get is usually relegated to the realm of the gay male. There’s a serious lack of representation of queer women and even more so butch women women who don’t fit in with this idea of the gender binary.”

Holman portrays butches from a butch perspective, although even within the definition of “butch” there’s a wide spectrum of differences, Yuen adds. “We have a lot of different stories from people of different backgrounds, even within the butch community.”

“I’m a hard audience, especially when it comes to the art, politics, sexiness, and spirituality of gender, but SD Holman’s BUTCH: Not like the other girls blew me away,” she writes.

“This is important work: images like these, in which folks beyond the gender binary are shown so powerfully fierce and sexy and beautiful and exactly who they are, are - as I’m sure you will agree sadly rare. I’d love to see BUTCH: Not like the other girls travel – to New York, to San Francisco, and to all the little towns in between. Even in our great metropolises, there are too many young butches who have never been told they are handsome. I want those youngsters to see this work, and see butch through the eyes of a great butch who knows how to see and show. As a femme who loves butches, I’d love a copy of this work, not only for my bedside table, but to keep on hand to show a new generation of butches and femmes just how wonderful they are.

In short, this is art that will save lives.”

Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing model so if the group doesn’t make $10,000 by March 14th, 2014, the project doesn’t get anything at all. Many rewards are given for people who donate including limited edition artwork, posters, postcards and the catalogue itself will be made available.

BUTCH explores female masculinity in contemporary communities as the artist delineates Butch not as oppositional to Femme and Trans identities, but as an inclusive site of resistance to limitations on the way women, gender and sexuality are still defined.

BUTCH: Not Like the Other Girls http://www.gaycalgary.com/u639

The exhibition debuted in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2013, both as public art displays in bus shelters and at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. The show was also a part of the Queer Arts Festival’s TransgressionNow and has even been to several American cities.

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Now the Kickstarter campaign aims to provide the funding that will allow Holman to tour the exhibition even further – while breaking barriers - and produce an accompanying publication about the exhibition.

“It’s with this campaign that we hope to acquire the funds needed in bringing the BUTCH: Not like the other girls exhibition to life and help with travel costs,” Yuen says, adding the funds will also go towards the production of the BUTCH Catalogue.

So far, the response to the show has been amazing, including a huge outpouring of support from across the queer community, although the artist hopes to reach beyond the queer community.

“While the support so far has been amazing, this project is really going to need support. Every pledge will help and is greatly appreciated,” Yuen adds. “It’s a project that can really make a difference.”

It probably helps the project get some traction that renowned author Kate Bornstein – of My New Gender Workbook and A Queer and Pleasant Danger – has given her approval.

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

13

Community

Poz Men’s Group

By Lisa Lunney People living with HIV and AIDS have been coming together to support one another since the early days of this global epidemic.

In fact it is the strength of the queer community coming together that has shaped a brave new face for HIV and AIDS. Today there are better treatments that are easier to access, and consistent social support from grassroots AIDS networks like HIV Edmonton or AIDS Calgary who make it possible to not only survive, but to live their lives.

Chris McBain and Corey Wyness created Poz Men’s Group in Edmonton for men who are HIV Positive and their partners. Once a month there are gatherings for members to have a night out on the town with dinner and a movie. These outings build community, offer support, and allow members to gain strength from the experience of uniting with others who can relate to living with this disease.

“A huge change to quality of life for those living with HIV has been implemented in the past few years. Since the introduction of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) people have started to get healthier and are able to extend their lives at amazing rates. Some people are successfully beginning to self-manage - so the need for social support has diminished slightly. I take a pill a day, I’m able to have normal relationships, and see my doctor every six months,” shares Chris McBain, Outreach Facilitator for the Poz Men’s Group.

The science has progressed, but the social aspect hasn’t as quickly.

There is still a lot of negative stigma. People who find out they’re HIV positive will sometimes isolate themselves - cutting out friends, family and eventually stop seeking out healthy relationships and interactions with others completely. The need for a social group like the POZ Men’s Group

is essential for those living with the disease to live and thrive. It is a place for people to meet, build community, find support from each other (and for their partners), build personal strength and self-esteem.

“HIV and AIDS affects us all. For the LGBTTQI community HIV and AIDS has been the biggest challenge faced and are facing collectively. In Edmonton alone, of the 107 new HIV infections in 2013 over 55% of these cases were among men who have sex with men. The year before over 44% of new infections were among men who have sex with men. There is a need for community, support, and strength. More of us are HIV positive than people realize and we need a place to grow, laugh, and love in a positive atmosphere,” stresses Chris.

Poz Men’s Group is hosted and facilitated by HIV Edmonton. This is the place where young men can seek out answers to important questions, including: where do you go to find out about treatments? Who is the best doctor? How do I maneuver dating, life and sex now that I’m positive? Who do I turn to when my regular supports turn their backs on me? Where can I get educated about my status/my partner’s status from peers? These are all important questions that can be answered at the Poz Men’s Group.

The group meets every second Wednesday of the month at 7PM at the HIV Edmonton office.

Organizers encourage new members to stop in and share their experiences. One month at a time, Poz Men’s Group is working to improve and enrich the lives of those infected with HIV/AIDS.

Poz Men’s Group Meets every 2nd Wednesday of each month @ 7pm HIV Edmonton (Suite 300, 11456 Jasper Avenue, Edmonton) http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3906

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Interview

Scott Fried’s Hard Lessons

By Nick Winnick Scott Fried has been referred to as the “best kept secret” in the United States’ battle for more comprehensive health education.

After contracting HIV in 1987, he launched himself at the world of education like a cannonball, making it his mission to provide as many teens as possible with the information and the selfassurance that might have helped him make better decisions himself. With over a thousand engagements and an annual gig for former President Bill Clinton, Fried is fighting tooth and nail against the puritanical abstinence-only sex education agenda of his country’s right-wing.

Fried took some time out to speak with us recently about where he started, how the landscape surrounding AIDS and its sufferers has shifted during the twenty-plus years that he’s been lecturing, and what his secret weapon is in the fight against ignorance.

GC: So, for those who might not have heard your story, could you tell us a little about your experience with AIDS and your work as an educator? When you first contracted the virus, it would’ve been six or so years after the first outbreaks, and a bit before ACT UP got started in New York, right?

SF: Yeah, the first part of December in 1987. Which is really... ironic? I’m looking for a good word. Because I’m an AIDS educator now, and I got infected World AIDS Week. It was the height of the epidemic – I was in the thick of it. I was living in New York and I was in the closet. There are two closets – there’s the I’m gay and I’m not admitting it to anyone, and there’s the I’m not gay. I was in that closet, the very back of the closet. I wasn’t even sure that I was going to tell the truth about myself until I had my first gay encounter, whereupon I got infected.

GC: So, being so deep in that closet, was AIDS then something that you thought of as not your problem? You know, like, this can’t happen to me, because it’s something that only happens to gay men?

SF: The truth is that I knew that I was gay, and I didn’t want to be gay. And I tried really hard to fight these feelings. When I had sex with this guy, it was as if I was throwing my cards in and folding, and saying, You know what? I can’t win at this game. I’m losing, acting as a straight man, so I’m going to just fold. So I chose someone who I wasn’t even that attracted to, and I wanted it to not be good. I wanted to make sure that the sex would be unenjoyable, so that I could convince myself that I wasn’t gay. And there was a separate piece going on at the same time – I remember thinking to myself, lying underneath the weight of his body, in his apartment, if I get infected with HIV, if I die of AIDS, the world will forgive me for being this man who is gay. They will sympathize.

So there was this contradiction. But this is what it is to be a young adult, it means to be a contradiction. And that paradox for me was, on the one hand, I don’t want to be this gay guy, and the problem was, there was a part of me that reeeeeally liked it. This feels great! Damn it, I wanted to not like this!

GC: As you’ve been doing this, the quality of the medical intervention that we have for HIV has improved dramatically – a diagnosis today doesn’t mean anywhere near the same thing that a diagnosis would mean 20 years ago. Is that making your job harder? Are people getting blasé about AIDS because we can treat it now?

SF: Here’s the thing: yes, in the old days of 1997, 1996, 95, when I would teach, I would stand in front of the teenagers – I used to take 110 pills a day. These were vitamins, these were herbs, these were supplements, these were anything other than the antiretrovirals. I tried very hard not to get on AZT and whatever was available until I was sure that the meds that were available were going to work. So for 18 of the 26 years I’ve been infected, I did the holistic route to the disappointment of many of my doctors. I’d swallow a bag full of pills in front of the teenagers, and that alone would make my point. Now I

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take two pills before bedtime. I’d get up to thirty-three pills and say, you’re still not sure about this condom thing, right? and these kids would be gasping. But now, they see that I’m healthy and I’m strong, and I don’t even look fifty, and I’m doing just fine. The new challenge for me is to get them to see that it’s still a difficult life – I’m working full-time to take care of myself. If you’re on your meds, and you’re adherent, and you’re compliant, and you’re undetectable, and you go to your doctor every three or six months to show that you’re still undetectable, and you don’t get reinfected, and you’re living a safe life, you fall into the category of ‘functionally cured.’

GC: So without that visual metaphor, what do you do?

SF: I tell them what it’s like now living with HIV. Like, I tell them

that 90% of the time, when I go on a date, and I tell another guy that I’m infected, I’m going to get rejected because of HIV. They’re not rejecting me, they’re rejecting the virus. But nine out of ten times, that’s what happens. [Teenagers] don’t see that. They see a good looking guy with pecs and a tight t-shirt, they don’t get that I get rejected. They don’t get that I have to fight with my insurance company – even though we’re in the land of Obamacare – to make sure that I can pay the monthly premium and make sure that my drugs come on time. I can’t miss a day!

GC: Tell me a little bit about dating, while we’re on the subject.

What’s been your experience as a poz guy?

SF: When I’m on Grindr or Scruff, I get one of five responses when I tell guys I have HIV. And I always tell. First, they block me. Second is, they’re there, the green light’s on, they just stop talking to me. The third response that I get is, ‘I don’t mess with that shit.’ The fourth response is frightening – I become an educator. They ask me the most basic questions. Can you kiss? What can you and can’t you do? Which just points out the egregious lack of comprehensive sex education in this country.

If there’s one point I want to make, it’s about that lack of education.

Teenagers are learning about safer sex – or about sex at all! – from porn, or from Grindr and Scruff or other apps like that. They’re completely not learning it from the teachers whose job it is to teach them.

GC: You definitely have your work cut out for you. Who would you say are your biggest allies in your cause?

SF: My allies are the teenagers that I’ve taught, and they go off to college and join a sorority or a fraternity, or some club, and then they educate their friends, or bring me in to educate their peers.

I’m trying to create an army of educators out there. If the adults, parents, teachers aren’t going to do it, I’ll get the kids to teach each other. They’re my allies. They’re the ones who are pushing to make something happen.

GC: How about adversaries?

SF: I get called into the principal’s office a lot. As a teenager, I

would never get called in. As a public speaker, if I’m called into the office, I feel a sense of... I don’t know, a secret sense of glee. This is a good thing. I’m pissing somebody off because I talked about rimming, or I said the words ‘oral’ and ‘sex’ without some other words in between. On the one hand, I would say sometimes the ones who hire me are the ones who are against me, because they’re trying to tie my hands, but at the same time, I gotta point out that they’re hiring me. The ones who are against me are the ones who aren’t even getting me into classrooms. There are some parts of my country where I’ve never spoken, like Alabama, Montana, Arizona. I can’t break in, because there’s still a lot of abstinence-only education being taught in the States.

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

15

Review

Pit Stop

New independent gay film paints a portrait of gay male desire

By David-Elijah Nahmod Pit Stop, Yen Tan’s lyrical new low budget film, paints a haunting portrait of how many gay men live, particularly in small towns.

It may at first seem to viewers that they’re watching two unconnected stories. Fate, we learn late in the film, does have something in store for Gabe and Ernesto.

Bill Heck and Marcus DeAnda are superb as the leads, expertly conveying the aching loneliness of gay male life in small town Texas. The quiet little hamlet they call home is, like so many others, a place where coming out is not an option. These are places where two men out on a date end their evening by shaking hands. It’s all the surrounding community will allow them to do.

“There was a time when I had to drive back and forth between Dallas and Houston,” director Yen Tan said to GayCalgary Magazine. “That was when I started to pay attention to the small towns in between the cities. Once I realized there were gay people in these areas, I wondered about their lives. I corresponded with a few of them online and there were elements in their stories that really resonated with me. It was easy to come up with an idea at that point.”

The auteur does not consider sexual orientation when casting roles. “In our case, we just wanted the best actors for the roles,” he said. “Their orientations were secondary, and this was something I wasn’t even aware of until they were cast and I got to know them better through the shoot.”

Tan has had a lifelong love affair with the movies. “I was born in Malaysia and now live in Austin, Texas,” he said. “I’m also a graphic designer with a specialty in film branding and posters. I loved watching films from a very young age, but never considered it as a career until after I graduated from college. I gravitate towards cinema that feels personal and prompts me to look within myself. I look for the same qualities when I review a project.”

An impressive aspect of Pit Stop is how well developed the secondary characters are. When Gabe’s ex-wife Shannon (Amy Seimetz) goes out on a date with a co-worker, the audience gets to go along with her. Tan allows us to see how hard it has been for her to let go of the man she loves and to connect with someone new.

When Gabe tries dating, it’s a disaster. His date is desperate, and tries too hard. As they talk, we learn that the intolerant environment in which they live is the root cause of that desperation.

The film digs deep into Ernesto’s heart, as he is betrayed by two lovers in a row; one of them turns out to be not quite as villainous as it first appeared. Tan’s script focuses on the pain both ex-lovers feel.

Pit Stop is a dark, intense film that will remind viewers how alike we as people are.

Pit Stop Now available on DVD via Wolfe Video

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The dialogue-heavy film moves slowly, which greatly works to its advantage. As the story progresses, viewers get to know who each character is. The film offers a peek inside their hearts and souls.

Gabe (Bill Heck) is living with his ex-wife, with whom he’s raising a daughter. He has recently come out. She is dating, but still loves him.

Ernesto (Marcus DeAnda) is in the process of breaking up with his much younger boyfriend. He is also acting as a surrogate family member for his previous ex, who lies in a coma - the comatose man has been abandoned by family and by his current boyfriend.

Pit Stop moves back and forth between the day to day lives of these very lonely men, who painfully yearn for Mr. Right.

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

17

Politics

Nigeria Accused of Torturing Gay Men under New Law

By Stephen Lock Nigeria is perhaps one of the most corrupt countries in Africa with a long history of human rights violations by government and government forces, as well as the Nigerian Police Force, beginning shortly after it gained independence in 1960.

Between 1960 and 1998 it had two elected Heads of State, one appointed Head of State, followed by a military successor, and has experienced seven coup d’états in which the existing government was overthrown and a new one installed only to be overthrown itself.

In 1979, the country moved to a presidential system under a new constitution. The Nigerian Constitution does guarantee fundamental human rights, but these are frequently flouted and ignored by the various government regimes that come into power.

Under General Ibrahim Babangida, who took power in 1985, there was a brief period of ensuring human rights were adhered to. However, he soon moved to silencing his critics by jailing those who criticized the government and firing government employees who did not promote the views of the regime. The Babangida regime was responsible for shutting down more newspaper and other news outlets, jailing more journalists and outright banning popular organizations within Nigeria than any other post-colonial regime.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) has engaged in extra-judicial killings, using suspect techniques to ferret out those involved with Boko Haram, a jihadist organization, mainly in the Northeast of Nigeria, that is waging a guerilla war against what it views as ‘Westernization’ and involved in the bombing of churches, schools, and police stations. The JTF has been accused of often killing suspects before they are able to go to trial.

There is also a high degree of corruption within the NPF itself with accusations of embezzlement, extortion and bribery.

There appears to be very little, if any, accountability in place when it comes to the NPF or the JTF. Nigerian politicians are little better, often paying gangs to rig elections and intimidate voters. A conservatively estimated 300 people were killed by gangs during the 2007 election in which gang members openly stuffed ballot boxes with ballots favouring the politician paying them to do so.

This, then, is the culture in which a new law, the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, has been signed into law by the current President, Goodluck Jonathan.

The legislation further criminalizes homosexuality and outlaws any LGBT organization. People can face up to ten to fourteen years in prison for belonging to a LGBT organization and/or for having gay sex.

The police have already been accused of not only targeting gay men, but torturing them to name others who are in turn then hunted down, arrested, tortured and according to some allegations, killed by police.

Part of what fuels these persecutions are rumours the United States paid gay and lesbian activists $20 million to promote same-sex marriage and, by extension, ‘sodomy’ and other ‘unnatural acts’.

Dorothy Aken’Ova, Executive Director of Nigeria’s International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights, who is involved with helping to obtain legal services for those gay men arrested by police, has stated entrapment is one of the tools, along with intimidation and outright torture, used to discover who is involved, or reputed to be involved, with the now outlawed LGBT organizations. She claimed a law enforcement 18

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

officer pretended to be a gay man and joined an HIV/AIDS support group, resulting in the arrest of four men belonging to the group who were then allegedly tortured to obtain names of other men in the group or other LGBT groups.

Islam and Evangelical Christianity are the two dominant religions within Nigeria, with Islam especially dominant in the North - imams and other clerics hold considerable influence.

Twelve northern states have incorporated some form of Shar’ia law into their criminal statutes. Nigeria consists of 36 states along with the federal capital territory, Abuja - roughly equivalent to the District of Columbia in the US. Bauchi, one of the twelve northern states in which Shari’a law is dominant, has engaged in not only persecuting gay men and lesbians, but also in the torture and murder of over one thousand children reputed to be ‘witches’ in the decade ending in 2009. These murders were not only conducted under Shari’a law but also by Christian pastors seeking, it is reputed, to establish their credentials.

The chairman of the Bauchi State Shariah Commission, which oversees the regulation of Shari’a law, Mustapha Baba Ilela, told Associated Press that in the first two weeks of 2014, eleven gay men had been arrested and ‘interviewed’ (an euphemism for torture) by police and said community members had helped to “fish out” the suspects. In other words, informed on them. He added “we are on the hunt for others.”

Olumide Makanjuola, runs the Nigerian Initiative for Equality chapter, now one of the outlawed gay rights and HIV/AIDS education organizations, and his lawyers are involved in the lawsuits of various gay men arrested without cause by the police. He has stated police regularly confiscate a suspect’s cell phone, illegally go through its directory, and then send text messages, which of course appear to be from the suspect, in order to lure in others who are then also detained, often beaten and tortured, and forced to incriminate themselves and supply names of yet more individuals.

There is widespread concern, both within Nigeria and internationally, that with the passing of this law, attacks against and persecution of both lesbians and gay men as well as transsexuals will significantly increase. There have already been numerous reports of mob violence against gay men or men perceived to be gay.

Because the law criminalizes anyone who provides services for lesbians and gay men or supports LGBT groups, the list of people who could be arrested under the law is long and varied and likely includes heterosexual allies as well as lesbians and gay men.

There is also a very real concern that, with this further criminalization of homosexuality, homosexual acts, gayaffirmative organizations, and HIV/AIDS Service Organizations will also be targeted. However, even if they are not - and there does not appear to be any guarantee they won’t be - the new law will have a serious impact on men seeking services from ASOs; they simply will not risk approaching such organizations and will go underground. This, in turn, will increase the incidence of HIV infection and will ultimately create an even greater health crisis in Nigeria than it already faces, as does most of Sub-Saharan Africa, when it comes to HIV/AIDS.

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Community

Discussing Community Safety Crime Stoppers

By Constable Andy Buck Hello again everyone. It is with regret that I start this monthly column with tragic news. As you may well know, the homicide victim from the incident on Sunday January 19th has been named as Dennis Barreira.

Dennis was an LGBT community member, and I know that there are lots of rumours circulating. I have spoken with the homicide unit, and can confirm to everyone that this investigation is being conducted in a most professional and sensitive manner. As the investigation is ongoing I am not yet in a position to comment further about its status or direction but you can be assured that every effort is being made to apprehend those involved.

I encourage anyone who may have had recent contact with Dennis Barreira to get in touch with Detective Tom Barrow at 403-428-4531.

Alternatively you can contact me via email, or call me at 403-428-8154. I should point out that the investigators are aware of his significant presence on social media sites and apps which are utilized by the community, and respectfully ask that no further information of this nature be passed. Of course, the option to pass information anonymously via CRIME STOPPERS is available, and I thought that this may be an appropriate time to pass on some information about that program.

What is Crime Stoppers?

Crime Stoppers is a community, media and police co-operative program designed to involve the public in the fight against crime. Crime Stoppers provides citizens with a vehicle to supply the police with information about a crime or potential crime. A reward of up to $2000 is offered to anyone providing information, which leads to an arrest, or the recovery of stolen property or the seizure of illegal drugs.

Is it truly anonymous?

Absolutely! Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to Call Display. Your information will be taken in strictest confidence by a specially trained call taker...you will be asked NOT to give your name.

How does Crime Stoppers work?

Crime Stoppers has more than one way to assist you in providing the information needed to help solve crimes in the community.

TALK - The Crime Stoppers tip line, 1-800-222-8477, is staffed by trained personnel (24/7) who receive, process and pass on tip information to the appropriate law enforcement agency to investigate. Callers are given a tip number, which is used in all subsequent calls, and are never asked to identify themselves or provide any personal information. It is the caller’s responsibility to call back for updates and instructions on how to claim a reward.

TYPE - Persons wanting to provide information on crimes or criminals can also use the Internet, without giving up their anonymity. Logging onto the Calgary Crime Stoppers website (www.ttttips.com) allows tipsters to simply click and fill in an electronic form with their information. Web Tips are also completely anonymous.

TEXT - By sending a Text message to Crime Stoppers tipsters are provided with a convenient and effective way to pass information. To text your information anonymously, simply text the keyword “ttttips” and your information to 274637.

As always, I urge you to look out for each other, take care of each other and stay safe. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, you know how to get hold of me. I look forward to talking to you again next month.

Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-8477 • http://www.ttttips.com Constable Andy Buck 403-428-8154 • pol4792@calgarypolice.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3910

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

19

Aris Is Burning

 Photo by Greg Jones

By Mick Sandoval Out rocker Aris (pronounced like Paris but without the P) grew up in Brooklyn, the product of a belly-dancing mother and a Greek immigrant father. Music played in his home all the time: mostly Doo-Wop and Motown, his mother’s favorites. She particularly loved Elvis and through him, introduced her son to Rock & Roll. In his

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teenage years, Aris began to explore the genre more deeply, listening to rock radio for endless hours.

He gravitated toward singer-songwriters that bared their souls in their work - artists like Chris Cornell, Paula Cole, Joan Osborne, Poe, and Nikka Costa. Kurt Cobain was especially significant. To young Aris, Cobain exemplified the duality of rock. “I love how soft and hard rock can be”, he says. “Its powerful and vulnerable at the same time.” www.gaycalgary.com

Aris hopes fans will feel he has captured that duality on his own album, Twilight Revival, hitting stores this month.

It was inspired by the tragic death of his mother in Hurricane Sandy.

Many of the songs read like entries from his journal, reflecting his personal journey toward healing.

But there is celebration in the album too, recounting a mother who accepted her son’s homosexuality and allowed her young boy to play with makeup and wigs. The album’s title track is about music’s power to lift people out of dark times and reignite the fire in their hearts.

Two variations, a rock and an EDM version, are releasing simultaneously.

Both comprise the artist’s gritty vocals and minor key refrains, and both exude  Photo by Anthony Magnam the drive-for-life passion Aris has found through his loss.

GC: How has the album helped your healing process?

A: Writing and recording “Twilight Revival” has been my saving grace. I had been gathering ideas for the album for several years, but things took on a new dimension after the passing of my mother in Hurricane Sandy. I found great comfort while in the studio recording it. There are several songs that my mother loved, such as “Pray for Change”, a song about the state of the world and yearning to lend a helping hand to make it better. My mom appears in the video, shot just a few weeks before her passing.  Album Cover GC: “Twilight”, the first release from the album, actually sounds pretty celebratory. Was that intentional?

A: It was definitely intentional. The song’s about not wanting the night to end and living in the moment. I had been through a series of difficult events that left me feeling mentally, spiritually and physically exhausted. It felt like a really long, dark winter. I had to remind myself that winter soon turns to spring.

GC: The EDM version is a new sound for you. Are you branching out from rock?

A: Believe it or not, I was once a club kid and even worked in dance clubs doing event production. Though I’m a rocker at heart, dance is in my blood. I love experimenting and blending genres, so it felt like a very natural progression for me. There is still a spirit of rock in the vocal approach and the guitars.

GC: How did you get involved in the rock scene?

A: Thanks to my mother’s record collection, I grew up around a lot of rock music. In the eighties, it was Blondie and U2. In the nineties, I loved Nirvana, Soundgarden and Bush.

GC: As a rocker, Dd you find it difficult to connect with a disco-loving LGBT community?

A: Sometimes. People aren’t so sure what to think of me. I’ve had long hair and a beard for a long time, before it was trendy. But times are changing. There is more of an understanding of sexuality and the different types of men who make up the gay community.

We’re a diverse tapestry of personalities and tastes.

GC: Emotionally, where are you at today?

A: I’m still grieving the loss of my mother but I’m also celebrating her legacy of love. I’m living in the now, in a state of gratitude and taking in each breath with passion and purpose.

GC: Would you be open to dating?

A: It’s taken a while but yes, I’m ready now.

The biggest thing that’s happened for me is learning what it really means to love myself.

GC: What do you look for in a guy?

A: I find intelligence very sexy. A great sense of humor is so important. I’m attracted to compassionate, kind hearts. I’m also a sucker for blue eyes and well trimmed beards.

GC: Is spirituality important?

A: Yes, but not mandatory. I find it very attractive when someone cares deeply about something greater than themselves but I think an open mind is more important. You don’t have to agree with what I believe in as long as you respect my right to believe it.

GC: What’s next?

A: I’m preparing to shoot the videos for my next two singles.

I’m also launching an initiative called “Operation Inspire” in April which will gather creative minds to influence, affect and shape the world for the better.

Aris’ album Twilight Revival and single, “Twilight”, are available now on iTunes and other online music retailers.

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21

Let the Battle Begin!

RuPaul’s Drag Race returns to OUTtv for a sixth season

By OUTtv Get ready squirrel friends! RuPaul is back with a new crop of celebrity guest judges to help transform “herstory” in the highly anticipated sixth season of the groundbreaking series, “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” On February 24th, OUTtv, Canada’s only LGBT network will reveal 14 of the fiercest drag queens with the biggest personalities the show has ever seen. Who will survive to the end and be the next drag superstar?

“Our sixth season is rated BBB. Bitches Better Beware!” said Executive Producer, RuPaul. “It’s our most outrageous and sickening cast to date. And quite frankly, I’m scared of these queens.” The cast of the sixth season of RuPaul’s Drag Race range in age from 22 to 41.

That’s a generation gap guaranteed to add tension and some shadethrowing into the mix!

So, who’s joining RuPaul for the season? Three NYC queens have made the cut: Milk (25), Bianca Del Rio (37) and one of the grand dames of the season, Vivacious (40). The grandest (well, the oldest) queen also comes from New York State. It’s the gorgeous Miss Darienne Lake who has the most candles on her cake at 41-years-old.

Some queens were still in the cradle when Miss Lake was first shaking her tail-feathers.

Five of the queens hail from the West Coast; from California come three hot candidates, Adore Delano (23), Kelly Mantle (37) and Laganja Estranja (24). And what’s bigger than the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl win? BenDeLaCreme (31) and Magnolia Crawford (27) that’s who! These two ‘wet’ coast queens will blossom in the sun of California. Then there’s the southern beauty/booty of Trinity K. Bonet

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(22) from Atlanta. Then add Gia Gunn (22) and Joslyn Fox (26) from Chicago, IL, and Worcester, MA. But wait! RuPaul still has more, more, more planned for the season, so she added a little spice with April Carrion from Puerto Rico and the fishiest queen, a little Tasmanian devil of a singer from Down Under, Courtney Act. Courtney’s already wowed Australian Idol so let’s see how she holds up under the lights and lip-syncing in RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6.

The panel of judges for the sixth season is the most star-studded ever. To review every second of the face-primping, tucking and wigstraightening action are show regulars Michelle Visage and Santino Rice. The celeb guest judges include the amazing Neil Patrick Harris, American Idol alum Adam Lambert, tabloid staple Khloe Kardashian and Game of Thrones’s Lena Headey. They’ll be joined by Leah Remini of DTWS and King of Queens, Linda Blair of Exorcist fame, Photographer Mike Ruiz from The A-List New York, as well as actors Jaime Pressly, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Heather McDonald and David Burtka. Also joining the judging panel are singers Eve, Trina, and the superstar singer, choreographer, and ex-Idol judge Paula Abdul. Famed designer Bob Mackie, who has dressed entertainment icons including Cher, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Tina Turner and Joan Rivers, represents the world of fashion. This sickening group will decide who will stay, lipsync for their life or “sashay away.” Additional guest appearances this season will be made by Lucian Piane, Gillian Jacobs, Lainie Kazan, Bruce Vilanch, Chaz Bono, and Georgia Holt.

Viewers will get a super-sized, 90-minute episode on OUTtv, February 24th at 9pm ET/PT to kick off the new season. “This season of RuPaul’s Drag Race is perfect for viewers who want to butch it up after watching a month of Olympic figure skating!” says RuPaul. So,

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gather round a screen and get to know the fiercest, most fantastic group of queens ever to compete for the crown and the coveted title of “American’s Next Drag Superstar.” The grand prize package, including $100,000 in cash and a sickening supply of Colorevolution Cosmetics, is at the finish line – and these queens won’t hold back in their pursuit of their dream to win it all.

Plus, the wicked companion series “Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race” returns for an all-new season with the backstabbing, backbreaking and backstage drama that you didn’t see on the runway. RuPaul narrates the explosive episodes of raw, behind-the-scenes moments from the new season. And if the pressure of the main stage wasn’t enough, you never know who will stop by to keep the girls on their high-heeled toes. New episodes of “Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race” air each week on OUTtv following each episode of season six of RuPaul’s Drag Race.

World of Wonder Productions produces “RuPaul’s Drag Race” with Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Mandy Salangsang, Steven Corfe and RuPaul Charles serving as Executive Producers.

David Cortez from World of Wonder serves as Executive Producer for “Untucked: RuPaul’s Drag Race.” OUTtv is the Canadian home of RuPaul’s Drag Race. See more about Season 6 by visiting their website.

Be sure to check out RuPaul’s new album Born Naked available for iTunes download at midnight on Monday, February 24th.

RuPaul’s Drag Race – Season 6 On OUTtv • http://www.outtv.ca

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23

Gossip Hee Haw! Bringing the Opry to Broadway If Green Day can go Broadway then the same thing can happen for old-fashioned country music, right? That’s the reasoning behind the move to bring TV’s one and only vintage country variety show, Hee Haw, to the stage. Steve Buchanan, head of Opry Entertainment Group, is developing Hee Haw: The Musical for arrival on Broadway in spring of 2015. A recent script reading (written by 13 co-creator Robert Horn) impressed a roomful of producers, and Nashville hitmakers Shane McAnally and Brandy Clark are already cranking out songs for the show. Instead of mimicking the TV show’s variety format, the story involves a young woman from Kornfield Kounty determined to see the world before she settles down with her boyfriend. Of course, word is that characters from the show, beloved folks like Lulu Roman, Grandpa Jones and Junior Samples, are a part of the action, which leads us to believe that those people all live somewhere along the Seine until discovered by our heroine. Or maybe not.

Whatever tweaks are made to the program’s contributions to popular country culture, you can bet that tourists from the South (and, well, everywhere else, too) are going to eat it up like a bowl of buttered grits. Last question: Will Harvey Fierstein play Lulu or Minnie Pearl? SAHHHH-LOOT! Mo’Nique finally picks a new movie to be in Academy Award winners and career heat: they go together like peanut butter and jelly. Unless you’re Mo’Nique, of course. Then you hang back and chill until something you really want to do comes along. It took awhile but she’ll make her next big-screen appearance in the new indie from gay filmmaker Patrik Ian Polk (Noah’s Arc) titled Blackbird. She’ll co-star alongside Isaiah Washington and executive produce the film, which is based on Larry Duplechan’s novel about a black teenage boy (newcomer Julian Walker) coming out as gay in the South and dealing with divorcing parents and a sister who disappears. Due for a 2014 release after finishing production in Mississippi, look for this one to find its way to an arthouse (or VOD platform) near you sooner rather than later.

Richard Pryor: from one gay director to another?

 Michael Cera, photo by Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com

Deep Inside Hollywood For the Bible tells me so

By Romeo San Vicente The Ten Commandments, who doesn’t love those tips for living?

All that shalt not murdering and avoiding covetousness and quitting doing it with your neighbor’s wife – they’re very popular.

And now they’re going to be a miniseries from The Weinstein Company on WGN America. The 10-part scripted series will employ a variety of filmmakers to tackle each golden rule, people like Michael Cera, Jim Sheridan (Dream House) and Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street). Acclaimed gay directors Lee Daniels (The Butler) and Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho) are also on board, putting their own contemporary (and maybe queer?) spin on the material. There’s no casting news yet but it could turn into a major ensemble event if everything comes together. One problem, though: If they include the one about graven images, doesn’t that make turning it into a film sort of automatically sinful? Oh well, can’t win them all, can you?

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Remember that Richard Pryor movie that was supposed to happen with Eddie Murphy and director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, The Fifth Estate)? It’s not happening anymore. That’s Hollywood.

Oh, wait, now it might be happening again, just not with either of those guys. Now talks with Lee Daniels (The Butler) have begun and, while Murphy is still being considered for the role, so are younger actors like Marlon Wayans and Michael B. Jordan (Fruitvale Station). Though Pryor died in his 60s, the biopic will cover the groundbreaking comic during his 30s, which would make a Wayans or Jordan choice more appropriate. And no matter what happens, don’t hold your breath for this one. It’ll probably happen eventually. But just look at how long it took The Normal Heart to get anywhere. And it still hasn’t aired. OK, yes, it’s slated for May on HBO. But you get it.

Romeo San Vicente is made of sin. And gluten. But mostly sin.

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

25

Out of Town

Exploring San Francisco’s SoMa Neighborhood

by Andrew Collins Encompassing a vast, architecturally and demographically diverse tract of central San Francisco (sanfrancisco.travel/lgbt ) that extends from the Mission District to the bay, SoMa is most markedly defined by what it stands for: it’s the neighborhood south of Market Street. Within this urban swath containing everything from shiny new loft condos to vintage refurbished warehouses, you’ll find a vibrant stretch of waterfront on the bay, the culturally dynamic Yerba Buena Gardens complex, several stylish hotels, the heart of the city’s leather-and-Levi’s queer scene, a few of the longestrunning gay dance clubs in the country, and some of the city’s trendiest restaurants and cafes.

Day or night, you’ll find plenty to see and do in SoMa. Although LGBT tourists often look upon the Castro as San Francisco’s must-see neighborhood, the SoMa gay scene - concentrated around Folsom and Harrison streets near the confluence of the 101 and I-80 freeways - has been humming along for even longer, and it offers an impressively eclectic, creative, and edgy vibe that appeals to everyone from queer artists to sophisticated foodies to leather-and-fetish aficionados.

At the upper (northeastern) end of SoMa, closer to the Financial District and waterfront, the neighborhood is more touristy and traditional. This section is anchored by the mammoth Moscone Convention Center, named for former mayor George Moscone who was - with iconic gay rights activist Harvey Milk - assassinated in 1978. Business travelers and tourists of all types are drawn to the several museums, upscale shopping malls, and luxury hotels in this area.

It’s about a 2.5-mile walk (allow 45 minutes to an hour) to get from the bay to southwestern SoMa’s border with the Mission District, and the section in the middle - from about 4th to 8th streets - can be a little Spartan and less interesting (though still quite safe). At night, consider cabbing it if trying to get from one of the hotels up near Yerba Buena Gardens to the gay-bar and hip dining district.

SoMa Sightseeing Highlights Right where Market Street ends on the bay, at Embarcadero, you’ll find San Francisco’s Ferry Terminal Building, which contains a slew of great restaurants and food shops. The gorgeously restored 1898 building overlooks San Francisco Bay - ferry boats to Oakland, Sausalito, Tiburon, and elsewhere still leave from the piers behind the building. Inside, you’ll find merchants and restaurants proffering a dizzying variety of mouthwatering morsels, including wines, olive oils, sausages, cheeses, coffee and tea, sweets - you name it. There’s also a terrific farmers market early on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Across street, stop inside the small but very

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www.gaycalgary.com

interesting San Francisco Railway Museum, which contains exhibits on the city’s famed cable cars and F-line streetcars.

The contemporary Yerba Buena Gardens comprises terraced gardens and waterfalls, sculptures, an arts center with performance halls and art galleries, cafes, a children’s museum, and an ice-skating and bowling center. Taking up two large city blocks, this complex also contains the huge and modern Metreon shopping mall and movie plex, and several intriguing museums: the Museum of the African Diaspora, the Cartoon Art Museum, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, and the California Historical Society. Across from Yerba Buena, the outstanding San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) is closed during a major expansion until early 2016, but the excellent SFMOMA museum store is still open, and in the meantime, the museum is presenting a number of rotating exhibits at other venues around the city.

The neighborhood has quite a few commercial art galleries, too - 111 Minna Gallery and Terra Gallery are notable venues not too far from Yerba Buena Gardens, while down near the Mission, the SoMa Arts Cultural Center presents provocative exhibits throughout the year - they’re often specifically of queer interest. Several other galleries are located along Howard and Folsom streets in this part of the neighborhood.

Restaurants SoMa’s upper reaches abound with noteworthy restaurants, many of them located in the upscale hotels mentioned below.

In the Ferry Terminal Building, don’t miss Gott’s Roadside for delicious burgers, seafood, and garlic fries; and the Slanted Door for upscale Vietnamese cuisine.

Many of the top tables in SoMa are down in the lower end, however, amid the neighborhood’s gay bars. A culinary high point is Radius San Francisco (radiussf.com), a stylish highceilinged storefront space specializing in gorgeously plated, locally sourced California cuisine and fine regional wines - on warmer days, dine on the patio. With vintage photos and framed Life Magazine covers on the wall, old-school Rocco’s (roccoscafe. com) is a lively, gay-popular spot for well-prepared classic red-sauce Italian fare, from linguine with sautéed calamari to chicken marsala with pasto pesto. Along buzzy 11th Street, check out Bergerac (bergeracsf.com) - a glamorous space with craft cocktails and creative small-plates snacks (Asian duck tacos, shrimp fritters) - and Bar Agricole (baragricole.com), known for stellar mod-American cooking.

A fun place to dine out with friends, Fondue Cowboy (fonduecowboy.com) offers a novel take on the old-school dining classic. These aren’t your typical fondues - try the Quick Draw (Manchego cheese, white wine, roasted red pepper, roasted garlic) or High Noon (white chocolate with balsamic-strawberry puree). Fans of Asian cuisine should check out Basil Canteen (basilthai.com), a contemporary Thai restaurant in a handsome warehouse space with exposed-brick walls - creative dishes like grilled coconut-marinated pork skewers and stir-fried skirt steak with a chili-brandy sauce are among the offerings. Also notable is Izakaya House (izakayahouse.com), a convivial latenight option for first-rate sushi and Japanese fare.

Gay Bars and Nightclubs SoMa’s lower section is home to some of the city’s most historic gay bars, including the End Up, which has been going strong since 1973 - it was featured famously in Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series. The crowd these days is a catch-all: queer and straight clubbers of all ages, from college students to some who may very well have been here on opening night four decades ago. Also legendary is The Stud (studsf. com), which is nearing its 50th birthday and is justly famous for its Meow Mix gender-bender Tueday variety shows and is fun for dancing on weekends, too.

The neighborhood has long been one of the world’s leading hubs of gay leather culture - it plays host to the infamous Folsom Street Fair (folsomstreetfair.org) each September as well as the Up Your Alley fetish fair in late July. The renowned www.gaycalgary.com

San Francisco Eagle (sf-eagle.com), which shuttered for a time and was nearly redeveloped as an upscale restaurant (causing a huge community kerfuffle), reopened early in 2013 and is as invitingly dark and saucy as ever, if less strictly leatheroriented than it used to be. These days you’ll find a diverse crowd, including otters and bears, hipsters, leather daddies, and even some twinks. Other good bets along Folsom Street include the ultra-cruise-y Powerhouse (powerhouse-sf.com), with such creative theme nights at Nipple Play and Kink Salon, and the venerable Hole in the Wall Saloon (holeinthewallsaloon. com), which has long billed itself “a nice little queer bar for filthy bikers and loudmouth punks.” Nearby, the Lone Star Saloon (lonestarsf.com) is a beloved neighborhood bar with a good-size patio, great happy hour drink specials, and a furry all-ages crowd.

11th Street between Folsom and Harrison has gradually become SoMa’s hippest bar-hopping block, with a slew of notable restaurants, lounges, and clubs, including the gay nightspot BeatBox (beatboxsf.com), an eclectic space for dancing that offers everything from country music on Tuesdays to Tea-Rex T-dances on Sundays; and DNA Lounge (dnalounge. com), a huge dance club and live-music venue with a mixed crowd and an adjacent pizza restaurant that’s handily open 24/7.

Nearby, the massive 1015 Folsom (1015.com) nightclub has some highly popular circuit-style parties and raves - check the calendar for details. Cat Club (sfcatclub.com) is another cool dance space with different theme nights, many with a strong queer following - Throwback Thursdays and Wednesday’s Bondage A-Gogo are two of the city’s better midweek clubbing adventures.

Where to Stay in SoMa Across the street from the Ferry Terminal Building, the sleek and contemporary Hotel Vitale (hotelvitale.com) is part of the stylish Joie de Vivre chain; many of its airy rooms overlook the bay, and there’s a great little urban spa on-site. Just a block away and occupying part of a historic YMCA building, the Harbor Court (harborcourthotel.com) is one of two SoMa members of the gay-popular, San Francisco-based Kimpton brand. This 131-room property has a large ground-floor “living room” off the lobby with a fireplace and plenty of comfy armchairs - it’s a lovely spot to while away an afternoon. The design-driven W San Francisco (wsanfrancisco.com) rises 31 stories above Yerba Beuna Gardens, its rooms chockfull of cushy amenities, and its TRACE restaurants drawing a see-and-be-seen crowd for drinks and dining.

One of the better deals in the neighborhood, the gay-popular Mosser Victorian (themosser.com) is a smartly renovated redbrick beauty right in the heart of the neighborhood. Next door is Kimpton’s other SoMa property, the dapper Palomar San Francisco (hotelpalomar-sf.com), which has a decidedly plush and modern vibe, its rooms outfitted with gourmet minibars and iPod docks.

Down closer to gay nightlife are several mid-range chain properties, the best of which are the Holiday Inn San FranciscoCivic Center (ihg.com) and the retro-decorated Best Western Plus Americania (americaniahotel.com). Next to the latter, the arty, eco-conscious, and still reasonably priced Good Hotel (thegoodhotel.com) is, indeed, a good place to lay your head for the night. Strictly for those on a tight budget, the dive-y but economical (rates start under $100) San Francisco Inn (www. sanfranciscoinn.com) is a bare-bones motel with free parking that works well in a pinch. And you can’t beat the location for SoMa nightlife - it’s right by the Stud nightclub and less than three blocks from most of the other gay clubs in the neighborhood.

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

27

Out of Town

Weekend in Savannah

By Andrew Collins The dignified city that General James Oglethorpe put on the map in 1733 has weathered the vagaries of time in fine fashion. Savannah has survived devastating fires and been spared destruction by General Sherman during the Civil War. It’s bounced back from the neglect of its historic district during the mid-20th century, enjoyed a remarkable comeback partly spurred by John Berendt’s endearingly quirky, gay-tinged account of the city, Midnight in The Garden of Good and Evil, and entered more recently into a contemporary artsdriven renaissance heralded by the rapid growth of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), which opened only 35 years ago but now owns nearly 70 downtown buildings – some of them quite prominent.

Savannah isn’t a stodgy and static vestige of a long-ago era.

Carefully preserved it may be, this fast-growing Southern city is home to a thriving creative class, has a growing appetite for hotels and restaurants with a contemporary bent, and has surprising knack for accommodating all sorts of disparate elements – ardent preservationists, edgy designers, rowdy tourbus tourists, sophisticated sybaritics, drag aficionados. The heady blend makes this leafy city a fine spot for people-watching, and a richly rewarding weekend destination. Savannah lies within an afternoon’s drive of Atlanta, Charleston, Charlotte, Jacksonville and Orlando, and its airport has direct flights of two hours or less from Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York City, Washington, and several other cities.

Here’s a quick, handy itinerary for planning a three-day getaway to Savannah, along with several recommendations of gay-popular hotels and inns.

Friday Depending on when you arrive in town, rest up a bit before planning an easygoing evening of restaurant- and bar-hopping around the historic City Market district and the surrounding blocks, which are home to several sophisticated-but-friendly mixed lounges and bars. One fine food option is A.Lure (aluresavannah.com), which presents a contemporary take on the region’s classic lowcountry cuisine – don’t miss the seared sea scallops with pulled-duck confit and mango-jalapeno barbecue sauce and savory sweet-corn ice cream. The more traditional Belford’s (belfordssavannah.com), with its high ceilings and graceful front patio, specializes in seafood and steaks but is also an inviting stop for a cocktail to kick off the evening.

Eclectic nearby bars worth checking out for post-dinner sipping and schmoozing include the hipster-favored Sparetime (sparetimesavannah.com), known for its creative artisancocktail menu; the cheerfully dive-y Rail Pub (therailpub.com); and, several blocks farther down MLK Bouleard, the Distillery (distillerysavannah.com), with its extensive craft-beer list.

Saturday

 Jonathan Stalcup leads one of his fascinating architectural tours of historic Savannah. Please credit photo to Andrew Collins.

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Start the morning with breakfast at Clary’s Cafe (claryscafe. com), a no-nonsense greasy spoon serving honest favorites like French toast stuffed with strawberries and cream cheese, and

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crab cakes Benedict. Then get to know the city’s historic district better with a guided walk by Jonathan Stalcup of Architectural Savannah (architecturalsavannah.com) – his tours typically leave from Chippewa Square at 10 a.m. (reservations required, $20 per person). An author and architectural historian, Stalcup graduated from SCAD, has an amazing knowledge of the city’s design history, and is also a helpful resource on the local gay scene.

Grab lunch downtown. Fire Street Food (firestreetfood. com), which occupies what had been Blaine’s, a gone-but-notforgotten gay bar, serves tasty international fare (sushi rolls, pad Thai, seared-fish sandwiches), while the more traditional Olde Pink House (plantersinnsavannah.com/the-olde-pinkhouse) is a legendary Savannah experience that every visitor should try at least once. Specialties include she-crab soup, fried green tomatoes with bacon-sweet corn cream and crabstuffed grouper.

Spend the afternoon walking around downtown, checking out the diverting shops along Broughton Street, including gayowned Chocolat by Adam Turoni, whose artisan sweets are as beautiful to behold and to devour; the local outpost of chic designer Marc Jacobs; and Sylvester & Co., a colorful “general store” of housewares and decorative arts with a modern sensibility.

Make time to visit the Telfair Museums, which comprise the original 1818 Telfair Academy, with its sculptures, 19th- and 20th-century paintings and period furnishings; the strikingly contemporary Jepson Center, which was designed by Moshe Safdie and contains a superb contemporary art collection; and nearby Owens-Thomas House, a fairly unusual U.S. example of English Regency architecture. Also don’t miss the new SCAD Museum of Art, which has been constructed out of a the 1856 former headquarters of the Central of Georgia Railway and presents provocative rotating installations and well as works from a growing and impressive permanent collection.

For dinner that evening, try one of the relatively new hotspots around town, perhaps Public Kitchen & Bar (thepublickitchen. com), a scene-y neighborhood bistro with attractive indoor and outdoor seating and a menu focused on well-crafted comfort fare, from a burger topped with Coca-Cola-barbecue sauce to classic shrimp and grits. A bit more upscale, Local 11 Ten (local11ten.com) earns raves for its crisp, angular interior and artfully presented food, including charred local octopus with kale and nori aioli, and roasted half chicken with truffled sweet potatoes.

Savannah has a couple of fun gay nightspots that pack in the crowds on Saturdays. Club One (clubone-online.com) has long been famous as the home bar of the Lady Chablis, who was memorably portrayed in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (and also played herself in the very movie of the same name).

The shows in the upstairs cabaret are good fun, if touristy, and Lady Chablis does perform here about once a month.

Downstairs, there’s a big dance floor, and in the basement a cozier bar and lounge. The other option is Chuck’s, a festive neighborhood bar situated among the converted warehouses on the riverfront; there’s a good jukebox and a pool table in back, and the drinks are cheap and potent.

Sunday You may not think of Savannah as a typical beach destination, but it’s just a 15-mile drive to Tybee Island, a laid-back resort community with a long stretch of sugary sand fronting the Atlantic, a long fishing pier, and several lively bars and restaurants. Given that Savannah’s moderate climate (highs averaging in the 60s in January and the upper 70s by April), it’s nearly always a good bet for beachcombing. Along the drive out, you might also stop at one of the interesting historic sites along the way, Fort Pulaski National Monument or Tybee Island Lighthouse and Museum.

Break up your day with lunch at LGBT-owned Marlin Monroe’s (marlinmonroessurfsidegrill.com), a festive venue for lunch – it fringes the beach and serves big portions of tasty seafood. www.gaycalgary.com

If you’re still hungry on your way back to Savannah in the evening, detour slightly to Savannah’s South Side for dinner at one of the better soul-food eateries in the region, Sweet Potatoes Kitchen, where you can fuel up on mouthwatering peach-glazed barbecue chicken, lemon collard greens and banana pudding.

Where to stay in Savannah With a fantastic location amid the converted warehouse buildings along the Savannah River, the redbrick Bohemian Hotel Savannah Riverfront (bohemianhotelsavannah.com) ranks among the most stylish properties in the city. The beautiful rooms have soaring windows, dark-wood and leather headboards, plush bedding, contemporary artwork, stunning work desks and posh marble-clad bathrooms with distinctive sea-shell sconces. Drinks on the snazzy Rocks on the Roof bar are a favorite way to enjoy the sunset, and the laid-back ground-floor restaurant serves eclectic, reasonably priced contemporary Southern fare.

The Bohemian’s sister property, the Mansion on Forsyth Park (mansiononforsythpark.com) is one of the most memorable hotels in the city – this stylish boutique resort built in the Romanesque style overlooks the famous park for which it’s named, contains 125 supremely plush rooms with plenty of luxury contemporary touches, and has plenty of appealing amenities, including the swanky Poseidon Spa, a first-rate cooking school (led by talented and personable chef Darin Sehnert), two great bars, an art gallery and the excellent 700 Drayton Restaurant. Even if you’re not staying overnight, it’s worth stopping in for a meal, massage or cooking class.

Another property that reflects Savannah’s increasing embrace of both contemporary and historic aesthetics is the sleek Andaz Savannah (savannah.andaz.hyatt.com), a light-filled, six-story hotel overlooking the downtown’s “new” Ellis Square (this open, grassy square with stepped seating and fountains as well a small glass-walled visitor information kiosk was constructed in 2009 on the site of an old parking garage, which had replaced the original, historic Ellis square). The Andaz, which contains 297 modern, eco-friendly rooms, is also just steps away from City Market and Club One. There’s a rooftop pool and terrace warmed by a fire pit, a nice fitness center and an acclaimed restaurant, 22 Square, serving sustainable regional Southern fare. One property that stands out for its sheer grandeur is the Hamilton-Turner Inn (hamilton-turnerinn.com), an ornate Second Empire mansion on leafy Lafayette Square with 17 overthe-top romantic rooms with tall windows, plush but happily unfussy furnishings, and – in several suites – fireplaces.

Another inviting, gay-friendly B&B is the Catherine Ward House Inn (catherinewardhouseinn.com), a handsomely restored Italianate house near Forsyth Park containing six rooms, one of them named for the late Savannah historian and gay gadfly Jim Williams (a key figure in Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), who once owned the home; there’s also a carriage house with three additional rooms. A few blocks south, Roussel’s Garden (roussellsgarden.com) is another inviting, moderately priced inn – this Queen Anne has just four guest rooms, each antique beds, and the fragrant garden out back is a relaxing spot for a morning stroll.

If on a tighter budget, centrally located chain properties like Four Points Sheraton (fourpointshistoricsavannah.com) and Comfort Suites Historic District (savannahcomfortsuites. com) are clean, modern options within walking distance of key attractions. Also keep an eye out for one important upcoming hotel development, the much-anticipated Brice Hotel (bricehotel. com), a makeover of the former Mulberry Inn, which is slated to debut in summer 2014; it’ll be part of the stylish, gay-popular Kimpton Hotels portfolio and decorated in that brand’s typically hip and sophisticated style.

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BeefDip 2014 More than the Bear necessities

By Jackson Photografix The 2014 BeefDip was more than just the bear necessities in every sense. This Leather and Bear party in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (produced by Toronto’s Steve Buczek) saw a massive bear migration from across Canada, the United States and Mexico. Now in its 11th year, this week long series of parties and events seems to be getting larger every year. The bears and their admirers invaded the picturesque coastal resort - the clubs, restaurants, and as far as the eye could see on Los Muertos beach. It was fun in the sun and then late-night naughtiness with cheap cervesas and tequila at all the bars and clubs in the Zona Romantico (known for its incredible gay nightlife).

Events included a welcome party at the infamous Blue Chairs, a pub crawl, two pool parties at Torre de Oro (formerly The Abbey), zipline and ATV tours, dancing at CC Slaughers, a daylong booze cruise, and wrap up party featuring international sensation DJ Chris Stutz from Barcelona. It was pretty unanimous that everyone who was there will definitely need a vacation after this vacation. The dates for next year’s BeefDip are January 25th to February 1st, 2015. For more information check the BeefDip pages on Facebook or their website.

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The Kid Is More Than All Right Jonathan Groff on all his gay projects, idolizing Mark Ruffalo and how ‘Looking’ freaked out his family  Photos by HBO / John P. Johnson

By Chris Azzopardi Jonathan Groff is remembering a scene he shot for the upcoming HBO adaptation of The Normal Heart. It’s his only part with Julia Roberts, and he doesn’t have a single line with her.

“She plays a doctor and I collapse on the street, and then they take me into her office and she’s like, ‘He’s dying,’” the actor recalls. “So I didn’t get to act with her because I’m, like, hyperventilating on a stretcher. I was foaming at the mouth. She was probably all, ‘This kid is really going for it.’ But she was really nice, very chill, very undramatic and easy.”

The same could be said for Groff. The affable Pennsylvania native got his start on stage, nabbing a Tony nomination for his role in the 2006 Broadway musical Spring Awakening before battling it out with New Directions on Glee, portraying a young David Sedaris in C.O.G. and voicing Kristoff in Disney’s hot winter hit Frozen. Now the actor plays Patrick, the charmingly clueless lead in the new gay-friends-living-inSan-Fran series Looking, also on HBO. Will there be foam? Probably, but only if it’s at a party.

GC: With Looking and The Normal Heart, it must be nice knowing that HBO is gonna pay your bills for at least the next year.

JG: (Laughs) Right? It’s great. But I’ve already been paid for those jobs in 2013!

GC: In the pilot’s opening scene, after a phone call interrupts a handjob hookup, you tell your friends you worried it was your mom calling.

Has your own mother seen the show?

JG: My mom has always been really supportive of my work. When I was doing Spring Awakening she took bus trips of people to come and see the show – like, seriously, 40 people on a touring bus up from Pennsylvania. That was before she had even seen it, so she was shocked when she saw the sex and the nudity and me hitting Lea Michele with a stick, but she obviously enjoyed it ... because there were three more

bus trips after that! So she overcame the awkwardness of seeing my butt on stage, but ever since they cast me in Looking, the big question in my family has been: “Are they gonna watch it or not when it comes on TV?” JG: Seeing Weekend and knowing Andrew Haigh was attached to direct the show, I was like, “OK, I feel 100 percent comfortable to sign that nudity waiver and do absolutely anything.” I signed on before I really even knew him. I was like, “Yes, whatever, I’ll do anything.” Also, from years of being in Spring Awakening, I’ve built up a tolerance for acted intimacy. (Laughs) It doesn’t freak me out. And I don’t wanna give the story away, so I’m not gonna tell you the guy who I get naked with.

GC: I hope it’s your boss.

JG: (Laughs) I know! He’s cute, right?

GC: What do you have to say about the show being called a “gay version of Girls” – which, by the way, I don’t think is accurate. Your boobs don’t look anything like Lena Dunham’s.

JG: (Laughs) I love that. It’s about a group of friends in the way that Girls is about a group of friends, but the tone, writing and acting are totally different. I do think if you enjoy Girls you will enjoy Looking, because it’s about relationships and trying to find love and your place in the world.

GC: When Queer as Folk aired in the early 2000s, the show reflected how anti-hair the gay community was. Body hair wasn’t as accepted in the gay community as it is now. And Looking and Weekend really represent the zeitgeist in that regard. How do you feel about Looking embracing a hairier man?

JG: The more natural the body, the better. What they’re trying to do in Looking is show as many types of people and as many different types of bodies as possible, and also to stay true to San Francisco. And there’s a lot of facial hair and body hair in San Francisco!

Continued on Next Page  www.gaycalgary.com

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 From Previous Page GC: How much do you relate to Patrick and what’s going on in his life?

JG: At the first audition, because I knew Andrew’s work, I knew the lines but I didn’t do a lot of emotional preparation.

I didn’t even say the lines out loud until I was in the room with him, because I wanted to find it in the moment. The first time I did the audition scene – the scene on the train where I meet Richie (Raul Castillo) – I started to get hot, but not in a sexy way. I got nervous-hot. I started sweating and blushing and I felt immediately, in the audition room, like, “I know who this guy is. I feel so connected to his social anxiety.”

GC: What shows and films did you connect with as a gay man who was figuring it all out?

JG: I remember being in eighth grade and seeing the billboards for Will & Grace – and then, there was so little gay anything.

Not as much gay press, not as many out gay actors or gay material to watch, certainly not on network television. Any sort of shred of people being gay was like, “Oh my god, look at that. Is that me? Is that who I am?”

Even though I was not out in high school I knew that I was gay, and seeing that billboard and watching the show, even though I didn’t really feel like I was a Will or a Jack – I didn’t necessarily connect these characters to me – but just to see some gay characters on TV was great.

It made me feel less alone.

As far as Looking is concerned, the story is very specific to Michael Lannan, our creator, and his group of friends. When they were auditioning for the show, they had pictures of his friends on the casting board to say, “This is what we’re looking for.” It’s very specific to his experience in San Francisco, but the gay community will hopefully still embrace the fact that there are gay people on TV in the way that I watched Will & Grace growing up.

GC: Because of your role in Looking, how do you feel about possibly being the new poster boy for the gay community in the way Jack and Will were?

JG: I feel so excited to be a part of a show that could potentially be a great moment for the gay community, because it’s crazy how few shows there are where there are a lot of central gay characters. As an actor you sort of become the face of whatever you’re working on, and I feel really lucky to be a part of this specific show because I believe in it so much as a television show. I’m so proud to be a part of this show.

GC: Maybe Patrick will inspire some kid to feel less alone.

JG: Yeah, totally. That would be amazing. I mean, that’s so cool.

Yeah, that’s like beyond.

GC: In addition to playing gay in Looking, you also played gay in C.O.G., an adaptation of David Sedaris short stories, and you’re starring as a gay man in The Normal Heart. Are you worried about being typecast?

Or do you think that’s no longer a concern for actors playing gay roles?

JG: I don’t know. Only time will tell. For any actor, gay or straight, being typecast is the biggest thing you have to work against. When I did Spring Awakening in New York, it took a long time of auditioning and then I moved to L.A. to prove that I could do more than that. For any actor, you have to put in a lot of work to continually show people and the industry that you can do more. So if the show gets picked up season after season – which, god willing, I would love; that would be amazing and I would want nothing more than that – I’m also ready to take on the challenge of trying to bust out of a role if I get attached to something specific. Call me in 10 years, but I feel so excited to just continue to challenge myself.

GC: Can we get Lea Michele on Looking? I mean, you did Glee, so I think it’s only fair.

JG: (Laughs) Oh my god, I would love that! I showed her the first episodes when we took a little trip to Mexico recently and she watched them all again a couple nights ago with her mom. She’s so excited. It would be so amazing to have her on.

GC: Everyone’s always saying how you’re the most charming man ever. But what sets you off? What makes Jonathan Groff a living hell?

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JG: Oh, good question.

When we were doing Spring Awakening, I had to do this beating scene with Lea where I got really angry. In early days of rehearsals, Michael Mayer, our director, screamed at me, “Seriously, you’re like the most everything-happens-fora-reason person I’ve ever met.

What makes you angry?! I don’t get it.” And I said, “You, when you belittle people!” Which is what he was doing to me in that moment. He was thrilled to get a rise out of me and help me finally get there. But here’s what I hate: I hate when you’re at dinner with a couple who are dating or married and they belittle the other person in front of a group. It’s like nails on a chalkboard. I fucking hate that.

GC: And you just dropped the f-bomb, so I know you

really mean it.

JG: (Laughs) Yes! I hate that! I honestly hate that in any way, shape or form – with teachers, directors, producers, friends or anyone that is talking down to me or down to someone I’m with. It really pisses me off.

GC: As a Disney fan, was the experience of voicing Kristoff in Frozen surreal for you?

JG: Yeah, I was Mary Poppins for Halloween, I was Peter Pan, and I grew up watching Disney movies.

GC: Do you see “Let It Go,” the film’s musical climax, being done by drag queens?

JG: Oh my god, completely. It’s like a gay anthem. I asked (composers) Bobby (Lopez) and Kristen (Anderson-Lopez), “Did you intend to write a gay anthem? Because I’m pretty sure you did.” They’re like, “No; honestly, when we wrote that song we were like, ‘We’re gonna go to a room right now and get really in an emotional place and write this ballad that is just true and honest and real.’” So they did not intend to write a gay ballad – but I think they did anyway!

GC: You worked with Julia Roberts and Mark Ruffalo on Ryan Murphy’s adaptation of Larry Kramer’s 1985 play The Normal Heart, which airs in May. I mean, no big deal or anything.

JG: I know, it’s crazy. When The Kids Are All Right came out, I saw that movie three times in the movie theater and I’m so obsessed with it and I’m so obsessed with him (Ruffalo) in it. Like a crazy person, I cut out a picture of him in a magazine – I’m not even kidding, I never do this – and put it on my dressing room mirror because I was like, “That’s who I wanna be.” I just admire him so much. And so in the movie I play his ex-boyfriend ...

GC: Do you get to kiss him then?

JG: We don’t have a kissing scene, which is unfortunate for me, because when the movie starts, we’re already exes. But just to be in the same room as him was a big deal for me. I fell deeper in love.

GC: What do you hope the takeaway will be for this generation of LGBT people who didn’t experience the AIDS epidemic like those who saw The Normal Heart in its original form?

JG: We did this scene on the beach on Fire Island where they had a white party and there were extras in their early 20s – and I’m 28 – and we’re all having a blast, and then it hit a bunch of us as we were standing there that, in the story of this movie, most of these people are dead. Just standing there on the beach with everyone dressed in white being so young and having a great time – and thinking about what happened to the people who were dressed like this – it was really powerful and really affecting.

For my generation of people watching the movie, hopefully that will be like, “Oh, this was like us. This was us 30 years ago.” It’s so amazing that they’re turning that play into a movie, and that young people will watch. Maybe people who aren’t as connected to the AIDS crisis will be able to look back and see themselves in these characters and pass the story onto the next generation.

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Cherie On Top ‘Body’ Head’s For #1

Brad Lefferson “I love nightlife and being a part of it,” proclaims the dance floor’s newest diva, Cherie Lily. Born and raised outside of Chicago, she credits club music for allowing her to merge her passions of music and fitness. “I want to inspire people to move,” she says, and she’s doing just that in “Dripping Wet”, her debut EP, out now. It offers five turbo charged tracks guaranteed to pump people up in the nightclub and gym. She wrote all of the songs herself, and produced many of them too.

The track driving engines right now is “Body”, Lily’s anthem celebrating the underground gay ball culture. Its infectious, hard thumping beat is being compared to Technotronic’s “Pump Up The Jam” and India’s “I Can’t Get No Sleep”. Cherie Lily doesn’t mind. “I didn’t intentionally create ‘Body’ to tap into those vibes, but those early dance beats were hypnotic and energizing,” she says. They also changed the landscape of pop music in their day – something Cherie Lily hopes to do too.

GC: Do you think today’s pop needs some shaking up?

CL: Pop music moves in waves. Just when you think that the landscape has become flat, another surge of unique creation happens. The artists that dare to create outside the norm are usually the ones that lead those creative surges. I feel like we are in the midst of a surge right now. A new wave is brewing beneath the surface. I intend to make my own waves by not comparing myself to others and by not setting unnecessary limits on my

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potential. As long as I’m creating, I’m doing what I was born to do.

Divine timing does the rest.

GC: How were you introduced to the ballroom scene?

CL: I fell in love with the film Paris Is Burning, watching it over and over. Even today, every time I see it, I’m filled with awe at the immense creative spirit of the artists.

GC: Have you ever been to a ball?

CL: Grandfather Hector Xtravaganza very graciously invited me to my first ball in 2009. It was the Moda La Envida Xtravaganza Ball at Irving Plaza in New York City and it changed my life.

There was so much creativity, energy, courage, love and intense individuality mixed with an underlying togetherness that was bursting out of the room. I left that ball filled with so much inspiration and motivation to create. Also, it was at that first ball that I experienced DJ Vjuan Allure in action.

GC: How did you come to collaborate with DJ Vjuan Allure on ‘Body’?

CL: I was immediately mesmerized by his talent. He had that room stirred up into a fantastic frenzy and I was in love. After attending a few more balls, I developed a relationship with him and we decided to collaborate. Vjuan Allure produced the music and I supplied the lyrics and vocals to ‘Body’.

GC: Has the ballroom embraced the song?

CL: Body is regularly played at balls today, especially during the Body category. It’s a huge honor. www.gaycalgary.com

GC: Have you learned to vogue?

CL: I’ve taken classes from some of New York’s vogue masters like Benny Ninja, Javier Ninja, and Archie Burnett. It’s an incredible art form and so much harder than it looks.

GC: Let’s talk fitness because fans may be surprised to learn you’re also a fitness trainer.

CL: Fitness has been a big part of my life since I was young.

When I work out my body, I feel alive, strong, and empowered. I love that I can create the body I want by working it out.

GC: Your husband is rocker Andrew W.K. Do you expect him to be up on his fitness too?

CL: I love going to the gym with Andrew, but once we get in the gym, he cranks up the death metal in his headphones and pumps iron on his own.

Whatever works is cool with me.

GC: How did a dance diva and a rocker fall in love?

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CL: I met my husband in 2005 at a heavy metal vocal studio in midtown Manhattan.

I was singing in a variety of punk and hardcore bands at the time. Ever since our first meeting, it has felt like love at first sight. We started hanging out and never stopped. I joined his band in 2006 and we got married in 2008.

GC: What’s next?

CL: This Valentine’s Day I’ll be releasing a new music video for my next single, “Kiss My Lips”. The video is being directed by the fabulous Bell Soto and will be delicious. I can’t wait for the world to see it!

Cherie Lily Twitter: @CherieLily • Instagram @Cherie_Lily Facebook: www.facebook.com/CherieLily http://www.CherieLily.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3918

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Lost & Found

Patty Griffin reflects on feeling close to the gay community, being a ‘weirdo’ and helping a kid come out  Photo by Cambria Harkey

By Chris Azzopardi There are singers, there are songwriters – and then there’s Patty Griffin.

Not only has the celebrated songstress been praised for her versatility, Griffin’s untouchable talent has earned her a Grammy and landed her material on releases from some of the industry’s biggest names. For artists seeking poetic musings (and really sad songs), Griffin is a go-to. Besides the Dixie Chicks, Kelly Clarkson, Bette Midler and Emmylou Harris have all given a second life to the writer’s rootsy tunes.

Griffin’s own catalog, though, is immense, and just this last year she added two more gems to her repertoire: American Kid – a work of staggering genius that, not surprisingly, topped many best-of lists – and Silver Bell, her “lost” LP, shelved by her then-label, that was released 13 years after she recorded it.

From her hometown of Austin, Texas, Griffin recently chatted about feeling like a “weirdo,” which song of hers helped a kid come out to his parents and getting over her religious prejudices to record a gospel album.

GC: American Kid is obviously very connected to your late father, who was dying as you were writing it. What is the most difficult song for you to get through live?

PG: I don’t think I have a great deal of difficulty getting through them. My emotional response varies from night to night, and there are times when that can make it hard to sing, but there hasn’t been one in particular that’s gotten me too emotional to sing. It’s all emotional. (Laughs)

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It’s been really great to have songs in my own life that speak about him. I didn’t think about it at the time, about honoring him; I was just trying to get myself through him passing away.

I didn’t think about how great it would be later to tell his story, at least from my point of view. I don’t know how thrilled he’d be about some of these things! (Laughs) GC: How is creating and performing music a catharsis for you?

PG: To me, it’s just my nature. It’s how I’m built. I feel like I have to do it, you know? I think anybody who’s a musician who gets to be 50 and is still a musician, that’s really how they’re built. They really have to do it. So it’s very second nature to me. It’s really, really not hard for me to express myself that way.

GC: I think of your debut, Living With Ghosts, as the older cousin to American Kid; they’re both so raw.

PG: Yes! (Laughs) GC: How was your approach to American Kid different or similar to Living With Ghosts?

PG: Oh, I did think of just doing a straight acoustic record, but there are certain things on it that were crying out for arrangements and other instrumentation, so I wanted to make it a small-sounding record. I’m glad you said “raw,” because that’s what I was aiming for. I wanted it to not be polished at all. For me, I thought Downtown Church, although it was recorded live with a band in church, was a very polished sound. Children Running Through is probably the most polished sound of any record I’ve done. So I was just ready to get out of Nashville and out of that mindset of everything www.gaycalgary.com

having that cleanness to it. (Recording in) Memphis really made sense to me – they don’t do clean!

GC: Your songwriting has always come from a personal place. Of all your albums, do you feel particularly closest to one? Which has the most significance in your life?

PG: No, but Downtown Church was a great learning experience – one of the reasons I carry those songs into this tour. There’s so much controversy, and spirituality has been abused and confiscated so much over the centuries, causing countless people to manipulate people and make them feel terrible. When you boil it down to these songs and express the spirit in a really honest way – especially listening to a lot of black gospel music or right-off-the-farm white gospel music – when it gets to be that close to the bone, it’s honest, it’s moving and it’s uplifting, and that’s what it should be.

It was an epiphany for me, and it helped open up my mind to a whole school of music that I had brushed off because I didn’t wanna just hear a patriarchal God. If you can remove your prejudices for a moment and get past some of them, it’s a whole world of incredible music. It’s a big treasure chest.

GC: Hey, who says God can’t be a woman?

PG: (Laughs) If you were raised in any kind of traditional Christian home, you never heard them refer to God as a “she.”

GC: Speaking of religion making people feel terrible, let’s talk about the gay community. How aware are you of a gay fan base?

PG: Very aware of it. I have many, many close friends in the gay community. Sometimes I think I know more gay people than I do straight people right now in my life. Looking back through my life, even to my childhood, I’ve always had gay friends – although, when I was little, I didn’t know they were gay! (Laughs) One of the reasons the energy of the gay community works really well with me is that when you’re different and outside of what’s considered normal and acceptable, you have to either plunge into darkness and never get out or grow into something really strong. You have to develop just to survive, so there’s a depth, a strength, a resilience and also a real kindness within yourself. You have to be really good friends with yourself – and that’s what’s really attracted me to gay people in my life.

My gay friends are just unbelievably resilient and such solid people, and I can’t say that I find the same with straight friends. There’s a little more wonkiness going on. But I think, for me, I always feel – just because of what I’ve chosen to do for a living, and how everybody in my family scored really high on their SATs and they’ve all got careers – I’m the weirdo.

(Laughs) It’s been really great for me to be able to hang out with people who just automatically had to develop that resilience, and maybe there’s something that reads from my music that gay people have to look for.

GC: The song “Moses” from Living With Ghosts mentions your “best friend who is queer” being oblivious to your pain.

Was it written about a real-life gay friend?

PG: You know, yes ... yes, it was. (Laughs) That was one of my best friends many years ago, yeah. I was feeling sorry for myself, and after I’m like, “I’m sorry, Paul!”

Actually, he saved my life, that guy. But yeah, I was just feeling sorry about my failed marriage when I wrote that song, but actually, I didn’t know how positive that would be when I wrote it.

GC: How about “Tony,” which has become particularly relevant after the rash of suicides in the gay and lesbian community these last few years. When you wrote that song, did you think it would connect so much with that community?

PG: I remember I was on the road in the late ’90s and I was at a gig in Montana, I think, and this kid came up to me with a friend of his and said that he had just used that song to come out to his family. He was in tears and he thanked me for that.

I didn’t really think about that when I wrote it. Again, I’m always exploring myself, you know? I wrote that song for myself about being a weirdo and suffering from being a weirdo and realizing that there was this really quiet kid in front of me (at school) who was obviously gay.

Later on, after we had graduated and I had moved on and out from where I grew up, I found out that he had killed himself. I didn’t really intend to write anything for people to use, but I guess it does work that way. The point is that everybody’s suffering with something. That’s the place I wrote it from.

GC: That’s what you capture so well in your music: the human connection and the human spirit.

PG: Well, trying for it. (Laughs) GC: Are there any plans to release any songs from the stockpile of unreleased material you have?

PG: There are songs I’ve done that I’ve forgotten! I probably won’t. I have so many things I wanna do in my life and doing that is not one of them – sorry! (Laughs) At least not right now. My brain won’t work that way. Maybe at some point all my focus will go into that because that’s where I need to be, but right now I just wanna do other things. I don’t wanna worry about what’s out there sitting around. I figure if it’s gonna have a life, it’ll have a life.

GC: Now that you’re romantically involved with Robert Plant, might we hear some happy love songs that aren’t just about your dog?

PG: I don’t know about that! (Laughs)

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Tearing It Up

Mary Lambert on ‘Same Love,’ Grammy night and what it’s like having Madonna dry your tears

 Photos by Mike Ruiz

By Chris Azzopardi “I’m not crying on Sundays,” Mary Lambert assures herself on the song that got her to the Grammys. But this Sunday was different. This Sunday was better.

Singing the heart-lifting chorus to Macklemore’s “Same Love,” which was nominated for Best Song, Lambert made her Grammy debut on Jan. 26.

That’s when she lost it. But these weren’t tears of sadness or shame. These were tears of joy. Tears of being inspired and moved and all those things you feel when you share the stage with gay couples who are finally able to get married, a monumental celebration that took place at the awards show, with Queen Latifah officiating.

Emotions ran high that night, but Lambert, 24, had a new friend nearby – a new friend by the name of Madonna. And the icon didn’t just sing Lambert’s words, but, like something out of a fever dream, swooped in and wiped away her tears.

Lambert, who just released her own solo EP called Welcome to the Age of My Body, was still emotional when she spoke about that unforgettable night.

GC: You must be pinching yourself. What was your Grammy experience like?

ML: It was really emotional from start to finish. I already feel like Cinderella because I was bartending last year and didn’t know how I was gonna pay rent. Now I’ve been nominated for a Grammy – and I took my mom, which was a dream of mine – but then to be able to do this song, and to do it on this magnitude with this beautiful choir and fucking Madonna and Queen Latifah, are 40

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

you kidding me? It’s just stupid, dude. If I really think about it, I lose it.

GC: You cry?

ML: Yeah, like, “I don’t deserve this.” I’m still working on my positive self-talk. (Laughs) GC: What was it like being part of the wedding ceremony?

ML: Honestly, that was the most emotional part. Being in rehearsal and hearing Madonna sing my words and hearing the choir come in, that was emotional, but being in the dress rehearsal at the Grammys and watching the couples come in, I couldn’t get through the song for almost every rehearsal. I wasn’t sure how I was gonna perform because it was so beautiful. You saw on their faces how much it meant to them, and I knew how much it would mean to the viewer. How do you process that? It’s the most beautiful thing that exists in the world.

GC: What were rehearsals with Madonna like?

ML: We had long rehearsals – and I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we got to know each other’s mannerisms and how we operate.

I consider her a friend. She was very kind to me, and because we had to work together, I had to be like, “Hey, this is how I sing the song.” (Laughs) GC: Is it weird telling Madonna how to sing?

ML: Uh yeah! Everybody froze when I was like, “Hey, Madonna, do you think you could try singing it like this – the way I sing it?”

(Laughs) GC: Were you at all intimidated by that?

ML: I was a little shaky when I first met her because her entourage came in and she said, “I’m Madonna.” But, I think it www.gaycalgary.com

was during dress rehearsal, she had her leather gloves on and I’m sobbing watching these people who are about to exchange their vows and she leans over – and she’s wiping the tears from my face with her leather gloves and looking at me! I’m like, “What the fuck is my life?”

Like, what do you do? You just let Madonna wipe your tears, that’s what you do.

(Laughs) GC: Your first performance was when you were a kid, for a gaggle of Beanie Babies.

What’s it like performing for real people?

ML: It’s how it should be!

I feel like I was made to be a performer and I just depend so much on the energy – like, warm, breathing bodies. (Laughs) GC: You struggled with your sexuality when you were a teenager. And, really, in many ways you epitomize the “it gets better” story, don’t you?

ML: Yeah, but I had a really amazing support system. The conflict was not external; the conflict definitely had to do with reconciling my faith and my sexuality. There was no enemy, you know?

GC: Just yourself?

ML: Yeah. When I was a kid, I wanted to be in love so badly. It was more of this obsession with being in love, and so I always had a boyfriend, but I knew that I found girls much more physically appealing. Honestly, everything that I thought I was is how I thought everybody else felt. I thought that other girls would try to make out with their friends too! (Laughs) I just thought that was something that girls did – that they fantasized about boobs!

I just thought that was a thing. I thought everybody preferred to be with women, but the weird thing is that my mom is gay so it’s not like it wasn’t OK. It just didn’t occur to me that I could be that way. I questioned it a lot. Like, “I think I could see myself having sex with a woman” – and this is me at 12 years old saying these things. (Laughs) I was highly analytical.

GC: At 12 years old?

ML: Yeah! (Laughs) I’ve always been sure of who I am. In high school, there was one bi girl who was like, “I date girls.” I was like, “You can date girls and that’s OK?” The real turmoil of it happened when I was 18 or 19. I was attending an Evangelical church and I met this girl and I was in love with her. I wanted to be with her but I didn’t want to sin.

GC: How was writing cathartic for you at that time in your life?

ML: That was everything to me. It was the only way I could have gotten through it. I discovered spoken word around the time I came out, maybe two years afterward, but about the peak of my suicide attempt is when I wrote my first poem. It was about being conflicted about the Christian church and being gay and how difficult that was. Poetry really got me out of it.

GC: How does it feel to sing “I’m not crying on Sundays,” then, during the chorus of “Same Love”?

ML: It’s so empowering. It’s the most empowering thing. It feels like a declaration for me, but I also know that it’s so many other people’s stories. I think that’s what makes me feel so strongly about it. Not that the gay community is silenced and I’m speaking for them, but like I can be an advocate. I really just wanted to bring a universal truth to the song rather than politicize (the issue) any more than it’s already become.

The biggest declaration for me is definitely saying “I’m not crying on Sundays.” I spent every Sunday for a year crying in church. It was just guilt and so much shame, and so for me that’s

a declaration, like, “Fuck shame, I’m not sorry, I’m not apologizing for who I am.”

I’m not gonna cry anymore about being oppressed.

GC: Was the chorus of “Same Love” written about your girlfriend, Michelle Chamuel of The Voice?

ML: Umm … that song has seen many different incarnations. It’s been about a series of really great loves that I have had, so I wouldn’t say it’s about anyone super in particular.

GC: Were you surprised to hear the song on the radio?

ML: When it first made its debut on the radio it blew my mind, but when it hit hip-hop radio I was like, “Oh, it’s fucking over.”

GC: How does it feel to be a Grammy-nominated artist so early in your career?

ML: I’m trying to wrap my head around it. The whole thing just feels like a fluke – and like someone’s gonna take it away.

(Laughs) GC: Are there any plans to work with Macklemore in the future?

ML: I would love to. He shot to a place that is bananas, so honestly I just think it’s about timing and scheduling. We both really respect each other as artists, and he’s so supportive of everything I do. We’re buddies, you know?

GC: You’ve done some tour dates with Tegan and Sara. What was it like hanging out with them?

ML: I don’t know if Tegan knows this, but maybe it’s just time for it to come out: In all of my previous relationships, Tegan has been that one person who I’m allowed to sleep with. She was my pass.

We were performing “Same Love” for an iTunes show and I’m like, “I am meeting Tegan and Sara today!” They were performing right before us and I was like, “Oh my god, they’re gonna see me perform. I have to make sure my cleavage looks great.” So I’m sitting in the dressing room, which happens to be a bridal suite and so there’s wedding pics everywhere, and I walk in and go, “This is how it happens.” They’re just totally awesome. No makeyouty time, though.

GC: What do you hope to accomplish with Welcome to the Age of My Body?

ML: The word I kept telling myself surrounding this album was empowerment. I want to empower myself and empower and mobilize other people with art. If I’m unsuccessful, I’m unsuccessful, but it’s worth trying.

What I hope this record achieves is a sense of vulnerability. I want to be as vulnerable as possible with my audience, because I think there are a lot of issues that I’m working out. It’s more of me opening up and hoping to be held, and then also hoping my voice can encircle a hug.

GC: Because this is mostly a spoken-word album, does it feel like a risk to release it on a major label?

ML: I’m fucking terrified. I know in my heart what it can do, but there’s no formula for it. I don’t know if it’s been done before.

Either it changes something or it totally flops – I don’t know if I’m supposed to say that – but I have faith in it. I have faith in the power of what words can do.

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Photography ISCWR Womonspace Grease

ISCWR Twiggy Headliner Show at Evolution, Edmonton

Photos courtesy B&J

Photos courtesy Cheryl Patricia

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Photography

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Fruit Loop at Yellowhead Brewery, Edmonton

ISCWR NYE Gala at the Lockerroom, Edmonton

Photos by Farley Foo Foo

Photos courtesy B&J

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Photography ISCWR Turnabout at Evolution, Edmonton

ISCWR - Dukes and Diamonds White Party at Buddys, Edmonton

Photos courtesy B&J

Photos courtesy B&J

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Photography Boy&Gurl and Lisa Heinricks at the Backlot, Calgary

Hot Mess Pub Night at Local 522, Calgary

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YYC BadBoys presents Group Therapy at Hyde, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa663

Hot Mess Pub Night at Local 522, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa662

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Photography Mr. Gay Canada 2014 Contest, Whistler BC http://gaycalgary.com/pa667

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Photography Winter Pride, Whistler BC http://gaycalgary.com/pa660

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Photography

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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News Releases NEWS: Gay Relationships Can Be More Stable Than Straight Ones

Supreme Court Temporarily Halts Marriages for SameSex Couples in Utah

ADVICE: How To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

YEMEN: Man Shot Dead, Suspected Of Being Gay

OPINION: Rylan Clark has every right to play down Tom Daley’s coming out

NEWS: Miley Cyrus Poses With Gay Rights T-Shirt

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Leatherpride Belgium 2014

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VIDEO: Microsoft Celebrates the Heroic Women of 2013

PHOTOS: 8 ‘What’s The Point’ Underwear (NSFW) http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1166

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MOVIE REVIEW: Interior Leather Bar

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OPINION: Revising The Resolutions

NEWS: Pornstar Pierre Fitch Slams Grindr For Being Banned

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NEWS: Tegan and Sara Headline Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, CA http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1168

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Jack Daniel’s® Brings Special Edition Frank Sinatra Whiskey to Canada http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1171

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“30 Rock” Actor Gets Engaged At The Taj Mahal http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1172

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News Releases THE DILEMMAS: Dating Disaster

OPINION: Gays Welcome Just Stay Away From Our Children

COLUMN: Dogging

MUSIC REVIEW: Into The Blue, Kylie Minogue

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NEWS: New Single Announced For Kylie Minogue

HEALTH: Love Your Liver This January

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OPINION: Age Gap Relationships, What Is The Fuss?

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Footballer: Liam Davis Comes Out As Gay http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1178

Russia’s Patron Saint -- the Apostle Andrew -- Was Gay,

by Charles Cale Lehman

Brazilian Olympic Diving Hopeful Inspired By Tom Daley To Come Out

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10 Forgotten Pop Gems Of The 90s

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Movie Review: The Wolf Of Wall Street

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GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Mark Campbell has been an owner of the Backlot for 4 years (with his business partner Ward), after having worked for its previous owner Ken for 8 years. He has worked in the bar and restaurant industry since 1994, moving to Banff in 1996 from his home town in Nova Scotia. After that, he worked briefly in Westminster before settling in Calgary.

Although the Backlot is a relatively small space, they have done more for the community than most of us will ever know - from providing a space for community groups to hosting meetings and events, to the bar making direct contributions to fundraising efforts. Mark says he doesn’t do it to get his name in the paper, so to speak - in fact, he shies away from such attention. “The

only time I like to really be in the limelight is when I’m being a silly little fool bartending. It’s just my outgoing personality. I’m still pretty humble when it comes to things like that,” he says.

Mark doesn’t have a lot of free time, but he enjoys hanging out with friends over food and drink. During the summer he occasionally hikes, and generally enjoys the outdoors whenever he can. He is currently in a relationship, and has been together with his boyfriend for a year and a half. His goal is to maintain the Backlot as the “community meet and greet place” that it has always been, where everyone is welcome.

Ward has been an owner of the Backlot for the past 4 years with his business partner Mark, but estimates he has worked at the Backlot for 15 of its 18 total years of existence. He was born in Saskatoon, and moved to Kelowna with his parents. Several years later he moved to Vancouver where he got started with bartending at the Odyssey. After returning briefly to Kelowna, he moved to Calgary with a friend.

In Calgary, Ward bartended and DJ’d at a variety of different LGBT bars and clubs: Del Rockos (later to become Boyztown), the Rekroom when it first opened, 318, BBX, Detour, and Metro The Club (Boyztown). Through much of

this, he took shifts to help out Ken, the previous owner of the Backlot, before becoming an owner himself. “We’re here to have fun with the customers. ...That’s our thing. Ken started up a really good legacy here, and I’m hoping we’re doing a really good job of carrying it on,” he says.

Ward doesn’t have a lot of free time, but enjoys going out on weekends with friends to what they call “the dinner club”, sampling different restaurants around town, followed by a visit to the casino. He has been in relationships in the past, but currently he is happily single and not actively looking for anyone.

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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

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14 3

7

15

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1 2 3 4

Calgary Outlink---------- Community Groups HIV Community Link---- Community Groups Backlot------------------------Bars and Clubs Texas Lounge-----------------Bars and Clubs

5 6 7 8

Goliath’s--------------------------Bathhouses Twisted Element--------------Bars and Clubs Broken City-------------------Bars and Clubs Cowboys Nightclub-----------Bars and Clubs

FIND OUT!

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

......... Wheelchair Accessible

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

 403-543-6960  1-888-543-6960

 magazine@gaycalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRSS http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRSS

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

9 10 11 12

Dickens Pub------------------Bars and Clubs Flames Central---------------Bars and Clubs Local 522---------------------Bars and Clubs Ten Nightclub-----------------Bars and Clubs

13 The Pint-----------------------Bars and Clubs 14 Vinyl & Hyde------------------Bars and Clubs 15 The Blind Monk--------------Bars and Clubs

8 Cowboys Nightclub------------------------  421 12th Avenue SE  403-265-0699

 http://www.cowboysnightclub.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.

9 Dickens Pub

 1000 9th Ave SW  info@dickenspub.ca

 http://www.dickenspub.ca

CALGARY Bars & Clubs (Gay) 3 Backlot---------------------------------- ✰  403-265-5211  Open 7 days a week, 2pm-close

 209 - 10th Ave SW

4 Texas Lounge------------------------------ ✰

 308 - 17 Ave SW  403-229-0911  Open 7 days a week, 11am-close

www.gaycalgary.com

7 Broken City

 613 11th Ave SW  info@brokencity.ca

 http://www.brokencity.ca

 403-262-9976

• Western Cup 31



http://www.westerncup.com

• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)

11 Local 522----------------------------------  522 6 Ave SW  403-244-6773

 http://www.localtavern.ca

• Boot Camp

12 Ten Nightclub

 1140 10th Ave SW

• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)

15 The Blind Monk

 918 12th Ave SW  12thave@blindmonk.ca

 http://www.blindmonk.ca  Mon-Sun: 11am-2am

 403-265-6200

• Curling

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

• Golf

 golf@apollocalgary.com

14 Vinyl & Hyde

 213 10 Ave SW

 http://www.vinylandhyde.com

 587-224-5200

• Lawn Bowling

 lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com

• Outdoor Pursuits

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Goliaths------------------------------------ ✰

 308 - 17 Ave SW  403-229-0911  www.goliaths.ca  Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day

Community Groups Alberta Society for Kink

 403-398-9968  albetasocietyforkink@hotmail.com  http://ca.groups.yahoo.com/ group.albertasocietyforkink

Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports

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

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

 403-384-9777

 http://www.apollocalgary.com  http://www.myapollo.com

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

 403-457-4464

13 The Pint

 1428 17th Ave SW  calgary@thepint.ca

 http://www.thepint.ca/calgary

Bars & Clubs (Mixed) These venues regularly host LGBT events.

 403-233-7550

10 Flames Central----------------------------  219 8th Ave SW  403-935-2637

 http://www.flamescentral.com

Browse our complete directory of over 650 gay-frieindly listings!

6 Twisted Element

 1006 - 11th Ave SW  403-802-0230

 http:.//www.twistedelement.ca

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 outdoorpursuits@apollocalgary.com If it’s done outdoors, we do it. Volunteer led events all summer and winter. Hiking, camping, biking, skiing, snow shoeing, etc. Sign up at myapollo.org to get updates on the sport you like. We’re always looking for people to lead events.

• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)

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

• Slow Pitch

 slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com

• Squash

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

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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Directory & Events Mosaic Youth Group--------------------  7-9pm

Calgary Events

 Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)

Mondays

Thursdays

Buddy Night-------------------------  6pm-6am At 5 Goliaths

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

 Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)

Lesbian Seniors---------------------------  2pm Uniform Night-----------------------  6pm-6am

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

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

Sunday Services---------------------  10:45am Worship Services------------------------- 11am

Tuesdays

At 1 Calgary Outlink

Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm

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

 1st

Beers for Queers--------------------------  6pm By

YYC Badboys at 13 The Pint

Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am At 5 Goliaths

 1st

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

Karaoke-----------------------------------  7pm At 3 Backlot Fridays

Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm Karaoke-------------------------  8pm-12:30am

Womynspace---------------------------- 7-9pm

Fetish Slosh----------------------------  Evening

New Directions-------------------------- 7-9pm

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

Heading Out----------------------- 8pm-10pm

 2nd, 4th

At 4 Texas Lounge At 3 Backlot

 2nd

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

Communion Service-----------------  12:10pm See

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 1st

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 3rd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 4th

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

Wednesdays Knox United Church

Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am At 5 Goliaths

See See See See

Deer Park United Church Scarboro United Church

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

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

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

Hillhurst United Church

 beachvb@apollocalgary.com

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

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

• Volleyball (Competitive)

• Peer Support and Crisis Line

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

• Volleyball (Beach)

 vb@apollocalgary.com

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

• Volleyball (Recreational)  recvb@apollocalgary.com

• Yoga

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

Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

 www.argra.org

✰

Calgary Expo

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

Calgary Gay Fathers

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

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

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

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

Calgary Men’s Chorus

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 403-244-1956

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

• Rehearsals

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

✰

 304, 301 14th Street NW  403-283-5580  http://www.calgarysexualhealth.ca A pro-choice organization that believes all people have the right and ability to make their own choices regarding their sexual and reproductive health.

56

• 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

 http://www.calgaryexpo.com

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

 Grace Presbyterian Church (1009 - 15th Ave SW) Friday, March 21st

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

By Queers on Campus  The Den (University of Calgary)

Knox United Church

One of a “Kind”-----------------------  7:30pm

By Jewish Family Service Calgary  Beth Tzedec Synagogue (1325 Glenmore Tr SW) Friday, April 11th

Meet the Meat----------------------  9pm-1am

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

Saturday, April 12th

See

Rainbow Community Church

By

Sleigh Ride

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 14 Hyde Lounge

Sunday, April 13th

ARGRA

Turnabout Show------------------------- 10pm By

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 15 The Blind Monk

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

Friday, February 14th By

By

ISCCA at 3 Backlot

Bear-Beeffet----------------------- 11am-2pm By

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 15 The Blind Monk

Thursday, April 17th

Saturday, February 15th

Art & Music Show-------------------------  8pm

Western Cup By

Apollo

Apr19

At 3 Backlot

Friday, February 21st

Voodoo Lounge---------------------------  7pm At 3 Backlot

Saturday, February 22nd

Argintina Show-------------------------- 10pm By

ISCCA at 3 Backlot

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

• Tennis

 Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)

Liona Boyd Concert-------------------  7:30pm

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

 Calgary Contd.

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

Friday, March 14th

Tuesday, March 25th

At 5 Goliaths

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

Sundays

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

At 5 Goliaths

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

 3rd

 Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW

Inside Out Youth Group---------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

• DVD Resource Library

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

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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 2 HIV Community Link------------------- ✰

 110, 1603 10th Avenue SW  403-508-2500  1-877-440-2437  http://www.hivcl.org

• Telephone Support

 M-F, 8:30am - 12:30pm + 1:30pm - 4:30pm

Hillhurst United Church

 1227 Kensington Close NW  (403) 283-1539  office@hillhurstunited.com  http://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 others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe environment.

Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

 Sean: 403-695-5791  http://www.pflagcanada.ca A registered charitable organization that provides support, education and resources to parents, families and individuals who have questions or concerns about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Positive Space Committee

 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW  403-440-6383  http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

Works to raise awareness and challenge the patterns of silence that continue to marginalize LGBTTQ individuals.

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.

✰

Safety Under the Rainbow

6th and Tenth - Sales Centre

Scarboro United Church

 134 Scarboro Avenue SW  403-244-1161  www.scarborounited.ab.ca An affirming congregation—the full inclusion of LGBT people is essential to our mission and purpose.

Sharp Foundation

Unity Bowling

Wild Rose United Church

Restaurants & Pubs 13 The Pint See Calgary - Bars & Clubs (Mixed).

✰

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

✰

 10210 Macleod Tr S  403-271-7848

 #102 2323 32nd Ave NE  403-769-6177

 1536 16th Ave NW  403-289-4203

 4310 17th Ave SE  403-273-2710

 http://www.adultsourcecalgary.ca

Best Health

 206A 2525 Woodview Dr SW  403-281-5582  besthealthcalgary@hotmail.com  http://www.besthealthcalgary.com

La Fleur

 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.

The Naked Leaf----------------------------

 #4 - 1126 Kensington Rd NW  403-283-3555  http://www.thenakedleaf.ca Organic teas and tea ware.

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Steamworks------------------------------- ✰

 11745 Jasper Ave  780-451-5554  http://www.steamworksedmonton.com

 4143- Edmonton Trail NE  403-226-7278  http://www.wheelpros.ca “Experts in Everything for Wheels”

 403-808-7147

Community Groups AltView Foundation

Theatre & Fine Arts

Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

 3rd Floor, 1131 Kensington Road NW  403-571-5120  http://www.courtneyaarbo.ca GLBT legal services.

ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

See Calgary - Community Groups.

Cruiseline

 Big Secret Theatre - EPCOR CENTRE  403-299-8888  www.oyr.org

One Yellow Rabbit--------------------------

Ellen Embury

 403-750-1128  www.DBBlaw.com Fellow, American Academy of Reproductive Technology Attorneys

 Calgary: 403-770-0776

 Edmonton: 780-665-6666  Other Cities: 1-877-628-9696  http://www.hardlinechat.com Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

Hot Water Pools & Spas

Theatre Junction------------------------

Third Street Theatre

MFM Communications

✰

 161, 115 - 9 Ave SE  403-221-3708  http://www.vertigomysterytheatre.com

Webster Galleries Inc.

 812 11 Ave SW  403-263-6500  http://www.webstergalleries.com

 T-S: 10am-6pm, N: 1-4pm

EDMONTON Bars & Clubs (Gay) 3 Buddy’s Nite Club------------------------- ✰

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6636 6 Evolution Wonder Lounge

 10220 - 103 St  780-424-0077  http://www.yourgaybar.com

FLASH (CLOSED)

 10018 105 Street  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

 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 Expo

 http://www.edmontonexpo.com

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

 403-703-4750

Vertigo Mystery Theatre--------------------

Interactive Male

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

✰

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

 403-355-3335  http://www.interactivemale.com

Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

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

 727 - 42 Avenue SE  403-243-6642  http://www.stagewestcalgary.com

 2145 Summerfield Blvd  403-912-2045  http://www.hotwaterpoolsandspas.ca

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

✰

 2140 Pumphouse Avenue SW  403-263-0079  http://www.pumphousetheatres.ca

Holiday Retirement

 12 Deerview Terrace SE  403-879-1967  http://www.canyonmeadows.net

Pumphouse Theatre--------------------

 #3 306 20th Ave SW 

http://www.thirdstreet.ca

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

 403-398-9968  info@altview.ca  http://ww.altview.ca For gender variant and sexual minorities.

Book Worm’s Book Club

Craig Connell (Maxwell Realtors)

Hardline

Retail Stores

8 Yellowhead Brewing Co.

 10229 105 St  info@yellowheadbrewery.com  http://www.yellowheadbrewery.com

Wheel Pro’s

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

10 Flames Central---------------------------- See Calgary - Bars & Clubs (Mixed).

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

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

DevaDave Salon & Boutique

 1317-1st Street NW

7 The Starlite Room

 10030 102 St contact@starliteroom.ca  http://www.starliteroom.ca

• Safeworks Van

Christopher T. Tahn (Thornborough Smeltz)

 Calgary: 403-777-9494

 Edmonton: 780-413-7122  Other Cities: 1-877-882-2010  http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

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

• Centre of Hope

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

 403-253-5678  http://www.maxwellrealty.com/craigconnell

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

 10704 124 St NW

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

 403-246-4134 (Rork Hilford)  MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca Marriage Commissioner for Alberta (aka Justice of the Peace - JP), Marriage Officiant, Commissioner for Oaths.

 11650 Elbow Dr SW  ctahn@thornsmeltz.com  http://www.thornsmeltz.com

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

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

 633 10th Ave SW  403-239-5511  http://www.6thandtenth.com

 M-W: 12-6pm, R: 2-7pm, S-N: 12-5pm

4 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6557

These venues regularly host LGBT events.

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

Services & Products

UpStares Ultralounge (CLOSED)

 4th Floor, Jasper Ave and 107th Street

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

SafeWorks

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

Calgary Civil Marriage Centre

 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.

www.gaycalgary.com

Pushing Petals

 1209 5th Ave NW  403-263-3070  http://www.pushingpetals.com

Barry Hollowell

 2nd Cup, Kensington

Adult Source----------------------------

NRG Support Services

 Suite 27, Building B1, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW

 403-471-0204  780-922-3347  nrg@shaw.ca  http://www.nrgsupportservices.com

 403-819-5219  http://www.bcbhcounselling.com

• Coffee Night

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

Priape Calgary (CLOSED)

 1322 - 17 Ave SW  403-215-1800  http://www.priape.com Clothing and accessories. Adult toys, leather wear, movies and magazines. Gifts.

 780-938-2941

 http://www.edmontonpride.ca

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

 780-387-3343

 groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions 2 Edmonton STD

 11111 Jasper Ave

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 780-479-2038  www.evmchoir.com

 sing@evmchoir.com

Fellowship of Alberta Bears

 www.beefbearbash.com

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

57

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

1

6

8

5 4 3

1 Pride Centre of Edm.---- Community Groups 2 Edmonton STD---------- Community Groups

Edmonton Events Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm See

Team Edmonton

TTIQ------------------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

 3rd

HIV Support Group--------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

 2nd

Tuesdays

QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

Swim Practice-------------------  7:30-8:30pm See

2

Team Edmonton

5 Steamworks----------------------Bathhouses 6 Evolution----------------------Bars and Clubs

7 The Starlite Room------------Bars and Clubs 8 Yellowhead Brewing Co.-----Bars and Clubs

QH Craft Night-------------------------- 6-8pm

QH Anime Night------------------------ 6-8pm

Soul Outing-------------------------------  7pm

Cycling---------------------------  6:30-7:30pm

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

Monthly Meetings---------------------  2:30pm

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

Men’s Games Nights--------------  7-10:30pm

Thursdays

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

See See

Team Edmonton Team Edmonton

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

Men’s Games Nights

 2nd, Last

QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm

See

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Saturdays

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

Naturalist Gettogether

QH Game Night------------------------ 6-8pm

QH Youth Drop-in------------------  2-6:30pm

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

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

See

Youth Understanding Youth

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See

Team Edmonton

Women’s Social Circle------------------ 6-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Wednesdays

7

3 Buddy’s-----------------------Bars and Clubs 4 Woody’s-----------------------Bars and Clubs

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Mondays

N

 2nd, 4th

See

Youth Understanding Youth

Buck Naked Boys Club

 2nd

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

 2nd

Bowling-----------------------------------  5pm Team Edmonton

GLBTQ Bowling------------------  1:30-3:30pm

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

QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm

Martial Arts---------------------  7:30-8:30pm

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

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

Intermediate Volleyball--------  7:30-9:30pm

Yoga---------------------------------  2-3:30pm

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

Fridays

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

See

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See 1 Youth Understanding Youth See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Knotty Knitters-------------------------- 6-8pm

See See See

BookWorm’s Book Club

 3rd

Team Edmonton Team Edmonton

QH Youth Drop-in---------------------- 3-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Team Edmonton Team Edmonton

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

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

 tuff@shaw.ca

HIV Network Of Edmonton Society----

✰

InQueeries

 inqueeries@gmail.com Student-run GLBTQ Alliance at MacEwan University.

Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

 http://www.iscwr.ca

Living Positive Society of Alberta

 #50, 9912 - 106 Street 780-423-3737  http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz Living Positive through Positive Living.  Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)

 780-474-8240  tuff@shaw.ca

58

Dyke to Diva---------------------------- 7-9pm

By ISCCA and Womonspace  Bellevue Community Hall (7308 112 Ave NW) Saturday, March 1st

Mardi Glo---------------------------------  9pm

By ISCWR Show at 4 Woodys, Glow Party at 3 Buddys Saturday, March 8th ISCWR at 6 Evolution

Saturday, March 15th

Liona Boyd Concert-------------------  7:30pm

 McDougall United Church (10025 - 101st Street) Friday, March 21st

BEEF Bearbash---------------------  9pm-2am By

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 6 Evolution

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

 9702 111 Ave NW 780-488-5742  www.hivedmonton.com Provides healthy sexuality education for Edmonton’s LGBT community and support for those infected or affected

by HIV.

Men’s Games Nights

By ISCWR  Ramada Hotel (11834 Kingsway NW)

Team Edmonton

 Edmonton Contd.

 780-474-8240

King and Queen of Hearts Pageant-----  7pm

By

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See

 2nd

Sunday, February 16th

Headliners: Binki-------------------------  9pm

Sundays See

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

 2nd

Saturday, February 22nd

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See

 Robertson-Wesley United (10209 123 St)

• Knotty Knitters

OUTreach

 University of Alberta, basement of SUB  outreach@ualberta.ca  http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual, Queer, Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow student group.

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

✰

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.

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

• Movie Night

• Counselling

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

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

• HIV Support Group

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

GayCalgary Magazine #124, February 2014

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

• Queer HangOUT: Game Night

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

• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night

• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night

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

• 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)

 St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street

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

• Badminton (Women’s)

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

 badminton@teamedmonton.ca

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events Red Deer Events

Jasper

Wednesdays

March 2014

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

CAANS

 1st

Jasper Pride Jasper, AB

Mar2123

 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.

night. As a caring spiritual community, we’d love to have you join us!

bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your own beverage.

•Ballroom Dancing

• Swimming (Making Waves)

• Soul OUTing

• Support Line

 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.

 NAIT Pool (11762 - 106 Street)  swimming@teamedmonton.ca  http://www.makingwavesswimclub.ca

• Tennis

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

 tennis@teamedmonton.ca

 Second Sunday every month, 7pm An LGBT-focused alternative worship.

• Film Night

 Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.

• Book Club

 Monthly, contact us for exact dates.

Theatre & Fine Arts

• Ultimate Frisbee

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

• Volleyball, Intermediate

 Amiskiwacy Academy (101 Airport Road)  volleyball@teamedmonton.ca

• Volleyball, Recreational

 Mother Teresa School (9008 - 105 Ave)  recvolleyball@teamedmonton.ca

• Women’s Lacrosse

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

Call for info.

• Yoga

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

Womonspace

 780-482-1794  womonspace@gmail.com  http://www.womonspace.ca Women’s social group, but all welcome at events.

Exposure Festival

 http://www.exposurefestival.ca Edmonton’s Queer Arts and Culture Festival.

The Roxy Theatre

 10708 124th Street, Edmonton AB  780-453-2440  http://www.theatrenetwork.ca

 Brendan: 780-488-3234  brendan@pridecentreofedmonton.org

Restaurants & Pubs Retail Stores Passion Vault

 15239 - 111 Ave  780-930-1169  pvault@telus.net “Edmonton’s Classiest Adult Store”

 102 Spray Ave  PO Box 3160, Banff, AB T1L 1C8  403-762-0690

Cruiseline

 780-413-7122 trial code 3500  http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

Robertson-Wesley United Church

 10209 - 123 St. NW  780-482-1587  jravenscroft@rwuc.org  www.rwuc.org  Worship: Sunday mornings at 10:30am People of all sexual orientations welcome. Other LGBT events include a monthly book club and a bi-monthly film

 galia@uleth.ca

• Movie Night

 Room C610, University of Lethbridge

Gay Youth Alliance Group

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

 1206 - 6 Ave S

PFLAG Canada

 1-888-530-6777

 lethbridgeab@pflagcanada.ca  www.pflagcanada.ca

Pride Lethbridge

 lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com

JASPER Accommodations Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

 Old Lodge Road  1-866-540-4454  http://www.fairmont.com/jasper

Whistlers Inn

 105 Miette Ave  1-800-282-9919  info@whistlersinn.com  http://www.whistlersinn.com

Community Groups Jasper Pride Festival

 PO Box 98, 409 Patricia St., T0E 1E0

 contact@jasperpride.ca  http://www.jasperpride.ca

LETHBRIDGE Community Groups

Products & Services

Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

 University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.

Lethbridge HIV Connection

HIV Community Link

12 Woody’s------------------------------------ ✰ See Edmonton - Bars & Clubs (Gay).

 The Mix (green water tower) 103 Mayor Magrath Dr S  Every Friday at 10pm

 http://www.lethbridgeexpo.com

Community Groups

• Sports and Recreation

• Friday Mixer

Lethbridge Expo

BANFF

Youth Understanding Youth

 780-248-1971  www.yuyedm.ca A support and social group for queer youth 12-25.

 403-308-2893  Monday OR Wednesday, 7pm-11pm Leave a message any other time.

GALA/LA

 403-308-2893  http://www.galalethbridge.ca Gay and Lesbian Alliance of Lethbridge and Area.

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.

• Monthly Dances

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

• Monthly Potluck Dinners

 McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please

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Classifieds Event

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The Fetish Slosh at the Backlot!

Come on down to the Backlot the 2nd Tuesday of every month for a no-cover Fetish party.

Upcoming dates are November 13, December 11th, etc. You can dress up in Leather, Latex, cuffs, collars, or just your skivvies. Have the conversation you like without offending a vanilla in sight. The Backlot supports and promotes the alternative lifestyles of Calgary so feel free to express your KINK!

Wedding/Union

190

McDougall United Church (Edmonton), an Affirming congregation proudly performing same-sex unions or same-sex marriages since 1998. http://www.mcdougallunited.com

Adult Oriented

Erotic Massage

420

UltimateMaleMassage.com

Consulting

Adult Depot Large selection of gay DVDs from $14.95, and toys. Open Mon-Fri 12-8pm, Sat 12-6pm, closed Sundays and holidays.

Marriage Ceremonies Best Erotic Male Massage In Calgary.

Studio with free parking. Deep Tissue and Relaxation. Licensed, Professional.

Video on website. 403-680-0533 mike@ultimatemalemassage.com Rork Hilford MC, Commissioner for Oaths.

MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca | 403246-4134

Erotic Massage

Cleaning

Womanforwomen.ca

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GET A LIFE! Commercial Cleaning

460

Alberta Escort Listings

YOU’LL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE. Call Mark 403-630-8048 www.markmassage.ca 12pm to Midnight (24hrs optional) Ladies Welcome

Internet

445

www.ABS-Hosting.com Make your mark on the Web... Create a blog, register a domain, build you personal website at www.abs-hosting.com

Products/Services 500 Certified Personal Trainer

Check out www.Squirt.org for the Hot Escorts in Calgary, Edmonton, and the rest of Alberta.

Upcoming wedding/event/trip/class reunion?

If you want to look/feel better, increase your strength/endurance/flexibility, I CAN HELP YOU! call/text me 4038263305 or email me j_d_short@hotmail.com

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?

Local, Domestic, International, We can assist.

Check us out at http://blueflameventures.ca, Email us at info@blueflameventures.ca, Call us at 604-369-1472. Based in Alberta.

Legal

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Same-sex Spouse/Common-Law Sponsorship, LMO/Work Permit, Immigration, Citizenship, Separation/Pre-Nuptial/Co-habitation Agreements, Uncontested Divorces, Accounting, Translations, Commissioner foroaths. Active Professionals.

Relaxation, Therapeutic, Foot Massage, Erotic Massage. Hot Asian Male Age:24 Swimmer Build.

Models/Escorts

Want to attract the LGBT local or traveler to your business?

403-258-2777

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Do you want to experience more uninhibited bliss? Would you like to have a deeper sensual & sexual connection with your partner(s)? Want to feel happier, healthier, more confident & have a lot of fun? I can fully support you & guide you in allowing that & so much more into your life. My name is Jen & I am a Tantric Sensual Guide for Women only.

527

Does your business need a professional cleaner? Steve is bonded/Insured. Flexible prices and brings all his own supplies. Steve is a part of the LGBT Community and has been cleaning for over 5 years in Calgary.

(403)200-7384 getalifecleaner@gmail.com www.getalifecleaner.com www.facebook.com/getalifecleaner

Clothing/Fashion

#220, 2705 Centre Street NW Calgary 403-590-3818 • www.activeprofessionals.com

Massage

560

Massage Therapy in Edmonton

520

Twice Trendy!

Used Quality Clothing Most clothing $3! New style? New family?

Broke as a joke? We have a great selection of gently used clothing for men, women, children and babies. We also keep a selection of furniture and housewares too! Twice trendy makes it easy to get quality style without destroying your wallet. Come check us out! #14, 3434 - 34 Ave NE.

Certified massage therapist providing therapeutic and relaxation massage. Proud member/supporter of LGBTQ community.

Phone or text (780-918-5856) Dwayne Holm, CMT Downtown Edmonton (free parking)

New Improved Features. Free to Post and Browse. Videos, Pics, and Reviews. Join Now! Code: GCEE

Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 60

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 Find Out - From Page 59

MEDICINE HAT Community Groups HIV Community Link

 356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB  403-527-5882  1-877-440-2437

• Telephone Support

 M-F, 8:30am - 12:30pm + 1:30pm - 4:30pm

ALBERTA Community Groups Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

 http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum.

Egale Canada

 8 Wellington St E, Third Floor Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5  1-888-204-7777  www.egale.ca Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transidentified people and our families.

Products & Services Squirt

 http://www.squirt.org Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!

Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada

 http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca

OUTtv

 http://www.outtv.ca GLBT Television Station.

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

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