GayCalgary Magazine - April 2014

APRIL 2014

® ISSUE 126 • FREE The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community

Bruce Campbell

“Gimme some sugar, baby!”

Interview with

KYLIE MINOGUE

Raph Solo

Chasing Love

PLUS:

Emily Expo Nate Berkus Sam J Jones Vancouver - Spectacular by Nature ...and more!

Business Directory

Phi Phi O’Hara

is Bitchy...

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 63

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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Table of Contents

DaveAzzopardi, Brousseau,Dave SamBrousseau, Casselman,Constable Jason Clevett, Chris Andy Andrew Collins, EmilyRob Collins, Rob Diaz-Marino, Buck, Jason Clevett, Diaz-Marino, Janine Janine Eva Trotta, Fertig, GlenLock, Hanson, Joan Eva-Trotta, Evan Jack Kayne, Stephen DavidHilty, Evan Kayne, Stephen Lock, Neil McMullen, Elijah Nahmod, Jane M. Oxenbury, Steve Polyak, Allan Steve Polyak, Rutherford, CareyNeuwirth, Rutherford, Romeo SanCarey Vicente, Jeremy RomeoJim SanScott, Vicente, Sikov, Nick Vivian and Sanders, SkipEdSheffield, Krista Sylvester, the of Calgary, Edmonton, and MarsGLBT TonicCommunity and the LGBT Community of Calgary, Alberta.

Edmonton, and Alberta.

Photography

Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, J & B, Farley FooB&J Foo, Cheryl Patricia, Madelaine Robillard

Videography

Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino Videography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino

Printers North Hill News/Central Web Sales

Craig Connell Distribution sales@gaycalgary.com Calgary: Gallant Distribution GayCalgary PrintersStaff Edmonton: Distribution WebClark’s exPress Other: Canada Post

Distribution

LegalGayCalgary Council Staff Calgary: Courtney Aarbo, Barristers andFoo Solicitors Edmonton: Farley Foo Other: Canada Post Sales &Legal General Inquiries Council

GayCalgary andBarristers Edmontonand Magazine Courtney Aarbo, Solicitors 2136 17th Avenue SW Calgary, AB, Canada General Inquiries T2T ®0G3 GayCalgary Magazine 2136 17th Avenue SW T2T 0G3 ONLY Office Calgary, Hours:AB,ByCanada appointment magazine@gaycalgary.com Phone: 403-543-6960

Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Office Hours: By appointment ONLY Fax: 403-703-0685 Phone: 403-543-6960 E-Mail: Tollmagazine@gaycalgary.com Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 This Month's Cover E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com Cher and Christina Aguilera courtesy of Sony

Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesy of Mike Owen; This Rex Month's Cover Goudie.

Main: Kylie Minogue, photo by William Baker Top Right: Bruce Campbell, Mid Right: Raph Solo, Proud Members of: Bottom Right: Phi Phi O’Hara

Proud Members of:

More than Playing Dress Up

Jessica Nigri: the Gateway Drug into Cosplay

10 Jack-of-all-Genres

DJ Scotty Thomson Brings his Fusion Beats to the Western Cup Dance

11 Cheerlead, Play or Party

Western Cup Offers Weekend of Fun and Community Giving

12 Nico Archambault

Master of all Trades on Dealing with Bullying, Dancing with Janet and Playing the Objectified Male

14 Out of the Choral Box

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Writers and Contributors Mercedes Allen, Chris Dallas Barnes, Writers andAzzopardi, Contributors

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How YouTube helped bring the Calgary Men’s Chorus to Carnegie Hall

16 Emily Expo

From Bullied Teen to Expo Queen

17 Parenting Proud What’s in a Name

18 Thank God for Fred Phelps’ Death

His son and congregation on the passing of a notorious hatemonger

19 Discussing Community Safety

Introducing Anti-Bullying Advocate, Officer Tad Milmine

20 The Quest for Gay-Straight Alliances in Alberta Schools Liberal MLA Wants Change

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Publisher: Steve Polyak Editor: Rob Diaz-Marino Copy Sales: Editor:Steve Janine Polyak Eva-Trotta Sales: DesignSteve & Layout: Polyak Rob Diaz-Marino, Design & Layout: Ara Shimoon Rob Diaz-Marino, Steve Polyak

APRIL 2014

e n zi

21 Pillow Talk with Nate Berkus

‘Design Santa’ on home show, a disastrous home-ec project and his boring conversations with Oprah

a g a

22 Gimme some sugar, baby!

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Bruce Campbell Chainsaws his Way to the Calgary Expo

24 Deep Inside Hollywood Brad Pitt’s undead reunion

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®

26 Madame Butterfly

Quintessential Opera Beckons Even the Doubtful of Hearts

27 The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus Gay Marriage in Pre-Modern Times

28 Air Supply

Love Ballad Kings Team up with the Calgary Philharmonics

Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

29 Hot August in Ohio!

Gay Rodeo Saddles up to Gay Games this Summer

30 Out of Town

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

32 Vancouver, BC “Spectacular by Nature”

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

40 From Tears of Weeping to Tears of Joy

Openly Transgender Pastor Megan Rohrer Celebrates Installation with Pop Praise Continued on Next Page 

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Cleveland and Gay Games 9

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

41 Eat for Your Life!

®

Tasty fundraiser grants opportunity to dine out and give back

42 It’s a Sad World After All

A Great Big World Duo talk crying, Christina and being queer

44 Safety Under the Rainbow: A History

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The birth and growth of services for LGBT experiencing domestic violence

45 Flash Gordon

46 Phi Phi O’Hara is “Bitchy” The RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Pop Rocks

48 Driving Solo 50 Kiss & Tell

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Queer Eye A Couple of Guys News Releases Ms. GayCalgary April 2014 - April Storm Directory and Events Classified Ads

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History Originally established in January 1992 as Men for Men BBS by MFM Communications.

Name changed to GayCalgary in 1998.

Independent company as of January 2004.

First edition of GayCalgary.com Magazine published November 2003. Name adjusted in November 2006 to GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine. February 2012 returned to GayCalgary Magazine.

February 2013, GayCalgary® becomes a registered trademark.

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

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

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

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Kylie Minogue on starting over, Sia’s sex songs and Australia’s ‘backwards’ gay marriage ban

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Interview

More than Playing Dress Up Jessica Nigri: the Gateway Drug into Cosplay

By Mars Tonic If you don’t know who Jessica Nigri is, now is your time to find out. She is quirky, sweet, an utter fangirl – and a well known figure in the cosplay community.

To those new, cosplay (from costume play) is simply the word that sums up what most people think of when they think of comic conventions: nerds dressing like the nerdy things they like. There is so much more to it, however, with an entire culture surrounding it, which even changes from country to country. The cosplayers in Japan are different from those in Australia, for example.

It has burgeoned into a community of fandom, craftsmanship and, often, elitism. In the end though, almost every cosplayer starts out the same way: with love for their fandom.

Jessica Nigri blew into the spotlight after attending the San Diego Comic Con in 2008. Though she cosplayed without any expectations about it, she caught attention almost immediately with her somewhat risqué version of a Pikachu. Christened JNigs by fans and haters alike, she has been expanding her image and working tirelessly on her costumes, building up her skills and travelling to conventions.

Known for her sexy versions of beloved game and TV show characters, she has garnered more than her fair share of unwelcome attention.

Preparing for Calgary Expo in April, she treated us to an early interview to discuss cosplay, the community that fosters it, and its current hot topics, like the advent of the Cosplay =/= Consent movement.

GC: What drew you to cosplay in the first place?

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JN: I had no idea what cosplay was when I first started. My friend got me a ticket for San Diego Comic Con for Christmas in 2008. And he was like, sometimes people dress up, I don’t know if you want to do that, and I was like, ok! And I was literally like I love Pokémon, and I’m blonde, and Pikachu’s yellow, so..., and I went, and it just blew up. I had no idea what cosplay was, and then all of a sudden it was just there, staring me in the face. You get to make cool things, meet awesome people; everyone has the same interests... so that’s how it started for me. I was thrown into it.

GC: Besides cosplay, what’s your favourite thing about conventions?

JN: I really, really enjoy conventions for the people, because it’s

so great meeting someone and telling them that you have such and such amount of collectible figurines, and having them not stare at you awkwardly, you know? It’s really awesome common ground for people to hang out and just be who they are. I like seeing all the costumes, too, because the craftsmanship of other people just astounds me. I’ll tell you right now, I don’t think I am an accurate portrayal of the cosplay community. I think I am an easy gateway drug. I’ll cater to everyone and in that way, I get all the people on my page, and then they get to see the real, real intense people who actually know how to cosplay and stuff. I’m kind of like... a spokesperson for the general public.

GC: You’re interactive with your fans - did you decide to be like that or was it just naturally what you wanted to do?

JN: This is how I am. I don’t ever see myself as famous or anything, I just kind of see myself as one of them. I just wanted to steer myself away from that idea of fame. Everyone is bros. Everyone.

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GC: In terms of cosplay harassment, do you think you’re more exposed to it, or does your status protect you?

JN: I feel like I’m a Shieldmaiden of Rohan; I’m right in the front. I

legitimately don’t care what kind of costume I do, as long as I like it and have a connection with it. I won’t follow the cosplay norm, and I think that pisses a lot of people off because it’s a little bit more risqué, but that’s just how I like to show my fandom. It does really irritate a lot of people in the community. They judge you so hard before they even get to know you and it just blows my mind.

GC: It opens up a lot of discussion when you think about how a convention is for us to get together and be ourselves, and there’s still people who want to marginalize each other. There’s been a lot of talk about the movement Cosplay =/= Consent, and how people at cons face a lot of bad attention.

JN: That’s why I’m always nice. People will be blatantly talking crap

about me and I will just go up and compliment them on their costumes, because I was kind of raised Catholic... treat people the way you want to be treated, turn the other cheek, that kind of stuff. When people are mean I try to diffuse it or act nice to them, because I think we all like this kind of stuff because we want to escape a little, because maybe our lives aren’t really that great and we want to be able to dress up or something and become someone else for even a little bit. And if someone that doesn’t know what it is tries to encroach on that, people start to freak out. So I’m always nice to people even if they’re mean to me, because I’m like, dude, you’re probably hurting inside, so I’m going to be nice.

People always ask me how I deal with the way people talk to me, and treat me online, and honestly I just ignore it because I know it’s all bullcrap anyway. I know a lot of people that aren’t used to it can get really offended, with good reason. I do believe cosplay is not consent, but I do believe you have to have a backbone if you’re going to dress the way you dress. If you dress this way, you have to know - you can’t think you weren’t going to get that kind of attention. Of course you did. So when people are like that to them, I think they should be able to defend themselves and not look like a b----.

GC: One of the problems is that people who come to conventions – be they men, women, or in between – sometimes they don’t feel safe to disagree with the attention, and some conventions don’t have policies in place.

JN: That’s true. I do think that conventions should have those things

in place, where if you are harassed, that person should get kicked out.

If you want to dress that way, you should be able to deal with it yourself and be able to talk to someone about getting rid of that person.

GC: Do you have any personal experiences about the fake geek girl myth that’s been going around recently?

JN: Ohhhhh. Every day. People always want to play League of Legends with me, and then we play and I destroy them, and they’re like, ... Oh. You actually play. Yeah. Yeah I do.

Online Last Month (1/2) The OutField

The Ultimate Game

So how gay is frisbee? Pretty gay. It’s a sport – which is actually called “Ultimate” and played with a “disc,” because “Frisbee”... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3973

Deep Inside Hollywood

Ellen Page, Freeheld at last

Long in the works, the Ellen Page project Freeheld couldn’t be coming together at a better moment. The actor has just gone public with her sexual orientation... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3976

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Coalition for Family Values

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Creep of the Week Gina Miller

Sound the alarm! Radical homosexuals are coming for your God-given rights! And they probably are armed with pie tins full of whipped cream and/or glitter.... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3974

Hear Me Out

Lea Michele, Amy Ray, Ghost Beach, Robert Ellis

Lea Michele, Louder The business of turning a theater-born star into a bona fide pop act isn’t as easy as it looks, and Lea Michele knows this from seeing... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3979

Creep of the Week Ted Cruz

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America is a tough place for sensitive men. Crying is forbidden unless a guy wants to be seen as some kind of fag. But there are a few select places where... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3980

Hear Me Out

Kylie Minogue, Kid Cudi, Pharrell Williams, The Notwist

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Online Last Month (2/2) Creep of the Week Steve King

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Jay Malinowski Sets Sail For Alberta Bedouine Soundclash frontman touring behind Martel

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Interview

Jack-of-all-Genres

DJ Scotty Thomson Brings his Fusion Beats to the Western Cup Dance

By Krista Sylvester To hear DJ Scotty Thomson tell it, he’s always been a DJ, even before he realized it.

Thomson was that guy playing the music at house parties while he was growing up in New York City.

“I always had to have my CDs at every party in college, and even after,” he explains. “I wouldn’t leave home without them in fear that I would go to a party without good music.”

In 1999 he bought his first vinyl because he was frustrated he couldn’t get the promo music big DJs were playing in NYC. “Soon enough I was making mixtapes for my friends and they convinced me to buy equipment,” he says. “I got discovered when I was hosting a party in my apartment, and from that I was hired to play at XL Nightclub.”

A few months later he became resident DJ at the Limelight NYC. That’s when the dreamy, blonde haired hunk left his position managing Gucci.com and YSL.com in 2005 for music. He hasn’t stopped since, literally travelling the world breaking beats – and possibly hearts.

Every once in awhile he can be spotted in the booth in his trademark Speedo showing off his toned body.

But where’s his favourite location to spin?

“I’ve always loved to play in Brazil. The crowds are crazy and dance so much. Of course, Canadians give them a run for their money as far as I’m concerned. It’s a tough choice.”

Let’s hear from DJ Scotty Thomson in his own words.

GC: What is your style and what sets you apart?

DJST: I love to mix things around a lot and tailor my set to the

response from the crowd. My sets are never planned and I don’t know what I’m going to play until right then and there. So expect the unexpected. As always, you’ll find my sound to have a heavy New York influence from the ’90s, but modern. Commercial remixes are always a big part of my sets, but I will be playing as long as the crowd stays on the floor. Therefore, the later part of my set will get a more after-hours, progressive house style. I am a very diverse DJ, but I have a style that is unique. Never am I labeled as a House, Electro, ’80’s, Tribal, Vocal type of DJ. I combine all genres into my sets. Put me in a tiny party and you’ll hear it, but it fits. Put me in a huge dance club and you’ll hear it, but it fits. My listeners always say they can count on me to keep their spirits alive and are curious as to what gem I’m gonna pull out next. I think I have carved out my own niche of fans who love how I can play some commercial music but always make it sound different and fresh. Playing loops and samples over vocals, mixing in and out to tease the crowd – these are always things I love to do. Nothing makes me feel better than when the crowd recognizes how hard I’m working in the DJ booth.

GC: What music do you like to listen to?

DJST: I listen to everything, not just house music. I’m always looking

for new sounds.

GC: A quick Google search of you turns up some sexy photos and reviews. Thoughts?

DJST: In many ways I hate being known as a sexy DJ. It all started because I did a tour promoting Andrew Christian underwear. I did a few photo shoots in their stuff. But in the end, I don’t care what people think, because when they hear my music and see my talent in the booth that speaks for itself. Everything else is inconsequential. But as I’ve matured I’ve come to realize, why can’t I be a DJ and flaunt my goods?

GC: What else do you do for fun?

DJST: I grew up doing lots of different sports. Therefore, anything

athletic, I’m game. My life passions (besides music) have been sailing, scuba diving and skiing. I’m also a big tech nerd. I fix iPhones and

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computers for fun, and the Science Channel is on my TV 99 per cent of the time.

GC: What’s next for you?

DJST: I’m currently working for a new, online, social media driven

record label called Every Song Has a Chance or eshac.com. I’m also producing music for a new punk rock band. So look out for me spreading out across the industry in different genres

GC: Tell us something we don’t know about you but would be surprised by.

DJST: I’m quite shy and too nice for my own good!

Western Cup 2014 Presented by Apollo Friends in Sports http://www.westerncup.com DJ Scotty Thomson spins at the Western Cup Dance Calgary - April 19th @ 9pm Hotel Arts 119 12 Ave SW http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3987

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Event

 Photos from Western Cup 2013 by GayCalgary Magazine

Cheerlead, Play or Party Western Cup Offers Weekend of Fun and Community Giving

By Janine Eva Trotta Three days of sport, dance and fundraising begin Thursday, April 17th in North America’s longest running LGBT multisport event the Apollo Friends in Sports Western Cup. Each year hundreds of athletes and supporters come out to participate in four different sporting events over the Easter Long Weekend for great community spirit, physical challenge and fantastic prizes. This 32nd annual Cup will feature bowling, curling, dodgeball and volleyball tournaments as well as three social soirees.

“Every year I get so many complements on how much fun the weekend was – from the sports tournaments to the social events, [participants] tell me that they can’t wait until the next year,” says TJ Fedyk, Western Cup’s Director of five years. “I have met so many people since being involved in Western Cup, from all over Canada, and this is the one weekend when everyone comes back and visits.”

at Hyde Lounge (followed by the “Back(lot) to BoyzTown” Reunuion Party at Vinyl) and the Friday Fun Money Casino, or you will need to shell $30 at the door.

The Western Cup is not just about having a great time and meeting new people, it is also largely about giving back. Apollo uses much of the proceeds raised from this event to help out numerous gay sports teams and organizations. “…it is Western Cup that helps us be able to make these donations,” Fedyk says. “It gives the community the opportunity to play sports, to cheerlead or to just party.”

The event draws teams from all over Canada – coast to coast – gay and straight.

“Western Cup is focused to the Gay Community but we welcome everyone to partake in our events,” Fedyk says, adding that he has heard of several couples forming after the events wrap. “We have gay, straight and mixed teams in our tournaments and enjoying our parties.”

Registration information, schedules and event descriptions can all be found on their website. Can’t afford the fees? Volunteer! Apollo is still seeking help, specifically for the social events, and volunteers will get to participate in the event they volunteer at for free.

“If you like to meet people and have fun Western Cup is the event for you,” Fedyk says.

Western Cup 2014 Presented by Apollo Friends in Sports http://www.westerncup.com

Athletic ability need not be your concern this weekend, as different levels of competition are offered and all are welcome.

Friday tournaments begin with curling taking place at the Calgary Curling Club, bowling at Let’s Bowl, and volleyball at the Volleydome. In the evening Tropicana Las Vegas GLAM presents the Fun Money Casino at Hotel Arts.

Western Cup 2014 April 2014 Easter Weekend April 17th to 19th

“Here guests will have the opportunity to play casino table games to win fun money that they can put towards tickets for prizes,” says Fedyk.

“One of the prizes this year is a weekend trip to the Tropicana Las Vegas beach party, Xposed!.”

Sports Hosted at Various Locations Registration at Vinyl Night Club, Dance at Hotel Arts

Saturday tournaments continue in the above classes, with dodgeball starting up at Western Canada High School. The event closes that night with the Western Cup Dance.

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Fedyk started playing volleyball with Apollo 12 years ago, and has been on the Cup’s planning committee virtually ever since. He names the volleyball tournament as his favourite event alongside the Western Cup Dance.

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“This year our headline DJ is Scotty Thomson from New York City,” he says. “He has played all around the world including Montreal, Brazil, Palm Springs, and Paris, just to name a few.”

DJ Dopamine and Rollin Dolan will join him on stage at the Hotel Arts, with entertainment starting at 9pm. Party Pak tickets are $25 in advance, and will also get you into the kickoff registration party Thursday

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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Interview

Nico Archambault

Master of all Trades on Dealing with Bullying, Dancing with Janet and Playing the Objectified Male

By Janine Eva Trotta If there is one word to sum up what a conversation on the current and past going ons of dancer/actor/choreographer/ artistic director/anti-bullying campaigner Nico Archambault makes one feel, it has to be underachieving.

The man has a resume that would have most Canadiana see green, and it just keeps on accumulating. Between judging a new talent show on YTV and starring in Quebec’s version of Girls Archambault and wife Wynn Holmes run Street Parade, ‘a venture that provides original creations, creative direction, consulting, stage direction, production services and movement coaching’.

“I like to keep busy and have my hands in a lot of things,” the winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada’s first season says, adding that many of these will be behind the scene.

What really sets this power duo apart, however, is the amount of time and passion they contribute to charity.

Archambault has been a long time collaborator with the Family Channel, participating in awareness campaigns, rallies and designing a T-shirt to fundraise for PrevNET, Canada’s largest ant-bullying network.

He has also worked with the RCMP to web conference with students across the country on the topic of bullying, coaching kids on how to develop their own anti-bullying plan and implement in their school.

“The main part is to inform people on what [bullying] is; how to recognize it and how to address it,” he says.

Additionally, every year, Archambault and Holmes travel to Belgrade, Serbia, to choreograph and coach Roma youth in an interesting Quebecfounded initiative called GRUBB: Gypsy Roma Urban Balkan Beats.

GRUBB is a musical performance project that offers Roma youth a voice, ‘Because it is no longer acceptable to act as if the segregation of Romanies does not exist.’

“It’s such an amazing project,” he says. He and Holmes first became involved when the project was just an educational program, through the stage director of a musical that Archambault was working on in Montreal, GRUBB Director Serge Denoncourt.

“They knew we would get hooked,” he says, adding that he and his wife fell in love with the kids. “We kept going back once or twice a year; every time we could.”

The dance couple not only help choreograph the show but now, as the number of participants have grown and the Roma community has come

to trust the project, they are teaching leadership skills to the students, assisting them in the ability to design their own shows.

This year the youth will be touring their program to Quebec, Archambault’s home soil, March 27th to April 13th.

Though full of confidence and candour now, Archambault has not had an easy climb up the ladder of success. Much of his inspiration to reach out to misunderstood and targeted youth stems from having been one of these youth himself.

“What’s interesting is that while I’m not gay myself, I also have been through a great deal of homophobia and specifically homophobic bullying because I was dancing,” he says.

When asked what got him through it, he names two things: a supportive family who afforded him an encouraging prerogative and a rigorous passion for dance.

“I was always afraid and doubting a lot of aspects about myself, but there was at least this one thing I was good at…that gave me a lot of satisfaction…my way out…even though that was the reason I was being bullied in the first place.”

Arcahmbault says it is instrumental that regardless of what you are being bullied for never be fooled into thinking the solution is to try to change who you are.

“Never try to please the masses or the crowd because it’s an impossible goal…you’ll never make everyone happy,” he says. “If I had left dance they would have found something else to make fun of me for…Kids will always find a way.”

Archambault encourages youth who are the victims of bullying to seek out support. If that’s not your family, find someone else that either understands what you are going through or has gone through something similar.

“It already takes away so much of the weight when you feel like you’re not alone... If you feel like you’re alone in it you feel isolated very quickly…it’s very easy to think that the others are right – that there is something wrong with you.”

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While Archambault feels society still has a long way to go in achieving equality for all genders and orientations, things are improving.

“It’s really funny,” he says. “I play a man who is constantly objectified… and he turns a little creepy at the end.”

“It is so much better than when I was a kid,” he says. “[Bullying] does end and it ends quickly as your world expands and you meet people that are likeminded, that see life the same way that you do.”

Archambault also stars in Stagnant Pool, written and directed by Kevin Calero. This film is a modern take on the myth of Narcissus, explored through dance, and a Cannes Festival hopeful. The film was submitted to entries last month.

Finally he encourages bullied youth to, “Cherish who you are as a person…what you’re passionate about or your sexual identity. In the long run that’s what really is going to set you apart.”

Certainly that way of thinking has worked for him. Though previous to appearing on the premier run of So You Think You Can Dance Canada he was already making a name for himself in Quebec. Winning the season definitely skyrocketed his career beyond the Francophone walls.

Archambault was invited back to the series as a choreographer for the three successive seasons and assigned head judge for France’s first season of the show. He also caught the eye of dance legend Janet Jackson, and was cast as the featured dancer in the video for her single “Make Me”. He performed with Jackson at the American Music Awards, on the X-Factor UK, and at various other shows in London – pretty much every dancer/choreographer’s dream come true.

“But it wasn’t mine,” he says, explaining that it wasn’t his style, though he enjoyed and grew from the experience. He adds that this major CV boost was a source of both envy and pride within his dance circle.

Though he choreographed and can be seen in his wife’s musical project the Pinup Saints YouTube videos, Archambault says he is not involved in music anymore and that collaboration has dissolved. Holmes now sings for act Heartcopy, a fun poppy-synth group whose track “ReDo” should probably make your summer playlist.

As for what style the multifaceted dancer now prefers he answers without delay.

“Contemporary allows me to blend a lot of influences and I always like to do that,” he says. “I can throw in everything from ballroom to urban hip hop – everything that inspires me musically.”

Archambault and Holmes don’t like to plan for the future, so we can’t say what we’ll see them doing next. It’s a non-plan that seems to have kept both their work fresh.

Archambault has since proven himself not just an acclaimed dancer but a credible actor as well. His portrayal of the bi-sexual ballet icon Rudolf Nureyev scored him a Gemini Award nomination, and his company Street Parade pulled in five Gèmeaux awards for their coproduction of the docu-series Ils Dansent.

Nico Archambault, Catch his new series Quart de Vie http://www.tou.tv/quart-de-vie

On March 11th, The Next Star: SuperGroup (for which Archambault sits on a panel of experts as choreographer and performance coach) that will select Canada’s next mega group premiered on YTV. On that same day the CBC web series Quart de Vie, what the actor dubs ‘the Quebec version of Girls’, also launched.

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

13

Community

Out of the Choral Box

How YouTube helped bring the Calgary Men’s Chorus to Carnegie Hall

By Janine Eva Trotta Diversity is a theme common in the performances and music selections offered by the Calgary Men’s Chorus, and a theme that helped draw the attention of the selection committee at Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY).

The CMC first caught the eye of notable director Matthew Oltman, Program Development for DCINY, while the group was in Denver two years ago performing at GALA – the Gay and Lesbian Choral Association concert held every four years.

Oltman so liked what he saw he checked out other performances put on by the group that were posted on YouTube.

“One reason [Oltman] ended up phoning me is he said the stuff that he saw on YouTube was different than other choruses that he saw,” says Jean-Louis Bleau, Artistic Director for the CMC. The group is becoming known for ‘carving their own path…mixing things up a bit’, collaborating with unique dancers at eclectic venues for shows outside the usual choral box. For instance, three years ago the CMC performed at a SAIT swimming pool alongside a tank full of mixed synchronized swimmers, from former Olympians to current competitors, and even a performer from the Cirque du Soleil’s O. They can transition from Monty Python’s Precision Drilling to African American step (a type of body percussion originating from the southern US) with a polished and entertaining cadence that is winning the men international acclaim.

Bleau did not attend the Carnegie Hall performance in January – only half of the chorus journeyed to NYC for the show while the remainder stayed behind rehearsing – but he was integral in preparing the group before they left, joking he “pushed them out the door onto the plane.”

Tenor Matthew Gillespie was part of that NYC-bound crew. Gillespie has been singing in choirs for a lifetime, specifically with the CMC since 2007.

“It really was one of those geez I cant believe I’m here moments”, he describes. “It was, of course, surreal.”

Raised in Montreal he had made the trip south to the Big Apple on numerous occasions, attending several concerts at Carnegie – what he refers to as a ‘musical pantheon’. Now it was his turn to perform on that celebrated stage.

“Anytime you get to perform outside of your native city, or where you’re from, it’s a different feeling …you’re not singing to the choir or to your city, you’re singing with people from all over the world…they’re not your hometown boys.”

Rehearsals leading up to the group’s departure amounted to only about 12 hours, Gillespie says, and then they had two ‘amazing’ days to work with Oltman in New York.

“It’s always interesting working with a new director when you’ve worked with your own director for a long time,” Gillespie says. “It always gives you a fresh outlook… it’s a renewal of your singing ability…especially when it’s someone good who can engage a new group of people working with them in a short amount of time.”

This experience was so constructive, in fact, the CMC is working on bringing Oltman here for a fall workshop retreat in Banff.

“It’s just a matter of finalizing dates and making sure he can join us,” says Bleau.

In the meantime the choir will be busy preparing for a slew of upcoming spring performances.

May 3rd, the CMC will perform along with One Voice Chorus and female barbershop group the Barbarellas in a concert called “Ottawa Bound”.

This concert will take place at Christ Church in Elbow Park at 8pm.

All three groups will be performing the repertoire they are taking to the Unison Festival, a concert that takes place on May long weekend. Alberta has a total of four choirs going to Unison this year: three from Calgary and one from Edmonton.

The CMC is currently working on a proposal to have the Unison Festival take place here in Calgary for 2018. Like the Summer and Winter Olympics, GALA and Unison take place every four years, with two years in between each.

Then on June 13th and 14th the CMC will be offering “Beautiful City”, a collaborative vocal and dance “journey through images of destruction and ruin into the hope and perseverance that rise to the surface when we choose to confront challenges head on.”

“Again we’re pushing the boundaries of music doing some interesting and quirky stuff,” says Bleau.

“Beautiful City” is choreographed by Paul Chambers, a former dancer with the Alberta Ballet. Shows will take place at Mount Royal Univeristy’s Nickle Theatre.

For fans of the CMC, it will be interesting to see how the group’s experience working with a high calibre of vocalists in Carnegie Hall will affect their future projects. For some, it may have been the trip of a lifetime, particularly for one singer.

“One of our members got engaged on the Brooklyn Bridge,” Gillespie divulges. The singer and his boyfriend were making the long and classic walk over the bridge when the former was surprised with the ‘big question’.

Over 200 voices performed that night in Carnegie, from a high school choir out of Boise, Idaho to older retirees from South Carolina, as well as one other gay chorus from Florida.

His mom had made the trip to NYC as well and was in on it, Gillespie says.

Though the audience was dotted with some familiar faces – many family members, partners, friends and spouses of the Calgary contingent came to watch – ultimately the spectators were new and intimidating.

For the tenor, the Carnegie concert marked a definite experience of achievement.

“You’re still singing to a New York crowd, and they’re tough,” says Gillespie.

The DCINY concert was part of a series the organization puts on in different world-class venues; it is in no way adjudicated.

“It was quite romantic.”

“It instils a lot of confidence to be able to do something as prestigious as this,” Gillespie says. “To work with 180 strangers, and the sound that a disciplined choir and excellent director can pull from a diverse group of people, and that music really does have this strong power to bring people together either as a audience or up on stage.”

“You pay to play to perform in some of the greatest music halls in the world,” Gillespie says.

The CMC brought with them a very stoic, American repertoire to perform in honour of the concert’s proximity to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (celebrated the third Monday of January): “Testament to Freedom”, written by Dietrich Bonhoeffer shortly before he was executed in a Nazi concentration camp in 1945; as well as “Gettysburg Address”, a new work commissioned for this performance and written by Mark Hayes, based on the famous speech given by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War in 1863. The CMC was one of the first choirs to learn the piece.

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15

Interview

Emily Expo

From Bullied Teen to Expo Queen

By Janine Eva Trotta She’s the fiery red head you’ve seen at the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo officially as mascot the last three years, but if you’re a faithful attendee you will have known Lindsay Thomas for far longer than that. In fact it is debatable which came first: Emily Expo the mascot or the woman who embodies the insignia.

“It happened quite organically,” Thomas says on landing the role as Emily. “I had been attending the show as a fan and people actually thought that the Emily Expo artwork had been based on me, and my face. So as I started to volunteer and get to know the show more intimately, the idea emerged that we could give the logo a name and a personality – someone that the fans can actually access and speak to.”

Thomas was virtually born a science fiction fan; something that she actually suffered for. Her innocent love for all things Star Trek meant she was the target of bullying as a child. Believing this would come to an end as she grew older, she was only disappointed to discover that bullies exist at all ages.

“Sadly… I began to realize that there will always be bullies, there will always be judges, and there will always be individuals who seem to believe that violence, force, and non-consent are somehow acceptable,” she says. “It’s disgraceful that this sort of thing still happens. It’s time for change. It’s been time for change for a very long time now.”

In the role of Emily Expo and as a devoted campaigner for numerous charities, Thomas has made it her mission to make a difference.

“I really care about people loving themselves, and loving those around them; I care about people feeling accepted and respected for who they are,” she says. “We do so much damage to each other because we don’t see the fundamental value in each individual, and it breaks my heart. So eventually, one day, I’d love to be seen as someone who encouraged an openness between individuals and groups – to start dialogue that hopefully progresses to a positive relationship.”

Thomas was faced with the choice between the full workload required by the Emily Expo position and completing a Master’s Degree in Humanities. She chose the Expo.

“It’s a good choice, and I’m happy with it, although I sometimes think about going back to school eventually; likely something in the field of grief counseling and coaching people who have experienced loss or trauma,” she says.

Though her cherry apple coiffure may be the first to catch one’s eye, it is Emily Expo’s wide-open heart that truly distinguishes her character. The Expo keeps her on her toes and involves a fair amount of travel, but Thomas still makes time to support charities against bullying, human trafficking, and discrimination.

“I was bullied a lot for having an interest in [science fiction], and my theory is that it was because a lot of other kids just didn’t understand that,” she describes. “People mock what they don’t understand, instead of making an effort to learn about it.”

“I’m not bitter about being bullied. If anything, it has given me an appreciation for those who are different from me, and compassion for those who are feeling like they have no value.”

This means Emily Expo is completely approachable: blogs, email, in person. She is there for expo goers and an excellent resource for all things comic and sci-fi.

Asked what her best experience as Emily Expo has been thus far, it comes tied to her most difficult hour and surely features a rescue by one of her favourite characters. It was the year of the Calgary Expo’s lock out, and also the year that Start Trek: The Next Generation actor John de Lancie (Q) made a surprise appearance at the 2012 event TNG Exposed, a reunion of TNG characters.

“The room exploded; the energy was incredible and the crowd was elated – rapturous even,” she describes. “Our entire team was in crisis mode bending over backwards and jumping through hoops to fix everything before Sunday. It was the hardest day at a convention that I had ever experienced: shouldering the disappointment, frustration, anger, and hate of so many people.”

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

“[But] experiencing that moment, when John entered the room, with 5,000 people, all of whom were so ecstatic was, cathartic. It reminded me that as much as we’d gone through a major crisis… we’d also done something really special for a lot of people. It was reaffirming. The joy in that room was palpable and I am so grateful to have been able to experience it with the fans.”

While Start Trek: TNG definitely tops her sci-fi chart, Thomas says Aliens is up there too, alongside Fables in the comic genre.

“The story telling is solid and [Fables is] so creatively written.

It’s a fun read,” she says, adding that her favourite character is Cinderella. “She’s contrary to what you would expect her to be given the way that Disney Princesses are often portrayed. She definitely doesn’t need any rescuing; she’s pretty fantastic on her own.”

Thomas is also a fan of action movies with a good sense of humour; films like The Expendables and Die Hard. She lists Bill Paxton, James O’Barr, and Danny Glover as some of the celebs she’s excited to meet at this year’s Expo.

“I’m a fan of [Glover’s] work in film and TV, but even more than that, he’s done a lot of work for the UN and I admire his humanitarian work,” she says. “Laurie Holden, also: what an amazing actress and she too has done a lot of humanitarian work with the Somaly Mam Foundation.”

Jim Byrnes (Highlander: The Series) is another mention Emily makes, adding that the all-around talent will perform a Blues show Friday night of the convention.

As for the future, Thomas plans to continue on her trek of seeking out new places and boldly going where she has never gone before.

“I adore travelling; I can’t get enough of it!” she says. “The Calgary Expo has taken me all over North America and has opened a lot of doors for me. That said, in five years, I hope that I’m still plugging away at this convention and continuing to improve it year after year.”

Thomas has resided all over Canada, in London, UK and in Seoul, but considers Calgary her home.

“This is a great city with a lot of great people,” she says. “I felt connected with it from the moment I moved here five years ago, and I’m looking to spending many more years to come in this city.”

The Calgary Expo http://www.calgaryexpo.com At the BMO Centre Thu, Apr 24th – Sun, Apr 27th http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3991

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Editorial

Parenting Proud What’s in a Name

By Jim Scott As new parents everyday seems to come with an exciting and unfamiliar first, or another a-ha moment. One of those a-ha moments came recently when it was time to have our son’s vaccinations updated. I’m personally in favour of disease prevention, but I’m on the fence about the sheer number of vaccines they administer at once (that’s for an entirely different rant though). This a-ha moment came courtesy of the vaccination clinic staff that were all really lovely and kind, but would also make outstanding henchmen for any super villain.

In hindsight, I should have planned for chaos. When I made the appointment the scheduler had a barrage of mundane questions related to our son, his past health records, and then – to my astonishment – some very personal questions about my husband and I. She couldn’t seem to wrap her head around the fact that we have different last names, but are married and have the legal parental rights for our son, who is also legally our nephew. I actually found it amusing, as I had to break it down for the poor dear a couple of times. The soap opera quality of our family’s story isn’t lost on me at all, so I get that it can take people a few minutes to process it. Oh the drama of life!

room. I leapt back into the room like a club kid hit by the morning sun. Moments later the door opened and the woman I saw in the hall confidently stepped in and introduced herself as the doctor. I introduced my son and, before I could get even a single question out, I was asked to explain the relationship with my husband and son for the third time within an hour. This time I even had to point out the exact judge’s orders on the documents as all three of these ladies somehow overlooked that part and seemed pretty convinced that I was some sort of outlaw homosexual vaxxer.

In the end, my beautiful baby boy got his shots that day, and I didn’t go to jail, or even say anything I’d regret later. It was a learning moment though, as I’ve come to the conclusion that although we’ve come so very far in terms of the legalities of equality, the sociological and cultural sides still have a long way to catch up. As a result, my husband and I have now decided to change all of our names in the hopes of avoiding this kind of thing down the road. I’ll keep you posted.

Share your stories and questions with me at parentingproud@ gmail.com. I’d love to hear how others are dealing with the unique issues and situations we face as gay families.

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Upon arriving at the clinic a few days later, we were greeted by a very polite receptionist and asked to fill out the requisite stack of paperwork. I’d brought all of our legal documents too, figuring a judge’s orders would be sufficient to answer any questions about parentage and guardianship. As I anticipated, after giving her the paperwork, her first question was why we had different last names, and who was Greg?

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Now, to be honest, I didn’t have an issue with being asked about our situation; I planned on it. What made me furious was the way she cocked her head and smirked at me as she smarmily said the love of my life’s name. It wasn’t even in a judgy or preachy way; it was a seriously amazed look – like she had just seen a unicorn. In my head I was saying, yes bitch, I’m married to a man and this is our son; welcome to 2014, but in reality I just smiled as she processed it.

Anyone who’s gay and married, with or without kids, has experienced this and it’s embarrassing, demeaning and, for me, infuriating.

A-ha! There it was, the moment I hate to my very core every time it comes up. Being made to explain intimate details of my private life for the benefit of a naïve straight person, just because our family doesn’t look like theirs. Then, just like she had actually bitch slapped me, a wave of contempt washed over me, along with an impulse to light this chick up like a Christmas tree. Of course I also knew she was just doing her job, and I liked her pretty pink sweater and charcoal pencil skirt, so I politely explained that Greg was my husband, and our son came to us through a complicated family drama which had recently been resolved in Family Court. With that, she took everything saying she needed to make copies, and directed me to the changing area where a nurse would call us. Naively, I thought to myself, that’s great; we’ll be out of here in no time. Boy was I wrong.

It took just a few minutes for the nurse to call our names, and while I was putting my boy on the scale, she launched into the exact same line of questioning; only this time asking pointed questions about his biological parents and why they weren’t there. Again, I had to stop myself from going all Lindsay Lohan on her, and politely explained our situation again. My answers seemed to appease her, and after the measuring, weighing, and temperature taking, we were asked to step into an exam room where a doctor would see us.

After waiting for quite a while, I peeked out of the room to see what was going on and was startled to see the receptionist, nurse, and who I would discover was the doctor, down the hall with their heads together and the nurse pointing in the direction of our exam

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

17

Politics

Thank God for Fred Phelps’ Death

His son and congregation on the passing of a notorious hatemonger

By Stephen Lock That scream and wailing you may have read about a few weeks ago, in around March 19th, was the sound of Fred Phelps, the former pastor of Westboro Baptist Church, coming face-to-face with his maker after years of preaching God Hates Fags, and being cast into the deepest pit of hell for it.

Phelps made quite a name for himself as the leader of America’s perhaps most notorious hate cult, showing up at funerals where he and his family and a few other members of Westboro Baptist would hold up placards stating[insert name] Is Burning In Hell and God Hates Fags. He and his followers erupted into popular consciousness when they showed up at Matthew Shepard’s funeral.

Matthew Shepard, some of you may recall, was the young gay man who was murdered, left to die alone, tied to a rural fence by two young misfits who posed as gay (or at least interested) men. They picked Shepard up, drove him to an isolated area out in the country, and tortured and beat him literally half to death, then left him to die alone out there. The case became a rally point for highlighting bashing and other anti-gay violence.

When Phelps et al. showed up at Matthew’s funeral and attempted to disrupt it, they were blocked by several individuals dressed as angels with large folding wings. As these angels stood in front of the Westboro bunch they spread their wings so that the television cameras could not see the hatemongers or their vile placards and thereby redirected the focus back onto Matthew and the show of respect others had come to pay.

In later years, Phelps and his crew took to showing up at the funerals of American veterans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the funerals of children killed in a spate of school shootings, picketing those with placards stating the deceased were burning in hell; that God celebrated their deaths, and other sick and twisted statements of unmitigated hate and loathing.

Despite Phelps leading his followers in an ongoing campaign of hatred, and his name being synonymous with the church he led, for some reason the congregation turned on him in August, 2013 and not only removed him as pastor but excommunicated him. He spent his last few weeks in a hospice in Topeka, Kansas suffering from a form of dementia and slipping in and out of lucidity before dying on March 19th.

His estranged son, Nathan, who fled his father and the Westboro cult 36 years ago when he was 18 years old, now lives in Calgary where he heads up the Centre for Inquiry, a secular humanist organization dedicated to science and reason: a sharp departure from the sort of environment his father created.

Reflecting on the years of abuse he suffered at the hands of his father, and the hate the man spewed publicly, the younger Phelps has mixed feelings about the death of the man who was, after all, his father.

“I don’t know if I forgive him,” he recently told a Calgary Sun reporter. “This whole question of forgiveness baffles me. For my own self, I am in a good place, but from that place I still see my father as an unapproachable person, and I don’t trust him.”

Nathan Phelps went on to define forgiveness as an “emotional or mental position that is no longer destructive”, and said that he believes he has reached that point in response to his father, but at the same time he didn’t want anything to do with the man prior to his death and conceded he may not have forgiven him after all.

To his credit, he has also spoken out regarding those who might seek payback by disrupting the man’s own funeral as he had disrupted so many others.

Having spoken out on how wrong it was for the Westboro Baptists to demonstrate at funerals, the younger Phelps is clear he had no choice but to say the same in regards to his father’s own funeral. He,

of course, understands – probably better than anyone – those who would want to take the opportunity to express their loathing of a man who caused so much pain and preached such virulent hatred. But, he says, the best way to show how wrong Fred Phelps was, and how misguided his church is, is to allow the funeral, if in fact one takes place, to occur without disruption.

This is an admirable position to take and, honestly, I don’t know if I could take a similar position. Fred Phelps was an evil, twisted, hateful, and bigoted SOB who caused much pain for the families of those whose funerals he chose to show up at with his band of equally deluded and rigid followers. No amount of reason ever got through to any of them. Any attempt at reasonable discussion or debate was cut off, with screams of how God hates fags, or anyone else the Phelps clan took issue with. They are a bunch of whackos but, unfortunately, a bunch of whackos who managed to gain widespread media attention for the last 16 years, primarily due to the level of virulence their protests had.

If nothing else, the zealots of Westboro do stay on message. They apparently do not mourn the death of Fred Phelps. On their website (godhatesfags.com) they have this to say about his death: “The world-wide media has been in a frenzy during the last few days, gleefully anticipating the death of Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. It has been an unprecedented, hypocritical, vitriolic explosion of words.

Do they vainly hope for the death of his body? People die – that is the way of all flesh....

The death of Fred Phelps’ body, a man who preached a plain faithful doctrine to an ever darkening world, is nothing but a vain, empty, hypocritical hope for you.

It’s like every journalist in the world simultaneously set aside what little journalistic integrity they have, so that they could wait breathlessly for a rumor to publish: in-fighting, succession plans, and power struggles, oh my! How shameful! You’re like a bunch of little girls on the playground waiting for some gossip!

Listen carefully; there are no power struggles in the Westboro Baptist Church, and there is no human intercessor – we serve no man, and no hierarchy, only the Lord Jesus Christ. No red shoes, no goofy hat, and no white smoke for us; thank you very much.

No board, no separate decision making body, just humble servants of God – qualified according to the scriptures, and chosen by the church – privileged to feed the sheep for a time....

Remember that the Lord Jesus Christ warned us that a man’s foes will be they of his own household: So again, there is nothing surprising about these shenanigans, spurred on by faithless, ax-grinding, Godhating deserters of the cross, and it amounts to nothing but vain, empty, hope.

God forbid, if every little soul at the Westboro Baptist Church were to die at this instant, or to turn from serving the true and living God, it would not change one thing about the judgments of God that await this deeply corrupted nation and world. That is the pinnacle of your hopes, and by far the most vain. Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, or the power of God. There is only one hope for any human – inside or outside of this little church – that God gives you repentance unto salvation. We pray that the Lord will do just that for any of our enemies whom he has predestined to eternal life. And for those who are truly the enemies of God – ordained of old to such a condemnation – we pray his righteous wrath and vengeance, wherein we rejoice.

Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

This is interspersed with a variety of quotations from various Scriptures highlighting how God has the final say in who lives and who dies and when we die. We all die, this is true, and according to the Abrahamic faiths (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) the soul is eternal and our bodies, the vessels in which the eternal soul is

Continued on Next Page  18

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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Community

Discussing Community Safety

Introducing Anti-Bullying Advocate, Officer Tad Milmine

By Constable Andy Buck Hello again everyone; I hope you have been keeping warm and dry during this recent cold and snowy weather. I am reliably informed that spring is just around the corner, so fingers crossed that this snow will have melted by the time I next speak to you.

This month I want to share some exciting news with you. Not only is it exciting for the Calgary Police Service and I, but it is exciting for you too. I want to tell you that we as a Service have just recruited Tad Milmine to our ranks of sworn officers.

Tad who?

Tad Milmine is a former RCMP officer, an anti-bullying advocate, and a very good friend of mine. Tad is also openly gay. Why is this important?

I have always told you that the Calgary Police Service was your ally, and that we care deeply about the safety and welfare of members from our city’s diverse communities. Tad did his own due diligence prior to joining us, and was extremely impressed by the professionalism and friendliness of everyone in the organization that he came into contact with. He would not have come to Calgary if he suspected that his sexuality would be an issue for his employer.

Please find out more about Tad by looking up his website, Bullying Ends Here. You will be able to read about his own upbringing: from growing up with an alcoholic father and an emotionally abusive stepmother, to being bullied at school, and subsequently running away from home. You can learn how he came to accept his sexuality, the circumstances behind him

fulfilling his dream to become a police officer, and the tragic event that inspired him to start his Bullying Ends Here project.

In the last 18 months Tad has given over 330 presentations across the country to more than 61,000 youth, received over 9,500 emails (to which he personally answers every one), has received numerous awards and recognition for his charitable work, and has made countless media appearances. In addition, he has received 27 emails that directly attest to the fact that his presentation and information have saved a life. As you know, the most prevalent forms of bullying in schools are homophobic and transphobic.

Tad Milmine is an incredible man. He is saving lives, and we are all extremely fortunate to have him working in Calgary. I am proud to call him my friend and my colleague.

You can be assured that Tad will be visible throughout the community at events such as Camp fYrefly and the Pride Parade. If you have any questions or messages for Tad, please send them to me in the usual manner and I will be certain to pass them on.

Perhaps you want some information about recruiting so that you too can join the Calgary Police Service just like Tad? In any case please stay safe, take care of each other, and I look forward to connecting with 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/a3994

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The media release says nothing directly about the removal of Phelps as pastor, nor his excommunication, except to deny any sort of power struggle within the little church. That’s fine, and certainly their prerogative. Leave them to their own devices in that regard.

Of course, they did no such thing in relation to others, making it a point to interfere during a time of mourning, with no regard for the very human characteristic of wanting to remember the person who died and honour their life.

It has often been said that funerals are not for the dead, but the living. Funerals, as well as memorials and celebrations of life, are rituals for those still on this mortal coil to try and cope and process the loss of a loved one. Westboro and Phelps chose to utterly disrespect that because, they always claimed, God decides and whatever He decides is to be what is celebrated. In their view – a perverted view in my opinion – that is what was behind placards such as Thank God for Dead Soldiers and so they now say Thank God for Fred Phelps’ Death.

I couldn’t say it better myself.

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

19

Politics

The Quest for Gay-Straight Alliances in Alberta Schools

should be making it easy for kids. Adults should not be standing in the way of what kids already know to be true.”

Justine Bonczek, former co-chair of the Miscellaneous Youth Network, knows firsthand how important gay-straight alliances can be to kids who are dealing with bullies and, in some cases, even resistance from their own families.

Liberal MLA Wants Change

“I feel that it’s every school’s responsibility to take initiative to ensure that their students who belong to minority demographics feel both safe and welcome at their school,” she says.

By Krista Sylvester

“GSAs aren’t only about fostering a safe space and education about sexual orientation, but also about providing safer spaces for gender diverse and transgender students. The responsibility of ensuring that schools are a welcoming space does not fall on the backs of students.”

It’s an issue near and dear to his heart, and no matter what the outcome of his gay-straight alliance motion this month, Calgary Liberal education critic Kent Hehr will not stop until there is equality for the LGBTQ community.

Hehr has long been an advocate for the rights of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) people and now he wants the provincial government to puts its money where its mouth. This month he wants support for his motion to strip schools from the power to deny students who want to start a student gay-straight alliance (GSA), which aims to reduce bullying based on sexuality. By the time this edition is released in print, the motion will likely have been voted down. But Hehr vows he won’t halt his quest for equality.

“If the Tories really want to prove they accept and support the LGBTQ community then they will do more than just attend a pride parade and call it a day,” Hehr says. “This motion is a chance for them to make a difference but, sadly, I don’t believe they will be supporting it.”

“Our government has for far too long discriminated against the LGBTQ community and I thought this would end after the 2012 election, but sadly that doesn’t appear to be the case. In my view, the PC government is really failing the LGBTQ community, and it’s really disappointing.”

Hehr points to countless studies that show GSAs are effective in reducing the cases of bullying LGBTQ students endure at the hands of their tormenters, and for other minorities in the school as well. The Calgary MLA also applauds both the Ontario and Manitoba governments for passing a similar motion that mandates schools to allow GSAs in schools.

“They want to stand up for kids and not let religious values, or bigots, or anti-LGBTQ voices get in the way of making lives better today, and I suggest we follow their lead,” Hehr adds.

And that’s where schools and school administrators need to step in, she adds.

“School administrators need to realize the importance of protecting their vulnerable students and need to take initiatives to ensure LGBTQ students don’t fall through the cracks, especially considering they continue to hold high rates of depression, suicide and homelessness in Alberta.”

Hehr agrees.

“If anyone would just think about it for two seconds, and they truly want to make a difference in kids’ lives, they would support this. I can’t believe the government is standing in the way of making life better for these students. We have a responsibility to make students’ lives better, and we need to do it today,” Hehr adds.

For their part, the Alberta Government has said they don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all approach to GSAs in schools. Even Tory associate minister of family and community safety has said in the media she will support Hehr’s motion, but a government spokesperson said Education Minister Jeff Johnson doesn’t believe in forcing all schools to allow the alliances would be the solution.

Regardless of the outcome of the motion this month, Hehr won’t stop fighting for equality.

“Somebody has to stand up for these kids.”

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And it’s more important than ever according to a 2011 student survey conducted by Canadian advocacy group Egale, which says 21 per cent of LGBTQ students have reported being physically harassed or assaulted because of their sexual orientation. Almost 50 per cent have been verbally harassed.

“Bullying rates of LGBTQ kids is higher than other children, and suicides rates are also higher,” Hehr says. “We need to protect those kids today; not tomorrow. There are schools out there resisting these alliances when they

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Interview

Pillow Talk with Nate Berkus ‘Design Santa’ on home show, a disastrous home-ec project and his boring conversations with Oprah

By Chris Azzopardi Home isn’t where the heart is on American Dream Builders. It’s where the drama is, and it’s where you’ll find Nate Berkus, who hosts the home-renovation show airing Sunday nights on NBC. As the bossman to 12 contestants trying to woo him with their best remodel, Oprah’s longtime gay pal and talk show sidekick steps back onto TV after the cancelation of The Nate Berkus Show.

Berkus recently chatted about American Dream Builders being a better fit for him, how the first thing he ever designed was so bad it ended up in the garbage and the boring home stuff he and Oprah talk about.

GC: Gosh, these contestants mean business, Nate.

NB: They really do.

GC: Are home designers really this cutthroat?

NB: When you take 12 people who are leaders in their industry from

around the country, who are used to having the final say in everything they do in all realms of their lives, and you put them in a competition setting, they definitely have a curve on how to get along. The truth is, we had an embarrassment of riches when it came to the drama because it started in the very first episode and continued all the way through the last one.

GC: What about American Dream Builders attracted you?

NB: I really wanted to come back on television in a meaningful way

that really centered on design and the design space, and in order to do that I needed to work with a network that would allow design on television to be what I think it always should have been: true creativity, great resources and transformation. I think a long time ago someone decided that design on TV should be about how quickly and how inexpensively you can renovate a space, but I really never believed in that, so this was an opportunity to take 12 experts, give them, at their fingertips, those same things that they would normally have in their own private practices and set them loose to renovate two homes a week and focus exclusively on the quality and design.

GC: Those shows you mention – are you referring to the ones we see on HGTV? NB: I’m not saying that specifically, but if you look at the trends in design over the years, these are the shows we all watch because that’s what’s been on so far. But American Dream Builders is something new.

It’s massive in scale. When you’re doing high-end design you have to have antiques, you have to have architectural salvage, you have to have vintage, you have to have one-of-a-kind items, you have to have real paintings and contemporary art and photography and great construction materials. This isn’t what you can do in a half hour or in an hour in your own home; the whole show, from the very beginning, is about high-level inspiration.

GC: After the cancelation of The Nate Berkus Show in 2012, how does it feel returning to TV? NB: I really enjoy hosting this much more than I enjoyed hosting my talk show, and I’ll tell you why. The truth is, when you’re doing a daytime talk show it’s on every single day, so it’s your responsibility to fill that hour with all sorts of different kinds of content that fit within the lifestyle realm. With this show, it’s a Sunday night primetime show, it’s once a week and it’s purely about design. We have a fantastic cast, but my focus is creating an enormously scaled design show that I can be a part of, that I can call on my contacts to get involved with. I can hand select these 12 people from around the country and say, “I’m gonna watch what you do every single week and I wanna be shocked, I wanna be surprised, I wanna be blown away, I wanna rethink how I feel about design, and I’m challenging you by showing me just that. And if you can do it, one of you is gonna win, and if you can’t then, you know, that’s it.”

 Photo by NBC

GC: How often do random people on the street ask you for home

advice?

NB: Oh my god, constantly. I always get the same thing: “Come to my home.” I’m Design Santa when I’m walking through an airport. But it’s great, because I’ve been doing design on TV for years now – it’s been 13 years – and so I think that people associate me ringing their doorbell with a transformation that’s about to happen and a really positive change in their lives, so I really wanted Dream Builders to represent that as well.

It really is, for me, an extension of what I’ve always been doing, but it’s a way for me to showcase the talent of people who deserve to be in the spotlight.

GC: Do you think that being a gay man has anything to offer to your own work ethic and design aesthetic and inspiration?

NB: Whether being gay has to do with my creativity – not really. I think that that’s one part of who I am and it’s always been a part of who I am and it’s something that I’ve always been very proud of, but I know lots of creative heterosexual people as well. It’s definitely one part of who I am, but I don’t think that has really any influence over my professional work.

GC: What inspired the latest Target line?

NB: Celestial design and how influenced we are by space and colors,

which I’ve been working with for a long time – black, deep blues and clear acrylics, and those sorts of geodes and stones and metallics. It’s something that’s very modern right now, but I also think it mixes well with a lot of different styles.

I work with a great team of people who are based in Chicago on every new collection and we talk about what’s really happening in fashion and what’s happening in design, but we also talk about what will make a home feel updated with one purchase. In the current collection my favorite thing probably are these brass table lamps. That to me is the perfect example. You put it on a side table in your living room and all of a sudden the room takes on a completely different note.

GC: Can you shop at Target without getting mobbed?

GC: So you’re basically the Tim Gunn of interior design.

NB: (Laughs) I hadn’t thought of that!

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

21

Interview

Gimme some sugar, baby!

Bruce Campbell Chainsaws his Way to the Calgary Expo

By Jason Clevett Since its inception Bruce Campbell has continued to be one of the most requested names at the Calgary Comic Expo.

The actor, who gained cult fame playing Ash in the Evil Dead franchise, has never graced the Calgary conference due to filming commitments for the hit TV show Burn Notice. With the show having wrapped its final season last year, Campbell’s schedule is clear to have a groovy time Saturday and Sunday at the Expo.

Thirty-two years after Evil Dead was released the film, along with its sequels (1987’s Evil Dead 2 and 1992’s Army of Darkness), still resonate with fans. With the additional hype generated by the musical version fans still recite lines like Gimmie back my hand and This is my boomstick with enthusiasm. It is remarkable that the films have stood the test of time.

“We shot Evil Dead 35 years ago in 1979, but it didn’t come out until ’82,” Campbell tells GayCalgary Magazine. “I feel fortunate because a lot of movies come and go. It makes a lot of the heartache of making those movies both physically and mentally go away, to the point where I mostly have good feelings about the Evil Dead movies. When we were making them they were very hellish and nightmarish but now I can look back at them with sort of a rosy glow.”

The films were the starting grounds for the working relationship between Campbell and director Sam Raimi. The two met in high school and Campbell frequently makes cameos in Raimi’s films.

“We met in high school 100 years ago in 1975. We struck it up pretty quick, he was a fun crazy and inventive guy and I think he was amused by me. We had just started doing amateur movies in our different neighborhoods and in high school all of us junior highs collided and met and started sharing equipment. Every weekend we started making these low budget little Super 8 movies and began the makings of our craft. We were very industrious; we made around 50 of these things. Some were really long – Sam made a movie that was an hour long. He had to buy special equipment to project it. We projected them in actual theatres and charged money at various times. It encouraged Sam and I to both drop out of college; neither of us graduated, we dropped out to raise money to make Evil Dead. Then we battled to make the movie for four years between ’79 and ’83 when it came out,” Campbell recalls. “[Filming] forged a pretty tight bond since high school. It has really been enjoyable as hell to watch him make the biggest movies in Hollywood.

Nothing gives me greater pleasure than to see his movies at #1 when they open. I can still show up on his set and give him lip. It was hilarious on Oz The Great and Powerful – I only had one day on set. We have a very casual relationship: he yells at me, I do what he says, and we try a bunch of different stuff that is very creative. But he gives me lip and I give him lip back. The eyes and faces of the crew members when I gave Sam lip on the

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Oz set, they were mortified. They were like who is this guy giving Sam Raimi lip? They didn’t know our history. It is fun to go back and keep working with him.”

Campbell’s career has spanned over three decades and roles in films like Bubba Ho-Tep and TV shows like Hercules: The Legendary Journals and Xena: Warrior Princess have presented him to a variety of fan bases that will be eager to meet him in Calgary.

“Conventions are a completely different thing. Now you get to interact one on one. When I am signing I try to keep the line away from the table so that when someone comes up to it we can at least have 13 seconds of whatever they want to ask. I like finding out who is out there and who are these people and what are they buying? I see the photos and memorabilia they bring up and it is fun to see the spectrum of it. It is a little bit of everything; people like what they like. You are going to have mostly Evil Dead fans which is to be understood. The Burn Notice fans have been creeping in and you will always have your Xena and Hercules fans and things like that. It is people who like weirdo over the top movies and sci-fi

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 Nate Berkus - From Page 21 horror and fantasy. I happen to have done a few of those so I think they are just someone I can relate to.”

“We have a pretty raucous Q&A as well where we have 45 minutes of challenging the audience and tormenting them and they torment me. Expect the unexpected. The audience will be very involved in the proceedings. It is very important to get them involved. Otherwise they are really shy; they sit on their hands and don’t say anything. If you confront them and make them part of the show it opens up and it is a lot of fun. We have had some good panels lately and this will be a surprise. It is a lot of fun – like live theatre.”

Campbell has also done a lot of voice work for video games and animated features including The Ant Bully, Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs and Cars 2. He enjoys working in both voice and on screen, and the opportunity to appeal to kids as well as their parents.

“I like the whole ball of wax. Voice work is fun because it is very controlled. You show up and have a donut and some tea, then sit in a nice comfortable studio and talk for a couple of hours, then leave and they pay you. It is pretty easy money. It makes up for all the other stuff of working late on film sets and strange locations and burning my ass off in Miami. I like to mix it up that way. The parents watch the horror stuff and the kids can watch the cartoons. I have done a lot of Disney and a lot of unrated and not much in between. So there is stuff for everybody.”

Most recently Campbell spent seven seasons on Burn Notice as Sam Axe, the best friend of ex-spy Michael Westen. The show wrapped up its final season in 2013.

“It has been a long run. What it does for your career is your residuals go up because your show is playing on the air more. Beyond that it lets people in the industry know you are a guy who can be hired. That is the bottom line. Any actor just wants to be able to be hired. If you can work on a show for 111 episodes it means you are a guy who will show up. For an actor that is half the battle. It gives you street cred within the industry, and you get more looks at 7-11 and you look like that guy from the show.”

With many classic lines and moments in his career, I asked Bruce if he had a favourite or definitive line.

“I am not dead yet so I have more lines to come. That sort of thing will be when I am gone they can do a raffle to figure out which line they liked the most. There are always at least half a dozen of them like gimme some sugar baby. A lot of lines from Army of Darkness have stood the test of time.”

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NB: Actually, yes! I usually go to Target when I’m coming back from Soul Cycle, or coming back from the gym after a really long day, and I buy a lot of my own things. I have a sample closet, obviously, but I keep that primarily so that I have reference of what I designed before – and what my team and I are going to design going forward – so I try to not take the samples as often as I can, but I mean, I shop at Target constantly. I grew up in Minneapolis. I bought my Halloween costumes there and my school supplies, and it’s a very funny moment for me to look up and see all of my collections that are sold at Target. It’s fun. I mean, it’s really fun!

It’s funny because I don’t know anyone who doesn’t shop at Target, and sometimes I can get by totally undetected even when I’m checking out and they’re ringing up things that have my name and picture on them.

GC: No way.

NB: It depends on whether I’ve showered. If I can come from Soul

Cycle, no one has a clue. They’re like, “Do you want paper or plastic?”

GC: How often does Oprah call you for design advice?

NB: She does not call me for design advice. We do have extremely

long conversations about things that other people would find incredibly boring, like hinges and doorknobs. But Oprah really loves design. It’s something she’s always been really passionate about, which is why 12 years ago when I started with her on her show we really both enjoyed being together doing the before-and-after segments because it’s just something she’s also really passionate about and interested in.

GC: What’s the first thing you ever designed?

NB: A hamburger pillow in fifth grade home ec with sesame seeds, and

it had ketchup dripping down the side. Mine was by far the worst one in the entire class.

GC: How did that happen?

NB: How was I so bad? I still can’t sew.

GC: You used one of those pillow kits, didn’t you? Because I did too!

But mine was a tiger cub, so it was much gayer than yours.

NB: (Laughs) Yeah, a hamburger – I guess I was predicting my future dietary habits.

GC: Regarding your spring wedding to Jeremiah Brent – being that you’re both designers, is there any clashing going on as far as planning the big day?

NB: Not at all. We don’t fight about design. We literally fight about who gets the last piece of pizza and who has to walk the dog – that’s what we fight about. The two of us can furnish a room together in an hour on the computer because we reach for very similar things. We use them in different ways, but we have a very good connection with that.

GC: What’s the best party you’ve ever had at the Brent-Berkus residence?

NB: I don’t really do wild parties at home because I don’t want people to break anything. Like, really. Not at all. But I do a lot of dinners for small groups of people. Dinner for six, dinner for eight, maybe dinner for 10, and it’s always really good friends. We sit around the table really, really late and sometimes I’ll bring in somebody to cook because I’m terrible at it, but, when it comes to entertaining, those are for me my favorite nights at home.

GC: Your advice in your 2012 book The Things That Matter was to let your home tell your story. What room in your house tells the best story?

NB: The truth is, the whole home does. Everywhere I look in our home reminds me of where I’ve been, who I’ve known, what memories I have of being that age in that place, who I was with. Design really is an opportunity to build a collection of things that chronicle the life that you’ve led, who you’ve loved, who you’ve lost, where you’ve been, what you’ve seen, who you’ve met along the way. That for me is really what the house represents. It’s a great way to live, because when I look around our home, everything has meaning. Some things are there just because I think they’re cool, or because he does, but in the end, everything really does tell a story of who we are as people.

GC: Which room do you keep the hamburger pillow in?

NB: (Laughs) It’s in the school trashcan. I don’t even think I brought it

home from elementary school!

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23

Gossip Provided you’re not fully sick of the zombie genre by then, look for WWWhatever to show up sometime in 2016.

Taraji P. Henson will be the queen of Lee Daniels’ Empire Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson is returning to television (or at least pilot season) with Lee Daniels for a new hip-hopthemed drama called Empire. It’ll star Terrence Howard, with whom Henson shared the big screen in Hustle & Flow, as Lucious Lyon, a hiphop star and record label CEO; Henson will take the role of his ex-wife and former business partner “Cookie,” an ex-con ready to make a fresh start.

Together they’ll navigate the business (Malik Yoba and Precious’ Gabourey Sidibe co-star, too) and family life as they deal with having a gay teenage son (Jussie Smollett). Created and produced by Daniels with Danny Strong and Brian Grazer, it can’t sail through the first round of TV draft picks fast enough, given the woeful lack of well-made African-American dramas on the tube, much less one as critically acclaimed as, say, Breaking Bad or Mad Men. And, no, that Tyler Perry soap opera doesn’t count.

Steven Spielberg wants to make a musical you’ve already seen Maria, Steven Spielberg has just met a girl named Maria. Oh, all right, no, he hasn’t. He met her a long time ago, just like you did. And he fell in love with her, just like you did. In fact, the only difference between you and Steven Spielberg in this scenario is that you aren’t planning to remake Maria’s world, aka West Side Story. A long time ago, during that wild Cantonese musical number in Temple of Doom, maybe you thought, “What if Steven Spielberg made a musical?” Spielberg probably thought that himself. But nobody could have guessed he’d set his sights on remaking one of the most beloved musicals of all time. So… yeah… look, who knows, you know? It’s early days yet, still in the “he has expressed interest” stage, which means it might never happen. But then again it might. The man tends to do as he pleases. We’ll be waiting and watching – and hoping and praying he gets a different idea.

Diana Nyad visits dry land

 Brad Pitt, photo by LaCameraChiara

Deep Inside Hollywood Brad Pitt’s undead reunion

By Romeo San Vicente Remember in World War Z when Brad Pitt figured out how to dispense with those zombies that killed pretty much everyone except Brad Pitt and his pals? Well, obviously, when nearly half a billion dollars in box office receipts roll in, they manage to find a stray zombie or 12 still lurking in a sewer somewhere. So here comes the sequel (WWZ2? WWZ, Too? WWAA? Just guessing…), starring Pitt and a batch of fresh undeads, but not directed

by Z helmer Marc Forster. He’s out, thanks to what is most likely a confirmation of those feud rumors that circulated about him and Pitt, and in is gay director Juan Antonio Bayona.

The Spanish filmmaker, who gave us the tsunami thriller The Impossible, will step in for the next installment after a script materializes and, more importantly, after he wraps up duties on A Monster Calls, his new film about a young boy who enlists a tree monster to help him deal with his mother’s terminal illness.

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For a ballroom dancing program called Dancing With the Stars, you’d think that by this point (it’s ninth year on TV and coming up on 18 seasons) more openly LGBT celebrities would have taken part in the actual dancing aspect of it all. But weirdly enough, that has not been the case. In fact, they number on three fingers: Chaz Bono, Lance Bass and now, curiously enough, badass swimmer Diana Nyad. And her timing couldn’t be better.

She’s fresh off her historic 2013 swim from Cuba to Florida, a 103-mile journey accomplished in 53 hours, and now the 64-year-old athlete – who’s been part of the American consciousness for decades but who’s never been the kind of famous person hounded by paparazzi – so dancing a little bit on TV will feel like a stroll through the garden. And she’s poised to become a face as recognizable to TV viewers as her accomplishments are to the world of endurance sport, since the season’s line-up includes Meryl Davis, Charlie White, Billy Dee Williams, Candace Cameron Bure, Cody Simpson, Danica McKellar, Drew Carey, James Maslow, Sean Avery and NeNe Leakes, some of whom are even less frequently pursued by tabloids than she is. Another upside? Fewer sharks.

Romeo San Vicente is very successful at cutting in.

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

25

Culture

Madame Butterfly

Quintessential Opera Beckons Even the Doubtful of Hearts

By Janine Eva Trotta Like Swan Lake is to the ballet world, Madame Butterfly is one of those productions that has etched itself into the stone of opera masterworks.

Created by Italian composer and notorious philanderer Giacomo Puccini (La Bohème, Tosca, Turandot), named by some as the greatest Italian composer following Verdi, Madame Butterfly is the story of love and waiting.

A young geisha, Cio-cio-San, has just become the wife of an American Navy Officer, a Lieutenant Pinkerton, when he is called back to his country.

As year, after year, after year toil by, Cio-cio-San (Butterfly) still waits, lovingly raising the son Pinkerton has never met and refuting chances at new love, all the while supported by her doting maid.

South African-Canadian mezzo-soprano Lauren Segal plays the role of Suzuki for the third time in her nine-year professional operatic career.

“One of the truest loves in this whole opera is the love between Suzuki and Butterfly,” Segal states. “Suzuki is there as her rock and as her faithful companion throughout her whole journey.”

Segal describes the beautiful music that is sung between them as emotive, often difficult to halt succumbing to.

“The biggest challenge [in performing this role] I think is to remain composed so that the emotion of the moment doesn’t take over,” she says. “Mid rehearsals there have been moments where [cast members] have broke down in tears.”

It helps that Segal is comfortable in the opera’s language Italian. Though she attended university to study physics, through friends she became enveloped into the world of opera.

“Some music to balance out the science,” she smiles. “I always loved music, from a little girl.”

Segal played various musical instruments from a young age and could always sing, but didn’t begin operatic training until adulthood. She extolls inspirations to those who have the drive, access to good training, and some natural abilities of course, to pursue their passion regardless of age.

“I think that anybody who loves music should always be encouraged to take lessons,” she says.

Nearly a decade later Segal is now well versed in German and French as well, the three staple languages of opera. Her name is attributed to a length of roles in good companies, thus it was that she was asked to play Suzuki for this production, not needing to audition.

General Director and CEO for Calgary Opera, Bob McPhee, requested Segal for what will be her first show on the main stage for the company. Segal became known to the director when she came to Calgary many years ago as part of the opera’s emerging artist program. At that time she performed in a locally composed, student opera.

Segal says Madame Butterfly has always been one of her favourites.

“The music is absolutely stunning,” she says. “There are moments of complete sublime.”

When the opera first opened in 1904 it was met with heckles and hostility, some speculate due to Puccini’s jealous rivals and others to inadequate rehearsals pre-premier. Puccini took some months to revise it, eventually making five revisions in total. It is the fifth version that has become most widely performed and known throughout the world.

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

“The story is about love and devotion; it is a very human story,” Segal says, calling this particular production ‘minimalistic, feminine, ethereal, and floating’.

“People will go and be taken away to this other world, and be transported from the emotion of the piece,” she describes. “For people who haven’t been before this is a great opera to go to.”

Segal is being hailed a young voice to watch out for; her timbre said to be “gleaming and luscious” and her operatic interpretations “absolutely sensational”, “alluring” and “sexy”.

She has sang with regularity for the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, most recently as The Muse/Nicklausse in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. She has also performed with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Mozart’s Coronoation Mass and as Meg in Verdi’s Falstaff for the L’Opéra de Montréal.

The cast for Calgary’s Madame Butterfly will additionally feature soprano Sally Dibblee as Cio-cio-San and tenor David Pomeroy as Pinkerton, with Joseph Mechavich conducting.

Performances will take place Saturday, April 5; Wednesday, April 9; and Friday, April 11 at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium with special events running throughout that week.

“It’s just gorgeous and heart breaking,” Segal says. “Everything that opera should be.”

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Culture

The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus Gay Marriage in Pre-Modern Times

By Janine Eva Trotta This month Third Street Theatre’s 2013-2014 Queer Theatre Creation Ensemble presents their original creation The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus.

The creative work was inspired by Dr. John Boswell’s research on same-sex unions in pre-modern Europe, current issues surrounding traditional marriage, and the ancient story of two openly gay Roman soldiers who were also Christian. “[Sergius and Bacchus] were wed by church officials in a private brother-making ceremony called Adelphopoiesis, and were later executed for their religious beliefs,” says Third Street’s Founding Artistic Director Paul Welch.

Welch, who also facilitated the work of last year’s Creation Ensemble, This is How I Left, says this year’s group utilized the same techniques and methods that brought the former script award nomination and critical acclaim.

“The biggest difference between this year’s ensemble and last is that we have a concrete premise: the research of John Boswell on Saints Sergius and Bacchus, two Roman soldiers who, in 300AD, became members of the cult of Christianity,” he explains. “As the Emperor Maximian’s top two personal body-guards, their conversion to Christianity was a bold move and a death sentence.”

“Since Christianity had been outlawed for fear of cannibalism and political unrest – as the Christians actively protested the government, and believed in only one true God rather than the pantheon of gods and goddesses that were commonplace in ancient Rome – the decision to join the cult of Christianity was surely not an easy one.”

Ironically, not much has changed since then. Modern gay Christians still find themselves ousted by their church families, sentenced to imprisonment, and forced to keep their gay identities a secret. Despite the consequence, the central characters in this work decided to hold true to both Christianity and each other.

the group to be able to use dramaturg Laurel Green of Alberta Theatre Projects.

“A dramaturg is akin to an editor and advocate, and they work with the creators of the play to ensure that the story is clear, strong, and concise, and that no one gets lost in the process,” Welch explains. “It is an invaluable asset to us as a company – particularly with a creation ensemble project – to ensure that we’re putting forward the strongest work possible.

The show will have ten evening performances, with a 2pm matinee on Saturday the 26th, Sunday the 27th, and Saturday May 3rd, at the MOTEL venue in the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts. There are no performances Sunday or Monday evenings.

The Passion of Sergius and Bacchus will feature Matt McKinney, Amy Sawka, and Simon Tottrup as co-creators and actors. It is facilitated and directed by Welch, and stage-managed by Anne McIlveen.

“The ensemble allows queer and queer-minded talent to be mentored, stretch their perception of what is possible, and find authentic ownership as playwrights and performers,” Welch says.

“As Sergius and Bacchus’ love for each other grew and blossomed, they became joined … in a sacred bond and declared ‘brothers’ by Christian church officials, and actively refused to participate in state-sanctioned sacrifices to the Roman god Jupiter,” Welch says. “This enraged their dear friend and leader the Emperor Maximian, who stripped them of their military garb and status, dressed them as women, and paraded them around in an attempt to shame them into submission.”

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Even these measures would not halt the two lovers, and so they were sentenced to further punishment. But they would not falter.

“Numerous chances later, the two pious soldiers refused to make the sacrifice to the ancient gods and Antiochus’s hand is forced, resulting in their ultimate death and eternal salvation in Heaven,” says Welch.

Essentially the pair died for what they believed in, and in doing so achieved the eternal reward that was the essence of their belief in Christianity.

The Creation Ensemble used this story as a means of paralleling the intolerance toward the LGBT community still rife in fundamental Christianity today.

“This is a play about the parallels of intolerance in love and faith has been a bit of a thesis statement for us as we moved from our exploration phase into our creation phase,” says Welch. “The process has four phases: exploration, creation, rehearsal, and performance. We are currently moving into our rehearsal phase.”

The group began rehearsals in late February, meeting three times per week at the Living Spirit United Church.

On April 22nd a two-for-one preview performance will be put on, with proceeds going to the Chinook Foundation, who donated a grant to

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

27

Interview

Air Supply

Love Ballad Kings Team up with the Calgary Philharmonics

By Janine Eva Trotta He has the singsong British voice of a favourite uncle or children’s narrator – like Ringo Star reading the story lines for Thomas the Tank Engine.

Graham Russell is a name that has survived three generations of karaoke and passion rock fans for the hits his band Air Supply has provided them: “All Out of Love”, “Making Love Out of Nothing at All”, “Just as I Am”.

On Saturday, April 12th the original vocalists for the band, Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, will be crooning their classic hits, as well as three newer tracks, alongside the ample accompaniment of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

“We love playing with them – the philharmonics,” Russell says. “[Shows with them] don’t come up very often, for whatever reason, but when the opportunity comes we jump on it.”

China, Taiwan and across the United States the vocal duo has done shows like this before. Charts are rehearsed by the orchestra for some time previous, while the singers will arrive the day of the show, roughly 1pm, to cycle through the set a couple of times with the orchestra before the grand performance begins at 8pm.

Russell promises all the oldies fans know, but will “tone it down” from the newer dance tracks they have been recording more recently.

“We have a couple dance charts going up the billboards right now, but we won’t play that,” he says. “We don’t want to freak everyone out… this audience will be a little more conservative than a rock n roll audience.”

“Desert, Sea, Sky” is one of these said electric tracks that you will be more likely to hear out on a club night than you will at the Jack Singer Concert Hall performance.

“It’s full on dance; its fabulous,” Russell describes.

Mumbo Jumbo is the last full album the band recorded, released in 2010. Though it hasn’t been as well accepted in North America, their fan base in Indonesia, Malaysian and Taiwan have seen the album rise to top chart spots.

cater to. All of the music in this score are originals written by Russell.

This musical is still in the reading stage, but will open in New York City.

Meanwhile Korea will host the opening of Russell and Hitchcock’s musical venture aptly titled “Lost in Love”, a work that has taken already six years to accomplish.

“Musicals such as this, rather glam and large scale, they take so long to produce,” Russell says. “I’ve learned my lesson – you don’t create a show and it goes on…the process is quite long.”

Though Russell says he harbours hopes the show will one day play on Broadway, this could take years. After playing in Korean the show will be translated into English, travel Asia for six months, then hit the U.S.

“It was a gamble because it was a concept album with a story,” he says. “It was very different for us but very well received.”

Ironically the other musical the two are collaborating on is called “All Out of Love”, but he assures the material is quite different.

Russell says that while they are still writing and recording new music, given the direction the industry has taken, they would rather record and release tracks individually than go the lengths of recording a full record.

Despite growing older Air Supply has not slowed down a smidgeon.

After New York and Calgary, Russell is flying out to play shows in South Africa.

“We don’t make as many albums as we used to simply because there’s nowhere to place it anymore,” he says. “The whole paradigm of recorded music has changed… there are no record stores anymore, or very few of them.”

“We’ve always been on the road,” he says. “We tour so much our marketplace is quite huge. We don’t rely on just North America… we’re always going somewhere.”

In addition to putting on 140 shows every year, the singers are also being kept busy by the three musical productions they have in the works; returning to their roots as it were. The three original members of Air Supply, Russell, Hitchcock and Chrissie Hammond, met in 1975 while performing in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar back in Australia.

Russell was headed to New York at the time of interview “to see the latest incarnation” of the children’s version of Treasure Island he has created.

“I think children need theatre too as much as adults do,” he says.

Russell’s children are ‘all grown up now’ but he has five grandkids to

Since 1984 the duo has called the States their home, but live in different cities. Asia is a huge site of fans for them, but in reality they have a strong following just about around the world.

“We sell out every show we do; it doesn’t matter where we play, big or small,” Russell says.

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Community

Hot August in Ohio!

Gay Rodeo Saddles up to Gay Games this Summer

By Evan Kayne The Cleveland and Akron, Ohio 9th annual Gay Games (August 9th to 16th) are roping up some extra excitement this year. This summer the International Gay Rodeo Association (IGRA) will be hosting a rodeo on August 10th and 11th just outside of Akron in Tallmadge, Ohio.

Judy Munson, who you may know from her many years’ hard work on the ARGRA board of directors, is the chairperson of the Gay Games rodeo committee, and also the rodeo director. She is enthused about the chance IGRA has been given to bring two major events together.

Much like demonstration sports at the Olympic Games, the Gay Games tries to bring in a new sport each time they hold the event.

“Gay Games was interested in getting IGRA involved so they could have gay rodeo,” Munson says. “This is the first time ever they had a full-on rodeo involved with it.”

Rodeo events at the games is something that has been considered for some time – back in 1990 when the games were in Vancouver, they held a few related events, but nothing close to a full rodeo.

while the rodeo is going on, including singers, rope twirlers, dancers and dance lessons for people who want to try out two-step and line dancing.

“We want people to experience the entire western lifestyle the minute they walk through the gates,” Munson says.

IGRA is hoping this team-up with the larger Gay Games celebration will bring new people into the gay rodeo experience. So far it’s working – they have new contestants signing up from around the world.

Many people also love the chance the rodeo gives them to see old friends. If you happen to be lucky enough to be down in Ohio for the rodeo or games, you might even see some familiar faces from Alberta.

Munson and her partner Lori Andrews will be in attendance, as well as Jamie Cumberland and Rob Summers among other members of ARGRA. Being part of a huge event like the Gay Games means being shed in a larger spotlight, so we asked Munson if there were any concerns regarding animal welfare.

“We always have the SPCA check and approve everything we do... our events are very humane compared to mainstream rodeos,” she says.

IGRA stresses that in gay rodeos events animal welfare and contestant safety are top priorities. Gay rodeos have many safety provisions in place to prevent injuries to the animals and the contestants. If people take the time to be educated and come and see what happens at a gay rodeo, they should see there is little cause for concern.

Munson also wants to stress that while this rodeo runs like any rodeo, “35 sports and 65 countries and over 11,000 athletes” will be featured.

It’s a huge opportunity to showcase IGRA.

“This is a great big feather in the cap of IGRA and Gay Games...to show what gay rodeo is all about... we have a co-marketing agreement and we’re advertising for each other” Munson says.

Though this is the first time Judy has been to a Gay Games the feedback she’s received from friends, and what she has seen in clips of the opening and closing ceremonies, has impressed upon her how amazing an opportunity and how fantastic an event this will be.

People from all over the world will get a chance to see how much fun a gay rodeo can be. At this point in the Gay Games, the rodeo is not an official sport – it’s an affiliated event – but both organisations want to be connected to each other.

“Seeing all these cowboy hats walk in during the grand entry will just be overwhelming,” she says. Hopefully it impresses the right people as well – we’d love to see this be the start of a long partnership between IGRA and the Gay Games.

“Gay Games has been great...they’ve said, you’re the experts at running a rodeo, we know nothing about it, so you just do your thing and we’ll continue on with the sports we know how to run.”

In many ways, it will be like a regular IGRA rodeo with roping events, speed events such as barrel racing on horseback, chute dogging, bull and steer riding, bucking broncos, and, of course, camp events. Camp events are unique to gay rodeo; beginners can participate in Goat Dressing, Steer Decorating, and Wild Drag Race, with some introductory training from experienced rodeo folk.

Cleveland and Akron, Ohio Gay Games http://www.gaygamesrodeo.org http://www.gg9cle.com Cleveland and Akron, Ohio Gay Games August 9th to 16th

In addition, much like Munson’s rodeo held out in Strathmore, the Ohio rodeo will offer additional entertainment. A Wild West Dance at Miss Kitty’s Saloon will take place at the rodeo grounds on Sunday, August 10th and a huge Country and Western dance will be hosted on Monday. Western themed events will also be occurring during the day

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29

Out of Town

Cleveland and Gay Games 9

 One of the most historic and beloved public food markets in the country West Side Market is in the heart of Cleveland’s LGBT-popular Ohio City neighborhood. Photo by Andrew Collins.

by Andrew Collins The host this summer of the ninth installment of the Gay Games festival, which was established in 1994 (and then known as the Gay Olympics), Cleveland has been the focus of an ambitious, ongoing urban renaissance in recent years. The downtown core, with its considerable stock of stately early-20th-century buildings, has seen an influx of attractions and hotels, while outlying neighborhoods like Detroit-Shoreway, Ohio City, Tremont and Cleveland Heights have become magnets for cool indie restaurants, coffeehouses, theaters, arts spaces and retail shops. This working-class metropolis that suffered through a deep urban decline during much of the second-half of the 20th century is looking better than ever these days, and locals are counting on the Gay Games as a perfect opportunity to show LGBT visitors what Cleveland has to offer.

Gay Games 9 The ninth edition of the Gay Games – which have taken place previously in Cologne, Chicago, Sydney, Amsterdam, New York City, Vancouver and San Francisco – is set to take place in Cleveland as well as nearby Akron from Aug. 9 through Aug. 16. More than 35 different sports will be represented at the games, including beach volleyball, cycling, flag football, golf, open-water swim, rock-climbing, soccer, softball, tennis and many others. There are also two “cultural” events, band and chorus, and all kinds of related gatherings, ceremonies and parties will take place throughout the week at venues around town, including downtown’s Festival Village (the new Mall C park, at City Hall and overlooking FirstEnergy Stadium).

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You can learn more about competing, watching events and attending the Games at the official Gay Games site (gg9cle.com), which lists a full calendar of events, travel planning information, a history of the games and even details on how to volunteer to help with this internationally renowned gathering.

Exploring Cleveland Ironically, the abandonment of downtown Cleveland (positivelycleveland.com) during the 1950s through 1970s helped to preserve the commercial core’s bounty of Victorian and turn-of-thecentury commercial and residential architecture, from warehouse buildings that stood empty for decades to gleaming art deco towers that have undergone complete renovations in recent decades. Sports stadiums, theaters and a glitzy casino have all contributed to the current urban buzz.

Action has always and still does revolve around Public Square, a regal park of fountains and statuary over which looms the focal point of the downtown comeback, the completely restored Tower City Center. Built in 1929, this 52-story complex houses restaurants, upscale shops and a commuter rail station. Adjoining the complex, the Horseshoe Casino opened in 2012 inside an impressive Victorian-era department store building and contains more than 2,000 slot machines and about 90 table games.

Walk a several blocks east along Euclid Avenue and you’ll reach the downtown theater district, Playhouse Square, a hub of highly respected performance venues. And a short walk south are two prominent sports venues, Quicken Loans Arena (home to the NBA’s Cavaliers) and Progressive Field (where baseball’s Indians play).

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A few blocks north, along the shores of Lake Erie, the pyramidal, I.M. Pei-designed Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one of the seminal popcultural museums in the world, offering visitors an invigorating tour of music over the past 70 years – exhibits touch on the entire history of the rock genre, with special attention given to the nearly 300 renowned artists who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame, including LGBTpopular acts like Donna Summer, R.E.M., Blondie, Michael Jackson, Queen, David Bowie, and Elton John. In 2014, famed (and openly gay) Beatles manager Brian Epstein was among the inductees. Nearby cultural highlights include the Great Lakes Science Center and the home of the NFL’s Cleveland Browns, FirstEnergy Stadium. Across the marina from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Voinovich Bicentennial Park is a pleasant lakeside spot for a picnic, or admiring the city skyline, and it’s also where Cleveland Gay Pride takes place each year in June.

like New Orleans-barbecue scallops and crisp fried chicken with baked mac ’n’ cheese.

Abutting downtown is the Warehouse District, a tract of beautifully restored cast-iron buildings that now house several good restaurants, a handful of funky shops and galleries, and dozens of gorgeous loft apartments. Down a steep hill are the city’s once-anemic river flats, which have also been spiffed up with a handful of notable eateries and nightspots as well as the impressive Greater Cleveland Aquarium.

The top gay nightspots in Cleveland are include Ohio City’s fun video bar and club Bounce (bouncecleveland.com), which also has a quite good restaurant serving tapas, flatbreads, sandwiches, and the like; the popular Hawk Bar (thehawkbar.com), Cocktails Cleveland, and Twist dance clubs, which are all out west in the Cudell/Edgewater neighborhood (near Lakewood); and eastern downtown’s rough-andtumble men’s cruise bar, the Leather Stallion Saloon (leatherstallion. com). Not far from the latter, you’ll also find one of the largest gay bathhouse compounds in the country, Flex Cleveland (flexspas.com), which also has a men’s hotel, gym, and bar.

Drive 10 minutes east of downtown to reach the city’s primary cultural and educational center, 550-acre University Circle. Don’t miss the Georgian-style Cleveland Museum of Art, which recently completed a fantastic renovation and expansion that has greatly increased the exhibit space. Within walking distance are such outstanding attractions as the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, the Cleveland Institute of Art, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland and the highly rewarding Cleveland Botanical Garden. From here you’re a quick hop to Cleveland Heights, a diverse and lively community with a sizable gay and lesbian following and a wealth of inviting shops and restaurants, most of them along bustling Coventry Road.

In the other direction, just west of downtown, Ohio City is the name of a historic neighborhood (not a separate municipality) that abounds with fine Victorian homes and has become a hot spot in recent years for trendy eateries and lounges (notably along West 25th Street) as well as one of the Midwest’s great culinary attractions, West Side Market, which was begun in 1840s and is home to some 100 vendors proffering everything from fresh produce to Polish pierogis to local artisan cheeses - it’s really a chance for local people-watching at its best.

Venture a short drive south to another of the city’s more recently gentrified neighborhoods, Tremont, where along main drags like Starkweather Avenue and Literary Road you’ll find dozens of inviting lounges and hipster-favored eateries.

Another up-and-coming neighborhood on the city’s west side is Detroit-Shoreway, which contains a cluster of noteworthy cafes and theaters along Detroit Avenue between West 58th and West 75th streets.

Farther west, in the Edgewater Park neighborhood as well as the neighboring suburb of Lakewood, you’ll find a handful of gay-oriented businesses, including bars and restaurants – this area is more popular with locals than visitors, but it is worth checking out if you’re interested in LGBT nightlife.

Dining and Nightlife Cleveland’s dining scene has long been influenced by its sizable immigrant populations, with restaurants serving Eastern European, Polish, Greek and Italian food especially popular. In recent years, however, sophisticated downtown restaurants and inviting neighborhood eateries have been making their mark, serving regionally sourced farmto-table fare and ethnic foods from more far-flung cultures.

Not far away in Tremont, critically acclaimed Lolita (lolitarestaurant. com) – which is helmed by celeb chef Michael Symon – and Bac Asian American Bistro (bactremont.com) wow visitors with creative cuisine, while trendy but laid-back Fat Cats (coolplacestoeat.com/fatcats.html) is one of the coolest neighborhood restaurants in the city (try to make it here for the wildly popular brunch on Saturdays). Gypsy Beans & Bakery (gypsybeans.com) in Detroit-Shoreway’s Gordon Square Arts District is a groovy coffeehouse, while nearby Luxe Kitchen & Lounge (luxecleveland. com) can be counted on for tasty pizzas, tapas and eclectic small plates.

Out in the Cudell/Edgewater area, the Diner on Clifton (dineronclifton. com) is worth stopping by for breakfast, lunch or late-night dining – it’s a favorite among patrons of the area’s nearby gay bars.

Where to Stay in Cleveland The city’s leading hotels are mostly clustered downtown around the Tower City, Gateway and Playhouse Square districts, within walking distance of top attractions. Keep in mind that several new hotels are currently in the planning stages, including a boutique property under development by the gay-popular Kimpton brand. Steps from the city’s top theaters, the Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square (wyndham. com) earns high marks for its central location, friendly service, and spacious rooms – book a King Corner unit for stunning views of the downtown skyline. Arguably the poshest accommodation in town, the stately Ritz-Carlton, Cleveland (ritzcarlton.com) rises high above Tower City and Public Market, its 205 rooms outfitted with such cushy creature comforts as marble bathrooms, iPod docks and ultra-plush linens. The hotel’s restaurant, Muse, is one of the top spots in town for a specialoccasion feast.

Out by the museums in University Circle, the InterContinental Suites Hotel Cleveland and InterContinental Cleveland (ihg.com/ intercontinental) are excellent, high-end choices. While the Hilton Garden Inn Cleveland Downtown (hiltongardeninn3.hilton.com), hip and contemporary Aloft Cleveland Downtown (starwoodhotels.com/ alofthotels) and Hampton Inn Cleveland Downtown (hamptoninn3. hilton.com) are all excellent, well-located, mid-priced options.

Additionally, Cleveland has some wonderfully charming, gay-friendly B&Bs situated in historic Ohio City. Consider the grand Stone Gables B&B (stonegables.net), a period-furnished, gay-owned 1883 stunner with high ceilings, numerous fireplaces and five richly appointed guest rooms; and the Wallace Manor B&B (wallacemanor.com), a regal stone mansion with three spacious rooms (two of them with claw-foot soaking tubs). Two other great choices in the neighborhood are the warmly appointed Clifford House B&B (cliffordhouse.com), a three-room, gayowned inn with reasonable rates that include a delicious full breakfast; and the handsome J. Palen House (jpalenhouse.com), which occupies an old brewmaster’s home, and has nine stylishly romantic, light-filled rooms and suites (including a cottage and a separate guest house).

In the downtown core, don’t miss Cowell & Hubbard (cowellhubbard. com) for a romantic, pre-theater feast, or the convivial Greenhouse Tavern (thegreenhousetavern.com) for exceptionally well-crafted “gastropub” dining and drinking. When venturing east, look to locally beloved Tommy’s Restaurant (tommyscoventry.com) for delish vegan and vegetarian cuisine and swell-elegant L’Albatros (albatrosbrasserie.com) – near the Cleveland Museum of Art – for deftly executed contemporary French food. And be sure to stop by artisan-roaster Phoenix Coffee for an expresso drink (there are other Phoenix locations in downtown’s Playhouse Square and on Lee Road). Ohio City food highlights include Bar Cento (barcento.com) for mod Italian fare and neighboring Bier Markt (bier-markt.com) for craft brews, as well as the SOHO Kitchen & Bar (sohocleveland.com), which turns out superb New South cuisine,

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

31

Vancouver, BC “Spectacular by Nature”

 A dragon statue on the shores of Stanley Park

More photos and videos online: http://gaycalgary.com/a4004 

By Rob Diaz-Marino It wasn’t long after disembarking from the Victoria ferry that we got ourselves into the thick of Vancouver’s rush hour traffic – and a dense mist that had descended on the city. Movement was steady as we made our way to check in at the Opus Hotel Vancouver. However the change in pace from the peaceful Kelowna and laid back Victoria was quite jarring to us, as we fought with traffic on Davie Street in order to double back to be on the right side of the road.

This momentary stress quickly faded away as we were each offered a glass of Champaign while checking in at the front desk. It was hard to resist peering around at the highly modern and trendy décor in the hotel lobby as we brought in our luggage. The valet took our car, and we were shown up to our room.

There were surprises around every turn for us. Even the trip up to the 5th floor on the elevator wowed us, what with the near night-club atmosphere therein: low lighting with colour-shifting LEDs and energetic music. Then, in the hallway there was an intoxicatingly good smell of men’s cologne (which we later found out to be piped-in scents of vanilla and…sage?).

The room itself was as much of a spectacle too, with its bright orange walls, modern furniture, a gorgeous bathroom, and a glass wall between the bathtub and the bed! Sure, it has curtains that you can close…but they were on the bedroom side. Steve and I immediately had some naughty thoughts, which we had to put on hold because we were due elsewhere for dinner.

We arrived at Maenam restaurant somewhat on time for our 7pm dinner – delayed mostly by our difficulty finding parking in the area. This was understandable as the popular Thai restaurant is located along a fairly busy strip.

I have never actually eaten true Thai food. Before you recoil in shock at how bad this sounds, in my defense, I’ve

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 Sights around Downtown Vancouver

www.gaycalgary.com

 Hundreds of jellyfish swim under black light at the Vancouver Aquarium

had an aversion to cilantro since childhood that played a big part in that. So while Steve was looking forward to returning to cuisine that he hasn’t eaten since he met me, I was a little bit wary about confronting this spice that is very central to Thai cooking. I resolved to keep an open mind. I’m glad I did, because the food was delicious, and very different from the sorts of flavours I’m familiar with. Though I could taste the airy hint of cilantro in the mix, it tasted like it belonged, like it complimented the other flavours. Maenam definitely expanded my comfort zone with Thai food by giving me a very positive experience, and in fact, I wouldn’t mind trying it again sometime.

With the rest of the evening at our disposal we returned to our hotel for some brief downtime, then headed out for a walk along Davie Street to see what has changed in the LGBT night club scene since we were last in town. We ended up hanging around for a bit at 1181 after bumping into someone we knew but, after the long busy day we had, we turned in not long after midnight.

The next morning we woke up bright and early for a delicious breakfast at La Pentola della Quercia, the restaurant located on the main level of the Opus Hotel. The General Manager of Opus Vancouver joined us, and afterwards took us on a tour through the hotel to see some of the other suites. Each class of suite

Opus Vancouver Hotel http://gaycalgary.com/a4005

“Uniquely stylish and always fresh,” there’s certainly a reason why this boutique hotel was named one of the world’s top 100 hotels in Condé Nast Traveler magazine. Opus Vancouver boasts 96 guestrooms in 6 different varieties, featuring vibrant colours and spa-style bathrooms.

Just about everything in this hotel exudes unique style, from the intoxicating scent in the hallways, to the club-atmosphere in the elevators; the live entertainment and DJs in the lobby on some nights, to the room service leaving varieties of candy that will remind you of your childhood. They take numerous measures to pamper you: complimentary champagne at checkin, valet service, and extremely friendly and helpful (not to mention easy on the eyes) staff who are more than comfortable with their LGBT clientele.

Located in Yaletown, Opus Vancouver is within walking distance of many restaurants, spas, boutiques, and of course Davie Street. As for giving back to the community, the hotel is a Vancouver Pride Society sponsor, among other initiatives.

If you want to treat yourself to a comfortable and stylish stay in Vancouver, for business or pleasure, make sure you check out the Opus Hotel Vancouver.

Opus Vancouver

332 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC http://www.opushotel.com

 Opus Vancouver

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 Outside the Vancouver Art Gallery

u Southern style hot and

Maenam Restaurant

sour soup of sablefish

http://gaycalgary.com/a4006 This world-class Thai restaurant brings a dining experience that is authentic to Royal Thai traditions. Chef Angus An’s menu balances intense fresh flavours with locally sourced seasonal ingredients – twists on centuries-old recipes.

q 8 spice lingcod

Even the drinks hold true to the Thai palate, with many offerings featuring ingredients like pandanus leaf, green cardamom, cassia bark, mint, ginger, basil, and lemongrass.

We tried the Fon-Tok, Kwio Savoy, and Thai and Ginger.

Don’t be fooled by their similar hue, their flavours are dramatically different.

For our main dishes we shared a number of items from the menu. First was the delicious Southern style hot and sour soup of sablefish, followed by the spicier Grilled Thai sausage and crispy rice salad. The 8 spice lingcod was particularly eye-catching, not to mention incredibly tasty. By now we were running out of room in our stomachs, but still managed to sample the Red curry of braise duck leg, and the Steamed mussels with lemon grass and Thai basil. Finally we rounded the meal off with some light dessert: the Dark chocolate pot de crème, and the Citrus and vanilla bean frozen cheesecake parfait.

p Grilled Thai sausage

and crispy rice salad

All in all, a highly memorable dining experience that has no doubt spoiled a Thai-food rookie like me for other Thai restaurants. q Red curry of braise

duck leg

Maenam Restaurant

1938 West 4th Ave, Vancouver, BC http://www.maenam.ca

p Steamed mussels with

lemon grass and Thai basil

u Fon Tok (left), Kwio Savoy (centre), Thai and Ginger (right) t Dark choclolat pot de

crème (left) and Citrus vanilla bean frozen cheesecake parfait (right)

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The Vancouver Lookout http://gaycalgary.com/a4007 A big and busy city like Vancouver can be tough to explore, but the Vancouver Lookout gives you the opportunity to rise far above many of the tall buildings and see the “forest” rather than just the “trees”.

Towering nearly 170 metres off the ground, this 360 degree panoramic observation deck offers stunning views of the city. Admission to the tower includes complimentary guided tours, and also allows re-entry for the rest of the day so you can see the city both by day and by night.

The 40 second ride up and down in the glass elevator is a rush in itself. Don’t forget to bring your good camera!

The Vancouver Lookout

555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC http://www.vancouverlookout.com

Stanley Park http://gaycalgary.com/a4008

Stanley Park is at the tip of a spit of land at the mouth of Vancouver Harbour. For those sick of tall buildings and traffic, it is a refuge where one can go to walk for hours along shores and beaches, and explore over 27km of forested trails.

Every visit to the park can bring a new discovery, with monuments and sculptures, flower gardens, totem poles, playgrounds, breathtaking landmarks, and all manner of seasonal events scattered throughout.

Be strategic and consult a guide book, blog, or website to get an idea of what you want to see and do while visiting Stanley Park, because there is no way you can cover it all in one visit.

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Homer St. Café and Bar u Maple butter pork belly (left)

http://gaycalgary.com/a4009

and Crispy chicken skin (right)

Stepping into this restaurant in Vancouver’s Yaletown district, felt like we had been transported to another country…like a Deli somewhere in Europe perhaps? The antique tiling and distressed tables set amongst the steeple ceilings and reclaimed factory windows, in a historic building no less, create a distinctive and inviting atmosphere. q Smoked tuna and red wine

p Chicken mushroom kale

risotto wit roasted butternut squash

tomato pappardelle pasta

q Quarter chicken rotisserie

with pee wee potatoes and chicken jus

p Chicken bacon tomato

gruyere sandwich

Meat is definitely the main feature of the menu.

To start, we had a serving of their savoury Maple butter pork belly, and as unhealthy as it sounds – a restaurant favorite – Crispy chicken skin. Afterwards we squared off on our own dishes: me with the Chicken bacon tomato gruyere sandwich from their specials menu, Steve with their Chicken mushroom kale tomato pappardelle pasta special, and our hosts with the Smoked tuna and red wine risotto with roasted butternut squash and Quarter chicken rotisserie with pee wee potatoes and chicken jus.

The only break from this delicious onslaught of protein were the rich and sweet desserts. We sampled the Chewy peanut butter cookies with Nutella cream, the Chocolate pudding with maldon sea salt, cocoa nibs, and honeycomb, plus the Skillet baked cheesecake with seasonal fruit.

Homer St. Café and Bar may have some menu items that would make your cardiologist cringe, but so what if you treat yourself every now and then?

t Chocolate pudding (left),

Skillet baked cheesecake (centre) and Chewy peanut butter cookies (right)

is painted a different colour – while ours was orange, we saw other suites with red, green, and purple walls. The artwork in some of the rooms was of the pixelated faces of characters I recognized from Nintendo games like PunchOut that I played during my childhood. Certainly this was intended to tickle the men who are are still kids at heart.

With the morning still young, we took some time to strategically plan out our day from the roster of attractions covered by the Tourism Vancouver 2013 Experience Passes provided to us. We planned for our first stop to be the Vancouver Art Gallery, but unfortunately the gallery wasn’t

Homer St. Café and Bar 898 Homer Street, Vancouver, BC http://www.homerstreetcafebar.com

clear on their policy published on the Experience Pass and as media, we weren’t able to get security clearance in time to take photos for this article. With no other major attractions in walking range of our lunch appointment, we simply filled the allotted hour wandering and taking photos around downtown Vancouver – which is unfortunate, because had we known, that time could have been spent covering one of the many tourism attractions we had to skip due to our tight timeline in Vancouver.

Despite this setback, our visit to Homer St. Café and Bar brought our moods up again. This café is famous for their

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La Pentola della Quercia Restaurant http://gaycalgary.com/a4010 La Pentola, located on the main floor of the Opus Hotel Vancouver, delivers Northern Italian cuisine artfully crafted by award-winning duo Adam Pegg and Lucais Syme. You can enjoy the family-style restaurant setting, or order food a la carte daily for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late night.

t OPUS Breakfast:

two eggs, sausage, toast and rosti

We were treated to breakfast at La Pentola, to experience the food first hand. I ordered the OPUS Breakfast which has two eggs, your choice of bacon or sausage, toast and rosti. Although it sounds simple, some of the touches like the multi-grain bread and spicy Italian sausage made it feel special, and sated my morning craving for protein and salt. On the other hand, my partner ordered the Kaiserschmarrn (Northern Italian pancake) with raisins, pine-nuts, cream, and house-made jam – sprinkled lightly with frosting sugar. It was deliciously sweet and yet very hearty.

Although we didn’t get to try any items from their lunch or dinner menus, these two simple but surprising breakfast dishes were a good indication of what one can expect from La Pentola della Quercia.

u Kaiserschmarn

with raisins, pine-nuts, cream, and house-made jam

La Pentola della Quercia 350 Davie Street, Vancouver, BC http://www.lapentola.ca

C Restaurant

u Octopus

“Panzanella” Salad with smoked tomato, toasted bread, and chorizo

http://gaycalgary.com/a4011 With its proximity to the ocean, Vancouver is an ideal home for a world-class seafood restaurant like C. A founding member of the sustainably focused Ocean Wise program, this restaurant is also mindful about how they take from the ocean. Executive Chef Nicolas Hipperson, openly a member of the LGBT community, certainly shifted gears from his Saskatchewan prairie roots. We had the pleasure of meeting him when we visited his restaurant for dinner.

They started us off with the Octopus “Panzanella” Salad with smoked tomato, toasted bread, and chorizo. The octopus comes in the form of tender discs of sliced tentacle, and the uniquely flavoured octopus ink dressing that also happens to turn your tongue black!

q Roasted Sable-

fish with fingerling potatoes, pacific octopus and artichokes

Next we were treated to the Lobster Bisque with poached lobster, crème fraiche, and preserved lemon. The only thing more delicious than the rich and creamy bisque was the bisqueinfused lobster meat. If ever food could induce an orgasm, this is the dish to do it.

For our main dish, we were each treated to a plate of Roasted Sablefish with fingerling potatoes, basil mayo, saffron sauce, pacific octopus, and artichokes. You don’t just eat this dish, you explore it, by combining the different meats and vegetables with the 3 different sauces.

p Lobster Bisque

with poached lobster, crème fraiche, and preserved lemon

Dessert was another chance to combine different elements together, with a selection of chocolate mousse, ice cream, and other sweets surrounded by a ring of icing sugar, maple sugar, and chocolate powder.

C Restaurant makes it hard to do flavours justice with words alone – even better when paired with wine to complement those flavours. I can only encourage you to “sea” for yourself!

C Restaurant

2 – 1600 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC http://www.crestaurant.com

t Assortment of

desserts

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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The Vancouver Aquarium http://gaycalgary.com/a4012 Known as Canada’s largest aquarium, the Vancouver Aquarium is home to some 60,000 aquatic creatures of 800 different species.

While many colourful varieties of fish are certainly a focus, the underwater tanks also feature fauna and flora like jellyfish, anemones, starfish, rays, and all manner of coral and plant life. Additional exhibits include frogs, lizards, penguins, otters, crocodiles, dolphins, beluga whales and more!

Whether you’re interested in learning about marine life, or you just want to admire some of the beautiful underwater ecosystems, you shouldn’t miss visiting the Vancouver Aquarium.

The Vancouver Aquarium

845 Avison Way, Vancouver, BC http://www.vanaqua.org

rotisserie menu of many different meats – particularly their chicken. We sampled some of their appetizers and sides, including their particularly naughty delight: crispy chicken skins!

Refreshed, we went on to visit the Vancouver Lookout, which was much like the Calgary Tower in that it offers a 360 degree view out over the city. We got a strangely beautiful mix of sun and mist as we took pictures of the buildings below us.

The Vancouver Aquarium in world-famous Stanley Park was our next stop. We arrived in time for their last hour of operation, and did something of a whirlwind tour of the large facility. To our delight, they had a large exhibit on Jellyfish.

Seeing the many different shapes and sizes of the creature was both beautiful and fascinating. Another impressive exhibit was the giant Amazon arapaima fish that loomed motionless in its tank until it suddenly snapped its jaw at something in the water, causing all the other smaller fish in the tank to scatter. All in all, the Vancouver Aquarium is chock-full of interesting and colorful sea life, not to mention their large outdoor exhibits – it’s worth a visit!

With some time to kill before dinner, and already in Stanley Park, we decided to explore for a bit. We walked down some forested paths until we reached the shore, where several seals were playing in the water, and we witnessed a seagull catch a small crab in its beak. Despite the gray mist casting a gloom over the otherwise beautiful green fields and colorful autumn leaves, it wasn’t hard to imagine what a popular spot this vast park must be in the summer time.

Even at this time of year, there seemed to be a lot going on.

We stumbled across a busy family Halloween celebration, and many other people who were just out for a walk. In a city as big and busy as Vancouver, I imagine this park is a way to find some solitude and reconnect with nature.

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As daylight began to fade and the fog started rolling in thicker, we made our way back to Opus to rest for a while before heading out to our dinner destination, which was conveniently only a 10 minute walk away, right on the shore of False Creek. It was hard not to notice the live DJ spinning dance music in the lobby of the hotel as we made our way out – what a neat idea for a Friday night!

I was very excited at the prospect of eating at what was described to us as a world class seafood restaurant. Indeed, C Restaurant lived up to that expectation with dishes that were as stunning visually as they were to the palate, employing ingredients like octopus ink to add unique color and flavour. Our personal favorite was the Lobster Bisque – so rich and delicious, we did our best to savour it slowly but nonetheless we were sad when our plates were empty.

Thoroughly stuffed and satisfied, we returned to our hotel to give our stomachs a chance to catch up. As 10pm rolled around, we decided it would be a shame to waste our last night in Vancouver, so we made our way out to visit the clubs. We arranged to meet up with a friend at Pumpjack Pub, which we found out is a very popular spot on Fridays by the fact that we had to wait in line outside for a good 15 minutes. It was understandable though, for how busy the place was – and the bouncer was friendly enough, so we didn’t mind chatting with him. We hung out for a while, feeling a sense of nostalgia for the Calgary Eagle, but we did the responsible thing and turned in not long after midnight - we had a long drive ahead of us to get to Kamloops the next morning.

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39

Community

From Tears of Weeping to Tears of Joy Openly Transgender Pastor Megan Rohrer Celebrates Installation with Pop Praise

By David-Elijah Nahmod On February 22nd San Francisco’s Grace Lutheran Church installed Pastor Megan Rohrer as their new pastor. The well attended service, dubbed the Beatles Mass (congregants sang praise lyrics to the music of The Beatles) was not only joyously uplifting, it was historic. Pastor Megan identifies as openly transgender.

The pastor, who prefers the pronoun they, brings a long history of transgender and homeless advocacy to the table. Three nights a week they walk the streets of San Francisco as part of Night Ministry, a loose network of clergy from various denominations who offer counseling, prayer, guidance and hands-on support to homeless individuals.

As the congregation stood in line to receive Holy Communion from their new pastor for the first time, Megan stood before the altar, holding up the bread and wine for all to see. There were smiles of joy and peace in the faces of all those present.

Now ensconced in their new job, Pastor Megan spoke to Gay Calgary about issues that are near and dear to their heart.

GC: Can you describe to our readers exactly what the Beatles Mass entailed?

PM: The worship that we used at the installation was created for an evening worship service at St Aidan’s Episcopal. In the hopes of attracting young people and those new to the church, I created a Lady Gaga Mass. The service gained a lot of attention and I was able to share it at congregations around the country. However, Lady Gaga’s music is very complicated and much more difficult to sing than what you’d expect from a pop song. Many of the young people knew the tunes, but the older generation had a difficult time. I created the Beatles Mass because the tunes were recognized by both older and younger members and participants often leave the service feeling uplifted.

GC: Can you share your backstory on coming out as transgender and what led you to ministry?

PM: I grew up in South Dakota and went to a Lutheran college where I was out and encouraged to pursue my gifts for ministry.

After enduring some hate crimes and religious abuse during the time following the death of Matthew Shepard, I thought it wouldn’t be possible to become an LGBT pastor in the Lutheran church. Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkley CA encouraged me to continue my studies and I moved to the Bay Area in 2002. In June of that year I began working as the executive director of the Welcome Ministry where I continue to support, feed, and find creative ways to help the homeless and hungry improve their quality of life. With programs at Lutheran congregations around San Francisco we’ve created community gardens that have given away over 5.4 tons of produce. Through partnering with Project Homeless Connect, we’ve given away almost 200 pairs of glasses in the past five months, and provided groceries for HIV positive individuals.

GC: Are there many trans people in ministry?

PM: I meet annually with a group of about 150 transgender pastors and faith leaders from diverse faiths at a retreat hosted by the Center For Lesbian and Gay Studies in Berkeley CA. We talk about how we can show support and learn from each other, and the best practice for sharing our stories, advocating for trans individuals, and our own employment needs. There may be many more than that, but some people choose not to be open about their transgender status after they transition. This is why I use the words openly transgender in my identification.

GC: It is difficult for them to find accepting congregations?

PM: Many transgender pastor faith leaders work in specialized ministry to support vulnerable populations. When it comes to faithfully serving LGBT individuals or the homeless, being transgender is often an asset. Very few openly transgender pastors are able to find work

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 Pastor Megan Rohrer leading a congregation. I believe this will change as society becomes more welcoming and understanding of transgender issues.

GC: Will you be doing trans outreach at Grace Lutheran?

PM: We take the name Grace seriously, so we will be doing outreach to people of all shapes and sizes. The congregation is enthusiastic about welcoming everyone, particularly those of us who have been lied to and told that they’re not good enough to be part of a faith community.

GC: Can you address some of the hardships that transgenders face in their daily lives?

PM: People who live outside of society’s cultural gender norms have experienced violence, arrest, and loss of jobs for centuries. I have personally been yelled at in bathrooms and inappropriately touched by people who think my gender identity means that my private parts are up for grabs. I’ve also provided pastoral support to transgender youth who’ve been kicked out of their homes, set on fire, sexually or physically assaulted, robbed or arrested. Many others live in fear that this violence could come at any moment.

GC: What’s being done to change this?

PM: As transgender issues gain more attention in the media, and with LGBTQ church groups who are educating congregations, society is beginning to understand the diversity of experiences transgender people take. Within most faith and Christian denominations there are groups of trans individuals working to help their branch of faith become aware of the issues that affect transgender people. The Human Rights Campaign’s Religion and Faith Department has excellent resources for faith communities, and I have worked with them and other trans pastors to create preaching reassures for pastors to use with their congregations. Lutherans have a group called Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries who have been very helpful for my journey and advocate not only for LGBTQ pastors, but also those in school training to become pastors as they go through the church credentialing process.

GC: Can you describe how you felt at your installation?

PM: My tears of weeping have turned to tears of joy. Many people were surprised that Grace called me because they weren’t at the forefront of gay pride parades or lobbying for LGBTQ folks at the church. They did not call a transgender pastor to make a statement, they called me because they like my sermons, bible study and ideas for growing the congregation. This is the future I want for the church and the world, a vision that sees beyond colour and identity and embodies the all encompassing love of God.

Pastor Megan Rohrer http://revrohrer.blogspot.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4013

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Event

Eat for Your Life!

Tasty fundraiser grants opportunity to dine out and give back

By Carey Rutherford A Taste for Life, a dining benefit that helps out a designated charity, will be giving proceeds to The Sharp Foundation during its fifth annual run in Calgary.

Started in Ottawa, the creative fundraiser is now making appearances throughout Ontario and New Brunswick, but Calgary was the first to host it outside of its province of origin.

“The idea is we recruit participating restaurants; on the last Wednesday of every April those restaurants will host A Taste For Life and they donate 25 per cent of their gross sales for the day (food, liquor, desserts, everything) to the charity,” explains Floyd Visser, executive director for The Sharp Foundation. “We’ve got nine or ten restaurants signed up already, and we usually get a few more than that [before it starts]. We try to get every price point we can, and all kinds of cuisine going. It’s really simple: all you have to do is go out for dinner, and have a great meal, and the restaurant donates 25 per cent of its gross.”

Indeed, it’s both simple and beneficial.

“The general population doesn’t know that, right here in Calgary, we have a fantastic little organization providing care and support for individuals dealing with HIV/AIDS and homelessness; or they may be dealing with (HIV/AIDS and) mental illness, or they’re dealing with some really complex [blend of other] issues… in combination with HIV/AIDS,” says Visser.

The Taste For Life event is slated for April 23rd this year, and starts at 7am. Blue Vinny, new to the event, will be doing a breakfast/lunch offering for the charity with a quarter of the proceeds going to The Sharp Foundation.

“We provide an integrated spectrum of support: what that means is we not only provide the client with medical support (HIV requires a very strict regimen of medication, nutrition, stress management, doctors’ visits, etc.), but we really care for the individuals that have difficulty with some of that process,” explains Visser. “The idea is to build their health and help them rebuild their lives.o Visser is clearly as involved as the staff he directs at the Lumino Building and Beswick House.

“Beswick is a ten room 24/7 fully supported group home. We have two healthcare aides on every shift, and they’re responsible for medication and administration, and will monitor the clients’ therapy, when necessary…

If there are issues around addictions, substance abuse, etc., we will also help the clients with treatment programs, whether they’re in day treatment or longer-term treatment; we provide active living programs, so the client gets a chance to get out and build social skills; building out the client’s whole, as we would say.n We discussed the fact that the fastest growing demographic in HIV/ AIDS cases is aboriginal women, for a whole host of reasons that deserve their own story in print. Visser notes that yes, The Sharp Foundation has a mixed cultural clientele, and recalls one 40-year-old Native woman’s story.

“It was a situation that, when she came into Beswick House, after we got her health stabilized, we were able to get further testing done to

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address other issues,” he says. “It turned out she was schizophrenic, and of course that can be treated. So very quickly she was on treatment, and was just the most amazing person you could ever meet: very spiritual, and calm. Her family was so thankful, because suddenly they were getting their mother, their daughter, their sister back.”

The woman would go to visit her family, but always returned to the Beswick, the place where she had been able to feel the most comfortable.

She stayed there until she passed away from HIV/AIDS a few years later.

“Even today her family is still engaged with us, supporting us and writes letters for us,” Visser says.

“The key thing here is, because of the trust that the client builds with us – and that’s the most difficult thing to build because of the vulnerability – it’s not always easy to transition the clients to another environment. So they stay with us. This is their home, because that’s where they feel the safest.”

The Sharp Foundation began its work in 1990.

“We started out as a place that provided dignified, non-judgemental supports for people who were dying of AIDS,” Visser says. “Of course things have changed significantly in the last 25 years (medically), but we’re still dealing with a lot of the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease, or the lifestyles that are stereotypically associated with the disease.”

Then add to that the issues of homelessness, depression, and culture.

“That’s what’s so cool about this work – is seeing people get back to living and respecting themselves, and understanding that they have value, and they’re worth taking care of.c To that end, following the construction of new locations around the city and an agreement with Calgary Housing, The Sharp Foundation was granted access to ten per cent of the apartments in the Lumino Building in September last year. This followed the flood cleanup.

“This is independent living, targeted at people who have been living with HIV for a long period of time, and are being impacted by aging… The people [wee people dep] are really happy: theyving, targeted at p, and we haven a mixed-usage, 80h any issues around stigma or discriminatory issues, or anything like that,” Visser says, important in a mixed-usage, 80-unit apartment building.

To learn more, about the charity and its activities, check out their website and go out and eat something!

A Taste for Life http://www.ATasteForLife.org http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4014

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41

Interview Ian: Or, when we wrote an email to her, do we address it to Xtina?

(Laughs) We were scared to meet her because we had no idea what to expect, but she’s totally chilled out and she invited us over her house a couple of times and we played paintball with her in her backyard. We just shot the shit. She’s an amazing human being and you really get to know that when she’s in that relaxed off-mode. It’s been really cool to see both sides.

GC: How aware are you of a gay following?

Chad: We definitely have their support and I feel like it’s growing.

Ian: We have a song called “Everyone Is Gay” and when we play that

at shows it really seems to be resonating in a positive way, so whether our audience is gay, straight, bi, the people that come to our shows are openminded and have huge hearts.

GC: That track in particular sounds very Broadway. What inspired the actual music on that song?

Ian: When we got asked to write that song (for EveryoneIsGay.com), we sat down at the piano and that’s really the first thing that came out. I feel like we’re both influenced by musical theater and there’s a couple of songs on the album that are more theatrical than others, but it was our original intention to write a musical together and we just ended up singing the song.  Photo by Epic Records

It’s a Sad World After All

A Great Big World Duo talk crying, Christina and being queer

By Chris Azzopardi You’re still crying, aren’t you? And that’s OK. We all are.

That’s just the kind of reaction “Say Something,” the sleeper hit by A Great Big World featuring Christina Aguilera, rouses every time it’s on, and I do mean every time. Because it’s on a lot. Peaking at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, the brutally honest, heart-wrecking weepie became a surprise smash, leading the way for Ian Axel and Chad Vaccarino’s debut, Is There Anybody Out There?

The New York duo recently chatted about making you cry, nabbing Neil Patrick Harris for a musical they’re writing and being more gay than straight ... for now anyway.

GC: There’s probably not a single person who hasn’t heard “Say

Something.” On that song, you pretty much opened your diary up to the world. What’s it like sharing a song that’s so personal to you with so many people?

Ian: You know, to think there’s not a person in the world who hasn’t heard the song, that’s crazy. That’s just crazy. That just hit me.

When we wrote this song we were both going through a really dark place.

We wrote it four years ago, and I’m speaking for Chad too, and though it’s still a part of us, we’re in a completely new place emotionally and spiritually.

It almost feels like the song moved through us from some greater place and helped us, and now it doesn’t feel like ours anymore. It feels like it does belong to everyone. It feels bigger than us, so I feel slightly removed. It’s hard to process what it’s like sharing your diary with the world, and I don’t know if it’s a defense mechanism, but I almost feel like I’m removed from it.

It’s hard to explain.

Chad: We write as therapy for ourselves. That song in particular was definitely, for me, a moment of closure in my personal life and, yeah, I like that the song ends unsettled. I actually found a new perspective and I did find resolution for what I was going through, so it’s amazing that other people are relating to it.

Ian: I feel like it’s a long-winded answer, but it’s an important question that you asked. It’s just magical, everything that’s happening. It really is.

There’s no other word for it.

GC: And you got Christina Aguilera on the track. What was it like

meeting her? Not just recording with her, but getting to know her. Was she more or less the diva that you expected? Do you call her Xtina?

Chad: (Both laugh) We call her Christina, but I’m pretty sure Ian and I talked about that before going into the studio with her – whether we should call her Christina or Xtina. We didn’t know!

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

Chad: That song in particular was definitely an effort to finally write a song that we would’ve loved to have heard when we were kids, when we were growing up. I was bullied in middle school and I would’ve loved to have heard someone tell me that it’s OK and your confusion is absolutely OK and you don’t need to define yourself and label yourself right now. We were coming from that perspective when we were writing it, and we’re hoping that it does resonate with kids and everyone. We wanted to have fun, but we wanted it to be a sort of anthem.

GC: Chad, you recently told Entertainment Weekly, “Why do you have to label yourself at all? We’re all somewhere in the middle and we’re all on this spectrum of sexuality.” Does that mean you fall in the middle of the Kinsey scale?

Chad: Yeah. I mean, I don’t know if I’m in the middle. (Laughs) I feel like I’m more gay than I am straight, and I’ve been with girls in my life and I’ve been with guys. I’m drawn to a human being, so it’s hard. You’re so used to defining yourself and labeling yourself, and you kind of want to because it’s easier – it gives you a path or a direction – but you don’t need to. I think we both believe that you love who you love.

Tell me something about the musical you’re working on.

Chad: (Laughs) Well, we’re working on a musical and, um, Neil Patrick

Harris – and uh, that’s it.

Ian: Yeah, no, no, no!

Chad: It’s a heartwarming comedy and it’s our music on steroids. Also:

Sorry, I just wanted to say that I mentioned Neil Patrick Harris as a dream actor/singer in this musical. That’s who we’re aiming for.

GC: The first time I heard “Say Something,” and even the third and fourth time, I bawled my eyes out. While writing or performing the song, have you just lost it?

Ian: Absolutely. We cried like babies. At least I did. I don’t think I ever cried more (than I did while) writing this song. I’m not a religious person but it was like a religious experience and it changed my perspective on everything. It felt like I was praying writing that song.

Chad: Yeah, like I said before, it feels like I didn’t actually know I was heartbroken until halfway through the songwriting process of that and I gained a new perspective on a toxic relationship I was in, and by the end of writing that song I finally found closure.

GC: How does it make you feel knowing you’ve broken so many hearts with that song but also mended many of them too?

Chad: I know that Ian is gonna disagree with me, but it really hurts me knowing that people relate to the song in a similar way. I know that pain and Ian knows that pain and it hurts and it sucks, and to know that other people are going through that, it’s amazing because we’re not alone but it’s also painful to know that other people are hurting.

Ian: You need to feel the pain to heal. It’s just part of the process, and the fact that people can feel what we felt, I mean, we’re all in this thing together.

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43

Community

Safety Under the Rainbow: A History

The birth and growth of services for LGBT experiencing domestic violence

By Jane M. Oxenbury, M.Ed., R. Psych.

While attending the Women and Mental Health Conference in 1991, and hearing about the issues of domestic violence in the gay and lesbian communities, the idea of developing services for this population germinated. Subsequently, in 1990, a local domestic violence group therapy program was adapted to create the first group counselling for lesbian victims of samesex domestic violence in their relationships. In time, some lesbians who had perpetrated violence in their relationship made the foray into the ongoing heterosexual perpetrator groups.

After several presentations were given about this area of abuse, in the early 1990s, a group of professionals began to meet to address further the gap in the Calgary domestic violence services and training available for the LGBT communities. As a result, in 1997 a training program for professionals, called Women Hurting Women (WHW), was begun to be discussed under the auspices of Peer Support for Abused Women. WHW training began in 2000.

Soon after, in 2002, the professional training program, YouthSafe (YS), was brought into the discussion to address the issues of bullying and harassment of LGBT youth. The YS training began in 2006. This program now resides with the Alberta Civil Liberties Centre.

In the same year, to address the domestic violence issues in the gay male community, a concurrent training, Violence in Gay Male Relationships (VIGOR) was adapted from the original WHW program.

These three programs, along with their media campaign of posters, websites and help cards, had been linked in a joint effort known as Safety Under the Rainbow (SUTR) by 2005.

In addition, membership on a general domestic violence committee was begun and the area of same-sex domestic violence became more widely known.

By 2007 the WHW and VIGOR trainings were amalgamated into one LGBT domestic violence professional training known as Same-Sex Domestic Violence (SSDV). Then, in 2010, the SSDV program expanded to become a capacity building program that agencies could access to increase the overall capacity within their organizations. This included not only the SSDV training but assistance for an agency with their documentation and accessibility to become a truly gaypositive organization.

Visit the website for more information on the programs offered by Safety Under the Rainbow.

Safety Under the Rainbow http://www.sutr.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4016

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Interview

Flash Gordon

Sam J Jones, saving the world on screen and off

By Janine Eva Trotta The reception was fuzzy and clarity drifted in and out for the voice of actor Sam J Jones, better known as cult icon Flash Gordon. He was speaking to GayCalgary Magazine from Mexico, though not working on a movie set.

Aside from starring in action films the actor runs his own company, offering private security services for executives and VIPs working in dangerous areas. This brings him often to border towns like Tijuana and Mexicali.

“I’m one of the few guys in the film industry who, when I’m making a movie, I can actually hire myself to protect myself,” Jones says. “We look after a lot of executives and high profile people who either have threats on their lives or live in a high risk environment where their lives need to be protected, or their assets.”

“We do the same thing the secret service does,” he says. “It’s something I just really enjoy doing.”

Ironically, it was Jones that could have used some security just a week and a half before the shooting of Flash Gordon began back in 1979, London, UK. Gordon was walking down a street one evening during ‘football season’ when he was jumped by 12 men. He says he was wearing a baseball cap that said ‘Los Angeles’ when the attack happened.

“They attacked me first; I had no choice but to defend myself,” he says. “I was holding my own against six, but another six came behind me that I didn’t know was there.”

“They pretty much took me down after about 60 seconds,” he goes on. “They just took me down when my back was exposed.”

Not unlike the character Jones was set to play less than two weeks later, he was literally fighting for his life. His background in martial arts was help but not help enough to take on 12 men.

Restaurant and shop owners on the street heard the ruckus and came out to help.

“Thank God there was some English guys there…they didn’t know me at all… and assisted me and probably saved my life,” Jones says.

His face was a mess. He describes the damage to his tongue, and the bone that was exposed in his chin.

“The doctor sewed me up really good and I was ready to go…it’s kind of a miracle,” he says.

A thick layer of makeup was applied to his chin and movie viewers were none the wiser of their campy film hero’s sustained injuries.

Since the film, based on the Flash Gordon comic strip created

by Alex Raymond, was released in 1980, Jones has become a staple name at comic and sci-fi conventions around the world.

This month he will appear at the Calgary Expo and promises nothing rehearsed - just some honest Q&A’s adlib.

“I just go with it,” he says. “[Flash Gordon] is a character I’ve always represented, I feel, in a good way.”

Jones has never tired of the role. In fact, he is proud to have seen the character span several decades and generations of fans.

Most recently Jones played Flash in the Mark Wahlberg, Seth MacFarlane comedy/fantasy Ted, and will do so again in June when Ted 2 starts filming (slated for release in 2015). This appearance, Jones says, has spawned resurgence in fans young and old.

“What I’m grateful for is to have such a huge following; such a diverse group of people,” he says. “It’s an exciting character. I enjoy it.”

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An oddity fans may not know about is that over half of the Flash Gordon film is dubbed over with another actor’s voice. Jones says it’s standard to go back into the audio booth after filming is wrapped and make changes, but since he had returned to the States to shoot a TV series he was unable to do the vocal edits himself. Thus an English actor was called in to perform the task.

These, and perhaps other revelations and stories of heroic feats, should be the stuff Jones’ appearance at the Calgary Expo will be about. The actor says he bears no shame for playing the same role going on now some 35 years; it has become a part of him.

“Flash is one of the few [super heroes] who doesn’t have super powers so it’s all about him,” he says. “When people say hey Flash …I’m not going to turn my back and run. I’m going to say hello.”

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Interview

Phi Phi O’Hara is “Bitchy” The RuPaul’s Drag Race Star Pop Rocks

By Skip Sheffield Phi Phi O’Hara’s new song takes ownership of the title she won on television’s popular drag competition show. Written and produced by Zach Adam and Heather Holley (who has written several hits for Christina Aguilera), “Bitchy” is a pop/rock anthem that the outlandish drag star describes as if P!nk, Joan Jett and Adam Lambert had a baby. “I really wanted something that was representative of who I am,” O’Hara explains. “I have a sweet but edgy side. I needed music that matched. It is also meant to be an inspirational message to fans to never allow negative names to tear you down.”

On RuPaul’s Drag Race, Phi Phi O’Hara was known to be something of a bitch – a fact she doesn’t deny or apologize for. “I was bitchy and I am bitchy,” she admits, “but only when I need to be.”

Some felt her camera antics went beyond competitive chiding. Phi Phi appeared to be constantly yelling at other contestants, often criticizing them for what she believed to be their lack of talent. As the season progressed, fan disapproval grew. Never before in the history of RuPaul’s Drag Race had one contestant been so overwhelmingly disliked.

Phi Phi O’Hara, however, feels her anger was misunderstood. “I was young and competing against much more experienced queens,” she says. “A lot of my anger was misguided frustration.”

Competing on the show turned out to be much tougher than O’Hara had anticipated. “After watching prior seasons, I thought it would be easy. Little did I know the time crunch we would be under to prepare for each challenge, how quickly we would have to change In and out of clothes and make-up, and how long we would be forced to stand on stage under burning hot lights. The powder puff I carried became my best friend because I was always sweating,” she laughs.

“On top of all that, the girls I was competing against were good. Damn good!”

As she sings in “Bitchy”, Phi Phi O’Hara has never let anyone stop or stand in the way of achieving her dreams. She didn’t appreciate the criticism she received from judges and other contestants on the show. She felt much of it wasn’t intended to be constructive, but rather destructive.

“Every now and then, it’s important to put your foot down and say enough is enough,” she continues. “What I did or said on the show was usually in defense of my hard work.”

She takes the words of Latrice Royale (a competitor on the show who is now a friend) to heart. Royale told Phi Phi that being a bitch is never a bad thing when one lives by the meaning of the word. B.I.T.C.H: Being In Total Control of Herself.

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“That is the definition I live by,” O’Hara says. “And it’s at the heart of the song.”

It’s why she decided not to follow the current EDM trend. “Bitchy” is a guitar-heavy pop rock track that draws from eighties’ hair metal. “The style and sound of eighties beats really makes me smile,” she says.

It’s also why O’Hara decided to sing “Bitchy” as her male counterpart, Jaremi. “I sing in my real voice because I wanted to showcase a very real and important part of what makes me...me.”

However, she is releasing the track as Phi Phi O’Hara and appears in full drag in the song’s music video. “I could never forget Phi Phi and the impact she has on who I am as a person and the career I have today. That’s why I felt it was appropriate to release “Bitchy” as my alter ego,” she explains. “I would like to eventually transition into singing and performing as Jaremi.”

In addition to her music, Phi Phi O’Hara is currently developing a clothing line and touring the country in a new live cabaret show called “The Sweetest Bitch”.

“Bitchy” by Phi Phi O’Hara is available now on iTunes and http://www.

PhiPhiOHara.com. 50% of sales collected on http://www.PhiPhiOHara. com from April 8th through May 18th will be donated to the AIDS Walk of NYC. For more information, visit http://www.phiphiohara.com.

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47

Interview

Driving Solo

Out artist Raph Solo Chases Love

By Jeremy Sanders In his book, The Memoirs of Angel King, Raph Solo detailed his personal journey towards self-acceptance, revealing a failed attempt at re-orientating his homosexuality through reparative therapy. This month, he tells his story through song with the release of his pop album, Am I Too Much?

The songs reflect Solo’s search for love and his desire to settle down with a man. In “Glass of Wine”, the album’s first single, he sings about finding peace and celebrating himself as a man. In other songs like “Lonely Playboy “ and “Brief Encounter”, he tackles issues like safe sex and religion, and examines his own personal experiences with open relationships and one night stands.

“I wanted to make a record I could identify with that shined a light on my reality as I know it. It’s an authentic piece of work, ” he says. Am I Too Much is available on iTunes now.

GC: You named your album Am I Too Much? So I ask you, are you too much? Are you too much man for guys to handle?

RS: (Laughing) I was told by a guy I used to date that I am. In my defence, I was younger at the time. I would show up on dates wearing all white from head to toe. He hated that, but it was summer! Am I too much? Yes, I suppose I am. I love too much. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not. Either way, it’s how I am.

GC: Do you demand too much from relationships?

RS: I am pretty laid back about a lot of things except the core values

of what a relationship is about. I am pretty headstrong in that respect.

I like to keep it real. I don’t take the guy I am with for granted so I don’t want to be taken for granted either. I can show a guy a really good time in a relationship if he knows what he wants.

GC: In “It’s Not Gonna Work 4 Me!,” you sing about dumping your lover for wanting an open relationship. Why are open relations not for you?

RS: I can only speak for myself and what works for me. For me, personally, the purpose of a relationship is about wanting to be together with a special someone. If the guy I am seeing wants to be with someone else, then he should go and be with that someone else. It’s just how I feel at this point in time. I also never commit myself to a relationship until I feel that I can offer the same.

GC: In “When Pop Met Porn”, you open up about dating a gay porn

star. How did you accept your man having sex with other men on film?

RS: He was a former porn star when we met so he wasn’t having sex

with other people while we were dating. I am not a judgemental person.

I can accept that a guy lived a life before he entered mine. It was part of who he was and I loved him as a whole. I only take a stance when a person’s actions affect me directly.

GC: Several of your tracks reflect a desire to settle down. Are you done with partying?

RS: I love to party. By settle down, I mean finding one person I can party with. I am always going to be a party animal.

GC: In your book, you wrote about having a hard time accepting your homosexuality. Where are you with that these days?

RS: At the moment, I’m in a really good place.

GC: Will finding the perfect man complete the puzzle?

RS: I used to think love was this thing outside of me that I had to

find in someone else. I don’t feel that way anymore. Now I know love is inside. I already have it and it’s mine to give to someone else. It would be great to share my life with someone, but if I never find that person, I will still continue to live my life with love.

GC: Describe your perfect man.

RS: He would make me feel I am enough for him and he would be a

man I feel is enough for me. On a physical level, I tend to be attracted to guys who are in good shape and are upbeat and lead a healthy lifestyle.

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On a personality level, I like guys who are optimistic about life and who are giving. Of course, chemistry plays a very important role too.

GC: What annoying habit do you have that your man will have to

accept?

RS: I worry obsessively about the future, but I’m working on that! I’m learning to enjoy the present moments and cross whatever bridges lay ahead when I get to them.

GC: What if your perfect man is not a music lover? Or what if he doesn’t love your music? Is that a deal breaker?

RS: My perfect man doesn’t have to love my music. It would be nice if he did because then we could share a common interest. I would hope that he at least took an interest to find out why I loved music and what it meant to me. Music is a big part of who I am.

GC: Would you date a fan?

RS: I dated someone who was a bit of a fan. I can tell you the novelty

wears off after a few times out. Then it’s about if they like who I am as a person. Guys often have a different perspective on me when they meet me in person than when they hear records or see me in a music video. I have been told I am a lot more chilled than they imagined. I guess that’s a compliment.

GC: What do you hope fans take away from your new album?

RS: I want people to come away from the album feeling like they know

me a little better. As if I was your boyfriend or your friend, or if we just had a brief encounter together.

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49

Kiss & Tell

Kylie Minogue on starting over, Sia’s sex songs and Australia’s ‘backwards’ gay marriage ban

 Kylie Minogue, photo by William Baker

By Chris Azzopardi Kylie Minogue knows the power of fate, determination and survival. That along with her many celestial-pop confections (and, let’s face it, lots of gays) have propelled the Aussie showgirl further than a lot of doubters predicted when she was classified as a mere one-hit wonder back in the ’80s.

She sure showed them. Not even cancer could get in her way, because 26 years after her self-titled debut, Kylie, Minogue releases her 12th – and quite possibly best – studio album, Kiss Me Once.

“Into the Blue,” the disc’s liberating lead single, is a mantra of perseverance and self-reliance that only someone like Minogue could profess: “I’m still here, holding on so tight.” How did she keep her grip? In a recent chat, Minogue, 45, talked about the essentials to maintaining pop-icon longevity, Australia’s “backwards” gay marriage ban and how Kiss Me Once ended up reflecting her own life.

GC: You’ve truly outdone yourself on this album, Kylie.

KM: Oh, wow, I don’t even know what to say to that. That’s

amazing. Thank you.

GC: When we chatted at the end of 2012, around the time you celebrated 25 years in the business with The Abbey Road Sessions, you said you wanted your next studio album to be more personal.

At this point in your career, would you say you’re making more deliberate choices song-wise to reflect your life? And what was the turning point – when did you decide that it was important to choose songs that meant something to you?

KM: I don’t know how to answer that. That’s a hard question. At the end of 2012 I had a realization: I needed to change in order to move forward, and essentially I’m doing the same thing. I’m recording,

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I’m touring, I’m doing, at the core, the same stuff. But I needed some new energy. I needed new life to reenergize. I was celebrating 25 years in the business, and yeah, I just had a very powerful realization and I felt very calm that this is actually the right thing to do. So this is why I changed management. I changed something that had been a constant for 25 years and I threw myself into a new environment.

GC: And did you want this album to mirror your own experiences?

KM: It actually didn’t transpire that way. I co-wrote one song on

the album (“Fine”), and I felt going into this album, which is the case with every album, that I don’t mind if I write the song or if someone else writes the song – it’s really about the song. But I do feel like my frame of mind was open and I did a lot of songs that really – well, they’re not personal, but they’re more like “Sexercise.” They just felt right for where I am in my life at the moment.

Ironically, something like “Into the Blue,” that made sense for me when I recorded it, though I was still in a relationship and now I’m no longer in that relationship. So it’s odd that the lyrics and the sentiment of “Into the Blue” resonate even deeper now. I kind of feel like some of these personal songs – songs that might seem personal – I just gravitated toward those. “Kiss Me Once” – I feel that. “Fine” – I feel. So I don’t have a tidy answer for that, but I just feel like it’s the headspace I was in. The songs just made sense to me.

GC: With regard to all the sex songs on the album, the media’s been saying you “blamed” Sia for them.

KM: Oh, I didn’t blame her at all – someone put “blame” into my sentence! I didn’t blame her for anything. I thank her for them, actually.

GC: I was gonna say, why would you blame her? Sex has been a constant in your music for nearly your entire career!

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KM: (Laughs) Well, maybe not on my first album, or even on my second album, but yeah, it’s nothing new. Let’s face it, most songs are about love, being out of love, sex, tears, breakup, makeup. It just so happens I have three with “sex” in the title on this album. It’s just how it transpired. You might as well do it in threes, right?

GC: Will you finally do a full-fledged tour of the States?

I’m not talking just a dozen dates – a full tour.

KM: You know, I would love to. The last couple of times that I have toured I have done shows in the States, but the first time (in 2009) was because I really ran out of excuses. I mean, I just kept saying “I can’t because my show is huge,” and logistically and financially we couldn’t make it happen. Then I finally stomped my stiletto and said, “I have to go; I have to connect to the people who have supported me thus far.” So I would, of course, love to travel to more cities, see more of the U.S. – and yeah, bringing my A-show to the States would be fantastic.

GC: Has one of your steamier songs ever come on in the middle of some sexy time?

KM: (Laughs) Ah, no! I think I can honestly say no. That could really – oh my, I don’t even wanna think about that. Not for me anyway. I don’t mind for other people!

GC: What line on Kiss Me Once makes you blush most?

KM: Lemme think. Probably something from “Sexercise.”

Mmm … oh gosh! “I’ll make you wait for more / Make you ache to the core / Tomorrow you’ll be sore. ... Lemme see you bounce, bounce, bounce.”

GC: Make it happen, Kylie.

KM: I’ll stomp the other

stiletto!

GC: Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, who worked with you on your last studio album, 2010’s Aphrodite, told Attitude magazine that you recorded enough songs with him over

GC: Sia wrote that song,  Kylie Minogue, photo by William Baker and she obviously possesses something special; everyone’s been tapping into her lately. And the years for an entire album. she executive produces your album. What did you find so special KM: Jake’s always getting me in trouble! about working with Sia?

KM: Well, first, I went to write with her to record some of her songs, and we got on so well that after a couple of our sessions I asked if she’d write more of the album and if she’d come onboard with me as executive producer. She said “yes” right away. I really wasn’t sure if that would interest her, but long story short, she was on board right away. I gave her everything that I’d recorded, which at that point was already quite a lot of songs. And she wrote the title track, “Kiss Me Once,” which I just adore. But I had a bunch of songs already.

Definitely not all of them, but I had quite a lot – at least, god, 40 or 50 songs – and she said that “Into the Blue” was the first single. Sure enough, that was the first single.

She’s written for some of the biggest artists today, and she’s dialed in and knows what’s happening at the moment – I think she also knows what’s about to happen – so she’s really just perfect. And she’s an Aussie, and she’s a girl, and I’m a great admirer of her writing, and of how she breaks some of the rules and how she does things the way she wants to do them. I have so much respect for that. So I’m a bit of an uber fan, and now I can say that I’m a friend as well. It’s really just a great, great result.

GC: I can see this album being the one that finally helps our straight Canadian friends understand how amazing you are.

KM: (Laughs) That would be lovely!

GC: Was collaborating with Enrique Iglesias, Pharrell and Sia an

intentional move to help build a more mainstream audience in North America?

KM: Not really, but it might have been the intention of my new management! (Laughs) Roc Nation has a lot of connections, and they’re able to call someone like Pharrell and say, “Hey, have you got any time? We have Kylie and we want to get her with you.”

I think we did what I normally do, which is work with some of the best and most dependable pop writers and producers. And I work with some new and upcoming people on this album – someone like MNEK, and someone left field like Ariel (Rechtshaid) – so it’s got all the same elements that I would have on a good album of mine. But I don’t know – I just think that everything feels a little more ... I don’t know the word for it. It just feels right.

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GC: He said he’s gonna leak that album.

KM: (Laughs) Yeah, well, if it ever happens I know whose door I’ll

be knocking on. You know, I love him so much I probably couldn’t even be mad at him.

GC: What are the odds these tracks could surface?

KM: It’d be really good to do as a mixtape or something. If they

were pressed and finished, then yeah. It’s different when things are leaked that are not where you want to get them, but I love the idea that these little morsels are around.

GC: You have always been a proponent for equal marriage, but Australia, your home soil, still doesn’t legally recognize marriage for gay couples. In December 2013, the court ruled against same-sex marriages. What are your thoughts on the ban preventing gay people from getting married in Australia?

KM: As always, I support gay marriage. I feel like it will happen eventually, but wouldn’t it be great if it happened sooner rather than later? I just came from Australia where they had Mardi Gras and it actually struck me when I was there, because I did Mardi Gras a couple of years ago – and I also did it in the mid-’90s – and I thought, “Wow, it’s so fortunate that people can express themselves that way.”

It seems ironic and a bit backwards that marriage isn’t fully embraced with that.

GC: For over 25 years, you’ve successfully navigated the pop music scene and influenced a legion of stars. From your own experience, what does it take to be a pop icon and maintain not just your longevity but your sanity?

KM: Hmm, sanity? Oh god. Keep your feet on the ground. Keep dreaming. Try and take care of yourself. Yeah, it’s somewhere in between being realistic and being a dreamer.

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Photography Western Canada Fashion Week (www.wcfw.ca), Edmonton

Next Drag Superstar at Evolution, Edmonton

Photos by Farley FooFoo

Photos by Farley FooFoo

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Photography

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HOMO-CIDAL presents Troll at Evolution, Edmonton

ISCWR Halftime Show at Evolution, Edmonton

Photos by Farley FooFoo

Photos by Cheryl Patricia and J&B

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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Photography Queers on Campus Gender Bender at the Den, Calgary

Bearbash at Evolution, Edmonton

Photos by Madelaine Robillard

Photos by Farley FooFoo

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Photography Jasper Pride Weekend 2014 http://gaycalgary.com/pa685

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Photography

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News Releases OPINION: Arizona – The Pink Dollar Wins?

MUSIC VIDEO: Ryan Dolan – Start Again

NEWS: A Re-Think Of HIV And Its Treatment

Travel Alert Issued for LGBT Travelers to Mississippi

Poetry & Narrative Film Collide in “Guys Reading Poems”

Teen Wolf To Add New Gay Character In Season 4

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5 Top Reasons It’s Good To Be Gay

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2014 Artists for Life Tickets Now On Sale

HRC Foundation Releases Comprehensive State-ByState Legislative Report http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1289

MOVIE REVIEW: The Adored http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1290

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News: UK’s Channel 4 Dispatches Looks Into Homophobia In Football

NSFW - TOWIE’s Dan Osborne Shows Flesh

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MOVIE REVIEW: In Bloom

Harry Judd In His Pants Banging His Drum http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1292

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Unconfirmed Reports That Iran Hanged Two Gay Men For ‘Perversion’

Calgary Expo to brings together cast members from the Sci-Fi super film Aliens http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1293

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Ben Adams Topless Selfie http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1284

Legendary Stonewall Inn drops Guinness over sponsorship of NYC St. Paddy’s Day Parade http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1294

No Justin Bieber Peen Pictures – Just Yet

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News Releases Breaking: Guinness drops sponsorship of anti-LGBT NYC St. Paddy’s Day Parade

Justin Bieber To Do A Calvin Klein Underwear Ad? http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1304

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FASHION: AussieBum Launch New Bottomless Underwear

Olivia Travel Partners with Honeymoon Wishes to Offer Honeymoon Registry for Lesbian Clientele

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Open Road Integrated Media Launches Ebooks from National Book AwardWinning Writer Paul Monette

RUSH Ocean Prime Makes Room to Meet and Mix.

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Happy Fifth Birthday, Grindr! http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1307

Jennifer Lopez to be Honored at 25th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1298

NSFW - More Favourite Instagram #CockInASock http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1308

Momentum for Marriage Equality Continues with Michigan Ruling

Kate O’Mara Who Starred in Dynasty, Doctor Who and Absolutely Fabulous Dies, 74

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MOVIE REVIEW: The Grand Budapest Hotel

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Alberta Ballet Announces Class Acts – A Tribute To Hollywood Musicals http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1310

Ricky Martin Shows Off Toned Body

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.Gay Domains Almost Here

Kyrgyz Parliament considering homophobic ‘anti-propaganda’ law

NSFW - Best of CELEB #CockInASock

New Music From Michael Jackson

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April Storm has been performing in drag for around 11 years, ever since participating in a High School fundraiser that required her to dress up and perform as Celine Dion. She seems to have a knack for shocking her audience with funny or risquĂŠ numbers, and says she does things over the top when she feels strongly about the style or message she is going for.

Her motivations are centred in drag as an art form that she uses to express herself, and after performing on PURE Pride tours across Canada and occasional shows in Calgary (at Cowboys Nightclub and other venues), she has gained a solid fan base from her high-calibre performances.

In real life, Tim Richards grew up in a small town in Ontario, moved to Halifax for 8 years, then took a job in the restaurant industry in Fort McMurray.

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He took a temporary transfer to Calgary for a short while, and eventually ended up moving here permanently a few months later. He worked as manager at Club Sapien for its entire span of operation, and currently manages Ten Nightclub in the same space, along with working at The Pint for their Beers for Queers nights.

Out of drag, Tim humbly classifies his life as being pretty boring. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games, hanging out with friends, drinking (in moderation) and travelling. Currently Tim is single and not actively looking, but says he remains open to possibilities.

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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

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10 12

2

6

14 3

7

15

1 8

4 5

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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.

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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

N

 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 #126, April 2014

63

Directory & Events Calgary Events

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

Wednesdays

Mondays

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am

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

See

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

Knox United Church

At 5 Goliaths

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

Mosaic Youth Group--------------------  7-9pm

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

Thursdays

 Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)

 Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

Tuesdays

Calgary Networking Club-------------- 5-7pm See 1 Calgary Outlink

 1st

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

YYC Badboys at 13 The Pint

 Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW

 3rd

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

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

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

At 1 Calgary Outlink

 1st

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

Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm

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

Karaoke-------------------------  8pm-12:30am

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 2nd, 4th

At 4 Texas Lounge

Fetish Slosh----------------------------  Evening At 3 Backlot

 2nd

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

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

At 3 Backlot

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

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

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

 1st

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

 2nd

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

 3rd

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

 info@calgaryoutlink.ca  http://www.calgaryoutlink.com

• Volleyball (Beach)

• Peer Support and Crisis Line

• Volleyball (Competitive)  vb@apollocalgary.com

• Volleyball (Recreational)  recvb@apollocalgary.com

• Yoga

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

Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

 www.argra.org

✰

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

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 14 Hyde Lounge

Penalty Box-------------------------------  9pm By

Les Girls at 14 Vinyl Retro Lounge

Bear-Beeffet----------------------- 11am-2pm Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 15 The Blind Monk

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

By

Sundays

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

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

Deer Park United Church

Thursday, April 17th By

Apollo

Apr19

Backlot to Boyztown---------------  9pm-Close

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

By 3 Backlot at 14 Vinyl Retro Lounge

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

Voodoo Lounge----------------------  10:30pm

See See

Scarboro United Church

Friday, April 18th

Hillhurst United Church

Worship Services------------------------- 11am Knox United Church

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

Rainbow Community Church

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

At 3 Backlot

Wednesday, April 23rd

A Taste for Life-------------------------  Dinner By

SHARP Foundation

May 2014

LGBT Film Festival By

Fairy Tales

May23May31

Friday, April 11th

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

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 15 The Blind Monk

Girlsgroove

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

Calgary Expo

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

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

Calgary Gay Fathers

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

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

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

 403-244-1956

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

• Rehearsals

• DVD Resource Library

Calgary Men’s Chorus

 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.

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

 Old Y Centre (303 – 223, 12 Ave SW)  403-234-8973

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

Gay Friends in Calgary

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

Girl Friends

 girlfriends@shaw.ca

 members.shaw.ca/girlfriends

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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

Calgary Queer Book Club

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

 http://www.calgaryexpo.com

64

Fellowship of Alberta Bears at 3 Backlot

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

 http://www.girlsgroove.ca

 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.

 beachvb@apollocalgary.com

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

By

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

• Tennis

 Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)

Bearacchus BBQ--------------------  Afternoon

Sunday, April 13th

 Calgary Contd.

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

Saturday, April 12th

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

See

Fridays

 4th

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 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

✰

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.

• Coffee Night

 2nd Cup, Kensington

Safety Under the Rainbow

 www.sutr.ca A collaborative effort dedicated to building capacity and acting as a voice for the LGBTQ community, service providers, organizations and the community at large to address violence. For same-sex domestic violence information, resources and a link to our survey please see our website.

Scarboro United Church

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

Sharp Foundation

Unity Bowling

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

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

✰

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.

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.

Pushing Petals

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

Services & Products

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

 M-W: 12-6pm, R: 2-7pm, S-N: 12-5pm

www.gaycalgary.com

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

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

 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

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

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

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

Holiday Retirement

Hot Water Pools & Spas

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

✰

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

✰

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

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

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

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

Third Street Theatre

 #3 306 20th Ave SW 

http://www.thirdstreet.ca

✰

 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

Interactive Male

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

Bars & Clubs (Gay)

Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

3 Buddy’s Nite Club------------------------- ✰

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6636

MFM Communications

6 Evolution Wonder Lounge

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

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

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

NRG Support Services

 Suite 27, Building B1, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW

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

FLASH (CLOSED)

 10018 105 Street  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

UpStares Ultralounge (CLOSED)

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

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6557

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

SafeWorks

These venues regularly host LGBT events.

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

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

 780-938-2941

 4th Floor, Jasper Ave and 107th Street

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

7 The Starlite Room

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

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

8 Yellowhead Brewing Co.

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

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

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

 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

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

HIV Network Of Edmonton Society----

✰

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

by HIV.

InQueeries

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

 10704 124 St NW

• Centre of Hope

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

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

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

 403-703-4750

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

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

See Calgary - Community Groups.

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

✰

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

Craig Connell (Maxwell Realtors)

 Calgary: 403-770-0776

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

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

Barry Hollowell

ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

Hardline

Retail Stores

6th and Tenth - Sales Centre

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

Ellen Embury

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

Community Groups AltView Foundation

Theatre & Fine Arts

Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

DevaDave Salon & Boutique

 1317-1st Street NW

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

Wheel Pro’s

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

Wild Rose United Church

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

 Calgary: 403-777-9494

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

Bathhouses/Saunas

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

Christopher T. Tahn (Thornborough Smeltz)

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

Cruiseline

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

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

• Safeworks Van

Calgary Civil Marriage Centre

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

 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 780-424-2214  living-positive@telus.net  http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz Living Positive through Positive Living.

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

65

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

1

6

8

5 4 3

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

Boot Camp------------------------------ 7-8pm 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

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

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Mondays See

2

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

Edmonton Events

Team Edmonton

QH Craft Night-------------------------- 6-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

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

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

QH Game Night------------------------ 6-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

Wednesdays

Team Edmonton

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

Women’s Social Circle------------------ 6-9pm

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

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

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

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

See

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See 1 Youth Understanding Youth

Counseling----------------------  5:30-8:30pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See See

 2nd, 4th

BookWorm’s Book Club

 3rd

Team Edmonton

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

7

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

See

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

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

See

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

 Robertson-Wesley United (10209 123 St)

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

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

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

See

Men’s Games Nights

 2nd, Last

Youth Understanding Youth

Saturdays  2nd

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

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

 2nd

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

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

 2nd

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

By

ISCWR at 3 Buddys

Saturday, April 26th

Leather, Feathers and Fur---------------  8pm By

ISCWR at Ramada Hotel

Saturday, May 3rd

College Show-----------------------------  9pm By

ISCWR at 6 Evolution

Saturday, May 17th

Sundays

Birthday Luau----------------------------  8pm

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

Team Edmonton

Diggin’ Disco------------------------------  9pm

Buck Naked Boys Club

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

See

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

Saturday, April 12th

Naturalist Gettogether See

Team Edmonton

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

By

ISCWR at 3 Buddys and 4 Woodys

Team Edmonton

Team Edmonton

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

• HIV Support Group

• Counselling

• TTIQ

Men’s Games Nights

• Knotty Knitters

• Women’s Social Circle

OUTreach

• Men Talking with Pride

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

 Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)

 780-474-8240  tuff@shaw.ca

 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.

✰

 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.

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

Fridays

 Edmonton Contd.

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

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

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

See

Thursdays

See

N

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

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

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

• Movie Night

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

• Queer HangOUT: Game Night

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

• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night

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

• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night

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

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

A support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family or supporters.  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 Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00 season or $5.00 per drop in.

•Ballroom Dancing

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

• Blazin’ Bootcamp

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

• Bowling (Northern Titans)

 Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

 bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.

• Cross Country Skiing

 crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca

• Curling with Pride

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

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events Red Deer Events Wednesdays

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

CAANS

 1st

 Edmonton Contd.

• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

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

• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons)

 dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca

• Volleyball, Recreational

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

• Golf

 golf@teamedmonton.ca

• Gymnastics, Drop-in

• Yoga

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

• Swimming (Making Waves)

 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.

Youth Understanding Youth

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

• Sports and Recreation

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

Retail Stores Passion Vault

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

Products & Services Cruiseline

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

Robertson-Wesley United Church

 10209 - 123 St. NW  780-482-1587  jravenscroft@rwuc.org  www.rwuc.org  Worship: Sunday mornings at 10:30am People of all sexual orientations welcome. Other LGBT events include a monthly book club and a bi-monthly film night. As a caring spiritual community, we’d love to have you join us!

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

• Soul OUTing

• Tennis

• Film Night

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

 tennis@teamedmonton.ca

• 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

HIV Community Link

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

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

 Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.

• Book Club

Theatre & Fine Arts

 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

Pride Lethbridge

RED DEER

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 GALA/LA

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

• Monthly Dances

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

• Monthly Potluck Dinners

Community Groups Affirm

 Sunnybrook United Church  403-347-6073  2nd Tuesday of the month, 7pm Composed of LGBTQ people, their friends, family and allies. No religious affiliation necessary. Activities include support, faith and social justice discussions, film nights, and potlucks!

Central Alberta AIDS Network Society

 4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB  http://www.caans.org The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in Central Alberta.

LGBTQ Education

 LGBTQeducation@hotmail.ca  http://LGBTQeducation.webs.com Red Deer (and area) now has a website designed to bring various LGBTQ friendly groups/individuals together for fun, and to promote acceptance in our communities.

Pride on Campus

 rdcprideoncampus@gmail.com A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.

MEDICINE HAT Community Groups

 McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your own beverage.

 356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB  403-527-5882  1-877-440-2437

• Support Line

• Telephone Support

• Friday Mixer

ALBERTA

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

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

 Monthly, contact us for exact dates.

Exposure Festival

PFLAG Canada

 1-888-530-6777

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

 lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com

JASPER

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

Lethbridge HIV Connection

 1206 - 6 Ave S

Community Groups

• Women’s Lacrosse

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

Call for info.

 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.

BANFF

 galia@uleth.ca

• Movie Night

 Room C610, University of Lethbridge

Gay Youth Alliance Group

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

Community Groups

Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

 University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.

HIV Community Link

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

Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

 http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum.

Theatre & Fine Arts Alberta Ballet

 http://www.albertaballet.com Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.

Lethbridge Expo

 http://www.lethbridgeexpo.com

Continued on Page 69  www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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Classifieds Event

140

The Fetish Slosh at the Backlot!

Models/Escorts

460

Alberta Escort Listings

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

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

Adult Oriented

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Womanforwomen.ca

Internet

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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

Cleaning

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GET A LIFE! Commercial Cleaning

Products/Services 500 Certified Personal Trainer Check out www.Squirt.org for the Hot Escorts in Calgary, Edmonton, and the rest of Alberta.

New Improved Features. Free to Post and Browse. Videos, Pics, and Reviews. Join Now! Code: GCEE

Erotic Massage

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UltimateMaleMassage.com

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

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

403-258-2777

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

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Twice Trendy!

Used Quality Clothing Marriage Ceremonies 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.

Pet / Animal

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

Erotic Massage

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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.

Rork Hilford MC, Commissioner for Oaths.

MarriageCommissioner@shaw.ca | 403246-4134

PEDESTRIAN POOCH Pet & House Services

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

YOU’LL KEEP COMING BACK FOR MORE. Call Mark 403-630-8048 www.markmassage.ca Dog Walking, Pet Sitting, Pet Taxi, House Services. Pet First Aid Certified. Insured & Bonded. Free Initial Consultation. Visit us at WWW.PEDESTRIANPOOCH.CA or call Mark at 403-477-1242.

12pm to Midnight (24hrs optional) Ladies Welcome

Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 68

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

www.gaycalgary.com

Consulting

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

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

Massage

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Massage Therapy in Edmonton

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)

 Find Out - From Page 67

CANADA Community Groups Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition

 P..O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9  (306) 955-5135  1-800-955-5129  http://www.rainbowhealth.ca

Egale Canada

 8 Wellington St E, Third Floor Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5  1-888-204-7777  www.egale.ca Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transidentified people and our families.

www.gaycalgary.com

Products & Services Squirt

 http://www.squirt.org Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!

Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada

 http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca

OUTtv

 http://www.outtv.ca GLBT Television Station.

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #126, April 2014

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