GayCalgary Magazine - August 2014

AUGUST 2014

® ISSUE 130 • FREE The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community

Interview with

GEORGE

TAKEI

Sinéad O’Connor On how she Found Herself

Alaska

Sinking her nails into Calgary

PLUS:

Dean O’Gorman • Craig Parker Adore Delano • Guys in Disguise Calgary & Red Deer Pride Edition ...and more!

Business Directory

Del Shores

Embracing our Damage

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 71

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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Table of Contents

Photography Photography Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, SteveJPolyak, Rob Foo Diaz-Marino, & B, Farley Foo B&J

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

Sales Printers Steve Polyak

North Hill News/Central Web sales@gaycalgary.com

Distribution Printers

Calgary:Web Gallant Distribution exPress GayCalgary Staff Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Distribution Other:GayCalgary Canada PostStaff Calgary: Edmonton: Farley Foo Foo LegalCanada Council Other: Post Courtney Aarbo, and Solicitors LegalBarristers Council Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors

Sales & General Inquiries

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This Month's Cover This Month's Cher and Christina AguileraCover courtesy of Sony Main: George Takei, Top Right: Sinéad O’Connor, photo Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesy of Mike Owen;

by Donal Moloney, Mid Right: Alaska Thunderfuck, photo Rex Goudie.

by Magnus Hastings, Bottom Right: Del Shores

Proud Members of: Proud Members of:

Virtual Pride

Queer gamers demanding a voice online and off

10 Guys in Disguise Back at Fringe Two Shows, One Spirit of Theatrical Fun

12 Avenue Q Lives Up To Hype Stage West production more than matches up

14 JeffyLube XXXpress and Dayzi Chayne The ISCWR’s Emperor and Empress 38 on their reign

16 Calgary Pride

PAGE 10

Writers and Contributors

Mercedes Allen, Chris Dallas Barnes, Writers andAzzopardi, Contributors 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, GlenHutnick, Hanson,Keith Joan Eva-Trotta, FarleyJack FooFertig, Foo, Paul Hilty, Evan Kayne,Lock, Stephen Lock, NeilSteve McMullen, Johnson, Stephen Lisa Lunney, Polyak, Allan Steve Rutherford, MikeyNeuwirth, Rox, Romeo SanPolyak, Vicente,Carey Jim Scott, Krista Romeo San Ed Sikov, Nickand Vivian and Sylvester, MarsVicente, Tonic, Nick Winnick the LGBT the GLBT Community Calgary, Edmonton, and Community of Calgary,of Edmonton, and Alberta.

Alberta.

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Celebrating community and showing support for the oppressed

17 Parenting Proud Pride Not Prejudice

18 The Good and Ugly on Hate Crimes Reported incidents on the rise, but so too is acknowledgement

19 Discussing Community Safety The facts on drinking, drugging and driving

PAGE 16

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

AUGUST 2014

20 Del Shores

His Sordid Life and Embracing Our Damage

22 Meat with a Message

Possibilities Calgary hosts 3rd Annual BiBQ

e n zi

23 Calgary’s Inaugural Dyke and Trans March Pride celebrations see two groups unite to meet same aims

24 Deep Inside Hollywood

a g a

Tom Hardy + Leonardo DiCaprio? Let’s hope.

26 Marching to a Stagnant Drum

m

Harper Conservatives stall on Transgender recognition

28 SMUTfest 2014

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®

Queer, feminist and real

30 Kamloops, BC “Playtime. Redefined.”

36 Out of Town

Asheville, North Carolina

38 Gear Geekin’ Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

New Gizmos That’ll Take Your Summer to the Next Level

42 Christepher Wee To Rome, with love

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

A Year of Critically Acclaimed Works and Unique Writing Initiatives

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

44 MS MR

Hitting Sonic Boom like a “Hurricane”

PAGE 48

43 Third Street Theatre Announces New Season

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

46 Tony M, Celebrity Trainer

®

Kicking Star Asses into Shape

48 Alaska Thunderfuck

Magazine Figures

Ready to once again sink her nails into Calgary!

Monthly Print Quantity:

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

50 Les Girls

PAGE 54

Fueling growth in the gay community

52 Craig Parker and Dean O’Gorman Catching up with the New Zealander cast of LOTR

54 Red Deer Pride

Celebrating Central Alberta’s flourishing community

55 Donnie Peters Memorial Cut-a-thon Back for another year of beneficial cuts

56 Fatally Attracted to Adore Delano 57 The Search for Sinéad

How Sinéad O’Connor found herself – and how the gay community helped

PAGE 57

59 It’s Good to Be Takei

Actor-turned-activist talks social network resurgence, closeted actors and autographing private parts

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Queer Eye A Couple of Guys News Releases Mr. GayCalgary August 2014 - Jon Koznuik 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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Editorial

Virtual Pride

Queer gamers demanding a voice online and off

By V.N. Winnick On July 19th a group that bills itself as one of the largest organizations of queer gamers on the Net brought elves, cat-people, and magic-wielding halflings out in rainbowdyed outfits to parade through the streets of the fantasy world of Eorzea.

I’ll understand if your reactions to this fall under the categories of ‘why do I care?’ and ‘that’s kinda weird’. Stick with me – all will be explained.

These gamers are playing a game called Final Fantasy XIV, a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game – a persistent world, populated by as many people as feel like logging in on a given day. Each player controls an avatar, representative of themselves. When your avatar walks down an Eorzean street, it mimics an average stroll down a goblinpopulated, magically-illuminated street in Calgary.

These games are undeniably popular. What was crude and obtuse when the progenitor of the genre launched in 1997 is now smooth, slick and, if not exactly user-friendly, at least welcoming and rewarding to those willing to invest the effort. When you consider that tens of millions of people play these games the world over, and that those people form communities and genuine relationships through them, it would seem safe to upgrade them from game to the realm of a genuine hobby.

No one, then, should be surprised that the members of the Rough Trade Gaming Community would marshal themselves, (adorably coordinate their outfits), and put on an event that they called Pixel Pride – a virtual parade not unlike the one we are gearing up for at the end of the month here in Calgary. And let it not be said that the relationships formed in digital spaces are necessarily lesser than those formed in reality. Though the individual wasn’t named, RTGC stated that one of its members – who went by the handle Erotes – was one of the five victims of the tragic stabbings in Brentwood this past June. The Pixel Pride event was, at least in part, intended to honour their memory.

Perhaps we’re all at least passingly familiar with the experience of watching a TV show, or reading a book, or playing a game, and amassing a mental stockpile of evidence that one of these characters is just like us. Maybe your experience is being represented. Maybe you can look at this piece of the culture in which you live and not have to concede that it is, like so much of the rest, not for me.

This is one area where MMOs could be said to have an advantage: the capacity for personalized participation.

Unlike most other video games that involve playing a specific character, whose look and personality are defined by the game’s developers, players of an MMO are uniquely able to represent themselves in the media they consume. They can

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 From Previous Page design their characters, express their personalities, and be as queer as they damned well please.

Let’s face it – until very recently, that has been one of the only ways to get any gay in your games.

Arguably the most venerable member of the MMO species, World of Warcraft, is well-enough known to earn dedicated episodes of South Park, the Big Bang Theory, and mentions in popular media from Zombieland to Orange is the New Black. It has reached cultural saturation, yet it remains a bastion of performative masculinity and heteronormativity.

It’s almost as though Terry Crews’s character from his run as Old Spice’s mascot has been shouting advice to the design team through a bullhorn: “MUSCLES! SPIKES! EXPLOSIOOOOONS!” One has to look incredibly hard to find even a little bit of queer representation in World of Warcraft, and this is a game that, at one point, had 12 million people dropping 15 bucks a month for the privilege of slaying dragons while pretending to be an orc.

Here’s a snapshot of the state of queer representation in World of Warcraft: 1. Two non-player characters stand facing each other, animated as though they’re speaking, though they have no actual lines. They are both women, and labelled with the same surname, and since one is a human, and one is a dwarf, it can be read that they are married.

2. In a forthcoming expansion, players will find a woman dead of cold exposure, clutching a letter intended for her lover. From the context of the message, it is clear that the lover is also a woman.

That is the extent to which you are represented in the most successful MMO of all time. Is it any wonder that players feel the need to take matters into their own hands?

Online Last Month (1/2) Creep of the Week Kevin D. Williamson

Whooo-oooo-whooo-oooo!

It’s the gender police! Chief Inspector Kevin D. Williamson has put a warrant out for Laverne Cox because she isn’t taking the Cox part of her name literally... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4179

Hear Me Out

Miranda Lambert, Coldplay, Robyn and Röyksopp, Sharon Van Etten

Miranda Lambert, Platinum While Miranda Lambert’s restless peers stray from the purity of the country genre to achieve mainstream acclaim, the Nashville Star alum has been widely... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4180

Creep of the Week Bob McDermott

If there’s one thing middle school students don’t need it’s sex education.

Because sex is icky and makes some people uncomfortable. It also makes some people gay. At least that’s... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4181

The OutField

If you can play...

“If you can dribble, you can dribble.” “If you can dive, you can dive.” “If you can coach, you can coach.” On paper, the words look kind of odd... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4182

Deep Inside Hollywood

Maria Bello will battle the Demonic and probably win

Maria Bello’s “coming out,” if you can even call the piece she wrote about her family in the New York Times a coming out story, was so low key that we sometimes forget... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4183

Creep of the Week Scott Esk

When I was a little kid I really wanted a rock tumbler. I remember looking through the JC Penney catalog and telling my mom that I hoped Santa would bring me one for Christmas.... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4184

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Online Last Month (2/2) Hear Me Out

Lana Del Rey, Sam Smith, Jennifer Lopez, Birdy

Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence The feigned public image adapted by Lizzie Grant (better known as Lana Del Rey) extends to the singer’s latest album, Ultraviolence, where her divisive... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4185

The OutField

A passel of Pride

Gay Pride Month is June, but the party doesn’t end there. So let’s hoist the rainbow flag, drink a toast (with the alcohol of a gay-friendly sponsor) and honor the LGBT athletes... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4186

Creep of the Week

National Organization for Marriage

My wife’s birthday was June 19, and on that same day a handful of people assembled in front of the Capitol in Washington D.C. to celebrate.

Coincidence? Well, yes. But also, no.... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4187

Product Review Koyzu Umbrella

See the video below for GayCalgary’s review of this product: http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4147

Product Review Jabra Solemate

Watch the video below for GayCalgary’s review of this product:

More modern games are handling things better. Guild Wars 2 has two high-profile romantic relationships between women among its major characters. One of the political leaders of Wildstar’s factions is both bisexual and polyamorous.

Elder Scrolls Online has numerous voiced and developed characters in gay and lesbian relationships. In fact, this doesn’t even seem to be noteworthy, as far as the game’s other characters are concerned. The Dragon Age and Mass Effect series, though not MMOs, offer the option for players to form romantic relationships with characters of the same gender. Elder Scrolls Online and Final Fantasy XIV even offer a means for players to marry one another in-game, regardless of the gender of the characters or the players behind them.

These signs of progress are doubtlessly attributable to the noise that queer gamers have been making in these digital spaces. Events like Pixel Pride serve exactly the same purpose as any other Pride event: to celebrate, to normalize, and to take up the space that we’re entitled to.

To make ourselves known and heard as members of our broader communities. The fact that some developers are listening to – and representing – their queer player base is evidence of how society’s attitudes toward queer people are shifting, both online and off. Perhaps the next generation of gamers won’t have to go scrabbling about in subtext and innuendo to find heroes they can identify with.

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Event

 Mr. Terri Stevens (left), Justine Tyme (centre), and Twiggy (right)

Guys in Disguise Back at Fringe

Two Shows, One Spirit of Theatrical Fun

By Janine Eva Trotta Making its world premiere this August, 14th at the greatest Fringe on the continent, is the Guys in Disguise crew’s comic drag piece Flora and Fawna’s Field Trip.

Seasoned thespians Darrin Hagen and Trevor Schmidt wrote the show over the last year and play the lead roles, with special guest Brian Dooley playing the girls’ odd friend Fleurette.

“We were on a road trip in the Yukon, working on another project… on a long drive through mountains and woods,” describes Trevor Schmidt (Fawna). “I sort of suggested we should do something like girl guides or mountain rangers.”

Though both writers were involved in a boys’ club of some sort in their youth, their involvement was brief.

“Darrin did all the fun (artistic) badges and then he quit,” says Schmidt.

“I’m at my best when I’m surrounded by my girlfriends,” says Hagen. “[So] it didn’t really work for me.”

Flora and Fawna are on a mission to create their own club, ‘a safe place for girls just like them’, where no mean girls are allowed.

The two are in the 8-10 age range, pre-pubescent; that brief time in life where one believes others are generally good, but are just beginning to see that not everyone is the same, and that people can hurt your feelings.

“There’s not that idea of boys yet… boys are still equals, not something to be thought of as boyfriends,” describes Schmidt.

Hagen likens the two characters to modern day Peppermint Patty, the leader, and Marcie, her soft-spoken, reasonable side kick. Only Flora has gained her positive sense of self-esteem from having two moms.

“She’s always saying things like my mother says this, but my other mother says this,” Hagen describes. ”She thinks its normal.”

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Flora doesn’t always fit in for other reasons. She’s a big girl, and her size elects her some peer teasing. Thus her desire to create for her and her comrades a safe club, which she has creatively called the NaturElles, runs deep.

“She is desperate to make sure people feel included in this nature group that they are starting,” Hagen says.

Fawna, on the other hand, is the character that goes along with everything, but once in awhile does question authority. Schmidt calls her “a hot mess”. Her hair’s a wreck, her tights are snagged, the last meal she ate is evident in smears around her mouth.

“That kind of messy girl really having a good time,” he describes. “As we’ve been progressing along we have decided that my character has a little bit of a speech impediment, a bit of a lisp,” he adds.

At the time of writing, the play had never been performed to an audience though its style will require a bit of audience participation and maybe even some improv as the cast tries to sell their new group to the crowd.

Both writer/actors call this show one for all ages – 10 to 100.

The naughty double entendres should fly over children’s heads.

“It’s got a nice message for children and adults about inclusiveness, and being kind to one another, and supporting your friends, and working hard,“ Schmidt says.

In fact, not long ago Hagen had a 10-year-old trans boy in his audience. His mother had called Hagen beforehand and asked if she could bring her son, who was eager to see some glitter and pizzazz. The boy was toured backstage and, Hagen said, lit up like a kid in a candy store. Hagen was happy to offer the experience, as such was not available when he was that age and in need of one.

“Times have changed,” he says.

Hagen was unsure as to whether or not the show will tour after it closes in Edmonton. He says Fringe is a wonderful opportunity to showcase a new work, see how it feels to perform, watch how the crowd digests it, and then decide where to take it next. It was, in fact, his debut show – Edmonton Queen – that began as a play with mediocre response but went on to receive a book deal.

The new drag cabaret Guys in Disguise is offering this year at Fringe might be for a slightly older crowd but still the young at heart. Entitled Boys will be Girls, the premise sees Justine Tyme, Twiggy and Mr. Terri Stevens presenting ‘the most sparkling, sassy, bedazzled comedy impersonation revue ever assembled at any Fringe’. This will be the group’s 27th year of performing, making it the longest running drag ensemble of its kind.

In the fall Hagen and Schmidt will be working together again to put on the Loud and Queer Cabaret that takes place in November.

The two have both been acting basically since they could walk and enjoy coupling for projects.

Trevor is not a drag queen but he can act in drag, and his understanding of drag and camp humour makes him a pleasure to work with, Hagen says.

“The first time Trevor worked with Guys was back in 2002,” Hagen reminisces. “[The show] was Tran of Green Gables, and we both played little girls, so this is hilarious: 12 years later and we’re both playing little girls again.”

Flora and Fawna’s Field Trip Presented by Guys in Disguise Edmonton Fringe August 14th to 24th http://www.guysindisguise.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4193 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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Avenue Q Lives Up To Hype

Stage West production more than matches up

By Jason Clevett In 2004 a little puppet musical made waves on Broadway.

Avenue Q won multiple Tony Awards and rave reviews, even defeating Wicked for several awards that year. Since then Avenue Q has struggled to gain a larger foothold compared to other big Broadway musicals. A short-lived Vegas run, and struggles to get a touring audience, led to the show becoming available for local theatre productions. Storybook Theatre did a bang-up job a few years ago with the show, and now Stage West takes a turn, a move that undoubtedly raised some eyebrows.

Why? Because Avenue Q features puppets having sex, swearing, and singing songs about racism. For a clientele that is used to more traditional fare, like Fiddler on the Roof or the company’s musical revues, it is a drastic contrast to what Stage West is known for. However, in terms of my social media circle, I have seen more comments from friends having gone to Stage West, many for the first time, to see this show than those offered in the past. That is a positive, because they have now seen the quality of presentation that Stage West offers in both its shows and its food. You can bet some of those first-timers will be back. Shows like Avenue Q and Evil Dead: The Musical may be what triggers someone to pay for their ticket. If they get hooked, the theatre community benefits.

While much of the hype surrounding Avenue Q is the combination of adult themes with adorable puppets, the show is so much more. Asking questions like ‘I’m out of college... now what?’, addressing relationships, being in the closet, and the 12

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struggles of everyday life are all themes explored that resonate with the audience – they are just covered in puppet fur.

It is a testament to the cast of this production, under the direction of Mark Bellamy, how well the production works.

Hardcore fans of the show want to hear the specific voices and characters that they know and love, so not only do the actors have to learn how to work puppets, act, work together (some of the puppets are two-handers or have the voice being done by one actor while another works the puppet) they also must recreate the characters. And they do so spot on. Everyone tackles their roles with a joy and enthusiasm – it is clear they love being part of the show, and it is infectious.

Avenue Q is a great night out with friends, birthday party or date night. It is charming; the songs get stuck in your head, you laugh, your jaw drops at times, and it is just pure fun. Catch it before the run ends August 31st.

Avenue Q Until August 31st Stage West Calgary http://www.stagewestcalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4194 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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Interview

JeffyLube XXXpress and Dayzi Chayne The ISCWR’s Emperor and Empress 38 on their reign

By Farley Foo Foo With the Edmonton Coronation Ball fast approaching, and the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose preparing to crown a new Emperor and Empress, we wanted to take a moment to sit down with His Most Imperial and Sovereign Majesty, Emperor JeffyLube XXXpress and Her Most Imperial and Sovereign Majesty, Empress Dayzi Chayne - heads of the 38th Imperial House of Royal Crowns and Crown Royal. As they await their step down, we reflected on the outstanding work they and their organization have done for the community over the past year, and speak about their concerns and hopes for the Imperial Court in the coming future.

GC: Can you give us a bit of your background? Who are Jeffy Lube

and Dayzi Chayne?

DC: Who are we? We are a married couple in real life who have been involved in the court and drag for only about six years, and I don’t know beyond that um...

JL: Well, daily life, we’re just a normal gay couple living our lives… it just sort of happened – it was accidental.

DC: Both Jeff and I were late coming out because we were married

before and had kids before and are both grandpas. I think it was sort of the production shows at the Roost that lead us to the Court, and lead us to drag, and to our first Coronation Ball.

GC: So you went to a Coronation Ball and that inspired you?

DC: It tweaked our interest. People were asking why are you wearing

those crowns? What is it all about? We were familiar with drag but not the volunteerism and what the Court is all about. It gave us an avenue to direct our energies.

JL: It was sort of about a year or so later – Brian expressed interest in trying drag for a hoot. Leah Weigh painted his face and it was just for fun; to just go out and have fun. I got involved by doing things with Dayzi.

DC: Then there was the Kylie Minogue Show – a production show,

and group numbers and getting involved with other people.

JL : One thing just lead to another. Big Daddy (Pump) gave me the title of Duke… and then… we just sort of started getting more and more involved until finally we were asked to run for the Prince and Princess titles. And then we won those titles, but we never consciously chose or meant to get involved. It just sort of happened for Emperor and Empress.

The following year we became Entertainer of the Year as a couple – but that year we weren’t ready because he wanted to wait until he retired.

DC: I couldn’t put the energy in for running for Empress, I was working out of town so I waited until I retired.

GC: Your predecessors, Empress Vanity Fair and Emperor JJ Valour, worked very hard and accomplished so much. Did that foundation make it easier for you to build upon together, or did it put pressure on you to meet the standards they left behind?

JL: I think what it does is makes you want to do as well, or better, or improve upon, as I hope they try to do the next year… If they do well, it all goes to charity. You do what you [can] for the right reasons.

DC: [Vanity and JJ] had a tougher year because of the bar situation.

It wasn’t until the year we were in that Evolution opened up and we had a good relationship with Woody’s and Buddy’s so we had two venues that are so welcoming to us. Having those venues helps. JJ and Vanity, because they had such a tough year in terms of venues, started using the Ramada’s ‘Locker Room’ – so it built relationships within the community.

GC: Aside from official Court events, you have both come out and supported numerous events at large. Do you have any especially fond

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memories from those experiences, and why was it personally important for you to get out and interact with the entire community?

DC: We went into this saying we want to build [with] the community, so it was really important to establish some of those relationships. We don’t fit into those certain molds of these are the drag queens, these are the bears, these are the leather folk. We sort of feel comfortable in a lot of different places.

JL: We were going to leather events, going to bear events; we were going to drag events etc. We were comfortable going to all these events working together with different communities.

DC: We were also focused on the fundraising and we used to be a lot more involved with the bears… they are very supportive of the Court too.

Even with the group Women’s Space… and Fruit Loop… it exposes you to so many people that aren’t involved in the bar or any of the groups.

JL: Then there are the events we helped out at. Queer Prom was so amazing, and interacting with the kids and Camp fyreFly just a couple of weeks ago – that was a lot of fun. When you have events like that, and when you perform in the bar and go out into the community or even for Woman’s Space – the appreciation is so empowering, you just want to keep going and going and going.

GC: So what are the charities the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose advocates for, and what accomplishments and milestones have you reached during your tenure?

DC: The privilege of the Emperor and Empress is they get to choose the charities each year. Some of them have changed depending on what one’s personal experiences are. We have been involved with Camp fyreFly since they started.

JL: This year we chose the Pride Centre of Edmonton as it’s so important to this city. We decided to split the funds – some to The Canadian Cancer Society, as so many have been lost so young to cancer, and then we decided the Alzheimer’s society [due to Brian’s mom] was a good charity.

GC: How does one get started with those charities?

DC: To get started you have to complete a ten-page application, and

you have to be interviewed by the Court and answer why you want to be Emperor or Empress. The Victory Brunch is when you announce your plans and address the group for the first time. Choosing the charities is why I did it. How many people have the opportunity to raise money and lead the organization in fundraising - which can be challenging but rewarding.

GC: For anyone wanting to get involved in the Court system, what is the best way for them to begin?

DC: If they want to get involved they need to be educated a little bit on why we do what we do, primarily.

JL: There are drag troupes in the city and they all do it for their own reasons. They are all great. The thing that makes the Court stand apart is that we do it for charity, not just because. There is more to it than

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just doing drag. There are rules and bylaws to be followed, which can be restrictive for some. To have fun doing it is great, but know that the money is going to good causes. Some will come to a show, and slap on lots of makeup, and go on stage and perform because the Court is always open; there no rules about who can or cannot do drag.

DC: As a teacher of grade six social studies, we taught kids about encouraging young people to take on volunteering for citizenship. For people wanting to get involved in the Court, you should do it because you believe in volunteerism, and want to make a difference.

JL: I got involved to have fun. Fundraising was not my number one. It

looked like fun and to be silly on stage. I was very shy. I was very scared the first time on stage. People were so encouraging and friendly, and you get to know the Court and why people do it. Go up there have fun doing it and make a difference.

DC: In the last year we have had minors involved in the community,

which we can’t do [with] all our events in the bars, so we’ve opened up to doing events at the Ramada for minors. To open up and have fun, [and] their parents are there too, so it is really special.

GC: The Court is known for being welcoming and inclusive to all gender identities and sexualities. Why is that important for the ISCWR? JL: If it’s strictly drag, whether glamour or shock etc. it can be hard, whereas the Court lets people do whatever they want – whether it’s putting glitter in your beard or anything else. The Court is just very open. …There is no limit to what you can do.

DC: There are all kinds of people in the Court system, from gay to straight people. It’s a real mix, and it has been even more evident over the last couple of years.

JL: A guy will perform as a guy and decide to try on makeup and then start performing all over the place. It’s about self-discovery, and it’s important to keep it open for anybody to have fun.

human, but one of the things with social media now – I find it very disturbing – is when it all gets aired on Facebook…We made a secret group for venting… I am very proud that we didn’t have any dirty laundry to be aired really. We had very little issues. Any issues that were had were beyond our control. It wasn’t personality issues, just some things just happened in the community.

DC: And work as a team. For us it is not just Jeff and I, but it was a lot of people, so network.

GC: As you look back at your reign, what will you be taking away from your experience?

JL: I’m just so damn proud of us. I am taking away this feeling of accomplishment, that we raised good money for our charities and had fun and made a lot of new friends who we will keep.

DC: We were building relationships with people and these are people that have been with us through the year. It’s quite rewarding to have someone come up and pat you on the back for all the work you do. I find it to be the biggest reward and recognition for that fact that it has made a difference with someone.

GC: Do you have any words of praise or words of thanks for supporters, and last message for the community?

JL: Please read the ball program. All the thanks are in there. (laughs) DC: There are so many people and organizations – there is the fear of

leaving someone out. We have two clubs and many of the organizations who have been so great. It has been quite an emotional thing. Both Jeff and I are emotional people. Jeff has his Emperor’s pacifier and I have all those people that invite me out for coffee... There are just so many people.

GC: What do you think the Court offers people who recently have come out?

JL: …I hope we get it across in some way that the people who have stepped forward to help us out this year, just how much we appreciate them. Words cannot express how thankful we are. There are people who came out of the woodwork to help and did it for us. It meant so much.

It’s gonna make me cry. (laughs)

DC: The people who recently come out come because they are immediately welcomed and encouraged to be themselves.

GC: Any closing sentiments?

JL: I just would like to encourage people to come out and check out

JL: With our roles in the Upper House we try to make a point when we see new people to try talking to them and welcome them. People have come up to us and have felt appreciated that we welcomed them with open arms. It makes people feel very comfortable.

GC: Are there any particular challenges that are facing the Court

system in general and the ISCWR in particular? If so, how have you addressed them?

the Courts, whether Edmonton or Calgary’s Courts; check the functions out and understand they are doing this for charity and for the community and support them.

DC: The message I would say too is find out about the ISCWR and find out what they do.

DC: Getting young people involved is always a challenge because it’s a different generation. I don’t know how to word that carefully. Maybe I’m a little bit jaded as a teacher, and see a difference in the generation coming, and the challenge is making it relevant to younger people.

ISCWR Coronation XXXIX

JL: Making it so they will want to stick with it. With any organization

Edmonton – August 21st -24th, 2014 http://www.iscwr.ca

GC: How do you see the Court’s role within the community going forth

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that has bylaws and policies and procedures, some people, the younger people, may not like that. …You have to do all the paperwork and balance all that with keeping the younger generation interested in still doing the Court. into the future?

DC: I made a point of trying to let people know who we are and what we are doing. It always seems like one of our charities has affected some people in positive ways, and we get donations because of it.

JL: It is important that the Court work with other community groups in the city. We work with any group, because it builds community and that requires a lot of work. …Next year the group can expand and grow from what we have done.

GC: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, it would appear that Jacque Strappe and Kelsey Breeze will go unchallenged and will follow in your footsteps. How do you think they will do as your successors, and what words of advice do you have for them?

JL: (Laughs) Well they are our prince and princess this year so they have great role models and both have a lot of enthusiasm. Jacque is quite involved with the leather community – and it is a good advantage to work for different events and fundraising. They are both good friends to each other and will work well together. My advice to them: no matter what happens, keep it off of Facebook! You never know what is gonna happen in the year… There can be drama. That stuff happens and is

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

15

Event

Calgary Pride

Celebrating community and showing support for the oppressed

By Janine Eva Trotta While Pride celebrations across the country are being criticized as little more than an excuse to party, Calgary Pride is gearing up to show the city how important this event for all ages is to the community and its allies, as well as those in other countries.

“Pride for me is a time where we come together as a community and celebrate who we are, where we came from and where we are going in the years to come,” says Stephen Wright, president of the Pride Calgary Planning Committee. “We still have a lot of hurdles to get over before we are fully accepted in society here in Calgary or in Canada.”

Events will start August 22nd with the Official Pride Calgary VIP Kick-off at Yuk Yuks, followed August 27th with the Gay History Walk & Reception, back by popular demand. This twohour tour through downtown highlights significant locations where gay history was made here in the city. The walk is put on by the Calgary Queer History Project and Calgary Outlink.

Outlink will also be re-launching its LGBTQ library with a kick-off event August 26th at the Community Wise Resource Centre. Used books will be available for $2 and spoken word performances will be given, including a reading by author Dale Lee Kwong.

On August 28th a picnic will take place at Buckmaster Park, commemorating the 1991 mayoral proclamation that for the first time made Calgary Pride week official (though public outcry forced the former mayor, Al Duerr, to rescind). It was also the first year Bankview residents were able to utilize the park. Attendees are invited to come and eat al fresco and play some sports, beginning at 4pm.

The opening Pride parade starts at noon, Saturday, August 31st, on Stephen Ave and proceeds west to Shaw Millennium Park where the family-friendly festival will get underway.

“We have Les Girls and YYCBadBoys hosting our main stage again this year with great entertainment to keep everyone dancing,” Wright says. “The FamilyZone is coming back bigger and better than in previous years with more activities for the kids and parents. The food trucks are always a big hit, and we’ll 16

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

be having six of the favourites in our food court area again this year.”

The beer gardens will also be expanded, and Wright says they will have the space for nearly double the cold beer drinkers as last year.

A Homo Hop all-ages dance, a slow dance, film screenings, a panel discussion on tackling homophobia in sports, the Hot Mess Pride Brunch, the premier’s brunch, and of course, Pure Pride the official dance night – so many events to take in this Pride week that one almost needs a special ap.

At current Calgary Pride is run by ten volunteer board members, though Wright says it is hoped that the group will be able to have one paid, year-round position in the future.

“We always need volunteers especially on the day of the parade and festival for set-up, clean-up and general help throughout the day,” he says. “Donations are always welcome, but most of our support comes from the local and corporate business community in Calgary.”

So regardless of your family status or tastes, there is a Pride event to suit everyone.

“No matter who you are or where you are, we are all still fighting for the same rights whether it’s here or in the US or somewhere around the world,” Wright says. “We have to have these Pride events to show our support for others who are oppressed in countries that don’t have the rights we do.“

Calgary Pride August 21st to 31st http://www.pridecalgary.ca

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Lifestyle

Parenting Proud Pride Not Prejudice

By Jim Scott It has been a glorious summer to be a new dad, and we have had many firsts to add to our son’s ever growing list. His first complete sentence, first time swimming in a lake, first big boy ice cream cone, first time climbing stairs alone, and, in just a couple weeks, the first time at a Pride Parade.

I have mentioned our plan to take our son to the parade to a few people and have been surprised at the reactions I have received. They have ranged from passing interest to sheer horror. One coworker in particular, who is also gay, even remarked that ‘Pride is nothing but a reason to celebrate every sexual fetish out there’, and it got me thinking, is he right? It may be true, to some degree, at events in San Francisco, New York, or Montreal, but there are a growing number of cities with Pride events which have acknowledged the current baby boom in our community and are making changes to include our new families. Calgary, it seems, is one of those places.

After doing some research I discovered that the Pride Calgary Parade and Festival promotes itself as a family-friendly event.

They have a stringent approval process for all parade entries, a dress code that falls in line with city ordinances, and there is even a plan to have a children’s play area at the festival grounds at Shaw Millennium Park after the parade. This is a huge step forward, and indicates that our community is evolving right before our eyes, but we should also remember why we celebrate too.

In my mind the parade, and related events, are the one time a year we get to celebrate the fact that in some very profound ways we are different from mainstream society, and embrace those differences loud and proud. I want my son to learn, from the start, that people come in all shapes and sizes and deserve respect and kindness. After all, isn’t that what Pride is all about in the first place? Acceptance, tolerance, and love?

It is also a time to remember the historical reasons we, as a community, started marching in the first place: We honour the memory of the patrons of the Stonewall Inn, an underground bar in New York, popular with Drag Queens of the day, where, after customers had been brutally harassed by the police for the millionth time, they rioted for several days in June of 1969, suffering terrible injuries at the hands of the police. It is widely regarded as the seminal moment that ignited the fight for equal rights for the LGBT community.

Because of their courage to stand up to oppression we can now walk down the streets and show our true numbers for the world to see. So, when you see a Drag Queen in the parade, thank her for taking the fight to the streets.

We honour the victims of the Upstairs Lounge fire in the French Quarter of New Orleans where 32 gay men were murdered by arson on June 24th, 1973 as they celebrated the final day of Pride Weekend. It remains the largest mass murder of gays in North America. At the time the customers were mostly from the local Metropolitan Community Church and were discussing a fundraiser for disabled kids at the local Children’s Hospital. Firefighters stationed just two blocks away were blocked by unknown cars and were unable to leave the station until one driver tried to go down the sidewalk, only to smash into a taxi that pulled in front of him. By the time they arrived at the scene the building was completely engulfed and hope for any survivors was lost. The murderers were never caught.

We honour the memory of Laramie, Wyoming college student Matthew Shepard. Brutally attacked on the night of October 6th, 1998 at the age of 21, he was robbed, tied www.gaycalgary.com

to a fence, beaten senseless, and left for dead. He never regained consciousness and died six days later in a hospital bed, another victim of a hate crime. In the media circus that followed, anti-gay opponents and religious rights activists used the incident to attack the gay community, creating such fear among local residents that Matthew Shepard’s own father wore a bullet proof vest to speak at his son’s funeral. Sweeping hate crimes legislation was passed in both the United States and Canada following his death. Two men were convicted and handed multiple life sentences for the kidnapping and murder and remain in prison to this day.

Take a moment to remember the millions around the globe who have died from AIDS as we continue to do valuable research in the quest to find a cure. We also remember the countless young men and women who lost their battles to come to terms with themselves and took their own lives as a result.

And the list goes on and on. From Draconian laws currently being passed in Africa and the Middle East condemning gays to death by stoning, to the torture, imprisonment, and murder of our gay brothers and sisters in countries like Russia, Brunei, and Iran. We must continue to fight for all LGBT peoples’ right to exist around the world.

So this year if someone asks you, ‘why are there still gay Pride parades?’ tell them that as long as LGBT rights are being taken away anywhere in the world, gay kids are being bullied in school and at church, or religious zealots attack us and our families, then we will continue to stand up for ourselves and march for those who can no longer march with us.

Brothers and sisters be proud, not prejudiced, of our colourful community. Of the lawyers, doctors, writers, and police officers. The hairdressers, interior designers, engineers, and landscapers. The fabulous drag Queens and Kings, butch girls and fem boys. Leather daddies and country lads. PTA moms and bears with their cubs. We have much to be proud of and I, for one, can’t wait for my son to experience it all.

Embrace your gay family folks and come out and show your pride this year.

I love to hear from you… send me your comments and questions at parentingproud@gmail.com.

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

17

Politics

The Good and Ugly on Hate Crimes Reported incidents on the rise, but so too is acknowledgement

By Stephen Lock Every year various police departments release figures which reflect the level of hate crimes perpetuated against particular groups in the previous year. These figures go into Statistics Canada (StatsCan), which then issues an annual report, supplying a national snapshot of hate crime in Canada.

The last reported year as of June 2014 was for 2012 (the information for 2013 is still being compiled). The figures show there were 82 more reported cases for that year than for the previous year, with a little over half of those being motivated by race or ethnicity.

StatsCan reported 51 per cent of reported cases were racerelated, 30 per cent were based on religious belief, and 13 per cent were motivated by sexual orientation. The remaining six per cent of reported cases centred around language, political beliefs, age, gender, mental or physical disability and, rather surprisingly, occupation.

Sixty-nine per cent of all reported hate crimes were nonviolent, meaning they involved vandalism, such as graffiti or damage to property (anti-Semitic slogans or swastikas on synagogues or other identifiably Jewish sites fall into this category, as does graffiti on mosques or churches and desecration of cemeteries, especially if the targeted cemetery is associated with a particular religious or ethnic group, such as Jewish or Muslim cemeteries or Chinese cemeteries). A third of reported cases, or 31 per cent, involved some form of violence such as assault, criminal harassment, or uttering threats.

Perhaps most disturbing in an already disturbing scenario is, when it comes to hate crime based on sexual orientation, 67 per cent of those cases involved violence, often physical violence.

The StatsCan report revealed 51 per cent, or 704 cases, were motivated by race/ethnicity. A person’s religion accounted for 30 per cent or 419 cases, and sexual orientation came in at 13 per cent or 185 cases. The total number of reported hate crimes in Canada for 2012 came in at 1,414 incidents, representing 4.1 incidents for every 100,000 people in the population.

StatsCan not only tracks motivation, as listed above, but also types of offences. “Mischief” (specifically against religious property) accounted for 5.7 per cent of reported cases with unspecified “other mischief” accounting for 50.6 per cent. This could be, for instance, mischief against private or personal property, such as scrawling anti-gay graffiti or racial slurs across a garage door or a neighbour’s fence.

Public incitement to hatred, which is a Criminal Code offence under Section 319, accounted for 2.5 per cent of reported cases. Common assault was the most prevalent, coming in at 10.3 per cent. It needs to be noted here that, in this instance, we are not talking about common assault but common assault in the legal sense, as motivated by hate towards an identifiable group. Related to, but separate from that, was assault with a weapon causing harm at 5.6 per cent.

Aggravated assault, however, which is a higher charge than common assault, came in at only 0.25 per cent, interestingly enough, with “other assault” being 0.5 per cent and “other violent offences” of whatever type coming in at 3 per cent.

Of all reported hate crimes 82 per cent, not surprisingly, occurred in major cities with Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto making up 35 per cent of those cases.

In Calgary, trends as reported in the Calgary Police Service’s Annual Statistical Report 2008-2012, indicated 56 hate/ 18

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

bias crimes were reported in 2012. Just over half of those were motivated by race/ethnicity, 28.6 per cent (16 cases) of recorded incidents had a religious motivation (the highest incident count over the recorded five-year period), and nine of those cases were motivated by sexual orientation.

While incidents involving race/ethnicity show a decline over the last five years, incidents involving hate/bias around religion and sexual orientation show a steady increase over the same period.

Part of this is due to CPS monitoring hate/bias crime more closely in recent years, suggesting that the incidence of such crime may not be increasing, just the reporting of the crimes is. It is also the view of CPS that hate/bias crime can be motivated in part by hate, bias, or prejudice and need not be the only motivation for the incident to be labeled a hate/bias crime.

As pointed out in the report, this distinction “can and will result in more cases being identified as hate/bias.” In addition, the Diversity Resources Team, which includes the committee formerly known as the GLBTQ/Police Liaison Committee and other community-based committees, provides hate/bias crime education to affected communities and actively encourages the reporting of incidents or suspected incidents to police.

The CPS has come a long way in the last 20-odd years in relation to hate/bias crimes involving sexual orientation. At one time gay-bashing (the most common form of sexual orientationdirected crime) was lumped in with ‘street disturbance’ and, as a result, tracking it specifically as targeting the LGBTQ community was next to impossible; separate statistics simply were not available.

With the creation of the LGBTQ/Police Liaison Committee in about 1999 or so, this trend started to turn around, as did the awareness level within the CPS’ rank and file, thanks to a targeted training course for recruits and the expectation coming out of the Chief of Police’s Office that all officers would treat sexual orientation-related incidents with respect and the following of proper procedure in investigations, as well as during initial contact with the victim.

A corresponding awareness within the general population, when it comes to hate/bias crime, is more challenging especially, it seems, when it comes to cases involving sexual orientation. While great strides have been made in recent years with regard to civil rights and equality for lesbians and gay men this has, it has been argued, led to an increase in attacks against individuals who are, or perceived to be, gay, lesbian, bisexual, or trans. While this is disturbing on a host of levels, the upside – if one can call it that – is that along with a higher profile around LGBTQ issues comes a higher awareness that our community, specifically the individuals who make up that community, are being targeted in the same manner as someone being targeted for being a person of colour or a person of Jewish or Muslim faith.

If racism, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia are on the official radar and taken seriously by all levels of government and police, then so too should homophobic attacks and incidents.

If there is any silver lining in this dark cloud of hate, it would be that finally our community is being granted the same respect, and protection, other communities are granted.

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Community

Discussing Community Safety The facts on drinking, drugging and driving

By Constable Andy Buck Hello again everyone. I hope you are managing to stay cool in this spell of hot weather that we have been having recently. It is hard to imagine that we could have snow on the ground in 10 weeks or so. Wow, that is a terrible thought!

One of the ways people like to celebrate the good weather is by heading to the bars and clubs for a few drinks. There is nothing wrong with that, but I urge everyone to make sure that they have a safe means of getting home at the end of the night. With that in mind, I want to give a little bit of information about impaired driving.

Impaired driving is when your ability to operate a motor vehicle is impaired by alcohol or drugs. Penalties for a first offence are: • License suspension (Canada-wide) for an average of one year • An average $1,500 fine • Higher insurance costs • Cross border implications

How do I report a driver that seems to be impaired?

a person perform a physical sobriety test at the roadside that is conducted by a trained evaluating officer. If the evaluating officer determines the driver is impaired then the driver can be arrested for impaired driving. If the officer has formed the opinion that a person is impaired by a drug then a Drug Recognition Expert will be called in to determine if the person is impaired and what drug category the person is impaired by.

What is the penalty for impaired driving under the influence of a drug?

The penalties for driving under the influence of a drug are the same as for driving under the influence of alcohol.

Drinking and driving wrecks lives. So does driving under the influence of drugs. I have seen it first-hand. Please be responsible – not just to yourselves, but to everybody else too. I can assure you that there is nothing worse for a police officer than having to deliver a ‘bad news’ message to family and loved ones.

As always, stay safe and look out for each other. Please feel free to contact me in the usual way, or come and see me at the Calgary Police Service information booth at Calgary Pride.

Call 9-1-1. Do not attempt to follow the driver or place yourself in danger.

Constable Andy Buck 403-428-8154 • pol4792@calgarypolice.ca

How does Calgary Police Service (CPS) police this?

CPS polices impaired driving through regular street enforcement and is one of the only municipalities in North America that has a CHECKSTOP program 52 weeks of the year.

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How many impaired driving convictions does CPS handle?

On average, approximately 2,700 impaired driving charges are laid every year in Calgary. This number includes those charged with being over .08/impaired as we usually lay both charges as part of the investigation.

Of all the fatality and serious injury collisions investigated in Calgary, approximately one-third of the collisions involve an impaired driver.

Drinking and driving puts people’s lives and property at risk, so identifying the signs can help stop drunk drivers before it’s too late.

How much can I drink and still be able to drive?

The only safe level is 0. Be responsible! Alcohol affects everyone differently. There are many factors that can increase the effects of alcohol on an individual.

Do I have to give a breath sample?

If an officer reads a Criminal Code Demand (screening device or evidential) to a person, then they are required to provide a breath sample.

What happens if I refuse to give a breath sample?

You will be charged under the Criminal Code for refusing to provide a breath sample, which carries the same jeopardy as being charged with impaired driving.

I heard there are ways someone can give a false sample, like smoking, chewing gum, or putting a penny under the tongue. Do they work?

No. The instruments used for investigating impaired driving are designed to detect alcohol, nothing else. All persons providing breath samples will have their mouth checked for foreign objects prior to providing breath samples.

Can I still be impaired in the morning?

Yes. Alcohol is only eliminated from your body at a certain rate. If you went to bed with a high blood alcohol concentration and didn’t wait for the alcohol to eliminate from your body, you run the chance of still being impaired and, if caught, being charged.

How is it determined if someone is impaired by a drug?

If an officer has a reasonable suspicion that a driver is impaired by a drug then the Criminal Code of Canada gives the police the power to demand that

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

19

Interview

Del Shores

His Sordid Life and Embracing Our Damage

By Jim Scott You have probably seen his outrageous characters and heard his unique way with words on TV shows like Dharma and Greg, Tinseltown, Touched By an Angel, and Queer as Folk. His films Daddy’s Dyin Who’s Got the Will and Sordid Lives have a cult following of millions around the world. A courageous and outspoken activist for the gay community, playwright, performer, producer, and director Del Shores will soon be bringing his witty, challenging, and unapologetic view of the world to this year’s Calgary Pride Festival from August 29th to 31st.

In addition to leading the parade down Stephen Avenue, as Grand Marshal on August 31st, Shores will be performing his deeply personal, politically charged, and very funny one man show, Del Shores: My Sordid Life, and hosting a one-night-only film screening of his award winning 2013 film, Southern Baptist Sissies, starring Willam Belli, Emerson Collins, Dale Dickey, and Leslie Jordan.

Shores sat down with us this week for an extremely candid interview to talk about the real people and places that inspire his outrageous characters, his community activism, why he says we should embrace our damage and use it for good, and how the recurring theme of religion throughout his work is meant to challenge the establishment, open the minds of the intolerant, and, especially, to let young people know they aren’t alone.

GC: So you know you are the very first American that Calgary has invited to come lead their Pride Parade; how do you feel about that?

DS: Well, very honoured. I have to say I was really very shocked.

I was asking myself do people really know who I am up there? Of course I was just so happy when I got that… I’m thrilled to return to Canada. You know I worked in Toronto for three years on Queer As Folk. I love Canadians!

GC: Del, I have been following you on social media all summer and it seems like you have hosted every Pride event known to man, and woman, this season. How do you feel about the criticism that they are just an excuse for a big party?

DS: Well, I’ll say this: I’m already booking for next year’s Prides if that says anything. I actually love playing the Pride shows, and my shows do really well with those audiences. They are my favorites.

It’s everybody coming together for celebration and everyone always seems to just want to have a good time. There is nothing wrong with that.

GC: Across your body of work there is a theme that resonates related to your religious upbringing, and you call it ‘embracing your damage’, and I love that. At what point did you come to terms with this idea, or has it always been a part of your creative life?

DS: Early in my career when I wrote the original play of Daddy’s Dyin Who’s Got the Will I was a little removed from the story. Those characters were based on my mother’s family and, of course, mine too, but I was more of an observer. Whereas, when I wrote Sordid Lives, is when I came out to my wife and daughters and I really started delving into my own psychology, having lots of therapy.

That is when I decided to embrace who I am, and talk about it, and tell those stories. Latrelle is homage to my own mom and how she handled me coming out.

Then I think I took it even a step further with Southern Baptist Sissies, which is based on my own experience as a young man, and now, in my directing, I’m always saying to my actors scratch deeper, scratch deeper. Go to the core of your damage because that is what will give you an authentic performance, and the character becomes complete that way. And Jimmy you are absolutely right! It has become my mantra. Don’t run away from your damage, attack it and own it.

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

 Del Shores

GC: So this theme of religion, specifically your views on Christianity, that runs through your work is something a lot of LGBT people around the world struggle with. As the son of a Southern Baptist minister who grew up in small town (Winters, Texas), how have your thoughts on the issue evolved, and how does it influence your work?

DS: It continues to be a recurring theme in my work because it doesn’t seem to go away. I have somehow become the spokesperson for the gay community, attacking the hate that is spewed in the name of the Lord. I guess it really started happening with Southern Baptist Sissies, you know, telling that story and actually being the character of Mark that left the church and used my intelligence to figure out that, hey, if you’re going to use this scripture to hate on me, then what about this scripture that you’re forgetting about?

And talk about embracing your damage? I was a Bible scholar as a kid and all through college. I went to Baylor University and had to take required religion and I sat in those pews, not once on Sunday, but twice, and on Wednesday night too. So I know the Bible, and when someone attacks me using it, I can turn it right back on him or her. What they are doing is supporting their own homophobia using scripture and saying their embracing the word of God, but they aren’t because they don’t live it. That’s what I like to point out.

I like to poke at them. I like to go hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, and that is where I get a lot of material for my shows.

GC: So Del, you have a very unique vantage point for all men, straight and gay, because you have been married and divorced from a woman and a man. What is that like?

DS: No matter what has happened to me personally, I demand the same rights that our straight brothers and sisters have here in the States. Whether that be gay marriage, or gay divorce in my case, they have the right, so why shouldn’t I? So even though I am divorced I continue to fight publically for these rights on behalf of all of us.

Recently, I even had a fan post a comment relating back to my Queer as Folk days, saying that Debbie and Carl can get married now

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that Pennsylvania legalized gay marriage. It referenced a scene I’d forgotten about where Debbie tells Carl she can’t accept his proposal until her son Michael can also get married. It was a pretty popular post, and then for some unknown reason Facebook suspended my account over it, which turned into an international news story that actually started in Canada with Global News. It was all smoothed over and I got an apology, but it was a crazy time.

GC: There is another thing you have been ahead of the curve on in the LGBT community, and that’s being a gay father. There is an observable baby boom happening in our communities right now. My husband and I even have a two year old, so tell me, what are your thoughts on being an out parent?

DS: My family is certainly very unique. We went from having socalled traditional family values to suddenly very untraditional ones when my wife and I split up, but we’ve stayed close. My (ex) wife’s parents play Dr. Eve and Wardell in the Sordid Lives franchise, so we have this crazy kind of interesting family that my kids grew up with, so they didn’t know any different. It just shows that when you raise your kids that way, it just is. We didn’t make it a big deal to them, so to them it was no big deal. I’m so proud of them because now they are LGBT activists; they are spokespeople to their generation. So my advice for all parents is: just be available for your kids and spend time with them.

– who still have residual shame and conflict within themselves about the church, how they were raised, will go away not feeling alone – feeling enlightened, and feeling free. Just like it says in the Bible, the truth shall set you free.

Second, there are those from the church who have seen it and had a change of heart, because they see the pain and the danger of the rhetoric in these sermons. Causing some people to go to the degree, too many times, of taking their own lives. It is because of the church telling them you can pray it away, but then not being able to pray it away. I want people to know we are all worthy of love and that is what I hope people get out of all of my work. I want young people, especially the 15 year old Del and Jimmies out there, to know that they aren’t alone. There is nothing wrong with them, they are beautiful, and if they just hang in there, things will get better.

To find out more about Del Shores follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Del Shores: My Sordid Life Calgary - Yuk, Yuk’s Comedy Club, Elbow River Casino Saturday, August 30th @ 7:30pm http://www.yukyuks.com

GC: So you have already said that Southern Baptist Sissies, a play and film you wrote and directed, is based on your own experiences as a young man. You are hosting a Q and A and screening here during the festival. When people walk out of the theater, what do hope they leave with?

Southern Baptist Sissies Calgary - Globe Theatre Friday, August 29th http://www.pridecalgary.ca

DS: Two things. First of all, when I wrote the play, which has now become a film, I really thought I was writing for myself. It was an extension of my own therapy, and I honestly didn’t know how many people were singing the same song I was. It has become a very healing and cathartic story for many, many people. So I always hope that people who suffer the damage – there’s that damage thing again

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21

Event

Meat with a Message

Possibilities Calgary hosts 3rd Annual BiBQ

By Nick Winnick The first two letters of everybody’s favourite initialism – that is, L and G – have made significant strides toward broad cultural acceptance in recent years. B and T on the other hand, perhaps not so much. Possibilities Calgary aims to narrow that gap through dialogue, outreach, and good, old-fashioned organizing. For the third year running, Possibilities is hosting their annual BiBQ, as a part of the forthcoming Pride festivities at the end of this month. We recently had a chance to speak to Tiffany Sostar, creator of Possibilities Calgary and organizer of the BiBQ, about the event and its purpose.

Sostar relates that Possibilities started as a project designed while taking a course at the University of Calgary, specifically devoted to feminist praxis – that is, applying the principles of a theory to the real world, and affecting change.

“Our project was to do some kind of activism or work in the community,” Sostar says, “since I’m bisexual myself, and I realized there wasn’t really anything in Calgary for the non-monosexual community.” Sostar quickly developed an affinity for the nuts and bolts of community outreach.

“I loved it! And there was a significant demand for it and need for it, and it has now been running for four years.”

Possibilities’ purview was narrow at first, hosting regular discussion groups aimed specifically at bisexual and pansexual individuals. This was rapidly followed up by a coffee shop night focused on the queer community as a whole. It seems that as soon as the subject of non-monosexual identities was broached, Sostar’s organization ended up serving the needs of a broad cross-section of queer people.

“I found that there were quite a few asexual folks who were coming to our meetings, because there’s nothing for the asexual community. We decided that ‘zero’ is not ‘one’, so they would also fall under the non-monosexual umbrella, so we started doing occasional discussion nights focused on asexual issues. And we had a ton of trans community members, so we started including that, and it has just kind of grown.” Beginning in September, Possibilities will begin hosting a group designed specifically to support transgendered individuals as well.

Devil’s advocates and those who haven’t been paying particularly close attention may be wondering just what it is that nonmonosexual queers in general, and bisexual people in particular, have to overcome. In short, the problem is of visibility. How does one assert one’s identity as bisexual while in an opposite-sex relationship? How does one maintain an asexual identity when so many people are prepared to dismiss it as “not having met the right person yet”?

In late July, Anna Paquin found herself having to defend her identity as a bisexual woman to a comically incredulous Larry King. When Paquin asserted that she was bisexual, married to a man, and monogamous, King needled; “but you were bisexual?”

– proving that a copious amount of hair dye isn’t the only thing going over his head. Even media that gives queer people decent representation and well-rounded characters can’t seem to stomach the word bisexual. Piper Chapman, one of the lead characters in Orange is the New Black, is clearly presented as bisexual in the context of the story, and never once is the word uttered by another character, even when directly discussing her relationships with both men and women. Sostar underscores this point as a primary focus of Possibilities Calgary.

“If I go based on the last four years of discussion nights, I would say the issues that come up over and over and over are: how can we be visible? How do you perform bisexuality or pansexuality or asexuality and not get erased?” Enter the BiBQ. 22

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

“There have been BiBQs in various cities for quite a few years,” Sostar says. “One of the prejudices that gets directed against the bisexual community, specifically, is that we access a theoretical straight privilege, and don’t give back to the queer community…

The BiBQ seemed like a perfect way to do that – something that would be accessible to everyone in the community. It could be family-friendly, so that would challenge some of the stereotypes about bisexual folks as being hypersexual, and would be something that would be open to everybody. We’d be offering a service, and kind of challenging that narrative of bisexuals as interlopers, or intruders or traitors.”

For the past two years running, the idea seems to have been a resounding success. “Our first BiBQ, we anticipated 30 people; we were thinking it would be pretty small,” Sostar recalls. “We ended up having more than 150. We had to run out to buy more hot dogs three times over the course of the three-hour event.”

This year Sostar and Possibilities Calgary are hoping to host 300 people in their new venue at Central Memorial Park. This official Pride event looks to be continuing its tradition of offering familyoriented entertainment, with live music, crafting tables aimed at the kids who will be in attendance, a bouncy castle, and of course, the titular barbecue. All this, of course, is in service of Possibilities’ all-embracing goals of inclusion and connection. “[We are] bringing different community groups in to showcase what they do in the community so that people who come to the BiBQ this year can find other groups to connect with; to continue that community building,” Sostar says. “The Quiddich club from the UofC [will be] doing a demo. They’re an awesome, trans-inclusive, queer-friendly group for people who want to do something nerdy and sports-related. We’re going to have a video game exhibit with the Museum of Interactive Entertainment and, again, it’s a queerfriendly, trans-inclusive group offering a service that’s interesting and different from what’s been available so far.”

The BiBQ, like all of Possibilities’ events, aims to forge and solidify connections in Calgary’s queer community by creating safe space, and giving their attendees the means to network and find friends, allies, and colleagues.

3rd Annual Possibilities’ Calgary BiBQ Saturday, August 30th @ 4-8pm Central Memorial Park, 1221 2 St SW https://www.facebook.com/possibilitiescalgary

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Event

Calgary’s Inaugural Dyke and Trans March Pride celebrations see two groups unite to meet same aims

By Janine Eva Trotta On August 30th, 2014 Calgary will see two groups join forces in a walk that aims to raise awareness and celebrate unique identities. The Dyke March and Calgary Outlink Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity are partnering to organize the first ever Calgary Dyke and Trans March.

The decision comes with the acknowledgement that the Calgary trans community is underrepresented in Calgary’s Pride celebrations, and is among the most marginalized group in both mainstream society as well as within the queer community itself.

“There are issues within our community that restrict diverse identities from being fully respected and appreciated,” says Gio Dolcecore, spokesperson for the Calgary Dyke March. “For instance, transgender individuals are still struggling for equality at large and within our queer spaces. Dykes still face negative stigmas at large and within our lesbian community, where certain gender stereotypes are discriminated against. Gender discourses affect the Dyke and Trans March and this is why these two communities will march side by side, demonstrating diversity of gender, sexuality, identity, but also illustrate friendship and support.”

Dolcecore states it is still not entirely safe for people to come out as transgender or dyke, and thus this march serves as a reminder that there are others out there just like you.

“It is a necessity to offer space for these diverse identities to come together and be able to engage in positive and safe community development,” she says. “When safe space is provided our community grows, and this gives us a chance to embrace, develop, question, and liberate our identities. Safe

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space is healing, but it also helps those who cannot attend.

The Dyke and Trans March is dedicated to breaking down the discrimination and prejudice that restrict individuals from being able to come out.”

The march will begin at 11:30am at William Aberhart Park, head down 4th Street and end at Roulleaville Square with a realm of entertainment, including a showcase of dyke and trans artists from 12:30 to 3:30pm.

Dolcecore hopes to see both the familiar faces of the dyke and trans communities and fellow LGBTQs, as well as a good show of the allies who support them. This march is meant for all walks to feel welcome: trans women, trans men, gender queer, non-binary, bi women, lesbian women, femme, butch, and everyone in between.

“We are excited to be part of an inclusive and empowering community development and political demonstration where diverse genders and sexualities can be authenticated,” says Dolcecore.

Calgary Dyke and Trans March Calgary – August 30th @ 11:30am http://www.calgarydykemarch.com

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23

Gossip Back to school with HBO and Susan Sontag We may be past the moment in history when an intellectual culture critic like Susan Sontag could become a household name. But during her life, the late lesbian thinker and writer became exactly that. What’s that, you say? She’s not a household name to you? Well, then HBO has the fix for that: Regarding Susan Sontag, a thoroughly engaging documentary from director Nancy Kates, follows the late feminist literary icon from her teenage days reading Proust to her long career as a novelist, professor, critic and all-around high/low-culture rock star. The film also follows Sontag from her very young marriage to a man to her many notable female lovers through the decades, including her last long-term partner, photographer Annie Leibovitz. Along the way she shook up American life with her provocative ideas about art, war, sexuality, literature and politics, and Regarding Susan Sontag is a thoughtful, funny, wartsand-all primer for newcomers and a fitting eulogy for long time admirers. HBO airs the film this fall, just in time for jumpstarting your beach-brain back into gear for serious thoughts.

Sean Hayes joining The Millers

 Tom Hardy . Photo by Shutterstock.com

Deep Inside Hollywood Tom Hardy + Leonardo DiCaprio? Let’s hope.

By Romeo San Vicente Alt-Hollywood’s current “It Woman” of producers, Megan Ellison, is known for taking creative risks for meaningful films in a time when big studios run screaming from that sort of thing. As the head of Annapurna, the young lesbian mogul has produced Academy Award-nominated films like Spike Jonze’s Her, and now she’s negotiating to swoop in and rescue Leonardo DiCaprio’s latest starring vehicle, The Revenant. The project, from acclaimed director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel), has run into funding trouble and it seems like Annapurna would be a good fit for the offbeat story. Co-written by Inarritu with Mark L. Smith, and based on Michael Punke’s 2002 novel, The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge, it’s about a 19th century fur trapper’s survival in the brutal wilderness. DiCaprio wants in, and so does shirtless Esquire cover star Tom Hardy, so why isn’t a big studio helping out? Who knows, probably because there’s no bikini-wearing robot riding dinosaur into space. But that’s why Ellison is so valuable – she supports filmmakers as artists in a business that treats them like obstacles to merchandizing. Fingers crossed for this one.

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Let’s talk about sitcoms you’re probably not watching.

What would make you jump aboard? A new cast member? A new cast member in collaboration with an already-talented sitting cast? That’s what’s happening with The Millers, which is a big enough hit for CBS (right, yes, a sitcom on CBS, we know) that it’s been renewed for a new season, even though it would appear that nobody in a position to make cultural noise about it is watching - think about it: Louie blows up Twitter, so does Archer, but when was the last CBS sitcom that did that for reasons other than Charlie Sheen?

And The Millers has a cool cast, including Will Arnett and America’s best character actress, Margo Martindale (August, Osage County). And still, crickets. That means it’s time for a change in the form of Sean Hayes, who’ll be joining the cast this year as a friend to Martindale’s character and a thorn in Arnett’s side. Sounds promising, yes? Because at least it wasn’t an adorable/obnoxious new child character?

Therefore, in the spirit of fairness and in memory of “Just Jack,” we’ll give this one another shot. Don’t blow it (and more importantly don’t bore us), The Millers. You’re on notice.

Rosie’s back. Let the fighting begin!

Speaking of bringing in a ringer to save a sinking ship, the news about Rosie O’Donnell coming back to The View has turned into the infotainment/power-lesbian/grumpy pundit story of the week, and with it, speculation over who else will join the panel in the wake of Sherri Shepherd’s and Jenny McCarthy’s departures. It hasn’t been sitting well with former View co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck, of course, who’s been sniping about the return of her TV nemesis.

And that, in turn, has caused former co-host Joy Behar to publicly snap back at Hasselbeck. Meanwhile, original cohost Meredith Vieira is weighing in, too, and now it’s just like the good old days of shouting and crosstalk and sour grapes. Suddenly we’re all remembering that The View is a show that’s still on TV! Now, which conservative woman wants to spar with O’Donnell every day? Step right up, Palin wannabes! Unless, of course, you come from reality television. Then, apparently, you’re out of luck. See, word is that Rosie’s contract bars former reality stars from consideration. Sorry, all future Hasselbecks.

Romeo San Vicente has never discriminated against reality stars; they’re hungry for experience.

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Editorial

Marching to a Stagnant Drum Harper Conservatives stall on Transgender recognition

By V.N. Winnick In June of this year, a transgendered Alberta boy named Wren Kaufman successfully lobbied to have the gender designation on his birth certificate changed. Kaufman, who was assigned a gender of “female” at birth, became one of the first beneficiaries of a decision the preceding April. The April case saw Court of Queen’s Bench Justice Brian Burrows rule that an existing law requiring transgendered individuals to present proof of surgery, before such changes could be made, was “inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution of Canada.” This places Alberta on track to become one of two provinces (the other being Ontario) and six U.S. states that do not require proof of surgery before a trans* person is entitled to change the notation of their gender on their birth certificate.

Baby steps.

South of the border, U.S. President Barack Obama also made meagre progress. Using his executive powers for good (and not, for once, to send drones to bomb Yemeni weddings), Obama ordered antidiscrimination measures be put in place for QUILTBAG employees of the U.S. Government and its contractors. And though this executive order still contains provisions that allow religious organizations to hire based on religious identity – a loophole that would allow employers to argue for a broader spectrum of discrimination – it does set an impressive precedent at a time when congressional Republicans seem dead-set on mindlessly naysaying every scrap of legislation the Democrats have to offer.

Baby steps.

Canada has had its own attempt at basic recognition for the rights of trans* people, desperately trying to wriggle its way though parliament for just shy of ten years, since being introduced by NDP MP Bill Siksay in 2004. In its current form, it is known as Bill C-279, and was reintroduced in 2012 by NDP MP Randall Garrison of the Esquimalt-Juan de Fuca riding in B.C. The long and the short of it is that it aims to add “gender identity” as a protected class under the Canadian Human Rights Act, and as an identifiable group under the Criminal Code. Very basic, uncontroversial stuff, one might think.

In fact, only this past June, the Ottawa Citizen published a piece optimistically titled, “Human-rights victory draws close for transgender Canadians.” And, from a cursory glance at the bill’s progress on the government transparency and accessibility website, openparliament.ca, it would seem that this is indeed the case. Near the bottom of the page tracking Bill C-279, there is an encouraging

block of green, indicating successful motions in the bill’s favour.

Reintroduction into the parliamentary process: Passed. Amendments and clarifications: Passed. Motion that the bill be read a third and final time: and Passed.

Baby steps.

What open parliament doesn’t show is the massive red brick wall into which the bill has now run: the senate, and its shockingly partisan, and appallingly cavalier opposition, to what seems like a self-evidently necessary piece of legislation. Unlike the Ottawa Citizen, Vice takes a much dimmer view of C-279’s chances for success.

In a thorough and fatalistic piece entitled, “The Harper Government is Thwarting a Bill Designed to Protect the Transgender Community from Hate Crimes,” Vice journalist Justin Ling chronicles the myriad ways in which this bill – this attempt to safeguard and validate the lives of real human beings – has been turned into one of the ropes at the centre of a political tug-of-war being played between the Torries and, well, virtually everyone else in Ottawa.

“That this bill has been held up by the parliamentary process is accurate,” Conservative Senator Nancy Ruth told Ling in an interview.

“So have other bills. Is there a discriminatory feeling in the Senate against people who are trans, on some people’s part? Maybe. Is it enough to defeat the vote? I don’t know.” Ling also relates, in his piece, that Senator Ruth admits not to judging the bill on its face, but also considers it to be, in essence, a cudgel to be wielded against the NDP, who are in favour of senate abolition.

“They’ve been smearing us for a couple of years, like everybody else, and they want us to do their business?” Ling records Ruth as saying, and notes that she did so while laughing. One can hardly blame the NDP for their position on the Senate. In addition to stalling C-279 in the Senate, federal Conservatives also rejected an amendment that would have added protections for transgender individuals to bill C-13 – a measure designed to combat bullying.

Ling goes on to point out that, if these protections were enshrined – if discrimination on the basis of gender identity was made expressly illegal – this would open up a means by which trans* people could submit legal challenges against a system riddled with blocks, hurdles, and gatekeeping, and argue that treatment ought to be covered as it is in the case of any other medically necessary procedure. Given that rates of depression, suicide, and violence against trans* people is disproportionately high, in no way could the word “necessary” be seen as hyperbolic. And though the cost of transition can be anywhere in the realm of $30,000 to $50,000, the proportion of trans* individuals in the overall population means that full coverage would likely cost less than what the Canadian government contributes annually to fighter jet development. For all that we use those so frequently.

At the core of this grisly opportunism, though, is a familiar narcissism. The facts of the situation don’t matter. The desires of the Canadian population, and even the self-evident fact that transgender people shouldn’t be discriminated against simply by virtue of innate identity, are irrelevant in the face of Stephen Harper’s plan. This is a government marching in tighter lock step than any Canadian administration in recent memory. Harper’s vitriol toward those who deviate from party lines is infamous. This is, after all, the Prime Minister who is gutting the CBC, who is responsible for gag orders issued to employees of government agencies and scientists operating on federal grant money. This is the man who, as the Toronto star bluntly reported in May, is “no longer taking advice.”

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Event

SMUTfest 2014 Queer, feminist and real

By Nick Winnick There is probably not a reader of this magazine who hasn’t at least sampled porn at some point in their adult lives. While statistics regarding porn consumption are tough to come by (due to a combination of unreliable self-reporting in surveys, and the fact that many repositories of statistical information regarding porn are hosted and selected by anti-pornography organizations), we do know that the porn business tops out at more than $50-billion in revenue annually, making it a bigger business than the video games industry and the NFL combined. And yet, there’s something rotten in the state of San Fernando.

Even a cursory glance at pornography will show that many of the crucial elements of healthy sex are absent from the sex-entertainment we consume: enthusiastic consent, open communication, diverse body types, and sometimes even basic safe-sex practices like the use of condoms are nowhere in sight.

It is an absence keenly felt in many queer circles. While options have certainly improved for gay male porn consumers, gender queer, transgender, and lesbian people (notwithstanding the glut of lesbian porn aimed at straight men) have far less to choose from. Kiyl Keys, Koko Carlson and Kristina Laban, co-organizers of Edmonton’s SMUTfest, aim to improve that situation, starting right in their own backyard.

“We were talking about some things in our community that we were lacking – representation in porn being one of those things,” Keys said. “And by representation I mean the bodies and the sex acts that we find pleasurable and exciting and awesome.” This was the central idea that eventually snowballed, growing to become the core of SMUTfest – a home-brewed queer pornography festival that is honest, inclusive, and based on an explicitly feminist ethos that aims to circumvent a lot of the problems inherent in mainstream porn.

To those unfamiliar with feminist critique, this might seem a bit counterintuitive. Gay porn, for instance, involves no women on camera by definition, and few, if any, behind the scenes.

“Feminist porn is not necessarily strictly women,” Keys says.

“It also includes all genders. Feminist porn, as I see it, is not just a genre, but a movement as well. It’s in place to challenge stigma and shame that exists around sex, sexuality, and bodies, and it aims to smash systems of oppression that foster those stigmas – not recreating them in the production or distribution of the films.”

Volumes could be, and have been, written about the standards of appearance and body type in all genres of porn. Wouldn’t we all benefit from seeing people who actually represent us?

“Having a feminist ethic as you approach this type of work includes things like: having enthusiastic consent from all participants; having a space where open and safe conversation can happen around compensation for work done,” Keys went on to say. By email, co-organizer Koko Carlson offered her perspective: “Feminist porn, to me, is about treating the workers and performers well; showing agency and consent on film [or in] media.”

“In addition to issues of consent and wellbeing, the diversity of people, ages, sizes, colour, gender, ability, and sexual desires [is paramount],” Carlson continues. “What I would like to see propagate in porn, in general, is diversity. Most of porn is very segregated, or if there is a racially diverse cast, there is fetishization and objectifying of the [people of colour]. Most porn with fat women is super dehumanizing, and fat men are never in porn unless they made a joke… It is still very thin, cisgender, and white. [I would like to see] the sex industry as a whole, to get 28

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

rid of the… belief that some forms of sex work are better than others – more respectable. That doesn’t help a single one of us in the long run.”

To the average porn consumer, principled pornography may feel like an alien concept. However, we live in a world in which people – adult and youth alike – often form their sense of sexual normalcy via the Internet; pornography first and sources like school-taught sex-ed second. Even in Canada, where we’ve largely escaped the scourge of “abstinence-only” and other shame-based methods of sexual education, the fact that sex ought to be enthusiastic, pleasurable, and consensual is often glossed over in favour of brute biological descriptions.

A feminist critique argues that concepts like consent, diversity, enthusiasm, and wellbeing can be, and must be, sexy. And to those who practice them, boy howdy are they ever. Thus, the SMUTfest call for submissions went out inviting Edmontonians, and Canadians at large, to be the porn they want to see in the world.

“Really we wanted to make this an event that was an outlet for our community to get involved,” says Keys. “A space that was really safe and empowering for folks in our community… to express and celebrate sex and sexuality and what that means to them.”

Similar to other amateur porn festivals, SMUTfest’s organizers have embraced the ephemeral nature of this particular art form.

Keys stated, unequivocally, that; “any artwork, films, or photos that are submitted to the festival will be returned to the people who create it. A big piece of creating feminist pornography is that ethical and consensual component. … We’re not distributing any of the films, unless everyone [involved with the film] willingly consent[s] to distributing what it is that they create. There will be no chance of it ending up on the Internet.”

The organizers have achievable goals in mind for the first SMUTfest, aiming for about 100 attendees to take in the afternoon’s worth of photo, video, short story, and other art exhibits. But for future iterations of the festival, the sky’s the limit.

“We’re dreaming big,” Keys says.

Laban sums up the goals of the project with enthusiasm: “Even more submissions, more local entertainment, and for the turnout to always be huge, year after year! Once people check out SMUTfest the first time, I hope they spread the word and pass it on to people they know far and wide, not just for people in Edmonton, but for all the queers that can make it!”

Carlson says that they “would love for SMUTfest to be a yearly event! I am hoping people see the value in putting queer sexuality in the public and continue to contribute.”

“One of the big goals of this festival,” Keys concludes, “is to really take sex and pornography out of the shadows of guilt and shame, where it lives, and bring it into the daylight. Acknowledge that sex is something that is totally natural and awesome for a lot of people, and watching or making pornography, or being involved with sex work in any way, isn’t a terrible, horrifying thing that people should be ashamed of.”

SMUTfest Edmonton – August 23rd Doors @ 3pm Latitude 53, 10242 - 106 Street http://www.brownpapertickets.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4205 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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Kamloops, BC “Playtime. Redefined.”

More photos and videos online: http://gaycalgary.com/a4206 

By Rob Diaz-Marino We set off from Vancouver early in the morning toward our final stop on our tour of British Columbia. Kamloops was roughly a 4 hour drive northwest of Vancouver, which took us back up along familiar winding mountain roads.

We were a tad late for our lunch date with Tourism Kamloops at The Noble Pig Brewhouse, where we were treated to some classic but well done pub food alongside some unique brews. In season at the time was their signature Pumpkin Ale, of which we each enjoyed a pint. After eating we were taken on a tour of the facility by General Manager Maeghan Summers, who showed us the impressive setup used to craft their own in-house brews. We also learned about the interesting history of the business owner, David, who started out as a competitive runner, studied to be a radiologist and soon after moved to Germany to become an apprentice brewer before eventually bringing his craft to Kamloops.

Afterwards we made a brief stop at Hotel 540 to check ourselves in and drop off our luggage, then out we headed to Tranquille Farm Fresh, a good 15-20 minutes outside of Kamloops. As we pulled into the dirt parking lot, we noticed quite a number of buildings on the property beyond just the conventional farmhouse and barn. We checked out some of the fresh offerings at the farmer’s market in said barn such as pumpkins and several varieties of peppers - before wandering for a while through the corn maze. As we made our way to the far end of the field, through the cornstalks we could see a number of old boarded up houses along a dirt road.

This piqued our curiosity, and inquiring lead to the fascinating discovery that the farm was the former site of a government medical facility that was abandoned in 1985, and furthermore, the owners of the property were currently offering haunted tours through underground tunnels

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 Hotel 540 - photo courtesy of Hotel540.ca

Hotel 540 http://gaycalgary.com/a4207 Hotel 540 is hailed as Kamloops’ premier downtown hotel, located within convenient walking distance of all that downtown Kamloops has to offer – shops, restaurants, galleries, and more. The hotel features 145 guest rooms in 6 different varieties: from standard rooms to club floor premiere suites.

While staying at Hotel 540, guests can enjoy the rooftop outdoor pool and hot tub, or work out in their 24-hour fitness centre. There is also the stylish Blue Dining + Lounge (www.bluekamloops.ca) open from 6-10pm seven days a week, offering poolside service.

The hotel also offers meeting rooms for corporate functions, as well as the spectacular Mountview Terrace event venue. “All the comforts and conveniences of a luxury hotel at an affordable price.”

Hotel 540

540 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC http://www.hotel540.ca

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 The Red Bridge over the South Thompson River (main), City Hall at night (top), Engraved stones in Pioneer Park (bottom)

u Five Spice Sticky Ribs

q Chicken Cacciatora

p Behind the Scenes: fresh brews in the making

The Noble Pig Brewhouse

p Crispy Pickles

http://gaycalgary.com/a4208 One tends to find the term “pub food” almost pejorative for how often it is done wrong, but the award-winning Noble Pig Brewhouse serves pub food done right! Not only that, their variety of craft beer is the star of the show, including seasonal specials such as their Pumpkin Ale in autumn, Gingerbread Beer in winter, and Wit-Less Blonde in summer, to only name a few. q Cubano Sandwich p Lamb Curry

We started with some appetizers: first the Crispy Pickles, handmade with Cajun seasoned breading and spicy dill ranch dip; then the Five Spice Sticky Ribs, tender baby back ribs with coleslaw and 5 spice honey BBQ sauce. Both were delicious in their own right, but went even better with a pint of seasonal Pumpkin Ale. For the main course, we had the Grilled Chicken Clubhouse and the Lamb Curry while our hosts had the Chicken Cacciatora and Cubano sandwich – all made with market fresh ingredients, and so filling that there wasn’t any room left for dessert.

The Noble Pig Brewhouse t Grilled Chicken Clubhouse

www.gaycalgary.com

650 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC http://www.thenoblepig.ca

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Tranquille Farm Fresh http://gaycalgary.com/a4209 There is much to do at Tranquille Farm, a 147 year old historic site just outside Kamloops.

It was originally settled in 1865 and became a big name in agricultural production, however in 1930 the provincial government purchased and diversified the farm to produce the majority of food and dairy for the 1000 staff and patients working and living at the neighbouring Tranquille Institution. Though the government closed the farm and institution in 1985, independent investors purchased both again and are transforming it into a leading edge urban farm, while still paying heed to its historical value.

On weekends, the historic barns house a farmer and artisan market.

The property is also used for other significant events in Kamloops culture, such as local bands, culinary artists, and artisans. The corn maze and historic tours make for fun family outings.

For a spooky experience in autumn months, come out for the Tunnel Tours that run from early September to late October and learn the secrets of the underground tunnel system at the Tranquille Intitution while also getting a wagon tour of the abandoned facility by night.

Tranquille Farm Fresh

4600 Tranquille Road, Kamloops, BC http://www.tranquillefarmfresh.ca

p Tunnel Tour of the abandoned Tranquille Institute

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Commodore Grande Café & Lounge

 The Commodore transforms from restaurant to popular night spot u Maple butter pork belly (left)

http://gaycalgary.com/a4210

and Crispy chicken skin (right)

The Commodore is quite the happening place in Kamloops. You can stop in for a cappuccino and tapas, or full course entrée and drinks, or a night of music and dancing.

But previous generations will remember the venue slightly differently, as it has been an historic fixture of Victoria Street and the downtown core of Kamloops. q Smoked tuna and red wine

risotto wit roasted butternut squash

p Chicken mushroom kale

tomato pappardelle pasta

We arrived in the evening and instantly felt at home in the cozy atmosphere as we browsed their menu. Our hosts encouraged us to try some of their signature drinks, and so I had a “Man Whore” while Steve ordered a “Commodore Kool-Aid” - both went down a little too easily, as did a plate of Thai Curry Mussels from their Tapas menu.

Then we moved on to dinner: I ordered the Commodore Burger while Steve went for the Seafood Curry. The burger was great but the mussels were fantastic! I certainly regretted choosing the “safe” option this time. I ended up trading some of my turf for Steve’s surf.

All in all, Commodore Grande Café and Lounge offers great food and great atmosphere! You would be hard pressed not to find a reason to stop by while visiting Kamloops.

t Commodor Kool-Aid (left)

and Man Whore (right)

Commodore Grande Café & Lounge 369 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC http://www.commodorekamloops.com

beneath the facility! We couldn’t pass up this opportunity, so we arranged to come back after dark.

We returned to Hotel 540 to relax for a bit, checked out the swimming pool and workout facility, had a nap and woke up in time to shower and head back out to Tranquille Farm.

The sun was already setting as we headed out, and had faded to twilight by the time we parked at our destination.

In the small lodge by the front gate, we met the tour guide and the group of roughly 15 other people that were taking the tour with us, all anxiously waiting for things to get started.

By the time we stepped outside again, the last of the daylight had faded and the moon was casting an eerie glow overtop the ridge of a distant hill. Some of the nearby abandoned buildings we had seen standing passively during

the day now had their windows lit with moody colours, making them look much more ominous.

A large truck pulled up in front of the cabin, towing a flatbed wagon trailer fitted with seats. We were loaded on, then whisked away down the dark road. We passed by many other buildings that were only visible by their silhouettes against the night sky, jumping out briefly in the periphery of the truck’s headlights.

They unloaded us by a dark building, then lead us through a door into a dimly lit stairwell and down several flights of stairs, into the underground tunnel. As the tour guide took us down the dark hallway explaining the history of the abandoned tuberculosis quarantine facility there were several, ahem, surprises that got our hearts pumping a little. Once me made it safely out the other side, we were shown to a dark garage where sat a collection of historic

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BC Wildlife Park http://gaycalgary.com/a4211 Just outside of the city of Kamloops, this spacious 50 hectare facility is home to 65 native BC species. The park offers interactive displays, wildlife encounters and interpretive talks featuring some of their amazing resident wildlife.

While the black swans, pigs and bunnies may be more for the kids, they also have some more impressive animals such as bears, buffalo, elk, wolves, cougars, bald eagles, and many others.

One of their most recent acquisitions is Clover, a Kermode or “spirit bear” cub, whose fur is completely white or creamcoloured. This interesting anomaly is said to occur in roughly one tenth of the black bear population, and members of this subspecies are neither albino nor bare any relation to polar bears.

The BC Wildlife Park is definitely worth a look, whether you make a day of it or just need a chance to stretch your legs while passing through Kamloops.

BC Wildlife Park

9077 Dallas Drive, Kamloops, BC http://www.bczoo.org

vehicles – a truck, ambulance, and fire truck - that had been restored to their former glory.

The truck and wagon picked us up again and took us all back to the front gates, but not before one final surprise…

Still buzzing from the experience, we headed back to main street Kamloops for a late dinner at the Commodore Grande Café and Lounge. The food was really fantastic – I tried some mussels for the first time since my childhood and quite liked them – and we sampled a number of their signature drinks.

As we sat chatting with our contacts from Tourism Kamloops, the bar staff began clearing the tables from the room, transitioning the space from restaurant to nightclub.

The handsome DJ Abel started spinning and it didn’t take long before the dance floor was bustling.

After we left, we did a little exploring of the area, taking a few nighttime shots and making note where we should come back for more photos the next day. Then it was time to head back to our hotel for a good night’s sleep.

We started the next day by stopping in at the highly acclaimed Hello Toast, and we were lucky to show up as early as we did because shortly after sitting down for breakfast they were lined up with people waiting for tables.

It is quite the popular place to be, especially on a Sunday morning! We enjoyed a filling breakfast, and were sent on our way with a delicious snack for later.

We spent a few hours exploring and photographing central Kamloops, walking down their main stroll (Victoria Street), crossing the railway line, and walking the foot paths and 34

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parks along the river. We made many interesting discoveries, including a train museum, and a decommissioned radar antenna now doubling as a lattice for climbing plants.

After checking out of our hotel, there was one final destination for us to visit on our way out of town: the BC Wildlife Park. Being so close to Halloween at the time, the park was set up with all sorts of scary scenes, from helicopter crashes to graveyards to alien autopsies. While a number of their animal exhibits were already closed for the season, we still were able to have a close-up experience with bears, buffalo, owls, bald eagles, wolves, cougars, and much more. We were also told the park had just acquired a Kermode bear cub – a subspecies of black bear that has a white coat, also known as a “Spirit Bear”. Unfortunately the new cub, Clover, was not on public display at the time.

That has since changed, now that Clover has settled into his new home, and he can be seen among their other seasonal exhibits.

We grabbed some lunch before departing Kamloops for Calgary, a more than 7 hour drive. We broke this up by stopping at some of the attractions in the national parks.

The breathtaking Takkakaw falls in Yoho National Park was only a short walk from the parking area, the pools beneath the falls icing over due to the October temperatures. We also stopped at two of the Cedar Boardwalk trails in Revelstoke National Park which take you for a loop through the dense forest, but on raised platforms so that you don’t disturb the delicate plant life.

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Hello Toast

u The Birds Nest

http://gaycalgary.com/a4212 Hello Toast is a popular spot for breakfast, lunch, or brunch in Kamloops. Owned and operated by a group of local women, the restaurant focuses on creating a fun and lighthearted environment while still taking their food seriously. They promise the freshest ingredients possible, prepared daily, as well as full and hearty portions so nobody leaves hungry.

We stopped in for breakfast at Hello Toast just after 8am when they opened. I ordered the birds nest, which is two slices of multigrain toast topped with sautéed spinach, two basted eggs, melted cheddar and crispy bacon bits, served with roasted potatoes. Steve ordered pleasure toast – cranberry sourdough bread soaked in egg and grilled, served with fruit compote, cranberry syrup and vanilla yogurt, with added farmers sausage. This is the kind of breakfast we wish we could eat every day!

q Avocado Seed &

Chocolate Cookie

p Pleasure Toast

And if that wasn’t filling enough, we were sent on our way with a massive, tender, and delicious avocado seed & chocolate cookie that we snacked on for the rest of the afternoon.

Hello Toast

428 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC http://www.hellotoastkamloops.ca

National Parks along Highway #1 http://gaycalgary.com/a4213 There are many beautiful sights to check out while on Highway #1 between Alberta and British Columbia. Unfortunately we only had time for a few of them, but they made for fun side-trips and an opportunity to stretch our legs.

Our first stops were two separate Cedar Boardwalk trails in Revelstoke National Park that took us for short easy hikes into the dense rainforest and looped back to the start. The forest landscape was breathtaking and the boardwalk trail brought us close to many other interesting features that gave us an appreciation for the intricate forest ecosystem.

p Takakkaw Falls

Our third and final stop was at Takakkaw falls in Yoho National Park, which was as fun to say as it was a beautiful view from the base of the falls, a mere 10 minute walk from the parking area. Takakkaw falls is the second tallest waterfall in western Canada, second only to Della Falls on Vancouver Island.

q Cedar Boardwalk

There are numerous other trails, not only in these parks but in the many other National parks along the highway. You don’t have to be in the mood for a long hike because many of the trails are under 2km long. For more information, consult the latest Parks Canada Mountain Guide.

Revelstoke National Park 30km east of Revelstoke, BC Yoho National Park Near Field, BC Parks Canada http://www.pc.gc.ca

This concluded our weeklong tour through beautiful British Columbia: Kelowna, Victoria, Vancouver, and Kamloops. Our only regret was that we couldn’t spend more time at each of our stops; however we certainly plan to return and explore even further on our own time one day! www.gaycalgary.com

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35

Out of Town

Asheville, North Carolina

 One of the America’s most celebrated homes, the over-the-top mansion at Biltmore Estate. Photo by Andrew Collins

by Andrew Collins If you’ve been keeping up with the country’s most buzzed-about hipster destinations of late, you’ve probably heard Asheville mentioned in the mix, perhaps alongside cities like Austin, Brooklyn, and Portland, Ore. This relatively small mountain metropolis in western North Carolina has long been a creativespirited, relatively progressive island in one of the nation’s more socially conservative regions. LGBT-owned businesses, top-notch art galleries and furniture studios, along with inviting Victorian and Arts and Crafts-style inns – and independently owned shops, music clubs, theaters and cafes – have thrived here for decades, but more recently, the Asheville has cultivated an urbane, artisandriven food and drink scene that’s particularly impressive for a city with just around 85,000 residents.

With a fairly reasonable cost of living and a moderate climate, Asheville (exploreasheville.com) is becoming a popular place to relocate among not just hipsters but all sorts of professionals of all ages, many from larger and more crowded cities. Additionally, young college grads are moving in at a steady pace – something that seldom happened in Asheville before the city began to undergo a renaissance a couple of decades ago. This leafy, hilly community just a 2-hour drive from Charlotte, a 3.5-hour drive from Atlanta and a 4.5-hour drive from Nashville has become a top weekend destination, too, with a sizable gay following.

Downtown Asheville rests like a saucer balanced precariously amid the slopes of forested hills and mountains. It’s an impressively preserved city, with dozens of fine old buildings, many of them striking Art Deco beauties.

The surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains account for much of the region’s appeal – it’s an hour’s drive west to reach Great Smoky Mountains National Park. You can also navigate a stretch of the winding, scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, which passes right through the center of Asheville on its way north toward Virginia. Many other state parks and forests are within a short drive, and right in the city you can appreciate nature with a hike through the 10-acre Asheville Botanical Gardens or the 434-acre North Carolina Arboretum.

The downtown area is great for strolling – it’s also quite hilly, though, so prepare to get some exercise. Be sure to stop by the Asheville Art Museum, which has a celebrated collection of contemporary American works, and if you’re a fan of modern American literature, don’t miss the Thomas Wolfe

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Memorial, which includes a visitor center and the boarding house in which the author of You Can’t Go Home Again grew up.

Almost every visitor to Asheville pays a visit to the Biltmore Estate (biltmore.com), one of America’s few true castles. The 250-room mansion and resplendent grounds were commissioned by the phenomenally wealthy railroad tycoon George Vanderbilt and executed by Richard Morris Hunt in 1895. Touring the mansion’s grandiose, if rather solemn, interior can feel a bit overwhelming, especially on a sunny day, but the 8,000-acre property’s outdoor features are arguably its greatest draw - you could easily spend the day sauntering along the 2.5 miles of paths through the gorgeous manicured gardens, or along the many more rugged trails through dense woods and open meadows. Other highlights include the Biltmore Winery, the working dairy farm at Antler Hill Village, and the Outdoor Adventure Center, where you can book a wide range of activities, from river float trips to bike excursions. Right on the property, the luxurious, 213-room Inn on Biltmore Estate offers swank accommodations, and nearby Biltmore Village abounds with upscale shops and restaurants.

A little southwest of downtown and northeast of Biltmore Estate, you’ll find one of Asheville’s more recent developments, the rapidly evolving River Arts District (riverartsdistrict.com), which is home to both new buildings and converted industrial spaces now filled with art galleries and studios, as well as a handful of cool restaurants and nightspots. The neighborhood extends north along Lyman Street from across the river from French Broad River Park all the way to the I-240 bridge, with plenty of businesses on both sides of the railroad tracks, which bisect the neighborhood.

With its rapidly emerging culinary scene, Asheville has become a favorite foodie hub. Highlights are many, but here are a handful of notables. Chefowned by a team who trained with famed Spanish elBulli chef Ferran Adrià, Cúrate (curatetapasbar.com) is one of the hottest spots in town, turning out authentic tapas with creative twists – consider the Catalan sausage bocadillo (baguette sandwich), or the tender skewered lamb marinated in Moroccan spices. The owners also operate the trendy and eclectic restaurant and cocktail lounge, Nightbell (thenightbell.com), just around the corner. Another top table is Rhubarb (rhubarbasheville.com), a sleekly swish bistro helmed by chef John Fleer and situated across from the Asheville Art Museum. Favorites from the contemporary Mediterranean menu include rabbit-leek rillettes, octopus a la plancha, and charmoulagrilled flat-iron steak. A snazzy spot specializing in locavore-minded cuisine, Table (tableasheville.com) has an intimate, insider vibe and serves tempting victuals like duck confit with carrots, fennel kraut and medjool dates in its handsome street-level dining room. Head upstairs to the bar,

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Imperial Life (imperialbarasheville.com), for lighter late-night snacking and old-school cocktails.

Set inside one of Asheville’s landmark 1920s buildings, the Grove Arcade, you’ll find a wonderful wine bar and tap room, Sante (santewinebar.com). On the other side of the arcade, Carmel’s Restaurant and Bar (carmelsofasheville.com) specializes in contemporary seafood and American fare and has a handsome little dining room plus plenty of seating outside along the sidewalk. Next door, you can browse thousands of new and used tomes and sip bubbly at the whimsical Battery Park Book Exchange & Champagne Bar (batteryparkbookexchange.com).

Other good bets around downtown include Limones (limonesrestaurant. com) for mod California-Mexican fare (the weekend brunch is particularly popular); Chai Pani (chaipaniasheville.com), a purveyor of cheap and delicious Indian street food, such as kale pakoras, spicy lamb hash, and bhel puri, a traditional puffed-rice snack; and Wicked Weed (wickedweedbrewing.com), a rambling brewpub on two levels producing outstanding craft beer and great bar food too.

In the hip River Arts District, stop by Wedge Brewing Company (wedgebrewing.com) not just to sample fine brews but also to nosh from the several excellent food carts – the rotation changes daily (El Kimchi, which appears Mondays and Saturdays, is a highlight, serving KoreanMexican fusion fare). There’s also live music and, during the warmer months, an outdoor cinema. A bit south along bustling Depot Street, the Junction (thejunctionasheville.com) serves delectable Southern comfort fare (pan-seared peaches, sweet-tea-brined fried chicken), while airy and contemporary Blue Kudzu (bluekudzusake.com) is one of the nation’s premier sake breweries and also a source of outstanding Pan-Asian fare, such as crisped-pork-belly ramen and kimchi Rueben sandwiches.

A neighborhood very much on the rise and becoming increasingly popular with the LGBT set, West Asheville is a short hop from downtown and is home to a handful of inviting, laid-back eateries, including Biscuit Head (biscuitheads.com), where you can tuck into a plate of fluffy biscuits prepared in a variety of ways (sweet potato-coconut gravy, with fried green tomatoes and poached eggs); and Oyster House Brewing (oysterhousebeers. com), a fun little neighborhood spot that specializes in Southern pub fare.

Good spots for casual snacking include City Bakery Café (citybakery.net), an airy space with a few tables on the sidewalk and superb sandwiches; Dobrá Tea (dobrateanc.com), a Czech-inspired tearoom with tasty Middle Eastern food; and funky Izzy’s Coffee Den (izzyscoffeeden.com), which fits the bill for high-octane java, craft beer and simply hanging out and peoplewatching. French Broad Chocolate Lounge (frenchbroadchocolates.com) handcrafts exquisite truffles, caramels and bars of chocolate – you can also sip wine, beer and coffee in a cozy lounge space. One of the most venerable indie bookstores in the South, Malaprops Bookstore and Café (malaprops. com) has a large LGBT section and a nice little coffeehouse inside. And also very popular with the gay crowd, Edna’s of Asheville (ednasofasheville.com) is on the north side of the city and serves terrific coffee drinks, breakfast fare and sandwiches.

Nearby Club Hairspray (clubhairspray.com) is beloved for its kitschy interior, entertaining drag (queen and king) shows and friendly vibe.

Drawing a mostly male crowd, O’Henry’s (ohenrysofasheville.com) is a fun neighborhood hangout that’s particularly popular with bearish types and fans of leather – the bar has been going strong for more than 35 years and adjoins neighboring dance bar, the Underground. Downtown bar-hoppers might want to stop by Smokey’s After Dark (facebook.com/ smokys.afterdark), a laid-back, no-attitude neighborhood spot that’s fun for shooting pool and meeting locals. And women-owned Tressa’s (tressas. com) – with live jazz and blues, comedy, and dancing – has a loyal following in the LGBT community.

Asheville has several inviting, gay-friendly inns, from upscale historic mansions to cozy Arts and Crafts cottages. The city’s most renowned accommodation is the Grove Park Inn Resort and Spa (groveparkinn. com), one of the nation’s foremost historic hotels, which has been fully restored to its original 1913 Arts and Crafts design. You’ll find one of the South’s most impressive spas on the lower level, and restaurants and bars affording panoramic views of the city skyline and surrounding mountains.

Among the dining options, don’t miss Edison, which serves tasty smallplates fare (goat-cheese flatbread, an awesome burger with bacon jam and American cheese) and terrific craft beers. Even if you don’t stay here, sitting in the grand lobby before the enormous fireplace, and looking out over the countryside from the terrace is a real treat.

Herb and rose gardens surround the 1889 shingle-style White Gate Inn & Cottage (whitegate.net), one of the city’s gay-owned properties (commitment ceremonies are frequently held here). The romantic, antiques-filled rooms have Wi-Fi and flat-screen TVs with DVD and CD players – they’re named for poets (Whitman, Wilde, Sandburg, etc.), and one cottage has a gas fireplace and full kitchen. Also gay-owned and a 10- to 15-minute drive north of downtown, the 1847 Reynolds Mansion B&B (thereynoldsmansion.com) has 13 beautiful rooms (many with gas or wood fireplaces), a seasonal pool and lavish three-course breakfasts included in the rates. Another stunner is the shingle-style Inn on Montford (innonmontford.com), which dates to 1900 and sits on beautifully landscaped grounds that include the largest Norway maple tree in North Carolina. Rooms contain a priceless mix of 18th- and 19th-century English and American pieces.

Fans of larger chain properties should consider the contemporary Aloft (aloftashevilledowntown.com), which is right on Biltmore Avenue, steps from a number of great restaurants, bars and shops. With superclean rooms and terrific service, the Hampton Inn Asheville-Tunnel Road (hamptoninn3.hilton.com) ranks among the best mid-priced chain options in the region. And with a convenient location near the Grove Arcade, the sleek Hotel Indigo Asheville (ihg.com) is another great choice, with crisp, attractive rooms – the penthouse suites on the upper stories have floor-toceiling windows and amazing views of the countryside.

Andrew Collins produces the website GayTravel.About.com and writes about travel for a variety of LGBT and mainstream publications.

Virtually all of Asheville’s nightspots, including many of the drinkcentric restaurants described above, have a strong following with the LGBT crowd. There are also a few predominantly gay hangouts, the largest being the Grove House Entertainment Complex (thegrovehouse. com), a rambling building that contains Scandals dance club, the Boiler Room live-music venue, and Club Eleven on Grove for events and parties.

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Lifestyle

Gear Geekin’

New Gizmos That’ll Take Your Summer to the Next Level

By Mikey Rox While the debate rages on as to whether a gay gene exists or not (even though we know it does), I’m pretty sure it’s scientific fact that the LGBT community is genetically predisposed to being first adopters of the next best thing; we just have to have the latest and greatest gadget on the market before any of our friends. To help you stay ahead of the queer Joneses then, I’ve compiled this list of the coolest thingamabobs you’ll want to get your hands on this summer. Let’s hot-nerd out together, shall we?

Coleman Roadtrip NXT 300 Grill Firing up the grill is one of the greatest aspects of spring and summer (especially because it marks the start of shirtless season!), and now you can do it fast and easy anywhere you’d like. The Coleman RoadTrip NXT 300 is just what the party ordered so you and your crew can eat like queens straight off the flames. Turnt-up features include a scissor leg design for set up and take down in under a minute, Electric Instastart Ignition™ button for automatic lighting, 20,000 BTUs of cooking intensity and a standup design for low-profile storing in tight places. Get your besties on the line, boo – it’s time for a BBQ. $279.99; coleman.com

MeCam HD If you’re into documenting your amazing life as you live it and posting it to social media to make everybody else jealous, MeCam HD is just what you need to satisfy your inner Spielberg. This mini hands-free wearable video camera shoots in full 1080p HD and contains its own WiFi signal that you can connect to your devices and instantly share footage.

It’s light enough to take anywhere (weighing in at a mere 2.5 oz), and a proprietary low-light sensor is built in to capture all your 38

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moments, even at night. Because who needs a portable HD video camera if you’re not going to document your sexcapades – consensual, of course; no hidden camera action, creep – at least once in your life. Just remember to disconnect your devices first. #youwanttokeepyourjobdontyou? $259.99; www.mecam.me

AquaVault While beach theft doesn’t appear to be an epidemic in America, the unfortunate reality is that we live in a world where stupid people do stupid things sometimes and we end up the victim. You can prevent that, however, with an innovative device that will store all your personal effects safely while you enjoy the sun, sand and surf.

AquaVault is a portable, thermoplastic safe that you can attach to your beach chair, lock with a combination, and have peace of mind that your day won’t be ruined by random robbery. The device is designed to fit over 95 percent of existing beach furniture, and the 120-square-inch cargo hull is roomy enough to store wallets, watches, mobile phones, jewelry, keys and other valuables. And a condom just in case. $44.95; theaquavault.com

My Cabana Boy Don’t get ahead of me; it’s not what you’re thinking.

My Cabana Boy is an ergonomically designed new tool that eliminates one of the biggest problems on the beach: How do you apply sunscreen to your back if you don’t have a hottie handy? Now that problem is solved.

All you have to do with this whydidn’t-I-think-ofthat device is pop in your bottle of spray sunscreen, tilt your arm back and spray.

One and done! $13.99; my-cabanaboy.com

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Wellograph Fitness Watch Like to spend the summer getting your fitness fix outdoors?

Wellograph – a wellness watch with an activity tracker, heart-rate monitor, pedometer and running application – can help you stay on track and perhaps push you even harder. This lightweight digital watch provides a complete picture of health right on your wrist, a major plus when you don’t want to carry additional devices while you’re working out outside – like bulky smartphones – to track your progress.

Of course, Wellograph works just as well indoors – because lord knows you need gym time to get a taste of that eye candy. $349; wellograph.com

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FiAir Blower One of the greatest things about technology is that it exists solely to make our lives easier and more efficient – and the FiAir Blower is no exception. Another one of those I-can’t-believe-Ididn’t-invent-this devices, FiAir is the first and only truly portable, compact, super-lightweight, hand-held, batterypowered blower for feeding fires indoors and out. Just point and shoot to build flames in a matter of seconds on your grill, fireplace, woodstove, chiminea or fire pit. Personally, I love spending time around my own fire pit, and I can tell you that this device is legit and pretty darn cool. It also doubles as a personal fan when you have to be in the muggy outdoors for a lengthy period of time. Because, yes Felicia, I’m too delicate to sweat. $29.99; fiair.net Mikey Rox is an award-winning journalist and blogger whose work has been published in more than 100 outlets across the world. He lives in Manhattan with his husband and their cuddle-buddy furbaby. Connect with Mikey on Twitter @mikeyrox.

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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41

Interview

Christepher Wee To Rome, with love

By Mars Tonic Christepher Wee is a busy man. When people earn a Mr. Gay title for their country, oftentimes they don’t do much else but enjoy the win – and there’s no harm in that. Christepher, however, is not that kind of fellow, nor has he ever been. When he entered the Mr. Gay competition for Canada, he didn’t go in expecting to win; he went in hoping he could make and foster contacts that would help him with the social activism he felt so strongly about. Yet, he won, and was Canada’s People’s Choice to boot.

Now, he’s getting ready to jet off to Rome for the World competition happening from August 25th to 31st. He’s doing his best to prepare, in between all of his other engagements – he has been to numerous Pride celebrations since his win, has attended the Human Rights Conference hosted in Toronto during World Pride, and is focusing on different charities and groups such as McLaren Housing Society, Rainbow Refugee, and many more. One glance at his website blog, and you’ll see.

Right now, Christepher is working on keeping himself organized.

There are a lot of things he’s good at, and clearly time management is one of them. After he spoke for about five minutes on the initiatives he is working on in Vancouver alone, I had to ask him how he managed to get everything done even while he’s jetting across the country attending festivals and parades.

The trick is good old time management, and keeping in contact with everyone he meets. He gave an example of how he managed to engineer

a float for McLaren Housing Society during Pride (an organization that helps house and foster a feeling of community for people living with HIV/ AIDS) while he was busy flying all over the country. “[McLaren is] about providing a sense of community and home. Our float was a facade of houses, and a park with park benches, and flowers and greenery and umbrellas.” What did Christepher do? Well, he designed the float, he knew a DJ, he knew the owner of a gardening center – he knew a lot of people, and they all came together. Christepher doesn’t just make contacts, he maintains them.

And he’s making a lot of plans, regardless of how Rome ends for him – after the competition he has his sights set on touring Europe, getting to know different communities, and fostering connections with other representatives from the countries that he is soon to meet in Rome. He also wants to visit Asia with the same agenda, and get to know the people there.

“That’s why I got into Mr. Gay Canada,” he says. “I didn’t think that I was going to win, I went in to meet the different delegates, to see what I could do with them, and also to meet activists in the community. And I did.”

While he would love the honour of the title, it’s a fact that being Mr. Gay Canada opens doors for him and brings him new opportunities; he hopes the same after being involved in Mr. Gay World. “At the Human Rights Conference I met quite a few activists and pioneers, and I’ve been in touch with them. I’ve been invited to go to Sweden, and also to Greece, to a couple homes there to see how they run their programs. I’ve been in touch with activists from Uganda, and Kenya, and Botswana.

So hopefully, next year sometime, or a year after, I can go to their home countries and see what they’re doing there.”

This July he spoke at Surrey Pride, quite controversially for the city – Pride organizers contacted him after the town refused to let them raise their rainbow flag. Christepher moved his schedule around to make sure he could arrive as the keynote speaker – though, at the time, only three board members knew what issue he was going to talk about. The speech made the news and was wildly discussed, but Christepher isn’t afraid to take a stand. In a way, that’s what being Mr. Gay Canada is all about far more important than showing up for a Pride party is his continued devotion to being a representative of his community.

Competing for Mr. Gay World has its own set of trials for Christepher: he is given tasks to complete leading up to the competition, which will help the judges make their decisions. But he is also in the running for the People’s Choice Award. Only one country has won the award for five years running, now; Christepher hopes to break that streak with Canada.

He’s looking forward to going into the competition and representing our country. “I think Canada has always been seen in the eyes of the world as a leader in human rights issues and LGBT issues,” he said.

“It’ll be great to show the world that when we come together, we really come together.”

You can keep track of Christepher through Facebook, and his personal website. And, of course, you can help make him People’s Choice!

Christepher Wee http://www.christepherwee.com Mr. Gay World Competition http://www.mrgayworld.com

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Community

Third Street Theatre Announces New Season A Year of Critically Acclaimed Works and Unique Writing Initiatives

By Janine Eva Trotta As summer drifts away one certain thing to look forward to is the start of a fresh theatre season come fall. Calgary’s Third Street Theatre has announced its 2014/2015 line up, which entails two well-received shows as well as two new queer playwriting development initiatives.

Mid-September will see the company bring to stage transgender artist Sunny Drake (originally of Brisbane, now residing in Canada)’s X, ‘a magical multi-media feast’, followed in February by Uof C drama student Kyall Rakoz’s award-winning solo show Ludwig&Lohengrin, which made whitecaps at last year’s Calgary Fringe.

“Of course I am biased to love our main stage productions for many different reasons including their intelligent use of humour, surprising production values and magical whimsy to highlight two contrasting periods in queer life: 1800s Bavaria and contemporary Australia,” says new Artistic Director for Third Street, Jonathan Brower. Brower took over the position previously held by co-founder Paul Welch when Welch decided to resign earlier this year to pursue his career in acting.

“I’m also really looking forward to resurrecting This is How I Left two years later, seeing as trans rights and protections have come ever more to the forefront,” he adds.

Third Street is offering two special presentations this season: the first, Dear Mr. Klein, a read work by Bruce Chambers, revisits 1998, when the Alberta Government debated using the Notwithstanding Clause to override a Supreme Court decision that protected housing and employment rights for gays and lesbians. Steve Gin, of Teatro Berdache, the queer theatre ensemble who first produced this work in 2004, will host a panel to follow the reading, which takes place November 6th at Contemporary Calgary.

January 28th will see the 2013 Queer Theatre Creation Ensemble’s triumphant This is How I Left return to stage following a rework by a dramaturge. The work was nominated for the 2013 Calgary Critics Award for Best New Script.

Award-winning playwright and LGBTQ activist Pam Rocker’s new, and mysterious, untitled play will receive its www.gaycalgary.com

first reading as part of the inaugural queerRites reading series initiative in March, followed by Brower’s own script, Oblivion, in April. Oblivion chronicles Brower’s personal battle between evangelical Christianity and homosexuality.

YOUth Riot is the other new initiative Third Street is backing this year. Starting in May, 2015, the 12-week program will see queer teens tell their own stories through self-written 10 minute plays. The initiative culminates when the youth are granted opportunity to perform their works in a public reading festival, staged by professional actors and directors from the Calgary Theatre community.

“It’s our hope that these programs will increase the visibility and interest in queer theatre coming out of the Calgary scene and hopefully making waves in other national centres, eventually,” Brower says. “I’m curious to see if our audiences will grow in the LGBTQ area of supporters. We have had amazing numbers and support from lots of the community but have seen the largest number of attendees identifying as allies.”

Brower says he looks forward to seeing how the community responds to Third Street’s year round presence, and what kind of sponsorship might spring from the woodworks so to speak. The company’s second run of their Stars of the Stage & Screen Annual Fundraiser, May 29th, will mark the end of this season, when the next year’s line up will be announced.

All of Third Street Theatre’s upcoming shows, events and special initiatives can be found on their website.

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

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43

Interview

MS MR

Hitting Sonic Boom like a “Hurricane”

By Mars Tonic Sometimes things just happen. This thinking is usually applied to incidents such as winning a free chocolate bar, or your alarm clock dying the day of a very important appointment. But sometimes it can be applied to more startling things, like the musical duo that is MS MR. Max Hershenow and Lizzy Plapinger both attended Vassar College, a liberal arts school located in New York, but they weren’t exactly close. Only upon graduation did they decide to pursue their vague connection, and they clicked.

MS MR is set to perform at this year’s Sonic Boom in Edmonton, part of an impressive line up that includes, among many others, Cage the Elephant, July Talk, and The Arctic Monkeys. However, the nature of their sound guarantees that MS MR will stand apart. With Hershenow’s chilling melodies and Plapinger’s haunting voice – reminiscent of a jazz lounge singer, their combined creativity has produced songs that have hit the mainstream running, and doesn’t look to slow down anytime soon. Their song “Bones” was featured during the third season of HBO’s Game of Thrones, and “Hurricane” has been receiving regular airplay.

Hershenow and Plapinger have a rare chemistry, which is obvious when they speak or are seen together. Something along the lines of two best friends who have only just met, and are trying to catch each other up. When asked about whether their meeting, and subsequent music, was chance or inevitable, things quickly got confusing.

“I don’t know!” Plapinger exclaimed. “It’s a good question.”

“Hindsight is always 20/20, right?” Hershenow posited.

“When you look back, everything feels very natural and organic. These were the steps that were meant to be taken.

But I don’t know; there are so many chance things. If I hadn’t been looking at my email at the right time, or we’d had one less conversation in school or something, you know, it might not have worked out. There is an element of complete chance, but also it’s so unlikely it also seems inevitable, in a way.”

“It is hard to believe that it would have turned out the other way but you’re totally right,” Plapinger mused. “What if I had not read your email? What if I wasn’t brave enough 44

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

to send you something I’d been working on? We’ll never know. But we are so glad it has worked out this way.”

The sound of their last album, Secondhand Rapture, has a strange echoing quality to it; both lulling and energizing.

“We wanted to lay the foundation for our long-term projects,” Hershenow said.

Swamped with touring, Plapinger and Hershenow were unable to craft a follow-up – until now. The duo’s tour schedule has wound down, lending them the time to be creative. A new record is in the works.

Though they are musicians first and foremost, MS MR is a visual entity as well. The music videos that accompany their songs have a strange glint to them; weird and unexpected things happen in the space of three minutes. The pastelcoloured American Gothic vibe was something they were experimenting with.

“We like the idea of oxymorons – bringing two seemingly different ideas and putting them next to each other,” Plapinger said, “So we liked the idea of this sort of Gothic macabre and almost morbid world, with sort of this candycoloured sheen.”

Despite the striking, visual nature of these videos, when creating the music the duo try not to get mired down with anything beyond the pure sound they are making.

“The music comes first, but we definitely are very visually inspired,” Plapinger said. “We love the challenge of being able to take control and build an entire MS MR world and environment that people can listen to and experience the music through. I think we’ll never let go of that. We’re getting even more ambitious with our vision in carrying the music over to a visual aesthetic.”

“But for right now, we really are sort of concentrating on the music, and not thinking so much about the visuals yet,” Hershenow added. “Although we have many plans in the works.”

Despite the moody and macabre nature of their work, Hershenow and Plapinger are both positive, cheerful people.

The music is more an expression of themselves than meets the eye.

“I think we’re well-balanced people on the outside, but we both have a heightened sense of drama,” Hershenow said. “I think we both have this over the top-ness – this big-ness.”

According to Plapinger, she and Hershenow are sensitive and emotional people; the music allows them to unleash that, to give those feelings a place and help them make sense.

“I think we are both well-rounded, upbeat, cheery people.

It’s easy for us to go to that place and be polite and have fun, and we’re not all doom and gloom. But, again, because we made the record in such a private, personal space, I think it allowed us to tap into these feelings and emotions that maybe we don’t allow ourselves to wear on our sleeves in front of people we are talking to every day. So in that way the music becomes this really, really honest piece of us that maybe is a little bit more secret. And that is one of the reasons I think it is special.”

MS MR Edmonton – Saturday, August 30th Northlands Park http://www.sonicboomfestival.com

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

45

Lifestyle

 Tony M does a session at Rejuve in Kensington

Tony M, Celebrity Trainer Kicking Star Asses into Shape

By Evan Kayne If you ever wondered how Britney Spears or Janet Jackson went from flab to fab in almost no time at all, trainer Tony Martinez gets the credit. Having appeared on fitness segments on Access Hollywood, Dateline NBC, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Entertainment Tonight and even the Oprah Winfrey Show, he took the time to meet with me (and torment...ah, I mean, train me) when he was in town recently, and we had a chance to talk fitness.

Tony has been extremely lucky with clients.

“I’ve had a lot of great clients – from Britney to Janet Jackson.

They are all very athletic; very competitive, but very athletic. I use sports a lot (when training). For instance tennis...Britney, we hit the ball 108 times rallying back and forth. I hit the ball into the net. Britney got so mad at me I can’t believe you did this, but I think they are bred with that because they have that work ethic. They are on stage for a 90-minute performance and they are hard core, so we need to get that high intensity volume of functional training to get them in shape.”

His motto for exercise, which applies to both celebrities and regular folk, is to work out smarter, not longer.

“I think that’s what people like a lot. They don’t want to go in there for hours and hours. If anything they like these quick workouts that I have for them because I make it fun for them and they like it... they like the variety of them.” Tony doesn’t necessarily look at the trends as bad – as long as they are safe and the coaches/trainers are with the client the entire time, that’s all that matters.

Tony has done some work with youth and gay men in the Los Angeles gay scene, and I asked him about recent trends in the gay community where we are hearing more and more reports of young gay men obsessively training at the gym. They are seeing the photos of muscle men not realizing that, much like female models, there is some photo-shopping involved.

“I understand we all want a healthy body, to look good,” Tony told me. “What you want is to look good from the inside out as well too; not get too crazy with these fads or workouts.”

He thinks people need to remember fitness training can be a

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lifestyle change for many people, and sometimes people go too extreme without the proper training, and injure themselves.

In North America, people are sold on the myth of the quick fix/take a pill and solve it, something Tony doesn’t agree with, shaming me at one point when I said I’d love to get liposuction for my modest belly. “Liposuction doesn’t work,” he said.

Society likes that quick fix, but “...you need to work… you work out hard, you eat, sleep. Smart nutrition is half the battle.

People eat correctly when you have smaller portions – five to six meals a day. Eat the right kind of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, you see a big difference.” It’s all about building smart habits you want to follow.

This doesn’t mean you deny yourself some treats. “Everything in moderation. You don’t have to go overboard. I always tell all my clients the same thing: it’s okay to have a cheat meal. You worked really hard, especially if you are working out correctly…

Your body craves it; it needs it.”

As for fad diets, Tony said they are a dime a dozen, with some working and some not, but the caution is that you are the guinea pig.

Regarding personal trainers, he gave this advice: “the main thing, if you are looking for a trainer, is look at his or her credentials; make sure they are always upping their value as a personal trainer – going to seminars, or they have an exercise degree. If anything, make sure they are attentive. People that look around, not paying attention, or they just want to talk the entire time, you could probably move on. You want someone who is going to be more in tune to you, because remember now, you are paying for that service.”

Celebrities getting a different routine than other clients is only because, as a trainer, Tony treats all his clients differently.

A routine that works for one person might not work for another.

For the celebrity clients, a good physique is a necessity; they know that they need to do it as they are in the public eye. Admittedly, more than average trainers, he will get the emergency calls where clients have two weeks to get in better shape for a movie or red carpet event. Though an average person may have a similar desire, there is a bit of wiggle room.

If they don’t look perfect it won’t be broadcast worldwide.

Any fit client is a win for Tony.

“The first success that I had was getting Janet Jackson to lose 60 pounds in four months. At the time, her record label wanted her to lose some weight and we did it no problem; she was on the cover of every magazine possible.” Tony did concede the amount of weight loss in that time is pushing it a bit, but Tony said Janet was totally up for the challenge.

“She was going hardcore. That’s how competitive she is. She was willing to do anything I asked. We would go out surfing twice a day or we would ride our bikes.” He trained every single body part different each time, did some functional training, and he thinks that is what got her to lose the weight so fast (plus the right diet plan).

I did have the chance to do a 30-minute workout with Tony and it was brutal. While I’m not in bad shape, his exercises targeted a lot of my core, an area where I know I have a weakness. I left the session weak and sweaty, and appreciative of how an effective quick workout, in its way, can be just as effective for a lean body, perhaps more than my routine of throwing weights around.

Tony Martinez http://trainertonymartinez.com Videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/trainertonymartinez

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

47

Interview

Alaska Thunderfuck

Ready to once again sink her nails into Calgary!

By Farley Foo Foo “If you’re not wearing nails, you’re not doing drag!”

Having crash-landed on Earth just in time to take over the airwaves of season five of RuPaul’s Drag Race, runner-up and fan favourite Alaska Thunderfuck is set to make her return to Calgary’s gay Pride for a second year in a row where she will be headlining the Hot Mess pride blowout at Rebublik Nightclub (219 17th Ave SW) on Sunday, August 31st, 2014. Currently appearing in a live drag theatre version of Sex and the City at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco, Alaska speaks to GayCalgary about her life since Drag Race, current musical projects and her fondness for soft-core straight porn.

GC: Are you looking forward to being in Calgary for the second pride in a row?

AT: I am! I’m really looking forward to it!

GC: Any good memories from last time you were up?

AT: Um, I used to drink a lot. (laughs) So my memories are pretty

cloudy but I’m sure I had a really good time.

GC: Well I know that we all had a good time! What is your favourite part of coming up to Canada to perform?

AT: I don’t know if you know this but my grandmother is French Canadian, so that makes me one fourth French Canadian. So it’s sort of like returning to my homeland. I inherited a lot of my extravagant tastes from my grandmother, because she loves fur coats and exquisite hats and things. So Canada has a really special place in my heart.

GC: What has life been like for you since season five of RuPaul’s Drag Race?

AT: It has been great. I’m like, a working drag queen now which is really cool. So thank you RuPaul for giving me a job that I really like. It’s like, a tonne of work, and it is sort of non-stop, but I’m really happy to be doing it. I’m really grateful.

GC: Being on the road so much, do you have any travel tips for drag queens?

AT: Yes! I actually do! I think that you should get one of these Bluetooth speakers. Because I really like listening to music when I’m getting into drag, so when I’m in a hotel room I can just turn on my Bluetooth speakers. I actually have two different kinds! (laughs) I have one by Stelle audio and it looks like a clutch purse, but it actually is Bluetooth speakers, and the other one is by Beats. I love them – they are like my favourite thing because I can listen to my music really loud in my hotel rooms and annoy my neighbours!

GC: You have a couple of cruises coming up in November with

AT: Well, I have enjoyed cruising for many years (laughs). I love the cruises, [they are] really fun. I like to get in drag as much as I can when I’m on them. It’s like a really fun opportunity to get to hang out with the fans of the show. And they get to hang out with you, not just for like a few minutes in a meet and greet, but they get to hang out for a whole week. So you really get to know these wonderful people. Oh! And I have a lot of speedos, so I will be wearing those.

GC: Oh! So you will either be in drag or in a speedo?

AT: Yes! I will either be in a wig or a speedo.

GC: Or ideally both!

AT: Mmmm hmmmm! (laughs) GC: Right now you are doing a show in San Francisco called Sex

And The City, Live! What is the show about?

AlandChuck.travel. What can guests expect when cruising with Alaska?

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AT: It’s so much fun. We are in our final weekend at the Victoria Theatre here in San Francisco. It has been really great; the audience response has been so good. Have you seen Sex and the City, the show?

GC: Of course!

AT: It’s basically that except the women are men (laughs). But we

go right off the scripts from the show; we mash them up so they each get the most interesting story lines. But it is all scripted from the show itself and it’s really different through the lens of four giant men in these characters.

GC: Well Samantha I don’t think is a very hard character to translate into a drag queen.

during your season that, for whatever reason, we didn’t see on the show?

AT: Well, we used to get Cinemax in the hotel rooms. So late at night I would sometimes, if I was really lucky, get to see like, really soft-core straight porn. Which was the only option for porn that we had because we didn’t have computers or Internet or phones or anything like that. So that was like, a lifesaver dude.

GC: (laughing) Thank God for straight soft-core porn.

AT: I know. I mean, it was so bad. Sometimes they didn’t even

have boys in them. It was like, what am I supposed to do with THIS!?

GC: (laughing hysterically) That does make it a lot harder.

AT: Uh well... or doesn’t, you know?

GC: (hysterically laughing) Oh my God, I’m dying!

AT: Don’t die! (laughs) GC: On to a slightly serious topic; back in December it came out

AT: (laughing) I know!... She really just is every drag queen. That’s

not too much of a stretch.

GC: You have been putting out your own music these days. You have got “Ru Girl” and most recently the music video for “Your Makeup is Terrible” and I understand you have a song coming out called “Nails”AT: Wow! You’ve done your research!

GC: (laughing) I try. Could you tell us a little about what “Nails”

is going to be like and, I was wondering, do you write all these songs yourself?

AT: I know it is shocking that lyrics like Your makeup is terrible can be written by me, but it’s true. And lyrics like Nails, nails, nails; nails, nails, nails, I came up with them all by myself! (laughing) Yeah, I basically write them by myself. “Nails” I actually had help from one of the writers at Killingsworth studios, who produced all of my songs, Ashley Levy… “Nails” is actually a really important song for the drag community because it teaches the lesson that if you’re not wearing nails, you’re not doing drag. Which are good words to live by for a young queen starting out. So I’m glad I can use my public stature to share these really important life lessons with the world (laughs).

GC: Absolutely! They have got to get their makeup right and they

have got to get their nails on.

AT: I know, right? I mean, I feel like maybe later in my career I will

write songs about really important, serious issues like life and love and things like that. But, to start out with, I just want to write stupid drag songs that are about drag, you know?

GC: Well they are fun.

AT: Thank you. The video is really cool. We shot the video and it’s

going to be really amazing. It chronicles the crash landing of Alaska’s spaceship.

GC: When can we expect to see that come out?

AT: I have no idea; I guess I’ll decide when I see it. I still haven’t

seen it, but we have shot it.

GC: We are anxiously awaiting that now.

AT: Me too!

GC: You famously auditioned for every season of Drag Race and

then finally got on for season five. Looking back, are you glad that it turned out the way that it did? Or would you have liked to have gone on with Sharon for season four?

AT: No! That would have been really bad if Sharon and I were on the same season because I think she would have sent me home really early on! (laughing) No, I’m really happy with how it turned out. I think that I wasn’t really ready at that time because I still had growing to do as a queen and as a person. I’m just really glad [and grateful] to mother RuPaul for letting it happen how it happened.

that you and Sharon had decided to end your relationship. The two of you have managed to maintain a strong friendship and working relationship. How do you manage that and to keep everything drama-free?

AT: I think that we both just are coming from a place of not wanting it to be any more painful or dramatic than it has to be. So that is good. But it’s still hard; it was a really important part of my life for a long time. I’m still recovering I guess. But you know, we’re cool.

GC: What is the best and worst fan moments you have had?

AT: (laughing) Oh my goodness. I think the best AND worst

moment [was], there is this guy with a tattoo of me on his crotch or his hip or something. That is pretty cool, but it’s also pretty insane.

So that wins both categories.

GC: Other than Ru, who is someone you have been really starstruck to meet in real life?

AT: …I was really star struck by Cory Wade Hindorff from America’s Next Top Model. He lives in Philadelphia and he is friends with Mimi Imfurst. And I just like, got to meet him and we went shopping one day. He is really cool and really sweet, so he wins that contest.

GC: If the show asked you to come back for a season of All Stars would you be up for it?

AT: (jokingly) Oh well, let’s see... if I can find time in my schedule... (laughs) Yes! Of course! If RuPaul calls you don’t really say no. I would be there.

GC: Any final message for the readers of GayCalgary anxiously awaiting your return for Pride?

AT: I just want to let everyone within the sound of my voice know that if you’re not wearing nails you’re not doing drag.

GC: Well then, I think everyone coming out for Hot Mess had better come out with their best nails on.

AT: That would be great. Or if they just want to bring me a set that I can wear, that is fine too. (laughs) GC: Well thank you so much for speaking with us today Alaska.

AT: Absolutely! Thank you honey. Byeeeeee.

Don’t miss your chance to see this strange and beautiful drag alien at Calgary Pride. Rock your favourite Alaska Thunderfuck t-shirt available online at AlaskaThunderfuck.com and don’t forget to wear it with your best drag nails!

GC: Who, from your season, have you kept in closest contact with?

Is there anyone that you don’t get to see very often that you really miss?

AT: I love Jinx so much! And I never get to see her. I don’t think she has stopped working since the show ended. She has just been on a stage ever since. I love her, and I miss her, and I think she is really cool.

Alaska Thunderfuck Appearing at Hot Mess Calgary - Sunday, August 31st Rebublik Nightclub

GC: Are you still in close contact with Roxxy and Detox? Is there still a RoLaskaTox? AT: (laughing) Yes! We have weekly RoLaskaTox meetings where we bully young Narcoleptic drag queens.

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GC: (laughing) Well thank God you have kept that work going.

What is the funniest, or most outrageous, moment that occurred

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49

Event

Les Girls

Fueling growth in the gay community

By Krista Sylvester If you’re surprised to hear about a very popular lesbian event happening at Calgary’s infamous Roadhouse, you’re not alone.

It just goes to show how far the gay community has come in this city, says Les Girls co-creator Amanda Priolo, who is excited for this year’s Fused 3 Pride Wrap-Up Party.

Since Priolo and Julie Mercier launched Les Girls, in December 2010, the event has grown in popularity, size and awareness. And while Les Girls has now reached must-see proportions, when the creators started out, they only aimed to make a dent in the gay community.

“We didn’t really have any expectations; I think we just started it to try to give the women in our community something that they could look forward to that wasn’t so male driven,” Priolo says. “At the time, there wasn’t anything for the ladies, so we wanted to create something that could be for the ladies and showcase women of all talents while giving girls a place to perform and have fun.”

At that they have succeeded, and this year Les Girls is reaching even further into the Calgary community and talent pool, bringing their show to The Roadhouse, a place traditionally known for its rather hetero clientele.

“We have seen a lot of growth, which is why we wanted to move the event to The Roadhouse – because of the larger capacity,” Priolo explains. “The owners of the club have been super accommodating and very easy to work with. They are very excited to have our event at their club, and they hope it’s going to be there for many years to come.”

 Julie Mercer (left) and Amando Priolo (right) “The city is changing, and when we approached The Roadhouse they will thrilled to be our host. The owners, managers and all of the staff are so excited for the event, and will even be joining us in the parade and at the street festival.”

But that’s not all. On Saturday, August 30th, a day before the FUSED party, Les Girls are bringing The Ladies of Pride poolside at the contemporary Aloft hotel.

“Bring your suits, flip flops and towel and join us for some fun to celebrate PRIDE and raise money for the Calgary Dyke March,” Priolo says, adding the event begins at 3pm, following the march, and ends at 10pm.

Then, of course, Les Girls and YYC Bad Boys are teaming up for the mainstage show at the Pride Calgary Street Festival, alongside loads of entertainment including dances, DJs, performers and amazing sound.

“It’s a huge undertaking, but last year people enjoyed the afternoon at Millennium Park so much we just had to do it again,” she says.

The next night the FUSED party will transform The Roadhouse into a gay haven for Pride revellers with DJs, burlesque, drag queens, a performance by the Calgary Men’s Chorus, go-go dancers and Calgary’s Pole Junkies, just to name a spattering.

FUSED 3 will also feature the Night Spell Fashion Show under the direction of Calgary fashionista and creative maven Marie Ferraro. The fashion show is designed not only to be a spectacular artistic event within an event, but is also a fundraiser for Camp fYrefly.

The evening starts with a BBQ on the patio of The Roadhouse at 6pm, with the club portion of the night beginning at 8pm and running to close.

Advanced tickets can be purchased at http://www.zoobis.com/ or at Dick and Janes.

Priolo advises buying your tickets for all of the events in advance, because they will definitely sell out.

“I can’t say enough about the support we get from the community,” she says. “They have supported us in everything we have done and, in turn, we do our very best to try to give back to different groups every time we do any event.”

Ladies of Pride Pool Side Saturday, August 30th @ 3-10pm Aloft Hotel (2359 Banff Trail NW, Calgary) FUSED 3 Sunday, August 31st @ 6pm Roadhouse (840 9th Ave SW, Calgary) http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4221 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments 50

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51

Interview

 Several cast members from Lord of the Ring

 Dean O’Gorman

 Craig Parker

Craig Parker and Dean O’Gorman Catching up with the New Zealander cast of LOTR

By Mars Tonic The Lord of the Rings, as a phenomenon, began several decades ago. While it was published in 1954, it still resonates with many of us. It has been a part of our childhoods and, for some, our parents’ childhoods as well. As a series it is still going strong with no plans to stop, especially in the midst of the whole world experiencing The Hobbit as a cinematic trilogy.

Peter Jackson, who before The Hobbit also directed The Lord of the Rings over ten years ago (beginning with The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001) is a New Zealander and, as such, many of the roles in his movies were filled by them. Known colloquially as ‘Kiwis’ throughout the world (the bird, though; not the fruit), they have a reputation for kindness, humbleness, and general sensibility.

“We’re really the Canadians of the South Pacific,” joked Craig Parker.

He, along with fellow actors Dean O’Gorman and father-son team Jed and Sadwyn Brophy, were just a handful of the talent involved with the LOTR franchise that invaded Calgary for the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo this past April.

New Zealand is a small country, but the filming industry there is quite prevalent (there is a running joke that the country’s main exports are sheep and actors). However, being an actor in New Zealand is far different than being one in Canada, America or England, as evidenced by the answer to one of our first questions: How do you pick your projects?

“It’s a very, very hard process,” O’Gorman answered, straight-faced.

“What happens is someone gives us a job, and we say yes, please!”

“Pretty much, if you’re an actor in New Zealand, people go, ah, sorry.

What else do you do?” Jed Brophy added, with a laugh.

O’Gorman, who plays Fili in The Hobbit, wears good looks under his movie prosthetics. He can be seen as the somewhat scandalous Anders in the television show The Almighty Johnsons, which is about a collection of reincarnated Norse Gods who are less godly and more maudlin. Craig Parker, who plays the heroic Haldir in LOTR, had a long stint on Legend of the Seeker and HBO’s Spartacus. Jed Brophy apparently played half the characters in LOTR though, at the moment, his performance as Nori in The Hobbit is the most lauded. His son, Sadwyn, played Arwen’s son in her vision of the future in Return of the King.

There is a lot of overlap in New Zealand when it comes to film. Many actors who have been on Xena: Warrior Princess (often in more than one role!) also come across each other in other projects, like the infamous

Shortland Street – a not-quite soap opera that follows the trials and tribulations of a hospital and its staff. It has been going on for 25 years.

When we asked the Kiwis about this, they shared a lot of laughs. Who hasn’t been on Shortland Street?

“Me! Thank God!” Sadwyn exclaimed.

“It’s not like a soap opera; it’s not like Days of our Lives,” Craig Parker explained.

Is it like Grey’s Anatomy?

“Yeah, except none of the surgeons actually do any surgery,” Jed said.

O’Gorman wore an innocent look. “They don’t do it on Grey’s Anatomy either, Jed. It’s just make believe on both shows? Yeah.”

“Ahhh.”

Beyond having a full on chat, we were also able to interview O’Gorman and Parker, one on one. We accumulated a dearth of information that weekend, and were given the rare opportunity to glimpse into what it is like being a part of pop culture – not only through the LOTR movies, but through other prevalent projects as well. We hope it will help you through all the cold, empty months before The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies finally comes to theatres.

Dean O’Gorman This man is a charmer. The quirky New Zealand accent, the stubbled face, the easygoing smile – alone they are powerful enough but, when combined, they’re dangerous. So it’s a good thing that along with being charming he is also an incredibly nice guy. Unafraid to poke fun at himself and those around him, he was nonetheless happy to talk seriously about his projects, the people he works with, and his experiences in the industry thus far.

GC: In The Hobbit, you came in as a replacement for the first actor [for Fili]. Was that kind of like a whirlwind?

DO: I had auditioned for the job a long time ago, maybe almost a year, for Bilbo. And I was like, I’m not gonna get Bilbo. So I did the audition and didn’t really think about it. Then one day I got a call, on a Saturday, and it was my agent, and I was like Why are you calling me on a Saturday? What’s going on? And she was like Look, they’re interested in you for a role in The Hobbit and I was like, what? And then two days later I flew down to Wellington and I did the audition with Aidan... and then two days later I was in Wellington for three years. Over the period of a week, everything changed.

GC: What’s it like working with Aidan?

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DO: I love Aidan. He’s just like a brother to me. Part of the reason I got cast is that they needed to make sure we had a good relationship with each other straight off the bat, and we did. Because most of our scenes were together, we spent most of our time together, and we just bonded, we just get along really well. He’s just a really great guy.

GC: The Almighty Johnsons is so original and so wild. How did you

enjoy being on the set?

DO: The original idea was James Griffin’s, who is the writer and creator of it. And he came up with this idea, and me and a couple of other people workshopped the idea of being Norse gods – but not very good Norse gods. So, it was about a year before we actually finally ended up doing the TV show and then it just sort of all – it was a really fun job because everyone just sort of fell into their roles. Like Ben Barrington, who plays the uncle, Olaf. Olaf’s awesome, but Ben is like that too; really cruisey and laid back. Tim is the eldest of us, so he was kind of like Mike on the show. And Emmet plays Axl – he’s like a puppy. He’s this guy who has got big limbs and he doesn’t know how to control them. He’s really enthusiastic, and he is actually the youngest of four brothers himself. So we all just sort of fitted into our dynamic really well. I was shooting that during The Hobbit, so I was back and forth, so it was quite tiring – but it was really fun.

Craig Parker This writer admits to having had a horrendous crush on Craig Parker through most of high school. But honestly, who wouldn’t? And how serendipitous it is that during his stint on Spartacus he does indeed – what’s the colloquial phrase? - take most of his kit off. Yes, you’re all going to go re-watch the show now that we have reminded you.

Despite gladiatorial looks, Craig is easygoing, pleasant, and polite, taking work wherever he finds it. Freshly moved to Los Angeles, we can only hope there’s much more of him to hit the big and small screens.

CP: I spent most of my growing up time in New Zealand, and it’s very much home. But L.A. is the centre of the entertainment world. It’s a big change, and I’ve been there maybe a year. I’m sort of getting used to the city, but I absolutely love it.

GC: So you have done voiceover work, theatre – you have done LOTR, Spartacus... you have your fingers in a lot of different pies. What interests you about doing so many things?

CP: I get bored very easily. I love to work. I’d rather be doing something than sitting around waiting. I have never been particularly... ‘This is my career’ structured. It’s just like Oh, this sounds like an interesting job. I think that the reason most of us get into it is that we are fascinated by understanding the process of being an actor. Everything you do feeds into that. It keeps you off the street, pays the bills, and it’s fun.

GC: How do you like being in Calgary?

CP: People are so nice. The cliché of Canadians being genuinely

polite is actually true. Mark Ferguson and I came last year and we both walked away going We don’t feel exhausted after this con! Because every single person who came up was genuinely lovely and polite, and it was a pleasure to meet them.

GC: So, Spartacus. You appear naked on screen. You don’t see that very often, so why?

CP: Spartacus was a show where everyone got naked, at some stage.

And often in the naked scenes you have got bits stuck on, supposedly for modesty. But by the end of the show everyone was just going these are really annoying, what are we even worrying about? So you don’t really care; you sort of forget that other people are going to watch it. Lucy Lawless, right in the first episode, she basically got her full kit off. And it was this great moment where you go Right, if Lucy’s going to do it, then we are not going to complain about it.

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GC: Craig, you live in L.A. How is it settling into the film industry

there?

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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Event

Red Deer Pride

Celebrating Central Alberta’s flourishing community

By Lisa Lunney Central Alberta Pride is excited for the upcoming Red Deer Pride Festival. The city will join together for the Pride Kick off celebration and mayoral proclamation at 5pm on Friday, August 15th, downtown in City Hall Park.

Friday evening brings Drag-Apoca-Lips, an epic drag Kings and Queens performance at The Vat (5301 43 St). This event will start sharply at 8pm, but Co-Chair of Central Alberta Pride, Tony Jeglum, advises to arrive early as last year it was standing room only by that time.

On Saturday afternoon Pride-goers and community members are invited to participate in the Fruit Float. This free, family-friendly event offers fun for all ages. Patrons are encouraged to meet at McKenzie Trails to drop off the bulk of cars, then venture to Ft. Normandeau as a group and get boats inflated and the river float started! This is the perfect way to spend a humid August afternoon.

A Facebook page has been set up and patrons are encouraged to follow the Fruit Float for more details.

Saturday evening Kate Reid and The Dirrty Show are performing at Fratters Speakeasy (5114 - 48 Street). Tickets are $20 and available at Fratters, CAANS and 53 St Music. This event promises to deliver laughs and a wicked, fun evening.

Kristol Gallivan of Red Deer Pride shared with GayCalgary what makes these events so fantastic. There is simply nothing else like it in Red Deer and Central Alberta. There are so few opportunities to

 The Dirrty Show at Red Deer Pride 2013

meet new people and become involved in the community other than Central Alberta Pride.

“We brought in the always-wonderful Kate Reid for a Red Deer first for her, and we hired local talent, The Dirrty Show, who are always amazing,” she said. “We receive feedback saying our pride is nothing like all of the other prides in Alberta as well. I am most eager for Kate Reid with The Dirrty Show because I love the venue and the performers. It will be a great weekend, both for the community aspect I mentioned and because it’s so much damn fun!”

Sunday will have a Pride Church service at the United Church in Lacombe (5226 - 51 Avenue) at 10:30am. This is the only event that is not happening in Red Deer. In fact, it marks the first venture out to expand into Central Alberta.

And finally, Sunday afternoon will end Pride with a bang. A community BBQ will begin at noon in Rotary Recreation Picnic Site.

This event is a great opportunity to share laughs with new friends and celebrate wonderful people, coming together.

Central Alberta Pride would not be possible without the community and its sponsors: TD Bank Canada, Sandman Hotel Red Deer, GayCalgary Magazine, Babycakes Cupcakery, Central Alberta AIDS Network Society, and Mr. Mikes Red Deer.

Tony Jeglum, Co-Chair of Central Alberta Pride, is ecstatic to celebrate another year of Pride in Red Deer. This event is very important to our community because it is occurring in a city that is not an urban metropolis, he says. In the last five years we’ve seen Pride celebrations occurring in smaller towns - the tiny Peace River celebrated their second Pride this year as well. This shows we have come a very long way.

But there is still reason to keep the celebrations going, because Pride events help to create a sense of togetherness and belonging, make the LGBT community visible, and address homophobia where it exists.

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Event

Donnie Peters Memorial Cut-a-thon Back for another year of beneficial cuts

By Keith Johnson It has been many years since the Calgary Gay Community lost one of its shining stars in the spirit and the enthusiasm of Donnie Peters. Today, however, and following many years of uncertainty, the Donnie Peters Memorial Cut-a-thon continues to exist due to the likes of Eric Jackson (Mystare Divine) and Vancouver’s own Gale Force (formerly of Calgary). These two gentle-ladies work tirelessly to ensure the funding required to keep the much-needed Friday Positive Living Lunch Program, offered by HIV Community Link (formerly Aids Calgary), going is available.

From the first Friday in September until the last Friday of June, individuals living with HIV/AIDS are given an opportunity to break bread with friends, community workers and volunteers in a safe and welcoming environment. The funds generated by the September 1st Cuta-thon goes directly to the 2014/2015 lunch program and ensures the community-mindedness of people like Mr. Peters continues for at least another year.

This creative event is not only for adults – make it a day out for the entire family. Snickles The Clown will be face painting, and the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Chinook Arch (ISCCA) will provide food and beverages for the day from 10am to 5pm. HIV Community Link will be setting up an info booth and DEA, a local DJ Group featuring DJ Mental Funk, BJ Honeeemyustard, Misselaynenous, DJ Tommy Ill and DJ Kid V, will be spinning tunes all day .

Neither the event nor the entertainment would have come to life without the generous sponsorship of Goliath’s, The Texas Lounge and Broken City.

The Donnie Peters Memorial Cut-a-Thon is a great opportunity to get a hot new do at an even hotter price: $20 for adults and $10 for kids. In the salon these stylists would be charging between $80 to $150. Tickets for a cut will be sold at designated location in the park. Just find an available stylist and your new fall look is yours, plus you’ve donated directly to a worthy cause.

Those looking to volunteer can contact Cut-a-thon organizers through their website.

Eric points out that his involvement spans only the last three years, during which time the Artists for the Quality Of Life (AFQOL) organization resurrected the Cut-a-Thon. Unlike many fundraisers, Jackson is happy to report that 100 per cent of the funds raised that day will reach the intended program. It is with the help of a first-rate team of volunteers, as well as dedicated stylists, that this event comes to life.

The Donnie Peters Memorial Cut-a-thon

On event day, which falls not only on the Labour Day Weekend but also the culmination of Calgary Pride activities, Tompkins Park will backdrop some of the country’s most talented hair artists. Top stylists from salons such as SHAG, Edges Salon & Spa, Fragments, Cabella and Alta Moda will be performing their artistry for public fodder, including Gary Klein (Calgarian and long time friend of Mr. Peters) and Jason Bannister (Edmonton).

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Monday, September 1st @ 10am-5pm Tomkins Park, 17th Ave & 8th St http://www.donniepeterscutathon.ca

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55

Fatally Attracted to Adore Delano

By Paul Hutnick RuPaul’s Drag Race runner-up Adore Delano proves she is one psycho bitch in the fourth single from her best selling album, Till Death Do Us Party. The song follows “DTF”, “I Adore U”, and “Party” - her first three club smashes that helped catapult Till Death Do Us Party to the #1 spot on the iTunes dance charts earlier this summer.

“It’s a cutesy, crazy, fun, record with an ironic psycho edge”, says Adore of “Hello, I Love You”. The song is based on experiences from her own life. “There was a guy named Greg Ahern in high school,” she recalls. “I cut his picture out of my brother’s yearbook and I would stalk him during his wrestling practices.”

“When it comes to finding love, I can be aggressive,” she admits.

“I can also be a gentle pussycat. It all depends on the person I’m in love with… and if I ate that day or not.”

GC: AD: GC: AD:

What was your inspiration for the album?

My desire to take over the world.

Is there special meaning to the title, Till Death Do Us Party?

I love the concept of marrying the world and presenting this album as my vows to each person who buys it.

GC: How would you describe your newest release, “Hello, I Love

You”?

AD: It’s a fun, catchy, radio-friendly song.

GC: What do you love most about it?

AD: It’s proudly psychotic. When I perform it at shows, the fans

sing along and I love that.

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GC: You’ve been performing a lot this summer. Are you enjoying the road?

AD: I love traveling the world and meeting beautiful people everywhere.

GC: Have you been hooking up?

AD: A little. I fell in love with a boy I met in Australia during my

tour there. He’s magical.

GC: Do you think you can be too much for some guys to handle?

AD: I think my line of work can be too much for guys to handle

but for the most part I’m pretty chill.

GC: What do you do if someone you’re into doesn’t reciprocate the love?

AD: I cry about it for two days and then find a cute twink on Jack’d to forget about them.

GC: Have you ever been stalked by a guy?

AD: I have. There was this guy who thought I was a girl and

wouldn’t leave me alone for like a whole year in high school. I told him I had a penis and he backed off.

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Interview

The Search for Sinéad

How Sinéad O’Connor found herself – and how the gay community helped

By Chris Azzopardi In 1992, Sinéad O’Connor was at the height of her career following the success of “Nothing Compares 2 U” when, during a one-woman protest against sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, she tore up a pic of Pope John Paul II on Saturday Night Live. Causing an uproar, and eventually thwarting her pop-culture presence (not that she cared), that defiance would come to define the Irish singer’s life and career.

Over 20 years later, O’Connor found herself entangled in more controversy – this time with Miley Cyrus, who became the target of the Grammy winner’s digs last year. The two famously feuded in 2013 over the music business, when Sinead warned the twerker that it “will prostitute you for all you are worth” (per O’Connor’s people, questions about the viral brawl were off-limits for this interview).

Does Sinéad have balls? Of course she does. Big ones.

She talked about that region during our recent conversation, insisting that sex – whether it’s with a man or a woman – isn’t necessary for making her “dick hard.” Still, she lets it all hang out on her 10th studio album, I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss, candidly revealing that, “Everybody wants something from me / They rarely ever wanna just know me.”

The exception: this chat, during which Sinéad recalled her introduction to the gay community – and how that community gave her the courage to be herself, speak out and “take shit.”

GC: With regard to this album and your last, How About I Be Me (And You Be You)?, released in 2012, you’ve been on a mission to find yourself. What kind of sacrifices and choices did you have to make on that journey to self-actualization?

SO: Gosh, god, I don’t know. I suppose it’s the same for everybody. It’s not like you’re suddenly there and you don’t have any more work to do; it’s a life’s work for all of us, isn’t it?

It doesn’t finish until you get to the other side. I think, actually, the things that help you self-actualize are the mistakes – socalled “mistakes.” I don’t like that word. But the things that you get wrong is how you learn to get things right.

GC: The album’s lead single, “Take Me to Church,” seems partly inspired by redemption. What mistake in your life was the turning point for you?

SO: In terms of the song, I suppose the whole album really is a set of love songs. They’re all romantic songs, and there are a number of characters on the record – three or four different female characters, one of whom turns up a lot more than the others – and there’s a certain journey that that character is taking throughout the record. In a way, that’s the answer to the question.

The character is someone who believed all her life that somehow a relationship would make everything wonderful, and that glorious man or woman would come along and carry her into the sunset, that everything would be wonderful. Those of us who have been wounded growing up want to create in our adulthood some perfect family situation or perfect romantic situation that we think will give us something back that we wish we had – that can mean we project onto people romantically. You can tell yourself that someone is just the most perfect, wonderful, glorious, la la la la, and they can be the most awful asshole that ever walked the face of the earth – and so could you! (Laughs) The song is more about the idea of romance, and on the whole album that character in particular takes a journey www.gaycalgary.com

through being a romantic – a pedestal-putting-upon type of a character – who matures when she sees the reality of the situation as opposed to the illusion. I don’t know if that answers the question properly, but I think that’s the point at which you can understand yourself – when you see the reality of your situation as opposed to what you want to see, the illusions we all want to see.

GC: It’s no secret that you have a history with the Catholic Church. So knowing that, and also being a gay man who grew up Catholic, I can’t help but listen to “Take Me to Church” and think it’s more than just a song about romance.

SO: The song actually isn’t about the church at all. I don’t explain what songs are about because I don’t think you should.

I think you take away from the audience the experience of being able to imagine it’s about them, so I shouldn’t actually tell you what “Take Me to Church” is about – the reason you like it is because what it means to you. But to me, the church in the song symbolizes relationships. It’s a reference back to that old song from My Fair Lady, “Get Me to the Church on Time,” where the father of Audrey Hepburn’s character is getting married, and I’m trying to reference that song in my own song, where, really, the character is talking about relationships.

This is a person who, perhaps, has gotten very depressed about a particular relationship not working out because they completely idolize this person, but this person has turned out to be somebody frightening and not someone who could keep the character safe. It’s the, “Oh, I want to die because he or she doesn’t love me.” The character is standing there with the rope around their neck about to jump off a tree and says, “Oh, now hold on, this asshole isn’t worth it. Actually, I’m fucking great, and what am I thinking?” So that moment – it’s not something that I’ve been through, but it’s something I suppose I can understand when I’ve been with other people. It’s that moment of understanding that actually you’re perfectly all right without this person that you’ve completely idolized and imagined as the most wonderful creature on earth. She understands in that moment that love has to be safe.

GC: Suicide comes up on another song from this album, “8 Good Reasons,” except it sounds like it’s coming from a more personal place.

Continued on Next Page 

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57

 From Previous Page SO: Yeah, “8 Good Reasons” and “How About I Be Me” would be the most autobiographical songs on this record.

GC: What are the “eight good reasons” that kept you alive when you almost took your own life? I imagine a few of them were your children.

SO: They are my children’s eyes.

GC: During that song, you also hint toward a possible ninth reason. What would that be?

SO: Well... that’s a secret.

GC: “I became the stranger no one sees” – that lyric seems especially telling. With that line, what are you reflecting on?

When in your life have you felt invisible, like an outsider?

SO: Let me see... I’m trying to find the best way to answer this. Yeah, there would be times that you are invisible – for the most part you are invisible, except when you’re making music. It’s really a song about being in the music business and the effects the music business – the business part of it – can have on you. It’s not about the things that life does to you.

There was nothing in my life apart from my job that ever made me want to run for the window. (Laughs) I can actually laugh about it now, thank god, but it’s... I’ve lost my train of thought now. I’ve forgotten, really, what you’ve asked me. I suppose it’s a delicate subject.

GC: In your life and in your career, have you felt invisible?

SO: Oh yeah. It’s a very complicated thing to explain, but the price you pay for being a successful musician is your life, and the more successful you are, the more of a price you pay.

That makes you invisible. People project onto you, and they see something that isn’t really you, and the only time you’re with people who are relating to you and who you really are is when you’re with your family or friends, or when you’re making music. The business of music is a really ugly business, and it’s difficult that the price you pay metaphorically for being successful is your life.

GC: Do you feel like yourself more now than ever?

SO: Yeah, I do – certainly musically. I wasn’t comfortable when I was younger for a myriad of reasons, but now I am very comfortable with who I am as a musician.

GC: The LGBT community can certainly empathize with the struggle to be comfortable with who you are. When was the first time you felt a connection to gay people in your life?

SO: I grew up in Ireland and there was no such thing as “gay” in the ’70s. I had never even heard of “gay” except for there was a female impersonator who had a big TV show in the ’70s, a guy called Danny La Rue. I used to love his show, but I never knew there was any such thing as gay until I was 17.

I moved to London and I had a totally straight but crossdressing cousin who brought me to all these clubs in London.

Hippodrome Nightclub & Disco was the first I went to, and it was full of guys dressed up as the most beautiful looking women – way more beautiful than any other woman was ever gonna hope to look! I thought that was incredible, and then I went to Kensington Market, and I thought, “Jesus, England is the greatest country on earth!” They were selling red stilettos – size 12! – and I was like, “Oh my god, that’s the coolest thing ever” as far as I was concerned, because I had come from a completely sexually repressed place – repressed in every way, you know? So I had actually never heard of any such thing as gay until I went to the Hippodrome, and put it this way, I was really jealous that I was never gonna look that fucking good.

But in all seriousness, I’ll never forget that moment, walking into that toilet in the Hippodrome and it being a real sort of glamorous scene – real posh toilet, all fluffed up mirrors and cushions like a boudoir type of place. In the country that I came from, you couldn’t be you in any way at all. No one could’ve walked down the street dressed like those guys were.

You’d have the shit kicked out of you, and not just for that, but a girl like me would have the shit kicked out of her if she walked around with a short skirt, if you expressed anything different at all. So it was real inspiring to me to see those guys able to walk around and be who they were. I actually find the

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whole gay community an enormous inspiration to me because, Jesus, I’ve never taken the kind of shit gay people take.

GC: But you’ve taken a fair amount of shit.

SO: No, I know, but I suppose in a way what I’m trying to say is that it’s easier to take shit when you are inspired by people such as those in the gay community. Because if a guy is brave enough to walk around dressed up as a woman – if a man is prepared to do that – as far as I’m concerned, any of us can fucking do anything. I just admire that so fucking much.

GC: You told Entertainment Weekly in 2005, “I’m threequarters heterosexual, a quarter gay.” What fraction of you is gay these days?

SO: I’m 47 years of age and I hope, like the character on the record, that I’ve matured somewhat. Here’s the thing: I think if you fall in love with someone, you fall in love with someone and I don’t think it would matter what they were.

They could be green, white and orange, they could be whatever the opposite of gay or straight is. I don’t believe in labels of any kind, put it that way. If I fall in love with someone, I wouldn’t give a shit if they were a man or a woman.

GC: I can’t say the same for myself, because I’m just not into the lady bits.

SO: Obviously, yeah. What I’m trying to say is, I’m old enough not to be going by my dick. It’s not about what gets my dick hard or not. I’m old enough for that to not be the point.

But I think maybe females are different – what makes us want to have sex with someone is that we like their personality.

Guys, whether they’re gay or straight, you all just like to fuck and think later. (Laughs) GC: When you look out currently at the next generation of artists, what do you see? Who inspires you?

SO: I’m old fashioned in that I’m not necessarily terribly inspired by anything that I hear on the radio that’s getting made nowadays, and that’s partly because I don’t bother my arse, which is terrible and inexcusable. I’m so addicted to the kind of music that I like, which is pretty much Chicago blues.

I don’t hear anything on the radio that gets me as excited as that. Yeah, so I guess I’m a fuddy-duddy. There’s nothing.

Well, Adele, obviously, she’s very inspiring. Amy Winehouse to me was extraordinary, as is Adele. I miss Amy Winehouse enormously because the bar was raised terribly high when she stepped in. I don’t know, though... I’m inexcusably uneducated as to what’s going on now.

GC: Are you out of touch with pop culture by choice?

SO: It’s just that when I happen to be driving around in the car and hear any of it, it’s boring to me. I’m not saying that that’s a judgment on it – it’s as much a judgment on me, perhaps. I just can’t find anything that’s as exciting as Chicago blues to me. It used to be that people used real instruments, made real music and wrote real songs about real things. People stood up in their jeans and T-shirts and moved people.

GC: When you initially shaved your head, you were making a statement – you were protesting the objectification of women.

What does that symbol of identity and empowerment mean to you now?

SO: I guess it just means “me.” You know, (for the cover of I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss) I ventured into the latex and wig territory there for the laugh, and there’s been quite a desire on the part of some people that I might continue down that line, but I’m quite pleased that I look the way that I look and I guess I associate the hairdo with me. I don’t feel like me if I don’t have my head shaved. And yeah, it does mean, too, I can put on a dress and I’m still not selling what everyone else wants me to sell.

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It’s Good to Be Takei Actor-turned-activist talks social network resurgence, closeted actors and autographing private parts

By Chris Azzopardi George Takei knows the power of a cat meme. Because of all things, it’s the pussy that gave him a platform and set the stage for something more than just pervy postings and silly jests: gay activism.

Now, the 77-year-old, the iconic Hikaru Sulu on Star Trek from 1966-1969, isn’t only the voice of a generation – he’s the voice of generations.

But how?

The actor, who swooshed out of the closet at the age of 68 to become a powerful LGBT advocate and social media magnate, reflects on all facets of his life during To Be Takei, a documentary viewable on DIRECTV through Aug. 6 and also in select theaters and VOD later this summer.

In the midst of traveling the Pride circuit, the cultural icon called in to chat about it being “high time” Star Trek cast a gay character (and why it hasn’t happened yet), how closeted actors are still common and – oh myyy! – autographing his fans’ private parts.

GC: What’s the message you’ve been bringing with you to these Pride festivals?

GT: That we’re making amazing progress, and that’s because all of the people in the community are pulling at the same wagon. We have some special change agents, people like Stephen Snyder-Hill, the soldier that spoke at the Republican Debate in 2011, where he asked whether any Republican candidate – when he or she becomes president, and also commander in chief of the military – would reinstate “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” It was a legitimate question, and yet the Republican people who gathered at that debate booed an American soldier ... on the battlefield ... dodging martyrs. It was a shocking thing. But because of people like him who have the courage to ask those questions and take principled stands, we’re making the progress that we are.

GC: You’ve been an integral part of that progress. For someone

who wasn’t out for most of his life, how surreal is it for you to be riding in a Pride parade at this point?

GT: I lived most of my life closeted because I wanted my career.

That was a heavy price to pay for it, because you’re living with the

constant tension of exposure – somebody could expose me and that’s the end of my career.

It must’ve been my early 20s when Tab Hunter, who was a god of the box office at the time – blond, good looking, young – played the lead in almost every movie that was coming out. He was exposed as gay in one of the scandal sheets, and you never heard from him again.

That puts the fear in you, and you’re always living with your guard up. You don’t know what or who might destroy your career, and so when you come out, you’re completely relieved of that tension. You can live fully as who you are.

I had an interesting experience: the State Department sent me on one big tour of South Korea and Japan, which culminated with U.S. ambassador to Japan, Caroline Kennedy, honoring me with a reception. As one of her guests, she had the first lady of Japan, the wife of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who told me that she had ridden in what she called a “Rainbow Pride Parade” in Tokyo this summer. Can you imagine the first lady of Japan riding in a Pride parade?

Changes are happening. Not only in the United States, but all over the world. It’s a very optimistic time, but we still have the Employment Non-Discrimination Act before us – you can be fired for no other reason than who you are. It’s the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” of the civilian population. So, it is an exciting time – a time to be optimistic, because we’re making progress – but we still have a long way to go.

GC: Your primary reason for staying closeted was to avoid sabotaging your career. How common do you think it is these days for actors to keep their sexuality concealed for that same reason?

GT: It’s still not uncommon. There are actors who have to be living that double life. I won’t name them, but you know, it’s a decision that they have to make. It’s a very personal decision. I don’t know the specifics, but with society changing, they are seeming to be more and more like outdated dinosaurs who maintain that kind of life.

GC: Are you saying you know people in showbiz who are closeted?

Friends of yours?

GT: I do. You know, when I was doing Star Trek my colleagues knew, but they’re good people, they’re cool, and they did not expose me. (Laughs) Well, one of them ... the fact that I am who I am went right over his head. I’ll leave it to you to guess whom.

GC: You’re a real tease, George.

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

59

 From Previous Page GT: (Laughs) GC: In the last 10 years, you’ve really become quite the accidental

activist, and because your parents come up often in the documentary, I’m wondering what you think they would say about your role as an LGBT role model?

GT: Well, they’re both gone now. My father had passed long ago,

and it’s one of my regrets in life – that I never came out to him. But I know he would’ve supported me. (He said he would) accept and support and love his son going into the acting arena. I mean, he did tell me: “Look at TV, look at movies, look at the kind of roles that Asians have to play – tiny roles to begin with, and stereotype roles at that – is that what you wanna go into?” I told my father: “Daddy, I will change it.” He supported me in that. I think he knew deep down who I was; he was waiting for me to come out to him.

When I came out to my mother, she had some difficulties, but she knew who (my now-husband) Brad was. Brad was in my life already, and she thought of him as my friend, but when I came out to her, the situation was changed. She already knew Brad for who he was and that he was a nice guy, so it wasn’t really that difficult. As life would have it, Brad and I took care of her in the last years of her life. She moved in with us. He became more a son to her than my own brother.

GC: Your career resurgence is really something to marvel at. You know your way around social media like no 77-year-olds I know.

GT: (Laughs) You’ve got a stereotype in your mind about 77-yearolds! There are a lot of us who are very comfortable with social media. My generation is not as out of touch with technology as you youngsters seem to think.

GC: (Laughs) I’m very aware of this stereotype; I’m basing this off my own experience with my father. Recently, he posted a message for someone else on my wall.

GT: You talk about your father – I have a sister who finally got a cell phone, but she leaves it at home when she leaves! What’s the

point? (Laughs) So it’s not just you and your father. In my own family, I have that to deal with.

GC: What role has humor played in how you present politics and social commentary on LGBT issues?

GT: It is key to building your audience. The reason why I got so actively involved with social media is, it’s been my mission in life to raise the awareness of my childhood incarceration – imprisonment of Japanese-Americans simply because we happened to look like the people who bombed Pearl Harbor. So, I’ve been going on speaking tours to universities and doing corporate events, and we founded a museum called the Japanese American National Museum – we’re an affiliate of the Smithsonian – and we developed a musical based on the internment called Allegiance.

I thought I’d use social media (to promote it), but my base, when I started in 2010, was essentially made up of sci-fi geeks and nerds – my Star Trek audience – and I had to grow that. So, by trial and error I found that the humorous things, the funnies – or the cat memes – got the most likes and shares. Then I started concentrating more on that, and it started to explode.

It was really amazing how fast, and how big, your audience base can grow in social media. I discovered that humor was the key to growing the audience, and once the audience had grown to a certain size I started zinging them with social justice issues, LGBT issues and the internment of Japanese-Americans, as well as various other things ... like proper grammar!

GC: Do you think we’ll ever see an out LGBT human on Star Trek?

GT: I think now it’s high time. I did very quietly bring up the

subject to (Star Trek screenwriter) Gene Roddenberry when we were starting our movie series – our feature film series – and he said with television he had to walk a very tight rope. You know, we were dealing with issues at that time – the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, the Cold War – and that episode where Kirk kissed Uhura, a white man kissing a black woman, that was blacked out in all of the Southern states: Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Our ratings plummeted!

(Gene) said he knows that the LGBT issue is a civil rights issue, but he had to keep the show on the air as a television series, and if he pushed the envelope too far he wouldn’t be able to address any of the issues. He’d be canceled. Same thing with feature films now: bigger budget, higher risk. And he had said he’s predicting a 23rd century when the LGBT issue would not be an issue, but it is an issue of our times that we’re dealing with metaphorically in terms of science fiction and he wants to deal with it and still be able to make movies.

He had said he hopes for the time that he will be able to do it.

Alas, Gene passed. It was in ’91 that he passed, and we’re 20 years-plus from that time. We’ve advanced with unimagined speed, and I think now it is high time Star Trek deal with the issue of LGBT equality. Now there are Star Trek actors who are out. Zachary Quinto, who plays Spock in the reboot, came out, and I am out. With the two of us out, it is now safe for Star Trek to deal with LGBT equality.

GC: Some fans have some very specific requests when they meet you. What’s been the most bizarre fan request you’ve experienced?

GT: (Laughs) This is not PG – and this isn’t The Howard Stern Show – so I will be more circumspect about the bizarre requests that I get.

I’ve been asked to autograph various body parts. And some are, um, very private parts. I’ll let your imagination go there.

GC: Did you follow through on these requests?

GT: I did!

GC: Did these requests involve the front or the back?

GT: Both! (Laughs) And some have gotten a tattoo artist to trace

my autograph on those body parts. One woman displayed hers to me at a convention ... in the flesh!

GC: Oh geez.

GT: “Oh geez” – I love your reaction!

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Photography Lethbridge Pride 2014 http://gaycalgary.com/pa781

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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Photography Hot Mess 2nd Anniversary Party at Local 522, Calgary

Calgary Stampede 2014 Grandstand Show

http://gaycalgary.com/pa794

http://gaycalgary.com/pa793

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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Photography Fruit Loop at Latitude 53, Edmonton Photos by Farley Foo Foo

Village People, Edmonton Photos by Farley Foo Foo

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

www.gaycalgary.com

Photography ISCWR Holiday Hey!Daze at Woody’s, Edmonton

ISCWR Entertainer of the Year Show, Edmonton

Photos by J&B

Photos by J&B

HOMO-CIDAL at Evolution, Edmonton Photos by Farley Foo Foo

Diner en Blanc, Edmonton Photos by Farley Foo Foo

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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News Releases MOVIE REVIEW: Hawaii http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1451

DAVID BECKHAM Still Hot As…

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1452

MOVIE REVIEW: Turtle Hill, Brookyn http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1453

Stars from The Big Bang Theory & Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. announced for the Edmonton Expo http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1454

Outreach Art Project, Cultivates Expression in LGBTQ Safe Space for the From Hate to Hope Rally http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1467

Northern Ireland Christian Baker Denies Gay Marriage Cake Order http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1468

NSFW - 9 Sexy, Mostly Topless Ben Cohen Gifs http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1469

Judge Judy Learns About Grindr

Here it is! The official trailer for WHERE THE BEARS ARE Season 3!

Burger King Sells Gay Pride Burger

Diving Hottie Chris Mears Shares Amazing Body Pic

STEVE GRAND: One Year Since All American Boy

10 Of The Best Coming Out Films

Drew Chadwick Showcases Perfect Body

See Topless Dan Osborne Get More Ink

OPINION: The Rise Of (Hot) Gay Geek

Column: You Have Got To Be Kitten Me Meow

Burger King Feels The Wrath Of Homophobic Customers

Comic Book Hero To Die Taking Bullet Aimed At Gay Character

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1456

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1457

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1458

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1459

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1460

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1461

Australia’s First Gay Rugby Team To Play First Professional Match http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1462

Not Cumming Out – Delayed Ejaculation

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1463

ZAC EFRON Shows His Amazing Shirtless Backflip http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1464

The Botanist gin introduces new packaging and bottle design in Canada http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1465

Second-degree murder warrant issued for arrest of Richard Lacarte

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1470

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1471

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1472

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1473

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1474

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1476

John Barrowman: Success After Being Dropped

By Record Label http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1478

MADE IN CHELSEA: Jamie Laing Gets Naked For New Series Promo http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1479

Chris Mears And Jack Laugher In The Rain In Their Tiny Trunks http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1480

BNP Youth Member Threatens To Disown Dog Over Penis Licking http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1481

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1466

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News Releases NSFW - Andrew Christian’s newest video INITIATION UNCENSORED

FEAST OF FUN Launch Crowd Funding For Drag Queen Cooking Show

NSFW - New titles from the Bruno Gmünder Group for August 2014

Heavy Metal Mag Terrorizer – Heavy Metal Is Gay

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1482

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1502

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1503

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1483

Commonwealth Gay Kiss – They Should Be Burned Alive

NSFW - Steam Room Stories - Bisexuals: myth or reality?

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1504

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1484

NSFW - 7 Amazing Naked Warwickshire Rower Photos

Take Off Your Clothes To Help Calgary Charities

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1505

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1485

The Tom Daley 2015 Calendar http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1506

TORCHPACK – Summer Is Coming. Exciting new clothing line from Germany.

Bryan Singer Sex Abuse Lawsuit Dismissed

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1486

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1507

Trailer for New Reality TV Show Explores Controversial ‘Gay for Pay’ Porn Industry

OPUS Hotel Vancouver Pride Package http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1509

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1487

Mr Gay World 2014: Here are all the delegates!

Gay Archie Comic Book To Be Banned In Singapore

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1510

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1488

MOVIE REVIEW: The Last Match

NEWS: Atari: First Ever Gay Themed Computer Game

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1511

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1489

Belarus On The Brink Of Replicating Russian Anti-Gay Laws

WICKED Announces Lottery For $25 Seats Performances at Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1512

WANTED: Man For Hand Job – Best Job In The World?

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1495

Bear Icon Chris Miklos Dies Aged 40

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1513

Straight UFC Fighter Kyle Kingsbury Bends Over For Gay Rights

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1498

GEORDIE SHORE: See Their Sex Faces

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1514

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1499

Justin Bieber Turns Up On Posing Site Popular With The Gay Community

News: The Big Commonwealth Gay Kiss – John Barrowman Puckers Up

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1515

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1500

OPINION: World Health Organisation Moves To Medicate All Homosexual Men

OHIO: Straight White Guys Get Their Own Pride http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1501

http://www.gaycalgary.com/n1516 And more online!

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Jon, known to many as DJ Goldstar, has been DJing and working as a production technician for around 6 years. He got into the business because he enjoys pleasing crowds and making a mark on gay culture, and he says he picked up his skills from some of Calgary’s best. Off the top of his head, he lists DJing at venues like Commonwealth, Sapien, 302, the ARGRA rodeo dance, various venues in Edmonton and Saskatoon, and even the 5 Star Club down in Reno.

He has been involved in many major projects in the Alberta LGBT community.

For the past 3 years he has teamed up with PURE Pride and Les Girls to put on their popular dances. This is his second year teaming up with Calgary Pride to

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put on the main stage show. Previously he flew his work under the banner of Strobelight Productions, but for the past two and a half years has run as YYC Badboys which specializes in custom gay events that break down the doors of many straight venues in Calgary. He also started up the Beers for Queers event every Tuesday at the Pint, which as of September 2nd is moving to the more upscale Roosevelt on 17th Avenue and 9th Street Southwest.

Jon is 32 years old and a born and raised Calgarian, having grown up on a farm just outside of town. He is in a relationship, and in his spare time enjoys ATV mountain biking.

http://gaycalgary.com/pa796

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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

11

10 12

2

6

3

7

15

1 8

4 5

13

1 2 3 4

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

5 6 7 8

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

FIND OUT!

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

✰....... Find our Magazine Here

......... Wheelchair Accessible

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

 403-543-6960  1-888-543-6960

 magazine@gaycalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRSS http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRSS Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go! http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory Browse our complete directory of over 650 gay-frieindly listings!

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

6 Twisted Element

 1006 - 11th Ave SW  403-802-0230

 http:.//www.twistedelement.ca

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 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

7 Broken City

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

 http://www.brokencity.ca

 403-262-9976

 403-233-7550

• Western Cup 31



http://www.westerncup.com

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

 http://www.flamescentral.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

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

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

 403-265-6200

• Curling

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

• Golf

 golf@apollocalgary.com  403-384-9777

14 Vinyl & Hyde (CLOSED)

 213 10 Ave SW

 http://www.vinylandhyde.com

 587-224-5200

• Outdoor Pursuits

Bathhouses/Saunas

Community Groups Alberta Society for Kink

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

Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports

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

• Lawn Bowling

 lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com

5 Goliaths------------------------------------ ✰

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

 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.

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 #130, August 2014

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Directory & Events Student Night------------------------  6pm-6am

Calgary Events

At 5 Goliaths

Mondays

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

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

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

Wild Pride---------------------------  9pm-2am By

 Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)

Saturdays

At 5 Goliaths

Thursdays

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

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

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

Buddy Night-------------------------  6pm-6am

 Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE)

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

 Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW

 3rd

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

Tuesdays

At 5 Goliaths

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

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 1st

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

YYC Badboys at 13 The Pint

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

Between Men--------------------------- 7-9pm See 1 Calgary Outlink

 2nd, 4th

At 1 Calgary Outlink

 1st

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

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

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

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

By Les Girls  Aloft Hotel (2359 Banff Trail NW)

Sundays

Boy&GuRL Live!----------------------  8-11pm

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

Deer Park United Church

At 3 Backlot

PURE Pride-------------------------------  9pm At 10 FlamesCentral

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

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

At 3 Backlot

See

Post-Parade Party----------------------- 12pm

Fridays

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

Deep Roots--------------------------  Afternoon

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

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

Saturday, August 30th

Ladies of Pride Poolside-------------  3-10pm

See

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

 2nd

At 3 Backlot

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

Karaoke-------------------------  8pm-12:30am At 3 Backlot

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

GingerBearTodd at 13 The Pint

Fendi & Conrad Show---------------  10-11pm

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

ISCCA BBQs--------------------------------Dinner

At 4 Texas Lounge

Friday, August 29th

By

ISCCA at 3 Backlot

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 1st

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

 2nd

See

Scarboro United Church Hillhurst United Church Knox United Church

At 3 Backlot By

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

Sunday, August 31st

Rainbow Community Church

SHARP Foundation at 7 Broken City

Drag Queen H2O-------------------------  8pm At 3 Backlot

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

Sunday, September 21st

AIDS Walk------------------------------- 11am

Friday, August 15th

By 2 HIV Community Link  Eau Claire Plaza

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

Fendi & Conrad Show---------------  10-11pm

Wednesdays

See 1 Calgary Outlink

At 3 Backlot

Friday, October 31st

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

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

Friday, August 22nd

Superheroes Halloween Gala------------  8pm

See

Knox United Church

 3rd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 4th

Pride Festival--------------------------  All Day

By Pride Calgary See their ad for details.

• Tennis

 beachvb@apollocalgary.com

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

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

• Volleyball (Competitive)

• Peer Support and Crisis Line

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

• Volleyball (Beach)

 vb@apollocalgary.com

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

• Volleyball (Recreational)  recvb@apollocalgary.com

• Yoga

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

Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

 www.argra.org

 Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)

✰

Calgary Expo

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

Calgary Gay Fathers

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

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

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

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

Calgary Men’s Chorus

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 403-244-1956

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

• Rehearsals

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

✰

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

72

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

 http://www.calgaryexpo.com

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

By Magical Music DJs  Metropolitan Centre (333 - 4th Ave SW)

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

 Calgary Contd.

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

Sep1

• DVD Resource Library

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

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

Gay Friends in Calgary

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

Girl Friends

 girlfriends@shaw.ca

 members.shaw.ca/girlfriends

Girlsgroove

 http://www.girlsgroove.ca 2 HIV Community Link------------------- ✰

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

• Telephone Support

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

Hillhurst United Church

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

HIV Peer Support Group

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

ISCCA Social Association

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

Knox United Church

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

Lesbian Meetup Group

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

Miscellaneous Youth Network

 http://www.miscyouth.com

• Fake Mustache • Mosaic Youth Group

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

Mystique

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

• Coffee Night

 Good Earth Cafe (1502 - 11th Street SW)

NETWORKS

 networkscalgary@gmail.com A social, cultural, and service organization for the mature minded and “Plus 40” LGBT individuals seeking to meet others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe environment.

Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

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

Positive Space Committee

 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW  403-440-6383  http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace Works to raise awareness and challenge the patterns of silence that continue to marginalize LGBTTQ individuals.

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

Pride Calgary Planning Committee

 403-797-6564

 www.pridecalgary.ca

Primetimers Calgary

 primetimerscalgary@gmail.com  http://www.primetimerscalgary.com Designed to foster social interaction for its members through a variety of social, educational and recreational activities. Open to all gay and bisexual men of any age, respects whatever degree of anonymity that each member desires.

Queers on Campus---------------------

 279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C  403-220-6394  http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.

✰

 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

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

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

Adult Depot (CLOSED)

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

✰

 10210 Macleod Tr S  403-271-7848

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

 1536 16th Ave NW  403-289-4203

 4310 17th Ave SE  403-273-2710

 http://www.adultsourcecalgary.ca

Best Health

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

La Fleur

 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.

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

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

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

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

8 Yellowhead Brewing Co.

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

Bathhouses/Saunas

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

5 Steamworks------------------------------- ✰

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

Wheel Pro’s

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

Community Groups AltView Foundation

Theatre & Fine Arts

Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

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

ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

See Calgary - Community Groups.

Cruiseline

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

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

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

Hardline

Hot Water Pools & Spas

MFM Communications

✰

 403-703-4750

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

Webster Galleries Inc.

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

 T-S: 10am-6pm, N: 1-4pm

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

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

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

 10018 105 Street  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

 780-938-2941

UpStares Ultralounge (CLOSED)

 4th Floor, Jasper Ave and 107th Street

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

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6557

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

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

FLASH (CLOSED)

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

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

Third Street Theatre

 #3 306 20th Ave SW 

http://www.thirdstreet.ca

NRG Support Services

 Suite 27, Building B1, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW

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

✰

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

Interactive Male

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

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

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

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

Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

✰

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

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

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

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

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

Holiday Retirement

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

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

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

Book Worm’s Book Club

Craig Connell (Maxwell Realtors)

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

 Calgary: 403-770-0776

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

Retail Stores

7 The Starlite Room

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

• Safeworks Van

 403-808-7147

Ellen Embury

Restaurants & Pubs

• Centre of Hope

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

DevaDave Salon & Boutique

Wild Rose United Church

www.gaycalgary.com

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

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

 1317-1st Street NW

 10704 124 St NW

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

Barry Hollowell

 Calgary: 403-777-9494

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

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

Priape Calgary (CLOSED)

6th and Tenth - Sales Centre

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

 M-W: 12-6pm, R: 2-7pm, S-N: 12-5pm

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

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

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

Christopher T. Tahn (Thornborough Smeltz)

Safety Under the Rainbow

These venues regularly host LGBT events.

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

Services & Products

Calgary Civil Marriage Centre

 2nd Cup, Kensington

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

SafeWorks

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

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

• Coffee Night

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

Pushing Petals

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

 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

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

73

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

1

6

8

5 4 3

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

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

Team Edmonton

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

 3rd

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

 2nd

Tuesdays

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

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

Team Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

2

7

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

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

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

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

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

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

See

Mondays

N

See

Team Edmonton Team Edmonton

See See

Men’s Games Nights

Youth Understanding Youth

Thursdays

Saturdays

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

Naturalist Gettogether

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See

 2nd, Last

 2nd

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

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

Team Edmonton

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

 2nd, 4th

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

ISCWR at 6 Evolution

 2nd

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

ISCWR at 6 Evolution

Friday, August 22nd

Out of Town Show By

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

By

By

Buck Naked Boys Club

QH Game Night------------------------ 6-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Drag Queen Sing-a-Long----------------  9pm

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

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

Youth Understanding Youth

Friday, August 15th

Thursday, August 21st

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

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

ISCWR at

The Locker Room (Ramada)

Saturday, August 23rd

Coronation 39------------------------  4:30pm By

ISCWR at

Ramada Hotel

SMUTfest-------------------------------- 3-6pm

 Lattitude 53 (10248 106 St)

Sundays

SMUTfest Afterparty----------------------  9pm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Men Talking with Pride---------------- 7-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Saturday, September 20th

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

Fridays

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

AIDS Walk--------------------------  5-9:30pm

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

Friday, October 3rd

See

Wednesdays 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

Knotty Knitters-------------------------- 6-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

See See

BookWorm’s Book Club

 3rd

Team Edmonton Team Edmonton

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

QH Anime Night------------------------ 6-8pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Movie Night----------------------------- 6-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

See See

See

Team Edmonton Team Edmonton

Team Edmonton

 Robertson-Wesley United (10209 123 St)

 2nd

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

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

 2nd

 Lattitude 53 (10248 106 St) Sunday, August 24th

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

ISCWR at

The Locker Room (Ramada)

By HIV Edmonton  McIntyre Park (104 St & 83 Ave)

Paint the Town Red-----------------------  7pm By 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton  ATB Financial Arts Bars (10330 - 84 Ave)

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

 Edmonton Contd. community and support for those infected or affected

by HIV.

InQueeries

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

Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

 http://www.iscwr.ca

Living Positive Society of Alberta

 #50, 9912 - 106 Street 780-424-2214  living-positive@telus.net  http://www.facebook.com/LivingPoz Living Positive through Positive Living.

• HIV Support Group

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

74

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

• Counselling

Men’s Games Nights

 Unitarian Church (10804 119th Street)

 780-474-8240  tuff@shaw.ca

OUTreach

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

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

✰

 10608 - 105 Ave  780-488-3234  admin@pridecentreofedmonton.org  http://www.pridecentreofedmonton.org  Tue-Fri 12pm-9pm, Sat 2pm-6:30pm We provide a safe, welcoming, and non-judgemental drop-in space, and offer support programs and resources for members of the GLBTQ community and for their families and friends.

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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

• Knotty Knitters

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

• Men Talking with Pride

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

• Movie Night

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

• 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.

• TTIQ

A support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family or supporters.

• Women’s Social Circle

 andrea@pridecentreofedmonton.org Women’s Social Circle: A social support group for all female-identified persons over 18 years of age in the GLBT community - new members are always welcome.

Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events Kate Reid w/ Dirrty Show----------------  8pm

Red Deer Events

Fort McMurray

Grande Prairie

Wednesdays

By Central Alberta Pride  Fratter’s Speakeasy (5114 48th St)

Sunday, August 31st

Sunday, September 21st

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

Sunday, August 17th

AIDS Walk------------------------------- 11am

AIDS Walk--------------------------------  9am

Friday, August 15th

 St Andrew’s United Church 5226 51 Ave, Lacombe, AB

See

CAANS

 1st

Pride Downtown!-------------------------  5pm

By Central Alberta Pride  City Hall

Drag-Apoca-Lips!------------------------  8pm

By Central Alberta Pride  The Vat (#101, 5301 43rd St)

Pride Church Service!---------------  10:30am

By Mr. Mikes Steakhouse  Recreation Picnic Area

Jasper Events Sunday, September 7th

Family Friendly Fruit Float!------ 11am-4pm

Softball Tourney------------------------- 11am

By HIV North  Muskoseepi Park (100 Ave)

Peace River

Pride Bar-B-Q!------------------------- 1-4pm

Saturday, August 16th

By Central Alberta Pride  McKenzie Trails

By HIV North  Casman Centre (110 Eymundson Road)

Medicine Hat

Saturday, September 13th

Thursday, September 14th

AIDS Walk------------------------------- 11am

Pride Festival--------------------------  All Day

By HIV North  Riverfront Park (100 Ave)

By

Medicine Hat Pride

Sep20

By Emily Morgan Foundation  Centennial Park

 Edmonton Contd.

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

• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

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

• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons)

 dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca

• Golf

 golf@teamedmonton.ca

• Gymnastics, Drop-in

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

• Hockey

 hockey@teamedmonton.ca

• Martial Arts

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

 kickboxing@teamedmonton.ca Drop-ins welcome.

• Outdoor Pursuits

 outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca

• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

 Kinsmen Sports Centre  running@teamedmonton.ca All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to join this free activity.

• Slo Pitch

 Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave  slo-pitch@teamedmonton.ca Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for players from the 2008 season.

• Yoga

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

Womonspace

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

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

• Snowballs V

 January 27-29, 2012  snowballs@teamedmonton.ca Skiing and Snowboarding Weekend.

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

• Soccer

Retail Stores

 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.

Passion Vault

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

Products & Services

• Swimming (Making Waves)

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

• Tennis

 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

• Volleyball, Recreational

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

• Women’s Lacrosse

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

Call for info.

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!

The Roxy Theatre

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

BANFF Community Groups HIV Community Link

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

JASPER Accommodations Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

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

Whistlers Inn

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

Community Groups Jasper Pride Festival

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

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

LETHBRIDGE Community Groups GALA/LA

• Soul OUTing

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

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

• Film Night

• Monthly Dances

 Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.

• Book Club

 Monthly, contact us for exact dates.

Theatre & Fine Arts Exposure Festival

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

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

• Monthly Potluck Dinners

 McKillop United Church, 2329 - 15 Ave S GALA/LA will provide the turkey...you bring the rest. Please bring a dish to share that will serve 4-6 people, and your own beverage.

Continued on Page 69  www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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Classifieds Event

140

Help Wanted

240

The Fetish Slosh at the Backlot!

Legal Assistant

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!

Looking for a full time administrator/legal assistant. Must be confident and a leader.

Awesome personality is a must. Call Emmerson Brando, 403-453-1177.

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Wayne Douglas MacLean after courageous battles with cancer passed away at home in Water Valley on Saturday, July 26, 2014 with his loving husband, Brent Rock, and his family and caregivers at his side. Wayne (also known onstage as Devon Mills) lived a full and fearless life and maintained an optimistic and spirited attitude with grace and dignity. A Celebration of Wayne’s Extraordinary Life will be announced at a later date.

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Products/Services 500 Rork Hilford MC

Erotic Massage

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Officiant - Marriage Commissioner Commissioner for Oaths in Alberta

Destination Location Style • Elopement Style • Quick and Legal • Formal or Stylish • Immediate or in the Future • Religion Free • Standard or Customized Ceremonies • Cross Cultural • Same Sex - LGBT-TTQ

Magical Music DJs

mike@ultimatemalemassage.com

Specializing in LGBT Weddings and Unions.

Everyone deserves the wedding they’ve always dreamed of with the person they love! Call us for a quote today 403.254.9754 Email: magicalmusic@shaw.ca Website: www.magicalmusicdjs.com

Internet

Certified Personal Trainer

445

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

GET A LIFE! Commercial Cleaning

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

Consulting

527

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

It’s not about special treatment. You can’t assume the LGBT person, or the straight person will follow the pack anymore. The LGBT market is becoming more and more aware of what organizations support them, and which ones don’t, ultimately sending them away from businesses and communities that do not 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.

Photography

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WEDDINGS AND MARRIAGES at your venue or in my home studio.

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Best Erotic Male Massage In Calgary.

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

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Cleaning

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Hire an Amateur Photographer 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

Need new photos? Want something for LinkedIn, Facebook, holiday cards? Personal, couples, share-able or adult - no limits, you retain all rights. Creative Queer photographer, cheap rates. photo@chaoticwow.ca

Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 76

GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

www.gaycalgary.com

 Find Out - From Page 67

 Mail Forwarding To reply by post, mail to: Box # c/o GayCalgary 2136 17th Ave SW Calgary, AB, T2T 0G3 To reply by E-mail: box#@gaycalgary.com

• Support Line

The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in Central Alberta.

• Friday Mixer

 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.

 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

Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

 University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.

 galia@uleth.ca

• Movie Night

 Room C610, University of Lethbridge

Gay Youth Alliance Group

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

Scan below to view Classified Ads Online!

LGBTQ Education

Pride on Campus

 rdcprideoncampus@gmail.com A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.

MEDICINE HAT Community Groups

Lethbridge Expo

 http://www.lethbridgeexpo.com

Lethbridge HIV Connection

 1206 - 6 Ave S

PFLAG Canada

 1-888-530-6777

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

Pride Lethbridge

 lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com

RED DEER Community Groups

HIV Community Link

 356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB  403-527-5882  1-877-440-2437

• Telephone Support

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

ALBERTA Community Groups Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

 http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum.

Alberta Ballet

 http://www.albertaballet.com Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.

CANADA Community Groups Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition

 P..O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9  (306) 955-5135  1-800-955-5129  http://www.rainbowhealth.ca

Egale Canada

 8 Wellington St E, Third Floor Toronto, Ontario, M5E 1C5  1-888-204-7777  www.egale.ca Egale Canada is the national advocacy and lobby organization for gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transidentified people and our families.

Products & Services Squirt

 http://www.squirt.org Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!

Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada

 http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca

OUTtv

 http://www.outtv.ca GLBT Television Station.

Central Alberta AIDS Network Society

 4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB  http://www.caans.org

www.gaycalgary.com

Theatre & Fine Arts

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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GayCalgary Magazine #130, August 2014

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