GayCalgary Magazine - October 2015

OCTOBER 2015

® ISSUE 143 • FREE The Voice of Alberta’s LGBT Community

Interview with

CARLY RAE JEPSEN

Ruby Rose

On career and inspiration

Margaret Cho

The Cho Must Go On

PLUS:

Finger Eleven Estefania Cortes-Vargas Ricardo Miranda • Michael Connolly ...and more!

Business Directory

Leona Lewis

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

Free & Unfiltered

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 51

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Table of Contents

OCTOBER 2015

®

Videography Photography Steve Polyak

Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, B&J Sales Steve Polyak Videography sales@gaycalgary.com Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino

Legal Council Courtney Aarbo,Printers Barristers and Solicitors North Hill News/Central Web

General Inquiries

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GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine This Month's Cover 2136 17th Avenue SW Main: Carly RaeCalgary, Jepsen, photo

by Schoolboy Records/ AB, Canada Interscope. Top Right: T2TRuby 0G3Rose, photo by Steve Polyak/GayCalgary. Mid Right: Margaret Cho, photo

by Mary Taylor.

BottomByRight: Leona Lewis, photo by Office Hours: appointment ONLY Laffoon Phone:Catie 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com

This Month's Cover Cher and Christina Aguilera courtesy of Sony Pictures; Annie Lennox courtesy of Mike Owen; Rex Goudie.

Proud Members of: Proud Members of:

MLA for Calgary-Cross on winning an important seat at the political table

The Wedding Singer

A Heartfelt ’80s Romp

9 Estefania Cortes-Vargas An interest in Advocacy Leads to the Legislature

PAGE 9

8

12 Queer Eye: Pride Calgary 2015

14 Michael Connolly

MLA for Calgary Hawkwood speaks out on running for the NDP

16 Positive Thoughts Viral Fatigue

17 Queer Eye: Medicine Hat Pride 2015 18 Frankly, He’s Thankful

A Divorced Gay Dad Appreciates The Small Stuff

19 Discussing Community Safety

PAGE 14

Writers and Contributors

Mercedes Chris Azzopardi, Allen, Chris JeffAzzopardi, Berry, DaveDallas Brousseau, Barnes, Constable Dave Brousseau, Andy Buck, SamJason Casselman, Clevett,Jason EvanClevett, Kayne, Steve Andrew Polyak, Collins, Romeo EmilySan Collins, Vicente, RobKrista Diaz-Marino, Sylvester, Tom Janine Tietjen, Eva Trotta, and the Jack LGBT Fertig, Community Glen Hanson, of Calgary, Joan Hilty, Evan Kayne, Edmonton, Stephen andLock, Alberta.

Neil McMullen, Allan Neuwirth, Steve Polyak, Carey Rutherford, Romeo San Vicente, Ed Sikov, Nick Vivian and Photography the GLBT Community of Calgary, Steve Polyak, JeffEdmonton, and Alberta.

5 Ricardo Miranda

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Announcing a new chief, and preparing for longer nights

20 Finger Eleven Returns with Five Crooked Lines

m

Veteran Canadian band on tour behind new album

22 Deep Inside Hollywood

Cara Delevingne, Cynthia Nixon, Stephen Fry, Netflix’s trans show

PAGE 20

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

24 Call Me Gay-Be Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

Carly Rae Jepsen on being an LGBT ally, the sly gayness of ‘Call Me Maybe’ and how Justin Bieber changed her life ‘Stonewall’ actor, director talk ‘whitewashing’ controversy, emotional brick-scene shoot and sex scene nerves

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

PAGE 24

26 The Riot’s Riot International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

Continued on Next Page  www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page ®

28 Leona Lewis, Free & Unfiltered PAGE 26

Singer opens up about her influential gay uncle, talks ‘gay husbands’ and drag queen bingo

30 The Budding Ruby Rose On career, inspiration and loving dogs

31 The Cho Must Go On

Margaret Cho laments loss of comedy heroes, talks tour, bisexuality and this ‘f*cked up’ world

35 Queer Eye

PAGE 28

47 A Couple of Guys 48 News Releases 51 Directory and Events 56 Classified Ads

a m

PAGE 30

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Monthly Online Magazine Readership:

Combined total of PDF and ISSUU Downloads/Reads –100,000 copies

Total Readership of PDF/ISSUU/WEB

Readers Per Copy: 4.9 (PMB) Avg. Online Circulation: 310,000 readers Estimated Total Readership: >319,800 readers Frequency: Monthly

Proof of monthly figures are available on request.

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. December 2014/ January 2015 is the last print edition.

February 2015 is the first digital only edition.

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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Interview

Ricardo Miranda

MLA for Calgary-Cross on winning an important seat at the political table

By Evan Kayne During May’s provincial election we saw a conservative dynasty end due to an upset vote by Albertans. It also saw New Democrat Ricardo Miranda defeat former police chief and PC candidate Rick Hanson in the riding of Calgary-Cross, by 100 votes, to become one of three openly gay members of the Alberta Legislature.

Ricardo is a native Nicaraguan whose family immigrated to Canada in 1988 when he was nine. As a young man, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary, while working as a flight attendant.

“I was going to school and learning about all these interesting places, and I actually had the opportunity to turn around and go to those places.

It’s one thing to learn about Roman history, and quite another to take a walk in Rome and see.”

 Ricardo Miranda at Calgary Pride, photo by GayCalgary Magazine

He was also getting an education on worker/employer relations at Air Canada, first as a volunteer with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, then as treasurer, vice president, and eventually president.

After negotiating the last two collective agreements for the flight attendants, Ricardo was recruited to the national staff for CUPE and became a rep in Edmonton. He returned to Calgary when a researcher position became available.

Ricardo thinks this frustration with the governing PCs had been growing for many years, and reflects the frustration of many people who were being impacted by cuts and government policy changes. “Like me, many other people were not impressed by what was going on, and I think the reflection today is of many years of being on the cutting board of education and health and everything else that, for the average person, is a huge thing.”

When the NDP started gearing up for the election, about a year and a half ago, Ricardo put his name forward. After noting to party brass that the last two elections saw two different names running under the party banner, he advised a strategy of having the same person run at least in two election cycles so the individual could build name recognition.

He successfully put himself forward as the person who could commit to filling that role. During this time, thinking the election was at least a year away, Ricardo went back to university to get an additional degree.

When the election came, he was going to school, working full time and running an election campaign. Fortunately, he had the assistance of his family to help knock on doors.

Looking back, it was obvious why he was able to build on this discontent but, at the time, there was that worry about voter inertia.

“People like their traditions, and people are very comfortable in their ways, but all it takes is one or two people to really question the status quo and push the envelope just a little bit.” In his opinion this province is a lot more diverse than the ‘conservative bastion’ people make it out to be, “I found for the most part people are very open minded and very forward thinking. It’s a reflection of what I have always known about this province – it has always been welcoming and supportive.”

That most of those doors were not slammed in his face indicated something was going on with the electorate. “Slowly, but surely, we started building momentum; did a couple of mail drops; I was invited to a couple of community events…. At some point, halfway through the writ period, things kind of changed. People started saying We’re not completely saying yes, but we’re not saying no either, and we’re definitely not going to be voting for the PCs this time around. We want change.

We’re just not sure if you’re the one. I was encouraged by that.” He kept canvassing and returned to the indecisive voters, which impressed them.

As we evolve from a political landscape that saw the conservatives in 1998 consider using the ‘Not Withstanding Clause’ to deny gay rights to a begrudging governmental acceptance of gay rights; and now, gay MLAs and a supportive government and premier, the question is Where do we go now with the NDP? Acceptance, recognition and respect of the LGBTQ community was in the NDP’s political DNA for years, long before it was the popular thing to do. To be fair, Ricardo knows there were PC MLAs who were tolerant and accepting, but to a certain degree they were beholding to their base constituency. “It’s disappointing because the [PC] government dragged their feet for so long. In reality, the province was there long before, and I

Continued on Next Page 

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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 From Previous Page

Online Last Month Creep of the Week

Campaign for Houston

While marriage equality is now the law of the land in the U.S., there are still plenty of places where it is still perfectly legal to discriminate against LGBT people in all kinds... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4826

Hear Me Out

Carly Rae Jepsen, Robyn, Ryn Weaver, Noah Gundersen

Carly Rae Jepsen, E•MO•TION Carly Rae Jepsen came out of nowhere, seized radio, dug a hole in your head and planted a little song there named “Call Me Maybe.” It grew... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4829  Estefania Cortes-Vargas, Micheal Connoly and Ricardo Miranda think the election results reflected that… [The PCs] were not in line with the priorities and visions of people in this province.”

That’s a lesson the new government wants to take to heart – to listen to the constituents and let them drive the agenda – and there is so much more that remains to be done, Ricardo says. “There’s a different level of discussion that needs to take place. It’s not just about gay rights; it’s not just about this, this, this and these different silos. It’s a whole discussion where we need to bring those voices to the table and have meaningful dialogue, and then implement those dialogues into actual change.”

They will be looking at ensuring people have access to the services they need. “I’m talking about every citizen – regardless of sexual orientation – but, more importantly, when it comes to dealing with issues of sexual identity. I understand… in some respects people need to leave Calgary and go to Edmonton because there’s no clinic here, when someone needs access to the medical profession, if they’re going through a transition.”

Bringing all the voices to the table includes smaller groups within the LGBTQ community, such as older LGBTQ citizens and immigrants.

With Ricardo being the oldest of the LGBTQ NPD group of MLAs, he has witnessed the province evolve on gay rights and acceptance. As a flight attendant with Air Canada, he has seen how different cultures respond as well. The younger generation posseses an almost casual level of acceptance of different sexualities, but for older or different cultures, these can still be sensitive issues.

“It’s something I have already noticed. It’s a different level of thinking…

Michael [Connoly] and I were talking about something and I said Michael, not everyone is comfortable like you and I… people that are older than me are less so comfortable in being out even if they have fully gay lives – they’re not in the closet, but they would not describe themselves as openly gay, and I realize in your generation… people shrug their shoulders and just kind of move on, but that’s not the case for everyone.”

Screen Queen

Summer 2015 Edition The Comeback, It Follows, Bessie, The Nanny, The Rose, Hot Pursuit and More

The Comeback When HBO gave their beloved mockumentary The Comeback the dreaded cut after its 13-episode run in 2005, it was a sad, sad time for us gays. How would we go on living... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4830

The Frivolist

After-School Special - 20 Dreamy Teachers We’d Totally Take Detention For

It’s back-to-school season, and you know what that means, kids: nine glorious months of academic angst pining for that dreamboat professor. But if you don’t have the pleasure... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4831

The OutField

Tracking Anna Aagenes’ activism

Anna Aagenes took a girl to her junior prom. Still, she did not feel comfortable being fully out as a bisexual then, especially to her high school track teammates. It was not until... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4832

Deep Inside Hollywood

Kristen Stewart, Tom Ford, “Just Kids,” Dianna Agron

Kristen Stewart’s Personal approach Kristen Stewart is having an interesting post-Twilight moment. Sadly, her latest film, the weird stoner action-comedy American Ultra, was... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4827

Creep of the Week Mat Staver

Now that Kentucky clerk Kim Davis served time in jail after being held in contempt of court for refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, right-wing Christians are... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4842

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The Frivolist

LGBT TV 2015/16 Season Put These 17 Shows on Your Fall Premiere Calendar

Pop the corn, grab a blanket, and cozy into your favorite couch cushion for this selection of newseason shows featuring LGBT characters we can root for. The Real O’Neals, CBS... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4845

Creep of the Week Steve Deace

Ah, rainbows. Kids wear them on their clothing.

They’re slathered in sprinkle form onto ice cream cones, are the namesake of a favorite “My Little Pony” character, and... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4848

The OutField

Paying it forward on the lacrosse field

OK, sports fans: Who was the first openly gay male athlete to play in a professional sports league? Not Robbie Rogers. Not Jason Collins.

And not Michael Sam. The answer is... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4851

Older members of the community have that experience of being the ‘other’– the outlaw – and that’s different for the younger generation.

Many remember the first Pride rallies in Edmonton and Calgary – people wore paper bags or masks on their faces – and now we have corporate sponsors and floats in our parades. Ricardo’s nieces, and cousins have been to gay bars more than he ever has… and these are straight-oriented kids.

“I think many of us who have been around for many years have the remnants of internalized homophobia...which I’m happy to say is not as prevalent in the younger generations. Hopefully we’ll get to the point when it doesn’t exist anymore.” However, until then, having that experience where he can relate to the older LGBTQ community is invaluable.

As a gay immigrant, Ricardo also has the experiences to speak to issues impacting that segment of the population. One of the best things that has happened to him recently: he answered the phone and was talking to a constituent who asked him questions about his objectives, but slowly divulged that he too was gay and an immigrant. The caller, unfortunately and for personal reasons, was not able to come out publically, but was so glad Ricardo had won because the constituent felt he had someone who would look out for his interests. Ricardo realized that, more than ever, he can inspire others in his new position to the understanding that one can live a meaningful life outside the closet.

Granted, this is still the early days of the new government – we will have to wait and see how the NDP legislation and economic policy moves the province in the years to come but, for our community to finally have a place at the table after being left out for way too many years, this is a refreshing change and thrilling opportunity.

The Tenors

Bring Heart and Warmth to Under One Sky Tour

http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4856 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

Since forming in 2008, the vocal quartet of Clifton Murray, Remigio Pereira, Victor Micallef and Fraser Walters, The Tenors, have become global stars. Their combination of pop... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4824

AC/DC

A Wet & Wild Show at Commonwealth

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Madonna Makes Spectacular Alberta Debut

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Slash Concert More Than A Nostalgia Trip

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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The Wedding Singer

A Heartfelt ’80s Romp

 photo by John Watson

By Jason Clevett The marquee on the side of Stage West currently reads: The Wedding Singer – Based on the 1998 Movie. Thanks, Stage West, for making me realize that the movie is 17 years old. The musical itself opened in 2006, so even it has been around nearly a decade. Despite making me feel old, I quickly settled in to forget that little tidbit and enjoy what ended up being a pretty fun and fantastic production.

Based on the Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore comedy of the same name, The Wedding Singer is set in the 1980s. It doesn’t feature the same soundtrack of ’80s classics but, instead, original songs are featured. While some of them stand out, many are not particularly memorable, yet they still capture the essence that was ’80s music. That said, a few of the film’s original songs are included, which is a nice reminder of the movie.

Robbie Hart (Aidan Desalaiz) is a wedding singer in New Jersey, excited to be getting married himself to Linda (Sarah Horsman). When she leaves him at the alter, it kills his enthusiasm to continue performing at weddings, leading to some hilarious breakdowns at performances. The show follows the same script as the film, with Robbie and Julia (Elicia MacKenzie) as the leads. It is, however, definitely an ensemble show. Seeing the always-entertaining Andrew McGillvray – who is eternally a highlight in the company’s musical revues – cast as George was an obvious and awesome choice. His scenes as a Boy Georgeinfluenced keyboardist in the band stand out. Ian Ronningen, as Robbie’s best friend Sammy, and Dana Jean Phoenix, as Julia’s cousin Holly, round out the core characters. It would be easy to perform the characters as clichéd stereotypes, but there is a 8

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great deal of warmth and heart in the portrayals. On the other side, Kellan Ziffle’s arrogant and smarmy Glen, fiancé of Julia, is also effective in making him instantly dislikeable. Add to that the solid ensemble cast, and it makes for a pretty special show.

If you were a fan of the film, there is a lot to bring back memories: from rapping grannies to the sweet love stories. If you haven’t seen the film, the show stands on its own as an enjoyable evening out. Combine that with another great feast at the buffet – including a wedding cake – and you have a great date night.

Stage West continues to hit the ball out of the park with its show choices. Shows like The Wedding Singer, and recent shots at pieces like Spamalot and Avenue Q, are bringing in a new audience that is discovering what other Calgarians have known for decades, that it is a great company providing quality entertainment. If you have never been to Stage West, The Wedding Singer is a great one to start.

The Wedding Singer Presented by Stage West Until November 8th, 2015 http://stagewestcalgary.com/the-wedding-singer/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a4853 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

Interview

Estefania Cortes-Vargas

An interest in Advocacy Leads to the Legislature

By Evan Kayne Finishing off our look at the recently elected LGBTQ NDP MLAs, I finally managed to catch up with Estefania Cortes-Vargas, representative for Strathcona-Sherwood Park. Like Michael Connolly, she is young. Like Ricardo Miranda, she is an immigrant. Estefania also has other perspective: as a woman, a lesbian, and someone who lives in the greater Edmonton area.

Estefania came to Canada when she was five – her father hailed from an area that was not quite rural, not quite urban Colombia – which is why Sherwood Park, just east of Edmonton, appealed to them. Her mother was a speech pathologist and, as this was one of the professions Canada needed at the time, it helped speed along their immigration process.

Her family helped forge the career path she was considering before becoming an MLA. During Estefania’s high school years, her little brother was born. He had speech delay issues as a toddler “...so throughout my high school my mom and I did a lot of play therapy with him, and now you can’t tell he used to have a really severe speech delay.”

Her dad did a lot of training and development with the Colombian community when he arrived, “so we always had a lot of people coming to our house... immigrants from different places who were not sure where to go first, so our house became a stopping ground. It was a really beautiful way to grow up, and hear a lot of stories of diversity, and people facing a lot of different trials.”

After high school Estefania became an educational assistant for the Edmonton Public School Board to support herself while attending university. “I love education, I love building communities and... I would start working on a lot of social justice programs.” Working with children, she found a strategy that worked: find out what the children need and require – not just educationally, but overall – to help them succeed. “Finally, after a few years, I thought If I want to keep advocating, I want to do this right so I went into social work at MacEwan University.”

Estefania’s experiences came into focus, merging advocacy and community building with political action, during a practicum at Rachel Notley’s constituency office. As she operated from the constituency office, the work was nonpartisan, but Estefania’s curiosity in the political machinery was piqued so that she began volunteering on Notley’s planning committee. When Notely asked her to run she thought, with her background on advocacy, it was a role she wanted to tackle for her neighbourhood. “Sherwood Park has always been home

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 Estefania Cortes-Vargas at Calgary Pride, photo by GayCalgary

to me, and I thought I would bring a unique perspective to the legislature,” she said. “It surprised me to see the end result.”

Amid campaigning, though she didn’t highlight her sexuality, Estefania made no efforts to hide it. It was a stated part of her biography. “When I went out on the campaign trails, I didn’t hear any negative feedback... I actually had quite a few youths from my community come to me and talk to me about how important it was to them to see an LGBTQ person campaigning and being a candidate, and how that’s inspirational to them.”

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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 Ricardo Miranda, Estefania Cortes-Vargas, and Micheal Connoly

She came out to her family after high school. “My parents were really welcoming and supportive. They took some time to adjust and understand. There are preconceived notions of what you want your children to have, what you don’t want your children to face. It took them a little time, but they have always been really supportive.”

As an openly gay individual, choosing a party that welcomed and respected her was something Estefania was happy she

found with the New Democrats. The party even asked and respected her choices as to how she is addressed in the Legislature – by a gender neutral ‘member’ rather than ‘miss’.

“Always the response from the NDP caucus has been if they are not sure they’ll ask questions, but always very supportive.”

Estefania experienced the election with a partner cheering her on. The two place emphasis on strong communication and encouragement. They both have their own interests, and they want to make sure the other can follow their passion. “She was very supportive, and actually her family was very supportive during the campaign... She is my support system. She helps me kind of ground myself, start again, and keep going. I am so grateful to have her in this experience because she always reminds me of why I wanted to do this in the first place.”

As a rookie MLA, after the thrill of winning has worn off, you are faced with stepping into a new job. Much like any other job, they essentially hand you a heavy book and say Here, read this and it’ll tell you how to be an MLA. Estefania was okay with that. “The good thing is I really love policy, so if you gave me a book like that I would totally read it. And they did... they gave us quite a few binders... You would be surprised how many of those I did read.”

Working in Notely’s constituency office, Estefania had learned about some of the procedures involved in being a member of the legislature, so it wasn’t as overwhelming as most people would expect. Additionally, for the short session the NDP government had after the election, the caucus discussed and did a runthrough covering what would happen in a legislative session – including speaking order, objective to the day’s session, what the procedures are, when do you talk, when you must be sitting, even when you are allowed to take off your jacket.

“Brian Mason was an incredible leader through it all. He would really outline what was going to happen and it really gave us time – in that session, because it was really short and compact – gave us a really good overview that was complimented very well with those binders and by what would happen.”

It has only been a few months since the election, but Estefania is settling into the role. Like Miranda, another gay immigrant, Estefania has heard feedback from LGBTQ immigrants who are inspired by her achieving office. “Quite a few people have reached out, and it’s really moving to see... Sometimes you need to see someone else being brave; someone else being honest and open. It’s one of the things I love about Canadian culture, is how accepting people are. I know if I had been raised in Colombia it would be a little more difficult for me.”

Regarding what she wants to see this government accomplish, in the short session following May election, Estefania presented Alberta’s Local Food Act. The MLA seeks to find ways to build a sustainable economy through investing in our own local farms.

In addition, she wants to see the Human Rights Act expanded to include more definitions that are all-encompassing – including transgender definitions.

As I finished off the interview with the three of the MLAs, I had just finished watching The Imitation Game, the movie about Alan Turing and the Enigma machine. Reflecting on how only 60 years ago a gay man, even as talented as Turing was, could still be considered a criminal, I paused to consider how far the LGBTQ community and society has come in my lifetime. We keep moving forward, and to see LGBTQ folk appearing in more and more positions openly in society – when there are some alive today who remember being imprisoned for who they loved – regardless of where you stand on the political spectrum, this is something for which we can be proud.

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Photography Pride Calgary 2015 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1050

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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Photography

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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Interview

 Michael Connolly at Edmonton Pride, photo by GayCalgary

Michael Connolly

MLA for Calgary Hawkwood speaks out on running for the NDP

By Evan Kayne Michael Connolly, the recently elected MLA for Calgary Hawkwood and one of three gay/lesbian MLAs, was born and raised in Calgary. He is one of the younger MLAs, but his interest in politics started early: Grade 4 or 5. It was an election year, and it was during the Ralph Klein tenure of budget cuts that saw his mother, a single parent, face a suddenly reduced paycheque. His interest in public policy ignited, he chose the NDP as he found “they had the best plan for the common people.”

He learned more about the party and the political system as a student at the University of Ottawa. He gained valuable experience as an intern with an NDP Member of Parliament.

Michael received insight into the area of which the MP specialized (Status of Women, and then Aboriginal Affairs).

Like a lot of NDP members, they (in a perverse way) owe their passion to change to Ralph Klein – his cuts, his treatment of LGBTQ people and rights prompted many supporters to get involved.

During the recent provincial election campaign Michael, fortunately, did not encounter any bigotry. Being an NDP candidate, most people knew they were dealing with someone who is LGBTQ friendly. On the other hand, he did have a friend who was openly gay and working for a PC candidate who 14

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

marched in the Pride parade.,People tend to be more free with their bigotry with the right wing candidates. “At the door, more than one person told him they would vote for that candidate as long as he doesn’t promise to march in – I quote – those fag Pride parades,s” he says. Michael never really had to face those people; when he showed up, he would introduce himself as being with the NDP, and they would close the door.

As a gay youth, getting the door metaphorically slammed in his face by the provincial government was a formative experience. Michael was impacted by Bill 44 (Human Rights, Citizenship And Multiculturalism Amendment Act, 2009). His high school did have a GSA... and idiots scrawling ‘fag’ on the poster. “It wasn’t very long ago that people my age were still anti-gay, but in my high school, in my grade, we had probably five or six openly LGBT people, so that was really good for a high school in Calgary.”

The dangerous thing Bill 44 did was shackle discussion and instruction. You didn’t think in your head that they weren’t discussing LGBTQ issues, you thought well, they’re not discussing my concerns at all, so I’ll just suppress them.

Michael remembers asking a sensitive question about religion in Grade 11 social studies class and was shut down; he was told by the teacher that discussing religious and sexual issues and orientation required written consent from every child in the classroom.

At this time, Michael was inspired to ask Education Minister Thomas Lukaszuk his opinions. It eventually ended up on Twitter, where Michael tweeted his questions to the minister (including asking to raise the pay of teachers and scrap Bill 44). Lukaszuk responded patronizingly, essentially telling him wow, that’s a lot of tweets; did you save time for homework?

This started a week-long Twitter battle between the minister and Michael and friends. Lukaszuk really didn’t answer any questions but made it look like he was which, again, was probably the wrong thing to do to anyone, let alone a young person with a budding interest in the party sitting opposite you in the legislature.

We went on to discuss the outright absurdity and foolishness of Bill 44; in a public setting such as a school, how could anyone think they could keep a lid on these sensitive subjects?

The parents may think they are protecting students, but these kids will encounter these situations as adults sooner or later.

Even in school kids talk to each other, or worse, you have teens who are ignorant of basic human sexual issues. “We had one girl in junior high who didn’t take sex ed. It was the parents’ choice, but I remember in Grade 12 she asked my friend what menopause was! It’s the parents’ choice, but sometimes it doesn’t exactly work out in the child’s favour if you don’t actually talk about these things at home.”

Fortunately, both times and government have changed, but there are still issues to tackle. In talking with Ricardo Miranda, the other gay MLA who is almost a generation older, and with me, Michael admits he knows more about LGBTQ people his own age. Yet he has listened to older members of our community, and a rising concern is their future living arrangements as seniors. “A lot of them are worried... a lot of seniors are being forced back into the closet when they go to retirement homes because a lot of the people that discriminated against them back in the day, they’re now forced to be in the same home with them, and it’s hard to get away.”

Michael’s youth does give him an advantage over some of the older MLAs – he has grown up with social media. “I’ve had Twitter since 2009, so I know a lot more about Twitter than other people and am a lot more used to it.” He is a lot more active on all social media than other MLAs, usually updating all of them daily. For him, it is a helpful tool for connecting with people.

We have seen numerous stories about potential candidates having to quit because of something they said as a young person – views which reflect more on their immaturity at the time but, unfortunately, any opposing political parties pounce on it to question the person’s current suitability. Michael was www.gaycalgary.com

going to run federally, so he got vetted last August on his social media profiles. “I was lucky that everything was all fine when the election came, but some people weren’t so much.

It’s unfortunate, but sometimes things get out on Facebook, and sometimes your friends aren’t necessarily your friends.”

Michael had one post that got sent to local right pundit Ezra Levant and Ezra, being Ezra, twisted what Michael said into something opposite of his meaning. “It was a bit stressful, and it wasn’t exactly fun, but you get used to it after a while.”

It’s almost starting to become a bit farcical; Michael has had Facebook for almost half his life, and teens and kids post a lot of stupid things online. People who are 40 and above not only had the luxury of growing up without digital cameras everywhere, they didn’t have social media that someone could use against them ten years later. “The things you say when you’re 12... you’re not exactly the smartest person or the most mature. So you say some stupid things... I think eventually it will get to the point where [people say] yeah, whatever! We’ve all done things we’re not exactly proud of.”

Because it is a bit of a novelty having a gay MLA, I asked Michael if he had a partner helping him on the campaign trail, and how campaigning – and now helping shape public policy – impacted his romantic life. He told me he was currently single, and almost too busy in his new role. “Estefania was luck because she already had a girlfriend. Ricardo and I are single, and we haven’t had much time to go around dating.”

When we contacted Michael it was after Stampede and various Pride festivals, so he had been going nonstop, along with all the prep work required in being a newly elected MLA of a newly formed government. “It has been a bit hectic... I’ve put 8,000 kilometres on my car in the past few months.” He doesn’t have a lot of time to himself, but things will be easier when he has an assistant.

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 Ricardo Miranda and Michael Connolly at Edmonton Pride

What we can expect, short term, is to see Michael, Ricardo and Estefania at our community events; friendly faces from the government – a welcome change. For the future, whether the injection of youth and a strong LGBTQ caucus in legislature makes important changes, we shall see.

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

15

Lifestyle

Positive Thoughts Viral Fatigue

By Jeff Berry

I recently attended the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association’s 25th National Convention in San Francisco. NLGJA’s first convention took place in the city by the bay in 1990, so this year’s conference was aptly called Coming Home. The four-day meeting was filled with workshops, plenaries and programs for LGBT journalists looking to sharpen their skills, network and meet up with old friends.

I’ve worked in the HIV field for over 23 years, and participate in dozens of meetings, conferences and activities throughout the year and around the country, but all of them are related to HIV. This conference is refreshing for me because it’s not HIV-specific, and it allows me to break out of my “HIV bubble” and gain a renewed perspective. When you’ve worked in the same field and organization for 23 years like I have, you can easily become siloed in your work and vision myopic.

Everything is seen through the lens of HIV, and you stand in danger of suffering from what I call “viral fatigue.”

Those of us in the broader LGBT community can undergo viral fatigue as well. If you’ve made it this far in reading this column, whether you’re HIVnegative or not, congratulations. People often get tired of hearing or talking about HIV – I know I do!

“Isn’t that manageable now?” I often hear. Or, “Is that really a big deal anymore?” In this age of successful treatment of HIV to an undetectable viral load (which nearly eliminates the chance of transmitting the virus to others), and now PrEP, a one-pill-a-day medication that prevents those who are negative from acquiring the virus, maybe it’s time for us to just move on?

It would be nice to think so, but sadly, no. New HIV infections are increasing at alarming rates in certain subgroups, including young, gay black men and trans women. And it’s not necessarily because they are taking more risks – a recent study showed that young, gay, black men actually took fewer risks than their white counterparts, but saw more infections, because the sexual networks they interacted with had more people who were HIV-positive, and they therefore had more exposure to the virus.

We have a unique opportunity in our community to change the narrative, and steer the conversation in a new direction. It’s no longer enough to say “use a condom every time.” By having candid, open and honest conversations with our partners, our healthcare providers, and most of all with others in our community, we can gain a fresh perspective and

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 Jeff Berry

a new outlook. If we take the time to learn about new prevention modalities, and understand that there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to preventing HIV, then maybe we’ll be a little less “judgy” about the choices of others.

I admit I get a little viral fatigue now and then. But I never get tired of learning new things, gaining insight or a new perspective, and helping someone to look at something in a new and different way.

Jeff Berry is the editor in chief of Positively Aware magazine and Director of Publications at Test Positive Aware Network in Chicago. Find him on Twitter @PAEditor. This column is a project of Plus, Positively Aware, POZ, TheBody.com and Q Syndicate, the LGBT wire service. Visit their websites – http://hivplusmag.com, http://positivelyaware.com, http://poz.com and http://thebody.com – for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

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Photography Medicine Hat Pride 2015 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1068

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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Frankly, He’s Thankful A Divorced Gay Dad Appreciates The Small Stuff

By Tom Tietjen “I used to be a bitchy gay guy, now I’m a bitchy gay dad,” admits Frank Lowe, a thirty-something recently divorced gay dad whose self-deprecating view of parenthood and single gay life is published monthly on GayswithKids. com.

He describes getting out of a 17-year monogamous homosexual relationship like waking up from a deep coma. “I am alive in an entirely different era than when I was last single in 1997. I have taken a big gay time machine to a new world – full of Scruff, Tinder, Hornet, and Jack’d, to name a few.”

There is nomenclature that didn’t exist before he partnered up. The last time he was single, twinks were called “chickens,” and older gays were called “trolls” or “chicken-hawks.” The term “daddy” only referred to a sugar daddy, and not in a desirable way.

Gratitude #1 At least he’s a “daddy” during a time when daddies are considered hot. That’s a trend he says he’s going to ride.

Literally.

The hardest part of being a gay divorced dad is sharing custody. Frank has a 50/50 agreement with his ex-husband.

In his column, he describes the favorite moment of the week: when his 5-year-old son is with him again. “It’s the moment that I’m 100% less alone than I was a few minutes ago. It’s when I feel like a family,” he says.

His son’s name is Briggs, which originates from the word bridge, and ironically he has been exactly that for Frank and his ex.

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The love Frank and his ex have for their son has usurped any negativity they feel towards each other.

In terms of Briggs’ adjustment, the dads are continually monitoring and discussing it. Some days, the boy is all smiles and happiness. Other days, he has a heavy mind. Frank admits he often feels guilt, however, he and his ex-husband made a decision they believe will ultimately be the best for the entire family.

When it’s Briggs’ last night with Frank, the boy holds his daddy extra tight before he goes to sleep. Later that evening, Frank sneaks into his room a couple times to see Briggs sleeping in his bed. Dropping Briggs off at school the next day will be hell because Frank knows his life is on pause until Briggs’ back in it.

“I become that weird parent who lingers and doesn’t want to let go of his kid. I whisper into his ear something I’ve said to him since birth: “I love you more than anything else in the world.”

To which Briggs’ replies, “I love you too, Daddy.”

Those five words carry Frank to the next time he sees Briggs.

Gratitude #3 Frank is Briggs’ father – his rock, and Briggs will always be his.

Read Frank Lowe’s column at GayswithKids.com

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Community

Discussing Community Safety

Announcing a new chief, and preparing for longer nights

By Constable Andy Buck Hello again everyone. A lot has happened since I last spoke to you, most notably the announcement of a new chief of police. Congratulations to Deputy Chief Roger Chaffin, who was promoted to his new position effective October 19th. You may be asking, what does this mean for me? or how will it affect me? Well, I can assure you that my colleagues and I were asking ourselves the same question not so long ago. Our previous chief, Rick Hanson, was a strong believer in community policing and, a result of this, we saw the growth of the Diversity Resource Team to its position where it is today, arguably the largest diversity team in North America, and one that is certainly respected and admired for the work that it does.

There was no guarantee that his replacement would have shared his views about community policing, which could well have seen a completely different look to how we operate with the diverse communities of the city. So it was reassuring to hear Deputy Chief Chaffin state that he would continue building relationships within the community, and note that the police service in Calgary has evolved into “an instrument of social justice, as opposed to an instrument of paramilitary force” over the years. “I see no need to ever step back from that model,” he said. Based on those comments, I have no doubt

that any changes to the way that I and CPS interact with this community will only be positive ones, and that I will continue to provide you with dedicated service.

On a more sombre note, we only have a couple weeks of Daylight Savings Time left! For those of you who know me well, you know that I am so much more a summer person than a winter person, and I apologize to all who are winter sports participants. From a policing perspective, the shorter days and longer nights raise the potential for increased crime. Bad people like to conduct their business when they are harder to see! With that in mind, I wanted to give you some information about home security and burglaries.

Neighbourhood Safety: Your neighbourhood is your first line of defence – burglars don’t like watchful neighbours who are collectively interested in the security of their neighbourhoods. Take a look at your yard and neighbourhood from the burglar’s point of view.

These tips may help: • Trim trees and bushes that could hide burglars.

• Pay attention to trees growing near your house. Could a burglar climb the tree to access your property?

• Keep your yard maintained to give the house a lived-in appearance; cut grass, rake leaves, remove dead branches and clear debris.

• Install outside lights to brighten dark areas around doors and windows.

• Make sure emergency personnel can easily see your address from the street, even at night.

Home Safety: • Outside doors and frames should be made of solid wood or steel, which are harder to force than hollow-core doors.

• Glass in outside doors should be at least 40 inches from the lock, or be unbreakable.

• Secure all outside doors with deadbolt locks.

• Install a peephole viewer on the entrance door.

Of course, all the security measures that you implement are no guarantee of immunity to crime.

If your home is broken into: • Do not enter the house in case the burglar is still there.

Please call 911 and watch your house until the police arrive.

• Do not touch anything until the police have finished checking your house.

• Make a list that includes serial numbers for all of your valuable items. That way you can provide this to the police and ensures that any found items can easily be returned to you.

Calgary is, statistically, a very safe city. As long as you follow these simple tips, and make sure that the house is secure at night or whenever you leave your home, your chances of being a victim of burglary are slim.

Please look out for each other and take care of yourselves.

Feel free to connect with me in the usual way with any questions, comments or concerns.

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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Finger Eleven Returns with Five Crooked Lines

Veteran Canadian band on tour behind new album

By Jason Clevett Five years is a long time between albums. It seemed like Finger Eleven had dissappeared since the release of 2010’s Life Turns Electric. The band was hard at work, however, and that time paid off with the release of one of their best albums to date: Five Crooked Lines. Their Fall of the Hammer tour is currently underway, including a stop in Calgary at the Marquee Room October 27th.

“Oh man I can’t believe it’s been that long – honestly. It felt like a decent chunk of time. We never really stopped writing. We just tried to keep improving the material until we were satisfied.

James (Black) and his wife had a baby. We had a label change and a drummer change, so all of that stuff took some time. Why it took five years? I think I regret that amount of time that went by and I don’t think we can do it again. We have to put less time between albums. Having said that, I can speak for the band, I am immensely proud of the new record. I think it’s much closer to the mark than we usually get. You always want to try and get as close as you can: sometimes you hit; sometimes you don’t. It’s a really nice, definitive album for what we were aiming for,” singer Scott Anderson told GayCalgary.

Although the writing process took awhile, the recording happened quickly, he explained. “It’s ironic that we spent so long because we very rarely took too much time off in that five years. Ideas were always being thrown around, and we would book trips to go up to cottages and get the ideas a little tighter.

After all that time we talked to this guy, Dave Cobb, who finds pre-production ‘fucking boring’ so we knew we weren’t going to sit in a room, like we usually do for a week, and map everything 20

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

out. We just opened up a song a day, and we had 12 days to do the record, so we went down to his home studio in Nashville and that’s what we did every single day. We broke open a song that he liked and we just let him choose from a catalogue of about 22 songs that we brought down. It was this wonderful process where we picked a song and figured it out as we laid down tracks. It was a wonderful way to make music, and assures it’s not a boring process. I find the studio to be pretty insufferable in terms of sitting around waiting your turn to get your music done.

I would love to continue that process; it captures performances much easier and is a great way to keep the energy level up in the studio.”

The band – Anderson, guitarist James Black, rhythm guitarist Rick Jackett, and bassist Sean Anderson have been making music since 1989. After the departure of long-time drummer Rich Beddoe, the band brought Steve Molella on board. Molella has fit right in, which can be a challenge walking into a group that has been together for over 25 years.

“I think Steve is getting really comfortable. When we auditioned Steve he nailed the part. He revealed later that he grew up listening to the records. It definitely sounded like that.

He is getting more comfortable in a live setting, and it’s almost as if it’s kind of perfect. We tend to try and perform the songs as they are on the record, but it’s kind of nice to hear a flourish here and there, which signals to me that Steve is getting really into the groove of things. It is a difficult proposition because it’s a bunch of guys that have been together for over 20 years. It is an impossible thing for someone to waltz in and feel comfortable. but he’s doing it. There is the stage dynamic; there is the bus www.gaycalgary.com

dynamic – you have got to hang out and enjoy stupid bullshit inside jokes and stuff like that. It has been a real nice fit so far.”

The band returned to the road with a U.S. tour, recently opening for fellow Canadians Three Day’s Grace. Nothing quite compares to the energy of being on stage, Anderson said.

“You miss it. It is fun to make music at home, but there is nothing like playing live. To get that reaction from something you’ve created with your friends – it’s kind of why you do it.

That feeling has been constantly the same ever since we played a high school show. It is the same adrenaline rush, and I kind of love that. You keep chasing that feeling; you want to create something and share it with people.”

The U.S. tour had the added challenge of opening for another band.

“Playing to someone else’s audience – at the beginning – they might be a little lukewarm, but you can get them to come around to you in the end. That is a nice challenge. I like to surprise an audience that otherwise might be dismissive of the band. You have to look far and wide to find an asshole in a Canadian band.

They exist, certainly, but there is not a lot of tension, and there is definitely camaraderie. Maybe it is more of a Canadian thing.

The backstage is usually pretty relaxed and there isn’t a lot of egotistical bullshit.”

It is great for Canadian bands to be able to tour other countries, but coming home and playing for Canadians is extra special.

“Anywhere in Canada feels like home. Not to be corny about it, but as soon as you cross that border, it’s like oh my gosh. You take for granted how awesome Canada is. All you have to do is go away for a little bit and then you go why leave? This place is amazing. There is the ego thing about you wanting the whole planet to know about your record. I still need to do Japan – we haven’t been there yet. We have got to get big in Japan.”

The live performance is what Finger Eleven is renowned for.

Although physically it is different playing – compared to 15 years ago – having performed for so long together, there is a different level of musicianship and confidence on stage.

“I feel like I am singing better. There is less nervous energy.

I like to pretend that I know what I’m doing, or I have learned something. That might not be true. The band is full of more confidence than we’ve had in some time. I think you are going to see a bunch of guys that love being onstage and get along and want to be around each other. That energy, hopefully, emanates from the stage. That way everybody has a great time. There is nothing worse than watching a band that is a bunch of guys that can barely stand to be on the same stage; it’s a terrible dynamic.

[We are] a band that is proud of both the old and new stuff, and we are delivering them in different ways on this tour. We changed it up a little bit and I am excited about that.”

The band has spent a lot of time on the road: touring behind their 2007 album Them vs. You vs. Me saw them play Calgary five times. As the band grows older, and has growing commitments like family to consider, it becomes harder to be on the road for that long, even though they love visiting cities like Calgary.

“The Coke Stage at the Stampede is packed with some of the most energetic rock fans that any band could ever hope to play for. Calgary likes its rock and has been really kind to us for years now. I am grateful for that. Every time we roll into Calgary we have a fantastic time. The Stampede is just so full of such a wonderful atmosphere – I can’t get enough of it. I love it, but touring is tough. We are proud of this record; I don’t think anybody was expecting the record to be as good as it is. Who comes out with a great record on album number six? It is kind of odd. We are stuck between wanting to take over the world, and people knowing we have a new record out, and that means touring a lot. We love playing live, but you have to balance that with what’s at home. We have to see where that shakes out. I am hoping that next year is full of touring; we will go where people want us to go.”

With six albums released, and a lot of singles and fan favourites, it can be difficult to put together a set list.

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“That is the longest part of rehearsing: you book four hours and spend two of them arguing about what you should put in the set-list, and what flows together. I think that we fall on the if you were a fan what would you want to hear? It is important to represent every record. All it takes is hopping off stage, and talking to fans, and they will tell you what songs they wanted to hear that you didn’t play. We take that into consideration and are bringing back four or five songs that we haven’t played in years. That is the result of listening to the fans and trying to put together a kickass set-list.”

You can expect hits like “One Thing” and “Paralyzer” to be part of the tour. Despite them being played as staples on radio, Anderson still enjoys playing them.

“I do only because I feed off that energy so much. Those are pretty fun songs to sing anyway. If the audience is really with me, then they can sing it and it’s wonderful. I still love singing those songs.”

When the Fall of the Hammer tour hits Alberta this week, expect to hear classics and new tracks amid the same quality live show that has made Finger Eleven one of Canada’s most recognized bands.

“You have got awesome openers with Head of the Herd; we have a re-imagined set that has a really interesting turn midway through it; we are bringing back some songs fans have requested over the years. It’s a reinvigorated band, and if you are a fan of rock music at all, you are going to have a fantastic time.”

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Gossip Cynthia Nixon meets James White Josh Mond. You don’t know that name. It’s OK. He coproduced the acclaimed Martha Marcy May Marlene, and has just completed his debut feature, James White, which premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival in the Discovery Programme, and has already received the 2015 Sundance “Best of Next” Award. You do know Cynthia Nixon, however, and she’s one of that film’s cast members, alongside up-and-comer Christo-pher Abbott (Girls), Ron Livingston, musician Scott “Kid Cudi” Mescudi and Mackenzie Leigh (Gotham). The story revolves around a a selfdestructuve young man’s coming of age, and it’s earning the kind of buzz first-time filmmakers dream of getting.

After its bow in Toronto, look for a November release for the serious-minded drama, just in time for those brooding winter months.

Stephen Fry is Coming The “Favorite Homosexual Award” doesn’t exist, but if it did, we’d want to give it to Stephen Fry (Wilde) every day of his life. The British comic actor and writer is hilari-ous, wickedly clever, confidently old and paunchy, and, best of all, possessed of a stead-fast refusal to suffer right-wing fools.

So it’s always nice to hear about him working in something worthy of his talent. That would be the new comedy from James Oakley, The Brits are Coming, co-starring Fry alongside Tim Roth, Uma Thurman, Parker Posey, Maggie Q and Alice Eve. Roth and Thurman play an eccentric con-artist couple in debt to gangster boss Maggie Q. After being sold out by former associate Fry, the pair have to stage a jewel heist to dissuade Q from, you know, murdering them. The movie is currently shooting in New York and due sometime in 2016.

Netflix’s trans teen show

 Cynthia Nixon, photo by Joe Seer

Deep Inside Hollywood Cara Delevingne, Cynthia Nixon, Stephen Fry, Netflix’s trans show

By Romeo San Vicente Cara Delevingne has a lot of acting jobs now It’s more likely that you know Cara Delevingne from seeing her modeling in the pages of Vogue, or from her appearance in Taylor Swift’s “Bad Blood” video, than from her starring role in the little-seen summer film Paper Towns. (Let’s just say not a lot of tickets were sold.) But you’ll be seeing a lot more of the bisexual British actor – she’s cur-rently dating acclaimed singer-songwriter St. Vincent – in the coming year.

Right around the corner is the Peter Pan adaptation, Pan, with Hugh Jackman; the Johnny Depp-starring crime-thriller London Fields, which is based on the Martin Amis novel; and she’s playing “Enchantress” in the highly anticipated 2016 DC Comics film Suicide Squad. Not that you’ll be missing Ms. Delevingne in the modeling world anytime soon. She’s still very young, after all, and that’s a gig that’ll last until you turn, say, 25. After that, it helps if you’ve got movie stardom to fall back on. It looks like she will.

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Acclaimed indie filmmakers Zal Batmanglij and Brit Marling (Sound of My Voice) are moving to Netflix. This makes perfect sense, of course, as the pair represent a kind of Hollywood refusal. Their movies have stubbornly resisted fitting into big studio marketing plans, and that’s exactly the kind of filmmaker Netflix program-ming has championed, resulting in the network’s critical and commercial success. Their upcoming series is called The OA, and the details are fairly secret, but we do know that it stars writer-actor Marling. We’ve also learned that a casting call is out for a teenage, Asian, transgender male, a person who will be carrying the weight of a major role in the project. Hollywood casting offices are not exactly clamoring to see young trans actors, so the role will most likely be filled by an un-known. But if you want more happy evidence that Time magazine’s “Trans Tip-ping Point” headline is becoming reality, here it is. And look for the show on Netflix in mid-2016.

Romeo San Vicente pretty much invented the practice of “Netflix and chill.”

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Call Me Gay-Be

Carly Rae Jepsen on being an LGBT ally, the sly gayness of ‘Call Me Maybe’ and how Justin Bieber changed her life  photos by Schoolboy Records/Interscope

By Chris Azzopardi Carly Rae Jepsen is calling – and no, not maybe.

This is a real-life phone date (pegged, of course, to the release of her latest synth-pop concoction, E•MO•TION) wherein the 29-year-old is bubbly over, well, just about everything: Her career. The gays. Marriage equality. Being “the little mermaid.” And that time Justin Bieber changed her life.

GC: Growing up in Mission, British Columbia, in Canada, what was your introduction to the gay community?

CRJ: In Canada, I had tons of friends who I grew up with who are gay or lesbian. I had one friend in particular, and I saw just how hard it was for him when his family found out he was gay – they shunned him, actually. He thought he was gonna have to make it on his own and move out – it was heartbreaking for all of us. We didn’t really understand it, and that’s probably when I began to really get angry about the pain that was caused for what I thought was no reason. Moving to the U.S. and seeing how big of an issue it is made me to want to help and bring awareness to the subject.

GC: As a steadfast ally, that’s exactly what you’ve done. Though

the group has since adjusted its policies on both fronts, you famously canceled a Boy Scouts of America gig due to the fact that gay members and leaders could not work and volunteer.

CRJ: You know what, I’ve had a couple “I think I’m gonna tell my kids about this” moments. When we got marriage equality and there was a celebration for that in New York City (hosted by Freedom to Marry on July 9), it was an honor to be a part of that.

I can’t explain it. There are some performances that you do and you’re like, “That was cool, that was fun.” That one was different fun. It was so memorable and an incredible thing to be a part of. The band and I had

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a moment backstage where we all kind of were like, “Wow, this is really cool. This is a different kind of cool, to be a part of this.”

GC: As an artist, when did you first feel the support from the gay community?

CRJ: We were performing during a lot of different events like the White Party, which is an amazing celebration. That’s probably one of the best times we’ve had. Everyone’s in the best mood ever! But I’ve always felt, when we go to wherever it might be – a festival or something along the lines – it’s just a different kind of energy. Everyone is so joyful and you feel all of that as a performer. There’s just a mutual lovefest going on for me anytime I can get in front of a crowd like that.

GC: You immediately established yourself as an ally when you ended your “Call Me Maybe” video with a gay twist. The influence of the song’s video on the mainstream cannot be denied. In a 2012 Huffington Post article, you were called “a poster child for the post-gay pop generation.”

How aware are you of the influence the video’s nonchalant approach to homosexuality had on mainstream culture?

CRJ: It was a very innocent video… because I am nonchalant about it! (Laughs) It wasn’t meant to have a huge impact – it actually shocked me that it did. I think there was so much going on with that video and with that song that my life was sort of being flipped upside down. I moved to LA for the first time and I was meeting all these people, so it was just a nice thing to hear that it was making a positive impact, but there was no intentional motive. It ended up being a beautiful outcome, though.

GC: Is the gay guy you fell for in the video available? Can he call me

maybe?

CRJ: (Laughs) I’m sorry to inform you that I think he’s actually straight, but you can see what you can do, at least. Go for it!

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GC: Have you ever fallen for a gay man?

CRJ: I can’t describe Justin any other way than by saying he has been a life-changer for me.

He obviously was the first person to shed light on my project in Canada, and I don’t know how you thank somebody for that. I don’t know how you say, “Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.”

CRJ: Oh, I’m completely in love with one of my best friends, but he’s very gay, so yeah. I’m very in love with him, but it’s more of a brother / sister love. Whatever man actually does land him will be a very lucky man, indeed. He’s everything I’d want and more.

It’s been a really great professional relationship. He also invited me to be a part of his world tour, which was just such an experience for me and the band boys. Before Justin the biggest tour we had done was opening for Hanson in Canada; that was fun in a different way. But getting to play stadiums – there’s nothing quite like that feeling. And yeah, forever I am indebted to him. It was very fun to have him be a part of “I Really Like You.”

GC: Have you ever gone on a date with a guy where he’s like, “Here’s my number, so call me maybe”?

CRJ: (Laughs) I haven’t. But I actually experienced a pretty comical thing after Call Me Maybe.

When I had written that song I had a boyfriend, and throughout the whole process of promoting it and touring with it, I was a taken lady. It wasn’t until I was single I had realized what a flub up I had made... because who’s ever gonna ask me for my number now?!

It’s such an awkward situation.

“Soooo. Here’s my number.” We’re gonna have to exchange emails or something.

GC: Text me maybe?

CRJ: Text me maybe – yeah! Eh, I’m kind of screwed.

GC: How does it feel knowing you’ll have to sing that song for the rest

of your life?

CRJ: When I was very little, actually, my grandmother would say, “Be careful what songs you put out there because you might have to sing them for the rest of your life.” I bring that up to her now and again and I’m like, “Did you know? You knew!”

And yeah, it is one of those songs where I’ll be 89 and I’ll still be singing it. The thing with a song like that is, yeah, it has its moments where we’re like, “Really? ‘Call Me Maybe’ again? – butting our heads against the wall – but you see all the joy that happens when we play it and it’s worth it. Plus, I never have to sing it alone.

GC: For the new album, you were inspired after seeing a Cyndi Lauper concert in Japan. What about seeing her live influenced the direction you took on E•MO•TION? CRJ: This last year I had one of those “pinch me moments” when Cyndi Lauper was inaugurated into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and she actually allowed me to be the person to give the inauguration speech and sing (“Time After Time”). My parents were in town, and I don’t think I’d ever been more nervous about something. To have (Cyndi) kind of beside me, watching me, was like, “Oh god.”

I think that there’s just a timelessness to her songs. “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” is so epic; it’s one of those songs that has stood the test of time. I feel like it’s an intimidating endeavor, but I wanted to at least aim at trying to make songs that weren’t just for the moment but that could be lasting. There’s something about ’80s music that I really hooked into. Old-school Madonna, Prince – it all jives. I didn’t necessarily want to make a complete period piece – where I’m taking you back to the ’80s – but I wanted to incorporate something ’80s into what I naturally do.

GC: What facets of your own life did you tap into to make this album a more personal experience?

CRJ: Well, it depends on the song. I think there are lighter songs, where there’s not much of me to read into. “I Really Like You” is one of those; it’s just, like, a hook up and it’s clearly just that. (Laughs) But I do think there are songs that speak to my more personal side. “Warm Blood” is that for me; it’s a very intimate song. The verse came to me in the middle of the night actually, and it’s about that longing for intimacy.

We did a song called “Beautiful” on Kiss (in 2012) – that was a very strange day for me too. I remember flying into LA and immediately after I arrived I went to the studio to see what he was working on and he showed me “Beautiful” and asked me if I would sing on it with him. So literally a half hour after meeting Justin I was in the studio recording his song. Again, it was one of those moments. I’ve had a few of them in my life where you’re just wondering if you’re dreaming or not. It’s almost too weird to be true. I’m really happy with how the whole thing came out. It was a nice moment and memory for me.

GC: Speaking of dreams come true: How much did getting to sing “Part of Your World” for The Little Mermaid Diamond Edition DVD change your life?!

CRJ: I got a few phone calls – weird phone calls, again! – and that was one of those: “We’re getting different musicians to play the part of the princess of the decade – right now it’s gonna be Ariel – and we were wondering if you would sing ‘Part of Your World’ and there should be a video and you’ll play Ariel.” I was like, “Ummmm. You’re giving me an excuse to dye my hair red, which I’ve wanted to do for a while!”

GC: Has fame made you feel like a Disney princess?

CRJ: I’m definitely not a Disney princess by any means! (Laughs) But

it’s fun to play the part of it every once in a while.

GC: If you didn’t have feet, would you trade your voice for them?

CRJ: I think the singing aspect would be too important, so I’d keep

my voice. For true love, though – that’s a different thing. You trade anything for true love.

GC: If you had a prince as hot as Eric…

CRJ: Yeah, now you’re talking!

GC: You also played Cinderella last year during Rodger and

Hammerstein’s Cinderella on Broadway. What would you like your happily ever after to be?

CRJ: I have always admired people who’ve been able to make music for life and who have an audience that just follows the ebbs and flows of their career, and also hopefully helps other people with the music they’re making. I know he’s not a pop artist, but James Taylor is someone I’ve always looked up to because he has such a strong core fanbase that will follow him everywhere. He can take two years off and come back with an album and be No. 1 with it. If I could be anything close to that careerwise, where you’re able to spend your life making music and have people – whether it’s a big group or a small mighty group – come and see my shows, that would be the dream.

GC: Justin Bieber tweeted “Call Me Maybe” out when the single was released in 2012, you’ve toured together, and then he recently made a cameo in the video for “I Really Like You.” What’s your relationship with Justin like?

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

25

The Riot’s Riot

‘Stonewall’ actor, director talk ‘whitewashing’ controversy, emotional brick-scene shoot and sex scene nerves

 photos by Philippe Bossé

By Chris Azzopardi Blowback from a mere two-minute-and-twenty-three-second trailer of Stonewall stormed the web in early August. It was intense. Like the historic brick-throwing, slur-lashing brawl that broke out in New York City outside a Greenwich Village gay bar in 1969, it provoked an uproar. And also like the Stonewall riots, the melting pot of people the film sought to represent felt… unrepresented.

“To all considering watching the newest whitewashed version of queer history,” began self-proclaimed 18-year-old “transwomyn of color” Pat Cordova-Goff via the Gay-Straight Alliance Network, alleging the movie’s cast lacked diversity. As she declared her resistance to openly gay actionturned-indie director Roland Emmerich’s fictional interpretation based around the events leading up to a landmark moment in LGBT history, the Stonewall riots, she rallied a fervent army of fellow boycotters. Twenty-four thousand... and counting.

The issue, according to Cordova-Goff and other opponents: Its ivory lead, Jeremy Irvine as small-town-turned-big-city rebel Danny Winters, is white.

And it’s true. He is not black. He is not Puerto Rican. He is not female.

But the Stonewall en-semble, Irvine insists, is a “wide, diverse cast.” The 25-year-old English actor fully acknowledges he expected a passionate reaction to the film, particularly because “we’re doing a story that is so important to so many people.”

Irvine, though, did not foresee the kind of pre-release revolt from those who claimed Stonewall underemphasized the trans community and queer women of color, deeming the film a “whitewashed” take on an otherwise mixed-minority historical occurrence.

“That was a surprise; I never expected to hear that,” says Irvine, spotlighting Danny’s band of fellow rioters: Marsha P. Johnson (Otoja Abit), a black transwoman who co-founded Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries with prominent trans activist Sylvia Rivera, and a lesbian credited by some as initiating the riot, calling on others to “do something.”

Breakout actor Jonny Beauchamp also stars, playing self-proclaimed “street queen” Ray / Ramona, a composite of both Rivera and jailed protester Raymond Castro.

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Emmerich insists his dramatization, inspired by a distant friend’s reallife experience and also Emmerich’s own, is “inclusive”; that Irvine’s Danny is the lens through which we see these events unfold. “I think it’s cool when a white kid learns from a Puerto Rican and a black kid,” he continues, “and is a better person afterwards. Becomes a true friend.”

Regarding the controversy: Emmerich says that, while shooting Independence Day: Resur-gence, “they kept it away from me.”

“Only for so long, however,” he continues. “After a while, you kind of know what’s going on. I was shocked. Luckily, I had some gay activists, like Larry Kramer, speak up for us.” (Kramer, the 80-year-old writer and HIV activist, addressed Emmerich on Facebook: “Don’t listen to the cra-zies,” he wrote. “And thank you for your passion.”)

So: Why did Emmerich cast a white, as he calls him, “catalyst character”?

He says, simply, “You have to put yourself a little bit in, and I’m white.”

Stonewall was never intended to focus on race but rather it was meant to trace the beginnings of the gay rights movement, the steps we’ve made and the steps we haven’t.

For Emmerich, the director behind major blow-up-everything blockbusters such as Independence Day, Godzilla and Day After Tomorrow, it’s a passion project – a piece of work so close to his heart he self-financed the film with friends and even stepped in as director when no one else would.

“Nobody wanted to do it,” he reveals, “and I was stubborn, and then I got it done.”

Irvine was unfazed that, according to an Instagram post from out screenwriter Jon Robin Baitz, “no studio would give a cent to (this movie).

Including the studios he (Emmerich) has made a great deal of money for.”

With unconventional starring stints in films such as 2012’s Great Expectations and Beyond the Reach, the actor’s own projects have mostly been off the beaten path. “I’m on the side of anyone who thinks that we should have a bit more risk-taking with mainstream cinema,” says Ir-vine, who starred in Steven Spielberg’s emotional juggernaut War Horse. “It’s played far too safe.”

Regarding Stonewall, Emmerich was determined to make this movie, studios be damned. “I said, ‘I’m not going away from my kids; I’m standing up for them.’”

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His “kids,” of course, include Irvine and Beauchamp, and the rest of the young, colorful core cast. But Emmerich’s Stonewall doesn’t seek to just tell its characters’ stories – the director, along with Baitz, had his eye on the bigger picture. His pursuit: to tell the story of LGBT youth everywhere.

“Roland was always talking about the homeless kids who we don’t know about today,” Irvine says. “This little group of fictional characters represents those who weren’t made famous by the movement.”

When Emmerich became involved with the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, he made a dis-heartening discovery: 40 percent of LA homeless youth are LGBT. Personally struck, he dug deeper and realized that history was repeating itself.

“I was like, ‘Oh my god,’” he recalls. “At the same time, I read a lot about the Stonewall riots and found some kind of parallel – a group of homeless kids were very part of this riot too. The unsung heroes. I said, ‘Maybe I have to help.’”

Emmerich threw himself into the project, researching the riots, and also, along with producers, interviewing several Stonewall vets. Limitations manifested quickly. As Irvine states, “Finding actual survivors is very difficult. This was just before the AIDS crisis, so actually finding people who were there is tough. And first accounts do vary – I mean, it was a riot.”

Their varied play-by-plays hindered the filmmakers’ fact-finding, a realization that led Emmerich to this conclusion: “Nobody knows what really happened that night.”

“You always have to take their stories with a grain of salt,” he says. “It’s like when there’s a traf-fic accident and you ask five witnesses and they tell you five different stories.”

When the final film was cut, those same sources were the first to screen it. Emmerich says they were “very, very surprised and complimentary about how right we got it.” And they knew this wasn’t a documentary. They knew Emmerich’s vision: “I’m always saying I made a movie about the unsung heroes of Stonewall. I wanted to give those kids a voice.”

During the weeklong riot shoot, feelings were intense. Lots of reflection.

Lots of commemorat-ing. “That whole sequence was a very emotionally charged piece to shoot,” recalls Irvine, who throws the brick in the film, mirroring the famously charged real-life moment. “We’re shooting with a lot of actors and people on the set who have a very personal relationship to the story. Very meaningful to them.”

Others emotions (and, ahem, things) were present while Irvine shot his gay sex-scene debut with Jonathan Rhys Meyers, whose character represents one of the earliest gay rights groups in the U.S., the Mattachine Society, and crushes hard on Irvine’s new-kid-on-the-block character.

Eventually they end up in bed. And with their clothes off.

“It was my first gay sex scene in a film, and hey, to be honest, if you’re gonna do it, Jonathan Rhys Myers is not a bad choice,” says Irvine, noting he’s only filmed one other sex scene, guy-on-girl, before. “I’m pretty green to all that. And Jonathan obviously did The Tudors, and so he said, ‘Just relax. I used to do, like, 10 of these a day.’ So he was very cool. He took my hand. Took me through it.”

“Jonathan totally took charge,” adds Emmerich.

As he reflects on directing the scene, the director chuckles, admitting to making special accom-modations for Irvine (“I kept it really short for his relief”) because “oh my god was he nervous.”

Two men getting hot and heavy – Irvine just felt pressure to, you know, get it right. And with Stonewall too, of course. To prepare, Irvine powered through a stack of books and also listened to producer-conducted interviews.

“I didn’t know a huge amount about (Stonewall) before I read the script and did all my re-search,” he admits. “I was quite ashamed at how ignorant I was about the Stonewall Movement.”

Now the public will see the end-result, the culmination of a passionate director and his equally-as-passionate cast – and not for two minutes. For two hours. Emmerich expects more scrutiny, but shrugs it off.

Because he found “the whole thing incredibly moving,” Irvine was on board immediately. “The script had me in pieces when I first read it,” he admits. Blown away by the writing and eager for the role, he hopped on a London-bound plane from Budapest, where he’d been filming another project, and showed up at Emmerich’s door, a scratch pad full of Stonewall notes in hand. “I re-ally chased it,” Irvine says. “The script was by far the best thing I’d read in months. It wasn’t a difficult decision to go after it.”

“I don’t know what they will say,” he says. “They will probably find other stuff to criticize. I always say a movie’s a movie and it is what it is. We all are really super proud of it.”

But still, Irvine was nervous. Would they get it right? He knew the LGBT community’s expecta-tions would be inevitably high, and he says, “There’s a responsibility involved to do a story jus-tice.”

“I hope that the movie brings home how important that period of history was,” he says. “If we can bring that more to the forefront of people’s thoughts, then the film has done what it’s meant to do.”

When shooting in NYC on Christopher Street (the mayhem originally unfolded there, in front of the Stonewall Inn) didn’t pan out as hoped – there were too many people, and not enough time – the crew used an indoor facility in Montreal, leaving Emmerich questioning its true-to-life au-thenticity.

Echoing the latter sentiment, Irvine is pleased to be a part of Stonewall, a project that he be-lieves will put nearly a half-century of gradual progress – from the riots to the Supreme Court ruling on marriage equality – into perspective.

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“I panicked every day,” he remembers.

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

27

Leona Lewis, Free & Unfiltered Singer opens up about her influential gay uncle, talks ‘gay husbands’ and drag queen bingo

 photos by Catie Laffoon

By Chris Azzopardi Leona Lewis is having a Mariah Carey moment. She’s singing, mimicking the ascending whistle notes that close out Carey’s early-’90s hit “Emotions.” It’s not much – just a few notes, sung as the song comes up casually in our conversation – but this “moment” entails more than an impromptu Lewis performance via cellphone.

Lewis mirrors Carey not just vocally – both have voices strong enough to knock you over. But the “Bleeding Love” belter’s career is soaring with the same wings that Carey once spread back in 1997, when the legend emancipated herself personally and professionally.

The U.K. X Factor star walked away from her label of seven years, Simon Cowell’s Syco, in 2014, citing creative differences; now signed to Def Jam, Lewis’ first studio album, I Am, flaunts her newfound independence.

Liberation certainly looks good on Lewis. The 30-year-old Londoner has never seemed more free… and fun. Who knew she played drag queen bingo? Or how growing up around her gay uncle helped her learn to be herself? And that she has “gay husbands” in major cities across the world? Well, now we do.

GC: You’ve played a lot of gigs in your life. Been on a lot of stages.

What was it like being on the G-A-Y stage in the U.K. recently?

LL: Oh my god. Doing G-A-Y is one of the funnest shows I get to do, and that’s why I always go back whenever there’s an album. Literally – you can just do whatever you want. The more flamboyant, the more fun it is and the more the audience gives you so much energy. So yeah, there’s always so much love and support there.

GC: Are you used to being around that many gays in your everyday

LL: I mean, yeah. I obviously have so many gay husbands.

GC: What constitutes a “gay husband”– and how many gay

husbands do you have?!

LL: I have my L.A. gay husband, and I have my U.K. gay husbands.

I’ve got a few there, and that just constitutes as my gay best friend. If I don’t get married, then clearly we’ll end up getting married. (Laughs) GC: I wonder, though: Can one gay husband get jealous over another gay husband?

LL: Sometimes they do. I definitely split my time equally. And I get jealous over my gay husbands with their straight wives! So they have to split their time with them for me. It’s a partnership.

GC: When were you first aware of your gay following?

LL: When I was doing The X Factor every week we’d have people

coming down to the show, and I found myself with a huge gay following.

Again, just so much love. People were waiting for me after the shows, and I’d go and sign stuff, so it was really early on that I became aware of that.

GC: In 2007, “Bleeding Love” elevated you in so many ways, including within the gay community. You know how we love our big, belty voices. I can’t imagine what that song did for your gaggle of gay husbands.

LL: (Laughs) They were loving it. And they’re always giving me opinions on what I am to wear on stage and what I am to do on stage.

I’m like, “All right, guys; calm down.”

GC: How often do you take their advice?

LL: I mean, it depends on who it’s coming from. I have my stylist – a

very close friend of mine – who’s an amazing stylist. He has suggestions

life?

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on wardrobe and stuff like that. And I listen. But some of them are crazy. Sometimes I’m like, “Yeah, no; you wear that.”

GC: How do you think your gay fans will relate to I Am? LL: I have a lot of fans who are younger and haven’t even come out

to their families yet. I do this campaign called “I Am Empowered” to share stories, mantras and affirmations, and I got one guy who wrote me saying he gets bullied a lot in school because he’s gay. He says he just wants me to empower him to get through that and get through the torment, and so I know that it definitely is a very, very strong message to the gay community, especially being young and coming out and being open. It’s very hard and it’s a very difficult time, and you need to be empowered in that. You need to have the strength to stand true in what you are and who you are. And it’s a very prevalent message on the album.

GC: How did you end up with a drag queen in the video for “Fire Under My Feet”?

LL: It was my idea. My uncle actually is gay, and when I was younger I remember he would wear makeup and eyeliner. It was the ’80s, so you know – people were all out there. And it was always so normal to me; it was never something I questioned, never something that I found anything other than normal. So I had that experience growing up. And even though he’s not a drag queen, I wanted to put that in the video. I wanted people to know that you can be whatever you want to be.

GC: What did you learn from your uncle about being yourself?

LL: He taught me a lot. When I was younger, it was to be accepting

of anything; however people want to express themselves or present themselves is up to them. It’s not something to look at weirdly or that should be shunned. And self-expression – he taught me that. Not being afraid to show who you are.

GC: What does it mean to you to know that your songs are being fiercely lipped by drag queens?

LL: I love it! A couple of months ago I actually went to drag queen bingo and they were commenting on the (“Fire Under My Feet”) video saying, “I love that you have a drag queen in there.”

GC: Did you win at bingo?

LL: I didn’t, unfortunately. But I did get to call out some numbers,

which was kind of cool!

GC: Which line on the album means the most to you?

LL: On “I Am” it says, “Thought I would never rise again. But I am, I

am.” It’s about going through times and thinking it’s the hardest time and not seeing the forest through the trees but knowing that time is such a big healer and a big factor in so many situations. I feel like so many people give up just as they’re about to have a breakthrough, and sometimes you have to go through that. The line “I am, I am” is, I feel, a powerful affirmation to put out there when you’re going through those times.

GC: Your vocal abilities often draw comparisons to Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston and Celine Dion. What songs of theirs would you be most apt to sing at karaoke?

LL: With Whitney, definitely “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.” I mean, everyone does that song at one point or another! Mariah… it would have to be “Heartbreaker.” It’s just so cool and I love the video – she was in the movie theater, and I remember she had the pink top and her little denim jeans. And Celine: probably “All By Myself” or “My Heart Will Go On.” GC: What’s your favorite note that’s ever been sung?

LL: I feel like it has to be during “I Will Always Love You” – the long-

held note that Whitney does, and you’re like, “What is she doing right now!? She’s killing my soul.”

GC: PETA named you Sexiest Vegetarian in 2008. Where does that rank on your list of career achievements?

LL: Uhh. Quite high! Sexiest anything! I will take what I can get, soooo... that ranks very high.

GC: In your opinion, what’s the sexiest vegetable or fruit?

LL: A peach.

GC: That came to you a lot quicker than I thought it would.

LL: Right?! I surprised myself even.

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GC: Now that the album is finished, how are you feeling about the label changes you made in order to honor who you are as an artist?

LL: I feel amazing about it. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where I made that leap of faith and then, luckily, there were people at the other side to catch me and help me do what I wanted to do. I really count myself blessed because it does take a lot to walk away from such a big situation. But, again, I knew what I needed to change and that I needed to do me and be very authentic to me, and so, this is it. I just feel lucky that I can do it; a lot of people don’t get that opportunity.

GC: You say you had to “do me.” Did you ever feel like you’d strayed from your authentic self?

LL: I feel like I’ve definitely always been true to myself, but sometimes I feel like myself, as well as other people, get a bit lost by everything that goes on within music. The heart of what we do in music is to connect with people and express ourselves and share that with people. But I feel like the hair and the makeup and the designer clothes takes over everything. The fame, the notoriety and letting that get to your head is so dangerous. My dad’s always told me, “Don’t believe the hype.” That’s something that’s always stayed with me.

GC: When you look out at the pop scene, do you see a lot of authenticity?

LL: You know what I see a lot of? Amazing artists. And I also see a lot of (them) seem to be a bit lost. But again, it’s all part of an individual’s journey and it’s all part of learning about ourselves. You have to go through that learning process sometimes. There’s a lot of very young people in the industry, and being so young and vulnerable and subject to… I don’t know… a lot of impressions, sometimes you can just get lost in it.

GC: “Bleeding Love” was a colossal success, so I have to imagine it set the bar high for you. How much pressure have you felt to match the success of that song and what it did for your career?

LL: Definitely in the beginning I felt pressure. There’s definitely been a lot less pressure the past few years, but for my second album (2009’s Echo), I felt a lot of pressure then.

When I was first recording my (new) album, even before I had a deal, there was never any pressure on me. It was just like, I’m recording music; this is what I do. With my first album, again, there really wasn’t any expectations, so I didn’t really have a lot of pressure. But then after the album blew up and went massive, there definitely was a bit of pressure. I was like, “Oh my gosh, this is happening; I’ve got to step up my game. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to match it.” I’ve learned over the past few years that that is definitely not conducive to creativity. You have to just go down a new path and blaze a new trail.

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

29

Interview

 Ruby Rose at Cowboys Nightclub, photo by GayCalgary

The Budding Ruby Rose On career, inspiration and loving dogs

by Krista Sylvester Ruby Rose made a lot of Calgary fans ecstatic with her second visit to the city in two months, and while she wasn’t in town for long, she sure made it count.

Her September visit to perform her energetic DJ set at Cowboys was probably even more exciting than her first visit to the city during the Calgary Stampede, but only because fans had more time to Google-stalk her and become even more enchanted. There, quite simply, appears to be nothing Ruby Rose can’t do.

The actress / DJ /philanthropist / animal lover just announced one of the next big announcements in her blossoming career, and it involves appearing in the fifth installment of the popular Resident Evil series.

Despite how busy she is, Gay Calgary was lucky enough to sit down with the Australian talent before her September Cowboys appearance and find out exactly what Ruby thinks about her tour, animals and the cold weather.

GC: Wow, you’re back in Calgary for the second time in just a couple of months, so obviously you like it here; how do you think the tour is going?

RR: Yeah, it’s good, it’s so funny because I was just here like two months ago, and it was warm. But it is not warm right now – it is so cold – but it is nice because I live in Los Angeles and I’ve just been doing Vegas, and it’s way too hot out there, so it’s nice to come here to some brisk weather.

GC: What do you think of Calgary?

RR: Yeah, I love Calgary. I got to see more of it the last time I was here. This time my flight was delayed coming in, so I didn’t get to enjoy it as much. Last time I came in during the day and it’s such a beautiful landscape, and I remember distinctly saying, “Next time I come, I’m going to spend like a couple days here”, but I didn’t think I’d be coming back so soon. And it’s in 30

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

the middle of the tour, so I spend one day per city, and so I’ll have to wait for the next visit to spend more time in Calgary.

GC: Well, we’re glad to have you! And we must know, what is your first love – music, acting or modelling?

RR: Definitely not modelling (laughs). It’s never been a priority; it’s just something that I kind of fell into. I think acting and music can really come hand in hand. I couldn’t really necessarily choose one over the other. I think that in my life, I’ve definitely chosen to prioritize one over the other at any given time, because you know music deserves 100 per cent, acting deserves 100 per cent, and they’re both crafts that you really need to acquire and spend time learning. But right now, acting is definitely taking off for me in a big way and I love it, and it’s an honour to be doing some of the jobs that I’m doing. Music will always be, like, the blood that runs through my body. So even I was on set for Orange, you know, I would always have different music playing depending on what scene I was going to go out and do. It’s just like, it’s always in my life regardless of what else I’m… doing, for the most part.

GC: That brings me into my next question then: what are your influences or inspirations in life?

RR: I guess, I don’t like repeating myself and I don’t like going backwards. I just want to make sure that the time I spend here on this crazy planet is spent really appreciating every minute, and really living life to the fullest, and I guess my inspiration really comes from how far I can take this; how many things I can do and how many lives I can impact. I love travelling because when I travel I meet new people and that inspires me, and I hear new music and I see new films. Everything is inspiring in its own way.

GC: I know you have a love for dogs, so I just have to ask about your involvement in animal things – I know you’re a big advocate.

RR: Yeah, I love animals. If I could spend the rest of my life just with animals, I could pretty much safely say I would live a very happy existence. No offence to humans, it’s just animals have that unconditional love that you just don’t find anywhere else – you know? They just they love so freely and I think, since I was a kid, animals were just really a big part of my life, and always my best friends and, sometimes, my family. I try to get involved as much as I can in animal rights all over the world – from third world countries to right in my backyard in Los Angeles, to back home in Australia… and when it comes to not just buying dogs, not just buying cats, but adopting them or fostering them, and just educating people about puppy mills and how to best find your next best friend.

GC: I know you found a couple of strays and when you put them on Instagram, you were able to find them good homes?

RR: They did yeah; they found homes within about a week, but for a few days it was like a big vetting process because I didn’t want to just give them to anyone, and I know that by somebody like myself – just putting dogs online saying these dogs are available for adoption – it opens up the floodgates to people that may be not necessarily just interested in the dogs, and I had to make sure that my assistant and I vetted it properly to make sure the places were right, that they were suitable and that they were genuinely interested in the dogs. And that was easy; there were still a lot of people, but it was then just hard to choose which. They’re doing well. They’re happy, they’re healthy and they’ve gained weight because they were so skinny when I first got them.

GC: Do you have any last messages for your fans, or where can they see you next?

RR: I’m like two weeks shy of two huge announcements and all I can say to the fans that are wanting to know what I’m going to do next is: plenty, and you won’t be disappointed, and I look forward to seeing what everyone thinks of my new projects.

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The Cho Must Go On

Margaret Cho laments loss of comedy heroes, talks tour, bisexuality and this ‘f*cked up’ world

 photo by Mary Taylor

By Chris Azzopardi Margaret Cho was a comedian even before she knew it.

“As a kid, I was thinking all these things,” Cho, 46, recalls, expounding on her surprising childhood shyness, “and when I would say them, people would laugh. I was really confused by that.”

It makes sense now, of course. Cho, after all, has turned life’s ugly truths – from political injustices to homophobia and the gory details of her colonoscopy – into 20 years of comedic gold.

Luckily, for Cho, the world is still insane. Everything happens right in front of us, in real time, and we can’t turn away. And Cho, naturally, has something to say about that. You know, along with gun control, beheadings, the Amy Schumer movie shooting, rape, female comedian sexism and the “systematic slaughter of African Americans.”

Yes, Cho is still fearless. Yes, she is still notorious. And yes, her latest tour, psyCHO, will – like all things Cho – tear down the world’s wrongdoers in the fiercest and funniest of ways.

GC: The first time I interviewed you was while I was in college.

And the world, it seemed, was less fucked up then.

MC: (Laughs) It’s still being fucked up. Like, I think it was always this fucked up and we didn’t know about it because we didn’t have Facebook and Twitter to alarm us every single day.

I remember when you really had to look for beheading videos… (laughs). You couldn’t just start playing them.

GC: How do you – and how should we – deal with the accessibility of... everything?

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MC: I understand that there are a lot of things that need our attention, and I think maybe pick your battles. Which causes do you really want to look at and think about? I just wanna get over police brutality. That, to me, is the most pressing issue, so my thing is dashboard cam. I’m so dashboard cam / body cam; that’s what I watch for hours on end.

GC: Your upcoming show will assess some of the serious issues we’re facing today. How do you balance comedy and sociopolitical issues?

MC: You have to find a truth there. For me, comedy or humor is often a coping mechanism. A lot of what I’m talking about is police brutality and the different sides of it that I’ve encountered and what I see happening in the media. As a comedian, it’s a kind of alchemy that’s really the magic, you know. Something so tragic and terrible as this systematic slaughter of African Americans in this country – how do you find some way to talk about that that isn’t totally depressing?

GC: How do you? And moreover, how do you turn it into comedy?

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

31

MC: It’s funny, because whenever white and black people fight, Asians and Mexicans don’t know what to do. ’Cause we’re like, “Are we white? Or are we black? We just wanna pick the winning side.” (Laughs) For me the joke here is the gradations of how we view racism. Everybody’s a human being, so it’s very hard to figure out how to talk about it, so that’s my take on it. And I have a lot of different things that I’m talking about in the show: gun control, and also different kinds of police brutality that I’ve witnessed.

GC: Another comedian, Amy Schumer, whose movie was playing when a gunman opened fire in a Louisiana theater, is taking on gun control as well.

MC: It’s great.

GC: How do you think comedy can create sociopolitical change?

MC: Comedy now is a major player in politics. A lot of people are responsible for this, but the main ones are Jon Stewart, Bill Maher, Hannibal Buress and Stephen Colbert – now Amy Schumer.

These are people who are actually changing the way we feel about politics, about who is gonna be president, about race. Comedy can really shift the way we view everything.

Comedy’s a really big part of politics, whether it seems obvious or not. Amy’s been doing it with feminism, and now she’s been thrust into gun control because she’s forced to. This is something that happened at the showing of her film. The most non-violent thing you could want to do is go see a comedy with her in it.

Her perspective and her voice is so needed and so fresh, and it’s so not a shoot-’em action experience. For me, that’s very heartbreaking, because her success is so important to me. I consider her like my daughter in comedy.

Comedy’s a mentoring art form, so you have your mentors – that’s another part of the show. My mentors are dead, which is very strange.

Joan Rivers and Robin Williams and Taylor Negron – they all passed away last year.

So for me, this tour – this is the first time I’m going out without a mentor, without my teachers. They’re all gone, and that’s a really weird feeling.

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 photos by Mary Taylor

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

GC: Regarding Joan: You call her your comedy “mother.” What parts of her life and career do you connect with most?

MC: Just her love of show business, her love of comedy, her love of comedians. Her constantly trying to get me to see the value of my life, and to have gratitude for everything that I receive and to know that I would be safe. She always felt that comedians live the longest in terms of career; we’ll never have to worry; we’ll always have steady work, which is different from actors, especially women who are only able to work for a short period of time in their lives.

And she was fearless, but actually full of fears because she was very, very anxious about whether jokes worked.

She put forward this space like (imitating Joan), “I don’t care! I’m a funny person! It’s a joke!” But she was seriously scared about what people would think, and she was always scared people were gonna kick her ass. So that was funny about her. But I really admire her because she challenged the status quo in comedy. When she was performing comedy in the ’60s and ’70s and she was pregnant, she couldn’t even talk about that. She had to use euphemisms to talk about her pregnancy while doing comedy. So that’s how far we’ve come in terms of censorship: what we allow women to talk about.

GC: How do you think the landscape for female comedians has shifted? Are we at a place now where they’re fully accepted by the comedy community and the public?

MC: It’s gotten a lot better.

I think we’re way past that weird Christopher Hitchens’ thing that women aren’t funny. Now that thinking seems very old fashioned. It’s very Jerry Lewis to go there.

(Laughs) It’s odd that Jerry Lewis even felt that, because I worked with a lot of his contemporaries ’cause I’ve been around forever. I was, like, discovered by Bob Hope and worked with Alan King and Robert Klein and they always really accepted me.

Milton Berle too! Very, very accepting of my presence in comedy.

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GC: Do you still write a joke a day?

MC: I try to. It takes different forms, but I try to write either a joke or some kind of observation. I’m also working on a book and trying to bring forth this idea that sexual abuse survivors should come forward and stop thinking of themselves as victims and think of themselves as survivors instead. (Cho recently revealed to Billboard that she was raped as a teenager.) So, it’s either a joke or an idea or a song or some type of artistic endeavor that would benefit me creatively. I try.

GC: Is the book only focused on rape victimization?

MC: That’s part of it. Part of it is a memoir – the history of my work in comedy and the people that I have known. There’s a lot of different kinds of stories in there, but one of them is just trying to talk about this idea of victimization. That if we got rid of that word and really focused on the survivor part of it, it would be maybe easier to handle.

GC: When you were young, your father wrote joke books. What was his influence on you when it came to comedy?

MC: He still has an influence; he’s a funny guy. My parents are both really funny people, and they’re also very respectful of the creative life – they think it’s the highest kind of life you can aspire to. And they love writers and writing, so they’re very proud of that aspect of my work.

So, it’s good. My dad’s still always telling me what I should be writing and what he wants me to discuss, so he’s very alive in my creative world.

GC: And your mom, of course, is as well. How often do people come up to you and ask you about her?

MC: Oh, all the time. She’s a genius! She really is. She’s a guitarist, and she’s much better than I am. She plays flamenco guitar. She’s a very, very beautiful singer. She’s a seamstress; she taught me how to sew, which is where I get my design side. I do a little bit of fashion design on the side still. But that’s where I get my inspiration – she’s inspired me to do a lot of different things.

GC: Your tour name is a play on the word “psycho.”

What is your definition of a psycho?

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MC: I think it’s allowing your rage to consume you, allowing your insanity to consume you, allowing other people’s insanity to consume you. I think psycho is often a very feminizing term. “Oh, she’s a psycho bitch.” “She’s fucking psycho.” That’s the worst thing you can say about a woman. Even the movie Psycho – Anthony Perkins is trying to be his mother, so that’s a psycho. It’s a feminized kind of experience. It’s almost hysterical.

Women are always hysterical or psycho. So that’s why I like it.

GC: Do you have any psychotic tendencies?

MC: I’m actually more OCD than psycho.

There’s a drought in California, so you’re always checking – I’m always checking the tap. I’m always going online when I’m away to check the water meter. First of all, I shut off the water when I leave. Not only shut it off in the house – I shut it off in the water main! Everything is shut down!

(Laughs) GC: We are currently, and thankfully, experiencing increased trans visibility. As someone who identifies as bisexual, where do you see the bisexual movement headed?

MC: I think it’s different.

Bisexuality is considered one foot out, one foot in. You don’t qualify as gay all the time. There’s this element of distrust. Visibility is very important for the trans community because of the suicide rate of teenagers and the violence that goes underreported and the disappearance of trans women all over the place.

There’s not been a lot of rage about that because people didn’t know.

Now, there’s more of an understanding and it’s not acceptable anymore, so I think that’s wonderful. I would love to see that for the bisexual community, but I also have an understanding

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

33

 photo by Pixievision

too. I get it because I started as a lesbian and then realized that there was more to my sexuality than I realized. I thought I was being very free and very out, but there was more to the story.

It’s hard; I felt like, “Am I going through a phase?” You always question yourself in the bisexual community. You don’t really know.

GC: When did you first know you were funny?

MC: It took a while to figure out how to be a standup comedian. And this is when I met Robin Williams. I actually met him when I was much younger, but I met him again as a

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

comedian. He had become very famous doing Mork and Mindy (1978-1982), and he was doing movies at that point and he had been the doorman at a comedy club that I lived across the street from called the Holy City Zoo (in San Francisco). I would perform there and he would always come in and do surprise performances, but this was, like, every night, so it really wasn’t that much of a surprise. He was there every day, and I would always have to perform after him. I don’t know why he got it in his head, “I have to go before her all the time,” but I learned how to do comedy by going after him and bombing for years.

(Laughs) GC: When you eventually did launch your professional comedy career, why was it important to you to be as open about your life as possible?

MC: That style became very cool. When I started I was just trying to figure it out, but when I was in my early 20s, talking about things in great obsessive details was really brought on by doing comedy in bookstores and people like Janeane Garofalo and Marc Maron, who were in more of the alternative scene.

Which is Colin Quinn, which is actually Ben Stiller. We would do these weird midnight writing sessions with Ben Stiller and Judd Apatow at this coffeehouse on La Brea and you would see all these comics. Now they’re very famous people, of course.

But they would get together to write at midnight. It was this thing that was very powerful and very alive, and the more you could make yourself look bad as a person, you looked better as a comic.

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Photography Hot Mess Pride Patio Party at the National on 8th, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1060

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Photography Calgary Dyke and Trans March http://gaycalgary.com/pa1043

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Photography Calgary ProPride 2015 at Hotel Arts

Factory 112 Head Shots, Calgary

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Photography Homo Hop at Loft 112, Calgary

Flaming Saddles - Pride Bear Gardens at the Standard, Calgary

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True Colors Pride Edish at the Night Owl, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1039

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Photography Pure Pride Calgary 2015 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1047

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Photography

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Donnie Peters Memorial Cut-A-Thon, Calgary

Rooftop Pride Party - Deep Roots at Broken City, Calgary

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GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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Photography Evolution Night Club 2 Year Anniversary Weekend, Edmonton http://gaycalgary.com/pa1062

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Photography Edmonton Expo 2015 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1035

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Photography Summer Send-off - Derrick Barry at Cowboys Nightclub, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1042

Summer Send-off - DJ Ruby Rose at Cowboys Nightclub, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1061

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Photography Wild Pride Calgary 2015 at the Standard, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1037

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Photography ISCWR - Investiture 40, Edmonton photos by Jeff

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News Releases NSFW - Jerrick Media Launches The Pussy Pillow

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The Seasonal Jewish Kitchen: A Fresh Take on Tradition

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Global Gay Rights Campaign Raises $564K for Love Fund

Almost zero HIV transmission rates possible, return to normal life

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The Naivete of the HIVer, and only half are taking their pills

According to a recent report, only 51.9% of HIVinfected adults were on antiretroviral therapy.

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E! Dances Into Fall with New Docu-Series THE PRANCING ELITES PROJECT

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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

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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. ..........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 750 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)  403-457-4464

15 The Blind Monk---------------------------  918 12th Ave SW  403-265-6200  12thave@blindmonk.ca

 http://www.blindmonk.ca  Mon-Sun: 11am-2am  403-384-9777

14 Vinyl & Hyde (CLOSED)

 213 10 Ave SW

 http://www.vinylandhyde.com

 587-224-5200

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

• Curling

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

• Golf

• Lawn Bowling

• Outdoor Pursuits

Bathhouses/Saunas

Community Groups Alberta Society for Kink

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

Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports

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

 lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com

5 Goliaths

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

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

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

 golf@apollocalgary.com

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 #143, October 2015

51

Directory & Events Fetish Slosh----------------------------  Evening

Calgary Events

At 3 Backlot

Mondays

 2nd

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

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

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

Saturdays

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

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

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

At 5 Goliaths

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

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

Wednesdays

Fridays

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

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

See

ISCCA BBQs--------------------------------Dinner

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

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

At 5 Goliaths

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

Tuesdays

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

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

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

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

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

Thursdays

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

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

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

 Kerby Center, Sunshine Room 1133 7th Ave SW

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

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

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

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

Buddy Night-------------------------  6pm-6am

 Bonasera (1204 Edmonton Tr. NE) See 1 Calgary Outlink

See 1 Calgary Outlink By

 1st

YYC Badboys at 13 The Pint

At 5 Goliaths

At 3 Backlot

Knox United Church

 Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW)

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

 3rd

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

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

 2nd, 4th

At 4 Texas Lounge

ISCCA at 3 Backlot

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

• Yoga

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

Alberta Rockies Gay Rodeo Association (ARGRA)

 www.argra.org

• Monthly Dances

 Arrata Opera Centre (1315 - 7 Street SW)

Calgary Expo

 http://www.calgaryexpo.com

Calgary Gay Fathers

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

Calgary Men’s Chorus

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

• Rehearsals

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

Calgary Sexual Health Centre

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

At 5 Goliaths

At 1 Calgary Outlink

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 3rd  4th

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

 1st

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

Sundays See See See See See

Deer Park United Church Scarboro United Church Hillhurst United Church Knox United Church

Rainbow Community Church

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

Calgary Queer Book Club

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

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

• 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

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 403-244-1956

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

• DVD Resource Library

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

Gay Friends in Calgary

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

Girl Friends

 girlfriends@shaw.ca

 members.shaw.ca/girlfriends

• Peer Support and Crisis Line

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

Girlsgroove

 http://www.girlsgroove.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

52

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

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

1 Calgary Outlink

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

 1st

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 Calgary Contd.

• Tennis

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

By

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

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

support, education and resources to parents, families and individuals who have questions or concerns about sexual orientation or gender identity.

Positive Space Committee

 4825 Mount Royal Gate SW  403-440-6383  http://www.mtroyal.ca/positivespace Works to raise awareness and challenge the patterns of silence that continue to marginalize LGBTTQ individuals.

Pride Calgary Planning Committee

 403-797-6564

 www.pridecalgary.ca

Primetimers Calgary

 primetimerscalgary@gmail.com  http://www.primetimerscalgary.com Designed to foster social interaction for its members through a variety of social, educational and recreational activities. Open to all gay and bisexual men of any age, respects whatever degree of anonymity that each member desires.

Queers on Campus-------------------------

 279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C  403-220-6394  http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.

• Coffee Night

 2nd Cup, Kensington

Safety Under the Rainbow

 www.sutr.ca A collaborative effort dedicated to building capacity and acting as a voice for the LGBTQ community, service providers, organizations and the community at large to address violence. For same-sex domestic violence information, resources and a link to our survey please see our website.

Scarboro United Church

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

Sharp Foundation

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

Spectrum Volleyball Calgary

 http://www.spectrumvolleyball.ca  spectrumvolleyball@gmail.com Join us for recreational, competitive or beach volleyball.

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

Unity Bowling

 http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

Wild Rose United Church

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

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

DevaDave Salon & Boutique

 1317-1st Street NW

Restaurants & Pubs

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

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

Ellen Embury

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

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

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

Hardline

Adult Depot (CLOSED)

 Calgary: 403-770-0776

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

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

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

Retail Stores

 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

Third Street Theatre

 #3 306 20th Ave SW 

http://www.thirdstreet.ca

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

Hot Water Pools & Spas

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

 T-S: 10am-6pm, N: 1-4pm

Webster Galleries Inc.

EDMONTON

Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

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

La Fleur

MFM Communications

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

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

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

NRG Support Services

Priape Calgary (CLOSED)

 Suite 27, Building B1, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW

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

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

SafeWorks

Pushing Petals

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

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

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

 11725 Jasper Ave

FLASH (CLOSED)

 10018 105 Street  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

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

 M-W: 12-6pm, R: 2-7pm, S-N: 12-5pm

 4th Floor, Jasper Ave and 107th Street 4 Woody’s

 11725 Jasper Ave

Barry Hollowell

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

Calgary Civil Marriage Centre

These venues regularly host LGBT events.

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

Craig Connell (Maxwell Realtors)

See Calgary - Community Groups.

Cruiseline

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

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

Edmonton Illusions Social Club

 780-387-3343

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

 11111 Jasper Ave

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 780-479-2038  www.evmchoir.com

 sing@evmchoir.com

Fellowship of Alberta Bears

 www.beefbearbash.com

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

HIV Network Of Edmonton Society--------

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

by HIV.

 http://www.iscwr.ca

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Steamworks

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

Community Groups

Theatre & Fine Arts

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

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.

8 Yellowhead Brewing Co.

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

Wheel Pro’s

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

Edmonton Prime Timers

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

Affiliated with Prime Timers World Wide.

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

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

Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

 http://www.edmontonpride.ca

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

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

 403-808-7147

Edmonton Expo

 http://www.edmontonexpo.com

7 The Starlite Room

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

• Safeworks Van

Christopher T. Tahn (Thornborough Smeltz)

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

 10704 124 St NW

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

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

 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.

• Centre of Hope

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

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

 780-938-2941

UpStares Ultralounge (CLOSED)

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

Services & Products

 780-488-6636

6 Evolution Wonder Lounge

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

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

6th and Tenth - Sales Centre

 403-703-4750

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

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

 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.

www.gaycalgary.com

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

Interactive Male

Best Health

 Calgary: 403-777-9494

 Edmonton: 780-413-7122  Other Cities: 1-877-882-2010

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

Holiday Retirement

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

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

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

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

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

AltView Foundation

 #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

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

InQueeries

Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

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.

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

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

53

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

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

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

7

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

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

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

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

Women’s Social Circle------------------ 6-9pm

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fridays

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

Tuesdays

See

2

See 1 Youth Understanding Youth

Mondays

N

Team Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

Thursdays

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See See See

 2nd, 4th

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Saturdays

See

Team Edmonton

See

Wednesdays See

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

Youth Understanding Youth

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See

Team Edmonton

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton See See

Men’s Games Nights

Youth Understanding Youth

• TTIQ

• Counselling

• Women’s Social Circle

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.

54

See

Team Edmonton

Sundays See

Team Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

Men Talking with Pride---------------- 7-9pm See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

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

Team Edmonton

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

 Robertson-Wesley United (10209 123 St)

 2nd

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

 2nd

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

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.

• Knotty Knitters

 2nd

Bowling-----------------------------------  5pm

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

Buck Naked Boys Club

 Edmonton Contd.

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

 2nd, Last

Naturalist Gettogether See

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

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

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

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

See 1 Pride Centre of Edmonton

A support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family or supporters.  andrea@pridecentreofedmonton.org Women’s Social Circle: A social support group for all female-identified persons over 18 years of age in the GLBT community - new members are always welcome.

Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

Team Edmonton

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

• Badminton (Mixed)

 St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street

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

• Badminton (Women’s)

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

 badminton@teamedmonton.ca

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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

• Gymnastics, Drop-in

•Ballroom Dancing

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

 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.

• Blazin’ Bootcamp

• Hockey

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

 hockey@teamedmonton.ca

• Martial Arts

 Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

 bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.

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

• Cross Country Skiing

• Outdoor Pursuits

• Bowling (Northern Titans)

 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

 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.

 golf@teamedmonton.ca

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events Red Deer Events Wednesdays

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

CAANS

 1st

Friday, August 15th

 Edmonton Contd.

• Snowballs V

 January 27-29, 2012  snowballs@teamedmonton.ca Skiing and Snowboarding Weekend.

• Soccer

 soccer@teamedmonton.ca

• Spin

 MacEwan Centre for Sport and Wellness 109 St. and 104 Ave  Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45pm Season has ended.  spin@teamedmonton.ca 7 classes, $28.00 per registrant.

• Swimming (Making Waves)

 NAIT Pool (11762 - 106 Street)  swimming@teamedmonton.ca  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.

• 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

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

Retail Stores Passion Vault

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

Products & Services Cruiseline

LETHBRIDGE

 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!

• Soul OUTing

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

• Film Night

 Bi-monthly, contact us for exact dates.

• Book Club

 Monthly, contact us for exact dates.

Theatre & Fine Arts

Community Groups GALA/LA

 356 - 2 Street SE, Medicine Hat, AB  403-527-5882  1-877-440-2437

• Monthly Dances

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

 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.

• Support Line

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

• Friday Mixer

Exposure Festival

The Roxy Theatre (closed)

 University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.

 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

Community Groups Jasper Pride Festival

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

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

• Telephone Support

ALBERTA Community Groups Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

 http://www.albertatrans.org A nexus for transgendered persons, regardless of where they may be on the continuum.

Theatre & Fine Arts Alberta Ballet

 http://www.albertaballet.com Frequent productions in Calgary and Edmonton.

Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

 galia@uleth.ca

• Movie Night

 Room C610, University of Lethbridge

Gay Youth Alliance Group

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

Lethbridge 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

Whistlers Inn

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

Community Groups HIV Community Link

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

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

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

MEDICINE HAT

Central Alberta AIDS Network Society

 4611-50 Avenue, Red Deer, AB  http://www.caans.org The Central Alberta AIDS Network Society is the local charity responsible for HIV prevention and support in Central Alberta.

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.

LGBTQ Education

 LGBTQeducation@hotmail.ca  http://LGBTQeducation.webs.com Red Deer (and area) now has a website designed to bring various LGBTQ friendly groups/individuals together for fun, and to promote acceptance in our communities.

Pride on Campus

 rdcprideoncampus@gmail.com A group of LGBTQ persons and Allies at Red Deer College.

www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

55

Classifieds Event

140

The Fetish Slosh at the Backlot!

Come on down to the Backlot the 2nd Tuesday of every month for a no-cover Fetish party. Upcoming dates are November 13, December 11th, etc. You can dress up in Leather, Latex, cuffs, collars, or just your skivvies. Have the conversation you like without offending a vanilla in sight. The Backlot supports and promotes the alternative lifestyles of Calgary so feel free to express your KINK!

Wedding/Union

190

Help Wanted

240

GayCalgary Magazine is looking for salespeople, graphic designers, and writers in Calgary or Edmonton. For more info, contact:

MARRIAGE COMMISSIONER COMMISSIONER FOR OATHS IN ALBERTA WEDDINGS AND MARRIAGES at your venue or in my home studio starting at $150 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 hilford@shaw.ca • 403-246-4134

Magical Music DJs

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Furniture

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Safe Step Walk-In Tub Co. Safe Step Walk-In Tub Alert for Seniors.

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Home for Rent

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“IMMACULATE INNER CITY NEWLY RENOVATED WINSTON HEIGHTS HOME” Perfect for the Professional Executive moving or already living in Calgary. This newly renovated 3 bedroom home (1 bedroom has been converted into an office with furnishings) offers high end luxury furnishings throughout with brand name appliances, authentic hardwood floors, gas fireplace, alarm system & granite counter tops. Five minutes from down town with a golf course 1 block away. Located ideally close to community center, grocery stores, trendy restaurants, shopping, transit, fitness, banks, cycling, walking paths plus much more.

Internet

Calgary Erotic Male Massage Enjoy the pleasure of sensual eroticrelaxation male-to-male massage from the Calgary’s Premier Asian Male Masseur, Reynolds Onyx. Straight, gay, bisexual and curious guys are welcome.

To learn more or book an appointment, visit his website at http://www.calgarymalemassage.com or email reynoldsmassage@gmail.com

Products/Services 500 Certified Personal Trainer

Upcoming wedding/event/trip/class reunion?

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Cleaning

517

Private House Cleaner Will clean for the gay community. Very detailed. Includes vacuuming, dusting, cleaning floors, kitchens and bathrooms. Cute clean appearance. Must have own cleaning supplies.

Call for rates. Kevin 403-797-6336

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.

Travel

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Puerto Vallarta Condos for Rent 2 x 2 Bdrm for Rent. Ocean views. daily maid service included. Wi-fi , high speed internet.

Secure Quiet 9 suite building. 1/2 block to Blue Chairs Beach. On site English speaking Manager. Contact Rob - rburla21@gmail.com

Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 56

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

www.gaycalgary.com

www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #143, October 2015

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