GayCalgary Magazine - August 2016 by GayCalgary Magazine

AUGUST 2016

® ISSUE 152 • FREE The Voice of Alberta’s LGBTQ Community

Interview with

CYNDI LAUPER

Bob the Drag Queen

A Queen for the People

Simone Denny

Performing at Pure Pride Calgary

PLUS:

Calgary Pride 2016 Rae Spoon • Michael Lannan Scotty Rage • Charlie Harding ...and more!

Business Directory

Ladyhawke

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

on coming out

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 59

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Table of Contents

Photography Videography

Steve Polyak, Diaz-Marino, SteveRob Polyak B&J

Sales Videography Steve Polyak

Stevesales@gaycalgary.com Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino

Legal Council Printers

Courtney Aarbo, Barristers andWeb Solicitors North Hill News/Central

General Inquiries Distribution

® GayCalgary Calgary: GallantMagazine Distribution 2136 17th Avenue GayCalgary StaffSW Calgary, AB,Clark’s CanadaDistribution T2T 0G3 Edmonton: magazine@gaycalgary.com Other: Canada Post

Office Hours: By Council appointment ONLY Legal Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors Phone: 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 SalesFax: & General Inquiries 403-703-0685 GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com

2136 17th Avenue SW This Month's Cover Calgary, AB, Canada Main: Cyndi Lauper,T2T photo 0G3by Chapman Baehler. Top Right: Bob the Drag Queen, photo by Mathu Andersen. Mid Right: Denny. Bottom Office Hours: By Simone appointment ONLY Right: Ladyhawke, photo by Cybele Malinowski Phone: 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com

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

Proud Members of:

Privilege and Pride

VOICES: The Coalition of Calgary’s POC Demand Equality

11 Central Alberta Pride Recap A celebration of firsts

PAGE 18

Writers and Contributors

Chris Mercedes Azzopardi, Allen, Chris DallasAzzopardi, Barnes, Jeff Dallas Berry, Barnes, Dave Brousseau, Dave Brousseau, Constable SamAndy Casselman, Buck, Keith JasonJohnson, Clevett, Andrew Lisa Lunney, Collins, Steve Emily Polyak, Collins, Jessica Rob Diaz-Marino, Robb, Mikey Janine Rox, Eva Krista Trotta, Sylvester, Jack Fertig, Mars Tonic, Glen Romeo Hanson,San Joan Vicente, Hilty, Evan Loft Kayne, 112 staff, Stephen and theLock, LGBT Neil Community McMullen,of Allan Neuwirth, Calgary, Steve Edmonton, Polyak, andCarey Alberta. Rutherford, Romeo San Vicente, Ed Sikov, Nick Vivian and the GLBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and Photography Alberta. Steve Polyak, Jeff & Brian

14 Calgary’s Dyke and Trans March Building a united community one step at a time

17 Morley Hosts First Pride Celebrations Weekend sees first event of its kind

18 Rae Spoon Does What Rae Spoon Wants

(But not always writing stories, since that requires discipline and stuff)

20 Edmonton Make Some Waves

Festival City hosts this year’s International Gay and Lesbian’s Aquatic Championship

23 Discussing Community Safety EuroPride 2016, Upcoming Calgary Pride

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24 Bob the Drag Queen A Queen for the People

a g a

25 Positive Thoughts Changes

27 Girls on Deck See Your True Colors Be a part of the movement

28 Deep Inside Hollywood

‘The Trans List,’ Steve Buscemi, ‘Vita & Virginia,’ Kristen Stewart

PAGE 30

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

AUGUST 2016

PAGE 13 PAGE 24

30 Pure Pride Brings Pure Love to Calgary

Love Inc. Alumni Simone Denny Highlights the Official Pure Pride Kick-Off Party

31 East Village Pride

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

PAGE 32

Signature events at summer’s end

32 Calgary Pride Let there be rainbows!

Continued on Next Page  www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

34 Summer Style Sheet

Shorts, Shades & Sunny Swag

PAGE 37

37 Through the Looking Glass

For creator Michael Lannan and the groundbreaking series’ cast, is this really just the beginning?

Indie-pop star Ladyhawke on coming out, her song with a former Scissor Sister and her constant sexual confusion

PAGE 41

Cyndi Lauper on fame, going country and her dream to be in ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ with Madonna

49 In Video

Charlie Harding & Scotty Rage Interview

PAGE 45

Queer Eye A Couple of Guys News Releases Directory and Events Classified Ads

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PAGE 49

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

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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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Editorial

Privilege and Pride

VOICES: The Coalition of Calgary’s POC Demand Equality By Dallas Barnes Imagine, if you will: you, as person from the LBGTQ community seeking a safe space from the day-to-day life of homophobic slurs as you walk down Stephen Avenue, or the constant pain of listening to your parents telling you that you probably shouldn’t bring your partner to Christmas dinner because it will make people feel uncomfortable. Perhaps that safe space, and feeling of family and community, is needed because your family has written you off as an abomination to the sanctity of morality, or perhaps you just need somewhere to call home because you have no place to sleep. Imagine that safe space only happens once a year, along 9th Avenue, culminating at Shaw Millennium Park, in what is more commonly known as Calgary Pride. So, there you are: your safe space, your reason for being. You have put on your rainbow knee-high socks, sprayed yourself with the glitter that never comes off, grabbed your lawn chair, and made your way down to the best seat on the parade route. The anticipation brews; you can hear the screaming, the cheering. These are your people, this is where you belong, regardless of the fact that you may not see yourself amongst the whitewash of faces proudly waving their Winners’ rainbow flags, you know that this is where you should be – this is your rightful place. The music is getting louder, and your heart beats faster. You see that one officer in the corner who keeps staring at you, but you ignore it. After all, you get stared at all of the time; you’re used to it. This is my space, I belong here, you keep telling yourself. You can see the Calgary Pride banner approaching, as the cheers of the thousands around you get louder. You feel so proud, comfortable, brave, and happy – and then you see the police cruiser. You flash back to that time last year when you were stopped at the C-train station. You were just standing there, waiting for the train. As I write this dramatization I am strained. This is not my experience. This is me, a cis-white queer girl, trying to put into words the stories I have heard from a portion of our community that is hurting. You see, this is a piece that is perhaps my most important. I have been asked by VOICES: The Coalition of Calgary’s POC to present their ‘voices’ in their own words – not mine. The above story is simply that: a story. It is not accurate, it is not an actual experience. I say this because I need to make this clear to my fellow white folks – we don’t know ANYTHING when it comes to discrimination based on the colour of our skin. We have most likely received discrimination based on our sexuality, of course. This is not the issue here. We are talking about the discrimination based on the colour of ones skin within the community we label the all-encompassing LGBTQQIP2SAA. The following is taken from the VOICES: The Coalition of Calgary’s POC Facebook Page, while all bracketed quotes are made by the writer in an attempt at further clarification.

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Written here are the “Voices” of the individuals who attended the 2nd Open Forum last Wednesday, the 27th. Individuals who identify, to name a few, as Indigenous Canadians, Filipino-Canadian, Afro-Americans, AfroCaribbean, Africans, Mexicans, Chinese-Canadians, 2nd generation Canadian immigrants. Besides the participation of the police in the parade, we talked about the other realities that are parts of our lives: missing aboriginal women, domestic violence, systemic racism, modern slavery and police/authoritative harassments. This is NOT an official statement by group. This is every person in the circle who wanted to share voice to change something that is still present... we are still talking about it, right? This is being vulnerable to the whole of Calgary and the world, because we believe that our voices matter as well in our community. If you identify as one of us, please add your voice to this thread. 1: Elected Diversity Board Grassroots engagement Strengthen the board Accountability to the community first 2: No police gear present (in the Pride Parade)

Continued on Next Page 

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

 From Previous Page Being inclusive to our needs Funding for Khalil’s QPOC group and supporters 3: No more fear from police Attend as people not police officers/civilians (at the Pride events) 4: Reporting goes to the diversity advisory board (of complaints against the CPS) 5: Connect with POC in the community - strengthening the community 6: No uniform, no weapons - come as the ally we need you to be (at the Pride events) 7: More media and advertising about the lived experiences of POC’s 8: Better reporting of police maltreatment/abuse 9: Visible and open diversity board More media coverage 10: Aboriginal interaction training (for the CPS) 11: #BLM support 12: Anti-police brutality 13: Safer spaces for POCs 14: A better reporting system for bad police – reporting police to the police as it seems does not bring the change needed 15: Reporting system 16: Voluntary withdrawal of the Calgary Police from Pride Be the ally that we need them to be Stay on the sidelines of Pride Parade 17: We want the (real) reason why they (CPS and other uniformed personnel) want to participate in Pride 18: APOLOGY To the community for the bathhouse raids in Calgary 19: Acknowledge and seek out Two-Spirit community 20: Educate youth about the history of pride 21: Two-Spirited training and engagement 22: We want to know if CPS’s loyalty is to the people of Calgary or to their disgraced co-officer 23: Exposure process for them in the communities (example: role-playing training for all officers) 24: Education is free and promoted Allies training and supporting 25: Pride to acknowledge Treaty before they hold events (Treaty Land Entitlement) 26: Addressing City Peace Officers 27: For CPS to be the ally we want them to be (no uniform, no tanks, no vans; to be on the sideline of the parade) and that they ask their fellow uniformed personnel to follow suit (RCMP, peace officers, Corrections, etc.) 28: POC queer float funding from Pride Calgary 29: QPOC member on Pride Board 30: Public Mandate and reporting made public along with meeting Minutes of the Elected Board of advisors (Elected Diversity Board for the CPS) 31: Hiring of one officer for each community of the next 50 officers That office should be someone who is also a member of that community they represent, ie. – if it’s the Diversity Board representing the Mexican community, then the diversity officer should be from that country as well. 32: Mandate of engagement 33: Diversity hiring police policy An extensive list – yes. Attainable – absolutely. Reasonable – 100 per cent.

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Online Last Month Creep of the Week Donald Trump

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Creep of the Week James Dobson

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Deep Inside Hollywood

Laura Linney, Wanda Sykes, Jim Parsons, ‘Broadway: The Next Generation’

Laura Linney and Armistead Maupin pitching brand new Tales of The City Laura Linney is committed to playing Mary Ann Singleton. When other ongoing film/TV series might recast... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5210

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The Outfield

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Conventional wisdom says that the locker room is the last closet. The sports world is seen as unwelcoming, anti-gay, left behind in a pathetic time warp while the rest of America... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5218

EXTRA! EXTRA! – Disney’s Newsies is worth striking out for

Of all of the Disney movies to be turned into a stage production, Newsies is an interesting choice. The 1992 film wasn’t exactly a hit though it has built a cult following, and... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5191

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Creep of the Week Raul Labrador

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6 Tricks to Throwing the Gayest Pool Party Ever Let’s get soakin’ wet!

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Peter Gabriel and Sting Make Magic

Rock Paper Scissors Tour a Legendary Concert

The concept of a co-headlining concert – in which two major artists tour together – is not a new one. Typically, the shows feature two separate, full length sets by the headliners.... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5212

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The musical revue style is something that Stage West has absolutely mastered. Often a highlight of the season are there themed shows (this Christmas season will feature a movie... http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5220

the CPS and the entire Calgary Pride board. These forums have been made possible by the fine folks at Calgary’s Dyke and Trans March. This is a first step in a long process of a meaningful dialogue, says coalition organizers. The goal is not to exclude anyone in a position of power; the goal is to work with them to strengthen the human rights movement. A member of the coalition put it best, perhaps, when simply stating why the culmination of factors has put this dialogue at the forefront this year. “Calgary Pride reminds me of the Kiwi bird. What was once a Tyrannosaurus Rex is now a common bird.” Research suggests that the Tyrannosaurus Rex has never really gone away, but evolved into a bird – a Kiwi bird. Equipped with the same bone structure and DNA, the Kiwi can be found everywhere in New Zealand. The only difference really is its size and conviction. It has acclimatized to its surroundings, and has become the norm. It does not assert itself the way it used to because it thinks it doesn’t have to. It survives by shear complacency. Calgary Pride and, I dare say, many Prides and many of us in the community are just like the Kiwi bird. We were such a force – remember Stonewall in 1969? In fact many of our rights were fought by folks of colour, particularly trans women of colour like Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P. Johnson. We spread our wings and fought for our equality. We were the T-Rex. But now what are we? What is the mainstream Pride movement? Perhaps we have decided that we do not need to fight anymore, and instead settle ourselves into mainstream culture, allowing banks to present our parades, and letting the city decide what our day is supposed to look like; what we are allowed and not allowed to do. The problem with allowing this Kiwi-like syndrome to carry us forward is that we are leaving out those that are still not included. We are letting down the most important part of our community – those that do not have the same rights as us. Say all you want about equality laws and perceived ‘Canadian equity’, but we all know – deep down – that this is all a farce. People of colour are not equal and, fellow white people, we are the oppressors. You may not be blatantly stating ‘I am better than you’, but you are living in privilege. I can’t begin to count how many say I do see it, but I don’t know what to do. Well, now is your chance. Be the T-Rex our community needs. Support the Calgary People of Colour Gay-Straight Alliance Coalition.

Now that the coalition has come up with this list, they are meeting with organizations in the community to discuss the task at hand. On August 10th, there was a forum for queer and straight people of colour, with the co-chair of the LGBTQ2S Diversity Committee of the CPS, Lyn Langille. On August 17th the coalition will be meeting with members of

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Event

 From Central Alberta Pride 2015, photo by GayCalgary

Central Alberta Pride Recap A celebration of firsts

By Lisa Lunney “The 2016 celebration of Pride in Central Alberta was a first for many things,” shares director, Joel Graham. The Central Alberta Pride Society was gifted their first two sets of Rainbow Crosswalks from the City of Red Deer but, much to the community’s dismay, the crosswalks were vandalized with skid marks within hours of being unveiled to the public. This unfortunate event didn’t set too much of a damper on events though: as always, the community rises; finds the positives; and embraces the good. This year’s events marked many firsts: the first time Mayor Tara Veer had been able to make it to Proclamation; the first time a drag queen has burst out of the doors singing; and our provincial dignitaries surprised us by leading Red Deer’s first ever Pride Parade. There is an abundance of things to be thankful for, and gifts to bask in—these events are just naming a few. The Central Alberta Pride Society hosted 13 events over eight days as a part of Central Alberta Pride Week 2016. Many events were family friendly and welcomed all ages to join. The week started out with a Fruit Float down the Red Deer River on Saturday August 13th. “Sunday was celebrated with a worship service at Gatez United Church by Rev. Jeff Rock, followed by a free barbecue in Red Deer’s City Hall Park as a part of our family friendly Mayoral Proclamation, which included balloon animals, face painting and a bouncy castle.” Monday’s festivities were partnered with Fairy Tales to present Red Deer Fairy Tales Queer Film Duo. The films In The Turn and Beyond Gay were both presented. Tuesday, the Revera Rainbow Tea was celebrated, and the drag queen world was introduced to the senior population of Central Alberta with two shows. Wednesday offered a hilarious adult comedy night, and Thursday featured “The Dirrty Show!”, local talent back from their Fringe tour. The community also celebrated with their full families and participated in some RAINBOWling. Friday, pridegoers went to “Get White Trashed”, Live Improv by Bullskit, at the Scott Block Theatre. www.gaycalgary.com

Saturday saw the penultimate event: drag queens invaded the Red Deer Legion! Sunday closed the week with a worship service at St. Andrews United Church in Lacombe. It was a year to be remembered; new friendships were created and old bonds sparked back to life. As a friendly reminder, just because summer pride festivities are over, don’t let that end your year of celebrating just yet! On September 24th, from 3pm to 9:20pm, Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions will take its last run of the Steam Engine for the season, and it will be one to remember. The Rainbow Express departs from Settler, and passengers will get to enjoy live entertainment with cash bar while en route to the historical town of Big Valley. As dusk sets on the rails, a spectacular fireworks show will be displayed on both sides of the train (transportation to and from Settler not provided). Tickets are $100 per person, and can be purchased up until September 1st. Book yours by calling 587.877.5498.

The Rainbow Express Stettler – September 24th , 2016 http://www.centralalbertapride.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5221 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Event

 Calgary Dyke & Trans March 2015

Calgary’s Dyke and Trans March

Building a united community one step at a time By Krista Sylvester It started as the Dyke March just six years ago and has transformed into something even bigger. By uniting members of the Trans community, when representation was lacking, the march has evolved. Trans is an umbrella term used to describe all of the unique identities within the gender identity spectrum. They include, but are not limited to, transgender, transsexual, genderqueer, genderfluid, non-binary, genderless, agender, non-gendered, third gender, two-spirit, bigender, trans men, and trans women. Calgary’s Dyke and Trans March (CDTM) is a social demonstration with the mission to empower both the lesbian and transgender community by building a more united community, according to event marketing and communications coordinator Gio Dolcecore. “Our March remains grassroots, reflecting only the faces of our community to discourage common discourses such as stereotypes, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia,” Dolcecore says. “We have incorporated more community engagement than in any other year, including collaborating with numerous agencies in the city offering services to the large queer community.” The Dyke March began six years ago as a standalone and merged into the Dyke and Trans march two years ago, at the request of the trans community. “Since then, our mission has been to educate on the difference between gender identity and sexual orientation. We have incorporated more community engagement than in any other year, including collaborating with numerous agencies in the city offering services to the large queer community.” We sat down with Dolcecore to talk about the upcoming event, trans rights and more. This is what Dolcecore had to say. GayCalgary: I know many say we have come a long way when it comes to acceptance, but obviously we still have a long way to go. How has this group been accepted by the community? Are there still local challenges? GD: We collaborate well with multiple queer agencies and groups with mutual advocacy goals. There are many more changes in our 14

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

city that are necessary: popular topics currently include inclusive washrooms and more safe spaces for people with various abilities to access. Our biggest mission this year was to create safe space for queer people of colour to discuss concerns and empower a new group for Calgary. CDTM’s advocacy mission remains to educate on how subtle forms of discrimination still exist and continue to segregate specific groups of people. Lastly, we always advocate for people of various abilities to have safe access to queer spaces. GC: In your opinion, what is it like to be trans in the community, and why are these types of events so important? GD: Transgender has many definitions, but CDTM continues to advocate for less binary control over gender expression. All people should freely enjoy the fluidity of femininity and masculinity, yet it seems living as a transgender person can become a battle of picking one or another. There is pressure to “pass” as man or woman, which truly causes greater concerns for those trying to find their authentic selves. GC: Trans rights have been in the spotlight now more than ever; what is your take on what’s happening all over North America when it comes to gender neutral issues, such as inclusive gender washrooms for example? GD: We continue to advocate for better healthcare access and greater healthcare options, so that those who need and choose transitional options have the opportunity to do so. North America is one of the world’s leaders for transgender rights but, on a more micro level, we need to facilitate greater changes in our city to make life for transgender people easier. These include making washrooms accessible and allocating options of forms to include gender-neutral choices. GC: Is there anything you want to add? GD: The event is growing each and every year and that’s because our community building is empowering more and more individuals. Our fundraiser event is on August 26th at Backwards Night Club at 7pm and we are hosting a Dirty Bingo event.

Calgary’s Dyke and Trans March https://www.facebook.com/yycdyke/ March - Saturday, Sept 3rd, 2016 Staging at 2pm, with March at 3pm and walk to Rouleauville Square http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5223 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Event

Morley Hosts First Pride Celebrations Weekend sees first event of its kind By Lisa Lunney This summer marks the first Morley Pride celebration on the Stoney Nakoda Nation, held at the Stoney Nakoda Resort & Casino, located on the corner of the TransCanada Highway and Highway #40. CoCoordinator of Morley Pride Cleavon Abraham couldn’t be more elated for the event to kick off. “This event is the first of its kind on my reservation – I do believe it is one of the first in the Province of Alberta – and I, for one, am very excited to help put this event together,” he proudly shares., Both Abraham and co-coordinator Carla Pauls have been working tirelessly on the reserve, bringing together afterschool activities for children, yoga lessons for parents, the Cadets and countless other activities for the community to enjoy. “When [Pauls] approached me about having our own drag show out here I was a little hesitant, because I was unsure how our community would react. She wanted to include the Two-Spirit community with the extra activities, or potentially create one big event for us, and she thought of me. She has been to the Banff Pride shows, plus the one show in Canmore, and she was impressed with my stage presence and wanted to work with me. After I thought about it and talked to my family, I contacted her and said, Ok, lets do this and the rest is history. Once we mentioned we are doing this event with members of

the community, they were impressed and congratulated me and Carla for making this bold step.” Morley Pride has come to life with the help the many sponsors who have come on board to help financially and with promoting the event through respective channels. Sponsors include: The Nakoda Elder’s Wisdom Society, The Municipal District of Big Horn, Banff Pride, Magical Music Entertainment & DJ’s, GayCalgary & Edmonton Magazine, Calgary Pride, and Pure Pride. Doors opened at 8pm with Elder, Tina Fox, doing an opening prayer, followed by leaders and community members sharing opening remarks. “After the remarks are finished, we [had] a live band as our opening act, and their name is Girls Got Rhythm Band,” Abraham says. The organizers intended to showcase local native dances for guests who travelled in from Calgary, Canmore, Banff, Edmonton and area. The Morley Pride Drag Show commenced at 9pm with Two-Spirit Facebook sensation Dane Cunningham as host. Cunningham he is also a comedian, and performed skits throughout the night. The drag show was headlined by Morley’s very own drag superstar, Argintina Hailey-Dior; Calgary’s Club Diva, Visa De ‘Klein; Banff’s Queen of the Rocky Mountains, Miss Ellen Q; and The Pumas with special guest star, the multitalented diva, Nina Tron.

Morley Pride August 27th, 2016 http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5225 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Interview

 photo by Foxx Foto

Rae Spoon Does What Rae Spoon Wants (But not always writing stories, since that requires discipline and stuff) By Mars Tonic Despite countless musical releases, written work, and a lively touring schedule, not everyone knows who Calgary-born artist Rae Spoon is; even in Canada, where their fan base is arguably their biggest. But they like it that way. “I’m pretty happy with how things are,” they say. “I also really like having a lot of control over what’s happening in my career and I can control my own schedule. It’s also nice not being super famous actually. I think that would really suck.” Their status as an indie artist does mean, after all, that they can do whatever they want without having to adhere to a singular, marketable product. They started with country, and also pushed very firmly into folk. “I think folk is evolving all the time now – since I started doing it. It’s a pretty interesting genre. I think country music is based in songwriting, but folk music is based even more into it.” With a musical style that’s constantly evolving, it’s not surprise that Rae is often found teaming up and collaborating with other artists. It seems that if there’s a chance to make music and to do something new, Rae jumps for it – and the musical landscape is all the happier. “I have a friend from Germany that I do a lot of computer music with; he came on tour with me for two weeks. Then we did a collaboration with Carole Pope, and Carole brought a guitar player in from L.A. I like to do different stuff; I think it’s more engaging. “I think most artists – if you’re on a label – you’re not allowed to go from being a country singer to playing indie rock. It doesn’t make sense business-wise, for building a career, to change genres every three years. It’s not a good idea. But for me it’s fun though,” Rae laughs. “I have a label too. For artists on my label I’m just like yeah, that’s totally fine.” A couple of years ago we reviewed Rae’s autobiographical musical-documentary, My Prairie Home. Directed by Chelsea 18

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

McMullen, the film is a surreal reflection of Rae’s childhood, especially their struggle with sexuality and gender identity in a religious household. Unintentionally, though, there is a universality to it – at least when it comes to anyone else who has grown up in the prairies and felt like an outsider. It is strange how a shared landscape can affect who we are. “It was really interesting to me that it ended up that way: a kind of shared history,” Rae says. “I definitely have a lot of people telling me they are also from the prairies, and they saw it and it made them homesick. It resonated with them. [McMullen’s] capturing of the landscape was really cool, and the history of it is so interesting.” The team-up occurred when McMullen had an idea for a documentary, but the two had met before then. “She found me for one of her films before: she was looking for a subversive country artist, and I was doing country music at the time,” Rae laughs. “She was kind of looking for country music that wasn’t too precious about traditional country music values. That’s how we met, and kind of got to know each other through that. She asked me if I wanted to make a documentary musical, and I was living in Montreal at the time, and I didn’t know she wanted to go to the prairies. I was like, Sure! Where are we gonna film in Montreal? Well, we’re going to Alberta. Oh.” “It was this very surprising – well, it took us five or six years to finish the project.” And the effort shows. The project helped to set off some other creative outlets for Rae, like those culminating in published work. Since Rae was a little shy on camera, they ended up writing a collection of stories for McMullen to work with in preparation for My Prairie Home; the result was the book First Grass Spring Fire. Gender Failure, the second book, is an offshoot of a live touring show they did in collaboration with Ivan Coyote. “Ivan and I wrote personal life stories about how we feel like we had been treated like we failed at the gender binary, but maybe there’s some sort of inherent failure in the binary itself. Both of those [books] were really fun to write and totally unexpected too.” While interested in writing more, and perhaps branching into fiction, Rae had a good laugh at themselves at their ability – or lack of – to pay attention. “I am really interested in that… writing requires such discipline. Music doesn’t require a lot of discipline for me. “Sitting at a computer and writing is a lot harder for me than playing guitar. I’m just like Ooh, guitar is fun!” How long does it take them to do a song? “Not long actually; I have been doing it for so long. Writing a song can take 20 minutes. It’s, uh, more conducive to my attention span.” While with no Edmonton tour dates booked just yet, you can expect a visit to Calgary on September 2nd. Rae confirmed that in October they would be venturing further north to Camrose, so they might hit up Edmonton while they’re in the area. “I have a lot of support from Canada and the indie scene. It’s kinda cool; I feel like I could sustain this forever. I decided awhile ago that if you know, I’m playing [for] 200 to 100 people in a town for the rest of my life, that’s totally fine with me. I don’t know if that sounds unambitious, but I think that’s actually pretty nice.”

Rae Spoon Presented by Calgary Pride Calgary – September 2nd http://www.gaycalgary.com/u709 http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5237 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Event

Edmonton Make Some Waves

Festival City hosts this year’s International Gay and Lesbian’s Aquatic Championship By Lisa Lunney This August, Edmonton will be home to the 2016 International Gay and Lesbians Aquatics Championship (IGLA), running from August 8th to 14th. GayCalgary was lucky enough to chat with both co-chair Mike Stansberry, and Making Waves Co-President Craig Volkerink, about the exciting games. GC: The event is almost here! What thoughts are going through your mind? MS: It sure is coming up fast! There is still a lot to do, but everything is coming together nicely. I’m sure it will go by just as fast. CV: Planning for IGLA has been two years in the making; I cannot wait for the event to get underway. GC: What new changes can attendees expect to see this year? MS: Expect Edmonton to host a world-class international event with amazing hospitality, amazing social events and an amazing experience. CV: … A world-class facility in a destination many would not normally have travelled to. As Edmontonians know how fantastic our city can be, we are excited to share it with the world. GC: What changes have been instilled since the last event? CV: Last year’s event in Stockholm ran into a number of challenges. The number of attendees was greatly underestimated and, because of this, some swim events ran two people per lane. For the water polo tournament, games were shortened and registration was cut off early, as there were too many teams. This made for some very long days at the pool, starting at 8am and running until 10 in the evening. For our event, we booked the entire aquatics facility for the week – even in advance of Stockholm. We have now planned in advance for events to be spread over the week and accommodating the number of athletes in attendance. GC: What do you hope the community receives from organizing this event and hosting in a safe environment? MS: We hope that the community is proud that we are hosting an LGBT sporting event that highlights our spirit. We helped to put Edmonton on the map as an international LGBT sports tourism destination. We still have a lot of work to do, but this was a giant leap forward. CV: I have received a lot of flack recently both from the gay and ‘non-gay’ world. They ask me, “Why does it have to be gay?” I think that for [a] community traditionally marginalized from

sports events like this, [the event will] encourage and foster participation. The skills and confidence you build from an event like IGLA are carried forward to other events around the world. Our Making Waves members compete in many other events across Alberta – not just LGBT ones. There is an interesting phenomena, of sorts, called a ‘minority threat syndrome’: when you’re aware you are a minority in a sporting event, it has been shown you do not perform as well as you would when competing amongst your peers. IGLA removes this obstacle, and who knows, [it] might even result in a world record! GC: What are some of your favourite memories from previous years? MS: Where to begin! My first championship was in Toronto, in 2001 (the last time these championships were held in Canada). It was also the first time that Making Waves/Edmonton sent swimmers to the event. We were small, but mighty back then! My second championships were held as part of the Gay Games in Sydney in 2002 (IGLA championships are hosted in the off Gay Games years). CV: My favourite memories from years previous happened beyond the pool. Aside from competing, there is a huge social component to the event. We have all made friends with fellow gay competitors around the world, and I’m excited to see some of them on my home turf. For IGLA this year, we have 15 social events that include happy hours, hosted dinners, a wine tasting, and two epic dance parties: Heaven and Hell, and Pure Pride: Aqua. GC: What is it about IGLA that stands apart from the crowd and makes this such a diverse, must be there event? MS: This is a great event for spectators, because it highlights four different aquatic sports at the same time (diving, water polo, synchronized swimming, and open water swimming). The open water event also stands apart because Alberta rarely hosts open water competitions. The 4K and 1K Open Water event is open to the public and registration closes on August 7th, 2016. We have a lot of triathlons, but few sanctioned open water swim events. On Saturday, August 13th we bring it all together! The swimming competition concludes: we have the semi-final and final Water Polo matches, a dive and synchro exhibition, and the Pink Flamingo performance! Everyone is invited! Come out! It’s a great way to meet new people, have a lot of fun, and consider swimming or joining the Making Waves polo team in the fall. IGLA has everything! Happy hours, parties, guest stars and an opening reception at the gorgeous City Hall building for participants and volunteers. Registration is open until August 7th for the 1k and 4k Open Water swim held Sunday morning, August 14th at Lake Summerside. Prepare for some summer fun Edmonton.

The 2016 International Gay and Lesbian’s Aquatic Championship Edmonton – August 8th – 14th http://www.igla.org/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5219 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments 20

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Community

Discussing Community Safety EuroPride 2016, Upcoming Calgary Pride By Constable Andy Buck Hello again everyone, I hope your summer is going well. I am very excited to soon be leaving for a conference for LGBTQ* Criminal Justice professionals in Amsterdam, which coincides with an opportunity to take part in EuroPride 2016. I see this as a tremendous opportunity to represent the Calgary Police Service on a world stage, and get the chance to learn some new skills that will make me more effective with the community here in Calgary, as well as with CPS’ own LGBTQ* staff. That takes me nicely to the delicate subject that is Pride Parade here in September. Please note that I am reluctant to go into too much detail in print, because it is easy for things to be taken out of context or to be misinterpreted. I will reiterate that I am completely transparent and available to chat with or meet anyone who wishes to do so, in order to fully explain the position from our side of the fence. Obviously I am aware of the discussions that are taking place with some community members that are opposed to CPS participation in the parade. It may surprise some of you to know that I welcome that discussion. As hard as I have been working over the past 4 plus years, as much as the service is supporting me, and despite the relative good relationship between CPS and the community in general, I acknowledge that there may be issues for some members of the community. We are doing a lot of things well, but maybe there are things that we could do differently that would make our relationship with the community better. The only way that we can be part of the solution is if we are invited to take part in communication surrounding the problems, and I am hopeful that this may occur in the near future. Communication is a two-way street, and we are only ever as good as the information that we get given. My community advisory board and I have always worked to develop a positive relationship with you all in the hope that trust may be created should you ever find yourselves in a position of crisis and you needed police help. It would be easy for me to say there are few indications of problems and to point to the fact that there are few complaints, either directly or indirectly to me, but I am not that naïve. I

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know that there are issues that concern you regarding safety and the police. What we all need to do is work harder to change the fear that some of you have in terms of coming forward and telling us about what is happening. It seems like a vicious circle, but unless we know where the problems lie then it is difficult to affect the changes. It is important for you to know that I am completely sympathetic to your concerns and want to try and help, I just need to be given that chance. I remain convinced that the relationship between the community and the police here in Calgary is uniquely strong, and really do believe that together we can be leaders in all of this. I want to see a situation where we can stand together and acknowledge our differences, but still show the rest of the world that we can walk together for the greater good of the community. As always, please stay safe and look out for each other. Feel free to connect with me if you have any questions, comments or concerns, and I assure you of my best attention at all times.

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Bob the Drag Queen A Queen for the People

By Keith Johnson The final decision is hers and hers alone, as we have all learned throughout the entertaining eight Seasons of Rupaul’s Drag Race. Rupaul Charles, the matriarch of Queens, reserves all the glory for crowning the winners in her very capable hands. This Season Rupaul took responsibility for selecting Bob The Drag Queen to reign supreme over her bevy of beauties, all hand-selected by Rupaul herself, and all destined to contribute to the now, often phrased, drag herstory. Bringing her own brand of charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent, Bob (Christopher Caldwell) hails from New York City and, at the age of 30, has been tossed into the whirlwind of performing dates, interviews and press junkets that has become customary for all Drag Race winners. With the ever-apparent noise of an airport holding area, Bob took some time to speak with me as he waited for his flight home from San Jose to New York City. “I have never had to schedule phone calls before,” he giggles as I ask how his life has changed since his win. “My life is more organized,” he says. “There is more structure and a strict schedule, and I enjoy that”. Bob’s purse first schtick has led him to conquer the talents of Kim Chi (San-Young Shin from Chicago) and Naomi Smalls (Davis Heppenstall from Redlands, California). Bob’s original drag name was so often forgotten he thought he would simplify it and, at the same time, be original. “I am genuinely warm and kind,” he reminds me. His victory, he believes, is grounded in these personality traits. “Winning 24

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Rupaul’s Drag Race is more than I had ever envisioned. I want to accomplish big things, and this win will certainly support that pursuit.” The 30-year-old drag performer has already illustrated he will do just that. In May of this year his new single “Purse First” debuted on YouTube. An homage to his catch phrase, coined during Season 8, the music video is representative of his personal style and his lifelong obsession. As a youth, Bob made purses and wallets out of newspaper and gave them to friends and family, but the Purse First mantra did not begin there. “It began entirely on the show because I had extra time after making my dress; I made the purse. And the rest is history. I liked the purse and carried it around everywhere. It then became this whole thing,” he laughs. “RuPaul has done more for the GLBT community than any other show in the history of television,” Bob says. “It has displayed Drag Queens as people, but not in a Maury Povich kind of way. Moms are bringing their children to tapings of the show,” he laughs. Times are changing indeed. As a college drop out in Theatre Education, Bob is proof that a little hard work and determination can lead to success. When asked about the stereotype that all gay men are cross dressers or drag queens he retorts, “There is nothing wrong with the stereotype: feminity is a powerful force and yet femininity is not powerful in a man.” He appears confused by the contradiction and, from his tone, expects that his point has been made. Bob is motivated by the crazy he finds in the profession. “Grow always, grow all ways,” he says. “I have learned a great deal www.gaycalgary.com

Lifestyle

Positive Thoughts Changes

By Jeff Berry This past January I awoke to the news that David Bowie had just died. My partner Stephen told me as I walked into the kitchen. I thought it had to be a mistake, some kind of horrible, twisted hoax. When you are 57 years old, as I am, 69 seems way too young to die.

 photo by Mathu Andersen

through drag, especially about people and the society we live in. The first time I got on a train in drag everyone stopped and stared and I had not a clue what to say. Drag draws attention to our cause, and can even have influence on political candidates,” he reminds. “It doesn’t take a great deal to help out someone or a particular cause. Sharing a story or anecdote on Facebook, or standing up for a colleague, is all that it takes to change the world slightly. Ten dollars can go a great deal further when used towards a cause rather than used by me.” Known for wit and colloquialisms, served up with a voice more matter-of-fact than Rupaul herself, he goes on to say, “Everything works out in the end, and if it’s not working out, then it’s not the end.” Bob’s appearances span the globe with club dates in early July that include Atlanta, Minneapolis and Buffalo, to monthend appearances taking him to Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester (and yes, those are UK extravaganzas). A relative newbie to the drag scene, Bob touts only seven years under his belt. “I have learned a lot through drag,” he shares. “My first time on stage was a train wreck. When riding the subway in full drag, commuters pointed, stared and giggled. I loved drawing attention to myself.” It was the beginning of a career that found him competing in the Kentucky Derby of Drag competitions. “There is no one more at the top of her craft than Rupaul,” he says. “She looks far better than most supermodels.” Having been to Canada twice, he shares that he looks forward to his return to our fair land. The consummate businessman vows to turn around his college drop out reputation and take this scene by storm.

When I graduated from high school in 1976, my parents gave me an all-in-one stereo system that I would play my vinyl records on (it even had a built in 8-track player!). I would listen to Bowie’s album “Young Americans” over and over on the turntable, and was spellbound by Bowie – his music, lyrics, the androgynous look. Everything about him spoke to me, and as a slightly effeminate, young, gay man who was still in the process of coming out, he gave me confidence that everything was going to work out, and that I would eventually come into my own someday. He gave me, and others like me, hope, and made it cool to be different. After testing positive for HIV in 1989 at the age of 30, I wasn’t sure I would live to see 35, as there were still no effective treatments for HIV. When those treatments did finally arrive they were often difficult to take, and some had debilitating side effects. While recent treatment advances have made HIV therapy much simpler and safer, there can often be underlying issues such as mental health, substance abuse and financial instability that need to be addressed in order to be successful in treating HIV. Take it upon yourself to create your own plan and path to wellness. If you’re depressed or feel isolated, talk to someone at a support group or even an online community (there are many on Facebook such as the “International place for people with HIV/AIDS, and the people who love us” or “HIV Long Term Survivors”). If you are using, there are resources to help you get and stay sober (AA, NA or CMA) or at the very least play safely and sanely (such as tweaker.org). If you’re HIV-positive, seek out an HIV case manager at the nearest AIDS service organization in your area who can help you see if there are financial resources available to you to help ease some of the stresses of day-to-day living. Consult with a provider who is knowledgeable about HIV/ AIDS, and come prepared with a list of questions about potential side effects and drug interactions that you might be concerned about. If you want to simplify your treatment or help make it easier for you to take it every day as prescribed, see if there is something available that will work for you. If you are HIV-negative, PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is a daily pill you can take to prevent HIV. Truvada is currently the only approved medication for PrEP. While any doctor can prescribe PrEP, you can find a list of providers who are knowledgeable and familiar with PrEP at http://www.greaterthan.org/get-prep. If you are HIV-positive, and are on effective HIV treatment, your virus will be suppressed to a level so low (undetectable) that it is virtually impossible for you to transmit the virus to others. Much has changed in 20 years: the dawn of the internet, smart phones, social media, even treatment and prevention for HIV. But one constant remains. Treating and preventing HIV is as much an art as it is a science. Change is inevitable, but by embracing it we “turn and face the strange,” as Bowie said, and become the architect of our own future, and master of our destiny.

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Event

Girls on Deck See Your True Colors Be a part of the movement By Krista Sylvester In hopes of creating movement that extends past the dance floor, local DJ Mollyfi and her gang of talented peers are bringing another rad party night to this year’s Pride festival. The long running Girls on Decks collective is bringing True Colors: THE MOVEMENT to the dancefloors of The Nite Owl on Friday September 2nd, and if their past events are any indication, it’s going to be a blast. But more than just a fun party night, Mollyfi wants to create a movement not only in dance, but in the LGBTQ community and the culture with its ‘all-inclusive’ tag. “No, the drinks aren’t free; in this case ‘all-inclusive’ means it’s for everybody, as we are offering a safe space for anyone no matter how they identify. We don’t judge, we don’t stare, we don’t do anything but laugh, dance, love and make new friends,” Mollyfi explains. “Events like True Colors only work with the support of the community, so all I would say is, if you haven’t had a chance to come down to one of our shows, make it a priority and you will see what we’re talking about. We are only as good as the people attending our events, so come break down borders with us and be a part of THE MOVEMENT.” As a strong advocate for the LGBTQ community, Mollyfi felt compelled to put this party night together for the first time last year, as a way to make sure everyone has a fun and safe place to celebrate with their friends. It was such a hit that they are back at it again. “I strongly feel that it is our job to ensure there is a great lesbian event planned to show our love and support for Calgary Pride and the community. True Colors have been hosting queer monthly events for a few years now, and pride is the biggest show of the year, so we knew we had to take care of our people again and plan a kick-ass event.” In her words, let Mollyfi tell you what to look forward to this year.

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GayCalgary: Tell our readers a bit about your event this year. MF: We have two floors and a stacked night for our guests, with six DJs including Mollyfi, Blair Van Riesen, Applebaum, DJ Reece and two out of town headliners, which will blow your mind (more on them later). We are also featuring local queer hip hop group LYKAFOX; and burlesque by Daisy DeVille, drag kings, and some of the sexiest and androgynous gogo dancers Calgary has to offer. To top it all off, the night will be hosted by Gay Ally and Girls On Decks’ partner in crime Isis Graham. I am so unbelievably excited for our headliners. People always ask me if I could book anyone for one of our events, who would it be? Well, I’ll tell you, because this year I am throwing this pride party for myself. The one and only DJ ANNALYZ is an internationally known New York DJ, renowned for her scratching, and captivating the crowd with her high-energy sets. She comes with an impressive resume and holds residencies from New York to Shanghai. She is the reigning queen of hip hop, party rock and turntable trickery, and has been nominated for DJ TIMES “Americas Best DJ” competition. She has been an idol of mine for over 10 years, and I am losing my mind that I will be able to share the stage with her. If Annalyze isn’t enough to make you excited, I also booked Calgary Pride favourite Skylar Love (aka: Lisa Delux) and it wouldn’t be Pride without them tearing it up. Skylar is Vancouver’s top queer DJ and huge advocate for the community. She is such a pleasure to work with and listen to, and they have a style all of their own. Lastly – to round the night out, and my final in the list of favourites – local celebrity DJ Reece. We know her, we love her, and we couldn’t have this party without her. Reece has rocked the decks at every major nightclub in Calgary for the last 10 years, and we are honoured to have her be our ally for the night.

True Colors: THE MOVEMENT Presented by Girls on Decks Calgary – September 2nd https://www.facebook.com/Girls.On.Decks http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5226 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Gossip surviving Stonewall participants, community activists, and people like Amos Mac, publisher of Original Plumbing magazine. Fingers crossed that by the time it airs Ms. Jenner will be over her very public fixation on a certain reality show host-turnedPresidential candidate. And if not, well, we’re watching it anyway. Steve Buscemi will Lean On Pete Never forget, please, that back in the 1980s when non-gay actors were usually too afraid to play gay characters, Steve Buscemi launched his film career with a classic piece of Queer Cinema, Parting Glances. So it feels right and fitting that after a critically lauded stretch of acting work these past three decades, he’ll be joining forces with acclaimed gay filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years). The film is titled Lean On Pete, and instead of a boy and his dog tale, this one’s about a boy and his horse. Well, maybe not his horse, exactly. A personal project for Haigh, he’ll adapt Willy Vlautin’s novel about a 15-yearold boy looking for his long-lost aunt, his only companion a stolen racehorse named Lean On Pete. One of Buscemi’s former Boardwalk Empire co-stars, Charlie Plummer (Granite Flats), will play the boy, with Buscemi playing a character named “Del.” More casting news to follow, no doubt, but look for this one sometime in 2017. Vita & Virginia unites lovers Sackville-West & Woolf One of the 20th century’s most talked about literary love affairs was the one between Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West. Often ignored by scholars, who tended to focus their attention on the two writers’ heterosexual relationships, their story has been told a few times now in various media, reclaiming a vital piece of queer cultural history. A play by Dame Eileen Atkins is the basis for this new project, Vita & Virginia, which will be produced in England and directed by Chanya Button (Burn Burn Burn). More news to come on this one, obviously, since the leads have yet to be cast. But this is just the kind of British period drama we live for now that Downton Abbey is no more, and we were always notso-secretly hoping for a couple of well-spoken aristocratic women on that program to conduct a clandestine affair. We’ll finally get our wish with this one.  photo of Kristen Stewart, photo by KathClick

Deep Inside Hollywood ‘The Trans List,’ Steve Buscemi, ‘Vita & Virginia,’ Kristen Stewart By Romeo San Vicente HBO checks The Trans List Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, the director of The Out List and The Black List, has returned with his latest interview-based documentary, The Trans List, which focuses on the lives and stories of transgender people, some famous, some not. Produced for HBO (which will air it later this year), the film is currently making festival rounds, and returns to the format of the filmmaker’s earlier work: subjects looking directly into the lens and telling their stories without any intrusion from off-camera. It’s a simple, elegant way of making interviews happen, and one that the filmmaker has perfected over time. The community’s most well-known faces will make appearances – people like Laverne Cox, Janet Mock, Caitlyn Jenner and Buck Angel – but the film will also focus on everyday trans Iraq War veterans,

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Kristen Stewart is all about a female James Bond It’s funny how ideas take hold on the internet. Case in point: a female James Bond. Nobody from the world of James Bondbased decision-making is really talking about this. But Gillian Anderson did. So did Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke. So did Bollywood star Priyanka Chopra. They’d all like their shot at playing Bond, and who can blame them? And now it’s a thing. So when the subject came up at a recent press junket with Kristen Stewart, she didn’t exactly throw her hat in the ring of speculative consideration, but she did express enthusiasm for the subject, which is kind of the same thing. Calling the middleaged while male version of bond “stale” (and she’s right), she laid out her idea for how the next Bond film might introduce the change: a Bond Girl becomes a Bond girlfriend becomes Bond herself. It’s sort of perfect, really, and why didn’t we think of that? Now, Bond People, if Idris Elba is off the list (and we have no idea if he is or he isn’t, but let’s all pause for a moment to shed a couple of tears), then why not give one of these women the chance to prove her 007 chops? It’s certainly time. Romeo San Vicente just wants James Bond’s gadget-filled car.

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Pure Pride Brings Pure Love to Calgary

Love Inc. Alumni Simone Denny Highlights the Official Pure Pride Kick-Off Party By Dallas Barnes

Canadian superstar and Love Inc. member, Simone Denny, will be gracing the stage of Flames Central Saturday, September 3rd to kick off what is guaranteed to be a fantastic Calgary Pride weekend. GayCalgary had a chance to catch up with Denny and discuss life, legacy, philanthropy and her future.

GC: Simone, you have been on my playlist for years! What do you attribute to your longevity? SD: Honestly, I think enjoying what I do, and being open to the

adventure of music have been the key elements to my longevity. I love various styles music. I love to sing them, explore and push my boundaries as an artist. I get so much joy from doing music.

GC: I have read that you are a very proud Canadian, born and raised in Toronto. What about Canada makes it so great? SD: I am fiercely proud to be born and raised in such a beautiful and amazing country. Canadians are such worldly, diverse, cultured, open and proud, but yet humble and peaceful people. We are truly a mosaic. We are talented and dynamic! World class! No matter where I tour – worldwide – when people realize I’m Canadian, they react with such a big smile. It truly makes me proud that we are so respected and loved. We truly have something special here. GC: Have you ever been to Calgary or performed with Pure Pride? SD: I looove Calgary! Yes I have been many times back in my Love

Inc. touring days. I have been to the Calgary Stampede as well. I did Pure Pride in Edmonton, but this will be my first Pure Pride in Calgary! I’m really looking forward to it!

GC: Your philanthropic work is quite admirable: with your assistance with ACT, Doctors Without Borders, and Fashion Cares. Why do you think it is so important to give back? SD: It is always important to give back. That’s how I was raised. Both of my parents have been deeply involved in charity work their entire lives. We are all connected on this planet. In our towns and cities, in our neighbourhoods, we always need to do what we can to help someone

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

else; and the best response is when they pay it forward to someone else. Keep the good vibes and momentum going – I am always happy to lend my time, talent and image to charity.

GC: I wanted to ask you about the LGBTQA community and what it means to you. Performing at a Pride event can only be second to none in terms of audience participation and absolute adoration. What does it mean to you? SD: I love my LGBTQ fans... they give so much love at every show. I have been very lucky to have had the chance to sing anthems that truly move people; that uplift, to give them hope and strength. At times, it moves me to tears, to look out in the audience and hear my fans singing each word with eyes closed and hands in the air. We are in the moment together. That is what music is all about: connection! GC: What is on the radar – going forward – for Simone Denny? SD: Wow! I have so much on the go right now.... I’m headed to

Northern Ireland, on tour, doing some of my dance hits. And I’ll be performing a full soul music set at the Turf Roots Festival in Toronto, with my band the Stereo Dynamite All Stars, Sept 15th and16 th. Super excited to be part of it as James Bay, Barenaked Ladies, The Sheep Dogs and other amazing artists and bands will be there! I’ll also be performing for the Breast Cancer Pink Diamond Ball as well, and some modelling in between. Life is busy and I love it!

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Event

 Diane & Mike Photography

 Photo by Tet M Photography

East Village Pride

Signature events at summer’s end By Loft 112 staff Even if naughty puppeteer, Ronnie Burkett, won’t be appearing at Calgary Pride this year, he has inspired at least one Pride event. East Villagers Michael Wright and Steve Gin both remember being in the audience during the latest incarnation of Burkett’s Daisy Theatre, and roaring with laughter when one of the puppets joked about ‘all the East Village sweater fags in the audience’. It was an image neither could get out of their minds when they met for coffee a few weeks later – especially given they both arrived with sweaters slung over their shoulders. Conversation turned to the burgeoning queer population in East Village, and events that might be a draw for Pride 2016. Wright, the board chair for Fairy Tales Film Society, suggested a gay piano bar in the Simmons Building. “I laughed it off as a bit of a cliché at first,” remembers Gin. “But then things started mysteriously falling into place.” During another coffee date, Gin (the founder of Calgary’s first queer theatre company, Teatro Berdache) was introduced to the events manager of Charbar, who mentioned that they would be delighted to host a Pride event. The raison d’être for staging an event was still missing – that is, until Orlando, and the realization that a simple kiss could motivate unspeakable acts of violence. Shortly after, Gin found himself seated beside a board member for Calgary Pride at the opening of the Nickel Gallery’s Trans Trans exhibition. The two exchanged ideas on an evening celebrating the queer kiss through theatre and song. An introduction to the coordinator for the Coming Out Monologues YYC cemented the concept, with The Fairy Tales Film Festival and East Village’s Loft 112 coming on board shortly after. The result? Passionate Kisses: An Evening of Story and Song, running 8 to 10:30 pm on Wednesday August 31st, on the second floor of Charbar in East Village’s historic Simmons Building. Central to the evening will be newlycommissioned performances from Calgary’s Coming Out Monologues YYC, celebrating “My First Queer Kiss”. Joining www.gaycalgary.com

 Edie Sedgwick & Andy Warhol, Photo by Factory 112

the storytellers will be Calgary’s acclaimed Allison Lynch Trio, performing a set of jazzy, romantic, kiss-inspired ballads. Tickets will be available online through Brown Paper Tickets ($25 plus service fee, or $35 at the door with limited availability) with snacks included in admission, and a cash bar. Down the street on Friday September 2nd, Factory 112: Snap! comes to Loft 112 at #112, 535-8th Avenue SE. From 7 to 10 pm, the team of Loft 112, Fairy Tales Film Festival and Teatro Berdache join forces to meld queer art, film and performance with a night of Warhol-inspired debauchery. Featured painter Lisa Heinricks will be unveiling the latest installation of her Awesome People series at the Loft throughout Pride Week, while Fairy Tales will be curating an intimate showing of video shorts and web series throughout the night. DJ Scootz will be on hand to spin tunes, and an interactive photo booth is in the works, courtesy of the Miscellaneous Youth Network. Last year’s Factory 112 was branded as “the Pride event you shouldn’t miss” by Swerve magazine, and they expect the same for 2016. Tickets for Factory 112 will be available at the door for $10 each; cash only with no minors admitted. For more information on Passionate Kisses: An Evening of Story and Song & Factory 112: Snap! check the Pride Guide at http://www.calgarypride.ca and http://www.loft112.org, or write to info@loftonetwelve.org

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 From Calgary Pride 2015, photos by GayCalgary

Calgary Pride Let there be rainbows!

By Krista Sylvester Going into this year’s Calgary Pride Festival there were some uncertainties surrounding the rainbow crosswalk and police representation in the parade, but at least one of those things is for certain now; there will be a pridecoloured sidewalk for Calgarians to enjoy this year. Calgary Pride Director of Government Affairs Craig Sklenar confirmed to GayCalgary that the rainbow crosswalk will be installed on September 1st. Initially there were concerns that the popular and bright addition to the street, in front of City Hall, wouldn’t be possible due to its $4,000 price tag; the city couldn’t pay for it. That left Pride Calgary turning to Calgarians for help – and they didn’t disappoint. “We are thrilled at the community support of the rainbow crosswalk this year,” he says. “In less than 24 hours we hit our fundraising goal and kept going. All of the additional proceeds collected will go toward a future permanent installation in our city that represents pride, and we look forward to beginning those consultations with the community in September.” While Calgarians celebrate the news of the beloved rainbow pride crosswalk being welcomed back this year, the inclusion of police in the pride parade is still up in the air due to some controversies surrounding Black Lives Matter. Calgary Police Service has always participated in years past, but this year is in question, following the interruption that occurred amid the Toronto Pride parade by the local Black Lives Matter chapter who demanded that the organization ban police presence due to the high tensions in the U.S. regarding race and police brutality. Sklenar won’t comment to GayCalgary at this time about the sensitive topic, instead telling us that they are still consulting on the matter within the community and its allies. Of course that’s not the only sombre aspect affecting Pride. This is the first Calgary Pride celebration since 49 people were killed and 53 injured in the massacre at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, not to mention the gender-neutral bathroom debate that has taken North America by storm. But Sklenar says these types of challenges facing the gay community is exactly why pride celebrations need to continue, in hopes of keeping the LGBTQ voice heard – and heard loud. 32

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

“While major strides in equality have occurred at almost a rapid pace in the last decade, topics like gender neutral washrooms, and tragic events like the targeting of our spaces in Orlando, highlight that much more work is to be done,” he says. “Our organization will continue to ensure our community has a safe space to celebrate, but also communicate our desires for equality to those in positions to amend or make laws.” For all of the controversy there was this year when it came to LGBTQ issues around the world, there’s also so much to celebrate, including a lot of firsts for the Calgary region, according to Sklenar. “From a special concert featuring our 2016 Parade Marshall Rae Spoon to the first ever two-spirited Pride in Alberta, featuring a drag show cabaret at the Stoney Nakoda Resort and Casino on August 27th, we have a lot of exciting events for people to enjoy.” Of course the highlight of the week is the 2016 parade and festival, featuring the largest parade participation ever with over 130 parade entries, and more vendors than ever. “We are humbled and excited about the explosive growth of our parade and festival. I think it truly shows the amount of pride Calgarians have.” In fact, in just a matter of six years the parade has gone from seeing 5,000 attendees to what is expected to be over 60,000 this year. “And in addition to that, our festival has grown to a 10-day celebration of our diversity. As we move forward we will look for more ways to engage and celebrate our pride, and we look forward to seeing everyone.” There is an abundance of events happening for pride between August 26th and September 5th, so don’t forget to check out the website for more information. Parade kickoff is at noon on Sunday September 4th along 9th Avenue in downtown Calgary

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Lifestyle

Summer Style Sheet Shorts, Shades & Sunny Swag by Mikey Rox Let color-blocked brightness, tropical prints and kaleidoscope statement accessories – plus a few spots of leather – help elevate your boardwalk swag this summer of ’16.

‘Pineappleade’ Gold Leather Slip-Ons U n s u s p e c t i n g hand grenades masquerading as shimmering pineapples – the signature stencil of Colombian street artist DJ Lu – let you explode onto the scene of your next summer shindig (and make a political statement about the country’s armed conflict that displaced its outer region’s farmers) without uttering a word. Available in women’s sizes five to 10; men, order two sizes up from your normal size. $17, bucketfeet.com

‘Get Lost’ Luggage Tag Your vacay motto may be to “get lost” during your travels, but that sentiment stops at your baggage. Enhance its chances of making it to the final destination with this phrase-embossed tag from American Bench Craft made from a single-piece of full-grain leather and hand cut from vegetabletanned steerhide. $22, americanbenchcraft.com

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Fly Gelada Wallet Simple yet stylish, Paperwallet’s Fly Gelada – with its bold lines and friendly imagery to hold close that jet-setting spirit wherever you go – features two credit card slots, two business card flaps, two side pockets and a cash compartment. It’s Tyvek composition can take a good beating, too – because we know you like it rough. $17, paperwallet.com

Trigger Sunglasses Give your sure-thing wayfarers a rest and shake up your sunglasses game with the polarized Trigger specs from Sunglasses Warehouse. Pink floral and silver frames with amber non-mirrored lenses provide 99 percent UVA/UVB sun protection to soak up the rays without ruining your retinas. $14, sunglasswarehouse.com

Luzon 18L Daypack Durable, packable and versatile – so you can hit the road fully equipped for the adventure of a lifetime – Cotopaxi’s Luzon Del Día features repurposed ripstop nylon, mesh backpack straps and an internal hydration sleeve… plus a twist: Each pack is proudly made in the Philippines by an employee who has total creative control of the pack’s colorway so no two are ever the same. $50, cotopaxi.com www.gaycalgary.com

Mixed Brights Bracelets Doublehighfive BK’s hand-curated, multicolored bracelets – made from recycled flip-flops by women in Mali – come in an assortment of cool colors, like mixed bold, brights, pastels, pinks, and blues and greens, so you can keep this “Summer of Pride” haute until the temps take a dive. $20, doublehighfivebk.com

Carbon Collection Watches P arsonii’s Carbon Collection – the box set of which comes with one of its unique watch faces in gold, silver or brushed bronze – keeps your beach-hopping schedule tight and on time while three wardrobefriendly straps let you swap out a selection of colors to easily transition from drinks at the marina to that bonfire by the bay. $145, theparsonii.com

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Coconut Grove Swim Trunks If you’re nowhere near a beach this summer, you can still invite the essence of the open sea to your bestie’s backyard with the Coconut Groves, tropicalinspired trunks from Chubbies. These macaw-crotched butt-huggers (if you’ve got an ample pirate’s booty, that is) are equal parts ”aaarrr!” and shiver-me-timbers for sky’s-outthigh’s-out time-outs. $60, chubbies.com

Sunnys Cap It’s hard not to light up when you see AMBSN’s Sunnys Cap in melon. Emboldened with an embroidered sunglass-sporting smiley-face emoji, you’ll be doing everyone around you a favor as soon as you pop it on. $32, jackthreads.com

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Through the Looking Glass

For creator Michael Lannan and the groundbreaking series’ cast, is this really just the beginning?  From left: Raúl Castillo, Daniel Franzese and Frankie J. Alvarez

By Chris Azzopardi

Of course they did. Looking was, after all, extraordinarily ordinary, a time capsule of contemporary queerness revolving around a chummy, could-be-your-own friend group navigating love and life in the Mission-Castro district. That final diner scene wasn’t just our last time with Patrick and Dom and Agustin, along with the others, like Eddie, who became part of our own lives during these last few years – for the actors, it was, provisionally, their last time too. “It was like the last two of weeks of high school, like the weekend after everyone graduates from college,” Franzese muses. Premiering in 2014 to critical praise and a modest following (at its peak, the series reached 519,000 viewers six episodes into its first season, up 50 percent from the premiere episode, according to Variety), Looking was divisive from the get-go, with viewers either drawn to its languid style of storytelling or vehemently against it. Was it too gay? Not gay enough? You know, everyone’s a critic. So when Doris, the group’s longtime straight girlfriend, comments on a squabble between main-gay Patrick and his ex’s new boyfriend during the film, you might say she’s onto something. “Ohh, I love it when gays argue with

other gays about being gay,” she cracks, as if addressing the show’s very opinionated audience. Still, there’s no arguing Looking broke ground merely by existing. Beyond that, however, creator Michael Lannan and director Andrew Haigh, who helmed the beautifully rendered gay love story Weekend in 2011, spent the last several years tapping into the LGBT zeitgeist, past and present. The result was special, relevant and sincere. Out actor Jonathan Groff, who portrayed neurotic boy-nextdoor video game designer Patrick, shared that sentiment even before Season 1 premiered, telling me, “I feel so excited to be a part of a show that could potentially be a great moment for the gay community, because it’s crazy how few shows there are where there are a lot of central gay characters. I feel really lucky to be a part of this specific show because I believe in it so much as a television show.” So did Lannan. The screenwriter never believed his idea for Looking could be more than the images swirling around in his mind, and even when they did land on the screen, and Season 1 aired, and then the show got HBO’s go for a second season, “I don’t think I ever thought it was really happening.” Before Looking, Lannan had been living in New York for many years. There, his own friend group and their stories became the catalyst for the short-lived dramedy, which he initially wrote as an indie film script before HBO expressed interest in the concept. They envisioned his idea as a scripted show.

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It was goodbye for now as the cast and crew of HBO’s modern-queer dramedy, Looking, stood in the rising San Francisco sun tearfully hugging. Just like in the film’s final scene, “we broke night,” Daniel Franzese, who plays Eddie, reminisces.

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

 Jonathan Groff, Murray Bartlett and Frankie J. Alvarez

“I always thought it should be a show,” says Lannan, whose 2011 short film, Lorimer, was the seed for the series. “I think one of the reasons HBO wanted to do the show and we all wanted to do the show was because the world has changed so quickly in the past 10 years and this isn’t the Queer as Folk world – it’s a different world – and we wanted to do a show about people just living their lives in a time of great change.” Now, he says, in the wake of its final-for-now chapter, it also feels “bittersweet.” Looking: The Movie is a thoughtful and heartfelt send-off, as Patrick, currently living in Denver, returns to San Francisco for a wedding and thereby meets up with his closest friends: BFFs Agustin (Frankie J. Alvarez) and Dom (Murray Bartlett), Doris (Lauren Weedman), Franzese’s Eddie, as well as his two former flames, Kevin (Russell Tovey) and Richie (Raúl Castillo). “We wanted to find some midpoint between resolving their stories and sending them off on their way for new adventures and leaving that door open,” Lannan explains. “It’s tricky to do both of those things.” Lannan confirms that they’d already been plotting a third season just as HBO announced the show’s cancellation, optioning, instead, to tie up loose ends with a feature film (and to finally offer closure to Patrick’s ongoing romantic drama). And so, though “we were heartbroken,” Lannan and the writers were forced to condense “stockpiled” storylines into an 86-minute movie. “We just went back to the heart of the show, which is Patrick, and we let him drive the story,” Lannan says. “I think everyone’s lives are really reflecting on Patrick, and his on theirs. At its heart the show was really as much about friendship and the family of friends as it was about anything else.” Eddie, one of the show’s popular periphery characters, plays a pivotal role in Patrick’s life in the film. It almost wasn’t supposed to happen that way – initially, Franzese, of Mean Girls fame, was only booked for a few episodes. That changed once showrunners witnessed his natural chemistry with Alvarez during Season 2’s premiere episode, “Looking for the Promised Land,” Franzese’s introduction to the series. Even though Franzese’s HIV-positive bear character may not have had as much screen-time as his co-stars, the actor and his watershed role left an indelible mark on the show and the people who watched it. And for many reasons. Eddie was the first character with HIV in six years to be on scripted television, since a story arc on ER, according to GLAAD. Furthermore, 38

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

 Jonathan Groff, photos by HBO

his character represented what it means to be HIV-positive in 2016 and introduced PrEP to the TV landscape as he pursued a relationship with Agustin, who’s HIV-negative. “Andrew told me, ‘Eddie will never get sick, that’s not what this is about,’” Franzese recalls. “Knowing that, I just kind of put it to the side and didn’t really think about the impact it might have. I was more happy and excited to be a larger guy, a man of stature, on a television show and shown in a sexual light and not as castrated comic relief.” Because it was “just shown,” the feedback from viewers has been rich, which demonstrated to him that, “Representation matters, and education matters.” Bears continue to reach out to him on Instagram expressing their admiration for a character on TV they can finally identify with. But “most moving,” he professes, was meeting a “magnetic” couple – one HIV-positive, the other negative – when Franzese made an appearance during Dallas Bears’ Texas Bear Round-Up. “(The HIV-positive partner) said to me, ‘You know, I hope that I’m with my partner forever, but if I’m ever not and somebody wants to date me I’m going to show them Season 2 of Looking and say, ‘If you can get through this, then you can date me.’” Franzese leaves Looking with a fondness for his influential character, the show and also the cast. Inside jokes, that already-established vibe, the camaraderie – sometimes, he says, speaking from experience, joining a show after it’s already launched feels like a “fleeting relationship.” But Looking was different. “When I’m a regular on a show and I have a guest star coming in, I will treat them with the same grace and respect and friendship that I learned on this set.” Franzese was only recently out when the show premiered. Now newly engaged, the 38-year-old acknowledges that Looking was “profound for me in a lot of ways.” “I had just come out and this was my first job after that,” he recalls. “To not only be accepted for being gay but to be celebrated and to have it not be a big deal – like, it was cooler to be gay on that set – was so freeing and reaffirming.” And not just for Franzese. Looking’s greatest legacy could be, perhaps, how it rendered the gay experience as simply the human experience. It wasn’t about coming out. It wasn’t about gay people dying of AIDS. The narrative felt fresh because finally gay people could just… be.

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 Creator Michael Lannan

 Jonathan Groff, Murray Bartlett, Lauren Weedman

Before Season 2, Tovey told me, “It’s such a true voice for gay people,” adding, “This is, right now, where it’s like to be a gay man who can get married and adopt.” As the show’s creator, Lannan has been forced to contemplate the show’s legacy, and if anything, he says, he wants it to represent a moment in time – and also the passage of time. “We wanted to see what happened when Patrick grew up,” he says about the finale, “and I think it’s exciting to see Patrick in command of his sexuality in a different way. He certainly hasn’t solved all of his problems, sexual or otherwise, but he has grown throughout the seasons and throughout the movie and I love seeing that. “Patrick was always a character who had one foot in the past as a gay man. He grew up with the shadow of AIDS in the background, yet he wasn’t a part of that generation, so he had one foot in the past and one in the future. I hope that’s part of the legacy of the show, that it spanned a transitional period for gay men like Patrick.” As advances for the queer community continue to progress, could Looking become an ongoing TV narrative where we check in with these characters every now and again? What will Patrick be like in 2026? What will we all be like then? The thought has crossed Lannan’s mind. “We’ve definitely talked about it,” he reveals, “and I think if the stars aligned we’d all love to do it again in the future. I think it depends on a lot of things, but I would say, none of us would count it out.” He says that “one of our spirit-animal shows while we were making Looking was The Comeback ” – the Lisa Kudrow cult sitcom was renewed for a second season after a nearly decade-long hiatus – “so maybe we’ll do sort of a Comeback thing and check in again in the future.” Franzese still has plans for Eddie and for the lives of the young transgender characters Eddie looked after at a homeless shelter for LGBT teens. “(To know more about those characters) would’ve been such a beautiful thing,” he says. “That would’ve unfolded in Season 3. I would really look forward to that in the future.” And so the end maybe isn’t the end after all. Maybe the sun hasn’t fully set on Looking just yet. “Who knows – later on down the line I’d love to revisit these characters again,” Franzese says. “Knowing the people I worked with, I can’t even think of a production assistant who would say they wouldn’t want to be back on that set again. But I think

this movie is a beautiful next step in the story, and if we all love each other and we love these characters, and I think if Andrew and Michael are inspired with some story, why not?”

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Lady Lovin’

Indie-pop star Ladyhawke on coming out, her song with a former Scissor Sister and her constant sexual confusion

 photo by Jen Carey

By Chris Azzopardi It was as simple as that for Pip Brown, whose stage moniker is Ladyhawke. The New Zealand-born indie popster flew under the gaydar until 2015, when she announced her marriage to actress Madeleine Sami. During the six years leading up to the couple’s wedding, the 36-year-old musician, known for intoxicating synthpop earworms like “My Delirium” and “Paris Is Burning,” was writing about the “highs and lows” of their partnership. The result? Her third studio album, Wild Things, a buoyant love-smacked delight. Hours before hitting the stage in Boston, the first gig on her American tour, Brown rang for a tell-all about the life few knew she was leading and the album she recorded that she never wants to hear again. GC: When did you know you were not straight? L: As a teenager, I didn’t really understand anything about sexuality. I didn’t have any understanding of gay or straight; I had no one teaching me that stuff. I’m from a really small town in New Zealand, and I didn’t know any gay people. There aren’t any out gay people in my town, that’s for sure. And just… it wasn’t on my radar. So, I questioned, when all the girls were falling all over themselves to get to the boys, why I wasn’t like that – and still, I was best friends with all the boys. All my friends were guys and I was their “buddy.” I was like, “Why am I like this? And why do all their girlfriends hate me?” (Laughs). It took me a long time actually to realize what that was. I sort of thought for a while that I was bi, and so for a long time I ran with it. I just thought surely there must be some part of me that

could fall in love with a guy, but I’ve never been in love with a guy. I do find men attractive. But I was quite confused and it sucks that that’s a thing because we’re not taught about that. We’re not taught that it’s OK to like someone who is the same sex as you. It’s really horrible growing up thinking you’re not normal. GC: Did you experience queer culture shock going from New Zealand, where you didn’t know a single gay person, to LA? L: I actually haven’t lived in New Zealand for about 15 years; I left a really long time ago. I moved from New Zealand to Melbourne, Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to London, and then to Los Angeles. Melbourne was the real defining city for me, where I sort of found myself more – not because of the epic gay community there, but because that happens to be the place where I realized for the first time that I had the ability to fall in love with a woman, which I’d never considered before. You know, then moving to LA after all of this, it’s just another city where I can be myself. There are definitely a lot of cities I would question living in because I just don’t know if I could walk down the street holding hands with my wife. It sucks that it’s still like that in 2016. I feel sad even saying that. GC: You saying that makes me think of the recent shooting in Orlando and how necessary it is that we have our safe places. How have you been processing the incident that happened in Orlando, and what kind of effect did it have on you as a queer person? L: I just can’t even… I was so…. I cried. I absolutely couldn’t believe that. I’ve DJed so many clubs, so many gay clubs, and so that could’ve been any of my friends or anyone I know. I

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Here comes the bride… and the other bride.

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

just… it was very close to home and I feel very sick about it. I was in the UK on tour when it happened and I had loads of friends at LA Pride. And I was scared. I was like, “Why the fuck am I scared?” It’s a horrible thing to be scared because of your sexuality. I was scared for my friends for being at LA Pride, for being proud of being gay, and for all our friends who are supporting them, all of our mates who are out there with us, side by side. It’s a disgusting thing. I just don’t even know what to say. I just can’t believe it’s still going on. It feels so medieval to me. GC: How have you used music to express your sexuality? L: All things are fueled by my sexuality, basically. It’s who I am. I can’t really avoid it. And the confusion as well. My songs have always been full of metaphors and confusion; I think it’s part of life. I feel like sexuality is a spectrum; there’s no black and white; there’s no gay, straight, you’re this or that. And the more open people are about it, the more you realize not everyone is black or white. Some people are very gay, very lesbian, but there’s so much more to it than that. GC: Where do you fall on the spectrum? L: I don’t know. My sexuality has confused me my entire life and it still does to this day, and I think it’s because it’s not taught to us in any way. It’s always been an embarrassment. It’s like, “Don’t talk about it”; it’s hush hush. You know when you’re a little girl you play with dolls? I wasn’t that girl. I was the polar opposite. I was a tomboy. I played with trucks and Transformers. So, I don’t know where I fall. All I know is that I am attracted to women, but I don’t rule out that I could ever be attracted to a guy – I just haven’t ever been. I can’t say what the future will hold, but I know that I’m married and I love my wife. GC: Did you pull from that relationship when writing Wild Things? L: Oh god, yes. I’d actually finished pretty much the whole album right before we got married and then I properly completed it two months after we got married, so the whole buildup to our wedding was me writing and reflecting on the last few years of my life and the experiences I’ve had and on finding somebody who you go through highs and lows with and still get through it and realize you’re with your best friend. I think that was one of the most rewarding conclusions I ever came to. This album is a timeline of all these things I’ve gone through. GC: Tell me about your favorite part of recording “Chills” with Scott Hoffman, also known as Babydaddy from Scissor Sisters. L: Scott is one of my favorite people in the world! He’s so funny and I just love him. I met up with him in New York and we wrote that song; that song happened quite quickly. He’s just a great musician all around. He was on piano; I was on bass. We just jammed it out, and then we had “Chills.” It was just a really fun experience, and I know we’ll do stuff in the future together because we’re friends and he’s just a great guy. I love him. He’s got the best sense of humor; he’s hilarious. And we relate to each other on anxiety and germophobia. (Laughs) GC: You recorded an entire album that was much darker from what I’ve heard. L: Yeah, it was, definitely. GC: Why was that album so dark and why didn’t it get a proper release? L: I’ve had really bad depression for a really long time – my whole life, basically; since as long as I can remember. I think since about puberty. I developed a really bad drinking problem and it all just became this horrible thing where I didn’t know which came first anymore. I didn’t know which was fueling which. I wasn’t doing myself any favors and I wasn’t doing my career any favors and I definitely wasn’t doing my relationship any favors. It got to the point where I had all these songs, and I remember playing them for my mom and I was in such a bad place at this point. I was feeling really yucky. Sad and gross. And I played the music to my mom and stepdad, and I just remember the looks on their faces really tore me up. They just looked shocked. Obviously, being used to me making somewhat upbeat music 42

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

and then hearing this, I think it was more the lyrical content – it was just dark, dark music. And I remember my mom saying to me, “I can tell just by listening to this how bad you feel.” And that was the moment when I went, “Right, I need to sort this out. This is so bad. I can’t have a record that in 10 years time I’m not even gonna wanna listen to because it’s going to remind me of a shitty time I went through. I need to fix myself.” GC: Was it cathartic making it? L: Yeah. It was good making it. It was also painful making it. I just didn’t enjoy the process. I’ve always said I love being in the studio, but it was just hard. I was so depressed. I couldn’t really focus properly. I was blowing off appointments as well. I would blow off writing sessions. That’s not what I’ve ever been about in the past, and I knew I needed to cut that out. I needed to stop drinking. First, I needed to just sort my life out, and my health, and my mentality. And that’s exactly what I did. It took me ages. All the tours that I’ve done that have given me the flu, that have kicked my ass, just trying to stop drinking and getting to the point where I was starting to feel really good and not having anxiety panics on the daily – that was harder. GC: Based on Wild Things, I’m guessing you’re in a much better place. L: Yes, definitely. GC: When you married Madeleine Sami in 2015 the Internet seemed surprised that you even dated women. Were you surprised that people were surprised? L: (Laughs) I was! This is gonna make me sound like I dated loads of girls – which I didn’t! – but I would always bring my girlfriend to whatever press I was doing. My girlfriend would be at everything. This is before Madeleine – well, Madeleine would come to everything too. But I would always bring my partner to everything: video shoots, press, shows, everything. And no one batted an eyelash! I always quite laughed at that. I thought it was quite funny. But yeah, I never even got quizzed on it. I remember my manager being like, “You don’t really ever talk about this.” And I was like, “No one ever asks me!” He was like, “Why don’t we just tell people you’re married?” But I’ve been out for forever. Everyone knows. I dated guys – I’ve had boyfriends – but it was never anything serious for me. It wasn’t until I had my first girlfriend, I was like, “Uh, I see. This is a thing.” So it’s been so long for me that I just forgot that it was even a thing, you know? I know it’s so different when you’re really young and you’re just coming out and you’re realizing who you are and you have your entire family to tell. I remember that feeling. I know it’s incredibly hard. But this was so different for me because it’s no secret (laughs). I like the way we did it, though: “Yeah, she’s married.” GC: You made a statement without having to make a statement. L: Exactly. Getting married is such an important step in a person’s life and it was something I was proud of as a human being. I’d always been such a – I couldn’t really commit to anything; you can see that from how many different bloody cities I’ve lived in! (Laughs) I can’t really stay still. I’m always jumping around from place to place to place, and so this was important for me and I wanted everyone to know. I wanted them to know that this was huge decision for me and that I was proud of taking this step.

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Dixie Chick

Cyndi Lauper on fame, going country and her dream to be in ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?’ with Madonna

 photo by Chapman Baehler

By Chris Azzopardi It’s not just about having fun anymore. For Cyndi Lauper, music runs deeper than her ‘80s-era eccentricities may have seemed to sug-gest. A collection of classics from the Great American Songbook, deep Memphis-based blues, the feel-good Broadway romp Kinky Boots, which won her a Tony in 2013 for best score – Lauper changes musical guises like she changes dye jobs. The 62-year-old singer takes another sharp turn on Detour, her latest reincarnation, this time as a full-on Southern belle. The spunky pop priestess trades in her pink for plaid and saddles up with a slew of Nashville mainstays, including Willie Nelson, Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris, to sing signature mid-20th-century country ditties. To talk about her twangy transformation, Lauper called just as she was leaving Los Angeles, where she recently received her much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Lauper was her usual chatty and chirpy self as she dished on longing to be the “unknown singer,” shoe struggles and forever wanting to take on Joan Crawford and Bette Davis’ infamous revenge relic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?. How exactly? By starring in a version of it alongside Madonna, of course.

GC: I love the irony of you, mega LGBT activist, taking on a genre that’s not historically known to embrace the LGBT community. CL: There are a lot of LGBT people who love early country music! They love Patsy Cline, they love Loretta Lynn. I loved Loretta Lynn when I was little and when I heard her sing “The Pill” (a cheeky take on birth control) it was like, “Holy cow!” But I just know that when I went to Nashville everyone was very kind and they were sweet to me, and it feels like a small town and it doesn’t seem like everybody is like that – it just seems like they don’t talk about it a lot. I talk about it because we did a lot of research about the kids

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running away, the homeless LGBT kids (in 2011, Lauper opened a homeless shelter in NYC for LGBT youth). We found that if the parents just said, “You’re my kid and I love you and you gotta give me a minute to get my head around this gay thing,” because where the heck are par-ents gonna go? You can’t go to the preacher man because he’s gonna condemn you and your kid to hell. You’re not gonna go to the school and out your kid. You can’t go to the neighbors. So, where do you go? You have to have an outreach program for the parents and the kids, but you have to have the information to help parents because, you know, I think most parents just love their kids, and when they’re teenagers, you’re gonna fight about everything – I know, I have a teenager. You fight. Hell, that’s the dynamic. I didn’t think about that when I did this. I did this for the love of music. I did this because I saw a segment on CBS’s The Early Show about all the great Nashville session players. One group was called the Nashville Cats and they played with everyone back in the ’60s and ’70s, and I was a little jealous because I felt like I missed out. I saw the Muscle Shoals documentary and I kind of wished sometimes – I felt like I was born in the wrong time. I was so busy being famous that I missed out on all these wonderful things. I just wanted to go back. In the beginning every-thing is, “You can’t do this! You’ll be ruined!” And you believe it!

GC: At what point in your career did you feel creatively liberated? CL: I guess in 1991. I wanted to work with Muff Winwood (English

songwriter and record pro-ducer known for his work with Dire Straits) and he believed in me as an arranger and as a pro-ducer. You know, I should’ve moved to England but I didn’t. I loved New York. I was born there and I would’ve missed my family and my friends, so I didn’t go. But it was a lot easier in England; the English people were different. And he wanted me to do this thing for him. It was around that time that I realized, “If you’re gonna be doing this, maybe you should start practic-ing the

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

 photos by Chapman Baehler rhythm of your own beat and sing your story, not try and do a story with other people’s stories,” which is OK because that’s what singers do, but at that point I wanted to do that and then I wanted to work with (Detour producer) Seymour Stein. I wanted to go and do a blues record. I wanted to do the blues since 2004, and then when I finally got to do it in 2010, you know, I felt blessed because I was able to do something I really wanted to do as a singer. And then I wanted to do this country record, and I hoped that I could sing as best as I could sing. I wanted to do a good job.

GC: You’ve called your new label, Sire Records, your “dream label.” And actually, Madonna’s self-titled debut was released on the same label in 1983. Do you think you and Madonna might have done a duet if you’d been on the same label back in the day? Was there ever talk of that happening? CL: Oh, not by business people. You know, I always felt for me, I would’ve loved to do What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? with her... ’cause I think that’s very funny! (Laughs hysterically) GC: Which part would you play? CL: Come on! Who do you think I’d play? I’d play Baby Jane – I’d

be torturin’ her. Because she’s always viewed as the bad girl, you know! They’d make her the good girl and I’d be the bad one. Or (we could do Joan Crawford’s 1954 western-drama) Johnny Guitar – she’d be the righteous one (laughs). But whatever. Who knows! For me, all I wanna do is a good job. I wanna be a great singer. I wanna learn. I wanna always learn. I study music constantly. I try and listen to what’s happening. I try and listen to what’s happened, to what I might’ve missed. I think music is… I love it and I think it lifts people up. I think I finally did a record that makes people happy, ya know? Maybe I learned that from Kinky Boots.

GC: Pop, rock, country, blues. Is there anything you can’t sing?

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CL: Really, this is the roots of rock, that’s what I sang, you know what I’m sayin’, hun? It’s all the roots. The blues was the roots of what we sing and so is this. There was a time when country and R&B were very linked. The songs would go from R&B to country, country to R&B. A per-fect example of that would be the Wilma Burgess hit “Misty Blue,” that was a hit in 1966 and then in 1975 for Dorothy Moore. But they were pop songs. When I was little, Patsy Cline was on the radio. She was not country radio – she wasn’t segre-gated to country radio, and neither was Loretta Lynn and neither was Johnny Cash. Those guys were on the pop stations. And we had three AM stations, and everybody was on ’em in New York. You know, some of the stuff, especially “Funnel of Love,” it was a rockabilly song and Wanda Jackson was one of the earlier rockers, and when I was in Blue Angel (Lauper’s pre-solo career rockabilly band) – oh, she was prominent on my playlist because she was an early rocker and there weren’t a lot of women rockers that you listened to, but you always listened to her. You listened to the amazing Brenda Lee, but Wanda Jackson was just a little dirtier.

GC: Do you have your cowgirl boots picked out for the tour? CL: I’m having trouble with shoes – a lot of trouble. I think some of the

shoes I wear are ugly but they don’t hurt. I just don’t want my feet to hurt anymore. You know, I just want a nice pair of wide combat boots and I’d be happy. But I don’t know. I’ll probably find somebody who can actually make me shoes that don’t hurt so I can dance! I don’t want to dance barefoot anymore because I think I beat my feet up that way too.

GC: How about some comfy slippers? CL: Slippers aren’t strong enough. We do rock. When you slam your

foot down, you gotta have some weight to it. You can’t just have a little slipper on.

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GC: Why is it important to you to still perform in North Carolina despite the state’s new discrim-inatory legislation known as the “bathroom bill”? CL: North Carolina is a very important place to go because once people are disenfranchised the way they have been, it’s very important to bring light to a place where people have none and also educate people on what the real concerns are and get people involved in their own destiny. GC: It’s hard for me to even string these words together, but because you were on Celebrity Apprentice: What if Donald Trump becomes president? CL: Ugh. Everybody keeps asking me the same question. I don’t know. I really don’t know. I wouldn’t feel that good about it. I don’t think people should campaign to stop Trump. I think people should vote, for one, and vote for the person they feel is most responsible and can really understand the way the government works right now and make it move forward instead of stop-ping it every frickin’ two minutes and costing people who pay taxes a lot of money. It’s a little disconcerting – the whole frickin’ thing – and it’s gone on for too long. GC: You’ve won just about every major award – so, then, what does getting a star on the Holly-wood Walk of Fame mean to you? CL: It’s funny because I had been approached a few times over the years and this time felt right. It was surreal – and to get a star on the same day as my good friend Harvey (Fierstein) felt awe-some. GC: It’s been seven years since Bring Ya to the Brink, your last full album of original non-musical material. Do you write? Are there plans to release original material under your own name? CL: Well, I’m probably gonna write another Broadway show. GC: Oh, you are?! CL: Yes. I think if I wrote (for a solo project) I’d probably write under a

pseudonym and sing under a pseudonym because it’d just be a lot easier to have it be received better.

GC: Why do you say that? CL: Oh, you know, I like good music (laughs). There’s a really great

sound coming out of Cali-fornia – the Southern Bay area has a whole kind of surf, kind of rock sound. Little bit of what we did on “Funnel of Love,” but there’s a whole resurgence and group of people doing that kind of surf bass-y sound but rock.

GC: Why can’t you put your name on it? CL: I don’t know. Because I don’t want to be judged. I’d rather do

new music with a paper bag over my head and be the unknown singer. (Laughs)

GC: But you’ve been in the spotlight for almost your entire life. Aren’t you used to critics? CL: No, I know, but there are things that I can do as Cyndi Lauper and things that I can’t. Just ’cause I can’t doesn’t mean I won’t. I just won’t do it in a conventional way. GC: You never have, though! That’s why you’re so adored. CL: Well, thanks. I mean, with this record, I was very fortunate to have

some really incredible people on it. I don’t even know – it just happened. It snowballed and the producer, Tony Brown, knew somebody and I knew Emmylou Harris and wanted Emmylou Harris to come and sing. It’s a kind of small town, so I had met with (songwriter / producer) Buddy Cannon who was work-ing with Alison Krauss and Willie Nelson and all of a sudden it started to come together just like that. I had gone to see Vince Gill and kind of knew him through his wife Amy (Grant) when I did a concert years ago and he had liked a song that I did called “Water’s Edge.” I went to go see him with the Time Jumpers, and when I went to do Detour I felt like if we had him lay down the track with a couple of the Time Jumpers it would really make sense and feel right because they understood real cowboy swing. Tony contacted him and he said he would come in and he did. It just fell together. And if you went to see him with the Time Jumpers, you wouldn’t believe it be-cause he’s really that good. I just thought to myself, “Oh my god, these musicians are great – pinch yourself now because you’re actually really doing this.”

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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In Video

Charlie Harding & Scotty Rage Interview

 Scotty Rage & Charlie Harding at Evolution, photo by: GayCalgary Magazine

By Jessica Robb

Charlie Harding and Scotty Rage waste no time in their day and see no limits for their wildly creative imaginations. The two are pioneers to the genre known as daddy porn, with Harding starring in one of the first “Lessons From Your Stepdad” for http://www.men.com.

“Older guys are more practiced; so older guys are sexier when it comes to having sex,” Rage said. Both actors retired from onscreen work in November, 2015, and have shifted their focus to producing and directing, mostly daddy porn, for Panvion. The two agree that being in front of the camera has helped with being behind the camera and, of course, developing a good eye for young, hot talent. “I always say that, one day, I have to just write a book called Memoirs of a Dick Sucker, and just go right down the list,” Rage joked when asked about some of his crazy stories. Recently, the pair began to look beyond the porn industry for ways to release their creative magic. This led to the creation of their own jewelry line called “Style Collective” by Scotty and Charlie, and they recently received their first photo credit in a local San Diego magazine. Talks with working alongside bigger magazines are already in the future. www.gaycalgary.com

Watch the video online: http://gaycalgary.com/a5227 

“Creativity should be a driving force in your life. Everyday, just look for something to make you smile,” Rage said. From porn to painting, to mainstream acting credits, to clothing, to jewelry and to advice for fans – it’s easy to see how Harding and Rage feed off of each other’s energy and hunger to push boundaries. GayCalgary had the opportunity to chat with couple when they came to Edmonton for Pride Week 2016. Watch the interview below to catch up with the creative team from San Diego, hear all about their variety of upcoming projects, and even see some pieces from their earthy new jewelry collection.

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Photography ISCWR - Entertainment Unlimited at Evo, Edmonton

ISCWR - Drag Thing at the Ramada, Edmonton

photos by B&J

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Photography

FAB Stampede BEAR BBQ Round Up

Calgary Stampede Grand Stand Show

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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Photography Backwards Grand Opening Weekend, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1187

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

News Releases Montréal Pride’s 10th edition gives festivalgoers 10 new additions

For its 10th edition, Montréal Pride will have you seeing all the colours of the rainbow by adding 10 new events to its programming,...

Ray Quinn is back and looking hotter than ever

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LOGO Greenlights New Dating Competition Series “FINDING PRINCE CHARMING”

Lance Bass to Host First of Its Kind Series Featuring All Gay Men Competing to Win the Heart of the Nation’s Most Eligible Gay...

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VIDEO TRAILER - Chaz Bono joins “Where the Bears Are” Season 5 SEASON 5 of the award-winning gay comedy mystery web series, “WHERE THE BEARS ARE,” premieres September 1st, 2016 at... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2245

Dr Felix Launches OlympicsThemed Sex Workout Infographic, Just In Time For Rio 2016 The online pharmacy service compares bedroom workouts to those of Olympians to help encourage ‘sexercise’. DrFelix, a British... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2246

The Tenth Annual Emily Morgan Celebration Softball Tourney with a Twist

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ICANN Ombudsman Speaks Out: Report Highlights Unfair Treatment Of .GAY Application

As ICANN collects the $135 million in auction funds from the sale of the domain space .WEB, a voice of reason has finally been...

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News Releases NSFW - NEW Andrew Christian VIDEO: Almost Naked Ranch Hands

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Which way does your cock bend? That’s the topic of discussion in the new episode of Steam Room Stories. Hunks Andrew Fultz, Ty...

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Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia) & more announced for September Edmonton Comic & Entertainment Expo

RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars Season 2: Game-Changing Twist & New Trailer Revealed

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Belize is the First Country in the Caribbean to Overturn Their Sodomy Laws

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On August 6, local artist and LBGTQ activist Kelly Hofer will reveal his much anticipated photography book: “Hutterite by...

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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

11 16

10 12

6 15

1 8

4 5

1 2 3 4

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

5 6 7 8

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

9 10 11 12

FIND OUT!

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

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

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

These venues regularly host LGBT events. 7 Broken City  613 11th Ave SW  info@brokencity.ca  http://www.brokencity.ca

 403-262-9976

8 Cowboys Nightclub------------------------  421 12th Avenue SE  403-265-0699  http://www.cowboysnightclub.com 9 Dickens Pub  1000 9th Ave SW  info@dickenspub.ca  http://www.dickenspub.ca

 403-233-7550

13 The Pint-----------------------Bars and Clubs 15 The Blind Monk--------------Bars and Clubs 16 Backwards Nightclub---------Bars and Clubs

Community Groups Alberta Society for Kink

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

Apollo Calgary - Friends in Sports

 http://www.apollocalgary.com  http://www.myapollo.com A volunteer operated, non-profit organization serving primarily members of the LGBT communities but open to all members of all communities. Primary focus is to provide members with well-organized and fun sporting events and other activities.

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

10 Flames Central----------------------------  219 8th Ave SW  403-935-2637  http://www.flamescentral.com

• Western Cup

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11 Local 522----------------------------------  522 6 Ave SW  403-244-6773  http://www.localtavern.ca

 6020 - 4 Avenue NE  badminton@apollocalgary.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

16 Backwards Restaurant and Nightclub----  628 8th Avenue SW  587-352-2582  staff@backwardsclub.com  http://www.backwards.club

www.gaycalgary.com

4 Texas Lounge  308 - 17 Ave SW  403-229-0911  Open 7 days a week, 11am-close 6 Twisted Element  1006 - 11th Ave SW  403-802-0230  http:.//www.twistedelement.ca

12 Ten Nightclub (closed)  1140 10th Ave SW

 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 13 The Pint  1428 17th Ave SW  calgary@thepint.ca  http://www.thepint.ca/calgary

 403-384-9777

14 Vinyl & Hyde (CLOSED)  213 10 Ave SW  http://www.vinylandhyde.com

 587-224-5200

 http://www.westerncup.com

• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing) • Boot Camp

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

• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)  Let’s Bowl (2916 5th Avenue NE)  bowling@apollocalgary.com

• Curling

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

• Golf

 golf@apollocalgary.com

• Lawn Bowling

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Goliaths  308 - 17 Ave SW  403-229-0911  www.goliaths.ca  Open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day

 lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com

• Outdoor Pursuits

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

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

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

• Slow Pitch

 slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com

• Squash

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

• Tennis

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

• Yoga

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

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

 1st

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

At 5 Goliaths

 3rd

At 1 Calgary Outlink

 4th

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

 1st

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

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

• Peer Support and Crisis Line

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

• Calgary Lesbian Ladies Meet up Group • Between Men and Between Men Online • Heading Out • Illusions Calgary • Inside Out • New Directions • Womynspace  Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 403-244-1956  http://www.fairytalesfilmfest.com Alberta Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.

• DVD Resource Library

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

Gay Friends in Calgary

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

Girl Friends

 girlfriends@shaw.ca  members.shaw.ca/girlfriends

Girlsgroove

 http://www.girlsgroove.ca

• Telephone Support

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

Hillhurst United Church

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

HIV Peer Support Group

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

Calgary Queer Book Club

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

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

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.

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

At 5 Goliaths

 Calgary Contd. vary from 8 km - 15 km. Runners from 6 minutes/mile to 9+ minute miles.

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

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

Positive Space Committee

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

Pride Calgary Planning Committee

 403-797-6564

 www.pridecalgary.ca

Primetimers Calgary

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

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

 279R Student Union Club Spaces, U of C  403-220-6394  http://www.ucalgary.ca/~glass 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

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd. Spectrum Volleyball Calgary

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

Unity Bowling

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

DevaDave Salon & Boutique (closed)

 1317-1st Street NW

Restaurants & Pubs 16 Backwards Restaurants and Nightclub--- See Calgary - Bars & Clubs (Gay). 10 Flames Central---------------------------- See Calgary - Bars & Clubs (Mixed). 13 The Pint See Calgary - Bars & Clubs (Mixed).

Retail Stores Adult Depot (CLOSED)

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

 10210 Macleod Tr S  403-271-7848  #102 2323 32nd Ave NE  403-769-6177  1536 16th Ave NW  403-289-4203  4310 17th Ave SE  403-273-2710  http://www.adultsourcecalgary.ca

Best Health

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

La Fleur (closed)

 403-266-1707 Florist and Flower Shop.

Ellen Embury

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

Hardline

 Calgary: 403-770-0776  Edmonton: 780-665-6666  Other Cities: 1-877-628-9696  http://www.hardlinechat.com Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.  2145 Summerfield Blvd  403-912-2045  http://www.hotwaterpoolsandspas.ca

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

Pushing Petals

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

Services & Products 6th and Tenth - Sales Centre

 633 10th Ave SW  403-239-5511  http://www.6thandtenth.com  M-W: 12-6pm, R: 2-7pm, S-N: 12-5pm

Barry Hollowell

Calgary Civil Marriage Centre

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

Christopher T. Tahn (Thornborough Smeltz)

 403-808-7147

Courtney Aarbo (Barristers & Solicitors)

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

www.gaycalgary.com

 #3 306 20th Ave SW  http://www.thirdstreet.ca

MFM Communications

 403-543-6970  1-877-543-6970  http://www.mfmcommunications.com Web site hosting and development. Computer hardware and software.  Suite 27, Building B1, 2451 Dieppe Ave SW  403-471-0204  780-922-3347  nrg@shaw.ca  http://www.nrgsupportservices.com

SafeWorks

 403-703-4750

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

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

Webster Galleries Inc.

 812 11 Ave SW  403-263-6500  http://www.webstergalleries.com  T-S: 10am-6pm, N: 1-4pm

EDMONTON

Lorne Doucette (CIR Realtors)

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

Bars & Clubs (Gay) 3 Buddy’s Nite Club (CLOSED)  11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6636 6 Evolution Wonder Lounge  10220 - 103 St  780-424-0077  http://www.yourgaybar.com

FLASH (CLOSED)

 10018 105 Street  flashnightclub@hotmail.com

 780-938-2941

UpStares Ultralounge (CLOSED)

 4th Floor, Jasper Ave and 107th Street 4 Mama’s Gin Joint  11725 Jasper Ave

 780-488-6557

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

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

These venues regularly host LGBT events.

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

Buck Naked Boys Club

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

Camp fYrefly

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

Edmonton Expo

 http://www.edmontonexpo.com

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

 http://www.edmontonpride.ca

Edmonton Prime Timers

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

Edmonton Rainbow Business Association

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

Edmonton Illusions Social Club

 780-387-3343  groups.yahoo.com/group/edmonton_illusions 2 Edmonton STD  11111 Jasper Ave

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 780-479-2038  www.evmchoir.com

 sing@evmchoir.com

Fellowship of Alberta Bears

 www.beefbearbash.com

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

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

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

• Centre of Hope

 10704 124 St NW

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

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

7 The Starlite Room  10030 102 St contact@starliteroom.ca  http://www.starliteroom.ca 8 Yellowhead Brewing Co.  10229 105 St  info@yellowheadbrewery.com  http://www.yellowheadbrewery.com

 http://www.iscwr.ca

 Room 201, 420 - 9th Ave SE  403-410-1180  Mon-Fri: 1pm-5pm  1213 - 4th Str SW  403-955-6014  Sat-Thu: 4:15pm-7:45pm, Fri: Closed

• Safeworks Van

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

Wheel Pro’s

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

Third Street Theatre

Interactive Male

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

Priape Calgary (CLOSED)

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

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

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

NRG Support Services

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

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

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

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

Hot Water Pools & Spas

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

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

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

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

Wild Rose United Church

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

Cruiseline

 Calgary: 403-777-9494  Edmonton: 780-413-7122  Other Cities: 1-877-882-2010  http://www.cruiseline.ca Telephone classifieds and chat - 18+ ONLY.

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

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Steamworks  11745 Jasper Ave  780-451-5554  http://www.steamworksedmonton.com

Community Groups

Theatre & Fine Arts ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

See Calgary - Community Groups.

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.

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

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

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 #152, August 2016

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

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

3 Buddy’s-----------------------Bars and Clubs 4 Mama’s Gin Joint-------------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

See 1 Youth Understanding Youth

Mondays

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.

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 #152, August 2016

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 Mama’s Gin Joint 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 #152, August 2016

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

Rork Hilford MC OFFICIANT

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 • Opposite Sex • Same Sex LGBT-TTQ hilford@shaw.ca • 403-246-4134

Furniture

335

Safe Step Walk-In Tub Co. Safe Step Walk-In Tub Alert for Seniors. Bathroom falls can be fatal. Approved by Arthritis Foundation. Therapeutic Jets. Less Than 4 Inch Step-In. Wide Door. Anti-Slip Floors. American Made. Installation Included. Call 1-800-594-9682 for $750 Off.

Home for Rent

347

VICTIMS OF RENTAL SCAM IN NEED OF HELP! Hello, we are a couple that recently moved to Calgary from Vancouver only to find out 2 days after moving in that we got scammed. We had to move out that night, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. This situation put us out $4000 and we are going to have to borrow to move into another place. Luckily we had a friend here who graciously helped us out with a place to stay but she has a family and we don’t want to overstay our welcome. If there is ANYONE out there with a big heart that can help us out with a place to rent, we would appreciate it ten fold. We are a respectable and responsible, trustworthy and hardworking couple that has had far too much bad luck lately and need a little help. If you own or know of someone who has a place downtown or close to PLEASE GIVE US A SHOUT! 587-774-1978 TEXT ONLY Sleep in my bed, an adjustable bed. Spend a night/week/month. Very private. Close to the PLC and not far from the Airport. SuperSuite VRBO 842294

Magical Music DJs

Home to Share

350

Furnished Room For Rent in West Springs SW Specializing in LGBT Weddings and Unions. Everyone deserves the wedding they’ve always dreamed of with the person they love! Call us for a quote today 403.254.9754 Email: magicalmusic@shaw.ca Website: www.magicalmusicdjs.com

Help Wanted

240

Seeking a clean/tidy, responsible, single, mature working person for quiet, clean, secure, furnished bedroom to rent in working MALE COUPLED household in modern home; 10 minute bus ride to amenities; beautiful location, house has 3 cats, rent includes utilities; bedroom located in walkout basement, private bathroom ; street parking; references required + proof of steady income. 403-660-6300

Dating Service

415

GUYSPY ALL MALE HOT GAY HOOKUPS! Call FREE! 800-913-8509 only 18 and over

Cleaning

517

GET A LIFE! Commercial Cleaning

INTERACTIVE MALE Interested in guys? You aren’t the only curious one. It’s just a phone call. Sexy. Discreet. Free. Why not try? 1-800-913-8509

LIVELINKS Meet singles right now! No paid operators, just real people like you. Browse greetings, exchange messages and connect live. Try it free. Call now: 1-800-692-5415

Erotic Massage

420

UltimateMaleMassage.com

Does your business need a professional cleaner? Steve is bonded/Insured. Flexible prices and brings all his own supplies. Steve is a part of the LGBT Community and has been cleaning for over 5 years in Calgary. (403)200-7384 getalifecleaner@gmail.com www.getalifecleaner.com www.facebook.com/getalifecleaner

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 Best Erotic Male Massage In Calgary. Studio with free parking. Deep Tissue and Relaxation. Licensed, Professional. Video on website. 403-680-0533

527

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

mike@ultimatemalemassage.com

Products/Services 500 Certified Personal Trainer

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

It’s not about special treatment. You can’t assume the LGBT person, or the straight person will follow the pack anymore. The LGBT market is becoming more and more aware of what organizations support them, and which ones don’t, ultimately sending them away from businesses and communities that do not recognize them or their lifestyle. Does your staff need LGBT sensitivity training? Want to attract the market but unsure how to proceed? Local, Domestic, International, We can assist. Check us out at http://blueflameventures.ca, Email us at info@blueflameventures.ca, Call us at 604-369-1472. Based in Alberta.

GayCalgary Magazine is looking for sales people, graphic designers, and writers in Alberta. For more info, contact: magazine@gaycalgary.com 403-543-6960

Ads starting at $10/mo. for the first 20 words. Submit yours at http://www.gaycalgary.com/classifieds 64

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016

www.gaycalgary.com

Legal

557

Award Winning One Stop Paralegal, Immigration & Business Services since 1999. Gay Friendly Staff. Call 403-590-3818 http://www.ActiveProfessionals.com Active Professionals #200, 2705 Centre Street N.W. Calgary T2E 2V5

Travel

680

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

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www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #152, August 2016