GayCalgary Magazine - Nov/Dec 2017 /January 2018

NOV/DEC 17/JAN 18

® ISSUE 164 • $8.95 The Voice of Alberta’s LGBTQ+ Community

FREE ONLINE

Interview with

KIT JOHN WILLIAMSON HALBACH

Travis Wall

Shaping Sounds with Alberta Ballet

Zhana Roiya

Returning to the Dance Floor

PLUS:

Travel - Whistler, BC Coverage of Calgary Pride 2017 Freddy Niblack • Whistler Pride 2018 ...and more!

Business Directory

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

Jumper Maybach

Artists should be free to be themselves

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 77

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GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

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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 Salesmagazine@gaycalgary.com & General Inquiries E-Mail:

GayCalgary and Edmonton Magazine This Month's Cover 2136 17th Avenue SW Main: John Halbach Williamson, photo Calgary,and AB,Kit Canada

by David George Zimmerman.

T2T 0G3 Top Right: Travis Wall. Mid Right: Zhana Roiya. Bottom Right:

Jumper Maybach.

Office Hours: By appointment ONLY Phone: 403-543-6960 Toll Free: 1-888-543-6960 Fax: 403-703-0685 E-Mail: magazine@gaycalgary.com

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

Proud Members of: Proud Member of:

Publisher’s Column

The joy and hate of taking photos, plus upcoming change for 2018

8 Edmonton Burlesque Festival 10 Native Tongues

Zesty Taqueria Heats up the Palette in Good Taste

11 Imagine Dragons Brings Showmanship to Saddledome

14 Queer Eye - Calgary Pride 2017

PAGE 14

Writers and Contributors

Mercedes Joey Amato, Allen,Jamie Chris Azzopardi, Booth, Dominic DallasBruno, Barnes, Dave Jason Brousseau, Clevett, JDSam Davids, Casselman, Janine Jason Eva-Trotta, Clevett, Andrew GayRealEstate.com, Collins, Emily Collins, Desireé Rob Guerrero, Diaz-Marino, Oriol Janine R. Gutierrez Eva Trotta, Jr.,Jack LisaFertig, Lunney,Glen Steve Hanson, Polyak,Joan Hilty, GayCalgary Evan Kayne, Staff, Stephen and the LGBT Lock, Community Neil McMullen, of Allan Neuwirth, Calgary,Steve Edmonton, Polyak,and Carey Alberta Rutherford, Romeo San Vicente, Ed Sikov, Nick Vivian and the GLBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and Photography Alberta.

Steve Polyak

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16 Positive Thoughts - Connected Action

GNP+ works with communities of people living with HIV around the world to make sure their voices are heard

18 Positive Thoughts

Why This Trans Guy Stopped Taking Daily PrEP for HIV Prevention

19 Positive Thoughts

Growing up in the ’80s, I learned more about HIV and AIDS from pop culture than I did in the classroom – but have HIV education efforts really improved much since then?

20 Queer Eye - Medicine Hat Pride 2017 22 Stage West Has Another Hit, Baby One More Time

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Pure 90’s a joyous blast from the past

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24 Zhana Roiya Gets Dirty on the Dancefloor 26 ATP Revives Childhood Classic Charlotte’s Web in Endearing Adaptation 27 The Haunted House Hamlet

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Morph back into time and enter the maze of vengeance

29 Gay Racing Star Freddy Niblack

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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

NOV/DEC 2017/JAN 2018

PAGE 13 PAGE 20

®

Juggling Being a Father, a Businessman, a Racer, and Being Gay

30 Whistler, BC Amazing sites on the Sea to Sky Highway 40 Whistler Pride & Ski Festival 2018 42 The Wizard of Oz

Storybook Theatre whisks audiences Over the Rainbow

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

43 Jersey Boys on Tour

Fan Favourite Lights up the Jubilee

PAGE 30

Margaret Cho Highlights for Comedy Night

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

Continued on Next Page  www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

44 The Life & Times of LGBT Artist Jumper Maybach A Pilgrimage to End Hate, Bullying and Intolerance PAGE 40

46 Pride Journey San Antonio, Texas

50 Shaping Sounds – After The Curtain Travis Wall talks about his latest production with Alberta Ballet

PAGE 50

PAGE 44

52 Important Tips for Homebuyers 53 Mortgages with Little or No Down Payments

54 Three is the Charm Kit Williamson and John Halbach talk about their Hit LGBTQ Series, Eastsiders, Returning for Season 3

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Scan for this Issue:

e n i

z a g

Scan for Latest Issue:

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

Proof of monthly figures are available on request.

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

Name changed to GayCalgary in 1998.

Independent company as of January 2004.

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

February 2013, GayCalgary® becomes a registered trademark. December 2014/ January 2015 is the last print edition.

February 2015 is the first digital only edition. November 2017 limited print editions return.

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.

http://www.gaycalgary.com/RSS Articles • Recent News • Prize Draws • Events • Travel Info

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Monthly Online Magazine Readership:

Total Readership of PDF/ISSUU/WEB

48 Pride Journey

Queer Eye News Releases Directory and Events Classified Ads

Magazine Figures

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

St. Petersburg, Florida

57 74 77 82

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Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.

GayCalgary® is a registered trademark.

Feb/Mar 2018 Deadlines Ad Booking: Mon, Feb 12th

Submission: Wed, Feb 14th Online: Sun, Feb 18th Please contact us immediately if you think you may have missed the booking or submission deadline.

http://www.gaycalgary.com/i164 More articles and exclusive content online!

GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

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Editorial

Publisher’s Column

The joy and hate of taking photos, plus upcoming change for 2018

by Steve Polyak I am extremely gracious that Jasper Pride, Whistler Pride, Lethbridge Pride, Medicine Hat Pride, Central Alberta Pride and this year Banff Pride, that my costs are covered to be able to travel to those destinations to photograph their events. Some of these groups use local tourism dollars or sponsorships to arrange it for me.

Without this, I would not be able to go to these events that GayCalgary sponsors.

This year was the first time also I was able to arrange something for Edmonton through Tourism Edmonton for the Great Canadian Bear Weekend. Every year since we had expanded to cover Edmonton, I have had to pay for transportation and accommodation. It quickly gets expensive, which is why for the last several years I usually only attend major events in Edmonton. Previously when a couple Edmonton bars and businesses were advertising with the magazine, I could afford almost weekly trips up to cover events. Unfortunately, times change.

When I do these trips to pride destinations, I also do a complete travel article for them. It is part of the arrangement: you’re showcasing Pride AND the area/city in which it occurs.

Expect more of those types of articles appearing in upcoming editions of the magazine. I am very happy to be able to do coverage for these groups and destinations because I do feel

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they appreciated what the magazine does to help promote and showcase them.

Calgary Pride weekend had me running off my feet - after the weekend was over, I had downloaded all the photos and videos that I took over 5 days. It was close to 11,500 files and I was at about 25 events. In addition, as I had been out at all these events, I also realized that I had close to 1,000 unread emails to sort through as well that accumulated over the weekend.

Or to put it another way – from 6pm Friday to midnight Sunday, that was the equivalent of taking 3.5 photos a minute, while getting a new email every 3 minutes.

So, while most people are either partying, or are working at the events (and making money), I’m working. This means no alcohol as I am operating a camera and working around people – some who may be intoxicated and oblivious of their surroundings. You may be partying, but I am trying to line up a great shot, or concentrate on the next act on stage, or getting audience reactions all while trying to keep myself and my camera safe.

Being a real media outlet, I do get the chance to take photos of concerts, the Calgary and Edmonton Comic Expos, the Junos and other events. However, at events like this, we are told in advance by media reps or public relations on how long we are to photograph for, what we can photograph and so forth. With the type of control, we strictly follow the rules

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as we may sign contracts with penalties outlined if we breach the rules – this can include being blacklisted from covering future events.

What’s the big deal, you get to go to these amazing events, you take pictures, how hard is that you are thinking.

OK. This is my set up at concerts: usually located by the sound and lighting booth which is located all the way in the back. A crowd of people sitting or standing in front of me.

People holding up their smartphones for pictures (which I need to then need to compensate for and avoid). All media is there for ONLY two or three songs then we’re escorted out (oh, hey, enjoy the rest of the concert...bye!). This gives me five to ten minutes to get as many photos as possible while holding my camera above my head (keeping as still as possible) and zooming in to take my shots. I know that concerts will have great lighting, the performer is usually in a locked spot for those numbers I am photographing which also helps for great shots, but still I end up hoping there are some pictures I can use.

With the Junos, it’s an even tighter, controlled atmosphere: each celebrity stops on the red carpet for about 30 seconds to a minute for photos and you hope that you get something.

Other bigger media outlets will sometimes have two to three photographers to increase the odds of getting a good photo.

Any and all people identified as media must stay in the designated area. For example, we can’t just decide to run off and take a selfie with the talent if the rest of the media is in a cordoned off area. Everything must be approved (no drive by photos or interviews).

But, I hear people say, ...it must be great to make so much money covering these events.

You may want to sit down for this.

Never once has a venue, event promoter, or non-profit group has ever paid me for the photos I take, or the additional press that they get when I post the photos in the magazine and on our feeds. As I take photos at a lot of events, there are also photographer’s that either get drink tabs or payment, where I just get free cover. When you are trying to run a magazine to provide coverage of Alberta’s LGBTQ community, finding out that others are getting paid for work that you are already doing along side of you is not a great feeling. A lot of the times the venue or event promoter had not even purchased advertising which helps me keep the magazine running.

Some people do though get confused and assume that advertising pays for covering the event. Advertising is strictly just for the ads running in the magazine, online and in the social media feeds. If they want to pay for us to do photos, that is totally separate, but no one has paid me for that service. It would be not fair to the businesses that don’t do events that are paying the same rate as a venue that does to events for me to give them additional exposure by photographing their events.

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As a free magazine, my revenue comes from advertising.

That you can read this is due to businesses advertising with us (which is why we stress you always patronize our advertisers and tell them you saw their ad in GayCalgary).

People also forget that I am car-free. I walk or take transit to and from these events. While I could call for either a taxi or Uber home (or back to the hotel if I’m covering a story in another city), it’s not cheap, and therefore not an option if I am not making money doing these photos.

People do complain that I don’t have the pics from past events posted yet. Unlike the other photographers who got paid to take photos, I still must run the magazine throughout the day. I have lots of emails to deal with, posts to social media, updates to the website, the weekly email blasts, writing articles, layout of the magazine, programming of the website, and tons more.

I have scheduled a couple nights a week after 10pm to sort through photos I take. Besides any other considerations listed above, I manually have to review the pictures and remove bad pictures. It takes about 15 to 30 seconds for each photo depending what else I am doing at the same time.

Think about that 11,500 photos I took during Calgary Pride weekend. Assuming I’m really flying and doing four photos per minute. That’s 240 pictures per hour. If I worked 24 hours straight, that would be 5760 pictures. It would take me two days to sort through all those photos. Photos which I did not get paid to take, sort through or process.

Ask yourself – do you therefore think i have any time to apply Instagram filters or photoshop them? When I started posting photos on GayCalgary.com, the photos got a contrast and noise correction on them. That was all I would really do as any fixes are a huge time suck.

Furthermore, the photos are sometimes being used for posters, ads, coronation program guides and Facebook profiles too, so it is best that I keep the original versions up you can edit how you see fit. The main reason why the photo gallery is there is for the performers, fans, venues, non-profit groups, tourist destinations and others to see what our community is offering. The photos are not locked, so they can be downloaded and enjoyed. They are watermarked with the GayCalgary logo, but if someone needs the original hi-res version of the photos, they just ask.

The magazine is my full time and only job. The only way I can cover the costs of providing the LGBTQ+ community the coverage that we do is advertisers buying and paying for ad space.

There is no other staff - everyone else is freelance. I wake up in the morning at about 9am, and work away on two computers with four monitors in front of me until about 3am or 4am. The multiple servers that host the websites are in another room. I will get up to do personal things like eat, shower, laundry and such, but most of my day is on my chair in front of those four monitors 7 days a week. I leave

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the house to cover events or content for articles, go grocery shopping, pick up cheques, go to the bank, and that is pretty much it. I don’t have time to do movies, or have a social/ sex life, or go to a nice restaurant to have a meal, or getting a hair cut. There is always work that needs to be done. I do hang out on social media, several other sites and apps lurking, but it is more like looking at doughnuts, long johns and Timbits through a glass display while being on a diet and not being able to touch or taste what you see. I don’t usually get a chance to interact with the outside world unless it is magazine related.

The reason why I bring all this up about doing all these photos is so you can see how much the community and gay businesses want (pretty much for free) out of one person.

It does not help that I have a work load that just does not stop but also with limited amount of money coming from advertising, I have everything budgeted down as tight as possible, which leads me to...

Changes for 2018 As a result, I have a huge task list of things I want to get done and I can’t do 10 magazine editions a year anymore. It takes at least a week every time to create an edition. There is just not enough time in the day to do that plus create the articles and sort through photos with all the other daily tasks that I need to do. For 2018, just like other Canadian LGBTQ magazines that still produce PDF/ISSUU editions of their magazines, GayCalgary will also produce 6 editions per year.

Instead of waiting for the magazine to come out, some articles will appear right away on the GayCalgary website, but other articles will only appear once the magazine goes online. The weekly update emails will continue filling the need of upcoming events throughout Alberta, new articles and press releases that have been posted, prize draws, and photos added to the photo gallery. The magazine will get a lot more pages since there will be more articles, photos, travel, interviews and more of what our readers love about GayCalgary. PDF/ISSUU/Magzter/Online version of the magazine will remain free, but for those who wanted hard copies of the magazine it will still be $8.95 a copy. You can order hard copies directly from the GayCalgary website, and I am still working on the logistics of selling them at gay establishments since I still have not heard back from several of them.

With these changes, a new media kit will be introduced over the next couple of weeks which I am hoping will get more advertisers on board.

I want to say I do appreciate the people who want to help and have supported us. We need advertisers, more than anything right now.

I do appreciate offers of rides. I don’t mind working my ass off walking to and from events, however, at the event if it’s at the end of a day, ask me if I want a ride home. Grab me some water or a non-alcoholic beverage (if it’s the end of the night and the camera is out of my hands, I may even sit and have an adult beverage with you).

Another big change I’m working on is to get a way for people to “tip” the magazine for what it does in the community.

A couple of mainstream media sites are doing this. I had been holding off hoping that eventually the gay businesses would come on board more regularly to help support local gay media, but the response has been limited. Many creators of content (artists/writers/musicians) are embracing this model as well (see sites like Patreon). This way if you like what you see, if you like supporting local media, you can tip what you think will help support gay media coverage for Calgary, Edmonton and Alberta.

GayCalgary is not a non-profit organization, so I can’t get corporate sponsors, get casino money, or do a fundraiser in a bar to help cover our costs. This is my only form of income, and I love doing it...I’ve been putting out the magazine for over 14 years. In that time, I’ve seen several people try to www.gaycalgary.com

emulate me, but when they realize the effort involved in staging a multimedia publication platform, they quickly vanish. Everything that started GayCalgary Magazine, happened over 25 years ago, so prior to the magazine starting I did have full time jobs, but there was no way of running a monthly magazine and have a full-time job at the same time.

Further advertising changes....I know that on the website, people see major company ads popping up along side of gay community ads. During the last 3 or 4 years of those ads appearing on the website through third party sites we have never received a penny for them. Google and companies who supply those ads receive the money instead. I had set them up in hopes of additional revenue for the magazine, but after seeing that only a very small number of websites receive payments for these type of ads, I will eventually remove them. If those companies want to advertise to the LGBTQ community, come to us directly since this is one of the reasons why all media (mainstream or gay) is hurting for ad revenue.

When I started Men for Men BBS and then the GayCalgary. com website, I had jobs in the computer industry for most of it. For the first several years of GayCalgary Magazine, we had a lot of business in the LGBTQ+ community, and it was great to be gay media. As places started closing their doors, some of them burnt us up to $5000 in unpaid ad revenue, it did not make things easy. I am hoping with these changes, it will help keep me from getting any further behind as well as create a stronger version of GayCalgary.

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Theatre

Edmonton Burlesque Festival

By Lisa Lunney The fabulous Dirty Martini chatted with GayCalgary prior to the Edmonton Burlesque Festival. Dirty Martini is currently touring with Dita Von Teese and flew in to Alberta just for the event.

GC: Why is burlesque important in today’s society?

Dirty Martini: I believe that burlesque, at its most authentic can provide an avenue for women to have a conversation about their sexuality on their own terms.

This may sound counter intuitive when discussing a form derived from what is and was considered to be a part of the sex industry run primarily by men. It includes performers that span both worlds, performers in “Gentleman’s Club’s” and art and pop up venues. We have much to learn from both ends of the spectrum. Previously in feminist history, these conversations have been hushed or ignored due to a misunderstanding of our own sexual needs and their relationship to be a fully fulfilled and entitled human being.

The conversation itself is taboo! The actuality is that women historically have had a major role in the sex industry and that industry itself has been innovative in areas of technology, human rights and fashion. My S-heroes are: Jennie Lee, founder of the Burlesque Hall of Fame and union organizer, Zorita, notorious burlesque bad ass of the past, Tura Satana, cult icon of bad girl style and Liz Renay, burlesque and screen star known as much for her screen appearances and jail time as she is for her amazing memoir and resulting advice books for a previous generation of housewives. These women had small roles in our collective memory, but a huge influence on the way women are perceived in the world. More importantly, they kick started the revolution of the new burlesque by inspiring a generation of young women who started to question the status quo post sexual revolution.

Why is all this important? Now more than ever we are seeing a major backlash in the USA under the threat of religious conservatism and the election of a man who blatantly uses women to bolster his own self-image and thereby narrows the perceived image of a strong woman.

Burlesque in its current form is all about strong women expressing themselves and their intense femininity whether that looks like pretty retro vixens or “normal” looking women on stage performing more conceptual work and everything in between. Both can be very satisfying to watch while women and men who support them are riotously cheering in an audience.

GC: What sets Burlesque apart from other dancing?

DM: Burlesque has its roots in the birth of American Jazz music and social dance forms such as the jitterbug. “Exotic” dance forms that were less understood by Americans such as Middle Eastern dance and Hula were also imitated to create a new vocabulary of “sexy dance” that was thankfully recorded and made into stag and exploitation films. These were the very places that women felt oppressed by and excluded from. Burlesque is a form of dance that hasn’t previously been “discovered” or discussed by dance historians. This is something that drew me to it when I saw my first burlesque reel from the 50’s. After a conservatory education in dance and choreography, it was akin to discovering King Tut’s Tomb! No one was discussing the merits or contribution of burlesque to theatrical history. This was one of the reasons that I felt I needed to start recreating it for this generation.

I felt that if I could show people in a new generation what the old burlesque had to offer, then a new art form could be instigated. Was I right or what!!! Thanks to others in the field who had similar goals, namely Dita VonTeese

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and directors like John Cameron Mitchell, there is now a basis for starting burlesque anew! Dita, Catherine D’lish and the LA troupe The Velvet Hammer influenced the creators of the film Burlesque with Cher. In New York, John Cameron Mitchell who made the movie Hedwig came to The VaVaVoom Room and used many of those performers for his groundbreaking film Shortbus. Currently, Dita Von Teese is touring her stage show Art of the Teese all over the country and Canada featuring a diverse cast of burlesque innovators including myself. Burlesque festivals such as the one in Edmonton have popped up all over the world to showcase all the amazing new and established performers that are the newest generation of this unique art form.

GC: You are often hailed as the Queen of Burlesque, alongside Judith Stein. How does that make you feel?

DM: I feel like an overnight success which everyone knows takes 10 years to accomplish! I’m so excited to perform alongside the cherished Grand Beaver of burlesque who exemplifies the beauty, comedy and innovation that burlesque brings to the world. She is such a treasure to Canada and the world. We need to create the kind of icons that we wish to see in the mainstream, because there is so much more to women than just Victoria’s Secret Angels and Real Housewives. This is the 21st century people! Time for women to make our revolution and be the glamazon army we need! Can we have Rihanna & Nikki Minaj for Generals please?

GC: What inspired your signature style - both in dance and fashion?

DM: My curvy form has always dictated my sense of style mainly because of the limited options for purchasing clothes that fit. Women speak to me all the time about creating more of a market for curvy women in fashion. I’m certainly trying as far as social perceptions go, but the fashion industry is like a brick wall. When it comes to what ends up in the stores, we are limited by narrow minded professional buyers and the lack of diverse patterning. Not to mention the exportation of labor and fabrication in troublesome economies such as Indonesia, Mexico and China. There are many fabulous smaller venues in which to buy fashion, but most curvy girls find the price limiting when Walmart offers stretch clothing for under $10. We have to reframe how we buy clothing for ourselves until there are better options. Trashy Diva and Mode Merr are my favorites for shape and fabric quality offering a large variety of styles and sizes between the two. Pinup Girl and Bernie Dexter are also incredible sources for a special occasion outfit, but I wear them every day! Karl Lagerfeld said to me after our photoshoot “together, we could change fashion”. I keep this in my mind as a pep speech when professionals in the industry tell me that buyers will not stock and thereby order larger sizes in both lingerie and ready to wear.

GC: What can audience members look forward to seeing at Edmonton’s Burlesque Fest?

DM: If the audience member is already a burlesque fan, they can expect their home town s-heroes and heroes wowing the crowd with their newest and best as well as some favorites of the international burlesque scene close to home on a big beautiful stage. For those who are new to the whole thing, hold on to your proverbial hats! Your life is about to change! Some who are new to burlesque find that they get addicted. Some who come for the first time may find something that they may not have calculated or expected.

These feelings can only be had in the audience of a real live theater! The energy in the live audience is unlike anything www.gaycalgary.com

you can find behind a computer or with a phone in front of your face. Open your minds and hearts, so we can break them!

GC: Where do you see the art of burlesque going in the future?

DM: I can only hope for the by-product of my career to be greater understanding of women as artists, a more comprehensive array of types of beauty on view, and the elevation of the contributions of burlesque artists of the past.

It’s time these women were lauded as the ground breaking bad asses that they are. I don’t believe that burlesque is a fad, because I’ve been innovating in it since the early 90’s and it’s only grown bigger. Punk rock started at CBGB’s which is now gone but not forgotten. 30 years ago, you could see Blondie there. At that time, no one knew the name The Ramones or Blondie, but they started a revolution in music.

I hope the same for burlesque. Unlike Rock and Roll, the world of dance needs an infusion of cool. I believe burlesque could be that infusion. Even though The Velvet Hammer is long gone, there’s a new generation of boastful, fabulous, PT Barnum-esque social justice warriors ready to bust up the mainstream! That’s what you may get in on the ground floor for if you come to Edmonton burlesque festival!

Edmonton Burlesque Festival http://edmontonburlesquefest.com/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5657 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Native Tongues

Zesty Taqueria Heats up the Palette in Good Taste

 photos by GayCalgary

By Janine Eva-Trotta In a room rampant with cozy charm, solid wood, tin ceiling tiles and wall-mounted animal heads, Native Tongues, a Mexican taqueria on Calgary’s 12th Avenue SW, is serving up authentic dishes with an Albertan flare..

GayCalgary was privy to a multi-course tasting on an overcast fall day, the clouds brimming up with drizzle, in the warm ambience of Native Tongues.

We started with a hearty pozole – the wonderful Mexican soup that combines bucksome kernels of hominy with various broths; in this case, a delicious blend of five chilles, carnitas (pulled pork), cabbage, radish and fresh crema.

We were then tabled with three antojitos, or starters: zanahorias - roasted carrots in beurre blanc, drizzled with Serrano crema, crumbled fresh cheese and chili; hongos al ajillo - mushrooms accompanied with grilled calabaza (squash), herbs and crema; and finally camarones al chimole, prawns in a herbed butter with chili,, served with delectable, locally made tortillas.

Our taco mains included a beautiful arrangement of pescaditos, crispy beer-battered trout over a lively eschabeche (pickled slaw) with spicy aioli and micro-herbs; and a 12-ounce rib-eye con papas y cebollas, crispy frites and onion tendrils.

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While all the dishes were rife with spice, some could have used a sparser dashing of salt. The chimole butter that accompanied the beef was unusual but not as pleasing a flavour as many of the Mexican salsas that accompany a standard carne asada.

A perfect lime margarita – shaken, not blended – eased the full-flavoured items down, while a mildly sweet, flower garnished tres leches concluded the meal. I found this latter item to be rather dry, however the next time I sit down to a feast at Native Tongues – and there most definitely will be a next time – I look forward to trying the flan Mexicana that is offered in the postres section of the menu.

Native Tongues 235 12th Avenue SW, Calgary, AB http://www.nativetongues.ca/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5658 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

Imagine Dragons Brings Showmanship to Saddledome

 photos by GayCalgary

By Jason Clevett Before Las Vegas shows became spectacle, they were about showmanship. Vegas’ Imagine Dragons brought that showmanship to Calgary with the Evolve tour.

Much of the show’s success lies in Imagine Dragons’ charismatic front man. Dan Reynolds never stopped moving, seeming to make eye contact with everyone in the pit at the front of the stage all the way to the back. Handsome but humble both onstage and lyrically, it’s evident why the band has such a rabid fanbase.

That is the key to the bands connection with its fans. Reynolds spoke about his own battles with depression and how those experiences lead to him being a musician prior to Demons. The crowd gleefully sang out the word “yesterday” during the chorus of the song of the same name, about looking forward. A gorgeous rendition of Bleeding Out hit the emotion of loss and loneliness. The audience even got a treat as the band played Amsterdam for the first time on the tour.

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Visually the show was the definition of classic Vegas showmanship.

An impressive laser show, elevated screens, laser pyramids, soap bubbles and giant balloons bouncing around the audience added to the experience. It’s classic arena rock.

Early in the show Reynolds acknowledged the recent tragedy in the bands hometown, and throughout the night the message was simple.

Empowerment. Equality. It was a night that as he said allowed fans to “forget about work, school and your problems and just enjoy yourself.”

There’s a lot of challenges facing the world and many of the youth in attendance. Imagine Dragons are the kind of band that anyone should be proud to have influencing the next generation.

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Photography Calgary Pride 2017 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1457

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GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

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Health

Positive Thoughts - Connected Action

GNP+ works with communities of people living with HIV around the world to make sure their voices are heard

By Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr. Laurel Sprague, PhD, is the executive director of GNP+ (The Global Network of People Living with HIV). The Amsterdam-based organization works to improve the quality of life for all people living with HIV through global advocacy, community strengthening and knowledge management. Sprague took the helm of GNP+ in May, but she’s been committed to addressing human rights and social justice issues for more than 25 years.

She formerly worked as a global research fellow on HIV, gender and justice with the HIV Justice Network, an international group focused on ending inappropriate criminalization for nondisclosure, exposure and transmission of HIV. She was also on the UNAIDS Progamme Coordinating Board as a nongovernmental organization delegate for the United States.

Sprague, who was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, is no stranger to GNP+. She previously served as a regional coordinator for the North American affiliate of GNP+ and was also a board member.

Tell us about GNP+’s three major areas of focus.

GNP+ is in the middle of creating a new strategic plan that will guide how we bring all the pieces of our work under an overarching focus. Nothing that we are doing now will be lost, but the way we will approach it will be different as we move forward.

Our global advocacy work has been shaped by consultations done with different communities of people living with HIV across the world. We came up with a pretty big global advocacy agenda, and from that, the first area we focused on was treatment access and access to prevention, care and support with HIV. We’re trying to make sure that all people are able to access prevention. We also want treatment for HIV to be offered in ways that are nonstigmatizing and nondiscriminatory so that we can all access the kind of care and support related to the medical treatment that we need.

Second, the human rights part of our work is about the comprehensive quality of life for people living with HIV and the comprehensive ability to live life with dignity. This work deals with fighting stigma, discrimination and criminal laws that target people living with HIV and people who are LGBT, as well as laws that target sex workers and people who use drugs and treat women unfairly.

Finally, the knowledge management piece of our work has involved looking at human rights violations, training people with HIV to document human rights violations and sharing what’s happening at the national level so that we can bring that information forward. We have gathered an incredible amount of information that we haven’t always had the time and capacity to use completely. Moving forward, we want to develop the infrastructure so that we can take all this information and share it and use it in even more powerful ways.

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 photo of the GNP+ board members (from left): Jaime Luna, Chinmay Modi, Christian Hui, EriKa Castellanos, Javier Hourcade Bellocq, L’Orangelis Thomas Negron, Chris Mallouris”

Those three areas of the agenda come together in a framework called Positive Health, Dignity and Prevention (PHDP). It looks at the comprehensiveness of life for people living with HIV and the way in which our treatment, employment, housing, access to sexual reproductive health and rights and so many other things are all interconnected. They create this sort of organic whole that is the picture of our lives and the context within which we have to operate.

What changes are in store for GNP+?

Last November, our board, which was made up of representatives from each region of people living with HIV, made the decision to restructure the board in order to have a better representation of all the key populations of people living with HIV. There will be much more space for the broadest diversity possible among board members and a constant focus of attention on groups that are marginalized.

The next big change is the restructuring of the GNP+ Secretariat. Over the last few years, we have become very project-based, and there is a real commitment to shaping the organization so that we are principles-based. We’re committed to setting a vision for how people living with HIV should be able to live in the world and orienting our work around that.

Describe your relationship with local and global groups.

As a global network, GNP+ sometimes serves in a convening role but also offers support toward autonomous networks of people living with HIV. We primarily work to make tools and resources available.

We can link people to training and support that they need and help with the basic processes they need to create a structure, to work with a board, to reach out to funders and things like that. We try to help build capacities so that networks can be stronger on their own.

There’s a lot of work around collecting information, sharing it, reporting it and monitoring it, specifically around stigma, human rights violations and criminalization and keeping track of legal and regulatory barriers to HIV testing.

Working at the global level with organizations like UNAIDS, Global Fund, Unitaid and PEPFAR, we do our best to make www.gaycalgary.com

sure that the needs of people living with HIV worldwide are reflected in their guidelines, best practices and decision making. We then reflect that information and what we learn in global settings back to regional and national levels. We’re trying to maintain the clearest picture of what’s happening in different regions and countries so that we’re able to accurately reflect what’s happening out in the world.

What are some of your top concerns?

There’s a big challenge in reestablishing the primacy of human rights as a central tenet in addressing HIV and issues around health and health equity broadly. The more biomedical approaches we have to HIV, the more it seems that there’s a sense that human rights and decency can fall by the wayside.

Another major priority is access to treatment. I think it’s great to report the successes around HIV, but many of us know what it looks like to die of AIDS-related illness. It looks exactly the same now as it did in 1981, and half of the people worldwide who have HIV don’t have treatment, which means they’re facing exactly what we were all facing in the ’80s and early ’90s.

We need to figure out what to do to get people the treatment they need. Part of it has to do with reducing stigma and discrimination in health care facilities, but also within our communities. We need to look at the ways that we stigmatize ourselves and one another. We need to commit to creating spaces where there is room for everyone and we can work together.

Another big part of the problem of getting people access to treatment is the price of drugs. We know that GNP+ needs to have a much louder voice, and in many ways, we all need to have a much louder voice to say that it’s not acceptable that profits are made on the backs of human lives in the way that they are right now.

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How are you absorbing this change?

I’m honored that the board selected me to lead GNP+. It feels like a heavy responsibility, but the weight is lightened by the number of people who have offered support – especially people living with HIV. We’re joining forces and doing it together. We are creating a united movement, and it means the world to me.

What advice can you give to people living with HIV who want to get involved?

I will always be the biggest proponent of getting involved in networks of people living with HIV because that’s made all the difference for me. The best networks to join are your local networks. I can’t think of anything that makes us stronger in terms of both our own self-love and our love for the people in our communities than our networks.

I hope people will also connect with GNP+ through our website or Facebook because we have lots of interesting webinars and information to share. If you can connect with us, then you’ll know what’s happening – you’ll be part of it.

Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr. is the editor-in-chief of POZ magazine. Find him on Twitter @oriolgutierrez. This column is a project of Plus, Positively Aware, POZ, The Body and Q Syndicate, the LGBT wire service. Visit their websites – http://hivplusmag.com, http://positivelyaware.com, http://poz.com and http://thebody.com – for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

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Health

Positive Thoughts

Why This Trans Guy Stopped Taking Daily PrEP for HIV Prevention

By JD Davids I’m not stopping PrEP because my skin turned blue.

That was an embarrassing mistake in the first few days of trying it. Don’t tell anyone, though, or they’ll find out that I’m the kind of guy who buys a black flannel shirt and wears it for a few days without washing it, not realizing it’s going to seep dye onto any exposed areas and causing me to make panicky calls to bemused, sympa-thetic friends and globally-noted HIV researchers alike.

And it’s not because I got an itchy-burny rash on my neck and face after my very first pill. I get a lot of side effects and know they are usually transient. But just to be sure, I waited till I could see an allergist. He agreed that it was not a dangerous reaction, so with my primary care provid-er’s blessing I took a half-pill daily, along with an over-the-counter allergy med, for 10 days be-fore retrying the whole pill.

And it’s certainly not because anything has come out in the last year and half that I’ve been on it that has me questioning its efficacy. To the contrary, around the world there’s been only three outlier cases of people acquiring HIV despite daily PrEP use: two people who encountered rela-tively rare resistant strains, and one person who had a rather high number of partners and an unu-sual configuration of HIV antibodies when he tested positive – and all are doing really well on treatment, at last report.

I’ve been following PrEP research for, wow, decades now, back when a potential compound was still being studied in animals for protective activity while researchers speculated that the protec-tive effects of treating pregnant people with HIV to lower transmission rates to babies could maybe work for sex as well.

I’d cried when the results came out from that study of birth parents and babies in 1993, and I cried again when I heard the trial results in 2010 confirming PrEP was a home run.

But I didn’t consider myself as a PrEP candidate until a few years ago, when a partner was taking the next steps in his own gender transition and feeling more confident in making moves on cis men.

As I stepped into the role of authoritative HIV geek explaining how PrEP might help him feel more comfortable as a bottom, I found myself thinking, “Well, damn, that does sound pretty good,” and realized I wanted in on it myself. So I did, and became one of growing numbers of people who found PrEP to be good for more than just HIV prevention, as it helped me grow into my understanding and embodiment of my gender, my desire and my identity.

But in my current configuration of relationships and adventure (including reborn appreciation for “female” condoms and deep delight that HIV undetectable equals untransmittable (U=U)), I’m not putting this PrEP to much use these days.

Dr. Bob Grant, who knows as much about PrEP as anyone (in addition to being a hell of a nice guy who was, um, kind to me when I called him when I turned blue), likes to talk about PrEP as a tool for those of us in “seasons of risk”:

not having much sex, they may find they don’t need PrEP. It’s actually appropriate that some people stop PrEP, because they’re in a different phase of their life and they no longer need it.

I’ve found myself taking PrEP for weeks or months without having any real risk of HIV, so clearly it seemed seasons have changed. I take lots of meds and supplements for three autoim-mune diseases and related chronic pain and fatigue – so I’m good with having one less pill and two less drugs in the mix.

Plus, it now looks like it will be easier than previously thought for me to get up to protective lev-els if I want to get back on. Here’s the deal: Current guidelines in the U.S. advise waiting for seven days of daily PrEP dosing to be fully covered for receptive anal sex; though four days per week may be sufficient, it may be that daily dosing can ensure the best shot at ongoing adherence and full coverage.

But I’m trans, and for me (though not for all transmasculine people, of course) that means I’ve got another active area that needs coverage.

As Roger Pebody reports on our site, “the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to say that people need 20 days of daily TDF/FTC before they can consider themselves protected from vaginal HIV exposure – but the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that just seven days of the drug is enough.”

I’m going with WHO for this one, at least for myself. That feels like a feasible strategy for me, as far as jumping back on PrEP a week before a trip or otherwise anticipated opportunity for good times.

All along, I’ve been at relatively low risk for HIV infection.

But as someone who has been in the thick of HIV stuff for most of my life at this point, it felt incredible – and in some ways, neces-sary – to be at virtually zero HIV risk to fully open up to my desires and live into this phase of my life.

There’s a lot out there right now to help people get onto PrEP in the United States, no matter what the reason for their season. There’s tools for providers and patients and growing options like telemedicine or online ordering for those in remote locales or challenging circumstances.

If you think you don’t have HIV and you think you might want to give it a whirl, go for it. But if you find yourself turning blue, head to the laundromat first.

JD Davids is the director of partnerships and a senior editor at TheBody. com and TheBody-PRO.com. This column is a project of Plus, Positively Aware, POZ, The Body and Q Syndicate, the LGBT wire service. Visit their websites – http://hivplusmag.com, http://positivelyaware.com, http://poz. com and http://thebody.com – for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

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Taking antiretrovirals for PrEP is different from taking them for HIV treatment, in signif-icant ways. Treatment for HIV is something people need to start early and stick with long term. PrEP is different. People go through “seasons of risk,” periods of their lives when they are at risk for acquiring HIV, and PrEP is appropriate for those times. In periods when they have negotiated safety with a partner or they’re just 18

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Health

Positive Thoughts

Growing up in the ’80s, I learned more about HIV and AIDS from pop culture than I did in the classroom – but have HIV education efforts really improved much since then?

By Desireé Guerrero In 1977, the year I was born, there wasn’t a name for it yet. Many were still calling it the new “gay cancer” or more officially, GRID (gay-related immune deficiency). Then in 1981, gay community leaders, federal bureaucrats and members of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) met in Washington and proposed to change the name of this viral illness, due to evidence that showed the virus was not gay specific.

Of course, what I’m referring to is what we now know as human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV. But back in the 1980s, there was an incredible lack of fact-based information about the virus. In fact, the average person knew pretty much nothing about HIV, other than that a lot of gay men were dying from complications of it (or that’s what the media was telling us anyway.)

Over the next decade, I would learn about HIV and AIDS in bits and pieces put forth by popular culture – overhearing television news stories as I played in the living room at my grandparents’ house, or from brief glimpses at my grandma’s tabloids on the kitchen table.

“Hollywood Heartthrob Rock Hudson Dies of AIDS,” read one headline, a story which was also in heavy rotation on the evening news.

Then there were celebrities who began to advocate for those living with the virus, such as Elizabeth Taylor and Princess Diana. Though many celebs have joined the fight since then, the compassion and support these women publicly displayed was – at a time when stigma and misinformation prevailed – an act of bravery. I remember a media frenzy ensuing over the fact that Diana had shook the hand of a young man in the advanced stages of HIV. And what about at school? Was there any discussion of HIV or AIDS there? In a word: no. But that was the ’80s. Statistically, kids weren’t acquiring HIV, and stigma and fear around the virus were at all-time highs. No one wanted to talk about it publicly for fear someone might think you “had it.” Perhaps the conversation would expand in the next decade – and fortunately, it did.

In 1991, when beloved pro basketball player Magic Johnson went public with his status, the world was stunned. Johnson was the first prominent non-gay figure (and personal hero to many young people) to come forward as HIV-positive, which sparked a new public desire for facts and real information around the condition. Exactly how did one acquire HIV? What treatments were available? How could transmission be prevented?

In my high school sex education class, I do remember the health teacher (who was also the surf team coach), awkwardly demonstrating on a banana how to put on a condom – but I don’t remember any mention of HIV or AIDS, which by this time was a full-fledged epidemic. The focus in sex ed was more about how not to get pregnant (which I already was at the time, but that’s another story).

One of the first major resources for young people to get information about HIV and AIDS was, oddly enough, MTV. In addition to educational specials about safe sex, the “Music Television” cable channel famously cast Pedro Zamora – an out, HIV-positive activist and educator – in The Real World. Through this new lens of reality TV, we got to know (and love) Zamora intimately, and the charismatic young man quickly became a fan favorite.

Together, we collectively mourned his passing at only 22 years old.

In his all-too-brief time on this earth, Zamora was able to make a bigger impact on my generation around this issue than anyone had ever done before, simply by bravely and unapologetically living his truth. He was one of us, or what we hoped to be – an intelligent young person with a bright future – and now he was dead. The tragedy of AIDS had finally hit home with our generation.

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As we moved through the ’90s, the conversation around HIV and AIDS did gain momentum. More people were talking about it, and in less hushed voices. “Supermodel of the World” and drag sensation RuPaul kicked off MAC Cosmetics’ Viva Glam AIDS fundraising campaign. Olympic diver Greg Louganis went public about being poz in an interview with Barbara Walters. It seemed that, as a society, we were progressing toward a future of less stigma and more information about HIV. It was also the Madonna Sex book era. Sexual orientations were being explored in films like Threesome, and gender norms were being questioned. People were talking about bisexuality. Rock musical Rent came out, which touched on all these themes, including HIV. As a generation (especially queer kids), we felt certain we were on the proper path to sexual enlightenment, equality and health.

But somehow, as we moved into the new millennium and beyond, we seemed to have veered off our path to this utopian future and gotten lost in the desert. The conversation around HIV seemed to all but disappear from popular culture. There were no more poz reality stars on TV, no more celebrities coming forward with their status, and still no solid HIV educational programs being implemented in schools.

Not to discredit the countless organizations and advocates that have continued to work tirelessly in the fight against HIV/AIDS over the decades. It wasn’t for lack of desire to keep up the fight, but rather a shift in the political and cultural climate.

In 2001, George W. Bush took the presidential office following eight years of the Clinton administration. Much like how the wave of cold war conservatism had doused the fire of the “Roaring ’20s” and early 1930s, our societal pendulum had once again swung back in the other direction. And it should be noted that Bush has been a significant ally in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. He was instrumental in starting President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), an initiative created to help those suffering due to HIV around the world.

Regardless, people just seemed no longer interested in talking about HIV. Today, we are living in a time where we have once again been shaken by political upheaval – though this time advocates seem better prepared for the fight. We are campaigning again, getting the word out there about things like PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) and U=U (undetectable equals untransmittable). Poz people are courageously coming forward again. We are actively and aggressively fighting stigma.

But we still have much to do and plenty of challenges ahead – one of which is reigniting the topic of HIV among the younger generation.

In 2015, youths ranging from 13 to 24 years of age accounted for 22 percent of all new HIV diagnoses in the United States (81 percent occurred among gay and bisexual males), according to the CDC. Of the estimated 60,900 youths living with HIV in the United States in 2013, 51 percent were unaware of their status – the highest rate of undiagnosed HIV in any age group.

With statistics like these (which have increased dramatically among this demographic since the 1980s) can we afford to continue putting HIV youth education on the back burner?

Desiree Guerrero is the associate editor of Plus magazine. This column is a project of Plus, Positively Aware, POZ, TheBody.com and Q Syndicate, the LGBT wire service. Visit their websites – http://hivplusmag.com, http:// positivelyaware.com, http://poz.com and http://thebody.com – for the latest updates on HIV/AIDS.

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Photography Medicine Hat Pride 2017 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1500

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Stage West Has Another Hit, Baby One More Time

Pure 90’s a joyous blast from the past

 photos by Stage West Calgary

By Jason Clevett My first reaction to the announcement that Stage West would be doing a 90’s theme for their popular musical revue shows was joy. As someone whose life was influenced heavily by the music of that decade, I was excited to see the show. My second thought was feeling old – it was only a few seasons ago that 80’s Solid Gold ran and now my generation is getting a show?

The 90’s however is big right now. Bands like Gun’s n’ Roses and U2 are selling out stadiums, 90’s stalwarts like Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and Celine Dion are selling out Las Vegas, and one of the biggest viral videos of the year was Back to the 90’s. While there was still a long way to go, the 90’s was when the LGBTQ community really started to gain acceptance. It’s an era that has fond memories for many of us, and the artists that defined the era are featured in Pure 90’s.

The cast shows incredible versatility in paying tribute to the featured artists. Adriana Crivici captures the physical performance and unique vocal style of Alanis Morrisette, then later shines as Madonna. One moment Jacob Woike is busting out Snow’s Informer in white rapper getup, later he is pure sex appeal as a shirtless, leather jacketed Bono. Calvin Laveck delivers a soulful Bryan Adams early in the set, and later is a barrel chested, mulleted Billy Ray Cyrus. This is just a few examples of how talented cast delivers tributes again and again.

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90’s purists may blink at the early inclusion of 2000’s Oops I Did It Again. The wrong decade slipup is quickly forgiven as the song as well as Madelyn Kriese’s version of Baby One More Time nails the choreography from the videos.

This is something that quickly becomes apparent, director and choreographer Timothy French must have spent hours watching music videos as the choreography to songs like Janet Jackson’s Together Again, N’sync’s Bye Bye Bye and Madonna’s Vogue are step by step recreations of the iconic dance moves in the videos. Even non-dance numbers like Shania Twain’s Man I Feel Like A Woman features Sarah Horsman in a perfectly recreated outfit while the guys strut behind her with white guitars, leather pants, and red shirts tight enough to look painted on.

Antonette Rudder stunningly captures Janet Jackson, Brandy Norwood and Scary Spice. Jeremy Carver-Jones has the daunting task of paying tribute to the likes of Michael Jackson and Will Smith, showing both rapping and singing skills. Michelle Bardach makes us Believe with her Cher tribute. Victoria Scully’s Celine Dion tribute is a showstopper, as is Gaelan Beatty, who somehow manages to race through the lyrics of Garth Brook’s Ain’t Goin Down (Til The Sun Comes Up) without tripping up. Jesse Weafer & Dean Deffett spend a lot of time dancing their asses off but get the chance to shine in some of the group numbers as well as songs by REM and Aerosmith.

As with last years movie themed show, Andrew McGillivray takes on a hosting role for the show. A long time Stage West favourite from shows like The Wedding Singer and One www.gaycalgary.com

Hit Wonders, McGillivray continues to show his talent for physical comedy and impressions. While he isn’t in many of the evenings numbers he does get his own opportunity to do some songs which the audience loved.

Hopefully like many of the past revues, Pure 90’s will get a sequel in the future. There are so many great acts and genres such as grunge that weren’t touched on that would be fantastic in the future. While it may be hard to imagine Nirvana or Moist being performed at Stage West, this show features California Love by 2Pac featuring Dr. Dre – a sentence I never would have imagined writing before. In the meantime, the current incarnation is a fantastic trip back to the days of boy bands, divas, and dance music. Out of the many revues I’ve been privileged enough to witness at Stage West the combination of songs I know every word to, incredible choreography, and a super talented and energetic cast makes Pure 90’s one of my favourites. Check it out before it disappears February 4th.

Pure 90’s Playing until February 4th Stage West Theatre Restaurant http://www.stagewestcalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5650 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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Zhana Roiya Gets Dirty on the Dancefloor

By Jamie Booth Zhana Roiya returns to the dance floor with “U Sexy Mutha U,” the follow-up to “Lick Me Up,” her smash Billboard #1. Written and produced by Barry Huffine and Stevie F (the producer behind many of Madonna’s early hits), “U Sexy Mutha U” is a high energy retro pop record infused with gospel house.

“I drew inspiration from KC and the Sunshine band for the track,” explains Roiya. “I’ve always loved how they made songs

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that made ya stop what you were doing with a hypnotic and infectious hook. I wanted to capture that essence in the song.”

At first listen, the mainstream radio potential for “U Sexy Mutha U” is obvious. Zhana Roiya’s soaring vocals turn the song into an anthem that club fans will want to sing at the top of their lungs, simply because it feels good to do so. The song stirs a wide array of emotions from silliness to sexiness. It is hopeful yet, at the same time, takes no prisoners.

“We wanted to create a song that was catchy and that anyone could relate to,” explains Stevie F. “What’s more universal than desire? There’s a time in everyone’s life where their eye catches someone with a crazy sex appeal that really revs up their motor; someone they can’t stop thinking about who they want to be with.”

“I had been wanting to work with Zhana on a project for years” reveals Huffine. “Everyone in the Dance Music scene knows how she’s able to deliver a lead vocal that’s on point with sweet harmonies that are simply amazing”.

Matt Consola of Swishcraft Music, the label releasing the single, agrees. “If club fans had any idea how many massive club hits Zhana’s been on through the 90’s and 2000’s, under various names, it would blow them away.”

He is rolling out some exciting remix interpretations of “U Sexy Mutha U” from top talent including 15-time Billboard Dance #1 remixers Dirty Disco (David Bowie, Smash Mouth, Clean Bandit), Bearlin Records super producer Jose Spinnin Cortes (Offer Nissim, Amuka, Suzanne Palmer), London-based Circuit mega producer and label owner GSP, and former Paisley Park/Prince engineer turned producer Larry Peace. There are www.gaycalgary.com

also versions by Nu Disco award winner Lucius Lowe, Spain’s Italo-Iberican pioneer OBTUS (aka Julián Guarque) as well as DJ/remixers Max Grandon, Guy DeGiacinto and the team of Alberto Ponzo & Fabio Campos.

“Finding the right remixers is often the hardest part of putting out a dance single,” Consola continues. “All to often, labels release a slew of remixes in various genres just to try to force their way to every different type of dance floor, from Deep House to Tech House, EDM, Nu-Disco, and Circuit. While that’s all part of trying to make a dance hit, few songs lend themselves to so many genres.”

Luckily, ‘U Sexy Mutha U’ does, and each mix on the package offers an interpretation that takes the original into new and exciting territories.

“The dance floor needs a song like ‘U Sexy Mutha U’ because global current affairs are so dark and bleak,” says Consola. “All this division is taking a toll. We need uplifting music we can escape into. Like the great Inaya Day says, sometimes you need to ‘Take Your Problems to The Dance Floor,’” he laughs.

“Believe it or not, I first heard the hook of ‘U Sexy Mutha U’ in a dream,” adds Roiya. “As soon as I woke up, I recorded it on my phone and waited for the opportunity when I could lay down the vocals in studio. I know in my heart that ‘U Sexy Mutha U’ will be a song to define the year ahead.”

“U Sexy Mutha U” is available on iTunes and all music streaming services.

For more information, visit http://swishcraftmusic.com

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ATP Revives Childhood Classic Charlotte’s Web in Endearing Adaptation

 photo by Benjamin Laird

By Janine Eva Trotta I believe it was Grade 6 when my childhood best friend and I took on the characters of Wilbur the pig and Charlotte the spider in a duet acting competition between schools. E.B. White’s story of a motherly spider, who selflessly saves the life of her fretting pig friend, is one that resides in the back of any child’s mind who grew up in the last six decades and, thanks to groups like Alberta Theatre Projects, will continue to do so.

Indeed at last night’s performance, it was watching the intensity in which my 6 year old son devoured the show, which jogged the relationship I had with this powerful story in my younger years. This triumphant story of empathy, gratitude and the ties that bind – the virtues we can never extoll enough of.

The stage set up and costumes are simple and modest, perfect for a tale that takes us away from our cell phones and busy lives to a barn where a bittersweet, familial love story is taking place.

Charlotte, played remarkably by Léda Davies, weaves the plotline from an aerial position betwixt fabric pillars used to

convey the strands of a web. She dangles gracefully from these, weaving the words that will save her swine pal from his doomed slaughter.

Sarah Wheeldon and Nadien Chu provide supporting comic relief as sheep and goose, while Tenaj Williams gives an honest go at Wilbur.

ATP has long been a favourite of mine for its reliable provision of diverse emotional works amid the cozy, and charming seats of the Martha Cohen Theatre. Charlotte’s Web does not disappoint.

For the child in all of us, this is a story worth reliving, especially as we approach what should be the season of emotional giving.

It is a positive reminder that family and friendship need not be defined by blood relations or material gain, but are formed in the bonds and sacrifices we make for those we care about.

Have you not a child to take to this play, borrow a niece or nephew, and give the gift of a terrific theatre experience this Christmas. It’s what Charlotte would have you do.

E.B. White’s Charlotte’s Web Presented by Alberta Theatre Projects November 21st to December 31st http://atplive.com/whats-on/charlottes-web/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5619 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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The Haunted House Hamlet

Morph back into time and enter the maze of vengeance

By Janine Eva Trotta Last night blew my mind. Not because I haven’t seen Shakespearian plays before, or even modern adaptations, but this was neither of those things. Somehow the Artist Collective found an actor who is capable of time transfer.

If he didn’t teleport here from the 15th Century then he is simply a thespian the ranks of which we very rarely see anymore.

Ben Francis is actually a graduate of the master class program at the Company of Rogues Actors Studio, and studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. His portrayal of Hamlet is akin to Claire Foy’s of the Queen. It is spot on.

All the actor’s in this ‘choose your own adventure’ theatrical experience is commendable. Set in the multi-chambered space of A/Maze Escape Room, viewers are granted the unique experience of wandering room to room to view the aspects of Hamlet they choose. For example, Ophelia dressing and singing to herself behind a change screen in one corridor, while Gertrude and King Claudius speak in another, all while Horatio cinches the past and present in a front room.

The result director Amanda Liz Cutting has created is both intimate and entertaining. No more than 30 participants will be admitted into each showing, of which there are two per night until Halloween. The actors do not falter despite the challenging and wordy script, and the centimetres between themselves and their audience. It is truly a feat that only a devoted artiste could pull off, and indeed this cast does.

Mocktails and candy are provided, with snacks and sodas for sale at intermission. Sadly this is not a licensed event, which I think it should be. Wine would mix better with Hamlet than grenadine. The show runs 90 minutes with a 15-minute break.

Show times are at 8pm and 10:30pm nightly, and tickets are $35.

Amid the costumed parties and sugar overloads the spooky season entails, don’t miss this haunted spectacle of Hamlet. Let the odious torment of the Prince of Denmark’s bewilderment whisk you ’round the haunted chambers of a small basement labyrinth on 11th Ave SE for a glorious hour and a half of true Elizabethan theatre. You won’t be tricked, for ‘tis a treat.

The Haunted House Hamlet Presented by the Artist Collective Theatre #102 206 11th Ave SE http://www.acttheatre.ca/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5613 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Interview

Gay Racing Star Freddy Niblack

Juggling Being a Father, a Businessman, a Racer, and Being Gay

By GayCalgary Staff Freddy Niblack is no stranger to competition. As one of racings only out drivers, he has been competing his entire life, both on and off the track. Motorsports are growing in popularity amongst LGBT sports enthusiasts and Niblack admits that the he has seen an increase in LGBT fans at the race track.

“The past few months I believe have been a turning point in my career,” Niblack states. “For the first time, I began to feel support from my community.”

It’s difficult just being a driver without even adding the gay element.

“Racing a car is physically demanding and requires a lot of work off track as well. It’s lonely on the road and I always feel like the third wheel sometimes,” he mentions. “I believe I race better when I’m happy.

Seeing people from the LGBT community in the stands makes me happy and very proud. I want their love and support but most of all, to make everyone proud.”

GC: Since coming out, have you been embraced by fellow racers and the industry as a whole?

FN: Racing has definitely evolved with its attitude towards homosexuality. However, there are still those people that would love to play smear the queer on the race track. Only problem is at 200mph, I can’t hear you and you can’t catch me. The end.

GC: What obstacles did you need to overcome?

FN: The perception of being gay towards the predominately straight

race community. There are thousands of eyes watching at the race track and it’s always been in the back of my mind to conduct myself professionally and appropriately so as not to give any reason for people to attack my sexuality.

GC: Were there any fellow racers that were supportive? If so, who?

FN: My fellow gay racer Evan Darling was the first to openly come out

in the United States. Because of him, it broke the ice and paved the way for people like me to follow in his footsteps. Evan Darling is a class act, an amazing racer, and my LGBT brother.

GC: Throughout your career, what has been your most challenging moment?

GC: Have you seen much support from the LGBT community?

FN: Unfortunately, not as much as I would like. Hopefully this will

change as there are more people coming out in professional sports than ever before.

GC: What would you like to tell the LGBT community about yourself and the sport in general?

FN: You can be anything you want to be. Don’t let being LGBT define you or limit you. Dream big and face adversity head on.

GC: What are your plans for 2018 and beyond?

FN: I’m racing for Woodard Racing Organization in the U.K. in

the Ginetta Gt4 British world Endurance championship. In between traveling abroad I’ll be doing some open wheel racing here in the U.S. Further U.S. plans to be announced.

GC: Are you involved with any local LGBT organizations in Indianapolis or elsewhere?

FN: I supported Kevin Warren in his Pence Must Go campaign here in Indy. I’ve also helped raise money, hygiene products and various other things for the Damien center here in Indianapolis as well. LGBT youths interest in sport is a huge passion of mine and hopefully something I can become more involved in the future.

GC: What advice would you give to other professional athletes struggling with their sexuality?

FN: You will face adversity and criticism. Hold your head up and take your place in your sport of choice and in life… don’t let being gay define you or your abilities.

GC: Who are some of your hero’s in the industry as well as within the LGBT community and why?

FN: Danny Watts the openly gay U.K. race driver. Gareth Thomas, Greg Louganis and Simon Dunn, as I admire anyone who is openly gay in professional sports for the role it plays in inspiring LGBT youth. I also admire Calpernia Addams, her story is inspiring and important to showcase her bravery and some of the heartbreaking struggles the transgender community faces.

FN: Trying to juggle being a father, a businessman, a racer, and being gay. Society says that a gay man is not supposed to be any of these things. I would rather be one in a million than one of the million.

Challenge accepted!

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Whistler, BC

Amazing sites on the Sea to Sky Highway



More photos and videos online: http://gaycalgary.com/a5666

photos by GayCalgary 

By Steve Polyak For this year’s trip to Whistler Pride, we wanted to keep costs down, plus do some site seeing along the way.

We headed out at 4am in Calgary, taking the TransCanada through Lake Louise, Golden and Kamloops and although we did encounter poor conditions for the first part of our trip, after Golden the roads were clear. As we didn’t loop up from Vancouver but came direct, the trip only worked out to be 10-11 hours (more if you make frequent stops).

Highway 99 coming from the east (Kamloops) is still considered part of the “Sea to Sky Highway”, but you can tell that it is not as well used as the highway coming from Vancouver. The view was spectacular and varied – beautiful BC mountain scenery, with some small towns and First Nations reservations scattered along our path.

Arriving from the north side of Whistler during the day made us more aware on how big the town of Whistler is. If you are always in the village, you don’t realize there is more to Whistler outside of just the village. While the village contains the majority of hotels, resorts, ski slopes and touristy stuff, the rest of Whistler holds the residential housing, the golf courses, schools, grocery stores, retail, Scandinave Spa, and so much more. The urban forest of Whistler hides a lot of the town during the day and especially at night; when we headed to the Meadow Park Sports Centre for Whistler Pride Pool Party later that evening, all we saw was a dark road. Whistler Village is like being in the downtown area of a town or city; however don’t expect there to be big box stores. If you have a car, bike, or take Whistler transit, you can check out other areas of Whistler outside of the village.

Once we checked in at Aava Hotel and got our passes for Whistler Pride, (check out the article on Aava Hotel at x xx.) I had to cover the Fire & Ice Show on Whistler Mountain. The

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show displays some ski and snowboard jump tricks along with people fire dancing with flaming balls. From there, we headed over to the Splash Pool Party at Meadow Park Sports Centre.

The next day, my travel companions Rob and Justin took to the slopes while I checked out the new Audain Art Museum.

(Check out the article on the Audain Art Museum on page 36.)

As a novice snowboarder, Justine opted for some lessons while Rob enjoyed the slopes. With Whistler Mountain and Blackcomb Mountain both accessible from Whistler Village, you have access to close to 8,200 acres of skiable terrain. There are also 37 lifts to get you to different areas on those two mountains.

Whistler Villages has lots of places to purchase or rent ski and snowboard gear, so you don’t need to worry about not having anything with you when you show up. The village is set up to be walkable, so you can walk from your hotel or rental shops with your gear right to the slopes. If you are bringing your own gear,

Continued on Page 39  www.gaycalgary.com

Aava Hotel http://gaycalgary.com/a5667 This trip to Whistler, we stayed at the host hotel for Whistler Pride – the Aava. The Aava is located right behind the Whistler Conference Centre, which makes it easy to run back and forth from the bigger events of Whistler Pride occurring at the Centre.

As you drive into the parking lot for the Aava Hotel, there is a small standalone building called the Cabn, which is another venue used by Whistler Pride for some of the smaller events.

The Aava is a very modern loft style hotel. The room we stayed in had two comfortable queen sizes beds, with huge head boards behind them – notable as they almost felt like artwork. The room was quiet, so I whimsically speculated these large head boards also help dampen sound coming from other rooms too. You do get a mini fridge and a Kerig coffee maker with the room, but you can also get a coffee in the main lobby from the self-serve Nespresso Café machine.

There is an outdoor heated pool, a hot tub, and a dry sauna.

For those who want to fit in an additional gym workout on top of being on the slopes, the Aava also has a fitness centre. In addition, the hotel is the only GoPro Demo Lab in Whistler. Guests at the hotel can borrow a GoPro Hero 5 cam for free – an awesome idea if you want to record your outdoor activities without putting your smartphone at risk.

During the summer time, the Aava does have complementary bike rentals and a secure storage for those who bring their own bike. In the winter time, they have free ski lockers and a boot dryer which is a great help in keeping the rooms clean. They also have an inhouse ski rental and tuning shop provided by Black Tie Ski Rentals where besides skis you can also rent snowboards and snowshoes. Breakfast is available at a price and it occurs in the morning at the Cabn.

The hotel is located close to the slopes, so it is an easy walk over to the base of the mountains as well as to the main strip for shopping and restaurants. The bus loop is about a 5-minute walk from the hotel. For those who drive, there is parking available at the hotel. If you are driving in to Whistler Village, its location does make it convenient for a great stay in Whistler.

Aava Hotel Whistler 4005 Whistler Way, Whistler BC V0N 1B4 https://www.aavawhistlerhotel.com

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Peak 2 Peak http://gaycalgary.com/a5668 While you are in Whistler, you must check out Peak 2 Peak Gondola ride. It’s the world record holder for the longest and highest lift – connecting the peaks of Whistler and Blackcomb Mountains. With the sky being a clear bright blue while we were there, it made the experience even better.

Peak 2 Peak does boast some amazing engineering feats: it is the longest unsupported lift span in the world at 3.024km and the highest elevation of a lift of its kind at 436 meters. You need to take the Whistler Mountain gondola to two-thirds point. From there, you can stay and check out the shops and restaurant that is part of that gondola station. There is also a set of Olympic rings set up, so you can take photos with the mountains in the background.

When you are ready, you walk over to the Peak 2 Peak station. Most of the gondolas have a red body, but if you are lucky, grab one of the ones that are silver.

The silver body gondolas have a glass bottom which allows you to see straight down to the ground. This is in addition to having the same amazing 360 degree view of Whistler as the regular red bodied gondolas. The ride is fairly smooth, so it is great for taking photos.

Once you get off the gondola on Blackcomb Mountain, you can visit their restaurant as well as experience the scenery from a different angle. When you are scheduling your day to include Peak 2 Peak, remember that it takes about 11 minutes each way to get between the mountains as well as getting up and down Whistler Mountain depending if you are skiing down or taking the return gondola down. So, plan for at least 2 and a half hours plus more depending if you are going to do some sight-seeing and or eating at the restaurants. Also dress warmly too since it will be colder the higher up you go.

Peak 2 Peak https://www.gaycalgary.com/u891

p photos by GayCalgary

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Scandinave Spa Whistler http://gaycalgary.com/a5669 After covering Whistler Pride and doing travel articles for the past several years in Whistler, I finally was given the opportunity to check out what many people raved about: the Scandinave Spa Whistler. Every year, people would tell me that I must check it out, like I needed a hint that I need to relax and be quite for at least an hour or more.

I have never used a spa before. When I go to hotels I do make use of whatever facilities they have – whether it be hot tubs, steam room or dry saunas; but to go to a place dedicated to those things is a new venture for me. Also, the challenge for me to occupy a space quietly made me wonder could I do it?

They are serious about the concept of no talking. It needs to be as quite as possible for others to also relax and meditate. When I am at home and working away on magazine stuff, there is usually noise from computers, cats, roommates, phone calls I’m making, along with videos or music playing in the background.

If I have a cup of coffee, expect the noise level, especially conversations, to increase exponentially for every cup I have.

So, it was planned for me to head on over to the spa from the hotel. I suggest to anyone wanting to do this using Whistler Transit, just don’t. Take a taxi or drive as even assuming you got on the correct bus (I didn’t), there’s still a good walk to get to the spa from the stop. I also had to be back at Whistler Village for the Adventure Group Snow Shoe tour after the spa, so the time I spent getting to the Scandinave reduced the amount of time that I could spend checking it out.

I did my best to relax knowing already that my mind was worrying about the rest of the day. From the main lobby, you have a great view of the different buildings and pools laid out at the Scandinave. There is a fence around the property, but with the facility being set up on different levels it makes it easy to see a great view of trees and mountains. The change rooms are very clean which impressed me since a lot of pool change rooms have dirty floors and questionable lockers.

Once you have changed into your swim wear, you can head to get a massage, or head outdoors and follow the pathways.

They have lots of areas set up for you to experience which is great if you want to do a hot spa activity and then a cold spa activity. The recommended pattern for maximum relaxation is to alternate hot, cold, and relaxation activities then repeat as many times as you want, trying different areas as you go.

Hot features include the eucalyptus steam baths - an amazing and refreshing way to help clear out the sinuses. Next is the wood burning sauna. You could hear the crackle of the wood fire with the smell. It was a little too hot for me, but if you enjoy the heat you’d love it. There is also a Finnish sauna which is more like a high-end version of a sauna you would

Continued on Page 34 

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 Scandinave Spa - From Page 33 find at hotels. For those who enjoy hot tubs like I do, they do have hot baths which they are outdoors along the path way.

My Zen moment is to hang out in a hot tub and relax while it lightly snows, yet sadly it was not snowing while I was there.

For the cold features, they have a Nordic Waterfall. I thought it was part of the décor and did not even know it was part of the experience until I saw others using it. After using a hot feature, you stand under the water fall to get a spray of cold water pouring down all over you. For those who don’t want to go into a pool, they can also use the Nordic Showers instead to cool down.

Alternately, the Nordic waterfalls also have cold plunge baths.

The Scandinave has solariums where you can relax on large reclining chairs and just enjoy the view along with the sunlight.

As these solariums are fully enclosed, you are also protected from the wind and temperature changes. For those more resistant to the cold, you can relax outdoors in front of fireplaces.

They do have a yoga studio too, but I was unable to find it.

As I spent about a couple minutes in each of the areas, I can understand why there is no talking allowed. People totally tuned out the world around them. There is no WiFi, there is no cell phones or devices of any kind that I saw. I was not allowed to take photos, with the Scandinave graciously providing me the photos for this article.

Leaving the phone behind was easy. Not being able to take my own photos was the hard part. At least I knew that I was getting something that helped me be at ease. The problem was turning my brain off. I kept thinking of the schedule that I had planned already for the day and for the rest of Whistler Pride, along with all the other tasks that I do daily for the magazine. If I had a complete day open where I could hang out, I think I could have relaxed and unwound.

There are no in and out privileges, but they do have an onsite bistro in the lobby which will take care of any cravings you might have. It’s a drug and alcohol free zone and open to only those 19 years and older. My experience was only for the baths part, but they do have 60-minute massages. They do several different types of massage depending on what you need which you book in advance. With the baths, you can go in at anytime between 10am to 9pm and spend as much time as you like.

They are open regardless of the weather conditions outside.

Scandinave Spa Whistler 8010 Mons Rd, Whistler BC V0N 1B8 https://www.scandinave.com/whistler/en/ p photos by Scandinave Spa Whistler

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The Adventure Group - Snow shoe tour http://gaycalgary.com/a5670 When you are a bear you realize on outdoor adventures there are things that you just can’t do because of weight constraints.

Luckily doing the snow shoe tour is not one of them.

The Adventure Group does rentals of snow shoes and boots.

These are the modern snow shoes which are smaller than your traditional wooden ones. They also have grips on them for ice, so you can dig your foot in if you get stuck. Your guide helps you get all set up with the gear and you can ask for walking poles if you are worried you might have issues. Unlike the zip line and snowmobile tours, the snow shoeing tour we went on happened on Blackcomb Mountain. So, once we had our gear, we headed up on the gondola to midpoint.

Just off to the side of the ski slopes, we walked through the forest away from everyone skiing and snowboarding. The guide showed us how to use the snow shoes, along with explaining things about the area around Whistler. Unless you ski, you don’t realize how much snow you are walking on top of. You had to be careful around what you thought were short trees therefore, as they could actually be tall trees with several meters of snow covering the base. Get too close and you might fall into a hole that had been disguised by large branches holding up the snow. As we are walking, we are also shown animal tracks and a creek fed with melted snow.

Walking with snow shoes was easy once you got used to walking like a duck; you do need to avoid bumping the shoes into one another. With how nice the weather was, plus the view, it’s something that I would do again. It is not a hard work out, more like a good walk. Since Rob and Justin were with me for the tour, it was great to be able to have conversation making it great for a group outing.

It was nice to be on the slopes away from the skiers and snowboarder in a place where you feel that you don’t need to worry about being run over while enjoying the scenery. Since it was all our first time doing snow shoeing, it really did help having a guide as since we could have gotten lost or not known the safe paths to go. If you don’t ski or snowboard, and enjoy going for hikes, this is a perfect outdoor activity for you.

The Adventure Group http://tagwhistler.com/activity/snowshoe-tours/

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Audain Art Museum http://gaycalgary.com/a5671 The Audain Art Museum is a new addition of things to check out when you are in Whistler. As part of this trip, I was happy to visit this highly talked about art Museum. The building is brand new and is an amazing piece of artwork itself. Even though it is modern art, with its hard lines and angles you can’t help but see that the building is a take on the mountains in the background. The interior also continues this look. It gives the building a spacious feel and you can easily forget it is an art museum. There is a lot of natural light coming in, with the far wall being all glass windows, allowing you to see out at the beauty that is Whistler.

As with a lot of art museums, there is a permanent collection along with exhibits which are switched out to keep things looking fresh. The permanent collection is donated by Michael Audain and his wife Yoshiko Karasawa. There are two floors and the building itself is 56,000 square feet, with 10,100 square feet housing the permanent collect and 8,100 square feet for temporary exhibits. The rest of the space is used for meeting/teaching rooms, lobby and areas set up for watching creative media videos.

On the main floor, you walk through large pieces of Northwest Coast First Nations masks and other artwork pieces followed by paintings by various artists showcasing the coasts of British Columbia. These are part of the permanent collection. They have a large collection of paintings from Emily Carr as well as E.J. Hughes, along with art

by Jack Shadbolt, Gordon Smith and several others.

The age of the artwork varies from over 100 years old to something done within the last couple of years. As you wander through the museum, you quickly deduce why they have built the building so large: some of the art pieces can take up a whole wall or be twice the high of a person. One display that stood out for me was from Brain Jungen - a multimedia piece done using Nike athletic leather footwear on totem pools made from golf bags and cardboard tubes.

For those who request, there are walk and talk tours with an expert who can explain the permanent collection. There is an all ages art experience which has hands-on making activities and special tours through the museum. You can check out their website for upcoming events and art exhibits.

Audain Art Museum 4350 Blackcomb Way, Whistler BC V0N 1B4 https://audainartmuseum.com p photos by GayCalgary

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Whistler Sport Legacies http://gaycalgary.com/a5672 This trip, we had the option to try out bobsleigh With Rob and Justin taking the plunge and me taking photos of their descent. During winter, the bobsleigh rides down an ice track on blades, where in the summer, the bobsleigh is mounted on wheels. The ride does reach an impressive 125+km/hr speed with up to 4g forces.

You start at the Whistler Sliding Centre’s visitor center which also has Olympic artifacts, seating, visual learning/interactive displays, retail store and registration. We thought that Rob and Justin would be in the same bobsleigh together with an expert but when we arrived, we found out that was not the case.

There are about 4 or 5 timeslots per day which are in the afternoon. Morning is for athletes training and other track activities. Each timeslot can handle a maximum of 15 people. The bobsleigh holds 4 people with one of those four being the trained pilot. To keep the bobsled balanced everyone needed to be weighed. Once they have been weighed they put them into groups of four with a seating order to make sure the sled is balanced correctly.

Prior to taking the ride, you attend a short session in a classroom – this is so you understand how the bobsleigh works and how to be safe while in it. Shortly after the safety demo, riders head up to one of the starting points.

I decided to go to an area to get good photos of them coming down. They do announcements of who about to come down on the sled which is great for friends and family watching.

Unfortunately, by the time they were done saying who was coming down the track, you did not have enough time to take position for photos. As well, I realized you would never know exactly who was in any of the sleds. They move extremely fast, passing you with a thunderous roar. Watching it up close was very cool but it was only for the brief couple of seconds that you see.

Both Rob and Justin said it was a complete rush. It is not easy riding the sled. You hold on for dear life at speeds up to 125 km/ hr and try to hold your position. If you shift your weight while it is moving, you can flip the sled over. Staff that were hanging around me said that flips have happened during training practice with the athletes, but it is very rare. While you are in the sled, you are also squeezing together with strangers to hold your shape.

Just like if you were going down it during a competition, a time is recorded, and photos are taken at the end. You can also order a video of your journey down the track. There is a wait time between each one of the bobsleds as they reset the track and sleds at the top and bottom, but the wait is still worth it for those watching them come down.

If you are into getting your adrenaline going, this is for you.

This is the real thing, not an amusement park ride so you get

Continued on Page 38 

p photos by GayCalgary

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ď‚„ Whistler Sport Legacies - From Page 37 a good idea of what happens during the Olympics. If you follow some of the famous bobsledders like Simon Dunn, you will understand why their bodies look the way they do. When you go down it, you are wearing your winter clothes to stay warm but professionally, you want to reduce the amount of drag as possible to give you the best time while at the same time have the strength to hold on tight. The ride is going to be fast and exhilarating.

Whistler Sport Legacies does do other activities too including skeleton, cross country skiing in the Whistler Olympic Park, biathlon and more. The Whistler Olympic Park is located a short drive from the Whistler Sliding Centre.

p photos by GayCalgary

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Whistler Sport Legacies 4910 Glacier Lane, Whistler BC V0N 1B4 http://www.whistlersportlegacies.com

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 Whistler, BC - From Page 30

most hotels have storage available, so you don’t need to worry about tracking wet skis or snowboards into your room.

During our visit, I popped into Scandinave Spa, which everyone had been telling me to check it out. (Read the article on page 33.) Rob and Justin did the Bobsled Experience at Whistler Sports Legacy - you get to go down the same track that was used in the Vancouver Olympics. (Check out the article on page 37.)

As a great group outdoor experience, the three of us along with a guide did The Adventure Group snow shoe tour. (Check out the article on page 35.)

Even though that we decided to travel to Whistler through the north side, you can travel to Whistler from Vancouver in about 2 hours. As per the name of the road (Sea to Sky), the view is breathtaking; mountain coastline on one side, and the sea on the other.

Whistler, BC https://www.whistlerblackcomb.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5666 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Whistler Pride & Ski Festival 2018 Margaret Cho Highlights for Comedy Night

 Whistler Pride 2017, photos by GayCalgary

By Steve Polyak

Whistler BC with their award-winning ski slopes has also been home of the award-winning winter event for the gay community, Whistler Pride.

GayCalgary Magazine has been a proud sponsor of Whistler Pride since 2012. Last year, was their 25th Anniversary and with about 3000 people they had their largest attendance ever! This upcoming year looks to be on track to meet or surpass that number.

Along with the amazing ski conditions that Whistler offers, Whistler Pride keeps gay pride participants busy from January 21 to 28 with evening activities. One of the new and successful additions from last year was the Monday night Cards Against Humanity® night. Again, it will be hosted by actor, comedian, and Amazing Race Canada star Ryan Steele. Instead of playing as individuals, you play in groups against other groups to come up with the best combination of cards. The night is also hosted again in Cabn - which has become a great venue for the smaller events outside of the bigger Pride venue, The Whistler Conference Centre.

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This year, they have added a new event at the Scandinave Spa Whistler called Sip ‘N Dip on Tuesday night. As you will see in our review of Scandinave Spa Whistler from my visit last year (page 33), it is a quiet, no talking, no cell phones, and no drinking zone. It is set up during the day for people to unplug and relax from the crazy world out there. Whistler Pride is taking it over for that night, adding wine and music with local DJ Foxy Moron. Enjoy the spa’s different hot and cold features with friends and enjoy a glass of wine or two while seeing the night sky of Whistler.

For those plugged into social media and travel, Whistler Pride is hosting a special LGBT Destination Marketing Workshop. The workshop on Wednesday afternoon, is hosted by Matt Skallerud of Pink Banana Media. There will be other social media travel experts and influencers on hand from around the world for a panel discussion sharing their tips and techniques for the upcoming year.

Wednesday night, Margaret Cho will take the stage at Whistler Conference Centre for Whistler Pride’s Comedy Night. Last time she was at Whistler Pride was back in 2015. This five-time Grammy and Emmy

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nominated comedian will have the crowd laughing until their cheeks are soar.

On Thursday night, Mix N’ Mingle at the Audain Art Museum (presented by TD) is a new addition to the yearly line up. The Audain Art Museum is a great new venue and art museum in Whistler. Check out our article on the Audain Art Museum on page 36.

The extremely popular Whistler Pride Splash Pool Party at Meadow Park Sports Centre is something you don’t want to miss. This year, DJ Rafeal Calvente from Brazil will be DJing tunes for an event where just about everyone is showing off their best form-fitting swimwear.

Friday night is the Furrocious Military Ball at the Whistler Conference Centre. This year they will have the award-winning DJ and Producer GSP from Greece.

Remember to dress up for this event in either in some form of uniform, sportswear or leather. Last year, I had seen a lot of guys in onesies and long johns too!

Back by popular demand is the Cube Guys of Sleeping Giant Music from Italy djing for the wrap up dance Snowball26. Whistler Conference Centre gets transformed into a fantastic dance venue with amazing lighting and plan for a surprise performance sometime

during the night. As always music and dancing until 4am.

Whistler Pride does have additional outdoor activities like their Pride parade through Whistler Village to the Olympic Rings, as well as a charity ski race down the GMC Race course on Blackcomb Mountain. Money raised will go to a local charity, Safe n Sound Squamish which has the mission of “To celebrate and honour lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer + citizens, their families and allies, through awareness, education, visibility and resources.”

Check their website for a complete listing and details of over 30 events planned for Whistler Pride 2018.

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Whistler Pride http://gaywhistler.com/ January 21st to 28th, 2018 Various venues http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5673 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

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The Wizard of Oz

Storybook Theatre whisks audiences Over the Rainbow

 photo by Benjamin Laird Photography

By Janine Eva Trotta

In a bold and colourful adaptation, the Beddington Theatre Arts Centre is playing home to Frank Baum’s feat The Wizard of Oz, running until December 30th.

Costume Designer Rebecca Toon and Make Up Design Artist Melody Kielek spared no sparkle in bringing to life the wicked and good witches of the West and North, and miraculously actresses Laura Solilo and Jaime Robinson manage to get in and out of these characters in a flash to – virtually – simultaneously play Miss Gulch and Auntie Em. There is nothing rusty about Ryan Maschke’s portrayal of the silver-painted Tin Man. He is really the show stealer, with a voice of silky vibrato, quick-footed tap dance skills, and the flexibility to finish a number with the splits.

The entire cast boasted incredible vocal skills. Nicole Heide and Cassie Doane played numerous, creatively

clad ensemble characters, and are never short of a joy to listen to and watch. Their harmonies are tight, rich and vivacious and, despite acting as support roles, really enrich the entire production.

Dorothy is given a solid life by local thespian, Katie McMillan: again, a strong vocal performer who got the voice of the red-shoed heroine down pat. She is completely believable as the girl who just wants to get back to Kansas with her dog pal Toto who, sadly, is played by a stuffy.

Despite opening last month and offering shows day and evening, performances are selling out fast. If you do want to spiral back into Oz, act hastily. The show runs a full two hours with a 15-minute intermission.

The Wizard of Oz Presented by Storybook Theatre Calgary – until December 30th https://www.storybooktheatre.org/seasonofchange http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5620 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Jersey Boys on Tour Fan Favourite Lights up the Jubilee

By Janine Eva Trotta Be prepared to sing and clap along to all of Frankie Valli and the Four Season’s catchy tunes at this weekend and next showings of the Tony Award winning Jersey Boys.

Jersey Boys follows the rise of four blue-collar boys from New Jersey: Frankie Valli (Ben Bogen), Bob Gaudio (Tommaso Antico), Tommy DeVito (Corey Greenan) and Nick Massi (Chris Stevens), to international stardom. Comedic and glossy, the show dazzles eyes and ears with Jukebox big hits like “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Sherry” and “Oh What a Night”, in addition to “Short Shorts”, which Gaudio co-wrote at just age 15 for his band the Royal Teens.

Harmonies are tight, and the vocals are strong. If you close your eyes, you might believe you’re back at a soda stand, listening to the feel-good classics of the ’60s and ’70s for a nickel.

Catering to an older crowd, the first of five shows at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium saw an audience of smiles, head bopping and toe tapping. Rife with foul language

and some sexual innuendo, as well as a fake murder, this might not be the show for a young child, but my daughter enjoyed all the songs. The plot looks in on the struggles the actors faced personally alongside their career highlights.

If a class act sing-along night is in order, Jersey Boys is for you. The 11-person, versatile cast is chuck full of talent and a joy to watch. Antico is an absolute star – handsome, with a voice of pure gold. Show times are at 2pm and 8pm with an intermission about an hour in. The tour moves from Calgary to Edmonton November 10th for six more shows.

Jersey Boys http://www.gaycalgary.com/u884 November 4th to 5th Calgary – The Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium November 10th to 14th Edmonton – The Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5617 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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The Life & Times of LGBT Artist Jumper Maybach

A Pilgrimage to End Hate, Bullying and Intolerance

By GayCalgary Staff Ben Workman, aka Jumper Maybach, was born in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1963. He knew something special had taken place when his grandfather applied a white face on him the first time. It was then within an instant that Jumper was born.

Jumper’s grandfather served as a volunteer clown within various charity organizations for 25 years and at the time of his death in 1977, at the age of 84, he served as the official clown for the Corpus Christi State School. The young Jumper moved to Houston, Texas in 1977 with his family and embarked on various learning studies that have contributed to the diversity in his paintings. However, it wasn’t until a religious experience during a painful time in his life enabled his vision to fully take shape. “This is the part that a lot of people wrote me off as crazy,” states Jumper. “I was being sexually harassed at work and was at a really low point in my life. One afternoon I went into a deep meditative prayer and that’s when what I call a ‘spark’ rushed into me that raised up Jumper. I truly believe God was talking to me and directing me in the mission through my art. I never painted before that spark.”

Jumper believes it is a person’s traumas that define an individual. He releases his joys and pain into the art and becomes the storyteller of the creations. Jumper’s techniques are self-taught through intense experimentation leading to an end result which is truly unique and representative of the artist.

It’s about understanding love, peace and the transformation of an individual.

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“Please forgive me if I talk about Jumper as a separate entity within me but that is the case. I have learned to accept the ridicule from almost everyone,” he jokes. “When Jumper began his painting, it began from a vision which he titled ‘Alien in the Box’. It was a story of Jumper in the circus and helping children understand they are loved unconditionally. Jumper’s painting evolved rapidly from childlike to the amazing abstracts he is known for today.”

Jumper’s art is a constant evolution of color and complete abandonment of the paint. It is an unplanned performance that creates the extraordinary works. The complexity within Jumper’s art comes from within. Jumper is unashamed to teach the world a lesson in compassion. His art is a beacon for ending hate, bullying, and intolerance in the world.

Not long after Jumper began his career as an artist, he started to receive national and international recognition for his work. In 2013, Jumper held his first gallery show, which ultimately led to an exhibition at Art Dubai. It was there that Jumper received a documentary film deal and was dubbed the Jackson Pollock of the 21st century.

“I was told by the Minister of Arts and Culture, ‘you’re the 21st Century Jackson Pollock with a lot of color.’ I was intrigued by the statement and a friend gave me a copy of Pollock’s documentary when I returned home. I viewed the film and was amazed at Pollock’s talents. I’m honored to be compared to Pollock,” recalls Jumper.

Shortly after Art Dubai, Jumper had the opportunity to present 39 pieces of art in Venice, Italy. Another career highlight occurred when Jumper was invited to exhibit his art at the www.gaycalgary.com

Galerie Du Louvre. “I made a series specifically for Paris. It was a great honor to have my art in the Louvre. It all seems so surreal.”

Jumper appreciates the opportunities he has been given and takes time to give back to multiple LGBTQ organizations around the country through both financial and artistic contributions.

He and his partner David actively support GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the Matthew Shepard Foundation, AIDS Foundation Houston, The Montrose Center, Houston Gay Pride and the Trevor Project in addition to other local and national charities.

Jumper believes one of the largest challenges facing the LGBTQ community is the community itself. “We can’t fight intolerance and bullying when we play along with the bigots. I know so many LGBTQ friends who are out in our “safe” community but at their workplace they play “straight”. This is a cause for alarm. When you can’t live a free healthy life at work, then you’re in an unsafe work environment.”

He goes on to explain that this form of environment creates an atmosphere for bullies. “If you discover your environment as unsafe after coming out, then sue or leave. I must say, see my documentary “The Jumper Maybach Story” to understand what

being outed can lead to. I personally chose to stay and fight. If we all did this, change would occur. It takes tremendous strength and courage to fight bullies.”

Jumper also offers words of encouragement to other developing artists. “LGBTQ artists should be free to be themselves. Art is a very personal experience. A great artist knows why they create their art. Sometimes the art is created from severe personal pain and at other times, it could be happiness. I would urge artists to reach deep within and discover that reason. If they can’t discover that reason, then their art will never make it to greatness. Art is not easy. It’s a gift from your soul.”

In the next decade, Jumper would like to actively pursue his mission of ending hate, bullying and intolerance through art. “I want my art to cause the viewer to step back and realize why Jumper created it. If it causes the viewer to take a breath and let Love enter their heart, then Jumper has fulfilled his mission.”

To learn more about Jumper Maybach, visit www.jumpermaybach.com.

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Pride Journey St. Petersburg, Florida

By Joey Amato Having lived north of Tampa for nearly 3 years, I’m quite embarrassed to admit that I never took the opportunity to visit St. Petersburg. When the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association (IGLTA) announced their 34th annual global convention would take place at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, I knew I had to attend.

Flying to Tampa International Airport is a painless experience.

The airport is small enough not to warrant the extensive lines and delays of major cities, but large enough to accommodate international flights. The first noticeable ‘wow’ moment is the drive from Tampa to St. Petersburg along I-275 over Tampa Bay. Surrounded on both sides by water, this scenic adventure is an experience of its own.

St. Petersburg is divided into three main sections: the Tampa Bay side, downtown and the beach. Each has a different flavor and personality. Our hotel was located on the Bay side of the peninsula, adjacent to one of the local marinas and in walking distance to many wonderful shops, art galleries and restaurants. My favorite being Locale Market/FarmTable Kitchen. Locale Market is a one-

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stop destination for fresh meat, seafood, and other gourmet items all under one roof and manned by a team of dedicated chefs who are on hand to answer any questions customers may have about the products.

FarmTable Kitchen is a full-service restaurant located on the second floor of Locale Market offering casual gourmet dining and an acclaimed 8-course tasting menu. We were able to sample a bit of the menu at FarmTable which changes regularly.

After dinner, explore some of St. Pete’s LGBT nightlife. Head over to Enigma Bar & Lounge for one of the best happy hour’s in the city. From 12pm until 9pm, guests will enjoy 2-for-1 cocktails, beer and wine. Chat with the locals as the DJ spins today’s hottest tunes along with the classics we grew to love.

For a different experience, swing by Hamburger Mary’s for Drag Queen Bingo, hosted by Stephanie Shippae every Tuesday night. If you get hungry, Mary’s also offers a full menu. I would recommend starting with an order of Macho Nacho’s or their famous Fried Pickles. For your main course, you can’t go wrong with one of their gourmet burgers. My favorite is the Proud Mary (mostly because I love Tina Turner), a perfectly cooked double patty burger topped with grilled onions, bacon, mushrooms, and two types of cheese. This burger should have been featured on an episode of Man vs. Food. Just don’t forget to schedule a gym appointment the next morning.

For my arts and culture buffs, St. Petersburg has two destinations that should not be missed. The first, of course, is the Salvador Dali Museum. The museum celebrates the life and work of Salvador Dali (1904-1989) and features over 2,100 works from every moment and in every medium of his artistic career, www.gaycalgary.com

including oil paintings, original drawings, book illustrations, sculptures, and photos.

A few blocks away is the Chihuly Collection at Morean Arts Center, a breathtaking permanent collection of world-renowned artist Dale Chihuly’s unique glass artwork. This is the first installation of Chihuly art in a building designed specifically for that purpose. Designed so that the art and architecture work together to create a visitor experience unlike any other exhibition of Chihuly’s art. The centerpiece of the collection is an iconic 20foot sculpture created especially for the site.

St. Petersburg has something for everyone and for every budget.

I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity of offerings and regret having not visited many years ago. I will however plan to return in the near future to soak up some more sun, fun, and culture.

Pride Journeys is an LGBT travel website dedicated to sharing travel reviews and news of interest to the LGBT community. For more info, visit www.PrideJourneys.com

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Pride Journey San Antonio, Texas

By Joey Amato My recent visit to San Antonio began with not knowing if I was even going to be able to go. It was at that time in the path of Hurricane Harvey, which ultimately took a turn towards Houston as we all now know, I was debating whether or not I should even attempt to visit the city.

If I did go, would I be able to visit all of the attractions I wanted to see? Would it be raining and miserable?

Would the city be flooded as predicted? Well I decided to roll the dice and flew into San Antonio a day early to arrive before the storm hit. It would be my first time visiting the city, so I didn’t want to lose this opportunity.

My home for the next few days was the beautiful Westin Riverwalk, located along one of the city’s most stunning features. Riverwalk stretches for miles, dotted by hotels, shops, museums, and cafes. Walking along the trail is one of the most beautiful ways to see the city. My room at The Westin Riverwalk was spacious and luxurious, but still felt like home. A separate sitting area boasted a sofa and arm chair in addition to a large desk situated beneath a flat screen television. The views off the balcony were breathtaking and the bathroom was large enough to have a cocktail party in.

My first day in San Antonio was a bit rainy, so I chose to visit The Shops of La Cantera, a beautiful outdoor shopping center about 25 minutes north of the city. At the time, they were exhibiting the works of iconic pop artist, Peter Max. This month they are welcoming renowned Miami-based artist, Romero Britto. The indoor-outdoor experience was 48

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the perfect way to spend the day and escape the sporadic outer bands of Hurricane Harvey as they travelled through the region.

The following afternoon, I was joined by pop/edm musician, Joey Suarez, for a lovely Sunday drag brunch at Paramour Bar. Paramour offers stellar views of downtown San Antonio. Joey and I decided to go all out and order a bottle of Prosecco along with a few items off their small but tasty menu curated by local chef, Jason Dady. Drag brunch at Paramour takes place the last Sunday of every month. The theme of that afternoon was Broadway Babes, and the babes brought it. It was really a fun experience.

Without a doubt, one of the city’s most popular sites is The Alamo. Most people know the story of The Alamo, but what is interesting is that British rocker Phil Collins amassed one of the largest privately-owned collections of Alamo artifacts. In the summer of 2014, Collins generously donated his collection to the Texas General Land Office, guardian of the Alamo on behalf of the people of Texas. Collins built the collection over several decades, purchasing some items and even discovering some others just steps away from the Alamo itself. Collins fell in love with the Alamo’s inspiring story as a 5-year-old boy, when he saw the Disney production of Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier. When other children were out playing cops and robbers or other childhood games, Collins says that he was re-enacting the Battle of the Alamo.

Not too far away is the city’s tallest attraction, the Tower of the Americas. Located in Hemisfair Park, the 750-foot structure was built for the 1968 World’s Fair and offers www.gaycalgary.com

panoramic views of the city. One floor below the observation deck is a great restaurant which offers one of the best happy hours in town.

For dinner, I decided to head to Market Square, a threeblock outdoor plaza and currently the largest Mexican market in the United States. There was no shortage of restaurants to choose from. I actually visited Market Square two nights in a row for dinner, opting to try Mi Tierra on the first night and then Viva Villa Taqueria the second night, where I had one of the best tacos I’ve ever had in my entire life. On the way to Market Square, be sure to stop by San Fernando Cathedral.

Gay nightlife in San Antonio is abundant. One of my favorite spots was Pegasus, a friendly neighborhood bar, or should I say complex of bars, all under one roof. There really is something for everyone here and after a few shots, I built up enough liquid courage to jump on stage for some karaoke.

Luckily, to my knowledge there is no video recording of me rocking Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart.”

On my final day in San Antonio I visited The Pearl District, a historic brewery that’s been transformed into a mixed-use complex filled with chef-owned restaurants and independent retail stores. Pearl has a rich history dating back to 1883 and is one of the coolest neighborhoods I visited during this trip.

My lunch guest and I decided to stop by Cured, a beautiful restaurant featuring the widest selection of cured meats I’ve ever seen. We began our meal with a selection of three meats, my favorite being the Smoked Duck Ham. For my entree, I opted for something a bit lighter, the Crabmeat Ravigote with avocado, tomato, citrus and beets. The sweet crab paired

very well with the creaminess of the avocado and firmness of the beets to make for a healthy, but filling dish.

Finally, I had time for one last stop before my journey home. I heard that the Witte Museum had a cool dinosaur exhibit, so of course I had to visit. While there, I got a chance to see the skeleton of Acrocanthosaurus, Deinosuchus (giant crocodile), and a full-size Tyrannosaurus Rex. San Antonio really does have a little bit of something for everyone. It’s great for budget conscious travelers and the people are extremely warm and friendly. My friends told me about a cave system which I didn’t have time to explore this time around, so I guess it warrants another visit. Time to plan my next visit back to San Antonio, Texas!

Pride Journeys is an LGBT travel website dedicated to sharing travel reviews and news of interest to the LGBT community. For more info, visit www.PrideJourneys.com

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Shaping Sounds – After The Curtain Travis Wall talks about his latest production with Alberta Ballet

By Lisa Lunney Travis Wall is a man that has forever changed the world of modern dance. He empowers and enables everyone to believe in the impossible, and most importantly - to believe in themselves. Wall’s latest feat is the stunner, ‘After The Curtain.’ A performance that showcases the abilities of the human body, and profiles the strength of our emotions. GayCalgary chatted with Travis prior to the Alberta Ballet presentation of Shaping Sound: After The Curtain.

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GC: What does dance mean to you?

Travis Wall: Dance is everything I have ever know known. It is in my DNA. I was dancing since I took my first breath.

GC: Why is the art of dance so important to this generation?

TW: It gives everybody the opportunity of self-expression. I think this generation needs and wants to have a voice and this is a way of providing a platform for that and self-empowerment.

This generation, my generation has the ability to create work and put it out for the universe to see.

GC: What makes Shaping Sound such a unique show?

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 photos by Mat Hayward (1), Mena Brunette (2,4), and Lisa Koh (3)

TW: It is everything you want a dance and theatrical production to be. It has a beautiful story line that everyone can relate to and we really push the boundaries of your typical dance show with our lighting, technical elements and overall theatrics. We address bold story lines that most shows might shy away from and we encourage people to think outside of their normal comfort zone.

It’s hard to sometimes put your thoughts into words and we have the ability to use movement to share these expressions.

GC: What do you hope audiences take away from the performance?

TW: I hope that the audience allows themselves to escape the realities of the real world for the two hours they are in the theater. I ask everyone after the show, what stood out to them the most, what did they walk away with and the most recurring theme, seems to be their own personal relationships and how they treat those closest to them in their own lives. Hopefully it also encourages people to think how important dance can be when telling a story.

GC: To date, what are your proudest accomplishments?

TW: This show for sure! I have given my all to After The Curtain and really proud every day. It is a lot of heart and dedication, not

just from me, but everyone in the company. It’s been quite the journey, but I am really proud. And of course, my 2 Emmys! I worked hard for those!

GC: If you had to switch careers and pursue something entirely uncreative, where would we find you?

TW: Oh, God. Something that makes a ton of money. I can’t imagine not being a creative person.

GC: Where do you draw inspiration from?

TW: Everyday life. Truly. The smallest things I encounter day to day inspire me. It can be something I see, something I hear, something that happened in a relationship of mine. I just keep it all locked up in vault and it sometimes turns into a piece.

Travis Wall’s Shaping Sound in After the Curtain http://www.albertaballet.com Edmonton January 16 – 17, 2018 Calgary January 19 – 20 , 2018 http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5677 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Real Estate a brand new home and then have to make major repairs within a year or two.

Explore the Neighborhood Many homebuyers forget that they’re buying more than just the property, they’re also buying the location. Spend a little time getting to know the neighborhood. Drive around and see what’s in a 10 or 15 minute drive. You may not think that it’s important to have a gas station or grocery store nearby, but later on you might regret that decision. Also, be sure to visit the area during the day and the night. Drive around with your window down at night and listen. Do you hear dogs barking, loud music, or anything else? See what the neighborhood is like on a weekday and on the weekend.

You don’t want to move into a great home only to find that you’re on a very busy or loud street.

Don’t Buy the First House You See

Important Tips for Homebuyers

By GayRealEstate.com Thinking about buying a home? For many, the idea of owning their own house is very exciting. It’s a huge purchase, though—it’s probably the most expensive thing you’ll ever buy. That means it’s not a purchase you want to make on a whim. You’d be surprised, though, at how many people buy a house without truly knowing what they’re getting. Someone who may take days comparing and contrasting different cell phones or printers may jump right into buying a house without doing much investigating at all. If you’re buying a house, here are a few important tips to remember so that you not only get the best deal financially, you also get a property that will be your home for years to come.

Understand the Costs Buying a home isn’t as simple as simply paying the asking price. In fact, there are many other costs you may have to pay, and you need to be prepared for that. These costs may include things such as mortgage insurance, homeowner’s insurance, title insurance, and a number of other things you might have to pay for. Sometimes, the seller pays some of these costs. Other times, they’re all on you. It depends on the deal you and the seller agree to. You can talk to your real estate agent about what costs you might have to pay on top of the price for the property itself.

As with any major purchase, always shop around a bit.

While the first home may seem perfect, remember that very few homebuyers find a house that truly checks every box on their wish list. Make sure each home you’re seriously considering meets your needs. It’s easy to get wowed by an impressive view or a remodeled kitchen, but you need to make sure you look past these things.

On the other hand, aesthetics do matter. You don’t want to buy a house that you don’t find particularly attractive. Yes, it’s easy to paint a few rooms or swap out a light fixture here and there, but major remodels can quickly add up. If you hate several rooms in the house, it may be best to continue your search instead of deciding to remodel later. At best, you’ll end up spending a lot more money to get the home you want. At worst, you’ll never remodel and you’ll end up spending years in a home you hate.

Find a Great Real Estate Agent Your real estate agent is an important ally and resource in your home search. That’s why it’s important that you find someone you trust and get along with. If your agent doesn’t seem to get your style, needs, or personality, they may not be the right person to work with. Some people find that they need to connect with their agent on several levels.

For example, those in the LGBT community often look for a gay or lesbian real estate agent. They feel more comfortable with an agent who understands where they’re coming from.

Many people find these experts on www.GayRealEstate.com, a website specializing in LGBT real estate.

Take Your Time Unless you’re facing a strict deadline to leave your current residence, take your time with your housing search. There’s no need to rush or to settle for a home that doesn’t meet your needs. Take your time, work with your agent, and trust your intuition. The only time you should not take your time is if you live in part of the country facing a shortage of homes for sale. In this case, once you find the perfect home, be aggressive in making your offer and in what terms you put in your offer. That way, you don’t lose your dream home to someone else.

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Check Builder Credentials Buying a brand new house can be exciting – you often get to be involved in the construction, selecting flooring, colors, and more. However, you do want to research the builder and make certain that they’re known for building high-quality homes. Some do cut corners in order to meet deadlines or come in under-budget. The last thing you want is to purchase

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Real Estate

Mortgages with Little or No Down Payments

By GayRealEstate.com One of the most daunting things about buying a house is coming up with the down payment. It used to be that you were expected to have twenty percent of the asking price ready to go when you bought a house. Today, that’s not always the case. In fact, there are a number of mortgages that actually require a very low or even no down payment at all. Individuals and couples looking to buy a home, find these mortgages especially attractive since they may have had little time to save up such a large amount of money.

On the downside, some of these mortgages have very specific requirements or are only available to certain people. Here are five mortgages that do not require a large down payment and some information about them.

VA Loans VA Loans are mortgages handled by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. They are only available to those who are honorably discharged veterans, current active-duty members of the military, or members of the Reserves and National Guard who meet specific guidelines. Spouses of some military members also qualify. These loans do not require paying mortgage insurance, but there is a funding fee. Like most closing costs, though, this fee can be rolled into the mortgage. That means there’s next to nothing to pay at the time of purchase – truly a zero down purchase.

The funding fee is determined by the amount of down payment you make and whether you’ve served in the military or in the National Guard/Reserves. It’s also affected by whether this is your first loan through the VA or not. If it’s the first time you’ve taken out a VA mortgage, are in the military or are a veteran, and do not have a down payment, your funding fee will be 2.15 percent. That’s quite low and a very reasonable amount.

USDA The USDA Rural Development loan program is one of the most popular government-ran mortgages. So many people apply every year that the program has often run out of money partway through the year. That’s why, if you’re planning on applying for a USDA loan, it’s best to do so as early in the year as possible.

While this loan is backed by the Department of Agriculture, it’s not limited to purchasing farmland. You can go to the USDA website and look at the map of eligible land where these loans can be used. Besides this limit, the program also requires you to meet specific income guidelines. The program is also mainly designed for first-time homebuyers, but it does have some exceptions. The mortgage is offered through a bank, although the USDA guarantees it. You do not need to purchase mortgage insurance, but there is a small upfront guarantee fee and an annual fee that you have to pay, although that fee is only 0.35% of the loan’s current balance.

FHA The FHA loan is by far the most popular. An FHA loan is a great “low down payment” option, also if your credit is less than perfect. It’s designed to give those who have had some credit issues still qualify to purchase a home. You can make a down payment as low as 3.5 percent of the loan. There is an upfront charge of 1.75 percent, though. You also have to pay an annual premium if you make the minimum down payment. This premium is 0.8 percent of the amount. That’s fairly small—it www.gaycalgary.com

comes out to an additional $67 dollars a month if you borrow $100,000.

Private Mortgage Insurance While this option isn’t exactly a type of mortgage, it is a way of getting a home loan without putting down a large down payment. Private mortgage insurance, or PMI, is a type of guarantee to the lender. It’s basically a promise that if you go into foreclosure, the loan will still get paid back. You can also usually cancel the PMI once you’ve paid off enough of the loan to equal 80 percent of the value of your home.

PMI is often very affordable and can lower your down payment to as little as three percent. However, there are fairly strict credit qualifications you must meet.

Need Help Finding a Mortgage?

If you’re not certain how to apply for one of these mortgages or if you qualify, speak to your real estate agent about financing – they are most familiar with lending options and can provide you a trusted referral. If you’re a part of the LGBTQ community, contact a gay or lesbian agent and ask them for a referral to a lender who is LGBTQ friendly. You can find the Nation’s top gay real estate agents on www.GayRealEstate.com, a website focused on the LGBTQ real estate industry.

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53

Three is the Charm

Kit Williamson and John Halbach talk about their Hit LGBTQ Series, Eastsiders, Returning for Season 3  John Halbach and Kit Williamson photo by John Francis

By Dominic Bruno Eastsiders is hitting the road this season! The cast and crew drove from New York to Los Angeles, hauling a vintage camper trailer from the 1960s, shooting on location in sixteen states.

Now on Netflix, the third season of the two-time Emmynominated LGBT series picks up on Cal and Thom who are determined to make things work in their relationship. They decide to hit the road back west to Los Angeles to pick up the pieces of their old life, but are tested by an empty bank account, arguments about the future, and an encounter with a handsome drifter that tempts them to redraw the map of their relationship.

Eastsiders stars Kit Williamson as Cal and Van Hansis as Thom. The show also features a slew of guest stars including ABC’s Fresh Off The Boat’s Constance Wu, Star Trek Discovery’s Wilson Cruz, Dynasty’s Brianna Brown, Rupaul’s Drag Race’s Willam Belli and social media superstar Max Emerson.

Controversial porn star Colby Keller also guest stars in two episodes as the sexy drifter.

We spoke with series creator and star Kit Williamson.

GC: How has Eastsiders changed from it’s beginning?

Kit Williamson: The budget has definitely increased. We shot season one with basically no money. Now we have a shoestring. It’s also expanded in scope a lot. The first season focused on two stories. Season two featured a large ensemble and this season falls somewhere in between, with four episodes

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GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

 Eastsiders, Van Hansis and Kit Williamson, photo by Katie Levine

following Cal and Thom and two episodes allowing some of the supporting cast to take the lead.

GC: What did you first have in mind when you created the show?

KW: I wanted to feature complicated, flawed LGBT characters.

I don’t really relate to idealized representations of LGBT people and I wanted the show to feel real, even frustrating at times. I also wanted the opportunity to play gay, because I’d only ever been hired to play straight nerds before!

GC: So many of the actors from the first two seasons are now on major theatrical projects.

KW: The large ensemble we created in the second season may be impossible to bring back together, because yeah, so many of the actors have blown up in the time since. Constance Wu is on Fresh Off the Boat now, Stephen Guarino is on I’m Dying Up Here, Brianna Brown is on Dynasty and Willam is off touring the world.

GC: Why did you decide to send Cal and Thom on a road trip for season 3?

KW: We had to get the characters back to Los Angeles! I also love the tradition of the American road trip movie and I wanted to stick a rainbow flag in that.

GC: You shot on location in 16 states!

KW: It was amazing. There was something particularly significant about shooting in Wyoming, in the middle of the heartland. It’s such a loaded place for LGBT people because of The Laramie Project, and it’s also stunning—you get the sense of what it must’ve been like to cross the country back in www.gaycalgary.com



Watch the interview with Kit Williamson and John Halbach at http://gaycalgary.com/a5680

the day. The sky’s so big, it feels like you’ll never see another person again.

GC: What is one town or city that every gay person should experience?

KW: I think that everyone should go up to Woodstock, where we bought our camper trailer! It was the height of the fall and the leaves had all turned this incredible orange color. It’s not hard to get up there from New York City.

GC: Let’s talk Kevin Spacey and the impact his scandal had on his projects.

KW: I think that Netflix made the right call by continuing House of Cards with Robin Wright as the lead. It would’ve been terrible if all of those amazingly talented people lost their jobs because of the actions of one person.

GC: Did you worry that Colby Keller coming out in favor of Trump might have an impact on Eastsiders?

KW: We were actually on the road to meet Colby in Idaho when he first made his Trump comments and it was a pretty stressful situation. Fans of the show probably know that I was a really vocal Hillary Clinton supporter. Ultimately, I decided to move forward with Colby because I wouldn’t want someone to fire me for my political views. I understand that some people might not respect that decision, but I stand by it.

GC: Did you ask Colby to cool it on coming out with any more statements?

KW: I definitely wasn’t thrilled when he doubled down in the Advocate, but I don’t have any right to tell him what to do. He has his beliefs and I have mine.

GC: Will you cast him for season four?

KW: I’m not thinking about season four just yet, but I do feel Colby’s part was self-contained in season three. It’s a two episode guest star. Whatever I think of his political views, I like him as a person, and I do really like how his scenes turned out.

GC: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned from creating, writing and producing your own series?

KW: I’ve learned to stay true to myself and make the show that I want to make, rather than try to anticipate what other people might want to see. I’ve also learned to be careful who I rely on, especially with a budget like ours. Lastly, I’ve learned that having good actors fixes everything.

GC: You’re not thinking about season four yet, but if there is another season of Eastsiders, what’s one thing we can expect?

KW: All I’ll say is, there will have to be at least one wedding.

www.gaycalgary.com

Eastsiders is available worldwide on Netflix.

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Photography Dyke and Trans March 2017, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1453

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Photography Calgary Pride Official After-Party 2017 at Twisted Element, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1482

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Photography Calgary ProPride Reception at the Hyatt http://gaycalgary.com/pa1426

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Photography Deep Roots 8 at Broken City, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1479

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Photography ISCCA’s Annual Pride BBQ at the Backlot, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1480

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Photography Pride Weekend Kickoff at Twisted Element, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1448

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Photography Girls On Decks Up All Night Pride Party at Twisted Element, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1438

Glitter Gods and Kings Pride 2017 Party at Dickens Pub, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1455

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Photography The Youth Rainbow Rave presented by the MYN, Calgary

Pride Block Party at the Hyatt, Calgary

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Queer Country Line Dancing at Dickens Pub, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1427

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Photography Annual Premier’s Pride Brunch for Camp fYrefly at Hotel Arts, Calgary

Unity In Uniform at the Mission, Calgary

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Photography Electric Stage Series Pride Party 2017 at Texas Lounge, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1481

Alberta Liberal Pride Party at Backlot, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1454

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Photography Pure Pride Calgary at the Palace http://gaycalgary.com/pa1451

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Photography ISCCA Pride Beach Party at Broken City, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1437

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Photography FAB Pride BEEF Bear Bash Pride Weekend at Craft, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1450

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Photography HOT MESS Pride Bash at the Commonwealth, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1483

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Photography ISCWR - Investitures, Edmonton http://gaycalgary.com/pa1527

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Photography Edmonton Comic and Entertainment Expo 2017 http://gaycalgary.com/pa1525

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News Releases Report Finds Arabic Media is Perpetuating Homophobia and Transphobia in the Region

Today, OutRight Action International launches a new report titled... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2493

Yucatecan Tikin Xic Recipe From Grand Velas Riviera Maya

Part of the Resort’s Yucatecan Cooking Class, Foodies Everywhere Can Now Make Gourmet Traditional Mexican Recipes at Home Mexico’s... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2494

Canadian Retailer - Sporting Life - Continues to Invest in Calgary Canadian retailer continues to invest and expand in western market Canada’s most prestigious, lifestyle and “fash-letics”... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2495

VIDEO - RuPaul Reaction to Emmy Win

RuPaul reacting to his Emmy Award win in the Outstanding Host for a Reality or RealityCompetition Program category. “I am... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2496

NSFW - Steam Room Stories: Best Best Friend

Friendship shouldn’t be a competition but sometimes guys can’t help themselves when it comes to outdoing one another. In the... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2497

Nearly 70,000 LGBT People in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming Lack Statewide Discrimination Protection

Adding sexual orientation and gender identity to existing non-discrimination laws would protect LGBT residents and would not be... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2498

Sextionary (noun): 1. A sexy, irreverent dictionary 2. The next book you talk about

Finally, an educational, but funny compendium of every term related to the dirty deed itself!

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Professional Chef Shares Simple and Delicious Recipes in Simple Real Food Cookbook

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In two peer-reviewed papers, researchers at The University of Texas at Austin have found that transgender adolescents are twice... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2502

Black & Blue 2017 – LUMINOCITY: A Montreal 375th Special Edition!

WORLD-FAMOUS DJs ROGER SANCHEZ & VICTOR CALDERONE TO PERFORM AT THE MAIN EVENT! The 27th... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2503

NSFW - The Naked Rugby Players Calendar 2018

There’s a brand new set of balls in play. Six LGBT rugby clubs around Britain got starkers earlier this year to raise awareness... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2504

Studio Bell After Hours to feature award-winning beatsmith DJ Shub Halloween edition to feature costume party on October 27 Celebrate Halloween weekend at Studio Bell After Hours with headliner... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2505

New Survey Ranks Diarrhea as Number One Gastrointestinal Complaint of HIV/AIDS Patients Napo Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Napo), a human health company developing and commercializing novel gastrointestinal prescription products... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2506

RECIPE - Pumpkin Spice & Everything Nice: DELIOS DELIGHT and VAMPIRE SANGRIA

Excited to say that we are fully in FALL! With that being said, it deserves a toast and we have just the cocktail. Below features... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2507

Most of us feel we don’t have time to shop and cook. At the end of a busy day why bother?

Culinary instructor and chef Amanda... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2500

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News Releases RECIPE - Healthy Salade Niçoise Recipe from Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit’s 2017 Wellness Getaway

Trans Artist Epiphany Mattel ‘Shoots The UnCutes’ In Explosive New Club Single, “#FIXYOFACE”

University of Miami Culinary Instructor to Lead Cooking Demonstrations The “Beyond AllInclusive, Beyond All Compare”...

Straight shooting hip hop trans artist Epiphany Mattel takes aim at pretty people who make themselves ugly by refusing to wear...

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GLSEN - Bringing #LGBTQhistory to the classroom

Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Presents True North Symphonic Ballet – World Premiere

October is...

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A NEW COMMISSION REFLECTING CANADA’S CULTURE AND LANDSCAPE To mark Canada’s 150th anniversary, the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra...

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750,000 LGBT Floridians Vulnerable to Stigma and Discrimination

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US Department of Justice Guidance Could Allow Discrimination Against LGBT People

Florida’s statewide Civil Rights Act does not currently prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2518

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RETURNING QUEENS REIGNITE THEIR ENGINES FOR SEASON THREE OF “RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE ALL STARS” Aja, BenDeLaCreme, Chi Chi...

Trevor Project Condemns Trump’s “License to Discriminate” The Trevor Project, the nation’s leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people, condemns...

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Celebrity Photographer Mike Ruiz Presents the ‘HeartThrobs and Hounds’ 2018 Calendar

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SHARP Foundation - A Night For Hope 2017

Benefitting Pet Rescue Groups Fur Friends in Need and Lilo’s Promise Big or small, fluffy or short-haired, young or old, everyone...

Join us on November 28th 2017, in recognition of HIV awareness week for a wonderful evening of fine food, wine and good company. This...

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Breaking the Ice with Icewine: Demystifying a uniquely Canadian beverage

Universal Studios Adds NBC “Will & Grace” Set to its Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes VIP Experience

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VIP Experience Amenities Include Unlimited Front-of-Line Ride Privileges, Unprecedented Access to Movie and Television Sets and...

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NSFW - Steam Room Stories: Words You Can’t Use

A haunting Choose Your Own Adventure - With a Shakespearean Twist

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Artist Collective Theatre is proud to present Peter Eliot Weiss‘s The Haunted House Hamlet, directed by Amanda Liz Cutting, playing...

There are some words in the english language that are so offensive, you just can’t use them. In today’s episodes the guys learn...

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Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

11 16

10 12

2

6

3

7

15

1 8

4 5

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1 2 3 4

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

5 6 7 8

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

FIND OUT!

GayCalgary Magazine is the go-to source for information about Alberta LGBT businesses and community groups—the most extensive and accurate resource of its kind! This print supplement contains a subset of active community groups and venues, with premium business listings of paid advertisers. ..........Wheelchair Accessible Spot something inaccurate or outdated? Want your business or organization listed? We welcome you to contact us!

 403-543-6960  1-888-543-6960

 magazine@gaycalgary.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/CalgaryTravelRSS http://www.gaycalgary.com/EdmontonTravelRSS Local Bars, Restaurants, and Accommodations info on the go! http://www.gaycalgary.com/Directory Browse our complete directory of over 750 gay-frieindly listings!

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

 209 - 10th Ave SW

4 Texas Lounge

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

www.gaycalgary.com

6 Twisted Element

 1006 - 11th Ave SW  403-802-0230

 http:.//www.twistedelement.ca

Bars & Clubs (Mixed)

9 Dickens Pub

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

 http://www.dickenspub.ca

 403-262-9976

 403-233-7550

13 The Pint-----------------------Bars and Clubs 15 The Blind Monk--------------Bars and Clubs 16 Backwards / Six 2 Eight------Bars and Clubs

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.

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

 http://www.localtavern.ca

• Western Cup

14 Night Owl

 213 10 Ave SW

 http://www.niteowlyyc.com

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

 587-224-5200

16 Six 2 Eight Stage (closed)

 628 8th Avenue SW  587-352-2582

 http://www.628stage.com 12 Ten Nightclub (closed)

 1140 10th Ave SW

 403-457-4464

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

 http://www.blindmonk.ca  Mon-Sun: 11am-2am 10 The Palace Theatre -----------------------  219 8th Ave SW  403-935-2637

 https://www.thepalacetheatre.ca 13 The Pint

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

 http://www.thepint.ca/calgary

 403-384-9777

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Goliaths

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

Community Groups

These venues regularly host LGBT events.

7 Broken City

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

 http://www.brokencity.ca

Dickens Pub------------------Bars and Clubs The Palace Theatre ----------Bars and Clubs Local 522---------------------Bars and Clubs Ten Nightclub-----------------Bars and Clubs

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

 http://www.cowboysnightclub.com

LGBT Community Directory

CALGARY

9 10 11 12

Alberta Society for Kink

 403-398-9968  masdenn@yahoo.com

N



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

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

• Slow Pitch

 slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com

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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

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

• Tennis

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

• Yoga

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

At 5 Goliaths

At 1 Calgary Outlink

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

 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.

Calgary Men’s Chorus

• Rehearsals

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

Calgary Pride

 http://www.calgarypride.ca 1 Calgary Outlink

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

• 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.

 4th

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

Calgary Sexual Health Centre

Deer Park United Church/Wholeness Centre

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

 403-278-8263

Different Strokes

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

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

 http://www.iscca.co 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

 403-244-1956

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

 http://www.miscyouth.com

• DVD Resource Library

 The Old Y Centre (223 12th Ave SW) For queer and trans youth and their allies.

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

 mystiquesocialclub@yahoo.com Mystique is primarily a Lesbian group for women 30 and up but all are welcome.

• Telephone Support

 Good Earth Cafe (1502 - 11th Street SW)

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

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

• Fake Mustache • Mosaic Youth Group Mystique

• Coffee Night

NETWORKS

 networkscalgary@gmail.com A social, cultural, and service organization for the mature minded and “Plus 40” LGBT individuals seeking to meet others at age-appropriate activities within a positive, safe environment.

Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

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

78

Sundays See See See See See

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

Rainbow Community Church

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

ISCCA Social Association

Calgary Queer Book Club

Calgary Gay Fathers

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

 3rd

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

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

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

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

 2nd

 1st

Calgary Expo

 http://www.calgaryexpo.com

 1st

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 Calgary Contd.

• Squash

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

By

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

GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

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.

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://suclubs.orgsync.com/org/qcucampus Formerly GLASS - Gay/Lesbian Association of Students and Staff.

• Coffee Night

 2nd Cup, Kensington

Safety Under the Rainbow

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

Scarboro United Church

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

Sharp Foundation

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

Spectrum Volleyball Calgary

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

Unity Bowling

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

Wild Rose United Church

 1317-1st Street NW

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

Restaurants & Pubs 16 Six 2 Eight --------------------------------- See Calgary - Bars & Clubs (Mixed).

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

Retail Stores Adult Depot (CLOSED)

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

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

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

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

Priape Calgary (CLOSED)

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

Services & Products 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.

Interactive Male

 800-913-8509  http://www.interactivemale.com

MFM Communications

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

SafeWorks

Free and confidential HIV/AIDS and STI testing.

• Calgary Drop-in Centre

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

• Centre of Hope

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

• Sheldon M. Chumir Health Centre

 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

Theatre & Fine Arts ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

See Calgary - Community Groups.

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

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

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

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

www.gaycalgary.com

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

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

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

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

Third Street Theatre

 #3 306 20th Ave SW 

http://www.thirdstreet.ca

 403-703-4750

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

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

EDMONTON 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 (CLOSED)

 11725 Jasper Ave  780-488-6557

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

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 Illusions Social Club

 780-387-3343

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

 11111 Jasper Ave

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

Bathhouses/Saunas 5 Steamworks

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

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.

Book Worm’s Book Club

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

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.

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

• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night • TTIQ

 www.beefbearbash.com

 780-474-8240

• Knotty Knitters

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

Fellowship of Alberta Bears  tuff@shaw.ca

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

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

by HIV.

InQueeries

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

Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose

 http://www.iscwr.ca

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

 10704 124 St NW

 sing@evmchoir.com

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

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

• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 780-479-2038  www.evmchoir.com

• Counselling

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 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.

A support and information group for all those who fall under the transgender umbrella and their family or supporters.

• Women’s Social Circle

 andrea@pridecentreofedmonton.org Women’s Social Circle: A social support group for all female-identified persons over 18 years of age in the GLBT community - new members are always welcome.

Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton

 780-474-8240

 tuff@shaw.ca

Team Edmonton

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

• Badminton (Mixed)

 St. Thomas Moore School, 9610 165 Street

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

• Badminton (Women’s)

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

 badminton@teamedmonton.ca Women’s Drop-In Recreational Badminton. $40.00 season or $5.00 per drop in.

•Ballroom Dancing

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

• Blazin’ Bootcamp

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

• Bowling (Northern Titans)

 Ed’s Rec Room (West Edmonton Mall)

 bowling@teamedmonton.ca $15.00 per person.

• Cross Country Skiing

 crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca

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

GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

79

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN EDMONTON

1

8

5 4 3

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

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

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

 3rd

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

 2nd

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

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

Team Edmonton

7

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

N

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

See 1 Youth Understanding Youth

Mondays See

2

6

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

 Granite Curling Club, 8620 107 Street NW  curling@teamedmonton.ca

• Cycling (Edmonton Prideriders)

 Dawson Park, picnic shelter  cycling@teamedmonton.ca

• Dragon Boat (Flaming Dragons)

 dragonboat@teamedmonton.ca

• Golf

 golf@teamedmonton.ca

• Gymnastics, Drop-in

 Ortona Gymnastics Club, 8755 - 50 Avenue  gymnastics@teamedmonton.ca Have the whole gym to yourselves and an instructor to help you achieve your individual goals. Cost is $5.00 per session.

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

• Hockey

 hockey@teamedmonton.ca

Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for players from the 2008 season.

 ultimatefrisbee@teamedmonton.ca E-mail if interested.

• Martial Arts

• Snowballs V

• Volleyball, Intermediate

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

• Outdoor Pursuits

 outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca

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

• Soccer • Spin

• Women’s Lacrosse

 Kinsmen Sports Centre  running@teamedmonton.ca All genders and levels of runners and walkers are invited to join this free activity.

• Slo Pitch

• Swimming (Making Waves)

 Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave  slo-pitch@teamedmonton.ca

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

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

 tennis@teamedmonton.ca

• Ultimate Frisbee

 Sundays Summer Season starts July 12th

GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

• Volleyball, Recreational

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

 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.

• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

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

 soccer@teamedmonton.ca

• Tennis

80

 2nd

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

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

Buck Naked Boys Club

 Edmonton Contd.

• Curling with Pride

 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

 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

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 (CLOSED) See Edmonton - Bars & Clubs (Gay).

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events Red Deer Events Wednesdays

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

CAANS

 1st

Friday, August 15th

 Edmonton Contd.

Products & Services Interactive Male

 800-913-8509  http://www.interactivemale.com

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 The Roxy Theatre (closed)

 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 Community Groups Jasper Pride Festival

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

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

LETHBRIDGE Community Groups GALA/LA

• Support Line

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

Community Groups

• Friday Mixer

Alberta Trans Support/Activities Group

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

Gay & Lesbian Integrity Assoc. (GALIA)

 University of Lethbridge GBLTTQQ club on campus.

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

 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 HIV Connection

Theatre & Fine Arts Alberta Ballet

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

CANADA

 1206 - 6 Ave S

Community Groups

PFLAG Canada

 1-888-530-6777

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

Pride Lethbridge

 lethbridgepridefest@gmail.com

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 Interactive Male

 800-913-8509  http://www.interactivemale.com

Squirt

 http://www.squirt.org Website for dating and hook-ups. 18+ ONLY!

Theatre & Fine Arts Broadway Across Canada

 http://www.broadwayacrosscanada.ca

Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition

 P..O. Box 3043, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 3S9  (306) 955-5135  1-800-955-5129  http://www.rainbowhealth.ca

RED DEER Community Groups Central Alberta AIDS Network Society

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

LGBTQ Education

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

Pride on Campus

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

MEDICINE HAT Community Groups HIV Community Link

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

 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.

ALBERTA

• Telephone Support

• 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.

www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

81

Classifieds 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

Help Wanted

240

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

Help Wanted

Certified Personal Trainer

Cleaning

517

GET A LIFE! Commercial Cleaning

240

Goliath’s Saunatel & Texas Lounge are now seeking qualified customer service representatives for all shifts f/t or p/t. Please pick up or drop off application at front desk, or E-mail andrew@brokencity.ca

Computers

Products/Services 500

330

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

fiverr

MICROSOFT CANADA

Does your business need a professional cleaner?

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

Consulting

527

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

Magical Music DJs

When you need to get everything done! http://gaycalgary.com/u744 Save on Surface, Xbox, and PCs. Free shipping.

Free returns. http://gaycalgary.com/u751 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

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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?

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GayCalgary Magazine #164, Nov/Dec 2017/Jan 2018

www.gaycalgary.com