GayCalgary Magazine - Apr/May 2018

APR/MAY 2018

® ISSUE 166 • $8.95 The Voice of Alberta’s LGBTQ+ Community

FREE ONLINE

Eliza Taylor

Talks about The 100, and Dogs

Interview with

Lou Ferrigno

KATHY

Hulking Up at The Calgary Expo

GRIFFIN PLUS:

Barenaked Ladies • Yaysh • Billy Winn Travel - Edmonton, AB • Travel - Italy Travel - Cabo and Cancún ...and more!

Business Directory

Jason Walker

Scan to Read on Mobile Devices

Community Map

Calgary • Alberta • Canada

Events Calendar

“I’m in Love With You”

Tourist Information

STARTING ON PAGE 89

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GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

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Table of Contents

Photography

Steve Polyak, Rob Diaz-Marino, Videography SteveB&J Polyak

Videography Sales

Steve Polyak, Diaz-Marino SteveRob Polyak sales@gaycalgary.com

Printers Council Web NorthLegal Hill News/Central

Courtney Aarbo, Barristers and Solicitors

Distribution General Inquiries Calgary: Gallant Distribution ®

GayCalgary GayCalgaryMagazine Staff 2136 17th Avenue SW Edmonton: Clark’s Distribution Calgary, AB, Canada Post T2T 0G3 Other: magazine@gaycalgary.com

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

2136 17th Avenue SW This Month's Cover Calgary, AB, Canada Main: Kathy Griffin, T2Tphoto 0G3 by Mike Ruiz. Top

Right: Eliza Taylor, photo courtesy the CW. Mid Right: Lou Ferrigno, photo courtesy CBS. Bottom Office Hours: By appointment ONLY Right: Jason Walker, photo by Karl Giant.

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

Accolades in Journalism

10 Barenaked Ladies & Steven Page Special Exhibit Launches at Studio Bell

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Writers and Contributors

Joey Mercedes Amato, Allen, MikeChris Bahr,Azzopardi, Jeff Berry,Dallas JasonBarnes, Clevett, Dave JanineBrousseau, Eva Trotta,Sam GayRealEstate.com, Casselman, JasonDesirée Clevett, Guerrero, Andrew Collins, Oriol R. Emily Gutierrez Collins,Jr.,Rob Nichol Diaz-Marino, McIntyre, Janine JacksonEvaPhotografix, Trotta, JackSteve Fertig, Polyak, Glen Hanson, Craig Salby, Joan Hilty, Brandon EvanSchultz, Kayne, Jean Stephen Studwell, Lock, Neil MyloMcMullen, Whalen, and AllantheNeuwirth, LGBT Community Steve Polyak, of Calgary, Carey Rutherford, Edmonton, Romeo San Vicente, andEdAlberta Sikov, Nick Vivian and the GLBT Community of Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta.

Photography Steve Polyak

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13 StoryBook Theatre’s “To Dream Again” Eloquent Portrayal of Divorce through an Innocent Lens

16 Fairytales Film Fest 2018 opens with a Calgary Queer History Documentary

James Demers talks about Celebrating their 20th Anniversary and Name Change, plus Intersectionality in Queer Film

18 Eliza Taylor at the Calgary Expo Talks about The 100, Dogs, and Gay Rights

20 BeefDip 2018, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

22 Jason Walker and Tony Moran: Together Again in “I’m in Love With You” The Dynamic Duo of the Dancefloor Prove Third Time Is the Charm

e 23 Wisdom with Swag Openly pansexual pop artist Yaysh asks people to give her —n and love — a chance

i z a

g a m

28 Positive Thoughts - Let’s Talk About Women and HIV We know HIV doesn’t discriminate — so why are women still being left out of the conversation around HIV

29 Positive Thoughts: We Are Family

Finding family when you don’t think you can make your own

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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

APR/MAY 2018

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®

30 Positive Thoughts: A Place To Live

The new CEO of Bailey House reflects on its 35 years of housing people living with HIV/AIDS – and its future

48 What’s New in Cabo and Cancún

International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association

A guide to Mexico’s glittering getaway gems, East and West

National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association

Gay European Tourism Association

54 Bears In Black & White 4 Panda’s Make Calgary Zoo Debut

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32 Edmonton, Alberta Shopping, Arts and Culture, with a diverse LGBTQ+ Community

Continued on Next Page  www.gaycalgary.com

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Table of Contents  Continued From Previous Page

58 Pride Journey

®

Milan & Turin, Italy

60 You’re Buying a Neighborhood, Not Just a Home

PAGE 65

61 Tips to Avoid Paying More for Your Mortgage 64 Lethbridge Pride Celebrates 10 years Going bigger with headliners Stacy Layne Matthews, Jaxx Garcia and DJ Dopamine

65 AHulkingChat with Lou Ferrigno Up at The Calgary Expo 67 Winning Kiss Billy Winn Releases First Single from Upcoming Dreamland EP

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70 Feasting on Fetish This Summer 72 ATP’s Glory Brings Canada’s Pioneer Hockey Femmes to Centre Stage

74 Laughing Our Heads Off with Kathy Griffin Our favourite comic makes Calgary debut 79 84 89 94

Queer Eye News Releases Directory and Events Classified Ads

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Monthly Online Magazine Readership:

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

Total Readership of PDF/ISSUU/WEB

Readers Per Copy: 4.9 (PMB) Avg. Online Circulation: 40,000 readers Estimated Total Readership: >400,000 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.

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Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.

GayCalgary® is a registered trademark.

Jun/July 2018 Deadlines Ad Booking: Wed, Jun 6th

Submission: Mon, Jun 11th Online: Fri, June 15th Please contact us immediately if you think you may have missed the booking or submission deadline.

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Publisher’s Column Accolades in Journalism

 photos by GayCalgary

by Steve Polyak In the 25 years that GayCalgary has been around, we have received several awards and accolades. They are for the work that GayCalgary does in the LGBTQ+ community throughout Alberta and we totally appreciate them when we get them. The accolades come from groups and organizations that we have worked closely with, so we do not need to nominate ourselves or have our readers vote for us in a popularity contest like the “best of” awards.

In early 2017, Travel Gay Canada gave us the opportunity to nominate some of our travel articles for their “Journalism Best LGBT Focused Travel Story Award” category. According to their guidelines for the award, the travel feature needed to be published in print or digital format in 2016. The article must be LGBT Travel Focused and have been developed in Canada by Canadian based brand or agency. Their judges would consider: Interest and engagement, including the story, images; degree of import to furthering the cause of LGBT travel; response from readers, viewers, listeners, etc. directly or on social media; and value/reach of publication.

The article that I submitted was “Jasper, Alberta: Welcoming Town in the Heart of Natural Beauty” (http://gaycalgary.com/ a5039 ) which also had the sub articles “Whistler’s Inn” (http:// gaycalgary.com/a5040 ) , “Maligne Canyon Icewalk” (http:// gaycalgary.com/a5041 ) and “Jasper Pride 2016” (http:// gaycalgary.com/a5042 ).

Continued on Page 8 

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 Publishers Column - From Page 7 This is not the first time I have submitted articles for awards, but in the past, it was to the Alberta Magazine Awards. There is stiff competition out there from main stream magazines like Avenue Magazine, West World, Western Living, WestJet Magazine, Where Magazine and others. I know that with their big budgets and large editorial staff, that there is no way that an article in GayCalgary would ever win. Putting an article up against other publications in Canada that write LGBTQ+ interest travel articles, I thought it would be a long shot and at least it was free to enter.

A month and a half went by and I received the following email from Colin Sines, Executive Director of Travel Gay Canada.

“Hi Steve. Congratulations, you won best editorial for the Jasper piece – it will be presented to you as the journalist.

We will be announcing the winners on Thursday at the AGM, but presentations won’t occur until June. If it’s ready I will bring your award with me to Calgary in May as I’m attending Rendezvous Canada.”

I was totally surprised. I never thought that I would win an award for the articles that I wrote, and for something that I have been enjoying writing about too! Wearing so many hats while running the magazine, having someone acknowledge you as a journalist, made it become more than just a task I do as part of creating content for our audience to read. I have never in the past classed myself as a journalist, but it hit me that after 14 years of writing for the magazine, ok, I am a journalist.

The awards would be presented at their conference in Toronto. I had let Colin know that I would not be able to attend the conference. With the lack of advertising coming in for the magazine, the cost was just too much to fly to Toronto and stay for two nights. Hearing that he was going to be in Calgary

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for Rendezvous, which is a travel conference for the Canadian travel industry, at least it made it easier to pick up the award.

I popped down to Rendezvous to meet Colin Sines in person for the first time and was handed the award. No presentations, photos or anything since only Colin and I knew what was going on.

After the conference in Toronto, Colin did say that the award presentation happened, and a press release had gone out for it. I ran the press release on the GayCalgary website, but never really announced directly that I won one of the awards (http:// gaycalgary.com/n2478).

Now about a year later, I have decided that I should announce it. After the eye-opening experience that I had at Whistler Pride this year, which I talked about in the last edition, I thought that I should let our readers know that I have done something exceptional.

When it has come to patting myself on the back, I have always avoided doing it. I wanted to be as humble as possible. I will bring up the stats of GayCalgary.com or the magazine and use it in advertising. But the goal is to get advertisers on board or create better awareness of what we do. I also find that because I don’t bring up the magazines accomplishments, people forget or don’t know what we have done. After seeing many businesses and people proud to have received “best of” awards and other community acknowledgements, after 25 years, I think it is time that I stop hiding them in boxes under the stairs and start being proud to show off our accomplishments too!

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Barenaked Ladies & Steven Page

Special Exhibit Launches at Studio Bell

 photos by GayCalgary

By Jason Clevett It was a performance we never thought we’d see. On March 25th, 2018 at the Juno Awards in Vancouver the Barenaked Ladies – Ed Robertson, Kevin Hearn, Jim Creeggan, Tyler Stewart – reunited with founding member Steven Page to be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. Their first performance together in a decade – One Week and If I Had 1000000 – was the toprated segment on the show. It was a thrill for fans to see them together for one night only, and the comfort level of the band members together.

BNL and Page reunited again May 16th at the National Music Centre at Studio Bell in downtown Calgary for launch of Milestones: Barenaked Ladies. Running until February 2019 the exhibit features treasures from the band’s founders, Ed Robertson and Steven Page, including early songbooks and lyric sheets, an acoustic guitar used by Robertson in the music video for “Falling for the First Time,” and Page’s 8-track cassette recorder used to make early demo tapes for “Jane” and “Old Apartment.” The exhibition will also include an assortment of memorabilia from members of Barenaked Ladies and Page, such as behind-the-scenes photos from the band’s formative years, press clippings, album artwork, and awards.

“This is now the third exhibition that we’ve launched in collaboration with our official partners at CARAS since opening Studio Bell in 2016,” said Andrew Mosker, President and CEO, NMC. “We are proud to be the physical home of the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and look forward to each induction and 10

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producing a coinciding exhibition every year to recognize new inductees. Barenaked Ladies have made an unforgettable mark domestically and internationally, and we are eager to share another important story from the canon of Canadian music with all of our visitors.”

“We are thrilled to see this exhibition come to life at Studio Bell in partnership with the National Music Centre” said Allan Reid, President & CEO, CARAS/The JUNO Awards & MusiCounts. “Barenaked Ladies have one of the most unique success stories in Canadian history, and a musical legacy that CARAS was proud to honour at the 2018 JUNO Awards and again, just yesterday, where they officially placed their plaque in the Canadian Music Hall of Fame.”

“It’s still hard to get our heads around,” Robertson said during a plaque ceremony at Studio Bell. “We’re the band that makes fun of the bands in the Hall of Fame.”

“I hope our fans enjoy this exhibition as much as I’ve enjoyed looking back on the early days of our career,” said former member Steven Page. “I’m incredibly proud of all we accomplished together and I’m excited to celebrate it with this exhibit.”

After the official ceremony Robertson, Kreeggan, Stewart and Page spoke with media, including GayCalgary.com. All 4 were in awe of being in the Hall which includes Canadian Icons like The Guess Who, The Tragically Hip, Joni Mitchell and 47 others.

“After the Junos I started to understand a little better. We’re the 51st inductees. 50 other people have been inducted. It’s pretty amazing,” Page said. Stewart added “It is amazing to

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be amongst such distinguished company like Rush and Neil Young. I wonder who will be next?”

“It’s still surreal. I still can’t make sense of it. This is the music we grew up with, these are our heroes. I joke that these are the bands that we made fun of, but my high school band played 26 Rush songs.” Robertson said, looking at the wall of inductees with Kreeggan, who added “You’d go to a jam in my neighborhood and decide if you were going to play (Rush’s) Fly By Night as the studio version or the live version. Leonard Cohen is right there. Sarah McLachlan. Rush.”

The reaction to the reunion showed how much BNL has meant to people. Though both the remaining foursome and Page have had successful careers since Page’s departure, their body of work together remains a fond memory for fans.

“Our music has become the fabric of people’s lives and that is an amazing thing. To know that you play music that has changed people or made them happier or feel things even more… what an honour. It’s incredible. With a song like Million Dollars, we don’t even own the song anymore it doesn’t belong to us it belongs to the fans. We’re playing their song,” Stewart said.

“We realize too that the songs have a life outside of us guys. A song like If I Had A Million Dollars has become a campfire song that has this huge life beyond the band. It is pretty gratifying to know that we’ve contributed something,” added Page. “When you do a concert and the audience sings along with you, they are singing all their memories which is pretty cool.”

The exhibit features many facts and memories about the band, such as their memorable banning from playing a New Years Eve 1991 event by then Toronto Mayor June Rowlands

who found their name ‘offensive’. Photos, awards, old lyric books and more make up the exhibit that is a must visit for any Barenaked Ladies fan.

‘Walking into a museum and seeing yourself on the wall and knowing every moment was unfamiliar and immediately familiar You’re surrounded by your memories. It’s an honour to share it with people that want to see it. We are still living it of course. I’d love to be the guy hanging out going “oh yeah and this happened there… this was a photo shoot in San Francisco,’ Kreeggan said.

“For me it was going through the boxes to provide material for the exhibit. Looking through my old lyric books and setlists was where all the really nostalgic time was. Opening boxes that hadn’t been opened in 25 years was really fun,” said Robertson.

“I had already seen little mockups, but it was spectacular to see it on that stage. I am very proud of it. October 1st will be 30 years since the first Barenaked Ladies gig. What’s the wedding gift for 30 years? Let’s go with Pearls, I’m getting pearls for all the boys.”

Leading up to the Junos there was a lot of speculation about the reunion. Page and his former bandmates were interviewed separately, they rehearsed away from the public eye, and the first time they appeared together again in a decade occurred during their induction on the broadcast. Any speculation was quickly wiped out – together they didn’t miss a beat. Seeing them together at Studio Bell, it was clear that any past drama was water under the bridge.

“We grew up together. I was in a band with Steven for 20 years. So that’s the way I see it, it’s great to see each other again. Catering to the hopes and dreams of the nation is a lot

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harder than getting together and playing music again. At the end of the day it’s about being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

There is no bigger honor. I think for everyone involved it’s like “wow we really achieved the pinnacle and to be recognized by your peers like that is awesome,” Stewart said. Added Page “It would be easy for us to just put it on and just be polite. I think we were prepared to do that if it was weird, but it wasn’t weird.

Or it wasn’t as weird as I thought it would be. As we got closer to it I realized it wouldn’t be. It’s outside forces that make you feel like that. It is really nice that people actually watched it a lot.”

“In a lot of ways it was a perfect way and healing way to see Steve again after parting ways. To play music and be honored for our career together was a special thing. Like a wave of love coming at us,” Kreeggan said.

“Rehearsing and performing together was super easy. That’s something we’ve always done well together. It was a great thing to get together and celebrate and then we went on tour in the UK,” added Robinson.

With the Junos behind them, the chemistry still there, and 3 decades of memories, if fans had a million dollars they would likely use it to ask – will we ever see Page and the Barenaked Ladies work together again on tour?

“No idea? How much are you offering?” quipped Page, to which Stewart added “Yeah cold hard cash! We had a great time at the Junos. It had been almost ten years and we had fun. We both have respective things we are going to do. We are going on tour right away, Steven is going to the UK right away.

We all continue on with our lives but you never know. Maybe someday Mom & Dad will get back together and Santa Clause will be real.”

Ed Robertson has long said the focus of the band is moving forward, and he reiterated that to GayCalgary.

“I think life is long, never say never. We aren’t looking to move backwards, and we have had a lot of fun that night. We both have come so far from that time ten years ago. We’ve released 6 records, Steve’s put out 2 or 3. We’ve done 1000+ shows. We are in a very different place. If we revisit to celebrate the stuff we did together that’s great but it’s still our life and we live it every night.”

The Barenaked Ladies http://www.BarenakedLadies.com Steven Page http://www.StevenPage.com Milestones: Barenaked Ladies Runs Until February 2019 Studio Bell http://www.studiobell.ca http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5747 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments 12

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StoryBook Theatre’s “To Dream Again” Eloquent Portrayal of Divorce through an Innocent Lens

 photo by Benjamin Laird Photography

By Janine Eva Trotta

It’s not a pretty topic but it is one that affects an increasing amount of today’s families: separation of spouses; divorce. In Toby Hulse’s To Dream Again, the topic is given breath by the blameless lungs of a nine-year-old girl child, desperate to piece back the fragments of a relationship her parents have left strewn about the family home’s floor.

It sounds heavy, but StoryBook Theatre has managed to give the premise a light feel, with a ‘fairy house father’ played by a rather rotund male. The plot wafts between modern day and a Shakespearean past, a time during which the girl believes true love might have existed and could be revived in her parents again.

The play was drawn from A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but its tone is every bit as 2018 as it could be. The show is driven by a tour de force, Peniel Negre, making her acting

debut as Sophie, a young girl who needs the help of magic and poetry to come to grips with what’s happening before her.

The dialogue is candid, the message clear: there are some things that cannot be fixed by magic but, with such, we can get through the broken times.

Riley Galarneau livens up the stage with his jolly portrayal of Puck/Goodfellow, a plumber cum fairyhouse-father. He was a pleasant sight for eyes weary of the role going to a pixie-like female, and better so that his partner in magic making is a young woman.

Part of its 2017-2018 Season of Change, To Dream Again will play at the Beddington Theatre Arts Centre until March 24th.

To Dream Again March 9th to 24th StoryBook Theatre http://www.storybooktheatre.org http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5701 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Fairytales Film Fest 2018 opens with a Calgary Queer History Documentary

James Demers talks about Celebrating their 20th Anniversary and Name Change, plus Intersectionality in Queer Film

 Watch the interview and trailers: http://gaycalgary.com/a5741

By Steve Polyak For the past 20 years, Fairytales Queer Film Festival has been highlighting films and documentaries of queer stories from around the world to audiences in Calgary.

We chatted with James Demers, Executive Director of Fairytales Film Festival just after the line-up launch.

The tail end of the video interview for this article does have some of the trailers of movies that are part of the festival.

For opening night, they will be presenting the first queer history documentary about Calgary called Outliers.

“It is all being made in house. It is being made all by queer and young film makers which is really exciting. And we have had a lot of really strong community participation and support to make the documentary happen. It is opening the festival.

It is our way of giving back to the community that have supported us for so long.”

During the Fairytales 2018 Queer Film Festival lineup launch, 15 minutes of the documentary was previewed.

In the audience were a lot of people that helped bring the documentary together.

“The documentary starts in 1960. So being able to enter a hotel bar in the 1960’s as a woman was a not an option unless you were escorted and there were separate entrances.

So lesbian meet-ups were really complicated, which is why we featured the Cecil as one of the few places lesbian could go meet up, because the restrictions on women in 1960’s

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Calgary were significant comparatively let alone for in the queer community” James is expecting that opening night will be a packed house, so screenings for the documentary will be added during the festival. The documentary will also be shown at Edmonton Pride and Lethbridge Pride.

Another highlight for the festival is happening on Sunday night.

“We are also doing what I am calling the Gender Warriors Double Feature. We will be bringing in four special guests and showing four films together. Two shorts and two features, the whole package is about three and a half hours. All of them exist in a space where they are transitioning or dealing with gender identity issues in a heavily masculine focused fields. It allows us to investigate through the course of these films and these people, what does it mean to address feminine gender fluidity, and what does it mean to be a woman, or what does it mean to be a trans woman in the context of being a firefighter or a power lifter. So, we are going to have all four the special guests from each film in the theatre. They will get to meet each other for the first time. If you are new to gender expression or gender identity or understandings around that, this the perfect film package for you to take a look at. “ Tuesday night will highlight intersectionality through the Indigenous lens using shorts and full movies. One of the shorts featured is produced by famous Canadian artist Kent Monkman, who was interviewed by GayCalgary back in February 2010, (http://www.gaycalgary.com/a1552) and

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July 2013 (http://www.gaycalgary.com/a3569 ). There will be a Q&A with some of the producers of the movies shown.

The festival will again have a sing-a-long night with the Calgary Men’s Chorus. This year it will be the musical Rent which will be on Thursday night. You don’t need a perfect singing voice, everyone can enjoy singing alongside the talented voices of Calgary Men’s Chorus.

With many ways of telling queer stories, Fairytales Queer Film Festival also needed to rebrand.

“20 years ago, Fairytales was just a film festival and I don’t mean that in any terrible way. At the time it was ground breaking in a lot of ways and it still continues to be. The film festival gives us the opportunity to represent queer voices on film. Over a period of time we have requests from audience members to expand that. So, the Outreels program came out of people coming up to us saying ‘Hey, I really liked that movie.

Can I show it to my church? We are having a conversation about affirming.’ So, the Outreels Diversity Program grew out of that. Naturally the Youth Queer Media Program was the opportunity for young film makers to make their first film and premiere it at the festival. We supported the Coming Out

Monologues through their whole run. We booked rehearsal space and worked with them. Then we offered to financially under pin the work that they do and that took us out of film for the first time. So, it took us to this place of theatre, spoken word and monologues. What we would like to do with this change in a shift from the Fairytales Film Presentation Society to the Calgary Queer Arts Society is to leave ourselves open to multiple disciplines. Because if we can be the bastions of queer stories in whatever art form for them to need to be told for that to be fulfilling for the individual, then I would love to be in that position. We are looking at doing incubating of the revival of a well-known queer theatre company that used to be here, so stay tuned for that. It has not been confirmed yet, but it is on its way.”

Check out the Calgary Queer Arts Society website for the schedule of the 2018 Fairytales Queer Film Festival as well as more information about the other programs they offer.

Fairy Tales Calgary’s Queer Film Festival May 25th to June 2nd, 2018 Presented by Calgary Queer Arts Society https://www.calgaryqueerartssociety.com/fairy-tales-calgarysqueer-film-festival/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5741 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Eliza Taylor at the Calgary Expo Talks about The 100, Dogs, and Gay Rights



Watch the interview: http://gaycalgary.com/a5738

By Nichol McIntyre For the past four years, The 100 has been using its platform on evening programming to break expectations as well as barriers. But truly, what would be a better show to do that than one populated by young people, the type who are now confronting stereotypes in the real world?

While the character of Clarke in The 100 is a strong voice for the Sky people (those who ‘fell to Earth’ after it became re-inhabitable), her real-life counterpart Eliza Taylor is a softspoken gem with an affinity for cooking and food. We managed to touch base with her this weekend at the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo, to talk about The 100, dogs and gay rights.

The Australian-born beauty was the first to play a lead character on a CW show where the character was confirmed to be bisexual. While sexuality on popular television in the past has been fetishized or treated as an irregularity, The 100 is unique in the way it approached the subject, treating sexuality in the same way it would treat race or those who are left-handed: normal and occurring every day. So, while

the show is a forerunner in this direction, it was never about becoming available to the LGBT community; rather, it was about portraying an everyday person in extreme circumstances.

It was clear after talking with Eliza that this is the way she approached the character of Clarke.

It wasn’t all serious talk with Eliza, though. Since she loves to spend her down time in the kitchen with a slow cooker, glass of wine and some great tunes, she was more than happy to share her favorite recipe with us. Have a look at our interview with her and make your way to the Expo this Sunday to meet her while you still can!

The 100 on the CW http://www.thecwtv.com Calgary Expo April 26 to 29th, 2018 http://www.calgaryexpo.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5738 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Travel

BeefDip 2018, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico photos by Jackson Photografix

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Jason Walker and Tony

Moran: Together Again in “I’m in Love With You”

The Dynamic Duo of the Dancefloor Prove Third Time Is the Charm

 photo by Karl Giant

By Mike Bahr “There’s so much turmoil in the world right now, the dance floor needs a song like ‘I’m in Love with You,’” says Jason Walker of his latest single with Tony Moran.

It is Walker’s third song with the two-time Grammy nominated producer. The power house duo’s previous tracks, “So Happy” and “Say Yes,” both reached the #1 spot on the Billboard club charts. “It’s a positive number with a great beat to lift spirits up.” “‘I’m in Love with You’ is meant to be a bold declaration of the love we hold in our hearts for those who matter most to us,” says Moran. “It’s also a reminder that — yes, people! —message counts.

It’s important to tell those closest to us how much they mean.”

Tony Moran wrote the song with Ryan Shaw and Mike Greenly and is releasing it through his label, Mr. Tanman Music. To support the release, he has commissioned remixes from some of the top names in dance music, including Rosabel, Moto Blanco, Sted E and Hybrid Heights, Mike Cruz, Tony Smith (“Tony’s Soulbeats”), Tommer Mizrahi, Strobe, Dinaire and Bissen, and Boris.

Moran and Walker also re-enlisted videographer, Karl Giant, the director of the “So Happy” and “Say Yes” music videos. Giant, in turn, brought in artist, Randy Polumbo, whose work has been exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach, Burning Man and Coachella.

The video was shot in Polumbo’s 4,000-square-foot warehouse studio and at an ice-skating rink with figure skater Jeremy Abbott, a four-time US national champion and Olympic bronze medalist.

“The set was like a playground with art everywhere, an elevated RV, blow torches, an ice rink… It was simply magical,” recalls Walker.

He says he is thrilled with the end result, calling it a masterpiece of motion and color.

Moran says the true masterpiece is Jason’s voice. “The song starts with a steady continuum that reflects a steadfast love. It then breaks out into a joyous enthusiasm that embraces today’s electronic music and provides a platform for Jason to really let loose.”

Jason Walker grew up in Pittsburgh, singing in church choirs. He first shined on the national spotlight with a winning performance on TV’s It’s Showtime at the Apollo.

He has had four Billboard #1s: “Foolish Mind Games,” “Set It Free,” and the Tony Moran-produced singles, “So Happy” and “Say Yes.” Jason Walker and Tony Moran first met through DJ Junior Vasquez when Vasquez commissioned Moran to remix “Set It Free.”

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Wisdom with Swag

Openly pansexual pop artist Yaysh asks people to give her — and love — a chance

By Jean Studwell Yaysh understands that she presents a unique challenge to many people. She is an androgynous-looking female, white MC and a singer who often crosses musical genres.

“People often want to label me a lesbian, but I prefer pansexual because I occasionally find sexual chemistry with men,” she explains, clarifying, “usually black men.”

In “Get 2 Kno Me,” her provocative new pop/reggae summer track, Yaysh invites listeners to open up and embrace a higher quality of life. “I want to encourage people to be honest, vulnerable and willing to take that fearless leap into life’s unknown,” she says. “Leap. Enjoy. Relax. Love. You might be surprised at what happens.”

GC: Congrats on the success of “Get 2 kno me”! What was the inspiration behind the song?

Yaysh: I made this song out of my sadness. I see people increasingly more afraid to trust each other and come from love rather than hate. I literally made this song out of a desire to help people fall back in love again. If you hear the lyrics in the song I am asking people to take a leap out of their fears and

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be willing to be a fool for love. I want them to love life and be vulnerable. Fall in love with me, or friends or your job or life or yourself. Stop fighting it.

GC: It’s a sweet, sunshine-y track.

Yaysh: Yeah, it’s got a gentle summer vibe that makes you happy even if you don’t understand a word of the lyrics. It is also completely open in terms of who I am speaking to: could be for a man or a women or they or them or whatevs. The song is inherently neutral, androgynous and simply romantic.

GC: On the topic of getting to know you, how did you choose Yaysh as your stage name?

Yaysh: Yeshe is the Tibetan term for fully developed wisdom or enlightenment. So, as a Buddhist and longtime meditation practitioner of a community called Shambhala, I felt I needed to have a connection for why I do things and what I represent at my essence. I created the term “Yaysh” to mean wisdom with swag. I am wisdom with swag, that is who I am and where I come from and how I make music.

GC: How do you pronounce it?

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 photo by John Juniper

Yaysh: Like the combination of the words “yay!” (I’m happy) and “Shh” (be quiet).

GC: How do you write your songs?

Yaysh: I freestyle melodies, record them, cut ‘em up and pick my favorite parts and find the hook, the pre-hook, the post… Then R8dio, my producer, makes beats to each section of the song, creates background vocals, edits, cleans up sound, mixes, masters, then poof! We’re done. Easy peasy (laughs).

GC: Why did you choose to get naked for the video?

Yaysh: To me, this video is art and was created with intention. It’s about love, body image, freedom, not giving a f*ck and feeling completely at home with being in your own skin, and not being ashamed of how you look or who you are.

GC: Were you always so bold?

Yaysh: I had quite a multicultural upbringing. My Dad was Mexican, my mother Jewish. I went to a Jewish day school up until age 11 and then went to public school. I met a good friend that I had a tumultuous friendship with whom I explored most of my rebelliousness with in my stages of becoming a woman.

She introduced me to men, drugs, alcohol, the hood, hip hop, gangsters, partying… so throughout middle school and high school, I was hanging out with a lot of different people and my music comes from the human struggle and experiencing things that most young white girls from the suburbs don’t get to.

GC: What is like for an openly pansexual artist in the music industry?

Yaysh: Most people are with it. I feel treated as equal. In my opinion, it is all about how you regard yourself. I treat myself as equal, so everyone seems to follow suit.

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GC: Why was it important for you to be open about your sexuality?

Yaysh: Why hold back? Life is short. I don’t want to die knowing I was a pussy. I am free and there is nothing wrong with me. I make music. It comes out of me. I don’t censor it.

GC: Do you have a favorite song?

Yaysh: Right now, “PB&J” because it is aggressive and surprises people and turns up the room.

GC: Who is your target demo?

Yaysh: To be honest, my crowds tend to be a spattering of LGBT peeps and a lot of straight people. Everyone, literally everyone, loves my shows because I let my animal out.

GC: Favorite movie?

Yaysh: Game Over! on Netflix. It’s funny! Also, Harry Potter.

GC: Favorite book?

Yaysh: The Lost Art of Conversation by my teacher Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche.

GC: Last meal?

Yaysh: BBQ chicken tacos with saffron rice, a nice salad and some drinks.

Yaysh’s new single, “Get 2 Kno Me,” is available on iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms. Its music video is available on YouTube and Vimeo.

Follow Yaysh on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter @ yayshplz.

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Health

Positive Thoughts - Let’s Talk About Women and HIV We know HIV doesn’t discriminate — so why are women still being left out of the conversation around HIV

By Desirée Guerrero Having recently become single again after being in a monogamous relationship for over a decade, and finding myself thrust into a whole new world of dating apps and identities (polyamorous, pansexual, etc.), I also realized it was time to start getting regular STI screenings again – including for HIV. This was about eight months into my singledom, by which time I’d had three new partners (yes, I was enjoying my own exploration of polyamory). Though I had been using condoms, of course an STI screening was still the responsible thing to do, so I scheduled a full panel, including an HIV test, with my ob-gyn.

When I came in I was surprised to be greeted with a flurry of concerned questions from my doc: “Why do you want an HIV test? Do you think you have been exposed? Are you having any symptoms?”

“No,” I explained, a little shaken. “I am just single again after many years and have been sexually active with more than one partner. I felt it was the proper thing to do at this point.”

“Have you been using condoms?” she asked.

“Yes,” I replied.

“Well, then we shouldn’t have much too worry about,” she said, and then suddenly asked, “Do you know if any of your partners are bisexual or have sex with men?”

“Not that I know of – though my ex had been with men before.”

“Oh,” she said, feigning an uncomfortable smile. “Well, let’s just do the panel.”

Fortunately, all was well, but several things left me uneasy about the visit. First of all, why did I have to specifically ask for an HIV test as part of my STI screening panel? Shouldn’t this be an automatic inclusion? This day and age, should anyone have to justify the need for an HIV test?

Second, my doctor’s bedside manner on the topic left much to be desired. Not only did her alarm alarm me, but her questioning seemed a bit invasive and irrelevant. She seemed to think it was strange of me to want an HIV test until she heard my ex had had sex with men – which really wasn’t why I was getting the test done at all.

I had known for years my ex had a sexual history with men, though like many MSM, he identified as straight and I was the only person who knew this about him. Unfortunately, because of sexist and homophobic attitudes that still exist in our society, this is the case for many MSM – and it’s rare that they would disclose this to their female partners, as in my case. So with many women not knowing whether their male partners are MSM, why should that make a distinction of my perceived HIV risk? (Also, I had been tested with my ex and we were monogamous for the last 10 years, which she didn’t ask about.)

Though it’s true that bi and gay men, and trans women, are the most at-risk groups in terms of acquiring HIV, we know it certainly doesn’t discriminate. Women and girls

today not only need to know the facts about HIV and how to protect themselves or get care – but more so, providers need to step it up in terms of incorporating routine testing for, and conversations around, HIV as a normal part of women’s healthcare.

I had the pleasure of speaking with HIV activist and policy badass Regan Hofmann last year on this topic for Plus magazine, who reiterated this: “We need to help more health care providers become aware of the fact that women are at risk for HIV. But until that changes,” she adds, “women need to be agents of their own health. When you go to your doctor for your annual exam, ask for an HIV test. If your doctor (says) you don’t need one, ask to get one anyway.”

This is why, every March, Hofmann helps promote National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NWGHAAD).

According to the U.S. Office of Women’s Health, which sponsors the annual event on March 10 (and throughout the month of March), “about one in four people living with HIV in the United States is female. Only about half of women living with HIV are getting care, and only four in 10 of them have the virus under control.”

According to the CDC, women made up nearly 20 percent of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2015 – and 86 percent of those were attributed to heterosexual sex (only 13 percent were attributed to injection drug use). This is a fact that most women who have sex with men do not realize.

Hofmann, an amfAR board member and former policy officer for UNAIDS’s U.S. Liaison Office in Washington, D.C., knows this reality firsthand. She has been living with HIV for over 20 years. Hofmann says conversation about HIV is not only essential for women’s health, but also necessary in order to eradicate stigma around the condition, which is counterproductive to ending the virus.

“If HIV carried no stigma, more of us living with HIV would know our status and access the treatment that not only keeps us healthy but that also suppresses our viral loads so we are virtually non-infectious,” Hofmann told Plus. “Those who contribute to HIV-related stigma undermine our ability to resolve the pandemic. As stigma is largely fueled by fear, we must continue to educate people about the latest scientific facts to help them move from fear to compassion.”

This year, NWGHAAD would be a good time for us as women, and as a society, to reflect and remember that HIV and AIDS affects us all. Together, we can solve this issue – but we must remember that women and girls are a huge part of the puzzle. We simply can no longer afford to be left out of the conversation.

“Women face unique HIV risks and challenges that can prevent them from getting needed care and treatment,” reads the mission statement on the NWGHAAD webpage.

“Addressing these issues remains critical to achieving an HIVand AIDS-free generation.”

For more information, visit the NWGHAAD page at WomensHealth.gov.

Desirée 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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Health

Positive Thoughts: We Are Family Finding family when you don’t think you can make your own

By Jeff Berry One of the first disco albums I ever owned, We Are Family by Sister Sledge, I didn’t actually buy, but I won in a radio call-in contest in the spring of 1979. I was living at home at the time and remember driving down to the local Southwest Michigan radio station to pick it up, excited to have won. The enduring club anthem about having “all my sisters with me” has always been a part of my ethos for my entire adult life, and I still have the vinyl record in my possession. I can’t seem to part with it.

The people in our families can be a source of unconditional love, those who we can always rely on, and will support us no matter what, who share in our joys and accomplishments, and we in theirs. Families for many can also be a source of frustration, pain, suffering, despair, conflict, anger, resentment and drama.

At one point in my life I thought I might make a good parent, but by the age of 30 I figured I wasn’t able to have a child because I was HIV-positive – the technology and methods that are available today were not around then, or were prohibitively expensive. I knew though that raising a child would have altered the course of my life for sure, judging by my reaction to my partner Stephen bringing home a puppy one October day in 2010, unannounced (I believe my exact words were, “What have you done?”). I knew then and still today that there is a lot

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of work that goes into raising a puppy, let alone a child, but the rewards are immeasurable.

Now that I’m nearing 60 I guess I’ll never know whether I would have been a good parent, but luckily I have other children and people in my life through my extended family with my partner’s sister and nephews, who have always been incredibly welcoming from the very first time I met them.

Families come in all shapes and sizes – there are the families we are born into, and those we choose. I have my relatives, my extended family, my family of friends, and my work family, to name just a few. Families can drive you crazy sometimes.

But if it weren’t for family, I would be lost. We cannot exist in isolation, as much as we think we’d like to sometimes. We need the social support, connection and interaction with each other, to learn, to grow, to forgive, and to give back. I am grateful for my family and my families, and hope that all of us appreciate them in whatever form or shape they may take. One family is no better than another, but they’re all opportunities for us to stay connected, and to ultimately understand what the good qualities are that we all have in common.

Take care of yourself, and each other.

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Positive Thoughts: A Place To Live

The new CEO of Bailey House reflects on its 35 years of housing people living with HIV/AIDS – and its future

 the Bailey House

By Oriol R. Gutierrez Jr. Daniel W. Tietz became CEO of Bailey House in October 2017. The New York City-based nonprofit organization serves more than 1,800 men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic illnesses through housing, health services and community support. Tietz is a registered nurse and a lawyer with more than 30 years of experience.

He succeeds longtime CEO Gina Quattrochi. She died of cancer in December 2016, prompting the board of directors to conduct a national search for a new leader.

Most recently, Tietz was chief special services officer at New York City’s Human Resources Administration. He oversaw the HIV/AIDS Services Administration and other programs for the city’s most vulnerable residents. Before that, he was executive director of ACRIA, formerly the AIDS Community Research Initiative of America.

Bailey House was formed in 1983 as the AIDS Resource Center (ARC). In 1986, ARC opened the first U.S. congregate residence for people living with HIV/AIDS. Located on Christopher Street in Greenwich Village, it was named Bailey House.

Then, in 1995, the organization changed its name to Bailey House to honor one of its founders, Reverend Mead Miner Bailey. The Christopher Street residence was renamed BaileyHolt House to honor support from Broadway producer Fritz Holt. In 1997, the East Harlem Service Center opened, which added job training, a pantry and substance abuse services.

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Schafer Hall, a housing residence in East Harlem, opened in 2001.

Tell us about the people Bailey House serves.

About half of our clients are living with HIV. The other half are not, but they look similar in terms of health and services needs. We expanded services to those who are HIV negative in our communities, since in many cases they are also at substantial HIV risk.

If we do our jobs right – focus on homelessness and housing instability, on poverty, on hunger and on folks who are marginalized – in addition to helping those with HIV, then we also effectively address HIV prevention and improve overall health outcomes.

A little more than half of funding goes to our housing programs. In terms of congregate housing, there are 156 units, including 76 for people with HIV and 80 for veterans regardless of HIV status. There are also 237 scattered units, including 135 for those with HIV and 102 for others.

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Tell us about your advocacy concerns.

On the federal level, those of us serving marginalized communities are going to be super challenged. The tax scam that was signed into law will undoubtedly lead to less federal money for health, housing and social support programs.

For example, when it comes to affordable housing development, the money from HUD [Department of Housing and Urban Development], whether it’s for HOPWA [Housing Opportunities for Persons With AIDS] or for Section 8 [Housing Choice Voucher Program] or other low-income housing programs – you can’t have created via this terrible tax law that big of a budget gap and imagine that this Congress and this White House aren’t going to be looking at literally every entitlement and grant program to make harmful and painful cuts.

One of my biggest concerns at a state and local level is Medicaid funding. New York has an expanded and expansive Medicaid program. If there were significant federal cuts to Medicaid or block-granting of the program, I worry that city and state taxpayers are not going to be able to fully replace that funding to keep necessary services in the communities we serve and that have the greatest needs.

Do you have any other tax law concerns?

We raise a substantial portion of our unrestricted budget annually via private fundraising, and you’d better believe we’re worried about it.

However, I’m hoping that the increase in the standard tax deduction won’t affect how most of our donors decide to give, because I think they really care about Bailey House and what we do. I also think that most folks look at how well they’re doing from year to year and give in proportion to their resources.

That said, the changes to the tax code could matter to some people, especially if they don’t continue to get the same federal

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tax breaks for their state and local income and property taxes that they used to get. If some choose not to itemize deductions and just take the newly increased standard deduction, I do worry about the impact on their giving.

After three decades fighting for social justice, what keeps you involved?

I counted the other day and realized that I’ve been in and out of government five times! I really like the intersection of health, housing, human services and public policy, as well as being in the mix of delivering those things and leading a place that actually delivers quality services.

This last government gig [at New York City’s Human Resources Administration (HRA)] was by far the most interesting I’ve had and also the hardest.

What we don’t have today in terms of federal leadership, we quite thankfully have here in New York with Governor Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio and HRA Commissioner Steven Banks. Here we have people who are committed to this fight.

Hopefully, we’ll be able to keep our shared commitments to those with the greatest needs even through all our struggles with the folks in Washington.

I’ve had losses in my personal life. I also know plenty of people living with HIV, so this fight really matters to me.

There’s some continuity in my career, from where I started in the HIV epidemic to now. It seems like now would be a terrible moment to get off this boat! I want to stay on in the fight until the end, working hard to see the epidemic’s end for all – sooner rather than later.

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Edmonton, Alberta

Shopping, Arts and Culture, with a diverse LGBTQ+ Community



More photos and videos online: http://gaycalgary.com/a5754

By Steve Polyak As part of all the travel features GayCalgary has been doing on places we sponsor events at, writing a travel feature about Edmonton is something that I knew I would have to eventually do. The problem is that GayCalgary sponsors a lot of events in Edmonton, so trying to figure out which weekends would work best to cover the event we are sponsoring, plus explore Edmonton was not easy. With most destinations, gay pride either ties in travel adventures like it does for Whistler or Jasper, or the events are easier to manage to cover activities, like Lethbridge, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Banff.

Edmonton Pride is just too massive of an event to try to also visit museums or art galleries, do food reviews, check out West Edmonton Mall and other things that would be of interest for a tourist.

I was planning to be in Edmonton twice in one month which worked perfectly for a travel feature. One weekend would be for the Great Canadian Bear Weekend and then a couple of weeks later for the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose Coronation. GayCalgary Magazine is a proud sponsor of both events and they both also draw visitors to Edmonton outside of Pride Weekend.

My transportation to Edmonton for the Great Canadian Bear Weekend was with Ebus, a discount bus service provided by Red Arrow. The Edmonton downtown stop is a couple blocks away from most of the hotels. Even though it is a discount version of the standard Red Arrow buses, it still has free wi-fi and the same drop off locations as the main service. It has 4 seats per row like a standard charter bus, while the higher end Red Arrow buses have 3 seats per row which offers more room around the seats

photos by GayCalgary 

and they also have self-serve free cookies, tea, coffee, bottled water and pop.

My hotel stay was at the iconic Chateau Lacombe Hotel. Check out the complete article on page 33. Bus and LRT routes are just a couple blocks from the hotel, which makes it easy to get around if you don’t drive or traveling on a budget. If you want to explore the valley, there are sidewalks around the hotel that will give you a spectacular view of the city as well as stairs that will take you down into the valley.

The first event, outside of covering the bear weekend, was the Cariwest parade and festival. The parade happened along Jasper Avenue and ended at Enterprise Square. Cariwest is Edmonton’s Caribbean Arts Festival which has been running for over 30 years. Check out the article on page 39 on Cariwest and photo highlights of this vibrant and lively event.

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Chateau Lacombe Hotel http://gaycalgary.com/a5755 On the valley edge of the downtown core of Edmonton is the iconic and unique looking Chateau Lacombe Hotel. Built in 1966, the 24 floor Chateau Lacombe Hotel stands out from the other buildings by being like a tube standing up vertically in design. The 307 guest rooms are set up like slices of a pizza or pie and depending on the design of the floor has either 10 to 17 guest rooms, with the elevators in the center of the floor.

The hotel has been going through renovations and modernization for the past several months. They had refreshed the exterior of the hotel, which changed it from a boring grey concrete building with bland windows to something that looks modern, with shiny windows along with red, blue and white accents.

The base of the building, which is much larger than the tower, is the lobby, two restaurants that overlook the valley and several large conference rooms. Once I was checked in, I headed to my room which was just recently renovated. The room was on the Concierge Floors which are part of the top several floors of the building. Anyone who stays on those floors can access the free breakfasts as well as snacks before heading off to dinner.

When I walked into the room, the renovations made the room look like it was brand new from top to bottom. As a lot of hotels are doing during renovations or construction, the bathtub was gone, and now an amazing and spacious walk in shower. The sink had a large marble counter top with brand new fixtures. The king size bed was luxurious with several large pillows. With the location of the hotel being on the south edge of Edmonton’s downtown core, every room would have a splendid view of the city.

On the 24th floor of the hotel is the revolving rooftop restaurant La Ronde.

The public can access it and is open for dinner Tuesday to Sunday, and for brunch on Sundays. It is the only revolving rooftop restaurant in Edmonton and it takes about 90 minutes to make a complete rotation. I suggest coming just a bit before the sun starts to set, so while you are eating, you can watch the sun set, and as your table rotates towards the Edmonton downtown core, you see all the bright colorful evening lights of the city.

Breakfast is also available at Café Lacombe, which is found across from the lobby which has a much larger selection than what is provided on the Concierge Floors. Next door to it is Bellamy’s Lounge. Both restaurants have been also renovated and have views of the valley.

Getting around from the hotel is easy, the hotel is located at one of the main roads coming into Edmonton’s downtown core. You can easily walk from the hotel too, or access Edmonton’s transit system since most of the major bus and LRT stops are within a couple blocks.

Chateau Lacombe Hotel 10111 Bellamy Hill, Edmonton http://www.chateaulacombe.com photos by GayCalgary 

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Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre http://gaycalgary.com/a5756 Located by what used to be the Edmonton Municipal Airport, and close to the Via Rail/Grey Hound Station is the Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre. Formerly known as the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre, new owners recently have taken it over and they have slowly started giving the hotel some well-deserved attention too.

With the closure of the Edmonton Municipal Airport, questions surrounded if the hotels and businesses could exist without it. The new owners of the hotel are giving it hope and have already started investing money into renovations of the hallways and areas around the lobby.

There are three different towers connected to the main building which has several conference rooms and restaurants. The hotel has been the host hotel for the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose for several years and the hotel used for their Coronation weekend in August plus several other smaller events throughout the year. I know from Coronation and Victory Brunch that the food they serve for events is exceptional.

The hotel has 260 guest rooms in several different configurations depending on which tower they are located in.

The room I stayed in was very quiet, had a comfortable bed, and had door to a large balcony so you could see the area that used to be the airport but also the Edmonton downtown core.

A cool feature is the Arbour Lounge which is in the center of the hotel. There are pathways lined with large plants and stones that surround the interior which has a glass panel ceiling letting in natural light. In the center is the lounge with full bar and several large TV screens making it a nice area to hang out when the weather is bad or when you want to hang out with a group of friends for dinner and drinks.

Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre 11834 Kingsway Ave NW, Edmonton http://www.edmontoninn.ca p photos by GayCalgary

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Alberta Aviation Museum http://gaycalgary.com/a5757 As far back as I can remember, airplanes have always have fascinated me and when I was a child (and even now as an adult,) I would eagerly watch the planes while I was at airports. While covering events at the Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre, formerly the Ramada on Kingsway, I had seen three small planes out on display in front of the Alberta Aviation Museum. I was excited to know that close by, I could stop in and check out an airplane museum and explore it with marvel like a kid.

The museum is in an old 1941-1942 air hangar that was used for pilot training during the second world war. The area around it was part of the Edmonton Municipal Airport which closed in November 2013 and the land is now slowly being re-purposed into residential. Since the building is one of the few remaining old hangars, it has been given protected status as a municipal and provincial historic resource.

Looks can be deceiving with the front entrance of the building being on one side of the building, so you might think that the museum is small with only a couple aircraft on display.

Once you enter the building, you quickly realize how big the space is. The museum boasts of having over 20 aircraft on display indoors, as well as several much larger and current aircraft along the outside of the building too.

The main area has displays set up around most of the planes giving the visitor an image of how the plane might have been used or place it in historical context. Volunteers take hundreds of hours of work restoring each aircraft to look close to brand new or the best shape possible depending on what parts are still available. Some of the aircraft are rebuilt from wreckage found or were replicas built by volunteers from blue prints and photos of the original.

Seeing the displays set up showing the original pilots beside or in their crafts, made me appreciate that these people were pioneers in their fields long before things like black box recorders, GPS’s, computer control, and all the safety features we take for granted today. Each of the planes had a purpose, from military to transportation, cartography to exploration. Inside a room along one of the walls as well as other areas, you can see more information and artifacts from these early pilots.

There are some interactive displays set up, so you can touch some of the planes or interact with some parts of it. One of the displays is of a regional airline that would travel between Calgary and Lethbridge. The plane was designed in the late 1930’s for passengers and cargo and was later repurposed to be used for the military. It was interesting to see a version of the plane being used for commercial passenger use in the late 60’s.

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 Alberta Aviation Museum - From Page 35 There is a staircase set up, so you can get inside the plane.

Anyone who complains on how bad airline seats are today, should see how it was for flying back in the 60’s for short halls.

When I was checking it out, for a moment, I thought this display was set up for kids. Even though it is two seats per row, so no one is sitting right beside you as they would on a commercial plane today, you also cannot walk perfectly upright, and it looked like the seats were also closer to the ground too. With my body size, camera bag and that the plane at rest is at an incline, I decided not to try to sit down since I did not know if I would have been able to get back up without crawling out of the seat to the door. So, I am now very happy with the airplane seat conditions that we have today in modern airplanes.

Only about half the space in the building is used to display the planes, the rest of the building is divided up with a restoration area where incoming aircrafts or artifacts are restored prior to going on display in the museum. The other area is a large hall for events which can house up to 400 people. I think it is very cool that they push the museum to be used as a backdrop for weddings and birthday parties. It could be a used as a future event venue for the LGBTQ community, a themed world war two same sex couple dance or something like that.

Outside of the museum has larger aircraft which are newer than the craft inside the building. I guess these machines can take the outdoor elements better than the ones that are found indoors. Prior to the airport closing, they did have also on display a Boeing 737-200 that was part of the Pacific Western Airlines fleet on display. They needed to fly it out while a runway existed since if the museum did close as part of the airport closure, it would have been difficult to move it later. It is in storage at an airport north of Edmonton which is disappointing since I did really want to see it and they did give tours inside the plane.

Walking through the museum and seeing how airplanes have changed over 100 years, as well as the different variations was very exciting to see. You don’t need to be an airplane enthusiast to visit the museum since there is a lot of rich history that you can learn while walking through the displays. There are guided tours which are about 90 minutes long. The Alberta Aviation Museum is worth checking out while you are in Edmonton.

Alberta Aviation Museum 11410 Kingsway NW, Edmonton https://www.albertaaviationmuseum.com p photos by GayCalgary

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Fellowship of Alberta Bears - Great Canadian Bear Weekend http://gaycalgary.com/a5758 p photos by GayCalgary

The Great Canadian Bear Weekend is organized by the community group Fellowship of Alberta Bears (FAB) who believe that everyone is welcome regardless of body shape or size, the amount of hair or not, or your birth gender. This makes them stand out from other destination events that focus on specific demographics of the gay bear and otter community. The group runs weekly events in Calgary and Edmonton, with a major event in each city, with Calgary’s event, Bearacchus, happening over the May long weekend.

 Edmonton, AB - From Page 32 As soon as I was able to, I took Edmonton transit to West Edmonton Mall which is North America’s biggest mall. For the Great Canadian Bear Weekend, the Saturday daytime activity is the bears at World Waterpark which is inside West Edmonton Mall. With having a busy schedule for the day and needing to take photos of the water park and other West Edmonton Mall attractions, I did not get a chance to go down the water slides as often as I would have liked to. If you go on weekends, expect there to be some line ups for the more popular slides, so I recommend you going either on a weekday or in the evening. The water park though is exceptional for the number of slides, hot tubs and other activities that you can do. Check out the article on West Edmonton Mall and other activities in the water park and throughout the mall at 41.

The evening had the big dance for the Great Canadian Bear Weekend. For more information about the event as well the organization, Fellowship of Alberta Bears, check out the article on page 37.

A couple of weeks later, I was back in Edmonton for the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) Coronation.

The host hotel for the event is the Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre. Read the article about hotel at 34 and the ISCWR at 38. For this trip I took a Greyhound bus since the bus depot is just a short walk to the hotel. It is about a 15-minute cab ride downtown from the hotel and Greyhound depot.

Close to the hotel is the Alberta Aviation Museum. I have been wanting to visit this museum ever since I started covering events in Edmonton. I had checked into the hotel room and quickly made my way to the museum, so I could spend as much time in the museum before covering the coronation in the evening.

Check out the article about the museum at 35.

During my visit to Edmonton, I also finally got a chance to walk around the Alberta Legislature Building. The only time I

With fat shaming being so easy to do on social media, the group also has a “Love your FAB Body” and the #iamfab hashtag (and Facebook frame) campaign to help individuals accept what they have and who they are and most importantly be kind to themselves when they look in the mirror every day.

FAB is a not-for-profit society that believe in giving back to the community and supporting each other, whether it be through charity fundraisers or creating community events that everyone can enjoy. They are 100% volunteer driven and have huge bear hearts. Since 2008 they have raised over $22,000 for various Edmonton charities including HIV Edmonton, Camp Fyrefly, Queer Prom, Youth Understanding Youth, The Edmonton Pride Centre, and the Charities of the ISCWR. As a social group, they do have events that happen throughout the year, but the Great Canadian Bear Weekend has put Edmonton on the destination map for the bear community.

Since the group wants everyone to feel comfortable in their bodies, it does make it easier for men to enjoy themselves without the worry of insults or feeling shame. Depending on the event, expect guys to wear anything that they would feel comfortable in while still following liquor license regulations.

Fellowship of Alberta Bears https://www.albearta.org/

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Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose – Coronation http://gaycalgary.com/a5759 Decades before RuPaul’s Drag Race started showing dragqueen culture in the mainstream, the Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose (ISCWR) had been a prominent figure in Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ community. The organization has been around since 1976 highlighting Edmonton’s drag scene while also fundraising money for Edmonton’s charities and scholarships for queer youth to help them further their education.

Every year at Coronation, the current reigning Emperor and Empress step down, hand out cheques to the charities and queer youth for scholarships, and at the end of the night they crown the newly elected Emperor and Empress. The event has people coming from across North America to celebrate the hard work the organization has done over the year. If you enjoy drag or want to be in a regal setting, this is the event to be at. The event is about 6 hours long with a combination of drag, regal entrances, and several speeches. There is no dancing, but the focus is all about great drag entertainment, drinking and delicious food from the host hotel, the Edmonton Inn and Conference Centre. Just about every year, there is a moment that will touch the audience hearts, so if you attend, have tissues ready to wipe tears away.

Throughout the rest of the year, the ISCWR will do smaller events either at the host hotel or at other venues in Edmonton. Representatives of the organization will also travel to other cities in North America to attend those cities Coronations and promote Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ events. The group is volunteer driven, and they are acknowledged every year by both municipal and provincial governments for what they do for Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ community.

If you are heading out on the town in Edmonton and want to see a good drag show that is also raising money for charity, check out the ISCWR website for upcoming events and locations. Coronation is scheduled for the 4th weekend in August. Most people will stay at the host hotel, so they can change outfits throughout the night or freshen up. It is an event not to miss.

Imperial Sovereign Court of the Wild Rose http://www.iscwr.ca/ p photos by GayCalgary

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Cariwest 2018, Edmonton’s Caribbean Arts Festival http://gaycalgary.com/a5760 GayCalgary has been covering gay pride parades since the late 90’s, so covering the parade for Cariwest was an amazing experience. Cariwest, Edmonton’s Caribbean Arts Festival started over 30 years ago. I was only able to attend the parade, though the event is 3 days long and includes a launch party, a costume party, and a party at the end of the parade.

All the Cariwest events highlight colorful costumes with Caribbean dance music playing in the background. Each group has their own themed bright colored outfits. The festival is about bringing people together and enjoying Caribbean culture, music, great food and party! Participants danced around me while I took photos on the street, with some participants pulling large floats as part of their elaborate outfits. Some floats are so massive that they are on wheels and the float is dragged along while the person wearing it dances to music played from a truck a couple meters ahead of the group.

Check out the photos that are online with this article. The limitation of a magazine layout does not give it justice of how much fun and the bright outfits from the event.

Cariwest 2018 August 10th to 12th, 2018 https://www.cariwest.ca p photos by GayCalgary

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The Briefing Room http://gaycalgary.com/a5761 On Whyte Avenue, there is a boutique underwear store call The Briefing Room, which has won several awards for being the best men’s clothing store in Edmonton by the readers of a local Edmonton magazine. It is very easy to see why they won those awards when you first walk in. p photos by GayCalgary

 Edmonton, AB - From Page 37 have seen the building is when I am driving by it coming to or from the downtown core. Completed in 1913, the Legislature Building has a Beaux-Arts architecture style, so it has a large central dome with massive roman pillars with lots of detailed stone carvings. Surrounding the building is lush green gardens with wading pools and water fountains. A short distance away from the “Ledge” are other government buildings which also have interesting architectural features.

Edmonton keeps travelers busy with festivals happening throughout the year. A major event for the arts is the Edmonton Fringe Festival which is the oldest and largest fringe festival in North America! With constantly sold out shows, expect to see some great performances. They boast having close to 1,600 artists performing from around the world and over 1,200 indoor performances. They also have outdoor live performances and other outdoor activities, so you can enjoy the late August weather.

There are other sites to see in Edmonton like Fort Edmonton, Royal Alberta Museum, Alberta Railway Museum and the Muttart Conservatory. I have still not been able to visit any of

The Briefing Room does not only have a broad choice of underwear and swimwear for men, but socks, sleep wear, and jocks. They also carry high end grooming products for men like razors, shaving brushes, soaps, oils, creams, moustache waxes and balms. Even though it is a men’s clothing store, women do shop there too.

They are not an adult store, so don’t expect them to carry sex toys or adult products, but they do carry harnesses, jocks, and wrestling singlets along with some gay pride products. The Briefing Room has also become the destination in Edmonton to buy tickets for several local gay events, so it becomes the one stop shop to get your tickets and wardrobe for those events.

Their front entrance is shared by Cally’s Teas, where you can buy tea pots and cups, or assorted flavors of teas. You can also sit down and enjoy a cup while snacking on finger sandwiches or sweets. Both businesses complement one another since I did see several guys who would buy product from the Briefing Room head into Cally’s Teas to have afternoon teas and chat.

The Briefing Room 10151 82 Ave, Edmonton, Alberta http://www.thebriefingroom.ca

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West Edmonton Mall http://gaycalgary.com/a5762 Regardless of if you enjoy shopping or not, you need to visit North America’s biggest mall, the West Edmonton Mall. It was the world’s biggest mall until 2004 but had lost that spot and is now 23rd largest in the world. The mall boasts having over 800 stores and services, along with the world’s second largest indoor water park, ice rink, two miniature golf courses, bowling alley, movie theatre, two hotels, indoor aquarium and world’s largest indoor amusement park. Along with those attractions, West Edmonton Mall also has themed areas set up like a mini Chinatown with the anchor grocery store T&T Supermarket, and Europa Boulevard where it looks like a street in Europe. p photos by GayCalgary

There are several major anchor stores in the mall including Winners, Home Sense, Hudson’s Bay, London Drugs, Simon’s, and the Brick. With the variety of merchants in the mall, there is something for everyone regardless of income and tastes. I think West Edmonton Mall has a sense of humor too since in one section of the mall, there is a Christian bookstore, and then four or five doors over is a sex store.

 Edmonton, AB - From Page 40

these attractions, but I hope to for our next travel feature on Edmonton. With so much happening in Edmonton, it is hard not to find something to do while you are there.

Edmonton’s LGBTQ+ Community

West Edmonton Mall is a major tourist destination in Alberta with about 32 million visitors per year! Depending on the time of year, the mall can have anywhere from 90,000 to 200,000 shoppers per day. Spread across close to 500,000 m2, West Edmonton Mall can be its own resort separate from the city of Edmonton.

As the LGBTQ community becomes more integrated in to the main stream, gay bars are shutting down across Canada. In Edmonton, some notable standouts from gay bar closures was the Roost Nightclub (http://www.gaycalgary.com/a50) which shut their doors just after celebrating their 30th Anniversary. To what I understand, prior to closing its doors, the Roost was the oldest gay nightclub in Canada. The last lesbian bar in Western Canada, Prism Bar and Grill (http://www.gaycalgary.com/ a231 and http://www.gaycalgary.com/a487) was also based in Edmonton. Both bars, along with lots of others were a necessity back when the gay community was still fighting for equality, and they gave a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community where people could feel like they had a family of close friends and be themselves.

With the amount of gay bar closures that have happened in Edmonton, I recommend before heading out to check the GayCalgary online business directory. We constantly remind gay bars and businesses to fill out our free directory listing. This way you know what is currently open or closed since several Edmonton gay bars have opened their door to close them less than a year later. (http://www.gaycalgary.com/gaybars) Edmonton Pride is the biggest gay event in Alberta and it runs over the course of 10 days. The Edmonton Pride Parade and Street Festival occur the same day with smaller events happening throughout the 10 days. The parade follows along Whyte Avenue towards the location of the Street Festival, and the parade can be

One of the two hotels on site, Fantasyland Hotel, has amazing looking decorated themed rooms. Themes include African, Arabian, Imperial, Truck, Western, Polynesian, Outer Space, and several more, in both standard and luxury versions of the rooms. The luxury themed rooms are 40% larger than the standard themed rooms. There are also executive and superior sized rooms too.

The mall also boasts close to 100 places to eat and unlike your typical malls, where everyone follows the same hours of operation, the area of the mall called BRBN St. can have restaurants open until 2am. Some of the sit-down restaurants include brand names like Earls, Boston Pizza, Moxie’s, Hudsons Canada’s Pub, Old Spaghetti Factory, Tony Roma’s and more. If you want entertainment along with your dinner, you can watch a live onstage performance at Jubilations Dinner Theatre. The mall also has a nightclub which is accessible from the outside. Fast food restaurants include a lot of name brand franchises and with the massive size of the mall, there are sometimes two or three separate locations of the same restaurant scattered throughout the mall!

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 West Edmonton Mall - From Page 41 World Waterpark

One of the big attractions to West Edmonton Mall is the World Waterpark. It is the second largest indoor water park in the world and if you enjoy water slides, this is the place to go.

Being indoors, you can go on to 21 different slides year-round and there are slide configurations from novice to experienced so everyone can enjoy what they are most comfortable with.

The water park also has the world’s largest indoor wave pool.

There are beach chairs around the wave pool for those who just want to relax or enjoy the natural light that comes in from the glass ceiling. There are three hot tubs for those who want to soak as well as an area off to the side to surf on the surf simulator. A zip line is suspended across the length of the wave pool for those who want to fly over the crowd.

You can easily spend an entire day in the water park which also does serve food and alcohol. Free Coca-Cola Freestyle pop is available in several locations throughout the park to help keep yourself hydrated with unlimited refills. If you need a break from all the fun, they have in and out privileges, so you can enjoy other parts of the mall. You can leave your wet towels and swimwear in your locker then come back for more time in the water park.

Sea Life Caverns and Marine Life

Just outside the water park is a large indoor salt water lagoon. Docked on one corner of it is an exact replica of the Santa Maria which is available for parties. On the other corner of the lagoon is a stage with seating to watch sea lions perform and interact with the audience.

Below the water surface is the Sea Life Caverns which houses over 100 distinct species of salt water fish, sharks, sea turtles along with amphibians, reptiles, penguins, and more. There is a tide pool set up as a hands-on exhibit to touch star fish too.

Galaxyland

West Edmonton Mall does not do anything small including having North America’s largest indoor amusement park with over 27 exciting rides and attractions. It is easy to lose track where you are at in the park since several of the rides do travel through paths of other rides, but I think that adds to the thrill of the rides.

Unlike the yearly carnivals that happen in major cities, where the lineups can be ridiculously long, with the rides being available throughout the year, it does make it easier to get on them.

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 West Edmonton Mall - From Page 42 Unlike the water park where you need to pay to enter it, you can walk through the amusement park and check out the rides, you just cannot go on them unless you pay for either an allday pass or single ride tickets. Having the all-day pass is nice since you can go on your favorite rides as often as you want or in some cases, as long as your stomach can handle it.

Minigolf

There are two mini golf courses set up at West Edmonton Mall. The 18-hole Professor Wem’s Adventure Golf course is out in the open with large cartoon like structures and it has a challenging course but fun for all ages.

Into dragons, wizards and castles? Then the Dragon’s Tale blacklight 18 hole mini-golf course would be fun for you.

Included with Dragon’s Tale is also the Crystal Labyrinth Mirror Maze which has mirrors and glass walls creating repeating patterns as you try to find your way out of the maze. The black light artwork in the golf course makes it feel like you are going through a 3D video game which is cool.

West Edmonton Mall http://www.wem.ca/ p photos by GayCalgary

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p photos by GayCalgary

 Edmonton, AB - From Page 35 up to a couple of hours long and with lots of rainbow decorated floats, drag queens, businesses and community organizations.

For the past 5 years, the street festival is at End of Steel Park, which is a very large park where they can set up two separate stages. The all ages area has the main stage along with most of the merchants and food vendors. Appearing on the main stage are speeches, drag numbers, some live musicians and other extraordinary talent. The second stage is inside the fenced off 18+ beverage garden where live musicians and DJ’s entertain the crowd. Over 1000 people pack the beverage gardens with lengthy line ups to get in prior to the Pride Parade ending.

Edmonton Pride keeps growing every year and is a worthwhile event to check out. GayCalgary Magazine is a proud sponsor of Edmonton Pride, check out their website at http://www. edmontonpride.ca.

When events like Edmonton Pride or other major gay events happen, larger gay friendly establishments will step up to the plate. Knoxville’s Tavern will have two nights for Edmonton

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Pride. Lance Bass from *NSYNC will host Friday night, and there will be performances by Aaron Carter, and the Larger Than Life – Ultimate Boy Band Tribute. Saturday night they will host the long running event Pure Pride, which is the biggest dance party during Edmonton Pride Weekend. RuPaul’s Season 8 finalist, Naomi Smalls will be headlining, with very talented local queens Gogo Fetch, Jesse Hannibal and Argintina Hailey opening the show. Other gay friendly venues will also be opening their doors for the weekend.

With attending a lot of prides every year, I can see firsthand people getting annoyed that they came out to celebrate pride and are stuck in line ups to get into venues due to occupancy capacity. For some locals, it might be ok to wait in line for an hour or more, but when you are a tourist that has also paid for accommodation, transportation and budgeted for a weekend of gay pride fun, it can be frustrating. Gay friendly venues opening their doors during gay pride and for other gay events helps gay tourism for that destination and the local economy. Depending on how the venue and event is set up, they might have a stage

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p Edmonton Pride 2017, photos by GayCalgary

for paid gay talent to perform, fundraise for local gay charities, purchase advertising/support local gay media, and much more.

I also recommend buying your tickets in advance since some of the events sell out hours before the doors open for the event.

The arts community stands out in Edmonton too with groups like Guys in Disguise and the male burlesque troop Man Up! Guys in Disguise has been around since 1987 creating theatre productions with a queer twist that has received North American fame for quality drag theatre. Multi-talented Darrin Hagen of Guys in Disguise, has held several roles in the arts including playwright, author, actor, composer, director, TV host and more.

He had been named in 2005 as one of the 100 Edmontonians of the Century. Best time to catch Guys in Disguise productions is during the Edmonton Fringe Festival, which happens in late August. There are usually two or three different productions that you can catch but I highly recommend buying tickets in advance since they are always sold out. Visit http://www.guysindisguise. com website for their upcoming schedule.

Man Up! is a mix between theatre, burlesque, and men in high-heels. This polished dance troop has given me goose bumps while photographing them at different sold out events throughout Alberta. When you watch them, you want to always see more because they take you on a journey where they tease the audience and build up each of the numbers to an explosive end. Man Up! has performed at Edmonton’s Fringe Festival but check their website http://www.manupyeg.com for when they are on tour too. GayCalgary is a proud media sponsor of both Guys in Disguise and Man Up! and enjoy working with both groups.

Explore Edmonton https://exploreedmonton.com http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5754 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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What’s New in Cabo and Cancún A guide to Mexico’s glittering getaway gems, East and West

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More photos and videos online: http://gaycalgary.com/a5763

El Arco in Los Cabos, photo by Ben Horton 

By Brandon Schultz Unabashedly colorful and overflowing with culture, cuisine, and beaches, beaches, beaches, Mexico is a prime vacation destination, but with competing coastlines battling for your attention, exactly where to stay within the country is a tougher call. On the east coast, kissed by the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea, Cancún has been the Yucatan’s top choice for decades, drawing everyone from spring break revelers to stylish jetsetters. Not to be outdone, the west coast’s Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo (“Los Cabos”) draw millions of visitors to the tip of the Baja Peninsula, where the deep blue Sea of Cortez and the powerful Pacific Ocean come together. Each city boasts sparkling seas along pristine shorelines, drawing a hefty hunk of Mexico’s nearly 40 million annual visitors and securing the nation’s consistent ranking among the ten most visited countries worldwide, and both offer plenty of adventure on land and sea along with world-class resorts for unwinding in style. Unless geography alone dictates your holiday preferences, it can be difficult to choose which coast to visit. So, to help you decide where to base yourself for a Mexican getaway, we visited both Cancún and Los Cabos to bring you an update of what’s new in each.

LOS CABOS San José del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas are the sister cities collectively known as Los Cabos, and connected by roughly 10 kilometers of glittering coastline known as the Hotel Corridor, where top resorts perch along the most picturesque points of the capes. San José del Cabo has remained relatively quiet 48

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Krystal Grand Los Cabos Adult Pool, Krystal Grand Los Cabos 

and more traditional in culture, closer in spirit to the early days of the region when these unknown spots were remote fishing villages. In stark contrast, Cabo San Lucas is now a party town bedecked in bars and nightclubs catering to the up-all-night crowd and the thrill seekers. The blue waters of Los Cabos are famous for the tremendous variety of marine life that inspired Jacques Cousteau to dub them “the aquarium of the world,” and more than one impressive migration culminates in Los Cabos each year, drawing thousands of visitors for this reason alone. In late summer, five species of sea turtle return to their birthplaces to nest along the Baja Peninsula, but the true crowd pleasure is considerably larger, in more ways than one. From December through April, these waters are home to countless pods of whales, including blue, gray, and humpback, as they journey more than 6,000 miles from the frigid north to breed and raise their calves. It’s a www.gaycalgary.com

Whale Watching in Los Cabos, Los Cabos Tourism 

spectacle not to be missed, and while whale-watching tours can bring you face-to-face with the largest mammals on the planet, you’ll also see them in the distance from the comfort your ocean-view rooms and even while driving along the Corridor.

Towers at Pacifica The luxe residential and resort complex of Quivira Los Cabos in San José del Cabo recently unveiled The Towers at Pacifica within the Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Golf & Spa Resort, introducing an ultra-exclusive resort-within-a-resort for those seeking the utmost in access and customized service. Private butlers, trained and certified by the British Butler Institute, offer packing/unpacking services, shoe shining, ironing, and just about anything imaginable while curating a personalized experience and navigating you through the many other luxuries that await you in The Towers.

New this year is an unparalleled star-gazing experience that includes a stay in the 3200 square-foot presidential suite at the top of The Towers and a private tequila and mescal tasting followed by a personally guided tour of the cosmos through a high-powered telescope, led by an expert astronomer on the rooftop terrace of The Towers. The “Astronomical Night” package can be made even more out-of-this-world by adding the “Star Party,” which includes a champagne beach dinner, massages, and an evening wine tasting around a hand-dug firepit on the beach.

Towers at Pacifica presidential suite terrace, Pueblo Bonito Golf & Spa Resort 

Acre cuisine, photo by Acre Restaurant & Treehouses 

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p El Ganzo cuisine, Hotel El Ganzo p Krystal Grand Los Cabos Beach Club, Krystal Grand Los Cabos

 Cabo and Cancún - From Page 44 El Ganzo El Ganzo is already the boutique hotel for the cultural elite visiting Los Cabos (yes, that means celebrities, too), but a recent addition to their in-residence program is creating new buzz for the chic property. The all-white hotel is a canvas for artists-in-residence who each create one large scale piece of art on or around the property while simultaneously embellishing their personal rooms throughout the length of their residency.

The public art is preapproved by the property, but what will happen inside the artist’s room is anyone’s guess, making a future stay in any of these rooms unique experience for the lucky guest. Musicians-in-residence record in the property’s underground studio (reached by a trapdoor in the hotel’s bar) and perform at El Ganzo’s rooftop concert venue. New to El Ganzo is the chef-in-residence program, called Chef Intervention, which focuses on inspired Mexican cuisine using hyperlocal ingredients and culminates in a chef’s tasting dinner at Ganzo Downstairs, the property’s premier dining venue.

Krystal Grand Los Cabos New to San José del Cabo as of November 2017 is Krystal Grand Los Cabos, a beachfront property catering to everyone from singles to families to groups. For those looking forward to a childless vacation, rest assured that a comprehensive children’s program keeps most of the hotel’s smaller guests occupied in a designated area of the resort featuring a kids’ pool with waterslides. Two larger pools with ocean views remain relatively peaceful, and an adults-only pool with a swim-up bar is secluded in a separate area of the property, conveniently situated by the property’s sports bar, Time Out. You’ll undoubtedly want to chow down on great Mexican food at El Mortero, but Krystal Grand Los Cabos also offers Asian and Italian fine dining options along with plenty of the bar and grill fare you expect from an all-inclusive vacation resort.

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p Krystal Grand Los Cabos- Altitude suite ocean view, Krystal Grand Los Cabos

Cuisine The Los Cabos region is becoming increasingly famous for it’s farm-to-table scene, bolstered by the acclaimed Flora Farms and now including Huerta Los Tamarindos and Acre, which recently expanded to include treehouse accommodations on site. Not only are Acre’s ingredients locally sourced (much of them from the property’s own farm), but most of the building materials also originated on the property. Also new in 2017 was the launch of Los Cabos’s first Michelin Star chef-led restaurant, Cocina de Autor, at the new Grand Velas Los Cabos resort. Helmed by chef Sidney Schutte (with two Michelin stars), the concept restaurant bills itself as a “sensorial dining experience of fine gastronomy.”

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p Cancún Beaches, photo by Quintana Roo Tourism Board

CANCÚN Where the mountains and impressive waters of Los Cabos offer more in the way of physical adventure, Cancún’s hospitable Caribbean beaches beckon the sun worshippers and swimmers alike while its legendary nightlife is irresistible to the true partiers. Home to the Yucatan’s massive network of underground waterways, the nearby Riviera Maya region is coveted for its nearly 7,000 cenotes—underground pools exposed when the limestone surfaces cave in, creating magical, almost mythical swimming spots that were sometimes given spiritual significance to the Ancient Maya who incorporated them into religious ritual. The area’s Mayan history brings with it impressive temple ruins, perfect for daytrips from Cancún’s swanky 13-mile Hotel Zone, where most of its resorts lie in exclusive seclusion from much of the region.

In the water, snorkelers will not be disappointed by Cancún’s impressive coral reef (it’s the second longest in the world behind Australia’s Great Barrier Reef) or its underwater museum, the world’s largest, with more than 500 submerged sculptures. On land, Cancún is well known for its shopping scene with everything from high-end malls like Luxury Avenue to haggle-happy Market 28, but it’s certainly the nightlife that keeps Cancún on the map. Infamous for its spring break scene, Cancún’s countless clubs and bars are active year-round and see a diverse crowd of revelers, and many are located right in the Hotel Zone, remaining open until 5 AM.

p Krystal Grand Punta Cancún Pools, Krystal Grand Punta Cancún

Krystal Grand Punta Cancún Continuing its recent introduction and expansion in Mexico, the Krystal Grand brand also unveiled the Altitude Tower at its Punta Cancún property in 2017. Ideally situated on the white sand beaches of the Hotel Zone, the 395-room resort’s most coveted accommodations are undeniably the 100 Altitude Tower rooms that add VIP service and personalization to the rest of the Krystal Grand experience. A stay here includes complimentary tequila tastings and a chef’s table experience. www.gaycalgary.com

p Krystal Grand Punta Cancún Suite, Krystal Grand Punta Cancún

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p Cancún Underwater Museum

p Rosa Negra cuisine, Rosa Negra

 Cabo and Cancún - From Page 35 Luxury suites within the tower include panoramic ocean views, daily fruit and minibar service, and large terraces with outdoor Jacuzzis. Pro tip: don’t forget to utilize the sizable spa credit that comes with accommodation in these ultra deluxe suites.

Amikoo Riviera Maya’s answer to Disney World, Amikoo is an $840 million dollar, multi-park extravaganza of amusement and Mexican heritage rolling out in three phases with the first (including a concert arena, convention center, and shopping complex) set to debut in autumn 2018. Amikoo will be Latin America’s largest theme park and expects to draw 4.5 million visitors annually. Future highlights will include a 1,200 room resort, a history and anthropological museum of the Maya people, the Extreme Maya theme park, a pirate history exhibit, and tons of entertaining Mexico-centric education.

Puerto Cancún One of Cancún’s newest venture’s, Puerto Cancún is a resort town unto itself, with residences of all varieties, golf, 52

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fine dining, upscale shopping, a movie theater, a beach club, and a 600-slip marina all within a gated community inside Cancún. Currently more of an investment opportunity in the way of vacation homes or retirement properties, its many recreational amenities are open to the public, and hotels are the on the way, with the first scheduled to open in 2019. As a new destination within a destination, it’s a fun alternative to the Hotel Zone for a day of entertainment, and a hot spot worth checking out if you’re in the market for property in one of Mexico’s top regions.

Cuisine The Rosa Negra family of restaurants recently opened their third location, bringing the swanky culinary experience to Cancún’s Hotel Zone. Fresh, locally sourced ingredients come together in refined dishes with museum-worthy presentation that you may forget to actually eat as you absorb yourself in photo-documenting the spectacle. The gastronomic influence here isn’t just Mexican, but casts a wider Latin American net including Brazilian, Colombian, Argentinian, and Peruvian, all cultures that also happen to share a love of music and www.gaycalgary.com

p Rosa Negra Desserts, Rosa Negra

dancing encouraged by Rosa Negra’s resident DJ. Rest assured the craft cocktails don’t disappoint, and Rosa Negra Cancún’s multi-level decks over Nichupte Lagoon set the stage for dramatic sundowners.

Whether you choose Los Cabos or Cancún, you’re going to find that neither is tired, both are experiencing as much popularity as ever and are exploding with future development, and either will give you that total escape you’re dreaming of.

And if you just can’t decide, visit both and investigate for yourself. It’s research well worth undertaking!

Towers at Pacifica https://www.pueblobonito.com/the-towers-at-pacifica El Ganzo https://elganzo.com/ Krystal Grand Los Cabos https://www.krystalgrand-loscabos.com/ Krystal Grand Punta Cancún https://www.krystal-hotels.com/ Puerto Cancún https://www.puertocancun.com/en/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5763 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments www.gaycalgary.com

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Bears In Black & White 4 Panda’s Make Calgary Zoo Debut

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By Jason Clevett It’s the event 30 years in the making. On May 7th, 2018 at an event that included dignitaries from China, Federal, Provincial and Municipal representatives, and VIP’s the 14-million-dollar Panda Passage exhibit officially opened at the Calgary Zoo. The building has long been a staple of the Calgary Zoo – in 1988 when the zoo hosted pandas during the Olympics it was home to elephants, giraffes, rhinos and hippos as the large mammal building. Now completely refitted into a massive home (the building also features Komodo Dragons) the home of Er Shun, Da Mao and cubs Jia Panpan and Jia Yueyue is a sight to be seen. It’s a far different exhibit then the one that hosted pandas three decades ago.

“It is 2 completely different worlds. We went from a smaller space to ones that 6 times the size. There’s more dynamic habitats with streams and plants and topography. Zoos in general, especially world class zoos, have evolved tremendously in 30 years and will continue to evolve,” zoo curator Matt Korhonen told GayCalgary at the opening. Korhonen manages the team that oversees the care of the pandas. “We make sure they get everything they need – unlimited bamboo, lots of space, lots of enrichment. It’s been a journey so far and we are very excited for 5 years to come.”

The pandas are part of a 10-year loan to Canada launched by the Harper Government. Er Shun and Da Mao spent the first 5 years in Toronto, resulting in the birth of cubs Jia Panpan (Canadian Hope) and Jia Yueyue (Canadian Joy) in October 2015. The first cubs born in Canada may prove to have difficult names to pronounce (every attempt to say them during the 54

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 photos by GayCalgary

opening was different) there is no denying the 2-and-a-half-yearold cubs are cute. They will return to China after 2 years, but the zoo hopes to have 2 cubs of their own born in Calgary.

“We will likely try to breed them next spring. It’s a very difficult process but we’re optimistic. Our plan is to breed them in 2019.

It’s a very short window of three days and if you miss that, that’s it. We monitor her estrous cycles which is a urine sample. She is trained for voluntary blood draw as well – she will present her arm and allow you to take blood from her so we’ll end up using some of that information but its primarily urine samples.”

The cubs spend the day together frolicking, napping, and eating bamboo. They still spend time with mom, but time will dictate when the three will be separated as adult pandas are solitary animals.

“They are with mom for periods of the day right now. We’ll let their behavior tell us what they need. If they start to show inclinations of needing to be apart we’ll allow them to do that.

The exhibits are designed to give us those choices. We let the pandas choose and do what they’re telling us.”

The Panda’s arrival has resulted in an increase in attendance already but also criticism. The zoo has a transparency policy that dictates they release information on the death of animals at the facility. This has lead to some online commentators questioning the zoo’s ability to care for the rare giants, something Korhonen disputes.

“We have a world class panda team with experts from around the world that work with us every day. With that said, the Calgary Zoo is very transparent about everything that goes on here. If an animal passes away we’re vocal and we should be. We’re www.gaycalgary.com

responsible to the general public for the care of these animals.

We take great pride in that.”

During the opening ceremonies, mayor Nenshi joked that he had asked if he could cuddle a panda. While they are herbivores and adorable, they are bears and can be dangerous. Working with other large animals at the zoo like the grizzly and black bears, tigers, and gorillas have prepared the team for the panda’s stay.

“It is very similar especially as it pertains to safety protocols.

Working with animals in varying spaces, individual species have a lot of tiny details that are super important for their health and welfare. Pandas are no different. Different animal but a similar recipe to keep them healthy or happy. We treat them as they were any other bear.”

You could see the excitement of zoo staff as the doors officially opened. 5 years of planning, millions in renovations, and now the pandas are ready to greet the public.

“It’s a relief. It has been a big buildup and we are just happy to get it all going. It has been a long process for our zoo and our team. Lots of preparation and training but we are happy and excited for the next 5 years.”

The zoo offers special opportunities like Panda breakfast including an early private visit, and timed ticketing to reduce wait times. Visit www.CalgaryZoo.com for details.

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Pride Journey Milan & Turin, Italy

By Joey Amato In the past decade, I have traveled around the world, visiting 3 continents in the past five years alone. The one destination that always seemed to elude me for one reason or another was my motherland, Italy. For the past decade, I have attempted to organize a visit, but life, or in this case, other destinations, got in the way.

When I received an email in September from the Italian tourism bureau asking me if I wanted to spend a few days in Milan and Turin, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. The two cities wanted to invite LGBT journalists and travel professionals to experience the destinations. It was probably the most spontaneous international trip I had ever been on. Usually, I have a few months to prepare, both physically and mentally, but this time, I had about three weeks.

I decided to travel with only a carry-on and backpack, which is a bit atypical for me but given the short duration of the trip, I thought it would be easiest. Plus, it saves time at the airport.

Flying in to Milan is actually quite simple. There are many non-stop flights from the U.S., however, the airport itself is located about 45 minutes outside the city, so plan accordingly.

Duomo di Milano is the focal point of Milan, an absolutely enormous Gothic structure located in the heart of the city, surrounded by classic roman and baroque-style buildings. As my taxi driver snaked through the narrow, winding cobblestone streets, I wasn’t prepared for what I was about to see. Luggage in tow, I was determined to check in to my hotel and freshen up before venturing out, but as I turned the corner, I found myself in the center of the piazza surrounded by some of the most beautiful buildings I had ever seen.

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I literally didn’t know which way to look. Every building was more beautiful than the next. The piazza was bustling with energy.

Ironically, a group of young musicians were performing U2’s “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”, but in this case, I found it.

It was around noon and locals were chatting with each other while sipping cappuccinos, loving life and making memories along the way.

Luckily for me, I was staying at STRAFhotel which was located less than a block off the piazza. The property was modern and minimalist, with much attention given to the sleek lines and use of space.

Milan is a shopper’s paradise. Home to arguably the most important fashion week in the world, designer names are as common as Starbucks is here in the states. Versace, Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Cavalli…the list goes on and on. Aside from its fashion, Milan is also known for interior design in addition to being pioneers in the automotive industry. Alfa Romeo was founded in Milan in 1910 and is still headquartered in the city. Alfa Romeo is part of what locals call the Big 6 which also includes Ferrari, Fiat, Lamborghini, Lancia, and Maserati. All have a presence in Milan.

Art enthusiasts will be interested in visiting the Santa Maria delle Grazie convent, which houses Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.”

Tickets sell out months in advance, so be sure to purchase yours ahead of time. History buffs will also take interest in a tour called “The Footsteps of Leonardo,” which highlights destinations influenced by the great artist.

Foodies should note that the cuisine featured in this region is not what most expect when they think of Italian food. Whereas Southern Italy is known for its olive oil and tomato-based cuisine, Northern Italian faire is rooted in cream sauces and risotto. Even the risotto varies from region to region.

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The next morning, my group departed for Turin, which is a little under two hours from Milan. We were greeted by our wonderful hosts at Visit Turin who led us through the city pointing out architectural wonders along the way. Being so far north, you can notice influences of France, Germany and Austria in its architecture, as well as the culture.

Our first stop was the Mole Antonelliana, the city’s most iconic structure and home to the National Cinema Museum, an interactive experience showcasing Italy’s rich heritage in cinematography.

Guests can journey to the top of the spire in a glass elevator for an unobstructed panoramic view of the city.

The following morning, we took part in an LGBT history tour called Tuttaltra Storia (The Whole Story), a walking tour which shines light on historical figures with an LGBT past including Julius Caesar, Christina of Sweden, Princess Marie Louise of Savoy, Michelangelo and of course, Leonardo Da Vinci. We stopped at Cathedral of St. John the Baptist (home of the Holy Shroud), Porte Palatine, the Royal Library and Armoury as well as The Royal Residences, which are considered a “World Heritage Sites” by UNESCO. Turin is home to Museo Egizio, the Egyptian Museum, which houses the largest number of Egyptian artifacts outside of Cairo.

Archeological wonders include numerous hieroglyphs, sarcophagi, stone statues, tablets and the oldest mummy ever discovered in the world. Guests can spend hours in the museum but it was time for the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most, wine country!

a member of Piedmontese aristocracy. Guests will admire the fine antique furniture, ranging from 17th-century carved wooden chests to exquisite examples of Louis XVI design, in addition to the family portraits and other artistic attributes.

My favorite part of the castle is the spa level, an underground cavern of stone so beautiful it is really difficult to put into words. A long stone hallway, which the Count would use if he needed to escape his palace unnoticed, leads to the pool which is carved into the hill and lit in a blue and green hue. The restaurant is led by 32-year-old Davide Odore and gives guests the opportunity to dine like royalty. As we gathered around a large round table, sipped fine Italian wine and savored the flavors of the region, we recanted the tales of our quick, but memorable trip.

And so it goes, all good things must come to an end. We arrived at the Golden Palace hotel in Turin in time to pack and catch a few hours of rest before boarding my flight back to the U.S. I feel like I got a small taste of Italy on this voyage. Not enough to fully satisfy my desire, but just enough to make me want to return and discover a different region of the country. There’s always next year.

Ciao!

Joey Amato is a seasoned travel journalist and publisher of Pride Journeys, a travel site dedicated to LGBT travel news and destination reviews. For more information, please visit www.PrideJourneys.com

The Langhe region is Northwest Italy’s answer to Tuscany, known for the Nebbiolo grape which is used to produce Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gattinara and Ghemme wines. The region is surrounded by rolling hills and medieval castles. We were fortunate enough to visit Castello di Guarene, the 18th century home of Count Carlo Giacinto,

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Real Estate Learn the Neighborhood Before you sign any paperwork, take the time to learn your new potential neighborhood if you can. Obviously, this might not be possible if you’re making a long distance move since you might only be in town long enough to view some properties. If you can, though, drive through the area at several times of the day and night. Try to visit during the times you’d go and get home from work. Also go by around the time you usually go to sleep to listen for loud noises. Visit on the weekends, too, to see what the street will be like.

Consider the Street Some people don’t really think about the actual street they will be living on, but they should. One issue you might run into is a narrow street. This is especially true in some older neighborhoods. Look at where your neighbors across the street park. Are they on the street? If so, are they directly behind your driveway? That can make it difficult to back out. Are there cars on both sides of the street nearly parallel to each other? That might make it difficult to maneuver a large vehicle in between them. These might not be deal breakers, but they are things you should be aware of.

Think About the Other Homes

You’re Buying a Neighborhood, Not Just a Home

By GayRealEstate.com When you’re shopping for a new house, it’s important to remember that in some ways you’re not just buying a single property. You’re buying and moving into a street and a neighborhood. Your new home doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You have neighbors, other homes on your block, and a neighborhood overall that you’re joining. There are a few things you need to keep in mind and learn about when you’re considering moving into a new location. Here are a few of these things.

You Can’t Control Everything One of the downsides to this concept is that most everything that goes on outside of your property is also outside of your control. For example, your street may be very busy at certain times of the day. There could also be a lot of noise on the weekends. You may find that one or even both of your neighbors are not exactly people you enjoy living next to. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can really do about any of this. Sometimes, you don’t even know these issues are coming.

Few people really think about what their new home’s property value will be like in several years. If you know you’re going to be selling the house, though, it is something to consider. Even if you’re not, you do want to think about how your new home will look on the street as a whole. Do you see houses with peeling paint and overgrown yards? If so, it’s a sign that your new neighbors don’t exactly keep their properties in great shape. On the other hand, if every house appears immaculate, you know you’re going to need to keep up your own house. You don’t want to be the one everyone else accuses of causing property values to drop.

Learn About Your Legal Rights There’s nothing you can do about a lot of these issues. You can ask your neighbors if they wouldn’t mind parking their car away from your drive or see if those who like loud music could keep it down after a certain time at night. Other than that, you may find yourself investing in earplugs. Your other option is to learn about the laws in your new city. Most have noise ordinances that state loud music cannot be played after a certain time. Others may allow you to report homes that are in need of repair or that have overgrown yards.

When it comes to all of these factors, don’t be afraid to rely on your real estate agent to find you the perfect home in the perfect neighborhood. Every location is different, but these experts have a feeling for neighborhoods after selling homes for so long. They can help you find a quiet place where you’re not likely to be disturbed, a neighborhood that’s great for children, or a new home on a street that welcomes diversity. If you identify as LGBTQ, you may definitely be looking for a welcoming location. An agent who is also a part of the community will be able to point you in the right direction. You can find LGBT real estate agents by using www.GayRealEstate.com, a website dedicated to LGBT real estate professionals.

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Real Estate

Tips to Avoid Paying More for Your Mortgage

By GayRealEstate.com Buying a house is a major financial commitment. You want to be certain you’re getting the best mortgage rate and terms, and that you will be able to afford your mortgage payment now and into the future. Unfortunately, some people don’t really shop around or look at their mortgage options when buying a home. Someone who may spend hours researching and comparing prices for technology or a new car will take the first loan offer they receive.

If you’re in the market for a new house, here are a few tips that will help you obtain the best mortgage possible.

Save Money to Make a Down Payment If you can make a good-sized down payment, you won’t have to worry about financing as much. That may help you get a better rate so your monthly payment isn’t as much. While it’s tempting to make only the minimum down payment and use the rest of the money for other things, remember that the more you borrow, the more you’ll pay in interest. You’ll save money by making a larger down payment in the long run. Plus, you’ll have lower monthly payments, so you’ll have extra money to spend each month.

Look at the Right Properties Just because you can afford a larger house doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the right house for you. If it’s just you and your spouse, a four-bedroom home may be too much. On the other hand, if you have several children or need space for a home office, it might be the perfect size. Don’t buy more house than you need just because you can. Otherwise, you may end up paying for space that you don’t actually use, but still have to keep clean and maintain.

This also applies to the extras you might find in a house. If you don’t really need a swimming pool, for example, don’t buy a house with one. Take the time to determine what you truly need in your future home before you start looking at houses.

Know Your Budget Do you know how much you can really afford to spend every month? If you don’t, you need to figure it out before you start looking at mortgages. First, look at your income. Banks generally won’t offer you a loan if your expenses are more than about 30% of your overall income. There are a number of online calculators that will help you determine what percentage your monthly expenses are of your total income.

Remember to take your down payment into consideration, too. Then look at all of your debt and see if you can eliminate some of that. For example, you may need to spend a little bit of your down payment on eliminating a credit card if it helps lower your overall debt percentage.

Know Your Options You also need to know what kind of loans you qualify for.

Many people go straight to their bank and don’t even look at things such as FHA loans or VA mortgages. These loans often have very low interest rates, and some don’t require much of a down payment at all. If you qualify, these loans are often the better way to go than getting a loan from a traditional lender.

While getting recommendations from your gay real estate agent is a great place to start, also take the time to do your own research. Once you have that information, you can determine which mortgage will best serve you in the long run.

When you’ve chosen a lender, be sure to get pre-qualified.

This ensures the seller you’re qualified to purchase their house.

It also helps you know what you can afford. If you’re prequalified for a $250,000.00 mortgage, you shouldn’t be looking at $350,000.00 homes – it’s a waste of your time and your agent. It’s always better to know what your limits are before you spend a lot of time looking at homes you simply can’t afford.

Your real estate professional can help you understand how mortgages work, and what options you may have. It’s important to feel comfortable talking to your agent about your finances, and all of your real estate and housing needs. For those in the LGBTQ community, this often means finding an agent who identifies as a member of the community. You can find these agents online at www.GayRealEstate.com.

Compare and Contrast

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Once you know if you qualify for any of these mortgages, you can compare and contrast them with traditional loans. Always be sure to get quotes from a few different mortgage lenders. www.gaycalgary.com

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Lethbridge Pride Celebrates 10 years Going bigger with headliners Stacy Layne Matthews, Jaxx Garcia and DJ Dopamine

 Lethbridge Pride 2017, photos by GayCalgary

By Steve Polyak After 9 years of putting on an amazing inclusive pride for southern Alberta’s LGBTQ+ community, Derrick Antson of Lethbridge Pride talks to GayCalgary Magazine about the upcoming 2018 year for their 10th Anniversary.

“This year we are expanding our reach out to Taber, Cardston and Stand Off, which will all be having pride celebrations this year with Cardston and Stand Off having their first ever. This year, we are going to have Lethbridge’s first premier lesbian party, so we are having a plaid party. And we are also having folks coming all the way from Halifax to give us a Princess Rules show, which is this fun mix of anime meets drag queens meets theatre and it is going to be an amazing performance.”

Every year the Lethbridge Pride Street Festival is held in Galt Gardens.

They have expanded the festival to include a larger beer garden, added food trucks and also a kid zone off to the side making the event inclusive to people throughout the community. Last year, Lethbridge Pride had a very strong attendance for the festival where several of the food vendors were sold out of food within a couple hours of the festival starting. This year, they are adding something new to be part of the festival.

“So, one of the things we did this year just to help commemorate 10 years is we commissioned a local art project. So, picture the Hollywood

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sign but the word “PRIDE”, so six letters the heart being the sixth, which is our logo. Each one is coloured themed to be part of the rainbow with six independent local artists putting queer art on them. That will be showing up for a nice photo background for a selfie wall. If all goes to plan, every year we will get another new six queer artists to repaint it so every year you will have newer queer art showing up at our festival.”

The Lethbridge Pride Dance happens in the evening of the street festival. For the past several years, the dance has been completely sold out prior to the doors opening. This year, Lethbridge Pride is going with some major headliners.

“We always bring in someone for the dance, so this year since it is our 10th Anniversary, we knew we needed to go bigger which normally bigger means twice as big. This year we decided to go three times as big. We are bringing in Stacy Layne Matthews to headline our dance. We are also bringing in DJ Dopamine, Canadian lesbian DJ and we are also bringing in Jaxx Garcia which is a premier drag king in the US, and I am super excited for him.”

Watch the complete interview for all the other events Lethbridge Pride is doing for their 10th Anniversary.

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A Chat with Lou Ferrigno

Hulking Up at The Calgary Expo

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By Jason Clevett At 66 years old, legendary bodybuilder and actor Lou Ferrigno quickly developed a reputation at the 2018 Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo as a workhorse.

In addition to being warm and gracious when meeting fans, he participated in the early morning POW Parade of Wonders Friday, mingled with Media on Wednesday and attended all 4 days of the expo.

“It is instant gratification. I love being like a child with the fans and hearing stories, it brings back my childhood.

As a child I didn’t have a show like this to attend. I would have given anything to have my parents bring me to something like this. I would read comic books and fantasize in my imagination. When I do a convention, I feel like I’m giving back,” Ferrigno told GayCalgary during a brief chat between autographs. “On Wednesday night I got sworn in as an honorary Calgary citizen which was nice. The press and everybody has embraced with open arms.”

Many gay men admired Ferrigno during his reign as The Incredible Hulk from 1979 – 1982 and three subsequent TV movies.

“I love all people. It’s great that I had the chance to run around almost naked. They see me running around and see its ok to show your body. I’ve gotten a lot of letters from gay people with great stories about how it affected their life.”

It was a lot of work playing the Hulk. Before the days of CGI and effects, he spent long hours in the makeup chair, www.gaycalgary.com

needing repeated touch ups as the makeup wore off when he would get hot.

“When they applied the makeup they had to use a clay.

Today they can use sprays and you could probably get made up in an hour and a half instead of three and a half hours. I had to be refrigerated all day long because the makeup would run when I got hot.”

A fitness advocate, Sheriff, and actor with multiple roles on TV and movies (including contributing to Hulks voice in the Marvel films) Ferrigno’s character as well as genuine kindness are surely not to be forgotten by those that meet him.

“It is great – 41 years later the legacy continues. There is a lot of actors that have done TV series that are forgotten. I didn’t want that to happen. I kept The Hulk alive all these years doing conventions and press. It means a lot to me because there’s only one Hulk and I want that to be my trademark that I pass on.”

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Winning Kiss

Billy Winn Releases First Single from Upcoming Dreamland EP

By Craig Salby Out artist Billy Winn has been captivating audiences with his energetic shows and music releases that range from high energy dance records to R&B and emotionally charged EDM. After a public feud and eventual split with his label, the dance imprint Kaleidosphere Recordings, four years ago, Billy has continued to drop music as an independent, underground pop artist. Last year, he released the critically acclaimed urban/pop ballad “Unhappy,” which led to him sharing the stage with Emeli Sandé, Cher Lloyd, Blake Lewis, and Icona Pop. Following “Unhappy,” Billy released “Crash,” the sexy electropop/soul tune, with a music video that was released exclusively on Apple Music.

This summer, he makes his triumphant return to dance music with “Seal It with a Kiss,” an electronic, urban dance song about the power of attraction.

GC: Where did you come up with the idea for “Seal it with a Kiss”?

BW: “Seal It with a Kiss” was an idea I’d had for a little while. It was originally just a lyric from another song that I was writing with Mark Barrie, the producer of “Crash.” We didn’t end up using the song, but parts of what I’d written stayed with me. They were really catchy. Randomly one day, I started humming lyrics from that original song, and before I knew it, it led to a whole new idea.

GC: Is the song about a taboo love?

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BW: “Seal It with a Kiss” is more about the unspoken chemistry between two individuals. The lyrics and the vibe of the song make it seem sordid, I know, but it isn’t necessarily about promiscuity. It’s about a chemistry that is so strong that you don’t need words to express it. It is felt simply with a look, a touch, or a kiss.

GC: That could be steamy…

BW: I do think there is something hot about being the only two people in the room who knows what’s going on and being able to speak to the other person without words. But it’s not love, right? At least not for me. It’s more the beginning of the relationship, before things turn into love. I think in the beginning of any romance, its better when things are kept private. A lot of issues get avoided when others don’t add their two cents into your love life.

GC: But in today’s digital age, does a relationship even count if you can’t change your status on social media?

BW: (Laughing) Do you know how many times I have this conversation with people? I think the idea of validating a relationship on social media is ridiculous and one of the reasons why “love” has become so distorted. Social media does not, or should not, determine how you feel about someone, or how you think someone feels about you. Too many of us spend way too much time and energy worrying about what people think about us on social media.

GC: Let’s take the conversation back to music. What other artists are you listening to today?

BW: I love artists like Charli XCX, RAYE, Sofi Tukker, and Billie Eilish. I still love Tove Lo and Years & Years and, of

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course, Troye Sivan, SZA Vince Staples, and Eden Prince.

But you know, lately I’ve been listening more to indie artists who aren’t famous yet, or as famous as they likely will be.

I discover so many incredible, unknown artists listening to Spotify or scrolling YouTube. I like listening to musicians that speak to the time we’re in. Artists I believe will create nostalgia in ten years or so. It’s one of the things I hope my music will do.

GC: Is that the goal when you step into the recording booth?

BW: Yes; and also evolving and growing as an artist. “Seal it with a Kiss” was the first time I’ve had such a large role in the production of a song. In the past, my collaborations were more of me being the writer and vocalist, coming in after the music was complete. This time I had a hand in producing the music and in helping to craft the overall vision.

My new production team and I spent about three months experimenting with sounds and ideas before we came up with the musical direction for the song. We auditioned several tracks and sounds before finding the right groove.

GC: “Seal it with a Kiss” is the first single off your soonto-be-released Dreamland EP. What can you tell us about Dreamland?

BW: Dreamland is a project that I’ve wanted to do for years now. The title is meant to represent the sound, as well as the story of the project. My production team and I wrote and produced so many songs that we’ve actually split the project into two parts. The first part of Dreamland will be out this summer. The second part will release later in the year. Both represent the next level in my sound, and I am ecstatic to share it.

Billy Winn’s “Seal It with a Kiss” is available on iTunes, Spotify and all digital platforms. For more information, visit BillyWinn.com or follow him on Facebook @BillyWinnMusic.

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Feasting on Fetish This Summer

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More photos: http://gaycalgary.com/a5769

By Mylo Whalen As fashion and fetish-wear continue to become increasingly intertwined, designers are striving to incorporate the latter’s seedy aesthetic into their collections. The latest to combine ready-to-wear design sensibilities with kink-wear is Addicted, the Barcelona based menswear designer.

On the retail end, Zilberman says the response has been enthusiastic, with initial pieces selling out, and guys all around the globe Instagramming themselves in their favorite looks. The harnesses, in particular, have been fan favorites.

This summer, they are unveiling AD Fetish, their new steamy line of designer harnesses, singlets, jocks and boxers.

Suner is encouraged by the initial success and says he plans to use it as a springboard to take the line even further. “I want to take the collection beyond the niche. I want to reach guys who wouldn’t normally wear fetish gear. I want them to see kink wear as empowering.”

The collection draws inspiration from the gay bathhouse scene, yet everything is finely and meticulously crafted by Addicted’s superior artisan team. “When you go into a sex store, and you see fetish clothes, the first thing you notice is they’re not very wearable,” explains Addicted founder Eduardo Suner. “I wanted to blend fetish and fashion together, to make accessories and clothing that looked fetish-y but were more wearable and stylized.”

With demand for fetish-inspired looks at an all-time high, Addicted stand to tap into a huge market with AD Fetish — one where collars, body chains, and, of course, those sexy leather harnesses, all become must-have accessories in the closets of every man, beginning this Valentine’s Day and beyond. Says Eduardo Suner, “I see the AD Fetish guy as someone who will walk out the door and boldly proclaim, ‘Hey, this is me and I don’t give a f*ck what anyone else thinks.’”

Designer Carmen Monforte says her team has had fun redefining the Addicted collection for the after-hours set. “The AD Fetish collection allows us to go beyond the cotton, lycra and mesh in our sports collections.

We’re able to incorporate exciting new materials like rubber, leather, and transparencies into our creations.”

Photographer: Leonardo Corredor Models: Alec Nysten, Davide Zongoli, Johnie Bravo, Caio Veyron Production Team: Héctor Aguilar, Belén Fernandez Audiovisuals: Punt de Gir Hair & Beauty: Tön Vangard

She says the collection’s purpose goes beyond sex and seduction. It’s about embracing the male body in a way that compliments everybody size. “Similar to Addicted, AD Fetish garments are sewn and tailored to fit perfectly on all body shapes.”

Nir Zilberman, the US sales representative for the brand, adds, “The collection breaks the barrier that is there when guys buy clothes. The one that says, ‘My stomach’s too big to wear this’ or ‘my legs are too skinny to wear that’. We’re giving guys a new confidence; inspiring them to be secure in who they are, their bodies, and to not let anyone interfere with that.”

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ATP’s Glory Brings Canada’s Pioneer Hockey Femmes to Centre Stage

 photos by Barbara Zimonick

By Janine Eva Trotta Once again Alberta Theatre Projects delivers to Martha Cohen Theatre a play that is all humour and heart, plus hockey. Glory, written by Tracey Power and directed by James MacDonald, sees four women and their male coach take on a world rife with labels, stigma and uncertainty through the ultimate Canadian sport, hockey.

Helen Schmuck, Marm Schmuck, Hilda Ranscombe and Nellie Ranscombe are four bucksome, athletes – hard set on proving first town and later country that they can play just like the boys can, maybe even better. Beyond the social stereotyping and overt sexism that gets in their way, but does not serve to deter them, two of the sisters are Jewish as Adolph Hitler looms the threat of war over the globe, and one is a lesbian falling for her married teammate.

Glory, as its namesake suggests it might be, is glorious on all fronts: direction, music, choreography, script and acting. Kate Dion-Richard, Gili Roskies, Katie Ryerson and

Morgan Yamada deliver hearty performances, well deserving the standing ovation that concluded Sunday’s matinee performance. Thus it was disheartening to see the theatre seats less than halfway filled. Like many sports, and indeed most areas of life, because the story follows four female athletes it might not be gleaning the attention it would should they be male characters. But this should not be the case: Glory had me laughing and teary-eyed within the same minutes.

The Canadiana in this script leant it a wonderful northern ambiance – it was truly parts CBC and parts John Candy era comedy. Do yourself a favour and close off the 2017-2018 ATP season with this wonderfully funny and thoughtful play.

Glory runs until April 21st.

Glory April 3rd to 21st Alberta Theatre Projects http://atplive.com/whats-on/glory/ http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5702 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Laughing Our Heads Off with Kathy Griffin

Our favourite comic makes Calgary debut

By Jason Clevett “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.”

It’s a saying that has been used to describe overcoming odds. If anyone can identify with that saying it’s Kathy Griffin. A year ago, a photo of Griffin posing with a model of a decapitated head of Donald Trump went viral for all the wrongs reasons. The backlash was swift – fired from her New Years Eve hosting gig by CNN, shows rapidly being cancelled, an FBI Investigation. It’s been a challenging year for the comic, and one that could be the end of a career for many. You can’t keep a good D-lister down, and Griffin is back on the road with a tour that brings her to Calgary May 31st and Vancouver June 2nd.

“That Trump Ketchup and Mask photo scandal happened on May 30th. I’m actually very excited to be in Canada for what I’m going to call the year anniversary. Oh do you want to hear something juicy do you want to know who was at my house that night? I just happened to have planned a dinner at my house with Kris Jenner and Melanie Griffith of all people!

We had planned it for like a month and then the picture scandal sort of blew up and I thought you know what these two bitches have been through some shit so they’re going to be the perfect women to come and have dinner with. It was quite a day you know,” Griffin told GayCalgary.com. “I had no idea the picture was going to cause such a sensation, but I thought if anyone can parachute me out of here it’s Kris Jenner. I wish she would have just made me a member the family and I could have dyed my eyebrows darker and my hair darker just to be in hiding for a while. You know, like Kylie.”

While facing challenges at home, Griffin took her act on the road to Europe, where she played to enthusiastic audiences that also look at the US Government and shake their heads.

She is looking forward to the same reception from Canadian audiences.

“I love that people get it in Canada, honestly it’s kind of night and day. I talk about the whole thing. I even read a death threat on stage and I know that sounds kind of dark but after a while you just have to fucking laugh because it gets so crazy.

Some of the death threats, I say this with caution, they kind of made me laugh and I’ll tell you why - the Trump fans? Not so big on grammar. There’s a little humor there also. People keep sending me Bibles to my house and it reminded me of the famous pray the gay away campaign and when I say reminded me I say every conservative politician still brings it up to this day. It’s one of their go to’s. But I love that people are sending me Bibles on mass to try and save me. You make a joke here and it could be 5 days of hate mail. I also got old-time mail, the death threats came in many sizes shapes and colors and some of them came in old-fashioned mail.”

She’s taken a difficult situation and turned to what she does best, a comedy routine that has taken her around the world.

“I’ve been looking for the comedy in all of it and it’s fantastic to go overseas. I’ve been in 15 countries, 23 cities, I’ve gotten standing ovation every show. I’ve never had such fantastic material in my life! I’m so excited to go to your country as an American woman and stand on stage and go yeah, I’m happy to make fun of them, of him. I’m going to call Trump every name in the book. Once again, our accidental attorneygeneral, once again we have an accidental President because we have a meddled with election that was shady. It’s obvious to everyone my Hillary was robbed.”

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 photo by Mike Ruiz

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 photo by Mike Ruiz

Griffin is concerned that while Trump is puffing his chest about Stormy Daniels or football players the Department of Justice is chipping away at LGBT rights.

“One of the things as Americans, we have to stay focused on it’s not like he’s this harmless blowhard, he is a harmful blowhard.”

The gay community is a big supporter of hers and vice versa.

Recently Sandra Bernhard was asked about Griffin being politically engaged and an activist for the gay community and said “She’s an activist? I don’t know I don’t think she’s an activist frankly. I mean she certainly takes advantage of the gay population in her way, but I don’t think she’s done anything earth-shattering for I mean I don’t agree” “I think my activism speaks for itself, it’s very easy to look up. That’s her opinion and I am sorry she feels that way because I think Sandra is very funny and very original and I

wish she didn’t feel that way about me but what are you going to do.”

Being a female comic seems to draw the LGBTQ Community.

Griffin, Amy Schumer, Margaret Cho and dozens of other female comics have a massive love-love relationship with the community.

“The relationship really is organic because honestly like I was just a kid that found a gay kid in first grade and we just naturally became friends, whether he knew he was gay or I knew I was already a hag in first grade. I also do a rant in my show about how I personally at 57 don’t want to be called a fruit fly, I want to be called a hag. I feel it’s a title I’ve earned, and I’m not offended by that words. I do know the young gays prefer fruit fly but when you have actually done the activism I’ve done darn it you’ve earned the name. I will say the thing I most admire about the LGBTQ community, I was there before the letters and numbers. What drew me to the community

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 photos by Tyler Shields

and vice-versa is when I started out I would do stand-up or perform anywhere I could, so I was in gay clubs and sometimes gay clubs would let me do comedy and sometimes they would say well its only singing night, so you have to sing a song. I’m a terrible singer but I would do anything for stage time and I’m sure that whenever I sing it probably built my gay comedy audience because they were probably laughing at me. What I respect the most about the gay community, and I say this as a feminist, I admire the community’s ability to get together and get things done when the chips are down. I say this to my heterosexual female friends all the time, we have to learn from the gay community.”

Griffin points to her experience after the photo came out as the difference.

“When women turn on women, and I experienced a lot of that with my Trump scandal, it doesn’t help the cause. I find that typically the gay community realizes this isn’t how you get shit done. Put your bickering bitchy stuff aside because when the chips are down the gay community gets together,

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writes legislation, pass bills, hires lobbyists, elects LGBTQ folk, and supports them and the gay agenda which is frankly an equality agenda for all of us. That’s where we have work to do as women. For example, if you’re watching the Me2 movement and the Times Up movement, we’re in a period now with this insane Administration rolling back basic rights and civil liberties. I think one of the reasons I get along with the community and vice-versa I’ve been calling this stuff out and the gay community has had my back the whole time because we really have so much in common you know. The themes I’ve been talking about whether it was on My Life on the D-list or my Kathy talk show or my MTV show Kathy’s So Called Reality have been dealing with gay themes and progressive gay themes. I think that’s an important thing because as a woman I’m fighting for equality and obviously the LGBT community is fighting for the same thing. We need to work together more because we’re actually fighting the same enemy.

These conservatives and hardcore right-wingers, they’re not fucking around. They would love to somehow figure out a way to roll back everything. I remember going and testifying before

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Congress for don’t ask don’t tell after I performed in Iraq and Afghanistan. I’m somewhat familiar with the military bases doing 4 tours overseas and obviously when I went that was an environment where the Gay service folk could be kind of out but not really, so there is still a lot of work to be done.

One thing I also respect about the gay community is I feel like this is a community that we are simpatico because we both understand that laughter is going to get you through stuff.”

“After the Trump photo those were statements that even my friends were saying about the photos, everybody fucking turned on me. It wasn’t like the Dixie Chicks, there was no divide. Nobody came in and saved the day. Nobody hired me.

I think getting back one laugh at a time is something I’m grateful I can do because it’s one of the few things that if a 57-year-old female comic can’t really be stopped. Dudes that are mad at me or think I’m old or ugly or too out there. Who think I am being a wealthy woman who tells jokes, well I write all my own jokes I’ve never gotten a break from anybody. I love writing my own material. I’m in the Guinness Book of World Records for having done more stand-up televised comedy specials then any comedian male or female. I do that because I want younger women, younger LGBTQ folk, younger people of color, to see that and go you know what if that old bird did it a 57 I can do it. That’s one of the reasons this tour is such a mission to me I mean obviously I want to make everyone laugh so that’s number one don’t worry! It’s just important to me that younger LGBT folks that are experiencing more discrimination now than they did 2 years ago, this didn’t just start with the inauguration it started with the campaign. I want them to once again go alright I’m going to go to the Kathy Griffin show and I’m going to go blow off some steam for a couple of hours and just laugh. Laugh your head off if you will. “ The purpose of the show is twofold. To make people laugh and because Griffin has a story to tell.

“The reason I want to tell it even in Canada, I really believe if this could happen to me it could happen to anybody.

Canadians are telling me hang in there we feel bad for you but stay in there we’re kind of one in the same. Trump tries to start shit with Trudeau and it’s insane, we’ve got this American president who is trying to start shit with our own bordering countries! So that’s one of the reasons I want to get out there and go other places and as you said the reception is much more obviously accepting. If nothing else I’m finding that audiences around the world respect my right to use the First Amendment, which is exactly what was one of my missions.

Here in America one of the things is the Trump machine and the federal investigations, they suggested that that photo was illegal. I understand you can be as offended by that photo as you want but I didn’t break the law. When Fox News and all those nutjobs at Breitbart say lock her up I just want people to know, and I’m not encouraging people to do this. But, if you could have 13-year-old kid and they put that picture on Twitter they should not be subject to a two-month federal investigation and hundreds of thousands of dollars of lawyer fees and constant death threats. I mean I’m on a kill list now!

I just got a call last week from yet another Federal agency saying Oh Miss Griffin we have to let you know you’re on a kill list and it’s an active investigation, so I actually can’t tell you the agency or the city. I don’t want to say I laugh but… Can I just be honest I was like who else is on the list is it famous people? Trust me when I call this agency there’s a part of me that’s like is it an A -list Kill List or is it a bunch of D-listers? So, you know I’ve got my sense of humor about it.

Griffin promises a memorable night when she comes to Calgary May 31st and Vancouver June 2nd.

“If Gay Calgary Magazine doesn’t appreciate this than dammit no one will. If nothing else, please come to the show because I have the most Kick-Ass story about spending the day with Donald Trump and Liza Minnelli. I mean honey this story has all the bells and whistles. I tell the whole story and then there’s a lot of Juicy parts too. I weave it all into the act, so I tell all the Trump stuff but because some of it is horrifying I then weave it in with light hilarious celebrity stories like www.gaycalgary.com

 photo by Mike Ruiz

having the Kardashian’s as neighbors. I hope I teased you enough to buy tickets. Please I’m begging you it’s all about my mailing list. Go to kathygriffin.com to subscribe to the mailing list or text Kathy to 3 4 5 3 4 5 because now that I’m like a fugitive and I’m so ‘polarizing’ I can just blanket Calgary.

I’ve got to find the people that have actually been reaching out to me all over social media. No joke Canadiens have been number 1 from May 30th last year going Oh for god sakes come here we get it. So, this mailing list is great because I’m actually able to get the people that actually want to come see the show hear the story hear the real deal and there’s a hell of a lot of juicy dishy gossip too.”

Kathy Griffin http://www.KathyGriffin.com The Laugh Your Head Off Tour May 31st – Calgary – Jubilee Auditorium June 2nd – Vancouver – Orpheum Theatre http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5740 View Bonus Pics/Videos • Share with a Friend • Post Comments

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Photography Sanctuary Drag Show at 1181 Lounge, Vancouver

The Shequel at XY, Vancouver

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Dick Safari at The Junction, Vancouver http://gaycalgary.com/pa1602

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Photography

Photography Western Cup 2018, Calgary http://gaycalgary.com/pa1767

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Photography

Photography

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Photography Roxy Riccochet - A Shady Lady Birthday Bash at the Texas Lounge, Calgary

Broken City is a Drag - The Drama Continues, Calgary

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News Releases Deputy Sheriff’s Association Demands Non-Invasive Searches of Transgender Inmates

Crashers” of the Season at ...

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In recent news stories about transgender people, the phase in their transitioning process seems to be an important focus of the...

On Feb. 20, 2018, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department enacted a policy requiring unwarranted, invasive and humiliating strip...

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House Wine Launches LimitedEdition Rainbow Bubbles Cans in Support of LGBTQ Equality

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Kylie Minogue, Tove Lo, Lizzo, and Big Freedia to Perform Live at NYC Pride’s Pride Island

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How to choose a men’s clothing-optional resort

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Transgender People are Transgender No Matter Which Phase of Transitioning They are In

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LGBTQ Advocates Launch TV Ad Targeting Trump-Pence Ban on Transgender Troops

Human Rights Campaign, Lambda Legal, OutServe-SLDN, the American Military Partner Association, and Gender Justice League launch... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2591

Predicting why same-sex and heterosexual couples break up

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“Rupaul’s Drag Race” Alum Jiggly Caliente Releases Debut Hip Hop Album, “T.H.O.T. Process”

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CALGARY - Group for LGBT+ Older Adults 55+

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RECIPE: Hip Pressure Cooking Cookbook Shows Home Cooks How to Save Time & Create Flavorful Meals

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News Releases Author Jake Biondi releases ‘BOYSTOWN Season Eight

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Rainbow Railroad to Receive IGLTA’s Pathfinder Award

Bold, Original, Female-Driven Detective Series THE DETAIL Tops CTV’s Mid-Season Docket

The international organization headquartered in Toronto, which helps persecuted LGBTQ individuals reach safety, will be honored...

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CASTING CALL NOTICE: Sunday Morning, Coming Down

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We are looking to cast a romantic comedy centred around two men reconnecting after an ill-fated high school kiss five years earlier....

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Her new cookbook, The Healthy Jewish Kitchen, shows readers how to eat and be well. This Passover, Paula Shoyer, best-selling...

NYC LGBTQ Pride March announces 2018 Grand Marshals & March Route Change

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NYC Pride announces its four Grand Marshals slated to lead the 49th NYC Pride March on Sunday, June 24, 2018. Billie Jean King,...

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The first release from her upcoming LEPORE. e.p. Get ready, you’re in for a bumpy ride says Amanda Lepore in “Buckle Up,”...

Popular LGBT Consultancy Will Relaunch With Focus on Free Services for Same-sex Couples

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Five years ago, Bill Houghton and his husband had two sons born through gestational surrogacy in India. Navigating the international...

TLA Video Officially Unveils Website Relaunch

TLA Video, the world’s leading gay adult home entertainment retailer, announces the official launch of its newly revamped website...

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Intersectional Women’s Day 2018

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MASTERCHEF CANADA Season 5 Finalists Revealed in Advance of April 3 Premiere on CTV

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CTV unveiled today the Top 21 MASTERCHEF CANADA finalists competing...

Celebrate Passover with a Delicious Collection of Family Favorite Recipes

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COCHON555 Comes to the Canadian Rockies April 28

A Taste of Pesach 2 provides easy-to-prepare recipes and gourmet presentations that family and friends will find irresistible...

Farmers, Foodies, Charcutiers and the Curious Bring Love and Respect for Heritage-Breed Pigs to Banff, Alberta. Cochon555 closes...

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“Rupaul’s Drag Race” “Ruveals” Guest Judges for Highly Anticipated Season 10

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Canadian Treasure Jann Arden Gets Sensitive in an Intimate CTV Special Airing March 24

Christina Aguilera, Shania Twain, Lena Dunham, Halsey, Abbi Jacobson, Ilana Glazer, Kate Upton, Billy Eichner, Kumail Nanjiani,...

In celebration of the release of her latest album These Are The Days, Canadian multi-platinum

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News Releases singer-songwriter, best-selling...

protect LGBT students from school-based...

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“Home Home” – A Young Adult Novel Set in Edmonton

Over 15,000 Transgender People Currently Serving in the US Armed Forces

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Coming Out In Faith Coming soon! April 6 and 7 at Hillhurst United

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Pride House Founder to Receive IGLTA’s Pioneer Award Dean Nelson, CEO of Whistler Pride & Ski Festival, to be honored on 11 May at the Voyage benefit during IGLTA’s 35th Anniversary... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2615

Rainbow Refugee Assistance Pilot Program extended for LGBTQ2 refugees

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YYCFIT Health & Fitness Expo Returns on April 21 - 22, 2018

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Highly Gender Nonconforming Teens at Greater Risk of Bullying and Violence, Study Finds

This is the first study to examine gender expression and bullying in racially and ethnically diverse populations of urban high... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2616

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Today, a Court of Appeals in Kenya, led by a 5 judge bench, ruled that forced anal examinations are contrary to the law. Forced... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2618

INFRACTUS - Bourne Identity meets Book of Revelation

Sarah L. Johnson is a Canadian author of gritty, offbeat, and genre-defying literature. Her short story collection Suicide Stitch,... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2619

LGBT youth experiences with discrimination, harassment, and bullying in school

Members of Congress yesterday reintroduced the Student Non-Discrimination Act (SDNA) to

86

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

YASS! Netflix to Premiere Second Seasons of Queer Eye and More Unscripted Originals

Today, Netflix announced second seasons for several unscripted original series: Dope, Drug Lords, Nailed It!, Queer Eye and The... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2625

New LGBTQ Film Streaming Service Launched By Breaking Glass Pictures & NakedSword Film Works

Qreel Proclaims “Life is Queer, Watch it Here” with Introduction of Video on Demand Platform Breaking Glass Pictures... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2626

Grindr Launches New Opt-In HIV Testing Reminders to Help Users Get Tested More Regularly

Grindr, the world’s largest queer mobile social network, today announced a new feature update that builds on Grindr for Equality’s... http://www.gaycalgary.com/n2627

www.gaycalgary.com

News Releases Queer Ontario Outlines Provincial Government Election LGBTQ Issues

LGBTQA Team Canada Athletes & Olympians Support a Significant ‘Voyage’

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Marriott International Expands Commitment to LGBTQ Tourism

CALGARY - Join us Wednesday for A Taste For Life

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Sephora Canada at CF Chinook Centre Reopened on March 23rd with Sleek Innovation and Design

Adameve.com Asks: Should Schools Allow Gay And Lesbian Teachers?

The provincial Liberal government, led by out lesbian Premier Kathleen Wynne, can do much to address LGBTQ issues affecting these...

Six high-performance athletes will mingle with guests at IGLTA Foundation fundraising benefit in Toronto, 11 May Voyage, the...

Global Brand is Now Top-Level Partner of the International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association The International Gay &...

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Transdr, Tinder for Trans People, Is an Alternative to Craigslist Personals

OUTBermuda and Allies Fight for Marriage Equality

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Pinnacle Award 2018Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Receive the IGLTA’s Highest Honor

WILL & GRACE (THE REVIVAL): SEASON ONE - Available on DVD on JUNE 12

That’s right, honey! After a 10 year hiatus, audiences are thrilled that the multiple Primetime Emmy® Award-winning original series...

The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association is pleased to confer its prestigious Pinnacle Award for 2018 to the Prime...

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Guyhop Gay Hookup App Fills Hole Left by Craigslist Personals Page Shutdown

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Greater Visibility Reduces Transphobia and Increases Public Support for Transgender Rights

NSFW - Openly Pansexual Pop Artist Yaysh Bares Body and Soul, Says “Get 2 Kno Me”

A new study examining the relationship between prejudice and support for the rights of marginalized groups found that reducing...

Openly pansexual pop artist Yaysh is asking people to give her — and love — a chance in “Get 2 Kno Me,” her provocative...

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www.gaycalgary.com

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

87

88

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events DOWNTOWN CALGARY

11 16

10 12

2

6

3

7

15

1 8

4 5

13

1 2 3 4

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

5 6 7 8

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

FIND OUT!

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-------------------------------------  209 - 10th Ave SW  403-265-5211  Open 7 days a week, 2pm-close 4 Texas Lounge

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

www.gaycalgary.com

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

9 Dickens Pub

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

 http://www.dickenspub.ca

 403-233-7550

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

 http://www.localtavern.ca 14 Night Owl

 213 10 Ave SW

 http://www.niteowlyyc.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

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

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 Alberta Society for Kink

 403-398-9968  masdenn@yahoo.com

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.

• Western Cup



http://www.westerncup.com

• Badminton (Absolutely Smashing)

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

10 The Palace Theatre -----------------------  219 8th Ave SW  403-935-2637

 https://www.thepalacetheatre.ca

• Boot Camp

13 The Pint (closed)

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

 http://www.thepint.ca/calgary

• Bowling (Rainbow Riders League)

 403-384-9777

N

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

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

• Curling

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

6 Twisted Element

 1006 - 11th Ave SW  403-802-0230

 http:.//www.twistedelement.ca

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

7 Broken City

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

 http://www.brokencity.ca

 403-262-9976

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

89

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

 golf@apollocalgary.com

• Lawn Bowling

At 5 Goliaths

At 1 Calgary Outlink

See 1 Calgary Outlink

• Rehearsals

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

Calgary Pride

• Outdoor Pursuits

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

• Running (Calgary Frontrunners)

 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.

• Slow Pitch

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

 slow.pitch@apollocalgary.com

• Squash

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

 Weeds Cafe (1903 20 Ave NW)

• Yoga

 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.

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

Calgary Expo

 http://www.calgaryexpo.com

Calgary Gay Fathers

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

Calgary Men’s Chorus

 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

Different Strokes

 403-278-8263

 http://www.differentstrokescalgary.org

 http://www.calgarymenschorus.org

FairyTales Presentation Society

 403-244-1956

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

• DVD Resource Library

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

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

• Telephone Support

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

Hillhurst United Church

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

HIV Peer Support Group

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

 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

 http://www.miscyouth.com

• Fake Mustache • Mosaic Youth Group

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

Mystique

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

90

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

• Tennis

 tennis@apollocalgary.com

 3rd

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

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

 http://www.calgarypride.ca

 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.

 2nd

 1st

 lawnbowling@apollocalgary.com

 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.

 1st

See 1 Calgary Outlink

 Calgary Contd.

• Golf

 2nd

See 1 Calgary Outlink

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

See 1 Calgary Outlink

By

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

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

• Coffee Night

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

NETWORKS

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

Parents for Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

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

Positive Space Committee

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

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.

www.gaycalgary.com

Directory & Events  Calgary Contd.

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.

Theatre & Fine Arts ATP, Alberta Theatre Projects

 403-294-7402

 http://www.ATPlive.com

Fairytales

See Calgary - Community Groups.

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

Unity Bowling

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

Wild Rose United Church

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

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

 1317-1st Street NW

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

www.gaycalgary.com

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

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.

Hooliganz Pub (CLOSED)

 10704 124 St NW

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

Book Worm’s Book Club

 http://www.ualberta.ca/~outreach Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender/transsexual, Queer, Questioning and Straight-but-not-Narrow student group.

Buck Naked Boys Club

 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.

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

Pride Centre of Edmonton-----------------

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

Camp fYrefly

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

Edmonton Expo

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

• Knotty Knitters

 http://www.edmontonexpo.com

Edmonton Pride Festival Society (EPFS)

 http://www.edmontonpride.ca

Come knit and socialize in a safe and accepting environment - all skill levels are welcome.

• Men Talking with Pride

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

 robwells780@hotmail.com Support & social group for gay & bisexual men to discuss current issues.

• Movie Night

Movie Night is open to everyone! Come over and sit back, relax, and watch a movie with us.

• Queer HangOUT: Game Night

Come OUT with your game face on and meet some awesome people through board game fun.

• Queer HangOUT: Craft Night

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

Edmonton Vocal Minority

 780-479-2038  www.evmchoir.com

 sing@evmchoir.com

GLBTQ Sage Bowling Club

 780-474-8240

• Queer HangOUT: Anime Night

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

• TTIQ

Fellowship of Alberta Bears

 www.beefbearbash.com

 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

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

• Counselling

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.

 University of Alberta, basement of SUB  outreach@ualberta.ca

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.

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

91

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

 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.

• Gymnastics, Drop-in

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

• Hockey

 hockey@teamedmonton.ca

• Martial Arts

 crosscountry@teamedmonton.ca

• Curling with Pride

• Outdoor Pursuits

 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

92

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

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

• Cross Country Skiing

 2nd

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

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

Buck Naked Boys Club

 Edmonton Contd.

•Ballroom Dancing

 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

 outdoorpursuits@teamedmonton.ca

• Running (Arctic Frontrunners)

• Snowballs V

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

• Soccer

• Volleyball, Recreational

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

• Spin

• Women’s Lacrosse

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

• Swimming (Making Waves)

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

• Tennis

• Slo Pitch

• Ultimate Frisbee

GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

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

 soccer@teamedmonton.ca

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

 Parkallen Field, 111 st and 68 ave  slo-pitch@teamedmonton.ca Season fee is $30.00 per person. $10 discount for players from the 2008 season.

• Volleyball, Intermediate

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

 tennis@teamedmonton.ca  Sundays Summer Season starts July 12th  ultimatefrisbee@teamedmonton.ca E-mail if interested.

 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 #166, April/May 2018

93

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190

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Help Wanted

240

Consulting

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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

240

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Cleaning

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GayCalgary Magazine #166, April/May 2018

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