IN Magazine: September/October 2016 by IN Magazine

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

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CONTENTS

Photo by Dusti Cunningham Cover Photo by Kyle Christy

issue 72

September / October 2016

INFRONT

16 | COMMUNITY Lawsuit takes aim at William Whatcott and his anti-gay ‘zombies’

06 | FREE CECE Why Laverne Cox Decided to Help ‘Free CeCe’

17 | WHEELS How the BMW Group envisions the next 100 years

08 | LOOKING GOOD With the rising popularity of hair products in hues from silver to deep pewter, it begs the question: When should you embrace the grey?

19 | ON THE TOWN Scenes from the party circuit

10 | MONEY$TYLE Leverage your bank’s expertise 12 | PRIDE AT WORK Building a national mentoring program for LGBT professional women 14 | HEALTH & WELLNESS Changing your fear-of-missing-out ways is doable 15 | RELATIONSHIPS He’s shown his feelings … is it important to hear him say the words ‘I love you’?

FEATURES 20 | COLTON’S HEARTACHE After Colton Haynes came out as gay, he was blamed for his father’s suicide

28 | BOYS DON’T CRY WOLF: WAITING FOR FRANK OCEAN Frank Ocean has finally given us new material. Here’s why we should be patient next time 42 | TRAVEL: PAINTING THE RHONE RED Drinking Beaujolais in Beaujolais, lunching on quaint terraces, wandering through medieval townships—cruising the south of France reveals all this and more 46 | INSIGHT: INTERSECTING IDENTITIES Travelling teaches you what you never noticed about home

22 | SEISMIC FORCE Seventeen years is a long time to be working towards the same goal, but for size activist Jill Andrew, she wouldn’t have it any other way ... except maybe for things to have shifted already!

FASHION

24 | MARGARET CHO: QUEEN MAGNET Don’t come after Margaret Cho unless she comes for you

30 | GROUND CONTROL As the warm weather begins to fade, we tracked down a few of the top trends for Fall 2016

50 | FLASHBACK Canada’s first television series about LGBT issues hits the air

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Laverne Cox talks with CeCe McDonald in ‘Free Cece’

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FREE CECE

WHY LAVERNE COX DECIDED TO HELP ‘FREE CECE’ Shedding light on the injustices transgender women of colour face daily By Courtney Hardwick

When Laverne Cox first heard CeCe McDonald’s story, it’s no surprise she felt she could relate. Both are transgender women of colour, and while Cox portrays a transgender woman who is also an inmate at a women’s prison on the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black, McDonald spent 19 months as a female transgender inmate in a real-life men’s prison.

campaigns. Cox also talked about how she too has experienced transphobia and harassment first-hand. “I might not be here if one day someone decided to take it too far or I felt the need to defend myself and ended up in prison,” Cox said. “But for the grace of God, I haven’t had to fight for my life in the same way CeCe had to that day.”

On the night of June 5, 2011, McDonald was walking with a few friends to a store near her home in Minneapolis when they were stopped by a group of white bar patrons. The group, made up of males and females, yelled racist, transphobic and homophobic slurs at McDonald and her friends before physically attacking them. At one point McDonald went up against one of the male attackers, and he ended up dead after being stabbed with a pair of scissors—which came out of McDonald’s purse.

Cox decided to lend her support as an executive producer on the documentary because she wanted to bring attention to the things transgender women of colour have to face on a daily basis. The Los Angeles Times reported that according to the Human Rights Campaign and Trans People of Color Coalition, there were 52 transgender victims of violence in the United States from 2013 to 2015. Of those, 46 were people of colour and 39 were black. But that is only what has been reported.

Although McDonald was taken to hospital with lacerations caused by broken glass, and her friends vouched for the fact that she was acting in self-defence, she was charged with second-degree murder. She ended up taking a plea deal of 41 months for second-degree manslaughter rather than face the possibility of a 20-year prison sentence.

Discrimination, harassment and violence against transgender people is often inaccurately reported because police officers don’t always acknowledge the gender someone identifies as—they only care about the gender the victim was assigned at birth. That way of thinking is reflected in the fact that the 19 months McDonald spent incarcerated were all spent in a men’s prison. She was provided with the hormones she needed, but not even petitions, a public outcry and legal attempts to assign her to a women’s prison could get her out of the male prison system.

During the pretrial, it came out the victim, Dean Schmitz, had a record as a violent criminal, and had methamphetamine in his system at the time of the incident; however, the judge presiding over the case ruled that this would not be admissible in court. Also inadmissible were expert testimonies that spoke to the atmosphere of transphobia and how it might have caused McDonald to fear for her life, therefore motivating her to act in self-defence. Given those decisions, McDonald felt her only option was to take the plea bargain. The case attracted national attention in the US from LGBT activists and news agencies, and eventually support from Laverne Cox. Cox teamed up with documentary filmmaker Jac Gares to tell McDonald’s story in the documentary Free CeCe, which is framed by the larger issue of violence against transgender women of colour and premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June of this year. The film follows McDonald over three years through interviews done by Cox, and was partially crowdfunded by Indiegogo

McDonald was released from prison on January 13, 2014, and Cox was one of the people there to greet her. Since then McDonald has stayed active in the transgender community, and was awarded the Bayard Rustin Civil Rights Award by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club in 2014. “I want people to challenge their ideas of gender identity and sexual orientation, challenge the status quo. Give other people a chance to live,” McDonald said about why she wanted to tell her story. Cox hopes the documentary will shed some much-needed light on the things transgender women face on a daily basis. As Cox says, for transgender women of colour to thrive, “we need to have a culture that doesn’t stigmatize, criminalize and try to erase us through various forms of violence, by the state and by individuals—but one that embraces and loves us.”

COURTNEY HARDWICK is a Toronto-based freelance writer. Her work has appeared online at AmongMen, Complex Canada, Elle Canada and TheBolde.

GREY MATTER

With the rising popularity of hair products in hues from silver to deep pewter, it begs the question: When should you embrace the grey? By Adriana Ermter

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

“Grey hair, don’t care” is now more of a fashion statement than yesterday’s eyebrow-raising query about self-vanity or lack thereof. You can thank pop culture for that. The past two years have seen Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Ellie Goulding, Pink and Kate Moss adopting this particular silver lining, while Jean-Paul Gaultier, Chanel and Gareth Pugh have coifed their runway models in everything from silver to grey-blue. But the grey trend is best attributed to Andy Warhol. “When you’ve got gray hair, every move you make seems ‘young’ and ‘spry,’” Warhol said in his 1975 book The Philosophy of Andy Warhol (From A to B and Back Again), as explanation for dying his mop a cool shade of pewter in his early 20s. “It’s like you’re getting a new talent.” Warhol never looked back and the colour became his calling card. Now back in style, grey locks are popping up everywhere and seemingly with no respite. Still, the question remains: If you’re not purposefully asking your colourist to paint on what’s been dubbed the “granny” hue, how do you embrace the grey, naturally? “The right time is a personal choice, and it’s when you feel secure in your decision to embrace the grey,” says James Corbett, colour 8

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director for Clairol and owner of his eponymous hair salon in New York City. “Grey is becoming a purposeful fashion statement.” And with the growing trend to go au naturel comes a plethora of information and options. Know it’s in your DNA First of all, what you’re calling grey hair is actually white hair. It occurs because your hair’s natural colour turns white when the pigmentation cells responsible for colour (a.k.a. melanin) stop being produced. Nutrition, childbirth, stress and hormones can all play a part in this, but ultimately going grey is in your genes. Think back to when your mom and dad first showed signs of salt and pepper in their hair—chances are you’ll follow in their footsteps. And since your DNA dictates when your first grey hairs appear, there’s no definitive age to start looking for them. “I see women as young as 25 who are letting some silver show,” affirms Stacey Staley, the founder and director of Blonde hair salon in Toronto. Typically, most people experience their first grey hairs by the time their in their mid-30s, which means you can expect that 50 per cent of your scalp hairs will be turning grey by the time you’re 50 years old. Thicker and coarser in texture, these hairs stand out from the rest of your strands, often sticking straight up, making them more noticeable.

LOOKING GOOD

Ease into your grey matter Just because you’re seeing a spattering of grey colour in your once brown, black, blond or red locks doesn’t mean you’re expected to have Anderson Cooper’s, Stacy London’s or Ryan Serhant’s comfort in flaunting them publicly, let alone on 60 Minutes; Love, Lust or Run; or Million Dollar Listing New York television shows. “Know there is a middle ground between all-over colour and completely going grey,” says Corbett. “You can flirt with grey reduction and deposit colour that may not necessarily cover all of the grey but rather, reduce the noticeable amount of grey that will gradually fade out so that you won’t have such a hard demarcation line along your roots.” Alternatively, you can add highlights or an unexpected pop of colour into your hair to allow some of the white hairs to shine through while still maintaining a fresh vibe. Just steer clear of dying your facial hair to match. Beards, moustaches and sideburns are coarser than your head hair, tricky to DIY dye and, even if you get help from a pro, tend to look unnatural with a touch of colour. Fade out of your colour Liberating yourself from your hair colour gracefully is another great option. That said, the process requires patience and is best accomplished with the assistance of a professional hairstylist. Let’s face it: No matter how hard you try or how convincingly you tell yourself the growing-out phase will look like ombre, it never does. “Map out a plan with your stylist to start easing off of the colour,” says Staley. “Think of it like chipped nail polish—it’s either on or off, not in between.” Staley says that by working with a stylist you can determine the outcome that best suits your lifestyle, be it blending your existing shade into your grey strands, switching

from a permanent hair dye to a demi-permanent one, going lighter in colour until all of your hair is the same shade as the grey, or cutting the colour out. “Try to keep the process as natural as possible, and avoid choosing a colour that’s too dark or too warm,” advises Staley. “I remember this guy who was friends with my dad when I was a kid. He used to dye his hair black—he looked like a really bad Elvis impersonator.” Pick the right products The aging/greying process changes your hair’s texture, making it more wiry, coarse and dry, so you’ll need to change the products you use as well. Hydrating shampoos and conditioners like Aveeno Pure Renewal Shampoo, Conditioner and 2-in-1 Shampoo & Conditioner (from $8 each, available at drugstores and mass retailers) and treatment conditioners such as Clairol Nice ‘n Easy CC + Color Seal for Brilliant Blondes ($4, available at drugstores and mass retailers) help improve the overall health of your hair. Infused with lipids, aloe, coconut oil and B vitamins, they penetrate the hair shaft to moisturize, smooth and calm your hair. “You can use these conditioners at least once a week as a deep conditioning treatment: Apply to towel-dried hair and leave on for 10 minutes to help soften and tame an unruly mane,” advises Corbett. Maintaining the shade of your hair is also key. Wash with violet-based shampoos and conditioners such as LaCoupe orgnx Lavender & Mint Co-Wash Cleansing Conditioner ($10, available at drugstores and mass retailers), which is specially formulated with violet toners to reduce brassiness and illuminate natural highlights on blonde and silver hair.

ADRIANA ERMTER is a Toronto-based, lifestyle-magazine pro who has travelled the globe, writing about must-spritz fragrances, child poverty, beauty and grooming.

OWNING A FRANCHISE Leverage your bank’s expertise

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

By Al Ramsay

When I moved to Canada over 20 years ago, one of my first jobs was working at a popular food franchise chain. It was one of my hardest and most rewarding jobs. It was there I learned a lot about delivering legendary customer experience in a fast-paced environment. In fact, I’ve credited that experience with helping me to integrate more smoothly into the Canadian culture because of the sheer volume of people I got to interact with from various backgrounds. That is the essence of a lot of franchises: As well as having the potential to be a great financial investment, they’ve become integral places within our community where people congregate regularly. For a lot of people, owning a franchise would seem that you’ve hit the financial security “jackpot.” That can be true, but as with all businesses, it takes a lot of hard work and the right financial advice to make this a reality.

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In my October 2015 column (Being Your Own Boss), I explored areas you need to fully consider before starting your own business— including the emotional commitment, which is paramount. In this article, I will focus more on the Business Banking 101 aspects you need to consider in order to become a successful franchisee. So, you’ve done your research and found the perfect franchise to start your business. What’s next? We have all heard that famous phrase “Location, location, location.” When it comes to banking, franchisees should be adding a new phrase that is equally as important: “Relationship, relationship, relationship.” Why is a relationship with your business banker so important? There are lots of reasons. Let’s take a look.

MONEY $TYLE

Financing expertise Business bankers can provide you with advice on financing your franchise, whether it be working capital, acquisition financing, equipment financing or leasehold financing. There are numerous credit products available that can be used to finance your franchise, including term loans, Canada Small Business Financing Act loans, operating lines of credit, and business mortgages. However, credit products should be appropriately aligned with the assets they are financing, and the level of debt that a franchise incurs should be comfortably aligned with the cash flow of the business. Your business banker can explain the various credit products so that you are comfortable with the type and level of debt that you are seeking.

Banks can offer a full suite of cash management products that allow franchisees to do their banking conveniently and efficiently, including the following services: • • • •

Electronic funds transfer (EFT) Cheque imaging Mobile deposits Remote deposit capture

Merchant services Consumers are increasingly using debit and credit to pay for products and services, so your business banker can help you facilitate an introduction to a Merchant Services provider. The selection of this provider can impact both your cash flow and the level of fees that you pay. Are you getting next-day access to funds that are deposited through this

provider? Are you paying fees on these deposits? Leverage the Business account expertise relationship with your business banker to ensure you understand There are different types of bank accounts available with different the benefits and costs of your Merchant Services plan. pricing based on activity; Get the account that is appropriate for your needs. Make sure your business banker answers your ques- Networking with franchise professionals tions on current account plans so you can be comfortable that you As a franchisee or potential franchisee, you may need advice are comparing apples to apples. You rely on your accountant for with the preparation of your business plan or pro-forma financial accounting advice, and on your lawyer for legal advice. Leverage statements, or you may have questions with respect to payroll your relationship with your business banker for banking advice. services or need legal advice.

Day-to-day banking needs As a franchisee, time is one of your precious commodities, so your day-to-day banking has to be convenient. Check with your local branch and make sure their hours align with your needs. Is the branch open on Saturday and Sunday? Does it have a night depository? Does your bank offer excellent customer service? All of these questions should be considered, particularly if you are doing daily cash deposits. As a franchisee, you have to provide convenient and excellent customer service to your customers. Expect no less from your bank. Cash management services Many franchisees have only modest financing requirements or do not require any financing at all. However, the methods you use to do your deposits, pay your bills or process your payroll can impact the liquidity of the franchise.

Your bank can refer you to the appropriate experts through their network of franchise specialists. Banks have departments that specialize in franchise banking, so establishing a relationship with your business banker will allow you not only to leverage their products and services, but also to leverage their network of franchise professionals. Strong relationships are critical to the success of your franchise. The suite of products that your bank can provide to simplify your banking goes well beyond financing. Additionally, your banker may have an extensive network of franchise professionals that you can be a part of. Leverage the relationship with your bank to your full advantage.

For more information on franchise banking, please visit: https://www.tdcanadatrust.com/ products-services/small-business/advice-for-your-industry-or-profession/franchisees/franchises.jsp

AL RAMSAY is TD Bank Group’s regional manager, LGBTA Business Development, and leads a team of expert advisors dedicated to serving the LGBTA community. For more information or to book a meeting, he can be reached at al.ramsay@ td.com or follow him on Twitter at @AlRamsay_TD. Terry Thrower, TD’s National Franchise Manager, also contributed to this article and can be reached at Terry.Thrower@td.com.

BUILDING A NATIONAL MENTORING PROGRAM FOR LGBT PROFESSIONAL WOMEN Groups find that the learning goes both ways By Lenore MacAdam

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

LGBT women are a minority within a minority, and historically have lacked role models for professional development. It is certainly important for women to have a range of mentors based on various professional factors, not just sexual orientation. However, there are unique challenges within our community that are worth exploring, such as coming out at work, defining “business attire” if you don’t conform to traditional gender norms, being a mother in a same-sex partnership, and talking to your manager about taking a parental leave as a woman who did not give birth. The Pride at Work Canada’s Women’s Committee launched a mentoring program for LGBT women in May 2016. This program is intended to create a space for LGBT women across Canada to learn from each other—to create a professional network for our community. What have we done so far? The first cohort, which launched in May 2016, consisted of 15 groups from across Canada. Some groups are all within the same city while some are virtual. Professional backgrounds range, but are primarily within the corporate sector (i.e., banking and professional services firms). The program was designed to be a fusion of “peer to peer” and the more traditional “one-on-one” mentoring styles. Women were put into groups of four to six, with the groups being designed to 12

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contain a range of experience levels, from entry level to those with 20+ years of experience. Our objective wasn’t necessarily to designate formal “mentors” and “mentees,” although we knew that dynamic might emerge at times. We wanted a setting where every group member could learn from each other. We sent out some guidelines upfront with program objectives and suggestions around initial meeting topics and structure. The program is meant to be 12 months in duration, with groups deciding on the frequency and structure of their meetings. What have we learned? Building a national program is an enormous undertaking—more than our committee (all volunteers) probably realized at the beginning. However, it has been a rich learning experience, and it’s one we hope to build on in the future. The following are a few of our key learnings to date: The need for structure varies Some groups have thrived with the amount of structure we provided: They set up agendas, came up with topics for follow-on meetings and have had great discussions. However, others had a harder time. We’ve received feedback that some groups weren’t sure of what to talk about in their meetings, and struggled a bit to get going.

Don’t underestimate how hard it is for people to get together As of August, a few groups had yet to connect. Email chains went on for weeks trying to set up meetings. It was also summer, so many people were on vacation. It did cause some genuine frustration for some participants. Lesson learned: Designate a leader to organize the first meeting. (I don’t recommend asking the group to decide on a leader themselves. Just assign the role, and suggest it be a rotating responsibility so that it’s not onerous). Also, give the leader a way to organize the first meeting, such as an online scheduling tool. Be proactive in searching out potential problems We sent out an email asking for feedback two months after the program started. I was surprised when some people commented that they hadn’t connected, and disappointed that groups hadn’t reached out sooner. However, in retrospect, I understand why. The participants probably didn’t want to “bother” the organizers, and we hadn’t been proactive enough in reaching out. Lesson learned: Check in early and often, especially in the first few weeks. It’s much easier to correct course upfront, and participants will feel more supported.

Give direction to online discussion groups We created a LinkedIn discussion group for the cohort, and initially the participants showed quite a bit of interest in joining this group. However, other than a few introductory comments, the group was rarely used. Lesson learned: if you’re going to put an online discussion group in place, it makes sense to “curate” the group (e.g., ask targeted questions and give people discussion topics). However, this only works if your organizers have the time. My opinion is that our time would be better spent helping individual teams get organized and moving forward. This program is filling a need Despite the challenges, most of the feedback about this program has been extremely positive. Women are excited to have the opportunity to learn—and give back to others in their community. This is the only national mentoring program that focuses specifically on LGBT women, and although we still have a lot to learn, we’re already seeing some successful outcomes. Going forward I’m very excited about the potential for this program! The committee plans on launching another cohort in October/November 2016, incorporating all of the lessons that we’ve learned to date.

LENORE MACADAM is the Human Resource Policy Advisor at Deloitte Canada, and the National Chair of the LGBT Employee Resource Group. She is also a board member at Pride at Work Canada, a not-for-profit organization that empowers employers to foster workplace cultures that recognize LGBT employees. For more information, visit prideatwork.ca.

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PRIDE AT WORK

Lesson learned: Clearly we need to be more prescriptive with structure upfront, with the caveat being that groups can always customize or deviate from the structure if they like.

HEALTH &WELLNESS

FIGHT YOUR FOMO Changing your fear-of-missing-out ways is doable By Karen Kwan

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

You open up Instagram, and you see a friend posting from the concert you passed up getting tickets to, and there’s also that party you chose not to go to, and all of a sudden you’re kicking yourself. Your mood drops and you feel consumed with the idea that everyone else is having more fun than you are. Or perhaps your symptoms of FOMO (fear of missing out, in case you aren’t familiar with the acronym) take the form of sheer exhaustion because you don’t miss out on anything, ever. You’d rather go to a party and have a shitty time than not go at all, because at least you were there. How to keep that FOMO under control when social media puts everything that’s going on in your face immediately? Linda Edgecombe, a motivational speaker based in Kelowna, says changing your FOMO ways is doable, but it may be a slow process: “None of us change anything until it’s loud and powerful enough for us to want to change.” Make decisions based on your most important values Start by making a list of what values are important to you and then whittle it down to your top three values, recommends Edgecombe, the author of Breaking Busy. “Many people have no clue what their values are. We run around like we’re in a tennis game, chasing the ball rather than being mindful of what we value,” she says.

to book that massage with the RMT. “You’ll feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off your shoulders,” says Edgecombe. Once you do this trial run (and experience how much happier you feel), she says, you can move forward with letting these values drive more of your decisions on a regular basis. Practise being more mindful and grateful Work at stopping yourself from being sucked into that FOMO. You may have missed WayHome Music & Arts Festival this year, but remind yourself that there’ll be another festival next year and that social media almost always shows everything in the best light. Instead of looking at what’s going on elsewhere, “be aware of what you’re doing and looking at right now,” says Edgecombe. This could be as simple as appreciating the great cup of coffee you’re sipping. It may help to post visual cues for yourself, she says. Put a reminder of whatever is closest to your heart—whether a Post-it note listing your key values, a photo of your family or pet, or perhaps even a keepsake accessory—on your mirror or in your car, so that you can constantly be reminded that these things can’t be outshone by what looks like the blowout party of the year on Facebook.

Spend time with yourself “Disconnect to re-engage,” says Edgecombe. She strongly believes that once a day, we should each be with our own thoughts. It Say you narrow your list down to health, family and self-nurturing. could be in the form of meditation, but it could also be a walk Spend three days letting all of your decisions be made based on or a soak in the bathtub. What’s key is that you spend quiet time those key values. So you might opt to go for a hike to benefit your being introspective. “Hearing and being with yourself will help health, but skip out on the movie with friends in order to have time bring you peace of mind.”

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KAREN KWAN is a freelance health, travel and lifestyle writer based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter at @healthswellness and on Instagram at @healthandswellness.

RELATIONSHIPS

THOSE THREE LITTLE WORDS He’s shown his feelings … is it important to hear him say the words ‘I love you’? By Adam Segal

I have been seeing someone for about eight months and he is the first guy in several years that I have totally fallen in love with. From the beginning, our vibe was super strong: We have hot sex and great conversation, can spend a lot of time together and get along easily. Part of what I really like about him is the way he shows his caring side—he sends sweet texts, cooks for me and is very affectionate. And he even talks about the future in a way that shows me he is invested in a serious way. The thing is, he has never said the words ‘I love you’—something I have already said to him. I get that it can take a while for some folks to say this and I’ve genuinely tried to be patient. But it’s starting to feel impossible to ignore, and I wonder if he is having serious doubts and unable to share them with me. Is it ridiculous of me to worry about a few simple words when so much of our connection feels so good? —Ricardo Dear Ricardo: It’s possible that your guy may be on the fence—not sure if he feels as strongly as you do and therefore unwilling to commit to those three words. But I wouldn’t let the ‘he’s just not that into you’ hoopla convince you that there isn’t a strong romantic relationship developing here. For some people, saying those words feels incredibly scary and/or deeply vulnerable. It can be especially tough to be the first one to utter that phrase and not have it reciprocated on the spot. You can feel proud that you shared your feelings independently of having heard them from him—you were being authentic and true to your feelings. There is a lot of room to take a stab at what’s behind his silence. Is he worried about the commitments he thinks are attached to those words? Is he better at showing his feelings through actions? Is he just warming up to an LTR more slowly than you are? The amount of space this murkiness is taking up is probably not ideal for you or the relationship in the long run. At some point, it will become vital that you share your concerns without pressuring him to say words he doesn’t want or isn’t ready to say. You could tell him that you are grateful for the many ways in which he makes you feel cared for, but ultimately the actual words will be important for you to hear so you can fully relax and move forward together. In the meantime, I would encourage you to let yourself enjoy his sweetness and attentions. There are many people out there who can easily throw out an ‘I love you,’ but are limp in their capacity to demonstrate true respect and affection—skills your guy is rolling out beautifully.

ADAM SEGAL, writer and therapist, works in private practice in downtown Toronto. Ask him your relationship or mental-health questions @relationship@inmagazine.ca.

COMMUNITY

$104-MILLION LAWSUIT FILED OVER DISTRIBUTION OF ANTI-GAY LITERATURE AT TORONTO PRIDE Lawsuit takes aim at William Whatcott and his anti-gay ‘zombies’

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Photo by Shawn Goldberg

A class action lawsuit has been filed against a group of anti-gay activists who distributed hateful literature during Toronto’s annual Pride parade, which was held earlier this summer.

unknown associates dressed as zombies sporting head-to-toe green bodysuits and walked the parade route handing out anti-gay literature disguised as condoms to spectators.

Lawyer Douglas Elliott has filed the class action lawsuit on behalf of former deputy premier George Smitherman and activist Christopher Hudspeth, who are seeking $104 million in damages from a group of anti-gay activists led by veteran anti-homosexual activist William Whatcott. The legal bid also aims to secure a Canada-wide injunction that would prevent Whatcott and his like-minded group members from participating in any future Pride parades in Canada and from distributing the flyers and information, even online.

At first glance, many of the attendees assumed the condom packets included information about safe sex. Instead, the pamphlets featured graphic images and read: “The ‘Gay Zombies’ are concerned about the spiritual, psychological and physical welfare of all potential homosexual pride attendees, so we want to give you this accurate information and encourage you to abstain from the homosexuality.”

“As a long-time gay activist I am outraged that a notorious homophobe infiltrated our Pride parade in order to spread his lies and distribute his pamphlets,” Hudspeth, who owns Pegasus on Church, told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa. “Pride needs to be a safe place for everyone. We put up with enough homophobic messaging every day. We deserve a homophobic-free zone at our Pride parade.” Whatcott has said he used an alias to register the “Gay Zombies Cannabis Consumer’s Association” as a participating group at this year’s Pride parade in Toronto. Whatcott and a group of 16

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Days after the parade, Toronto police confirmed that they had received complaints about anti-gay literature distributed during the parade and were investigating. As of publication of this issue of IN Magazine, no charges have been laid. Surprisingly, or not so surprisingly, this isn’t Whatcott’s first homophobic Pride-related stunt; his name has long been linked with Canada’s hate-speech laws. Hudspeth said Whatcott has previously pulled similar stunts at two other Pride parades. But his most recent behaviour prompted the lawsuit. And the message behind this suit is clear. Hudspeth wants to put an end to Whatcott spreading his “hateful and disgusting message” at Pride parades once and for all.

WHEELS

THE NEXT 100 How the BMW Group envisions the next 100 years By Casey Williams

As the BMW Group celebrates its centenary, the company has released a vision of the future for each of its brands. It’s clear each will remain true to the company’s heritage, but there’s a fabulous future of autonomous driving, electric powertrains, and connectivity.

BMW Vision Next 100 It’s a given that the coming age will allow for autonomous driving—where the car takes over all driving duties—whenever the driver desires. Hidden beneath the recognizable silhouette of a BMW sedan with quad headlamps, twin-kidney grille, i8-derived wing doors and flexible skin wheel covers is an electric car with two driving modes. In “Boost” mode, the driver takes control as the seat and steering wheel move towards him or her. Gesture controls accompany a full-windscreen head-up display that highlights an ideal driving line or upcoming turn. “Ease” mode is fully autonomous so the steering wheel retracts, the centre console moves away and the head-up display provides infotainment. Mini Vision Next 100 Imagine an electric Mini that’s fun to drive, but focuses on the needs of urban drivers while anticipating the continued rise of point-to-point ride sharing. Mini envisions a car that’s connected digitally and able to pick up drivers wherever they are. How to personalize shared rides? Drivers can customize the interior lighting, roof colour and dash graphics/content. Hard-wearing interior materials include brass, basalt and cellulose. Mini’s trademark centre-mounted circular instrument helps adjust entertainment, communications and autonomous driving mode. The go-cart feel is enhanced with a glass front to give a better view of the road. Rolls-Royce 103EX What is the future of luxury? Rolls-Royce envisions a “grand sanctuary” with mixed wool and silk fibre upholstery, Macassar veneers and wool carpeting. Autonomous and electrically driven, there’s no need for a front seat or steering wheel. Instead, there’s an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen to house a personal assistant named “Eleanor” that honours Spirit of Ecstasy hood ornament model Eleanor Thornton. With an electric powertrain, a long hood isn’t necessary, but it commands presence and contains space for luggage aft of the front wheels. A lighted glass hood ornament, chrome Parthenon grille, fastback roofline and partly shrouded chrome wheels define Rolls-Royce’s future.

“If, as a designer, you are able to imagine something, there’s a good chance it could one day become reality.” –Adrian van Hooydonk, Head of BMW Group Design

CASEY WILLIAMS is a contributing writer for Gaywheels.com. He contributes to the New York-based LGBT magazine Metrosource and the Chicago Tribune. He and his husband live in Indianapolis, where Williams contributes videos and reviews to wfyi.org, the area’s PBS/NPR station.

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T O R O N T O ’ S

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ON THE TOWN

SCENES FROM THE PARTY CIRCUIT By Michael Pihach

2 3

Business Woman’s Special - Mesh Edition at ROUND venue 1: Andrew Johnston, Owen Milburn, 2: Samer Shaath, Dustin Seidler, Jaime Prada, 3: Jada Hudson. Cirque du Soleil LUZIA premiere at Grand Chapiteau, Port Lands 4: Cirque du Soleil performer, 5: Cirque du Soleil performer, 6: Chris Hadfield, 7: Candy Palmater, Jeanne Beker. Just beCAUSE at Berkeley Bicycle Club 8: Eric Lauzon, Anton Vidgen, 9: Tammy Crane, Mary Santonato, 10: Liz Devine, Robert Townshend, 11: Ryan Sanders, Timothy Chan, 12: Armando Mendonça, Darrell Schuurman, Ryan Lester.

FEATURE

COLTON’S HEARTACHE

After Colton Haynes came out as gay, he was blamed for his father’s suicide By Christopher Turner

It’s been a challenging year for Colton Haynes, but the 28-year-old actor says he’s in a much better place after publicly coming out as gay earlier this year. The star of MTV’s Teen Wolf and the CW’s Arrow covers the September issue of OUT magazine, where he discusses his severe anxiety, the emotional challenges of coming to terms with his sexuality over the years, his father’s suicide and being encouraged to hide his sexuality when he entered show business. “I feel really bad that I had to lie for so long,” Haynes says. “But I was told that was the only way I was going to be successful. When you’re young in this industry, people take advantage of you, and they literally tell you that your dreams are going to come true. If you believe that, you’ll do anything. And you do believe it, especially if you’re from Kansas.”

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In the in-depth interview Haynes talks about something familiar to many within the LGBT community; the struggles of growing up gay in a small town. He describes his hometown of Andale, Kansas, as a place where “you just couldn’t be gay.” When he came out to his friends and family at age 14, he became the victim of bullying that was so brutal that his brother had to meet him after classes to protect him. The actor says his parents were devastated when he came out, so he ran away from home. He was staying with a friend when he learned that his father, William, had committed suicide. “I was told that my dad killed himself because he found out I was gay. So, of course, I lost it and was like, ‘How could you say something like that?’ And no one will ever really know the truth,” Haynes recalls. “But my brother and my mom went to pick up my dad’s stuff, and the only picture on his fridge was my eighth-grade graduation picture. So I was just like, f**k.” The news of his father’s overdose brought extreme feelings of guilt and he developed severe anxiety, something he’s dealt with his entire life. After his father’s death, Haynes says, things got to the point where he finally fled Kansas and went to live with his sister, Willow, first in Florida and then in Texas. After a few years, he realized he was ready to pursue an acting career, so he made

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his way to Los Angeles, where he was told to hide his sexual orientation. So … he did. Of course, Haynes’ story of pressure from his management to conceal his sexuality isn’t new. Countless LGBT stars through the years have shared similar stories of being told to stay in the closet to further their Hollywood careers. Haynes finally came out publicly as a gay man in an interview with Entertainment Weekly in May. “I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and healthier than I’ve ever been, and that’s what I care about,” he said at the time. It was a sigh of relief. His sexuality had been the subject of years of speculation from press and fans. “I should have made a comment or a statement, but I just wasn’t ready,” he said after coming out. “Everyone has to make those decisions when they’re ready, and I wasn’t yet. But I felt like I was letting people down by not coming forward with the rest of what I should have said.” Now that he’s out, Haynes is adamant that he’s happier than he’s ever been—he credits therapy for helping him deal with the dark times that he’s experienced in the spotlight and out of it. (He’s battled some degree of anxiety since he was in fifth grade, but it spiked dramatically in recent years, in large part because of the way he shielded his sexual orientation.) Today, he describes therapy as “the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.” So, what’s next for the actor, gay heartthrob and social media star? (Seriously … are you following him on Instagram?) Well, he’s back at work with his first gig as an out actor, a much-hyped mystery role on the second season of Fox’s Scream Queens. Plus, he might just be ready for another relationship. Haynes says he’s looking for a combination of his three celebrity crushes: John Cena, Idris Elba and Ryan Reynolds. “Someone who just descended from a mountain and said, ‘I don’t have any friends. Would you like to come live with me?’ I’d love that. I want to somehow have a happy ending. Or a happy beginning.”

CHRISTOPHER TURNER acted as guest editor for this issue of IN Magazine. He is a Toronto-based writer, editor and lifelong fashionisto with a passion for pop culture and sneakers. Follow him on social media at @Turnstylin.

FEATURE

SEISMIC FORCE

Seventeen years is a long time to be working towards the same goal, but for size activist Jill Andrew, she wouldn’t have it any other way ... except maybe for things to have shifted already! By Abi Slone

Not only is it in the Olympic arena that Canadian women excel. In the queer community, there are many making art, taking up space, being brilliant and pushing for change. And Jill Andrew is hard to miss. As an award-winning columnist and co-founder of the Body Confidence Awards Canada [www.bodyconfidencecanadaawards.com], Andrew has turned her attention to advocacy—fighting to make size discrimination illegal and have it included as protected ground in the Ontario Human Rights Code. IN Magazine had the chance to sit down and talk with her about her work, her life and her love of cats. How many years have you been doing size activism work? For me, from the mid-to-late ’90s (after an experience on public transit where I was called a ‘fucking fat black bitch’), I started to do the thinking ... I began to really take stock and look at the ways in which bodies, particularly women’s and people who looked like me (black and other racialized folks), were being treated. I didn’t have the language, but I was motivated.

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By the late ’90s, I was writing about size discrimination while doing my undergrad at York University. And in 2003 I began a now-defunct anthology project called Phat Girls in Search of a Pretty World: Hot Lil Fat Chicks Speakin’ Out! I’d say, though, my more substantive work in size activism came in 2006, when I started the Curvy Catwalk Fashion Fundraiser. The fashion show doubled as a fundraiser for NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information Centre) and Sheena’s Place. And in 2014, the time was right to work on another anthology, this time with Demeter Press, called In Our Skin: Our Bodies, Our Stories. Have things changed over the past 10 years? I’ve certainly seen shifts ... There is a greater awareness and adoption of ‘Health at Every Size’—the idea that fat does not equate to being unhealthy. I’ve also seen a growing awareness of the mental health consequences of size discrimination/body-based shaming and body-based harassment. 22

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I’m also seeing more of an intersectional approach to addressing body activism. Body shaming is not a white, heterosexual, college-educated women’s issue. That myth (which continues to inform funding decisions and directly impact communities of colour, which aren’t funded or resourced as well where body positivity work is concerned) is being dismantled little by little. What kind of support have you found in the queer community? I, along with my partner Aisha Fairclough, who is also very engaged in body activism work, previously partnered with The 519 to co-host the ‘FATshionraiser: Fat is a Feminist Issue.’ This was an opportunity to not only create community space where LGBTQ and our allies could speak on body positivity, size politics, etc. ... but was also an opportunity to raise fashion (rather than fund) donations for new immigrants to Canada who access The 519 for support. Why did you decide to start the Body Confidence Awards? We wanted to recognize people for their work in body activism— specifically those based in Canada, who largely go unsung since the body activism movement tends to be very Americentric and UK focused. Very selfishly, we also wanted to be surrounded by a body-positive community ... people who ‘got it’ and are in the business of equity, inclusion and changing lives. Who are some of the fat activists who motivate(d) you? OMG there are too many to list! I cannot tell you how thankful I

Photo by David Pike

am to Black Lives Matter Toronto for the way they have brought forward the conversations, and frustrations, so many of us have had quietly and anonymously in our kitchens for decades! It provides hope to think of the future of Canada with activists like these in our midst.

public health issue. Body shaming has direct implications for those who experience it.... We must get politicians and change makers on board. Politicians in the UK and Michigan are on the ball, and several cities have made size discrimination illegal. It’s time for Canada to at least see the relevance in the argument.

Fat activist Marilyn Wann’s book FAT!SO? (and her entire career) has been a huge inspiration. I first read her book as an undergrad at York, and it opened a new world and a new way of thinking about fat and fatness for me. This is around the same time I became enamoured with Pretty Porky and Pissed Off [disclosure: The writer was a member of the group] and read Turbo Chicks (inspiring me to create anthologies of my own to help share other women’s stories).

How can the LGBTQ community help? Sign and share the petition! [www.change.org/p/sizeismsuckshelp-end-size-discrimination-today-hrto-add-size-discriminationas-a-protected-ground-in-the-ontario-human-rights-code] I cannot emphasize the importance of not only signing but of sharing it! Sadly, although we know how rampant size discrimination is, it’s been very difficult to get the petition off the ground. I’m currently working with body image activists, educators and some public figures to truly try to shed light on the necessity of this work and the need for signatures and shares.

I’m also a huge fan of Andrea Shaw, who has made compelling arguments around the connections between fatness and blackness as embodiments that are highly contested, and often excluded from ‘mainstream’ narratives of beauty, femininity and, in essence, good citizenship. What do you think is the best way to get to a place of equality? That’s a huge question ...

And about these cats? One of my life dreams is to be in a field lying under the summer’s light and air with hundreds of cats. In the meantime, I created PURR Toronto Feline Film & Arts Festival, held on International Cat Day. Stay tuned for the 2017 dates!

First and foremost, we must see size discrimination/body-based harassment/body shaming/fat shaming as a human rights issue and a

ABI SLONE is a writer, editor and traveller. She is not a natural redhead.

COVER

QUEEN MAGNET Don’t come after Margaret Cho unless she comes for you By Nelson Branco

“Just because you are blind and unable to see my beauty doesn’t mean it does not exist.”—Margaret Cho If there was a time to catch the amazing life force that is Margaret Cho intersect with her groundbreaking journey at the corner of zeitgeist and WTF, it’s now.

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The irreverent and fearless comedian will be offering her trademark shits and giggles—with a heavy dose of gravitas—during Just For Laughs 42: Toronto’s Comedy Festival on September 23-24.

Today, the three-time Grammy and Emmy nominee is enjoying yet another career reinvention. To the delight of fashionistas and fans of insult comedy, Cho was named co-host of E!’s Fashion Police. Like Kathy Griffin before her, Cho stole the once-troubled show from her first punchline. “Somewhere in heaven, former Fashion Police icon Joan Rivers is smirking, ‘Bitch stole my job.’” Her second album, American Myth, is receiving critical and audience accolades for its ’90s references while tackling the current state of U.S. politics and culture.

With America currently embroiled in a constitutional meltdown, an insane presidential election that harkens back to the days of Hitler Lite, and the world at a horrific crossroads, you can expect Cho to murder her material. (Run out and buy tickets; your abs and senses will thank you.)

And her tour-de-force PsyCHO comedy tour is bringing laughter around the world as she performs her favourite songs.

Born into a Korean family in gay and racially diverse mecca San Francisco, California, during the influential Harvey Milk era, Cho has been challenging the status quo for the disenfranchised ever since she can remember. (April 30 was declared Margaret Cho Day in San Fran in 2008.)

Depending on the country or city she’s headlining in, her routine changes. “My act is constantly evolving. It depends on the news cycle. I try to make it unique to the place I’m playing.” So expect to witness parts of PsyCHO in her Toronto Just For Laughs gig.

It’s no secret Cho was bullied as a child—long before public abuse became an elastic social niche term. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the openly bisexual star recalled, “I was hurt because I was different, and so sharing my experience of being beaten and hated and called ugly and fat and queer and foreign and perverse and gluttonous and lazy and filthy and dishonest and yet all the while remaining invisible heals me, and heals others when they hear it—those who are suffering right now.”

With songs like “Fat Pussy” and “I Wanna Kill My Rapist,” Cho shows she isn’t afraid of tackling any subject. “Homophobia, racism, sexism, Hollywood whitewashing, it’s all game,” she says. “There’s comedy in everything—that’s the key to surviving anything.”

The 47-year-old is an unapologetic provocateur—whether it be as a controversial comic; ironic singer; indie film actress; star of TV’s first East Asian comedy, ABC’s All American Girl (which was cancelled after its first season due to low ratings and severe critical and Asian backlash); supporting actress with an Emmy-nominated turn as North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un in 30 Rock and supporting roles in Drop Dead Diva and season four of Sex and the City; edgy fashion designer; talk show host; or author. Yet she has somehow impressively navigated the hills and valleys of fame and scandal when most of her peers have failed. 24

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IN Magazine was thrilled to speak with the dynamic Cho to dish the tea without the crumpets. Let’s get the important question out of the way: How’s your mother, Young-Hie Cho? Your impersonation of her will always remain classic and hilarious. She’s good. Yes, she’s staying out of trouble. Is there a difference between Canadian and American audiences? Of course there is. I love performing in Canada. I have friends in Toronto. In fact, I have family there, too. A quarter of my family migrated to Canada and America from Korea. Or something like that! Is it easy to write material given the state of the world to-

COVER

Photos (above and previous page) by Dusti Cunningham

day? Or is it overwhelming to deconstruct the context into a two-hour show? No. I’ve got some really good things to talk about. There’s so much happening in the world. So much to talk about, from the presidential election to terrorism. The world is out of control! When it comes to America, there’s this urgency from gay, black and women’s rights. It’s now or never for us.

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For me, I’ve reached my saturation point even though I cover the American election professionally. Do you even find this election funny anymore? Definitely. [Laughs] Listen, it’s disgusting! It’s so gross. The fact that [Republican presidential nominee] Donald Trump got as far as he’s gotten is very alarming. It’s scary when you think about it. I agree with your peer Bill Maher: The reason racism has climaxed in your country is because it never really dealt with the root cause of slavery until a black man became president. My hope for your country is that this conflict will finally climax and America will move forward. Having said that, I don’t know if that’ll happen in my lifetime because racism is so engrained in your nation’s DNA. It’s insane. I think that’s totally true. President Obama coming into the administration really exposed the racism in our country—it’s come to the forefront and we have to deal with it. It’s important to say: America is a very racist country. I feel it as a person of colour all the time. People make judgments and so does the media. It’s a lot to handle, to be honest. The good news is that social media has given a voice to people who didn’t have one, so the conversation is changing. 26

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Do you find that the Wild Wild West of social and political discourse is so over the top that it’s harder to be irreverent now? There’s a wonderful opportunity to put all this madness into context and make it right. It’s life or death. Whether it’s Black Lives Matter or the election, gender pay inequality or whatever. At the same time, I think this moment in time was bound to happen. Like you said, our climax. I’m hoping it is. I’m hoping there isn’t any more death, discrimination and suffering. I hope we can stop it. Have we lost our sense of humour? No. We’re gaining more of a darkness to our humour because of all the news of death and terror every day. You can’t escape it. It’s constant. We’re in a gallows humour era right now, which French and Saunders [British comedy TV show by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders] masters brilliantly. Maybe that’s coming through to the mainstream. Is political correctness hurting humour? Or does social media counter that? I think it’s kind of a free-for-all now. Political correctness often helps —not hurts—people. I don’t find it to be a problem. Social media: good or bad? It’s great. Like I said, it allows people to have a voice who normally wouldn’t have one. You have a free and loud public forum to discuss things. It’s an arena for your opinion so, of course, that’s going to attract Internet trolls and crazy people. That’s okay; I can handle that. You’ve practically done it all—except split the atom. You’ve

Photo by Lindsey Byrnes

even worked as a phone sex operator and dominatrix. How would you like to be remembered professionally? I’m a comedian. To me, that’s very much what I do, who I am, where I thrive. It’s a very basic part of my existence. I really love comedy. It’s ultimately my art form. Yes, I do really love singing and writing my music, but all those other media have a comic element, too.

that don’t feature reality. This isn’t new. Entire histories have been whitewashed on screen. There is no more value in casting white actors in diverse roles. And that’s a good thing. Since you’re bi, what do you think of the modern millennial term ‘sexual fluidity’? It’s great. Gender fluidity too, for that matter, is complicated. People think gender is binary, but it doesn’t have to be. Gender and sexual fluidity are complex issues, very personal, very unique to the individual. The bisexual term is [antiquated because it’s too black and white for people to understand].

Your career trajectory has been a bumpy yet memorable and successful journey. Are you surprised by how it’s all evolved and that you’ve maintained longevity? I’m really happy and excited with how things have gone. I could never have anticipated this. I’ve had a very long and successful career. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I’m very pleased. ‘Fag hag’: Should the gay community take a cue from the millennials and reinvent the term? Cultural appropriation, which you’ve been talking about for- I use it as a historical reference. It’s a term that we, in our commuever, is a major headline right now with Matt Damon starring nity, have always used to define women like me in a community as the lead in the upcoming Chinese film The Great Wall and of gay men. Although I do think it would be better if we tried to Emma Stone playing an Asian role in Aloha. Yet opportunities shift that term. I like ‘Queen Magnet’ or ‘Gay Bae.’ Those are two for Asian actors are more plentiful with hit shows like Fresh positive terms. Yes, it’s time for an update. off the Boat, which also airs on ABC. Discuss. It’s very exciting. There are a lot more venues for us, but mainly it’s Do you think the stigma of being a ‘female’ comedian is finally over? on TV. We’re starting to see slightly more representation in film. Film Yes, I do. But you know what? I’ve always felt that women were is slow, almost backwards. They don’t get it exactly yet. They don’t kicking ass. Women have always been my favourite in comedy, get diversity. They’re listening now but mostly because of social so for me I never saw the stigma. People I love, my friends and media. The lack of diversity in media is what I built the foundation heroes, they’ve inspired me throughout the years. It’s nice we’re of my career on. TV is doing well. Cultural appropriation, I think, is finally getting our due. I’m a fan of so many brave women. I’ve going to stop. Executives are starting to realize they can’t get away always put women on a pedestal. with it anymore—especially with the backlash. It’s hurting the film industry. There’s such an outcry for diversity and boycotting films And gay men. NELSON BRANCO is the editor of 24 Hours Toronto newspaper. As a contributing editor, he’s penned pieces for magazines like Hello Canada, People, TV Guide and online sites like Huffington Post. He’s also worked as a TV producer for Breakfast TV, The Marilyn Denis Show, CTV News and Sun News Network.

MUSIC

BOYS DON’T CRY WOLF: WAITING FOR FRANK OCEAN

Frank Ocean has finally given us new material. Here’s why we should be patient next time By Aidan D’Aoust

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

On August 18th, Frank Ocean released the visual album, Endless. The project was the first new collection of music from the singer in more than four years. The drop had Ocean’s fans in a frenzy, and prompted a huge sigh of relief from the rest of the music community. By the time Endless had made its way onto Apple Music, fans already expressed their anticipation for his proper follow up, Boys Don’t Cry. The term “proper” is used here loosely. The title was teased throughout the year, and was expected to be Ocean’s next official release. Once again, fans expressed their frustrations, that this visual album was not the one they had been waiting for. Frank had gifted us with an hour of new music, yet some found a way to be slightly dissatisfied. While composing this piece, it is rumoured that more music will be released within a matter of days. When this music does arrive, it is crucial to reflect on how we’ve waited for the album. Ultimately, it’s important to force ourselves to be more patient for art like this, because Frank’s music isn’t just any old music. In 2012, Frank Ocean unleashed his debut studio album, Channel Orange. The project quickly garnered universal acclaim, won an extensive list of awards, and launched the singer to international superstardom. The album is so beloved that at this point, it’s becoming difficult to find anything new to say about it. Today, and in the buildup of his long-awaited physical album, the artist is held in the highest regard. His small discography is frequently cited as some of the most important music of the last decade. When it comes to Frank Ocean, pop culture is hard-pressed to be hyperbolic—the singer-songwriter is simply that good. As such, the fuelling of the hype train has been unrelenting. This, while justified in many ways, is rather unfortunate. The added pressure 28

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and growing entitlement has cast a rather uneasy cloud over Boys Don’t Cry. Frank Ocean is his genre’s most important songwriter, and instead of pressuring his output, it is important to respect his artistic process. This is especially vital, considering the origin of his artistry. Even before the release of Channel Orange, Frank Ocean’s name made a tidal wave of headlines. The media put the singer’s personal life in the spotlight, focusing on new lyrics that had made their way onto the Internet. Then a journalist who had been lucky enough to attend the album’s listening party wrote an article pointing out that Ocean’s lyrics referenced a male lover which, compared to previous work, was seemingly out of character. So, on July 4, 2012, the singer published a TextEdit file on his Tumblr page, addressing rumours of his sexuality. Openly and honestly, he spoke of past romantic relationships with both men and women. The move was applauded by the media—and more importantly, broke ground in the world of hip-hop and R&B. The latter point is momentous in an artistic landscape historically driven by hegemonic masculinity and an oftentimes aggressive heterosexuality. Along with the incredible music of his album, the brave approach cemented Frank as one of the most popular R&B singers in the world. Unfortunately for him today, many of his fans have an embedded sense of entitlement and operate within a culture of immediacy.

Unlike Ocean, today’s hip-hop and R&B artists keep their fans fed on a consistent basis. His colleagues have released more albums, featured on more tracks, and made more live appearances than he has done in the last four years. This is becoming blatantly obvious for fans who have spent the year waiting for Boys Don’t Cry. The album had been teased for seemingly forever, and when Ocean made an appearance on his official website, listeners held out hope for a pending release. One of the later teasers featured him fiddling at a workbench in front of a boombox constructed by visual artist Tom Sachs. The looped video caused confusion online, and generated a slew of rumoured release dates. When these all came and went, fans began to stew in their disappointment.

that can be easily justified. Acts like Radiohead, Kanye West and Beyoncé are all fair comparisons due to their sheer fame and critical acclamation. The comparison to these artists goes deeper, however, when we see that they have all released an album this year, after a lengthy absence. The period of time between their respective releases? No longer than five years, and no shorter than three. This is pertinent in the sense that Frank Ocean exists on this same tier of artistry. Like all of these fantastic artists, Frank requires a similar timeline in order to incubate music that is worthwhile. Can you imagine preparing any sort of release, following the success of an album like Channel Orange? We’re lucky to be even expecting such a project this year.

Since the release of Channel Orange, we have been treated to infrequent appearances by the singer. In the last four years, Ocean has appeared on tracks with Kanye West, Beyoncé, James Blake and Jay-Z, among others. It’s a rather limited portfolio for an artist in such high demand, and especially so for a modern R&B singer. Many of Ocean’s contemporaries have made their bank by hopping onto as many tracks as possible. But Ocean is a different kind of artist. Rather than saturate his output, he maintains his stature by being incredibly selective.

What is important to the Frank Ocean fan is the understanding that excellent music takes time. When we listen to Boys Don’t Cry, it is another instalment of an honest man’s blood, sweat and tears. When new music is, quite literally, a click away, it is often easy to forget that good art requires patience. Long-lasting, genre-defining music is hard to come by. Frank Ocean is aware of this, and it’s fair to assume that he wants his listeners to be as well. It is also fair to accept that his latest music has been worth every minute of our patience. We don’t want just any old music, we want Frank Ocean music. And Frank Ocean music will always be worth the wait.

When speaking of Frank Ocean, it is easy to compare the singer to the most important pop artists of the 21st century—a categorization

AIDAN D’AOUST is a writer and music buff based in Toronto. You can follow him on Twitter @aidandaoust.

FASHION

GROUND CONTROL As the warm weather begins to fade, we tracked down a few of the top trends you need to master for your trip to the coast this Fall (if only)

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Photographer: Patrick Lacsina Fashion Director: Danyl Geneciran Stylists: Kevin Coria & Ryan Wohlgemut Grooming: Maria Natalia Rodriguez Models: Stefano & Cohen from Elite

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Full look: JOAO PAULO GUEDES 31

FASHION SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Jacket: BLK DNM Shirt: CADET Pants: MR. TURK Shoes: MANOLO BLAHNIK Coat: JOAO PAULO GUEDES

Pants: VALENTINO

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Coat: DALLA Vest: JOAO PAULO GUEDES Pants: JOAO PAULO GUEDES 33

FASHION SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Turtleneck: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Vest: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Pants: NEIL BARRETT 34

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SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016 CHRISTOPHER TURNER acted as guest editor for this issue of IN Magazine. He is a Toronto-based writer, editor

36and IN lifelong MAGAZINE fashionisto with a passion for pop culture and sneakers. Follow him on social media at @Turnstylin.

On Cohen (inside): Coat: L’MOMO On Stefano (outside): Coat: L’MOMO Pants: VALENTINO

Photos by NEONelements

FASHION SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

On Stefano (left): Coat: JOAO PAULO GUEDES Pants: VALENTINO On Cohen (right): Coat: BERLUTI Pants: NEIL BARRETT 38

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On Stefano (left): Scarf: BARENA Blazer: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Pants: VALENTINO On Cohen (right): Blazer: NEIL BARRETT Shirt: Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;MOMO Pants: NEIL BARRETT 39

FASHION SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

On Stefano (left): Scarf: BARENA Blazer: BRUNELLO CUCINELLI Pants: VALENTINO On Cohen (right): Blazer: NEIL BARRETT Coat: DALLA Pants: NEIL BARRETT 40

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TRAVEL

PAINTING THE RHONE RED

Drinking Beaujolais in Beaujolais, lunching on quaint terraces, wandering through medieval townships—cruising the south of France reveals all this and more By Doug Wallace

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

I always knew the baby boomers would “de-geezer” the luxury cruise industry and actually make it cool. And while the big ocean liners are undergoing a certain “degrampification” of their own, it’s the small-ship experiences that the cool kids are booking, both on the seas and down the world’s celebrated rivers. Australia’s Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours is a case in point, and a journey down the Rhone River in France confirmed that cruise-going is more hip than people think.

book rather than chatting, no one will think you’re stuck-up. The ship docks in a different town every day, so you wake up with a fresh region to explore (either by bus or on foot), different wine to guzzle and new locals to terrorize with your touristy ways. Guests who don’t feel like following the crowd can strike off on one of the ship’s e-bikes, with the help of GPS-assisted self-tour gadgets.

Stepping on board the Scenic Sapphire in Chalon-sur-Saône, the first things that registered were the tasteful touches of luxury, things that say “five-star” in a heartbeat: a cold towel, a glass of actual Champagne, marble everywhere, and a butler who gave me his number. “Call me any time,” he said. “I like it here,” I said quietly to myself.

Small cruises manage to conjure up some extremely interesting people, too: those who wouldn’t be caught dead on a ship with more than 400 guests. Generally well travelled and reasonably well off, these travel mates will skew older to be sure, but there will also be a fair share of chic “achievers” with their tans and linen shirts, as well as young marrieds and a few families—all fascinating cocktail companions. Scenic attracts mostly Australians, Brits, Americans and Canadians, so language is never an issue.

Riverboat life is simple, in that you’re never going to get lost on the ship. There’s the top deck, the lounge, the restaurant, the cabins, and that’s it. You unpack, say hello to your neighbours and get on with the relaxing. It’s just intimate enough for you to get to know a few people (167 people in this case), but still big enough for a hint of anonymity. You don’t have to know everybody’s first name—a simple nod will do—and if you feel like tuning out and reading a

Sure, renting a nice French villa and using it as a home base for a week of adventuring is fun, but a river cruise lets you see a lot more, and from the comfort of a lounger on the top deck. And with someone getting you drinks while you peruse the pillow menu and take shot after shot of the scenery flowing by. Speaking of which, there is nothing quite as photogenic as the south of France, and she loves having her picture taken.

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Photos by Doug Wallace

TRAVEL SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Time slows down on a cruise My week on the Rhone took me from the quaint city of Chalon-sur-Saône in east-central France down the Saône River to Mâcon, where I hopped on a bus tour through the Beaujolais Golden Stone region, so named after the bright yellow limestone buildings. I spent the morning at Château de Montmelas (a winery run by descendants of the Marquis de Montmelas since the mid-17th century), drinking in their offerings along with the gorgeous countryside. Down the river in Lyon, the Saône forks with the Rhone, and my fork got a real workout; this is the gastronomic heart of France, after all. The places to hit are the traditional Lyonnaise bouchons, bistros that serve French classics like creamy pike dumplings in crayfish sauce, perfectly spiced steak tartare and succulent Bresse chicken. (This is France, so even the chicken has an appellation.)

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The chef’s tasting menu at Michelin-starred La Mère Brazier put me right over the edge, and that was long before they wheeled out the cheese trolley. I was able to walk it off on a hike the next morning through the city of Vienne, a major centre of the Roman Empire, noted for the Temple of Augustus and Livia that was built at the end of the 1st century BC. Cruising later to Tournon, we arrived just in time for five o’clocktails on the terraces of the medieval Château de Tournon, just up the street from our dock. Très convenient! The next day’s walk through the quiet town of Viviers was followed by an evening spent docked in picturesque Avignon, which was for a time the seat of Catholic popes. And despite submitting to this city’s carnival-like atmosphere—complete with carousel and Ferris wheel—we still

managed to work in some history the next morning on a tour to the ancient Roman aqueduct at Pont-du-Garde, near the charming town of Uzès. The last stop, at Tarascon, set us up for visits to the Instagram-friendly medieval villages of Les Baux-de-Provence and St Remy-de-Provence, and the Roman Amphitheatre in Arles, an incredible, 2,000-year-old arena still in use today. This is the essence of visiting the banks of the Rhone: You can do nothing but wander in and out of shops full of gorgeous things, darling, and fill your suitcase with lavender soap and handmade bonbons; or you can patio-hop to your heart’s content, going from breakfast to second breakfast to lunch to tea to dinner; or you can dive into the history, visit the castles and climb the watch towers.

Or you can sit on your rear and watch the swans. This is your cinéma vérité—do as you please. With a solid mix of great food and wine, rich history, enchanting surroundings and a pampering crew, my week on the Scenic Sapphire flew by, and I could easily have signed up for another. The little Scenic extras made the biggest differences: things like a cooking demo, a castle cocktail party, a classical concert in a centuries-old palace … I wrote home about it all. And who doesn’t love day-drinking? In the end, river cruising is as cool as I had predicted it would be in this day and age. I came home with more pictures of wine labels and handsome butlers on my phone than riverbank vistas, but that’s just me.

DOUG WALLACE is the editor and publisher of the new travel resource, www.TravelRight.Today.

INSIGHT

INTERSECTING IDENTITIES Travelling teaches you what you never noticed about home By Paul Gallant

After returning from my first travels overseas, a friend asked me what I had learned. I said something like, “I discovered what it’s like to live in Canada.” He was confused, but what I meant was that, just like a fish doesn’t know it’s been wet all its life until it finds itself out of water, visiting elsewhere teaches you what you never noticed about home.

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

In a year when tensions have been running high around issues of identity, ethnicity, fairness and power, those who have experienced different cultures have something special to tell us about who we are and how we can do things better. LGBT people with intersecting identities—different skin colour, different cultural or ethnic backgrounds—often see things the rest of us can’t. Perhaps finding the culture they were raised in to be homophobic, they may take refuge in the LGBT community, only to be treated like an “other” to be feared or fetishized. Their ability to see and feel the water they swim in can come at a personal price: the frustration and challenge of knowing that things could be otherwise. Artist, actor and filmmaker Gilda Monreal co-wrote, co-directed and co-starred in the short film Cold, which is part of the queer programming stream at this month’s CaribbeanTales International Film Festival. Her parents moved to Montreal from Chile during the rule of dictator Augusto Pinochet. Although Monreal was born in Canada, she says her home was culturally Latin, and by the time she was 19, she identified strongly with being Chilean and has

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spent considerable time there. “Why is it I gravitated to certain literature, a certain kind of poetry? Why is it that certain things resonate with me more emotionally than others?” says Monreal, also known as Fiya Bruxa. Monreal’s multiculturalism adds layers to her work and provides her with sharp insight on Canada’s quirks, inhibitions and prejudices (surely, it also works in the reverse direction when she’s in Chile). As a street muralist, for example, she finds the Canadian funding agencies and cultural gatekeepers treat street art as a beautification initiative, rather than as a political statement, as it is considered in Santiago. Listening takes a lot of work, especially when what we’re hearing doesn’t match with our existing view. Unsurprisingly, art can change hearts and minds more effectively than rants on a Facebook timeline. Cold is a poetic and sensual showcase for Monreal and co-star, co-writer and co-director Judith Rodriguez Perez. But through its very existence, it makes a much broader political statement, having won recognition at both LGBT and ethnically focused film festivals. “We didn’t intend to target multiple audiences. It came from a place that was just us,” says Monreal. Though the film had little dialogue, the filmmakers worked in English, Spanish, French and Italian. And most importantly, their hearts were in the right place. “We felt like it was important to say because of different stories of our friends and people close to our lives who had been

Above: A still from Gilda Monreal’s short film Cold Below: A still from Lezlie Lee Kam’s short film My Silky Blue Frog Shortz

INSIGHT persecuted for being part of the LGBT community, especially in a Caribbean and Latin context. We wanted to tell a story that was almost an ode to all those who had faced extreme persecution.”

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

Lezlie Lee Kam’s short film, My Silky Blue Frog Shortz, also screening at CaribbeanTales, is an endearing and playful story about how her body feels and how it’s seen as she has gotten older and become disabled. Lee Kam has a very specific way to describe herself: a Brown, Trini, Carib, Callaloo dyke. When I ask her how this phrase has evolved over time—she came to Toronto from Trinidad 46 years ago and came out as a dyke 40 years ago— she isn’t so interested in answering. Though she’s chosen these terms carefully, she doesn’t want them to be second-guessed or prioritized by others. “To me they are not labels,” she tells me. “Those are my identifiers. They’re very important to me as being part of this world. I also use another term: I’m a World Majority person because the majority of people in the world right now are people of colour.” The way our institutions categorize people can come off as arbitrary and unfair—and very shallow. Lee Kam complains that she’s often assumed to be trans these days, as if other people know her body better than she does. Back in 2012, when Omar Sharif Jr. (son of the famed Egyptian actor) came out, his tone was almost apologetic. “Will being Egyptian, half Jewish and gay forever remain mutually exclusive identities? Are they identities to be hidden?” he wondered. I’d argue that these intersecting identities can bring significant chunks of the world together. Yet humans have a difficult time reconciling multiple layers of identity, feelings and attitudes. As Daily Show host Trevor Noah said during this past summer’s bloodbath in

the US: “If you’re pro Black Lives Matter you’re assumed to be anti-police, and if you’re pro-police, then you surely hate black people—when in reality, you can be pro-cop and pro-black, which is what we should all be.” We are capable of carrying multiple loyalties in our hearts, though there can be something that makes us want to deny it in ourselves and refuse to believe it of others. So much of the rather embarrassing white, middle-class male agitation about Black Lives Matter protesting Pride Toronto in the middle of the Pride parade this summer was a failure in so many ways: a failure to see parallels between race and sexual orientation, to see history repeating, to set aside indignation for compassion, to acknowledge that Black Lives Matter might actually have a broader view than their critics. Obsessed with tactical minutiae, critics of Black Lives Matter seemed unable to hear themselves depicting the Honoured Group as some ill-mannered “other.” Black Lives Matter, whose leadership in both Canada and the U.S. contains a substantial number of LGBT people, seems especially well positioned to call out oppression both queer and racial. Those who, back in the day, were mortified by how the “unruly” patrons of New York’s Stonewall Tavern responded to police harassment back in 1969 have clearly ended up on the wrong side of history. Whatever anyone thinks of the demands made of Pride by Black Lives Matter—the banning of uniformed police officers and police floats being the most extreme—they were certainly not out of line in defining the conversation. The 11th annual CaribbeanTales International Film Festival runs from September 7 to 17. caribbeantales.ca/ctff/

PAUL GALLANT is a Toronto-based writer and editor who writes about travel, innovation, city building, social issues (particularly LGBT issues) and business for a variety of national and international publications. He’s done time as lead editor at the loop magazine in Vancouver as well as Xtra and fab in Toronto and is currently development editor at Yongestreetmedia.ca.

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FLASHBACK SEPTEMBER 1972 IN LGBT HISTORY Canada’s first television series about LGBT issues hits the air

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2016

It was Canada’s groundbreaking television series. Coming Out hit the airwaves in 1972, becoming the first Canadian television program targeted specifically to a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community audience. The 13-episode documentary and interview series, which aired on Maclean-Hunter’s cable community channel in Toronto, profiled LGBT people living in the city during the earliest years of Canada’s gay rights movement. It was hosted by Paul Pearce and Sandra Dick of the Community Homophile Association of Toronto, and premiered on September 11, 1972.

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OWN THE FEELING. THE LEXUS IS Strap into its sporty, lowered driving position and feel like the road is yours alone. The IS boasts a muscular yet light body, crisp handling, and highly responsive suspension. Taking its wheel is a luxury like nothing else.

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