OUT AFRICA MAGAZINE by Keith Coventry

Issue 13, Summer 2012

INTERVIEWS NEWS REVIEWS AND MORE!

d r 3 HDAY

T !!! R I B SUE IS

9 772304 859004

R25.00 incl. VAT

AUSSIEBUM NOW IN SOUTH AFRICA

15 DECEMBER 2012

Cape Town stadium - 8pm

5 MCQP supports a healthy lifestyle

For info & tickets visit

www.mcqp.co.za

R DANCE FLOO

ATURING:

and Flash Republic - Derrick Barry many DJ Paul Heron - Leroy Tayler more!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE INTERVIEWS 4

FROM THE EDITOR

e have reached a milestone with this issue, which is our Lucky Thirteenth as well as our Third Anniversary Issue! We have survived and thrived against all odds and what an exciting ride it has been. But we are nothing without our loyal advertisers, our very talented contributors and of course, our readers. So a big thank you to you all! 2012 has been a bit of topsy–turvy time for gay rights. Malawi’s new president Joyce Banda said that they would decriminalise homosexuality. Then she claimed that she said no such thing. Then Justice Minister Ralph Kasambara stated that there would be a moratorium on laws banning gay and lesbian sex, at least until the issue had been debated by parliament. Then he denied having said any such thing. Uganda persists in trying to pass their notorious Anti-Homosexuality Bill. In the United States, Maine, Maryland, and Washington legalised same sex marriage. Democrat Tammy Baldwin in Wisconsin became the first openly-gay person to be elected to the US Senate. Denmark legalised same-sex marriage in June. In South Africa, township lesbians continue to be assaulted and murdered, and police have been criticised for dragging their feet in dealing with a series of murders of gay men in Gauteng. Conservative elements and religious fundamentalists continue to try to erode our Constitutional rights and it remains our duty to be vigilant in our protection of these rights. One thing is clear: there are lots of divisions within the gay community and we need to put aside ego and work together. Enjoy this issue filled with fun, fashion, celebrity interviews, and party news. It’s going to be a Bumper Summer so have fun and play safe! Evan Tsouroulis MANAGING EDITOR: Tommy Patterson 082 562 3358

ISSN 2304-859X published by: Patterson Publications P.O. Box 397, Sea Point 8060 Tel/Fax: 021 418 3039 E-mail: outmagafrica@telkomsa.net evan@outafricamag.co.za Advertising Sales: Robert Simpson 072 266 7051 Evan Tsouroulis 072 905 8489

Contributors:

Daniel Dercksen, Glenn de Swardt, John French John Henry, Gary Hopkins Gabriella Marquez Odidi Mfenyana, Tim Owen, Jarred Plu’g, Very Dre Sweet, Photography Bazil Deviant, Simon Deviant, Gareth Dallas, Jay D’Engle Printed by ABC Press, Cape Town

Copyright: All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in OUT Africa Magazine are the copyright of the publication or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights are reserved. No materials may be copied, modified, published or otherwise distributed without the prior written permission of OUT Africa Magazine. The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by those providing comments in this publication are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinionsof OUT Africa Magazine or any employee thereof. OUT Africa Magazine and Patterson Publications cc., will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in any information contained in the publication.

Cover: Courtesy of Aussibum, supplied by PipelineXXX

4 DIRTY SEXY FUN: The real Paul Heron 9 MANILA VON TEEZ: 10 fascinating facts 20 COYBOI JEN VICTOR - Leather Lesbian Warrior

REVIEWS 30 WORD PERFECT 34 OUT TO LUNCH: Eating out 46 OUT ON FILM: What to miss on the circuit...and what not to! 47 MUSIC MOVES: What’s hot & what’s not... 48 ON STAGE: The performing arts all over South Africa

FASHION

24-25 GETTING ON DOWN UNDER Aussiebum’s latest underwear range

SCENE OUT 28 - 33 Who’s been spotted out and about on the party scene...

FEATURES

1 EDITORS COMMENT: 2 CHRONICLES OF A DISPLACED DRAG QUEEN: by Gabriella Marquez 3 SOME ENCHANTED EVENING: The inside info on MCQP 2012 6 THE BUZZ: News, snippets & gossip 8 SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR THE MODERN MAN: by Tim Owen 10 HOW SUMMER GOT YOUR GROOVE BACK: Keeping in shape with Jarred Plu’g 12 SANDY BAY EXPOSED: John French takes a peek at Cape Town’s nudist beach 13 PINK PATROL - Safety in the Mother City 14 THE GAYEST BUS TOUR: Odidiva and 2 sisters travel to Jo’burg Pride 16 CRANKING: The low down on Cape Town’s latest fitness craze 18 POET OF THE HUMAN HEART: Tennessee Williams, gay icon 19 TRAVEL SPECIALS: Alternative Travel’s latest for Gay travellers 22 THE ART OF MOVING FORWARD: by John Henry 26 DJ LEROY TAYLER’S TOP 10 SUMMER DANCE TRACKS 26 BOY BUTTER - Squeezing into a tight agenda 26 PARTYING FOR A CAUSE: Positive heroes 34 MEN’S HEALTH ISSUES: by Glenn de Swardt 36 THE VERI SWEET LETTERS: KZN’s latest gossip 37 GET UP, STAND UP: Gearing up for Gay Pride Cape Town 2013 38 KINGDOM OF THE EARTH: Tennessee Williams’ play comes to Artscape 39 GET LUBED UP TO THE MAXX 40 CARNEVALE: The biggest Gay New Year’s Eve party ever! 40 BOYZTOWN: Cape Town’s Gay hub 41 GAYS GET SATIFIED WITH JOCKSTRAP.CO.ZA 42 GENDER BENDING SILVER SCREEN SIRENS: Local Gay movies 43 INTIMATE THEATRE AT ALEXANDER UPSTAIRS

WIN 3 MCQP TICKETS 43 BEEFCAKES CALENDERS 48 THEATRE TICKETS

The winner of THE VIEWS BOUTIQUE HOTEL competition was Karen Spogter Mag 1

CHRONICLES OF A DISPLACED DRAG QUEEN Gabriella Marquez in Bloemfontein

t’s almost that time of the year and I am still trying to shed the winter layers! Ooh Meisie! After a hectic few days in these barren lands and the exams upon me I simply must reflect on some events past. Now, it is no secret that we live in a very stratified society in South Africa, a land of contrast – Stark! I know we all don’t want to hear this crap but it’s true. This is also clearly evident in the gay community where we can see the huge “canyon-of-a gap” between rich and poor, haves and have nots. Those who have go to great lengths to display wealth and opulence. Others are systematically excluded from this “private society”, doomed to live up to the ever growing expectations of those around them. So the dramas at Joburg Pride come as no surprise.Desperate to get some inside info on what really went down, I tracked down a member of the 1-in-9 Action Group. (Ja,we all like a sappige kekkel). She told me that the 1in9 campaigners hoped to secure a minute of silence to commemorate those who have been raped or killed because of their sexual orientation. They handed out flyers with the names of victims. But the activists did not find a receptive audience in the Pride organisers leading the parade.Video footage and eye witness accounts tell of altercations between activists and the organisers. They activists were pushed, sworn at, threatened with being driven over, and being told to go back to the location.The police were eventually called in to remove the protesters. Now I don’t know about you people, but I find this SO sad. Is this what the Queens before us fought for? Does it not make sense to stand together in solidarity? Because at the same time we persecute one another, we as a collective are being ridiculed from the outside. Just look around you! The Gay Flag of South Africa national bus tour through the country in October 2012 made a stop in Bloemfontein. Along for the ride was one of my favourite Drag Divas, Ms Lola Fine who on one sunny day decided to prance through Mimosa

Mall in FULL drag! Now if you have ever been in Bloem or the Free State for that matter (It’s not as free as people think), you would know just what a great deal

this is. Lola was stopped by mall security and was asked,I quote “Do you have a permit to dress like that in public?” I was shocked and proud at the same time. As soon as I had the chance I went to Mimosa Mall (incognito) to have a word with the people at the Security Desk. They told me - not in so many words, but ja, that “it is wrong for people to look like this! She/he should stay home and not come out like that”. This reminded me about the people in the Pride march. What is it that would make people react this way? One word: Ignorance! Whether straight or gay, some people have heaps of it! This situation taught me two things. One: that we still have a long, long way to go in understanding that we have nothing to be ashamed of. . . that we should never fail ourselves or forsake what we stand for and for that, I thank you Lola! Two: I have learnt that if we do not unite within our LGBTI Community, we will never be able to put up a unified front against those who persecute us. We need to start thinking about the bigger picture, Ladies!

nce upon a time in 1994 in a mystical metropolis on the southern tip of Africa, some crazy queen had a fabulous light-bulb moment. Now that the Wicked Witch Apartheid was dead, it was time to celebrate. She invited all of Dorothy’s friends, and their friends too, to a magical party where anything could happen and where everyone could be whoever they wanted to be. Most importantly, they could dress up. It was altogether just a little queer. They danced all night, kissing a few frogs along the way (you never know) and lived happily ever after…until the next December when they did it all over again!

And so the time for Africa’s biggest costume party is here again. The Mother City Queer Project (MCQP) is transforming The Cape Town Stadium into a Fairytale Fantasy on Saturday, 15 December for the 19th incarnation of the most anticipated and talked about party of the year. Event director and knight-in-shinningarmour Ian McMahon says that party goers and fantasy seekers will enjoy the Fairytale Fantasy theme which “will take people back to time when anything seemed possible. We expect a few Rumpelstilskins and Snow Whites to make an appearance and even a Goldilocks or two surrounded by number of bears.” Not to mention Sinderella, Little Red Riding Ho, the Three Leather Pigs, Cumbelina, Poes in Boots, and the Ugly Suckling. As always, MCQP attendees are expected to get creative with their costumes. Dressing up is compulsory. Comedienne and Fag Hag

Manhunt

Extraordinaire Irit Noble will be welcoming guests on the Red Carpet. While the theme may be Gothic, the entertainment is very 21st Century. There will be six dance floors, catering for all musical tastes from Disco to Trance, featuring some of South Africa’s best club DJs , as well as British DJ Paul Heron (see interview on page 4), and South African born Leroy Tayler (see page 26) on Snow White’s Winter Wonderland Main Floor. They will be joined by Josh Borril, Dean Fuel and Hareal Salkow. The popular Tom Thumb Trance Floor, featuring the famous Headroom, PsyGuy, Sci Lab & Tune Raider, is back. So is the Fairy Godmother Cabaret Floor where some of the Mother City’s most beloved Drag Artistes appear on stage in rotation.

This online dating site will be sponsoring the Ali Baba floor featuring DJs Sam, Karl, and Cee Smooth. Paul Heron will also be playing the late shift.

VIP Experience Flash Republic Fresh from a fantastic set at Jo’burg Pride in October, electronic dance band Flash Republic, fronted by the marvellous Tamara Day, make a welcome return to MCQP. Enchanted Garden Live Stage 1.00am

Vanessa Holliday This Blonde Bombshell’s signature electrotinged funky house sound has made her the rage in clubs all over the country. She is currently part of the Deckalicious Crew. Little Mermaid Disco Floor: 9.30pm

HIGHLIGHTS Derrick Barry Lady Gaga and Britney Spears impersonator Derrick Barry is taking a break from his Las Vegas show “Divas Las Vegas” playing at the Imperial Palace, to entertain his fans in Cape Town in true princess style. Those who saw him perform last year at Crew Bar’s 2nd Birthday Bash will tell you that this a performance not to be missed. Enchanted Garden Live Stage: At the midnight Bitching Hour- no pumpkins allowed!

Butterbox The unique Butterbox brand has been taking Cape Town’s club culture by storm in 2012 with its wide variety of musical styles. Its DJ Collective has almost achieved cult status and they draw huge crowds wherever they perform. In an exciting innovation, Butterbox will be hosting its own dance featuring B-Type, Mick Supply, Das Kapital, Riot Squad & Hyphen

Take a magic carpet ride to Wizard of Oz VIP Chill Floor and be entertained by CheyRouge, Draadkar and The CITY, with Tony Mariano behind the decks. The SA Brandy Foundation will be creating a Yellow Brick Road of carnival and candy stalls, ending at the Emerald Bar. 20 exclusive, fully equipped Prive Suites accommodating 20 people can be purchased at R12 500 a pop. MCQP Fairytale Fantasy takes place at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday 15 December 2012. For updated information visit www. mcqp.cp.za or Mother City Queer Projects on Facebook. Tickets can be bought online on the website or at Computicket. General Tickets – R290. VIP – R450

WIN

MCQP TICKETS

10 lucky readers can win a pair of tickets each to MCQP on Saturday 15 December by answering this question: Where will Fairytale Fantasy be held?

Entries must be received at outmagafrica@telkomsa.net by Wednesday 12 December 2012

Mag 3

DIRTY SEXY FUN PAUL HERON Hunky Scottish born, London based DJ Paul Heron has become synonymous with quality deep, sweaty, pumping, funky tribal and uplifting progressive house. This December South Africans will get a taste of what clubbers and party-goers all over Europe have been appreciating for years when Paul appears on the Main Floor at MCQP. From Amsterdam to Zurich, and every place in between (Berlin, Ibiza, Moscow, Mykonos, New York, Rome Sydney, Toronto to name but a few). Paul’s musical mantra of “Dirty, Sexy, Fun”, as well as his remixes of Scissor Sisters and Grace Jones tracks, keep the fans coming back for more and ensures invitations to play at Europe’s top Pride festivals, including Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, Prague and London. After MCQP, Paul will be touring Australia with Boy George and will be performing at Elton John’s birthday party. OUT wanted to know more….

l Pau ill w on e at r v e i l y” H tas ing r n a a ppe le F mber, e be a airyta Dec F T “ 5 1 UN y QP H a C N ’s rd M MA Team atu f S o sy on ge rte illa u V ew o c e e” N t th l a a y. nev art and r P a “C Eve s ’ r Yea Mag 4

OUT: Tell us a secret…. PH: I’m getting married to my boy here in South Africa on the 20th December!

Julia Stone, David Bowie, Gossip, Crazy P, Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Kate Bush, Grace Jones, Roisin Murphy... you get the picture!

OUT: What is the first record you ever bought? PH: I could tell you the first two as I bought them together... Whitney Houston “So Emotional” and Five Star “I Can’t Wait Another Minute”. It’s all about the 80s!!!

OUT: Do you sing in the shower? PH: Totally... all of the above! Even though I can’t sing for shit! I have a theory that most DJs are frustrated singers. I have such an intense passion for music yet an inability to produce it from my own mouth! So the next best thing is remixing artists I love and incorporating their work into my sets!

OUT: Describe the style of music you play? PH: Eclectic! I play a range of different genres within dance music from deep house through to tech house, tribal & techno as for me at the end of the day, good shit’s good shit in ‘it, bru! OUT: What’s the hottest track in your DJ box this summer? PH: I would probably have to say Argy’s-“Love & Dance”. It’s so on my tip. That or Julio Bashmore’s- “Au Seve”, totally an anthem for me! OUT: What is your favourite track guaranteed to get everyone on the floor? PH: Tiga- “The Picture”. I’m a massive Prince fan so I just fucking love this track! OUT: Which is your favourite club or party to play at? PH: I adore playing at The Week in Sao Paulo. It is one of the most fantastic venues and the energy of the crowd is unreal! My other favourite is La Demence in Brussels. It’s consistently brilliant and just celebrated its 23rd anniversary! OUT: What’s your best gig ever? PH: That really is a tough one... I always enjoy myself! But playing Sydney Harbour Party in the open air as the sun set with the Opera House and Sydney skyline as a backdrop for two years in a row was pretty fucking epic! My first gig on the Terrace at Space Ibiza felt pretty special too. Oh and playing as the sun rose over Ibiza old town on the top deck of the La Demence cruise this summer! OUT: What are your thoughts on playing at Africa’s biggest queer party? PH: So excited! Got the outfits planned already! Any excuse to get dressed up and I’m there. My boyfriend has filled me in on what a fantastic event it is so I really can’t wait! I actually just played at the Wig Party in London to raise money for the Elton John Aids Foundation. It’s London’s only big dress up event, and I had such a great night, so it has made me even more excited about MCQP in December! OUT: What music do you listen to at home? PH: When I’m not prepping for work or partying it’s pretty super chilled and again eclectic! Bat for Lashes, Angus and

OUT: Who or what inspires you? PH: Individuality. I love people with the balls to make their own path in the world! I’ve always loved that quote “In a world full of caterpillars it takes balls to be a butterfly!” OUT: What’s your best quality? PH: My cock... kidding! I think my best quality is my open mindedness. It has taken me to places and given me experiences I would never have had in my life had I been worried about conformity! OUT: Madge or Gaga? PH: Die Antwoord!!! To be honest I’m not fanatical about either... I haven’t really liked a Madonna song since the “Ray of Light” album... she had some genius hits before that though... Gaga I think is super talented when sat behind a piano banging out an incredible ballad like “Speechless”, but I’m not really a fan of her pop tripe. I would be intrigued to hear her do a really serious album. OUT: What do you do to relax? PH: Have a wank... he he he! To be honest, catch up with friends, go the cinema (I’m obsessed with cinematography), hang with my boy, take pictures (I’m obsessed with photography too!) OUT: It’s been a while since you were last in SA. Any special tricks in your bag for your South African fans? PH: I think my sound has progressed a lot since the last time I was here. Personally I think it’s a lot deeper and sexier! OUT: Once the party’s over, what are you planning to do when in Cape Town? PH: I’m planning to head up to Plett to meet my future in-laws and am literally getting married to the most amazing person I’ve met in my life! I’m staying in SA for just over a month so will be here playing for New Year’s Eve and also celebrating my birthday here with my man before heading off to work in Australia. Mag 5

THE BUZZ T E LEATHER IS MAGIC....!

he 3rd Mr SA Leather Man will be chosen on Saturday 8th December in a testosterone filled event in Cape Town’s Beaulah Bar. The theme of this year’s Mr. SA Leather Contest, “Leather is Magic” says it all: getting into leather is simply magic! A dozen hot leather men from all over the country will be strutting their stuff, firstly in just boots and jockstraps, and then in full leather gear, to compete for the coveted title and for the chance to compete at the International Mr Leather Contest in Chicago in May 2013. Judges for the event will include Mr. SA Leather 2009/10 Jaco Lourens, the current title holder Gerrie Vorster and international judge Cowboi Jen Victor. (See interview on page 20). The Leather Community Award will also be presented on the night to the person who has done the most for the leather community in the last year. For more information please visit: www.sal.qw.co.za or follow South African Leathermen - Cape Town Chapter on Facebook.

FOREVER & EVER FABULOUS

veryone’s favourite Mr Gay South Africa, the hunky and popular Lance Weyer will be handing over his crown to one of 14 contestants from all corners of the land (including a set of twins), on Saturday 8th December at a glittering Grand Finale event to be held at the Atterbury Theatre in Pretoria. The winner will represent South Africa at the Mr. Gay World Contest in Antwerp, Belgium in August 2013. Mag 6

verybody knows that Beefcakes have the Best Buns in Town, as well as some of the hottest barmen and waiters in the land. Now you can take your favourite Beefie home or give him to a friend, in the form of the much anticipated 2013 Beefcakes Calendar. Beautifully photographed by Reno Horn, these boys look good enough to eat! This glossy calendar makes a great gift to the man who thinks he has it all, and is available at Beefcakes in both Green Point and Illovo for only R145.

KYLIE - THE ABBEY SESSIONS

he big camp Greek man in a kaftan and the high voice is coming back to South Africa in December for only three performances. Demis Roussos first came to the fore as lead singer of the Greek Psychedelic rock band Aphrodite’s Child from 1968 to 1972, with Vangelis of Chariots of Fire fame. His distinctive operatic vocal style helped propel the band to international notoriety. His first hit as a solo artist was Forever and Ever in 1973, ensuring his popularity internationally as one of Greece’s biggest pop stars, having sold more than 40 million albums during his career. He will be performing at Carnival City in Gauteng on 8 & 9 December. For those queens not going to MCQP, catch Demis at the Liqui-Fruit Amphitheatre in Paarl on 15 December. Book at Computicket

MR GAY SOUTH AFRICA

BEEF TAKEAWAYS

rust Pop Princess Kylie Minogue to come up with something fresh in her Silver Jubilee year. The Aussie pop icon spent some time this year in the iconic Abbey Road Studio in London with a full orchestra in tow, and has come out with an album of stripped-down re-workings of some of her classics. The Abbey Road Sessions takes some of Kylie’s busy, chrome-plated disco hits and radically reinterprets them as smouldering torch songs. Fifteen familiar songs (as well as the previously unreleased single Flower) are stripped of their giddiness and sculpts them into grown-up love songs. Kylie sounds like a fortysomething woman who has encountered a few slings and arrows along the way. In Slow, one of the album’s highlights, the song becomes a gospel/ blues number, with Kylie transported by lust as she anticipates putting “my best dress on”. This version of On a Night Like This, the teenage-crush fervour of the original is transformed into a cool, big-band seduction. This album is an imaginative addition to the Minogue catalogue which you will find hard to get out of your head.

SUGAR MAN - THE SUPERSTAR WHO NEVER WAS

n 1969, Mexican-American singersongwriter Rodriguez recorded Cold Fact, an album dear to the hearts of a couple of generations of South African students. The album bombed in the States and Rodriguez seemingly disappeared into obscurity. Banned by the Apartheid government, somehow a bootleg recording found its way into South Africa and became the soundtrack to a resistance movement of liberal South African youth. Back in Detroit, Rodriguez was oblivious that he was not just a folk hero but a household

Sexy Bar man!

W hat a show

o HO s e b t to The spo

name on another continent. Eventually, two South African fans then set out to find out what really happened to their hero, and their investigation led them to a story more extraordinary than any of the many myths they’d heard. Their story forms the basis of the documentary Searching for Sugarman which was a big hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. 40 years on Rodriguez has finally been recognised as a great talent and South African fans will get a chance to see him live when he performs at Carnival City in Johannesburg on Friday 15th February 2013, and on Wednesday 20th February at the Grand Arena, GrandWest Cape Town.

FROM MIAMI TO IBIZA...

nd from Stockholm to South Africa the world has been going mad for the Swedish electronic dance music outfit Swedish House Mafia. The trio taking the world by storm with their hits such as One and From Miami to Ibiza, consists of three house DJs and producers, Axwell, Steve Angello, and Sebastian Ingrosso. Like Kylie & Gaga they have tacked South Africa at the end of their One Last Tour with an unrivalled feast of sound and imagery. Don’t miss the sexiest Swedes since Abba when they appear at Wild Waters, Boksburg on Friday 25 Jan 2013 5:00 pm, and at Lourensford Wine Estate in Somerset West Somerset West on Sunday 27 January 2013 at 1:00 pm

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www.beefcakes.co.za Bookings Encouraged

SOCIAL NETWORKING FOR THE MODERN MAN by Tim Owen

“Why are you getting emails from SinglesAroundMe?” Oops. Did I maybe forget to tell him that I am writing a piece on gay dating apps for the Blackberry smartphone? It was 6am on the morning after our 9th anniversary and my phone alarm was squawking, which was when Dean picked it up to kill it. Not the best timing. Ironically, it was the onset of said anniversary, along with a dinner party the weekend before, which got me musing on the subject. I really don’t understand why, but most people are shocked, sometimes horrified, depending on their tendency to judge, to learn that Dean and I met online on a trusty old site called Gaydar. Often the incredulity comes with an expression you might make if you stumbled across Hugh Hefner planting his flag in Roseanne Barr. In your bed. A not uncommon response is that there are so many psychos and freaks out there, how do you know you’re not chatting to one them? Well that makes about as much sense as a porcupine with a lilo; if anything is going to sway this argument in my favour that is it; so what, you’d rather meet your psycho freak in the flesh in some dingy bar somewhere? I’m not knocking meeting people in a dingy bar; I’m just saying it’s irrational to be scared of online dating when you are far more likely to end up in Jiffy bags in someone’s freezer by actually being within their grasp. The advantage (I can only think of one) of dingy bar dating is that guys can’t Photoshop their actual faces, unless they’ve been to Dr. Ryan for some cut and paste. If that’s the case it doesn’t really matter if you meet online or in person because his face probably only has one expression anyway. If the bar is dingy enough, even this advantage disappears as just about anybody will be attractive in dim light after you’ve had enough drinks. If you’re sitting on your own couch searching for a mate online, your judgement is probably not going to be impaired by alcohol, and if it is, I hear AA meetings are also a good place to meet people. Mag 8

Online dating has many advantages without any of the disadvantages. You can get a really good feel for somebody just by looking at his profile because along with his picture, which admittedly you don’t know for sure is him, he should also have written something about himself in the blurb box. Or maybe he chose not to say anything about himself because he is keeping his options open rather than publicising the fact that he is horny and then finding out you are ugly and having to make excuses. I think a mistake a lot of people make is that they read the wrong information; they are naive enough to read the actual words and use them to judge the character. No wonder nothing ever makes sense. You need to read what the guy is not telling you, or what his words might mean, kinda like the tedious hours you spent in high school trying to figure out what William Shakespeare was really going off about. How would you interpret his words when matched with his picture? Are they in sync? I saw a profile with a blurb that read happy, funny, easy-go-lucky guy with a photo that looked like Charles Manson’s yearbook picture.

Online dating has many advantages without any of the disadvantages. I have been playing with four different apps, Grindr, GaysAroundMe, Badoo and GayPin, which all have different levels of decorum. They range from GayPin on the one side where your profile pic can be absolutely anything you might shake at a urinal, to Grindr where each profile is scrutinized before making it public, ensuring that you don’t have pictures of your willy and haven’t used words like cock or fuck in your blurb. Looking for NSA fun now seems to be acceptable though. Regardless of the app, the people using them can loosely be classified into four groups. The biggest group is The Straight-ups – literally. These guys are looking for one thing, and they are looking for it now. Their profile heading might say “in town

till Friday” which doesn’t necessarily mean he is leaving town on Friday, but is just to communicate the fact that he has no interest in meeting your mother. Or your boyfriend. The equivalent phrase in Shakespearian might go something like Hark! Be privy to my beauty by the hand of love, for Friday hence shall we consummate no more. Except for the coded heading, this group never minces their words, and you always know exactly where you stand with them. Their blurb is usually short, as if it was typed quickly in-between letting one batch of guys out the back door before letting the next batch in the front, like “NSA fun now”. They seldom have a picture of their faces as a pretty face doesn’t seem to be a requirement of casual hook-ups, but most likely a photo of their torso or, and I find this a little odd, a leg. Legs are extremely popular subjects for profile pictures. On the more liberal apps the camera may have wandered somewhere in the area between these two items. Another group is The Anomalies. These are the ones whose blurb doesn’t make sense in relation to their photos, the most common of which is a picture of a tight torso with glistening pecs and a description that says looking for friends. I’ve been openly gay for over a decade now and I have never selected my friends based on the size or shininess of their pecs. One variation on this that I enjoyed said Looking for friends. Oh, and some NSA. Another profile acknowledged this group with the blurb If you’re looking for friends then go put on a T-shirt. Then there’s The Hopefuls, my favourite bunch. They are the die-hard romantics who still believe in love, and are not embarrassed about where they look for it, whether it be on Grindr, or at the till in Ackermans (like I said, they are not easily embarrassed). These usually have a (young) smiling face pic, and a blurb that says things like I like strings attached. The last clearly defined group is The Disenchanteds. Their pictures vary from face to torso to a pic of the ocean, and while their heading might be something

There are various combinations of these groups, and of course nothing is black and white; there are far more than 50 shades of gay. A profile that possibly overlaps The Hopefuls and The Disenchanteds is the one that said I’m a good catch, so just 2 things…. don’t be creepy, and please have a photo. Self-promotion is a very popular pastime on all of these apps, people acclaiming their own physical attributes or prowess as lovers, which is why I particularly enjoyed the one that read Shouldn’t somebody else say you are sexy? I am fascinated by the number of profiles that have legs and torsos and sunsets and kittens and wonder whether the guys in them are nervous about being recognized by their wives, are visually abrasive, or are just embarrassed to be seen by anybody they know using these apps. Like the one that said We met at Woolies, okay? There is one last group, consisting of a single member that I am aware of; the guy running all these apps so he can gather enough material to throw together this article. And the main thing I learned for sure is that hardly anybody believes that these programs can actually be used for anything other than finding a shag. The profile I created stated that I am madly in love and am interested only in making new friends, which was met with numerous derisive responses. But the reality is that those responses say everything about the people who wrote them and nothing about me. You see, there’s a reason that The Hopefuls are my favourite bunch. Tim Owen is the author of Aaron Bradley: Closet Detective and The Killing Cycle. Both novels can be bought on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk

10 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MANILA VON TEEZ

verybody is talking about this pintsized, over-the-top Drag Queen with the BIG hair and bigger attitude who has taken the Mother City by storm in 2012 with her fabulous costumes and rocket-fuelled performances. Dubbed as Cape Town’s Nikki Minaj, Manila von Teez is poised for lift off! Starships were meant to fly.

1. Manila was born and raised in Elsie’s River, the youngest of five children raised by a single mother. 2.Veon Wentzel, her alter ego, is the designer behind the Haus of Vjorn that specialises in custom made outfits. He won the EVH Pink Award for “Designer of the Year” in 2012. 3. She cannot live without a wide range of skin care products, especially with the huge amounts of makeup that she uses. At the same time, she loves make up, and often indulges in more items for her kit. 4. Every year the Haus of Vjorn sponsors over 15 evening gowns for the Mr and Miss Matric Supermodel event in Stellenbosch, hosted by Enigma von Hamburg, as part of the label’s Corporate Social Investment programme. 5. Since embarking on the Pageant scene in 2010, Manila was crowned 1st Princess at MGWC 2011, and this year alone has won Miss Gay Cape Peninsula 2012, Stargayzers Miss Spring Queen and most recently Miss Black Pride 2012 in Jozi. 6. Manila is much in demand as a drag performer, appearing regularly in and around the Gay Village, notably Cape Town Pride 2012 and at the 2012 Daily Voice Pageant where she opened the show. 7. Her role model is the late Alexander McQueen whose designs were visionary. Manila aspires to be as exciting and as ahead of time. 8. Secretly she wants to get into Nikki Minaj’s wig collection and “procure” most of her wigs. Nikki is such a drag queen and Manila would love to meet her one day. 9. As a fanatical Ru Paul Drag Race follower, she can recite most of the dialogue word for word, and cannot wait for the next series. She spends hour’s Googling what is happening in upcoming episodes. 10. Manila hopes to marry Adam Lambert someday as she’s a huge fan.

ashley craig brandt photography

bright like Hi there! their blurbs are notably without hope or enthusiasm. How about this one: Don’t expect any fun, I would rather be celibate than sleep with anybody on Grindr! Um, well, okay, what is that, some sort of reverse psychology thing? And I really have to wonder what lead to the blurb I am NOT a human ATM! Odd, considering these dating apps are geared at helping users find people to put things into, not take things out of.

For bookings and appearances, please contact Barry on 082 852 4600 or barry@missgay.co.za Mag 39

HOW SUMMER GOT YOUR GROOVE BACK Keeping in shape with Jarred Plu’g

ne blink of the eyes, a quick tummy scratch and I feel it begin to sink in. This calendar is not lying, it’s already December and summer is starting to make its way on to the scene. The wait has been too long, summer has been teasing me more this year than I’ve ever experienced, but it is here and so follows long beach days and beautiful sunsets. Bronze me oh mighty bronzer!

and move us forward, if only you let it. Use this time of year as your opportunity to get it together, whatever that means for you. For me the best place to start is always with one’s own physical health. Taking ownership of your body’s health and performance is hands down one the most empowering things you can do for yourself. Stop listening to the lies of “it’s too late”. It never is.

Just as I start planning my next few months of “I live in a postcard” bliss, something stops me and I begin to realise this may not come as exciting news for some. It has been a long year, full of speed bumps and it’s still not quite over. This may have been a tough year, the toughest one yet. You may have taken a hit financially, missed out on opportunities you were certain of. You may have lost some one dear to you without any control of the situation. You may have had people come up against you for no reason or possibly even have made mistakes yourself and now sit with the regret of not being able to change things back to “how they were.” One thing I’ve learnt this year is to appreciate the value of life. I’ve met and lost some incredible people over the last year. Living a healthy balanced life has never meant so much to me as it does today. By this I mean, healthy relationships, healthy goals and dreams, healthy work ethics, healthy minds and healthy bodies. When we lose balance by allowing one event to saturate our minds or allow one part of our lives to dominate our time, we lose our heart for life and essentially we lose our health. For those who have had an incredible year and don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, keep reading because this will find relevance in your life at some stage as life works in seasons. For those that “feel me” I want to say, this is your season! There is something so powerfully motivating about summer time. There is a strange energy waiting to pick us up Mag 10

Set your goals today and keep them in front of you every day until you reach them. Goals of how you want to look and feel, how you want to spend your summer, and who you want to spend it with. Remember YOUR LIFE is the most important priority so make sure creating time for yourself becomes an undeniable priority because no one can replace your time being stolen from you. Find friends or associates that are going to help you to commit to these goals. The most simple and effective advice I can give in terms of instructions to physical results is this. Wake up early and exercise before your day starts (your choice of exercise). This goes for the first timer who might just start walking 30 plus min every morning to the already in shape person trying to get the final cut. What it does is kick start your metabolism for the day, and also kicks you into routine for a day of disciplined eating that will further your metabolism boost which is key to fat loss and feeling energised. It’ll get you into such a good and positive headspace (always) and chances are you’ll feel so good by the end of the day that you may consider a second training session. Nothing wrong with that!

The days are long with beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Use these times on either side of your day to change your body and your mind! You need to exercise! You don’t need a gym. If you go to one that’s great, but as Capetonians we are so spoilt for choice as to what we can do outdoors: Run, hike, surf, paddle, swim, cycle. Do something, and try to do it daily. Our bodies need some form of daily exercise and reflection time. So have you started looking for those running shoes yet?

Eating is so easy this time of year as we are more inclined to drinking more water and eating more water retaining foods i.e. fruit and veggies. Go with this! Keep it simple and keep it clean. Stay away from the quick fix foods, the sugar and salt. It takes about 21 days to break habits so you might as well start right now. Get these simple things right and this will undoubtedly be your best summer yet. I for one aim to spend most of my time in a pair of board shorts and sunnies getting tropical. I hope you’ll be planning to do the same. Time for summer lovin’! Jarred is the owner of Body Corporate Health. For more in depth information on routines and training please contact him on 0835410359 or jarredplug@ gmail.com. Find him on Facebook.

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Mag 11

SANDY BAY

EXPOSED By John French

Cape Town’s renowned Sandy Bay beach has been voted a top gay nude beach by GayCities. No, this does NOT mean that only ‘TOPS’ can go there. It proudly announces that GayCities has rated Sandy Bay as number eight in its list of ‘The 10 Best Nude Gay Beaches in the World’!

andy Bay certainly gets my vote. I have been a regular pilgrim for the last 10 years. Relaxing on that idyllic beach and rocks is one of my non-negotiables during the summer months. My time there, relaxing in nature, dissolves my weekly stresses and allows me to get away from the pressures of humankind. For naturists, Sandy Bay offers it all. The closest nature reserve to Cape Town, the Karbonkelberg Nature Reserve, incorporating Sandy Bay, is a mere 15 minutes’ drive from the city centre. Once you are there, nature encompasses you in 360 degree glorious abundance. Only a few luxury homes on the hilltop hint at any trace of civilisation. You don’t see any cement, steel, wires or billboards. This is a protected paradise, a serene sea sanctuary where walkers, hikers, naturists, and tourists come to shed their urban footprint and revel in nature. The beach, situated along the road between Cape Town and Cape Point, and neighbouring luxurious Llandudno, is our legendary South African nudist beach, and it has always been particularly popular among gay men - especially on the far side of the beach. It is also the only beach in South Africa where it is (unofficially) considered acceptable to tan and bathe completely naked. “Sandy Bay is an unofficial nudist beach, though its relative inaccessibility means it’s unlikely you’ll be molested (unless you want to be),” quips GayCities. Wikipedia summarises the seascape well: “Sandy Bay lies on one of the last remaining stretches of untouched natural coastline on the Cape coast. It is one of the Cape Peninsula’s most inaccessible beaches and as such is well known as an unofficial nudist beach. There is no direct vehicle access to Sandy Bay and this prevents passers-by invading people’s Mag 12

privacy. A good 15 minutes’ walk from the nearest car park and not easy to reach, Sandy Bay is backed by steep dunes and bushy slopes, and there are rocky outcrops jutting into the sea. Above and surrounding the beach are high mountains, which protect the area from most wind directions. The beach can also be reached from the Hout Bay dunes. It is a quiet and tranquil setting that allows people to escape the crowds that might be found on other beaches. Apart from its attraction to naturists, the area’s unspoilt beauty has made it popular with hikers and conservationists. If sea swells are large there is a great beach break for surfing and body boarding.” Sandy Bay is definitely the place that taught me how to relax. When I arrived in the Cape from Johannesburg 10 years ago, like so many ‘binnelanders’, I did not know how to relax. Through the peaceful, uncluttered and serene environment of Sandy Bay, I gradually over the years relinquished my Saturday papers, my i-pod, my books, and notepads. For the last 6 or so years, it has been just me and the sea. Sandy Bay is where I connect with nature, my soul and my world. It has taught me the art of just ‘being’: being one with nature, releasing my ego and the trappings of man. It is where my soul found its home, my heart found its hearth and where I feel most happy and free. But this idyllic seaside paradise is also a divine paradox. Like in Eden of old, one also has to watch out for snakes in “the garden”. The bay abounds in lengthy leviathans and vicious vipers, and not just the entertaining variety! Three years ago, when I was walking along the rocks on the far side of the beach, I was bitten by a snake. I think it must have been the best hysterical queen impersonation that I have ever done. I am sure my gilling still resounds in the surrounding mountains! Once I had detached the venomous viper from my foot, I suddenly had visions of my naked corpse appearing in the gutter press like Die Son and The Voice and with my arse in the air and the accompanying headline reading ‘Moffie steeked at Sandy Bay’. Before you could say ‘Rescue 911’, I had whipped my speedo back on and was sucking poison out of my toe with all the adroitness of a rent boy from Harlem. To cut a ‘slang’ story short, I ended up in the Gardens Medi-Clinic for the night, traumatised by my ordeal and unable to go to The Gat Party that evening. My Paradise, the place where I felt more relaxed and safe than anywhere else, was now a place of fear and intimidation. Jokes aside, there hasn’t been a major fire on the mountain in years, so the snake population has exploded. Cape Cobras and puff adders are the ones to avoid. The other ‘snakes’ you might meet there are definitely far more charming. Sandy Bay is undoubtedly a popular cruising spot. Most of the cruising takes place at the far side of the beach, on the rocks close

to the parking, or in the bushes behind the main beach. Like with most scenarios in Cape Town: it’s there if you want it. I interviewed a few diverse people to obtain their insights on this fascinating bay. Acclaimed South African actress, Diane Wilson, informed me: “We have been enjoying the beauty of Sandy Bay for the past 32 years. Like all positive experiences, there are also negative elements. The place has been known to attract sexuallyrepressed weirdoes and even criminals. Lately, we wouldn’t dream of going there without our 2 aggressive Rottweilers. My husband and I have blissful memories of summer days with the family: our sons diving off the high rocks and swimming in the sweet smelling sea. We often see seals and a variety of sea birds and loving being so close to unspoilt nature.” Another expert on the area is my friend Louis who I met at Sandy Bay a decade ago. Louis has been basking at Sandy Bay since 1974. He started going there at the tender age of 19! He of the golden tan and Greek God body, Louis deserves honorary sun tanner status. He is constant as a statue, posing up on his rock looking adoringly up towards the sun, year after year. Louis regales: “I cannot live without the sea and Sandy Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in SA (maybe even the world). I can go there and just be myself, to meet friends or just take a long walk along the rocks if I want to be on my own. I can sit on a rock for hours and just watch the sea (it makes me calm and allows me to unwind after a crazy week. I have met so many interesting people there, some of whom have become very close friends.”

Louis chuckled and also recalled: “I also remember the Sunday afternoon when a yacht got stranded on the beach and we all helped to push it back into the water. The following day, The Argus newspaper had a photograph of the yacht and a lot of bare bottoms on the front page!”

HANDY SANDY BAY TIPS:

I asked Louis if the atmosphere had changed over the years, and he mentioned: “The crowd going there has changed – you see very little of the regulars that used to be there every weekend (a lot of them are sadly not with us anymore). The atmosphere has not changed though – it is still a place where you can just be yourself and relax soaking up the sun.”

•

There are no shops and no public toilets. Take what you need for both sides.

•

Crime has been reported, so it’s a good idea to go at peak times and in a group

•

Hats/ caps, high factor suntan oil and lots of water to drink are essential.

“We had many police raids in the late 70’s and 80’s under the old Apartheid regime. I remember a group of us being marched up the path to our cars; escorted to the Hout Bay Police Station and getting fined R10 for public indecency! When the Police arrived, the news spread like wildfire and everybody on the beach got dressed very quickly. When the police arrived, people would always run into the (very cold) water and stay there until the police had left. Bizarrely back then, it was legal to be naked in the water but not on land! People would also go along the rocks with towels and sarongs to assist beach-goers who have gone for a walk to cover up on their return.”

•

Hiking shoes if you want to hike or protect your feet against snake bites.

•

Picnic gear is great.

•

Bring a bag to store and take away your garbage as there are no rubbish bins.

•

Dogs are allowed.

•

Call SOS if you get lost or injured: +27 (0)86 110 6417.

PINK PATROL

or those concerned about the increasing harassment by beggars, pimps, and pushers in Cape Town’s Pink Strip, or worried by reports of muggings on a community that is seen as a soft target, the good news is that gay businesses in the area have been in regular meetings with SAPS, Metro Police, the Green Point Civic Improvement District (GPCID), the local city councilor and other stakeholders in an attempt to find a solution. The bad news is

that the police are already stretched to breaking point, and that no additional Governmental Policing seems possible at present. Alternative measures need to be implemented by the GPCID in conjunction with the businesses and private security operations. One of the suggested measures is for increased lighting and dog-handling security staff, partly paid for by the businesses in the area. Another is to deploy the ‘taxi abuse unit’. On the cards is a proactive ‘Report Any Crime’ campaign via posters and leaflets to educate the community. If one looks at the crime statistics for Green Point, it does not look so bad at first glance. But lots of people are

too afraid or embarrassed to report some crimes especially if they involve sex or drug deals gone bad. And the increasingly aggressive approaches by drug dealers and rent boys make people feel unsafe and uncomfortable, especially when they often will not take no for an answer. One hopes for a safer gay village in the near future, however the community must also be vigilant and aware.

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THE 3 WEIRD SISTERS OF THE GAYEST BUS TOUR by Odidi Mfenyana

A Satirical Analysis of Drag Dementia

over the next 10 days. With her there was never much quiet. But this is rich from the LOUD & LIVE Odidiva who would make a song and dance out of any arrival at a new town or city, including singing and dancing along to almost all the music video DVD’s, even when she clearly know the words. Odidiva had found the perfect sidekick and minion in Thabo “Adonis” Gaobuse, who would be renamed “Nik-Nak”, because he is a ballroom dancer turned fierce urban dancer who specialised in “Wacking”. But by the end of the tour we all wanted to “Nik-Nak Paddy Wack” her. The boy went from demure ingénue to Prima Ballerina Diva almost overnight. I guess that’s what happens when ODIDIVA becomes your House Mother.

ake three Drag Queens, a Dancing Twink, two Pekingese Mutts, one Lesbian (German) Videographer, one Narcissistic (German) Porn Star Angel, one Fashionista Radio Presenter, a typical Jo’burg Dainfern Beefcake, two Flag Boys, a Badly Drawn (Beeno Style) Accountant, one Flapping Congolese “Refugee” and the “Straight” photographer. Put them on a bus christened The Adventures of Primrose, Queen of the Karoo crossing the county for ten days and you could have a recipe for Disaster, Dementia, Deviancy, Determination and Domination (take that anyway you please). Lola Fine “The Most Photographed Drag Queen in Africa” never shuts up. Verbal diarrhoea doesn’t quite encapsulate the river of put downs, snide remarks, witty quips and plain drivel that flows out her mouth on a constant basis. The very same bitch brought a goblet to drink the sponsored official drink of the Gayest Bus Tour, almost singularly wiping out the entire stock

Genevieve Le Coq was constantly hard at work doing “something important”. As official Tour Manager and Gay Flag Ambassador, she was either stuck in a serious indaba with The Flag Boys, counting her countless shoes, drinking that Jimmy Jagger while talking “twak” with Leon (Jonny Bravo) Erasmus, talking interviews with Justin (I have a Stalker Fashionista), attempting to play Lady Gaga and not succeeding, or talking “drag drivel” with Miss Fine. Poor Coq all over the place! The three drag queens on the bus had assumed the roles made famous in The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, the seminal camp road movie of all time. Miss Fine, the Grande Dame who has performed with The Follies, the infamous and trailblazing Capetonian Drag Troupe of the late 80’s and 90’s, was Bernadette. ODIDIVA was Felicia, a genre busting Drag Artiste that soeks for trouble and always finds it, but kills it with FAGulosity. Genevieve Le Coq, the OTT if not ADD Diva always in the thick of any mess, trying to find a solution while getting a leg over as the conclusion, was Mitzi del Bra. The clever bitch who started off as Gay Flag of SA Ambassador, Tour Manager, Event Organiser and Stage Manager was ultimately defeated by the demanding schedule of appearances, blogging, tweeting, interviews and performances.

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If Shakespeare were to reimagine Macbeth’s three Weird Sisters for today’s audience the dialogue would be typically this catty: Odidiva to Genevieve Le Coq on seeing her Chanel inspired suit for an interview with Ofm, while standing line at the local KFC (Bloemfontein): “ Aaah, shame sana, that’s so Coco Chanel”. Lola Fine: “That polyester thing! She got it from the Salvation Army”. On another occasion Lola Fine is found bitching with a bottle of JimmyJagga. Miss Lola Fine: “My dear, those Mildred Queens must have taken my tits, I’ve lost my tits!” Odidiva: “That’s what you get for getting off your tits!” Let me just say full props to our Gorgeous Angel of the Spirit of the Gay Flag of South Africa, Ivo Leo, who kept his wings on for the duration of the Soweto Pride Pilgrimage. Miss Fine and Madame Le Coq lasted one kilometre before the heels came off. These two poofs even had the paramedics treat their feet for exhaustion in the end. ODIDIVA, “silly cow” to quote Lola

Fine, had taken several anti-inflammatory tablets prior leaving the bus and lasted until they wore off, four kilometres into the march. The result was a dislocated left toe thanks to the fagulously glittering red platform pumps made in China, bought in Durban, clearly FONG KONGS called Lady KAKA’s! The work schedule was relentless: we had to tweet, blog, Facebook, bbm, drag from dawn to dusk while constantly under the watchful eyes of our very own paparazzo in the form of the deliciously Hippy Chic Damian Schumann, our official photographer and only heterosexual on the bus. The only pussy on the bus tour was our token lesbian, the beautiful Karina Garosa. Typically lesbian, she was always on the lookout for vajay-jay instead of focusing on the Drag Divas! And being lesbian

and not the hot straight guy with curly hair, bright green eyes, in shorts that teased at revealing that he never wore underwear, Karina was constantly ignored. Henry “Pashasha” Bantjez and Eugene “Huge” Brockman are the creators of the Gay Flag of South Africa. These two beautiful men are so passionate about South African LGBTI that they must be certifiably NUTS to have put together the Gayest Bus Tour. And of course the two of them could not leave their “children” behind and travelled with their two toy Pekinese dogs who are suitably genteel and fashionably fagulous to carry and pose with. My favourite thing was that one of them absolutely couldn’t stand Genevieve Le Coq and would snap and growl whenever the Screaming Queen flapped or even pranced in its direction. Henry and Huge were the parents of the bus trip. Henry would be first to lose his temper, lose interest or just get plain gatvol. Huge, on the other hand, would go to the n-th degree to ensure

all were happy and in consensus: easy to do when one is constantly in the smallest vests and shorts over bulging muscles. The pair of them kept the ship sailing in the right direction, ensuring the message of unity in diversity, acceptance, tolerance and social advocacy remained firmly in the forefront. And let me just say that there were many moments when this ship was ready to sail over the edge of glory with the each one of the Three Weird Sisters ready to veer off in another direction. For a full account of the journey please read Odidiva and the Mother City: http://odidivaandthemothercity.blogspot. com/2012/10/the-truth-about-gayest-bus-tour-gay.html The GFSA Bus was kindly sponsored by Budget

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www.budget.co.za Mag 15

GO CRANK YOURSELF

History has a weird way of repeating itself. When Mr Ford rolled out the very first mass produced car it was fitted with a hand crank that sparked the engine into life and gave the cranker quite a workout. 104 years later Kranking is back as the ultimate upper body workout, this time without the car. by Gary Hopkins

So what is Kranking? - Imagine spinning turned on its head – literally. So instead of pedalling with your feet, you use your hands. Depending on which direction you Krank and your body position, you work either the front muscles like pecs, biceps, traps and abs or the triceps, lats and other back muscles. In a single Kranking session you can burn up to 1 000 calories. Mr Kranking Aubrey Preston first saw Kranking at an international convention. As the runner up Aerobics World Champion 1995/6 as well as the winner of 2007 Mr & Mrs Fitness Hollywood Body Building Novis category, he immediately spotted the potential and opened South Africa’s first Kranking Studio in the Waterfront. He admits it was love at first sight but he and his partner Romano are now complete converts as they have seen their own bodies transform over a very short time. The studio offers classes combined with spinning in the morning, lunch time, after work and is also open on Saturdays. On the November 24th the Kranking team took part in a 24 hour Guinness Book of Records marathon to raise funds for guide dogs for the blind. OUT magazine was invited to take Kranking for a spin, if you’ll excuse the pun. Within minutes my chest and back felt as if they were on fire but as the sweat began to flow I knew the bug had bitten. We’re offering one lucky reader 10 free Kranking sessions including a pre and post assessment. Watch the OUT Africa Magazine Facebook page for more details. Kranking Fitness Studio, Terrace Level 3, Portswood Square, V & A Waterfront, Cape Town, Telephone 082 770 7799. www.facebook.com/pages/Johnny-G-Kranking-South-Africa

Mag 16

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Mag 17

TENNESSE WILLIAMS

POET OF THE HUMAN HEART

t is hardly surprising that the works of American playwright Tennessee Williams (1911 to 1983) have inspired some of the sexiest homoerotic images of the 20th Century. The broody Marlon Brando as the roughhewn, brutish and sensual Stanley Kowalski in The Streetcar Named Desire famously comes to mind. Williams’ homosexuality was a wellspring of his art. He was unafraid of tackling taboo topics, and he was very candid about his private life at a time when, as his contemporary Gore Vidal recalls, “fag baiting was at its peak.” Tennessee Williams once said he wanted to air out all those “closets, attics and basements of human behaviour”. He exposed a darker, more violent side of society and brought the unconscious into prominence. After him there was no clear artistic distinction between normal and abnormal, no excuse for evasion. In the age of McCarthy-ite conformity, Williams was once America’s most scandalous dramatist, ‘’the one,’’ as he wryly said of himself, ‘’who writes all those dirty plays.’’ His ‘’disturbing’’ subjects have long since been assimilated into theatrical and public consciousness. His recurrent themes which embraced the secrets of lust, the range of sexual phenomena from adultery to sadomasochism, the castrations and abortions, and above all the homosexual dispositions and implications, no longer have any power to shock. But when Williams made his dangerous, irreverent appearance in the late 40s and early 50s, his work did shock the staid theatrical establishment. Tennessee Williams was one of the most important forces in 20th Century American drama and his plays A Streetcar Named Desire, The Glass Menagerie, and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof are considered among the finest of the American stage. His 25 plays combined lyrical intensity, haunting loneliness, and hypnotic violence. He suffered through a difficult and troubling childhood, with an abusive and emotionally absent father. Williams was sickly as a child, and his mother was a loving but smothering woman. The young Williams was also influenced by his older sister Rose’s emotional and mental imbalance during their childhood. Williams graduated from the University of Iowa in 1938 and moved to New Orleans. After struggling with his sexuality through his youth, he finally entered a new life as a gay man, with new home, and a promising new career. His first success as a playwright came in 1944 with The Glass Menagerie. The play transferred from Chicago to Broadway in 1945 and won the NY Critics Circle Award. This was followed by his masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire. It won Williams a second NY Critics’ Mag 18

Circle Award and a Pulitzer Prize in 1947. In 1951 the play was filmed with Vivian Leigh and Marlon Brando. Around this time, Williams met and fell in love with Frank Merlo, who was to be Williams’ romantic partner until Merlo’s untimely death in 1961. He was a steadying influence on Williams, who suffered from depression and lived in fear that he would go insane, like his sister Rose. Williams gave American theatregoers some unforgettable characters, an incredible vision of life in the South, and a series of powerful portraits of the human condition. His plays seemed preoccupied with the extremes of human brutality and sexual behaviour: madness, rape, incest, nymphomania, as well as violent and fantastic deaths. Critics who attacked the “excesses” of Williams’ work often were making thinly veiled attacked on his sexuality. Homosexuality was not discussed openly at that time, but in Williams’ plays the themes of desire and isolation reveal, among other things, the influence of having grown up gay in a homophobic world. . He was derided by critics and blacklisted by Roman Catholic Cardinal Spellman, who condemned one of his scripts as “revolting, deplorable, morally repellent, offensive to Christian standards of decency.” Some of the first movie adaptations of his plays were degayed. The Hollywood Production Code forced filmmakers to cut out the explicit references to homosexuality. That is why in the Oscar nominated Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Brick’s sexual desire for Skipper is only implied. The original play’s critique of homophobia and sexism is diminished, something Williams was unhappy about. A similar thing occurred in Suddenly Last Summer where Catherine witnesses her cousin Sebastian die under mysterious circumstances on a trip to Europe while his mother tries to cloud the truth about her son’s homosexuality and death. The sixties brought hard times for Tennessee Williams. He had become dependent on drugs, and the problem only grew worse after the death of Frank Merlo in 1961. Merlo’s death from lung cancer sent Williams into a deep depression that lasted ten years. Overwork and drug use continued to take their toll on him, and on February 23, 1983, Williams choked to death on the lid of one of his pill bottles. He left behind an impressive body of work, including plays that continue to be performed the world over. Theatre scholar Charlotte Canning, of the University of Texas at Austin where Williams’ archives are located, has said, “There is no more influential 20thcentury American playwright than Tennessee Williams. He inspired future generations of writers as diverse as Tony Kushner, David Mamet and John Waters, and his plays remain among the most produced in the world”. Tennessee Williams’ play Kingdom of Earth will be performed at Cape Town’s Artscape from 13 to 30 December 2012. See page 38.

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* See our NEW website: www.alternativetravel-events.com Visit the website for our: THAILAND TRAVEL PACKAGES – either join one of our groups in April or June – or, explore on your own! Excellent hotels at exceptional rates! BUENOS AIRES – Tango Milongas - Looking for a Tall, Dark, Handsome, Stranger? The ‘Men ONLY’ or ‘Women ONLY’ Tango Bars…… the places to be! Join us in September 2013 for this experience! CRUISE………….. Some specials still available for the MAD HATTERS CRUISE in March 2013 – a three night weekend party cruise – Friday to Monday / Portuguese Island. GREECE – a dream vacation to the famous gay beaches of this amazing destination! Visit Athens and Mykonos, then sail off in the sunset for heavenly cruise………. Single guys and girls ‘Welcome’ – we endeavour to find you a holiday partner to save on costs! Marlon Brando in his eic role as Stanley Kowalski in A Street Car Named Desire

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Cowboi Jen Victor is the International Judge at this year’s Mr SA Leather 2013 Contest, to be held at Beaulah Bar in Cape Town on 8th December. She is a proud Philadelphian who has been immersed in the Leather and kink community for over 11 years. She was the first Mid-Atlantic Leather Woman in 2009, as well as being a contestant in the 2010 International Ms Leather Contest. Cowboi Jen founded both the Liberty Gay Rodeo Association and Philadelphia Leather Pride Night, which is Pantheon of Leather Award winner for best small leather event. Other accolades include the Pantheon of Leather Presidents Award in 2010 and the prestigious Leather Archives and Museum Presidents Award this year. Cowboi Jen spends her spare time of competing on the IGRA (International Gay Rodeo Association) rodeo circuit and travels with her horse Quinn.

R O T C I V EN

J I O B W O C

LESBIAN LEATHER WARRIOR OUT: What initially drew you to leather? Jen V: When I was 18 I was living on and off the streets of Philadephia. I remember being drawn to our leather bar, The Bike Stop, and feeling like it was a place that I belonged. At 21 I became involved with the gay rodeo cirucit and over the years learned the there is very little difference between Leather and Levi. I found a way to integrate both into my life. OUT: Do people, gay and straight, misunderstand the leather scene? Jen V: Many people do not understand it or have a pre-conceived perception of what the leather scene is. That perception is changing as leather and kink are becoming more visible especially with product marketing. OUT: How can misconceptions be changed? Jen V: There is also more and more cross over between alternative communities such as Leather, Levi, Fetish, BDSM and Kink. Our region has learned that in order to succeed we need to work together and accept each other. OUT: Is leather a fetish, a fashion accessory or a lifestyle? Jen V: In my mind it is all three. I see many members of TNG (The Next Generation) wearing leather as an accessory. There are those that want to escape life and are weekend warriors that fantasize by putting on their leathers for a night on the town. Then there are those that live it 24/7 and they do not necessarily have to wear it to live it. OUT: Is leather another form of drag? When a man puts on a dress, he adopts a different persona and loses his inhibitions. Is it the same for leather queens? Jen V: For some yes…for some no. Everyone is very different. When I put on my leathers it only enhances what is already inside of me. Mag 20

OUT: What item in your closet could you not do without? Jen V: My title vest. I am very proud to have been the first MidAtlantic Leatherwoman in 2009. It is a title that I feel I earned and represented proudly. The vest I have is a one of a kind custom made vest from my friends at Northbound Leather out of Toronto Canada. The owners, Anna and George are good people down to their souls and though I am not from Toronto they adopted me over the years. My vest was made with love and I wear it with great pride. OUT: Who is your role model and why? Jen V: There is a woman by the name of Jo Arnone. She is the founder of the oldest continuous leather women’s group in the United States called the Lesbian Sex Mafia. They just celebrated their 30th Anniversary! I first met her at Leather Pride Night in New York City about 12 years ago. She has raised over one million dollars for charities that support our leather communities with her auctioneering skills. Over the years we became good friends and beyond a shadow of a doubt she is my role model and one that I hope to make proud with the way that I chose to lead my life. OUT: Which famous person, dead or alive, would you like to have dinner with? Jen V: I would give anything for an opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela while I am visiting South Africa. On July 4th 1993 I was able to see him outside Independence Hall where he was awarded the Philadelphia Freedom Medal by our then President Bill Clinton. I could not think of a man more deserving. We are bringing an event to Philadelphia in 2014 called the Leather Leadership Conference. Our theme is Faces of Freedom in

honour of the constant battle we face around the world to protect our freedoms. We are very honoured and proud that our keynote speaker from South Africa will speak in the very same city that Nelson Mandela spoke in back in 1993. OUT: Tell us something unexpected about yourself… Jen V: I am a butch leatherwoman who is afraid of motorcycles and instead am a proud owner of a scooter to ride around the city on. It’s not about the size but the convenience and I still get the same feeling of freedom that motorcyle enthusists have. OUT: Tell us more about Gay Rodeo… Jen V: I have been a competitor for the International Gay Rodeo Association (www.igra.org) since 1992. Our circuit has chapters acoss the United States and Canada that involve hundreds of competitors and tens of thousands of fans. There are 14 different events that have both men’s and women’s catagories for most. Unlike the traditional sense of rodeo, women compete in all the same events as men do. We have female bull riders, bronco riders and of course my specialty, steer wresting. The word gay may be used to describe our rodeo circuit, but it is there to describe the base orientation of competitors not the competition itself. For the first time gay rodeo will be part of the 2014 Gay Games taking place in Cleveland Ohio. To give you an idea….It Gets Better http://youtu.be/-0tFM1DZu_s OUT: How big is the Lesbian Leather Scene in the States? Jen V: There are multiple women’s groups around the United States like the Lesbian Sex Mafia, the Jersey Amazons, FIST, Women in Leather International and the Exiles to name a few. Very few of them anymore require the female members to be lesbian as we all share the common interest of leather. My paticular region does not have a specific women’s leather club or scene. I have to travel to other regions if I am looking for female specific events and gatherings. I am much more comfortable with the leather men and the leather boys and attend as many events that I can to support their communities. As a result I am one of the founders of the Philadelphia Leather Alliance, a leather patch club that is open to men and women of any sexual orientation. OUT: Would you be surprised to find out that there is no lesbian leather scene to speak of in South Africa? We could not find a single lesbian in Cape Town who would admit to being into leather, and believe me we asked. Why do you think this is? Jen V: I think this falls back to the preconceived notions that many have. As I “grew up” there were many times that I would attend something or meet someone where things just clicked…. That’s why I feel this way… now it all makes sense. OUT: How important is it for the leather community to be visible?

Jen V: I feel it’s very important in the right atmosphere. I would never suggest that someone wear their leathers to their job or family dinner. I do however encourage leather contingents in gay pride parades and such. The more we are seen the more people come to accept us, the less they are afraid of pre-conceived bigotries that create an aura of hate which makes the world a safer place for all of us. To this day we still have members of our community viciously attacked for being themselves. OUT: Is it important to get Africans contesting in IML? Jen V: I am a avid fan and supporter of the International Mr Leather contest and weekend. I think its extremely important to have Africa represented there. There are about 18,000 visitors from all over the world that attend the weekend that will continue to see the pride that the South African contingent brings with them. If you could have heard the roar of the audience the very first time a contestant from South Africa took the stage, you would have a better understanding of the impact South Africa has had on the IML weekend. South Africa deserves to be represented at IML as much so as any other city, country or continent. OUT: Are you excited about being a being a judge at this year’s Mr SA Leatherman? Jen V: I don’t think excited quite describes it! I have had the honour of knowing Jaco Lourens for several years. I had read a news article titled “Help Send a South African Leatherbear to IML” in which it introduced Jaco and talked about the new title and his becoming a constant on the international stage. I reached out to him to help with his travel fund and we became instant friends. When he asked if I would come to Cape Town to be a judge at this year’s event I was overcome with emotions. As a cancer survivor, I make it part of my mission to experience life on a spiritual level. For me to be chosen as not just the first international judge but also as the first female judge is an honour that will remain with me forever. I will be staying in South Africa for 2 weeks after the contest in which I will experience the country that my friends love so much. OUT: What would you say to those who think that a gay woman should not be judging a contest such as this? Jen V: Having a female judge gives exposure that many other contests do not get. The International Mr Leather Contest in Chicago IL, USA, always has a female judge on its panel. My presense as a judge for the 2013 Mr SA Leather contest will help the winning contestant on their journey to IML. OUT: What can the leather community teach the gay community as a whole and society at large? Jen V: I believe we can always learn from each other. One lesson all can learn is to remain committed to our communities and be there for one another and support any way we can. We just always have to remember to follow our passions and have fun while doing so. Mag 21

THE ART OF MOVING FORWARD by John Henry

THE SECRET CODE OF BAGS AND SHOES

ust as the seasons started to change in New York City at the start of September I found myself in a rather peculiar, yet fantastically fabulous spot. I just walked through the pearly gates of Lincoln Centre with a gaggle of hags and was being escorted to our seats at the Diane von Furstenberg show. Now in no way do I say this in a boasting manner, but that was my 5th show of a similar nature that week and I noticed that we were in fact heading for second row… yes bunny child, say it “pow pow boom bitches”. Sitting down and carefully adjusting my sunglasses, I looked down at my distressed leather bag with my old high school crest on the side which I carefully placed at my feet. Today’s shoe selection is a pair of dark navy Ferragamo driving shoes, which if photographed together with said bag, would warrant a profile on Facebook for themselves. With that in mind, I have named my bag Her Ladyship. The shoes remain unnamed, because in true fronting form, there were in fact borrowed from a friend who found them in a thrift shop in a part of Brooklyn I refuse to go to, but have no problem with when it comes to sharing the spoils of war. It was just a year and a half or so ago that I received an email inviting me to join a firm for a year cycle in Manhattan. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity, ran home and started looking my passport. Last I saw it; a police officer put it in a plastic bag hung Mag 22

around my neck as I was being pushed in a wheelchair onto a plane from Bangkok to Johannesburg. The events that led up to that rather memorable trip (what I gather from photos) would in no way be repeated during my rise in New York, I recall myself thinking. Little did I know a far greater mind-fuck awaited me. Having always regarded myself as a rather street savvy 20-something professional, I thought nothing of the many challenges friends said would welcome me in my Empire State of Mind. I was far too busy selecting outfits for that moment that I would step out of the yellow cab, sing “New York, New York” and then bump into Carrie Bradshaw who would invite me to lunch. The first few months were anything but… I was lucky if I got a smile from the Asian lady at Starbucks. Possibly because of the events that unfolded in Bangkok, which her family abroad may have told her about, but we shall leave those for when my memory returns. Sitting on the F train one late night en route home to my box sixed East Village abode, it all happened in true “The Devil Wears Prada” style…admittedly though whilst listening to old N’SYNC on my i-pod. Not to get side tracked, but deep down I knew that if I wanted to change the game, I should just ask N’SYNC for help. Their songs ‘Digital Getdown’ and ‘That’s When I’ll Stop Loving You’ shaped a generation. These songs are filled with

inspiring lyrics such as, “Don’t wanna be the reason for your love no more” and “Baby, baby get nasty, nasty and we can get freaky deaky”, which taught your 8 year old boys just what girls are good for and how to really love someone, alongside a vocabulary of words that would brighten up any CV. Back on point, just as Justin Timberlake dropped the “It’s gonna be me” bridge, a gaggle of fags and hags got on the subway laughing, obviously having just walked out of a glamorous party 15 minutes after arriving for something far greater on the other side of town. In that moment, the heavens opened up and fashion god Tom Ford reached down at me and pulled the veil from my eyes… They were all wearing amazing shoes and had a bag flung around their shoulder. With the halo of Tom Ford on my head, I realized that Cape Town fashion icon Aidan Dylan also rules the roost with a bag and similar shoes…so surely it must be the gospel then! The next day I dug up my old school bag in the back of my closet and spent the last few dollars I had on a pair of leather boots that would get the nod of approval from even cows in Pakistan. That evening I enlisted the help of an entourage and with nothing to lose; we walked past the line at a Bungalow 8 and had the dreaded judgement standoff with the bouncer and hostess. In those 15 seconds, you are either made or sent home. The hostess, with an i-pad in hand scans your every inch of being, fashion

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Say it bitches…Hello bunny child… pow pow boom. With a year in New York done and with a much deserved summer break in Cape Town ahead after surviving Hurricane Sandy without so much as losing one suede shoe in the process, I find myself back in the land of glamorous beach wear and pool parties. Not sure any more about how to wear boots and a leather bag in the middle of summer…I decided to just fake it till I figure it out again. In my mind, when I arrived in New York, I did get out of my yellow cab and started to sing “New York New York”, bumped into Carrie Bradshaw who invited me to lunch. Walking out of my hotel waiting for a cab to take me to lunch in Camps Bay, a minibus taxi pulls up, the familiar sound of “SEAPOINT SEAPOINT” echoes on for kilometres and in that moment the heavens opened up again… In a scratchy thick Cape Town accent the cabbie looks at me and says to the driver “jis my broer, check his shoes”. Quickly the front door of the minicab taxi is flung open and I knew… much like the second row at Diane von Furstenberg at Fashion Week, I just got the most important seat in Cape Town. Say it bitches…hello bunny child… pow pow boom! John Henry dedicates his adventures to Christopher, who remained a rock during the worst of hurricanes, Dexter who as his teacher, beautifully inspires excellence and his fellow lost boy, Dick, who together with Jack Daniels make for the best late night team.

To join in, sms the word HOOKUPS6 to 31025 now! R2/day subscription. Over 18’s only. Requires wap. Regular wap charges apply. To unsubscribe send STOP HOOKUPS to 31025. Errors billed. For support call 072 4554 123 or e-mail help@hookups.co.za. T&C hookups.co.za. © 2012 hookups.

Mag 23

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Mag 24

Mag 25

DJ LEROY TAYLER’S TOP 10 SUMMER DANCE TRACKS

ondon based South African DJ Leroy Tayler has an extraordinarily diverse range of sounds and styles in his repertoire. A keen ear for rump shaking rhythm inspired Leroy to take up DJing. After over 10 years rocking Cape Town’s best clubs Leroy moved to London, the global home of dance music, to pursue a deeper, more personal connection with his music. Leroy’s time in Europe has seen him play for Lovechild at Fire and Amsterdam, Brighton Gay Pride, Ministry of Sound and Pacha. In 2011 he toured Ibiza with Tobie Allen’s Bootleg Social label. The same year he formed Southern Kaos with Australian DJ Simon H, and they have played alongside legends such as Danny Rampling, Sasha and Pete Tong as a result. Currently Southern Kaos are working on their debut EP. Leroy’s continuous reinvention of his style and devotion to dance will keep you in the party mode this summer. 1.Snapped – Cabin Fever 2. Point of View- HNQO 3. Talk Torque - Scuba 4. This World – Juan Sanchez 5. Losing Consciousness – Ross Evana 6. Minor Affair – Roy McLaren 7. That Theme Song – Leroy Tayler 8. Feel The Day – Peter Flow 9. Stalker - Probspot 10.Everything - Rampa feat. Meggy (Mark Fancuilli Remix) Catch Leroy on the Main Dance Floor at MCCP’s Fairytale Fantasy on 15 December

BOY BUTTER SQUEEZING INTO A TIGHT AGENDA

oy Butter, a popular lubricant in the United State and elsewhere, has made a splash since entering the South African market in 2012. What makes Boy Butter revolutionary is that it is the world’s first water-based cream lubricant. Unlike other water based lube, it is blended with emulsifiers, Vitamin E and Aloe Vera extract to give it that creamy look. Boy Butter H2O is specifically designed for the pleasure of gay men as it is totally latex safe and does not cause any internal irritation. The end result is a water based personal lubricant that feels like an oil based lubricant. It does not evaporate which means that it lasts longer than traditional water based gels and thus there is no need to for constant reapplication. You can just keep on going! It is also non-staining and odourless. It can even be used as a moisturiser. Boy Butter Extreme H2O acts and feels exactly like the regular Boy Butter H2O but has an added desensitiser. It contains 7.5% Benzocaine, a topical anaesthetic, maximising endurance. It increases comfort associated with penetration and can reduce ill effects of premature ejaculation. The tag line for Boy Butter Extreme H20 is “Takes the fussy out of your bottom” and it certainly lives up to its name. For more information about the full range of Boy Butter products, please visit www.boybutter.co.za

PARTY FOR A CAUSE

ositive Heroes, the Cape Town based charity, has always looked for novel ways to raise awareness (and funds). This year they will be hosting a fun fundraising party with a difference: Inca Gods and Goddesses, aptly being held at the fantastic Peruvian venues, Keenwa Restaurant and P.I.S.C.O. Bar. Executive Director Sue Wildish says: “Living Positively is about having fun, feeling and looking good. This Mag 26

party gives us a unique opportunity to shine a light on the stigma and shame surrounding HIV. Being Capetonians, we’ll do it in style”. The Dress Code is Va-Va-Voom Glam and Gorgeous, with a touch of naughty. The best dressed Inca god and goddess will win a prize. The R150 ticket gets you a Pisco Sour Cocktail, some delicious snacks and dancing all-night dancing with Italian Stallion Tony Mariano behind the decks. Keenwa is at 50 Waterkant St in Cape

Town on the Fan Walk between Bree and Buitengracht Streets (a short stroll from the Pink Strip). So clear your calendar and make a date on Friday 21 December, from 8.00pm till late. Advance Tickets can be bought from Sue at sue@ positiveheroes.org.za or from Keenwa. Limited tickets available at the door. For more info: www.positiveheroes.org.za

Mag Mag 27 27

SCENE OUT JOBURG PRIDE

Beefcakes hunks Layla, Manila & Logan

Mr GSA

s Babylon Boy ShenFM

Mag 28

Miss Lola Fine

Finalists

EQUINOX SPRING FAIR - CT

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

n Teez

Manila vo

The Crew Team

Skinny B

itches -

Anna Torn

Foxy &

Llewelyn

a Hyman &

Nic

NELSON MANDELA BAY PRIDE

Mag 29

Photos by Bazil Deviant

BEEFCAKES JOZI LAUNCH

ndrew rant & A

Frank Malaba, Odidiva & Luiz De Laja

Eglin

Anothe

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TREVORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 50th @ THE LOUNGE

Trevor Kleinhans, inspirational speaker and author of Secrets Make You Sick celebrated in carnival style. Photos by Extreme Model Management

listair &

artin, A or with M

Trev

Gavin

The birthday boy!

s & Mannie de Freitas

Lance Weyer, Steve William

MCQP THEME LAUNCH AT CREW Harem Alladin & his

Ibiza com

es to Cap

e Town

Little Red Riding HO & The Wicked Witch Liam, Sheena & Terry

Mag 30

Soneda B

Miss MCQP & the Niemand Sisters

MISS GAY WESTERN CAPE

Tisharn vo n Amberg, Miss GWC Zilin Zhang & Justine C roft

e Royale

est - Latric

Special Gu

Enigma Von Hamburg

Reno, Blaine & Wesley

OIA FILM FESTIVAL PREMIER - CT

Power Lesbians Lara Aucamp & Nodi Murphy Anushka Parker &

Savanna Smith

Mary & frie

Justin Peters & Luiz De Laj

Logan, Layla, Riri & Manila

ADAM LAMBERT WAS HERE! At Crew

mo Pic: Si

n Devi

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At Beefcakes

Meeti

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McM ng Ian

Pic: Simon

Mag 31

Deviant

AMSTERDAM BAR

BOYZTOWN LAUNCH

Street party Inside Backroom

Manhunt boys

Bar

Luiz De Laja & Gareth Dallas

Mag 32

Heierli Photo: C&D

SEEN OUT AND ABOUT

David & M

arcel at Cre

ah Bar Seen at Beaul

s ubble ht at B ig n K ntha Sama

Bubbles Barman

Marais & C

asper at L

James at Beefcakes

Audi Claremont Competion Winner

The Audi Claremont Competition which was in issue 10 was won by Carlo Tickner pictured here with Marais van der Merwe (left) from Audi Claremont

GET OUT OF TOWN!

Manila & Cape Girklse Gauteng Logan tay storm b

ou can now buy a copy of your favourite gay glossy magazine at a one of 134 CNA outlets from Alberton to Walvis Bay for only R25. Or you can subscribe and have have OUT delivered to your doorstep. Send us an e-mail to outmagafrica@telkomsa.netand we will tell you how. It’s only R100 a year, and aour festive gift to you,we’ll pay the postage! Don’t miss OUT!

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Byron at the B

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HEALTH4MEN EXPANDS SERVICES

reat news for gay, bisexual and straight men who have sex with men (MSM) in South Africa: Health4Men is expanding health services into five provinces. This has been made possible by a significant five-year grant awarded to the Anova Health Institute by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), through USAID. Health4Men, a project of the Anova Health Institute, was established in 2008 following a request by the Department of Health (DOH) for an emphasis on MSM-competent health care, and the development of a model for providing such care. The request was in accordance with MSM being highlighted as a key population for sexual healthcare in South Africa’s previous National Strategic Plan on HIV, Aids and STIs (2007 – 2011). To cut a long story short, this culminated in Health4Men establishing two centres of excellence on MSM sexual health, in Cape Town and Soweto respectively, and the development of a model for addressing HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and sexual health in general among MSM. Health4Men then piloted the model in various settings, including a free-standing clinical site, a site embedded within an existing DOH structure, and the provision of services through an independent non-government gay and lesbian organisation. Only services embedded within existing DOH clinical sites were found to be sustainable. At the same time, Health4Men explored various means of attracting men into our sites and developed a model for HIV and STI prevention that has been widely recognised for its innovative sex-positive approach. The project also established a robust research unit, undertaking both biomedical and psychosocial research into various aspects of men’s sexual health and developed a dynamic training programme. The latter initiative moves beyond merely sensitising healthcare workers to diverse male sexualities; healthcare workers receive training in order to ensure they are medically MSM-competent. Training is followed by extensive medical mentoring. Mag 34

by Glenn de Swardt

Health4Men currently provides free services in Cape Town, Yeoville, Bellville, Khayelitsha and at Zola and Chiawelo, both in Soweto. The new grant will allow Health4Men services to be extended in Gauteng and the Western Cape, in addition to a rollout of MSM competent sites into Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West Province. The five-year period of the grant will culminate in South Africa having over one hundred sites where gay, bisexual and straight men who have sex with men will be able to receive competent health services without any fear of homoprejudice or stigma. This is a fantastic opportunity, and the best part of it is that all services provided by Health4Men are rendered free of charge. Meanwhile there are a number of other exciting developments taking place at the project:

Making technology work for you: We’re on a mission to ensure gay and bisexual men have access to the healthrelated information they need! Visit Health4Men’s mobi site on your cell phone (mobi.h4m) for info on your sexual health where you can also post anonymous questions to Health4Men’s medical team if you don’t find the info you’re looking for. The mobi site has recently been redesigned to make it more accessible. Health4Men has teamed up with the popular local gay website, Mambaonline (www.mambaonline.com), with the creation of a new health-related feature. And while you’re online join and support the Health4Men group on Facebook and sign up for our informative monthly newsletter on our website, www. health4men.co.za.

2012 Online Survey: If you’re on Facebook, visit popular gay websites or socialise at gay venues in Johannesburg or Cape Town you were probably inundated with messages about the Health4Men 2012 Online Survey over the past month. Thank you to the 1 500 men from throughout South Africa who participated in the survey which included

detailed questions on preferred sexual behaviours, online cruising, recreational drug use and sexual health. A wealth of information was generated and the data is currently being analysed, with a report due in early 2013.

Harm reduction programme: There’s no doubt that the gay community is experiencing a significant challenge in terms of widespread recreational substance abuse. We received confirmation of this in the 2012 online survey, with men telling us about their drug of choice and the frequency of drug use. While we obviously do not condone or encourage this behaviour we decided to initiate a programme to reduce the harm associated with it, including the impact of substance abuse on gay men’s sexual and general health. Funded by AidsFonds and in partnership with the Amsterdam-based organisation Mainline, we’ve initiated an innovative service targeting both injecting and noninjecting gay men who use drugs in Cape Town. This includes a needle exchange programme for injectors to prevent the spread of HIV and other infections, including hepatitis C. Watch our website and visit our mobi site on how to enrol in this programme.

New series of factsheets launched: Look out for Health4Men’s new range of informative factsheets that will be available towards the end of November. Topics include anal health, sexually transmitted infections, the basic of HIV, the importance of treatment adherence for HIV, ageing and being gay, and combined prevention initiatives. Finally, the Health4Men team wishes everyone well over the December period. Play responsibly, respect yourself and your partners and most importantly, look after your health. All our clinical sites will remain operational on working days during December in case you need any assistance. Glenn de Swardt is the Programme Manager of Health4Men.

THE VERI SWEET LETTERS FROM DURBAN Give Me More, Give Me More !!! #6

f you’ve ever thought Durban was too slow to be Cosmo, think again Mon Cheri – there’s no better place to summer in the gay scene by the sea… In true Bumper Summer fashion I sampled various things; Eyes and Ears, not just mine skilled in party weekending. THANK YOU to the peepz who spoke to me on missions, we were undoubtedly part of incredible evenings!

He’s our Mr Gay Boy Durban 2012, a 2012 Mr Gay SA finalist - rates the Lounge Birthday at AMAZING and I can only but be agreeing. Although I got there at 1:30 am, the deejays drove me absolutely crazy!!! It was an indulgence of the spirit and I raise my glass to it!

Appetisers at Sasha’s Sadly Mother Nature did not come to the Party, with cats and dogs’ type rainstorms and very little time for Sunny. Nevertheless we drove to Lounge, round the corner to Sasha’s Halloween – I wanted both and I had to have both, I found myself lodged tastily in between. Manhunt at Sasha’s recreated Babylon – we drank and we danced, as the hours ran on. Evolution Entertainment’s Ivor and Johan (well-hung fun in tight Plum Bum) danced exhilarating routines to keep you sprung; made me hum, made me cum. Red and violet lighting, similar styling décor – its better seeing than my describing, here are some photos that I adore…

Just Desserts There’s more to look forward to as the summer heats the sea – I’m pining for fine lunch cuisine, some champagne and maybe sushi. On your way down to here, a little warning to heed - don’t book flights on One Time, there’s no airline you see (LMAO). Though Durban might not be boasting music artists this time round; the deejays that flee winter will trek south as weather comes round… If not Linkin Park or Lady Gaga you attend, come to KwaZulu for satisfying weekends. Below is a peek of what’s passing by in December – Angelo’s is off Point Road, Durban’s downtown adventure…

Buffet Lounge … Everything in overdrive that past November night, a serving of Lounge’s Birthday to satisfy my appetite. Having had their October Halloween, I dialled out some friends for repeat clubbing; Aaron’s the face of The Lounge in Durban: like glitter I tell you, he’s smart, he’s Sweet!

Be swell merry queers Signed: Veri Dre Sweet Mag 36

GET UP, STAND UP!

ape Town Pride revealed the dates and theme of next year’s Festival at the Equinox Spring Fair at the end of September. The dates are from 22 February to 2 March, with the Gay Parade and Party happening on Saturday 1 March 2013. The theme is “Stand Up and Be Counted”. On the same occasion, Cape Town Pride presented a cheque for R15 000 to its official beneficiary, the Pride Shelter Trust. Janette Richter, the matron of the facility in Oranjezicht, accepted the cheque on behalf of the Trust. This is the first time in a few years that Pride was in a position to make a donation. The improved financial situation was largely a result of unprecedented co-operation between various community stakeholders, and despite the fact that one of the main organisers has been unreachable since before the end of the last Festival. It is hoped that those who feel excluded do indeed stand up and be counted instead of merely moaning and complaining. Anyone willing to lend a hand or offer constructive criticism is urged to contact pr@capetownpride.org.

Mag 37

Cape Cod to Cape Town and Back Again...

dysfunction. Williams brilliantly realises these themes by pitting

ennessee Williams’ rarely-seen masterpiece Kingdom of Earth will have its South African première at Artscape this December after a highly successful run at this year’s Provincetown Tennessee Williams Theatre Festival in the USA. The production received standing ovations and was lauded by Williams’ aficionados and scholars as one of the finest productions to date of this savage, sexy and darkly-comic play. The story focusses on terminally ill Lot, an impotent transvestite overly attached to the memory of his late mother. He returns to the Mississippi Delta with his new bride, Myrtle to reclaim his ancestral home from his brooding, feral half-brother, Chicken. Myrtle, a sometime prostitute and former showgirl dwells in a fantasy world of romantic illusions, one of which is to nurse Lot back to health so they can consummate their marriage. As rain falls and the river threatens to flood the land, these three lost souls engage in a brutal power play for the possession of all they have ever known. As with all of Tennessee Williams’ plays, Kingdom of Earth is based on a true life incident. During the summer of 1940 Tennessee Williams fell in love and had a brief romance with Kip Kiernan, a young Canadian dancer in Provincetown. By August Kip had ended the affair and a distraught Williams decided to leave Provincetown and flee south to Mexico. Williams hitched a ride with three Mexican men, one of them a bridegroom who had married a prostitute in Manhattan and was taking her home to his wealthy family in Mexico. During this journey the prostitute/bride confided in Williams: “Honey, I don’t know what I got myself into”, and told him that the marriage had not been consummated. In his Memoirs Williams cites this late-night conversation with the young bride as the moment when “the germ for Kingdom of Earth was first fecundated in my dramatic storehouse.” By 1942 Williams had developed this incident into a short story titled The Kingdom of Earth and in 1968 the play premiered on Broadway under the title The Seven Descents of Myrtle. The play was sadly overlooked since its inaugural production but recently Williams’ scholars, critics and theatre practitioners have re-evaluated the play as one of his later masterpieces: a mythical parable about salvation. Kingdom of Earth deals poignantly with racial discrimination, ownership of land and familial Mag 38

the effete, dying and racist Lot against his brooding, mixed-race half-brother Chicken, who is determined to claim the family farm as his own. These themes resonate deeply within a South African context. This production is a testament to Williams’ universal appeal as one of the greatest poets for the stage and a labor of love has brought this production all the way from Cape Town, South Africa back to Provincetown, where all those years ago Williams lived, loved and wrote.

This production of Kingdom of Earth is directed by the acclaimed Fred Abrahamse, and stars multiple award-winning actress, Anthea Thompson as Myrtle, Marcel Meyer as Chicken and Nicholas Dallas as Lot. It will be staged at the Artscape Arena from 13 to 30 December. Book at Computicket.

TO THE MAXX

s 2012 comes to an end, business normally slows down for the long anticipated December holidays. Not so for LUBRIMAXXX™ Personal Lubricant! This exciting NEW Lube is about to hit our bedrooms with long lasting passionate explosive pleasures. LUBRIMAXXX™ has been specifically formulated and laboratory tested for safety and to promote prolonged intimate pleasure. Listening to what our community wants, we take pride in our one of its kind unique registered designed 200ml bottle. Apart from being a beautiful bottle to put next to your bedside, it is also biodegradable, strong, non-slippery and non-leaking. The bottle can even be used as a massage tool and for the more adventures amongst us – a dildo! LUBRIMAXXX™ is another successful product from Karl de L’Eau Natural Skincare™ and developed by Karel Vermeulen. Manufactured according to the highest health and safety regulations by a registered pharmaceutical company in Cape Town, LUBRIMAXXX™ takes pride in its unique formulation to ensure a safe, long lasting and enjoyable product. Each batch gets tested for total microbial activity, yeast & mould and the ph-levels by SWIFT Laboratories. Further osmolality safety tests were done

by the University of Cape Town Chemical and Pathology Department initiated by Health4Men’s Dr. Kevin Rebe. Our current formulation has an osmolality of 1480mosmol/l and our premium brand that will be available in middle 2013 an osmolality of 270mosmol/l. We are the first product brand to have our test results printed and displayed on our bottle. LUBRIMAXXX™ is rated the BEST lube for Quality and SAFETY by independent researchers. Some of our satisfied customers includes: Health4Men, SWEAT, IPAC Mosaic Mens Health Initiative which is apparently the worlds biggest NGO. LUBRIMAXXX™ comes in plain and strawberry flavours in a value for money 200ml bottle. It is available in leading retail outlets from December 2012 as well as on www.lubrimaxxx.com or contact Karel on 021 -8014233 or 0786776979. Follow us on Facebook page and you might just be a lucky winner! Get lubed up to the MAXX this holiday season and always remember to play safe while having endless fun. Mag 39

THE BIGGEST, GAYEST NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTY EVER

ape Town is about to experience Carnevale, the biggest, gayest, most fabulous New Year’s Eve Party ever seen in the Mother City. Hosted by the Village Team, Carnevale will be presenting a myriad of entertainment, from international DJs on multiple dance floors, some of the best live acts the city has to offer on two stages, as well as a choice of gourmet delights, all under one umbrella. Napier, Coburn and Liddle Streets in the heart of the gaybourhood, will be transformed into a whimsical carnival zone for an unforgettable New Year’s celebration. Some Highlights to look forward to: • Paul Heron, hot on the heels of his sets at MCQP, will be making you sweat with some pumping, funky House music. • South African born, London based DJ Sean Oxley has played gigs at Ministry Of Sound, the Electric Brixton, Egg and Hed Kandi Bar. Expect anything from old school classic’s to funky house, tech house and even trance. • Tony “Italian Stallion” Mariano is one of Cape Town’s most popular DJs and he will be bringing a very European flair to the party. • Sexy all-girl group Blackbyrd, have a new album “Strong” out now and all three singles are getting lots of airplay on radio. They will be live on stage at Carnevale. • Draadkar are an avant guard Afrikaans electro-jazz duo consisting of Mario Cronje and Méshelle Gey van Pittius. Their melding of traditional songs to electronic club rhythms has made them the latest dance craze in Cape Town. • Vocalist Bonj Mpanza and Pianist Clement Carr are the members of TheCITY and they produce ‘Afro-electro’ sounds - a mash-up of African, groove and electro music which are not to be missed! The Village Team consists of Amsterdam Action Bar, Backroom Bar, Beefcakes, Beaulah Bar, Café Manhattan and Crew Bar. Advance Tickets can be bought at the participating venues and at Computicket for R250. Tickets will be available at the door for R280

WORD PERFECT My Funny Brother

Robin Malan, Junkets Publisher, R80.00

hat’s it like when people at school start saying things about your brother? What do they mean when they say he’s a bit ‘funny’? Missy knows her brother Donnie, sometimes known as Donna, is funny – she laughs at him all the time – and she doesn’t care if other people say he’s a bit ‘funny peculiar’. She knows he is different and it is what makes him special. But then something happens that isn’t funny at all… Robin Malan, who has spent most of his life working in theatre and education, has written this novel for young people, and cleverly weaves in a lot of issues facing gay people, not just gay teenagers. He explains homophobia, prejudice, the mechanics of gay sex and attraction, the great gay characters in history, the origin of the L-word, the meaning of Pride and the absurdity of Leviticus, to name just a few themes, without being patronising or condescending. Parts of the novel are really funny as well as being informative. Although the novel is aimed primarily at youngsters, it would be a good Christmas gift for your Aunt Mildred who doesn’t understand why you have to be this way. It is written plainly enough for her to finally get you. Mag 40

BOYZTOWN

here has been an exciting new development in Cape Town’s Pink Block with the launch of BOYZTOWN, a hub of gay bars and lifestyle shops in one convenient spot in Cobern St. The Backroom Bar, infamous for its shower shows and scantily (un) dressed barmen, has moved down the hill to join Amsterdam Action Bar, adding an extra dimension to the concept of Men Only Bars. Also now open is the Boyzone Adult Shop, stocking a wide range of leather and fetish wear and accessories, sex toys, lube and novelty items. Boyzone Lifestyle Shop stocks an amazing range of swim and underwear, t-shirts, vests, novelty camp stuff and cards. Don’t miss the Video and Cruising Lounge open from noon till late. You might just cum across Mr Right Now. The Boyzone shops are open from noon to 11pm. Everything a gay man needs and wants can be found under one roof in this ultimate gay shopping experience.

BOYZTOWN in the

10-14 Cobern St, Cape Town

of the Village

Open fron 1pm till late daily

2 Bars Adult Shop Lifestyle shop Cruizing area & Video Lounge

www.boyztown.co.za

GAYS GETTING SATISFIED WITH JOCKSTRAP.CO.ZA

magine this: an online sex shop packed to the rafters with the latest and greatest gay adult products waiting to satisfy their new owner(s), right here in South Africa! Well that would be Jockstrap.co.za which has making waves in the local gay scene since its recent launch. Jockstrap.co.za is run by three gay and one straight guy (yes, every office needs a handyman to can carry the heavy stuff, after all). Being gay friendly is not always gay enough, and these boys definitely live their lives and do their business with pride! With an extensive knowledge of the needs and preferences of the gay market, they have carefully selected the best and most impressive toys from around the world, ranging from dildos and butt plugs to cock rings and penis pumps. Famous brands like Falcon

and the oh-so-yummy Fleshjack are some of the must-have items on offer, while their collection of kinky underwear doesn’t disappoint either. With their range of products being expanded on a regular basis, you will never run out of ideas for getting fresh. Most orders are delivered within 24 to 48 hours, and all the products that you see on the website are in stock. Now that is service that will put a smile on anyone’s face! As Michael, one of the owners, says: ”It’s our desire to know that all our customers are always 100% satisfied. We will go the extra inch (ahem!) to ensure that each and every customer at Jockstap.co.za has an exceptional experience.” Happy Shopping!

Mag 41

GENDER BENDING SILVER SCREEN SIRENS Butch. Feminine. Camp. Masculine. Three filmmakers based in Cape Town have made three very different films exploring gender identity, a topic that continues to fascinate. way to capture her story onscreen. Roxy Dragged Peter to the Show is the result. The film is presented by Manzelmann Media, a boutique media company focused on producing exceptional global online presentations, including video. With their passion for finding the warmth of the human touch in every project they do, this is their first venture into the documentary genre, with more projects in the pipeline.

masculinity in a way that has never been done before, and shows just how malleable and impermanent gender really is. Through their performances, Bros B Hos explore their identity in a way that leaves them feeling inspired and empowered. Each from different backgrounds and choosing to do drag for different reasons, the women cement their bond through rehearsing and preparing for their first big soldout debut show. In the end the troupe becomes like a family for them, as they leave a legacy that the gay communityand Drag Kings for years to come- can be proud of. Watch out for the DVD available soon. Catch Bros B4 Hos every Thursday at Bubbles Bar, Cape Town.

Love. Dignity. Respect. Fabulosity. Roxy Dragged Peter to the Show is a short documentary that follows drag artist Peter Treurnicht and his alter ego Roxy Le Roux on their mission to be a voice for social activism while remaining fabulous. Utilising an onthe-go, YouTube-style approach, the documentary draws viewers into the world of Peter and Roxy and gives them a glimpse into the emotional core behind an often glamorized and superficial art form. The film looks at a day in the life of Peter preparing to transform himself into Roxy and talking about the journey of becoming a drag diva. Roxy Le Roux, who sings live, has been a performing drag artist since her debut at Beefcakes restaurant on July 1st 2010. Since then, she has travelled throughout South Africa performing in shows and has stayed true to what she believes in: that each human being has to honour their own voice. After meeting young filmmaker Mustapha Hendricks, the two decided to get together and find a Mag 42

Drag Kings do DVD Most people have no idea what a “Drag King” is unless they read our interview with Bros B4 Hos in our last issue, or happened to catch one of their performances at Bubbles Bar. Whilst it seems obvious, the notion that women can drag it up the same way Drag Queens do is often surprising. First-time filmmaker Samantha Lea’s documentary takes an intimate and revealing look into the lives of six extraordinary women who have the distinction of being the country’s first ever Drag King troupe. The film takes the viewer on a journey through the landscape of female

Looking for Angels, finding Demons Making Angels transports viewers to the 70s, where Savannah is a transsexual trying to realise her dream of becoming a fully- fledged woman. After the word’s first successful heart transplant in 1967, anything now seems possible. A young charismatic surgeon brings gender

reassignments to Cape Town, and Savannah is offered the opportunity to become who she really is. She is elated at having the opportunity, but also hesitant to go through with the operation knowing what the consequences might be. A preacher stirs public opinion against gender reassignment and Savannah is attacked as a result. As her life hangs in the balance, tempers flare when questions of morality and faith are challenged. The tragic outcome is the untimely death of two men and an angel. Making Angels is an AFDA Film School 3rd Year Graduation project, written and directed by talented Christopher Kistan. It is a story about hoping for a chance and gives an insight into the hardships faced endured by the transgender community in the 1970s. Many of those misconceptions persist to this day. Mahlatse “Foxy” Kgoale stars as Savannah. The film opened the AFDA Graduation Film Festival at the end of November, with screenings in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

WIN

PRIME BEEF

The Beefcakes Calender reviewed in The Buzz is filled with hunky Beefcakes boys photograhed by Cape Town photographer Reno Horn...

AT ALEXANDER UPSTAIRS

lmost a year after opening their plush idiosyncratic saloon in Stand Street, Cape Town, Edward Van Kuik and playwright Nicholas Spanglonetti have unwrapped a tiny bijou theatre on the first floor of the already-famous Alexander Bar & Café. And by tiny, they do mean small, boutique. Suitable for midgets only. No swinging pets or tall wigs. With only 40 seats, theatre lovers no longer need to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous torture. Since Alexander Upstairs opened in midOctober, this fully equipped intimate auditorium has been home to all manner of artistic happenings: music, magic, stand up, cabaret, lo-fi folk, revues, comedy, readings, storytelling, screenings, book launches, nude beat lesbian poetry…you name it, they’ll do it! Instead of having runs of plays, the theatre is being operated like a festival venue with once-off performances and recurring weekly and monthly events.

This has already proven to be a successful

formula allowing for a wide range of talent to cross the floorboards. On Monday nights the deadly comedy pair of Rob van Vuuren and Martin Evans (pictured above) host Pants on Fire, an winning comedy magazine show that totally rocked as the launch show of Alexander Upstairs. The duo is joined every week by special guests from the entertainment world. It is a show where anything goes… your pants may even get set on fire! Tuesday nights play host to city’s finest jazz musicians. The Upstairs Sessions are curated by Brydon Bolton. One of the shows not to be missed is The Epicene Butcher and other Stories for Consenting Adults, a unique and awardwinning, mesmerising set of profound and profane tales told using the Japanese style of Kamishibai, from 7 to 13 December. Book online at www.alexanderbar.co.za where you can also find an up to date programme. You can also buy your tickets at the Bar at any time or call the Theatre Hotline: 021 300 1652

The Epicene Butcher

& Other Stories for Consenting Adults

A lucky reader in Cape Town and another in Jo’burg can each win a fabulous 2013 Beefcakes Calendar by answering this question: Who photographed the beefy hotties in this calendar? Send your reply to outmagafrica@telkomsa.net by Thursday 27 December 2012

Hit in Grahamstown & Amsterdam Live @ Alexander Upstairs 7th - 13th December 76 Strand Street (corner Loop) 021.300.1652 See www.alexanderbar.co.za to book & for other shows

Mag 43

OUT TO LUNCH with Gary Hopkins

SLIGHTLY PINK ON THE INSIDE Beefcakes 198 Oxford Road, Illovo, Johannesburg, 011 447 5266 The launch of the new Beefcakes in Johannesburg was anticipated with about the same amount of excitement as the launch of the iPhone 5 amongst the queer community. The good news is that much like the mobile de jour, this apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. So what you love about Beefcakes Cape Town you’ll find in Jozi only slightly upgraded and improved. For starters it is situated adjacent to the entrance to Babylon Bar which is the closest you get to a gay village in Egoli. Size queens will be delighted to know that on entry everything is noticeably bigger. The venue is larger; there are more seats and a LOT more room between them. Compared to the Mother City, the stage is massive

Lion Corner Tavern 205 Lower Main Road, Observatory 021 447 5113 I realised to my embarrassment that although OUT supports Lion Corner, we’ve never actually reviewed it. Largely because even though it has been open a little less than a year it already feels part of the gay furniture of Cape Town. The old building which houses it is opposite the old Lion Match factory (hence the name). It was dusted down and puffed up like a plush purple cushion by owners Gert, Hardus and Casper to create a space that is essentially 1/3 restaurant, 1/3 bar and 1/3 outdoor braaikamer /smoking area on the edge of the notorious entertainment strip of the Southern Suburbs. I wonder if that makes it the most Southerly gay bar in Africa? Answers on a jockstrap, please! Because of its size, it always seems busy and

Karibu Shop 156, The Wharf Centre V&A Waterfront 021 421 7005 “And this ...”says executive Chef Jamie Rowntree, pointing to the trout with a knowing wink, “is the Queen’s favourite dish. The real Queen!” Karibu is by no means a ‘family’ restaurant, but Jamie is one of us and it’s his flair that makes all the difference. As he explains “South African food is South African food. It just needs to be presented beautifully.” I have to disagree. There is also some amazing cooking behind the beautiful presentation. This is South African food elevated to fine dining without being pretentious and overpriced. And if you think Karibu only caters to the tourist market, think again. Yes, you’ll hear a dozen different accents at the tables around you but this is also the perfect place for you to discover the diversity of our cuisine. As a special favour to us (so don’t look for it on the menu) Jamie prepared starter, main and dessert course tasting platters which allowed us to sample close to 50 different dishes. So what were the highlights of the night? Amongst the starters we loved the sweet curried mussel soup; the biltong and clue cheese paté and the warm curried fish spiced with coriander seeds. If you Mag 44

and bar is at least double the length. The smiles are as welcoming but on the night we visited, the tattooed bar-beef wasn’t quite as impressive. For the rest expect the same pink flamingos and fluff, identical wall paper – even the angled mirror is against the left hand wall. We ate there shortly after opening before their liquor licence was granted, so we gulped down road- block approved mocktails (the license has since been granted). If you are in any doubt, the service is as camp and quick; and the burgers and salads are as delicious as anything you’ve sampled in Somerset Road. Beefcakes Johannesburg can proudly take its place as the new jewel in Jo’burg’s pink crown. Best of all, with underground levels you won’t struggle to find parking or have to deal with annoying car guards. that’s part of its charm. It is also the place where it is essential that all bad attitude and pretence be left at the door. The locals, and it only takes one or two visits to become one, are here to have fun with a capital F. Apart from plenty of drinking, you can expect braai Saturdays when the Boks or Province are playing, shooter promotions, underwear and swimwear launches, Halloween dress up and even a drag quiz night. The menu it is as unpretentious as the portions are generous. As for the prices, you’re hard pressed to find a starter and main course that combined are over R100. If you’re looking for a one stop shop to start and finish your evening Lion Corner is it. In short, simple food made well followed by speedy bar service where the barmen – Shock! Horror! - are actually gay and you don’t have to double check your change.

have never had crocodile before try the Carpaccio. It’s slightly chewy in texture but perfectly smoked. The main’s platter was a veritable treasure chest of treats including Waterblommetjiebredie, Cape Malay Denningsvleis, sweet impala steak and comfit duck. However the battle for piece de resistance was between the aforementioned Queen’s trout and the lamb chop that Jamie assures me was comes from livestock raised exclusively on Karoo fynbos. I believe him because it was without a doubt the most delicious chop I have ever eaten. By the time the dessert platter arrived my dinner date and I ran the risk of simultaneous explosion like Monty Python’s Mr Creosote. Whatever you do, leave space for the melktert which is subtly infused with orange zest. Be warned, if you happen to have your first ever Crème Brule at Karibu, you are setting yourself up for a lifetime of disappointment because theirs is a rare masterpiece and won’t easily be matched. Like the food, the service is really special and when see the wine cellar you’ll understand why the restaurant hires two Sommeliers. When I woke the next morning the first thing that crossed my mind was, “why the hell didn’t I finish the damn melktert?”

COME FEAST DECEMBER diary Saturday 1st World Aids Day Party – cum practise safe sex · Friday 7th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 14th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Sunday 16th Reconciliation Day – Reconcile with your Lust · Friday 21st Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Monday 24th Christmas Eve – cum be someone’s present · Thursday 27th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine · Friday 28th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Monday 31st Dis ‘n Nuwe Jaar – Bubbly at midnight JANUARY diary Tuesday 1st Tweede Nuwe Jaar – cum hang out Friday 4th Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 11th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Friday 18th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies · Friday 25th Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Monday 27th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine FEBRUARY diary Friday 1st Leather Night Free entrance with leather gear · Friday 8th Long Schlong Night Free entrance for 20cm + · Wednesday 14th Valentine’s Day – cum be everyone’s Valentine · Friday 15th Fetish Night – Indulge your fantasies· Friday 22nd Public Pigz Night Be a pig on the bar counter for an entrance refund · Monday 25th Full Moon – Celebrate hedonism with free libation wine

Mag 45

OUT ON FILM Jake Gyllenhaal stole everyone’s heart with his poignant performance in Ang Lee’s timeless classic Brokeback Mountain and was a naughty Santa in Jarhead. He delivers an equally powerful performance in the not-to-be-missed End of Watch, (Dec 21), the harrowing story of two young Los Angeles police officers who patrol the city›s meanest streets of south central Los Angeles. Gyllenhaal will be making his U.S. stage debut starring in If There Is I Haven’t Found It Yet for the Roundabout Theatre Company, his first theatre performance since 2002, in which he starred in Kenneth Lonergan’s revival of This is Our Youth, on London’s West End. He has also just wrapped production on Denis Villeneuve’s new independent film An Enemy.

Jake Gyllenhall- End of Watch

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West and Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson (Jan 4), in upstate New York, during the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. Ben Affleck is superb in Argo (Feb 1), a dramatization of the 1980 joint CIA-Canadian secret operation to extract six fugitive American diplomatic personnel out of revolutionary Iran. In Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln (Feb 1) America’s president struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield, while fighting with many inside his own cabinet on the decision to emancipate the slaves. Hitchcock (Feb 8) tells the love story between influential filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock and wife Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho in 1959.

Absolute Escapism

Tom Cruize - Jack Reacher

Mag 46

In Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (March 1) a circus fan is escorted through a series of fantastical realms populated by trampolining superheroes, rider less tricycles and giant double-jointed spiders from the company’s Las Vegas shows. In Oz the Great and Powerful (March 8) James Franco plays a small-time circus magician who is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz where he is mistaken for the great wizard everyone’s been expecting. The big screen adaptation of the global musical sensation Les Miserables opens on Jan 18. Set in 19th-century France, it is an enthralling epic of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption—a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. Ex-prisoner Jean Valjean, hunted for decades by the ruthless policeman Javert, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s daughter, Cosette, changing their lives forever. Directed by Academy Award-winning director, Tom Hooper(The King’s Speech), the film stars Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried.

On the local front Regardt van den Bergh’s romantic comedy Klein Karoo (February 1) explores the fragile relationship between a young school teacher and the horrid conditions of her pupils. Paul Eilers’ dramatic Verraaiers (Traitors) (Feb 22) is set during the AngloBoer war and tells of a respected Boer officer who has to decide whether to fight to the bitter end or to go home and protect his family against the British planned “scorched earth”-policy. Darrell Roodt’s Little One

(Feb 22) is tale of love, redemption and hope and tells a story of a 6 year old girl who is found left for dead on the dunes near a township in Johannesburg.

From real life to reel life

Festive viewing In the sensational futuristic action thriller Looper, time travel is explored to its extreme with Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a hired gun on a desperate quest to assassinate his future self. The first part of The Hobbit is the prequel to The Lord of the Rings trilogy and follows Bilbo Baggins, an upstanding member of the “little people,” on the hazardous journey with Gandalf the Grey. From director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain) comes Life of Pi (Dec 21), the story of a young man on a fateful voyage who, after a spectacular disaster in the middle of the ocean, is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. Tom Cruise plays Jack Reacher (Dec 28) an ex-military homicide investigator who seeks the truth behind what seems an open-and-shut murder case after a trained military sniper is arrested for shooting five random victims. The fun local animated The Adventures of Zambesia (Dec 28) tells the story of a young falcon who leaves the desolate desert where he lives with his father to discover action and adventure in the big city of Zambezia.

By Daniel Dercksen

Daniel Day Lewis stars in Lincoln

For more information on these releases and other films now showing, visit www.writingstudio.co.za

MUSIC MOVES by Gary Hopkins

CD of the Month

fun. – Some Nights

The Killers – Battle Born

Who are they are? fun. are the little indie band that could. Based in New York the world ignored their first CD. This time around the world fell in love and they became the first independent band since Coldplay

Who are they? The Killers are a four piece rock band from Nevada, Texas lead by flamboyant Brandon Flowers What’s their bag? They are inspired (and often criticized for it) by 80’s pop. You can always rely on a driving bass line and soaring melodies.

to land a US #1 album and the first single, We Are Young, made history by becoming the only song to achieve over 300 000 downloads for seven consecutive weeks. What’s their bag? Indie pop, theatric rock, and hip-hop Sounds like? In parts a lot like Queen but only for a minute. Lead singer Nate Reuss has a very unique voice with an amazing ability to blend well with other singers. His vocals are often multi-tracked to create a choral effect and is even more magical when teamed with a covocalist (see Pink! review below) The CD: Nate recruited Jeff Bhasker the hot and happening producer to the stars (most recently Beyoncé) and the magic they produce together is remarkable. Nate writes the lyrics and melodies and it was Bhasker’s job to edit them and lay down the beats many of which are sound like a marching band. The eclectic results highlight both men’s genuine love of music and it’s infectious. The track to download: There isn’t a dud track on the CD but the mash up of both their styles is jaw droppingly brilliant on the final track Stars.

Pink! – The Truth About Love Who is she? Billboard named her the 2nd most successful recording artist in the world after Rihanna (sorry for you Madonna and Gaga languishing at positions 10 and 11) What’s her bag? Pink! has always been about the songs not the constant image reinvention or the meat dresses. She loves to record songs about getting trashed at parties she started, as much as aching ballads. Sounds like? On this CD she’s never sounded better. If you YouTube the 4 tracks recorded live in LA at her launch party you’ll witness a woman at the top of her game. The CD: The Truth About Love chronicles the breakdown of her marriage to professional motocross racer Carey Hart, their subsequent reconciliation and birth of their daughter. It is in turns gritty and at others sensitive and touching. Overall her best work yet. Ultimately the truth about love is you have to take the rough with the smooth. The track to download: Gimme Just a Reason (featuring Nate Reuss). It’s gobsmackingly beautiful

Sounds like? In this instance they seem to have thrown themselves into the Alphaville and Waterboys end of the 80’s pool. The CD: Battle Born is a tough nut to crack. It is definitely a return to the 80’s roots of their first CD but despite hiring seminal 80’s producer Steve Lillywhite (U2 and Simple Minds) they’ve taken a far more cluttered approach than on their debut. On most of the tracks the instrumentation seems to be duplicated on synth and several kitchen sinks. Brandon’s voice seems to have gone up 2 octaves perhaps just to be heard over the calamity. After four or five listens the stripped back songs take hold in your brain and before long the rest follow and in the end Battle Born is for the most part a very satisfying record. The track to download: Here with Me

Gangs of Ballet – EP Who are they? Four local lads from Durban. What’s their bag? Crafted pop rock Sounds like? The easiest comparison would be to say Coldplay, but it is an unfair one to make. These guys need to be recognized in their own right. The EP: On the basis of these 5 songs this band shows huge promise. As much as I love local music they almost sound too good to have come from here. Lyrically they are astute and their melody lines fully formed. However where the band deserve the most praise is for the own production. It really is world class and by far the best rock production this country has ever produced. They score bonus points for not singing in phony Crash Car Burn American accents. The track to download: Hello Sweet World

Sterling EQ – Pulse Who are they? Three South African girls and their Taiwanese-born friend. Two play violin, the others the flute and the cello. What’s their bag? Classical crossover Sounds like? This quartet is drop dead gorgeous and they have the mad skills to match. This is no ordinary night at the orchestra. The CD: This isn’t their first release and over time one can only assume that the girls have built up quite and array of their own material. Individually each song is outstanding and imaginatively produced. However lumped together the CD does begin to sound like a corporate gig entitled Around the World in 80 minutes. That said the CD covers a variety of musical styles from Dance to Rap-lite beautifully. The cover of the Mission Impossible theme song is pure genius. The track to download: Mission Impossible Mag 47

ON STAGE At the theatre with Daniel Dercksen

FESTIVE ENTERTAINMENT

CAPE TOWN

Escape into the world of live theatre this festive season with the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk or Gilbert and Sullivan’s hilarious Pirates of Penzance in Johannesburg. If you are in Durban, make sure to visit the annual adult pantomime The Wizard of Oz, or Disney’s enchanting musical Beauty and the Beast. Capetonians can enjoy David Kramer and the late Taliep Petersen’s enchanting musical Kat & the Kings, or the sensational From the Mouths of Babes, with three Jewish women telling stories about their lives and the lives of their parents and grandparents Maynardville

Maynardville Open-Air Theatre will be presenting Shakespeare’s re-imagined “lost play” Cardenio (from Jan 12 to March 9) and the funtastic A Midsummer Night’s Dream (from Jan 23 to March 16). Ballet fans can enjoy Coppelia (from Jan 4 to 12), and Giselle (Jan 27 to Feb 17)

NATIONWIDE Exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance and sensationally sexy dancing, the musical Dirty Dancing is on at the Teatro at Montecasino until January 13, and in Cape Town at the Artscape Opera from January 18 to March 10. Tap Dogs returns! Stronger, faster, louder and more outrageous than ever before, it’s the same hard stomping, tough, pulsating dance machine but it’s re-energised, re-vitalised and bursting with the sexy, rough and ready appeal exclusive to the “Dogs”. They are still the hottest male tap dancers found South of the equator and there’s the added ingredient of a few stunning female forms alongside the energetic male tappers…!!!! Combining high-energy dance, theatrical performance and live music, it will be rocking the Teatro at Montecasino (from Feb 12 to March 10), and the Artscape Opera (from March 13 to 24) Mag 48

At the Kalk Bay Theatre Face the Music (Jan 2 – 6) presents new songs, new questions, new moves, and two gorgeous new girls. The ImproGuise Improv Festival (Jan 30 to Feb 9) is presented by the award-winning Improguise team. The Godfrey Johnson Showcase (Feb 20 – 24) features the one-and-only Godfrey Johnson. Robert-Ian Caldwell and Jeff Judge’s musical revue A Green Number 2 (Feb 28 – March 2) is a collection of inconsequential sketches, mainly musical but with the occasional monologue. South Africa’s longest running, award-winning and hilarious theatre improvisation show, TheatreSports, is presented every Tuesday night. At the Baxter Theatre, David Kramer brings together eccentric musicians from the far corners of Southern Africa for Kalahari Karoo Blues (Jan 9 to 19) and The Three Little Pigs (Jan 16 to Feb 9) is a taut psychological thriller set in a world where Animal Farm meets Reservoir Dogs, and gives rise to a dark and unexpected take on the classic children’s story. The annual Suidoosterfees is once again packed with innovative stage productions for the family from January 29 to February 3. The 7th Cape Town International Summer Music Festival takes place from February 7 to 24.

JOZI At the Joburg Theatre you can see Michael Jackson – History II (From Jan 17 to Feb 10) and The Queen Experience with Joseph Clark, Band and Special Guests (Feb 12 to 17)

DURBAN The eighth Musho! International Theatre Festival of One and Two Person Theatre is on at the Catalina Theatre in Durban from 15 – 20 January 2013 featuring 20 productions over six days, all celebrating the art of the one and two-performer plays

WIN

TICKETS

2 couples in Johannesburg and Cape Town can win seats to Tap Dogs! Tell us who created the show and send your answer and contact details with ‘Tap Dogs’ in the subject line to website@ writingstudio.co.za Closing date is a week prior to each opening in both cities. For more information on these shows visit www.writingstudio.co.za

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