Outlooks - Sep 2012

S E P TEMBER 2012

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CANADA’S NATIONAL GAY MAGAZINE PUBLISHER PATRICIA SALIB EDITOR IN CHIEF JIM BROSSEAU TRAVEL EDITOR RANDALL SHIRLEY FASHION DIRECTOR ADAM WEBSTER DESIGNER NICOLÁS TALLARICO CONTRIBUTORS JODY BOYNTON, DEREK DOTTO, PHILIP FRANCHINI, DR. MALCOLM HEDGCOCK, TRACY HOWARD, BRAD MCPHEE, RICHARD READ, DAVID WRIGHT EDITOR AT LARGE BRETT TAYLOR ADVERTISING & OTHER INQUIRIES (416) 792–2400 EDITORIAL INQUIRIES EDITOR@OUTLOOKS.CA OUTLOOKS IS PUBLISHED 10 TIMES PER YEAR BY THE MINT MEDIA GROUP ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 542 PARLIAMENT ST. TORONTO, ON, M4X 1P6 THE MINT MEDIA GROUP PRESIDENT PATRICIA SALIB DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS REGGIE LANUZA DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING RYAN LESTER CONTROLLER LUIS VARESSIS EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT LIDIA SALVADOR

ON THE COVER BRAD FOR MONTAGE MODELS (JACKET, ZARA; SCARF, BURBERRY & NECKLACE, DAVID YURMAN, BOTH AVAILABLE AT HOLT RENFREW STORES ACROSS CANADA). ADAM WEBSTER, PHOTOGRAPHER. MAKEUP BY NORA METTA & KIM LACHAPELLE OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN OUTLOOKS MAGAZINE ARE THOSE OF INDIVIDUAL CONTRIBUTORS AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT THE VIEWS OF THE MAGAZINE. ALL CONTENTS ARE COPYRIGHT AND MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED IN PART OR IN WHOLE WITHOUT WRITTEN CONSENT. THE APPEARANCE OF AN AD IN OUTLOOKS MAGAZINE DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE MAGAZINE ENDORSES THE ADVERTISER. THE APPEARANCE OF A MODEL OR OTHER PHOTOGRAPHIC SUBJECTS DOES NOT NECESSARILY INDICATE THEIR SEXUALITY. BEFORE YOU MAKE TRAVEL PLANS, DOUBLE-CHECK DATES, TIMES, AND PRICES. THINGS DO CHANGE. WHILE EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO ENSURE ACCURACY, OUTLOOKS AND ITS CONTRIBUTORS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ERRORS IN CONTENT.

4 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2012

|

ISSUE 203

EDITOR’S NOTE

TRAVEL

06 | CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

18 | TRAVEL TALK How not to miss the boat

OUTFRONT

19 | C’EST MAGNIFIQUE Montreal’s appeal come autumn

07 | FOOD & DRINK Dinner at a beloved bistro, nightcaps at a favourite bar

22 | TENNESSEE WALTZ Nashville works its country charm

10 | MONEY$TYLE Digging in for a long, full life 11 | THE DOCTOR IS IN What’s your risk for hepatitis C 12 | I SPY From reality TV to reality

44 | FRAMED: NEIL YOUNG Staying true to the colour and light 46 | FLASHBACK When the Vatican went witch-hunting

FASHION FEATURES 26 | FROM BOYFRIEND TO BEST FRIEND Keeping those exes in your life 28 | THE OUTLOOKS INTERVIEW Controversial “ways” to be gay

14 | WELLNESS What to know going vegetarian

ART & CULTURE

32 | FIT FOR FALL Right in style for autumn 40 | THE HISTORY OF...

POLO SHIRTS Following the name from the game 43 | THE BREAKDOWN Preppy does it

12 I SPY

16 | CIVILITY Overcoming fear of introductions 17 | WHEELS Buying a new car with care

FOOD P. 8

HERE’S THE BEEF

19 AUTUMN IN MONTREAL OUTLOOKS

5

EDITOR’S_NOTE

Max Telzerow

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE

Y

ou may not know the name Max Telzerow, but if you saw page 7 of the May issue of Outlooks, you saw his terrific work. Telzerow took the striking picture (this page) of filmmaker Trevor Anderson for our “I Spy” column. Unfortunately, we failed to give him a photo credit. It’s the sort of thing that can happen when a publication is on deadline: That’s an explanation, not an excuse.

In giving Telzerow credit where it’s due—belatedly, alas—I am reminded of all the people who toil to bring you the print and online versions of Outlooks 10 times a year. The magazine’s smart look has to do with the keen eye of

6 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

designer Nicolás Tallarico. He is a master at matching pictures with words. Of equal importance, especially in the final hours before Outlooks is sent to the printer, is the grace under pressure “Nico” always displays.

Another of the magazine’s visual powerhouses is our fashion director, Adam Webster. A lensman of enormous intelligence and style, Adam faithfully—and always ahead of schedule—turns in some of the most hip, elegant and sensual fashion photography to be found on any newsstand today.

Outlooks is also blessed to have the talent and breadth of knowledge Randall Shirley brings to its pages. As travel editor, he helps

readers better understand the big (and occasionally bad) world out there with his nuanced takes not just on places but on the people who live there. And he’s especially tuned in to any considerations relevant to the LGBT traveller.

Fortunately, Randall’s high standards can be found in the work produced by all the other Outlooks columnists. Vancouver’s Brad McPhee faithfully delivers his know-how on better handling our finances; Toronto family doctor Malcolm Hedgcock shares his firsthand insights into health concerns of particular interest to the LGBT community; Jody Boynton’s experience as a personal trainer shows through as he imparts important news on exercise and nutrition; Richard Read, a recent arrival, eschews the jargon to bring us smart takes on acquiring and operating automobiles. And regular contributor Derek Dotto colourfully tackles the hip and historical on the fashion scene, while introducing us to persons of interest in the gay community via the “I Spy” column.

Others whose work has regularly lent flair and heft to our pages include illustrator Philip Buckley, editor Tracy Howard and researcher Philip Franchini.

So, while I’m not at all pleased that we left out Max Telzerow’s photo credit, I’m happy the lapse afforded the opportunity to thank many of the men and women who help make Outlooks possible. As I do so, I’m thinking I’ve probably left someone out—which is just one of the reasons we extend the invitation to contact us (below) in each issue.

Be gentle: I’ve not been spared the famously fragile ego associated with editors.

Jim Brosseau Editor In Chief We’d be delighted to hear from you. Share your thoughts on the magazine and stories you’d like to see covered in its pages. Email us at editor@ outlooks.ca. Many thanks.

FOOD_&_DRINK

OUTFRONT

The Way to Cool The discerning traveller can’t help but feel at home stepping into The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver’s elegant 900 West Lounge.

Knowing patrons keep that feeling going by ordering the aptly named “After The Frost” cocktail. (900 West Lounge, Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, 900 W. Georgia St., 604-684-3131, fairmont.com/HotelVancouver) INGREDIENTS: 1.5 oz Bombay Gin ½ oz Calvados ¾ oz Mission Hill Vidal Icewine (Served in a stemless martini glass and garnished with frozen grapes.)

DIRECTIONS: “After The Frost” has been mixed to capture and translate the simple textures found in British Columbia’s wine country— after a frost. Fans of the cocktail have much to savour, including its soft notes of juniper berry from the gin, along with round apple and pear hints from the ice wine. And, as 900 West staff will tell you, Calvados “hits the final touch with his old-world brandy charm.”

OUTLOOKS

7

Albert Ponzo

FOOD_&_DRINK

BEAUTY

AND THE BEEF

AT LE SÉLECT BISTRO IN TORONTO, THE JOUE DE BŒUF À LA BOURGUIGNONNE MEMORABLY CAPTURES THE FLAVOURS OF A SEASON

8 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

FOOD_&_DRINK

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUCE

4 lbs of beef cheeks 1 litre red wine 3 litres of veal stock

4 tablespoons of cooked smoked pork lardons or lean bacon, diced 8 pearl onions, peeled and roasted 4 tablespoons of sautéed button mushrooms

mirepoix: 1 diced onion 3 stalks of celery, diced 1 carrot, peeled and diced

FOR COOKING Olive oil 1 tablespoon of butter Salt Black pepper

Samuel Choisy

Herbs and aromatics ½ bunch of thyme ¼ bunch of parsley 2 cloves 3 bay leaves ½ teaspoon of whole black peppercorn

CHEF ALBERT PONZO

COOKING METHOD Using a boning knife, remove any sinewy parts and excess fat from the cheeks. Keep the cartilaginous parts, which will break down during cooking and help thicken the sauce. Cut each beef cheek in two along the grain of the meat.

Marinate the cheeks overnight in the red wine with the mirepoix (diced onion, celery and carrot), the herbs and the aromatics. Make sure the meat is fully submerged.

Remove the meat from the marinade the following day.

Season the beef cheeks on all sides with salt and black pepper. Heat a skillet to mediumhigh heat. Lightly coat the skillet with olive oil.

Sear the beef cheeks to a nice golden brown on all sides.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the beef cheeks in an oven-proof pan and add the marinade (and the veal stock). Ensure that the beef cheeks are fully covered by the liquid, and place a lid atop or cover with aluminum foil.

Braise in the oven.

Remove from the oven after three hours.

Stick the sharp tip of a skewer or a fork into the meat to make sure the cheeks are cooked.

They should be fork-tender but holding nicely together. If they are not yet fully cooked let them sit in the hot liquid for

another 15-45 minutes. Re-test every 10 minutes. Once they are cooked to your liking, remove the meat. Strain the liquid, remove and discard the diced vegetables.

Pour the liquid into a pot and set the heat to a gentle simmer. Continue reducing the liquid for about one hour until it coats the back of a spoon. In the last 15 minutes of reduction, add the beef cheeks, the diced smoked lardons, the roasted pearl onions and the sautéed button mushrooms. With the evaporation, the meat is now no longer submerged.

Whip the tablespoon of butter into the liquid and keep spooning the sauce over the exposed meat in order to glaze it.

SERVING

Indoors or out, dining at Le Sélect Bistro on quiet Wellington Street West in Toronto always captures the flavour of France. From the floor tiles and banquettes to the polished service and bistro-menu staples, its French creds have remained intact.

Much of the credit for the restaurant’s consistency goes to Albert Ponzo, who has been chef of Le Sélect Bistro for the past six years. Overseeing a stateof-the-art kitchen, he is the creative force behind the restaurant’s modern takes on French classics. Ponzo is a passionate supporter of local, sustainable agriculture and aquaculture.

And, in his spare time, he looks after his garden and two beehives. (432 Wellington St. W., 416-596-6405, leselect.com.)

1. Serve the beef cheeks piping hot and in heated plates with glazed baby carrots, bok choy and a purée of sweet peas.

2. Optional: wedge two sweet potato chips atop the meat.

3. Serve with a hearty Pinot Noir from Niagara’s Tawse Winery.

YIELDS Four portions

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9

$

MONEY$T YLE

HAPPY RETURNS WHERE THE ART OF THE POSSIBLE MEETS THE ART OF THE PROBABLE

BY BRAD MCPHEE

W

hen you devise a financial plan, it shouldn’t just forecast but also show probability.

Unless, of course, you think money will just fall from the sky. Then you just need another set of rose-coloured glasses, lest you break the ones you’re wearing. After all, you look marvellous in pink!

Often in the financial services industry, it is easy to make the numbers “work” simply by adjusting this or slightly lowering that. It is not beneficial, however, for me to tweak my clients plans so that they always work. It is simply not providing them the best advice.

If things are not going well, then my clients need to know it. I don’t want to scare people, but I do want to tell them the chances of their success. That’s my job: to support people in making sound financial choices based on affordability, risk tolerance and probability.

There’s a sophisticated analytical tool I use in financial modelling called Monte Carlo Analysis. It helps me to understand whether or not my clients are taking more risk than they need to. It helps to analyze volatility and also dramatically displays how different asset mixes (think stocks versus real estate) can reduce the chance of meeting important goals—such as ensuring they don’t outlive their money, a major concern among Canadians today. It is also a valuable check and balance on me and my ability to create the right strategies for my clients. You see, without a Monte Carlo analysis, you may not know that your financial advisor is showing you a scenario with a less than 10 per cent probability of success. Sure it could happen but that is not what most of us want to know.

We expect and want to know the probability of our success, and in my opinion Monte Carlo is the best tool for the job.

So how does it work? In all financial plans we make assumptions. If, for example, you’re using any one of a number of popular consumer budgeting and net-worth software

10 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

products, you enter data and the software will run out your scenario. That is, it extends the numbers and does simple calculations.

We look at the end result and feel confident we can achieve it. The problem is that life has many ups and downs and the chances of us successfully predicting outcomes years into the future are unlikely at best and even less accurate the further out the forecast extends.

A good financial plan is modelled until the last spouse is deceased, sometimes beyond if we’re transitioning an estate to children. It must take into account many unknowns: Will we lose our job; develop a disability; see the highest market returns in history or a “lost decade”; retire during a huge recession; or use cash from a life-insurance policy to phase into our retirement. Yes, there is much to consider.

Monte Carlo runs random scenarios and plots them based on all the information I’ve entered into my clients personalized strategic financial plan. Monte Carlo has broad use in many fields of science, medicine and transportation. It had a somewhat sinister origin, though: to evaluate the effect of the atomic bomb. It is particularly helpful in complex situations, such as the building of a skyscraper, with many people engaged and numerous materials required. Because our financial lives are like huge, complex, multiyear projects, Monte Carlo is a natural for use in our financial planning, as well.

All analysis tools require an advisor who knows how to use them. The best way to test that is to ask him or her to explain the report—not just

throw out some final number on probability.

For example, your life expectancy should be randomized (what happens if they discover a cure for the cancer you have not even developed yet). Your full deficit coverage should be forced (read: all debts have to be paid).

And finally, make sure the advisor is running at least 500 random scenarios (I personally use 1,000) and not just the standard 100. The more scenarios, the more likely the probability. If your home-based software runs only one scenario, probability is virtually unknown.

In summary, make sure that you’re evaluating the probability of your financial success not just reviewing a forecast of it. The best way to do that is with sophisticated modelling tools with a trained professional. Choose an advisor who wants to provide you a more realistic measure of risk and return. We may have to take risks in the modern financial world, but we can mitigate them by good, sound analysis of the probability of our success.

Brad McPhee is a Vancouverbased consultant with Investors Group and past chair of the Gay and Lesbian Association of BC. Views expressed in Money$tyle are solely McPhee’s. Outlooks, as well as Investors Group and its affiliates are not responsible and cannot accept any liability. The column is intended as a source of information and not a solicitation to buy or sell investments, nor to provide investment, financial, legal, accounting, tax or other professional advice.

If you have a personalfinance question, email it to editor@ outlooks.ca.

THE DOCTOR IS IN

A PHANTOM’S WAYS KNOWING THE BASICS ON FIGHTING AND TREATING HEPATITIS C

BY DR. MALCOLM HEDGCOCK

H

Gem Photography

epatitis C is one member of a family of viruses that infect the liver.

About 250,000 people in Canada have hepatitis C, and gay men are at higher risk than average for contracting it. Some people will have symptoms when they are first infected with the virus, such as fatigue, nausea or yellowing of the eyes, but most people don’t feel it at all. This is why it’s very important to have blood tests regularly to check if you have it. About 20 per cent of people with hepatitis C have no idea they’ve got it.

We used to think that hepatitis C was only transmitted when infected blood entered someone’s body through things like intravenous drug use or a blood transfusion. However we’ve learned that it can also be passed through sharing cocaine straws or pipes.

Certain sexual practices such as unprotected anal intercourse can also result in infection. Some people even contract hepatitis C through poorly sterilized tattoo, piercing or manicure equipment.

About 20 per cent of people who get infected with hepatitis C will recover from the illness without any medication—similar to how we recover from the flu. Unfortunately,

STANDARD THERAPY FOR HEPATITIS C INCLUDES TWO MEDICATIONS.

C medications can be stopped at the end of treatment. We would consider someone to be rid of his infection if the amount of virus in the blood (viral load) is undetectable six months after the treatment has been stopped. If the virus returns once it has been undetectable for more than six months, it usually means a person has been reinfected.

Unfortunately, we don’t have a vaccine against hepatitis C. The only preventive strategies, therefore, would be avoidance of the risk factors noted previously. For now, the most important thing to do is to get tested for the virus, because we finally have effective treatments—and, I’m happy to report, newer, more tolerable options are not far off.

flu. These are called interferon and ribavirin.

They are taken for up to 48 weeks, depending on how effective they are against the particular virus being treated. Our new drugs can be added to these two medications to make them more effective.

By attacking the virus in many ways with multiple drugs, the efficacy increases dramatically. Unlike HIV therapy, hepatitis

Malcolm Hedgcock is a family doctor in Toronto with a special interest in conditions that are common in the LGBT community.

The information contained in this column is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease and in no way should substitute for consultation with one’s own healthcare professional. Send questions or comments about your health concerns to The Doctor Is In at editor@outlooks.ca.

most of its sufferers will end up with a longlasting or “chronic” infection that damages the liver over the course of many years. If left untreated, hepatitis C can go on to cause cirrhosis or even liver cancer.

We do have a treatment for hepatitis C, and there are many new drugs in development that are extremely effective at eliminating the virus from the system. There

are several different strains or “genotypes” of hepatitis C. The most common form in Canada is genotype 1, which used to be the most difficult one to treat. However, the next generation of C therapy is very effective against this strain, providing hope to many who otherwise would not have responded to treatment.

Standard therapy for chronic hepatitis C includes two medications that together have side effects that mimic depression and the

OUTLOOKS

11

I_SPY

RODINEY SANTIAGO, MODEL DESIGNER Rodiney Santiago didn’t always aspire to fame. Before starring on Logo’s hit reality show The A-List: New York, Santiago studied physiotherapy in his native Brazil. But he soon decided it was his physique, and not physio, that would be the real moneymaker.

Santiago moved to Atlanta to pursue his own version of the American dream: making it as a model. “When I came here [to the U.S.], I was not speaking any English,” he says with an endearingly thick Brazilian accent. “I went to Atlanta for six months. After I learned a kind of little English, I moved to Miami and signed with Mega Models.”

He worked it in front of the camera for two years but made his transition to TV after he started dating Reichen Lemkuhl, of The Amazing Race fame and the ex-boyfriend of Lance Bass. “He asked me if I wanted to come to New York, and so I moved there.” Simple as that, he says. “When we were in New York we had the opportunity to do the A-List together.”

The show, alas, would broadcast their eventual breakup to the masses, as well as many scrapes with castmates. “Thank God [in real life] we can select friends,” he vents, “but with the show, you can’t.” Indeed, Santiago caught some heat for going after females on the show. “I am who I am,” he says candidly. “It’s part of my culture. A lot of Brazilians love sex. They love love. In America, people label you. You’re gay or you’re straight or you’re bi or you’re a bottom or a top. I don’t label myself.”

One thing Santiago is willing to label: His new collaboration with Rufskin, a Brazil-inspired swimwear line (seen here) called RUF ROD. “It’s the Brazilian cut. It’s not too big and its not too small. It’s how Brazilians wear it.” Something tells us we won’t hear any objection to that in the Northern Hemisphere.

Hubert Pouches

—DEREK DOTTO

12 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

OUTFRONT

OUTLOOKS

13

WELLNESS

SALAD DAYS WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO VEGETARIAN

BY JODY BOYNTON

A

I

t makes sense that meat makes meat. That said, meat has a whole host of other implications to consider. Going vegetarian is not so cut and dry: • Cholesterol, for one, only comes from

14 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

Yuri Arcurs

2008 study shows that four per cent of Canadians follow a vegetarian diet; in the U.S. it’s almost 10 per cent. As I’ve recently run into new veggie aficionados, I’m seeing that some of them are quite educated about food and the implications of eliminating meat from their diets. Of course, there are others who’ve stopped eating meat but aren’t necessarily making healthier choices about everything they consume.

What does meat have that’s so great anyway? Well, the carnivore in me says the taste of barbecue is hard to match with that of eggplant. But on top of that, meat is the original convenience food. It is calorically dense, high in fat and protein and has allowed us as a species to stay alive with little food during times of scarcity. In fact, it’s kind of a chicken-andegg story. Did eating meat allow us to develop a larger brain, making us smarter and able to evolve to where we are today? Or did we have the bigger brain first that allowed us to figure out how to live as an omnivore (eating both plant and animal products), eventually foraging less, farming and hunting more and ultimately building the metropolises we now occupy?

Flesh has all the essential amino acids needed to build protein (e.g., muscle), maintain our body’s structure and even make our happy neurotransmitters. Iron and B-12 are also present in amounts that are beneficial and in forms that are more absorbable to us.

Omega-3s and other omegas are found in plants, animals and fish (which have the highest amounts by weight, making fish an easy source of brain-building unsaturated fats).

animals! No plant on the planet produces cholesterol. So if your potato chips say “cholesterol free,” well, they never had it! Cholesterol is important, though. It is a backbone molecule for hormones, part of fat-soluble vitamins; it is part of every cell membrane in the body. In fact, our body makes a whole bunch of it, with our liver making 80 per cent or more of our circulating cholesterol. That said, if we don’t have enough fiber (which comes from plants) to absorb and eliminate it, we just reabsorb it and recycle it over and over again.

• What about fats? Animal products have plenty! That marbling in your steak is fat, and it’s responsible for the memorable mouth feel and flavour. Fats are calorically dense and take some work for us to break down and use for energy. Unsaturated fatty acids, like those

found more in unadulterated plant oils, are potentially a little easier for our bodies to use.

• Iron is more difficult to absorb in the non-heme (blood) form, most found in flesh.

We can take up about 18 per cent of iron from meat but only about 10 per cent from plantbased foods. Iron is the central element inside a hemoglobin molecule. Without it, we can’t make red blood cells, essential to circulating oxygen in our bodies. Cereals, nuts, seeds and legumes are good sources, but phytates, phenols, tannins and calcium can inhibit absorption. Vitamin C, on the other hand, is an absorption enhancer. That’s why spinach has lots of iron, but if you eat it raw—as opposed to cooked with a squeeze of lemon—the amount you can potentially absorb becomes very different.

WELLNESS

• Protein has been called the building block of life. There is a risk of veggie-based diets being low in protein, because of the nine essential amino acids. We can’t manufacture those acids in our bodies, so we need to get them from dietary sources. Some plants are higher in some amino acids and lower in others. Think of your body as an automobile plant, with an assembly line to make muscle, connective tissue, hormones, etc. If we run out of one part (essential amino acid), production stops. Your body can store extra amino acids in your liver, but when they’re gone, it will break down muscle tissue, or perhaps an organ, to make up for the shortfall. Constantly being low in just one amino acid will hold the body hostage, getting that acid wherever it can until we can replace it through diet.

• Omega-3 is another essential element that can come up short in a vegetarian diet.

Omega-3s are important for brain development and function, and reduce the chance of getting inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, heart disease and perhaps even cancer.

AllStars-OUTlooks2.pdf 1 15/08/2012 9:30:17 AM Great omega-3 sources can be raw nuts and sea vegetables or a microalgae supplement.

F

or those on a vegetarian diet, variety in foods is essential to getting all necessary amino acids. Soy is often looked at as a balanced protein choice, but it can be overused and sometimes controversial—from GMO complaints to hormone-disrupting claims. No more than one serving a day, and don’t even get me started on soy-based meat substitutes. Heavily processed foods, plant-based or no, do not have a place as a staple in any diet.

As for vegan diets—in which all animal products, such as eggs and dairy, are avoided—they can help reduce your risk for developing certain types of cancers. A diet high in plant matter has more fiber, and that’s good for your intestinal mucosa. If you aren’t consuming processed, empty foods, you can lose weight. Also, without all the cholesterol and saturated fats, you help reduce the chance of developing colon cancer, diabetes or perhaps even cardiovascular disease.

Beyond the health benefits associated with vegetarian and vegan diets, there are, for many, the ethical and environmental considerations. Is it right to take the life of one living thing to further our own? Evolu-

tion would say, yes: survival of the fittest, etc. But even if that’s so, do we really need to consume so much meat and so often?

Farms use a tiny fraction of water and resources to grow crops compared to what’s needed to produce meat. By one estimate, some 30 per cent of the earth’s forests have been cleared for pastures to grow livestock.

That’s 260 million acres in the U.S. alone.

There are, of course, entire cultures that have existed for hundreds of years on a mostly plant-based diet, with some dairy and occasional meat or fish. Imagine the impact it could have on the world if North America shifted even just a little away from our current burger culture!

Jody Boynton is a NSCA certified personaltraining instructor, weight-loss coach and nutritional practitioner based in Toronto. His advice is not necessarily intended for all readers, whose individual strength and overall health should be considered before undertaking any fitness or related programs. He may be reached at jodyboynton@gmail.com.

CIVILIT Y

I’D LIKE YOU TO MEET… THE HANDLING AND MISHANDLING OF INTRODUCTIONS

BY JIM BROSSEAU

Dean Mitchell

could draw attention to Tom’s misstep, he (Tom) could quickly recover with a simple apology for forgetting his manners.

W

e’ve all been there. Perhaps it happened to you during some of the summer’s Pride events.

It’s what I call the introduction freeze-out: You’re with a friend who runs into someone you don’t know. They stop, carry on a conversation, say good-bye and on you go, never having met the person with whom your friend had the chat. Yes, even in famously polite Canada, it happens.

I have found myself in all three of the awkward roles produced by the freeze-out scenario. First, there’s the newcomer waiting to be introduced; second is your friend, who never makes the introduction; and third is you, the one who’s frozen out and never made a part of the conversation. If you think about it, every party to this vignette is put in an uncomfortable situation. Yet any one of those parties could defuse the uneasiness by becoming proactive. Let’s demonstrate with three brief one-act “plays.”

“LOVE THAT BOB” Bob, a knockout, is walking down Church

16 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

Street in Toronto when he encounters an old friend, Tom. Tom is with a new friend, who’s wondering who the knockout is. After a few seconds, Bob deduces that a) Tom is ill-bred and not used to handling introductions, b) so dazzled by his (Bob’s) looks that he’s simply forgotten his manners or c) can’t remember Bob’s name and so can’t introduce him. So Bob, being much more than just a pretty face, extends his hand to Tom’s companion and casually says, “Hi, I’m Bob.” “TACKY TOM” A well-meaning chap, Tom doesn’t have the best memory on earth. So when he runs into old friend Bob on the street, he’s unable to introduce him to the pal beside him, Jack.

Ah, but there’s a simple solution. Tom need only say to Bob, “Oh, this is my friend Jack.”

As Jack extends his hand, chances are Bob—or the person in his shoes—will do the right thing and introduce himself. In a variation of this, Bob, surmising that Tom has forgotten his name, might simply take the initiative and introduce himself to Jack. Although this

“HAPLESS JACK” If you’re the frozen-out guy, the lonely one waiting while the others renew their acquaintance, there’s a role for you, as well.

Rather than stew, you might say something like, “You look awfully familiar—have we met?

I’m Jack.” Or a simple, “Hi, I’m Jack” would also do. Again, you risk embarrassing the Tom in this scenario, but, then, it’s primarily his responsibility to make the introductions in the first place.

Okay, so we’ve given everyone the benefit of the doubt and assumed they avoid introductions because they’ve forgotten names.

But there’s always a phrase that will help break the logjam. A few possibilities: “I believe you already know…” or “You know [insert name]….” Then there’s, “Have you two met?”

That should be sufficient to get one or the other of the strangers to make his own intro.

Avoid getting yourself into deeper trouble.

Once, when charged with an introduction and stuck for a person’s name, I thought I was being oh so clever when I asked the mystery man “to pronounce your last name for me again.” Yes, you guessed it, the surname was “Smith.”

When you actually do know the names of all parties involved, introductions can then be a snap. And they should always be made. So often are they bungled or, more likely, forgotten altogether, that you can’t help but shine for this simple act of graciousness. Tradition holds, by the way, that the older or more socially prominent person be spoken to first, as in “Professor Hot Shot, I’d like you to meet….”

But the main thing about introductions is to do them.

Do you have questions about navigating social situations? Share them with Civility at editor@outlooks.ca.

WHEELS

BUYER, BE THERE STAYING FOCUSED WHEN YOU’RE PURCHASING A NEW CAR

BY RICHARD READ

F

unny how six little words can strike terror into the hearts of sensible adults—words like, “I’m sorry, that’s gotta come out”, or “Ladies and gentlemen, Carly Rae Jepsen!” Or worse: “It’s time to buy a new car.” Not that driving an updated model can’t be one of life’s greatest thrills. But the selection process can often be more than a little intimidating. I can promise that auto shopping is nothing to fret about.

It’s really just a three-step process.

STEP 2: DO YOUR RESEARCH Now that you know the type of car you’re looking for (and how much car you can

You know you’re getting “the treatment” if a) the salesperson starts throwing around technical terms clearly meant to impress or confuse you, b) the guy/gal stresses “special deals” that “end today” or c) the salesperson keeps running out to ask “his boss” if they can “come up with a better deal” for you.

This can be especially vexing for LGBT consumers, because it feels painfully similar to our experiences of being bullied as kids.

But remember: You’re older now, not to mention wiser and wealthier.

If the aggression gets out of hand, turn to the salesperson and say, “With all due respect, I’d like to look around,” and walk away. Hopefully, he or she will get the hint, preferring to watch you from a distance rather than see you leave.

At some point, the salesperson will probably ask, “How much are you hoping to spend?” Be honest, but explain that your top figure includes everything—taxes and fees, too. If the staffer tries to push you beyond that, or if you get to the dotted line and find the number exceeds your stated limit, leave. You’re under no obligation to buy anything.

London Eye

STEP 1: GET TO KNOW YOURSELF Before getting bogged down in the specifics of makes and models, think about your needs. How do you use your car? For getting to work? Hauling around your partner? Reliability? Has your current ride served you well?

Next, do something that many other shoppers don’t: Identify the “class” of vehicle you need.

Do you want a small city car like the Fiat 500 or the Toyota Yaris?

A compact crossover like the Ford Escape or Honda CR-V? Limiting yourself to a particular class will narrow your choices and prevent the shopping process from becoming overwhelming.

Finally, take an honest look at your financial situation. How much cash do you have on hand? If you plan to trade in your old car, how much can you get for it? (kbb.com is a great resource for this kind of data.) If you’re like most people, you’ll need to finance a portion of your new ride. Try to prequalify for an auto loan online: You could land a better rate because you can comparison-shop, and it’ll save you the headache of arranging financing through a dealer.

afford), it’s simply a matter of comparing vehicles in your chosen class. My colleagues at TheCarConnection.com do a great job of pulling together reviews from a range of sources, and, of course, JDPower.com offers plenty of info about quality and customer satisfaction.

Keep in mind that many financial consultants (including out-and-proud Suze Orman) encourage shoppers to buy “new used” cars instead of brand-new. “New used” generally

means a vehicle that’s one or two years old, without much wear and tear. Those rides are substantially cheaper than their brand-new equivalents because cars depreciate dramatically the minute they’re driven off the lot.

STEP 3: HIT THE DEALERS Of the three steps, this is the most daunting. Most auto salespeople are perfectly nice when you see them at the mall or the grocery store, but put them in a showroom (where they work on commission), and they can sometimes become brutally aggressive.

On occasion, that aggression is obvious—it sounds like the fast-talking sales pitches you’ve heard at furniture shops and flea markets. But at other times, it’s a tad more subtle.

BOTTOM LINE A car is a major investment. You shouldn’t drive away from a dealership feeling as if you’ve been had or bought something that you really didn’t want. That said, I think it’s very important to buy what makes you happy.

If you’ve done your research and find yourself debating between your dream car, which is at the top of your financial range, and a secondtier substitute, which is at the bottom, go for the dream ride. If a car really revs your engine, you’ll be more likely to hang onto it—meaning that you won’t have to go through this process again for a long, long time.

Richard Read edits Gay Wheels (gaywheels.com).

OUTLOOKS

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TRAVEL_TALK

DON’T MISS THE BOAT

BY RANDALL SHIRLEY Travel Editor

A

Tony Baggett

few minutes into the Broadway musical Titanic, as the doomed liner sails out to sea, a would-be passenger runs across the front of the stage shouting for the ship to wait— he has, as they say, missed the boat.

Lucky him.

It’s been 100 years since the luxury liner Titanic hit an iceberg and sank to the bottom of the ocean, taking the lives of 1,517 people, among them some of the wealthiest men on the planet.

Unfortunately, by the time you’re reading this—unless you follow me on Twitter, are a Facebook friend, follow my blogging on MeetMeOnBoard.com, or just happen to have been in Vancouver this summer—you have missed the boat on a truly excellent theatrical experience.

Aligning with the disaster’s 100th anniversary, Vancouver’s Theatre Under the Stars (tuts.ca) ran a local production of Titanic. I saw the show on Broadway in 1998. For a rather macabre topic, it’s surprisingly good theatre. And the recent Vancouver production—outdoors in Stanley Park—was so good, I went twice. I encourage you to plan ahead and attend an amazing night of theatre next time you’re in Vancouver during summer.

So you’ve missed the boat on Titanic, the musical, but I encourage you not to miss the boat on my other instant suggestions. Follow me on Twitter @Randall_Shirley,

and you’ll be among the first to know when I’ve had a travel experience I think is worth your time—whether it’s mentioning a great theatre performance in Vancouver, or where I recently had a divine, local snow crab in Newfoundland. And, this December, why Antwerp should be in your 2013 travel plans. There will be Outlooks features on Newfoundland and Antwerp, but watching my tweets gives you an early-bird view.

Personally, I love the combination of travel media I have available—both as a traveller and a writer. I’m glad that we have

printed magazines that allow a place for longer-form travel storytelling with great photos and layouts—the kind of thing that so often starts me dreaming of a trip. And I’m glad that we have the instant 140-character format that allows for immediate info—especially for events that don’t have a long shelf life.

One of those events is coming right up: Montreal’s famed Black & Blue (see page 19). You need to make your travel plans for that now—otherwise, you’ve missed the boat.

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Tourisme Montréal, Stéphan Poulin

C’EST MAGNIFIQUE SEVEN REASONS TO FALL FOR MONTREAL IN AUTUMN •

BY RANDALL SHIRLEY

OUTLOOKS

19

Tourisme Montréal, Stéphan Poulin

T

he phrase “Autumn in Montreal” may not roll off your tongue as smoothly as, say, “April in Paris,” but in my experience, fall is a divine time to visit Canada’s capital of decadence and delights. Don’t get me wrong—Montreal provides an excellent travel experience in any season (I’ve had plenty of fun there in a blizzard). But to my eyes, the time of year when the colour-changing leaves of Mount Royal flutter in like a crown over the city is best of all.

If you’ve never visited Montreal, I can’t recommend it highly enough. Residents of this city have come to truly exhibit what a gay-friendly destination should be: a place where being gay is not ignored but generally welcomed and celebrated as a normal part of everyday life.

Here are seven reasons you should head to Montreal this fall.

1. LE VILLAGE RETURNS TO NORMAL. I must admit, there is something very special about Montreal’s gay village when it is a pedestrian-only zone during the summer months.

But I’m a bigger fan of seeing cities the way they normally are, and I like Le Village in its normal state.

I particularly enjoy meeting Montréalais (as residents are called).

Visiting after the throngs of summer tourists have left makes it easier to chat up the locals, whether it’s the sales clerks in Priape’s flagship location or the after-work crowd at Sky Pub—still among my favourite watering holes for the friendly, mixed “type” crowd I’ve found there (complexesky.com).

2. EXPLORE THE NEW GAY NEIGHBOURHOOD. Many of us Canadian gays don’t just want villages anymore—we choose to live anyplace in any city. However, there are notable clusters of gays living in non-traditional villages, and this is certainly true of

20 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

Signs of autumn in Mount Royal Park grace the dramatic Montreal skyline (opposite). Visitors get a taste of hometown life amid the sounds and stalls of Little Italy’s Jean Talon Market.

Montreal, where the Mile End neighbourhood has become the new “it” place. And it’s not just gay guys—the lesbians are there, too.

Since a sizable number of homos have joined the Hasids and hipsters in this ’hood (although I didn’t meet a homo who fit all three categories), it was only a matter of time until someone realized that we all love a physical place to meet and hang out.

Thus was born the very, very fun Royal Phoenix Bar, where “queer” is the word as the guys and the gals mingle in a more sociable way than I’ve generally seen in other cities—and generally in English. The bar hosts a variety of clever events throughout the week, and on a recent visit I found myself watching zany early ’90s TV during the bar’s Twin Peaks Tuesdays. After the show, bar staff organized games.

If you’re hungry, its Royal Poutine should fill the void—topped with pulled pork, coleslaw and apples (royalphoenixbar.com).

3. THE PERFORMING ARTS SCENE OFFERS EXCELLENT CHOICES. The remarkable performance space known as La TOHU often offers various circus/cirque acts. This month, it is featuring James Thiérrée, who’s called a “living master” and “accomplished magician, musician and director” in RAOUL, and in late October/early November, it will feature Séquence 8, which is described as “human-scale circus” (tohu.com).

The Place des Arts complex offers performances of classical music by the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal, a series featuring various singers called Les Week-ends de la chanson Québecor and even famed singer-songwriter Ben Harper (laplacedesarts.com).

At the Segal Centre for Performing Arts, fall theatrical productions

in English include Richard III and Guys and Dolls. There are a number of music and dance performances at the Segal as well (segalcentre.org).

Orchestre symphonique de Montréal, Jean Buithieu

4. BE AN EARLY-STAYER AT THE REVAMPED RITZ-CARLTON. Montreal has a number of great hotels, but unlike many Canadian cities, its Fairmont property is not the city’s grand dame. That title belongs to a swish property that opened 100 years ago and recently reopened after a $200-million overhaul.

The hotel was the first in Canada with an ensuite bath in every guest room and built with hallways wide enough to navigate the steamer trunks of the day. Its lovely Palm Court foyer and grand staircase—which was designed by Cesar Ritz himself as a place for ladies to show off their evening gowns—can both be visited without booking a room, as can Daniel Boloud’s new Maison Boloud restaurant, which is designed in a more modern fashion.

The number of guest rooms has been reduced by nearly 100, and they are now stunningly contemporary. Yet, like so many things in Quebec, the new seems to blend seamlessly with the old (ritz montreal.com). The location is a delight for fans of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: it’s just up the street (mbam.qc.ca/en).

If the Ritz doesn’t suit your budget, one of my all-time favourite gay-owned B&Bs, La Loggia Art & Breakfast (laloggia.ca), is in Le Village. I’m also impressed with the facilities at the near-village Opus Hotel (opushotel.com/montreal) and the groovy Hotel Gault in Old Montreal, on the site of North America’s first YMCA (hotelgault.com).

Randall Shirley

5. TASTE AUTUMN’S BOUNTY AT JEAN TALON MARKET. Montreal’s famed farmers market is at its best when the fall bounty is rolling in. Whether you snag a few apples that were recently on the tree, field-fresh squash, some Quebec maple products or a freshly baked snack, a morning can easily be lazed away at the market (marche-jeantalon.com).

Nearby, in Montreal’s Little Italy neighbourhood, you’ll find a legendary cup of coffee at Café Italia, 6840 St-Laurent Blvd.

Randall Shirley

7. HEARTY EATS. It’s much easier to justify eating a full smoked-meat sandwich from Schwartz’s Deli or a couple of St-Viateur’s sinfully good bagels when you’re not as worried about how you look in a tank top and shorts (then again, see item 6). Montreal’s food scene always delights me; there is something new to try on every trip.

For a great, casual sit-down meal, a recent “find” is a hip spot in the Mile End neighbourhood called Nouveau Palais. If this gay-friendly spot looks like an old greasy spoon, it is! But its relatively new owners, including chef Gita Seaton, have smartened up the home cooking and the result is outstanding. Expected items include mac and cheese or a hamburger, but pleasant surprises are things like seasonal fiddlehead

Tourisme Montréal, Stéphan Poulin

6. BLACK & BLUE. Still going strong as it enters its 22nd year, this long-standing circuitstyle event pulls in a huge crowd of gays for several days of smaller themed parties before its legendary big Sunday-night extravaganza in the convention centre called Palais des congrès. It takes place on Thanksgiving weekend, so you’ve got Monday to cure your hangover before work on Tuesday. And the fun is for a good cause: The foundation that runs the event has donated more than $1 million to AIDS charities over the years (bbcm.org/home-en).

L’Orchestre symphonique de Montréal in performance (top); a colourful façade is the signature of the Palais des congrès (middle); elegance infuses the Ritz Carlton Palm Court (above, left); queuing up at popular gay hangout Sky Pub (above, right).

greens, barbecue chicken with black-eyed peas and Swiss chard. The iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese and bacon will let you pretend to eat healthy (nouveaupalais.com).

OUTLOOKS

21

Randall Shirley

TENNESSEE WALTZ NASHVILLE SHOWS ME I’M MORE THAN JUST A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY IN MY SOUL

BY RANDALL SHIRLEY

22 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

The Frist Center in Nashville affords a stunning example of architectural repurposing. The one-time post office, built in classic art deco style, now showcases impressive art.

I

don’t particularly like country music. And I didn’t come to Nashville expecting to develop a crush on the town. But after four days in Music City, USA, as Nashville is nicknamed, I’ve fallen for this town where, as a local points out, gay bars are on Church Street and churches are on Gay Street.

It’s a town where rumours float about who’s gay in the countrymusic biz. One guy I meet guesses it’s as high as 20 per cent. That sounds rational to me, especially as I wander through the surprisingly interesting Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, thinking to myself that it must have required a gaggle of gays to come up with—and sew—all the rhinestone-laden costumes and fancy boots. And that’s before I even speculate on the performers who wore those clothes and strummed those instruments (countrymusichalloffame.org).

But with much of country music’s fan base conservative folk enamoured with Mom and apple pie—not that there’s anything wrong

with that—the likelihood of a major star coming out is slim. Thus the country-music business largely remains a professional closet full of lovely fringed jackets and Wrangler jeans.

That does not mean, however, that Nashville doesn’t have plenty to entertain the gay visitor. And perhaps the best gay-friendly entertainment in town is as down-home country as it can be: a ride on the big pink bus with Brenda Kay and Sheri Lynn Jugg, two gals who dish the dirt on everything Nashville during their Nash Trash tour—which books out well in advance (nashtrash.com).

Everyone on the bus is skewered at some point. When it’s my turn, they somehow get me to admit I’m a former Mormon and instantly announce they could be my new sister wives. I do learn that the Juggs are plenty gay-friendly, as evidenced by a blue and yellow Human Rights Campaign equality sticker at the front of the bus—they’ve been guest speakers at HRC events. (For an advance taste of their OUTLOOKS

23

Grand Ole Opry

Grand Ole Opry

Randall Shirley

gay-friendliness, search YouTube for “Nash Trash Tour No. 2.”)

To a tourist with any sense of the American South, the Jugg sisters are pure southern decadence. The real-life sisters (although I doubt these are their real names) are insanely talented actresses, singing and joking their way around their city with busloads of laughing guests. These gals’ Tennessee twangs can turn any one-syllable word into a multisyllabic creation with ease (Jan becomes Ja-yann). They’re quick with lines that fillet local stereotypes about women jacking their hair up to Jesus, or the idea that they haven’t washed their clothes in four years since discovering Febreeze. The Juggs have the quickest wits and sharpest tongues I’ve encountered in a very long time, and their wicked humour can test the most stoic bladder.

By the time I get off the Juggs’ bus, I know where the key spots are in downtown Nashville—including some naked green statues officially called “Musica” but known to the Juggs as the “Penis de Milo.” Besides the Country Music Hall of Fame, they’ve pointed out the Ryman Auditorium, where the Grand Ole Opry started; Music Row, home to the offices and studios of famous record labels; and the stretch of Broadway that’s literally crammed with bars—almost every one of them featuring a live band, even by day.

C

ountry fan or not, it would be a crime to visit Nashville and not indulge my ears in the local export. I start at The Bluebird Cafe, a spot legendary among country-music insiders—known as a “listening room.” Singer-songwriters come here to try out new material or play some of the tunes they wrote that were made famous by others. I don’t recognize the names on the roster but really enjoy the acoustic performances. The audience is required to stay quiet, and the only extra noise comes from the bar and food servers (bluebirdcafe.com).

An evening at the Bluebird is the polar opposite of what coun-

24 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

try music has become—often big stadium acts—and somewhere in between is the experience of an evening at the temple of country music: the Grand Ole Opry.

While the Bluebird is pleasant, the Opry knocks my socks off. The show—still broadcast live—now takes place in a large yet surprisingly intimate auditorium about a 20-minute drive outside the city centre.

For three hours, the sheer variety of music and onstage banter are a treat. The show includes about a dozen acts, divided into four segments, each “hosted” by a different musician: I’m treated to hosting by Vince Gill. Even I have heard of Mr. Gill, and it is amazing to see a legend like him in this relaxed-yet-professional setting where everyone—on the stage and in the audience—appears to have a great time. And it doesn’t hurt my feelings that one of the acts is curlyblond-haired Casey James, of American Idol lineage, who is plenty easy on my eyes and ears. My ticket includes a backstage tour after the show, and it’s great fun to wander this famed space while some of the performers are still making their way out—I highly recommend this type of ticket (opry.com).

T

here is more to Nashville than country music. The city’s other nickname is the Athens of the South, and a full-scale replica of the Parthenon captures my attention for a morning. Inside, I discover a striking statue of Athena—looking almost like a drag queen, albeit one who’s 13 metres tall. And I’ve shown up on a day when members of a local opera company are doing a free performance in the resonant hall—a reminder that Nashville does embrace other kinds of music.

The city’s downtown core is home to a thriving zone of art galleries, including a street called 5th Avenue of the Arts, where I find the Arts Company (theartscompany.com) and Rymer Gallery (therymer gallery.com), both particularly enjoyable. A few blocks away, the Frist

Randall Shirley Randall Shirley

Randall Shirley

Center for the Visual Arts is as remarkable for its facility—a repurposed, art deco post office—as for the art exhibits (fristcenter.org).

Just outside town I tour the mansion at Belle Meade Plantation— a step into the 1800s. A costumed tour guide tells stories of the plantation’s history and former residents. I easily fantasize myself into the era…shacking up with a hot Confederate soldier in one of the horse stables during the Civil War (bellemeadeplantation.com).

But it’s 2012, so I go in search of Nashville’s modern gay world.

The city doesn’t have a gaybourhood, but there is the cluster of gay bars on aforementioned Church Street. There’s also a fun Asianfusion restaurant called Suzy Wong’s House of Yum (suzywongs nashville.com), which happens to be attached to a friendly bar called Tribe and an adjacent one called Play.

Luckily, I’m staying at a swish property in walking distance of these spots and more. The Hutton Hotel has been on Condé Nast Traveler’s hot list, so it’s plenty nice. The lobby is ultra-cool, showcasing a unique metal sculpture and other art. My guest room has a contemporary design feel—a nice blend of colours and textures— plus a view of downtown Nashville (huttonhotel.com).

I manage to get myself invited to a meeting of the local LGBT Chamber of Commerce, held this time at the sparkling new LGBT community/event space called OutCentral. There I meet dozens of gay Nashvillians and discover that modern Nashville is far more gay-welcoming than an outsider might expect—the chamber’s membership includes people who are involved in all sorts of businesses and organizations (nashvilleglbtchamber.com). I’m especially impressed to learn that the city has a centre offering a program for LGBT youth.

Church Street seems a bit commercial and industrial, so I’m

Trace Adkins waves to Grand Ole Opry crowd (opposite, clockwise from left); the Opry’s fabled stage; Jugg Sisters’ Sheri Lynn, left, and Brenda Kay conduct a ribald tour of “Music City.” The Country Music Hall of Fame (this page, clockwise from upper left); a 13-metre-tall statue of Athena at Nashville’s Parthenon; fringe and rhinestones abound in Hall of Fame memorabilia displays.

curious as to where the gays live. I’m told they’re scattered around the city but that the neighbourhood of East Nashville is a popular enclave, so I head that way to try a couple of restaurants. A great lunch stop is at Marché Artisan Foods, where I have a sinfully good steak sandwich while gazing across the street at a school Oprah Winfrey attended (marcheartisanfoods.com).

But the to-die-for meal is at a true hole in the wall, a Mexican joint called Mas Tacos Por Favor, where I think I’ve died and gone to heaven when I bite into its fish taco; ditto the pulled pork. Astonishingly good (eatmastacos.com).

A few blocks away I find the perfect thing to cool my taste buds: Jeni’s Ice Cream, um, sin in a cup. Jeni’s is based in Ohio, and Tennessee is the only other place to find them. The dazzling flavours of their Queen City Cayenne (chocolate and peppers) seem the appropriate chaser to my tacos (jenis.com). Next door to Jeni’s, Ugly Mugs Coffee and Tea is an inviting place to hang out with local maybe-gay eye candy; flirting is optional.

It’s been a great trip. I’ve had terrific food, met cool people and even learned to enjoy some country tunes in a city where that genre is as impossible to ignore as Dolly Parton’s chest. A holiday here is entirely unique in a city that blends country with urban and is home to one of the South’s more thriving gay communities.

OUTLOOKS

25

Provincetown Tourism Office

FROM BOYFRIEND TO BEST FRIEND POST-BREAKUP, MANY GAY COUPLES FORGE LASTING BONDS WITH THEIR EXES. ARE WE JUST BETTER AT THIS?

I

t’s a story we’ve all heard and a sequence of events many of us know firsthand. Guy meets guy. Guys fall madly in love.

Guys become boyfriends, then sizzle turns to fizzle, and they fall out of love. Guys break up, go their separate ways, only to reunite a short while later, not as lovers this time but as friends. Hatchets get buried, bygones become bygones, and a platonic friendship blossoms. This familiar narrative could just as easily

26 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

BY DAVID WRIGHT begin with “gal meets gal,” but, for whatever reason, such happy endings seem far less assured when “guy meets gal.”

Whether gay or straight, relationships come together and fall apart for many reasons. And at the risk of stating the obvious, parting company is no picnic. We’ve all been there, some more than others. At midlife, I’ve enjoyed four meaningful long-term relationships over the years. Each breakup was just as hard as the last,

but when the dust finally settled, three out of those four former boyfriends became good friends; two of them even grew into best of friends.

I was in my 20s the first time I reconnected with an ex in a platonic friendship, and it just seemed natural. Back then, I had no examples to guide me, no role models telling me this is what gay people do. My ex-partners and I became friends simply because we wanted to. And it’s not just me. It’s a pattern I’ve seen played out time and again among many of my gay and lesbian friends. With my straight friends? Not so much.

“What is it with you gay guys?” my mother recently asked when I told I her was having dinner with my ex that night. “How do you manage to stay friends?” My answer: How can we not? My love and respect for these men outlasted the romantic relationship, and, despite our differences, I wanted to keep them in my life. By contrast, most of the straight women I know couldn’t imagine maintaining deep ties with their ex-boyfriends.

Professor Sheila Cavanagh, coordinator of York University’s sexuality studies program and author of Queering Bathrooms, sees it not necessarily as a gay-straight question. She says the ability to form a post-breakup friendship involves factors other than sexual orientation, including class, culture, economic issues, age and geographic location. But, she adds: “It may be fair to say that in small communities, lesbian, gay and bisexual folks are better able to sustain friendships because their social lives are more entwined.”

True enough. Even in large urban centres, gay communities are close-knit enclaves—a small town within a city. In Toronto, we call ours the Gay Village. “Most of us are part of a smaller community,” notes Adam Segal, a Toronto-based psychotherapist with a predominantly LGBT clientele. “And we often meet our partners through our connections. Sometimes a relationship might grow out of a friendship and later return to a friendship. And that’s very different from starting completely on a romantic footing and then moving into a platonic relationship.”

By the same token, Segal remarks, inhabiting a small gay village can make things difficult for exes who may want to avoid each other at first but frequently find themselves crossing paths. “When you’ve been in a long-term relationship—you know everything about him, every inch of his body, and then you don’t know him that way anymore—and you’re still living in the same city but you’re estranged; it’s so painful.”

In my own experience, I’ve found that time is key. Reuniting as friends required patience, a bit of dancing around each other initially, maybe even a few false starts. Segal says that when ex-partners rush into a friendship, they may be trying to avoid dealing with their grief. “There’s a benefit to taking some time between the end of a relationship and trying to initiate a friendship,” he says, “so you can actually feel the loss of that person. Once you move through that,

it’s easier to build from a healthier place, instead of just scrambling for the scraps.”

And let’s face it: If the relationship was too dysfunctional, the breakup too traumatic, there’s little to work with and not much incentive to stay friends. As Cavanagh notes, “A key factor may be whether or not trust was breached and the capacity of the partners to resolve (or accept) their difficulties (and differences) in respectful ways.”

It’s hard to get past feelings of betrayal, for sure, but same-sex partners have a slight edge when it comes to resolving conflicts. According to a landmark 2003 Journal of Homosexuality study, straight couples often retreat to biologically defined gender roles when differences arise: Men can become distant or angry; women are given to emotional outbursts; lingering tensions poison the relationship. With

“IT MAY BE FAIR TO SAY THAT...LESBIAN, GAY AND BISEXUAL FOLKS ARE BETTER ABLE TO SUSTAIN FRIENDSHIPS BECAUSE THEIR SOCIAL LIVES ARE MORE ENTWINED.” gay couples, on the other hand, there’s a sense of “We’re angry, but isn’t this funny?” observed University of California, Berkeley, psychology professor Robert Levenson in a 2008 Time article. As one of the lead researchers, he also found that lesbians were especially adept at defusing arguments by using humour and, overall, gay partners just fought more fairly.

The issue of remaining friends post-breakup doesn’t figure in this study, but these differences are significant. Within a relationship, gay couples are well equipped to negotiate the minefields we encounter along the journey. During disputes, we meet on a more level playing field. In short, we understand each other.

Despite whatever severs a romantic relationship once and for all, I reckon these might also be the same ingredients that allow us to move forward in our lives after a breakup, however painful in the short term, not separately but together as friends. It doesn’t always work out that way (as my one estranged ex and I are well aware), but it’s great when it happens. When I sit down to dinner with any of my other former partners and raise a glass to our friendship, I know we’ve achieved something special.

OUTLOOKS

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Slonov

28 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

THE OUTLOOKS INTERVIEW

A WAY TO BE GAY? IF YOU THINK YOU’RE THE EXPERT ON YOUR OWN SEXUALITY, A NEW BOOK CHALLENGES YOU TO THINK AGAIN

BY JIM BROSSEAU

D

avid M. Halperin has written what might be called an archaeological study of gay culture. His excavation is a veritable public service to anyone who’s ever wondered why a Lady Gaga—or Judy Garland—holds a place in the LGBT community that isn’t quite the same among their heterosexual counterparts.

Still, the very specter of “gay identity” in a world where, for many, integration is viewed as the ultimate civil-rights victory, inevitably sparks controversy.

Halperin, on the faculty of the University of Michigan—and W.H. Auden Distinguished University Professor of the History and Theory of Sexuality—is no stranger to controversy. Back in 2000, he introduced a class titled “How to Be Gay: Male Homosexuality and Initiation.” Then, as now, Halperin’s quest was to illuminate “the plurality of ways in which people determine how to be gay.” But hold on: The word “determine” would suggest there’s a choice in the matter of sexuality. We all know where that notion can lead.

And lead it did. But if criticism from conservative quarters—including the predictable charge that taxpayer funds were “encouraging” homosexuality—was not unexpected, there was surprising pushback from the gay community, as well. The resultant firestorm is but one psychological turf battle (food fight might be more appropriate) chronicled in Halperin’s new book, How to Be Gay (The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press).

His exhaustive exploration of the icons and idiosyncrasies associated with gay identity holds up a floor-length mirror to an entire subculture.

OUTLOOKS: In a few passages within How to Be Gay, I sensed the suggestion that gays are “born that way.” Was that a misreading?

DAVID HALPERIN: I’m not interested in what causes homosexuality or heterosexuality, and anyway no one has the slightest clue about that. I am interested in the cultural practice of male homosexuality, in male homosexuality as a cultural orientation rather than a sexual orientation. I don’t think anyone is born with a liking for Born This Way, and I don’t think there’s a gene that causes you to be a fan of Lady Gaga. That is something you acquire.

OUTLOOKS: A choice?

DH: That doesn’t mean it’s a choice. As a cultural formation, being gay is like being Canadian or middle class: It’s a social experience. It’s neither a natural condition nor an individual quirk. I could even say it’s the way you’re born—in the sense that if you’re born and raised in Canada, you inevitably become a Canadian of one sort or another, whether you want to become one or not. And your subjective life, your instincts and intuitions, will necessarily be shaped by your being a Canadian, by your connectedness to Canadian culture. But this doesn’t mean OUTLOOKS

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there’s a gene that causes you to have a Canadian subjectivity, or a gland in your brain that makes you Canadian. Now kids aren’t raised to be gay, the way they’re raised to be Canadians, so what I’ve done in my book is try to describe a different, non-standard process of cultural formation: I have to understand the workings of the kind of counter-acculturation that imparts to some boys an instinctual responsiveness to gay culture, including the usual gay icons, from an early age.

OUTLOOKS: You said you want to explain gay identity from a cultural perspective rather than through sexuality itself. Could you elaborate?

DH: Homosexuality is usually thought of as a sexual orientation. It’s defined as a sexual object-choice. Which is not wrong.

But so long as you define it in sexual terms, you will never be able to understand all of its non-sexual dimensions: the partic-

“BEING GAY IS LIKE BEING CANADIAN OR MIDDLE CLASS: IT’S A SOCIAL EXPERIENCE. IT’S NEITHER A NATURAL CONDITION NOR AN INDIVIDUAL QUIRK.” ular attraction that gay men feel to certain divas (Judy Garland, Maria Callas, Lady Gaga), cultural forms (opera, Broadway musicals, techno music) or activities (fashion, design, style, witty put-downs). Not all gay men are attracted to these things, of course, and being attracted to them doesn’t make you gay (though if you do love them all and still claim to be straight, you may have some explaining to do). But gay identity is associated with a queer tendency to be passionately engaged with certain cultural objects in certain ways that are not generally shared with members of mainstream culture. I wanted to approach male homosexuality from the perspective of its investments in these cultural objects in order to see whether we might understand gayness differently, or better—whether we might even learn something about it as a sexual orientation—if we shifted our point of view and looked at it from the vantage not of sexuality but culture.

OUTLOOKS: What role does the casual use of “queer” among gays and lesbians (and your use in the book) play in the gay identity at the heart of your book—even if used to describe cinema, studies, etc.?

DH: My use of the term “queer” is not casual. I don’t use it as a synonym for “gay” or “lesbian.” The opposite of “gay” or “lesbian” is “straight,” just as the opposite of “homosexual” is “heterosexual.” The opposite of “queer” is “normal.” “Queer” refers, 30 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

therefore, to a departure or deviation from the norm. In sexual politics, it refers to people who are, or who feel themselves to be, marginalized or stigmatized because of their sexual practices, but there is no sexual practice in particular to which the term necessarily refers. Queer points to an entire field of resistance to the established social order. When I use it, I intend it to mean “non-standard” and to refer to sexual outlaws of various kinds, including (but not only) lesbians, bisexuals, transgender people and gay men in their deviation from accepted social forms.

And since gay male culture consists in a non-standard relation to mainstream cultural objects, the notion of queerness is fundamental to my approach.

OUTLOOKS: At one point in the book, you declare that much of what you say about homosexuality could also be said about heterosexuality. Could you briefly explain that?

DH: Heterosexuality is also a culture that straight people have to learn. They aren’t born that way either. But they don’t call learning to be straight a form of cultural initiation. They call it grade three, or going to the movies, or raising the kids.

Because learning how to be straight is so taken for granted, it can hide in plain sight and escape being seen as a social process.

OUTLOOKS: Interesting point. You make the provocative statement that gay pride could be keeping us from knowing ourselves. Are you saying that, politically speaking, the idea of pride is full integration, and with integration comes loss of the elements of being gay?

DH: To achieve gay pride often seems to involve, at least nowadays, making a political claim for social integration. And that means representing our gayness as something that does not make us different from normal folk. It also means thinking of ourselves as just like everybody else, insisting on various forms of social belonging and on our reputable identities as good citizens, professionals, parents, patriots, soldiers, priests, ordinary guys and gals. In such a context, it becomes very upsetting to inquire into the unique ways we feel, into our distinctive emotions, intuitions, perceptions—into the peculiar fabric of our inner lives. Into anything about us that is not exactly normal.

That is what I mean when I say gay pride has imposed a kind of blackout on all inquiry into gay male subjectivity and may be keeping us from knowing ourselves.

OUTLOOKS: Do you understand the critics of your work from within the gay community, their notion that integration equals salvation for gays and lesbians?

DH: Sure. I mean, centuries of homophobic discourse have portrayed lesbians and gay men as sick, abnormal, criminal, sinful and a threat to civilization. So it’s perfectly understandable that lots of folks within the gay community should want to insist that we’re normal, that we’re exactly like everybody else. And it’s reasonable to suppose that progress consists in our complete integration and assimilation into straight society.

In the face of homophobic claims that we’re deviant, that we’re unnatural monsters and outlaws, it’s important for us to be able to insist that we’re just like you. But even if we have to argue

that we’re the same as everybody else, we still shouldn’t have to give up the contrary argument that we’re different from straight people. Homophobia is not a coherent system: It’s a patchwork of nonsensical contradictions. We shouldn’t let homophobia box us into taking up one consistent position: We shouldn’t have to be more logical than the system we’re opposing. So we shouldn’t let the need to insist on how ordinary and normal we are get in the way of celebrating how different, unique, exceptional we also are.

OUTLOOKS: Your book says that “gay male desire” can’t be reduced to “sexual desire.” How do you mean that?

DH: What gay men want is not just to have sex with men.

And not just images of masculinity—not just hot guys. We want many other things: to be cool, glamorous, transgressive, daring, fabulous. We want to live in the perfect interior. We want a ticket to that Beyoncé concert. We want to be a great artist, a grande dame, a perfect cook or dancer, a devastating wit. We want to be other people. We want to be the hero of our own ideal romance.

We may not all want all of those things, but for all of us there are certain things we want, things that express our desire as gay men, that go well beyond sexual desire and that cannot be reduced to it. Perhaps more to the point, we want more than official post-Stonewall gay culture offers us.

OUTLOOKS: To borrow a political analogy, if you don’t identify yourself ably, your opponent will do it for you. Is part of your concern that if gays cede the identification process, straights will somehow gain more power in defining what it means to be gay?

DH: I’m not too concerned about that, in fact, because nowadays straights sometimes do a better job of defining gay male culture than gay people do. Right-wing straights define us as a threat to their way of life, whereas gay people keep insisting that we are tediously ordinary and no danger to anyone. I would rather believe that gay culture does constitute a distinctive way of being that offers straight people an alternative to the suffocating routine of heterosexual existence and a possible escape from the monoculture of family values with all its pieties and discontents. Similarly, progressive straight people often look to gay culture for its ironic challenge to compulsory groupthink, whereas gay people tend to play down the subversive aspects of their own culture. Of course, we should contest injurious straight stereotypes of gay people, but some straight representations of us pay us the compliment (intentionally or not) of finding us dangerous or brilliant. We should accept it.

OUTLOOKS: Let’s take an item from recent celebrity news: the breakup of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. In your view, and generalizing, of course, is there a “gay” response to such news and a straight one?

DH: Well, now that’s a loaded question! But, sure, there’s such a thing as a “gay” response to the news. The story Queerty posted on June 29, 2012, began: “Not since Liza and David Gest’s split have we been so shocked by the dissolution of a Hollywood…marriage: Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise and his…wife, Katie Holmes, are calling it quits after five years of marriage and one Scientology star child.” You wouldn’t expect to see that in the straight media, though celebrity gossip sites have now assimilated such camp attitudes. But that just goes to show that the “gay” response is no longer limited to the gay media.

OUTLOOKS: You conclude that society “needs us.” Some might argue, yes, the creativity gays lend to society at large, might be missed—but if it weren’t there, how would society lose something it “needs”?

DH: Society would lose the alienated perspective on itself that allows it to grasp itself as a social phenomenon. Without that alienated perspective, the form of our life would escape us.

We would lack the consciousness, the understanding, the critical distance that we need to see our social world for the disHow to Be Gay author David Halperin tinctive, peculiar formation that (above) has sparked controversy with it is. his writings on sexual identity.

OUTLOOKS: There’s a lot in the book about humour visà-vis the gay sensibility. It certainly seems as if a sense of humour about HIV could be one of the strongest indicators of any gay sense of humour versus that of society at large?

DH: The literary critic Scott Rayter has written an entire volume about “comic representations of AIDS.” Could one write a whole book about comic representations of the Holocaust? Of slavery? Of child abuse?

OUTLOOKS: What would you say to those who might walk away from your book with the sense that you feel gays are superior to straights?

DH: Get used to it. Actually, there are all sorts of people in the world and there are lots of things to admire about many of them.

I’m not interested in making blanket pronouncements of an “usversus-them” type (even if I may indulge that tendency of mine in places throughout my book). Rather, I’m trying to bring out the unique genius in gay male culture, which too many gay men, of all people, are embarrassed about nowadays. If I overdo it, that’s merely for the sake of emphasis. I’m trying to get my message through to the skeptical reader.

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Fit For Fall Fresh looks for a new season PHOTOGRAPHY BY ADAM WEBSTER MAKEUP BY NORA METTA & KIM LACHAPELLE MODELS: BRAD FOR MONTAGE MODELS & PATRICK FOR SCOOP MONTREAL

32 OUTLOOKS APRIL 2012

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SHIRT AND BELT: H&M JEANS: CLUB MONACO

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SHIRT, KHAKI PANTS, BAG AND SCARF: ZARA BELT: GUCCI (Available at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada) (SHOES: MODEL’S OWN)

34 OUTLOOKS MONTH 2011

NEWS

CORDUROY SHIRTS: JOE FRESH JEANS: PARASUCO BELT: TRISTAN (on Patrick, left) LEVIS (on Brad, right) WATCH: TIMEX

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NEWS

SUNGLASSES: DOLCE & GABANNA (Available at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada) SHIRT: ZARA

36 OUTLOOKS MONTH 2011

JOHN VARVATOS COAT – FIROZ TAILORED WAX SUIT – FIROZ VIVIENNE WEST WOOD DRESS SHIRT – FIROZ

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COWL-NECK SWEATER: ZARA JEANS: JACK & JONES CUFF: H&M

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JACKET: H&M SWEATER: JOE FRESH JEANS: PARASUCO

38 OUTLOOKS MONTH 2011

NEWS

DOUBLE-BEADED BRACELET: DAVID YURMAN (Available at Holt Renfrew stores across Canada) NECKLACE: H&M

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ST YLE

The History of…

POLO SHIRTS The ubiquitous garment has been linked to nerds, preps and hip-hop stars over the years, but only the sporting world can claim first rights to the polo shirt

BY DEREK DOTTO French tennis champion René Lacoste debuts his alternative to the uncomfortable starched shirts at the U.S. Open. His design: a loose-fitting, pique cotton with short sleeves, unstarched collar and extra-long tail to ensure the shirt wouldn’t come untucked. Lacoste would soon add the iconic crocodile emblem, adopted for his nickname “Le Crocodile” (for his prominent nose) and a bet over crocodile-skin luggage.

Persians on horseback are first recorded playing a game called “Chaugan.” The aim: hit a wooden ball down a field between two goal posts using a wooden stick.

The Persian sport has spread to other Asian nations including India, where it is called “Pulu” after the wooden ball used. Occupying British soldiers pick up the game and establish the first polo clubs.

600.BC

1850s

1869

Athletes in other sports, including tennis and golf, wear outfits similar to those of polo players.

They look good but offer little ease of movement.

Early.1900s

Polo is brought back to England, where it becomes a national pastime for the nobility, including the royal family. A uniform is established and comfort takes a backseat to sartorial style. Polo garb includes riding boots, britches and white, long-sleeved buttondown shirts, which were often cuffed to the elbow.

40 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

Athletes in other sports adopt Lacoste’s style, including golfers and polo players. The name “tennis shirt” doesn’t stick long, with polo laying claim to the garment.

1926

Late.1920s

ST YLE

Fred Perry gets into the poloshirt game, launching his own slim-fitting top complete with a laurel-wreath crest reminiscent of the old Wimbledon logo. The rest of the decade would see the polo trickle into the wardrobes of well-to-do men and women outside the sporting world.

With the advent of business casual, the polo heads to the office. The shirt, by now offered in myriad colours and patterns, becomes part of the Silicon Valley uniform, linking it to nerd culture.

Polo culture has levelled out and most anyone can wear the garment without being attached to one group or another. Label lovers, hip-hoppers and hipsters can all be spotted in the iconic shirt. Lacoste, Fred Perry and the other originators remain at the top of their game.

Lacoste retires from tennis and teams up with knitwear manufacturer André Gillier to start his company Chemise Lacoste, which would initially produce his iconic shirt only in conventional tennis white.

1933

1952

1960s

1972

1990s

The polo shirt is everywhere, worn by most everyone. British mods and suspender-clad skinheads favour Fred Perry’s brand, while Lacoste is embraced by the preppy crowds and WASPy Americans. Both labels expand to offer a variety of colours outside the traditional white.

Early.2000s

Today

The polo shirt faces even more backlash when fashion-forward types adopt the garment and incessantly pop the collar.

Ralph Lauren’s iconic Polo collection has its debut, cementing the garment’s place in fashion, not to mention its connection to the sport. The shirt is offered in 24 colours, complete with the signature polo-player crest.

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THE BREAKDOWN - PREP SCHOOL

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Last year’s freshman takes on a more sophisticated air in his sophomore year. And so should you. The varsity vibe is subdued in favour of understated luxury, characterized by such fabrics as fine merino wool and combed cotton. And while the student, having ditched the letterman jacket for a fitted knit blazer, looks more like the professor, the sporting influence is kept alive with a playful polo. Rich tones like mustard, plum and navy set the tone for fall without entering the drab realm of black and grey. The beauty of this look: It’s fit for any business-casual event, not just the Ivy League.

—DEREK DOTTO

3 5

1. Knit wool blazer with elbow patches by Boss Hugo Boss at The Bay $595 2. Plum merino wool cardigan by Burberry at Harry Rosen $450 3. Polo with navy striping by Fred Perry $85 4. Regular-fit khakis by Boss Orange at Harry Rosen $145

7

1 2 6

5. Stainless-steel watch by Burberry at The Bay $745 6. Leather and fabric woven belt by Fred Perry $95 7. Leather briefcase Brunello Cucinelli at Harry Rosen $2,895

David Hawe

8. Wing-tip oxford shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo at Harry Rosen $995

8 4 OUTLOOKS

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ART_&_CULTURE

Framed: Neil Young A CREATIVE SURGE FUELLED

BY INSTINCT

44 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

O

ttawa-born artist Neil Young taps into both nature’s landscapes and man’s cityscapes for inspiration in creating his abstract-expressionism paintings. While labels can be helpful to consumers of art, Young contends that there are certain intangibles that come into play while categorizing painters and others who create art. At the core, he says, one’s style “relies heavily on the artists’ intuition.”

It was following his own intuition that helped lead Young to his life in colour and composition. After obtaining a degree in architecture from the University of

Toronto, he worked for many years in his chosen profession. “I was feeling very bogged down while practising architecture and wanted the freedom to express myself in design so much more,” he recounts.

“There are so many constraints in architecture that sometimes I felt as though I was only designing to building code, the client, other team members and functionality requirements. I just wanted more.”

What was to have been a one-year break in which to explore his childhood passion of painting has stretched into four successful years as an artist, with clients and shows in Ottawa, Toronto and elsewhere.

Although Young works primarily in paint,

ART_&_CULTURE

such materials as metal, cardboard, wire and wood have found their way into his creations. “Most of the works receive a final coat of resin,” he notes. “I like the highgloss finish, and it also provides a way to seal all the elements together.”

Young brings to his surfaces bold shapes and vibrant hues suggestive of an imagination in overdrive. Yet, he confides, “I never start a painting with a preconceived image of the final product. It is a constant layering process, of adding and deleting.”

Employing that process, the artist says he’s “always thinking about how light will seep through the layers.”

If Young has left behind architecture as

a profession, it remains a signal influence.

And there are others: “I don’t find that I’m influenced by many well-known ‘historical’ artists, with the exception of Rothko, who is my ultimate favourite of all time.” Indeed, the broad, monochromatic canvases that came to be associated with Mark Rothko appear to have inspired some of Young’s works. But whether large surfaces of a single colour or multicoloured paintings with shapes that almost appear to be in motion, there are two constants in the artist’s work: As Young explains, “colour and light.” koymangalleries.com neilyoungart.com

The artist: Neil Young

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ART_&_CULTURE

FLASHBACK

Witch-Hunting Season

I Nikada

t was shaping up as a dark autumn for gay Catholics. In September 2005, seven years ago this month, word surfaced that the Vatican was essentially putting its stamp on a witch-hunt of gay seminarians. The document in question would instruct senior clergy to avoid the ordination of men believed to be gay. It left some wiggle room for men who had, in effect, abandoned their homosexuality for several years. The directive might have been remotely understandable—if not necessarily justifiable—if it had been based on pure religious doctrine. But some in the Catholic Church, dealing with a veritable epidemic of child abuse by priests, saw the purge as a way to address its pedophilia outbreak. That view burnished the antiquated stereotype of gays as child molesters. The Vatican directive was widely condemned, even from within the church: As one gay priest bluntly put it in a newspaper article at the time, “I feel like a Jew in Berlin in the 1930s.”

46 OUTLOOKS SEPTEMBER 2012

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