Outwords September 2012 Issue 195

queer views, news, issues

OUTRAGEOUS! LIFE IS A PARTY FOR

DAVID LEDDICK EXPLORING GENDER

IDENTITY THROUGH ART

ANDERSON COOPER’S

BIG MOVE

BACK TO SCHOOL IN

FABULOUS STYLE

Outwords | September 2012 | Issue 195 | Serving the GLBT Community Since 1994

“I meet with hundreds of prospective and current students each year. My office is a safe and welcoming environment for all who enter.”

Heather Smith, Academic Advisor

Embracing the Community Red River College’s LGBTT Initiative fosters the development of a safe campus environment, in which everyone has the chance to work, learn and access services in an inclusive, welcoming manner.

RRC’s Ally Project supports LGBTT staff, students and faculty by identifying campus Allies who can provide a safe and inclusive space.

For more information: Nora Sobel, LGBTT Initiative Staff Lead nsobel@rrc.mb.ca or 204-632-2404. www.rrc.ca/LGBTTInitiative

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WHY ANDERSON COOPER’S REVELATION IS A BIG DEAL CNN JOURNALIST’S SELF-OUTING SIGNALS A MILESTONE IN THE BATTLE FOR EQUALITY FOR U.S. QUEERS EDITORIAL

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AMAZON TAKES A STAND

FOUNDER DONATES $2.5 MILLION TO FIGHT ANTI-GAY LAWS

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CLOSET? WHAT CLOSET?

11 COOL COLOURS FOR BACK TO SCHOOL

STAY COOL AND LOOK HOT HEADING BACK TO CLASS THIS FALL

DAVID LEDDICK WAS OUT OF THE CLOSET & LIVING THE BIG LIFE FIVE DECADES BEFORE MANY OTHER QUEERS FELT IT WAS SAFE.

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2012 PRIDE

PHOTO ALBUM

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SEARCHING FOR IDENTITY

GENDER-BENDING FOR THE CAMERA

WINNIPEG’S FEMFEST SERVES UP A THOUGHTPROVOKING FEAST

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A STUNNING PHOTO FEATURE BY WINNIPEG PHOTOGRAPHER SAMANTA KATZ

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REACHING OUT TO HOMELESS GLBT YOUTH

BECOME A CITIZEN OF THE WORLD

VANCOUVER’S RAINCITY HOUSING TAKES STEPS TO GET KIDS OFF THE STREETS

EXERCISE YOUR DREAMS OF BEING A PHILANTHROPIST

NATIONAL NEWS

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IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER EXPLORING GENDER THROUGH ART

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CURTAIN RISES ON PTE’S 40TH SEASON OFFERING AUDIENCES A RICH TAPESTRY OF STORIES

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UPSTAGING ITSELF MTC FOLLOWS UP BANNER SEASON WITH EPIC PRODUCTIONS

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25 YEARS OF CELLULOID PRIDE REEL PRIDE CELEBRATES A MAJOR MILESTONE

outwords

EDITORIAL

SERVING THE GLBT COMMUNITY SINCE 1994 ISSUE 195 • SEPTEMBER 2012

IT’S GETTING LONELY IN THE CLOSET

PUBLISHED BY THE OUTWORDS VOLUNTEER STAFF:

Rachel Morgan EDITOR

Ksenia Prints, Jen Portillo ASSISTANT EDITORS

Miles McEnery SODIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Dylan Bekkering ART DIRECTOR & LAYOUT

Michele Buchanan ASSISTANT LAYOUT

Cheryl Ezinicki SALES EXECUTIVE

Darron Field FINANCIAL OFFICER

Jared Star, Terry Wiebe DISTRIBUTION

Vic Hooper WEB MANAGER

Rachel Morgan, Peter Carlyle-Gordge, Jefre Nicholls, Eric Plamondon, Samanta Katz, Marina Koslock, Jason van Rooy, Corey Shefman CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

Debbie Scarborough, Diane Ready, Kevin Hills, Barbara Bruce, Sky Bridges, Dale Oughton, Darron Field , Helen Fallding, Shayne Duguay, Gail Eckert Scott Carman, Liz Millward BOARD OF DIRECTORS

outwords

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General Inquiries: info@outwords.ca

Editor: editor@outwords.ca Creative: creative@outwords.ca Advertising: advertise@outwords.ca Distribution: distribution@outwords.ca Accounts: billing@outwords.ca Event Submissions: calendar@outwords.ca Letters Submissions: letters@outwords.ca Website: www.outwords.ca Outwords provides news, analysis and entertainment for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit and queer community and its allies. GST 89671 7618RT, ISSN 1715-5606 (print) ISSN 1715-5614 (online) Canada Post Publication Licence 416 99032, Contents copyright © 2012 Outwords Alll rights reserved. Outwords is a member of the Manitoba Magazine Publishers’ Association. Articles are not necessarily the views of the staff, management, or board. We accept no liability for our advertisers’ claims.

EDITORIAL RACHEL MORGAN

Feigned ennui over Anderson Cooper’s coming out signals a sea change for American queers

At the beginning of July we discovered (officially) that CNN’s Anderson Cooper sings in the choir. “Fact is, I’m gay,” Cooper told blogger Andrew

Sullivan in an e-mail conversation.

Sullivan blogged about it and in what may be a Web speed record, the news went viral in seconds. Cooper outed himself in an almost casual way – he is a performer, after all – but everyone wanted to talk about it.

Sullivan treated it as a big deal. He wrote: “Last week, Entertainment Weekly ran a story on an emerging trend: gay people in public life who come out in a much more restrained and matter-of-fact way than in the past. In many ways, it’s a great development: we’re evolved enough not to be gobsmacked when we find out someone’s gay. cBut it does matter nonetheless, it seems to me, that this is on the record,” he continued.

“We still have pastors calling for the death of gay people, bullying incidents and suicides among gay kids, and one major political party dedicated to ending the basic civil right to marry the person you love. So these “non-events” are still also events of a kind; and they matter. The visibility of gay people is one of the core means for our equality.”

Of the tens of thousands of people who responded online to the revelation, many in the GLBT community said something like, “Yeah, so tell me something I didn’t know.”

Some berated Cooper for not making his orientation public years ago or accused him of being ashamed of who he was. Others wanted to parse the meaning of Cooper’s words, trying to understand his motives for coming out after staying in the closet for so long.

Cooper told Sullivan he stayed in the closet because he had always “wanted to retain some privacy for professional reasons.”

He also said, “I’ve always believed that who a reporter votes for, what religion they are, who they love, should not be something they have to discuss publicly.” This is standard fare for most journalists, but invites skepticism from queers.

Cooper also went on to explain why he was coming out. “While as a society we are moving toward greater inclusion and equality for all people, the tide of history only advances when people make themselves fully visible. There continue to be far too many incidences of bullying of young people, as well as discrimination and violence against people of all ages, based on their sexual orientation, and I believe there is value in making clear where I stand.”

That is the principled position. The former war correspondent, who was willing to go in harm’s way to cover the story that had to be told, is now willing to go in harm’s way again to be a role model for a new generation. One could argue that Cooper is risking little. President Barak Obama has stated publicly he supports same-sex marriage, restrictions on gays in the military have been repealed, a growing number of states have introduced equality rights – and so many other high-profile gays and lesbians are already out of the closet.

But judging is easy. We never really know what it’s like to walk in another person’s shoes. Cooper is a household name who potentially has more to lose if his career is sidetracked by homophobia. Most likely, it will give his career a boost. Perhaps that was even part of his calculations.

Regardless of his motives, Cooper’s actions are sure to spur others to come out. And that will tip the balance in favour of American queers, because there really is safety in numbers. It’s going to get very lonely in that closet.

www.outwords.ca // outwords, september 2012

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

LIBERIA PRESIDENT PONDERS ANTI-GAY LAW

Elton John says he was rescued by his friends.

ELTON ALMOST A

VICTIM OF AIDS WASHINGTON Sir Elton John has addressed the biennial International AIDS conference for the first time, saying he could have died from AIDS like singer Freddie Mercury or American actor Rock Hudson, but he was just lucky. “This young man hit absolute rock bottom. His life was a mess, he was spiralling out of control. He should have died. To be honest, he nearly did,” John said about himself. In a passionate speech that was greeted with great applause and a standing ovation, he said he was rescued from the depths of his addiction to sex, drugs and booze by those who cared for him. He has now been sober for 22 years.

John, who started his own foundation to help people with HIV 20 years ago, said everyone alive, sick or not, deserves the love and care he received. “Everyone deserves compassion. Everyone deserves dignity,” he said. “ Everyone, everyone, everyone deserves love. Why am I telling you this? Because the AIDS disease is caused by a virus, but the AIDS epidemic is not. The AIDS epidemic is fuelled by stigma, violence and indifference.” John has written a book, Love Is The Cure, about the impact of the disease as well as personally raising millions of dollars to help combat the disease and its dreadful impact on lives.

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MONROVIA, LIBERIA The Liberian Senate is reported to have approved a bill criminalizing homosexuality in the West African state, but it is unclear whether the president would sign it into law. Bong County Senior Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, ex-wife of former president Charles Taylor, sponsored the bill. It must now go to the House of Representatives before the question of a veto by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Senator Joseph Nagbe of Sinoe County told reporters the measure is not unconstitutional and he strongly advised gay

Will Liberia President Ellen JohnsonSirleaf veto the hateful law? people visiting Liberia to “stay away from each other until your departure.”

The crime of “voluntary sodomy” is already punishable by up to a year’s imprisonment in Liberia, although it is not known when the law was last used to prosecute someone.

Not everyone is happy with the choice of greeting cards at Target.

MINNEAPOLIS American retailer Target, which has begun opening stores in Canada, has also begun selling greetings cards for same-sex couples. The Star Tribune reports that cards with messages such as ‘Mr. & Mr.’ and ‘For two special women’ went on sale in mid-June. Target’s cards are being produced by Carlton Cards, whose representatives stated the companies jointly decided to offer “wedding cards relevant for everyone.” In May, the store began selling T-shirts with gay pride logos – much to the anger and rage of anti-gay organizations. Target sold the ‘pride’ range of T-shirts on its website, with slogans such as ‘Love is Love’ and ‘Harmony’. Target spokespeople said the company will donate all proceeds from the sales to the Family Equality Council, which campaigns for marriage equality in the state.

Some Mormons, like these members of Building Bridges who attended the pride parade in Salt Lake City, are upset with the church’s stance on homosexuality.

MORMONS QUIT CHURCH

OVER GAY RIGHTS

STANCE

SALT LAKE CITY Mitt Romney now has fewer coreligionists after 150 Mormons very publicly quit the church in a mass resignation ceremony over the church’s opposition to gay marriage and polygamy. The public resignation ceremony drew Mormons from Utah, Arizona and Idaho. Participants gathered to sign a ‘Declaration of Independence from Mormonism’. The church quitters cited rejection of equal marriage, racist and sexist teachings and inconsistencies in its doctrine on polygamy as reasons for leaving the faith. The mass ceremony was unusual, as Mormonism encourages a culture of obedience.

The Mormon Church claims to have 14.4 million members around the world.

It has strongly campaigned against equal marriage in the US. Last month, the church filed a response to a British consultation on equal marriage, claiming that the change would have negative social and legal implications for society.

Russian gay rights activists are fighting for the right to hold pride marches.

GAY RIGHTS ACTIVISTS

TAKE RUSSIAN AUTHORITIES

TO COURT

AMAZON FOUNDER

SUPPORTS

GAY MARRIAGE

Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos donate $2.5 million to defend gay marriage in Washington.

SCOTS TO LEGALIZE

GAY MARRIAGE EDINBURGH Scotland is planning to become the first country in the United Kingdom to legalize gay marriage, despite two-thirds of the population opposing the change in an official consultation. The British government is also considering making gay marriage legal, but Scotland has its own parliament. Nicola

WASHINGTON The founder of Amazon. com and his wife are donating $2.5 million to defend a gay marriage law passed in the state of Washington. Jeff and MacKenzie Bezos are the latest rich supporters, joining Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and co-founder Bill Gates, who each gave $100,000 to the cause. Washington is one of four states facing a November referendum on gay marriage. The law, due to come into effect on June 7, was put on hold after a petition to vote on Referendum 74 succeeded.

Sturgeon, the Scottish deputy first minister, said she will bring forward legislation on gay marriage but it will include “important protections” for clergymen, teachers and parents who oppose the move.

She wants London’s Home Office to amend the U.K.’s equality laws to ensure that officials cannot be persecuted by gay couples if they refuse to conduct a marriage service. Even so, the ruling Scottish Nationalist Party faces backlash from religious leaders after the results

ST. PETERSBURG Official homophobia is alive and well in Russia, so now gay rights activists plan to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights after being banned from holding pride marches in St Petersburg. In June, 14 campaigners were arrested for administrative violations after organizing an unsanctioned march.

Recently, another eight people were arrested in the city for attempting to hold a pride march. The RIA Novosti news agency reported the appeal to the European court is brought forth by the Ravnopravie (‘Equality’) organization, which accused St. Petersburg city authorities of “disguised discrimination”.

St Petersburg is one of four Russian cities that have introduced a law banning the promotion of gay and transgender identities among minors. The city now punishes the promotion of such identities with a fine of anything from 5,000 to 50,000 Russian rubles, roughly $1,700 USD, for holders of public posts. of a public consultation showed 64 per cent of respondents oppose the change.

A record 77,000 people responded to the consultation, three times as many as gave their views in an independence referendum. The deputy first minister told reporters the first gay marriages in Scotland are likely to take place at the start of 2015, the same year that London’s coalition government wants to make the change south of the border.

www.outwords.ca // outwords, september 2012

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NATIONAL NEWS

VANCOUVER REACHES

OUT TO HOMELESS

QUEER YOUTH

Vancouver’s RainCity Housing is raising money to help house homeless queer youth.

VANCOUVER Statistically, queer youth are more likely to be homeless than their straight counterparts and Vancouver’s RainCity Housing and Support Society is trying to help them. RainCity has a plan, aided by a $250,000 grant from the Vancouver Foundation, to house up to six homeless queer youth (ages 19 to 24) full time. The plan is for the homeless centre to also serve as a community hub for youth to connect with peers, mentors and community service providers.

But for the community house to open its doors, RainCity needs to raise another $250,000 to match the Vancouver Foundation grant. A 2007 study from B.C’s McCreary Centre found queer youth were “overrepresented among marginalized and street-involved youth: one in three females and one in 10 males identified as gay, lesbian and bisexual.” The report also indicated that the number of queer youth on the streets is growing partly because queer youth are coming out earlier to families.

CARLETON STUDENTS REFUSE TO BEND ON

BLOOD BAN

OTTAWA HIV testing and blood donations are still a big topic at Carleton University, where the student association (CUSA) recently voted 13 to 11 to retain a policy barring the Canadian Blood Services (CBS) from hosting blood drives on property owned by CUSA. The CUSA policy began nine years ago as a response to CBS’s stance against accepting blood donations from men who have had sex with men (MSM) even once since 1977. CBS does not accept blood donations from those men, claiming blood infected with HIV might be donated and transfused to a recipient.

CBS also refuses donations based on what part of the world a donor has lived in, where a donor was born and whether a donor has ingested certain types of medication. The student motion was brought forward by student council member Gina Parker, whose brother has been diagnosed with leukemia. Although she was pushing for a change to CUSA’s policy, she and all council members agreed that CBS’s policy is discriminatory.

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Dr. Julio Montaner says everyone should be tested for HIV at every examination.

VANCOUVER Dr. Julio Montaner, director of the British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, wants everyone to voluntarily get tested for HIV each time they go to a clinic or hospital for any examination. Montaner told reporters the new testing regime is needed because the sooner people are diagnosed, the sooner they can begin treatment and reduce the likelihood of HIV transmissions. He also says if testing becomes more normalized, it will help lessen the stigma around HIV. Though the plan has received some support in HIV circles, some worry that it poses privacy risks and may come at the expense of other HIV programs equally critical to prevention.

David Rimmer says he can no longer keep After Stonewall open.

OTTAWA GLBT

BOOKWORM

HAVEN

CLOSES

OTTAWA After Stonewall, a well-known Ottawa bookstore catering to the queer community, is up for sale after 22 years.

This Mecca for GLBT bookworms was founded in 1990 by David Rimmer, who says it’s no longer financially viable, thanks to the advent of big box bookstores and e-readers such as the Kindle. Selling agents hope someone will buy it and maintain it as a bookshop, but these are challenging times for small independents and many have bitten the dust. Rimmer says that if he can’t find a buyer, he will retire and After Stonewall will be “dead and gone.”

who is chair of Mayor Rob Ford’s TORONTO WANTS TO FORCE Mammoliti, homelessness task force, has proposed GAY YOUTH OFF THE STREETS moving homeless people off the streets

Toronto Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti is angering queer activists with his stance.

TORONTO Homelessness among queer youth is also a problem in Toronto and GLBT activists are furious with proposals from Coun. Giorgio Mammoliti who plans to do away with the city’s shelter system and clear Toronto’s sidewalks of the homeless.

and into transitional housing – by force if necessary. He also plans to replace Toronto’s shelters with transitional housing. That could have disastrous consequences for gay people living on the streets, opponents claim.

Activists fighting for Toronto’s homeless youth say there are many queer people living on the streets and needing city services. Alex (Ilona) Abramovich, a PhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto, has done research on homeless queer youth and says many end up in shelters when they come out of the closet and are kicked out by parents or guardians. “People do not have a strong understanding of the connection between homophobia and homelessness,”she told reporters.

TRENTON, Ontario Connor Ferguson is an 18-year-old transgender student who began transitioning and buying a female wardrobe four years ago. She knew she might expect jeers and bullies and was so concerned she considered avoiding the school prom this summer. But much to her shock and delight, her fellow students actually nominated her as their 2012 prom queen. They cheered loudly when she was crowned prom queen at Trenton High School’s prom. “I’ve gotten hardly any flack [at school] for being trans,” Ferguson said in published reports. “So many of the students and faculty at school have given me words of praise. I cannot give enough thanks for having one of the best high school experiences.”

The story of Ferguson and her crown has spread on Twitter, giving the teenager a glimpse of fame. Her story hasn’t always been so happy and she has faced harassment from some bullies in Trenton, a military community 170 kilometres east of Toronto and home to roughly 20,000 people. “I’ve had things yelled at me on the streets. I’ve even been driven at by cars, but I don’t let silly things like this stop me from being a happy, confident individual,” she told reporters. “As a woman or transwoman I try my hardest not to let the little things bother me.”

Trans-woman Connor Ferguson was charmed and surprised by her schoolmates.

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- By Jefre Nicholls

T outwords, outwords, july 2012 july 2012 // www.outwords.ca // www.outwords.ca 10 10 PHOTO

BY RAFY july 2012 // www.outwords.ca 10 outwords,

Grey, cotton hat by Diesel; denim, snap shirt from Club Monaco; green, skinny jeans from Zara; grey, leather tote from Club Monaco; denim, shoe by Keds.

Ruched cotton, collarless dress shirt Costume National Homme; crested, wool blazer Ralph Lauren; black cotton, dress shorts Diesel Black Gold; patent leather dress shoes Dolce & Gabbanna.

Woven, straw, porkpie hat Paul Smith; washed, red cotton & linen, collared shirt from American Apparel; high-waisted, drop-crotch, harem pant from Diesel; yellow www.outwords.ca // outwords, july 2012 canvas shoe by Sperry Topsiders.

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Paul Wears sheer, nude-cotton, long-sleeve T-shirt from T by Alexander Wang; butter-yellow, rolled-cuff cotton chinos from Club Monaco; black canvas shoes by Sperry Topsiders; mustard backpack; The Herschel Supply Brand Co.

Plaid shirt Christian Dior; plaid shorts Bustle Clothing; contemporary, leather brogues Paul Smith;

outwords, 2012 // www.outwords.ca 12 vintage red-velvetjuly bowtie stylists own.

White, cowl-neck, long-sleeve shirt by Zara; blue, paisley pants

by Etro; clear frames from RETROSUPERFUTURE; yellow, canvas shoe by Sperry Topsiders.

Goatskin, leather jacket Diesel; grey and white, striped Henley J.Lindeburg; black, skinny jeans American Apparel; yellow canvas shoe by Sperry Topsiders.

www.outwords.ca // outwords, july 2012

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Saturday, September 29, 6pm–6am A free all-night contemporary art event!

out words. ca queer views news, issues

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A CELEBRATION OF FEMINIST PLAYWRIGHTS DISHES UP FOOD FOR THOUGHT, CHALLENGES PRECONCEPTIONS

By Marina Koslock

H

ow does a feminist theatre festival stay fresh after 10 years? By not being afraid to take chances.

Following on its successful productions of the last decade, FemFest 2012 will offer a wealth of new works, some edgy, some controversial and some that will reach out to audiences and challenge them to rethink their perceptions of the world around them This year’s theme, “Staging Identity”, showcases an array of plays to explore the question of identity – of groups and of

individuals. Although all the plays connect to the general theme of identity, each is unique and engages different communities and lifestyles.

“Perhaps one of the most unique productions would be Women In Fish because it is truly community-based and a model we have never had at FemFest before,” says Hope McIntyre, artistic director of Sarasvàti Productions. “For the last few years, the festival has been trying to bring Urban Ink Productions,

who produced Women In Fish, in from British Columbia, so we are really excited to be able to host their production.”

Women In Fish intertwines documentary film, live stage action and community dialogue. Aside from the stage production, the group will host community meetings, a community performance for aboriginal groups and a display of historical artifacts related to the show, all of which will allow audiences to engage in a dialogue about the loss of traditional ways to exist.

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All the touring groups are first-time playwrights to the festival, including Vancouver’s Shameless Hussy Production. McIntyre said she felt that Shameless Hussy’s mandate, “telling provocative stories about women to inspire the hand that rocks the cradle to rock the world,” is a great fit for FemFest.

Montreal artist Johanna Nutter is one of the first-time participants. Nutter will perform her play My Pregnant Brother in English and French. The play was featured in the Just For Laughs Festival in early July. It’s a painfully honest account of her transgender brother’s pregnancy, a show that Nutter calls “a stand-up tragedy.”

“Part of what we take pride in at FemFest is giving opportunities to emerging women playwrights so that they can develop their writing skills and showcase their work,” said McIntyre.

Local musician, artist, and fashion designer Claire Therese has her first play, In Waiting, featured in this year’s festival as well.

To celebrate a successful decade of growth as a community and great programming, FemFest will mark the occasion with a kick-off party Sept. 15, which is opening night. This evening will be a cabaret, highlighting the key moments in FemFest’s history and looking toward its future. The cabaret will feature the Mad Young Darlings, a band that has established close ties to the organization. Lead singer, Natasha ReskeNaurocki, has worked for Sarasvàti Productions as a production assistant and the band has played at FemFest in the past and received rave reviews.

“It was perfect timing,” McIntyre says happily. “Natasha’s voice really speaks to a lot of young women in particular. The music is visceral and raw, it is really a response to the world in which we live, which is part of what FemFest is all about.”

FemFest will run Sept. 15-22. Tickets can be purchased for $10 a show or $50 for a festival pass from www.femfest.ca or at the door. FemFest loves new volunteers! Anyone interested can contact FemFest at 586-2236 or productions@sarasvati.ca. The venue is the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film at 400 Colony St., part the University of Winnipeg.

– Marina Koslock is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

A SNEAK PEAK

AT THE FEMFEST 2012:

STAGING IDENTITY PERFORMANCE LINEUP! FULL PRODUCTIONS: Empty by Hope McIntyre Based on the true stories of food-bank users, this play is a powerful, sensitive and humorous exploration of the human side of poverty.

Immigration Stories Created in partnership with the Immigrant Women’s Association of Manitoba and developed through workshops with immigrant women, this play is a unique look at the hopes, dreams, trials and tribulations of newcomers to Canada.

DEVELOPMENTAL WORK: BAKE-OFF Selected playwrights are given a list of ingredients and have two weeks to mix up a script!

Cry After Midnight by Talia Pura The story of three women – a surgeon, a soldier’s wife and an Afghan national – and their war in Afghanistan.

In Waiting by Claire Therese Is a woman’s identity linked to her ability to bear children? Molly is infertile, her struggle to conceive is wreaking havoc on her marriage and to top it all off she discovers one of her teenage students is pregnant.

SHORTS: Is It Wednesday? By Pam Calabrese MacLean Two elderly women meet at a bus stop; as they chat they struggle to hold onto their memories.

Short-List As fillers throughout the festival, we will offer audiences the chance to hear excerpts from scripts from FemFest shortlists in recent years.

TOURING PIECES: Sonofabitch Stew: the Drunken Life of Calamity Jane By Renee Iaci, Deb Pickman & Brian Peterson Shameless Hussy Productions (Vancouver) Daune Campbell stars as Jane Payne a cussin’, fussin’, drinkin’, brawlin’ women’s studies professor who has become a legendary maverick by kissing off life’s middle-of-the-road for the rougher and more thrilling ride on the trail of her lifelong heroine Calamity Jane.

My Pregnant Brother by Johanna Nutter (Montreal) The true story of Johanna’s life growing up in Montreal with a hippie mom and her younger sister (who was to become her brother) told with love, honesty and humour.

Women in Fish by Marie Clements with Rosemary Georgeson, Eileen Lorenz & the WIF Participants –Urban Ink (Vancouver) This multi-media performance weaves the tragedy of a fishing boat lost in a storm with the bigger tragedy of the loss of traditional use of the land.

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Cabarets Plus our exciting opening and closing cabarets featuring women artists in all disciplines!

QUIRKY & ENGAGING FAMILY DRAMA - A WORLD PREMIERE

2012/2013 SEASON

as your theatre

Your city, your stories, your theatre for 40 years.

THE BRINK

by Ellen Peterson

October 10 - October 28 / 2012 A BITTERSWEET LOVE STORY

THE SWEARING JAR

by Kate Hewlett

November 14 - December 2 / 2012 A COMEDY FOR RECESSIONARY TIMES

THE DISHWASHERS

by Morris Panych

January 23 - February 10 / 2013 SEARING SOCIAL DRAMA - A WORLD PREMIERE

THIS IS WAR

plays, one fabulous space, 5 great in the heart of downtown.

Comedy, drama, heartwarming stories and toe-tapping music — you’ll find it all in 2012 / 2013.

PRAIRIE THEATRE EXCHANGE 3RD FLOOR, PORTAGE PLACE (NEXT TO IMAX)

by Hannah Moscovitch

February 20 - March 10 / 2013 Produced in association with Tarragon Theatre

A MUSICAL MYSTERY – FILM NOIR-STYLE

GUNMETAL BLUES

book by Scott Wentworth music & lyrics by Craig Bohmler and Marion Adler

April 3 - April 21 / 2013

SEE IT ALL FOR AS LOW AS $99.

Subscribers enjoy free underground parking!

Call 204-942-5483. www.pte.mb.ca www.outwords.ca // outwords, july 2012

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Exploring Gender Identity Through Art A fascinating collaboration between a Winnipeg artist and a group of queer kids is already showing results

by Jason van Rooy

C

an art allow a person to express their true gender and their inner strengths in ways they never thought possible? Can it make them feel more at ease with themselves and with the world? Those were some of the questions asked by Winnipeg Arts Council’s WITH ART program and the Rainbow Resource Centre’s Peer Project for Youth. Finding the answer to those questions has turned into an intriguing creative collaboration, one that will likely result in some unique works of art that will be on view for the public.

WITH ART matches artists with community groups to work on community identity, issues and shared goals through the development of an art project. In this case, the artist is Lisa Wood. Her work has focused on self-portraiture since 2003, investigating the tension between public/ private, attraction/repulsion, self-love/selfhate through obsessive self-scrutiny.

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The Rainbow Resource Centre reached out to the Arts Council to find new ways for queer youth to explore their identities.

“We know too well how much LGBTTQQIA* youth need a community where they can feel accepted for who they are,” says Fiona Jackson, youth programming co-ordinator for the resource centre. “This [seemed like] an opportunity that would allow this to happen – and it has.”

The art project unfolds in two phases.

In the first, Wood met with members of the youth group starting last October to determine the goals of the project. In the second phase, which is underway, the artwork is developed more fully and created in collaboration between Wood and the youth group. Wood says the youth group members amazed her from the beginning.

For about five months, the group discussed various other campaigns they had seen, including the It Gets Better campaign, but decided they wanted to focus on

expressing the strength they possess now, rather than the fact that they will be stronger when they get older. With this goal in mind, they formulated a plan. They would ask Wood to create portraits of them that reflect how they feel about themselves and their identities. “Transness is not quantifiable… I am not an asterisk,” says Alison, one of the youth involved in the program.

In addition to the portraits, they would each create individual works utilizing various

media to reflect themselves and their personalities. “It is important to express yourself, no matter how you identify,” explained another participating youth.

The group also decided to create a published collection of their works, portraits and words and make it available to the public through various outlets. The group is hoping to have the folio available at every public library, a goal that WAC will help them achieve.

“As part of our Public Art Program it is critical that the artwork has a public, especially since the projects are often about issues or realities that the community wishes to communicate to a wider public,” says Tricia Wasney, manager of the public art program for the arts council.

The group is fully in favour of publicly displaying the final work. “Not so much sexuality [these days] but gender is left behind,” says Julian, one of the younger participants in the group (age 17). He believes that having this creative outlet for expression will allow these youth to open the minds of people not only in the broader community, but also in the queer community to issues surrounding gender identity.

The finished project will be displayed in October at Aceart Inc. in the Exchange District.

– Jason van Rooy is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

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‘out’

By Peter Carlyle-Gordge

LE THIS ARTIC ED BY S P O N OR PROUDLY S NES

ND JO BANVILLEEARCHANTS WINE M

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ravelling between New York and Paris by Concorde, he was blonder and better dressed than anyone else in the rarified advertising world of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s Not too long ago people assumed they were over the hill by age 50 or 60.

What a difference a few decades – and an attitude – can make. There can be no clearer example of that than David Leddick, author, actor and playwright.

Leddick, now 82, has done most of his literary work (22 books and counting) since he retired as an advertising creative director at age 65.

He wasn’t just any creative director, either. Leddick worked in advertising as the worldwide creative director for Revlon in New York and as international creative director for L’Oreal in Paris, through the1970s and 1980s. He created some of the era’s most iconic beauty campaigns, including the groundbreaking 1983 TV commercial for Jontue Perfume.

Reddick was most recently in the news regarding an article he wrote for the Huffington Post. In it he expressed annoyance with the plot of the TV series Mad Men, set in the 1960s’ world of advertising. “I beg to differ on the show’s representation of the single gay character, Salvatore, who was fired by the fictional ad agency for being more open about his sexuality,” Leddick writes. “According to the show’s creator, Matthew Weiner, as quoted in The Advocate, “I felt it was an expression of the times that he couldn’t work there anymore. It’s the ultimate case of sexual harassment. “But there were plenty of gays who, like me, didn’t bother to stay in the closet, succeeded, and thrived in this tough world,” Leddick concludes.

Closets are unknown to David Leddick. In his op-ed, Leddick admits some of the older, larger agencies were stuffy and homophobic, but says those old-style agencies were top-heavy with upper-level management from Ivy League schools. “They were agencies where women could only be secretaries… But many of the smaller agencies were quite different – fun agencies to work for, where being gay was not an issue.”

Leddick was hired as the worldwide creative director of Revlon by Grey Advertising in the mid-1960s. Grey Advertising was huge, the largest agency in the U.S. Leddick compares it to Hollywood.

It had scale, it had cash galore – and it was heartless if you didn’t deliver the creative goods. People were quickly hired and fired as a matter of course. Revlon was an especially tough employer, but it was also glamorous, classy and very loyal to those it valued. Fortunately, Revlon loved Leddick and he began a jet-setting lifestyle that saw him zipping from Paris to New York on the Concorde just to attend a short meeting, then zip back again. He travelled the world for his work, with visits to Tokyo, Australia, South Africa and, of course, Europe. Being gay was no problem at all, provided Leddick delivered the creative goods. “I was never ‘in the closet,’ and actually, I enjoyed making all those white, heterosexual, tough guys face up to the fact they had to have me in that job, because Revlon liked me; they liked a creative director who was taller, blonder and better-dressed than anyone else in their meetings,” Leddick writes.

At one point, Leddick’s staff went on strike and told management that either he had to go, or they would. The head account executive called Revlon while they sat in front of his desk in assembled mutiny. He spoke briefly to Revlon, then hung up and said: “They like David. You’re all fired.” Leddick writes he only found out about this later on, but Revlon would hear nothing against him. Leddick believes the gay advertising world of the ‘60s that serviced the major beauty and fashion clients like Revlon and L’Oreal anticipated the gay liberation that is still in full swing today.

These were big people handling money and taking big chances. They didn’t have time to care about what other people did in bed. They only cared about what you did in the office, so sexual orientation wasn’t an issue, he says. Leddick writes mega clients

like Revlon were only prejudiced against the untalented, “and a little bit against those who were not good-looking and didn’t know how to dress.”

Leddick certainly knew how to dress to impress and his taste was impeccable. As a very liberated and well-paid gay man, he never found orientation a problem in the high-flying fashion world of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, which had more European than North American values. He writes that the freer, stylish, non-sexist world he lived in had in some ways anticipated both women’s liberation and the gay emancipation of the 21st century. “We were anticipating the 21st century about half a century before it arrived.”

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Escort: 40 Profiles with Photographs of Men Who Sell Sex (2011) Escort includes interviews with gorgeous men (and accompanying photos that do not disappoint!) who sell their bodies for a living. Breathtaking photos taken by renowned photographer David Vance.

Leddick was born in 1930, lived in a small mining town in rural Michigan and has no recollection of being bullied, or the subject of his gayness even coming up. After graduating from the University of Michigan he served as an officer in the U.S. Navy and was at Bikini Atoll during the hydrogen bomb testing. He then moved to New York in the 1950s and was briefly a ballet dancer with the Metropolitan Opera’s ballet corps for two seasons. He appeared onstage with great divas such as Maria Callas. “Frankly, I wasn’t a good dancer but I do still have nice legs,” he recalls. “I started way too late to become a good dancer. Then I worked for J. Walter Thompson Advertising and realized where my talents really lay.”

Despite his illustrious advertising career and his prolific authorship, Leddick says his brothers and father were not particularly impressed whenever he returned to Michigan from Paris or New York. “Frankly, if I’d become superintendent of schools in Grand Rapids, they would have been far more proud and impressed,” he says.

How to be Gay in the 21st Century (2011) “There’s nothing wrong with being gay but a lot of people do it wrong.” A humorous approach to exploring what sexual identity means for gay men today, Leddick gives his advice on all aspects of gay life.

Gorgeous Gallery (2012) Dedicated to the beauty of men, Gorgeous Gallery is a compilation of the works of several contemporary gay artists, including everything from pop art to photo-realism.

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Why does Leddick think American GLBT rights are so far behind those of Canada?

“Frankly, it’s about religion and I blame the Puritans,” he says. “England has a lot to answer for because they shipped a bunch of Puritans out here.” Homophobia has luckily not been a factor in his own life.

Leddick says he was never short on selfesteem, having grown up in a fairly happy, connected community. And New York always had a vibrant gay culture.

Today, he is still full of energy and new projects. His book Escorts (Men Who Sell Sex) is being developed into a stage show and he is seeking financial backers to put it on in New York in the near future. It may go by the title of Rent Boys and should be

staged next spring, provided he can line up backers or angels, he says.

So far Leddick has 22 books to his credit, including five novels, six books on the male nude, a biography of arts figures in the 1930s and ‘40s and non-fiction books such as The Secret Lives Of Married Men, In The Spirit of Miami Beach and Escorts – the latter being 40 profiles with photos of men who sell sex. The author’s newest book, Gorgeous Gallery, is a collection of homoerotic art by contemporary gay artists. Published by Bruno Gmunder, the book became available worldwide in June. Leddick’s next book is Meaningless Hugs, Meaningless Kisses, described as an impressionistic “imagined memoir” about a gay man’s romances in his 70s.

Resuming his theatre career at the age of 70, Leddick has written the scripts and lyrics for a number of musicals as well as some plays that have performed throughout the U.S. and South America. Now mostly living in Miami Beach, Leddick wants to write about reporting back from what he calls the “uncharted territory of aging.” He considers living in his 80s to be the new late middle-age. “After dating, relationships and living life to the fullest through my 70s, I feel like I have gone out into a desert from which no one has reported back.”

His upcoming books about this topic are How to Hit 70 Doing 100 and Sexcercise at 70. “I call everyone who is over 65 a sextennial,” Leddick states in his biography.

“And we are all going to share this rich experience of the last third of our lives – a productive and exciting time which has never existed historically before.”

In short, Reddick shows no signs of slowing down and lives very much in the present. He says he loves the 21st century, “I love all the technology and electronic communications,” he says. “The Internet and other media have made it much more difficult to lie and cheat, so we’re seeing a lot of the old hypocrites get caught out and that’s got to be a good thing.” For example “Senator John Edwards and some of those Christian televangelists have been trapped by the technology, so I think it’s leading to a more honest world and that’s good.”

– Peter Carlyle Gordge is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

Movie Review It’s My Party (1996) Although sometimes struggling to overcome its cheesy humour and awkward moments, It’s My Party brings a few good laughs, while at the same time, finding opportunities to really pull on those heartstrings. A gay cult classic that is definitely worth a watch. (7/10)

Music Review Frank Ocean, Channel Orange (2012) Encompassing varying themes and emotions throughout, Channel Orange will take you on an exquisitely crafted journey through Ocean’s beautiful mind. An R&B album with thoughtful lyrics and a lot of heart, Frank Ocean’s debut effort is a must listen. (8/10)

Book Reveiw Hero (2007) If you ever read comics and enjoyed the idea of super heroes, this book is a great story that has real heart, drama and superhero action. Writen by the late Perry Moore, this is a very entertaining fantasy novel about a teenage superhero who must deal with his ex-superhero father’s disgrace, his own sexuality, and a murderer stalking the world’s heroes. (8/10)

W IN NI PE G’

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armony h w o b n i www.ra t.com projec

TECHNOLOGY COREY SHEFMAN

New websites let you act locally to make a global difference

I

n the age of the Internet, is the old saying, ‘think globally, act locally’ still relevant? Not if Kickstarter and Kiva have anything to say about it. The thinking behind traditional activism was: look at the issues affecting people around the world and make change where it could be felt most intimately, usually close to home. But that was before Facebook, Skype and PayPal. The two new initiatives Kiva and Kickstarter aim, in very different ways, to make us all global citizens - and they use the Internet to do it.

The idea behind Kiva (www.kiva.org) is that it is always better to help people help themselves. In 2006, Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel Peace Prize for his microcredit programs, which provided women from impoverished and patriarchal communities with small loans of about $25. These loans made a disproportionate difference in these women’s lives – allowing them to attend school, providing them with capital to start a small business and opening up all sorts of doors.

Kiva combines microcredit with the technological development of the Cloud, allowing users of the website to help real people accomplish real goals. When donating, your money doesn’t go to an NGO, but to a person or project that you select.The best part?

You get the money back in the end.

To date, Kiva has distributed more than $320 million in 61 countries around the world, with a startling 98.9 per cent repayment rate. By contributing to Kiva, you’re not only acting locally (despite it probably not being ‘your’ local), you’re encouraging innovation in the most underprivileged communities.

Some other projects worth checking out are: jumo.com

A networking service for charities and NGOs.

indiegogo.com

A more ‘social’ kickstarter.

freerice.com

Play a game and provide real-world food to people who need it.

Kickstarter (www.kickstarter.com) encourages innovation and helps others in a different way. Rather than giving the destitute a fighting chance, funding a Kickstarter project gives entrepreneurs and artists the opportunity to see their dreams become a reality.

From a watch that tells you how many text messages you’ve received, to Winnipeg’s own “Indie Game: The Movie” – a documentary which received 203 per cent of the funding it needed (for a total of more than $70,000), Kickstarter funds projects of various kinds. Promoted as “the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects”, Kickstarter rethinks how we can ‘act locally’.

By taking the monopoly on innovation and industry away from large multinational corporations and putting the ability to innovate and build in the hands of individuals and co-operatives, Kickstarter donors can make a real difference in the lives of both the people they’re helping and our local communities.

In the eyes of most people, Kiva is the real charity between these two websites. This opinion is probably reinforced by the fact that funding a Kickstarter project isn’t a donation so much as it is an investment. Most projects give contributors various sorts of rewards, which vary from a ‘thank you’ letter, to a sample product or a personal meeting with a celebrity. The issue isn’t that these two options are morally equal – or that one is better than the other. Rather, these are two very different projects, which probably will appeal to very different types of people, neither of which is necessarily better or worse. These are just two ways in which the Internet allows us to tear down walls and ignore the vast distances that are used to separate people.

– Corey Shefman is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

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PTE CELEBRATES ITS TH

40

SEASON

WITH AN ECLECTIC OFFERING

By Eric Plamondon

Vince Nappo & Kate Hewlet in The Swearing Jar (Photo by Dixie Sheridan)

I

t’s hard to walk in downtown Winnipeg without seeing how much the landscape has changed in the last decade – and more is yet to come. Of note is the downtown arena that is not only host to the reclaimed NHL franchise of the Jets, but also of grandiose rock concerts and Cirque du Soleil calibre events. It’s not surprising that the Prairie Theatre Exchange (PTE) is at the heart of an ambitious revamp of the neighborhood’s surrounding area to make it into a sport and hospitality entertainment district.

PTE has long been situated within the Portage Street mall. It, too, has known construction in the last year, contributing to revamping and modernizing the downtown scene. Its new lobby and lounge is more welcoming to those who know that downtown Winnipeg is the place to be if you are looking for entertainment. This is nothing new for this little theatre that has offered four decades

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of professional theatre. And its 40th season aims to uphold the tradition of solid theatre in a downtown setting.

The task of putting together a season might seem daunting, but for artistic director Bob Metcalfe it’s an exercise in tapping into a rich theatre community in North America. Nonetheless, Metcalfe has the challenge of giving a voice to the people of Winnipeg and Manitoba, because as he puts it: “The great thing about theatre is it should move forward with society.”

This explains why PTE is opening its season with Ellen Peterson’s The Brink (Oct. 1128) as this play is part of PTE’s playwriting unit and will be its 140th world premier; proving that it is possible to give voice to Manitobans. The play is set in a period marked by the moon landing. The world had a feeling that civilization was on the brink of something big. But the period is still about families, and this play centres on a family that is struggling to save a print

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shop that had an unfortunate typo slip by on one of the biggest jobs they’ve ever managed. But not all family members are in the business. Family tension arises from other “professional” challenges, as family members are also involved in POW camps and barralling over Niagara Falls.

The season then flows to its most notable play, Gunmetal Blues (Nov.15 to Dec. 2). This successful musical also succeeds in placing you in a different era.

However, this is done with a nod to a genre not often explored in the theatre realm: film noir parody. Accordingly, the action is set in a piano bar of a hotel that would never get today’s five-star rating (two to three stars max!). But this is film noir, so we need a private dick and a missing blond. So the piano bar simply allows the lounge singer to narrate the story, thus making this play a musical and helping transform it into a parody. Gunmetal Blues has been done by various theatre companies through the

Andrew Wheeler in Gunmetal Blues (Photo by Scott Wentworth)

years, but this version allows the Vancouver Playhouse to showcase their talents, as like all parodies, the play will straddle the line between clever and cheesy.

Next, PTE offers up two plays that will resonate with our current world situations.

The first is The Dishwashers (Jan. 24 to Feb. 10), a play that will resonate with the shifting economic realities that have many re-inventing themselves as they are pushed to stay employed by taking up jobs that might not be what they wanted.

Specifically, the play exposes us to a character whose fortunes lands him with the job of a dishwasher in one of the best restaurants in town, the same one he used to frequent often as a patron. The objective is to make us laugh, instead of making us depressed about what might happen to us under the current economic climate.

Nonetheless, it can only dish out a little humility as we can’t always be served and their always needs to be someone who does

“The great thing about theatre is it should move forward with society,” says PTE artistic director Bob Metcalfe

the dishes. And for many of us, this will be a glimpse into the life of a dish-pig.

Something we might not have spent a lot of time contemplating since our university days when any job seemed attractive in the face of tuition fees.

Not all realities are meant to be laughed at. This world is full of drama.

Therefore it’s appropriate that PTE delivers a drama that is relevant to our reality. This is War (Feb. 21 to March 10) tackles the still fresh and still controversial Afghanistan war. It tries to do so by presenting the war through the perspective of four different characters, or more specifically witnesses to a critical event. Written by Hannah Moscovitch, this young playwrite is courageous to tackle a story that is still evolving and makes most Canadians uncomfortable.

The Swearing Jar (April 4 to 21) and The Magical Mystery Munsh (Dec. 21 to Jan. 6)will lighten the mood. The first is

the story of a married couple determined to talk to one another with language more fitting for their soon to become family environment. This proves to be a difficult habit to kick as life has ways of making us use this quick frustration release. The couple might be struggling with this, but the family holiday show has mastered the art of story telling in a way befitting he whole family. An easy task when one brings to life the high-energy and madcap stories of famed and beloved author Robert Munch.

For full details of PTE’s 2012-2013 season, please visit www.pte.mb.ca .

Details on when and how you can attend can also be found on the website.

— Eric Plamondon is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

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VIKTORIAROTKIV

VIKTORAIROTKIV

VIKTORAIROTKIV

VIKTORIAROTKIV

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Model: Viktor Peters with Swish Model Management Hair: Roger Medina Makeup: Jocelyn Caballero

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Kholby Wardell Plays a young gay man (the only young gay man in Uranium City, Saskatchewan), in Ride the Cyclone

ith quality and balance as its guidelines, the Manitoba Theatre Centre hopes to have an eclectic 55th season, both on stage and in the audience. An overview of the season shows this to be true. The MTC’s artistic director, Steven Schipper, presents a confident and enthusiastic season that is at par with the scale and variety that one would expect from Manitoba’s only royal theatre company. Well-known stories like Gone With The Wind, A few Good Men and The Penelopiad will be in the same company as much-hyped stories like Ride the Cyclone and Assassins.

Steven Schipper and the MTC team have the daunting task of presenting an attractive season after the previous season saw its plays make headlines for financial reasons, if not despite its artistic merit. Thus hours were poured in reading unsolicited plays, going through established trade magazines, considering numerous recommendations, spending time in theatre powerhouse cities like New York and London (with some notable Canadian cities added to the mix) to view as many plays as possible.

The search culminated in a varied season that leaves the artistic director and his team confident that Manitobans will continue to

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turn to theatre as a source of entertainment, thus adding to our cultural and societal depth.

The MTC will begin its season with a script by well-known, fastpaced dialogue producing Aaron Sorkin. A Few Good Men (Oct. 18 - Nov. 10) is one of the earliest contributions from this established and influential North American author. His credits include The West Wing, The Social Network and Moneyball, as well as his drama-filled TV return with The Newsroom. But it’s worth remembering that Sorkin started as a playwright. A Few Good Men was written as a play before it was popularized on a film screen by Hollywood royalty Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. The story was inspired by the experience of Sorkin’s lawyer’s sister in Guantanamo Bay, a place that still holds relevance today. One can only imagine that Manitobans can handle the truth and will want to experience this theatrical heavyweight up close and personal.

If you want to brush up on classic epic stories, then you will not want to miss the world premiere of Niki Landau’s adaptation of Gone With the Wind (Jan. 10 to Feb. 2). Securing an international premiere of this caliber will create buzz in and of itself. Added to the

fact that it’s an adaptation of the classic epic novel and Hollywod masterpiece Gone With The Wind, it ensures the buzz will soar up to great heights during its run.

A quick refresher: Gone with the Wind is a romantic story that creates a strong feminist heroine emphasized by the American Civil War in its backdrop. Steven assures us that reading this new adaptation left him saying “wow,” as the words jumped off the page - not much of a surprise as we already often quote this cultural piece. Who hasn’t caught themselves saying, “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.” Or maybe, “As god is my witness, I’ll never be hungry again.” So one can easily imagine how Niki Landau can develop and push this text even further to create other “wow” moments.

The MTC is acquiring this play for Manitoba as it will hire many local actors to deliver the great text. Even though Rhett Butler stated famously, “With enough courage, you can do without a reputation,” we have enough evidence to know that this world premiere offers great courage despite a well-established reputation. And we thank the MTC for being so bold.

Later in the season, in its more intimate setting of the MTC Warehouse, you will be able to catch another story of a heroine that must deal with the setting of war. Under the pen of famed Canadian author Maragert Atwood, the MTC will tackle Atwood’s contemporary offering of an ancient myth with The Penelopiad (Feb. 21 - Mar. 9). This is the story of Penelope, who is left to run a kingdom while her husband is off to war.

Theatre aficionados will also eat up some of the other MTC offerings this season. Long time MTC sister company Rubicon is back this year with a musical offering entitled Daddy Long Legs (Mar. 14 - Apr. 6). Beauty, intelligence and vivaciousness emanate from Jerusha, a young woman with an orphanage upbringing who is entering college with the financial backing of her “daddy long legs”.

Contrasting worlds are explored in this, the sixth collaboration between the MTC and Rubicon.

Not all stories will feature strong women… not that there is anything wrong with that. Ed’s Garage (Feb. 7 to Mar. 2) will explore the capacity folksy Ed has to fix people’s problems… whether they be related to their truck or to their personal lives. Competition sets in as a psychotherapist establishes himself next-door to Ed’s garage.

Whose council will people seek now?

Great stories are born out of great conflict. With great conflict comes the potential of death and murder. Therefore one could expect a few plays tackling death, but unexpectedly these stories are both humorous and musical. First, why not take some of the most well known American assassins and run there story into a musical?

Stephen Sondheim’s vaudeville play Assasins (Jan. 17 - Feb. 2) is the story of nine individuals who set out to assassinate a President of the United States. From well-knowns like John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald, their story has never been delivered in such lyrically appealing way.

Steven Schipper and the MTC team have the daunting task of presenting an attractive season after the previous season.

This will not be the only disturbing but thrilling musical offered to MTC patrons this season. The much-hyped Ride the Cyclone (Mar. 21 to Apr. 6) also offers a morbid tale as teenagers come back from a macabre rollercoaster accident to recount their story. A mechanical fortune telling machine allows them to recount their tale with all its teenage drama. And teenage drama abounds as the play exploits the turmoil of a gay young man (the only gay young man in Uranium City, Saskatchewan). Played by Kholby Wardell, this young man hates the lack of passion that defines the people of his town, maybe as much as he hates the fact that nobody seems to care that he is gay. You will be convinced that pseudo-accepting dying small towns are effective in clipping the wings of a bird instead of caging it up. This show is hitting its stride as its been performed in Victoria, Toronto and Vancouver; and soon it will add Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Saskatoon to this list.

There are some Winnipeg connections, as Winnipeg-born actress Britt Small is co-director of the Atomic Vaudeville theatre company. She brings an excited cast with her; Kholby admitted that he is hoping for warm weather in Winnipeg as he is excited to discover the city. “I love to wander the streets of a new city and absorb the aspects of the city that make it completely unique from every other one,” he says.

Well, it’s not a safe bet to bank on good weather for the March run of the show in Winnipeg, but there is proof that it will be a good show inside the MTC for those who venture away from their home to catch this unique play.

For a full listing of the 55th season of the MTC, please visit mtc.mb.ca

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Celebrating a

BY JASON VAN ROOY

Kicking off the festival this year on Oct. 9, 8-10 p.m., is Beyond the

For 25 years the men and women behind the Reel Pride film festival have brought some of the very best of GLBTTQ* cinema from around the world home to Winnipeg, much to the delight of their audiences.

Reel Pride is celebrating its silver anniversary with all new programs and an expansion into more than just the cinematographic arts.

This year’s festival is set to include other visual arts, panel discussions, video projects created by local youth and documentaries and short films which explore an even broader rainbow than in previous years. Now in its third year at the Gas Station Arts Centre, REEL Pride boasts a six-day schedule with a broad spectrum of events and showings covering topics from GLBTTQ* refugees to positive youth. Each day provides an array of options from romantic comedies to documentaries and everything in between.

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Celluloid, a Queer Visual Extravaganza.

Open to all, this free event will highlight the importance of visual arts and entertainment such as photography, painting, burlesque and more. Opening the festival this year with an explosion of visual arts which will take festival goers beyond the celluloid, festival organizers hope, will highlight the diverse mediums which the GLBTTQ* community uses to express who they are. In Winnipeg, a diverse and artistic city, many local artists share identities and express those in various artistic forms, many of which are eventually incorporated into film projects. This event brings together artists from all genres in a single show of artistic expression of what it means to be part of the GLBTTQ* community.

Also new to this year`s program is Make it Better Public Service Announcements on Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. This event, which draws its inspiration from recent campaigns such as It Gets Better will be a contest with prizes awarded for the best public service announcement. Working with Winnipeg Film Group, Rainbow Resource Centre and Various GSA organizations from around the

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city, Reel Pride will bring together public service announcements created by local GLBTTQ* youth. The audience will view all of the projects and will get to choose the winner. “We have seen what some youth have done in taking on the challenge of

talking about It gets better and Make it better,” says Eric Plamondon, marketing and communications chair for Reel Pride, “so we thought it was time to give them a full slot in our festival to truly give them a voice. I have no doubt they will not disappoint.” Show and competition will be followed by a panel discussion.

Returning to this year’s festival, another contest now in its ninth year, the Canadian

THE PERFECT FAMILY

GLBTTQ* Short Films Competition kicks off at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10. There will be a jury prize for best short film and an audience prize will be presented as well.

While the ballots are being counted, the audience will view a short drama called Foucault’s Room about a young Polish man who, while drunk on vodka one day in 1958, is taken in by the famous French (and famously homosexual) philosopher.

Also returning this year is Reel Pride’s presenting sponsor, RBC, which will be

Silver Anniversary in Style bringing Date Night to the festival for Friday, Oct. 12. The evening features two films, The Perfect Family at 7 p.m. and Weekend at 9 p.m. The Perfect Family follows suburban supermom Eileen Cleary (Kathleen Turner) who is about to receive the Catholic Woman of the Year Award and must face the truth about her family; with her lesbian daughter about to marry her life partner and an unhappily married son who is having an affair with a local manicurist. A funny and irreverent look at the modern family, this drama tackles issues of conformity and acceptance and the effect of our families’ faith on our lives while showing the funny side of family life.

Weekend, an unconventional love story, follows the journey of Russell (Tom Cullen) as he meets Glen (Chris New) at a gay club, but what is expected to be only a one night stand becomes something much more. Winner of the 2011 Grand Jury Award at Outfest, Weekend is certainly set to make this Friday night perfect for either a first date or a wonderful night out with your long time partner. Following the film at 11:00 pm, sponsored by Queer Media Group, is QueerViews Presents: A Series of Queer Short Films which highlight trans women, genderqueers and short film

directors who go well beyond the binary concept of male and female.

Tickets from the QueerViews Presents showing will also get festival goers free admittance to an official after party at Gio’s.

Finally, WEEKEND returning to Reel Pride for his second year in a row, actor and now director Charlie David will be on hand for a question and answer period following the screening of his directorial

The festival continues to grow and change each year, and now with 19 festivals and in it’s 25th year it is clear that Reel Pride is a staple in both Winnipeg’s GLBTTQ* and Arts communities. And what is the reason for the festival’s success these 25 years? “Hard to tell. But simply, people like movies” says Plamondon. “[Film] allows for stories that will resonate with an audience that is part of a larger community that understands and interacts with its queer community members. This also speaks to the current state of queer cinema.

The quality of the movies and our evolution towards social acceptance means that the general public can and wants to access these movies since they are not always picked up by main-stream movie theatres.

GAY POSITIVE

debut Positive Youth on Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. Having visited Winnipeg in 2011 for a screening of Judas Kiss at last year’s Reel Pride Festival, David returns having now directed a documentary that follows four HIV-positive youth in four different North American cities to uncover why youth transmission rates for the disease are still the highest. With medical experts weighing in and historical context used to uncover the reality of living with HIV at a young age in today’s society, this film is not to be missed.

Essentially, it allows for like-minded people to gather and be inspired by stories that are worth sharing.”

For complete festival schedule and event details visit www.reelpride.org. The festival runs from Oct. 9-14 at the Gas Stattion Arts Centre, 445 River Ave Tickets can be purchased at the door or reserved through reelpride@hotmail.com.

— Jason van Rooy is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

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