Outwords 203 september 2013

OutWords // Letter to the Editor

queer views, news, issues

WINNIPEG FATHER ACCUSES U OF M OF TRANS DISCRIMINATION

DATING APPS TRY TO HELP LESBIANS FIND LOVE AND SEX ONLINE VIDEO GAMES SLOW TO INCLUDE GLBTQ* CONTENT

JENNA TALACKOVA’S

NEW SHOW REVEALS LIFE BEYOND GENDER

TRANSFORMATION OutWords | September 2013 | Issue 203 | Serving the GLBTQ* CommunityJulySince 1994 / August 2013

// www.outwords.ca // 1

“ It is important to provide environments where we share respect, acceptance and encouragement with one another.”

Jamie Chahine, Student Support Representative

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.ca or 204-632-2404 www.rrc.ca/LGBTTInitiative

OutWords // Index

4

Will the GLBTQ* spotlight affect students going back to school?

5

A father’s story provides inspiration, but coverage of Africa falters

6

The Vatican moves towards GLBTQ* acceptance

8

editorial

20

Jenna Talackova: our Brave New (Cover) Girl

22

Coming Soon: FemFest 2013

24

For readers and writers: THIN AIR

25

The world of GLBTQ* gaming

27

XXX showcases queer artists

28

Online search for love and sex disappointing for lesbians

30

New book looks at how school systems deal with queer bullying

Letters to the editor

International news briefs

Yemen’s only openly gay person seeks refuge in Canada National news briefs

12

Winnipeg student files human rights complaint against the U of M

16

Does the world accept gays?

17

RRC helps refugees

18

I’m Sorry campaign builds bridges between communities

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 3

OutWords // Editorial Published by the outwords volunteer staff: editor : Ksenia Prints Social media editor : Miles McEnery News and music editor: Danelle Cloutier Entertainment editor: Graeme Coleman Sports, books and movies editor: Meg Crane Fashion and Beauty editor: Jefre Nicholls Food and lifestyle editor: Shayna Wiwierski art director & layout: Dylan Bekkering Assistant layout: Michele Buchanan Financial officer: Darron Field

BACK TO SCHOOL, BACK TO REALITY Editorial

Ksenia Prints

AS GLBTQ* STUDENTS FLOCK BACK TO THE CLASSROOMS, WILL THEY BE MET WITH INCREASED HOMOPHOBIA?

A

s debates over bullying, homophobia and impressionable minds continue to rage all over the country, the OutWords editorial team has been wondering what GLBTQ* youth will encounter as they head back to the classroom.

It has become “in vogue” to take on GLBTQ* causes. The Canadian Blood Services’ ban of gay men has gotten thousands riled up across the country, with the limited result of easing the restriction to only those men who have had sex with other men in the last five years (i.e., every healthy, sexually-active gay or bisexual man). Hundreds have been coming out in support of Manitoba’s Bill 18, the Safe and Inclusive Schools Act, which through its many sub-clauses would also enable every student who wants one to form a GSA in their school.

And online petitions, YouTube videos and lengthy blog entries discussing the damages of gay bashing and bullying have been circulating like wildfire.

All those are good things. Attention to GLBTQ* causes is welcome. But we’ve been wondering what effects all this is going to have on our most vulnerable subjects, the very same youth who spend the most impressionable 4 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

hours of their day in the company of some not-so-GLBTQ*-supportive peers. Will all this discussion of the plight of the gay teen highlight their difference and serve to exclude them further? Will the implementation of safety measures lead to an increase in the very same thing we’re trying to prevent? Will raising awareness also raise the problem under unforeseen circumstances? We’re left to wonder.

But as Winnipeg’s only GLBTQ* publication, we can do more than just wonder.

In our upcoming issues, we are taking a look at “bad” GLBTQ* camps that aim to change orientations. We are tackling the persistent lack of trans acceptance in our educational institutions, first by telling Damien Leggett’s story and then moving to look at the bigger trends. We are asking high school students, teachers and GSA members in Manitoba how they feel Bill 18 will impact their lives. And when all else fails, we are examining where teens go when they need support. We are continuing to tell your stories, and we hope you’re reading them.

Help us do a better job. Email, Facebook or tweet us at @OutWords with your comments, issues, news and views.

distribution: Jared Star, Terry Wiebe web manager: Vic Hooper sales representative: Meg Crane Cover Photo: Daniel Shoesmith contributors to this issue: Megan Douglas, Larkin Schmiedl, Ellen/Kell Hagerman, Tokini, Marina Koslock, Carson Hammond, Armande Martine, Kendra Glaede, Alan Rae. board of directors: Debbie Scarborough, Diane Ready, Kevin Hills, Sky Bridges, Dale Oughton, Darron Field, Helen Fallding, Gail Eckert, Liz Millward.

OutWords 201-63 Albert St. Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 1G4 Phone: (204) 942-4599 For office hours, please call.

General Inquiries: info@outwords.ca Editor: editor@outwords.ca Creative: creative@outwords.ca Advertising: sales@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 © 2013 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.

OutWords // Letters To The Editor

A STORY OF HOPE

AFRICA IS NOT A COUNTRY

I just had the opportunity to read “Diary of a Gender Confirmation” in your July/ August issue, and I wanted to say thank you to both OutWords and to Rollin Penner, the article’s author, for providing such a great story of hope. I myself am a young genderqueer individual, and I haven’t yet decided what course of action I will take in order to feel more comfortable as myself inside the world, but it was beautiful to see the support of others on this journey.

The intelligence with which Penner writes, recognizing that Vic truly is male- enabling him to become a complete version of himself- struck me, because it is an example of the simple and impossibly difficult understanding that we as a community struggle for. All in all, it is good to know that there are people behind us in our decisions, trusting us. It is for that reason that we have the courage to change. I offer my thanks to you all, and congratulations as well to Vic, for pursuing his happiness.

- Ellen/Kell Hagerman

The coverage of homophobia in Africa in GLBTQ* (and queer) media is becoming quite problematic as the aforementioned media has power solely in the global north due to the influence of western media and censorship and human rights issues in Africa. This means that, more than often, the representation of GLBTQ* issues in Africa will be based primarily on western perspectives.

For instance, in the article on the recently passed anti-gay law in Nigeria, the writer chose to segue into the predictable western media tagline when discussing (and condemning) homophobia in Africa, “the U.K. has threatened to cut aid to African countries that violate the rights of gays and lesbians.” In addition, the writer chose to include “corrective rape” in South Africa as though the government ruling in Nigeria was in some way connected to this heinous hate crime in South Africa. This misinforms readers, as the implicit message here is, Africa is a homophobic country. Yes, country. This is because in the context of GLBTQ* rights, Africa is usually reduced from a continent to a country. Why are there no similar comparisons on GLBTQ* rights in India and China, which are both in Asia?

It should be noted that heinous hate crimes are committed against GLBTQ* people in every country in the world. That is beyond horrific, but it is a reason for GLBTQ* people to work in solidarity, instead of perpetuating divisive stereotypes. Hate crimes against GLBTQ* people need be contextualized in order to be understood and reduced. Comparing GLBTQ* hate crimes in South Africa to government policy in Nigeria makes it seem like the underlying “Africanness” is the reason for homophobia on the continent.

OutWords (and other western GLBTQ* media) can do much better in representing GLBTQ* issues in Africa. The recent Anambra protest over the detention of two gay men would have been a better segue as that not only keeps the readers focused on GLBTQ* issues in Nigeria, but it also informs readers that there are GLBTQ* people in Nigeria who are fighting against the injustice. No mainstream GLBTQ* media outlet – not even The Advocat – covered this story. Why?

- Tokini

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OutWords // International News // Compiled by Megan Douglas

GAY MEN BEATEN FRANCE GOVERNMENT’S WITH MACHETES AND CEMENT BAD BLOOD BLOCKS IN HAITI f so en e z o in

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The Lebanese Psychiatric Society states that “homosexuality is not a mental disorder.”

Photo from sodahead.com.

VERDICT:

NOT ILL BEIRUT, Lebanon – The Lebanese Psychiatric Society (LPS) released a statement in early July that states “homosexuality is not a mental disorder and does not need to be treated.”

The statement, which was celebrated by gay rights supporters and activists earlier this month, is a major step forward for the medical authority in the Arab country, reports Al Arabiya.

The current legal status of “homosexuality” in Lebanon is still a grey area in that their criminal code continues to ban “unnatural sexual acts” between two people, which up until now has been interpreted to include same-sex behavior.

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France’s health minister urged to lift ban on blood donations by men who have sex with men.

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PARIS – France’s minister of health Marisol Tourraine was sent a report earlier this month that will restart the debate over men who have sex with men (MSM) donating blood.

MP Olivier Véran, a socialist in the country, is working with gay-rights group SOS Homophobie and is pushing for the government to remove the lifetime ban that was put in place in 1983, when statistics showed there was a prevalence of the HIV virus among MSM. Ludovic Saulnier, SOS Homophobie’s treasurer, told The Local that the ban should be lifted because “France is well behind other countries on this issue. In Spain, Portugal and Italy homosexual men are allowed to give blood and there has been no increase in risk to public health there. The question has to be about the level of risk and not about the sexuality of the donor.”

France legalized gay marriage in May.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Gangs have beaten dozens of gay men with machetes, iron bars, cement blocks and sticks in the capital of Haiti.

Human rights campaigners said they know of 47 victims who were either beaten, looted or had their house burnt down in the span of one week.

The assaults began two days before the march led by the Haitian Coalition of Religious and Moral Organizations in mid July. The coalition was to march in opposition to a same-sex marriage bill they claimed was going before parliament.

Human rights campaigners and government officials told Gay Star News that no such bill exists.

A foundation in the city that advocates for marginalized people, particularly GLBTQ* people, helped the victims and maintained contact with the government.

A spokesperson for the foundation said it’s unclear where this hatred is coming from.

The spokesperson said one victim saw some of his former lovers among the attackers.

A government official made a statement condemning the violence and said there will be justice.

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6 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

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OutWords // International News

LEADING CONVERSION Pope Francis accepts GLBTQ* people into the church. Photo by AFP.

POPE EMBRACES GLBTQ* CATHOLICS VATICAN CITY – Hope is running through the GLBTQ* Catholic population from positive comments Pope Francis made about accepting GLBTQ* people into the church.

“If someone is gay and seeks the Lord with good will, who am I to judge?” said the pope in an interview about allegations that the person he chose to lead the Vatican’s bank might be gay.

“The catechism of the Catholic Church says clearly that we must not marginalize these people

who should be integrated into society,” he continued.

Many GLBTQ* people and Catholics around the world welcomed his compassion, including Equally Blessed, an GLBTQ* Catholic organization.

The organization made a statement that said “Catholic leaders who continue to belittle gays and lesbians can no longer claim that their inflammatory remarks represent the sentiments of the pope,” reports the The Advocate.

THERAPY

MINISTRY CLOSES ORLANDO, Florida – Exodus International, a leading conversion therapy ministry, has apologized for causing trauma and has decided to close.

Alan Chambers, the Exodus International president, released an apology for stating that “homosexuals” could be “cured” through a combination of prayer and conversion therapy, but still believes “homosexual” behavior is a sin, reports The Globe and Mail. Chambers, a father of three and married to a woman, admits to having same-sex attractions.

“I cannot apologize for my deeply held biblical beliefs about the boundaries I see in scripture surrounding sex, but I will exercise my beliefs with care and respect for those who do not share them,” he said. “I cannot apologize for my beliefs about marriage. But I do not have any desire to fight you on your beliefs or the rights that you seek.”

The American Psychiatric Association has warned that reliance on conversion therapy can lead to depression, anxiety, and self-destructive behavior.

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OutWords // National News // Compiled by Megan Douglas

TIM HORTONS LANDS IN HOT WATER FOR LOCKING GLBTQ* NEWS SITE

TORONTO – Tim Hortons, a popular Canadian coffee chain, has apologized for blocking a gay and lesbian news website from its in-store Wi-Fi networks.

Tim Hortons was subjected to a large backlash in July after it was discovered that Dailyxtra.com, a free newspaper distributed in Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver, was restricted on Tim Hortons’ Wi-Fi. When the publication asked for its site to be unblocked, a reply came back stating that the site was “not appropriate for all ages viewing in a public environment” and that “it was not an easy decision” to block the site.

After the community took to Twitter promising to boycott Tim Hortons because of this decision, Michelle Robichaud, a Tim Hortons spokesperson, apologized on behalf of the company and blamed a third party provider for the error. “We certainly appreciate when people bring this kind of stuff to our attention and the statement made by our Wi-Fi vendor was made in error,” she said.

Brandon Matheson, Daily Xtra’s publisher and editor-in-chief, accepted the apology and stated that Tim Hortons made the right decision to lift the block on the site.

MAYOR CRITIQUES HATE LETTERS SENT TO SAME-SEX COUPLE

One of the two hate letters received by an Ontario same-sex couple.

Photo from The Kingston Whig-Standard

8 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

KINGSTON – Kingston Mayor Mark Gerretsen is showing his support for a same-sex couple who received two hate letters.

Karen Dubinsky and Susan Belyea received two letters offering financial incentive to move away from Kingston and threatening them with BB guns if they refuse. The authors sent the letters in an effort to clear the city of the “scourge of homosexuality,” reports The Kingston WhigStandard.

Gerretsen said the letters are “extremely unfortunate and disrespectful.” He added, “I don’t think anybody should be swayed by it and I hope people should continue to push forward and ensure equality is established for all members of the community.”

This is not the first time Kingston has been at the centre of a gay discrimination problem, with several same-sex couples in Kingston targeted over the years.

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OutWords // National News

CANADA,

UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA NOW HOLDS AN ARCHIVE OF TRANSGENDER HISTORY VICTORIA – An archive that chronicles decades of transgender history has been flown to the University of Victoria.

Professor Richard Ekins of the University of Ulster in the United Kingdom has been collecting media clippings, testimonies, books, audio, video, photographs and artifacts since 1986. The archive reflects how societal attitudes towards and representations of transgender people have evolved over the years in Britain and internationally.

Professor Ekins has been searching for a home for his archives since mid-2010 and first offered it to the London School of Economics’ GLBTQ* Hall-Carpenter Archive, but was

U.S., & U.K.

CONDEMN

University of Victoria receives transgender archive from professor Richard Ekins (above).

Photo from Camden New Journal

told it would not be accepted due to a lack of an inventory listing what it contained, reports Camden New Journal.

But Victoria is happy to have it. “It is truly a treasure and we are honoured to become its guardian,” said a representative for the university.

RUSSIA’S ANTI-GAY LAW

THE ONLY OPENLY GAY PERSON IN YEMEN NOW IN CANADA John Baird is urging the Russian government to change its anti-gay law before the 2014 Olympics.

Photo from johnbaird.com.

Ala’a Jarban, the “only openly gay person in Yemen,” is seeking refugee status in Canada.

Photo from CBC News

MONTREAL – An internationally known youth activist is seeking refugee status in Canada after being bombarded with death threats for declaring he is gay.

Ala’a Jarban, a 23-year-old activist involved in the 2011 Yemeni revolution, posted a blog entry that stated, “I’m queer.”

Within hours an online rage erupted and both national and international media wrote about it and he became known as the “only openly gay person in Yemen.”

“I barely log into the Internet,” Jarban told CBC News. “I deactivated my Facebook because I can’t deal with it anymore, the

death threats, the hate messages. It’s so unbearable.”

Yemen-born Kamal al-Solaylee, a Toronto-based journalism instructor, believes Jarban would be in great danger if he returned to Yemen. “It’s somewhere between idealist and suicidal,” said al-Solaylee of Jarban’s declaration. “I genuinely believe he is in danger physically,” he said.

Chris Morrissey, a specialist in refugee claims in Canada, said that Jarban would most likely win refugee status due to this situation. “His chances are 99.9 per cent of winning,” he said.

OTTAWA — Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird has condemned Russia’s new anti-gay law as “hateful” and said it could cause violence.

The law, introduced under President Vladimir Putin’s rule, bans “propaganda of non-traditional relationships.” Baird said Ottawa expressed concerns to the Russian government eight times, before and after the bill was signed in June, reports Pink News.

This law will be enforced during the Winter Olympics in Sochi, 2014, but Baird said he plans to work with the U.S. and the U.K. to pressure the Russian government to change it ahead of the games.

People around the world have urged to boycott the Olympics and even products from Russia, such as vodka. But others warn that a boycott is counter-productive because participation is an important way of highlighting injustice.

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 11

OutWords // News

dotting the is crossing off the ts

By Danelle Cloutier

Human Rights Commission to examine case of a transgender U of M student suspended from program When Damien Leggett started studying social work at the University of Manitoba he expected it to be a perfect fit for him – he never expected he would be filing a human rights complaint against the school for what he claims was discrimination because he is transgender.

Leggett began transitioning from female to male when he applied to the program in 2010 as a parent of three children living on social assistance. The Inner-City ACCESS Program is designed for students who have faced systemic barriers to post-secondary education. As a transgender person with a Grade 9 education living in poverty, Leggett thought this program was a good fit for him.

But problems quickly arose, beginning with the application.

The application form required applicants to disclose their gender by either checking the “M” for male or “F” for female gender box. “I was legally female. This does not mean that I am not male. As a transgender

12 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

person, I wait for the day when my gender designation is changed legally; just because that time has not come yet, does not mean I do not deserve to be respected. There was no “T” box to tick. I did not know what to do,” laments Leggett, 30. He has been transgender since Grade 9 but he felt pressured to choose “F” because he was warned that a person would be removed from the program for not telling the truth on the application.

He says his biography and the interview parts of the application process clarified that he’s transitioning.

Once in the program, Leggett skipped lunch and breakfast to avoid having to use the washroom because there were no genderneutral washrooms available to students. The staff eventually gave him access to a washroom. “This washroom was made accessible to me, but was not designated a gender-neutral washroom for students. In fact, it was made clear that only I was allowed to use it, which was alienating, especially since it was right beside the student lounge.”

The institutional restrictions were uncomfortable, but it’s the people who Leggett feels really damaged his identity. He claims

OutWords // News

that an instructor repeatedly called him by his female birth name and advised him to check with administration whether she was required to call him anything other than that. “Before I went to university, I was liv-

The problems weren’t isolated to this one instructor. “One guy asked me to draw a diagram of my body and another person bought me a fake moustache as a joke and those two things stand Photo by Bostyn’s Craft Works

“I remember thinking where are these people coming from? Like, this is social work? This is bizarre!

I can’t even imagine as a social worker not looking at somebody and saying ‘OK, let’s fix it.’” ,

ing in severe poverty and changing one’s name is very expensive. I did this as soon as I could afford to as a single parent with three children. Preferred name is an important thing to respect.”

Leggett also alleges the instructor said she couldn’t remember he was male, adding that if he grew facial hair she might be able to remember his gender. But Leggett was in the process of transitioning and couldn’t grow facial hair. Instead, he wore a toque that read, “Hi, my name is he” as a friendly reminder to his instructor to use male pronouns. But problems with the instructor persisted and what she viewed as progress, Leggett viewed as shaming. “She let me know that she was going to a one-on-one workshop to learn how to remember how to use male pronouns with me because I just did not look male. That was really shaming for me.” Leggett’s identity was beginning to shatter because he felt like suddenly he didn’t pass as a male. Before the program, Leggett never questioned whether he passed.

out at me as being openly hostile acts,” Leggett says about incidents he had with other students.

He sat down with university officials about the problems he faced in the program, but says they left him feeling helpless after allegedly saying that everyone in the program has problems and that it will take a long time to change things. Leggett claims one official said, “Shoot me an email later” while staring at his BlackBerry. “I remember thinking, ‘where are these people coming from? Like, this is social work? This is bizarre! I can’t even imagine as a social worker not looking at somebody and saying ‘OK, let’s fix it.’”

Leggett ended up being suspended from the program. He made a joke about flatulence in the student lounge to a group of friends, which offended a student who overheard it. After the student complained about the joke, Leggett relayed an apology to the student through the counsellor and also sent her an email. He says the university

removed him from the program, claiming he was supposed to apologize in person.

Leggett says university officials also had a problem with critical comments that Leggett allegedly made on a student Facebook page, but he says he didn’t make any critical comments on the student page.

The university held a hearing but Leggett says they didn’t provide him with documentation about the accusations, which also inhibited him from appealing his suspension. He resorted to filing for access to the documents under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, but received the documents long after the 10 days he had to appeal.

He’s now in the Faculty of Extended Education at the University of Manitoba’s main campus, but he says this traumatizing experience has affected his mental, physical and psychological health. “I was definitely damaged in terms of my identity and ability to feel like I didn’t have to worry about passing.” During the program he would ask

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 13

OutWords // News

Here are a few examples of what the university wrote to the Manitoba Human Rights Commission in response to Leggett’s complaint

Photo by Alan Rae

Damien Leggett, a father of three, has filed a human rights complaint against the U of M’s Faculty of Social Work for allegedly enduring discrimination from faculty and staff.

himself, ‘Do I even have a right to ask for respect?’”

Leggett says that while attending the program, he went to the emergency room because he was experiencing severe anxiety.

He says a psychiatrist diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder. “I was bullied due to being GLBTQ* in elementary and junior high school and the experiences I had at the Inner City Social Work Program brought that trauma up for me again.”

During the program he resumed selfharming, even though he hadn’t self-harmed since he was bullied in Grade 9. Now he’s dealing with the grief over a lost dream. “I was born to be a social worker,” he says, adding that he’s always helping out his community. “I’m the neighbourhood dad!”

Michael McCallum, a transgender student, is currently in the part-time version of the inner-city social work program.

Like Leggett, McCallum faced institutional restrictions with the application and washrooms. On the application form, McCallum drew in his own “T” for transgender box and Leggett told McCallum which washroom to use when he started the program. But mostly McCallum, 45, has had a better experience than Leggett. “Because he was very out and was able to get them to do things that they probably had never seen before and never had to deal with in the past, it was a lot easier for me coming in after that,” McCal-

14 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

lum says. “I didn’t have the same experiences as him but only because of him, and not because of anything the university did to help me with that.”

Though U of M officials weren’t available for comment, a U of M official provided OutWords with a copy of a letter written by James P. Mulvale, dean of the Faculty of Social Work, to the Winnipeg Free Press in response to the story the newspaper published about Leggett. The letter states that “the University and the Faculty do not agree with Mr. Leggett’s characterization of the events that transpired.” It also lists recent university initiatives that benefit transgender students, including “the increasing availability of gender-neutral washrooms.” The letter also says that the university is “exploring opportunities to use a ‘preferred’ name, as opposed to a legal name, in a variety of contexts at the institution.”

The Manitoba Human Rights Commission is investigating the complaint Leggett made against the U of M’s Faculty of Social Work. Leggett provided OutWord with the university’s reply to his complaint.

This article is the first part of a two-part series about GLBTQ* people and social work. The second article, in the next issue, will examine the state of GLBTQ* education in social work and the dangers of not having enough GLBTQ* education in the field.

• “The student was primarily or exclusively known to staff as female throughout the application, admission, and orientation process; a period of approximately six months.”

• The university says Leggett applied to the program under his birth name and checked the “F” box as his gender on the application, and that he referenced being a single mom on the application.

“I used to be a single mom. It doesn’t have anything to do with my current gender designation,” says Leggett.

• With respect to one or more staff members referring to Leggett with female pronouns, the university replied, “There was nothing malicious or discriminatory in these words. Many of the staff in the University’s Inner City Social Work Program first knew the Student as female, and consequently made an occasional error.”

• In the case of a sessional instructor referring to Leggett with female pronouns, the university replied that she “was involved in the admission process and knew the Student as female for a period of nearly six months.”

• “The University denies that the [suspension] decision was based in any part of gender identity, and was issued entirely due to the Student’s inappropriate and disruptive behaviour.”

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OCTOBER 19-20 &

NOVEMBER 2-3

July / August 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 15

OutWords // News

IT’S A

BIG,

BIG

WORLD

STUDY EXAMINES TRENDS IN GLOBAL

ACCEPTANCE OF HOMOSEXUALITY

By Larkin Schmiedl

R

ecent research suggests acceptance of homosexuality and lack of religion go hand-in-hand in many circumstances – the less religious a society is, the more it is accepting of homosexuality.

This is of course not the whole picture, but a recent Pew Research Center report suggests the trend is strong.

Pew is an American organization that conducts global public opinion surveys on trends that shape the world.

In Canada, 80 per cent of people said homosexuality should be accepted by society, according to the surveys. This is up from 70 per cent just six years ago. The country is making fast progress.

Interestingly, religious schools have provided a counterpoint, which supports Pew research conclusions. Bill 18, Manitoba’s anti-bullying law, has been protested by religious leaders and Mennonites, who fear it would force faith-

16 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

based schools to allow gay-straight alliances.

Something similar occurred in Ontario’s Catholic schools.

Dr. Carlos Colorado, assistant professor in the department of religion and culture at the University of Winnipeg, said, “the local reaction to Bill 18 suggests some, both obvious and explicit [or] latent, intolerance in the Canadian context. It’s complex.”

Colorado visited France, where the country’s recent legalization of same-sex marriage has been extremely controversial, to study the country’s model of “fairly closed secularism.” Although he said France has arguably less public religious expression than Canada – only 13 per cent of those in France say religion is very important to them, as compared with about 30 per cent of Canadians, according to the Pew findings – Colorado noted there is an embedded Catholic identity within the country at play.

It makes the controversy in France vexing,

especially considering 77 per cent of French people surveyed said homosexuality should be accepted.

In the U.S., where only 60 per cent of people believe homosexuality should be accepted, Pew suggests that based on its research, religion may be the reason: “The link between religiosity and acceptance of homosexuality explains, at least in part, why acceptance of homosexuality among Americans is low relative to other wealthy countries, particularly Canada and Western European nations, where religion is less central to people’s lives.” Half of Americans say religion is very important in their lives.

Much of the resistance to homosexuality in the U.S. is rooted in deeply-held religious attitudes, such as beliefs around sin, according to Pew. Although the research shows a strong trend of religion correlating with intolerance, Russia and China are important

exceptions, where religion is not particularly high, but acceptance for homosexuality is low, with 74 per cent of Russians and 57 per cent of Chinese saying homosexuality should not be accepted. This statistic from Russia is not surprising given the intense legal and social repression of homosexuals occurring in the country now.

Dr. Neil Dalal, religious studies professor at the University of Alberta, said, “I would be cautious of reducing that correlation [of lack of acceptance] to causation from within a religious tradition, as opposed to a complex cultural-political framework that may employ religious traditions.”

Acceptance of homosexuality is generally high in Europe. Spain ranks highest of all at 88 per cent, followed by Germany at 87, and the Czech Republic and Canada at 80. There is broad acceptance of homosexuality in much of Latin America as well.

People surveyed across African countries and in predominantly Muslim countries are the least accepting of all countries surveyed.

Nigeria, Pakistan, Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana, Egypt, Jordan, Indonesia and not surprisingly – due to its attempt to institute the death penalty for homosexuality – Uganda, all have fewer than five per cent who accept homosexuality.

Interestingly, Pakistan is by volume the world leader for Google searches of the terms “man fucking man,” “teen anal sex” and “shemale sex,” and second in the world after Kenya for “gay sex pics,” according to Google Trends. Homosexuality is illegal in Pakistan, and with persecution of minorities at an alltime high and religious extremism at its height, experts have suggested a lack of safety forces closeted gay men to turn to porn.

The Pew Research findings also showed younger generations were in many cases more accepting worldwide. Gender differences were not marked, but where they existed women were consistently more accepting than men.

The Pew’s research was conducted in 39 countries among 37,653 respondents from March 2 to May 1, 2013. What are your thought on global acceptance of homosexuality? Tweet us at @OutWords to let us know!

- Larkin Schmiedl is a freelance journalist living in Edmonton, Alta. He’s GLBTQ*I contributing editor with rabble.ca, hosted a queer-issues radio show called Gaydio for two years and loves to write about social and environmental justice.

FLEEING PERSECUTION, FINDING REFUGE IN WINNIPEG Rainbow Resource Centre changes mission statement to support GLBTQ* refugees

By Meg Crane The Rainbow Resource Centre (RRC) is now in the business of helping GLBTQ* refugees.

“There are about 70 countries that criminalize same-sex activities in some way, so that’s a lot of people in bad situations,” said Matt Wiebe, thenpresident of the RRC. The centre changed their mission statement this June to put more focus on helping refugees.

“We’ve already been doing some work in the area,” said Wiebe, citing one of the reasons they decided to update their mission statement. Based on feedback from refugees who eventually came to the RRC for support, the centre is doing educational work with organizations “There are about 70 countries that that help refugees so they criminalize same-sex activities in can pass useful information some way, so that’s a lot of people to GLBTQ* refugees. “It’s hard for them to provide in bad situations.” - Matt Wiebe, RRC information to refugees who might be GLBTQ*,” said Wiebe. RRC is also already giving support to two GLBTQ* refugee applicants from countries where same-sex activities are severely punished.

“We get emails from across the world on a weekly basis from people in bad situations,” said Wiebe. He noted that the centre also finds a lot of people in Winnipeg’s GLBTQ* community who show interest in helping refugees. With the addition to the mission statement, RRC plans to help create networks of people in Winnipeg who can help refugees. RRC will find people with different expertise in the community who would want to put them to good use helping refugees, such as lawyers to provide free legal services. RRC wants to be able to give financial, emotional, and all other support needed to refugees.

“We do have a committee who’s working on how we’d organize this,” said Wiebe.

RRC has been working with Reaching Out Winnipeg (ROW), a group dedicated to helping GLBTQ* refugees. “So far, ROW's involvement with RRC has been at the planning level in terms of what we can do together to help GLBTQ* refugees to get to places of safety. We have been providing as much advice and support back and forth between our two groups to help support the current refugees in Winnipeg, who required help to get here or who still require help to stay here,” said Joel Voth of ROW via email. “We are very happy about RRC's change to their mission statement. It is very encouraging to see that international GLBTQ* rights and GLBTQ* refugee issues [are] important to the larger community here in Winnipeg and that we are coming together to do as much as we can to help where possible.”

There are many opportunities for people in Winnipeg to get involved with the new mission. Anyone interested should call or email RRC or ROW for more information.

- Meg Crane is the sports, books and movies editor for OutWords.

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 17

OutWords // News

TISSER DES LIENS OU BIEN IGNORER LES DOMMAGES?

DES CHRÉTIENS S’EXCUSENT AUPRÈS DE LA COMMUNAUTÉ GLBTQ* EN PARTICIPANT À LA CAMPAGNE « I’M SORRY »

Par Armande Martine

R

écemment, il y a un courant d’air rafraichissant qui passe sous la forme d’une campagne chrétienne intitulée « I’m Sorry ». Cette campagne a été lancée à Chicago par Andrew Marin, fondateur de la fondation Marin. La fondation a pour objectif de « tisser des liens entre la communauté gaie et l’Église par le truchement de recherches scientifiques, de formations bibliques, de l’apprentissage de la vie sociale, et de diverses rencontres communautaires ».

Jamie Arpin-Ricci est le pasteur de la communauté Little Flowers à Winnipeg qui a organisé la campagne « I’m Sorry » les deux dernières années pour le défilé de la fierté gaie. Il explique que sa motivation principale pour sa participation est personnelle. « Ce n’était pas seulement une décision idéologique. Nous avons, parmi nos membres, des personnes qui ont subi des expériences pénibles. En tant que communauté, parmi toutes les voix chrétiennes que nous entendons et qui sont souvent caractérisées par le rejet et la haine, nous voulions proposer une alternative, celle du regret et de l’amour. » Il ajoute que les membres de la communauté Little Flowers qui font partie de la campagne, et qui croyaient que l’homosexualité était un péché, appuient maintenant l’adhésion des personnes GLBTQ* à l’Église.

Matt Wiebe, président du conseil d’administration du Rainbow Resource Centre, a grandi dans une communauté rurale chrétienne qui était très discriminatoire et sévère envers les personnes homosexuelles. « Nous ne parlions pas de ça. C’était mal vu. » Lorsque il a sorti du placard, on lui a donné deux options : suivre une thérapie réparatrice ou quitter l’Église. Wikipédia décrit ce genre de thérapie comme « des traitements pseudo scientifiques qui prétendent changer l’orientation homosexuelle à une orientation

18 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

hétérosexuelle ». Matt Wiebe a préféré quitter son église parce qu’il s’est senti expulsé.

En fin de compte, il a été expulsé de son église chrétienne. « C’était une période difficile pour moi parce que j’avais un sens de ma propre spiritualité », ajoute-t-il. Il croit que la campagne « I’m Sorry » représente la communauté chrétienne sous un meilleur jour. « Je pense que c’est une démarche positive. » Janet Conrad est native de la Californie et était républicaine et chrétienne aux croyances traditionnelles. Elle a participé à la campagne « I’m Sorry » à Winnipeg cette année. Après avoir rencontré son époux canadien sur un site de rencontres, elle a déménagé au Canada. Elle a changé d’avis complètement après avoir participé, avec son époux chrétien, à une conférence organisée par leur église. Ni elle ni son époux n’auraient pu prévoir la réaction provoquée par un discours prononcé par un homme chrétien gai au sujet de sa vie et de ses défis.

Les écailles de leur obscurcissement ont tombé à mesure que les larmes ont tombé de leurs yeux Ils ont versé des larmes lorsqu’ils se sont rendu compte que l’homosexualité n’est pas un choix. « C’est ce qu’on nous avait dit, ce qu’on avait appris », a dit Janet Conrad. Lorsqu’on lui demande si elle croit qu’il est possible d’être chrétien et gai, elle n’hésite pas. « Absolument, absolument », répond-elle.

Mais est-ce assez de s’excuser envers la communauté GLBTQ*? Pas tout le monde est entièrement convaincu. Thomas Novak, frère de l’Église catholique romaine et ouvertement gai, a des sentiments ambigus en ce qui concerne cette campagne. Il se réjouit du fait que certains chrétiens cherchant sincèrement à écouter et à comprendre sont ouverts à la possibilité de changer d’avis. « Je crois qu’il y a des intentions formidables parmi ceux qui participent à la campagne », dit-il. Ses réticences naissent du fait que

quelques individus se prononcent au nom de toute la communauté chrétienne. « Il semble y avoir de la confusion, comme si quelques individus cherchant sincèrement la vérité peuvent changer complètement les relations entre l’Église et la communauté GLBTQ*.

Les églises chrétiennes ont causé beaucoup de peine à certaines personnes par leur enseignement et leur attitude. » Jamie Arpin-Ricci abonde dans le même sens : « La campagne “I’m Sorry” est un petit pas. En soi, il n’est pas suffisant et nous sommes déterminés à faire davantage ». Thomas Novak est d’accord : « Simplement s’excuser ne coûte pas cher. Moi-même, je ne peux pas offrir mes excuses au nom de la communauté chrétienne. Toute l’Église doit continuer de dialoguer, d’évoluer vers son repentir. Un repentir sincère comprend la pénitence. » Jamie Arpin-Ricci, Janet Conrad et d’autres chrétiens du même avis sont en bonne compagnie. Le pape François a récemment adouci sa position personnelle : « Si quelqu’un est gai et cherche sincèrement le Seigneur avec bonne volonté, qui suis-je pour le juger? » Desmond Tutu, archevêque sud-africain bien connu, ne laisse aucun doute en ce qui concerne son opinion sur les droits des personnes homosexuelles. Selon un article daté du 26 juillet 2013 dans The Huffington Post, il aurait déclaré ce qui suit : « Je ne servirais pas un Dieu homophobe, voilà mon profond sentiment à ce sujet. Je refuserais d’aller à un ciel homophobe. Je dirais non, que je préfère aller à l’autre place.

- Armande Martine, récemment « out », est fonctionnaire pour la Province et mère de trois enfants.

TO READ THIS STORY IN ENGLISH, GO TO WWW.OUTWORDS.CA

OutWords // Entertainment Columns/Opinions

Chasing

Dreams with

Jenna

Talackova

Canadian transgender beauty pursues fame in new reality show on E! this fall

By Graeme Coleman

// September July July // August August 2013 2013// ////www.outwords.ca www.outwords.ca www.outwords.ca 20 // 2013

OutWords // Letter to the Editor

-Photos by Daniel Shoesmith

J

enna Talackova is leaving her hometown of Vancouver behind in a new E! reality TV series. The show, cleverly titled Brave New Girl, documents her move to Toronto where she pursues her dreams of becoming a household name and ending the taboo on transgender people. “I’m just trying to open the eyes of viewers,” said Talackova. “I hope to inspire anybody that is trying to fulfill a dream or somebody who was born different and thinks they need to meet society’s norm when they should really just be themselves.”

Inspiring people shouldn’t be a problem for Talackova, who was born male under the name Walter Talackova. After years of hormone treatments, Talackova underwent sex reassignment surgery at age 19.

By 23, the fully female beauty found herself as one of 65 finalists in the Donald Trump-run Miss Universe Canada 2012 pageant - until she was outed as transgender and disqualified for not being born female. The scandal gained media attention worldwide as Talackova conducted a legal battle to allow her to compete. Overwhelmed by public outrage, pageant officials reversed their decision before the case reached courts. Talackova made top 12 in the competition and walked away with a title of Miss Congeniality.

After Talackova’s triumphant Miss Universe Canada experience, she received an abundance of fan mail. “A lot of people said I helped them transition or come out to their parents and inspired them to live their lives and dreams,” said Talackova. “That itself is so rewarding.”

Talackova began to realize she’s a budding icon for transgender people across the world.

The exposure triggered a wave of opportunities, but they weren’t all so desirable. Now 24, the former pageant queen laughs when she looks back at some of the proposals she received. “They weren’t shows that vibed with my lifestyle,” said Talackova. An American bachelorette-style show in particular, where she would reveal she was born male to the contestants. Such offers could only buy her a few minutes of fame.

Peacock Alley Entertainment Inc., a Toronto-based production company, eventually proposed a show that would help Talackova develop her brand and career. Producer Brian Spoor said Brave New Girl “was pitched to Jenna as a documentary-follow show that would show the world what she’s accomplished, what she wants to accomplish, who she inspires and how she inspires.” He believes the show will teach people that “if you want something and you try, you can achieve it.”

In eight half-hour episodes, we get to watch Talackova transition into her new life in Toronto and chase her dreams. “It’s following Jenna during her daily life, whether she’s working out at the gym, auditioning for a movie, doing a photo shoot or whatever it can be,” said Spoor, who noted that there are currently no mainstream reality shows that follow a transgender lead. “She’s definitely dealt with more than any person I’ve ever met, so just knowing what she’s been up against makes her journey even better.”

Brave New Girl will premiere on E! this fall. Will you be watching? Tweet us at @OutWords to let us know what you think!

- Graeme is the entertainment editor for OutWords.

July May September / August / June 2013 // // www.outwords.ca www.outwords.ca // // 21

OutWords // Entertainment

FEMFEST 2013 STILL READY TO

SHOCK

By Meg Crane

IN ITS 11TH YEAR, ANNUAL FESTIVAL OFFERS A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIVES OF YOUTH IN CARE

L

ast year FemFest broke attendance records at their 10th annual festival, but that doesn’t mean they’ll keep doing the same thing during this year’s festival, taking place September 14 to 21.

Sarasvàti Productions’ artistic director Hope McIntyre said that every year, participants of the festival are asked for feedback, which is taken into consideration when planning for the following year. “We make sure the festival is truly serving those it’s meant to,” said McIntyre. McIntyre said the plays are different every year and the festival has expanded over time from showing just local plays to also showcasing touring shows, workshops, film and dance.

For the first time, an interactive play is part of the FemFest line-up. Sarasvàti Productions has partnered with Voices: Manitoba’s Youth in Care to create an interactive piece to tell the story of children in foster care, called Giving Voices. “The idea came up that forum theatre might help people understand the experience of being a youth in care or working with youth in care, and allow young people to share their collective story,” said Voices program co-ordinator Marie Christian. “I am glad that [McIntyre] and her team will share their talent and time with youth in and from care in Manitoba, helping them to discover another way to make their voice heard.”

Local Winnipegger Jessy Ardern’s play Harold and Vivian Entertain Guests will be hitting the stage as well. Ardern’s play was part of FemFest 2012’s Bake-Off, in which female playwrights were given two weeks to write a play that incorporated a number of listed elements. After staged readings of the plays, the audience voted on which they would most like to see at FemFest 2013.

“It’s the story of an agoraphobic older couple who find themselves in the horrifying position of having to meet the neighbours,” said Arden. “It’s not quite a clown play, though it has a foot in that tradition and I hope that it makes people laugh.”

Despite the characters having a stuffed goose named Seymour, Arden hadn’t planned for it to be a silly play—that’s just how it came out.

22 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

-Photo supplied by Sarasvåti Productions

FemFest 2013 includes a number of other full productions and developmental work, as well as a few shorts and touring productions.

Check out the full schedule and ticket information at sarasvati.ca/ fem-fest/fem-fest-home. Are you planning on going? Tweet us at @ OutWords and let us know!

- Meg Crane is OutWords’ sports, books & movies editor.

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OutWords // Entertainment

READERS

& WRITERS

REJOICE The Winnipeg International Writers Festival known as THIN AIR is back for another week of events

By Marina Koslock

T

HIN AIR 2013 promises to dazzle with a new set of writers catering to all demographics during the festival, from Sept.

20 to 28.

Charlene Diehl, director of THIN AIR, described the excitement in constructing the opening weekend, featuring Manitoba Reads, based on the popular Canada Reads, and other annual events. “I have been reading for the last few months and have hand-picked the new releases that have a particular energy and finesse,” said Diehl. The following week will be filled with readings, book chats and launches at various venues.

The final weekend is one not to be missed. THIN AIR will be hosting a professional development session open to all writers at the Millennium Library. Finally, the festival will close with an open mic wrap-up party, with jazz musicians playing alongside any poets who are brave enough to take the stage.

THIN AIR also hosts a school program from Sept. 23 to 27, reaching out to 3,000 kids of all ages, both through school or the Manitoba Theatre for Young People (MTYP). “The experience of meeting and hearing a writer has a long-term impact on many children’s lives,” said Diehl. “They begin to think of reading as being more adventurous and relevant to their lives. They also begin to think of themselves as potential storytellers with their own lives and that their stories have value for others. Most importantly, they engage with characters whose lives are different than theirs and from this, develop both imagination and empathy.” The THIN AIR French program places Francophone writers in schools, offering parents and students alike the opportunity to interact. It reflects the literary liveliness of St. Boniface and the growing number of immersion students in Manitoba.

David Alexander Robertson is one of this year’s featured writers and he aims to eliminate racism, sexism and indifference through his writing. When asked about this in conjunction with his graphic 24 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

“The experience of meeting and hearing a writer has a long-term impact on many children’s lives. They begin to think of themselves as potential storytellers with their own lives.”

- Charlene Diehl, director of THIN AIR festival. novels, Robertson stated that the elders said that what has happened to us will take seven generations to undo, hence the title of his series, 7 Generations. This series of graphic novels is one boy’s journey to understand why he is struggling by learning about what has come before him.

“I have always strived to contextualize history, to show how it impacts us today and what happens when we learn from the past,” said Robertson. “I see my work being used to educate across Canada, as well as outside of the country and I think that is a positive start.”

THIN AIR 2013 public venues are at assorted locations such as MTYP, McNally Robinson, the Millennium Library, the Park Theatre, the Centre Culturel Franco-Manitobain, and various campuses. There are a few other sites located throughout Winnipeg and in rural communities.

Ticket information can be found at www.thinairwinnipeg.ca.

Will you be attending? Tweet us at @OutWords and let us know!

- Marina Koslock is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

OutWords // Entertainment

QUEERING VIDEO GAMES

The emergence of GLBTQ* characters is a small step toward inclusivity

By Carson Hammond

O

f all the contemporary entertainment mediums popular enough to generate multi-billion dollar industries, video games—and the gamers who enjoy them—have arguably carved out a more specific niche in our cultural imaginations than any other. And even though any credence given to the concept of an exclusive gamer-archetype has long since evaporated, the ingrained assumption that all controller-jockeys are white, male and straight has proven difficult to push aside.

For GLBTQ* players like Karmelle Spence-Sing, who identifies as bisexual, the experience of enjoying games often explicitly designed for the above subject is particularly unique. Spence-Sing, who lives in Winnipeg and has been playing video games since before she reached double digits, says the hotly debated inclusion of player-chosen samesex romantic relationships in last year’s sci-fi blockbuster Mass Effect 3 was loaded with positive significance for GLBTQ* gamers. “That was kind of ground-breaking for the gaming scene,” she recalls, also noting she was impressed that Electronic Arts defended said inclusion amidst a backlash of criticism following the title’s release. It’s a big step in the right direction, says Spence-Sing, but there’s a long road ahead before GLBTQ* players can engage with the medium in the same ways as their non-GLBTQ* peers. “Beyond [Mass Effect], I don’t really feel like I ever got to know or connect to a character that was clearly or questionably gay in a video game,” Spence-Sing admits.

According to Winnipeg-based gay game designer Mickey Blumental, mainstream video games’ relationships with GLBTQ*

“I don’t really feel like I ever got to know or connect to a character that was clearly or questionably gay in a video game.” - Karmelle Spence-Sing, gamer. issues and individuals aren’t just defined by their depictions (or lack thereof) of GLBTQ* in-game characters, but also by how virtual avatars—regardless of gender and orientation—are presented to the player. “[In most games] the females are very obviously sexualized, whereas the males are presented as these stereotypically masculine power fantasies for straight guys,” says Blumental, keeping in mind the target demographic pursued by the majority of developers. “But they (male characters) are not really ‘sexy’,” he adds. “They may carry big guns and have six-packs, but, for example, the groin area is going to be de-emphasized, like with Superman.” Blumental also points out how in many third-person games, the “camera”—the virtual lens through which players view the game world—tends to behave differently depending on the sex of the controlled character. With female avatars, camera angles will often shift to provide a greater focus on her posterior region, for example.

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 25

OutWords // Entertainment

MORE FROM THE WORLD OF GLBTQ* VIDEO GAMES • Sasha “Scarlett” Hostyn, a 19-yearold transgender gamer hailing from Ontario, was crowned Canada’s top StarCraft II player in 2012. The popular realtime strategy game, first released in 1998, has been considered as South Korea’s national e-sport.

To Blumental, the issue isn’t necessarily the presence of sexualization in games, but its discriminatory application. “I’d actually like to see a more sexualized male character show up sometimes, but developers are often afraid of ‘grossing out’ straight males,” he says.

According to Jeremy Ritchot, another long-time Winnipeg gamer who, in addition to identifying as gay, interacts with said potentially-grossed-out players on a regular basis through online matches, gaming culture on the consumer end is a mixed bag in terms of its treatment of GLBTQ* issues and individuals. “I think it really depends on the games you’re playing,” he says, noting that games with greater complexity tend to attract more mature, respectful players, whereas mass-appeal titles can sometimes draw in

26 // September 2013 // www.outwords.ca

the opposite. “Largely it’s been very positive for me, but there are also games that come to mind where I’ve encountered a lot of overt homophobia— lots of pejoratives and anti-gay slurs [from other players over in-game chat].

With a lot of online community-based stuff you find a lot of [homophobia], but at the same time you can find a great deal of acceptance as well.”

As for what the future holds, “I think audience expectations are changing, and will continue to change,” says Blumental, pointing out the recent ubiquity of GLBTQ* characters in other popular entertainment media. “Sooner or later, we’ll see that manifested in gaming more and more, even if it does seem to be lagging behind as a medium at the moment.”

- Carson Hammond is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

• Other recent games besides Mass Effect 3 that allow for playerchosen same-sex relationships include The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Fable 3, and Dragon Age II. • One of gaming’s earliest depictions of an GLBTQ* character comes in the form of Super Mario Bros. 2 “Birdo”, described in the original Nintendo Entertainment System game’s manual as a male who “thinks he is a girl.”

OutWords // Books & Movies

XXX : ZINES BY QUEER ARTISTS Ho Tam’s project off to a great start By: Meg Crane

By Meg Crane

D

espite its name, XXX isn’t all about sex – and yet in some ways, it is.

It’s a collection of 100 copies of a dozen zines created by queer artists, and compiled by Vancouver-based artist Ho Tam. “I chose the name because we would like to produce something different, alternative, perhaps provocative, and also allowing the artists to make work that may not be seen in the mainstream context,” said Tam, who is funding XXX himself. “Because of the cost of production and distribution, I realize that it is not something that will make money in a realistic sense,” said Tam. He cuts expenses by printing and binding the zines himself at home.

“I think our community is constantly changing and it is a good time to re-visit the queer politics and what and how queer artists are doing these days,” said Tam. He said he had a lot of support over his 20 years

as an artist and decided it was time for him to give support to other artists. Tam chose the queer community because they have been particularly supportive.

Contributors are very appreciative of the opportunity. “Ho is a great artist and really great guy,” said contributor Dave Grywinski.

“I was happy to work with him.” His zine features photographs of different men in various settings around Winnipeg. “It gives exposure for artists who people might never have heard of,” said Grywinski about the project. He said it also shows a different kind of art to people who go to galleries and exposes people who don’t normally attend exhibits to art. XXX also brings attention to the queer art scene.

What Winnipeg contributor Doug Melnyk loves about XXX is that it gives the public an affordable way to take art home, which can then be appreciated in different ways, because instead of standing in front of a wall starring at it you can take it into bed

or the bath. Melnyk’s zine, Roy Drawings, is a comic. “Some of the other [zines] are darker, mine is pretty funny. And hopefully sexy,” said Melynk.

“There’s a lot of variety,” said Kegen McFadden, another Winnipeg-based contributor.

“Some are really sexual, some aren’t at all.”

McFadden’s zine, What I saw & what I did not see, consists of photographs of him from behind in different places around the world. “So often queer art or artists are seen in one way.

What Ho is doing is giving complexity to the dialogue,” said McFadden.

To support the project, drop by xxxzines. com and scoop up a few zines before the limited 100 copies sell out. New artists are being sought out and will be added so check back and watch XXX expand.

- Meg Crane is the sports, books and movies editor for OutWords

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 27

a of our own space

By Larkin Schmiedl

When will lesbians have a substantial dating site?

T he mystery of where the lesbian Grindr is has yet to be solved.

Although apps and sites like Adam4Adam, Manhunt, Squirt and Grindr proliferate for gay men, many lesbians have felt left out in the cold when it comes to dating and hookup apps tailored for them.

“There are so many women who create a profile because they want to find another woman to come and have sex with them and their husband. And that is the only reason they’re on an online dating website.... It drives me crazy,” said Kristin Westersund, a bisexual woman from Edmonton, Alta. who’s used a number of online dating sites.

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Her experience is a common one.

“I’m finding it’s hard to meet ladies if you identify as bi, but no shortage of sketchy dudes or couples wanting a threesome will message you,” said Caitlin Noble, from Kamloops, B.C. Apps that proclaim to be women-only are often unfortunate havens for men.

“Brenda, which is like the Grindr for girls, is all dudes,” said Westersund. “All they want to do is go on cam, and they all [use] pictures of 19-year-old girls.”

She said the only other women she’s found on the app have been looking to have threesomes with their husbands.

Brenda is an app that seemed to hold a lot of promise for the queer women’s community. Designed to act as a real-life gaydar, the app shows a grid of pictures organized geographically, so a woman can click to chat with others nearby.

Online reviews, however, are replete with commentary echoing Westersund’s, about men pretending to be women, and long hard slogs through chats to find anyone interesting who may want to meet up.

As a result of the dearth of useful lesbian-specific apps, many women have turned to mainstream dating sites.

Westersund said she likes OKCupid because

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“There are so many women who create a profile because they want to find another woman to come and have sex with them and their husband... It drives me crazy.” - Kristin Westersund

its format tells a lot about a potential date.

However, her searches on the site only come up with 30 or so eligible women.

She’s actually used AdultFriendFinder more successfully to find dates.

“On AdultFriendFinder when I do a search I come up with like 900 [people]....

[And] people on there are more likely to want to meet in person.”

The downfall of mainstream sites has been that even when she’s looking for women, men still message her. It’s a common experience, so how do queer women get away from this? Some apps, like the U.K.-based Dattch, are trying verification processes to ensure only women are on the app, making it invite-only and using extensive Facebook verification.

Dattch was unavailable for comment, and its policy on transgender users is unknown.

Sites like Superdyke and Pink Sofa have provided space for lesbian dating, but have only been marginally successful because of never bringing a majority of women

together in one place. Westersund said she created a Superdyke profile, but there were only 15 other users in her city. The site is Canadian, and claims 33,642 total members, but only 398 messages were sent over the month prior to publication.

Compared with Plenty of Fish’s 24-million daily messages sent worldwide, or match.com’s sky-high rates of unique visitors, using mainstream sites is understandable, even if queer women aren’t given the option to identify as anything other than bi or gay.

“I haven’t actually found a mainstream site that lets me use the ‘queer’ option yet, which is how I’d most accurately like to define myself,” said Noble.

Andrea Milligan from Little Rock, Arkansas, highlights a problem with this: “Since OKCupid doesn’t have any other orientations other than straight, bi and gay, I identify on OKCupid as bi, which means that I get hit-on 98 per cent of the time by cisgendered straight guys.”

The issue of transgender visibility and inclusion on dating sites is also a big one.

In crafting policies to keep men out of women’s spaces, too often trans women are treated terribly by lesbians. Datebound, an GLBTQ*specific site based in Washington state, has created a menu that includes a wide range of queer identities. However, there aren’t enough users yet for anyone to flock there.

And so, the question remains: when will lesbians, dykes, bi and queer women get a serviceable site of their own?

- Larkin Schmiedl is a freelance journalist living in Edmonton, Alta. He’s GLBTQ*I contributing editor with rabble.ca, hosted a queer-issues radio show called Gaydio for two years and loves to write about social and environmental justice.

September 2013 // www.outwords.ca // 29

OutWords // Books & Movies

By Marina Koslock

Photo by Marina Koslock

DON’T BE SO GAY NEW BOOK BY WINNIPEG AUTHOR DONN SHORT DEALS WITH QUEER BULLYING

By Marina Koslock

M

ost people present their doctoral thesis in the form of a longwinded research publication that is read up mostly by their friends and family. But celebrated human rights advocate Dr. Donn Short chose to introduce his new book Don’t Be So Gay: Queers, Bullying, and Making Schools Safe to an engaged group of over fifty people at McNally Robinson this summer, and to a wider audience of potential buyers. The book deals with homophobia and transphobia, as well as bullying and making schools safe, and is the culmination of years of work for Short.

As he looked out at the audience, Short recalled how he wondered if this book would ever come to be published at all. He stated how meaningful it was for him to be here because his doctoral work had come to fruition in this novel.

“About ten or fifteen years ago, bullying and safe school initiatives began to get a lot of attention in the media and at conferences,” Short recalls. “But bullying was discussed in terms of ‘generic’ bullying or school violence, generally. I wondered where queer students fit into the equation, so I decided to ask them.

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Would these generic policies help make queer kids safer? Not surprisingly, the answer was no. So I asked the students, ‘what particular needs do you have, what particular law and policies do we need to help make schools safer for you?’ This book is really about conversations, and of course, in recent years, there’s been a realization that much of the bullying in schools comes from homophobia.”

For Don’t Be So Gay, Short consulted students and teachers in Toronto high schools to find out what schools offer students in terms of safety, versus what the students consider a safe space to be. In the book, Short describes how the laws that regulate and respond to bullying may be the most visible form of safety within the school walls, but they do not take into account the other normative influences, such as student law and peer code.

Short spoke of the disconnect between what students felt they needed and what they actually received. He surveyed the way in which the school mediated security through dress codes, guards and security cameras, attempting to control the student identity.

These safe spaces and policies, he said, are an

oasis in a vast wasteland, and unfortunately not the norm.

By capturing the narratives and stories of queer youth, Short was able to transform statistics into characters that the audience can relate to, whether it be the panic in the epigram from Greg or the remarkable artwork from the students representing what is going on.

“They say that theatre is a bare stage made majestic by actors and similarly, those classrooms are transformed by the students and the teachers,” Short said. “These narratives are uplifting, they are champions.”

Short is an assistant professor at the University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law. He is the founder of the group Outlaws, a queerpositive learning space at the university, and the founding editor of the Canadian Journal of Human Rights. Short has also written several plays that deal with themes of youth and youth violence.

Don’t Be So Gay is available at McNally Robinson, Amazon.ca and other retailers.

- Marina Koslock is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.

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