OUTWORDS QUEER VIEWS, NEWS, ISSUES
2014 PRIDE ISSUE The pride of a ballerino Filling the Rainbow Stage with pride Cooking with pride
MAY/JUNE 2014
ISSUE 210
SERVING THE GLBT* COMMUNITY SINCE 1994
Embracing the Community At Red River College we’re committed to providing a safe, supportive and welcoming environment for all. Our LGBTT Initiative promotes an atmosphere where everyone can work, learn and access services in an inclusive manner, while our Ally Project supports LGBTT staff, students and faculty by training Campus Allies about resources and strategies to support LGBTT individuals.
For more information: Nora Sobel, LGBTT Initiative Staff Lead nsobel@rrc.ca or 204.632.2404 rrc.ca/LGBTTInitiative
OutWords // Features
04
Proud to dream
05
Fighting to give blood, recognizing accomplishments, battling anti-gay law with science, banned from parade
Editorial
26
Gay-owned Gimli business is proud and going strong
28
Proud French cuisine
32
Let your pink flag fly in home decor
36
Winnipeg hip-hop artist prepping for Pride
38
Cree filmmaker Kevin Lee Burton is proud of his identity
41
Former hustler bares it all in new book
42
The proudest beers around
International briefs
06
Panti Bliss speaks out, exploring aging, nudity at Pride, preventing AIDS National briefs
08
Being transgender behind bars
12
The ins and outs of 2014 Winnipeg Pride
15
Brandon Pride & Pride North of 55 shine brighter than the Aurora Borealis.
17
Winnipeg proud to host national Pride conference
18
Rainbow Stage's queer year
22
RWB dancer lets his pride show
Every City has Its Gay column
44
Pride beyond age
46
Hometown pride
Spirituality column
2014
HAPPY PRIDE
WINNIPEG!
May / June 20142014 // www.outwords.ca // //3 3 March // www.outwords.ca
OutWords // Editorial
Published by the outwords volunteer staff: editor : Ksenia Prints Social media editor : Miles McEnery News and Books & Movies: Meg Crane Entertainment editor: Graeme Coleman Music editor: Danelle Cloutier Food and lifestyle editor: Shayna Wiwierski art director & layout: Dylan Bekkering Assistant layout: Michele Buchanan DESIGN INTERN: Christel Nadeau Book keeper: Christy Elias distribution: Meryl Kaye De Leon & Terry Wiebe
A QUESTION OF PRIDE
web manager: Vic Hooper
Making sense of our hopes and dreams
contributors to this issue: Larkin Schmiedl, Armande Martine, Cynthia Bettencourt Photography, Eric Plamondon, Jason Carbone, Patrick Courcelles, Mladen Kojic, Ray Buteau, Duncan McNairnay
By Ksenia Prints
P
ride Festival is no more about joy in being oneself than it is about proclaiming our hopes and dreams to the world. The man wearing the fishnet stockings and the 9-inch heels is expressing more than just his fun personality; he’s also proclaiming his desire to be understood for who he is inside, and to live in a world where such a duality is possible – and even fun. The spiky-haired teenagers shyly holding hands, as well as the attractive couple kissing provocatively on a float are making their love known, but they are also making a silent wish that it will last. And the straight allies marching along the street amidst the processions are expressing their openmindedness and support, but they are also broadcasting their hope for reform, acceptance, and human rights. There are many dreams intertwined in the streets of North America’s major cities during the Pride March, and many more still are left unspoken. Amidst the pages of this issue, we have done our best to give voice to some of these aspirations. On pages 10-12, we discuss the plight of transgender inmates, and the hope that our prison system will learn to accept and accommodate their
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 4
identity. On pages 21-23, we talk to Ray Hogg, who hopes that under his artistic direction, gay audiences will swarm the Rainbow Stage theatre. On pages 24-26, we spend a day with Ryan Vetter, one of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s promising young dancers and witness his desire for success. Pride Festival performer Ro Mills’ quiet determination and dreams of musical stardom are also painstakingly clear on pages 34-35, and we are left rooting for this talented and humble newcomer. As journalists, every story we tell deals with desires. Whether they are people’s desires for justice and retribution in a grisly crime story, or an artist’s hope to draw people to their show, the basic human emotion of "wanting" is the driving force behind all of our actions, our misdemeanors, our heroic acts. But there is so much more to explore in the simple desire for acceptance. The hopes and dreams of our community are detailed in vivid pictures and clear words in this Pride issue, and we hope that you will find them as fascinating as we do. Care to share your hopes and dreams with us? What makes you proud? Write to us on Facebook, tweet @ OutWords, or email editor@outwords.
sales MANAGER: Phillip Olcen Cover ART: Cynthia Bettencourt Photography
board of directors: Debbie Scarborough, Kevin Hills, Darron Field, Liz Millward, Armando Perla, Darrel Nadeau, Rachel Wood, Rachel Morgan. 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 // International News Briefs // Compiled by Meg Crane
Minister Scott Lively is being partially blamed for anti-GLBT* laws in Uganda, which have been put on hold pending discussions between the president and U.S. scientists.Photo by AFTAH
Nepalese gay activist Sunil Babu Pant is nominated for Nobel Peace Prize.
GLBT* advocates nominated Petitioning to for Nobel give blood in Peace Prize UK UK student Thomas Kohler wants to give blood without a wait period. Photo by Pink News
LINCOLN, United Kingdom - By March 2015, Thomas Kohler hopes to have 100,000 signatures on a petition asking the United Kingdom to remove the law that restricts when gay and bisexual men can donate blood, reported Pink News. If Kohler gets enough signatures on gopetition.com, the UK Parliament will be forced to debate it. Before 2011 gay and bisexual men could not give blood at all. Now they must wait 12 months after having sex with a man before donating. The same rule applies to women who have sex with men who also have sex with men. Kohler said that because of the blood shortage and better testing methods, the 12-month wait period should be nixed.
KATHMANDU, Nepal - A record number of people have been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year, including several people who fight for GLBT* rights, and anti-gay Russian President Vladimir Putin. Nepalese activist Sunil Babu Pant’s name is on that list. He was the first openly gay politician in Nepal and is the founder of the country’s biggest GLBT* rights advocacy organization, reported the Hindustan Times. Many of the GLBT* nominations were submitted by Norwegian politicians Anette Trettebergstuen and Hakon Haugli. Nominations are supposed to be kept secret, but there’s no rule stopping people from publicizing who they nominated.
Rainbows were allowed in South Boston and Manhattan’s St. Patrick’s Day parades, just not declaration of sexual orientation. Photo by CNN
Parade goes on without GLBT* or mayor BOSTON - The South Boston Allied War Veterans Council decided to ban anyone from openly marching as GLBT* in the South Boston St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Groups still marched with the rainbow colours, but were not allowed to use the word “gay.” As disappointing as this was for the community, the backlash against the decision is encouraging. Mayor Martin Walsh decided to not join the parade to show solidarity to the outcast community. The beer company Sam Adams pulled its sponsorship of the events. There were similar circumstances in Manhattan’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. New York City Major Bill de Blasio chose to not take part while Guinness and Heineken pulled their sponsorships.
Scientists are the justification, and potential downfall, of anti-gay law KAMPALA, Uganda - Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni has agreed to sit down with American scientists to discuss the science behind why people are GLBT*, reported The Advocate. Anti-gay Ugandan lawmakers who allegedly have medical backgrounds released a report stating that being attracted to people of the same sex is partly biological, but mostly influenced by environment and active recruitment by the GLBT* community. This is partly why Museveni passed the law. American evangelicals and some politicians are also allegedly blamed for spurring the extremely anti-gay sentiment in East Africa. Known anti-gay Massachusetts candidate for governor Scott Lively is now facing charges for his alleged role in motivating the government to create this homophobic law.
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 5
OutWords // National News Briefs // Compiled by Meg Crane
Panti Bliss visits university
Irish drag queen Panti Bliss was in Halifax in March to present an antihomophobia speech. Photo by Conor Horgan, courtesy of Miss Panti Bliss.
HALIFAX – Rory O’Neill, known as Panti Bliss when in drag, got in trouble this January, but it’s made him quite popular across North America, reported Daily Xtra. O’Neill publicly called out who he perceived to be homophobic journalists in Ireland, his home country. While those named were not too pleased and even threatened legal action, the video of this speech went viral. O’Neill has been asked to give speeches across North America, including at Saint Mary’s University (SMU) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where he spoke on March 29. Seán Kennedy, director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Study of Culture at SMU, wants people to know that the university is more than rape chants and homophobic tweets, which is what it’s been in the headlines for recently.
Naked at Pride
School board trustees raised concerns about nudity at Toronto Pride.Image from JourneysOntario.com.
TORONTO - Three Toronto District School Board trustees are concerned that nudity makes the Pride parade a non-familyfriendly event, according to CBC. Sam Sotiropoulos, Irene Atkinson and John Hastings sent a letter to Mayor Rob Ford and city councillors asking if the city’s nudity laws will be enforced at this year’s celebration. The complaints were lodged after Sotiropoulos received a photograph of a fully nude man at last year’s parade with a toddler in the background. The school board has a float and bus at the parade, so the trustees are worried about the implications, but state that they’re not acting because of homophobic sentiments. Co-chair of Pride Toronto Sean Hillier said this is the first complaint of its kind he’s received.
ON BEHALF
OF
UMSU
HAPPY
PRIDE
WINNIPEG!
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 6
OutWords // National News Briefs // Compiled by Meg Crane
Preventing AIDS without approval
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Canada has yet to approve taking an HIV medication to prevent infection, but some doctors are prescribing it anyways, reported Daily Xtra. It’s part of a strategy called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). The drug, Truvada, was originally intended for people who are HIVpositive but began being prescribed to people at high-risk of infection. This use of the drug has drawn controversy, with some warning it will lead to promiscuity and lower the use of condoms. Studies show mixed results, ranging from reducing risk of infection by 42 per cent to 99 per cent. The pill needs to be taken daily, like birth control, in order to effectively prevent against HIV. It doesn’t protect against other STIs.
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MEL BROOKS
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Nanci Blu transitioned from male to female when she was 50. CBC.
A mature GAy VIEW CBC has been looking at how the GLBT* community ages. They produced documentaries, conducted interviews and hosted public forums to explore the issue. Stephen Quinn, CBC Radio One’s host, voiced a podcast that strings together what CBC produced. Many of the smaller pieces which are discussed in the podcast are still available online as well. Former Toronto city councillor Alan Herbert shared his story of dealing with Parkinson's, AIDS and discrimination as a single, elderly man. Researchers talk about the needs of GLBT* elderly and the system is dealing with them. The hour-and-20-minute podcast is available at CBC.ca or individual pieces can be downloaded off iTunes.
Celebrating 60 years of musical theatre
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 7
Celebrating 60 years
OutWords // News
How do our jails treat some of the most vulnerable prisoners? By Larkin Schmiedl
T
ransgender prisoners – particularly women – often face harsh situations in Canada’s jails. Without documentation or not having fully completed their transformations, offenders may face difficult questions when entering the prison system, not the least of which is what their gender is.
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Those who are non-operative or pre-operative are, by standard practice, sent to the prison that matches their sexed genitalia, said a spokesperson for Manitoba Justice. This is done regardless of how long they have lived as a self-proclaimed member of the opposite sex. A famous 2001 Canadian case saw Synthia Kavanagh, a 41-year-old trans woman who had begun hormone therapy and lived as female since she was a teen, placed in a men’s prison and given restricted hormone therapy. This resulted in a reversal of the physical changes hormones had provided her. After her requests for gender-reassignment
surgery (GRS) were repeatedly denied, Kavanagh attempted to slice off her penis out of desperation. Kavanagh filed a complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission and eventually won her case in 2001. She received surgery at a cost of $14,000 and was then moved to a women’s prison. This followed several years in segregation after alleged sexual assault and harassment at the hands of male inmates. Kavanagh’s case illustrates all too well some of the hardships trans women face in Canada’s prison system.
OutWords // News
“
They’re mixed in with the general population, and they’re assigned based on whatever sex organs they still have.
The case in Manitoba In Manitoba, the Human Rights Code prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity in the provision of services. The Commission’s website states, “Systemic discrimination is a form of discrimination that is often not intended. It takes place when a policy or practice that seems neutral has a greater negative effect on some people based on their protected characteristic.” Failure to reasonably accommodate a special need that is based on a protected characteristic is also prohibited in Manitoba. The Code has special status over all other laws in the Province of Manitoba. Factors like self-identification, gender on official ID and any file history about past placements is taken into consideration before placing a transgendered prisoner, said the spokesperson for Manitoba Justice. “Placements also consider the individual’s health and safety and any security concerns that could result. As I understand it, a transgender inmate in a correctional facility would likely be placed in an area with either a smaller population of inmates (i.e. not a dorm-style arrangement), or in other areas better suited to protect his or her safety.” The spokesperson said Manitoba Corrections has effectively managed
trans offenders in the past and isn’t aware of any significant incidents. Of a total inmate population of around 2,600, they estimate that there may be four to six transgender inmates in the provincial system at any time. The spokesperson said trans inmates have access to hormones if they have been taking them before coming in. The official was unable to say whether any pre-operative trans women have ever been placed in a women’s prison in Manitoba. Manitoba Corrections does not have policies specific to transgender inmates.
The case for transgender inmates the same across Canada In addition to provincial facilities, there are three federal penitentiaries in Manitoba. Correctional Service Canada’s regional communications manager for the Prairies, Jeff Campbell said in an e-mail interview, “Pre-operative male to female offenders with gender identity disorder shall be held in men’s institutions and pre-operative female to male offenders with gender identity disorder shall be held in women’s institutions.” For all placement decisions, individual assessments are done to ensure those offenders diagnosed with gender identity disorder (GID) have their needs for safety and privacy accommodated, Campbell
said. This means that without the operation, an offender would be placed in a prison that corresponds with their physical sex, but possibly not with their emotional and psychological well-being. In order for an inmate to be diagnosed with GID and access transspecific medical care, they must see a psychiatrist who is a recognized expert in the area. This mirrors the process many trans people outside prison must follow to access healthcare. The process for inmates happens if and when such a psychiatrist is available, according to Correctional Service Canada policy. The policy states inmates with GID diagnosis are the ones who can initiate or continue hormone therapy. The policy also says, “Sex reassignment surgery shall be considered during incarceration only when: a recognized gender identity specialist has confirmed that the offender has satisfied the real-life test.” The real-life test refers to living full-time as one’s identified gender for a year in order to qualify for surgery. For inmates, the real-life test must have been completed prior to incarceration. If they are eligible for surgery, Correctional Service Canada foots the bill. This policy amendment was enacted following Kavanagh’s human rights victory. >>
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 9
OutWords // News
Dealing with misidentification One source OutWords spoke to has seen some of the effects of these policies on the ground. In a telephone interview, an employee of federal corrections described some of the ways trans women are treated in male penitentiaries and how some of them cope. “They’re mixed in with the general population, and they’re assigned based on whatever sex organs
“
socially, it’s an added struggle for them. I think it’s kind of shameful.” The source described the situation as psychologically damaging and quite bad. “But I don’t know what the other solution is either.” Prisonjustice.ca, an activist organization for trans prisoners, notes the connection between criminal activity, poverty and the isolation and
We’re looking to bring in speakers and stuff from related organizations that have been successful in doing diversity training with their staff
they still have,” the source said. “Even if they’ve had breast augmentation and have been living fully as female and on hormones...Some of them really could care less if they’re in with the males – [these ones] only live as female either part-time or by choice.” “But there are a couple in particular who live fully as female and identify as female and we call them by their female names...Most of them are forced to work the streets when they’re out, and then they come in, and if they really want to affect change it’s pretty hard, because they’re kind of used as females within the prison,” said the source. “In some ways for some of them it gives them a lot of power in the prison, because they have something to barter with. But for others who are sincerely wanting to change, and [who] live their lives as females
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 10
stigmatization many trans people face. Incarceration rates within trans communities are disproportionate and this is linked to the vulnerability of the trans population.
Moving forward The federal employee said Manitoba Corrections is looking at work done by the Winnipeg police to help plan an expansion for its own diversity programs. “We’re also doing it [federally], because we work with a diversity committee, and we’re looking to bring in speakers and stuff from related organizations that have been successful in doing diversity training with their staff.” A guide put together by Joshua Mira Goldberg for the Justice Institute of British Columbia aims to provide criminal
justice personnel with the information necessary to respond appropriately to trans people in the criminal justice system. It suggests a case-by-case approach to placing trans prisoners. “In some cases, it may be appropriate to place a prisoner according to their identity (e.g., placing a trans woman in a women’s facility). In some locations, it may be possible for trans prisoners to be housed together in a special unit. In some instances, a trans prisoner may request placement in general population or protective custody… There needs to be a framework to guide the assessment.” Australia’s model is a three-tiered policy that prioritizes prisoner safety. First, it is asked which facility would be safest for the prisoner. Then, the prisoner’s general appearance and what gender they live as are considered. The last consideration is physiology and genital status. An international academic study that looked at transsexuals within prison systems in North America, Europe and Australia found that only 29 of 64 correctional institutions said they would maintain existing hormone therapy if it had been prescribed prior to imprisonment. Sixty-two of 64 facilities said all inmates must wear the clothing appropriate to the institution regardless of the inmate’s gender identity. And only 40 per cent of correctional services had policies addressing issues like hormone treatment. Larkin Schmiedl is a freelance journalist living in Vancouver, B.C. He loves to write about social and environmental justice.
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OutWords // Entertainment
BREAKING BORDERS WITH WINNIPEG PRIDE 2014 Pride Winnipeg expands festival and sponsor GLBT* refugee By Danelle Cloutier
P
ride Winnipeg goers can look forward to a longer and less crowded festival this year. The organization is making changes to help alleviate overcrowding and long lineups. “The festival at this point is packed — it’s to the brim,” said Pride Winnipeg president Jonathan Niemczak. The festival at the Forks will now be May 31 and June 1 instead of just the Sunday. “We don’t expect as high of a number of folks coming out to the Saturday festival, so that will allow people who maybe don’t enjoy crowds to still enjoy the festival in a less-crowded atmosphere.” Because the festival was extended, there will be more headliners, including The Voice’s Beverly McClellan and hippop-dance-rock trio PRTY H3RO on May 31. On June 1, the performers include Eurodance diva Thea Austin and U.K. electro-dance princess Luciana. Those hoping to listen to the tunes from the drink tent can expect to do so faster. Pride Winnipeg is bringing in a bigger beer tent and more efficient process so people over 18 can get wristbands and buy drink tickets quicker. Organizers are planning to
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 12
have volunteers check your I.D., apply wristbands and sell drink tickets to those in line to help speed up the process. Also, all drinks will be the same price and use the same ticket — a big change from last year, when different drinks had different prices. “All of that kind of created some logistic nightmares and so this year we’re going to a flat price so probably about $5 for the drinks,” said Niemczak. But the festival isn’t only a celebration. The festival’s theme, “Without Borders,” is a reminder that it’s also a chance to bring to light the issues that continue to affect the GLBT* community. When the organizers were
OutWords // Entertainment
Pride’s staple events June 1
brainstorming themes, they thought about international issues such as hosting the Olympics in Sochi, Russia, under the power of anti-gay president Vladimir Putin and Uganda’s “kill the gays” bill. Organizers also came up with the theme “Without Borders” partly because of a new program that Pride Winnipeg plans on doing every year. “With the extra revenue produced by the two-day festival, we are looking at sponsoring an LGBTTQ* refugee,” said Niemczak. “That’s going beyond our borders and assisting in the international community.” With the help of Reaching Out Winnipeg, a GLBT* refugee organization, this
$5,000 program will help bring GLBT* refugees to Winnipeg from hostile and homophobic countries. “Those type of programs is ultimately what led us to ‘Without Borders’.” All of these changes are part of a three-year program redevelopment strategy. Last year the organizers redeveloped the dance party. This year it’s the festival at The Forks, and next year the organizers are looking at redoing the parade and rally. Check Pride Winnipeg’s website at pridewinnipeg.com for more information about Pride week events. - Danelle Cloutier is OutWords’ music editor.
11:00 am
Rally at the Legislature Come loud and proud to the rally at the Manitoba Legislature at 11:00 a.m. for music. At 11:20, special guests will talk about GLBTQ* issues.
12:00 pm
Pride parade March through downtown Winnipeg starting at 12 p.m. on June 1 at the Manitoba Legislature. You can expect lots of music, rainbow colours and an array of floats.
12:00 pm
Festival at the Forks Show off your pride at the two-day Pride Winnipeg Forks Festival on May 31 and June 1 from 12 to 6 p.m. There will be live entertainment, GLBTQ*friendly businesses and lots of love from the community!
7:00 pm
Pride’s official dance party Dance the rest of the night away on June 1 at Pride’s dance party for $30. Go for drinks at The Metropolitan Entertainment Centre beforehand and the party for $60.
•
All photos by Cynthia Bettencourt Photography cynthiabettencourt.com facebook.com/cynbettphotography blog.cynthiabettencourt.com
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 13
Preparing for the perfect summer party? We have everything you need to quench your thirst for good times! Heat up your summer with our outstanding selection of coolers, ciders and ready to drink cocktails. New this year is a variety of freezable drinks.
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OutWords // Entertainment
Photo by Meg Crane
MANITOBA TAKES PRIDE Two Pride festivals are taking the movement beyond the provincial capital
of 55’s organizers, said, “We had support from Niki Ashton, the [NDP] MP from our region.” The City of Thompson gave them the park rental and utilities for free. Business owners in Thompson have also shown their support.
By Meg Crane
“We are proud to be part of the Pride system,” said Brandon Pride chairperson Kenneth Jackson. He said many former Brandon residents head home for the Pride weekend festival and are happy to see it taking place. “We like to invite anyone from Winnipeg and the surrounding area to come out,” said Jackson, who hopes more people make the trip this year. 2014 Brandon Pride will look very similar to last year, other than having a different theme, “Colour Your World,” which is about speaking for people in the world who might not be able to speak for themselves. It will start with a flag-raising ceremony on Friday, June 13, followed by a Lunch and Learn hosted by Sexuality Education Resource Centre (SERC). “The Lunch and Learn changes every year,” said Jackson. At the time of publication the topic of discussion had yet to be announced. An all-ages bowling event takes place Friday evening. Jackson said they are considering doing other all-ages events, but the bowling has been very popular in the past. Princess Park will be filled with vendors, food and entertainment on Saturday. Last year OutWords was lucky enough to have a table near the stage. Don’t stay at the social too late Saturday night! Sunday morning Knox United Church is running a special pride-themed service. Which Manitoba Pride events are you heading to? Let OutWords know by email (editor@outwords.ca), on our Facebook page or tweet us @OutWords.
M
anitoba is full of Pride this summer. Not only is Pride Winnipeg going forward and expanding its festival at tTe Forks, Thompson will be the location for the first PRIDE North of 55, while Brandon Pride is celebrating its fifth year.
Photo by Cynthia Bettencourt
Photo by Meg Crane
PRIDE North of 55 Jason Douglas grew up in Thompson where he didn’t know anyone who was gay. So it’s pretty exciting for him that as the community liaison director for Pride Winnipeg he has been a major factor in the creation of PRIDE North of 55. The event is called PRIDE North of 55, rather than Thompson Pride, because they didn’t want to exclude surrounding communities. “We want to make sure everyone in the North is included in that,” said Douglas. And he wants people from Winnipeg to join in too. Douglas is trying to get a partnership with a hotel to get discounts for Pride attendees. On June 28, the Pride event will take place in MacLean Park in downtown Thompson. Douglas expects a couple hundred people to crowd into the park then attend the social that evening. “No plans are set in stone yet,” said Douglas. The eight people involved in planning the event are considering getting live entertainment and having vendors and info booths, much like Pride Winnipeg and Brandon Pride. So far there has been nothing but positive reactions from people in the area. Michelle Smook, one of the PRIDE North
Brandon Pride
- Meg Crane is the books & movies and news editor of OutWords and editor-in-chief of Cockroach zine
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 15
Show your pride every day. You make Winnipeg a great place to live. RBC is proud to sponsor REEL Pride Film Festival, Rainbow Resource Centre, and Day of Pink and are proud members of the Manitoba LGBT* Chamber of Commerce and Pride At Work.
rbc.com/diversity
Registered trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. Š 2012 Royal Bank of Canada. All rights reserved.
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OutWords // Entertainment
O
ONE HELL OF A
HOST
Pride Winnipeg entertains Pride delegates from across the country
All photos from the Fierté Canada Pride and InterPride Region 7 Conference & AGM were taken by Cynthia Bettencourt Photography www.cynthiabettencourt.com By Graeme Coleman
nly two months before 2014 Pride Winnipeg Festival, Pride Winnipeg hosted a conference for Pride delegates from across Canada. Attendees wined, dined and experienced a few of our city’s hottest attractions during their three-night stay. On the first night, guests were welcomed at the Manitoba Hydro Place with appetizers supplied by Rudy’s Eat and Drink and drinks supplied by Barefoot Wine & Bubbly. The second night featured a dinner and movie at Red River College’s historic Exchange District campus. And the third night offered a tour of the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, dinner at Prairie 360 with a surprise performance from Kristina Maria and a party at Fame Nightclub. Delegates crashed at the Delta Winnipeg Hotel. Jonathan Niemczak, president of Pride Winnipeg, said the conference was a big success. “The general consensus was that this was one of the best conferences yet.” The main goal of the Fierté Canada Pride and InterPride Region 7 Conference & AGM is to bring Pride organizers together to network, socialize and enjoy themselves. “It’s like a mini Pride celebration.” Pride Winnipeg bid to host the conference in the fall of 2012. They prepared a mock budget, tentative schedule of activities, and explained the city’s infrastructure. Our Pride
was up against Edmonton Pride and won. So far there isn’t a Pride organization set to host the 2015 conference. “No one has been crazy enough to put in a bid. If no one hosts it, it won’t happen.” The task can be daunting with upcoming Pride festivals, especially when most of the organizers work fulltime jobs on top of their Pride positions. “You have to be a pretty mature Pride. You have to be well-established and well organized to put it on.” To keep informed about the conference, like Fierté Canada Pride and InterPride - International Association of LGBTI Pride Organizers on Facebook. Did you attend the conference this year? Email arts@outwords.ca or tweet @ OutWords to let us know! - Graeme Coleman is OutWords’ entertainment editor.
204.985.9200 OUTNABOUTTRAVEL.COM
OutWords // Entertainment
LEADING THE RAINBOW STAGE Ray Hogg makes Rainbow Stage’s 60th year appeal to GLBT* community By Danelle Cloutier
R
ay Hogg got to know Rainbow Stage well in 2011 when he was directing. He lived in Toronto at the time, but came to Winnipeg for a few weeks to direct. “It was a relatively short, but a very intense getting-to-know-you Rainbow Stage time,” said Hogg. Ken Peter, the former executive producer of Rainbow Stage, would pick him up and drive him to the theatre every day — about a 30 minute car ride to and from the house Hogg was staying at in Tuxedo. “You’re trapped in a car, you have no choice but to talk to the person beside you and there’s no direct eye contact because the person’s driving, so you wind up sharing more,” he said. “In those forty car rides I got to know Ken pretty well and I got to know the
are from outside of Winnipeg. “I’m not wanting for incredible Broadway talents. They’re right here. So that is incredibly stimulating,” he said. “I think people think I’m blowing smoke when I say I really love it here, but I would not have uprooted the family if there wasn’t lots to love.” Ray Hogg and his husband Gérald Michaud and their kids Simone and Noah
company pretty well from his perspective.” Peter unexpectedly died in 2011 and Rainbow Stage was looking to fill its void in leadership. The musical theatre restructured by making the executive producer position, Peter’s previous position, into two positions — executive director and artistic director. Hogg applied to be artistic director. “I crafted a really
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 18
detailed – and what to me seemed righteous – vision for the company, and that aligned well with the company’s values and ultimately I was selected to lead.” He was hired as artistic director in 2013. “I’m very happy to be here and I’m happy to work with this community,” he said. “The Winnipeg arts community is not only vibrant, but I think they’re leaders.” Hogg said his cast is well trained and few
Art runs in the family Gérald Michaud, Hogg’s husband, had lived in Toronto for more than 20 years when Hogg got the position as artistic director in Winnipeg. “Our lives were so established in Toronto.” It was a big move for Hogg, Michaud and their two kids, but they knew an opportunity like this is rare. “He knew that it was and is a career goal of mine to be a major force in Canadian theatre, so he was and continues to be very supportive.”
OutWords // Entertainment
When I asked my mother, ‘can I do ballet?’ her immediate response was, ‘No!'
The Buddy Holly Story cast in rehearsal in 2013
Michaud is now a realtor but the two met while dancing in the Danny Grossman Dance Company, one of Canada’s most established and well-regarded dance companies. Hogg said he and his husband have always worked together. Hogg was even a realtor. “Apparently you can’t marry one without becoming one, so I became a realtor too.”
His journey to the rainbow stage But realty plays a very small part in Hogg’s extensive career as a dancer, director, teacher and choreographer. Hogg worked as a performer for the Danny Grossman Dance Company, Dancetheatre David Earle, Julia Sasso Dances and CORPUS Dance Projects. After his work in concert dance, he moved to Germany to perform in Cats. He has also appeared in the following shows: Kiss Me Kate, Jesus Christ Superstar, Dreamgirls, Seussical, Evita, Sweet Charity, Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line, West Side Story,
Ross Petty’s Beauty and the Beast and for the Stratford Festival, Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and My One and Only. He has worked as a director and choreographer for European/world tours with CORPUS Dance Projects and even taught at George Brown College and the Randolph Academy of the Performing Arts in Toronto. Hogg remembers wanting to dance from age five when he saw the Nutcracker on TV. “I was like, ‘Oh my God. I want to do it’.” At that age he had a bad reputation of picking up
hobbies and dropping them. “So when I asked my mother, ‘Can I do ballet?’ her immediate response was, ‘No! You’re just going to drop it’.” It wasn’t until he was a teenager that he and a friend joined a ballet class in a church basement. “17-yearold me and a whole bunch of 12-year-old girls.” He later went through Ryerson University’s dance program.
Bringing the stage to the community Hogg is now leading Rainbow Stage into its 60th anniversary and plans to get the GLBT* community more involved. The company’s name is such for its original 1954 arch in the front, not the GLBT* community. But Hogg says the community might be interested in the shows this year, such as the season’s opener, A Closer Walk With Patsy Cline from June
5 to 15. “The actress who’s playing Natasha O’Brien is out of this world. Jessica Rabbit body — the gays will love her. The gays do love her and so will everyone else, because she’s just flawless.” Hogg said The Producers, the company’s second production, is “very gay. There’s a lot of boy butt in it.” The performance runs from July 4 to 19. “If it’s not the gayest, it’s the second gayest musical known to man. One of the songs is 'If you’ve got it, flaunt it.' Give me a break. That’s like my mantra.” The season will end with Disney’s The Little Mermaid from Aug. 13 to 29. “It’s a gorgeous girl in a red wig, or it’s Ursula — a crazy diva.” Rainbow Stage is also celebrating its diamond jubilee (60th anniversary) with the Diamond Lounge — a new exclusive area for pre-show and post-show receptions. “I hope all the gay people in Winnipeg come to see it.” He also encourages everyone to come talk to him. “I love nothing more than to chat with people and meet new people.” Visit www.rainbowstage. ca for tickets and more information about the shows. -Danelle Cloutier is the music editor at OutWords
Scott Freethy rehearsing lines for Cats in 2011
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 19
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May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 22
OutWords // Entertainment
THE RWB’S SPRING DANCER Ryan Vetter brings fresh talent to the prestigious dance company By Eric Plamondon All images by Duncan McNairnay
I
t might come as a surprise that a boy from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, would choose to move to our city at 13 to join a ballet school. It might come as a surprise that this same person is the only self-identified gay man in the corps de ballet at Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB). It might come as a surprise that the RWB’s current rising star is only 19, joining the corps de ballet after only one year in the apprentice program. But if you meet Ryan Vetter, there is nothing surprising in the fact that he is a dancer whose skills are getting attention internationally. The RWB invited OutWords for a rare behind the scenes encounter with Vetter at a time when a show is being built, a rising star is turning heads for a first time and a venerated ballet company is reinventing and modernizing without compromising its tradition. The private viewing of the rehearsal was scheduled for the second day of spring and the corps de ballet happened to be rehearsing “Spring,” a piece from a show titled The Four Seasons, a part of the ballet’s upcoming mixed programme. This was a gift to a writer, as Vetter could be seen as a desired spring metaphor - the fresh talent the RWB is seeking at this time of renewal. The RWB’s dancers are part of a company that has a rich history. The ballet is rooted in classics: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake or Romeo and Juliet are always relevant. “Classical ballet is the backbone of what we do,”
“
Even when they are not the focus of the Ballet Master, dancers are retracing the required steps and movement
Vetter says confidently. “You can appreciate neo-classical because certain tweaks nudge the performance into a crazy new adventure, if you understand the classical ballet.” A bold statement that might explain the mentality needed for a boy from Sioux Falls to end up in one of Canada’s finest ballet companies. The instance the door of the dance studio opens, the wall of moisture and smell emanating from the multiple bodies perpetually sweating in this room is a bit overwhelming. It is a potent smell that speaks of the tremendous physical work taking place in the room. Clearly, one isn’t born into beauty, one works hard to create it. Placed in a room such as this, a moment such as this, it becomes abundantly clear
that ballet demands discipline as a way of life. The dancers access the stage only after an impossibly challenging apprenticeship, training and selection process. How many jetés, how many cabrioles, how many écartés, and how many hotensias were practiced over and over again in this room, in every dancer’s room, so that these men could earn the privilege of working with this venerated troupe? With one word from the ballet master, the appropriate dancers step into position and demonstrate the requested footwork, jump and move. This is done by sheer instinct, trusting their bodies to conjure up what they know to do after repeating it over and over again before this very moment, and trusting that it is this movement they will perform over and over again >>
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 23
OutWords // Entertainment
“
His controlled movements are similar to those of his older peers, but his face reveals the subtle joy often associated with youthful glee.
in future moments. Taking in the room and its inhabitants is challenging, as nobody is ever at a moment of rest. Dancers are in perpetual movement. Even when they are not the focus of the ballet master, dancers are retracing the required steps and movements, using repetition to lock-in what is expected of them. The lack of chairs is confirmation of the expected work ethic. Posters of past productions cover the walls of the studio. The posters remind the dancers that one should honour the dream of being in the company of Evelyn Hart. They reflect the ballet’s classic origins, while the posters of newer productions – Dracula, Moulin Rouge and Alice in Wonderland - remind the dancers that members of the RWB must also perform contemporary pieces. Diversity is key. In talking about what is
needed to be at peak ability, Vetter’s only thoughts gravitate to the fact that most days, when he goes home, he puts on a pair of comfortable pants and reviews the new elements he learned that day. He does get to sit, though this is usually done during long sessions of stretching or the mandatory ice bath at the end of what seems like a gruelling day. After all, home is the birthplace of his love of dancing. He still connects to memories of himself as a toddler twirling to music in his parents' living room. He talks about dance as if it were a feeling, something you can pick up on if you watch him dance. It happened to me during the rehearsal. The story the dancers were telling fell to the background; what took centre stage at the rehearsal was the mood, Vetter's mood, him feeling something and letting it transcend into his movements.
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 24
Vetter's controlled movements are similar to those of his older peers, but his face reveals the subtle joy often associated with youthful glee. The slightly curled lips is a sign, but if you pay close attention, it’s also in the lifting of his torso, the spring in his steps. “I feel bigger, that every movement extends further than my physical self,” Vetter reveals. To see it is to believe it. This might be what all dancers aspire to, as ballet is about making what is evidently very challenging, seem light and easy. In the end, spring is a fitting metaphor to describe Vetter and his place at the RWB. He has a personality that allows him to forget about the long, gruelling winter, with its many hours spent rehearsing. He forgets it because he enjoys so whole-heartedly the first spring bike ride, the first spring beer on a patio, the first spring toss of a Frisbee
or in this case, the first spring dance. Vetter’s eyes speak of that springtime feeling every time he dances, and so, the RWB is correct in allowing us to get to know Vetter. Audiences seek to witness those first spring moments, and Vetter’s performance in the mixed programme becomes as alluring as Dracula, Romeo and Juliet, or Swan Lake. The RWB is presenting mixed programme from May 7 to 11 at the Centennial Concert Hall. For more information, visit www.rwb.org/ mixedprogramme - Eric Plamondon is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.
OutWords // Entertainment
A COLORFUL PERSPECTIVE By Dylan Bekkering
J
oe Sinness is a gay artist coming up from Minnesota during the first week of June. His art is a great lesson in metamorphosis art with a homoerotic twist. These still life drawings are melancholic tributes to queer performance, meant to create a commodity of portraits, behaviors, and objects.
Joe Sinness is interested in how objects and people who pursue fame become consumable products. "My work centers on narratives of desire created by fetishizing my subjects." The works take on shrine-like features when severed from their famous subjects. A photorealistic drawing style is used to convey the artist's adoration and desire of the subjects to the viewers. The show should be a great way to enjoy some of what our great city has to offer. And like so many other great things going on this summer... it's free! June 6 - July 11 Artist's talk June 7 aceartinc. 2-290 McDermot Ave www.aceart.org Tuesday- Saturday. 12-5pm - Dylan Bekkering is the creative director at OutWords Magazine.
• QUICK PICK By Dylan Bekkering
GBF - So it's getting late and you have been searching the endless crap that can sometimes be on Canadian Netflix for hours. If you find yourself in a crunch and need quick entertainment, GBF is the 'Gay Best Friend' you need in this situation. Maybe I'm biased because of my graphic design background, but I'm a sucker for great opening graphic art, and the credits are a beautiful introduction to a light-hearted, fun movie. The movie showcases some excellent costume design and smart witty conversations. GBF is pretty much mean girls gone gay... made gayer. The filmmakers are obviously fans of the movie and honour it well. It's funny, full of great actors, cute boys and heartfelt moments, what more could you ask for from Canadian Netflix? Enjoy!
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OutWords // Lifestyle & Food
PLOUGH AHEAD Openly gay gastropub owner embraced by Gimli community By Armande Martine
Fuelled by his love for music and dream of owning a pub, Scott Carman opened the nautically-themed Ship and Plough after his life hit a rough patch. Armande Martine
C
elebrating one year in business on May 2 is Scott Carman, the openly gay and sole proprietor of the Ship & Plough Gastropub, whose business name is a nod to the Icelandic settlers who fished and farmed the Gimli area.
Over a year ago, Carman’s life was in turmoil following the breakup of a long-term relationship, his parents’ split and the loss of his position with MTS following a downsizing. It was then that Carman decided to follow his passion and undergo a career transformation. Becoming a pub owner meant combining his spirit of entrepreneurship
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 26
with his love of live music. “That was always where my heart was, it was being entrepreneurial and working for myself and for my own success and I couldn’t be happier,” he said. “Music is always something I have been passionate about. I’m sort of a hobbyist guitar player and singer myself.” These days, he lets others take the spotlight by promoting bands in his pub. “I’m like the luckiest guy. I consider this my house and I open it every night to a bunch of friends and strangers to come in and have a good time.” Looking back, Carman said he feels like a different person today who is living a different life, not having realized how unhappy he had been. “It’s hard to imagine that I did what I did for so long. It’s like when people aren’t out or they’re
transgender, they’re living a life that’s not for them.” When living in Winnipeg, Carman was very involved in the GLBT* community, serving on the Pride committee as director of media and communications, contributing as a writer for OutWords, and singing with the Rainbow Harmony Project Choir. “I certainly didn’t give up my gay card when I left Winnipeg,” he said. However, when moving and opening his business in the rural town of Gimli, he did have concerns about what the effects of being openly gay would have on his business. “At the time the Ship & Plough was opening, it was when everything was happening in Morris with Pots and Pans.” Openly gay restaurateurs in the town of Morris closed down their business last year after allegedly receiving
OutWords // Lifestyle & Food
The pub was really embraced by the community... homophobic abuse. Last summer, Carman was informed by his younger summer employee, who is from Gimli, that she’d had a discussion with friends regarding her employer’s sexual orientation. “The consensus around the friends’ table was that, if anything, what happened in Morris was all the more reason for people in Gimli to support us,” said Carman. The gastropub’s current employee Maureen Tichborne had heard rumours that Carman was gay. “I didn’t even know. When I recently found out, it didn’t matter to me. I didn’t even think twice,” she said. Carman insists that he has not had any negative experiences. “The pub was really embraced by the community; I feel I have been.” In regards to the negative
experience in the town of Morris, Carman said, “A few bad apples don't spoil the bunch. You can’t paint the town of Morris with a broad brush just because of particular instances of homophobia that drove that restaurant to fail.” He believes that Gimli is a fairly progressive town. “It’s got a huge community of artists and musicians, some of which are gay, as well. There are other gay-owned businesses in town,” he said. Cheryl Ashton, a neighbour and friend, met Carman a year ago when she approached him about using his new gastropub as the Gimli Film Festival’s social headquarters. “Gimli is a resort town with a fluctuating population. There are people from all over the world here.” She raised four sons and one came out in his early 20s. “Nothing changed,” she said, referring to her gay son. “He is a fantastic human being.” Ashton’s partner, Huw Eirug, who comes from an acting background, said much the same in regards to associating with openly gay local business owner Carman. “We don’t judge someone
by their sexuality. I think it’s completely irrelevant, to be honest,” said the Englishman from Wales. Both he and Ashton were instrumental in helping organize pub quiz night, which has become a popular pub activity at the Ship & Plough on Sunday nights. The pub trivia game is a traditional British pub activity that Carman discovered while living in England for three years. Patrons are charged $5 to play and all the money collected is donated to local charities.
To celebrate the gastropub’s first anniversary, some great musical acts have been lined up throughout the month of May. The Ship & Plough can be accessed via Facebook and Twitter. They offer a tasty and reasonably priced menu which is changed up seasonally. The pub holds 40 seats with another 25 seats on the outdoor patio during the summer season. - Armande Martine is a provincial civil servant, partner to Nelle and mother of three adult children.
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OutWords // Lifestyle & Food
France
LA CUISINE DE GAIE
A French boy brings the world’s most legendary cuisine to Manitoba By Ksenia Prints Photos by Dylan Bekkering
T
hree-year-olds in North American day cares play with squishy toys and eat yogurt. Yet as a three-year-old in a French kindergarten, Clément Vandenhove learned to bake a yogurt cake. “We had a small yogurt container, and we used it to measure everything,” he said. This became his go-to cake recipe, one that he still makes and remembers by heart. It also became his entryway into the world of French cooking. Now, Vandenhove is bringing his passion for French cuisine and language to Winnipeg, through special bilingual cooking courses at Alliance Française Winnipeg.
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 28
A trained linguist and a French teacher, Vandenhove’s journey to teaching cooking wasn’t entirely clear-cut. He grew up around chickens, butter, and cream in a small town outside of Lille, just minutes from the Belgian border. “I would see my mom doing it, and I’d want to do it. But I would make my recipes,” he said. Later on in life, cooking became a stress reliever. When he arrived in the United States as an exchange student as part of his Bachelor’s degree, he began baking because he missed the familiar flavours of home. “I wanted to make crêpes, gingerbread and the beef stew from
my childhood,” he said. So Vandenhove improvised, and found that he could recreate his mother’s kitchen in his new home. When his cooking became popular among friends, he turned to cooking for others as a way of “getting together with people” and introducing them to French culture. A few years later, when his new employer Alliance Française Winnipeg renovated their kitchen, Vandenhove realized he wanted to take his passion to the general public. The kitchen was ready in May, and he offered his first French cooking class in June. In the monthly classes, Vandenhove offers his own
OutWords // Lifestyle & Food
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take on various French recipes, some traditional and others transplants from the different cultures residing in France, like Moroccan cuisine. The classes are themed around different ideas – the seasons, special French holidays, or regional cuisines. “I try to adapt to what people are saying. I start with the theme, I usually have one recipe, and then I add the others,” said Vandenhove. And it looks like Winnipeggers are hungry for more: the monthly classes often sell out, with second evenings added for most themes. Vandenhove is not what you would call a typical French boy. “I don’t like cheese,” he laughs. “Or raw tomato." >>
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OutWords // Lifestyle & Food
For me, being gay is normal, and I don’t think Pride is normal.
"I generally don’t like cold, savoury things in my mouth.” When I point out that’s not what you’d expect of a gay man, Vandenhove laughs even harder. Also unlike a typical French cook, Vandenhove
looks for ways to lighten and even veganize his dishes. This stems from personal experience. In the last two years, Vandenhove lost a lot of weight – more than 50 pounds. It took a grueling regime of training and a prescribed diet to get him to where he is today. Now, he looks for ways to maintain his weight and to adapt the healthy eating lessons he’s acquired to his more traditional French recipes and upbringing. “I still eat everything, but in smaller quantities,” he said. “My trainer gave me an extreme diet, I took the ingredients and made whatever I wanted with them.” Now, he says he is more open to vegetarian and vegan options, even going so far as using margarine in place of butter and almond milk in place of cream in his béchamel. Yet still, like a good Frenchman, he “can’t resist candy” and desserts.
Having lived in the United States, France, and Spain, Vandenhove experienced some growing pains when he arrived during the cold prairie winter of Manitoba. He still has some reservations about some local traditions. “I don’t believe in gay Pride [Festivals],” he said. “For me, being gay is normal, and I don’t think Pride is normal. I’d rather see gay families with children.” Yet he appreciates the high level of GLBT* acceptance he sees here, when compared to his experience in Spain, and would like to stay in Manitoba. “In Spain, it was more hidden,” he said. “I think it’s pretty well accepted here, I wouldn’t feel bad holding someone’s hand.” And he definitely doesn’t feel bad holding a spatula. For more information about upcoming cooking classes or to register, check out Alliance Française du Manitoba’s Facebook page, www. facebook.com/AFManitoba. -Ksenia Prints is the editor of OutWords, a student of French, and a lover of foreign cooking. She blogs about her own family’s kitchen at immigrantstable.com.
All in a French minute OutWords asked Clément Vandenhove to share three quick thoughts on food, life back home, and life here. Three favourite foods: - eggs - pears - gingerbread (“But only my own!”)
Three favourite experiences in France:
- Disneyland Paris (“I worked there.”) - Carcassonne - The markets in the summer in the south of France.
Favourite experiences in Canada:
- Snowshoeing in FortWhyte Alive - Whale watching in British Columbia - Sea planing in British Columbia
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SATURDAY, MAY 24, 2014 June 8, 2014 Film at 2:00 P.M. Panel discussion to follow Free - donations welcome Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Ave) Presented by: Rainbow Resource Centre’s LGBTT 55+ Positive Space Initiative & Reel Pride www.rainbowresourcecentre.org/positivespace
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HAPPY PRIDE WINNIPEG!!! Get Pride Kicked Off Right At the Annual BAREFOOT BOOTY CALL hosted by Breyanna Friday, May 23rd in Support fo the SOMS
Thursday, May 29th Starting at 10 PM PRIDE KARAOKE with Anita Stallion WIN Our $500 Jackpot or the $100 Nightly Prize
A Fun Event for All Skill Levels PITCH FOR PRIDE SLO PITCH TOURNAMENT May 24th & 25th contact: club200@mts.net
Join Miss Club 200 Vida Lamour for the 2014 MISS CLUB 200 PRIDE EXTRAVAGANZA Friday, May 30th Showtime is 10:30 PM
Definitely Not Your Grandma’s Idea of Bingo GAYROTIC DRAG QUEEN BINGO Hosted By Vida Lamour Sunday, May 25th
Saturday, May 31st It’s Our Annual PARTY TO THE PARADE!!! with the Seduction Saturday Crew
Tuesday, May 27th - First Match at 8 PM LESBIAN LUBE WRESTLING 3.0 contact lube@mymts.net for info or to sign up
Sunday, June 1st THE PARTY AFTER THE PARADE!!! Doors Open Right After the Parade
OutWords // Lifestyle & Food
F Plastic flowers can be tacky, but with a bit of creativity you can work them into your home
COLOUR YOUR WORLD PINK How to use the proudest color of the year in your home decor By Meg Crane
ollowing tangerine tango and emerald, radiant orchid was named the Color of the Year by Pantone for 2014 and this vibrant purple, a rich combination of pink and fuschia, can add a gorgeous pop of colour to your home. How to fit it into your decor depends on how much you want in celebrate the colour and how much you want to spend. A small piece or huge splash can be stunning to every home, so don’t think too much before you make this bold colour a part of your home decor. $ - Pick up a bouquet of flowers. Orchids are lovely and can be bought in pots so you don’t have to watch them die. They will add some life and colour without much commitment. Being around living plants can also be uplifting. Plus, just think about the pleasant smell your home will have. If you can’t find the right colour of flowers, grab some white ones instead and drop fuschia food colouring into the water. They’ll look great in any room.
All photos & crafts by Meg Crane
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 32
$ - For something a little more permanent, pick up plastic flowers. You could toss them in a vase or do some crafting. Make a wreath, like the one pictured here. Who said wreaths are only for the holidays?
•
Orchids add life and colour to your home
$$ - Pick up accents to place around your home. A radiant orchid coffee table book, linens or soap dishes would all make lovely accents.
$$$ - Pick up wallpaper with a hint of radiant orchid. It’d be great as the focal wall in a kid’s room,/ or a backsplash in the kitchen.
$$ - If you’re feeling creative, pick up a roll of fabric or some yarn and make pillows or a blanket for the living room couch.
How are you going to incorporate radiant orchid into your home decor? Or, will you pass and wait until the 2015 Color of the Year is announced? Post on our Facebook wall or tweet @OutWords. We’d love to know what you’re planning this year.
$$$ - If you don’t mind spending a little more cash, pick up a pre-made radiant orchid coloured blanket or pillows to toss on the couch. They’d be great to brighten up a basement rec room. $$$ - It’s hard to find that exact shade of purple, so if you really want to get it right, pick up a can of radiant orchid paint. Take a brush to a wine bottle for a new vase. Paint a favourite wooden chair. Or be really bold and paint a wall or ceiling. A painted front door would really show the neighbours your true colours.
•
- Meg Crane is the books & movies and news editor of OutWords and editorin-chief of Cockroach zine.
If you can’t find the right colour, paint a wine bottle to make a vase
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OutWords // Music
5 MUST-SEE CONCERTS THIS SPRING All the music that will make your feet dance this spring Compiled by Danelle Cloutier
Raine Hamilton
May 7 Ozzy’s (160 Osborne St.) This local singer-songwriter and guitarist-violinist brings honesty to her music by writing about real people and real events. Only five feet tall, Hamilton captivates the audience with her humour, grace, raw vocals and catchy instrumentals. If you miss her on May 7, she has a number of shows set for June. www.sonicbids.com/band/ bethhamiltonsongwriter
La Mancha
May 7 The Park Theatre (698 Osborne St.) With a description on the band’s Facebook page like “alternative, indie-blues, postgoth collective, with minds full of worms,” you can expect to never know what you’re going to get. From melodic guitar and raspy vocals to a cover of Kanye West’s “Hold my liquor,” this is a band you won’t get bored of. www.facebook.com/ lamanchaband
Alannah Zeebeck
May 10 5 Fifty-Five (555 Osborne St.) This local folk singer-songwriter tells stories through her songs that she describes as “unflinching confessions.” Since she moved to Manitoba from Saskatchewan her writing habit collided with her passion for music and she has been sharing her songs with the world ever since. www.reverbnation.com/ alannahzeebeck
Mobina Galore June 5 The Park Theatre (698 Osborne St.) This Winnipeg-based punk band is one you’ll want to keep an ear out for. The high-energy band has hit the stage at festivals such as NXNE, Juno Fest and Canadian Music Week and reached the top 25 in CBC Radio 3’s Tracks on Tracks contest. This couple recently finished recording a studio album that’s pure, emotional and of course, punk rock. www.mobinagalore.com
TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival
June 12 to 22 Venues in downtown Winnipeg This year Jazz Fest has an exceptional line up for its 25th anniversary. The festival is bringing in big acts such as R&B superstar John Legend and the charming, gorgeous, yet morbid indie pop artist St. Vincent. If you’re looking to dance, check out the outrageously entertaining gay rapper Le1f coming from the U.S. and local electronic/funk band Moses Mayes, who has performed at the festival for the last 13 years. www.jazzwinnipeg.com Danelle Cloutier is the music editor for OutWords
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 34
HAPPY PRIDE 2014 NIGHTCLUB
From Fame Management, Staff And Fame Diva, Cheron
NEON Pride OUT RAGEOUS
RAINBOW CIRCUS
Black light, wear white! Dj Ryan G will be jamming the dance floor!
SATURDAY, MAY 24
Dj Roy and J. Jackson spinning throwback Pride anthems and powerhouse divas all night! Break out your boa with some of Winnipeg's finest drag queens.
FRIDAY, MAY 30 Hogan's Circus performance artists Featuring Toronto Drag Divas: Scarlett Bobo & Devine Darling Meet Mr. Gay Canada, Christepher Wee Dj Lisa Delux from Vancouver spinning the decks
Glitterati COMING SOON...
FRIDAY, MAY 23
SATURDAY, JUNE 14 Dj Tracy Young Remixer for: Madonna, Brittany, Pink and Cher
SATURDAY, MAY 31
Featuring Nic Hawk from Meet Mr. Gay Canada, Christepher Wee Dj Lisa Delux from Vancouver
SATURDAY, JUNE 21 Andrew Christian Fashion Show Hosted by: Andrew Christian Featuring A.C. model: Pablo Hernandez
SHOP DINE EXPLORE With over 20 different locations for you to shop and dine - you will never have a shortage of places to visit. Everything you need is just around the corner. For more information, please visit waa.ca/services.
Be Here. Connect Here.
OutWords // Music
H
SACRIFICING FOR THE MUSIC Pride performer Ro Walker pursues his musical career By Meg Crane
ip-hop artist Ro Walker rents the small room up a narrow staircase in a building downtown. He records his music in the closet of this room. In only four months he’s made it cozy and more like an apartment than a recording studio. There’s a couch, a yoga mat and chairs. He has stashes of coffee and there’s a box of Mr. Noodles in the corner. The smell of incense spills down the hallways. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was poor right now,” he laughs. But being poor is a sacrifice Walker made for music. “I wouldn’t say it’s something I do on the side, even though I guess I have a job that provides more of my stable income,” said Walker. He’s taking it more seriously than a hobby and hopes it becomes his main income source. He even cut back his hours at his day job to only a few a week to leave more time for music. It’s been about two years since Walker started doing slam poetry at open mic nights. He realized that he loved performing and loved hip hop, so he decided to see if it could get him somewhere. “It feels like it could still take me places and that’s exciting. I always thought grad school would take me places,” Walker pauses, before laughing. “That’s mostly a joke, just for the record.” Last year, Walker wasn’t telling many people that he was exploring music, but decided to send JD Francis his only recorded song, “Hip Hop Hates Me.” Francis liked it and asked Walker to perform three songs at the Pride Winnipeg’s Pride Forks Festival. “I didn’t really expect to be showing my music to the world yet, it just
sort of happened,” said Walker, who thought he had better take the opportunity. And he hasn’t regretted it for a moment. Walker was also asked to perform at Regina Pride last year and has been invited back to the stage for this year’s Pride in Winnipeg. He’s playing two songs this year and is struggling to decide what to play. He said with a three-song set, you could mix exciting songs with slow songs. “But with two, what do I do? Exciting song, sad song then leave you on a sad note? No! I couldn’t do that,” said Walker. When he decides, he’ll be keeping it to himself because he thinks it will be fun to surprise people. He promises that there will be something new and that he will be announcing the date his EP will be ready though he’s not sure yet which day he’s performing. “Whenever they need me, I’m ready!” But he’s not quite ready yet. Walker plans to hit the gym before taking the stage. “The main difference between recording and writing and performing is you need to do a bunch of songs in a row. I need to get my cardio up,” Walker pauses to laugh. “I need to run.” Walker is applying to other Pride festivals, including WorldPride 2014 Toronto, and hopes more will invite him to perform. “I think that Prides are a good place for me to start,” said Walker. “I’m still new to music. So new to music. I’m learning new things everyday.” Meg Crane is the books & movies and news editor of OutWords and editor-inchief of Cockroach zine.
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 37
OutWords // Books & Movies
Kevin Lee Burton
the queer Cree filmmaker by Kenton Smith
I
t was while working on a film that Kevin Lee Burton finally began to see Kevin Lee Burton. “I was able to adapt, as a youth, to any situation,” said the Cree multimedia artist and filmmaker. He left his childhood home at God’s Lake Narrows in northern Manitoba at 15. To become an effective social “chameleon”, Burton cultivated various personae, figuring out what to talk about and what to not talk about. What he later discovered was that he’d blended far too easily – to the point that he’d lost sight of himself. He survived, but also self-harmed. He once told online-based Isuma TV that he got into film “almost by accident.” Burton’s creative output has fortunately proven a powerful means of personal catharsis. While compelled to leave the reserve as much from a desire to escape as for further mandatory schooling, “I realize that God’s Lake is the place that has given me distinction in this world,” he said in his online, interactive documentary
Filmmaker Kevin Lee Burton has mesmerized audiences with his process of self-discovery. May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 38
God’s Lake Narrows. The documentary is made of photographs and words the viewer can click through.
Reaping accolades Burton’s self-discovery is a catharsis that’s captivated an international audience, with God’s Lake Narrows winning a 2012 Webby Award, the award honouring Internet excellence as presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. That win snagged write-ups in Wired magazine and The New York Times. Even before that, Burton had distinguished himself as a filmmaker to watch, having won two awards at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival in Toronto for his experimental short Nikamowin (Song) in 2007. That film went on to have its U.S. debut at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was selected as one of Canada’s Top 10 Shorts for 2008 by the Toronto International Film Festival.
Coming to terms with his queer identity Burton’s starting point is that we are all our history and surroundings. “It’s the artist’s emotions and realities that engage people,” he said. The search for
OutWords // Books & Movies
identity and belonging, a consistent theme in Burton’s work, as in his 2005 short Meskanahk (My Path), is nothing if not universally human. Not that he’s done getting to know himself. Only recently has Burton, a gay man, started to become more conscious of his own queer perspective, both personally and politically, having previously never made a big deal of it. At the same time, he grew up with no queer role models-and now recognizes the lasting effect. “From my young adulthood as a queer man, I didn’t know how to interact with very many gay men, as they were
“
doesn’t always require stories specifically pertaining to Aboriginal people. Of course, Aboriginal identity at large is also “ever-evolving,” and he wants to thus fashion a different image of what it means to be Aboriginal today. Urban surroundings, he continues, are an example of how that identity is being re-shaped. Also at the heart of cultural distinction is language, a subject Burton has engaged explicitly in Nikamowin, which features spoken Cree on the soundtrack. “It’s a beautiful language,” said Burton, who loves hearing Cree just for the sound of it. “It’s still alive,” he proclaims, which enables him to deny the
It’s a slap in the face to say, ‘I don’t want to be considered an Aboriginal filmmaker.’
relatively foreign to me,” Burton said. His social network remains predominantly hetero, with a few close queer friends. Where family is concerned, he still keeps a “low profile,” even while professing to thankfully feel acceptance.
Discovering the Cree nation More prevalent than homophobia in Burton’s personal experience has been racism – and doubly so. On the reserve he had always been called Mahkos, “bear cub” or “half-white child.” It was made perfectly clear that he was seen as different, making leaving a relief. Not that his problems ended there. Half white, Burton was able to pass as Caucasian, making him privy to racism spoken in ignorance of his Cree heritage. His pride in that heritage came only after a lot of therapy. “It’s a slap in the face to say, ‘I don’t want to be considered an Aboriginal filmmaker,’” said Burton, who embraces the designation while noting that it
notion that Aboriginal people are dying. Yet he grants that the language being endangered makes it fascinating unto itself. God’s Lake Narrows is also about being alive, according to Burton, who wanted to emphasize the sheer resilience of people and how they “make the best of shitty situations.” Using images and specific details of sound, such as a game of bingo being called, the documentary gives us a very vivid sense of place – often characterized by the desolate physical exterior of reservation life. But Burton and his photographer Scott Benesiinaabandan also contrast the ramshackle homes with the very human inhabitants, who warm them from within. To that end, Burton’s own family members are included in the pictures (Burton’s own brother is pictured in the film with his caps and tattoos) as well as one of his best friends. Life may be hard in this place, but there is unquestionable fellowship. The God’s Lake Narrows documentary
became an online project because Burton felt he needed to take it up north – that is, make it accessible to the very people featured in it, so they could see themselves. Perhaps it would even enable his subjects’ own self-discovery, just as art had previously done for the artist. As for other viewers, what’s important, Burton said, is to hear perspectives, for that’s what enables humanization.
Looking towards the future More recently, Burton’s collaboration with fellow ITWE artist collective members Sebastien Aubin and Caroline Monnet has produced De Nort, another interactive documentary and companion piece of sorts to God’s Lake Narrows. It’s also the first project produced under the National Film Board and imagineNATIVE Digital Media Partnership. Burton is also completing another experimental short, Mihtatam (He Longs), which draws from Burton’s personal experience of losing a best friend. Also in the works is a multimedia installation project, Mikisiw Ininiwak (Eagle People. And then there’s that personal project of Burton’s that is himself. Though he hasn’t yet reached a point where he wants to explore his queer identity, he said he may make films about that. In the meantime, he’s still in the process of penetrating his own selfcreated layers, figuring out which of his “characters” are real, and coming out of an addiction. “Which character brought that into my life?” he wonders, illustrating how we can so often just be personalities in transit. Check out Burton’s God’s Lake Narrows at http://godslake.nfb.ca/#/ godslake and tweet your opinion of it @ OutWords. Kenton Smith is a Winnipeg-based freelance writer.
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 39
OutWords // Books & Movies
D
Prostitute’s
poetry A queer sex worker shares her life
By Meg Crane
How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler’s Memoir is a gorgeous collection of poetry and prose. She writes about how poetry affected her in the introduction, but that’s as far as her reflection on the style of writing goes.
awn’s use of line breaks and punctuation (or lack thereof) makes for some powerful phrases. Her word choices are sometimes beautiful, and more often dark and jarring, leaving the reader having to stop between pieces to reflect. They tell stories of her life in the sex trade, of the sex industry more broadly and of her relationships. There are only a few poems in a row before she breaks into prose, so the book is gentle on those not used to this form of writing. While the poetry feels somewhat abstract and sometimes detached from Dawn herself, in her prose we get a clearer glimpse into what she experienced. These sections about her life are so startling and intriguing, it’s a wonder she didn’t write a longer memoir. The reader is left wanting to know more about how she got into the sex industry. Why did she kick out the young client who was getting too close instead of going after a relationship? How did she feel about having men as clients while dating women? Why didn’t she go to the police after being attacked by a client? By the end of this quick read, the reader might be left wishing Dawn hadn’t kept this so short. There are a few places where the book is a little repetitive or inconsistent. She tells the same tidbit about her grandfather in two sections, once in a poem and once in prose. She writes twice about a past girlfriend’s death, but the circumstances surrounding it are different in each section. While it makes what she tells us feel less real, the vivid details and raw emotion make us want to believe that there were two ex-girlfriends who died in similar instances, or that drugs or alcohol could have influenced her recollections. If you want to learn more about what the sex industry is like for some queer women, want to get into reading poetry, or are looking for something dark and beautiful to read this summer, How Poetry Saved My Life: A Hustler’s Memoir should be on the list.
-Meg Crane is the books & movies and news editor of OutWords and editor-in-chief of Cockroach zine.
Photo by Sarah Race May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 41
OutWords // Columns & Opinions
Every city has its gay
THE GAY AND THE HOPPY A round-up of some of the best queer beers across the world Compiled by Eric Plamondon With three fantastic queer beers available in North America, we say celebrate the Pride season by drinking them down.
Introducing the world’s “first out and proud GLBT* brewery” By Jason Carbone SAN DIEGO – Hillcrest Brewing Company (HBC) is a friendly neighbourhood bar that one might not typically expect to find in Hillcrest, San Diego. Its atmosphere is refreshing, with a warm natural finishedwood interior filled with the sounds of alternative and rock music, sports on the TVs and a staff that welcomes all craft beer lovers to the tables. We do not shy away from claiming to be the first out and proud LGBT* brewery. I am a proud member of the bartending staff at HBC. One of the reasons I love working here is because of all the different people I get to meet. From young to old, male to female, gay to straight, everyone is welcome at our establishment. Our taps are filled with
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 42
a diverse offering of great tasting beers, and thus it is not surprising that our guests will also be diverse in having their own stories and flavours of life. One can easily comprehend the mood of the pub that gathers people who freely offer their stories, enthusiastically chat about beer and, consequently, develop real friendships. This is by design, not by accident as our family of restaurants encourages friendly banter between bar staff and our guests. We believe that
staff that are a little sassy, in a fun and relaxing decor, creates an environment where anyone can enjoy a local craft beer, brewed just feet away from their table. And we all have our favourite draft because, in the end, the beer speaks for itself. Having said that, rare are the ones that can refuse my “Hoppy Endings”, our house IPA, if poured with a smile and a wink. For more information about HBC, visit hillcrestbrewingcompany.com
OutWords // Columns & Opinions
A hand on pink pesos with a purple Mexican Beer By Patrick Courcelles
As things evolve By Eric Plamondon WINNIPEG – Pride Winnipeg kept looking for ways to expand its celebration week, so it approached local brewing company Half Pints with the idea of crafting a beer specifically for their festival. Half Pints jumped in with both taps running, as it already challenged itself with releasing a seasonal beer. The partnership was made: Half Pints would craft an easy drinking, fruity and fabulous lager for Pride Winnipeg, Queer Beer. Four years later, the beer sits comfortably amongst Half Pints’ other medal winners. Plus, restaurants ask to be part of the distribution plan so that not only will you find Queer Beer in Pride Festival’s beer tent, but you can also find it at Yellow Dog Tavern, Bistro 7 ¼, Prairie 360 and the same liquor stores in which you can pick up OutWords magazine. Finding a distributor might not be hard, but finding a bottle or box of this beer can be quite difficult simply because it’s so damn
popular. The first year it was released it sold out within hours. Now Half Pints is planning on brewing over 6,000 litres of the stuff. And I’m sure we’ll want more. Half Pints general manager Zach Mesman warns that religious mailers preaching about saving your soul did start popping up in his home’s mailbox. But we think the beer’s popularity far outweighs the negative. And let’s face it, nothing makes us happier than to see our fellow Winnipeggers lifting a pint of Queer Beer and saying, “Damn, that’s a nice beer.” For more information, visit www.halfpintsbrewing.com
GUADALAJARA, Mexico – In 2011, Bodega 12, a small company in Guadalajara had a big idea: they decided to launch two brands of beer specifically for the gay and lesbian community in Mexico. The first of its kind in the country, Purple Hand and Salamandra are handcrafted, 100 per cent malt beers flavoured with a hint of organic honey. They hit the market with a lot of fanfare, with stories published by various media outlets throughout Mexico and the United States. Purple Hand was named in honour of the October 1969 gay-rights protests of the same name that took place in San Francisco, and Salamandra’s rainbowcoloured label conveys a message of acceptance. The idea was born in an interesting setting. It was developed by a straight, married couple and launched in arguably one of the more traditional regions of Mexico. The beer has been generally well accepted by the GLBT* community in Mexico, but has
met a few bumps in the road with respect to distribution and some homophobic reactions. However, the owners mention that the beer is available at various locations in Mexico City (one of the world’s largest metropolis and the only place in Mexico where gay marriage is legal) and they participate regularly in trade shows to promote the brand. The company has been approached by distributors from the United Kingdom, Spain, Korea and various Latin American countries. Due to the high shipping costs associated with this type of niche product, it has not yet been possible to export it, but plans are in the works to join forces with a Colombian brewery to produce, bottle and distribute the product in that country. It’s obvious that they’ve carefully developed a product that is very respectful to the queer community. Nonetheless, one must stop and wonder: what are the real objectives of a queer branded beer? If they are about establishing a queer presence in Mexico and beyond, then excellent. But our pink pesos can follow any beer company that does this. Therefore, at this point, this is less about Bodega 12 and its purple hand, and more about an attempt at a queer branding that has yet to take off by anyone.
For more information about the beer, visit http://www.bodega12.com/
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 43
OutWords // Columns & Opinions
Spirituality
KEEPING THE PRIDE OVER 50 Danny and Robert discuss exercise, body image and how to stay proud when you’re older By Ray Buteau
A
rriving at the same time at the coffee shop, Robert and Danny get their drinks and settle in for an hour of mentorship. “Thanks for hanging in there Danny, this is our second session together,” Robert says. “The theme of ‘me, myself and I’ interests me,” Danny says with a smile. “Danny, you mean selfacceptance, don’t you?” “Whatever,” he replies. “The last time we met, we spoke of the value of knowing something about your own personality traits. Today, I’d like to talk about our bodies,” Robert suggests. “I’m curious to hear where this conversation is going to go,” Danny says with some reserve. “The last time we met, I said that in order for us to be accepting of ourselves, we need to be aware of the relationship and balance between our mind, body and spirit. Unfortunately, many in the gay community often become obsessive with body image. Neglecting to pay equal attention to our mind and spirit can cause issues of poor self-acceptance,” Robert explains. “Are we going to talk about all that?” Danny quickly responds. “We already spoke of ‘mind’ issues, today we’ll talk about our bodies,” Robert suggests. “Do we start with yours, or mine?” Danny asks suggestively. Robert adds, “In almost every magazine and on many commercials, we are bombarded with ways to get all the latest breakthroughs and timeless facts on nutrition, fitness, and how to live a long, healthy, painfree life.”
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 44
“Most of my friends are on all sorts of different exercise, weight and nutrition plans. How do you know where to start?” asks Danny. “What physical activities do you enjoy doing, Danny?” asks Robert, quickly adding, “I’m referring to cardio activities.” “Well the physical activity I really enjoy does offer a good cardio workout," Danny smiles back, and adds, “I do play volleyball with our gay team and curl in winter and swim at the Y.” “That’s great Danny, how about on a daily basis?” “I do walk everywhere, only because I can’t afford a car yet, and I seem to get to where I want to go faster by walking anyway,” Danny adds. “Do you have much anxiety or stress in your life?” asks Robert. “Not really,” Danny answers. “That doesn’t surprise me Danny,” says Robert “Is that a compliment? I’m not sure,” answers Danny. “It’s a compliment, Danny. During the day our bodies store up a lot of negative energy from the stressful events in our day and the best way to release the tension from this buildup of negative energy is through some sort of physical exercise. One of the best ways is simply by walking a lot, as you already do. And your other activities keep your body fit and toned,” Robert explains. “I didn’t know you noticed, Robert.” Robert responds, “I saw you on the Pride float last year, remember?”
“Speaking of Pride,” Danny changes the conversation by asking, “How do you maintain the Pride Week activity spirit when you get older, Robert?” “It’s a reality that we all have to face quicker than we ever imagined. Many of us ask ourselves, where did the last 10 or even 20 years go? If we can ‘accept ourselves as aging’, we can look at the next generation with pride and hope, rather than envy and jealousy,” Robert adds. “But how do you participate in Pride?” asks Danny, sincerely curious. “We can still wave the next generation on and attend some of the movie events. Many of my generation get together with friends and remember when we were younger. But it’s for my generation to try to support all of you now. I try to do it by mentoring, but also by supporting financial requests. A great way for my age group is through sponsoring gay refugees, for many of whom being gay is a death sentence.” “Sounds a little dull and almost sad, Robert,” Danny says. “It’s only sad for those of us who can’t be grateful for our experiences and accept the opportunities we have to support the needs of your generation, also through any financial support we can offer.” Danny quickly adds, “Speaking of financial support…” as they both leave the coffee shop with Pride. - Ray Buteau is a former Catholic priest and author of the book No Longer Lonely. You can visits Ray’s website at www.raybuteausweb.com.
s l i a t k c o Cunder the Stars OutWords Magazine’s Annual Fundraiser Gala Lively Music • Dancing Signature Cocktails • Hors d’oeuvres Silent Auction
Saturday May 31 / 2014
At the amazing Paterson Global Foods Institute’s Annex | 504 Main Street, Winnipeg 7:00 p.m. until midnight $75 per person / $50 for students
OFFICIAL CAMPAIGN LAUNCH PARTY AT FAME NIGHTCLUB ON MAY 17
Tickets
online www.outwords.ca email editor@outwords.ca call 204 942- 4599
OutWords // Columns & Opinions
Hometown
Pride
Coming back home to the prairies can be a strange experience By Mladen Kojic
G
rindr is good for many things, one of which is pop-anthropology. And wouldn't you know it, talking to strangers can be very insightful. One thing you learn quickly is that a lot of people are unapologetically racist, falsely believing that the logical extension of being born gay means that all their other sexual preferences are equally innate. But another observation that I always find striking when going on Grindr in Winnipeg are the somewhat bizarre demographics of the community. There seems to be a large number of 18 to 22-year-olds, and a smaller but significant number of older men. The 20s and early 30s are conspicuously missing. When chatting about Winnipeg, people have been Winnipeg Grindr Demographics
20 - 30??
18-20 55- 75
45-55
almost unanimous in their desire to leave. Granted, this has been a particularly harsh winter, one that could make even hardened Winnipeggers lose their composure. But listening to the complaints, I couldn't help but be reminded of myself four years ago, before I moved to Vancouver for school. In many ways, this is the constant state of those who live in the shadow of national metropolitan centres. This always strikes me as a bit sad, because I truly love Winnipeg. I love the people, the diversity, the arts, the accessibility of our cottage country, the affordability and most of all, the community. I understand the need to leave, the ever-present feeling that things are somehow happening everywhere else but here, an interest in starting a career in an industry that just isn't here. There are also many reasons specific to the GLBT* experience. Many of us spent our youth coming to terms with our sexuality instead of exploring it. The process of coming out can be painful. We may face rejection from our friends and family. For these and many other reasons, it is
May / June 2014 // www.outwords.ca // 46
There are many reasons that compel us to move, but there surely are equally great reasons to come home. reasonable to feel that it is easier to make a fresh start in a new city, rather than to stay home and confront the bigotry and discrimination within our own community. There are many reasons that compel us to move, but there surely are equally great reasons to come home. And being back in Winnipeg for the Pride Festival is a perfect opportunity to reflect on the true meaning of the celebration. Experiencing Pride in one’s hometown seems to capture the essence of the occasion. Rather than being an anonymous individual in the celebratory crowd, you can participate as a brother, son,
friend and community member that is there to represent the face of the GLBT* community. Now, I know that taking my mom to watching a flotilla of naked men grinding up on each other will make me wince, but it’s easy to feel progressive in an adopted community of likeminded individuals. Politics is about sharing a space with a plurality of people that work to help one another expand the boundaries of acceptance. Happy hometown pride Winnipeg! - Mladen Kojic is a disillusioned political scientist who is switching to communications.
KNOWL
EDGE IS
ENGAG WWW.U
CN.CA
ING
MY KNOWLEDGE will do many things IT MIGHT protect my community OR MAYBE teach a child MY KNOWLEDGE, EARNED AT UCN. At UCN, your success as a student is our top priority. But being a student is about more than lectures and exams, and we have many student services that will help you both succeed and feel a part of our community. Our many student services welcome you into the UCN community. Each campus has a residence, food services, counselors, computer labs, and an Aboriginal centre. For more information, visit www.ucn.ca or call 866.627.8500 (The Pas) and 866.677.6450 (Thompson).
OWN YOUR FUTURE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF THE NORTH