Xtra Ottawa #271

ACO ON PrEPE7 OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS #271 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014

FRAT PRIDE E9 GOING DOWN UNDER E22–24

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Capital tease The Ottawa Burlesque Festival bends genders and rules E16

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THE WAY HE LOOKS

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Dir. Sophie Hyde Australia | 114:00

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16-year-old Billie’s reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans to change genders. As her mother transitions to James, it is decided that Billie will live with her father for a year and will only see James once a week, every Tuesday. As Billie attempts to adjust, she develops an intense new friendship with two older schoolmates, which serves as a catalyst to independence and self-discovery.

Leonardo is a blind teenager struggling to break free. His best friend, Giovana, attentively looks out for him even though Leo is blithely unaware of the torch she carries. When new student Gabriel arrives at school, he befriends Leonardo and Giovana and the trio become inseparable. Leo and Gabriel’s friendship gently evolves, as each tries to find the courage to reveal their deeper feelings.

Portuguese with English subtitles.

Canada | 87:00

REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG

THE CIRCLE

MATT SHEPARD IS A FRIEND OF MINE

Dir. Nancy D. Kates USA | 101:00

Dir. Stefan Haupt Switzerland | 102:00

Dir. Michele Josue USA | 88:00

Regarding Susan Sontag is an intimate study of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Endlessly curious and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Sontag became one of the most important literary, political and feminist icons of her generation.

This absorbing film, part documentary and part historic recreation, examines a tumultuous period in The Circle, Switzerland’s pioneering gay male organization. In 1942, Switzerland decriminalized same-sex relations, which led to a thriving underground gay community that produced an internationally-read magazine and held legendary annual balls. Swiss German, German and French with English subtitles.

Fifteen years after the barbaric hate crime that took the life of her friend, Josue revisits many of locations that influenced their teenage years to interview the important people in Matthew Shepard’s life. Together the Josue and her interview subjects work through their persistent feelings of pain and anger.

Ottawa

37-year-old Toronto dyke, Tru (Shauna MacDonald)—a notorious womanizer with intimacy issues—finds herself falling for her friend Suzanne’s mother, the beguiling 60-year-old Alice. Despite their age difference, Tru and Alice experience an immediate connection.

Suzanne, however, sees where this friendship is headed and sets out to ruin the blossoming relationship. Directors in attendance.

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Brandon Matheson

#271 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014

BEN WELLAND

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A look back at the Capital Pride parade E10

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gay, bi and genderqueer, and none of them expressed anything but satisfaction with their reception by the burlesque community. How lucky Ottawa is that there’s so much overlap between its queer and burlesque communities.

Ottawa’s queer community isn’t very large, but it’s diverse, with little pockets of people of every sort of gender identity and orientation. A handful of active folks — Shelley Taylor, Jeremy Dias, Jesse Reynolds and Miss Helvetica Bold among them — spend much of their time trying to pull these people together, and when they succeed, what results is a group of people whose main commonality is that they don’t quite ďŹ t anywhere else. It’s a community of misďŹ ts.

I think I can easily count many burlesquers among these misfits: where else would they go? I mean, really, they spend all their time dressing up and making pasties. Many burlesquers were already part of the queer community.

Few of them are totally straight, or if they are, their gender isn’t straightforward, or if it is — well, if such a person exists, we’ve never met!

I certainly don’t want to devalue anyone else’s contribution, but a considerable portion of any cohesion Ottawa’s queer community has is due to the hard work and thoughtfulness of its members who are burlesquers. That same leftwing, live-and-let-live, body-positive and often feminist spirit that makes the burlesque community so accepting is just what the queer community needs.

Jeremy Willard is a freelance reporter with Xtra.

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JAMIE ANDERSON E

#270 AUG 14–SEPT 10, 2014

Queer is the word

16

NEW ORLEANS E 24

I’m 28 years old. Queer is by no means embraced by the whole “communityâ€? [“Echoes of Hate, and Pride,â€? dailyxtra.com, July 19]. The youth groups and campus people you speak of are a very small subset of what was once a much more unified collection of people. “Queerâ€? is divisive, precisely because of its inclusivity. It includes only those people who don’t have a strong identity to begin with. When I think of “queer,â€? there is no deďŹ nition. Why defend an identity that is meaningless to begin with?

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Perhaps there could be a new drinking game based on how many times Xtra pushes the use of “queer� during a given period. I suspect we’d all be shitfaced in pretty short order.

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Gay tube Canadian English-language TV is 100-percent heterosexual because producers are marketing the shows to American network TV and don’t want to deal with the gay-haters in the US [“The Rise of Queer Programming Is Decidedly a British Trend,� dailyxtra. com, Aug 31]. It’s going to get worse — Heartland will soon have to avoid the

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I’m not ashamed to admit that when I attended my ďŹ rst burlesque performance, I was there to see strippers. I thought that burlesque was just a load of exotic dancers who, for some reason, put more thought into their costumes than was really necessary. I didn’t, and don’t, see anything wrong with that — with persnickety strippers, I mean — but I was mistaken in my understanding of what burlesque is about.

That ďŹ rst show was BoylesqueTO’s 2012 performance of O Manada, an all-male burlesque-style celebration of Canadian history. Sure, I glimpsed more than one perfectly ripened oh-my-lordI-want-to-bite-it butt cheek, but far more emphasis was placed on humour and storytelling. I don’t remember seeing much skin in their rendition of “The Log Driver’s Waltz.â€?

I’ve since interviewed about a dozen burlesque performers. I stupidly expect to chat with some sort of showboating trollop (apparently, I don’t learn very quickly) but end up having a fascinating conversation about gender, race, history (I once had a fantastic talk about Sappho with Delicia Pastiche of Nerd Girl Burlesque) or what have you. It can be tiresome if what you’re looking for is a

8

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EDITORIAL JEREMY WILLARD

laid-back chat, but it’s still impressive.

Few people are as up on social issues, and as in touch with the tradition of the art, as burlesque performers.

Don’t misunderstand me: plenty of burlesque performers are trollops, and I mean that in the best possible sense.

They shape their acts to convey interesting ideas, to challenge our expectations of gender roles and to critique society, but they see nothing wrong with doing that in as tantalizing a way as possible. And there are few things hotter than a good idea sexily conveyed.

After all those interviews, I’m still not sure I understand what burlesque is all about, except that it’s more than what we expect it to be. It seems like anything can happen on the stage. Some acts are straightforward: a person walks on, capers about, strips and slinks off.

Others are full-blown skits, complete with props. Still others involve singing.

What isn’t allowed during a burlesque performance?

Very little. I’ve seen tall people, short people, skinny people, fat people, people of all different ethnicities, men dressed as women or women dressed as men, or either ending up somewhere interestingly and often arousingly in between.

Maybe it’s something about the quite high net level of intelligence among them, but the burlesque community is one of the most accepting groups around.

I’ve spoken with performers who were

LEATHER PRIDE E

OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

LOL Pride Jodie McNamara rediscovers her funny bone E12

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suggestion of premarital sex and put diapers on the horses! It is strange that Degrassi, a show aimed at Canadian teens, has had LGBT storylines that would make CanCon TV blush yet has been shown in the US to that same teen audience.

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Even the American version of House of Cards has a non-traditional gay storyline. One of the episodes in Season 1 showed how the lead character (now married to a woman) had a gay affair with his male roommate while in college. One of the episodes in Season 2 picked up on this gay background when the lead character had a threesome with his wife and a young male Secret Service agent. It’s really Canadian television that lags behind the US in terms of having television shows with innovative gay characters.

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When I think of ‘queer,’ there is no deďŹ nition. Why defend an identity that is meaningless to begin with? RE: QUEER FO R

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XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 5

6 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 XTRA!

OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Upfront

It feels amazing. After we did that huge Pride parade, we felt like we made history for a moment. Eric Lauer E9

Together in solidarity The Capital Pride Human Rights Vigil and conference took place Thursday, Aug 21. Activists and public figures came together to remember those whose lives have been lost to homophobic and transphobic violence. PHOTO BY BEN WELLAND

ACO to announce stance on PrEP MEN’S HEALTH JULIE CRUIKSHANK

The AIDS Committee of Ottawa (ACO) is set to release its stance on the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis drugs (PrEP) as a preventative therapy to reduce the risk of new HIV infections in negative individuals. Rob Alexander, gay men’s health and wellness coordinator at ACO, says the announcement will be based on recommendations from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control, as well as a local assessment of the drug’s efficacy.

The ACO already endorses the use of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) to reduce the risk of infection after a potential HIV exposure has occurred.

This treatment consists of a four-week daily dose of anti-HIV medications in pill form, which can reduce the risk of MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

infection if taken within 72 hours of a potential exposure.

“PEP doesn’t seem to be as controversial,” Alexander says. “It’s post-exposure, so if a condom breaks or something happens, then it’s pretty straightforward.

People don’t seem to be quite as up in arms about it.” It’s PrEP, he says, that has earned a more contentious reputation. Whereas for years the commonly accepted wisdom was that condoms were the most effective way of preventing the transmission of HIV, the advent of PrEP is now calling that into question.

“The whole treatment as prevention is becoming quite a muddy thing.”

According to the CDC, PrEP is a way for HIV-negative people who are at a substantial risk of contracting the virus to prevent infection. It consists of a pill (known by the brand name Truvada), taken daily, that contains the

HIV treatment medications tenofovir and emtricitabine, which can work to prevent the virus from establishing an infection. When taken consistently, the CDC says, PrEP has been shown to reduce the risk of HIV infection in high-risk people by up to 92 percent.

Alexander says that the ACO is working with the Gay Men’s Sexual Health Alliance to do a local assessment of people’s knowledge of PrEP. This will focus on both gay men in the community and healthcare providers and will examine the efficacy of the treatment when compared to condom use.

A national and provincial statement is also being developed, Alexander says, which supports the CDC and WHO recommendations that gay men engaged in sexual behaviour should have full access to PrEP. Alexander says ACO will endorse this statement. “We endorse that

PrEP should be made fully accessible to gay men as a preventative option,” he says. He expects the statement to be released around the end of September.

Alexander says that in Canada, PrEP is available only “off-list.” This means that if a physician or GP prescribes PrEP, it must be for a different use than preventative therapy. “It’s only approved in Canada as an HIV treatment; it’s not approved in Canada as a preventative tool.”

“That’s one of the things we’re pushing right now with Health Canada, and it’s one of the reasons we’re holding back a little bit on the statement on access to PrEP. So basically, even though we can’t officially say it, that is our stance: that PrEP should be approved in Canada for use as both a preventative measure and an HIV antiretroviral treatment measure.”

Though he says the ACO will support access to PrEP for all gay men engaged in sexual activities, Alexander cautions that it is not a replacement for condom use and will not protect against other STIs like syphilis and gonorrhea. Ad-

ditionally, both PEP and PrEP do come with side effects. According to the Truvada website, these can include liver problems and a buildup of lactic acid in the blood (lactic acidosis).

Currently, gay men in Ottawa can access PEP through the GayZone health clinic held Thursday nights at the Centretown Community Health Centre, where it is available at no cost. It can also be accessed through the emergency departments of most hospitals, though Alexander says this can sometimes be complicated by a lack of understanding on the part of hospitals. He adds that people who access PEP through the ER must make arrangements to cover the cost themselves or through private health insurance.

Alexander says the ACO is developing a series of workshops on PEP and PrEP aimed at healthcare providers, which will be released in February as part of the Gay Men’s Forum at the Snowblower Festival. The ACO’s campaign around PEP and PrEP will work with GayZone and Ottawa Public Health.

XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 7

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PRIDE ADRIENNE ASCAH

The frat boys marched at Pride and they liked it.

Carleton University’s chapter of Acacia Fraternity joined the Capital Pride parade with enthusiasm, dancing on a flatbed truck loaded with a supersized beer-pong table.

“I believe we’re the first fraternity to march in the Capital Pride parade ever,” says Eric Lauer, the chapter president.

“It feels amazing. After we did that huge Pride parade, we felt like we made history for a moment.”

Darren Park, an alumni member, first raised the idea with Lauer. In high school, a friend of Lauer’s came out to him a few years before coming out to other people. Lauer was supportive of his friend, but it bothers him that coming out is still an issue in this day and age.

“That was a driving force for me, personally, to kind of turn this idea into something that was real,” he says.

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Chase Ferguson, who joined Carleton’s Acacia Fraternity in 2011 and graduated this spring, says taking part in the Pride parade is an important step in changing people’s minds about fraternities.

“There’s a stigma, I guess you could say, within fraternity culture — or at least a bad reputation for dealing with things like homophobia and acceptance,” Ferguson says. “We felt that didn’t reflect our organization or values at all, and we wanted to help promote the idea that our fraternity is openly accepting of gay members. We are very proud to promote the LGBTQ community, and this seemed like a good opportunity to share that.”

Ferguson is well aware that the phrase “frat boy” is rarely meant as a compliment, and the stereotype of a frat house as a bastion of booze and white male entitlement can be hard to dispel.

“It can be frustrating,” he says of negative attitudes about fraternities.

“We have guys from all walks of life. We

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have all races, religions, a very diverse group of guys, and it’s by no means just a way to have parties.”

Although Acacia already has gay members, Ferguson hopes more LGBT students will consider Greek life.

“I feel there’s maybe a hesitation with either closeted or openly gay students [to join a fraternity because] they have preconceived ideas about what a fraternity is,” he says.

“Based on those ideas, they might not look into a fraternity and that there are benefits to being a member of one.”

Beyond socializing, there are opportunities within fraternities to develop leadership skills. A big emphasis is placed on community service, from street cleanups to raising money for organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society, he says.

Lauer is excited about Acacia’s partnership with Get Real, a studentrun, non-profit organization that recently opened a chapter at the University of Ottawa. Get Real offers anti-homophobia workshops in middle schools and high schools, as well as awareness campaigns in universities.

Between the partnership with Get Real and an overwhelmingly positive community response to Acacia’s marching in the Pride parade, the fraternity president says the future looks bright. Other fraternities and sororities have contacted him to say well done and that they plan to march in next year’s parade.

“I think the change is already happening now,” Lauer says.

Lynn Spence

Sept. 26–28 EY Centre

The boys of Acacia Fraternity pose with Mayor Jim Watson during Capital Pride. KYLE BATTERSBY

XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 9

PRIDE IN PICTURES

Showing our pride Pride may be over and done, but it’s never too late to reminisce. The 29th annual Capital Pride parade, which took over Bank Street on Aug 24, was as vibrant and colourful as ever.

PHOTOS BY BEN WELLAND

10 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 XTRA!

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Turning to progressive interpretations of the Quran YOUTH ADRIENNE ASCAH

Few people could help us appreciate intersectionality more than Abbas Kardar.

Abbas Kardar, a pseudonym for an Ottawa resident, spoke to Xtra on the condition of anonymity. Kardar is an immigrant, queer, gender-fluid Muslim who uses the pronoun “they.” Their family emigrated from Pakistan to the US when Kardar was 14. Life in smallThe LGBTQ Newcomers Group meets the second Monday of each month at the town USA was hard.

Centretown Community Health Centre. ADRIENNE ASCAH “In high school I was bullied, my sister was bullied, and there was just gender identity during high school. challenges created by their family general Islamophobia in the town,” Bullied at school and living in a home dynamic, culture, language, beliefs Kardar says. “It was hard for my par- where homosexuality wasn’t accepted, and needs. ents to get a job, and I know it affected Kardar didn’t find support and comKardar, who is in their late 20s and our immigration status a lot. We were munity until university. is not yet out to their parents, says denied immigration and our visa sevMego Nerses, a mental health coun- that immigration issues complicate eral times, and I know my parents had sellor at the Centretown Community the already intimidating situation of to spend a lot of resources and time to Health Centre, understands the power coming out. try to keep us in the US.” of community in breaking isolation.

“My family is still undocumented Universalist Muslims, a not-for- He says being a Syrian immigrant who in the US, so I guess part of the reason profit organization, works to dispel is fluent in Arabic helps to establish why I haven’t [come out] is because anti-Muslim stereotypes while pro- a sense of trust with clients who are they have — I don’t want to say bigmoting peace and understanding. newcomers to Canada. ger things to worry about — but more Shahla Khan Salter, Universalist Mus“For queer Muslims, what I’ve seen immediate things to worry about,” lims’ co-founder, says Muslim youth, in my practice is a lot of isolation, a lot they say. particularly those who are queer, often of barriers,” Nerses says. “That’s why Being undocumented, their parents face oppression from multiple sources. we created the LGBTQ Newcomer can’t travel to Canada, and Kardar, who “I do get calls from queer Muslim Program, so we can start something.” came to Canada on a student visa, can’t youth, and they are in such incredThe group, which meets on the travel to the US. Deported from the US ible pain,” Khan Salter second Monday of each at age 25, Kardar can’t apply to return LGBTQ NEWCOMERS says. “They are having a month, is co-facilitated until age 35.

GROUP very hard time with their

by Ernie Gibbs, a mental“It was a combination of being unMon, Sept 8 6–8pm parents and with a society health counsellor for documented and the US government’s Centretown Community that has a lot of bigotry LGBT youth. Drop-in racial profiling against Muslim imHealth Centre towards Muslims.” participants must be 18 migrants after 9/11,” Kardar says of 420 Cooper St centretownchc.org For Kardar, being or older, but individual being deported. “After a couple of years queer felt overwhelming, and family counselling fighting them in court, I ended up being but their uncle recommended reading is available for LGBT youth 12 and up. deported by the government.” about progressive Muslim scholars Kardar, who moved to Canada in Kardar spoke to Xtra anonymously whose interpretations of the Quran 2008 and has lived in Ottawa since partly because they don’t want readembrace LGBT people.

2013, hasn’t been to a group meeting, ers to see one person’s experience as “It wasn’t until I read those scholars but they applaud outreach initiatives a template of being young, queer and and read those books that I started like this. Another encouraging devel- Muslim. seeing that being Muslim and being opment is El-Tawhid Juma Circle’s “I didn’t want to put my name out queer weren’t exclusive,” Kardar says. “gender-equal and queer-friendly” there in a place where I might collecWhile the books helped, finding mosques in Toronto and Vancouver. tively represent something because community took longer. Already tarCreating safe spaces and encourag- I don’t think that voice necessarily geted by xenophobia, racism and Is- ing open, respectful dialogue will help exists,” Kardar says. “But there’s a lamophobia, Kardar didn’t feel safe queer Muslim youth, Nerses says, but multitude of voices and I’d like to be talking about sexual orientation and he stresses that everyone has unique one of those voices.”

OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Allemande left, do-si-do Group shows square dancing has universal appeal COMMUNITY JULIE CRUIKSHANK

When you think about square dancing, if indeed you do, you probably picture a group of seniors in funny outfits getting their groove on to country music. For most of us, square dancing is something we had to suffer through for a few weeks in middle-school gym class, only to abandon it summarily when we reached adulthood for pursuits more befitting the urban hipster (board games, anyone?).

But square dancing has found a surprising niche in the queer community, with groups throughout North America and worldwide. Canada has three clubs: one in Toronto, one in Vancouver and one in Ottawa.

The Ottawa Date Squares meet Wednesday nights in the basement of Richard Sharman’s Pinecrest home.

An energetic bunch, they range in age from people in their 60s and 70s to members in their 20s, 30s and 40s. The group has been around since 1995 but

went on hiatus from 2007 to 2013 when Squares. “I’m a senior and I’ve been not enough dancers could be found. It dancing since I was a child,” Marguerite started back up last September.

Evans says. “This is the best group of “The first night we had exactly eight dancers I think I’ve ever danced with.” dancers,” Sharman recalls (eight dancA former healthcare worker, Evans ers make up a square). After a few false says that all the styling means square starts, the group was able to pull to- dancing is an excellent cardiovascular gether enough people to keep going workout. “You’re getting a full approxiand now has enough members for two mately eight kilometres of footwork in squares and some change. “My friends the space of two hours,” she says. all laughed at me when I said I was Square dance traditionally has differgoing,” says James Williamson, 46. “I ent steps depending on the gender of forced them to come to watch, and then the dancers, with men typically leading they all got dragged into a square and and women following. To get around forced to do it. They all fell in love and this problem, the Date Squares allow they’ve joined it as well.” participants to choose The gay community, whichever role they’d like OTTAWA DATE SQUARES naturally, has put its own to dance. Beginners stick to Wednesdays, 7–9pm flourishes on square danctheir assigned position for Visit iagsdc.com/ ottawa or ing. “There’s more styling,” the first year while they’re email datesquares.

Sharman says. “It tends learning, but many of the yiq9z@ncf.ca to be more energetic.” more advanced dancers Dancers hoot, holler and know the steps for both high-five as they move through the roles, making it easier to form a square complicated footwork. It’s that ener- and eliminating the need for couplesgetic flair that drew many dancers, both only participation. gay and straight, to the Ottawa Date Sharman is the caller, giving direc-

Pre-approvals

Ottawa Date Squares is recruiting new members for weekly square-dancing nights.

tions to the dancers as they bob and weave around the floor. The objective, he says, is to keep the dancers moving and to have them end up back in their original positions at the end. “Half the time I don’t get them back in the right place, but oh well — they’re pretty lenient,” he says with a chuckle.

“Any mistake is not met with criticism at all,” says Graham Moore, 36.

“The proper technique is obviously encouraged, but [improper form] is never criticized. We all laugh and joke around.” This is a marked difference from more traditional groups, Evans

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explains, where proper adherence to form can be enforced quite strictly.

“This group is known for its sense of humour,” she says.

The social aspect is also a draw for most dancers. “It’s very social,” says Andrew Arcand, 40. “It’s about dancing, [and] I have yet to meet a gay man who doesn’t like to dance!”

“I think gays do it a little more mainstream and cool than the way that the straights do it,” Williamson adds. “It’s young, cool, hip, and you can do it from eight to 88.”

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XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 13

14 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 XTRA!

OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

OutintheCity

Half of what we do in Boylesque TO comes with a large side of gay subtext, if not outright homosexual propaganda. Wrong Note Rusty E16

GAY NIGHTLIFE IN GATINEAU Like so many reluctant heroes — from Wolverine to Tyrion Lannister — 32-year-old Luc Pigeault was content with his life before it became clear that his community needed him.

“I’m gay, so the owner of Gainsbourg, the microbrewery where I work, approached me and asked what I thought about starting a gay night,” Pigeault says. “It’s not something I was thinking about.”

Working as a photographer and bartender in the Old Hull region of Gatineau, Pigeault wasn’t endlessly trying to figure out his origin or carousing in Lannisport when the offer came to him. But given the opportunity to begin a must-attend event, he jumped to action.

In March 2014, he started Gainsbourg Légionnaire, a queer pub night that takes place the second Sunday of each month. Amid Gainsbourg’s rustic décor, mixed crowds have enjoyed the night, and attendance has grown with each passing month.

“There hasn’t been anything for the gay community in Old Hull for years,”

Author Raziel Reid will read from his new book, When Everything Feels Like the Movies, at Venus Envy. ASH MCGREGOR

Be mine, Valentine In 2008, 15-year-old Larry Fobes King (who may have identified as transgender and used the named Letisha or Latoya) asked a boy at his school in California to be his Valentine. A day or two later, the boy shot King in the head.

This news really struck Raziel Reid.

“I just thought it was so cinematic, that such a sweet and innocent question that everyone wants to hear — ‘Will you be my Valentine?’ — was answered in such a brutal and shocking way,” he says. “I was devastated and inspired and started writing.”

The resulting novel, When Everything Feels Like the Movies, will have its Ottawa launch at Venus Envy. The evening will also include several other authors — Vivek Shraya, Elisha Lim, Vera Wabegijig and Shawn Syms — reading from and signing their latest books.

Reid, 24, is a graduate of the New York Film Academy and lives in Vancouver, where he writes a pop culture blog for Xtra. Movies, his debut novel, follows in the tradition of racier young adult novels.

His interest in King comes in part from the sense that they have some MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

things in common, including a feminine side and the willingness to reinvent oneself. “I renamed myself; I moved away from home. Like a lot of gay people, I left for the big city to try and make something of myself,” he says.

The book is not a true crime novel.

It takes some of the details of the King tragedy and combines them with elements of Reid’s own life and personality, resulting in a story about a character named Jude, a “flamboyant high school student” who “lives for Louboutins and celebrity magazines [and] doesn’t fit into any category.” Jude is determined to have Luke Morris as his date to a Valentine’s Day dance.

To coincide with the autumn release of When Everything Feels Like the Movies, Reid will release a pop song on iTunes called “Like a Movie Star.”

All proceeds will go to Out in Schools, a program that uses film to campaign against homophobia and transphobia in schools. — Jeremy Willard Readings by Elisha, Vivek, Shawn, Vera and Raziel is Sun, Oct 5, 7–9pm, at Venus Envy, 226 Bank St. venusenvy.ca

Luc Pigeault hosts Gainsbourg Légionnaire in Gatineau the second Sunday of each month. LUC PIGEAULT

Pigeault says. “People would usually cross the bridge to Ottawa, but I think now they’re happy to have a place on the Quebec side.”

While Gainsbourg Légionnaire has been around for only about six months, its success has encouraged the rookie party promoter to start a second recurring queer club night in Old Hull. Most of the details have yet to be decided, but the first event will happen Saturday, Sept 27. As details are solidified, they will be announced on the Gainsbourg Légionnaire Facebook page.

While Pigeault is too modest to think of himself as any sort of hero, his hard work and bravery may be helping Old Hull to become a more vibrant, accepting place.

“It used to be more grimy and violent. Now it’s becoming more colourful, and we’re trying to bring it back to life, and I think bringing gay nights back to the neighbourhood would really help,” he says. “If you put it in their faces, they’re going to get used to it faster.”

— Jeremy Willard Gainsbourg Légionnaire is the second Sunday of each month, 2–11pm, at Gainsbourg, 9 Aubry St, Gatineau. facebook.com/gainsbourglegionnaire

Pwnage at PTS At first glance, Pink Triangle Services’ (PTS) second annual Vintage Video Game Tournament appears to be a well-intentioned fundraiser for maintaining and expanding PTS’s many services. However, it’s hard to ignore the possibility that it’s actually just a scheme concocted by some of the whimsical geeks at PTS — namely event coordinator Veronica Michelle and executive director Claudia Van den Heuvel — that will allow them to play games and wear silly costumes.

To enter the all-ages Mario Kart 64 tournament, each team must raise at least $100 in pledges. Prizes will be awarded to the team that raises the most funds, the tournament winner and best costumes.

You barely have to scratch the surface before the nerdy intentions of this duo become clear. “[When we first did it], we were trying to think of a fundraiser that we could do in a pledge-athon structure,” Michelle says. “But really, I think I just wanted to trick Claudia into buying an N64.”

Sure, the N64 has become an attraction in PTS’s drop-in programs, but that doesn’t make Michelle’s geeky ploy any less unsettling. And Van den Heuvel is no better. It may appear she is being a supportive, active figure in an important organization, but isn’t it really that she just wants to parade about dressed as a fictitious beast?

“I might dress up like Yoshi this year, because that’s the character I like to be in Mario Kart, but it’s hard to find a good dragon costume,” Van den Heuvel says.

Mario Kart always draws a crowd to Pink Triangle Services’ drop-in programs. PINK TRIANGLE SERVICES

“Is he a dragon or a dinosaur?” Michelle interjects.

“He is a dinosaur-dragon,” Van den Heuvel says matter-of-factly.

To mark PTS’s 30th anniversary, funds raised will help establish two new programs: a donation-based clothing bank and a cat café. “Once a month, we’ll open up our space in partnership with a cat rescue organization and provide people with the opportunity to mingle with and adopt cats,” Van den Heuvel says.

They’re noble causes, but it’s important to remember Michelle’s sage words: “Let’s play Mario Kart and talk about boogers and buttholes.”

— Jeremy Willard PTS’s Vintage Video Game Tournament is Sat, Oct 4, 4–9pm, at PTS, 331 Cooper St. ptsottawa.org

XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 15

16 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 XTRA!

OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

A

Kamie Lyann, Master Cameron Eric Leon and Rhapsody Blue will perform at the Ottawa Burlesque Festival.

s the summer ends and the days turn cool, Leon, for instance, often performs strip numbers where he the festival season in Ottawa starts to wind peels off layers of menswear. “I think [drag] fits in really, really down. But before you pack up your shortwell because it’s not only a form of performing art but it’s also shorts and break out the fall woolies, there’s a form of challenging part of the mainstream ideals,” he says. one last festival to check out — one that “Whereas burlesque does that with . . . body [types] and stuff promises to keep things hot. like that, drag will also challenge those similar notions when Held from Sept 19 to 21, the first annual it comes to gender.”

Ottawa Burlesque Festival is bringing performers from around Another growing contingent in the burlesque community the world to the city for a three-day extravaganza of sequins, is boylesque, which involves male performers who subvert feathers and performances that will turn the medium’s traditional sexy-lady image. you on, make you laugh and make you think.

“As [male performers] in the burlesque “Burlesque festivals are something that scene, we kind of have it easy right now,” exist within the global burlesque commusays Wrong Note Rusty, who performs with nity all over,” organizer Miss Helvetica Bold Toronto troupe BoylesqueTO and spoke says. “I guess it’s comparable to the leather with Xtra via email. community, where you have these compe“Boylesque is on the rise, but it’s still titions and celebrations and workshops all relatively novel and very much in demand, over the world in these big cities. So with and so I think one of the big challenges burlesque it’s the same thing.” In 2012, she is finding ways to do burlesque that are and a group of organizers decided it was fresh and fun that don’t merely rely on the time Ottawa got its own festival; over the novelty of just looking different,” he says. last two years they’ve worked to create one.

“I would say that probably half of what we Burlesque as a medium can be sexy, and do in BoylesqueTO comes with a large side much of it is. But it can also be funny, subof gay subtext, if not outright homosexual versive and even poignant. And while sexy propaganda.” ladies in pasties are a big part of burlesque, Rusty’s particular brand of boylesque they’re far from being its only stars. Drag typically involves comedy; he often perkings and boylesquers have been carving forms as the underdog, whether it’s the out a niche for themselves in recent years, high-school band geek or the jilted lover. bringing a healthy dose of genderbending While he doesn’t focus as heavily on gender to the art form. play in his acts, he says he feels it’s implicit On the drag-king front, Master Cameron in the art form. “A lot of boylesque borrows Eric Leon will bring some masculine envocabulary and form from the performance ergy to the festival. Recently crowned Mr of femininity, so often a sense of gender play Capital Pride, Leon has had a meteoric rise is implicated in the way a man just takes in Ottawa since he first started performing his sock off, because of what a staple the in weekly drag shows at Swizzles less than ‘stocking peel’ move is in burlesque at large.” a year ago. As someone who identifies as As a cisgender man who identifies as both genderqueer, he says that drag gives him queer and gay, Rusty says another challenge an outlet to explore outside the binary. “It in boylesque is participating in the scene really is all about gender and challenging from a feminist perspective. “Burlesque, gender norms, which is one of the things like any art form, can reinforce some modes I like best about it.” of oppression in as much as it can subvert Leon’s performing style combines a dapthem. To occupy a space of privilege as a perper masculine aesthetic — think Cary Grant former of boylesque, in a scene and art form — with an over-the-top goofy physicality that centres so particularly around women and a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek and femininity, presents a challenge that is humour. He sometimes combines elements fascinating and rewarding and occasionally of both masculine and feminine drag for problematic,” he says. what he describes as gender-fuck numbers.

Some of the challenges faced by burlesque This style of performance is a perfect fit for as a medium are based in the fact that it’s Helvetica Bold (top) and Wrong burlesque. “There isn’t just a binary, and Note Rusty bring smarts and sexiness a woman-dominated community. “I think I know some burlesque performers will it’s unfortunate that burlesque is still kind to their titillating performances. even call the makeup that they do . . . their of underground,” Bold says. “It hasn’t quite drag, because it is basically an accentuation of gender,” he says. reached ubiquity — I think it’s getting there, but I think because When we talk about burlesque it’s impossible not to mention it is a female-dominated art form, we’re never going to reach striptease, which is so often associated with the male gaze. mainstream status. It’s just a section of the populace that’s A conventionally attractive woman slowly disalways oppressed at least a little bit.” robing to show off her best assets might seem Burlesque, she says, is a medium where OTTAWA BURLESQUE incredibly heteronormative at face value, but queer sexuality is accepted and embraced FESTIVAL Fri, Sept 19–Sun, Sept 22 tropes like these exist to be subverted — and and where, to a large extent, all bodies are ottawaburlesquefest.com when it comes to burlesque, that’s half the fun. treated as good bodies. “I’m a queer-identified “If there was a Venn diagram of strip-club cisgendered woman, and in the burlesque stripping and burlesque, there would definitely be a big community, I don’t feel like my sexuality has ever been taboo overlap, but burlesque is not exclusively striptease,” Bold or a question or even anything anyone cared about,” she says. says. “Any performance that is focused on or around gender “It’s just a very accepting environment for everyone, no matter or bodies or sexuality in any way tends to work well, whether what body they have, what gender they identify as, or who they it’s physical comedy or gender illusion or stripping.” like to have sex with.”

BEN WELLAND

MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 17

WHAT'S ON

Vivek Shraya — Venus Envy, Sun, Oct 5

Art by Rob Friday This exhibit of First Nations artist Rob Friday’s work includes paintings that blend traditional native art forms with 1960s folk art. Runs until Tues, Sept 30. Venus Envy, 226 Bank St. Free. venusenvy.ca

Ottawa International Animation Festival A celebration of edgy and innovative animation that includes short films, feature films and a presentation by video game creator David O’Reilly. Runs Wed, Sept 17– Sun, Sept 21. Various venues. $8–10. animationfestival.ca

Hot, Wet and Shaking: How I Learned to Talk About Sex At the launch of her new book, Kaleigh Trace will tell personal stories and talk about issues surrounding sex and disability. Wed, Sept 17, 7:30pm. Venus Envy, 226 Bank St. Free. venusenvy.ca

Queer folks of every stamp enjoy good company and charmingly rustic surroundings on this queer pub night. Takes place the second Sunday of each month.

(See story on page 15.) Sun, Sept 14, and Sun, Oct 12, 2–11pm.

Gainsbourg, 9 Aubry St, Old Hull, Gatineau. No cover. facebook.com/ gainsbourglegionnaire

Nuit Blanche Ottawa Gatineau Adventurous art lovers embark on an all-night meander across the city to enjoy a plethora of installations.

Sat, Sept 20, 6:20pm–4:21am. For more info, visit nbog.ca.

Readings at Venus Envy Vivek Shraya, Elisha Lim, Vera Wabegijig, Raziel Reid and Shawn Syms read from and discuss their recent books. (See story on page 15.) Sun, Oct 5, 7–9pm. Venus Envy, 226 Bank St. Free. venusenvy.ca

The Hard Cover Book Club Men are invited to gather and discuss All I Could Bare: My Life in the Strip Clubs of Gay Washington, DC, by Craig Seymour. Thurs, Oct 16, 7pm. Gay Zone, Centretown Community Health Centre, 420 Cooper St. Free. gayzonegaie.ca

some of history’s influential figures.

Runs Fri, Sept 26–Sun, Sept 28, various times. Arts Court Theatre, 2 Daly Ave. $20. artscourtottawa.ca

HEALTH & ISSUES

Offbeat: Strictly Dance DJs Mark Falco and Dan Valin spin hot beats for a crowd of sexy party people. Partial proceeds go to Ten Oaks Project. Sat, Sept 20, 10:30pm.

Babylon Nightclub, 317 Bank St. $7 before midnight. thequeermafia.com

The Living Room HIV-positive people and their loved ones are welcome to access many resources, including a food bank, laundry facilities, internet, counselling and workshops.

Contact The Living Room for an appointment. AIDS Committee of Ottawa, 7th Floor, 251 Bank St. Free. aco-cso.ca

Vintage Queers Dance The Ottawa Senior Pride Network presents a night of hits from the 1960s through to the early ’90s.

Open to people 50 and older and their friends. For more info, contact ospn.rfao@gmail.com. Sat, Oct 4, 8pm–midnight. The Good Companions Centre, 670 Albert St. $20 advance, $25 door (limited number available at the door). ospn.rfao.ca

Spectrum This Youth Services Bureau program offers queer and questioning youth aged 12 to 25 a safe space to socialize, discuss sexuality and related topics, participate in workshops, receive counselling and more. Every Tuesday, 7–9pm. YSB, 147 Besserer St. Free. ysb.ca

THEATRE

Queer People of Colour QPOC of any gender, ability, age or orientation can meet and talk in a supportive, open and nonjudgmental environment. Takes place the last Tuesday of each month. Tues, Sept 30, 7–9pm. PTS, 331 Cooper St. Free. ptsottawa.org

The Lights of Shangri-La

LEISURE & PLEASURE AIDS Walk for Life The 25th annual walk benefits seven local organizations that provide HIV/AIDS-related services.

Sat, Sept 13, noon–4pm. Snider Plaza, 150 Bank St. For more info, visit aidswalkottawa.ca.

SlutWalk An annual march to raise awareness about issues faced by victims of sexual assault, including victim blaming. Sun, Sept 14, 12:30– 3:30pm. Gather at the Human Rights Monument at Elgin and Lisgar streets. Free. slutwalkottawa.com

Tone Cluster Auditions The queer choir holds open auditions for all sections, from bass to soprano. For more info, contact president@tonecluster.ca.

Every Monday, 7:30pm. St John Evangelical, 154 Somerset St W. Free. tonecluster.ca

After discovering a time machine disguised as an outhouse, George and Lucas have hilarious encounters with

Art by Rob Friday — Venus Envy, until Tues, Sept 30 ROB FRIDAY

18 SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 XTRA!

Bears Brunch With the ever-present danger of a paw getting stuck in a honey pot, this brunch for burly boys is sure to be a blast. Sun, Sept 28, 11am–2pm.

Atomic Rooster, 303 Bank St. No cover. oursottawabears.ca

When a woman’s cancer goes into remission, she visits the family cottage to celebrate and help mend her brother’s relationship with his boyfriend. Runs until Sat, Sept 13, various showtimes. University of Ottawa, Academic Hall, 133-135 Séraphin-Marion. $25. tototoo.ca

Lesbian and Gay Expo This exhibition allows folks to learn about some of the queer-positive groups, businesses and service providers available in the city. For more info, contact info@lgxottawa. com. Sat, Oct 4, 10am–6pm. Jack Purcell Community Centre, 320 Jack Purcell Lane. Free. lgxottawa.com

Hedwig and the Angry Inch The “internationally ignored” East German rock-goddess Hedwig Schmidt goes on a genderbending quest for “The Origin of Love.” Runs Wed, Oct 1–Sat, Oct 4, 7:30pm.

The Gladstone, 910 Gladstone Ave. $25; $20 students/artists/seniors. thegladstone.ca

Next to Normal Diana Goodman, a 30-something suburban wife and mother, struggles with her worsening bipolar disorder. Runs Wed, Oct 15–Sat, Oct 18, various showtimes. The Gladstone, 910 Gladstone Ave. $35. thegladstone.ca

SEX & BURLESQUE Ottawa Burlesque Festival This celebration of creativity and sexuality comprises three shows — The Dark Side of the Merkin, Opulence and Oddities, and Sinners’ Brunch — and includes such performers as Ariel Sin, Charlotte Champagne, Jolie Stripes and Kamie Lyann. Runs Fri, Sept 19–Sun, Sept 21, various times. For more info, visit ottawaburlesquefest.com.

Titties 4 Kitties 3 A burlesque, drag and variety fundraiser for local animal charities SafePet and the Ottawa Stray Cat Rescue. For more info, contact t4kittiesottawa@gmail.com.

Sat, Sept 27, 8–11pm. Zaphod Beeblebrox, 27 York St. $12 advance, $15 door. zaphods.ca

Jilling Off: The Ins and Outs of Solo Sex Led by Beau, this workshop introduces women to new ideas and techniques for getting their rocks off.

Tues, Oct 7, 6:30–8:39pm. Venus Envy, 226 Bank St. Free. venusenvy.ca

The Lights of Shangri-La — Academic Hall, until Sat, Sept 13 JOSH KEMP

Vintage Video Game Tournament Sixteen teams of four players each play Mario Kart 64 to raise funds to maintain and expand PTS’s services. (See story on page 15.) Sat, Oct 4, 4–9pm. PTS, 331 Cooper St. Each team must raise at least $100 to enter. ptsottawa.org

MAYHEM & MARGO Game of Bones

COMEDY Twistory: The Historically Inaccurate Sketch Comedy

NIGHTLIFE Gainsbourg Légionnaire

FOR MORE LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM

ART & LITERATURE

Fri, Oct 10–Sat, Nov 1. For more info, visit hauntedwalk.com.

Seniors’ Bowling Queer seniors aged 50 and older and their friends are invited out to bowl a few frames. For more info, contact georgeis@rogers.com.

Takes place the second and fourth Monday of each month. Mon, Sept 22, 6:30pm. West Park Bowling, 1205 Wellington St. $3 per game; free shoe rental. ospn-rfao.ca

Someone will die at this Game of Thrones–themed dinner theatre.

Features Margo MacDonald as Cersei Lannister. Reservations recommended. Runs Sat, Sept 27– Sat, Nov 8, various times. Scarlett’s Dinner Theatre, 62 York St. For more info, visit eddiemay.com.

The Haunted Walk’s Halloween Season Scaredy-cats can request a ghoulishly guided tour from playwright Margo MacDonald. Runs

Submit your event listing to ottawalistings@dailyxtra.com.

Deadline for the Oct 16 issue is Tues, Oct 7.

OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

A classic gem with a luxe ambiance, Giovanni’s is also justly renowned for it’s thoughtful and extensive wine list and wide selection of fine spirits.

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PRESENTING SPONSOR

Ottawa LGBT Film Festival October 23-26, 2014 MIXED SHORTS: TEENAGE DREAM | SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25 AT 2:30PM This collection of shorts captures those youthful moments that may feel like the end of the world but are instrumental in shaping who we become.

Catch this shorts programme along with many more youth-focused films, including: The Way He Looks, 52 Tuesdays and Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine

KISSING DREW

| Phil Connell | Canada | 8:00 Inside a drab middle school in 1992, a sexually confused eighth-grader attempts to regain his dignity after being bullied by a sex-obsessed cool kid.

MISSION IMPROMABLE

| Clio Gevirtz | USA | 6:00 Closeted boyfriends concoct an over-the-top scheme to ask a girl to the prom, but the boys are in for a big surprise!

BREED

GUM

THE LANGUAGE OF LOVE

BEFORE WORDS

| Vic Coram | USA | 5:00 Teenage Hayley is afraid to come out to her parents so she finds a creative way to make the announcement without saying the words.

TEENAGE DANCE

| Adam Bentley | Canada | 3:00 A lonely teenager dresses up for the school dance and learns they can’t trust other people until they trust themselves.

Complete Programming Announced: September 26 MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

FOUNDING MEDIA SPONSOR

Laura Scrivano | Australia | 9:00 During his French exam, Charlie struggles to find the words to be honest with his best friend ...and with himself.

PUMPING

| Teresa Martino | Argentina | 10:00 Enjoy this love story between skaters. Spanish with English subtitles.

| Stanton Cameron | USA | 4:00 Caught between two worlds, a young wolf must decide whether being true to himself is worth the loss of his human father’s approval. | Diego Carvalho Sa | Brazil | 14:00 A library book is the catalyst that changes the lives of three young students.

Portuguese with English subtitles.

CAGED

| Lazlo Tonk | The Netherlands | 13:00 Niels is harbouring a secret that threatens his friendship with David.

Dutch with English subtitles.

an Ontario government agency un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario

Tickets On Sale: October 9 New Venue: ByTowne Cinema XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 19

XPOSED

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BY ZARA ANSAR

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Nature Nocturne Pride Edition

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Capital Pride has a new program through which the organization forges partnerships in the broader community. On Aug 15, it teamed up with the Museum of Nature to run a special edition of Nature Nocturne, not usually held in summer, to kick off Pride.

The museum was lit in purple, and a 60-foot Pride flag was hung across the back of the building, visible to everyone driving by on the highway. Inside, the program featured a preview of the Ottawa Burlesque Festival, drag kings and queens, collective crafts, DJs and more.

1E Cris Dignard and Erika Cao, decked out in 1920s threads.

2E Artists from the Ottawa Burlesque Festival strike a pose.

3E This Pan Am flight attendant will get you where you need to go. 4E One of the living fixtures outside the museum. 5E David Copperfield onstage. 6E Koko Domenique stops for a quick photo before wowing the crowds. 7E Miles Zinya in a classic Backstreet Boys ensemble. 8E One of many drag king performers. 9E Two delicate queens take a breather after performing.

10E Emily, in a Closer wig, explores the out-of-doors.

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A world of gay adventure

Travel

Down Under’s largest state has a character all its own

Western

Australia AEFA MULHOLLAND

Western Australia, the largest of Australia’s eight states, will turn your expectations of Down Under upside down. This incredible chunk of the continent has a character all its own — or make that multiple characters. A vast land that covers a third of the country, Western Australia offers everything from the sophistication of capital Perth and chic wine region Margaret River to the exquisite white sands, strange rock formations and turquoise waters of the Coral Coast; the wilderness, barren backlands and inland sea of the rugged North West; and the seemingly endless expanse of the interior, the Golden Outback.

Approximately five hours’ flight from either Sydney or Singapore, Perth sits on the Swan River; it’s a city of two million with a reputation for laid-back beaches, outdoor dining and a bevy of pubs and breweries — it’s the perfect bookend to a WA adventure. Spend days exploring hip port neighbourhood Fremantle; lounge on all 19 of the

The city of Perth, viewed from Mill Point.

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city’s beaches, including famed Rottnest Island; and picnic in the shade in the gargantuan Botanic Gardens. Make for the restaurants of downtown, Subiaco and Fremantle when you fancy sampling such local flavours as Manjimup black truffles, Ord River sweet papaya, Broome mangoes and local venison, berries and, of course, seafood. Liquid delights are on tap here, too; the wine regions of both Swan Valley and Margaret River are within easy reach, and the state has a tasty crop of microbreweries.

Stir in an influx of compact, specialist cocktail haunts, or “small bars,” that have sprung up in the city’s alleys and laneways and the city truly is a drinker’s delight.

Less than three hours away, Margaret River’s chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and cabernet lure oenophiles south.

The picturesque town is crammed with artisan stores, galleries, boutiques, upscale dining and places to sample the area’s wines and ports. But if you think Australia’s South West region is all about grapes and groves, you’ll need to expand your palate. The area’s rugged,

JJ HARRISON

Above, the Golden Outback wheatbelt near Centenary Hill. Right (from left): the Sparrow’s Nest café; the tasting room at Howard Park Wines, in Margaret River; an unusual road sign; and a budgerigar, a bird native to Western Australia.

rural side is a stark contrast but makes a perfect pairing for the sophisticated wine scene that’s grown up between the gum and karri forests. Kangaroos lope about paddocks and kookaburras scrawk like demented monkeys in the jarrah trees. You might round a corner and encounter a field of two dozen kangaroos or reach a crossroads and see two emu lope off into the dusty distance.

Towns like Augusta feel far from the airbrushed chic of Margaret River.

Hunkered down on the precise point where the Indian and Southern oceans meet, it’s a one-pelican town. Pizzas are available on Friday and Saturday nights between 5 and 8pm if you order a week in advance. Sweet-and-sour kangaroo is on the menu in the August(a) Moon Chinese Restaurant. Checkout girls waltz with liquor-store boys in the last fish-and-chip shop before the Antarctic. In the town’s lone bar you’ll find weatherbeaten fishermen in ludicrously short shorts bream-boasting over Emu Bitters, conversations about the price of breeding ostrich and a jukebox that, regardless how politely you ask it to play your selection, will substitute AC/DC. If you have longer to linger around these parts, perhaps the most captivat-

SPARROW’S NEST

ing part of Western Australia is north of Perth. The Coral Coast stretches to the tip of the Ningaloo Reef, almost 1,300 kilometres of turquoise waters and dazzlingly white sands, punctuated by characterful towns and the occasional strange rock formation. You can reach Ningaloo via a short flight to nearby Learmonth, but taking the ocean road makes for an incredible trip. Just a couple of hours outside Perth is the lunar landscape of the Pinnacles, a proliferation of otherworldly yellow rock spires that jut up out of the hot, flat

desertscape of Nambung National Park, raucous pink parrots bobbing on top.

Seeing this place where desert meets ocean is quite something.

Continue on up the ocean highway to surfing hotspot and lobster port Geraldton, on the Batavia Coast, where the Moresby Range backdrops intense sunsets and offshore the 122 Abrolhos Islands offer unparalled fishing and bird-watching opportunities. Further north again, friendly schools of bottlenose dolphins, rare burrowing frogs and white fairy wrens are among the OTTAWA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

SATU SURO

AEFA MULHOLLAND

hundreds of varieties of birds and beasts that await at Monkey Mia and Shark Bay. Dramatic blow holes and steep cliffs keep you on your guard in lush Carnarvon, while inland, banana plantations stretch as far as the eye can see.

The endpoint of this antipodean trek is the seaside town of Exmouth, on the tip of Ningaloo Reef, home to 260 kilometres of nearly untouched barrier reef and a wealth of wildlife. Whatever you do, you’re sure to encounter some of its 220 species of coral, whale sharks, humpback whales and 500 species of MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

tropical fish. There are deserted islands from which to snorkel and dive and dugongs and rare sea turtles to view if you venture out by sea kayak.

And endless beaches to explore in all directions. And dramatic gorges to scale in Yardie Creek. And open waters to sail beyond Exmouth Gulf. And still all of the North West and the rugged interior of the Golden Outback of this state to explore. It’s impossible to see all of this state in one trip, but Western Australia will have you boomeranging back for more.

Bars The Northbridge area of Perth is home to most of the city’s LGBT bars, including the drag queen haven Connections and the mixed community hub The Court. And 2013 saw a new addition to the scene in the form of the lesbianowned Sparrow’s Nest café.

Accommodations Small, chic and luxurious, The Outram in Perth basks close to the tropical Botanic Gardens and offers 22 rooms

AEFA MULHOLLAND

of Parisian townhouse style.

For a homier introduction to the city, book a room at Richard’s in Northbridge, a gay-owned bed and breakfast close to bars and cafés and boasting excellent breakfasts. Margaret River has a plethora of LGBT-welcoming accommodation: try the opulent Cape Lodge, a five-star winecountry getaway on the water’s edge.

At the northernmost point of the Coral Coast, book a house or apartment to rest after your journey through the super-friendly folks of Ningaloo Reef Holidays.

Pride celebrations The Pride WA (for Western Australia) parade will take place in Perth on Nov 22, starting at 8pm. It will mark the 25th anniversary of a protest that led to the formation of Pride WA. Also popular is the day-long Fairday celebration, schedule for Feb 15 in Hyde Park.

Read this story on dailyxtratravel.com for links to select businesses mentioned.

XTRA! SEPT 11–OCT 15, 2014 23

A world of gay adventure

Travel

Sun, sin and sequins A first-timer’s guide to the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras CHRISTIAN BAINES

In 1995, Sydney was just about the hottest gay destination on the planet.

The sequins of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert still shone brightly in our eyes, same-sex activity was legal in all Australian states but one (Tasmania would catch up two years later), and Sydney’s Oxford Street was the envy of an emerging gay world.

Central to its fame was the Gay and Lesbian Mardis Gras. Originally a 1978 protest march, the event soon evolved into a full-blown cultural festival.

Loud, brash and controversial — the giant model of a well-known Australian homophobe’s head on a silver platter will be forever seared into Sydney’s memory — the parade offered a fullcolour scrapbook of what it meant to be queer in Australia. By 1993, it was the biggest outdoor nighttime parade in the world, attracting more than 600,000 spectators. Today, Mardi Gras continues to be one of the world’s premier LGBT events and is a must-do for any LGBT traveller.

So where does an out-of-towner start? If you’re going just for the parade and party, you’re going to miss a lot. Still, a number of tour and cruise companies offer inclusive packages to get you there for the main event.

The parade and party are held the first Saturday in March, bringing Mardi Gras to a spectacular close. Expect Oxford Street to be packed all weekend, with cafés, bars and stores all recapturing just a little of the ’90s glam that made Sydney’s scene so famous.

The parade route typically follows Oxford Street up to Taylor Square, where the energy hits its peak before veering onto Flinders Street and ending in Moore Park. If a three-hour wait amid a jammed-in crowd doesn’t bother you, grab a spot on the western side, between Crown Street and Taylor Square. Those wanting a bit more space should grab a spot on the western side of Flinders. Be ready to get wet! Every year, Fred Nile (of silver platter fame) and his church crew pray for rain on the parade and frequently get their wish.

Still, if you do catch a glimpse of these charitable souls, be sure to thank them for doing God’s work in giving marchers further reason to strip off.

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ANN-MARIE CALILHANNA

After the parade, most of the clubs and bars on Oxford Street will charge extortionate door fees for the privilege of being squeezed in. Honestly? If you’re paying to get into a party, splash out on a ticket to the real thing, where all the parade’s energy is released in one blazing gay burst in Sydney’s Entertainment Quarter. Expect five or six different dancefloors, plenty of chill-out space, a sea of flesh ripped straight from a gay-cruise brochure and live performers in the league of George Michael, Cyndi Lauper, Boy George and Kylie Minogue. It’s big, showy and varied enough to offer an unforgettable night, even if dance parties aren’t usually your thing.

Here for a week or more? Fair Day is your best chance to catch daytime LGBT Sydney at play. Enjoy hot live acts and check in with local sports and community clubs for special Mardi Gras events. One outdoor event not to be missed is Harbour Party. It’s another dance party, but how many can boast sunset over the Sydney Opera House

ZAC

Top, festive and flamboyant Mardi Gras parade participants. Above, a drag queen pays homage to Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

and Harbour Bridge as their backdrop?

For the artsy, intellectual types, Queer Thinking takes over the Seymour Centre for a full day of stories, academia and controversy, while many of the city’s theatre spaces are devoted to queer content all through February.

Longtime allies Darlinghurst Theatre and New Theatre present Falsettos and Privates on Parade in 2014, while Sydney Opera House, the Seymour Centre and many of the city’s cabaret venues host Australian and international entertainers as diverse as Pam Ann, Courtney Act, the always provocative La Soirée and Jinkx Monsoon in her Australian debut.

To get a free dose of Sydney queer history, take a sinfully spiritual walk through Kings Cross and Darlinghurst with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Visit the sites of Sydney’s first gay bars and explore the city’s deliciously seedy historical underbelly. The Sisters can also take you to meet other types of animals on their annual Taronga Zoo walk.

If you’re planning any of the popular day trips from Sydney, there’s probably a special Mardi Gras departure to get you there. Hunter Valley wine tasting?

There’s a trip for that. Furry Australian natives (not the kind you’ll meet at the Oxford Hotel) at Featherdale Wildlife Park? Easily done. Or trek out to the Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves.

This is an essential first-timer’s day trip at any time of year. But since it’s Mardi Gras, why not make some likeminded friends along the way? Most day trips depart from Cambridge Hotel in the heart of the Darlinghurst gaybourhood.

The 2015 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras festival runs Friday, Feb 13, to Sunday, March 8. The parade takes place Saturday, March 7. For more information, visit mardigras.org.au.

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