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#760 DEC 12–25, 2013

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

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Newsmaker of the year Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay laws have ensured the Sochi Olympics will be about much more than sports E16

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TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

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GENDER JOURNEYS: WINTER 2014 REGISTRATION OPEN!

Gender Journeys is a group for people considering gender transition. The group provides information and community for people with changes across the gender spectrum. The group will begin mid-February and run for 11 weeks at Sherbourne Health Centre. Registration required.

Contact Yegi at ydadui@sherbourne.on.ca or 416-324-4100 x 5078.

FAMILY PLANNING COURSES WINTER/SPRING 2014: REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

Natasha Barsotti, Steven Bereznai, Drasko Bogdanovic, Kyle Burton, Rolyn Chambers, Ryan Conrad, Daniela Costa, Megan Dolski, Chris Dupuis, Tony Fong, Nick Green, Ryan Kerr, Michael Lyons, Taylor Parsons, Robin Perelle, Troy Petenbrink, Kevin Ritchie, Enrico Varrasso, Jeremy Willard, Eric Williams ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lucinda Wallace GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Darryl Mabey,

Dykes Planning Tykes Weekend Intensive April 25-27, 2014 at Sherbourne Health Centre

Dykes Planning Tykes Daddies & Papas 2B Wednesday Evenings February 19 - May 7, 2014 7:00 - 9:30pm at The 519

Bryce Stuart, Landon Whittaker

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ESSENCE: TUESDAY, DEC. 19TH JOIN US FOR OUR LAST SESSION AND EXPLORE DREAMS!

Essence is where queer, trans and questioning youth (29 and under) gather to uncover, discover and recover our deeper selves. Come learn, socialize and share wisdom through workshops, guest ZWLHRLYZ HUK KPZJ\ZZPVUZ HIV\[ KPŃ&#x153;LYLU[ UVU KLUVTPUH[PVUHS HUK X\LLY WVZP[P]L PKLHZ HUK WYHJ[PJLZ of spirituality, faith and community. Our last Essence will explore dreams with Njeri Campbell.

Thursday December 19, 2013, from 7:30-8:30pm in Room 2008.

For more info, contact Adam at abenn@sherbourne.on.ca or 416-324-4100 x 5283.

PINK INK 2014: CALLING ALL WRITERS! SIGN UP NOW!

Pink Ink is an informal creative writing drop-in for lesbian, gay, bi, queer, trans and 2-spirit youth aged 14-29. Come have fun and meet other youth artists! Learn writing, editing, performance and publication skills! No writing experience necessary! Everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s story is important. Nobody can tell your story but you. Snacks and tokens provided. Location: Yorkville Public Library, 22 Yorkville Avenue (just north of Yonge/Bloor). Saturdays 2-4pm, starting January 11, 2014. For details or to sign up, email Sonny at sberenson@sherbourne.on.ca or call SOY at 416-324-5077.

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TORONTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

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#760 DEC 12â&#x20AC;&#x201C;25, 2013

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Holiday

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SHOPPING GUIDE Some of our favourite offerings for under the tree E22â&#x20AC;&#x201C;26

Editorial What will you do this year?

By Danny Glenwright E6 Feedback E6 Xcetera E7

Upfront Toronto moves closer to creating a homeless shelter for LGBT youth New research identiďŹ es urgent need for better LGBT sensitivity training in existing facilities E9 Local news The 519 proposes LGBT sports and recreation facility E10

National news Quebecâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest school board axes gendered options on paperwork E12 International news Two more celebs come out of the e-closet E14 Cover story Newsmakers of 2013 The people and events that shaped our year E16 History Boys ReďŹ&#x201A;ecting on Oscar Wildeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tribulations in light of the impending closure of Reading Prison

By Jeremy Willard E19

COVER ILLUSTRATION BY ENRICO VARRASSO

online at dailyxtra.com E Ottawa conference explores culture and coming-out

narratives in queer art and cinema E Remembering Nelson Mandela through ďŹ lm E A forum for gay men who like â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;guyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; stuff MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

Out in the City Arts roundup Technicolor holiday theatre E21 Playlisp Gift shopping for the music fanatic

By Kevin Ritchie E28 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s On E31 Club Scene E32 Deep Dish

By Rolyn Chambers E34 Xtra Living E35

Daily Xtra Travel Cancun and the Mayan Riviera A paradise of white-sand beaches and turquoise waters E36 Puerto Vallarta Enjoy beaches and gay nightlife, but beware of the chupacabra E38 French Philly, My Montreal E39 ClassiďŹ eds E40 Xtra Hot

By Drasko Bogdanovic E41 XTRA! DEC 12â&#x20AC;&#x201C;25, 2013 5

Comment

Danny Glenwright is Xtra’s managing editor.

The outcome that we seek is this — gay and lesbian people daring together to set love free.

Xtra is published by Pink Triangle Press, at 2 Carlton St, Ste 1600, Toronto, M5B 1J3.

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RYAN TORONTO, ON

Gaybros As someone a lot older and having been a counsellor for years, this seems an expression of their discomfort with who they are or internalized homophobia [“A Forum for Gay Men Who Like ‘Guy’ Stuff,” dailyxtra.com, Nov 30]. The emphasis on traditional masculinity and the drinking are self-repressive.

Check with them in 15 to 20 years when they have learned to balance and live with the masculine/feminine (androgynous) natures we, as part of humanity, all have. Good luck, Gaybros.

ADRIAAN DE VRIES (FACEBOOK) VANCOUVER, BC

What happened to the rainbow flag and diversity and being non-judgmental?

Drag queens and camp humour is not for everyone. As for how much they drink, it is not clear that these guys drink any more than other gay men.

How about showing some kindness and understanding to other gay men

#759 NOV 28–DEC 11, 2013

I’m disappointed the Liberals walked away with Toronto Centre as easily as they did once again [“Liberals Keep Toronto Centre in Federal By-Election,” Xtra #759, Nov 28]. The arrogance in both Ms Freeland’s and Mr Trudeau’s victory speeches was palpable. Complaining about the NDP running a mean campaign and Trudeau invoking the late Jack Layton to gloat about their win in Montreal is just disgusting. The Liberal Party’s canvassers who came to Toronto Centre for this by-election campaign must have been wearing blinders the whole time, because the sole focus of their message was about “the middle class.” I have to ask: where in the Village in particular is there a middle class? I see high rents driving gay people away and gay businesses away all the time. We’re not a middle-class community, no matter what we try to tell ourselves. By and large, the single apartment dwellers in Toronto Centre are poor. There is no pink dollar. We’re broke and our neighbourhood has become more polarized economically than I can ever remember. With that in mind, do the Liberals really deserve our vote?

E R T THEISASUE

UAL ANN THE @dailyxtra

Toronto Centre election

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If you look closely you can see it, passed out in the corner in a puddle of vomit — Canada’s reputation.

It was the year of the drunken stupor.

A year during which we watched so many of our elected leaders stumble from boondoggle to gaffe to cover-up.

To many it seems that our reserved and quiet country will never be the same. It feels like a loss of innocence — but also a loss of our senses.

But 2013 was also the year of the little guy (and girl) standing up to, and fighting, increasingly inept leadership. While so many corrupt, scandalplagued, homophobic, sclerotic leaders brought shame, we could look to brave individuals around the world for examples of courage that resulted in historic change.

Edie Windsor took on the United States government and won. The US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act and pushed open the doors to gay marriage. NBA player Jason Collins came out — hopefully the first of many professional athletes to do so. Individual journalists worked assiduously to further expose the iniquity of Toronto’s mayor — as well as the rot in our federal government and Senate, a scandal that will likely, finally, rid us of Stephen Harper. And individual activists came together behind the scenes to help secure the release of two Canadians imprisoned in Egypt.

Meanwhile, individual athletes, gay and straight, fought back against the homophobic International Olympic Committee and Russia, which will host the Winter Games in the new year.

The IOC has a record of homophobia going back to 1982, when it sued the organizers of the Gay Olympics — later the Gay Games — for taking the name “Olympic” while not bringing legal action against other competitions, such as the Police Olympics and the Nebraska Rat Olympics.

But it was Russia’s energetic homophobia that seemed wholly new and,

to many casual observers, unexpected.

Vladimir Putin’s anti-gay propaganda laws and violence against gay people in Russia made headlines around the world. The activism that followed, from vodka dumping to widespread petition “clicktivism,” took on a life of its own and provided a powerful platform for international solidarity in the fight against homophobia. Perhaps the most poignant representation of this came from Uganda, where brave gays and lesbians marching in their second Pride parade held up placards that stated “Pride Uganda supports LGBT Russia.”

As the year comes to a close, it’s hard not to feel despair about the state of leadership in Canada and the wider world. But it’s moments like that Pride march in Kampala that put these feelings in perspective. It’s also worth remembering the story of a leader like Nelson Mandela, who maintained such perspective even after 27 years behind bars. Mandela’s death provides an opportunity to celebrate his remarkable and progressive activism. It also serves as a reminder of what’s possible, of what just one determined individual can accomplish.

Closer to home, Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi exemplifies a similar style of leadership. A couple years ago, Nenshi launched the “3 Things for Calgary” challenge, calling on all the citizens of his city to take action in each community to make Calgary a better place to live. Nenshi asked all Calgarians to think about their community and those issues that are important to them. Next, they had to decide on three actions they could take to make their street, neighbourhood or city better. Finally, Nenshi asked Calgarians to do those things and tell others about it.

The initiative has a website and a Facebook page where people can leave their individual stories of change.

It’s not a bad challenge for our other political leaders. For that matter, what three things will you do for your community this coming year?

How about showing some kindness and understanding to other gay men who may have different ideas than you — even as those ideas evolve and change with age. [RE: GAYBROS]

dailyxtra.com

EDITORIAL DANNY GLENWRIGHT

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ALS USIC W SIC MPREVIEUL LAS CH CSEASON GOT SOES T A W E’S TUM S TO 2013/14 ENTR COS CTOR NG C ING SIX A YOU ACK THE NUTCR

who may have different ideas than you — even as those ideas evolve and change with age.

LORNE BERKOVITZ TORONTO, ON (FACEBOOK)

Seriously, how is it a good thing that a bunch of dudes are so afraid of being perceived as feminine that they have to call themselves gay “bros”? Internalized homophobia and misogyny stink.

MIKE VICHNITCHKINE (FACEBOOK) TORONTO, ON

519 sports and rec proposal It’s great to make places more inclusive for women, youth and 50-plus participants, but I can’t help but notice that trans isn’t mentioned [“The 519 Proposes LGBT Sports and Recreation Centre,” dailyxtra.com, Dec 3]. Trans folks who want to access sports have historically had a very difficult and sometimes violent time doing so. There are the obvious change/shower-room problems. But when talking about sports, which are typically divided by gender, if you have a women’s floor-hockey team, will they let trans women play on the team? How will The 519 work with previous teams and leagues to make them inclusive of trans folks? Or will they allow the individual teams to continue to deny the participation of trans folks?

JACK TORONTO, ON

Having a community centre built outside The 519’s catchment area sets a

dangerous precedent. What’s to prevent the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre asking the city if they can open a boys’ and girls’ club on Church Street? If there’s legitimate demand for a designated LGBT sports and recreation centre, let The 519 build it on Church Street or expand their facility.

MICHEL F PARÉ TORONTO, ON

HIV column Engaging in the behaviour that gives you a 100-percent preventable fatal disease and having to live in the closet in the 1950s aren’t even remotely comparable [“The More Things Change,” dailyxtra.com, Nov 29]. Were the guys in the ’50s poaching healthcare resources to selfishly keep the lion’s share for themselves? Did gay guys in the ’50s have discrimination protection for employment and housing?

Having HIV isn’t illegal. The criminalization laws, which aren’t even in all of North America, address nondisclosure for the most part. People living with HIV have more resources available to them than anyone! Where are the diabetic housing units? Where is heart disease mobile-testing units? Where are the beachside and poolside skincancer screenings like the HIV tests at gay clubs? You really have to bend logic to justify what you did to yourself.

ANDREW JONES TORONTO, ON

Johnny Weir I wonder if Weir did this on his own accord or was he forced to [“Queer Nation Pickets Johnny Weir’s Talk at Barnard College,” dailyxtra.com, Dec 3]? Regardless, it seems more and more that these Olympic types stand for nobody but themselves. They got what they wanted and needed, so screw the rest; it’s not their problem.

If Weir sincerely means his apology, then he should “walk the talk” and do something constructive about what’s happening to our community in Russia.

COLIN BROWNLEE (FACEBOOK) TORONTO, ON

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

XCETERA

Sushi

A BIWEEKLY HELPING OF POP CULTURE, SERVED D À LA CARTE

FROM THE PTP ARCHIVES 10 YEARS AGO

XTRA #500, DEC 25, 2003

132

Number of couples married Dec 8 in Rio de Janeiro in what’s believed to be the world’s largest mass same-sex wedding.

Krave Massive Self-proclaimed “world’s largest gay nightclub,” in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Xtra proclaimed 2003 to be the year online hookups became mainstream: “The next trend is bound to be sites that verify that photos actually look like the people they’re supposed to represent.” Optimistic by half.

3

OUT ON THE STREET BY KYLE BURTON

What is the gift you’d most like to receive this year?

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DHARMA FRIENDS GLBT Buddhist Meditation Group Invites you to a January Open House

INTRODUCTION TO BUDDHIST MEDITATION January 8, 15 & 22, 2014, 7:00 – 7:30 Regular meditation session, 7:30 – 9:00 Beginners are welcome.

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2010

The year And Tango Makes Three, a children’s book about a samesex penguin couple who adopt a chick, was released.

XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 7

8 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Upfront

The city is going to be a key partner in making sure that visitors feel welcome and WorldPride is a success in 2014. Kevin Beaulieu E12

Toronto moves closer to creating a homeless shelter for LGBT youth New research identifies need for better LGBT sensitivity training in existing facilities OUR YOUTH ANDREA HOUSTON

Groundbreaking research is helping to convince councillors and staff at city hall that Toronto needs a shelter specifically for homeless LGBT youth.

At the Dec 4 committee for community development and recreation, University of Toronto doctoral candidate I Alex Abramovich, who has been studying homelessness among LGBT youth for the past seven years, explained that the situation is bleak for LGBT homeless youth, particularly trans youth, in Toronto. His study, which will be released in March, finds queer youth feel unsafe and unwelcome at most shelters.

Abramovich helped Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam draft a motion to create a new working group. The motion, which passed, compels councillors to reform the shelter system to ensure it’s free of oppression and staff members are trained in responding to trauma, Wong-Tam says.

“The working group will look specifically at homophobia and transphobia in the shelter system and report back in the second quarter of 2014,” she says.

“The working group will also report back on the feasibility of creating an LGBT youth shelter.”

The group will include Abramovich, shelter service providers, researchers and experts. Shelters and organizations taking part include Covenant House, Planned Parenthood, the Wellesley Institute, The Homeless Hub, the Sherbourne Health Centre, the AIDS Committee of Toronto and St Michael’s Hospital.

Wong-Tam says she then hopes to include a funding request for an LGBT youth homeless shelter in the 2015 budget. It would involve city money combined with community fundraising, she says, noting that while it’s too MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

I Alex Abramovich presented his research on homeless youth to Toronto city councillors on Dec 4. ANDREA HOUSTON

early to comment extensively on costs, the best-case scenario involves using an existing city-owned facility. “[Then] all we would need to deal with is legal costs, construction improvements and capital modifications,” she says.

Abramovich identified key problems in Toronto’s emergency shelter system that make shelters unsafe and inaccessible for LGBT youth — problems that he says could be fixed right now. One example is the shelter paperwork, which forces youth to choose whether they are “male” or “female.”

According to the “Toronto Shelter Standards” report, all people have the

right to shelter regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It also states that service providers must accept that individuals seeking service define their gender.

“However, my PhD study revealed that this is actually not the case,” Abramovich says. “Shelter workers struggle most with issues around access around trans people, and most trans people I spoke to feel safer on the streets than they do in the shelter system. This is due to transphobia in the shelter system and staff not knowing how to respond to these issues.”

Councillor Josh Matlow spoke pas-

sionately about the need for more protection, safety and support for the city’s most marginalized people. “Are we treating this issue different than we would if a disaster hit Rosedale or Forest Hill?” he asked. “If something big happened in one of the city’s more affluent areas, there would be a disaster plan created that night.”

Abramovich says city staff are well aware of the barriers faced by trans people, but they have yet to take action.

Some city staff members even described access to the shelter system as a basic human right. “[City staff ] cannot guarantee every shelter is accessible to trans

people because shelters don’t know what to do when a trans person walks in the door,” he says.

Community agencies like the 519 Church Street Community Centre offer comprehensive training for shelter staff. But, Abramovich says, the city has not made this training mandatory.

Frontline shelter staff get mandatory anti-oppression training, but that focuses mainly on racism and sexism, he says. “That is absolutely important, but they need the full picture. The training must be made mandatory. People who are homophobic and transphobic will not voluntarily take anti-homophobia and anti-transphobia training.

“These are really basic things,” he says.

“It angers me that I have to keep coming here and do this. It’s almost 2014 and we are still talking about whether there should be basic anti-homophobic training for shelter staff. It is absurd to me.”

Phillip Abrahams, general manager of shelter, support and housing administration, says Abramovich’s research is powerful and convincing. He says that he is moving forward with making LGBT training mandatory for all providers and that it will happen “soon.”

Abrahams says the current mandatory anti-oppression training curriculum was developed in 2002. “There wasn’t as much sensitivity to LGBT issues as there is now,” he says. “It’s time to update.”

According to 2013 research by the Canadian Homelessness Research Network, about 25 to 40 percent of homeless youth between 16 and 26 years old are LGBT, compared to five to 10 percent who identify as LGBT in the general population. “The large number of LGBTQ youth who are homeless tells us that a house is not always a loving home,” it states. “Family conflict resulting from a youth coming out as LGBTQ is a major contributing factor to youth homelessness.”

XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 9

The 519 wants to build the centre over 9.3 hectares of land on the Wheel and Foundry complex site at Eastern Avenue and St Lawrence Street. CRAIG WHITE

The 519 proposes LGBT sports and recreation facility The centre would be built in the new West Don Lands community LOCAL NEWS DANIELA COSTA

Lately, the topic of gay people in sports has been synonymous with Russia and the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

More specifically, talks have revolved around concern for the treatment of queer Olympic athletes in a country that recently passed a law banning propaganda of “nontraditional sexual relations.”

Yet amidst the global uproar, a Toronto organization has put forward a proposal to bring queer people and sport together under one roof, right here in Toronto.

The 519 Church Street Community Centre has announced that it is seeking city council approval to build an officially designated LGBT sports and recreation centre.

“It’s a hugely positive win for the city of Toronto,” says Maura Lawless, The 519’s executive director.

The facility would primarily serve the city’s LGBT sports leagues. Lawless says there are currently 40 leagues in the 10 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

city, with more than 6,000 members spread among them.

On Dec 4, the city’s community development and recreation committee approved the establishment of a working group that will help create an interim development board to manage the project. This group includes The 519, the city and Waterfront Toronto.

The 519 certainly seems to be wellpositioned politically.

According to Lawless, Glen Murray, the provincial minister of infrastructure who represents Toronto Centre (the riding within which The 519 is located), expressed support for the project during informal talks. The 519 also has the support of the local councillor, Ward 27’s Kristyn Wong-Tam, who sits on both The 519’s board of directors and the city’s community development and recreation committee. Fellow committee member Councillor Paula Fletcher has expressed support, and so, too, has Ward 28 Councillor Pam McConnell, who represents the area the proposed centre would be built in.

The 519 wants to build the centre

over 9.3 hectares of land on the Wheel and Foundry complex site at Eastern Avenue and St Lawrence Street, located in the new West Don Lands community. The facility is expected to be approximately 150,000 square metres in size. Once built, the city would own the centre, and The 519, which is an agency of the city, would operate it.

The land is part of the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games’ development area, so construction wouldn’t start until after the games end in mid-August 2015.

Matthew Cutler, director of strategic partnership initiatives at The 519, says he anticipates the facility could be open by late 2017 or early 2018.

This allows for about two years of community consultation, which Cutler says The 519 eagerly anticipates. “I don’t want anyone to think this is a done deal.”

The 519 has gone so far as to have Deloitte conduct a business feasibility plan. “The numbers do show that this is a model that could work effectively,” Lawless says.

That number is an estimated $100 million. It’s a figure that would likely

unnerve councillors wary of budget-cut talks were it not for the funding model The 519 proposes.

The 519 is committed to acquiring two-thirds of the capital funding needed for the project, with the understanding that the three levels of government would come up with the last third. Of The 519’s committed funding, it would raise half and a private donor would provide the other half.

“I don’t think the City of Toronto should turn that away,” Wong-Tam says. She adds that there’s “a really good chance that the City of Toronto will be able to reallocate resources elsewhere” because of how much The 519 is able to commit.

As far as operating and maintenance costs are concerned, Lawless expects that the city would pay the administrative costs and that The 519 would raise the rest. User fees are unknown as this point, but Lawless suspects some amount would have to be paid. Still, she asserts that The 519 is “committed to ensuring accessibility and affordability for this project.”

For her part, Wong-Tam wants to see services offered free. She says that in the long run it would likely be costly for the city to share expenses associated with the facility but that “it’s still much cheaper than building a facility on our own.” She also says the project falls in line with the city’s need for more recreational facilities. And there’s legitimate demand for a designated LGBT sports and recreation centre.

“Most of the larger leagues have wait lists,” says Cutler, who explains that’s because none of them have dedicated space, which means there can be only so many games and teams. He claims that most of these leagues are dominated by gay men in their 20s and 30s. He envisions a centre that will provide more sports opportunities for women, youth and people 50 and over.

“It allows us to create more flexible programming.”

But The 519 won’t be able to please everyone, as there are no plans for an ice surface, pool or outdoor turf. Cutler says that to include those spaces would mean building the facility nowhere near the downtown core. The 519 could possibly offer training and administrative space for the leagues that can’t play in the centre, and there’s the potential for partnerships with nearby facilities to gain access to needed resources.

The centre could very well be an integral part of the new West Don Lands neighbourhood. Lawless says everyone would be welcome to use it. “You can’t build inclusion through exclusion,” she says.

For more on this story, go to dailyxtra.com.

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XTRA! DEC 12โ 25, 2013 11

City may double Pride Toronto funding for 2014 WorldPride An additional $140,000 is included as part of proposed budget LOCAL NEWS ANDREA HOUSTON

When Toronto City Council passes its new budget in January, councillors may also be approving a big funding boost for WorldPride in 2014, Councillor Shelley Carroll confirms.

Carroll says the current proposed budget includes an additional $140,000 for Pride Toronto (PT) on top of the $140,000 the organization received last year from city council under its major cultural organizations program.

The Toronto budget committee heard from citizens on Dec 2 and Dec 3 as it debated its $9.6 billion operating budget and $18.6 billion capital budget. No one deputed about funding for WorldPride.

“If this budget is adopted, [the funding] is adopted, too,” Carroll says.

PT executive director Kevin Beaulieu says he’s thrilled. “The city is going to be a key partner in making sure that visitors feel welcome and WorldPride is a success in 2014.”

Beaulieu first appeared before the economic development committee in

If the city’s proposed 2014 budget is adopted, Pride Toronto will get double its usual funding for WorldPride.

September to request the extra funding and support. He explained to committee members that PT secured the international 10-day festival through a bidding process in 2009 — and that PT will host WorldPride in place of the city’s usual Pride festivities.

Beaulieu also told the committee that

WorldPride has the potential to be the largest event Toronto has ever hosted and that the city’s investment would have a massive impact on the local and provincial economy.

“The amount that the economic development committee asked for is exactly what they are going to get,” says

ADAM COISH

Carroll, who sits on the committee.

“This is a global event that we as a city bid on, and we want to see it a success.”

Carroll also notes that the new funding doesn’t replace the $250,000 of in-kind services — such as police, garbage and street cleaning — that PT also receives each year.

The additional city funds are needed for the many planned educational, artistic and cultural elements of WorldPride, such as opening and closing ceremonies; fireworks at Nathan Phillips Square; a human rights conference; a licensed venue at Allan Gardens with comedy, cabaret and artistic displays; citywide rainbow street markings; TTC branding; and a new website.

Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam says there is widespread support for WorldPride among councillors at city hall.

“We have been working hard to ensure Pride gets the resources that it needs to hold this very important event, whose success is largely the city’s success,” she says. “When you look at the other major cultural organizations, Pride actually receives quite little.”

Beaulieu didn’t ask for a specific amount at the September meeting, but he says he was hoping for approximately double the city’s typical commitment of $140,000. The budget for WorldPride is $4.5 million, he says, noting that he estimates the funding for the opening ceremony alone will likely be in the range of $100,000.

A 2013 Pride Toronto economic impact study estimates that Pride brings in an additional $286 million in direct spending to Toronto each year. “WorldPride will bring a considerable return on investment,” Beaulieu says.

Quebec school board axes gendered options on paperwork Modification makes space for families that do not have ‘a mom and a dad’ NATIONAL NEWS MEGAN DOLSKI

The tedious task of filling out forms can go beyond a nagging nuisance if the applicant’s reality doesn’t fit into the series of unchecked boxes and empty lines provided. But for many same-sex parents in Montreal, the task of completing their children’s school paperwork just became a little easier.

Quebec’s largest school board recently voted unanimously to change the words “mother” and “father” on all of its forms — both hard copy and virtual — to read “parent.”

The Commission Scolaire du Montreal (CSDM) runs more than 200 establishments across the province and provides education to more than 100,000 students.

In announcing the change, the board stated that the modification comes in 12 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

response to a request submitted by a member of the Coalition des Familles Homoparentales — a group that works to sensitize the population about diverse family structures.

Mona Greenbaum, the coalition’s director, said the board and its members have been making similar requests for more than a decade. Up until now, they had seen some success on a per-school basis — but the board-wide change comes as a welcome improvement.

The CSDM is not the first in town to make a move toward making its documents more accessible; last year the English Montreal School Board adopted a motion to change its forms.

“I think schools are realizing they have to be inclusive in their practices,” Greenbaum says. “This is not something that affects only our families — there are a number of families that

Quebec’s largest school board voted to change the words “mother” and “father” on all of its forms — both hard copy and virtual — to read “parent.” THINKSTOCK

aren’t just a ‘mom and a dad’ family.”

In a statement, CSDM president Catherine Harel-Bourdon says the modification aimed to be inclusive, respect diversity and accurately reflect the dif-

ferent compositions of families in society.

The same statement says the change embraces Quebec’s action plan against homophobia — an initiative set to be implemented between 2011 and 2016.

“It’s great news,” says Marie Houzeau, director of the Groupe de Recherche et d’Intervention Sociale (GRIS) Montreal, an organization that seeks to raise awareness about homosexuality and bisexuality, with initiatives primarily rooted in the school system.

Houzeau says actions like this will lead to further social acceptance of families with gay parents. She says the next step forward will be for schools to offer more inclusive teachings of nonnuclear family structures, beginning early in the education system.

“It would be interesting if course outlines and programs included more representation of different types of families and that homo-parental families were included in that,” she says.

“I think this reality should be shown so that children that live in these types of these families can feel included.”

For more on these stories, go to dailyxtra.com.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Two more celebs come out of the e-closet Queer people rejoiced recently as we welcomed two new heavy hitters to our team. First, actress Maria Bello released an essay about her female partner to The New York Times, then Olympic diver Tom Daley revealed that he’s in a relationship with a man in a YouTube video.

Basking in the post-party glow of her son’s father’s 50th birthday, Bello sat down to write her essay, “Coming Out as a Modern Family.” She was feeling inspired following a conversation with her son, Jackson, who had asked her if she’s romantically involved with anyone. The result is an exploration of partnership and companionship in which Bello describes her current relationship with Clare, her long-time best friend.

“He looked at me for what seemed like an eternity and then broke into a huge, warm smile. ‘Mom, love is love, whatever you are,’ he said with wisdom beyond his years.”

Opting for the video approach, Daley’s viral outing is more like a message from an old friend. “I didn’t want anyone to get my words twisted. I wanted to put an end to all the rumours and speculation and just tell you guys, because it’s what I want to do.”

After talking about the “roller coaster” his life has been, with the death of his father, bullying in high school and his 2012 Olympic medal for diving, Daley takes the plunge.

Maria Bello, left, wrote about her female partner in a New York Times article, while Tom Daley, above, announced his same-sex relationship in a YouTube video.

“In an ideal world I wouldn’t be doing this video because it shouldn’t matter,” he says, explaining that he hadn’t felt comfortable discussing his relationships but that last spring something changed — he met someone who made him feel “safe” and “happy.” He pauses for a moment, cracking the tiniest grin. “And that someone is a guy.

— Nick Green

Russian LGBT groups to IOC: Speak up for gay rights A coalition of Russian organizations has called on the new International Olympic Committee (IOC) president to speak out in favour of LGBT rights, condemn Russia’s discriminatory laws, establish a Pride House at the Sochi Games and make explicit reference to sexual orientation in the Olympic non-discrimination policy.

The coalition met with Germany’s Thomas Bach in Paris the last weekend of November.

In their letter to Bach, the organizations say they are “gravely concerned” about the IOC’s repetition and endorsement of Russian authorities’ “vague assurances” that there’ll be no discrimination at the Games in February.

“The recently adopted ‘anti-propaganda’ legislation, as well as the public debate it has evoked, has already created an extremely hostile climate for LGBT persons in Russia. The ‘propaganda’ law is degrading in its nature, ascribing explicitly, in the national legisla14 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

A coalition of Russian LGBT groups wants Olympic chief Thomas Bach to press Russian authorities for “clear and detailed” answers to questions about the federal anti-gay gag law.

tion, a fundamentally different status to LGBT persons, affirming their social inequality,” the letter states. “This highly discriminatory regime triggered an increase of organized violence against LGBT persons and their allies, which has been extensively covered in the media throughout the past several months.

“We believe that this legislation and the environment infringe and debase the Olympic values, and the IOC is in the unique position of both power and responsibility to ensure that the Winter Olympics 2014 do not embrace discrimination and violence against LGBT persons,” the letter reads.

The six organizations say they want “clear and detailed commentary” on questions they posed about the implications of the federal “gay propaganda” law for foreign and Russian citizens, as well as for the upcoming Games and beyond. A spokesperson for the coalition says the talks with Bach were “valuable.” — Natasha Barsotti

Former Ugandan ethics minister urges MPs to pass anti-gay bill A former Ugandan ethics minister is calling on MPs to pass a beleaguered anti-gay bill and plans to lobby voters to put pressure on legislators to do so immediately, Uganda’s Observer newspaper reports.

James Nsaba Buturo told reporters that gay rights supporters are on a “propaganda spree” and are leveraging a number of international organizations to press their opponents to “normalize” homosexuality. He accused gay rights proponents of using threats and bribery and added that he is worried that David Bahati, the MP who is spearheading the AntiHomosexuality Bill, had been forced into silence about the measure.

The Observer report says that Buturo feels MPs should follow the “heroic” lead of countries like Nigeria and Russia, which have both recently

passed anti-gay legislation.

The so-called Kill the Gays bill, which reportedly still includes the death penalty for those found guilty of “aggravated homosexuality,” has been making its way up and down the parliamentary agenda for months but has not yet been put to a vote.

Parliamentary speaker Rebecca Kadaga, infuriated by Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s criticism of her country’s gay rights record at a Quebec City conference last year, returned home with a promise to pass the measure as a Christmas gift to Ugandans. But her threat to expedite its passage has not materialized. — Natasha Barsotti For more on these stories, go to dailyxtra.com.

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XTRA! DEC 12â&#x20AC;&#x201C;25, 2013 15

XTRA’S NEWSMAKER OF THE YEAR

VLADIMIR PUTIN & HOMOPHOBIA IN RUSSIA While many countries saw progress on gay rights in 2013, Russia has gone backward as it prepares to host the world COVER STORY

BY NATASHA BARSOTTI & ROBIN PERELLE

Before Russian President Vladimir Putin signed off this summer on a nationwide law to gag gay “propaganda,” cities such as St Petersburg tested the waters — and got away with it.

The barely audible international whisper against Russia’s anti-gay crackdown became a firestorm in June when Putin, seemingly oblivious to the backlash that would erupt, signed the law with the Sochi Olympics in sight.

Prohibiting “propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations,” the law is ostensibly aimed at protecting children from thoughts or images that might awaken any gay interests or give them the impression that such interests are as acceptable as more traditional forms of attraction.

Foreigners flouting the law with gayfriendly gestures face the prospect of 15 days in prison and deportation.

Mere months before Sochi’s opening ceremonies, Russia’s increasingly antigay stance provoked outrage, calls for boycotts, and kiss-ins around the world.

Putin and his entourage wondered what all the fuss was about.

While one Vitaly (sports minister Mutko) told the world to calm down, a second Vitaly (St Petersburg politician Milonov) pooh-poohed reports of violence against gay people as “fake information,” adding that it’s gay people who perpetrate violence against straight people.

For his part, Putin insists that he’s 16 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

Top: Demonstrators cover their faces with masks representing Russian President Vladimir Putin and kiss during a rally in front of the Russian embassy in Paris, on Sept 8, 2013. Approximately a dozen gay-rights supporters carried placards and chanted slogans to protest Moscow’s policies on homosexuality.

AP PHOTO/JACQUES BRINON

Above, and right: Throughout the year, activists around the world took to the streets to protest Russia’s anti-gay laws and increasing homophobic violence in the country. N MAXWELL LANDER

just protecting the children. But his platitudes are inconsistent with the images emerging from Russia: beaten and bloodied gay activists; gay teachers dismissed from their jobs; gun and gas attacks at a Moscow gay club; bomb threats against the Side by Side LGBT film festival; the rise of the violent “Occupy Pedophilia” group that seems to lure, then torment gay people (or worse).

The likelihood of more anti-gay laws

looms, with one bill proposing to remove children from gay parents in Russia.

The International Olympic Committee seems content to accept “assurances from the highest authorities in Russia” that their Olympics will be welcoming, regardless of sexual orientation. At least the Nobel Committee refused a Putin nomination for this year’s Peace Prize for his “efforts to maintain peace and tranquility.”

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

2013 AT A GLANCE

In our newsmakers matrix, Xtra looks back on the 12 months of 2013 and their array of queer events — some monumental, some sombre, some strange and some downright despicable.

MAGNIFICENT

From France to Brazil,

Gay marriage turns

same-sex marriage goes viral

10 in Canada

Kathleen

Wynne becomes Canada’s first openly gay premier

Cawthra Park closes for facelift ahead of WorldPride

Activists and

Fly negotiates

Church Street Mural Project brings colour to Toronto’s Village

artists protest Russia’s anti-gay laws at Toronto International Film Festival

new nine-year lease More than 100 gingers march in Shawn Hitchens’s “ginger parade” in Scotland Xtra special report on

barebacking goes viral

Bowie exhibit

opens at AGO Angels in America opens at Soulpepper

Cher releases

new album

Jodie Foster sort of comes out at the Oscars

FUN

Collins comes out

Cher says no to performing at Sochi because of Russia’s anti-gay law

Canadian Olympic speed skater Anastasia Bucsis comes out

SERIOUS

Russian athletes share a kiss on the podium at the World Athletics Championships

NBA player Jason

The Barn’s cowboys ride off into the sunset

Pakistan becomes the world leader in online gay porn searches

REAL Women attacks Slacks closes its doors

John Baird over his support for gay rights

just before Pride

Fab magazine

closes

push out posters in the Village

Parents rally in support of teacher

who used ACT posters to educate students on sexual health Priape closes all its Canadian stores, except the one in Montreal

Daytona Bitch

faces backlash after performing in blackface Health

Canada bans poppers

Rob Ford dominates Toronto media coverage

Gateway markers arrive on Church Street

Florida teen, 18, is charged for having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl

Police warn Village residents about the disappearance of three men

Toronto Councillor

James Pasternak offers hush money to Pride, asking it to ban QuAIA

Pride co-

chair Francisco Alvarez resigns, alleging plot to force him out

Conservative

MPs warn that porn is a “stealth threat” to families

Pole wraps

Vandals target Liberace film deemed too

gay for big Hollywood studios

west-end homes with rainbow flags

John Greyson and Tarek Loubani are imprisoned in Egypt for 53 days

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TORONTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Wilde’s hard time Reflecting on Oscar Wilde’s tribulations in light of the impending closure of Reading Prison HISTORY BOYS JEREMY WILLARD

I’m sentimental to the point that I anthropomorphize many of my possessions; I had an African violet named Planty, my old desktop computer was called Computy, and my printer is (somewhat more imaginatively) called Hennimore — because when it malfunctions it’s satisfying to yell, “Hennimore!” So my ears pricked up when I read that Reading Prison — where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated — is scheduled for closure by the end of 2013.

In 1891, Wilde began an affair with the young Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, a relationship that would eventually result in Wilde’s imprisonment.

Bosie’s father was the eccentric, cruel and probably mentally unbalanced John Sholto Douglas, The Marquess of Queensberry. He was concerned about his son’s relationship with “this man Wilde” but was temporarily appeased when Wilde charmed him at a lunch at the Café Royal in London. However, by 1894 Queensberry was convinced Wilde was a dangerous homosexual.

Queensberry took increasingly drastic steps to end his son’s relationship with Wilde. His attempt to disrupt the opening night of Wilde’s play The Importance of Being Earnest was stymied, and four days later he went to the Albemarle Club, where Wilde was a member, and left a card addressed to “Oscar Wilde posing somdomite [sic].”

At Bosie’s urging, Wilde decided to sue the Marquess for libel. Wilde’s grandson, Merlin Holland, has written a fantastic book about Wilde’s trials, called Irish Peacock & Scarlet Marquess. Bosie seemed unconcerned about what might happen to Wilde; in the foreword to Holland’s book, Sir John Mortimer writes that Bosie pushed Wilde into the suit because he “longed for a fight to the death against his savage and eccentric father.”

For me, Wilde’s image as being impeccably clever faltered when I first read an analysis of the trials; anyone could see that the libel suit was going to result in disaster for Wilde. The reason is that the main defence against libel is to show that the allegations you made are true, so when Wilde took Queensberry to court, it meant forcing him to prove that Wilde was a homosexual. All MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

St. Peter’s Anglican Church St. Peter’s welcomes people of all races, creeds, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations and gender identity.

We are an inclusive Christian Community welcoming people from all different paths - learning together, caring for each other, and reaching out to our neighbours, in the service and love of God. Advent Service: Lessons & Carols – Sunday December 15 @ 3pm Christmas Eve Service – Monday December 24 @ 8pm Sherry & cake will be served after the service.

The most memorable moment of Wilde’s first criminal trial was his touching speech about “the love that dare not speak its name.” ERIC WILLIAMS

Christmas Day Service – Tuesday December 25 @ 10:30am

~ Come join us! ~ this evidence could then be turned over to the government, leaving Wilde open to prosecution for “gross indecency.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

During the trial, Wilde dealt reasonably well with the “proofs” offered by the Marquess’s lawyer, Edward Carson, but things looked grim when it became clear Carson was about to call up many of the young men Wilde had slept with.

Wilde’s lawyer eventually had some success convincing Wilde to drop the suit, but by then it was too late: Carson had already given all his evidence to the government. Two criminal trials followed, with Wilde as the accused.

The most memorable moment of the first criminal trial was Wilde’s touching speech (which always makes me cry) about “the love that dare not speak its name.” Wilde was convicted of “gross indecency” in 1895 and sentenced to two years’ hard labour.

While incarcerated at Reading Prison, Wilde wrote the epistle De Profundis (Latin for “from the depths”). It analyzed what had happened to Wilde in the years leading up to his incarceration and blamed his own weakness

and Bosie’s vanity for Wilde’s imprisonment. After his release from prison, Wilde wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol. It was published originally under the pseudonym C33 (Block C, Landing 3, Cell 3), which hinted at Wilde’s identity by indicating where he had been housed.

Since 1992, Reading Prison has been a centre for young offenders, aged 18 to 21. The British government is closing the prison as part of a plan to replace a number of older prisons with a superprison in North Wales. The Oscar Wilde Society, a group founded in 1990 during a gathering in the Queensberry Room at the Café Royal (where Wilde charmed the Marquess and often entertained other guests), would like the prison to be maintained as a tourist attraction. I don’t know how feasible it is to preserve a dilapidated Victorian prison just for the sake of the brief time Wilde spent there, but the thought of losing the site forever upsets my sentimental side. Perhaps it should be maintained and, according to my clever nicknaming scheme, be called “Wildey Prisony.”

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OutintheCity

The thought of even buying a music-related gift makes your loved ones want to throw up on themselves a little. Kevin Richie E28

CHRIS-TERICAL CABARET If Chris Tsujiuchi could have his way, his big, gay Christmas cabaret would be even bigger and gayer.

“The first thing, I would be flown in wearing a giant pair of glitter Victoria’s Secret angel wings. I would be flown in over the audience,” the musical theatre sensation says. “India Arie would make a guest appearance, Jann Arden would make an appearance, Michael Bublé would make an appearance, and Beyoncé. They would basically be my four backup singers.”

Tsujiuchi’s fourth installment of A Very Chris-terical Christmas Cabaret may not see him in a riffing competition with one of Destiny’s children, but the lineup of more than 20 guest performers, featuring the best of the best of local musical-theatre talent, is the Toronto equivalent of a star-studded holiday special. The two-night run, which will fill the cabaret space at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre with Yuletide cheer, belies the show’s humble beginnings, when Tsujiuchi was finishing up

his final year in the Sheridan College musical-theatre program. “The first year was at Bread & Circus, and 11 people came… it’s snowballed.”

There will be plenty to sing along to at the cabaret, though Tsujiuchi’s favourite song to perform may not be a Christmas standard, exactly: “‘Dick in a Box.’ Think about it — it is a Christmas song.”

Christmas at Buddies continues a week after Tsujiuchi’s cabaret with the launch party for Kids on TV’s new album, Pantheon, at the DFMO party, with DJs John Caffery and The Robotic Kid. That same weekend is Sharron and George’s Super Fun Christmas SingA-Long, an evening of carols and cookies that brings together cabaret powerhouse Sharron Matthews and musical star George Masswohl. — Michael Lyons A Very Chris-terical Christmas Cabaret 2013: The 4th Cumming is Sat, Dec 14 & Sun, Dec 15, 8pm. DFMO is Fri, Dec 20, 10:30pm. Sharron & George’s Super Fun Christmas Sing-A-Long is Sat, Dec 21, 8pm.

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Technicolor holiday theatre For those of us who prefer rainbows to reindeer, the Lower Ossington Theatre is producing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Al Green Theatre this December.

And to sweeten the deal, none other than sexy cub Jeffrey Bowers will play the roles of Joseph’s daddy, Jacob, and the flirtatious Egyptian ruler Potiphar, who enslaves Joseph and locks him in a dungeon.

Bowers, who hails from KitchenerWaterloo, moved to Toronto five years ago after studying at the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and doing an intensive musical-theatre vocal course at NYU. Since then he’s been in other Lower Ossington Theatre productions and was a panellist on the hit MTV show 1 Girl 5 Gays.

Despite the allure of television, Bowers maintains that the stage is his home. “Musical theatre is my passion. It’s what I’m trained to do — it’s all I want.”

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who prefers interpreting dreams to the grunt work done by his burly brothers.

One thing leads to another, and after being sold into slavery by his conniving siblings, Joseph manages to climb the social ladder of Egyptian aristocracy using his unique skill set and — spoiler alert! — all is well in the end.

Somehow there’s an Elvis impersonator thrown in there, too.

“At the root of Joseph, it’s about family. It’s very relatable, especially this time of year,” Bowers says. “I think it teaches you to be accepting and forgiving of everyone, something we could all learn from.” — Ryan Kerr

Jeffrey Bowers

20 YEARS OF VENUS When a group of disenchanted goth kids in early-1990s Windsor starts dropping acid, things can go one of two ways. Either they take their darkness to new depths, building even more complex bedroom altars from dead roses and plastic skulls, or they trade in their black wigs for blond, throw up some Deee-Lite posters and start perfecting dance moves that don’t involve staring at the floor. For the founders of House of Venus, the latter was the clear choice.

“We wanted to create cool queer culture at a time when nothing very inspiring was really going on around us,” says House Mother Miss Cotton. “We also loved the idea of a community of creative misfits making a scene. We travelled a lot to New York to get inspiration and wanted to bring that energy to our everyday life in a factory town.”

In the two decades since they burst forth from Detroit North, the everfluctuating collective has worked in drag, fashion, film and television, in addition to producing countless parties and club nights. After a long stint in Vancouver, the group has mostly relocated to Toronto (though one member calls Berlin home). To celebrate their 20th year, they’re partnering with Blood, Sweat & Queers for Venus Envy, an evening of music “from Kylie to Siouxsie,” with a performance by “darkly glamorous” electronic act MAGT. Staying true to their roots, the team promises an evening that blends peace and love with sin and indulgence, which raises the question: what to wear?

“We always subscribe to a DIY mentality because there ain’t no one else who’s going to do it for you,” Cotton laughs. “Dress up like you want to have the time of your life. Go against the grain, be yourself. Celebrate the freak within.” — Chris Dupuis

JEFFREY BOWERS

Joseph was written by composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, expanding on the Coat of Many Colours fable from the Book of Genesis.

In the story, Joseph’s siblings become wildly jealous after their father gives Joseph a fancy jacket. To make matters worse, Joseph is a sensitive lad

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs Thurs, Dec 19–Sun, Jan 5 at the Al Green Theatre, 750 Spadina Ave. algreentheatre.ca

Blood, Sweat & Queers: The Venus Envy Edition is Sat, Dec 21, 10pm at The Steady Café. thesteadycafe.com XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 21

Holiday

SHOPPING GUIDE

Some of our favourite offerings for under the tree TAYLOR PARSONS

2014 Orthodox Calendar Chilly Dog sweaters

Get down on your knees and pray for your sins with this homoerotic wall calendar featuring naughty priests and bible humpers. $22 censored, $41 uncensored. orthodox-calendar.com

These adorable sweaters come in a regal “boyfriend” print, a fun mallard print and a stupid-cute moose print, complete with a hood and wee little antlers. $40–55 North Standard Trading Post, 1662 Queen St W. northstandard.com

ArteStile beauty tools These handcrafted Italian tools, including adorable nail scissors and tweezers, are perfect for last-minute grooming before the family holiday photo. $20–25 artestilebeauty.com

überlube A long-lasting, multipurpose lubricant.

Great for eliminating athletic chafing and protecting your hair from chlorine in the pool. It’s also great for sex, duh. $18 Good for Her, 175 Harbord St. uberlube.com

22 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Cozy X-mas Mornin’ gift packs This holiday bundle includes a wool tote bag, a bathrobe, fuzzy socks, Drake General Store granola and Mast Brothers chocolate. Available for both men and women. $148 Drake General Store, 1144 Queen St W. drakegeneralstore.ca

Faux-fur throw from Lands’ End Treat yourself like royalty with this ultra-plush blanket. Perfect for a log-cabin getaway, it reverses to faux suede and looks glamorous on the sofa or your shoulders. $115 landsend.com

Leg lamp Nightlight The Christmas Story classic is now smaller than ever and can be plugged into your wall. $15. retrofestive.ca

High Road Haven Jennifer Gillmor left Toronto for a northern BC cabin for six months to focus on her music. The result is an album of dramatic, moody instrumentals that’s a perfect soundtrack for cozy winter nights. $10 iTunes

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XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 23

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Behind the Candelabra DVD & Blu-ray The year’s gaudiest film is now available for home viewing. Tony Palmer’s The World of Liberace doc makes a great companion piece. $17 HMV stores. hmv.ca

Fame perfume This holiday season, don’t be a drag — be a queen, with Lady Gaga’s apricotand orchid-scented unisex perfume. $59 The Bay. thebay.com

Blue Is the Warmest Colour The film may have won the Palme d’Or this year at Cannes, but it’s the graphic novel it’s based on that best illustrates this love story between two young French women. $20 Glad Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. gladdaybookshop.com

Fresh Richie man wipes Always stay fresh, no matter where you go.

These fragrance-free wipes are discreet, flushable and fit easily in your wallet. $10 freshrichie.com

Magic Stick iPhone pocket charger Never miss a call or sext again.

This charger fits in your pocket and powers up to two full charges for your smartphone. $35 powerocks.ca

24 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

DeSerres snowman lights Shine bright this holiday season with this festive twist on traditional holiday lights, perfect for dressing up tables, windows, balconies and more. $19.99 deserres.ca

Winter Beard stout Universal Hunks Exploring nearly a century of muscular studs, this book features a wide range of sexy historical photos from around the world.

This delicious double-chocolate cranberry stout from Muskoka Brewery is great with cheesecake, chocolate or friends. It’s also really good when you’re by yourself.

$20 Glad Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. gladdaybookshop.com

$14 LCBO stores. lcbo.com

GIVE GOOD Make your holiday spending more meaningful by donating to any of these great causes The 519 Church Street Community Centre This community centre at the heart of the Church-Wellesley Village offers a broad range of support groups, programs and services to the local neighbourhood and the broader queer community. the519.org

Supporting Our Youth SOY is a community-development project dedicated to improving the lives of queer youth through recreation and mentoring. soytoronto.org

Planned Parenthood Toronto Planned Parenthood is a community-based, pro-choice organization that promotes healthy sexuality and informed decision making through counselling, referrals and education. ppt.on.ca

Toronto People with AIDS Foundation PWA supports Torontonians living with HIV/AIDS through a number of programs and services, offering a safe space for those who need it. pwatoronto.org

Jack Rabbit Ring This silicone cockring has seven vibrating functions. Wear it anytime, but choose your settings wisely.

LGBT Youth Line The Youth Line is a toll-free help line that provides peer-support and resources to assist queer Ontario youth with any questions and concerns they may have. youthline.ca

$45 The Stag Shop, 532 Church St. stagshop.com

Typhoon Haiyan fund

Love to Love You Donna Donna Summer’s greatest hits get remixed by some of today’s greatest producers, including Giorgio Moroder, Afrojack and Hot Chip. $10 HMV stores and iTunes.

The Bitter Truth travel pack Feeling bitter with the winter blues? Cheer up with a drink! Our favourite Queen West drinks accessories store offers this five-pack of cocktail bitters. $42 BYOB, 972 Queen St W. byobto.com

Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda devastated parts of the Philippine provinces of Leyte and Samar, leaving more than 100,000 people in need. The government of Canada has pledged to match donations until Dec 23. redcross.ca

The Toronto Humane Society Betty White is a known animal activist, and now you can be, too. Help with a one-time or monthly donation or choose a service you’d like to fund, such as food or vaccinations. torontohumanesociety.com

Daily Bread Food Bank Daily Bread is a non-profit charity dedicated to ending hunger.

Thousands of Torontonians rely on food banks — help them out by volunteering or donating this season. dailybread.ca

The Rainbow Railroad RR’s mission is to help LGBT people flee state-enabled violence or persecution in their home countries.

It focuses on helping people from Iran and Jamaica but tries to assist anyone in need. rainbowrailroad.ca

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XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 25

HOLIDAY SHOPPING GUIDE

Making Love in a Canoe The most Canadian thing in musical theatre this year is Kyle Golemba and Adam White’s new album, featuring 12 songs from their hit cabaret.

Download for $10 CD for $15 cdbaby.com or iTunes.

Wahl deep-tissue percussion massager Christened the “Deep Space Nine” by CAYA staff, this powerful vibrator, with its four interchangeable heads, is out of this world. $75 Come As You Are, 493 Queen St W. comeasyouare.com

Kuumba incense These bamboo incense sticks are a new world of smell. Available in Obama, Pimp Juice and Muddy Water scents, among many others. $15 Haven, 145 Berkeley St. havenshop.ca

Oxygen facial Madonna gets them, and therefore so should you: pressurized oxygen delivers an immediate shot of hydration to your face. Gift certificates available. $200 Yonge & Beautiful Cosmetic Clinic, 384 Yonge St. victoryskincare.com

Green & Black’s organic chocolate Green & Black’s organic and fair trade chocolates always make great stocking stuffers; new this year are sea salt and burnt toffee flavours. $4 Bulk Barn stores. bulkbarn.ca

2014 Olympic Games Leaf Tee Skyn condoms Made from a natural rubber latex called polyisoprene, these condoms are super thin, durable and soft. $13 Shoppers Drug Mart stores. shoppersdrugmart.ca

26 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

These locally made unisex T-shirts and sweatshirts support gay athletes at the Sochi Winter Olympics. Ten percent of proceeds go to Athlete Ally, a non-profit organization focused on ending homophobia and transphobia in sports. $48 Drake General Store, 1144 Queen St W. drakegeneralstore.ca

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A few of my favourite things Gift shopping for the music fanatic PLAYLISP KEVIN RITCHIE

The worst thing about being a music snob is that no one knows how to shop for you. Your loved ones either assume you have everything or think your taste is so temperamental, specific and expensive that the thought of buying a music-related gift makes them want to throw up on themselves a little. Such a problem is probably symptomatic of larger personality issues, but as this is a gift guide, not a therapy session, best not to dwell on it here. Instead, here are a few suggestions that might inspire wide-eyed wonder in the annoying-to-shop-for music fan in your life.

Christmas decorations Nothing says “I thought extra hard about your gift” more than clicking on the “accessories” button in a pop star’s online merch store and ordering, say, a golden Beyoncé ornament 1 ($20, beyonce.com) or Britney Spears’s “Work Bitch” tree bauble 2 ($20, britneyspears.com).

Bedtime Few strains of pop fandom are as rabid as Morrissey’s melancholic legions or One Direction’s obscenely imaginative Directioners. Soothe their sexual repression with Karen Frostitution, Miss Margot and Kevin Hegge’s silk-screened Moz pillow case 3 ($20/$35 per pair, info@ margot.ca) or One Direction’s Crush 2 sleeved fleece blanket 4 (£15.99, onedirectionstore.com).

Ready to wear To survive in the world of modern pop, singing is not enough. The pop star of today has multi-hyphenate talents and often moonlights as a fashion designer (clothing, after all, is difficult to download illegally). Put some oversized volume under the tree in the form of MIA’s bootleginspired Versus Versace collaboration 5 (€585, versusversace.com) or a cleavage-flattering, studded sweater dress from Nicki Minaj’s Kmart line 6 ($34.99, kmart.com).

28 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

Band shirts Double-sided T-shirts were all the rage at merch tables in 2013. From the Air Canada Centre to Hard Luck Bar, artists were selling the opportunity to express devotion on both sides of the body like never before. This Christmas, visit Hunx and His Punx main man Seth Bogart’s webstore and pick up his conversation-starting Perfume Maniac or Monstersss tees 7 ($29.95/$24.95, wackywacko.bigcartel.com).

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Feminist literature Consumerism needn’t eclipse feminism. Challenge your friends and family’s views on the male-dominated music industry with Let’s Start A Pussy Riot 8 ($29.95, Rough Trade Books), a collection of essays on the impact of the Russian feminist punk group, or Everything But the Girl singer Tracey Thorn’s astute and acerbic memoir, Bedsit Disco Queen 9 ($18.99, Virago).

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Vinyl reissues The holidays are synonymous with beautifully packaged music reissues. Educate your hi-NRGloving friends on the origins of the San Francisco disco sound with School Daze 10 ($24, darkentriesrecords.com), a collection of producer Patrick Cowley’s tripped-out gay-porn soundtrack work.

No Jam and Lewis fan’s holiday would be complete without Purple Snow: Forecasting the Minneapolis Sound 11

($35/$85, numerogroup. com), a compilation and book chronicling the pre-Prince Minneapolis funk and R&B that shaped the sound of mainstream pop in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

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TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

WHAT'S ON FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM

ARTS & LITERATURE Magnificent Obsessions Toronto artist Benjamin Edelberg’s latest exhibit eschews conventional gender identities. Runs until Mon, Dec 16, various times. Videofag, 187 Augusta Ave. PWYC. videofag.com

Gay Men’s Art Project Men of all skill levels drop in to make art and schmooze in an informal environment. Sat, Dec 16, 6–8pm.

The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. gmaptoronto.org

Pride. Passions. Portraits: Male Toronto Artists Photographer Brian Bantugan’s portraits of creative types give a sense of the many exciting endeavours being pursued in

Toronto. Runs until Tues, Dec 31, various times. Urban Gallery, 400 Queen St E. Free. princerama13.wix. com/poeticpixels

COMEDY & CABARET Viva Cabaret Through outrageous drag routines, Yury pays tribute to the most fabulous divas of all time, including Cher, Tina, Liza, Kylie and Gaga.

Sun, Dec 15, 6pm. The Rivoli, 334 Queen St W. $16 advance, $20 door. rivoli.ca

Singular Sensation: A Musical-Theatre Open Mic Jennifer Walls invites amateur crooners to perform their favourite songs accompanied by a live band.

Every Monday, 9:30pm–12:30am.

Statlers, 487 Church St. No cover. statlers.ca

Queer as Fuck: Comedy Open-Mic The creator of Laughs at Slack’s presents a twice-monthly comedy night in the west end.

Features a rotating lineup of queer and queer-friendly comics.

Wed, Dec 18, 9pm–2:30am. The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. PWYC. thesteadycafe.com

Comedy, Cabaret and Coffee Talk Brassy cabaret juggernaut Ryan G Hinds holds court with various local artists and performers. Fri, Dec 20, 9pm. The Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St. $10 advance, $15 door. pubaret.com

HEALTH & ISSUES The 519 Legal Clinic A free, accessible service for lowincome people. Volunteer lawyers provide legal advice, referrals and help with forms and letters. The confidential and private visits are first-come, first-served. Bring any necessary documents. Every Thursday; registration 6–6:30pm.

The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org

Holigays Christmas Spice

In addition to a tree designed by Amy Bowles, this annual art sale features pieces by Keith Cole, Fastwürms, Andrew Harwood, Dennis Day and more. Runs until Sat, Dec 21, various times. Paul Petro Contemporary Art, 980 Queen St W. Free. paulpetro.com

The Legendary Bitch Diva: The Holiday Show Local drag legend Bitch Diva presents a night of comedy and music, singing everything from jazz standards to holiday hits. Fri, Dec 13, 9pm. The Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St. $10 door, $15 advance. pubaret.com

which tells the story of Hanukkah, and “Bogoroditse Dyevo.” Features readings by Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and PFLAG president Irene Miller. Sat, Dec 14, 7:30pm.

Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St E. $25 advance, $30 door. forte-chorus.com

A Very Chris-terical Christmas Cabaret Chris Tsujiuchi offers up two nights of defiled carols, festive sweaters and special guests.

Sat, Dec 14 and Sun, Dec 15, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $15 advance, $20 door. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Gloria: A Holiday Concert

Tits for Tots Burlesque Toy Fundraiser

Forte: The Toronto Men’s Chorus, performs a variety of seasonal numbers, including “Candlelight,”

The babes of Great Canadian Burlesque and the studs of Victory Commonwealth Wrestling dance

and wrestle to benefit children in need. Sun, Dec 15, 8pm. Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St W. $10 toy or $20 cash at the door. greatcanadianburlesque.com

That Choir Carols That Choir’s annual concert rings in the season with songs like “Sure on This Shining Night” and “Ave Maria.” Deborah Hay reads Dylan Thomas’s A Child’s Christmas in Wales. Sun, Dec 15, 8–9:30pm.

Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St E. $5–25. thatchoir.com

John Alcorn: Happy Holidays Songbook Alcorn will not only perform his favourite tunes from Gershwin, Porter, Berlin and Kern, but will serve up a goodly helping of holiday chestnuts. Wed, Dec 18, 7pm. The Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St. $15 advance, $20 door. pubaret.com

International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers Toronto sex workers and their allies hold vigil in memory of those who have lost their lives because of the stigmatization of sex work. Tues, Dec 17, 4:30–5:30pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. maggiestoronto.ca

Positive Routes to Recovery A peer-led support group for gay men working through substance abuse issues. Takes place the first and third Tuesday of each month.

Tues, Dec 17, 6–8pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. pr2r.org

LGBT Peer Support Drop-In Group Queer people with mood disorders drop in for support and discussion. If the building door is locked, press the button under the intercom near the wheelchair entrance. Wed, Dec 18, 7–9pm. Mood Disorders Association of Ontario, 36 Eglinton Ave W, Ste 602. Free. mooddisorders.ca

That Choir Carols — Metropolitan United Church, Sun, Dec 15

the third Tuesday of each month.

Tues, Dec 17, 7–8pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. outandout.ca

Naked Yoga for Men Gregory Saliba hosts a gathering for yoga enthusiasts who prefer to do their downward dogs in the buff. For more info and to register, contact phillip@phillipcoupal.ca. Tues, Dec 17, 8–9:30pm. Awaken Studio,

270 Carlaw Ave, Unit 102. $20. phillipcoupal.ca

Drop-In Sports Night: Badminton Active types make friends and get sweaty. A 30-minute warm-up and skills refresher will be held before the games start. Registration required. Wed, Dec 18, 6:30pm.

Collège Français, 100 Carlton St. $10. getoutcanada.com

Avenue Q

LEISURE & PLEASURE Out and Out Club New Members’ Night

MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

MUSICALS Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of the musical about the redemption of ex-convict Jean Valjean features the stirring songs “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Do You Hear the People Sing?” Runs until Sun, Feb 2, various showtimes.

Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King St W. $35–130. mirvish.com

Trans men share their experiences in a supportive environment. Takes place the first and third Friday of each month. For more information, contact ftmtoronto@yahoo.ca.

Fri, Dec 20, 7:30pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org

The queer social club introduces potential members to its broad range of activities. Sessions are held

In addition to the usual amenities, horny guys enjoy Latin music and decorations in the lounge, seasalt scrubs, a 50/50 draw and a safe-sex workshop. Thurs, Dec 19, 8–11pm. Spa Excess, 105 Carlton St. Regular rates apply. spaexcess.com

Les Misérables

FTM Support Group

Viva Cabaret — The Rivoli, Sun, Dec 15

Latin Night

Pride. Passion. Portraits — Urban Gallery, until Tues, Dec 31 BRIAN BANTUGAN

The musical coming-of-age story starring Rod the closeted puppet features such memorable hits as “If You Were Gay” and “The Internet Is for Porn.” Runs until Sun, Feb 23, various showtimes. Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Ave. $49–59. avenueq.ca

XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 31

CLUBSCENE Thurs, Dec 12

Sat, Dec 14

Ladyplus Party DJ Todd Klinck on decks for an evening of meeting and socializing with T-girls, their friends and admirers. 8pm. Club120, 120 Church St, 2nd floor. $5 before 11pm, $10 after. club120.ca

Bump’n Hustle DJs Paul E Lopes and Mike Tull throw down old school, funk, hip hop, afrobeat and house for the west-end crowd.

Hosted by Carlos Mondesir. 10pm.

Rivoli, 334 Queen St W. $10. rivoli.ca

Random Play DJs Dwayne Minard and guest spin all ’70s and ’80s disco, yacht rock, new wave and more. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com

Trade DJs David Picard and Scooter spin deep tech house for the frisky lads and bearded bad boys.

10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. $5. blackeagletoronto.com, facebook.com/getsometrade

Fri, Dec 13 The Dirty Hustle DJs Blackcat and L Rock spin hip-hop dance beats for the west-end crowd. 9:30pm –2:30am. The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. No cover. thesteadycafe.com That Time of the Month DJs Alex and Devon spin soul and R&B for the women in the house. 10pm.

Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Pop Friday DJ Sumation spins top 40 and dance faves on the main floor. Live streaming on outtv.ca.

10pm. Fly, 8 Gloucester St. No cover before midnight, $4 after. flynightclub.com Her: Wint-Her-Solstice Edition DJs Kris Steeves, Kevin Ritchie and omgblog.com spin bright house and disco for dark days. 10:30pm.

La Perla, 783 Queen St W. $5. herherher.com

Hard Candy XXX-Mas DJ Marco DaVinci throws down top 40, house and Christmas remixes for the holiday party and food drive.

10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5, no cover with non-perishable food item. waylabar.com Swag’s First Anniversary Scarlett Bobo and a room full of alternative queers celebrate one year of wild west-end partying. 10pm–2:30am.

The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. $5. thesteadycafe.com Pitbull: Unwrapped DJs Mark Falco and Dwayne Minard are on decks at this Xmas-themed party for men who like opening big packages.

Cub Camp: Business Casual Sex DJs Scooter and Aeryn Pfaff are all business on the turntables for the hairy boys in suits. 11pm–2:30am.

The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $7. beavertoronto.ca, facebook.com/ cubcamp Cruiseline’s Best Men’s Ass Contest Georgie Girl and Bunni Lapin perform, then get the boys to show their behinds for $300 in cash prizes.

DJ Mark Falco on decks.

Midnight. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

$17 NIGHT

BIG JUGS 465-467 CHURCH ST. 416-972-0887 32 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

Gaga 4 Gaga: Artpop Release Edition DJ Doctor Baggie hosts a Gaga-focused party, with all her music videos onscreen and a performance by Ivory Towers.

10pm. The Marquis of Granby, 418 Church St. $7. gaga4gaga.ca Bush Beat DJs Shoegayz and Pony spin for the west-end ladies’ cruising party. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com

Pop Machine: Balls of Holly DJs Shane Percy and Aural spin top 40 tunes all night. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $ 5 before 11pm, $10 after. waylabar.com

Bad Tuck: Pro-Choice Christ This year, Judy Virago and Igby Lizzard will let Mary choose her own adventure.

Stephen Schramm and Regina the Gentlelady spin, with performances

by Dolly Berlin and Morgan M Page.

10:30. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5. beavertoronto.com

Blood, Sweat & Queers: Venus Envy DJs Michael Venus and Betti Forde kick off the 20-anniversary celebration of The House of Venus, with a performance by MAGT at 11pm. 10pm–2am. The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. $5. thesteadycafe.com

Sun, Dec 15 Just Like the Old Days 4.0 Dekoze and Comfort Zone present an after-hours dance marathon of house classics, with DJs Addy, George William, Paranoid Jack and El Duran. 3am–noon. Comfort Zone, 486 Spadina Ave. $20. comfortzonetoronto.com Stacked Sunday Local DJs spin house, tech and circuit beats for a true after-hours musical event.

Alcohol served after 11am. 4am– 2pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $15. club120.ca Crews & Tangos Sunday Drag

By Request, with Michelle Ross and Carlotta Carlisle, at 6:30pm; Sexy Sunday, with Devine Darlin and guest, at 9pm; Sultry Sunday, with Farra N Hyte and Lady G or Jada Hudson, at 11pm.

Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

Things Are Going to Get Brighter A celebration of the longest night of the year, with surprise DJs and guests. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Yes Yes Y’all: Saturday Stepout The December edition of the hip hop and dancehall jam features the Yes Yes Y’all crew and a special performance from Toronto MC Happy Tona. 10pm. The Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. $6. theannexwreckroom.com

WAYLA ’90s Trivia Night Kaleb Robertson and Miss Fluffy Soufflé test the audience’s ’90s knowledge.

Topics include television, music and dance moves. 7pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com

The Smirnoff Best Chest Contest Brooke Lynn Hytes and Devine Darlin bring the boys to their yard and make them take off their shirts, with $300 in cash prizes and DJ Mark Falco on decks. Midnight.

Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

Tues, Dec 17

Fri, Dec 20

Crews & Tangos Tuesday TICOT Toonie Tuesday, at 9pm; DJ Quinces spins in Tangos at 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

Barbershop DJs Michael K and Bambibot are on decks for a new monthly jam for dudes who like dudes. 10pm.

Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. $5. henhousetoronto.com

Mon, Dec 16

Karaoke with Foofer Thousands of songs available. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St W. No cover. waylabar.com Varsity Tuesday Sofonda Cox hosts the amateur So You Think You Can Strip? competition, with $100 in cash prizes. 11pm. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $5; no cover with student ID before 11pm, $2 after. remingtons.com

Dodgeball League’s Holiday Social The Gay Ball Society gets into the spirit of the season. 8pm.

Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

INKED KENNY

$14 DAY

DFMO — Buddies, Fri, Dec 20 LAUREN HORTIE

Wed, Dec 18

Trade — Black Eagle, Sat, Dec 14

NO COVER!

10pm–5am. Fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 advance, $15 door. flynightclub.com, pitbullevents.com

Punk Rock Bingo Daddy-O and Jenna Syde host a holiday-themed fundraising soirée for bingo freaks, 9–11pm; DJ Triple X hits the decks for post-dauber tunes, 11pm–2:30am. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. No cover, $2 to play. beavertoronto.com Toronto Drag Kings Tyler Uptight, Cameron, Kenny and Chase Manning perform in the weekly drag-king show. Every Wednesday. 11pm–2am. Zipperz/ Cellblock, 72 Carlton St. No cover. facebook.com/zipperz

Thurs, Dec 19 Retro Night Dancers and bar staff gear up in retro threads, while patrons in ’70s, ’80s and ’90s style have a chance to win prizes.

5pm–2am. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. remingtons.com

Le Kif Kif: Kittens and Cougars DJ Sticky Cuts spins top 40, house and hip hop, plus tunes from the ’60s to the ’90s. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5. waylabar.com (ALT)Night DJs Dislexia and Betti Forde on decks for the grooving west enders. 10pm. The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. No cover. thesteadycafe.com Gitch Underwear Party: Holiday Edition DJs Jay & J spin for the scantily clad men and women, with a midnight underwear contest hosted by Mandy Goodhandy and spontaneous sexy-boy pole shows.

10pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $5 before 11pm, $10 after; students and seniors no cover before 11pm, $5 after. club120.ca DFMO The Kids on TV albumrelease edition of the monthly dancefloor-makeout party, with DJs John Caffery and The Robotic Kid spinning disco and house. 10:30.

Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $5. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Sat, Dec 21 Cherry Bomb DJs Denise Benson, Cozmic Cat and guest Nix spin hip hop and R&B for queer women and their friends. 9pm–3am.

Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. No cover before 10pm, $7 after. facebook.com/cherrybombtoronto Fly Saturday DJs Sumation and Kevin Bailey spin house and tech beats. 10pm. Fly, 8 Gloucester St. No cover before midnight. flynightclub.com

Fit: XXXmas edition DJs Kris Steeves and Phil V hang their stockings with care and spin house hits for hot boys. Be sure to say hi to Kinnon, the hunky new door guy.

10:30pm. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5. beavertoronto.com

Sun, Dec 22 Woody’s Star-Studded Christmas Show Hollywoody Broadway Show, with Miss Conception, at 6pm; Old School, with Georgie Girl, Michelle Ross and Brooke Lynn Hytes, at 9pm; Six Smokin’ Hot Divas, with Georgie Girl, Devine Darlin, Tynomi Banks, Teran Blake, Carlotta Carlisle, Scarlett Bobo and DJ Blue Peter, at 11pm.

Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

Mon, Dec 23 Singular Sensation: A MusicalTheatre Open Mic Amateur crooners perform their favourite show tunes with a live band every Monday. Hosted by Jennifer Walls.

10pm–1am. Statlers, 487 Church St. No cover.

Tues, Dec 24 Rock & Retro DJ Chris Steinbach spins, with Lee on the Bad Boy Prize Wheel. 8pm. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

Wed, Dec 25 Christmas Woody DJ Mark Falco throws down festive beats at the glittery gay local. 8pm. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com Remington’s Christmas Stripping hotties get naughty for the nice men. 9pm. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $5. remingtons.com

For more club listings, go to dailyxtra.com.

Submit your event listing to listings@dailyxtra.com.

Deadline for the Dec 26 issue is Mon, Dec 16.

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

Christmas Fetish Night Saturday, December 21, 2013. 9 p.m. - 5 a.m., $10 before 12, $15 after.

375 Yonge Street (UPSTAIRS), Toronto www.yongecinemas.com

TORONTO’S LOCAL

Giving you the prompt personal service & attention you deserve

COLIN LY LE L AW Real Estate, Family Law, Wills & Estates

Colin Lyle offers legal advice & services to families & individuals who need help with real estate (purchase & sale of condos and homes), wills & estates, divorce & separation and other legal services.

15 years experience

416.757.4229

Evening or weekend appointments available

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69 Elm St. Suite #301 clyle@lalaw.ca www.lalaw.ca

XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 33

DEEP DISH ROLYN CHAMBERS PHOTOS BY TONY FONG

Bloor Street Entertains

LGBT Giving Network gala

WED, NOV 27 @ THE ROM

WED, NOV 20 @ INTEGRAL HOUSE

’Tis the season for giving. And taking. Take a little new, blend it with a little tried and true, and the result is mighty fine. For the last two years, CANFAR’s annual Bloor Street Entertains fundraising gala has reversed the long-standing order of events by throwing a cocktail party first, followed by dinner at several upscale Bloor-Yorkville businesses. This year, as well as a pre-schmooze, the afterparty is returned to its rightful place.

Cheers. The pre-dinner event at the ROM, hosted by Miss Conception, puts us in an upbeat mood.

After, guests depart in the chilly air to join their dinner companions at various restaurants and storefronts, which have donated their space and staff to the event.

Xtra employees (and others) dine at Rimowa, an intimate upscale luggage boutique just off Bloor (Gwyneth Paltrow and Julianne Moore are fans). Surrounded by metallic suitcases and attaché cases, we congregate around two big tables to partake of a delicious five-course meal. As each course is consumed and too much wine is inhaled, the conversation turns tacky. My mother would have been appalled. Interrupting the lurid tales of conquests of yore, a CANFAR member addresses us about the need for further AIDS research. “We are now faced with elderly people living with HIV and needing nursing-home care,” she says. Pay attention! After dessert, we head back to the ROM. It is here that I choose to double up on gin. It is here that I choose to ogle some well-dressed couples.

It is here, among one or two confidants, that I choose to make rude, sexual comments. There is a time and place for everything. Around CANFAR’s $1,000-a-plate dinner table is not one of them. Pause.

Respect the cause.

’Tis the season for giving. And recognizing. Recognizing those who give is important to the LGBT Giving Network. Formed in the summer of 2006, the organization’s goal of “improving the engagement between non-profit agencies, donors and businesses interested in LGBT issues and communities” has brought together banks with AIDS organizations, multinational corporations with local queer festivals, and philanthropists with LGBT projects.

Tonight they host a thank-you reception at Integral House, the Rosedale compound of multimillionaire calculus-textbook guru James Stewart. My longtime crush, Olympic medallist Mark Tewksbury, is one of the hosts. I bump into him downstairs, as I tour the five-storey post-modern mansion. “Can you show me your gold-medal-winning breast stroke?” I plead, pointing to the lap pool. But it’s not all fun and Olympic games, as Mark takes to the microphone, after OCAD president Sara Diamond, IBM executive Connie Bonello and others, remembering when he first came out. “I said to my coach, ‘I have something I need to tell you.’ She said, ‘I think I know, but I need you to say it.’ It seems everyone knew except me.” A laugh resonates through the attentive room of more than 250 guests, including Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam and the notorious Gerald Hannon. “But then I look at what is happening in Sochi. We have gone three steps forward and four steps back,” Tewksbury says. We need to remember that there are many around the world who do not enjoy our rights. Only when we are all equal, globally, can we truly give thanks. Realize.

You best recognize.

1E Erica & Derrick 2E Joel & JP 3E Hostesses with the mostess 4E Marcelo, Michael & Mathieu 5E Peter, Paul & Gianni

2

3

4

7

5

8

6

9

6E Kristyn Wong-Tam & James 7E Connie Bonello 8E Gerald Hannon & a buddy 9E Jay & Mark 10E Barbara Shears & The Sure Things 11E Michael, Ray & Travis

Deep Dish appears in every other issue of Xtra. For this week’s Xposed column, by Anna Pournikova, visit dailyxtra.com.

34 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

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11 TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

E indexdirectory.ca

Pharmacies Pace Pharmacy and Compounding Experts 416-515-7223 The Village Pharmacy 416-967-9221

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A world of gay adventure

Travel

Cancun & the Mayan Riviera A paradise of white-sand beaches and turquoise waters TROY PETENBRINK

For many people, mentioning Cancun evokes MTV’s spring-break specials, with hordes of drunken college kids partying as if the world were going to end. While Cancun remains a popular destination for spring breakers, its appeal has broadened as visitors have discovered it offers much more than just wet T-shirt contests and creative drinking games.

Part of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, on the eastern part of the Yucatan Peninsula, Cancun is also the northern anchor of a 130-kilometre stretch of breathtaking coastline known as the Mayan Riviera. The name comes from the Mayan empire, which once occupied Cancun and the surrounding area. It thrived for thousands of years until Spanish colonization in the 15th century, after which the region entered a period of turmoil and decline.

The rebirth of Cancun began in the 1970s, when the area was mostly overgrown jungle and barren sand dunes.

Government tourism officials had visions of transforming the region, with its beautiful white-sand beaches and turquoise waters, into a tourism mecca.

Millions of dollars were invested, and now, following extensive development, the region is responsible for approximately a third of Mexico’s total tourism income.

36 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

The desire for tourism, coupled with a strong focus on hospitality, makes the region a welcoming destination for everyone — there is widespread tolerance and acceptance of LGBT people in Cancun and throughout the Mayan Riviera. Bolstering the region’s stance as an LGBT-friendly destination is a federal law that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in 2003, with Quintana Roo also becoming the second state in Mexico to officially recognize same-sex marriages, in May 2012. Security isn’t an issue, as, unlike many parts of Mexico that have struggled with violence and high crime rates, primarily linked to drug cartels, Cancun and the Mayan Riviera have remained some of the safest parts of the country.

The two most difficult decisions to make on any trip to Quintana Roo — beyond which bathing suits to pack — are choosing where to stay and what to do.

As Cancun was the first location to be transformed under the government’s tourism plan, it’s the most developed city in the region and has the largest concentration of hotels. Its many grand, high-rise hotels are concentrated in the Hotel Zone, a 27-kilometre strip of land bordered by the Caribbean Sea on the east and the Nichupte Lagoon on the west. Almost all the hotels provide direct beach access, and five-star ratings abound, including such luxury proper-

JASON DECAIRES TAYLOR

Above, Cancun Underwater Museum features a series of sculptures

by Jason deCaires Taylor, off the coast of Cancun and Isla Mujeres.

Right, shade umbrellas on the beach in Cancun.

ties as the Ritz-Carlton Cancun and the JW Marriott Cancun Spa and Resort.

There are still some budget properties to be found in the Hotel Zone, but they’re in the minority, with most located in downtown Cancun, far from the beach.

Located at the southern end of the Mayan Riviera, Playa del Carmen has become almost as popular as Cancun in recent years. There has, however, been an ongoing effort to prevent overdevelopment. Also, unlike Cancun, where visitors rarely stray from the Ho-

tel Zone, Playa’s tourists can be found staying in charming boutique properties in its downtown area, as well as in the larger resort properties on the outskirts of the city.

If you seek calm, secluded accommodations, Isla Mujeres — the Island of Women — is located just eight miles from Cancun, across the Bay of Women.

Eight kilometres long and just under a kilometre wide, the island’s accommodations range from small resorts, such as Isla Mujeres Palace, to charming TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

BRUNO GIRIN

SAFA IN LA

Above, an aerial view of Cancun.

Top right, ruins at Tulum, on the Mayan Riviera. Right, traditional Mexican souvenirs.

MANFRED WINSLOW

ANDREW HITCHCOCK

MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

inns, like the gay-owned Casa Sirena.

There is regular ferry service to Cancun that allows for daytime excursions, but service stops at midnight, so it’s not ideal for late-night revellers — in keeping with the quiet, relaxing nature of the island.

Tulum, located south of Playa, is home to a few large resorts, but its properties are typically small, hip, eco-friendly hotels that operate using alternative-energy sources. Similarly, Puerto Morelos, located between Playa and Cancun, provides a more laid-back scene and intimate properties. Regardless of where you stay in Cancun or the Mayan Riviera, it’s easy to explore and take advantage of the entire region’s diverse offerings.

With the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and the Mesoamerican Reef, the Mayan Riviera boasts some of the best snorkelling in the world across the entire Quintana Roo shoreline. The waters around Isla Mujeres and the island of Cozumel near Playa are also a haven for scuba divers.

Garrafon, Xplor, Xcaret and Xel-Ha are large ecological parks that offer activities such as zip lining, rafting and tours of underground rivers. Most of the eco parks and some tour operators also specialize in dolphin-swimming programs.

One of the main reasons to visit the Mayan Riviera, though, is for the Mayans themselves. Stunning ruins of the ancient Mayan cities that once dominated the region make for magical tours.

Chichen Itza, a World Heritage Site and one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World,” is located about two hours west of Cancun. Coba, another large, ancient Mayan city, is located about two hours west of Playa. For extra drama, the ruins of ancient Tulum sit on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea. With its spring-break roots, it should come as no surprise that Cancun also offers world-class nightlife. Large clubs like CoCo Bongo, Dady’O and Señor Frog’s bring people of all backgrounds together for outstanding music and light shows. Although not as large as those

in Cancun, the nightlife spots in Playa, such as the lounge in Hotel Deseo and Tequila Barrel, can be a great night out.

Cancun and Playa also have clubs that cater to LGBT guests. In Cancun, the gay clubs are Karamba, Sexy’s and 11:11, located within walking distance of each other along Tulum Avenue in downtown.

The main gay club in Playa is the beachside Playa 69. It is important to keep in mind that gay clubs typically draw their crowds on the weekends, after midnight.

Whatever your reason for visiting Cancun or one of the many places along the beautiful Mayan Riviera, you can be sure of a memorable vacation. Whether for historic sightseeing, beachside relaxation, world-class snorkelling or even spring-break debauchery, the state of Quintana Roo beckons.

On the web Cancun Visitors & Convention Bureau cancun.travel Tulum tulum.com XTRA! DEC 12–25, 2013 37

A world of gay adventure

Travel

Puerto Vallarta Enjoy beaches and gay nightlife, but beware of the chupacabra STEVEN BEREZNAI

“The guys who checked in today both came single last year,” says Logan Miller, chief concierge at the gay boutique hotel Casa Cupula in Puerto Vallarta. “They met at one of our cocktail parties, and long story short, they’re back this year celebrating their one-year anniversary with sailing tours, champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.”

True love is alive and well in Mexico’s de facto gay capital, but Puerto Vallarta’s not just for husband hunting (though I have it on good authority that one can easily make new friends while bobbing in the waves at the gay beach just four blocks from Casa Cupula. It’s a $3 cab ride, though most people prefer to “walk off” their meals).

Like everyone I’ve spoken to who’s made “Puerto Gayarta” home, Miller raves about PV. “This is a year-round, full-service beach. You don’t have to sneak around with a cooler, and there’s no other tropical gay beach destination in North America.”

While Miller’s sassy enthusiasm makes him the Laverne of Casa Cupula (he’s the one who named their diet margarita The Skinny Bitch), the hotel’s owner, Donald Pickens, is the pragmatic Shirley. He opened the hotel as a five-room guesthouse in 2002. Over the years he’s added three more buildings, for a total of 21 rooms.

Pickens came to PV from the US to “chill” after the company he was working for “put me out to pasture . . . after the tech market crashed. I decided to buy and renovate.”

He’s become passionately enmeshed in the community and the country.

He points out that gains in gay rights in Mexico, such as the legalization of same-sex marriage and adoption in Mexico City, are built on constitutional reforms instituted back in 1917, following the Mexican Revolution.

“Mexico was so Catholic, and the church was so powerful [and often corrupt],” he says, “they separated church and state.” The reforms include 38 DEC 12–25, 2013 XTRA!

his Gay Vallarta Bar-Hopping Tour. He originally came to PV for two weeks, fell in love with the city and “told my mom send me all my clothes. That was seven and a half years ago.” Dinner, drinks and shots are all included for $75–125 (depends on the night, the itinerary and the number/types of drinks/shots in the program). The tour starts with dinner at a restaurant so people can get to know each other (“I see those people hanging out with each other for the rest of their trip,” Serrano says), and on a typical night this is followed by three bars, one stripper bar and two nightclubs.

“There’s never a cover charge; you never wait in line, and it can normally be an hour wait in high season” to get into a club. On some occasions, Serrano will also have special hosts, like a stripper at each location or a pornstar or drag sensation, possibly Canadian treasure Miss Conception, who’s known to spend her winters in PV. My favourite stops include the funky Reinas bar, with its kitschy makeup station and walls adorned with wigs, funky sunglasses and lady hats where you can “completely drag out.”

My number-two choice is strip bar Wet, where two of Serrano’s “very cute” clients once got into the shower stall and put on a naked show of their own.

Where to escape

The Gay Vallarta Bar-Hopping tours, which start with dinner at a restaurant, feature strippers and drag queens.

PUERTO VALLARTA TOURISM BOARD

anti-clerical articles and a prohibition against creating a list of banned books.

That provided the legal foundation for today’s gains, but socially, Puerto Vallarta’s uniquely gay identity heralds back to a Tinsel Town scandal.

“Puerto Vallarta got on the American map in the 1960s when Elizabeth Taylor came with Richard Burton [when he was filming Night of the Iguana], and they brought the Hollywood magic with them,” Pickens explains. They’d already caught the world’s imagination, starting an affair on the set of Cleopatra, both of them married — and not to each other. They later bought a villa in PV and would bring their entourages to the city. Taylor, especially, was “friends with a number of gay people in Hollywood — Montgomery Cliff, Rock Hudson.”

And so PV got a huge boost as a tourist and gay destination.

“Puerto Vallarta used to be called the San Fran of Mexico, because if you were gay in Mexico you could come here to be out . . . Now the city’s coming out with a marketing campaign that’s beyond gay-friendly,” Pickens says.

The city celebrated its first Pride and a new Flower Festival in May of 2013, both efforts to extend the tourist season beyond its November–April window.

I confess that when I first arrived in the city in early May, I found myself wondering about the timing of the trip.

After all, the weather in Toronto was finally warming up, so was this really the time for a tropical destination? As I collapsed into bed at midnight, having just arrived at the CasaMagna Marriott from the airport, I found my ears teased by a strange sound. I popped out of bed with a huge grin. It was the ocean. I rushed to the balcony, threw open the curtains and stared out at the waves, listening to them crash over the sand.

Any doubts I had about the timing of my trip evaporated. This was way better than Canada in May.

Where to stay For those looking for a boutique experience with a gay flair, Casa Cupula is the obvious choice. “Every room is different,” Pickens says. “It was a pain in the ass, but it was worth it. It looks beautiful.” Where some places distinguish between ocean or non-ocean rooms, Cupula’s guests can get fussy over whether they are in the “the Orange Room or the Black and White Room . . . Here, there’s a lot more detail.”

That includes adapting to the gay clock.

“Everyone likes to go out late at night.

We don’t have an early end to breakfast.

Technically, it’s at 11:30am, but if you roll out of bed at noon and want eggs, we’ll make you eggs.” If you’re looking for a resort experience and don’t mind being a taxi ride out of town (and from the gay bars), the CasaMagna Marriott provides a lovely stay right on the beach, with a great buffet breakfast, helpful staff, huge pool with swim-up bar and a turtle sanctuary.

Where to eat To get a lay of the gustatory land, I recommend taking advantage of Vallarta Food Tours. With eight different stops, you will get an authentic PV experience, from Mole Rosa (mole is an Aztec word that means to grind and mix), to the best taco stands in the city. (Hint: if a taco stand offers more than two types of meat, move on. The best ones have only one or two options, they cook it fresh, and when it runs out, they shut down for the day. Recipes are often handed down from generation to generation.)

Where to drink A full belly needs a wet palate, and nobody knows Puerto Vallarta’s hopping gay bar scene like Christian Serrano and

If you want to get away from the beach (but not the booze), take a drive into the mountains to enjoy the Vallarta Botanical Gardens. A haven for indigenous orchids (they have dozens of species), this former cattle ranch was converted seven years ago into a botanical retreat.

You can stick to the gardens or follow the old cow trails into the forests of the surrounding conservation area, down into a valley with a river full of swimming holes. (“No crocodiles,” I’m assured.) Bring a swimsuit and towel.

There are five trails, each taking 40 to 80 minutes to traverse. Stay for a delicious meal, and for a margarita with an extra kick, order a chupacabra, which is made with tequila and raicilla. What’s raicilla? My guide laughs: “It’s basically moonshine” and is local to PV, so you won’t find it in other parts of Mexico.

The chupacabra is delicious and has me tipsy after only a few sips.

For web links to places of interest, read this story online at dailyxtratravel.com. For the most up-to-date travel information on gay Puerto Vallarta, see our city, listings, events and activities guides at dailyxtratravel.com.

On the web More on gay Puerto Vallarta visitpuertovallarta.com/services/gay-pv Bar-hopping gayvallartabarhopping.com Food tours vallartafoodtours.com

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

French Philly Viewing the city of Philadelphia through a Parisian art filter PHIL VILLENEUVE

One of the best things about Philadelphia is that it’s a city that can be approached from many different angles.

Whether it be a gay party weekend, a historical discovery week or the ultimate art tour, Philly has a lot to offer.

Though all approaches are entertaining in their own way, we highly recommend the latter, since the city’s art scene, with its solid base of museums, galleries and citywide art projects, is thriving.

Whether it’s because of its proximity to New York ( just one hour and 11 minutes on the Amtrac train), the cheap rents or the Percent for Art program (which they take very seriously), Philly’s art world is bursting at the seams — literally. The city is home to one of the largest collections of outdoor art in North America, and its core is known as the Museum without Walls.

It’s hard to know where to begin, there’s so much going on. Start by visiting a variety of artsy venues, including the Fabric Workshop and Museum, a super-cool contemporary factory building filled with textiles you never imagined possible; the Mummers Museum (its New Year’s Day Mummers parade and party is the oldest in the US); the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which features a Kaws exhibit until August 2014; and the creepy Mütter Museum, which puts medical history and all its mishaps on display.

At this point you might want to narrow your focus; we recommend giving a French twist to the rest of your séjour.

Start by booking a room at the luxurious Sofitel. Located in the heart of the French Quarter, it’s close to everything, and its cuisine and décor have an authentic Parisian vibe.

Once you’ve relaxed with some champagne in the lounge, head to Zinc for dinner. This French bistro is named for the stunning zinc bar that was imported from France and takes centre stage in the adorable resto. It’s easy to loose oneself in the ambiance (and the escargot shells) when dining here.

The next day, go directly to the Museum of Modern Art. (Be sure to walk; Philly’s parks, fountains, outdoor art, murals and gardens make a stroll to the museum an adventure in itself.)

You can’t miss the palatial building, as the front steps were once climbed by MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM

MY

Montreal

COLONIAL BATHS From favourite events to hidden gems off the beaten path, My Montreal gets the inside scoop from locals on what not to miss when visiting the city. In this installment, we asked author and activist Ryan Conrad to name a favourite city haunt.

“Bain Colonial [3963 Ave Coloniale] is one of Montreal’s oldest saunas and sits on a quiet residential corner in Plateau

Top, the Fernand Léger exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Above, a Jerry Seinfeld textile created at the Fabric Workshop and Museum. Above right, a wall of strategically placed clutter in the Barnes collection. PHIL VILLENEUVE

Rocky in his big movie debut, which you might have seen.

If you get to the city before Jan 5, do not miss the interdisciplinary Léger: Modern Art and the Metropolis exhibit, which looks at the period in the 1920s when this French modernist, creator of the modern-day poster, used painting, film and music to engage with his home city of Paris.

From here skip over to the Rodin Museum. To enter, one must walk past The

Mont-Royal. Being outside the gaybourhood means the clientele is a mixed crowd (Jews, Russians, gays), so the social scene is fascinating to watch. The steam is super hot and the rooftop terrace, delightfully cool. Tuesday nights bring in a flirtatious crowd of students every week — not to be missed!”

Check out other recommendations in the My Montreal series on dailyxtratravel.com.

Thinker, then head through the Gates of Hell. So dark. So stunning. So French!

Take a break at Joe Coffee, just off Rittenhouse Square, for one of the best coffees in the city.

Next, head to the famous Barnes collection. Relocated from the original Albert Barnes house (he was a collector who wanted to make art accessible to everyone), this museum is gorgeous, and it houses 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and 59 Matisses.

If you haven’t overdosed on French impressionist, post-impressionist and early-modern art and can handle just a little more French, finish off the day with dinner at Parc Brasserie. Its charming location on the corner of Rittenhouse Square is the perfect place to people watch and warm up with some French onion soup. I recommend the trout amandine with a side of frites.

A couple bottles of wine won’t hurt either.

Philadelphia is constantly reinventing itself. I’ll definitely be heading back in April to see the Museum of Art’s Patrick Kelly retrospective, Runway of Love — Philly through the eyes of high fashion. Sounds fun to me!

The Fernand Léger exhibit runs until Sun, Jan 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.

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