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Ann-Marie MacDonald’s latest novel hits close to home E 20
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Upfront Crime updates Major developments in two murder trials E9 ProudPolitics in office Organization offers training and resources for LGBT leaders E11 History Boys The bloody nun By Jeremy Willard E14
ondailyxtra.com E proudTOvote gets queers out to the polls E Author profiles on Vivek Shraya and Kaleigh Trace
Out in the City Arts roundup Dude for a day, inkedKenny’s kinky men and Buddies in Bad Times new artist in residence, Ryan G Hinds E17 Cover story Nobody’s memoir Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco writes about three decades of wild living with HIV E18 My first gay writing retreat One writer’s hilarious journey through a gay authors camp and winding hills of Mulholland Drive E22 Sharp in the Dark First installment of Hope Thompson’s new lesbian mystery series E23 Poetry in science Poet Julie Joosten melds botany with words in her latest collection E24 Club Scene E28
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Comment
One trans character on a TV show is no replacement for dozens of fascinating memoirs, like those of Janet Mock or Kate Bornstein. “Publishing is not dead,” Jared Bland, Globe and Mail books editor, told Canadian Business magazine last year, “but maybe it’s dead as an extreme growth industry. You have to accept moderate success.” That scares corporate giants like Penguin Random House, but it’s a state where most queer authors and their publishers have always existed. We thrive in the margins. Xtra recently profiled Vancouver’s Arsenal Pulp Press, a successful small publisher whose commitment to queer authors has been excellent, launching new work from Vivek Shraya and Shawn Syms this month alone. Indie publishers like Insomniac Press and Cormorant Books provide a home to queer Canadian authors like Anthony Bidulka and
Scott Dagostino is the manager of Glad Day Bookshop in Toronto.
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.
6 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
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TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
Filmmaker Pat Mills goes back to school in his TIFF debut E14
GOLDEN GAY GAMES E7
TIFF GAY GUIDE E16
GOING DOWN UNDER E24–26
JOHN TORONTO, ON
Ford and LGBT issues debate That is sad. It doesn’t conflict — he does this on purpose [“Next Ford Fest Conflicts With LGBT Issues Debate,” dailyxtra.com, Sept. 9]. Ford has said many times he will only attend important debates. I guess the LGBT isn’t important, at least to Ford. BRUCE TEEL FACEBOOK
Please don’t tell me that any of you are surprised by his lack of response. He’s proven repeatedly that the LGBTQ community means nothing to him. We should be concentrating less on debates and more on a campaign to get the community out there and voting for anyone but him. It wouldn’t be the first time in Toronto’s history that the LGBTQ vote has turned the tide for a mayoral race. MICHAEL LAMORE FACEBOOK
Norm Kelly Norm Kelly is a life-long liberal [“Looking Back with Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly,” dailyxtra. com, Sept. 11]. In 2014 it is not a big deal for a Liberal Party politician to be a “gay ally”— even an old fossil like Norm! Why is
with strong human interest about relationship struggles and personal growth? ELLEN FACEBOOK
BAD APPLE @dailyxtra
Pat seems to be a prime example of the self-esteem issues that plague gay men from an early age and I’m so happy to read that he’s overcome it — at least to the degree he admits to in this interview [“High School Confidential,” Xtra #778, Sept. 4]. And why shouldn’t he? He’s (obviously) creative, articulate, gentle-natured and gorgeous. The LGBTQ youth growing up in Canada now may not have it perfect, but here’s hoping they have a greater head start in life with regards to self-esteem and confidence to pursue their dreams. Previous generations of queer youth really got beat down from societal norms when men and women like Pat — and there are many — could grow up feeling awful about themselves.
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Was the 1990s a golden age of queer books? Corporate America discovered that gay men and lesbians were coming out in great numbers, and authors like Kathy Acker and Dennis Cooper got mainstream attention and book deals. In March of 1995, Olympic diver Greg Louganis scored the first queer number-one New York Times bestseller in decades with Breaking the Surface. But the rise of the internet and the zeal to put all content online for free has seen the decline of traditional bookselling in the last 15 years. Many publishers have gone bankrupt, and even a behemoth like Chapters-Indigo is struggling. People assume it’s simply a technological shift, but e-books have plateaued at a mere 15 percent of the Canadian book market, while we all struggle through a dismal economy. “Who has time to read anymore?” I’ve been asked by more than one person juggling two or more jobs. This should alarm anyone, not just booksellers.
Zoe Whittall. For queer authors and readers, smaller is bigger. And what about Amazon? As the manager of a beautiful little bookshop, I’m obviously biased against a monopolistic business model based on bullying publishers, avoiding taxes and creating abusive conditions for their workers. In 10 years’ time, there may be no retail other than Amazon, iTunes and Walmart. This is troubling all around: according to Forbes magazine, traditional retail (which makes up about 20 percent of Canadian workers) employs 47 people for every $10 million it makes, while Amazon employs a mere 14 people. In April 2009, all the gay and lesbian books on Amazon’s US site were suddenly removed from sale, retagged as “adult.” There was an uproar, with Amazon blaming a “glitch,” but for a couple of days, queer authors lost 65 percent of their market, instantly. Too big to fail? Given all that, it’s hard to trust Amazon as they now set out to dominate the publishing, as well as selling, of books. Their CreateSpace program prints books by first-time authors, while they begin to poach authors like Christopher Rice away from the majors. Some are thrilled by this, others horrified. Many indie bookshops refuse to stock them because while Amazon demands a 53 percent discount to sell Penguin Random House books, they offer indie bookshops only a 20 percent discount on their own. When you’re essentially a monopoly, why play fair? Whatever happens to the book trade in the next decade, the need for it cannot be replaced by other media. One trans character on a TV show is no replacement for dozens of fascinating memoirs, like those of Janet Mock or Kate Bornstein. Can the HBO series Looking ever fascinate like Larry Kramer’s Faggots? Cate Blanchett is set to star in the lesbian noir thriller The Price of Salt, based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel from the 1950s. TV and movies are still playing catch-up to books. There may never be any Hollywood movie that captures the gay male experience as beautifully as Dancer from the Dance, any queer TV series more funny and engaging than Tales of the City, any blog more insightful and inclusive than Gender Outlaws, nor do we need to wait for them. Our stories are still being told and on the shelves right now.
Pat Mills
The LGBTQ youth growing up in Canada now may not have it perfect, but here’s hoping they have a greater head start in life with regards to self-esteem and confidence to pursue their dreams. RE: PAT MILLS
dailyxtra.com
EDITORIAL SCOTT DAGOSTINO
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Xtra devoting a huge article to this Scarborough politician? You should be writing about the important race to unseat Kristyn Wong-Tam in Ward 27. How about an article focusing on Wong-Tam’s challengers — contenders such as Benjamin Dichter, who has a plan to revitalize the gay Village? KEVIN BROWN DAILYXTRA.COM
James Franco The question of why he is drawn to highlight stories from queer culture is actually quite good. The clumsy phrasing certainly made it sound accusatory, and that is unfortunate. Franco, on the other hand, should be prepared to field questions on his entire body of work anytime he is in front of interviewers in a professional setting. Just as any of us who know we are being interviewed do — whether job interviewees or politicians running for office — he should practice answering all types of questions so these things don’t throw him quite so easily. Wouldn’t it be nice if he were prepared to, or capable of, simply saying that his desire or “fetish” as both an actor and director is to tell a compelling stories
Ridiculous. James Franco is an ally and your question was out of line. Asking about a “fetish” at a red carpet event is ridiculous. He wasn’t “caught off guard” because your question was gay-related— it’s because it was a stupid question. He was there to promote his new movie. You get one question with him and you ask him if he does gay movies because he has a fetish? Seriously? MIKEY RUSSO YOUTUBE
Learning from queer elders In some professions and trades, a young person can learn by being mentored by an older person. This is because the older person has knowledge, skill and experience that they can convey to the younger person. I don’t think this generally applies to queer elders in the lesbian or the gay community [“Older Lesbians Gather For 10th BOLD Festival in Vancouver,” dailyxtra.com, Sept. 8]. As they get older, they become unhappy, mean and bitter. Queer elders have nothing useful to convey to queer youth. While a queer elder’s knowledge of past historical events may be important, we can leave that to the historians to collect. Rather than wasting time listening to the narcissistic drivel and complaints of older LGBT people, queer youth should simply do the things that other young people do. LINTON DAILYXTRA.COM
TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
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FROM THE ARCHIVES 20 YEARS AGO
Stuart Hatton recently won the title in a ceremony in Rome.
XTRA #259, SEPT 30, 1994
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre has a new forever home! After fighting bureaucracy and funding issues — and a healthy dose of homophobia — the company prepares to open a new season at 12 Alexander St with Sky Gilbert’s More Divine.
Dance teacher Hatton’s occupation in the UK. South Shields Hatton’s hometown, as well as Joe McElderry’s.
OUT ON THE STREET BY KYLE BURTON
Who is your favourite gay author?
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Augusten Burroughs. He wrote Running with Scissors. I love it because it’s not just a typical gay love story.
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QUOTABLE
I don’t even have a fear or worry of anything when I’m onstage. My main fear is that I hope I won’t drop the mic if my hands are sweaty. If I switch hands and it still falls to the floor, then I just lay on the floor and rap. New Orleans queer rap pioneer Nicky Da B — who recently died at age 24 — describes his on-stage persona to Details magazine in 2012. MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM
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5 million Largest cash prize ever awarded to a winner of X Factor US. Calvin Harris Highest-paid DJ in the world; his last pay cheque was $66 million.
QUEER CONFESSIONS: AN LGBTQ MEMOIR READING SERIES Highest-paid actor Jim Parsons makes $1 million for every episode of The Big Bang Theory.
Big Bang Successful South Korean boy band. ‘Fantastic Baby’ Big Bang’s biggest single, released in 2013.
Queer Confessions is a monthly Toronto-based LGBTQ memoir reading series that seeks to foster memoir writing in a supportive environment, and build community through storytelling. We are committed to showcasing diverse voices and experiences, including established, emerging, and beginVMZ _ZQ\MZ[ :MILQVO[ \ISM XTIKM \PM ÅZ[\ <P]Z[LIa WN M^MZa month at the 519 Community Centre in Toronto, and start at 8:00pm.
SEND US YOUR SUBMISSIONS! We all have a story (or two, or three) to tell, so please consider submitting one of yours! No experience necessary! Check website for monthly themes. Please include with your submission: the story (10 min max), your bio (50 words max), and the theme you are submitting for. Send your submissions to: queerconfessionstoronto@gmail.com
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Upfront
We believe that LGBT candidates can be the biggest champions of inclusion, regardless of political affiliation. Arthur KongE 11
Husband discharged in murder case Allan Lanteigne was found dead in his home in March 2011
Demitry Papasotiriou was discharged on Sept 11 of charges relating to the 2011 death of Allan Lanteigne. POLICE FILE PHOTO
CRIME HG WATSON
The man who was accused of murdering his husband, Allan Lanteigne, in 2011, walked out of court a free man Sept 11. An Ontario Court of Justice judge at Toronto’s Old City Hall discharged Demitry Papasotiriou because of insufficient evidence. His mother and stepfather, two of the few in attendance in the sparsely populated courtroom, gasped in surprise at the decision. Papasotiriou smiled and embraced his lawyer, James Lockyer. His co-accused, Michael Ivezic, will face a criminal trial for first-degree murder. Papasotiriou was arrested on Nov 2, 2012, on suspicion of killing his husband, Lanteigne. The victim, who worked as an accounting clerk at the University of Toronto, was found dead inside his home on Ossington Avenue on March 3, 2011, after co-workers grew concerned that
he hadn’t arrived for work. At the time of Lanteigne’s death, Papasotiriou was studying law in Switzerland. The co-accused, Ivezic, was arrested in Greece on Jan 16, 2013, after an Interpol warrant was issued for him. Upon his return to Canada in June 2013, police described him as a business associate of Papasotiriou’s and alleged that the pair were co-conspirators. As in his previous court appearances, Papasotiriou was dressed in a suit too large for his small build and wore frameless glasses. After the judge’s decision, he was clearly happy about what he had heard. Both he and his lawyer described themselves as relieved. “I was sad when Allan died, and I am still sad,” Papasotiriou told Xtra. “I am relieved now that any suggestion that I had anything to do with his death is gone.” The crown attorney working on the case declined to comment, as the case is still working its way through the judicial system.
CRIME
Magnotta appears in Montreal court Jury selection began Sept 8 for the trial of Luka Magnotta at Montreal’s Palais de Justice, where the first 400 out of 1,600 potential jurors were screened for their ability to hear the shocking case. Magnotta appeared in court behind a glass partition in ill-fitting blue prison scrubs, weighing obviously more than he did when he was arrested two years ago — he now carries a significant paunch despite his rail-thin arms, and his face seems rounder under his closecropped, unkempt hair. In a scrum during a break, Magnotta’s lawyer, Luc Leclair, described him as being “shocked by what’s going on” but refused to elaborate. MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM
Magnotta is accused of murdering 33-year-old Jun Lin in May 2012, allegedly dismembering his body and mailing parts of it to Conservative and Liberal party headquarters. He’s facing charges of first-degree murder, improperly or indecently interfering with or offering an indignity to human remains, publication of obscene material, mailing obscene material, and criminal harassment of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and members of Parliament. It is expected to take two weeks to find 12 jurors and two alternates from among those summoned. The trial was scheduled to begin Sept 22, but could be delayed due to jury selection.
Luka Magnotta’s lawyer, Luc Leclair, speaks to reporters during a break from day one of jury selection at Montreal’s Palais de Justice, Sept 8. ROB SALERNO
Day one of jury selection saw hundreds of potential jurors released from duty. Magnotta, a native of Toronto, has requested a trial in English, although some evidence will be presented in French. Accordingly, jurors must be completely bilingual, and even in Montreal finding fluently bilingual people is not always easy. Hundreds
were exempted on day one because they didn’t believe their English was sufficient. Other jury candidates requested exemptions because of work or school obligations, health concerns, because they are the sole caregiver to a child or parent or because spending the length of the trial, living only on the $90 per
day allowance granted to jurors, would cause financial hardship. Jurors do not need to have avoided all media coverage of the case, but must be able to maintain an open mind and base their verdict only on evidence heard in the court and not on reports seen in the media. They also must not have personal knowledge of or connections to the case. Many candidates found even that low bar difficult to surmount. One woman told Justice Guy Cournoyer that she believes Magnotta should have been castrated two years ago. A young man was visibly shaking as he told the judge he had been having anxiety attacks all week after learning he was being called in for the Magnotta trial. “Just to look at the evidence . . . I can’t stand the idea of looking at these pictures. I’ve been nervous all week,” he told the judge in French. Another woman was exempted because she attended the memorial service for Jun Lin. Jury members will not be sequestered during the trial. – Rob Salerno XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 9
10 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
ProudPolitics in office
DOUG FORD WELCOME TO LGBT DEBATE
Organization offers training and resources for LGBT leaders POLITICS ROB SALERNO
By all measures, Canada is a model of acceptance of LGBT people and enjoys an enviable history of openly gay and lesbian people holding elected office. Yet despite our legal equality, LGBT people can still face barriers when running for office, according to a new organization that aims to help queer political candidates overcome obstacles to entering politics. ProudPolitics, a coalition of queer activists from across the political spectrum, aims to get more LGBT people into office by giving them the tools and training to run a campaign effectively. The young organization already has a national advisory council made up of current and former politicians from all levels of government and political stripes, including former MP Bill
Siksay, former MPP Phil Gillies and school board trustee Paul Marai. “We believe that LGBT candidates can be the biggest champions of inclusion, regardless of political affiliation, and can be really effective change agents within their parties or political organizations,” says Arthur Kong, executive director of ProudPolitics. However, LGBT people seeking office may not have access to traditional avenues of power and may face whisper campaigns from opponents hoping to exploit homophobia. Even the simple act of coming out publicly can be fraught with questions of whether, and to what degree, one’s sexual and gender identity should be part of an electoral campaign. “Homophobia in political life is very real, and it is exploited because homophobia in our society is real,” says Nadia Bello, a former school board trustee who’s also on the national
Some of the organizers behind ProudPolitics. Back row, from left: Warren Brown, Curtis Atkins. Front, from left: Chris Matthews, Nadia Bello, Arthur Kong. ROB SALERNO
advisory council. “[Being out] might not be a priority for that person. The last thing on their agenda may be to be out or talk about their message in terms of their sexuality.” ProudPolitics is consciously modelled on successful organizations like
the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund and the Human Rights Campaign in the US, but with several key differences related to the Canadian system. ProudPolitics does not give money to LGBT candidates, nor does it endorse candidates or policies.
DIONNE BRAND
JEFFREY ROUND
Toronto’s mayoral race has proved once again that it has more twists and turns than a telenovela. Doug Ford announced Sept 12 that he would run for mayor of Toronto. Rob Ford will instead run for his old council seat in Ward 2, Etobicoke North. Ford Fest, the family’s semi-regular barbecue, was initially scheduled for Sept 19. The date conflicted with proudTOvote’s scheduled debate on LGBT issues. Ford Fest has since been postponed due to Rob’s illness. John Clifford, the spokesperson for proudTOvote, said that Doug is invited to the debate. In an interview with Xtra last week, Clifford noted that it was an “interesting coincidence” that Ford Fest was scheduled for same night as the LGBT issues debate. He adds that there are no plans to reschedule the proudTOvote debate. - HG Watson The proudTOvote debate is Friday, Sept 19 at 5:30pm at the Ryerson University Library.
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OUR MAD SELVES: QUEER AND TRANS* YOUTH EXPLORING OUR MENTAL HEALTH (U ^LLR NYV\W MVY `V\[O SP]PUN ^P[O VY HŃ&#x153;LJ[LK I` L_WLYPLUJLZ VM[LU KPHNUVZLK HUK SHILSSLK HZ psychiatric conditions (depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bi-polar, OCD, DID etc.) This group will VŃ&#x153;LY HU VWWVY[\UP[` [V JVUMYVU[ [OL ZOHTL HUK VWWYLZZPVU ^L OH]L L_WLYPLUJLZ HZ H YLZ\S[ VM V\Y psychiatric histories/experiences and our encounters with the mental health system. Wednesdays, 6-8pm. Contact Agnes for dates and registration: aforfa@sherbourne.on.ca or 416-324-4100 ext. 4189.
SOY H.E.A.T. (HUMAN RIGHTS. EQUITY. ACCESS. TEAM) INFO SESSIONS: SEPT. 23 & 25
A Corporate Store | MB Downtown | 866.722.7113 | mbdowntown.ca Š 2014 Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc. 2014 E 250 BlueTec 4MATICâ&#x201E;˘ with LED Lighting package shown above, Total Price $61,850. **Total price of $60,550 includes MSRP plus all applicable dealer fees. *Lease offers based on the 2014 E 250 BlueTEC 4MATICâ&#x201E;˘ are available only through MercedesBenz Financial Services on approved credit for a limited time. Lease example based on $558 per month for 45 months includes $2,000 credit. Down payment or equivalent trade of $7,080. Freight/PDI of up to $2,075, dealer admin fee of $395, fuel surcharge of up to $90, air-conditioning levy of $100, EHF tires, filters, batteries of up to $29.70, PPSA up to $59.15 and OMVIC fee of $5 are due at signing. First monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s payment plus security deposit of $600 and applicable taxes due at lease inception. MSRP starting at $57,800. Lease APR of2.9% applies. Total obligation is $35,494. 18,000 km/year allowance ($0.30/km for excess kilometres applies). Finance example is based on a 60-month term and a finance APR of 0.9% and an MSRP of $57,800. Monthly payment is $852 (excluding taxes) with $5,830 down payment. Freight/PDI of up to $2,075, dealer admin fee of $395, fuel surcharge of up to $80, air-conditioning levy of $100, EHF tires, filters, batteries of $29.70, PPSA up to $59.15 and OMVIC fee of $5 are due at signing. First monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s payment and applicable taxes due at finance inception. Cost of borrowing is $1,151 for a total obligation of $59,646. 2First, second and third month payment waivers are capped for the 2014 E-Class Sedan & Wagon up to a total of $2,550 (including taxes) for lease programs and up to a total of $3,150 (including taxes) for finance programs. â&#x20AC; Additional cash credit of $1,000 on 2014 E-Class Sedan (including AMG) on top of $2,000 credit in payment shown for a total discount of $3,000. 3This estimate is based on Government of Canada testing methods. The actual fuel consumption of this vehicle may vary. Estimate based on a 4.6L/100km highway fuel economy rating. Refer to the Government of Canada Fuel Consumption Guide. 1Vehicle license, insurance, and registration are extra. Dealer may lease or finance for less. Offers may change without notice and cannot be combined with any other offers. See your local Mercedes-Benz Toronto Corporate Store for details. Offers end September 30, 2014.
HEAT is looking for youth who want to learn more and educate others about oppression. This is a SOY program that brings together emerging youth leaders interested in social justice and the Human Rights climate in Toronto. Sign up for an info session Tues. Sept 23 or Thurs. Sept 25, 6:30-7:30pm. *VU[HJ[ 1VOU H[ QJHÉ&#x2C6;LY`'ZOLYIV\YUL VU JH VY L_[
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Supporting Our Youth
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B.SC, LL.B, TEP BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY CERTIFIED SPECIALIST (ESTATES & TRUST LAW)
VALERIE A. CHANG, B.A., J.D. BARRISTER & SOLICITOR
R.G. COATES ESTATE LAW P.C. 120 Carlton Street, Suite 307 Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2 Tel. (416) 925-6490 Fax (416) 925-4492 web: www.rgcoates.com email: robert@rgcoates.com email: valerie@rgcoates.com
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ROBERT G.COATES,
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This is a sassy program for young people 29 & under exploring bisexuality, bicuriosity, pansexuality, VTUPZL_\HSP[` X\LLYULZZ VY X\LZ[PVUPUN Ă&#x2026;\PK ZL_\HSP[` ,_WLJ[ JYP[PJHS KPHSVN\L WSH` JVSSHIVYH[PVU HY[ THRPUN YLZLHYJO Z[VY` [LSSPUN MVVK HUK Ă&#x201E;LYJL MVSRZ 0UJS\ZP]L HUK HJJLZZPISL ZWHJL ^P[O ZUHJRZ and TTC tokens provided. Tuesdays, 7-9pm starting October 7. Contact Naty soynatalyn@gmail.com.
TORONTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
Stick shift
Gay culture has a curious relationship with the automobile WHEELS MIKE VICHNITCHKINE
Sporty. Rugged. Topless. It’s surprising how much crossover there is between gay men and cars, considering how little interest many seem to have in them. Or at least, that’s what you’d assume, talking to Mary and her Miata. While the image of a lesbian with a U-Haul hitched to the back of her Subaru Outback springs readily to mind, my first thought of a gay man is strolling through a village somewhere firmly on foot. But this is far from the truth. Gay culture has a curious relationship with the automobile. While hitchhiking was an integral part of the cruisey premillennial sexual fantasy landscape, and Tom of Finland lovingly detailed the likenesses of bikers and truckers, the car seems to have mostly bypassed
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the realm of the fetishistic. It’s surprising, considering the amount of time we spend in them as children — one would think that the car one’s father drove would play a larger part in the collective daddy-issue spank bank. But not so. Perhaps its ubiquity stifles its sexual cachet — if it’s something we see every day of our lives, it tends to lose its glamour. But nonetheless, there remains a hidden cadre of gay gearheads: men who fantasize about crankshafts and fluid pumps — when they’re not thinking about car parts. Life can be hard for a gay car fan. Have you ever tried to strike up a conversation at a gay bar about the merits of the new BMW i3’s electric engine? Or whether the Hyundai Genesis or the Subaru BRZ would win in a race? Unless you’re at bear night, you probably won’t have much luck with that one, and
Hitchhiking was an integral part of the cruisey pre-millennial sexual fantasy landscape. THINKSTOCK
even there you’re more likely to hear about a drag queen named Kia than a car. But unlike Mitsu Bitchy (my new drag persona), gay gearheads do actually exist. Queers4Gears, a gay auto interest blog, has been going strong since 2009, exposing a side of gay culture that we rarely hear about. They’ve even earned membership to the National Motorsports Press Association, granting them media access to NASCAR and other races. It’s nice to know that somewhere in that screaming crowd is a gay man penning a shady read about Dale Earnhardt Jr. But a gay man’s entry into the world of sweaty, cat-calling mechanics and motor oil wasn’t always so well-lubricated. Joe LaMuraglia, LGBT communications manager at General Motors, is the founder of Gaywheels, an automotive interest blog with a gay slant. He didn’t notice any overt homophobia before launching the website. “I was the target for a myriad of threats and harassment from people hiding behind emails,” he says. But the aggressive messages died out with time, thankfully, and now LaMuraglia is a leader in the effort to make the automotive world a better place for everyone. So, to all my Cadillac queers, my Ferrari fairies, and my Hummer homos, drive free! I’ll call you if I need a ride.
XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 13
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The bloody nun
Catalina de Erausoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conquests in 17th-century South America may have included other women HISTORY BOYS JEREMY WILLARD
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In 1600, just before taking her final vows, 15-year-old Catalina de Erauso escaped from a convent in northern Spain. In a nearby chestnut grove, she transformed her blue bodice into breeches and her green petticoat into a doublet and hose. She threw away her habit. When she cut her hair, the effect was complete: she looked just like a boy. The disguise helped her travel and ďŹ nd work without arousing much suspicion; few people had much freedom, but men had more than women (no surprise there). Despite having seen little of the world â&#x20AC;&#x201D; sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d been in the convent since age four â&#x20AC;&#x201D; de Erauso made her way from town to town, evading her searching family (which was large and wealthy) before ďŹ nally getting a job as a shipâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s boy on her uncleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s galleon (he didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognize her). She made her way to South America in 1603, where her adventures in male attire would make her a folk hero. Decades later, between 1626 and 1630, she wrote a memoir. It wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t published until 1829, but her story spread in the meantime. While some doubt whether she actually wrote it, the memoir could be one of the earliest autobiographies of a woman. I was fortunate enough to ďŹ nd a copy of Lieutenant Nun: Memoir of a Basque Transvestite in the New World, translated by Michele and Gabriel Stepto. Many of de Erausoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s adventures have the same ďŹ&#x201A;avour: she travelled to a city, had a gambling-related disagreement, killed someone, hid in a church, was arrested and then escaped to the next city. She almost invariably blamed bad luck (apparently itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bad luck that made her kill so many people). Lather, rinse, repeat. Spain had been colonizing South America for many years, killing indigenous people and shipping gold and silver back to Spain. De Erauso served a stint in the military, and for her ac-
Catalina de Erauso, known as the lieutenant nun, ditched her habit for britches and hose. SISSYDUDE
complishments in the conquest of Chile, she was promoted to lieutenant. Later, she accidentally killed her brother in a duel. She also saved a woman from a murderous husband. She was in trouble wherever she went, and when a bishop rescued her from a particularly difficult jam, she told him her life story and her true sex. The revelation made her famous. In 1624, she returned to Spain and the king granted her a pension. That same year, she met the pope, who, after hearing her story, gave her permission to keep wearing menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing. There is some debate over whether she was a lesbian, in part because her memoir rarely describes her thoughts or feelings, including those pertaining to physical attraction. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certainly no explicit mention of sex. She had plenty of opportunity â&#x20AC;&#x201D; some employer, bishop or mother was always trying to get de Erauso to marry a mistress, daughter or niece â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but only in a few places does her memoir
describe attraction for a woman or a situation that might, if read in a certain way, turn out to be sex. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one particularly suggestive instance. Early in her travels, she was ďŹ red from a job by Diego de Solarte, a wealthy merchant, â&#x20AC;&#x153;the reason being that there were two young ladies in the house, his wifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sisters, and I had become accustomed to frolicking with them and teasing them â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one, in particular, who had taken a fancy to me. And one day, when she and I were in the front parlor, and I had my head in the folds of her skirt and she was combing my hair while I ran my hand up and down between her legs, Diego de Solarte happened to pass by the window, and spied us through the grate.â&#x20AC;? She was sort of a Spanish cowboy in the South American version of the Wild West. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hard to say whether the above episode is just an instance of her playing her part well â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a rough, ready and libidinous male â&#x20AC;&#x201D; or of genuine attraction to the same sex. Following her visit to the pope in Rome, the memoir ends with a brief account of a trip to Naples in 1626. Little is known about her life after that point, except that in 1630 she headed to Mexico using the name Antonio de Erauso. I can already hear the sickly sound of bodies piling up. History Boys appears in every issue of Xtra. TORONTOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
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XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 15
16 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA! TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
photo of Kathryn Haggis by Tanja-Tiziana, doublecrossed.ca
Outinthe City
Lucian Freud painted his mother eighty-seven times. I’ve only written (mine) four times, so I have some way to go. Ann-Marie MacDonald E20
If I were a boy
inkedKenny has become a master of capturing kink.
INKED UP Brutal and beautiful. Those are the two words most frequently associated with the work of photographer inkedKenny. Whether capturing silhouettes against a skyline or leather daddies at play, his images convey a stark masculine beauty and a raw eroticism that has made him very popular within the queer community. And five years since launching himself as a solo artist, he has released a collection of some of his most striking work called The Men of inkedKenny. “I get inspired in the moment with whomever I’m shooting, and I’ll create scenarios to shoot them in,” says Kenny. “And of course I’m projecting myself, projecting my roots, and projecting my own personality when it comes to taste in men — [even in] how I light, and the grittiness of it all. But it’s all very random and of the moment.” Kenny cut his teeth on commercial art direction in the fashion industry for over two decades, and says that he enjoyed the collaborative experience of working with a team. But a combination of personal hardship and a desire for independence eventually led him on a different path. “My partner died, and then I got sick, so I basically had two years off to figure things out,” he says. “And when you leave fashion, it’s hard to get back in. But then out of the blue, somebody MORE AT DAILYXTRA.COM
asked me to shoot something for them. The client loved it and so I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve got something going here.’” From there, he teamed up with a bunch of friends and shot his first “Fight Club” editorial, which was published right away in Instigator Magazine. “I got published five months into [launching inkedKenny],” he laughs. “So I came out of nowhere.” His gritty depictions of men in fetish wear resonated with many in the bear and leather communities, and he credits them with being the first to provide him a platform to promote his work. “The Black Eagle gave me my first solo exhibit at the bar. They were the first to support me and use my images for their advertising and with the leather association. And then through social media . . . it just blew up.” And although Kenny continues to shoot men’s fashion editorials alongside his individual work, he says his solo project gives him the most satisfaction. “[With fashion editorials] the inspiration comes within a team effort — dealing with stylists, coming up with concepts and things like that. And with twenty-four years in the industry, I get that whole brainstorm crew thing.” “But this? It’s all me.” – JP Larocque The Men of inkedKenny book launch takes place Fri, Sept 19 at 8pm at the Black Eagle. inkedkenny.com
Tracey Erin Smith has an unusual hobby: transforming women into men. At least temporarily with her drag king workshop, Dude for a Day. This is Smith’s third time running Dude for a Day. It’s a day-long workshop where, with acting tips, costumes and the aid of a make-up artist, women transform themselves into male characters of their own invention. Smith’s theatre company, Soulo, is dedicated to helping people share their life stories on stage. “Using what I call ‘theatrical alchemy,’ we transform the raw material of a person’s life into something that would be entertaining to an audience,” Smith says. “It’s not an AA meeting or a therapy session, but it’s very much about their stories.” The drag king workshop jives well with Soulo’s aims. “I’m passionate about helping people express themselves. Ironically, that often comes in the form of being someone else,” Smith says. One of the techniques Smith uses to help folks get in touch with their inner dude is by getting each person to examine her mannerisms and communication style. “Women tend to smile more, their eyes are more alive, they talk in a more engaged sort of way, and we slowly start to let those traits go,” Smith says.
Soulo’s drag kings on display. SHY ALTER
“If someone feels they have to be soft during their daily lives, the workshop allows them to express themselves more directly. The inner asshole comes out, and it can be very funny.” Participants also fashion their own phalluses by stuffing condoms with cotton balls. This is usually followed by deciding whether it hangs to the left or the right and an amusing but educational session of walking around the room adjusting it. At the end of the day, all of the dudes head out to a pub together to hang out and do a photo-shoot. If they like, each
person can invite their friends and family along to hang out with their dude alter-ego. “What I love observing in these classes is how all of the women become attracted to each other,” she says. “It’s a spectrum of orientations, but all of a sudden you have these beautiful women dressed as men and something goes on in the room where everyone finds each other hot.” – Jeremy Willard Dude for a Day is Sun, Sept 21, 10am, at Ralph Thornton Centre, 765 Queen St E. soulo.ca
to classic rock to songs from the 1920s. He hopes that he will form a close bond with each audience. “By the end of the residency, I want the audience Ryan G Hinds would like nothing more than to have each and to feel like they’re on intimate terms with me,” he says suggestively. every queer person in Toronto enter his special space. That For the first three shows, Hinds will perform only material is, he wants everyone to attend the four shows that he will that he has never performed before. The final performance, perform as Buddies in Bad Times Theatre’s cabaret artist in for Pride 2015, will be a “best of” show. residence for the 2014/15 season. “The challenge will be finding a narrative Hinds recently discontinued his recurarc for each evening so that it’s not just ring show at The Flying Beaver to make a collection of loosely related songs and time for his new role at Buddies. It was stories,” he says. necessary, but he will remember his The first show, called Starry Notions, time on Parliament Street fondly. “Withwill be equal parts Broadway, vaudeville, out having done a year and a half at the standup comedy and performance art. It Pubaret, I don’t think I’d be as equipped will also feature bassoon quartet Das Fagas I am to do this residency,” he says. ott Mannschaft. Buddies’ artist residency program proThe residency is a coming-full-circle vides performers with what they need experience for Hinds. “My first Toronto — from dramaturgical to administrative theatre performance was at Buddies when support — so that they can embark Ryan G Hinds is I was 18,” he says. “And, actually, the title of on more ambitious projects and really Buddies’ new cabaret the first show ties into the idea of me being focus on their work. artist in residence. 18 and singing onstage at Buddies for the For Hinds, this means that for the first GREG WONG first time and having ideas about the kind time he will perform a solo cabaret show of performer I wanted to be someday. Sixteen years later, all accompanied by not one, but three musicians: Mark Selby of my starry notions have come true.” – Jeremy Willard (musical direction and piano), Ross McIntyre (bass) and
COMING HOME TO BUDDIES
Julian Clarke (percussion). He will also have fewer guests, focusing instead on singing complex songs that require him to get into character. He’ll cover everything from musical theatre
Starry Notions is Sun, Sept 28, 8pm, at Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. buddiesinbadtimes.com XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 17
For this novel I thought, ‘Now I’m ready,’ and I was as honest and open as I could be about my life. — Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco
18 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
NOBODY’S MEMOIR Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco writes about three decades of wild living with HIV
BECCA LEMIRE
IN PRINT RYAN KERR
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If the truth will set you free, then writer, activist and long-term HIV survivor Francisco IbáñezCarrasco is living proof. Ibáñez-Carrasco’s soonto-be-released third book, Giving It Raw: Nearly 30 Years with AIDS, oscillates seamlessly between zany prose and the painful loneliness of loss. For Ibáñez-Carrasco, it was only a matter of time before his novel — crowd-sourced and published by California’s Transgress Press — was shared with the world. “Writing for me is like breathing,” he says. “It’s something that we all need to do. While some need to fill their lungs with oxygen, I need to fill pages with writing.” Two hundred odd pages later, he’s discussed his mother’s dementia, public transit, taking it raw and being dumped. So what makes this tragicomic story special? “It is what is known as a ‘nobody memoir,’” he explains. “Just like you and me, no one famous, I wrap passages of my life in topics that we can all identify with. There is a whole genre of ‘too much information’ out there, from telling about our weight to our larger peccadilloes. Confessionals, memoirs and autopathographies have a purpose and an audience. “We want to know that what is happening to us, what is happening to many others, what is going on in the life of one HIV-positive gay man, what is making him feel alone and guilty and shameful, is actually happening to many HIVpositive gay men of all ages. There is something in Giving It Raw that will resonate within you like a cathedral bell.” Thirty years ago, the world was a very different place. That’s when Ibáñez-Carrasco, a native of Santiago, Chile, moved to Vancouver, discovered he was HIV-positive and was faced with a terrifying fate. In 1985 terms, he had a fatal, mysterious illness that would decimate those he loved, push others from him in terror and eventually lead to his own untimely demise. At times, he was so ill that were it not for a slew of “experimental treatments” — everything from radiation and chemotherapy to acupuncture — he would not have been able to get out of bed. (He
continues to experience side effects from these early treatments, rather than from his chronic condition.) In his most desperately weak moments, Ibáñez-Carrasco found humour and strength in his own methods of perseverance. When his Kaposi’s sarcoma was so bad that he was peppered with dozens of purple lesions, he used the opportunity to try out drag: “I wasn’t going to go outside with a purple mark like that on my face!” Though he has been published in many volumes of collected works, Ibáñez-Carrasco created a fictional protagonist for his first solo book, Flesh Wounds and Purple Flowers: The Cha-Cha Years (released in 2001), experimenting with real-life themes of immigration, sex, disco and illness. His second book, Killing Me Softly: Morir Amando (released in 2005), was a grouping of myopic short stories about singular topics. Unlike the previous two books, Giving It Raw is a no-holds-barred account of Ibáñez-Carrasco’s dirty, seedy escapades in the three decades he’s lived with HIV. “I decided a few years ago to shed the shame I’d been holding,” he says. “Before then I had to make up stories. For this novel I thought, ‘Now I’m ready,’ and I was as honest and open as I could be about my life.” Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco’s involvement in the BDSM and fetish community plays a prominent role in Giving It Raw. (And who’s surprised with such an incendiary title?) But the casual frankness with which he describes his many sexual escapades takes away any potential shock; there’s something about his anecdotes that invites even the most vanilla reader into the realm of voyeur. In a world that still discriminates based on sexuality, gender, ethnicity and class, IbáñezCarrasco is an example of someone who laughs and fucks through the fray of shame, taboo and stigma and comes out on top. Literally. Giving It Raw is a utopian perspective born of 30 years of dystopian experiences, tragedy and comedy. The protagonist, a singular character of unlikely tenderness, may inspire universal understanding — for the next 30 years.
Excerpt from Giving It Raw, by Francisco Ibáñez-Carrasco I have experienced hundreds of significant events in taxis because I never learned how to drive. There is something tremendously grownup, self-assured, and fabulous about putting your hand in the air, getting into a vehicle, giving directions, and going to meet your fate. I have taken cabs nearly naked, in a harness and chaps, sober, high, wearing butt plugs, horny, lovelorn, running from thugs, and on my way to weddings and emergency rooms. You might go to exotic paradises, exclusive all-inclusive resorts, or cruises, but if you don’t have taxi etiquette and a certain comfort with it, you have not lived. I used to have this earnest notion that my Anglo lovers had to be immersed in Latino culture in order to understand something essential about me. Well, what a stupid idea. If your man is not prone to understand others, to be in a (maybe) bi-cultural/bi-racial relationship, dragging him to see your people, eat your traditional food (Chilean traditional cuisine, boring) and see your culture might not move him one iota. In fact, he might discover how much ¡andale! ¡andale! we are sometimes coerced to paint into our nostalgic postcards. Latinindad is not in the food or the language or the handcraft, it is in things like taxi rides. In Santiago, Mike and I have been lost in dangerous neighborhoods in the middle of the night, looking for medication when we felt the flu would kill him, and ending up with some local homeopathic version of belladonna that could have frozen a dog, or pushing the fucking car because the driver was squeezing the last drop of gasoline before we paid him for the ride. We have also had fabulous rides in the sticky and sizzling Buenos Aires evening, zipping from venue to venue, nicely dressed, taking the scene by storm. Once, upon our arrival at Tegel airport in Berlin, a joyfully straight cab driver picked us up and unfolded maps on the roof of the taxi, like a commando post, telling us with great efficiency about all the spots we might want to visit, “Fisting here, pissing here, dancing here, and dining here.” … When you and your trick of the night have dropped acid, and really have no wherewithal or place to go fuck, hail a cab and hop into it. Giving It Raw: Nearly 30 Years with AIDS will be available soon from Transgress Press. Ibáñez-Carrasco will read excerpts from his book at Xtra’s booth during Word on the Street, Sun, Sept 21 at Queen’s Park.
XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 19
Risky business BOOKS SERAFIN LARIVIÈRE
Mary-Rose MacKinnon has a life many would envy. A successful author from the days before bookstores became chic boutiques with incidental sprinklings of literature, MacKinnon has nestled into a comfortable semi-retirement with her partner, Hilary, and their two young children. The family lives in Toronto’s artsy Annex neighbourhood (complete with Margaret Atwood sightings), with Mary-Rose taking on the lion’s share of homemaker duties while Hilary works as a playwright and director. There’s a dog, a restored heritage home and a selection of kitchen utensils that would make Martha Stewart moisten her perfectly pressed panties. So why isn’t Mary-Rose (known to all as “Mister”) happy? For one thing, she’s experiencing a disturbing resurgence of symptoms from a serious childhood bout of pediatric bone cysts. But when a specialist assures Mister that a recurrence is impossible in adults, she begins to wonder if the ache in her bones is rooted in disruption of a more emotional nature. This initiates an excavation of family history that threatens to undermine not only her marriage, but also the carefully constructed relationship between Mister and her aging parents. “This is probably the riskiest thing I’ve ever done,” says Ann-Marie MacDonald of her new novel, Adult Onset. “It’s about as autobiographical as anything else I’ve written.” The parallels between MacDonald and Mister are fairly stark: both authors live in Toronto’s Annex neighbourhood, both are married to theatre directors, and both are parents to two young children — though MacDonald’s are adopted girls, while Mister has a boy and a girl. MacDonald even shares her creation’s history with bone cysts. “There wasn’t a great gap between my raw material and the fiction,” MacDonald admits, laughing. “I just wrote from the inside out. I thought, ‘If I’m going to do this, then I just have to go for it.’” Fortunately MacDonald’s partner, Alisa Palmer, was okay with being fictionalized in such an intimately personal manner, though the character Hilary spends much of the book away with work while Mister unravels her sense of self and family amidst the chaos of raising small children. But even as Mister struggles on her own with toddler tantrums and phantom pain, the snippets of memories and phone conversations still evoke a strong sense of togetherness with her wife despite the small power struggles and annoyances that are part of any long-term relationship. As with her award-winning novels Fall on Your Knees and The Way the Crow Flies, MacDonald exhibits a beautifully subtle gift of weaving internal dialogue with day-to-day life; Mister still manages to prepare meals, walk the dog and shop for organic produce while digging deep into a childhood 20 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Adult Onset is her boldest work yet This is probably the riskiest thing I’ve ever done. It’s about as autobiographical as anything else I’ve written. ANN-MARIE MACDONALD
cloudy with suspected abuse and neglect. The two worlds travel side by side in perfect tandem, with flashes of humour, insight and delicious satire as MacDonald playfully skewers hipster obsessions with all things organic, fair-trade and BPA-free plastic food containers. Some of the most gripping of Adult Onset’s vignettes are the departures from Mister’s own voice, written from the historic point of view of her postpartum-depressed mother. Dolly’s struggle to connect with her newborn child after losing two others is heartbreaking, and the helplessness she feels as a 1960s army wife in a foreign land is palpable. Given that MacDonald spent the first few years of her life on a Royal Canadian Air Force base in Germany, it’s probably safe to say that there are some hard truths from real life seeping into her characters’ personal histories. “There’s definitely some portraiture,” MacDonald says. “Lucian Freud painted his mother 87 times. I’ve only written [mine] four times, so I have some way to go. She’s bought hundreds of my books, though. She’ll tell everyone in the bookstore that I’m her daughter, but I don’t actually think she’s read any of them.” As daunting as this blend of reality and fiction can be, MacDonald believes that drawing from her own life experiences nurtures the connection between her work and its readers — particularly for future fans who may have a more personal connection to the stories. “I know my children are going to read this someday, and I really needed to honour my sources and materials. This is the first thing I’ve written as a parent, and nothing in my life has tested me or required the kind of real self-examination that becoming a parent has. There are always new depths and chambers.” With Adult Onset, Ann-Marie MacDonald exhibits a beautifully subtle gift of weaving internal dialogue with day-to-day life. GUNTAR KRAVIS
Adult Onset will be released Tues, Sept 30 by Knopf Canada. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
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Hope Thompson reads from Sharp in the Dark at the Lambda Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices.
My first gay writing retreat A trip to Mulholland Drive for Lambda’s Emerging LGBT Voices gathering IN PRINT HOPE THOMPSON
On the first day, Jane from the fiction group warns that things will fall apart after a few days. A friend who attended the Lambda Literary Foundation’s Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBT Voices the year before has told Jane that by the third day, someone ended up in hospital. “What happened to them?” I ask. “Female trouble,” she replies, ominously, as we cross an empty parking lot toward the cafeteria. I remember the email from the retreat organizers, which stated that due to the remoteness of the campus we should bring whatever we need — from warm clothes to tampons. Did she forget? And if so . . . what exactly happened? Female trouble could mean pregnancy, too — yet this is a gay retreat! It’s too confusing. I decide to cast last year’s drama from my mind and concentrate on setting, plot and character instead. The Lambda retreat takes place at the American Jewish University, which is located in the Bel Air neighbourhood of Los Angeles, on Mulholland Drive. I look around for the woman in the red dress from David Lynch’s film but see only gardeners and nannies — water-
ing lawns and caring for the children of silent, sun-drenched mansions. The campus sits on the side of a hill with Bel Air behind it and the 405 San Diego Freeway snaking its way through the valley below. Few of us have cars. Traffic drones steadily from the valley floor and police helicopters circle above. There is no way out. We’re divided into groups: fiction, non-fiction, poetry and genre fiction. By the third day, everyone in fiction and poetry has cried after confronting the emotional core of their writing. I’m in genre fiction. No tears flow from my group; we are mostly writing about queer detectives solving queer mysteries. We are mostly laughing. The closest we get to tears is when we learn about royalties. For some residents, another source of anguish is the cafeteria’s kosher food. By the fourth day, people are clicking on their GrubHub apps and ordering in. I find a woman from nonfiction in the photocopy room devouring a takeout container full of bacon. We receive nametags stating which pronouns to use when addressing each other. I am assigned the pronoun she. “All right,” I think. “I can live with this.” Later, I learn that I am cisgendered, which means my gender matches my
birth body. I check nametags carefully. Who wants to make a mistake, right? Day six brings our readings, which are videotaped and posted online. What to read? What to wear? I can’t concentrate on my writing assignments. I am too worried about the first public reading of my queer mystery, Sharp in the Dark. And then it’s my turn. I walk to the podium and launch into my story and suddenly remember how exhilarating it is to be onstage. The readings are the only time alcohol appears on campus. After four days off the sauce, I stay up until 3am celebrating my two-minute reading with my new American friends. We plan visits, we set deadlines for our manuscripts, we agree to critique each other’s work — I don’t want my first gay writing retreat to end! But it does. A black Town Car pulls up in front of my dormitory. The driver is wearing a red dress. Could this be Laura Harring, finally, from Mulholland Drive? I look for a nametag to do a quick pronoun check, then remember I am back in the real world now. Sadly. See the next page for an excerpt from Thompson’s mystery novel Sharp in the Dark. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
Sharp in the Dark Private investigator Sidney Sharp’s mysterious new case begins in a lesbian bar in 1984. FICTION HOPE THOMPSON
Private Investigator Sidney Sharp was lucky with women. She attracted them easily — but hanging on to them was another matter. This particular night, it was a blonde, early 20s and out of control. She had the scent of money about her and it smelled good to Sharp. Her clothes were tailored, tight and carefully casual; she wasn’t a regular. She pressed herself against Sharp and whispered in her ear, pleading her case, as if she had to. In the black-walled basement club, women moved through the shadows like caged lions; their eyes lazily sized each other up. The tiny parquet dancefloor was packed with bodies grinding together. The rotating mirrored disco ball showered stars of light around the room. It was Saturday night in 1984 and the place was thumping. But for Sharp and the blonde, it didn’t matter; they had something else on their minds. Sharp’s beige K-car moved through the darkened streets of Toronto. The blonde’s hand made Sharp grateful her car was an automatic. They turned down a residential street and parked in front of a two-storey, yellow-brick 1920s apartment building. Not saying much, the blonde unlocked the front door and Sharp followed her inside. 23 Crossley St.
Apartment 3B. Inside the apartment, the blonde slipped into the bathroom to “freshen up.” Sharp didn’t think she could get any fresher. A coat stand stood against the wall. Sharp hung up her jacket. Nice piece of furniture, she thought to herself. She should get one for the office. One day. One day when she had some money. “I’ll just be a minute, Sid.” The blonde’s voice came through the bathroom door.
In the blackwalled basement club, women moved through the shadows like caged lions; their eyes lazily sized each other up. “That’s fine . . . um?” Sharp’s cheek twitched. She realized she’d forgotten the blonde’s name! What was it? She groaned inwardly, imaging the blonde in her arms later that night, sighing and saying, “You’re so good, Sid.” And Sharp having to reply, “Yeah, well, you’re pretty great your-
self . . . you. You, there.” There had to be a way out of this. Sharp’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of running water coming from the bathroom. The blonde was freshening up — and Sharp suspected the process was almost complete. She had to think fast. There wasn’t much time. Her eyes darted around the room for clues. Her gaze fell on a small table by the front door. Lying on it next to a black rotary phone and a dish full of pennies were a few pieces of mail. She leapt across the room and snatched up an electricity bill. It read, “Attention: Miss Claire Iverson.” Iverson? Why was that name familiar? The image of a church pew flashed in Sharp’s mind . . . Just then, the bathroom door swung open. Miss Claire Iverson stood on the threshold, wearing nothing more than a small, gold cross. The world stopped spinning long enough for Sharp to decide that this moment, and this woman, would be the beginning of something beautiful. Boy, was she wrong. Check out DailyXtra.com’s Sharp in the Dark blog page for exclusive monthly excerpts from Hope Thompson’s forthcoming mystery novel.
HOPE THOMPSON
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Poetry in science Poet Julie Joosten melds botany with words in Light Light POETRY LYDIA PEROVIC
We don’t usually think of science and poetry as bedfellows, but look closely and you’ll see how metaphorical the language of science can be and the precision and constraints of some schools of poetry. Julie Joosten took a close look at this odd pairing, and for her first collection of poetry — Light Light — she found home in the fantastic, pre-disciplinary world of the early life sciences, botany in particular. She mines the texts from the 18th and 19th centuries written by the pioneering women that are part travelogues, part science, part art and part chronicles of imperial expansion. Yet the poems feel very contemporary and intimate, never straightforwardly psychological, always probing the precincts of the observing, feeling conscience and blending its history with its present. Joosten first took interest in the history of scientific knowledge by reading about plants. “Certain plants and plant derivatives had surprisingly dramatic roles in historical events. If the British
Julie Joosten stands in her backyard garden observing the beauty of science.
weren’t able to break the Spanish monopoly of the South American sources of quinine and use it to treat malaria, they’d never have been able to colonize Africa. Or look at the history of opium in international relations.” But as she read further back into the history of botany, she realized that the science of plants began as very much an art. “The research required hand-drawn
illustrations, with both scientific and artistic attention to detail. Before botany was science, it consisted of people who would just ‘botanize’ — today we would call them amateur botanists — and build the new branch of knowledge outside official institutions.” Darwin, also very present in Joosten’s poems, was an amateur scientist him-
self. A lecture by the British literary scholar Gillian Beer on Darwin’s keen attention to the tendrils of plants was what originally sparked her interest in Darwin. “In his book The Power of Movement in Plants, there are observations like ‘at hour 36, the tendril wrapped itself around the pole; at hour 40, it unwrapped itself.’ Darwin had a most amazing form of meditative attention, which I’d like to be able to emulate in my poetry,” she says. Darwin’s use of metaphor also struck her as imaginative. “Metaphors we use are usually unidirectional — a human mind can be like a stormy sea, for example, but the other way around won’t work. In Darwin, we can find bidirectional metaphors. The human brain is like the plant roots, but also the reverse; the roots are like the human brain. This changes our usual anthropomorphic habits. We’re not solely projecting unto objects and other species; they in turn change our self-definitions.” Joosten’s inspiration for Light Light also comes from British and American poetry of the 19th century, the subject of her PhD dissertation at Cornell University. The kind of attention the Romantic poets gave to their surroundings was always appealing to her. “They had great interest in the natural world and developed many unconventional ways of interacting with it, being in it, thinking along with it.” Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley and Emily Dickinson just get better with time. “I love the more indirect moments, where you catch a kind of thought that seems unbound to a subject — a thought or a
feeling that exists not solely in them and not solely in the world, but in the interface between the two.” Dorothy Wordsworth’s diaries have been a revelation for Joosten, although the sibling of the famous poet reveals little of herself. She would observe the same thing from a different perspective on multiple days or weeks and let the reader witness “a beautiful progression that doesn’t feel like progression,” Joosten explains. Wordsworth adopts a declarative tone, and her entries can read as a disembodied account of what she’s seen. “Then, of course, there are the tender or hysterical or ridiculous domestic moments, too. ‘William has cold again, I slept in the closet so he can have the warm bedroom.’ There’s all these gender dynamics at play. Coleridge and Wordsworth would read her journals and take things out and use them in their poems. You can easily track down parts of her diary in certain poems.” In day-to-day life, does Joosten care for plants? “Absolutely, but I’m a gardener without natural talent. It takes me a while,” she says. She lives with her partner and their two dogs in Little Italy and gets along gloriously with her elderly Italian neighbours, who sometimes observe her gardening efforts in affable disbelief, occasionally volunteering help. She has more luck with indoor plants. “We have an orchid that survived its dormancy period and , two years, in continues to grow.” It just may be the same orchid that appears in what is possibly the tenderest poem of the collection, “Touch”: “Tenderness moves between us / as water moves / through the roots / of the plant.” Hear Julie Joosten read from Light Light at Word on the Street on Sun, Sept 21 at Queen’s Park, in the Great Books marquee.
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26 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
WHAT'S ON FOR MORE EVENT LISTINGS, GO TO DAILYXTRA.COM
ART & LITERATURE Imaging Home: Resistance, Migration, Contradiction The experiences of queer people living in oppressive countries are explored through documentary video and photographs. Runs until Sun, Oct 5. Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, 34 Isabella St. Free. clga.ca
The Word on the Street At this outdoor Toronto book and magazine festival, readers can peruse recently released works, attend panels and workshops, participate in family-oriented programming and visit Xtra’s tent! Sun, Sept 21, 11am–6pm. Queen’s Park Circle. Free. thewordonthestreet.ca
Compulsive Acts Keith Cole hosts the launch of Compulsive Acts: Essays, Interviews, Reflections on the Works of Sky Gilbert, a book of Gilbert-inspired material. Mon, Sept 29, 7pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $2.99; free with purchase of book. club120.ca
Queer Zine Fair This alternative fair focuses on the subversive history of zines and provides a platform for underrepresented folks, such as trans women and two-spirit people. Sat, Oct 4, 11am–7pm. United Steelworkers Hall, 25 Cecil St. PWYC–$5. torontoqueerzinefair. tumblr.com
Nuit Blanche Hundreds of artists transform Toronto into an all-night, multimedia, contemporary art exhibition. Sat, Oct 4, 6:53pm– sunrise. For more info, visit scotiabanknuitblanche.ca.
COMEDY & CABARET 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
OUTrageous! with Robert Keller: Back to Skool Following Keller’s sexy dancerridden show opener, there are performances by such local luminaries as comedians Catherine McCormick and Caitlin Langelier and Vicki Lix. Wed, Sept 24, 8pm. Yuk Yuk’s, 224 Richmond St W. $15. yukyuks.com
Starry Notions Ryan G Hinds kicks off his term as Buddies’ cabaret artist in residence with an evening of song and story. Sun, Sept 28, 8pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. $15. buddiesinbadtimes.com
Richard Ryder Live The Proud FM radio host performs adult-oriented, gay-centric, curseword-riddled standup comedy. Fri, Oct 3, 9pm. The Flying Beaver, 488 Parliament St. $15 advance, $20 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
SOY Monday Night Drop-In Queer youth ages 14 to 29 gather to watch movies, participate in art projects and workshops, and chat with Supporting Our Youth’s community mentors. For more info, contact jcaffery@sherbourne. on.ca. Every Monday, 5:30–8pm. Sherbourne Health Centre, 2nd floor, 333 Sherbourne St. Free. soytoronto.org
Salaam Support Group A space for queer Muslims to discuss issues and build community. For more info and to RSVP, contact salaamgroup.to@gmail.com. Tues, Sept 23, 6:30–8pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. salaamcanada.org
Bisexual Men of Toronto A peer-support and discussion group focused on community and solidarity. Tues, Sept 23, 8–9:30pm. Sherbourne Health Centre, 333 Sherbourne St. Free. torontobinet.org
LEISURE & PLEASURE Priscilla Screening This screening of The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert benefits the Santa Claus Fund. Fri, Sept 19, 7pm. Carlton Cinema, 20 Carlton St. PWYC. rainbowcinemas.ca
Right to Dance: Affirming Dance Classes Dancers of all skill levels learn a variety of dance styles — contemporary, ballet, hip hop or urban — in a supportive, drop-in environment. Every Tuesday evening and Saturday afternoon. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. PWYC. For updated times, visit illnanadcdc.com.
Dude for a Day: The Drag King Workshop Using acting, costumes and the aid of a makeup artist, women are transformed into male characters of their devising. Sun, Sept 21, 10am. For more info, visit soulo.ca.
The Queer Songbook Orchestra The 12-piece chamber ensemble plays songs connected to the closet — songs that sometimes brought solace to people in the closet or were written by closeted writers. Sun, Sept 21, 8pm. The
Keith Cole in Compulisive Acts — Club 120, Mon, Sept 29
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Vicki Lix headlines OUTrageous — Yuk Yuk's, Wed, Sept 24
Music Gallery, 197 John St. $15–20. musicgallery.org
Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com
I’m Sexy and I Know It
Sapphic Aquatica
The Rose Centre for Love, Sex and Disability hosts a night of festivities that includes a fashion show, a burlesque performance and a silent auction. Sun, Oct 5, 6–10pm. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. No cover. therosecentre.ca
In addition to the usual amenities, women and trans people enjoy music by DJ Nix, a rope bondage workshop, and drag-king performances in a sex-positive environment. Sun, Sept 28, 8pm– 3am. Oasis Aqualounge, 231 Mutual St. $20. oasisaqualounge.com
SEX & RELATIONSHIPS THEATRE Urge Sex Maze While wandering the sex maze, guys enjoy glimpses of soccer hunks and Spider-Man (or some slutty approximation). Every Thursday, 5pm–midnight. Urge, 199 Church St. Free entry for guys in sportswear, underwear or Lycra costumes. urgetoronto.com
10 Rules for Happy Non-Monogamy Andrea Zanin hosts a workshop focused on the ins and outs of successful non-monogamous relationships. Registration required. Mon, Sept 22, 7:30–9:30pm. Come As You Are, 493 Queen St W. $25. comeasyouare.com
Bigger, Better and Multiples: Orgasms for Women The G-spot does exist! Carlyle Jansen teaches women the tools and techniques for finding it and making it work for you. Registration required. Wed, Sept 24, 7–9:30pm. Good for Her, 175 Harbord St. $33. goodforher.com
Sounding Demo People who like to shove things up their wieners enjoy Tony Palazzo’s demonstration of erotic urethral play. Thurs, Sept 25, 11pm. Black
The Crucible Arthur Miller’s play is about how the devout town of Salem was thrown into chaos by accusations of witchcraft and spiritual possession. Runs until Sat, Sept 20, various showtimes. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane, Distillery District. $29–89. soulpepper.ca
Freda and Jem’s Best of the Week When two women who raised a family together split up, their family discovers that love doesn’t have to end at divorce, but it does have to change. Runs until Sun, Oct 5, various showtimes. Buddies in Bad Times, 12 Alexander St. PWYC–$37. buddiesinbadtimes.com
Wicked Long before Dorothy drops in, two girls meet in the Land of Oz. One is smart, fiery and misunderstood; the other is beautiful and popular — the untold story about the witches of Oz returns. Runs until Sun, Nov 2, various showtimes. Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St. $36–150. mirvish.com
Andrea Zanin hosts 10 Rules for Happy Non-Monogamy – Come as you Are, Mon, Sept 22
The Importance of Being Earnest Full of biting social commentary disguised as triviality, Oscar Wilde’s comedy about two Victorian aristocrats trying to escape their social burdens has stood the test of time. Runs Fri, Sept 19–Sat, Oct 4, various showtimes. Hart House, 7 Hart House Circle. $10–28. harthouse.ca
Gay Play Day This queer theatre event focuses on five short plays by local playwrights, including Warren Wagner’s I’m With AIDS, about a gay man who lies about having AIDS in order to get out of spending time with his straight co-workers. Fri, Sept 26, 8pm, and Sat, Sept 27, 3 and 8pm. Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley St. $15. gayplayday.blogspot.ca
XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 27
CLUB SCENE Thurs, Sept 18
Crews & Tangos Thursday Beauty & the Bitch, with Daytona Bitch and Katinka Kature being unbearably themselves, at 9pm; DJ Craig Dominic spins dancefloor faves in Tangos, and Elyse hosts Vocal Rehab karaoke in the Zone, both at 10pm; Drama Queens, with Ivory Towers and guest, at 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. crewsandtangos.com
Fri, Sept 19 Bearcode Louie Amaral and Eric Desbiens present the bimonthly furchaser night. 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. facebook.com/ bearcodenight El Convento Rico Friday Donnarama hosts, with performances by Nicolette Brown and Miss El Convento Rico, Vitality Black. Michelle and Alexmar lead the Latin dance class, with games and prizes at 11:30pm. Main show at 1am. 10pm. El Convento Rico, 750 College St. elconventorico.com Pheromone Friday DJs Recklezz and Sister Mister spin for the weekly ladies’ party. 10pm. Garage, 477 Church St. $5. sistermisterto.com DFMO DJs John Caffery and Aeryn Pfaff encourage kissing between grooves on the dancefloor. Hosted by David Kraft; performance by Sapphire Tithi-Reign. 10:30pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $5. buddiesinbadtimes.com
Sin DJ Mark DeMarko (NYC) spins tribal, tech and electro-house for the everything-goes night. Men of Sin go-go dancers Nigel and Taliesin give the crowd an eyeful. 10pm– 4am. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. $5 before midnight, $10 after. facebook. com/torntorontorubbermen
Interrogation Workshop International Leather Sir 2009 Master Tony introduces neophytes to the erotic interrogation scene. Open to everyone. No dress code. 3pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. $10. dragonmstr.com
Sun, Sept 21 Rough House A dungeon-cumhouse-party Sunday social for gay men interested in leather culture, leather sex and BDSM. Spontaneous play scenes include saline, bondage, CBT, percussion play, pumping, rope play, sounds, electro, fisting, suspension and more. Plus the Leather Market. 1–5pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $10. roughhouse.ca
Spread Eagle: “Sheena Is Still a Punk Rocker and He Finally Moved to Toronto” Edition The 8 1/2s play punked-up Balkan-spiced gypsy jazz, and Wood Butcher rock it with punk/rockabilly at this live rocker night in the Village. Hosted by Jenna Syde. 8pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. $10. blackeagletoronto.com
Mon, Sept 22 The Spotlight Top Shelf Comedy’s Christopher Allin and Brian Ward bring Toronto’s funniest comics to the mic every week. 9pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. facebook. com/topshelfcomedy
Tues, Sept 23 Toonie Tuesday Hosts Carlotta Carlisle and Katherine Hytes Dior welcome special guests, 9–11:30pm; Brooke Lynn Hytes and Vitality Black follow with more brilliant performances, 11:30pm–2:15am. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Varsity Tuesday Sofonda Cox hosts the amateur So You Think You Can Strip? competition, with a $100 cash prize. 11pm. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $5 before 11pm, $7 after; no cover with student ID before 11pm, $2 after. remingtons.com
Wed, Sept 24 OUTrageous!: Back to Skool Edition Robert Keller hosts a brand new show featuring Vicki Lix, Catherine McCormick and Caitlin Langelier. A song-and-dance number opens each show; pre-show jams by DJ Kris Steeves. 8pm. Yuk Yuk’s Toronto, 224 Richmond St W. $15. yukyuks.com Corona Wednesday DJ Truewind spins ’90s dance-party faves for
28 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
Blood, Sweat and Queers: Ladies of the House Edition DJ Phil V spins this special edition, with a special performance by Naomi Campbellsoup. 10pm. The Steady, 1051 Bloor St W. $5. thesteadycafe.com
Wood Butcher at Spread Eagle — Black Eagle, Sun, Sept 21
Woody’s Sunday The Hollywoody Broadway Show, hosted by Miss Conception, at 6pm; Old School, hosted by Georgie Girl, at 9pm; Five Smokin’ Hot Divas, hosted by Georgie Girl, at 11pm. DJ Blue Peter works the decks. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com
Woody's silver anniversary blowout — Woody's, Wed, Oct 1
’90s Trivia at WAYLA Kaleb Robertson or Miss Fluffy Soufflé celebrates the ’90s through questions, dance moves and audio clues. Prizes throughout the night, with a grand-prize gift certificate for the big winner. 7–10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. facebook. com/waylabarnounge
facebook.com/ torntorontorubbermen
Sat, Sept 20
Fly 2.0 Saturday Local DJs are the headliners every week, spinning house and circuit beats for the boys sweating it on the dancefloor. 10:30pm. Fly 2.0, 8 Gloucester St. flyyyz.com
Mon, Sept 29
TNT!Men Guys get naked for the popular monthly, no-attitude, allnaked event. 4–9pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $8, $5 members, $4 students. tntmen.org TORN The rubbermen return to the Black Eagle to socialize with friends and fetishists. Featuring demos, rub-downs and more. Newbies and veterans welcome. 7–9pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover.
Woody’s Friday Boys take the stage for a chance to win cash prizes worth $300 at the Best Men’s Ass Contest. DJ Mark Falco on decks. Midnight. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com
Mr Big DJ Dwayne Minard spins house for the big boys and welcomes DJ Barry Harris back to the Toronto booth. DJ Mike B spins the warm-up set. 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. $5. blackeagletoronto.com
Sat, Sept 27
Hump Day hotties. 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Zipperz Wednesday The Drag Kings of Toronto show what men are all about every week. 11pm. Zipperz-Cellblock, 72 Carlton St. No cover. facebook.com/zipperz
Thurs, Sept 25 Bush Whacked: A Kate Bush Tribute Night The Crush Project pays tribute to the eclectic songstress, with performances by Allysin Chaynes, Kate Merkin, Fay Slift, Miss Fluffy Soufflé, Igby Lizzard, Jenna Syde, Judy Virago, Trixie Beever and more. Hosted by Crystal Visions. 8pm. Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St W. $10. gladstonehotel.com Ladyplus Party DJ Todd Klinck spins upstairs for an evening of socializing with T-girls, their friends and admirers. 8pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $8 before 11pm, $15 after, additional $10 for all-night VIP booth access. goodhandys.com
Garage Saturday DJs Joe Blow and Sigourney Beaver spin hip hop, electro, pop, dancehall and indie, with performances by Nancy Bocock and Cherry Piqued. 10pm. Garage, 477 Church St. $5. facebook. com/churchstgarage CrushTO: The Breakfast Crush MC Johnny B Goode and DJ Mothers give out detentions, with performances by Maximum Capacity and Spencer Munny. 10pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $10. facebook.com/idtapthattoronto
Tues, Sept 30 Bingo with a Twist DManda Tension and the Gay Squad host a weekly evening of prizes, surprises and daubers. 9pm. Pegasus, 489B Church St. No cover. pegasusonchurch.com
Wed, Oct 1 Mr Man: Silver Anniversary Blowout No fewer than 25 of Woody’s dream girls take the drag stage to perform their favourite and most-enjoyed numbers in popup performances throughout the night. DJ Mark Falco spins. 8pm. Woody’s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com Crews & Tangos Wednesday Soul Sistas, with Michelle Ross and Jada Hudson, at 9pm; Foreplay, with Scarlett, at 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com
Sun, Sept 28 Sapphic Aquatica DJ Nix spins this social for queer women and transidentified folks, with performances by Billy Black, Jasai and Chocolate. Hosted by Miss F and Blair Ryder. No cis men, please. 8pm– 3am. Oasis Aqualounge, 231 Mutual St. $20. oasisaqualounge.com
Random Play DJ Dwayne Minard throws down ’70s and ’80s dance tunes for the retro queers. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. facebook.com/waylabarnounge Heavenly Thursday Heaven Lee Hytes and a guest send the audience to drag-cloud 69. 11pm. Zipperz-Cellblock, 72 Carlton St. No cover. facebook.com/zipperz
Fri, Sept 26 Uncle Dickie’s 2 DJs Faryl and Karsten Sollors (Vancouver) spin deep and tech house, disco and techno; opening set by residents and hosts Kerne and Angus. 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. $5 before 11:30pm, $10 after. blackeagletoronto.com El Convento Rico Friday Donnarama hosts a drag-filled night, with Jasmine Black and Sofonda Cox; Michelle and Alexmar lead Latin dance classes, with games and prizes, at 11:30pm. 10pm. El Convento Rico, 750 College St. elconventorico.com
DJ Karsten Sollor at Uncle Dickie's — Black Eagle, Fri, Sept 26 JUSTIN NG
Submit your event listing to listings@dailyxtra.com. Deadline for the Oct 2 issue is Wed, Sept 24. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
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XTRA! SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 29
DEEP DISH
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BY ROLYN CHAMBERS
Tapette 4th Year Anniversary Party
Prism’s Work It Weekend
SAT, SEPT 6 @ HENHOUSE
SAT, AUG 30 @ SKY BAR/THE PHOENIX
Remember summer? Neither do I, but it’s done. Or as the French say “fini.” Do you remember your first real love? I bet you do. Ten years ago, I met an enchanting French lad while he was studying English in Toronto. Tonight we meet up again for the first time in eight years; coincidentally (and appropriately) we make a night of it at Tapette’s Fourth Year Anniversary Party, Xtra’s DJ Phil V’s French dance music monthly. Though Francois claims to still not understand a word of what French-Canadians are saying (“That’s not French”), he is fully enjoying the show put on by lady bear extraordinaire Fay Slift, who tonight looks like a plus-sized version of Strawberry Shortcake. (I don’t think they have such bearded beauties in the south of France.) Miss Shortcake, by the way, has been six years old for 37 years now. If only we were still the same age as when we first met. It’s midnight, and The Henhouse is packed tighter than, yeah, a henhouse. It’s also so hot we’re sizzling like BBQ chickens as we squawk with friends and peck our way around the dancefloor. Perhaps everyone is here, like Xtra’s David Walberg, for a chance to snag a limited edition Tapette tank top. Or maybe it’s to win a pair of tickets to Yelle, the electro French band, whose “A Cause De Garçon” video helped propel the jump-style dance movement to new heights. But as Shazad, the “go-go guy of all parties,” entertains in itty-bitty shorts and Phil decides to DJ shirtless, we regulate ourselves to the funky chicken, the chicken dance and, my personal creation, the rooster cock rock. Very Tapette. 1E Fraser & Steve 2E Angus & another Tapette 3E David et un amis 4E DJ Phil V 5E Fay Slift 6E Brandon & a buddy
30 SEPT 18–OCT 1, 2014 XTRA!
Remember summer? Neither do I, but it’s over. Or as the party boys say, “ovah. “ Do you remember your first T-dance? Many won’t. But that’s the risk/ joy of attending most Prism events — this time it’s just during the day. Its over-the-top action always sucks you in, and by the time it spits you out, you’re stumbling down an alley trying to figure out how to get home. With the sun peeking out, we make our way up to The Guvernment Nightclub’s rooftop Sky Bar. Attendance is a must as the club is slated for demolition next year to make way for condos. As Montreal’s sexy Alain Jackinsky assumes control of the DJ booth, party overlord Gairy Brown assumes control of the upper deck. Sofonda prepares to assume control of the stage with a show of tight choreography, airy attitude and fantastic outfits. Prism’s Work It PitBull party takes place just hours later, and The Phoenix is packed tighter than a stable of broncos. DJ Deko-ze (whose real middle name is actually DeCourcey) is spinning only in small, crotch-hugging shorts. “I hate working in sweaty clothes,” he says. “Plus, I don’t mind acting as a catalyst to encourage others to get rid of their tops.” These two parties are part of the four-party, Labour Day long weekend event that Gairy hopes to continue. It’s a new holiday tradition, like watching fireworks on Victoria Day, eating turkey on Thanksgiving or opening presents on Christmas. Here, however, the fireworks take place on the dancefloor between men with dynamite down their pants; thick, meaty sausages are gobbled up instead of turkey; and the packages unwrapped tonight don’t need Energizer batteries. Work it. 7E Sofonda 8E Matthew & a work pal 9E Pitbull go-go boys 10E Adrian & a furry friend 11E Francis & Deko Ze
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Deep Dish appears in every other issue of Xtra. For this week’s Xposed column, by Anna Pournikova, go to dailyxtra.com. TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS
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Mortgages Investors Group Financial Services – Kenton Waterman 416-860-1668
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Automotive Sales & Leasing Ken Shaw Lexus 416-776-0055
Bars & Clubs (Toronto)
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Churches
Broadview Dental Clinic 416-466-6400
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto 416-406-6228
Clinics Yonge Wellesley Medical Clinic 416-960-1441 yongewellesley medicalclinic.com
Coffee Shops Fuel Plus 647-352-8807
City of Toronto, Economic Development Division toronto.ca/business
Counselling Change4U2 416-827-7578
Butchers
David Moulton, MEd, Canadian Certified Counsellor davidmoulton.ca
Career Counselling CareerCycles.com 416-465-9222
Cemeteries St John's Norway Cemetery and Crematorium 416-691-2965
Home Improvement & Repairs
Dr Iudita Costache – Galleria Dental 416-534-9991
Bryant Renovations Ltd
Dr Kevin Russelo & Associates 416-966-0117
Internet
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Juice Bars
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astraflorists.com
Graphic Design Services
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Mixtape Strategy
Phillip Coupal Counselling 416-557-7312
Cosmetic Dermatology on Bloor 416-922-6869
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Timothy E Leahy – Forefront Migration Ltd 416-226-9889
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Health & Personal Care
Lawyers
Law Office of El-Farouk Khaki 416-925-7227
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Galleria Dental, Dr Iudita Costache 416-534-9991
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Craig Penney, Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer 416-410-2266
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St Jamestown Steak & Chops 416-925-7665
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Renovations & Restorations Bryant Renovations Ltd 416-260-0818 Newbright Construction 416-985-8639
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Restaurants & Cafés
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SKLPT your body 1-866-600-3428
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Hair of the Dog 416-964-2708
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The Blake House 416-975-1867
Pace Pharmacy and Compounding Experts 416-515-7223 The Village Pharmacy 416-967-9221
Psychotherapy Bruce M Small, Conscious SelfIntegration 416-598-4888 Nick Mulé, PhD, RSW, Psychotherapist 416-926-9135
Publications Pink Triangle Press 416-925-6665 Xtra 416-925-6665
Radio Stations Proud FM 416-213-1035
Real Estate Agents Gaelen Patrick – Sutton Group Realty Systems Inc 416-801-9265
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Spa Services Cosmetic Dermatology on Bloor 416-922-6869
Tax Services CJH Tax Services 647-270-8057
Telecommunications Acanac 416-849-8530
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Waterproofing Waterproof Masters 905-822-2888
Websites dailyxtra.com 416-925-6665 Squirt.org squirt.org
Nicholas Banks iPro Realty 877-306-4776
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NAME: VIVEK SHRAYA AGE: 33.5 SIGN: AQUARIUS
“I moved to the city because pre-MP3s/Myspace, I was repeatedly told that if I wanted to build a music career in Canada, I had to be in Toronto,” says Vivek, whose favourite hangouts are “Roncesvalles, the Drake café, Carlton Cinema and my apartment.” He isn’t shy about his secret talents — “I do great impressions of Barney Gumble from The Simpsons, Toni Braxton and Voldemort” — but he gives full credit to the muses who’ve had an impact on his writing: “I am inspired by the brilliant women of colour in my life and by people trying to be their best selves. It’s such a privilege to get to make a connection with others through storytelling.” Vivek’s latest book, She of the Mountains, is an illustrated novel that weaves a passionate, contemporary love story between a man and his body, with a reimagining of Hindu mythology. Both narratives explore the complexities of embodiment and the damaging effects that policing gender and sexuality can have on the human heart. vivekshraya.com Facebook: vivekmusic Twitter: @vivekshraya Instagram: vivekshraya To comment on or become an Xtra Hot guy or gal, email Drasko at xtrahot@dailyxtra.com.
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Exploring: never stop Single Tablet Regimens (one pill, once a day) are a step forward in HIV treatment. Explore more at exploreHIV.ca
While they’re not a cure, these treatment options are designed to be effective and convenient. If you’ve been exploring different HIV treatments, talk to your doctor about Single Tablet Regimens too. It’s good to know what is out there.