Xtra, Toronto's Gay and Lesbian News

QUEER SCHOOL Stakeholders hit pause on divisive idea › 9

JASON KENNEY’S UNUSUAL EMAIL Minister defends ‘creepy’ missive › 10

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

LOVING LA CAGE AUX FOLLES Three actors on playing iconic role › 20 #729 OCT 4, 2012

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BEFORE ‘THE BIRDCAGE’,

THERE WAS ‘LA CAGE.’ GEORGE HAMILTON

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Roundup #729

MARC CRAMER

OCT 4, 2012

NEWS

Queer-centric schools Stakeholders voted overwhelmingly in favour of dropping the idea to launch a queer-centric Toronto school where queer students and teachers could be out and proud.

Many worried the project would put the Triangle Program at risk. ›9

Poster war The Church Wellesley Village BIA is cracking down on event posters in the gaybourhood. The issue has divided the community. ›9

COVER STORY

Angela James Xtra speaks with the hockey superstar about a new biography detailing her journey from North York teen player to the woman known as the female Gretzky. ›14

OUT IN THE CITY

La Cage aux Folles The groundbreaking musical hits a Toronto stage this month, and Xtra chats with three gay actors who have played the gender-bending Albin. They look back on their experience with the character and how the show first pushed boundaries on Broadway. ›20

ONLINE

The Master

NATIONAL

Balls out

Anyone who visited Montreal this summer saw how the city transformed SaintCatherine Street, the city’s gay strip, into a pedestrian wonderland of public art and lively patios, all connected with thousands of pink balls strung over the street.

Xtra gets the lowdown on the successful project. ›12

Is Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, The Master, an attempt to bring the story of the Church of Scientology to film? Anderson has remained mum on the question but says his film is not about a cult. ›xtra.ca

Hot buttons The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives has expanded its reach with its latest exhibit, which showcases queer-themed buttons that date from the late 1960s to the present. Curators have turned the CLGA’s website into an interactive space where people can leave comments and memories about the various buttons. ›xtra.ca

REGULARS

Comment ›6 Xcetera ›7 Xposed ›26 Index ›32 Classifieds ›32 COLUMNS

Editorial Danny Glenwright ›6 Fraser’s Edge Brad Fraser ›17 Porndoggy Jeremy Feist ›34 LISTINGS

Art & photography ›22 Film & video ›22 Health & issues ›22 Music › 22 Print & readings ›22 Leisure & pleasure ›24 Stage › 24 COVER PHOTO BY ADAM COISH

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

editorial › feedback › debate

Comment Tory embrace just for show Editorial Danny Glenwright

W

HEN POLITICIANS change their minds on a major issue, especially something of a social nature, it is usually for political or financial reasons. Either they have miscalculated the views held by their electorate, overplayed their hand with budgetary “commitments,” or the winds of change have left them in the dust and they are trying to catch up.

These changes of heart quite often come after elections, when promises made cannot be promises kept. They are referred to as flip-flops, U-turns, what Europeans call volte-face – an about-face.

So it is with some suspicion that many queer Canadians now look on the Conservative party’s belated embrace of our community and its international needs.

It is perhaps most interesting that Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney has taken up the mantle. He who so successfully played the Tory’s preelection point man in Canada’s ethnic minority communities, effectively working to convince many potential voters of his party’s about-face on issues of multiculturalism and immigration.

I suspect the gay community will not be as easy to win over, especially when here in Canada we’ve spent these past six Conservative years trying to hold on to and claw back rights, programs and funding with those same faggot fingernails Tory MP Tom Lukiwski once said are laden with dirt that transmits disease.

It will surely take more than a selfcongratulatory email like the one Kenney sent Sept 24 (see story on page 10).

Of course, the note championing his fight to rescue queer Iranian refugees should not be taken too seriously — the minister is known for congratulating himself. He even recently hosted a petition on his website on which fans could leave personal thank-yous.

And then there’s the curious case of Foreign Minister John Baird. The National Post on Sept 22 told Canadians the Conservative bulldog has an “aggressive agenda” to stand up to countries where homosexuality is still criminal. It’s a shame (considering his position of influence) that Baird has not been able to stand up and take pride in his own sexuality (see story on page 11). This speaks volumes.

And while for once it is nice not to feel compelled to turn away in shame when a Conservative minister speaks on the world stage, these types of aggressive agendas take more than words. So far neither Kenney nor Baird has offered much in the way of money or cohesive policy.

In a recent column in Embassy, Canada’s foreign-policy newsweekly, Akim Adé Larcher, the former director of policy and research at Egale, said that in terms of promoting queer rights abroad, “Canada has seated itself at the global table without resources or a clear direction in terms of what it wants to achieve.”

A 2012 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) review also criticized Canada for recent cuts to its foreign aid budget. It said Ottawa lacks transparency, and its work with Canadian organizations promoting human rights abroad has become “ad hoc and selective.”

With this in mind, Baird’s criticism is empty; it seems simply a way of embarrassing other states our government doesn’t like. If Baird is so anxious to promote gay rights abroad, what is he doing about the myriad human rights abuses against our community perpetrated in parts of the United States? By the Vatican? By our new buddies the Chinese?

Similarly, Kenney’s gay refugee fight seems to start and stop with Iran, underscoring the government’s dangerous use of ideology to guide its policy decisions. While Iran is no model for gay rights, the Rainbow Refugee Committee’s Sharalyn Jordan notes that there are more than 78 countries with criminal sanctions against queer people, including several other countries with the death penalty.

Kenney’s government has had no problem deporting gay refugee claimants from these countries, including sending Kulenthiran Amirthalingam back to Malaysia in 2008. The gay man had previously spent time in a prison there. Kenney’s recent email, astonishingly, touts his work with the Rainbow Refugee Committee. Meanwhile, representatives at that group have excoriated most of the minister’s decisions on this file.

These slick politicians have taken the country’s temperature and found most Canadians (including many of the 60 percent who did not vote for them) are okay with the whole gay thing. That does not mean they have any intention of doing anything about it other than congratulating themselves and hanging a bunch of shiny new window-dressing.

Danny Glenwright is Xtra’s assignment 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.

INBOX Yunel Escobar R E G AR DI NG T H E “E YE black” words of the Blue Jays player translating to “You are a pussy” (we know he’s not talking about kitty cats): Homophobic? Yes, slightly. Sexist? Absolutely [“Homophobic Stunt Disappointing: Burke,” xtra.ca, Sept 18]. Yet nobody seems to be addressing that issue. A man, straight or gay, using this phrase to humiliate another man for his perceived weakness or sensitivity is commonplace in our society. How about “he throws/screams/runs like a girl” or “make you my son of a bitch?” These, too, are acceptable phrases to demean a man by using a derogatory comparison to a woman or part of her body. Yes, that’s right: a woman, the “weaker” sex — secondclass citizens — who, in today’s society, are still not equal in any sense of the word and are the most victimized humans everywhere and anywhere in the world. And on behalf of cats and dogs who don’t have a voice, it’s appalling that these nicknames and scientific terms are used in a derogatory manner.

Dawn Toronto, ON

THE FACT IS HE HAD THIS under his eyes for all of Saturday’s game, yet no one on the Blue Jays’ bench, many fluent in Spanish, did anything about it. A fan had to release the picture on Twitter.

The coaches and players who speak and read Spanish did nothing about it. Escobar bears the responsibility, but it is equally shared by those who could have stopped it. Did they perhaps find it funny?

Peter Bochove Toronto, ON

Village postering AS AN OUTSIDER OF TOronto, and an occasional visitor to the Church Street shopping and bar area, I don’t want to say that I am sitting on the fence about this issue [“Crackdown on Village Postering,” xtra.ca, Sept 28]. I agree with both sides of this dispute and agree that the area looks untidy, unwelcome, unclean, especially when looking at the poles where the flyers are falling off, overlapping and out-of-date. Those using the poles for advertising need to put in the effort to clear the poles of their flyers when the event is over. They took the time to put them up, so take them down as well. The BIA, I believe, is going in the right direction to help improve the locale of the gay village and show those coming into the area that there is a good reason to come. If the wrapping of the poles improves the look of the gay village, then maybe everything and everyone else will change for the better and feel proud of what their gay village signifies.

Community boards are great, but

IF NEW ARRIVALS ARE TOO BIGOTED TO ACCEPT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, THAT’S JUST TOO BAD.

Send your correspondence by mail to 2 Carlton St, Ste 1600, Toronto M5B 1J3, email comment@xtra.ca, or log in to xtra.ca and comment directly. We may edit letters.

only if they are in designated areas, and that may be the issue. The BIA may need to look at the placement of these boards to make them more accessible and more visible.

Mike Miedzinski London, ON

V I B R A N T, E N G A G I N G neighbourhoods are full of posters, graffiti, guerilla gardens and any number of unregulated expressions of the people who live there.

Sad neighbourhoods are ones where the only people allowed to influence the streetscapes are business committees and politicians.

Andrew Woodrow-Butcher Toronto, ON

Queer-centric school EVERY SCHOOL SHOULD be a queer school [“Toronto May Get Queer-Centric School,” xtra. ca, Sept 25]. If LGBT students aren’t being provided material appropriate to them, something is deeply wrong in the school system, and the solution is to fix it everywhere, not ship all the LGBT kids into a school-sized closet. If new arrivals are too bigoted to accept our public school system, that’s just too bad. But their kids will be better people for it.

Randy Windsor, ON

Funding editorial I LOVED YOUR OPEN LETTER, Danny, but you do need to be clearer on one thing: a Zionist is not the same thing as Jew [“An Open Letter to the City’s Major Cultural Organizations,” Xtra #728, Sept 20]. I don’t ascribe any malicious intent to your words, but the fact remains you cannot accurately use the two words “Jewish” and “Zionist” interchangeably. Take me, for instance: I’m a proud Jewish queer who is not a Zionist. Indeed, I protest the Israeli government and its Zionist supporters using my Jewishness and my queerness to pinkwash its atrocities and yes, apartheid against Palestinians. When you fail to distinguish between a Jew and a Zionist, you provide oxygen to the mainstream leaders in my Jewish community who assume they can get away with speaking for all Jews, without hearing a peep from us. For the record, they do not and will not represent me until they use their positions to denounce the Israeli government’s actions, and then I will consider whether any of their other stances reflect my own views. The debate of the use of the term “Israeli apartheid” is obfuscated enough by the apologists for the Israeli state; thus it is the responsibility of journalists like Danny Glenwright and publications like Xtra who publish

their articles to educate themselves so that they can be taken seriously and supported by their readership and those in the larger community.

You deal in words, so please get the words right! Thanks again, though, for writing and publishing the letter.

Anita Block Toronto, ON

ARTS O RG AN I Z AT I O NS ignore this politicization of cultural funding at their peril. Four years ago the same groups demanded then-mayor David Miller ban Theatre Passe Muraille’s reading of British playwright Caryl Churchill’s Seven Jewish Children. Miller refused. Arts organizations may fear backlash from donors if they take a stance against censorship. They may see queers as dispensable. They may think themselves immune because of their size. But if they allow this precedent to go ahead, they will help facilitate a culture freeze that will no doubt touch them down the line.

Richard Fung Toronto, ON

Proud FM SHAUN PROULX (FORMER Proud FM DJ) has this to say about your story [“Proud FM Loses Bid for New Signal,” Xtra #728, Sept 20] on his Facebook, and I think he nails it: “This isn’t a story about losing a radio signal bid, or about being in dire financial straits, it’s a story about the care and treatment of the people around you, whether they are your human resources, or your friends or family. You are given back a perfect match to what you put out.

Rely on it.”

Paul Toronto, ON

Pride funding I REMEMBER WHEN PRIDE was about fighting for LGBT freedoms and celebrating our culture [“New Battle over Pride Funding,” Xtra #728, Sept 20]. But now it’s all about the politics of the Middle East. What a waste. Be it Israel or Palestine, Gaza or Syria, we are talking about a fight that has gone on for millennia to no avail. Why must Pride take up this banner? Are there not other days in the year that those opposed to Israel or those who support it can march, chant and just plain bitch? No? Why is that? Oh right, because Pride isn’t about us faggots anymore; it’s about far-left and far-right politics that have zero bearing on the LGBT community.

By all means fight for Palestinian LGBTs, but don’t for one moment think anyone with a brain doesn’t see QuAIA for what it is. That’s just dishonest.

Jon Montreal, QC

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7

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

noteworthy › updates › ephemera

Xcetera

Compiled by Jeremy Feist (except where noted)

THE MAP

8

POUTINI’S TRADITIONAL POUTINE: $7 SPECIALTIES: Offers vegetarian

7

Sweaty Betty’s 13 Ossington Ave BEER: Domestic, $4.50; import, $6.25 SPECIALTIES: Patio; celebrity hangout (Drew Barrymore, k-os, etc)

The County General 936 Queen St W BEER: Draft, $7 (brewed in Muskoka); bottles, $5 (all local brews) SPECIALTIES: Locally sourced

GOOD FORTUNE

10

NACHOS SUPREME: $10 (+2.80 beef, chicken, guacamole) BEER: Domestic, $5.30; import, $7.07; premium, $6.19 SPECIALTIES: 20 beers on tap; live entertainment (karaoke, DJ, UFC screenings); huge space! (large enough for parties)

options, environmentally sustainable cups and napkins (go green!)

6

The Dog’s Bollocks 817 Queen St W

9

Milagro Restaurant 783 Queen St W TOSTADA: $11 (tortilla snack similar to nachos) BEER: Domestic (bottle), $6; domestic (draft pint), $7 SPECIALTIES: Authentic Mexican food; source and support local businesses

11

751 751 Queen St W NACHOS: $10 (+3 chicken, +2 guacamole) BEER: Domestic, $5.75; import, $8; Pabst Blue Ribbon, $3.50 (weekdays) SPECIALTIES: Patio opens to Queen Street; variety of international foods; $4 shooters and $10 pitchers

The Raq 739 Queen St W NACHO PLATTER: $12 (+3.50 chorizo, chicken, pulled pork, beans) BEER: Domestic, $6; import, $7; premium, $6 SPECIALTIES: Tuesdays, $3.50 domestic pints; Sundays, $18 pitcher + nacho platter; pool tables; 21+ weekends

THINKSTOCK

Every once in a while, good people get lucky.

And occasionally, they get insanely lucky.

Just ask Tarra Tuttle and Cary Tullos, a lesbian couple of seven years who won $10 million in the Florida Lottery’s Billion Dollar Blockbuster the same day Tullos found out a lump in her breast was not, in fact, breast cancer.

Just putting this out there, but if god really does hate gay relationships, he has a weird way of showing it.

15

Hoops Sports Bar & Grill 735 Queen St W NACHOS: $15 (largest selection of nachos) HOOPS POUTINE (8.5 OZ): $8 BEER (PINT): $4.85 SPECIALTIES: Chain; big-screen TVs; pool tables and games

Czehoski 678 Queen St W NACHOS: $14.50 BEEF POUTINE: $11 BEER: Domestic, $7; import, $8; premium, $8 SPECIALTIES: Nachos made with organic tortilla chips; outdoor patio

La Hacienda 640 Queen St W NACHOS: $11 (+2 chicken/beef, +3 chorizo) BEER: Bottles and pints, $6 SPECIALTIES: Live music; authentic Tex Mex

Smoke’s Poutinerie 578 Queen St W TRADITIONAL POUTINE: $6 SPECIALTIES: Chain; largest

selection of extras and toppings for poutine

THE BREAKDOWN

Paris Hilton vs Grindr

LUCK BE A LADY

14

11 12

BATHURST

1112 Queen St W

13

MARKHAM

RA

12

14

TECUMSETH

10

NIAGA

WALNUT

STRACHAN

MASSEY

Poutini’s House of Poutine

PALMERSTON

EUCLID

MANNING

CLAREMONT

BELLWOODS

GORE VALE

CRAWFORD

SHAW

BEER (PINT): Domestic, $5.53; premium, $6.64; import, $7.08 SPECIALTIES: Historic building; entertainment and cultural and art hub

WORKMAN

5

The Drake Hotel 1150 Queen St W

9

8

Sure, it’s easy to be intimidated by West Queen West — the neighbourhood has slowly transformed itself into hipster turf, a battleground of overgrown beards, plaid shirts and Buddy Holly glasses.

But rest assured, this west-end ’hood is chock full of casual restaurants and drinking spots where you don’t need to be ironic to fit in. This week, Xtra scoured the strip for affordable and great-tasting beer, nachos and poutine. For more on this story, turn to page 25.

The Beaconsfield

LOBSTER NACHOS: $24

GIVINS

4

QU E E N W

13

Compiled by Erica Lenti & Sofia Mikhaylova

Savoy Restaurant

1154 Queen St W BEER: Domestic, $5; premium, $6.50; import, $7.50 SPECIALTIES: Record bar (emphasis on soul and reggae music) run by former record store clerk

OSSINGTON

Y UR

3

7

Queen West Crawl

1181 Queen St W POUTINE: $6.90 SPECIALTIES: Steps away from the Gladstone, featuring art exhibits, live entertainment; variety of international poutine (Greek, Mexican, Southwest, etc) 1166 Queen St W NACHOS SUPREME: $11 (+2.60 beef, chicken, guacamole) BEER: Domestic, $6; import, $7.50; premium, $6–7 INDIAN POUTINE: $8 SPECIALTIES: Half-price nachos on Tuesdays when you buy a drink; seven beers on tap; $3.50 drink specials

GORDON BELL

DB

2

Gladstone Café

BROOKFIELD

WHITE SQUIRREL

ABELL

SU

1

FENNINGS

3

5

DOVERCOURT

2

LISGAR

BEACONFIELD

NORTHCOTE

GLADSTONE

DUFFERIN

1

4

6

TRINITY BELLWOODS PARK

Paris puts her foot in it, again

A celebrity?

Sort of?

WHAT

A dating app for gay men

Nothing.

Literally nothing

KNOWN FOR

Allowing gay guys to hook up

Inspired Kim Kardashian

LEGACY

Inspired other hook-up apps

Everything about her

DOWNSIDE

Total time-suck; impersonal

OVERHEARD TALKING ABOUT GRINDR: “Gay guys are the horniest people in the world . . . They’re disgusting. Dude, most of them probably have AIDS.”

FINAL WORD

TWEETED RESPONSE: “@parishilton, frankly we’re surprised that you hadn’t heard about Grindr sooner, given some of the guys you date.”

BREAKING NEWS › BEYOND ZAC EFRON’S TIGHT WHITE BRIEFS › ‘INVISIBLE’ ILLNESS COMMON IN QUEER COMMUNITY › DANCING ON AIR › KAMAL AL-SOLAYLEE SHORTLISTED FOR WRITERS’ TRUST AWARD › CHRISTINE VACHON ON NEW QUEER CINEMA MORE AT XTRA.CA

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

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9

dispatches › issues › opinion

Upfront COMMUNITY NEWS

WE DECIDED THAT INSTEAD OF RUNNING AWAY AND LETTING THESE HOMOPHOBIC PEOPLE WIN, WE WOULD JUST STAY HERE. Jamie Berardi › 16 EDUCATION NEWS

Crackdown on Village postering BIA to install pole wraps and relegate posters to community notice boards Andrea Houston STREETLAMPS AND OTHER POLES in the Church Wellesley Village may soon be stripped forever of colourful posters advertising community meetings, dance parties and other local events.

Some community members have been pushing for the Church Wellesley Village Business Improvement Area (BIA) to stop all such postering and “clean up the street.”

BIA co-chair Avery Pitcher told local business representatives, at a Sept 24 meet-and-greet at Big Johnson’s, that the poles could soon be covered with eight-foothigh wrapping.

“They are covered with a substance, almost like a sandpaper grid, so that posters can’t adhere to them,” she says. “They will be solid colours in the rainbow theme. That will add colour to the street and provide a cleaner environment. We are trying to clean up all of the ratty, tatty paper.”

Local DJ Craig Dominic, who is also Xtra and Fab magazines’ distribution and community relations coordinator, says the move could be a problem for community activists, event organizers and DJs who depend on posters to advertise local events.

“We need to be able to get the word out in as many ways as possible,” he says. “These events bring people to the Village. They bring money to the Village and a sense of community to the Village. The BIA may be hindering that by doing this.”

But Pitcher says city poles are not the place to advertise. “We need to create more mediums to communicate our events in the city and our area,” she says, noting that the BIA encourages anyone looking to promote events to advertise on the BIA website or use the community event boards provided by the city.

There are two community event boards in the Church Wellesley Village.

“Posters can make the area look overloaded,” Pitcher says. “When the posters are out of date, people don’t come back and take them down. They just keep postering on top of one another. It just doesn’t make the Village look as clean as we want it to look.”

Dominic disagrees. He says there are better ways to clean up the Village, such as installing more garbage and recycling containers, increasing street cleaning and encouraging public art.

“Considering community advertising ‘trash’ is in itself a problem,”

he says. “What they are doing is whitewashing the street, whitewashing queer meeting places. They are taking away space we use to communicate with one another and find out what’s going on in the neighbourhood.”

The new pole wraps, expected to arrive in March, will cover 18 poles on Church Street and will cost approximately $24,000. BIA manager David Wootton says the wraps are part of a cost-share program with the city, which is paying half.

Wootton says funding for the wraps has not yet been confirmed.

“We won’t know for sure until our budget is approved in March. I think we have a good chance because we are trying to improve the streetscape.”

From left, Triangle graduates Shane Camastro, David Jason, Rosa Brooks and Danielle Sutherland (far right), with John Campey (second from right). ANDREA HOUSTON

Reconsidering queer school New school could put Triangle Program at risk, grads say Andrea Houston

The Church Wellesley Village BIA may soon cover neighbourhood poles with wraps that prevent postering. ANDREA HOUSTON

Other neighbourhoods in the city have already implemented similar initiatives to curb postering. Ward 27 Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam says the number one complaint she hears from residents is that the posters are a nuisance.

“Right now, businesses are not permitted to poster. There’s an antipostering bylaw when it comes to commercial operation,” she says.

“What stops corporations like Nike from wrapping the pole in a banner?

It doesn’t matter if it’s a small business or a big business.”

Wong-Tam says the BIA is smart to invest in beautification.

“In 2014, when the eyes of the gay world are on Church Street for WorldPride, what image will we project?” she says. “There’s no doubt we’ll host a great party. But what else will Toronto be about? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

G R ADUAT E S F ROM TORON TO’S Triangle Program attended a community forum on Sept 26 to express concerns that launching a queer-centric high school could potentially put the existing program in jeopardy.

Community members at the meeting overwhelmingly voted against pursuing the idea.

University of Toronto student Fan Wu, 20, says he has decided not to submit an application to the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) for a queer-centric alternative school. Applications are due at the end of September.

Wu recently told Xtra he was working with TDSB staff members to develop a proposal for a high school that would welcome queer teachers and students.

But Wu says he isn’t disappointed.

He thinks the meeting provided space for an important discussion with local queer leaders working in education, many of whom vowed to continue the dialogue to ensure resources for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans youth are available in every school.

“I think tonight was extremely generative and productive,” says Wu, who is also a former TDSB student trustee.

“I certainly learned a lot from the community tonight that I hadn’t known before, which is really crucial to me.

The bottom line is we need a cultural

shift and attention paid to our queer students.”

Several of those who attended the meeting made a commitment to continue working toward a more equitable curriculum. “That is the goal we share, to change the Ontario curriculum at its core,” Wu said.

Xtra was the only member of the media permitted in the forum.

Triangle Program graduate Shane Camastro, 20, says the school Wu wants already exists and is successful. “The Triangle Program is a queer school,” he says. “We are talking about queer-centric curriculum. The Triangle Program even made math gay.”

Rosa Brooks, 20, who grew up with two moms, says the Triangle Program has evolved beyond a crisis intervention model. “I don’t understand what the difference would be.”

Triangle graduate David Jason, 21, says it’s clear there is a demand for the kind of specialized alternative school that caters to queer and gendernonconforming students, whether in a crisis situation or not.

“We need to build on that instead of going out and creating something else,” he says. “I’m not against starting a queer school, but I think it should be an extension of the Triangle Program.

Call it Triangle Two. Expand the Triangle Program.” Likewise, there’s no reason all Ontario schools can’t have queer resources, he says.

John Campey, one of the founders of the Triangle Program, told Wu that resources would be better used lobbying the province for more queer-focused curriculum for all schools.

“I urge you to be very cautious before doing this,” he told Wu at the meeting.

“If there’s anything that jeopardizes Triangle, there will be a very strong community response. To address queer suicide and queer dropout rates — I don’t believe this will do that. The lack of resources in the mainstream system is the cause.”

Meanwhile, queer activist Casey Oraa, who is vice-chair of Queer Ontario, says he applauds Wu for coming up with a new idea.

“We need to really think about our education system and find more ways we can support youth,” he says. “Curriculum is provincially mandated.”

Oraa says the long-awaited updated sex education curriculum, which was shelved by the Ministry of Education in 2010, needs to get into classrooms.

“The consultations were supposed to have happened ages ago and still have not happened.”

Javier Davila, a teacher and advisor in the TDSB’s office for gender-based violence prevention, defends Wu’s idea. He says LGBT students have a high dropout rate and need extra supports.

“Clearly, there’s many students whose needs are not being met,” he says. “Tonight we learned the Triangle Program is benefiting some students, and they are very happy about that, but there’s many whose needs are not being met. They should have a choice.”

10

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

FEDERAL POLITICS

SPORTS NEWS

Jason Kenney defends gay-targeted email Controversy raises concerns about refugee policy Andrea Houston CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION Minister Jason Kenney is on the defensive, telling Xtra he is surprised by the angry reaction to the email he sent out Sept 24 touting the government’s plan to protect the rights of gay and lesbian refugees.

The email, sent to thousands of gay and lesbian Canadians, was titled “LGBT Refugees in Iran,” and began with the salutation, “Friend.”

That’s because, Kenney maintains, those who received the email had once signed a petition about gay refugees that generated an automated response to his office. He also suspects some recipients of his email had previously contacted his office. Kenney rejects comments from some who said his email was “creepy” because it appeared to target gay and lesbian people.

“Quite honestly, I’ve been in Parliament for 15 years and I’ve never seen a more ridiculous reaction to an issue than people objecting to being corresponded with by a parliamentarian’s office after having contacted that office on that issue with their email address,” he says.

While she says privacy issues are important, the Rainbow Refugee Committee’s Sharalyn Jordan is far more concerned with the content of the email

Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney has been trumpeting his government’s work helping queer Iranian refugees. ROB SALERNO

and the changes included in Bill C-31, an omnibus bill on Canada’s refugee system.

In the email, Kenney says he is working closely with the Rainbow Refugee Committee to sponsor gay refugees for resettlement to Canada.

But Jordan calls the email “pinkwashing” and a blatant attempt to create a negative shift in public opinion toward Iran by highlighting the homophobia faced by queer people there.

“We were very concerned that the letter singled out Iran,” she says. “There are over 78 countries with criminal sanc-

tions against gay, lesbian, bi and trans people. There’s no need to be singling out Iran. There are five other countries and two states with the death penalty.”

Likewise, Jordan says the federal government has ignored her committee’s advice on refugee protection for queer people.

The Rainbow Refugee Committee has serious concerns regarding the so-called safe country list. She says some countries on it have laws protecting sexual minorities that are rarely enforced and do little to change social discrimination in the culture.

A good example is South Africa, she says, which has constitutional protection around sexual orientation, “yet organizations there report frequent cases of corrective rape that police are unable or unwilling to investigate.”

Kenney says countries that do not normally produce refugees will get a “safe country” designation. Designating some countries as safe helps prevent the high number of asylum claims that are determined to be false, he says. “You cannot have an asylum system that simply accepts the veracity of every claim that’s filed. That would be just an advertisement to the world to fabricate a false claim.”

But Jordan says there’s “not a shred” of evidence to support saying there are

any more false claims for gay and trans refugees than any other group.

Kenney says the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) does not make arbitrary decisions, so refugees must produce some evidentiary basis for claims of persecution.

That’s part of the problem, Jordan says. Many gay refugees seeking asylum have been forced to stay deeply closeted, hiding their sexuality under the weight of personal shame and stigma.

She says some members of the IRB are not adequately trained to assess sexual minorities and gender-nonconforming people. They often use Western stereotypes of queer people, some are homophobic and most don’t understand the gender spectrum.

Federal judge James Russell recently criticized refugee adjudicators, rebuking them for relying on stereotypes to determine the sexuality of refugee claimants. “Behaviours which establish a claimant’s homosexuality are inherently private,” Russell said.

Kenney is skeptical. He says that if cases are denied, the IRB probably had a good reason. Still, he says one of his first meetings when he became minister four years ago was to meet with Egale’s Helen Kennedy, who raised concerns surrounding the evidentiary standard the IRB uses for gay refugees.

Kennedy was not available for comment at press time.

Following that meeting, Kenney says, he arranged to get IRB decision-makers better training on assessing the veracity of gay claims. “When the gay community has raised these concerns with me, I’ve responded the only way I can, which is to encourage the IRB to make sure they are being especially sensitive to the nature of gay claims.”

Escobar back on home field IT APPEARS YUNEL ESCOBAR HAS finally understood the error of his ways.

On Sept 27, the Toronto Blue Jays shortstop met with gay athlete Jose Estevez and the You Can Play project’s Patrick Burke.

“I think he gets it,” says Burke, whose campaign aims to make sports teams safer environments for gay players.

Escobar, 29, was suspended for three games after wearing a homophobic slur on his eye-black during a game on Sept 15.

He also agreed to undergo sensitivity training and to donate his docked salary to You Can Play and GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation). The salary amounts to about $92,000. Burke says he hasn’t yet received the money and he doesn’t know how it will be split.

The game-day meeting involved only Burke, Estevez and Escobar.

Estevez acted as an interpreter for the Cuban-born Escobar. The discussion started at 2pm and lasted about 45 minutes.

“It was a great meeting,” says Escobar, who says he learned a lot from the short discussion. “It was very positive.” He says he now knows the language he used is not acceptable.

“He made a big mistake and now, I think, he’s sorry for it,” Burke says.

— Daniela Costa

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11

MEDIA ANALYSIS

Glass closet

The strange case of Tory minister John Baird Matthew Hays NOW THAT THE NATIONAL POST HAS declared the ruling Conservatives the new best friends of the gay community, it raises the question: if these people are such warriors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans rights, why hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even one of their MPs stood up and come out?

We know there may be a few, though Xtraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s policy on outing has always been clear: we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do it. But the mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s handling of Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, in particular, highlights the struggle mainstream journalists have in handling the public proďŹ les of politicians and their supposedly private lives.

Just to set the record straight, it was not some nasty commie queer activist who outed Baird. It was another Tory.

On Feb 2, 2010, Conservative candidate Pamela Taylor, who was then running for Ontario provincial office in a byelection, was asked, while on a morning radio chat show, if she could name a single gay Tory. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Openly gay? John Baird,â&#x20AC;? she responded.

Baird had long been identiďŹ ed as gay in the blogosphere, where, it seems, such things dare speak their name. Up until that point, the mainstream media had avoided the issue.

The response to the outing was odd.

Xtra ran it as a lead story online, eliciting a steady stream of reader comments.

According to a 2010 Google traffic re-

port, it was xtra.caâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most-read story of the year. But the mainstream media, perhaps once again inadvertently proving their dinosaur status, chose not to touch the story.

Aside from one article that detailed the outing in La Presse, all the mainstream dailies and radio and TV stations steered clear. (According to the mainstream media, Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is a linguistically lopsided outing; apparently heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay in only one official language.) In fact, reporting on the high-proďŹ le Baird is hilarious â&#x20AC;&#x201D; I havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen this much coded language for â&#x20AC;&#x153;heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay but we canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t say itâ&#x20AC;? since I read what gossip columnists wrote about Rock Hudson in the 1950s. When Baird was named Parliamentarian of the Year by Macleanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in 2010, reporter Aaron Wherry called him â&#x20AC;&#x153;the charming Conservativeâ&#x20AC;? (a phrase some might consider a contradiction in terms). Wherry pointed out that some MPs consider Baird â&#x20AC;&#x153;an enigma of sorts.â&#x20AC;? The article hints at a split personality, quoting Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, who asks, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Who is the real John Baird? Is he the charming, boyish kind of person who is trying to win over the hearts of people? Or is he the pit bull?â&#x20AC;? Why, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the Talented Mr Ripley!

In their defence, Canadian journalists have attempted to maintain a certain ethic on the private lives of politicians. In order to avoid a Clinton/ Lewinsky-esque carnival atmosphere,

journalists have (for the most part rightly) deemed such issues unnecessary to cover. The emphasis, they point out, should be on the job performances of politicians, not on their personal lives. It could be seen as a twist on the famous Trudeau-ism: the nation has no place in the bedrooms of the state.

But proponents of outing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that is, the act of pushing public ďŹ gures out of the closet against their will â&#x20AC;&#x201D; have long suggested that such acts are entirely justiďŹ able where hypocrisy is involved.

Simply put, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working against the rights of queer people, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve abdicated your right to remain in the closet.

This question becomes more complicated with Baird, seeing as he is now criticizing governments in other parts of the world for their homophobic policies. Since ďŹ ghting homophobic laws abroad seems to be part of his agenda, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it then fair to bring up his sexual orientation? To ask Baird how he works within the Conservative Party, given that we know many of its MPs and supporters are hostile to queer rights?

If we had a government that was known to be anti-Semitic, for example, wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it be fair to ask a prominent Jewish member of that government how he or she managed to make sense of such an apparent contradiction? These are questions that seem imperative.

Not so, apparently. In August, The Globe and Mailâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Campbell Clark wrote

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Conservative cabinet minister John Baird (left) smiles for the camera at Ottawaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pride celebration in 2009. REMI THERIAULT

what the paper touted as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the deďŹ nitive proďŹ le of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Foreign Affairs Minister,â&#x20AC;? dubbing it â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s New World.â&#x20AC;?

But Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new world turned out to be remarkably old school. The article documented details as minute as Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eating habits (heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a ďŹ sh-eating vegetarian), to his role models (he worships Margaret Thatcher and even named his cat after her), to his various policy initiatives. Yet thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no mention of Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexuality, even though he proudly discusses his international lobbying efforts on behalf of gay rights.

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I felt compelled to ask Clark if he was respecting someoneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s privacy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; given that Bairdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexual orientation was no

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Then, ďŹ nally, came an admission that the archaic rule that ensures journalists keep sexuality a closeted secret is indeed melting away: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m really not sure this policy will last another decade.â&#x20AC;?

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12

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

NATIONAL NEWS

Montreal’s ballsy experiment Pedestrian-only strip has paid off for Village businesses Justin Ling

One hundred and seventy thousand pink balls dangle above Montreal’s Saint-Catherine Street. MARC CRAMER

SAINT-CATHERINE STREET EAST IS NOW about as grey as any other street in Montreal.

But for most of the summer it was the bustling, pedestrian-only heart of the city’s gay village. Throngs of people moved through the east-end street; 170,000 little pink balls dangled above; terraces reached into the road; and giant public art installations lined the street.

It’s all part of the city’s attempt to bring a little life into the Village.

The project, having just wrapped up its fifth summer in a row, is called Aires Libres, or Open Spaces. Spanning the length of the Village — which, at 1.2 kilometres, is Canada’s longest gay strip — the project is really hitting its stride.

“It took us three years to find our way,” says Denis Brossard, president of the Board of Administration for the Société de Développement Commercial du Village. “Now we want to bring it forward with the support of the community, the business community and the City of Montreal.”

The project is a marriage of business, art, tourism and partying.

“We decided to use that as a tool to create something different for Montreal, something that didn’t already exist and could express [our] concern for public art and the quality of life,” Brossard says.

“It’s the best thing that could have happened to the Village,” says Guy Payatte, who is the manager and co-owner of The Drugstore, the Village’s most popular lesbian bar. “The sad part is when they reopen [the street].”

There are a series of photo exhibits, statues and stands that line the busy tourist attraction.

One installation, realized during last year’s run, has become a permanent fixture of the Village due to its immediate popularity. Le Manifeste, referring to Guy Corriveau’s Village Manifesto, is a message that can be read only from a specific angle. “A time will come when you can express yourself freely,” it reads when the illuminated letters align.

The idea, Brossard says, is to create a kilometre-long “stage” for artists.

The signature for Aires Libres has become the Village’s trademark boules roses, which hang overhead — varying in angle, density and consistency on different parts of the street to convey different motifs. The concept came from local urban designer Claude Cormier.

“What better than 170,000 pink balls suspended high in the air to enliven Montreal’s Sainte-Catherine Street East as it transforms for the summer into a pedestrian mall?” his website asks.

“The pink balls are our new image,” Payette says.

The Village is already looking forward to the next five years, with plans to invite artists from

all over the world to come and showcase their creativity in Montreal. The aim is to put the city on “an international level,” Brossard says.

What’s good for the arts, it seems, is also good for business. Brossard says that the vacancy rate for storefronts on the street plunged from 22 percent to eight percent in the past year and a half.

Payette backs that up. “Business gets better on the first day the street gets closed,” he says, adding that the business that follows for the next two weeks is “incredible.”

When the city shortened the length of the project this year, businesses, residents and the gay community all came together to voice their displeasure.

Just about every bar or restaurant worth its salt on Saint-Catherine also has a terrace or patio reaching out into the street.

During the daytime there are street carnivals, outdoor concerts and — for much of this past summer — one of the infamous manifestations of protesting students. The carless street also plays host, at least in part, to myriad summer festivals, including the three main Pride festivals: Fierté, Divers/Cité and the raunchier, more radical Pervers/Cité.

François Robillard, the Vision Montreal councillor for the district who sits in the opposition benches at city hall, points to some areas where things can be improved, particularly the high rate of petty crime in the Village. He says, also, that more can be done to improve the installations and terraces in the area, to create a higher quality experience and improve circulation.

For Payette, the biggest problem is the homelessness that plagues the Village all year round. “Nobody cares about them. The city doesn’t care,” he says. He calls it “the only sad part of the Village.”

While some improvements may be in order, Brossard says that Aires Libres is here to stay.

“In five years, Montreal will celebrate its 375th anniversary, and we intend to be part of the celebration.“

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NATIONAL NEWS

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

HIV/AIDS NEWS

Assessment delays in Taavel murder case THE RESULTS OF A PSYCHOLOGIcal assessment of the man charged with the murder of Nova Scotia gay activist Raymond Taavel have been delayed once again and will not be released until Nov 26.

Andre Noel Denny, a patient at Halifaxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s East Coast Forensic Hospital (ECFH), was charged with seconddegree murder following the murder of Taavel outside Menz Bar on April 17.

An initial 30-day psychiatric assessment of Denny, who is schizophrenic, was previously extended in June, when an Ontario psychiatrist took over the case.

Denny had been granted a onehour pass to leave ECFH on April 16 but did not return at the scheduled time. The facility grants such leave as part of its rehabilitation process.

Denny was placed in the hospital after he was found not criminally responsible on a previous charge of assault causing bodily harm.

Meanwhile, the ďŹ ndings of a joint review into the incident by the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness, along with the Department of Justice and the Capital Health District Health Authority, were released Sept 18.

Nova Scotiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health minister promised to act on the reviewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 18 recommendations, which included ending the practice of allowing unescorted community-access passes until a hearing has been held before the Criminal Code Review Board. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Simon Thibault

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THE CHURCH WELLESLEY VILLAGE Business Improvement Area (BIA) has once again delayed installation of two swirling rainbow gateway markers that will bookend the Church Street gaybourhood. BIA manager David Wootton says the 22-foot signposts, which each cost $87,500, will now be unveiled in January.

Wootton provided the update at a BIA meet-and-greet event at Big Johnsonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sept 24. Meanwhile, Church Street restaurant Sweet Lulu recently closed its doors. However, Wootton confirms two new businesses are scheduled to move into the former home of Reitherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Foods.

A new wall divides the space in two. Wootton says one side will be home to Davidâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tea, and the other will be the new Stag Shop, which is currently situated across Church near Alexander Street. The Stag Shop will open in the new location by Oct 27, he says.

The changing face of Church Street has many business owners concerned, and several noted at the meeting that increasing rents are making it difficult to stay aďŹ&#x201A;oat.

Tony Cerminara, co-owner of Pusateri, says he struggles each month to make rent. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting harder,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are trying to be creative and offer customers something different, but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re struggling.â&#x20AC;?

Wootton empathizes. He says he keeps trying to sell the gay village to prospective new businesses, but the escalating rents make it increasingly more challenging. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Andrea Houston

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14

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

E IC E M I T A COVER STORY

Hockey ght i e w y v a e h es m a J a l e g An r e h n e k a t has its share of hCosta Daniela

phy Photogra Coish

by Adam

NGELA JAMES FEELS MIXED “I had my fair share of fights and scraps to make sure So has James. emotions when she thinks back that I stayed above water.”

In 2010, she was inducted into the Hockey Hall of to her early years on the ice at She says her race was never an issue for teammates. Fame in Toronto.

North York’s Flemingdon Arena.

Along with American Cammi Granato, she became At 16, she was accepted into Seneca College, where It’s where she got her first she later set scoring records playing defence, though the first woman ever inducted. She was also only the taste of competitive hockey. It’s she spent most of her playing career as a centre. second black player to receive the honour. also where she had her first ma- She graduated in 1985 and was hired on as a sports “It was a milestone in hockey,” Pritchard says. “She’s jor brush with sexism when, at coordinator for the school, a position she still holds. in an elite class of her own.” eight years old, she was kicked off the community In her induction speech, James thanked her partner She was later a member of the inaugural Canadian centre’s all-boys team despite being the league’s lead- women’s national team of 1990 and scored Canada’s and children for their love and support. Until then ing scorer. many fans didn’t know James’s sexual orientation. first goal in sanctioned international play.

No hard feelings. After all, the building was reShe and her partner, Angela, have three children: In 1992, when the International Olympic Commitnamed the Angela James Arena in 2009. tee announced that women’s hockey would be part of Christian and fraternal twins Michael and Toni.

“There was no way I was going to deny Ange and This is just one of many stories in a new biography the 1998 Olympics, James was thought to be a shoo-in the kids their opportunity to that night,” James says. entitled Angela James: The First Superstar of Women’s to make the cut. It was not to be.

Until then, no openly gay athlete had ever been Hockey. Released in late August, it chronicles the She was left off the team, and Canada, a favourite inducted into one of the major North American sports journey of arguably the best player in the history of going in, won silver. women’s hockey. James also happens to be an out “I did my best. They felt that my best wasn’t good halls of fame. In fact, no current or former NHL player gay woman. enough,” says James, who had Hockey Canada review has ever come out.

“I think it was the timing of it all,” James says, reIn recounting her life, Tom Bartsiokas and Corey her release, to no avail.

Long outline the events that led to the surge in Her voice rises — she is obviously still bitter about ferring to the accepting environment Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke popularity of women’s hockey. James’s has been trying to instill in the hockey sexuality is not front and centre but world. “I was very lucky because it could rather taken as a matter of fact. have easily backfired on me.”

“Who I am is who I am,” she says.

Burke’s support for gay athletes inFrom the early 1980s to the mid’90s, James was a dominant player in tensified following the death of his gay women’s hockey, often referred to as son Brendan in a car crash in 2010. In the female Wayne Gretzky.

March 2012, Burke and his son Patrick She was known for her physicality; launched You Can Play, a project that her strength intimidated opponents combats homophobia in hockey.

“Brian Burke has changed a lot of the and helped change the impression that hockey world’s mentality in terms of women’s hockey isn’t tough. Looking at homosexuality,” says James, who thinks her powerful build today, it’s no surprise it’s still risky for professional athletes rivals once cringed at oncoming body to come out. checks.

“It’s still not that safe for them.

James was the leading scorer of There’s still the initiation and hazing the Central Ontario Women’s Hockey that takes place in all levels of sport.”

League for eight seasons. She was seMale athletes have little incentive to lected as MVP at the national champicome out, she says. “Hockey players, onships an unprecedented eight times even though they love the game, have to and won four world championships. look at it from a business point of view.”

“I don’t think a lot of people realize In her own case, James says she was how much of a trailblazer Angela was in Angela James grew up in government-funded housing in Flemingdon Park. The local arena was renamed to honour her in 2009. never in the closet; media simply didn’t women’s hockey,” says Phil Pritchard, ask about her sexuality. She believes the vice-president and curator of the Hockey Hall of Fame. “She was as good as any player that the snub. “I think they’re full of shit, and I think a lot same goes for many lesbian athletes today.

There could be more to it. Patrick Burke says female ever played.” of people knew that as well.”

James is the daughter of a black American father The 1999 Three Nations Cup was her last tourna- locker rooms can be more homophobic than men’s.

“It’s sad and interesting to see that on the women’s and a white Canadian mother. She was raised along- ment for Team Canada. In the final, Canada beat the side two older half-sisters from her mother’s side.

US three to two, in a game decided by a shootout. As side of things it’s either a complete non-issue or total The kids grew up in government-funded housing the first successful shooter, James’s goal stands as and complete pandemonium,” he says.

James was one of the lucky ones. She says teamin Flemingdon Park at a time when few black people the game winner. lived in the community.

She continued playing at a club level until she mates knew about her sexuality and it was never an issue. She says she also played with other gay women, “I didn’t really think of myself as black because my retired from professional hockey in 2001. family was white,” James says.

Her years in the game never provided her with a but the majority were straight. “A lot of people might She recalls a few instances of racism as a child but big payday. While she had a contract with Nike, no think the opposite,” she jokes. major money was involved. That remains the case And while for most of her career she decided to says, for the most part, neighbours were friendly.

“I didn’t really experience a lot until the more for national team players, who receive only a stipend. keep her private life just that, Burke says that she “It only made the love of the game that much has been a “wonderful role model for athletes and identifiable black people started moving into the community,” she says. “Then it was, ‘Well, you’re stronger because we didn’t play for a living,” she non-athletes.”

Today, only strangers aren’t aware that Christian not black, like me, and you’re not white, like them. says, smiling. “We played because we loved playing.”

She recognizes that few women play at the profes- and the twins have two mommies. Whether it’s visits What are you?’”

Playing hockey as a child, James occasionally sional level today. Still, she believes the playing field to school or when James coaches her eldest son’s minor league hockey team, there’s no hiding. heard racist comments from parents in the stands. is evening out.

That’s just fine by James.

“The support is there more for the girls these days,” Throughout her playing years, she also faced racism “If you can’t be yourself, then you’re just living a lie.” from opponents, but she didn’t turn the other cheek. she says. “They’ve come a long way.”

the deets ANGELA JAMES: THE FIRST SUPERSTAR OF WOMEN’S HOCKEY Tom Bartsiokas and Corey Long Women’s Press Literary $14.95

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

15

The puck drops at Church and Carlton GAY TEAMS TAKE TO THE ICE AT FORMER MAPLE LEAF GARDENS Gay hockey has made a new home in the Village.

On Sept 16, the Toronto Gay Hockey Association (TGHA) began its new season at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, formerly Maple Leaf Gardens.

“It’s completely amazing to be downtown,” says Robert Thompson, commissioner and co-founder of the TGHA. “It’s always where I wanted to bring the league.”

Thompson has been with the TGHA since it was founded 20 years ago. This is his final year running the league.

“The community benefits by having hockey here,” says Thompson, who thinks bringing the league downtown is his last great accomplishment with the TGHA. As soon as he heard Ryerson University had landed the rights to Maple Leaf Gardens, he contacted the school about getting the TGHA ice time.

Playing downtown makes commuting via public transit easier for many members. It also allows for games to be played closer to sponsors located in the Village.

This season, 10 teams of 14 players are vying to make it to the finals on April 28, 2013.

The TGHA acquired four hours of ice time for Sunday afternoons. Due to scheduling issues with Ryerson’s varsity teams and the TGHA’s decision to add a 10th team, the league has picked up extra ice time over a few Saturdays.

“Ryerson has been fantastic to work with,” Thompson says. “They really want to be part of the community.”

TGHA members held a vote about moving downtown.

A majority voted in favour of the move, but the decision caused the league to lose approximately 15 members.

It added 30 new members, however, and has a waiting list to boot.

Toronto Gay Hockey Association co-founder Robert Thompson is thrilled gay hockey teams are now playing in the Village. DANIELA COSTA

s any as good a . She was Hall of Fame. ey ck o h ’s in women tor of the Hockey ra ngela was ilblazer A e-president and cu a tr a f o how much Phil Pritchard, vic ze li a re f people d,” says ink a lot o er that ever playe “I don’t th play

TGHA is made up of 140 playing and five non-playing members. It hosts at least one social event each month, which serves as a space for non-playing members.

“If they can’t commit to playing, they can commit to being socially active,” Thompson says.

The TGHA is fundamentally a men’s league, but Thompson says women, despite their small numbers, are welcome. “In our constitution, we cannot discriminate against having anyone play.

“We lost a few of the straights when we moved,” he says. “Now our gay numbers are up.”

This is hardly surprising. Playing in a gay league and, what’s more, playing in the Village, has members feeling like they belong.

“It’s just such a positive environment,” says Dave Beda, who has been in the league for about 18 years.

“This is a whole new chapter for the TGHA,” he says.

Playing in the old Maple Leaf Gardens has special meaning for Beda. As a child, he attended many games there.

“It was always amazing,” he says. “I think it was where I really got my love of the game.”

When the Gardens closed, he was crushed. “It was tough to see everything I knew as a child be taken away.”

That was erased the moment Beda stepped into the revived arena as a player. “It was just surreal to know I’m walking into the building and participating in some of the history it had.”

— Daniela Costa

16

Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

AROUND TOWN

Go west Lakeshore Villagesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LGBT Community hopes to create a friendlier neighbourhood Erica Lenti TO SAY THAT JAMIE BERARDI AND Bram Zeidenberg are proud of their bachelor pad in the Lakeshore Villages is an understatement. The small apartment is painted in bright yellows and purples, the walls adorned with prints of things they both love: the Toronto city skyline, Marilyn Monroe and a Lindsay Lohan movie poster. The space is small but cozy and affordable, and the young couple has fallen in love with it.

While their home is inviting, the area they reside in hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been so welcoming.

When Berardi, 21, and Zeidenberg, 24, first moved into the building on Lake Shore Boulevard last August, they experienced an onslaught of what they believe to be homophobic attacks within the neighbourhood. After being pelted with eggs and a beer bottle, verbally harassed and told to take their â&#x20AC;&#x153;lifestyleâ&#x20AC;? elsewhere, the couple was ready for a change. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t love the area at ďŹ rst,â&#x20AC;? Berardi admits. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We were frustrated and we wanted to leave really badly, but with the money we both had, we really couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afford anything else downtown.â&#x20AC;?

But Berardi says they werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ready to leave without a ďŹ ght. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We decided that instead of running away and letting these homophobic people win, we would just stay here,â&#x20AC;? he says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not going to let people push us out of our area, so weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d just stay here and try to make it better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are gay people in Toronto â&#x20AC;&#x201D; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one of the most diverse cities in the world â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and people just have to get used to it,â&#x20AC;? Berardi says.

Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s when the couple founded the Lakeshore Villagesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LGBT Community.

The alliance, modelled after the successes of Queer West and the Church Street Village, serves to provide a safe space for queer residents in the area through periodic events, open forums for discussion and a partnership with local supportive businesses. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There are lots of gay people moving in, but there was no sense of community,â&#x20AC;? Zeidenberg says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not interacting with each other,â&#x20AC;? Berardi adds. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We wanted to change that.â&#x20AC;?

While Lakeshore Villages has had a relatively large gay population dating back to the 1980s, the Lakeshore

Above: Jamie Berardi and Bram Zeidenberg founded the Lakeshore Villagesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LGBT Community to help create a queer-friendly neighbourhood. Right: Vandals defaced one of the allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stickers on the window of Community Roots used bookstore.

Villagesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LGBT Community is the ďŹ rst of its kind in the area. Lakeshore Villages comprises four neighbourhoods â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Long Branch Village, Lakeshore Village, Mimico by the Lake and the Mimico Village â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that line Lake Shore Boulevard from Twelfth Street to Dwight Avenue.

Established in December, the alliance has more than 100 followers on Facebook. The groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ rst event, a meetand-greet held in gay-owned art store Painty McGeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, brought in more than 25 queer residents and allies rallying together to stop homophobia in the area.

FILOMENA SPANU

NATALIE LOCHWIN

Berardi and Zeidenberg have also begun to curate an online directory of queer-supportive local businesses.

The alliance has inspired both current and past residents of the area. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was truly moved by the passion of the young gay couple who have started

this endeavor to break the isolation of the LGBTQ community who live in the west end of the city,â&#x20AC;? Michael Lamore wrote on the allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official Facebook page. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Had there been a group to go to when I lived out there in the â&#x20AC;&#x2122;80s and â&#x20AC;&#x2122;90s, I may never have moved out of the area.â&#x20AC;?

Despite the positive feedback, the group has faced scrutiny. In late August, vandals defaced one of the allianceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stickers on the window of local used bookstore Community Roots. Natalie Lochwin, the storeowner, says someone deliberately scratched the sticker off the window of her storefront. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I found the incident to be upsetting because it was intentional,â&#x20AC;? Lochwin says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Perhaps the vandalism illustrates exactly why the stickers are important.â&#x20AC;?

Some business owners have publicly denounced the alliance, though no formal investigations on the matter have been conducted. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Lakeshore has a lot to offer, but we need to grow and change and come into our own, and proudly supporting our LGBT is a vital part of this,â&#x20AC;? Lochwin adds.

Berardi and Zeidenberg have high hopes for the alliance, which is backed

by Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor Mark Grimes, the Lakeshore Arts Council and more than 20 businesses in the area. They hope their next event, a picnic and dog walk along the lakeshore, will be a great success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really believe in this area,â&#x20AC;? Berardi says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We both feel like this is a place we can be really proud of. And weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re passionate about making a change.â&#x20AC;?

For more information on the Lakeshore Villagesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; LGBT Community, visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/lakeshorelgbt.

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17

MEDICAL NEWS

The Bio-Alcamid disaster Facial-wasting ‘cure’ turned to nightmare for many HIV-positive Canadians Justin Ling “NIGHTMARE.” That’s how one man described a weeks-long ordeal involving ad hoc surgery, repeated infections and some hefty out-of-pocket fees — all caused by a device that was once thought to be a miracle for those dealing with the visible signs of HIV. He was suffering from lipoatrophy, also known as “facial wasting,” a side effect of the antiretroviral drug cocktail that causes the face to lose its natural fat and collagen, making it look sunken.

It’s been called the scarlet letter of HIV, acting as a magnet for stigma.

Bio-Alcamid was supposed to fix all that. It’s a simple enough product — a gel that can be injected right into the affected parts of the face. Polymekon, the Italian producer, billed it as a permanent, cost-effective, safe way to tackle the condition. It seemed too good to be true. And maybe it was.

Not long after it was approved for sale in Canada, in 2006, Israel, Scotland, Mexico and the Netherlands all began reporting problems: infections, inflammation and migration (when the implant would move throughout the face). It never received approval in the United States. The Canadian government, on the other hand, gave the green light after only a short-term, 96-week study.

But follow-up studies showed that

NATIONAL NEWS

BC sex-work case can be heard in court A FORMER VANCOUVER SEX WORKER and an advocacy group for sex workers have won the right to challenge the country’s Criminal Code prostitution laws in BC, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled Sept 21.

The case began in 2007 in BC Supreme Court as a challenge to the communicating, procurement, bawdyhouse and living off the avails of prostitution laws. It became a fight for access to justice that ended in the Ottawa court.

In allowing the case to proceed, Supreme Court of Canada Justice Thomas Cromwell ruled that doing so is in the public interest as its issues transcend the applicants’ own interests and could assist “the most marginalized members of society.”

He also said a decision in the case could prevent large numbers of similar challenges that would take up court time. Allowing the case to proceed would “promote the economical use of scarce judicial resources,” he ruled.

Advocates hailed the ruling as a win for access to justice for marginalized people and groups across Canada who might not be able to bring challenges to laws they see as unjust.

“The court has increased opportunities to access justice for all marginalized persons who face barriers to bringing human rights claims before the courts,” says Pivot Legal Society’s Katrina Pacey, one of the lawyers on the case. — Jeremy Hainsworth For more on this story, visit xtra.ca.

between 19 and 25 percent of its users contracted infections. Another 25 percent had other, less severe, complications as a result of the product, according to one study.

Pur Medical Corporation, a Toronto company established to distribute BioAlcamid, commissioned the original trials and distributed the product for three years. “Would I do things differently?” says former president John McCahill.

“I don’t know.”

McCahill says they recognized some of the complications early on, and, working with Toronto’s Maple Leaf Medical Clinic, they issued revised instructions and guidelines for doctors to try in order to avoid causing complications. He says infections were usually caused by dental work, which introduced foreign bacteria to Bio-Alcamid. Even with the new warnings, complications continued.

Pur got out of the business of distributing Bio-Alcamid in 2007. The company became inactive after that.

Mona Loutfy, an infectious disease specialist who focuses on HIV/AIDS, oversaw the 2004 clinical trial for Maple Leaf and co-authored several follow-up studies. She confirms McCahill’s theories — that any work that could expose the Bio-Alcamid capsules to foreign bacteria could have caused the infections. Yet, Bio-Alcamid was designed to develop a protective capsule around itself, which should have prevented infection.

As a consensus emerged in the medical community that the risks associated with Bio-Alcamid outweighed the benefits, it was taken off the shelves everywhere in Canada, with the last batch sold in 2007.

Despite its faults, many still swear

by Bio-Alcamid. Bradford McIntyre is a blogger who has been living with HIV since 1985. McCahill contacted him eight years ago to participate in the clinical trial. “It changed my life,” McIntyre says. “People have stopped looking at me like I’m sick.”

Loutfy points to cases like McIntyre’s to show that, while there have been problems, Bio-Alcamid is still effective at treating lipoatrophy. “They were asking desperately for something,” she says. “At the time, there was nothing else available.” Still, says Loutfy, “it would have been nice to know the side effects.”

Others agree. Many took to the internet to share their stories of BioAlcamid. Plastic surgery message boards are awash with horror stories.

It all culminated in a class-action lawsuit that was filed in 2011. Bruce Lemer was the lawyer who took on the case. Approached by an HIV-positive Vancouverite in 2011, Lemer now has “a volume of research” that gets “worse and worse” with each page, he says.

Despite a clear case, the class action fizzled after it became clear there was nobody who could be held responsible.

Polymekon, who held the insurance policy on Bio-Alcamid, benefited by standing behind the thorny thicket of Italian corporate law. Lemer says going after the company would have proved immensely difficult.

So it was Bio-Alcamid’s dissatisfied hosts who were left holding the bag.

Some were lucky, however. Any patients who approached Pur or Maple Leaf got help paying for the product’s removal and medical care, McCahill and Loutfy say.

AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE AVAILABLE . . .

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW THE SIDE EFFECTS. — infectious disease specialist Mona Loutfy Despite all this noise, it seems the government never caught on. It uses a newsletter to publish notices of complications with various drugs and medical products. For Bio-Alcamid, Health Canada published only one notice of an adverse reaction, which led to a slight change to the product’s packaging.

No investigation was ever conducted.

Lemer says there is a disconnect between the multitude of problems and

the government’s lack of response.

Health Canada confirms that, normally, the producer of a drug is legally responsible for conveying reports of adverse reactions, which can lead to an investigation. It’s unclear in this situation, since the producer isn’t Canadian, whether Pur Medical was required to report the adverse reactions it received.

The Italian company was let off the hook. Polymekon started as a family affair. Two brothers — Carmelo, the scientist, and Biagio, the businessman — who were responsible for Bio-Alcamid’s worldwide success, ran it.

Xtra contacted Carmelo Protopapa to ask about his experience with BioAlcamid. It seems he was also one of the first to recognize the product’s problems.

Protopapa filed a lawsuit against Polymekon in 2005, after issuing several warnings about how Bio-Alcamid was used that were ultimately ignored.

“I filed legal proceedings to stop everything,” he says. “I lost.” Protopapa says he spent months lobbying his brother, the CEO, to issue a warning to doctors.

Bio-Alcamid, he said, couldn’t form a protective capsule around itself if it were too spread out across the face — which would leave it open to infection.

The executives weren’t interested.

“They only think of the money,” Protopapa says. He regrets finding out about the problems so late. “I should have stopped before.”

ARCHIVING

Why we remember Fraser’s Edge Brad Fraser

W

HILE READING SARAH Schulman’s excellent The Gentrification of the Mind recently, I was struck by an image she presented: that of walking past an apartment in a particularly gay section of NYC and seeing someone’s collection of theatrical playbills abandoned on the street. She realized the gay man who compiled those programs over decades had died and the new tenant of the apartment had no real choice but to throw them out.

I was touched by this passage because it seemed the perfect metaphor for the lives of so many gay people who vanish from this world without anyone to pass their treasured possessions on to.

I am a pack rat. I suspect it comes from my Dickensian-ly peripatetic childhood where the moves were frequent and the purges of “unnecessary” items (basically, anything belonging to the children) merciless. As soon as I was old enough to stand up for myself I refused to allow practically anything I enjoyed to leave my possession. It started with comic books but eventually went on to include books, albums, silly and exquisite objets d’art and various other things.

Then one night, in my mid-40s, I had the gift of seeing my memorabilia-

laden apartment through the eyes of someone who didn’t know me and realized that my “collecting” might not be such a positive thing after all. I thought reclaiming these things had been an attempt to recapture a happier time, but I realized that what I was actually doing was dragging hurts from the past into the present.

I sold my comic-book collection for a tidy sum a short time later and have, ever since, been gradually divesting myself of superfluous possessions.

However, the one fly in the ointment of possession freedom was the storage room of my condo, crammed with numerous storage tubs containing practically anything to do with my life as a writer and artist: drafts, posters, programs, awards, correspondences, photographs, et cetera, had been carefully preserved.

A number of fellow playwrights recommended donating my papers to a university for a tax credit. I toyed with this idea, but it didn’t quite sit right with me. I’d never gone to university, and, while I’ve earned a large part of my living in the theatre, I’d never really considered myself a “theatre person.”

Then, while perusing Facebook one day, I saw a conversation about the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives and I thought I might have found a solution.

A visit to the genteel house on Isabella Street that houses the archives and the committed people who tend them convinced me this was the way to go.

The archives are filled with tangible

tributes to those who came before.

This includes the antique typewriter that playwright John Herbert used to write the notorious and highly successful Fortune and Men’s Eyes, a complete compilation of the entire run of the

Pushing Buttons, at the CLGA, is an exhibit of queer-themed buttons dating from the 1960s to the present day.

late-lamented Body Politic, a series of portraits of prominent gay people in Canadian history, and beautifully designed posters for now-forgotten lesbian and gay events. The constantly growing collection is a wonderful resource for students, researchers and anyone else who wants access to the history of the homosexual rights movement in Canada.

Whether it’s the plight of gay people in the Holocaust, the contribution of gay men and women to the various

arts and sciences, or the ever-evolving, widely influential social scenes we have created over the last 100 years or so, we are worth being remembered.

We have some of the most inspirational and courageous stories in history within the microcosm of our minority. If we’re not careful to look at where we come from and what’s happened before, we stand a very real danger of becoming complacent and allowing past sins against us to be committed once again. We’ve made tremendous strides. Those who played any part in this movement are worthy of remembrance. The archives ensure that happens.

As for those items from my past that I’ve given to the CLGA, I suppose some will say they are the leavings of a writer who contributed a couple of controversial and successful queer-themed plays to the theatre world. Personally, I prefer to think of it as the authentic record of a man who came out in the late 1970s, survived the ever-evolving AIDS crisis and bore witness to great change in a new century. After all, the history of one of us is, in many ways, the history of all of us.

It deserves to be preserved and shared.

Brad Fraser is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter. Fraser’s Edge appears in every second issue of Xtra.

For more on Pushing Buttons and the CLGA, visit xtra.ca.

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XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

Expand your contact list.

Canada’s gay & lesbian business directory — in print and online.

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indexdirectory.ca NEXT TORONTO RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15

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arts › entertainment › leisure

AND IF YOU LIKE GAGA, YOU’LL LOVE LA CAGE AUX FOLLES. WE’VE GOT DRAG QUEENS!

Out City IN THE

Christopher Sieber ›20

ON STAGE

LEATHER

Fall fashion

Laura Tucker is excited to be singing again after taking several years off to focus on parenthood.

PVC for the whole family Chris Dupuis IT’S HARD TO BROACH THE SUBJECT of BDSM these days without bringing up Fifty Shades of Grey. British author EL James’s provocative trilogy has sold more than 40 million copies worldwide, brought kink into mainstream consciousness and titillation to a readership usually content with Harlequin romance. No surprise then, the series will serve as a reference point in Northbound Leather’s 16th annual fetish fashion show.

“The women at my gym were going on and on about how salacious it was,” laughs show producer Carolyn Kelly. “When I eventually read it, I realized if they thought it qualified as salacious, I probably shouldn’t introduce them to any of my friends.

It’s not as hardcore as most kink enthusiasts would get, but everyone needs to start somewhere. It’s valuable because it enables couples

a turning point for Northbound Leather. John Giaouris (son of owners George and Anna) was originally slated to design the clothes. But when he died unexpectedly in his sleep at age 21 last April, Kelly and Matt Coccia (aka Katinka Kouture) were tasked with finishing the collection.

“The show will have some sad moments for the people who knew John,” Kelly says. “It will open with the designs he finished right before he died. He was just starting to make a name for himself in the fashion world, and so it’s also a tribute to this amazing light we all lost.”

Though fashion forms the core attraction, the event doesn’t stop there. Once the models finish strutting their stuff, the space converts to an all-night dance party, with a strict fetish dress code in effect, of course. Though it may involve strategic wardrobe planning for those lacking a closet full of PVC, Kelly

ANGST, VOLATILITY,

LAUGHTER

Mezzo-soprano Laura Tucker returns to stage in legendary role

“It all boils down to sex,” says fashion show producer Carolyn Kelly.

to open a conversation about these things. If someone is putting it on paper it makes it easier for people to actually say it out loud.”

Though not originally included in the show’s concept, Kelly incorporated hints of the novel after it blew up bestseller lists around the world (possibly aiding sales of fetish gear, as well). Titled Dream, the show opens with Boylesque TO favourite Dew Lily as a shy young man wandering around a bookstore.

Each book he picks up inspires different fantasies, which the show’s models bring to life. Made from leather, rubber, latex and chainmail, mixed with a handful of softer materials, each item in the one-of-a-kind collection will be available for purchase at Northbound Leather after the event. As far as providing details on specific garments, Kelly is tightlipped. But the desired effect is clear.

“It all boils down to sex,” she says.

“It’s about finding different ways to get people riled up so they go home after and fuck. We like to think it makes a great date night. Get a babysitter and come on down.”

The collection was meant to mark

stresses it’s an environment where everyone should feel welcome.

“The kink community is all about consent, so you never have to worry about being forced to do something you don’t want to do,” she says. “If something turns you on, you find someone else who’s into it. Maybe you’re a banker who likes to wear a harness under your suit. Maybe you’re a super-macho muscle guy who wants to wear a leather dress.

If you’re not content to limit yourself to conventional missionary-style sex, chances are you’re one of us. Whatever your sexuality, your gender, your identity or your kink, if you’re willing to come to this space without judgment, there’s a place here for you.”

the deets DREAM Sat, Oct 13, 9pm Sound Academy 11 Polson St Strict fetish dress code enforced Shuttle service from pre-party at Woody’s 467 Church St northbound.com

L

Lydia Perovic

AURA TUCKER DESCRIBES her latest character as “dark and disturbed, struggling with a lot of anguish.”

Mezzo-soprano Tucker plays Prince Orlofsky in the Christopher Alden production of the Canadian Opera Company’s new Die Fledermaus.

“I get to show my own dark side and don’t have to worry about being likeable. It’s something many female singers have to learn to do. As a Russian émigré in Vienna, Orlofsky is isolated and in search of a place, and this whole production is, in a way, about isolation and the relationships that are difficult and torn apart.”

Not a frothy, pastel-coloured Die Fledermaus, this one. Orlofsky, the host of the ball that is the central event of the operetta, often gets played as a camp or straightforwardly comic character. Not so much here. “There is some laughter.

I mean, I am a woman playing a man speaking German with a Russian accent, so there’s that. He is also volatile, and his highs and lows can be really funny.

But at his core, this Orlofsky is twisted, angry and extremely vulnerable.”

A good Orlofsky is not a small feat.

The role is among the pantheon of crossdressing roles for mezzos, with a long history of glorious performances, clips of which are always just a short YouTube search away. “It is intimidating but also hugely inspiring. Orlofsky

doesn’t get to sing a lot, but his main aria is tricky business, and he’s always onstage, always acting or making the action of others possible.” The Viennese ball here is a sort of a sexy pyjama party for the wealthy. “I’m wearing a short wig and a silk, slouchy pyjama suit.”

No monocle, but a cigarette holder is very likely.

And how does she create the physicality of a pants role? “It’s to do with the centre of gravity . . . adjusting where

you feel the centre of you and having your body follow. With male characters, the centre is lower and you feel it. It’s liberating, vocally to do that; everything somehow gets deeper and more square as a consequence.” Recently, Swedish mezzo-soprano Malena Ernman published an article on kinging up for the role and the difference that a strategically placed sock padding makes for creating a character. Many mezzos swear that when costumed as men, they do feel more entitled and more aggressive about pursuing their wants. Tucker agrees wholeheartedly.

“Why is it given to the male species to feel that way? Why is it that we learn it all so well through culture? Why are we so easily trained to be nice? . . . That is the question.”

Tucker’s connection with the COC is marked by milestones. She made her professional debut here in 1994 in Mozart’s Il Re Pastore: Richard Bradshaw had heard her sing Ottavia in a Juilliard production and invited her to Toronto.

When she came again 10 years later, it was for Wagner’s Ring, during which she met her spouse, soprano Adrianne Pieczonka. (In the intervening years she sang in Portland, Seattle, Washington, NYC, Boston and London.) Orlofsky is her return to singing after a few years dedicated to parenthood.

When asked what roles she most covets, Tucker lists Eboli, Adalgisa, Carmen, Octavian, Sesto, Brangäne and Ottavia. “I am a lyric mezzo but with heavier potential . . . There are mezzos that are singing all these roles in a healthy way, somebody like Michelle Breedt or Sonia Ganassi.”

Ontarians will be able to see Tucker next in a recital with her spouse at a benefit concert for the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in mid-December.

But first, Orlofsky. “I am really enjoying this production, and singing again. I feel ecstatic going to work every day. I find myself thinking, How could I have been without my voice for so long!” How indeed. Bring out those monocles, casting directors. This mezzo is back.

the deets DIE FLEDERMAUS Tucker’s character, Prince Orlofsky, is isolated and struggling with anguish. CONSTANCE HOFFMAN

Thurs, Oct 4–Sat, Nov 3 Canadian Opera Company 145 Queen St W coc.ca

20

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

ON STAGE

La Cag Johnnie Walker

I The glitzy and very gay La Cage aux Folles first shocked Paris audiences in 1973. A revival opens at the Royal Alexandra Theatre this month.

N 1973, A FRENCH PLAY CALLED La Cage aux Folles took Paris by storm. The envelope-pushing production told the story of a gay couple that has to spend an evening masquerading as a straight couple (fortunately, one of them is a drag queen) to impress their son’s new fiancée’s ultra-conservative parents.

It ran for almost 1,800 performances and spawned a 1978 film adaptation popular enough to justify two sequels. In 1983, Broadway legends Jerry Herman, Harvey Fierstein and Arthur Laurents collaborated on a musical adaptation that won Best Musical at the Tonys — it also won Best Revival of a Musical in 2004 and 2010. But you probably know it better as The Birdcage.

“It’s a good thing!” says Christopher Sieber, star of both the 2010 Broadway revival and the current North American touring production, of the movie’s popularity. “A lot of people on the road, they hardly even know how to pronounce La Cage aux Folles. ‘La-Caidge-Axe-Follies?’

And the producers decided to market it ‘Before The Birdcage, there was La Cage.’

And that’s a reference point that people can understand.”

The 1996 Mike Nichols film featured Robin Williams as the gay nightclub owner whose son is marrying the daughter of über-Republicans Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest, while Nathan Lane played Williams’ effeminate drag queen partner.

The Birdcage, however, is an adaptation of the French films, not the Broadway show, and features none of Herman and Fierstein’s award-winning songs, such as “I Am What I Am,” a proto-“Born This Way” gay anthem that became a club hit when Gloria Gaynor recorded it in 1983.

In the current production, opening Oct 10 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Sieber plays the musical’s equivalent to the Nathan Lane character — effeminate Albin (aka drag superstar Zaza) — while notoriously tanned matinee idol George Hamilton plays the Robin Williams role — butch(er) club owner Georges.

“I’ve been doing it now for a year,” Sieber says, “and I’m glad it’s the last eight weeks of our tour, because I don’t think I could do more! It takes a lot out of you.” Unusually, although Sieber did star in the recent Broadway revival, writer Fierstein played Albin/Zaza while Sieber tackled Georges.

“They asked Harvey and I to go on tour,” Sieber explains, “but Harvey had Newsies coming up on Broadway, and he’s working on a new show with Cyndi Lauper called Kinky Boots, so he was unavailable. So, they came to me a couple days later and said, ‘Hey, do you wanna do the other part? I think we have George Hamilton.’”

It takes a lot of versatility to go from playing the straight man (so to speak) to the outrageous drag queen. “It was a hard switch,” Sieber admits. “It took a few months before it really came alive.”

But it also means Sieber gets to sing the musical’s signature showstopper. “Jerry Herman writes the best earworm songs you’ve ever heard in your life,” Sieber says. “And he wrote that amazing song ‘I Am What I Am.’ Which just kills you.

It just kills you, it’s so great!”

While Toronto is the only Canadian stop on this production’s tour, La Cage has been popping up all over the country recently. Separate productions of the musical played at Neptune Theatre in Halifax earlier this year and at

It’s a girl!

CLGA is the largest community-based LGBT archive in the world.

On October 29th, 1975, The Globe and Mail printed its first birth announcement involving a same-sex couple.

The notice announced the birth of Justine Sarah Jane Greenland “to Erika and Diann” on October 27th.

Find out more at clga.ca 623.000_09_12

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

e birds sing the Vancouver Playhouse last winter, where it was one of the last shows to grace the historic theatre before it shut its doors for good. Alongside Sieber, Xtra asked Canadian actors Steven Gallagher and Greg ArmstrongMorris, who played Albin in Halifax and Vancouver, respectively, to share their thoughts on the musical and the iconic role all three have had the good fortune of playing.

Xtra: La Cage is obviously a really enduring story. What do you think it is about it that people love so much?

Christopher Sieber: The story is so great.

It’s universal! It’s being true to yourself, being who you are.

Steven Gallagher: Ultimately, the play is about family and the love parents have for their children.

Greg Armstrong-Morris: We’ve been telling the same stories over and over since the Greeks. What keeps it interesting is finding fresh ways to tell those stories.

At its core, La Cage is about a family in crisis and about the sacrifice a parent will make for his child’s happiness. Add drag queens and mistaken identity and bang — timeless!

The story is from 1973, yet the concept of an ultra-conservative family stumbling into dinner with a drag queen still seems like a current, toothy joke.

What about the show plays differently in 2012?

Armstrong-Morris: The story is toothier now than ever. When it hit Broadway in 1983, the international queer community was rallying like never before in response to the AIDS epidemic. And today, there’s a mind-boggling rise in ultra-conservative politics. Drag queens and queer parents are certainly more visible in the broader media, but the fight for real equality — beyond mere tolerance — is hotter than ever.

Sieber: The producers were very brave to do it and to put it up on the stage, because it was right at the beginning of the AIDS crisis and people were afraid of gays. To put on something that was so gay, like La Cage aux Folles, was a big risk. To give you an example, Jerry Herman, the composer, and Arthur Laurents, the director, took female dates to the opening night on Broadway because they didn’t want mainstream America to know that they were gay. And these are the gayest men in the world! Harvey Fierstein is a good friend of mine, and he was telling me this, so I said, “Who did you take?” And he said, “Oh, I don’t know — some twink!”

Gallagher: By the end of the show, the

From left to right: Christopher Sieber, left, as Albin and George Hamilton as Georges in the production playing at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto; Greg Armstrong-Morris, from the Vancouver production; Steven Gallagher, from the Halifax production.

audience is rooting for Georges and Albin to succeed — a rare thing for the 1970s.

These aren’t sad, lonely gay people; this is a normal couple who have a life and a family. And in 2012, we can now put a big, gay kiss at the end of the show, whereas I don’t think that happened in 1982. I was lucky enough to have George Pothitos as a director, who wanted the audience to understand that Georges and Albin are not asexual roommates, but two people in love. He staged the final kiss as the big, romantic moment of the show, centre stage, full light. In Halifax. And it got cheers every night!

Albin/Zaza is an iconic queer role that’s been played by many performers. How do you make Albin yours?

Armstrong-Morris: The original cast recording was the anthem of my joy-

Three takes on one of Broadway’s first gay characters

ously misspent youth!

It was in my bones in its entirety. And YouTube has made it dangerously easy to watch what brilliant performers like Douglas Hodge can do. But once you’re in the rehearsal hall, those influences take a back seat to what you’re creating with your director and your cast mates.

Gallagher: Albin’s such a gift to anyone lucky enough to play him. For me, the key to Albin is his absolute love of life.

He may be a drama queen and scared of getting old and losing his husband, but underneath it all beats a fiercely loyal and protective heart.

Sieber: The first part of your run is like the preview period. And you do big, broad brushstrokes and you try things out and you tell the story as best you can. And before you know it, it becomes part of you. It always becomes your own. But the other thing is that I worked with Harvey, who wrote it. I mean, I got to see how the writer wanted it done. And how invaluable, how great is that?

The world has changed a lot since Albin first stepped on the scene. Can La Cage speak to today’s queer youth? Can Zaza grab the attention of the Gaga generation?

has managed to overcome society’s fear and ignorance to be loved for who he is.

He still exists in every teenage boy who secretly dances to Madonna and has a crush on the quarterback.

Armstrong-Morris: We had a busload of secondary school students come in to see the show from the BC interior.

Their parents, of course, knew they were coming to Vancouver to see a show, but it wasn’t safe to tell the parents what show they were coming to see. So yes, I think “I Am What I Am” is as relevant as “Born This Way.” And ultimately, Gaga is singing about what Zaza sang before.

Sieber: The generation that’s coming up — the younger generation — I have so much hope for. In our country, we have some very strange politicians who want to take away women’s rights and gay rights and a bunch of other stuff, and I’m hopeful because the younger generation just doesn’t care about all that weird stuff. So, I’m looking forward to seeing what they come up with when they get a little older, and I think our country’s going to be in a better place because of it.

But like I said, it’s a universal story. You can identify with these people. You’re going to find someone up on that stage you can identify with. And if you like Gaga, you’ll love La Cage aux Folles. We’ve got drag queens! We’ve got eight drag queens in flowing dresses and high heels and wigs and big lashes. We’ve got it all!

Gallagher: Unfortunately, the world has not changed as much as we would like to think. Gay kids are still being bullied, gay men and women still have to fight for the right to get married, and gay people in non-urban centres still fear coming out. Albin represents every person who

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Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

HARVEY L. HAMBURG Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public Many Years of Experience in Real Estate, Wills and Estate Administration

416-968-9054 Serving our community for more than 25 years 120 Carlton St., Suite 215 (at Jarvis St.) e-mail: hhamburg@sympatico.ca

listings â&#x20AC;ş ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Cannibal Nympho Witch Seminal multidisciplinary artist group FastwĂźrms presents a new series of installations, with all the queer bells and whistles that have made them local heroes. Opening reception Fri, Oct 12, 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10pm. Runs till Sat, Nov 10.

Paul Petro Contemporary Art, 960 Queen St W. Free. paulpetro.com

FILM & VIDEO Gut Renovation

?

?

?

A screening of Su Friedrichâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new no-holds-barred documentary about the directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal experience with gentriďŹ cation in Brooklyn.

A discussion with the ďŹ lmmaker, Spacing magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edward Keenan and developer Alan Saskin to follow.

Tues, Oct 9, 7pm. The Royal, 608 College St W. $10, $5 students, seniors and Images members. imagesfestival.com

HEALTH & ISSUES Bisexual Women of Toronto A peer-support and discussion group focused on community and solidarity.

Thurs, Oct 4, 8â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10pm. The 519, 519 Church St. Free. torontobinet.org

Help us ďŹ ght the targeting of our boxes!

If you see an emptied window, please replace the missing display paper.

For more listings, go to xtra.ca

Legit Accessible legal counsel for same-sex couples immigrating to Canada. Tap into the community and access useful resources. Thurs, Oct 11, 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10pm. The 519, 519 Church St. Free. legit.ca

To report vandalism or targeting please contact Craig Palmer; craig.palmer@xtra.ca

Kris and Dee are in town Oct 11.

Celebrate A screening of Vivek Shrayaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ďŹ lm What I Love About Being Queer and a panel addressing issues that aďŹ&#x20AC;ect trans or queer youth in the community. Tues, Oct 16, 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9pm.

Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd. Free.

MUSIC Vincent Wolfe Duo Kick back with drinks and a date for the jazz and cabaret performerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s silky vocals. Special guest Mark Kieswetter. Sat, Oct 6, 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10pm.

Fraticelliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 10 Vogell Rd, Richmond Hill. Free. fraticellis.ca

boyBitch Go downtown and witness the electro divatude of the biggest bitch in town. Wed, Oct 10, 9pm. Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace, 529 Bloor St W. $9. boybitch.bandcamp.com

Kris and Dee Kris Abbott, of The Pursuit of Happiness fame, and Dee McNeil, formerly of The Strap-Ons, tour in

support of their 2011 record Still Here Inside. Thurs, Oct 11, 8:30pm.

Hughâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Room, 2261 Dundas St W. $18 advance, $20 door. krisanddee.com

An Evening with Miss Conception Accompanied by pianist Robert Wilkinson, the incomparable queen blends hits from Adele and Cher with her riotous stage presence and sense of humour. Fri, Oct 12, 7:30pm.

Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $25. misconception.ca

PRINT & READINGS Impossible Words This Saturday-afternoon literary salon sees writers and educators in conversation and performance.

Featuring celebrated writers Kristyn Dunnion and Anand Mahadevan, with Jessica Goldman and Ziadh Rabbani of Toronto Street Writers. Sat, Oct 13, 1:30pm. Academy of the Impossible, 231 Wallace Ave. Free, PWYC lunch. impossiblewords.ca â&#x20AC;ş continued on page 24

AN EVENING IN SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY ONE FOUNDATION

PROHIBITION & PROVOCATION FEATURING: The Steinert & Ferreiro Award

The definitive online source for gay & lesbian media, including: q #SFBLJOH OFXT q %BJMZ CMPHT q 7JEFP JOUFSWJFXT q &OHBHJOH DPNNFOUT q &WFOU MJTUJOHT q 'BDFCPPL UXJUUFS BOE TP NVDI NPSF

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Roaring Twenties...

Games and Liquor Supporting our LGBTTIQQ2S community

Thursday, October 11th

Ticket Purchases:

CommunityOneFoundation

FROM 7PM TO 11PM at Steam Whistle Brewery

communityone.ca

@c1foundation

Presenting Sponsor:

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XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

23

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Pop culture possession Serafin LaRiviere I HAVE A WEIRD FETISH FOR THOSE glass votive candles they sell at Honest Ed’s. You know: the tall red ones with pictures of various saints (and the occasional vestal virgin) plastered on the sides. But I have to admit to an increasing squeamishness at fetishizing the glitzier trappings of the Roman Catholic faith, what with Pope Bennie and his merry band of child molesters taking all the fun out of fundamentalism.

So imagine my relief upon discovering a whole new source of guilt-free red glowy candles, courtesy of Trixie

and Beever, those creative gals over at BBJ (formerly Barbie’s Basement Jewellery). Once again I can bask in the flattering, non-creeper glow accented perfectly by images of Marilyn Monroe or Dolly Parton or . . . um . . .

Michael Jackson (don’t say it). I covet the Bea Arthur model, myself.

“Bea is one of our pop saints,” Trixie says. “When she died, she donated a huge amount of her estate to a charity for gay and lesbian street youth.

We love her.”

Children of the 1970s and ’80s will discover nostalgia aplenty when viewing BBJ’s online catalogue (I know I did). Along with the candles you’ll

BBJ’s celebrity candles, including “pop saint” Bea Arthur.

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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1981

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Local couple’s creations sure to inspire nostalgia

B.SC, LL.B, TEP BARRISTER, SOLICITOR & NOTARY CERTIFIED SPECIALIST (ESTATES & TRUST LAW)

SI N

ROBERT G.COATES,

Trixie (left) and Beever share a business and a great love.

find every sort of cool chachka imaginable — and plenty you could never have imagined: Charlie’s Angels cufflinks, Breakfast Club belt buckles and even sparkly brooches featuring portraits of (squee!) Dolly Parton.

“We’re obsessed with pop culture,” Trixie laughs. “It’s a shared culture sort of thing. People will come in and have this memory of something like Golden Girls. Plus, we love to talk about Dolly Parton to anyone who will listen.”

It was love of pop culture iconography that first bound Trixie and Beever together. The two have been inseparable since their first meeting 14 years ago at a Labour Day barbecue party.

Even now they are rarely apart, sharing both a home and business — and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This person is really my best friend, and I truly enjoy being with her all the time,” Beever says. “People ask how we spend so much time together, and I say, ‘How do you not?’”

Beever took over the business side of things early on in their partnership, applying her marketing and branding savvy to Trixie’s eclectic creations.

With sales doubling over the first two years together, it was clear the two had struck romantic and fiduciary gold.

And even after 14 years, Beever is still in awe of her wife.

“Trixie can just do anything,” she says. “She’s good with wood, she can sew, figure out computer programs, and she has patience in spades. Everything she does she’s great at and it’s all self-taught. I just really like her. And I love her. And yeah, I’m still hot for her.”

Check out Trixie and Beever’s online shop at bbj.ca, where you can order merchandise or make an appointment to see it all in person at their Leslieville studio.

2012·2013

EVERY FLAVOUR BUT VANILLA!

DIE F LE D E R MAU S JOHANN STRAUSS II

October 4 – November 3 Sung in German with English SURTITLES™

coc.ca Presenting Sponsor of SURTITLES™

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This new COC production has been generously underwritten by the Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation. Preliminary costume sketch by costume designer Constance Hoffman, 2012.

Creative: Endeavour

24

Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

Kirk J. Cooper

B.A., LL.B.

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xtra.ca

listings â&#x20AC;ş â&#x20AC;ş continued from page 22

LEISURE & PLEASURE LGBT Running Group Lace up those tricked-out kicks for a 7-kilometre run. Become a stronger, faster runner and meet new friends.

All skill levels welcome. Sun, Oct 7, 9am. Church Street Public School, 83 Alexander St. Free. getoutcanada.com

LGBT Bootcamp 101 Trina Mohan leads a ball-busting session on maximizing your strength, focus and endurance. Get ďŹ tter, stronger and faster. Tues, Oct 9, 6:30pm. Riverdale Park East. $15. getoutcanada.com

The deďŹ nitive news source for gay and lesbian Canadians

Singing for Love

THANKSGIVING TURKEY ROAST WITH ALL THE TRIMMINGS & PUMPKIN CRUMBLE $21 SERVED FROM SATURDAY OCTOBER 6TH TO MONDAY OCTOBER 8TH

3FTUBVSBOU t Pub

For reservations call 416.975.1867 www.theblakehouse.ca

participation contest to get the 10th annual Toronto Zombie Walk out of the grave and running. Hosted by the Great Canadian Wolfman and Sexy Mark Brown and featuring The Harlettes and Eve of Destruction. Fri, Oct 12, 9pm. Projection Booth Metro, 677 Bloor St W. $20 advance, $25 door. skintightouttasight.com

My Fencing Club En garde. Learn both sides of the blade as instructor Katya Belkina teaches the history, technique and rules of this age-old sport.

Sat, Oct 13, 3pm. Community of Christ Church, 1443 Bathurst St. $35. getoutcanada.com

Toronto Gay Gamers: Queerkham Horror

The queer Asian choir meets and welcomes new members. Cruise, croon and connect. No experience or auditions necessary. Wed, Oct 10, 5:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30pm. The 519, 519 Church St. Free. ariescheung.com/singingforlove

Join other game enthusiasts and nerd out with such games as Resistance, Jenga, Arkham Horror and more. Sat, Oct 13, 7pm. Glad Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. $6. torontogaymers.ca

One World

Northbound Leatherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 16th annual fashion and fetish show turns literary eroticism into hot reality. The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest fetish party features the talent of Dew Lily, Jimi LaMort, boxing champion Ray Olubowale, the designs of Katinka Kouture and much more.

Sat, Oct 13, 9pm. Sound Academy, 11 Polson St. $55, $45 advance, $125 VIP. northbound.com

Ashley Lockyer hosts an evening in support of the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation. Featuring live performances by Reenie and Robert Torbica, with music by DJ Lynz. Be entertained and shake a tail, all for a good cause. Thurs, Oct 11, 8pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $13. pwatoronto.org, buddiesinbadtimes.com

Seventh Annual Grindhouse Ghoulies BUILT 1891

For more listings, go to xtra.ca

Skin Tight Outta Sight and Great Canadian Burlesque present a spooky, kooky evening of grindhouse cinema, go-go ghouls and an audience

Dream

Sixth Annual Toronto International Flamenco Festival An eclectic celebration of all things ďŹ&#x201A;amenco. Featuring ďŹ lm screenings, choreography, guitar, dance and

Grindhouse Ghoulies is Fri, Oct 12. singing workshops, and live performances. Superstar choreographer and dancer Rafaela Carrasco makes her Canadian debut. Full program details available online. Runs Sun, Oct 14â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sat, Oct 20. torontoďŹ&#x201A;amencofestival.com

Meet, Plan, Go! Meet backpacking enthusiasts and travel experts who have solid, long-term experience on the road. Be inspired by pragmatic travel tips and learn to jet-set on a budget.

Tues, Oct 16, 6pm. Hard Rock CafĂŠ, 279 Yonge St. $20. meetplango.com/toronto

STAGE Bloodless: The Trial of Burke and Hare Winnipeg playwright Joseph Aragonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dark new musical tells the story of two serial killers in Edinburgh who start a subversive and successful business selling the bodies of their victims to medical schools.

Directed by Adam Brazier.

Runs Tues, Oct 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sun, Oct 28.

Panasonic Theatre, 651 Yonge St. $184â&#x20AC;&#x201C;297. mirvish.com

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Making a positive difference.

Consider a $25 monthly donation to acknowledge PWAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 25 years work in the community for people living with HIV/AIDS. Visit pwatoronto.org and follow the donate button.

Toronto People With AIDS Foundation 200 Gerrard Street East, 2nd ďŹ&#x201A;oor Toronto, Ontario M5A 2E6

TEL: (416) 506-1400 FAX: (416) 506-1404 www.pwatoronto.org Charitable Registration #: 13111 3151 RR0001

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Show Time and No Ho Time Queen of parody Wendy Ho is joined by Miss Conception in this outrageous and vivacious live show. A sensational act from the woman behind the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Fuck Meâ&#x20AC;? song and featuring numbers from Miss Conceptionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Puerto Vallarta show. Sat, Oct 13, 7:30pm.

Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $25. buddiesinbadtimes.com

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XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

ON STAGE

25

ON THE MENU

The new home of poutine West Queen West does it best Erica Lenti & Sofia Mikhaylova FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW about traditional, Americanized foods.

West Queen West serves up a diverse range of poutine and nacho dishes with an international twist. Hit up Savoy Restaurant, just east of Dufferin Street, to try curry poutine, or the Drake Hotel, located just down the street, to sample lobster nachos. The Gladstone Café, in the same vicinity, offers Greek, Mexican and Southwest-style poutine. These spins on the traditional fare assure a dish for every taste.

José Arias was arrested while in drag (as his alter ego, Dyna Thirst). The experience provided fodder for his new show, Arrested.

Right to remain anything but silent New play shines spotlight on police and racial profiling Chris Dupuis JOSÉ ARIAS HAS BEEN ARRESTED twice, but only once in drag. Cabbing home from an AIDS fundraiser where he’d performed as alter ego Dyna Thirst, the writer/performer blacked out when his tequila caught up with him. Toronto bylaws require police to be called when a woman falls unconscious in a taxi. Not realizing Arias is a man (he stands a mere five foot four and is slightly built), his driver dutifully notified authorities.

The rest is blurry, but Arias came to in a jail cell, dishevelled, untucked and with a splitting headache.

“When police see a drag queen or a transsexual they only want to know three things,” the Randolph Academy graduate says: “if she’s a hooker, if she’s a dealer and if she has real tits. I don’t remember what happened, but during testimony it came out they had strip-searched me. They also tried to pull out my earrings, thinking they were clip-ons, and apparently that’s when I hit one of them. This wasn’t a case of law enforcement doing anything for the public. They just wanted to see what some little faggot had to offer.”

Fortunately, the arraignment judge scoffed at the notion of Arias assaulting three burly officers, instructed him to apologize and sent him on his way. Despite being a miserable experience, the process provided fodder for his first play.

Aptly titled Arrested, the semi-autobiographical work follows Ricky, a young Latino male finding his way after his mom tosses him out because he is queer. Though he didn’t set out to write about race, it became part of the work because of its place in his own story.

“Ricky keeps getting in trouble, but he never really does anything wrong,” Arias says. “It could be a matter of wrong place/wrong time, but there’s also the element of ethnicity. A lot of this play is about how the police treat people. I know firsthand how it can be, and I don’t think my experience is unique. It seems like every Latino male has been arrested at least once.”

Despite a rebellious youth, Arias has settled into a rather quiet existence, working in real estate between acting gigs and volunteering with various charities.

“My day-to-day life is pretty boring by comparison,” he laughs. “When I was a street-kid shit disturber, I was an easy target for law enforcement.

Now that I’m a relatively respectable upstanding citizen, I’m not on their radar anymore.”

Though the relationship between racial minorities and law enforcement is a key element, Arias sees the personal journey of self-acceptance as the core of his script.

“More than anything it’s a play about self-forgiveness,” he says. “Being gay and Latino means having to forgive yourself in so many ways: for not being the son your parents wanted, for not living up to the expectations of your community. And at a certain point you also have to forgive yourself for your own internalized homophobia that’s a product of being raised in that kind of environment.”

A pitcher of beer is just $10 at 751.

ADAM COISH

Endless choice

No work, all play

Cheap eats

In keeping with the international theme of the neighbourhood, West Queen West offers a plethora of beers in its bars, pubs and restaurants. Don’t let the name turn you off: the Dog’s Bollocks, east of Claremont Street, has a whopping 20 beers on tap, the most you’ll find on this strip. And no hipster ’hood would be complete without a selection of Pabst Blue Ribbon; on weekdays, you can buy a bottle of this staple for only $3.50 at 751.

Much like Church Street, however, West Queen West comes up short on in-house brews. It’s a compromise that comes with a cost: opting for traditional brews keeps beer prices on the cheap.

Like the food and beer in this west-end community, the entertainment along Queen Street is plentiful. For music lovers, The Beaconsfield is a record bar with a penchant for soul and reggae. If you’re feeling brave (perhaps with some liquid courage), you can try your luck at karaoke every Thursday at the Dog’s Bollocks.

For a quieter night out, both the Drake Hotel and the Gladstone feature local art exhibits, many of which are queer-centric.

Don’t wait until TIFF to stargaze – Sweaty Betty’s on Ossington is a prime location for some of Hollywood’s favourites, including Drew Barrymore, who is a regular at this hipster hangout.

Beer on a budget? Look no further than 751, where a pitcher will run you a measly $10. Smoke’s Poutine, just east of Bathurst, remains king when it comes to cheap poutine, setting you back just $6. And the Dog’s Bollocks serves up West Queen West’s cheapest nacho platter, coming in at just under $10.

We recommend: 751 (751 Queen St W), The Dog’s Bollocks (841 Queen St W).

For a map of West Queen West’s best beer, nacho and poutine spots, turn to page 7.

In the next issue, Xtra searches out coffee and burgers in The Annex.

Pushing Buttons Artist/curator, Wil Craddock, presents an archive of virtual chat about pin buttons Pushing Buttons reimagines the space of The Pin Button Project, (www.pinbuttons.ca), an online experience that engages individual memory and storytelling through the exhibition of a rich history of LGBTQ+ buttons from the holdings of the CLGA. In Pushing Buttons, the online is brought into the physical – space and content are reimagined. The spectator becomes a witness to the historical and present roles of pin buttons.

D U R AT I O N

September 28 - October 22, 2012 OPENING RECEPTION

Friday, September 28, 7:30pm

the deets ARRESTED De Colores Festival of New Works Thurs, Oct 11, 8pm Wychwood Barns Theatre 601 Christie St alamedatheatre.com

www.clga.ca

26

XPOSED

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

Anna Pournikova

Ivory Towers as Edie Sedgwick and Roger Carrier as Andy Warhol channelling the next Sodom, Zombie Circus, but combining it with the current one, Warhol. Tricky dicky Sodom veterans. Tricky dicky, indeed.

Half-naked hot boys (Alex) showering in bubbles? In bubbles! Cue music, cue credits, cue money shot.

I looked at this photo at least five times before I noticed that Tyler’s wearing Andy Warhol undies. Ha on me, big time. It’s been ages since I took a snap of a hottie from behind the bar in his panties. We should make this more mainstream. I say the LCBO should start hiring guys like this to help with customer service.

I’m always crushing on some amazing diva who’s kicking around the gaybourhood, and the second I saw Slimthick Munroe, I practically fell to my knees begging for forgiveness. It’s like every hot broad who ever strutted her shit past my unworthy face didn’t even exist anymore. This is the hottest bitch in the game right now. You heard it here first.

I love that the hosts of Sodom are getting grimier and grimier.

The grit is where the sex is, in my opinion.

And Jay (on the right) is no exception: grimy as fuck, steeped in sex. I also like Taeden on his arm. She’s the kind of beard that throws down.

EXCLUSIVE ENGAGEMENT STARTS OCTOBER 12 Join us for a live Skype Q&A with director Ira Sachs, opening night at 6:15pm.

Tickets on sale now

ONLY AT

tiff.net/keepthelightson REITMAN SQUARE, 350 KING STREET WEST

TIFF prefers Visa.

®

TIFF is a trademark of Toronto International Film Festival Inc.

My pal Tamsin and I went to 90s Party at the Annex WreckRoom inspired by the Fly Girls of In Living Color.

Mostly because I wanted to win the costume contest and figured these little born-in-the-’90s jerks wouldn’t be much competition. Turns out my friend Rohan had the same idea when he put together this Big Daddy Kane costume out of his closet. We split the win (you can see it in my see-through shirt).

Wayne’s World is a really simple costume if you can get the basic facial expressions down, which Shane and Lauren nailed completely. If you look close, there’s not much to it: some plaid, a black tee and a hat, but the face is where all the effort lies.

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

NIGHTCLUB LISTINGS THURS, OCT 4

MON, OCT 8

Thursday Night Mass. Dancefloor faves every Thursday. 8pm. Church, 504 Church St. No cover. churchonchurch.com

Fall-Back Prices. Free backroom, $10 dances and drinks at day prices, with hot bartenders, music and naked men all night. 5–8pm. Flash, 463 Church St. Regular rates. flashonchurch.com

FRI, OCT 5 Good Fridays. Heaven Lee Hytes, Farra N Hyte and Teran Blake at 9pm; DJ Shane Percy at 11pm. Church, 504 Church St. No cover. churchonchurch.com Bitch Tap. Cock rock, with DJ Madame Hair. 10pm. The Cloak & Dagger, 394 College St W. No cover. cloakanddaggerpub.com Gitch: College Edition Underwear Party.

DJ Kevin Bailey spins and underwearclad go-go dancers gyrate. Prizes and contests. 10pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $6 before 11pm, $8 after; students no cover before 11:30pm, $5 after. club120.ca

TUES, OCT 9 Mile High Tuesdays. DJ Turt McGurt spins top 40 and house. 9pm. Boutique Bar, 506 Church St. No cover. boutiquebar.ca Paddy O-Brian takes it off Fri, Oct 5.

All Mouth, No Trousers. British house; BBC top-40. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5. waylabar.com Her: Fashion ShowHer Edition. Look inside yourself and set Her free.

10:30pm. La Perla, 783 Queen St W. $5. herherher.com Rock Stars. DJ Geoff Kelleway rocks the house beats. 11pm. Byzantium, 499 Church St. No cover. byz.ca Cub Camp: Leather Night. DJs Scooter and Kevin H on decks. 11pm. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5. beavertoronto.ca Grapefruit: Total Retro. DJs Shane Percy and Aural spin retro pop and dance, with performance by Donnarama.

10pm–3am. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 cover, $5 before 11pm with pass from grapefruit4u.com. flynightclub.com Beef Cake. Hosted by pornstar Colby Jansen, plus the XXX Go-Go Guys.

10pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $5, no cover for students before midnight, add $10 for late-night VIP show. club120.ca Sweat: The Original Friday Night Workout. Gay jocks, gym bunnies and their admirers. 10:30pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $5. buddiesinbadtimes.com

SAT, OCT 13

Dirty Sexy Party. DJ Foxtrott spins the hottest remixes and pornstar Paddy O’Brian performs. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $5 before 11pm, $12 till midnight, $15 after. flynightclub.com

It’s Showtime & Ho Time. Wendy Ho and Miss Conception take the stage and the mic for a hilarious and memorable evening. 7:30pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $25. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Fetish Funhouse. Interactive intro to BDSM, hosted by Leatherman 2004 Paul C. 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com

Saturday at Crews & Tangos. Michelle Ross and Vitality Black at 6:30pm; Triple Threat, with Devine Darlin, Jada Hudson and Lady Kim G, at 8:30pm; Supafly, with DJ Quinces, at Tangos, and DJ Dominic in the Zone, both at 10pm; Robyn DeCradle at 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

Cruiseline’s Best Men’s Ass Contest.

Hosted by Georgie Girl, with DJ Mark Falco and $300 in cash prizes.

Woody’s, 465 Church St. Midnight. woodystoronto.com

SAT, OCT 6 Motown Party. DJs Fawn BC and Caff spin Motown, northern soul and remixes upstairs, while DJs Brett Milius and Reverend Throwdown throw down an allvinyl set downstairs. 9pm. 751 Lounge, 751 Queen St W. $5 before midnight, $10 after. vimeo.com/12658879 Reality Bytes Second Anniversary.

DJs 4est, Lindzrox, Jrox and Taiza spin ’90s dance, hip hop, electronica and alternative. 9:30pm. Augusta House, 152 Augusta Ave. No cover before 11pm, $5 after. theaugustahouse.com Pitbull Cocktoberfest. DJs Shawn Riker, John Caffery and The Robotic Kid in the main room; DJ Mike Vieira in the Lounge. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 advance, $16 before 1am, $20 after. pitbullevents.ca Homewrecker. DJs Shane Percy and Aural spin. 10pm–3am. The Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. $5. homewrecker.biz Club120 Dance. DJ Sumation spins dance faves. 10pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $7 before 11pm, $10 after; $5 students all night. club120.ca Twilight Zone Tribute Party 2012. DJs Albert Assoon, David Campbell, Mitch Winthrop and Groove Institute spin soul, funk, disco and house. 10pm. Revival Bar, 783 College St W. $15–20 advance, $30 door. twilightzonetributeparty4. eventbrite.com, unitedsoul.ca Tapette. DJ Phil V spins les disques for les garçons. 10:30pm. Henhouse, 1532 Queen St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Superstar. DJ Mark Falco spins top 40, house and classic jams. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com

SUN, OCT 7 Go Hard Noir. DJ Blackcat’s birthday, with DJs Blackcat, Unruly Twin and Please. Featuring erotic dancer TenderRoni; cash prizes for best-dressed spectator. 10pm. Club120, 120 Church St. $10 before midnight, $15 after. club120.ca

WED, OCT 10 BoyBitch. Performing gay electro-pop.

9pm. Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St W. $9. boybitch.bandcamp.com, leespalace.com Name-That-Tune Trivia. Three rounds for musical know-it-alls. 9pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com

THURS, OCT 11 One World. Live performances by Reenie and Robert Torbica in support of the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation; hosted by Ashley Lockyer. DJ Lynz spins.

8pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $13. buddiesinbadtimes.com Thursday at Crews & Tangos. Buffet Thursday, with Tyler Uptight and Nikki Chin, at 9pm; Drama Queens, with Heroine Marks, Ivory Towers and DJ tothestarz; Ultimate Thursday, with DJ Craig Dominic in Tangos, and Vocal Rehab karaoke, with Elyse Douglas, in the Zone, both at 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Smirnoff Best Chest Contest. Hosted

by Georgie Girl, with DJ Mark Falco and $300 in cash prizes. Midnight.

Woody’s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

FRI, OCT 12 Fraternity Bar Night. Network with gay professionals. 7–9pm. Spirits Bar and Grill, 642 Church St. rsvp at social@ thefraternity.org An Evening with Miss Conception.

Miss Conception sings, with Robert Wilkinson on the piano. 7:30 pm.

Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $25. buddiesinbadtimes.com Friday at Crews & Tangos. Fierce & Flawless, with Heroine Marks, Ivory Towers and Katherine Dior, at 8:30pm; Indigo Vibes, with DJ Roxanne, at Tangos, and Club Lite, with DJ Relentless, in the Zone, both at 10pm; Bitchapalooza, with Daytona Bitch, at 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

Mischief. DJs Deko-ze and Jerome Robins spin on the main floor, and DJ Mike Vieira throws down in the Protocol Lounge. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 before 11pm, $15 till 1am, $20 after. flynightclub.com B.East. DJ Cory Activate spins for muscle men and their admirers. 10pm.

WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5. facebook. com/beastatwayla

SUN, OCT 14 Woody’s Sunday. Stage to Screen Show, with Miss Conception, at 6pm; Day-Rama Show, with Donnarama and Georgie Girl, at 9pm; Georgie Girl and Donnarama welcome Sofonda, Cassandra and Tynomi Banks at 11pm.

Woody’s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

MON, OCT 15 Monday at Crews & Tangos. Glitz & Glam, with Carlotta Carlisle and Katinka Kature, at 9pm; Dirty Mondays, with Devine Darlin and Nikki Chin, at 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

TUES, OCT 16 Varsity Tuesday. Sofonda Cox hosts So You Think You Can Strip? $100 cash prize. 11pm. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $5, no cover with student ID. remingtons.com

For complete listings on the go, scan the QR code below or visit xtra.ca.

JOB OPPORTUNITY Sponsorship & Business Development Account Manager Xtra, Canada’s leading gay and lesbian newspaper, has an immediate opening for a Sponsorship and Business Development Account Manager.

You have a proven track record in sales, promotions and community relations. You are an aggressive self-starter who gets things done. You have demonstrated leadership skills and are ready to direct your energies toward successfully promoting Xtra to foster relations with community organizations and expand our base of advertisers.

You will promote and provide access to Xtra, increase our visibility in the community, and manage and expand our associations with community groups and readers. You will coordinate sponsorships and Xtra’s participation in community events, as well as develop and execute promotions and new projects. You will increase advertising revenue by expanding our customer base, particularly beyond traditional markets.

You relish the challenge of making a sale and understand that selling is not a clock-punching job. You understand that success in advertising sales is about constant account development and that prospecting and calling on new clients is a daily task.

To read the full description of this position and details on how to apply, visit the Jobs section of xtra.ca.

CANADA’S GAY& LESBIAN NEWS

27

A World of Gay Adventure

Stockholm

YANAN LI, STOCKHOLM VISITORS BOARD

Take a liking to a Viking in Scandinavia’s most pristine city Armando Medonça with files from Guidemag staff

MIKAEL SJÖBERG, STOCKHOLM VISITORS BOARD

From top: the Stockholm skyline; shopping at Coctail Deluxe; the Royal Dramatic Theatre.

HOLGER ELLGAARD

S

TOCKHOLM’S MEN — TALL and muscular in stature, endowed with meticulously defined jaw lines and babysoft blond hair — will take your breath away. They seem to grace every corner of the regal city, giving new meaning to gay Stockholm’s slogan: “Take a liking to a Viking.”

In Stockholm, taking a ferry is as common as taking a bus. One of the world’s most beautiful capitals, the city is built on 14 islands connected by 57 bridges, with handsome buildings, green parks and water all around; it is by far the most pristine of all Scandinavian cities. On every corner there’s another fairy-tale setting, and perhaps another Prince Charming.

Spring’s the time when the layers come off in tandem with the rise of the perpetual sun. From May to September, you can watch the gladiators jogging over the bridges that connect the vast archipelago and lose yourself in long ambles through the gingerbread streets of Gamla Stan (Stockholm’s Old Town).

By day, visitors and locals are spoiled

for choice, with charming boat rides among the islands, countless picnic spots throughout the 2010 European Green Capital and visits to first-class attractions. Adjacent to most main roads you’ll find dedicated lanes for bicycles, which are an ideal way to explore the city. The bike-sharing program, Stockholm City Bikes, operates from the beginning of April through the end of October and is perfect for short trips (bikes must be dropped off at one of the many hubs within three hours of pickup). Three-day rental cards can be purchased for $25.

Stockholm’s main attractions are easily explored on foot. The Gamla Stan dates back to the 13th century and offers a glimpse of Stockholm’s past, with its backdrop of medieval architecture, cobblestone streets and charming antique shops and cafés, most of which are found in the main square. Notable is the quaint gayowned and -operated Chokladkoppen café and the neighbouring Keffekoppen. Offering fabulous coffee and local delights, they share the same kitchen and the same breathtaking view of the square. A stone’s throw away are the Nobel Museum, the cathedral (known

as the Great Church) and the Royal Palace (don’t miss the parade of soldiers and the changing of the guard).

One of the more popular of Stockholm’s 14 islands is Djurgården, home to some of the city’s premier attractions: Vasa Museum, Gröna Lund Amusement Park , Skansen (billed as the world’s oldest open-air museum), Stockholm Zoo and a variety of historical buildings, monuments and galleries. Djurgården also offers extensive stretches of green space and incredible views of Stockholm’s yacht harbours and connecting bridges.

Take a leisurely walk from downtown Stockholm to Kungsholmen island, where you’ll find one of the city’s best hidden treasures: the open-air waterfront café and beer garden Mälarpaviljongen. This gay-friendly “everyone’s welcome” establishment offers the best eye-candy in the city. Equally popular is the Moulin Rouge-esque Torget, which transforms itself from a “restaurantby-day” to a late-night gay cocktail bar.

When the weather warms up, Stockholm’s party scene rages seven nights a week. The gay community here is out, loud and proud. Stockholm Pride, a week of spirited partying, is usually

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

29

YANAN LI, STOCKHOLM VISITORS BOARD

MATS HALLDIN

MATS HALLDIN

held at the end of July and beginning of August. The Viking Bears have a full schedule of weekly nights out and list special party events on their website.

Shopping can be an adventure: in the exclusive Östermalm district and Stureplan square you’ll find international designer boutiques and shops, while the mecca for all budgets is the Bohemian neighbourhood Södermalm, also known as SoFo. Taking its name from the SoHo areas of New York and London, the area “south of Folkungagatan” is where the characters in Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy live and work.

Stockholm offers a wide range of accommodations for all budgets. The gay-friendly Hilton chain, which promotes its brand with the slogan “Stay Hilton, Go Out,” has the waterfront Hilton Slussen, a great property in central Stockholm. The hotel offers superior accommodation and boasts one

Top: Stockholm’s 2011 Pride parade. Left: Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, the narrowest street in the city, is less than a metre wide.

Above: In Old Town, you can still spot ancient infrastructure like this trumba, a medieval waste pipe.

of the best buffet breakfasts in the city.

There are no nonstop flights from Canada to Stockholm; however, direct flights to Europe with connections to Arlanda Airport are extensive, with London’s Heathrow, and its hourly connections on SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), the most common transatlantic choice.

Transportation from the airport to Stockholm’s central train station is easy, affordable and fast — the trip takes only 20 minutes — with Arlanda Express. Airport taxis and buses vary in price, depending on the time of day, as do the trip times, but generally they’ll get you downtown in 30 to 40 minutes.

on the web Visit Stockhom ›visitstockholm.com Stockholm Pride ›stockholmpride.org Viking Bears ›vikingbears.com

Trip advisor

ALISDAIR MCDIARMID

BARS & CLUBS Babs Kök & Bar Tomrik Mat & Dryck

HOTELS & GUESTHOUSES Nordic Sea Hotel Hotel Oden

RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS Björk Bar & Grill Pappa Ray Ray & Morfar Ginko

SAUNAS Haga Video H56

SHOPPING Basement Hallongrottan For maps and listings of more than 50 gay and lesbian places of interest in Stockholm, visit guidemag.com.

TORONTO DOWNTOWN CENTRE 30 CARLTON STREET TORONTO, ONTARIO M5B 2E9 CANADA Hotel Front Desk: 1-416-977-6655 www.holidayinn.com/TorontoCentre

NICHO SÖDLING, STOCKHOLM VISITORS BOARD

Top: the first cafés to open in Stockholm, these old coffee and chocolate houses sit beside the former Stock Exchange Building, now the Nobel Museum.

Above: scrumptious local cuisine at Vurma restaurant.

t Less than 5 minute walk to Church St. t Restaurant and Bar t Premium Suites

30

Guidemag.com A World of Gay Adventure

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

MATJAZ INTIHAR, VISITOSLO

Oslo

KON-TIKI MUSEUM

Norway’s vibrant capital will have you pining for the fjords Armando Medonça with files from Guidemag staff

P

OSTCARD-PICTURESQUE Oslo is a city of islands. Within the city limits, more than 40 are accessible by ferry, and there are many more around the fjord Norway’s capital city sits on.

Walking and cycling are important parts of Norwegian life, so grab a map or your iPhone and start exploring.

The public transport system’s website (ruter.no) has info on trains, the metro system, tram cars, buses (day and night) and boats all around the region, as well as apps for both the iPhone and Android systems.

The Oslo Pass (details at the Visit Oslo website) gives free entry to swimming pools, the Tusenfryd amusement park and more than 30 museums, as well as unlimited free travel by public transport within the downtown zones 1 and 2. Daily passes are approximately $45 (Canadian); three-day passes are roughly $85. Students and seniors pay

less than half those rates.

One of Oslo’s most vibrant areas is Aker Brygge. An old shipyard, its wide, waterfront boardwalk along the Oslofjord bustles with local artisans, restaurants, shops and cafés. It’s an area where people go to be seen but also to shop for clothes to be seen in — there are more than 70 shops, with something for every budget.

Pay a visit to the Munch Museum, dedicated to the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch — perhaps best known for his painting The Scream. The guided tours offer excellent insight into the full scope of his work. And don’t leave Oslo without a visit to the Viking Ship Museum, home to the world’s two best-preserved wooden Viking ships, built in the ninth century.

Located in the Bjørvika neighbourhood, at the head of the Oslofjord, the Oslo Opera House houses the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet. With a focus on the classical side of Norwegian arts and culture, it is Norway’s largest performing arts institution.

Fittingly for the city that’s home to the Nobel Peace Prize (awarded annually, on Dec 10, at the Grand Hotel), Oslo is a melting pot of cultures and people; almost 30 percent of the population is non-Norwegian, and immigrants’ numbers are increasing.

The city is gay-friendly, and the gay community here has it all, from sophisticated art exhibitions to year-round dance parties. As in other Scandinavian capitals, there are relatively few specifically gay clubs, hotels or restaurants for a city this size, but hotel staff won’t blink as you and your same-sex partner check into a room with one bed. For romantic evenings on the town, there are few better places in the world.

That said, the majority of queer social life takes place at the centre of town, and clubs and parties that attract a majority gay or lesbian crowd are mostly located here, along with two gay bathhouses. London Pub is the city’s oldest gay pub and a favourite among tourists.

But crowds of queer and straight party people mix it up all over town.

Out and about you might run into the former chairman of the city council, Erling Lae, and his partner, Jens Torstein Olsen, a priest. Norway was the second country in the world to legalize same-sex partnerships and in 2009 granted marriage equality to same-sex couples. Each June, Oslo Pride features 10 days of celebrations that include film festival screenings, concerts, art exhibits, shows, political debates and a huge festival at Rådhusplassen, the city hall square.

There are no nonstop flights from Canada to Oslo, but there are many options for direct flights to Europe, with connections to Gardermoen Airport.

Flying through London’s Heathrow airport is the most common transAtlantic choice, from which there are hourly connections to Oslo on Scandanavian Airlines.

Gardermoen Airport is in Ullensaker, 47 kilometres from Oslo’s city centre; trains, buses and taxis can get you downtown. The Flytoget express train runs every 10 to 20 minutes, taking travellers into Oslo’s central station in just 19 minutes for approximately $33.

Standard train service is a little cheaper, at $20, and takes only half an hour.

Five different bus companies have service to and from the airport. All options are listed on the airport website.

NORMANNS KUNSTFORLAG, VISITOSLO

Clockwise from left: Oslo’s majestic Bygdøy peninsula is home to many museums, including the Viking Ship Museum, the official summer residence of the King of Norway, and Oslo’s most popular beaches, including the Huk nudist beach; Oslo’s modern architecture; Vigeland sculpture park.

Trip advisor BARS & CLUBS London Pub Luux Oslo

HOTELS & GUESTHOUSES Anker Hotel Oslo Perminalen Hotel

RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS Kampen Bistro Le Canard

SAUNAS My Friend Club Saunahuset Hercules For maps and listings of more than 40 gay and lesbian venues and places of interest in Oslo, visit guidemag.com.

on the web Visit Oslo ›visitoslo.com Oslo Pride ›skeivedager.no

GUNNAR STROM, VISITOSLO

FIULPLOII

Left: Situated between Parliament and the Royal Palace is the National Theatre, Norway’s largest theatre and one of 20 in Oslo; Above: Karl Johans gate is Oslo’s main street.

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

31

Diana Nyad will be celebrity guest at Olivia’s Ixtapa 2013 Olivia Travel, the world’s largest lesbian travel company, has announced that Diana Nyad will be the “celebrity sports guest” at its November 2013 Ixtapa Mexico resort vacation, an eight-day package at Club Med Ixtapa.

On Aug 18, 2012, Nyad, a 63-yearold endurance swimmer, set course on a 103-mile open-water swim from Havana, Cuba, to Key West, Florida.

Despite facing poisonous jellyfish stings, dehydration and storm squalls that pulled her miles off course, Nyad held firm for a record-breaking 51 hours and five minutes.

On Aug 21, her crew pulled a reluctant Nyad out of the water as a life-saving precaution. She eventually accepted that factors beyond their control would make completion nearly impossible.

Olivia was an official sponsor of Nyad’s swim and helped cover the cost of the boats that carried a 40-person crew.

Says Judy Dlugacz, the founder and CEO of Olivia, “Olivia is thrilled to welcome Diana on next year’s Ixtapa trip, and we know that guests will enjoy meeting such a gutsy, empowered individual.”

Ixtapa is a Club Med flagship resort that features a spa, two pools, three on-site restaurants, three bars and luxurious guest rooms. Outdoor activities range from sailing and snorkelling to shopping and dancing, while trapeze, tennis, bocce and rollerblading headline a full schedule of fitness classes.

The company’s 2013 travel schedule will include two Caribbean cruises and two Punta Cana resort trips to celebrate Olivia’s 40th anniversary, as well as packages to Ireland and the Scottish British Isles, Provence and Burgundy, Vietnam and Cambodia.

Outdoor activities at Ixtapa range from sailing and snorkelling to shopping and dancing.

For trip information and reservations, visitolivia.com.

IMAGE SOURCE/THINKSTOCK

Andy Warhol’s

New York City

Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen.

CAMPING IT UP ON A CARIBBEAN CRUISE Concierge Travel, the largest gayowned and -operated travel agency and tour operator in Texas, will set sail in February 2013 with an LGBT Friends & Family Caribbean group cruise.

Sailing aboard the Celebrity Silhouette, Feb 17 to 24, the cruise will start and end in Fort Lauderdale, with stops in St Martin, San Juan, Puerto Rico and St Thomas.

Chicago-based music and comedy legends Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen are booked as entertainment.

The campy duo has performed together for 15 years, and they are regulars on numerous gay cruises, including Concierge’s jaunts to Costa Rica and the Greek Isles.

“One advantage of our gay group cruises is the terrific fares that we’re

able to offer, comparable and often lower in price to a regular mainstream sailing,” says Kim Gustavsson, vicepresident of sales and marketing at Concierge.

Staterooms start at $614 per person based on double occupancy.

Visit conciergetravel.cc for more information. For reservations, book directly with Concierge

For a fascinating view of New York, take a walking tour of the city through the eyes, mind and legacy of pop art icon Andy Warhol.

Author Thomas Kiedrowski has spent years compiling anecdotes, interviews and articles on hundreds of Warholrelated locations around Manhattan.

And he’s written a conveniently sized walking guide entitled Andy Warhol’s New York City.

Stroll past Warhol’s former residences and factory locations; check out Truman Capote’s and Edie Sedgwick’s former homes and find out why they’re included; discover the connection between the infamous Paraphernalia boutique and Warhol’s film of the same name.

The book divides 80 notable sites connected to Warhol into four tours: Upper East Side 1 (above East 70th Street); Upper East Side 2 (East 57th to East 68th streets); Midtown; and Downtown (Murray Hill, Chelsea, Rose Hill, Union Square, East Village, Greenwich Village).

The 136-page paperback retails for $14.95 and is illustrated with original art created specifically for the book by Vito Giallo, one of Warhol’s former studio assistants.

It’s available online at Amazon or littlebookroom.com.

Kiedrowski also leads weekly Warhol tours of the Big Apple and offers customized tours.

Check out warholtour.com for more details.

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Go to xtra.ca and check out the reader comments on the bottom of every news story.

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

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MARRIED? DIVORCED? GAY? BI? HAVE CHILDREN? Gay Fathers meets at 8 PM the second and fourth Thursday of each month: The 519 Church Street Community Centre Room 304

Our meetings are informal, confidential and very helpful. We’re here to support you on your journey.

Please visit our website: www.gayfathers-toronto.com

In memoriam

PROUD LIFE

CLEMENT JOSEPH HENRI CHABOT Nov 12, 1946–Sept 15, 2012

Most devoted, loving husband to Carl J Parent. Sweetest daddy to his beloved teddies MK, Jr and Clem, Jr. Wonderful brother, uncle-in-law to many.

Forever deeply loved and missed.

Always in my heart memories.

Love and memories are forever.

Your loving husband, Carl xoxox

PROUD LIVES

Commemorate those who have recently passed away. This space is donated by Xtra.

Call 416-644-5214 for more information.

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T’S REALLY EASY TO TELL AN offensive joke; it’s harder to tell a good one.

Over the years, I’ve seen a lot of comedians stumble gloriously over themselves trying to shock and awe their audiences. Remember when Daniel Tosh tried to convince a crowd there are no bad rape jokes by telling a bad rape joke? Exactly.

Being offensive for the sake of being offensive rarely, if ever, works. Being offensive as a means of subverting a corrupt authority and giving power back to the disenfranchised tends to work out a lot better.

When I first heard about Bel Ami’s Scandal in the Vatican, I was cautiously optimistic. Bel Ami, as some of you might know, is the premier twink porn studio. Their models are pretty, blond European boys with vocabularies that seem to consist entirely of deep intakes of breath. Their models are hot, hung and charmingly adorable. That is to say, when you think of political subversion, you’d probably think of Jon Stewart before Dolph Lambert.

And yet, Scandal in the Vatican hits that sweet spot of being ballsy as fuck while maintaining a weirdly subtle undercurrent of rebellion. The Vatican has always been plagued by accusations of hypocrisy and disconnect

Bel Ami’s Scandal in the Vatican is both bizarre and boner-inducing.

from the common man, but its distinction as high, holy ground makes it ripe for satire. Seeing a group of Ken Doll–perfect boys in holy attire fucking in what is meant to be that most sacred of Catholic symbols is mind-meltingly bizarre and yet weirdly boner-inducing.

And did I mention the actual pope makes a cameo appearance? Yes, in what is possibly the most brain-fuckingly insane moment ever in gay porn, Pope Benedict XVI is allegedly seen on camera blessing two of the series’ stars. I repeat: pope. In gay porn. Either god has a really good sense of humour or we can accept his lack of smiting as tacit admission that our existence is a matter of cosmic coincidence.

If it seems like I’m freaking out a touch over this, it’s because I am.

There’s a perverse genius in all of this that I can’t quite put my finger

on, a sort of Dadaist blaze of glory cleverly disguised as jerk-off material. The part of all of this that feels weird — even weirder than the pope giving his blessing to a pair of gay pornstars — is the fact that in any other medium, this would probably be hailed as one of the most ingenious displays of performance art ever. Hell, Sacha Baron Cohen got a Golden Globe for Borat and all he did was trick racist white trash into being racist white trash.

As for the porn itself: it’s good. It’s quintessentially Bel Ami, and you can’t really go wrong with that. That being said, I feel they should be given more credit for defying one of the most revered figures alive today. It’s something wholly original, and unholy funny.

Jeremy Feist is a Toronto pornstar.

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