Xtra, Vancouver's Gay and Lesbian news by Pink Triangle Press

PRIDE CIVIC STATUS? Council votes in fall ›11 VA N CO U V ER’S G AY & LE

UNITED CHURC H CHOOSES Gay man is new moderator ›13

GUNMAN OPENS FIRE Targets antigay group ›17

#496 AU G 23 , 2012

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XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

queer latin cinema Todo el mundo tiene a alguien menos yo (Everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Got Somebody But Me) Mexico, 2012. Dir: RaĂşl Fuentes MONDAY, SEPT 3 | 5:15PM | PC

Soft black and white images, sophisticated camera work and excellent performances. Director RaĂşl Fuentes elevates the tale above the clichĂŠd â&#x20AC;&#x153;girl-meets-girl-storiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it is a study of clashing characters and a generation gap. WORLD CINEMA AMSTERDAM

Joven y alocada

A complicated relationship develops between Alejandra, an established literary editor, and MarĂa, a precocious student in her last year of high school. At ďŹ rst, the sexual chemistry creates an illusion of compatibility, however it is not long before Alejandraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s requests for candlelit dinners and conversations about books conďŹ&#x201A;ict with MarĂaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s desire to party until dawn.

(Young & Wild) Chile, 2011. Dir: Marialy Rivas

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 | 9:30PM | PC SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 9 | 2PM | PC I think that if this movie is able to raise questions in peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s souls regarding how they perceive their sexuality, and of how much guilt, pain, phobia or hatred derives from absurd notions of misunderstood religion, I will be the happiest woman to walk this earth. MARIALY RIVAS, SHEWIRED

Daniela is an angst-ridden 17-year-old who ďŹ nds that her raging sexual drive is difficult to reconcile with the orders of her religion and the expectations of her well-to-do, evangelical family. With no outlet for her desire, Daniela taps into an online network of other restless teenagers through her sexually charged blog.

Mia Argentina, 2011 Dir: Javier Van de Couter SATURDAY, SEPT 1 | 7PM | PC

The story takes on the right to happiness and the ability to be part of the community for those who have chosen a different way.

Ale is a transvestite who lives in a marginalized community of gay and trans people in Buenos Aires who are facing eviction. One evening while collecting cardboard on the street, Ale ďŹ nds Miaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diary, hastily discarded by her grieving husband.

EL BAZAR

Morir de pie (Die Standing Up) Mexico, 2011. Dir: Jacaranda Correa THURSDAY, SEPT 6 | 7:30PM | PC

El espacio entre los dos (The Space Between Us) Argentina, 2012. Dir: Nadir Medina SAT, SEPT 8 | 2:15PM | SFU-HC Sensitive and with great descriptive power, this ďŹ rst ďŹ lm from Nadir Medina poses for itself the challenge of portraying adolescence and love, and accomplishes a promising result. BAFICI

In a small town in CĂłrdoba, Argentina, three childhood friends, Malena, Pablo, and TomĂĄs rock out on a makeshift stage to a roomful of screaming, enthusiastic fans. However, the chemistry that ďŹ res their music has a depth and perplexity to it that none of them is quite ready to face.

Morir de pie...confronts a prejudiced society, one that is not capable of understanding its own limited deďŹ nitions of revolution, love, solidarity. SAMUEL MESINAS, MILENIO

VENUES: The Cinematheque (PC)

This is the inspiring story of Irina Layevska, the son of militant communists, who grew up defending socialism and the Cuban Revolution. Identifying with the ideologies of Che Guevara and even resembling Che physically, Irina worked tirelessly for the cause. However, as an adult Irina faced even greater challenges. Born into a male body that was suffering increasing physical disability, Irina took on a new revolution: to become a woman.

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THE ISSUE: Sergei Bachlakov, David P Ball, Niko Bell, Ken Boesem, Randall Cosco, Tyler Dorchester, Jeremy Hainsworth, Shauna Lewis, James Loewen, Joshua McVeity, Raziel, Mark Robins, Bradley Turcotte ISSN: #1198-0613 PRINTED AND PUBLISHED IN CANADA ©2012 PINK TRIANGLE PRESS. XTRA IS PUBLISHED EVERY TWO WEEKS BY PINK TRIANGLE PRESS

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Customer Satisfaction is Our #1 Priority Jim Pattison Hyundai Northshore is your u exclusive e c us e Hyundai yu da Equus dealer in North Vancouver. Come e visit our state of the art building at the entrance of the Northshore hshore Auto Mall.

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PRIDE

Ugandans celebrate first Pride

EVERY PERSON IS UNIQUE.

“This is who we are. We are here to stay. And we are not going anywhere,” says one Pride participant. ›16

;HSR [V `V\Y KVJ[VY

NEWSFRONT

OPINION

City council to vote on civic status for Pride

QQ is suffering from an excess of Pride and will return next month.

If it receives civic status, the Vancouver Pride parade — like the Celebration of Light ﬁreworks competition, Remembrance Day and the Grey Cup parade — would potentially no longer bear the costs of city services, such as policing, parking, permits and sanitation. › 11

Fired for being HIV-positive? The BC Human Rights Tribunal has agreed to hear a complaint from a gay, HIV-positive man who alleges he was ﬁred by a subsidiary of communications giant Bell Canada because he has HIV. A date for a settlement discussion has been set for Nov 19, but Hoye says if the outcome is not satisfactory, he’ll proceed with legal action. › 11

Lesbian Buddhist wedding in Taiwan Before this year, lesbian couple Huang Meiyu and You Yating hadn’t given much thought to marriage. But after watching an English television program about gay marriage, Huang thought, “Marriage is more than just a piece of paper. It’s something a whole family shares in.” So when her girlfriend of seven years came home from work, Huang proposed. › 18

OUT IN THE CITY

Our ‘orgiastic ancestors’ The authors of Sex at Dawn take on a long line of anthropologists who declare human monogamous marriage “an unquestionably correct principle.” Instead, Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá claim that monogamy is extremely difficult and even dangerous to human health. › 19

REGULARS

Commentary › 6 Xcetera › 8 Xposed › 25 COLUMNS

Naked Eye Natasha Barsotti › 6 Blitz & Shitz Raziel › 24 CARTOONS

The Brotherhood Tyler Dorchester › 29 The Village Ken Boesem › 29 LISTINGS

Parties ›22 Meetings & groups ›22 Art, festivals & performances ›22 Leisure & pleasure ›22 COVER PHOTO BY RANDALL COSCO

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

editorial › feedback › debate

Comment Social justice’s shades of grey Naked Eye Natasha Barsotti

I M E MAG A Z I N E E DI TOR Richard Stengel once asked Nelson Mandela whether he embraced armed struggle because he thought non-violence would never defeat apartheid or because it was the only way to prevent the African National Congress (ANC) from disintegrating. “Why not both?” Mandela asked. Social justice strategies are rarely either/or propositions. They are often “and.” Case in point: Martin Luther King’s call for non-violent demonstrations pushed the conservative buttons of eight white Alabama clergymen. “We . . . point out that such actions as incite to hatred and violence, however technically peaceful those actions may be, have not contributed to the solution of our local problems,” they wrote. A jailed King replied, “Your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations . . . There have been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation . . . The purpose of our direct action program is to create a situation so crisis packed that it will inevitably open the door to negotiation.” And yet, others — like the pugnacious Malcolm X — felt King’s embrace of a non-violent approach to black liberation was too tepid.But while King’s non-violent strategy is more historically palatable to the mainstream, his and X’s perspectives informed the narrative and evolution of black civil rights in the US. Both. More recently, the members of punk collective Pussy Riot were found guilty of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred and sentenced to two years in jail after their performance of an anti-Putin song in a Russian Orthodox cathedral. For their supporters, theirs is a freedom-of-expression ﬁght with a state-religious orthodoxy that wields disproportionate power. For their detractors, their actions are sacrilegious. “We dared . . . to unite the visual imagery of Orthodox culture and that of protest culture, thus suggesting to smart people that Orthodox culture belongs not only to the Russian Orthodox Church, the Patriarch and Putin, that it could also ally itself with civic rebellion and the spirit of protest in Russia,” one Pussy Rioter said in her closing statement at trial.

Both. In Uganda, gay activists and their allies did what many probably thought was unthinkable: they staged their first Pride parade. The police raided the festivities, detaining and roughing up participants, who continued their celebrations after they were released. For Uganda observers, the news of this “first” is a sign of unexpectedly quick progress. An acceptable radical act. Enter hacktivist group Anonymous, which recently conducted a virtual ambush of the Ugandan prime minister’s office website. “Your violations of the rights of LGBT people have disgusted us,” their message reads. “ALL people have the right to live in dignity free from the repression of someone else’s political and religious beliefs. You should be proud of your LGBT citizens, because they clearly have more balls than you will ever have.” It’s a message that chagrined those who applauded the first Pride but found Anonymous’s tactics ham-fisted. It will provoke a reactionary response, they warn. As opposed to previous state actions? To recap: authorities raided Uganda’s first Pride, invaded various queer conferences, and called activist David Kato’s murder-by-bludgeoning the consequence of a demand for sex turned deadly. And let’s not forget that on-again, off-again “kill the gays” bill waiting to be resurrected — again. Whether it’s a Pride march, a hacking job or appropriating sacred space, there is no monolithic approach to activism. And sometimes doing the unacceptable is the daunting, scary, but legitimate — if not necessarily legal — course to take. Black-and-white approaches ignore the shades of grey that are part of the long, fluid unfolding of social justice fights. These struggles are arcs, where many ideas and actions — both aggressively brash or painfully slow-to-work — are tested or discarded as past their due date. After years of refusing to negotiate with the apartheid government, Mandela decided to renounce that approach — also seen as a radical move. He was deemed a sellout, a traitor who had sold out the movement. But the move eventually led to South Africa’s first democratic election. Radical is in the eye of the beholder. And, sometimes, the only strategy left when all other means are cul-de-sacs to nowhere. Natasha Barsotti is Xtra’s staff reporter.

“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 1033 Davie St, Ste 501, Vancouver, BC V6E 1M7.

INBOX Grape expectations I HAVE BEEN PERFORMING my tent show Foreskin Awareness Booth across Canada and the USA since 2010, and my signature bit — where the audience guesses how many red seedless grapes are stuffed into my foreskin — keeps getting better. In 2010 my foreskin’s average red-seedless-grape-carrying capacity was nine-ish. In 2011 it was 10-ish, and this year, it’s 11-ish. (What can I say? Practice, practice, practice . . .) But in your July 26 feature “Glitter and Grace” [Xtra #494], lesbian comic Amy Wilding displays comically lesbian psychology by remembering my humble male schlong to be far more threatening than it actually is — she remembers my foreskin containing a stunning 19 red seedless grapes! I suppose I should be ﬂattered, but now everyone in town will expect my foreskin to regurgitate an impossible 19-ish grapes and be disappointed when the actual number ends up closer to 11 — which was already a decently mind-blowing number before you gave them such ludicrously grape expectations. Damn you, Xtra! In spite of these blatant media distortions, I will continue to perform Foreskin Awareness Booth because it provides a vital public service. Every Pride, several lesbians (not to mention hetero women of a certain age) tell me they’d never seen a real live male foreskin before seeing my show. That’s a tremendous honour, and I hereby vow to perform until every lesbian and foreskin-starved baby boomer in Canada has witnessed my foreskin at close range. Just hold off on wildly exaggerating my penis size until I’ve retired from grape-stuffing, all right? Glen Callender, founder Canadian Foreskin Awareness Project

Pink sheep? PRIDE IS BOTH A PROTEST and celebration. It is also a time to collectively show power to those who would wish to take our hard-earned rights away. This spirit was lacking Friday, Aug 3 moments after the Davie St party ended. At 12:25am, as the party wound down, two young Indo-Canadian homophobes stood at the bus stop of Nicola and Davie yelling “faggot” at every person that went by — eventually standing in front of people as they tried to walk by. Dozens of people walked by. And no one did anything. They looked away or down — and walked passively by. There are posters everywhere in the West End telling people to call 911 if we hear words such as “faggot” or “queer” yelled out. Why? Because police statistics show that there is a greater than 50 percent chance there will be a physical altercation that comes next. There have been articles in Xtra. There have been speeches by leaders of our community. There have

THIS GIRL SHOULD BE A ROLE MODEL TO EVERYONE. IT TAKES . . . A LOT OF COURAGE TO STAND YOUR GROUND.

Send your correspondence by mail to 1033 Davie St, Ste 501, Vancouver V6E 1M7, fax 604-684-9697 or email comment@xtra.ca.

been speeches by MLAs. We need to protect each other. But no could even take the time to call 911 — not even my husband, who was standing next to me. I did not have a cellphone and the nearest payphone or restaurant was several minutes away. So, I am forced to ask: do we deserve the rights that have been earned when we are so unwilling to make a minor effort such as calling 911? Or are we pink sheep? Tom McKenna Vancouver, BC

Free speech

OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE exceptions (Xtra being one), but it’s largely been the “rightwing windbags” that have been championing the ﬁght to restore free speech in this country [“Speaking Freely: The Case of the Vulgar Comedian,” Xtra #494, July 26]. Of course, I’m generalizing a bit here, but it’s nice to see more recognition amongst some of the political left how dangerous it is when the government restricts free speech (with the obvious exceptions of libel, slander, inciting violence). Or to think of it another way, imagine the worst possible caricature of, say, Stockwell Day in charge of telling gay people what is or is not “acceptable speech.” No government bureaucrat or politician, regardless of political stripe, gets to tell me what I am or am not allowed to say or think. It’s too dangerous, and although it’s not the point, they’re almost always too stupid. Matt Hicks London, ON

Pride parade gap THERE SHOULD BE A SEPArate article on the mass exodus from the parade route after people watching on Beach Ave thought the parade was over. Why did it happen? Is the parade not being marshalled properly? What is the Pride Society doing to ensure this doesn’t happen again? I think we need someone to do a little digging on this one. Bill McFarlane Vancouver, BC WE ARE DISAPPOINTED TO hear that we missed two thirds of the parade due to someone’s disorganization! We wondered why there were no bar ﬂoats, hardly any businesses other than TD and few politicians. How hard can it be to keep things moving when you have an empty street dedicated to a parade? We have come up from the States every year and had decided we may need to rethink our trip next year if the parade was going to be so short. Pride committee, please take notice. Tom Rey St Paul, MN I HAVEN’T BEEN TO A PRIDE parade in a couple of years. Yesterday’s was one of the best I have

ever seen despite the inevitable gaps. Well done! Dave Vancouver, BC

Thanks, Jenna I AM 100 PERCENT A STRAIGHT male, if that is possible. I am not attracted to men romantically or physically. I’m not sure how I would react to a girlfriend telling me she was a man. However, this girl should be a role model to everyone [“Jenna Talackova Q & A,” xtra.ca, July 20]. It takes a very strong person, and a lot of courage, to stand your ground. To not conform. To be true to yourself in the face of ridicule and alienation from loved ones. It is a burden that I wish upon nobody, and it is due to the shortcomings of our still immature society. What kind of world are you commenters trying to create with all of your negativity? Have you heard of live and let live? Nobody is shoving anything in your face. Nobody is attacking you or your right to be yourself. Nobody is pelting you with vitriolic comments and hurtful judgments. You are the villains. You are the evil here. But it’s okay. I get it. This girl blurs the lines. She confuses you. You can’t label her as easily, and that makes you uncomfortable. Perhaps you fear stepping into a world outside of the narrowly deﬁned life into which you were raised. Perhaps this fear results in aggression and anger. Perhaps this is an ironic backlash against your own personal growth. Perhaps you should travel the world and open your eyes to various different cultures, societies and histories. John Titor Toronto, ON THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO Carrie from Montreal [Letters, Xtra #495, Aug 9]. In your comments you stated that Ms Talackova used scare tactics to start her career. This could not be further from the truth. In fact, Jenna merely defended her human rights when an opportunity was unjustly taken from her. She never set out to be a role model or an advocate for the trans community, but I’m so thankful she has become one. Knowing her on a personal level, I can truly say she is the right woman for the job, and I wish her many years of groundbreaking success. Curtis Hunter Vancouver, BC I HAVE RECENTLY BEGUN to transition after 62 years of living and pretending I was a man until I believed it and was convinced I would always be that way. I would love to see Miss Talackova walking down the runway as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, and I guarantee that I will cry a bucket of tears of joy if and when she does. Deanna Hallmark Santa Fe, NM

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

noteworthy › updates › ephemera

Xcetera GYM QUEENS

And the parade winners are…

The percentage of gay men under age 30 who have gym memberships, according to Community Marketing Inc’s sixth annual LGBT Community Survey, released Aug 2. The San Francisco communications ﬁrm purports to oﬀer a “global snapshot on LGBT motivations, perspectives and purchases.” The study, based on 14,000 American respondents, was sponsored by Wells Fargo.

CAPTIVATING COMMUNITY CLUSTER

Qmunity

IT’S IN OUR EYES

BIGGEST, BESTEST FLOAT

Celebrities FABULOUS MARCHING GAY-GLE

Rainbow City Band SIN-SATIONAL CROWD STIMULATOR

People in Your Neighbourhood BEST LITTLE FLOAT

New West Pride BRIGHTEST RAINBOW

Outlook TV VICTORIOUS, VIVACIOUS VEHICLE

Vancouver Gay Volleyball Association

THINKSTOCK.COM

Science Daily reports that researchers at Cornell University used a specialized infrared lens to measure pupil dilation in participants watching erotic videos. The results, they say, clearly revealed who the participants found attractive, and therefore their sexual orientation. The wider the pupils, the hotter the eye-candy. Measuring pupil dilation is less invasive than measuring genital arousal, the lead author reportedly told the scientiﬁc journal Plos One. “With this new technology we are able to explore sexual orientation of people who would never participate in a study on genital arousal, such as people from traditional cultures,” Gerulf Rieger says. “This will give us a much better understanding how sexuality is expressed across the planet.” —Robin Perelle

SPEAKING OUT CAM BROWN

PRIDE 2012

VIEWERS’ CHOICE

Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue QUINTESSENTIAL QUEER

David Holtzman (posthumous grand marshal)

SERGEI BACHLAKOV

Results released by the Vancouver Pride Society on Aug 16. All categories judged by Qmunity executive director Dara Parker, former VPS sponsorship coordinator Caryl Dolinko, and Sugarbeach’s Marlee Walchuk and Tully Callender — except for the Viewers’ Choice, which was determined by spectator votes.

Paint the streets Pride Tim Stevenson, Vancouver’s openly gay city councillor, personally painted the crosswalks rainbow colours at the intersection of Denman and Davie for Pride weekend this year. Nice touch, Tim! —Robin Perelle

MADONNA DEFIES RUSSIAN ANTIGAY LAW Madonna used her Aug 9 concert in St Petersburg to speak out against homophobic legislation adopted earlier this year by several Russian cities. The anti-gay gag laws, intended to stop the spread of “propaganda” that could “damage the health, moral and spiritual development” of minors, have led to several arrests and at least one conviction. The author of the St Petersburg law is calling for Madonna to be punished. “We want to ﬁght for the right to be free, to be who we are,” Madonna told cheering fans. “If you’re with me, I want to see your pink armbands. If you’re with me, raise your arm and show your love and appreciation for the gay community.” —Robin Perelle

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PRIDE 2012

BREAKING NEWS > MOSCOW’S HIGHEST COURT UPHOLDS 100-YEAR PRIDE BAN > NATIONAL POST DONATES MONEY FROM TRANSPHOBIC MOR E AT XT R A.CA AD > PUSSY RIOT’S TWO-YEAR SENTENCE DRAWS REBUKE, PROTESTS > FIERTÉ MONTRÉAL MARCHES FORWARD

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ARRIVAL FROM SWEDEN Plays the Music of ABBA!

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

SALT SPRING PRIDE GLOSSI

gays and lesbians of salt spring island

S E P T 7 – 9 , 2 012 Our 8th annual celebration for our GLBTQ community and allies

Friday, Sept 7th MEET AND GREET AT SHIPSTONES (Waterfront below Oystercatcher) 5 pm onward - Live Music!

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PANEL DISCUSSION Between a Rock and a Queer Space Being LGBTQ on Salt Spring 7 pm: Lions Club, 130 Bonnet Ave $10 Tickets at Salt Spring Books

Saturday, Sept 8th PRIDE PARADE AT 1:00 PM Meet at 12 noon at Mahon Hall OUT ON THE STREET McPhillips Ave after the Parade ZE CABARET AND DANCE PARTY Doors at 7:30 pm Fulford Hall $25 Tickets available at ArtSpring, Island Star Video 19+

Sunday, Sept 9th UNITARIAN PRIDE SERVICE 11 am at 379 Lower Ganges Road PRIDE PICNIC AT RUCKLE PARK 1 pm onward (Site 3) SUNDAY AFTERNOON OUTDOOR MUSIC 3 pm onward Salt Spring Vineyard, 151 Lee Road

www.glossi.org

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XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

dispatches › issues › opinion

Upfront HUMAN RIGHTS

PATERSON WAS ONE OF THREE OPENLY GAY CANDIDATES VYING FOR THE POSITION OF MODERATOR . Gay reverend elected United Church moderator › 13

PRIDE

Fired for being HIV-positive? Gay man alleges he was fired by Bell subsidiary for getting sick Jeremy Hainsworth THE BC HUMAN RIGHTS TRIBUNAL HAS AGREED TO hear a complaint from a gay, HIV-positive man who believes he was fired by a subsidiary of communications giant Bell Canada because he has HIV. Graham Hoye, 40, filed his complaint with the tribunal Feb 10 after he was fired by national telecommunications company Nordia Inc, a joint venture company involving Bell Canada. On July 25, tribunal member Diana Juricevic sent a letter to Hoye and his former employer, Nordia in Nanaimo, saying the complaint had been accepted as one of potential discrimination on the grounds of disability. Juricevic writes that Hoye was terminated as a callcentre employee for Nordia after missing several days of training due to illness, despite informing his supervisor he is HIV-positive. “In my view, Mr Hoye has provided sufficient particulars to support his claim that he has a physical disability, that he was treated adversely in his employment and there is a connection between his physical disability and the adverse treatment,” Juricevic writes. Hoye, who emigrated from the UK in 2002 and is a Canadian citizen, was diagnosed with HIV in 2005. He says he began work at Nordia in November 2011 and passed three company exams with high marks. He was then told he had to take a training course in January. If he missed 16 hours, he would be fired, he says Nordia warned him. On the Sunday of the second week of training, he fell ill with pneumonia and called in sick the two following days. “They said, ‘You have to have an extreme reason or you’ll get fired,’” Hoye says. “I said, ‘I’ve got HIV. Is that extreme enough?’” Despite being ill, he says he promptly delivered a doctor’s note to his supervisors. “The next day they said, ‘You’re not coming back to Nordia,’” he alleges. Hoye says the company wouldn’t give him a reason for terminating his contract, other than the fact he missed 16 hours of training. Nordia’s Nanaimo office could not be reached for comment. Bell spokesperson Mark Langton says the company can’t comment as the case is before the tribunal. Micheal Vonn, policy director at the BC Civil Liberties Association, says the case, though only in its preliminary stages, may be similar to those of women who are fired for becoming pregnant. “Sometimes we need to be reminded what the law is,” Vonn says. She says employers have a duty to accommodate their employees’ disabilities, even if that constitutes a hardship for the company. In the case of a large company, though, it becomes more difficult to claim a hardship, she notes. “The evidence in these cases can be complex,” she acknowledges. But the standard is clear, she says. “There’s a lot of ‘what year is it, anyway?’ going on.” Tribunal spokesperson Steve Adamson tells Xtra the case is not yet set for a hearing, so neither the complaint nor the company’s response can be publicly distributed. Hoye says Nordia has not yet filed a response with the tribunal. Hoye says he has asked for a settlement. A date for a settlement discussion has been set for Nov 19, but he says that if the outcome is not satisfactory, he’ll proceed with legal action.

Vision Vancouver will bring forward a motion to city council this fall calling for Pride to be designated a civic event. SERGEI BACHLAKOV

Council to vote on Pride civic status ‘Vision has decided that it’s time to move forward’: Stevenson Natasha Barsotti VISION VANCOUVER WILL BRING FORWARD a motion to city council this fall calling for the Pride parade and festival to be designated a civic event. “After another record turnout of over 650,000 at the BC Day long weekend’s Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival, Vision Vancouver and its team at City Council believe it’s time that civic status be granted to Pride, and possibly other large-scale community festivals such as Vaisakhi and Chinese/Lunar New Year,” states an Aug 16 release from Vision Vancouver. If it receives civic status — like the Celebration of Light fireworks competition, Remembrance Day and the Grey Cup parade — the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS) would potentially no longer bear the costs of city services for the celebration, such as policing, parking, permits and sanitation. “This is a huge breakthrough and a huge and signiﬁcant announcement, obviously, for our community,” Councillor Tim Stevenson told Xtra Aug 16. “In light of, again, another extremely successful Pride event, Vision has decided that it’s time to move forward.” VPS president Tim Richards says the news is very exciting. “When Tim [Stevenson] called me and told me the news I actually got goose bumps.” The city’s support and public recognition would mean a lot, Richards says. “The economic impact is there, so the city sees that. But then on the ﬂip side, you balance that out with what an impact that has for our community — for all citizens of Vancouver — to say that we live in a city that’s really inclusive and wants to support us that way.” Stevenson cautions it’s not a done deal

until city staff has had a chance to review the proposal and make recommendations. “Vancouver’s Pride is now the largest parade of any kind in Western Canada and ranks among the largest Pride celebrations in the world,” Stevenson notes in the press release. “I have felt for many years we needed to do this, but there were lots of voices that said that the ﬁnances were such that it was difficult,” he tells Xtra. “It was also felt that other events would also have to be considered for the designation. And so there was reticence to move it [Pride] out to that scale.” “Finally, we have come to a consensus,” Stevenson says. “It’s been an issue that has had a lot of debate over the years.” Former VPS president Ken Coolen says he’s pleased with the news but suggests there’s a kind of arbitrariness in the granting of civic status. At the end of the day, there needs to be a system so that anybody can apply for the designation, with the funding disbursed more judiciously, he says. In 2008, a civic election year, a then newly elected Coolen asserted that the city needed to stand behind Pride ﬁnancially “in a bigger way.” In presenting the treasurer’s report that year, Coolen said the bill from the city had more than doubled, noting that the parade route had been lengthened, requiring more street closures, more signage and more police. In the end, the parade cost the VPS just over $56,000 to stage that year, $20,000 of which went to the city for assorted fees, according to Coolen’s 2008 report. “The Pride Society shouldn’t be paying that much to put on a one-day celebration for the city,” Coolen said then. “I would hazard a guess that more than half

of the parade do not recognize themselves as GBLT,” he added. “I think at least 250,000 people come from other communities of our city and of our Lower Mainland, and we’re entertaining them for three hours. That’s something that the city needs to stand behind in a bigger way.” “Putting on the parade is a huge part of the non-proﬁt society’s budget,” Richards concurs. “I think as a city, in the big scheme of things, it’s a small investment to make for the citizens of the city.” It would be a huge ﬁnancial relief if the designation comes to pass, Richards adds. City costs to stage the parade in 2011 totalled approximately $65,000 to $70,000, Richards says. “The Pride Parade and Festival boost Vancouver’s economy by over $30 million every year,” Stevenson says in the press release. “Civic status is one important way the city can continue to build on its support for large-scale community events that celebrate our diversity, showcase Vancouver’s vibrant character, and create jobs by injecting millions of dollars into our local economy.” Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson has also repeatedly touted Pride as an economic and cultural boon to Vancouver. As recently as the July 30 Pride launch at city hall, he told Xtra that granting Pride civic designation was in the works but pointed to lean budgetary circumstances as a setback to progress on that front. “The discussions will be — and what I’ll be pushing for — is when you have a Pride parade of 650,000, what level of funding do you get in comparison to the Grey Cup or the other ones?” Stevenson asks. Richards credits “tons and tons of work and discussion that people have had over the years” for paving the way toward the proposed civic designation. “It’s nice to see [we’re] getting this close, so fingers crossed things continue along this wonderful path,” he says. “It’s a pretty good day.”

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XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

FINAL BALLOT

Gay minister is new United Church moderator Gary Paterson emerges victorious after five rounds of voting Bradley Turcotte REVEREND GARY PATERSON OF ST Andrewâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s-Wesley United Church in downtown Vancouver was elected moderator of the United Church of Canada at the 41st gathering of the General Council, held at Carleton University Aug 16.Â Paterson was one of three openly gay candidates among 15 hopefuls vying for the position of moderator, along with Reverend Arlen John Bonnar, nominated by Montreal Presbytery, and Reverend Sally Boyle, nominated by Edmonton Presbytery and the Alberta and Northwest Conference. The United Churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s General Council meets every three years, at which time a new moderator is elected. The moderator presides over the councilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meetings and acts as the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spokesperson. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am so humbled by the trust and the responsibility that you have placed in my hands, and yet I also know that I am simply one person and therefore the trust is in our hands,â&#x20AC;? Paterson said in his acceptance speech. The newly minted Right Reverend Paterson then

invited his partner of 30 years, Tim Stevenson, to join him onstage. Stevenson became the ďŹ rst openly gay minister ordained by the United Church of Canada in 1992 and currently serves as a Vancouver city councillor. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have such a passion for the United Church, and I know that we are facing such challenging times,â&#x20AC;? Paterson continued. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been struck by the fact that when the risen Christ appeared, even the ones who knew him really well didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t recognize him at first, which says that we may not recognize what a resurrected church may look like.â&#x20AC;? The eight-day event was led by outgoing moderator Very Reverend Mardi Tindal. In addition to the election, votes were taken on several motions, including the decision to uphold a boycott of products produced in Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem and a vote that would see the inclusion of aboriginal elements in the churchâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s official crest. Nominees were given ďŹ ve minutes each to address the 350 voting members of council Aug 13.Â Bonnar stressed the

Gary Paterson was one of three openly gay ministers contending for the position of moderator of the United Church. He emerged victorious after five rounds of voting. COURTESY OF GARY PATERSON

need for togetherness and fairness, saying that each member of the congregation should be allowed to speak, but they should also take the time to listen. Boyle recounted the story of a woman in 1950s Saskatchewan who was forced to uproot her shack and 12 children to be closer to the newly implemented electrical grid. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Revolution means to change, to hope, peace and celebration. That, my friends, is what I believe is the job of all of us. To transform our communities wherever we are. It is our job to look outside our doors and to see that which needs desperately to be changed. I am prepared to begin a revolution,â&#x20AC;? Boyle said.Â The 41st General Council saw a record number of ministers contesting the top position in Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest Protestant denomination; the previous record was nine in 2000.Â To be elected moderator, a candidate must receive 50 percent of the vote plus one. If a majority vote is not cast, a process of elimination is implemented. The candidate who received the least number of votes is excluded from the subsequent ballot and the process is repeated until a majority is achieved.Â Boyle did not move past the first round of voting. On the second, Bonnar was eliminated. Paterson defeated Reverend John Young on the ďŹ nal ballot.Â Paterson began his new role Aug 18, stepping into a three-year, full-time job that garners a yearly salary estimated to be between $119,000 and $135,000.Â A voracious reader, Paterson worked an ee cummings composition into his acceptance speech, saying, â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thank you, God, for most this amazing day.â&#x20AC;? For Xtraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interview with Gary Paterson, go to xtra.ca.

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XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

LAW

Gay BC judge wins Hero Award Lawyers’ group calls J Gary Cohen a role model Jeremy Hainsworth A GAY JUDGE IN BC HAS BEEN GIVEN a Hero Award by the Canadian legal community. Surrey Provincial Court Judge J Gary Cohen was presented the award at the Canadian Bar Association’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conference (SOGIC) on Aug 14. Jocelyn Frazer, a straight ally from the Law Society of Alberta, won the Ally Award. The awards recognize excellence within the Canadian legal profession in advancing the cause of equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and two-spirited people. Cohen was presented with the award by SOGIC co-president Amy Sakalauskas. She said Cohen came out in 1974 at the age of 18. Two years later he became president of Gay People of Simon Fraser University. From there, Cohen moved to UBC law school, where he founded and became the ﬁrst president of the UBC Law Gay and Lesbian Students’ Association, in 1978. Two years later, he became president of the UBC Gay & Lesbian Students’ Union. He also met his partner, Bruce Fraser, while at UBC. They’ve been together for 32 years. “We wouldn’t be here today if it

wasn’t for people like Judge Cohen,” Sakalauskas said, calling him “a role model for the rest of us. “Other members of the queer community have turned to him for advice, and other judges turn to him for help with gay and lesbian issues,” she said. Cohen said that without the support of his husband, “I would not be here today.” “I was there if not at the start of the fight of what we call gay liberation,” he said. “We didn’t just fight our way into recognition; we danced and partied our way into recognition, and we were proud.” He said his hard work and refusal to be in the closet “all paid off in the long run.” Cohen also served as the first nonAmerican president of the International Association of Lesbian and Gay Judges, from 2005 to 2008, Sakalauskas said. But, Cohen said, “my radical days are long gone.” He said it is now up to the younger generation to continue the fight against inequality. “There are still so many people that do not enjoy the full benefit of this successful society.” Cohen was nominated for the Hero Award by Preston Parsons, who recent-

The Canadian Bar Association’s Amy Sakalauskas presents Surrey Provincial Court Judge J Gary Cohen with a Hero Award Aug 14. JEREMY HAINSWORTH

ly served as president of the UBC law students’ group that Cohen founded. In his nominating letter, Parsons said Cohen’s student work made “signiﬁcant impacts on the environment in each university setting, often in brave ways in the face of strong homophobia or simple ignorance.” “As a student from a very young age,

he did what was considered extremely activist stuff, which now would be considered being yourself with integrity,” Parsons tells Xtra. Parsons says Cohen’s greatest contribution has been “his unwavering commitment to being out at work for his entire career . . . never hiding or compromising on that.”

Frazer was presented with her award by SOGIC co-president Mark Berlin. Berlin said SOGIC has worked on issues such as family law and recognition of same-sex marriage and divorce, and it continues to work on trans rights. “SOGIC will be in the forefront of active lobbying for the legal rights for our community,” Berlin said. He said Frazer turned up at a meeting several years ago saying she wanted to establish a SOGIC branch in Alberta. He called her contributions “extraordinary.” “We’re grateful and appreciative of your efforts,” Berlin said. “I was awed by everything they’d accomplished in SOGIC,” Frazer said. “I’m proud to be an ally and will continue to support the community any way I can.” The awards were presented at a reception held in Vancouver as part of the Canadian Bar Association’s annual national conference. Past Hero Award winners include trailblazing gay Vancouver lawyers barbara findlay and Ken Smith, and Svend Robinson, Canada’s ﬁrst openly gay member of Parliament. Past Ally Award winners include Vancouver lawyer Joe Arvay, former chief commissioner of the Canadian Human Rights Commission Max Yalden, former chief justice of Ontario Roy McMurtry, former Supreme Court of Canada justice Claire L’Heureux-Dubé, former federal justice minister Martin Cauchon, and former Ontario Court of Appeal justice Horace Krever.

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PRIDE

New West celebrates third Pride ‘Plain and simple, you are the city’s pride’: mayor Shauna Lewis NEW WESTMINSTER CELEBRATED its third annual Pride Aug 18, attracting the level of diversity organizers say they were hoping for. “Our LGBTQ community came out and celebrated wholly with us, and I’m overwhelmed by the support from the city of New Westminster,” New West Royal City Pride Society (RCPS) president Shelly Reinhart said. “The uniqueness of each of us makes up the mosaic of this city.” New West Mayor Wayne Wright agreed. “Plain and simple, you are the city’s pride.” BC Premier Christy Clark, who also missed Vancouver Pride celebrations, did not attend New West Pride. Hector Bremner, the vice-president and communications chair of the New Westminster BC Liberal Constituency Association, attended in her absence. “I’ve participated in a lot of other Pride events, but none other than this one is more touching,” Bremner told the nearly 100-strong crowd gathered on the steps of city hall for the reading of the Pride proclamation. The festival in Tipperary Park was a colourful celebration that included queer organizations, youth, seniors and allies. Festival grand marshals Michele Poi-

tras and husband Ivan Westerlund were also thrilled by the show of diversity. “In a smaller town community there is a sense of spirit,” Poitras said. “It’s not only a gay event; it’s an all-inclusive event for the whole community.” Westerlund, who is hearing impaired, shared his excitement through a sign language translator, who accompanied him. “I feel very proud. It is really great to see all the happy faces and see them all celebrating,” Westerlund said. “It brought a tear to me eye.” Reinhart says fundraising has been a “huge priority” for the RCPS board. “It’s been phenomenal. We’ve had so much support for the community, [and] it hasn’t just been queer-focused.” She attributes that support to RCPS being more visible this year than in the past. “We’re really building relationships and more so because it is our third year.” The ﬁrst New West Pride attracted 300 participants; in 2011, there were 1,200 participants. And while there were only approximately 300 participants at the start of this year’s festival, Reinhart later told Xtra by phone that she estimates 1,700 people attended in total. While Reinhart didn’t know the exact overall cost of the Pride festival, she did say that the society is grateful for all the in-kind donations that have filtered

Royal City Pride Society founder Vance McFadyen (right), with his husband, Curt Higham, says his vision for New West Pride has been realized. “It’s holding true to the philosophy of being a family-friendly event.” DAVID P BALL

through the organization this year. “People have just been saying ‘yes’ to us; that is what I have experienced this whole season, and we’re really grateful and really excited about that. “Our mandate is not just to get recognition within the LGBTQ community. We are going forward and we’re about building relationships with the whole community,” she said. “This is also a way for us to heal some people’s perceptions of who they think the community is, because they get to know us on a really personal basis.” Vance McFadyen, founder of Royal City Pride Society, says his vision has been realized. “It’s holding true to the philosophy of being a family-friendly event.” “I was born and brought up in New Westminster, and I didn’t think I’d

ever see this day where we’d be out in the park . . . so to watch this develop is amazing,” McFadyen’s husband, Curt Higham, added. Montreal native Lee Wilton, who took in the festival’s live music, said the New West event is the ﬁrst BC Pride he’s attended since arriving on the West Coast less than three years ago. Having gay pride celebrations in suburban areas is just as important as hosting them in urban centres, he said. Christian Lett, 27, and Teresa Taylor, 29, also New West Pride virgins, enjoyed the low-key vibe of the day. “It’s a big group of people; you can come and relax,” Taylor said when asked what she enjoyed most about the festival. “I love lots of queer people in one place,” Lett added. “It’s nice being in a community around a lot of people.”

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

PRIDE

Ugandans stage first Pride ‘This is who we are. We are here to stay’ Natasha Barsotti DESPITE PERVASIVE HOMOPHOBIA, anti-gay legislation — with more conceivably pending — and a police raid, Ugandans celebrated their ﬁrst Pride Aug 4 and 5. Organizers staged a weekend of events that included parties, a drag show, a beach parade and a ﬁlm festival. During the parade, people held up signs that read, “African and gay. Not a choice.” “Can you imagine the worst place in the world to be gay is having gay pride?” lesbian activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera asked the 100-strong crowd gathered on the shores of Lake Victoria in the city of Entebbe. Alexis Okeowo, who covered the landmark event for The New Yorker magazine, says Nabagesera was being “half-sarcastic,” noting that gay Ugandans are tired of media coverage that stresses threats and attacks when their experience — both joyful and challenging — is more nuanced than that narrative portrays. The marchers struck up a moving chorus of “We are here,” announcing their presence to those who believe there aren’t any gay people in Africa,

Okeowo says. Still, activist Frank Mugisha, decked out in a sailor’s costume with a rainbow sash, said he was shocked to see so many people turn out to sing, swim and dance. Mugisha said he wished he had a switch he could turn on that would make everyone who is gay say they are gay. “Then everyone who is homophobic can realize their brothers, their sisters and their aunts are gay,” he told Okeowo. “Children who lived nearby ﬂocked to the parade, and adults stared, clearly stunned, and, in some cases, amused,” Okeowo observes. Some children held hands with the marchers, “unaware of the event’s historical signiﬁcance,” freelance photographer and journalist Rachel Adams, who went to Uganda to cover the event, wrote in an Aug 12 blog posting. Adams recalls asking one activist, who went by the name Clare, what she thinks would happen if they marched through the city centre of the capital, Kampala. “We would be stoned to death. And I say that with conviction,” replied Clare, who works for the Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights and Constitutional Law. As was perhaps anticipated, the police made an appearance and detained

participants, including Adams, Mugisha and Jamaican gay rights activist Maurice Tomlinson, later releasing them without charge or explanation. Tomlinson, who was named the event’s grand marshal, told Gay Star News he got his ﬁrst ride in the back of a police van. Detainees were made to sit on the police station floor, he says. One officer pushed a young woman to the ground, while another verbally abused a 60-year-old anthropologist from Makerere University, he alleges. After their release, the Pride celebrations resumed. One participant, Ambrose, who was in

charge of selling Pride-themed T-shirts, told Okeowo that the dynamics of being gay in Uganda have changed. “This is who we are. We are here to stay. And we are not going anywhere,” he said.

“Can you imagine the worst place in the world to be gay is having gay pride?’ said activist Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera. UGANDA BEACH PRIDE FACEBOOK GROUP

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XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

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‘I don’t like your politics’: alleged gunman

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Accusations fly after Family Research Council shooting Natasha Barsotti A VIRGINIA MAN HAS BEEN CHARGED with assault with intent to kill while armed and interstate transportation of a ﬁrearm and ammunition in connection with the shooting of an unarmed security guard at the Washington, DC, headquarters of a conservative Christian lobbying group. Authorities allege that Floyd Lee Corkins II, 28, was critical of the Family Research Council’s (FRC) conservative views. Corkins had been volunteering at the DC Center for the LGBT Community for about six months, David Mariner, the centre’s executive director, told The Huffington Post. According to a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) affidavit, Corkins’ parents told agents that Corkins has

as such is associated with negative physical and psychological health effects,” the website states. The FRC goes on to say it supports state and federal constitutional amendments to prevent the redeﬁnition of marriage by courts or legislatures. It also says “sympathy must be extended to those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions, and every effort should be made to assist such persons to overcome those attractions, as many already have.” In response to the shooting, several queer advocacy organizations released a joint statement. “We were saddened to hear news of the shooting this morning at the offices of the Family Research Council. Our hearts go out to the shooting victim, his family, and his co-workers,” the Aug 15 statement says. “The mo-

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Work Live Play Downtown Floyd Lee Corkins II is the alleged gunman in an Aug 15 shooting incident at the Washington DC headquarters of conservative Christian group, Family Research Council.

“strong opinions with respect to those he believes do not treat homosexuals in a fair manner.” When questioned, Corkins told authorities he was acting alone, the affidavit states. It quotes Corkins as saying, “I don’t like your politics,” as he pulled a 9mm Sig Sauer pistol from a backpack before shooting the guard once in the arm, according to an Aug 16 Washington Post report. The injured guard, Leonardo R Johnson, 46, assisted in subduing and disarming the suspect in the FRC’s lobby. The affidavit says police seized a backpack in which they found 50 rounds of ammunition and 15 sandwiches from Chick-fil-A. The fastfood chain’s president, Dan Cathy, has taken a highly publicized stand against gay marriage and has confirmed that the company has donated substantial sums to anti-gay organizations. Chickfil-A’s anti-gay-marriage stance is one that FRC also embraces and defends. A statement on the Family Research Council website says the organization “believes that homosexual conduct is harmful to the persons who engage in it and to society at large, and can never be affirmed. “It is by definition unnatural, and

tivation and circumstances behind today’s tragedy are still unknown, but regardless of what emerges as the reason for this shooting, we utterly reject and condemn such violence. We wish for a swift and complete recovery for the victim of this terrible incident.” In the aftermath of the shooting, there has been a ratcheting-up of the culture war rhetoric. FRC’s president, Tony Perkins, held an Aug 16 press conference in which he claimed that the “reckless” labelling of his organization as an anti-gay hate group by organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center gave the alleged shooter a “licence” to carry out his attack. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was swift to condemn Perkins’ accusation, calling it “outrageous.” “The FRC and its allies on the religious right are saying, in effect, that offering legitimate and fact-based criticism in a democratic society is tantamount to suggesting that the objects of criticism should be the targets of criminal violence,” said Mark Potok, an SPLC senior fellow and editor of its Intelligence Report and Hatewatch blog. “The SPLC has listed the FRC as a hate group since 2010 because it has knowingly spread false and denigrating propaganda about LGBT people.”

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

INTERNATIONAL

Lesbian Buddhist wedding first in Taiwan Huang Meiyu and You Yating sought permission from monks Niko Bell TWO 30-YEAR-OLD WOMEN FROM Taipei married Aug 11 in Taiwan’s ﬁrst gay Buddhist wedding ceremony. Huang Meiyu and You Yating exchanged prayer beads in front of about 250 guests at the Hongshi Buddhist Seminary in the lush farmland outside Taipei. Guests included Buddhist classmates, journalists, monks, and gays and lesbians from across Taiwan. Before this year, neither Huang nor You had given much thought to marriage. “We didn’t think we needed it to legitimize our relationship,” Huang tells Xtra. But this winter, as Huang watched an English television program about gay marriage, she thought, “Marriage is more than just a piece of paper. It’s something a whole family shares in.” When her girlfriend of seven years, You, came home from work, Huang proposed. Huang ’s girlfriend had also been watching television. In the movie If These Walls Could Talk 2, she saw a lesbian unable to stay with her dying partner because they were in the closet. “What if that happened to us?” she thought.

So when Huang proposed, You said yes. Gay marriage still has no legal status in Taiwan. Challenges to the law are slowly making their way through the courts, but progress has been slow. Wu Shaowen, the head of the Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy, says Taiwan’s large, interconnected families put pressure on gays and lesbians. It’s hard to come out of the closet in a small, traditional country where family is always close at hand. Beyond the challenge of being gay in Taiwan, Huang and You are also Buddhists. They attend Hongshi Buddhist Seminary together, and Huang works as an addiction counsellor with a Buddhist non-governmental organization (NGO). For their wedding to be meaningful, they decided it would have to be Buddhist. They spoke to their friends at Hongshi, and even to monks, but nobody was sure if gay weddings were allowed under Buddhist rules. For a real answer, they were told, they would have to speak to the head Buddhist teacher at Hongshi, Zhao Hui. Buddhism’s relationship to homosexuality is even less deﬁned than that of Christianity. Ancient texts make little

Huang Meiyu and You Yating exchanged prayer beads in front of about 250 guests at Taipei’s Hongshi Buddhist Seminary on Aug 11. TAIWAN LGBT FAMILY RIGHTS ADVOCACY

mention of homosexuality, as such, leaving everything open to interpretation. Some Buddhists ban gay sex based on a precept against “inappropriate sexual behaviour.” Others ban gay people from becoming monks, though some Buddhist traditions in Japan, China and Mongolia have historically celebrated homosexuality and even encouraged it. There are now as many traditions and opinions on sexuality as there are branches of Buddhism. The Dalai Lama, the head of one Tibetan sect of Buddhism, has rather apologetically stated

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that, while there is nothing wrong with homosexuality from a secular perspective, Buddhist scripture warns against it for believers. But progressive Chinese Buddhist teacher Xing Yun endorses homosexuality provided that, like all pleasures, it is enjoyed in moderation. Bhikkhuni Shi, a Buddhist teacher at the Yuan Rong Buddhist temple in Vancouver, says that although she has no prejudice or ill will toward gay people, it would be unlikely that a gay wedding could take place in her temple. Most Taiwanese Buddhists, she says,

are simply too traditional and unaware of gay culture to accept a gay wedding. Even in Vancouver, of three Buddhist temples contacted by Xtra, not one had performed a gay wedding. So it was with understandable nervousness that Huang and You approached their Buddhist teacher, Zhao Hui, with their proposal. But they need not have worried. Zhao Hui was more than happy to see a loving, committed couple married in a Buddhist ceremony. “She was delighted,” Huang says. “She supported us absolutely . . . She even offered to let us hold the wedding right there at the seminary.” According to Huang, Zhao Hui stresses the importance of reasonableness and moderation in spirituality. As a teacher, she lets her students think for themselves and come to their own moral conclusions. “Zhao Hui didn’t think there was anything special or different about our relationship,” Huang says. “We’re partners. It’s love. There’s no difference.” For Taiwan as a whole, however, this was a very different kind of marriage. The news of Huang and You’s engagement quickly landed in Chinese language papers in Taiwan, Hong Kong and around the world. The wedding became not just a ceremony, but a symbol. Now that the wedding is over, Huang worries about her future. “I don’t know how secure my work will be after this,” she says. “I don’t know how people will treat me in Buddhism classes . . . We’ve had to give up a lot.” Still, Huang thinks the public wedding was worth the effort and sacriﬁce. She says it is important to show Taiwan’s many traditional Buddhists that even Buddhist teachers are getting behind gay rights.

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Gear Sunday “Ask not what your community can do for you but who in your community you can do.” Leather, rubber or fetish dress code. Dungeon available, and as of press time the Vancouver Men in Leather were still looking for backroom volunteers. Sat, Aug 25, 10pm. PumpJack Pub, 1167 Davie St. No cover. meninleather.ca

It’s Time to Play the Music Variation on furries, with puppet burlesque show starring Trixie Hobbitses, Bliss Piggy, Precious Metal, Pocket Venus and Bullet Jill. Followed by the Geeks After Dark Sudden Death Incredibly Unfair and Random Trivia Contest. Hosted by Tawdry Audrey. Sat, Sept 1, 6pm. Cellar Nightclub, 1006 Granville St. $12, $10 in costume.

MEETINGS & GROUPS Cancer’s Margins UBC is conducting a study of queer women and trans folk who are survivors of or are undergoing treatment for breast or gynecological cancers, in an eﬀort to improve cancer care for the queer community. Visit queercancer.org for more info.

First Saturday Monthly lunch gaythering of the Gay Men’s Social Group. No host, but hungry, social men. Sat, Sept 1, noon. Boston Pizza, 1045 Columbia St, New Westminister. No cover, just the cost of your lunch. Info: scottlarsen@shaw.ca

Dyke Calendar call-out Exhibitionists and photographers are invited to submit photos for the 2013 Dyke Vancouver Calendar. It’s the ﬁfth anniversary of this fundraiser supporting lesbian theatre. High-resolution photos must be submitted by Sat, Sept 1. leapingthespians.ca/ dykecalendar.html

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PERFORMANCES & FESTIVALS Oliver Fannie The Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society presents a burlesque spectacular focusing on the salacious adventures of a spirited young woman with a propensity for losing her clothing. Thurs, Aug 23–Sat, Sept 1, 7:30pm. Waterfront Theatre, 1412 Cartwright St. $25. screamingchicken.net

Fringe Mash-Up: What’s My Line? A fundraiser for the Laughter Mission Society brings together artists from the Vancouver Fringe Festival — including the Queer Arts Society — to perform unrehearsed and previously unseen scenes, songs or dances supplied by their compatriots. Sat, Aug 25, 7pm. CBC Studios Downtown, 700 Hamilton St. $10 suggested donation. vancouverfringe.com

Eurosmash Squabbling siblings Otto and Astrid Rot, of Die Roten Punkte, mesh comedy with rock ’n’ roll posturing. Tues, Aug 28–Sun, Sept 2, various times. The Cultch, 1895 Venables St. $17–35. thecultch.com

Craft Pride Procession Crafters and their allies take to the streets to ﬂaunt the wonders of the handmade. Fri, Aug 24, 6pm. Leaves MacLean Park, 797 Keefer St, and goes to Access Gallery, 222 E Georgia St, for the opening of an exhibit by Toronto’s FAG (Feminist Art Gallery). manomanocollective.com

Hershe Bar: Where the Girls Are DJs Soulfunkee and Miss M spin. Bracelets distributed; green means “single” and “go for it.” Sun, Sept 2, 10pm. Red Room, 398 Richards St. $12. ﬂygirlproductions.com

BOLDFest Theme is Bold Voices: Speak Up & Speak Out. Activities include a harbour boat cruise, workshops, panel discussions and a performance by Sugarbeach. Thurs, Sept 6–Sun, Sept 9. Coast Plaza Hotel, 1763 Comox St. $12–700, depending on event choices. boldfest.com

LEISURE & PLEASURE VASM Play Party Learn how to play or just play in a safe and consensual place; express your kinks with the help of the dungeon master. Fri, Aug 24, 8pm–midnight. M2M, 1210 Davie St. Regular M2M rates apply. vasm.ca, m2mvancouver.com

Kerrisdale Antiques Fair Vintage treasures and mounds of memorabilia spread over 58 booths. Sat, Sept 1 and Sun, Sept 2, 10am– 5pm. Kerrisdale Arena, 5670 East Blvd. $7. 21cpromotions.com

Hike to Elﬁn Lakes A 22km hike with an elevation gain of 600 metres, which the Out & About men’s outdoor club promises is an “easy” average grade of only 5.5 percent. The payoﬀ is a lunch spot by the remains of an old lodge amidst spectacular alpine scenery. Sun, Sept 2, 8:30am. No cover. info@oavancouver.org

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

OUT ON THE TOWN

Inside the looking glass Blitz & Shitz Raziel

HEY TOLD ME VIVIENNE WESTwood was going to be there, so I texted every fashion gay I know to get to District 319 for Inside the Looking Glass. Plus, Lady Bunny was in from New York DJing, and the event, run by the Canadian Foundation for Creative Development and Innovation (CFCDI), was for charity. Who knew doing bumps with Bunny could benefit residents of the Downtown Eastside? And not just because that’s where you scored the drugs! No, but seriously, CFCDI aims to expand Vancouver’s queer culture by partnering with renowned talent and personalities while raising money for charities, including Butterﬂies in Spirit Society and the Local Urban Growers Agricultural Society. There was an art raffle, and the gays got cutthroat for a large print of Madonna wearing a riding helmet. It induced bribing (which somehow doesn’t seem as uncouth when it goes to charity) and bulk ticket buying. The picture ended up with some cute little blond bitch who everyone coveted for about five minutes, until they watched him try to ﬁt it in a cab. I was on such a sugar high from the cotton candy hosts Raye Sunshine,

Nicki Ravange and Quanah Style were giving guests I was buzzing like Main and Hastings on welfare Wednesday. Disclaimer: Please don’t write me hate mail because you think my jokes are “inappropriate” or “discriminatory.” They are! I know. Believe me, I know. But if drag queens (and by drag queens I mean Joan Rivers) can get away with making inappropriate and discriminatory jokes and get paid for them, then so can I, damn it! The point is, if you’re going to send me any mail, there better be a cheque in it. Truthfully, the highlight of the night for me was learning about CFCDI’s collaboration with the City of Vancouver and Bryan Newson (manager of the city’s public art program) for the Living Memorial Stones project. Inspired by stolpersteine, or “stumbling blocks,” in Germany, which commemorate victims of the Holocaust, the bronze plaques, which will each feature a name, date of birth and the word “murdered” or “missing,” will be placed at the approximate locations from which women have disappeared on the Downtown Eastside. There will be 62 plaques, representing 62 women. Holding one of the stones in my own hands, I felt its signiﬁcance and power. It’s like the special energy you feel at a tombstone. The energy of the people you loved and lost, the memory of them, the meaning of them that exists at this particular spot on earth. The Memorial Stones are that representation for far too many lost women. The DTES can be

a dark place sometimes, so I think paving it with some light is a beautiful idea. And no, Vivienne didn’t show, but who needs the bitch? Jem got the party started by taking over the danceﬂoor and dancing/lip-synching for her life to all of Bunny’s beats.

WiG I got into this new weekly party. The back of the Zoo Zhop record store sort of reminds me of when I used to go over to my friend’s house because she had a mom (easily bribed with a pack of cigarettes) who didn’t mind if her daughter’s friends came over and hung out in the basement, smoked weed, got drunk and danced their asses off to 1990s pop on the weekends. I grew up in Manitoba, okay? We had to improvise. Skip the SkyTrain and use the money you saved on cover, which is only $2.50, or free if you’re wigged out. That’s totally different than wigging out, which, unfortunately, does not get you in gratis. DJ Space Jam brings the guilty pleasures out of the basement every Tuesday at Zoo Zhop, 223 Main St.

Xtra’s Raziel did some “bumps” with New York’s Lady Bunny — all for a good cause. JOSHUA MCVEITY

The To-Do List WALK FOR LIFE T-DANCE

Tranapus Rex had the glitter bomb in my brain exploding with his performance at Fortune Sound Club for the Vancouver Queer Film Festival opening gala. A drag king singing Robyn? A purple beard? Creaming tits? See it all on Blitz & Shitz on xtra.ca.

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

ADVERTISING FEATURE

Real Estate

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

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indexdirectory.ca Vancouver’s online directory of

indexdirectory.ca ACCOMMODATIONS - BRITISH COLUMBIA Bluﬀ View Cottage 250-539-3475 Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa 1-866-626-8960 The Eagle’s Nest B&B 1-866-766-9350

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COSMETIC SERVICES Carruthers Dermatology Centre Inc 604-714-0222

COUNSELLING ah-ha! Counselling & Consulting 604-537-0130 Bill Coleman 778-320-4850 Bekar Counselling 778-990-1825 Dragonstone Counselling 604-738-7557 Lehmann Counselling Service 604-614-8121 Preece & Associates Psychological Consulting 604-685-5968 Tricia Antoniuk 778-378-2633 Vilayvanh Sengsouvanh 778-866-5017 Willow Tree Counselling 604-521-3404

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FUNERAL SERVICES Walkey & Company Funeral Directors 24hrs: 604-738-0006

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GROCERY Davie St: 604-669-8313 Robson St: 604-683-6155

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HEALTH - MEN’S Community Based Research Centre 604-568-7478 Integrative Healing Arts 604-738-1012

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XTRA! AUG 23, 2012

You get the $200 in travel He gets to carry the luggage

Enjoy the freedom of a TD First Class Travel Card No expiry on TD Points.1 No blackouts or seat restrictions.2 Not just for flights. Complete flexibility. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to make the move to the TD First Class Travel Card. Ask us how. Visit a branch, tdcanadatrust.com/travel, or call 1-866-389-5808 to learn more. Apply by September 14th for $200 in travel upon approval.3

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TD Points do not expire as long as you are a Cardholder. 2Subject to carrier/space availability. 3Applies to new TD First Class Travel Visa Infinite Accounts (Account) only. You must apply by September 14, 2012. The $200 in travel value will be awarded to the Account as a bonus of 40,000 TD Points (Bonus) upon approval. Limit of one Bonus per Account. Individuals who have an existing TD First Class Travel Account that was opened before July 23, 2012 (Existing Account) and that close the Existing Account on or after July 23, 2012 are not eligible for this Bonus offer. Other conditions apply. Offer may be changed, extended or withdrawn at any time without notice and cannot be combined with any other offer. ÂŽ / The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank or a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Canada and/or other countries.