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OCT 4, 2012

Gay in the ‘Burbs’?

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Rainbow banners safe: new BIA head Part of the West End’s success is due to its queer community and “the economic benefits of having a hub and something unique,” the BIA’s new head, Stephen Regan, said at the organization’s annual general meeting, Sept 19. › 7

Money stolen from Pride Vancouver police are asking the public for help in finding the person who stole more than $9,000 from the Vancouver Pride Society on Aug 3. › 7

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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. › xtra.ca/vancouver

Protecting your privacy around HIV The BC Civil Liberties Association wants to help people protect their privacy around HIV testing. But medical officers swear the system is secure. › xtra.ca/vancouver

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Let me be your ice John Barton’s new book of poetry, For the Boy with the Eyes of the Virgin, draws from nine collections spanning three decades of AIDS, fear and love. › 13

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XTRA! OCT 2, 2012

editorial › feedback › debate

Comment My people Naked Eye Robin Perelle

I

WENT TO THE PICNIC LOOKING for my people.

I was nervous heading over.

Stalled. Changed my shirt twice.

Settled, in the end, on a casual note: “Saint in training.” It’s an icebreaker.

Turns out I didn’t need help breaking the ice. The organizer welcomed me as soon as I arrived.

By then the crowd had thinned to a little more than a dozen, but at its peak, I’m told, 25 people came to Nelson Park to Celebrate Bisexuality Day on Sept 23. I hadn’t even known such a day existed.

I poured myself a cup of warm root beer as an impromptu trio crooned Carole King ’s “You’ve Got a Friend.” If my life were an after-school special and I was just coming out for the first time, the credits would start rolling right about now.

Of course, coming out for the second time can be challenging, too.

It took me a good 10 minutes to work up the courage to crash the clique on the blankets. Again, my hesitation proved unnecessary. The young women welcomed me warmly and immediately invited me to join them.

I might have arrived.

After a summer of being teased by teammates on my lesbian softball team, and feeling increasingly selfconscious holding my boyfriend’s hand at gay events, I was looking for a little belonging. I wanted to come home again.

The women on the blanket were friendly, eager to share their experiences with me. We talked about preferred terms, pansexual versus bisexual, and debated the merits of polyamory. But they didn’t become instant family.

They weren’t my people.

I already have my people, I realized in a rush, as I walked back toward the bus stop. I just have to give them a chance to keep being my people.

Two weeks earlier, I had, after some agonizing, asked one of my teammates to please stop teasing me about dating a man.

“You’ve been very supportive overall,” I said, “but these days I feel like I get thrust back into a spotlight that I’d like to move out

from under when you and the others tease me. Sometimes I just don’t feel like I belong on the Beavers anymore.”

“Sure, sweetie,” she wrote back almost instantly. “If it bothers you that much I won’t tease you.”

Then the next morning: “If I could just say something without offending you,” Jenn ventured. “I think a major part of why you feel like you aren’t part of the Beavers anymore is because you haven’t been to more than four practices and have missed a lot of games.”

You’re the one pulling away, my wise friend told me. Your friends are not abandoning you because you unexpectedly fell in love with a man. You’re shying away from your friends for fear of rejection, and they’re feeling your absence and reacting.

“We want to see you more, okay?” she concluded with a friendly happy face.

I instantly got defensive. “For the record, I made it to more than four practices,” I snapped.

A few hours later, I relented. “But I have been pulling away a bit in general,” I admitted. “I think you have a point: if I act like I’m not sure I belong and I distance myself, then others will feel that distance and respond, whether consciously or not.”

“You’re saying I should join you and be myself and bring my man — just don’t pull away. Right?” I asked.

“Yes, precisely,” Jenn replied.

“Your friends don’t care if you are dating a man if he makes you happy.

They care if you stop hanging out with them because you are with a man.”

“Clearly, I’m the one who needs to take a deep breath and have the courage to be myself, honour the guy I love, and trust my friends enough to keep sharing my life with them,” I slowly wrote back.

“Still here, still queer, got a man, get used to it!” Jenn promptly replied.

“Thanks for being so understanding and supportive,” I messaged her the next day. “We all have our own stories and reasons for feeling like we don’t belong, right? We just need to be ourselves and hold our heads high, I guess. Helps when you’ve got a circle of supportive friends, though. Helps even more when you let them support you.”

Robin Perelle is the bisexual managing editor of Xtra.

“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.

THIS IS THE SAME GROUP THAT ARGUED ON FREE SPEECH GROUNDS FOR THE RIGHT TO MARCH IN TORONTO PRIDE, CORRECT?

INBOX Shrinking community?

THE DUFFERIN, ROYAL HOTEL, Odyssey, M2M: all were members of our gay community [“‘Outrageous’ Rent Increase Drives Gay Bathhouse out of Business,” xtra. ca, Sept 14]. Now they are not. These establishments provided employment and stability for its gay members. Now they don’t. Remember the days when you could go to a gay pub and enjoy a beer with your community? Is the gay community growing or shrinking in this town?

Steve Vancouver, BC ONE LINE IN THIS ARTICLE says it all: “Another factor was the rise in online cruising apps like Grindr and Squirt, which may be keeping people away from bathhouses.” The typewriter was replaced by the personal computer. Sleazy porn theatres in the 1970s were replaced

by VHS tapes, then DVDs and now online porn. I think bathhouses are being replaced by Grindr and other online hookups. Times change and progress occurs.

Peter Toronto, ON

Pride crowd count IT WAS PAINFUL TO READ this [“Counting Pride Attendees,” xtra.ca, Aug 29], with all the back and forth between the interviews. He said this, she said that, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Even the Vancouver Pride Society seems unsure of where the numbers are coming from.

That everyone seems to agree they want a better way of confirming the numbers is nice, and contradicts the overall tone of the article. It matters to have those statistics to back your claims, and the city, police and Vancouver Pride recognize that and value it.

That said, I see no problem with any party quoted in this article, despite the inconsistencies. If they are willing to fork out $30,000 to prove their claims, then I’d be willing to donate to help them get it. I want to have a huge city event everyone can be proud to brag about, and it would speak volumes if it was the Pride parade.

Joel Vancouver, BC I REMEMBER READING THE figure of over 600,000 from the website two years ago. Why has it taken two years for someone to question this number? Obviously city organizations like the ambulance, police and fire department know approximately how many people come to the parade so they know how many personnel to make available. I understand why they wouldn’t want to go on the record reporting this number officially in case it is wrong. Sounds like for the

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

comment Re: “Big Freedia Brings Her Sissy Bounce to Vancouver,” xtra.ca, Sept 4

Full disclosure: 40-something white fag here who really doesn’t get the whole rap and hiphop thing. But I loved that interview. Big Freedia would be fun to hang with — with Elvira Kurt along for the ride — and Sissy Bounce looks like too much fun.

—RJ Toronto, ON To comment, go to xtra.ca.

previous couple years Pride officials have been repeating this off-record number to the public.

James Vancouver, BC

Anti-Israel boycott sought THERE ARE VERY CLEAR AND important reasons why QuAIA is calling for a cultural and academic boycott of Israel [“Activists Protest Inclusion of Israeli-Backed Films in Queer Film Festival,” xtra. ca, Aug 24] laid out here: pacbi.org/ etemplate.php?id=869 by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. Israel is violating the rights of Palestinians who are living under Israeli military occupation and apartheid and of Palestinian refugees denied their right to return home.

At the same time, Israel is trying to beautify its occupation by casting Palestinians as villains and by touting its gay-rights record, ignoring the fact that “there is no pink door in the apartheid wall” and that queer Palestinians are subject to closures, land confiscations, home demolitions, denial of the right to return, mass imprisonment and siege alongside all other Palestinians.

When queer film festivals screen films that are funded and promoted around the world by Israel’s Foreign Ministry (headed by Avigdor Lieberman, whose party Yisrael Beiteinu is no friend of the queer community), those festivals wind up playing the game of occupation and joining the official, government-sponsored “Brand Israel” project. Joining the BDS campaign — the global call for boycott, divestment and sanctions

coming from Palestinian civil society (bdsmovement.net) — is a method of breaking complicity with occupation and taking a stand for justice.

Palestinian queers (pqbds.com) have come out for BDS; this is an opportunity to stand in solidarity with oppressed people calling for their own liberation and asking people around the world to take a simple step of disengaging with officially sponsored productions of an occupying, apartheid, colonial state.

Charlotte Vancouver, BC AMAZING. THIS IS THE SAME group that argued on free speech grounds for the right to march in Toronto Pride, correct?

I never thought they were terribly committed to the cause of freedom of speech to begin with, but it’s nice to see them put the lie to that line so unambiguously.

Bren Vancouver, BC I HAVE BEEN TO ISRAEL twice, and loved it. The gay scene is vibrant and open; even in the military the men are gorgeous.

Israel is the only country in the whole region that is gay-friendly. Why are people boycotting the Queer Film Festival? Muslims hate gays, and Israel is gay-friendly. Go figure; some people are just too anti-Semitic. These people should boycott everything Palestinian.

Avrom Osipov Vancouver, BC MICHAEL LUONGO’S TRAVEL feature on Tel Aviv [Xtra #497, Sept 6] explains the concept of “pinkwashing” and cites travel agent Russell Lord acknowledging that visiting Israel can be “controversial.” But it concludes by advising visitors to come anyway and reach “their own unfiltered conclusions about the region’s issues.”

Unfortunately, a visit to Tel Aviv doesn’t acquaint visitors to the poverty, discrimination and military violence faced by Palestinians caged behind Israel’s apartheid wall, only minutes away from the city’s nightlife and beaches. Apartheid South Africa had a similar strategy, advertising its Sun City playground to entice foreign tourist dollars as it became ever more isolated.

Palestinian queer organizations PQBDS and Al Qaws have called for an LGBT tourist boycott of Israel until that country complies with international law: ending its illegal occupation of Palestinian territories, allowing refugees to return home, and ending discrimination against Palestinians within Israel. We would urge anyone looking for a vacation stop to honour this call and avoid spending your tourist dollars in a way that supports an apartheid state.

Tim McCaskell Queers Against Israeli Apartheid

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noteworthy › updates › ephemera

Xcetera ON OUR GAYDAR

WHICH CATWOMAN IS THE BEST LESBIAN?

Recently, The Village Voice’s Michael Musto wondered whether Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman (from The Dark Knight Rises) is a lesbian. Personally, our vote is a resounding yes, but the real question is, out of all the Catwomen ever portrayed onscreen, is she the best lesbian? We did a comparison to see how she stacks up. – Jeremy Feist

JULIE NEWMAR Batman TV series (1966-1967): She was in the original Batman TV series, which gave us the Batusi, so clearly she’s got a little bit of gayness in her.

HALLE BERRY Catwoman (2004): Let’s all just pretend this movie never existed, m’kay?

EARTHA KITT Batman TV series (1967–1968): She sat on a throne of pussy (cats). How wide does she need to kick the closet door open?

LEE MERIWETHER Batman (1966): Pretty good, but severely out-gayed by everything else in the movie.

MICHELLE PFEIFFER Batman Returns (1992): Strong, sexy and probably the sharpest dressed of them all, but she’s just edged out of the top spot.

BLACK EYE

FROM THE HEART

A T O I D I S E R E Ăš T Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Yunel Escobar made headlines Sept 17 when fans realized he’d inscribed a homophobic slur in the black strip under his eyes. “Tu ere maricon,â€? the 29-year-old Cuban wrote, which translates to “You are a faggot.â€?

Escobar’s defence: it’s a meaningless term.

And: “The person who decorates my house is gay.

The person who cuts my hair is gay.�

Really?

Escobar was suspended for three games and ďŹ ned approximately $90,000 (US), to be split between the US gay rights group GLAAD and the You Can Play campaign, which ďŹ ghts homophobia in professional sports.

Some Blue Jays fans say that’s not enough: they want the team to ďŹ lm its own You Can Play video. Si, Yunel?

Nos gustaría ver eso. —Robin Perelle

ANNE HATHAWAY The Dark Knight Rises (2012): Purrr-fection!

Congrats on your Sapphic victory!

HATE TWEETS

2.5

It Gets Better,

Japanese style

MILLION

Japanese politician Taiga Ishikawa has launched a new website giving heart to young, gay Japanese people. Heart School (heartschool.jp) is similar to the It Gets Better project, featuring supportive videos from a dozen Japanese celebrities, including pop singer Sonim and Olympic fencer Yuki Ota. Ishikawa says social isolation is one of the largest problems for gay people in Japan, where suicide is twice as common as in Canada. —Niko Bell

The number of times the word faggot was tweeted between July 5 and Sept 27, 2012, according to a new website that tracks homophobic slurs in the Twitterverse. The expression “so gay� clocked in at nearly one million appearances in the same period.

Check out the live tracker feed at nohomophobes.com, created by the University of Alberta’s Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services.

BREAKING NEWS › MALAWI: PRESIDENT BACKS DOWN ON LEGALIZING HOMOSEXUALITY › JASON KENNEY’S GAY EMAIL › SHIT A COUPLE OF GAYS SAY › SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ON THE RISE › FRENCH PRESIDENT TELLS UN: DECRIMINALIZE HOMOSEXUALITY MORE AT XTRA.CA

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dispatches › issues › opinion

Upfront PRIDE

SEVERAL ORGANIZERS OF PFLAG’S VANCOUVER CHAPTER WONDER IF, IN AN AGE OF ACCEPTANCE, PFLAG MAY HAVE BECOME AN ANACHRONISM. Raising the PFLAG > 9

GAY VILLAGE

Money stolen from Pride Theft from non-profit ‘extremely disheartening,’ VPS president says Robin Perelle THE VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT (VPD) IS ASKING the public for help in finding the person who stole more than $9,000 from the Vancouver Pride Society (VPS) on Aug 3.

Police say a female volunteer who had access to the cash is now a “person of interest” in the case. She is described as a white woman, approximately five-foot-four inches tall, 35 to 40 years old, with a heavy build and dark, wavy, shoulder-length hair.

“We need to speak to this lady. We don’t know what her role is, if any,” Sergeant Randy Fincham says.

President Tim Richards confirms that the woman volunteered in the VPS office for Pride Week.

Richards says he first noticed the woman, who provided seemingly excellent credentials, at city hall’s Pride Week launch on July 30. She offered to assist in the office all week, and the VPS, accustomed to last-minute “walk-in” volunteers, accepted.

Vancouver police are looking for this woman in connection with more than $9,000 stolen from the Pride Society on the eve of Pride. VANCOUVER POLICE DEPARTMENT

Richards says the VPS screens potential volunteers, but the woman provided a fake name and address — just as she did to the Taiwanese festival nearly a year earlier.

Like Richards, the managing director of TaiwanFest says he met the woman only a week before last year’s festival. It seemed a bit odd that she wanted to volunteer — since most but not all of the festival’s volunteers are young Asians — but she was “really friendly and really helpful,” Charlie Wu says.

“You just don’t suspect people like that,” Wu says — until a group of Taiwanese artists had about $3,000 stolen from their purses backstage on opening night. Now, Wu says, access to backstage is more strictly controlled; only known volunteers are permitted.

The money stolen from the VPS office was part of the cash float prepared for the Davie Street Party, Richards says.

Asked how the woman had access to the cash float, Richards says she had been volunteering in the office all week. “A little trusting? Yes,” he says. “It’s what happened.”

“We’re certainly reviewing our walk-in process,” he says, “so that, moving forward, we’ll firm that up.”

Asked what impact the loss will have, Richards says it’s almost one month’s operating costs for the VPS. “It’s a big impact. It puts us almost a month behind.”

Though he doesn’t think the loss will lead to a deficit this year, Richards is hoping the VPS’s sponsors will provide some financial assistance earlier than usual next spring.

“It’s hard to believe that people want to rip off non-profit organizations,” he says. “It was extremely disheartening.”

Police say they have exhausted all avenues to find the woman and are now seeking the public’s help. If you have any information, call the VPD at 604-717-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

Rainbows safe: new BIA head Governance overhaul needed post-Hellyar Shauna Lewis REVITALIZING BUSINESS AND CULTURE in the West End is the first step in the Business Improvement Association’s (BIA) vision for change, directors told the organization’s annual general meeting, Sept 19.

“It’s more than a facelift; we want a cultural shift,” the West End BIA’s new executive director, Stephen Regan, told an unusually high turnout of more than 50 members.

“We want people to be more neighbourly.

We want businesses to not only clean up in front of their places; we want them to ask, ‘What can I do down the block?’”

Regan says he hopes businesses will consider how best to foster community in their areas.

The West End BIA’s focus on beautification, safety concerns and embracing cultural uniqueness is all part of the board’s new mandate, Regan says. The organization’s mission statement — “To brand, promote and revitalize the West End” — is the catalyst in a five-year planning process that the board hopes will bring more people, and revenue, to the area.

Regan takes over from previous executive director Lyn Hellyar, who stepped down in January.

“There was a fair bit of cleanup,” Regan admits, referring to the state of the organization when Hellyar left.

“I realized we needed to do a governance overhaul,” chair John Nicholson says.

“I think there were elements of strategic planning, but I don’t think the board owned it,” Regan says.

The board hired a governance review firm to determine what needed changing in the association. Out of the review, 42 recommendations regarding governance and strategic planning were made.

“Normally, you do a governance review, you have six or eight things you must change or review. We had 42!” Nicholson says.

The board says it has followed through on more than half the recommendations so far and is working on others, such as consulting city and transit authorities about linking the BIA high streets of Davie, Denman and Robson in a transit loop via the Granville Street connector.

The organization says it will also look into the possibility of establishing landmark gateway monuments that would mark the entrances of various West End communities, including the Davie Village.

The BIA has also hired a firm to help promote the area and establish a brand that will draw more business and revenue to the West End. The brand will be announced

The West End BIA’s new head, Stephen Regan (left), attributes part of the area’s success to embracing its queer community and “the economic benefits of having a hub and something unique.” JESS MUNITZ

in the spring.

No matter what changes are made, Regan promises that the cultural importance of the gay village — recently recognized by city planners as the West End’s “culture hub” — will be maintained.

“We love the banners,” Regan says of the rainbow markers that flank the street in the heart of the gay village.

The rainbow banners — whose temporary removal by Hellyar in 2008 sparked a public uproar — are not in danger, he assures.

IT’S MORE THAN A FACELIFT; WE WANT A CULTURAL SHIFT. —West End BIA executive director Stephen Regan “Those banners are fantastic banners,” he says. “But I think they need to be cleaned, and we probably need new ones,” he adds with a laugh.

“I think part of the reason the neighbourhood has been so successful is because it has embraced the queer community and the economic benefits of having a hub and something unique,” he says.

Vancouver West End MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert, who attended the meeting, believes the gay village will survive as long as the community maintains and values its connection to the space.

“Many shops have changed over many, many decades, and the queer spirit has survived intact and remained strong,” he says.

The meeting’s high turnout seems to bode well for the BIA, he notes. “Compare the BIA AGM last year, when it had to be

cancelled because we didn’t have quorum, to this year and it’s a great sign,” he says.

“The energy and attention to the West End has always been desired, but many business owners didn’t feel that the door was open to get involved or that their contributions would be respected,” he says. “So I think to see this crowd here shows that the door is open now, and I think that it shows that people do want to be involved and are going to be involved and not just talk about it and complain.”

The West End BIA received $675,469 in total revenue but spent $731,556, with the bulk of the funds going to wages for the departing Hellyar, street maintenance, safety, and beautification projects and events, according to its financial statement from March.

The budget for 2013/14 shows an expected increase of almost $100,000 in revenue, expected expenditures of $244,048 on revitalization costs, $254,493 for promotion expenses and $204,565 for administrative costs such as rent, office equipment and transportation.

The board has also started a contingency fund of $34,628 created from the organization’s tax return.

Returning for their second year of a twoyear term are chair John Nicholson (Listel Hotel); vice-chair David Buddle (Prima Properties); and directors Brinder Bains (Cobs Bread), Wendy Derzai (the Donnelly Group), Michel Duprat (Fountainhead Pub) and Kathy Ross (pHresh Spa).

First-term directors joining the board are Michael Makowy (HSBC Bank), Lisa Arthurs (Quick Nickel Clothing), Michael Brown (Best Western Sands), Joe Skokan (No Frills) and Gary Gohren (Gohren & Associates Chartered Accountants).

Mary Phelps (Vancity) returns to the board as well.

The board has a full slate for 2013.

8

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

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VANCOUVER CITY COUNCIL PASSED a motion Sept 19 asking staff to examine the possibility of granting civic event status to the Pride parade, as well the Vaisakhi and Lunar New Year celebrations.

Vision Vancouver Councillor Tim Stevenson, who introduced the motion, hopes city staff will report back on the logistics of his proposal in January.

The motion was supported by all Vision councillors in attendance, as well as by Green Party Councillor Adriane Carr and Non-Partisan Association (NPA) Councillor Elizabeth Ball. NPA Councillor George Affleck voted against it, asking how it will be ďŹ nanced.

Vision Councillor Andrea Reimer, who chaired the meeting, told Affleck that they would ďŹ rst need to pass the motion before staff could answer his question.

City staff will now prepare a report for council that will investigate the options for granting civic status and consider best practices in other cities, with respect to funding and revenue sharing for major events.

Ball proposed an unsuccessful amendment calling for staff to instead examine adopting a transparent evaluation process for civic events in general.

Stevenson said the NPA was just trying to “derail a straightforward motion.� — Nathaniel Christopher For more on this story, go to xtra.ca.

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

9

COVER STORY

Raising the

PFLAG

Some parents still need support, members say

Richard J Dalton Jr

WHEN SUSAN HARMAN JOINED THE Vancouver chapter of PFLAG nine years ago, after her 18-year-old son came out, up to 15 people attended support meetings every two weeks. Eventually, Harman became president and invited speakers to give lectures to the group.

“Over six years, I think we had someone from every gay organization in Vancouver,” she says.

But in recent years, PFLAG’s Vancouver chapter has stagnated. So few people were attending monthly meetings that organizers were reluctant to invite guest speakers.

Several years ago, the organization abandoned monthly meetings altogether, in part because of low attendance, in part because they thought it would be better to offer support individually.

More than a decade ago, the group gave up its charitable status, though it’s still part of the registered national charity PFLAG Canada.

After years of inertia, however, the core group of volunteers is trying to revitalize the organization. The chapter held an orientation meeting in September after potential volunteers contacted the group following the Pride parade.

On Oct 17 the group will revive its monthly support meetings, and it may even become a registered charity again.

The revival comes four decades after the idea for PFLAG was conceived. In 1972, Jeanne Manford marched with her son, Morty, in what would eventually become New York’s Pride parade.

Other participants begged Manford to talk to their parents, and the first formal meeting was held the following year as Parents of Gays.

The Canadian organization’s roots go back to the late 1970s in Toronto. The idea for Vancouver’s chapter was planted in 1990 when parents Gertude and Stan Stevens wanted to speak to other parents about their daughter being a lesbian.

But the greater exposure and acceptance of the last few decades, coupled with the availability of information online for parents concerned about a child’s sexual orientation or gender identity, may have reduced demand for the support group, some PFLAG members say.

Jayme Harper, president of the national organization, PFLAG Canada, says hits to the national group’s website have been rising. But several organizers of PFLAG’s Vancouver chapter wonder if, in an age of acceptance, PFLAG may have become an anachronism.

“We’ve had times when our attendance has really fallen, when we wondered that parents now are okay with it, that PFLAG doesn’t need to exist in Vancouver,” Harman says.

But volunteers say they still hear of children getting kicked out of their homes after coming out. And they recognize that minorities in the gay community, such as Asians and Iranians, still need supportive parents.

(Clockwise from back left) Tanner Fehr, Colin McKenna, Karin Lind, Ryan Cormier, Linda Robertson, Aideen McKenna, Tana Hendricks and Kelly Bigelow Casey.

SHIMON KARMEL

Parents still need support, Harper says. “I don’t think that’s going to change.”

PFLAG is especially needed outside the more liberal cities and even in pockets of liberal cities such as Vancouver, he says.

While the organization’s activities decelerated in the last few years, the group continued to offer support via cellphone.

Still, Harman wasn’t satisfied. “We began to be quite unhappy with the way things were going,” she says. “I felt we weren’t really meeting people’s needs.”

So organizers decided to try to rebuild and reach out to communities they believe still need support.

“We really want to grow again and need volunteers,” says Karin Lind, who remains part of the group’s fiveperson core, along with Harman; Colin McKenna and his mother, Aideen; and

THERE’S SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS THAT I THINK PFLAG COULD REALLY EXPAND AND GROW IN. —PFLAG volunteer and former chapter president Ryan Cormier

Tanner Fehr.

The chapter’s home page now welcomes new volunteers. “We are a small and mighty bunch, but we need new people to help keep PFLAG Vancouver alive and well. WHEN YOU NO LONGER NEED PFLAG, PFLAG NEEDS YOU!” Nine people attended a recent planning meeting, including former chapter president Ryan Cormier, who first sought support from PFLAG in 1997, when he feared coming out to his parents. He found relief among the accepting parents of PFLAG. “It was amazing to meet people of that age that were so loving and supportive and just basically telling me that I wasn’t sick. I wasn’t perverted. I wasn’t any of those things that I had been hearing most of my life directed at gay people.”

After a six-year hiatus, Cormier has returned to volunteer.

“I just felt right now in my life that I needed to get my ass up off the couch and start getting involved again with my community,” he says. “And the best group, I felt, was PFLAG.” “I have a bit of a fear that it might be shrinking,” he says. “But yet there’s so many different areas that I think PFLAG could really expand and grow in.”

Organizers acknowledge the group has faced difficulties connecting with Asians. “A lot of the groups that do need help don’t proactively seek out help,”

Colin says. “So, for example, some of the Asian communities, those parents aren’t necessarily calling us saying, ‘My kid’s gay and I don’t know what to do.’

Within that culture a lot of times they’ll just pretend it’s not there and want it to go away . . . We want to make sure we’re there to support them.”

The organization has posted some information on its website in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. But the group has yet to find Asian parents to volunteer to help Asian youth, some of whom have requested a parent who could tell another parent, in Mandarin, that it’s okay for a child to be gay.

Aideen McKenna says volunteers have asked gay and lesbian Asians with accepting parents to try to get their parents to volunteer.

“They laugh, and they say, ‘Not my parents,’” she says.

“We would love to have at least one Asian parent in our group,” Aideen says, “but there hasn’t been any progress.”

Harman, who volunteers as an ESL teacher, has created a workshop to try to introduce parents to gay issues.

“That’s a great way to reach out to the mostly Asian community,” says Harman, who plans to revive the workshops.

“Most times, I’ve found people have not heard these things in the open before.”

She says the workshop also has helped PFLAG reach the Iranian community. After one workshop, an Iranian

woman approached Harman. “She said, ‘All my life I believed one thing about this and now, after hearing you, I believe something different,’” Harman recalls.

The group has successfully reached one community: parents of transgender people. Aideen, who has handled the telephone calls for support for the last two years, says she’s been receiving more and more calls from parents of transgender children.

Colin says PFLAG has been receiving similar calls across the country from parents trying to understand their trans children.

“When I joined in 2000, it was barely part of the conversation,” he notes.

Aideen says long-time volunteers have told her the chapter has “always gone through this kind of ebb and flow: very busy and then stagnant, very busy and then stagnant.”

With plans to revive its meetings and redirect its outreach, the group may be entering another busy phase.

The chapter, says Harman, is in a “building stage — a rebuilding stage.”

the deets PFLAG VANCOUVER Next monthly meeting: Wed, Oct 17 Gordon Neighbourhood House 1019 Broughton St pflagvancouver.com

10

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

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VANCOUVER’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

But stats may not reflect full picture Jeremy Hainsworth THE NUMBER OF REPORTED VIOlent hate crimes based on sexual orientation in Vancouver dropped for the ďŹ rst half of 2012 compared to the same period in 2011, says the Vancouver Police Department (VPD).

But those numbers may not tell the full story.

Constable Lindsey Houghton says there were only six alleged assaults that ďŹ t hate-crime criteria in the ďŹ rst six months of 2012 — less than half the number recorded in the same period last year. Of the six, half were based on sexual orientation and half on race.

But those numbers reect only incidents recorded by the VPD. Vancouver’s transit police force, responsible for all crimes committed on buses and SkyTrains in the Lower Mainland, has no record of any gaybashings at all — despite at least one incident reported anonymously to Xtra in an email in June.

The email says a trans man in his 20s, who does not want to be named, was attacked at Waterfront SkyTrain station on May 29. “A group of men (and one encouraging woman) pushed him from behind, punched him in the face then kicked him, yelling homophobic remarks, and possibly some transphobic [remarks],� the email says.

The attack ended when transit security arrived, the email says.

It also says the incident was reported to police, who told the man that his attack was the ďŹ fth example of targeted violence against a sexual minority so far this year.

But spokesperson Anne Drennan tells Xtra that transit police have no report of such an incident. “If something like this had happened and it was reported, it would be a major case,â€? Drennan says. “There is no ďŹ led report. There would be if our people were involved.â€?

Houghton referred questions about the alleged incident to transit police since it happened in their jurisdiction.

Xtra requested more information from the person who sent the email but has so far received no reply.

This year’s alleged gaybashings, as recorded by the VPD, include a Feb 19 incident at 50 West Cordova St, a May 12 incident on the Davie Street bus, and a May 29 incident at the PumpJack Pub. In the Feb 19 incident, officers were called to the Hildon Hotel in the Downtown Eastside. A 24-year-old man alleged that a woman entered his room and called him “faggot� several times.

He told her to leave. She refused and punched him in the face, police say.

Mendy Lynn Molnar, 40, has been charged with one count of assault and is next scheduled to appear in

provincial court on Nov 9.

On May 12 at about 7pm, a 27-yearold Delta man was riding the Davie Street bus when a man started yelling anti-gay comments to various passengers, police say. The Delta man took exception to the comments and stared at the suspect. When the suspect raised his fist, the Delta man knocked his hat off. The suspect responded by allegedly punching the Delta man multiple times in the face.

The ďŹ le remains open and no charges have been laid yet, Houghton says.

On May 29 police arrested Matthew Donald WinďŹ eld, a 23-year-old Salt Spring Island man, at the PumpJack Pub. Staff had tried to escort WinďŹ eld out after he peed and poured beer on the bathroom oor, but he allegedly assaulted them, bit one of them, and yelled an anti-gay slur.

Winfield was charged with one count each of assault, assault causing bodily harm and mischief.

Houghton says Winfield pleaded

IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAD HAPPENED AND IT WAS REPORTED, IT WOULD BE A MAJOR CASE. — Transit police spokesperson Anne Drennan guilty to assault and assault causing bodily harm. He was sentenced to 10 days in jail and eight months’ probation, but it was not designated a hate crime, according to Crown counsel. “The evidence did not establish that it was a crime directed at the complainants based on bias, prejudice or hate, and so the court was not asked to consider that as an aggravating factor on sentence,� says Neil MacKenzie.

Another alleged gaybashing case returns to court in October.

Parminder Singh Peter Bassi and his brother Ravinder Robbie are charged with several counts of assault causing bodily harm in connection with an alleged 2010 attack against a gay couple near their Tinseltown home.

When the case opened in March, Crown prosecutor Kirstin Murphy told the court that homophobic slurs were yelled during the attack that left Peter Regier and David Holtzman with multiple injuries requiring medical attention.

Holtzman died April 9 while on holiday with Regier in Palm Springs.

The case was delayed after contested allegations that one of the Bassi brothers had attempted to intimidate Holtzman in the courthouse cafeteria.

The trial resumed Oct 1 as Xtra went to press.

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

11

COMING OUT MORE

Out, proud and ashamed Ask the Expert Dr Pega Ren

Dear Dr Ren, I’m a young gay woman in my mid-20s dealing with a lot of feelings, which I’ve recently recognized as “internalized homophobia.” My therapist pointed this out to me, and since then I have been realizing how warped some of my views and expectations are, not only of myself but of others as well.

I have been “out and proud” (or so I thought) since I was 13. But even though I pretend to be extremely comfortable with who I am, part of me sometimes beats myself up for being a lesbian. I have all these ridiculously warped views and feelings about how “it’s only okay to be gay as long as you look and dress like a feminine woman.

No one should be able to tell you’re gay just by looking at you.”

I’m pretty feminine and strictly date only feminine women. I’ve even felt extreme shame for being attracted to women that were on the “butchier” side. I’m not sure if I’ve adopted a survival instinct of trying to blend in to appear more socially acceptable out of fear of judgment or if I just hate who I am so much that I judge others for being able to be out and proud.

I have trouble even saying the word

lesbian because the stereotypical image scares me so much that I try to detach myself from it. Could you shed some light on these feelings? I don’t want them anymore. Any knowledge you have here would be greatly appreciated.

—Help

Dear Help, Thank you for your poignant and eloquent letter. You express beautifully a universal struggle: there’s always another closet door to kick open.

Internalized homophobia is not a sign of your failings. We grow up learning that we are outliers, problems, perverts even. Though we do our personal work and find our community, those larger societal messages still surround us. We learn, accept, forgive and then do it again, over and over. It’s ongoing, part of growing up.

Speaking of which, you are still in your mid-20s. You’ve been “out and proud” since you were 13. You’re asking sensitive questions of yourself.

You’ll be asking different questions in your 40s and your 80s, but the introspection doesn’t stop.

Now you are doing exactly what you should be doing at your stage in life, figuring out how to be the least flawed human possible. It sounds like you’re doing just fine.

Still, you struggle with some issues, one of which is safety. Nobody wants to be at risk. Femmes have the luxury (and the burden) of flying beneath the radar. Though we are safe behind en-

emy lines, we remain invisible within our own community.

That invisibility brings with it an extra, albeit optional, responsibility. If we want to make a difference politically, we must lead with our voices. Butches, effeminate gay men and others who can be “read” automatically, bravely provide a vanguard for the rest of us. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Then there’s that presentation issue.

You say that you “felt extreme shame for being attracted to women that were on the ‘butchier’ side” and that you (consequently?) date only other femmes.

First of all, you need to give yourself a break. A lot of what you are going through will unfold over time. You don’t need to have all the answers right now.

But where is this shame coming from? Is it that butchier women symbolize “real” lesbians to you? (And if so, you needn’t be ashamed.) Is it that you feel like you should be as “out there” with your sexuality? (Ditto.)

Is it that you feel like you’ve taken the easy route by dating only femme women? (Ditto again.) You simply needn’t feel ashamed about your attractions. You’ll learn what’s right for you as you go along.

What to do? The next time you are attracted to a butchier woman, identify yourself. She might not know you’re a lesbian either — it just means you have to be vocal. Flirt, and see how it goes.

Confidence and self-esteem are hard for everyone to come by, and it’s a pro-

INTERNALIZED HOMOPHOBIA IS NOT A SIGN OF YOUR FAILINGS. cess, rather than a destination, in any case. Some days are better than others.

It sounds like you’ve found a therapist courageous enough to challenge and support you while you explore this period of introspection and opportunity. Another smart move.

Most of all, don’t expect to get completely comfortable. No one does, regardless of how “normal” they are (and you are). We travel through so many different groups in the course of our lives that some will undoubtedly fit better than others.

You have no reason to feel guilty for being a feminine lesbian, any more than any other type of gay person deserves to feel shame for being who they are. All that rhetoric about inclusion, diversity and 15 letters in our name really, truly has meaning. You are as necessary and valuable to us, just as you are, as the most flamboyant “readable” queer imaginable.

The problem exists only when we fail to stretch to our limits, wherever they are.

Got a question for Dr Ren? asktheexpert@xtra.ca

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Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

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XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

13

arts › entertainment › leisure

Out City IN THE

DOCUMENTARY

I LICKED A FEW CONE BRAS.

Blitz & Shitz ›15

POETRY

Stop rescuing sex workers ‘We are not victims,’ Cambodians say in new film Beth Hong IT’S TIME TO DISTINGUISH BEtween sex workers and trafficked people, Cambodian sex workers say in a new film made in conjunction with a Canadian journalist.

“We are adult women, men and transgender. We work in karaoke bars, massage parlours and the streets. We choose to work. We are not victims. We are not trafficked.

No one owns us. We do not have pimps; no brothel owners enslave us,” Keo Tha says in Sex Workers Hurt by Rescue in Cambodia. “We don’t want to be rescued.”

Tha is the coordinator of Women’s Network for Unity (WNU), a 6,400-member sex workers’ union. Canadian journalist Paula

issue of sex slavery, not the bigger picture of voluntary sex workers who have no other economic prospects.

“The best way to stop sex trafficking is to decriminalize sex work and give sex workers full human and labour rights,” Ly says.

“In Cambodian society, it is a girl’s duty to support her parents and brothers as well as her own children. But without education, girls face a life with very few choices,” Tha says in the film.

Stromberg created two versions of her documentary, one in English and the other in Khmer.

A WNU delegation recently presented the Khmer version at the Sex Worker Freedom Festival in Calcutta, India.

John Barton’s new book of poetry, For the Boy with the Eyes of the Virgin, is drawn from nine collections spanning three decades.

HARBOUR PUBLISHING

LET ME BE YOUR

On AIDS and fear and love: 30 years of John Barton Raziel

The 22-minute documentary Sex Workers Hurt by Rescue in Cambodia is a joint project produced by a Canadian journalist and the Women’s Network for Unity, a union of sex workers.

Stromberg worked with WNU during her month-long stay in Cambodia to film, interview and edit footage with staff. One of Stromberg’s most dependable guides and closest acquaintances was Pisey Ly, a lawyer and WNU assistant.

“It was a great opportunity to collaborate with Paula on these mini-films,” Ly says via email from Phnom Penh. While some members of WNU have basic training in photography, audio and video production, Ly says the lack of equipment remains a barrier to making their own film.

This is not the first time WNU has participated in documentaries to highlight the human rights situation for Cambodian sex workers.

The union produced the short film Caught Between the Tiger and the Crocodile in 2008, and contributed to MTV No Exit, a campaign by sex and garment workers in Cambodia and around Asia against the MTV Exit anti-trafficking campaign, which Ly says addressed only the

Despite growing awareness of the complexity of the situation for Cambodian sex workers, Ly says the situation hasn’t improved.

“Freelance sex workers and those who work in the massage parlours continue to be arrested. However, they are not physically beaten or raped as it was happened in 2008 to 2010.”

It’s a slight improvement, which Ly attributes to groups like WNU challenging the laws.

“In the end, the discrimination and violence — which involve the laws, policies, programs and morality — are the challenges,” she says.

the deets SEX WORKERS HURT BY RESCUE IN CAMBODIA Tues, Oct 9, 7pm SFU World Art Centre 149 W Hastings, 2nd floor Free

I THINK I MIGHT BE IN LOVE WITH THE boy with the virgin eyes.

At least I’m in love with the sad, erotic and desperate real-life encounter that inspired Canadian poet John Barton’s poem “For the Boy with the Eyes of the Virgin,” also the name of a book of selected poems from his nine collections, written over 30 years.

If the collection were a greatest hits album, the genre would be jazz, Barton says, “because it’s a lot of improvisation, and when I begin a poem I don’t necessarily know where it’s headed.”

For the Boy with the Eyes of the Virgin left me with the loneliness I usually feel only after finishing a novel that has characters who have become my friends, and who, when the book is finished, I hate to let go. It is a testament to Barton’s vivid lyricism that after reading a poem that spanned only three pages, I felt that same affinity for his characters.

“I was in San Antonio, Texas, about 20 years ago,” he recalls. “I had spent the day visiting the Spanish missions.

It was very hot, and I was almost sunstroke, and I went to get something cold to drink, and this young kid just came up to me and said the first line [of the poem]: “Let me be your ice.”

Let me be your ice, the boy says in the Texas heat, black mestizo eyes, broad face, bare chested, barely sixteen The poem is one of many inspired by the AIDS epidemic, which Barton has been chronicling in his work since the 1980s. It could be said that these poems

are his most important because of how they have captured the evolution of a disease that continues to shape the gay community into the 21st century.

When I wonder aloud if some of his poems on HIV/AIDS are still relevant today, he assures me that “it’s still relevant, since people are catching it every day.” And he isn’t concerned with his work becoming antique, even embracing the idea. “In a sense, I wouldn’t mind if my poems became historic rather than current,” he says, “because that would mean it’s behind us.”

With the recent ignorance spewed by a certain hotel heiress who thinks gays on Grindr are “disgusting” and are all, like, totally “going to die of AIDS,” it’s painfully obvious that the stigmatization is far from behind us.

“It saddens me,” Barton confesses. “I think there are two kinds of reactions you get from the mainstream community: one is that kind of homophobic commentary, and then there are the people who think that there is no discrimination against gay people because all the legal pretensions are in place, so there’s this kind of complacency. They think that the struggle for equality has been won, but then you encounter people saying things like what Paris Hilton did, and you realize that that tolerance that we think is going to spread in the mainstream world is actually very shallow.”

That small-mindedness in society is also reflected in the publishing industry, with Barton questioning whether some of his work is rejected because of its gay content.

“I think it’s still problematic sometimes,” he admits. “Often critics are talk-

ing about universality and saying, ‘Does this have universal themes?’ And I think too often with gay writing people look at it and think it’s not universal. But when you look at it, at gay men writing love poems to one another, what’s the difference? It’s love, and isn’t love a universal emotion? Whether it’s articulated in gay terms or straight terms, both types of love are on equal footing.”

There’s no denying that the publishing industry is a lot gayer than when Barton’s career began. While editing an anthology of gay male Canadian poetry, he “noticed that 1990 seems to be a really important year. Nearly half the anthology is composed of poets, or poetry that was published after 1990.”

Through his poetry Barton carries forward memories and, by doing so, helps carry forward gay culture. His poems are an education on beauty and the elimination of fear.

“I always think the measure of how much society will change will be when there are no teen suicides,” he says.

“That no child grows up and realizes he’s gay and feels like an outsider, or feels shunned, or feels brutalized. When that changes, I think our society will have fully embraced tolerance.”

To help that happen, the poet has a plan. “It’s almost like I’m setting a trap,” he explains, “and if I can reel someone in with a well-turned line, and when they come to the end he or she feels something new, and are maybe encountering something they’d not ever considered, then I feel I’ve succeeded.”

the deets FOR THE BOY WITH THE EYES OF THE VIRGIN John Barton Nightwood Editions $19.95

14

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

ART

Prankster, designer, artist Tobias Wong (left) designed and hung his neon Anus sign, above, in his NYC window when he lived across the street from a gay bar called Cock.

At right, the Fucking Ottoman, with its mink-lined 12-inch glory hole.

his East Village apartment window (located kitty-corner to gay bar Cock).

His Fucking Ottoman is reimagined as a giant vibrator, with a mink-lined 12-inch glory hole on the side.

“Is he making a reference to his own sexuality? Could be, but it speaks to all of us as well,” Gosselin says.

While he was open about his sexuality and lived in New York with his boyfriend of six years, Tim Dubitsky, it wasn’t the most frequently examined theme in his art.

“Some of his work kind of lived there, but that never seemed to be the story,” Falkowsky says. “Tobi was talking about other stuff.”

In the wake of Sept 11, 2001, Wong created NYC Story Matchbook (2002): the New York skyline, with the twin

towers intact, represented by matches.

His most subversive post-9/11 piece is Box Cutter (2002), a utility knife of the kind used by the hijackers with the words “another notion of possibility” engraved on the side.

“It was the first time art was a part of the conversation after 9/11,” Falkowsky suggests.

“His ideas were taken very seriously by art and design communities,” he adds.

Falkowsky worries that the sensation surrounding Wong’s death overshadows his work. Wong hung himself in 2010, at age 35. Some suspect he was asleep when he hung himself because he suffered from parasomnia

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PARTIES Apocalypstick Peach Cobblah hogs the stage in a nonstop Peach Iz Nicki drag marathon, though there will be special guests so she can change into something else pink. DJ Side B spins.

Sun, Oct 7, 9pm. The Cobalt, 917 Main St. $7. thecobalt.ca

Hershe Bar Women slip on their singles bracelets to flirt and dance to DJs Riki Rocket and Miss M. Sun, Oct 7, 10pm. Red Room Ultra Bar, 398 Richards St. $12 advance. flygirlproductions.com

Truckerdisco

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?

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To celebrate their first anniversary, the outer-limits-of-disco fanatics cart their disco balls to a new venue.

Sun, Oct 7, 9pm. ANZA Club, 3 W 8th Ave. $10, two-for-one before 10pm. truckerdisco.com

United The long weekend means another all-night extravaganza, this time with DJs Phil B and Adam Dreaddy. Sun, Oct 7, midnight–7am. Gorg-O-Mish, 695 Smithe St. $30 advance, $40 door. bigrogerevents.com

Wildbear

Help us fight the targeting of our boxes!

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

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

and sleepwalking.

Even now, when you do a Google search for “Tobias Wong,” the top stories focus on the circumstances surrounding his demise.

“I want to keep the focus on his ideas,” Falkowsky says. “It’s not a memorial. It’s forward-looking, not retrospective.”

the deets OBJECT(ING) The Art/Design of Tobias Wong Runs until Sun, Feb 24 Museum of Vancouver 1100 Chestnut St museumofvancouver.ca

For more listings, go to xtra.ca hop in advance of Halloween. DJs Jef Leppard and That’s So Raven spin, and Peach Cobblah, Bambibot and Celestial Seasons perform. Sat, Oct 13, 9pm. The Cobalt, 917 Main St. $12. thecobalt.ca

best and newest poems. Mon, Oct 7 and 15, 8pm. Café deux Soleils, 2096 Commercial Dr. $6. cafedeuxsoleils.com

The Crazy Horse Cabaret

MEETINGS Polyamorous Women’s Meet

The Dogwood Monarchist Society presents a new monthly charity drag show, hosted by Empress Coco and Emperor T. Followed by DJ Drew.

Tues, Oct 16m; show at 11:30pm.

PWYC. junctionpub.com

FESTIVALS & PERFORMANCE Baby with the Bathwater Playwright Christopher Durang’s comedy has Nanny come to the rescue in a most outrageous manner.

Sat, Oct 6–Sun, Oct 14. PAL Theatre, 581 Cardero St. $25 advance, $30 door. ghostlightproductions.com

Neptune at Night The passionate rockers team up with Proud Animal and special guests for an evening of indie entertainment.

Sat, Oct 13, 9pm. Pat’s Pub and Brewhouse, 403 East Hastings St. $7–10. myspace.com/neptuneatnight

Eighteen events — Bearotica, Meat, RUFF:play, Camp Poke-a-Bear, Beef Brunch, etc — fill an entire weekend of fun, frolic and fundraising for HIV/ AIDS charities. Thurs, Oct 4–Mon, Oct 8. Various venues and pricings. mnevents.ca

Jeffery Straker

Hustla

Vancouver Poetry Slam

The Ghostface Killahz vs Witch Ass Bitches edition features homo hip

The wordsmiths gather every Monday to throw down their

The piano virtuoso has added his middle name, Michael, and released a new CD, Vagabond. Sun, Oct 14, 8pm.

The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir St. $8 advance, $10 door. jeffstraker.com

Tues, Oct 9, 6:30–10pm. Burnaby near Edmonds SkyTrain station; address sent to registrants. No cover. polyawesome.eventbrite.ca

Queer Times A writing retreat on the Sunshine Coast facilitated by Claire Robson and Elise Chenier. Fri, Oct 12–Sun, Oct 14. Cascadia House, 1249 Roberts Creek Rd, Roberts Creek. $220, $30 per night for overnight stay. cascadiaretreats.com

Recovery Group Support, education and discussion group for queer women and genderqueer folks who are using or at risk of reusing drugs or alcohol.

Mon, Oct 15–Mon, Jan 14, 6:30–8pm.

Raven Song, 2450 Ontario St. Free, but pre-register at 604-709-6350 or prism@vch.ca. vch.ca.

ART & EXHIBITS Anthony Schneider Join the artist, known for his dynamic and colourful abstract paintings, for a retrospective and a celebration of his 85th birthday on Thurs, Oct 4, 6–9pm. Exhibit runs Mon, Oct 1–Sun, Nov 11. Espana Gallery, 188 Keefer Place. Free. facebook.com/theespanagallery

TOBIAS WONG PHOTO: DEAN KAUFMAN/MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER

HE WAS BEST KNOWN FOR HIS MISchievous critiques of consumer culture. Now artist Tobias Wong’s designs, which subverted everything from the McDonald’s spoon to 9/11, are being featured in the first comprehensive solo exhibition of his work since his apparent suicide two years ago.

“I compare him to a poet — they use the same words we do but use them in a way that makes us see the world differently,” says Viviane Gosselin, cocurator of the Museum of Vancouver exhibit. “He used design to make us see the way we consume in a different way.”

Wong became known for appropriating recognizable designs and subverting them. Not easily pigeonholed by genre, he has been described as an artist in approach who used a designer’s tools.

Wong was first cast into the spotlight with the creation of the Unauthorized Burberry Buttons (1999). He printed Burberry’s plaid onto buttons and handed them out free at art shows. With Coke Spoon #2, he took a McDonald’s coffee stirring spoon (allegedly popular with cocaine users) and plated it gold.

He often poked fun at design, like in

Doorstop, when he used Alvar Aalto’s Savoy vase as a mould and had to smash it to free the concrete he poured inside.

Therein lies the beauty of Wong’s work: the transformation of mundane objects into something unexpected.

“You don’t know if he’s condoning consumerism or critiquing it,” Gosselin says.

“His approach is both light and deep and makes us want to do art, makes us want to look at the art surrounding us a second time,” she says. “He used a lot of humour and irony in his work, which makes it very palatable.”

Co-curator To d d Falkowsky, who knew and collaborated with Wong, remembers him as humble and without pretension.

“He never really had grand messages,” Falkowsky says. “He let the art speak for itself.”

Originally from Vancouver, Wong studied at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and the University of Toronto before moving to New York in 1997 to study design at Cooper Union School of Art. During this time, instructor Doug Ashford said he was one of the rare students talking explicitly about his sexuality in his art.

Wong’s notoriety grew when he hung a neon sign saying “anus” from

CARLY RHIANNA SMITH

Carly Rhianna Smith

REBECCA BLISSETT/MUSEUM OF VANCOUVER

Remembering the work of Tobias Wong

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

15

LIKE A VIRGIN

Madonna and Davie L-U-V Blitz & Shitz Raziel

I

JUST WANT TO THANK MADONNA for giving me one of the best nights of the year. I was so overwhelmed with excitement I spent most of the show getting pulled off my seat by security.

“Madonna loves it!” I yelled at him, and even as he pulled me down, he looked like he knew I was right.

I just couldn’t contain myself. I was on the floor, and every time Madonna strutted onto the V catwalk in front of me I was determined to scream the loudest, be the blondest and have an eye-to-eye with the queen. It didn’t happen. Somehow, Madonna remains fabulously aloof while expressing, and exposing (that ass is still immaculate), herself to thousands of people.

Madonna’s stage presence was allconsuming, outshone only for brief moments by her son Rocco, who joined her onstage as a dancer, and her boyfriend/dancer Brahim Zaibat, in a mesh tank top and tight black pants. Make all the cougar jokes you want; that man looks like six feet of flawlessly sculpted Nutella, and I wanna spread him!

I was in front of a gay couple from San Francisco who were seeing MDNA for the 25th time. Literally. They’ve

been travelling with the tour all over Europe and North America. They told me that what stands out the most about the Vancouver audience is the lack of gays, fewer than anywhere else they’d seen.

There were lots of drunk girls (I licked a few cone bras), and I was seated next to some straight dud and his girlfriend who weren’t getting into it at all. While we waited for the show to start (Madonna was hours late, duh) they acted miserable, and then, when the show started, they were throwing shade because I was “dancing too big with my elbows.”

I gave them the finger and flailed my elbows even more, because do not — I repeat, do not — fuck with a bitch at a Madonna concert. You are either going to give it your all — not only because you want to but because that is what Madonna demands of you — or you get lost! Which, less than halfway through the show, is what they did. Blasphemy! Who the hell goes to a Madonna concert and tries to put someone in a box? Even worse, who the hell goes to a Madonna concert and then leaves before it’s over? That’s just illogical and means you’re missing the whole point of what her show represents. It isn’t just a pop concert; it’s a movement! Throughout her career, Madonna has shaped and saved the lives of countless gays.

I had two tickets and wanted to bring someone I thought was worthy of the

The To-Do List ICON TFD Presents is throwing a party every Friday in October at Post Modern in Gastown. They promise they will be “bringing you the best talent on the scene today” and have a jam-packed month ahead filled with Drag Race stars, starting with Manila Luzon on Oct 5.

ROOM SERVICE

Quanah Style, Raziel, judges DJ Kasha Kennedy and Real Housewives of Vancouver star Reiko Mackenzie, and Oasis manager Steve Neville at Davie’s Got Talent. JESS MUNITZ

experience. I ended up taking a friend because his story is similar to mine — he found himself in his youth through Madonna’s music and message, which gave him the courage to be free.

Davie’s Got Talent Sorry for being pessimistic, but when I heard about Oasis’s new Thursday night Davie’s Got Talent, I thought, “Really?”

Sure, there are talented disasters (the best drag queens always are), but I was hoping for something more.

Then god gave me comedian Robyn Hastings. Holy mother of laughter, I’m so glad that bitch won the first round, which saw her competing against five other acts, including the judges’ save, beat boxer Lucas Almeida, who will also be advancing in the competition that is taking over the Village.

What I like is that the competition is all-inclusive, and as we saw with adorable Langley hip-hop duo Brandon and Ian, it’s inspiring people to come down to the Village and pop their gay club cherry. No word on whether they

London party girl Jodie Harsh is back in Vancouver on Friday, Oct 5 at Oasis with “underground house music brought upstairs” of Denny’s. Don’t forget the Denny’s — that’s where all the glamour is!

popped anything else . . .

The talent search will run for eight weeks, followed by the semi-finals and finals. Judges include Real Housewives of Vancouver star Reiko Mackenzie, who, when asked if her co-star Jody Claman was as big of a bitch in the second season, assured me, “Honey, she’s a bitch all year round.” If you think you have what it takes to impress the judges (rumour has it I’ll be getting my Britney on Oct 11 — I’m swallowing mood stabilizers as I type!), then contact talent@ oasisondavie.com.

16

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012 Sponsored proudly by FOUNDING SPONSOR

XPOSED Photos by Victor Bearpark

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Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt turn in stellar performances in this 70s-set account of a gay couple’s struggles to overcome prejudice and adopt a developmentally disabled teenager. Travis Fine’s stirring drama “packages heartfelt sentiment in foul wry observations by Cumming that would make John Waters proud.�— Screen. Winner, Audience Award: Narrative, Tribeca 2012, Audience Award for Best Film, Seattle 2012.

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17

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

19

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.

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.

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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.

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

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

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

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

Andy Warhol’s

New York City 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.

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, vice-president of sales

Amy Armstrong and Freddy Allen.

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 at 877-775-9616.

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.

For trip information and reservations, visitolivia.com.

21

22

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

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24

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

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

BICYCLES Bernstein & Gold Interiors 604-687-1535 Jett Grrl Bike Studio 604-255-5097

BLINDS Budget Blinds

604-263-0050

BOAT CRUISES & CHARTERS

ACCOUNTANTS Accounting+ Best Books Inc Felicity Webb

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ADDICTIONS

Waterway House Boats 1-877-WATERWAY

BUSINESS SUPPLIES & SERVICES Mail Box Plus

Orchard Recovery

604-947-0420

ADULT Wega Video

gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses

1-800-361-9929

604-683-1433

BUTCHERS Tango’s Gourmet Meats

604-681-2121

AIDS/HIV RESOURCES

CAMPGROUNDS & CAMPS

A Loving Spoonful 604-682-6325 AIDS Vancouver 604-893-2201 AIDS Vancouver Island 250-384-2366 ANKORS, Kootenay/Boundary HIV/ AIDS Network, Outreach & Support 1-800-421-2437 Dr Peter AIDS Foundation 604-331-5086 HIM - Health Initiative for Men 604-488-1001 Positive Living Society of BC 604-893-2200 Youth Community Outreach AIDS Society 604-688-1441

Triangle Recreation Camp camptrc.org

AIRLINES

Astor & Black Mr Mz Boutique

Harbour Air Seaplanes 604-274-1277

ALTERATIONS Simdy’s Fashion Alterations

604-633-0828

Access Healing Centre 604-568-4663 Alternative Health Choices Unlimited for Health & Wellness 604-465-7998 Dr Anita Komonski 604-568-7655 Ingite Smoke Shop 778-786-0977 Medicinal Cannabis Dispensary 604-255-1844 Med Pot Now Society 604-569-2119 MyCannaMeds mycm.ca

APPLIANCES Coast Wholesale Appliances coastappliances.com Red Door Discount Warehouse 604-569-3232

APARTMENTS CAPREIT

caprent.com

ARTISTS 604-844-3810

AUTOMOTIVE REPAIRS Axle Alley Dueck Downtown George & Berny’s Repairs Ltd Jim Pattison Hyundai Northshore Jim Pattison Toyota Downtown

604-875-9988 604-675-7900 604-731-8644 604-985-0055 604-682-8881

AUTOMOTIVE SALES & LEASING Dueck Downtown Jim Pattison Cars Unlimited Jim Pattison Hyundai Northshore Jim Pattison Toyota Downtown

604-675-7900 604-924-4542 604-985-0055 604-682-8881

BANKING RBC Royal Bank

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BATHHOUSES Steamworks Vancouver 604-974-0602

604-688-2583

BEDDING Bernstein & Gold Interiors Mr Mattress Simmons Mattress Gallery

CLINIC Travel Clinic

604-736-9244

CLOTHING - DESIGNER

Original Leather Factory Walk This Sway Designs

604-785-0002 604-558-2005

604-298-3770 604-418-6328

CLOTHING - VINTAGE Deluxe Junk Co

604-685-4871

COMMUNITY GROUPS & SERVICES Community Based Research Centre QMUNITY West End Seniors’ Network Society

604-568-7478 604-684-5307 604-669-5051

COMPUTER SALES & SERVICES Mac Station Vancouver WhiteWay IT Solutions Ltd

macstation.com 778-384-1210

CONSTRUCTION AaronR Construction 604-318-4390 maison d’etre design-build inc 604-484-4030

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 Counselling BC counsellingBC.com Dragonstone Counselling 604-738-7557 Joe Ramirez Integral Counselling 778-227-9423 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 Mail Box Plus

604-879-6999

BEAUTY CARE David Blue Hair Design

Clean Sweep Ensuite Paul 604-685-7422 Gary 604-875-1413 The Maids Home Services 604-987-8181

COURIERS

BATHROOM Ripples Kitchen & Bath

CLEANING & MAID SERVICES

CLOTHING - GENERAL

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH

Emily Carr

CATERING Emelle’s Catering 604-875-6551 Out To Lunch Catering 604-681-7177

604-687-1535 604-255-2113

604-683-1433

DENTAL SERVICES Aarm Dental Group 604-647-0006 Dr Dean Wershler Inc 604-688-4080 Dr Langston Raymond 604-687-1008 Dr Sam Daher 604-662-3290 Redtree Dental 604-873-3337 Yaletown Laser 604-70-SMILE

EDUCATION & INSTRUCTION 604-733-0166

Emily Carr

604-844-3810

Vancouver Elementary School Teachers’ Association 604-873-8378 Vancouver Photo Walks 604-318-1277

ENTERTAINMENT ActorWorks Vancouver 604-723-1776 Ballet British Columbia 604-732-5003 DanceHouse 604-801-6225 Museum of Vancouver 604-736-4431 Playland 604-253-2311 Scotiabank Dance Centre 604-606-6400 Sounds & Furies Productions 604-253-7189 Vancouver Symphony Orchestra 604-876-3434

EVENT PLANNING & PROMOTIONS Flygirl Productions

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FARMERS’ MARKETS Vancouver Farmers’ Markets 604-879-3276

FESTIVALS & FAIRS Out On Screen 604-844-1615 Queer Arts Festival queerartsfestival.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES Jennifer Maier

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FIREPLACES Vancouver Gas Fireplaces

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FITNESS & EXERCISE Hot Stone Massage Therapy

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FLORISTS Coal Harbour Florist + Green Design 604-669-5678 Hanamo Florist 604-685-3649

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

FURNITURE Bernstein & Gold Interiors 604-687-1535 Carriage House 604-245-0187 Instant Bedrooms Manufacturing Inc Yaletown 604-669-2337 Richmond 604-271-4121 Jordans Interiors 604-733-1174

GRAPHIC DESIGN SERVICES east van graphics Spread Media Inc

604-568-1206 604-440-8792

GROCERY Safeway

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

HEALTH Hospital Employees’ Union heu.org The Vancouver Health Show 1-888-999-1761

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

HEALTH & PERSONAL CARE Carruthers Dermatology Centre Inc 604-714-0222 Sinclair Wellness 604-629-1120 Vancouver Lipo Laser 604-904-0888 Yaletown Laser 604-70-SMILE

HEALTHCARE SERVICES Orchard Recovery Vancouver Coastal Health

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LAUNDRY SERVICES Laundry Valet

HOME IMPROVEMENT & REPAIRS Crown Roofing & Drainage 1-877-628-5010 Klondike Contracting Corporation 604-708-3337

604-568-2020

LAWYERS Bell Alliance 604-873-8723 Dahl & Connors 604-687-8752 Ganapathi & Company 604-689-9222 Harrop, Phillips, Powell & Gray 604-688-8211 Holness Law Group 604-633-4878 Island IP Law 778-886-8626 Law Office of barbara findlay 604-251-4356 Rob Hughes 604-683-4176 East Side Re-Rides Original Leather Factory

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LIFE COACH next-step.ca

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PHOTOGRAPHERS Feeling Photography sweet earth photographics The Shooting Gallery Vancouver Photo Walks

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MEN’S SERVICES BC Society for Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse (BCSMSSA) 604-682-6482 Men’s Bereavement & Support Group 604-684-5307 xt 112

MORTGAGE 604-765-4823

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SPORTING GOODS 604-233-0057

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STUDIO SPACE The Dance Centre

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TATTOO & BODY PIERCING Adorned Precision Body Arts

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TICKET SALES ShowTimeTickets.com 604-688-5000/1-800-480-7469

TRANSPORTATION Helijet International 1-800-665-4354

TRAVEL AGENCIES GayTrip.ca

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TRAVEL BRITISH COLUMBIA Black Rock Oceanfront Resort 877-762-5011 Harbour Air Seaplanes 604-274-1277

VETERINARIANS Urban Animal Hospital

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WEBSITES Guidemag.com Squirt.org Xtra.ca

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WEDDINGS Umbrella Events

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WEIGHT CONTROL Isagenix® LGBT Vancouver Integrative Healing Arts

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WINE & SPIRIT The Grape Escape Wineworks

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YOGA SpiRe Wellness 604-569-0963 YoGuy Men’s Yoga 778-995-1970 Skyclad Naked Yoga & Massage 250-813-2939

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G-MAC PAINTING A LOCAL painting company with an emphasis on quality and customer service. Contact Geordy for an estimate on your project. gmacpainting.ca 604.838.6538

West End

www.RelaxationMassageVancouver.com

General

MR. BALDNĂœTZ 7,9:65(3 :/(=05. :,9=0*,: -69 4,5 +:HML + *SLHU + +PZJYLL[+

Because you deserve it.

In a peaceful setting in Langley.

9am-8pm Robert 604-857-9571

TELL OUR ADVERTISERS that you saw them in Xtra!

TRAVEL › PUERTO VALLARTA MEXICO BOANA-TORRE MALIBU Condo Hotel. Largest pool in gay Vallarta. Located by gay beach. boana@pvnet.com.mx Call 011-52-(322)222-099-9 Direct line Montreal: 514-800-7690 BOANA.NET

Counselling

Tom Durrie M.A. Registered Clinical Counsellor

Effective—Affordable

EMPLOYMENT › Bar & restaurant FULL-TIME NIGHT MANAGER/SUPERVISOR WANTED FOR GAY-OWNED Main S.t dessert cafe. 5+yr restaurant experience req’d.

Send resume to: info@sweet-revenge.ca

To place an ad, call 604-684-9696 or book your line classiďŹ ed at xtra.ca

Upcoming deadlines for Xtra 500, Oct 18, 2012 Display Advertising booking deadline: Fri, Oct 5 at 4pm

International travel

604-215-0019

Display ClassiďŹ ed booking deadline: Fri, Oct 5 at 4pm

www.tomdurrie.ca

Adult

THE GREAT CANADIAN MALE will be in Vancouver to discover fresh new faces for its adult website.

Must Be 19-50 Email: applications@ thegreatcanadianmale.com Call for info 778-732-0222

Call about upgrade options.

Bold, all caps and colour

EMPLOYMENT @ XTRA Advertising Account Manager Xtra, Vancouver’s gay and lesbian newspaper, has an immediate opening for an Advertising Account Manager. You will service our existing client base of retail display advertisers, doggedly following the sales process from start to ďŹ nish, providing exemplary customer service throughout.

You will also increase advertising revenue by expanding our customer base, particularly beyond traditional markets. You understand that success in advertising sales is about constant account development, and that prospecting and calling on new clients is a daily task.

An aggressive self-starter who gets things done, you have a proven track record in sales, and previous experience in print & online advertising sales is an asset. You support the work of Xtra and embrace diversity. You are familiar with Vancouver’s gay and lesbian communities and their organizations.

We will ďŹ ll this position as soon as we ďŹ nd the right candidate.

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

Electrical JD ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS Commercial and residential wiring and lighting. Licensed BC Hydro CertiďŹ ed Power Smart Installer.

Good work, reasonable rates.

Dan 604-218-1809

25

Line ClassiďŹ ed booking deadline: Wed, Oct 10 at noon

26

Vancouver’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

PERSONAL › Erotic massage

Model & escorts *HARDER *LONGER *DEEPER 604 -442 -7311

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ASIAN MASSEUR 28/5â&#x20AC;&#x2122;7/135lbs Attractive Outstanding Massage with 90% repeat clientele. Call for your appointment 778-869-7885 (in/out)

Best Bodysage in Town Fit, trained male gives incredible, strong, sensual, relaxing bodyrub. Table.

DON 604.682.6808

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A1 MASSAGE

Friends male

Daily to 11pm. Student Rates

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HEALTHY GAY MALE 51, HIV Positive, Into walks, hiking, gardening and movies. Versatile and wants to meet a companion or for casual sex. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get together for a coďŹ&#x20AC;ee. All ethnicities welcome.

778-321-5697

HOT, HUNG, 25yo GWM 605 -818 -4157

KLEIN

EROTIC MASSAGE + MORE

604 786 6833

+PSSVU

PROFESSIONAL, EXPERIENCED, DISCREET 4 men only by mature male.

9AM-Midnight. In-calls. Student rates. Burrard & 6th.

Alex 778-828-4683

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HOT ASIAN MALE

psdroy@gmail.com Yaletown Location

Troy guarenteed good looks well hung In&Out, Hotels 24 hrs

778-320-7618 Ask about our frequency discounts

Miscellaneous

GET ALL THE INCHES YOU WANT! BULK CONDOMS

Trojan Magnum XL, Lifestyle SnuggerFit, Kimono Microthins and other popular condom brands.

Low prices, guaranteed delivery!

Condoms4canada.com/XtraVan

CAM CHAT

CRUISING DIRECTORY

MEMBER VIDEOS

MOBILE SITE

Call 604-684-9696 to book your classiďŹ ed or book online at xtra.ca

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

Only on xtra.ca.

Your news, your way.

PICK IT UP NEXT ISSUE

ectory.ca

ERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S USINESS DGAY & LESBIAN IRECTORY

CA NA DA GAY & LE â&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NEWS SB IAN

FALL 2012

Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay & lesbian business directory â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in print and online.

Release Date: Thurs, Oct 18

indexdirectory.ca

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! OCT 4, 2012

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