Xtra, Toronto's Gay and Lesbian News

RESILIENCE AND SEMEN

DARCY MICHAEL

You may not ACT launches new recognize the ›9 PNP support group skinny bitch ›21

TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

PROUD VOICES Pride reading series returns to Glad Day ›29 #721 JUNE 14, 2012

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Advertising Sales Associate

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

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Xtra, Toronto’s gay and lesbian news biweekly, has an immediate opening for an Advertising Sales Associate.

You will service our existing client base of retail display advertisers, doggedly following the sales process from start to finish, providing exemplary customer service throughout.

You will also increase advertising revenue by expanding our customer base, particularly beyond traditional markets.

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You possess excellent relationship-building, communication and presentation skills and understand the structure of the sales process, from qualifying prospects to dealing with objections and closing the sale.

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If you have the qualifications outlined above and know you are the right fit for this job, send us a detailed cover letter and resumé. We will fill this position as soon as we find the right candidate.

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EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE

PUBLISHER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Brian Bantugan, Scott Dagostino, Tyler Dorchester, Chris Dupuis, Jeremy Feist, Brad Fraser, Adam Glen, Kaj Hasselriis, Serafin LaRiviere, Justin Ling, Steven Maynard, Matt Mills, Aefa Mulholland, Alistair Newton, Robin Perelle, Anna Pournikova, Katie Toth, Johnnie Walker, Shannon Webb-Campbell

Brandon Matheson ASSIGNMENT EDITOR Danny Glenwright COPY EDITOR Lesley Fraser NEWS REPORTER Andrea Houston LISTINGS EDITOR Drew Rowsome CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lucinda Wallace PRODUCTION MANAGER Leslie Miller GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Andrew Tran, Darryl Mabey, Bryce Stuart JUNIOR ADVERTISING DESIGNER

Ashley Calla ADVERTISING & SALES DIRECTOR Ken Hickling NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Jeffrey Hoffman NATIONAL ACCOUNTS MANAGER Derrick Branco RETAIL ACCOUNTS MANAGERS

Mike Mooney, Brian Garrison ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR Gareth Kirkby DISTRIBUTION & COMMUNITY RELATIONS COORDINATOR Craig Palmer CLIENT SERVICES & ADVERTISING ADMINISTRATOR

Eugene Coon CUSTOMER SERVICE John Webster ADVERTISING COORDINATOR Cassidy Phillips

Issn 0829-3384 Printed and published in Canada. ©2012 Pink Triangle Press. Xtra is published every two weeks by Pink Triangle Press.

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Photo by Julianna Harbec.

Summer Solstice – Pride in the 1000 Islands – June 22, 23, 24, 2012

FRIDAY – Rainbow Rendezvous at the Gananoque Inn & Spa. Evening at the 1000 Islands Playhouse (including a pre-show mixer on the deck) www.1000islandsplayhouse.com.

SATURDAY EVENING – Free concert at Joel Stone Park including Jarvis Church, Suzie McNeil and on stage with Circus Orange and their amazing pyrotechnics and acrobatics.

SATURDAY – Spend the day in the islands and take advantage of special kayaking packages, guided hikes, Gananoque Boat Line cruises, shopping or cycling.

SUNDAY (Noon-3pm) – Rainbow Family Day at Joel Stone Park featuring local entertainment and motivational speakers.

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For festival updates visit www.1000islandstourism.com or call 1-800-561-1595.

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XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012 TORONTO’S GAY& LESBIAN NEWS

Roundup JUNE 14, 2012

#721

PRIDE

Ready or not?

Gay Christmas is upon us! This pre-Pride issue of Xtra is packed with coverage, including the 2012 edition of the Ultimate Pride Guide.

NEWS

VIDEO

REGULARS

Spunk

Brad Goreski

The AIDS Committee of Toronto has launched a new support group for guys who party and play. Spunk: Resilience and Semen is looking for new members. › 9

The author of Born to Be Brad, who first came to fame in the Rachel Zoe Project, speaks to Xtra about bullying and offers up tips on how today’s kids should deal with it. › xtra.ca

FEATURE

Comment › 6 Xcetera › 7 Xposed › 33 Index › 40 Classifieds › 40 COLUMNS

ONLINE

School’s out

Alan Turing

Summer is here and the Ontario government on June 5 passed its Accepting Schools Act, which legislates gay-straight alliance support groups in all publicly funded schools where students want them.

Xtra takes an in-depth look at an issue that struck a chord with gays and lesbians across the country. › 14

Two years after his arrest, with his life and career destroyed by government bigotry, Alan Turing was found dead in his apartment, having ingested a lethal dose of cyanide. He would have turned 100 this month. › xtra.ca

OUT IN THE CITY

Editorial › 6 Fraser’s Edge › 20 Porndoggy › 42 LISTINGS

Art & photography › 24 Health & issues › 24 Leisure & pleasure › 24 Music › 26, 27, 28 Print & readings › 28 Stage ›8

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Chick flicks Toronto’s Female Eye Film Festival is back with a five-day lineup of films directed by women. Xtra finds the festival’s best queer picks. › 26

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Comment What the GSA fight taught us Editorial Danny Glenwright

I

N AFRICA IT IS COMMON FOR Westerners like me to be told to “take time, take time.” The process of genuinely slowing down and chewing over an issue is not something many of us readily embrace, especially in cities like Toronto or in the fast-paced world of news.

Yet it is important — particularly for us activist types — to collect ourselves and regroup. As Pride approaches, it is even more important. In this issue we celebrate those students who fought for the right to gather in groups during school time to support one another: gay, straight, trans, whatever. We also take time to remember their journey — which Xtra followed every step of the way — to get to the enactment of Bill 13 on June 5 (see page 14 for full coverage).

The passage of the Accepting Schools Act in many ways concludes the fight for gay-straight alliances in Ontario. For that reason it seemed the right time to “take time” for a closer look at what some of those involved have learned over the past year and a half. Unfortunately, it is not all positive.

For those students and young people paying attention, they learned that their voice is almost meaningless in today’s political discourse in Ontario. While there is never a shortage of column inches in the media lamenting youth disengagement from Canada’s political process, when young people did get involved in this issue — in droves — over the past two years, they were largely sneered at and ignored.

I can think of very few political issues that have been as straightforward. Our politicians should not have blinked an eye. Students were asking for the right to get together in safe spaces so they could heal some of the damage done by the scourge of bullying in our schools. Catholicbully educators in our democratic, human rights–embracing country compared gay-straight alliances to sex clubs, banned rainbows and threatened students with disciplinary action because they wanted support for what some of their publicly funded teachers were calling an “intrinsic disorder.”

Ontario’s political leaders should be proud of the passage of Bill 13, but many should also be ashamed at how long it took them to get it right. There is a lesson here for our politicians about how to encourage more youth engagement: in future, don’t treat youth with the disdain you treated the students fighting for GSAs. In future, don’t hesitate for so long before doing what you know is right.

At Xtra, this issue taught us again the value of sticking with a story, even when our readers — and some of our staff — might be tiring of it.

Xtra reporter Andrea Houston first broke the GSA story, reporting on the Halton Catholic District School Board’s ban on student gay support groups in January 2011. From that day forward, I can think of no reporter in the country who has followed this story as closely and with as much passion as Houston.

Her reporting ensured the GSA story had legs, and she continuously found a new angle and a new reason for Xtra to keep it in our front pages (and for other media outlets to pinch her story and put it in their pages). Houston made sure the GSA students had a voice and agency, and her reporting forced policymakers to pay attention. I am sure she celebrated at Queen’s Park on June 5 for many reasons, not least because it is a rare day when one’s reporting helps usher in tangible, progressive political change.

I hope Catholics paying attention to this issue also take time to digest this story. It seems to me this battle only illustrated further that their anachronistic, misogynistic, homophobic leaders have never been more ready for the glue factory. From the second they left the gate, back when Halton board chair Alice Anne LeMay compared gay-straight alliances to Nazi clubs, Ontario religious leaders have continuously stepped in it.

It is 2012, dear people. For those of you who have not clued in, please wake up and realize that you know gay people and the sky will not fall if you embrace us and accept us as we are. For those who have clued in — including many Catholic teachers who now actively support GSAs — we have the brave gay students and their straight allies to thank. Well done, and thank you.

Danny Glenwright is Xtra’s assignment editor.

“The outcome that we seek is this — gay and lesbian people daring together to set love free.” Xtra is published by Pink Triangle Press, 2 Carlton St, Ste 1600, Toronto, M5B 1J3.

WHY DO SOME PEOPLE SEEM TO BELIEVE THAT IT IS EVERY PUBLIC MUSLIM’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHANGE AN ENTIRE FAITH IN PRACTICE, ESPECIALLY ONE AS DIVERSE AS ISLAM?

INBOX Play closes I LIVE IN THE VILLAGE AREA and am happy to say that I’ve never in 10 years stepped foot in Play, nor would I want to [“George’s Play Closes Its Doors,” Xtra #720, May 31].

By the looks of things, it was a dump that simply catered to johns, hookers and drunks. Glad to see it gone. Here’s hoping a little bit of class returns to Church St. Kristopher Fisher Toronto, ON

Bill 13 IT’S BEEN ABOUT TWO YEARS since I tried to raise the alarm that Ontario’s Catholic schools have a de facto (and perfectly legal!) ban on GSAs, Charter be damned [“Ontario Tightens Bill 13 So School Boards Can’t Reject GSAs,” Xtra #720, May 31]. Few people believed it, but thanks to Andrea Houston’s tireless efforts, everyone now knows it to be true: Ontario’s publicly funded Catholic schools can discriminate against gays in student clubs (and in teacher hiring) legally! So now it’s time to escalate up through the courts until we finally solve this medieval, shameful anachronism. Public funding is for public schools, open to and welcoming of every student, regardless of their religion or sexual orientation.

If you really want to send your kid to a Catholic school, then you’ll have to pay for it yourself, just like every other religion has to do everywhere else in the free world. You won’t be able to spread medieval hatred with my tax dollars anymore. Time to amend the Constitution.

Richard Young Toronto, ON

Pride funding THE GROUP KULANU, WHICH is behind the fear mongering and divisiveness, is loving their 15 minutes of fame [“Pride Doesn’t Qualify for City Money: Councillor,” Xtra #720, May 31]. They are drawing in a whole Jewish community who still don’t accept them as a whole but are happy they, too, are getting political.

The very few that run Kulanu are giving the many other queer Jews that far outnumber them a bad name. All I can say is shame on them for their intolerance. Who cares who loves Israel and who doesn’t? It is a commentary on queers and diverse opinions. Other groups with a variety of political agendas march, too. Kulanu is using their group to bring in financial support for the group and Israel. Kulanu is completely political!

Jaime Linden Toronto, ON THE ONLY GROUP OF PEOPLE that can have freedom of Speech is QuAIA and the rest are not allowed to have it. What I see here is just typical leftist tactics at play.

Toronto used to have a united com-

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

munity until this cancer decided to think a Middle Eastern problem has anything to do with gay rights when it does not. Of course it is freedom of speech, but only if QuAIA approves of it; if not they will use bullying tactics to get their way, as seen here. Also, why can we not question them? But I do know Xtra does have a big role in the one-sided freedom of speech.

Ben Johnson Toronto, ON

comment Many people thought of Sharon as their best friend, but I’m the only one that can claim the title of Sharon’s best friend [“Sharon Flannigan,” Xtra #720, May 31]. We learned to tie our shoes together, among other things. We were best friends at four years old and stayed that way all our lives. We went our separate ways at one point but never really lost touch. We talked for hours on the phone and I always knew what was happening in the city. I listened to her complain, brag and laugh and cry. I went to her dances and did the door for her. She trusted me and I trusted her with my life. We were supposed to grow old together, but she checked out early and it just about killed me. I will never ever forget her, and she lives in my heart and always will.

—Sharon Currier Corbyville, ON To comment, go to xtra.ca.

Bashings IT’S A TRANSFORMATIVE time we live in [“Stats Canada: Vancouver First Again in Reported Gaybashings,” Xtra #720, May 31].

With my job I have the opportunity to see many different cities. I recently had multiple layovers in NYC, maybe the epicentre for the gay rights movement currently in the States. The energy is different; something has changed. Just walking the streets seemed to have a profound effect on me; it brought back memories from when I was attacked in 2008. It was a feeling of how far we have come in just a few years’ time.

The spotlight on gay rights in America is at the forefront of our collective psyche. Having the president of the United States stand up for gay rights may be the most important thing that’s happened in a generation. It will be a

tough road ahead, but we are changing the hearts and minds of the world.

Jordan Smith Vancouver, BC

Kamal Al-Solaylee WHY DO SOME PEOPLE SEEM to believe that it is every public Muslim’s responsibility to change an entire faith in practice, especially one as diverse as Islam? This is one man’s story. He’s not pretending to solve the world’s or the region’s problems [“A Memoir of Extremes,” Xtra #720, May 31]. And it takes more than simple translations to change societies. Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Irshad Manji, Salman Rushdie — many other Muslims have been critical of radical Islamism, proving the diversity of intellect within Islam.

Moving on . . . Kamal, I can’t wait to read this. Every time I encounter you — whether in the pages of The Globe on Yemen’s upheaval through the cracked lens of your own family struggles, or encountering your sane response to the bunkum of the Ryerson campus “racism is everywhere!” report — I’m uplifted by your fearsome intellect, one moderated by humility and humour. I can’t wait to hear more from you. (And that wisp of silver makes you sparkle. Yum!).

Alexander McLean Toronto, ON

Sex crimes I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO thank Xtra for publishing Marcus McCann’s article [“Legal Unease,” Xtra #720, May 31]. As a veteran of the struggle against police oppression of gays and lesbians in Montreal and the gay marriage battle in Quebec, I have followed various governments, and particularly the Harper government, through their sex panics about the issues relating to sexual freedom and the control of our own bodies.

And I have appreciated how Canadian citizens have challenged these laws and abuses with some remarkable successes. What is very interesting in this article is the broader analysis and context that McCann brings to the question and the reminder that a great part of the legal and social road to complete sexual liberty for all consenting adults in Canada is yet to be travelled.

Michael Hendricks Montreal, QC

Rob Ford ROB FORD DID THE RIGHT thing by attending the event and reading his mayoral proclamation for the International Day Against Homophobia [“Careful with Rob Ford,” Xtra #720, May 31]. If I was hanging off a cliff by a rope, I’d rather have the rope held by Rob Ford than a QuAIA supporter who hates my guts. Some of us have “double minority” status and have to fear more enemies than just homophobes.

David Melman Toronto, ON

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XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

7

noteworthy › updates › ephemera

Xcetera

Compiled by Jeremy Feist

IN BRIGHTEST GAY

Green Lantern comes out When DC Comics first announced that one of its most famous characters was coming out, folks on the internet went on a collective bender trying to figure out who it might be. After much sleuthing, DC confirmed the long-standing rumour that Alan Scott, a rebooted version of the original Green Lantern who lives on Earth 2, is gay. Hmmm . . . a guy who gets his power from jewellery and has a weakness against wood? I’m not seeing it.

DCCOMICS.COM/GREEN-LANTERN

FROM THE ARCHIVES

June 12,

1992 Twenty years ago, the ultraglam comedienne Sandra Bernhard graced the cover of Xtra, Metro Toronto finally granted spousal benefits to gay and lesbian partners, and an Oxford study found that HIV causes AIDS, marking a major step in the scientific community’s understanding of the disease.

BUZZ

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

JUST PLAIN

NUTS?

An intersex person in Tokyo made headlines recently when they offered to cook and serve their surgically removed male genitalia to anyone dumb enough to fork over $250 for it. Which got us thinking: what’s the nutritional value of a human testicle?

Shockingly, no one has ever tried to find out, so we did some digging.

Since pork is reportedly closest to human tissue in terms of physiology, we used that as a comparison. It’s a rough estimate, but if you’d like to correct us, please don’t.

Nutritional Facts Serving Size:

(1 human testicle = 20g, approx)

Amount Per Serving Calories Fat

27

0.6 g

Cholesterol 75 mg Carbohydrates 0.2 g Protein

5.2 g

SOURCE: THE JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN OIL CHEMISTS’ SOCIETY, 1965

WORDLE

TOP 5 Stories on xtra.ca in May

1

Police hunt former fab boy in connection with Montreal murder Xtra staff

2 3 4 5

Details emerge about Luka Magnotta Justin Ling

Source recounts dating murder suspect Luka Magnotta Justin Ling Religious groups blast GSAs at anti-bullying committee

More than words can say

Andrea Houston

A “wordle” is a visual representation of a block of text that displays words at a size in relation to the number of times that word appears within the text. This wordle is created from the final text of Bill 13, which became law after a vote at Queen’s Park on June 5. For more about the passage of the Accepting Schools Act and what led up to it, see our cover story on page 14.

The inevitable Rob Ford column Brad Fraser

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dispatches › issues › opinion

Upfront NEWS

SHOULD THE DAY COME CHURCH AND WELLESLEY DOES DISAPPEAR, IT WILL BE ONLY THE LATEST MOMENT IN THE HISTORY OF A TRANSIENT QUEER SEX THAT REFUSES TO BE FENCED IN. Steven Maynard › 19

PRIDE NEWS

ACT launches new PNP support group Justin Ling A NEW BREED OF COUNSELLING IS COMING TO Toronto. Called Spunk, the project’s doubleentendre title — “Resilience and Semen,” the website proclaims — is meant to shake up the twofront war against risky sex and drug addiction.

Spunk is spearheaded by a duo from the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT), half of whom is Adam Busch, coordinator of ACT’s gay youth and gay men’s harm-reduction program. The fledgling group is opening up a very gay conversation about bareback sex and drug use.

The six-week program for dudes who like dudes (gay, bi, queer or trans, HIV-positive or -negative) employs research conducted in 2009 by a coalition of AIDS and addiction centres. Spunk is their baby.

Spunk “plays with the idea of ambivalence,” Busch says.

Once a week for six weeks, the guys get together and take a scalpel to their drug use and sex lives.

From there, ACT hopes that — if they need it — they can make their own changes. It’s called motivational interviewing, a technique designed to speak directly to the issue without resorting to the “spiritual or quasi-religious” overtones of Alcoholics or Narcotics Anonymous, Busch says.

It’s about increasing people’s self-awareness.

Busch says that some of these guys opened up in a way they would never do otherwise — not even with their partners or dealers.

In the harm-reduction community, there’s very little that orients itself toward the gay community, never mind groups like AA and NA that require members to be completely clean. “For guys who haven’t hit rock bottom,” Busch says, “there really isn’t something for them to go to.”

Spunk runs in two sessions: one in the spring and one in the fall. The spring session is exclusively for men 30 and older, while the fall is for younger guys. Busch points out that the younger group tends to be less educated about HIV — a failure he chalks up to the school system — and tends to be less concerned, or “pre-contemplative,” about their drug use. Busch says the fall session will also provide for some “good oldfashioned gay mentoring.”

“The group’s intention wasn’t to be a miracle, necessarily,” he says. “We didn’t set out to get guys clean and sober and be forever abstinent.”

Busch’s bluntness is insightful. He admits there are attractive aspects to the party-and-play lifestyle. Being able to talk to the group at that level is important.

“When people are not allowed to talk about it and the supply is still there,” he says, “it’s dangerous.”

The first session garnered praise from the participants, some of whom made real changes in their lives because of it. “Everyone showed a shift in how they thought of their substance abuse,” Busch says. The unanimous consensus was that the non-judgmental space the group establishes is very effective.

Busch says the buzz in Toronto’s queer community and in harm-reduction circles is very positive, especially regarding the idea of a uniquely gay perspective. “The harm-reduction sector tends to be very heteronormative,” he says.

The group is opening up recruitment for its fall session, and Busch encourages any under-30 guys who are interested to apply.

For more information, contact Adam Busch at 416-340-8484 x235.

Proud participants George MacIntyre and Michelle DuBarry take part in the 2011 Pride flagraising at Toronto City Hall.

The 2012 flag-raising will be held June 25 at noon.

ANDREA HOUSTON

PRIDE NEWS

City will fund 2012 Pride Councillors vote to condemn term ‘Israeli apartheid’ Andrea Houston PRIDE TORONTO FUNDING IS SAFE FOR another year, but the city has now officially condemned the words “Israeli apartheid.”

Toronto city councillors voted on a two-part motion on June 7, a last-minute compromise put forward by Councillor James Pasternak, who remains determined to ban the phrase from all city-funded events. The first part of the motion, proscribing the phrase “Israeli apartheid,” passed by a vote of 26 to 7. The second part, which passed 33 to 0, saved Pride Toronto’s (PT) $123,807 cultural grant for 2012.

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) has applied to march in the parade and is listed on the PT website among 160 registered groups.

Justine Apple, executive director of Kulanu, a gay and lesbian Jewish group, says she is “ecstatic” about the ruling.

Meanwhile, QuAIA spokesperson Tony Souza says it’s “absurd” that the city has condemned a phrase that is internationally recognized as accurate criticism of the Israeli government. He says he welcomes a complaint.

“We are calling attention to the human rights of Palestinians,” he says. “Time and time again we have said the same thing. We are not breaking any laws.”

Martin Gladstone, who has been fighting QuAIA for three years and was sitting with Apple for the vote, says that from now on, QuAIA is under “a cloud of condemnation” with the city.

Pasternak says “the next battleground” will be the executive committee meeting on June

12, where the city’s anti-discrimination policy may face changes. “Will the executive tighten it up to make sure there’s clarity?” He says the motion, “the condemnation,” provides clarity to the executive committee.

Pasternak would not elaborate on how the anti-discrimination policy would be applied to other beneficiaries of city funds, such as the Toronto International Film Festival, which may screen a film about Palestine.

Councillors Kristyn Wong-Tam and Gord Perks asked June 7 why Pride was singled out among all the organizations receiving grants.

THE LGBT COMMUNITY IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT TO FEEL THEY ARE BEING SINGLED OUT. — Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam Wong-Tam said anyone opposed to particular phrasing should take their complaint through the proper legal channels, like the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

“You are asking this council to adjudicate on a matter council is not qualified to speak to,” she said.

Behind the scenes, lobbyists urged councillors to vote against QuAIA. Denise Alexander, the wife of Toronto Sun city hall columnist Sue-Ann Levy, distributed a DVD dubbed Why Is It Hate?

Xtra obtained a copy of the film, which included a Toronto Sun column written by its maker, Martin Gladstone, with large portions of the text underlined.

Last year, Xtra obtained a copy of a letter

by Levy that was sent to several leaders in the Jewish community encouraging them to “get the emails going” by lobbying Toronto city councillors to strip PT of funding, tagged with Levy’s official Toronto Sun signature.

The Sun punished Levy for her lobbying efforts by removing her from the Pride beat until after the council vote.

When contacted by Xtra June 6, Alexander confirmed that she distributed the DVD to councillors but refused to comment further, then hung up the phone. The 55-minute video, produced by “Queer Films Corporation,” attempts to define “Israeli apartheid” as hate speech.

In 2010, council passed a motion requiring that groups participating in any Toronto festival comply with the city’s anti-discrimination policy. Last year, city manager Joe Pennachetti released a report that stated QuAIA’s participation in the parade did not violate the city’s anti-discrimination policy.

Wong-Tam says that if any restrictions are to be put on PT, the same restrictions should extend to all festivals and beneficiaries of city funds.

“No other organization or cultural producer in the city is being asked to go through this extra layer of scrutiny. It is grossly unfair to Pride Toronto to put these obstacles and qualifiers in front of them. The LGBT community is absolutely right to feel they are being singled out.”

10

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

EDUCATION

Catholic doctrine bullies queer youth: expert Study on homophobia in Catholic schools wins Governor General’s Academic Medal Andrea Houston WHEN TONYA CALLAGHAN WAS A teacher at a Calgary Catholic school in 2004, a young gay student at her school killed himself. The tragedy changed the course of Callaghan’s life forever.

She quit her job, deciding, as a queer woman, she could no longer live in the closet. She went back to university determined to find out why Catholic schools are such “hotbeds of homophobia.”

“The reason is because of Catholic doctrine that directs all the policy,” she says. “[It] flies in the face of the laws of the land and Canadian equality rights.”

Callaghan’s PhD research at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, entitled “Holy Homophobia: Doctrinal Disciplining of Non-Heterosexuals in Canadian Catholic Schools,” caught the attention of the Canadian Association for the Study of Women and Education (CASWE), which honoured her with its doctoral award for outstanding dissertation. She presented her work at the group’s conference in Waterloo on May 30.

Callaghan’s work also earned her the Governor General’s Academic Gold Medal.

The five-year study compared Catholic education in Alberta and Ontario, looking specifically at the experience of students and teachers. Callaghan generated an enormous amount of data.

She says that in the national movement to eradicate faith-based homophobic bullying, Ontario is ground zero.

“My study finds students are leading this revolution,” she says. “That’s not to say the queer teachers aren’t trying . . . but teachers’ hands are tied. Many are being fired.”

Callaghan says she didn’t wait for her employer to fire her. After the suicide of the promising Grade 12 drama student, who suffered months of homophobic bullying, she resigned.

“He did seek guidance at school,” she says. “The counsellor gave him the Catholic party line: ‘It’s okay to be gay, just don’t act on it. And if you do act on it, you’re a sinner.’ This boy was being bullied. He asks for help and gets more bullying from the guidance counsellor.

That’s why the Pastoral Guidelines to Assist Students of Same-Sex Attraction are so dangerous. The bishops insist that the document be taught to everyone, especially guidance counsellors, and disseminated to students. They say ‘same-sex attraction’ because they want

it to sound like an illness, which is why you need ‘pastoral care.’” (The name of the document has since been changed to Pastoral Guidelines to Assist Students of Same-Sex Orientation.)

Based on the Catholic catechism, the Pastoral Guidelines are the primary counselling resource used by Catholic educators. The guidelines state that gay people are “intrinsically disordered” and “gravely depraved.” Callaghan says the doctrine is like bullying to queer youth.

Teaching at a Catholic school was difficult, she says. “I was out before, so it was a big deal for me to go back into the closet to take a teaching job. Minute by minute I experienced homophobia in that school, every single day. Slurs in the hallways. I was a young woman, so I constantly got asked, ‘Where’s your boyfriend?’ ‘Why aren’t you married?’

Constantly. It was a really hard experience to have to hide all the time.”

For most teachers, getting fired is not an option. Teaching jobs are scarce, so queer teachers keep their heads down, don’t talk about sexuality or gender and endure the homophobic jokes, she says.

“Teachers have a lot to lose if they try to take on the system.”

Callaghan’s research is a collection of firsthand accounts. There’s the story of a

Tonya Callaghan is an award-winning researcher whose study on homophobia in Catholic schools is about to be published. ANDREA HOUSTON

gay Toronto-area teacher who was fired in 1998 after the school hired a private investigator to spy on his backyard marriage ceremony. Another participant, a straight teacher in Calgary, was fired in 2004 after she defied her principal by creating a safe space at school for queer students to eat lunch without fear of being bullied.

Many student participants told Callaghan that when they disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity to guidance counsellors, they were outed to their parents, she says.

“Schools want the parent to know about [the student’s] sexuality, if they don’t already, because they want the parent to correct it. That’s what they are hoping for, that parents will send their child to reparative therapy.”

Many students Callaghan spoke with

were kicked out of their homes, often when school authorities outed them, she says.

Since it was revealed in 2011 that the Halton Catholic District School Board banned GSAs, and the board chair compared them to Nazi groups, Callaghan has been watching the fight in Ontario closely.

She applauds the provincial Liberals for writing a law in support of students.

“I’m really happy about Bill 13. It sets a great example for the rest of the country,” she says.

With the Accepting Schools Act in place, Callaghan says, legislators should now turn their attention to the content of GSAs, start questioning Catholic doctrine and have a public debate about whether it should be taught in publicly funded schools.

PRIDE NEWS

Opening July 2012

The season begins Andrea Houston

Corey Hart to headline Pride The 1980s pop star Corey Hart, known for his hit “Sunglasses at Night,” will make his first Canadian appearance in a decade at this year’s Toronto Pride festival.

Hart’s 1988 song “Truth Will Set You Free” was recently remixed and re-released as a “gay anthem.” Hart, who left the music industry in the ’90s to raise a family, says he wrote the song about a friend who was struggling with coming out.

Hart will perform Saturday, June 30 at 8:15pm at a free, open-air gig on the South Stage.

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Since so much violence directed at queer and trans people takes place after dark, a night march is planned for Monday, June 25.

Organized by the newly formed group Queers for Social Justice, the march will begin at Nathan Phillips Square at 8:30pm and follow an undisclosed route through the downtown.

Organizers are actively looking for marshals. A training session is planned for Wednesday, June 20, 5:30 to 7pm, at the 519 Church St Community Centre.

Pride kickoff party The Pride Toronto 2012 kickoff party and international grand marshal reception will take place Friday, June 22 from 6 to 10pm at the Courtyard Marriott hotel. The event is a chance to meet the volunteers and sponsors of this year’s festival.

Last year’s reception included buff male eye-candy (though, sadly, no sexy women), speeches from former mayor Barbara Hall and the Pride Toronto co-chairs, as well as a glow-in-thedark drag number by Sofonda Cox.

Dyke March/ Libido A circus-themed party is planned for Libido, a night of queer arts and sexy performances on Wednesday, June 27 that will raise funds for the Dyke March. Held at the Gladstone, the event will feature a chorus of 100 vagina puppets by queer artist Coral Short and the Hole-y Army project.

The colourful vaginal puppets will also be part of the Dyke March on Saturday, June 30.

Libido begins at 8pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door.

Advance tickets are available at Toronto Women’s Bookstore and online at libido-eorg.eventbrite.com.

For more information on Pride, visit xtra.ca.

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NATIONAL NEWS

Soldier invokes homo panic defence Friends object to murdered man’s portrayal as rapist Kaj Hasselriis A FORMER CANADIAN SOLDIER WHO killed a young aboriginal gay man in Brandon, Manitoba, has been sentenced to ďŹ ve years in prison for manslaughter.

But to many friends and family members of victim Duane Lacquette, it felt like Lacquette was put on trial and unfairly judged a rapist.

In court June 7, killer Jason Ouimet expressed remorse for choking the 21-year-old to death on the night of Jan 16, 2010, when the two were alone together following a party. “I didn’t mean for anyone to lose their life on that night,â€? Ouimet told a courtroom ďŹ lled with Lacquette’s friends and family members.

Jordan Lane Epp, a former boyfriend of Lacquette’s, doesn’t buy Ouimet’s apology. “You’re not sorry, don’t tell us you’re sorry,� Epp said in his victim impact statement, which was quoted along with Ouimet’s words in the Brandon Sun. “You’re just putting on a show because it’s your sentencing day.�

Crown prosecutor Jim Ross explained to the court that he struck a plea deal with Ouimet’s lawyers because Ouimet’s explanation of the killing was consistent with evidence in the case. “The Crown accepted a plea to

manslaughter based on provocation,�

Ross told the Brandon Sun. On the night of the killing, Ouimet met Lacquette in a Brandon bar. Eventually, they went to Lacquette’s house with three young women. Ouimet expressed an interest in one of the women but passed out. The three women left, and, when Ouimet came to, he claims that Lacquette was lying naked on top of him, trying to give him oral sex.

Enraged, the 5-foot-9, 200-pound boxing champ punched the 5-foot-7, 165-pound Lacquette in the neck and then put him in a UFC-style chokehold.

When Lacquette died from strangulation, Ouimet ed the scene and initially lied to police about his involvement. He was later charged with second-degree murder but avoided a trial earlier this spring by pleading guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

In his ruling, Justice John Menzies accepted the lawyers’ joint submission that Ouimet was being sexually assaulted by Lacquette and reacted in anger.

Alyssa Desrochers, who was a friend of Lacquette’s, doubts the killer’s claims. “I think Jason was down for [sex],� she speculates, “then when he wasn’t drunk anymore he killed Duane in the heat of the moment.�

Duane Lacquette (above) was killed in 2010 by Jason Ouimet, a 30-year-old now-released soldier who claims he went into a rage when Lacquette came on to him. The court bought it and gave Ouimet five years. FACEBOOK.COM

Ouimet’s sentence of ďŹ ve years is on the lower end of what perpetrators of manslaughter usually get. If he serves his jail time with good behaviour, he’ll likely be released into a halfway house after two and a half years.

Carlie Smart, a close friend of Lacquette’s, tells Xtra that she’s “very disappointed� with Ouimet’s sentence.

But she’s perhaps more disappointed that Lacquette was characterized in court as a rapist. “The victim [in this case] was switched around,� she says, “and the spotlight was put on Duane. His repu-

tation and status were very important to him, and I wonder what he would be thinking right now.�

Desrochers is also angry that Ouimet will probably serve only a few years in jail. “If Duane had been a white girl, Jason would be getting so much more thrown at him,� she suggests.

Stefon Irvine, a gay student at Brandon University who serves as the student union’s LGBT commissioner, agrees. “If you ipped the shoes and put this into a heterosexual context, it would have been handled [by police and courts] in a totally different way,â€? he says.

During the preliminary hearing, Ouimet’s lawyers tried to make a case that Lacquette had a history of picking up straight guys. Irvine feels that’s the equivalent of saying it’s okay to rape a woman because “she was asking for it.�

Smart, who knew Lacquette for two years before his death, doesn’t believe her friend sexually assaulted Ouimet. “I never saw Duane become violent or start a ďŹ ght with anyone,â€? she says.

Though Lacquette used to brag about picking up straight guys, Smart says, he wouldn’t have put himself in the position Ouimet claims he did.

Since the sentencing, Lacquette’s friends and family members have posted dozens of messages to his Facebook tribute page to express their support for Lacquette and denounce Ouimet’s ďŹ ve-year deal.

Desrochers, who worked with Lacquette at a hotel restaurant and often partied with him, remembers her friend as “always smiling and happy, always ready to go.�

Lacquette was out to everyone he met, including Ouimet. “He was very open about being gay,� Desrochers says. “To him it was never an issue.�

Lacquette’s ďŹ nal post on Facebook was “Just dance . . . it’ll be okay.â€?

Ouimet, until recently a gunner at Canadian Forces Base Shilo, was “released� from the Armed Forces on May 25 following a review, a spokesperson for the base told the Brandon Sun on June 7.

PRIDE NEWS

Andrea Houston FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THIS year’s Pride celebrations will include an entire stage devoted to trans and gender-variant performers and artists.

Those slated to perform at the Trans Space include Rae Spoon, Bach Social and Olive-or-Oliver.

Located next to the North Stage, across from the 519 Community Centre, the Trans Space will provide information, workshops and support to members of the trans community who are questioning or simply curious.

The safe and inclusive space will be open for the entire Pride weekend.

Trans artists will also be performing at many other Pride stages and events.

The Trans March takes place June 29, beginning with a rally at Norman Jewison Park at 6pm.

The march kicks off at 7:30pm and will head down Church St. A break-off march is already in the works. Last year a group of trans activists, angry that Pride organizers had routed the march down Church St instead of Yonge St, broke off from the main group to stage a separate protest down Yonge.

For more information, visit xtra.ca.

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

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NEWS

Bring your whole self to Pride Workshop aims to fight isolation Katie Toth

Notisha Massaquoi wants Pride to be more representative of Toronto’s diversity.

NOTISHA MASSAQUOI THINKS THAT many queer people, especially immigrants and people of colour, still don’t feel welcome at the Pride parade. She hopes a new workshop, Bringing Your Whole Self to Pride, will get people talking about those who feel isolated at Pride — and what they and their allies can do about it.

The Ontario Public Service Employees Union and the Rainbow Health Network will present Massaquoi’s talk, which will be followed by an open discussion. “[OPSEU] felt they had members that weren’t able to validate their whole selves, who had to make choices,” says Massaquoi, executive director of the Women’s Health in Women’s Hands community centre. “It’s either ‘I’m queer or I’m a person of colour.’ It’s either ‘I’m this or I’m that,’ like you can never be queer and all of yourself at the same time.”

Philip Shearer is the vice-chair of Rainbow Alliance, OPSEU’s queer group. “Even in the labour movement and in the Canadian LGBTQ community, there’s still a lot of people who have to hide to come to Pride,” he says.

Shearer, who works in children’s mental health, says there are a lot of people who are afraid to be out in his field.

“There’s lots of people . . . who just pass,” he says. Shearer also points to people of colour working in prisons and says people who crossdress at work are told they’re confusing their clientele.

When people do come to Pride, Shearer says, “they can be there but their family may not know, their co-

WHEN YOU LOOK AT PRIDE, YOU SEE ALL THESE WHITE PRETTY BOYS THAT DOMINATE THE SPACE. —Brian De Matos workers may not know . . . there’s still portions of themselves that they hide.”

Because the event may feature a lot of people who are already out, Shearer hopes to talk about how to make queer people who aren’t out feel safer. “It’s going to reinforce how to be allies,” he says.

Brian De Matos, who helped plan the event, is vice-chair of Toronto’s Rainbow Health Network. De Matos is also a member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. He says he felt excluded from Pride when QuAIA’s participation became the catalyst for the city to threaten the festival’s funding.

De Matos is sensitive to the lack of places to talk about issues facing trans

people and people of colour in Pride, as well as Pride’s “fatphobia.” He thinks a space to talk about his experiences will alleviate that.

“Whose Pride is it, anyway?” he says.

“When you look at Pride, you see all these white pretty boys that dominate the space.”

Massaquoi says people who feel isolated at Pride have to speak up and get involved. “You wish people with more power would do it for you, but it’s not always going to happen,” she says. “We have to actually push Pride and keep challenging them to use an anti-oppression lens when they’re distributing their resources.”

Massaquoi felt a sense of validation when Pride honoured Uganda’s Victor Mukasa in 2009. “It meant a lot for many of us,” she says, noting that she marched with the international queer activist. “For once I could actually see . . . some understanding of what those of us from Africa were experiencing.”

But Massaquoi still wants more from Toronto’s gay festival. “You don’t want to wait until you have one of those big moments,” she says.

the deets BRINGING YOUR WHOLE SELF TO PRIDE Thurs, June 28, 6:30pm 31 Wellesley St E The location is wheelchair accessible and ASL interpretation will be provided

FEDERAL POLITICS

NEWS

Government slashes funding for small publishers

Lin Jun’s family releases statement

A ‘devastating’ move for gay and lesbian authors Scott Dagostino THE HARPER GOVERNMENT HAS CUT federal funding to the Literary Press Group, a not-for-profit association of 47 Canadian book publishers.

By acting as both advocacy group and sales-and-marketing agent for such small independent publishers as Coach House Books and Insomniac Press, LPG has boosted the careers of many an up-and-coming queer author, including journalist Shawn Micallef, mystery writer Anthony Bidulka, playwright Thom Vernon and poet Marcus McCann.

At an awards dinner in New York on June 4, Toronto writer Farzana Doctor was presented with a Lambda Literary Award in lesbian fiction for her second novel, Six Metres of Pavement.

“LPG was the distributor for my first book’s publisher, Inanna,” Doctor says, “one of those tiny feminist presses that will publish work the larger houses won’t. They work hard with few resources and staff. My sense is that they very much rely on LPG to get their books into stores across the country.

This will create hardship for small publishers and the authors they publish.”

LPG executive director Jack Illing-

worth calls the move “devastating for gay and lesbian authors.

“This is going to make it harder to get those books into the hands of readers,” he says, noting that a first novel from a queer Canadian author is rarely the top sales priority for Amazon or Indigo.

“You can see really clearly that there’s an indifference to small-press publishing in the Conservative government,” McCann says. “Basically, they want us all to be reading Maclean’s and John Grisham. LPG is a way to level the playing field just a tiny bit for smaller presses. And if you don’t level the playing field a little for smaller guys, then work by, for and from alternative and minority voices doesn’t get made, produced or sold. That’s bad news for the gay reading public. It puts at risk sexually explicit work, work that challenges gender and political work.”

In 2011, LPG received approximately $250,000 through the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Canada Book Fund and had applied again last October.

Illingworth says the timing of the funding cuts, two months after the start of the fiscal year on April 1, is the biggest problem. Had they been told of the cuts earlier in the year, he says, LPG could have worked out a contingency plan.

Xtra staff

Literary Press Group distributed Farzana Doctor’s first book.

“Our chief concern is the fall season,” Illingworth says. He is marshalling marketing efforts to get books in shops before the holiday season, even as the entire sales force has learned they’ll be laid off at the end of August, and LPG’s administrative staff of eight will be cut down to two by November.

While this move from the Harper government is similar to the 2010 funding caps in the Canada Periodical Fund, which led to a culling of small magazines, Illingworth doesn’t see a particularly anti-arts agenda at work.

“I can speculate, but I really have no clue,” he says. “It’s weird and stupid

public policy.”

Representatives from the Canada Book Fund did not respond to Xtra’s requests for a statement by press time.

The ripple effects are already being felt, book industry magazine Quill & Quire reports, as Insomniac Press publisher Mike O’Connor has announced the pruning of their spring 2013 list from 10 or 12 new titles to about four.

Illingworth says he’s “cautiously optimistic,” noting that some of their members, like Coach House, will come out of this okay, but overall, “running a sales agency requires scale. Government funding allowed us to do that.”

THE FAMILY OF THE CHINESE STUdent who was murdered in Montreal in May has called his death and dismemberment a “devastating attack.”

The family released a statement June 11 through Concordia University, where Jun Lin was a student.

Lin first visited Canada in 2010 before moving to Montreal in July 2011.

Parts of Lin’s body were mailed to the Conservative and Liberal party offices in Ottawa and to two schools in Vancouver.

Luka Magnotta, 29, is accused of murdering Lin. Magnotta was arrested in Berlin on June 5 and is awaiting extradition to Canada.

According to media reports, none of Lin’s friends know how he met Magnotta. Friends and co-workers describe Lin as gentle and upbeat.

They say he was looking for love.

He landed a part-time job as a convenience store cashier in PointeSt-Charles and enrolled in French classes and a computer science program at Concordia University, specializing in gaming.

For more on this story, visit xtra.ca.

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

13

FEDERAL POLITICS

Members of the Rainbow Refugee Action Network march in the Vancouver Pride parade.

SAME-SEX LEGAL ISSUES JANICE P. WARREN BARRISTER & SOLICITOR

Playing with refugees’ lives Queer claimants could be sent home without comprehensive assessments Justin Ling “SHE COULDN’T GO BACK,” SAYS Sharalyn Jordan, her voice softening as she begins the story.

Marta was born in Mexico. When she was 16, she came out as a lesbian. Not long after, in 2008, a gang attacked her because of her sexuality and her mixedrace heritage. She was beaten. Her hands were smashed. She was burned.

The gang threatened her life, so Marta went to the police. The police, it seems, had connections to the gang. They told her she would have to begin paying for protection if she wanted to stay alive.

Marta and her girlfriend fled, but the threats dogged them from town to town. There was another close call. She finally bought a one-way plane ticket to Vancouver and didn’t look back.

When Marta’s application for refugee status was denied, she was terrified about returning to what could be her death. She appealed the ruling, arguing that her life would be in danger if she returned. It was approved, and Marta has been in Canada since.

Success stories like Marta’s may soon be a thing of the past.

Jordan and other activists are increasingly worried about the impending passage of Bill C-31, or what the federal Conservatives call the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act. The act is an omnibus bill that will bring into effect a buffet of immigration and refugee reforms the Harper Conservatives have been trying to get through Parliament for years — most recently as C-11.

And now, as it works its way through committee under a majority government, it seems destined for royal assent.

Jordan, along with her counterpart Chris Morrissey in the Rainbow Refugee Action Network, went to Parliament Hill recently to testify before the standing committee on citizenship and

immigration on the effect C-31 could have on queer refugees trying to stay in Canada.

The Conservatives say they want to tackle Canada’s refugee backlog by cutting down on fraudulent claims.

Jordan says the backlog began several years ago when the Conservatives halted appointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB).

She is worried the changes will make the already tight application deadlines even shorter. To gain residence, refugees-to-be must furnish the IRB with evidence that they are facing persecution in their home countries. But with uncooperative foreign bureaucracies and the time-consuming task of translating documents, it’s already “a push” to get the applications done in time, Jordan says.

Many activists say the government’s inconspicuous-sounding rules regarding “designated foreign nationals” spell out real trouble. According to the bill, the minister may deem any “group” of people who made their way into Canada in an “irregular” fashion a national security threat, a human smuggling operation, or both.

“We don’t have any further indication of how it will be applied,” says Colleen French, communications coordinator for the Canadian Council for Refugees.

Any designated foreign nationals will be automatically detained and their cases will be reviewed within 14 days.

While Citizenship and Immigration Canada won’t comment on what number constitutes a group or what method of transportation is irregular, a spokesperson says the clause would be used only if people arrive “in such numbers that identity and admissibility investigations could not be carried out in a timely manner.” In other words, the clause is meant to be used in cases of human smuggling.

Jordan has dealt with situations where the smuggled person is unquestionably the victim, in cases of abduction and kidnapping. The new rules mean such people would be locked up.

Jordan points to another part of the bill that concerns her. The government is looking to axe what amounts to double-dipping in the application process. Currently, if refugee status is rejected, people can apply to stay on humanitarian and compassionate grounds if they will face “undue hardship” in their home countries. Any designated foreign national will have to wait a year to make that claim if refugee status is denied. In the meantime, he or she will be deported. This amounts to hacking away the “safety net,” Jordan says.

This bill also establishes a second set of rules for any refugee claimant coming from a “safe” country — or, in Citizen and Immigration’s lingo, a “designated country of origin,” or DCO. Virtually any country that qualifies as democratic and has rule of law falls within this category.

If these changes had been in place just a few years ago, Marta’s case might not have ended so happily.

Under the new bill, Marta’s claim would be seen as false, Jordan says.

She was coming from a “safe” country — Mexico — and she had a hard time proving the claims she was making, perhaps because the supposed “rule of law” was the reason she was being persecuted. Marta, under the proposed bill, may well have been deported.

Jordan notes with a hint of sadness that this bill “is being forced through,” and there’s little left to be done to stop it. There appear to be no more amendments in the works, and the Conservatives have shot down every change the opposition has proposed. Assuming it does pass, Jordan says, she is going to have “a good scream and shout,” then get back to work.

416-323-7767 jwarren@tcn.net Immigration: Same-Sex Sponsorship Applications from Canada & Overseas U.S. Work Permits

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

Mission accomplished COVER STORY

In the fight for GSAs, Ontario youth demanded that their voices be heard.

By Andrea Houston

They said it wasn’t possible.

When the issue of gay-straight alliances first made headlines in early 2011, many Ontarians struggled to believe that Catholic schools would prohibit students from supporting one another.

Yet even once it became clear that was exactly what was happening, politicians distanced themselves from the issue, and even some gay advocates resisted what they saw as a political hot potato. But the students kept fighting.

More than a year later, with Bill 13 — the Accepting Schools Act — firmly in place, the students can finally claim victory.

Taechun Menns and Leanne Iskander were part of a group at Mississauga’s St Joseph Catholic Secondary School that was the first to go public in March 2011 with a demand for a GSA. Menns says that at the time he could never have imagined their activism would eventually lead to a government law mandating GSAs.

GSA Timeline The URLs link to accompanying articles on xtra.ca and are case-sensitive.

“I really feel like we’ve made changes, like we changed the government,” he says. “I feel so proud when I think about how much work everyone has put into this, and we have actually done something.”

The story that began in January 2011, when Xtra first revealed that publicly funded Catholic schools in Ontario were blocking students from forming GSAs, seemed to culminate in the recent passage of Bill 13 after more than a year of activism on the part of students and supporters.

After Iskander’s group came forward, Catholic students throughout Ontario began demanding GSAs. Administrators repeatedly overruled them, and many students were forced to create ambiguous names for their groups or meet secretly.

While Ontario’s fight over GSAs unfolded, the wider issue of bullying exploded across North America, dominating front pages in Canada

2010

2011

October

January

The Halton Catholic District School Board elects a gay trustee, Paul Marai.

An Xtra report reveals the Halton Catholic board’s ban on GSAs. When asked about the ban, board chair Alice Anne LeMay compares GSAs to Nazi groups and the story goes viral. bit.ly/MC1drb

— especially after gay Ottawa student Jamie Hubley committed suicide in October. Hubley had been trying to start a rainbow alliance at his school.

After months of often vicious debate at Queen’s Park, on June 5 the Liberals’ Bill 13, which was supported by (and incorporated amendments from) the NDP, passed third reading by a vote of 65 to 36. “Being part of the group that has been fighting for this has really changed all of our lives,” says Christopher Mckerracher, another St Joseph’s student.

While he did not plan to spend his Grade 11 year fighting for rights, Mckerracher says, he did what he felt was right. “I saw this fight as a requirement, something I had to do, not something I wanted to do.”

In June 2011, school administrators banned the St Joe’s students from putting up rainbow posters and three months later threatened

them with disciplinary action when they tried to start a support group. The students also endured religious bullying from their peers.

“These trustees and Catholic bishops have no idea what it’s like to be a high school student, especially a queer high school student,” Mckerracher says. “We just want a safe group that we can hang out in and talk about our problems.”

After the June 5 vote, many Progressive Conservative MPPs expressed pride that their entire caucus had voted unanimously against the anti-bullying legislation.

PC Leader Tim Hudak refused to answer questions about the bill, instead repeatedly changing the subject to the economy. Hudak called Bill 13 “a distraction” created by Premier Dalton McGuinty to avoid talking about job losses in the province. He said the PCs were interested only in supporting their own legislation, Bill 14 — a bill that did not include any

February The next day, Perez Hilton links to Xtra’s story. The story receives the highest number of page views ever on xtra.ca. bit.ly/KZ2BoV

Students, teachers, queer activists and allies start a petition, and Queer Ontario and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association begin to actively advocate for GSA students. bit.ly/KLRjF3

Xtra makes public a copy of the Pastoral Guidelines, previously available only to Catholic trustees and educators.

The document notes the Catholic Church’s stand on homosexuality, which labels gay

people “intrinsically disordered” and “gravely depraved.”

The Halton Catholic board approves By Your SIDE (safety, inclusivity, diversity, equity) groups to act as nonspecific equity clubs. GSAs remain banned.

On Twitter, Liberal MPP Glen Murray tells Xtra to “find a case.” Human rights challenges are successful when a “real person” is connected to the issue.

The hunt is on to find a student being blocked from forming a GSA.

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

15

N MAXWELL LANDER

provisions to support queer youth.

“You’re asking me about which names principals should be giving clubs in schools?” he said dismissively. “What’s the big issue in the province? Our economy is heading backwards.

Our province is bankrupt. You folks are asking me questions about names?”

Hudak refused to say how he plans to explain to his constituents, especially moderate PC voters, why he voted against legislation to protect youth.

Education Minister Laurel Broten says the PCs missed an opportunity to stand up against bullying, prove they support youth and help create safe, accepting schools.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says she is looking forward to the legislation’s implementation phase, which “might be challenging.” She says it’s important that the government keep the focus on young people and that protecting

at-risk youth is not “a distraction.”

Horwath says Catholic school boards must abide by the law by offering supports, such as GSAs. “I’m confident all school boards are going to follow the letter of the law,” she says. “That is what I expect of them and that’s what I expect will happen.”

Meanwhile, the official statement from Catholic trustees says they have “no intention at this time” of pursuing any legal challenges against Bill 13.

But behind the scenes, Catholic trustees and bishops are holding emergency meetings to draft a strategy. Xtra has obtained memos that signal that administrators on Catholic school boards are already preparing ways to get around the legislation.

One memo, from a June 4 teleconference between the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board (DPCDSB) and the Ontario

Catholic School Trustees’ Association board, states that Catholic schools will make GSAs a “subset” of other groups and all group discussion must be “in keeping with Catholic teaching.”

The trustees say that they plan to continue to adhere to the “Respecting Difference” guidelines, which state that the Pastoral Guidelines to Assist Students of Same-Sex Orientation will be used to guide group discussions. The Pastoral Guidelines, based on the Catholic catechism, explain that gay people are “intrinsically disordered” and “gravely depraved.”

The memo notes, “The Respecting Difference Resource created for Catholic schools provides guidelines for ensuring that student-led groups to combat bullying reflect Catholic values and adhere to Ministry guidelines. I would point

I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE’VE MADE CHANGES, LIKE WE CHANGED THE GOVERNMENT. —Taechun Menns From left: St Joseph’s students Meagan Smith, Christopher Mckerracher, Leanne Iskander, Taechun Menns, with Bowser.

continued on next page ›

March 16

March 26

April 3

April

June 5

June 7

July 2

A group at St Joseph Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, led by a 16-year-old student named Leanne Iskander, begins asking for a GSA. bit.ly/MyhvNL

Iskander is denied a GSA. Pamphlets from Courage International, an organization that claims to “cure gays,” are distributed to students. bit.ly/MnuncP

St Joe’s students report religious bullying from fellow students. bit.ly/MnuB3I

Catholic trustees relent and promise to allow “anti-bullying groups” in Ontario, but still no GSAs. Iskander insists that students be allowed to name their groups. bit.ly/LuEICZ

Iskander is named honoured dyke and youth grand marshal at Toronto Pride. She wins an Inspire Award for her activism. bit.ly/LNuA72

Rainbows are banned at St Joe’s. The students get around the ban by baking rainbows into cupcakes for their antihomophobia day. bit.ly/KZ4RMZ

Iskander founds the group Catholic Students for GSAs. The coalition marches in the Pride parade. bit.ly/NsQNeK

MPP Glen Murray promises Xtra that “LGBT support groups” will be allowed in Catholic schools come September. bit.ly/LNuMDg

16

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

Clockwise from top left: Halton Catholic District School Board trustee Paul Marai; the March 24, 2011, cover of Xtra; Catholic students take part in 2011 Toronto Pride; Megan Baranowski, Taechun Menns and Leanne Iskander at a Queer Ontario education forum; Iskander receives the 2011 Inspire Youth Award; Halton school board chair Alice Anne LeMay.

GSA Victory › continued from previous page out that a group of students in a GSA may be a subset of a larger group such as a ‘Respecting Difference’ or ‘Open Arms’ group. As there are various names currently being used in Catholic schools, the deliberation will occur at the local level.”

Mckerracher, whose school is part of the DPCDSB, vows to be the first to speak up and take his school board to court if his principal makes the GSA a subset of another group.

“That’s just a new way to silence youth. To have the audacity to try and deny us a group when we have the government’s backing is ridiculous.”

Ontario GSA Coalition lawyer Doug Elliott says that if Catholic boards “driven by the position of the Vatican” think they have found a loophole in the legislation to continue denying GSAs, they will find themselves defending that position in court.

“If the schools try to play games with kids, like they did with Leanne, the law is clear. We won’t put up with any of that crap come September,” he says. “If you’re not complying with the law, then we’re going to take you to court.

It’s that simple.”

The plan by Catholic trustees to find a way around the legislation was echoed by Fred Collie, the bishop of the Thunder Bay Diocese.

As reported by the Kenora Daily Miner, Collie pledged that there will be a “Catholic component” to clubs. Schools will continue to teach that homosexuality is wrong and gay people are “sinful” and “immoral,” he said.

“We’re going to say the Catholic Church is not going to endorse or support homosexual lifestyles because we don’t see it as a proper lifestyle or a morally good lifestyle for people,” Collie continued.

Noa Mendelsohn Aviv, a lawyer and the director of the equality program at the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, says Bill 13 guarantees students the right to feel safe and accepted at school. If the religious message from Catholic educators is making students feel unsafe, shameful or humiliated, the doctrine itself could be challenged in court, she says.

“When doctrine or policy is being used in a discriminatory fashion, including creating a poisoned environment for vulnerable young people, then yes, I think that would be challengeable,” she says.

Mendelsohn Aviv notes that McGuinty made it clear when he said that the provincial government — not the Catholic Church — is in charge of running Ontario schools.

After the vote on Bill 13, Broten declared that “the debate is over” on whether students can name their clubs “gay-straight alliance.” She promised to “monitor schools closely” during implementation.

“I have been very clear. All schools, whether Catholic or public, will be supportive places for all students,” Broten said.

Once students form GSAs in Catholic schools in September, Mendelsohn Aviv says, lawyers will be watching closely. “There is reason to be extremely vigilant about how they are being controlled and how much they are able to exercise their basic rights, like freedom of association. I don’t think Bill 13 resolved all that.”

Cardinal Thomas Collins, the archbishop of Toronto and president of the Assembly of Catholic Bishops of Ontario, which writes Catholic curriculum, has also publicly opposed

2011 (CONTINUED) September

Sept 1

Sept 1

Oct 1

Oct 4

Rick Mercer blasts Catholic schools for banning GSAs. Activists hold a rally to demand that the Ontario government take action on the Catholic school boards’ GSA ban. bit.ly/LDBgbu

The Toronto Catholic District School Board votes to put denominational rights ahead of human rights for all board decisions, including granting students supportive clubs. bit.ly/Myi366

Iskander’s principal threatens her with disciplinary action. Her second request for a GSA is denied. bit.ly/LUPX6G

Elle Malon, a student in the Halton Catholic board is denied a GSA and describes her Catholic school as deeply homophobic. bit.ly/KvXUNn

Father Michael Goetz Catholic Secondary School student Anna Tran creates a petition and gathers 130 signatures from students who want a GSA.

At St Francis Xavier Catholic Secondary School in Mississauga, Oliver Mathias gives up his fight for a GSA after his board refuses his request a second time.

Oct 20

November

Ottawa student Jamie Hubley kills himself, the latest in a string of queer youth suicides.

The issue of bullying dominates the news. bit.ly/LUUK8g

The Liberals’ Accepting Schools Act (Bill 13) is tabled at Queen’s Park, followed the next day by the Progressive Conservatives’ Bill 14, a competing anti-bullying bill. bit.ly/KLWrsE

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

17

What’s next?

With Catholic leaders threatening to defy Bill 13, more Ontarians are now advocating for a single school system

Clockwise from top: Liberal MPP Glen Murray joins students at a Queen’s Park rally in support of GSAs; Education Minister Laurel Broten; Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke marches with Rick Mercer and other PFLAG volunteers in the 2011 Toronto Pride parade.

Bill 13 and recently held a news conference to say that GSAs go against Catholic teaching.

Elliott says Collins “overplayed his hand” when he came out against GSAs. “He tried to play the victim. He tried to give people the idea that he really cared about the kids. Public opinion turned against him very quickly and very hard. I don’t just mean non-Catholic. Moderate Catholics were horrified by his position.”

For the students, the victory is clear. Bill 13 means students like Menns can start clubs in September without the fear that bishops like Collins will step in and decide otherwise.

As a result of the fight, Menns is more

confident about speaking in public and standing up for what he believes in. “Before I would just leave things alone, pretend like it wasn’t there. Now I feel like I have a voice,” he says.

He recalls marching in the 2011 Toronto Pride parade with Catholic Students for GSAs, alongside the largest-ever youth contingent in the history of the festival.

Menns especially remembers the exhilaration in being part of something big. “We talk so much about the negative side, like the GSA ban, but Pride was the best. It was so great to see that so many people had our backs: people our age who are standing up and having a voice.”

I HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR. ALL SCHOOLS, WHETHER CATHOLIC OR PUBLIC, WILL BE SUPPORTIVE PLACES FOR ALL STUDENTS. —Education Minister Laurel Broten

on the web Check out xtra.ca for our documentary on the Ontario kids fighting for GSAs ›bit.ly/KQGaCL

While politicians may not yet be prepared to debate the continued public funding of Catholic schools, other Ontarians are already talking about the possibility of moving to a single secular school system.

“The debate has started,” says Ontario GSA Coalition lawyer Doug Elliott.

A recent Forum Research poll found that the number of Ontarians who want to scrap $7 billion in taxpayer support for separate schools is growing and now outnumbers those who favour it. It found that 48 percent of Ontario residents are against taxpayer support of Catholic schools, while 43 percent thought public funding should continue.

Eight percent were unsure.

Kevin Smith, spokesperson for the Canadian Secular Alliance, a member of the Ontario GSA Coalition, says it’s no longer acceptable to Ontarians that Catholic schools openly discriminate and bully queer youth by teaching that they’re “disordered.”

“People are tired of hearing about this discrimination,” he says. “Public sentiment in favour of defunding Catholic schools is spiralling higher.”

Michael Payton, national director of the Centre for Inquiry, a Canadian secularist and science education group, says many people are still under the mistaken impression that Catholic ratepayers exclusively fund Catholic schools.

School funding is determined on a per-student basis, which means all taxpayers fund both systems, regardless of their views on Catholicism, Payton says. “The only solution is for Ontario to halt funding for Catholic education and merge the school boards into one public system that is equal and accessible to everyone.”

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner says his party is alone in taking a public position advocating for one school system. “The public wants to have a conversation about whether it’s appropriate that we fund one religious school to the exclusion of all others.

That’s an equity issue. It’s a fairness issue. It’s a fiscal responsibility issue.

And, at the end of the day, it’s a qualityof-education issue.”

Separate school boards were protected at Confederation when it made sense to safeguard the Catholic minority, he says, noting that Ontario has changed a great deal in the past 145 years.

The One School System Network says that moving to a single school system could save Ontario more than $500 million each year. — Andrea Houston

2012 Dec 14

Jan 17

Jan 26

February

March 30

May 8

May 25

May 29

Xtra salutes the GSA students by naming them our newsmakers of the year.

Mitch Burke, a Hamilton Catholic student, is denied a GSA. bit.ly/KLWDrX

The Ontario bishops release the longawaited “Respecting Difference” guidelines, which represent a blueprint for any “anti-bullying” groups established in Catholic schools. Still no GSAs. bit.ly/LM94Sg

A group at an all-girls’ Catholic school in Brampton fights for a GSA. bit.ly/KZahYn

Anti-gay religious groups protest Bill 13 at Queen’s Park. bit.ly/NsSjxz

The Accepting Schools Act passes second reading and heads to committee. Public deputations range from religious leaders expressing anti-gay vitriol to students pleading for support. bit.ly/LDCXWi

A last-minute push by activists leads to a new clause in Bill 13 that would mandate GSAs. The law changes to give students the power to name their support groups. bit.ly/LuIpIO

Premier Dalton McGuinty tells Catholic Church leaders he’s in charge of schools.

bit.ly/KZ9zKz

June 5 Bill 13 passes at Queen’s Park. bit.ly/Mykd5K

18

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

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Public Sins / Private Desires: Tracing Lesbian Lives in the Archives, 1950 – 1980 The exhibition celebrates the 20th anniversary of Lynne Fernie and Aerlyn Weissman’s 1992 documentary, Forbidden Love: Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives. Curated by Karen Stanworth, Public Sins/Private Desires examines the contradictions, tensions and victories in the daily lives of lesbians during the period from 1950 to 1980.

The exhibition is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through Toronto Arts Council, and the support of York University Special Collections.

D U R AT I O N

June 22 – August 6, 2012

Sikh Knowledge pushes boundaries in hip hop and reggae as an open and proud gay man.

OPENING RECEPTION

June 22, 7:00 pm

www.clga.ca

With four main stages at this year’s Pride festivities, it may be hard to choose what to see. Montreal’s out-and-proud Sikh Knowledge (pictured) is performing at Toronto Pride for the first time this year. He’ll spin at DJ Central at 2:30pm on Saturday, June 30, then later that day at BrOWN//out, at 7:15pm on the Community Cabaret stage.

For full Pride details, check out our Ultimate Pride Guide, included with this issue, or visit xtra.ca.

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more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

19

Cruising Toronto’s past HISTORY

Park sex in the early 20th-century

by Steven Maynard

A

s Pride approaches and we gear up for the parades, the parties and the protests, we shouldn’t forget about the past. Linking queer politics with the queer past has always been key to our movements. Over the years, Xtra has devoted significant space to queer history. As a historian, I’ve been fortunate to share in that space. Back in 1996, I contributed a three-part series on the history of men who had sex with men in early 20th-century Toronto. I’m very pleased Xtra is reaching into its archives to revisit the series so it can be shared with a new audience.

The series looks at how and why men searched for sex in the city’s public places, as well as at men’s inevitable clashes with the police. Each installment explores a different urban space: parks, lavatories and laneways. The historical experiences of the men I wrote about in 1996 remain the same, of course. What has changed is the context in which we read those stories.

Back in 1996, my focus on public sex and the police emerged from what I discovered in the historical sources, but also out of my own political interests and involvement. In the early- to mid-1990s, policing was very much on our minds, be it in debates over the wisdom of police-community liaison committees or the actual policing of sex. In 1992, for instance, I remember the raucous, late-night protest against the Toronto police seizure from Glad Day Bookshop of the lesbian porn mag Bad Attitude. Carrying signs that read “Censorship sucks” and “Cops have Bad Attitude,” our no-police-permit march was led by the fiery Sue Golding, who rallied us with her cry: “Tonight, the streets belong to us!” And in the same year my Xtra series appeared, the police raided Sperm Attack Mondays, the short-lived jack-off contest I attended at Remington’s strip club.

As we know, the policing of public sex hasn’t disappeared. So how, then, has the context changed? Re-reading these tales from the sexual underground, they still scream police, but I’m struck by how they also speak to new issues.

Take, for example, the much-discussed fear over the demise of the ChurchWellesley Village. Researching Toronto’s queer past has shown me that efforts to mark out and maintain spatial borders around urban queer life are not only arbitrary and often exclusionary, they also rub up against the reality that, historically, men (along with many others) have not restricted themselves to any single area in the city. As we’ll see, men’s appropriation of back alleys and bushes in every corner of early 20thcentury Toronto testifies to a refusal to be cornered. Should the day come Church and Wellesley does disappear, it will be only the latest moment in the history of a transient queer sex that refuses to be fenced in.

Another thing that sticks out rereading these stories years later is all the sex. It’s a stark contrast to much queer culture these days, in which fetish fairs become family fun days — goodbye dungeons, hello bouncy castles — and we now do the dirty work for the police.

Just a few months ago, Winnipeg ’s queer magazine, OutWords, stopped running sexually explicit ads to avoid offending consumers in upscale markets. But the queer past will not be so easily cleaned up. In the stories that follow, the “slimy penises,” all the pesky “erections,” stand as a historical challenge to the forces currently trying to contain the irrepressible erotic energy of queer culture.

The repeated references to “his privates” and “his person” also remind us that these are historical stories about men. They are a relatively diverse group — middle-class and workingclass, anglo and immigrant — but men nonetheless. And yet, as Bad Attitude and the Pussy Palace remind us, public sex has never been the sole preserve of men, and I hope these forays into queer men’s pasts encourage others to further excavate the histories of lesbians, trans people and other sexual dissidents.

For if there’s one thing I’ve learned doing historical research, it’s about the queer past’s capacity for reinvention, its power to intervene in the queer-andnow in new and novel ways.

L

ong before bathhouses and sex clubs, men cruised Toronto’s parks in search of sex with other men. And long before the 1981 bathhouse raids, the Toronto police patrolled the city’s sexual spaces, arresting men.

In researching my book on men who had sex with other men in the early 20th century, many questions intrigued me.

Where did men meet? How did they hook up and what kind of sex did they have? Were they able to circumvent the policing of sex? To find some answers, I turned to criminal court records for the years 1890 to 1940. In the early part of the 20th century, all sexual relations between men were illegal, whether they were in public or private, no matter what the ages of the parties involved.

As a result, many men were arrested, charged with offences such as “buggery” and “gross indecency,” and prosecuted. The transcripts of their trials — the testimony of both the men who had sex with other men and those who policed such activity — provide much detail on homosexual activity.

The legal records revealed a host of different urban spaces where men met for sex. Of course, public spaces were not the only places men found each other. It depended on the individual man and his circumstances. A middleclass man of means, for example, might have the luxury of privacy and be able to entertain other men in his own apartment. But for most in early

A At top, men in Queen’s Park, 1912. Above, entering Allan Gardens, 1912.

CITY OF TORONTO ARCHIVES

20th-century Toronto, privacy was in short supply. Many were married with families and so might be unable to invite men back to their homes. And while some working-class and immigrant men found each other in the boarding houses where they roomed, it was often too risky while under the watchful eye of the house’s keeper for one man to bring another back to his room.

So, for many, it was necessary to leave home and venture out into the city’s sexual underworld in search of other men. Undoubtedly, others pursued sex in public places not so much out of necessity, but because it suited their erotic interests.

Sex in Toronto’s parks occurred most often late at night, under the cover of darkness. On the evening of May 23, 1913, George C and George J were out walking after midnight in Memorial Square Park, at the corner of Portland and Wellington streets. As a police constable testified before the Toronto Police Court, “I saw George C laying on his right side with George’s face in his crotch. I watched there awhile. George J ordered George C to keep his leg higher up. When within 20 feet, George J got up. George C was laying on the ground with his pants open, his shirt up, his penis was slimy and had an erection.”

The constable arrested the two Georges, escorted them to the patrol wagon and

took them to the station.

In addition to Memorial Square, two of Toronto’s central parks — Allan Gardens and Queen’s Park — were popular sites for sexual encounters. Both parks were heavily treed, providing a convenient cover for cruising. Parks associated with amusement areas, such as Sunnyside Beach and the Exhibition grounds, were also frequented by men looking for sexual space. During the 1913 Canadian National Exhibition, two young labourers, aged 18 and 19, were caught having sex. As the man who stumbled upon them explained, “I was at the Exhibition on Sept 3 [when] at the rear of the fire hall I saw James C having Charles W’s person in his mouth.”

THE SEXUAL UNDERGROUND COULD BE A PLACE OF FAMILIAR RATHER THAN ANONYMOUS ENCOUNTERS.

t times, the parks became rather busy sites of homosexual activity. As one constable testified in court, while patrolling Queen’s Park “about 11:10pm one Saturday [I] heard a sound like sucking.” He explained that not only did he observe a man “lying on his back and another man . . . kneeling with his mouth towards [his] privates,” but beyond these men, behind a tree, there was “another couple who were there.”

Many encounters were anonymous, one-time affairs. As Henry B told the court about his sexual partner, “I have never seen this man before.” For others, public sex was a more frequent feature of their sexual lives. For them, the sexual underground could be a place of familiar rather than anonymous encounters. In 1908, Alfred J got caught with his pants down in Queen’s Park. Of the person he had sex with, Alfred told the police that “he had met this man on a previous occasion.”

Whether it was a one-time foray or a recurrent element in their sexual lives, men having sex in the parks had to be very careful. Police regularly patrolled these areas. And yet, while the police caught many men, not all were successfully apprehended. Some managed to get away. Explaining to the court why only one of two men he found having sex in the park appeared for trial, one police constable said, “The other man got up and ran away.” Another case file noted simply that the “co-offender escaped.”

In the decades before gay bars and baths, men claimed the city’s public parks for their own sexual purposes.

They did so at great risk and always in contestation with the forces of sexual policing. In my next article, we’ll take a tour through another layer of the sexual underground: Toronto’s early 20th-century tearooms.

Steven Maynard lives in Toronto and teaches the history of sexuality at Queen’s University in Kingston. He’s completing a book entitled Infamous Men. This is the first in a three-part series on Toronto’s gay history.

20

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

TAKING AFFRONT

What to do if you’re offended Fraser’s Edge Brad Fraser

I

NOW CASTING SEASON 3!

APPLY NOW! DOWNLOAD THE APPLICATION AT

TOPCHEFCANADA.CA

HAVE A POPULAR FEATURE ON MY Facebook page called “Dood of the Day,” which is exactly what it sounds like: a photo of a hot guy in very little clothing. Generally speaking they’re nothing more daring than what you’d find in public advertising anywhere — although I do take pains to ensure the men are of differing body types and ethnicities.

About once a month someone will complain that the Dood of the Day photo is offensive and use one of two arguments to justify the complaint.

The first argument is something about how people should not be sexually objectified and that my posting of buff guys is somehow damaging to the self-esteem of less genetically gifted men.

The second argument suggests that certain people, while not offended themselves, must think of their children, spouses or co-workers who might accidentally see their news feeds and be fatally offended by the image of an attractive man.

But it’s not enough for these people to complain because I have offended them. They also want me to stop posting the Dood of the Day, despite the many positive and humorous comments and

viewings the feature receives.

Yes. We now live in a world in which some people believe that everyone else’s enjoyment should be sacrificed at the altar of the offended few.

It often works, particularly with the religious folks. Draw a picture of Allah, write a play that suggests Jesus might be gay or have fun at the expense of the Mormons’ magical underwear and you will hear from them loud and clear, sometimes with deadly results.

And yet these same religious folks will preach hatred and even murder against the queer community in the name of the gods they serve and then take umbrage when right-thinking people are offended enough to fight back.

I will often make this point on Facebook after another rabid godchanneller has suggested there’s nothing wrong with the imprisonment and extermination of queers by stating I hope someone kills the god-channeller first. Suddenly, all of these straight people are responding to my suggestion in an offended manner because “we’re supposed to be better than our enemies, hate should not be met with hate, etc.”

The truth is, I don’t want to kill anyone — but I do want straight people to know what it feels like to have someone call for your death from time to time.

One might hope putting them in our boots might create some empathy, but, sadly, many just don’t get it.

That’s the thing about being offended. It doesn’t always work out the way you hope it will. For every repressive

religious regime that tries to create a world where members will never be offended, there are those who are drawn to things simply because they are offensive.

Writers, directors, comics, painters and artists of all types have built sound careers based on their ability to offend the right people.

That bogus protest group One Mil-

THE TRUTH IS, I DON’T WANT TO KILL ANYONE — BUT I DO WANT STRAIGHT PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO HAVE SOMEONE CALL FOR YOUR DEATH FROM TIME TO TIME. lion Moms, who are offended by any sort of gay representation and threaten to boycott the store or institution hiring the queer spokespeople, have such a pronounced reverse effect I’m beginning to suspect they’re actually a very canny gay marketing group using the right’s own tactics against them.

And then there’s the “ambush offence.” These ones are sneaky, and you have to be very careful not to fall into them, as poor little Gwyneth Paltrow did recently when she dared to tweet

the title of the song “Niggas in Paris for Real” while cavorting with Jay-Z and Kanye West. Suddenly people were calling little Gwyny a racist for quoting the title of a song written by two friends. Some have suggested white people should refer to the song as “Paris for Real.” Frankly, different song titles for different races sounds a lot like different drinking fountains for different races.

And finally, there’s the canny offence.

This is the well-conceived offence that is sure to get everyone talking. A perfect example is a show that was a ’90s crosscountry fringe piece called The Happy Cunt. This show got more press because the papers didn’t want to print the title than it would have if they had simply printed the title.

No one lives in a world where he or she will never be offended. It happens to everyone, everywhere, all the time. No one knows this better than the queer community, which is pretty much always under attack by some dark force. We know there are offences that are genuinely worth fighting for and offences where the best thing to do is turn away and carry on because what you can’t see or hear can’t offend you.

And should I offend you, you have a number of choices. On the computer you can defriend me, hide my posts or block me. In real life I’m mostly indifferent to the fact I’ve offended you, so your best choice is probably just to fuck right off.

No offence intended.

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

21

arts › entertainment › leisure

Out City IN THE

MANY PEOPLE ARE SO AFRAID TO MAKE EYE CONTACT AND HOLD IT. Nina Arsenault ›25

NEWLOOK, ON STAGE

SAME

RAUNCH Comedian Darcy Michael’s new lease on life Robin Perelle

I’m very glad to hear you’re not dying.

Is that why you changed your look?

HEN I FIRST MET Darcy Michael, he was a raunchy, weedsmoking, dick-driven, scruffy gay father making people laugh. Today, he’s all those things, minus the scruffy.

Having shed 120 pounds and shaved off most of his hair in the last year, Michael may seem unrecognizable at first glance, but he’s still the irreverent bitch who used to play the Majestic and host the Vancouver issue of Xtra’s community achievement awards. Only now he’s embarking on a cross-Canada tour, releasing a new special on DVD and developing his own talk show.

I sat down with Michael before his tour to talk about change, success and never toning down. Here is an excerpt from that interview.

Well, I had a health scare. So I was like, okay, let’s pay a little more attention.

W

XTRA: It’s great to see you again, Darcy, but I have to tell you, I didn’t even recognize you.

DARCY MICHAEL: That’s the goal. I have a lot of enemies, so it’s really nice because now I can walk by and smile and they don’t have a clue who I am.

It’s weird, right? I get freaked out when I see reflective surfaces. I’m like, “Who’s that? Oh, it’s me.”

When I first met you, you were living in Ladner, BC, scruffier, hairier, heavier, and you called yourself the Undercover Fag. Who are you now?

God, I don’t know. I’m adorable, though!

If I had known I was this cute, I would have put an effort in years ago.

I don’t know who I am anymore. I just know that I’m not dying and I feel fantastic.

the deets DARCY MICHAEL ONE SKINNY BITCH Tues, June 26 and Wed, June 27, 9pm The Gladstone Hotel 1214 Queen St W Sat, June 30, 7pm The Flying Beaver Pubaret 488 Parliament St darcymichael.com

But if you’re no longer the Undercover Fag . . .

I have no act! I know, I know!

I was going to say! Doesn’t that mean you have to change part of your act?

Well, the DVD — that’s all retired now.

The new DVD, One Skinny Bitch — I wanted to record it and get it out there because I knew the act was done.

Okay, but you’re worrying me a little about the new act. When I first saw the ad for your special, I factored in your new look and your increasing success, and I thought, “Oh no, he’s not toning down, is he?”

Oh god, no! No, if anything, I could care less now. Well, you’ve seen the special. It’s super raunch. If anything I think I have more freedom now than I ever did before, because my confidence is through the roof. Probably overconfident, if anything. But I could give a fuck! You know, I’m having a great time and if people don’t like what I’m doing, then there’s the door — you don’t get a refund. No one’s safe. Nothing’s untapped anymore in the new show.

I GET MORE FLAK FOR SAYING ‘FAG’ ONSTAGE THAN I DO FOR ANYTHING ELSE — AND THAT’S FROM THE COMMUNITY. — Darcy Michael

Is there anything you won’t touch?

Uh, no. I think if it’s funny, it’s funny.

Like, I talk about my cancer in the show, and people don’t like that sometimes. I deal with it in a different way than you deal with it.

You don’t want to sit next to me at a funeral is what I’m saying, because that is when I’m the funniest. My mom won’t let my dad and I sit together because he can’t hold it together. Like, dark hours are when I’m super funny.

You know, my favourite part from the new special is about adopting a Filipina woman from Walmart. I walked around saying, “Oh-kay . . .”

Oh-kay! It’s weird because I hesitate with jokes like that because — I don’t think there’s anything racist about the joke per se. But people get very sensitive

R ANDALL COSCO PHOTO

Before and after. If Darcy Michael is no longer the Undercover Fag, who is he? And more importantly, who will he be on stage?

about race-related humour. So I do get hesitant, but I do love that joke.

But how important is it that it might get you into trouble?

Do you ever take any heat for not being politically correct?

I don’t care. When you dissect comedy, then you’ve clearly got too much time on your hands. If you don’t like a joke, don’t laugh — move on. That’s the way I look at it. If someone says something that I find offensive, shitty for me.

Talking about comedy is like dancing about architecture. There’s no point.

You either laughed or you didn’t, and then you move on.

Not yet. But I just think the wrong people haven’t seen it yet! You know, because I do make some pretty racy jokes, especially in the newer stuff. Like, equating my weight loss to AIDS probably is going to get me into trouble, but hey — it’s the glow that counts!

I get more flak for saying “fag” onstage than I do for anything else — and that’s from the community. I don’t care.

Faggot is a word that I love and use and will take to the grave. I think we’re at a point in society where we’re trying to desensitize all our language, and I’m adamantly against that. We have words to use that are powerful and strong when they need to be, and fun and campy when they need to be. And if we start taking words out of our language, then we have no way to communicate with each other.

Watch our full interview, plus clips from Darcy Michael’s new show, at xtra.ca.

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

FESTIVAL SPONSOR

BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE presents

JUNE 8 – JULY 1 QUEER MEDIA PARTNER

LEAD CORPORATE DONOR

FESTIVAL SPONSOR

QUEER MEDIA PARTNER

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS SPONSOR

MAINSTAGE MEDIA SPONSOR

Design: Jonathan Kitchen, jakcreative.com Photo: Drasko Bogdanovic, draskobogdanovic.ca

22

QUEERPRIDE2012 JUNE 8 – more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

23

JULY 1

John Wulff presents

JOY – THE REUNION

FRIDAY, JUNE 8

10:30pm, Full Facility | Tickets $20 advance, $25+ at the door

COMEDY GIRL SECOND ANNUAL PRIDE SHOW

SATURDAY, JUNE 16

The fierce and fabulous MC Jazz hosts Church Street’s first ever queer hip hop showcase, with young MCs throwing down their rhymes for a chance to win cash prizes. Plus, DJ Nix will be spinning classic hip-hop and R&B tunes late into the night, so bust out your parachute pants and come dressed to impress in your old school finest.

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS

Femmes du Feu presents

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 10:30pm, Full Facility | Tickets $10

The Cabaret Company presents

FREE JANE

SUNDAY, JUNE 17 8pm, The Cabaret | Tickets FREE

Everyone’s favourite beauty queen rebel, Jane (aka Sky Gilbert), is back with the notorious Free Jane – featuring a new play by Hope Thompson and Jane’s infamous open mic.

Featuring Donnarama, Holly Treddenick and special guests | DJs K-Tel and Triple-X

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre presents

Boylesque TO presents

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20

9pm, The Chamber | Tickets $20 advance, $25 at the door

Canada’s premiere all-male burlesque troupe presents a stripped-down and dirty homage to the true north strong and free. Come celebrate our country’s history with some nearly nude dudes. boylesqueto.com Chat Perdu Productions presents

STRIP SPELLING BEE – PRIDE EDITION

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

11pm, The Cabaret | Tickets $10, available at the door

The game is played a lot like strip poker, but it’s a spelling bee, and it’s played in front of a live audience of hooters, hollerers, and hecklers who want to see some smart skin! A hilarious and sexy night for exhibitionists and voyeurs alike.

The Cabaret Company presents

GENDERQUEER

A READING OF NICK GREEN’S BODY POLITIC

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 2pm, The Cabaret | Tickets PWYC

Chronicling the creation, controversies, and eventual demise of one of Canada’s first queer publications, this new play explores the rich history of The Body Politic – a paper that was on the forefront of the gay rights movement. Developed in partnership with the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives & lemonTree creations.

AIRSHIP

10:30pm, The Chamber | Tickets $10, available in advance

A wild night of performance art, fashion, music, and dancing inspired by Lady Gaga. Featuring performances by Tyson James, Kimberly Persona, and Nina Arsenault, plus a full-facility late-night party with DJ Miss Margot and Cassandra Moore. Fashion statements highly encouraged. eccehomotheatre.com

BITCH SALAD GIVES BACK

FRIDAY, JUNE 29

Aerial dance company Femmes du Feu invites you into a sexy steampunk circus world, filled with electrifying feats, otherworldly music, and high-flying acrobatics unlike anything you’ve ever seen. femmesdufeu.com

Hosted by Andrew Johnston

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS

SATURDAY, JUNE 23 10:30pm, Full Facility | Tickets $10

Featuring Donnarama, Cassandra and special guests | DJs K-Tel and Triple-X

8pm, The Chamber | Tickets $20, available in advance

Bitch Salad unites the country’s fiercest female comedians for one unforgiving night of laughter. Catch acts by Gavin Crawford, Christina Walkinshaw, Emma Hunter, Julia Hladkowicz, The Cheeto Girls, and some very special surprise guests. Partial proceeds go to support the AIDS Committee of Toronto and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. bitchsalad.com

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS

FRIDAY, JUNE 29 10:30pm, Full Facility | Tickets $15

PRIDECAB

Black CAP in collaboration with Project: Humanity and the Ontario HIV Treatment Network present

8pm, The Chamber | Tickets FREE for youth 25 and under, $10 for adults 26+ | All advance tickets $10

Directed by Chy Ryan Spain | Assisted by Jonathan Seinen and Alisha Stranges | Featuring Sean Casey, Reece McCrone, Ethan Resendes, Jackie Rowland, Shauna Sloan, Katherine Sly and Philip Turkiewicz The ever-popular PrideCab tackles what it means to be young and queer today through original stories, songs, and performances. The hallmark of Buddies’ Queer Youth Arts Program, PrideCab is created by a group of queer youth under the age of 25. This project is made possible, in part, by the Youth theatre Training Program of Theatre Ontario, funded by the Ontario Arts Council.

Run Ginger Run Entertainment presents

SHAWN HITCHINS: FIRE(CROTCH) SALE

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 8pm, The Cabaret | Tickets $20, available in advance

YOUNG, GIFTED, AND BLACK:

(RE)TELLING STORIES OF SURVIVAL AND THRIVAL FOR YOUNG BLACK MEN

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27 8pm, The Cabaret | Tickets PWYC

A reading of a new play that sheds light on the experiences of Black gay and bisexual youth, crafted by Project: Humanity from interviews conducted as part of a Black CAP research project around sexuality, sexual health, and identity. Come early, at 6:30pm, for the CIHR-funded Café Scientifique: a panel discussion with local and international experts, front-line service providers, and community activists. black-cap.com Eventual Ashes and Asian Arts Freedom School present

FREAKS AND GEEKS: THE DRAG MUSICAL

Musical direction by Mim Adams | Musical guest Sioux Newberry | Opening act Andrya Duff

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27

Cabaret sensation Shawn Hitchins gives one final, farewell performance.

Everything must go and all songs are final. Featuring new laughs and refurbished material from his hit one-man shows, plus a surprise line-up of special guests. shawnhitchins.com

Directed by Katstopme Kandace and Nookie Galore | Featuring Margarita, Anura: The System Smasher, Tony Danza, Franny, Lasienaga, Fire Under the Ashes and Lady Kansas

ICONOCLASM

CAROLE POPE IN CONCERT

THURSDAY, JUNE 21 8pm, The Chamber | Tickets $20, available in advance

Reigning art rock pontiff Carole Pope performs her newest album Landfall live, joined on stage by fellow genre-busting irreverent fem rockers Slanty Eyed Mama.

8pm, The Chamber | Tickets PWYC

Freaks and Geeks is a glamorous musical celebration of all that is outcast, awkward, unusual, and beautiful. Developed in partnership with The 519 Church Street Community Centre. eventualashes.com Wog Productions presents

PAUL HUTCHESON’S PRIDE PACKAGE II

THURSDAY, JUNE 28 8pm, The Cabaret | Tickets $10-$20, available in advance

Paul Hutcheson brings his unique blend of storytelling and stand-up comedy back to the Buddies stage, along with a diverse band of queer comedians that includes Mike Albo, Kristen Becker, Susan Fischer, D’yan Forrest, Robert Keller, and more. paulhutcheson.com

LEAD CORPORATE DONOR

THE MONSTROUS BALL

SATURDAY, JUNE 23

8:30pm, The Chamber | Tickets $15-$20, available in advance

SATURDAY, JUNE 9

FRIDAY, JUNE 15

THURSDAY, JUNE 28

Toronto’s top female comedians come together in a celebration of funny, queer women who have made laughter their revolution. Hosted by Dawn Whitwell and featuring performances by Zoe Whitall, Carolyn Taylor, Allyson Taylor, Heather Gold, Andrya Duff, Lindy Zucker, Ashley Moffatt, and Mariko Tamaki.

Iconic queer nightclub JOY is back! Fifteen years after shutting their doors, the people behind one of Toronto’s most infamous after-hours clubs transform Buddies into the hottest circuit party in town to kick off our Queer Pride festivities.

O MANADA!

FRIDAY, JUNE 22

WORK IT!

Doors at 9pm, Show at 10pm, The Cabaret | Tickets $7 or FREE before 10pm, available in advance

Featuring Donnarama, Cassandra and special guests | DJs K-Tel and Triple-X

10:30pm, Full Facility | Tickets $10

Ecce Homo Theatre presents

8pm, The Chamber | Tickets $15, available in advance

Hosted by JennStar, Rom Mel, Charles Pavia, and James St. Bass | DJs Scott Cairns and Mark Falco | Video installation by Drasko Bogdanovic and Young Astronauts

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS

The Queer Hip-Hop Movement presents

FESTIVAL SPONSOR

QUEER MEDIA PARTNER

Featuring Fay Slift and special guests | DJs K-Tel and Triple-X Glam-Glam Productions presents

HOMO NIGHT IN CANADA

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 8pm, The Chamber | Tickets $25, available in advance

Now in its 12th year, this Pride tradition brings the best in queer comedy to the stage for a night of hilarious high-schticking. Hosted by the infamous B-Girlz and featuring Kristen Becker, Ian Lynch, David-Benjamin Tomlinson, Marco Bernardi, Richard Ryder, Dawn Whitwell, and the Queer Comedy Collective, among others. glam-glam.com

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS

SATURDAY, JUNE 30 10:30pm, Full Facility | Tickets $15

Featuring Donnarama, Holly Treddenick and special guests | DJs K-Tel and Triple-X

THE LADY OIYE’S TEA DANCE

SUNDAY, JULY 1 3pm-10pm, The Cabaret | Tickets FREE

Buddies provides cool respite for the weary and thirsty on Pride Day afternoon, spreading out the welcome mat for a family-friendly gathering just off the parade route.

BUDDIES AFTER HOURS

SUNDAY, JULY 1 10:00pm, Full Facility | Tickets $10

Featuring Donnarama, Holly Treddenick and special guests | DJs K-Tel and Triple-X

MAINSTAGE MEDIA SPONSOR

Design: Jonathan Kitchen, jakcreative.com Photo: Drasko Bogdanovic, draskobogdanovic.ca

CLUB CABARET / MUSIC COMEDY THEATRE

24

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

listings ›

ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Sissies & Psychopaths

Xtra brings you the chance to win a pair of tickets to see the Scissor Sisters LIVE! Thursday, June 28 @ Sound Academy.

Acclaimed artists Peter Kingstone and Daryl Vocat exhibit a collaborative series of prints that examine queer sexuality through the eyes of a child. Runs till Sat, June 23. George Gilmour Members’ Gallery, 401 Richmond St. Free. openstudio.on.ca

Send your name and contact information to contest@xtra.ca.

Body Shots A live erotic photography shoot should inspire money shots.

Sun, June 24, 8–10pm. Glad Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. $40. gladdaybookshop.com

Contest closes June 25.

HEALTH & ISSUES Legit

Immerse yourself in the luxury of a Hydropool Self-Cleaning Hot Tub All Year Round Hot Tubs Starting from $2,995

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Experience the therapeutic benefits of hot water for just pennies a day.

Mississauga South Showroom 2528 Bristol Circle (Winston Churchill / Dundas)

(905) 829-4991

Legal counsel for same-sex couples immigrating to Canada. Access resources and tap into a community of folks facing similar obstacles.

Thurs, June 14, 7–10pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org

LEISURE & PLEASURE Ontario Pride Network Fifth Anniversary Gala Enjoy a fabulous evening of drag, cocktailing and performance, all while raising much-needed funds for the LGBT Youth Line. This year’s gala features appearances

by Emmy-nominated actor and comedian Diane Flacks, Canadian Idol’s Theo Tams, an all-out drag performance by Tyfannie Morgan and much more. Thurs, June 14, 7pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. $45. the519.org

For more listings, go to xtra.ca

The Reluctant Dominatrix Join sexual counsellor and dominatrix Shahrazad in a fun and informative workshop on the ins and outs of being on top. Learn how to navigate the obstacles of desire and tap into your inner dominatrix.

Women and trans women only.

Thurs, June 21, 7–10pm. Good for Her, 175 Harbord St. $33. goodforher.com

Brantford Pride Join friends, lovers and allies for two fun-filled days celebrating gender and sexual diversity. Events include a flag-raising ceremony, a cruise on the Grand River, a church service and more. Fri, June 22 and Sat, June 23. Brantford. brantford.ca

Gays Learn to Kayak Get wet and dirty with Get OUT! Canada and learn an exhilarating and challenging new sport. Sat, June 23, 11:40am. Old Mill TTC Station, 2672 Bloor St W. $55. getoutcanada.com

Canadian Media Guild’s Pride Week LGBT Short Film Showcase Indulge in five days of queer short films and video. I’m ready for my close-up, Mr DeMille. Mon, June 25–Fri, June 29, 9am–5pm. CBC Broadcasting Centre, 250 Front St W. Free. cbc.ca

Historica: Inspire Awards 2012 Summer Gala

2nd Annual

Pride Travel Marketplace Join Us Celebrate Diversity Win a Vacation

Pride Toronto festivities include a street marketplace in the heart of Toronto’s gay village and surrounding area. A dedicated area in the Church/Wellesley area with Exhibitor booths lining the streets selling and promoting various businesses. Drop by Pride Travel Marketplace and visit with some of the best destinations and travel companies supporting the LGBT community.

Give a hand to the game-changers in the community and congratulate the nominees and winners of the LGBTQ Person of the Year, Youth of the Year, Positive Business of the Year and Inspiring Community of the Year. Fri, June 15, 7:30pm.

Casa Loma, 1 Austin Terrace. $40. inspireawards.ca

Beyond the Blue Box Art & Fashion Show The first annual market for fashion, art and environmental enthusiasts.

All materials are made from entirely recycled materials. Sat, June 16, 7–11pm. CSI Annex Lounge, 720 Bathurst St. $15 advance, $20 door. irbe.org/events/fashionandart

Gay Men’s Art Project A recreational drop-in art program and an opportunity to meet new friends and learn new skills.

Mon, June 18, 6–8pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org, gmaptoronto.org

Learning to Orgasm Find your way to the gooey centre. A practical, efficient and fun workshop designed to teach you how to come and make the best of getting there. Nonorgasmic women only. Registration recommended. Thurs, June 21, noon–5pm. Good for Her, 175 Harbord St. $45. goodforher.com

For full details on Toronto Pride please visit: www.pridetoronto.com

Thom Allison hosts the Dora Awards June 25.

33rd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards Theatre star and Broadway alum Thom Allison hosts the prestigious ceremony that celebrates the best in Toronto performance art. Mon, June 25. VIP reception 6:30–7:30pm, Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, 1 Front St E. Awards ceremony 8pm, St Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front St E. $65, VIP $165. tapa.ca

Lesbian Sex 101 You can hear her stilettos click; I want her so much I feel sick. A joyous workshop exploring howto strategies for picking up other women, getting them home and getting them off. Registration recommended. Tues, June 26, 7–9:30pm. Good for Her, 175 Harbord St. $33. goodforher.com › continued on page 26

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

25

PRIDE

Ride this disco stick Monstrous Ball celebrates all that is Lady Gaga aga a Johnnie Walker IT WAS ONLY FOUR YEARS AGO THAT she first told the world to “just dance,” but at this point, Lady Gaga’s claimed a permanent position in the gay icon pantheon. But while you’ll have a hard time finding a Pride party that doesn’t throw “Bad Romance” into the mix, how many of them will feature avant-garde performance art inspired by Yoko Ono and Marina Abramović?

Ecce Homo’s The Monstrous Ball at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (a warm-up to next year’s Of a Monstrous Child: A Gaga Musical) transforms the facility into a shrine for Gaga and some of the diverse artists and personalities who may have influenced her.

“I’m trying to tap into the spirit of club nights like Nag Nag Nag, Kinky Gerlinky, Taboo and Disco 2000, where art, music and fashion all combined into something unique, with each element feeding off the other,” says Alistair Newton, Ecce Homo’s artistic director. And that means you’ll be seeing a bunch of the city’s more recognizable queer nightlife personalities, but they won’t be lip-synching to “Telephone.”

Fay Slift will be channelling the spirit of gonzo fashion icon Leigh Bowery, while Nina Arsenault and Tyson James will recreate seminal works of

performance art: Marina Abramović’s The Artist Is Present and Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece, respectively.

In The Artist Is Present, Arsenault will sit silently while audience members are invited to sit across from her and make eye contact. “Many people

SHE IS A KINDER AND GENTLER PERSON THAN MADONNA EVER WAS. —Fay Slift are so afraid to make eye contact and hold it,” Arsenault says. “What happens when two strangers meet each other’s gaze and attempt to be transparent?”

James will also face the audience one-on-one, but with a key difference.

“The only thing I can really say about taking on Yoko Ono’s Cut Piece is how nervous I am to be around strangers with scissors,” James jokes about the work, in which the audience cuts off the performer’s clothing. Like Gaga, Ono has always had ties to both the art world and pop music. And, as Newton reminds us, “Gaga has performed with

and, Yoko and the Plastic Ono Band, blime which makes a kind of sublime sense to me.” ho has to Of course, for every queer who ,” there’s sing along to “Born This Way,” another who thinks Gaga’s justt ripping nks they off Madonna. And Fay Slift thinks nder and should knock it off. “She is a kinder nna ever gentler person than Madonna re young was,” says Slift. “We need more med, who people like Gaga, who is informed, .” refuses to remain complacent.” dly. “Her James agrees wholeheartedly. outh livLittle Monsters are the queer youth ing in the Prairies of Canada who have mselves.’ never been told to ‘express themselves.’ nces our They don’t have the references aga was community does, and Lady Gaga hey were the first person to tell them they re born.” beautiful just the way they were Queers have a long history of mixing art with dance parties, and The Monstrous Ball almost works ass a crash course on the subject. “I hope the pall arrive trons at The Monstrous Ball will on says. with curious minds,” Newton “And fierce style.”

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“I’m trying to tap into the spirit of club nights like Nag Nag Nag, Kinky Gerlinky, Taboo and Disco 2000,” says Alistair Newton of The Monstrous Ball.

DRASKO BOGDANOVIC

26

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

listings ›

ON SCREEN

More than chick flicks Female Eye fest features women directors Shannon Webb-Campbell

Kelly and The Kellygirls perform June 15 at the El Mocambo.

› continued from page 24

MUSIC Funny Girls & Dynamic Divas Sistering presents an impressive showcase of top female musicians and performers at its 10th annual show. Featuring Sandra Shamas, Jane Bunnett and more. Thurs, June 14, 6pm.

Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front St E. sistering.org

Kelly and The Kellygirls The naughty rockers debut their new record, Club des Femmes, at this legendary venue. Fri, June 15, 11pm. El Mocambo, 464 Spadina Ave. kellyclipperton.com › continued on page 27

WHEN LESLIE ANN COLES FIRST SET out to create the Female Eye Film Festival, she intended it to be a weekendlong event at Toronto’s Bloor Cinema.

Ten years later, it has grown into an annual international celebration of female directors and women in the film industry.

“I was attending an international film festival with my own film and hanging around the international film scene,” Coles says. “Women were a minority among the directors at these events. I started asking myself, Why are there so few women directors? Are they just not getting programmed?”

While the genesis of Coles’ festival stemmed from a lack of exposure for films directed by women, she assures potential viewers that men are not excluded. However, most of the films were directed by women.

Coles says the toughest aspect of running a female-focused film festival is acquiring funding.

“The films are there; the directors, the support from local community and industry is there. It’s just money,” she says. “Whichever way the cat swings, arts councils are great. Ontario Arts

Pernille Rübner-Petersen’s short film A Child is one of the Female Eye Film Festival’s queer offerings.

Council has been a big support, but it’s a subjective process. It could be looked on favourably one year, then maybe it’s discriminatory that it’s an all-female festival.”

Coles believes that as long as women have to fight harder, stronger and faster to be recognized as directors and get funding, the Female Eye Film Festival will exist. Every year the submission pile increases.

“Women deal with issues differently.

They treat content differently,” she says. “With sex and violence, nothing is gratuitous. Often it’s what you don’t say that’s compelling. You see women of all ages in their films. Women directors often have a female protagonist. These are stories close to women’s hearts.”

This year’s festival honours director

Barbara Willis-Sweete with a best-inthe-business tribute, as well as American director Nancy Savoca. Aboriginal filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin is also being honoured with an inaugural lifetime achievement award.

The festival’s gay and lesbian picks include Danish filmmaker Pernille Rübner-Petersen’s short A Child. It portrays lesbian couple Charlotte and Tjili, who live together until Tjili declares she wants to have children.

Lori Young’s Dit is ek (This Is Me), is set in Cape Town, South Africa, and follows Tarryn Langton, a lesbian police detective who investigates a corrective rape/murder and then falls victim to the same crime.

“We have a lot of late-night suspense thrillers and some really gritty experi-

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mental films that deal with mental health,” Coles says. “Women make films that blow up. They don’t always make romantic comedies. Women work in all genres.

“Really, in its heart, I hope Female Eye Film Festival dispels the myth that women directors and creators make it for a female audience. They make it for an audience. Bridesmaids is a good example. The Piano, too. The Hurt Locker wasn’t a chick flick.”

the deets FEMALE EYE FILM FESTIVAL Wed, June 20–Sun, June 24 Carlton Cinema, 20 Carlton St femaleeyefilmfestival.com

xtra.ca

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XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

IN PRINT

27

ON DISPLAY

Suzy Malik is the illustrator of The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy.

ANDREW TRAN

STRIKE A POSE

S Bear Bergman launches publishing house

For the annual 10x10 exhibit, 10 queer photographers each snap 10 queer subjects. The show captures a variety of faces familiar to the community, including Casey Mecija, pictured here in a photo by Adamo de Pax. Mecija is a Brantford singer/ songwriter and the founder of the indie pop group Ohbijou.

Flamingo Rampant to make books about gender-independent kids

the deets Katie Toth GAY FAMILIES REJOICE: S BEAR Bergman is back with a double dose of children’s lit.

The activist and author has written two books, co-edited Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation with Kate Bornstein, and created four awardwinning performance pieces. Now, he is releasing two children’s books with a new publishing house — Flamingo Rampant — he co-founded with husband j wallace.

Bergman was pushed into the project by a kids’ camp director who said there were no fun books that featured kids exploring their gender identity.

It was a leap: he’d never written children’s books before.

“Writers are in many ways like actors,” Bergman says. “You say ‘yes’ and then you get good at it.”

Luckily, Bergman got good at it quickly: when he read the stories to kids, parents kept asking when they could buy them.

Backwards Day and The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy are now available, and their launch will be celebrated at a family-centred party at the 519 Community Centre on June 17.

Backwards Day is set on a surreal planet where bubble gum falls from the sky, and one day a year, everything — including the heroine’s gender — goes backward.

In The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy, main character Tulip responds to all the birthday wishes of North American nine-year-olds. One day, Tulip receives a wish from a child known as David who wishes to live as Daniela, so Tulip learns how to help.

KD Diamond, who lives in Maine, did the illustrations for Backwards Day, and Pink Triangle Press’s (which publishes Xtra) own advertising art director, Suzy Malik, illustrated The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy.

Malik sketched the pieces in her free time, taking advantage of early mornings to make the project come together. “I didn’t want to do it halfheartedly,” she says. “There was not a lot of sleep.”

Bergman says Malik’s art was a

perfect match for the ideas he’d had floating in his head.

“We talked a little bit about what [Tulip] would look like,” Bergman remembers. “But when I saw her original rough sketches of the slightly dirty-looking, chubby, brown-skinned little problem-solving fairy boy, I was like, ‘That is exactly what I want Tulip to look like!’”

However, every publishing house Bergman contacted was too small for his stories. “Everyone basically said the same thing,” he says. “These are lovely little stories . . . We simply do not think there is enough of a market for these ‘specialized’ books.”

Bergman, himself a parent of son Stanley, disagrees. “I think they’re for everyone,” he says. “They’re for everyone in the exact same way that Clifford the Big Red Dog is for children who have dogs, and for children who don’t have dogs.”

At the same time, Bergman knows these books are political. “If everybody was all ‘hunky-dory, kumbaya, follow your harmless heart’s desire’ about trans and genderqueer people, then I wouldn’t have busted my ass for a year,” he says.

Bergman and wallace decided to make the books happen themselves.

They put together a video and Kickstarter campaign to front the money, which blew through its $10,000 goal and raised more than $18,000 in funding. Now, Flamingo Rampant has plans to release at least two more titles in 2013, and Bergman will be releasing a book of essays for grownups in 2013.

“Publishing books is surprisingly difficult work,” he jokes, but that doesn’t leave him with any intention to slow down. “I’m just a storyteller,” he says.

“It’s really the only talent I have.”

the deets FLAMINGO RAMPANT launches Backwards Day and The Adventures of Tulip, Birthday Wish Fairy Sun, June 17, 3pm 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St flamingorampant.com

10x10 Opens Thurs, June 28 Runs until Sun, July 15 Gladstone Hotel 1214 Queen St W

10x10photographyproject.com

listings ›

Boyd Kodak performs June 17 at Southern Accent. › continued from page 26

MUSIC Tim Boyle Live The popular globe-trotting performer returns to the cabaret’s stage for a onenight-only performance. Sat, June 16, 9pm. The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $10 advance, $15 door. pubaret.com

Carrie Chesnutt and Boyd Kodak Live A once-a-year brunch and performance art event featuring the celebrated singer and saxophone player with drum accompaniment. Enjoy a spicy caesar and wish Sunday away.

Sun, June 17, noon–3pm. No cover.

Southern Accent, 595 Markham St. southernaccent.com › continued on page 28

28

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

DANCE

listings ›

For more listings, go to xtra.ca › continued from page 27

MUSIC Iconoclasm The legendary Carole Pope treats the audience to her queer brand of music and performance, featuring music from her latest album, Landfall. Special guest Slanty Eyed Momma. Thurs, June 21, 8pm.

Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $20. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Jerey Straker The acclaimed singer/ songwriter/pianist makes his last stop in Hogtown before continuing his Canadian tour.

Featuring Amy Campbell and Sara Kamin. See what all the buzz is about. Sat, June 23, 7pm. C’est What, 67 Front St E. jestraker.com

Pam Ann has a layover in Toronto, June 21–23.

HARRISON ZHANG

An evening of dramatic readings from queers about town. Featuring Ryan G Hinds, Sarah Bertrand, Thom Vernon and Spencer Charles Smith.

Tues, June 26, 7–9:30pm. Glad Day Bookshop, 598 Yonge St. Free. gladdaybookshop.com

STAGE Pam Ann The show that Madonna has called “cruelly funnyâ€? makes a two-night stop in Toronto. The Pucci-clad face of Heathrow’s Terminal 4 takes o after selling out shows globally. Wed, June 21; Thurs, June 22; Sat, June 23.

8pm. Panasonic Theatre, 651 Yonge St. $35–55. mirvish.com

Airship Femmes du Feu and Queer Pride Toronto present the sassy and Sapphic show that rocked the socks o Rhubarb. One night only; back by popular demand. Sat, June 23, 8pm. Buddies, 12 Alexander St. $20. buddiesinbadtimes.com

Freaks and Geeks: The Drag Musical An outrageous and glamorous musical that validates all the misďŹ ts living on the margins of society. Wed, June 27, 8pm.

Buddies, 12 Alexander St. PWYC. eventualashes.com

ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN Xtra brings you the chance to win a pair of tickets to see the Scissor Sisters LIVE! Thursday, June 28 @ Sound Academy.

Send your name and contact information to contest@xtra.ca.

Contest closes June 25.

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Not so strictly ballroom Same-sex competitors want their space on the floor Brian Bantugan IN 2009, WHEN KELLY OSBOURNE joined Dancing with the Stars, she polished her rocker act to be a dancing queen — claiming the show turned her into a lady.

Trevor Copp, a three-time Latin dance champ from Burlington and the creative director of Tottering Biped Theatre, was shocked. “I didn’t have a problem with her in the ďŹ rst place — I didn’t know she needed to change.â€? Copp says he realized then that ballroom dancing not only dictated a compliant female but also a culture of internalized discrimination. “It’s an entirely cultural blind spot,â€? he says. “Now, I’m proud to be part of this leftwing thinking, saying, ‘Wait a minute, what do we do with this?’â€?

The topic inspired Copp’s play, First Dance, which questions not only the hetero-biased norms in ballroom dancing, but also the power relationship on which regulations are based.

Strict rules govern leading and following in amateur ballroom dancing. “The insidious ideas about height, weight, shape and race are completely unbelievable. When you search for a dance partner, you enter your race.

Same colouring is desirable. They’re not saying minorities need not apply, but I’ve never seen a top black couple compete,� Copp says.

While same-sex dance partners are allowed in the professional-amateur category, in the amateur category, “it is illegal for a same-sex couple to walk on the oor,â€? Copp says. “It’s also in the way they dress. If one of my male colleagues wanted to wear a dress and I wanted to wear a suit, they wouldn’t allow that, [even if ] it has nothing to do with the dance part at all.â€?

Copp says rules haven’t changed to allow same-sex dancers because judges claim they won’t be able to tell who is leading and who is following. “If you can’t tell the difference as a dancer and judge only based on whether the leader has a penis and the follower wears a dress, I guess you’re in the wrong profession,� says Janine, a member of Toronto’s Rainbow Ballroom.

In the Gay Games and Outgames, “you are expected to switch from being a leader to a follower, regardless of your sexual identity,� adds Rainbow Ballroom’s Rafael Martinez.

Jennifer Jones, the owner of Joy

of Dance Studio, says she supports same-sex ballroom dancing and came close to entering a same-sex couple in a recent competition, but “we all got too nervous to shake the tree,� she confesses. “That’s the reason I’m working to have it changed,� says Paul Delaney, a competitive ballroom dancer and the founder of the Facebook advocacy group Right to Dance, which is pushing for a separate same-sex category.

In 2007, Delaney says, a request to enter two female dancers was dismissed.

He was instead referred to the Gay Games. “I’ve been to the Canadian

Moving beyond gender in dance at Toronto Pride.

Civil Liberties and the Canadian Human Rights Association about the matter, but they dismissed me,� he says.

Copp says it’s not about sexuality. “As a dance teacher, I try to desexualize dance every day so that it is respected for the sport that it is,� he says. “The fact that there are gender roles in dance is based on [maledominated] heterosexual roles. If you pull that out and just look at two athletes competing, then we remove the necessity for a female to be a follower and male to be a leader. It shouldn’t be based on your gender. It should be based on your ability.�

the deets RAINBOW BALLROOM TORONTO Sat, June 30, noon Clean, Sober and Proud Stage Paul Kane Parkette rainbowballroomtoronto.com

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

PRIDE

29

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Glad Day

The deďŹ nitive news source for gay and lesbian Canadians

relaunches Proud Voices reading series Alistair Newton IN HIS RECENT BOOK ON THE CONtribution of gay writers to the development of American literature, author Christopher Bram writes, “The gay revolution began as a literary revolution.�

This year’s Toronto Pride festivity sees the relaunch of Proud Voices, a Canadian queer literary event that also carries the revolutionary spirit.

Hosted by Toronto’s venerable Glad Day Bookshop, the series offers a diverse range of live readings by poets, playwrights, authors, artists and queer literary folk of all stripes.

Proud Voices was originally launched in 2007 under Fatima Amarshi, former Pride Toronto executive director and current Glad Day co-owner, explains Spencer Charles Smith, a member of the group that recently took over operations at Glad Day. Amarshi and Susan G Cole ran the series as part of Toronto Pride programming until 2010.

Charles Smith believes the event ďŹ ts perfectly into the shop’s new mandate. “This incarnation of Glad Day is committed to being both an incubator and a platform for the multiplicity of our community’s stories,â€? he says. “We believe that there’s a direct correlation between the sharing of story and building of strong community.â€?

For Charles Smith, Proud Voices also exempliďŹ es the spirit of Toronto Pride itself. “Pride,â€? he continues, “is supposed to be a time of community, so it’s a priority for us to infuse story into a week that might otherwise be missing an opportunity to be sharing our roots and our visions of the future.â€?

Among the many offerings at this inaugural reboot of Proud Voices is a reading from Waawaate Fobister’s new play, Medicine Boy. For Fobister, being a part of the event presents “a great opportunity for artists/writers to have stuff read for the ďŹ rst time. “I will have my partner coming in to read with me,â€? he says, and “one of us will play a 50-plus-year-old.â€?

In addition to being the multiaward-winning playwright and per-

WE BELIEVE THAT THERE’S A DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE SHARING OF STORY AND BUILDING OF STRONG COMMUNITY. —Spencer Charles Smith

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Nina Arsenault, above, will read from Trans(per)forming Nina Arsenault: An Unreasonable Body of Work, at Proud Voices. Waawaate Fobister, left, will read from his new play, Medicine Boy.

NADYA KWANDIBENS

former behind Agokwe, Fobister is a regular patron of Glad Day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I would be able to ďŹ nd books on two-spirited people anywhere [else] in Toronto, unless I make a special order.â&#x20AC;? Fobisterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reading will give audiences a ďŹ rst taste of his newest play before it opens at the upcoming SummerWorks festival, produced by Anishnaabe Theatre Performance.

Native Earth Performing Arts artistic director Tara Beagan and stars Garret C Smith and PJ Prudat will direct the production. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are an all-native cast, crew and creative team,â&#x20AC;? says Fobister, who is excited to be sharing the bill at Proud Voices with the likes of Sky Gilbert and Nina Arsenault â&#x20AC;&#x201D; â&#x20AC;&#x153;They are pretty iconic!â&#x20AC;?

For Arsenault â&#x20AC;&#x201D; who recently launched Trans(per)forming Nina Arsenault: An Unreasonable Body of Work, a collection of essays about her life and art practice edited by Judith Rudakoff â&#x20AC;&#x201D; events like Proud Voices ďŹ ll an essential void in our often dis-

connected contemporary world. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Social networking is pervasive, but it creates such limited impressions of us as human beings,â&#x20AC;? Arsenault says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The danger is that we actually start to believe that the people in our community are only as two dimensional as these technologies allow us to communicate.

Queer literature and storytelling conveys a much deeper understanding of ourselves and creates the opportunity for empathy between people.â&#x20AC;?

Arsenault says she has had â&#x20AC;&#x153;the best times doing performative readings.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;I will be reading a story about Nancy Valentino,â&#x20AC;? Arsenault explains, â&#x20AC;&#x153;a transsexual woman whom I consider to be my spiritual mother. She was deeply Catholic but also interested in mysticism. She saw life with great mystery and wonder. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Also,â&#x20AC;? Arsenault adds, â&#x20AC;&#x153;sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d had more plastic surgery than me.â&#x20AC;?

With Proud Voices, Glad Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new owners carry on their commitment to community and diversity. According to Charles Smith, the group also hopes to relaunch the currently defunct Word on the Street festival in the future.

May the revolution continue.

Glad Dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pride programming runs from Sat, June 23â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sun, July 1. For a full lineup of events, including information on Proud Voices, check out gladdaybookshop.com.

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30

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

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

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XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

31

ON STAGE

Kirk J. Cooper

B.A., LL.B.

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xtra.ca The deďŹ nitive news source for gay and lesbian Canadians

Still making history

JOHN WEBSTER

Pride event remembers The Body Politic Chris Dupuis ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A BIT SURPRISING THEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S never been a theatrical rendering of the history of The Body Politic. While the collectively run publication that gave birth to Xtra certainly had its share of drama, until now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never been put on stage. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I realized there are younger queers totally ignorant of the history of the gay rights movement in Canada,â&#x20AC;? says playwright Nick Green, fresh off his turn in Sky Gilbertâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dancing Queen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I felt driven to explore this story and make a case for why it needs to be remembered by the next generation.â&#x20AC;?

Summarizing both the complex narrative and vital importance of the seminal magazine was a daunting challenge. But Green was lucky to have the support of both the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives (which the magazine helped create in 1973) and many of the founding members, whom he interviewed as part of his research.

Born in 1971 without an editor or formal leader, The Body Politic was a collective dedicated to creating a living document of Canadaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budding gay rights movement, as well as a resource for gays and lesbians to access services and each other. Working entirely on a volunteer basis, the group took turns being laid off from their paid jobs and claiming EI to take over duties of running the magazine.

Less historical document than dramatic reimagining, Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s text seeks to capture the essence and importance of a pivotal period in Canadian queer history. Certain characters have been combined, and interpersonal relationships have been ďŹ ctionalized. But key events (like the 1977 police raid of the

WRITING ABOUT HISTORICAL EVENTS IS MUCH HARDER THAN CREATING A STORY FROM SCRATCH BECAUSE THEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACCURACY. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; playwright Nick Green

Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play recounts the 1977 police raid on The Body Politic after its members published Gerald Hannonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s controversial article â&#x20AC;&#x153;Men Loving Boys Loving Men.â&#x20AC;?

publicationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office in response to Gerald Hannonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Men Loving Boys Loving Menâ&#x20AC;? article) are rendered in full detail. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Writing about historical events is much harder than creating a story from scratch because thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great responsibility for accuracy,â&#x20AC;? Green says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At the same time, you know how the play is going to end before you start, so that part is a lot easier.â&#x20AC;?

Articulating just how radical The Body Politicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s actions were to a younger generation of gay people may be Greenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest challenge. In an age when even the US president supports legal recognition of same-sex relationships, the push toward mainstream assimilation is greater than ever. But he sees reintroducing that history to the next generation as an important part of understanding how we got here. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing wrong with wanting to get married or have a monogamous, heteronormative relationship,â&#x20AC;?

Green says. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important for people to understand that the reason they can be in an openly affectionate, legally recognized relationship is because of a generation of people who were radical in their sexuality, pushed boundaries and actively challenged the idea of conventional relationships in every way possible.â&#x20AC;?

the deets BODY POLITIC Part of the Genderqueer Pride series Sat, June 16, 2pm Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 12 Alexander St buddiesinbadtimes.com All proceeds from the PWYC box oďŹ&#x192;ce will be donated to the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives

32

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

NEIGHBOURHOOD

Art over the street Akasha Art Projects adds touch of culture to the Village Serafin LaRiviere WALKING ALONG CHURCH ST IS A multisensory experience, with the enticing smell of fresh fruit, gaily coloured posters and sunny patios percolating with the hubbub of happy homos. But how often do we take the time to look up?

Nestled atop our Village’s street-level shops and eateries are a treasure trove of queer businesses, including the delightful Akasha Art Projects, located above Dudley Hardware. It’s an elegant space: all clean white walls and dark-chocolate wood floors — everything you’d expect from a contemporary modern gallery.

But displayed on the walls are some entirely unexpected pieces of art created by Julie Liger-Belair, whose current show features shadow boxes that blend vintage photos with found objects, delicate brush strokes and handmade metalwork. It’s edgy, evocative and just what gallery owner Kelly Kyle had in mind when she and her partner, Sonja

the deets AKASHA ART PROJECTS 511 Church St, second floor akashaart.com

Scharf, opened the place three years ago.

“It’s a real honour to be bringing a cultural element back into the Village and to provide a venue for this sort of work,” Kyle says. “There’s been a real void here since the O’Connor Gallery closed a few years ago.”

This fresh, airy space is actually Akasha’s second home, just across the hall from the tiny room in which Kyle and Scharf first dipped their toes into the world of retail art. It was a bold move, given the notoriously capricious ups and downs of art sales.

“We really were starving artists when we started the whole retail thing,” says Kyle, who has also worked as an art installer for private and corporate designers. “But I’m a real believer that if you jump, a net will appear.”

Sales of work like Liger-Belair’s or respected photographer Tony Hauser are an important part of Akasha’s business, but the gallery also offers an archivallevel framing service, which uses the same pH-neutral materials that museums do to perfectly preserve paintings and photographs. They’ve framed everything from nostalgic football jerseys to seriously pricey art collections.

“All the materials we use are acidfree. There’s nothing that will harm

Sonja Scharf and Kelly Kyle use only acid-free materials in their framing. ADAM GLEN

or prematurely age the work, which is particularly important for our clients who are artists themselves, and for those people who are building an art collection. What we’re producing are little realms within which the art is surviving. There’s a real philosophy of caretaking behind it.”

And if all that didn’t keep this dynamic

duo busy enough, it turns out they’re also part owners in the hardware store over which their gallery resides.

“We’re really passionate about being a part of the Village and contributing to its community and personality,” Kyle says. “Sonja and I are entrepreneurial spirits, and it’s a real privilege to be a part of a vibrant, exciting place.”

IT’S A REAL HONOUR TO BE BRINGING A CULTURAL ELEMENT BACK INTO THE VILLAGE. — gallery owner Kelly Kyle

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XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

33

XPOSED Anna Pournikova

Anna, Momma and Tom were part of my dancefloor circle. You know what I’m talking about when I say dancefloor circle. In any case, we all had eyes for Momma, except for Tom, who I suspect was a lost breeder who wandered in off the street somehow and spent the remainder of the evening failing at picking up women and wondering, “Why oh why can’t I get laid?”

Tom, it’s okay; it’s because we like scissors ! (Get it?)

Also celebrating a birthday on the other side of town was Kim, who mostly kept the bday fact to herself, which made me look like a butt-face for not knowing and having to apologize the next day. Luckily, I am wildly inappropriate most of the time, so she let it slide in the face of So. Much.

Worse, as she calls it. Thanks, Kim, you’re a real swell pal.

Oh hi, Sokes. So whatcha doing? “Being hot.” Yeah, no shit.

Alex has a Grammy. She’s 21. She’s 20-fucking-1! And she owns a Grammy, for Christ’s sake. How are you supposed to tell fart jokes and try to look suave with that kind of ammo lying around? Kendall is an artist she’s working with and a total babe, with claws like a cat. Between the two of them I was totally disarmed.

Shout-out to Sheldon, who just celebrated his barfday with really good friends — like Scott — on the dancefloor where he belongs. Sheldon, you bring joy to everyone who ever has the pleasure of meeting you, prancing with you or even just being in your vicinity. A ray of fucking sunshine up the arse you are.

Don’t ever change, girl. Not an inch.

Alex and Tom were so fresh-faced at Big Primpin’ that I had to take their picture.

Clearly, they are some kind of alien couple who don’t sweat, because it was hotter than a Nelly video up in the Wrongbar. It hit me like a wall of ball sack to the face, and I knew I was home. But these two — fresh as daisies in the midst of it all.

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Here’s a rare opportunity: I got a photo of Big Primpin’ founder and mastermind Jeremy Laing with close friend and notorious dancefloor-starter John Caffery. Wrongbar was full that night!

I just snapped Raymond on the way out.

I was close to asphyxiation due to dancing and making out with strangers in the sweaty sack of Big Primpin’, so I was beelining for the door and — bam! His perfect face just collided with me as I focused on the horizon of the door ahead. Swivelled my head straight around. The hat, the vintage frames, the trimmed beard. I’ll take an order of two in exactly this size, thank you.

Biko is so hot it hurts my face to look at her sometimes. She divulged at the Gotstyle event at the Spoke Club (which was really, really good, by the way) that she is filming a documentary. I asked what it was about, and she said, “Well apparently, darling, you’re not the only one who finds me fascinating.” She is the OG of my heart for that.

34

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

NIGHTCLUB LISTINGS THURS, JUNE 14 Ontario Pride Network Fifth Anniversary Gala raises funds for the LGBT Youth Line.

Live performances by Tyfannie Morgan, Diane Flacks, Theo Tams and Carly Jean.

7pm–midnight. 519 Ballroom, 519 Church St. $45, email for tickets: opspride@ ontario.ca. the519.org

FRI, JUNE 15 Yes Yes Y’all for hip hop, dancehall and R&B. 10pm. The Annex WreckRoom, 794 Bathurst St. $6. theannexwreckroom.com fly Campus: Summer Session for extra credits, with Sofonda Cox and DJ Blackcat.

10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $5 before 11:30pm, $10 after, no cover with student ID. flynightclub.com

Catch Dwayne Bryk at Daddy’s Day on June 17 and Mr Leather Pride on June 27.

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

Homohop, the all-ages queer dance party, returns, with The House of Omega voguing it and DJs Sumation and Quinces on decks. 10pm. The Barn, 418 Church St. $5 before 11pm, $10 after. facebook.com/ lgbtout Underbear Party raises funds for the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation, with DJ The Robotic Kid spinning house, nu-disco and synth-pop. 10pm.

Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com Criscotheque greases up the dancefloor jam, with the Gangbangaz DJs spinning the dirty beats. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com

SAT, JUNE 16 Remington’s 19th Anniversary keeps the hot men stripping till the wee hours.

4pm–4am. Remington’s, 379 Yonge St. $10, $5 with flyer. remingtons.com

DJ Eddie Elias brings the NYC beats, with DJ Jeremy Khamkeo adding TO flave. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 before 11pm, $15 till 1am, $20 after. flynightclub.com Sodom Is Burning pays homage to the voguing/ball culture film, with House of Monroe strutting it and DJs Sumation and Blackcat fiercing the decks. Late-night mini-ball open to all. 10pm. Goodhandy’s, 120 Church St. $7 before 11pm, $10 after, $5 students. sodom.ca The Blue Lagoon Dance Party has DJ Aural spinning for all the moist boys. 10pm– 3am. Flash, 463 Church St. No cover. flashonchurch.com TORN & TLP Bar Night team up to host a Rubber/Fetish Party on the second floor.

10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com Vogue, with DJs Zebra Katz, Njena Redd Foxxx, Mike Q and Blackcat. 10pm. Black Box Theatre, 1087 Queen St W. $10 advance, $15 guest list, more at door. yesyesyall.org Fit stretches for Pride, with sexy boys in sweats and DJs Aural, Kris Steeves and Phil V on the decks. 10:30pm. The Beaver, 1192 Queen St W. $5. beavertoronto.com

SUN, JUNE 17 Daddy’s Day, a party for daddies and their admirers, with Mr Spearhead Ambassador 2012, Dwayne Bryk. Includes a crazy-tie contest — no shirt necessary!

4–8pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com Wannabe: The Spice Girls Tribute Band gives you what you really really want at NXNE. 5pm. Redpath Stage, 235 Queen’s Quay W. No cover. harbourfrontcentre.com

MON, JUNE 18

SAT, JUNE 23

LML (Love My Life) Monday raises funds for Sick Kids Hospital, with performances

by Sofonda Cox, Tynomi Banks, Devine Darlin, Nicolette Brown and Heaven Lee Hytes. 7pm. The Vic Pub House, 580 Church St. No cover. thevicpubtoronto.ca

TNT!Men’s Celebrate Life in White dangles it under the club and black lights, with DJ Justin. 8pm. Goodhandy’s, 120 Church St. $5 members, $8 non-members. goodhandys.com

WED, JUNE 20 Jock Auction benefits the Friends for Life Bike Rally, with DJ Mark Falco. 8pm.

Woody’s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com Snakepit, with DJ Secret Agent. 10pm.

Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com

THURS, JUNE 21 DJ Craig Dominic spins top 40, dance and urban beats. 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com Naked Night kicks off the clothes for Pride, with hosts Mr TNT!Men Alex and Nathan.

10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com, tntmen.org

FRI, JUNE 22 Dance Camp Pride Edition gets diva vocals all proud, with DJ Mark Falco on decks in the main space and VJ Gary White in the Lounge. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. Free before 10:30pm, $10 after. flynightclub.com Regiment. Shock-Ra Bear hosts this party for men in kilts and their admirers.

Prizes for those in kilts! No dress code.

10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. shock-ra.com/bear

YOUNG, G(AY)IFTED &BLACK:

(RE) THE STORIES OF SURVIVAL AND THRIVAL FOR YOUNG BLACK MEN WEDNESDAY JUNE 27TH 2012 BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE 12 ALEXANDER STREET 6 - 10PM PLAY READING @ 8:15PM THE BLACK COALITION FOR AIDS PREVENTION (BLACK CAP) AND PROJECT: HUMANITY PRESENT A GROUNDBREAKING EVENING OF PERFORMANCE, PANEL PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION BASED ON THE STORIES OF YOUNG BLACK GAY MEN WHO PARTICIPATED IN BLACK CAP'S MANY MEN, MANY VOICES (3MV) PROGRAM. THE EVENING WILL ALSO INCLUDE A FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT BLACK CAP'S 3MV PROGRAM. THIS IS A CAFE SCIENTIFIQUE EVENT

PAY WHAT YOU CAN

Cherry Bomb queers the night for women. DJs Cozmic Cat, Denise Benson, Jerus Nazdaq and MC Jazz keep the floor jumping. 9pm. Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. $5. cherrybombtoronto.com No No Pony, with DJs Suzie Boo and Magnum PI spinning ’90s hip hop, Elvis and Ginuwine’s “Pony” every hour on the hour. 9pm. Parts and Labour, 1566 Queen St W. $5. partsandlabour.ca Scandal Saturday, with DJ Craig Dominic spinning top 40, dance and urban. 10pm.

Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. $5. crewsandtangos.com Pre-Pride Party hosts kitschy stewardess Pam Ann’s official After-Show Party, with DJ Danny Verde. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 till 11pm, $15 till 1am, $20 after, no cover for Pam Ann ticket-holders till midnight. flynightclub.com Pop Machine: 2012 Pride Kickoff Edition, with DJs Alessandro and Shane Percy offering up boys and beats in the east end. 10pm–3am. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5 before 11, $10 after. whatareyoulookingatbar.com Mr Big pulls out the huge beats, with DJs Dwayne Minard and BoyUK spinning house, progressive and techno. 11pm.

Smith, 553 Church St. $5 till midnight, $10 after. 533church.com

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

35

SUN, JUNE 24 Miss Conceptionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stage to Screen Show: Birthday Edition at 6pm; Pride Week KickoďŹ&#x20AC;: Day-Rama Show, with Donnarama and Daytona Bitch, at 9pm; Georgie Girl and Donnarama welcome Sofonda, Charo Batista and the Ladies of SAS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Nicolette, Mahogany and Tynomi at 11pm. Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

TUES, JUNE 26 Glam! Pride Game-Show Revue beneďŹ ts SOY (Supporting Our Youth), with Bitch Saladâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Andrew Johnston, fabâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Phil Villeneuve, Boylesque TOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Mickey D Licious, Morgan Joy, Topher McFarlane and more. 9pm. Also on Wed, June 27. The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $10. pubaret.com Mile High Tuesday: Pride Edition. Get high, get some. DJ Turt McGurt spins. 9pm.

Boutique Bar, 506 Church St. No cover. boutiquebar.ca

WED, JUNE 27 Miss Conceptionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Stage to Screen Pride Show kicks oďŹ&#x20AC; the night at 8:30pm; squirt.org Best Ass Contest, with The Ladies of SAS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Nicolette, Mahogany and Tynomi, cash and Prism prizes, at 11pm. Woodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 467 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com Libido: Dyke March Fundraising Event, with DJs Memphis Sugar, Cozmic Cat, Lucas Silveira and Saratonin. 9pm.

The Gladstone, 1214 Queen St W. $15 advance, $20 door. pridetoronto.com

Devine Darlin performs at LML on June 18.

College Night: Pride Edition, with DJs Sumation, Cajjmere Wray and Alain, plus performances by Devine Darlin, Heaven Lee Hytes, Tynomi Banks and Ivory Towers. 10pm. The Barn, 418 Church St. No cover. thebarnnightclub.com

Cozmic Cat spins at Cherry Bomb on June 23 and Libido on June 27.

Queen for the Night: First Final Round, hosted by Mandy Goodhandy, with $500 in prizes. 10pm. Goodhandyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, 120 Church St. No cover. goodhandys.com Mr Leather Pride 2012. Hosted by Dwayne Bryk (Mr Spearhead Ambassador 2012), with judges Thug Rocco (ECLS 2012), Penny Gyokeres (Ms Black Eagle 2001), Alex Canning (MLT 2012) and Ron Damae Bouvier (HMISM Emperor XXV). $250 in cash prizes, plus the infamous leather-wear round and demos. 10:30pm.

Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com

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A World of Gay Adventure

Manchester Englandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sexy northern city Story & photos by Matt Mills

S

Canal St, above, is the epicentre of gay nightlife in Manchester. Top right, Manchester Pride 2011 grand marshal Pam Ann and her flight crew gather for a photograph before the parade.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too early to plan your next GayCation!

TOP 5 Gay Winter Escapes: Ĺ? Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Ĺ? San Juan, Puerto Rico Ĺ? Las Vegas, USA Ĺ? Buenos Aires, Argentina Ĺ? Phuket, Thailand (and, because 5 is not enough) Ĺ? Mykonos, Greece ÂŽ

OME OF THE MOST LIVABLE and visitable cities in the world are those with histories of profound socioeconomic decline from formative periods of unbridled prosperity. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in those places, often in the looming shadows of greedy metropolises, in which gay travellers are most likely to ďŹ nd innovative expressions of art and culture by interesting and welcoming locals. Manchester, in North West England, is one of those cities. It rebuffs the glamour and gravitas of London and so may not be a destination that springs immediately to mind for gay travellers planning sojourn in the United Kingdom. But as a city in the midst of rejuvenation, or for those looking to become truly acquainted with authentic British culture on an intimate level, Manchester really is worth a stop. It just might be among the most gay-friendly places youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll visit.

The hearth and home of Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay community lies along and around Canal St in the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s core. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s here that the original 1999 television series Queer as Folk was set and shot, which is perhaps why this charming and tidy cobblestone street with its

contiguous string of spacious gay bars and clubs feels so familiar even to the ďŹ rst-time visitor. This is not by any measure a gay village or community in decline. The place hops at weekends, with a selection of nightlife for every taste. There is also a complete and mature gay community apparatus â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Western gay franchise system of rainbow ďŹ&#x201A;ags, community centres and organizations, historical markers and Pride celebrations.

Central Manchester is very walkable. Following the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Lesbian and Gay Heritage Trail is a great way to ďŹ nd the lay of the land. On foot, grab a copy of the Manchester Gay and Lesbian Village Guide from the Manchester Visitor Information Centre on Piccadilly Plaza. Then from Canal St, spot and follow the rainbow-ďŹ&#x201A;ag tiles embedded in the pavement. Following the whole route could take a couple of hours, but youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll likely get pleasantly distracted along the way. Tap into Manchesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gay zeitgeist quickly by picking up a copy of local publication Outnorthwest or by tuning in to Gaydio at 88.4 FM or online at gaydio.co.uk. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll ďŹ nd Mancunians friendly and eager to know and welcome visitors, especially those from Canada.

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37

At left, vibrant graffiti near Piccadilly Gardens. Above left, a reveller in the 2011 Manchester Pride parade. “Father of computer science, mathematician, logician, wartime codebreaker, victim of prejudice,” reads the dedication on the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Park, above right.

Snapshot At Via, a large for-everyone social venue on Canal St my first night in Manchester: “Fancy a snog?” asked the gorgeous and smiling young guy with the tattooed arms.

I stood out as a stranger in the city, and likely as Canadian. He intercepted me on the way to the men’s room.

I thought I knew what a snog is but didn’t want to be wrong.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I’m not from around here. What’s a snog?”

He rolled his deep brown eyes, glanced away and back.

“A French kiss,” he dared with curled lip and raised eyebrow.

It was a soft and brief encounter, a warm, sincere and welcoming kiss between strangers, one of those tiny but unforgettable travel highlight moments. And it embodies the friendly cheekiness and swagger of Mancunians. That’s not to suggest spitswapping is a customary greeting. The story is merely a titillating example of a sentiment expressed in myriad ways to visitors: random conversations on street corners, sample tastes in shops, friendly smiles and ribbing from those who overhear your accent.

Culture Football has been the most popular sport in the United Kingdom since the 1860s, and it is Manchester’s beating heart. Home to Premier League teams Manchester United and Manchester City, as well as the National Football Museum, the city revolves around the

FROM

game. The season runs virtually all year, and even if you’re not a sports fan or know nothing about soccer, the spectacle ought not to be missed.

For the theatre buff, the architecturally fascinating Royal Exchange Theatre offers a seemingly perpetual roster of affordable programming and community events. It’s also a good place for a quick coffee or tea when you’re out and about during the day.

A book lover? Chetham’s Library is a remarkable example of 15th-century architecture, bearing distinction as the oldest working public library in the English-speaking world. It’s also the site of early collaboration between Communist theorists Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. Call ahead for access, tours and reading-room time.

Interested in artistic expression as activism and shaper of popular culture? Manchester Art Gallery has a great collection of pre-Raphaelite works. Admission is free.

Make a brief visit to the Alan Turing Memorial in Sackville Park. You’ll remember Turing as the genius who broke the Enigma Code, allowing Allied forces to predict the movements of German U-boats during the Second World War, and who laid the foundations for modern digital computing.

Despite his contributions, he committed suicide in 1954 following his conviction and public humiliation for gross indecency after admitting to having had sex with another man.

This year is the 100th anniversary of Turing’s birth, and there’s something about using your iThing to snap and

face-tweet a picture of that statue that smacks of sweet justice and the circle of life.

Cuisine One of the most tiresome clichés about the UK in general and Manchester in particular is the pork-pie and takeaway curry reputation for bland, boiled and batter-fried food. Mancunians seem to preemptively and apologetically insist they have been trying really hard to build their in-kitchen brain trust. And honestly, it’s not at all peculiar when in Manchester to squelch hunger pangs by simply wolfing down whatever street meat you happen upon.

Cuisine just isn’t as central to cultural expression as it is in some cities — nor is hockey, snorkelling or bullfighting — and that’s just part of the practical charm. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some real resto-gems to be found in Manchester. Australasia offers a world-class dining experience.

The décor and vibe are modern-chic, the service is incredible and the menu of Euro-Asian fusion delights is todie-for. Every detail is topnotch here, making it easily worth a splurge. For a more casual choice, Smoak Bar and Grill offers a delicious selection of beef dishes that might be described as British-American fusion. The place has great atmosphere.

For a truly unique cocktail bar experience, take your friends to The Alchemist. Aside from fine food and amazing cocktail concoctions, this place offers a cocktail master class in which resident

mixologists will teach your group of six or eight how to make some of the amazing drinks offered at the bar. It’s a lot of fun and you get to drink your work. Try the Smokey Old Fashioned; it’s more experience than cocktail.

Pride Manchester Pride, which falls in the second half of August, is a fantastic spectacle. This is a well-developed and -attended, star-studded celebration that seems to be by, about and for gay people. In 2003, having wrestled with the corporate-sponsorship-versuscommunity-constituents conundrum and in the face of a looming financial crisis, the Manchester Pride organization took an initially controversial but ultimately effective approach to liberating itself and ensuring its future stability. Rather than relying entirely on corporate sponsorship and government support money to pay the bills, Pride’s constituents — its communities of gay people and festival attendees — became its financiers.

Manchester Pride charges a cover fee — not for stage areas or beer gardens, but for general festival admission.

The gay village is entirely fenced off for the duration of the event, a period of days, and admission is restricted to those who have purchased the requisite wristbands. Attendees actually pay for Pride, quite modestly, on an individual basis. The notion of paying for Pride may be something of a bitter pill, but Manchester Pride is not beholden to the whims of corporate sponsors or

conservative politicians; it is run by gay people, it puts on an amazing celebration, and donates tens of thousands of pounds to local gay and lesbian organizations each year.

Inside the gates, the bars and clubs of Canal St do a swift trade. You can walk freely in the streets with a drink in your hand. The atmosphere is electric. It’s one of the best Pride experiences to be had.

For complete listings and more information on the Manchester gay scene, visit guidemag.com.

To start planning your trip, go to visitmanchester.com.

on the web Outnorthwest ›lgf.org.uk/outnorthwest Visit Manchester ›visitmanchester.com Chetham’s Library ›chethams.org.uk Manchester Pride ›manchesterpride.com Manchester Art Gallery ›manchestergalleries.org Via ›viamanchester.co.uk Australasia ›australasia.uk.com Smoak Bar and Grill ›smoak-grill.com The Alchemist ›thealchemist.uk.com National Football Museum ›nationalfootballmuseum.com Royal Exchange Theatre ›royalexchange.co.uk

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38

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

London A city of colourful and confident character

‘‘W

Aefa Mulholland

COLM HOWARD-LLOYD

At top, night settles in on the River Thames. Above, One of the other queens of London. More than one billion people use the London Underground each year, at right.

AEFA MULHOLLAND

HEN A MAN IS tired of London,” proclaimed Samuel Johnson, “he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

Dr Johnson, that pernickety old snark, had putdowns for pretty much everywhere else, but he was a fierce champion of his chosen city. When his companion James Boswell countered, “The only disadvantage is the great distance at which people live from one another,” the doctor was swift to rally to London’s defence, “Yes, Sir, but that is occasioned by the largeness of it, which is the cause of all the other advantages.”

London is certainly large; there are 7.83 million crammed into the city and more than 12 million in the metro area. The size and sheer human density can be daunting, but, as Dr J pointed out, such largeness does lead to an abundance of “other advantages.”

Sometimes ostentatious and stylish, sometimes honest and earthy, London has grandeur, grit and every gradation in between. Another great champion of the city, two-time prime minister and lifelong Londoner Benjamin Disraeli, proclaimed that his hometown offered “a

roost for every bird,” and this collection of completely eclectic components gives the city its colourful, confident and often contradictory character.

This year, London is even more colourful — and it’s got a distinctly celebratory air as the city gays up for an exciting summer. The city hosts WorldPride from June 17 until July 8, with a crowd of more than a million expected for the celebration.

And, of course, for those counting down the days till Antwerp’s Outgames in 2013 and Cleveland’s Gay Games in 2014, the city also hosts a small sporting event this summer: it’s London’s third time hosting the Olympics and Paralympics, July 27 to August 12.

On first visits, sashaying around major sites is obligatory. You have to cross those legendary spots off your bucket list — Buckingham Palace, Kensington Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, the London Eye and the wealth of world-renowned museums. The Underground makes this easy to accomplish in a few days. If the weather’s on your side, go “overground”; central sights are often closer than you’d think looking at the maps. But, lest you spend your time solely in the centre, London has plenty more to offer than just palaces, pomp and pageantry. Leave behind the traffic-clogged arteries, long lines of tired tourists and

Be YOU in Manchester

DAVID LLIFF. LICENSE: CC-BY-SA 3.0

commuter-jammed Tubes and you’ll find a kaleidoscopic array of roosts for queer birds of every feather.

The River Thames has shaped London’s history, geography and personality since the first Romans settled here in the first century. On a nice day, or on a budget, an excellent way to take in many of the big sights, including the London Eye, Tower Bridge, London Bridge, Shakespeare’s reconstructed Globe Theatre, St Paul’s Cathedral and the Tate Modern, with bonus photo opportunities of Big Ben and Westminster, is to walk along the Thames’s South Bank. The laid-back bars at the British Film Institute Southbank (bfi.org.uk/southbank), site of the annual London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, make a perfect mid-saunter stop for a coffee or drink.

When it heats up, Londoners take to the slew of parks and gardens around the city. Gay-popular parks include Princess Diana’s former home, Hyde Park, and St James’s Park, a gay cruising ground since the 1700s (when it was noted that men would “signal to each other . . . then retire to satisfy a passion too horrible for description”). These days, London’s gays and lesbians also head north to Hampstead. Something of a local secret, Hampstead Heath’s separate men’s and women’s swimming ponds become a mecca for sunning, swimming and picnicking gay men and women whenever the sun shines. The spring-fed ponds are just two of 30 in the 320-hectare park. Nearby, in Hampstead Village, the 200-year-old King William IV (kingsboutiquehotel.co.uk) came out as a gay bar in the 1930s. Book ahead for Sunday lunch; it’s become an institution.

Find out why YOU should be at Manchester Pride? Voted ‘Best Pride’ for the last five years by the UK’s Pink Paper, isn’t it time YOU booked a trip to Manchester! visitmanchester.com/lgbt

Guidemag.com London offers a smorgasbord of eating experiences, from cheeky gastropubs, perfect for pints or a Sunday roast with Yorkshire pudding, to quintessentially British afternoon tea spots. It’s hard to choose between Devon cream scones at Ken-sington Palace’s Orangery, celebrity haunt The Berkeley’s (the-berkeley. co.uk) figure-conscious treats, or Fashion Afternoon Tea (with pink meringues and Royal Doulton china) at The Mandeville (mandeville.co.uk). The Mandeville also does a burly afternoon tea with whisky and games. Who said afternoon tea had to be delicate?

For something more substantial, Thursday through Saturday, stroll Borough Market (boroughmarket.org.uk), under the arches of London Bridge station, for an ostrich burger or fish and chips with mushy peas. The white-hot Dabbous (dabbous.co.uk), in Fitzrovia, is next to impossible to get into but worth the effort, with its stripped-back fine dining and strikingly modern décor.

BARS AND CLUBS Nestled between Chinatown, Charing Cross Road’s dusty bookstores and the high-street shopping of Oxford St, Soho is London’s traditional gay hub. At night, the narrow streets around Old Compton St fill to overflowing with gay men, tourists, bicycle rickshaws and impatient cab drivers.

While Soho is London’s main gay village, there’s also a raunchy club scene in Vauxhall; in South London; various

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

A World of Gay Adventure

39

Trip advisor BARS & CLUBS Admiral Duncan The Hoist

LODGINGS Astors Hotel Grim’s Dyke Hotel

SAUNAS & SEX CLUBS Chariots Vauxhall Pleasuredrome

SHOPPING & SERVICES London Eye Clone Zone

COLM HOWARD-LLOYD

AEFA MULHOLLAND

Pretty in pink at London Pride 2011, above. Pimm’s o’clock at Borough Market, at right.

queer spots in North London, including Camden, home of the famed Black Cap (theblackcap.com); and Stoke Newington, where you’ll find several predominantly lesbian pubs. Increasingly, hip Shoreditch shenanigans pop up on the iCals of the city’s gay and straight scenesters. Try Dalston Superstore, home of über-cool gay nights such as Sissy Sports and Hot Boy Dancing Spot, achingly hip Jaguar Shoes ( jaguarshoes. com) or Passing Clouds (passingclouds. org), situated in a former print works in Dalston, to get the ambiance of the east.

Women who time their visit right can coincide with the BFI’s Southbank Surfing (southbanksurfing.com) night,

Glenda Guilfoyle at the Follies. NED REDWAY

where, if you’re solo and let the hosts know in advance, they’ll introduce you to people. The rest of the month, Soho’s Candy Bar (candybarsoho.com) packs in the girls. For bar and club listings, check Gingerbeer (gingerbeer.co.uk).

ACCOMMODATION The flamboyant Haymarket Hotel (firmdalehotels.com) pairs design and spacious rooms in a fantastic West End theatres– adjacent location. The Langham (langhamhotels.com) is a grand old meringue of a hotel where Oscar Wilde attended literary salons, 20 minutes’ walk from Soho.

The Cadogan (cadogan.com) offers Green

Carnation packages, in homage to the carnation-wearing Wilde, arrested in room 118 in 1895. Budget stays can be had from $60 at easyHotel’s six no-frills locations (easyhotel.co.uk) in Victoria, South Kensington, Earls Court, Paddington, Barbican and Heathrow. Another wallet-friendly option, Outlet (outlet4holidays.com), lists gay-owned/gay-friendly apartments and rooms, and, for those who really love London, long-term lets.

For information on more than 200 gay and lesbian places of interest in London, visit guidemag.com.

on the web London Tourism ›visitlondon.com UK Tourism ›visitbritain.com Pride London & WorldPride 2012 ›pridelondon.org

Visit guidemag.com for city profiles on other popular destinations in England, such as Birmingham, Blackpool, Brighton, Bristol and Liverpool. Read about Manchester on page 23.

Last-minute getaways LA CAGE IN LAUDERDALE

La Demence takes its party to the Mediterranean.

FROM HIGH ALTITUDE TO HIGH CAMP Five must-dos in Palm Springs PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM What began as a museum about the desert in 1938 has evolved into the centre of the desert’s art community. The Palm Springs Art Museum focuses on modern and contemporary painting and sculpture, including works by historically significant West Coast artists and contemporary native American artists. › psmuseum.org

PALM SPRINGS FOLLIES A campy, Broadway-style night out.

Starting its 22nd season in July, the Palm Springs Follies is a classic variety act featuring music and dance of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s — performed by “a cast old enough to have lived it” and occasional guest stars. Lorna Luft, the other Garland daughter, will perform for a month starting in November. › psfollies.com

PALM SPRINGS AERIAL TRAMWAY The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the “world’s largest rotating tramcar,” offers a breathtaking journey up the sheer cliffs of the rugged Chino Canyon. Starting at Valley Station, on the north edge of

Palm Springs, the 5873-foot ascent toward the snow-capped peak of Mount San Jacinto takes 10 minutes. It’s a oneof-a-kind experience that guarantees spectacular views, no matter the season. › pstramway.com

MOUNT SAN JACINTO STATE PARK Known for its magnificent granite peaks, subalpine forests and fern-bordered mountain meadows, most of the Mount San Jacinto State Park is a designated wilderness area beloved by hikers and backpackers. With its dramatic landscapes and ever-changing light, it has long been an inspiration to artists and writers. The park has two drive-in campgrounds near the picturesque town of Idyllwild. › parks.ca.gov

JUNGLE RED It’s big, it’s long and it’s hard. If you’re in the mood you can sit on it. It’s also Palm Springs’ most recognizable public sculpture. Installed in 2008, sculptor Delos Van Earl’s Jungle Red graces the entrance to Warm Sands, the most vibrant gay neighbourhood in Palm Springs. Read more about Jungle Red in our Palm Springs city guide at › guidemag.com

EURO PARTY & CRUISE La Demence is an infamous monthly party in Brussels, known for attracting as many as 2,000 gay men of all ages and styles: “leather boys, fashion victims, muscle queens, drags, young and old,” according to organizers.

Dress code–free, it draws heavily from France, the Netherlands and Germany; many make the trip on chartered buses from Cologne and Paris. Hot Italian, Swiss, Spanish, British and American boys round out the crowd.

Each July, La Demence also organizes a gay cruise, featuring nonstop pool parties. There’s still space available for next month’s voyage aboard the 700cabin Horizon.

The cruise is scheduled for Sunday, July 22 through Sunday, July 29. It departs from and returns to Marseille, with stops in Naples, Taormina and Ibiza, where the ship stops overnight.

Cabin prices start at $1,332 euros per person, double occupancy.

More information at lademence.com.

US PRIDE HOTEL DEALS The Millennium Hotels and Resorts group is offering a special Pride rate of 15 percent off the best available rate at many of its US hotels. Here’s a sampling: Cincinnati: June 23–July 1 Minneapolis: June 23–24 St Louis: June 23–24 Boulder: Sept 16 Check the website for a complete list of locations and dates. Book online using the special rate code “PRIDE” at millenniumhotels.com, or call 1-866-866-8086.

Hop down to Fort Lauderdale to visit the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District and catch the permatanned George Hamilton in a stage production of La Cage aux Folles.

The Be Grand, Be Fabulous La Cage Escape includes a George Hamilton three-day/two-night stars in La Cage stay at The Grand aux Folles.

Resort and Spa, Fort Lauderdale’s largest gay men’s resort; two orchestra-level seats at a performance of La Cage at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts; daily continental breakfast for two; and a one-day unlimited-privileges pass for two on the Water Taxi.

Package rates start as low as $134.50 per room, per night, excluding taxes. Book until June 24. For reservations or more information, call 1-800-8181211 or visit grandresort.net.

The Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District features more than 1,000 events each year, attracting more than 1,000,000 visitors. Check out riverwalkae.com for more info.

Hamilton will also star in La Cage Aux Folles in Toronto, Oct 10–Nov 18, 2012. Visit mirvish.com for more info.

Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District.

40

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! JUNE 14, 2012

Toronto’s online directory of gay-owned and gay-friendly businesses

indexdirectory.ca

indexdirectory.ca ACCOMMODATIONS - BRITISH COLUMBIA The Eagle’s Nest B&B

FIREPLACES 866-766-9350

ACCOMMODATIONS - ONTARIO Holiday Inn 416-542-6008 Neill-Wycik Summer Hotel 416-977-2320 Trinity House Inn 1-800-265-4871

ACCOUNTANTS Hema Murdock C.A.

416-696-6653

ADULT Stag Shop

416-323-0771

416-920-7200

Dr Jason Hershorn

416-750-9097

Front Door Organics

FOUNDATION REPAIRS

PAINTING

G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service

905-824-2557

CM Painting & Decorating Newbright Painting Performance Painters

FLOORING

FUNERAL SERVICES Morley Bedford Funeral Services The Cliffside Carpenter

GARDENING

raymondhelkio.com

AIDS/HIV RESOURCES Canadian Seed Exchange Medical Compassion Clinic

416-850-3795 647-291-0420

ALTERNATIVE HEALTH My CannaMeds

mycm.ca

ART GALLERIES Akasha Art Projects

416-489-8733

FURNITURE - CUSTOM

ADVERTISING

416-266-4674

Davenport Garden Centre

LJ’s Laser Hair Removal Clinic 647-971-9855 Hamilton location 289-237-7089

HAIR STYLISTS & BARBERS Ragga Hair and Beauty Salon 416-368-8113

HEALTH & PERSONAL CARE Front Door Organics

Wise Daughters Craft Market 416-761-1555

HEALTH FOODS & NUTRITION

AUTOMOTIVE SALES & LEASING

Front Door Organics The Big Carrot

BMW Autohaus

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905-886-3380 xt 17309

BANKRUPTCY MNP Ltd

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BARS & CLUBS (TORONTO) Fly Nightclub Woody’s / Sailor

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HAIR REMOVAL

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ARTS & CRAFTS

416-201-3000

360 Living Inc

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HOME IMPROVEMENT & REPAIRS

CARPENTERS

HOME INSPECTION SERVICES 416-266-4674

Leslieville Cheese Market

416-465-7143

CHIROPRACTORS gesund

416-913-5170

CHURCHES Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto

416-406-6228

CINEMAS Rainbow/Carlton Cinemas

416-494-9371

CLEANING & MAID SERVICES CondoFresh

647-448-5213

COMMUNITY GROUPS & SERVICES Canadian Lesbian & Gay Archives (CLGA) Enterprise Toronto

416-777-2755 416-392-6646

COMPUTER SALES & SERVICE Around The Clock I.T. Solutions Contemporary Computers

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CONCRETE - CONTRACTORS G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service

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CONSTRUCTION G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service Newbright Construction

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CONTRACTING & RENOVATIONS G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service

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COSMETIC SERVICES Dr David W Grossman

416-968-6437

COUNSELLING Becky Liddle Change4U2 David W Routledge Phillip Coupal Counselling

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DENTAL SERVICES Adelaide Dental Dr Kevin Russelo & Associates Galleria Dental Yonge & Bloor Dental

416-429-0150 416-966-0117 416-534-9991 647-350-3501 416-920-7387

DRAG Take a Walk on the Wildside

416-921-6112

ENTERTAINMENT Village Vapor Lounge

905-824-2557 416-985-8639

Meticulous Inspections, Inc

647-287-1962

Kenton Waterman, Investors Group Financial Services 416-860-1668

INVESTMENT SERVICES Kenton Waterman, Investors Group Financial Services 416-860-1668 416-924-4671

Tailspin Dog Spa

416-445-8439

LAWYERS Abrams & Krochak 416-482-3387 xt 22 Adam Weisberg 416-603-3344 Cynthia Borovoy Warren 416-964-0900 David M. Cohn 416-777-1100 Harvey L Hamburg 416-968-9054 Janice P Warren 416-323-7767 Kirk J. Cooper 416-923-4277 Law Office of El-Farouk Khaki 416-925-7227 Michael Battista 416-203-2899 Morzaria Law 647-259-1990 Paul T. Willis 416-926-9806 Robert G Coates 416-925-6490 Zubas + Associates Employment Law 416-593-5844

LEATHER LIFE Doc’s Leathers & Motorcycle Gear

416-504-8888

LEGAL SERVICES Craig Penney

416-410-2266

MASSAGE CERTIFIED/REGISTERED Etai Tintpulver gesund Patrick Reilly, RMT The Power of Touch.com

Pets At Peace

416-699-9955

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

Call 416-644-5214 for more information.

Please limit text to 50 words or less. Ideally, photos will be digital images at 2” x 3” with a resolution of 250dpi.

PET STORES & SUPPLIES Helmutt’s Pet Supply The Village Pharmacy

Dr David W Grossman

416-319-9171 416-913-5170 647-955-0723 647-330-2539

Notices

647-918-6369 416-968-6437

MARRIED? DIVORCED? GAY? BI? HAVE CHILDREN?

647-989-1555

PSYCHOTHERAPY Becky Liddle Bruce M. Small Jude Johnston

647-989-1555 416-598-4888 416-921-8629

PUBLICATIONS Fab Magazine Pink Triangle Press Xtra (Toronto)

416-625-6665 416-925-6665 416-925-6665

REAL ESTATE Lee Caswell Leon Belov Louis Amaral Gaelen Patrick Joe Sipione, Bryant Renovations

905-373-2236 416-703-0600 416-200-0969

Gay Fathers meets at 8 PM the second and fourth Thursday of each month: The 519 Church Street Community Centre Room 304

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

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

416-801-9265 416-720-6611

SEX SHOPS Condom Shack Stag Shop

scienceofillusion.com

MORTGAGES Ontario-Wide Financial Corp 416-925-3974

416-201-3000

SPA SERVICES LJ’s Laser Hair Removal Clinic 647-971-9855 Hamilton location 289-237-7089

T-SHIRTS Gemini Tees

MERCHANDISE ›

Homes for sale

Miscellaneous Brand new 1+1, 2 bath open concept condo located in the Designer District!

Hdwds, Gorgeous West views of city, great amenities, parking, locker, roof top terrace, 24hr. concierge. Steps to nightlife & close to everything. $369,900

Visit beautifultorontohomes.com call Avril Wendt, Broker, at 416-922-1142 | Graydon Hill Realty Ltd., Brokerage

Condos/lofts for sale ON THE MILLPOND LIVE/WORK Space an hour west of GTA in Ayr, Waterloo Region. Minutes from 401.

Excellent downtown location. Please visit onthemillpond.ca

416-768-5755

Afterglo Tan Bar

647-350-8456

Real estate agent SALES REP WITH ReMax Eastern Realty Inc. Serving Peterborough & the Kawartha’s.

Specializing in waterfront and country homes. Please contact Penny Reszel for all of your real estate needs. pennyreszel@gmail.com 705-933-4142

THEATRE Buddies in Bad Times Theatre 416-975-8555

Kelly’s Tree Care Ltd Sunset Beech Tree Care

indexdirectory.ca

800-665-3769 TORONTO’S GAY & LESBIAN BUSINESS DIRECTORY

416-462-0007 647-989-3509

UPHOLSTERY Re-Wrap Custom Upholstery 416-214-6400 CANADA’S GAY & LESBIAN NEWS

VETERINARIANS 416-469-1121

SPRING 2012

EXPAND YOUR CONTACT LIST. Canada’s gay & lesbian business directory — in print and online.

WATERPROOFING G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service Guidemag.com

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EMPLOYMENT ›

647-270-8057

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TAX SERVICES CJH Tax Services

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indexdirectory.ca

guidemag.com

NEXT TORONTO RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15

WEBSITES 416-913-5170

REAL ESTATE ›

TANNING SALONS

Blue Cross Animal Hospital 416-654-5029 416-239-9565 416-259-2181

416-596-7515 416-323-0772

SHOPPING Front Door Organics

TREE SERVICES

Agility Moving & Storage Ltd Avery Moving & Storage Manhattan Movers

416-260-0818

C’est What? Brew/ Vin Pub Restaurant 416-867-9499 Cora Breakfast & Lunch Carlton St 416-340-1350 Wellington St 416-598-2672 Fire on the East Side 416-960-3473 Hair of the Dog 416-964-2708 The Blake House 416-975-1867 The Churchmouse & Firkin 416-927-1735

Travel ABC

416-925-7665

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PSYCHOLOGISTS

St Jamestown Steaks & Chops

MENTALIST

HEALER. AUTOMATIC SPIRIT rescue medium coach. Age visitation teacher. Providing nurturing from family on the other side for men only.(Dougie May) 416-466-1444. tfrechette@rogers.com.

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Spiritual services

416-504-1265

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MEATS & DELICATESSENS

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416-843-1318

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NATUROPATHY 416-972-9500

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St Jamestown Steaks & Chops 416-925-7665 The Cliffside Carpenter

416-201-3000

PHYSICIANS 416-201-3000 416-466-2129

Bryant Renovations G J MacRae Foundation Repair Service Newbright Construction

BUTCHERS

416-922-5511

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ANNOUNCEMENTS ›

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HE MAINSTREAM MEDIA has never been all that great at dealing with stories involving porn models, especially when they delve into murderous territory. For the most part, I attribute this to the fact that every story needs some sort of angle to make it stand out, and journalists are usually in a frantic rush to be the ďŹ rst to get a piece out the door. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the reason every news story involving someone getting high and biting someone must include the phrase â&#x20AC;&#x153;Zombie apocalypse!â&#x20AC;? and the reason anyone who has ever worked as an adult model must be referred to as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;pornstar.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just easier to sell a story if it includes buzz-worthy shorthand.

In many ways, the Luka Magnotta story â&#x20AC;&#x201D; involving a fame-obsessed sociopath who murdered and disassembled a 33-year-old man â&#x20AC;&#x201D; represents how the media tends to trip over itself when dealing with porn and violence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You know what they say: ďŹ x one broken faucet and they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t call you a plumber. But suck one dick . . .â&#x20AC;? says JC Adams, the creator of the website Gay Porn Times and a reporter with 17 years of experience in adult entertainment. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[Magnotta] was labelled a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;gay pornstarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; because thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what 30 seconds

of Google research brought up for the ďŹ rst few stories written about this.â&#x20AC;?

When dealing with a story about an alleged murderer, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing inherently wrong with incorporating facts about the daily life of the accused. When itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s done right, it helps to flesh out the subjectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s psyche, offering a fully realized glimpse into the world-view of the accused.

However, when the media places too much emphasis on the porn aspect of a story, it risks sensationalizing the sexual side of the news while drawing attention away from the crime at hand.

Worse yet, gay porn was a minute part of Magnottaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life: he only ever performed in a handful of scenes, a fraction of which were gay. If the media had focused more on how his dalliances in porn and his history of murderous tendencies were born of a single-minded desire for notoriety, rather than trying to aggrandize them without context, it would have been a more informative way of getting the story across. But unfortunately, the entire thing caved in on itself: the horror of the crime was downplayed in favour of emphasizing parts of the story that simply werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as important. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The media is] still uncomfortable with pornography being discussed openly; it still has a lurid appeal that has never rubbed off,â&#x20AC;? Adams explains. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The media clearly still looks at it this way, too. Every single time, for example, we have another story of a high school teacher being outed as a

The media drew attention away from Luka Magnottaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s horrible crime by highlighting his dalliances in porn.

porn actor, the parents and the media lose their shit. And the students usually couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t care less.â&#x20AC;?

Ultimately, this is a matter of misplaced priorities. When the focus is bringing in page views rather than reporting objectively, informative content is sacriďŹ ced for hyperbole.

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