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WON’T RENT TO GAYS Couple denied apartment ›9

UNPACKING WASHINGTO W ON WASHINGTON A new era for › 1111 AIDS activism? ›1

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COMMENT 6 XCETERA 7 NEWS 9 OUT IN THE CITY 17 XPOSED 21

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Photographer Jennifer Rowsom (left) and Sheila Sampath stand in front of posters for their smoking cessation campaign. KATIE TOTH

FEATURE

Changing the world Sheila Sampath is the creative director of The Public Studio, a local ad firm with a progressive staff and a goal to design, educate and inform.

Xtra chats with The Public’s team about their contribution to Toronto’s queer community.

›19

NEWS

OUT IN THE CITY

REGULARS

Gay couple denied apartment

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

A Brampton couple is filing a human rights complaint after a rental agent refused to show them an apartment because they are gay. › 9

Local actor Mark Crawford is treading the boards this summer in CanStage’s High Park production of Shakespeare’s gayest play. Xtra chats with Crawford about his return to Hogtown after years performing in small rural venues. › 17

Comment ›6 Xcetera ›7 Xposed ›21 Index ›28 Classifieds ›28 The Brotherhood Tyler Dorchester ›28

Washington AIDS conference The 19th annual international gathering may not have revealed any new information in the global fight against AIDS, but long-time activist Tim McCaskell says it did encourage the reemergence of activism that holds intransigent leaders to account. ›11

COVER STORY

Del Newbigging Xtra profiles the Toronto artist who created Canada’s most famous gay monument: the statue of Alexander Wood at the corner of Church and Alexander streets. ›12

OFF

ONLINE

Gore Vidal Xtra writer Matthew Hays interviewed the famous writer, who died on July 31, in Montreal in 2011.

We’ve republished the best bits of their discussion on politics, sex and today’s media. ›xtra.ca

Threeway in Taiwan Taiwanese director Yang Ya-che’s new film, Girlfriend Boyfriend, is a study in just how different the genesis of gay identity can be. ›xtra.ca

COLUMNS

Editorial Danny Glenwright ›6 Fraser’s Edge Brad Fraser ›14 Porndoggy Jeremy Feist ›30

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editorial › feedback › debate

Comment Let Leatitia stay Editorial Danny Glenwright

T

HIS PAST MAY BRITISH CRIMInal Conrad Black was allowed to move to Canada after he was released from an American prison.

In 2007 Black was convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice.

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney defended the decision, noting that officials often hand out temporary residence permits “to foreign nationals who have had criminal convictions if in their opinion they do not pose a risk to Canadian society.

“They also look at other criteria,” Kenney continued, “such as whether that person has long-standing ties to the country, family connections, humanitarian and compassionate considerations.”

Phew. Surely this means Leatitia Nanziri is safe.

The Ugandan lesbian fled to Canada after years of abuse, torture, threats and rape in her home country. Homosexuality is illegal in Uganda, and lawmakers there are currently debating whether gay people should be put to death (some, like gay activist David Kato, have already been murdered).

Nanziri gave birth to two children in Canada — both are Canadian citizens who have never been to Africa.

These facts are simple enough — and surely fall in line with Kenney’s criteria.

Nanziri is not a felon, she has longstanding ties to Canada, including family connections (her children), and anyone who knows anything about the situation for gay people in central Africa would certainly grant her residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

Not so. The country where Nanziri has sought refuge and raised her children for the past seven years is now trying to kick her out. An officer at the Refugee Board does not believe Nanziri is a lesbian and has said she should be deported.

Nanziri, who has admittedly been in relationships with both men and women, was in court on Aug 1 fighting for the right to remain here with her children while she appeals this order.

This distressing news comes after federal judge James Russell recently criticized refugee adjudicators, admonishing them to stop relying on stereotypes to determine the sexuality of refugee claimants who say they are gay. “Behaviours which establish a claimant’s homosexuality are inherently private,” Russell rightly noted.

Vancouver lawyer barbara findlay agrees, appropriately asking in her blog, “How would you prove you are queer?”

It’s a question I’ve asked in this space before. How can we expect people who

have spent their lives trying to conceal and deny their sexuality to turn around and prove they are gay in the refugee or immigration application process?

Shouldn’t we then also ask convicted criminals like Conrad Black to prove that they do not pose a risk to Canadian society?

I have many gay friends from Africa and can testify to the unremitting fear they face, fear that is often more pronounced once they reach the “safe” shores of countries like Canada.

Sometimes members of immigrant communities can be even more dogmatic about culture and religion than they would be back home. It is a way of coping and maintaining traditions in a strange place. We all do it in different ways — I’ve never been to more lavish Canada Day parties than those hosted

by Canadians in foreign capitals.

One gay friend (who years ago proved to me he is gay in the only way one can prove such things) moved to Canada from Uganda to study and decided to stay here for some of the same reasons as Nanziri. We’ll call him Timothy. Timothy was here only a short while before gossip in Toronto’s Ugandan community (and rumours back home) forced him to take a drastic measure to ensure his safety. Timothy travelled back to Uganda and had sex with a woman there until she became pregnant. He became a father in Africa so he is able to safely remain in Canada as a gay man.

Sadly, none of this should be all that surprising. It wasn’t long ago many gay Canadians took similar measures (some still do). “Canada doesn’t understand that if you live in a repressive country you may hide your sexual orientation; you may have a heterosexual marriage,” findlay wrote on her blog. “And just like many Canadian lesbians with a husband and maybe children in their past, Ugandan lesbians may marry . . . and still be lesbians.”

Of course, at the end of the day the only thing that should matter, regardless of who Nanziri is currently shagging, is that she fears for her life if she is sent back home because people in Uganda believe she is a lesbian.

As if to underscore the danger faced by queer people like Nanziri in central Africa, a gay Tanzanian activist was found strangled to death in Dar es Salaam on July 31. Last year trans activist Victor Mukasa told Xtra about how he was “correctively” raped at a Pentecostal church in Uganda.

Federal officials, including Jason Kenney and Canada’s Refugee Board have a responsibility to protect Leatitia Nanziri from a similar fate. Until they do, those of us who live safely in Canada and don’t have such threats hanging over us need to be as loud as we can in her defence.

Danny Glenwright is Xtra’s assignment editor.

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

INBOX

ACTING AS IF THE STATUS QUO IS OKAY IS NO WAY FOR ANYTHING TO CHANGE.

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.

Asexuals ALTHOUGH I RESPECT THE rights of asexuals, I don’t think Pride or the visible LGBT community (eg Church St in Toronto) is a place for asexuals [“Ontario Asexuals Challenge Assumptions,” xtra.ca, July 27]. The LGBT community, especially the gay male community, is all about sex. Would asexuals really be happy at Pride when so many people are expressing affection and behaving in a sexually charged manner?

Wouldn’t asexuals just get really, really depressed at Pride knowing that it’s a place where they don’t fit in at all?

Tom J Toronto, ON THE ASEXUAL COMMUNITY is providing a great service to us all by challenging our notions of “normal” sexuality. In an environment polarized by the male/ female dichotomy that creates the expectation we go about our days in perpetual arousal, it is brave of them to raise a voice of dissent.

They are telling us that if what we know of human sexuality comes from our single experience, the media, religion and science, then our knowledge is limited in that there is much we don’t know, and limiting in that we may be adhering to cultural norms that have no reason to be, preventing us from enjoying a fully human experience.

Genevieve Toronto, ON

Bi risks THIS ARTICLE SEEMS TO take the view that the trans community is in itself a separate sexuality. It is not [“The Risks of Being Bisexual,” xtra.ca, July 28]. For the umpteenth time, being trans is about gender identity and has nothing to do with sexual preference.

Many in the trans community are gay, lesbian, bi or straight, and the many of us who are bi don’t usually forget that part of our sexuality.

Davina Hader Toronto, ON

Dundonald homes ALL OF THESE HOUSES ARE in pristine condition, with energy efficiencies that exceed current building standards [“Historic Dundonald St Houses at Risk,” Xtra #724, July 26]. They’re also not particularly wealth-dependent: comparable homes in Rosedale would sell for roughly double the price. These homes are, in fact, ideal for families — something that is becoming more rare downtown. If put on the market as family homes, they would sell within a week (as most homes on this street do). And as [Councillor Kristyn] Wong-Tam points out, we have already far ex-

ceeded the densification levels that are appropriate for our city by two decades. At this point, the greed some of these dissenters are pointing to relates only to the developers who are hungry to build yet more concrete jungles for buyers that don’t exist and to the homeowners who want to make a quick buck. If greed is your value system, then I suppose that’s fine; but the neighbourhood here is mostly full of people who treasure our city and our heritage.

Serafin LaRiviere Toronto, ON

Caribana F I R S T O F F, I D O U B T reggae isn’t played in gay bars because they “don’t want the black people here,” [“DJ Blackcat Wants to Queer Caribana,” Xtra #724, July 26]. The music I prefer — rock, alternative, classics, some

comment I love the idea of us collective queers offering a Caribana space on our little geographic turf [“DJ Blackcat Wants to Queer Caribana,” Xtra #724, July 26]. I agree with Blackcat; there’s a long way to go in the queer community, though Pride has become more diverse and open since I moved here 15 years ago. But we can do better, so why not welcome Caribana to us. Maybe it can be the start of a mutual change for the better. Thanks for the article, Xtra.

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

heavy metal — isn’t played in gay bars or clubs either, but I suspect that has far more to do with gay bars/clubs playing music that a majority of their customers want to hear. Like it or not, reggae isn’t very popular amongst a majority of LGBTQ people. Of course some LGBTQ people love reggae, but apparently not enough or else it would get played. I do think it’d be a good idea to have a LGBTQ Caribana party on Church St; however, I think it’s something that should be an official part of Caribana instead of just an LGBTQ Caribbean party happening around the same time. It would make a statement of acceptance by the Caribbean community of LGBTQ people to have it as an

official Caribana event as well as providing a safe space for LGBTQ Caribbean Canadians to partake in Caribana as both LGBTQ folks and Caribbean Canadians at the same time. I imagine it could draw quite a crowd as well as help Caribbean LGBTQ folks feel more at home on Church St. Richard Reist Toronto, ON

Homeless gays ARE GAYS THE SAME AS queers [“Housing Experts Warn of Flaws in Mayor’s Homelessness Task Force,” Xtra #724, July 26]? Why does this headline say “gay homeless” and then write only about “queer” people? Are they now the same thing? Something different? Are homosexual males the same population as genderqueered?

Is LBGTQ perhaps such a huge label that no one knows who these people actually are? Maybe nothing gets done because so many have been lumped into such a sweeping label that it is impossible to deal with their smaller group-specific issues.

David Toronto, ON

Blowjobs IT IS ODD THAT A QUEER publication like Xtra would publish an article in which a woman tells gay men how to perform oral sex on a man [“Put Your Best Blowjob Forward,” xtra.ca, July 24]. I suspect there would be a lot of anger among Xtra’s lesbian readers if Xtra published an article in which a straight man tells lesbians how to perform oral sex on a woman.

Peter Toronto, ON

That’s so gay A LESBIAN FRIEND OF MINE once said, ‘‘Oh my god, that girl over there in the fedora is such a poser.’’ I think that’s the problem: posers [“Girls Who Are Boys Who Do Boys Like They’re Girls,” xtra. ca, July 17]. Too many struggling hipster artists and queer artists and genderqueer hipster artists that would never be accepted by any other group because their work tries way too hard and is so dull, tired and uninspired are flocking to our community. The man in photo: another hipster! Perhaps “challenging gender,” “challenging heteronormativity,” “challenging simplistic (mainstream) ideas of men and women,” “challenging this,” “challenging that” is a sign of weakness and insecurity? In real life, who blatantly challenges society and authority? Spoiled, immature, pretentious children and teenagers. That’s what these works come off as.

Mike Edmonton, AB

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noteworthy › updates › ephemera

Xcetera

Compiled by Jeremy Feist

THEN & NOW

If one has love in one’s heart, does it truly matter?

On July 20, 2012, the Jim Henson Company agreed with Miss Piggy’s earlier statement.

It responded to the homophobic owner of American fast-food chain Chick-fil-A: “The Jim Henson Company has celebrated and embraced diversity and inclusiveness for over 50 years and we have notified Chick-fil-A that we do not wish to partner with them on any future endeavors.

Lisa Henson, our CEO, is personally a strong supporter of gay marriage and has directed us to donate the payment we received from Chick-fil-A to GLAAD.”

– Miss Piggy, addressing criticism of her relationship with Kermit the Frog, Dec 23, 1993

XXX OLYMPIADS HAPPY MEALS

NY WEDDI WEDDINGS D NGS

Would you like

EQUAL RIGHTS

Gay athletess blamed for Grindr crash h

The Colonel

Wendy

Ronald McDonald

“Wait, seriously?

“Marriage is a Some of my best The Burger King sacred institution friends are gay! I mean, between one man, “[Incomprehensible look at Birdie: total hellish shrieks]” one woman and power lesbian. She’s 11 secret herbs like the Ellen of cheapand spices.” ass hamburgers.”

Tim Horton “When I said, ‘Rrrrrrroll up the rim to win,’ I wasn’t talking about coffee cups.”

“Oh my god, you guys, I love my gays!

For reals, they are just, like, super fun to be around.

I’m a total fag hag and everything!”

?

Who said twat ? ?

FAMOUS PEOPLE’S TWATS

High-school exams are unpleasant enough without having one of your teachers try to deny you entry because of what you wore that day. Unfortunately for 16-year-old transgender teen Ashlyn Parram, that’s what happened when she tried to take her GCSE exam. Thankfully, Parram didn’t take no for an answer. She printed off a copy of the UK Equality Act and handed it to her principal, proving he couldn’t prevent her from taking the test. Not only was this a kickass example of challenging bigotry, but it’s also the first-ever instance where a student demanded to take a test.

MATCH THE TWEET WITH THE TWEETER A) “My new sign says: Solicitors, please do not disturb. Leave your home address.

I will come to you at an inopportune time.”

B) “Aw man, on a plane with my dog Riley.

He has gas, I know everybody thinks it’s me.”

C) “Well, I’m wide awake in a Singapore hotel room at 3:47 am and I’ve lost my kindle. I’m about to start reading the room service menu.”

D) “On Skype with my mom and she won’t stop talking about Facebook. Dear Lord. She just got it.”

1. Jake Shears, Scissor Sisters @JakeShears 2. Wanda Sykes, actor/ comedian @IAmWandaSykes 3. Lucas Silveira, The Cliks @TheCliks 4. Nathan Fillion, actor @NathanFillion ANSWERS: A4, B2, C1, D3

TRANS TEEN SCHOOLS THE TEACHER

$259 million worth of $50 bills = 1,851 feet

POP QUIZ!

Queer people and their allies recently vowed to stop patronizing US fast-food chain Chick-fil-A after its owner, Dan Cathy, went on the record saying he opposes gay marriage.

Which is probably for the best, because fried chicken?

Seriously? Not heart-healthy. But what about other fast-food franchises? Where do their owners stand?

To find out, we talked to a few company mascots.

The Chrysler Building = 1,046 feet

So as it turns out, when they’re not busy pole-vaulting, certain Olympic athletes are out looking for a little (ahem) “pole-vaulting.” So much so that horny Olympiads were blamed for a worldwide crash of the gay hookup app Grindr. For 24 hours, gay men around the world were forced to do the unthinkable: actually communicate with people they were interested in sexually.

Forty-eight hours later, Grindr issued a statement saying the crash was a coincidence.

with that burger?

SHOW ME THE MONEY In its first year alone, marriage equality in New York has produced a whopping $259 million in economic benefits for the state. To help you picture how much money that is, consider this: if you stacked $259 million worth of $50 bills one on top of another, the amount of money raised by gay marriage would be 77 percent taller than New York City’s iconic Chrysler Building.

BREAKING NEWS › GORE VIDAL, 1925–2012 › FRIENDS FOR LIFE BIKE RALLY, DAY THREE › ONTARIO ASEXUALS CHALLENGE ASSUMPTIONS › REMEMBERING GUILDA › KATE REID IS NOT JUST DOING IT FOR THE CHICKS › VANCOUVER MAYOR WON’T ATTEND PRIDE MORE AT XTRA.CA

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

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dispatches › issues › opinion

Upfront NEWS

HARPER’S MORALISTIC AND CRIMINALIZING POLICIES ON DRUG USE AND OPPOSITION TO HARM REDUCTION ARE CREATING A PERFECT STORM FOR TO EXPLODE. Zoe Dodd › 11 HIV AND HEP C INFECTIONS INFECT LEGAL NEWS

Gay renters denied application in Brampton Rental agent instructed not to rent to gay people Andrea Houston A GAY COUPLE IS FILING A human rights complaint against a rental agent in Brampton after she denied them an apartment because the landlord does not want to rent the property to gay people.

After searching several weeks for an apartment, Thiago Derucio and his boyfriend, Chris Prentice, found a place using an agency called Rental Diva and called to book a time to look at the space.

When Prentice called, Juliet Stewart, the operator of Rental Diva, said the apartment was still available. When Stewart asked

SHE SAID, ‘MY CLIENT DOESN’T LIKE GAY PEOPLE, AND WE HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO DECIDE WHO LIVES IN THE APARTMENT AND WHO DOESN’T.’ — Thiago Derucio who would be renting it, Prentice replied that he’d be living there with his partner.

“She said, ‘You and your partner. What does that mean? Are you gay?’” Derucio says. “So he said yes.”

Stewart then told Prentice that the landlord explicitly said the apartment should not be rented to gay couples, and she ended the call.

Once the shock wore off, Derucio says, he called back. “I was pissed and hurt. So I called her back.

“When I asked if she is denying apartments to gay people, she said, ‘That’s right. My client doesn’t like gay people, and we have every right to decide who lives in the apartment and who doesn’t.’”

When Derucio reminded her there are protections in the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) to ensure landlords can’t discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, “She said, ‘Don’t go all gay rights on me. Get off my phone.’ Then she hung up the phone on me.”

Derucio says he and Prentice plan to file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal.

Stewart confirms that she dis-

criminated against the couple, noting that she was only “protecting” Prentice and Derucio from a homophobic landlord. It was “too risky” for a gay couple to live in that apartment, she says.

“My clients are exempt [from the OHRC] because they are Seventh-day Adventists. They’re religious. That’s their religion,” Stewart says. “They told me that they don’t want [gay people].”

Stewart says it’s not her place to “push [homosexuality] down their throats” and she doesn’t want to risk losing the client. “If I said anything, the client would get angry,” she says. “I don’t want to lose my contract with them for going against what they said they didn’t want.”

Barbara Hall, chief commissioner of the OHRC, says a human rights complaint is very serious and could result in damages paid to the complainant.

“The code applies to all rental housing arrangements,” she says. “Housing providers offering rental opportunities to the public need to do so in a non-discriminatory way.”

Hall says the complaint could be directed at both the landlord and Rental Diva. “An agent can’t rely on the fact that they’ve been told to breach the code. That doesn’t let them off the hook.

They’re liable, as is the landlord.”

Once a complaint is filed, the agent and the landlord would have to submit a defence. Some cases go through a long process, others are settled along the way, Hall says. “Often when people realize how clear the law is, and realize that they really don’t have a defence, they settle it.”

If it goes to a hearing at the tribunal and the agent and landlord are found to have discriminated, they could be ordered to pay damages or take a course on human rights.

The OHRC regularly hears complaints about landlords discriminating against gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans people. So many that in 2011, the OHRC published a housing policy to highlight that section of the code.

“Fifty years ago, one of the motivators for the code in the first place was because landlords put signs outside of apartments saying, ‘No Jews,’ ‘No blacks.’

You don’t see those anymore, but there is still discrimination,” Hall says.

JUSTICE DELAYED “I can’t go back to my country; I’ll be killed,” Ugandan refugee claimant Leatitia Nanziri told Xtra July 31. At press time Nanziri, who is a lesbian, had just learned that she and her two young children can remain in the country while she appeals a federal deportation order.

For more on this story, visit xtra.ca.

HEALTH

Ontario study seeks bisexual participants Bradley Turcotte IN OUR COMMUNITY, GAY AND LESBIAN individuals sometimes forget there is a “B” in the blanket acronym used to describe queers. Many bisexuals say they are often marginalized by the notion that bisexuality doesn’t exist and is just a stopover on the route to gay-town.

With this in mind, the Risk and Resilience study has been launched by the Re:searching for LGBTQ Health team in conjunction with the Canadian Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH).

The goal of this community-based research project is to uncover how prevalent issues such as depression, addiction and anxiety are in the bisexual community; look at what support services exist for bisexuals; and explore what types of discrimination those who love both men and women experience.

The Risk and Resilience study was born from pilot research compiled by Lori Ross and her team. Ross’s study conducted semi-structured focus groups with 55 bisexuals around Ontario and highlighted the impact biphobia and monosexism (the belief that someone can be attracted to only one gender) have on mental health.

Ross’s study found that in addition to discrimination, people who identify as bisexual report that they often receive

sub-standard care from health-service providers and that they are constantly told they are not actually bisexual.

“Someone might go to a counsellor for depression and get told that if they accepted that they were really gay or lesbian, and not bisexual, then their depression would go away,” Margaret Robinson, project manager of the study, says. “Family members didn’t always support bisexuality, even if they were gay-positive, and same-sex partners pressured us to identify as gay or lesbian.”

Robinson, who is bisexual, has helmed the Risk and Resilience project since 2010. She has years of experience with queer organizations and previously facilitated the Bi Women of Toronto group and the Toronto Bisexual Network. In addition, she has coordinated the Dyke March and helped organize the ninth International BiCon, and she is a director of the Toronto Bisexuality Education Project.

“That experience helped me assemble a great advisory committee for this project. We’ve got 11 bisexuals from around Ontario whose experience and advice have guided the project through every stage,” she says.

One such member of the advisory committee is notable Ottawa drag performer Zelda Marshall. Marshall became involved with the Risk and Resilience study after completing and

promoting the Trans Pulse Project survey, a similar initiative by the CAMH, and was then asked to join the advisory committee for the current study.

“When I am feeling particularly provocative, which is most of the time, I tell people in fact that I identify as a ‘GB’ — greedy bitch. Yes, I want it all, including the freedom to love either sex,” Marshall says with a laugh.

“Even today, I still have friends who swear me to secrecy when they come out to me as bi,” Marshall says. “Hopefully, this survey, and particularly awareness of the interest of the needs of bisexuals as being distinct from either heteros or homos, will reduce some of that stigma.”

There are still plenty of spots available in the Risk and Resilience study; however, to be included, you must know someone who has already taken part. Through this respondent-driven sampling, participants of the study can recruit up to 10 other bisexuals to join the study.

Robinson points out that bisexual people aren’t as socially networked as the transgender community, and the recruitment chain has been slow to take off. There are 900 tickets in circulation, and Robinson encourages bisexuals who do want to participate to tell their friends they would like tickets.

For more information, visit lgbtqhealth.ca.

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Taking stock following the 19th International AIDS Conference in Washington Tim McCaskell “MEDICALLY AND SCIENTIFICALLY, nothing spectacular,” said Dr Philip Berger over the phone from Washington toward the end of the 19th International AIDS Conference, held July 22 to 29.

It was perhaps this lack of hard news that made the major story coming out of the conference that of Timothy Ray Brown, the “Berlin Patient.” Brown, who had leukemia, went through the dangerous, last-resort procedure of first having his immune system wiped out with chemotherapy, then getting a bone marrow transplant to reboot it. The procedure also managed to kill off his HIV. That’s not exactly practical for those of us living with the virus.

Brown was very lucky to survive it. As well, for anyone who has been paying attention, this was old news; Brown spoke about his experience in Toronto at the Ontario HIV Treatment Network research conference back in 2011.

So does all this mean the conference was a flop? I didn’t go this time, but I’ve been at the last three, and I’ve heard the grumbling: it’s increasingly about photo ops for stars and politicians; it’s just a PR and advertising moment for big pharma; it’s a playground for activists; if there is a medical breakthrough, nobody waits for a conference; it’s all over the web in minutes; it’s a colossal waste of money that could be better spent elsewhere.

On the other hand, my inbox has been filled with reports from AIDS Action Now and others. They denounced US immigration rules that prevented sex workers and drug users from getting to Washington and wrapped the Canadian booth with yellow caution tape labelled “Harper Government — Evidence Free Zone.”

Then there were the images of Berger being hustled away by a burly security guard after he confronted Minister of Health Leona Aglukkaq about federal government cuts to health services for refugees; the massive “We Can End AIDS” march to the White House demanding economic justice and human rights, including a “Tobin tax” on financial transactions to pay for global health; and Aglukkaq again, this time framed by a huge banner declaring “Harm Reduction = Life,” as Canadian activists turn their backs on her speech at the regional session.

While some complain that the “decline” of scientific and medical news shows that the conferences are becoming less relevant, I would argue that it reflects a deeper shift in what is relevant in ending AIDS. When we seized the stage at the fifth International AIDS Conference in Montreal in 1989, we needed medicines to keep us alive. Today we have medicines that (imperfectly) do that, but around the world, people continue to die. We know how to keep people well. We just don’t do it. Medical science grinds on, producing its incremental knowledge, but increasingly, social issues are coming to the fore as key to ending the epidemic.

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Activists wrapped the Canadian booth with yellow caution tape labelled “Harper Government — Evidence Free Zone.”

Even at the conference-opening session, which featured luminaries such as Anthony Fauci and Hillary Clinton, it was pointed out that we already possess the tools necessary to end the epidemic. And the talk about finding a cure that used the Berlin Patient as a springboard was more about marshalling the political will and resources to speed up research than about research itself.

So it isn’t surprising that Dr Eric Mykhalovskiy was more upbeat. He’s a sociology professor at York University, and much of his recent work has focused on criminalization of HIV. “AIDS 2012 saw the emergence of a global movement against the criminalization of HIV. We had a fabulous meeting organized by Edwin Bernard, with activists from Canada, US, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, England and elsewhere sharing for the first time political and other strategies for stopping the criminalization of HIV nondisclosure.”

AIDS Action Now’s Alex McClelland said he found the conference “quite inspiring for once.” He noted the development of a critique of the acronym MSM, more attention paid to gay men, and more talk about how homophobia is driving the epidemic. He was also happy to see indigenous people’s issues much more present, with the firstever main conference session bringing together indigenous leaders on HIV from Australia, Canada, Chile, Mexico and other countries, and an “amazing” Decolonize HIV networking zone.

If many of the key issues about AIDS have now shifted from the medical to the social, activism represents the political muscle to actually demand implementation. Conferences have become an opportunity to hold governments accountable and embarrass them on an international stage when they screw up. When AIDS Action Now chanted, “Harper Equals Death” and wrapped the Canadian booth in caution tape, when activists interrupted

Aglukkaq’s speech, they were conveying an important message about the implications of government policies and undermining the rigid Harper party line that everything is just fine in Canada.

“Harper’s agenda is to dismantle our country’s health and social safety net. His moralistic and criminalizing policies on drug use and opposition to harm reduction are creating a perfect storm for HIV and hep C infections to explode,” explained Zoe Dodd, a harm-reduction activist and member of AIDS Action Now. The other major buzz that built since the last conference in Vienna was talk about “Treatment = Prevention.”

Those of us under successful anti-viral treatment are largely uninfectious. So the idea is that the spread of HIV can be stopped if everyone is on treatment.

But Dr Alan Li, known for his frontline HIV work among immigrants in Toronto, pointed out it’s not nearly that simple: “The treatment-as-prevention bandwagon has left the station and is proceeding full force, with very limited analysis and discussion on the feasibility, practicality or ethical implications of its implementation. The increasing emphasis on biotechnical/biomedical interventions for prevention versus behavioural/educational approaches brings both promise and huge warning signs to the frontline.” Thanks to Washington, that questioning has begun. Medical science must listen to social science.

Since the emergence of AIDS activism in the late 1980s, we’ve always known the path to ending AIDS was as much political as scientific and medical. And as medical science has advanced, policy decisions about how that knowledge gets deployed — as well as the social science research that should inform those decisions and political pressure by activists to see them implemented — have become even more crucial. That’s what AIDS conferences increasingly need to be about.

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FEATURE

Del Newbigging created Canada’s only statue to a gay pioneer

TRUETO

FORM

Serafin LaRiviere Photos by Adam Coish The best artist has that thought alone, Which is contained within the marble shell; The sculptor’s hand can only break the spell To free the figures slumbering in the stone – Michelangelo

L

IFE IS A LITTLE LIKE SCULPTURE. We chip away at its surface, hoping to leave an indelible mark that will give testimony to our little moments of existence, to show future generations that we lived, with the hope that our contributions will somehow persevere long after we’ve passed from memory.

Del Newbigging has spent his life making such marks, both metaphorically and literally. In a city where public art is, at best, acknowledged with a distracted nod or the occasional tourist photo op, Newbigging’s most recent statue was unveiled to a rapturous crowd of hundreds and a flood of media fanfare that spread from Toronto clear across to the United Kingdom.

The piece in question was, of course, the statue of Alexander Wood that now stands proudly at the corner of Church and Maitland streets. Cast in solid bronze with a beautiful green patina, Newbigging’s tribute to one of Toronto’s earliest (purportedly) gay men is that rarity of urban sculpture: classic, accessible and aesthetically pleasing. Its lifelike, intricate detail stands apart from the more freeform modern pieces that dot our city’s landscape, leaving no question that it was sculpted at the height of its creator’s artistic powers.

“We’re not sure what he looked like,” says Newbigging, whose only historical source was an antique silhouette of Alexander Wood. “I picked up his bow tie and ponytail from his silhouette, and from the silhouette I could see that he had a flower in his lapel. He was a dandy.”

Newbigging also added personal touches to his creation, including a nod to another famous Canadian dandy. “On my Alexander Wood the flower is a rose, and that’s my tribute to Pierre Elliott Trudeau and all the good he did for gay people.”

In another cheeky move, Newbigging used his husband John’s derriere as a model for the plaque illustrating Wood’s notorious inspections on the

statue’s base. It’s become somewhat of a lucky charm for passersby, whose penchant for rubbing the rounded globes have left the sumptuous cheeks smooth and bright. “You rub them before a date so you get lucky,” Newbigging chuckles.

That the statue stands at all is a tribute to both Newbigging and the team that championed its creation. It took the combined efforts of then-BIA members Kristyn Wong-Tam, Dennis O’Connor and Brandon Matheson to secure the permission and funding for the undertaking, while Newbigging did double duty as both artist and project manager. Wong-Tam (now city councillor for Ward 27) was deeply impressed by the sculptor’s passion for the project.

“Del Newbigging’s legacy in Toronto’s gay community is literally set not in stone, but rather in a cast of bronze,” she says. “His meticulous planning and confident execution of Canada’s only monument to a gay pioneer will forever stand proudly over the Church and Wellesley Village.

We have Del to thank for this superb contribution to the community.”

Given the colourful and naughty history surrounding Ward 27’s most infamous son, Wood was an inspired choice for commemoration.

Originally hailing from bonnie Scotland, Wood settled in Toronto (then called York) in 1797, opening one of the first mercantile businesses in the city and quickly gaining a reputation as a civic-minded citizen. He was what one would call a “warm” man of the times: a confirmed bachelor of means with friends in high places, serving as lieutenant in the York Militia and as a magistrate and commissioner of the Court of Requests.

It was during his tenure as magistrate that the incident that would ensure his place in history occurred. The year was 1810, and Wood had just received a complaint from a woman named Mrs Robinson, who claimed she had been raped by an unknown assailant. The victim confided that she had managed to scratch her assailant’s genitalia during the act, sending Wood on a phallic witch-hunt for justice. The magistrate rounded up several local suspects, instructing them to drop trou for his personal inspection of their private parts.

Once word got around about Wood’s unorthodox (some might say inspired) investigation, tongues began to wag, and speculation about the bachelor’s sexuality became a matter of public discourse. Humiliated, Wood fled to his homeland, spending the next two years on Scottish soil before returning to his life in Canada.

A small version of the Alexander Wood statue.

He purchased 50 acres of land, a plot that included what is now known as the gay village but was then largely untamed wilderness. While Wood was able to resume the life that had been sidetracked by the scandal, his reputation was in tatters. Local wags dubbed his newly acquired land Molly Wood’s bush, the word “molly” being slang for homosexual back in the day.

In spite of this, Wood still contributed to his adopted city, serving on the executive of many of York’s social clubs and maintaining the high profile of a successful businessman and landowner.

Indeed, when he died at the age of 72, the British Colonist paper dubbed him one of the city’s “most respected inhabitants.”

But the rumours about his infamous inspections lingered, lending a delicious irony to the area’s development as one of the continent’s most famous homes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans culture. It’s amazing to think that the land so pilloried by Wood’s detractors is now an internationally recognized safe haven for gay men.

There were some who didn’t — and don’t — accept Wood’s original claim about the rape victim, believing that the magistrate cooked up the idea as a scheme to get into the pants of local lads.

Newbigging isn’t one of them.

“For sure I think it’s true,” he says. “When we were bringing in the sculpture by crane, I asked the policemen who were directing the traffic what they would have done if a woman came to them and said she’d been raped and that she’d scratched the genitals of the rapist. They said they would have done exactly the same as magistrate Alexander Wood did. They would have hauled in young people and they would have looked for the scratches.”

The statue took a relatively short time to realize, given the oodles of red tape that generally wraps itself around any civic project that exceeds the scale of, say, changing a light bulb.

That’s largely thanks to Newbigging’s tenacity as project manager.

“I worked with a great person at city hall,” he says. “It took six months to get all the permits out of city hall, and that’s fast.”

From start to finish, the project was clearly a labour of love. Newbigging’s face lights up when he talks about his statue, as it does when he offers a tour of his works that decorate the home he shares with husband, John. A collection of paintings, statues and medals are proof of the

more at xtra.ca

XTRA! AUG 9, 2012

Here and below, some examples of Newbigging’s work.

Newbigging poses with his statue of Alexander Wood at Church and Alexander streets.

Newbigging with John, his partner of 32 years.

Newbigging in his studio.

prolific artist’s output, and indicative of his proficiency in several mediums. He may currently be best known for the Wood statue but doesn’t lay claim to any one discipline as his favourite, feeling equally at home with sketching, painting, sculpting and even writing children’s books.

This passion for art has its roots in Newbigging’s upbringing on a farm in Listowel, Ontario.

The elder Newbiggings may not have been formally trained in the arts, but creativity abounded in their homey farmhouse.

“My mother was always doing needlework and making quilts,” Newbigging remembers.

“My father taught me how to embroider. I think that’s beautiful.”

Sculpting came naturally to the budding young artist, and he loved mucking about with the clay mixture that teachers whipped up using asbestos powder (eek!) and water. “Oh, we all did it,” Newbigging laughs. “We had no idea about asbestos back then.”

His studies took him on to teachers’ college in Stratford — a move inspired more by practicality than an ambition to teach children. “It was just an escape,” Newbigging says. “What did I want to do? Dig post holes in a farm?” But despite this

tepid entry into the profession, he taught for 35 years and has many fond memories of the kids who passed through his classrooms. “I was burnt out. I was sorry to leave the students, but it really was time to go.”

Still, they were fruitful years for Newbigging the artist, as he began to spread his creative wings. He entered his pieces into shows and competitions, honing his skills and meeting other artists, like sculptor and mentor Dora de Pédery-Hunt. Like so many artists, this transition to so-called “legitimate art” was a tricky one to navigate.

“I started to be a little more confident saying I was an artist rather than a teacher,” Newbigging says. “It took me a while to get over that hurdle.”

It was also during this time that Newbigging married a fellow artist and went on to father two children. Their marriage lasted 14 years, until Newbigging came out as a gay man. The two remain close friends despite this revelation and have blended their family with the one Newbigging has created with John, his partner of 32 years.

“There were a few rough patches when I figured out that I was not straight, and she really

helped me,” he says. “We have all our celebrations, birthdays, Thanksgiving and Easter together. It’s always Eva, John and I and the kids and the grandkids, and it’s really great.”

It’s also been a huge support and comfort for the artist, who was diagnosed with cancer back in May. Sadly, it’s terminal.

“I have brain cancer, lung cancer and bone cancer,” Newbigging states calmly. “It’s just going to be too difficult to fight. I talked to my doctors and said, ‘Okay, so you’ve got this guy in front of you and he’s full of cancer. What do you think his chances are of living?’ And they looked at me and said, ‘What do you think?’ I said, ‘Well, I think probably two weeks to six months.’ The one doctor said, ‘Yes, you’re correct,’ but the other said he thought two weeks was too short.

Maybe six months.”

He’s admirably serene when talking about the end of his life. Days are spent with John in their home, often entertaining friends and family who drop by. He’s in close contact with his son Joe, a lawyer, and his daughter Martha, a respected children’s book illustrator. Radiation treatments are keeping the more troublesome tumours at bay, but a palliative care team has begun to map

out the final months of his life in regard to pain management and comfort. Despite this, Newbigging seems quite at peace, untroubled by fears of his death. “It’s everybody’s destination,” he says. “Just get me there without too much pain.”

Perhaps it’s his long life of achievement and the knowledge that the breadth and scale of his work have earned him accolades and a place in history.

Or maybe it’s the loving family he cherishes, who have gathered so closely to see him off on his final journey. Whatever the reason, Newbigging’s philosophical approach to dying is both heartbreakingly brave and magnificently inspiring.

“I’ve been lucky, really lucky,” he says with a smile. “Like Edith says, ‘Je ne regrette rien.’ I’ve done a bunch of wonderful stuff, surrounded by lovely people. It’s time for me to get on with the trip.”

You can learn more about Newbigging’s life and work at delnewbigging.com, or just wander down to the Church Wellesley Village to see his statue of Alexander Wood. And when you do, make sure to pat John’s bum for luck.

Check out xtra.ca for a video interview with Newbigging.

13

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XTRA! AUG 9, 2012

EUTHANASIA

TECH NEWS

A civilized death

New app aims to connect women

Fraser’s Edge Brad Fraser

Lauryn Kronick

of painful, disďŹ guring and disgusting ways people can die.

This is why I believe in legalized euthanasia for those who have the mental and physical capacity to make this decision for themselves. Like anything else, there is the potential for abuse, particularly with the elderly and disabled, so there must be safeguards in place to protect such people, but that’s no excuse for stopping those who can make a choice from doing what they want with their lives — or deaths.

The state has no business legislating what adults can or cannot do with their bodies, and the religious have no right to impose their morality on anyone else.

As a gay man with no children, I am keenly aware that should I become too incapacitated to care for myself properly later in life there will not be a lot of resources available to help me. The idea of being in a situation where I can’t care for myself, for whatever reason, is one of the worst I can imagine. So I’ve made it clear in my will that no heroic efforts should be made to sustain my life if the situation is too hopeless, and, more importantly, I’ve had a long talk with someone I love and trust about my wishes should I ever end up in an untenable situation.

I hope, if and when that happens, we live in a civilized enough society for a physician to ease me out of my pain in a humane and professional manner because people should not be forced to kill those they love. It’s just not civilized.

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AS MANY SMALL-TOWN GAYS AND lesbians know, finding other members of your community is not easy.

With apps like Grindr, gay men have an easier time meeting and cruising each other.

After speaking with other lesbians in her network, Krysten Milne realized she didn’t know of any similar app for women, so she decided to create one and called it Girldar. Milne, a marketing consultant who is president of her own company, Mint Consulting Group, hails from Sarnia, Ontario — whose gay scene, especially for women, is hardly comparable to Toronto’s. “When I was talking with other [queer] girls, I came to the realization that there was no app out there for allowing us, in this community, to connect with each other on a locationbased platform,� she says. “It was a spur-of-the-moment type of decision to make the app, and as a member of the queer community I wanted to get this program out there.�

Although Milne’s company is based

Remembering the Holocaust on Grindr Justin Ling YOU M I G H T NOT I M M E DIAT E LY recognize Berlin’s Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. But you might soon be seeing it on Grindr, if Zion Afuta and Boris Cukierman have their way.

It seems that the grey slabs of the memorial are a prime location for guys to take their Grindr display pictures.

No one may have been the wiser to the trend were it not for Afuta and Cukierman. The two started a blog, called Totem and Taboo, in 2011 to compile the pictures. They did not respond to requests for comment.

The site captures instances of guys using the memorial in their Grindr images, framing it as a queer commemoration of the Holocaust. “Remembering those who cannot text anymore,â€? reads one blog, featuring ďŹ t 20-something Schulle1986 leaning against one of the pillars, shooting a steely glance into the distance. “In an age when ignorance is prevalent [sic] than ever,â€? reads the blog, “[Grindr] has wowed its members in

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in Sarnia, GirlDar can be used internationally, acting as an integrated Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare application that allows users to “shout out� to each other, check in and connect with others in the same location, and add friends. Milne says GirlDar is not designed to be a cruising or dating app; she wants mainly to connect queer women for networking and friendship purposes.

A post from Totem and Taboo.

relentlessly promoting the memory of the Holocaust.�

The blog has garnered a spectrum of responses — everything from confusion, to disgust, to acclaim and praise.

For more on these stories, visit xtra.ca.

West end prepares for Queer Arts fest

Viens vivre une expĂŠrience inoubliable :

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Krysten Milne says queer women are looking for an app to help them connect, especially in smaller towns.

ARTS & CULTURE

COR-12-070

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RECENTLY HAD THREE EXPERiences that dredged up memories of the early AIDS crisis. I sat on a panel with long-time activist — and genius — Sarah Schulman and watched two documentaries: the excellent Vito, about the life, times and death of noted activist and critic Vito Russo, creator of the book The Celluloid Closet; and a PBS Frontline doc about AIDS in black America.

Like many people of my generation, this is not a trip I enjoy taking. The recalling of fear, grief and anger is still too raw and fresh despite nearly 30 years of living in the ever-evolving plague. This sometimes makes it easy to forget that, while the HIV virus has had so many negative effects on the world, the emergency it created in the queer community also effected some positive change.

Certainly our sense of community and caring for one another was enhanced by the battles we fought, while the efforts of ACT UP changed the way the entire Western world now looks at drug testing and effective medical campaigning.

Another change far less discussed is the way AIDS made those of us who were experiencing the crisis ďŹ rsthand aware of the need for merciful euthanasia in the cases of people with extreme

sickness, debility or pain.

I know a number of people who had pacts with lovers/friends/family to take care of business when things got to the point where the sick person’s situation became too much for him or her to bear. One very close friend used a hospital pillow to smother his best friend when that friend’s entreaties to help him die became so desperate there was really no other choice. We were both in our early 30s at the time. Within a year I would be at this same friend’s bedside as his lover held his hand and his family stood watch while he slipped out of this world, unlike the friend he had killed, relatively pain free. We had no death pact, but I often wonder if we had, would I have been able to go through with it?

You have only to look into the eyes of someone who’s actually done this thing to realize how great a toll it takes.

It stays with you forever. Mentally healthy people have an innate instinct to preserve life at all costs. To kill someone else, even in the most trying of circumstances, is to also kill some part of one’s self.

And yet there is nothing more soul destroying than to watch someone in physical or mental anguish suffer with no possible hope of relief. And, without going into too much graphic detail, trust me when I say people who dealt with those dying of AIDS in the ďŹ rst decade and a half of the crisis quickly learned there are an endless number

JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT TORONTO’S best queer summer festivals were all over for another year, organizers are revving up preparations ahead of the Toronto Queer Arts and Culture Festival’s 12th year.

The festival runs from Aug 10 to 18; events will be held at various venues along Queen and Dundas streets in the west end.

This year’s theme is United in Difference. Organizers hope the festival will raise awareness about queer issues in the city.

New this year is a community fair

and artist craft show, and the festival’s social-change forum, Youth Unconference, is being reintroduced.

This year also marks the ďŹ rst time the festival will venture into the Church Wellesley Village.

A one-day event when it began in 2001, the festival has expanded to take place over nine days. “This year will be the largest yet,� says Matthew Drobnich, festival vice-president and secretary. “We are teaming up with great people who are offering their service and talents.�

For a schedule of festival activities, visit xtra.ca.

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arts › entertainment › leisure

Out City IN THE

ON STAGE

WITH COMMERCIAL DESIGN, YOU REALLY TRY TO CAPITALIZE ON THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON’T KNOW. SO YOU’RE KIND OF TRYING TO TRICK THEM. Sheila Sampath ›19

ON DISPLAY

Merry wanderer appreciates small-town stages After years in rural theatres, Mark Crawford has stopped for a Midsummer break in Toronto Chris Dupuis IF YOU CATCH MARK CRAWFORD in Toronto, consider yourself lucky.

Though the lanky thespian has been treading the boards steadily since graduating from the University of Toronto eight years ago, his resumé reads like an inventory of small-town Canada.

“Great theatre doesn’t only happen in big cities,” he says. “Actors are always thankful when someone offers us a job, though some people are particularly attached to their urban life. But for me, working out

While Crawford lives in Toronto, he prefers acting in small centres.

in the country just feels like coming home.”

Crawford has a natural affinity for all things rural. Raised on a beef farm outside Glencoe, Ontario, he whet his theatrical appetite with musicals at Grand Bend’s Huron County Playhouse.

“I don’t remember how I found out that plays existed, but I was asking for tickets to shows for my birthdays and Christmas every year as long as I can remember,” he says. “Looking back at my family and the place I grew up, there’s no reason why I would want to be an actor. People talk about the acting bug, so maybe I got bitten by something.”

Though he appreciates a job he can bike to (like his upcoming role in Studio 180’s remount of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart at Buddies this fall), the passion of country theatregoers is a thrill.

“We have a tendency to think of small-town audiences as less so-

phisticated, but that’s not my experience,” he says. “Some of the regional theatres across the country have been around as long as Toronto’s major players. Canada has a huge theatre culture that people miss out on if they assume everything that’s good happens south of Eglinton.”

This summer will see Crawford spend an unusually long span in Toronto, while performing A Midsummer Night’s Dream in High Park.

CanStage’s annual offering, now in its 30th year, sees actors playing Shakespeare under the open sky.

“Performing Shakespeare outdoors feels like you’re really getting back to its roots in terms of accessibility and the spirit of fun,” Crawford says. “People often bring a picnic with them, and there are kids running around the whole time. We had a dog run up onstage last night unexpectedly, and racoons have been known to appear. Not every actor is built for working outdoors, but for me it feels like the most natural thing in the world.”

Director Richard Rose reimagines the script in contemporary Toronto. Crawford’s character, Francis Flute (one of the Mechanicals, a troupe of actors performing the play within the play), is redubbed Francis Filchenkov, a Russian immigrant bristling with machismo who clashes with his company when he’s assigned the female role.

“I’ve played a lot of characters that are really different from me, and over the course of the show I always develop a certain affection for them,” Crawford says. “It’s an interesting parallel with this role, because it’s also about an actor who’s uncomfortable with his character initially but gradually embraces it. The process helps him shed these layers of his personality, transforming him into the person he actually is.”

the deets A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM High Park Amphitheatre 1873 Bloor St W Tues–Sun at 8pm; gate opens at 6pm Runs until Sept 2 PWYC (suggested donation $20) canadianstage.com

At the Same Time features photos

by Steven Beckly.

STEVEN BECKLY

CONCOMITANT

CONNECTIONS Exhibit explores intimacy of gay relationships Carolyn Yates At the Same Time, a new exhibit at the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, features the work of six gay photographers from three different parts of the world and speaks to the synchronicity and richness of queer life.

Photographers — and couples — Steven Beckly and Dylan MacNeil, Ted Kerr and Zachary Ayotte, and Colin Quinn and Oisín Share found each other on Flickr in 2009 when online representations of gay relationships were scarcer than they are today.

“Pictures of gay guys having sex weren’t rare, but gay guys eating toast and giving each other haircuts and loving each other — those pictures you really had to look for. I think we were all drawn to each other because of that intimacy and the fact that we weren’t afraid to be in an online space, and there was something brave about that in a pre-tumblr and baby-Facebook world,” Beckly says.

At the Same Time previously appeared in Edmonton, curated by Kerr and Ayotte (who lived there at the time), and Manchester, UK, curated

by Quinn and Share, in 2010. The Toronto exhibition, curated by Beckly and MacNeil, will feature a significant amount of new work along with a shift in perspective: two of the three couples are no longer together.

“This show is very different from

our last two shows,” Beckly says. “Zach and Ted are no longer together, and recently Colin and Oisín have decided to go their separate ways. You can’t help but read their work differently and with greater depth and heaviness after knowing this.”

The ways queer people appear online have also changed, something Kerr says has affected his work.

“It’s totally changed, and it’s totally impacted my work,” Kerr says. “For me, it was interesting to see [everyone’s] work evolve. Tumblr’s a great example.

When I started seeing tumblr, and my feed was full of naked white guys . . . my work in some way is in direct opposition to that work and tries to express different aspects of what it means to be queer.”

At the Same Time will open alongside the launch of a self-published companion book of the same name, which features essays by artist AA Bronson, photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya and artist and writer Sholem Krishtalka.

The exhibition will also be accompanied by a reading of Sarah Schulman’s Ties That Bind, with Schulman, Farzana Doctor and Shani Mootoo.

“That programming is as vital as the photography,” Kerr says. “Queerness is so much about embodiment and the lived experience, and so having Sarah Schulman in Toronto and having her read with Farzana Doctor and Shani Mootoo further explores these ideas

GAY GUYS EATING TOAST AND GIVING EACH OTHER HAIRCUTS AND LOVING EACH OTHER — THOSE PICTURES YOU REALLY HAD TO LOOK FOR. —photographer Steven Beckly in terms of queer life — at any moment for any queer person, so much is going on. Maybe you’re having the romance of your life, but politically there’s other things going on.”

the deets AT THE SAME TIME Fri, Aug 10–Sat, Sept 22 Book launch Fri, Aug 10 at 7:30pm A curator’s tour and reading from Sarah Schulman’s Ties That Bind, with Schulman, Farzana Doctor and Shani Mootoo Sat, Aug 11 at 4pm Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives 34 Isabella St clga.ca

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

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ART & PHOTOGRAPHY At the Same Time The Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives presents an international touring exhibition of local and international queer photographers.

Featuring Zachary Ayotte, Steven Beckly, Colin Quinn and others.

Runs Fri, Aug 10â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sat, Sept 22, various showtimes. Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives, 34 Isabella St. Free. clga.ca

Charlie Katz: A Memorial Exhibition This survey of the late AIDS activist and celebrated artist showcases an impressive selection of abstract paintings. Runs till Sat, Aug 11.

Paul Petro Contemporary Art, 980 Queen St W. Free. paulpetro.com

HEALTH & ISSUES Legit Accessible legal counsel for samesex couples immigrating to Canada.

Tap into the community and access useful resources. Thurs, Aug 9, 7â&#x20AC;&#x201C;10pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org

Emerge A welcoming, intimate group setting that explores the great divide between stress and Zen, its challenges and how to close the gap. Fri, Aug 10, 6pm. The 519 Community Centre, 519 Church St. Free. the519.org

Running Group Pump up your kicks and join this group for a weekly ďŹ ve-kilometre run. Sweat your ass oďŹ&#x20AC;, beat the heat and get active. Limited spaces available. Sun, Aug 12, 9am. Church St Public School, 83 Alexander St. Free. getoutcanada.com

50 Shades of Play Gaia Morrissette hosts an erotic literary event that bridges kinky fantasy with execution.

Devour the novel in advance and come prepared with questions and confessions. Sun, Aug 12, 5:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30pm. Come As You Are, 493 Queen St W. $25, sliding scale available. comeasyouare.com

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

Sat, Aug 18, 4pm. Community of Christ Church, 1443 Bathurst St. $35. getoutcanada.com

Sunday BBQ Dirty Birds Softball Club gets doggy for this weekly barbecue.

Soak up the sun, browse ShockRa Bear fashion and accessories, and deepthroat a wiener or two. Sun, Aug 19, 3â&#x20AC;&#x201C;9pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. Free. blackeagletoronto.com

Drop-In for LGBTQ Newcomers

PRINT & READINGS Stephen Mateo

An inclusive and social event for newcomers to connect, converse and access community. Light dinner provided. Tues, Aug 14, 5:30â&#x20AC;&#x201C;7:30pm. Access Alliance, 3079 Danforth Ave. Free. accessalliance.ca/lgbtq

The gay actor and writer discusses his most recent novel, Journey, which explores the Canadian economy and its relation to our American neighbours. Sun, Aug 12, noon. Chapters Indigo, 2901 Bayview Ave, #132. Free.

LEISURE & PLEASURE Surge Women and Trans Party

MUSIC Las Krudas

Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Kinky Women and Trans Community celebrates the launch of their ďŹ rst-ever event at the Eagle with Lamalani, Tarna and Bootblack Q. Women and trans people only. Fri, Aug 10, 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. Free. blackeagletoronto.com

The female hip-hop group brings its brand of Latin rhymes and attitude to the stage with Amasonica Sound Force. A show not to be missed. Thurs, Aug 16, 9pm. Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St W. $25, $20 advance. lula.ca â&#x20AC;ş continued on page 20

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NEIGHBOURHOOD From left, Natalia Saavedra, Sheila Sampath and Rocio Velasquez hard at work in The Public Studio. CARMEN CHEUNG

Going Public Local designer puts progress ahead of profits Katie Toth SHEILA SAMPATH WENT INTO COMmercial design knowing she was going to hate it. But in the end, she says, it all worked out because her program provided her with the tools to create The Public Studio, the lefty design company of her dreams.

From the clean lines in its office to its pink-and-white website, The Public looks kind of like your typical ad firm.

But there’s one major difference: it “specializes in changing the world.”

Even if you haven’t heard of it, you’re probably surrounded by its work.

Temporary tattoos promoting Pap tests for trans guys? A brightly coloured website about how to quit smoking? A photo campaign featuring a fabulous crew of queer South Asians? If not-forprofit design and PSAs have gotten remarkably more fun in this city, Sampath and The Public are the ones to thank.

The project was only an idea in the back of her head until Sampath realized that, after years of activism, she was burnt out. She wanted to focus her energy on creative campaigning — generating stickers, posters and design. So the activist-turned-entrepreneur developed a plan: go to design school, spend some time learning the ropes, and then use her experience to breathe new life into progressive projects and campaigns.

“With commercial design, you really try to capitalize on the things that people don’t know. So you’re kind of trying to trick them,” says Sampath,

who first set up shop at home, as a freelancer for not-for-profit clients.

But she soon started getting a lot of work — and finding herself lonely. She picked up studio manager Rocio (Ro) Velasquez and designer Natalia Saavedra. They also work with Montreal designer Coco Riot and a Winnipeg web developer named Derek Hogue.

For Sampath, moving from the whitemale-dominated world of commercial design to a team led by rad women of colour was a welcome change. “It’s crappy to be in a space where if you say something [about a problem with an ad] people say, ‘What are you? Are you some kind of feminist?’”

Velasquez, The Public’s studio manager, says because the studio’s team hails from diverse backgrounds, they’re able to make better campaigns.

She points to The Public’s work on a recent poster series about anti-bisexual stigma. “We can do all the research that we want, but people know their own experiences,” she says. The posters featured community members who didn’t fit into some people’s pigeonhole “diversity quotas” — from a pregnant woman to an older trans gentleman.

Velasquez says that because of their own experiences with oppression and activism (she identifies as mixed-race and indigenous to South America), members of the studio don’t tokenize people. “I feel like I carry 500 years of colonialism in my face, my hands, my body, every day,” she says. “That . . . really defines the work that I want to do.”

Sampath credits The Public’s success to an unusual business model. “We put our clients through the wringer,” she says. “Their agenda is our agenda as well. We’ve turned away work before because we’re like, ‘This place is sketchy and they’re trying to save Third World babies and I don’t like that!’”

But those relationships cut both ways. “Sometimes I have to, you know, rethink invoices . . . we have to be very patient,” Velasquez laughs. “Which is understandable, because we know that everyone’s stretched, especially in non-profit and community work.”

It is unusual to hear of a design studio retroactively giving a discount. But Velasquez says it’s the kind of empathy that allows workers at not-for-profits — already terrified of impending budget cuts — to give The Public their trust.

This flexibility allows the group to use design to educate and inform, not just sell products.

“That’s a really big difference between the corporate world and the not-for-profit world . . . [the] not-forprofit world is like, in panic mode,” Sampath says. “I don’t think we’re hit by the recession as much, but we’re hit by bad politics. We’re worried that our clients won’t exist in a year.”

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DIFFERENT? SO ARE WE. By youth for youth.

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Canadian Immigration Lawyers

MUSIC boyBitch

Free consultations available for certain immigration categories.

ROBERT ISRAEL BLANSHAY, Barrister & Solicitor JACQUELINE M. LEWIS, Barrister & Solicitor â&#x20AC;&#x153;iTendremos el agrado de asistirle en espaĂąol!â&#x20AC;?

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Before going to Robert Blanshay we shopped around and bumped into insincere and complacent consultants. Robert Blanshayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s law Office handled our case in a professional, efficient, targeted, at times even tough, yet friendly manner.

It was worth every penny.â&#x20AC;?â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Ramiro, Mexico

BEST OF TORONTO

228 Gerrard Street East, Toronto, Ontario M5A 2E8 5 t ' E: robert@apply2canada.com www.apply2canada.com

Torontoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hottest rising star dishes sass and no class with ďŹ re and ice. Thurs, Aug 16, 9pm.

Leeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace, 529 Bloor St W. $6. boybitch.bandcamp.com

A Synonym for Love Volcano Theatre and the Classical Music Consort present a modern English translation of Handelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opera that traverses the explosive terrain of a love triangle.

Directed by Ross Manson, with musical direction by Ashiq Aziz.

Preview Sun, Aug 19; runs Sat, Aug 20â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Fri, Aug 31, 7pm. The Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen St W. $42; $30 under 30, seniors, equity members; $20 preview. volcano.ca

STAGE Breathe for Me SummerWorks presents the story of Edna and Edith, a couple whose 40 years of partnership begins to unravel under the weight of deception, sacriďŹ ce and alcoholism.

Directed by Ed Roy and starring Peggy Mahon and Deborah Kipp. Runs Thurs, Aug 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sat, Aug 18, various showtimes.

Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. $15. summerworks.ca

Ajax (Por Nobody) An evening of pure debauchery that results in an out-ofcontrol fuck-fest. Featuring David Christo, Ingrid Rae Doucet, Vivien EndicottDouglas and written by Alice Tuan. Runs Thurs, Aug 9â&#x20AC;&#x201C;Sun, Aug 19, various showtimes. The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St W. $15. summerworks.ca PAULA WILSON

Certified by the Law Society of Upper Canada as a Specialist in Immigration / Refugee Law

2007

20

Mariko Tamaki at The Flying Beaver on Aug 10.

I Love That Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m So Into You Heather Gold and Mariko Tamaki host a hilarious and provocative night of stories and games. Fri, Aug 10, 7:30pm.

The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $15, $10 advance. pubaret.com

Just Wanna Say This About That Veteran comedian Maggie Cassella is joined by Phil Luzi for a comedy show about outlandish behaviour, politics and ridiculous entertainment news. Sat, Aug 11, 7:30pm.

The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $25, $20 advance. pubaret.com â&#x20AC;ş continued on page 22

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XPOSED

Anna Pournikova

We’re with the Band Whatever is going on here with this Jim Henson-esque puppet (Lady Gomorrah) that Igby Lizzard is holding, I am all over it like white on rice. I wish I had a puppet to speak for me; of course, it would be an aging multiracial queen who gives zero fucks about anything, but it would be nice to say how I really feel on occasion.

Jay Walker, host of Sodom: Stone Age, really put the full effort into this badass costume. He also speared Nikki Chin in the show onstage. Gotta love the two blonde ponies and pink bone-bow on that torch he’s holding, too.

ROBERT G.COATES,

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

VALERIE A. CHANG, B.A., J.D. BARRISTER & SOLICITOR

I very rarely do this, because although I can appreciate gay men for their beauty and charm, I myself am not into getting naked with them.

But holy gods of True Blood, look at Sebber and Shakeil. There is a fantasy here about the vampires and the hate crimers and an orgy (god, I hope you watch the show to understand all this) for sure, which I will just let dangle in the air between us.

So I guess I hadn’t seen Linus in a while, ’cause he grew this insane junior ZZ Top beard in something like a month. How it could get that thick in that amount of time is beyond me, but I hope he keeps going. This thing could be a sweet lifeguard tank by next summer.

You know what I love telling people about Angelina when they meet her? “She’s a pro fighter.” And every time she giggles. It’s great. We have our act down pat. She really is a fighter, but she’s also a hairstylist and a baker and a giggly, fun lady. I took this snap of her and Dylan just outside of rapper Riff Raff’s debut at Wrongbar.

R.G. COATES ESTATE LAW P.C. 120 Carlton Street, Suite 307 Toronto, Ontario M5A 4K2 Tel. (416) 925-6490 Fax (416) 925-4492 web: www.rgcoates.com email: robert@rgcoates.com email: valerie@rgcoates.com

E C

I love love love what Nikki Chin has done here with her makeup and shirt. The gold in her eyes, lips and earrings looks gorgeous juxtaposed against the black and white zebra-print shirt. She and Kyle, with his fur vest and cheetah bandanna, are V Magazine sexy (you know, if everyone in V Magazine didn’t looked like a pulled Tory Burch with Play-Doh hair and dead mackerel eyes).

SI N

When was the last time you saw all these guys in one photo? From left to right: DJ Blackcat, Todd Klinck and DJ Sumation with Fred Flintstone at Sodom: Stone Age. For me, it’s been never, that’s how long. I know I ask this a lot in my column, but that party was packed — how are they not sweating?

I need to learn this trick.

1981

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Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

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STAGE The God That Comes Christian Barry directs Juno Award–winning recording artist and performer Hawksley Workman in this one-man rockand-roll cabaret. Presented by SummerWorks. Sat, Aug 11, 8pm.

The Theatre Centre, 1087 Queen St W. $20. summerworks.ca

Tick

At the Same Time Drawing and expanding on a variety of photographic traditions, At the Same Time is a group exhibition featuring the work of six artists: Steven Beckly and Dylan MacNeil (Toronto, ON), Ted Kerr and Zachary Ayotte (Brooklyn, NY), and Colin Quinn and Oisín Share (Manchester, UK).

Also featuring the book launch of At the Same Time, documenting the series of exhibitions drawing on the work of the six artists.

DURATION

August 10 - September 22, 2012 OPENING RECEPTION & BOOK LAUNCH

Friday, August 10, 7:30pm

www.clga.ca

Extended by popular demand, this family-friendly production tells the story of four kids engaged in a fearless battle to keep their local library from closing. Sound familiar? Runs till Sun, Aug 12, various showtimes. Wychwood Theatre, 601 Christie St. $12.30. theatredirect.ca

Laughs at Slack’s Comedian Heidi Brander presents a lineup of queer female comics who promise to split your sides and have you gagging for more. Wed, Aug 15, 8:30pm. Slack’s, 562 Church St. PWYC. slacks.ca

The McComedy Show Shannon McDonough and Michael McLean host an outrageous night of standup and sketch comedy, with special guests Paul Bellini, Shelley Kidwell, Marilla Wex and Jennifer McAuliffe. Grab a cocktail and enjoy a show brimming with twisted humour. Fri, Aug 17 and Sat, Aug 18, 7:30pm. The Flying Beaver Pubaret, 488 Parliament St. $15, $10 advance. pubaret.com

Sky Gilbert’s new play runs Aug 18–Sept 1 at The Winslow Farm in Millbrook.

St Francis of Millbrook Sky Gilbert’s new play follows Luke, a young farmer in rural Ontario who plays hockey and has a penchant for Madonna and other telltale pop artists. Directed by Kim Blackwell, with musical direction and original composition by Justin Hiscox.

Runs Sat, Aug 18–Sat, Sept 1, 6pm.

The Winslow Farm, 779 Zion Lane, Milbrook. $30. 4thlinetheatre.on.ca

OUTwrites is pleased to present the launch of their Zhush Redux Made possible by the generosity of the Community One Foundation.The event will be held at the fabulous and fully licenced Holy Oak Café.

Mingle, drink, eat and hear readings from writers featured in the anthology Zhush Redux anthology presents stories, poems, and even a play, from Matt Badali, Don Bapst, Dorianne Emmerton, Terence Go, Brock Hessel, David Marshall, Alan T. Orr, Mark Reinhart, Marcy Rogers, Sheila van den Heuvel-Collins, & Nichola Ward MEDIA SPONSOR

1241 Bloor Street West | Friday, August 10th, 7:30 to 9 pm

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NIGHTCLUB LISTINGS WED, AUG 8

Laughs at Slack’s, queer and female comedy, features Heidi Brander, Laura Di Labio, Emma Hunter, Zachary Pearse, Jonathan Morton-Schuster and Sara Hennessey, with special guest host Andrew Johnston and music open-mic after the show. 8:30pm. Slack’s, 562 Church St. PWYC. slacks.ca

THURS, AUG 9 Bistro Music in the Park. 7pm. Green Space, 519 Church St. No cover. facebook.com/the519 Pup Night at 9pm; Black Eagle Kick Ass Boot Party, with host Tarna and BlackJack Pearce, at 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover; TLP 2012 VIP passholders get front-of-the-line privileges. torontoleatherpride.ca

FRI, AUG 10 Queer Arts & Culture Festival Launch Party, with DJs Cozmic Cat, Quinces, Chiclet, Lindzrox and Countess Christmasher. 9pm. Le Steamée, 1602

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

Dundas St W. No cover. artsfestival. queerwest.org

Surge Women and Trans Party, with demo by Lamalani and bootblacking by Q. For women and trans people only.

10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover; TLP 2012 VIP pass-holders get front-of-the-line privileges. torontoleatherpride.ca B.East, with DJ Cory Activate spinning house and top-40 remixes. 10pm.

WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. $5. facebook. com/beastatwayla Ex-Her-bitionist Edition, with DJs Kris Steeves, Formbybrassband and omgblog.com and host Regina the Gentlelady. 10:30pm. La Perla, 783 Queen St W. $5. herherher.com Fetish Gear Party, hosted by Alex Canning, Mr Leatherman Toronto 2012.

11pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover; TLP 2012 VIP pass-holders get front-of-the-line privileges. torontoleatherpride.ca

10:30pm–2:30am. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. $5. henhousetoronto.com

SUN, AUG 12 Toronto Leather Pride Day Celebration and Fetish Market. 2–11pm. ZipperzCellblock, 72 Carlton St. $5 with donation to The 519, $2 with a Leather Ball 18 ticket stub, no cover for TLP 2012 VIP pass-holders. torontoleatherpride.ca Black Eagle Cigar Party. 11pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover; TLP 2012 VIP pass-holders get front-of-the-line privileges. torontoleatherpride.ca

MON, AUG 13 SummerWorks Music Series features four collaborations between musical artists and artists from other performance-based disciplines, with Hawksley Workman and Buck 65.

Runs till Sun, August 19. Venues across Toronto. summerworks.ca

SAT, AUG 11

TUES, AUG 14

Mr Leatherman Toronto, Ms Leather Toronto and Mr Rubber Toronto Competitions, hosted by Deb Pearce and Brandon Matheson; Leather Ball 18, with DJ Nik Red on decks.

6:30pm. Phoenix Concert Theatre, 410 Sherbourne St. $25 advance, $30 door. torontoleatherpride.ca

TICOT Toonie Tuesdays, with Candice Kelly and Nikki Chin raising funds for charity, at 9pm; Bittersweet, with Honey Brown and Olivya Chin, at 11:30pm; DJ Quinces in Tangos and Vocal Rehab karaoke in the Zone, with Elyse Douglas, both at 10pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

Glitter Ball celebrates Fashion Cares 25, with DJs Kitty Glitter, Matt C and Baby Joel. DJ Aeryn Pfaff in the Glitter Lounge. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $10 before 11pm, $15 till 1am, $20 after. flynightclub.com The Two-Year Birthday Fête celebrates Tapette’s dirty deux, with Mao Mao and Roxy performing and DJ Phil V on decks.

Fooftastic Karaoke every Tuesday.

10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com

WED, AUG 15 Snakepit. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com

THURS, AUG 16

Las Krudas does Cuban hip hop, joined by La Bomba and her live band, Amasonica Sound Force. 9pm. Lula Lounge, 1585 Dundas St W. $20 advance, $25 door. lula.ca Smirnoff Best Chest Contest, with Georgie Girl, Donnarama and DJ Mark Falco. Midnight. Woody’s, 465 Church St. No cover. woodystoronto.com

FRI, AUG 17 Alterna-Queer Music Night, with Troy Jackson, Zara Ahmed, Michael Martins and Criztal-Jay performing.

7pm. The Sister, 1554 Queen St W. $5. artsfestival.queerwest.org

Rubbered Up, presented by TORN and Heart of the Flag Federation. Strict dress code: minimum one piece of rubber gear. 10pm. Black Eagle, 457 Church St. No cover. blackeagletoronto.com

Fierce & Flawless, with Heroine Marks, Ivory Towers and Katherine Dior, at 8:30pm; Bitchapalooza, with Daytona Bitch, at 11:30pm; Indigo Vibes, with DJ Roxanne, in Tangos and Club Lite in the Zone, with DJ Relentless, both at 10pm.

Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

Tits ’n’ Toques. 10pm. Henhouse, 1532 Dundas St W. No cover. henhousetoronto.com Sex in the City, with DJ Sumation.

11pm–3am. Flash, 463 Church St. Guest members $5. flashonchurch.com

Hombre, with DJ Alberto Perez and guests spinning Latin-influenced beats. 10pm. fly, 8 Gloucester St. $5 till 11:30pm, $10 after. flynightclub.com

SUN, AUG 19

SAT, AUG 18 Cherry Bomb: Summer Madness, with DJs Cozmic Cat and Denise Benson spinning the beats for queer women and their friends. 9pm. Andy Poolhall, 489 College St. No cover before 10pm, $7 after. andypoolhall.com Hard Candy: Back-to-School Boy-band Edition, with DJ daVinci spinning retro pop hits and dance faves. 10pm. WAYLA, 996 Queen St E. No cover. waylabar.com

Expand your contact list.

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

indexdirectory.ca NEXT TORONTO RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15

Toronto Leather Pride is Aug 9-12.

Miss Conception’s Stage to Screen Show at 6pm; Day-Rama Show, with Donnarama and Daytona, at 9pm; Georgie Girl and Donnarama welcome Sofonda, Robyn DeCradle, Nikki Chin and Lexi Tellings at 11pm.

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

MON, AUG 20 Glitz & Glam, with Carlotta Carlisle and Katinka Katura, at 9pm; Dirty Mondays, with Devine Darlin and Nikki Chin, at 11:30pm. Crews & Tangos, 508 Church St. No cover. crewsandtangos.com

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A World of Gay Adventure

Lisbon Coastal culture rich in music, cuisine and architecture

P Named after a native-born patron saint, the Santo Antonio festival honours the summer solstice. JOSE MANUEL

Armando Mendonça

ORTUGAL’S CAPITAL CITY of Lisbon (Lisboa in Portuguese), situated at the mouth of the Tagus River on the Atlantic coast, is Europe’s second-oldest urban centre. An important city in Europe’s Age of Discovery, it was the departure point of the great explorers Vasco da Gama, Ferdinand Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator.

The city is an intriguing combination of two contrasting and unique architectural styles: the 16th-century Manueline, of the Belem district, and the 18th-century Pombaline, of downtown. The Belem district, on the north bank of the Tagus River, is home to a trio of must-see landmarks: the Belém Tower, one of the city’s most photographed sites; the Jéronimos Monastery, which, along with the Belém Tower, is a UNESCO World Heritage site; and the Monument to the Discoveries, which marks the point from which the famous explorers set off on their voyages.

The backdrop of Lisbon consists of the gorgeous palaces and old churches typical of any great historical capital, with contemporary architecture giving the city a touch of modernization. Its back streets and narrow passageways have long been one of the city’s most charming characteristics; a simple and satisfying pleasure is to wander and take in the streetlife and atmosphere of the old quarters.

On June 5, 2010, Portugal became the eighth country in the world to recognize same-sex marriage, and its people have embraced a new era of equality and inclusiveness. The districts of Bairro Alto, Chiado and Principe Real all have thriving gay scenes.

Bairro Alto is a picturesque 16thcentury-accented district that has traditionally been the city’s bohemian quarter and is a popular hangout for artists and writers. By day it’s quite calm; at night it’s transformed by its vibrant nightlife. With its graffiti-clad façades, the area offers a variety of excellent traditional and international restaurants,

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XTRA! AUG 9, 2012

fado houses, upscale bars and designer shops that stay open late.

Next to Bairro Alto is Chiado, a posh district that delights the senses with old-style cafés, theatres, boutiques, jewellery shops and brand-name boutiques such as Cartier and Hermès.

Ranked among the top 10 international metropolitan districts, it’s often compared to Fifth Ave in New York, Oxford St in London, and the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Principe Real is known for its antique and interior design shops on Rua Dom Pedro V and Rua da Escola Politécnica, and also for being the city’s main gay quarter, with numerous bars and clubs.

Every year more gay establishments open in this area, offering both locals and foreigners a place of welcome and acceptance. As in many European capitals, the nightlife starts very late and can last until sunrise.

Fado houses — an absolute mustvisit during your stay in Lisbon — can be found throughout the city, especially in the Bairro Alto, where local artists sing to a style of music that dates back to the 1800s. The word fado translates as “fate,” and the beautiful lyrics tell of sorrow and destiny. This style of singing can be heard only in Portugal and is a sound as authentic as the locals.

designer shops. It’s also where you’ll find the Monument to the Heroes of the Great War, a tribute to the 50,000 Portuguese soldiers who died in World War I. Lisbon is a city best explored on foot, but there is an efficient public transit network. The GoLisbon website has good transportation info. More unusual modes of transportation include funiculars that take you directly uphill, and an elevator designed by Gustave Eiffel

Lisbon has some of the largest shopping malls in Europe. The most central is Armazéns do Chiado; the largest is Colombo. If you’re looking for more traditional markets, head to the downtown Mercado da Ribeira or the flea market of Feira da Ladra in Alfama. Avenida da Liberdade is Lisbon’s main boulevard; it runs north for a mile, from Restauradores Square to Marquês de Pombal Square, and is home to a plethora of boutiques, cafés, luxury hotels and

Houses of the Culture Department, part of Lisbon City Hall. ANTONIO SACCHETTI

(he of the famous tower in Paris). Carris is the transportation company that runs buses, trams and funiculars. The most convenient and affordable mode of transportation is the Metro, which runs daily from 6am until 1am. Beigecoloured taxis are available throughout the city and rates are very reasonable.

There are five railway stations; check the Comboios Portugal website for info.

The main departure point for international destinations is Santa Apolónia Station, located on Avenida Infante.

Along the railway line that links Lisbon to Cascais are several broad beaches that attract locals and tourists, including Guincho, known worldwide for its surfing. All are within 20 to 30 minutes of the capital. There are two main gay beaches: Costa da Caparica and Beach 19 (also known as Praia de Bela Vista).

Portuguese cooking is heavily influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and fish and seafood are staples. Be sure to try arroz de marisco, a rice and shellfish dish, and the many different styles of fish stew. As for meat, there is one true national speciality: the renowned cozido à Portuguesa blends meat and vegetables into a richly flavoured stew. Pastel de nata, an egg custard tart served with a sprinkle of cinnamon, is best enjoyed with a strong cup of espresso.

From left: Small street celebrations are a common sight in Lisbon; Orient Station is one of Lisbon’s main transit hubs; the renaissancestyle St Vicente de Fora church houses a number of royal tombs; the Glória funicular links Baixa with Bairro Alto. JOSE MANUEL

Trip advisor BARS & CLUBS Clube da Esquina Portas Largas

LODGINGS Hotel Métropole Pensão Residencial Gerês

RESTAURANTS & CAFÉS Les Mauvais Garçons Tavares Rico

SAUNAS & SEX CLUBS SaunApolo 56 Trombeta Bath Read more about Lisbon at guidemag.com, where you’ll find listings for more than 40 gay and lesbian venues of interest.

on the web GoLisbon ›golisbon.com Carris ›carris.pt Comboios Portugal ›www.cp.pt

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Guidemag.com A World of Gay Adventure

XTRA! AUG 9, 2012

Porto

OLEGIVVIT

World Heritage site the birthplace of Port wine â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and Harry Potter Armando Mendonça

W

ORLD RENOWNED FOR its eponymous wines, the northern Portuguese city of Porto is located on the Douro Valley estuary and is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the second-largest city in Portugal, after Lisbon.

Known by the locals as Oporto, which translates as â&#x20AC;&#x153;the port,â&#x20AC;? the city dates back to the fourth century. Its gorgeous Romanesque and baroque architecture makes the city centre a visual delight for history and architecture buffs.

JOSEP RENALIAS

Top, the historic city of Porto, seen from Vila Nova de Gaia, on the other side of the Douro River. Above, the ClĂŠrigos Church and bell tower. Right, an Ă&#x201A;ngelo de Sousa sculpture.

MANUAL DE SOUSA

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upscale Foz district. Portoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s inaugural Pride celebration was held in 2001, and the ďŹ rst Pride march took place in 2006. Pride is celebrated the ďŹ rst week of July, and the parade usually makes its way down the main street of Avenida dos Aliados on the ďŹ rst Saturday in July.

Porto is the birthplace of two worldrenowned ďŹ gures: Prince Henry the Navigator, responsible for the early development of European exploration and maritime trade with other continents; and Harry Potter, the ďŹ ctional character created by author JK Rowling, who was living in Porto and working as an English teacher when she started writing her ďŹ rst book.

The Port Wine Museum offers interesting insight into the origins of Port wine and how it became Portugalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most famous export. Produced exclusively in the Douro Valley, port is typically a sweet, red fortiďŹ ed wine. Guided wine-tasting tours of the Douro Valley and the famous producersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cellars are a must when visiting the region.

on the web Visit Portugal â&#x20AC;şvisitportugal.com Accord Tours â&#x20AC;şaccordtours.com Transat Holidays â&#x20AC;ştransatholidays.com Sunwing Vacations â&#x20AC;şsunwing.ca

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The charming district of Ribeira, situated on the riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s edge, is very picturesque, with its medieval houses, outdoor cafĂŠs, bars and such important landmarks as the Bolsa Palace, SĂŁo Francisco Church, Caso do Infante and Porto Cathedral, one of the most important Romanesque monuments in Portugal.

The bustling Avenida dos Aliados, Cordoaria and Boavista areas are rife with cafĂŠs, boutiques and charming shops.

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in need of retail therapy, check out the local and international shops on Rua de Santa Catarina, where youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll also ďŹ nd the Via Catarina shopping mall. High-end boutiques can be found on Avenida da Boavista, while Rua do Almada is the street for alternative shops relating to music and urban culture.

A must-visit for bibliophiles is the Lello Bookshop, considered one of the most beautiful bookstores in the world.

Other notable landmarks that adorn this medieval city include the ClĂŠrigos Tower, a baroque-style bell tower that can be seen from various points of the city; and Casa da MĂşsica, a major concert hall that became an instant icon when it was completed in 2005.

Unlike Lisbon, Porto has no gay neighbourhood, but there are a few gay bars in the city centre. The club scene is concentrated west of the city, in the

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LODGINGS › Escape Resort: third, fifth and seventh nights free › INNdulge: weekday nights starting at $69 › Inn Exile: third night free

Palm Springs While summer is the slow season for tourism in Palm Springs, the city is far from dead. Hot, dry days are ideal for sun lovers, and the warm sultry nights are perfect for skinny-dipping at one of the many clothing-optional gay resorts.

You’ll find many accommodations clustered in Warm Sands, the neighbourhood that has been the epicentre of gay lodging since the first gay resort opened in 1975. Most resorts are within a casual stroll of Palm Springs’ historic downtown and its great restaurants.

There are also amazing summer deals to be found, including the free

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Splash Pass, which is valid until Sept 15. A promotion run by the Desert Gay Tourism Guild, the Splash Pass gets you dining discounts, drink specials, free gifts at bars, shopping deals and attraction coupons. It’s available at most gay hotels, bars and businesses.

› Palm Springs Art Museum: free admission and 10 percent off in the museum store › Desert Adventures: $25 off three-hour or longer tours › Elite Land Tours: 10 percent off all tours

DINING OUT › Encore restaurant: 20 percent off entire bill › Azul restaurant: buy two entrees and get a free appetizer › SpurLine Bar: two-for-one drink specials

on the web Find information on more than 140 gay and lesbian places of interest in Palm Springs at guidemag.com.

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London like a Queen

If the festivities of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee earlier this summer swept you off your feet and left you wanting more, England’s capital awaits. Indulging like a monarch is a London trademark; this is a city that really knows how to pamper. And whether you’re searching for theatre, spas or fine dining, there’s a tiara for every queen.

DRAMA QUEEN Though New York City may be the international capital of stage productions, it can’t top London’s pedigree. The incubator of such playwrights as William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, London boasts an impressive playbill. The city’s mix of old and new, Broadway and British, fills theatres from Leicester Square to Victoria Square.

In the West End, audiences queue around the block for such timetested favourites as Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables and new blockbusters Matilda: The Musical and War Horse. During Priscilla’s two-anda-half year run, the Palace Theatre on Shaftesbury Ave was the place to be for gays local and visiting. While the flamboyant show’s queer successor is yet unknown, Matilda: The Musical has turned a few heads since its October 2011 opening. The charming tale by Roald Dahl is highlighted by the brilliant casting of Bertie Carvel as the

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cantankerous Miss Trunchbull. His drag performance steals the show.

Since its world premiere last summer, Ghost has been giving goosebumps to both romantics and thrill-seekers. Its illusions, tricks and special effects generate more than a few “How’d they do that?” headscratching moments.

After the show you can rest your head in a distinctly queer site, synonymous with scandal. Many sleeps ago, Oscar Wilde was arrested at The Cadogan hotel for “committing acts of gross indecency with other male persons.” The Oscar Wilde Suite features a velvet smoking jacket in the closet, silver bling wallpaper and violet feather accents.

QUEEN BEE Nestled in the city’s most posh neighbourhood, The Mayfair Hotel and its bustling lobby attract celebrities and party-seeking Londoners. The Mayfair spa’s dark marble interiors and dim lighting lend a nocturnal feel

to this subterranean oasis, which features a relaxation room, complete with heated hammam beds, a steam room, sauna and cold-plunge shower.

The hot-stone massage, which includes a head-to-toe coating of warmed oil, is a special treat.

For spa services catered to men, Londoners turn to the Nickel Spa in Covent Garden. “We’re able to tailor our treatments for men,” says massage therapist Zach Taljaard.

“Our massages are generally deeper and target the bigger muscles of the male physique.” The stainless steel features, slate flooring and indigoblue walls add to the masculine aura.

When you’re ready to shed the scruff, Gentlemen’s Tonic, tucked away on the second floor of Selfridges department store, is worth the search. Reclining in barber’s chairs, stubble-sporting clients soak under hot towelling, the first of many steps in the wet shave. The salon’s secret to a knick-free treatment is its signature pre-shave oil (available for sale, along with a full product line).

A QUEEN WHO EATS CAKE It’s pinkies up these days as afternoon tea experiences a renaissance at

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This queen opted for a doubledecker tour. COLM HOWARD-LLOYD

landmark hotels across the city, each with its own take on the traditional lunch-to-dinner tide-over.

The Lanesborough Hotel’s sophisticated and opulent dining room is balanced by the airiness of a vaulted

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ceiling with skylights. A tea concierge will guide your selections, matching the perfect cuppa to each savoury or sweet bite-sized snack.

Up from the Lanesborough, along Park Lane, the Dorchester hotel serves up tiered tea in the opulent promenade. Amongst the feminine touches of pink draperies and silk cushions, it’s difficult not to cross your feet at the ankles and take small, ladylike bites. But those with healthy appetites will be more than satisfied by the all-you-can-eat replenishment of the carb-heavy courses.

The Langham hotel’s lavish Palm Court is a fitting backdrop to an afternoon tea that chefs have taken up a notch in celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee. Enjoy foie gras sandwiches, chocolate scones and jewel-inspired pastries, all perched decadently in tiers, to the sound of a live pianist.

For more information on London, go to visitbritain.com.

28

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AIDS/HIV RESOURCES Canadian Seed Exchange Medical Compassion Clinic

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30

Toronto’s gay & lesbian news

XTRA! AUG 9, 2012

DICK

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She’s a female werewolf; let’s just go with that. Later on, I’ll watch an episode of Spartacus (more male nudity) and maybe cap off the night by rewatching that one episode of Community where Joel McHale spreads his ass cheeks for everyone at Greendale Community College.

Truly, we’ve entered the golden age of male nudity in pop culture.

So why does it feel like such a hollow victory?

The internet is nothing if not the great sexual equalizer; if sexism hasn’t ended in the post-dot-com world, at the very least it’s evened the playing field when it comes to objectification. A six-packed hunk in briefs is now almost as much of a draw as a buxom woman in three square inches of clothing. If you don’t believe me, look at the success of Magic Mike: in one month, a movie about male strippers has earned back more than 15 times its budget. Compare that to any number of mindless summer blockbusters marketed solely on the

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principle of female eye-candy and you start to consider that famous cock might be a bigger draw than previously thought.

And yet, there’s something missing. In all this male nudity, there’s one last piece of the puzzle eluding us: the cock in question. In a movie with a character named Big Dick Richie, there are no actual dicks.

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If anything, the “strippers” in this movie more closely approximate drag queens in their overly choreographed, prop-heavy stage shows.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but a dickless stripper is like a bike without wheels: you can’t really go anywhere.

Yes, Hollywood fat cats can pat themselves on the backs for making such a sexually progressive movie, but they’re still stuck in that mindset of “good boys don’t show their junk.”

Men can play pedophiles, murderers, rapists, thieves and terrorists, but god help you if their johnsons make it onscreen, because that would just be obscene.

And so we come to the crux of our foray into male nudity, if you can even call it that. We’ve become stuck in the rut where we can allude to cock, build an entire narrative around cock, and even show outlines of cock, but the cock itself is off the table. It’s all about the teasing, never about the pleasing. Not that I don’t appreciate a good tease, but you can play coy only so long before you have to whip it out. Maybe someday Joe Manganiello will do just that and live up to his Big Dick Richie character, but until that day comes, at least I’m an ass man.

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